Caleb Wiseheart, 8, visiting from Indiana, shows the 11.7-pound mutton snapper and another mutton snapper he caught July 17 while fishing on the Southern Comfort IV drift boat based at Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo. Capt. Bill Cox, left, helps Caleb hold his snappers. Photo courtesy of Living on Island Time Deep Sea Fishing

ABOVE: Patrons gather around tables at The Seed in Boca Raton. Photos by Taylor Jones/The Coastal Star

By Janis Fontaine

We love our coffee — and our coffee shops, too. A mundane cup of joe at the kitchen table isn’t enough to satisfy us anymore. We’ve become coffee snobs.
So it comes as no surprise that the coffee café business is booming. In a recent study, FindTheHome and FindTheCompany, two technology companies that collect and interpret data, identified cities in the United States with the most cafes per capita. Palm Beach County contributed four of the top 25 cities, beginning with West Palm Beach at No. 25, Jupiter at No. 23, Delray Beach at No. 7 and Boca Raton at No. 2 with 16.15 cafes per 10,000 people. Fort Lauderdale and Miami also made the list and Miami Beach was at the top.

Traditional latte with organic milk art at The Seed
in Boca Raton.

Two Boca Raton moms tapped into the trend by opening The Seed.
Rachel Eade, 32, and Carly Altier, 31, met through their children’s school. When they shared their ambitions over watermelon-jalapeño cocktails, they found they shared a dream: to be business owners.
Eade wanted a gourmet coffee house. Altier wanted an organic juice bar.
“We married the two ideas,” Altier said, and founded their business, A Squeeze & Drip Company, a year ago. Four months later, they opened the doors of their specialty coffee shop and juice bar, The Seed, at 199 W. Palmetto Park Road, across the street from Boca Raton City Hall. The women call their store, tucked between a salon and a gym, a “farm-to-cup” experience.
The décor is rustic, with high ceilings and an open floor plan. An eclectic mix of seating options, some intimate, some family-style, can accommodate two people or 20. Altier, a trauma nurse who also has years of restaurant work experience, greets guests.
But about the coffee.
Coffee shrubs produce an edible red or purple fruit called a cherry. Each cherry contains two seeds, called beans because they look like beans. A single coffee shrub will produce about a pound of hand-picked beans, er, seeds. The beans are a pale grayish green before they’re roasted to a deep warm brown. Most are organically grown in South or Central America, with Costa Rica and Brazil the most popular sources.
The Seed roasts coffee several times a week through a partnership with Wells Coffee Company, a small Boca Raton business owned by Brandon and Nicole Wells. “We all share a passion for coffee,” Eade said.
Wells employee David Imber, 21, roasts beans in a San Franciscan roaster in the front window of the cafe. It takes about 12 minutes to roast coffee. Imber monitors the beans like a conductor in front of a symphony, watching the temperature gauges and listening to the pop and crackles of the beans as they roast. A 6-pound batch of green coffee seeds will yield 5 pounds of roasted beans.
In-house roasting is a great marketing point, but it’s not being done to be trendy.
“Coffee is not a trend or a seasonal business,” Eade said,  “It’s part of people’s lifestyle.”
She is right about that. Coffee consumption has remained pretty static at about two cups per person per day, with men drinking a little bit more than women, since it peaked in the 1940s. Less than 50 percent of people get their coffee at home, and for them, the biggest change in coffee consumption is the popularity of the single-cup “pod” systems.
But for the other half of the people who buy their coffee out, sales are split pretty evenly between large chain coffee sellers (Starbucks and Dunkin’ Donuts) at 26 percent and independent coffee shops and small chains at 22 percent, according to Zagat.com.

Andres Rodriguez  serves customer Doug Marks of Boca Raton on a Sunday morning at Gizzi’s Coffee in Delray Beach.

Good help is hard to find
In Delray Beach, Andres Rodriguez opened Gizzi’s in the corner of a strip center on Federal Highway, just south of Linton Boulevard, 11 years ago. The former cruise ship officer handled food and beverage for Royal Caribbean, but he gave up a life at sea to try to save his marriage. The marriage didn’t survive but the coffee shop did.
“I like the idea of coffee shops,” he said. He greets every customer like an old friend. With tables and sturdy chairs, plus a few couches and armchairs, Gizzi’s is cozy — a place you might run into a friend or a neighbor.
Most of Gizzi’s coffee — about 95 percent — is organic, but a few of the flavored brews aren’t available as organic.
His biggest challenge is getting and keeping good employees.
“I’m constantly training someone new,” Rodriguez said. Many of the employees — like his “right hand,” Ashley Kite — are students at nearby FAU. He says the students taught him the importance of staying connected with social media. He laughs as he describes two young customers who are sitting at the same table “but they’re texting each other!”
The business is constantly changing, he said. Starbucks recently added craft beer and wine to its menu at a few locations (including Orlando) to test the market. It went so well, it plans to add more stores. “People want what they want and you have to be ready to provide it,” Rodriguez said.

Carly Altier (left) and Rachel Eade of The Seed. Photo provided

Customers’ questions
That 10-cent cuppa joe you ordered at the local diner in 1965 is a long way from that $5 cappuccino you got last week. And the coffee snobs are asking: “Were those beans ground this morning?” “Where were they grown?” “On the southern side of the mountain?” “Harvested under a new moon?”
At The Seed, Altier, who grew up in Boca Raton, is never rattled by the questions and she said that she and Eade take their roles as educators seriously. The two recently hosted a coffee class to teach the basics of brewing a perfect cup and the difference between hot and cold brewing.
Much of Altier’s focus is on the juice side of the business. She studied nutrition in college and is super-fit. She’ll gladly explain the reason you need to come back for a juice fix tomorrow.
One trend on point in the summer heat is ice coffees. Who knew that making iced coffee by pouring hot coffee over ice is so yesterday? Now, a good iced coffee is cold-brewed (sometimes called cold-pressed if a coffee press is used). Coarsely ground beans are steeped overnight in room-temperature water, and then the coffee is strained and chilled. Science supports cold-brewing, Eade said.

Locally baked goods
Sometimes, to give your customers the best product, it’s best to bring in a professional. The Seed stocks fresh-baked sweets by local bakers (the coffee crumb cake is a best-seller), and at Gizzi’s, Rodriguez gets baked goods, including vegan and gluten-free options, locally as well.
Getting customers in the door at off-peak times is perhaps the biggest challenge. Gizzi’s hosts open mic nights and poetry readings. The Seed owners have been rallying local merchants to work together, hosting a Pop Up Collective, “a caravan of local and small shops,” one evening in July. Vendors gathered at the store to show off their wares, meet their neighbors, network and build their businesses. Rodriguez has a standing special:  Buy any coffee drink before 8 a.m. and get a free refill that same afternoon between 3 and 6 p.m.
Darin Johnson, a student at FAU who ordered an espresso, said there’s no place else in town with coffee like The Seed. Of course it has WiFi, and most of the guests have laptops or tablets open in front of them. Most are young people — under 40 — looking for place to connect in person or online. And most likely to post their feelings on Yelp.
Gizzi’s is surrounded by car dealerships and small businesses, but it attracts soccer moms on iPhones, too.
The Seed has hosted a few open mic nights and plans to do more now that school’s in session. And if things go as planned, The Seed, like Starbucks, will be adding beer and wine to its menu soon.

Barista Cortney Vaughn uses organic milk to make her art on a traditional latte at The Seed coffee shop in Boca Raton. Taylor Jones/The Coastal Star

It’s beautiful and you can drink it
They say you eat first with your eyes, so do you drink first with your eyes?  
Some baristas think so, and they go the extra mile to please your vision before they please your palate by creating “consumable art” using a spoon, toothpick and the foam in your latte. You don’t even have to like coffee to appreciate a palm tree or an animal sculpted in the silky foam.  
Now it’s a competitive event!  
The United States Coffee Championships, which take place annually in Long Beach, Calif., feature five competitions over four days.  
For true aficionados of the brewed beans, it doesn’t get any bigger than the World Latte Art Championship, which drew 36 of the world’s top foam artists to Sweden to face challenges including a free-pour of two identical reproductions of the best designs from an earlier contest.
Baristas are judged based on visual attributes, creativity, identical patterns in the pairs, contrast in patterns, and overall performance. In the end, Caleb Cha of Australia took home top honors at this “living gallery of some of the finest consumable art in the world.”
The Seed in Boca is planning a latte art challenge for baristas in early fall.
Oceana Coffee, with locations in Tequesta and Stuart, hosts barista throw-downs every month except November and December. Amy and Scott Angelo opened their business in 2009, and also have a roasting house where they roasted more than 25,000 pounds of coffee beans last year. In their contests, the baristas have four minutes to create as many lattes with art as they can. Celebrity judges pick the winners. Call 401-2453 or email amy.angelo@oceanacoffee.com.  
— Janis Fontaine

Local spots
for a cup of joe

Featured coffee houses:
The Seed, 199 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton; 901-2727 or www.theseedboca.com. ;  
Gizzi’s, 2275 S. Federal Hwy., Delray Beach  266-9797; www.gizzisdelray.com.

Some other favorite coffee houses (in no particular order):
Saquella Cafe, 410 Via De Palmas, Boca Raton; 338-8840 or www.saquellacafe.com.
More than a café, it’s an Italian bistro, espresso bar, European bakery, restaurant and tapas bar. Family owned, it roasts boutique coffees and trains the baristas in European-style preparations.   
The Beat Cup, 660 Linton Blvd., Suite #110, Delray Beach;  330-4693 or www.thebeatcupcafe.com.
Part art gallery, consignment shop, bookstore, this isn’t what you’d call a coffee shop. Now it serves Panther coffee drinks, cold-brewed iced coffee, iced yerba mate tea and lattes.   
The Coffee District, 325 NE Second Ave., #104, Delray Beach; 455-0541 or www.mycoffeedistrict.com.
Coffee District in the Pineapple Grove district of Delray Beach offers bar and table seating to enjoy your choice of hot and cold coffee, espresso and tea drinks, plus panini, salads, soups and gourmet desserts. It also serves more than 100 microbrews.  
The Grind Cafe, Delray Marketplace, 14859 Lyons Road, #132, Delray Beach 270-2058; www.grindcafedelray.com
It’s all about the mug, they say at The Grind Café. No paper cups here. But dozens of varieties of coffees from around the world. You’ll find soft couches and comfortable chairs. Homemade desserts and sandwiches, too.
 Bond en Smolders, 1622 S. Federal Hwy., Boynton Beach; 877-2462
This European bakery owned by husband and wife team Ralph Bond and Patricia Smolders, who have owned a bakery in the Netherlands for 15 years, recently opened on the southeast corner of Federal and Woolbright. The menu: coffee from Counter Culture Coffee plus tea, breakfast, pastries, sandwiches, salads and bread.

The Junior League of Boca Raton celebrated its one millionth diaper donation at the end of the 2014-15 season, surpassing all expectations for the 4-year-old initiative. The accomplishment demonstrates the community’s support of the Diaper Bank project while also bringing to light the need for diapers throughout the area. According to the United Way of Palm Beach County, one in three mothers struggles with diaper purchases. ‘The impact of the Junior League of Boca Raton continues to be felt in meaningful ways in households throughout our community,’ Boca Raton City Councilman Scott Singer said. The Diaper Bank distributes the diapers to 22 nonprofits. ABOVE: (l-r) Crystal McMillin, Kirsten Stanley, Christian Blonshine, Meghan Fielder, Andrea Garcia and Margi Cross. Photo provided

When summer hits, Manahattanites and media descend on the ritzy region of Long Island. This year, representatives from the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative joined the big shots. As a sponsor of the beachfront-estate affair, the cooperative had plenty of opportunities to spread word about the South County city. ‘So much positive press will come from this … not to mention the number of people who are excited to come visit,’ Associate Director Stephen Chrisanthus said. ‘When the summer comes to a close, and the spotlight turns away from the glamour of the Hamptons, I got a good feeling this same crowd will being turning south in search of the warm Delray lifestyle.’ ABOVE: Chrisanthus, with Jill Zarin. Photo provided

Bradley Falcone,  a graduate of Atlantic High School  and Eagle Scout who will attend Florida State University, won a $1,000-per-year scholarship for four years from the Highland Beach chapter of UNICO. Photo provided

Lantana Elementary School’s new Reading Oasis is a public-private partnership between a book publisher and the local Kiwanis Club.  Photo provided

By Amy Woods

    This summer, Lantana Elementary School opened a new chapter in its history when it cut the ribbon to the Reading Oasis.
    More than 1,200 children’s books fill newly installed shelving lining freshly painted walls. Beanbags the colors of the Google logo dot the floor. Inspirational posters about the importance of reading decorate the room. Homey throw rugs are scattered about.
    “It’s just an environment that screams literacy,” Principal Janyn Robinson said of the converted resource room adjacent to the school’s media center. “It’s gorgeous, it’s bright, and every time you turn your head, there are books there.”
    The Reading Oasis features a listening center for children to enjoy books on CD, offers the opportunity for students to take home titles they especially like, and invites fathers and mothers to visit during the school day so they can read with their little ones.
    “The goal is not only to increase the interest in books but also to get our community and our families to come into the school more,” Robinson said. “This is a space where we want to see parents.”
    Plans call for scheduled guest readings by community leaders and local volunteers who will promote the value of literacy to first- through fifth-graders at the Title I school.
    The Reading Oasis was made possible through a public-private partnership between Scholastic, a publisher and seller of educational books, and the Hypoluxo-Lantana Sunrise Kiwanis Club. Scholastic contributed $5,000 toward the $10,000 project, and the club — armed with a $2,500 grant from Kiwanis International — came up with the rest.
    “These Reading Oasis rooms, they’re very successful,” said Kiwanian Robert Martin, a Boynton Beach veterinarian who donated $500 toward the cause. “We’ve seen the difference in academic success that they make.”
    The club has launched a fundraising campaign to cover its share of the costs, as well as the ongoing expenses of replenishing the book supply.
    “There’s a huge, huge disparity in the availability of books and reading materials for underprivileged kids,” Martin said. “The idea is to bring them to children who otherwise would not ordinarily have them.”

One hundred percent of donations to the Hypoluxo-Lantana Sunrise Kiwanis Club goes back to the community. To support the Reading Oasis, call Rob Martin at 317-5303 or club Treasurer Sharon Randolph at 832-1175.

Burt Reynolds helped make the Pontiac Trans Am ‘the Car’ in the ‘70s. Photo provided

By Thom Smith

Back in the ’70s, the Pontiac Trans Am was baaad. And one particular ’79 model was the baddest of the baaad. Four hundred cubic-inch V8. “Black and bold” paint. Huge firebird on the hood, its wings surrounding the Shaker intake scoop that delivered air to the monster four-barrel carb. T-tops. Power windows. Even cruise control (a rarity then).
    Oil prices were rising through the sunroof and more drivers were pulling into import lots as MPG overruled HP. But Pontiacs still grabbed attention, thanks largely to Burt Reynolds’  astute performance behind the wheel in his Smokey and the Bandit movies. Firebird sales reached a record 211,453 units in ’79, more than half of them Trans Ams. List price? Loaded, an astounding 10 grand.
    They don’t make ’em like that anymore. Pontiacs are history. Oh, sure, restored Trans Ams can be bought … but few are like this, much less for three bucks. That’s the price of a raffle ticket being offered by The Burt Reynolds Institute for Film & Theatre (no connection to the old BRITT) and Mark Breiner and Patrick Meehan of Dream Giveaways for a restored ’79 Bandit. The car and an accompanying specially made Stetson hat are autographed by Reynolds, as is the log book detailing the car’s history, assembly line to present.
    Proceeds will go to several causes: New Beginnings Children’s Homes, the National Guard Education Foundation, Disabled American Veterans and a fund to build the new Reynolds Institute and reopen the Burt Reynolds Museum. And as a bonus, for $20 or more, donors will receive double the cash value of tickets. For example, $30 would produce 20 chances instead of 10. (www.Burt.WintheBandit.com or 877-700-8946)

                               ***   
    Enough with lobster, says Gulf Stream resident and Boca Raton developer Anthony Pugliese. After owning The Station House, famous for its Maine lobster, for nearly 15 years, he’s selling. The sprawling one-story restaurant on Lantana Road seats about 270, has room to expand, and according to various real estate sites, takes in about $2.7 million a year. Asking price $1.95 million.
    Pugliese, 68, says he wants to devote more time to his real estate business.
And don’t forget that problem with a little court case. On Aug. 26, Pugliese and his business manager, Joseph Reamer, agreed to a plea bargain for trying to swindle more than $1 million from Subway founder Fred DeLuca. They were partners in a failed concept for a 41,000-acre planned community in Central Florida. Pugliese was recently diagnosed with cancer, his attorney said, and did not want to add a lengthy trial to his family’s burden. Still, Pugliese could get 18 months in jail and 10 years probation.
                                   ***
    How much stock should we — in southern Palm Beach County — put in a report that originated in San Francisco? It’s like comparing hurricanes to earthquakes, although not quite so dramatic. A financial analysis website with the oh-so-California name NerdWallet has released a statistical analysis that claims Boca Raton is the best city in Florida to open a restaurant.
    Using U.S. Census reports, NerdWallet compared population growth, density, payroll costs and growth in labor and housing costs for 530 U.S. cities with populations of at least 50,000. Boca came in 27th. An earlier NerdWallet study ranked Boca 11th best for starting small businesses, notable for averaging $1.3 million in revenue per business. Imagine how it would have ranked if IBM were still in town.
    Among restaurants, however, second best is even more of a surprise — the Broward County bedroom community of Tamarac (34), then Sanford (37) and Orlando (38), Miami Beach (48), and Deerfield Beach (58). Delray Beach ranked a lame 316, West Palm Beach 400. The top five: Cedar Park and Mission, Texas, Franklin, Tenn., Smyrna, Ga. and Round Rock, Texas.  

                                   ***
Folks who’ve been around Palm Beach for a while are blown away when they step into the island’s newest dining hot spot. The building isn’t new, but the look sure is, and quite simply, Meat Market, at 191 Bradley Place, is hot. Owners David Tornek and Sean Brasel, who’s also the chef, hope to keep it that way.
Gone are the heavy stucco exterior and the low, orange acoustic tile ceilings that characterized a half century of restaurants, some popular, some not. For 44 years it was Maurice’s. That gave way to Lulu’s, Janeiro, Club Y and Palm Beach Steak House. All distant memories now thanks to the vaulted ceiling, bubbly light fixtures and rich paneling alternating with glistening metalized tile.
The food isn’t bad either, as Brasel and his staff turn out inventive dishes that look and taste great. Perfect example: roasted whole cauliflower.
Following its Miami Beach sibling’s lead, Meat Market just wrapped its first series of summer wine dinners with a four-course pairing with Far Niente. Now on to season No. 2.

                                   ***
James Strine, sous chef at Cafe Boulud, has been making a name for himself a little farther south in Delray Beach in the inaugural Chef vs. Chef competition at Max’s Harvest. Sixteen of the area’s top chefs began going toque to toque in mid-June, using surprise ingredients and a lot of improvisation to create dinners for a panel of expert judges. The drama has been thick enough to cut with a knife ­— a chef’s knife, of course — as the competition has steamed, fried and grilled toward the Sept. 21 final.
In their quarterfinal, Strine and Adam Brown of The Cooper in Palm Beach Gardens were challenged to use blue rhino plantains (from Big John Farm in Delray), black garlic and Florida lobster. For his second dish, Strine offered beer-battered lobster with dried buttermilk in a black garlic/brown butter emulsion. Why the beer? “Cuz I was drinkin’ it!” Strine quipped.
In the first semifinal on Sept. 9 Strine will meet Victor Meneses from El Camino, just a few doors south of Max’s Harvest. John Thomas of Tryst became the third semifinalist Aug. 26 when he eliminated Eric Grutka of Ian’s Tropical Grill in Stuart. The secret ingredients included lionfish. On Sept. 16, he’ll face either Bruce Feingold of Dada or Chris Miracolo, former chef at Max’s Harvest, now at S3 in Fort Lauderdale. They’ll compete for that final spot on Sept. 23.

                                   ***
For more than a decade, South Shores Tavern in Lake Worth was a lively gastropub with a reputation for community involvement. Few knew the space had been on the market for five years, and when the new owners took over in July, they quickly closed it. The buyer has not been identified, aside from the corporate name of Peters 502-504 Lucerne LLC, which is linked to a Boca Raton family.        

Florida corporate records reveal two other links, the Vegan Sisters and Way Beyond Sushi, that lead nowhere, and previous restaurant ventures Kyoto in Delray and Suite 225 in Lantana.
    Speaking to The Palm Beach Post, Chris Fleming, a spokesman for Peters 502-504 Lucerne, said the site will remain a restaurant and the new owners are looking for the right tenant, one willing to invest as much as $200,000 to improve the building, built in 1955.

                                   ***
    This name’s a keeper: Screamin’ Reels IPA. Six-packs of the first canned brew from Saltwater Brewery in Delray are now available at grocers and other retailers, bars and restaurants. Saltwater already serves the southeast Florida coast from Key West to Sebastian and plans to expand to Mouse country and North Florida soon. Football fans should be elated, too, as cans of Screamin’ Reels will be sold at Sun Life Stadium. Next in line for the cannery: Sea Cow Milk Stout and Wheat Wave.
                                 

  ***

Tickets should go fast for this year’s Go Pink Luncheon, Oct. 21 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. For wildly inventive comic actor Martin Short, however, cancer is no laughing matter. When he was 17, his mother died from breast cancer. Five years ago, ovarian cancer claimed Nancy Dolman, his wife of 30 years.    
Tickets are $175 and proceeds support breast cancer programs at the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. (955-4142)

                                   ***
    Acerbic comedian Dennis Miller, the right wing’s answer to Bill Maher, is among early commitments to the 26th Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic, set for Nov. 20-22.
Miller, who is making his first appearance, will join Evert veterans singer-songwriter David Cook, actors Alan Thicke and Timothy Olyphant, actress Maeve Quinlan and  International Tennis Hall of Famer Pam Shriver.
The Boca Raton Resort & Club will host pro-am matches and a cocktail reception on Nov. 20 and the annual charity gala the following evening. The celebrity tennis will be played Saturday and Sunday (21-22) at the Delray Beach Tennis Center. For ticket info, visit www.chrisevert.org.

                                   ***

The Free House in Delray Beach, named for modern interpretation of a British tavern/pub that is unhinged — not connected to a specific brewery. Photo provided

    Delray’s Atlantic Plaza is now home to what is claimed to be the largest restaurant on Atlantic Avenue, Free House. The name has nothing to do with giveaways but is instead a modern interpretation of a British tavern/pub that is unhinged — not connected to a specific brewery. Thus, at Free House, a customer can choose from numerous libations, brews and spirits, plus plenty of food, while watching plenty of sports on 22 TV screens.  
    The brews flowing from its 10 taps will change daily, the selections displayed on a giant chalkboard. In addition to unusual imports, Free House will stress such local craft breweries as Due South, Saltwater and Funky Buddha.  
    Free House is the latest concept from transplanted Michiganders Catherine Murray and daughters Heather Houston and Kristin Dauss. Heather and Catherine were previously involved with DIG, an organic concept that had moved to Atlantic Plaza from western Delray. But when the opportunity arose for Free House, the three jumped at it.

                                   ***
    Must be something in the water. Charlie Boice, a retired air traffic controller who lives in Palm Beach Gardens, won the 2015 Ernest Hemingway lookalike contest in Key West in July. A persistent fellow, Boice won on his 15th attempt. He joins select company: Of the 36 winners since the contest began in 1980, four have called Palm Beach County home.
    Dick Parrish, a Delray Beach liquor salesman was the first, in 1982, and succeeded by Leo Rost, an author/playwright (Dick Deadeye) from Boynton Beach. Parrish died in 1986, Rost in ’87.
    A decade passed before Bill Fountain, who ran West Palm’s Downtown Development Authority from 1989 to 2003, claimed the title in 1995. Upon his retirement, the Fountains moved to Islamorada but recently have moved to his old college town of Baton Rouge. He was the last local “Papa”until Boice, although Bob Doughty (2005) comes close. He delivered the mail in Deerfield Beach.

***
                                   
    Lots of activity at the Norton Museum of Art this month. But don’t worry about all those construction vehicles in the west parking lot, or the activity around the museum’s giant banyan tree. It’s staying put. But the museum is closing … for all of three weeks … to set up the next big exhibits.
    Even as work progresses on its giant $60 million, three-year makeover, the Norton will remain open, presenting on Sept. 26 its first big event of the season, the 10th annual Mid-Autumn Festival (or Moon Festival). A salute to its world-class Chinese art collection, the day will be filled with activities, tours and talks, a performance by renowned Liu Fang, on pipa and guzheng (lute and zither), plus tea and mooncakes.
    Moon Fest guests will be able to enjoy two summer exhibitions given extended runs: The Summer of ’68: Photographing the Black Panthers, featuring the work of photographer Ruth-Marion Baruch and hubby Pirkle Jones, will run through Jan. 17; Going Places: Transportation Design, from the Jean S. and Frederic A. Sharf Collection, continues through Jan. 3.
    Thanks to a reciprocal loan program among the Norton and other museums, two special treats will add punctuation: Vincent Van Gogh’s The Poplars at Saint-Rémy (Nov. 5-April 17) and Edgar Degas’ Portrait of Mlle. Hortense Valpinçon (Nov. 5-May 15).

Reach Thom Smith at thomsmith@ymail.com.

The Plate: Lucy’s Chicken Biscuit Oh My!
The Place: Gary Rack’s Fat Rooster, 204 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 266-3642 or www.thefatrooster.com.
The Price: $9
The Skinny: After a morning of newspapering, we were starved — nothing like working with the prose of journalism pros to whet an appetite.
We sought out Southern-fried comfort at Fat Rooster, in the former Linda Bean’s location, and for the most part, we were satisfied.
We tried an appetizer of the chicken on a biscuit. It was a tender fillet of white-meat chicken battered and fried until crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
The biscuit was light and fluffy, and we loved the combination of sweet and heat in the apple pepper jelly. The sides of coleslaw ($4) and curly fries ($5) we ordered were nice, if unexceptional.
Also tasty: The blueberry lemonade, a vodka-based cocktail that had us hankering for more. Our only nitpick: The waiter told us it was happy hour; what he didn’t tell us was that none of the specialty drinks, including the lemonade, was part of the special.
That left a sour taste in our mouths, and we don’t think it was the lemons.
— Scott Simmons

Ralph Papa's plein-air painting By the Tracks was chosen to represent the exhibit on a postcard. Photos provided

By Lucy Lazarony

    The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County kicks off its 2015-16 season of art exhibits with Made in Delray.
    Spotlighting the works of 17 artists living and working in Delray Beach, Made in Delray takes over the Cultural Council’s main gallery from Sept. 11 through Oct. 31.
    “I wanted to illustrate the diversity (of artists in) Delray Beach and I also wanted to find new talent,” says Nichole M. Hickey, manager of artist services at the Cultural Council.
“I began in the database of artists at the Cultural Council from Delray Beach and then went from there,” Hickey said.
    Artists featured in the exhibit include abstract painter Carolyn Barth, woodturning artist Tim Carter, stained glass artist Robert Schmidt, mixed media artist Steve Blackwood, plein-air painters Ralph Papa and Donna Walsh, and sculptors Abbey Funk and Jeff Whyman.
    She called the sculptures of Whyman “harmonious.”
    “I love his glazes and I like the piling of the materials on top of each other,” Hickey explains. “It seems so haphazard but it has so much structure to it.”
    She describes Funk’s sculptures as “mythical iconography.”
    As for Papa’s plein-air artwork, Hickey enjoys Papa’s use of confetti-shaped colors.
    “I like his treatment of the sky,” Hickey says. “These little wiggles of delight. He gets all the colors of the sky, all the Florida colors.”
    Other artists showcasing their work in Made in Delray are painters Vincent Cacace, Amanda Johnson, James Kerr, Pati Maguire, Susan Romaine, Vickie Siegel, Roxene Sloate, Nancy Spielman and Lorrie Turner.
    Hickey describes Romaine’s art as “photorealistic.”
    “She’s got a Hopper-esque quality to her art,” Hickey says. “They’re all little studies, the treatment of the light and shadow.”
    Hickey says the wetland paintings of Roxene Sloate are  “so gentle and so romantic.”  
    And she enjoys Siegel’s work with photo transfers, using old images of Delray Beach.
    “It’s very inventive,” Hickey says. “I haven’t seen anyone doing this before.”
    Hickey says she will select six to eight pieces from each artist for consideration in the exhibit.
    “It’s a collaborative process,” she says. “I always ask for more art work than I need.”
    Papa’s oil painting By the Tracks is featured on postcards promoting Made in Delray.
    “There are a lot of great artists in Delray and I think it’s going to be a wonderful show,” Papa says.
“Delray has that special magic, between the concentration of restaurants, the people of Delray and the artists of Delray,” the painter said.
    He called the 17 artists featured in the show “just a drop in the bucket of what’s really there.”

Wampum Rising, a sculpture by Abbey Funk.

IF YOU GO
Made in Delray runs Sept. 11-Oct. 31 at the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, 601 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth.
Gallery hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. Admission is free.
A member’s preview will be from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 10. For reservations, call 472-3341 or email dcalabria@palmbeachculture.com.

Twins Mitch and Chris Tobalski of Lantana carry garbage collected during an organized beach cleanup at the Boynton Inlet. The cleanup was hosted through Sea to Shore Alliance and supported by Nomad Surf Shop and Smile-Share the Vibe. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

If you would like to help: The 30th Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup is planned for Sept. 19 at two South County locations: 8-10 a.m. at Sandoway House Nature Center, 142 S. Ocean Blvd, Delray Beach. 243-7277, SandowayHouse@bellsouth.net; and 8-11 a.m. at Spanish River Park, 3001 N. Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton. 544-8615, www.gumbolimbo.org.
Both events are free, but reservations are required.

As of the 0930 hours National Hurricane Center update, Tropical Storm Erika has dissipated. The National Weather Service forecasts 3-5” of rainfall near SE Florida coast, with much higher amounts possible in some areas beginning late tonight through Monday with a marginal risk of tornado formation.

The Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management (DEM) EOC remains activated to Level 3-Monitoring, and has been participating in National Weather Service and Florida Division of Emergency Management daily conference calls. Level 3-Monitoring will continue through Monday. The County Warning Point and Duty Officer will continue monitoring the weather and any flooding that may occur. The potential for localized flooding is the chief concern at this time, with tides running one and a half feet above normal. No shelters are being opened at this time.

There will be no changes to county operations for Saturday, August 29, 2015. County Offices will be open on Monday. The 15th District Courts and Clerk and Comptroller will be closed on Monday. There will be no court events other than Gun Club which will be open and functioning for First Appearance. First Appearance will also take place this weekend as scheduled. The School District of Palm Beach County will make any decisions regarding closures on Sunday.

If you find yourself in a flooded area, please adhere to the following:

• Stay on firm ground. Do not try to walk across moving water more than 6 inches deep; even 6 inches of rapidly running water can sweep you off your feet.
• Do not drive into flooded areas. If your car stalls, abandon it immediately and seek higher ground if possible.
• Never attempt to move a stalled vehicle in flood conditions. It can be fatal.
• Avoid downed power lines and broken gas lines.
• Do not allow children to play in and around ditches or canals

Information can change based on weather conditions, stay tuned to local news outlets for the latest updates. For instant access to emergency information, follow us on Twitter @PBCGOV, become a fan on Facebook, or visit www.pbcgov.com.

With the possibility of flooding rains late this weekend into early next week, Palm Beach County is urging animal owners to make preparations now. The Animal Care and Control division has the following suggestions for animal owners:

• Residents in rural areas should make special preparations for the safety of livestock and pets in the event of heavy rainfall associated with Tropical Storm Erika.
• Residents with horses and other livestock should have a pre-storm plan that includes movement of animals to high ground. This should be done in advance if heavy rainfall is predicted.
• Livestock such as chickens are especially vulnerable and preparations for their safety should include moving the birds or the coops to high ground with shelter provided to protect from rain.
• Residents should work together with neighbors in developing plans for rural livestock safety.
• Fences and pens should be checked now, and repaired and strengthened to avoid the risk of livestock escaping onto roadways.
• Horses should have owner identification affixed to halters.
• Heavy rain can bring standing water which could result in residents seeing native and non-native wildlife in closer proximity to homes and livestock. Use caution and do not approach wildlife. Be diligent and watchful for alligators and snakes as any rising water facilitates movement of such reptiles.
• Lay in supplies now for animal food and fill containers such as large barrels with fresh water in advance.
• Purchase mosquito and bug repellent for humans, pets, horses and other livestock in advance as heavy rain will result in an increase in mosquito activity.

Source: Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control - 561-233-1200

What: Crews working for All Aboard Florida and the Florida East Coast Railway will
temporarily close the following intersections to perform routine maintenance work and
construction improvements necessary for the introduction of the passenger rail service.
Where & When: Lucerne Avenue and the Florida East Coast Railway, Lake WorthSaturday, Aug. 8, 7 a.m. through Monday, Aug.10, 7 p.m.
SE 36th Avenue and the Florida East Coast Railway, Boynton Beach
Tuesday, Aug. 11, 7 a.m. through Thursday, Aug. 13, noon
For more information on the future road closures and a map of traffic detours in the area, please visit
www.AllAboardFlorida.com.

ABOUT ALL ABOARD FLORIDA
All Aboard Florida is an intercity passenger rail project being developed by Florida East Coast Industries,
Inc. (FECI) — owner of Florida’s premier passenger rail corridor — that will connect Miami to Orlando
with intermediate stations in Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach. This rail service will give Floridians
and visitors a viable transportation alternative to congested highways and airport terminals. All Aboard
Florida will provide a high‐quality experience for passengers and will be the only privately owned,
operated, and maintained passenger rail system in the United States. For more information, visit
www.AllAboardFlorida.com.

ABOUT FLORIDA EAST COAST RAILWAY
The Florida East Coast Railway (FECR) is a 351-mile freight rail system located along the east coast of
Florida. It is the exclusive rail provider for PortMiami, Port Everglades, and Port of Palm Beach. FECR
connects to the national railway system in Jacksonville, Florida, to move cargo originating or terminating
there. Based in Jacksonville, Florida, FECR provides end-to-end intermodal and carload solutions to
customers who demand cost-

Luke Hemsher, 7, of Boynton Beach, takes off from a ramp at Hobbit Skate Park at the 505 Teen Center in Delray Beach.
Photos by Taylor Jones/The Coastal Star

By Janis Fontaine

    It seems parents are always wondering what to do with the kids for the summer.
    Wedged between north- and south-bound Federal Highway in the building that once housed the Woman’s Club of Delray Beach, the 505 Teen Center and Hobbit Skate Park are cool places to cool off and learn new skills during the heat of summer.
    Danielle Pearson has supervised the activities at the 505 for seven years. During the summer months, she and five other recreation specialists run a skate camp for kids ages 5 to 13 that features skating lessons every morning and field trips every afternoon. They usually travel to other skate camps and parks, but in July the campers spent an afternoon in an icy theater on opening day of the new Minions movie.
    “We also run camps during winter and spring breaks, and day camps anytime school is closed,” Pearson said. The center has six staff members who share the responsibility for the kids at the center. “It’s the collaboration of the six of us, working together to help the kids,” Tony Chin said. Chin, 33, has been working with kids at summer camps since he was old enough to be a counselor, first with his church and now at the 505 Teen Center.
    “It takes a lot of patience,” Chin said. “There are a lot of personalities, and every one of them is different. They keep me on my toes.”
    For the last five years, Chin, who has two kids of his own, has been a full-time supervisor. He’s proud of his accomplishments. “I didn’t think it was my destiny because I have a lot of hobbies, a lot of interests, but when I started, I found it was my calling.”
    Chin understands the need for male role models and he’s proud to be one for the kids who come in off the streets. “We talk to them about staying in school. The hardest part is getting and keeping their attention so they can get the message and how important it is.
    “We mold them. We try to get them to think three to five years ahead to see how what they’re doing now can affect their future.”
    They’re a family to kids who don’t have one — or whose parents are super-busy just trying to survive financially — so the staff is teaching them life skills as well.
    At least once a week you can find Fred Self, a science teacher at Carver Middle School during the school year, in the kitchen surrounded by kids, teaching them knife skills and the proper seasoning for chicken and ribs.
    “Cooking is my passion,” Self said. “I try to focus on healthy foods, fruit salads and vegetables. I want to break their dependence on McDonald’s. I also focus on things they can make at home themselves, like spaghetti.”
Self says it gives him another way to connect with the kids. If it takes sticky-sweet apple pie tacos, which he made with the kids in July, Self is up for the challenge.
    Rohan Sutherland, 39, a counselor at the 505 for three years, said it’s hard for some kids to find someone to relate to and understand them. His 10-year-old daughter has made him a good communicator. “I listen first,” he said. “Then I ask questions.”
    He says he wishes parents knew that even a few minutes of their time can make a world of difference to a kid. “Twenty minutes of quality time; you have to find the time for it. And a little affection.”

Justin Desforges, 5, of Delray Beach, gives Hobbit Skate Park supervisor Derek Groissl a fist-bump inside the 505 Teen Center in Delray Beach. Taylor Jones/The Coastal Star

    Derek Groissl is the youngest staff member at 24. “I’ve been coming here since the park opened,” Groissl said. “It seems like there’s less stuff for kids to do these days.”
    A gifted athlete, he’s the skate park supervisor now, overseeing 10,000 square feet of skating challenges including a half-pipe, quarter pipe, fun box and grind rails.
    He remembers Jason “Hobbit” Weinstein, for whom the park was renamed in December 2008. Weinstein, who drowned while surfing in September 2008, was a stickler for safety, and he often spoke to the kids about the importance of wearing a helmet and pads.
    “It’s funny,” Groissl said. “I remember the counselors talking to me when I was a kid, and now I’m talking to kids about life, and doing good things, and keeping their grades up. I tell them, ‘Whatever your dreams are, don’t give up. Stay focused.’ ” He pauses to brush his long hair off his face. “You live and you learn and you pass it on.”
    St. Pierre Antoine has been working at the center for seven months, a part-time gig while he finishes school at ITT Tech. He says life has given him a lot of opportunities to mentor kids and he says he can see them change when he’s actually able to reach them. “I had the same insecurities myself, but I try to tell them, don’t let it bring you down. Life is about making mistakes. Through our struggles, we learn.”
    The center has a professional-grade recording studio where Antoine teaches kids the basics of audio engineering. It’s a hard-to-find opportunity for children who have tremendous creative muscle but no place to exercise it.
    Antoine also says that  “learning goes both ways. We have to stay receptive, and let kids know adults can understand what they’re going through. It all goes back to communication.”
    Tyler Villegas, 14, of Boynton Beach, has been coming to the park since he was 7 years old. “If I wasn’t here, I’d be at my house, bored,” Tyler said. “It’s fun. There’s stuff to do.”

Ella Jacobs, 13, of Delray Beach, skates down a ramp at Hobbit Skate Park

    Tyler used to really love skating, but he kind of lost interest in the sport; however,  the center is still a go-to place with more to offer. There are pingpong and pool tables, a video game room and basketball courts.
    For the adults working with these kids every day, it’s a labor of love. “You don’t do it for the money,” Self said. “It’s about being able to connect with the kids, to make an impact, to make them better.”
    Antoine agrees. “Mostly it’s a place where you can hang out and be yourself.”
    Yearly memberships are required to use the center and the skate park. The fee is $10 for Delray Beach residents, and $20 for nonresidents. Get an application at the center or online at www.mydelraybeach.com. A parent or guardian is required to register anyone younger than 18. A waiver is also required to use the skate park.

    For information about the park, teen center and its programs, call 243-7158.

Gary Tong instructs a tai chi class at A Touch of Chi in Delray Beach. Tong started his discipline more than 30 years ago with Shaolin Kung Fu under the guidance of Grandmaster Alan Lee. He later discovered tai chi chuan and chi kung (qigong), studying with Dr. John Chang of Baltimore. He also studied and taught dahn yoga, brain respiration and many other forms of qigong. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O'Connor

In a morning tai chi class in Delray Beach, a group of students follow their sifu, or teacher, Gary Tong, through a tai chi form, a series of motions that use every part of the body, including wrists, ankles, knees and hips.
    The movements suggest statues, warmed by the morning sun, coming to life. The phrase tai chi chuan means “supreme ultimate fist,” a nod to its ancient connection to martial arts in China. The word chi is usually translated as cosmic energy, a primal force that practitioners learn to rouse and move through their bodies.
    “It is meditation in movement,” Tong tells them. “All movement starts from stillness of mind, body and breath.”
    When Jack Sotsky of Lake Worth and the other students finish their form, they stand still, eyes closed, knees and arms slightly bent.
    “Jack is like a tree rooted to the ground,” says Tong. “His mind goes all the way to the ground.”
    Tai chi’s twin discipline is qigong, a breathing technique that is choreographed with the movements, which have fanciful names like “repulse the monkey” and “hold the beak,” or suggesting many animals — snake, rooster, horse, white crane. Other movements suggest actions of humans or nature itself: “fair lady works the shuttle” and “cloud hands.” There are also martial arts terms like “parry.”
    According to the Chinese system of medicine, chi can be blocked or weakened if it is not systematically and regularly circulated. When chi is flowing, the practitioner is relaxed, alert, balanced and healthy. The forms also help with coordination and joint mobility.
    Tong was a telecommuni-cations engineer who also studied Shaolin Kung Fu, tai chi and qigong for 30 years. He is nationally certified in massage therapy and Oriental bodywork.
    Several of his students have studied with him for nearly a decade.
    “I’ve never seen anybody like him,” said Bob Hersey. “I’ve worked with my body all my life. You learn how to move, but not how to walk.”
    Tong teaches them how to walk thoughtfully. When they shift their weight to one leg, it is “full,” the other leg is “empty.”
    This is not your ordinary gym-rat type of exercise. The goal is to have mind, body and spirit working in harmony with each other, with the sky above and the earth below.
    “It takes a long time to internalize it,” said Sotsky who started tai chi with Tong eight or nine years ago when Tong taught in Sotsky’s development.
    “It’s all gain and no pain,” said Deana Kletzel of Boynton Beach.
    Tong smiles.
    “They bring the wisdom to me,” he says.
    Lynda Varney has been taking Tong’s classes for a few weeks and practices the forms and the breathing at home every day. She is also watching videos and reading up on tai chi.
    “I play tennis and golf, I do weight lifting, so I wanted to balance that out with a softer, more gentle activity, said Varney, 54, who lives in Lake Worth. “You tone your muscles with tai chi, you gain more balance and the spiritual aspect can’t be denied. I’m really loving it.”
    As for changes, she says,  “Yesterday, I was on my way into some store, and some gentleman out of the blue said, ‘You look very healthy.’ You know, I feel healthy, more of a lightness. So thank you, it’s the tai chi.”

    For more information about tai chi classes and a free sunrise meditation on World Tai Chi and Qi Gong Day (Sept. 13), visit www.atouchofchi.com.
    Tai chi classes also are offered at the Boynton Beach Senior Center, 1021 S. Federal Highway. For information, call 742-6570.

Lona O’Connor  has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to Lona13@bellsouth.net.

Rich Anderson, executive director of the Peggy Adams Rescue League, with Manny — one of the large dogs seeking a forever home. Photo courtesy Michelle Christmann

By Arden Moore

Sometimes, zero can be the most powerful number.     It can be a mighty big challenge to achieve zero, but determined animal advocates here in Palm Beach County are teaming up to count down to a very special zero.
    Circle the date — Saturday, Sept. 12 — on your calendars, pet lovers. That’s the date to head to the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach to select your best pet from among hundreds of adorable puppies, frisky kittens, well-mannered senior dogs, mellow adult cats and more critters to be showcased by two dozen local animal rescue groups at the second annual Countdown 2 Zero adoption event.
    Last year, the inaugural event landed 300 shelter animals permanent, loving homes. This year, the organizers want to exceed 500 adoptions en route to a more ambitious goal.
    “Our goal is to make sure we are saving the lives of every adoptable animal in Palm Beach County within the next nine years,” declares Rich Anderson, executive director and CEO of the Peggy Adams Rescue League. “Countdown 2 Zero is our county initiative. Peggy Adams, in partnership with the Palm Beach County Animal Care and Control, has a goal to make Palm Beach County a no-kill county for animals by 2024.”
    Currently, the county is able to find homes for about 80 percent of adoptable dogs entering its shelters but only 35 percent of cats.
    “That is sad because last year the county shelter had to euthanize about 4,000 cats,” notes Anderson. “This is where spay/neuter programs are becoming so critical and we are increasing our spay/neuter efforts to reduce the number of kittens born each year.”
    Helping our county to achieve a home for every adoptable shelter pet is Lois Pope, whose foundation, the Lois Pope LIFE Foundation, happily agreed to again present Countdown 2 Zero.
    “I am thrilled to once again be the presenting sponsor of Countdown 2 Zero adoption event, as every animal deserves a forever home,” says Pope, a philanthropist and longtime animal advocate. “This special day will have hundreds of adorable pets waiting in line to find a loving home. I’m so happy to be a part of this event, where hundreds of precious animals will have a chance at a new life.”
    When you head to the Countdown 2 Zero event, take it from me: Resist seeking your next BFF (best furry friend) by cute looks alone. When I adopted Chipper a decade ago, I wasn’t considering a husky mix weighing 60 pounds. I had my sights on a non-shedding puppy who would never exceed 20 pounds. But then I read Chipper’s bio online. It said she was 2 years old and had been adopted twice and returned. The biggest complaint about her: She was too energetic. But she thrived as one shelter’s behind-the-counter meet-and-greeter and was friendly to any cat she met (which was a bonus because I had two cats at the time).
    After spending two hours with her at the mobile pet adoption event and interacting with her, I knew she was the one for me. Our activity levels were in sync. She was smart and eager to learn.
    Sure, she is a super shedder and I vacuum nearly daily, but she has enriched my life in so many ways. She enjoys taking marathon walks with me and thrives as my canine teaching assistant for my pet behavior and pet first aid trainings. She is always the first to greet me when I come home.
    So, come to the free event with an open mind. The best match for you may be a hidden gem. Don’t dismiss that gray-muzzled dog or a serene senior cat. You may think you want one pet, but end up adopting a sibling pair.
    “We encourage people to think about adopting an older animal because those of us who have had puppies, know how challenging they are,” says Anderson. “With an older pet, you know his personality right away. We also encourage you to consider those types of cats and dogs who tend to take longer to find homes for, due to no fault of their own. I’m talking about black cats and what I describe as square-headed large dogs.”
    Final “homework” before you head to the Countdown 2 Zero event: Take the online Meet Your Match adoption personality test offered by the Peggy Adams Rescue League. Find out what type of cat or dog — personality-wise — is best suited for you by visiting www.peggyadams.org/meet-your-match.
    To learn more about this mega-adoption event, visit www.countdown2zero.org. Chipper and I hope you find the purr-fect or grrr-eatest pet who will be your BFF for many years to come.
​    
Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.

Brett Lang and Doug Konz hold the 57.1-pound wahoo they caught June 27 while trolling in 150 feet north of Boynton Inlet. Their wahoo not only won largest fish in this year’s Lake Worth Fishing Tournament, but also set a record for the heaviest fish in the eight-year history of the event. Photo courtesy of Brett Lan

By Willie Howard

Brett Lang and his fishing team on Crew’s Nest weren’t expecting anything special as they headed out Boynton Inlet on June 27 to begin their day of fishing in the Lake Worth Fishing Tournament.
    But just after 7 a.m., about half an hour after “lines in,” the split-tailed mullet they were trolling below the surface in 150 feet of water was slammed by a powerful fish.
    Crew’s Nest team member Carolyn Seal kept the boat moving forward while Lang fought the fish. When the trolling weight hit the rod tip, team member Doug Konz took over, pulling in the shock leader hand over hand until the fish was close enough for Lang to gaff.
    The result: A 57.1-pound wahoo that won $2,000 as the largest overall fish in the 54-boat Lake Worth tournament and set a record as the heaviest fish in the eight-year history of the event.
    The Crew’s Nest wahoo beat George McNally’s previous all-time record for the Lake Worth tournament: a 55-pound ’hoo caught aboard Right Hook in 2013.
    “It was nice to get it as the first fish of the day,” said Lang, general manager of Smyth Air Conditioning in Lake Worth.

Five-O Fishing Team
wins Big Dog, Fat Cat event
    The Five-O Fishing Team won biggest overall fish in the July 11 Big Dog & Fat Cat KDW Shootout with a 41.5-pound kingfish.
    Led by Mike O’Connor of West Palm Beach, the Five-O team ran north to the waters off Stuart to catch the chunky kingfish that put them ahead of 192 other boats and won $5,000 in cash and a Raymarine product valued at $5,000 in the tournament, based at Sailfish Marina on Singer Island.
    Team member Bob Piantoni of Palm City fought the winning kingfish, which hit a live blue runner on a flat (unweighted) line in 75 feet of water around 8 a.m.
    “We just happened to be in the right place at the right time,” O’Connor said, noting that his team decided to fish north of Jupiter after hearing reports of sharks in the waters off Palm Beach County.

Bahamian government proposes permit, guide requirements for flats fishing
    Shallow water anglers and bonefish lodges are questioning draft regulations by the Bahamian government that would require visitors to buy a $20-a-day permit and hire a guide to fish by boat for bonefish and other shallow-water fish.
    The permit and guide requirements would apply to non-Bahamians who want to fish the “flats,” defined as any water less than 6 feet deep.
    According to the proposed regulations, boat owners who are not Bahamian would have to employ at least one Bahamas-certified fishing guide to fish the flats and would have to hire one guide for every two anglers fishing the flats by boat.
    The West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s response to Bahamian officials said, in part, that the proposed regulations are “far too vague, administratively cumbersome and if implemented would result in unintended consequences that would have negative impacts on tourism, fishing lodges, marinas and local guides.”
    The response by The Delphi Club, a bonefish lodge in the Abacos, included this: “One fears people are losing sight of why people come on vacation to the Bahamas, which is mainly to chill out. And we in the Bahamas would do well to remember that there are plenty of other places to do that.”
    Comments on the proposed flats fishing regulations can be sent by email to: Fisheries@bahamas.gov.bs or Tourism@bahamas.com.

FWC proposes
more restrictive
barracuda regulations
    State fisheries regulators are proposing slot-size and bag limits for great barracuda caught in the waters off South Florida.
    If approved by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission at its early September meeting, the barracuda rules would apply in state and federal waters off Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, Monroe and Collier counties.
    The proposed barracuda rules include:
    • A slot-size limit of 15 to 36 inches for barracuda taken by commercial or recreational anglers. (The slot means barracuda would have to be at least 15 inches long but not more than 36 inches to be legal to keep.)
    • A two-fish daily bag limit for recreational anglers.
    • A daily commercial trip limit of 20 fish per boat.
    The FWC says the proposed rules address concerns about declining numbers of barracuda expressed by South Florida divers and anglers.

Minimum size increases for triggerfish
    Gray triggerfish must be 14 inches to the fork of the tail to be legal based on a 2-inch increase in the minimum size that took effect July 9.
    The FWC increased the minimum size for triggerfish taken in state waters to match new federal regulations that apply more than three miles offshore on Florida’s east coast.

Coming events
    Aug. 6: Regular spiny lobster season opens and remains open through March 31. A lobster’s head section must measure at least 3 inches to be legal to keep. No egg-bearing lobster may be taken. A saltwater fishing license and lobster permit are required (unless exempt). Details: www.myfwc.com/lobster.
    Aug. 8: 21st annual Mark Gerretson Memorial Fishing Tournament based at Deck 84 restaurant, 840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. Aug. 6 at Deck 84. Weigh-in the afternoon of Aug. 8 at Deck 84. Entry fee $200. Benefits children’s causes in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. Call 251-1945 or visit www.mgmft.net.
    Aug. 11-15: 73rd annual Goode Water Ski National Championships at Okeeheelee Park, Forest Hill Boulevard west of Jog Road, Greenacres. Slalom and trick events begin at 8 a.m. daily; jumping begins at 9 a.m. Free parking and admission. Details: www.usawaterski.org.
Aug. 15: Palm Beach County Lionfish Derby based at Sailfish Marina on Singer Island. Captain’s meeting and final registration Aug. 14 at the marina. Entry fee $120 for four-diver team. Cash prizes. Details: (305) 852-0030 or www.reef.org/lionfish/derbies.
    Aug. 22: Basic boating safety class taught by Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 54, 8 a.m., Coast Guard building (next to boat ramps), Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, Boynton Beach. Fee: $40. Call Ron Cuneo, 389-1850.
    Sept. 1: Snook season opens and remains open through Dec. 14. A Florida saltwater fishing license and a snook permit are required (unless exempt). Daily bag limit: one snook. To be legal to keep, snook must measure between 28 and 32 inches in total length. Different rules apply to snook taken on the state’s west coast and the Florida Keys. Details: www.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational.
    Sept. 19: X Generation 440 Challenge fishing tournament for kingfish, dolphin and wahoo. Includes $500 prize for heaviest cobia, mutton or yellowtail snapper and bonito or blackfin tuna. Based at Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo. Captain’s meeting 5-8 p.m. Sept. 18. Details: 502-7022 or www.xgeneration440.com.

Tip of the month
    Walk the beach early for snook. When small bait fish (usually pilchards) are schooling in the surf, it’s a good time to fish early for snook.
    Start fishing around 5:30 a.m. and fish until just after sunrise using a medium-action spinning rod fitted with braided line (20-pound braid is a good bet) and 20- to 30-pound leader. (I prefer fluorocarbon leader, but monofilament will do.) Match the hatch by tying on a lure about the size of the bait fish.
    Cast roughly parallel to the shoreline, and make a few casts out deeper to find the snook.
    Try soft-plastic baits such as a D.O.A. CAL Jerk Bait (colors I like for snook on the beach include night glow, silver glitter and glow/holo flake) on an eighth- or quarter-ounce jig head. Work soft plastics slowly so they move along the bottom, rise up and drop back down. (This requires calm surf conditions typical of summer months.)
Alternative lures include the MirrOlure Catch 2000 and MirrOdine suspending lures, which imitate small bait fish.
    Remember, all snook must be released through Aug. 31. (The fall snook season opens Sept. 1 and continues through Dec. 14.) Anglers with saltwater licenses and snook permits (required unless exempt) can keep the bag limit of one snook per day (if they’re between 28 and 32 inches in total length) after the season opens. All other snook must be released.
    Bring pliers to remove hooks from snook, and consider flattening hook barbs to facilitate the release of snook. If you’re planning to keep a snook after the season opens, bring a measuring tape. Don’t forget your camera or cellphone (in a plastic bag to keep it dry).

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat caption. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.

Meaghan Faletti, lionfish outreach coordinator for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, shows two large lionfish harvested during the Gold Coast Lionfish Derby. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

Dive teams competing in the Third Annual Gold Coast Lionfish Derby removed 379 invasive, non-native lionfish from area reefs during the July 25 event based at the Waterstone Resort & Marina in Boca Raton.
Team Pteroist Hunters (a team name based on the lionfish’s genus, Pterois) speared the most lionfish — 187 by a four-man team — while diving with Eric Finn on the Finn-Atic. They beat the second-place team, Pain Killer, by 52 lionfish winning $500.
Finn said the Pteroist team found most of its lionfish in 80 to 150 feet of water.
Derby organizer Sean Meadows of World of Scuba, a dive shop in Boca Raton, also awarded prizes for the largest lionfish brought to the docks (about 16.5 inches) and the smallest (about 3.6 inches).
Representatives from Reef Environmental Education Foundation measured each lionfish as part of their efforts to monitor populations of the invasive fish, native to the South Pacific and Indian oceans, that are occupying Florida reefs, eating native fish and stealing their food.
Lionfish speared during the derby were filleted and fried by the staff at the Waterstone Resort & Marina and served to participants and guests with Key lime/cilantro tartar sauce.
Another lionfish roundup, the Palm Beach County Lionfish Derby, is scheduled for Aug. 15 based at Sailfish Marina on Singer Island.  The $120 entry fee (for a four-diver team) includes puncture-resistant gloves, drink tickets and a review of lionfish handling methods.
The event begins Aug. 14 with final registration and a captain’s meeting beginning at 5:30 p.m. at Sailfish Marina. Participants can register online at www.reef.org/lionfish/derbies.
— Willie Howard

ABOVE: Volunteers glean the fields of  ‘imperfect’ produce left behind by pickers. Thirty percent to 40 percent of produce used to be left in the fields to rot.

LEFT: Tom Pemberton picks up donated food for CROS Ministries. Photos provided

By Janis Fontaine

The USDA calls it “food insecurity.” What it means is going hungry. For some, it means starving.
Hunger may be the No. 1 social issue Palm Beach County faces. Here in the richest agricultural area east of the Mississippi River, you’ll find food deserts — areas where access to fresh, healthy food like fruits and vegetables is limited. If produce is available, it’s too expensive.
While politicians and pundits discuss big-picture solutions to end hunger in our county, CROS Ministries and its team of volunteers have been working for 37 years to feed people until a long-term solution can be found. The Lake Worth-based organization — CROS stands for Christians Reaching Out to Society — is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and  has one clear mission: To serve the hungry in Palm Beach and Martin counties.
They do it through seven community food pantries (in Delray Beach, Lake Worth, Riviera Beach, West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Belle Glade and Indiantown): The Caring Kitchen (a hot meal and social services program); summer camp programs that feed kids; an after-school snack program; a weekend food program for children (Nutrition in a Knapsack); and gleaning, a food recovery program.
Of course CROS Ministries isn’t the only game in town. The problem is too big for any one person or agency to solve. Dozens of agencies in Palm Beach County are working with CROS to feed the hungry. The Palm Beach County Food Bank is a leader county-wide, while groups like the Community Caring Center in Boynton Beach and Boca Helping Hands are fighting hunger in their own backyards. These groups are supported by local churches and corporate sponsors provide financial support and host food drives, whatever they can do.
And still there are hungry kids.
The idea of going to bed hungry is so abhorrent to us as a society, parents used to use it as a punishment: “If you do or don’t (insert infraction), you’re going to bed without supper!” they’d say. So consider this: More than 60,000 children in Palm Beach County are being punished every night. Hunger doesn’t just afflict the homeless man. It affects kids, mothers, seniors, the disabled, and the poor.
“These are the faces of the hungry that people don’t see,” executive director Ruth Mageria said. And it doesn’t end at the city limits. As CROS Ministries’ website says, hunger has no boundaries.
Juanita Goode, the director of engagement, oversees the volunteer staff who are critical to the success of the programs. She got involved with CROS when she realized there was a clear connection between hunger and illiteracy — and to the increased likelihood of a prison sentence.
“Children aren’t going to learn if they’re hungry,” Goode said. “They’ll have a lifetime of medical problems because elementary school years are a critical nutritional time.” It’s a cycle: Illiteracy destroys any hope of a good-paying job, leading to more underemployed parents with more hungry kids.
One CROS program that needs volunteers is the Nutrition in a Knapsack program that sends 150 elementary schoolers home on Friday afternoons with meals for the weekend.
“Otherwise the kids would have chips and cookies for dinner, if that,” Goode said.
Some might have nothing of substance to eat from their free Friday lunch until they come back to school on Monday and get free breakfast.
CROS needs help getting the weekend food packs from its facility to the school for distribution. The shift is a little over an hour, and you need a car or SUV. Goode said she’d love a long commitment, but she’ll take any help she can get. “One Friday a month would help.”
Many of CROS’ stumbling blocks are logistical: Getting donated or gleaned food into the hands of the people who need it.
“In Delray at the Caring Kitchen, we need help picking up food donations and delivering meals to the homebound. It’s a one-day-a-week commitment,” Goode said. “We also need help onsite preparing the meals, and working in the clothing boutique.”
Mageria says the demographic CROS ministries serves is changing.
“Two things I can tell you: Most of the people now, I cannot tell them to go get a job, because many of them have two jobs already. They may have had to choose between putting gas in the car so they can get to work or buying food.
“Two: Forty percent of the hungry people are children. The other growing age group is the elderly. Many of them worked all their lives but now the money is just not enough.”
Some seniors have to choose between food and medication.
Now Mageria sees more single mothers with bachelor’s degrees. “They don’t want to be here. They don’t want to admit they need help, but they do whatever it takes to see that their child is fed.”

Volunteers are needed
Volunteers are needed to pick produce at harvest time. Contact kcutshall@crosministries.org or 233-9009, Ext. 107.
The Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach needs a traffic director and drivers who can deliver meals to shut-ins. The program also needs office volunteers, weekday van drivers and people to prepare and serve food. Shifts vary. Contact caringkitchen1@gmail.com or 308-7980.
Nutrition in a Knapsack needs a food manager to set and meet deliveries and keep paperwork. It also needs help with food bag deliveries on Fridays for about an hour. You need a four-door car or an SUV. Contact jgoode@crosministries.org or 233-9009, Ext. 105.
The Lake Worth office needs a volunteer to do computer work in MS Word and Excel and other special projects. Any day, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday through Friday. Contact crosado@crosministries.org or 233-9009, Ext. 103.
The Community Back to School Bash needs donations of school supplies and volunteers on Aug. 6-7 to unload supplies and set up tables for the Bash; on Aug. 8 volunteers are needed to hand out school supplies and to be shopping buddies. There are four sites: Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach, Village Academy in Delray Beach, and West Tech in Belle Glade. Info: www.communitybacktoschoolbash.org.

Other ways to fight hunger
Don’t have much time? Mageria says you don’t need to do some huge, amazing thing to contribute. Like Mother Teresa said, “Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.”      Here are five small things you can do to fight hunger:
• Host a food drive. Best foods: peanut butter, canned tuna, chicken or salmon, oatmeal, soup, 100 percent juice in boxes, pasta and spaghetti sauce. Stay away from perishables or foods that need milk to be prepared, such as macaroni and cheese.
• Walk in the 21st annual End Hunger Walk at 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, West Palm Beach. Register online at crosministries.org or in person on walk day.
• Help Brown Bag It at 9 a.m. Saturdays at Cason United Methodist Church, located at 342 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach. Prepare brown bag weekend meals for the homeless.
• Serve the hungry, literally. Volunteers are needed to serve dinner from 5 to 5:30 nightly at The Caring Kitchen. Lunch and breakfast shifts are also available.
• Double your money. The Summer Match Appeal is in full swing. Until Oct. 1, the Quantum Foundation will match your donation dollar for dollar, up to a total of $30,000. Contact Gibbie at 233-9009, Ext. 106, or gnauman@crosministries.org.   
 

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at janisfontaine@outlook.com.

With jubilant family members and friends filling Madonna Hall, the eighth-grade class of 2015 celebrated its commencement. Speaking at the 70th such graduation ceremony was William Finneran, longtime supporter of the school. Finneran urged parents to be vigilant of their children and continue to teach the school’s values of serving and respecting those most in need.  To the students, he encouraged them to follow their dreams. ABOVE: (l-r) Lake Worth Vice Mayor Scott Maxwell, Principal Candace Tamposi and Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo. Photo provided