Students contributed to a grand total of 20,366 community-service hours during the school year, including 87 boys and girls who served more than 100 hours each. More than 30 area nonprofits benefited from their hard work. Also recognized by school officials were volunteer leaders and supporters of the school’s two major blood drives, for which students, teachers and parents were recruited to help. ABOVE: (l-r) Gianna Guarnieri, Dillon Rucinski, Lauren Switalski, Wendy Nevelus, Alandra Fumagali and (front) Chiemeka Fevecque. Photo provided

Céline Von May, director and co-founder of the French American International School of Boca Raton, grew up in Paris. Taylor Jones/The Coastal Star

By Marie Puleo

    The French American International School of Boca Raton — a private elementary school in Palm Beach County that offers a full-immersion, bilingual program in French and English — will open on Aug. 24.
    Céline Von May, the school’s co-founder and director, said there has been a tremendous response from parents seeking an early-start, dual-language education for their children.
    “Not only do we have children coming from Palm Beach and Broward counties, we also have children of families that are relocating to the area from as far away as France, Canada and Egypt,” Von May said.
    In the United States, there are more than 50 schools that offer this type of bilingual program in French and English; but apart from the French American School of Miami and the Lycée Franco-Américain International School in Cooper City, they have been scarce in South Florida.
    “By opening our school in Boca Raton, we thought we could better serve north of us and south of us, and kind of fill in that gap,” Von May said.
    Currently, the school offers classes for children in preschool through third grade.
    The school’s classes will be small, and the curriculum, which will cover both the academic core standards of Florida and France, will be taught by native-speaking teachers, with half of the day in French, and the other half in English.
    Electives such as music, art, computer lab and physical education will alternate weekly between French and English.
    “We’re also going to offer a third language once a week starting from kindergarten upward,” Von May said.
    In implementing the French national curriculum, known for its academic rigor, the school must follow requirements set forth by the French Ministry of Education, and the children will use textbooks, workbooks and notebooks that come directly from France.
    The school is an applicant for the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme, according to Von May.
    “We plan to add a grade level every year, with the hope of going all the way up to high school so students can earn an international baccalaureate as well as an American diploma,” Von May said.
    Von May knows firsthand the value of learning languages. Born to a Swiss father and an American mother, she grew up in Paris speaking only French. When she arrived in the United States with her parents at age 9, she faced a language barrier.
    She ended up as one of the pioneer students at a small French-American school in Los Angeles. Now the school – the Lycée International de Los Angeles — has five campuses with over 1,000 students. As an adult, Von May taught at a French lycée in the San Francisco Bay Area.
    When Von May arrived in Boca Raton three years ago, she was looking for a French lycée that her daughter could attend, but there was none to be found.
    “I thought, this just can’t be,” she said. And that’s when she had the idea to start one of her own.
    “What the school is offering is very attractive,” said Cristina Brousset, whose 8-year-old daughter will be attending the school. “Learning other languages and being exposed to other cultures challenges the children and gives them an advantage in their education and development as people.”
    The school is at 2500 NW Fifth Ave.  It is housed in a section of a building that it rents from the Connected Life Christian Church, but the school is nonsectarian.
    It will roughly follow the Palm Beach School District calendar, but will have longer school days and two extra vacation weeks. Classes begin at 8:30 a.m. and go until 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Tuition is $10,000 per student plus a $500 fee for materials and polo shirt with logo and a $90 non-refundable application fee.
    For details, visit www.french americanschoolbocaraton.org.

‘False crawls,’ where the female turtle comes a few feet ashore and then turns around without nesting, have become more common this year. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    Sea turtle nesting on Palm Beach County beaches is unofficially good so far this season, but one number is troubling turtle experts: an abnormally high number of “false crawls” or times when egg-bearing female turtles pull themselves onto the beach with the intent of digging a nest, then turn around and decide against it.
    Relatively dry weather this summer could have something to do with the high number of false crawls. If the beach sand is not moist enough for a good egg chamber, a mother turtle will turn around, head back into the ocean and wait for better nesting conditions.
    But Kirt Rusenko, marine conservationist at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and director of Boca Raton’s sea turtle program, believes human activity has something to do with the high number of false crawls this year.  
    “We’ve never seen false crawls like this in the last 20 years,” Rusenko said. “It’s kind of a mystery to us.”
    Telltale signs of human activity on the beaches that Rusenko has observed include ashes from beach fires.
    “There’s a lot of people activity this year out on the beach,” he said.
    As of July 7, sea turtles had dug 767 nests in the five-mile stretch of beach from the Palm Beach/Broward county line to Highland Beach. But there were nearly 600 more false crawls than nests — 1,359 — on that same stretch of beach.
    Typically, sea turtles make one false crawl for each nest they dig.
    The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission called a press conference before the Fourth of July weekend in hopes of reducing human interference with nesting sea turtles, which are protected by state and federal laws.
    “If you see one, leave her alone and let her do her thing,” said David Fowler, an investigator with the FWC’s South Region office in West Palm Beach.
    As a law-enforcement officer, Fowler has found parents trying to take photos of their children on the backs of sea turtles — an illegal activity that could result in arrests and fines.
    Fowler also warned the public against trying to “help” sea turtles by picking up hatchlings and carrying them to the water.
    “The turtles have been doing this for millions of years,” he said. “They know what they’re doing.”
    FWC sea turtle biologist Meghan Koperski said beachgoers should cover up holes dug for sand castles before they leave the beach, noting that she has received reports of female sea turtles falling into holes and dying on beaches this year.
    Disturbing turtles with lights is a more common problem as curious observers try to catch a glimpse of mother sea turtles laying their eggs, Koperski said.
    “It’s great that people are so excited about turtles,” she said. “We just want to make sure we don’t cause them problems by loving them so much.”

Avoid disturbing nesting sea turtles
   1. If you walk the beach at night during the nesting season (March 1 through Oct. 31), don’t shine flashlights, take flash photographs or build fires. Even the light from a cellphone can cause a mother turtle to turn around and decide against nesting.
   2. Keep your distance from sea turtles, and be quiet.
   3. Don’t approach or touch sea turtles, their eggs or their hatchlings. All five sea turtle species are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act and Florida’s Marine Turtle Protection Act.
   4. If you see someone touching or harassing a sea turtle or disturbing a nest, report it by calling the state’s Wildlife Alert Hotline: (888) 404-3922 (*FWC or #FWC on a cellphone).

ABOVE: Lilyana Marie Richardson, daughter of Arianna Patterson and James Richardson, was selected as winner of the ‘Most Patriotic Baby’ contest during the July 4 festivities in Lantana.
BELOW: More than 3,000 attendees were onhand for the fireworks and festivities.
Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

One week after being named Club of the Year by Rotary International, members of Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton inducted Jon Kaye as their new president during a Mad Men-themed event. ‘I look forward to an exciting year as we add the Inaugural Mayor’s Ball in October to the club’s list of activities,’ Kaye said. Mayor Susan Haynie joined the festivities and presented a city proclamation to the club. Other 2015-16 officers installed include Lewis Fogel, Rick Howard, Brian Long and Michael Walstom. ABOVE: (l-r) Howard Tai, Janice Williams, Evelyn Tai, Howard Guggenheim and Bing Tai.  BELOW: (l-r) Lynda Louise Palmer, Janice Williams, Gloria Hosh and Alan Kaye. Photos provided by Gina Fontana

To commemorate a successful year, Soroptimist International of Boca Raton & Deerfield Beach celebrated by touring The Wick Theatre & Costume Museum and dining beneath antique chandeliers. The highlight of the afternoon was the announcement of the 2015-16 board of directors in a themed ceremony that had each member receiving a colored ribbon that collectively was woven into a pattern, symbolizing a friendship bracelet and enabling the women to go out and do good deeds for the community. ABOVE: (l-r) Director Maureen Burke, Treasurer Cynthia Cummings, Jennifer Fulton, Gwen Herb, Vice President of Membership Elke Schmidt and Honorary Director Helen Babione. Photo provided by Barbara McCormick

A gift of $20,000 was received from the Lions Club of Delray Beach to establish an endowment to assist visually impaired patrons. John Parke, club treasurer, along with other members presented the check to Nancy Dockerty, library board president, and Alan Kornblau, library director. Parke requested the money be used to purchase large-print books and books on tape. ABOVE: (l-r) Kornblau, Dockerty, club members Stanley Gavlick and Frank Pickett, Parke and Jan Kucera, library board member. Photo provided

The Boynton Intracoastal Group marked its kickoff with a meet-and greet party at the home of Boynton Beach City Commissioner Michael Fitzpatrick and wife Lisa Hanley.  Residents from Sterling Village, Snug Harbor, Seagate of Gulfstream, Hampshire Gardens, Colonial Clubs I & II and Los Mangos make up the BIG group. The coalition is designed to promote information-sharing, enhanced security, civic involvement and a fun, social time for members. Dues and fund-raising efforts go toward purchasing fuel for the Citizens on Patrol car.  RIGHT: (l-r) Peggy Nugent, BIG secretary, with Fitzpatrick and Hanley. Also in attendance were members of a similar group, Inlet Cove Association, Vice Mayor Joseph Casello and Boynton Beach Police Department Crime Prevention Officer Rita Swan. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

A footloose and fancy-free fundraiser for the George Snow Scholarship Fund has brought together eight amateur rug-cutters who will twirl their way across the parquet Aug. 28.
Boca’s Ballroom Battle — an evening of dining and dancing — pairs local volunteers who have agreed to shake their “groove thang” with professionals from Fred Astaire dance studios in Boca Raton. This year’s theme: the ’80s.
“All of these individuals are givers,” Debi Feiler, the fund’s vice president of program services, said of the hand-picked hoofers. “They all have, at one point, been out there in some charitable fashion doing something for the community.”
The lineup is comprised of Brian Altschuler, Peg Anderson, Elias Janetis, Frank McKinney, Holly Meehan, Chris Nichols, Donna Parlapiano and Wendy Sadusky. Each is tasked with bringing in as much money as possible through pledges. The Coastal Star caught up with McKinney, Meehan and Sadusky to ask them why they dare to dance.

Frank McKinney, real-estate entrepreneur and author, practices dance moves with partner Pam Casanave at Fred Astaire dance studios in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Frank McKinney
Occupation: Real-estate artist
Residence: Delray Beach
Dance partner: Pam Casanave
Song: You Shook Me All Night Long, by AC/DC

CS: Is dancing difficult?
FM: I am very athletic, so I thought, “Wow, this dancing thing should be pretty easy.” That was certainly learned to be untrue.
CS: Have you ever done anything like this before?
FM: Never, but I love the feeling of experiencing things that are well beyond my comfort zone, and I have two left feet. I’ve stepped on my partner’s toes a few times. I’ve probably broken her toes.
CS: What is your goal?
FM: To raise enough money to cover five scholarships. I never had a chance to go to school, so to be able to send kids who can’t afford it means a lot to me.

Holly Meehan, photographer and volunteer, busts a move with dance partner James Brann.

Holly Meehan
Occupation: Volunteer extraordinaire
Residence: Boca Raton
Dance partner: James Brann
Song: Footloose, by Kenny Loggins

CS: What is your dance background?
HM: My husband David and I took dance lessons 10 years ago before our wedding, but I’m not sure that counts.
CS: What do you think about this year’s ’80s theme?
HM: Ahhh, those were my jams. I’m loving the ’80s theme and really hope the attendees get involved and pull out the Miami Vice pastels and Madonna lace.
CS: What is your goal?
HM: Breaking previous records is always my goal — anything to raise the bar. Like any charity organization, it makes a difference to see volunteers really get involved and show their passion, and if I can dance my way to help a local student get funding for college, how could I say no?

Wendy Sadusky, designing housewife, strikes a pose with dance partner Jacob Jennings at Fred Astaire dance studios in Boca Raton. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Wendy Sadusky
Occupation: Designing housewife
Residence: Boca Raton

Dance partner: Jacob Jennings
Song: Hey Mickey, by Toni Basil

CS: Who recommended you?
WS: Chris Palermo, a past participant and now a neighbor. When he did it, I mistakenly said, “That looks like so much fun.” No, I absolutely am thrilled to be asked to participate in this.
CS: How are the dance lessons going?
WS: It’s really, really fun. I’ve never danced, though, so it’s really something different. It’s about lines and angles and trying to make yourself look good.
CS: What is your goal?
WS: $25,000. The opportunity to give these children a chance to go to college is so important. They’re kids that work hard, get good grades, and they would have zero chance without funding.

If You Go
What: Boca’s Ballroom Battle
When: 6 to 11 p.m. Aug. 28
Where: Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E. Camino Real
Cost: $175
Information: Call 347-6799 or visit www.scholarship.org

By Amy Woods

    August in Boca Raton used to comprise 31 dragging, dripping, doldrum-like days. Not anymore. The month will outshine the summer sun with the arrival of Boca Chamber Festival Days.
    The annual event that pairs for-profit businesses with nonprofit organizations and raises awareness, funds and support for local charities has transformed the off-season.
“The slow month of August is no longer slow,” said Sarah Pearson, senior vice president of external relations for the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a way for us to keep the economy going, keep people out and about.”
    City residents definitely will have a reason to be out and about this month as more than 30 social gatherings are on the calendar.
    The first fundraiser took place a few days early — July 28 — with Women in Distress of Broward County’s Clothes off Our Backs donation drive for needy families.
 Other events planned for the month range from the well-known White Coats-4-Care Reception benefiting Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, to the always-entertaining Boca’s Got Talent! benefiting the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation.
    Boca Ballet Theatre’s Summer Spectacular — Works of American Masters, Tri-County Animal Rescue’s Dog Days of Summer and the League of Ribbons’ FondueRaiser add to the well-rounded schedule of activities.
“It’s just a focused way to give back in general,” Pearson said. “That’s why I think it’s different. Some events are fun. Some are serious. Some make you cry. It’s pretty amazing.”
Jon Sahn has chaired Boca Chamber Festival Days for three consecutive years and said the 2015 installment promises to be one of the best.
“Over the last three years, we’ve really kicked it up with the enthusiasm and the events,” Sahn said. “Obviously, the goal is to create awareness of all the amazing not-for-profits that we have that are part of the chamber.”
The chamber helps forge partnerships between event-sponsoring for-profits and reward-reaping nonprofits and also markets and promotes the festival online and through social media. A breakfast kicked it all off to the 1,500 members.
“By creating awareness, you’re creating opportunities for bringing new donors to these charities, bringing new volunteers to these charities, bringing board members and resources to these charities,” Sahn said. “If you are involved in something that makes your community better, it’s good for business.”
    He said he plans to attend at least 25 events.
    “Philanthropy and community involvement is something that I believe in,” Sahn said. “This is like the best time of the year for me.”

Boca Festival Days
August 1-8
Saturday -  8/1-2 - Summer Spectacular: Works of American Masters at FAU University Theatre, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Presented by Boca Ballet Theatre. Sat 7:30 pm; Sun 2 pm. $35/adults, $25/seniors & children. 995-0709; bocaballet.org.
Monday -  8/3 - 5th Annual White Coats-4-Care Reception at Waterstone Resort & Marina Atlantic Ballroom, 999 E Camino Real, Boca Raton. Benefits FAU Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Tickets start at $105. 297-2984; fauf.fau.edu/WC4C
Tuesday -  8/4 - A Night of Brazilian Jazz at ZinBurger at Town Center Boca Raton, 6000 Glades Rd. Benefits Rotary Club of Boca Raton West scholarship fund. 6-7 pm. $25/advance; $35/at the door. 807-6301; bocaratonchamber.com
Wednesday -8/5 - Salsa Night at Boca Raton Children’s Museum, 498 Crawford Blvd. Benefits the Children’s Museum. 6-9 pm. $35-$45/advance; $30-$50 at the door. 368-6875; cmboca.org
Thursday - 8/6 - Summer Night Out at Embassy Suites, 661 NW 53rd St, Boca Raton. Presented by and benefits Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation. Features entertainer Glenn Miller, Mastery of Comedy Hypnosis. 6:30-9 pm. $30-$50/advance; $40/person at the door. 800-9MARROW; giftoflife.org.
Friday - 8/7 - Heart of Boca Celebration at Heartland Rehabilitation, 7225 Boca del Mar Dr, Boca Raton. Celebrates 100 years of Historic Pearl City; benefits Macedonia A.M.E. Church, the oldest church in Boca Raton. 4-7 pm. 4-7 pm. $25/advance; $30/at the door. 395-4433; bocaratonchamber.com

August 9-15
Monday - 8/10 - Margarita Monday at Rocco’s Tacos & Tequila Bar, 5250 Town Center Cir, Boca Raton. Benefits KidSafe Foundation. 5:30-7:30 pm. $25/advance (includes 2 signature drinks, appetizers). 855-844-SAFE; kidsafefoundation.org
Tuesday - 8/11 - Place of Hope Back to School Pep Rally at Pavilion Grille, Nations Bank Plaza, 301 Yamato Rd, Boca Raton. Benefits Place of Hope Boca Raton to purchase back to school supplies for foster youth. 5:30-7:30 pm. $25/advance; $30/at the door. 483-0962; hopeatrinkercampus.org
Wednesday - 8/12 - Back to School Breakfast at Lakeside Terrace, 7880 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Hosted by Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce. Benefits Caregiving Youth Project. Honoree: Mary Wong, President, Office Depot Foundation. 7:45-9:15 am. $50/advance; $60/at the door. 391-7401; bocachamber.com
8/12 - Dog Days of Summer Cooking Class at Publix Aprons Cooking School Polo Club Shoppes, 5050 Champion Blvd, Boca Raton. Benefits Tri-County Humane Society. 5:30-6:15 pm meet and greet adorable dogs; 6:30-8:30 pm all-inclusive 3-course dinner. $50.  482-8110; tricountyanimalrescue.com
Thursday 8/13 - Football Fever at Community Table, 1901 Boca Raton Blvd. Benefits MorseLife. Chance drawings and giveaways. 5:30; game time 8pm. $20/at the door (includes 2 soft drinks,  pizza). 687-5743; web.bocaratonchamber.com
Friday - 8/14 - The Symphonia Sizzles/Classical Music is Cool at Blue Martini at Town Center Boca Raton, 6000 Glades Rd. Benefits The Symphonia. 5:30-7:30 pm. $20 (includes one drink, appetizers). 376-3848; thesymphonia.org
Saturday - 8/15 - Guided Tour Boca Raton Resort & Club at 501 E Camino Real. Hosted by Boca Raton Historical Society. Not recommended for children under 12. Held again 8/22 & 29. 2 pm. $15/person + $11 valet fee. Reservations required: 395-6766 x107; tours@bocahistory.org

August 16-22
Monday - 8/17 - 2nd Annual Boca’s Got Talent at Dubliner Irish Pub, 435 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Hosted by and benefits Multiple Sclerosis Foundation. 5:30-7 pm. $20 (includes one drink, appetizers). 954-776-6805; talent@plumproductionsmedia.com
Tuesday - 8/18 - Movers and Shakers at DaVinci’s of Boca at Town Center Boca Raton, 6000 Glades Rd. Benefits Golden Bell Education Foundation. 5:30-7:30 pm. $30/advance;  $35/at the door. 395-4433 x232; sderos@bocachamber.com
Wednesday - 8/19 - Light Up the Night at Prime Cigar & Wine Bar, 2240 NW 19th St, Boca Raton. Benefits Junior Achievement of South Florida. Silent auction. 6-9 pm. $25-125/advance; $50-150/at the door (includes 2 drinks, cigar, hor d’oeuvres). 954-979-7124; jacqueline@jasouthflorida.org
Friday- 8/21 - Boca PAL’s Crime Scene Challenge meets at Whole Foods, 1400 Glades Rd. Benefits Boca Raton Police Athletic League. Solve crimes by earning clues at various locations around town. 1-5 pm. $50. 239-5483; bocaratonchamber.com
8/21 - Battle of the Bartenders at M.E.A.T. Eatery, 980 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton. All tips and portion of proceeds benefit Best Foot Forward Foundation. 5:30-7:30 pm. $25/advance; $30/at the door (includes 2 drinks, appetizers). 470-8300; bestfoot.org
Saturday- 8/22 - Wine & All That Jazz at Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E Camino Real.  Boca Festival Days signature event. 7-10 pm. $75/regular; $120/VIP. 395-4433; bocaratonchamber.com

August 23-29
Monday- 8/24 - Martini Monday at Excel Auto Group, 1001 Clint Moore Rd, Boca Raton. Benefits The Arc of Palm Beach County. 6-8 pm. $25. 842-3213 x128; arcpbc.org
8/24 - Woman Volunteer of the Year Kickoff at Max’s Grille, 404 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Kickoff party for Junior League of Boca Raton Woman Volunteer of the Year luncheon to be held 11/8. 6-8 pm. $40. jlbr.org
Tuesday - 8/25 - 4th Annual FondueRaiser at The Melting Pot. 5455 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton. 35% of sales + 100% of “Ribbontini” cocktail sales benefit the League of Ribbons, Lynn Cancer Institute. 4:30-10 pm. Reservations (mention “Dip for LCI”): 997-7472; meltingpot.com/boca-raton
Wednesday - 8/26 - Lip Sync Battle at Blue Martini at Town Center Boca Raton, 6000 Glades Rd. Benefits Nat King Cole Generation Hope. 6:30-8:30 pm. $25/advance; $35/at the door (includes one cocktail, lite bites). 395-4433; bocaratonchamber.com
Thursday- 8/27 - Corks & Canvas at Waterstone Resort & Marina, 999 E Camino Real, Boca Raton. Benefits Twin Palms Center for the Disabled. Local artists display and sell artwork, live and silent auctions, raffle, Hor d’oeuvres, beverage. 6-8 pm. $60/advance; $75 at the door. 391-4874; twinpalmscenter.com
8/27 - The Winner’s Circle at Sports Immortal Museum, 6830 N Federal Hwy, Boca Raton.  Sponsored by Seniors Helping Seniors, benefits The Alzheimer’s Association. Silent auction, food, beverages. 7-10 pm. $25/at the door. 395-4433; bocaratonchamber.com
Friday - 8/28 - You Shop, We Build Benefit at Kendra Scott, 411 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Hosted by Kendra Scott. Benefits Habitat’s mission to build homes, communities and hope. 6-9 pm. Call/check website for details.  819-6070; habitatsouthpalmbeach.org
8/28 - Boca’s Ballroom Battle at Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E Camino Real. Benefits George Snow Scholarship Fund. 6-10 pm. Tickets start at $175. 347-6799; scholarship.org

August 30-September 5
Sunday - 8/30 - 9th Annual Bowling for Bread at Strikes @ Boca, 21046 Commercial Tr, Boca Raton. Benefits Boca Helping Hands. Canned/packaged food donations welcome. Individuals, teams, businesses raise funds. 2-5 pm. $50-$600. 367-1193; bocahelpinghands.org
Monday - 8/31 - Zinburger Bash for the Red Cross at Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar at Town Center Boca Raton, 6000 Glades Rd. Benefits American Red Cross. Generous sampling of burgers, salads, side dishes, milkshakes. 6-8 pm. $15. 650-9315; rdcrss.org/1BVMbaZ

By Thom Smith

     Running may be the purest form of athletic endeavor, but except for the Olympics and the Boston Marathon, it is virtually ignored. So most people have never heard of the Schapperts.
    Oh sure, folks connected with Pope John Paul II High School know. And the cognoscenti at Villanova and USA Track and Field. But with a lot of skill and a little luck, Nicole and Stephanie may soon make headlines.
    Credit brains, brawn and genetics. Both were honor students. Though slight of stature, both are built for distance. Mom and dad, too, were superb athletes: Kenny Schappert was an international class runner at Villanova; Jane Ackerman Schappert was an All-American swimmer at Cardinal Newman and Villanova. Her kids have a good chance of joining her in the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame. They live in Delray Beach.

Stephanie Schappert (right) hugs sister Nicole Schappert Tully at the finish line after her victory June 28 in the USA Track and Field championships women’s 5,000-meter event in Eugene, Ore. Stephanie had just wrapped up her own college running career with the title of Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year, awarded by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Photo provided

    In a surprise finish June 28 at the U.S. championships in Eugene, Ore., 28-year-old Nicole Schappert Tully won the women’s 5,000-meter title in 15:06.44. The race was only her second ever at that distance.
While at Pope John Paul, Tully won 10 state track titles and then led Villanova to an undefeated season and NCAA cross-country championship in 2009. She graduated magna cum laude the following spring but continued to run while working for Canon’s printer division. She did take time out last summer. She and Sean Tully, another Villanova distance runner, married at St. Edward Catholic Church in Palm Beach. The reception was held at the Gulf Stream Bath & Tennis Club.
    The couple now lives in Piscataway, N.J., and Nicole runs for the NJ/NY Track Club. Her 15:05 time in her first 5,000 in May qualified her for the World Championships that open Aug. 22 in Beijing.
    Sister Stephanie isn’t far behind. She wrapped her college career at Villanova at the NCAA Championships in mid-June. She finished sixth in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:16.01. Two weeks before she ran a personal best of 4:13.26. The U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association named her Mid-Atlantic Region Athlete of the Year for the outdoor season.
    Her 1,500 time qualified her for the World University Games in South Korea. Nicole had finished eighth in the same event in 2013. Stephanie ran 4:19.83, missing a bronze medal by .06 seconds.
    No doubt we’ll be hearing a lot more.
                                    ***
    For Boca Raton firefighter and amateur chef Alex Callegari, the honors keep coming. But his big shot on a national stage left him with a rancid taste. At Anheuser-Busch’s Bud & Burgers national finals, held July 11 in the parking lot at the home brewery in St. Louis, Callegari’s Ladder 7 Burger finished third. But according to many accounts, the event was a disaster, and several competitors, who qualified through regional competitions, believe they were set up.
    A $100,000 grand prize was on the line for the 10 finalists. They would prepare sufficient samples of their award-winning burgers to feed 1,000 fans who paid $20 each for the opportunity to sample each entry and then vote by text for their favorite. From the top three, a panel of food experts would choose the winner. Needless to say, organizers were caught unprepared when an estimated 5,000 showed up.
    On its Bud & Burgers website, Anheuser-Busch claimed the burgers ran out 15 minutes early, but several qualifiers disagreed, including Callegari.
     “I was serving up to 8 p.m. I still had some burgers left,” Callegari told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
    He’d seen it coming, warning organizers in an email on July 2 that most attendees would have difficulty downing what amounted to two and a half giant burgers and would vote after sampling only a few.
    The tasting was not blind. Attendees knew whose burgers they were voting for.
    The playing field wouldn’t be level, he said, because the two finalists from St. Louis would enjoy the luxury of having voting support from friends and family.  If one makes the top three, “it would create an air of doubt and mistrust to the fairness of the event,” he wrote.
    The cooking began at 5 p.m. but at 8 p.m. with many people still in line, some waiting for their first sample, serving was halted, so the judges could choose among the top three.
“Just about every single item I pointed out became a reality,” Callegari said after returning to Florida. “At most cook-offs they treat the finalists pretty well. You’re a brand ambassador. But Busch just flew us in, put us to work and flew us out. We didn’t even get a tour of the brewery.”
    The disappointment goes deeper because Callegari’s contest winnings go to funds such as the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.
    Four days after the event, the finalists received an email from organizers: “Budweiser is extremely supportive of the culinary ambitions of our amateur chefs, so we’d like to offer each contestant $3,000 to offset your tax burdens, along with a limited-edition grill to thank you for your participation.”
    Wow, a free grill.
    “It’s not the first time I got a bad decision,” Callegari said. “I’ll get back in the ring and fight again.”
    As for Anheuser-Busch, perhaps a future contest should feature eggs, since they’ll have plenty to scrape off their faces after Bud & Burgers.
                                    ***
    Who better to practice the healing qualities of music than doctors, 14 of whom will gather Aug. 18 at “the Harriet” in CityPlace in West Palm Beach for the fourth annual Physicians Talent Showcase. OK, one, Dr. Robin Arrigo, is a concert pianist who earned a doctorate of musical arts degree from the University of Miami, but for the others music helps them heal after a hard day’s work at several area hospitals.  
    Among those performing at the 7:30 p.m. concert, a fundraiser for the Kretzer Piano Music Foundation’s music education programs for children, are Jack Zeltzer and Peggy Hunter. A vascular surgeon associated with Palm Beach Surgical Associates, Palms West Hospital, Wellington Regional Medical Center and JFK Medical Center, Zeltzer is a drummer. The Lake Worth resident also is past president of the Palm Beach County Medical Society. Hunter, a resident of Boca Raton associated with PBC Dermatology and JFK Medical Center, is a classical pianist. For tickets, $75, call (866) 449-2489.
                                    ***
    Great pairing: Three of the most innovative performers in the pop music world are heading to Coral Sky Amphitheatre for an auspicious Aug. 12 concert. Rockabye Gollie Angel may be a strange name for a tour, but with Messrs. Becker and Fagen involved, the only thing strange is normalcy. Joining Walter Becker and Donald Fagen, aka Steely Dan, is Elvis Costello and the Imposters.
    Coral Sky was initially scheduled as the tour wrapper, but the troupe will continue on to an October climax in New York. Based on early tour reviews, it could be one of Coral Sky’s all-time classic shows.
                                    ***
    GEO Group, the for-profit private prison company based in Boca Raton, exceeded income and profit expectations for 2014, raking in $1.69 billion, up 11 percent from 2013. Despite opening or expanding six prisons with room for 5,000 inmates, including three in Florida, the company’s profits rose even more — 25 percent to $115 million. All told, GEO manages 106 facilities with more than 19,000 employees.
    The 19,000 figure likely doesn’t include the detainees who were offered an unusual “opportunity” at a center in Aurora, Colo. According to a suit filed in federal court in Denver, detainees awaiting deportation hearings were offered the option of doing janitorial work — scrubbing toilets, mopping floors, doing laundry and serving meals — for $1 a day. Some who declined, the suit claims, were threatened with solitary confinement.
    GEO denies the charges and argues that the dollar-a-day payment follows federal guidelines, which were set in 1950 and have never been changed.  
                                    ***

ABOVE: Chefs Victor Meneses from El Camino and Eric Baker from Max’s Harvest laugh during Week 3 of Chef vs. Chef.

What’s cookin’?
    Summer used to be slow time. Sit back, chomp a few Cheetos, drink a cheap beer and watch baseball on low-def TV. But life has gone high-def — an aisle full of snack foods, a different craft beer every day and too many sports to count. So it stands to reason that savvy local restaurants have capitalized, turning slow time into opportunity. The guy in the kitchen is hot, in more ways than one.
    The brains behind Max’s Harvest in Delray seized the opportunity to create a little summer buzz, generate a little late night action and raise some cash for the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club in Delray Beach with Chef vs. Chef. The TV-style competition matches 16 area chefs in eight weeks of mano-a-mano eliminations, quarter- and semifinals and a championship round Sept. 23.
    Upward of 200 patrons, many of them regulars at the restaurants of the competitors, pay $10 each (includes one drink) to pack into Max’s Harvest each Wednesday at 9:30 p.m. The two chefs are informed of the required ingredients, given 15 minutes to plan their attack and then have an hour to prepare two dishes in the open kitchen.
     In Week 3, the secret ingredients for Victor Meneses of nearby El Camino and Victor Franco of Oceans 234 in Deerfield Beach were Asian noodles, malanga (a tropical, potato-like tuber) and beef cheeks. The chop, chop, chop of chef’s knives and the clanking of pots often gave way to flaring sauté pans as they worked their magic. Franco, a fan of Floribbean cuisine, utilized every second before delivering the three judges a crispy malanga and scallop fritters with spicy mango sauce, while Meneses countered with a malanga “dumpling” filled with shredded beef cheek, seared diced Granny Smith apples, and pancetta accompanied by a salad of shaved fennel, ginger and herbs.

ABOVE: Chef Victor Franco from Oceans 234 shows his dish. The final elimination round is set for Aug. 5 at Max’s Harvest in Delray Beach. Photos courtesy Kelly Coulson


    Franco then presented beef cheeks braised in a port wine reduction with cinnamon and herbs with taro root and a malanga puree. But Meneses’  beef cheek pad thai garnished with toasted hazelnuts, pine nuts and crispy malanga chips, and beef cheek ramen topped with grilled scallions and poached quail eggs, nestled in broth fortified with smoked soy blew the judges away.
    The final elimination round is set for Aug. 5 between Chris Miracolo of S3 on Fort Lauderdale Beach and Blake Malatesta of Delray’s 50 Ocean.  
    Franco was hardly dismayed by the loss as he has lots of work ahead at Oceans 234, which is being completely renovated.
                                    ***
    Comings and goings: After a two-month delay, Tap 42 finally opened in mid-July at the Shops at Boca Center. A popular Lauderdale spot for years, Tap 42, as in 42 beers on draft, is craft beer-based but customers are also drawn to such menu items as the Prohibition Burger, only $5 on Monday nights.
    After 39 years, 264 The Grill in Palm Beach has served its last lobster. The building, a Roaring ’20s-era Addison Mizner design, has been sold and restaurant owners Patricia Gatti and Avery Watson were given a week to vacate. They’re looking for a new location.
    Fans of Sunday’s jazz jams can still catch the Susan Merritt Trio at Zuccarelli’s on Okeechobee Boulevard in West Palm Beach.
                                    ***
    The Fourth of July weekend pumped new life into Lake Worth’s Bamboo Room. The trial reopening of the club attracted more than 1,600 customers, more than enough to persuade the new owners to continue the trial.
    Plans are to open Friday and Saturday nights through the summer and early autumn and then expand to a five-night schedule.
    Owners Ryan Mueller and Blaine Minton will continue the live music tradition, but will probably add a small cover charge, offer a light sandwich-based menu and expand on the roots music format established by the club’s founder Russ Hibbard. Blues and jazz will be supplemented by rock, country, reggae and more.
                                    ***
    We reported last month that Pizzeria Oceano, the extremely popular personal pizza joint in Lantana, was no longer serving pizza, as owner Dak Kerprich was moving the pie operation to Swell Pizza in Delray. Well, the name Pizzeria is gone and the Oceano part seems to be leaving. The new name, Jerk
Oceano, is shortened Irie-style to “Jerk O.” The fare still features local products, but the menu is Caribbean — pineapple and black rice salad, red shrimp and rice with curry, scallion, and okra and jackfruit cream pie for dessert.
                                    ***
    All is well at Benny’s on the Beach. In fact, business may have picked up a little as the curious joined the regulars to see the aftereffects of a small fire traced to a faulty electrical outlet near the kitchen. Startled kitchen workers jumped the pier railing, but firefighters, who were on the scene within minutes, said it was more smoke than fire. Dining resumed within an hour.  
                                    ***
    No sooner had the Florida Legislature approved half-gallon growlers, those easy-fill take-home jugs, than another craft brewer announced plans to open in Boynton Beach. Driftwood Ales hopes to be in full operation this fall only a stone’s throw from Due South Brewing and Copper Point Brewing just north of Gateway Boulevard on the west side of I-95.  
    Coincidentally, Steve and Tim Dornblaser came up with the idea for their home-brew company and Driftwood’s predecessor, Lagerhead Brewing Company, while sampling the suds at Due South. It’s a family thing.
    At the south end of Boynton just east of Congress in space No. 4 at 1500 SW 30th Ave., Chip and Trish Breighner have gone from kitchen-brewing to Devour Brewing. Much more modest than the guys up in north Boynton — a few tables, a small bar and some stools — Devour features imaginative brews such as Hefe on Vacation, Coffee and Cream Brown Ale, Juniper Berry Saison and Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter (that’s a mouthful!).
                                    ***
    St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Lake Worth presents “A Summer Evening in Tuscany,” its 10th annual wine and cuisine event at 4 p.m. on Aug. 9. A donation of $25 in advance, $30 at the door, affords Tuscan dishes and appropriate wines from Massoferrato Winery near Florence. (582-6609 or SAEpiscopal@aol.com).

Reach Thom Smith at thomsmith@ymail.com

The Plate: Shrimp Kabob
Where: Two Georges at The Cove, 1754 SE Third Court, Deerfield Beach; 954- 421-9272 or www.twogeorgesrestaurant.com/thecove
The Price: $18.99
The Skinny: We have been craving shrimp lately. Call us prawns in the game of life.
But there is something so satisfying in a meal of the firm, plump shellfish.
You can batter them, bread them, stick coconut on them, but they really don’t need a lot of fuss for their flavor to shine through.
And that’s why we were drawn to the shrimp skewers at Two Georges.
The dish consists of eight good-size gulf shrimp served with a skewer of bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and onion.
We ordered ours blackened, so they had a mild spice, but that didn’t keep the fresh shrimp flavor from shining through.
Our server said most people order this dish served over a rice pilaf, but it’s not every day that you can get a baked potato, which is what we ordered.
Also good: The Crab Imperial ($24.99), which was all crab and no filler, and the grouper (also $24.99), a wonderfully fresh piece of fish that was perfectly cooked.
— Scott Simmons

By Mary Hladky

    One year after announcing they were exploring a merger, WXEL-TV and WPBT2 have agreed to join forces.
    The two public broadcasting stations will combine as South Florida PBS, reaching 2.42 million households from Key West to the Sebastian Inlet, and west to Lake Okeechobee.
    The merger agreement has been approved by the board of trustees of WXEL, which serves the Palm Beaches and the Treasure Coast, and the board of directors of WPBT2, which serves Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. South Florida PBS would be Florida’s largest public media company, officials said in their July 15 announcement.
    The merger agreement has been submitted to the Federal Communications Commission for review and approval. That process, which will include time for public comment, could take six to nine months, said Max Duke, vice president of content and community partnerships for WPBT2.
    Discussions about combining the two stations have taken place several times since 1997, but did not end in a deal until now.
    “This agreement presents a unique opportunity to accomplish something truly profound for South Florida,” James Patterson, a best-selling author who lives in Palm Beach and is vice chairman of WXEL’s board, said in the announcement. “The combination of resources and talent at WXEL, WPBT2 and PBS makes possible a new level of community involvement and leadership that will encourage young people to read and learn and expose them to cultural programming that will enrich their lives.”
    The two stations would continue to operate. But the goals of the merger would be to eliminate duplication of programming and offer new programming, including more shows that are locally produced.
    The stations now offer a similar lineup during prime time. Bill Scott, WXEL executive vice president, said the merged entity would be able to offer more of the most popular programs at different times so that “viewers will have an opportunity to have more flexibility and convenience when they tune in.”
    “The primary mission and goal here is to increase the service to the community the stations serve as well as producing even more original, locally relevant programming,” he said.
    Decisions on new programs will be finalized after the FCC completes the review process, Scott and Duke said.
    “These programs will increasingly be based on our research and our reaching out to the communities and doing programs that would go anywhere from local documentaries to local community information and education programs,” Scott said.
    South Florida PBS would offer a larger market for donors and corporate underwriters and end competition between the stations for funding.
    “The reaction we have gotten already to our merger announcement is very positive,” Duke said. “We believe both communities will respond very positively.”
    Donors and underwriters “will have a greater level of assurance that their money is going to provide increased … service to the viewers,” Scott said. “Donors would have a sense that something is really happening. This is an opportunity not to be more, but much more.”
    WLRN, a public radio and television station that operates out of Miami, is not part of the merger and will continue to offer its own programming.

By Dan Moffett
 
    Gulf Stream’s legal offensive against Martin O’Boyle and Chris O’Hare suffered a huge setback late last month when a West Palm Beach judge threw out the town’s federal racketeering suit against the two men.
    U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth Marra said that, while he was sympathetic with the town’s “very difficult situation” because of the hundreds of public records requests O’Boyle and O’Hare had filed, their actions did not meet the legal standards for suing under the RICO statute.
    Marra, in effect, told the town to fight it out with the two litigious residents in the state court and forget the federal class-action case.
    O’Boyle and O’Hare, the judge said, “had the absolute right under current Florida law to file public records requests and then file lawsuits if requests went unanswered.”     
    O’Hare said he was elated with the decision. He said the town’s suit against him had strained his family and hurt his business.
    “I can’t begin to tell you how debilitating this RICO accusation has been for me and my family,” O’Hare said. “I have had to do a lot of explaining, sometimes to perfect strangers but also to state officials and others involved in my artificial reef efforts.”
    Mayor Scott Morgan, a lawyer, said the defeat shouldn’t be construed as validation for the behavior of the town’s two most zealous critics.
    “While we are disappointed in the court’s decision, it is important to note that the judge was not excusing the defendants’ actions,” Morgan said. “Rather, he simply held that the filing of public records requests and lawsuits, whether malicious or not, does not constitute ‘racketeering’ as defined in the federal racketeering law, and that the abuse of the public records act is for the Florida state courts to determine.”
    In his nine-page decision issued June 30, Marra also said that the mere threat of filing suit for legal fees over the records requests was not grounds for proving extortion or conspiracy, as the town’s attorneys had claimed. The judge dismissed the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act suit with prejudice, meaning the court believes it unlikely it can be amended to pass legal muster.     
    The town hired West Palm Beach attorney Gerald Richman to pursue the RICO strategy in October and filed the federal suit in February.
    Beyond Gulf Stream, the class-action suit alleged that O’Boyle used a group he founded called the Citizens Awareness Foundation to extort settlements from frivolous public records requests made to municipalities and businesses across the state — communities including Miami, Bradenton, Cutler Bay and Fernandina Beach. The suit claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in settlements were funneled to The O’Boyle Law Firm.
    O’Hare says he had nothing to do with the Citizens Awareness Foundation or any conspiracy, and the town was using the RICO case to distract from its mistakes. He says the dozens of suits he’s filed against the town are not frivolous but over legitimate issues.
    “The town is doing a great many things unfairly,” O’Hare said. “That’s one reason they are being sued.”
    Mitchell Berger, a Fort Lauderdale attorney who represents Martin O’Boyle, said the town was wrong to “sue one of its citizens.”
    “It’s unfortunate when it comes to this,” Berger said. “When someone asks for records, give them the records.”
    Jonathan O’Boyle, O’Boyle’s son and a Pennsylvania attorney who is a director with The O’Boyle Law Firm in Deerfield Beach, said he expected the RICO suit would be dismissed and blames the town for creating its own problems.
    Gulf Stream has dozens of cases pending with O’Boyle and O’Hare in the state courts. Officials say the town has spent at least $1 million in legal fees over the last two years fighting with the two men. Morgan said the town will move forward with its other complaints and hope for better results.
    “The town of Gulf Stream has simultaneously been advancing its claims against these defendants in the state courts,” the mayor said, “where we have already had some success, and we will continue those actions.”

Gulf Stream School Class of 2015 students followed in the footsteps of previous classes by raising money for an improvement to the campus: this year, restoring the old train bell that sits on a podium in the middle of campus. Unveiling the restored bell are Skylar Elder, Aislinn Sullivan and Fallyn Brody. Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

Nearly 50 children, families and supporters of Sunflower Creative Arts gathered with hard hats and shovels to kick off construction of a new facility in Delray Beach. The nonprofit learning center has been in operation for 22 years in Boca Raton. The center is moving to accommodate a growing student population and expand its arts and nature curriculum. ABOVE: (front, l-r) Ilysia Shattuck, Kali Lee, 1, Dahlia Charbonneau, 2, Gavin Lee, 4, Everest England, 2, (middle) George McMurrain, Barbara Marshall, Marlene McKay, Debbie Bathurst, center founder Susan Caruso, Suzie Greenberg, 10, (back) Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein, Cari Flaherty, Dana Bathurst, Denise McMurrain, Board President Jennifer Ligeti and Bill Bathurst. Photo provided

Summer’s here, and that’s when the South Floridians play.
Or at least don’t have to wait at the grocery or the gas station.
Or restaurants.
That’s right — restaurants.
The seasonal residents have gone North, and you can easily get reservations at the finest restaurants in Palm Beach.  
In some restaurants, you even may be able to get in without reservations; but we have reservations about just showing up.
Regardless of how you plan the evening — reservations or not — many of those restaurants may well be offering specials — a $35 prix fixe menu in a place where the typical tab is $100 a head or more is par for summer.
It’s a bargain, and, you know, we’ve earned it.
After all, it’s been 90 degrees for a month, and we feel like we’ve been whupped with a wet towel.
So let’s cool our heels at Palm Beach’s finest and do it at a bargain.
Bon appétit!
— Scott Simmons

Special deals at special places
Dine in style for a song at some of the classiest joints in Palm Beach.

The Breakers — The resort is synonymous with Palm Beach and is also known for its fine dining.
This summer, it will offer a range of specials at its restaurants on- and off-site.
Echo — Half-price drinks and sushi during happy hour, 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesday-Friday at Echo’s Dragonfly Lounge or terrace. Echo also offers a three-course dinner menu starting at $45 through Sept. 30. 230 Sunrise Ave., Palm Beach; 855-435-0061.
The Italian Restaurant — Drink specials during happy hour, 5-6:30 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. A three-course dinner menu, starting at $45, is available through Sept. 30. 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach; 855-435-4847.
Flagler Steakhouse — A three-course brunch is available through Sept. 1 for $45; 2 S. County Road, Palm Beach; 855-435-2053.

The Piggie Burger at Café Boulud’s DBGB Takeover.

                                    
Café Boulud — Daniel Boulud’s signature restaurant offers several summer specials, as well as a seasonal menu inspired by one of his New York restaurants, DBGB.
With Café Boulud’s Wine BOBO (Bring one, buy one), diners can bring a bottle of their own wine and buy one from sommelier Mariya Kovacheva’s list to pair with dinner and pay no corkage fee. Or, bring only and pay a $25 corkage fee.
Executive Chef Rick Mace’s summer prix fixe menus include a three-course lunch for $32 noon-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, three-course brunch for $36 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and three-course dinner for $38 5:30-7 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. Daily happy hour in the lounge is 4-7 p.m. with half-price drinks and special craft cocktails.
With A Buck A Shuck, Café Boulud offers $1 oysters from 10 p.m. to midnight seven days a week.
The DBGB Takeover, with selections from Daniel Boulud’s New York Restaurant, DBGB, is available for dinner through Oct. 12. Order the Piggie Burger, if you can. It’s a beef patty topped with some of the most tender, heavenly smoked pork you’ll find anywhere.
Café Boulud is at The Brazilian Court, 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach; 655-6060 or www.cafeboulud.com/palmbeach/.

The swanky dining room at Del Frisco’s

Del Frisco’s Grille Palm Beach — Chef Michael McLaurin’s three-course, $35 prix fixe dinner menu is available every evening throughout the summer. Offerings include comfort fare like meat loaf to a crispy brick chicken breast with hand-mashed potatoes, asparagus, and roasted chicken jus.
The restaurant also offers beer, wine and other pairing dinners throughout the summer — look for a Black Coral Rum dinner to take place July 24.
Del Frisco’s is at 340 Royal Poinciana Way, Suite 300, Palm Beach; 557-2552 or www. delfriscosgrille.com.
                                    
Meat Market — The restaurant’s Summer Cocktail Dinner Series includes four courses of Executive Chef/Co-Owner Sean Brasel’s contemporary cuisine, paired with libations by Ezra Pattek. The dinner, priced at $75 per person (plus tax and gratuity), starts with a cocktail reception at 7 p.m., followed by the sit-down dinner at 8 p.m.
The restaurant also has launched Signature Steak Sunday, in which steaks are offered at half-price every Sunday through summer. 
There also is a daily happy hour, 4-7 p.m., with plenty of snacking options. Cocktail specials include $10 glasses of Veuve Clicquot Brut, Yellow Label; $8 Classic Belvedere Martinis and $7 signature cocktails.  Select wines, available by the glass, are priced at $7 and specialty beers range from $3.50 to $4.
Meat Market is at 191 Bradley Place, Palm Beach; 354-9800 or www. meatmarketpalmbeach.com.

Fresh shellfish from PB Catch. Courtesy photos

PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar — Designer and event planner Bruce Sutka has turned PB Catch’s bar and lounge into an island beach shack with a modern twist, with surfboards, marine lighting and new casual staff attire. The menu includes fresh tuna stack sandwiches, shrimp po’ boys, fish fingers and yellowfin tuna tacos.
The Shack also offers a variety of special drinks on top of the restaurant’s existing beer, wine and cocktails menu. The restaurant has continued to serve its full menu in its formal dining room.
PB Catch is at 251 Sunrise Ave., Palm Beach, and is open Monday through Saturday, with the raw bar and lounge opening at 4:30 p.m. Full dinner service begins at 5:30 p.m.; 655-5558 or www.PBCatch.com.
                                    
Testa’s — There once was a time when Testa’s closed its doors each summer in Palm Beach and much of the staff headed north to Maine, where the restaurant has a location that’s open during the warm months.
But now the Palm Beach location is open for the summer and dining here has its rewards as well. A sunset menu, served 3-6 p.m., offers a three-course menu, with diners’ choice among four appetizers, including the restaurant’s famous gazpacho, entrees that include salmon, shrimp Florentine, fish & chips and Gorgonzola chicken, among others, dessert, iced tea or coffee and hot bread with olive spread for $18.99 per person.
You can sit outside, watch the world go by and smile knowing you found a bargain. Testa’s is at 221 Royal Poinciana Way, Palm Beach; 832-0992 or www.testasrestaurants.com.

Reservations should be easier to get here

Al Fresco — Ask to sit outside here — this restaurant at the Palm Beach Par 3 Golf Course has the best views anywhere, from full ocean views to the east to spectacular sunsets over the Intracoastal Waterway to the west.
And the food? It’s classy Italian, with salads, pizzas, pasta and risotto that very nearly equal the views.
It’s open for breakfast, lunch and diner seven days a week. Al Fresco is at 2345 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm  Beach; 273-4130 or www.alfrescopb.com.

Shrimp at Buccan.

Buccan — Chef Clay Conley easily has created the hippest spot on the island, with global fare that draws on a variety of traditions. Think shrimp ceviche with a Thai-influenced sauce, General Tso-style sweetbreads, lamb ravioli, grouper sliders and mushroom pizza.
As if that didn’t cover the continents, Conley has opened Imoto, which specializes in small plates, and around the corner, look for The Sandwich Shop at Buccan, which offers sandwiches that draw on influences from around the globe. They’re all in and around 350 S. County Road, Palm Beach; 833-3450.
                                    
Café L’Europe — Thirty-four years after Norbert and Lidia Göldner opened Café L’Europe, they still are known for serving some of the finest Continental cuisine on the island, and are known for their wine list. Where are you going to find classic Wiener schnitzel or Long Island duck? Café L’Europe is at 331 S. County Road, Palm Beach; 655-4020 or www.cafeleurope.com.  
                                    
The Four Seasons — The resort offers several restaurant options, but Graze offers artisanal fare with a view. Sit outside and have brunch or dine on salads and more at this breakfast and lunch spot. The beachfront AB&G is open for lunch and dinner, and offers a sunset menu from 4:30-6 p.m. daily.
Worth checking: The Friday Night Lobster Bake, with three seatings, and the Saturday Night Grill, with steaks, fish and more. Reservations are required for each of those.
Feeling fancy? Then check out the modern Italian cuisine of Jové Kitchen & Bar, which is open for dinner only. The Four Seasons is at 2800 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach; 582-2800 or www.fourseasons.com/palmbeach/dining.

The best deal of all

Flavor Palm Beach — You thought April was the cruelest month, but restaurateurs in South Florida will tell you it actually is September.
It easily is the slowest month for businesses of all kinds, especially dining establishments. But with the Flavor Palm Beach promotion, restaurants from across the county offer prix fixe three-course meals for lunch and dinner menus. Lunch typically is $20; dinner, $30 or $35.
Participating restaurants include Café Boulud, Café Chardonnay, Capital Grille, Charley’s Crab, Deep Blu Seafood Grille, restaurants at The Breakers, The Four Seasons and Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, and The Cooper. More places will be signing on. Info: www.flavorpb.com.

About 150 guests turned out for the Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program event that raised $70,000 to benefit at-risk girls in 25 public high schools in the county. ‘We are truly elated with the success of the dinner and our community’s overwhelming support of Women of Tomorrow,’ Co-Chairwoman Dr. Krista Rosenberg said. ‘The evening was so vibrant from start to finish.’ Added Co-Chairwoman Robbin Newman, ‘We are thrilled that the important work of Women of Tomorrow was so warmly received and recognized through this fundraising dinner.’  During the evening, program graduate and Yale University junior Dara Huggins spoke about how the mentoring and scholarship she received impacted her life. ABOVE: (l-r) Jim and Fran Sharon, Catherine Rappaport and Dr. Krista and Paul Rosenberg. Photo provided by Janis Bucher

The Advisory Board of the School of the Arts, along with President John Kelly and Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters Dean Heather Coltman, celebrated a reception and performance by Elisabeth von Trapp, granddaughter of Baron and Maria von Trapp of Sound of Music fame. The event was underwritten by Jim and Marta Batmasian, with all proceeds benefiting the school. ‘Through the Ambassador of the Arts Program, we hope to raise awareness in the community about the wealth of arts and cultural programming we have at FAU,’  Marta Batmasian said. ‘We are looking for community members who understand the value of the arts and know the importance of supporting education, as we hope to raise our numbers to 100 members.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Bernise Kaminski, Marny Glasser, Margo Green, Marta Batmasian, Elisabeth von Trapp, Carol Snyder and Bea Knopf. Photo provided