Unity School kicked off its half-century mark with a pool party for 200 students, their parents and supporters, featuring beach football and volleyball contests, a 20-foot water slide, swimming in the ocean and lunch. A total of $10,000 was raised for the school. Photo: Event Chairs Grayson, Ava, Melissa and Scott Porten, with board member Dawn Plasencia. Photo provided

Soroptimist International of Boca Raton/Deerfield Beach had its 41st-annual breakfast with a crowd of 250 who gathered to congratulate the accomplishments of 32 nominees. Each nominee was introduced and presented with a bouquet of yellow roses, a souvenir portrait and a congratulatory plaque. Photo: Nominees Pam O’Brien, nonprofit leader; Wendy Poe, for-profit leader; Pamela Higer-Polani, professional, and Betsy Owen, volunteer. Photo provided by Barbara McCormick

IMAG_NE Installation
Sanborn Square, Boca Raton -  Oct. 18

Tim Irwin poses on stilts behind Boca residents Eric Rosenberg, holding Darla, a small French bulldog, and his friend Allie Weprin with her Boxer, Sheba, who sit for a photo within the interactive art piece IMAG_NE by Australian artist Emma Anna during Meet Me at the Promenade.  Making its debut in the United States in Boca Raton through Nov. 30, the installation operates as a blank canvas, inviting the audience to physically interact with the work to complete the word. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Thom Smith

Maybe it’s Boynton Beach’s time. For years it has played second or even third fiddle to Delray Beach and Boca Raton, and even Lantana, which boasts its own little “restaurant row” — but good things are starting to happen.
    With residential occupancy above 94 percent, Las Ventanas, the residential-commercial complex at the corner of Woolbright Road and Federal Highway, is attracting a younger residential crowd. Just what entrepreneurs such as Clint Reed and Sean Iglehart needed for their super-cool Sweetwater Bar and Grill on the ground floor. But as happened a few blocks north with The Backyard, its reputation quickly spread, attracting patrons from places as distant as Miami and Jupiter.
    Of course, not all ventures are winners. A few storefronts away, Bad Ragaz Hall & Biergarten didn’t last, despite its stylish décor and beer taps at each table. And its successor Lucertola was gone almost as quickly as it opened. Word on the street has Reed and Iglehart taking over the space for a second venture. Stay tuned.
    Las Ventanas isn’t the only big dent in the Boynton skyline. Casa Costa, the twin-tower 393-unit condo just north of Ocean Boulevard on Federal Highway, is 80 percent sold, and construction should begin next spring on 500 Ocean, a 341-unit condo-commercial complex on the southwest corner of Ocean and Federal. Getting in on the ground — before the floor is even built — restaurant broker Tom Prakas, a major player in the Boca-Delray restaurant scene, wants to develop two nearby historic buildings: the Oscar Magnuson House and the Ruth Jones Cottage, formerly home to The Little House restaurant.
                                      ***
    Event-wise, Boynton is coming to life, with February promising to be very hot.
    Outdoor displays are already being installed for the 2015 International Kinetic Art Exhibition and Symposium, a celebration of art in motion, with presentations, artist receptions and live entertainment, Feb. 6-8. Open air artists will work on projects around the city Nov. 8, Dec. 18 and Feb. 6 and 7. Much of the activity will take place around the Town Square, another hot redevelopment site. The 17-acre site includes several buildings — City Hall, the Police Department and the old high school. Officials are considering proposals for restoration.
    Built in 1913, the Boynton School holds lots of memories for residents present and past. The folks at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum & Learning Center hope those former students have some old memorabilia — yearbooks, photos, even report cards — that can be displayed at the first Reunion Bash Feb. 28 at the museum.
    Barbara Barlage is chairing and Nainie and Curtis Weaver, who attended the school as children, will serve as honorary chairpersons for the event, which will include free daytime activities for children and an evening gala ($75) for big kids (adults) featuring old-time games, “school pictures,” food and libations, live music, silent auction and door prizes. (Info at 742-6780.)
                                      ***
    Boynton also is becoming “beer town.” By year’s end, Coppertop Brewing Company should be pouring growlers in the warehouse district north of Quantum Way and west of I-95. Brewmaster is Matthew Cox, formerly at Big Bear Brewery in Coral Springs; Al Lettera, previously tied to SweetWater Brewing Company in Atlanta, is handling the business side. Offerings will include an amber German-style lager, a potent IPA featuring Tomahawk hops and a Belgian Wit brewed with barley, wheat and oats.
    The 10,000-square-foot warehouse and adjacent 2,000-square-foot tasting room at 151 Commerce Road are just a keg’s roll from Due South brewery, which just celebrated its third Oktoberfest. In two years, Due South brewmaster Mike Halker already has popped a few corks, claiming three golds, five silver and four bronze medals at the Best Florida Beer Competition.  

Witches Brew Happy Hour Fundraiser
Tim Finnegan’s Irish Pub, Delray Beach - Oct. 24

Witches of Delray prepare to embark on a seven-mile Halloween Witch Ride  — wearing costumes and riding decorated bicycles to raise money for the Achievement Centers for Children and Families in Delray Beach. Photo: Andie DeVoe, Alpha Witch, is surrounded by fellow witches waving and casting spells on passing cars. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

                                      ***
You can enjoy not only wine and delicious seafood but arts and crafts and entertainment at Delray Beach’s third annual Wine & Seafood Festival Nov. 8 and 9. No charge to stroll, but it’s pay-as-you-go for food, drink and the various tastings and seminars. (www.dbwineandseafood.com).
    A week later, the party slides down to Florida Atlantic University for three days of the fifth annual Boca Raton Wine & Food Festival. A vineyard party and gala VIP Dinner Under the Stars on Nov. 14, the Grand Tasting on Nov. 15  and a Craft Brew Battle on Nov. 16.  Unlike Delray, all events are ticketed, but the prices include all food and beverages. (bocaratonwineand foodfestival.com)
                                      ***
    Chris Evert left international competition 25 years ago, but she never left tennis. She remains one of the best TV analysts in the business; most days she’s at her tennis academy in west Boca, challenging young hopefuls — “racquet back, eye on the ball” — and she continues to back programs that fight drug abuse and child neglect and support children and families in Florida.
The Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic opens Nov. 21, with “Tennis with Chrissie and Friends,” a pro-am at the Boca Raton Resort & Club ($2,500), featuring stars from the worlds of entertainment and tennis who will compete Nov. 22 and 23 at Delray Beach Tennis Center ($20 general admission) and attend the gala Nov. 22 at the Resort ($750).
    New faces this year include morning TV hosts Gayle King and Rob Marciano, comedian Dennis Miller, actor Timothy Olyphant and Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York. Among the returnees: media types Jon Lovitz, Alan Thicke, Maeve Quinlan, Kevin McKidd, Gavin Rossdale, David Cook, Hoda Kotb and Brian Kilmeade, and tennis stars Martina Navratilova, Patrick McEnroe, Vince Spadea, Brenda Schultz McCarthy, Darren Cahill, Rennae Stubbs, Brad Gilbert, Cliff Drysdale and Lisa Raymond. (www.chrisevert.org)
                                      ***
    The folks who run Eau Palm Beach haven’t had the easiest of times since they decided to go it alone and kicked out Ritz-Carlton management two summers ago. Without the Ritz cachet and its international booking benefits, occupancy dropped dramatically, but the hotel’s owner, Britannia Pacific Properties, has stayed the course, while offering more customized but less formal service. Eau, they insist, is looking at the long run.
    Long run, indeed. Next month more than 3,000 runners are expected to answer the gun for the newly named Eau Palm Beach Marathon and Run Fest. The resort will offer special travel packages for visiting competitors, even though the race will come nowhere near it.
    The 26-mile 285-yard event will start on Flagler Drive at Banyan Boulevard in downtown West Palm Beach, head north almost to the Port of Palm Beach, then double back south almost to Lantana and return to the finish at Clematis Street. All flat.
    Too bad: The Lake Worth Bridge would have provided a nice Palm Beach equivalent to Boston’s “Heartbreak Hill.”  
    Eau’s resurgence will depend upon a combination of visitor and local support. Two early November events at the resort fit the niche perfectly.
    On Nov. 1 it’s the 20th anniversary gala for the Palm Beach International Film Festival. Skeptics who doubted the festival’s success underestimated the work of a dedicated corps of volunteers, plus the impact of the gala’s honorees, George Elmore (Hardrives) and Executive Director Randi Emerman.
    On Nov. 5 at Eau, Discover the Palm Beaches will present Providencia Award to the entity that has contributed most to local tourism in the past year. Nominees are Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative, the Honda Classic golf tournament and the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium.
                                      ***
    Speaking of resort hotels, The Omphoy has new management, and soon will boast a new look and a new name. Owner Jeff Greene, who’s been buying up property faster than Donald Trump, has hired Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants out of San Francisco to run the resort. Malcolm’s restaurant, a Groupon regular, will give way to a new concept and the spa will be expanded.
                                                                            ***
    Delray Beach is a Providencia nominee largely because of Atlantic Avenue’s ability to reinvent itself. The latest example is the transformation of Delux, a popular club catering to a young, late-night crowd, into Honey, more mature and sophisticated.
    Honey is the latest project from Rodney Mayo, Scott Frielich and the gang at Sub-Culture Restaurant Group and will offer a cocktail menu developed by Angela Dugan, proclaimed 2014 “best bartender” by the New York Times, bites from 32 East exec chef Nick Morfogen and a more contemporary approach to club music with a pool of South Florida DJs and headliners.
                                      ***
    SoHo has come to Delray, in this case an abbreviation for the newest concept from Dennis Max. Max’s Social House has set up shop in the old Ceviche/Falcon House site on northbound Federal a block north of Atlantic, with local, organic and affordable fare, high-tech cocktails, craft beers and global wines.
                                      ***
    Though some exterior walls are not solid, Burt Rapoport remains optimistic his new Mediterranean-flavored Apiero in the Delray Marketplace will be ready in December. Though it’s next door to Burt and Max’s, his joint venture with Dennis Max, Rapoport believes it’s actually a complement, not a competitor. If it catches on, it won’t be the last.  
                                      ***
    Now that Tiger Woods has announced plans to open a restaurant in Jupiter, South County needs a jock-restaurateur. Could it be Blaze Fast-Fire’d Pizza? The California-based chain plans to fire up ovens at Boca’s Fifth Avenue Shops in December, offering build-your-own pies in less than three minutes — the pizza version of the three-second rule.
    However, don’t expect one of the principal investors to attend the grand opening. During November and December, the appointment book for LeBron James, who had a stake in another “hot” South Florida enterprise, shows him in Cleveland, Toronto, Charlotte, Atlanta, Brooklyn, Memphis, Minneapolis, Detroit and Milwaukee. But he and the Cavaliers don’t visit Miami until Feb. 11. Let’s hope the pizza’s decent.
                                      ***
    Also new to Boca, high-tech Yoko-San provides touch-screen tablets at each table to order from 200 Asian-fusion, French and Italian dishes, watch video games and even check out what others are ordering. Open for lunch and dinner at 99 SE Mizner Blvd.
                                      ***
    In Mizner Park, Jazziz offers top entertainment — The Rippingtons, Nov. 8, 9; John Oates, Nov. 11-12; Elaine Elias, Nov. 18, 19; Nestor Torres, Nov. 25; and Dec. 2-3: Lee Ritenour and Dave Grusin.
    The management team headed by Jazziz magazine founder and CEO Michael Fagien continues to run the bars, but they’ve gone upbeat by putting kitchen and restaurant under the control of Barton G, the Miami-based entrepreneur, restaurateur and event planner who runs the Versace estate in Miami Beach.
                                      ***
    Could the next Ariana Grande be lurking in the wings at The Wick? No doubt such dreams are being entertained by producers of “Live at The Wick,” a Nov. 21 competition with cash and prizes for local talent hosted by illusionist Gary Goodman. The Wick will come alive with Leslie Uggams as Mame, Dec. 4-28.

    More entertainment:
    The Colony Hotel Royal Room (Palm Beach): piano wizard Copeland Davis (Nov. 8, 15, 22), songstress Avery Sommers (Nov. 29, Dec. 1).
    Songwriters Circle with Marie Nofsinger, Amy Carol Webb and Rod MacDonald at the Stonzek Theater in Lake Worth, Nov. 7 (296-9382).   
Mizner Park Amphitheatre: Nickelodeon hotties Fresh Beat Band, Nov. 7; Matisyahu, Nov. 8; free Veterans Day concert with Florida Wind Symphony, Nov. 11; O.A.R. with special guest Andy Grammer, Nov. 15; Bandorama with FAU’s Wind Ensemble, Jazz Band, Chamber Ensembles and The Marching Owls, Nov. 23 (393-7700).

Thom Smith is a freelance writer. Contact him at thomsmith@ymail.com

The Plate: VegeFi Burger
The Place: BurgerFi, 6 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach; 278-9590 or burgerfi.com
The Price: $6.97
The Skinny: I could have asked, “Where’s the beef?”
And I’m sure BurgerFi could have answered with my choice of meaty burgers.
But why order what everyone else orders when you can have a tasty vegetarian burger?
The quinoa burger was grilled until crisp and served with the mayo-based BurgerFi sauce (I think ketchup also is an ingredient), white cheddar cheese, lettuce and tomato on a multigrain bun.
The crispy burger was flavorful, with enough spice to keep it from being bland. The bun was lightly toasted and condiments were fresh.
BurgerFi is a hopping place — it was packed with everyone from surfers to businesspeople the entire time we were there, and it was clear many were return customers.
Add us to the list.
— Scott Simmons

Kids join in the annual tug-of-war at the Delray Beach Surf Festival. Photo provided

By Shelley Gilken

    Even if the waves aren’t big, it’s still a swell time at the Delray Beach Surf Festival.
    “Our motto of the whole surf festival is the winner is the one who is having the most fun,” said Sven Mautner, organizer of the event.  “If the waves come, fantastic. … This is more of a family fun surf festival.”
    In the event’s second year, there’s a slew of activities planned to entertain people of all ages — in addition to the surf competitions.
    There will be a clown skit, beach games, relays, prizes, food, music and hundreds of people, all celebrating the beach lifestyle.
    For younger kids, there’s a boogie board “competition” where parents can help push children into the waves.
    One of the more popular activities for kids is digging in the sand for shark’s teeth. The teeth were all collected during a local dredging project.
    “These aren’t phony shark teeth,” Mautner said. “Kids can take them home.”
    Then there’s the really intense competition: tug-of-war. On either side of the rope, opposing sides could be one local Italian restaurant against the other. Surfers against lifeguards.  One family against another.
    Then there’s the way intense competition: all hands on deck tug-of war. That’s when hundreds of people grab the rope at the same time to tug.
    In other words, it’s not just about the waves. It’s a reflection of the laid-back surf lifestyle of Delray Beach.
    “Delray has a great local vibe … it’s very friendly. We have a good mix of short boarders, long boarders and paddle boarders and everyone knows everyone.  Crystal clear blue water and a gorgeous beach. Plenty of parking.”  
    But if there are waves, then yes, there will be surfing. The competition can be stiff among teenagers. There are also divisions for 10 and under, and 35 and up.
    There are surfing prizes in categories such as most courageous and longest ride.
    The event is nonprofit, and the mayor of Delray Beach supports the event as an avid surfer, Mautner said. All proceeds for the festival will go toward the purchase of two beach chair lifts so that people with disabilities can safely enjoy the water.
    “They’re cool with big balloon tires. We lift them out of the wheelchair into the beach chair and then (someone) is in there loving the ocean like the rest of us,” he said.

IF YOU GO
Delray Beach Surf Festival
When: Nov. 15
Location: Delray Beach across from Anchor Park
Registration: 8 to 10 a.m. on-site. Late arrivals will compete in a separate heat at the end. Surfing heats run all day from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Cost: $25 per person. Equipment is provided.
Info: facebook.com/
delraybeachsurffestival

BCBGMaxazria, a luxury national-brand women's clothing boutique, plans to open its doors in a storefront in the 411 E. Atlantic Avenue building, Delray Beach, by the end of November, if not sooner, says the soon-to-be store manager Rena Vatch, who is currently working out of the company's Boca Raton Town Center store. Construction is underway and, BCBG  is currently hiring sales staff.

— Christine Davis

Pamela Higer-Polani is instrumental in organizing Boca Raton’s first Walk to End Alzheimer’s. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

    When Pamela Higer-Polani approached the Alzheimer’s Association a year and a half ago about having a walk in Boca Raton, she was told there could only be one walk in a county and that one was in West Palm Beach.
    Polani, a probate guardianship lawyer from Delray Beach, argued that Palm Beach County, with a population of 1.37 million, is one of the largest counties in the state and could well handle two walks.
She said South Palm Beach County has such a large number of senior citizens (35 percent are 65 or over) and many people suffering from Alzheimer’s, a progressive, degenerative disorder that attacks the brain’s nerve cells, resulting in loss of memory, thinking and language skills, and behavioral changes.
    “I told them by not having a walk in South County, they were really missing out,” she said.
    The organization eventually agreed to a mini walk — with an expectation of 100 walkers — but as support for the Boca Raton walk became evident, the size of the walk grew, too. Polani was so successful at recruiting committee members, sponsors and other volunteers that the mini walk evolved into a full-fledged walk to take place Oct. 11 in Mizner Park.
    She was pleased, but said she resisted being in charge as committee chair.
    “I’m not a leader,” she said. But her actions prove otherwise. Still, she insists, her committee deserves the credit.
    “Nearly everyone on my committee is a business person who understands the financial impact that this disease will have on everyone in our community,” she said. “Many have a personal insight into Alzheimer’s as well, due to a family member or friend suffering and/or dying due to it.”
    Before the May 29 kickoff party at Jazziz in Mizner Park, Polani and her committee went store to store to hang up fliers promoting the event.
    “We had a great kickoff party,” she said. “The mayor came and so did several council members.  We generated a lot of money and a lot of buzz.”
    But why is this busy 44-year-old lawyer, wife and mother of two working so hard for this particular cause? Does she have a family member afflicted with Alzheimer’s?
    No.
Her passion for fighting Alzheimer’s springs from her work.
    “This issue is very much a part of my legal practice,” said Polani, who was born in Miami, said.
    “I have clients with Alzheimer’s,” she said. “We do guardianships for them. I go into their houses. I see what is happening and how hard the disease is on the caretakers, too. We try to make people aware of what they need to do to avoid guardianships. You have to plan for when you get older.”
    The kind of work she does, she said, “is very hard to put those cases behind you at the end of the day. I truly feel the need, as a member of this community all of my life, that contributing in this way helps pay back all the wonderful memories growing up on the water, in this paradise we call home, has provided my family and me,” she said. “I hope to help protect and treasure each person’s memories by helping to end Alzheimer’s today.”
    By mid-September, the Boca Walk had already lined up 450 walkers and raised 78 percent of its $75,000 goal,” she said. Her goal is for more. She wants $100,000.
“I like to aim high,” Polani said. 

Five facts about Alzheimer’s you probably don’t know
but should:

    1. One in six women and one in 11 men will be diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in their lifetime.
    2. Cancer, along with all of the other significant causes of death in our country, is on the decrease; only Alzheimer’s is on the increase. As we extend our lifetimes longer and longer, Alzheimer’s threatens to destroy the very memories and reasoning on which we built those lives.
    3. Alzheimer’s makes your whole body shut down, organ by organ, as your brain is corrupted from the disease. Unlike many other diseases, there is no way that a person can possibly take care of himself or herself while battling its effects. In fact, it takes nearly five caregivers per patient for proper attention to be given, making Alzheimer’s one of the most expensive diseases anyone will ever have to face.
    4. In Florida, we have approximately 500,000 people living with Alzheimer’s  — and 150,000 of them are living in our county. In fact, 17.5 percent of our state is over the age of 65 — in South County that number jumps to 35 percent, nearly four times the national average.
    5.  Estate and financial planning are truly necessary at any age to address the legal needs that someone facing this disease might have. Disturbingly, we are seeing people diagnosed younger and younger with Alzheimer’s. Our keynote speaker at the walk is a young woman from our area who was 18 when her mother was diagnosed at 49 with early-onset Alzheimer’s. This is no longer an old person’s disease.
— Pamela Higer-Polani

If You Go
The Alzheimer’s Association Walk to End Alzheimer’s is the world’s largest event to raise awareness and funs for Alzheimer’s care, support and research. Walks are held throughout the country; however, this is the first walk in Boca Raton.
When: Registration begins at 6: 30 a.m. Oct. 11; the opening ceremony and awards are at 7:30 a.m., and the walk begins at 8 a.m. (The West Palm Beach Walk will be held on Oct. 18 at Meyer Amphitheater.)
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 590 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
Info: (800) 272-3900 or www.alz.org/walk or to volunteer or become a sponsor, call walk manager Jessie Brooks at the Alzheimer’s Association at (561) 967-0047, Ext. 308.

By Mary Hladky

    The wait for people yearning to live in downtown Boca Raton is finally coming to an end.
    The first downtown apartment complex to be built in nearly a decade, the 261-unit Camden Boca Raton at 131 S. Federal Highway, began opening its doors to tenants in late August. The monthly rents for one- and two-bedroom apartments range from $1,524 to $2,549.
    The Mark at CityScape, a mix of retail, offices and 208 apartments at the southeast corner of Federal Highway and Palmetto Park Road, started pre-leasing in August when it already had a list of 400 people expressing interest in moving in. It is scheduled to open in early 2015.
    More apartments and condos will be available soon. Major construction is moving forward at three other sites — and last month a 200-room Hyatt won city approval, as well.
    The downtown boom, unprecedented in the city’s history, is not yet abating.
    In early September, developer ELAD National Properties announced plans to build 500 “ultra-luxury” condos on nearly nine acres on Southeast Mizner Boulevard near the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Plantation-based ELAD has proposed four buildings designed by prominent architect Daniel Libeskind, ranging in height from 23 to 30 stories, and a two-acre public park.
    Charleston, S.C.-based Greystar Real Estate Partners, the new owner of the former Archstone site on East Palmetto Park Road between Third and Fifth avenues, wants to go forward with the original developer’s plan to build apartments and retail, and has taken the first step in the process of seeking city approval, said attorney Charles Siemon.

Pent-up demand
    The new construction “is caused by pent-up demand,” said architect Derek Vander Ploeg, who is involved with two of the downtown projects. “Nothing has been built (downtown) in more than seven years.”
    The projects are boosting downtown property values, which in turn means more tax revenue for the city, said Glenn Gromann, chairman of the Downtown Boca Raton Advisory Committee.
“You can literally walk out your door and be in a vibrant downtown.”
    The ELAD condos would average 2,500 square feet, and while prices would be less than those at One Thousand Ocean on the beach, they are “going to be higher-priced than any other condominium that has been built in the downtown,” said ELAD senior executive officer Bill Shewalter.
    The project would offer ocean views, add affluent residents and increase both the tax base and demand for downtown shops and restaurants, he said.
    It has already sparked controversy since downtown building heights are largely limited to 100 feet. Shewalter wants the limits amended.

The 12-story Mark at CityScape is under construction at the southeast corner of Federal Highway and Palmetto Park Road in Boca Raton. It will have a mix of retail and offices in addition to 208 apartments. The upscale restaurant chain Del Frisco's Grille will have a restaurant in the new Hyatt set to be built in front of the Mark on the corner of Palmetto Park Road and Federal Highway. The Mark is expected to open in early 2015.

The heights discussion
    While most of the feedback from downtown business people and residents has been “very positive,” Shewalter said he is willing to address any concerns.
    “The discussion of heights is a discussion that we think should be about understanding what the market is looking for and needs,” he said. “If we are going to bring all these affluent people to downtown Boca Raton, what they want will be terrific views.”
    The project density would be about 60 units per acre, a number consistent with other projects approved for the downtown, he said.
    But Ann Witte, a financial and economic consultant who lives in Boca Raton, is among a group of residents worried that too much development has been allowed already.
    The ELAD proposal is so far beyond the original vision for downtown that when the developer formally requests new height limits, “there will be a very large group of citizens opposing it,” she said.
    Mayor Susan Haynie described the proposal as “a developer’s hope and wish,” and one that would not have her support.
    “One hundred forty feet is as high as I support going,” she said, referring to interim design guidelines allowing that height in certain places downtown. “There does not seem to be any consensus on the (city) council to allow buildings of that magnitude.”
    Before any construction can begin, the project will need approvals from the Community Appearance Board, Planning and Zoning Board and the City Council.
    Greystar, a large national apartment management company, closed at the end of August on the nearly six-acre Archstone site. Archstone Palmetto Park sold the site to Equity Residential, which in turn sold it to Greystar in late August for $22.3 million.
    Greystar attorney Siemon, a director at the Boca Raton office of the Gray Robinson law firm who also represents ELAD and the developer of Via Mizner, said the company wants to move forward with Archstone’s modified proposal to build a slightly smaller version of its initial plan to construct 378 apartments, townhouses and retail. The city had approved both plans.
    Residents, concerned about traffic and noise, challenged the original plan by seeking a referendum, but the Fourth District Court of Appeal in January issued a ruling that allowed the project to proceed.

Modified plans
    Plans for Tower One Fifty Five, at the corner of Mizner Boulevard and Boca Raton Road, are being modified to increase the size of what will now be 170 condos, and Vander Ploeg hopes to have both city approval and a sales center on the property before year’s end.
    Via Mizner, the first building approved under the city’s interim design guidelines that allow for a 140-foot height, has broken ground on South Federal Highway near the new Trader Joe’s.
    Vander Ploeg said he expects the project will soon get a building permit. The developer, Penn-Florida, is working on infrastructure matters and the on-site Citibank has relocated nearby. The project, which includes 366 rentals and retail, also promises a five-star hotel, although Vander Ploeg is not yet divulging its name.
    Also under construction is Lennar’s Boca Lofts, a seven-story building with 229 rental units across the street from Trader Joe’s.
    The City Council, meeting Sept. 22 as the Community Redevelopment Agency, approved a 12-story, 200- room Hyatt for the southeast corner of Federal Highway and Palmetto Park Road that also will rise to 140 feet.
    Construction is expected to begin early next year after the site is no longer needed as a staging area for The Mark at CityScape. Plans filed with the city indicate its restaurant will be a Del Frisco’s Grille, an upscale chain.
    “The city is very excited about it because we don’t really have a downtown hotel,” said Gromann of the Downtown Boca Raton Advisory Committee. “It will introduce potential residents to downtown Boca and generate retail shoppers for Mizner Park and Lord & Taylor.”
    Yet simmering close to the surface are the concerns of residents like Witte who believe many of the downtown development projects are inconsistent with the low-rise, Addison Mizner-style architecture that has given the downtown its signature appearance.
    While downtown business owners tend to support new development because it will bring new customers, “residents have serious concerns about it because of traffic congestion and parking problems,” she said.
    They also worry that new rentals will attract transient residents who are “never good for community cohesion,” Witte said. Similarly, she said new high-price condos will attract international buyers who will be part-time residents and little invested in the city.
    The ELAD condo project has prompted the bocawatch.org board of directors to “reinvigorate” the website which was created to give residents more of a voice in city government, said Witte, who is a board member.
    “It is in gross violation (of downtown height rules) and would require an ordinance written for this project. That is a bad thing for city government to do. It is subject to too much potential for favoritism and even corruption,” she said.

The eight-story Camden Boca Raton, at 131 S. Federal Highway, began leasing in August. It has 261 apartments. Rents range from $1,524 to $2,549 a month. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Mayor backs development
    While Haynie agrees the ELAD project is too tall, she defends other downtown development, saying it has been done under a plan approved in 1988 that considered traffic and many other possible issues.
    Downtown growth has caused traffic congestion, but the city is studying several intersections for ways to ease the problem, she said.
    “Yes, it is controversial,” she said of downtown development. “Some residents don’t like the density and height. But it is by design. It is the only place in our city where we allow this intensive development.”
    The downtown lacks residential projects that will funnel customers to retail, Haynie said. She dismisses concerns about renters, saying “there definitely is a demand for (luxury rental) housing stock” that leases very quickly once it’s available.
    She also does not see luxury condos causing problems.
    “I don’t really see the climate of having overseas investors and empty buildings,” she said. “I see a lot of people in the downtown enjoying the vibrant lifestyle and walkability it offers.”

By Cheryl Blackerby

    New sand has been pumped on Boca Raton’s south and north beaches, and next year it will be the city’s central beach’s turn to be renourished.
    Although the central beach didn’t lose as much sand to Hurricane Sandy as the north and south beaches, a recent survey showed that the central beach needs sand. And it will get it next year.
    A beach renourishment project is planned for late 2015, said Jennifer Bistyga, coastal engineer with the city of Boca Raton. The central beach hasn’t been replenished since 2006 and is due for regular sand maintenance, usually done at 10-year intervals.
    “Overall the beach has receded and is continuing to recede. We plan to put the project up for bid probably May 2015 and anticipate beach construction in late 2015 or early 2016. But we’re hoping for 2015,” she said.
    Central beach actually gained some sand since Hurricane Sandy because of the downward drift of sand from the north beach, but the beach still needs more sand due to natural erosion, she said.
    Central beach runs from the southern border of Red Reef Park to the Boca Raton Inlet. The beach is expected to gain even more sand from the renourishment in November of the north beach, as some of that sand will also naturally migrate south.
    The city hasn’t yet estimated the cost of the central beach renourishment, but hopes to have financial help with the project.
    “We anticipate cost-sharing with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and Palm Beach County,” Bistyga said.
    The Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District will pay 50 percent of the city’s share of beach renourishment. The district had budgeted $1.7 million for beach renourishment at central beach in 2014, but that money will now be carried over to the next budget after the city postponed the project.
    The dredging project for the north beach, which was hit hardest by Hurricane Sandy, started March 23. Work was halted midway because of bad weather and rough seas, and is expected to start again in November.  
    “We have about 50 percent left to do. We’re hoping the project will take four to six weeks,” she said.
    Boca’s north beach, as well as beaches in Ocean Ridge and Delray Beach that were renourished early this year, are U.S. Army Corps of Engineers projects. The south Boca Raton beach was not an Army Corps project, but the city used the same contractor to save money.
    The city had hoped the central beach could have been done soon after the north beach to save more money using the same contractor, which had the dredge in place, but that won’t happen. ;

Boca Raton officials approved a $136 million general fund budget during a final Sept. 18 budget hearing, setting the property tax rate for 2014-15 at $3.71 per $1,000 of taxable property value.
    Property values have increased 5.63 percent in Boca Raton, with 4.71 percent coming from the reassessment of existing property and 0.92 percent coming from new construction.
An increase in overall property values means the city will automatically collect more dollars without raising tax rates.
    Under the approved tax rate, a property owner with a $250,000 home and a $50,000 homestead exemption would pay $742.52 in municipal property taxes.  
The city’s non-ad valorem fire services assessment will also remain at the current sum of $85 per residential property.
    A $130,000 budget amendment allows for library hours to be extended back to full-time.
A $50,000 budget amendment provides funding for a traffic study of the intersection of Northeast Fifth Avenue and Palmetto Park Road to determine the effects of a proposed Houston’s Restaurant on the northeast corner.  
— Sallie James

By Rich Pollack
    
The Highland Beach Police Foundation is officially a nonprofit organization, recognized by the Internal Revenue Service.
    “Up until now, donations to the foundation were not tax-exempt,” said Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann. “Now, with the official IRS status, residents can make donations that are tax deductible.”
    Formed in 2012, the foundation is designed to make it easier for residents to support the Police Department.  
    “We had people who wanted to help financially, and we didn’t have a vehicle to accept contributions,” Hartmann said. “Now they can help us cover the cost of items beyond the scope of the town’s budget.”  
    Since the foundation was formed more than two years ago, its independent board of directors has worked on developing bylaws, a website and going through the time-consuming process of obtaining nonprofit status from the IRS.
    “Having the foundation as a nonprofit organization will improve our ability to pursue the latest technology, enhance our training and equipment, offer quality police services and build on our ultimate goal of providing the best safety and security to our residents,” Hartmann said.
    He says foundations supporting police departments are common throughout Palm Beach County as well as throughout the country.  Locally, the towns of Palm Beach and Ocean Ridge have similar foundations, as does the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the cities of Delray Beach and Palm Beach Gardens.
    Hartmann, a nonvoting member of the board, which is made up of five voting community members, said the foundation is a separate entity from the town and the Police Department.
Police officers are not allowed to solicit funds and are not members of the board, he said.
    Highland Beach residents will be receiving information about the foundation in the mail this month. ;

    To find out more, visit the website at www.highlandbeachpolicefoundation.org.

By Rich Pollack

    The Highland Beach Town Commission last month gave final approval to a $11.35 million general fund budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year — while at the same time holding the line on the town’s operating tax rate at $3.95 per $1,000 of assessed value.
    Thanks to the retirement of a 20-year-old bond, Highland Beach’s debt service tax rate dropped by 19 percent. As a result, the town’s overall tax rate fell from $4.80 per $1,000 of taxable property value to $4.64 in the new fiscal year that began on Oct. 1.
    Helping to make it possible for town officials to keep the operating tax rate from going up is the increase in property tax revenue of about $430,000 over last year, resulting in large part from an increase in property values throughout the town.
    While the tax rate will go down, many property owners could see the amount of taxes they pay to the town go up as a result of higher property values.
    The new budget, according to Town Manager Kathleen Weiser, makes it possible for the town to address several capital projects that have been on hold without having to raise taxes.  
    The new budget includes $150,000 for the enclosure of two terraces at the town library and $130,000 for an agreement with the city of Delray Beach for use of a fire truck and a rescue vehicle. The town, which is negotiating a vehicle maintenance fee agreement with Delray Beach, currently contracts with that city for fire service but still owns an aging fire truck and a rescue vehicle.
    “This budget is balanced without any major spending cuts to personnel or operations,” Weiser said.

By Rich Pollack

After six months and more than $900,000 worth of improvements, Highland Beach’s Town Hall renovation project is all but complete. Now commissioners are trying to figure out how to show off the enhancements.
Commissioners, at a workshop meeting last month, discussed two options for giving residents a chance to see the renovations, which were designed to merge two separate buildings into one, adding convenience and accessibility.
One option, proposed by Town Manager Kathleen Weiser, is to hold an open house similar to one held for the opening of the town library in 2006.
Another option proposed by Commissioner Carl Feldman, is to hold a formal ribbon cutting that could include a luncheon.
 “I would like to have something really nice,” Feldman said, adding that residents should have the chance to see what their tax dollars paid for. “I think we should have a proper ribbon cutting and all of the residents should be invited.”
Commissioner Dennis Sheridan, who was not at the meeting, had earlier said he favored an open house that would give residents a chance to see the work that had been done.
“The improvements are outstanding,” said Sheridan. “Compared to what we had, it’s much more attractive and it’s much more practical.”
Another plus, Sheridan said, is that the project is on track to be completed ahead of schedule and under budget, he said.  
“We want residents to see what was done,” he said. “Then they can be very proud to say this is now our town hall.”     
Town Manager Kathleen Weiser estimated that the town could spend close to $1,000 for refreshments and giveaways and a tent for an open house. Feldman said he would be comfortable spending more than twice that amount for a formal ribbon cutting.
“It should be a gala affair,” he said, adding that he would like to see the event held after seasonal residents return, possibly in December.
While no date has been set for the full completion of the project, Weiser said she is hopeful all work will be done by the end of the month.
Spending for the project had been an issue for decades. It became the center of an investigation by the Palm Beach County Inspector General’s Office, which determined earlier this year that the town violated state law when it approved spending for the project without getting approval from residents in a referendum.
Commissioners are  expected to discuss how to celebrate the completion of the renovations at a meeting later this month.

Customers are greeted with the aloha treatment, complete with leis, at the opening of the new Trader Joe’s store at 855 S. Federal Highway at the corner of Southeast Eighth Street in Boca Raton on Sept. 26.  Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Holy Cross Urgent Care and Imaging Center will open a new office at 1799 S. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.  
A grand opening celebration, with tours, giveaways, paraffin dips, prizes and refreshments, will be from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 15. For more information, visit www. urgentcare.holy-cross.com/#sthash.hJRCwDTZ.dpuf.

Mary Huddleston Waxman, a graduate of Florida International University with a bachelor’s of music in applied voice, provides voice instruction to children participating in the joint effort between Sol Children Theatre of Boca Raton and Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development to provide kids with an educational opportunity through participation in the performing arts. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steven J. Smith

    Sol Children Theatre of Boca Raton is teaming up with the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development to give kids an educational opportunity through participation in the performing arts.
    The program will offer children two classes: one in creative drama and movement and another in musical theater. Classes will be at the Karen Slattery Center on Florida Atlantic University’s Boca Raton campus. The musical theater performance class, for 7- to 12-year-olds, will offer 20 students a chance to participate in a fully staged musical production at Sol Theatre.
    The collaboration with the Karen Slattery Center is a fitting one for Sol Children Theatre, a not-for-profit group dedicated to providing children with a safe, secure and professional theater experience as actors, backstage workers or audience members.
    Under Artistic Director Rosalie Grant’s leadership, Sol took up residence at its current location at 3333 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, nine years ago. It shares space with Evening Star Productions — a community theater featuring adult actors — and Commedia Del Sol, a troupe of young actors that not only performs several productions there per year but makes the rounds of Renaissance festivals in the area, as well.
    “Our first children’s production was Cinderella in October of 2005,” Grant said. “We also do integrated workshops with Commedia Del Sol in schools, such as Karen Slattery, which is how that relationship started.”
    The collaboration between Sol and Slattery actually began several years ago with workshops Grant held at the Slattery Center’s FAU facility.
    “I taught theater education workshops for the undergrads there,” Grant said. “It’s a two-hour workshop. I teach about different areas of theater and how to apply it to their own teaching techniques. One thing led to another, and they approached us to provide theater classes on site there.”
    Sol Children Theatre has had as many as 60 troupe members, although currently there are about 40, who train monthly in classes offered at the theater.
    “Our goal there is to turn out quality theater folk,” she said. “The kids range in age from 8 to 18.”
    Keara Sikich, 12, who recently appeared in a Sol production of Shakespeare’s The Comedy of Errors, said she really enjoyed the experience.
    “It was really fun, because all the people I work with are so nice and we have a great time,” she said. “I enjoy being on stage. I really like getting laughs.”
    Her experience at Sol has inspired her to keep going with her theatrical aspirations, she said.
    “I want to continue working at Sol Theatre,” Sikich said. “I’m in the sixth grade and I’m involved with the drama department at my school, too. Right now they’re teaching us about how to conquer stage fright. The way to do that is to block out the audience and pretend there’s a wall there.”
    Sikich wants to continue on with theater in high school, she said, and possibly college, thanks to her experience at Sol.
    “It’s just so much fun,” she said. “Being with my castmates is like having another family. And playing someone else on stage helps me learn more about myself as a person.”
    Lydia Bartram, director of the Slattery Center, named for the Delray Beach teen who was murdered in 1984 while she was babysitting, said she is enthusiastic about the collaboration.
    “Our new initiative is a natural extension of the strong collaboration and vision we have with Sol,” Bartram said. “The principal goal of this partnership is to promote a passion for the arts as it directly supports healthy child development.”
    Grant agreed. “Our goal is to provide the Karen Slattery youngsters the opportunity to have a high-quality recreational theater training experience provided by Sol,” she said. “To be on stage at Sol, though, you’ve got to be a little more trained. Our very youngest performers are 8 and they range in age up to 98.” ;

    For more information about the Slattery/Sol collaboration or to register for Sol Children Theatre, visit www.solchildren.org or call Rosalie Grant at 447-8829.
    For more information about the Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development, visit tinyurl.com/cpcqjg.

Steve Alley stands on the northeast corner of Palmetto Park Road and Northeast Fifth Avenue across from the busy Trattoria Romana restaurant pointing out traffic issues.
Sallie James/The Coastal Star

By Sallie James

    Boca Raton will spend $50,000 on a traffic study to determine how an already congested downtown intersection could be modified to accommodate the crush of traffic from a proposed waterfront restaurant.
    The Hillstone Restaurant Group Inc. wants to build a Houston’s Restaurant on the Wildflower property at the northeast corner of the intersection of Palmetto Park Road and Northeast Fifth Avenue. It would lease the land from the city.
    Officials questioned how the intersection could handle hundreds of additional daily car trips if the restaurant is built.
    “It’s a challenging intersection,” conceded Deputy Mayor Constance Scott. “But there are solutions.”
    At a Sept. 9. meeting, City Council members voted to proceed with lease negotiations and a development proposal for a site plan.
    Now city officials are trying to determine what “solutions” could mitigate additional traffic on Northeast Fifth Avenue. Among the options are the acquisition of extra land through eminent domain so more turning lanes could be added on Northeast Fifth Avenue to relieve gridlock, Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie said.
    Vacant property on the northeast corner of the intersection might offer the relief that is needed, she said. That land is owned by Cal Haddad, who also owns Fifth Avenue Place on the intersection’s northwest corner. Haddad could not be reached for comment.
    During the meeting, some residents decried the restaurant plan, saying the intersection is already too narrow and congested to adequately accommodate existing traffic.
    North/south bicycle lanes on Northeast Fifth Avenue taper into nonexistence on the intersection’s north side at Palmetto Park Road, forcing cyclists into the traffic lanes because the roadway is too narrow.
    The Trattoria Romana restaurant on northwest corner of the intersection already creates traffic tie-ups when valets and restaurant patrons block traffic as they attempt to turn into and pull out of the restaurant parking lot on Northeast Fifth Avenue. Adding to the problem are intermittent backups created when the Palmetto bridge to the east goes up to allow the passage of boat traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway.
    Longtime resident Steve Alley, whose sister was struck by a car there years ago as she bicycled, proposed building a roadway under the bridge that would link the Wildflower property on the north to Silver Palm Park on the south. Restaurant patrons could then be funneled under the bridge, through Silver Palm Park and onto Northeast Fifth Avenue on the intersection’s south side, Alley said.
    With hundreds of apartments proposed but not yet built for an area just west of the intersection, the area will be horrendous to navigate if changes aren’t made, he said.
    “There’s another piece of property there waiting to get developed. There are six random points of egress on a busy road that is already too narrow,” Alley said.
    Alley and other residents worry that overflow restaurant patrons may park at Silver Palm Park, taking up parking spaces allocated for boaters and park goers. The passive park is equipped with a boat ramp and caters largely to boaters, anglers and pedestrians.
    “All of a sudden, the people who want to use the park can’t use the park,” Alley said.
    Several residents also voiced concern that the restaurant proposal did not include plans for dockage, fueling fears that restaurant patrons would take up dockage at Silver Palm Park.
    Resident Yvonne Boice said the overall proposal is ridiculous because the intersection is already plagued by severe traffic problems.
    “It’s like putting the cart before the horse,” she said. “How many hundreds of cars are going to go there and how are they going to get there when the bridge goes up? It’s certainly not advantageous to the residents and the community that lives here.”
    Hillstone wants to build a $5 million, 7,000-square-foot restaurant on the Wildflower property, with 3,500 square feet earmarked for indoor customer service and 800 square feet of outdoor seating. The eatery would have 128 parking spaces.
    Under the proposal, Hillstone would lease the property from the city for approximately $500,000 a year for 20 years with five, five-year optional extensions. The restaurant would be open seven days a week for lunch and dinner.

By Sallie James

    If a Florida ballot measure legalizing the use of medical marijuana passes in November, the City of Boca Raton won’t be going up in smoke.
    At least not right away.
    On Sept. 23, the City Council introduced an ordinance that would impose a yearlong moratorium on the operation of medical marijuana treatment centers and dispensing or cultivation facilities.
    The ordinance’s aim is to give the city time to address possible land development regulations should the ballot measure be approved by Florida voters.
Because of the city’s historical prohibition of marijuana use and cultivation, no existing land development regulations address its permitted use.
    “If it passes in November at least we have the regulatory framework in place to manage it,” Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie said. Cities across Florida are protecting themselves in anticipation of the vote, she said.
    Earlier this month, Coconut Creek tentatively approved a 180-day moratorium on any growing or dispensing facilities for medical marijuana.
    If Florida voters fail to approve the ballot measure in November, Boca’s temporary moratorium on the operation of medical marijuana treatment centers will immediately terminate.
The temporary moratorium on the operation of dispensing facilities will remain in effect.
    Amendment 2 would allow marijuana to be legally given to anyone with a doctor’s referral who has cancer, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma, hepatitis C, HIV/AIDS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, Crohn’s disease, Parkinson’s disease or “other conditions for which a physician believes that the medical use of marijuana would likely outweigh the potential health risks for the patient.” ;

The Boca Raton Police Department continues its search for a man who attacked a woman with a baseball bat on Sept. 18.
    The incident occurred at about 8:50 a.m. in a parking lot in the 900 block of South Ocean Boulevard, just north of East Camino Real. The woman, who was taken to a hospital with cuts and bruises, told police she did not know the man or why he assaulted her, according to Mark Economou, public information manager for the BRPD.
    “We got a description of the suspect and the incident that happened,” Economou said. “That’s all we have right now. We’re still working the investigation.”
    The woman said she was on her way to work when the man attacked her. Her screams alerted her son, who hurried to her aid with a BB gun.
The suspect fled, and police searched for him along Ocean Boulevard as well as above and below a nearby bridge crossing the Intracoastal Waterway.
    A sheriff’s helicopter also circled the perimeter while police scoured the waterway. A shoe, the BB gun and a handbag remained at the scene.
    Authorities questioned residents and workers in the area to see if anyone spotted the suspect, but he had not been located.
— Steven J. Smith

ABOVE: Shelly Himmelrich, with Anita Graham, Sarah Lochner, Stacey Hallberg and Achievement Centers for Children & Families CEO Stephanie Seibel.

Amy Snook, Michele Sasko and Noreen Payne enjoy last year’s
 ‘Indulgence.’  Photos provided

By Amy Woods
    
Little black dresses, strings of pearls and high heels will set the tone for this year’s “Indulgence” benefiting Achievement Centers for Children & Families in Delray Beach.
    So will a lineup of feel-good-focused vendors offering energy work, essential oils, reflexology, reiki, skin consultations, tarot-card readings and other alternative experiences.
    “Each year, we’ve expanded the services to offer some really unique things that you might not necessarily think of,” said Emma-Jane Ramsey, events and marketing manager for the centers’ foundation. “It’s a fun girls’ night out.”
    The Oct. 8 fundraiser is expected to raise $70,000 for the nonprofit’s programs and services in three locations, which aid 1,000 children and 500 adults in need. An estimated 300 women will attend.
    “It’s definitely a very successful event for us,” Ramsey said.
    The evening, which begins at 6 p.m. with a VIP reception then gets underway at 7 and runs until 9, will feature performances by the centers’ drumline club and Elegant Emerald Dance Team. The children in the drumline club will welcome guests at the valet-parking stand, and the young dancers will entertain inside.
    “When they see the children from the centers perform, they begin to realize where their funds are going and what this evening is supporting,” Ramsey said. “The smiling children really help you understand why you’re there.”
    The Achievement Centers for Children & Families offers South County residents in poverty an affordable child care option that enables fathers and mothers to find jobs, maintain their employment and create a stable environment for themselves and their children.
    “The Achievement Centers is an entry point to a lot of opportunities for families,” Executive Director Abigail Goodwin said.
    The centers’ newest endeavor — the popular family-strengthening program — helps parents increase their financial health through informative seminars and workshops, as well as their physical health through exercise, nutrition and wellness classes.
    “The program has really exploded,” Goodwin said. “We’re growing.”

If You Go
What: “Indulgence”
When: 6 to 9 p.m. Oct. 8
Where: Delray Beach Club
Cost: $75-$100
Information: Call 266-0003 or visit delrayindulgence.com
Sponsors: The presenting sponsor, Harriett and Harvey Polly Sheltering Palms Foundation, is joined by John and Amy Crompton, Grieco Mazda, Grieco Kia, Atlantic Ave Magazine, Dada, Emiliano Brooks Productions, Woman’s Club of Delray Beach, Photography by Jim Greene, Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Beaulieu Law Group, The Coastal Star and Deborah Dowd.