In honor of the 2014-2015 season, The Coastal Star is randomly highlighting 15 of the charity arena’s top affairs — all benefiting local nonprofits with missions of improving their communities and the lives of people in them. Philanthropy editor Amy Woods invites you to engage in and enjoy the events of the upcoming social season.

1. The Historical Society of Palm Beach County, in partnership with the Boynton Beach Historical Society, Delray Beach Historical Society, Delray Beach Preservation Trust, Sandoway House Nature Center and Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, celebrates Cocktails in Paradise, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 22, at 50 Ocean Blvd. in Delray Beach.
2. The Junior League of Boca Raton invites the public to honor its best supporters at the annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon, 10:30 a.m. Nov. 7, at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton.
3. Let’s get physical at the YMCA of South Palm Beach County’s Corporate Cup Challenge, 8:30 a.m. to noon Nov. 8, an Olympics-style, coed competition that celebrates health and wellness in the workplace, as well as team-building skills. The event encourages participation by athletes and nonathletes and focuses on togetherness and having a good time. Awards will be given to the top three teams, and the overall team champion will be presented with a trophy.
4. Just in time for Christmas and Hanukkah, the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club in Delray Beach brings back its Holiday Trunk Show, Dec. 1 through 3. The show kicks off with a preview party 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 1, where guests will have the first opportunity to view and purchase original gift items. It opens to the public from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Dec. 2 and 3 at The Seagate Hotel & Spa, offering merchandise from more than 30 specialty vendors.
5. LIFE returns with its “Lady in Red” Gala, “A Night in Shanghai,” 6 p.m. Dec. 6, with actor Martin Short, at The Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach.
6. The Caridad Center Gala celebrates 25 years of providing health care to poor and uninsured residents in the county through its support team of donors, staff members and volunteers, 6 p.m. Jan. 10, at the International Polo Club in Wellington.
7. Actress Cheryl Ladd will speak at Food for the Poor’s Fine Wines & Hidden Treasures gala, 6:30 p.m. Jan. 22. Ladd is best-known for her role as Kris Monroe in the television series Charlie’s Angels. She now champions the needs of the destitute as a spokeswoman for the nonprofit’s Angels of the Poor program. The gala opens with a wine-tasting reception and silent auction and culminates with a four-course gourmet dinner and live auction.
8. The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties goes “garden chic” at its Paradise Found 2015 Gala, 7 p.m. Jan. 22, to raise money that helps the agency develop solutions to critical issues facing the local area, at The Breakers in Palm Beach.
9. The George Snow Scholarship Fund will celebrate the new year with its annual Caribbean Cowboy Ball, 6 to 11 p.m. Jan. 24, which has awarded $637,000 in college scholarships, at Red Reef Park in Boca Raton.
10. The Delray Beach Public Library brings comedian Paul Mecurio to town to headline “Laugh with the Library, Chapter 9,” 7  p.m. Jan. 30, a night of cocktails, dinner-by-the-bite and lots of humor, at the Delray Beach Marriott.
11. The holiday season is over, but there’s still more shopping to be done at the Wayside House’s Spring Boutique and Trunk Show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 24-26. Items to be sold range from high-end accessories, clothing and jewelry to dynamic home décor. The House receives a percentage of sales. Funds raised will help support residential programs and services for women living with addiction.
12. The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County welcomes New York Times bestselling author Kate DiCamillo, who is serving as the 2014-15 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature, as special guest speaker of the annual fundraiser, 11:30 a.m. March 12, at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.
13. There are a lot of new and exciting things in store for the Boca Bacchanal. The Boca Raton Historical Society fundraiser will offer two days of drinking and eating pleasure, 7 p.m. March 27 and 28. The main event, Boca Bacchanalia, combines the Bacchus Bash and Grand Tasting at a fresh location: the Boca Raton Airport. The ever-popular vintner dinners will take place at various venues throughout the city and will be led by world-renowned chefs and wine experts.
14. The Milagro Center is excited to celebrate its annual SuperSTAR Spectacular Showcase event, 6 p.m. April 1, at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach for the first time. The April 1 fundraiser will highlight multitalented children from kindergarten through 12th grade with the theme “A Blast from the Past: A Tribute to the ’60s, ’70s & ’80s.” Highlights of the night will include freestyle-dance and spoken-word performances, along with a display of student-created artwork.
15.Impact 100 Palm Beach County presents multiple $100,000 grants to South County nonprofits in the categories of Arts & Culture, Education, Environment, Family and Health & Wellness at an awards ceremony, 6 p.m. April 16, at Lynn University in Boca Raton.
— Amy Woods

Mayors from all 38 municipalities in Palm Beach County were invited to learn about current strategies and initiatives to encourage literacy as a priority in their communities. Featured speaker was Dione Christy, president of the Council of Great Public Service Leaders and deputy director of Boston Public Schools. ABOVE: Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie and Councilman Robert Weinroth, with Literacy Coalition CEO Kristen Calder. Photo provided

One hundred guests attended an educational networking event that offered tips on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and raised $2,500 for the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Part of Boca Festival Days, the event was facilitated by Farmer’s
Table, a health-focused restaurant in the area. ‘This money will go toward programming that provides access to
healthcare for all women through personalized education, screening and clinical care,’ said Liz Linden, executive director of the institute. ABOVE: Barbara Kallen and Britt Giannuzzi. Photo provided

Former Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel helped bring in more than $20,000 in donations for the Spirit of Giving Network to support the nonprofit’s community projects, including its Putting Kids First: Community Back to School Bash. The annual bash provides at-risk children with the school supplies they need to succeed. ‘Spirit of Giving Network was honored to have hosted the mayor’s appreciation reception as her tenure came to a close,’ said Doug Paton, the charity’s president. Photo: Whelchel, a new Spirit of Giving Network board member, and Wendy Friswell, executive director, pose with children showing off their new school supplies at the center, a beneficiary of the bash. Photo provided

Barbara Rodriguez, of the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa sales team, along with a group of other hoteliers, participated in a drive that helped stuff more than 20 backpacks for children who are served by the nonprofit that aids families impacted by violence in the household. Rodriguez and the team
delivered the backpacks to the organization in Delray Beach, along with a special lunch from the resort.
ABOVE: Rodriguez, with Nicola Kenig. Photo provided

Volunteers cleaned beaches and waterways from Boca Raton to Tequesta as part of the International Coastal Cleanup.
RIGHT: The Niemann family from Boca Raton (from left): Mark, Lori, Luke and Matthew poses for a photo during the cleanup at the Sandoway House Nature Center in
Delray Beach.  
Tim Stepien/
The Coastal Star

Florence Fuller Child Development Centers officially kicked off a $4.5 million capital campaign, whose committee is spearheaded by past board President Peggy Henry and
longtime centers supporter Mary Ann Perper. The campaign was launched to support afterschool programming on the
centers’ west campus in Boca Raton, which is in need of space to accommodate the 100 kindergartners through fifth-
graders served. ABOVE: Henry and Perper. Photo provided

Schnellenberger field dedication
Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton -  Sept. 13

A big sign for a big man. The turf at FAU’s stadium is now officially Schnellenberger Field, in honor of the school’s legendary former football coach and now goodwill ambassador, Howard Schnellenberger. The sign, just inside the southwest gate, is huge, appropriate for the man, but pronouncing it is another story. Don’t be surprised if it evolves simply into “Howard’s House.”
ABOVE: (l-r) Howard Schnellenberger is joined by his wife Beverlee, FAU President John Kelly and his daughter Carly and wife Carolyn at the FAU field dedication. Photo provided

By Thom Smith

Comings and goings.      

As the most unusual MMXIV, otherwise known as twenty fourteen, begins to wind down, the superstitious and the merely curious will gaze at crystal balls, the digital equivalent of Ouija boards (the real ones take too long to set up), iPads, and a variety of leaves (whether or not Amendment 2 passes), to build a template for MMXV.  
     The big question in Delray Beach: Who will replace Joe Gillie as president and CEO at the Delray Beach Center for  the Arts? Gillie first attracted attention locally in 1978, playing the lead in Promises, Promises at Jan McArt’s Royal Palm Dinner Theatre in Boca Raton. The Virginian then moved to Caldwell Theatre as an actor and publicist and sang and danced in the road tour of Best Little Whorehouse in Texas before taking the Delray job in 1992. Tasked with creating a full-service center for visual, musical and dramatic arts, Gillie likes what he sees.      

The center is flourishing, and “I’m at an age where I can retire,” he said. “I’m not retiring from life; I still have things to do in my bucket list. I was an artist before I was in theater and I want to do some painting … and I’d like to go back on stage.” Gillie will sign out next September, but he announced a year early to foster a seamless transition with his replacements, as many as three individuals — CEO, COO and programmer.         

“I just finished a new five-year strategic plan in January,” Gillie said. “I’m not gonna leave ’em holding the bag. Look at how we’ve grown in the last 20 years, but we’ve still got a long way to go.  It’s been my life. I can’t just walk away.”

***
                                
    The sky’s the limit for America’s new sweetheart, Ariana Grande. Although she hasn’t lived in Boca Raton for years, she’s become even more of a favorite daughter as her musical career blasts through the stratosphere. Grande, now 21, first commanded attention in 2002 when, as Ariana Grande-Butera, she appeared in the title role of Little Palm Family Theatre’s production of Annie, the script co-adapted by her mother and Little Palm board member Joan Grande.  
A year later the family was back for The Wizard of Oz, with 9-year-old Ariana as Dorothy (Judy Garland was 16), brother Frankie (bounced last month from Big Brother) as dance captain and mom in the wings. After building her credits in community theater, she got her Broadway break in 2009 in the all-kids musical 13 — home schooling replaced North Broward Prep — and a year later she was playing Cat Valentine on Nickelodeon’s Victorious.
    Only time will tell if child phenom becomes international legend. Her “Honeymoon Tour” brings her to Miami’s American Airlines Arena March 28, a guaranteed sell-out, unless recent reports are true and she alienates her fan base. Media reports have her demanding to be photographed only from the left side, refusing to answer questions and being rude to fans who won a contest to hang out with her backstage. The New York Daily News reported the she was all smiles, signed autographs and posed for photos during a recent appearance at a New York radio station, but in the elevator immediately after leaving, she said, “I hope they all (expletive) die.”  Perhaps she just had a rough day. Perhaps she’s watching too many Justin Bieber clips. At this point, the city has no plans to proclaim a “Grande Day.”
                                ***
    Prediction: Trader Joe’s will soon challenge CVS and Walgreen’s for every vacant corner at major intersections. If Amendment 2 passes, all three will be trying to find a way to sell medical marijuana … organically grown, of course. Meanwhile, as the next Joe’s opens in Boca Raton, Delray Beach scuttlebutt gives the new shopping center an F for aesthetics and accessibility — in other words, ugly buildings and cramped parking. Check back next year when we see if Yogi Berra was right: “Nobody goes there anymore. It’s too crowded.”
                                ***
    How real is reality TV? Well, if you believe Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing Miami is on the same plane as Ken Burns’ study of the Roosevelts, you’re in a different universe. Despite the Miami titling, the show took viewers to Ft. Lauderdale and even to Boca Raton. One of the three featured brokers, Lauderdale-based Samantha DiBianchi, is an FAU grad. Featured prominently was 1000 Ocean, the pricey Boca Inlet condo project developed by an affiliate of LXR, which runs the Boca Raton Resort & Club.  
The show injected comedy into a Boca Raton segment when one agent proposed staging a bikini contest to attract “potential buyers,” some of whom actually were professional actors and extras who had neither the inclination or the ability to buy even the cheapest $3 million unit.      

Nevertheless, 1000 Ocean, according to its website, is sold out. As for Million Dollar Listing Miami’s future, poor ratings may put it in foreclosure.  
                                ***
    The dramatic changes that have transformed the old Bridge Hotel in Boca Raton into the Waterstone Resort and Marina, now part of the Doubletree by Hilton chain, extend to its food and beverage program.
    “We plan to incorporate a boat cruise — likely a catamaran — on Saturday nights before dinner. You could do the cruise and reserve for dinner at Waterstone Bar & Grill,” said Greg Kaylor, general manager. The hotel has the only dock-to-table dining available directly on the water in Boca Raton.
    There, new chef Steven Zobel has created a menu of sharable plates, using locally sourced foods when possible and sustainable products as available.
    An outdoor grill will be added to the waterside patio restaurant, Boca Landing, which already features a raw bar of Florida ingredients. Snapper ceviche, seared yellowtail and filet mignon steak tartare are part of the keep-it-simple philosophy of Boca Landing.
    Indoors at the Waterstone Bar & Grill on the first floor, the dining room is glass-enclosed — with water views from every seat.
    The upstairs room, formerly Carmen’s, has been converted into a ballroom/meeting space. Special holiday dinners and private events are planned for the rooftop area, including Thanksgiving buffet, Christmas and New Year’s dinners.
    The restaurants and hotel are open to the public.
                                ***
    Son of Wildflower. All indicators point to a deal with Hillstone Restaurant Group — Houston’s — to build a new restaurant on the northwest side of the bridge on Palmetto Park Road. No offense to Houston’s  …  waterfront restaurants are fun. Some even serve good food. But the parties face major issues before the first cocktail is served: Traffic congestion at the intersection of Palmetto Park Road and Fifth Avenue is far worse than when Wildflower shut down in 1999. And dockage is an issue, especially for inexperienced boaters who aren’t familiar with the current in the Intracoastal. If I were a mayor and my town owned the property, as Boca does, I think I would bypass the rent money and expand Silver Sand Park to the north side of the bridge.
                                ***
    Care to disagree? The most livable city in the nation, according to the financial website 24/7 Wall St., is Newton, Mass., a Boston suburb. Back at No. 11, just behind Flower Mound, Texas, and Johns Creek, Ga., is Boca Raton.
    The rankings were based on census data on such variables as crime, jobs, education and housing costs for the 550 U.S. cities with populations of 65,000 or more. Though Boca Raton didn’t excel in any category, it did rank fifth in leisure amenities such as restaurants, bars, libraries, golf courses, fitness centers, marinas, museums, recreation and theaters.
                                ***
    Not all the pork is in politics. Once this election is over, the trash talk can be replaced by raves for the smoked pork … and beef … and chicken …  and lamb. After all, barbecue knows no politics, is tasty, the prices are reasonable, usually, and the variety of preparation styles is broad.  
Starting in the ’60s, the go-to spot in West Palm Beach was Blue Front, first at the corner of Tamarind and 15th Street and then on Palm Beach Lakes west of Australian until it closed around the turn of the century. Annie Nelson, wife of founder Norris Nelson, continued to market Blue Front’s legendary sauce, until entrepreneur/developer/entertainer David Paladino bought the company in 2011 and also bought the deco-style former Kristine’s restaurant on North Dixie in Lake Worth.  
Paladino was a force behind the creation of CityPlace in West Palm Beach. He also was an entertainer, working local gigs with a Sinatra songbook, backed up by top jazzmen. He approached Blue Front with the same style — the funkiest décor of any restaurant in the area, live music with the likes of the Susan Merritt Trio, a lively bar, and of course the ’cue slathered in Norris’ sauce. Dave’s son Tom in charge.   

New in town are two smokers, both linked to the Mississippi River yet as different as Cajun and cornfed.  
Just opened in the Polo Shops at the corner of Military Trail and Clint Moore Road in Boca Raton is VooDoo BBQ & Grille, straight from New Orleans, with two big smokers (environmentally friendly), a welcoming staff, some chippy sauces, a brisket that management swears makes a great pot roast and, natch, great background music.
Surprising as it may seem, East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach had no barbecue spot until last month, when Smoke BBQ replaced the Asian-inspired Union at 8 E. Atlantic. Union bosses Scott Kennedy and Steve Chin remain, but they’ve added a smoking addition: pitmaster Bryan Tyrell, back in the states after gigs in South Africa and London (Bodean’s). Tyrell made a name for himself in Kansas City with the “Slaughterhouse Five” competition barbecue team out of Oklahoma Joe’s. The Delray Beach pit is envisioned as a prototype for a chain. Stay tuned.
                                ***
The Omphoy will soon be history. The Palm Beach oceanfront resort will get a new name and new management. Owner Jeff Greene has hired Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants to manage the soon to be renamed hotel which also will get a facelift, expanded spa and new dining concept. Kimpton manages 61 hotels and 76 restaurants in 27 cities, including three in Miami/Miami Beach and the Vero Beach Hotel & Spa.
Whatever the concept, Greene next year will face a new challenger on Royal Palm Way. The old Heart of Palm Beach Hotel will become the Palm House, but it’s anything but a renaming. Over the past decade, owners seemingly changed faster than the tide through Palm Beach Inlet.
Palm Beach investor Bob Matthews had first shot, envisioning the Palm House as a luxury boutique condo hotel and spa. But when he ran into money problems, the opportunistic investor Glenn Straub picked it up at a foreclosure sale for $10 million. Then last September, Straub lost control to a limited liability investor group managed by Ryan Black, a New York-based real estate consultant.
Meanwhile, the grapevine has Matthews back in the picture, a world-class spa, a special-event space that could accommodate 150-250 guests and challenge The Breakers and Mar-a-Lago for medium-sized charity galas, Sirio Maccioni’s first Le Cirque Brasserie and rooms being sold to investors for anywhere from $2.5 million to $5.5 million.
The owners welcome anyone with the means, but their target market is the filthy-rich international traveler, who might want to spend a couple of weeks in Palm Beach in February, London in May, the Med in August and Buenos Aires in in December.
                                ***
    No longer a wasteland. The Cultural Council of Palm Beach County continues to improve programming both at its headquarters in Lake Worth and around the county. Re-purposed/Re-seen at the main gallery through Oct. 18 examines the art of recycling and provides resources to local educators and their students to creatively reuse previously discarded materials.   
The council’s popular Culture & Cocktails series at The Colony Hotel in Palm Beach resumes Nov. 3 with an appearance by author James Patterson and his wife, Sue, a photographer. They are collaborating on a documentary, Murder of a Small Town, about Belle Glade and Newburgh, N.Y., two of the most violent cities in the U.S.  
Future C & Cs: Business leader Wilbur Ross and wife, Hilary, an author and society columnist, join photographer Harry Benson and wife, Gigi (Jan. 12); design and fashion mavens Jonathan Adler and Simon Doonan (Feb. 2); motion picture distributor and the force behind Dania’s DCOTA design center Charles Cohen and wife, Cio, a former model turned advertising executive (March 2), and nine-time Tony winner and dancer Tommy Tune (April 6).
                                ***
    With his bushy beard and portly countenance, Charlie Daniels seemed old when he first played West Palm Beach Auditorium in the mid-’70s. He’s been back since but on Oct. 11, two weeks before he turns 78, he and his mean fiddle will be in high cotton, his first gig at the Kravis Center, to kick off its 2014-15 season.  
Then from Dec. 16-21, for something completely different, the much anticipated smash, The Book of Mormon will put a raucous explanation point on a totally bizarre year.  
Early highlights in between: Last Comic Standing Live Tour (Nov. 2), Don McLean and Judy Collins (Nov. 9), Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella (Nov. 11-16), the Russian State Symphony Orchestra with Vladimir Feltsman, piano (Nov. 18-19), Dave Mason’s Traffic Jam (Nov. 19), Miami City Ballet’s Romeo and Juliet (Nov. 21-23), So You Think You Can Dance (Nov. 26), Camelot (Dec. 2), comedian Lewis Black (Dec. 13) and Palm Beach Pops with Manhattan Transfer (Dec. 14). And that’s just the beginning.

Jan Norris contributed to this column.

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

Goodbye wishes
The Little House, Boynton Beach – Sept. 14

Chrissy Benoit (center), raises a glass to her customers at festivities for the final day of The Little House at the Ruth Jones Cottage in downtown Boynton Beach. Benoit is moving on to opportunities in Central Florida. There’s no word yet on what will move into the space.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Birthday wishes for Ruth Jones
Boynton Beach – Sept. 19

Boynton Beach pioneer Ruth Jones, whose former home became The Little House, celebrated her 91st birthday over a dinner of her daughter Emily’s corned beef brisket and scalloped potatoes with more than 20 family members and friends. ABOVE: Ruth Jones (left), with daughter Michele Jones and fellow pioneer Charlotte Weaver. Scott Simmons/The Coastal Star

The Plate: Ellie’s Famous Chicken Pot Pie
The Place: Ellie’s 50’s Diner, 2410 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach; 276-1570 or elliescatering.com.
The Price: $12.97 (served with soup)
The Skinny: Ellie’s offers comfort fare with ’50s flair.
And what could be more comforting than a chicken pot pie, the diner’s weekly Tuesday night special?
The pie, billed as “My Special Angel,” actually is less a pie and more a stew, as my poodle-skirted server Adrienne told me.
Adrienne was correct.     
A large piece of puff pastry topped a hearty broth packed with large pieces of chicken, carrot and potato.  
And the broth? It was thick and rich, flavorful and thoughtfully seasoned — we’ve had soups and sauces that were way too salty. The chefs at Ellie’s get this right.
That’s one of the reasons people have kept coming back to this ’50s diner for a quarter-century.
— Scott Simmons

You can expect a  some scary moments at Sugar Sand Park’s Shriek Week. Photo provided

By Shelley Gilken

    What were you afraid of as a child?
    Was it the dark? The monster under the bed? The one in the closet?
    The monsters of our imagination will come hauntingly alive at this year’s Shriek Week at Sugar Sand Park.
    ‘’The theme of the haunted house is ‘Childhood fears,’ ” said Mary McGuire, marketing coordinator at the Sugar Sand Park Community Center. “It’s scary. You’re going to be walking underneath a bed and through a closet.”
    A dark, eerie closet. With the heart-pounding anticipation that something — or someone —  is in there.
    McGuire said the haunted house is the main attraction at Shriek Week each year.
    “We have professional effects, professional sound and lighting,” McGuire said. The house is haunted with more than 70 spooky volunteers, comprised mostly of high schoolers age 14 and over, otherwise known as the “Boo Crew.” They know just when to jump out of a corner in an attempt to achieve “the best scare ever,” as the kids say. This isn’t the 10-year anniversary of the event. It’s the “10th-fear” anniversary.
    McGuire said that as crowds keep coming back, “Every year we reinvent the haunted house.”
    Shriek Week draws upward of 6,000 people over five nights. McGuire recommends buying tickets in advance (starting at $6 through Oct. 3, then it goes up to $8) because some of the time slots sell out. Planning starts in April and preparations are now underway at the venue.
    The scares aren’t just for the kids. Parents also get into the action.
    “It’s a family event. It’s an equal mix of laughter and screams from all of them,” McGuire said.
    “It’s scary, but you can see the laughing. … You can see Mom in the back laughing with her hands on her head and you know everybody’s enjoying it. It’s a nice balance.” Shriek Week is geared to ages 7 to 12. Depending on your child’s tolerance for fear, you can also go to “Lite Nite” targeted to children as young as 5 who prefer a milder fright.
    Shriek Week also includes magic shows, black-light games, Star Wars characters, a trackless train ride and a trick-or-treat trail where local businesses hand out candy and connect with families. Visitors can also watch the Kids Scary Film Festival, filled with videos submitted by kids and teens.
    A new feature this year is the frightening haunted walk-through of Granny Grim’s garage.
    The scary story: Granny kept the garage locked. But one night she never came back and now the door’s open. Find out what’s behind the locked door.

If You Go

What: Shriek Week 10th- Fear Anniversary Where: Sugar Sand Park Community Center 300 S. Military Trail,  Boca Raton  When: Oct. 17, 18, 24 and 25 from 6 to 11 p.m.   Oct. 23 Thursday Lite Nite is less scary, from 5 to 9 p.m. for children ages 5 to 12. How much: Advance tickets with reserved time slots are available for the haunted  house. Tickets for all other entertainment available at the event. Advance tickets are $8  starting Oct. 4.  More Info: www.sugar sandpark.org

Nothing says Halloween in Florida more than scary surfing guys. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Shelley Gilken’s random picks for things to do with tots and teens in the 2014-2015 season.

1. Trick or Treating on the Avenue and the Halloween Parade and Kidsfest in Delray Beach. This is a time for families to enjoy downtown Delray in costume and enjoy all the children’s activities from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. a few days before Halloween on Oct. 25
2.T he 3rd Annual Boynton Beach Haunted Pirate Fest & Mermaid Splash. East Ocean Avenue becomes a pirate world filled with stunt shows, magicians and fairies, a haunted house and even live mermaids in a tank and mermaid pageants from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Oct. 25 and from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Oct. 26.
3. Stand Up for Kids comedy show at Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center in Boynton Beach. Stand Up for Kids USA teaches life skills, character, loving life and humor all through the art of live stand-up comedy. 11 a.m. on Nov. 8.
4. Delray Beach Surf Festival. Surf’s up! The day of activities showcases the surfing lifestyle in South Florida including a surfing contest and beach games for kids. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 15.
5. Delray Beach Christmas Tree Lighting. Celebrate the season by coming out for the 100-foot Christmas Tree lighting. The annual tradition is one of the most popular events of the year. From 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Dec. 4.
6. 21st Annual Breakfast with Santa at the Boca Raton Children’s Museum. The pancake breakfast is only the appetizer. There’s also real snow, crafts, carols, a clown and more. The event also includes the spirit of giving as eyewear will be collected for people in need. Advanced registration is required for this event held 8:30 am-noon on December 13.
7. Boynton Beach’s 43rd annual Holiday Boat Parade. The flotilla of well-lit boats line up at the Boynton Beach Inlet and travel south along the Intracoastal Waterway to the C-15 canal in Delray Beach. Dec. 13. Kids’ activities start at 5:30 p.m.
8. Piles of Smiles Snow Day at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton. One of the “coolest” things for a child to do in the winter is play in the snow, but it’s a rare opportunity for a Florida native. At Sugar Sand Park, kids ages 3 and up will get to frolic in 25 tons of fluffy white snow in an open field and play on slides, meet characters and participate in crafts. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 20.
9. Ornaments Naturally at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. The only thing children need to make a dazzling ornament is imagination and nature. Gumbo Limbo provides decorative items such as shells, sea beans and pine cones. From 10 to 11 a.m. on Dec. 20.
10. Oshogatsu at the Morikami Museum. A traditional New Year festival that includes games and entertainment throughout the museum and gardens. The day’s activities include Japan’s customary rice-pounding, making mochi rice cakes and sado tea ceremony. Families also will see appearances by shishimai, the lion dance. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 11.
11. South Florida Fair at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The fair has everything from cows to carnival games, roosters to roller coasters. The annual tradition is a major event every year drawing thousands of people for the shows, concerts and of course, the fair food. Jan. 16-Feb. 1.
12. Arts Spark Kids Fest at Sugar Sand Park in Boca Raton. This is the second year for the all-encompassing arts and cultural festival featuring art, music, theater, dance and comedy. The event also incorporates the expertise of local businesses that specialize in various forms of art to add community to the day of culture. Feb. 15
13. Lake Worth Street Painting Festival in Lake Worth. The largest event of its kind in the country, the festival turns the streets of Lake Worth into an open-air museum. The asphalt is the canvas and children of all ages can enjoy watching artists at work. Scenes inevitably include Disney characters, animals and other images that appeal to children. For many children, the highlight is being the artist. There’s a big checkerboard sketched in the street and each child gets chalk to decorate a square. Feb. 21-22
14. Delray Beach Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The tradition started in 1968 and has grown over the years to thousands of people line the streets for one of the most anticipated events of the year. The parade pays tribute to firefighters and emergency with uniformed personnel from around the region and has included participants from across the United States as well as Canada, Ireland, Belgium and Australia. Mary 14.
15. Hatsume Fair at the Morikami Museum. The 36th annual Hatsume Fair is a celebration of spring. The Morikami’s largest annual event features taiko drumming performances, martial art and bonsai demonstrations, a costume contest, fashion show and children’s activities. From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., April 18-19.  
—Shelley Gilken

The new Trader Joe’s at the corner of Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway in Delray Beach opens on Sept. 5.

ABOVE: Barbara Arnold and Sandra Shinn stock shelves under the watchful eye of a surfing cow. Other store walls are covered with  similar murals celebrating South Florida.

LEFT: Known for specialty products like cookie butter, Trader Joe’s began in 1958 in the Los Angeles area.  Since then, the company has expanded to more than 400 stores in 40 states.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

    In what is certain to stir controversy in Boca Raton for years to come, a developer has submitted plans for an “ultra-luxury” downtown condominium project that would include four towers rising as high as 30 stories.

   ELAD National Properties of Plantation proposes 500 units on nearly nine acres on Southeast Mizner Boulevard near the Boca Raton Resort & Club.

   In announcing the project Sept. 2, ELAD National Properties Senior Executive Officer Bill Shewalter said in a statement: “This project represents next-generation thinking about development in Boca Raton.”

  The developer also presented its rationale why such a tall project would be good for the downtown, where building heights are largely limited to 100 feet. ELAD said it would offer ocean views, add affluent residents, and increase both the tax base and demand for downtown shops and restaurants.

  In an interview, Shewalter said ELAD has shown the concept to many downtown business people and residents. While most of the feedback has been "very positive", he said the company will address any questions or concerns.

  ELAD proposes tearing down the 246 Mizner on the Green rental units on Southeast Mizner Boulevard and including in the project a two-acre public park, which the developer said would rejuvenate the area.

   The project must win many city approvals before construction can begin. It will need the blessing of the Community Appearance Board, Planning and Zoning Board and the City Council. The council also would have to pass an ordinance that changes height restrictions.

— Mary Hladky

An estimated 1,200 children received school-supply-filled backpacks at the nonprofit healthcare center’s Back 2 School Bash. The children, all of whom are patients at the center, set an attendance record at the 20-year-old event, which served 1,100 in 2013. ‘We are so appreciative of the community support that enables us to help so many children start their school year off right,’ Laura Kallus, the center’s executive director, said.  ‘Scarlett Fave (above) has done an outstanding job of organizing this event for the past 12 years.’ Photo provided

The fourth-annual reception raised more than $60,000 to benefit Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine’s incoming class. More than 220 business, civic and healthcare leaders attended, each giving a donation for underwriting white lab coats and other equipment, funding scholarships and naming auditorium seats. ABOVE: Dr. Richard and Alisa Cohen, with Dr. Alan Bauman. Photo provided

The league’s board of directors and other active members came together for the annual summer project of distributing baby diapers to the communities of south Palm Beach and north Broward counties. This year, nearly 38,000 were given to 16 agencies, which loaded them into trucks to take back to their headquarters. In other news, the league installed its new board of directors for the 2014-15 season at the Delray Beach Club. ‘This year, we will continue the legacy of service by providing more than 35,000 volunteer hours and more than $250,000 to support our mission of training volunteers, developing the potential of women and improving the South Florida community,’  President Andrea Garcia said. TOP: Audrey Morris, Jennifer Gene, Kirsten Stanley, Andrea Garcia, Nikki Stelzer, Meghan Shea, Sarah Doyle, Margi Cross and Samantha Vassallo distribute diapers. Photo provided by Downtown Photography. ABOVE: (in front) League board members include Vice Presidents Margi Cross and Elizabeth Kelley Grace; Andrea Garcia; Kirsten Stanley; committee member Nikki Stelzer; (in back) public-relations/marketing Chairwoman Audrey Morris; recording secretary Melissa Whelchel; Vice President Jackie Reeves; Sherry Winter; and Vice Presidents Terri Williams and Meghan Shea. Photo provided

One of Boca Raton’s largest wine-tasting parties drew more than 350 guests who had the opportunity to sample 100-plus vintages, enjoy hors d’oeuvres provided by local restaurants and listen to live music. The extravagant event was sponsored by the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce and served as a signature highlight of this year’s Boca Chamber Festival Days, a series of citywide activities that take place throughout August. ABOVE: Sally Dixon and Stephen Klingel. Photo provided

More than 100 attendees at the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce’s informal networking event enjoyed a tour of the salon and spa while sipping cocktails. ‘It was a pleasure having members of the Delray Beach Chamber group here,’ the company’s Frank LaDuca said. ‘We enjoyed showing off our space to those who had never been here before.’ ABOVE: Lori McInerney, Mary Bagdasian and Eleven Salon Spa owner Nicole Oden. Photo provided by Janis Bucher

Jennifer Urbanek leads a shark feeding at the Sandoway House. Shelley Gilken/The Coastal Star

By Shelley Gilken

Who needs Sharknado, modern-day megalodon attacks, or a submarine shark lurking off the coast of South Africa? There’s no need for fictitious shark attack “facts” when the real-life creatures are fascinating.
    Take, for example, the three nurse sharks swarming at the edge of their tank at Delray Beach’s Sandoway House nature center.
    They each have row upon row of teeth numbering in the thousands in powerful jaws. In fact, sharks lose and regrow up to 30,000 teeth in a lifetime. But this particular species is not threatening unless it is acting in defense. Despite their reputation on television, shark attacks are quite rare.
    “Dogs, pigs and vending machines are far more dangerous,” said Jennifer Urbanek, Sandoway House Nature Center assistant, who narrates such interesting tidbits as she calmly places pieces of shrimp, squid and sardine in the tank using a pincer. Children and adults line the edges of the tank and watch closely, snapping pictures as the sharks chow down.
    Daily shark feedings are a popular draw at the Sandoway House. On an average day in the summer, there are more than 200 people.
    The feeding is geared to visitors of all ages from camps to families to senior citizens.
    “I try to get the kids engaged and ask them questions,”  Urbanek said. “I try to impart a lot of information even adults don’t know.”
    The nuggets of information combined with the experience of seeing real-life sharks makes it a fun, educational experience for children.
    Urbanek said children respond to the sharks with a combination of fear and wonder: “Everything from kids who are very frightened to others who want to bend over and touch them.”
    The Sandoway House is also launching a new outreach program this school year that entails bringing certain fish on location to schools.
The school programs in 2014-2015 will cover topics such as amphibians, reptiles, birds and insects. It’s a way for more children to be able to get a glimpse of all that Sandoway has to engage people.
    “Sandoway is such a unique place — a historic house, alligator, sharks in an aquarium that’s a converted swimming pool. You can still see the steps,” Urbanek said.
    While the sharks are the main attraction, visitors are also amused by the shells, snakes, turtles, fossil dig, and an alligator and microscope lab. There are frequently special events such as a beach cleanups or beach combing.
    And if that’s not enough, there is a replica of a megalodon jaw that visitors can stand behind.

If You Go
Where: Sandoway House
142 S. Ocean Blvd.
Delray Beach, FL 33483
Admission is $4 per person
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday thru Friday; noon to 4 p.m. Sundays
Shark feedings are at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Info: www.sandowayhouse.org

The Plate: Tsunami Club
The Place: Tsunami Subs, 309 E. Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach; 739-8525. Also at 1130 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach; 808-7103 or www.tsunamisubsandwraps.com.
The Price: $6.85 for a half-sub
The Skinny: It may not look like it, but journalism is hard work. And hard work whets just about any journalist’s appetite for a hearty meal. That means we love Tsunami as much for its convenience — it’s just across the Woolbright Bridge from The Coastal Star — as for its subs.
Those subs are packed with nice, quality ingredients and created fresh.
Case in point: The mighty Club. This sub combines ham, our choice of cheese, turkey, lettuce, tomato and bacon atop a fresh sub roll.
If we’re covering breaking news, we might opt for the whole sub ($11.75), but off deadline, half a sub is ample.
— Scott Simmons