By Tim O’Meilia
    
Ocean Ridge town commissioners continued to wrestle with how to pay for six “wish list” items that would cost $167,000 in next year’s budget.
    Making all the wishes come true would mean dipping further into town reserves — up to $337,000 — or increasing property taxes above the current tax rate of $5.35 per $1,000 of taxable property value, or something in between.
    “We’re looking at taking in excess of 10 percent of our reserves to balance our budget,” said Commissioner Ed Brookes, searching for an alternative. The town has about $3 million in reserves.
    “I think we really need to live within our means,” said Commissioner Zoanne Hennigan. “To continually take out of our reserves isn’t fiscally prudent.”
    This year, the town took $174,000 from reserves, including $100,000 for capital projects. The proposed budget would again take $100,000 for capital items, $167,000 for the wish list and $70,000 in addition.
Commissioners generally favored adding the wish list items during July 31 and Aug. 5 meetings, but that may change at the Sept. 10 budget hearing.
    On the list is $55,000 in computer equipment, $26,000 for a second new police car and computer, $20,000 for a used bucket truck, $14,500 for an all-terrain vehicle for beach patrol, $16,000 to make a part-time maintenance position full-time and $36,000 for raises for the police chief, lieutenant and two senior dispatchers.
    At $72,000, Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi is the lowest-paid chief in Palm Beach County, according to a salary survey. Two sergeants will earn more than Yannuzzi next year under their union contract, Town Manager Ken Schenck said. They’re eligible for overtime; the chief isn’t.
    The budget also includes 3 percent raises for general town employees, matching the salary increases for police under their union contract.             

Rendering provided by Singer Architects of Fort Lauderdale

By Jane Smith
    
The Palm Beach County Park Airport (Lantana airport) will get a new operator in April, the first change in 60 years. And with that new operator will come $5.5 million in improvements.
    Galaxy Aviation, based in Boca Raton, was picked in mid-August by a seven-man selection committee. Initial plans call for self-service fuel pumps and a “wash-rack” for cleaning aircraft, completed by October 2014. First-phase costs, including a new fuel farm and minimal landscaping, are estimated to be $535,000.
    “We are very excited about it,” said Jonathan Miller, executive vice president at Galaxy. “We see a lot of opportunities there to upgrade the operation.”
    In the second phase, the company plans to demolish the Florida farmhouse-style terminal, according to its proposal filed with the Palm Beach County Department of Airports. Galaxy plans to replace it with a 4,500-square-foot, single-story building. The terminal will be designed in the Frank Lloyd Wright style, such as the Curtis Meyer House in Michigan, Miller said.
    Galaxy might build a two-story terminal if there is enough demand. The new terminal will be done by October 2017. During the construction period, employees will work out of a temporary building.
    The second phase also calls for parking lot improvements at $250,000 and a grand entrance with a water fountain or an aviator sculpture garden for $150,000. All told, phase two costs are estimated to be $1.15 million.
    Phase three, which can start at any time, would create two additional areas for 40 hangars with buildings constructed of pre-engineered metal or concrete and masonry. Total cost for this phase is $3.5 million, with a completion date of October 2021.
    According to its proposal, Galaxy offered to share 51.2 percent of the hangar rentals with the county airport department, pay 15 cents per square foot in ground rent for the 637,250 square feet that makes up Lantana airport and invest $5.5 million in capital improvements.
    Galaxy offered a 30-year lease with two periods of 10-year renewals. The county offered only a 30-year lease. Miller said Galaxy needs the extra years to amortize its multimillion-dollar investment.
    Galaxy’s proposal was ranked first among four by the selection committee.
    County airport officials have to work out the terms of the lease with Galaxy, and then the County Commission has to approve the deal before Galaxy can take over on April 1.
    Galaxy will operate as Galaxy Aviation of South Palm Beach at the Lantana airport. The company also runs the Boca Raton and Stuart airports, along with three others in Florida and one in Colorado.
    The Lantana airport, with 125,000 takeoffs or landings in 2012, is restricted to fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Jets are not allowed. It does not have an aircraft control tower, and aircraft follow a voluntary noise-abatement plan. It also does not charge landing fees.
    “We are limited by the weight of the aircraft that can land there,” Galaxy’s Miller said, “but we see some improvements that can be made for the tenants and the community.”

A Lantana woman died Sept. 1 after being ejected from a boat in the Intracoastal Waterway off Point Manalapan.
Karen Roberts, 42, was a passenger with two other people on a 19-foot Dusky center console when the boat took a sudden right-hand turn in rough water and crashed into a dock in the 1700 block of Lands End Road.
The boat was headed north around 4 p.m. when the accident occurred, according the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, which is investigating the accident.
The boat’s operator, Christopher Jones, 43, of Lantana, and Roberts were thrown overboard. A third person, Tandi Poehl, 50, of West Palm Beach was thrown into the front of the boat.
Roberts was transported by helicopter to Delray Medical Center where she died. Poehl was taken to a hospital for treatment but later released.Jones was not injured.
No charges had been filed in the case as of Sept. 3.

                                      — Staff report

Dozens of SCUBA divers took part in the Third Annual Southeast Florida Reef Cleanup, in search of trash that has collected on the natural reefs off the Palm Beach County coast. This group of divers, representing Dolphin Sun Dive Charters, displays the garbage they removed from the reef. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Cheryl Blackerby

Boat captain Bill McKissock is still pondering the bikini tops he found.
“You wonder what kind of scenarios that happened in,” he said.
During the third annual Southeast Florida Reef Cleanup Aug. 3, McKissock and a dozen volunteer divers went out on his Dolphin Sun Dive Charters boats, based at Sportsman’s Park in Lantana, to look for trash on South County coral reefs.
And they found plenty: fishing line, cans, bottles, plastic six-pack rings, golf balls and a lot of plastic bags that can be deadly to sea turtles and fish.
Sponsored by the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative, the reef cleanups also took place  in Broward, Miami-Dade and Martin counties. The events are held to remind fishermen, boaters, divers and land dwellers to help in keeping the ocean and reefs clean.
McKissock and his divers were joined by Karen Bohnsack, a researcher with the Department of Environmental Protection Coral Reef Conservation Program and a coral reef management fellow at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
“Throughout all four counties, we had an increase in participation. In Palm Beach County, we got the most participation, close to 70 divers willing to pay to go on dive boats and clean up reefs,” she said. “We hope to keep partnering with local dive charter boats. They know it’s important to keep reefs clean.”
Garbage on the reef, she said, is just one more problem for an already stressed reef system. “Reef debris is one small component to a larger array of impact. And the cleanup is an easy way to get people involved.”
The most devastating debris to sea life, she said, is fishing line, which is ingested by marine animals and can wrap around turtles’ legs, causing amputation. “Fishing line and plastic take a long time to break down. Plastic bags are viewed as food for turtles and other marine life.”
There was plenty of fishing line and other garbage on reefs in all four counties, she said.
“Most of it was pretty standard stuff — bottles and cans, they’re all over the place.
“Golf balls were throughout the region, sunglasses, hats, clothing, and a chair was pulled up,” she said.
McKissock brought up the biggest piece of debris in the South Florida event — a large piece of a fiberglass boat.
“We pulled in about 150 pounds of refuse within a couple of hours,” McKissock said.
On past dives, he said, he’s seen plastic lawn chairs and fishing rods.
Splashdown Divers in Boynton Beach also took out divers on the cleanup. “We found a lot of fishing line on the reef off Briny Breezes,” said owner Lynn Simmons.
She also found a toilet, but didn’t bring it in. “It’s a fish habitat now.”

Members of the Three Buoys Fishing Team, out of Palm Beach, hold the head of a 36-pound wahoo that they caught during the Delray Beach Jaycees’ 2013 Mark Garretson Memorial Fishing Tournament. The head was all that was left after a hungry shark ate the other half and disqualified the catch as the biggest fish of the day, costing the team a $7,022 prize. What a tail! Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The Linton Boulevard Bridge will be closed from 6 a.m. Sept. 12, to 6 p.m. Sept. 18, for repairs and maintenance.
The bridge division of the Palm Beach County Engineering and Public Works Department already has put out message-board signs to notify residents of the closure.
Those who use the bridge should head north to the Atlantic Avenue Bridge, or south to the Spanish River Boulevard Bridge.
For more information, call Bridge Superintendent Barry Meve at 233-3975.

—Staff Report

By Steve Plunkett

A new name is coming to Oceanfront Park, but whether it will be called Boynton Beach or Boynton Beach Oceanfront Beach Park or something else altogether remains to be seen.
Boynton Beach city commissioners wrestled Aug. 20 with what to rechristen the park after Commissioner David Merker asked that it be included in the city’s branding efforts, which invite people to “Breeze into Boynton Beach.”
“It’s an asset — it’s our beach,” Merker said. “Name it. Let it be known — it’s Boynton Beach.”
Vice Mayor Woodrow Hay asked what the new name might be.
“Boynton Beach,” Merker replied. “I mean, it’s a beach, and it’s Boynton Beach and it’s our property, and it’s an asset, so why complicate it? People will know it’s Boynton Beach.”
Mayor Jerry Taylor said a lot of people don’t know that Boynton Beach owns that beach, which is inside the town limits of Ocean Ridge.
“I think there’s those over in Ocean Ridge that think they own it, but they don’t. So I have no problem with adding ‘Boynton Beach’ to the name of Oceanfront Park,” Taylor said, suggesting instead a mouthful of a name, “Boynton Beach Oceanfront Beach Park.”
Hay and Commissioners Michael Fitzpatrick and Joe Casello were reluctant to endorse a new name on the spot.
Casello moved to assign the Recreation and Parks Advisory Board to come up with recommendations. Commissioners agreed unanimously.
“We have been doing our very best to brand it,” Merker said. “We own it. What’s more beautiful than a beach?”
On Sept. 10, commissioners will preside over a renaming ceremony for the former Ocean Avenue Park on the avenue just west of Federal Highway. In mid-June, they approved a request by the Boynton Beach Historical Society to rename the park in honor of Fred and Byrd Spillman Dewey.
The Deweys, one of Boynton Beach’s first families, bought the 40 acres that constitute the town’s original plat on Jan. 29, 1892.
On Sept. 29, 1898, they filed the Town of Boynton plat with what was then Dade County. The Deweys also platted Dewey’s Subdivision, which were 5-acre farming tracts along what is now the Intracoastal Waterway.
The Dewey Park ceremony begins at 9 a.m.

By Mary Thurwachter

In an effort to smooth the way for construction workers to complete the new Ocean Avenue Bridge by the target date at the end of November, the Lantana Town Council last month gave the green light to Sunday work.
In July, the council authorized night work (until 11 p.m. through Oct. 31). But Andres Sosa, GLF Construction project manager for the bridge, said workers would need to work on Sundays, as well. He asked for a variance to the town’s noise ordinance to work the added hours.
Not everyone agreed to the Sunday work.
“Sunday is the Lord’s day, and working on Sunday would set a precedent,” said Vice Mayor Tom Deringer. “I don’t feel comfortable with that. They will still get it done on time.”
Mayor Dave Stewart said finishing the bridge on schedule is in everyone’s best interest.
“It’s a public project,” Stewart said. “It’s a project that affects surrounding municipalities.”
Sosa said work that created loud noise would be done Monday through Saturday, not later than 6 p.m.
In other action, the council authorized engineering services for the drilling and installation of a new 10-inch pipe to send wastewater from Hypoluxo Island to the mainland. The old pipe is 48 years old and nearing the end of its 50-year life expectancy. It will be left underground and used as a spare. The town had approved spending $800,000 for the main in June.

Cookie Donaldson presents Eric Finn (center) and Bryan Kennedy of Delray Beach with the first-place prize for catching the biggest lionfish in the annual derby. Their winning fish weighed 2 pounds. They also won second place for spearing the most lionfish — 173. The derby draws attention to the  invasive species threatening saltwater fish and wildlife populations. Finn is owner of Finn-Atic Fish Company, an online fish market that makes home deliveries in Palm Beach and Broward counties. He says Finn-Atic (www.finnaticfishco.com) plans to offer lionfish to customers. Photo provided

Correction: A story in the September edition incorrectly attributed a statement to Manalapan Town Commissioner Howard Roder. Town Manager Linda Stumpf stated that she did not take both a car allowance and the use of a town-owned car.

By Tim O’Meilia

Manalapan town commissioners approved a new two-year contract for Town Manager Linda Stumpf by a 3-2 vote during their Aug. 27 meeting, which highlighted the discord among commissioners and required a three-minute time-out to restore order.
Commissioners John Murphy and Howard Roder were unhappy with the negotiation process but for different reasons.
Murphy wanted a closed-door session with Stumpf to evaluate her performance. “Never have I been out to publicly criticize anyone,” Murphy said.
 Roder wanted to establish an evaluation process before approving a new agreement.
“If the town manager has total responsibility with no accountability, we’re headed for trouble,” Roder said.
Mayor David Cheifetz, who does not vote as mayor except to break ties, negotiated the contract with Stumpf. He said commissioners were free to meet with the manager separately and privately to discuss their concerns over her performance.
Neither the town charter nor the contract requires an evaluation of the manager. Commissioner Tom Thornton said he wanted to see one developed.  Both Roder and Murphy voted against the contract, although Murphy said: “It has nothing to do with any evaluation. I am happy with the job you’ve done.”
Commissioners Louis DeStefano, Chauncey Johnstone and Thornton approved the deal. Commissioner Peter Isaac, who has missed the last four commission meetings and all three budget workshops, was absent.
Stumpf’s contract, effective Oct. 1, calls for a 3 percent pay increase, the same as other employees will receive in the new budget, bumping her salary to $113,300 annually.
She also will receive four months’ severance pay if she is fired without cause.
Stumpf will get a $400-per-month car allowance and mileage reimbursement. Previously, the manager was permitted the allowance or the use of a town car, a situation that led to Roder accusing her of taking both, a charge that later was shown to be false.
Roder repeated earlier charges that Stumpf gave the commission false statistics on traffic stops to encourage commissioners to replace the town police force with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Stumpf and Police Chief Carmen Mattox said the statistics were misinterpreted.
The give-and-take among Roder, DeStefano and Murphy led Cheifetz to call for a five-minute recess before the vote. The meeting resumed three  minutes later, and the mayor announced: “I apologize for what some people might think is unseemly behavior.”
The repartee among commissioners and the mayor, although never loud and never approaching name-calling, began minutes after the Pledge of Allegiance as Roder and Cheifetz clashed over approval of the July 23 minutes, usually a pro forma exercise.
Roder said the minutes were “incomplete, inaccurate and slanderous” and did not include Cheifetz’s criticism of Roder and town resident Kersen De Jong’s complaints about town actions.  When Roder wanted to read Cheifetz’s statement into the record, Cheifetz insisted on reading it himself.
The commission’s experiment with allowing public comments at the start of the meeting rather than at the conclusion resulted in Cheifetz cutting off De Jong after five minutes of speaking, over Roder’s objection.

In other business, commissioners:
• Gave the Eau Palm Beach Resort, formerly the Ritz Carlton Palm Beach, a mid-October deadline to submit a new development plan, including the request for a permanent sign, so it can be considered at the November meeting.
• Postponed a decision at the Aug. 26 budget workshop on setting a final tax rate until the first public hearing on the budget, 5:01 p.m. Sept. 17.  Three commissioners favored a $2.94 tax rate, which would balance the budget without taking $41,000 from the reserves. A $2.90 tax rate would save less than $100 for the owner of a home with a taxable value of $2 million.

Cary and Rick Caster stand by a planting of lemongrass outside of 21 Drops. The company sells essential-oil blends online and in select retailers. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

     When Cary Caster was raising her three children, she used coconut oil to treat diaper rash, ginger root for tummy aches and eucalyptus oil for runny noses.
    “I’m a little witch doctor,” she says. “I didn’t use any over-the-counter medicines on my kids. I was a firm believer right away in the power of plants to heal us.”
    Caster has turned that belief into a successful business venture. She’s the founder of 21 Drops, makers and distributors of essential-oil blends packaged in colorful roll-on applicators.
    The company’s 21 different blends are numbered from 01 to 21 and marketed as aromatherapy to help customers cope with maladies or shift their moods. For example, there’s blend 08 for pain relief, 15 for congestion, 19 for willpower, 06 for passion.
    Caster, 54, launched the business in January 2011 after becoming frustrated with aromatherapy products on the market that contain alcohol and other additives.
“I said to myself, someone’s got to do this the right way, with pure essential oils. And then I thought, how do we get this out to the public? We need to make it hip and fun.”
    Mission accomplished. Oprah selected 21 Drops as one of her “favorite things” before the company’s first anniversary — a gold-plated endorsement that helped put the product in more than 100 high-end retail and spa locations nationwide. Spa visitors at the Fontainebleau, The Standard and Eden Roc hotels in Miami Beach enjoy Caster’s blends in their bathwater. By November, 21 Drops will be in the “beauty to go” sections of Sephora makeup stores coast to coast.
    “We doubled sales in our second year and are looking to triple first-year sales in our third,” says Caster. Meanwhile, she is fielding inquiries from many international distributors and retailers.
    Not bad for a business that started in her garage.
    Caster just moved into her new headquarters in downtown Delray Beach and landscaped it with the very plants from which she derives her essential oils: ylang ylang, juniper, jasmine and rosemary, to name a few.
    “Plants are where all our modern medicine has evolved from,” she says.
—  Paula Detwiller

   Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
    A. I grew up on Miami Beach and graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in botany. Growing up in a tropical setting, I became fascinated with the diversity of plants that grew in South Florida. I became especially intrigued when visiting plant nurseries and botanical gardens. That is why I chose to study horticulture. This connection to nature has always inspired me to live a more natural existence. It is exciting for me knowing that the use of pure, organic foods and products is becoming more mainstream, as this is how I’ve lived my whole life, especially while raising my family. It’s extremely important for people to be aware of and act on practices that help protect and heal our planet.

    Q.  How did 21 Drops begin?
    A. 21 Drops grew out of my desire to share and educate the public about how powerfully healing pure essential oils can be. I was educated in Europe, where using essential oils is part of their alternative wellness programs, and I wanted to simplify and share this information here in the U.S. After raising my children and helping family, friends and clients benefit from using essential oils vs. over-the-counter medications, 21 Drops became the answer to sharing this healing modality with the rest of the public.
    
    Q.  What other careers have you had; what were the highlights?
    A. After college, I began working at Fairchild Tropical Garden in Miami, maintaining their Rare Plant House as a horticulturalist. That was especially interesting to me because the plants I cared for had been collected by traveling researchers from all over the world, and each one carried with them a unique story. Years later, I studied aromatherapy and became a licensed massage therapist. My advanced clinical aromatherapy certification took me to France, where this alternative to Western medicine is practiced. That was a wonderful culturally enriching experience spent in Provence.

    Q.  Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
    A. I was always fascinated by David Fairchild’s history of traveling the world in the 1930s for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, searching for potential foods to grow here in the U.S., as well as James Duke, author of The Green Pharmacy, who searched for medicinal plants all over the globe. Their journeys have shaped our present-day world much more than people realize, having introduced new foods that are grown commercially here in the U.S., as well as our discovery of new drugs from the plant world.

    Q.  What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today?
    A. We have three children starting their careers, and I’d give any young person the same advice I have given them: Follow your passion and act on your dreams, for that is the only way you will truly live a happy and fulfilling professional career. I’d also encourage them to be flexible because technology and future jobs will be changing rapidly in the course of their lifetimes.

    Q.  Tell us why you decided to convert an old Delray Beach tire shop into your company headquarters.
    A. My husband, Richard Caster, is a local real estate developer. He is the mastermind that saw the unique Miami Modernist (MiMo)-style gem that was underlying the decrepit building that stood at 290 S.E. Sixth Ave., in downtown Delray. He was looking for new office space for himself as well as wanting 21 Drops to move out of our garage.

    Q. How did you choose to make your home in coastal Delray Beach?
    A. Both my husband and I are South Florida natives, having grown up either living on the water or visiting the beach as part of our earlier lives. When we got married 28 years ago, we wanted to stay in South Florida but move a bit north from the Miami crowds. Delray Beach is the perfect mix of small-town charm with access to cultural programs from Miami to Palm Beach.
    
    Q. What is your favorite part about living in Delray Beach?
    A. My favorite part about living in Delray is the easygoing lifestyle. I especially appreciate this since I have been traveling a lot for 21 Drops for the last two and a half years. I can take my dogs to the beach in the morning and play tennis at the Delray Tennis Center all by 9 a.m. I have wonderful choices of great restaurants, and my office is only a mile from my home. But most of all, I cherish the beautiful view from every room in my home looking north at the Intracoastal Waterway.

    Q.  Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
    A. “Live deliberately,” by Harry Palmer. This is the title of a book that changed my life more than 15 years ago. The basic premise is that one’s beliefs create one’s reality. Another favorite quote is by Swami Sivananda: “Put your heart, mind and soul into even your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.”

    Q.  If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
    A. Mary-Louise Parker. Not because of her TV series (Weeds), but because she has a natural way about her and seems to have an easygoing personality.

Each month The Coastal Star features news from the businesses in our community. Business Spotlight is presented as a service to our advertisers and the local business community.

John Ferber poses with his custom-made flag of his friend and Realtor Pascal Ligouri. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Christine Davis
    Internet mover and shaker John Ferber is on the move again. This time, though, it will be a real-world move from his county pocket home to an A1A property in Delray Beach.
    One might guess he’s very content with the new property —  so much so that he hoisted a flag graced with the likeness of Pascal Ligouri, of Premier Estates Properties, in front of his house.
    Ferber provided the backstory:  “I got the home as part of a trade I made with the owners of my previous home behind Seaside Deli.”
    As luck would have it, the house came with a giant flagpole, and since the two are friends who enjoy each other’s humor, Ferber had a full-color, 3-by-5-foot flag with Liguori’s professional photo made, and ran it up the flagpole to see how long it would take to get attention.
    Four days later, Liguori called. “In church, a friend  asked if Pascal was flying his flag at every listing,” Ferber said.
                                               ***
Luckily, local homeowners don’t necessarily need such large signage to sell their homes these days. July housing reports year-over-year for the county from the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches indicate that new listings for single-family homes increased 20.7 percent, while townhomes and condos increased 4.4 percent. The number of closed sales for single-family homes increased 20.5 percent, while townhomes and condos decreased 2.3 percent. The median price for single-family homes increased 15 percent; for townhomes and condos, 18.9 percent.
                                               ***
If you are looking for a brand-new direct-ocean mansion, you had better hurry, as there now is only one available in South Florida, at 800 S. Ocean Boulevard, Manalapan. “We searched from Jupiter to Miami, and the truth is, we couldn’t find another new oceanfront,” said Jim McCann of the Corcoran Group, the Realtor who listed the property. To make it even more appealing, the strip of land extends to the Intracoastal Waterway — all in all, a very compelling proposition, considering that motivational speaker Tony Robbins snapped up the one next door a few months ago.
 The 21,352 total-square-foot house with eight bedrooms  has lots of tantalizing features. It sits on 2.58 acres with 203 feet of beachfront, and it has a tennis court, two pools, a spa, summer kitchen and garage parking for 20 cars. The home was developed by its owner, Pat Carney. It was built by Mark Timothy Inc., Boca Raton, and it is being sold furnished with interiors by Marc-Michaels Interior Design, Winter Park.
 When this property sells — it’s listed for $45 million — it will set a record in Manalapan. In March 2013, Robbins bought his property at 750 S. Ocean for $24.75 million. In November 2000, 1370 S. Ocean sold for $27.5 million, and the Vanderbilt estate (the Hearst mansion) at 1100 S. Ocean sold for $29.87 million in June 2000 and sold again in March 2008 for $23.5 million.
                                              ***
    The economic development division of the city of Boynton Beach launched the first phase of its “Bring your Business to Boynton” website, www.byb2boynton.com.
    This phase offers inform-ation on living and working in Boynton Beach, its top employers, available incentives and a database of news releases relating to economic development. Visitors will be able to explore available real estate inventories, view GIS maps, and access marketing materials, videos and a schedule of upcoming industry events.
Along with the new website, the economic development division now has a Facebook page, “BYB2Boynton,” and a Twitter handle, @byb2boynton.
                                               ***
During the first week of September, Fortunoff Backyard Store opened in Boca Raton at 601 N. Federal Highway, across from Mizner Park. The company with locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut specializes in outdoor furniture and accessories.
Florida is the obvious marketplace for expansion, said Bernard Sensale, the company’s CEO. “There are lots of snowbirds who go back and forth. The brand has heard for years these people have dual residences and we should be looking into the Florida market.”
                                               ***
Now it’s just as easy to get money into your bank account as it is to spend it. “We are very pleased to partner with transmodus to provide our clients with their easy-to-use, top-quality check processing automation systems,” said Lynne Wines, president and CEO of First Southern Bank.
    Here’s how it works: You simply scan a check using a remote scanner from wherever you are, and ka-ching, your deposit is processed. You will also receive automatic notifications and customized reporting, as well as the ability to monitor every step of your deposits 24/7/365 in real time. And you can elect to have bad checks automatically placed into a recovery program.  For information, visit www.FirstSouthernBank.com.
A rendering of the Trader Joe’s store planned for Delray Place, at Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway. Rendering provided

Those who know and love Joe Joes and Two-Buck Chuck will be happy to learn that Trader Joe’s is finally coming to Delray Beach. The opening date is planned for October 2014, and the new specialty grocery store will be located in the Delray Place shopping center on the southeast corner of Federal Highway and Linton Boulevard. Employees are proud that around 95 percent of Trader Joe’s products are private label, ensuring that customers will be buying food without artificial flavorings, preservatives, artificial coloring, genetically modified organisms, monosodium glutamate or marketing costs. And those who don’t know about Joe Joes or Two-Buck Chuck will soon have the chance to try them out.
                                               ***
From ages 11 to 17, Frances Cericola nursed her mother, a diabetic, and took over the  household chores until her mother passed away. Later, she was called upon to care for her father when he was dying of cancer.
    Looking back, she sees her situation as a constant struggle and a difficult balancing act, noting it was untenable but also unnecessary.
“There is a wealth of resources that await family caretakers that can satisfy their needs and lessen their burden,” she said. “A professional health care agency can help navigate the medical system, so that families can receive the best possible care and services. Anyone who is confronting a caregiving situation should be proactive. Don’t try to pull together a patchwork of care, as we once did.”
    As a result of her experiences, Cericola founded Concierge Nursing Service,  a local, state-licensed nurse registry that coordinates a wide range of services. It arranges for health care, including nurses, doctors, therapists and nutritionists, in a client’s home. In addition, Concierge Nursing Service provides nonmedical services for seniors such as grocery shopping, transportation, light housecleaning and computer training.
Cericola, who has been in the business for 20 years, has just brought her company to Palm Beach County. For information, call 588-2227, or visit www.conciergenursingservice.com.
                                               ***
According to the American Diabetes Association, 25.8 million people in the United States have diabetes — but only an estimated 18.8 million have been diagnosed. Which is why it’s important to know that the Outpatient Diabetes Self-Management Education Program at Boca Raton Regional Hospital received recognition from the American Diabetes Association for the fifth consecutive time. Program participants are taught self-care skills on topics that include the diabetes disease process, nutritional management, treating acute complications, risk reduction and problem-solving, among other subjects.
                                               ***
This winter, the old familiar Boca Raton Bridge Hotel will get a new look and a new name: Waterstone Resort & Marina, a DoubleTree by Hilton.
AWH Partners, LLC, and The Lane Organization, LLC, with DoubleTree by Hilton, brought in the architectural firm Gensler to design a new lobby, create a new pool area, and upgrade guest rooms and public spaces. The boutique hotel will feature a 270-foot wraparound waterfront promenade that will offer the town’s only “dock to dine.”
    Sounds like fun, doesn’t it? And all this will be an asset for Boca, say the developers, thanks to increased local spending by hotel guests who are sure to fall in love with the town and buy real estate. The property will continue to be managed by Spire Hospitality. For information, visit www.waterstoneboca.com or call (866) 909-2622.
                                               ***
    Delray Beach won 20 awards and stole the show at the recent Florida Festivals & Events Association’s convention. The Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative won four awards for producing the annual July 4th Celebration, three awards for the popular On The Ave series, and two each for Spin the Vote On the Ave and Delray Beach Dinner in the Sky.
    The Delray Beach-based Festival Management Group won seven awards for events produced by the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, and two awards for the Delray Beach Garlic Fest produced by Delray Beach Arts. 

Christine Davis is a freelance writer. Please send business anouncements to her at cdavis9797@comcast.net.






                                               

Mary M. Barnes, president and CEO of Alzheimer’s Community Care, speaks during the dedication service for the new Alzheimer’s day center at Advent Lutheran in Boca Raton.

By Lucy Lazarony

There has been an Alzheimer’s day center at the heart of the Advent Lutheran community for more than 25 years.
“They are part of our community, and we love having them here,” says Pastor Andy Hagen of Advent Lutheran Church in Boca Raton. “For us it goes back to our relationship, our faith through Jesus, which is to help those in any need.”
Mary Barnes, who now is executive director of Alzheimer’s Community Care, first requested use of Advent Lutheran’s Fellowship Hall for a day center for Alzheimer’s patients in 1987.
The day center and its small staff would serve Alzheimer’s patients in the Fellowship Hall, which was the original sanctuary of Advent Lutheran, on weekdays.
“I thought this is a great idea,” remembers retired Pastor Ron Dingle. “We have a building that sits empty and we have people who could be volunteers … We had several members of our congregation who were aging at the time and ended up being clients.”
The warm relationship with Advent Lutheran and Barnes and Alzheimer’s Community Care, which formed in 1996, continues with the opening of a brand-new day center for Alzheimer’s patients on July 22 on the Advent Lutheran campus.   
The new facility, a converted home, has two bathrooms with showers, a row of comfortable recliners, tables and chairs for dining and activities, a kitchen, an office, and a brick patio where patients can relax under mango trees.   
With cream and pale green walls and almost a dozen windows, the center feels light and bright and cheery.  
“It’s a very home-like setting,” Hagen says. “And for people with that condition, everything that you can do that is reassuring is good. And now they are being dropped off at a house!”
And Barnes says the day center on the Advent Lutheran campus has become a model for eight other dementia-specific day centers run by Alzheimer’s Community Care in Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties.   
“There is no real medication that stops this disease. This is our medication that works because it stabilizes,” says Barnes, speaking at an open house and dedication service on Aug. 4. “It gives people the opportunity to be themselves. Here they can be themselves. Here they can develop new friendships. And here people understand.”
And they have a great deal of fun. There are games and music and activities throughout the day, a noontime meal and snacks and plenty of visitors.
Toddlers from Advent’s early childhood school perform songs for their “grandmas and grandpas.” They paint Easter eggs together, too.
“We color Easter eggs, an intergenerational Easter egg coloring, and then we eat them. Great fun!” says Denise Ceparano, who has worked at Advent’s early childhood school for 25 years.    
“The ones I bring over are 2 going on 3. Some of them are 3,” Ceparano says. “We go to them. We sing them chapel songs. We have a fabulous interaction with them. Sometimes, we shake hands. We’ve gotten to know their faces. … Elementary and middle school students come over as well.”
And pastors and staff from Advent Lutheran are invited to the annual Thanksgiving dinner held at the day center for Alzheimer’s patients and their families.
“The church has always been invited because to us they are family as well,” says Denise Douglas, program manager for the day center since 1997. “We’re lucky to have that closeness with them.”  
As for her patients at the day center and the family caregivers who love them, Douglas says: “You’re not in this alone anymore. We’ve got your back.”

Donna Drucker, director of Family Ministries, leads the children of Advent Lutheran Early Childhood School in song during a recent visit to the new Alzheimer’s day center.
Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Tim Pallesen’s Finding Faith column will return next month.

A Parma Tasting Platter from Tanzy at Mizner Park in Boca Raton. Photo provided

By Jan Norris

            A Parma Bar with a list of specialty cured meats, duck breast with candied figs, and herbed meatballs with a pomodoro sauce made with herbs from the garden just outside. This is a movie theater restaurant?
    “We take a lot of pride in using the freshest ingredients,” said Andre Lane, the chef at Tanzy of Boca Raton. That includes the fruits and vegetables that go into the handcrafted unique cocktails, like the prickly pear sour sop Margarita.
    “But it’s more about the experience. We’re connecting with our guests, creating an escape for them.”
    The restaurant that sits at the bottom of the iPic Theater in Boca Raton’s Mizner Park serves moviegoers looking to escape into a film fantasy for the evening. But, Lane said, the staff of Tanzy treats diners to a different escape — one where they can relax in an eclectic environment that happens to have good food and service.
    With a modern Italian menu, the chef said his goal is to bring unusual twists to familiar foods.
    “We haven’t forgotten the core ideas of what Italian cooking is all about — good, fresh food with simple preparations that are flavorful. But we’ve modernized it without forgetting the tried and true. Our shrimp scampi, for instance, is deglazed with bourbon.”
    The restaurant isn’t an afterthought. It was built on the corner visible to Federal Highway to attract the public that is welcome anytime — they do not have to buy a ticket to the theater to get in.
    “For us, it’s great we have the movie theater upstairs. Diners can have a fabulous meal and then go upstairs to be entertained. But this is perfect as a destination for those who just want to go out, have a great evening with friends and have a wonderful meal. We want them to be thrilled by the attention to detail — from the décor to the service to the foods,” Lane said.
    Along with regular meal service, interactive wine dinners are scheduled monthly throughout fall.

The Portofino Lobster Pasta at the Red Brick Grille in Delray Beach has penne pasta, roasted garlic, lobster and spicy lobster bisque cream sauce. In the background, Connor Sneeden, who was celebrating his 6th birthday, crouches down low to better watch his ball during an afternoon of bowling. Libby Volgyes/The Coastal Star

Dinner and a few frames
    At the new Delray Marketplace, the Cinebowl complex offers 12 theaters, including an Imax screen, state-of-the-art bowling, an arcade and the Red Brick Grille.
    Bruce Frank, one of the owners of the Frank Theater group, said the concept at the American bar and grill was a comfort-casual restaurant. “We wanted to develop a fresh, homemade-style American that was not your run-of-the-mill food you’d find in a recreation facility. And one that could be a stand-alone concept,” he said.
    There are two others — in Philadelphia and Myrtle Beach, S.C., — also attached to theater/bowling complexes, but the company is talking about a Red Brick Grille stand-alone.  
    “The menu varies as to its location, but some items are standard throughout. We’re sensitive to local flavors — Florida has more seafood, Syracuse (opening soon) will have more proteins,” he said.
    The menu features something for every diner, or as Frank says, “age-appropriate.”
    “There’s enough variety that everyone can find something here. Gluten-free, fish, beef or exotic — if you’re out in a group, everyone can dine.”
    From coming in for finger food before a show, or a full meal after a night out, the restaurant’s menu accommodates all expectations, he said.
    He listed some menu items: lobster-spinach queso, Bavarian pretzel basket, edamame, four types of chicken wing sauces, flatbreads, crafted sandwiches.
    “It’s American, but you’ll also find on it a pear and brie flatbread, pizza Margherita, a carver’s pizza with several different meats on it — or you can build your own. Our desserts are made here — chocolate fudge brownie cheesecakes; a phyllo-wrapped brownie with ice cream.”
    At the bar, there are 20 craft beers, a wine list and 15 signature cocktails on the menu.
    The concept is to have everything under one roof. “Why should you have to go to a different building to get something to eat when you go out to a movie or want to go bowl? Why can’t you park once — and have everything in one place?”
    The lively atmosphere has mostly to do with the placement — watch the action on the lanes or at the dozens of TVs around as you eat.
The beignets at Jazziz at Mizner Park in Boca Raton.Photo provided

Dinner and a jazz show
    The cool, sophisticated supper-club atmosphere at Jazziz in Boca Raton was part of the reconstruction of the old ZED451 space in Mizner Park. Here, chef Justin Flit creates dishes inspired by the many top restaurateurs he’s worked with — Daniel Boulud, Michael Mina and Oliver Saucy of Café Maxx in Pompano Beach among them.
    Co-founder Michael Fagien wanted the place to appeal to those who may not be jazz aficionados, but who enjoy good food, a cigar (there’s a cigar bar), or fine wine and champagne. The club is equipped with a machine that can dispense Champagne by the glass — and seal the bottle. It’s the first in Florida to have it.
    Diners are treated to unique combinations that could be compared to the music with global influences: seared diver scallops with roasted grapes, charred Romanesco cauliflower dressed with vadouvan curry — a blend of French and Indian exotic spices. A potato leek soup is served with duck fat potatoes and a curl of crispy prosciutto, or a fish is dressed with saffron sauce and shaved fennel.
    The menu is seasonal, with lobster and summer truffle risotto, or a chilled Maine lobster salad with mango, avocado and citrus vinaigrette changed out once the weather cools.
    An emphasis on foods and condiments made in-house, like the whipped ricotta, the hamburger bun on the freshly ground beef burger, or an onion slaw and buttermilk cornbread to go with the baby back ribs show the chef’s root talent.
    The desserts have a touch of New Orleans flair and are served with a bit of whimsy: beignets hot from the fryer arrive at the table in a bag, served with several sauces for dipping. An assortment of house-made cookies and bars is accompanied by a smooth crème brûlée.
    Fagien says there’s something here for every budget — from the $12 burger that garners raves from burger fans in area contests, to a wood-grilled swordfish served with fried calamari and salsa verde ($33). Salads, pizza, wings and steaks keep the bar and patio customers happy.
    At Sunday brunch, diners are offered a light jazz live performance or sax player roaming the room.
    There is an admission charge for all scheduled performances, but various ticket prices, including a general admit ticket, allow diners to choose a seat at the bar or patio to hear the music while dining. Private rooms also are available, with glassed-in views of the stage.
    “We want to be known for our food as much as great jazz,” Fagien said. “We want to offer the best of both.”

The Morikami Museum’s Cornell Café offers a variety of fare, including the karafuru, or rice noodles tossed with red, orange and yellow sweet peppers, fresh mint and basil, and topped with a sweet and sour vinaigrette. Photo provided

Lunch and peace and quiet
    The Cornell Café is Morikami Museum’s pan-Asian restaurant — and it attracts a lunch crowd daily for the bento box, or lunch “bowls” filled with crispy chicken, broccoli and rice, or beef with sautéed vegetables, also over rice.
    The more exotic and authentic Japanese foods are here — the eel bowl or the manju ice cream flavored with bean paste among them.
    Traditional favorites include the vegetarian fried eggplant, crispy pork with tempura sauce and stir-fried vegetables, and the sushi and sashimi selections. The menu is extensive and a la carte — with beer, sake and wine available — all at a quite reasonable price.
    It can’t be beat for serenity: The café overlooks the peaceful Japanese gardens named Roji-en — garden of the dewdrops.
   Appearing as one, Roji-en actually is a group of six distinct gardens inspired by some of the most famous gardens in Japan.
    For an admission price, visitors can go through the museum galleries, which feature a rotating exhibit of art and artifacts from the Japanese culture.
    Also here is the original museum that houses the historical Yamato Colony exhibit, telling the history of the Japanese colony that came to the Boca area to establish a pineapple plantation in the early 1900s.
    The café is open only for lunch (closed Mondays), but at the museum’s frequent festivals, other foods are available from on-site vendors throughout the day, though an admission fee is usually collected.

If you go
Tanzy at iPic
301 Plaza Real (in Mizner Park), Boca Raton
922-6699; tanzyrestaurant.com
Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Red Brick Grille
at CineBowl
14775 Lyons Road (in the Delray Marketplace), Delray Beach
454-8002; franktheatres.com/CINEBOWLGRILLE/
Open daily for lunch and dinner.

Jazziz Nightlife
201 Plaza Real (in Mizner Park), Boca Raton
300-0730; jazziznightlife.com
Open for dinner and late dining 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. Monday-Saturday; Sunday, for brunch and dinner noon to 9 p.m.

Cornell Café at the Morikami Museum
and Gardens
4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach
495-0233; morikami.org
Open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

    
    
    

The Junior League of Boca Raton geared up for its 26th annual Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon with an official kickoff event that recognized co-chairwomen Linda Gunn Paton and Jan Kucera. The luncheon will take place Nov. 8 at Boca West Country Club in Boca Raton, celebrating women in the community and their pledge to volunteerism. ABOVE: Linda Gunn Paton, Lynn Holcomb, Jan Kucera and Crystal McMillin. Photo provided by Downtown Photo

Celebrating the debut of three exhibitions, the Boca Museum of Art welcomed guests to an art- and music-filled reception in its outdoor sculpture garden. The featured shows are titled ‘Create’, a display of works by those with developmental disabilities; ‘Transitions: Victor Matthews & Paolo Nicola Rossini’; and ‘Purvis Young: Works from the Collection’. They will hang through Sept. 22. ABOVE: Jody Grass, Marleen Forkas, Peg Greenspon and Marlene Pomeranz. Photo provided

More than 500 guests, including Joe and Holli Rockwell Trubinsky, enjoyed the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce’s signature event for Boca Festival Days — an evening of lively music, wine and dishes from the city’s top restaurants. Entertainment was served up Cirque du Soleil-style, featuring contortionists and stilt walkers. Photo provided by Janis Bucher

Leaders of all kinds turned out for the fourth annual American Association of Caregiving Youth Organization event that honored Jan Savarick by naming a day —  Aug. 21 — after the president of the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation.  Savarick has made an ongoing difference in the lives of thousands in the community. The well-attended affair is one of many activities that comprise the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce’s Boca Festival Days. ABOVE: Joan Wargo, Robin Rubin, Jans Dymtrow and Amy Ross.  Photo provided by Janis Bucher

Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton installed new officers to lead the organization into its second year of community service. The inaugural year saw the club receive recognition by Rotary International as one of the most successful start-ups in Rotary history. RIGHT: Alan Kaye, Ingrid Fulmer, Ron Rubin, Robin Trompeter, Robert ‘Bob’ Hildreth, Jon Kaye, Janice Williams, Gary Hickory, Joanne Williams and Frank Feiler. Photo provided

The Plate: Harvest “Moqueca”
The Place: Max’s Harvest, 169 N.E. Second Ave., Delray Beach; 381-9970 or maxsharvest.com
The Price: $34
The Skinny: Max’s Harvest pays homage to Brazil with this version of moqueca de peixe, or fish stew.
And what a worthy homage it is.
The savory tomato broth brims with fillet of striped bass, plus clams and large gulf shrimp.
The blend of tomatoes, onion and garlic gets a little kick from chilies, cilantro and lime. Annatto, or achiote, lends the dish its distinctive color.
But looks are not everything. The bass was tender, and the shrimp cooked to al dente perfection.
It’s served with steamed rice.
Also tasty: the Palmetto Creek Farms Pork Chop ($36), cooked medium with a beautiful char.
                                                                                                                                                                                       — Scott Simmons