Please Note: According to Delray Beach City Clerk, Chevelle Nubin, there is a 1:00 p.m. Special City Commission Meeting scheduled for November 2, 2012, at City Hall, in the Commission Chambers to consider the deferral of the Atlantic Plaza II Conditional Use Item to November 13, 2012.

Several seawalls, pools and yards in Manalapan were seriously damaged by the constant pounding of the surf from Hurricane Sandy and seasonal high tides.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

More photos from Hurricane Sandy

By Tim O’Meilia
    
No hurricanes have hit southern Palm Beach County this year. But, it’s those breeze-by storms off the coast that oceanfront residents have to fret over.
    In August, Hurricane Isaac dumped torrential rain on the area as it motored into the Gulf of Mexico.
    In late October, as Hurricane Sandy advanced north off shore, its ripple effect chewed into seawalls, flooded streets and swimming pools, toppled lifeguard stands, ripped away beach stairs and crossovers and toppled a new bride into surf.  
    “We’ve never seen high tides, a full moon and wave action like that,” said South Palm Beach Town Manager Rex Taylor. “It’s a bad combination.”
    High tides are typically higher during a full moon and the storm surf churned by Sandy added two to three feet to the extra high tides, according to estimates by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, measured at the Lake Worth pier.
    Worst hit were the seawalls that protect more than 30 oceanfront estates along the 1.6 miles of beachfront between the Ritz-Carlton Resort to Chillingworth Curve in Manalapan.
Portions of several seawalls collapsed and a swimming pool near the 1300 block of South Ocean Boulevard was washed away. A seawall failed at 820 S. Ocean Blvd., allowing the lawn to wash into the surf, said oceanfront resident Donald Silpe.
He also confirmed that the seawall at musician Yanni’s property collapsed and the pool was washed out. “The problem is that if one seawall fails it puts in jeopardy the ones next to it,” Silpe said. “This is the worst I’ve seen and I’ve lived on the ocean for 32 years. When the water hits my seawall it splashes up 18 or 20 feet into the air.”
    Manalapan town officials declared a state of emergency Oct. 29, enabling the issuing of emergency permits for seawall repairs and for sand replacement. Permit fees were waived and work hours were extended.

Husband, Jean, and family and friends help bride Kaylee McClure Forim after a wave swept her off her feet during a wedding photo shoot on the north end of Delray Municipal Beach. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

    Storm effects across the area:
    South Palm Beach: Several condominiums lost beach stairs and some parking lots were flooded during high tide. “Huge waves came up two hours after high tide (Sunday morning) and washed the stairs away, brand new stairs,” said Imperial House resident and Town Councilwoman Bonnie Fischer.
    Lantana: The lifeguard stand that guarded the beach for 26 years washed away in the Sunday morning confluence of high tides and high surf. Storm surge also flooded the Lantana beach parking lot and forced the Dune Deck restaurant to close.
    “We got one big wave over our awning into the restaurant and both kitchens,” said Costa Panais, co-owner of the restaurant. “When we got that cleaned up, three more waves came. We decided to close for the day. We can’t risk our customers. Nobody can fight Mother Nature.”
    Sportsman’s Park on the southwest side of the Lantana Bridge was flooded and the dock at the nearby marina was submerged temporarily, said Lantana Police Chief Scott Scheller. Several streets near Ocean Avenue also flooded.
    Portions of Atlantic Avenue on Hypoluxo Island were flooded where a drainage project is currently under way.
    Manalapan: State Road A1A in front of the Ritz Carlton flooded several times during high tides, prompting police to place orange cones to direct traffic around the water. The Ritz’s underground parking garage flooded and its seawall stairs and railing washed away.
    Ocean Ridge: Ocean Avenue and nearby residential streets just east of the bridge flooded from tidal water backing up from the Intracoastal Waterway through the storm drainage system.
    Inlet Cay and Spanish River drives also flooded from the Intracoastal, Ocean Ridge Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi said.
    A man riding a personal watercraft off the Ocean Club was rescued by a Palm Beach County lifeguard Friday night, Yannuzzi said.
    Waves crashed over the deck at the Ocean Liner motel and apartments sending debris onto Old Ocean Boulevard.
    “These are the highest waves and surge I’ve ever seen since I’ve been here, including [Hurricanes] Frances and Jeanne in 2004,” said Yannuzzi, who has worked in the south county for 32 years.
    Briny Breezes: High tides breached the mobile home park’s Intracoastal seawall, scouring sand and lawn from behind the retaining walls, said Briny Breezes Inc. President Mike Gut. Many residents lost cable television but he was not aware of any loss of electricity.
    Gulf Stream: Some oceanfront parking lots and patios flooded during high tides and some pools had sand deposits, said Gulf Stream Town Clerk Rita Taylor but no structural damage was reported.
    Delray Beach: Streets off A1A flooded, especially north of Linton Boulevard, leaving standing water for hours and forcing some residents to wade out of the neighborhood.
    Bride Kaylee McClure and Jean Forim were nearly washed to sea when a huge wave interrupted their wedding vows on the Delray Beach waterfront.
    “I was just saying ‘In the eyes of God’ and whoomp, we got swamped,” said Mitchell Cohen, who was officiating at the beachfront wedding.  “He’s pretty powerful. We felt his fury.”
    The newlyweds took it as a good omen. “Once the ceremony ended, another wave came in and nearly swept her off her feet,” said groom Forim. The couple was facing the beach and didn’t see the breaker coming. The tiny ring bearer and the flower girl were doused.
    “We took it in a positive way. “The ocean was blessing us, washing us off,” Forim said.
    The newlyweds took no more chances with storm Sandy. They are honeymooning in Seattle.
        Highland Beach: Beach erosion was extensive and town officials called in state Department of Environmental Regulation representatives to inspect the damage, said Zoie Burgess, assistant to the town manager.
A police officer investigating a possible drowning during rough seas was slightly injured when a wave washed the ground out from under him. The drowning was unfounded.
During a workshop meeting Oct. 30, Highland Beach commissioners discussed declaring a state of emergency to help expedite state and town permitting so repairs could begin immediately. The commissioners also showed support for waving permitting fees for repairs cause by the storm.
Residents expressed concern that additional property damage could occur if repairs were not made quickly.
“It is gut wrenching to see the tide come up and take a piece of your property,” resident Al Giachetti told commissioners.
    Boca Raton: “We know we had some significant beach erosion,” Assistant City Manager Mike Woika said. “Our storm damage was pretty much contained to the beach.”
Storm erosion did force lifeguards at Red Reef and beaches south of Palmetto Park Road to work out of temporary locations (tents and picnic cabanas) when the steps to their guard towers washed away.

Mary Kate Leming and Rich Pollack contributed to this story

Wendy Greenhut with a photo of her daughter, Jamie. When not busy with her foundation work, Greenhut is an actress with a part in the independent film Callous, which premiered last month at the Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival. She also enjoys photography and painting with acrylics. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Suzanna Mahler

    When it comes to the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation of America’s Florida chapter, Wendy Greenhut goes the extra mile. The coastal Delray Beach resident was recently elected to serve on the organization’s board of directors.
    “It’s a big honor,” said Greenhut, 46. “This position allows me to increase awareness within the community as well as create new ways to get the word out.”
    Six years ago, Greenhut’s 19-year-old daughter, Jamie, was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease that affects the lining of the colon and the rectum.
    At age 17, Jamie spent several weeks at the Cleveland Clinic in Weston, where she had numerous surgeries, including one in which her entire colon was removed. That was about the time Wendy started to volunteer with CCFA.
    “The Cleveland Clinic is a phenomenal facility,” said Greenhut. “My daughter lived four years of her life being sick constantly. Her colon was diseased from end to end. If she wouldn’t have gotten the surgery, she’d have stayed sick for life.
    “I formed a ‘mom committee’ with other mothers at the clinic, and that made me realize just how important it is to have a support system when you’re going through something like this.”
    Jamie’s surgery has saved the teenager’s life and her livelihood. She is a freshman at the Savannah College of Art and Design.
    “My entire outlook on life has changed,” Jamie said. “Because I’m healthy and able to do what I want to do without worry, I’m a much happier and more positive person. It’s definitely changed me for the better and has enhanced my way of living.”
    Like her mother, Jamie devotes her time to creating awareness through her blog: http://nocolon-noproblem.blogspot.com.
    “I don’t blog as often as I’d like, because college has taken up almost all of my time, but it helps me reach out to others who have nobody to go to for guidance. I didn’t have anybody who had been through the surgery to help me along, so it’s nice to be that person for somebody else.”
    Thanks to this mother/daughter team, many people living with this disease don’t have to feel alone anymore. Greenhut is chairing an event for CCFA called “Take Steps Walk.” The fundraiser is scheduled for Nov. 10 at CityPlace in West Palm Beach.
    Greenhut’s husband, Doug, owner of a Delray Beach-based business called The Book Company, plans to walk with her. They’ve named their team We’ve Got Guts.
    “Wendy and her family have been instrumental in raising thousands of dollars for the foundation as well as creating more awareness about our mission and how the foundation is serving the 94,000 people in the state of Florida living with these diseases,” said Amy Gray, executive director of the foundation’s Florida
Chapter.                           

If You Go
The Take Steps Walk is a fundraiser for Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America. Free for spectators, the walk raises money to aid the more than 1.4 million Americans affected by digestive diseases.     
Time:  3-5 p.m. Nov. 10
Location: CityPlace, 700 S. Rosemary Ave., West Palm Beach.                               
Information: 218-2929, or www.ccfa.org/chapters/florida/       

To clarify the October Coastal Star article on the Atlantic Plaza II project:
Edwards Companies and local private equity firm CDS International Holdings, owned by Carl DeSantis, are joint venture partners on the Atlantic Plaza II project. Mike Covelli of Covelli Design Associates and local developer Bill Morris are consultants on the development team.

By Tim Pallesen
    
County and municipal officials are warning voters to brace for higher property taxes if they approve tax breaks for homes that don’t have tax exemptions now.
    Amendment Four on the Nov. 6 ballot would give property tax exemptions to snowbirds, first-time home buyers and owners of rental property.
    Coastal communities are most concerned about the reduction in tax revenue from their many winter homes.
    County government would lose $80 million over four years if voters approve the amendment to the state constitution.
    “I think the Board of County Commissioners would end up raising the tax rate on all property owners to make up for the shortfall,” County Administrator Bob Weisman said.
    Coastal communities don’t know potential losses yet. But the League of Cities, which is urging voters to reject Amendment Four, says all towns would have to cut services or raise taxes.
    “Just when the housing market looks like it is stabilizing, we have these exemptions. It could be the death knell,” said Richard Radcliffe, executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities.
    Amendment Four was intended to boost Florida ’s lagging real-estate sales when legislators put it on the ballot in 2011 as an incentive for first-time home buyers. Sales have picked up since then.
    Local governments have been cutting their budgets since the economic downturn caused a drop in property values and tax revenues three years ago. They say they can’t cut anymore.
    “We’ve cut, cut, cut for three years. We don’t have any other place to cut except personnel,” Ocean Ridge Town Manager Ken Schenck said.
    “Everyone is running on fumes,” Radcliffe said. “How do they expect us to keep pace?”
    Snowbirds who own primary residences up north account for 40 percent of Ocean Ridge’s residential properties.
    “Tax breaks for non-homesteaded residents have the potential for a good-sized effect on our income,” Schenck said. “If they cut our income, the only option would be to raise the millage.”
    More than half of the homes in Gulf Stream are owned by snowbirds who would qualify for the new exemption to save taxes.
“We would lose several hundred thousand dollars over four years,” Town Manager Bill Thrasher estimated. “Homeowners who are homesteaded now would be required to shore up that shortfall.”   
    Water rates would have to be increased to compensate for lost revenue in Briny Breezes, where snowbirds own the majority of homes, Mayor Roger Bennett said. “We don’t want to do that,” Bennett said.
    Amendment Four would take $1.2 billion over three years statewide from Florida counties and cities if voters approve it.
    The exemptions would be a shift from past years when tax breaks favored year-round Florida residents.
The Save Our Homes amendment in 1992 granted homestead exemptions to protect long-time homeowners who were being taxed out of their homes because of increasing home values.
    Now, the tax burden would shift back to those owners of homesteaded property, county and city officials agree.
    “Tax exemptions historically had impact on long-term residents,” Weisman said. “These new exemptions say forget about those people.”
    Florida Realtors, the group behind Amendment Four, has spent $3 million in a campaign to get the referendum passed.
    John Sebree, the group’s president, counters that the new exemptions would “smooth out our system and make it more fair” while boosting the economy.         

For information on all the amendments on the November 6 ballot, go to www.thefloridavoter.org

What do the town of Gulf Stream and cities such as Wellington, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Boca Raton have in common?
    Location. Location. Location.
    They’re all part of PBC Interactive, Palm Beach County’s newest website to connect business people and developers hungry for new sites with just the right location in just the right town.
    Jupiter, Royal Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Boynton Beach and Juno Beach are also among those hungry to find business matches to keep their economic engines rumbling.
    The site includes zoning, land-use designations and real-time, parcel-based data to make match-making a snap.
    So why is Gulf Stream — with no commercial zoning and no businesses in town — on the site? If the other cities use the site to attract business, Gulf Stream is the opposite.
    “This makes it clear that if you want to start a business in Gulf Stream, you need not apply,” said Town Manager William Thrasher.  
    The idea is, if you check out Gulf Stream as a likely place for a neighborhood dry cleaners, forget it.
    “It will rule out the possibility of any commercial activity,” Thrasher said.
         — Tim O’Meilia

    Voters will decide whether to amend Delray Beach’s Charter in the March 12 election after the City Commission approved four of five changes recommended by the Charter Review Committee.
    The proposed amendments: clarify language to make the charter easier to read; change the length of term for mayor and commissioners from two to three years with a six-year  limit; allow a commissioner who assumes the post of mayor to serve six years in the latter capacity, even if he or she has already served six years as a commissioner; and allow the city manager’s salary to be reduced during his or her term of employment.
    A fifth proposal was denied and won’t appear on the ballot in the spring. That proposal would have allowed a city manager to be removed from office by a vote of 3-2, rather than the 4-1 vote currently required.      —  Margie Plunkett

Construction has been under way at the Marriott Delray Beach to add eight new two-story cabana suites built around a pool near the resort’s spa. In later phases of the expansion, approved in 2008, the Marriott’s restaurant will be brought out to Atlantic Avenue and retail will be added, according to architect Gary Eliopoulos. The cabanas, expected to be completed by about February, have up to two or three bedrooms, kitchenettes and living rooms.
Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Tim O’Meilia
    
The first of six homes to be carved from the old Spence estate was approved unanimously by Gulf Stream town commissioners Oct. 12 without a whisper of complaint from nearby neighbors.
    The site plan for Lot 3 along North Ocean Boulevard includes a 9,200-square-foot, partial two-story, Bermuda-style home with a three-car garage and a swimming pool. A carriage house will sit atop the garage and will be connected with the main house by a breezeway.
    It will be the first house built in the new Harbor View Estates by Seaside Builders following prolonged discussions over the fate of the 6-acre estate.
    While neighbors in Hidden Harbor complained at a September Architectural Review and Planning Board meeting about the vegetation buffer, drainage and wall around the new subdivision, no one appeared at the commission meeting.
    “It should be acknowledged that no public comment was made at the meeting, and we must therefore assume that the community was satisfied,” said Commissioner Bob Ganger.
    Harbor View Estates architect Richard Jones said two more site plans will be presented to the commission in November and promised a variation in the design of the homes.
    In other business, commissioners postponed a decision on replacing 85 street lights until they learn whether the state Department of Transportation will reimburse the town for meeting state road lighting standards.
    Town Engineer Danny Brannon estimated that a 10-year agreement with FPL for the current yellow-hued, high-pressure sodium vapor lights would cost $117,000, including installation, maintenance and power costs but no upfront cost.
    Long-life LED lights, which emit a white light, have lower power costs but would cost $208,000 to install and $30,000 more over the life of the lamps. The town would be responsible for maintenance.
    Brannon recommended the FPL-installed lights. “You don’t have to deal with upfront money, and you don’t have to pay upkeep,” he said.
    Commissioners also approved spending up to $25,000 for accounting software to upgrade the more than decade-old software that is being phased out.    

By Margie Plunkett
    
Atlantic Plaza II, a $200 million mixed use development west of the Intracoastal Waterway, and a separate shopping center project at Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway came before the Planning and Zoning Board in October — accompanied by a crowd of residents anxious about what changes could be in store for the city and their homes.
    The Board ultimately approved both requests by 4-3 votes and moved them to the next step — Commission, but not before lengthy discussions wore into the night.
    Both projects were scheduled on Commission’s Nov. 6 — Election Day — meeting, prompting residents to push for the meeting or both the issues to be rescheduled.
As of Oct. 30, City Clerk Chevelle Nubin said the items could not be reset because they had been advertised.
    If not rescheduled, commissioners have the option, if they wish, at the Nov. 6 meeting to continue the Atlantic Plaza issue, a conditional use request. The Delray Place item is a first reading, which, if approved Nov. 6, would have a second reading and public hearing at Commission’s Dec. 11 meeting.
At press time the meeting agenda had not yet been set. Residents can watch for any agenda changes at www.mydelraybeach.com.
    Atlantic Plaza II, which lost some interested residents when unrelated earlier discussions at October’s Planning and Zoning meeting pushed it later into the evening, had returned to the board to talk about incorporating resident and board comments from the September meeting.
    The project abuts Veterans Park and asked for density greater than the city permits, with 50 residential units per acre as compared with the allowed 30 units. The 442-residential-unit project, with common areas and pools for residents, featured three- to five-story buildings and also asked for relief from height restrictions.
    The development is planned with 82,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space as well as 80,000 square feet of class A office space.
    Jeff Edwards of developer Edwards Companies showed renderings to describe what pedestrians would see from the ground, in an attempt to mitigate building height. “Some of you would say, ‘You’ve obscured all the big buildings with trees.’ I’d say that’s exactly right,” Edwards said.
    The developer made concessions on height, moving five-story buildings that overlooked the park to the other side of the project at Atlantic near the Intracoastal, encouraging thanks from some residents at the public hearing. Residents also remained concerned that the residential density would cause traffic, drainage and other problems.
    In addition, Edwards moved pools out of a central common area, creating a space for the public rather than limiting it to the development’s residents. And the developer will also contribute $150,000 to buy a downtown trolley.
    “These developers have really listened and made the changes requested,” said Christina Morrison a Realtor and unsuccesful city commission candidate. She remained concerned, however, about the density and asked particularly about the truck traffic in and out of the development.
    “We would be putting a lot of people, traffic and cars in the middle of town,” said Bob Ganger of the Florida Coalition for Preservation in Delray Beach. “I’d much prefer design that came in with more open space. This is a dense area. I think the density could be reduced back to what was originally approved.”
    Another resident, Jack Malone, said the development isn’t in keeping with the character of the town. “The project is out of scale for our town,” he said. “We’re a fun, small town — it’s what gives our town the vibe that we have. This overwhelms our town.”
    The board approved height and density requests for Atlantic Plaza II, on the condition that at least one building be LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. The Board is advisory;  it makes recommendations to the commission.
    In the separate Delray Place development, just west of the Intracoastal on the southeast corner of Linton Boulevard and Federal Highway, the developer, Retail Property Group Inc., requested a zoning change to allow a commercial shopping center — a departure from the office space previously allowed for the site.
 While the board had issues with the site plan, it voted to recommend the zoning change.
    The center would feature both retail and restaurants. And while some residents of the neighboring Tropic Isles waterfront community were excited to have a center they could reach by foot or bike, others protested that the back of the center and a row of restaurants were only a few yards from their homes and would change their lifestyle as well as their property values.
    Economic development officials spoke in favor of the project. “We’re in a process of revamping and revitalizing certain sections of the community,” said Economic Development Director Vin Nolan. “This is a spot that should be commercial retail.”
    Resident Michael Young was concerned that there would be “delivery trucks right outside my front doors.” He and other residents decried the route of the truck traffic, which would have to cross a lane of traffic to exit left on one side of the center. And on the other side, the trucks would have to make a U-turn to enter.
    Sherri Crichton and her mother spoke on behalf of her brother against the shopping center plan. Crichton said her brother lost his voice to ALS. “My family grew up in Tropic Isle. It’s an incredible place. You’re here in multimillion homes on the canals. It feels like a piece of bliss. To think that you’d have to close your windows and stay inside.”
    Days after the meeting, resident groups continued a push for cancellation of the Election Day commission meeting or delay of the two items, noting that both items would generate lengthy discussions and a repeat of the late night Planning and Zoning meeting.
    “It is clear to us that a strong majority of affected residents have concerns about (Atlantic Plaza II) that need to be vetted personally and directly to our elected officials,” wrote Ganger and Kristine de Haseth in a letter to Commission from the Florida Coalition for Preservation.
    The Coalition further asked commissioners to “take your time and carefully consider both immediate and longer term implications of the core decision you face — whether to increase project density at the very center of the Atlantic Avenue Downtown Corridor.”
A group of about 50 residents, including from the neighboring Barr Terrace condominium, met Oct. 30, listening to remarks on Atlantic Plaza by mayoral candidate and former Planning and Zoning Chairman Cary Glickstein, amoung others, according to John Pappas.
Many had attended both Planning and Zoning meetings about Atlantic Plaza. The outraged neighbors felt like they were being left out of the process, Pappas said. They feared the city will proceed with a project that will have long-term negative effects without doing due diligence, he added.
“Residents were very upset to learn that the next important meeting by the city commission is to be held on election night when residents would prefer to stay home and watch the returns,” Pappas said. “Everyone had questions concerning traffic, parking, and how it will affect the surrounding neighborhoods. They feel like they are being railroaded and this project is on a fast track. Most important they feel as if City Hall is not listening.”
The residents weren’t alone in drumming up support for their view.
Developer Bill Morris, who works on behalf of developers Carl DeSantis of CDS International and the Edwards Companies circulated an email asking supporters to come to the Nov. 6 commission meeting.
“Having supporters present will be crucial,” the email said. “We have been meeting with the neighboring homeowner groups to share facts, do our best to address concerns, and stress the importance of the project to enhance the vibrancy and sustainability of our Village by the Sea.”        

Atlantic Plaza II as it would appear at the corner of East Atlantic Avenue and Northeast Sixth Avenue.  Rendering provided

The Chamber of Commerce will relocate from the old library site on Southeast Fourth Avenue so that the Community Redevelopment Agency can sell the property, appraised at $2.6 million, for development. Commission consensus supports the move.
    The CRA board voted earlier to give the city $315,450 to help move the chamber to a new location, possibly in the commercial spaces of Old School Square Garage, according to documents filed with the city.
— Margie Plunkett

Palm Beach County towns and other agencies tallied $7.5 million in damage and cleanup costs when Tropical Storm Isaac’s feeder bands tarried too long in August.
    Last month, federal disaster officials agreed to reimburse local governments for 75 percent of their disaster costs.
    Former Briny Breezes Mayor Jack Lee says Briny ought to get in line for a slice of the aid.
    The seawall along Mallard Drive pulled away from the land behind it, allowing water to flow on both sides of the wall during Isaac’s visit, Lee said.
    “Isaac started it. Why shouldn’t we get reimbursed for it?” he asked the Town Council.
    Town Attorney Jerome Skrandel promised to look into it.
    One sticking point may be that the town doesn’t own the seawall and isn’t repairing it anyway. The seawall belongs to the corporation that owns the town. The disaster relief is only for governmental bodies.
    Parts of the seawall on South Heron Drive buckled as well. Corporation President Mike Gut said repairs have begun on both seawalls.
    “My family’s owned a lot on Mallard since 1958 and we’ve never had anything like this,” Lee said. “It can’t hurt to ask.”
— Tim O’Meilia

Christopher O’Hare in his Pineapple Grove Designs factory. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Video: Firehock Memorial Reef

By Cheryl Blackerby
    
Christopher O’Hare first started worrying about the fish in Lake Worth Lagoon when he moved to Ocean Ridge in 1992 and saw the sea walls that had replaced the native mangroves that grew at water’s edge.
    “Mangroves provide ideal habitats for fish. It’s one of the big issues facing environmental management of Lake Worth Lagoon,” O’Hare said.
    The mangrove’s long, tangled roots reach through shallow water, creating crucial nursery areas for fish and shellfish, as well as food for a variety of marine life, including snook, snapper, tarpon, jack, oysters and shrimp.
    Twenty years of research later, O’Hare, 58, has perfected his Reef Cells modules, intricately designed cast-stone (a concrete) artificial reefs.
    His fourth reef, south of Phil Foster Park and the Blue Heron Bridge, was installed in August in 6 to 10 feet of crystal-clear water. Six of his reef modules — each 5 feet by 8 feet by 4 feet  and weighing 2 tons — were placed in a line of limestone boulders.
    The 800-foot-long snorkel trail already is popular with divers — and fish.
    O’Hare, a sculptor who now lives in Gulf Stream, is owner of Pineapple Grove Designs, which makes architectural art in cast stone for clients ranging from the Department of Defense to Notre Dame and Princeton universities.  
    It was natural for him to turn his experience with concrete and sculpture to underwater habitats for fish. His cast-stone reefs are a labyrinth of tunnels, half bowls, small and large cavities, and ledges that accommodate a wide variety of fish and mollusks.
    “Fish are curious, and there were fish on the reef within a matter of four hours — a lot of lobster, snapper, snook, grunts, little blowfish, and parrotfish that nibble on the reef surface,” he said.
    He studied marine life and habitats to determine the right materials for the reef, which he found to include silica sand and calcium carbonate, the same materials in seashells.
    “It’s super-tough and will grow as coral attaches to it, and last as long as a natural reef,” O’Hare said.
    Fish have vastly different house preferences, so there are no one-size-fits-all reefs.
    “We had to find out what different species of fish require as far as shapes for that fish to survive. Sharks and barracudas are basically comfortable in the open ocean. Mollusks need a surface they can attach to, plus light and a water current to deliver food,” he said.
    Goliath grouper, which are around 400 pounds when mature, would need a very large cavity to back into. Some fish like to have a back door — if there’s a threat they can escape.
    “But a moray eel doesn’t want something to come from behind,” he said. “The general theory is to provide as much variety as possible and see what shows up.”
    O’Hare’s first reef was the Firehock Memorial Reef, a tribute to firefighter Peter Firehock, founder of the Delray Beach Fire-Rescue Dive Team. Firehock was killed in December 2001 by a hit-and-run driver as he was bicycling in Boynton Beach. The second reef is in 30 feet of water due east of the Boynton Inlet, and the third is near the end of the pier on the northeast corner of Peanut Island.
    O’Hare’s four artificial reefs were installed with the help of Jim Vance of Vance Construction, the chief marine contractor for Palm Beach County, and Carman Vare of the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management. Paul Fitzgerald of Pinnacle Group International is planning to attach live corals to the Reef Cells to quicken colonization of the artificial reef.
    “Everything we’ve done has been volunteered and donated,” O’Hare said. “We hope to teach people around the world how to build these habitats with materials they have at hand.”

The artificial reef (left) was designed by O’Hare and placed near the Boynton Inlet. Six months later,  it is a thriving eco-system for marine life, at left.
Photos provided

Local dive-boat operators have been busy booking trips to dive sites where large schools of goliath groupers can be found. © 2012, John J. Lopinot, www.johnjlopinot.com

By Cheryl Blackerby
    
Divers from around the world have been booking trips to local reefs to see a fish that’s hard to miss, the giant goliath grouper.  
    The goliaths are big — up to 8 feet long and 800 pounds — and have been showing up for their annual spawn in groups of 100 or more, giving enthralling underwater shows that have kept dive boats busy.
    “They’re all over the place, particularly on the ledges of the reefs and wrecks. We’ve seen a big increase just in the last five years,” said Capt. Tony Coulter, owner of Sun Star Aquatic Services and the dive boat Diversity in Boca Raton. He says his divers see at least a few on most trips to nearby reefs year-round, not just during spawning season from July through October.
    The sightings have been even more exciting in the past few years because the big fish were nearly wiped out by overfishing in the 1980s. The goliath grouper is recognized as a critically endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, which estimate that at least 80 percent of the goliath population was lost.
    These gentle giants are easy prey for fishermen because they are creatures of habit and not easily spooked. The goliath is well-known for staying perfectly still, watching curiously as a spear fisherman comes close and takes aim.
    All fishing of goliath groupers was banned in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and the U.S. Atlantic by emergency rule in 1990 and prohibited in Caribbean waters in 1991. The groupers have made a slow rebound, making marine biologists cautiously optimistic.
    “The fisheries have been closed since 1990, and there’s definitely been a positive effect, although it has been pretty gradual. We have multiple research projects going on to evaluate how they’re doing,” said Angela Collins, fisheries biologist at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg, and principal investigator for the Goliath Grouper Cooperative Research Project.
    The recovery of the goliaths has been slow due to its long life span and low reproductive rate. But anecdotal reports from divers suggest populations are increasing in U.S. waters, according to the fisheries service report.
    “I remember seeing dead ones brought in by fishermen on the docks, and very few on the reefs. And now it’s awesome to see them back on the reefs,” said Lynn Simmons, owner of Splashdown Divers in Boynton Beach. A boat captain with a degree in marine biology, Simmons has been taking divers out to the reefs east of Boynton Beach since 1973 and has witnessed their near-disappearance in the 1980s and  their steady recovery.
    “It’s hard to describe an 800-pound fish that pretty much owns their piece of the ocean,” she said.
    The groupers have been particularly abundant at three wrecks less than a nautical mile offshore due east of Boynton Beach, said Bill McKissock, who owns and runs Dolphin Sun Dive Charters at Sportsman’s Park Marina in Lantana. The 258-foot-long Castor, a Dutch cargo ship, sits in 115 feet of water; the 167-foot Captain Tony, a Dutch freighter, is 85 feet deep; and the 169-foot Budweiser Barge is 95 feet underwater.
    “We’re taking trips just for people who want to see the goliath grouper. This (spawning) happens every year from July to October. It’s a very cool event. We had a diver on the boat who has been diving for close to 40 years, and he said he will be putting it on his calendar for next year, it was one of the most amazing things he’s ever seen,” McKissock said.
    The goliaths delight divers because the fish seem to be as curious about them as divers are about the fish. “They don’t spook very easily,” McKissock said. “If you weighed 600 or 700 pounds, you wouldn’t, either. They will follow groups of divers to see if you’re doing any spearfishing, and they’ll try to take your lobster or speared fish away from you.”
    But the fish can startle divers with loud booms that send vibrations through the water. “It sounds like someone stomping on a deck above you,” said McKissock. “They will also make the loud booms if divers get too close.”
    Even though divers are seeing more goliaths, they shouldn’t get too confident about their recovery.
    “It is probable that low-level harvest of this species continues by poaching and mortality upon release following accidental capture as a result of barotrauma,” states an IUCN assessment report. “As a result, high uncertainty is associated with any predictions for recovery of the species.”  

Super groupers
Goliath grouper researcher Angela Collins gives us the facts about the giant fish:
Goliath groupers can be as long as 8 feet and can weigh more than 800 pounds. The world record for a goliath is 8.2 feet.
They are mottled brown or olive, and they can change color, sometimes blanching and becoming pale.
The oldest grouper validated was 37 years old, but biologists believe they can live into their 50s.
It’s one of the world’s largest fish and is the second-largest grouper species (the largest lives in the Pacific).
The fish spawn from July to October, and will travel as far as 100 miles to their annual spawning area.
They spawn in groups of 100 or more.
They live in the shallow reefs off the east coast of Florida and the southwest coast of Florida, which provide very good nursery habitat with shallow mangrove estuaries. They also live throughout the Caribbean.
The goliath grouper is very approachable, curious and not easily frightened. 

By Tim O’Meilia

    After two years of negotiating, the town of South Palm Beach and its new five-member police union agreed on their first three-year contract, which gives officers a $1,500 bonus in the first year.
    On the cusp of imposing a one-year contract because of lack of an agreement, Town Council members and the police worked out the longer-term deal during a five-hour session Oct. 22.
    The union had sought a 1 percent increase to members’ base pay and then increased the demand to add a lump-sum 1 percent payment when the contract was ratified. The town had agreed to the 1 percent but didn’t want to increase the base pay because of the town’s financial uncertainty.
    Town Council members said they were sympathetic to the police but pointed to the loss of 40 percent of  the town’s tax base since 2008. No town employees have received a raise in four years.
    The rate of base pay is significant, because it’s used to calculate an employee’s future pension benefits.
    South Palm Beach Police Officer Mark McKirchy, the union representative, said council members persuaded him and the other three officers at the meeting (the fifth was on duty) that the council would consider base pay increases in the future.
    “We didn’t want to start with no base pay increase. We haven’t had a raise in four years, and three more years would be seven years,” McKirchy said. “We were willing to forgo any kind of raise, but they found money for a stipend, so our fear was that was the way it was going to be in the future,” he said. “We felt that they listened to us.” Under the proposed contract, the police would receive another $1,000 the second year or the right to reopen talks over wages. The increases would not be applied to their base pay.
    The union members must ratify the new contract by a majority vote and the Town Council then must approve it before the agreement is final, perhaps in November. McKirchy said his fellow officers would ratify the deal.
    Although the officers voted to unionize in October 2010, negotiations dragged on for two years before the sides declared an impasse. A special magistrate’s hearing resolved some issues but seven remained, forcing the Town Council to consider imposing a contract, as required by state law.
    “Ultimately this is about a difference in philosophy,” said Police Benevolent Association attorney Gary Lippman, representing the five officers. “You’ve expended about $40,000 in legal fees fighting these officers for $229 per month. Not per officer, but total per month.”
    Jeffrey Pheterson, the town’s union attorney, said the first contract was critical because it sets the basis for all future contracts.
    Four of the issues were agreed to relatively quickly during the Oct. 22 meeting. Besides wages, the sides could not agree immediately on shift assignment and arbitration procedures.
    “It’s not Mayberry and Barney Fife hasn’t turned into a Bolshevik here,” Lippman said. “These are relatively modest requests.”
    The union wanted the permanent 12-hour shifts to be assigned based on seniority with the department. Town officials wanted to preserve the chief’s right to switch to rotating shifts.
    “The chief already takes it personally that there’s a union,” said PBA negotiator Vinnie Gray. “The officers have a well-founded fear that he may overstep his bounds and do shift changes.”
    Currently, officers said they agree on the shifts and the police chief signs off on them.
    “My philosophy is I don’t care who works what shift as long as the shift is covered,” Police Chief Roger Crane said.
    Finally, the sides agreed that the officers could work out the shifts and seniority would prevail if an agreement couldn’t be made. The chief retains the right to make reasonable shift changes.
    The union accepted the town’s insistence that the arbitrator of a grievance could uphold or deny a management ruling on disciplinary issues but could not alter the punishment.
    “Apparently there’s been some bad blood,” Vice Mayor Joseph Flagello said of relations between Crane and the union. “At least that’s what I’m hearing. I hope that diminishes with this contract.”              

Marsha Love is a descendant of Delray Beach pioneers. She will participate in the Delray Beach Historical Society’s ‘Christmas at Cason Cottage: A Designer Showcase House.’
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star 

When it comes to local pedigree, few can compete with Marsha Love of coastal Delray Beach.
    Her great-uncle was the area’s first physician, arriving in 1905. Her grandfather was Delray’s first registered pharmacist, establishing the long-running Love’s Drugs. Her great-grandfather, a minister, came out of retirement in the late 1920s to help rebuild a hurricane-damaged church that was later renamed in his honor: Cason Memorial Methodist Church.
    Love’s roots run so deep in Delray Beach, her childhood memories may seem surreal to those of us transplanted from elsewhere.
    “I went to elementary school in the building that’s now the Cornell Museum at Old School Square,” Love said. “When I was in school there, my great-grandparents’ house was across the street to the north, my grandparents’ house was just across the street to the west, and two of the family drugstores were a couple of blocks away. Oh, and my great-uncle Van’s house was on the corner, which is now DaDa Restaurant.”
    When not in school, young Marsha would often play around in the original Love’s Drugs, located at the corner of Northeast Fourth Avenue and Atlantic Avenue (now the site of a bank).
    “I used to climb up in a special place and squirt the pharmacists with my squirt gun, until my father found out and made me stop,” Love said. She also used to raid the comic book section, taking copies of Katy Keene, Little Lulu, Nancy and Sluggo.
    “I thought they were free because they belonged to the drugstore. My father straightened me out by saying, ‘Honey, I am the drugstore.’ ”
    With so much of her own history intertwined with local history, Love, 67, is devoting time these days to helping the Delray Beach Historical Society raise needed operating funds.
She rejoined the board of directors last fall and started a committee to promote Cason Cottage, the restored 1924 home built by her great-grandfather that serves as the Historical Society’s headquarters and museum.
    Love’s committee has been busy planning “Christmas at Cason Cottage, a Designer Showcase House,” featuring the work of 11 local interior designers. More than just decorating the cottage for Christmas, each designer will be assigned one room to redesign in the spirit of the period from 1915 to 1935.
    A kickoff party is planned for Dec. 1, and the Designer Showcase will remain open until New Year’s Day for public viewing.
    As an additional revenue source for the Historical Society, Love has written a children’s book about a fictitious cat living at Cason Cottage. The book will be on sale for $15 during the Designer Showcase and beyond. Love says its publication was made possible through contributions from local supporters Bob Ganger, Matt Gracey, Mary Ellen Cook, Charles and Priscilla Hardiman and Bob Currie, a local architect who sketched the book’s illustrations for free.
    “Our mission is simple: to raise awareness of Cason Cottage and raise money to keep our Historical Society going,” she said.
— Paula Detwiller

    Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
    A. At the time I was born, there was no hospital in Delray Beach, so I entered our world in West Palm Beach. However, I grew up in Delray as part of the fourth generation of my family to live here.
On my mother’s side I am a sixth-generation Floridian, since her ancestors were living in the Jacksonville area before Florida became a state in 1845. I graduated from Seacrest High School, and then earned a B.A. in English from Florida State University, an M.A. in student personnel administration from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and an interior design degree from the New York School of Interior Design.
I also took graduate courses at the University of South Carolina, where I studied under Dr. Ennis Rees, who later became poet laureate of South Carolina, and he influenced my desire to write.
    I’m sure that living in Delray, surrounded by grandparents, aunts, uncles, great-aunts and uncles, and cousins taught me to appreciate family and the joys of living in a small town where everyone knew everyone else. It also caused me to become accustomed to lots of light and to being near the sea. I feel landlocked when I am in a place that isn’t near the ocean.
    
Q. How/when did you become involved in the Delray Beach Historical Society?
A. I don’t remember the exact year that I became involved with the historical society, but I believe I was first appointed to the board in the 1970s after I returned to the area from graduate school. I later became president of the society in 1986 after my stint as president of the Junior League of Boca Raton, and was on the board for many years prior to that.
    
Q. Tell us about your book.
A. My children’s book, The Cat at Cason Cottage, is essentially historical fiction combined with a ghost story, targeting 5- to 8-year-olds. In the book, Clarabelle, a lonely little marmalade cat who lives at the Cason Cottage Museum in Delray Beach, wants nothing more than to belong to a person who loves her. The story unfolds as members of the Cason family appear nightly to Clarabelle as spirits and tell her about their lives when they resided in South Florida.
    
Q. Have you had other careers (or hobbies)? What were the highlights?
    A. I have always admired the brilliance and versatility of Thomas Jefferson. His ability to do many things well made me want to try to emulate him, so I have had — and continue to have — several careers.
    I was assistant dean for student affairs at Florida Atlantic University for 10 years, which gave me a great deal of administrative experience.
Wanting more contact with students, though, led me to follow several other courses simultaneously, which I still pursue today. I am currently adjunct professor of English at Palm Beach State College, an ex-designer with Tulane Kidd Interiors, and a writer of children’s books and adult essays. I also have an online proofreading and editing service.
    Needless to say, between these things and volunteer work, I don’t have much free time! When I do, I love to read, travel, entertain, study art history and do genealogical research.
    
Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
    A. I have had many, many mentors. My parents mentored me into believing that I could do anything. (Fortunately, I believed them.)
Jean Wells, national president of my sorority and a board member of the High Museum of Art in Atlanta, taught me the importance of volunteering. Dr. Doris Seward, assistant to the president of Penn State University, mentored me in my choice of profession.
Imogene Lane, dear friend of 25 years, has helped me in how to deal with life’s adversities. I am exceedingly grateful for these and many others who encouraged my writing, including Phyllis McGinley, Pulitzer prize-winning poet, and Catherine Marshall, author of A Man Called Peter.   
    
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Delray Beach?
    A. I love being in familiar surroundings and seeing people I’ve known for years frequently. Old friendships sweeten life immensely. It’s also nice to live in a small town with access to the benefits of a cosmopolitan city.

    Q. What book are you reading now?
    A. The Flight of Gemma Hardy, by Margot Livesey. I read about a book a week on average.
    
Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax?
    A. I am a fossil when it comes to music. I love show tunes, Sousa marches, Viennese waltzes and classical. I find Bach extremely relaxing and Tchaikovsky and Beethoven inspiring.
    
Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
    A. Meryl Streep. Her acting ability is, in my opinion, incomparable. Besides, we shop at the same store in Williamstown, Mass.: The Library!
    
Q. Who/what makes you laugh?
    A. I think Will Ferrell is one of the funniest people on the planet. When he imitates “Dubya,” I go into hysterics. 

If You Go
‘Christmas at Cason Cottage, a Designer Showcase House’
Cason Cottage Museum, 5 N.E. First St., Delray Beach
Proceeds benefit projects of the Delray Beach Historical Society
Cocktail party kickoff:
6:30 p.m. Dec. 1,
$75 per person

Showcase House self-tours: open through New Year’s Day
$15 per person
Hours: Sunday, Dec. 2, noon to 4 p.m.
Tuesdays -Thursdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fridays, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Closed Christmas Day and New Year’s Eve
Final day: Jan. 1, 2013 — noon to 4 p.m.

Participating designers:
Virginia Courtenay and Hazel McGuire, Virginia Courtenay Interiors, Delray Beach
Gus Martinez and Marsha Love, Tulane Kidd Interiors, Boca Raton
Annette Smith and Karen MacClaren, AES Interiors & Associates, Delray Beach
Kim Baguley, Palm Beach Portfolio, Delray Beach
Donna Sloan, Sloan & Sloan Architecture and Interior Design, Delray Beach
Rhonda Sexton, Sexton House Interiors, Delray Beach
Sharon Koskoff, The Art Deco Society of the Palm Beaches, Delray Beach
Ron Weeks, Weeks (floral design), Delray Beach

For more information and to purchase tickets:
Delray Beach Historical Society, 274-9578; www.delraybeachhistory.org

By Tim O’Meilia

    Officials of south county coastal towns fear that signing on to a regional beach management plan now in the works would cost their taxpayers money without guaranteeing any new sand on eroding beaches.
    Several environmental groups think that the plan — designed to streamline obtaining permits and treat regions as a whole instead of individually — will short-circuit their attempts to challenge projects.
    The inlet-to-inlet plan being developed by state, county and local officials initially will not include any beach rebuilding projects for the South Palm Beach-Lake Worth-Lantana-Manalapan area, but those towns will be asked to help pay for ongoing beach, hardbottom and turtle monitoring programs.
    Permanent beach monitoring would make obtaining permits from state and federal agencies quicker, but there is no guarantee projects would be approved.
    “It’s all about the costs,” Lantana Town Manager Debbie Manzo said of the monitoring. “Is it $10,000 or is it $100,000?”
    South Palm Beach Town Manager Rex Taylor echoed her concern.
    The state Department of Environmental Protection wants the four towns, Palm Beach, Palm Beach County and environmental groups to sign the agreement when its final form is agreed upon, perhaps as soon as December.
    “In concept, we think the beach management plan is a good idea, but we have no idea what the costs are going to be,” said Manalapan Town Manager Linda Stumpf.
    She also is concerned with a cost formula based on each town’s shoreline. Manalapan would be assessed for 17.2 percent of the cost for its 2.7 miles of the total 15.7 miles of beach from Lake Worth to the Boynton Inlet. Stumpf said that would be excessive.
    Stumpf said it was unlikely any beach project would be undertaken in the town, and the beaches from the Ritz-Carlton Resort south are not considered in need of repair.
     “Almost all of the beaches in Manalapan are considered private. Spending public tax dollars for private property is not very likely,” she said.
    Under the monitoring cost formula, South Palm Beach would be assessed 3.4 percent, Lantana 1 percent and Lake Worth 1.2 percent. Lake Worth has not participated in any of the discussions to develop the regional plan.
    Four of the five projects being considered in the plan are in the town of Palm Beach. The town would pay for 77.2 percent of the monitoring programs.
    Danielle Fondren, chief of the state Bureau of Beaches and Coastal Systems, acknowledged that the towns have raised concerns about the monitoring costs and the value of the plan to them.
She said officials would calculate current monitoring costs by November and estimate future expenses by December.
    Fondren said long-term monitoring would expedite developing any environmental impact studies, which are often necessary to obtain federal renourishment permits.
    Palm Beach County commissioners earlier this year killed plans for 1.3 miles of breakwaters and groins from southern Palm Beach to Manalapan over concerns about the effects on nesting sea turtles and sea grasses.
    But county commissioners later agreed to revive the issue if hard structures are not considered. Federal officials said that the environmental study is stalled for the moment; county officials said computer modeling is under way to try to develop an effective plan without using hard structures. That testing won’t be completed until March.
    County officials urged the towns to stay involved in the plan. “As long as they continue to participate, it will make life easier for projects in the future,” said Dan Bates, deputy director of Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resource Management.
    Representatives of Surf Riders and Reef and Rescue quizzed Fondren at an Oct. 11 meeting over their ability to file challenges during the permitting process.
    Fondren said there would be opportunities to question both the regional plan and also the individual plans as they are introduced.
    “They still haven’t addressed my concern on the impact of these projects to offshore reefs,” said Ed Tichenor of Reef and Rescue.
    Others complained that contractors do not monitor well the silting caused by dredge and fill projects.
    “I don’t see how streamlining a project is protecting the environment,” said Palm Beach resident Connie Gasque.                    

By Tim O’Meilia

Spurred by the fears of oceanfront residents, Manalapan Police Chief Carmen Mattox has asked Palm Beach County recreation officials to close all of Ocean Inlet Park at sunset, including the south section in neighboring Ocean Ridge.
    County Parks Director Eric Call said in a reply letter that closing the entire park “seems to be an extreme measure,” especially because the south jetty historically has been a popular spot for night fishermen.
    Call asked for a meeting among Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and parks department officials.
    Ocean Ridge and Manalapan residents have complained about crime in the park ever since budget cuts last year prompted the sheriff’s office to discontinue a permanent park ranger station at the park. Two armed robberies, two sexual assaults and two other serious crimes have occurred in the park since then, police say.
    “There is a part of the community that can’t go outside after dark with any sense of security,” said Manalapan Commissioner Donald Brennan, who has complained about beachgoers trespassing on his oceanfront property.
    The sheriff’s office has begun an extra patrol system where cruisers are dispatched to patrol the park periodically. Mattox and Ocean Ridge Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi said the additional patrols have been successful over the July Fourth and Labor Day holidays.  
    But the report of a possible gunshot or fireworks explosion has reignited fears. “I don’t think we’re well-protected,” said oceanside resident Dennis Hammond. “I don’t have the sense of confidence some of you have.”
    In his letter, Call said the gunshot incident could not be verified and said criminal activity has not increased in the park since the park ranger unit was disbanded and the sheriff’s marine unit moved.
     “It has become a hangout without a great presence of law enforcement,” Mattox told the Manalapan Town Commission at an Oct. 23 meeting.
    Under an agreement with the county sheriff’s office, Manalapan police patrol the section of the park on the north side of the Boynton Inlet, including Bird Island. That section closes at sunset.
    “We’ve put up signs, increased our ATV (all-terrain vehicle) patrol and made sure the gates are locked at 8 p.m. every night,” Mattox said.
    “I’m making it uncomfortable for underage drinking or any illegal activity,” he said. “I want to have zero events, although that’s a pie-in-the-sky wish.”
    The section of the park south of the inlet is within Ocean Ridge boundaries, and police answer emergency calls there, although primary jurisdiction remains with the sheriff’s office.
The extreme south end of the park also closes at dark, but the section of the parking lot near the boat slips and with access to the south jetty remains open.
    Call said that a county employee would be living in the park soon to offer around-the-clock supervision, but Manalapan commissioners noted he would have no arrest powers and would have to call deputies like any other citizen.
Yannuzzi said it’s unlikely that county officials will close the entire park at night because of a 1985 agreement between the town and Palm Beach County. It calls for the park hours “not to be restricted” except in the far south end.
    But the agreement also requires “adequate law enforcement” from the sheriff’s office.
    At least one oceanfront dweller thinks the complaints are overblown. “The issue has been a mountain out of a molehill,” said Manalapan Commissioner Louis DeStefano, who lives immediately north of the inlet park. “I do not feel unsafe walking on the beach at 9, 10 or 11 at night. It’s an issue of perception.”                         

By Tim Pallesen
    
Ocean Ridge residents would lose quick response to burglar alarms and 24-hour access to Town Hall if the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office takes over town policing, a new analysis shows.
    A code enforcement officer also would need to be hired, and the town would turn over $300,000 worth of cars, guns and radios to the sheriff.
    The cost comparison analysis prepared by Town Manager Ken Schenck will be presented to the Town Council on Nov. 5.
    The sheriff has offered police protection to Ocean Ridge for $1.1 million a year, compared with the $1.9 million that the town pays for its own police force now.
    But Schenck said the town would lose $289,375 in revenue if it contracts with the sheriff, so the true cost would be $1.4 million.
    “The major plus in going with the sheriff would be saving half a million dollars a year,” Schenck said. “But people say they don’t mind spending a little bit more.”
    The recalculated tax savings if Ocean Ridge goes with the sheriff would be $369 a year for the owner of a home with $500,000 in taxable value.
    Schenck’s report details services that Ocean Ridge residents would give up by losing their own police department.
    “The savings need to be weighed against the services we would lose if we contracted with the sheriff,” Schenck wrote. “There are several services and benefits that the residents presently enjoy that would be changed.”
    Town Hall with no police dispatchers on site would be open only weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Residents now can go to Town Hall both at night and on weekends to speak with a town employee.
    Sheriff’s dispatchers wouldn’t perform extra duties — such as registering pets and giving resident vehicle decals — that town dispatchers perform now. Schenck said the town would need to hire a code enforcement officer at a cost of $50,000 to perform the building inspections that town police officers do now.
    Ocean Ridge homeowners now can pay to have town police respond immediately when their home burglar alarm sounds. The sheriff would require that an alarm company call dispatchers to request a response. “This will delay response time,” Schenck wrote.
    “Some people would say these are emotional issues that have no bearing. I would disagree,” Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi said.     
    “You shouldn’t just look at the financial comparison between $1.9 million and $1.1 million,” Yannuzzi said. “You would be going from a police department that’s fully functional to one where services would have to be reduced.”                                  

By Emily J. Minor
    
DELRAY BEACH — Jack Hake didn’t have any family. No sisters, no brothers. No aunts and uncles.
    His parents, Paul and Louise, had been dead for years.
    And so, when Mr. Hake died on Oct. 9 — taken to the hospital for the recurring cancer that would eventually take his life — he could have slipped away unnoticed.
    Many men die lonely deaths.
    But Mr. Hake did not.
    John “Jack” Hake, a man born 77 years ago into Chicago privilege, never married, never had children, never knew the annoying joys of a big family holiday. But he died loved and remembered by a downtown Delray Beach community that had become his life since he moved to Florida nearly 40 years ago.
    “There was just something about him,” said Tom Gmyrek, who met Mr. Hake at a Delray Beach drinking establishment a few years back. “Jack was a great talker. He could strike up a conversation with anybody.”
    By all accounts, Mr. Hake was an affable guy — a gentleman’s gentleman — who took great care and great pride in forming these bonds in downtown Delray Beach. He lived along the Intracoastal at the Summit condominiums, right at the very end of Lowry Street. He frequented the restaurants and the bars and the shops. Merchants and residents often called him “Mayor.”
    “I think I started that,” said Michael Wirtz, an interior designer who met Mr. Hake in the 1970s. “I knew the other side of him. He was very gregarious, but he was also very private, very caring.
    “I think I was the brother he never had.”
    After moving to Delray Beach in 1974, Mr. Hake sold furniture and carpeting, often from the trunk of his Olds 98. He moved here from North Carolina to care for his ailing father, who died in 1984. His mother lived until 1999. Mr. Hake was at her side every step of the way.
    “He was a great son,” Wirtz said.
    It is a stunning accolade, to be called a great son. But at the Green Owl restaurant, the city’s venerable Atlantic Avenue breakfast joint, Mr. Hake was also a favored customer, the guy who came in every day, took a seat at the counter, ordered scrambled eggs, toast and coffee, then entertained the wait staff with funny small talk. He was an important part of the restaurant’s morning rhythm, always talking sports or politics. He loved the Miami Dolphins. He loved playing golf.
    But Mr. Hake apparently did not like grocery shopping. Most days he came back to the Green Owl for lunch.
    “I have a lot of great customers, and Jack was one of them,” said restaurant owner David Gensman. “Jack was a really cool guy.”
    And so it came to be that Mr. Hake was adored by so many everyday people. Often he forged these friendships without revealing much of himself. Still, everyone felt they knew him.
    On the day of Mr. Hake’s small funeral, the Green Owl staff went afterward to the Summit building where Mr. Hake had lived. There, in the condo’s newly decorated party room, about 50 people stood and told their favorite Jack Hake stories.
    There were plenty to choose from, but this one, about Mr. Hake’s last words, was perhaps the most outstanding.
    The Green Owl’s chief cook had been there at the hospital, paying his proper respects to Mr. Hake, when he began to make noise about getting back to work at the restaurant.
    “Any words for the girls?” he asked.
    “Tell … them … I’m … finally … getting … some … good …  service,” Mr. Hake cracked from his hospital bed.
    “That’s true,” said Wirtz.
    Not much later, Mr. Hake died — a little before noon on a Tuesday.
    “It wasn’t sad. It wasn’t painful,” Wirtz said. “It’s almost like he just floated away.”