See more photos from the Island Drive shoot.

Island Drive in Ocean Ridge became the set for the filming of a major motion picture Oct. 23. Residents (below) followed instructions to stay out of the shots while actors Jennifer Lopez and Jason Statham (left) filmed scenes from Parker, directed by Taylor Hackford.  Photos by Tim Stepien

By Jan Norris

The locals were waiting to say “welcome back” to John G’s when it reopened Sept. 10 in its new Manalapan site in Plaza del Mar, and already the restaurant is settling in.
    “Things are going so smooth,” said Wendy Yarbrough, one of the “kids” of founder John Giragos. “They are so excited to have us here. I got a beautiful bouquet from Evelyn & Arthur (dress shop) yesterday.”
    But there were anxious moments during the move, especially from brothers Keith and Jay Giragos, the cooks. “Keith for one was worried about our customers. ‘What if they don’t come back?’ or ‘What if they don’t like the new place?’”
    Their fears seem put to rest now that the famous line that forms down the sidewalk is back — with most of the diners longtime customers.
    These diners will find much that’s familiar in the former Callaro’s Steakhouse space, including the same menu served at the beach. Reupholstered chairs and freshened tables, plus lighter décor brighten the space, but there’s “John’s Room” in the front window — a few tables outfitted in the classic red leatherette, with photos of the casino restaurant and John G. himself looking over his diners.
 “Sure, we miss the ocean — who wouldn’t miss the ocean? But hey: How about that parking lot! It’s free!” she said, making reference to the meters that caused a good deal of angst for many diners on the beach.
    “I’m really pleased. It’s just been unbelievable,” she said. “I think dad would like it.”
    They’re open for breakfast and lunch, from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily. A few nights of dinner could be in the works, but for now, Yarbrough said, they’re just settling in and “doing what we know best.”
                                          ***
    John G’s arrival with its hordes of customers will have a good deal of company in its new home at Plaza del Mar.
    This month, The Gym in Manalapan, a two-story fitness facility, will open with a limited number of memberships available, according to Stephanie Young, marketing director for the plaza. The Gym is the concept of area residents Pamela and John Murphy.
    Jim O’Keefe, general manager, said the 8,700-square-feet gym features state-of-the-art exercise equipment downstairs, and a private area upstairs for one-on-one personal training, nutritional counseling and baseline testing. Yoga, Pilates and sculpt classes will be offered, and in good weather, done outside on the terrace — a quiet garden area overlooking the waterway.
    Also in the plaza, a number of clothing and accessories retailers are opening, Young said, including Sea Stallion Traders, a menswear store selling fine clothing as well as casual resort wear.
    Angela Moore, noted for its collectible beaded bracelets, bright casual dresses and hand-painted home accents and ornaments, moves into the old Evelyn and Arthur annex shop space.
    Evelyn & Arthur reopens its popular annex in triple the space of its old shop.
    A café serving lunch and dinner is planned for the center courtyard, and a live stage will feature a variety of performances by a panoply of acts, such as stage theater, Broadway and band music, and an illusionist. Entertainment is planned at least once monthly, with two night performances and one matinee scheduled.
    A grand opening is in the works for January, once the community is back, to unveil the revitalized center, Young said.
    “We’re trying to bring back the Plaza del Mar that the community told us they want — all the shopping, entertainment and restaurants,” Young said. “It’s such a beautiful plaza.”
                                          ***
    A possible trademark infringement of the name Art, Beats and Eats from Royal Oaks, Mich., helped the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative decide to change the name of its Atlantic Avenue event to On the Avenue.
    The inaugural event, scheduled for 6:30-10:30 p.m. on Oct. 6, will center on the city’s centennial celebration.
    The Centennial Committee has created a “stroll through time,” with bands representing different decades, and performers in period costumes. On each block of the avenue, vignettes will portray cultural and historic events in the city, including photo exhibits and the opening of a 1986 time capsule.
    It kicks off with a mayoral parade and cutting of a birthday cake, old-fashioned games, entertainment and a scavenger hunt.
    It’s combined with an Oktoberfest, with German music, food and beer with five restaurants set up in the center of the avenue.
    Admission is free; the Oktoberfest beers, a vodka tasting, and restaurant offerings are priced individually. Get tickets to these online at www.ontheavedelraybeach.com.
                                          ***
    Diners can get in on the trendy Dining in the Dark dinners — SoLita in Delray Beach’s Pineapple Grove is offering the blackout meals every other Wednesday (Oct. 5 and 19), or by private party booking.
    “I thought it was just a gimmick at first,” said Steven Dapuzzo, owner of SoLita. “I went to one in Fort Lauderdale at Market 17, just to see what it was about. I was really surprised. It’s really true what they say: Your food tastes different if you can’t see it before you eat it. You don’t have a preconceived notion of what you’re eating, so the flavors are much bolder and you can pick out individual tastes.”
    Diners are seated in SoLita’s lounge — totally blacked out with curtains once the meal starts. No wristwatches with lights or mobile phones are allowed. Servers wear night-vision glasses. “They look ridiculous, right?” said one.
    Once everyone notes any foods they are allergic to or can’t eat, a five-course meal is presented course by course, set on plates arranged directly in front of the guests to prevent as much spillage as possible.
    Wines are served in rocks glasses. “Stems are dicey,” Dapuzzo said. An extra napkin offered serves as a bib — a good idea, since using hands instead of forks is encouraged.
    “Chefs eat with their fingers, right?” said Anthony “Radar” Risoli, SoLita’s chef.
    Diners aren’t given a menu but encouraged to guess the foods, such as beet salad, grilled snapper or shrimp SoLita with house tartar sauce. A few “ringers” are thrown in. A night we visited, tender ostrich and chewy faro, an Italian grain, stumped most.
    With no lights, conversation flows readily among the guests — and gets silly. A soundtrack of ’70s dance music started once the room darkened. “Are we supposed to dance in the dark, too?” one wondered. “Maybe pole dancing?” another quipped.
The menu will vary, Dapuzzo said, since many Dinner in the Dark diners want to return with friends — many in our group immediately booked the next dinner. “We’ll keep it interesting,” he said.
    The dinners are $59 for five courses (a four-wine flight is $20 extra). Reservations are required; call 899-0888.
                                          ***
    Lori Durante of the Museum of Lifestyle and Fashion History is launching a monthly culinary tour to pair with her narrated bus tours of historic Delray Beach. Food enthusiasts will travel by bus and on foot to historic areas of Delray and Boynton, and make at least two restaurant stops along the way.
    “We announce the restaurants the day of the tours,” Durante said. Some of the restaurants on the list of possible visits include Gol! and the Sundy House in Delray Beach and Hurricane Alley in Boynton Beach — all three in vintage buildings.
    The three-hour tour picks up and drops visitors at the Boynton Beach Mall. They are scheduled on the third Saturday of the month at 11 a.m.; cost is $20 for adults 18 and over; children under 18 are free.
    For information, call 243-2662 or visit the website at www.delraybeachbustours.org.
                                          ***
    SpoonFed, the new farm-to-table restaurant from chef Glen Manfra, is scheduled to open early this month where his short-lived appropriately named Pop-Up was. The Atlantic Avenue restaurant, formerly the Atlantic Ocean Club, has been transformed with wood floors and tables, and opened up as a dining space. It will be open daily year-round, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner serving an American menu sourced locally when possible.
                                          ***
    Area greenmarkets return this month. The Delray GreenMarket on Fourth opens for its season Oct. 15 at its home on Southeast Fourth Street, where the road is blocked off for vendors selling fresh produce, prepared foods, vinegars, oils, handmade cheese, fish dip, golden crabs, sauces and more. Freshly made butter and raw milk, which is labeled “not for human consumption” due to USDA regulations, are available. Every week, says Lori Nolan, greenmarket director, there’s a quasi petting zoo on site, with a wide variety of live animals brought by the farmers and ranchers to show where the foods come from. Opening day will feature live entertainment and other activities. The market is free, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
                                          ***
In Lake Worth, the renamed Lake Worth Farmer’s Market, Waterside returns to the Intracoastal location Oct. 15 at the northeastern foot of the Lake Worth bridge. Director Peter Robinson has a number of special events planned for the market, including several market brunches, to benefit area nonprofits. “They were really popular last year, so we’re doing more this year,” he said. Market vendors sell gourmet baked goods, grass-fed beef, Florida seafood, fresh produce, herbs and plants, jewelry and a number of prepared foods. The market is open from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
                                          ***
The Ocean Avenue Greenmarket opens its season with a new name — CCC’s Green Market, under the auspices of Community Caring Center of Boynton Beach. This market is open daily, with the Secret Garden Cafe, a produce market and an Urban Farming Project. On Tuesdays, Gratitude Tuesday $5 dinners return — find out about these meals by getting on the email list: sheryccc@aol.com. The Pumpkin Patch arrives Oct. 15. Call 368-4261 for vendor information or youth group volunteer opportunities.

­­— Jan Norris is a freelance writer, find her at www.jannorris.com.
Thom Smith is on assignment.

Boston’s on the Beach at 40 S. Ocean Blvd. is hoping to complete renovations by the end of October, including a new proposal for outdoor seating and more parking, according to architect Bob Currie. Phase 2 of the plan, which is scheduled for review by the Delray Beach Site Plan Review and Appearance Board on Oct. 12, includes the addition of a 6,021-square-foot outdoor tiki bar/restaurant and 35 parking spaces.

By Ron Hayes

Sorry, guys, but if reading books makes you smart — well, women are probably smarter.
At the Delray Beach Public Library, 56.3 percent of the cardholders are women, 43.7 percent are men.
All the data agree. Women buy more books, they read more books, and they are more likely to read literary fiction than men.
Just take a glance at our area book clubs and you’ll find almost all the members are women and every one is reading, or has read, The Help.
Now meet the Mules, a monthly gathering of manly men who read and discuss manly books and make no apologies for it.
“In 2004, I was doing some research on book club members and I noticed that 95 percent were women,” remembers Steve Leveen, founder of the Levenger book accessory stores. “So out of perverseness I thought, ‘Why can’t we have a book club for guys?’ ”
The group found a name in the humorous verse of poet Ogden Nash: “In the land of mules, there are no rules.”
Seven years later, the Mules are still meeting monthly. Sometimes they gather at the Boheme Bistro in Delray Beach, sometimes at a member’s home. They eat, have a bit of wine and discuss a book.
They’ve read Man’s Search For Meaning and Into The Wild, The Maltese Falcon and No Country For Old Men.
“We’ve had as few as two people and as many as 12,” says Leveen. “We’ve had 20-year-olds to 80-year-olds.”
Last month, nine Mules met around a dining table in the waterfront home of Bob Schmier.
“I’m the president,” says Schmier with a laugh, “but I don’t know if that’s the real title.”
In the land of mules, there are no rules.
They feasted on Chinese food and sushi, sipped red wine and chatted about The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien’s 1990 collection of loosely linked Vietnam War stories.
“I’m in the minority, but I didn’t like the book,” said Sid Turner of Boca Raton. “I had a great deal of trouble finishing it.”
“I couldn’t put it down,” countered Schmier.
“See,” said Turner, “I thought it was the exact opposite.”
New to the group are Alan Kornblau and Mykal Banta, the Delray Beach library’s director and assistant director.
“I thought it was terrific,” said Kornblau, who served as the evening’s facilitator, “tense and very meaningful.”
Banta had read the collection when it first appeared.
“I thought it was the greatest thing I’d ever read,” he recalled. “Now I think it’s a little writerly for my taste.”
At some point, the conversation veered from the book to that controversial war itself, but the tone remained convivial and polite.
The evening ended with chocolate brownies and a question.
What to read next? Graham Swift’s Last Orders? Stephen Ambrose’s Undaunted Courage?
“I enjoyed State of Wonder, by Ann Patchett,” Leveen confessed. “It’s kind of a chick lit, but I enjoyed it.”
In the end, they settled on Billy Bathgate, the gangster novel by E.L. Doctorow.     
For information about The Mules, call Alan Kornblau at 266-9488.        

At other book clubs
The Ocean Ridge book club will meet at 5:45 p.m. Oct. 5 in the town hall to discuss By Nightfall, by Michael Cunningham. Information: Call Lisa Burns at 732-2635.

The next meeting of the Manalapan book club will be 3 p.m. Oct. 19 in the town library. For information about the October selection, call Hedy Calman at 585-4126. All are welcome and it’s not necessary to have read the book.                       

The Coastal Star is inviting residents and their dogs to the interesction of Old Ocean Boulevard and Tropical Drive at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, to be part of a ‘family photo’ with ‘Doc’ and his K-9 pals.  Ocean Ridge Officer Wavell “Doc” Darville will be retiring on Oct. 22.  Photo by Jerry Lower

While most students were busy finding their lockers or renewing old friendships, Gulf Stream School students Tori and Colin Wheat give balloons to science teacher Bridget Langford, whose birthday happened to fall on the first day of school.
Photo by Jerry Lower

Jenny Bremanis proudly shows off booties she has crocheted. Photos by Jerry Lower

By Ron Hayes
    Jenny Bremanis turns 101 on Oct.1.
    Or maybe 103.
    She was certainly born on Oct. 1, 1910, in Latvia. A century later, she’s still alive and remarkably well, sharing a home with her daughter, son-in-law, son and grandson on Hypoluxo Island.
    She, however, insists that her actual birthdate is Oct. 1, 1908. Her father altered the ages of several family members, she claims, making everyone two years younger so her brother might avoid the draft.
    “I’m not so sure I can believe that,” says her son, Jake. “Nobody can prove it.”
    Her daughter, Biruta Ditrichs, is also doubtful. “If that happened, he must have had pull.”
    But who’s counting? Most of us would be happy to reach even 101 so healthy and happy.
    “I believe all is in God’s hands,” she says. “Nobody knows how everything started, but if you give to other people, God will give it back to you.”
    Her English is shaky and her accent pronounced, but Jenny’s smile speaks volumes. With her children helping a bit with translation, she tells a wonderful immigrant’s tale.
    She was one of seven children, born Jevgenija Emsins. In 1945, she arrived in Germany’s American zone, a war refugee with her husband, Jekabs, whom she married in 1935. He died in 1976 and she never remarried. Of their five children, one died before the war, another while they were traveling. A third, Andre, died two years ago.
    In 1950, she emigrated to New Brunswick, N.J., where she worked as a seamstress for Bond’s clothiers for 20 years. And that, she says, is the secret of a long life. Hard work.
    “I was always working! I bake rye bread, cake, sewing and working real hard all the time. I’m still working!”
    She’s reasonably spry for her age, moving about the house with a three-wheeled walker. From the bag dangling from the walker, she pulls out balls of yarn and crochets booties. “I make two pairs a day,” she brags. She gives them away.
    Her diet?
    “Cheerios!” With blueberries. And she’s also partial to almond cake, bear claws and bowls of hot oatmeal laced with garlic. She has never smoked.
    And what about alcohol?
    “I like cognac!” she says, with a very big smile.
    She has two hearing aids, uses eyedrops and supplements her diet with vitamins E and B12 and a daily aspirin.
    Son Jake has a theory about her longevity.
    “In New Jersey, her house had a basement, two floors and a walk-up attic,” he says. “She got a lot of exercise.”
    Failing eyesight has hindered her ability to enjoy TV soap operas, so she reads Latvian novels with the help of a magnifying glass.
    Ask about hobbies and the wide smile flashes again.
    “I like gambling!” Once a regular at Atlantic City, she now plays the slots at the Hard Rock Cafe and the Isle in Pompano. But she’s sworn off Lotto and scratch-off tickets. Her long losing streak has made her suspicious.
    On her birthday, about 20 friends plan to gather at La Cigale in Delray Beach. Her tiramisu will not have 103 candles. Not even 101. And she’ll drink a little wine instead of cognac.
    “I am happy,” she says. “No more cognac, but wine is
OK.”                                          

See photos of more dogs dressed for Halloween

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Pumpkins, ghosts, witches, devils. This Halloween, these are not only popular costumes for people but also for their pets.
“Buying a costume for your pet is a feel-good sort of thing,” says Kimberly Curler, owner of Waggs to Riches in Delray Beach. “Many people get more fun and satisfaction from outfitting their dogs than they do from dressing themselves.”
Even in our down economy, people are decking out their dogs for trick or treat. “It gets bigger and bigger every year,” says Caroline Clore, owner of Paws on the Avenue in Lake Worth.
And it’s not just the pet owners who seem to enjoy getting into the holiday spirit.
“When the dogs are in costume, they prance around. I think they know how cute they look,” says Debbie Broyles, owner of Fins Furs ’n’ Feathers in Boca Raton.
One of this year’s hot costumes is a mermaid outfit that features purple sequins and an aqua tail, Broyles says. It’s only been on sale for a week at Fins Furs ’n’ Feathers but needs to be reordered. At Paws on the Avenue, a pirate’s costume fitted with golden buttons and red satin trim on the coat and pantaloons shows great promise, Clore says.
But the fun doesn’t stop there.
Bumble bees, pink and blue butterflies and polka-dot lady bugs are also popular attire. Animal options include a lamb, a pink pig, a gray elephant complete with trunk and a black-and-white spotted panda — all to dress your dog.
“When dressing up their pets, people like little cutesy things,” says Clore. “They look for something unique.”
For the furry friends of foodies, there’s a taco costume complete with pepper strips and shredded cheese, two peas in a pod and a plump hot dog on a bun with a tempting zigzag of mustard and ketchup. Your dog will look good enough to eat.
The costumes are easy to put on and take off because they are made with Velcro. “You can get them on the most unruly dog,” Clore says.
And they are designed to fit just about any breed including the two mutts, Junior, 11, and Winky, 13, that Clore rescued.
“They are hysterical on pets from a Chihuahua to a golden retriever to a Rottweiler. They come in all sizes,” Curler adds.
Most costumes provide something to cover the body plus headgear. Take the Mickey Mouse costume that includes brown, yellow and red pants and mouse ears for your pooch’s pate.
Instead of purchasing Halloween dress, some pet owners like to make costumes for their pups.
Clore recalls a past Halloween when she saw a dog dressed up like a lint trap. Socks and a T-shirt were attached like static-filled clothing from the dryer.
She also had a customer who set up a Chiquita Banana theme by dressing five Chihuahuas as bananas and letting them run around in a bunch.
Another put a caped terrier into a model airplane, turning him into Snoopy and the Red Baron.
If you don’t want an outfit that’s quite so elaborate, you can purchase a T-shirt or fanciful collar instead.
Collars come embroidered with skull, crossbones and yellow cutlass. Or get one that resembles a colorful jester’s collar complete with pompoms.
“That way, you can make a small investment and still be part of the party,” Clore says.
Of course, a big part of Halloween fun is the treats made specifically to tempt your furry friends.
“They sell like crazy,” says Curler, who is “mom” to two Chihuahuas, Lilly, 4, and Rosie, 6.
Aunt JoAnn’s Gourmet Dog Biscuits supplies treats to local shops that are located in Boca Raton. The company offers a line of organic baked goods for dogs.
At Halloween, company owners Linda Barie and Donna Bowers shape and bake 3-D spider cookies from biscuit dough. They decorate them with orange candied yogurt.
“Dogs get ahold of them and really like them,” Barie says. The women also make dog-friendly cookies cut into shapes such as pumpkins, candy corn, black cats and ghosts.
And just for fun, you also can find plush squeaky toys with a holiday theme. Think a fuzzy pumpkin your dog can open up to find smaller pumpkin plush toys inside. There also are witches that cackle when squeezed, as well as spiders, snakes and ghosts.
Some costumes come with a plush toy as part of its gear. If you dress your pup in the Hugh Hefner costume from Waggs to Riches, he’ll not only get a red satin smoking jacket but also a squeaky toy pipe. Then there’s the furry brown monkey costume that comes with a plush toy banana.
Now that your dog is in disguise, you’ll want to show him off.
This is the 12th year Paws on the Avenue is hosting a Halloween party. It will run noon to 6 p.m. on Oct. 29 on L Street next to the shop in Lake Worth. There will be a costume contest, of course, as well as other games and treats.
At Fins Furs ’n’ Feathers, pet owners who bring in a dog wearing a costume on Halloween will receive extra dog treats plus a 15 percent discount on anything in the store besides dog or cat food.
And, at Waggs to Riches, they’ll be welcoming those costumed kids and their pets who participate in Trick or Treat Along the Avenue in Delray Beach on Oct. 29.
The storeowners enjoy hosting their customers and their dogs who take Halloween seriously.
“I love how people get creative about costumes for their pets,” says Clore. “Every year they try to create something even better than the  year before.”                  

Say Boo! to Halloween with everything from ghostly hauntings to pumpkin-inspired meals and cocktails.

    A good place to start for those who like things that bump in the night? Try the Lake Worth Playhouse. It’s said to be haunted by one its founders — Lucien Oakley — who also died there.
    Maybe Oakley will be in attendance when the Playhouse presents Little Shop of Horrors, Oct. 6-9, Oct. 15-16 and Oct. 22-23. There will be matinee and evening performances. 
    There also is an Oct. 6 pre-show dinner at Paradiso Italian Restaurant in Lake Worth before the 8 p.m. show. The dinner and show are $50 per person.
    Tickets are $26-$30 for individual and regular performances; $23-$27 for the preview performance; and $28-$32 for the opening night gala.  On the Web at www.lakeworthplayhouse.com.
    The motto in Delray Beach is “You Haven’t Lived ’Til You’ve Been Scared To Death” at the annual Haunted Halls of Horror. Presented by the Parks and Recreation Department as a fundraiser for Hugs Not Drugs, the event is an interactive walk-through haunted house for ages 8 to 80.
    It’s held at the Delray Beach Community Center, and a free child waiting area is offered for families. Hours are 7-11 p.m. on Oct. 28-29 and 7-10 p.m. on Oct. 30. The Community Center is at 50 NW First Ave. On the Web at  www.hauntedhallsofhorror.com.
    The Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton is hosting “Halloween in the Hammock” on Oct. 22. A mysterious (but not frightening) stroll through the hammock awaits visitors, who will have the opportunity to find spiders, snakes, ancient shell middens and maybe other surprises the hammock has hidden. There’s also an hour-long nighttime nature walk with ghostly guides and ghouls.
    Walks will depart every half hour from 6:30-9 pm. For age 6 to adult, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Advance: $7 for members, $10 for non-members. Walk-ins (if available): $15 per person. Reservations and pre-payment requested at least three days in advance; space is limited. See www.gumbolimbo.org.
    There’s plenty more stuff for the big kids, too.
    The Breakers Palm Beach gets into the Halloween spirit (pardon the pun) with a special October rate beginning at $319 per room.
    The legendary beachfront resort will serve a specialty dessert of Rum Almond Cake with Caramelized Apples, Pumpkin Ice Cream and Cinnamon Anglaise Sauce in each of its restaurants. In addition, Halloween-inspired desserts will be featured during Sunday brunch.
    The resort will also feature Halloween-themed drinks in its bars and restaurants.  Some of the drinks featured will include the Hauntini in the Tapestry Bar; Pumpkin Caipirihna and Caramel Apple Martini in the Flagler Steakhouse; and the Silk Spider Web Martini and Echo Zombie at Echo.
    The Breakers’ activities department is providing Halloween-inspired activities for guests and club members from Oct. 29-Nov. 1, including hayrides, holiday crafts and trick or treating. See www.thebreakers.com.
    The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach is going pumpkin crazy in October, with pumpkin muffins and pancakes for breakfast; pumpkin bisque, pumpkin ale and pumpkin ravioli for dinner; and pumpkin cookies, pumpkin ice cream and pumpkin crème brûlée for dessert.
    The resort’s Eau Spa by Cornelia is even getting into the act with a Pumpkin Perfecting Facial ($220).         

The Ritz also is hosting a sweet treat Cupcake Tea and Costume Party on Oct. 22 with a costume contest, face painting and magic tricks. Plus ghostly-good Great Pumpkin  and Vampire’s Blood Red Velvet Cupcakes. The event is from 1 to 3 p.m.  Reservations are required. The price is $50 for adults and $35 for children.  Visit www.ritzcarlton/palmbeach.com.
— Staff Report