By Steve Leveen
Palm Beach County has a coast no one has seen. Well, almost no one, compared with the millions who have seen our Atlantic coast.
The coast I’m talking about is on Lake Okeechobee and, in truth, it’s not that easy to see.
Twenty years ago, when we were new to Florida and had to drive over to the west coast, I decided to skip Alligator Alley and take the smaller roads to see something of the state. We headed west on Southern Boulevard and eventually saw signs for the Lake Okeechobee Scenic Trail with its fitting acronym, LOST.
Mile after mile went by with no view of the lake, only a high levee, which stretched on and on. Finally, my curiosity overcame me. I pulled our Volvo station wagon over onto the grass, got out and scrambled up that grass-covered levee to see for myself — my wife and two young sons wondering what was up. On top, the view was underwhelming. I saw a ditch, and beyond marshy grass — lots and lots of marshy grass.
I gave up trying to see the big lake then, and it was some years later when I finally saw it from an airplane. In time I was to cross it by boat a few times going across our lovely state on the Okeechobee Waterway — a trip I would recommend.
Two years ago, looking for more adventurous bike rides than along A1A, my buddy Rob Kennedy, his brother Brian, and my now-grown-up sons packed our bikes into our cars and headed out to see if we could ride around Lake Okeechobee in a day. We had heard that about half of the Herbert Hoover Dike was paved and figured we would sort out the rest as we rode.
We spent the night at Roland Martin’s fishing lodge in Clewiston, which is at the southern part of the lake. At seven the next morning, with four of us riding, and one driving the support van, we headed out, clockwise, on our attempt to loop the vast lake’s 120-mile circumference.
We had to stop three times due to thunderstorms and a long lunch at a restaurant, where the manager didn’t mind us dripping water on her concrete floor as we devoured fried fish and gator bites.
The ride took us 12 hours in all. At the end we were sweaty, exhausted — and exhilarated. We had seen the lake. Plenty of it, and it was beautiful, as big, seemingly as an ocean, with highflying flocks of birds and plenty of other wildlife all around.
We kept saying that we had to bring other riders out to experience it, including the pleasure of the long miles of paved dike, about the width of a car lane, where no cars are allowed.
Around the same time we had our cycling adventure at the lake, my occasional tutoring for the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County took me to Belle Glade, where I saw firsthand the good work being done there and the waiting list of interested adults and children.
A short time after that visit, Rob Kennedy and I hatched the idea to stage a cycling event at the lake to support literacy. We laughed when we tried out the name — Loop the Lake for Literacy.
Over lunch with Darlene Kostrub, CEO of the coalition, I explained our “loopy” idea, and she liked it, as did her board. So we took a deep breath and decided on a date of April 2. I was concerned whether we could get it done in time, but enough talented, hardworking people made it happen.
When April 2 arrived, the weather was perfect — clear, sunny and not too hot. Up on the dike there was time to be quiet and relax by looking far across the vistas of the glistening lake as we rode along. The monotony of the wilderness worked its massaging ways into the soul.
It was gratifying to have the other cyclists see the physical beauty of the region, to experience the joy of riding free from cars, and to meet the welcoming people who cheered us on and the law enforcement who provided assistance on the trafficked sections of the ride.
Our inaugural Loop the Lake for Literacy was a great success, raising more than $24,000 for the coalition with 214 cyclists participating in the ride.
If you can’t wait for next year’s event, here are my tips for experiencing the lake:
For the quickest and best view of the lake, drive to Pahokee’s Okeechobee Wilderness Outpost. Eat lunch at Big Bertha’s Fish Joint, which is the only restaurant with a view of the lake. Come in the afternoon and watch the sun set over water. If you have the time, spend the night in one of the cute cabins on the lake.
If you want to cycle or walk the dike (given the present reinforcing construction being done at Pahokee), drive north to Port Mayaca, where the St. Lucie River enters the lake. You can watch boats sailing east or west through the Port Mayaca lock (one of five necessary to transit Florida, coast to coast.)
From Port Mayaca, you can unload your bikes and ride counterclockwise more than 25 miles to the town of Okeechobee on the northern part of the lake. This route delivers some of the best vistas of the lake. It can be quite windy, but it’s a view of Florida not to be missed.
When you come home, you may well marvel, as we always do, that such a vivid contrast exists between scenery, people and development — if you’ll only spend an hour in your car, driving west.
Steve Leveen lives in coastal Delray Beach and volunteers with the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. For more information on the coalition, please call: 800-273-1030.
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In a display of further disintegrating cooperation, the Town Council in April reiterated its exasperation with its corporate counterparts, pleading for either money or a decent explanation as to why the corporation has voted, twice, to withhold $30,000 from this year’s payments.
For years, since Briny’s inception, officials on the government side have always relied on the corporate side to each year pay what they could not. Town income is mostly real estate taxes, sales tax and inter-governmental fees and usually adds up to about $400,000.
But when all is said and done, that’s never enough to pay all the annual bills, said Mayor Roger Bennett.
So, each year, the corporate board has paid the difference. But for about six months, members of the corporate board have been inquiring — sometimes quite loudly, but usually behind the scenes — about how town officials spend money.
In recent months, no corporation board member has complained publicly about a specific line item. But corporate board President Mike Gut said during a recent telephone interview that the board is opposed to high attorney fees. He said the $30,000 the corporation is withholding has to do with fees for Jerome F. Skrandel, the private attorney the town hires for legal advice.
“It is a sticking point with the corporation at this point in time,” Gut said. “They’re going to tell me it’s cheap. But we don’t agree that we should have a lawyer sitting in every meeting.”
Bennett said the fees are high, but says Skrandel “does a hell of a lot.” Most recently, Skrandel helped advise on rewriting the comprehensive plan.
The town’s souring relationship with itself is hard on residents, who say the mood in Briny used to be more easygoing.
“This is not cooperation,” said Alderman Kathleen Bray, who was the town’s paid clerk until she recently resigned for personal reasons.
But Gut doesn’t think it’s adversarial.
“It’s a changing world,” he said. “Everybody is under pressure to reduce expenses.”
This chasm began really widening in January, when the board voted to withhold the $30,000 — something that had never happened before. At the April board meeting, they voted again not to pay. Gut agreed that the resistance came on rather suddenly. But he said there are economic demands on everybody.
“It’s just a difference of opinion,” Gut said.
Aldermen are not impressed with this argument, especially since they feel it all comes from the same pot of money, even if it’s separate accounts.
In addition to the emotional friction, the corporation’s refusal to pay also threatens the town’s ability to pay its bills, Bray said.
“I’m sorry, this is not Briny,” said Alderman Nancy Boczon, clearly exasperated.
At just about every meeting, Boczon talks about how the town is already operating on a shoestring budget, often relying on donated office supplies and hand-me-down equipment.
“We’re working on nothing,” she said.
With the resignation of Bray, the paid clerk, the town now has an opportunity to save $12,000. Bray’s husband works out of state, and they’re tired of a commuter marriage. She will keep her alderman position and fly back occasionally for council meetings.
Some town residents have grumbled about Bray’s salary and said someone should simply give their time for the job. The position used to be volunteer.
With Bray’s departure, town officials said they’d happily make that change if anyone wants to donate the time.
Here is a list of when, and what, you can water.
Existing landscaping
Odd-numbered addresses may water lawns and landscapes on Wednesdays and Saturdays from midnight to 10 a.m. and/or 4 p.m. to midnight.
Even-numbered addresses may water on Thursdays and Sundays from midnight to 10 a.m. and/or 4 p.m. to midnight.
Residents and businesses with no street address or who irrigate both even and odd addresses, such as multifamily units and homeowners associations, follow even-numbered address guidelines.
New landscaping, sod or other plantings
New landscaping can be watered without regard to restrictions on the first day it is installed.
Landscaping in place from two to 30 days can be watered on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and/or Sundays during the hours allowed for regular landscape irrigation.
Landscaping that has been in place from 31 days to 90 days can be water on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays during the hours allowed for regular landscape irrigation.
Additional watering days can only be used to benefit new landscaping. An entire irrigation zone may be watered only if it contains at least 50 percent new landscaping.
Applying lawn maintenance products
Landscape irrigation for watering-in fertilizers, insecticides, pesticides, fungicides and herbicides is allowed for one application unless the need for more than one application is stated by the product manufacturer
Highland Beach is exempt from water restrictions
Highland Beach is the only town exempt from the water restrictions because the town pumps all its water from the deep Floridan Aquifer.
The restrictions have been imposed on all other water users that draw water from either surface sources or from the much shallower Biscayne Aquifer.
Delray Beach surcharge
Delray Beach city code allows for an automatic 15 percent surcharge to be added for all potable water used in excess of 15,000 gallons when Phase I restrictions are implemented.
The surcharge will apply to Gulf Stream residents as well because Gulf Stream buys its water from Delray Beach.
Fines
Failure to observe water restrictions could result in fines starting at $100.
Use of reclaimed water
Because Delray Beach has run reclaimed water lines for irrigation from Atlantic Avenue to Beach Drive, those residences that connected are exempt from water restrictions. Those users still could incur the surcharge if their potable water use exceeds 15,000 gallons.
Boca Raton residents who have hooked up to reclaimed water lines, including the condos between the Boca Raton Bridge and the county line, also are exempt from the restrictions.
The Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club and the Boca Raton Resort and Club also use reclaimed water for irrigation and are exempt.
Sources: South Florida Water Management District, City of Delray Beach, City of Boca Raton.
For water-saving tips go to: www.sfwmd.gov.
Gulf Stream’s plan to put all its utility lines — electric, telephone and cable — under ground has aroused the concerns of condominium residents worried about how much they will be assessed for the estimated $5.5 million project.
More than 20 condominium residents packed the Town Commission chambers April 28 to protest the method that will be used to assess town residents to pay for the project.
The typical condo owner would pay $6,128 for the work, while owners of single-family homes would pay an average of $10,260, based on lot size and other factors, according to Willdan Financial Services, which is preparing the assessment plan for the town.
“We are in no way opposed to undergrounding,” said attorney Marcie Nolan, representing the 54 unit owners of Gulfstream Shores, at the earlier April 8 Town Commission meeting. But she said the condominium alone would be paying $350,000 for the work.
At the April 28 meeting, Nolan suggested the assessment could be based on front footage and area, which would charge a condominium building as a single unit. Under her plan, condo owners’ share would be cut to $349 while charges for single-family residents would jump to about $18,488.
Willdan representative Habib Isaac said his firm’s methodology has been used in 12 undergrounding projects in the past five years. It relies on safety, reliability and aesthetic factors which differ between single-family homes and condos.
“Quite frankly, there is no way to make everyone happy,” said Susan Schoettle-Gumm, special counsel for the project. “When you reduce costs to one group, it increases for another. This is a common part of going through an assessment process.”
The commission prelim-inarily approved an ordinance to place whatever assessment is approved on homeowners’ property tax bills as a non-ad valorem special assessment. The commission has not yet approved a final assessment.
The town plans to offer residents a 10- or 20-year payment plan.
Nolan said a simple ad valorem special assessment would allow a tax deduction for the cost. A non-ad valorem assessment is not tax deductible.
However, that method would mean residents of Place Au Soleil, whose utilities are already underground, would have to pay the assessment as well.
In other business at the April 8 meeting, town commissioners approved three firms for consultant Brannon & Gillespie to negotiate with to map and survey streets, driveways, utilities and buildings in the south end. That step is the first phase of developing a design for the project. The town has approved $50,000 for the work.
Commissioners voiced concern about cost overruns, but consultant James Brannon, whose firm managed the burying of utilities on Jupiter Island and is handling Jupiter Inlet Colony’s project, said both had come in under budget.
“We had $15 million in Jupiter Island but came in at $8.4 million,” Brannon told commissioners. “We typically do not run over.”
The plan is to start work on the south end of town, followed by the north end — including the 16.6 acres annexed in March — by year’s end. The project should be completed by late 2012.
Voters approved the project in a straw vote in March, 175-136, a 56.3 percent majority. Similar projects were approved on Jupiter Island by 90 percent and in Jupiter Inlet Colony by 75 percent.
In other business: Mayor William Koch, one of the oldest and longest-serving mayors in Florida, was reappointed by commissioners for three more years. At 90, he has served half of his life — 45 years — as Gulf Stream’s mayor. Joan Orthwein was reappointed vice mayor. Both were by unanimous votes.
n Commissioners increased development and building permit fees for the first time in nearly a decade for development costs and four years for fees.
n Commissioners approved $15,000 to update the town’s comprehensive land plan following the annexation. They also approved $20,000 for costs of the annexation process, including poll workers and
legal fees.
Mary Kate Leming contributed to this story
By Margie Plunkett
Boston’s on the Beach got approval in late April from Delray Beach commissioners for its proposed enclosed second story, withstanding an appeal initiated by Commissioner Tom Carney after a resident objected to the change.
A rendering of the re-designed landmark restaurant, at 40 S. Ocean Blvd., included a second-story awning and fence in front of the bank of windows. The Site Plan Review and Appearance Board had already approved the plan.
The man behind the plan, Bob Currie of Currie Sowards Aguila Architects, appeared before commissioners April 21, introducing himself as “resident and occasional architect in Delray Beach when I’m allowed.” The design before commissioners “is what was approved by the board unanimously. It doesn’t violate anything.”
Resident Alice Finst, who objected to the plan, said, “This corner is a destination point and a landmark for our beach,” noting the design added a roof and removed the original canvas awning. She wanted the building to have more color and a second-story railing that is included in the design to be placed outside the windows.
Currie responded: “Those railings are indeed outside the windows. We won’t change the color. It’s appropriate to this kind of architecture.”
While the commission had requested the appeal of the plan, they all spoke favorably of it. “This business has been here for 25 years,” said Commissioner Adam Frankel. “It’s a pretty nice facelift.” He explained that he had asked for the appeal based on Finst’s objections. “I happen to like the distinctiveness,” he said.
Commissioners OK’d the plan without sending it back to SPRAB for review after urging by Currie. The owners “want to get going on this. They have to close down (during the renovation). I would hope they don’t have to wait any longer,” he said.
The commission also heard an appeal on plans at BurgerFi, which would occupy the site of the former Surf Sliders on A1A near Boston’s. The restaurant had already addressed portions of the design city staff objected to, including altering outdoor lighting so that it did not interfere with turtle nesting on the beach, removing rooftop railings and eliminating a canopy area that illegally encroached on city property, according to Paul Dorling of the city’s staff.
Neighbors of the restaurant objected to the potential for the restaurant to place lighted signs in areas that would impose upon the condo building next door. Michael Weiner, representing BurgerFi, as well as the city attorney pointed out any proposed signs would be at issue in a later review and were not under consideration at the commission’s appeal.
The new law, approved at the April 5 meeting, requires escorted tour participants to undergo a minimum of instruction time before riding, to wear a safety vest when riding and to travel in a single file.
The Segways are not allowed on the east side of A1A at the public beach.
— Margie Plunkett
Florida Governor Rick Scott talked with Michael Bornstein, Lantana’s Town Manager, and dozens of other local officials during a whirlwind tour April 6 of three eroded Palm Beach County beaches. The Governor made no promises of any efforts the state could make to control erosion. Photo by Jerry Lower
Below: U.S. Rep. Allen West toured the beach in South Palm Beach with town councilwoman Susan Lillybeck following Palm Beach County’s March 22 decision to scuttle Singer Island’s $50 million breakwater project. South Palm Beach and Lantana were hoping to be the next oceanfront towns to benefit from the breakwater project.
Photo provided
Sea turtles that visit town beaches during nesting season will remain under the protective eyes of Palm Beach County environmental officials.
Town commissioners decided at their April meeting not to pass an ordinance proposed by then-Mayor Tom Gerrard early last year that would have shifted monitoring of lights on the beach from the county to Manalapan.
Mayor Pro Tem Donald Brennan said he saw no benefit to the town assuming the responsibility.
“This is a service for which we are now paying. It will not have any reduction in our taxes as a result of doing it ourselves,” he said.
He also saw no gain from having town police patrol the beach for lighting violations more frequently than the county does.
“Manalapan is right now, from an environmental standpoint, the darkest beach on the stretch and the most populated piece of geography for the nesting turtles,” Brennan said. “They’ve been basically driven from Delray, with its luminous lighting, and further north. If you talk to any of the environmental people, you’ll get the same answer: that this 2-and-a-half-, 3-mile stretch is the mecca for the sea turtles.”
Lights are restricted during nesting season to make sure turtle hatchlings can use the moon and stars to locate the ocean without being distracted or disoriented by artificial lighting.
Gerrard, who was putting in new lighting outside his home, had wanted a town ordinance that was less restrictive than the county’s. Commissioner Howard Roder, who opposed the change, accused Gerrard of acting out of self-interest.
Roder and Commissioner Louis DeStefano repeated their earlier opposition to the ordinance, as did Mayor Basil Diamond, who spoke against the proposal as an interested resident before he became a commissioner last year.
“I do feel that it doesn’t benefit the town,” Diamond said before the measure failed on a unanimous vote.
Commissioners also wrestled with whether to allow Australian pines to remain on undeveloped lots and whether to restrict the dimensions of beach houses. They decided to send the issues to the town’s volunteer Landscape Committee and its Zoning Commission.
Brennan reported that Plaza Del Mar has “cautious optimism” that it will sign a retail food chain to a lease soon. “So— fingers crossed — it’ll be a great thing if they can pull it off,” he said.
Three other businesses have moved to the plaza from the mainland side of the Ocean Avenue Bridge. “It’s an encouraging trend,” Town Clerk Lisa Petersen said.
Hoping to shoo fishermen off the soon-to-be-rebuilt East Ocean Avenue bridge in Lantana, the Town Council approved construction of a $500,000 concrete fishing pier on the west end of the span.
Palm Beach County will build the 8-foot-wide pier in conjunction with the construction of the new bridge, which is expected to begin in November and last two years.
The 400-foot pier will jut into the Intracoastal Waterway from Bicentennial Park on the north side of the bridge and include a pedestrian walkway beneath the bridge, connecting to Sportsman’s Park on the south side. It will be handicap accessible. Lantana will maintain and operate the pier for 30 years, including managing parking in the area, with the option of two 30-year renewals. Palm Beach County will own the pier.
Residents have long complained the 3-foot-wide side-walks along the current bridge are too narrow for walkers and bicyclists to navigate around fishermen. The new bridge will relieve some of the congestion: The sidewalks will be 6-feet wide and separated by a concrete barrier from new 5.5-foot shoulder/bicycle paths on both sides.
In addition, the bridge will be 11 feet higher at the center, further discouraging fishing.
Meanwhile, East Ocean Avenue merchants are planning festivals, fishing derbies and other events to lure barrier island residents in South Palm Beach and Manalapan who will be forced to drive six miles to the north or nine to the south to reach the 30 or so shops on the street.
“We need to view this as an opportunity and not an obstacle,” said Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce president David Arm, who owns a fitness center on Lantana Road. “It would be great if we could create an identity for Lantana, make it a destination.”
There’s no doubt merchants will suffer.
“People in South Palm Beach are going to go to the new Publix in Lake Worth. They aren’t going to come all the way to the Lantana Publix,” said Wayne Cordero, co-owner of the Old Key Lime House, a popular restaurant overlooking the water on Ocean Avenue.
He expects to lose 25 percent of his business, but supports the idea of weekly festivals and offering discounts.
Manalapan town officials have been encouraging the owners of the Plaza del Mar shopping center on the barrier island to sign a small grocery store.
Margie Plunkett contributed to this story.
(l-r) John Shipley, Seacrest High Class of 1964, Norman Price, Head Basketball Coach, Randy Cooper (with cap) Head Football Coach, and Tom Smith, Seacrest High Class of ‘67 pose at Seacrest stadium in front of a Don Seiler statue of Hall of Fame professional quarterback Y.A. Tittle. Seiler sent the statue to Atlantic High School when he was living in Miami in the 1960s. Photo by Tim Stepien
By Rich Pollack
Oh, the stories they will tell.
There will, of course, be the requisite dinners, activities and revelry when close to 150 former athletes, coaches, cheerleaders and Hawkettes from Seacrest High School’s “glory days” in the 1950s, 1960s and early ’70s get together for their first-ever Seacrest High School Sports Reunion in early July.
But what most likely will be the cornerstone of the event will be the sharing of stories from those not-easily forgotten years when Seacrest High School — the predecessor of what is now Atlantic High School — was a sports powerhouse and much more than just a building with classrooms and a gym.
“We had a very special thing at Seacrest,” says former coach Norman Price, who, even today, is referred to simply as “Coach” by men and women who are now lawyers, dentists, accountants and retired or current police officers and firefighters. “It was a really tight-knit group.”
At a time when Delray Beach was still a small community, when everyone knew everyone and some of the teachers actually grew up with their students’ parents, Seacrest was a central gathering place.
“Back in the 1960s and 1970s, the school was the hub of the whole community,” says Carey Snyder, who along with Price is organizing the reunion. “It was a very special time and there are a lot of us who shared that very special athletic experience.”
Talk to some of the former players and you’re likely to hear stories about “character building” exercises, such as two-a-day football practices in the heat of August, or of coaches who could tug on a dislocated finger, tape it up and have you back in the game within minutes.
“There were a lot of us who suffered through those two-a-days,” says Jim Gardner, now living in Ocean Ridge, who played football at Seacrest before graduating in 1962. Gardner was also a standout in track and field, setting the then-school record in the discus and the shot put.
Like many other former Seacrest athletes, Gardner still stays in touch with a lot of his teammates, even working closely with them on the books and screenplays he’s writing.
Former quarterback for the team in 1963 and 1964, John Shipley, now a lawyer and coastal Delray Beach resident, also recalls those two-a-day workouts and believes they did more than just make the Seahawks the best-conditioned team on the field every time they played.
“What we learned back then is that hard work and dedication pay off,” Shipley says. “If you looked at everyone who played on our team, all of these guys are doing well. “There are doctors, lawyers, businessmen, police officers and firefighters and even a few who had successful military careers.”
School gone, but athletes returning: Snyder, who had been talking with Price for a couple of years about a reunion, says athletics at Seacrest also played an important role in shaping her career as an associate director of athletics at East Stroudsburg University in Pennsylvania and also as a former women’s college softball and volleyball coach.
Although structured sports for girls were limited back in the late 1960s and early ’70s, Snyder organized tournaments and other activities, so it’s not surprising that she is taking the lead in helping to make the athletes’ reunion possible.
Already, she says, close to 100 former Seahawks have signed up and they are coming from all parts of the country.
Many are coming to honor Price — who former basketball standout Tom Smith of Ocean Ridge says was always the best player on the team — and Coach Randy Cooper, who also had a long career at Seacrest. Other coaches are also expected to attend.
For Price, the reunion will help fill a void created when the old school building, just a few blocks from his home, was torn down a couple of years ago.
“I felt like a part of me was lost when we lost the school,” he said.
But expect the spirit of the Seacrest Seahawks to live on for a couple of nights in July and, if you go, also expect to hear lots of stories about guys with nicknames like “Bones” and “Gunner.”
You’ll hear the alma mater’s song, too, which was sung on the bus every time the basketball team returned home from a game.
Seacrest High School Sports Reunion
• July 8 and July 9
• Reception, July 8, at GOL! The Taste of Brazil restaurant, $10
• Dinner and presentations, July 9, at Old Calypso Restaurant, $35
• A beach trip, golf outing and Sunday brunch are also being planned.
• For more information, visit: www.seacresths.com or contact Carey Snyder at careyjean13@aol.com or (561) 317-3834.
The Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn’s long-running battle with the town of South Palm Beach moved to the courthouse March 29, when the inn’s owners filed suit over the Town Council’s denial in 2009 of their plans to replace the two-story motel with a 10-story hotel-condominium.
The filing came three days before the state ethics commission cleared five town officials — including two council members — of conflicts of interest in dealing with the inn.
The lawsuit has already run into a stumbling block. The inn’s attorney, Eric Christu of Shutts & Bowen, withdrew his firm from the suit since it also represents Pat Festino, one of the town officials named in the suit, in an unrelated case.
The inn is seeking a new attorney. In addition, Town Attorney Brad Biggs said the town will file a request to move the suit from Palm Beach County Circuit Court to federal court, since two counts allege civil rights violations.
In the suit, the inn owners claim the town officials violated their federal civil rights, conspired against them, refused to release public records, denied use of their waterfront rights, illegally appointed planning board members and enacted charter amendments in violation of state law, among other things.
The suit names the town, Mayor Donald Clayman, council members Stella Jordan, Susan Lillybeck, Joseph Flagello, former Councilman Charles McCrosson, planning board members Festino, Dee Robinson, chairman Mike Nevard and Town Manager Rex Taylor.
Neither inn co-owner Pjeter Paloka nor town officials would comment on the suit.
Council members Jordan and Lillybeck and planning board members Festino, Robinson and Nevard were pleased the ethics commission cleared them of allegations made more than a year ago by Paloka.
Investigators found no probable cause that council members Jordan and Lillybeck had conflicts of interest in voting to put charter amendments affecting the motel on the ballot or in being members of SPB Preservation, Inc. — which they denied. They also gained no financial benefit in voting against redevelopment of the inn property, investigators found.
“For myself and the other four people involved, I’m just glad to see the whole matter put to rest,” Lillybeck said. “It’s behind us now and it’s time to move on.”
Complaints against planning board members Nevard, Robinson and Festino also were dismissed. The complaints included voting conflicts and benefiting from their votes against the motel’s plans.
“I am very happy that truth and justice prevailed after 14 months of being under a cloud with my integrity questioned,” said Nevard, who chairs the town’s planning board.
Paloka filed the complaints beginning in January 2010, after his plans to build a hotel-condominium on the grounds of the only commercial property in town were denied for the second time in two years. In 2007, a 14-story project was rejected and, in 2009, a scaled-back 10-story, 99-unit request was denied.
Replacing the 50-year-old, two-story motel has been the subject of heated debate since plans were first made public in 2006. In March, town voters approved two charter amendments by a wide margin that ban buildings taller than six stories. The vote, in effect, takes the issue out of the hands of the Town Council.
In other town business at the April 26 meeting, the council:
• Reappointed Nevard, Robinson and Festino to the planning board for three-year terms.
• Former Councilman Brian Merbler was appointed to the year remaining on the Architectural Review Board term of Joan McManus, who died.
• Approved the installation of AT&T wireless antennas on the Horizons West condominium next to the Town Hall. The antennas will be located at the rear of the condo and affixed to the building or placed behind a wall. The antennas will improve AT&T 911 emergency service as well as extend cell service a half-mile north to the town of Palm Beach and a half-mile south into Manalapan.
• Accepted the 2010 annual audit prepared by Marcum LLP, which had no negative findings. The town has $4 million in assets and a fund balance of $2 million. Tax revenue, mostly from property tax, dropped $121,000. The town dipped into reserves for $217,000 last year to balance the budget. Ú
Lantana Council has dubbed the Cenacle property on Dixie Highway commercial, reversing an earlier vote that returned it to residential following a failed deal to sell it to a luxury hotel developer.
Council members reconsidered the issue at their April 11 meeting, in the wake of an administrative action taken by the attorneys of the Intracoastal property’s owner, the Cenacle Sisters. The retreat site had been changed to commercial to prepare for the hotel deal, and the sisters wanted it to keep the designation in place to buoy the value as they market the property.
In October, the council had voted to return the Cenacle to its R3 status. Some council members said at the time they supported R3 because they wanted to keep a promise to neighbors that the 10-acre property would revert if the hotel deal didn’t work out.
The discussion among stakeholders at the April meeting was little different from sentiments spoken in October, when the council first considered the ordinance.
“Making it commercial will make it much more attractive to purchasers, more attractive to you. It affects the value of the property,” said Cenacle Sisters’ attorney Al Malefatto, PA.
Sister Mary Sharon Riley said, “We need to sell the property and with the best remuneration we can receive. But that doesn’t mean we’d sell it mindlessly or irresponsibly.”
Riley said the sale was nec-essary because the group could not afford to rehab and refit the site’s houses that are in need.
The attempt to sell the property has been a battle from the start. Neighbors objected to the hotel, foreseeing noise from an onsite restaurant and delivery vehicles. And they feared big-box retailers — and other merchants they viewed as undesirable for the area — would step in if the planned purchase didn’t go through.
Residents at James Place ultimately settled the hotel issue “as good neighbors” with the expectation that if the hotel purchase didn’t fly, the ordinance changing the comprehensive use plan would be rescinded, according to attorney Gregg Kino.
One thought that was new to this round of action: “I don’t really understand why this is being reconsidered,” said Judy Black, a regular resident participant at council meetings. “To me, that means anytime there is a disagreement with the town, someone can file a suit and have it reconsidered. I think the property should stay R3.”
Lynn Moorhouse said he brought the ordinance back because voting to make it commercial provided control to the council, which can review proposals for the property. As residential, he said, the property was open to community development, single-family homes, group homes, facilities for lease. “If you think your property is in peril now,” he said, “if you don’t have any say in what’s built there, we’re all in trouble. If we go back to R3, you’re out of the ballgame. So are we.”
The Council supported making the parcel commercial in a 3-2 vote, with Mayor David Stewart and Cindy Austino dissenting.
A Good Friday freediving trip to the Bahamas yielded this impressive hog hnapper for divers Steve French (l) of Briny Breezes and his friend Noah Staggs. Photo provided
By Thomas R. Collins
Sometime over the last few months, I noticed that when I’d curse around my mom, who has advanced dementia, she’d sometimes laugh. Now I curse around her on purpose, just to get a rise out of her.
If I’m walking her in her wheelchair outside at the nursing home, instead of saying, “It’s pretty warm out, huh, Mom?” and getting a monotone, “Yes,” I might say, “It’s so d*** hot out here I’m sweating my a** off,” and she’ll chuckle.
It’s one of the few ways I can be sure to connect with her.
Subtlety doesn’t work with dementia.
So when my wife became pregnant last July, I went about beating my mom over the head with baby info.
Suddenly, it was actually possible that my mom would see her new grandchild, a prospect I had written off a year and a half ago, when my mom was on a respirator and barely recovered. Now that I had the chance, I was going to do all I could so that my mom could experience the pregnancy with us.
I showed her ultrasound pictures over and over again. I pointed to my wife’s stomach over and over again.
Over and over again, I’d ask her, “What do you think the baby is, Mom, a girl or a boy?”
“Boy,” she’d say, without hesitation. She had two boys herself — one to whom she gave birth, and me, whom she adopted — and I’m sure that’s where that came from.
Every time, it was the same answer. “Boy.” “Boy.” “Boy.”
My wife said the baby had the vibe of a boy. She couldn’t really explain why. Something about feeling like the baby was hearty and tough. And after hearing my mom’s mantra of “boy, boy, boy,” she was certain she had a boy in there.
My wife and I had always agreed that when she became pregnant, we would wait until birth to find out the sex. We thought it would be more fun that way.
But with my mom in hospice, I decided it would be best to find out, so that I could tell my mom. If something were to happen to her, she’d at least know the gender of her grandchild. My wife readily agreed.
Then came the second ultrasound — the one where they can tell the gender.
Boy.
I showed my mom the ultrasound picture with the definitive evidence that the baby was a boy. There was no outpouring of emotion, but there was a slight smile.
I tried to get my mom to remember the due date, which was March 30. She never got good at it, no matter how many times I repeated it.
It went, “What’s the baby’s due date, Mom? March…?”
“Thirty-first,” she’d say. Or, “17th.” Or some other number.
We finally settled on the name Quinn. Then I had to get my mom to remember it. I’d be damned if I was going to have a son and have my mom not even know his name.
My mom had always remembered lyrics of old Elvis and Johnny Cash songs. It’s harder for the brain to forget words put to a melody. And I’d once made up a jingle to tell her I love her. “I love you, love you, love you…” it went, ending with “I love you, momma dear.”
When my mom got used to the song, I’d let her finish it. Me: “I love you….” Her: “Mom-mom dear.”
(Pretty silly, but if you’re going to be able to deal with dementia, the last thing you can afford to be is self-conscious.)
I made new lyrics for the same jingle, ending it with, “And his name is Quinn.” After one rehearsal, my mom remembered how to end the song, singing, “Quinn.” Presto, she knew my unborn son’s name.
Now, I just had to get her to the actual birth. I couldn’t help but imagine a nightmare scenario where my mom would die hours before Quinn’s birth.
A caesarean section was scheduled for March 17 — one of the dates my mom had incorrectly given as the due date months before. The night he was born — a healthy 9 pounds, 7 ounces — I was not allowed to stay at the hospital because they’d had a lot of births and no private rooms were available.
I was flabbergasted that I had to leave, but took the opportunity to drive straight to the nursing home at 10 p.m. and, with only the glow of the TV lighting her cramped side of the room, showed my mom videos of Quinn in the warmer and getting his first bath and of me combing his hair.
Three days later, when we left the hospital, we didn’t go directly home — we went to see my mom first.
I had imagined my mom bursting out in tears at the first sight of her grandson. Instead, there wasn’t much reaction. After all the preparation and talking about baby this and baby that, I think she knew who he was, but I don’t know for sure.
I maneuvered her arm so she could touch his impossibly soft skin. We took pictures of them together. She’d glance over at him, but then look away again.
But there was no taking away from the moment: The impossible had happened. My mom, seemingly so near death in 2009, had met her new grandson.
Before we left, just to make sure, I asked her: “And his name is?”
“Quinn.”
Thomas R. Collins is a freelance writer living in West Palm Beach. This is part of an ocassional series chronicling his mother’s journey through dementia.
After giving birth to her fifth son recently, Anna Shannon of Gulf Stream heard the same question over and over, from friends and strangers alike: “Weren’t you hoping for a girl?”
She developed a standard reply.
“My husband and I have a formula, and we’re sticking to it,” she’d say with a smile.
It’s a practical answer from a very practical mother. The truth is, they weren’t particularly hoping (or trying) for a girl — just another healthy baby. And the stork delivered.
Little Finn Robert Shannon was born on March 5, in plenty of time for Mother’s Day.
Shannon says she had almost forgotten what newborns were like. Her first four boys are now 14, 12, 10 and 8.
“For a few years there, I was kind of popping them out and it was all a blur,” she says. “But this time, the older boys were able to pay attention to the whole experience and gain an appreciation for what it takes to bring a human life into the world. “
Now that Finn’s here, Shannon says it’s been wonderful to see his big brothers take ownership of him. “Our 8-year-old can hardly walk past the baby without giving him a kiss,” she says. The boys help with babysitting, keep the house straightened up, and (being boys) have a special fascination for what Finn leaves in his diaper.
Day-to-day life with a house full of busy boys comes with a unique set of challenges, Shannon says, especially since both she and her husband, Bill, work outside of the home. It helps that she has a housekeeper — and an iPhone: Shannon sends email to herself as a way to keep track of the kids’ after-school activities and appointments.
To keep communication flowing, the Shannons make a point of sitting down together for dinner almost every night.
“For Bill and I, that’s our favorite time of the day because we get to watch the kids interact with each other and with us. I hold the baby on my lap, and we go around the table and everybody gets their turn to talk. Everyone knows on a daily basis what’s going on in the other’s life, and the younger ones learn about things they’ll be going through from the older ones.”
Will the Shannons be adding any more little team members to their all-boy squad?
“It’s tempting right now because I’m lost in new-baby bliss,” admits Shannon, 42. “If I were five years younger, absolutely,” she says. “But probably not.”
— Paula Detwiller
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A. I was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Montreal has a flair for food, fashion and different cultures. I think it gives you great appreciation for the diversity of our world.
Q. Tell us about your role in the family business.
A. I’ve been working with my husband, Bill, at Direct Source Special Products for the last 17 years. He is the president of the company and I work in the product development and creative side.
Our company has recently launched Aussan Natural, a line of 100 percent natural cleaning and air care products. I work in developing products and packaging, sales materials and the marketing campaigns.
Having a house full of boys, we need and use cleaning products!
When you start to read about the dangers of the everyday products we use in our daily lives, from cosmetics to foods to air fresheners, and how they directly affect our health and the health of our children and pets, you realize how important it is to make the switch to more natural products.
Our kids are learning about the environment in school and how they can make a difference with small steps such as recycling and the days they do beach cleanups with their school. Living here in Florida, our boys have a deep love of the ocean and fishing, and when you think about how washing your boat with soaps and bleach can affect the waterways and marine life, it makes it all the more important to really think about what we’re putting out there and in our own environments.
We have lots of interesting dinner conversations with our boys about our business and they are very invested in what we’re doing and building.
Q. Have you had previous careers, or hobbies? What were the highlights?
A. After finishing high school in Montreal, I did a bit of college and then met Bill when we both worked for a health supplement company. We got married when I was in my early 20s. He had started Direct Source, and as it grew, I joined him in the business.
In those days, Direct Source sold value-priced music CDs and movie DVDs to retailers like Walmart, Costco and Sam’s Club. But with the introduction of iTunes, people stopped buying traditional CDs. So we took what we knew how to do and switched to a different product line: the natural cleaning products.
We also have Village Square Home Interiors, a furniture store in Pineapple Grove (Delray Beach). A talented group of women run the store for us, while Bill and I focus on Direct Source, which is our main business.
Q. What tips do you have for other busy moms?
A. I don’t know if I have tips necessarily. I think you need to delegate, breathe, have a sense of humor, sit down together for meals and forgive yourself on a daily basis. I think parents have a challenging road to travel. We set high expectations for ourselves and we are constantly bombarded with outside images and messages of perfection.
When you work in the home or outside of the home, are trying to raise decent children, be present in your relationships and marriage, be a somewhat active member of the community and hope to meet everyone’s expectations … well, at the end of the day, going through the ongoing to-do list, you have to take that deep breath and realize there’s always tomorrow.
Q. How did you choose to make your home in Gulf Stream?
A. My husband’s sister Joanne lives here with her family. It made it an obvious choice to live where we could be together. There is nothing like having family nearby.
Joanne and her husband, Bobby, have three boys so when we get together there are eight boys! It’s pretty incredible. We feel very fortunate to have them in our lives.
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Gulf Stream?
A. Gulf Stream School is a big part of it. We feel very privileged that our boys can be educated in such an incredible environment with an incredibly talented staff. Gulf Stream is made up of neighbors and families that went out of their way to make us feel welcome. People really do make the difference.
Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. I feel very fortunate to have a life touched by many incredible people, but if I were pressed to give one person, it would truly be my husband, Bill.
He pushes the envelope and it’s taken me out of my comfort zone. He lives with the motto of “taking it to the next level” and has made our life a real adventure.
Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
A. Angelina Jolie or Tina Fey.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. My father always told me and my two sisters, “The more I learn, the more I learn I know nothing.”
Those words become all the more wise to me, having kids who seem to know everything!
Q. Who or what makes you laugh?
A. That’s easy: my boys.
Organizers said the ‘Old Delray’ evening was a resounding success. Underwriters included The Corcoran Group, The Colony Hotel, Cafe Luna Rosa, Weekes and Callaway, Kientze Jewelers and several individuals.
Enjoying the evening were:
Barron Snyder, Sarah and Stuart Foster and Beau Delafield.
Jane Orthwein with Michael and Holly Thom.
Photos provided
Photo provided
Caron Dockerty and Brooke Qualk dressed up to great guests at a
Royal Wedding Party at their Treasure4Charity thrift store. Iced tea and tea sandwiches were served throughout the day. Business was brisk and tiaras were worn by many bringing in donations.
Photo provided
