Mary Kate Leming's Posts

Couple’s lawsuit claims retaliation against family

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 17:00

By Tim O’Meilia Backwash from the convictions of two Delray Beach priests continues to roil waters at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church as a couple sued parish officials Oct. 13, claiming their two children were expelled from the parish school in retaliation for their questioning of school finances.

Longtime parishioners Paul and Michele Maresca of Boynton Beach said their children, Michael, 11, and Danielle, 7, were expelled on the eve of classes, Michele was banned from substitute teaching and the couple was prohibited from volunteering at the school. The suit alleges that their questioning of the need for a 20 percent tuition hike in light of a supposed $4 million school endowment, restitution paid by the errant priests and paid insurance claims led to their being ostracized. “We sought answers and reassurance. We got resistance and retaliation,” Paul Maresca said in a statement. The suit does not name the parish, school or the Roman Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach but instead names the church pastor, the Rev. Thomas Skindeleski; the school principal, Vikki Delgado, and the parish administrator, John Krolikowski, all of whom Maresca said “conspired to retaliate against our family.” In a statement, diocese spokeswoman Alexis Walkenstein said the tuition dispute “unfortunately has been blown out of proportion and many of the facts pertaining to this dispute are simply false.” A financial statement released by the parish shows a $2 million endowment and that school operations lost $533,000 last year. Walkenstein said none of the endowment money was recouped from losses in the cases of former pastors John Skehan and Francis Guinan. Skehan and Guinan were convicted earlier this year of grand theft. Skehan, 81, is serving 14 months for spending more than $100,000 on homes and trips to Ireland. Guinan, 66, is serving four years for taking up to $100,000 to spend on gambling, trips and a female acquaintance. Testimony in both cases showed that the priests diverted collection money to parish accounts they controlled so the money would not be reported to the diocese. In a letter to parishioners after the priests were arrested, Skindeleski wrote the school had “big endowments” because that money had not been lost. The decision to raise the tuition from $5,000 to $6,000 annually was agreed to by three parish finance, school and parent organizations, Walkenstein said, and the increase was explained to parents at a Home and School Association meeting and in papers sent home with students. Tuition for two-child families increased from $6,700 to $7,500.

Talented teen ‘only wants to be with the music’

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 16:00

To hear performances by Anthony Arcaini, please visit: http://www.thecoastalstar.ning.com By Emily J. Minor His mother knows when he’s up to something. He’s up later, perhaps past 11 or so on a school night, and he’s distracted at the dinner table — if he appears at all. He abandons the computer and the soccer ball and small talk on the ride to school. And she hears that piano, the one in his upstairs bedroom, the faint tinkle of the keys keeping her motherly ears in the ready position when perhaps she’d much rather be falling off to sleep. “He’s totally on a different planet,” says Rebecca Arcaini. “Everything makes me crazy.” Anthony Arcaini might be just 14 years old. But he is One Of Those Kids who has a purpose and holds promise and, quite possibly, already knows what he wants to do with his life. Indeed, there’s a very good chance that he’s already doing it. Arcaini — an eighth grader at Gulf Stream School — is a pianist and a conductor who composes music. Amazing music. But the beautiful thing about this boy is you don’t need season tickets to the symphony to appreciate what he creates. Any goofball can tell you it’s magnificent. “It’s what I’m going to be doing for a living,” he says. Arcaini’s mother is German and Austrian. His father, Tonio, is Italian and works mostly overseas. His great-great-great grandfather composed church music. His great-grandfather was a professor of the cello. Yet neither of Anthony’s parents plays an instrument. But there it was, always, the Steinway piano in the hall of whatever house they were calling home. Anthony says he was 5 years old when he played for the first time. And his mother knew. It wasn’t going to be chess. It wasn’t going to be karate. It wasn’t going to be Little League baseball that would keep her son grounded. It was going to be music, amazing music, full of stories and emotion. He was 9 years old when he wrote his first movement, inspired by the woods outside his grandmother’s home in Tuscany. Anthony, his brother and his two sisters spend most summers overseas with their parents. “It’s like a forest,” he says, about the grounds around his grandmother’s house. “That’s what we call it.” And he heard a call in the forest and then the animals, running, and his mind went to work. And once they were home, young Anthony composed his first piece, The Beautiful Garden, on the family’s small Steinway. It was dedicated to his grandmother. Since then, he’s continued with everything that makes Anthony Anthony. He speaks three languages fluently: English, German and Italian. He’s half-fluent in Spanish and French and his Russian is getting better. He likes to play soccer and tennis and the occasional round of golf with his father. But, mostly, it is the music.

“When he is writing the music he only wants to be with the music,” says his mother. He’s now studying with a prominent conductor at the University of Miami, and has two renowned mentors overseas — one Italian, one Russian. Over the summer, he performed two concerts: one in Bologna, Italy, to benefit the survivors of the April earthquake. The other was before Italy’s Prince Philip, who was the first to rise for the standing ovation. (Then he walked right over to shake Anthony’s hand.)

Perhaps it is because of all of this — not to mention Arcaini’s mop of curly hair — that the Italian press has taken to calling him “the new Mozart.” This bothers the young musician. “He’s like …,” says Arcaini, unable to finish even a short sentence about the great Mozart. After all, right now Anthony Arcaini is simply Anthony Arcaini — a kid who goes to school, squabbles with his siblings, and keeps his mother awake at night creating beautiful music when he very well should be sleeping.

Gulf Stream: Town voices opposition to Intracoastal master plan

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 15:35

By Margie Plunkett Gulf Stream is following the town of Palm Beach’s lead in opposing certain actions of the Intracoastal Waterway master plan, both deeming some items in the plan “a wasteful and unnecessary expansion of government.” “I think this is something we want to be proactive on,” said Gulf Stream Mayor William F. Koch Jr. during the October commission meeting. Commissioners agreed to authorize a letter from Koch to the county opposing parts of the plan. The master plan, put together by the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council, covers 43 miles of Intracoastal and more than 1,000 waterway-related businesses, homes and residential neighborhoods, recreational and eco-tourism opportunities, and connects 23 of the county’s 38 municipalities, according to the plan’s executive summary. The plan lays out a vision, goals and methods of reaching the goals, and — like the master plans of other major cities’ waterways — guides such areas as economics, transportation, environment and land use. The town of Palm Beach’s letter opposed items including the creation of an Intracoastal Waterway commission to oversee plan implementation; a planning analysis to further evaluate the Lake Worth “Jewel Cove” marina village concept; the identification of street-end park opportunities and development of regulations to require their establishment and maintenance; development of a public access program for spoil islands and development of a storm-water utility that would cover properties within a half mile of Intracoastal shores. The letter cautioned other municipalities that they may have different concerns because of their individual situations. Gulf Stream opposes the same items as Palm Beach, Except for Jewel Cove. The Palm Beach County Metropolitan Planning Organization has adopted the plan, and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council is finalizing small changes, said Kim Delaney, TCRPC growth management coordinator. It’s been presented to the county, the Marine Industries Association and the Florida Intracoastal Navigational District. The plan is advisory, providing recommendations to towns, which can decide whether to implement them, Delaney said, adding the Intracoastal Commission is a marketing entity, not a regulator. The plan is a roadmap to anyone who wants to implement those projects, said Randy Whitfield, director of the county Metropolitan Planning Organization. “It is a basis for how what you’re doing will fit in with the overall plan.” Gulf Stream Town Clerk Rita Taylor said that, as in all plans, towns have a period of time in which to respond in favor or opposition. She also pointed out that the Florida Intracoastal Navigational District owns two parcels in Gulf Stream that are spoil islands and could be developed. “It’s best to bring attention before it’s too late,” said Tom Bradford, deputy town manager of Palm Beach. Palm Beach copied its letter to the county, MPO and TCRPC and the mayors of every municipality that abuts the Intracoastal. “It’s not that all the things are bad things, but that they’re already being done. Why add more potential cost?” The item that disturbed most people, Bradford said, was the creation of a storm-water utility that could charge assessments. “All the functions to protect the Intracoastal Waterway from runoff issues are done from a nationwide program that we’re all required to participate in. So it’s a duplication of effort,” he said. In the instance of the town’s objection to Jewel Cove, Bradford said, there is a segment of Lake Worth on Palm Beach island, next to residences. “To build a marina is not conducive to the residential community,” he said, adding that Lake Worth, not the town of Palm Beach would be the deciding entity on that item. In other business: • Gulf Stream commissioners voted to add a 10 percent utilities tax to electric and gas, a move that would increase town revenue by $160,000 annually, bolster reserves and slip in ahead of a possible ballot initiative that could cap municipal revenue. The tax, which is on actual electricity, not add-ons such as fuel charges, wouldn’t go into effect until April. Commissioners declined to adopt a similar tax on water. • The town pushed through ordinances on first reading to prohibit firing a firearm and to regulate use of PODS and other on-property portable storage. The portable storage ordinance requires a $150 permit for units placed on properties for more than 48 hours and limits their stay to seven days. Both ordinances will be the subject of public hearings and final votes in at the November meeting. • Commissioners also worked through an ordinance regulating the use of golf carts as transportation within the town, which will be up for discussion at a public hearing and preliminary vote in November.

Fans say plan to close Lantana P.O. is just (coco)nuts

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 15:32

By Mary Thurwachter Close the Lantana Post Office? Now that’s just nuts — or coconuts, in this case. So say town leaders and about 150 fans from Lantana and surrounding communities who convened for a rally in the parking lot between the post office and the library last month. To deliver the punch, fans of the Ocean Avenue post office sent more than 500 coconuts to Postmaster General John E. Potter in Washington, D.C. Coconuts harvested by city workers and others were given away at the Oct. 21 rally so that supporters of the mail station being considered for closing could pen messages on them. Lantana Mayor David Stewart and Town Manager Mike Bornstein were some of the first to donate money toward mailing the large, oval brown seeds to D.C. Others carried coconut messages into the post office one by one, paying $4 and up to deliver them. “We really couldn’t use taxpayer money to mail them,” Stewart said. Those who preferred a more traditional form of support helped the cause by adding signatures to petitions and filling out comment cards that were due by Oct. 25. Debbie Fetterly, spokeswoman for the United States Postal Service for the South Florida District, said that of the 13 locations in South Florida considered for closure, there’s been more local interest expressed for the Lantana office than any other. Nationwide, 371 locations are being studied.

While some questioned the use of coconuts, Bornstein, also known as the Barefoot Mailman re-enactor, said the method has a historical base. “Sometimes friends of the Barefoot Mailman would pay the postage on a coconut and he would be obliged to carry it on his journey, a six-day roundtrip, barefoot walk between Palm Beach and Miami on the beach.” Town officials thought the tie to the Barefoot Mailman story would be a unique way to express their feelings to the postmaster general, Bornstein said. (And, by the way, it’s still legal to ship coconuts through the mail without boxes as long as the address is legible.) Besides Bornstein and Stewart, dignitaries at the rally included County Commissioners Shelley Vana and Steven Abrams, along with mayors and representatives of neighboring towns that use the Lantana Post Office, including Hypoluxo, Atlantis, Manalapan and South Palm Beach. Santa Claus, in suspenders and white-fur-fringed red shorts, was there to lend his backing, too. Good wishes came from the sky as well, from an airplane pulling a banner that read “We are nuts about our Lantana PO.” Abrams added “they’d have to be nuts to close this post office.” Lantana council member Elizabeth Tennyson said she’s never been to the post office when there wasn’t a line. “It’s the heart of our downtown.” But Stewart acknowledged it would be tough to make the branch look profitable. “The numbers don’t look good and we know the postal service is trying to run a profitable service,” he said. “They need to look at this as a service,” Stewart said. “We’ve got a group of elderly people who use the post office. Not everyone pays bills on the Internet. “Our post office is very busy and having to travel to another city to mail letters and packages and pick up certified mail, etc. will be a tremendous inconvenience to our residents and business owners.” Fetterly said no matter what the U.S. Postal Service decides, the branch will be open through the holidays. In the meantime, fans of the Lantana Post office are keeping their fingers crossed. And Postmaster General Potter has to figure out just what to do with all those coconuts.

Palm Beaches Marathon adds Lantana to course

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 15:28

The Dec. 6 Palm Beaches Marathon takes runners through Lantana for the first time. At mile 9 of the 26.2-mile race, which starts and ends in West Palm Beach, runners enter Lantana on North Lakeside Drive, continue south to East Ocean Avenue, and cross the Intracoastal to the beach. There, at mile 11, marathoners turn and head back through Lantana on Federal Highway. The Old Key Lime House and the Friends of the Nature Preserve will host “wacky water stations,” according to Ilona Balfour, who said they’ll compete race-wide in a contest to be named the wackiest station. — Margie Plunkett

Delray Beach: Proposed water rates would serve a dose of reality

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 15:00

By Margie Plunkett

Bigger water users in Delray Beach will pay more after commissioners signed off on a rate restructuring designed to encourage conservation.
Commissioners adopted an ordinance to adjust residential, nonresidential and irrigation rates at their Oct. 20 meeting. Under the rate changes, 75 percent of users will pay less for water, Richard E. Hasko, director of environmental services, said. Anyone who uses less than 32,000 gallons a month will see a reduction, he explained, adding: “That’s a lot of water.”
The rate restructuring wasn’t intended to boost revenue — it’s revenue neutral — or to punish waste, he said.
“It’s not an issue of people wasting water,” Hasko said. “The shallow aquifer is limited and finite. There’s growth in the municipalities now and the future. We are capped at how much we can take out of the aquifer. The only way we can meet future need is a combination of conservation and alternative resources.” The primary alternative is the reclaimed water system the city is working to expand for landscape use.
The new rates also aren’t based on demographics, he said. Still, barrier island properties in Delray Beach and Gulf Stream — where lots tend to be larger, have more landscaping and be more heavily irrigated — could be among those who feel the impact. “It’s targeted to reward low water users and send a realistic economic message to high water users,” Hasko said. “We’re not telling them they’re wasting water, but they have to reduce their use. That’s the situation we’re in now.”
He also told commissioners that they need to acknowledge they’ll be looking at a proposal for permanent water restrictions for landscape use. “It’s not going to be any more than three days a week,” Hasko said. Hasko’s explanation followed a public hearing in which one resident who spoke didn’t think it was fair. “If you use more water that doesn’t mean you waste more money,” she said, noting that she has a well. “In this economy, you may not be able to spend $4,000 to change out and get a pump.” Commissioner Gary Eliopoulos also took exception, remembering the night last week he woke up to find his yard on fire, believed to be started by dry landscaping — the result of reducing his irrigation to one day a week — in combination with the landscape lights. “People are going to go to extremes to save this water,” he said. “They’re not wasting it, they’re just watering their lawns.”
But proponents were plentiful. Commissioner Fred Fetzer said, “We need to work on educating our residents to conserve.” And Commissioner Adam Frankel said, as he’s become acquainted with the green task force, he’s changed his thought that it’s an unfair penalty. When a family sees a big spike in their bill, they have to make some changes, he said.
How it works:
The proposed commodity charge increases from the existing rates as the volume of water used rises. For instance, users of up 3,000 gallons currently pay $1.75 for each 1,000 gallons used. Under the proposal, up to 3,000 gallons of use monthly is included in the base charge. And residents who use 4,000 to 12,000 gallons month would pay $1.25 per 1,000 gallons, still lower than the existing fee. But as usage increases, the price under the proposal exceeds the existing price. By 26,000 gallons, the user under the restructured rate is paying $3.50 per 1,000 gallons, compared with $2.32 under the existing rates. Both schedules top out for 51,000 gallon-plus users, with the proposal at $4.50 per 1,000 gallons compared with $2.65 under the existing rates.
The irrigation rate rises to $2.43 per 1,000 gallons under the proposal.

Thanksgiving: Falling in love with Florida

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 15:00

Caption: Fall is brought to the South Florida Thanksgiving table by using tropical colors and textures. Arrangement provided by From Roehm With Love. Table, setting and location provided by Village Square Home Interiors. Photo by Tim Stepien. Backyard and beach provide tables with fall look in subtropics By Jan Norris Fall leaves, acorns and pumpkins all scream fall — but beautiful as they are, they’re as meaningful for South Floridians as wool underwear. For Thanksgiving this year, we asked a local florist well-versed in tropical displays to bring fall to the turkey table in a centerpiece for us — without maple leaves. Joseph Roehm of Delray Beach’s From Roehm With Love shop, newly located in Pineapple Grove, was thrilled with the assignment and went to work “without thinking,” he said. “I just do it instinctively. I really don’t think too hard.” For our centerpiece, Roehm stayed within the fall palette — deep reds, bright yellows and oranges, wine-tinged magentas — using tropical flowers and plants. “I wanted to think architecturally, not floral. Northern flowers are softer, while Southern and tropicals are architectural in shapes,” he explained. Lobster claw heliconias — bright orange and yellow with green stems — are tall. So is the king protea, the giant sunburst-shaped bloom with deep reds, pinks and purples set against the deep green stem. Cymbidium orchids, in magenta with deep wine spots and orange throats or bright yellow with magenta throats, are a “hard” flower Roehm likes to work with. “There are so many color choices there,” he said. Crotons are a natural: The bush so common to South Florida backyards is full of fall colors, no matter which variety you choose — flat or corkscrew, huge tobacco leaf or little dwarf plant. Rust, magenta, sunset-orange and yellow and spots of green make them an all-in-one plant choice. A full vase of these leaves with a few sea grape greens would be the simplest of arrangements that could work beautifully. Roehm suggests raiding the backyard or the beach for finds to build a South Florida fall centerpiece. “A beautiful piece of driftwood could make a great base for an arrangement. Stagger candles and some floral pieces around it. It would be perfect,” he said. A few basic floral design rules to keep in mind: Make the arrangement proportionate to your space; it should neither overwhelm nor look lost on the table. If you plan to keep it on the table during meals, make sure there’s room for glassware and serving pieces. Wash or wipe plants well to prevent any bugs from traveling indoors with you. Pick in early morning for next-day or same-day arrangements, and give plants plenty of water, keeping them cool. An arrangement doesn’t have to be perfect — nature isn’t perfectly symmetrical — but show off each blossom or leaf to its best advantage. Less is more: Quit before you think you have enough in your vase or bowl. In case you aren’t confident enough to build your own arrangement, Roehm will take orders for Thanksgiving arrangements until Nov. 24, for the last delivery Thanksgiving eve. Visit him at From Roehm With Love, 257 NE Second Ave. (in the Esplanade of Pineapple Grove), Delray Beach, or call (561) 274-0190. For a new dining table, table dressings or decorating ideas visit Village Square Home Interiors at its new location: 200 NE Second Ave., Suite 100, Delray Beach, or call (561) 272-8270 for information. Think outside and in the garden to find items for your perfect fall Florida centerpiece. Here are some ideas: Sea grape leaves and berries Crotons Coral vine Shrimp plant Chenille plant Orchids Heliconia Protea Sunflowers Ginger blooms Bird of paradise Pineapples Bromeliad blooms Datura Pothos Palm tree husks Date palm berries Driftwood pieces Conch and olive seashells

Green markets offer fresh-picked fare

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 29, 2009 at 15:00

Real tomato-tasting tomatoes, fresh greens, fresh flowers — you can’t beat the offerings at local green markets sprouting this month. Most are at new locations. Here’s a list of those handy for the Coastal Star readership: Delray Beach Green Market • In the street on Southeast Fourth Avenue, just south of East Atlantic Avenue • Opens Oct. 31, and continues Saturday through spring, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. • A number of activities held here throughout the year — including a doggie Easter bonnet contest and a chili cook-off — make this an event market. Produce, seafood, plants and prepared foods are sold. Ocean Avenue Green Market/East • 129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum • Opens Oct. 31, continues Saturdays through spring, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. • A café every Saturday serves a number of full breakfasts here; fresh produce, and sales of prepared and bottled foods support local food entrepreneurs who are always on site to chat. Ocean Avenue Green Market/West • Boynton Mall south parking lot, along Old Boynton Road, 801 S. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach • Open Oct. 31, Saturdays through spring, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. • A carryover from the east market, food entrepreneurs will offer prepared and bottled foods, fresh produce and plants at this new market that will eventually become year-round and indoors. Oceanside Farmer’s Market • On J Street, between Lake and Lucerne avenues, downtown Lake Worth • Open year-round, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Wide selection of vegetables and fruits, baked goods, bouquets and cooking demos, plus live music every week are offered at this fun street market.

South Palm Beach approves fire-rescue service change

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:33

The town council revised its 10-year contract for fire-rescue service Oct. 27 to allow Palm Beach County to bill property owners directly beginning in 2010. The change will remove the $1.1 million fire-rescue cost from the town’s budget Instead, homeowners will be billed separately on their annual property tax bill. The fire-rescue tax rate of $3.50 per $1,000 of taxable property value will not change. — Tim O’Meilia

South Palm Beach: Hotel plan meets with surprise rejection

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:32

By Tim O’Meilia For the second time in two years, the South Palm Beach Town Council rejected a plan to replace the two-story Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn — the town’s only business — with a luxury 10-story hotel. The 3-2 vote on Oct. 21 surprised most of the nearly 200 residents packed into the council chambers and a nearby lobby, since most speakers favored the plans for the hotel and the council had previously backed the proposed change in the town’s comprehensive plan by the same margin. The swing vote was Councilman Joseph Flagello, who voted in June to send the project for review by state planning officials. "I'd love to see this project in the spirit of the code: six stories with one story of parking for seven stories. I'm not against changing the code," he said. "The scope of the project has to fit within the residential character of the town." He lamented how the issue had divided the town. He said he was cursed at as he left the council chambers. The vote effectively kills the hopes of the Paloka family, which bought the two-story, 45-year-old Hawaiian Inn and its oceanfront Tides bar and restaurant five years ago. In 2007, they applied for a 16-story condo-hotel, scaled it back to 14, but were unanimously rejected by the council. The Palokas declined to comment after the two-and-a-half-hour meeting. Mayor Marty Millar and Councilman Brian Merbler voted for the hotel. Vice Mayor Charles McCrosson and Councilman Don Clayman joined Flagello in opposing it. “It was too close,” Clayman said of the proposed 10-foot setback from the property line. “This is a residential town and we want to keep it residential town. No doubt this would have been the start to more commercial.” Thirty-six people spoke, more than two-thirds arguing that the change would upgrade the looks of the town and add tens of thousands of dollars in much-needed property tax to the town budget. “Why are we against them turning a caterpillar into a butterfly which in time will elevate the value of our property and bring in taxes to the town?” asked resident Sandra von Triffon. “It’s revenues, it’s jobs, it’s beautiful,” said Robert Lamelas. Opposition came from neighboring condos, the Horizons East and the Tuscany, and from South Palm Beach Preservation Inc., whose members wore powder blue T-shirts which read “Take Back South Palm Beach.” “It would be the tallest building in town, have 99 units on one acre and have 74 percent lot coverage, double what’s allowed now,” said attorney Neil Schiller, representing the Tuscany. “Will it cause flooding on A1A or beach erosion? We don’t know because we haven’t seen their proposal. It opens the door for future commercial use in town.” The town’s current comprehensive plan allows only 60-foot tall buildings although previously built condominiums are up to nine stories. It also allows only residential uses. The motel is classed as non-conforming and cannot be expanded or rebuilt unless the plan is changed. “Your grandiose plans are not for such a small property,” said Louise Bronstein, who lives next door to the motel.

ENGAGEMENT: Alexandra Brown and Michael Bell

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:30

Alexandra Brown, a daughter of Lucy and Terry Brown of Ocean Ridge, is engaged to Michael Bell of California. The couple met while working on a coastal marine fishery conversation project in Moro Bay, Calif. Brown attended local area public schools, including Citrus Cove Elementary and Congress Middle School, graduating from the Atlantic High School International Baccalaureate program with high honors. She attended the University of Miami on a merit scholarship, completing her bachelor’s degree in marine science, after which she earned a master’s degree in environmental science and management, with a specialty in coastal resources conservation, from the University of California at Santa Barbara in 2008. She is now completing a year-long NOAA fellowship in Washington, D.C. Her mother is a circuit court judge in Palm Beach County and is to officiate. Her father is retired from a management job in Florida state government. Ms. Brown’s interest in marine science began when she was a child serving as a volunteer in the Sea Turtle Conversation Program, monitoring sea turtle nests on the beaches of Ocean Ridge. Bell works in the field of conservation for The Nature Conservancy. He is employed as the marine project director for the Central Coast Groundfish Project at the California Chapter of the Nature Conservancy. The project has been recognized in national and international media as a promising innovative approach for reforming fisheries to sustainability. He came to the California program in 2003 after serving as the director of protection for the Conservancy’s New Jersey program. Previously, he was producer and host of a local television show in Steamboat Springs, Colo.; before that, he served in the Peace Corps in Uruguay. He holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from Saint Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. He lives and surfs in Los Osos, Calif. Bell is the son of Mary Foxwell of Wall, N.J., who works as a child learning disabilities specialist. His father, now deceased, was a practicing attorney and a municipal judge for over 30 years in Cranford, N.J.

Oyster reef project planned for next month

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:27

By Margie Plunkett Volunteers will gather along the Lantana Nature Preserve shore on Hypoluxo Island in December with nets in hand not to fish, but to build an oyster reef. Intended to attract juvenile fish and to provide other environmental benefits, it will be the first restoration project of its kind for Palm Beach County’s Department of Environmental Resource Management. Lantana, ERM and the West Palm Beach Fishing Club will build the oyster reef on a tentatively scheduled day in mid-December. The groups plan to truck 24 tons of fossilized shells to Bicentennial Park that day, which volunteers will use to fill 1,000 to 1,600 nylon mesh bags measuring about 3 feet by 8 inches and weighing 25 pounds. The bags will then be trucked to the Lantana Preserve shoreline, where they’ll be placed under the mangrove canopy to create the reef. The fossilized shells, which are 7,000 to 9,000 years old, are only the beginning of the reef. “They’re the next best thing to shell you would find in a restaurant,” said ERM’s Ginny Powell, who presented the plan to Town Council at its Oct. 12 meeting. The bags, which will be covered at high tide, but visible at low tide, provide a hard surface that allows the young oysters — or spat — floating in the lake a place to attach. Lake Worth has about 4.2 acres of oysters at its center. In addition to creating an environment for fish and invertebrates to live and feed in, oyster reefs also provide food for wading birds. And adult oysters contribute to clear water — one adult can filter up to 50 gallons of water a day, according to the ERM — that can benefit the murky Intracoastal waters. While the oyster reef restoration project is the first for ERM here, a different project was done under docks in the Loxahatchee River, Powell said. Lantana Town Council voted unanimously at its meeting to proceed with the project. “We have a lot of people interested in this project and anticipate there’s going to be good participation, ” Powell said. Once the county receives a permit for the project, it will make the event date definite. The ERM held a successful test day to run through the process of bagging the fossilized shells. Fourteen volunteers completed 350 bags of shells in 2.5 hours. “It’s a tough job,” Powell said, “and it might need several layers of workers.” Residents raised some questions at the Town Council meeting about the project’s environmental impact. Richard Slosberg and council member Elizabeth Tennyson were concerned about nylon mesh issues, including pollution, entanglement risks and biodegradability. And resident Malcolm Balfour, who supported the project, said while the oysters will clean the Intracoastal during dry season, nothing will clear up the waterway when the C-51 canal dumps into it during rainy season. Tom Twyford of the West Palm Beach Fishing Club countered that the state Department of Environmental Protection would not have approved the project if it had concerns. Dr. Lynn Moorhouse helped move the project along, telling his fellow council members that in his experience, artificial reef projects are very difficult to do, so the town should move ahead now while there is momentum. Despite the concerns, Ilona Balfour, a director of the Nature Preserve board, hopes the reef will enhance the preserve. The county has no plans to harvest the oysters to claim their traditional loot: pearls. “We told them since it’s right in our backyard, we’re going to have first dibs on the pearls,” Balfour said. Mary Kate Leming contributed to this story.

Ocean Ridge: Personnel changes afoot at Police Department

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:24

By Margie Plunkett The Ocean Ridge Police Department is two officers stronger, and back to full staff, but more changes are in store come spring with the planned retirement of Chief Edward Hillery. Hillery is expected to retire as of April 1, Town Manager Ken Schenck said, adding that the chief hasn’t yet officially submitted his intent. Schenck plans to recommend Lt. Chris Yannuzzi as Hillery’s successor, whose appointment is subject to approval by town commissioners. “He’s proven himself well-qualified, made good changes in the Police Department,” Schenck said. “Why go to the expense and time of advertising when we have someone in house?” Hillery, nearly 70, has been with a police department since age 22 in New Jersey. “I’ll miss the people. I’ve kept a younger mental attitude by working,” he said. After retirement, he said, he plans to keep working on his boat, play golf and take up artwork. The two new officers bring experience and are a good fit will with the force in Ocean Ridge, Hillery said. And bringing the department up to staff means “we can be more flexible, using less overtime,” the chief said. Officers Vincent Mollica and John Giardino were approved conditionally by town commissioners in October. Both, who bring experience from the Northeast, have satisfied the remaining required conditions, which included results of medical and psychological exams.

Mollica, a West Palm Beach resident, retired from the New York Police Department as a narcotics detective after 16 years with the department. He has a bachelor’s in criminal justice and received Florida law enforcement equivalency training through Broward Community College.

Giardino of Palm Beach Gardens retired after 20 years as a Massachusetts state trooper. He has a master’s degree in education, a bachelor’s in sociology and an associate’s in criminal justice. His Florida law enforcement training comes from Palm Beach Community College. The two were chosen from 16 submitted applications. The officers fill one spot left vacant after a recent termination and one that had been frozen. The new hires, who started Oct. 13, bring the Police Department staff up to 15 people, according to Schenck. Mollica and Giardino planned to attend the Nov. 2 commission meeting.

Perpetual motion keeps children’s museum going

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:00

By Linda Haase The cry went out, “Save the school.” Boynton Beach city officials got the message loud and clear, and today the two-story 1913 elementary school building is the thriving, award-winning Schoolhouse Children’s Museum. As the museum enters its ninth year, the staff, like the children who visit, is in perpetual motion looking for new ways to educate and enthrall visitors. The museum, recently chosen the best museum in South Florida in Nickelodeon’s Parents’ Picks Contest for the second year in a row, has found its niche with home-schoolers, elementary students and the pre-school set. It has, say observers, been more of a success than expected. “It has been a huge success from Day 1. The attendance was double what we expected the first year,” says Ocean Ridge resident Barbara Traylor, who was involved in petitioning to save the school where her mother taught first grade. The nonprofit museum, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, features interactive exhibits on Florida history, natural history and science, and offers pre-school programs, story hours, enrichment classes for home-schoolers, family fun days and a summer camp. The staff has put a special emphasis on making the museum accessible to all and offers a Free Family Night once a month. It also wants to add an outreach program to bring the museum to classrooms in schools, says Kelsey Harris, the museum’s operations director. New exhibits and programs, including a 92-gallon saltwater aquarium and a junior toastmasters class, have been added. Everything here is designed to bring history to life. And to teach children. “You need to know where you’ve been to know where you are going,” says Ocean Ridge resident and founding board member Ken Kaleel. “It was important to save history to appreciate what is going on today.” Keeping history alive isn’t cheap. The museum depends on a $230,000 annual infusion from the city, along with money from fundraisers and other venues to keep it going. The third annual dinner dance, Sept. 11, netted $27,000 for the museum and brought in a record number of participants, says Harris. “For that to happen is a good sign that the community still loves the museum very much and wants it to continue. We have become a regional attraction and the crown jewel of family learning and fun in the area.” Another sign of support came from Boynton Beach City Commissioners Woodrow Hay and Marlene Ross, who each gave the museum $1,000 from their community investment funds in September. The last fundraiser of the year, a fashion show, luncheon and trunk show fundraiser, featuring the latest season of Lilly Pulitzer’s children and adult fashions, will be held Nov. 6 at Quail Ridge Country Club. “The future of the schoolhouse is grand. It is such a diamond in the city’s downtown area,” contends Craig Clark, the director of the Boynton Beach library and a member of the museum’s board of directors. The library partners with the museum, often collaborating on programs. “It’s a win-win for both of us,” says Clark. The museum is at 129 E. Ocean Ave. For more information, visit www.schoolhousemuseum.org or call (561) 742-6780.

Meet Your Neighbor: Stacey Dowdle

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:00

10 Questions Meet Your Neighbor: Stacey Dowdle

Stacey A. Dowdle is all heart. She is, after all, vice president of the Palm Beach chapter of the American Heart Association. But the Delray Beach woman is so much more than that. She’s a wife, a mother, an avid runner and a young professional who was honored this year as an Athena Award finalist for actively engaging in the promotion of women in leadership roles. She serves on a host of boards, including the Association of Fundraising Professionals for Palm Beach County, Planned Giving Council of Palm Beach County, Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and The Crossroads Club Inc. Her volunteer commitments include the Delray Beach Historical Society, Naoma Donnelly Haggin Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, the Delray Beach Drug Task Force and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce for Palm Beach County. She is a member of The Forum Club of the Palm Beaches and listed in the 2009 “Who’s Who” in Business” directory. She was nominated for the 2010 international board of directors for the Association of Fundraising Professionals, dedicated to advancing the field of philanthropy across the globe. On the weekends, you might find her building sandcastles on the beach with her 23-month-old daughter, Delaney, and her husband, Dan. “My daughter inspires me that anything is possible,” she said. Dowdle’s birth mother, who had fled Cuba when she was 7, died when Dowdle was 9 months old. The nuns at the hospital took care of her until Dowdle was adopted by a couple from New York. “My [adoptive] mother was my first mentor,” Dowdle said. “She steadfastly stands on a sound belief system of faith, honesty and courage.” And so does Stacey Dowdle. — Mary Thurwachter Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you? A. I grew up on Long Island, about 35 miles east of New York City. My primary school years were in the Sachem School District. I went on to the University of Rhode Island to earn a bachelor’s degree in psychology. I attended Nova Southeastern and have slowly been working toward a master’s degree in psychology. I believe I was fortunate to have been put in the path of extremely dedicated educational instructors and teachers. They were probably the first group of professionals to demonstrate passion and commitment. I participated in athletics throughout my entire formal education experience, and believe that afforded me another area to experience commitment and dedication through hard work. Q. What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of? A. My first job was at Newport Hospital, in Newport, R.I., on their social services team. I went on to change careers twice over the next 20 years. I have been in fundraising for the institutional pension-fund sector in New York City, and now in the nonprofit world. I’m most proud of the nomination to Association of Fundraising Professionals International Board of Directors and the Athena Award nomination. Q. As the vice president of Palm Beach for the American Heart Association, what do you see as the toughest challenges your organization will face this coming year? A. All of us in the nonprofit world have been given a unique opportunity to demonstrate our ability to meet the climate we are in. We owe our constituents, donors and volunteers a “clear path” to continue to support the important work we do on a daily basis. At the Heart Association, one of my most pressing challenges is to continue to educate the public and the private sector that heart disease is the No. 1 killer of women over the age of 25 in the United States, and that we need more dollars dedicated to research in women’s heart health. Q. Tell us a little about your volunteer work. Why is it important to you? A. It is important to me to be a part of the fabric of the world I live in and to model that for my daughter. It is my belief that I was not supposed to survive the death of my biological mother. And once I moved through the pain of those details, I made a commitment that the life I was given is a fleeting moment in time, and I have a responsibility to donate my life back to others in need. Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today? A. My strongest piece of advice to people selecting a career is to find a mentor whom you can define a career path with based on your dynamic skill set. Know yourself, and be willing to remain teachable. Importantly, know what you are not good at, and what generates passion in you. When you are passionate about what you do, you can move mountains. Q. How did you choose to make your home in Delray Beach? A. I moved to Delray Beach in 1998 during a very difficult time in my life, and owe our City by The Sea a debt of gratitude for being a part of my healing. Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax? A. Gospel music is so moving to me, and there is a local radio station that plays great Sunday Gospel. … I particularly love the Rolling Stones when I am running, which is my way of relaxing. Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions? A. “A good head and good heart are always a formidable combination.” — Nelson Mandela Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you? A. Hmm, not sure. Maybe Sandra Bullock, she is so real. Q. Who or what makes you laugh? A. My daughter makes me laugh; my life makes me laugh. It took me along time to learn that we have to have humor! The ability to involve humor in the seriousness of what we all face every day, brings things into perspective and the true experience of joy … even if it’s just for a minute.

Library stays, but so does county tax

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 18:00

By Margie Plunkett The Palm Beach County Library System closed the book on Ocean Ridge’s request to opt out of the library taxing district because it has its own community library. Ocean Ridge’s pitch was the first of its kind, according to Library Director John J. Callahan III, who turned the town down in a July letter that said the volunteer library with donated books doesn’t have a separate town allocation and its services don’t meet Florida Public Library Standards. “It came up once before as an inquiry, but this is the first one that formally asked to withdraw,” Callahan said. The town’s move was an attempt to save residents money: “The library tax is a very healthy tax,” said Town Manager Ken Schenck, adding the bid may not be over yet. “We haven’t necessarily given up.” In total, Ocean Ridge residents will pay about $361,422 in taxes to the library district in the 2009/10 budget year, based on the town’s aggregate taxable value of $727.2 million and the library district’s tax rate of $0.497 per $1,000 of assessed value. A resident whose home had a taxable value of $200,000 would pay $99.40. Other municipalities, including Delray Beach and Boca Raton, aren’t in the county library district, their own libraries pre-dating the county system, Callahan said. Gulf Stream is among that group. The original requirement said cities could opt out if they provided library service, according to Callahan. “They didn’t have certain restrictions you had to follow in the way you operated it,” said Rita Taylor, Gulf Stream town clerk. She noted, however, that Gulf Stream also had a budget line item for library expenses. Before a community can sever ties to the county library system now, it has to offer library services that meet state standards. The state requires that libraries have a degreed library staff, have a facility open at least 40 hours a week, provide reciprocal lending, have an annual budget and provide access to materials on the Internet and databases available on the Florida Electronic Library, among other things. Ocean Ridge Commissioner Lynn Allison was among those who visited area libraries before agreeing to establish a library because it would be an asset to the town as well as provide a tax advantage. “It’s beautiful,” Allison said of the resulting library, organized by the Ocean Ridge Garden Club and citizens. But the rules concerning the tax advantages — such as that the library must have a computer — either became more stringent or the organizers didn’t know about them, she said. Even if it isn’t a tax benefit, Allison said, “we’ll continue to have our library. It’s a benefit to our citizens.” Callahan said that “from the county’s viewpoint, the library is part of the educational infrastructure of the community, just like they support schools” and other services such as fire rescue.

Obituary - Lucy Linn Stewart: Delray Beach

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 17:30

Obituary

Lucy Linn Stewart By Mary Katherine Stump Delray Beach — Lucy Stewart, a 37-year resident of Delray Beach and an active member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and the community died peacefully at her home on Oct. 14. She was 96. “Everyone knew Lucy,” said Patsy Westall, the daughter of Helen Toal, one of Ms. Stewart’s longtime friends. “If there was a need, there was Lucy. I believe that one of the hardest parts of her decline over the last few years, both emotionally and physically for her, was not being able to serve. It was how she defined herself. Even as I visited her in this last year, she would always say ‘I wish there was something I could do for you’.” Originally from Salisbury, N.C., Ms. Stewart attended the Women’s College, now the University of North Carolina Greensboro, where she received her teaching degree. She taught elementary school in Salisbury and married Sam Stewart, her husband of 40 years, in 1944. The two moved to Delray Beach in 1972 and were members of the The Little Club in Gulf Stream, where Ms. Stewart continued to play golf until she was 90. Ms. Stewart was preceded in death by her husband in 1984. Ms. Stewart was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal for over 30 years. She was an avid member of the Episcopal Church Women, an advocacy group who sought to have the voices and concerns of women heard both in the community and within the Episcopal Church. When Patsy Westall moved to Delray six years ago to care for her mother, it was Ms. Stewart who recruited her to the ECW. “When I moved here, Lucy became an active part of my life,” said Ms. Westall. “She told me that I needed to be a member of the ECW, and then told me what time she was going to pick me up.” Said St. Paul’s Rev. Kathleen Gannon, “She preached with her actions and not her words. She had a servant’s heart and a demonstrative leadership quality.” Mrs. Stewart is survived by her two sons, Samuel E. Stewart Jr. of Villanova, Penn., and his long time companion, Despina F. Page, and Richard L. Stewart of Penfield, N.Y., his wife, Lin, and their two daughters, Heather Stewart of Atlanta and Rebecca Stewart, a student at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Friends were invited to attend a memorial service at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach on Oct. 24. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Lucy Stewart to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444 for their outreach programs.

InterFaith21: First year of helping families is cause for celebration

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 17:00

InterFaith21 First year of helping families is cause for celebration By C.B. Hanif Unite 21 interfaith congregations in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach to address homelessness among children and families, and you have Family Promise of South Palm Beach County. Coming soon is a celebration of the nonprofit organization’s first year of advancing faith-based social service beyond proselytizing to the service that is the true hallmark of faith. “What really intrigues me is the interfaith nature of Family Promise,” said board member Michael Diamant. He’s also chairman of the “Bring the Children Home” benefit to aid local homeless families, Nov. 5 at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. “I think the Family Promise focus on families with children, and the interfaith aspect, yields benefits to the community as a whole, far beyond addressing the problem of homelessness,” Diamant said. That particular aspect — the distinctive response to temporary homelessness for families with children — began 21 years ago in New Jersey with founder Karen Olson. Family Promise now is in 39 states with 148 affiliates, and has another under development in North Palm Beach. Olson saw the need to help the needy, and also a way to help congregations of all faiths keep their promises to help by networking their resources and contacts to assist with housing, jobs, counseling, training, etc. A result here is 10 host congregations providing secure shelter and meals, for a week on a rotating basis, for up to four families going through a difficult time. Other congregations provide other support. The program isn’t designed to deal with chronic homelessness, said Kokie Dinnan, executive director. “We are primarily focused on children that have become homeless, and their families that have sustained themselves in life for the most part, but been impacted by some sort of circumstance whether it be illness, or divorce, or loss of job.” The average week begins on Sunday with volunteers packing and trucking the supporting equipment over to the next congregation. During the week, families rise in the morning for the van ride to the remodeled former convent donated by St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. That Day Center is their home address, where they shower and do laundry, have storage for their basic needs, and a phone number. From there, children take buses or walk to school. Parents go to work, hunt for work or work with counselors. In the evening, families return to the host congregation for dinner, for companionship, for family life. Dinnan — a former county schoolteacher who is satisfying her love for interfaith, families and children, and for teaching — said to make a week happen takes anywhere from 50 to 70 volunteers at that congregation. “Hosts use their church or synagogue, or the mosque. We don’t have any mosques, but we’d like to.” Depending on the facility, a congregation “may use sliders that divide the parish hall into four segments, so that each family has privacy for the week that they’re there. Some places use their Sunday school classroom.” With referrals coming from any and all social service agencies as well as individuals, the hope is for more host congregations, Dinnan said. “We have probably 50 families right now on our wait list, which is sad to say. Because there are a lot of families with mothers and children sleeping on the beaches and in parks.”

Fadina Middleton might have been among them. She arrived in West Palm Beach on May 11 from Delaware, with her 3-year-old son Jakob, and fumbling with her luggage, promptly lost all her money. “The plan was to come here, make a new life,” said the Philadelphia native. “Find an apartment, pay for it six months in advance, and find a new life through acting and modeling. But it all crashed when I lost my money.” Someone at the Salvation Army on Palm Beach Lakes Boulevard told her about Family Promise. “I came here, interviewed and I was accepted.” Jakob now attends Youthland Academy in Delray while she looks for work. While “angry at myself for putting myself in this situation,” she said, “I just have to take the way it is, my life is, and make it better. I still want that luxury house and car and nice job. I just have to work at it. I’ve been on so many job interviews — Miami, Miami Beach, Boca, Deerfield, I don’t care where’s it at. I just have to try extra hard.” And when she gets there, does she see herself giving back? “I know I will. I asked Miss Kokie’s permission when I ever appear in a magazine can I mention Family Promise, do I have permission to do so? I’m trying every magazine they have here in Florida to see if I can just be in it or on the cover and talk about Family Promise.” Middleton may get to pose with Family Promise founder Olson, who will be here Nov. 5 for the affiliate’s first anniversary. “We think it is time for a celebration,” said event chairman Diamant, “because we’ve been fortunate enough to help a number of families in this relatively short time, graduating several families to where they’ve been able to go out and get back on their feet, have some type of housing, have a job, have a plan to get back on a better financial foundation.” “We really want to show that as a local community this is an issue we feel strongly about, passionately about, and that we believe we can make some steps to impact,” he said. “It is a celebration of what we’ve been able to do in a year, and a call to action, and hopefully it will extend to other people. The call to action “is to raise awareness, get people to donate time and money, and make access to their contacts. We want people to know that this is a grassroots local response to an increasing problem in Palm Beach County, one of the most wealthy counties in the nation, yet there is no official county-based homeless shelter.” Having united congregations of varied faiths to walk their talk, Family Promise already has demonstrated how the whole can be larger than the sum of its parts. One wonderful thing about being in their meetings, said Diamant, “is truly everybody believes that they are doing God’s work regardless of their denomination. “I think doing that not only allows us to reach a number of congregations,” he said, “but it helps interfaith understanding across the board, and is an important byproduct of this.” C.B. Hanif is a writer, editor and media and inter-religous affairs consultant. Find him at www.interfaith21.com If You Go Bring the Children Home What it’s about: Benefit to aid local homeless families. Family Promise’s mission states a fundamental belief that every child has a right to have a safe and secure home. When: Thursday, Nov. 5, 6 to 8 p.m. Where: Boca Raton Museum of Art, 501 Plaza Real, Boca Raton Cost: Admission is $25 for the benefit that will feature music by students of the Pine Crest School, silent auction, raffle, food and beverages. Guests include Palm Beach County Commissioner Jeff Koons, and Boca Raton Mayor Susan Whelchel. Contact: 561-265-3370, Ext. 103 or www.FamilyPromiseSPBC.org.

Paws Up for Pets!: In life and death, feline friend teaches lessons

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 28, 2009 at 16:30

CAPTION: Callie pokes her head out the carrier after receiving a senior wellness exam at the vet clinic in 2007. In life and death, feline friend teaches lessons By Arden Moore Fifteen years ago, my co-worker Diego brought an itty-bitty calico kitten into the newsroom at the Sun-Sentinel’s office in Delray Beach. Diego knew I was looking to adopt a kitten and he found this one dodging cars on Biscayne Boulevard in Miami. You know what happened next. Naturally, I took one look and became smitten by this kitten. On the spot, I dubbed her Callie. OK, not so original for a calico, but the name just fit. She was so tiny that she could fit in a food bowl but so agile that she could scale my drapes in less than three seconds. Not being weaned completely, she needed bottle feeding and lots of veterinary visits to ensure she was growing at a healthy pace. Through the years, Callie served as my one constant during life’s milestones. She has been by my side during three career changes, eight relocations, five other pets and, yes, a handful of personal relationships. For the past decade, she has gamely joined me when it was necessary to have a feline sidekick during speaking events and book tours. She flew with me to New York City, never emitting a single mew during the flight for a three-day media blitz for my book, The Cat Behavior Answer Book. She happily perched on her favorite blanket inside the docked Queen Mary in Long Beach, Calif., while I delivered a “why-cats-do-what-they-do” speech to members of the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters. She has tolerated curious children at elementary school assemblies and welcomed the arrival of my 60-pound dog, Chipper without a single hiss. At age 12, Callie conquered feline hyperthyroidism thanks to radioactive iodine treatment that necessitated her being quarantined at the veterinary hospital for a week. I kept tabs on her by viewing Web cam images on my computer. I jokingly called her “Rally Callie” because she seemed to bounce back from various ailments during her senior years. Recently, however, Callie’s rapid weight loss and sudden refusal to beg for her favorite treat prompted the visit to my veterinarian. Tests, including an ultrasound, verified the diagnosis. My 15-year-old calico was dying from a fast-growing mass in her pancreas. I took a pass on exploratory surgery, but all signs pointed to pancreatic cancer. Yep, the same disease that claimed the life of actor Patrick Swayze. Now what? “Let’s give her medicine to try to stimulate her appetite and give her some subcutaneous fluids to address her dehydration,” said Mary Gibbs, DVM, a veterinarian who has cared for Callie for nearly a decade. How long does Callie have? “Days, maybe weeks. It’s hard to say,” replied Dr. Gibbs. “At this point, let’s keep Callie comfortable. She will let you know when it’s time.” In her dying weeks, I opted to pay tribute to Callie, and to help others coping with ailing pets, by creating a 10-part video series on YouTube called Callie’s Ninth Life. The episodes capture Callie’s momentary appetite revival and her playfully positioning herself in front of my computer monitor to get me to stop typing the final goodbye in the vet exam room, with her pet pals Murphy, Cleo and Chipper present. Callie taught me many life lessons, including to be candid, to live in the now and to greet each morning with a full-body stretch. Her final lesson: our departed pets are gone but never forgotten. To watch this series, please go to: www.youtube.com/user/ArdenMooreKnowsPets. or here: http://thecoastalstar.ning.com/video/callies-ninth-life-final Arden Moore, an animal behavior consultant, editor, author and professional speaker, happily shares her home with two dogs, a cat and one overworked vacuum cleaner. Tune in to her Oh Behave! show on Pet Life Radio.com and contact her at arden@ardenmoore.com.

Private schools are a mainstay in the education of coastal kids

Posted by Mary Kate Leming on October 2, 2009 at 11:17

Although all our local elementary private schools are committed to offering quality education, they come from diverse backgrounds and histories. The oldest of these schools, Gulf Stream School, was started in 1938 by Ada Belle and William Johnson, and originally served seasonal students who came with their families for the winter. It has 250 children enrolled in kindergarten through eighth grade, with 130 of them being from the barrier islands. Trinity Lutheran School is the next oldest. Members of the Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church started it in 1948 with 12 children. This school, of the six listed here, has the largest student body, with 399 children from 2 years old to eighth grade, including 12 children from the barrier islands. St. Vincent Ferrer School started in 1955, when Sisters of Mercy arrived from Ireland to conduct the school’s first classes. Now, 270 children are enrolled in pre-kindergarten to eighth grade, with 35 students from the barrier islands. St. Joseph’s Episcopal School and St. Mark Catholic School both started in 1958. St. Mark currently has 220 pre-kindergarten to eighth-grade students, with two or three children from the barrier islands. Four Sisters of Charity from Convent Station, N.J., taught St. Mark’s first students in what is today the Cenacle in Lantana. “St. Joe’s” serves 250 students in its early childhood academy and pre-kindergarten through eighth-grade classes. Unity School is the “newest.” It began in 1964. Currently, 334 students, from 2 years old to eighth grade, are enrolled, with about 70 children coming from the barrier islands. The vision of Unity School was conceived at Unity Headquarters in Missouri, where Elizabeth Caspari, who studied under Maria Montessori, conducted an experimental school and helped train teachers in the Montessori method. — Christine Davis Meet the Private K-8 Principals and Headmasters St. Mark Catholic School 730 NE Sixth Avenue Boynton Beach, FL 33435 (561) 732-9934

Name and title: Dr. Joseph A. Finley Jr., principal Hometown: Staten Island, N.Y. Education: bachelor’s degree in geology; master’s in criminal justice administration; doctorate in education leadership Past Employment: dean of academic affairs, City College, Fort Lauderdale; dean of the Keller Graduate School of Business Management, Devry University; special agent (retired), Federal Bureau of Investigation Tenure at school: in fourth year as principal Family: wife, Catherine; children, Jeannine, Joseph III, Julianne Residence: Catherine, Julianne and I live in Ocean Ridge; Jeannine lives in Delray Beach and Joseph III lives in Washington, D.C. Hope to accomplish this school year: full implementation of the math and language arts advanced placement program where qualified students will be placed in the next grade for math and language arts enrichment; to continue to teach what it means to be a Christian student, God’s incredible plan for our lives; to create a foundation for communication between parent and student; to encourage healthy and wholesome relationships Something students may not know about me: While in the FBI, assigned to the FBI Crime Lab in Washington, I conducted forensic examinations on the presidential limo that President Reagan was in hours after the assassination attempt on him in 1980. St. Vincent Ferrer School 810 George Bush Blvd. Delray Beach, FL 33483 (561) 278-3868

Name and title: M. Vikki Delgado, principal Hometown: born in Cuba; left in the 1960s via Spain; ended up in Springfield, Ohio, and later Miami. Education: bachelor’s degree in music therapy and bachelor’s in education; master’s in educational leadership Past employment: Montanari Residential School in Hialeah, music therapist; Jan Mann Opportunity School in Opalocka, middle school teacher; St. Vincent Ferrer School, Pre-K teacher. Tenure at school: Beginning my 10th year at the school; worked as the Pre-K teacher for eight years and became principal last year. Family: husband, Juan Delgado, MD; Lauren, 20 years old, is a junior at University of Florida at Gainesville and Christine, 17, is a student at Cardinal Newman High School in West Palm Beach. Residence: west Boynton Beach. Hope to accomplish this school year: continue the increase of communication between home and school; create a professional learning community at St. Vincent Ferrer School, comprised of students, parents, teachers and the administration; continue to develop the community service component of our school program. Something students may not know about me: I sing in the LifeTeen Mass music ministry on Sundays at 5:30 p.m., and I love to dance. Unity School 101 NW 22nd St. Delray Beach, FL 33444 (561) 276-4414

Name and title: Maria Barber, head of school Hometown: Delray Beach Education: bachelor’s in education, master’s in education, education specialist in leadership Past Employment: Pine Grove Elementary School Tenure at school: entering my 26th year as head of Unity School Family: All of my family lives in Palm Beach County. My husband worked for FPL and is now retired. My daughters, Joann Conde, Ph.D., and Kathleen Barber, Esq., live in Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. Residence: Delray Beach Hope to accomplish this school year: As a school, we hope to accomplish the ability to develop our students skills and talents so that they can use their individual gifts to make a positive difference in their family, community, country and world. Something students may not know about me: Probably that I married my high school sweetheart at age 21. We exchanged our vows on the second floor of Bethesda Hospital. He was a patient there who had suffered a foot injury four days before our wedding day. We are still happily married, and just celebrated our 35th anniversary. Gulf Stream School 3600 Gulf Stream Road Gulf Stream, FL 33483-7499 (561) 276-5225

Name and title: Joseph J. Zaluski, head of school Hometown: Secaucus, N.J. Education: bachelor’s and master’s degrees, University of Dayton. Past employment: Sewickley Academy, Sewickley, Penn., assistant head of school, head of lower school; the Miami Valley School, Dayton, Ohio, head of lower school, sixth-grade teacher Tenure at school: The 2009-2010 school year is my fifth at Gulf Stream School. Family: wife, Sally; son Zachary, 27, lives in West Conshohocken, Penn., and works for JPMorgan Chase & Co.; daughter Katelin, 25, lives in Jenkintown, Penn., and is a third-year student at the Pennsylvania College of Optometry Residence: Gulf Stream Hope to accomplish this school year: This year, as in years past, Gulf Stream School will remain committed to the school’s mission: “Gulf Stream School empowers students to succeed, inspires intellectual curiosity, and celebrates both effort and accomplishment. The school is distinguished by a sense of family, small size, and respect for its heritage.” We will also stress our school-year theme of “Branch into Reading” by encouraging families to read together every day and by hosting several authors at school. One thing the students may not know about me: Most students would not know that in March 1990, along with 30 teachers and parents, I led a group of 90 students from Grades 5 through 12 to what was then Leningrad in the Soviet Union. The trip was an arts exchange, and students performed throughout Leningrad in theater, chorus, poetry and visual arts. Perhaps of more interest to the students is that long ago (1974 to be exact, my senior year in college and before parachuting with an instructor was the norm), I jumped solo out of an airplane and, fortunately, landed safely — although a long way from the target. That was my first and final jump. Trinity Lutheran School 400 N. Swinton Ave. Delray Beach, FL 33444-3999 (561) 276-8458

Name and title: Timothy Guelzow, principal Hometown: Columbus, Ind. Education: graduate of Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind.; Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton. Employment: 32 years in education, as teacher, assistant principal or principal Tenure at school: 21 years. Family: Married, four children Residence: Lake Worth Hope they hope to accomplish this school year: What I would like to accomplish most is for more children and families to develop a closer relationship with their friend and savior, Jesus Christ. One thing the students may not know about me: I have two dogs and two cats at home. St. Joseph’s Episcopal School 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd. Boynton Beach, FL 33435 (561) 732-2045

Name and title: Tami Pleasanton, head of school Hometown: Delray Beach. Education: master’s degree in classroom instruction Past employment: I am a 30-year teaching veteran who is nearing the completion of a doctoral degree in administrative leadership. My career as an elementary, middle, and high school mathematics and computer teacher has been enhanced by nearly 16 years of administrative work as a head of school, director of admissions, dean of students, and director of community service. Awarded South Carolina’s Teacher of the Year in 1984, I returned to my home state of Florida to teach at Saint Andrew’s School and then Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School. Tenure at school: three years Family: I have one son, Cory, who is a recent graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. He lives in Charleston, S.C. Residence: Delray Beach. Hope to accomplish this school year: By executing the goals and objectives defined for the school year, I hope to continue to inspire and work closely with our amazing faculty to reach each of our students academically, socially, and spiritually. Teamwork such as this will allow our students to grow, as they will be presented with every opportunity to excel and become great leaders of our community. One thing the students may not know about me: I am an ocean distance swimmer.