In 2002, newly divorced and with five daughters, Mary Katharine “took the high way,” so to speak, giving a whole new meaning to the phrase, “You go, girl.”
She could have started therapy, she said, thinking back, but instead, she chose to become a race-car driver. “In a car, on a racetrack, you can’t think of anything else.”
Within a year, she had her racing license and in 2006 she turned professional, racing a Mazda Protégé in the Speed World Challenge series.
This summer, she will race with her new team owner, “Irish Mike” Flynn, who admires her driving and her driving determination.
Her kids love her choice of profession. They go to the track with her, and she speaks about safety at their schools (Nancy, 16, and Maggie, 15, go to St. Andrews School. Lane, 13, Mia, 9, and Helen, 7 attend Gulfstream School).
“I tell them to wear their seatbelts,” she said. “As a race-car driver, I have so much more safety equipment, I am actually safer than they are on I-95.”
Katharine, though, is careful to keep her burning to the roadway. In the kitchen, where she wears her other hat as a professional pastry chef, she applies just the right amount of heat.
But, in life, the heat, she acknowledges, is always on. Don’t wait to do what you want, she advises. “Go for it.”
The two dreams she still wishes to fulfill? “I want to stand on the podium after a professional race. And I’m waiting to make my daughters’ wedding cakes.”
— Christine Davis
Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A. I grew up and went to school in Milwaukee until I was 19, when I married and moved to Arkansas. Growing up in a family of 10 children in the Midwest meant traditional values were instilled in me. In my family, we were really good to each other. We smiled and laughed with each other every day. My girls and I do the same. My children are very respectful of one another and our house is filled with a feeling of peace and the sounds of riotous laughter.
Q. How did you come into your careers? Driving race cars and being a pastry chef?
A. When I was very young, 5-ish, I dreamed of being two things: a chef and a race-car driver. My love of cooking began then, and was nurtured by my mother, who patiently watched me, encouragingly, as I separated eggs by the dozen at the kitchen sink. I used to cook for houseguests, making omelets for breakfast. When I was 11, my mother sent me to a two-week cooking school and I started catering parties shortly thereafter. After I was married, I cooked every day with a passion.
When I was pregnant with my third daughter, I decided I wanted to contribute to the workforce. My talent, if I had one, lay in working with food. So, I went to cooking school to become a pastry chef, knowing I could dictate my hours more than if I was a chef. After graduation, I immediately went to work at a yacht club in Palm Beach, where I worked until taking a job at a country club closer to home.
As for racing, I played with my brothers’ toy Formula One cars and imagined myself skillfully maneuvering a race car through twists and turns at breakneck speeds on some faraway racetrack. I became the master of the slot-car track that we had in our basement on the pingpong table and I watched racing on television every chance I had. But didn’t give my racing dream another thought until I was going through an unexpected and painful divorce. Not wanting to hear anymore from the well-meaning friends who pitied me, I reached out for the anonymity of racing school. It proved to be wonderful therapy, and I gradually worked my way through the ranks racing in a spec class (where all the cars are equally prepared) and in 2006 was given an exciting opportunity to race professionally in a televised series. I jumped at the chance and was awed racing side-by-side with some of my racing heroes. I was the only woman competing in that series, but was never treated differently by any of the other drivers. I now race in a series where there are a few female drivers and everyone in the series seems to be happy about the diversity.
Q. What is your favorite part of the work you do?
In baking it’s creating desserts that make people ooh and aah because they think it all looks too pretty to eat. The additional oohs and aahs that follow hopefully mean the flavors and textures are equally pleasing. Making people happy with food is a wonderful feeling for me. In racing, I love the dance. I strive to achieve perfection behind the wheel — when the shifts happen at the peak of the torque curve and with silky smoothness, the tires squeal just enough, the car slides sideways through the turns and to the very edge of the track on the corner exits. It’s like doing a dance when you get it right and it’s exhilarating beyond belief. Beating one’s competitors while doing the dance is an added rush.
Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today?
A. In becoming a chef or a race-car driver, it’s important to start with the right school. Go to school and absorb everything like a sponge. Learn all you can from those who have been there before you, and remain humble.
Q. What has been the highlight of your professional career?
A. Having my daughters in the grandstand cheering for me at the St. Petersburg Grand Prix is something I’ll never forget. That same weekend, a little boy was walking through the paddock and I asked him if he wanted to sit in my race car. The look in his eyes, as big as saucers, and the ear-to-ear grin on his face were priceless. In 2006, my rookie year in pro racing, I won the Hard Charger Award, for advancing more positions during the season than any other driver. I’d have to say all three of those are at the top as far as racing career highlights. In baking, it was making my brother’s wedding cake and having all my sisters help me paint the rolled fondant with pearl dust. It was glorious when it was finished and made my brother so happy.
Q. How did you choose to have a home in Gulf Stream?
A. I had one daughter in Gulf Stream School when a house within walking distance was put on the market. We jumped at the opportunity to be fortunate enough to live in this magical little seaside town.
Q. What is your favorite part about living in Gulf Stream?
A. Honestly, my favorite part of living here, besides the school, is Halloween night, where golf carts are decorated and the children wander from one welcoming house to the next, while the parents, neighbors all, socialize. A wonderful time is had by all and our police force ride around with smiles on their faces as big as those on the children’s.
Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A. Two: “Speak softly and carry a big stick,” Theodore Roosevelt; and “Don’t worry ’bout a thing, ’cause every little thing is gonna be alright,” Bob Marley.
Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. In life I have my mother. She draws people in with her magnetic personality, honesty, intelligence, kindness, caring and sharp wit. She has led by example and I strive daily to be the mother, friend, businesswoman, good Samaritan and hilariously funny woman she is.
Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
A. Ashley Judd. She’s married to a race-car driver.
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By Emily J. Minor
Gulf Stream — Elizabeth G. Beinecke, a generous benefactor of the arts and the environment who had a winter home in Gulf Stream for many years, died April 14 in her sleep. She was 89.
Known as Betty to her friends and family, Mrs. Beinecke had been married to her husband, Bill, for nearly 68 years. She had been recovering from heart surgery and was unable to make the winter trip to Florida this year.
Even though Mrs. Beinecke led a successful life of influential philanthropy and social interests — personal loves that often meant she hobnobbed with stars like Leonardo DiCaprio, Julia Louis-Dreyfus and James Taylor — it was her down-to-earth qualities that will make her missed, said friends and family.
“I never met a person who knew her who didn’t love her,” said Gulf Stream neighbor and friend Nancy Wibbelsman.
“She was gracious. She was sweet. She was very energetic.”
Mrs. Beinecke lived in New York City, Chatham, Mass., and here in Florida. She was an avid gardener with a rooftop garden in New York and, earlier, a beautiful and memorable garden in Summit, N.J., where the Beineckes raised their four children.
The daughter of a newspaper editor, she helped found the Prospect Hill Foundation in New York and was a generous supporter of many not-for-profit organizations through the foundation. Her daughter, Frances, is president of the Natural Resources Defense Council, which was also one of Mrs. Beinecke’s causes.
Wibbelsman said the Beineckes loved entertaining their family at their Gulf Stream home. Bill Beinecke, the retired chairman and CEO of the Sperry & Hutchinson Company — as in S&H green stamps — still swam in the ocean every day during their winter stay last season, Wibbelsman said.
“What I will miss most about her is her calling me ‘dearie,’ ” Wibbelsman said. “She was really, really a ray of sunshine.”
Besides her husband, she is survived by their four children, Frederick Beinecke, John Beinecke, Sarah Beinecke Richardson and Frances Beinecke Elston; seven grandchildren; two great grandchildren, and a younger sister, Jean Gillespie Belsito, of Stamford, Conn.
A celebration of her life is scheduled for May 12 in New York City and donations can be made in her memory to the New York Philharmonic Society.
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By Margie Plunkett
Manalapan commissioners bumped up the size of beach houses to 750 square feet in a preliminary vote that compromised between the current allowance and a proposed increase to 1,000 square feet.
An ordinance that encompasses this and other zoning revisions will be the subject of a second public hearing at 9:30 a.m. on May 26. The ordinance also addresses dune walkovers, fire pits, building heights, setbacks and hedge heights, among other concerns.
The beach houses on the ocean side of A1A could grow to 750 square feet from 500 square feet and would be allowed kitchen and bath facilities, but no sleeping area, meant to deter tenancy.
The commissioners considered whether two districts, R1A and R1B, should be treated differently because of the varying lot characteristics. But the only distinction between restrictions ultimately was the size of the deck: R1A was allowed a 500-square-foot attached deck, and R1B a 1,000-square-foot deck. Otherwise, either area was allowed a 35- by 25-foot beach house, or a 1,000-square-foot deck for properties with no beach house. The houses must not be visible from the road and must be screened from the beach. Commissioners pushed the issue back from March’s meeting after hearing from property owners, who argued, among other things, that expanding beach houses will spoil Manalapan’s unique coastal beauty and that beach-house limits were unfair to owners of larger properties. Commissioners decided to walk the beach to look at existing beach houses and properties before rendering a decision. David Rathbun, who represents the Ziff family, argued at the March meeting against allowing the larger beach houses because it detracts from “what’s really special about Manalapan.” Rathbun presented photographs of existing 500-square-foot beach houses and photo illustrations of what 1,000-square-foot facilities would look like. Developers would probably try for a configuration to allow as many windows and doors on the ocean side as possible, with none on the A1A side, he said, noting that could result in a long building that was closed on the roadway side.
Expanding the beach houses will forever change the beach, Rathbun said, adding he thought 600 to 650 square feet would be better.
“This section of Manalapan is a treasure and needs to be preserved,” Ziff family member Jim Stafford said at the April meeting. Town fathers “established that legacy for all of us to enjoy as a community. For people that live here, we can choose to live anywhere. One of the reasons we choose to live here is because it’s so beautiful and pristine.” The family has a large beach home built in 1948 and grandfathered in, although not visible to neighbors or from the road or beach, according to Rathbun.
George Valassis, who is a resident as well as a zoning commissioner, wanted a larger beach house he could entertain from, but told commissioners that the 750-square-foot beach house would do him no good. Ripping down his current 500-square-foot facility to add so little space would be a costly exercise that still wouldn’t accommodate his vision of entertainment.
Valassis said he has more than 100,000 square feet of property on the ocean side and “a pillbox of 500 square feet” for a beach house. “I could build a 20,000-square-foot house and you wouldn’t be able to see it,” Valassis said. He added he has a beautiful ocean property, yet he can’t entertain on the beach side.
“I don’t think it’s fair to someone like me who spent an awful lot of money. I’m crowded [in the beach house] with eight people.”
*The same ordinance includes many additional changes: allowing six-foot-wide dune walkovers, gas or propane fire pits up to eight feet wide and front hedge heights of 8 feet, and adding definitions of green space.Read more…
By Margie Plunkett
Commissioners approved the site plan for the $250 million Atlantic Plaza II project — two blocks of living, office and retail space on eight acres downtown — at a crowded public hearing April 7.
Residents there voiced support for the project, but also raised concerns about traffic safety and environmental practices.
The mixed-use project, which is less than half the size of Mizner Park in Boca Raton, still has another 18 months to go before construction starts, as the developer gathers permits and reroutes utilities. Pre-construction work includes relocating Seventh Avenue, as well as moving electric, water and sewer lines to the perimeter of the two-block property at the corner of Atlantic Avenue and Federal Highway.
An underground garage tunnel is also part of the preparation stage. The developer needs state permitting, including for traffic, parking and medians — which will involve the city and Florida Department of Transportation.
Atlantic Plaza II, which has been in the works for a year and a half, will contribute $2.5 million in annual tax revenue for Delray Beach when complete and will employ more than 3,000 employees while under construction, said Michael Weiner, who represented developer CDS International Holdings Inc. at the public hearing.
The developer has green goals and will follow the city’s rules on workforce housing, he said.
The project reflects architectural styles of the vicinity, picking up on characteristics of other buildings and from the past, architect Derek Vander Ploeg said.
“It’s important to continue the Mediterranean Revival architectural style of the Colony Hotel across the street,” he said, adding that other detail includes: rock-face block, awnings, archways, dome rooftop, bracketed columns, varied numbers of stories and differing storefronts, Vander Ploeg said.
Commissioners also granted eight waivers for Atlantic Plaza II during the April meeting, including waivers for setbacks, parking garage, parallel parking, parking machines, visibility, pavement width and glass surface.
The public response to Atlantic Plaza II was positive, but several supporters pointed out what they saw as traffic flaws at Veterans Park and the bridge across the Intracoastal Waterway.
“This will be a beautiful project,” resident Kevin Warner said at the public hearing, adding he favors it — but not at the expense of traffic safety.
A planned median will be an invitation to jaywalkers, he said, and the traffic pattern is a threat to pedestrians already jeopardized by traffic moving too quickly over the bridge.
“It is an invitation to death,” Warner said.
Others urged the developer to take a higher profile approach to environmental issues.
Joe Snider, a green architect, said it would be a huge benefit to the city to have the project certified under LEED, the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design rating system for green buildings. “It gives credibility. There’s something out there called greenwashing. We want green projects and LEED-certified projects.”
Justina Boughton, who noted her Colony Hotel was “green before people cared about being green,” also encouraged commissioners to take the greener path with Atlantic Plaza II.
“We should actually go for the LEED certification. I know it’s a pain in the neck. When we have this project finished, we’d be able to say this project is a green project. I realize that’s not within what you’re able to do tonight, but you should find a way to make that possible.”
Commissioners explained before voting that consideration of the site plan did not take in traffic or green issues and reassured residents their concerns would be addressed.
* Separately in April, the commission approved an ordinance accepting a resurvey report of the Nassau Street Historic District that added five properties to the district, expanded its period of significance and changed its name.
The report changed the name to the Nassau Park Historic District, which includes lots on Nassau Street between A1A and Venetian Drive, and expanded its historic period of significance to 1935-1964. The resurvey report also recommended that an application be submitted to the National Register of Historic Places for the district.
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By Thomas R. Collins
It ended simply: Somebody turned a valve and presto, no more greenish-brown plume of water gushing from the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant into the ocean a mile off the Delray Beach coast. Instead, that water was redirected deep, deep underground.
Getting to that point, though, took three years of work, $17 million, and came only after a staredown between plant officials and environmentalists, especially from Palm Beach Reef Rescue, who decried the effects of the treated sewage on coral reefs, mainly algae blooms but other maladies, such as coral diseases.
Additions to the plant include a hole that bores 3,000 feet into the ground, a new building full of filter beds — where water is cleansed by layers of sand and gravel — and new tanks, where water is treated with chlorine to kill bacteria and other impurities.
In April, the plant became the first South Florida wastewater utility — there are five others — to put an end to the easy method of disposal. The others, like South Central, are under orders by the Legislature to end the practice by 2025. But as permits need renewal, the practice might end sooner.
The plant, which was directed to make the changes by the Department of Environmental Protection, serves Delray Beach and Boynton Beach, and, by extension, the coastal area.
For Dennis Coates, the director of the plant, the closing of the valve is clearly a relief.
“It’s a tough argument to make that ocean outfall is a good thing,” he said in his office at the plant. “It just came down to our board thought that environmentally it was the best thing to do.”
Ed Tichenor, who runs Reef Rescue, said, “I think we forced them to do it.”
But, he added, “They deserve a tremendous amount of credit. … Whatever the politics were at the time and whatever the feelings were at that time, Delray is really an example of how the coastal sewage plants need to operate.”
The plant is also a step toward what Coates said is the goal of being able to re-use all of the wastewater for watering lawns, mainly golf courses.
Before April, most of the wastewater still had 300 parts per million of total suspended solids in it — basically, stuff floating in the water — after it was treated, which is nonetheless clean enough to be shot into the ocean. To be shot underground, though, it can have only 10 parts of suspended solids per million.
The water shot into the ocean also was allowed to have 800 fecal bacteria colonies per 100 milliliters. In the water that’s injected underground, 75 percent of such samples have to be completely free of fecal bacteria colonies, and the other samples are allowed only to have minimal colonies.
“It’s completely different,” Coates said. “The water has to be much, much cleaner.”
And only that cleaner version is permitted for golf course watering. Now, since it all is getting that extra cleaning, it all is eligible for re-use.
But the demand has to catch up. Now, just a few courses use the recycled water. In the Boynton area, they include Hunter’s Run, Country Club of Florida, Delray Dunes, Pine Tree and Quail Ridge. In Delray Beach, they include the Delray Beach city course, Delaire, The Hamlet, and Lakeview.
Joe May, who oversees injection wells for the Department of Environmental Protection’s local office, says it will monitor the well to make sure it is environmentally sound. The initial permit is for two years.
As for the reefs’ recovery, Tim Powell, head of the local office’s wastewater section, pointed out that there are many other sources of pollutants. “Only time will tell,” he said.
Tichenor, hopeful that without the outfall the water’s nutrients level will stay below the algal bloom “tipping point,” said the soft coral and sea fans will show improvement quickly, but other types may not.
“Hard coral could take hundreds of years to completely recover.”
Coastal towns serviced by the South Central plant are: Highland Beach, Hypoluxo, Village of Golf, Briny Breezes and parts of Gulf Stream.
The South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant, is located at 1801 North Congress Avenue, Delray Beach. Just west of I-95.Read more…
The following is an edited excerpt from a letter written by Kate Livingstone to her mother, Barbara Keenan, who shared it with The Coastal Star. It describes the rare, before-dawn encounter Livingstone and her family had with a green turtle on the beach in Gulf Stream last year:
She would have been born on this beach, and had traveled thousands of miles to return here to give birth.
She was lovely and hard at work. She had already dug out the small, deep cavity with her front flipper and deposited approximately 100 to 150 eggs. By the time we saw her, she had already moved 180 degrees and was busy covering up the much larger hole behind her with her powerful back flippers. She was so intent and engaged, not once lifting her head to acknowledge us. …
Our turtle gave a few more sweeps of her back flippers and then raised her head. The sun was in her eyes as she labored. …
Then, with rather graceful moves, she started her descent to the water. It must be sheer instinct, or perhaps relief and excitement, for she quickened her pace as she approached the wet sand, and then the surf. With a few strokes, she was in the water, and eased gently into deeper ocean.
She was magnificent. Only once did we see her raise her head for air. A tiny dark spot on the water’s surface was the last we saw of her.
The boys think she was saying goodbye to her babies.
Perhaps she was.
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By C.B. Hanif
A different way of thinking about the Bible — namely through the lens of modern biblical scholarship informed by reason — is the premise of Thomas G. O’Brien III’s 15-week course at Bethesda-by-the-Sea. Each class is a treasure, thanks to his love of the richness of the Bible, his encyclopedic knowledge of its history and his depth of spiritual insight.
“He provides great information in an understandable way without talking down to us,” is how one classmate describes Discovering the Bible: Introduction to the New Testament. O’Brien conducts the two-hour classes on Monday evenings at the historic landmark Episcopal church, just south of The Breakers in Palm Beach. The very information that might disturb some folks is what he considers the “gateway to a more profound and rewarding understanding of the Sacred,” and a source of meaning about ourselves, our relationships with others and with the rest of creation.
For example, he notes what can be learned from the recommended New Oxford Annotated Bible or other good study Bible, and Kerygma: Discovering the Bible, the workbook used in class: that the Bible is not a history book, science book or even a single book, but a collection of books — 39 in the Hebrew Scriptures and 27 in the Christian Scriptures. That it was written, edited and revised by numerous people over the 1,000-year period between 950 BCE and 150 CE. “It is a theology book,” his course syllabus attests, “that uses story, poetic language, and metaphor to express truths that are difficult or impossible to express.” Bethesda’s O’Brien is eminently qualified to put it all in context. After a 30-year corporate law career in New York City and Florida, the Notre Dame and Yale law graduate and former Navy officer earned an M.A. in theology, summa cum laude, from St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach.
He was an excellent student long before that, but, he said, “It was more important to my father, in grade school and in high school, that I won the religion medal, than that I won the general excellence or was valedictorian.”
A licensed lay preacher, honored for his work in interfaith understanding, O’Brien provided two illustrations of how the Bible can reveal itself and lend a stronger sense of meaning to our lives: “One is the story of what Christians call the near-sacrifice of Isaac. What’s important to me in that story is not whether Abraham actually had a conversation with God in which God told Abraham to go take his only son whom he loved, whether in the Jewish-Christian tradition it was Isaac, or in the Muslim tradition it was Ishmael. What is important there to me is the theological insight that God, the Sacred, sometimes calls upon us to be willing to give up that which we regard as most dear, in order to move to a higher level of appreciation of the Sacred. That’s a story that really comes through to me.”
“In the Christian Scriptures is the story that we find in all of the Gospels about the baptism of Jesus, by John the Baptist. Again, whether or not that happened as a matter of history is not what’s really critical to me. What’s critical to me is that all of the Gospel writers understood clearly that Jesus of Nazareth was truly a human being, and that he did not seek to separate himself from other human beings. And all of the Gospel accounts, when they talk about Jesus’ baptism, have him participating with the mass of other people who are seeking, who are called by John’s message of repentance. And here Jesus is presented as someone who would have been a blameless young man, who nevertheless doesn’t separate himself from the mass of humanity, but instead plunges himself in with other human beings.
“That, it seems to me again, is another story, where whether or not the baptism was historical, whether it happened, that’s not what’s important. But the Gospel writers are seeking to convey the theological truth of Jesus’ humanity with us, and conveying that just as the conveying of Jesus’ death, his sharing with us something that all of us human beings have in common: We’re all going to die. And the fact that Jesus of Nazareth did die says he was one of us — he was truly a human being. Therefore our relationship with him is our relationship with another human being whose DNA we share.”
O’Brien cites Marcus J. Borg among the writers he’d recommend, including Reading the Bible Again For the First Time: Taking the Bible Seriously But Not Literally, and Meeting Jesus Again For the First Time, the Heart of Christianity.
“Another person who has been very influential in terms of my spiritual thinking is Martin Smith. The books that I have read by Rowan Williams, who is the archbishop of Canterbury, like the book Resurrection, have had an influence on me. As an aside, I think Rowan Williams as a scholar and teacher does a much better job than Rowan Williams as the archbishop of Canterbury.”
Although he hasn’t rejected the idea of writing a book himself, for now “I feel that my teaching is how I connect most with people.” He has done that for the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews, for Florida Atlantic University’s Lifelong Learning Society and elsewhere.
Tom O’Brien can be reached at tgobrien@comcast.net.
A full listing of the courses to be offered next year at Bethesda will be posted at www.bbts.org, he said. “My plan is to teach the Old Testament,” another free course which he alternates with the current one, “over a 15-week period starting next January.”
My classmates and I hardly can wait.
C.B. Hanif, former news ombudsman and editorial columnist for The Palm Beach Post, is a freelance writer, editor, and media and interreligious affairs consultant. His blog, InterFaith21.com, debuts soon. Look for more insights as he visits or speaks at synagogues, churches and mosques from here to infinity, seeking folks who are making the Golden Rule real, not just an ideal. C.B. can be reached at cbhanif@gmail.com. .
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Alieda Riley
When Lt. j.g. Alieda E. Nelson, communications officer, married Lt. Cmdr. Melville “Hank” Riley in 1946, they honeymooned in Cuba, then moved to the Riley family home on South Ocean Boulevard in Delray Beach. Mrs. Riley Sr. had built the house in 1939. It still stands, two houses south of the Seagate Beach Club. There the young couple raised their six children.
After most of the children were grown, Alieda moved to Delray’s Marina Historic District, where she was district president for 14 years. She has always taken an active role in the Delray Beach community and in city government. More recently, Alieda helped found the Sandoway House Nature Center and was responsible for its listing on the National Register of Historic Places. She researched and compiled lengthy reports for the process, which included traveling back and forth to Tallahassee for multiple hearings. As a member of the board of Sandoway, she has volunteered every week since it opened in 1998. She currently runs the gift shop and oversees the butterfly garden, dune garden and native plants garden. Twice a month, two or three city workers help her with some of the heavy work. To show her appreciation, she bakes them cakes and occasionally her “special” chicken recipe. She is well-known for her cooking. Now the city workers call her “Granny,” as do her six children, seven grandchildren, and two great grandchildren.
Having lived in Delray Beach for 63 years, she loves her town and continues to work to make it a better place for her children, grandchildren and future generations.
Alieda Riley was nominated to be a Coastal Star by long-time Delray Beach resident JoAnn Peart. Mrs. Riley is the mother of Carolyn Patton, a founding partner of The Coastal Star. Box: Nominate someone you know to be a Coastal Star. Send a note to news@thecoastalstar.com or call 337-1553.Read more…
Atlantic Plaza IILocation: Between East Atlantic Avenue and Northeast First Street, and between Northeast Sixth Avenue and Veterans Park.
Description: A mixed-use development built in three phases on more than 8 acres. The development is in six buildings that vary from two to five stories. Less than half the size of Mizner Park in Boca Raton, Atlantic Plaza II’s statistics are as follows, with some comparisons to Mizner Park:
Atlantic Plaza II
8 acres
197 residential units
106,006 square feet of office space
98,765 square feet of retail
32,921 square feet of restaurant space
More than 1,000 parking spaces
Mizner Park
28 acres
272 residential units
267,000 square feet of office space
236,000 retail and restaurant space
2,500 total parking spaces
SOURCE: Delray Beach; Smith & Knibbs Inc.
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By Linda Haase
When the Oceanfront Park boardwalk was replaced with recycled plastic in 1986, city officials hailed it as the latest and greatest in the green movement.
But, as they say, you can’t fool Mother Nature. The harsh winds and corrosive saltwater warped the 900-foot walkway; the coarse sand made it slippery. “It was done with great intentions, but it didn’t hold up as well as the industry predicted,” said Boynton Beach Parks Superintendent Jody Rivers.
This summer, the heavily treaded boardwalk will be rebuilt with reddish-brown ipe wood, which is similar to teak. The wood, which is purchased from Brazilian growers, resists rot, decay, insects and mold and is fire-resistant. And, it doesn’t contain the toxins and chemicals inherent to pressure-treated lumber.
“It’s a very hard wood, it’s very durable and doesn’t warp like recycled plastic,” said Rivers. “It’s also a renewable resource.“
Boat Club Park and Intracoastal Park in Boynton Beach have areas constructed with the wood, Rivers said. However, she said, there’s no way to predict if this boardwalk will last longer than the previous one, which was part of a $1.2 million renovation.
“The climate conditions at the beach are very harsh,” Rivers said. “It is very difficult for any material to hold up for any length of time.”
It will take about a year to rebuild the boardwalk, which overlooks the Atlantic Ocean. The work will be done in phases, she said, so beach access will always be available.
The $2.4 million renovation at the city’s most popular park also includes installation of 12 shade pavilions and landscaping. About $30,000 was also spent on new equipment for the playground, that was recently installed. Tables and chairs will be added in the plaza area and covered with a canopy.
“People can come here and sit and eat breakfast and lunch and enjoy the beach without getting into the sun,“ Rivers said.
Also on the horizon: The price of annual resident beach parking permits will increase from $30 to $40 on Oct. 1.
Last year, about 270,000 people visited Oceanfront Park, located in Ocean Ridge, which features two pavilions, a playground, barbecue grills, picnic tables, restrooms, an open play area, playground and sand volleyball.
Oceanfront Park, Then and Now
This piece of paradise has a stunning vista, but it also has a fascinating past. Native Americans enjoyed its cooling ocean breeze more than 2,000 years ago and Ponce de Leon sailed past it on his journey to the Bahamas.
1921: The park is purchased for $5,750 by eminent domain from the estate of Lewis S. Howe.
1928: A Spanish-style casino (for social gatherings, not gambling) is built for $11,974. The stucco building features a red-tile roof, a dining hall, lockers (10 cents per day), a concession area and showers. It was torn down in 1967.
1931: Boynton splits into two towns divided by the canal; the area east of the canal is named Town of Boynton Beach (renamed Ocean Ridge in 1937). The beach was retained by Boynton after the separation, although it is in the town limits of Ocean Ridge.
1946: Lucille and Otley Scott open a restaurant at the casino. It closes in 1948 when they relocate to Federal Highway.
1961: A playground is built. 1966: The facility is named the Walter A. Madsen Park, to honor Madsen, a former Boynton Beach mayor, vice mayor and city councilman.
1983: The dune area is restored, a boardwalk and playground are built. The parking lot, concession area and restrooms are rebuilt.
1986: A $1.2 million renovation includes rebuilding the sidewalk with recycled plastic.
1991 and 2002: Playground equipment is replaced.
2009: A $2.4 million renovation includes rebuilding the boardwalk with ipe wood, installing 12 shade pavilions and landscaping.
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Manalapan — James Kevin Campbell of Manalapan and Charlevoix, Mich., died
Saturday, April 18, 2009, at JFK Medical Center in Atlantis. He was 90.
Mr. Campbell was born in Detroit, where he spent many years
associated with the automobile industry. He was a financial executive
of Inmont Corp., now known as United Technologies.
He attended the University of Detroit Mercy before entering the U.S.
Army Air Corps during World War II. He became a major and was
stationed at Morrison Field. He donated the Campbell Baseball Field at
his university, and was a supporter of the baseball and football
programs there and at the University of Michigan.
He co-founded the Hospice of Palm Beach County South Guild, serving as
its president for many years. He was a member of the JFK Medical
Center development board.
He was a member of the Everglades Club and Palm Beach Yacht Club, and
several clubs in Michigan.
Mr. Campbell is survived by his wife, Caroline Perrey Campbell; a son,
Jeffrey Campbell; three granddaughters, Taylor, Tori and Tristen; and
two sisters, Patricia Campbell and Ann Welch. He also is survived by
three stepchildren, Nell Witting, Katy Perrey and James Perrey; and by
four step-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his first wife of 56 years, Virginia
Fisher Campbell, and by a son, Dennis Campbell.
The rosary was said at 5 p.m. April 23 at the Dorsey-E. Earl Smith
Memory Gardens Funeral Home, 3041 Kirk Road, Lake Worth.
A Mass of Christian Burial was celebrated at 10 a.m. April 24 at
Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 1000 W. Lantana Road, Lantana, with the
Rev. Edward Belczuk officiating. Entombment will be held at Holy
Sepulchre Cemetery in Detroit.
Memorial contributions may be made to Hospice of Palm Beach County,
5300 East Ave., West Palm Beach, FL 33407; the JFK Foundation, 5301 S.
Congress Ave., Atlantis, FL 33462; or to a charity of the donor's
choice.
Family Submitted ObituaryRead more…
By Ron Hayes
DELRAY BEACH — A seasonal resident for more than 20 years, Elizabeth Annette Kunik passed away April 9.
Born March 6, 1927, in Shenandoah, Penn., Mrs. Kunik attended the Philadelphia General Hospital School of Nursing Cadette Corps program before marrying Robert Kunik in 1950. They lived in Stone Harbor, N.J., and Bryn Mawr, Pa., and wintered in Delray Beach.
In 1976, Mrs. Kunik began playing golf, a game she came to love and often played at The Little Club in Gulf Stream.
“She was just a wonderful person,” said Mary Joan Carson, a fellow golfer and friend of 35 years. “She was a very caring and loyal person despite some family tragedies along the way.”
Mrs. Kunik was preceded in death by a son, Thomas John Kunik; a granddaughter, Alexis Kunik Smith; and a son-in-law, Jett Lambert Smith.
In addition to her husband, Mrs. Kunik is survived by four daughters, Mary Ellen Conway, Joeanne Kunik, Betsy Kunik and Barbara Malfitano; a son, Robert P. Kunik, and six grandchildren.
A funeral Mass was held in Gladwyne, Penn., on April 15.
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By Mary Katherine Stump
Delray Beach — James W. Davant, retired CEO of PaineWebber Group, died in Delray Beach on April 17 at the age of 93. Mr. Davant led PaineWebber, now a part of UBS Financial Services, from 1964 to 1980.
Mr. Davant was a former resident of New York City and Locust Valley, Long Island. He was born in McComb, Miss., was raised in Memphis, Tenn., and attended both the University of Mississippi and the the University of Virginia.
He served as a naval aviator stateside and in the South Pacific during World War II, holding the rank of lieutenant commander when he was discharged in 1945.
After the war he settled in Minneapolis, Minn., the hometown of his wife, the former Mary Westlake. Her death in 2006 made the last two years especially hard for Mr. Davant, according to his daughter Diane. “She was the love of his life,” she said.
In Minneapolis, he took a $150-a month trainee position at Paine, Webber, Jackson and Curtis, and within 20 years was CEO.
During his tenure, Mr. Davant brought PaineWebber’s central offices to New York, overseeing the company’s national and international expansion. Mr. Davant also served as the director of the New York Stock Exchange in 1972.
“He was very cool under pressure, and provided the kind of leadership the company needed at exactly the right time,” said Donald Marron, Mr. Davant’s successor at PaineWebber and the current CEO of Lightyear Capital. “He was also an ardent golfer; that’s why he loved being in Florida.”
Mr. Davant was a member of Gulfstream Golf Club, St. Andrews Country Club, The Little Club, and the Bath and Tennis Club.
He is survived by his three children: Diane Davant of Glen Head, N.Y., Jack Davant of Bozeman, Mont., and Patricia Donaldson of Agoura Hills, Calif., as well as five grandchildren and four great grandchildren. Cremation has taken place. A memorial service is planned for Minneapolis this summer. In lieu of flowers, donations may be sent to the Bethesda Hospital Foundation of Boynton Beach.
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By Margie Plunkett
The town is being eaten alive.
No-see-ums are out in force, driving residents indoors.
“I haven’t talked to anyone in Ocean Ridge who hasn’t been bothered by no-see-ums,” Robert Happ told Ocean Ridge commissioners in April. “It’s a big, big problem.”
Ocean Ridge sprayed for no-see-ums for two years, but stopped for one year after residents raised concern about the safety of chemical treatment. The Town Commission has asked Clarke Mosquito Control to discuss the no-see-um problem at its May 4 meeting, to explain chemical safety and use, Town Manager Ken Schenck Jr. said, and commissioners will consider whether to resume spraying.
Happ wants Ocean Ridge to spray for the seemingly invisible insects — tiny flies also known as biting midges that thrive in coastal areas and whose sharp bites leave red, itchy welts. Happ gathered other residents’ signatures in support of spraying for the pests, but the subject was dropped at the town’s March meeting, he said. He described no-see-ums so bad that it was impossible to spend more than a minute or two outdoors.
Mayor Ken Kaleel contributed: “It is an issue and growing.” Commissioner Geoffrey Pugh pointed out that “by stopping the spraying, it’s brought up the severity of the problem.”
Residents have been vociferous against street spraying, according to Pugh, concerned about the harm chemicals may cause to people and wildlife.
Kaleel said the street sprayers were supposed to stop if they saw people, but that didn’t happen. More effective, the mayor said, is a technique that involves establishing barriers via a backpack sprayer, although it’s costlier. About 20 to 30 homes surrounded by mangroves, which attract no-see-ums, need to be sprayed to form a barrier, he said. Schenck estimated the previous annual price for barrier spraying was $65,000 to $70,000.
But Vice Mayor Betty Bingham wondered if the town sprays select homes for no-see-ums, whether other residents would expect it to spray their yards for other pests, say, June bugs. Kaleel said Ocean Ridge needs to get in writing from Palm Beach County Environmental Resource Management or the Department of Environmental Protection information on the safety of spraying and get it out to residents.
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By Cynthia Thuma
Even a village by the sea needs office supplies.
And so, since it began life as a book shop three-quarters of a century ago, Hand’s Office Supply, in the heart of Delray Beach, has endeavored to serve locals’ and visitors’ needs.
From cerulean blue art paint to custom stationery, from columnar pads to office chairs, it’s clear today that the store’s motto, “Hand’s has it,” is no exaggeration.
The Atlantic Avenue business — this year celebrating its 75th anniversary — sells office supplies and furniture, artists’ supplies and paints, and much more. The book section offers selected best-sellers, local authors and a selection of great beach reading. Party supplies are available in excess.
Then there are the items that almost defy categorization: bric-a-brac and wall décor, signs for pet lovers, no matter the pet. Beanie Babies and the perennial pink lawn flamingo are for sale, as are small lamps shaped like baseballs, soccer balls and footballs.
“It’s so not boring. We cater to what the town wants,” says Liz Hughes, who manages special events for the store, including its year-long 75th birthday celebration. “It’s a nutty store, Delray Beach 100 percent. It’s actually a lot of fun working here.”
That’s just the way the staff and customers at Hand’s like it, and have for generations.
Sometime in the late 1920s, Lauren Hand, a doctoral student in chemistry at the University of California at Berkeley, was summoned home to assist his family during a medical crisis. He ended up staying on, and served Delray Beach as its city clerk and treasurer.
In March 1928, Lon Burton, owner and founder of the Delray Beach News announced his retirement, and Hand, who loved to write, took the reins as its manager and editor.
He later opened the Delray Book Shop, although most people simply called it Hand’s. The store ultimately changed its name and has remained a downtown presence ever since. In 1964, Lonnie Cook Jr., son of Delray Beach’s former fire chief, purchased the store from Hand, and operated it until he retired. His son, David Cook, now runs the store.
Liz Hughes points out: “It’s in its third generation now, but only two families have owned it over the whole 75 years.”
Hughes used some family ties of her own to land a big name for the yearlong celebration. Suzy Welch, author of 10-10-10, decided to open her book tour in Delray Beach on May 2 at Hand’s, bringing her husband, business icon Jack Welch, with her. Suzy Welch is the former editor of the Harvard Business Review. “She’s my cousin,” Hughes says. “Her book is a self-help book, and it’s a really good one.”
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By Margie Plunkett
Delray Beach Fire Station No. 2 — Gulf Stream’s main station — no longer has a rescue transport to accompany its fire engine to calls, the result of a temporary staff change meant to ensure the safety of the station’s firefighters.
The closest available transport from another station will respond when there is a call, Delray Beach Fire Chief David C. James told Gulf Stream commissioners at their April meeting. Commissioners learned of the change shortly before approving a new contract for Delray Beach fire services, which costs 41 percent more than previously — and will rise again when a firefighter is hired to put the transport back in commission.
The two paramedics from the rescue transport were reassigned to the engine at Fire Station 2 at 35 Andrews Ave., which serves coastal residents in Delray Beach and Gulf Stream. That brings the engine’s staff up to four. The engine was understaffed, said James, adding that for four years now the department has been unable to hire another firefighter because of budget constraints.
Fire engine 2’s capabilities were upgraded to Advanced Life Support with the staff change, which means it has full paramedic abilities except for medical transport, James said.
“I’m very comfortable with this plan,” James said, responding to Gulf Stream Mayor William F. Koch Jr.’s question about risk. “It’s not the best, but it is temporary. It offers the highest level of security not only to the public but to the firefighters who might arrive with only one person fighting a fire.”
The best solution is to add another firefighter to the station, James added, noting that he has again asked for the position in his current budget request. With just two people manning Engine 2, James has documented incidents of the unit arriving first on the scene of a fire with inadequate staff to perform safely, according to a memo to Delray Beach commissioners. “Our continued exposure dictates an immediate modification to our deployment strategy before a tragedy occurs,” the memo stated. Delray Beach devised a program to increase the number of people on each of its fire trucks at all six stations after federal changes, James told Gulf Stream. The priority of upgrading staff was based on the frequency of calls per unit; Station No. 2 had the least number of calls.
Delray Beach commissioners approved the temporary measure at their March 17 meeting. During public comment at a subsequent meeting, a resident chastised them for the move. Essential services should not be cut before discretionary spending, such as for programs like Sister Cities or the downtown shuttle, if a tightening budget dictates trims, he said.
The day after the Station 2 change took effect April 1, a call came in that put it to the test, James said. The station got a call about a north Gulf Stream resident who was having difficulty breathing. The first emergency team to arrive was Gulf Stream police, who administered CPR to the victim, who had gone into cardiac arrest. The fire engine from Station 2 — with paramedics and advanced rescue equipment on board — arrived six minutes from the call, the average response time for Gulf Stream, James said. Thirty seconds later, the rescue transport from Station No. 6 joined them.
In this case, it was inconsequential that the rescue transport arrived 30 seconds after the fire truck, James said. The Gulf Stream police’s actions were critical to the victim’s survival. And the paramedics on Engine 2 took over as soon as they arrived.
At the April meeting, Gulf Stream commissioners approved a new 10-year contract for fire and emergency services with Delray Beach. The fee for the services rises to $229,000 annually, up about 41 percent from the previous contract, commissioners pointed out. Chief James said later that the price was increased to bring it closer to what Delray Beach and other municipalities pay for fire rescue services. The previous contract’s price was similar to the annual cost for one firefighter, he said.
The lone dissenter on the contract vote was Commissioner Chris D. Wheeler, who protested the increased costs. “It’s good for them to know we’re struggling with it as well,” Wheeler said.
But Commissioner Joan K. Orthwein said, “Look how much cheaper it is than having our own fire department.” Gulf Stream’s fee will rise again when Delray Beach hires a fifth firefighter for Station 2, according to the contract. “The annual service fee shall be adjusted to reflect Gulf Stream’s pro rata share of the cost of increased staffing.”
Read more…
By Mary Katherine Stump
Briny Breezes — Don Amon, a resident of Briny Breezes and Flint, Mich., died on April 23 at his Michigan residence. He was 84 years old.
Mr. Amon served in the U.S. Marine Corps in the South Pacific during World War II and was married to his wife of 61 years, Colleen Gibbs, shortly after, in 1948.
“I can’t believe I’m going to have to live without him,” said Colleen. “He was the most wonderful husband.” He owned and operated Corunna Road Hardware in Flint for 25 years, retiring in 1972. He was a passionate hunter and fisherman, and a woodcarver extraordinaire. He served as the president of the Briny Breezes Chiseler’s Club in the mid -’70s and was an avid member for over 30 years.
“Don was a jokester,” said his longtime friend and fellow chiseler, Jack Taylor. “At one of our annual Chiseler’s Club breakfasts, Don was serving. He handed me a plate of pancakes. Not until I sat down at the table did I realize they were made out of cardboard. That is the kind of guy Don was.”
A cannon, made by Mr. Amon in the ’70s and used to celebrate the memory of Briny Breezes chiselers passed, was to be fired at his burial in Flint.
He is survived by his wife, Colleen; two sons, Rod (and wife Marcia) Amon of Swartz Creek and Jake Amon of Marquette; three grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Funeral Mass was celebrated April 27 at St. Mary Queen of Angels Catholic Church, Swartz Creek, with Burial immediately following at Sunset Hill Cemetery. Those desiring may make contributions to Boys Town.
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By Mike Readling
Anita Casey watches in dismay every weekend at the activities in her Delray Beach backyard. Many times dismay turns to outright concern. Casey sees boats — all sizes of boats — motoring up and down the Intracoastal Waterway. They pass each other. They overtake one another. They have little regard for the wakes they leave behind.
Then there are the Jet Skiers who climb those wakes and zip in and out among the boats like mosquitoes around a beach walker’s ears at dusk. Some of those Jet Skis are pulling tubes with riders doing their best to hang on, lest they be skipped across the water like a rock.
Through it all, Casey watches and waits for the moment when someone gets hurt and brings attention to what many people who live along the Intracoastal are already calling for: more regulation and enforcement.
On May 6, Casey and anyone else who wants to make a statement about the state of boating on the Intracoastal will have the opportunity to have their voices heard.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will hold a public workshop in Boca Raton regarding possible amendments to the Boating Safety Rule in Palm Beach County. The meeting will be a starting point in addressing the concerns of residents and boaters as the FWC, which is the only regulatory agency for the Intracoastal, looks to update laws regarding idle speed zones, 25 mph zones and no-wake zones. Tara Alford, management analyst with the Boating and Waterway Section of the FWC, will discuss the commission’s criteria for changes to the regulations.
“The guidelines we have to follow are very stringent,” said Alford, noting the last amendments were made in 1999. “There’s not a lot of wiggle room. The Florida Statutes give us the authority to make changes for the safety of the public, taking into consideration things like vessel speed limits and traffic as well as what we believe are necessary visibility conditions, navigational hazards and, at least in the case of the Intracoastal, canals coming in from the east and the west.”
Tom Byrne lives on the Intracoastal in Briny Breezes and said those canals and, more specifically, the docks along those canals, are the reason he wants the commission to hear his concerns.
“Several of the canals have boats moored in them or docked close to the Intracoastal and they really take a beating,” he said. “Prime Catch just built a beautiful dock that no one can use because if a big 38-footer goes by … well, it’s bad.”
Byrne said he will miss the meeting, but has a suggestion he thinks the FWC should listen to. “I think they should have a 10 mph speed limit from Boynton Beach to the George Bush Boulevard Bridge. I think that would be reasonable.”
Alford said these workshops gives residents such as Byrnes the ability to speak their mind and the FWC a chance to explain exactly what parameters they apply when considering changes.
“There are a lot of things that people do when they’re boating that they don’t realize are wrong,” Alford said. “A lot of times they’re not aware of what they’re doing. This gives them the ability to ask questions. Can you operate a personal watercraft in the Intracoastal Waterway? Yes, but you have to do it within the 25 mph posted limit if you’re in that area.”
What the commission can’t take into account, though, is noise from boats and Jet Skis, damage to docks, boats or sea walls, or even manatee activity. “As much as we like to protect manatees, that is not for our department to determine,” she said.
Enforcement, however, is a topic that regularly comes up during the workshops. According to Alford, any law enforcement agency has the ability to patrol the Intracoastal. But many of the cities and towns up and down the waterway don’t have the resources to do that. The FWC does have officers on patrol, and there may be three officers working on any given day, but one may be at an accident in Jupiter, one might be helping with a vessel in Palm Beach Gardens and another may be working Peanut Island. That leaves a lot of Palm Beach County unpatrolled.
Anita Casey said the lack of police presence on her section of the waterway is going to come at a high price one of these days.
“In the middle of that race between the [George Bush Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue] bridges, you have parents taking their kids tubing through the channel with the speeding boats. Of course their kids fall, so now you have a child floating in the channel with speeding boats all around. I’m waiting for one of their heads to get chopped off like a manatee.” Her aim is to stop that before it can happen.
If you go:
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission public boating workshop
When: May 6, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Where: Boca Raton City Administration Building, Main Auditorium
What: Open discussion about possible changes to the Boating Safety Rule in Palm Beach County
Who: Public is invited More information: (561) 416-3374, to access the Palm Beach Vessel Traffic Study: http://myfwc.com/RECREATION/boat_waterways_index.htmRead more…
By Mary Thurwachter
Whether you are a new resident or have lived here long enough to know the drill all too well, everyone needs to know what to do in the event of a hurricane. So pay attention, folks. And, while you’re at it, keep your fingers crossed that this year the big, bad damaging storms steer clear of our coveted coastline.
For starters, hurricane season begins June 1 and continues until Nov. 30.
“We’re laid back but we take this very seriously,” says Manalapan police chief Clay Walker. “I’m a native Floridian so I know you don’t have to have a direct hit to have problems. There are so many variables.”
He advises residents to pay close attention to media reports as a storm approaches. If an evacuation is advised, homeowners who remain here for the summer or the staff members who take care of their homes are asked to pick up a pass at the police department. That way they’ll have an easier time returning home after the storm.
Gulf Steam police chief Garrett Ward says residents or caretakers should be sure to secure shutters and make sure there are no loose objects like lawn chairs on the property.
“Of course after a storm we do an assessment and let residents know what happened,” Ward said.
In Ocean Ridge, Lt. Chris Yannuzzi says residents can expect a letter directing them on pre-hurricane procedures. A copy of the letter will also appear in a local newspaper.
“Because we’re on a barrier island, we’re in one of the most vulnerable locations with storm surge flooding,” he said. Residents need to trim trees, cut down coconuts, and trim other vegetation located near or under power lines or other service lines that are suspended above the ground on poles before hurricane season.
This month (May) Ocean Ridge officers will do an inspection and take photos to let homeowners know what needs to be trimmed. “We usually get 100 percent compliance,” Yannuzzi said.
Briny Breezes park manager Diane Spears says only about 100 of the 1,200 residents stick around during the summer.
“Anyone who leaves between June 1 and Nov. 30, even for a short vacation, needs to bring everything inside — planters, lawn furniture, hoses, knick knacks,” Spears adds. “Because we’re on a barrier island and we’re a mobile home park, we have to evacuate earlier when a hurricane approaches The Boynton Beach police check to see everyone goes.”
After a storm, Briny Breezes hires someone to inspect the community and remove fallen trees and debris.”
Some general tips from town officials:
• Put up shutters.
• Take lawn chairs and other outside decorations in before the storm.
• Arrange in advance of the storm to stay with friends or relatives on the mainland, west of I-95, if possible. As an alternate, consider lodging in a sturdy motel or a public shelter.
• Pay close attention to media reports regarding storm news.
• A pet-friendly shelter is available to county residents in an evacuation zone or in a mobile home. Pre-registration with Animal Care and Control is required: (561) 233-1266 or www.pbcgov.com/pubsafety/animal
• When you evacuate, shut off propane gas tanks, main electrical breakers, and shut off all sprinkler systems.
• If you have to go, take blankets, pillows, food, water, flashlights, rain gear, changes of clothing, medicine and prescription drugs, portable radio and reading material to the shelter. You should plan to be away from home a minimum of 48 hours.
• Boat owners should know that bridges will be raised and lowered as required for the flow of boat traffic until the wind reaches 35 mph, and then they will be secured in a closed position and bridge tenders will not be in attendance during the storm. If you want to relocate a boat, do so at the first Hurricane Watch notice of the storm while the bridges are still operable.
Mary Thurwachter is a West Palm Beach freelance writer and founder/producer of INNsideFlorida.com (www.innsideflorida.com)Read more…
If you’re one of the seasonal residents who spend winter living in a condo near the beach, you’re probably getting ready to pack your bags and head north. Lucky you! You’ve enjoyed the best of Florida’s sunny weather and will escape the muggy summer and fall months, as well as the threat of the dreaded hurricane season.
But before you go, there are a few things you should know. We talked to several local property managers who offered these reminders to get your home prepared for the stormy season:
• Remove outdoor furniture and planters from your balcony.
• If you have hurricane shutters, put them up.
• Empty your refrigerators and freezers of perishable items.
• Turn off the water.
• Put priceless objects away from windows and sliding glass doors.
• Make sure the property managers have a phone number and/or e-mail address so they can reach you to update you on any damage. In larger condos, property managers routinely do a unit-to-unit inspection after a hurricane. They vow to alert residents of any damage.
Then have a safe trip north. If this is one of those years when the hurricane gods frown on South Florida, you can rest assured you’ve done all you could for your Florida home. — Mary ThurwachterRead more…
