Max Beverly of Hypoluxo Island had a career helping young people — as a counselor, detention service director and administrator of Palm Beach County’s Juvenile and Family Court. He also served as the county’s youth affairs director and became its first director of Justice Services. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

A handwritten letter Max Beverly received recently came as a big surprise.
More than 50 years ago, Beverly was a probation officer in the Palm Beach County system when he came across one troubled teenager who piqued his interest.
“One of the reasons I had a special relationship with him was, unlike most of them, a lot of his issues were not of his own making,” said Beverly, a resident of Lantana’s Hypoluxo Island.
“He came from an incredibly dysfunctional family,” Beverly recalled. “He really didn’t have the chance to be a normal kid because of all the dysfunction in his family. Most of the families I dealt with were a little dysfunctional, but his was off the charts. And he went through a lot of emotional and physical abuse because of that.”
At one point, Beverly pulled the young man aside and asked him a question: Don’t you want to contribute something to society?
“And that stuck with him,” Beverly said. “He ended up with a master’s degree in math, then went into computer programming.”
In short, he turned his life around, and the letter the successful, now 72-year-old California man wrote made it clear to Beverly that he deserves at least part of the credit.
“I called him a couple days later and we talked for about two hours,” Beverly said. “So, it was good for both of us.”
Beverly, who spent his entire career in public service and much of it with people who have been on the wrong side of the law, said such gestures are not all that unusual.
“I’m proud of the fact I’ve had a number of kids — when they were adults — thank me for what I did for them, both when I was a probation officer and later when I developed treatment programs.”
Beverly is equally proud of the Highridge Family Center, a residential treatment program he designed and a program he created. The West Palm Beach center was dedicated to him in 2002, recognizing Beverly for his 40 years of service and his “commitment and significant contributions to the youth of Palm Beach County.”
Also of note is his achievement in making Palm Beach the first county in the state to offer professional counseling for patients who were in drug treatment programs.
“Before that it was ‘arrest them and hold them.’ They would get schooling, and have to follow certain rules, but there was no counseling. I brought that in when I started running the facilities. It made a huge difference.”
Beverly, 82, was born and raised in Pahokee in the 1940s and ’50s. He says the impoverished town that struggles so much today was nothing like the Pahokee he knew.
“When I was growing up it was a produce community,” he said. “My dad was a produce broker. We grew corn, cabbage, bell peppers, cucumbers. There were a lot of small farmers who did very, very well, and the town was very vibrant, with car dealerships, a theater, restaurants — we had everything.
“But when Castro took over, Big Sugar came in, took over the Glades and destroyed the economy, because that was the end of the small farmers who supported the community.
“The landowners became people who lived somewhere else and didn’t care about the community. And we didn’t have the pollution, because they weren’t burning the sugar cane.
“The lake was clear; the Corps of Engineers hadn’t destroyed it yet. You could look down from your boat in 6, 7 feet of water and see the bottom. It was a beautiful place to grow up.”
Now retired, Beverly still enjoys an active life with his wife, Media, including boating, fishing, scuba diving and gardening.

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I grew up in Pahokee and graduated from Pahokee High School in 1957. My early life was a mixture of hard work (I was a Boy Scout and earned Eagle Scout status at age 13), football, hunting, fishing, scuba diving and travel. 
In 1967, I obtained a B.A. degree in psychology and philosophy from Wake Forest University and then returned to Florida to obtain a M.Ed. in human behavior from FAU in 1967, while in night school. I was always influenced by a strong work ethic and an active healthy outdoor lifestyle. I was taught to study and question all sides of any issue before acting.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: In 1962, I became a juveniles counselor for the Palm Beach County Juvenile and Family Court and later served as the director of detention service, administrator of the Juvenile and Family Court, and ultimately director of youth affairs for Palm Beach County for over 40 years.
After retiring, I was asked to return to become the first director of Justice Services for Palm Beach County and served in that capacity until 2010.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Always keep up with the latest developments in your field, be innovative and invest at least 30% of your income for your future.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in Hypoluxo Island?
A: My wife, Media, and I grew up in Old Florida and were hoping to recapture that again when we discovered Hypoluxo Island more than 30 years ago. Its beauty and tranquility are second to none, with friends and neighbors who are the backbone of our beautiful “neighborhood” community.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in Hypoluxo Island?
A: The Old Florida ambience and beauty, the many trees and birds, the animals, the foliage, and the water are all a daily gift that bring peace and serenity to one’s soul.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Tales of Old Florida, by Frank Oppel & Tony Meisel. I love reading about what Florida was like in the frontier days and especially the untouched beauty of our state during those years.

Q: What kind of music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: I like to listen to soft rock to relax and Yanni to be inspired.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: Dr. Warren Tatoul was my mentor until he passed away in 2017. We were the best of friends and he was like an older brother who always encouraged me to do more.

Q: If a movie were to be made about your life, who would play you?
A: James Arness, who played the sheriff on Gunsmoke. He came from a frontier area, like I did, and approached life like I did. Took everything with a grain of salt and saw which way everything was going before he acted. He was ahead of his time that way.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: I’m always amused by people’s behavior and, of course, the antics of my Maltese, Bentley, who always make me laugh.

By Dan Moffett

A county inspector general’s audit has concluded that South Palm Beach improperly billed its residents for $170,072 in sewer rate increases during a three-year period beginning in October 2016.
The Palm Beach County watchdog, in a report released on March 22, found the town did not adequately notify the water customers of rate increases and did not inform them of the annual meeting during which hikes were considered.
The problems arose during a four-year period in which South Palm Beach went through a succession of four town managers — before the hiring of current manager Robert Kellogg, who took over in 2019.
In reviewing its sewer billing, the town uncovered another $285,431 in improper charges from 2018 to 2020. All told, the town will refund roughly $455,000 to customers through credits on their sewer bills this year.
“The mayor and council feel strongly about maintaining transparency,” Kellogg said. “That’s why we’re returning the additional charges after 2019.”
The inspector found “no indication of willful misconduct,” but did cite relatively minor deficiencies in the town’s overall financial operations that resulted in another $34,000 of sloppy or ill-advised practices.
Residents can expect to see credits to their sewer bills for the next year. The biggest return goes to The Barclay condominiums for $48,465, to be divided among its residents. An individual homeowner could expect to get back anywhere between roughly $230 and $500.
The town has promised to tighten its financial management and accounting. The IG report, which was the result of a routine audit, said the town’s staff “has been proactive and has already taken corrective action on a number of items.”

In other business:
• On March 9, the Town Council decided to move the public comment period at meetings from the beginning of the agenda — where it has been for the last five years — to near the end.
The vote was 3-2. Mayor Bonnie Fischer, Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb and Councilman Ray McMillan backed the move. Councilmen Bill LeRoy and Mark Weissman voted no.
“If people come to the meeting and have something to express, they don’t have to sit through the whole meeting to express it,” Weissman said in expressing his dissent. “Plus, we have the time to respond to them.”
LeRoy argued that members of the public can shape the course of a meeting if they are allowed to speak early on.
“They can influence us at the beginning,” LeRoy said. “At the end, they’re just grading us and that does nobody any good.”
Fischer said the public has ample opportunity to comment during the meeting as individual agenda items come up for debate and voting. “I ask for public comments after each action item,” Fischer said. “That’s when they can really discuss what’s going on.”
• “It’s a go for April,” Fischer said of the town’s dune stabilization project.
The council voted 5-0 to transfer to the town of Palm Beach the existing easements from a previous proposed beach project with Palm Beach County. That plan to install groins along the town’s coastline was abandoned two years ago because of rising cost estimates and the objections of neighboring communities.
The new, less ambitious project calls for partnering with Palm Beach to truck in dredged sand and fortify the town’s damaged dune line. The price tag is between $700,000 and $900,000, and work should be completed within a month.
Fischer and council members praised Kellogg for getting the easements from condo dwellers and making the transfer to Palm Beach happen.

By Larry Barszewski

Boynton Beach residents and business owners prefer to see restaurants and retail stores built on a prime downtown site owned by the Community Redevelopment Agency, a recent survey says.
Far fewer think apartments or condominiums belong on the land on the west side of Federal Highway between Ocean Avenue and Boynton Beach Boulevard.
Those sentiments conflict with proposals made last year by private developers pushing their own visions for the 2.6-acre property to the north of Hurricane Alley Raw Bar and Restaurant.
Four of the six unsolicited proposals received by the CRA featured residential components of between 220 and 243 units on its property, purchased for $3 million in 2018. Those proposals also contained a mix of other uses, including commercial, retail, office, a parking garage and open space.
City commissioners have high hopes for the property they’re getting set to market to would-be developers. While they requested the survey, they are not wed to all its findings. The commission, acting as the CRA board, plans to solicit new proposals from developers in April.
“I fundamentally believe that the project will be more successful with residential because it will be more economically viable and it will bring more traffic — foot traffic — to the downtown,” Commissioner Justin Katz said during the CRA board’s March 9 meeting. “It’s good for business. It’s good for safety. You know, more regular people walking around the streets keeps people who are up to no good away. So, I just, I think that it needs to be mixed use.”
Commissioners are not only concerned about what’s included in a future development, but how it looks. Vice Mayor Ty Penserga said he would give extra consideration for innovative architectural features such as rooftop restaurants and bars. Commissioner Christina Romelus is also seeking a “wow” factor.
“I want to incentivize whoever will be coming in here to, one, not give us a mediocre product but to give us the best of the best product, because I think this is, again, like the entrance to the eastern side of the downtown,” Romelus said. “I want this to be a destination location.”
Katz said any development needs to expand the alley behind Hurricane Alley, turning it into a wider plaza and walkway that would also have outdoor café seating.
“To me, that is a plaza that could draw people,” Katz said. “The space needs to be bigger than what developers might want to make it.”
Commissioners decided in December not to go with any of the unsolicited proposals received until they — with community input — developed their own ideas for the site’s future. As part of that effort, the CRA conducted an online survey from February into March that received 507 responses.
The survey results show:
• When given multiple options for elements they would like to see in a future development, 78% of respondents included restaurants, 70% included retail, 39% included office space and only 32% selected either condominiums, apartments or both. And 12% favored none of the choices.
• Less than half — 49% — were interested in a hotel on the site and 53% were OK with either a grocery store or corporate headquarters there.
• The most desired elements were public parking (81%) and larger-than-required open spaces (80%). Some 53% said they wouldn’t mind paying to park there for special events or during high-traffic times.
• If residential units are built on the site, only 28% favored having a mix of units that would be affordable to a range of income levels.
• There was support for tying transportation uses to the site, with 72% in favor of it having mass transit, rail or ride-sharing amenities. Those could include a bus or train station, or spots for Uber pickups and drop-offs and for bicycles. Commissioners hope to secure a Brightline passenger train station at or near the site.
After reviewing the survey results, commissioners had different perspectives on the best uses of the land. While Romelus supported a residential element and didn’t want a hotel on the property, Commissioner Woodrow Hay was just the opposite.
Hay said a hotel made sense because of the site’s proximity to Interstate 95. He thought it would attract people attending events as far away as Delray Beach and Boca Raton because “there are never enough hotels.” Hay also said there are plenty of other areas for residential development in the city instead of downtown.
Mayor Steven Grant said he was fine with not having residential and instead focusing on the restaurant, retail and office components that scored higher on the survey.
The CRA staff is going through the commission’s comments to put together a request for proposals that the commission is expected to vote on in April.
What ends up being built may be more heavily influenced by what developers say is financially feasible. Even when a project is selected for the 115 N. Federal Highway site, that’s not a guarantee of what’s to come.
Commissioners don’t have to look any farther than across Federal Highway from the property, where a vacant lot sits where a major mixed-use residential development — Ocean One Boynton — received site plan approval in 2017. Its developer now says the original plan “is not economically feasible” and, along with a venture partner, is “considering other alternatives” to move forward, according to Bonnie Miskel, an attorney for the developer.
For the 115 N. Federal Highway project on the west side of Federal, Grant would like to see some missing adjacent parcels included in the development. He is most eager about having the Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery site in the final project because of its frontage on Federal Highway.
The Boardwalk property is owned by Davis Camalier, who happens to be the developer of the stalled Ocean One project. That was also on the March 9 CRA agenda, seeking a time extension on its commitment to begin construction of a tree-lined public plaza on its property.
Camalier doesn’t want to spend money building a plaza — designed to run along Boynton Beach Boulevard east of Federal Highway — that may have to be ripped up and relocated depending on how the development plan changes.
Camalier offered to pay the city $10,000 to receive an extension on the plaza’s construction, although commissioners in February said they wanted a $20,000 payment for a six-month extension. Grant said he was concerned going with the higher dollar amount might create bad blood that would make negotiations more difficult to acquire Camalier’s Boardwalk property.
In the end, commissioners stuck with asking for $20,000 to approve a six-month extension to Sept. 16. They requested Camalier respond to the offer before the CRA board’s April meeting. Ú

By Brian Biggane

BOYNTON BEACH — Howard Schnellenberger, the last surviving member of the coaching staff of the Miami Dolphins’ 1972 perfect season and the architect of the Miami Hurricanes’ 1983 national championship, died March 27 at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. He was 87.
Mr. Schnellenberger, who spent most of the past 20 years residing with wife, Beverlee, in Ocean Ridge and Boynton Beach, revived moribund programs at both Miami and the University of Louisville before capping his career as the Owls football founder and first coach at Florida Atlantic University.
“Even though he never changed, he was always smiling in his heart,” Beverlee said in a statement released by FAU. “We loved all the moves and challenges. I will miss his warm heart, his warm hands and his soft kisses.”
Born on March 16, 1934, in Saint Meinrad, Indiana, Mr. Schnellenberger moved to Louisville with his family at a young age and played football, basketball and baseball at Flaget High School, where he was a teammate of future Green Bay Packers star Paul Hornung and earned a scholarship to Kentucky.
He was an All-American tight end at Kentucky under Blanton Collier, then played two years in the Canadian Football League before beginning his coaching career as an assistant to Collier. He then moved on to work under Bear Bryant at Alabama, where he was responsible for recruiting Joe Namath and was part of three national titles for the school.
Mr. Schnellenberger then took his talents to the NFL, first as an assistant under George Allen with the Los Angeles Rams from 1966-69. He then was hired by Don Shula as offensive coordinator with the Dolphins in 1970. Two years later the Dolphins went 17-0, becoming the only NFL team to ever go undefeated.
He was hired as head coach of the Baltimore Colts in 1973, but after a falling-out with owner Robert Irsay returned to the Dolphins from 1975-78 before taking over the Hurricanes, a program in such dire straits there had been talk of dismantling it just a few years before.
Recruiting talent that had previously headed off to places such as Penn State, Michigan and Notre Dame, Mr. Schnellenberger promised a national title and delivered one in his fifth season.
After a brief fling with the USFL, Mr. Schnellenberger was lured by Gov. John Y. Brown and other civic leaders to Louisville to try to rescue another sad-sack program. By year six he had the Cardinals in the Top 15 in the polls with a 10-1-1 team that beat Alabama in its bowl game.
The only blemish on his coaching career was 1995 at Oklahoma, where his team went 5-5-1 and he and Beverlee were viewed as outsiders before the two sides agreed to part ways.
Mr. Schnellenberger returned to South Florida and was hired by FAU President Anthony Catanese to build the foundation for the football program. After a search he decided to take the coaching job himself to prepare for the team’s 2001 debut season.
FAU defeated Memphis in its first appearance in a bowl game in 2007, becoming the youngest program to play in a bowl. Mr. Schnellenberger stuck around through 2011, then spent his remaining years as an indefatigable ambassador for the program.
Along with Beverlee, Mr. Howard is survived by son Tim and wife, Anyssa; son Stuart and wife, Suzie; grandson Joey and wife, Kristie; grandson Marcus and wife, Rachel; granddaughter Teather and husband, David; and great-grandchildren Tyler, Lacie and Harper Ann.
He was preceded in death by son Stephen, who died in 2008, and a great-grandson, Angel, who died in 2020.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks contributions be made to the Schnellenberger Family Foundation in Delray Beach or the Howard Schnellenberger Endowed Scholarship Fund at FAU.
A celebration of his life will be held at FAU on a date to be announced.

OCEAN RIDGE — James Frederick Many, a former resident of Ocean Ridge, recently joined the more than 500,000 Americans who have lost their lives to the coronavirus. A COVID-19-related cardiac arrest took Mr. Many’s life on Feb. 16. He was 83.
Born in 1937, Mr. Many served in the Airborne Early Warning Squadron Four for the U.S. Navy’s North Atlantic fleet. He later enjoyed a career as a commercial airline pilot, including working for Modern Air, National Airlines, Pan American and United Airlines.
Mr. Many and two fellow pilots from Modern Air were employed by Elvis Presley as the flight crew of his newest jet aircraft. Mr. Many served as the flight engineer for the Lisa Marie.
For always “taking care of business” safely and professionally flying the Lisa Marie, Elvis presented Mr. Many with a gold “TCB” pendant and chain. Mr. Many said Elvis dropped the chain over his head, snagged it on his ear, tugged it into place and said, “Now it’s all shook up!”
When Elvis died, Mr. Many and the crew flew the Lisa Marie with Priscilla Presley, actor George Hamilton and other close friends of Elvis back to Memphis for the funeral.
A few weeks after that, Mr. Many returned to commercial aviation.
It was on a flight to Rio de Janeiro that Jim met his future wife, Connie Persall. 
Mr. Many retired from UAL having earned certifications as flight engineer, pilot or captain on every type of jetliner that he flew. His favorite was the Boeing 747.
Family, friends, aviation, boating and building homes filled his active life. Building homes on spec in boating communities led Mr. Many to build his dream home in Ocean Ridge. The serenity of the quaint but opulent boating and beach community was ideal.
The couple left their beloved Ocean Ridge for a one-story home in Stuart after Mr. Many’s knee replacement surgery.
With Jim at the helm of their sturdy Tiara, Wings, the couple loved boating and exploring the waterways of Stuart.
Mr. Many is survived by his wife, Connie E. Persall; sister, Susan Miller; son, Dale; granddaughter, Oaklee; plus nephews, nieces, grandnephews, grandnieces and cousins. A true gentleman, he will be remembered, loved and missed by family and friends.
A memorial and military honors service will take place at 12:30 p.m. April 26 at Cape Canaveral National Cemetery, 5525 U.S. Highway 1 North, Mims. Masks and social distancing will be observed.

Obituary submitted by the family

OCEAN RIDGE — Cheri Billingsley Jones of Ocean Ridge died March 24, six years after a breast cancer diagnosis. She was 73.
Mrs. Jones is survived by her husband, Earl Jones, her daughter Wendi (Gregg) Zukoski, her stepchildren, Jolie (Jimmy) Callus and Sam Jones, her mother, Lois Billingsley, her sisters, Vicki (Mike) Scruggs and Debbi (Jack) Welch, and her grandchildren Emili (Caitlyn) Zukoski and Ryan Callus.
Also surviving are six nieces and nephews and eight grandnieces and grandnephews. She was predeceased by her father, Owen T. Billingsley.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, on April 16, 1947, Mrs. Jones was raised in Delray Beach and was graduated from Seacrest High School in 1965. She worked for IBM as an executive secretary in Boca Raton until her retirement in 1988.
Mrs. Jones was a gentle yet strong woman who never failed to make those around her feel loved. She filled rooms with joy and humor and was a friend to anyone fortunate enough to meet her. Mrs. Jones will be remembered for her love of butterflies; may they always remind us of the sweet soul she was.
Per Mrs. Jones’ wishes, her ashes will be spread along her favorite coral reef, off the shore of Ocean Ridge, where she and Earl lived for the past 40 years.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Obituary submitted by the family

BOYNTON BEACH — A friend once observed to photographer Anthony Edgeworth, “I own practically every golf book there is, and none of them really capture the singular spirit of place that makes the great clubs and courses special.”
Mr. Edgeworth, by then an established lifestyle photographer, pondered this remark and acted on it. Over the course of three decades beginning in 1999, he was photographer, creative director and publisher (in collaboration with writer John de St. Jorre) of a series of books now indispensable to any golf library.
Mr. Edgeworth died March 15 with his daughter, Salome Schuttler Anheuser Edgeworth, granddaughter, Lilly Schuttler Ripley, and son-in-law Mika Michaels, of Gulf Stream, by his side at home. He was 84.
“What made Tony’s work unique,” said another good friend, writer Michael M. Thomas, on learning of Edgeworth’s death, “was that he understood these places and their courses from the inside. He himself was a member of several of them, and that gave him insights into their character that enabled him to get it right.”
Born April 21, 1936, in Dover, Delaware, Anthony Downes Edgeworth was educated at the Canterbury School and the University of Virginia, and served in Berlin with the U.S. Army.
Mr. Edgeworth studied photography with Pete Turner in New York. In the 1970s he had a photography studio on Fifth Avenue and 33rd Street where he did his magazine and advertising work — which appeared in Esquire, Town & Country, New York, Paris Match, Fortune and Travel & Leisure, among others.
From the early 1980s to 2019, Mr. Edgeworth published 14 photography books. The Guards (Crown Publishers, 1981) won him the Order of the First State from then-Gov. Pete du Pont of Delaware.
Some of his course books are Legendary Golf Clubs of Scotland, England Wales & Ireland (1999); Legendary Golf Clubs of the American East (2003); Legendary Golf Links of Ireland (2006); Legendary Golf Clubs of the American Midwest (2013); and The Deepdale Golf Club (2019).
A memorial celebration was held at the Quail Ridge Country Club on March 27.

Obituary submitted by the family

A ceremony was held for Marcel Brewer’s Coffee Shop and Lakeside Patio, the latest amenities at BRIC, the former IBM campus. The patio features a 50-foot model of the first IBM keyboard. The coffee shop’s name pays homage to the architect who designed the IBM complex. Angelo Bianco, managing partner of Crocker Partners, which acquired the property in 2018, addresses guests including Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke; Troy McLellan, president and CEO of the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce; and City Council member Andy Thomson. Photo provided

Bertha Richwagen, Lisa Napolitano, 8-month-old Ava Marie Richwagen and Albert Richwagen inside Richwagen’s Bike & Sport in Delray Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

It’s time to introduce the third generation of Richwagens, owners of Richwagen’s Bike & Sport. Welcome 8-month-old Ava, daughter of the store owner Albert Richwagen and his fiancée, Lisa Napolitano. As far as biking is concerned, it’s never too young to start.
“I’ve put Ava on the seat of a bike, and she’ll be riding a tricycle before she can walk,” Richwagen said.
Albert Richwagen represents the second generation in his family business, which his father, Robert, founded 60 years ago. Albert and his mother, Bertha, took over in 1988, after Robert died.
In its fifth location — a 3,000-square-foot store at 298 NE Sixth Ave. in Delray Beach — the business has seen some changes over the years.
A little history: Robert, who learned machine work in high school and during World War II, was a welder at the Boston shipyard. After moving to Delray Beach, he took his skills and ingenuity and applied them to products for his new store, where he sold go-karts and Vespa scooters. A man on the move, so to speak.
“In the 1960s Gidget days, he started shaping surfboards, and then, noticing the number of retirees, he designed a three-wheeled bicycle for adults,” Albert Richwagen recalled.
And things continue to evolve.
“Now, people are loving electric bikes,” Albert Richwagen said. “That side of the business has grown 150% during the pandemic, and kids’ bike sales have exploded, too. The sale of kids’ bikes had dropped steadily over the last 10 years. But when gyms, pools, tennis courts and playgrounds closed during the pandemic, family biking really took off.”
 The Richwagen store closed its doors at the start of the pandemic, but offered curb service. It is fully open again. And, by the way, Bertha, 83, misses working there, Albert says.
“She stopped because of the pandemic, but she would be there every day, if she could.”

Two local Delray Beach businesses have sold recently and merged with bigger companies. 
On March 11, Delivery Dudes, a food delivery service, sold its assets to the publicly traded company, Waitr, for $23 million. While customers will still visit DeliveryDudes.com, use the Delivery Dudes app, or call 561-900-7060 to place an order, they may notice improvements that should make the service even better, said founder Jayson Koss.
“Delivery Dudes has historically been the underdog in the delivery space, with very limited resources,” he said. “Teaming up with Waitr will give the Dudes access to a wide range of resources including, but not limited to, tech resources, marketing reach and more.”
Koss, along with his team, will remain at Delivery Dudes for the foreseeable future.

On March 9, Architec, a Delray Beach-based company that designs and manufactures product lines for kitchens, was acquired by Bradshaw Home, a national designer and marketer of kitchenware and cleaning products for an undisclosed price. Architec President Jenna Sellers Miller is joining Bradshaw Home’s product development and brand marketing department.
Kathleen Sellers, Jenna’s mother, started a lawn and garden company in 1988, “with plant stands and things like that,” Miller said. “Then I moved home after living in Los Angeles, and in 2000, we started Architec, this new division with a single product, an innovative (nonslip) cutting board. We went off to trade shows, and we were picked up by Linens ’N Things and Bed, Bath & Beyond, then we knew we had something.”
Architec markets five brands: Architec, its flagship line of food prep products; Ecosmart, food prep products made from eco-friendly materials; Homegrown Gourmet, products for growing, serving and storing homegrown produce; Madeira, premium food prep products; and TSP, Totally Sweet Products for baking and decorating enthusiasts.
“Under the Bradshaw umbrella of brands, our future is brighter than ever and I’m pinching myself that I will be joining the Bradshaw team, which means I’ll get to take part in their future success,” Miller said.
Architec’s design and business office is at 350 SE First St., Delray Beach, and Architec’s staff of 10 will continue to work from there.
“Our mission is to support the economic vitality of downtown Delray Beach and we are excited that two of our homegrown companies are benefiting from their success,” said Laura Simon, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority.

Real estate sales have been especially hot this season, crowned locally by the $94 million sale of the Manalapan Ziff estate. Although it was not as huge for the town, a recorded $26.2 million mid-March sale of an ocean-to-Lake Worth Lagoon estate at 1560 S. Ocean Blvd. was significant. The owner was Sarah & Co LLC, managed by Jiri Radoch, CEO of KKCG. The buyer is listed in public records as S. Ocean 1560 LLC, a Delaware corporation.
On 1.4 acres, the seven-bedroom, 11,197-square-foot, three-story estate includes an oceanfront cabana and, on the Intracoastal side, a dock with a boat lift. It connects to the oceanfront through a tunnel under South Ocean Boulevard. The seller paid $16.4 million for the property in 2013 and renovated it throughout the years. It was built in 2011.
According to Realtor.com, the property hit the market in December 2020 for $27.5 million, listed with John O. Pickett III and Cathy Casella of Brown Harris Stevens. Chris Leavitt of Douglas Elliman represented the buyer.

In a March transaction worth $20.4 million, Jean C. Thompson of Dallas sold her estate at 1960 S. Ocean in Manalapan to 1960 South Ocean, a Florida limited liability company. The property is on 3 acres adjacent to the Ziff estate.
Steven E. Presson of the Corcoran Group was the listing agent. In 2018, Thompson, manager of CTRE13 LLC, purchased the property for $13.5 million at auction, when it was owned by William T. Gerrard.
 
A vacant 1.46-acre oceanfront property at 1260 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, was sold by 1260 Manalapan Properties, LLC, managed by Tonio Arcaini, to 1260 S. Ocean LLC, managed by Manalapan Mayor Pro Tem Stewart A. Satter. The $15.45 million sale was recorded on March 18. Arcaini bought the property in 2009 for $6.8 million. In a private listing, Premier Estate Properties agent Jim McCann represented the seller. Pascal Liguori of Premier Estate Properties represented the buyer.

A seven-bedroom, 14,808-square-foot estate at 3715 S. Ocean Blvd., Highland Beach, sold for $21,576,050 on March 10. The sellers were David and Shannon Rae Willens. The buyer was Eric D. Moskow, trustee of the Eric D. Moskow Trust. David Willens is founder and chairman of Sage Dental. Moskow is a health care investor.
The estate, with 120 feet on the ocean, features a living green wall with more than 1,800 plants along the entrance and indoor foyer, its own cell tower, an infinity pool, and interior walls finished in imported basalt lava stone, a transparent wine showcase cellar, two kitchens, a home theater, and gaming spaces.
The buyer was represented by Senada Adzem, an agent with Douglas Elliman. Representing the seller were Gerard Liguori, Carmen D’Angelo Jr., and Joseph Liguori, brokers/owners of Premier Estate Properties, which reported $343 million in sales in January and February 2021.

Brandon and Jolee Pellegrino sold a seven-bedroom estate, with 13,184 total square feet, at 4101 S. Ocean Blvd., Highland Beach, to Joshua Memling Golder. The sale price was $17 million, according to public records dated March 13. Built in 2018, the estate has a movie theater and 300-gallon aquarium. Brandon Pellegrino is the chief investment officer at Boca Raton-based Naso Capital Management. Devin Kay and Nick Malinosky of Douglas Elliman brokered the deal.

Charles and Ann Talanian sold a five-bedroom, 10,086-total-square-foot waterfront home at 225 W. Alexander Palm Rd., Boca Raton, to Steven and Tracy Angeli for $12.51 million, according to public records dated March 18.
Charles Talanian is the president of C. Talanian Realty, a Boston-based company, according to its website. Steven Angeli is senior managing director and equity portfolio manager at Boston-based Wellington Management Co., according to an SEC filing.
The Talanians purchased the property for $3.5 million in 2019, records show, and built a new house. According to Realtor.com, Marcy F. Javor with Signature One Luxury Estates represented the sellers, and David W. Roberts of Royal Palm Properties represented the buyers.

Tiffany Palagonia, a Century 21 agent in Glen Head, New York, sold a six-bedroom, 11,068-total-square-foot waterfront home built in 2018 at 261 W. Alexander Palm Road, Boca Raton, to the Jag Realty Trust, with Laurie J. Hall as trustee. The $11.025 million sale was recorded on Feb. 25.
Some amenities include a club room, bar, second-floor living room, dock, and a putting green. Palagonia bought the home in August 2020 for $9.4 million. David W. Roberts of Royal Palm Properties represented buyer and seller. 

Top performers from Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Manalapan were among the honorees as Douglas Elliman announced winners of its Ellie Awards, which honored the firm’s top agents for 2020. 
The top 10 teams for Florida by gross commission income included the Senada Adzem team (No. 4), and the Randy Ely and Nick Malinosky team (No. 7). The Pinnacle Club Award winners, presented to Florida agents and teams that made more than $1 million in 2020, included the Adzem team; the Cotilla, Beresh, Gerow luxury team; the Scott Gordon team; and the Randy & Nick team.
Nationwide sales for Douglas Elliman in 2020 totaled $29.6 billion, and the firm was responsible for 46,303 sales and rental transactions. The Florida brokerage closed just under $7 billion in total sales for 2020, up 32% from the previous year.

Daniel A. Hostettler is the new president of the Boca Raton Resort & Club.
A veteran of the hospitality industry, Hostettler was previously president and group managing director of Ocean House Management Collection’s five New England properties. Those include Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island, and Weekapaug Inn in Westerly, Rhode Island.
As president of Boca Raton Resort & Club, Hostettler will continue his role as North American president of Relais & Châteaux. He is also a member of the Cornell Hotel Society, a trustee of the Culinary Institute of America, and a visiting professor at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami.
Hostettler will oversee all aspects of the Boca resort, including a renovation launched in September. Highlights include a collection of restaurants and bars; a new 4-acre lakefront area with cabanas, four pools and a lazy river; and the reconfiguration and renovation of the tower. 

Following a nearly nine-month national search, the board of directors for the Palm Beach County Food Bank has named Boynton Beach resident Jamie A. Kendall as its CEO. In addition, longtime fundraising professional Ellen Vaughan of Delray Beach was appointed as director of development and philanthropy.

The Boca Raton-based Florida Peninsula Insurance announced the retirement of its co-founder and CFO, Francis L. Lattanzio, who will remain with the company as a consultant. Gary Cantor replaces him. Cantor, also a co-founder of the company, served as executive vice president since 2005. 

The Festival Management Group, producer of the Delray Affair, has secured a location to hold the annual art show this year, which will be called Affair of the Arts. Scheduled for April 9-11, it will be held on the north side of the Boynton Beach Mall, 801 N. Congress Ave., offering free parking as well as a larger footprint that allows for social distancing.  CDC coronavirus safety protocols will be implemented, and masks are required.
There will be more than 500 art-and-crafts exhibitors and a beer and wine garden. Hours will be 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

By Mary Hladky

Two incumbents endorsed by Mayor Scott Singer and Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke easily defeated challengers to win three-year City Council terms in the March 9 election.
Monica Mayotte beat Brian Stenberg in the race for Seat D by winning 58.8% of the vote. Yvette Drucker took 50.9% of the vote to surpass three opponents in the Seat C race.
Mayotte won a second term. Council members in October appointed Drucker to temporarily replace term-limited Jeremy Rodgers after he was deployed on an overseas military assignment.
“I am just very proud that the Boca Raton voters have put their trust in me for another term and proud to represent them for another three years,” Mayotte said shortly after winning her race.
Drucker said her victory “proved that truth matters and Boca Raton looks forward, not backward,” referring to the negative campaigning against her by her chief competitor, former City Council member and Deputy Mayor Constance Scott, who won 33.6% of the vote.
“I am looking forward to the next three years,” Drucker said.

Seat D race
Mayotte, a former sustainability specialist with JM Family Enterprises and a strong advocate of environmental protections, campaigned on helping the city’s businesses recover economically from the coronavirus pandemic, ensuring public safety and pursuing responsible and innovative development.
“I look forward to bringing all these ideas forward,” she said.
Stenberg, vice president of the Boca Raton medical office real estate management firm the Greenfield Group, stressed helping businesses recover, the importance of finding a strong replacement for City Manager Leif Ahnell, who plans to retire in 2024, and finding ways to make up for the pandemic-induced decrease in commercial property values.

Seat C race
Drucker, a first-generation Cuban American who is the first Hispanic to serve on the City Council, prioritized helping businesses recover and commonsense development.
A former human resource manager for ADP, Drucker is a longtime volunteer, including with the Boca Raton Historical Society and Junior League of Boca Raton.
Scott, who is now director of local relations at Florida Atlantic University, stressed her experience in government and business and prioritized public safety, helping businesses recover and protecting the city from overdevelopment.
The two other candidates for Seat C were Josie Machovec, a stay-at-home mom best known for being one of four plaintiffs in ongoing litigation to overturn Palm Beach County’s mask mandate. She won 10.5% of the vote.
Bernard Korn, a real estate broker, had twice lost elections to Singer and says he is now also running to defeat U.S. Sen. Rick Scott. He did not participate in candidate forums and received 4.9% of the vote.

Campaigns turned negative
In the campaigns’ final weeks, Stenberg and Scott pivoted to negative campaigning.
Stenberg accused Mayotte of having the “wrong priorities,” “offending residents” and “costing taxpayer money.” Mayotte did not return fire, saying residents wanted to know candidates’ stands on the issues.
Scott claimed Drucker was unfairly chosen to replace Rodgers in a “political power grab” and is “bankrolled by special interests.”
In response, Drucker said Scott lied about her meeting attendance record and accused Scott of having ties to special interests and to former Mayor Susan Haynie, who is now awaiting trial on public corruption charges.
Although both leveled the special interests claim, campaign finance records show both Scott and Drucker received support from the developer community.

Charter amendments pass
Voters also overwhelmingly approved two proposed city charter amendments.
One lengthens the time a person must have lived in the city from 30 days to one year before he or she can qualify to run. It also disqualifies candidates from running who have a homestead exemption on property outside the city limits.
The second amendment eliminates the requirement that candidates pay a $25 qualifying fee. It instead requires candidates to submit a petition with the signatures of at least 200 city voters.

Campaign finances
Mayotte and Stenberg self-financed a large portion of their campaigns. Mayotte lent her campaign $50,000, while Stenberg lent his $52,000.
Including the loans, Mayotte raised $110,065 as of March 4, and Stenberg raised $86,227.
Contributions to Drucker totaled $102,049 as of March 4, while Scott pulled in $85,938. Machovec raised $7,321. Korn, who received no contributions, loaned his campaign $12,100.
Although City Council races are nonpartisan, the Republican Party of Palm Beach County’s $3,500 contribution to Machovec amounted to nearly half of her contributions. The party also contributed $3,500 to both Stenberg and Scott.
The Democratic Party made no such large contributions to the candidates.

By Rich Pollack

The future of Highland Beach’s unique spending cap, which requires voter approval before commissioners can spend more than $350,000 on a single item, is playing a key role in determining how and when the town rolls out a $1 million sewer pipe restoration project.
The cap may also figure into whether the town can pay for a portion of the project with some of the $1.65 million it is receiving from the American Rescue Plan.
Highland Beach recently commissioned a study that showed the 15,000 feet of sewer pipes running through town are aging and in two specific instances are fractured with small amounts of sewage leaking into the ground.
To remedy the situation the town plans to fix the broken pipes within a month or two and then use relatively new technology to line the existing pipes — some 50 years old or older — adding decades to their life span.
If the town wanted to pay for the project all at once, using money from its utilities fund — which is supported by water and sewage treatment fees — it would require getting a green light from voters through a referendum.
Another option would be to break the project into three parts, each costing under $350,000, and spread it out over three years.
Town Manager Marshall Labadie said the town could even save money by breaking the project up because it would use a qualified firm already under contract for underground services under $350,000 a year.
During a meeting in March, town commissioners agreed to postpone for several months a decision on whether to take the issue to voters or break the project into three parts. This would allow them to first receive an expected opinion on the future of the cap from a charter review board that will meet soon.
Mayor Doug Hillman and Labadie pointed out that many of the recommendations from that board would need to be approved by referendum, so tacking on the sewer lining question to the ballot would not require additional expense.
While some commissioners pointed to a legal opinion from Town Attorney Glen Torcivia that breaking the project into three parts and spending less than $350,000 in any given year would be permissible, others said they were concerned about “the optics” of that.
The challenge, according to Commissioner Peggy Gossett-Seidman, is that some residents could see breaking the project into pieces as an attempt to bypass the requirements of the spending cap.
“I don’t want to subject this commission to the wrath of people who think we’re skirting the charter and the code,” she said during the same March commission meeting.
Throughout the discussion, commissioners referenced a $45 million referendum two years ago that failed overwhelmingly, which they believe is still on the minds of residents.
“From what I see, this town is allergic to a referendum,” Commissioner Evalyn David said.
For her part, Gossett-Seidman said bringing the issue to the public could help restore their faith in the local government, which suffered after the 2019 referendum.
“I’m just saying there are issues of trust,” she said.
Commissioners agreed that while there is no immediate need to line the sewer pipes, it’s important to get the capital project done within a three-year period and wondered if that could be a problem if the voters disapprove.
“What if the referendum fails?” David asked.
Although most of the commissioners said they had faith in the voters to approve a necessary project, they asked Torcivia to determine if they could still break the project into pieces under the cap.
Labadie said the town is also researching whether a portion of the $1.65 million coming from the relief package could be used for the project and if so, would the town still need voter approval to spend more than $350,000 since the federal money might not be considered “town dollars.”
In the end, commissioners agreed that making emergency repairs and tying up loose ends before making a decision would be the best course to take.
In other business, town commissioners last month welcomed new Vice Mayor Natasha Moore to the dais during a swearing-in ceremony that also saw the return of Gossett-Seidman. Moore and Gossett-Seidman, both residents of the Bel Lido Isle community, ran unopposed.
Moore, a real estate broker, fills the seat vacated by Greg Babij, who chose not to run for re-election because of business and family time commitments.

By Mary Hladky

After months of acrimony, the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District and the City Council have approved an agreement that sets the stage for development of the former Ocean Breeze golf course property.
District commissioners unanimously approved an amended interlocal agreement with the city on March 15 and the City Council followed suit on March 23.
“I think it is a win-win,” said Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke.
The original agreement was signed in 2018 when the property was slated to become the Boca National golf course, with an 18-hole course, driving range, putting greens, clubhouse and other facilities.
But that plan was scuttled when the Boca Raton Resort & Club donated the Boca Golf and Tennis Country Club to the city in October, eliminating the need for Boca National.
The district has since wanted to develop Ocean Breeze for recreation, which could include more limited golf facilities.
But the district and the city clashed on how to amend the original agreement to reflect the new vision for the property.
City staff rejected some of the district’s proposed wording. District commissioners rejected the city’s proposed rewrite, saying it prevented them from hiring a consultant to create a master plan.
Frustrated commissioners, who wanted to start planning, stepped back from hiring a consultant and instead voted Feb. 1 to issue a request for information intended to garner ideas on the best uses for Ocean Breeze. Responses are due by April 9.
Those responses and a needs assessment survey, they said, would serve as a starting point for discussions between the district and city on developing Ocean Breeze.
Executive Director Briann Harms and commissioners also pressed City Council members to help resolve the deadlock. The dispute finally ended when the two sides reached a deal at the end of February.
“It certainly is a step in the right direction for the relationship between our two bodies,” parks Commissioner Robert Rollins said on March 1.
All along, city staffers have denied allegations that they had proposed major changes to the interlocal agreement that were unfair to the district.
City Council member Andy Thomson elicited City Manager Leif Ahnell’s final word on the subject on March 23, asking him if the city tried to change the agreement in “some dramatic way.”
“No, not at all,” Ahnell said.
District commissioners and City Council members scheduled a joint meeting, long delayed by the coronavirus pandemic, for April 26.

By Mary Hladky

Supporters of a proposed $121 million performing arts complex at Mizner Park have stepped up the pressure on the city to move quickly to hammer out a deal.
Speaking at the March 22 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, nearly a dozen supporters urged the City Council to cut red tape and avoid delays.
“Do all you can to move this project forward,” said Trish Ramudo.
“I’d really like to see this thing happen,” said Shaw McCutcheon.
McCutcheon and others voiced concerns about possible delays caused by City Council support for plans to hire a consultant to advise the city as it negotiates leasing city-owned land at Mizner Park with the Boca Raton Arts District Exploratory Corp.
Those concerns first surfaced in February when council members unanimously agreed to hire a consultant to protect the city’s interests. Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke and council member Monica Mayotte said they didn’t want the process of hiring one to cause delays.
City staff intended to have the consultant on board before it issued a legally required public notice that it plans to dispose of land for use as a performance venue and invites proposals on use of the land. The consultant would have drafted the notice.
But BRADEC and its supporters thought that would slow down momentum to get a deal done.
BRADEC said a consultant is not needed to draft the notice, and urged the City Council to do so quickly. Separately, staff could hire the consultant to advise on the land lease terms.
Four council members — O’Rourke, Mayotte, Andy Thomson and Yvette Drucker — agreed this would avoid delays. Mayor Scott Singer voiced no objection.
City Manager Leif Ahnell and City Attorney Diana Grub Frieser said their intent was to issue a notice that clearly states what should be included in the proposals. Without that, the submissions might lack key information, causing time delays later on.
But pressed by council members, Ahnell said staff would prepare a notice that generally states the city is planning to dispose of property to be used as a performance venue. The notice could be issued that week, Ahnell said. Proposals are due within 30 days of the notification being published in The Palm Beach Post.
Queried on the status of hiring a consultant, Ahnell said staff has acted quickly. Three have applied and a final selection would be made that week. The consultant’s contract would be negotiated by April 2 and then the consultant would immediately begin work.
The proposed Boca Raton Center for Arts and Innovation would completely renovate the existing 3,500-seat Mizner Park amphitheater and add indoor and outdoor performing arts spaces, a rooftop terrace and more parking.
It would be financed by donations from cultural arts supporters and corporations that have long wanted such a facility in the city. Ú

By Jane Smith

The three incumbent elected leaders in Delray Beach were re-elected March 9 by city voters.

Mayor Shelly Petrolia received 6,247 votes, or 51.5%, compared to 5,882 votes, or 48.5%, for challenger Tracy Caruso. Petrolia won by 365 votes in a race where 12,129 votes were cast.

Commissioner Adam Frankel retained his seat after receiving 6,552 votes, or 54.6%, compared to 5,445 votes, or 45.4%, for competitor Price Patton. Frankel won by 1,107 in a race where 11,997 votes were cast.

Commissioner Ryan Boylston had the strongest support, receiving 7,251 votes, or 60.3%, compared to 4,766 votes, or 39.7%, for challenger Mitch Katz. Boylston won by 2,485 in a race where 12,017 votes were cast.

The newly elected commissioners will be sworn in at 4 p.m. March 25.

By Mary Thurwachter

In Lantana, former police commander Robert Hagerty ousted incumbent Mayor David Stewart, who has held the office for 21 years.

Voter turnout was low. Only 1,372 of Lantana’s 7,362 registered voters cast ballots in the March 9 election. Hagerty brought in 59% (815) of the total votes compared to Stewart’s 41% (557).

Awaiting the final results with supporters on election night, Hagerty said he didn’t want to comment until the votes were certified. However, he did say he was “very, very, very excited to work in Lantana and for Lantana.”

A resident of the town for 24 years, Hagerty, 56, has said it was time for a change in the mayor’s office. He vowed to bring “more effective and compassionate leadership, a stronger focus on public safety, realistic visioning and appropriate beautification efforts.”

Stewart, 67, an air conditioning consultant, campaigned on his record of fiscal responsibility, building up the town’s reserves, his institutional knowledge, relationship-building skills and having served as president and an active member of the Palm Beach County League of Cities for two decades. He said he kept taxes low and services high. Stewart has lived in Lantana for 43 years.

Unofficial Results

Unofficial Results

Unofficial Results

Unofficial Results