By Mary Hladky

Suspended Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie’s trial on public corruption charges will start on March 23.

Bruce Zimet, Haynie’s criminal defense attorney, and Assistant State Attorney Brian Fernandes requested the trial date at a Sept. 10 hearing before Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen. Both anticipated a five-day trial.

Over the past year, Zimet has repeatedly said Haynie would not accept a plea deal.

Haynie, 63, a fixture in Boca Raton politics for 18 years, did not appear at the hearing. She has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

If Haynie were acquitted, the court schedule would leave her scant time to reclaim the mayor’s office. The next round of City Council terms begins March 31.

Haynie was arrested on April 24, 2018, on charges of official misconduct, perjury, misuse of public office and failure to disclose voting conflicts. She faces more than 20 years in prison.

Then-Gov. Rick Scott suspended her from office, but she has not resigned. Scott Singer was elected mayor four months after her arrest.

Prosecutors contend that Haynie used her position on the City Council to vote on four matters that financially benefited James Batmasian, the city’s largest downtown commercial landowner, and failed to disclose income she had received from him.

The investigation by the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office found that Haynie failed to report $335,000 in income on financial disclosure forms required by the state, including $84,000 from Batmasian or his company Investments Limited, from 2014 through 2017.

Before her arrest, the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics, which also investigated Haynie for voting on matters that financially benefited Batmasian, reached a settlement with her in which they reprimanded and fined her for failing to disclose a conflict of interest, but dismissed a second allegation that Haynie misued her public office.

The Florida Commission on Ethics in October found probable cause that Haynie violated state ethics laws in eight instances, but that case is pending resolution of the criminal case.

The state commission, which also probed Haynie’s financial links to Batmasian and Investments Limited, found that she failed to disclose income, acted to financially benefit herself and her husband and improperly voted on matters that benefited Batmasian and his wife, Marta, without disclosing a conflict of interest.

The evidence gathered against Haynie by the three agencies is similar. One key difference is that while state prosecutors initially determined Haynie voted on four matters that financially benefited Batmasian from 2014 through 2017, state ethics investigators found 17 votes between 2012 and 2016.

New discovery filed by the state in June shows a fifth instance in which Haynie and the four other City Council members voted to allow Batmasian to build eight townhomes in 2015.

Delray Beach ended contract negotiations on Sept. 6 with Michael Cernech as the new city manager. 

“From the start, it was important that we come to terms that were acceptable to both parties. Unfortunately, in this case we simply could not get there,” Mayor Shelly Petrolia said in a prepared statement. “We were excited at the possibility of having Mr. Cernech lead our team and regret that it is no longer possible.” 

Cernech will remain city manager of Tamarac in Broward County.

The commission will discuss how to move forward with the recruitment process for a permanent city manager at its Sept. 10 meeting. 

Interim City Manager Neal de Jesus, who has held the position for the last six months, will continue to serve until a permanent manager is selected.

— Jane Smith

The Florida Department of Health in Palm Beach County has issued a countywide precautionary swim advisory for all public beaches. At this time, swimming is not recommended.

Tests will be conducted, when possible, to determine the water quality at public beach locations. Until test results are available, beach-goers should assume that ocean water contact may pose an increased risk of disease or illness, particularly for susceptible individuals.

Additionally, residents should avoid contact with floodwaters from rivers, lakes, Intracoastal Waterway or the ocean. Floodwater may contain fecal matter from sewage systems, agricultural and industrial waste, and septic tanks. Floodwaters can also mask debris, downed power lines, and other hazards.

The latest testing on salt water beaches will be updated on this website: http://www.floridahealth.gov/environmental-health/beach-water-quality/index.html. 

— Jane Smith

By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach property owners are likely to see a very slight increase in their municipal taxes as town commissioners move closer to finalizing their fiscal 2020 budget.

During an Aug. 29 meeting, commissioners agreed to tentatively set the final rate for the year beginning Oct. 1 at $3.79 per $1,000 of taxable property value, up 8 cents or about 2.2 percent from this year’s $3.71 per $1,000 and 21 cents or 5.9 percent from the $3.58 rollback rate.

That means that the owners of a $1 million home would see their municipal property taxes increase from $3,710 per year to $3,790, or up about $80.

Commissioners will finalize the tax rate and the town’s $11.9 million general fund operating budget at their second public hearing Sept. 19.

“This is a very strategic budget,” Commissioner Barry Donaldson said. “It’s very well crafted.”

The overall operating budget is up from $11.83 million and represents a $65,600 increase in expenses.

Property tax revenues are the biggest source of income for the town, generating about $9.5 million or about 80 percent of the overall general fund.

On the cost side, public safety continues to be the biggest expense, with fire service provided by Delray Beach expected to cost $4.47 million, or about a 5 percent increase over this year.

The town’s Police Department is expected to cost about $2.5 million, or about 1 percent more.

In setting the tax rate, commissioners debated whether to pledge money from the unrestricted reserve funds rather than raise taxes.

About $1 million from the reserve funds had been pledged over the last two years to help balance the budget. This year, however, the majority of commissioners agreed to break the trend and not tap into the $5 million fund. 

“I strongly believe we shouldn’t touch reserves,” Mayor Rhoda Zelniker said.

Others agreed.

“I try to be very conservative with other people’s money,” said Commissioner Evalyn David, who agreed to the slight increase in the tax rate rather than touch reserves. “I believe our rates have been kept unreasonably low in the past.”

During the meeting, commissioners praised Town Manager Marshall Labadie and Finance Director Matt Lalla for their work on the budget.

Commissioners also agreed to give Labadie a 5 percent merit increase — which is in line with what other high-performing employees are eligible to receive in the coming fiscal year.

The increase pushes Labadie’s salary from $150,000 a year to $157,500.

“We’re getting exceptional value from someone who is working morning, noon and night,” Zelniker said. “Marshall has done wonderful things for this town.”

By Mary Hladky

A cultural group has scaled back its ambitious proposal to build a performing arts complex on city-owned land east of the Spanish River Library and instead wants to locate it on two city-owned parcels next to the Mizner Park amphitheater.

The idea quickly garnered “conceptual support” from City Council members on Aug. 26, although the resolution they unanimously approved makes clear the city is not committing itself to anything yet.

That support was what Andrea Virgin, who leads the group of cultural organizations that want to build a “cultural destination,” sought.

“What we need now is for the (Community Redevelopment Agency) and the council to stand with us,” she said. “It is simply a request to walk with us, imagine with us, be with us.”

The group last October proposed a complex on 21 acres that would include four performing arts buildings, which would house a main theater with up to 1,200 seats, music complex, music recital hall, dance complex and a black box/flex theater totaling 162,000 square feet on lakeside land beside the library.

That project, which could have cost as much as $140 million, also potentially envisioned a 240-room hotel and convention center, restaurants and other retail and parking garage.

City council members were gobsmacked by the proposal, which Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers called “very, very compelling.”

But while lauding the idea, council members were cautious. They wanted assurances that the cultural community would provide enough financial support so the project would not become a financial burden for the city.

Mayor Scott Singer said the growing city needed the land for other purposes, and Rodgers questioned if a land donation was in the city’s best interest.

Since then, the nonprofit Boca Raton Arts District Exploratory Corporation has turned its attention to Mizner Park but has not discarded its original vision.

Virgin, principal of Boca Raton-based Virgin Design, said that while the original complex would have been on 21 acres, the cultural buildings would take up 5 acres. The Mizner Park site is 4 acres.

Her group still plans to build all of the planned venues with the possible exception of the black box/flex theater, but a taller building would be needed to accommodate them.

The project in Mizner Park would cost less, but Virgin said a cost estimate has not been finalized.

By locating in Mizner Park, the group can take advantage of the “complementary” Boca Raton Museum of Art and the amphitheater as well as nearby restaurants, retail and a potential Virgin Trains station.

The group wants to “reinvigorate” the amphitheater, adding a weather covering, improved seating and valet parking.

Brookfield Property Partners, Mizner Park’s landlord, supports the proposal, she said.

Asked by Rodgers whether the city would continue to operate the amphitheater, Virgin said her group wants to meet with city staff to determine the best course of action.

Virgin said Boca Raton’s cultural community supports the project and is financially able to contribute to its creation.

Donors have contributed $525,000 so far, nearly meeting the group’s goal of raising $600,000 to $700,000 for planning, she said.

Marleen Forkas, a longtime Boca Raton philanthropist and supporter of the cultural arts, was among arts boosters who attended the meeting and urged the council’s support.

“Everyone who supports the arts should support this project,” she said after the meeting.

Organizations behind the project include Boca Ballet Theatre, the museum of art, the Festival of the Arts Boca, Symphonia chamber orchestra, Harid Conservatory, Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County, Boca Raton Theatre Group and Florida Atlantic and Lynn universities.

Many stage productions are at borrowed school and FAU auditoriums because Boca Raton lacks a performing arts center.

Although no firm plans exist yet, council members, sitting as CRA commissioners, liked the idea of a Mizner Park location.

“It was the original vision of Mizner Park for it to be a cultural center,” said Andrea O’Rourke, a proponent of the arts.

“I think you are on the right path,” Singer said. While not committing the city to the project yet, “we want to put the wind behind your sail.”

Virgin said she would return to the council in six to 12 months with a full business plan that includes cost figures and project renderings. Ú

Beach-goers use the town’s new crosswalk flags to safely cross State Road A1A. Signs posted by the flags tell walkers to ‘Be cautious. Be seen. Be safe’ and to ‘Look left and right before crossing’ and ‘Be sure all vehicles have stopped.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Steve, who chose not to give  his last name, and Kathi Lelii, residents of Boca Highland Beach Club & Marina, wave flags as Steve and Susie Zeitenberg of Boca Raton cross behind them. BELOW: The flags were custom ordered with the town logo on one side. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

The City Council is poised to take over building the 18-hole golf course at the proposed Boca National site if the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District agrees and promises not to raise taxes.

“Details would need to be worked out in a new interlocal agreement after joint deliberations,” City Manager Leif Ahnell said in a follow-up letter to the district Aug. 28.

The city’s offer comes with two other major conditions. Council members said they want to manage the construction on the west side of Northwest Second Avenue and they want a new golf course plan.

“I think selecting other designers at this stage of the game is crucial to moving forward,” council member Andrea O’Rourke said.

Council member Andy Thomson, whose “design challenge” in July drew responses from 16 golf course architects, was blunter.

“I don’t know about you all, but I’m not inclined to use Price/Fazio on the western side. … That would not be my preference,” Thomson said, referring to the Nick Price-Tom Fazio design team chosen by the Beach and Park District.

The district-approved Price/Fazio design has a nearly $28 million price tag. Beach and park commissioners trimmed that to $20 million by postponing a clubhouse and a tunnel between the east and west sides.

But both figures were too high for the City Council, prompting Thomson to look for alternatives and beach and park commissioners to set a tentative tax rate of $1.1956 per $1,000 of taxable value, a 35.7 percent increase from the rollback rate of $0.88 per $1,000.

That rate was printed in the Truth in Millage tax notices that went out in late August.

“A lot of residents have contacted me asking me since they got their TRIM notices, ‘Why is the city raising the taxes?’ ” Mayor Scott Singer said. “I’ve had to politely explain, ‘Well, it’s not exactly the city doing that.’”

In Singer’s case, for example, his city tax will rise by $61.57 to almost $2,725 while his beach and park tax jumps to $838, up almost $210, county records show. (County, school district and other taxes make Singer’s total bill $13,581 before discounts; his home has a taxable value near $700,000.)

A consultant at the council’s Aug. 27 special golf workshop noted that 18 percent of Boca Raton households have incomes of at least $150,000, suggesting that the community can easily afford greens fees.

“That’s great,” Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers said. “But it means 80 percent of our residents don’t. Do they want their tax dollars going up to fund this if they’re not going to play? I don’t think so. I think there’s a better way to do this.”

Council members agreed to refine their ideas on golf at a future meeting and to schedule a joint meeting with beach and park commissioners before the district approves its final tax rate. District commissioners can lower but cannot raise the tentative rate at their two public budget hearings this month.

The first budget hearing is 6 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Swim and Racquet Center, 21618 St. Andrews Blvd.

The tentative $1.1956 rate would need votes from four of the five commissioners and would raise an additional $9 million; a rate of $1.1110 would need only three yes votes and bring in an additional $6.6 million.

The higher rate would also mean the district would pay Boca Raton’s Community Redevelopment Agency an extra $435,000, for a total of $1.85 million, commissioners learned at a separate special meeting Aug. 26.

Briann Harms, the district’s interim executive director, told commissioners in July that they would have to raise taxes just to keep up with rising costs and planned improvements. The amount it pays the city to operate and maintain parks has gone up 24 percent in five years, from $14 million to $17.3 million, she said, while the district went to its rollback tax rate in 2017 and kept the same rate the next two years.

And a new pump and piping system at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center to be installed in the coming year will cost $3.2 million, up $300,000 from the original estimate. Ú

Grace Gensheimer and Brandon Martindale walk Bella, a 6-month-old mini golden, as the first group of pedestrians crosses the Camino Real bridge when it reopened to land traffic Aug. 6 after a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Motor vehicles were allowed to cross soon after. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

Traffic between the barrier island and the mainland is back to normal after unexpected work on the Camino Real bridge added an agonizing four extra months to a planned 12-month restoration.

“This is a day I was wondering would ever come,” said County Commissioner Robert Weinroth, presiding over an Aug. 6 ribbon-cutting for the $11 million project.

The bridge, Weinroth noted, is 80 years old and required special care. “If you know anything about restoring things, it always takes a little longer to restore than to build,” he said.

The ceremony started slightly late as the bridge made its regularly scheduled 10 a.m. opening. As soon as the bridge lowered and the gates went back up, bicyclist Christine Schilling Boccia led a crowd from the island side over the new span.

Boccia, who lives on the island, grew up in the Royal Palm Yacht and Racquet Club and has been a member of the Boca Raton Resort and Club “since birth,” said she got to the bridge early to become the first crosser even before the ribbon was cut.

The construction delays “just like became a real hassle,” she said, listing three family weddings and the birth of a grandbaby that necessitated time-consuming detours between her home and the resort, The Addison restaurant and West Boca Medical Center.

Weinroth, who led onlookers on foot eastward across the bridge, noted that the bridge tender’s structure was relocated to the north side of the span from the south. “It’s now more historically in keeping with the way the bridge was originally, back in 1939,” he said.

Besides waiting for barricades to come down, eastbound motorists on Camino Real had to maneuver around a Shamrock Tree Co. crew trimming the boulevard’s royal palm trees.

Helene Parsons, who lives in the Berkeley Square condominiums on State Road A1A and works at The Addison, took honors for driving the first vehicle across the reopened bridge. The 16-month detour had almost tripled her customary seven-minute commute to her job.

“I’m so excited,” she shouted out the window as her white Toyota convertible accelerated.

The bridge was closed to land traffic on April 12, 2018. Crews started working nights in mid-May to meet an anticipated June 20 reopening. But contractor Kiewit Construction missed that target and then a less definite goal “toward the end of July,” Palm Beach County officials said. As recently as July 31, Deputy County Engineer Tanya McConnell said she was not able to give a date for the reopening.

“We are in the latter stages of construction, but that is as much as I am able to say at this time,” McConnell said.

Kiewit was being fined $10,000 per day for the opening and about $3,000 per day for the overall contract. Its work had to be inspected by an outside engineering firm, a county team and the Florida Department of Transportation before the bridge could open.

“We wanted to do it right, and we are satisfied we got it right, and the FDOT has been here and given us two thumbs-up,” Weinroth said.

The refurbished span has slightly wider bridge elements, both fixed and bascule; a renovated fender system; new mechanical equipment; reconstructed roadway approaches and sidewalks; and minor drainage improvements. Last summer construction crews discovered heavy deterioration and severe loss of existing steel sections that required extra work.

The bridge was deemed “structurally deficient” by the state even before the additional repair needs were discovered.

The new bridge has a similar architectural design, the same clearance height and a similar railing to the old span. The two-lane drawbridge handled about 7,600 vehicles a day before it was closed, about half the traffic on the four-lane Palmetto Park Road bridge, county figures show.

Architect Addison Mizner designed Camino Real in the 1920s to connect the railroad station to the resort. In 1929 developer Clarence Geist put a temporary swing bridge at the end of the road to cross the Intracoastal Waterway. The federal Public Works Administration built the permanent drawbridge 10 years later.

County engineers once planned to demolish the bridge and replace it with a $44 million span but learned during the permitting process that it was protected as part of the county’s Camino Real Road and Bridge Historic District. 

Residents on both sides of the bridge were eager to record the event with their smartphones.

The north jetty of the Boynton Inlet was pounded by waves on Sept. 3. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Two work crews from Asplundh take up position on A1A at the south end of the Ziff estate in Manalapan in advance of feeder bands from Hurricane Dorian on Sept.3. An FPL spokesperson said Asplundh trucks were trimming proactively near feeder lines before the hurricane effects were felt.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

A man on a personal watercraft flies out of the water in advance of one of the many intense waves created by Hurricane Dorian.  This photo was shot off the McCormick Mile clubhouse in Ocean Ridge. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Ocean Ridge police Lt. Richard Jones convinces a young resident that this was not the time for kayaking in the Intracoastal. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

A cyclist passes by the flooded streets of the Boynton Harbor Marina following the king tide and brush with Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 3. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Ocean Ridge police officers stop drivers at the checkpoint on the Ocean Avenue bridge to check for proper identification on Sept. 3 from residents to justify their access to the barrier island following the brush with Hurricane Dorian. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

A pedestrian crosses a flooded Ocean Avenue in Ocean Ridge during one of many feeder-band downpours.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Leigh McMorrow picks up a bottle of bleach and other floating items on Palm Drive in Briny Breezes. All of the roads on the west side of A1A experienced some degree of flooding. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Brooks Lane near Linton Boulevard was flooded in Delray Beach on Sept. 3. Rachel O'Hara/The Coastal Star

Cars make their way through the flooding on the east side of the George Bush Boulevard bridge on Sept. 3. The combination of Hurricane Dorian and king tide resulted in flooding in a number of areas on the barrier island side of Delray Beach. Rachel O'Hara/The Coastal Star

A resident of Tranquility Drive in Highland Beach drives through the above-average floodwaters caused by the king tide and enhanced by the surge from  Dorian on Sept. 3. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Surfers make their way toward the large waves caused by the hurricane Sept. 3 at Spanish River Park in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Spectators watch surfers battle the waves spawned by  Dorian Sept. 3 at Spanish River Park in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Workers from Tuckers Tree Service remove debris that was caused by Dorian from a residence on Hypoluxo Island. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Delray Beach Detectives Lucas, left, and Suarez warn one of many surfers about the dangers of being out in the ocean on Labor Day. Surfers were told they could be arrested, but it did not seem to stop them from catching some waves brought in by Hurricane Dorian. Rachel O'Hara/The Coastal Star

Beaches in Delray Beach were marked as off limits on Labor Day. Despite the signs and tape, many people made their way onto the beach to see or surf the waves. Rachel O'Hara/The Coastal Star

From left, Leo Dias of Orlando, Alex Reichert of Miami and Jose Ordeix of Delray Beach head out into the surf at the south end of Delray Beach. The three surfers swam across the Intracoastal on their surfboards to get past the police barricade and onto the barrier island to surf Dorian's waves. Rachel O'Hara/The Coastal Star

Spectators gather along the seawall at Lantana's public beach, The Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa and the Dune Deck Cafe to view the high surf created by Hurricane Dorian on Sept. 2. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Waves generated by Hurricane Dorien pound South Palm Beach seawalls during high tide on Sept. 2. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Storm surge pushes a king tide onto A1A in Manalapan during high tide on Sept. 2. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Briny Breezes employees check a failed stormwater pump along Marina Way in Briny Breezes Sept. 2.  Work to raise the level of the marina seawall is helping to minimize the flooding effects of increased tide levels caused by Hurricane Dorian. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Crews from Asplundh Tree Experts were positioned in Gulf Stream and other coastal communities in advance of the storm to assist FPL in their recovery efforts. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

A sign of the times in the County Pocket. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

County Pocket resident Bill Benda fills sandbags with beach sand Sept. 2 before the arrival of Hurricane Dorian.  He planned on returning the sand after the storm. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Officer Festa of the Boynton Beach Police Department speaks to Briny Breezes resident Roger Klink after mandatory evacuation orders were announced Sept. 1 in advance of Hurricane Dorian. Festa was one of  several officers who were in the mobile home park letting residents know about the mandatory evacuations.  Boynton Beach provides police protection to the Town of Briny Breezes. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Employees of the City of Delray Parks and Recreation Department filled more sandbags to hand out Aug. 30 at Pompey Park. Rachel O'Hara/The Coastal Star

Jeffrey Barnes, an employee for the City of Delray Beach's Water Department, puts up hurricane shutters at Sandoway Discovery Center on Aug. 30. Barnes said that there were 22 city buildings that needed to have hurricane shutters installed. The prior day Barnes had worked with three neighbors to put up shutters on six homes in his neighborhood. Rachel O'Hara/The Coastal Star

In Boca Raton a homeowner on Lake Drive has a new and more powerful generator lifted onto his property prior to Dorian’s arrival. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Tim Quinn’s mother, Christine, laughs as Quinn and Sayra Vazquez Brann prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle at Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Boca Raton. The annual contest is Sept. 20 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Boca’s Ballroom Battle: Dancing ability a plus, but fundraising a must

By Margie Plunkett

When dance instructor Sayra Vazquez Brann asked her student to demonstrate his normal dance move, Tim Quinn connected her with his New York designer friends on a FaceTime call. “They imitated my movements,” Quinn recalls. Brann “was dying. I would literally stand in one place and kind of move my arm to hold my cocktail — and that was my dance move.”

Quinn, a celebrity makeup artist with Giorgio Armani Beauty, has since been practicing to compete in the 12th annual Boca’s Ballroom Battle, a competition modeled after Dancing with the Stars. His Fred Astaire Studio dance partner, Brann, has been teaching him the steps, posture and attitude essential to the dance they’ll perform at the Sept. 20 competition.

By July, Quinn had learned lunges and anticipated attempting a “somewhat terrifying” lift.

“This is a whole lot different” from his previous moves, he said. “I have a lot more respect for dance — I didn’t realize how much work it is.”

Quinn is one of eight local residents chosen for the dance competition at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, which benefits the George Snow Scholarship Fund. The Boca Raton-based organization grants four-year college scholarships to students in Palm Beach County, as well as Blanche Ely and Pompano Beach high schools in Pompano Beach.

The fund has granted $1.4 million in scholarships and support services this year and $12.1 million worth since 1982. Boca’s Ballroom Battle is the largest of the fundraisers that benefit the scholarship fund.

Dancers are chosen for their ability to attract contributions as well as their potential in dance. They take group and private lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Boca Raton,  and their dance partners are selected from the studio staff. At the end of the Battle, two winners are chosen — the man and woman who have brought in the most donations.

When Quinn was invited to compete, he thought of plenty of cons: his crazy travel schedule, time needed as his mother’s caregiver, and the nerve damage in his leg from a battle with cancer a decade earlier. He finally agreed to do it. But it was while attending the ESPYs in Los Angeles in July that he realized he could.

At the “Oscars of sports,” Quinn was inspired by men and women with major disabilities “who are megastar athletes. Here I’ve been for the last 10 years, because of the cancer treatment, thinking, ‘I can’t do that.’ Sometimes we limit ourselves in our own head,” he said. “These are people who haven’t let anything stop them.”

Ultimately, Quinn was really glad he agreed to compete. “I’m kind of sort of dreading it, but secretly I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance. So it’s kind of fun.” He was also moved by the “far-reaching impact” of the George Snow fund, the need for scholarship funds locally, and “how remarkable it is to change someone’s life.”

Instructor James Brann and contestant Minelle Tendler prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle. She said she ‘grew up dancing salsa my whole life. So I feel pretty confident.’

Another contestant, Dr. Minelle Tendler, who owns Tendler Orthodontics in Boca Raton, says dance comes naturally to her, but echoed Quinn on the effort involved. “I’m originally from Puerto Rico, so I love dancing, and singing and having fun. When they asked me would you be OK with the dance part, I’m like, ‘absolutely.’ But I’ve already done a few lessons, and let me tell you, it’s not so easy.”

Tendler says she has an advantage: She has good rhythm and “grew up dancing salsa my whole life. So I feel pretty confident.” But, she adds, “Ballroom dancing is very different from what I’ve done. It’s more coordinated and strategic.”

The biggest challenge in the competition — and lesson learned — for Tendler is the fundraising. “I’ve been a member of the Junior League for many years now. And I did a lot of charitable work back home in Puerto Rico, but this is totally different. It’s asking. Sometimes it’s hard to ask.

“That’s probably been the biggest lesson for me: You just have to overcome the initial fear and go for it,” Tendler said. “You ask and you shall receive. People donate. I keep getting surprised every day at all the people who want to support me and who already know of the George Snow Scholarship Fund. It’s been difficult, but eye-opening — and incredibly rewarding.”

Tendler says she has been a big supporter of the community, schools, her patients and all their teams. Now the table is turned. “I’m the community dancer, so all my employees, patients and parents are cheering me on. It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling to see that support in return.”

Contestant Eddie Ventrice and instructor Sayra Vazquez Brann prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle to raise money for the George Snow Scholarship Fund. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Contestant Eddie Ventrice, a Boca Raton resident and managing partner of BV Group-UBS Private Wealth Management, describes his dancing ability as “not great.” He’s nervous at the prospect of performing in front of hundreds of people, but “I enjoy learning the dances,” he said.

That’s his favorite part of the competition. Least favorite? Finding the time to train and raise money.

The cause behind the dance competition — the support for students through the George Snow Scholarship Fund — “is something that I can relate to personally,” Ventrice says in a letter to donors and friends. “Being the first generation to attend college and coming from a family who struggled financially, I barely got by. I spent my college years working 30 hours a week, received financial aid and the maximum amount available in student loans.

“I have my dance shoes and I’m taking lessons,” Ventrice says, urging supporters to “please come out and have a good laugh at my expense at the Boca Raton Resort on Sept. 20.”

Other dancers at this year’s fundraiser: Margaret L. Blume, philanthropist; Jason Hagensick, president and CEO of the YMCA of South Palm Beach County; Fran Nachlas, RN, of the Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery and Laser Center; Diana Riser, president and co-owner of the Pace Branding & Marketing advertising firm; and Jody Saffert, director of organization development and effectiveness at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.

You can support your favorite dancer with donations at www.ballroombattle.com. ;

Guests enjoyed a film screening of ‘Goldfinger’ al fresco style that featured special offers by plaza restaurants as well as a few surprises like beach blankets branded with The Royal logo and sips and snacks. Courtyard seating for the movie opened at 8 p.m., with showtime at 8:30 p.m. The event marked the second in the monthly series, the first of which was a showing of ‘The Secret Life of Pets’ presented in partnership with the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. ABOVE: (l-r) Linda Stambaugh, Ronnie Serlin, Donna Kellman and Rosemary Clemens. Photo provided

The Plate: Lemon meringue tart

The Place: Oceano Kitchen, 201 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana. Open for dinner Tuesday-Saturday. CASH ONLY. www.oceanokitchen.com.

The Price: $12

The Skinny: Of all the towns and cities and restaurants across the country, Jeremy and Cindy Bearman chose Lantana’s Oceano Kitchen as the place to create their culinary art.

The menu changes daily, so this Plate serves as something upon which you might feast at Oceano.

We’d dined on wood-fired pizza topped with mushroom, corn and three cheeses, the corn lending a sweet, earthy bite to the crispy crust of the pie, and rigatoni with a tender short rib ragu that had been cooked with red wine, tomato, garlic and parsley, before settling down to dessert.

Dishes here are designed for sharing, and this lemon meringue tart was no exception.

The tarts consisted of creamy lemon mousse served in a buttery pate brisee. They were served with more meringues, surrounded with a pistachio milk crumb given a dollop of sour cream sorbet, making for a beautiful, cool end to a hot August evening.

— Scott Simmons

Former Gulf Stream School student Tori Wheat (center foreground) sings during a performance at the Kravis Center.

By Janis Fontaine

Tori Wheat would love to see her name in a Broadway Playbill one day, so she’s taking all the steps she can to get there (practice, practice, practice), learning her craft, working her way up, pursuing her dream with the support of her “amazing family.”

Over the summer, Tori, 14, of Boynton Beach, participated in The Broadway Artists Intensive, a three-week musical theater training program for students who plan to pursue professional careers in the performing arts. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. six days a week, students met with an all-Broadway faculty at the Kravis Center, where they were immersed in acting, voice and dance. 

Exhausting? Yes, but that’s OK for Tori, because, she says, “I want to do it all.”

This was no summer camp. It was more than 100 hours of single-minded focus on acting, vocal and dance technique for the Broadway stage. The program was created by Jason Gillman, Jackie Bayne Gillman and Greg Graham, and its classes are taught by well-known performers like Annaleigh Ashford and Laura Bell Bundy.

Outside the classroom, Tori liked the more casual “talk-back” sessions with working professionals, where students learned how to cope with the auditions, rejection and pressure that are part of a performer’s life.

They didn’t sugar-coat the entertainment business, Tori said. “We heard from them what life is like and it’s not easy,” but they also told her, “Follow your dreams. You may go a long time without hearing anything positive, but if you believe in yourself, you will get there.”

Trevor Wayne is the center of attention during the same performance. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Trevor Wayne, 22, just attended his fifth intensive. He’s working steadily, earning roles at local theaters such as The Wick in Boca Raton and Fort Lauderdale’s Broward Center. Wayne says the pros tell the students they must always be learning and evolving and, he says, “I’m most interested in my weakness — dance.”

Wayne says pursuing a thespian career requires self-discipline, which means getting to acting classes, vocal lessons and master sessions in dance on time and on his own. He recently finished the core classes he needs for his bachelor’s degree, so he’ll be juggling college classes with his other commitments. “You’re supposed to always be challenging yourself. I’ve got the drive and I’m working on the technique,” he says.

Tori agrees there’s no substitute for hard work, but she is a go-getter and a former competitive gymnast. “I’ve always had a jam-packed schedule, so I have good time-management skills,” she says.

As a student, Tori likes all her subjects but especially English, math, history and even Latin, and somehow finds time to be on a competitive cheerleading team.   

“I really enjoy training,” she says, but she also credits her family with providing support. She’s thankful for her chauffeurs, mom Christina and dad Troy, for shuttling her to and fro, and for the support of her biggest fans, siblings Colin, 11, and Callie, 8.

Tori graduated from eighth grade at the Gulf Stream School in May and just attended freshman orientation at Saint Andrew’s School. Overnight her class size jumped from 25 to 200, and it’s a little overwhelming, she said. But with that change come new opportunities.

At The Broadway Artists Intensive, the pros gave her some good advice about taking on new things: “In most situations, everyone is in the same boat, so relax.”

But most important, they said: “Don’t pay attention to what’s happening with others. You have your own path.” 

For more information about the program, visit www.thebroadwayartistsintensive.com

Campers showcased their artwork from the summer, which included creating sunsets using black glue and water color on canvas, creating animals in their natural habitats using shaving cream and construction paper, and creating miniature papier-mache hot-air balloons. The purpose of the STEAM program is to prevent the typical learning loss that occurs in June and July and engage children in fun, educational activities. ABOVE: (l-r) Family Y of Boynton Beach Director of Youth Development Katie McLaughlin, YMCA of South Palm Beach County board trustee Rich Mascolo, Caridad Center CEO Laura Kallus, and YMCA of South Palm Beach County Financial Development Director Kimberley Trombley-Burmeister. Photo provided

Getting ready to celebrate: (l-r) Mary Csar, Dawn Zook, Hank Jawhari, Kathy Qualman, Violette Fairman and Michelle Essaye make a toast in front of one of the trolleys at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

Toasts, Tastes & Trolleys — where attendees visit various restaurants for dinner-by-the-bite — will take place from 6-11 p.m. Oct. 4, beginning and ending at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.

The moveable feast benefits education programs at the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum while highlighting local dining establishments.

“We started this event to show off our beautiful and historic city,” Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum Executive Director Mary Csar said. “Not only is Toasts, Tastes & Trolleys a fun way to experience some of Boca Raton’s history, it’s a wonderful opportunity to learn about the future of our city by visiting a variety of destinations, including several restaurants, the Boca Raton Resort & Club and other local businesses.”

Tickets cost $125. For more information, call 395-6766 or visit www.bocahistory.org.

Mounts benefit a success

More than 200 friends and supporters raised in excess of $145,000 for Mounts Botanical Garden of Palm Beach County during its biggest annual fundraiser — the Spring Benefit.

Proceeds will be used to enhance and expand the welcome center and gift shop.

The event featured an open bar, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction offering an array of rare and exotic plants.

Co-chairs were Polly Reed and Sandy Smith, and sponsors included Randell and Rebecca Doane, Peter and Linda Grauer and Raymond Tollman.

Poetry Festival receives $10,000 grant from NEA

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded an Art Works grant in the amount of $10,000 to the Palm Beach Poetry Festival in support of the 16th annual affair, set for Jan. 20-25, 2020, at Old School Square in Delray Beach.

The festival will feature top poets at public events that include discussions, interviews, readings, talks and workshops.

“Organizations such as the Palm Beach Poetry Festival are giving people in their community the opportunity to learn, create and be inspired,” said Mary Anne Carter, chairwoman of the NEA.

Added Susan Williamson, director of the festival: “We look forward to working with the arts endowment to finalize the grant paperwork and are appreciative of the agency’s support for this project.”

New board members at Take Stock in Children

Take Stock in Children Palm Beach, a nonprofit that helps low-income, underserved youths escape the cycle of poverty, has two new faces on its board: Keith Oswald and Jessica Shapiro.

Oswald is the deputy superintendent and chief of schools in Palm Beach County, and Shapiro practices real-estate law at Gunster.

“Keith has been a longtime supporter of our program and was instrumental in assisting us initiate the Glades climate-change program and create a collaborative agreement among the Johnson Scholarship Foundation and the School Board of Palm Beach County,” said Nancy Stellway, the charity’s executive director. “Jessica will be an incredible asset to our organization with her experience in representing financial institutions and corporate clients.”

Both will help Take Stock in Children Palm Beach expand the number of students served and improve college-completion rates.

Italian Society says ‘until next time’

Il Circolo, The Italian Cultural Society, celebrated the close of its 43rd season during an event called Alla Prossima, which means “until next time.”

Members capped another successful year of opera performances, regional and specialty dinners, the first outdoor Italian Festival and its anniversary gala — the primary fundraiser supporting the society’s programs and scholarships.

Alla Prossima offered tastings of traditional dishes from Sardinia, fresh cheeses, a trio of desserts and wine. Live music and dancing wrapped up the evening at Sardinia Ristorante in Delray Beach.

The mission of the organization is to promote study in — and preserve the culture of — Italy.

Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net

The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar has two full bars to go with wine-tasting areas and a kitchen that lets the business ‘stand alone as a restaurant,’ says John Bates, the general manager. Photo provided

By Jan Norris

It’s old home week at The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar in Delray Beach. Diners who frequent Atlantic Avenue hot spots will recognize the pedigree of staffers at the newly opened place, which took over Caffe Martier’s space in the Arcade.

John Bates, the general manager, is from the former 32 East, as is beverage director John Fitzpatrick. The chef, Blair Wilson, comes from the former Max’s Harvest in Pineapple Grove. Jared Jenkins worked for nearby 50 Ocean, and Ana Malatesta comes from MIA out west. They are food and beverage managers.

The differences in this second version of the Wine Room, which began in Winter Park, are the full bars and the restaurant.

The focus here is as much on foods as wines, Bates said. “That’s why we call it the Wine Room Kitchen and Bar.

“It needs to stand alone as a restaurant,” he said. “The culinary end of this is great. The chef is doing a great job. He’s put together a really good menu.”

Wilson is turning out dishes meant for sharing or grazing, such as hamachi crudo and several flatbreads. Bluefin tuna tartare, king crab terrine, duck confit, and New Bedford scallops are menu items at present.

Vegans won’t be left out or offered only salads and a plate of sautéed vegetables, he said.

“They’re full composed dishes — a chickpea schnitzel with a roasted vegetable demi sauce that’s been reduced and reduced to give it a lot of concentrated flavors,” he said.

For vegetarians, a wood-fire roasted cauliflower is served with a goat cheese fondue, and a pine nut, kale and golden raisin agrodolce.

The concept for the original Wine Room, meant for tastings, began in Winter Park with a 230-bottle system. Owner Bruce Simberg created several rooms of machines where tasters use prepaid cards to pour from bottles that are nitrogen fed to keep oxygen at bay.

The Delray restaurant has a similar setup, with wines representative of the world’s wine-growing regions and labeled extensively. Each is available by the bottle as well, Bates said, if a taster finds one he would like to take home.

The space hosts several venues. “It’s like two full restaurants,” he said. “There’s a cheese and charcuterie shop that stands alone in the middle of the space. There’s a full production kitchen that’s serving lunch, brunch and dinner. I’ve got a rare room that holds 2,400 wines that all came from a private cellar that’s carrying over half a million dollars of inventory.

“I’ve got a wine retail shop that’s got 400 bottles. A dining room, and a private dining room.”

Two full bars are stocked with high-end scotch and bourbon: a primary main bar with a living room social area and the original bar, left from years ago when the historic building was a speakeasy. It’s been preserved and rebuilt. The room around it reflects the Prohibition-era secret club-like atmosphere.

From a 10-keg system at the bar, the staff will serve local craft brews, among others.

To attract a younger audience that favors the other end of the avenue, Bates said the restaurant is creating weekday promotions.

“We’ll do Martini Monday with half off martinis and live jazz, we’re doing a Draft Tuesday, and Wangry Wednesday — wangry is the feeling or showing of anger or irritability due to the lack of wine.”

On Wednesdays, the wine machines are half price, and 230 wines are open in the machines to taste, he said. Drinkers choose the amount poured, so multiple tastings are possible. It’s the same for happy hour, 3 to 6 p.m. daily.

There are eight tables outside and nine inside, along with the living room social space. “It’s going to be interesting to see how people use the space,” Bates said.

The Wine Room is meant to be inclusive. “You don’t have to be a wine person to come and enjoy this. You don’t even have to drink alcohol,” Bates said.

“The focus was really on being a great place to eat and being a great place to have a lot of selections of great quality wines, and being able to have multiple experiences, whether it’s a grazing experience, or an experience that’s full-on fine dining.”

The Wine Room Kitchen & Bar, 411 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Phone 243-9463; www.thewineroomonline.com. Open for lunch and dinner with brunch on weekends. Hours are Sunday 10 a.m. to midnight; Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to midnight; Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Saturday, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Suzanne Perrotto was frazzled, talking by phone about the opening weeks of her new Rose’s Daughter Italian restaurant in Pineapple Grove.

A problem with the exhaust and hood system, as well as the gas lines, had her scrambling at the last minute before opening.

“I had made friends with the people who took care of the hood and exhaust. They have to be certified, of course, so not just any workers could work on it.

“They came right away. We had to move the 3,000-pound oven over to get to the lines.”

So before Perrotto opened the doors to the public, “all those planets had to align,” she said. The biggest challenge, however, was “100 percent new staff, and 100 percent new equipment.”

Some of the employees had kitchen experience, and even classical culinary training, though not with the special coal-fired oven. Others had no kitchen work under their belts.

“Thankfully, they have really good attitudes,” she said, and “they all get along so well.”

Hiccups with training on the special pizza oven brought in Roberto Caporuscio, a master of Neopolitan pizza, for more lessons with the tricky oven.

It’s a lengthy process of proofing the dough and baking it next to hot coals in the special oven.

“They had the door open too long and they had the coals too cold,” Perrotto said. It resulted in unevenly baked pizzas.

“I told them for every mistake they make, they’re getting better. It’s how you learn.”

She’s keeping the menu simple and not using much creativity just yet.

“I’m not that egotistical,” she said. “I’m trying not to stress out the staff. I just want to create joy, definitely take the ego out of the food.”

She has tweaked the menu only slightly, adding a couple of gluten-free pizzas. “I’m adding quinoa flour for protein but being really cautious,” Perrotto said.

The chef/owner wanted to do a gluten-free pasta but was unsatisfied with the options of flourless noodles. She perfected the fresh pasta she served and uses a high-end cooker to get perfectly al dente results.

“I went to Bedner’s Market and got all their baby yellow squash and zucchini, and we julienned them. It’s our gluten-free pasta option, and people love it,” Perrotto said.

The response from the neighbors and her customers from nearby Brulee has been “so humbling,” she said, especially once they see the exposed kitchen and new design of the former Max’s Harvest.

“Everyone is so excited to see the openness. It’s undisturbed all the way through (to the back patio). It’s really what I said I wanted: people talking and eating. Sitting with total strangers and sharing. It’s very communal.”

A grab-and-go breakfast is proving to be a hit, too. A spinach and ricotta croissant that’s made in house is one of the dishes she has kept simple. Special scones and pastries are served along with freshly squeezed orange juice and coffees.

She’s dazed from long hours and the stress of the opening, but says she’s thankful how well Rose’s is doing so far.
“I can’t tell you how humbled I am. As hard as it is to get up at 5 a.m. and stay till 2 a.m., to do all that, it’s really tiring. But I can’t wait to get in here.

“I’m not sure why I would deserve all this. I guess hard work does pay off.”

Rose’s Daughter, 169 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. Phone 271-9423; www.rosesdaughterdelray.com. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 7-11 a.m. for breakfast and 5-11 p.m. for dinner.

In brief …

Sorry to see the closing of the Fifth Avenue Grill.

The 30-year-old restaurant had new owners as of a year ago, serving Delray diners steaks and seafood in an old-school setting that became a favorite of many.

One of the biggest questions upon its closing was, “Where will the Christmas decorations go?” The huge holiday light display will be taken over by a couple of local restaurants.

As for the old-style crisp service and expertly prepared filets and daily roasted prime rib? Into the memory palates. …

Lisabet Summa had a new refrigeration system in Elisabetta’s — the lively month-old Italian spot in the former 32 East on Atlantic Avenue. “It wouldn’t work, they’d fix it, then something else would break,” the chef/partner said.

The pitch on the floor to allow for drainage eventually was found as the culprit. Once that was corrected, all seems well.

The pizzas are popular items, from the special beehive wood-fired oven imported from Italy that both she and partner Louie Bossi are trained on.

The dough was tricky, however. Summa trained on it with master baker Daniel Leader of New York’s Bread Alone fame and got more advice on how to avoid overproofing the sourdough.

“Our process is to let it sit an extra day,” she said, but the temperature of the proofer that stalls rising had to be adjusted. The correct temp was achieved and now Summa is back with properly proofed dough balls. …

The Boca Chamber’s Boca Restaurant Month runs through Sept. 30 as an initiative to encourage local people to eat, stay and play.

Participating restaurants offer three-course meals featuring signature dishes at reduced prices: lunch, $21-$25 and dinner, $36-$40. Restaurant menus are available at www.bocarestaurantmonth.com.

Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com.

By Janis Fontaine

As the Jewish High Holy Days approach, we offer four places to commemorate the somber day and five things you may not know about Rosh Hashana.

• The name Rosh Hashana isn’t in the Torah. The Torah calls it “a day of shofar blowing.” The name Rosh Hashana appeared in the second century. Rosh Hashana literally means “the head of the year,” but the notable day is also called The Day of Sounding, The Day of Remembrance, The Day of Judgement and The Day That Lasts Longer Than a Day.

• Jewish holidays are almost all one day, but Rosh Hashana is two days. Blame it on the moon. A person had to report that he had witnessed the moon rising before the holiday could start. It’s tough to know (or it used to be) when exactly that would happen. So people guessed with a little buffer on the front end and set the holiday over two days.

• The concept of atoning for sins is central to Rosh Hashana. Think back to the first time man had to atone for breaking one of God’s commandments. It is as old as we are. Scholars say the first Rosh Hashana happened in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve begged God’s forgiveness for eating the forbidden fruit.

Some scholars say the fruit in their story wasn’t an apple but a pomegranate. So much for Pom Wonderful and health nuts.

• Rosh Hashana isn’t celebrated so much as observed. Rosh Hashana is really a very personal time, a time of deep thought, contemplation and self-review of our lives. People also look forward and make plans to do better in the coming year.

• Ducks should love it. There’s a tradition of casting bits of old bread into bodies of water. The bread symbolizes bad deeds we want to absolve. We all have sins we’d like to see drowned in a pond, river, lake, puddle.

Rosh Hashana is a very cerebral event. It’s about quietly contemplating our place in the universe, creating our personal “mission statement,” and wiping the slate clean for the new year.

Where to go

Most of the Days of Awe during Rosh Hashana are spent in the synagogue, with fasting and prayer a focus at home as well. Here are four places you can attend services. Many require a ticket or reservation, so call first or go online. 

Congregation B’nai Israel

2200 Yamato Road, Boca Raton; 241-8118; www.cbiboca.org

• Erev Rosh Hashana — 7: 30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 29

• Rosh Hashana first day, Monday, Sept. 30 — services 8:30 a.m., noon; 3:15 p.m.; Tashlich service, 4 p.m.

• Rosh Hashana second day,  Tuesday, Oct. 1 —10 a.m., Shabbat Shuvah

• Friday, Oct. 4 — 6:15 p.m.

• Saturday, Oct. 5 — 9 a.m.

• Erev Yom Kippur/Kol Nidre, Tuesday, Oct. 8 — 7:30 p.m.

• Yom Kippur, Wednesday, Oct. 9 — morning service, 8:30 a.m.; noon; 2:45 p.m.; children’s service, 3:15 p.m.; afternoon Minchah service, 4:30 p.m., followed by Yizkor, Neilah and the sounding of the shofar.

Temple Beth El

333 SW Fourth Ave., Boca Raton; 391-8900; www.tbeboca.org.

• Rosh Hashana services — 8 p.m., Sept. 29.

• Congregational worship service at 10 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, led by Rabbi Greg Weisman, Rabbi Jessica Mates and cantorial soloist Michelle Cohen.

• Tot and youth program — 10 a.m. for children age 18 months to second grade while parents attend services. Registration required.

• Congregational worship service — 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 30, at FAU, led by Rabbi Dan Levin and cantor Lori Brock.

• Family participation service — 2 p.m., for families with children ages 8 to teenage, led by Rabbi Jessica Mates.

• Tashlich — 4 p.m.; meet in front of Temple Beth El to walk to a nearby stream as a community to cast off sins.

• Second day congregational worship service — 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1. • Yom Kippur/Kol Nidre — 8 p.m. Oct. 8, led by Rabbi Jessica Mates, Rabbi Greg Weisman & cantorial soloist Michelle Cohen

• Kol Nidre — 8 p.m. Oct. 8 at FAU. Led by Rabbi Dan Levin and Cantor Lori Brock.

• Congregational Morning Worship Service at 10 a.m. Oct. 9 at FAU. Led by Rabbi Jessica Mates, Rabbi Greg Weisman and cantor Lori Brock

• Congregational worship service —  10 a.m., Oct. 9, led by Rabbi Dan Levin and cantorial soloist Michelle Cohen. Tot and youth program at 10 a.m. for age 18 months to second grade.

• Young children’s service — 2 p.m. for families with kids age 8 and younger.

• Community Yizkor service —3:30 p.m., open to the community, led by Rabbi Jessica Mates and cantorial soloist Michelle Cohen.

• Family participation service — 2 p.m., Oct. 9. Recommended for families with children ages 8 to early teens as an alternative to the congregational morning service. Led by Rabbi Greg Weisman.

• Afternoon service, Yizkor and Ne’ilah — 3:45 p.m., Oct. 9, led by Rabbi Dan Levin, Rabbi Greg Weisman and cantor Lori Brock.

The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County

9901 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton; www.jewishboca.org ;

• Rosh Hashana services with Rabbi Josh and Simone Broide will take place at the Zinman Hall on the campus of the of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County. All seats are $25.

• The Alalu Family Rosh Hashana services — 7 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 29.

• Morning service — 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 30.

• Levine Family Yom Kippur services — Kol Nidre, 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 8.

• Yizkor — 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9.

Temple Beth Shalom of Boca

19140 Lyons Road, Boca Raton, 483-5557; www.templebethshalombocaraton.org

• Rosh Hashana Erev — Sunday, Sept. 29, 6 p.m.

• First day — Monday, Sept. 30, 9 a.m.; Tashlich, Mincha and Ma’ariv — 5 p.m.

• Second day — Tuesday, Oct. 1, 9 a.m.

• Yom Kippur, Oct. 8 — Mincha — 6:15 p.m.; Kol Nidre — 6:30 p.m.

• Yiskor — 9 a.m. and 10:30 a.m., Oct. 9; Mincha, Neila and Ma’ariv — 5 p.m.; shofar blowing — 7:10 p.m.

Temple Sinai Palm Beach County

2475 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 276-6161; https://templesinaipbc.org/

• Erev Rosh Hashana dinner — 5:30 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 29

• Erev Rosh Hashana — 8 p.m., Sunday, Sept. 29.

• First day services with Tashlich — 10 a.m., Monday, Sept. 30.

• Family and children service with Tashlich — 2 p.m.

• Second day service — 10 a.m., Tuesday, Oct. 1. Open seating.

• Yom Kippur/Kol Nidre service — 7:30 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 8

• Yom Kippur service with Yizkor — 10 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 9

• Family and children service — 1:30 p.m.

• Community Yizkor service — 4 p.m.

• Afternoon and Neilah service — 5:15 p.m.

Tickets are required for some services, available online or call 276-6161, Ext. 123.

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at janisfontaine@outlook.com.