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By Mary Hladky and Emily J. Minor

The state’s case against suspended Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie took a small step forward July 26 when the judge set an Oct. 26 hearing to again review pretrial progress.

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Glenn Kelley also set aside 30 minutes on Sept. 11 to consider a request from Haynie’s attorney, Bruce Zimet, to dismiss all seven charges against her.

7960796261?profile=originalHaynie, 62, was arrested April 24 on charges that she failed to disclose income she and her husband, Neil, received from James Batmasian, the city’s largest downtown commercial landowner whose city projects she favored in several City Council votes. She has not resigned as mayor, although Gov. Rick Scott suspended her April 27.

She faces four felony and three misdemeanor charges, including official misconduct, perjury in an official proceeding, misuse of public office, corrupt misuse of public office and failure to disclose voting conflict.

Earlier in July — responding to Zimet’s motion to dismiss all charges against Haynie because of what he argues are flaws in the charging document — Assistant State Attorney Brian Fernandes tweaked the wording in the state’s allegations, which he then said should have cleared up matters.

Fernandes, who declined to comment, said during the brief hearing that he hopes the court can set a trial date in October.

After the hearing, Zimet said he’s still not happy with the state’s charges. He said the felony perjury charge doesn’t say what “alleged statement [Haynie] is accused of making.”

Zimet said, “That’s why we’ve filed the motion” to dismiss.

At the core of the state’s case are allegations that Haynie, a longtime city servant who has lived in Boca Raton for decades, collected hundreds of thousands of dollars since 2014, including some from business agreements with Batmasian, which Haynie failed to disclose in forms required by the state.

During that time, prosecutors say she cast four favorable votes on Batmasian projects.

Haynie has pleaded not guilty to the charges and has waived her right to a speedy trial.

In the motion to dismiss the charges, Zimet contended the state made mistakes in the charges against Haynie.

The most consequential involves a state anti-corruption law that was amended by the Florida Legislature in 2016 to make it easier for prosecutors to prove corruption. The law initially said the state had to establish that a public official acted with “corrupt intent.” The amended law changed that to “knowingly and intentionally,” a lesser standard of proof.

But in two of the felony official misconduct charges against Haynie, prosecutors said she acted “knowingly and intentionally” even though her alleged crimes occurred before that language went into effect. Therefore, Haynie was charged with a “nonexistent crime,” the motion to dismiss states.

The third felony official misconduct count did not lay out how she violated the law, while the felony perjury count does not say what false statement Haynie is accused of making. The three misdemeanor charges do not say Haynie’s violations were “willful,” and so do not allege a criminal offense, the motion states.

In response, the state amended its charging document in July, conceding Zimet’s contention that it had used the wrong standard in the first two official misconduct charges. It said the new wording made moot Zimet’s effort to get those charges dismissed.

The state also changed the misdemeanor charges to state that Haynie acted “willfully.”

But the state also contended that there were no other deficiencies in the charges that prevented Zimet from preparing an adequate defense for Haynie.

Zimet responded with a second motion to dismiss, arguing that the state had not fixed all the flaws in its charging document.

The charges are so vague that it is not clear what the actual allegations are against Haynie and how she benefited from her allegedly illegal actions, the motion states.

“In most simplistic terms, it is impossible for a defendant to properly defend themselves if the State fails to properly identify the actual criminal activity the State alleges that a defendant has committed,” it states.

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By Steve Plunkett

The Lake Worth Drainage District has given homeowners along three canals in southwest Boca Raton a three-month reprieve from clearing canal banks while district and city officials search for a way to leave some vegetation alone.

“This postponement will allow the district and city the opportunity to work together and consider options for necessary canal rehabilitation on these canals prior to final action by the district’s board of supervisors on Oct. 17, 2018,” the board announced after its July 11 meeting.

The loudest outcry has come from residents along Southwest Seventh Street on the shore of Sabal Palm Lake, who have planted trees and shrubs, installed fences and built docks in what they thought were their backyards. But this year the drainage district told them the shore is actually the bank of its L-49 canal with a right of way or easements extending in some cases more than 50 feet from the water’s edge.

The district is in the midst of a years-long program to clear vegetation along the 500 miles of canals it maintains to prevent trees and bushes from toppling in a hurricane and blocking drainage.

Mayor Scott Singer asked the district to hold off work on the L-48, L-49 and L-50 canals so city and district officials can explore more global solutions. At an open house the district convened July 10 for homeowners, district officials said they would clear the banks using the smallest equipment possible.

“We’re trying to be as gentle as we can,” said Tony Las Casas, the district’s assistant director of facilities and maintenance.

City staff will evaluate options “that may include a higher level of maintenance provided by the city and/or negotiated agreements with homeowners to allow certain types of approved landscaping that do not interfere with LWDD access,” Boca Raton said on its website.

The district asked Boca Raton residents along the affected canals to “take proactive measures” for hurricane preparedness and sustainable tree maintenance “by pruning trees away from drainage canals and refraining from planting trees or vegetation on drainage or utility easements and public rights of way.”

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A special election for mayor of Boca Raton will be held Aug. 28. The qualifying candidates are Scott Singer, Al Zucaro and Bernard Korn, who will vie to complete Susan Haynie’s term, which ends in March 2020. Haynie was suspended from office in late April by Gov. Rick Scott and faces criminal charges of official misconduct and corrupt misuse of her office. Singer, at the time deputy mayor, took over as mayor when Haynie was suspended. Singer was compelled to resign his Council Seat A in mid-May to run for mayor. That seat is also up for grabs in this special election. The winners of both seats will be eligible to run again for two consecutive three-year terms. Boca Raton’s mayor is paid $38,000 a year.  — Steven J. Smith

Bernard Korn

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Personal:  63; bachelor’s degree in business and finance from Brooklyn College; Boca Raton resident since April; married, two children.

Professional: Owns Undiscovered Properties, a real estate and education franchise company, and Travel Lines Express, a home-based travel agent franchise.

Political experience: None.

Positions on issues: Stop corruption; advocates for accountability, transparency and honesty in political government; wants political finance reform established; concerned with overcrowding in schools, traffic congestion.

Quote: “We must stop corruption in Boca Raton City by forming an anti-corruption task force. Protect our schoolchildren by establishing an anti-violence and anti-bullying task force with local, state and federal law enforcement officials. In service of this, I will also contribute my covert services as a former New York City law enforcement officer. I’m the only non-lawyer running for mayor. I was the first candidate to be qualified and approved for the Boca Raton City Mayor’s official election ballot and was the first candidate to disclose my financial documents. My mission is to create employment, education and business opportunity in Boca Raton.”

Scott Singer (Incumbent)

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Personal: 40; Harvard University, A.B. cum laude, government; J.D., Georgetown Law; Boca Raton resident for seven years; married, two children.

Professional: Served as a business lawyer with law firms Willkie Farr & Gallagher and Davis & Gilbert before founding his own practice. Previously was a strategy consultant for Monitor Co., now part of Deloitte. 

Political experience: First elected to the City Council in 2014 and was reelected in 2017; also serves on the state Sober Homes Task Force and policy committees for the League of Cities at the state and county levels.

Positions on issues: Continue to partner with and listen to Boca residents to ensure they have a seat at the table on the important issues for our city; guard against overdevelopment; strengthen and increase support for our schools; keep taxes low; maintain world-class public safety; expand economic development efforts; enhance green space and the waterfront; improve ethics standards; cut red tape.

Quote: “I’m proud of my work in partnering with residents and bringing needed change to champion a new school for Boca, oppose overdevelopment, improve planning, increase high-paying jobs and enhance green space and services. I look forward to continuing to lead to improve the quality of life for our residents and ensure a brighter future for Boca Raton.”

Alfred “Al” Zucaro 

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Personal: 69; B.A. in economics from Fordham University, J.D. from Nova University; Boca Raton resident for 10 years; married, no children.

Professional: Publisher of a local blog, BocaWatch; served on Palm Beach County’s Planning and Zoning Board, the Tourist Development Council and the Film and Television Commission.

Political experience: West Palm Beach city commissioner (1995-2002), unsuccessful run for West Palm Beach mayor (2007), unsuccessful run for Boca Raton mayor (2017).

Positions on issues: Wants more open and transparent government and insists the city charter should be revisited to address deficiencies in that regard; advocates for greater economic opportunities for Boca Raton; concerned with overdevelopment, traffic congestion, a lack of parking in the city, balancing the budget and green space preservation — and the City Council’s reluctance to rectify these problems.

Quote: “If there were a position in this town under the internal auditor that had the ability to go back and review things that the city manager and city attorney did, we may have avoided the Haynie situation, because it would have been known before the fact. We have a lack of communication and a deficiency with how the city communicates its posture, its position and how it negotiates deals. I believe this city negotiates from a position of power rather than a position of reason and I believe the mayor’s position is to advocate for better communication between varying interests. I plan on being a mayor who reaches out and works with various community leaders to resolve issues, to come up with practical solutions and to find ways to bring closure to items that seem to never get closed.”

Mayoral contributions

Bernard Korn is not taking contributions and is self-financing his campaign. He lent his campaign $2,602.72.

Scott Singer’s war chest minus a $15 self-loan totaled $110,469. He started taking donations in October and has contributions from architect Douglas Mummaw ($500), law firm Dunay, Miskel and Backman ($1,000), land-use lawyer Bonnie Miskel ($1,000), developer Compson Associates ($1,000), law firm GrayRobinson’s PAC ($250), lawyer Mitchell Kirschner ($500), Welky Car Wash ($1,000), Andre Welky ($500), Planning and Zoning Board member Larry Snowden ($250), former county GOP Chairman Sid Dinerstein ($250), architect Derek Vander Ploeg ($500), Vander Ploeg’s firm ($500), Library Advisory Board member Betty Grinnan ($100), city activist Judith Kaye ($350), former Deputy Mayor Constance Smith ($25), Danburg Management Corp. ($1,000), philanthropist Christine Lynn ($500), 155 E. Boca Raton Road LLC ($1,000), Marine Advisory Board Chairman Gene Folden ($300), Rapaport’s Restaurant Group ($250), Geo Group ($1,000), former City Council member Al Travasos ($325), former state Sen. Ellyn Bogdanoff ($250), Downtown Advisory Board member Peg Anderson ($100), Kaufman Lynn Construction ($1,000), law firm Greenspoon Marder ($1,000), County Commissioners Steven Abrams ($200) and Hal Valeche ($250), city firefighters union PAC ($500), Stiles Corp. ($250), Chamber of Commerce PAC ($1,000), iPic Gold Class Entertainment LLC ($1,000), Planning and Zoning Board Vice Chairman Richard Coffin ($250), Kolter Payments LLC ($750) and Hyatt Place Boca Raton ($750).

Al Zucaro, who entered the race in late May, has $15,629 not counting a $1,000 contribution from his law firm and a self-loan of $3,500. His donations came from city activist John Gore ($250), Mummaw ($250), frequent BocaWatch contributors Katie Barr ($500) and Jack McWalter ($200), Beautification Advisory Board chairwoman Jo-Ann Landon ($25), Wildflower activist Nancy Hendrey ($1,000), former council candidate Kim Do ($500) and former council member Cormac Conahan ($200).

Source: Campaign finance reports through June 30

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A special election for Seat A on the Boca Raton City Council will take place Aug. 28. The qualifying candidates are Kathy Cottrell, Tamara McKee and Andy Thomson. Scott Singer was forced to resign the seat in mid-May to run for mayor. According to City Clerk Susan Saxton, because this is a special election to fill a vacant seat, the initial term for Seat A is through only March 2020. The winner can then run for two more consecutive terms. The salary for council members is $28,000.  — Steven J. Smith

Kathy Cottrell

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Personal: 60; B.S. in news editing and reporting from the University of Florida; master’s degree in public policy and administration, Cal State University at Long Beach; master’s degree in organizational psychology and a PhD in organizational psychology from the California School of Professional Psychology; Boca Raton resident for 30 years; married, no children.

Professional: Over the past 15 years, she has served as a senior organization development consultant with Fortune 500 companies Tenet Healthcare Corporation, Raytheon Company and Walt Disney World.

Political experience: None.

Positions on issues: Advocates for responsible growth, ensuring school safety and addressing school overcrowding, infrastructure, traffic congestion.

Quote: “I’ve been very involved in my community on various boards and panels and have actively participated in City Council meetings for the past several years. I have also been a lifelong volunteer in various capacities. There are hundreds of issues the council has to address. In addition to my interest in our city’s growth, infrastructure and traffic issues as well as the concerns I have for school safety and overcrowding, I want to say that these are things residents are speaking to me about when I’m having conversations with them. I think I am the most qualified for this position, based on my background and experience, having worked with large companies my entire life.

Tamara McKee

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Personal: 48; Bachelor’s degree in history, cum laude, Florida International University; Boca Raton resident for 20 years; divorced, four children.

Professional: Spent the last 35 years as an actor, producer and branding professional. Clients include Netflix, JetBlue and Procter & Gamble.

Political experience: None.

Positions on issues: Wants to bring improved transparency to city leadership; advocates for smart growth, multi-pronged traffic solutions and sustainability, especially as to how it relates to flooding in town.

Quote: “Boca Raton is a city with a world-class brain and a small-town heart. When I am a City Council member I will serve to protect our quality of life, be fiscally lean and restore trust in our city leadership. I am a proven leader on a city and state level, working on behalf of elders, consumers and residents. I’m the candidate who has served our city for the past 20 years in our schools and nonprofits. I have more experience than all the other candidates combined. I have a 100 percent attendance record in my eight years of public board service. I get things done.”

Andy Thomson

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Personal: 35; B.S. in electrical engineering from Georgia Tech, J.D. from University of Miami; Boca Raton resident for two years; married, three children.

Professional: Business litigation lawyer with Baritz and Colman.

Political experience: No political offices held, but has served as a board member for the Palm Beach County Transportation Planning Agency since 2016. Was also vice-chair for Boca Raton’s Education Task Force as well as a board member of the Boca Raton Community Advisory Panel.

Positions on issues: Wants to alleviate traffic congestion in Boca Raton and overcrowding in the schools; wants to make sure first responders have all the necessary resources and training; favors preservation of beaches and parks; endorses keeping taxes low.

Quote: “I am a big believer that elected officials are elected to represent all of their constituents — not just their neighbors and friends, but everyone. It’s my pledge to represent all 90,000 people in Boca. I believe strongly that we are one city with one voice. That’s how I plan to govern.”

Council contributions

Kathy Cottrell’s total minus a $25,000 self-loan was $14,708 as of June 30. Her contributors include Library Advisory Board member Betty Grinnan ($100), Wildflower activist Nancy Hendrey ($500), philanthropist and candidate Al Zucaro’s spouse, Yvonne Boice ($200), Parks and Recreation Advisory Board member Dennis Frisch ($100), Beautification Advisory Board chairwoman Jo-Ann Landon ($50), Riviera Civic Association President Kevin Meaney ($99) and frequent BocaWatch contributors Katie Barr ($200) and Jack McWalter ($250). Cottrell is endorsed by City Council member and former BocaWatch editor Andrea O’Rourke and she introduced Zucaro at his inaugural campaign fundraiser.

Tamara McKee’s war chest minus a $23,000 self-loan was $7,600. She has donations from McWalter ($50), architect Derek Vander Ploeg ($250), ex-husband and former Boca Raton High School Principal Geoff McKee ($510) and two-time council candidate and lawyer Frank Chapman ($1,000), whose complaints led to the criminal charges against then-Mayor Susan Haynie.

Andy Thomson has $31,593 in contributions not counting a $20,000 self-loan. Donors include Vander Ploeg ($500), law firm Dunay, Miskel and Backman ($1,000), former City Council member Al Travasos ($225), Marine Advisory Board Chairman Gene Folden ($300), city activist Judith Kaye ($250), lawyer and School Board member Frank Barbieri ($500), Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District Chairman Robert Rollins ($100), architect Douglas Mummaw ($250), Downtown Advisory Board member Peg Anderson ($100), Habitat for Humanity President Randy Nobles ($50), the Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce’s political action committee ($1,000) and former Mayor Susan Whelchel’s son, John Jr. ($500).

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Related stories: Three candidates compete to be mayor | Three vie for Council Seat A

By Steve Plunkett

Early campaign finance reports and recent elections show it takes deep pockets to run for the Boca Raton City Council.

Kathy Cottrell, a consultant running for Seat A, lent herself $25,000 to seed her campaign, finance reports show. Rivals Tamara McKee, an actress, lent her campaign $23,000 while Andy Thomson, a lawyer, chipped in $20,000 toward his race.

Seat A opened up May 22 when the City Council passed a resolution to hold a special election Aug. 28. Two weeks before, council members passed a resolution to hold an election the same day to replace Mayor Susan Haynie, who was suspended in April after she was charged with official misconduct and perjury.

In the campaign to replace Haynie, Scott Singer lent his campaign just $15. He opened his campaign account back in October, when Haynie was expected to resign as mayor to run for the County Commission and leave an opening in the March 2019 election.

Lawyer Al Zucaro, who publishes the BocaWatch online blog and lost to Haynie in March 2017, is running again and initially gave himself $3,500.

And real estate broker Bernard Korn, who filed an official declaration of domicile listing a Boca Raton address in April, gave his campaign $2,602.72.

The totals for all candidates could change substantially between now and Election Day. In 2017 Zucaro gave his campaign $15,000 to start out and then $47,750 in the closing days of the race. He repaid himself $82.91, finance records show.

Similarly, March 2018 candidate and eventual council winner Monica Mayotte gave her campaign $25,000 and repaid herself $1,019.26.

More campaign finance reports were due Aug. 3, Aug. 17 and Aug. 24, City Clerk Susan Saxton said.

Names of the candidates will appear on the ballot in an order chosen at random, not by alphabet. Zucaro will head the list, followed by Singer and Korn. For Seat A, Thomson will be on top, then Cottrell and McKee.

Candidate forums

Who: Candidates for mayor and City Council Seat A When: 7 p.m. Aug. 9 (all candidates), Municipal Building, 6500 Congress Ave., hosted by the Federation of Boca Raton Homeowner Associations

    6 p.m. Aug. 17 (council candidates), Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd., hosted by The Boca Raton Tribune

    6 p.m. Aug. 24 (mayoral candidates), Community Center, hosted by The Boca Raton Tribune

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By Steve Plunkett

The city’s downtown post office is staying put, postal officials announced July 5.

The U.S. Postal Service told Boca Raton in February that it had been unable to get a new long-term lease on the facility at 170 NE Second St.

James and Marta Batmasian bought the site, which has housed the post office for decades, in 2013.

“The Postal Service and the landlord have since been able to come to a long-term agreement to stay at the current location,” Tom Samra, the agency’s vice president of facilities, wrote Mayor Scott Singer.

Postal spokeswoman Enola Rice confirmed July 31 the new lease had been signed.

Terms of the agreement were not announced, but Samra said his agency has canceled its proposal to relocate the facility.

“This is the final decision of the Postal Service with respect to this matter,” Samra wrote.

Singer called it “a great outcome,” ending months of concern for city officials and downtown businesses and residents. “I’m glad the Postal Service listened,” he said.

Residents crowded a room in the Community Center Annex on March 29 to plead with postal officials not to relocate the downtown office, saying it was part of the city’s history. The lease was set to end July 13.

Damian Salazar, a USPS real estate specialist, said at that meeting the agency wanted a lease for at least 10 years with three five-year renewals.

James Batmasian, who attended the gathering, told Salazar that was the first he had heard about the Postal Service wanting a longer lease and offered on the spot to redo a four-year lease he and his wife negotiated in September.

In his letter, Samra noted that his agency receives no tax dollars to support its work.

“To be self-sustaining, the Postal Service must make decisions that ensure it provides adequate and affordable postal services in a manner that is as efficient and economical as possible,” he wrote. 

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By Steve Plunkett

City residents will see fractional decreases in property tax rates but will pay slightly higher tax bills if tentative rates win final approval.

City Manager Leif Ahnell advised City Council members to set the tentative property tax rate for both the operating budget and debt service at $3.6787 per $1,000 of taxable value, down from the current $3.6788 per $1,000.

“Taking direction from our goal-setting session in the spring, we are not recommending this year an increase in the tax rate for next year,” Ahnell said at the council’s July 24 meeting.

But the rate, if approved, will be advertised as a 4.83 percent increase in taxes — the operating millage is going from a rollback rate of $3.3093 to $3.4690. That increase is offset by a drop in debt service from 22.45 cents per $1,000 to 20.97 cents.

Homeowners will also pay $10 more for fire protection if Ahnell’s recommendation to raise the fire fee to $135 from $125 is approved. The first public hearing on the tax rate will be 6 p.m. Sept. 13 at City Hall.

Boca Raton’s tax base rose 6.32 percent this year, to $23.9 billion. Meanwhile, the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District is contemplating keeping its tax rate steady at 91.47 cents per $1,000 of taxable value. The district’s first public hearing on its budget will be 6 p.m. Sept. 6 at Sugar Sand Park.

In other City Council business, Ahnell said there was no room on the November ballot for a proposal to change residency requirements for council and mayoral candidates.

“We’ll bring it back to you in the fall for your consideration,” Ahnell said. 

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By Rich Pollack

For years, residents living on several of Highland Beach’s side streets have been complaining about noise, debris and traffic problems — all the result of new construction in their communities.

Efforts to resolve some of the issues are underway following the adoption by the Town Commission of a tough new construction ordinance and a “construction site management” handbook.

“Residents will now be able to go about their daily lives without having to worry about whether or not they’ll be able to exit their driveways,” said Commissioner Peggy Gossett-Seidman, a resident of the Bel Lido neighborhood, where most of the complaints originate. “They’ll be able to live in their homes and enjoy peace and quiet.”

The new ordinance, combined with the handbook, prohibits work on construction sites on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays and prohibits work on those sites after 5 p.m. Previously, work was permitted on Saturdays and until 6 p.m.

In addition, the ordinance — which applies to the entire town — prohibits workers at new construction sites from arriving earlier than 30 minutes before 8 a.m., when work is allowed to resume, and 30 minutes after 5 p.m., when work must end for the day.

Efforts to ensure residents on side streets — including Tranquility Drive — are not disturbed are also included in the new ordinance, which prohibits “noise that tends to annoy the community.”

Loud music — in fact, any music — is also prohibited.

“It shall be unlawful for the contractor or the contractor’s employees or agents to play music at any time at the construction site,” according to the ordinance.

One of the biggest complaints from Bel Lido residents was obstructed access to their homes due to parking of construction vehicles and workers’ own vehicles.

Bel Lido resident Mayde Weiner told commissioners that years ago parking was controlled on the street, but over time vehicles began crowding the streets, making it difficult for residents to get in and out of the community and even blocking garbage trucks from getting through.

“We went from strict controls to a complete free-for-all,” she said.

Under the new ordinance, all vehicles associated with construction must be parked on the site or at an alternate location. The ordinance also spells out that alternate sites must be approved by the building department and Police Department. To be fair, the commission agreed to provide a six-week grace period before implementing the ordinance on existing sites.

The construction management plan, which addresses many of the same issues as the ordinance, will apply only to projects permitted after its adoption. Also, it requires companies with projects valued at more than $10,000 to post a damage bond.

Violations of the ordinance or the rules spelled out in the handbook could result in fines, while violations of the handbook rules could also result in a stop-work order or a revocation of building permits.

Commissioners agreed that effective code enforcement would be needed to ensure companies follow the new rules.

“The major problem is that we don’t have a code enforcement officer,” Commissioner Rhoda Zelniker said.

The outside firm that provided building inspection and some code enforcement services, SAFEbuilt, has been under fire by commissioners and recently gave its 90-day termination notice. The town plans to create its own building department and is conducting searches for several positions, including a code enforcement officer.   

Gossett-Seidman said the town will continue to look at disruption caused by construction. 

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By Rich Pollack

Faced with a probable 8.6 percent increase in fees for fire service provided by a neighboring community, Highland Beach commissioners set a tentative maximum operating tax rate of $3.12 per $1,000 of assessed value, slightly higher than the current tax rate of $3.07.

Still, commissioners are optimistic they can hold the tax rate steady, using additional cuts to the $12.18 million operating budget and taking money from reserves.        

“The budget was put together with very conservative numbers,” said Commissioner Elyse Riesa. “As we go into budget workshop meetings, we will be studying it on a line-by-line basis and making necessary changes to make sure we get back to the current rate.”    

Commissioners are hoping to find some savings in what they pay Delray Beach Fire Rescue to staff their fire station and provide fire and emergency medical services.

Delray Beach recently sent Highland Beach information that the estimated cost for next year’s service would be about $4.2 million, up from $3.9 million. 

Other factors affecting the tax rate include plans to hire a full-time environmental consultant for an estimated $100,000, adding a part-time accounting clerk, and reclassifying a part-time maintenance worker to full time.

Should the commission choose to keep the tax rate the same  as this fiscal year, it would mark the first time in four years the operating tax rate has not dropped.

Helping to offset additional costs is a 3.63 percent increase in the town’s total taxable value, bringing it to near $2.49 billion. That translates into about a $664,000 increase in revenue if the tax rate remained the same.

In addition to the increase in the fire service fee, Highland Beach will be paying Delray Beach close to $70,000 to provide police dispatch service, putting both police and fire first responders on the same frequency. Previously, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office provided dispatch service for Highland Beach.

The estimated increase in fire service fees from Delray Beach came as a shock to some Highland Beach commissioners — even though they were initially mistakenly told the increase would be almost double that amount — and has led the town to take a look into starting its own fire department.

“We can’t go on like this every year,” Commissioner Rhoda Zelniker said.

Vice Mayor Alysen Africano Nila said she discovered that similarly sized Lighthouse Point in Broward County has its own fire department, and she suggested the town’s financial advisory board do some preliminary research into the feasibility of starting a department in Highland Beach.

“Obviously, it’s feasible for a small town to have its own fire department,” she said.

Financial advisory board members, meeting late last month, reviewed the numbers provided by Delray Beach and decided to bring the matter back to commissioners to determine if a task force to do a financial analysis would be preferred.

Under a current interlocal agreement signed two years ago, Delray Beach provides staffing for Highland Beach’s fire station as well as a fire truck and a rescue wagon. The vehicles will be purchased from Delray Beach in about eight years for $10.

In return, Highland Beach pays for the staffing and benefits of the fire department employees assigned to the station, which is owned and maintained by the town.

Meeting with Highland Beach commissioners late last month, Delray Beach Fire Chief Neal de Jesus pointed out that salaries for the staff at the Highland Beach station increased almost 8 percent while overtime increased nearly 55 percent.

The pay raise, Delray’s fire chief said, was the first increase for staff in the city’s collective bargaining unit in 12 years.

De Jesus also told Highland Beach commissioners that numbers provided to the town are only an estimate that will be “trued up” after the end of fiscal year.

“The estimate is the best we can do coming into this,” he said.

The chief repeatedly offered to meet with commissioners individually so he could answer any questions.

“I want this to be a relationship we’re all happy with,” he said. “I believe there is true value in the service we provide.”

Highland Beach has scheduled budget workshops on Aug. 6 at 11 a.m., Aug. 14 at 10 a.m. and Aug. 29 at 1:30 p.m. In addition, public hearings on the budget are set for Sept. 6 at 5:01 p.m. and Sept. 18 at 5:01 p.m.

The budget must be adopted by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1. 

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Delray's Downtowners

7960798659?profile=originalRyan Spaargaren, co-founder and chief financial officer of the Downtowner, cruises past the Silverball Museum as he demonstrates one of the six-seat electric vehicles the company uses to transport riders in Delray Beach. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Longtime surfer friends expand free shuttle service to other cities, states

By Emily J. Minor

Apparently, these millennials didn’t get the memo. Aren’t 30-somethings supposed to be living in basements somewhere — well, rooms in Florida, maybe — tallying college debt, asking for Mom’s meatloaf?

Not this group.

Instead, these surfer-dudes-turned-entrepreneurs, who six years ago started the Delray Downtowner, a free electric-car taxi service that shuttles riders around downtown and slightly beyond, are all about business models and out-of-state pitches and cash-flow charts. 

And, yes. They still surf.

“Everyone’s using us,” says CEO Stephen Murray, who helped launch Delray Downtowner after getting a degree in psychology from the University of Tampa.

“Kids are using us. Babysitters are using us. Parents are using us.”

The brains — and the muscle — behind the business, which has now expanded to Utah, Colorado and a few other Florida cities, are these high school friends who for years hung out surfing behind Bill McCauley’s Delray Beach oceanfront home. 

“They grew up here,” says McCauley, who ran a Boca Raton hedge fund company for 17 years. “They were all like my sons. They kept their surfboards at my house.”

So, when the guys went off to college and came back all educated, McCauley made them an offer. “I’m happy to help you and mentor you,” he told them, “if you come up with a good idea.”

Next thing McCauley knew, bam. Electric vehicles it was. McCauley’s son, Morgan, part of that initial surf club, opted for another career route.

7960798469?profile=originalThe company includes (l-r) Stephen Murray, co-founder and CEO; Chairman Bill McCauley, who gave financing and advice; and Mike Monaco, chief technology officer.

Let’s say it’s hot and your feet hurt and you’re headed from your cute house on Banker’s Row to Atlantic Avenue for dinner. Order a ride with the Downtowner. The free app is renowned for its simplicity. “We never tell anyone we don’t have a driver,” Murray said.

Murray is chief executive officer; his team includes Travis Gleason, chief operating officer, and Ryan Spaargaren, chief financial officer. They later met Mike Monaco, now the company’s chief technical officer and the guy who created the Downtowner app. Monaco wasn’t part of the childhood gang, but he’s a dude nonetheless.

Hiring Monaco “was a real turning point for the company,” Murray says. 

At the beginning, after meeting up with city officials and impressing the powers-that-be, Murray says they were all doing …  everything.

“It was pretty intense,” Murray says. “We were constantly driving the vehicles and answering the phones. It was crazy.”

These days, the Delray Downtowner team can hire drivers. The business model is surprisingly simple. Income comes from ads on the carts. There’s no fee for riding; drivers work for tips. McCauley says tips for a short ride average $10, but “that certainly varies.” All pickups are scheduled through the app.

Murray says they’re all making “a comfortable living.”

With several years of success behind it, the team started expanding. And the Downtowner has tailored each expansion to the area served. 

In Tampa, it is using full-size electric cars — Teslas and Chevy Volts. In Aspen, Colo., the company uses electric carts. “They call them buggies out there,” McCauley says. For the fleet in Deer Valley, Utah, the team has invested in more spacious vehicles.

And in Kimball Junction, Utah, the city is simply using Monaco’s app to run its own fleet of municipal vehicles.

“In each of those cities, we have a manager, a bunch of cars, and a bunch of drivers,” McCauley says. In Colorado, they might have to make room for snow skis. In Delray, there has to be room for beach coolers.

Stephanie Immelman, executive director of the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative, says the ride system boosts Delray’s already groovy image.

“We love them,” she says. “We’ve worked with them from the very beginning and they’re a massive help to us.” 

Immelman says she uses the Downtowner to show off her city. “So when we have 10 people from the U.K. who are tour operators and are here looking, they’ve never let us down,” she said. “We can rely on them on a moment’s notice.”

Murray, 31, says a lot of people warned him against starting a business with a batch of good friends. But he said it’s one of the company’s greatest attributes.

“There’s kind of a general feeling that you don’t do business with your friends, but I’ve found it to be quite the opposite,” Murray said. “If you’re good enough friends with someone, that brings it to a heightened level of honesty.

“We’re like brothers, and we’re having a lot of fun.” 

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Chairman Bill McCauley displays the Downtowner motto in the company’s Delray Beach office. The company, which includes Mike Monaco (left) and Stephen Murray, has offered rides in the city for six years. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

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(l-r) Pat Thomas, Nikki Stelzer and Junior League President Renata Sans de Negri are planning the Nov. 16 event. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

Pat Thomas has been named honorary chairwoman, with Nikki Stelzer as event chairwoman, of the Junior League of Boca Raton’s Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon set for Nov. 16 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.

Thomas has a long history with the league and was named Woman Volunteer of the Year in 1999. This year’s luncheon marks the event’s 31st anniversary.

“Our Woman Volunteer of the Year Luncheon spotlights not only the Junior League of Boca but the entire nonprofit community,” league President Renata Sans de Negri said. “It is remarkable to see the difference we are making as female volunteers in the community.”

Food Bank names board members, officers

7960801854?profile=originalThe newest members of the Palm Beach County Food Bank’s board are Shelly Himmelrich, Shandra Stringer and the Rev. Cecily Titcomb. Officers for the 2018-19 season are Chairwoman Marti LaTour, Vice Chairman 7960802071?profile=originaland Secretary Mark Busse and Treasurer Bill Kramer.

LaTour said she is pleased to lead the board and congratulated the newly elected members.

“We have an important mission to alleviate hunger in Palm Beach County,” she said. “Working with a dedicated board and staff, we will continue the high level of service provided by the agency, as well as to fulfill other areas of unmet needs related to hunger in Palm Beach County.”

Homebound seniors receive emergency kits

Volunteers from Florida Power & Light Co. joined forces with Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches and Eastpointe Country Club to provide hurricane emergency kits to 250 homebound seniors.

The kits contain three days’ worth of food and one gallon of water.

“These hurricane emergency kits are particularly important to our clients since homebound seniors often find themselves without adequate food supplies in the aftermath of a storm,” said Pamela Calzadilla, president and CEO of Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches. “Thanks to the support of our partners, we are able to ensure there is food in each of our clients’ homes in the event of an emergency.”

Fashion show benefits Achievement Centers

Local and national sponsors came together for the 10th-annual Proper Affair fashion show and raised more than $52,000 for the Delray Beach-based Achievement Centers for Children & Families.

The event featured a silent auction, complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres and special performances by the center’s dance troupe and drumline. Proceeds support programs that help hundreds of boys and girls ages 1 to 18 and their families.

Quantum Foundation invests in county’s health

The board of trustees of the Quantum Foundation has approved eight new grants totaling more than $800,000 to Palm Beach County nonprofits. The grants come on the heels of eight additional grants totaling $1.6 million awarded earlier in the year.

The foundation’s mission is to fund initiatives that improve the overall health of the community. In its two decades of grantmaking, it has distributed more than $125 million to hundreds of local organizations.

The recent recipients were: Center for Child Counseling; The Lord’s Place; Florida Atlantic University; Palm Beach State College; Achievement Centers for Children & Families; Gulfstream Goodwill Industries; Children’s Bereavement Center; YMCA of South Palm Beach County; The Spot (Vita Nova Village); South Florida Science Center and Aquarium; Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County; Community Health Center of West Palm Beach; Susan G. Komen South Florida; Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches; Holy Ground Shelter for Homeless; and 211.

Dollars 4 Tic Scholars’ program raises $5,400

Comedy, magic and mind reading by illusionist Gary Goodman comprised a trifecta of entertainment during Triple Threat!, the annual scholarship fundraiser for Dollars 4 Tic Scholars.

Dollars 4 Tic Scholars is a nonprofit dedicated to supporting college students and summer campers who have Tourette syndrome. The event took place at the South County Civic Center in Delray Beach and included an educational component called Tourette Syndrome Mythbusters, plus dinner, raffles, video messages from scholarship recipients and a silent auction. More than $5,400 was raised.

“I love being able to come up with fun events, such as our choice of Gary Goodman, to not only entertain but to raise awareness of Tourette syndrome in a fun way,” Dollars 4 Tic Scholars co-founder Kelsey Diamantis said.

FAU launches program

for student activism

Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters launched a program for high school students titled “The Barb Schmidt Fellowship: Cultivating Community Involvement, Activism and Social Change.”

Students will earn six college credits through weekend workshops during the 2018-19 school year. There also is a $1,000 stipend for students who successfully complete both semesters. The goal of the program is to provide future leaders with a platform to develop the skills and knowledge needed to initiate, execute and sustain a social movement.

“We have all been inspired by what youth leaders are doing to make our world a better place,” said Michael Horswell, dean of the College of Arts and Letters. “We want to support the work being done by facilitating students’ growth in community engagement and social-change efforts.”

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

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7960803477?profile=originalMore than 125 women teamed up to raise $208,000 for the Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County’s initiative. Many of the volunteers went above and beyond their personal fundraising goals of $1,000 to underwrite the cost of construction materials for the home being built for the partner family. Those who raised the most money were recognized with gifts at the Pink Hammer Awards Reception. Mary Sol Gonzalez, the top fundraiser with more than $20,000, received a pair of pink sapphire-and-diamond earrings. ABOVE: Terry Fedele is part of the crew painting the exterior. BELOW: (l-r) Bonnie Kaye, Kari Oeltjen and Alisa Cohen are part of the team.  Photos provided by Carlos Aristizabal

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7960802900?profile=originalThe Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, celebrating the fifth anniversary of its Blume Literacy Center for Education, Training and Outreach on the Brenda and C.P. Medore Campus in Boynton Beach, welcomed donors to the 12,000-square-foot building. The center has enabled the coalition to expand education, training and outreach programs for children and adults and bring leaders together to share resources, exchange ideas and support literacy initiatives. ‘We are grateful to the many supporters who helped make the dream of a permanent home for literacy in Palm Beach County become a reality,’ coalition CEO Kristin Calder said. ABOVE: (l-r) Bettina Young, Brenda Medore, Ann Hammer, Laurie Gildan, Gale Howden, Bernadette O’Grady, Margaret Blume, Maggie Dickenson and Calder. Photo provided

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7960803688?profile=originalNaomi Hied, 8, of Homestead, was granted her wish at the Boca Beach Club by Make-A-Wish Southern Florida to meet and swim with mermaids. Naomi has been in and out of hospitals because of a blood disorder. Friends and family joined in the festivities. ABOVE: Mermaids Caroline Simmel (left) and Kaelyn Tharp join Naomi in the pool. Photo provided

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7960799264?profile=originalA scene from the Boynton Beach Playhouse's production of Cliffhanger. The theater needs new headquarters after the Madsen Center closed to make way for Town Square. Photo provided

By April W. Klimley

It’s been two months since the Boynton Beach Playhouse moved from the Madsen Center, its home for six years. Despite seasons of sold-out performances and robust community applause, the playhouse has yet to find new digs.

The Madsen Center is one of the city-owned buildings being demolished to make way for Town Square, a 16-acre project that will include, among other things, a combined City Hall and library building, a parking garage, the historic high school and the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum. 

But will the move from Madsen mean curtains for the playhouse?

“If someone doesn’t step up, we won’t be around any longer,” said Peter Pagliaro, who  founded the theater company 26 years ago in West Palm Beach.

At first, it was called “Stage Left Theatre.” The name change came a few years ago when those in charge thought it had found a permanent home in Boynton Beach.

Today, Pagliaro is sorely disappointed. He says the theater company left West Palm Beach on the promise that Boynton Beach would give it a place in the new development “that was supposed to be like CityPlace” after tearing down its whole three-block center city. That hasn’t happened.

“Peter was surprised by the lack of support,” says Bob Geller, an actor who was in Murder at the Howard Johnson’s, the theater company’s last show in March. “Peter spoke to government [officials], but the interest level just didn’t seem to be there.”

Pagliaro echoes that sentiment.

“We went in front of the City Commission,” he said. “They had no idea what it meant to have a performing arts theater. We are a draw for the restaurants and other businesses.” 

But a lack of appreciation of the arts is not the only issue. The real causes of the theater’s homelessness may center on requirements — and the theater’s financial model.

The playhouse needs about 3,000 square feet to function, and it keeps its sets up for the entire run of a show, usually several weeks. This set requirement just couldn’t be accommodated by a number of potential venues.

The old high school, which is being renovated and will be part of the new Town Square, will be used for classes and entertainment, and perhaps eventually functions connected to the hotel that the city hopes will be built downtown.

“City buildings are multipurpose buildings,” said Colin Groff, assistant city manager in Boynton Beach. Groff was the main negotiator in the theater’s search for a new home. However, discussions with the Woman’s Club also crumbled because of the duration of weeks that the company needed to keep up its sets.

The second factor is finances. The playhouse was paying $1 a year for the Madsen Center and is now looking for another venue with only nominal rent. The virtue of this model was that it kept ticket prices low — about half that of other community theaters, where tickets start at $40, while Equity theaters such as The Wick in Boca Raton charge $75 per ticket or more.

“Our mission is keeping our shows affordable for all,” said Pagliaro. “Our tickets run from $18 to $25 a show, so everyone can attend our shows.” All actors volunteer their time.

In addition to its five-month “season,” the playhouse has traditionally produced a children’s theater performance in the summer, which adults could attend for free, while kids paid only $3.

But the city’s focus is elsewhere. “The city needs tax revenue,” said actor Geller, who is an accountant by day.  And the developers participating in Boynton Beach’s redevelopment focus on every penny and their immediate return on investment.

Profits have never been a goal of the playhouse financial model, nor has it attracted a large amount of government arts financing.

The playhouse did apply for grant money, according to Pagliaro, when it saw this situation developing. “But to get it you have a lot of cash on hand, and the playhouse didn’t have that,” he said. “Sad to think that way; we’ve operated for 26 years without that.”

The playhouse may also be suffering from lack of visibility among wealthy patrons, even though its patrons have come from around the county. “When you look at the demographics, a large portion of the audience has been retirees on a fixed income,” Groff said. “So Peter has been caught between a rock and a hard place.”

Finally, there is the Boynton Beach real estate boom. It has benefited the city but perhaps negatively impacted the playhouse, Groff says. Many older buildings that might have been available for a nominal fee have been demolished to make way for new residential or multiuse complexes such as Villages at East Ocean, Ocean One, 500 Ocean and Riverwalk Plaza.

“We would love to have a theater in Boynton Beach,” Groff said. “But to keep it affordable, they can’t afford market rates."

"So we will keep looking," Pagliaro said. "We just haven’t found anything yet."

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By Janis Fontaine

7960798680?profile=originalThe Rev. Wendy Tobias, associate priest at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach, will present an Introduction to Centering Prayer from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 18.

“We may think of prayer as thoughts or feelings expressed in words, but this is only one expression,” Tobias explains. “In centering prayer we rest in the presence of God beyond thoughts, words and emotions. In this prayer method, we cultivate a deeper relationship with God and a discipline to foster that relationship.”

Centering prayer is more meditative than active prayer. Its goal is to quiet the mind so God’s voice can be heard, according to Tobias. Rather than asking for what we want, the prayer asks what God wants for and from us. “Our only intention in centering prayer is to consent to God’s presence and action within us,” Tobias said.

The workshop will offer time for conversation and lunch. Bring your own bag lunch. Drinks and fruit will be provided. Cost: $10 suggested donation. St. Joe’s is at 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd. Call 732-3060 or visit stjoesunplugged.org.

Advent Lutheran offers opportunities for growth

Advent Lutheran Church is accepting reservations for a Women’s Sea Side Retreat Sept. 28-30 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton at the Deerfield Beach Resort and Spa. Registration is open through Aug. 26 after church services and online at www.adventboca.org.

Also registering at Advent Lutheran is Pastor Andy Hagen’s Irish Adventure 2019. Travel with the pastor and his wife, Susan, on a trip to Ireland from April 25 to May 4. The trip includes visits to Belfast, Dublin and the Dingle Peninsula. Kiss the Blarney stone, see the Book of Kells, sip Guinness, dine in a castle and play golf. For details, visit  adventboca.org.

St. Vincent programs registering now

St. Vincent Ferrer is offering two multiple-week programs beginning in August, as well as a one-night marriage seminar. For information about programs at St. Vincent, call 665-8566 or visit stvincentferrer.com 

A 14-week Grief Share support group begins Aug. 4 and meets from 10 a.m. to noon each Saturday in the conference room. The group will offer compassion and comfort to those grieving the death of a loved one. Call 921-5693 or visit stvincentferrer.com/griefshare

Faith on Fire programs help parishioners connect with their fate. The next program is Course 1, Introduction to the Bible, and it meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Aug. 20, 27, Sept. 10, 17, 24, and Oct. 1 in Kellaghan Hall. The registration fee is $10. Course textbooks are additional. Contact Deacon Bob Laquerre for more information and to register at 276-6892 or email associate@stvincentferrer.com

Family Life Ministries and An Empowered Life Inc. present the Empowered Marriage, a seminar set for 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Aug. 28 to help strengthen faith-based marriages. Jeanine Mannweiler, a Delray Beach-based licensed therapist, will teach. A $25 donation per couple is suggested. RSVP to 702-8271.

St. Paul’s music programs

Music at St. Paul’s returns in August and continues with programs throughout 2018. Concerts take place at 3 p.m. Sundays at the church, located at 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Many shows include  pre-concert discussions at 2:30 p.m. A $20 suggested donation is asked, but shows are free for those 18 and younger. The announced August and September programs are: 

Baroque and Beyond — Aug. 19. Violinist Mei Mei Luo and harpsichordist Paul Cienniwa, who is director of music ministries at St. Paul’s. There will be a pre-concert conversation with composer Karl Henning at 2:30 p.m.

Chopin and the Americans — Sept. 16. The Delray String Quartet performs with pianist Jure Rozman with a pre-concert lecture with Cienniwa.

For future programs and more information, visit music.stpaulsdelray.org.

St. Mark Parish Picnic

The annual St. Mark Parish Family Picnic takes place 1-4 p.m. Aug. 12, after the noon Mass. Tickets are $15. Children 5 and younger are admitted free. A cash bar, music and activities are planned. Tickets are on sale in the parish office and will be for sale after Mass Aug. 4 and 5. For more information, call 734-9330.

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

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By Jan Norris

George Patti is on the move — literally. Bouncing between M.E.A.T. in Boca Raton and the one in the Keys, he now has a third spot in Boca Raton he’s working on feverishly to pull together before September. 

“Rent,” he explained of the rush, “there’s a monthly rent.”

The new Union 27 — representing a union of cultures, and 27 for Florida’s spot on the statehood chart — is the work in progress in the former 13 American Table on Palmetto Park Road.

“A lot of people on the street are already asking about it,” he said. “It’s been a year coming. There are all these high-rises going up around us. There’s going to be an extra 20,000 people here. I don’t know where they’ll park, but you really don’t have to drive within a 2-mile radius here. You’ve got everything right here.”

Patti is executive chef and the “sweat equity” in the multi-partnered restaurant, which has been gutted and completely redesigned.

He describes the cuisine on the new menu as seasonal and artisanal: “We’ll try to do as much as possible from the area, but we know the limits of what’s available realistically.”

He has a menu worked up — subject to change, he says — that includes starters of shrimp with jalapeño cream and grits with manchego cheese, and a roasted gulf oyster with blue crab, olives, kale and mascarpone.

Entrees are a whole fried fish — yellowtail or hogfish, or pan-seared snapper with mango-datil pepper relish. A filet with Pumphouse Coffee rub is for steak lovers, and the menu has chicken, pork, vegan and vegetarian dishes as well.  Patti mentioned sprouts and cauliflower with a sprinkle of maple sugar, tossed in a lemon aioli with fried capers. 

He said he doesn’t want anything “out there” on the menu, nor a description that must be deciphered by a server.

“I did all that. Diners want approachable foods today,” he said. “Simple and seasonal.”

Working with him as general manager is Krystal Kinney. She comes from the Deerfield Beach restaurant Chanson at the boutique Royal Blues Hotel.

Patti hopes to open in late August or possibly early September. “September is a good time to open, shake things out and get ready for the season,” he said.

Union 27 will be at 451 E. Palmetto Park Road.

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A burger from The Locale in Boca Raton. Photo provided

A host of Boca restaurants are gearing up for September, marking the 2018 Boca Restaurant Month, now in its second year.

Final participants weren’t in as of press time, but several have signed on as repeat or newcomers to the program. Diners who go to the listed restaurants get a choice of a special prix fixe menu offering three-course meals from $36 to $40. (Tax and tip not included.) Lunches, if offered, are three courses for $21-$25.

It’s a chance for diners to try new restaurants, and for new restaurants to introduce themselves to the community. One of the recently opened is The Locale, which took over the Little Chalet spot on South Federal. The casual spot encourages diners to stretch their culinary chops with Latin-inspired foods familiar to most Americans.

A Brazilian-born restaurateur offers empanadas, croquetas, patatas bravas, coconut ceviche or octopus plantains — fried green plantains with sliced octopus and avocado salsa — as but a few of many starters. 

Pizzas, salads, sandwiches and tacos also are on the menus. Picanha steak — the rump cut specialty of Brazilian steakhouses — is served with farofa, a toasted cassava flour mixture, and chimichurri sauce. A bucatini is made with untraditional yellow chili sauce, with a choice of protein, onions and tomatoes.

Ouzo Bay, a sophisticated Greek kouzina, is among several choices for Mediterranean food lovers. Go here for octopus carpaccio, a mezze sampler, keftedes sto fourno (lamb meatballs), or shrimp saganaki.

Another choice is Sardinia, making waves with critics. Not technically in Boca Raton, it has a become a local favorite for its sizable menu of Mediterranean dishes with Old World flair.

What to look for? Foods you don’t see elsewhere: animelle (veal sweetbreads with pancetta, sage and Brussels sprouts) and veal tonnato (tuna, anchovies, mayo and capers).

It’s a sharing kind of place: A mozzarella bar has choices of six cheeses and seven sides; a salumeria has a list from which to choose three for a plate to share. There are four paellas, 11 pastas, pizza selections and a long list of meats and fish. 

Expect lines at Ramen Lab, a hip restaurant that’s cousin to one in Delray Beach. It’s from the family of owners who run Lemongrass Asian Bistro, a familiar chain around South Florida.

Homemade ramen noodles and dumplings are prepared by the moms and grandmothers of the staff. Slurpy bowls of noodles, with a variety of protein and broths, are mix-and-match; try the Chasu pork belly or Korean short ribs atop the Shoyu ramen. There’s a menu of extra toppings.  Try the Bao Bros buns off the tapas menu — again with choice of stuffings. Don’t miss the pan-seared gyoza (lobster and shrimp or traditional pork favorites).

Other restaurants participating include Apeiro, Boca Landing, Brio Tuscan Grille, Café 5150 in the Marriott, Henry’s, Louie Bossi’s, Kee Grill, Matteo’s Trattoria, Max’s Grille, Prezzo, Rocco’s Tacos, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, Saiko-I, Seasons 52, Tanzy at iPic Theater, Tap 42, Temper Grille, The Melting Pot and True Food Kitchen. For a complete list of restaurants and menus, go to www.bocarestaurantmonth.com.

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Uncle Tai's has closed after more than 30 years in Boca Raton. Photo provided

Uncle Tai’s Hunan Yuan, a mainstay in Boca Raton for 32 years, closed last month.

Two of its biggest fans were on hand for the last meal served July 21.

“How can you quote me crying?” said Steven Abrams, Palm Beach County commissioner and longtime fan of owner Howard Tai’s cuisine.

“The mayor [Scott Singer] and I interrupted the diners for a toast to Howard and to commemorate the final meal. We both thanked Howard Tai, not just for a lot of great food but a lot of great memories,” Abrams said.

7960803096?profile=originalThe restaurant serving Hunan Chinese food meant a lot to the community — many of whom have ties to New York. Uncle Tai’s came on the scene in the late 1980s offering the experience of a New York Chinatown restaurant just as Boca was gaining a reputation for better restaurants. Uncle Tai’s opened near Max’s Grille.

“My favorites? Crispy beef, but I could say something about everything on the menu. I was more of the shrimp and black bean sauce — or wait, the duck … oh, it’s all good food,” Abrams said.

A potential rent increase that was substantially higher than the current one was allegedly proposed by the landlord. Tai was ready to retire anyway, Abrams said, so the restaurant was closed.

“I’m a Philly guy, and we survived the closing of Horn & Hardart, and I guess other cities survive iconic restaurants closing. Life goes on, but the pressure is on to find a new Chinese restaurant.”

It was the only one Abrams visited, he said. “It was really a place where a lot of families had special occasion dinners and brought out-of-town guests. It was a big part of the community.”

                            

Another longtime favorite, Henry’s, on Jog Road at Morikami Park Road, has changed hands. Burt Rapoport has enough on his plate, he said, and after a 17-year run, it’s time to let it go.

“I felt I couldn’t do that much more to build sales. I got it to a point where it kind of reached a plateau,” he said.

Rapoport is well known in the area for collaborations with Dennis Max, as well as his own restaurants, including Deck 84 in Delray Beach, Burt and Max’s in Delray Marketplace and Max’s Grille.

It’s his latest project that brought him to sell Henry’s. “I was about to start getting involved in Max’s Grille. I recently took it over. Someone made me a nice offer on Henry’s. I accepted.”

The duo behind the Kee Grill now will run Henry’s — and they’re keeping it pretty much intact, Rapoport said.      “The guys who bought it are keeping the entire staff, keeping the menu like it is. I don’t think there are going to be any major changes,” he said. “They’re keeping the name — everything will be seamless just as when they bought the Kee Grill.”

He’s bittersweet about it. “I kind of thought I’d have Henry’s forever, but you can’t be married to a business.”

At Max’s Grille, he will implement his style of management and change the menu to lighter dishes and more healthful ones, taking off some that are not selling.

“The menu’s been the same for so long, it’s time for a change,” Rapoport said.

He’ll also implement an all-day menu instead of separate lunch and dinner lists. “We’ll have lunch specials, 12 items for $12, that include a beverage.”

Look for more vegan dishes, an updated brunch menu and more sharing items. 

“With our outdoor bar, we get a lot of groups who come in, sharing items to have a good time,” Rapoport said.

Other restaurants in the works for the guy who never stops? Rapoport laughs. 

“I’d never say no, but I just want to focus on what we’re doing and improve it. I can’t believe Max’s Grille has been there 27 years.”

It’s a keeper, he thinks.

                            

In brief: You can still get in on Delray Restaurant Week, which runs through Aug. 7. A number of restaurants in the downtown area are participating in the dine-out plan. Go to www.downtowndelraybeach.com/restaurantweek. …

Max’s Harvest in Pineapple Grove closed last month. Dennis Max and Burt Rapoport opened the farm-fresh cuisine restaurant with partner Fred Stampone eight years ago. An explosion of restaurants and bars along Atlantic Avenue has changed the dynamics of the food scene there, but Max said the restaurant had run its course. “The restaurant market has gotten older, and they’re not being replaced by younger ones. I’m not sure what they want,” he said. The property may or may not become another restaurant, he said. ...

MIA, the west Delray restaurant founded by chef Blake Malatesta and his wife Anna, has changed hands. The chef said it was a hard decision but is looking at other possibilities and plans to stay in the area.

Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com. Thom Smith is on vacation and can be reached at thomsmith@ymail.com.

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7960797698?profile=originalBoynton Beach showed off its latest effort to help people with disabilities with its EZ Kayak Launch at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park on the Intracoastal Waterway. The EZ Kayak Launch, which provides a lift in and out of the water, cost $58,870 to purchase and install. Boynton Beach received $28,500 through a Florida Department of Environmental Protection Recreational Trails grant. The balance was paid through the city’s Park Impact Fund. ABOVE: Wayne Carrels, Parks and Recreation crew leader, demonstrates how to use the launch.  Photo provided

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7960797091?profile=originalChildren in Samaritans365 help local charities and encourage kindness. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

The adage “Children learn what they live” is at the core of the Boca Raton-based nonprofit Samaritans365, a group that introduces kids to community service.

“I wanted my children to live in a community where people are nice to each other,” founder Laura Reiss said. Instead of simply wishing and hoping, she decided to help build it.

In 2008, the mother of three young daughters, then 4, 5 and 7, was asked to join the PTA at Sunrise Park Elementary, the school her children attended. She agreed, with the condition she could start a free, after-school club that would bring in representatives from local philanthropic groups to teach the kids about helping others and supporting the No. 1 tenet: Kindness matters.

The ultimate goal? A new generation of kind-minded humans whose actions would inspire others to do what they were doing: To be Samaritans 365 days a year.

There were 35 kids in that first club.

“The children were thirsty for it,” Reiss said. But the transformation reached beyond those kids, to their parents, the teachers and staff — and the other children.

To Reiss, the kindness contagion proved “the conversation was working.”

The program works like this: Ambassadors are trained to lead and help clubs. They arrange for speakers to come in and talk to kids about programs on which they’re working. The kids who are inspired volunteer to help, which is great because nonprofits can always use extra, enthusiastic hands and hearts.

For some kids, it might be an animal charity that needs help cleaning kennels. For others, it might be feeding homeless people.

“We can provide a plethora of opportunities,” Reiss said.

In the 10 years since Reiss started Samaritans365, she built it from one group in one school in western Boca Raton to more than 90 kindness clubs in eight states, with more than 350 trained ambassadors, and thousands of Samaritan members. The groups are mostly independent, but they do get training and some support from Samaritans365.

By 2014, the program had grown so much that Reiss created the Samaritans365 Foundation, committed to starting a kindness conversation in every school and community in the world.

As the organization has grown, so have the financial demands, Reiss said. And of all the challenges, money is the one that always makes managing an organization difficult.

“As we grew, I thought love and kindness and plenty of volunteers would sustain us,” Reiss said.

The problem, she says, is that people prefer to financially support the fun and pretty stuff: the parties and the highly visible activities. But paying for background checks, website upgrades and insurance isn’t glamorous enough to attract charitable dollars.

When the organization was smaller, it was easier to handle. Today it has a fundraising team and writes for grants. That is paying off: Samaritans365 recently received $142,000 from the state. Reiss plans to use the money to build kits to support the success of the clubs.

During the summer, Samaritans365 does kindness programming at summer camps. Children have helped make sandwiches at Boca Helping Hands and helped organize the warehouse at Forgotten Soldiers Outreach.

Piper Fults, a mother of three daughters, ages 5, 9 and 12, has been a Kindness Ambassador at Del Prado Elementary, her middle daughter’s school, for two years. She got involved at the request of her daughter and leads the group with some of the teachers. There are so many kids wanting to get involved, they’ve had to split the group in two, doing third grade for half the year, and fourth and fifth grades the other half.

Fults says her involvement with Samaritans365 has changed her as a person. “It feels so good,” she said. “My eyes weren’t open to it, but my kids’ eyes are.”

Fults says her parents were charitable, giving money to organizations they supported, “but not doing.” The girls carry kindness kits in the car, with a toothbrush and paste, soap, and the like. When they see a homeless person, the girls ask Fults to stop the car so they can give him or her a kit.

“I love it that they do it,” Fults said. “They’re so kind.”

But it’s not all about kids giving back. It’s also about the kids who need help. The adult volunteers interact with underprivileged children once a month with the purpose of bringing happiness and fun while instilling the values of kindness, compassion, and gratitude.

They do everything from reading stories to hosting a carnival with jugglers and clowns, games and treats. One month, the kids decorated “goodie boxes” for soldiers.

Kindness matters is the message, the mantra and the name of the global movement that Reiss wants to use to light the world.

For more information, visit www.samaritans365.org. ;

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7960802481?profile=originalWendy Lo (r), curator of education for the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens, walks with Pat Liehr, associate dean for nursing research and scholarship at FAU. They say the Stroll for Well-Being has medical benefits in easing trauma. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O'Connor

If you were lucky enough, the best way to stroll the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens would be with Wendy Lo. She is such a good advocate for the gardens’ Stroll for Well-Being program that she was awarded one of the Heroes in Medicine awards by the Palm Beach County Medical Society Services earlier this summer. 

She’s the first to point out that she is not a doctor but the Morikami’s curator of education.

It was the medical professionals at Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing who designed a 2006-2007 study that showed that walking in a garden — in this case, the Morikami’s gardens — helped relieve mild to moderate depression in older adults who had experienced bereavement or trauma.

Then, when Lo joined the Morikami nine years ago, she started spreading the word about the stroll, not only in Palm Beach County and South Florida but among her colleagues at museums and gardens all over the country, several of which have started similar programs.

Participants in the Stroll for Well-Being are asked to stroll in the 16-acre Japanese gardens at least twice a week and participate in three support groups during a six-week term. They receive a free one-year Morikami membership and an illustrated guide to using the garden. They can also use pages in the guide to record their thoughts about the stroll. 

“The stroll has touched and transformed many lives over the years,” said Lo, who says she still can get teary-eyed when she sees how people respond, especially combat veterans.

In addition to her role as project director of the Stroll for Well-Being Program, she oversees the docent program and manages classes, lectures, workshops, programs and adult outreach.

On a recent afternoon, she folded a large kimono after a long day of children’s programs and admitted that she could use a quiet stroll herself.

Asked by a family to take their photo, she made sure that the museum building was properly framed in the background and told the family, “Say sushi!”

Then she moved into her role as interpreter of the gardens’ charms, pointing out that they were designed with local plants wherever possible, carefully manicured in classic Japanese style.

Although it is not immediately obvious to the casual eye, she said, every turn, every branch, every rock, every gate or bridge in the garden was placed to allow people to feel a part of the larger world around them.  

At key points, there is even a calculated addition of nothingness.

“You can see how the trees have been trimmed to emphasize ma, or empty space,” said Lo, stopping at a sculpted royal poinciana. 

One of the stroll’s most enthusiastic proponents is Pat Liehr, associate dean for nursing research and scholarship, who worked on the 2006-2007 FAU study.

She emphasizes that whatever healing properties a stroll through the Morikami or any other beauty spot may have, they are supplementary. Everyone who joins the six-week stroll was channeled there though counseling programs.

“We tend to get a lot of Vietnam veterans who are still struggling,” said Liehr. “The walk isn’t the only thing they’re doing, but on the stroll we let nature take its course, literally.”

Like Lo, Liehr has spent time in Japan. She describes what is called “forest bathing,” using a natural environment to cleanse the spirit and help heal trauma. 

One of her doctoral students is using a small farm in Battery Park in New York City to study nature immersion in an urban setting.

FAU’s Nursing College is known for integrative approaches to health and medicine, so the collaboration with Morikami came naturally. However, although the idea of using a public garden or a museum to improve physical and mental health may seem obvious, it has only recently caught on, in part because of Lo’s efforts, said Liehr.

“There is a real interest in broadening the meaningfulness of museums,” said Liehr. “It makes them more relevant when they can contribute to community life. Morikami has stepped up in that way. It’s a really special place.”

For anyone who wants to experience the Morikami in a more therapeutic way, Liehr offers an easy way to make the transition: “Identify a bench that is in a spot that can soothe you. Give that bench five or 10 minutes of your time. Bring your awareness to whatever sights and sounds are around you. Just stop and be there.”

For more information about the Stroll for Well-Being program, call 495-0233 or visit www.morikami.org/for-adults/special-programs/stroll-for-well-being/. Sign-up details for the fall (October-December) and winter (January-March 2019) sessions were posted there in July.

Lona O’Connor has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to Lona13@bellsouth.net.

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