ABOVE: Steve Teisch, center, and his technician, Chris Griffin, make a house call in Boynton Beach to perform an annual checkup on Shada Overton’s 13-year-old dalmatian, Hannah. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star.  BELOW: Teisch’s client Elizabeth Ackerly of Ocean Ridge and her cat, Lily, who prefers not to travel in a car. Photo provided

By Arden Moore

Is there a veterinarian in the house? That question is asked by more and more pet owners for a variety of reasons.

And it is why Dr. Steve Teisch left a steady gig as a veterinarian in a clinic to make house calls full-time to dogs, cats, birds, lizards, pot-bellied pigs and, yes, even a couple of camels in Palm Beach County.

“I started part-time making house calls about 10 years ago for additional income,” says Teisch, who operates All About Town Pet House Calls. “Now, it is beyond full-time and I need to hire another veterinarian.”

Each morning, Teisch and Chris Griffin, his head veterinary technician, hop in Teisch’s blue Mini Cooper and go to houses, apartments, condos and even assisted living areas to treat pets on their home turf.

He represents a new breed of veterinarians in Palm Beach County and across the nation who recognize the need to provide care for far too many pets that never put a paw inside a veterinary clinic.

Especially frightened felines.

“We see a number of cats whose owners can’t get their cats into carriers or the car to take them to a veterinary clinic,” Teisch says. “And we make house call visits for some dogs who get carsick every time they get into a car. We see all age groups from all socioeconomic levels. The more people hear about house call veterinary care, the more people want it.”

Elizabeth Ackerly of Ocean Ridge first met Teisch years ago at a dance class. In between dance steps, she discovered he was a house call veterinarian.

“My cat, Lily, hates to go in the car, so having Dr. Steve come to my home is just the best,” says Ackerly, a retired commercial airline pilot. “He was just here a few days ago to treat Lily for an allergy. He comes in wheeling a big toolbox full of instruments and medications and then places a towel on the dining room table and does his examination on Lily.”

Ackerly guesses Lily is about 15 or 16 years old. Lily may not rush up to greet Teisch when he arrives, but she maintains her composure during examinations and treatments.

“Most animals do not like going to the vet, and many people do not want to have their pets go through the trauma of the car ride, the lobby and the exam room,” says Ackerly. “Dr. Steve has a very good tableside manner with Lily. He is very sweet to her, scratches her ears and makes her feel loved during the house call visit.”

One of Teisch’s clients is Pippi, the resident cat that roams inside The Coastal Star office.

“I just was there at the newspaper office to give Pippi her annual visit and she is all healthy,” Teisch says. “She is a good kitty and a real news queen.”

Teisch maximizes space in his car to bring his veterinary supplies, including a portable X-ray machine. Tapping into the client’s home Wi-Fi, he can retrieve the pet’s cloud-stored medical records quickly on his laptop. He is in the process of obtaining an ultrasound machine and plans to perform therapeutic laser treatments in homes. On rare occasions, he will perform spays and neuters and other surgical procedures in an office he rents in Lantana.

What you won’t see him do is swap his Mini Cooper for a mobile veterinary van.

“The veterinary clinic on wheels concept is not what we do,” he says. “We make house calls. We are not interested in driving up in a van, parking it in a person’s driveway and bringing the pet into the van for examinations or treatments. We feel it is much more comfortable for the pet as well as the owner to treat inside the comfortable, familiar setting inside the home.”

In-home dentistry is growing in popularity among his clients. Depending on the size of the pet, Teisch sedates the pet and performs the dental procedure on kitchen islands, dining room tables or the floor. Once teeth are cleaned and, if necessary, a tooth or two is extracted, he wakes up the pet slowly and safely with a reversible sedation medication.

He recently cleaned the teeth of a 10-year-old mixed breed dog named Pixie who had receding gums and a deep dental pocket that needed to be treated. Within 20 minutes of waking up after the procedure, Pixie was relaxed and ready for a nap.

Another major reason people seek house call veterinary care is for euthanasia. Also, owners with multiple pets don’t relish the idea of booking multiple trips to the veterinary clinic.

“The multiple pet household — that’s where a house call practice really shines,” says Teisch. “Instead of making multiple trips to the vet office, I come to you and take care of all the pets in one appointment.”

The majority of pets he treats are cats and dogs, but he provides medical care for a number of pot-bellied pigs as well as rabbits, lizards, birds and snakes. A recent house call request came from a person who owns a pair of camels.

“Fortu­nately, I have some knowledge of camels, as one of my professors at Colorado State had llamas and I got to work with him,” says Teisch, whose service covers Palm Beach County and northern Broward. “Camels are similar to llamas. The two camels I am caring for here are good-natured.”

To learn more about Teisch, visit www.allabouttownpethousecalls.com.

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor.  She hosts the Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting  www.ardenmoore.com.

Wendy 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.

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 pre-trial 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.

   Haynie, 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 Boca Raton 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. She faces more than 20 years in prison.

   Earlier this month — responding 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 they 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 state’s felony perjury charge doesn’t say what “alleged statement [his client] 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 from business deals 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 state 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 “non-existent 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 and 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 benefitted 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.

By Rich Pollack

When Highland Beach residents tuned into their local public access channel or logged on to the town’s website late last month expecting to see live video streaming of the Town Commission workshop, they discovered they were no longer able to watch the meeting in progress.

A technical glitch maybe?

Not quite. Instead, the decision by the town to temporarily stop live-streaming meetings turned out to be a precautionary move to avert legal action for not complying with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Other affected South Palm Beach County cities include Lake Worth and Delray Beach.

The act, it turns out, requires governments to ensure that website content and other content provided to the public be accessible to people with disabilities, including those who have trouble hearing.

“The goal is to make sure there is accessibility to video and audio content for people who are hard of hearing or deaf,” said Miami attorney J. Courtney Cunningham, who has filed more than 30 lawsuits against state, county and local governments in hopes of bringing them into compliance.

One of the suits Cunningham filed on behalf of a hearing-impaired client was against the city of West Palm Beach. Soon after he filed the suit in April, the attorney said, the city began offering closed captioning on its live stream of meetings as well as on archived recordings.

That suit, and others like it, including one in St. Lucie County, came to the attention of attorney Glen Torcivia and attorneys in his firm, which represents Highland Beach, Ocean Ridge, South Palm Beach and several other South Florida communities.

Torcivia said his firm then sent a notice out to clients advising of the possibility of lawsuits if they did not have closed captioning available.

That led Highland Beach officials, as well as those in Lake Worth, to stop real-time broadcasts of meetings until closed captioning can be added.

During a recent commission meeting, interim Town Manager William Thrasher said the town is working with its informaton technology firm to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Live video of meetings could be available as soon as next month or early September. 

Highland Beach residents can view recorded versions of meetings, with closed captioning, on the town’s website usually within two or three days of a meeting.

Torcivia said he agrees with the reasoning behind making sure everyone has access to public meetings.

“It’s the right thing to do as long as it’s reasonable to make the accommodations,” he said.

In South Palm Beach County, some of the municipalities with streaming or video recordings of public meetings are already in compliance with the ADA requirements.

Small towns, including South Palm Beach, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes, do not video-record or live-stream their meetings. Gulf Stream, like Boynton Beach, does not live-stream but does offer video-recorded meetings through its YouTube channel, which has closed captioning available. Lantana posts audio-only recordings of its meetings.

Delray Beach officials said they are exploring their options after learning about the ADA requirements. Boca Raton recently began offering closed captioning during live streams of its meeting and on recorded meetings.

Cunningham, who filed his lawsuit against West Palm Beach on behalf of disability rights advocate Eddie Sierra and the National Association of the Deaf, said the U.S. Department of Justice notified local and state governments in 2003 about the ADA requirement to make online content accessible to hearing-impaired people.

For whatever reason, compliance was sporadic at best. Torcivia speculated that perhaps the cost of adding closed captioning was prohibitive 15 years ago and is now more affordable.

Cunningham, who has a son with a disability, said he notifies municipalities by mail if it is discovered they are not in compliance before filing a lawsuit.

Among those the attorney is suing on behalf of the National Association of the Deaf is the state of Florida, which Sierra and the association contend does not provide closed captioning of legislative activity and therefore is violating the ADA. 

By Rich Pollack

The clock is ticking on the search for a new town manager.

Highland Beach has been without a permanent town manager since early May, when the Town Commission fired Valerie Oakes in a 3-2 vote and asked her to leave immediately.

Commissioners hired interim Town Manager William Thrasher in mid-May to fill in, and now it appears he will leave before Labor Day.

That gives Colin Baenziger of the search firm Colin Baenziger & Associates just about two months to find a candidate.

“Can we do a search in a month and have someone on board by Sept. 1?” Baenziger said during a commission workshop meeting last month. “It’s possible.”

Typically a search takes about 41/2 months from start to finish, said Baenziger, whose Daytona Beach firm will be paid $26,500.

He said his firm has more than 13,700 names in its database and about 20 candidates who could take on the job quickly. 

Since he was hired to be interim town manager on May 21, Thrasher has told commissioners he would stay for either 90 days or one year, but nothing in between.

Commissioners, who praise Thrasher’s work, previously agreed to stick with the 90-day term when Thrasher took the job. He was Gulf Stream manager before retiring in 2017.

At the June workshop meeting, however, Mayor Carl Feldman again recommended keepimg Thrasher for a year.

“This would accomplish a smoother transition,” he said. “I don’t want to feel like we’re rushed into a new town manager.”

Feldman outlined 11 major projects on Thrasher’s plate and said it would be in the town’s best interest to allow him to continue on those projects. Among those issues are helping the town as it transitions from an outsourced building department to an in-house department and overseeing the budget process.

Others on the commission said they want a new town manager as soon as possible.

“This town has to move on to a permanent town manager,” Vice Mayor Alysen Africano Nila said.

Commissioners Rhoda Zelniker and Elyse Riesa concurred.

“I don’t want to stop looking for a town manager,” Zelniker said. “We have to get this town on the right track and the right track is a new town manager.”

Throughout the discussion, commissioners praised Thrasher for his ability to help resolve some long-standing issues and for his professionalism.

“We found someone who understands our issues,” Riesa said. “We have now seen what a great town manager can do.”

Zelniker said she hoped the town could find a manager with Thrasher’s experience.

“What we need is a Bill Thrasher who’s not going to retire,” she said.

Another benefit of having Thrasher come aboard has been the reduction of a spike in legal bills from April and May, commissioners said.

They added that one reason the bills grew so large is the town was without a manager between the first part of May, when Oakes was fired, and May 21, when Thrasher was hired.

Legal services for April reached $16,376, a little over $10,000 more than the $6,211 legal bill for March. The bill from the outside law firm of Torcivia, Donlon, Goddeau & Ansay, P.A. for services in May was $24,297.

The total of $40,673 for the two months is a little less than half of the $90,000 budget for general legal services for the entire fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

“The billing is too high,” Feldman said during a Town Commission workshop meeting late last month. “If we go forward, we could hire our own attorney.”

The mayor said part of the problem was a change in policy that gave commissioners free rein to contact Town Attorney Pam Ryan regarding legal issues.

Feldman said in May there were more than 40 phone conversations between commissioners and the town attorney’s office, which bills at a rate of about $220 an hour.

Ryan said since Thrasher’s hiring, she has had fewer calls from commissioners.

“You will see a difference,” she said.

Thrasher said he appreciated the opportunity to serve as interim manager but was a bit embarrassed by the praise.

“What I’m doing is my job and nothing more,” he said. “Your next town manager will do the same.” 

By Steve Plunkett

Armed with $20,000 from the City Council, Boca Raton’s fledgling Art in Public Places advisory board is tackling an ambitious first project — finding artists to paint cutting-edge murals on the walls of a maintenance yard at oceanfront Red Reef Park.

“It’s a good place to start, you know. It’s not a place where anyone can really worry about. It’s the right place for it,” Boca Raton council member Andrea O’Rourke said.

The advisory panel has set a tight timetable — it must put out a call for proposals, review them and choose up to 10 artists, divvy up the council grant among them and have them spray-paint their creations by Oct. 20.

“The more professional muralists will probably receive a little bit more funds than necessarily the amateur artists,” city resident and volunteer Milan De Vito told Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District commissioners.

The maintenance area is at the northeast corner of the parking lot at Red Reef’s executive golf course. A boardwalk near the maintenance area connects the parking lot to the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

“I’ve always been fascinated by art. When I moved here, I said, ‘You guys have some great parks. Why don’t we combine the two?’ ” said resident David Sergi, who helped pick the maintenance area for the murals and also the three tunnels under State Road A1A that lead from Spanish River Park’s parking lots to the ocean.

The wall around the rectangular maintenance area is 6 feet high and 300 feet long.

The Art in Public Places board hopes to attract a combination of recognized muralists (“people that we know and recognize their work and talent,” De Vito said); artists from Florida Atlantic and Lynn universities and the Boca Museum of Art;  and the public at large, a category that includes high school art students.

“Everything has to be family-friendly,” De Vito said. “I expect some of the art to be different and to challenge people’s thoughts and ideas, but that doesn’t necessarily mean in a bad way or negative way.”

At least one high school student was enthusiastic June 12 when the City Council approved the $20,000 grant.

“I’m just so appreciative,” said Luke Lynch, a junior and honors student at Boca Raton High. “I feel we can get the youth involvement for this project to create more of an engaged society.”

The advisory panel picked its target date to coincide with a new Friends of Gumbo Limbo fundraiser, the Red Reef Gumbo Cook-off, which will include restaurant tastings, food trucks and craft beers.

The board expects the murals to be comparable to those in Miami’s Wynwood art district, Fort Lauderdale’s FAT Village, Lake Worth and Palm Beach. The artwork would stay up for one or two years, then need to be redone, perhaps by new artists, De Vito said.

O’Rourke has promoted art in public places ever since she ran for her council seat in 2017.

“This is a passion project for me,” she told Beach & Park District commissioners.

Commissioners told O’Rourke to come back for a contribution once she learns how much the effort will cost. 

Donald Ephraim and Maxine Marks, on behalf of the Donald M. Ephraim Family Foundation, have made a $250,000 gift to the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County to support the nonprofit’s mission to grow the arts in the community.

The donation will pay for planning, advocacy and community relations, as well as a five-year capacity-building program that includes training for cultural organizations and their leaders.

“Don and Maxine are philanthropists who care about this community and its future,” said Nathan Slack, the council’s board chairman. In other council news, David Lawrence, who has spent nearly two decades at the Arts Council of Indianapolis, will become the new president and CEO in August.

Lawrence’s arts-management background includes working with the Indianapolis Opera, the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and the Indiana Repertory Theatre. For the last nine years, he served as president and CEO of the Arts Council of Indianapolis.

“He brings a passion for arts and culture, a strong strategic perspective and an infectious enthusiasm for the role he will be taking on with the cultural council,” said Bill Parmelee, the council’s board vice chairman.

Boynton Beach CRA awards two more grants

The Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach and Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County are the newest beneficiaries of a Boynton Beach CRA grant through the Nonprofit Organization Grant Program, or NOGP.

NOGP is a new initiative that allocates money to assist organizations with economic and business development and affordable housing. The Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach was awarded $57,681 for its Secret Garden Café Culinary Incubator, which offers training in all aspects of the culinary arts. Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County was awarded $40,000 for The Door to Sustainability Project, which consists of the construction of four new homes, the repair and maintenance of six homes, a neighborhood cleanup project and educational workshops.

Earlier this year, an NOGP grant of $32,077 was awarded to Pathways to Prosperity’s Circles of Palm Beach County Program.

Palm Beach boat show donates $35,000

The Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation and Sheridan House Family Ministries were the recipients of $35,000 from the Palm Beach International Boat Show thanks to a charitable campaign with Bennett Auto Supply, Informa Exhibitions and the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County.

Attendees who purchased a $24 ticket at any local Bennett Auto Supply store received a second ticket free, with all proceeds divided between the two charities.

“Knowing that the Palm Beach International Boat Show is successful thanks to the support of our local community, it’s important to us that we serve as community stewards and do our part to make South Florida a better place,” said Mary Bender, vice president of marketing at Informa Exhibitions, the company that manages and produces the show.

Local travel professionals form new nonprofit

Palm Beach Travel, a Manalapan-based agency, along with partners British Virgin Island Tourism, Crystal Cruise Lines, Etihad, Lamborghini and The Moorings, have formed a nonprofit called TravelCares.

TravelCares presented its first donation of more than $30,000 to the British Virgin Islands Recovery Fund.

“Our goals for our inaugural event were to raise funds to support hurricane recovery, provide insight into the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma on the people and economy of the BVI, give updates from BVI Tourism and encourage attendees to contribute to recovery efforts through the event, through the official BVI Tourism Board donation site and through visiting hotels and resorts as they resume operations,” said Annie Davis, president of Palm Beach Travel.

Palm Beach Poetry Festival scores NEA grant

The National Endowment for the Arts has approved more than $80 million in grants as part of the organization’s second major funding announcement for this year.

Included in the announcement was an Art Works grant of $10,000 to the Palm Beach Poetry Festival.

The grant will promote the writing, reading and performance of poetry at the 15th annual festival set for Jan. 21-26, 2019, in Delray Beach.

“Through the work of organizations such as Palm Beach Poetry Festival … NEA funding invests in local communities, helping people celebrate the arts wherever they are,” departing NEA Chairwoman Jane Chu said.

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

FAU starts fellowship

on 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 Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “We want to support the work being done by facilitating students’ growth in community engagement and social-change efforts.”

Meals on Wheels

looking for volunteers

Help is needed at a local nonprofit that delivers meals to homebound seniors in Palm Beach County. Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches invites those who enjoy working in kitchens to spare some time portioning, plating and packaging food.

“Our clients depend on our kitchen volunteers to prepare their meals for delivery,” volunteer coordinator Stefanie Raifman said. “They are the first part of a process that ensures homebound seniors remain independent in their home and receive healthy noontime meals.”

Kitchen volunteers usually work one day a week, arriving in the West Palm Beach location at 8:30 a.m. The shift ends at 10:30 a.m. Volunteers are needed Mondays, Tuesdays and Fridays. The organization serves more than 200 in the area five days a week.

For more information, call Raifman at 802-6979, ext. 3.

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

The event was a big success thanks to generous sponsors, good players, a gorgeous golf course and cooperation from the weather. Lunch and a silent auction followed. The benefit brought in $20,000 for the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County. ABOVE: (l-r) Dr. Peter Bonutti, Iain Calder, Harrison Calder and Glen Calder. Photo provided

At an evening event, the chairwomen of the Women of Grace Luncheon announced the 2018 honorees. More than 75 guests attended, including hospital administrators, committee members and family and friends of the six distinguished women. ABOVE: (l-r) honorees Debralyn Belletieri, Deborah Dowd, Gail Oliver, Isabella Diefendorf, 16, Beth Schatman and Patricia Tormey. Photo provided by Downtown Photo

Cameron Hicks, Guerdy Laurent, Jeremiah Decius and Gatshby Estimable (above from left) surf in Deerfield Beach as part of Streetwaves. Maurice ‘Maui’ Goodbeer (below) of Delray Beach runs the nonprofit and plans to bring Saturday sessions to Delray. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O’Connor

Jeremiah Decius had just joined Streetwaves, a nonprofit group that teaches kids how to swim and surf, and already he was in trouble.

He was accused of hitting a girl in the group and was asked to leave. But his return after an 18-week absence and progress since then mark one of the group’s success stories.

“It was heartbreaking for me to do that,” Streetwaves founder Maurice “Maui” Goodbeer said of the dismissal. “But it was my hope and prayer that he would return.”

Goodbeer started Streetwaves as an answer to the murder of his younger brother, Melvyn Patterson, in San Diego in 2003. Patterson, 21, was shot to death by a 16-year-old gang member.

Goodbeer couldn’t bring back his brother, but he made a promise when he delivered his brother’s eulogy that he would do something to save inner-city youths from getting involved in gun violence.

Goodbeer, who lives in Delray Beach with his wife and two young daughters, began surfing as a boy. He is convinced that the ocean can change the way youngsters interact with their environment. 

Ten years ago, while surfing, he decided that he would honor his promise by sharing his love of the ocean with children.

In Miami, he added a surfing program at Alonzo Mourning’s Overtown Youth Center and learned how to start a nonprofit. In Broward County, Deerfield Beach Middle School students learn to swim and surf in a daily program supported by private donors and grants. The Streetwaves kids have also visited the International Swimming Hall of Fame in Fort Lauderdale.

“Because it’s daily, they are excelling really fast,” Goodbeer, 44, said. “Now they’re swimming 1,000 yards a day.”

They're keeping up their skills during a Streetwaves summer camp that runs through Aug. 10. The program is supported by private donors. Over 10 years, Streetwaves has taught more than 3,000 children to swim and surf, and now has a staff of 15.

Next stop: Delray Beach, where Goodbeer plans to start a free Saturday surfing program starting Sept. 1, on the heels of Streetwaves’ 10th anniversary celebration Aug. 31 in Delray.  He is seeking financial support from community groups and the city.

Goodbeer and his brother were both born on Aug. 31. “We were extremely close,” recalled Goodbeer. “He was mine, as far as I was concerned. I took him to the beach with me all the time. We were each other’s guardian angels.”

Novices learning fast

Many of his students have never been to a beach before. 

“At first they have some apprehensions about the water,” said Goodbeer. 

Apprehensions are gone now, as the kids pile out of the Streetwaves van, zip into wetsuits, dash into the surf and paddle out to find waves.

The van is a converted SWAT vehicle now filled with youngsters and surfboards instead of police and automatic weapons. 

Like the others in Streetwaves, Guerdy Laurent, 12, a seventh-grader at Deerfield Beach Middle School, learned swimming first, then practiced surfing techniques on the sand before he was ready for the water. 

“Just watching Coach Maui helps me a lot,” he said. 

The students have to prove they are strong swimmers before they start surfing, and 10 of the current group learned well enough to be invited to join swim teams.

What if they had to choose between swim team and surfing?

“Surfing!” they all shouted in a chorus.

Maya Hodges, 12, of Pompano Beach, is working on popups, going from prone on the board to standing up.

“She has a great popup,” said  Goodbeer. “She’s growing into a style that works for her.”

Every time one of his students pops up and rides a wave to shore, Goodbeer is exhilarated.

“I don’t know right away if a kid is going to be good until they have built up their strength — arms, legs, lungs — and learned the strokes,” Goodbeer said. “But I’ve been unbelievably impressed.”

Besides learning how to swim and enjoy the ocean, Streetwaves participants become more environmentally aware, including learning to recycle and clean up beaches.

“There’s something special about befriending people in the water,” said Goodbeer. “It happens so organically and beautiful. You have each other’s back. I watch the surfers show so much respect for these new surfers. And I think wow, these kids are learning a lot.”

Jeremiah Decius catches a wave.  Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Banished boy back

Jeremiah Decius’ absence seemed like an eternity. Then he and Goodbeer worked out a plan for his return.

A wiry 12-year-old, Decius showed promise. From being a novice swimmer at best, he had learned to swim 1,000 yards. He had learned how to pop up onto a surfboard from the water, turn, paddle, walk and stand on the board. But “he had a little bit of an attitude,” Goodbeer said. 

Later Goodbeer learned where that attitude may have come from. Because of school schedules, many of the kids had not eaten since their lunch at 9:45 a.m. After that, he made sure to bring fruit and snacks for them to eat before surfing.

He also found out that Decius’ alternative for the afternoon was to walk home to an empty house.

“I thought, why not come back, because I was bored and alone when I got home,” said Decius, who lives in Pompano Beach. So Decius returned in time for the last nine-week after-school surfing session and joined the summer program. 

“I see a great change in him,” Goodbeer said. “He’s surfing great, he’s happy, he’s like a different person. I am so proud of him, I’m in tears right now.”

Streetwaves is looking for a venue to show a short film about the group. It also needs surfers and others to volunteer. For more info on its planned Delray Beach program and anniversary celebration , visit the Streetwaves page on Facebook or contact maui@streetwaves.org.

Karen Swedenborg, development manager at Boca Helping Hands, accepted a $1,000 donation from the Highland Beach chapter of UNICO National. The funds were made possible by the Ralph J. Torraco Food Bank/Shelter Fund Grant. ABOVE: Swedenborg with Frank LoRe Jr., the chapter’s district governor. Photo provided

Every year, Dollars 4 Tic Scholars brightens the summer for two children by sponsoring their attendance fees for a special summer camp. At the organization’s fourth annual event, a group of supporters gathered to enjoy drinks and hors d’oeuvres — and to paint blue lions, which represent the courage children with Tourette syndrome need to have — to raise money to cover the $900-per-child cost. Photo: (l-r) Elaine Koehler, Denise Alman, Joanne Scheller and Maria Jula. Photo provided

Soroptimist International of Boca Raton/Deerfield Beach, which focuses on improving the lives of girls and women, honored 16 local nonprofits that do the same. Breakfast Chairwoman Lisa Jensen, with Co-Presidents Marybeth Keenan and Dr. Heidi Schaeffer, greeted 60-plus members and handed out awards. LEFT: (l-r) Helen Babione, Suzy Broad, Sandy Gerstein and Karen Hanson. Photo provided by Barbara McCormick

The Highland Beach chapter of UNICO National gathered for its May meeting, attended by special guests Dr. Frank and Linda DeFrank. Dr. DeFrank addressed members and presented Frank LoRe Jr., the chapter’s district governor, with a 25-year pin. Keynote speaker was Rita Thrasher, founder of Boca Raton’s Promise, a mental health nonprofit that received a $1,000 donation. ABOVE: (l-r) Frank Todaro, Cleve Guy, Rosaria Gismondi, the DeFranks, Charles Maikish, Madeline LoRe and Ralph Gengo. Photo provided

By Jan Norris

Locals finally get relief on the roads, in shops and at restaurants now that the snowbirds have flown.

They’re the beneficiaries of a city’s or region’s Restaurant Week (or month) — when programs all around South Florida showcase the new eats in town, as well as old favorites dusting things off with new menus or other changes.

Such as it is with Dine Out Downtown Delray, set for Aug. 1-7. More than 25 restaurants or food shops are scheduled to participate.

“That’s the ultimate reason and purpose for this event,” said Laura Simon, executive director of Delray Beach’s Downtown Development Authority. “It gives everybody time to explore the new restaurants and go to established ones they might not have been able to get into. We’re excited — this is the event’s third year. It’s a great summer event.”

Dine Out began as a different program, Tastemakers, in 2009. That program ran its course, she said, and the new one kicked off with a number of restaurants in the downtown area signing on. This year, the list is still growing but already at least 26 are involved.

Scheduled during summer when restaurant business typically slows, the dining program offers preset menus and/or special drink deals meant to give locals a chance to check out what’s new on a menu, or new restaurants such as Ramen Lab Eatery and Che. They’re also rewarded, in a sense, for sticking it out with old favorites such as DaDa and Caffe Luna Rosa, which offer prix fixe menus, sometimes trying out new items, at a discount.

Delray Beach’s restaurant base continues to grow, but more slowly than it may appear, Simon said.

“Within the 24- to 28-block radius, there are approximately 120 restaurants, whether they’re cafes or full service,” she said. The downtown area is considered Atlantic Avenue east of Interstate 95 to the ocean, with four blocks north — Pineapple  Grove among them — and three blocks south included.

“They range from Sandwiches by the Sea to City Oyster, and places like the Green Owl (diner) to Prime Steakhouse,” Simon said.

While it seems to some that the avenue is saturated with dining spots, Simon says attrition and a natural ebb and flow keep the restaurant business in check.

“It’s gone through some changes and shifts. There are not any more restaurants than we’ve had, really,” she said. “It’s stayed pretty steady. We’ve had some change owners or new restaurants coming in and older ones moving out.”

She points to the new Ramen Lab Eatery on Northeast Second Avenue.

“The House of Siam had been there 12 years. The owners moved on and retired, and Ramen Lab moved in. On the beach, there’s Caffe Luna Rosa, 50 Ocean and Boston’s on the Beach — all are longtime restaurants, then you have Che, an Argentinian steakhouse new to the area,” Simon said.

Scallops will be on 50 Ocean’s Dine Out Downtown Delray menu. Photo provided

Simon plans to get to many on the list during the Dine Out Delray week, she said, though she wouldn’t name a favorite.

“I do try to get out there and explore and see what’s new. I love how creative they get.”

The program includes new eateries Doughnut Works and Ramen Lab Eatery. Others participating for the first time include Avant, Buddha Sky Bar, The Original Popcorn House, The Grove and Craft Food Tours, a culinary tour company.

The list of returning favorites as of late June included Dada, 50 Ocean, Brule Bistro, Banyan Restaurant & Bar, Caffe Luna Rosa, Che, Death or Glory, Lemongrass Asian Bistro, Max’s Harvest, Mellow Mushroom, Salt 7, Vic & Angelo’s and Prime Steakhouse.

Death or Glory has a drink called  ‘At the bottom of the lagoon.’  The spot on Northeast Sixth Avenue is the only bar in Florida nominated for the Best New American Cocktail Bar Spirited award. Photo provided

This year, culinary experiences for all ages offer something different for the diners other than just discounted meals.

Mellow Mushroom again offers its pizza-making class, two scheduled this year, a popular event for families.

Adults will want to get in on the Death or Glory cocktail class, where five seasonal drinks will be created by the mixologist and students, with recipes to take home. It will be followed by a lunch, with the bar’s featured cocktail: a fresh mango shaken daiquiri.

Tours behind the scenes at The Original Popcorn House are given six times during the week. Those attending get free popcorn.

At the Ramen Lab Eatery, a demo and hands-on lessons for both soba and ramen noodle making are scheduled, with details still in the works.

Diners can learn to roll sushi at Lemongrass Asian Bistro.

Other classes on nutrition and juicing, tasting and food pairing dinners are being put together for Dine Out week.

Dine Out Downtown Delray benefits the Delray Beach Initiative’s Living Hungry campaign: “Not One Hungry Homeless Student Delray Beach.” Its purpose is to make people aware of the student homeless population in Delray and showcase solutions and programs designed to help.

To find out which restaurants are participating and get the details on menus, discounts and classes offered, go to downtowndelraybeach.com/restaurantweek.

Ramen Lab Eatery is new on Northeast Second Avenue. Photo provided

New restaurants are on the scene around Delray Beach as the summer shuffle begins.

One that attracts many younger diners, and puzzles some older ones, is Ramen Lab Eatery, in the old House of Siam space on Northeast Second Avenue. It opened in mid-June.

“There are people who come in and ask ‘What is ramen?’ Shocking, I know,” said owner Louis Grayson. “Some people ask about udon and soba.”

Others wonder if the noodles are like thin rice noodles served in pho.

“We hope to educate them,” he said.

All of the restaurant’s wheat-based noodles are made from scratch, and the soup broth simmered for hours as is tradition.

“We make all our own sauces, and marinate our own meats,” Grayson said. “We try to do as much as possible from scratch.”

The upscale fast-casual spot is set up as counter-service, with a bar for local craft beers, boutique red and white wines and cold sake.

“We have a traditional Japanese influence,” Grayson said. “And a couple of traditional noodle dishes, but I like to add a little Thai and Korean to the menu; other bits and bobs. That’s the lab — experimental part of the restaurant.”

The brand opened in Boca Raton, where fast-casual isn’t as popular yet, he said. It also has two stalls in the Grandview Market food hall in West Palm Beach, a Ramen Lab and a Poke Lab.

Grayson will step out of the traditional noodle shop format with Asian brunches in Delray, where a pan-Asian spin will be introduced.

“We’re not going to serve till after 2 p.m.; chicken and waffles Japanese style, or a Korean-style dish with Spam.”

His version of a hangover cure — something like the Eggslut sandwich, a honey roll with Spam and egg and house aioli — may be on the menu.

He has other plans, but right now is just tweaking the formula. It’s proven to be a late-night spot and he’s adjusting to that, as well. It rocks till 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.

In brief

The Driftwood restaurant, which opened this spring, is making waves in Boynton Beach. It’s in the old Scully’s location on Federal Highway. It’s a Polynesian casual atmosphere, with modern cuisine, craft cocktails and a good brunch in the mix.

Some surprising and not-so-much closures lately: Junior’s Restaurant and Cheesecake in Boca Raton, the classic deli brought from New York to Mizner Park, shuttered after a little over a year and a half. Known for its cheesecake and meat-packed deli sandwiches, it never caught on with its New York base as owners expected. Many saw that one coming. …

Nearby, Truluck’s, a seafood spot, and Uncle Julio’s, a Mexican eatery, also have closed in Boca’s downtown area. …

Down in Fort Lauderdale, Sublime’s exit is making waves. The vegetarian full-service restaurant, a fixture on Federal Highway for 15 years, closed its doors suddenly in May. It hosted the likes of Sir Paul McCartney and other celeb vegetarians over the years.

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.

The Plate: Banana cake

The Place: Tin Muffin Café, 364 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton; 392-9446

The Price: $8; cash only.

The Skinny: For those who like to skip dessert, here’s some advice: You don’t want to skip dessert at the Tin Muffin Café.

This downtown Boca Raton lunch spot delivers on its promise that “Happiness Is Homemade.”

The place is tiny, with 10 tables. It specializes in soups, salads and sandwiches, but the banana cake caught my eye.

This three-layer cake was rich, but not cloyingly sweet. It’s a dense cake, with a fine crumb, and plenty of banana goodness, with spice — I think I detected more than a touch of cinnamon and nutmeg. The cream cheese frosting was decadent, and I happily would have skipped the whipped cream my server added.

I stopped in late on a Saturday afternoon, after I’d eaten lunch.

Next time, I want to get to the restaurant early enough to try some of the tasty-looking salads I saw other patrons nibbling. And, yes, there will be a next time.

— Scott Simmons

Members of Congregational United Church of Christ in downtown Boynton Beach gather after a service. The Rev. Dr. Bruce Turner (center) is interim pastor. The church sold the property to a city agency and plans to lease part of the space. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The church has been in its current location since 1976. It once had about 250 members; it now has fewer than 50. The temporary library plans to move in during August. BELOW: Stained-glass cross by Conrad Pickel.

By Janis Fontaine

It’s the end of an era for the Congregational United Church of Christ of Boynton Beach, but it isn’t the end.

The church, better known as Boynton UCC, is working on an agreement to lease back part of the building it recently sold to the Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency. The church would pay $10 a month until Dec. 31, 2020.

The congregation will have a much smaller space — about one-quarter of the building — but enough to continue services for the time being. A former agreement had the church, which has been a fixture in Boynton Beach since it opened in 1976, vacating in mid-December. Now the city library will occupy most of the building beginning in mid-August.

It will move into the space temporarily while the city's Town Square project is under construction. The church hopes to stay until the library moves into its new building. The 1.3-acre tract on the west side of Federal Highway between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Ocean Avenue downtown is worth $3 million to the city, which owns an adjacent parcel of land. It’s a good investment for the city, Mayor Steven Grant said, considering its prime location and potential uses. For one thing, it would help solve the parking issues resulting from the blooming revitalization of this neighborhood.

The new 500 Ocean, a retail and residential development that’s nearly finished, will have about 340 one- to three-bedroom apartments plus 20,000 square feet of retail space. Other planned projects include Ocean One (more apartments and retail), Town Square (about 16 acres off Boynton Beach Boulevard that includes City Hall, the historic high school, the library and the police station, which all will be rebuilt) and The Villages at East Ocean Avenue (more homes and commercial space).

The site is also important to the planned Tri-Rail Coastal Link station just across the FEC tracks. The commuter train service would run on the Florida East Coast Railway in Palm Beach County, and a station is planned for Boynton on the west side of Northeast Fourth Street.

One sticking point in negotiations had been what to do with the church's cross and the stained-glass windows. Under the new agreement, the cross will be moved inside, and the windows will stay in place until the church moves. The windows were designed by renowned artist Conrad Pickel, who died in Boynton Beach in 1994 and whose work is found in more than 700 churches throughout the world.

An art tour hosted by the Boynton Beach Historical Society featured Pickel’s work, including pieces at other city landmarks — Boynton Beach Memorial Park and Mausoleum, Ascension Lutheran Church and St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church — so the city plans to preserve the windows for the benefit of the citizens of Boynton Beach.

But the church won’t be able to keep its thrift shop. Volunteers packed up the goods and donated them to charity.

Fred Birdsall,  a moderator at the church and a former inspector for Boynton Beach, called the deal “a win-win for us and the city. It’s been a pleasure working with the city on this. They’ve been very good to us.”

Birdsall and his wife, Jean, are well-known in Boynton, which no doubt smoothed negotiations.

Jean Birdsall clerked for both the city manager and the police chief and is active with the Friends of the Library, according to her husband.

The church, just blocks from the Intracoastal Waterway, once boasted 250 active members and now has fewer than 50. Just shy of his 83rd birthday, Birdsall says he worries about the dwindling membership, but he’s prepared to leave that, too, in God’s hands. “The good Lord has been looking down on us. We’re doing very well.”

Between the time the library closes at 8:30 p.m. July 12 and re-opening at the church building at 9 a.m. Aug. 13, there will be no physical location for the library. Materials will be due on Aug. 20. Library card holders will have access to electronic resources (audio and electronic books and databases) at www.boynton-beach.org/city-library

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

Boca Raton Regional Hospital is paying homage to its founder by naming its existing inpatient facility the Gloria Drummond Patient Tower. The action was taken in response to a $25 million gift from philanthropist Elaine J. Wold and the Bay Branch Foundation in April. Wold requested that a new seven-story patient tower, which is part of the hospital’s proposed $260 million expansion and renovation, carry the name of Drummond, Boca Regional’s founder and Wold’s lifelong friend.

While the structure, when completed, will reflect that name, it was thought that Wold’s largesse should be immediately recognized.

“With the magnitude of Elaine’s gift and her material and long-standing support of our hospital in other areas such as our Wold Family Center for Emergency Medicine and the Gloria Drummond Physical Rehabilitation Institute, we thought it most fitting to have her request realized now and affix Gloria’s name to the present-day hospital as well,” said Mark Larkin, president of Boca Regional’s Foundation.

Boca Raton Regional Hospital has begun offering regenerative medicine therapy for orthopedic patients undergoing rehabilitation for conditions of the tendons, bone and peripheral joints as well as osteoarthritis of the knee. The treatment uses the body’s natural healing process to stimulate healing, diminish pain and restore natural function in the affected areas. 

Joshua Rothenberg, D.O. and director of regenerative medicine at the hospital, notes that the therapies often help patients recover quicker and obtain better pain relief.

“I employ regenerative medicine as part of a comprehensive rehabilitation program that is focused on the strengthening of the musculoskeletal system,” he said. “While the field is still relatively new, we know that the body has an inherent ability to heal itself from injury.”

The mainstays of the therapy include the use of platelet-rich plasma as well as new regenerative cellular treatments, which contain a patient’s own mesenchymal stem cells.

The Kathy Krickstein Pressel MammoVan arrived at Boca Raton Regional Hospital in June, showing off a new design. The van, which travels to South Florida community events, businesses and health fairs, has customized mammography and exam suites, a waiting area, new awning and wheelchair lift. It also offers the more comfortable Senographe Pristina 3-D Mammography. The Kathy Krickstein Pressel MammoVan is financed with contributions from Boca Raton resident Morgan Pressel Bush, the Morgan Pressel Foundation and the St. Andrews Country Club.

The Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital has begun to offer Saturday appointments for mammograms, breast ultrasounds and bone density on the first Saturday of each month. Major insurances are accepted and financial assistance is available for those without coverage who qualify. Appointments can be made by calling 955-4700.

Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing received a $2.8 million grant from the federal Health Resources & Services Administration for a four-year project, “Caring-based Academic Partnerships in Excellence, RNs in Primary Care.” It aims to recruit and prepare nursing students and registered nurses to practice in community-based primary care teams. Awarded to the college for three consecutive years, the grant totals $6.4 million.

“The overarching goal of our project is to create healthier communities in rural and underserved populations,” said Karethy A. Edwards, project director, associate dean of academic programs and a professor in FAU’s College of Nursing. “With this latest grant, we will educate and provide clinical training to establish a primary care workforce of students with a bachelor of science in nursing degree who are practice-ready and willing to serve our veterans and patients in rural and underserved communities.” 

Some good news in the fight against strokes: Delray Medical Center is offering a new procedure, transcarotid artery revascularization, to treat carotid artery disease and prevent strokes. It’s clinically proven, minimally invasive and a safe approach for high surgical-risk patients who need carotid artery treatment. 

“TCAR is an important new option in the fight against stroke and is particularly suited for the large portion of patients we see who are at higher risk of complications from carotid surgery due to age, anatomy or other medical conditions,” said Dr. Joseph Ricotta, medical director of vascular surgery and endovascular therapy at Tenet Healthcare, who performed the procedure at Delray Medical Center.

The new procedure is unique in that blood flow is temporarily reversed so that any small bits of plaque that may break off are diverted away from the brain, preventing a stroke from happening. A stent is then placed inside the artery to stabilize the plaque, minimizing the risk of a future stroke. For more information or for a free physician referral, call 800-897-9789 or visit delraymedicalctr.com.

Summer mornings are looking brighter for many people who are food-deprived. Delray Medical Center, Good Samaritan Medical Center, Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, St. Mary’s Medical Center and West Boca Medical Center donated more than 71,000 servings of cereal to local food banks in Palm Beach County during their Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive, which ran in the first week of June.

“The donations we collected will help provide local children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer, and I am so grateful for the support of our staff and community in this effort,” said Mark Bryan, chief executive officer of Tenet’s Palm Beach County hospitals. “Good nutrition is essential to good health, and we wanted to help lead the fight against hunger in Palm Beach County.”

The hospitals partnered and donated to the following local organizations: 7,000 servings from Delray Medical Center to CROS Ministries' Food Pantry; 2,749 servings from Good Samaritan Medical Center to Feeding South Florida; 8,432 servings from Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center to Feeding South Florida; 4,721 servings from St. Mary’s Medical Center to Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County; and 8,190 servings from West Boca Medical Center to Boca Helping Hands.

Wendy Lo, the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens’ curator of education, has  received the Health Care Innovation Award for her work on the Stroll for Well-Being Program at the gardens. The award was presented at the Palm Beach County Medical Society Services’ annual luncheon and awards ceremony at the Kravis Center.

The Stroll for Wellness benefits include the enhancement of mental and physical wellness, and mitigating symptoms of depression. Lo has represented the program for nine years at national garden conferences, inspiring others to launch similar walking initiatives, including San Diego’s Japanese Friendship Garden and the Yume Japanese Gardens of Tucson. For more information, call 495-0233 or visit morikami.org/for-adults/special-programs/stroll-for-well-being/.

The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens is at 4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach.

Abbey Delray South senior living community has a new executive director, Rachel Blumberg.

“Rachel has the background, experience and leadership skills necessary to lead Abbey Delray South to continued growth and success,” said Sloan Bentley, president and CEO of Lifespace, which owns and operates Abbey Delray South. Blumberg has a bachelor’s degree in social work from Florida State University as well as a master’s degree in health service administration from Florida International University. She’s also a Florida State Humanitarian of the Year award winner, recognizing her hospice-related volunteer efforts.

Nominations are open for the Susan G. Komen South Florida Race for the Cure 2019 Florida Warriors in Pink breast cancer survivors. Each year, eight Warriors are selected and recognized for their fight against breast cancer to shine a light on advancements in breast cancer survival and to help others through their journeys. Tell a breast cancer survival story in writing or on video about your mother, sister, best friend or yourself. Send nominations to info@komensouthflorida.org. To download the nomination form, visit komensouthflorida.org/2019-warriors-in-pink/.

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

Do you have a tale to share with Luna the sea turtle ambassador?

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton invites budding writers to submit stories about Luna the sea turtle ambassador, who returns to the beach at the center each year.

What has she been doing all year? That’s up to the budding writers.

Prizes will be awarded for the top winner in each age category: 6-8, 9-11 and 12-15. Story submissions are due July 27. Winners will be announced at Luna’s birthday party on Aug. 11. Fill out an application, available at gumbolimbo.org/lunastory, and email it with your story to lchimienti@myboca.us.

Another writing challenge

At the Delray Beach Historical Society, children in summer camp are learning about the fading art of writing letters. Adults are needed to write postcards to campers so the kids can experience the joy that comes from old-fashioned snail mail.

The camp director is asking adults to send postcards, written by hand and addressed to “Dear Camper.” Content should be age appropriate for 7- to 13-year-olds.

Suggested topics: Share a story or a childhood memory or talk about local events or a favorite hobby. You can have a postcard made from a favorite photograph or send one from your favorite local destination. Consider using stickers, stamps, clippings, drawings or craft materials to make your postcard pop. Be sure to include your name and address so the campers can write you back, and send your cards by July 8. For more information, call 274-9578.

Mail postcards to: Snail Mail Campers, Delray Beach Historical Society, 3 NE First St., Delray Beach, FL 33444.

School supply and backpack drive 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is hosting its annual school supply and backpack drive.

Help send  disadvantaged children to school prepared with the supplies they need to succeed. Through July 27, donate school supplies or host a supply and backpack drive. Donations of gift cards to office supply stores or retail vendors are also welcomed to purchase needed supplies from school-issued lists.

To get a list of recommended supplies and for drop-off locations, call 683-3287 or visit bgcpbc.org.

— Janis Fontaine

Jeannine Tilford of Palm Beach Gardens is on a mission to stop pets from encountering bufo toads. She captures the nocturnal creatures by hand, one yard at a time. Photos provided

By Arden Moore

By day, Jeannine Tilford teaches high school biology and environmental science. By night, she hunts for dangerous toads to protect dogs, in coastal cities from Fort Pierce down to Miami.

She is fast becoming a hero among dog lovers because she is on a mission to rid backyards, lakes, canals and shorelines of highly toxic and lethal bufo toads, also known as cane toads.

Among the grateful are Judy and Bob McDough of Delray Beach, who own a pair of Pembroke Welsh corgi brothers named Sherman and Morgan.

“I knew nothing about these toads when we moved here a few years ago, and these toads are all over the place,” says Judy McDough. “The manmade lakes behind our house are perfect breeding grounds for these toads, and when it rains, it seems they come out in numbers.”

So the McDoughs, like many others in recent months, turned to Tilford, known as the bufo buster.

“Many people moving to Florida are not aware of the danger of the bufo toad to their pets, and I’ve spent my whole life looking for something unique to do,” says Tilford, who launched Toad Busters in March 2017. “I love animals, and I worked as a veterinary technician and my background is science education. I needed extra money as I am on a teacher salary, and this bufo busters business has just taken off.”

Bufo toads are nocturnal, meaning they are most active at night when they feed and breed. By day, these toads typically bury themselves under bushes or concrete slabs. In order to capture these dog-dangerous toads — and to avoid being mistaken for a flashlight-wielding burglar prowling in dark backyards — Tilford purposely dons a blinking LED vest.

“I look like a walking Christmas tree, which keeps people from calling the police, and it has gotten me more business,” says Tilford, who is registered as a nuisance wildlife trapper with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. “I wear a head lamp to keep my hands free. I catch the toads by hand, wearing gloves and safety glasses.”

Judy McDough schedules Tilford to round up bufo toads on her property every two weeks. In addition, Tilford taught her how to humanely capture these toxic toads using a net.

McDough also reinforces the “back off” training cue in her corgis and is grateful that a 24-hour veterinary hospital is near her home.

“Fortunately, my dogs seem to be more interested in going after chameleons than these toads,” she says. “I always go out with them in the backyard at night.”

Tilford is on a one-woman mission to educate pet owners and protect pets from encounters with bufo toads. She has conditioned her dogs, a dachshund named Squeaky and a Yorkshire terrier-poodle mix named Lilly, to stay clear of any trespassing toad.

“One of my former dogs, a Jack Russell terrier, got hold of a toad in my patio and almost died,” says Tilford. “People need to know just how dangerous these toads are.”

About bufo toads

• Bufo toads are not native to Florida. They were imported in the 1930s to help farmers rid sugar-cane fields of white grubs.

• Bufo toads come in these color combinations: olive-brown, reddish brown or grayish yellow.

• Bufo toads sport big, flattened heads, large, stocky bodies and short limbs. Each can be up to 6 inches in length and weigh up to 4.4 pounds.

• These toads can live up to 15 years in the wild and up to 35 years in captivity.

• Their diet consists of insects, snails, mice and lizards, but they are attracted to dog or cat food left unattended in bowls in porches.

• Bufo toads release a milky-white toxin known as bufotoxin that is capable of disrupting normal functioning of the heart.

• Pets who bite or eat a Bufo toad can become sick and die within 15 minutes if not medically treated.

• Pets who “play” by pawing or licking these toads can also be exposed to this rapid-acting toxin.

• Bufo toxin can develop within a few seconds of exposure. Symptoms include crying, pawing at the mouth, excessive drooling, head-shaking, difficulty breathing, stumbling, convulsions and collapse.

• Immediately flush your pet’s mouth out with water for 10 minutes to prevent further venom absorption. Wipe the dog’s mouth with a rag and immediately call the nearest veterinary clinic to say you are en route. There is no vaccine or anti-venom for this toxin, so veterinary treatment calls for providing intravenous fluids, oxygen and medications to control the affected pet’s body temperature and heart rate until it recovers.

• To reach Toad Busters, visit www.bufobusters.com or call 202-8192.

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor.  She hosts the Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting  www.ardenmoore.com.