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7960767670?profile=originalThe annual race features crazy costumes and even crazier high heels. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

Supporters of a local charity will stomp down the sidewalk in stilettos ranging from stylish to silly during the Vince Canning Stiletto Race at Delray Beach’s Old School Square.

Set for Jan. 26, the raucous race that benefits the Achievement Centers for Children & Families will bring out adventurous adults donning high heels for the chance to win an artist-created shoe trophy.

“There is a group of people that looks forward to this race every year, and some of them go to great lengths to outdo themselves in costumes,” said Mary Kay Willson, executive director of the ACCF foundation. “There’s a lot of internal competition.”

Costumes have included dinosaurs, flamingos, leprechauns and Star Wars characters.

Competitors enter one of eight categories, the newest of which involves teams.

“It’s an opportunity for businesses, corporations, friends to get together and laugh,” Willson said. “It gets pretty spirited.”

The 75-meter dash will award trophies for both female and male entrants as long as their stilettos are intact when they cross the finish line.

“They rarely are at the end,” Willson said. “One of them has to be (intact) in order for you to win.”

For the men, free stilettos in large sizes are available from Vince Canning Shoes and can be picked up in advance.

“Men always say they can’t understand how women walk around in stilettos,” Willson said. “I think the men kind of surprise themselves.”

Another category is the Silver Sneaker Dash for those 65 and older. “We have a lot of people who want to get involved from all different age groups,” Willson said. “So our senior citizens can come with their sneakers decorated.”

For those who want to participate but do not want to race, there is the Sexy Strut category. A panel of judges will score each entrant’s sashay down the red carpet.

“I don’t see myself running,” Willson said. “I am 6 feet tall. I never mastered the stiletto.”

Proceeds from the sixth annual spectacle will go toward  ACCF programs that help 700 South County families with school-readiness skills and healthy living. 

This year, it caps Delray Beach Fashion Week and will be followed by a concert at the Old School Square Pavilion featuring a Bruce Springsteen tribute band.

“It’s a really cool event,” Willson said. “People love to get involved.” 

If You Go

What: Vince Canning Stiletto Race

When: 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26

Where: Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach

Cost: $25

Information: Call 266-0003 or visit delraystilettorace.com

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7960761293?profile=originalIl Circolo, the Italian Cultural Society, had more than 120 guests for its annual Christmas party. Music by Gino De Marco with a special appearance by tenor Carlos De Antonis accompanied the feast. Among the guests were Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Dion, who attended to celebrate the milestone birthday of Il Circolo President Paul Finizio. ABOVE: De Antonis and Finizio with (seated l-r) Sally Valenti, Dion and Sue DiMucci. Photo provided

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7960760489?profile=originalThe Ocean Ridge Garden Club gathered to create flower arrangements for the community. Eighteen members made 50 creative arrangements that were distributed to local senior centers, the Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach and Town Hall.  ABOVE: (l-r) Club members Rita Ginsky, Christina Benisch and Barbara Cook. Photo provided 

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Jennifer Rosemurgy and Linsey Desich with a truckload of diapers ready for delivery. Photo provided

Palm Beach County Commissioner Steven Abrams and Boca Raton City Councilman Robert Weinroth attended the Junior League of Boca Raton’s first general membership meeting of the season and presented proclamations to the nonprofit for its collections of diapers and other baby supplies.

The league distributes the items to those in need in the local community, as well as to victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Irma, which hit the Florida Keys, and Hurricane Maria, which devastated Puerto Rico.

“Diapers are vital for babies’ health and well-being,” Abrams said. “Not everyone has access to them, and the need is even greater in the aftermath of natural disasters. I commend the JLBR for all they are doing to collect and donate diapers and raise awareness of this critical need.”

More than 1,000 diapers were provided in the Keys and nearly 39,000 to the island. The organization maintains the only diaper bank in the area and handles 840,000 diapers every year.

“The city of Boca Raton applauds the efforts of the JLBR, which has organized the only diaper bank in Palm Beach County,” Weinroth said. “Like many of our community nonprofit agencies, the JLBR identified a problem not being fully addressed by a government entity and stepped in to meet this need.”

For information about donations, call 620-2553 or visit www.jlbr.org/impact/community-diaper-bank.

                                

The YMCA of South Palm Beach County surpassed its 2017 annual campaign goal of $510,000 and raised a record-setting $542,586, thanks to the support of more than 1,300 donors. Donations allow the YMCA to provide sports, education and training programs, as well as after-school and preschool. 

                                

The Alzheimer’s Association’s Walk to End Alzheimer’s at Mizner Park in Boca Raton raised $375,630.

 “I am passionate about helping to raise funds for Alzheimer’s research,” said Candy Cohn, owner of Oasis Senior Advisors South Florida, whose team raised almost $2,000 for the cause. “I have many clients with Alzheimer’s, and my two aunts had it, as well. Alzheimer’s drastically changes the quality of people’s lives in a short period of time, and it’s imperative that we find a cure.”

                                

For pashminas purchased either in-store or online, Evelyn & Arthur will donate 100 percent of the $28 price to selected charities each month this season. The December proceeds were to go to Little Smiles of Florida, a nonprofit that benefits children. In January, the color is pink, and proceeds will support Susan G. Komen’s Race for the Cure walks. Gift of Life Marrow Registry will be Evelyn & Arthur’s charity in February, and the pashmina color will be orange for National Cancer Prevention Month.

March is Women’s History Month, and the pashmina color choices will be red or winter white. Proceeds will support charities dedicated to empowering women to become leaders. April is Sexual Assault Awareness month, and the pashmina color will be teal. In May, the choice is green, and purchase of the pashminas will benefit “The Great Give” in Palm Beach and Martin counties.

Evelyn & Arthur is at 277 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan. 

                                

As part of its annual holiday food drive, the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches and Greater Fort Lauderdale’s Young Professionals Network collected and donated more than 2,500 pounds of food to local food banks.

                                

Lang Realty’s “Clean the Closet” clothing drive, which benefits Mary’s Closet at Women’s Circle, will run through January. The charity needs interview-appropriate apparel to help more than 350 women in Palm Beach County get jobs. To find a Lang Realty office to drop off donations, visit www.langrealty.com.

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

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7960758296?profile=originalEight to 12 care packages are mailed to U.S. service members every month as one of the community projects of the Highland Beach chapter of UNICO National. The most recent mailing was timed for Christmas. Members not only collect all of the items but also pay for the postage, which District Gov. Frank LoRe said has been offset by postal workers reaching into their own pockets to help the cause. ABOVE: (l-r) Donna Rizzo, Gail Guy, Marianne Regan, Josephine Armes, Susan Gengo and Ann Carro. Photo provided

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7960767258?profile=originalThe guest list numbered 165 at the resort’s La Coquille Club for a lavish celebration of the club’s 65th anniversary. La Coquille Club filed its application for incorporation in 1952, and today it has more than 300 members. ‘We are delighted to continue the tradition of the La Coquille Club here at Eau Palm Beach,’ club manager James Moran said. ‘We take pride in keeping that sense of serenity for our members 65 years later.’  ABOVE: Pat and Chauncey Johnstone. BELOW: Emmy and Franklin Haney. Photos provided by CAPEHART

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7960765070?profile=originalesLes Girls of Palm Beach, an international club of foreign-born women founded in 1972, celebrated the end of another season and the start of a new year of monthly meetings for members. Members, 54 in all, represent 31 countries and gather to foster friendship, understanding and an exchange of ideas. ABOVE: (l-r) Annie Schank (Canada), Maureen Hamilton (South Africa), Marcella DeMuth-Gintowt (Poland) and Sophia Isaac (England). Photo provided

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7960762670?profile=originalMore than 75 Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens supporters attended a special event featuring special guest William Eiland, author of Ann Weaver Norton, Sculptor. Eiland’s presentation was a nice complement to the gardens’ first exhibition of the 2017-18 season, Ann Weaver Norton: Gateways to Modernism, which ended in November. ‘Ann always insisted that her work was meant to coexist with nature, to unite with it as a barrier against the invasion of the artificial environment of tall condominium and superhighway,’ Eiland said. ABOVE: Katharine Dickenson and Frances Fisher. Photo provided

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7960757071?profile=originalPhilanthropists Henry and Marsha Laufer served as hosts of Palm Beach Opera’s 2018 debut, kicking off the company’s schedule and celebrating its Co-Producer Society members, Goldner Center for Children’s Opera Education supporters and supporters of the Benenson Young Artist and Apprentice Artist programs. ‘We are thrilled for the opportunity to celebrate those in our opera family whose incredible support allows us to provide extraordinary world-class art, high-quality artistic training and a lasting, meaningful impact on so many in our community,’ managing director David Walker said. ABOVE: (l-r) Andrew Simpson, Kelsey Robertson, Henry and Marsha Laufer and Chelsea Bonagura. Photo provided by Frank Ammaccapane/Natural Expressions NY

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7960755872?profile=originalNearly 200 guests toasted the 2017-18 season at the annual affair, which took place with a screening of Monty Python and the Holy Grail and a question-and-answer session with actor John Cleese. The evening provided an opportunity for the nonprofit performing-arts organization to thank donors for their ongoing support. ‘We applaud you for helping us fulfill our mission, and we look forward to another top-notch season with you,’ said Judith Mitchell, the center’s CEO.  ABOVE: Sunny and Gordon Gross. Photo provided by CAPEHART

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7960760471?profile=originalBlocking was a big part of the success of running back Devin Singletary, who ended the season with 32 touchdowns and 1,920 yards rushing.

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Howard Schnellenberger and Bobby Bowden, legendary former coaches with ties to the Boca Raton Bowl, took part in the pregame coin toss.

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 FAU cheerleaders have a tradition of running a school flag across the end zone after a score. Considering the 50-3 final, this one got quite the workout. Photos by Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

By Thom Smith

"Did you have to put up with what I just saw? It made me glad I’m not still coaching,” legendary FSU coach Bobby Bowden exclaimed —a slight smile on his face — in the elevator as he left the FAU stadium press box. The Akron Zips, coached by his son Terry, had been whomped, 50-3, by the hometown Owls in the Cheribundi Tart Cherry Boca Raton Bowl.
Bowden endured similar drubbings, albeit decades ago, and he knew what his son was going through. Like father like son, Terry stood tall at the postgame news conference: “That’s a butt-kicking we won’t forget.”
Gracious despite the result, the younger Bowden heaped praise on his opponent. “This is a great bowl, the perfect place for football,” he said. “Shoot, we’ve got 31 players from Florida, 11 from around here, but Florida Atlantic’s just a great place to build a program.”
Akron had quarterback Kato Nelson, who in 2015 led Broward County’s Flanagan High School to the state Class 8A championship. But FAU’s first-year coach Lane Kiffin had his team ready.
The game’s MVP, Jason Driskel, threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns and ran for 67 and two more scores. Even with the game firmly in hand, Kiffin kept many of his top players in the game, including Driskel, late into the fourth quarter, but Bowden answered simply, “It’s my job to keep down the score, not his.”
Kiffin, on the other hand, had praise for his players who rallied from only three wins last season to an 11-3 record and a 10-game winning streak. “Our defense played really well against a tough quarterback,” he said. “Our guys came out, played strong and finished that last half together. That was the best half we have ever played and they dominated.”
Before the Dec. 19 game, Kiffin was rewarded with a contract extension from five years to 10, an agreement finalized on game day by FAU President John Kelly and Board of Trustees Chairman Anthony Barbar.  
Kelly, wrapping up four years at FAU, graduated from and served as a vice president at last season’s national champion Clemson. He admitted he’d like to catch the Clemson-Alabama Sugar Bowl game, but his brother hadn’t been able to find any tickets.
“I’m staying here,” Kelly said. “Besides, we’ve got a lot of work to do here.”
Many skeptics believe Kiffin would leave in a whistle-blast for an offer from a top-10 program, but he insists he’s here for the duration. Besides, he has a $2.1 million house with Intracoastal access; his dad, Monte, and brother, Chris, are both on the coaching staff.
Kiffin and ex-wife Layla, the daughter of former Florida Gators quarterback John Reaves, have three children. Kiffin even had 9-year-old Knox speak at the postgame news conference.
For those who might be curious, Cheribundi Tart Cherry juice — only “Cheribundi” was painted on the stadium grass — is not 100 percent cherry. While the original juice contains no added sugars, fillers or preservatives, it does contain concentrated apple juice — “for sweetness.” Some other products contain stevia. But deep in the pit, it’s cherry.


***
Boca Raton may not be on the same playing field as Palm Beach or even Manalapan when it comes to expensive real estate, but it’s getting there. A six-bedroom, 11-bath, 10,684-square-foot Intracoastal palace at 850 NE Fifth Ave., only nine blocks north of Palmetto Park Road, is on the market for $16.5 million. The price includes a guest cottage, theater, tennis court, cabana, pool and spa on 3.3 acres, with dockage for a 120-foot yacht. The estate was built in 1987 by commercial real estate developer Robert Muir, who died last spring.
Coldwell Banker, billing it as the “only true trophy property” in Boca Raton, initially listed it at $19.995 million, up quite a bit from its appraised tax value of $7.9 million. By comparison, an 8,700-square-foot condo on the ocean just 10 blocks away owned by pro wrestling kingpin Vince McMahon and his wife, Linda, is valued at a mere $6 million.


***
Despite living in one of the most prosperous regions in the nation, more than 400,000 Palm Beach County residents live in poverty. Every month the Palm Beach County Food Bank serves more than 100,000 individuals through food pantries, soup kitchens and other services. But that food doesn’t come for free, and the money to buy it comes from a wide variety of activities and programs.
On Dec. 3 nearly 1,000 supporters gathered at Old School Square for the second year of Empty Bowls Delray Beach. For $25 each, they enjoyed a basic meal of soup and bread. The offerings, from more than 30 local restaurants, bakeries and providers, were anything but simple, ranging from chicken vegetable, split pea and potato bacon to red seafood chowder and coconut curry.
Proceeds from tickets and sales of bowls go to the Food Bank. The bowls were decorated by students from American Heritage, St. Joseph’s Episcopal, Gulf Stream and Pine Crest schools, Palm Beach State College and FAU, as well as Art-Sea Living and the Coral Lakes Pottery Club.
  7960760698?profile=originalVisitors from Miyazu, Japan, a Delray Beach sister city, enjoyed lunch at Caffe Luna Rosa. The gathering included (l-r) Masahito Tokuzawa, a Miyazu city employee; Kazuaki Ida; former Delray Mayor David Schmidt; Bonnie Beer, partner in Caffe Luna Rosa; Vin Nolan, interim CEO of the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce; Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein; Miyazu Mayor Shoji Inoue; Shinji Inomoto, a Miyazu city employee; Jimmy Mihori, a Sister Cities of Delray Beach board member; and Stephen Chrisanthus, associate director of the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative. Photo provided by Rich Pollack


In the first decade of the 20th century, a group of ambitious young men from Miyazu, Japan, arrived in Boca Raton to farm pineapple. Unfortunately for the Yamato Colony, their hopes were dashed by pineapple blight, cheaper Cuban fruit and ultimately World War II, when the Army took most of their land to build Boca’s air base.
George Morikami, however, remained … and prevailed. He continued to farm his own land and as the war wound down, bought more. Two decades later, he offered the land to the people of Delray Beach and Palm Beach County for a park. At first, Delray Beach rejected the offer, but it was finally accepted in 1973, and four years later the Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens opened.
To celebrate the Morikami’s 40th anniversary, Mayor Shoji Inoue paid an official visit to Delray Beach — his third — with a small delegation from Miyazu.
He was joined by Kazuaki Ida, grand-nephew of George Morikami, and Japan’s consul-general from Miami for a short visit. It included stops at City Hall, the tennis center and the Chamber of Commerce, where the discussion involved possible business exchange, and a reception at the Cornell Museum.
The visit included lunch at Caffe Luna Rosa with Mayor Cary Glickstein and former Mayor David Schmidt, who is president of Sister Cities of Delray Beach. “They have a lot of the same issues that we do,” Schmidt said.
As part of the Sister Cities program, next summer seven students from Atlantic High School will visit Miyazu, which sent seven students to Delray in October.


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Boca-born Funky Buddha, the largest craft beer producer in South Florida, has been sold. The buyer, Constellation Brands, controls a hundred or so brewer brands, including Corona and Modelo and at least one other craft brew, San Diego-based Ballast Point.
No word on the sale price, but Buddha is now brewed in Oakland Park by a workforce of 130 that produced an estimated 35,000 7960761254?profile=originalbarrels of beer in 2017. That’s just a few more bubbles in the Constellation stein (9,000-plus employees, 20 million barrels).
The good news is Ryan Sentz, Funky Buddha’s president and head brewer, and brother K.C. Sentz will continue to run the Buddha. Constellation’s move pales in comparison with those of Anheuser-Busch InBev. The maker of Bud, Stella Artois and Busch (is that really a beer?) has bought 10 craft brewers since 2011 and has indirect interest in four others.
In Tampa, Florida’s craft beer capital, Cigar City is the craft beer king. But in 2016 Oskar Blues, a Colorado-based craft brewery, bought controlling interest in Cigar City for $60 million while forming Canarchy, which calls itself  “a disruptive collective of independent brewers dedicated to bringing innovative flavors to beer drinkers in the name of craft.”


***
Meanwhile, craft brew fans who prefer to drink and not drive have a new choice — the Damn Good Beer Bus. Patrons have two options: The “public tour” ($59) offers north, central and South County tours of three breweries each plus four samples at each, behind-the-scenes tours and chats with brewery representatives.
A Sunday “Brew Loop” shuttle ($5 for unlimited rides) stops at Boynton Beach’s Copperpoint, Nobo, Due South and Devour at least four times (damngoodbeerbus.com).


  ***
With its new promotion, Ocean One, near the Intracoastal in Delray Beach, may need a beer bus to prevent DUIs. All drinks, all day are three-for-one. Three Cuervo Golds for $10; three Kahluas or Jack Daniels for $12; three Grand Marniers, Grey Gooses or Jamesons for $14. And all beers — domestic, imported or draft — $3.


  ***
Delray Beach Fashion Week celebrates its fifth year Jan. 24-28. The lineup: 42 retailers, 12 hair salons, 80 fashion models, four runway shows, a special boutique and, of course, one stiletto race. Most events are free, but runway seats are ticketed. A Passion VIP ticket offers seating at all four fashion shows, admission to a VIP reception, and a special swag-filled bag designed by Amanda Perna (valued at $150). 
Proceeds from Fashion Week, created by the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority and downtown businesses, benefit Achievement Centers for Children & Families and Arts Garage (downtowndelraybeach.com/events/delray-beach-fashion-week-2018).


***
With the likes of two-time Tony winners Brian Stokes Mitchell and Chita Rivera, the Kravis Center’s annual “Night of Stars” on Jan. 12 promises to be one of the best. With the recent addition to the bill of Angela Lansbury, it could become one for the ages. Tickets start at $50 (651-4320).

Thom Smith is a freelance writer who can be reached at thomsmith@ymail.com.
 
 
 
 

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7960766266?profile=originalThe Plate: Apple & Farro Salad, with arugula, dried cherries and pecans

The Place: Oceano Kitchen, 201 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana; www.oceanokitchen.com

The Price: $16 (cash only)

The Skinny: We came to love chef-owner Dak Kerprich for his quirky takes on pizza and other fare at this space’s former incarnations of Pizzeria Oceano and Jerk Oceano.

He sold the place this year to Jeremy and Cindy Bearman, who share his enthusiasm for fresh, locally sourced ingredients.

The menu changes daily, according to what’s available.

For our visit, we enjoyed this fresh salad, with slices of apple, crisp arugula, plus dried cherries and pecans, topped with farro — an ancient grain — and served with a shaving of pecorino and a drizzling of a buttermilk dressing.

I liked the nutty quality of the farro, which contrasted well with the sweet slices of apple and bits of dried cherry.

Also tasty: A pizza of Calabrese sausage and peppers that boasted a feather-light crust. 

It’s perfection, any way you slice it.

— Scott Simmons

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Wild Weather: Jan 2 beach conditions

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A man checks out the crashing wave on the north jetty of the Boynton Inlet on January 2. Strong winds and heavy waves produced wave that crashed at least 20 feet above the jetty.  Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

 

7960770465?profile=originalThree Palm Beach County employees wait for a wave to fall before dashing into the doors on the side of the sand transfer station at the Boynton Inlet on January 2.  Heavy surf and strong winds pounded the Jetty and forced the transfer station to pump sand to keep the inlet clear.  Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

7960770874?profile=originalA surfer checks out the waves and then decides to call it quits in South Palm Beach on January 2. Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

7960771297?profile=originalA fisherman heads to his car through beached sailboats after attempting to fish in the Atlantic Ocean in Delray Beach on January 2.  Heavy surf and blowing sand made the fishing more work than pleasure.  Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

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Powerful surf the at Lantana Beach the morning of Jan. 2 led lifeguards to fly double red flags, meaning no swimming. This view of the beach is looking south with the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in the background. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star
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By Rich Pollack


    “We will be respectful of one another, even when we disagree. We will direct all comments to the issues. We will avoid personal attacks. Politeness costs so little.”


    For years, Highland Beach Town Commission meetings have started with that civility pledge read by the town clerk.
    In recent months, however, civility among commissioners has been overshadowed by shouting, name calling and interruptions.
    The commission frequently splits 3-2 on issues, with Mayor Carl Feldman, Vice Mayor Bill Weitz and Commissioner George Kelvin voting one way, while commissioners Rhoda Zelniker and Elyse Riesa vote the other.  
    It has reached the point where residents have been speaking out, asking for an end to the discord, while letters from residents supporting one commissioner or another make their way to Town Hall.
    Now, after months of bickering and constant interruptions, commissioners are taking steps to restore calm and end the infighting.
    At a meeting late last month, commissioners agreed to accept an 11-page document of conduct guidelines prepared by the town attorney’s office.  
    In addition, the commission listened to a 20-minute presentation from Patricia McDougle, a professional registered parliamentarian, who explained appropriate parliamentary procedure.
    Feldman, who as mayor is charged with running commission meetings, said the outbursts had gotten to the point where commissioners had to take steps.
    “It’s definitely an issue and it has to be taken care of, but it has to be taken care of the right way,” he said.
    Having the code of conduct report from the attorney and having the presentation on parliamentary procedure, he said, are steps in the right direction.
    “In the past, there have been disagreements but we always agreed to disagree,” Feldman said. “We have to return to the civility of working together.”
    While there has been dissension on previous commissions — commissioners read the civility pledge now because of earlier dysfunction — the current discord reached new heights months after the March municipal election in which Feldman was elected mayor, Zelniker was re-elected and Riesa was elected to the commission seat vacated by Feldman when he resigned to run for mayor.
“I have never seen the dissension and discord handed to another mayor in the 17 years I have been working with past mayors and elected officials,” Feldman said.
The infighting includes accusations of harassment, bullying and disrespect against Weitz for a tirade of criticism and comments leveled at Riesa earlier last month, as well as counter claims by Weitz arguing that Riesa has harassed, disrespected and bullied staff and at least one vendor who appeared before the commission.
In the written conduct guidelines for elected officials, prepared by Acting Town Attorney Pamala Ryan, a common theme throughout is the need for respect.
    “Demonstrating respect for each individual through words and actions is the touchstone that can help guide elected officials to do the right thing in even the most difficult situations,” according to the guidelines.
    The guidelines for interaction between commissioners reiterate the need for respect and admonish elected officials to avoid making belligerent, personal, impertinent, slanderous, threatening, abusive or disparaging comments.
    “No shouting, pointing, or physical actions that could be construed as threatening will be tolerated,” the guidelines state.
    The guidelines also spell out the need for commissioners to be respectful of town employees and of the public when interacting with members of either group whether in public or private.
    While the guidelines are short on specifics about what actions could be taken should a commissioner or commissioners fail to meet them, they do spell out in broad terms possible sanctions.
    “Elected officials who intentionally and repeatedly do not follow proper conduct may be reprimanded or formally censured by the Town Commission,” the report states. “Serious infractions could lead to other sanctions as deemed appropriate by the commission, including referring matters to the Palm Beach County Ethics Commission or the state of Florida Ethics Commission.”
    During their meeting in late November, commissioners agreed in principle to the guidelines, but there were indications some members of the commission, including Riesa, would like to see stronger sanctions against those who don’t abide by the conditions outlined.
Commissioners will be submitting recommendations to Ryan in the next few weeks and are expected to revisit the guidelines in January.
“After hearing the presentation by Patricia McDougle and receiving the guidelines from the town attorney’s office, conducting ourselves by these guidelines should help eliminate discord and dissension,” Feldman said.
    The presentation by McDougle and guidelines followed comments at an earlier meeting from resident Carol Stern, whose husband, Lou Stern, served on the commission until shortly before his death in February.
    “Highland Beach is a small, beautiful community and it should be run and taken care of without the chaos that is being seen at these meetings,” she said.
    Stern called out the commission for being argumentive and “not nice to each other” or to others who speak in the public setting.
    “This is not to say that you are not good intending people,” she said. “But you have to turn down the animosity.” 

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By Mary Hladky

    Boca Raton City Council members asked the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics to clarify if Mayor Susan Haynie can vote on matters coming before the council that involve James Batmasian, the city’s largest commercial landowner.
    They also want more transparency about how to handle potential conflicts of interest involving council members.
    These issues arose after a Nov. 5 Palm Beach Post report found that a property management firm — Community Reliance — owned by Haynie and her husband, Neil, has been paid $12,000 a year since 2010 by the master association of Tivoli Park, a 1,600-unit apartment complex in Deerfield Beach.
    Batmasian and his wife, Marta, own 80 percent of the Tivoli Park units, and five of the six Tivoli board members work for the Batmasians’ company, Investments Limited, the Post reported.
    Haynie has denied that she acted improperly, noting that she requested an opinion from the ethics commission on whether she could vote.
The article raises the question of whether Haynie has a conflict of interest in voting on matters involving the Batmasians and if she should recuse herself. Haynie has cast at least 12 votes on such matters, according to the Post.
    Haynie was one of the registered agents for Community Reliance, but her name was removed last year. About half her votes took place after Haynie left the company, the Post reported. Palm Beach County’s ethics code prohibits an official from casting a vote that benefits a spouse.
    The commission determined in 2013 that there was an “insufficient nexus” among the Batmasians, the master association and an issue coming before the City Council for Haynie to be prohibited from voting. But in that specific case, Batmasian was neither the applicant nor the developer.

7960764453?profile=originalA county ethics investigator has filed a public records request for some of Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie’s emails.  Haynie said earlier that she relied on legal guidance before voting on issues that might have raised questions about conflicts of interest.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star


    “I have always followed the process and relied on professional legal guidance,” Haynie said at a Nov. 13 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting at which ethics issues were discussed. “As an elected official, I have a responsibility to vote if there is no conflict. And that’s what I was advised to do.”
    Yet Mark Bannon, the commission’s executive director, signaled in advance that the commission would not revisit its 2013 opinion.
“We would not be able to give an ethics opinion about an ethics opinion,” he said after the Nov. 13 meeting.
In a Nov. 28 letter to City Manager Leif Ahnell, Bannon confirmed that, saying that an ethics opinion must be requested by the public official or employee who is affected, and not by the entire city council. As a result, the ethics commission can not “affirm or re-address” its 2013 opinion, he said.
Asked after the Nov. 13 meeting if the opinion allowed Haynie to vote on projects the Batmasians are involved in, Bannon said “no.” He then added, “That opinion is a very narrow opinion. It talked about a specific circumstance. That does not mean anything [Haynie] has done violates that opinion.”
But a commission investigator has filed a public records request with the city. Abigail Irizarry asked for copies of emails from Haynie, Boca Raton City Attorney Diana Grub Frieser and Joshua Koehler between January and December 2013 that contain 7960764862?profile=originalcertain key words. She also requested all site approval plans from January 2013 until this November containing many of the same key words. Those key words include Batmasian and Investments Limited.
Koehler was not identified in the request, but a Joshua Koehler was Boca Raton’s senior assistant city attorney as of Oct. 19.
Bannon would not comment on the records request. But he did say the commission has the authority to investigate if it gets new information, including from a media report. He would not comment on whether the Post article was sufficient to spark an inquiry.
Council member Andrea O’Rourke asked for the matter to be placed on the Nov. 13 meeting agenda.
“This is something we cannot ignore,” she said at that meeting, adding that many matters coming before the council directly or indirectly involve the Batmasians.
O’Rourke called for a review by an outside agency other than the ethics commission.
    She also expressed concern that the council never knew Haynie requested an ethics opinion. “Should we not have known about this?” she asked.
 7960764690?profile=original   O’Rourke is an ally of Al Zucaro, and was editor of his BocaWatch blog, which is often critical of the council, until she resigned in September 2016 to run for City Council. Haynie defeated Zucaro in the March mayoral election. She has since announced she is a candidate for the Palm Beach County Commission seat being vacated by term-limited Steven Abrams, a former Boca Raton mayor.
    Zucaro filed a complaint with the Florida Commission on Ethics against Haynie in April accusing her of failing to disclose her interest in Community Reliance. That complaint is pending.
    Zucaro was critical of the council’s decision to seek a review of the opinion by the county’s ethics commission.
    “They kicked the ball over to somebody else because they are impotent in not wanting to address this issue in the city,” he said after the Nov. 13 meeting. “They have the responsibility for bringing this forward and taking appropriate action. … They should be looking at it themselves.”
    O’Rourke also has been caught up in the ethics quandary, although she insists she has done nothing wrong. Her husband, George O’Rourke, is employed by Merrill Lynch and served as financial adviser to the Batmasians until his wife won election to the council in March.
Andrea O’Rourke requested an opinion from the ethics commission, which determined she had no conflict of interest because her husband no longer advises the Batmasians, she said at the meeting. She said she recused herself from a June 12 vote on a matter involving the Batmasians before the opinion was issued “to avoid the appearance of impropriety.”
    O’Rourke and council member Robert Weinroth were critical of how Frieser handled on Haynie’s behalf the request for the ethics opinion.
Frieser disputed Weinroth’s contention that she pushed hard to get an opinion that allowed Haynie to cast votes.
“I don’t think the city attorney has done our mayor any favors in being as aggressive as she was in pushing for a ruling that eventually allowed the mayor to vote,” Weinroth said.
Frieser denied that she sought an outcome that favored Haynie, saying she simply notified the ethics commission of relevant legal issues.
    “My goal was to act as an objective and neutral city attorney,” she said.
    Frieser approached the ethics commission in 2011 and obtained an informal opinion that Haynie had no conflict of interest. In 2013, Haynie asked her to seek a formal written opinion. A draft opinion found Haynie could vote, but included a recommendation that she abstain based on an “appearance of impropriety.”
    Frieser responded, saying why she thought the recommendation was not warranted. More back-and-forth followed over five months until the final opinion determined Haynie could vote.
    The first draft opinion said Haynie could vote, as did the final opinion.
    “There is nothing I did that altered that,” she said.
    With public scrutiny on Haynie and what other members of the council will do about it, council members agreed that they needed to be more transparent on ethics matters.
    Council member Scott Singer proposed, and other members supported, measures aimed at keeping themselves and the pubic informed.
They include notifying each council member and the public when one of them requests an ethics opinion, when any additional communication about the request takes place, when an ethics opinion is issued, identifying in requests for opinions the person seeking the opinion and bringing in an ethics expert to give guidance to the council. When the proposals came back to the council on Nov. 28, they were expanded to include restrictions on outside attorneys advising the city on ethics issues.
Attorneys could not be hired if they had participated in a city political campaign or made a campaign contribution six months before they are retained and for six months after their work is done. Attorneys also will be ineligible if they have served as an officer or director of a “political committee” or “electioneering communications organization” involving a city issue or campaign during the time they work for the city and six months afterwards.
During discussion about the proposals, O’Rourke said the proposed time restrictions were too short, and suggested they apply for six years before an attorney is retained and six years after their work is done
Other council members agreed changes should be made, with specifics to be worked out when the council votes on the proposals at its next meeting.
Investments Limited is primarily known as a buyer and seller of properties. But it also has been a developer.  Most recently, the company submitted plans for redevelopment of two portions of its Royal Palm Place, a 14-acre downtown destination featuring retail and restaurants.
Investments Limited describes the property as the “crown jewel” of its property portfolio. Plans call for two buildings with luxury rentals, retail, restaurants and parking.

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7960757899?profile=original327 Royal Palm, a 100-foot-tall, 24-unit condo just south of East Palmetto Park Road, is among the smallest of the new buildings. Only about 17 percent of space available for downtown development remains. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Projects underway viewed as last big wave

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By Mary Hladky

    When the fierce battle over the Mizner 200 luxury condominium ended in August, it was almost possible to hear downtown residents and people opposed to development breathe a sigh of relief.
    The 384-unit project became a flashpoint for many people upset by what they saw as aggressive developers pushing too many big buildings that were bringing more traffic and changing the character of the city.
    So the ultimately amicable resolution of the Mizner 200 fight — with downtown activists winning concessions on the project’s design and landscaping — felt like a coda to downtown redevelopment.
    But it’s not over yet, and that concerns downtown activists like James Hendrey, who sees even more density in the city’s future.
He points to the proposed redevelopment of Royal Palm Place. Plans call for nearly 300 luxury rental units, retail and restaurants, and that’s before the landowner has unveiled plans for the remainder of the large property.
“Are the roads any wider? No.” Hendrey said.
His concerns include the need for new infrastructure, more open space and making downtown more walkable.
What he’d love to hear city officials say to developers: “Until you do the infrastructure, we don’t even want you to come before us with a project.”
    The city started with 8 million square feet available for downtown development, but as of the end of last year, 1.4 million square feet, or about 17 percent, remained available for development. The city won’t update that number until next year, but officials predict the remainder will be exhausted within a few years.

7960758483?profile=originalTower 155 on East Boca Raton Road is designed to reach the 140-foot height limit for that area. The building will hold luxury condos, shops and restaurants. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star


    Rising from the ground now are 170-unit Tower 155 luxury condo at 199 E. Boca Raton Road and the 24-unit 327 Royal Palm luxury condo at 327 E. Royal Palm Road.
    Two other projects join Mizner 200, located on nearly 9 acres along Southeast Mizner Boulevard, as approved but not yet built.
    While the first phase of Via Mizner, 366 apartments at Camino Real and Federal Highway, is finished, two other phases are coming. Boca Raton-based Penn-Florida companies will now build a 164-room Mandarin Oriental hotel, 85 condos in The Residences at Mandarin Oriental and 41,706 square feet of shops and restaurants.
    375 Royal Palm, the first assisted-living facility to be built in eastern Boca Raton, will have 193 luxury units at 375 E. Royal Palm Road.

But wait, there’s more
    Additional proposals are seeking city approvals.
    Camino Square, just north of West Camino Real and west of Dixie Highway, would replace a dilapidated shopping center where a now-shuttered Winn-Dixie sits.
    The project would include two eight-story buildings with 350 luxury apartments, as well as two parking garages with 631 spaces and a public dog park. The buildings would rise 77 feet, well below the 100-foot limit permitted in that part of downtown.
    It is being developed by FCI Residential Corp., a subsidiary of sugar producer Florida Crystals Corp.
    475 Royal Palm is proposed by Boca-based Group P6, the same developer behind 327 Royal Palm. It would include three buildings at nine stories with 48 luxury condos.
    The number of condos could decrease if buyers elect to combine units. Rising to 100 feet, the buildings will comply with city height limits.
    The project also would include 217 spaces in underground parking to service the condos and a nearby Morgan Stanley office building.
    Group P6 has proposed yet another project, the second one downtown focusing on retirees.
    Concierge, at 22 SE Sixth St., west of Federal Highway, would have 110 units, of which 20 would be for memory care, 44 for assisted living and 46 for independent living. The 127 parking spaces would be underground and the project, at nine stories, is within the city’s height limits.
    Concierge differentiates itself from 375 Royal Palm by having independent living. But like 375 Royal Palm, it will have deluxe amenities such as restaurants, a spa and salon, Zen garden and concierge services. It touts its location near restaurants, shopping and cultural venues.
    Investments Limited, owned by James Batmasian, is the city’s largest owner of commercial properties downtown. The company has plans for two portions of the 14-acre Royal Palm Place that would dramatically change the look of the longtime shopping and dining destination.
    Investments Limited has proposed two buildings. One would include 69 luxury rental units, 11,156 square feet of retail and restaurants and parking for 301 cars. The second would have 220 luxury rentals, 4,560 square feet of retail and restaurants and parking for 500 cars.
    The redevelopment plans are aimed at transforming Royal Palm Place, built in 1966, into an urban center that meets demands of retail and restaurant tenants, while including landscaped outdoor areas that can host special events.


City plans uncertain
    Meanwhile, the city is thinking about how to create a downtown government campus on the nearly 30 city-owned acres around City Hall.
    What will be included is still a work in progress, but one possibility is building a performing arts center.
    City residents have been asked for their input, and City Council members are expected to start making decisions soon.
    The Related Group, South Florida’s largest luxury condo developer also known for its large mixed-use projects, approached the city in July with the offer of a swap. It would build a 1,500-seat indoor performing arts center and adjacent parking garage in the campus, in return for 3.6 city-owned acres in Mizner Park, where the developer would tear down the aging outdoor amphitheater and build as many as 400 residential units, retail space and a parking garage that the public could use.
    City officials have not closed the door to some sort of eventual deal although they want to keep the amphitheater in Mizner Park. At the Nov. 27 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting, council members said they will consider a redesign of the building or the addition of a retractable roof.
    The downtown has transformed dramatically over the past four years, with the addition of the 261-unit Camden Boca Raton rentals, the mixed-use Mark at CityScape, the 200-room Hyatt Place, the 378-unit Palmetto Promenade rentals and townhomes, the 229-unit Boca City Walk rentals and the Via Mizner rentals.
    That is exactly what city officials intended in 1982, when they created a redevelopment plan to breathe life into a moribund downtown. Through a resolution and ordinances, they established conditions for downtown development that allowed the 8 million square feet of construction.
    In 1989, the city partnered with Crocker & Company to acquire and develop the former Boca Mall site, and Mizner Park opened in 1991 as the first project to launch a revitalized downtown.

Building pace likely to slow
    But officials expect the pace of development to slow, and it is doubtful other large-scale projects such as Mizner 200 will be built unless the city changes its rules.
    “I can already see the slowing of it somewhat,” said architect Derek Vander Ploeg. “The development community says the low-hanging fruit has been picked.”
    He can envision the construction of one or two more hotels, some office space, and a limited number of condos and rental units.
    Keith O’Donnell, a principal with the commercial real estate firm Avison Young, expects to see some smaller boutique projects until all the 8 million square feet is gone.
    “I think it is highly unlikely there would be a big push beyond what we already have because that is what people voted for,” he said, referring to an ordinance approved in 1993 that incorporated the 8 million-square-foot limit. “I haven’t heard anyone talk of expanding the 8 million square feet.”
    Ignacio Diaz, co-owner and director of developer Group P6, agrees that the downtown’s growth spurt is nearing its end.
    “I do think development is going to slow down in downtown Boca,” he said. “There is enough capacity being created. There are not that many development rights left.”

Midtown area may be next
    Diaz sees large-scale development moving elsewhere, and points to the Midtown project proposed by Crocker Partners on 300 acres between Interstate 95 and the Town Center at Boca Raton.
    Midtown is envisioned as a “live, work, play” area, with 2,500 residential units in a transit-oriented development where people will live and walk or take shuttles to their jobs in the area, shopping and restaurants. It has run into opposition by city officials, but negotiations are ongoing.
    “The next big thing to happen in the city is Midtown,” Diaz said. “It has huge development potential. It is vastly underdeveloped.”

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When The Coastal Star started publishing back in 2008, the downtowns of Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach were hopping on the weekends and holidays, but pretty quiet the rest of the time. Atlantic Crossing in Delray Beach was still being proposed as Atlantic Plaza II, construction had just begun on Las Ventanas (now called One Boynton) in Boynton Beach, and a downtown advisory committee had recently been established as a “means to obtain input and recommendations on the present and future and redevelopment of downtown Boca Raton.”
    When the stock market crashed on Sept. 29 and the bubbling champagne of real estate speculation turned to molasses, project plans were put on hold as financing became difficult.
    As a result, the downtown areas sat quiet for a few years until the market began its gradual climb back to today’s astronomical heights. As the market reached for the sky, so did downtown development. Now the construction crane is omnipresent along the Federal Highway corridor.
    With this downtown building boom have come controversy and lawsuits, nasty politics and community organizing. Through all the battles, the construction has continued and by the end of 2018, these downtown areas will be vastly changed from what they were in 2008.
    Those of us who live across the bridges from the rising downtown construction recognize the benefits of this development to the larger cities. We know that an increased tax base helps pay for public services. Since those of us on the barrier island depend on the public services provided by the cities across the bridges, we know that quality of service matters.
    And we don’t want blight along the north/south corridor. We want safe, compelling, walkable downtowns with friendly, public areas. Many of the developments rising across the bridges are trying to work with their neighbors to build something acceptable to current residents as well as new. Some are not.
    With this edition we begin a three-part series on the maturing of the downtown areas of Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. We are taking a close look at the current status of the building boom and projected growth.
    With 2018 just around the corner, it’s a good time to look at this urban growth and the impact it will have on the face and pace of our coastal communities in the coming decade.



— Mary Kate Leming, Editor

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7960767091?profile=originalJoe and Toni Mastrullo have become active at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in its Care Ministry, as well as in the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Janis Fontaine

Joe Mastrullo says he works harder now than he ever has before.
    When Mastrullo, of Boynton Beach, retired about 11 years ago at age 72, he knew he wanted to do a little volunteer work, but he wanted flexible hours.
    As members of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach, he and Toni, his wife of nearly 50 years, learned about the SVF Care Ministry at a parish fair, and Joe decided to join.
    The ministry is a 24/7 hotline that provides temporary assistance to poor and disadvantaged people in Delray Beach, with a commitment to help all in need, regardless of nationality or creed. “We provide assistance with rent, food, clothes, housing and utilities. There’s such a big need,” Joe Mastrullo said.
    All kinds of people call in looking for help, and each Care Ministry volunteer is responsible for a shift of calls. The money the ministry distributes comes from poor boxes and collection plate offerings a few times a year. But no one gets cash or a check. Payments are made to service providers directly, and if the Care Ministry can’t help the caller, it can usually refer the caller to other organizations that may be able to help.
    In the decade or so since he joined, the former telecommunications sales exec who just wanted a little part-time gig got hooked on helping others. With his strong affinity for numbers and his logical mind, he helped shore up the Care Ministry’s infrastructure as its treasurer, and he helped establish guidelines and streamline procedures, so the ministry could function at its best.
Once a week, the 20 or so care ministers meet as a group to compare notes and discuss difficult cases. It’s no surprise Joe Mastrullo, a natural leader, has a voice there.
    Once they got a taste of volunteering, Joe and Toni, who isn’t retired, wanted to do more. So about five years ago — when the couple was invited to join the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem, Knights Hospitaller, an ecumenical Christian order focused on helping sick and poor people — they accepted the honor and the responsibility with humility.  The order dates back some 900 years.
    Today, the growing Palm Beach Commandery has 68 members. Toni Mastrullo is its commander. Part of the Commandery’s responsibility is to support smaller local charities such as the Florida Outreach Center for the Blind and One Love — One Community Foundation, which provides school clothes for children in Palm Beach County. The Mastrullos each have their own pet projects.
    Joe Mastrullo collects clothes, food and household items for churches in Belle Glade and Pahokee. Every week, he brings carloads of goods to Father Morales St. Hiliare of First Haitian Baptist Church of Belle Glade, who never met a donation he didn’t want. Bags and boxes disappear in no time.
Recipients are polite, grateful and needy. May is the annual food drive, and Joe and Toni hope to collect 1,000 bags of food for the next one.
 “Last year, I drove about 50,000 miles,” he said.
    Toni Mastrullo has a soft spot for shoes. She’s a member of the board of directors of In Jacob’s Shoes, a charity formed in memory of 17-year-old Jacob Zweig by his parents, Harlene and Murray, in 2009. The nonprofit provides new and gently used shoes, backpacks, school supplies and athletic gear to South Florida children in need.
 Toni Mastrullo is a clever fundraiser, holding bake-less cake sales (you just donate the amount you would have spent on ingredients, plus a little) and shoe-cleaning parties (volunteers arrive to clean donated shoes for redistribution, and enjoy wine, cheese and good humor for their troubles).
    Joe Mastrullo says, “You start spreading the word, you keep finding people who are willing to help.”
    It’s in their hearts to help, Toni Mastrullo says.
 “Our faith has always been strong,” Joe Mastrullo says. “But you can’t explain how good it makes you feel when you help someone less fortunate.”
Joe says even folks who claim they are too busy are suddenly asking what they can do. So, the duo keeps encouraging people to help, and leading by example. “We tell the story, and if they take to it, great.”
    Joe says sometimes people don’t realize what they have. That stray can of peas in the pantry, those too-small shirts in the closet don’t seem like much by themselves, but to someone living on the edge, it’s dinner or clean clothes.
    Little things add up and even small kindnesses make a difference. As Joe says, “We’re not huge, but we’re mighty.” 

How to Contribute
Have items to donate? Call Joe Mastrullo at 445-1558. Monetary donations can be mailed to Commander Toni Mastrullo at 7036 Vesuvio Place, Boynton Beach, FL 33437.

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