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11004856475?profile=RESIZE_710xFor Christmas a few years ago, the author was given the ‘50th Anniversary Ultimate Collector’s Edition’ of Ben-Hur. It’s one of her favorite movies of all time. Photo provided

 

By Janis Fontaine

My introduction to God didn’t come from my parents or from church. I grew up in a non-religious family where no one talked about God. We didn’t say grace before meals, or prayers before bed. We didn’t go to church on Sunday mornings. We didn’t even have a copy of the Bible in our house.
Other than knowing instinctively that my heart was full of God’s love — my mother says I was born spiritual — I received my first information about God via movies on TV.
I don’t remember the first time I saw Ben-Hur. The 1959 film was routinely shown each Easter. It took several years before I fully understood it. (There were no videos to rewind and watch again.)
Ben-Hur isn’t about Jesus’ life, but his influence permeates the film. I recently learned that the book on which the film is based — Lew Wallace’s 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ — was called “the most influential Christian book of the 19th century” in an essay from the National Endowment for the Humanities.
Ben-Hur was the top-selling book in the United States from the time it was published until Gone with the Wind was published in 1936. When the religious epic won 11 Academy Awards, the book surged back to the top of the bestseller lists.
The end of Ben-Hur coincides with Christ’s crucifixion. Judah Ben-Hur recognizes Jesus as the man who, years before, had given him water as he was being dragged in chains to serve Rome rowing endlessly in the belly of a warship. Judah is stunned to hear Christ asking for God’s forgiveness for the men who are savaging him.
As Christ dies, a tempest sweeps across the land with a lightning storm and a terrifying darkness like night. Esther and Judah’s mother and sister have taken refuge in a cave. The women begin crying out in pain, but when the light returns, the women see the deadly leprosy has been healed. The intense musical score reaches a crescendo and the sun rises on a new day, the first day where sin is no longer a death sentence. God’s loving, forgiving, omnipotent presence spreads like the sunlight across the whole world. The end.
You’ll have to set aside a good amount of time to watch Ben-Hur. Even if you skip the overture,  intermission, and entr’acte, its running time is 212 minutes.

Other choices
11004857072?profile=RESIZE_180x180Easter is April 9 this year, and Pastor Andy Hagen of Advent Church likes a little lighter fare in films with that theme. “I have always had a tie for best Easter11004857871?profile=RESIZE_180x180movie: Jesus Christ Superstar and Godspell. Both came out in 1973 when I was a teenager and made the story I knew from Sunday School come alive for me. I remember sneaking out of church to listen to the music in the church parking lot!”
The musicals went a long way toward educating kids growing up in the ’70s about the Lord and they brought new, modern music to the church. I Don’t Know How to Love Him was a Billboard Hot 100 chart hit for both Yvonne Elliman and Helen Reddy and paved the way for Christian pop.
Father Kevin McQuone, the spiritual director and assistant professor of pastoral theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, says Mel Gibson’s bloody epic starring Jim Caviezel as Jesus had a long-lasting effect on him.
“The Passion of the Christ is one of the most profound (films) to help me enter into Good Friday. While it is very graphic and hard to watch, I appreciate how it helps me know the greatness of the price that Jesus paid because it reaffirms how much I am loved and how greatly I am valued by God.”
Happy Easter.


Top 5 Easter dramas
In a quick survey of 15 diverse ‘Best Easter Movies’ lists published online, and excluding animated films with bunnies, the top five Easter dramas are:

• The Passion of the Christ (2004)
• Ben-Hur (1959)
• The Greatest Story Ever Told (1965)
• Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
• Risen (2016)

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.

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11004855057?profile=RESIZE_710xViolinist David Lisker will perform April 18 at ‘Echoes of Hope,’ a concert put on by the Center for Jewish Engagement at Zinman Hall west of Boca Raton. Photo provided

The Center for Jewish Engagement, a program of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, will host a concert at 6 p.m. April 18. “Echoes of Hope” features the music of eight Jewish composers murdered during the Holocaust and one who survived.
The concert commemorates Yom HaShoah Ve-Hagevurah, the remembrance day of the Holocaust and the Jewish Memorial Day for the Shoah, which begins the evening of April 17 and ends the evening of April 18.
The program includes selections from string quartets by Erwin Schulhoff; songs by Ilse Weber, Pavel Haas, and Carlo Taube; movements from string trios by Hans Krasa and Gideon Klein; the first movement of Piano Sonata No. 7 by Viktor Ullmann; and popular works by Joseph Achron and Ernest Bloch.
Violinist David Lisker, a Juilliard graduate, is the featured performer. Also performing: violinist Regi Papa, violist Katarzyna Bryla, cellist Michael Katz, soprano Leila Bowie, and pianist Renana Gutman.
The concert takes place in Zinman Hall on the Jewish Federation campus, 9901 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton. Tickets are $18 at https://jewishboca.org/events/echoes-of-hope. For more info, call 561-852-3173.

Tribute to Howard McCall
The Boca Raton Historical Society, in association with St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, will host a special program from 6-8 p.m. April 13 on Howard McCall, the beloved church member who died in 2011 at 88 after battling pancreatic cancer.
Called “the architect of St. Gregory’s,” Mr. McCall was an important preservationist. His company, McCall and Lynch, Architects and Planners, designed many of the homes in Royal Palm Yacht Club and Camino Gardens, as well as the Royal Palm and Fifth Avenue shopping centers. But he’s most loved as the man who designed St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church.
This program is offered in conjunction with MiMo in Boca Raton, an exhibit at the Historical Society museum.
A tour of the church sanctuary, at 100 NE Mizner Blvd., begins at 6 p.m. with guides Howard “Buzz” McCall Jr. and Derek Vander Ploeg.
Then a lecture by architect Anthony Abbate, a professor at FAU, takes place in Harris Hall.
The event is free for Boca Raton Historical Society and St. Gregory’s members, $10 for non-members. Reservations are required at 561-395-6766.
For more information, visit www.BocaHistory.org.

Chocolate lovers wanted
Cason United Methodist Church members declare that this is the season of love and they’re celebrating with chocolate!
Anyone with a signature dessert or favorite homemade chocolate confection is invited to showcase the delicacy at the Cason Chocopalooza at 6 p.m. April 14 at the church.
To earn a chance to be crowned the Cason Chocopalooza champ for 2023 (and win a gift card), entrants must provide two full-size servings of their succulent sweets. One will be tasted and the other will be auctioned off. A $10 entry fee is required. Judges will include local community leaders.
Interested in tasting? For $10, sample all the entries and bid on your favorite.
Proceeds benefit the missions and ministries of Cason UMC. Chocopalooza takes place in Fellowship Hall at the church, 342 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
To register or to purchase tasting tickets, visit www.casonumc.org/chocopalooza.

Music at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church hosts the finalists from the Lynn University Conservatory of Music 2023 Chamber Music Competition as its guest performers at 3 p.m. April 16 at the church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
The next Music at St. Paul’s concert is May 7 and features the Delray String Quartet. For more information, call 561-278-6003 or visit https://musicstpauls.org.
Book club meets
The Rev. Todd Petty of Church of the Palms leads a monthly book club that discusses novels with deep meaning. The book for April is The People We Keep, by Allison Larkin.
The club meets at 11:15 a.m. April 23 at the church, 1960 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Call 561-276-6347 or visit www.churchofthepalms.net.

Cinco de Mayo
The Knights of Columbus hosts a Cinco de Mayo dinner and dance party, 6-10 p.m. May 5 in the Parish Center at St. Mark Catholic Church, 643 St. Mark Place, Boynton Beach. Tickets are $35.
Raffles are also planned. Proceeds support the KOC charities. Call 561-734-9330 or visit www.stmarkboynton.com.


— Janis Fontaine

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By Arden Moore

I recently traveled to New Orleans to speak at a professional pet sitters conference. The auditorium was filled with people dedicated to caring for other people’s cats, dogs, birds, chickens, horses, hamsters, and even tortoises and snakes.
My talk focused on giving practical pet first-aid tips and tricks to the attendees, who are often regarded as “aunts” and “uncles” to their clients’ cherished pets.
As a profession, pet sitting is not that old. Many credit Patti Moran, the founder of Pet Sitters International, for starting this industry in 1983 when she began charging money for caring for other people’s pets in their homes.
Up until then, most people with pets would ask the neighbor kid or a family member to make sure their pets were fed while they left for a business trip or a vacation.
She launched PSI, now a global organization, in 1994. An equally major organization is called the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters.
Speed forward to 2023. Pet sitting is a recognized profession. Why, there is even a National Professional Pet Sitters Week celebrated each March. Some professional pet sitting companies staff dozens of employees, and some sitters earn six figures.
As we climb out of the coronavirus mess, many pet parents are finally taking a long cruise or global excursion, but they do not want to leave the care of their pets to just anyone. If you are like me — and I am betting you are — your pets are beloved family members who unleash unconditional love. My four cats and two dogs are my most priceless assets.
With pets gaining in popularity, the demand for pet caretakers who are insured, licensed, bonded and certified in pet behavior and safety is on the rise.
But what does it take to be a professional pet sitter? And what motivates a person to leave the corporate world to run a company focused on caring for the pets of others?
For answers, I reached out to a few professional pet sitters in Palm Beach County.
Jill Merjeski operates the award-winning Jill’s Next Door Dog Walking & Pet Services LLC in Highland Beach. Debra Kossoff specializes in providing overnight sitting as the solo entrepreneur of Debra’s Dog Den in Delray Beach. Denise Purificato is celebrating her 16th year as owner of A Best Friend Pet Sitting Inc. in Delray Beach.

A Best Friend Pet Sitting, Delray Beach
Purificato was inspired to start her pet care business when her family had nine pets — two dogs, five cats and two horses — and she had to find someone trustworthy to care for them while the family went on vacation.
She cares for many older pets or ones with medical needs. That means knowing how to properly give medications and recognizing any age-related changes in pets that she can pass on to her clients.
“I’ve cared for senior pets who had cataracts, have become blind or just have difficulty seeing,” she says. “Some older dogs may have difficulty walking, so I will guide them or carry them outside when possible.”
One of the rewards of her job is winning trust from her clients.
Purificato says, “I have enjoyed developing a bond of trust with my clients and when they travel, they love the updates and photos I send that show that their animals are comfortable, safe and doing well.”

 

11004851294?profile=RESIZE_710xJill Merjeski provides verified GPS-timed visits by her sitters to clients’ homes. ‘We are licensed, bonded and we rely on the latest technology to communicate with our clients,’ she says of her company, Jill’s Next Door Dog Walking & Pet Services.

Jill’s Next Door Dog Walking & Pet Services, Highland Beach
Jill Merjeski left a career as a senior academic adviser at Drexel University in Philadelphia to launch her pet sitting business in Palm Beach County in 2016. Four years later, her company was named Pet Advocate of the Year by Pet Sitters International and last year, her company was tabbed as the Best Palm Beach County Pet Sitters by The Palm Beach Post.
“These are big honors, especially considering we started from nothing,” says Merjeski. “I am always educating people that my company is part of a professional association that provides continual education and certifications to its members. We are licensed, bonded and we rely on the latest technology to communicate with our clients.”
Merjeski uses software called Time to Pet that provides verified GPS-timed visits by her sitters to clients’ homes, sends out texts and emails to clients and enables clients to schedule or pay invoices online.
“This software gives clients the peace of mind of knowing where their pets are, who is caring for them during what time and much more,” says Merjeski.
Her company also offers a taxi service to shuttle pets to veterinary or grooming appointments or to pick up pets at day cares when their pet parents find themselves working late.
Although she enjoyed her academic career, she loves running a professional pet sitting business.
“The best thing I love about pet sitting is the freedom I have, plus the opportunity to work with animals,” says Merjeski. “I create jobs that people love and support.”

11004850670?profile=RESIZE_710xDebra Kossoff owns Debra’s Dog Den in Delray Beach, providing overnight sitting for her clients. ‘I found that a dog is most comfortable in his own home,’ she says. Photos provided


Debra’s Dog Den, Delray Beach
While Merjeski runs a large business, Debra Kossoff prefers being a solo entrepreneur. She focuses strictly on providing overnight sitting to her clients who may be out of town for days or weeks at a time. She is also a certified professional dog trainer who incorporates positive-reinforcement-based techniques.
Kossoff has a master’s degree in early childhood education. She was a teacher and worked in hospitals as a certified child life specialist. In many ways, those skills naturally transfer to her pet sitting duties.
“I am a student of learning, and it took me until my late 50s to find my true passion — and that is caring for and working with dogs,” says Kossoff.
Her overnights serve as an alternative to boarding dogs.
“I found that a dog is most comfortable in his own home,” she says. “My job is to keep the dog feeling comfortable when his owner is away. I also give their people peace of mind while they are away from home. To be successful, you need to be organized, dedicated and adaptable.”
As she talks, she lets out a laugh because a client’s dog — Bandit, a playful Australian shepherd — is pawing her for attention.
“Dogs are very perceptive of people,” she says. “They know safe, dog-loving people. I love my job, and why not? I have a job where I get to laugh, smile and feel loved.”

Where to look
You can find sitters in your area who are licensed, insured, bonded and certified by visiting these two established pet sitting organizations:
• National Association of Professional Pet Sitters — https://petsitters.org
• Pet Sitters International — www.petsit.com
And here are the websites of the three locally owned companies cited in this column:
• A Best Friend Pet Sitting Inc. — www.abestfriendpetsitting.com
• Debra’s Dog Den — www.debrasdogden.com
• Jill’s Next Door Dog Walking & Pet Services LLC — www.jillsnextdoor.com

Arden Moore is an author, speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor. She hosts a radio show, Arden Moore’s Four Legged Life (www.fourleggedlife.com), and the weekly Oh Behave! podcast on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.ardenmoore.com.

 

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11004849062?profile=RESIZE_710xNicole Hill, certified physician assistant, demonstrates UltraClear skin resurfacing laser on Dr. Joseph Gretzula. It treats fine lines, deep wrinkles, sun damage, age spots, scarring, acne scars and hyperpigmentation. Photo provided

By Jan Engoren

Beauty may be skin deep, but for Dr. Joseph Gretzula and his team at Beauty Within, 100 NE Sixth St. in Boynton Beach, true beauty emanates from within.
A graduate of the University of Miami and a practicing dermatologist in Boynton Beach for 35 years, Gretzula is also a pharmacist and pharmacologist and serves on the medical staff at Baptist Health Bethesda Hospital East.
Gretzula, 66, moved his business to east Boynton — his dermatology practice is next door to Beauty Within — and says he is committed to the revitalization of the city and its efforts at redeveloping its downtown.
Early in the coronavirus pandemic, Gretzula came up with the idea of a science-based aesthetic and wellness center that incorporates a holistic approach with the goal of improving patients’ biologic ages for longer and healthier lives. Beauty Within opened in December 2021.
The concept is designed to improve biological age through epigenetics and artificial intelligence.
“I’m approaching life differently as I age,” says Gretzula, who practices what he preaches. He wears an Oura ring to monitor his sleep cycle, a Withings watch to check his blood pressure and uses a hand-held Lumen device that measures metabolism and helps him improve metabolic efficiency and enhance fat burning.
A resident of Ocean Ridge, Gretzula rides his bicycle to the Ocean Club of Florida where he works out on the elliptical machine, listens to music or lectures on his headset and pumps some weights. This all makes him “feel like a million bucks.”
“It’s important to manage your sleep, your stress, practice mindful meditation, eat healthy and pay attention to your microbiome,” he says. “Everything affects our skin. We’re all about the whole patient and making lifestyle changes.
“We provide a culture of care and consider the patient as a whole person.”
In addition to the usual injectables such as Botox and Juvéderm, the center offers body treatments with the UltraClear laser, the first cold ablative fiber laser which is FDA approved for all skin types; facial rejuvenation; its signature weight-loss program; neutraceuticals, and a variety of other wellness and anti-aging programs.
Gretzula draws on his pharmaceutical background, using natural peptides and amino acids as appetite suppressants to aid in weight loss and natural bioflavonoids to lower cholesterol, without the side effects of statin drugs.
Gretzula is the third provider in Florida, and the 25th in the country, to offer the UltraClear laser treatment and is proud of his high-tech equipment, which includes the InBody machine designed to measure body composition.
Beauty Within (mybeautywithin.com) is a true family business. Gretzula’s daughter, Alexia Gretzula, and her fiancé, Max Krzyzaniak, both work in the office. The two met at Miami University in Ohio and moved here during the pandemic.
Krzyzaniak, 24, has already received Botox treatments to smooth wrinkles on his face and Morpheus8 micro-needling under his arms to alleviate hyperhidrosis, or excessive sweating. Combined with radiofrequency energy, micro-needling works to halt the sweat glands from overproducing — something he was not used to in Ohio.
The center recruited Nicole Hill, 34, from Orlando. She is a certified physician assistant with over 10 years of experience in advanced aesthetic practices and a national trainer for Allergan Medical Aesthetics.
She works with patients to develop comprehensive treatment plans to enhance their beauty and well-being goals.
She says her most requested service is for facial rejuvenation, including volume replacement, skin tightening and skin resurfacing.
Hill says her clients range in age from 18-90 with an approximate ratio of 70% women to 30% men.
Men, she says, come for facials, laser treatments, IPL photofacials for facial rejuvenation and injectables, as well as noninvasive body contouring, which utilizes radio frequency to get rid of their love handles.
“We have a great team here,” says Hill. “We try to be warm, comforting and welcoming to our clients.”
And, as Dr. Gretzula likes to say, “Aging is optional.”


Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.

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11004844886?profile=RESIZE_710xTechnicians at Delray Medical Center work with an Alzheimer’s patient using ultrasound technology as part of a study in collaboration with FAU. Photo provided

 

Delray Medical Center is treating an Alzheimer’s patient using ultrasound technology as part of a study being conducted in collaboration with Florida Atlantic University’s Institute for Human Health and Disease Intervention.
In the FDA-approved clinical trial, this technology is used to disrupt patients’ blood-brain barrier. The Delray Medical Center patient enrolled in the clinical trial received the first of three treatments at the hospital on Feb. 15.  To find out more about Delray Medical Center’s focused ultrasound program, visit www.delraymedicalctr.com/services/neurosciences/focused-ultrasound. 

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11004846486?profile=RESIZE_180x180Peter B. Licata, Ph.D., has been appointed to the Delray Medical Center governing board.
Licata is the regional superintendent of the south region of the Palm Beach County School District. He earned his Ph.D. in global leadership from Lynn University and he has served as adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University, where he taught courses preparing future school administrators. 

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Caron Treatment Centers has announced its new older-adult program at Caron Florida’s new Keele Medical Center.
The residential program, with 15 private en suite bedrooms, provides comprehensive diagnostic assessment, 24/7 on-site medically managed care, daily health assessments, substance use and mental health disorder treatment, chronic pain management, relapse prevention, spiritual counseling, holistic services, on-site physical therapy and family support. The Keele Center is located at 4575 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach.

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

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11004838894?profile=RESIZE_710x

By Janis Fontaine

The Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library is like a perpetual motion machine promoting a love for reading.
Friends members sell donated books in their store in the lobby of the Downtown Library and then use the money to promote reading and literacy programs, make free books available and increase the demand for books, all at the same time.
In partnership with the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District and the city’s Recreation Services, the Friends recently expanded two popular reading programs: Little Free Libraries and the StoryWalk.
A Little Free Library is a curbside box filled with books that can be borrowed at no cost by adults or kids. There’s nothing to sign, no deposit to make. People just bring the books back when they’re finished so someone else may enjoy.
“There are seven Little Free Libraries now” in Boca Raton, with three added recently, said Tracy Wasserman, president of the Friends board.
Nationally, the LFL program was started to eradicate “book deserts,” Wasserman said. A book desert is usually a rural community that has no local library or other established source of books. “There are 2,500 book deserts in the United States.”
Since the first book-sharing box was built in Minnesota in 2009, more than 250 million books have been shared through registered Little Free Libraries. The LFL organization’s vision is “a Little Free Library in every community and a book for every reader.”
Boca Raton’s new LFL’s are in Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail; Patch Reef Park, 2000 Yamato Road; and at the Swim and Racquet Center, 21626 St. Andrews Blvd.
The other LFLs are at Hillsboro El Rio Park South (200 SW 18th St.), Happy Faces Library (165 NE 21st St.), Sand Pine Park (300 Newcastle St.), and the Little Free Library of Palm Beach Farms, one block east of Pine Breeze Park on Southwest 20th Street.
Find Little Free Library locations all over the United States online at www.littlefreelibrary.org — and you can even find out how to start your own.
The second project the Friends support is the StoryWalk, designed to build children’s enthusiasm for reading while encouraging healthy physical activity.
StoryWalks are nature walks in which kids stop at kiosks to read a page or two of a book (often nature-related), then move on to the next kiosk for more of the story. Kids find joy in reading as the story reveals itself bit by bit.
The first StoryWalk project was built in 2007 in Montpelier, Vermont, in collaboration with the Kellogg-Hubbard Library. There are now three in Boca Raton. Each StoryWalk has a different book featured and books are changed every few months, Wasserman said.
All three have been paid for by the Friends.
• The StoryWalk at Patch Reef Park, 2000 Yamato Road. Book: Dance Like a Flamingo: Learn How to Move and Groove Like the Animals Do! by Moira Butterfield (author) and Claudia Boldt (illustrator).
• The StoryWalk at Serenoa Glade Preserve at George Snow Park, 1101 NW 15th St. Book: Peep and Ducky Rainy Day by David Martin. 
• The StoryWalk near the butterfly garden at the Pondhawk Natural Area on the west side of the Spanish River Library, 1501 Spanish River Blvd. Book: Croc O’Clock by Huw Lewis Jones.

The Friends’ story
The Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library is a nonprofit that has provided support to the library for decades, since the group’s founding in 1990. When a benefactor left the Friends a $300,000 bequest, the Friends gave $250,000 to the library for its expansion. The bookstore brings in between $5,000-$6,000 a month, which easily paid the $6,000 bill for the Patch Reef Park StoryWalk.
The Friends’ bookstore is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday and accepts donations until 3:30 p.m. It has books for all ages, both fiction and nonfiction, plus coffee table books, cooking and recipe books, puzzles and games, and audiobooks on CD.
It’s in the lobby of the Downtown Library at 400 NW Second Ave. Call 561-544-8596 or visit www.bocalibraryfriends.org/bookstore.

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11004833877?profile=RESIZE_710xOpen flow and sun-filled spaces connect the living room, dining room, den and kitchen on the first floor.

 

The British West Indies architectural style is the cornerstone inspiration for this two-story oceanfront home in Ocean Ridge. With 7,485 total square feet and four bedrooms, four full and two half baths, the home is full of quality finishes and the finest of natural materials.
The main house has three separate bedroom/suites (including owner’s suite). A guest outbuilding has a one-bedroom luxury suite complete with bamboo floors, along with a kitchen, living room and workout room.

11004834656?profile=RESIZE_710xThe swimming pool/spa is conveniently located between the main house and the guest quarters.


Adjacent to the main home’s owner suite are a sitting room, a luxurious bathroom with recycled glass countertops and custom-fitted dressing rooms. Other outstanding features include a Macassar ebony finished wet bar and fireplace in the casual family room and a temperature-controlled walk-in wine cellar.

 

11004835057?profile=RESIZE_710xA dune crossover provides access from this home to the beach. The home is 20 feet above sea level.


On the entirely practical side, the home has a brand new sea wall, a 60K whole house generator, impact glass windows, an attached three-car garage and an outdoor shower near the tropically surrounded pool/spa. Offered at $16,500,000.

11004835101?profile=RESIZE_710xSea vistas abound from the master suite, which has abundant details and walnut floors.

11004836068?profile=RESIZE_710xAmply equipped with top-of-the line appliances and efficiently organized, the chef’s kitchen allows space for inspiration as well as performance.


Call Candace Friis, 561-573-9966, or Phil Friis, 561-706-1922. The Corcoran Group, 901 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33483.

 

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2023 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE

2023 SUMMER CAMP GUIDE

NOTE: With so many summer camps offered in our area, we selected those located between the Boca Raton Inlet and the Port of Palm Beach. We kept our listing mostly east of I-95, but there are a few exceptions. Not all summer camp schedules have been set. Please check back for additional information as it becomes available. Also refer to listed websites for missing information such as pricing. If your organization offers a camp not listed, please send details to thecoastalstarcalendar@gmail.com

 

ANIMALS & ENVIRONMENT

Cocoplum Nature School Summer Camp: 342 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Free play, scavenger hunts, nature journaling, more. M-F 9 am-3 pm 6/12-30 & 7/10-28. $475/week. For more info: 561-563-4679; cocoplumnatureschool.org/summercamp 

Environmental Camp: Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, 1801 N Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton. Grades 1-9. Campers learn the importance of conservation through outdoor activities, hands-on lessons. 8:30 am-2 pm: M-F 6/12-7/28 (closed 7/4). $200-$250/week. 561-544-8605; myboca.us/2194/Camps 

Garden Explorers Summer Camp at Mounts Botanical Garden, 531 N Military Tr, West Palm Beach. Bring a refillable water bottle, healthy lunch, a hat, sunscreen, bug repellant. M-F 9 am-3 pm. 7/10-14, 7/17-21 & 7/24-28. Ages 7-11. Per week $250/member; $290/non-member. Extended care 8-9 am & 3-4 pm for $50/week per camper. 561-233-1757; mounts.org/event/garden-explorers-summer-camp


ARTS

Art-Sea Living Summer Camp: Art-Sea Living, 412 E Ocean Ave #1, Boynton Beach. 5/29-6/2, 6/5-6, 6/12-8/4 (no camp 7/4) Age: 6-12 M-F 10 am-2 pm $299/week. Extended care 2-3 pm $25/day. 561-737-2600; artsealiving.com 

Summer Art Camp: Boca Museum of Art School, 801 W Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton. M-F 6/5-7/28. See website or call for more info: 561-392-2503; bocamuseum.org/artschool 

 

CHURCH

Advent Summer Camp:  Advent Lutheran School, 300 E Yamato Rd, Boca Raton. Students entering Kindergarten through 5th grade for 2022-23 school year. Full day 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/5-7/21 (closed 7/4); half day 7:30 am-12:30 pm M-F; partial day 7:30 am-3 pm M-F. Call for pricing: 561-395-5322; adventschoolboca.org 

Camp Mece: First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton, 625 NE Mizner Blvd. Age 3-6. Arts & crafts, music, dance, computers, storytelling, dramatic play, explorations, sports, Bible time, field games, water play. 2-week minimum. Bring snack, lunch. 9 am-2 pm M-F 6/19-23, 6/26-30, 7/10-14 & 7/17-21. $175/week + $50/registration fee. 561-368-1215; meceboca.org/summer-camp 

First Presbyterian Vacation Bible School - Babylon: Daniel’s Courage in Captivity: 33 Gleason St, Delray Beach. Arts & crafts, Bible study, recreational activities. 9 am-noon 6/12-16. Free. Reservations required: 561-276-6338; firstdelray.com 

Seacrest Presbyterian School: 2703 N Seacrest Blvd, Delray Beach. Call for info: 561-276-5552; seacrestchurch.com 

St. Joseph’s Episcopal School Vacation Church Camp: 3300A S Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach. Age 4-11, 6/12-16 9 am-noon. Call for info: 561-732-2045; stjoesweb.org 

St. Joseph’s Episcopal School Camps: 3300 S Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach. Mrs. Braswell & Miss Abby’s Camp age 3 & up 8:30 am-3 pm 5/30-6/2 & 6/5-9 (no after-care) $225-$280/week, $65/day, 561-411-0554.; sjsonline.org 

St. Paul Lutheran School Summer Camp: 701 W Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton. Chapel, devotions, physical activities, arts & crafts, computer time, free play, field trips. Age 3 potty trained through grade 6 entering in the fall. M-F 6/6-7/28. Daily & weekly fees include cost of hot lunch, am & pm snacks, field trips, materials, supplies. Half Day 7:30 am-12:30 pm; 12:30-5:30 pm; or 8:30 am-1:30 pm. Full day 7:30 am-5:30 pm. Weekly half day $200/child; weekly full day $250; daily rate $50. Sibling discounts available. Registration/$50 + 2 full weeks of camp. Registration deadline 5/22: 561-395-8548 x 152; stpaulbocaschool.com/summer-camp 

St. Vincent Ferrer Vacation Bible School: 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach. Tracking Mary: Mysteries + Messages. Rising kindergarten to rising 5th grade. 6/5-9. $60/child. 561-276-6892; stvincentferrer.com

 

GENERAL

Boca Raton Boys & Girls Club #80: 300 Newcastle St, Boca Raton. Age 5-17. M-F 5/30-8/4 7:30 am-6 pm. Check website for price: 561-683-3287; bgcpbc.org/club/boys-girls-club-of-boca-raton 

Boca Raton Recreation Services Summer Camps: 561-393-7888; myboca.us/531/Camp-Boca  

Boynton Beach Recreation & Parks Department Summer Camps: Age 5-12. Themed camps w/age-appropriate activities meet at various locations; Ezell Hester, Jr. Community Center, 1901 N Seacrest Blvd 561-742-6000 & Carolyn Sims Center, 225 NW 12th Ave, 561-742-6000. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/5-7/28. $600/resident; $750/non-resident. 561-742-6650; boynton-beach.org/camp 

Criminal Justice Summer Camp: Florida Atlantic University School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Age 14-17 must be entering 9th-12th grade by fall 2023. Observe/participate in virtual crime lab, mock criminal trial, justice simulation lab, more. Limited enrollment; first-come/first-served. 6/11-16 or 7/9-14. $800. 321-754-8112; fau.edu/sccj 

Delray Beach Boys & Girls Club #50: 1451 SW 7th St, Delray Beach. Age 5-17. M-F 5/30-8/4 7:30 am-6 pm. Check website for price: 561-683-3287; bgcpbc.org/club/delray-beach-naoma-donnelley-haggin-club 

Delray Beach Summer Camp: Pompey Park Recreation Center, 50 NW 1st Ave. Age 5-12. M-F 7:30 am-4:30 pm. Call for dates/prices: 561-243-7000 x7159; mydelraybeach.com 

Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa Kids Summer Camp: 100 S Ocean Blvd, Manalapan. Age 5-12. M-F 6/5-8/11 8 am-4 pm  (no camp 7/3-7/7). Educational/experiemtial games, crafting, chef-led cooking classes, art classes, science-themed experiments, tennis clinics, fitness class, more. $175/half day; $300/full day; $1,250/full week. 561-533-6000; eaupalmbeach.com

Florence Fuller Summer Camp: East Campus, 200 NE 14th St, Boca Raton. Age 5-12. Outdoor sports, swimming, field trips, arts/crafts, nature activities, academic enrichment, computer classes + science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM). 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F.  $145/week. Includes breakfast, lunch, snack. Call for dates/more information: 561-391-7274 x113; ffcdc.org 

Funcamps 2023: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Age 5-12, M-F 9 am-3 pm. 6/5-16, 6/19-30, 7/3-14 & 7/17-28. $650/2-week session + $50 registration fee. 305-666-2992; funcamps.com 

Gulf Stream School Summer Camp: 3600 Gulf Stream Rd. Grades Pre-K through 8. Academics, sports, technology, field trips, reading, more. Call school for brochure/schedules/costs: 561-276-5225; gulfstreamschool.org 

Space of Mind Summer Discovery Camp: 102 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Age 5-14. Creative/culinary arts, humanities, gardening, yoga, science, fitness, more. 6/12-8/18 M-F 9 am-3 pm $90/day, $400/week. Register: 561-894-8772; findspaceofmind.com

Summer Seedlings Camp: Sunflower Creative Arts, 227 N Dixie Blvd, Delray Beach. Age 3-6. M-F 8-11:30 am or 12:30-4 pm. Four 2-week sessions: 6/5-16, 6/19-30, 7/10-21, 7/24-8/4. $550/2-week session + $50 deposit. Sibling discounts available. 561-501-6615; sunflowercreativearts.org 

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MUSIC

Schola Cantorum of Florida Academy of Music Summer Camp: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. M-F 9:30 am-3:30 pm. 6/19-23, 6/26-30, 7/10-14, 7/17-21 & 7/24-28. $250/week. $50 registration fee. Register: info@cholacantorumfl.org 

School of Rock Summer Camps: School of Rock Boca Raton, 141 NW 20th St, Ste F1 & F2, Boca Raton. Themed camps w/live performance finales. 9 am-3 pm M-F age 7-17 $399/week. Singer/Songwriter Performance Camp 6/5-9; The Beatles Camp 6/12-16; Classic Rock Rewind Camp 6/19-23; Pop Legends Camp 6/26-30; Music Video Camp 7/10-14; Best of the 90’s Camp 7/17-21; 21st Century Rock Camp 7/24-28; Rock Star Experience Camp 7/31-8/4; Blues Camp 8/7-11. 561-430-2411; schoolofrock.com/locations/bocaraton 

Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County Summer Camp: Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, 1787 NW Spanish River Blvd, Boca Raton Age 8-18. All orchestral instruments + piano, all levels. Guest performance & field trip weekly. Bring lunch. 8:30 am-4:30 pm M-F 7/10-14 & 7/17-21. $395/week; $695 both sessions; early registration discount before 5/1; after-care $30/week. Fees due by 6/1. 561-281-8600; yopbc.org 

 

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY

Digi-Camp Boca Raton: Grandview Prep School, 336 Spanish River Blvd, Boca Raton. Age 6-14. 9 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-30 & 7/10-8/4. $265-$360/week. 561-236-0938; digicamp.com 

 

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SPORTS

Delray Beach Basketball Camp: Community Center, 50 NW 1st Ave and Atlantic High School, 2455 W Atlantic Ave. Age 7-15. 9 am-noon M-Th 6/5-7/13. $50/session + $25/registration fee. 561-243-7250 x5240; mydelraybeach.com 

Delray Beach Surf Camp: 500 S Ocean Blvd/1100 Casuarina Rd. Age 6-15. Surfing, skimboarding, boogie boarding, kayaking, snorkeling, stand-up paddling. Check website for dates/costs. 561-279-0008; delraybeachwatersports.com/surf-camp 

Ocean & Surf Camp Combo: South Inlet Park, 1100 S Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton. Age 5-15. 9 am-3 pm M-F 5/29-8/4 $425/week, $110/day. Register online: 561-715-0499; underbluewaters.com 

Play By Play Broadcasting Camp: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Age 10-18. Learn what it takes to make it in the sports broadcasting industry. Train w/top professional sportscasters. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/12-16 $750-$775. Lunch/snacks included. 800-319-0884; playbyplaycamps.com 

Soccer Academy Summer Day Camp for Girls: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Foundations for beginners, skill enhancement for competitive/travel team player. Age 5-14 9 am-noon or 9 am-3 pm M-F Weekly 5/29-6/16 & 7/10-21 $250/week half-day; $350/week full-day. 561-702-0837; fausocceracademy.com 

Summer Skate & Sports Camp: “505” Teen Center and Hobbit Skate Park, 505 SE 5th Ave, Delray Beach. Age 5-13. Combination of skate instruction, basketball, soccer, flag football, t-ball, hockey, pickleball, volleyball. 8 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/5-7/18 (closed 7/4) $480-$500/4-week session + $25/application fee; $960-$1,000/8-week session + $25/application fee. Campers must provide skateboard, helmet, knee/elbow pads. Snacks provided; bring lunch, water bottle each day. 561-243-7158; mydelraybeach.com 

Waves Surf Academy Surf Camp: Delray Breakers Hotel, 1875 S Ocean Blvd, Delray Beach. Age 5-15. 9 am-2:30 pm M-F 5/29-8/18 (closed 7/4), $350/week. 561-843-0481; wavessurfacademy.com 

 

THEATER

Arts Garage Set The Stage Summer Camp: 94th NE 2nd Ave, Delray Beach. Age 6-17. Classes in Acting, Playwriting, Technical Theatre (including basic video production), and Voice and Movement. Bring lunch & snack. Session I Age 6-9 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-23; Session II age 10-12 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/26-7/14; Session III Age 13-17 9 am-4 pm M-F 7/17-8/4. After care available for a fee. Call for prices: 561-450-6357; artsgarage.org

Delray Beach Playhouse Summer Camp: 950 NW 9th St. Age 6-16. Check audition/rehearsal schedule for times. Broadway Camps: Junior Camp Junie B. Jones The Musical Jr. age 6-12 6/5-7/15 M-F 9 am-5 pm, $1494/6 weeks; Teen Camp Grease The Musical School Version age 13+ 7/10-8/5 M-F Noon-5 pm, $996/4 weeks. Summer Fun Camp age 6-12 5/30-8/4 (no camp 7/3-4) M-F 9 am-5 pm $175/week 1st week, $125/week each week after. $99/registration deposit. 561-272-1281; delraybeachplayhouse.com 

Lake Worth Playhouse Summer Camp: 713 Lake Ave. Summer Show Camp Disney’s The Lion King Jr. Age 8-14. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-7/1 $850/4 weeks. Summer Theatre Camp Different theme each week Age 6-11 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-8/4 (no camp 7/4) $998.75/9 weeks; $175/week; purchase 2 or more weeks, subsequent week is $125. 561-586-6410; lakeworthplayhouse.org 

 

 

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10997674855?profile=RESIZE_710xCarolyn Cassidy supporters wave flags at the intersection of Beachway Drive and A1A on the morning of March 14. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

 

By Joe Capozzi

 

Newcomer Carolyn Cassidy and incumbent Martin Wiescholek won seats on the Ocean Ridge Town Commission on March 14, capping a bitter election that changes the power dynamics at the top level of town leadership.

 

Mayor Susan Hurlburt finished third and, as a result, will leave office when Cassidy and Wiescholek are sworn in for three-year terms at the next Town Commission meeting April 3. 

 

“I'm so thrilled. I'm so excited that Ocean Ridge has spoken so loudly and clearly that they trust me with their vote, and that just means the world to me,’’ Cassidy said at her house where happy supporters cheered the results.

 

The top two vote-getters in the three-way race won seats, with Cassidy the overwhelming top choice, taking 531 votes, or 50.4%. Wiescholek got 276 votes, or 26.2%. Hurlburt finished third with 247 votes, or 23.4%.

“People want change. People want things to be back to this wonderful little seaside village that we all love,’’ Cassidy said. “This is just a cry for, ‘Let's do it. Let’s do it together.’ I'm excited to work with this commission as a whole and let’s get to work.’’

 

Cassidy, a member of the town’s advisory Board of Adjustment, was endorsed by Commissioners Steve Coz and Geoff Pugh, a pair that often voted on the losing ends of decisions dominated by Hurlburt, Wiescholek and Vice Mayor Kristine de Haseth.

 

Cassidy ran for commission in 2021 and finished third by 16 votes to runner-up de Haseth in a four-way race for two seats. Pugh finished first and endorsed Cassidy in that race.

 

In the latest campaign, her supporters held signs urging voters to cast ballots for only Cassidy, even though two seats were up for election, an apparent attempt to water down the vote totals of Wiescholek and Hurlburt, who campaigned together.

 

Wiescholek said he was happy to be re-elected but disappointed Hurlburt was not. “It's a huge blow. I hope that it's not going to negatively impact the town down the road. Congratulations to Carolyn. The town has spoken. The town has given its voice in a fair election and we are going to move on.’’

 

The arrival of Cassidy potentially creates a new majority with Coz and Pugh, putting de Haseth and Wiescholek in a new minority voting bloc.

 

Cassidy, a loyal attendee of Town Commission meetings, has voiced concerns shared by Coz and Pugh about several issues, including private property rights, more interaction at commission meetings between residents and elected officials, and what they view as a lack of efficiency in the building department.

 

Before Election Day, and after Cassidy voiced her intentions to run, three top officials left Ocean Ridge: Town Manager Tracey Stevens (last fall), Police Chief Richard Jones (who announced plans to leave Feb. 10) and Building Official Durrani Guy who resigned Monday (March 13). 

 

None of those former officials publicly cited the election as their reasons for leaving. But Wiescholek, a vocal supporter of the building department, is among those in town who believe the timing of the three departures is not a coincidence. 

 

“I’m really hopeful that my fears will not come to fruition and we can have a community that is up to certain standards and protected,’’ said Wiescholek, who has served on the commission since 2020. 

 

Repeating a pledge he made when his campaign started, he said this will be his last term and he will not seek a third term, the maximum allowed under the town charter.

 

Cassidy’s arrival has the potential to overturn some recent moves by the commission, including a 3-2 vote in February to withdraw a January vote that had given interim Town Manager Lynne Ladner the full-time job.

 

Another decision that could be overturned is the commission’s March 6 endorsement, by 3-1 vote (Pugh was absent), to consider an ordinance requiring a supermajority vote (four commissioners instead of three) on changes to the Floor Area Ratio and other rules dictating the appearance of town property and, by extension, the character of the town. 

 

Wiescholek proposed the idea, but Coz voted no because he said “supermajority removes the word ‘democracy’ from the equation.’’ At a candidates forum in February, Cassidy shot down the idea of a supermajority: Advocating for it suggests you don't have faith in your elected officials,’’ she said.

 

Hurlburt, who served on the commission since 2019, said she was looking forward to enjoying life outside of politics.

 

“I am thrilled,’’ she said of the results, “because if it wasn’t going to be Martin and I together, then I am glad he won. He’s honest and he has good character. You cannot manipulate him.’’

 

Hurlburt declined to comment on Cassidy’s win. 

 

“I wish them all the best of luck,’’ she said. “What I'll miss most is the support of staff and residents who wanted to work for the betterment of the town, but I will not miss politics over government. The tone of this town has gotten very negative, and that's not me.’’ 

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10978938287?profile=RESIZE_710xDavid Del Rio is taken into custody following his plea deal on March 2. The former financial adviser to murdered widow Betty Cabral was sentenced to 15 years in prison followed by 15 years of probation. Jim Rassol/The Coastal Star 

 

By Rich Pollack

It’s been more than four years since the former financial adviser accused of bilking Maureen Forte’s aunt and uncle out of almost $3 million was arrested, and only now can she and her family find comfort in knowing he’ll be spending time in prison.

On March 2, 39-year-old David Del Rio pleaded guilty to 36 felony counts in connection with the theft of millions of dollars from 85-year-old widow Elizabeth “Betty” Cabral and her late husband, William, 88, who died a year earlier.

As part of the plea agreement, Del Rio was sentenced to 15 years in state prison followed by 15 years of probation. He also agreed to turn over two properties he owned or was part owner of in Lehigh Acres near Fort Myers to Cabral’s estate.

“Our family has some relief because he’s going to jail,” said Forte, in comments she made after speaking to Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Jeffery Gillen during the hearing. “But it’s never going to be enough, because nothing is going to undo what’s been done.”

In addition to accepting the prison sentence and agreeing to the property transfer, Del Rio agreed that he understands a homicide investigation into the death of Betty Cabral remains open and that he receives no “promises of leniency, nor immunities” as a result of the plea.

Betty Cabral was found in her Highland Beach apartment with her throat cut almost five years ago. There have been no arrests made in that case.

“You understand that this deal, as sweet as it is, has nothing to do with the homicide involving Elizabeth Cabral?,” the judge asked.

In exchange for the plea, prosecutors agreed to drop more than 35 felony charges and to give Cabral’s former financial adviser credit for 116 days of time he served in the Palm Beach County Jail. He was under house arrest following his release from jail on bond.

Under terms of the deal, Del Rio pleaded guilty to several counts each of exploiting an elderly person, money laundering, organized scheme to defraud, fraudulent use of personal identification information and grand theft from a person 65 or older.

Defense attorney Michael Salnick said that had Del Rio gone to trial — which had been scheduled for early this month — and been convicted of the 36 counts he pleaded guilty to, the shortest possible sentence he could have received under state sentencing guidelines would have been 71 years.

Like Forte and even Del Rio, Salnick expressed relief that the case, which lingered during the COVID years, has come to a conclusion.

“I am happy that we were able to resolve this case for Mr. Del Rio,” he said.

In brief comments to the court, Del Rio appeared remorseful, saying he unfortunately couldn’t take back his actions, and apologized, expressing gratitude to the judge for accepting the deal.

“I feel it’s time to move on,” he said.

In addition to Forte, another of Betty Cabral’s relatives, niece Theresa Regan told the judge via Zoom how she kept asking her aunt to come back to live in her home state of Massachusetts, but that she always wanted to stay in Florida.

Regan said that the last time she spoke to her aunt, Cabral told her that she wanted to come back home but that Del Rio told her she couldn’t afford to go.

“I hate him for that,” Regan said. “That just goes to show what kind of person he is.”

Forte, during comments in court, told the judge a little about her aunt and uncle and how they enjoyed living in Florida, where they made friends.

“I just wanted to give the judge an idea of who they were,” she said after the hearing. “They were a lovely couple. This was their dream and then they came upon this opportunistic vulture who ingratiated himself to them and took advantage of them.”

Forte said she was appreciative of the efforts of Assistant State Attorney Aleathea McRoberts and Sheriff's Office detectives. She was also grateful to have a chance to let the judge know that allegations from Del Rio that she and her relatives didn’t care about her aunt were untrue.

“I wanted the judge to know how reprehensible the false story he was telling was,” she said.

10978939683?profile=RESIZE_710xMaureen Forte, niece of Betty Cabral, returns to her seat after giving a statement from the family during the David Del Rio plea hearing at the Palm Beach County Courthouse. Jim Rassol/The Coastal Star

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10978348880?profile=RESIZE_710xThe Eastern spotted skunk rescued at Gumbo Limbo draws a crowd including (l-r) Francesca Manzia, executive director of Lipu Wildlife Recovery Center in Rome, veterinary student Audrey Saint-Marc, and freelance journalist and photographer Irene Alison, as it is released back to its native hammock habitat in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

 

Little skunk wins hearts along way to recovery

By John Pacenti

In the once-upon-a-time jungle in which we live, where canals and highways long ago tamed the swamp and bulldozers shaped the barrier islands, there lives an elusive creature among the sand dunes and mangroves of Boca Raton: the Eastern spotted skunk.
This is no randy Pepé Le Pew or childlike Flower, our cartoon North Stars for everything skunk. No, this is their smaller inquisitive cousin with no singular stripe. Instead, its black-and-white coat is like a Rorschach test. The skunk is the size of a squirrel and possesses soft, curious eyes.
Living among raccoons, foxes and feral cats, these little stinkers have made their home in the dunes and mangroves that run along South Beach Park, Red Reef Park and Spanish River Park in Boca Raton.
“I think it’s pretty cool,” said Jeff Wade, who often walks among the dunes and the mangroves in Boca Raton. “I point them out to people and they say, ‘Really, skunks?’”
The Eastern spotted skunk is considered a “species of greatest conservation need” in the state, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.
In Boca, besides the beach area and mangroves, the skunks can be found playing along the roots of the big trees lining the boardwalk of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

 

10978349684?profile=RESIZE_710xThe Eastern spotted skunk rescued at Gumbo Limbo and treated in Fort Lauderdale is released back to its native hammock habitat in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Nearly terminated with the termites
It is at Gumbo Limbo where one skunk’s tale of near death and resurrection, of lost and found, made two veterinarians cry.
In mid-December, a male skunk ended up trapped under the nature center’s main building while it was undergoing weeklong fumigation for termites.
David Anderson, Gumbo Limbo’s sea turtle conservation coordinator, said staff doesn’t believe the skunk was there when the tent went up because staff did several walk-throughs and inspections under the building.
“Anything trapped would probably not have survived. So, we suspect the skunk entered immediately after or found a way in right before it was removed,” Anderson said of the tenting.
Either way, the skunk was in dire straits.
It was sent to Fort Lauderdale’s South Florida Wildlife Center, where it fell under the care of medical director Dr. Charlotte Cournoyer and veterinarian Dr. Erica Sheppard. They nursed him back to life, feeding him by hand until he was back to his skunk self.
“He was a tough case when he came into the center. He was suffering seizures,” Cournoyer said. “It was a very long road for him.”
The vets don’t name their patients so they don’t become attached to the animals, but he won them over anyway. “He’s a special little case,” Sheppard said.
A handful of visitors and staff were on hand on Feb. 2 to witness the skunk’s return to Gumbo Limbo. He was released right next to the center’s main building where he almost met his demise.
Sheppard and Cournoyer watched as their patient poked his head out of a pet carrier and ventured slowly but surely into the brush.
They hugged and wiped tears from their eyes, counting one more animal rescue — a total now more than 8,900 — for the South Florida Wildlife Center.
Anderson was also on hand for the homecoming.
He said he once was cleaning out a sea turtle nest when a skunk came right up to him as he removed rotten eggs. One time, a skunk rolled away with a rotten sea turtle egg, guiding it across the sand as if it were a prized boulder.
The skunks will get to live turtle eggs as well, burrowing into nests. “There’s not much we can do about it because they are too small,” Anderson said. “They only take an egg or two.”

10978351278?profile=RESIZE_710xA spotted skunk checks out a turtle egg. Photo provided by David Anderson/Gumbo Limbo

Yes, it sprays when threatened
Skunk sightings are like falling stars — rare but always noteworthy. The best time to catch sight of the skunks appears to be at around sunrise. Regulars are well acquainted with the creatures.
Chandrika Khera first spotted them while walking her newborn in Red Reef Park, saying she was hyper-vigilant as a new mom.
“The first time I was like, what kind of animal is this?” she said. “I Googled and I found it was a skunk. They’re cute. That’s why I keep looking for them.”
The native species is known for its spraying behavior. When spooked it will stomp its feet, give a warning hiss or squeal, and do a headstand with its tail extended, trying to look as big and threatening as possible. If that fails, well, then the perceived threat is drenched in a foul-smelling musk that the skunk sprays up to 15 feet.
This weasel-shaped skunk actually has four stripes in a broken pattern that gives the animal its spots. There is always one white spot on the head.
Found in Canada, northeastern Mexico and much of the U.S. east of the Rockies, the animal has seen its numbers decline over the years in the Midwest but has found a home in South Florida.
The skunks are not just Boca bound, either. They can be found up Florida’s east coast.
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission says the range of the spotted skunk extends from the Keys to the extreme northeast portion of the state — but more data is needed.
The state agency separates the spotted skunk into two subspecies — the Appalachian and the Florida, with the latter dominating south of the Suwannee River. FWC even conducted a skunk observation project to find out more, but the agency did not return calls or emails for further details.

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10978333284?profile=RESIZE_710xMichael and Clara Klein were the first two visitors to Boca Raton’s newest waterfront park, walking by just as a park ranger unlocked the pedestrians-only gate at Ocean Strand Park during its ‘soft opening’ Feb. 27. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

 

Ocean Strand offers A1A walkers an inviting retreat

*By Steve Plunkett

There was no music, no loudspeakers, no ribbon to be cut.
With almost no fanfare, Ocean Strand Park welcomed its first patrons on Feb. 27.
Clara and Michael Klein, who live on Sweetwater Lane just north of the park, were on their daily walk and became the park’s first visitors at about 9:30 a.m.
“There was a ranger opening the gate,” Michael Klein said.
“And I said I think they’re finally open,” said his wife.
“It’s pretty nice. It really completes this park system, I think,” Michael Klein said.
“We love it,” Clara Klein said, adding that the two benches on the Intracoastal Waterway were her favorites. “To me, anything looking at water is ideal.”
For the park’s first day, the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District removed its “No Trespassing” signs and unlocked the pedestrians-only gate alongside State Road A1A. An official ribbon-cutting will be scheduled later.
An asphalt path leads from A1A to a picnic area about halfway into the 13.2-acre site. From there, a mulch path goes down to a second picnic table and a sandy kayak landing area with the benches on the Intracoastal. Another asphalt path connects the picnic area to the existing paved road as an alternate route to the Intracoastal shore for bicyclists and for people with disabilities.
“We are excited to see it opened up and with all the foot traffic on A1A, I anticipate lots of people enjoying the park,” said Briann Harms, the district’s executive director. 
Still to come are signs identifying the parcel, located south of Spanish River Park and north of the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, as a park. The district will also install 300 feet of split-rail fence on the property west of A1A as repairs and additions, and 600 feet of new fencing east of A1A to block unwanted all-terrain vehicles from the ocean dunes.
Harms told commissioners at their Feb. 6 meeting that the $30,685 in fencing was needed.
“We are having some issues on the eastern portion of Ocean Strand with ATVs and motorbikes accessing the dune so we’d like to add split-rail fence on that side,” she said. “That obviously has to go through permitting and get surveyed and all that.”
Slow permitting by the city building department is partly why the park’s signs are not in the ground yet, Harms said. The city’s switch to a new electronic system meant some permit tasks in the transition needed to be input manually, she said.
Even before the park opened, Commissioner Craig Ehrnst told his colleagues it was time to give consideration to Phase 2 of Ocean Strand.
“We need to finish it out. It was a temporary thing that we did and we’ve got to visualize what it will be in the long run,” he said at the district’s Feb. 22 meeting.
“We did it with a let’s-just-open-it, let’s-just-put-a-pathway-down-there, and it turned into a massive, long-term project for a very limited usage,” he said. “There’s no parking; there’s no restrooms; there’s no shelter. There’s a big open area that could be useful as some kind of [playing] field. I think that’s got to be on the horizon.”
The district bought the land, which includes 3 acres on the beach east of A1A, and two additional parcels for $13.1 million starting in 1994. It banked the property without creating plans to develop it until Commissioner Erin Wright began a push three years ago to open the park.
Commissioners budgeted $75,000 to make Ocean Strand a pedestrian park in September 2020. That amount swelled to $600,000 to add an ADA-compliant path and fully remove exotic plants, then dropped to $300,000 when plans were scaled back after archaeologists there found eight pieces of pottery from 600 to 1,400 years old.
Instead of clearing Brazilian pepper trees and other non-native plants from the entire western tract, crews last September focused on the central portion with extra care for the ancient trash heap.
Also freshening up the site will be new pavement for what was once called Ocean Strand Drive. JJ Morley Enterprises Inc., which is building a three-unit condominium along the Intracoastal just north of the park, paid the district $15,000 for a temporary easement to stage construction equipment and materials, park vehicles and to enter and leave the area. The easement expired Feb. 28. As part of the deal Morley promised to repave the road.

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By Mary Hladky

The city has received engineering firm reports on the first group of buildings required to undergo safety inspections under an ordinance enacted two months after the 2021 collapse of a Surfside condominium.
The 14 buildings, all located near the ocean, had to comply by Feb. 1.
As of Feb. 24, 11 of the buildings had submitted reports. Another was expected to comply soon.
If the city does not receive reports from the remaining two in a timely manner, city officials will take action to require them to comply.
A city spokeswoman said the reports are being reviewed by city staff members. They have not released an assessment of the buildings’ conditions but may do so after the review is completed, she said.
The Coastal Star reviewed reports submitted for eight of the buildings. All cited needed repairs, such as for concrete restoration, corrosion of mechanical equipment, exposed or corroded rebar and rusted railings.
Because the reports are technical, a reporter could not independently assess the buildings’ safety.
But the reports did not seem to indicate severe problems, and several noted that the buildings were in generally good condition. One said that residents could remain in the buildings while repairs are made.
Reports reviewed by The Coastal Star were for Sabal Point Apartments, 700 S. Ocean Blvd.; Atrium Association, 800 E. Camino Real; Newth Gardens Condominium at 1001, 1040 and 1099 Banyan Road; Royal Colonial Apartments, 1015 Spanish River Road; Cloister Del Mar Condominium, 1180 S. Ocean Blvd.; Cloister Beach Towers condominium, 1200 S. Ocean Blvd.; Ocean Reef Towers condominium, 2066 N. Ocean Blvd.; and TGM Oceana apartments, 2519 North Ocean Blvd.
The city has identified 191 buildings that meet the criteria for inspection, although some include multiple buildings. Single-family homes and duplexes are exempt.
Every three months, the city is sending out notices to more owners that their buildings must be inspected. Reports from the next group of buildings are due May 1. Unless changes are made, the last group of reports is due Nov. 1, 2026.
The city’s ordinance divides the city into four zones, with buildings on the barrier island receiving the highest priority for review. Other zones run from the Intracoastal Waterway to Dixie Highway, Dixie Highway to west of Interstate 95, and farther west of I-95.
Each zone was further divided into four groups based on building age in order to stagger inspection report due dates.

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By Rich Pollack

Engineers and others from the Florida Department of Transportation came to Highland Beach in late August to field questions about a repaving project on State Road A1A that is expected to cause major traffic disruptions from spring 2024 until well into 2025.
With plans not fully developed at the time, the FDOT team pledged to return to share the latest information with residents who will be impacted by the $8.8 million project that will stretch from just south of Linton Boulevard to the Boca Raton border with Highland Beach.
Now the FDOT is inviting residents to a public open house of sorts, set for 6 to 8 p.m. March 13 at the town’s library, where plans for the project will be on display.
This time, however, the format will be quite different, with no formal presentation and no questions directed to a panel of engineers, landscape architects and others. Instead, FDOT representatives will have as many as a half-dozen illustrations of project designs placed throughout the room with a representative at each board available to answer concerns.
“It’s more of a hands-on approach,” said Brad Salisbury, an FDOT project manager. “Residents can come in and look at the plans and ask questions one on one.”
Salisbury said that the team responsible for the project did listen to some of the recommendations that came out of the August meeting, which included Highland Beach residents and town officials as well as some residents from southern Delray Beach.
“We did try and look at all the suggestions and see what merit they had,” he said. “Some are being incorporated.”
In addition to resurfacing the more than 3 miles of A1A, the project will include widening the road to incorporate 5-foot bike lanes on either side of the road.
It will also include drainage improvements that Salisbury said will include digging out swales and putting in rocks and other materials to make it easier for water to percolate through.
Both those elements of the project are likely to affect landscaping currently in the FDOT right of way. Its engineers and landscape architects said efforts will be made to move as many trees as possible but not shrubs. The biggest concern the project is generating is about traffic disruptions, which are unavoidable during roadwork that is expected to start in May 2024 and run for about 18 months.
To help minimize the disruption, the FDOT will place signs at each end of the town aimed at limiting non-local traffic and encouraging drivers to seek alternate routes whenever possible.
The FDOT will also be limiting the length of lane closures to 1,000 feet during the daytime and 2,500 feet at night.
“A lot of resurfacing can be done at night,” Salisbury said.
He said he’s hoping residents with concerns will make an effort to come to the meeting but he’s also open to answering questions from residents by email. He can be reached at brad.salisbury@dot.state.fl.us.

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By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach residents will have a chance to meet the candidates running for Town Commission during a March 7 forum hosted by the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County.
Set for 6 to 8 p.m. at the town’s public library, the forum will have a question-and-answer format — as opposed to a debate — with each candidate having an opportunity to respond to the same question.
Voters are being asked to submit questions in advance either by bringing written questions with them or by filling out cards once they arrive at the library prior to the discussion.
“We want residents to come with questions so the candidates can hear what their concerns are,” said Marcia Sherwood, the league’s vice president who coordinates candidate forums.
Voters will select one candidate for a full 3-year term and elect a new commissioner to serve the one year remaining on the seat previously held by Peggy Gossett-Seidman, who resigned to run for state representative.

Running for the 1-year term
• Maggie Chappelear, 66, a real estate broker and former educator who serves as co-chair of the town’s Natural Resources Preservation Board. She has been a Highland Beach resident for 38 years.
• Judith Goldberg, 77, an attorney for 35 years and a mediator for 27 years, who served as a town attorney in Patterson, New York. She has been a resident for eight years.
• Peter Kosovsky, 67, a retired radiologist who also has a background in private land development. He is a five-year Highland Beach resident.

Running for the 3-year term
• Donald Peters, 76, a sporting goods store founder and former police officer in Yorktown, New York, who served as a town supervisor there from 2007 to 2009. He is a 21/2-year resident.
• John Shoemaker, 76, a former business executive in the high-tech industry and the incumbent town commissioner since 2020 who previously ran unopposed. He is an 18-year resident of Highland Beach.
During the forum, each candidate will have two minutes to give an opening statement and two minutes for a closing statement.
In between, candidates will field questions asked by the moderator, league President Kathi Gundlach.
The questions, which will be reviewed by league members, will be sorted by category to avoid redundancy and will focus on issues over which the town has jurisdiction, Sherwood said.
Topics expected to be addressed are: the overall safety of the town and the establishment of a new fire department; state-mandated recertification of buildings taller than three stories and the state’s reserve fund requirements for condo associations; taxes; environmental preservation, and the upcoming repaving of State Road A1A and accompanying drainage improvements.
Doors to the community room where the forum will take place will open at 5:30 for residents wishing to submit questions, Sherwood said. Anonymous questions will not be accepted.

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By Mary Hladky

Parking meters will not be installed in the Brightline station garage and nearby surface parking, at least for now.
City Council members on Feb. 14 rebuffed a city staff recommendation to install meters intended to prevent Brightline passengers from commandeering free parking spaces set aside for Downtown Library patrons.
The construction of the Brightline station and 455-space garage adjacent to the library eliminated a major portion of the parking lot that had been used by library patrons.
To make up for that, a portion of the parking garage was set aside for their use at no cost.
But with the launch of Brightline service to Boca Raton in December, city staff feared that passengers would grab the free spots to avoid Brightline parking fees. Parking outside the free spots costs $7 if purchased with a train ticket in advance or $15 without advance purchase.
While that apparently hasn’t happened yet, City Manager Leif Ahnell warned it could become a problem as Brightline increases the number of trains stopping at the Boca station and later this spring begins offering service to Orlando. Both are expected to increase Brightline ridership.
Under the staff proposal, library users would park in one of about 240 metered spaces in the garage, in remaining surface spaces on the north and east sides of the library and in a new surface parking area between Northwest Fourth and Third streets south of the library.
After parking, they would go to a kiosk in the library, punch in their parking space number and be validated for free parking. The process was intended to be quick and easy.
But the idea drew immediate objections from some council members and Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library.
Friends treasurer Cyndi Bloom said that when she has used the garage, only about two other cars were using the library parking spaces. Brightline riders exiting the trains are using spaces in Brightline’s section of the garage, she said.
“What problem are we trying to resolve?” she asked. “I am pleading with you, take your time and think this through.”
The installation of meters would give library users the impression they now must pay to park, she said.
She also foresaw problems when a large number of people attend special events at the library, such as a line of people waiting to use the kiosk.
Asked if any library patrons have complained about not being able to park in the free spots, Deputy City Manager George Brown said he had not heard of any.
Yvette Drucker was the only council member who agreed with city staff that library users likely will face problems parking as Brightline ramps up operations.
Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke urged staff not to rush to install meters and instead add signage to make clear who should park where. Council members Monica Mayotte and Fran Nachlas agreed.
“I don’t want to make our library patrons’ life miserable,” Mayotte said. “It should be easy for them.”
With the consensus clear, the council voted unanimously not to consider the proposal for now. The council can revisit it if warranted.

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By Mary Hladky

Mizner Park is for sale.
Its owner, Brookfield Properties, offered to sell the iconic downtown retail and restaurant destination in October.
At least three potential buyers want to acquire the property, said Glenn Gromann, a former Boca Raton Planning and Zoning Board member who has seen the offering memorandum and is keeping abreast of developments.
While he could not disclose their names, Gromann said in late February that Brookfield is close to making a decision.
The Real Deal newsletter, which first reported on the sale, said offers have been submitted for as much as $290 million.
Gromann said he thought the property — which contains 255,168 square feet of retail, 250,000 square feet of office space and a 272-unit apartment building — could command an even higher price.
“People who want to buy it would do so for redevelopment,” he said.
A spokesman for Brookfield did not respond to an email from The Coastal Star asking why the company wanted to sell now and what offers it had received. Danny Finkle, the broker on the sale who is senior managing director of the Miami office of the commercial real estate services company JLL, also did not respond.
Mizner Park last went on the market in 2016, but it was pulled off after pricing fell short of expectations, The Palm Beach Post reported at the time.
Brookfield owns most of the buildings in Mizner Park. Boca Raton’s Community Redevelopment Agency owns the land underneath them and Brookfield leases it.
The resolution of litigation between the city and Brookfield, in which Brookfield prevailed, might have played a role in the company’s decision to seek a buyer for Mizner Park now.
In 2016, Mizner Park was owned by General Growth Properties. New York-based Brookfield, which had owned about one-third of GGP, gained full control in 2018 for $9.25 billion.
At the time Mizner Park was developed, the city granted whoever owns the buildings on a large portion of the land the right to purchase that land, beginning in 2016.
Brookfield notified the CRA in 2018 that it was considering exercising the option to buy. But before it did, it wanted to be certain that the company and the city were in agreement on how to calculate fair market value.
Brookfield wanted the fair market value to be low, based on current Mizner Park buildings and tenants. That would result in a low purchase price.
The city wanted the fair market value to be high, based on how the property could be redeveloped. That would mean a higher purchase price and more revenue for the city.
When the two sides could not resolve the matter, Brookfield sought a judge’s interpretation of the land lease agreement.
A circuit judge’s ruling in favor of Brookfield created certainty for potential Mizner Park buyers. The Fourth District Court of Appeal upheld that ruling one year ago. The Florida Supreme Court declined to hear the matter.

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By Steve Plunkett

Work to build an observation tower at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center with a multi-level ramp making the top deck accessible to people with disabilities will begin soon.
The City Council on Feb. 28 approved a $2.4 million bid for the project plus about $300,000 for contingencies. That was down from a $2.6 million bid in February 2022 that did not include contingencies, said Briann Harms, executive director of the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, which funds the nature center.
“I’m happy to hear that we’re moving forward. The public who ask about it all the time will be able to actually use it at some point in the future,” District Commissioner Bob Rollins said.
After engineers in early 2015 declared the tower and the adjoining boardwalk unsafe, the city removed them. The boardwalk was rebuilt in phases and fully reopened in July 2019.
Six 40-foot-tall wooden posts for the tower were embedded in concrete in spring 2019, but work halted when officials decided the replacement would have to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The not-for-profit Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards, then known as the Friends of Gumbo Limbo, proposed building an “inclined elevator.” Stephen Kosowsky and Sharilyn Jones pledged $250,000 for the project in return for naming the tower after their son, Jacob, who had died in a recent car accident. The Stewards collected more than $250,000 to match the donation in a “Save the Tower” fundraising campaign.
City officials later scrapped the elevator plan in favor of a $1.4 million multi-level ramp to the observation deck. But they and district officials were stunned in early 2022 when they received only one bid — for $2.6 million.
The district set aside that amount in its current budget. The project was rebid in November with three companies responding and the winning award going to Walker Design & Construction Co., resulting in $200,000 in savings.
The city owns and staffs Gumbo Limbo, which is part of Red Reef Park. The Beach and Park District pays for all its operations and maintenance as well as all capital improvements.

In other action, the district on Feb. 6 deferred holding a public hearing on whether to cap the amount it pays to the city’s downtown Community Redevelopment Agency. Harms said she wants to find out if the city will let the CRA dissolve, or sunset, as scheduled in 2025.

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Boca Raton has been awarded more than $1.3 million in state Resilient Florida grants to help pay for projects that protect against rising sea levels.
A $700,000 grant went to the Lake Wyman restoration and improvement program that includes mangrove habitat restoration and shoreline stabilization, among many other improvements.
A $627,500 grant was awarded to a stormwater infrastructure project in the Old Floresta neighborhood, west of City Hall. That project is part of the city’s Innovative Sustainable Infrastructure Program to improve water and sewer pipes.
The state grants, announced by Gov. Ron DeSantis on Feb. 6, total $275 million, with $180 million going to South Florida cities that are most impacted by rising seas. Additional grants will be made later this year.
In 2021, DeSantis announced he would spend $1 billion in state money to help cities and towns adapt to sea level rise.
The city also received a $300,000 grant on Feb. 1 from the U.S. Department of Transportation to create a plan to reach a goal of no severe traffic injuries or deaths in the city as part of the national Vision Zero program.
The City Council unanimously approved a resolution on Oct. 25 that designates Boca as a “Vision Zero city” and directed staff to create a plan to achieve that goal.

— Mary Hladky

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By Rich Pollack

When Highland Beach leaders decided that the town’s aging entryway signs on State Road A1A needed to be replaced, they agreed to ask residents for ideas.
Like their counterparts in many other small communities, Highland Beach commissioners have continuously sought ways to get more townspeople involved and with that in mind the concept of an Entry Sign Design Contest was born.
The idea, however, came with a bit of a risk.
What would they do if only a handful of entries were received, commissioners wondered, or if none of the entries measured up to their expectations?
Late last month, they found out that their gamble paid off as they weeded through more than 30 suggested designs and whittled them down to just five.
Now comes the real test of what might be the closest you can come to small-town democracy at its finest as the town asks residents to vote for their favorite design.
“The turnout for the voting will be indicative of just how successful the community engagement effort is,” says Vice Mayor Natasha Moore, who shepherded the contest for the commission.
From now until the end of the month, residents have a chance to vote on the design they think will best represent the town to those entering on A1A from Boca Raton or Delray Beach.
Residents who are already signed up to receive emails from the town should have received a ballot of sorts with images of each of the five finalists selected by the commission.
Those who aren’t on the mailing list can go to the town’s website and sign up. Once they do, they will receive the ballot and can select their favorite design.
A third option is for residents to visit Town Hall where they will have an opportunity to make their selection.
The contest is open only to Highland Beach residents and there is only one vote per person.
Moore said that she was not only pleasantly surprised by the number of designs received but also by the quality and creativity put into them.
“We were really pleased with the submissions we received,” she said. “It is really telling of how much people care about the town and how much they want to contribute to its look and feel.”
For commissioners, selecting the five finalists was a challenge, Moore said, since they have a variety of tastes.
Some favored the more corporate-looking submissions while others favored the more creative approaches.
In the end, the decision will be left up to residents who vote on the winner.
The creator of the winning design will receive little more than bragging rights and perhaps a plaque with his or her name at each entryway acknowledging the contribution — along with the town’s gratitude.
In other news, Town Manager Marshall Labadie last month reported that Highland Beach had received long-sought information from Delray Beach about how charges for contracted fire rescue services were calculated.
Labadie added that the town still had questions about the methods used to calculate town costs as it sorted through the financial information and planned to send a letter to Delray outlining those issues.

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