Delray Medical Center celebrated its new patient tower, which consists of 96 private patient rooms, a helipad, a parking garage, registration services, cardiovascular clinic, expanded laboratory and advanced imaging technology. Delray Medical Center is at 5352 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach. ABOVE: Celebrating the hospital’s expansion are (l-r) Dian Adams, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Tenet Healthcare; Eric Evans, Tenet’s president of hospital operations; Mark Bryan, CEO, Delray Medical Center (with scissors); Marsha Powers, CEO of Eastern Region, Coastal Division of Tenet Healthcare; Trevor Fetter, Tenet chairman and CEO; and Dr. Octavio Diaz, Tenet’s chief medical officer.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Get ready for the show: We may see a good part of the first  total solar eclipse visible in the lower 48 states since 1979

By Lisa Iannucci,  CTW Features

Look up on Aug. 21, because one of the coolest celestial events will take place. It’s the next total solar eclipse, an event when the moon completely covers the sun.
This isn’t a rare phenomenon. As a matter of fact, according to www.space.com, approximately once every 18 months (on average) a total solar eclipse is visible from someplace on the Earth’s surface. What makes this one a big deal is that it’s the first one that is visible in the contiguous 48 United States since Feb. 26, 1979.
Here’s what will happen: The moon’s shadow will create a 70-mile-wide path diagonally across more than a dozen states, starting in Oregon and ending in South Carolina — otherwise known as the path of totality. The total eclipse will begin in Oregon at 9:05 a.m. Pacific time on Aug. 21 and then it will cross through Oregon and head into Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia and North Carolina. Then, it will start in its final destination, South Carolina, at 2:48 p.m. Eastern time.
Not everybody will be able to see the total eclipse though, which the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) says lasts only a few minutes. Unless you are directly on this path, you’re out of luck to see it, but don’t put your chairs away just yet. There is good news for those who aren’t residing or vacationing on this track.
You will still be able to see a partial solar eclipse in any other area — this is when the moon covers only part of the sun.
In Palm Beach County, we are hundreds of miles from the path of totality (the farther away from the path of totality, the less the moon will cover the sun), but we can still see 81 percent of the sun being obscured. The first glimpse will come at 1:25 p.m. The full  81 percent will be at 2:57 p.m. But be warned: Weather forecasters say there’s only a 50 percent chance of clear skies in this neck of the woods.

Eclipse road trip
If you want to travel to one of the cities on the trajectory to see the eclipse, you’ll have to act quickly, because hotel rooms are booking up fast. In Madras, Oregon, you can see the event from Round Butte Overlook Park. Or you can participate in one of the many eclipse festivals around the country in the cities on the pathway. These include the Wyoming Eclipse Festival in Casper; the Capital Eclipse Celebration in Jefferson City, Missouri; and the Music City Solar Eclipse in Nashville, Tennessee. There will be a countywide celebration in Rabun County, Georgia, while Columbia, South Carolina, has an entire weekend celebration planned.

So bright, wear shades
If you are making plans to see the event, make sure you protect your eyes before the festivities begin, because looking directly at the sun can severely damage them. Special glasses for eclipse watchers are available free at some local libraries, many of which will have special eclipse programs as well.
NASA explains that as the moon moves in front of the sun, several bright points of light shine around the moon’s edges that are called Baily’s beads. These beads diminish over time until only one is left, but only when that spot completely disappears can you safely look at the sun with a naked eye. With a partial eclipse as in Palm Beach County, you need to wear protection the entire time.
Watching the eclipse with regular sunglasses won’t cut it. Instead, you need to use special ISO 12312-2 compliant eclipse glasses to protect your eyes. These can be found through local museums, libraries or astronomy clubs.
You also can look through a special filter, such as a No. 14 welder’s glass, which has a thin layer of aluminum, chromium or silver on its surface that reduces ultraviolet, visible and infrared energy.
It’s a big buildup to a short event, but it can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see a total solar eclipse. Have the children join you and make it a family event. It’s the perfect time to marvel at what the universe can do.
Visit https://eclipse2017.nasa.gov/eclipse-who-what-where-when-and-how for a breakdown of what cities and states will be affected by the eclipse of 2017.

5 fun, safety-first tips
for watching with children
The excitement for the total eclipse on Aug. 21 is building, and it’s the perfect time to teach your child about the moon and stars and stargazing. There is plenty of time left to prepare them for the big event:
1. Read about an eclipse.
There are plenty of books on the subject, from The Big Eclipse paperback (Orbit Oregon, 2016) by Nancy Coffelt to Looking Up! The Science of Stargazing (Science of Fun Stuff, 2017) by Joe Rao and Mark Borgions. Read about what eclipses are so your children will understand what’s happening. You can also find solar activity sheets online that you can do together. Local libraries and the Children’s Science Explorium in Boca Raton will have free programs as well.
2. Make sure they are comfortable.
Waiting for the eclipse can make a child restless, so be sure to have plenty of snacks and drinks on hand and a blanket to lie on. The eclipse takes place in the summer heat so be sure to use sunscreen.
3. Know the safety rules.
Never view an eclipse by looking directly at it — wear the proper eclipse safety glasses. Also, refrain from using binoculars or a telescope unless you’ve purchased a solar shield, which will provide eye protection.
4. Watch children’s use of filters.
On the big day, don’t just give your children filters and not supervise them. Children need to be watched to make sure they use the filters correctly to protect their eyes.
5. Throw an eclipse-viewing party.
The eclipse is a perfect time to get kids excited about science, so why not throw a small neighborhood gathering to make it all the more special? Serve eclipse-themed foods, such as Moon Pies, Sun Chips and Starburst candies. For a few added activities, NASA offers a slew of fun printouts on its website (eclipse2017.nasa.gov/downloadables), including bookmarks, posters, an activity guide and 3-D printable pinhole projectors.

To ensure your eyes survive the eclipse make sure to wear ISO 12312-2 compliant sunglasses.

Eye protection during the eclipse
When you watch the eclipse it is important to wear solar filters as eye protection until the eclipse reaches totality. That won’t happen in Palm Beach County, so keep your protection on. During a total eclipse, viewers may remove filters. As the moon moves past the sun to a partial eclipse, wear eye protection again.
According to NASA, four manufacturers have certified solar filters to meet international standards: Rainbow Symphony, American Paper Optics, Thousand Oaks Optical and TSE 17.
An alternative to solar filters: NASA suggests using pinhole projection to safely view a partial eclipse without filters. To do this, “cross the outstretched, slightly open fingers of one hand over the outstretched, slightly open fingers of the other. With your back to the sun, look at your hands’ shadow on the ground. The little spaces between your fingers will project a grid of small images on the ground, showing the sun as a crescent during the partial phases of the eclipse.”

Local eclipse events

Eclipse viewing glasses will be available in the Children’s Room at the Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W Atlantic Ave., 8/14-21 while supplies last. 266-0194. delraylibrary.org

8/21 –Solar Eclipse activities at the South Florida Science Center, 4801 Dreher Trail North, West Palm Beach, include make your own solar viewing devices, solar viewing on the science trail (weather permitting), solar eclipse corona art contest and make-and-take solar eclipse craft. 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Free with museum admission: $15 for adults, $11 for children and $13 for seniors. 832-1988; sfsciencecenter.org
8/21 - Great American Total Solar Eclipse, Eclipse and Celebration at Boynton Beach City Library, 508 S. Seacrest Blvd. Learn the path of the eclipse, receive a free pair of eclipse viewing sunglasses, watch the eclipse. All ages. 1-2 p.m. The eclipse will start about 1:25. After the eclipse, create an edible lunar science treat. Grades K-12. Free. 742-6380; boyntonlibrary.org
8/21 – Eclipse viewing at Boca Raton Public Library’s Spanish River branch (Lakeside patio), 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd. Free solar eclipse glasses are available for event participants on a first-come, first-serve basis. All ages. 1-4 p.m. Free. 393-7852; myboca.us/957/Library
8/21 – Eclipse drop-in event at the Children’s Science Explorium, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. Science demos, make-and-take projects and free special glasses for viewing the eclipse. A 16-inch telescope will be fitted with a solar lens for viewing. In the event of rain, a live stream of coverage elsewhere will be available. 2-4:30 p.m. Free. 347-3912; scienceexplorium.org
8/21 - Open Dome and Sidewalk Astronomy Event for the Solar Eclipse at Florida Atlantic University Observatory, 777 Glades Road, Bldg: 43, Room: 434, Boca Raton. Telescopes available for safe solar viewing; free solar viewing glasses. 1:30-4:30 p.m. Free. 297-7827; cescos.fau.edu/observatory/observatory.html
— Mary Thurwachter

The Rev. Wendy Tobias says St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church is trying to offer something for everyone. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Whoopi Goldberg’s character in the 1992 comedy Sister Act may have oversimplified the goals of the church — “Y’know, get some butts in the seats” — but membership and attendance are what keep church doors open. Gaining new members and retaining existing ones are critical if a church is going to survive.
    And church attendance is falling. Only 36 percent of adults said they attend services weekly, according to the Pew Research Center, and only 17 percent of adults age 18-29 attend weekly services.
    The leaders at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach have spent a lot of time, energy and money trying to entice new members through the door. In 2011, the Rev. Wendy Tobias became St. Joe’s Whoopi Goldberg. As the associate priest for “Unplugged,” it’s her job to help church leaders fill the empty pews.
    “We’re the best-kept secret in Boynton Beach and I want to get our story out,” Tobias said. “We offer an opportunity for a different kind of worship, and I believe we can make a real difference.”
    The church’s leaders noticed that few of the people who attended weekly services were in the young adult demographic. They knew people in their 20s and early 30s weren’t coming to church, so the church paid market researchers to find out why. Specifically, what did the young professional in the community want from a church?   After careful study and discussion of the research, St. Joe’s decided to offer “Unplugged,” a more casual service offered later on Sunday mornings with modern music and a shorter sermon and service overall.
    The church leaders carefully planned every detail down to the exact time — 11:45 a.m. Sunday — that the young adults said they wanted. They hired a minister to perform the kind of music the would-be worshipers said they like.
    But things don’t always work out the way market research says they will. The younger folks didn’t come.
    “We designed the service around the market research,” Rector Marty Zlatic said, “but we could never reach ‘critical mass.’”
 They tried holding services at the beach. They tried different times. They used social media. They puzzled and pondered. Then they brought in Tobias to see what she could do.
    Tobias, 62, had grown up at St. Joe’s. She attended the church as a child and had taught at the school, even served as the chaplain.
    Most people don’t return home after attending the seminary, so Tobias considers herself lucky. She already knew the community and she already loved the church. She threw her support behind the music minister, Charles Milling, a New Orleans native and a graduate of NYU and Boston’s Berklee College of Music, and his band. More people began attending.
    On a recent Sunday, 9-year-old Zachary Raab showed off a bit of his Michael Jackson flair at the service. The congregation is invited to sing and dance along with the band, and it’s even OK to applaud at the end of a song.
    Zachary, a Boynton Beach fourth-grader, attended the Unplugged service with his grandmother, Nancy Raab. Zachary said he usually attends Sunday school or goes to the family service, but he thinks the band rocks so he’s happy to come with his grandmother. Nancy Raab has been attending St. Joseph’s for 20 years, since Zachary’s father was a boy.
    Children do seem to draw families to church. Research shows weekly attendance at church among 30- to 49-year-olds is 36 percent, the highest of any group. Parents want to give their kids every advantage and to teach them values that will make them good citizens of the world, and many people believe the church is a good partner in reaching that goal.
    Kim Tice, of Boynton Beach, attended the service with her 3-year-old son, who introduced himself as Darth Vader. She appreciates the casual, relaxed vibe and the come-as-you-are acceptance. Unplugged is her favorite service because it’s not all sitting and listening and it’s not so long that Luke, er, Darth Vader, gets bored. And if he does make a bit of a ruckus, people are fine with that.
    The easy-listening music matches the church’s easygoing, progressive messages. “We are more open,” Tobias said. “Women are equal in the church and we’re accepting of the LGBTQ community.”  
    Tobias knows there are people who have been turned off by the church. “We try to offer something for everyone. A gathering place. A place to reinforce camaraderie. And a place to celebrate the God within,” Tobias said.
    Even spending just an hour focusing on God’s plan is enough, Tobias said. “The love and joy that is felt at the service is a positive spark plug for the workweek.”
    Research, including a 2016 study by Harvard University’s school of public health, shows that people who attend church services regularly are happier and healthier than those who don’t.
    Churchgoers are less likely to suffer from depression. They have more success stopping negative behaviors like smoking. And they live longer. But why?
    The scientists thought the benefit may come from one’s social network, but women who belonged to other groups that met weekly for social interaction (like book clubs and volunteer work) did not show the same benefit to the degree that churchgoers did.
    Tobias doesn’t want you to just show up or to follow blindly, and neither does the church. She wants to connect with you. In the Episcopal Church, it’s OK to have doubts. Ask questions. Debate opinions. Ask more questions. And know that if you’re different, you won’t be bullied or ignored or excluded. You’ll be welcomed and embraced — unless that invades your personal space, of course.
    If there is one message that Tobias says rings truer and louder than the rest, it’s this: “You are beloved by God. You don’t have to earn it. And you cannot do anything to stop it.”
    So, you might as well show up and sing along.

Four services to meet your needs
St. Joseph’s offers four services, hoping that one will be just what you’re looking for:
The reflective, healing service: This is an intimate service with piano and guitar music, healing candles and anointing, and Communion passed from person to person around the altar. At 5 p.m. Saturday.
The traditional, Rite I, service: This is a quiet, traditional service with prayer, Communion and without music. Coffee hour and fellowship available after the service in the Parish Hall. At 7:45 a.m. Sunday.
The family, Rite II, service: This is the largest gathering. Children, pre-K to fifth grade, are invited to participate in Christian education (Sunday school) as younger children get care in the nursery. Music director and organist David Clyle Morse and the adult parish choir perform weekly. The children’s choir performs on the fourth Sunday of every month from September to May. At 9:30 a.m. Sunday.  
The Unplugged service: A relaxed, joyful, come-as-you-are service with prayer and music; a haven for people who want to unplug from stiff traditions yet long for spiritual growth and depth in their lives. At 11:45 a.m. Sunday.
St. Joseph’s is at 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach; 732-3060; www.stjoesweb.org.

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

WomenHeart coordinators Rhoda Kitzes and Nancy Edelman say women’s concerns can be different from men’s when it comes to heart disease. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O’Connor

When Nancy Edelman completed her training at the Mayo Clinic as a WomenHeart volunteer two years ago, she was bursting with enthusiasm and newfound knowledge — and the desire to share it.
    “In the past, no one ever paid attention to women, never considered them for testing for heart disease,” said Edelman, of Boca Raton. “It made you feel that only men had heart problems. Women have more heart disease than men, and more women die from heart disease than from cancer.”
    Edelman and her neighbor, Rhoda Kitzes, head the Boca Raton chapter of WomenHeart, a support and education group for women with heart disease, whose concerns can be different from those of men.
    Mended Hearts, a second Boca Raton group with a similar mission, has both women and men as members. Some women attend at both groups. And both groups are confidential, to encourage frank discussions.
    WomenHeart meetings contain a healthy dose of practical concerns — diet and exercise, meditation, chair yoga and more — along with a regular visit from an expert to talk about heart disease research and news.
    Edelman and Kitzes share a cardiologist, Seth Baum of Boca Raton, who emphasizes preventive care. This approach was well-suited to Edelman’s needs.
    “Both my parents had cardiac problems, and [Baum] did find things that had to be addressed,” she said. Edelman had atrial fibrillation, hypertension and high cholesterol, all of which Baum got under control, she says.
    “Then he told me about WomenHeart,” said Edelman. “I consider myself very fortunate. I wanted to give back now that I’m retired, and I thought this could be a perfect way. Why not help women in the same predicament? Women want to hear it from someone at their own level.”
    Baum asked Kitzes to start the group at Boca Raton Regional Hospital and Baum took her to training in Washington, D.C., at WomenHeart’s headquarters.  She was inspired by what she learned and the people she met.
    “There were women who were waiting for hearts, one woman had a heart pump and there were a lot of younger women with different types of heart disease,” said Kitzes.
    Edelman trained the following year and together with Boca Raton Regional, they put out the word about the group, which has grown to more than 20 women. They are selecting others to train to lead meetings and to do outreach work in the community. Two more are scheduled for training this year.
    “We’re very excited that we’ve grown as much as we have,” said Kitzes. “The hospital has been very helpful.”
 
Outreach essential
    Kitzes and Edelman regularly visit cardiac rehabilitation facilities to introduce their group to women who are about to return home, often a difficult physical and emotional transition. They also meet with cardiac nurses and other medical professionals.
    “I tell them it’s very important that they come to a meeting when they finish rehab,” said Kitzes. “We don’t want them to go home not knowing what to do and having no support. We can help them through the next phase.”
    “People can walk out of a doctor’s office thinking they’re not going to live another week,” said Edelman. “Then they come to a meeting and they see someone and think, ‘Look how good she looks, and she has the same thing I have.’ It’s good to talk to people who are concerned about them. It puts them at ease to see so many people like themselves, and they’re in good shape.”
    The benefit of working in a support group bounces back to the group’s leaders.
    “It’s a good feeling to be able to help people that way,” said Edelman. “We get to meet lovely people and we concentrate on the woman as she is living with the disease.”
 
Awareness raised
    WomenHeart was founded in 1999 by three women who had heart attacks. Not living near each other, they formed a tiny support network, then began reaching out to other women around the country.
    “At that time, misdiagnosis was a major problem for women,” said Kitzes. “They would go to the hospital with chest pain and be sent home. Three days later, they were having open heart surgery.
    “We’ve worked on that, and now doctors are much more aware that thousands of women are at risk for heart disease. And we can still do more to get the word out to doctors and women and to provide peer support.”
    The national WomenHeart group is active in supporting scientific research into women’s specific medical concerns as well as lobbying in Congress.
 “Women are different from men in body makeup,” said Kitzes.
“They’ve got to change the way research is done, said Edelman. “Our spokespeople have done a wonderful thing, they are fighting for us.”
    Kitzes was diagnosed with inflammation of the heart and lung lining as well as atrial fibrillation. She now has those conditions under control with medication and lifestyle changes.
    “I manage to be as active as I can,” said Kitzes. “The WomenHeart group has been helpful. We talk about things and everybody helps each other.”
    Kitzes acknowledges that a support group may not be to everyone’s taste.
    “There are women who say, I really don’t want to talk about my heart disease, I just want to go on with my life, and they don’t come back to meetings. You have to want to be part of the bonding.
    “We talk about everything, the obstacles we face, the depression in our lives, how to relate to your family. Very often, children or spouses get overprotective, and of course you don’t want to burden them. There are a lot of nuances in the family setup.”
    Joining a support group can be just the prescription for moving on to the next stage of life, said Edelman.
    “People shouldn’t live in fear,” she said. “The doctors tell you you’ll be fine but you like to hear it from a layman. You can relate to it in a more personal way.”
    WomenHeart meets October through May at 1:45 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month at the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute, 690 Meadows Road in Boca Raton.
    The next meeting is scheduled for Oct. 12.
    Contact Kitzes at 235-5515, Edelman at 289-8975 or Robin Mautino, program director at the Lynn Women’s Institute, at 955-5348 or email WH-BocaRaton@womenheart.org.
    For virtual support groups and health education materials, visit WomenHeart: The National Coalition for Women With Heart Disease at www.womenheart.org.
    Mended Hearts, a national organization of heart patients, meets from 1 to 2:30 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month in the Drummond rehabilitation classroom at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. For information, visit www.mendedhearts.org.
    For information about Mended Little Hearts, an organization for families of children with heart disease, visit www.mendedlittlehearts.org.

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

Catherine Robson, a nurse practitioner at FAU, observes as Dr. James Galvin administers a videonystagmography (VNG) test, which measures eye movements and is used as an early biomarker sign of Parkinson’s disease and neurodegeneration. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

Is it possible to prevent dementia from happening in the first place? Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine just got a $1 million grant from the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation for a Dementia Prevention Initiative to find out. The grant will launch the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, which will use a personalized approach and precision medicine to reduce risk.
The program was developed by neuroscientist James E. Galvin, M.D., M.P.H., an expert on Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia. He’s associate dean for clinical research in the university’s College of Medicine. This center is one of a few in the world to focus on dementia prevention, and the only one that uses Galvin’s protocol.
Galvin’s research has focused on community-based assessment of older adults from diverse backgrounds to examine the impact of physical, mental and emotional health, lifestyle, race, culture, education and socioeconomic status on cognitive performance.
 His team identified nine risk factors: hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, obesity, low mental activities, decreased social engagement, low muscle mass and physical activities, poor diet and disrupted sleep. An estimated 40 million to 50 million Americans have at least one of these risk factors.
 “Up to 30 percent of Alzheimer’s disease cases may be prevented through modification of risk factors and behavioral changes to mitigate the impact of those risk factors that are not modifiable, like age and family history, and postmortem studies confirm this,” Galvin says.
The project will establish a database for researchers around the world.
“If we could prevent or even delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases by just five years in South Florida alone, we would reduce the number of cases by 50 percent, which would spare 250,000 people from suffering from this devastating disease that impacts the individual, the family, the caregiver and the community,” said Stephen G. Mehallis, president of the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation.
By the year 2050, an estimated 16 million Americans and 60 million people worldwide will be affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. By age 85, there is a 42 percent risk of an individual developing them. Nationally, if the onset can be delayed by five years, there would be about 5.7 million fewer cases, with family savings approaching $87 billion, and social savings approaching $367 billion.
                                
Nurses like working at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. At least that’s what they said in reviews for Nurse.org, a career site for nurses that, in July, recognized the hospital as one of the best for nurses to work in Florida.
Reviewers cited teamwork, focus on patient satisfaction and friendly open-door policy as the basis for the 4.3-star rating, with 92 percent of the nurses surveyed recommending the hospital as an employer. To see how other Florida hospitals ranked in the survey, see  http://nurse.org/articles/ best-hospitals-florida/
For all of Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s reviews, see the facility page on Nurse.org.

                                
Speaking of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, congratulations are in order. The hospital celebrated its 50th birthday on July 17. The hospital was born out of tragedy in 1967, when its founder Gloria Drummond and other residents rallied to provide the city with a hospital. In celebration, the cafeteria and bistro featured special menu items with 1967 prices, top music hits from the year and groovy decorations.
                                
In related news, officials at Boca Raton Regional Hospital are exploring the possibility of establishing a partnership with another health-care provider to accelerate and elevate the hospital’s position as an academic regional referral medical center.
Hospital CEO Jerry Fedele says forming a strategic partnership will enhance the hospital’s ability to develop nationally recognized clinical programs, mitigate the challenges of a stand-alone organization, and have greater access to capital. A steering committee to explore the initiative includes the hospital’s board members, community and medical staff leaders, and volunteers. Dick Schmidt, former board chair, is chairing the steering committee.
“Every hospital or health system in this nation is constantly seeking ways to enhance its capabilities in patient care, strengthen its finances and secure its position in its respective service area,” said Christine E. Lynn, the hospital board’s chair. “We are no different and believe our intent to explore a strategic partnership is a prudent and positive development for the hospital and the communities we serve.”
                                
And the hospital has some good news for women. With GE Healthcare, Boca Raton Regional is the first hospital in the country to install a more comfortable mammography system with new 3-D digital mammography technology, Senographe Pristina. It offers patients a reinvented mammography experience, says Kathy Schilling, MD, medical director at the hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute. “It’s a faster and quieter exam with greater comfort and less pain during compression.” The rounded corners of the image detector help reduce patient discomfort under the arms.
                                
Those who suffer from eating disorders will find a new place to go for treatment and referrals. That’s because Marti LaTour, of Gulf Stream, and Michelle Klinedinst, of Singer Island, recently co-founded VIAMAR Health Eating Disorders and Behavioral Health Center in West Palm Beach.
 LaTour brings more than 30 years of experience in business and financial management to the center. Previously, she was vice president of the Florida division of PepsiAmerica. She also served as a vice president wealth adviser at BMO Private Bank and Bernstein Global Wealth Management.
She sits on the boards of the Palm Beach County Food Bank, Economic Council of Palm Beach County, YWCA, Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness and Angel Forum of Florida, among others.
Before moving to South Florida to launch the new center, Klinedinst built operations and clinical programs for Rosewood Centers for Eating Disorders in Arizona. She helped create the clinical infrastructure for Eric Clapton’s addiction treatment program, Crossroads Centre, in Antigua, and served as its CEO from 1999 to 2002. For information, call 293-4677 or visit www.viamarhealth.com.
                                
The South Florida branch of Oasis Senior Advisors, a free community-based referral senior-placement service that serves south Palm Beach County, has been purchased by Candy Cohn.
Cohn has helped people find senior living communities for more than five years through her business, Yaffa Senior Services.
Oasis’ advisers specialize in educating and informing seniors and their families on the distinctions and options offered by assisted living communities, Alzheimer’s care, retirement communities, skilled nursing homes, residential nursing homes, respite services, hospice and dementia care. 
Advisers help clients identify lifestyle preferences and health-care, financial and location needs.
A Delray Beach resident since 2007, Cohn has a background in health-care marketing, including community relations at Martin Memorial Hospital in Stuart, marketing director for Flexsite Diagnostics, and community relations at the Visiting Nurse Association of Florida. She serves as president of Elder Services Resource Network and participates in the Partnership for Aging, Alzheimer’s Association, Arthritis Foundation and the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Health Council.

Ribbon Cutting
 Delray Medical Center celebrated its new patient tower, which consists of 96 private patient rooms, a helipad, a parking garage, registration services, cardiovascular clinic, expanded laboratory and advanced imaging technology. Delray Medical Center is at 5352 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach. ABOVE: Celebrating the hospital’s expansion are (l-r) Dian Adams, vice president of patient care services and chief nursing officer, Tenet Healthcare; Eric Evans, Tenet’s president of hospital operations; Mark Bryan, CEO, Delray Medical Center (with scissors); Marsha Powers, CEO of Eastern Region, Coastal Division of Tenet Healthcare; Trevor Fetter, Tenet chairman and CEO; and Dr. Octavio Diaz, Tenet’s chief medical officer.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

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

Supervised time in a pool is a smart way to help dogs keep cool. This handsome fellow floats in the bone-shaped pool at Very Important Paws resort in West Palm Beach. Photo provided

By Arden Moore

Welcome to the dog days of summer.  Hot, humid days in Palm Beach County can put your dog at risk for heat stroke, especially on afternoon walks.
    That’s why I’m an advocate of the dog paddle — swimming — a safer exercise alternative to walks, runs or hikes when the heat is on.
    As a master certified pet first-aid/CPR instructor with Pet First Aid 4U, I make it my mission to educate pet parents on the heat dangers to dogs. The early signs: heavy panting, bright red gums and sweaty paws. If your dog is leaving wet paw marks on a sidewalk during a walk on a dry day, he is overheated.
    The immediate relief option is to dip his paws in cool water — but never use ice cold water, because the temperature extreme can trigger shock. Always bring a bottle of water because in a pinch, you can make a spare doggy poop bag into a water bowl to dip in each of your dog’s paws. Ah, instant heat relief!
    The safe exercise option on hot, hot days is swimming in a safe body of water. That can include the dog-welcoming beaches along the Atlantic Ocean, lakes, pools — or even a tub. Avoid rivers with strong currents or keep your dog on a long line.
    Never let your dogs swim in small ponds constructed to drain water from housing developments, because they contain a lot of lawn chemicals. And do not let your dog swim in ponds at golf courses, as they house harmful parasites.
    Team members at Very Important Paws, a dog resort in West Palm Beach, added a bone-shaped pool a few years ago because they recognize the appeal — and exercise benefits — of offering a safe water play spot for their doggy guests.
    On an average pool shift, there can be up to 20 dogs making a fun splash. But before any dog puts a toe in the pool, he has been tested for temperament and his swimming skills assessed by the staff, says Will Corrente, co-founder of the dog resort.
    “We purposely designed this saltwater pool to be dog safe as it is only 2 feet deep in the center — a depth in which most dogs can stand and keep their heads above water. The shallow ends are 6 inches deep,” says Corrente. “We have two attendants always there to supervise and all of our staff is trained in pet first aid.”
    Two giant umbrellas provide shade. The resort also books canine pool parties and donates to more than 30 pet charities in the area. Learn more at www.veryimportantpets.com.
    Corrente understands and appreciates the need for safe water play for dogs. Coco, his black Labrador, has enjoyed wading in the Intracoastal Waterway since she was adopted as a pup from the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League nearly 15 years ago.
    Coco is not a fan of traditionally designed pools, especially the one in Corrente’s backyard.
    “She will step into the VIP pool, but jumping into a pool and not touching the bottom of the pool with her paws gives her some anxiety,” he says. “So, I take her to the Intracoastal.”
    The health benefits of swimming are immense for all types of dogs in all levels of health, including canines coping with arthritis, post-surgical recovery or packing a few extra pounds.
    That’s because water provides natural buoyancy, far kinder on the joints of dogs than long walks on concrete sidewalks.
    No matter where your dog makes a splash, always rinse him off in clean water. For regular water lovers, book an appointment with your veterinarian to have your dog receive vaccines to protect against parasites and giardia.
    Where are your favorite water sites and activities for your dog? Please post and share with our readers at www.thecoastalstar.com.
    
Arden Moore, founder of www.FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on www.PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.

Water safety tips
Size up your dog. Not every dog is a four-legged Michael Phelps capable of swimming with confidence. Dogs less apt to swim well include breeds with short legs and long backs (corgis and dachshunds), big-chested breeds (bulldogs) and breeds with short snouts (pugs).    

Dab on the sunblock. To prevent sunburn, select dog-safe, waterproof, quick-drying and non-greasy sunscreen. Apply on your dog’s nose tip, ears, abdomen and legs. Chemicals in sunscreens made for people contain harmful chemicals to dogs.    

Use praise and treats to build up your dog’s introduction to water activities. Start with fun walks along the shore and allow your dog’s paws to get wet. Never toss a dog into a pool or body of water.    Pair up the water activity with your dog’s favorite floatable toy.

Encourage him to enter the water to fetch the toy. These toys need to float and be easy to grab.     Teach your dog how to safely enter and exit pools. Start in the shallow end by the steps. Teach him using treats and praise that this is his safe zone and to use the steps to exit the pool.     

Be your dog’s lifeguard. Always supervise your dog whenever he is in the water. Install a doggy-proof gate around your pool to block your dog’s access when you are not around.    

End the water activity before your dog becomes tired. Some dogs are such pleasers or so motivated by fetching balls that they won’t stop and face an increased risk of drowning.

Look for signs of tiredness, such as your dog’s breathing heavily, seeming to sit lower in the water or taking more time to return to you.     

Fit your dog with a canine life vest that helps him stay afloat.

For novice canine swimmers, always support their midsections and hindquarters in the water until they get the hang of paddling.     

Pack extra water. Bring fresh water to the beach to prevent your dog from becoming dehydrated or sick from accidentally drinking saltwater. Always thoroughly rinse your dog’s coat after a swim.    

Be your dog’s best health ally. Enroll in a pet first-aid class that helps you learn how to perform CPR and rescue breathing.

Diving student Seth Butcher, foreground, practices buoyancy control during a scuba diving class held on the bottom of the pool at Pompey Park Recreation Center in Delray Beach. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

Even if you live near the ocean in South Florida and you’re a certified scuba diver, diving might not be something you do regularly.
    I was certified in the late 1970s — but truth be known, I haven’t logged that many dives, especially in recent years.
    I wanted to start diving again this summer. But it had been three years since I’d strapped on a scuba tank, so I decided to take an in-the-pool refresher course offered by the Boynton Beach Dive Center.
    My pool class cost $99. The dive center also offers a pool refresher class plus two open-water dives for $199.
    To begin my training, I lugged my tank and dive gear up the steps to the pool deck at Pompey Park Recreation Center in Delray Beach, where I met instructor Bill Utterback and other students on a hot July afternoon.
    I managed to remember how to assemble my tank, buoyancy compensator and regulator.  
    Once our gear was ready, we filled our buoyancy control devices, or BCDs, high-tech swim bladders that can be inflated using air pressure from the tank. We set our tanks and packs into the pool, where they floated while we donned our masks, snorkels and fins.
    Utterback showed us an easy way to slip on fins by crossing a foot over a knee to slip on one fin, then the other.
After entering the pool, we worked our way into our BCD packs, fastened the clips, snugged the shoulder straps and added anti-fog solution to our masks.
    We released air from our BCDs and sank below the surface to practice a skill at the heart of scuba diving — buoyancy control.
    As instructed, we adjusted the amount of air in our BCDs until we each rose slowly from the bottom when we took a breath, then sank when we exhaled.
    Our group practiced several essential skills in the pool, including recovering a lost regulator (the mouthpiece from which a diver draws air), equalizing the pressure in our ears, clearing flooded masks, removing and putting on tank packs underwater and two methods for towing an incapacitated diver through the water.
    Utterback taught me a trick I had forgotten or never learned — how to breathe from a free-flowing regulator, or a scuba mouthpiece spewing out air instead of delivering it on demand as it should.
    Toward the end of the refresher class, I went to the deep end of the pool with Utterback to practice sharing air with another diver, hovering below the surface during a safety stop and an emergency ascent to the surface.
    After the pool class ended, I felt more confident with my re-learned skills and ready to dive in the ocean.
    Keeping dive skills fresh is important not only for safety but for the enjoyment of the dive — both for the diver and for those diving around him or her.
    Capt. Tony Coulter of Boca Raton, who operates the dive boat Diversity, said it’s painfully obvious when divers show up who haven’t been diving for a while. Their gear might not fit properly, or they often have trouble controlling their buoyancy.
    Coulter, who has been working in the dive charter business since the late 1970s, said divers who want to get back in the water after a hiatus should at least hire a dive master to accompany them on a dive to refresh their skills.
    The dive training organization PADI offers its divers the online Reactivate program ($59.95) that uses video scenarios to refresh divers’ knowledge.
    Divers who complete the online course can add an in-the-water refresher course and receive a replacement certification card with a reactivated date.
    PADI says reactivation is not required to maintain a certification card but is recommended for those who haven’t been diving in a while.

The Lantana-based Bait Me fishing team of Pat Gregorchik, left, his son Ian and his brother Mike hold the 52.9-pound wahoo that won heaviest fish in the June 24 Lake Worth Fishing Tournament based at Palm Beach Yacht Center. Ian Gregorchik caught the wahoo on a spinning rod holding a cedar plug in 350 feet of water north of Boynton Inlet. Photo provided/Leonard Bryant Photography

Lake Worth Fishing Tournament winners
    Pat Gregorchik, of Lantana, was fishing with his son Ian and brother Mike in the June 24 Lake Worth Fishing Tournament when something unusual happened.
    A strong fish hit a cedar plug while Ian Gregorchik was reeling it in after trolling it behind his family’s 23-foot boat, Bait Me.
    After a 10-minute fight in the waters off Lantana Beach, Ian Gregorchik brought to the boat a 52.9-pound wahoo — the heaviest fish of the 58-boat tournament.
    Commonly trolled for tuna, the plain-looking cedar plug is not a traditional wahoo lure.
    Another outstanding catch in the Lake Worth tournament: Capt. Matt Liskay’s 48.2-pound dolphin (mahi mahi), caught trolling a bonito strip behind a black-and-red skirt in 450 feet off Mar-a-Lago aboard Liskay’s boat, Born-N-Raised.

Surfrider Foundation campaign
    Surfer and technology entrepreneur Jeff Max is leading a campaign to help the Surfrider Foundation raise $100,000 by Labor Day.
    In a short video on Spotfund (www.spot.fund/surfrider) Max lists threats to the health of the oceans, including global warming, overfishing, plastic pollution and oil drilling.
    Donations to Surfrider can be made through the Spotfund site. As of mid July, Max’s campaign had raised slightly more than $5,000.
    Founded in 1984, the Surfrider Foundation organizes networks of everyday citizens to promote the preservation and enjoyment of the world’s oceans and beaches.
    The San Clemente, Calif.-based nonprofit has 84 chapters, including one in Palm Beach County.

Florida reef survey
    NOAA and partners are conducting a survey to better assess the economic importance of Florida’s coral reefs.
    Anyone who has been diving or snorkeling in Florida in the past year is being asked to complete the short online survey.
    The survey can be found at www.floridareef expendituresurvey.com.


Boating security zones near Mar-a-Lago
    The Coast Guard is considering whether to make permanent three boating security zones put in place when President Donald Trump visits Mar-a-Lago, his Palm Beach estate.
    The Coast Guard accepted public comments on the plan through July 20. After responding to each comment, the Coast Guard will publish the final rule in the Federal Register.
    The three Mar-a-Lago boating security zones used since early 2017 are:
    Zone 1: A section of the Lake Worth Lagoon immediately west of Mar-a-Lago extending about halfway across the waterway from the southern tip of Everglades Island to 1,000 yards south of Southern Boulevard. Entry by boat is prohibited.
    Zone 2: The western side of the lagoon west of Zone 1. Boaters moving through this zone must maintain a steady speed and not stop (unless they must wait for the drawbridge).
    Zone 3: Extends 1,000 yards off the beach from Banyan Road south to Ocean View Road. As in Zone 2, boaters moving through this ocean zone should maintain a steady speed and avoid stopping.
    If the boating security zone regulations become permanent, they would apply when Trump, the first lady or anyone else protected by the Secret Service visits Mar-a-Lago.
    To read comments on the proposed security zones, go to www.regulations.gov. Search for the document labeled “USCG-2017-0016.”

Coming events
    Aug. 5: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the headquarters building at Spanish River Park, 3939 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Fee $35 for adults or $20 ages 12 to 19. Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 391-3600 or email fso-pe@cgauxboca.org.
    Aug. 5: Full moon wahoo tournament, the last of three summer wahoo fishing tournaments organized by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. Entry fee $60 per team. Each team must have at least one West Palm Beach Fishing Club member. Call 832-6780 or visit www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.
    Aug. 12: Mark Gerretson Memorial Fishing Tournament for kingfish, dolphin and wahoo. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at Hurricane Bar & Lounge, 640 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Weigh-in at Boynton Harbor Marina. Entry fee $225 per boat. Call 927-8092 or visit www.mgmft.net.
    Aug. 12: Palm Beach County Lionfish Derby. Final registration and captain’s meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 11 at Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach. Lionfish collection Aug. 12, followed by scoring and awards Aug. 13. Entry fee $120 per team. Contact REEF at 305-852-0030 or www.reef.org.
    Aug. 26: Fish for Disabled Vets KDW tournament for kingfish, dolphin and wahoo. Captain’s meeting 5 p.m. Aug. 24 at Lakeside Anchor Inn in Lantana. Weigh-in at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach. Entry fee $225 through Aug. 23 or $250 at captain’s meeting. Details at www.disabledvetskdw.com.
    Aug. 26: Boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the classroom building next to the boat ramps, Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, 2010 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. Fee $20. Discounts for ages 14 to 18 and for family groups. Register at the door. Call 704-7440.

Tip of the month
    Fishing for bottom fish such as snapper and grouper during this summer?
    Carry a venting tool that can be used to allow fish to return to deep water after their swim bladders have inflated on the ascent to the surface.
    Fish brought up from depths of more than 30 feet often have distended swim bladders, which causes their stomachs to turn inside out and show inside their mouths.
    Don’t puncture the distended stomach. Instead, use a venting tool (small, hollow needle) to puncture the fish’s body near the tip of the pectoral fin. After you hear the swim bladder gas escape through the venting needle, gently release the fish.
    Small, narrow-bodied fish such as porgies, grunts and many snappers often do better when returned to the water as soon as possible without venting. Find a two-minute video on fish venting at www.flseagrant.org/fisheries/venting/.
 
Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.

South Florida Dynamics: Front row, l-r , Abbie Hadener, Dawn Rizzo, Abby Veccia, Nicki Nigro, Autumn Barfield and Deena Rizzo; back row, Jessica Godfrey, Emily Lammers, Sara Pszanka, Curt Burrows, Lindsey Finkel, Chloe Malloy, Carly Finkel and Jenni Rustan. The twirler in the center is Autumn Sarron. Not pictured: Claire McNamara.

Photo provided

By Michelle Piasecki

    When Curt Burrows, 23, faces the performance floor during a twirl competition, he knows he needs to do one thing — calm his overwhelming sense of nervousness.
    “The biggest fear is dropping the baton,” the Boynton Beach resident said.
    From Aug. 2 to 12, Burrows and 15 other members of the South Florida Dynamics are taking part in the Grand Prix International Competition and the World Baton Twirling Federation’s International Cup contest in Porec, Croatia.
    Team members, ages 13 to 25, traveled with their coach, Jeanne Chwalik, to Europe for the competition.
    The Dynamics, based in Delray Beach, frequently participate in local events such as the holiday parades. They have performed on the Triumph and Imagination cruise ships and have entertained at Disney World, Universal Studios, a Miami Dolphins football game, an Orlando Magic basketball game, a Miami Heat basketball game, the Macy’s at Universal parade, FAU football games and the Citrus Bowl Parade.
    Even though the group has competed internationally before, this is the first time the group was chosen to represent the United States Twirling Association in the Grand Prix competition.
    The team traditionally has competed one level below elite — the highest level — but now is up against top-ranking teams from countries around the world.
    For Carly Finkel, 22, the Grand Prix is a big deal because it has no restrictions on tricks. Team members can make their moves as fancy and as complicated as they want to get.
    They spent their last days of practice before the event perfecting those maneuvers, which combine gymnastics with twirl.
    “This is a little bit of pressure because we were chosen,” said Finkel, of Boynton Beach.
    Chwalik, who has coached twirl for 60 years, said the team could move from advanced to elite if it does well. The competition is tough because the Japanese teams scored a perfect 100 from every judge during the last International Cup.
    “They were the only ones to do that,” she said.
    No matter what the team accomplishes during the prestigious competition, Chwalik said it’s been amazing to watch the hard work.
    “I am proud of what they’ve become as a team and as young, responsible individuals,” Chwalik said.
    Staying focused to reach their goal of bringing home a medal is important, said Burrows, who won a gold medal for twirling three batons at the 2015 International Cup.
    He said it’s all about concentration and poise.
    “If you drop (the baton), you just got to pick it up and pretend it didn’t happen. Don’t let it affect the rest of the routine and just put on a show.

By Janis Fontaine

    In just a few weeks, another summer vacation comes to a close for nearly 200,000 kids in Palm Beach County. Before school begins, take advantage of one of the events planned to make the transition easier.

There was no shortage of water-related fun during last year’s Back to School Splash at Sugar Sand Park Community Center in Boca Raton. Photo provided    

Here’s a primer:
    The sixth annual Back to School Splash at Sugar Sand Park Community Center is a final day of play for your kids ages 3 and older. From 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Aug. 12, the park will host water play with a 60-foot slide, a bubbles bonanza and a make-and-take craft. Giveaways and music are planned for this free outdoor event. A special area with smaller attractions is available for kids 5 and younger.
    BYO sunscreen, bug spray, bottled water, towels, hats and a change of dry clothes. Food and drink vendors will be on site. The event is sponsored by South Florida Parenting magazine and the Habitat for Humanity ReStore (South Palm Beach County).  
    Sugar Sand Park is at 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. For more info, visit www.sugarsandpark.org

Get ready to shop
    Back-to-school tax-free shopping days are Aug. 4-6, and the good news is computers are eligible, but the rules cap the purchase price at $750. Other items also have caps, including clothing and shoes (capped at $60 per item) and certain school supplies (capped at $15 per item).
    For a complete list of the rules and eligible items, visit www.floridarevenue.com/backtoschool or call 800-352-3671.
    You can save even more if you get the $10 off $50 coupon from JCPenney available on the county school district’s website. Find Penney stores at the Mall at Wellington Green and Boynton Beach Mall. Get your coupon at www.palmbeachschools.org/backtoschool/
    News Channel 5 Back to School Expo will take place at the Mall at Wellington
Green, 1030 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 5. Exhibitors will be located throughout the mall with health- and education-related information. Get the information and the supplies you need tax-free. Call 653-5628.

At the Y
    The inaugural Big Fall Kickoff event at the Peter Blum Family YMCA takes place after school starts for many kids, but it’s still fun.
    From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Aug. 26, the Y will host indoor activities such as a program scavenger hunt, demonstrations of fall programs like karate, dance and basketball, plus pool activities and water slides. Outdoors, a live band and DJ will provide musical entertainment designed to get kids moving, and a bounce houses, water activities, food and treats will be available. Sign up for one of the programs at the kickoff event at a discount.
    The Peter Blum Family YMCA is at 6631 Palmetto Circle S., Boca Raton. RSVP for the Kickoff at 395-9622. For more info, visit www.ymcaspbc.org/peter-blum/.

At Garden of the Sahaba
    The Garden of the Sahaba Academy will host a Back to School Fun Day from 2 to 7 p.m. Aug. 20 at the school, 3480 NW Fifth Ave., Boca Raton. Hosted by the PTO, the event will feature ponies, carnival games, train rides, a bounce house, face painting, giveaways, a high school boys basketball tournament and more.
    For more information, visit www.pto.assahaba.org.

Brunch fundraiser
    The Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce will host a Back to School Brunch from 10 a.m. to noon Aug. 24 at Lakeside Terrace, 7880 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Proceeds benefit the Caregiving Youth Project, a program of the American Association of Caregiving Youth that supports children who care for ill, disabled or injured family members.
    This fundraiser is part of the Boca Chamber Festival Days.
    Tickets are $50 in advance or $60 at the door. To RSVP, call Gerry at 391-7401.

Health reminder
    The Palm Beach County School District reminds parents that keeping students healthy is important and students are required to be up to date on their vaccinations. Proof of immunization must be submitted on a Certificate of Immunization form DH680 prior to admittance and/or attendance in school.
    A religious exemption (DH681) may be obtained only from the Palm Beach County Health Department.
    In addition to immunizations, a school entry health exam is required for all students new to the district and for all pre-K, kindergarten and seventh-grade students unless an exemption is on file.
    All health information must be submitted on the appropriate school district form. Physical exams must be on Form DH3040 and provided to the school within 30 days of entry. An out-of-state health exam may be accepted if it meets the same assessment requirements in Form DH3040.
    For information on the immunizations that are required for all Palm Beach County students from pre-K through 12th grade, visit  www.palmbeachschools.org/safeschools/schoolhealth entryrequirements/. Ú

By Jane Smith

The city’s Historic Preservation Board in late June turned down Midtown Delray Beach, a mixed-use project proposed by Hudson Holdings, in two 6-0 votes.
The board met for nearly eight hours over two days.
Midtown, at the southwest corner of Swinton and Atlantic avenues, is planned to include 35,049 square feet of retail, 22,525 square feet of restaurants, 21,872 square feet of office, 50 residential inn rooms and two hotels with 109 rooms.
“There’s a lot to like about this project,” said John Miller, board chairman. “But it’s the Disneyfication of Delray with a sanitized development in the middle of a historic district.”
Hudson Holdings wants to move six historic homes along South Swinton Avenue to build an underground garage where the homes sit. To do so, the developer would remove all trees and then move the structures a second time.
 “The landscaping is every bit a part of historic nature of the buildings,” said Board Member Angela Budano. The federal standards for historic structures point to retaining and preserving the historic character of the property, she said.
Another historic home would be moved one block south, to serve as an extra room for the Sundy House. “This is our Plymouth Rock,” said Board Member Bill Bathurst, referring to the historic Sundy House.
The board also voted on eight relocations and nine demolitions of the contributing structures. They were unanimous in insisting the Cathcart House stay in its current location.
Even so, the board’s votes are advisory. Midtown can proceed to the city’s Planning & Zoning Board on July 17 and to the City Commission on Aug. 1. Both bodies would review the project’s conditional use request to allow buildings wider than 60 feet to be in the historic district and the abandonment of a platted alley.
Hudson Holdings has 10 business days to appeal the historic board’s site plan denial.
The developer purchased the approximately 7 acres in 2014, after the City Commission granted a commercial zoning overlay on the Old School Square Historic Arts District. The overlay allows hotels in the historic district that includes the Hudson Holdings land.  
Midtown was previously called Swinton Commons.

Dexter Usher, Dre Usher and Jade Stepien beat the heat at the Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery in Boynton Beach. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

Plans to celebrate Independence Day call for raising the flag, firing up the grill, inviting friends over for a pool party and staking out the best seats for oohing and aahing the fireworks. But no celebration is complete without dessert, and no dessert says Fourth of July better than ice cream. We all scream for it, right?
Besides, what’s more entertaining than watching kids struggle mightily to get in their licks before the contents of their sugar cones melt all over their adorable faces and often call for a clothing change — or at least a pool bath?
Here in Florida, ice cream’s popularity doesn’t necessarily peak during summer months, of course. It can be warm all year round, so ice cream shops don’t have to struggle mightily like those kids with melting dessert issues.

Joe Hurtuk’s Boynton Beach shop features photos from  boardwalk beach towns. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Joe Hurtuk, whose family owns the Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery on North Federal Highway in Boynton Beach, embraces the ice cream experience.
Like many transplanted Floridians, the Hurtuk family enjoys reminiscing about fun times spent up North during the summer. His shop has customers reliving the boardwalk experience.
“I used to go to Seaside Heights Boardwalk on the Jersey Shore,” he says.
The Boardwalk shop, which opened in November 2015, isn’t on the beach (about a mile from it) but looks like it is. It features red-and-white striped awnings outside, as well as Adirondack chairs, beach balls, lifeguard stand and rescue boat.
Several large windows are covered with photos of boardwalk beach towns. Customers walk past a “skinny” fun house mirror on the way in.
“As you walk around the store, you’ll see a collage of framed postcards from several states that have great beaches and boardwalks,” Hurtuk said.
Besides homemade ice cream and gelato, ices and custards, Boardwalk serves candy apples, funnel cakes, cannolis, zeppole and milkshakes. Ice cream flavors (172, all made on-site) rotate, but some favorites include Coconut Island Breeze (with coconut, of course!), Rice Pudding (one of my faves) and Fruity Pebbles (inspired by the cereal of the same name).
“Business has been really good,” Hurtuk says. “People come to try new flavors or just for their favorite. If we don’t have it that day they may turn around and walk back out.”
Another shop big on ambiance is Sloan’s on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
It’s hard not to be drawn in by the delightful aroma of freshly baked waffle cones, cookies and brownies at Sloan’s. The chocolate cookie dough ice cream in a waffle cone is worthy of the caloric splurge.
The shop has real candy (in bulk) and eye candy, too. The walls are pink, chandeliers are twinkling and the toy trains are chugging. Owners say this shop is where fantasy becomes reality — and it is, at least in the sweet dreams department.
Sloan’s serves more than 60 flavors of ice cream, 34 at a time. Favorites include Cookie Monster (with Oreos and homemade chocolate chip cookies) and Birthday Cake (with big chunks of buttercream frosted chocolate and yellow birthday cake).
At the iconic Ice Cream Club in Manalapan, 140 flavors are available on a rotating basis. The shop, in Plaza Del Mar across the street from the beach and Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, has a signature red, white and blue ice cream this time of year.
Top sellers include Butterscotch Bomb (with butterscotch, brownies, Heath bars, cookies and peanut butter cups), Garbage Can (with chunks of seven kinds of candy bars and granulated peanuts in vanilla ice cream) and Coffee (a java drinker’s dream!).
Cream in Delray Beach (with locations on Atlantic Avenue and Linton Boulevard) serves handmade ice cream, gelato, self-serve frozen yogurt, milkshakes/smoothies, fresh fruit and candy toppings, coffee, espresso, cappuccino and latte.
A special red, white and blue gelato is available for the Fourth of July. During the summer, sorbets become more popular and coconut gelato, sprinkled with toasted coconut, is among customer favorites.
Pistachio is among the most popular of 24 flavor choices at La Gelateria Della Musica, which opened in January at Royal Palm Place in Boca Raton. The store is known in Italy for strange ice cream concoctions like Bread, Butter & Jam, Bud Light-flavored and Chocolate Bacon.
Try this gelato, managers say, and let it make music to your taste buds.

Ice cream from the Boardwalk, which opened in 2015, comes in 172 flavors on a rotating basis.

The scoop
Some good places to get your ice cream fix:
• Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery, 209 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 600-9593, www.theboardwalkice.com.
• The Ice Cream Club, 278 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan’s Plaza Del Mar, 582-0778, www.icecreamclub.com. Store has a production facility for larger purchases at 1580 High Ridge Road, Boynton Beach, 731-3331.
• Sloan’s Ice Cream, 111 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 303-3912, www.sloansicecream.com. A second Sloan’s in Mizner Park, Boca Raton, is temporarily closed for maintenance.
• Cream Frozen Yogurt, Gelato, & Gourmet Coffees, 1163 E. Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach, and 520 Linton Blvd., 303-1912 or 266-2222.
• La Gelateria Della Musica, 177 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, 305-613-3032.
• Doc’s All American, 10 Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, 278-3627.
• Kilwin’s Delray and Lake Worth, 402 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 278-0808; and at Lake Worth Beach, 10 S. Ocean Blvd., Lake Worth, 249-1568; and 512 Lake Ave., Lake Worth, 493-9249, www.kilwins.com
• Capricci Italian Natural Gelato, 99 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton, 923-9466,  www.capriccigelato.com
• PopBar, 411 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 450-6124, www.pop-bar.com/delraybeach

The Ice Cream Club in Manalapan

Fun facts
• July is National Ice Cream Month.
• It takes about 50 licks to finish a single-scoop ice cream cone.
• Next to cookies, ice cream is the best-selling treat in America.
• The average American eats about 20 quarts of ice cream a year — the world’s highest per capita consumption.
• Ice cream can be made in many types — ordinary ice cream, frozen custard, frozen yogurt, reduced-fat ice cream, sherbet, gelato and others.
Sources: www.icecream.com and the International Dairy Foods Association

Sloan's in downtown Delray Beach

The new 300-seat restaurant celebrated its debut with a VIP party benefiting the Junior League of Boca Raton. The celebration attracted hundreds of local leaders and dining enthusiasts who strolled through the 8,000 square feet of indoor space and the 2,000-square-foot patio. ABOVE: (l-r) Tracy Riedel Wilson, Kirsten Stanley and Elizabeth Kelley-Grace. Photo provided by Eduardo Schneider

The Friends group celebrated the official opening of Windows on the Floating World: Blume Tropical Wetland Garden, a stunning space that features a series of walkways and permanent and changing aquatic-plant displays that enable visitors to connect with the tropical wetlands around them. Local dignitaries, board members, proud patrons and construction and design personnel cheered and applauded as the new waterfall started to flow. ABOVE: (l-r, from top) Ron Rice, of Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension, with board members Mike Zimmerman (red shirt), Tom Brockway, William Grady, Molly Sims, Jeffrey Phipps Sr., Julie Criser, Julie Kime, Sandy Smith and Polly Reed. Photo provided by Jacek Gancarz

The final installment of the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County’s speaker series attracted a crowd of 125 for a conversation with Rich and Jill Switzer. The topic was “Sing Sing Sing” with the co-hosts of The Morning Lounge on WLML-FM, also known as Legends Radio. Rich Switzer is a composer and pianist who has been entertaining audiences in South Florida for 32 years. Jill Switzer has headlined The Colony’s Royal Room and sung with the Palm Beach Pops. ABOVE: (l-r) Essie Owens, Sindy Galdamez and Dina Baker. BELOW: Rob Russell with Jo Anne Moeller. Photos provided by Jacek Gancarz

Officers, members and supporters of the Boca Raton Woman’s Club had a decadent dinner prior to installing the new slate of leaders for the 2017-18 season. Past President Gwen Herb emceed the affair, presenting white roses to Pam Capi, president; Terry Fedele, first vice president; Bonnie Mason, second vice president; Carol Stankee, recording secretary; Virginia Bauer, corresponding secretary; and Annette Phelps, treasurer. ABOVE: (l-r) Capi, Mason, Stankee, Bauer and Phelps. Photo provided by Barbara McCormick

More than 100 local students will benefit from the George Snow Scholarship Fund, which this year will make scholarship commitments of $1 million.
    Last month, supporters of the fund met the deserving scholars at the annual awards reception, where it was announced that 2017 has been the most successful year in the organization’s 35-year history.
“Our awards reception marks the culmination of a year’s worth of work by literally hundreds of our kind and generous supporters and volunteers,” President Tim Snow said.
    Each scholar received a certificate and a medal, as well as a duffel bag filled with college-related items valued at $800.
 The ceremony ended with longtime supporter Diana Halley receiving the Robert S. Howell Spirit of Service Award.

Proper Affair Fashion Show raises $40,000 for ACCF
    Local and national sponsors came together to support the ninth annual Proper Affair Fashion Show, which benefits the Achievement Centers for Children & Families in Delray Beach.
The more than $40,000 raised will help underprivileged children and low-income families in the community.
    The event featured complimentary cocktails and hors d’oeuvres, special performances by the ACCF drumline and dance troupe and live and silent auctions.

Rooney’s Golf Foundation contributes to 8 charities
    Following spring fundraising events, Rooney’s Golf Foundation distributed $22,465 to eight local charities. Its 10th annual Rooney’s 5K Run / Walk raised $10,123 for Autism Project of Palm Beach County, Greyed A Greyhounds, Pathways to Independence, Potentia Academy and Westgate / Belvedere Homes CRA.
    The second Rooney’s Spring Golf Tournament raised $12,342, benefiting Autism Project of Palm Beach County, Awesome Greyhound Adoptions / Hounds & Heroes, Florida Atlantic University’s Honors College and Forgotten Soldiers Outreach.

Special performance brings in $9,000 for charity
Marcie Gorman-Althof and Michael Lifshitz, the producing partners behind MNM Productions, have partnered with the Alpert Jewish Family & Children’s Service to raise more than $9,000 for the nonprofit during the preview of Spamalot at the Kravis Center’s Rinker Playhouse.
For 40-plus years, the Alpert Jewish Family & Children’s Service has provided resources aimed at strengthening the lives of those in Palm Beach County.
     “While primarily a Jewish organization, its mission is to address the community wherever needs are required, regardless of religion,” Gorman-Althof said.

West Boca Medical donates to Helping Hands
     West Boca Medical Center donated 11,150 servings of cereal and nearly $200 for Boca Helping Hands during its Healthy Over Hungry Cereal Drive last month.
    “The donations will help provide local children and adults struggling with hunger with a healthy breakfast during the summer, and I am so grateful for the support of our staff and community in this effort,” said Mitch Feldman, CEO of West Boca Medical Center.

Boynton Woman’s Club awards 6 scholarships
    The Boynton Woman’s Club is continuing its tradition of giving funds for college to graduates of area high schools.
    This year’s six recipients all live in Boynton Beach and will attend a Florida school this fall. Members met each of them at a luncheon at the clubhouse.
 “During the interview process, we just knew that they’re going to succeed,” scholarship committee Co-Chairwoman Donna Artes said.
    The winners are Alexandra Charles, Molly Ehrlich, Keith Haven, Brianna Herrin, Ashley Krawczyk and Medley St. Martin.

Oh Boy Sports presents Student ACES Awards
    Student ACES had its first ACE Champion Awards ceremony this spring, “Honoring Our Champions of Character,” presented by Oh Boy Sports.
    The event bestowed ACES Leadership Awards to students including Allison Bosworth and Ismael Garlobo, of Boca Raton Christian School; Juan Ramirez and Iraida Tijerina, of South Tech Academy; Andrew Lee, of Park Vista Community High School; and Eduardo Morales, of Atlantic Community High School.
    Student ACES is a nonprofit that provides a leadership curriculum, mentoring and projects for boys and girls.

Nonprofits urged to apply for Quantum grants
    The Quantum Foundation is giving away $750,000 to charities that provide basic needs such as clothing, food and shelter to the county’s most vulnerable residents.        

Nonprofits can apply for grants from the foundation’s Quantum in the Community initiative — the deadline is Aug. 18 — and the recipients will be announced in October.
    For the past six years, the West Palm Beach-based health funder has set aside $4 million for the initiative to help grass-roots organizations that are working toward a healthier county.
For information, visit quantumfnd.org/quantum-in-the-community.

Submit your news, event or listing to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net

ABOVE: Judge Steven Caras joins the after-dinner dancing with winning students including Sophie Miklosovic from Pompano Beach (left) and Guari Shankar (center).

By Thom Smith

Some impressive performers have dazzled audiences on The Voice and America’s Got Talent, but the route to stardom doesn’t necessarily go through New York or Hollywood. In early June, it passed through the gates of the Royal Palm Yacht Club in Boca Raton.
    The occasion: The Red Rose National Awards Gala, culminating the 73rd annual meeting of the National Society of Arts and Letters and its En Pointe Classical Ballet Competition.
    Seventeen regional finalists competed for cash prizes ranging from $1,000 to $12,000, and the standards were high.

Caras and fellow judges Maurice Brandon Curry (left) and Christopher Wheeldon hold photos of judge Cynthia Harvey, who had to leave early. Photos provided

    The judges were choreographers Maurice Brandon Curry, whose work ranges from the Queen’s Trust Benefit for Queen Elizabeth II to fashion events for Giorgio Armani; Cynthia Harvey, the first American to perform as principal ballerina for England’s Royal Ballet; Steven Caras, former dancer with the New York City Ballet, author, professional dance photographer and Palm Beach resident; and Christopher Wheeldon, who switched to choreography after performing as a soloist with several international companies.
 NSAL also honored Wheeldon with its 2017 Gold Medal of Merit for his unique approach in choreographing An American in Paris, which won the 2015 Tony Award.
    High standards indeed. Each dancer performed a solo routine at Florida Atlantic University’s theater on June 2. The judges conferred into the night and the winners were announced at the gala. Each judge also spent considerable time one-on-one with each dancer, offering insight, advice and encouragement.
    “They’re so talented. They won’t go unnoticed,” Wheeldon said.
    The Yacht Club stage wasn’t conducive to ballet, but the evening wasn’t lacking for inspiring performances by scholarship winners from previous NSAL competitions in music, performing and visual arts.
    Mezzo-soprano Zaray Rodriguez, a Cuban-American from Miami, studied voice at Palm Beach Atlantic College and is debuting this summer at the Aspen Music Festival. Bulgaria-born violinist Yordan Tenev and Gainesville-born pianist Bailey-Michelle Collins now study at Lynn University.
                                ***
    Speaking of FAU, its annual Festival Repertory showcase of theater and dance continues through July with a drama, a musical and a jazz concert. At the Studio One Theatre, Sense and Sensibility, a modern look at Jane Austen’s classic, switches off with Sondheim and Lapine’s Broadway classic Into the Woods on weekends, the latter running a week longer, through July 30.
    On July 15 and 16, the big band sounds of Ellington, Goodman, Basie and Miller will fill the University Theatre. (www.fauevents.com)
                                ***
    One earlier Summer Rep show had a bittersweet tone. Heather Coltman played her last FAU concert June 12. A native of Zambia, Coltman served FAU as teacher and administrator for 23 years, the last five as dean of the Schmidt College of Arts and Letters.
    She ran 10 departments and was a major force in the development of two platforms of FAU’s strategic plan: “Peace, Justice and Human Rights” and “South Florida Culture: The Region as an International Hub for Arts and Humanities.”
    She is also a talented pianist who has performed around the globe as soloist and accompanist. She’s been a fixture at FAU’s annual Piano Gala Extravaganza that features four pianos on stage and sometimes twice as many players.
    But now her talents have taken her to Harrisonburg, Va. On July 1, she became provost and senior vice president for academic affairs at James Madison University. U.S. News and World Report ranks it No. 2 among public schools in the South that do not offer doctorates.
                                ***
    I don’t have much use for Twitter these days, but for his SiriusXM radio show, country music star Kenny Chesney dropped a tweet a few weeks back that deserves repeatin’: “Headed down A1A to @bostonsonthebch in #DelrayBeach for this wk’s Bar at the End of the World!”  
    He describes Boston’s, one of only 11 far-flung hangouts in his first wave of bar ratings, as a place “where time melts and you find friends, whether you’ve met them or not.”       

Chesney doesn’t bring an entourage or make a big fuss when he visits, says Boston’s Manager Mark DeAtley. He prefers to sit at the bar — usually unrecognized — and watch a game on TV while sipping a beer or his favorite drink, a Boston Strangler.       
                                ***
    Speaking of cocktails and Delray Beach, nearly 3,000 guests showed up a few weeks back at the Marriott and other watering holes for Apres at the Beach. The weekend celebration of distilled spirits offered seminars, tastings of more than 80 craft cocktails and a mixology competition.
    “Prizefighters Breakfast” was singled out for best cocktail by a jury of spirits experts.  Keith Popejoy, bar manager at newcomer Death or Glory, combined 2 ounces of Tullamore Dew, 3/4 ounce of lemon, a half ounce each of Foro Amaro and honey and “barspooned” it. Then he added Earl Grey Tea Confit and Earl Grey Tea, smoked the glass and finished it off with an ice cube of black and bergamot tea — that’s what brings the big tip!
    The “Audience Favorite” award, however, went to Funky Ginger, concocted by Erica Watkins, cocktail chef at The Old Arcade at Caffe Martier: 2 ounces of New Amsterdam gin, 1 ounce of fresh pressed apple juice, 10 ounces of lemon and 1 ounce of simple cranberry-ginger puree, shaken and strained twice.
                                ***
    The revelry continues Aug. 1-7 with the second annual Dine Out Downtown Delray Restaurant Week. The Downtown Development Authority has lined up more than 20 restaurants to offer multicourse prix fixe lunches and dinners plus special events ranging from beer and cocktail classes to chef demonstrations.
    Special dine-out deals under $10 will be offered, while lunch specials run $20 and less and dinner specials $40 and less.  
    No special requirements. Diners can simply visit any of the listed restaurants and request the Dine Out menu. Reservations, while encouraged, are not required.
    The lineup includes 32 East, 50 Ocean, Big Al’s Steak, Boston’s On The Beach, Caffe Luna Rosa, City Oyster & Sushi Bar, Cream, Death or Glory, Delray Hideaway, Eat Market, Farmhouse Kitchen, JuiceBuzz, Juice Papi, Max’s Harvest, Mellow Mushroom, PRIME, Racks Fish House & Oyster Bar, SALT 7, Sandwiches By The Sea, Sazio and Windy City Pizza. (www.downtowndelraybeach.com/restaurantweek)    

Latin jazz drummer Tito Puente Jr. (right) celebrated his birthday June 2 and 3 with a pair of sold-out performances at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach.  This was one in a series of Latin jazz performances at the Arts Garage. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

                                ***
    If you like tributes — bands that play the music of other, more famous bands, try Summer in the City 2017 at Boca’s Mizner Park Amphitheater any Friday night through Aug. 11.
    Up July 7 is Liverpool Live — the sounds of you know who  — followed by Turnstiles (Billy Joel), the Petty Hearts (guess!), Crystal Visions (Fleetwood Mac) and the final tribute Aug. 11 by Ruffhouse (Bob Marley).
    On July 28, the bands will give way to a screening of Moana, preceded by a Polynesian dance show. Symphonia Boca Raton wraps up the series Aug. 12 with “A Space Odyssey.”
    Admission is free. Bring your own blanket or lawn chair or rent a chair for $5.
    Though not part of Summer in the City, several other shows at Mizner Park will attract attention. On July 29, it’s the Brazilian Bar Sertanejo music event featuring Vinicius and João Bosco, followed Aug. 1 by Straight No Chaser and Postmodern Jukebox.
                                ***
    Way down the road, mark Nov. 10 at Mizner for Jethro Tull by Ian Anderson. The name is confusing. The legendary band was dissolved in 2012 — by Anderson. Now he’s back, as are latter-day Tull keyboardist John O’Hara and bassist David Goodier, interspersing a few lesser known tunes among the Tull classics. But it isn’t Tull, technically (legally?) and spiritually. Anderson wails on his flute with the intensity of a youngster just beginning to cut records on vinyl, but with a voice now thicker than a brick, he leaves much of the vocal work to the bandmates, whatever band they may comprise.
                                ***
    Many members of the next generation of doctors and nurses are learning their skills at FAU. They’ll need some gear, and for the seventh year an essential wardrobe item —  their first lab coats — will come from members of the community.  A $200 donation provides the coat with the donor’s name in a pocket to be presented at the White Coats-4-Care Reception Aug. 3 in the Delray Acura Club in FAU Stadium. Call 297-4452 for details.
                                ***
    For more than two centuries, Bastille Day has been celebrated on July 14, and for decades the Norton Museum of Art has saluted the event at its Art After Dark gatherings Thursday closest to the date. This year, however, the celebration will move to Saturday, July 15, from noon to 5 p.m. and will feature, naturally, all things French —  music, film, language lessons, food, drink and, of course, art.     

Highlighting the party will be French Connections: Photography. The exhibit, which opened June 29, draws from the museum’s collection of French photographs, particularly more than 10,000 by Eugene Atget.
    And, as Norton’s expansion continues, admission is free!
                                ***
    They come and they go. Max’s Harvest in Delray Beach has a new chef. He’s Blair Wilson, former award-winning executive chef at The Social Club in Miami Beach. A Virginian, Wilson has a soft spot for Southern cooking but has developed an international repertoire while utilizing local food sources.
    Wilson replaces Eric Baker, who like so many former Dennis Max hires is moving on to his own restaurant, in West Palm Beach. He’ll join Jason Lakow, former GM at Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach, to create Mazie’s, a “comfort food” spot on Antique Row, formerly occupied by  Gulf Stream Bistro & Seafood Market (and long ago by a Burger King).
    Of the change, Max said, “I’m proud of the fact that I’ve worked with such great people who have learned from us and then been able to graduate to another level and follow their dreams. It’s the highest compliment to Max’s Harvest and is the natural order of things in our business.”
                                ***
    Should you have happened to come upon a wicket, you could be certain that Teddy Prentis would be nearby. Teddy, “Mr. Croquet” and arguably the game’s greatest ambassador, died in May while in Bermuda for a tournament after his rented motor scooter collided with an oncoming car.
A Delray Beach resident, Prentis, 68, was a regular fixture at croquet centers in Boca Raton, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach, Palm Beach Gardens and Wellington. He also had homes in his native Long Island and Romania.
Said U.S. Croquet Association President Sara Low in announcing his death: “We all loved him for his athletic ability in the sport, his knowledge of and position within its history, his commitment to teaching us to improve our play and his great sense of humor.”
    In the early ’60s, the 14-year-old Prentis, then a handyman and refreshment dispenser at Westhampton Mallet Club in New York, swung his first mallet. He won eight national titles and in 1989 was inducted into the U.S. Croquet Hall of Fame. He then turned his attention to teaching the sport, becoming the world’s first professional croquet instructor.
    He was instrumental in transforming croquet from an elite game played on estate lawns by old men to one played by fans from all walks of life. He even helped introduce croquet to the Special Olympics. He will be missed.

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

The Plate: Pizza
The Place:  Josie’s Ristorante, 1602 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach; 354-9601 or www.josiesristorante.com
The Price:  $14.50 for a large, plus $2.10 per topping
The Skinny:  I remember when Josie’s essentially was a hole in the wall with a counter that sold pizzas to go.
The restaurant still sells food to go, but it’s decidedly higher end than my first visit to the place some 30 years ago, with menu items by star chef Mark Militello, an original member of the Mango Gang of chefs who rose to prominence in the 1980s and 1990s creating food that used Florida ingredients.
We decided to try a pizza during a recent visit and loved the light, crisp crust. The tomato sauce was slightly piquant, and the toppings, pepperoni and hot peppers, were plentiful.
The “Summer’s Finally Here” special offers an added incentive to order pizza: A 16-inch pie with one topping is available for $8.99 Mondays and Tuesdays.
Service the Sunday evening we visited was off, but that seemed to be an aberration. Next time, I want to try the pan-seared scallops.
— Scott Simmons

From toasting his special day by sipping craft beer to determining who can reel in the biggest fish, the time you spend together might be the best gift of all.

Go fishing with Dad either along the coast or west of town. Photo provided

By Mary Thurwachter

Father’s Day is June 18 and when you consider gifts, think about this: Does Dad really need another tie? Nah. In fact, he probably doesn’t need more material stuff. What he would like? How about some quality time with you? But what to do with dear ol’ Dad? Here are some suggestions you both may enjoy.

1. Go fishing. Ernest Hemingway’s sons said some of Papa’s happiest days were spent fishing. If your dad shares that passion, spending a few hours casting lines from a boat, or perhaps simply from the Lantana fishing pier or at the Boynton Inlet, may be a Father’s Day gift he would fall for hook, line and sinker.
Some options:
    • Bar Jack Fishing and the Lady K Deep Sea Drift Fishing Boat, 314 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana, 588-7612, www.barjackfishing.com
    • Living on Island Time Deep Sea Fishing, 7848 S. Federal Highway, Hypoluxo, 585-4473, www.fishingonislandtime.com
    • Fishing charters from the Boynton Inlet, 728 Casa Loma Blvd., Boynton Beach, 732-9974, www.boyntonbeachmarina.com
    • Boca Fishing Charters, various locations in Boca Raton, 844-243-5707, www.bocafishingcharters.com.

Multiple generations can enjoy a baseball game together. Mary Thurwachter/The Coastal Star

2. Take him out to the ballgame. If your pop is a sports nut, he’ll appreciate a trip to the ballpark.  Root on your favorite team.
• Catch a major league Miami Marlins game at Marlins Park, 501 Marlins Way, Miami, 305-480-1300, www.mlb.com/marlins. The team is home June 19-25.
• Watch the Class A Jupiter Hammerheads or Palm Beach Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium, 4571 Main St., Jupiter, 630-1828, www.rogerdeanstadium.com. The Cardinals are home June 12-15, the Hammerheads June 19-21.

3. Network for good. Whether you build houses for homeless people or deliver meals to homebound elderly, volunteering is a win-win. You feel good because you’re helping others, and they feel good because they’re getting the help. Double the good feelings — and the fun, too — by volunteering with your father.
Some options:
    • Build houses together with Habitat for Humanity, 181 SE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, 819-6070, www.habitatsouthpalmbeach.org
    • Help make meals or deliver them for Helping Hands, 1500 NW First Court, Boca Raton, 417-0913, www.bocahelpinghands.org
    • Tutor children after school for Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, 200 NE 14th St., Boca Raton, 391-7274, www.ffcdc.org
    • Walk dogs for Tri-County Animal Rescue, 21287 Boca Rio Road, Boca Raton, 482-8110, www.tricountyanimalrescue.com

See simians and apes at Monkey Jungle.

4. Talk to the animals. Or at least look at them. It’s relaxing and fun to walk around and see adorable animals and exotic wildlife. And how could anyone not have a good time watching the monkeys? Monkey see, monkey do.
Some options:
    • Lion Country Safari, 2003 Lion Country Safari Road, Loxahatchee, 793-1084, www.lioncountrysafari.com
    • Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach, 547-9453, www.palmbeachzoo.org
    • Monkey Jungle, 14805 SW 216th St., Miami, 305-235-1611, www.monkeyjungle.com

Copperpoint Brewing Co. in Boynton Beach has a beautiful tasting room. www.copperpointbrewingcompany.com

5. Sample local brews. If you’re over 21 and your dad likes beer, consider tours and tastings at a local brewery. Saltwater Brewery is Delray Beach's first local production microbrewery, with its Reef Room for tastings. The brewery is run by Floridians who educate the public on ocean conservation and urge people to “Explore the Depths of Beer.” Tours are open Saturdays 1-3 p.m. Saltwater Brewery, 1701 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 865-5373, www.saltwaterbrewery.com
Other options:
    • Due South Brewing Co., 2900 High Ridge Road, No. 3, Boynton Beach, 463-2337, www.duesouthbrewing.com  ;  

    • Sweetwater Bar & Grill, 1507 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach, 509-9277, www.sweetwater33.com
    • Barrel of Monks, 1141 S. Rogers Circle, No. 5, Boca Raton, 510-1253, www.barrelofmonks.com

The Symphony of the Americas Society celebrated the equestrian tradition in signature style at the home of  Donald Sussman and Michelle Howland. The 130 guests who attended were welcomed with mint juleps and entertained by music from the symphony’s guest artists. Proceeds benefit outreach programs that help more than 35,000 people annually. INSET: (l-r) John Cotter, Kathy Trebbi, Ron Trebbi, Maestro James Brooks-Bruzzese, Paul Finizio and Bob Swindell. Photo provided by Wade Caldwell Photography