Nearly 130 guests celebrated the 13th annual event, which raised $140,000 for Women’s Circle. They enjoyed a cocktail hour with a silent auction, dinner, music and a program. Highlights included a guest appearance by French-American artist Duaiv, who created a painting that evening that was sold at the live auction. ABOVE: (l-r) Kathy Rogers, Women’s Circle President Pernille Ostberg and event Co-Chairwoman Helen Babione. Photo provided by Paulette Martin

With its White Party theme and gourmet-style comfort food, Caffe Luna Rosa made the ninth annual eating affair an evening to remember for its 110 guests, all wearing white. Seated at 18 reserved tables stretched along the closed roadway, they enjoyed outstanding service and superb sustenance. The restaurant was one of 16 that participated. ABOVE: (l-r) Rebecca Himmel, Chef Ernesto DeBlasi, Bonnie Beer, Steven Krynski, Fran Marincola, Nikola Stijak, Kim Marincola, Aaron Hallyburton, Sean Nathan, Melinda Hallyburton and Jenny Melisiotis. Photo provided by Rich Pollack

The Unicorn Children’s Foundation annual event inspired hope and raised awareness — all in the name of children with special needs. Chaired by Gregory Fried and hosted by Miss Florida Teen USA 2016 Gracie Smith, this year’s event featured a performance by speed artist Michael Israel. More than $240,000 in proceeds was raised at the affair. ABOVE: (l-r) Bill Kruegel, Barry Halperin, Rafael Cabrera, Gary Collins, Jay DiPietro and Fried. Photo provided by Mitchell Zachs

Il Circolo, the Italian Cultural Society, raised more than $30,000 for earthquake victims in Italy, as well as for scholarships for local students, at the gala. After a cocktail hour with a Tuscan antipasto in the Mediterranean Ballroom, the 250-plus guests were welcomed into the Venetian Ballroom for music by Gino De Marco’s band. Giada Valenti sang the national anthems of Italy and America, and dinner followed. ABOVE: (l-r, seated) Nina Nathel, Lucy De Feo and James Oussani; (standing) Gregory Oussani and Marina Perna. Photo provided

The 26th annual event raised $200,000 for the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County’s programs, offered to more than 27,000 adults, children and families each year. In excess of 550 guests turned out to hear award-winning author, poet and naturalist Diane Ackerman speak. Ackerman’s nonfiction book The Zookeeper’s Wife was made into a movie showing in theaters nationwide. ABOVE: (l-r) Brenda Medore, Ackerman and luncheon Chairwoman Bettina Young. Photo provided

The second in a series of informative, invitation-only events helped spread the word about Trustbridge, the parent company of Hospice by the Sea and Hospice of Palm Beach County. The reception included a dialogue with three experts: Dr. Leonard Hock Jr., chief medical officer; Jacqueline Lopez-Devine, chief clinical officer; and Christina Herwig, counseling resource leader. Attendees also heard from Greg Leach, president of the two nonprofits. ABOVE: (l-r) Hock, Barbara Gutin, Lopez-Devine, Herwig and Leach. Photo provided

A panoply of talent was presented at the final luncheon of the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation Guild’s seasonal series, from visual artists creating pieces on the spot to classical and modern ballet performances. Guild President Theodora Aspegren was thanked for her year-long efforts, along with founder Dorothy Lappin and Vice President Simon Benson Offit. Proceeds from the monthly events, which run December through March, support academic and artistic curricula.
LEFT: Peter Cowan and Lisa Marie Browne.
Photo provided by CAPEHART

In its 15th year, the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum main fundraiser brought more food, wine and late nights than ever to make it an unforgettable weekend. The event raised $200,000. The vintner dinners took place March 24 in private homes, and the Bacchanalia took place March 25 at the Mizner Park Amphitheater. RIGHT: (l-r) Paul and Kathy Adkins, Amy and Mike Kazma and Robin and Charles Deyo. Photo provided

The Zonta Club of Greater Deerfield Beach honored two exemplary women for their outstanding service to the community. Barbara McCormick and Lexi Masciarella received the Heart and Soul Award. The club belongs to Zonta International, a global organization of executives and professionals working together to advance the status of women.

LEFT: McCormick. RIGHT: Masciarella. Photos provided

The Symphony of the Americas Society had its annual affair to honor those who distinguish themselves through service to and support of the community. About 400 guests attended, raising $150,000 to benefit the symphony’s outreach efforts. ABOVE: (l-r) Paul Sallarulo, Karla Nelson-Thatcher, Melanie Popper and Paul Finizio. Photo provided

Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse’s 10th annual luncheon celebrated the courage, determination and strength of those overcoming abuse. Lily Rose Lee, formerly Michelle Knight, the first of three women abducted by notorious Cleveland kidnapper Ariel Castro, was guest speaker. Lee recounted the story of her years in captivity, her escape and the inner strength and capacity for hope that have helped her rebuild her life. RIGHT: (l-r) Frank, Gail and Windee Veros. Photo provided by Ivan Gastaldo

Mark and Peggy Snyder have taken over the taps at the Blue Anchor. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Thom Smith

Around the first of the year, word began to circulate that Blue Anchor, Delray Beach’s venerable English-style pub, was on the market. After delivering thousands of  pints, bangers and mash and fish and chips for more than two decades, founder Lee Harrison was going fishing. But before he could cast a line on the Withlacoochee River in the Central Florida town of Lake Panasoffkee, population 3,551, he had to hook a buyer. Didn’t take long.
    On April 11, Lee signed out. But not to worry.
    “The old girl is in good hands,” Harrison quipped on Facebook, referring to new owners Mark and Peggy Snyder. “Please make them welcome, my friends. I loved my 21 years at the helm and will no doubt be popping in from time to time.”
    After decades in the tabloid news business, England-born Harrison was just looking to buy a place where he could watch soccer on TV when he and a partner came across the vacant building at 804 E. Atlantic Ave. Little did he know Blue Anchor would provide the foundation for what would become the Atlantic Avenue restaurant explosion.
    “Blue Anchor is where we would go to work over our plans,” said Butch Johnson, who would meet his partners there to formulate plans for 32 East.   
    Midwesterners by birth, the Snyders hit Delray about six years ago after a long stint in Texas. Mark has been in the restaurant business for about 35 years, mostly with chains such as TGI Fridays and Hurricane Grill & Wings. Their three daughters, two in college and one beyond, want their parents to stay put.
    “They want a place to come home to, a place to bring their children when they get a chance and said Delray was the place,” Peggy said as she tended bar and rang up tabs at a recent happy hour.
    The veteran staff remains behind the bar and in the kitchen, and international soccer, a Blue Anchor TV tradition from the Harrison era, remains a staple. But as a veteran of visits to the Masters and U.S. Open, Mark may tune one screen to golf.
                                ***
    Coming May 8: Green Owl, second edition.
    A popular breakfast and lunch spot since 1983, the Owl was one of five Atlantic Avenue businesses in the 300 block to close last summer as new owners began raising rents. Owl owner Dave Gensman considered looking for a new perch off the avenue, but building owner Menin Development, which also owns the old Huber’s Pharmacy space at 400 E. Atlantic, had other ideas.
    “We are not only real estate developers and owners, but also corporate and personal residents of Delray,” Menin Executive VP Marc Yavinsky said in a Facebook statement. “With all of the change coming to the avenue and to downtown Delray, we think it is important for the community to recognize and preserve longtime institutions such as the Green Owl and are proud we are able to do so.”
    So Gensman is crossing the street to a modernized Owl: “We are looking forward to a new, updated restaurant while maintaining the charm of the Owl. I would like to thank Marc Yavinsky and Menin Development for understanding the importance of having a place like the Owl in Delray.”
                                ***
    Meanwhile, farther down in Boca Raton, Louie Bossi’s is heating up. After a trial run beginning May 1, the 300-seat restaurant in Hyatt Place goes full tilt May 10 with lunch and dinner. Bossi’s No. 2 (the original is in Fort Lauderdale) is the latest iteration from Big Time Restaurant Group (Big City Tavern, Grease Burger, Rocco’s Taco, City Oyster and City Cellar). It’s Italian, everything made from scratch and the first local eatery with a bocce court.
    A few months down the road, Big Time intends to bring Bossi to 44 E. Atlantic in Delray. The first floor of the former Masonic Lodge was most recently occupied by Cafe Bleu, a coffee shop. Lots of renovations in the works. (Where will they squeeze in the bocce court?)
    Some folks will say great; some will say there goes the neighborhood. On the north side of Atlantic and a few yards east, in the space vacated two years ago by Ginger Boutique next door to Sazio restaurant, Tommy Bahama has opened. The question remains: Will mom-and-pops be able to stay afloat as landlords raise rents?
                                ***
    Avenuers who aren’t happy with the new directions can always head up Dixie, almost to Boynton Beach, to take out their frustrations in the ring. The new Delray Beach Boxing promises everything but commentary by Howard Cosell. Primarily a fitness center, it also features a 24-foot-square ring for sparring and the occasional competitive match, and “ringside seats” at a well-stocked bar, plus a genuine red phone booth from London where guests can place orders through Delivery Dudes. Could this be the new Delray? Check back in 10 years.
                                ***
    Just up Federal in Boynton Beach, Las Ventanas, the mixed-use complex at the corner of Woolbright and Federal, is jumping. New owner Pollack Shores is giving the property a new paint job and other fixes for residents … and its new tenant.  
    Baciami Italiano, the latest project from the Pellegrinos — Steve Sr. and Steve Jr. — opened in mid-April, offering true Italian hospitality and authentic dishes from a wood-burning brick oven overseen by Executive Chef Anthony Ianniello. No strangers to the area, the Pellegrinos are the guys behind Prime and Il Bacio in Delray Beach.
                                ***
At the Four Seasons  in Palm Beach, a Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation inspector discovered 13 live roaches in the kitchen during a routine visit in mid-April. Thirteen is not a high number, but impeccable food service has always been a major draw at the resort.
    Adding insult to injury, the inspectors also found several cases of food stored at improper temperatures and in unapproved locations.  
    The violations forced closure of the main kitchen until the no-nos were corrected a few hours later.
 “The health and well-being of our guests and employees is always our top priority,” resort spokeswoman Laurie Herrick said. “We do take these matters very seriously.”

***
                                        Proving ’em wrong, one snap at a time.
    Sharrod Neasman was a pretty good high school football player in Palmetto, Fla., but not good enough to earn a college offer. He worked two jobs, at FedEx and PacSun, for two years before enrolling at Florida Atlantic on his own dime and earning a spot on the team. Despite sustaining a knee injury in his sophomore year, he finally received a scholarship and so impressed coaches and teammates that he was named defensive captain in his senior year.        

Neasman left FAU in 2016 with a degree, not in police science or sports marketing, but in mechanical engineering. Pro football? Chances looked slim — FAU had a poor record, and he wasn’t physically imposing for a defensive back. No team drafted him.      

Undeterred, he arranged a tryout with the Atlanta Falcons.
    They cut him, then called him back five days later to work on the practice squad. Five weeks later he was on the roster. Five months later, Sharrod Neasman, No. 20, became the first FAU alumnus to play in the Super Bowl.
    Unfortunately for Atlanta, New England staged the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history, and on the more than 90 snaps for Atlanta’s weary defense, Neasman was on the field for only three.
    Now the Falcons are evaluating personnel; news reports say one starting safety is looking elsewhere and coaches are looking for a new safety with more speed.
    But don’t count Neasman out. He has traveled this road before.
                             

An April 1 announcement and YouTube video drew national attention to FAU. ABOVE: A student brings her pig to computer lab as part of the ‘animal-friendly’ university the video touted. Photo provided

    Speaking of FAU, an announcement and YouTube video on April 1 attracted nationwide attention as the school announced its new role as an “animal-friendly” university.
    “Many universities have a pet-friendly campus,” President John Kelly declared as he walked one of his three rescue dogs. “Our intention is to be unique and offer an animal-friendly campus.”
    Cut to psychology professor Lauren Mavica with her pet dachshund; a student at a computer terminal, pet pig in lap; another student with a saddled show-jumper. The video announced that Fido fountains, waste disposal systems and litter boxes would appear on campus this summer, plus a student-pet joint grooming program in the campus barber shop and a staff veterinarian.
    But don’t look for show jumpers in the quad or pet owls perched atop computer monitors.
    Consider the date.
    “I am unaware of any reports that anyone took the video seriously,” FAU spokeswoman Brittany Sullivan said, adding that it was received in good humor. Produced by the campus video team, it drew mention in Time magazine and The Washington Post’s list of April fool schemes.

***
                                
    Maybe it wouldn’t hurt Donald Trump to forgo a round of golf in favor of an audience with students in the Leon Charney Diplomacy Program at FAU. POTUS might pick up a tip or two about diplomacy and foreign affairs.
    In April, among 5,500 students from 350 universities gathered at the National Model United Nations competition in New York, the program received the Distinguished Delegation Award. Since its founding in 1996, the diplomacy program of FAU’s Peace, Justice and Human Rights Initiative has trained students in world affairs, dispute resolution and debate. The U.N. award was the program’s 19th for national and international academic excellence.
    Two weeks after the New York event, FAU announced that the diplomacy program had been renamed for Charney and would be bolstered by a $1 million grant from the Charney family.
    A resident of New York, Tel Aviv and Boca Raton who died a year ago, Charney was quite the character — lawyer, writer, broadcaster, Manhattan real estate mogul, self-made billionaire and occasional cantor. But his greatest work was done behind the scenes.
    At the behest of President Jimmy Carter and Israeli Defense Minister Ezer Weizman, Charney provided a backdoor channel that allowed Israel and Egypt to cobble together the document that led to the 1978 Camp David Accords.
    “I never acted on behalf of anybody,” Charney once said. “I acted on behalf of peace.”
                                ***
    The Kravis Center may still be churning out hot shows in its 25th anniversary year, but it’s already looking forward to the next season. Hailed as “sparkling, fresh and lively,” The Sound of Music runs May 9-14, after which the music turns a bit bawdy with Monty Python’s Spamalot from May 19 to June 4. TV pundit Trevor Noah visits June 3, the Gipsy Kings on June 11, and Tracee Ellis Ross’ mom, the up-and-coming singer Diana Ross, June 24.
    But fall and winter don’t look so bad either: La Cage aux Folles, Oct. 6-22; 2017 Rock Hall of Famer Yes, featuring old-timers Jon Anderson, Rick Wakeman and Trevor Rabin (no Chris Squire or Steve Howe, et al, but Yes, nonetheless), Oct. 13, and the Israel Philharmonic with Zubin Mehta, Nov. 4.
                                ***
    Five years ago this month in Naples, the world lost an incredible voice. Fortunately for us, a trove of Donna Summer’s music remains, as does the one individual closest to her — Mary Gaines Bernard, her backup singer for 35 years who happens to be her sister.
    On New Year’s Eve 2015 at Crest Theatre in Delray Beach, Mary launched Donna Summer, A Musical Journey. It was so well received that she’ll return, this time outside in the Old School Square Pavilion, May 28.
    Disco digs, tuxes or jeans, Afros or dreads, dancing shoes or sneakers — they all fit. (www.oldschool.org or 243-7922.)

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

The Plate: Chicken vindaloo
The Place: Flavor of India, 1516 N. Dixie Highway, Lake Worth; 582-8600.
The Price: $14.95
The Skinny: Long ago, a friend of mine who does not care much for spice ordered chicken vindaloo. He later described the experience as “vindaloovian.”
It simply was too much heat.
I love spice, so it’s almost impossible to make something too hot for me.
And that had been a complaint about Flavor of India — forget Clara Peller asking, “Where’s the beef?” It was me asking, “Where’s the heat?”
Well, things have changed my last couple of visits to this restaurant, the closest East Indian restaurant to our readership north of Delray Beach.
Vindaloo is a complex curry — with garlic, onion, cinnamon, cloves, cumin, mustard seed, turmeric, tamarind paste and other savory ingredients.
Combined, they create a fiery sauce that coats the tender bits of chicken and chunks of potato in a rich tapestry of flavors. You’ll want to order naan to soak up the aromatic sauce.  
We also enjoyed tender, slightly smoky tandoori and cooled it all down with a Kingfisher ale.
I’ll be back.
— Scott Simmons

By Steve Pike
    
You know that feeling you get when you hear a song on the radio that brings back a memory? It’s as if you’re transported back to that moment in time — to the sights, sounds and smells of another lifetime.
    Ann Purcell transports you back to those times in her life not with song, but with poetry. Purcell’s new book, Tender Flower of Heaven, is a collection of 130 poems she has written over the past 30 years from places ranging from Switzerland and Holland to Heavenly Mountain, N.C., and Livingston Manor, N.Y.
    Purcell, who splits her time between Delray Beach and Livingston Manor, has been a teacher of Transcendental Meditation since 1973. Each poem in Tender Flower of Heaven was inspired by her teacher, the legendary Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
    Purcell originally published Tender Flower of Heaven in 2006 basically for family and friends. The second edition was published to a larger audience this past December.
    The poems, Purcell said, “certainly bring back a sense of place. I can’t say that with all of them, but with some of them, for sure.’’
    One in particular is called Am I the Poet? Written in 1989, it’s one of Purcell’s first attempts at poetry, as well as one of her most revealing.
    “It expresses my creative processes,’’ Purcell said. “I often refer to this poem when I’m talking about creativity.’’
    “Silence stirred, an impulse heard
    “Beyond all meter, beyond all word …”
    “I wrote it in Switzerland,’’ Purcell said. “But I get the feeling I didn’t write it; I just watched it being written by itself, as though I was a vessel.
    “Every now and then, when writing poems, it just flows so effortlessly you think, ‘Where did that come from?’ Other poems haven’t always appeared so effortlessly. This poem expresses that effortless experience.’’
    And in each poem, Purcell takes you on an experience worth reading.

Tender Flower of Heaven, by Ann Purcell; available at
http://EnlightenmentFor
Everyone.com/tender-flower-of-heaven, 205 pp., $8.99

Connie Lou Wagner of South Palm Beach won first place in the Animal Life category for her photo titled  ‘Surprised Lizard on Bamboo Culm’ (above). All photographs were taken at Mounts Botanical Garden.  It was the garden’s 10th annual photography contest.
Photo by Connie Lou Wagner

ABOVE: FAU student Ryan Uber does a back flip March 25 at South Beach Park in Boca Raton. BELOW: Aquatic-themed kites fly at the Air Waves event in mid-March at Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park.
Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Children look at an inflatable shark as kites fill the sky during the Air Waves kite-flying event March 18 at Boynton Beach’s Oceanfront Park. The kites were mostly designs of aquatic creatures.
Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Charlie Merk, 10, plays pinball at Silverball Museum in Delray Beach, which has arcade games from three generations. Dana (left), Charlie and Amy Merk were visiting Charlie’s grandfather Justin Kelleher (rear).  The Merks are from Hingham, Mass., near Boston. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

It’s getting to be that time of year. Soon the grandkids or other young relatives will make their way here for a visit — perhaps for Easter. The pool and video games may keep them occupied for a while, and they’re sure to enjoy the beach and sunshine.
But pretty soon, they’re going to want to find something else to do.

A few suggestions,

Play pinball, games at Silverball Museum

When it comes to entertainment, sometimes it’s hard to find common ground with grandkids — or even kids. For a generation that grew up on kickball and stickball, the allure of Wii, PlayStation and Xbox can be difficult to comprehend.
But Delray Beach’s Silverball Museum is a place where multiple generations can do things together.
Yes, it’s a museum, but you’re encouraged to play most of the more than 200 games the Silverball has — ranging from modern games to older favorites like Skee-Ball and Ms. Pac-Man, to dozens of pinball machines, some dating to the 1940s and 1950s.
And the museum folks don’t mind if you share the experience with someone a lot younger who may never have seen a pinball machine before.
“Grandparents and parents can’t always relate to the technology that kids use today, but at Silverball, there’s a common interest for everyone,” says Kimberly Cubbage, who with her husband, Brad, and son, Colton, 7, are museum regulars. “The whole family tends to enjoy it and get involved.”
What sometimes happens at the Silverball Museum is that parents or grandparents teach their younger family members how to play pinball, while the kids help their elders hone their skills at some of today’s arcade games.
“It’s a good bonding experience,” says Dayna DiDomenico, the museum’s general manager.
The museum is probably best suited to children older than 4, DiDomenico says. Older kids can wander through the museum alone, while adults can keep an eye on them from an upper level.
For those who like to learn a little bit about the games they’re playing, the museum has cards above each machine, letting guests know when the game was created and what makes it special.
The museum has a restaurant and two full-service bars. It’s open seven days a week but you might want to shoot for Sunday— especially if you go with a group — to take advantage of family day, when up to four people can play for a half day for $25. Each extra person is just $5.
The museum is open from 11 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Games are free with an entry pass. Rates range from $7.50 per person for a half-hour pass to $25 for a full-day pass. Check website for specials.
Silverball Museum, 19 NE Third Ave., Delray Beach (behind Johnny Brown’s), 266-3294, www.silverballmuseum.com/delray-beach

Photo provided

Shoot a round of mini golf

Putt’n Around in Delray Beach is not your typical miniature golf course. There are no clowns, windmills or lighthouses. Instead there are two beautifully landscaped courses themed to the local environment.
On the Ocean Course, you find fish statues and maybe a mermaid. Don’t be surprised if you come across an alligator on the Everglades Course.
You can stay and have lunch or dinner at Putt’n Around, which serves burgers, pizza, hot dogs and more.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.Admission is $11 for 18 holes, $16 for 36. Discounted prices for seniors and children younger than 4.
Putt’n Around, 350 NE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, 459-2715, www.puttnaround.net.

The Boca Raton Children’s Museum offers activities as well as exhibits. Photo provided

Check out children’s museums and science centers

Take kids to a place where they can learn as they have fun.
The Boca Raton Children’s Museum is a fixture in the community and offers programming with an emphasis on younger kids. It has everything from music classes and art workshops to permanent exhibits.
At the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center in Boynton Beach, children can learn about art, music, the sciences and more through free weekly programs and affordable workshops.
Kids can learn a lot at the Children’s Science Explorium, a hands-on center in Boca Raton designed for children 5 to 12. The center features interactive exhibits, programs and camps that bring the physical sciences to life.
Boca Raton Children’s Museum, 498 Crawford Blvd., Boca Raton, 368-6875; www.cmboca.org. Admission: $5.
Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and Learning Center,129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, 742-6780; www.schoolhousemuseum.org. $5 admission but free for infants younger than 1.
Children’s Science Explorium, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton, 347-3900; www.scienceexplorium.org. A suggested $5 donation.

Have a ball bowling, playing games or watching a movie

You and the family can spend a whole day at Frank Theatres CineBowl & Grille and never be bored. Located in the Delray Marketplace, the four-in-one entertainment center is a combination of bowling lanes, movie theater, arcade and restaurant — all under the same roof.
For family members who want to score some strikes or spares, there are 16 lanes. There are also more than 25 arcade games. Cinebowl has 12 movie screens, including an IMAX, and a recently opened Beer and Burger Joint restaurant.
Hours are 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11:30 a.m. to midnight Friday; 11:30 to 1 a.m. Saturday; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. Check website for prices.
CineBowl & Grill, 14775 Lyons Road, Delray Beach, 454-8002, http://delray.cinebowlandgrille.com

Explore Everglades wetland

Amid the condos, golf courses and urban sprawl, you can still discover areas that offer a glimpse of Florida’s natural wetland environment. On a visit to the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, the Wakodahatchee Wetlands or the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, you’ll get a chance to see alligators, turtles and many species of birds, ranging from hawks to ducks, even storks.
All three wetlands have boardwalks where visitors can observe wildlife. Green Cay has a nature center with live animal exhibits. Admission is free to all three.
Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, 12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach, 966-7000, http://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/Pages/GreenCay.aspx#.WNF24_1JnIF
Wakodahatchee Wetlands, 13026 Jog Road, Delray Beach, 493-6000, http://discover.pbcgov.org/waterutilities/Pages/default.aspx
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, 732-3684, www.fws.gov/refuge/arm_loxahatchee/
Paul Homer leads a nature walk during Sea Turtle Day at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. Coastal Star file photo

Learn more about the coast

There’s nothing like a great day at the beach — and South Palm Beach County has some of the best beaches around. Just being in the water on a hot day can be a treat.
If snorkeling is something you enjoy, visit Red Reef Park in Boca Raton.
Two places to go to learn more about the coastal environment are the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton and the Sandoway Discovery Center in Delray Beach. At Sandoway, guests can watch shark feedings, visit a touch tank full of sea stars, sea cucumbers and the like, and see a vast collection of shells. Sea turtles are the stars of the show at Gumbo Limbo, but there is much more to see in its four outdoor marine aquariums.
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton, 544-8605, www.gumbolimbo.org. A suggested $5 donation.
Sandoway Discovery Center, 142 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, 274-7263, www.sandoway.org. Cost is $5 per person, ages 3 and older.

— Stories by Rich Pollack

April 22: The ninth-annual fundraiser to benefit the Southeast Spinal Cord Injury Fund will support Cruise Bogle, who was paralyzed in a skimboarding accident eight years ago. The event will have a live band. Support comes from the Delray Beach Playhouse and Ellie’s Diner. Time is 5 to 11 p.m. Cost is $35. Call 306-7667 or visit helphopelive.org/campaign/347. ABOVE: (l-r) Kristi Vick, Ellie Smela, Cruise Bogle and Bob Smela. Photo provided

Connie Siskowski (right), founder and president of the American Association of Caregiving Youth, and Jan Savarick, an ongoing supporter of the organization. Photo provided

By Amy Woods
    
More than 10,000 tweens and teens in Palm Beach County, most hidden behind the doors of their domiciles, care for  aging parents or grandparents. They bathe, clothe, feed and give medicine to the adults who are supposed to be taking care of them. As a result, the young ones end up robbed of their childhoods and sometimes suffer in school.
    Connie Siskowski, founder and president of the American Association of Caregiving Youth, understands what they are going through because she has been there herself.
    “I slept in the living room to be closer to him and got up at 2 a.m. to give him medication,” Siskowski said of her grandfather Joseph Vreeland, who suffered from congestive heart failure. “He was the most important person in my life.”
Siskowski, 70, of Boca Raton, was 13 then, living in New Jersey. She did caregiving duties until Vreeland died at 86.
    “I was the one who found him no longer breathing,” Siskowski said. “It was more, for me, the emotional impact.”
    Back then, scenarios like hers largely went unrecognized.
    “Families feared being pulled apart if people knew what was going on,” Siskowski said. “Families feared someone would take their child away.”
    Those fears are unfounded today. The real fears lie in the facts. In one study, 22 percent of high-school dropouts cited the reason they stopped going to class is that they had to care for a loved one. Among caregivers who go to school, 20 percent said the responsibility forced them to miss out on after-school activities, according to the National Alliance for Caregiving.
    The association aims to change all that. On April 27, it will sponsor the Caregiving Youth Institute Conference with the goal of raising awareness of and generating support for a long-overlooked population.
    “I think it’s really an opportunity to learn and to be able to acknowledge these kids and value what they’re doing,” Siskowski said. “We encourage people to come.”
    The conference will feature expert speakers, breakout sessions and a networking event. It will identify the issues caregivers 18 and younger face and develop solutions to improve their graduation rates and return a sense of normalcy to their lives.
    “Families aren’t clustered like they used to be to support each other,” Siskowski said. “We want these kids to graduate high school, go on to post-secondary education and be healthy, productive adults who have a life beyond caregiving.”

If you go
What: Caregiving Youth Institute Conference
When: 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 27
Where: Safe Schools Institute, 1790 Spanish River Blvd., Boca Raton
Cost: $50
Information: Call 391-7401 or visit www.aacy.org