Palm Beach Opera’s board of directors, board of governors and friends and supporters gathered for the debut performance of Giacomo Puccini’s ‘Madama Butterfly.’  Nearly 130 attended Jan. 27 and enjoyed dinner, the show and an after-party with a dessert buffet. The opera also celebrated its annual gala Feb. 2 at the Flagler Museum on Palm Beach, featuring superstar tenor Michael Fabiano. The concert was followed by dinner for more than 200 guests. ABOVE: ‘Madama Butterfly’ underwriters Henry and Marsha Laufer. Photo provided

Les Girls of Palm Beach, a group of international, foreign-born women, celebrated Valentine’s Day with a luncheon. The group was founded in 1972 and meets regularly to foster friendship and exchange ideas and understanding between cultures. There are 54 members representing 37 countries. ABOVE: (l-r) Maureen Hamilton (South Africa), Andree Downling (Lebanon), Carlene Kolbe (USA-Poland), Henya Betras (Poland) , Kathryn Diamond (Greece), Sophia Isaac (England) and Despina Constas (Canada). Photo provided

Sacred Heart School started the new year with flair, fun and function. More than 100 guests were invited to wear hats, whether silly or sophisticated, for the fundraiser. Principal Candace Tamposi welcomed attendees and thanked them for their support of the school’s scholarship fund. RIGHT: (l-r) Joe Silk, Gary and Frankie Stevens and Bruce Allen. Photo provided

The Junior League of Boca Raton’s annual culinary event raised $29,600 to benefit volunteer programs that help improve the South Florida community. The evening included an array of wines, spirits and savory samplings from local restaurants, enjoyed by a crowd of 600. Photo: Chef Patrick Duffy, with Co-Chairwomen Emily Ghijselinck (left) and Meg Fielder. Photo provided

TOP: Michael Feinstein has performed each of the 25 years that the Kravis has been open. ABOVE: Jeff and Aggie Stoops attended the Kravis Center’s 25th anniversary gala performance on Feb. 11. Photos provided by Capehart

By Thom Smith

A crouching lion, a modern day Acropolis. The rounded lobby and copper-domed roof even suggest a streamlined steam locomotive roaring along the Coastal Ridge, the highest point in West Palm Beach. Regardless of its appearance, for a quarter century the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts has been a beacon not only for culture and the performing arts, but for the area’s residents, workers and visitors.
On Feb. 11, the miracle on the ridge celebrated its silver anniversary with a gala performance.
    Michael Feinstein, who has performed at the Kravis every one of those 25 years, hosted and joined Alan Cumming, Denyce Graves, Storm Large, Darren Criss and Neil Sedaka to provide the vocals. Lil Buck and Jon Boogz added elastomeric dance moves, Cameron Carpenter the organ theatrics, all backed up by Karma Kamp singers and dancers and the Kravis Pops Orchestra.
    The first gala — Nov. 28, 1992 — featured sopranos Leontyne Price and Roberta Peters, violinist Isaac Stern, jazz legend Ella Fitzgerald, actresses Lily Tomlin and Faith Prince, the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre and the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra.   
    “Is this a miracle or what?” host Burt Reynolds asked as the curtain rose.
    To many, he wasn’t kidding.
    So much had happened since Jan. 13, 1989, when bigwigs in hard hats jammed shovels into sandy soil some eight miles south on the shore of Lake Osborne.  
    “There is no way this project can fail,” Palm Beach Community College President and eternal optimist Ed Eissey proclaimed, even though the project’s price tag had already doubled to $62 million. Three weeks later, college trustees began to balk — too many questions, not enough answers.  A month later the construction company threatened to pull out.
    Undaunted, the primal force behind the center, WPEC-TV owner Alex Dreyfoos, quietly and industriously pressed on. Downtown West Palm Beach was in the midst of revitalization. Land had been cleared along Okeechobee Boulevard, and West Palm Beach officials suggested an alternative to the lake. Five months after that ill-fated groundbreaking, the deal was sealed to put the Kravis atop the ridge overlooking the derelict Connie Mack Baseball Stadium.
    A dejected Eissey was promised use of the Kravis Center for college programs plus downtown classrooms at the soon-to-be-renovated Twin Lakes High School next door. But the waters remained choppy as Burt Reynolds offered Eissey his Jupiter theater as a teaching facility. One condition: Renovations would come from $10 million the Florida Legislature had earmarked for the Kravis Center at PBCC.
    Reynolds’ offer fell through in August; the downtown deal for PBCC disappeared in October. (Twin Lakes was transformed into the showcase Dreyfoos School for the Performing Arts.)
    In the end, it all worked out. The MacArthur Foundation gave Eissey 5.4 acres to build an auditorium-theater complex at PBCC’s (now Palm Beach State College’s) north campus. It opened in 1994 as the Eissey Campus Theatre.
    Reynolds sold his theater and it served two more companies and a church before becoming the Maltz Jupiter Theatre in 2004. It remains a thriving tribute to community involvement.
    As is the Kravis, for the 8 million who have bought tickets to shows and more than 2 million students who have participated in its arts education programs, for the arts and business communities and for residents of Palm Beach County and beyond.  
    “Beyond expectations,” exclaimed Kravis CEO Judy Mitchell at the gala, as she soaked up the scene and made sure the event ran according to plan. Mitchell started as development director in 1989, overseeing fundraising. Three years later, she became the boss — overseeing 200 full- and part-time employees, 700 volunteers and a $24 million budget.
    With the title of “founding board chairman,” Dreyfoos, who turns 85 on March 22, is technically semi-retired, but he still makes his presence known. A true renaissance man — his father was an inventor and photographer, his mother a cellist — Dreyfoos combined both to claim 10 patents plus a love of the arts. He was convinced that high-tech research facilities would be attracted to Palm Beach County by thriving arts and cultural programs.
    That initial $30 million construction price tag that rose to $62 million eventually peaked at $100 million. But only $18 million was government money; $82 million came from private sources, corporations and individuals. The Helen K. Persson Society, a permanent endowment program named for one of the Kravis’ most devoted patrons, now boasts 139 members and has more than $19 million in hand.
Among performing arts centers, Kravis’ attendance recently ranked No. 2 in the state behind only the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, No. 15 in the nation and 20th worldwide according to Pollstar, a trade publication for the concert tour industry.
“Just over a quarter-century ago, building a major performing arts center in Palm Beach County seemed an uphill challenge,” Mitchell said. “Today, a thriving cultural complex, which serves as a gateway to downtown West Palm Beach, not only serves the community but also is gaining a worldwide reputation as a premier entertainment venue and arts education facility.”
    Though the baseball stadium long ago gave way to the Kravis parking garage, the adage from the movie Field of Dreams still holds true: If you build it, they will come.
                                    ***
    The 11th annual Concours d’Elegance rolled into the Boca Raton Resort & Club Feb. 10-12. Comedian Jeff Foxworthy provided the entertainment at the Gala Dinner and show, which benefits the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County, but the real stars at this party are automobiles — some on display, some up for auction, some old, some new, some costly and some downright outrageous.
    Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Bentleys, Corvettes, Porsches. More than half of the cars on the block sold, including four that went to online bidders. Among the 71 cars up for bid, more than half sold for a total of $2.5 million, including a 1966 Citroen 2CV (a la Inspector Clouseau) at a bargain $9,900 and a ’59 Nash Metropolitan at $11,000. Other notables: a ’48 Chevy Woodie, $55,000; a ’49 Fiat Topolino, $38,500; and  a ’66 Corvette Stingray, $93,500.
    Top bids went to a 2011 Porsche 911 Speedster, $246,750;  ’97 Lamborghini Diablo VT Roadster, $189,000; and a ’96 Porsche 993 Turbo, $187,000. Several, however, didn’t make minimum bid, including a 1965 Lancia Flaminia valued between $325,000 and $425,000, and a ’94 Ferrari Berlinetta ($300,000-$325,000). A ’63 Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud convertible also fell short. No one was willing to bid $550,000.
                                    ***
    The restaurant scene in Lantana doesn’t generate the buzz of, say, Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach or Clematis Street in West Palm Beach, but the clientele is loyal. When a change occurs, those customers buzz.
Such is the case with one of the best and one of the smallest eateries in the county. In 2009, Dak Kerprich, a veteran of the high octane restaurant wars, turned a 1950s house on Ocean Avenue just east of Walgreens into Pizzeria Oceano: five stools at the inside counter, six snug tables on the outside deck under umbrellas. So close to the street that passing cars provided a pleasant breeze.
    Using only local food sources and a custom-built wood-burning oven, Kerprich fashioned some of the tastiest and most unusual pizzas anywhere. Octopus, even, on a menu that changed every day. When the food ran out, he closed. Regulars knew to arrive early.
    A couple of years ago, however, Kerprich altered course, serving up Jerk Oceano, or Jerk O for short. The pizzas remained but he served up more seafood, albeit a bit more Caribbean in style. He also took a short-lived stab at a takeout only with Swell Pizza in Delray’s Pineapple Grove, but even a couple of years before that, Kerprich was searching, hoping to find a spot with a little more space, a kitchen slightly larger than 15 feet square.
    That all changed a couple of months ago when Jeremy and Cindy Bearman, peripatetic New Yorkers, made an offer Kerprich couldn’t refuse. Word is that he’s enjoying the break but looking toward possibilities in West Palm Beach.
    While Kerprich is gone, the name remains, in part, as Oceano Kitchen, still cash only, still with local suppliers, daily menu changes — and pizza.
    The Bearmans met in a New York kitchen. Each claims solid credentials with stints in New York, San Francisco and Las Vegas, including Michelin-starred Rouge Tomate for Jeremy and ABC Kitchen for Cindy. The domed, wood-burning pizza oven remains, and Jeremy brought along his prized giant smoker from his most recent gig at One Door East in Fort Lauderdale. Recent menu offerings included an entree of pulled pork sandwich with ginger sauce, beet greens and an avocado corn salad and for dessert, lady finger banana bread with chocolate ganache, toasted graham crumbs and coffee anglaise.
                                    ***
    Down in Boca Raton, the Mizner look is giving way to 1940s Rome at Louie Bossi’s Ristorante, which is set to open in late March in the new Hyatt Place Hotel at the corner of Palmetto Park Road and Federal Highway.  The restaurant, affiliated with Big Time Restaurant Group (Rocco’s Tacos, City Oyster), is the second for Bossi, who opened his first in Fort Lauderdale two years ago and plans a third in Delray Beach next year.
    Just about everything is made in house — from pasta, to pizza dough to gelato, even the pancetta — and guests can choose from 300 seats in the 8,000-square-foot dining room or the 2,000-square-foot patio, decorated with a fireplace, an active bocce court and a 70-year-old Vespa, claimed to be the only one in the world with two side cars. (Not used for delivery!)
    Bossi will waste no time becoming involved in the community. In his ninth year of recovery from drug and alcohol addiction, he’s spearheading  “A Taste of Recovery” June 3 at Old School Square in Delray Beach. It’s a benefit for the Crossroads Club in Delray Beach, which helped Bossi. Tickets are $40 and will offer bites and desserts from Rocco’s Tacos and City Oyster in Delray Beach, Mario’s Ocean Ave in Lantana, The Grille on Congress in Boca Raton and others.
                                    ***
    Food for thought. Marilynn Wick is expanding the restaurant service at The Wick Theatre to attract diners, even when the curtain is closed. Lunch and dinner will be served Wednesday through Sunday, the kitchen under the direction of chef Marc Cela, who for 25 years topped the bill at L’Anjou in Lake Worth.
    “The restaurant has been a very popular spot for pre-theater dining,” Wick said, “but now with Chef Cela’s stellar reputation, our goal is to establish Tavern at the Wick as one of the best restaurants in the area.”
                                    ***
    Two performers from the 2016 Festival of the Arts Boca were up for Grammy awards Feb. 12.
    No hardware for either Herb Alpert, who turns 82 March 31, or Joey Alexander, who’ll be 14 in June, but the latter returns to Mizner Park Amphitheater March 5, this time with another youngster.
    Mexican pianist Daniela Liebman turns 15 in June, but their performance will be anything but a kiddie show. The program includes classical works by Johann Strauss and Felix Mendelssohn and some jazz from conductor Constantine Kitsopoulos.
    Alpert and his wife, Lani Hall, blew away the Boca Festival crowd last year. She was originally a singer with Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66. This year on March 12 Mendes closes the festival, although the group has changed — ’66 is now 2017.
    Elsewhere in the festival lineup, Grammy-winning sax man Branford Marsalis (March 3); New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff: “I Only Read It for the Cartoons: An Insider’s History of The New Yorker” (March 4); presidential historian and Time magazine editor Jon Meacham discussing “The Art of Leadership — Lessons from the American Presidency” (March 6); physicist Brian Greene: “Beyond Einstein: Space, Time and Reality” (March 7);  violinist Sarah Chang and pianist Daniel Hsu with The Symphonia (March 10); and the world premiere of the original Pink Panther with live orchestra. (www.festivaloftheartsboca.org)
                                    ***
    A few hundred feet to the south, Mizner Park Cultural Center has come alive. Golda’s Balcony, the longest-running, one-woman show in Broadway history, plays March 17-19. DaVinci & Michelangelo: The Titans Experience, a multimedia tour de force, plays March 27-29. Broadway/Hollywood legend Renee Taylor examines My Life on a Diet (March 31 and April 1) and a day later Forbidden Broadway serves up two shows, followed by Robert Dubac’s The Book of Moron, April 6-9. (miznerparkculturalcenter.com)
                                    ***
    Delray remains busy with nine shows set for Old School Square this month, including Lorna Luft, March 13 and 14, The Klezmatics, March 16, and Linda Lavin’s My First Farewell Concert, March 27 and 28. The month opens March 3 with Rhythmic Circus: Feet Don’t Fail Me Now! and New York City-Country band Shotgun Wedding, March 5. Classical crossover ensemble O Sole Trio goes “From Pavarotti to Pop,” March 9, and Angela LaGreca and Dick Capri offer “Catch a Rising Star Comedy,” March 10, while Shades of Bublé presents a three-man tribute to Michael Bublé, March 17-19.
    A well-traveled production of Neil Simon’s Barefoot in the Park closes out the month March 24-26. Well-traveled in the truest sense, the Montana Repertory Theatre affiliated with the University of Montana in Missoula is hitting the road for its 50th season. The 44-performance tour opened at home Jan. 20, bounced around Montana for two weeks, and the Midwest for a month. Now in the Deep South for another month, including stops in Fort Lauderdale, Belle Glade and three Century Villages, it will wrap April 2 in Sandusky, Ohio. And you thought only the buffalo roamed in  Montana.
                                    ***
    For the ninth year, Savor the Avenue returns to Delray Beach on March 27. Only a few spaces remain for “Florida’s longest dining table,” which stretches 1,300 feet on Atlantic Avenue between Fifth Avenue (U.S. 1) and Swinton. Four-course meals with libations will be served by 16 of the city’s top restaurants, including such veterans as 32 East and 50 Ocean and newcomers ROK:BRGR and Che!!! Menus and contact information are posted at www.downtowndelraybeach.com/SavortheAvenue; reservations must be made directly with the participating restaurants no later than March 24. Tickets range from $90-$150 depending on the restaurant. Three dollars from each meal ticket will go to the Delray Beach Public Library.
                                    ***
    Brace yourself! The Boca West Foundation has found its “dream girl.”
     Headlining the foundation’s annual Concert for Children, April 4, at the Boca West Amphitheater will be Oscar and Grammy winner Jennifer Hudson. Money raised from the concert and the $200,000 Charity Golf Challenge the day before plus 45,000 hours donated every year by Boca West residents provide assistance to more than 5,000 children and 24 area charities.  
       Hudson follows such superstars as Patti LaBelle, Jay Leno and Diana Ross. For information and tickets, $200 for the concert, with seats assigned by lottery, $600 to play golf and/or $150 for the awards presentation and cocktail party, call 488-6980 or email foundation@bocawestcc.org.

                               ***    
    “I did it, but he made me do it.”
    That was the defense used by Delray Beach developer Anthony Pugliese in his suit against the late Subway founder Fred DeLuca. The six-member jury, however, concluded that Pugliese had ripped off DeLuca with phony invoices and owed DeLuca’s estate $2.9 million for a botched effort to build Destiny, a “green” city near Yeehaw Junction.
    The jury rejected Pugliese’s argument that he had faked expenses because DeLuca wasn’t paying his fair share, upward of $20 billion.
    The damages against Pugliese could be tripled or even quadrupled for breach of contract and other misdeeds.
    With his lawyers vowing to appeal, Pugliese remained pugilistic: “I’m ready for the next fight.”
    
Thom Smith is a freelance writer who can be reached at thomsmith@ymail.com.








                                    

The Plate: Bahamian Conch Chowder
The Place: Granger’s Grille, 802 SE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach; 276-7881​ or www.grangersgrille.com.
The Price: $5
The skinny: This month’s Plate actually is a bowl.
Well, it’s a cup, if you’re going to get technical.
But this cup of conch chowder was substantial enough to stand on its own as a meal.
The hearty tomato-based broth was packed with tender bits of ground conch, potato and other goodies. It was not overloaded with sherry the way some chowders can be.
Also tasty: The lunch portion of fried shrimp, with a half-dozen lightly breaded large shrimp served up with a zesty cocktail sauce. The shrimp were perfectly cooked until tender and the crinkle-cut fries were hot and crispy.
Service was friendly and efficient.
It was an excellent first visit to Granger’s new space south of downtown. I can’t wait to return.

— Scott Simmons

The Last Rhino, by James Gardner; Pennington Publishers, 274 pp, $14.95

By Steve Pike

    James Gardner has been to Africa 27 times since 1968. The trophies mounted on the wall and the cases of African masks and artifacts in the den of his Ocean Ridge home reflect those treks to the Dark Continent. Gardner’s voice — deep and rustic — reflects his respect for Africa, its people, animals and diverse cultures.
    “We’ve been so embroiled in the Middle East, we’ve kind of left Africa to itself,’’ Gardner said.
    That means mass murders, animal extinctions, civil wars and unabashed government corruption that have been around since the European explorers in the 19th century. It’s the background in which we hear Gardner’s literary voice — bold and unflinching — in his latest novel, The Last Rhino, the fourth in his Dark Continent Chronicles.
    “What I try to do with all my books, I take the problems of Africa and weave them into a thriller,” Gardner said.
    In The Last Rhino we find hero Rigby Croxford searching for the killer of his wife, Helen, and his plans to avenge her death. Along the way, Croxford encounters ruthless poachers, a barbaric despot, Bushmen and an ex-lover who seeks his help (with a twist) in finding her daughter, who disappeared in Africa.
    It’s a terrific tale — fast-paced and surprising — that further enhances Croxford as a great literary character and Gardner as a great adventure author in the mold of his friend, West Palm Beach resident and mega-selling author James Patterson.
    Gardner’s prose in The Last Rhino captures the African landscape with the same detail as that of a National Geographic photographer. It’s clear that Gardner, an accomplished outdoorsman and wildlife conservationist, knows the African landscape and is as comfortable in Croxford’s fictional skin as his own.
    It should be noted that while Croxford is a fictional character, he isn’t pure fiction. Gardner admits Croxford is a compilation of characters he’s met in nearly 50 years of African adventures.
    “He’s the kind of guy you’d want to be in a foxhole with,” said Gardner, 73. “The Last Rhino is kind of a metaphor for him.”
    To read The Last Rhino (available at Amazon.com) is to read more than just a great adventure story. The Last Rhino, perhaps even better than Gardner’s previous books in the series — The Lion Killer, The Zambezi Vendetta and The Honeyguide — reveals his love and compassion for a continent and its inhabitants (human and animal) that the Western world largely has exploited and tossed aside.
    Only the Chinese — much to Gardner’s chagrin, if not downright anger — seem interested in Africa these days, and not for healthy reasons.
    “There are a million Chinese living in Africa now,” Gardner said. “I think China has aspirations to annex Africa. They need the natural resources. Africa has all the minerals — gold, diamonds, coal.”
    Gardner spent this past September in Africa.
    “To me it’s like the last inland frontier,’’ Gardner said. “There are so many things that I love about it.’’
    And Gardner’s readers will surely love The Last Rhino.

5 not-to-miss spots on East Ocean Avenue in Lantana

Story by Mary Thurwachter
Photos by Ruth Cincotta

Some say Lantana is a quaint drinking village with a fishing problem. You can get a feel for both west of the bridge on East Ocean Avenue, the town’s Old Florida-style downtown with restaurants, shops, Bicentennial and Sportsman’s parks, a fishing pier and a marina.
What can you do there? Here are five suggestions:

Start the day with a latte and a freshly baked almond croissant. Jouko Vaskivuo’s Palm Beach Bakery and Cafe (206 E. Ocean Ave. — right around the corner from the Hoochi Coochi Wax Studio) remains a favorite for local Finns who gather around tables outside. Vaskivuo is known for his European sourdough breads, pastries, cakes and pies. We found the friendly Inger Kolehmainen (above) behind the counter.

Protect your eyes with fashionable shades. In the Sunshine State, sunglasses are a must. See Alan Ross at Shades of Time (214 E. Ocean Ave., www.shadesoftimeonline.com) to be fitted with some high-quality, high-functioning and cool-looking sunglasses from top manufacturers. Ross loves his Costa del Mars. “My prices are the best in the area and I won’t let anyone go out of here looking like a doofus,” he says.

Find out what’s biting and stock up on bait. Going fishing?  See Marc Lee at Bar Jack Fish Tales (314 E. Ocean Ave., www.barjackfishing.com). Find everything from ice and snacks to high-end trolling bait. You can also reserve a spot on the Lady K drift boat (the boat goes out at 8 a.m., 1 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.). Lee’s family has owned the marina for several decades.

Buy a colorful T-shirt or koozie. The gift shop at the Old Key Lime House (300 E. Ocean Ave., www.oldkeylimehouse.com) is full of fun souvenirs and beach gear. Shop while you wait to eat lunch or dinner in the restaurant in back, which has a chickee-hut roof built by Seminole Indians and tiki bar. The waterside view can’t be beat. Built in 1889 by pioneering Lantana family the Lymans, the house, painted Key lime green, has become one of the most popular island-style eateries around. Be sure to have a slice of the restaurant’s namesake Key lime pie. And say hello to the trio of giant lobsters gliding around in a fish tank in the lobby.

Catch breakfast or lunch at Kona Bay Café (310 E. Ocean Ave., www.konabaycafe, next to Bar Jack’s). Start with a giant mimosa. And, if you’ve been fishing, the chef may cook your catch. Not looking for seafood? Try the Coconut Macadamia Nut French Toast. Scrumptious! Other good places to eat on the avenue include Mario’s Ocean Ave (225 E. Ocean Ave.), and Oceano Kitchen (201 E. Ocean Ave.).

This is the second of three shopping areas The Coastal Star will check out this year. Next month, we’ll visit Pineapple Grove in Delray Beach.

 By Rich Pollack

A memorial service will be held Feb. 26 for Highland Beach Town Commissioner Lou Stern, who died Feb. 8 following a short battle with kidney disease.  He was 82.

The service will be held at Gutterman-Warheit Memorial Chapel, 240 North Federal Highway in Boca Raton beginning at 3 p.m.

A resident of Highland Beach since 1997 after moving from the Philadelphia area, Mr. Stern was active in the community, serving as the chair of the town’s Planning Board and also serving on the Board of Adjustments and Appeals. He was elected to the town commission in 2012 and again in 2015.

A founding member of the board of directors of the National Council for Adoption in 1980, Mr. Stern served as chair of the organizations board five times and in Nov. 2015 was honored with its Ruby Lee Piester Adoption Award, a lifetime-achievement recognition.

Mr. Stern is survived by his wife of 54 years, Carol; two children Lawrence Stern and Natalie Kolton; a granddaughter, Danielle Kolton and a sister, Sally Epstein-Piccone.

Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to National Council for Adoption, 225 N. Washington Street, Alexandria, Va.,  22314 or to the charity of the donors’ choice.

By Dan Moffett

 Ocean Ridge commissioners decided to postpone an appeal hearing for fired police Lt. Steve Wohlfiel after his attorney filed suit, charging the town had violated his rights and denied him due process.

 In a declaratory judgment complaint to Palm Beach County Circuit Court, attorney Ralph King says that the town is not following the employee rules in its charter by denying Wohlfiel a hearing during which he could “present and confront witnesses and other evidence.”

 The commission voted unanimously to fire the veteran officer in January over his alleged involvement in a shooting incident at the home of former Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella in October. Town police said they found the two men “obviously intoxicated” in the back yard after neighbors called complaining of gunshots.

Lucibella resigned his seat when county prosecutors charged him with felony battery on an officer and resisting an officer with violence, as well as a misdemeanor firearms offense. Wohlfiel, who was off-duty, was not charged, but an internal affairs report was critical of his behavior, citing the sworn testimony of two witnesses who claimed he admitted firing the shots.

 King, an attorney with the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, filed the complaint Feb. 3, three days before the commission was to meet to consider Wohlfiel’s appeal.

 Acting Town Attorney Brian Shutt told commissioners at the aborted Feb. 6 hearing that they should take no action until the Circuit Court resolves King’s complaint.

By Steve Plunkett

The Federation of Boca Raton Homeowner Associations is inviting voters to a forum of candidates for mayor and City Council Feb. 6.

The federation meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. with council candidates taking questions at 7 p.m. and the candidates for mayor speaking at 8:15 p.m.. The forum will take place at the city’s municipal building at 6500 Congress Ave.

The League of Women Voters will also be on hand to register voters.

The March 14 ballot features Susan Haynie, running for her final term as mayor, against Al Zucaro, an attorney who stepped aside as publisher of the online Boca Watch blog to run for office.

In the council Seat A race, incumbent council member Scott Singer faces real estate agent Patty Dervishi, a former treasurer of the Golden Triangle Homeowners Association.

For open council Seat A the candidates are Emily Gentile, an officer of the Beach Condominium Association and former vice chairwoman of the city’s Downtown Advisory Committee; Andrea O’Rourke, a graphic designer and president of the Golden Triangle HOA; and attorney Andy Thompson, who is also on the board of the Golden Bell Education Foundation.

The forum will be recorded and shown again on Ch. 20 and posted on the federation’s website, www.federationofbocahoa.com, said Neil Haynie, president of the federation and the incumbent mayor’s husband. The group will not hold its customary monthly morning meeting the next day, he said.

Antique Row on South Dixie Highway includes the Cholo Soy Andean-American eatery and James & Jeffrey Antiques, which offers Continental designs.

Story by Mary Thurwachter
Photos by Ruth Cincotta

Considered one of the East Coast’s premier antique shopping destinations, the Antique Row Art & Design District (www.westpalmbeachantiques.com) in West Palm Beach is unique in Palm Beach County. It’s made up of more than 40 shops with 17th- to 20th-century antiques, fine and decorative arts, period deco, vintage and moderne furnishings. The antiques stores, specialty shops, art galleries and restaurants line South Dixie Highway between Belvedere Road and Southern Boulevard. Customers can park their cars and walk from shop to shop and have a gourmet lunch, too.
What else can you do there?

See design through the eyes of an artist. At Sean Rush Atelier (3700 S. Dixie Highway, www.seanrush.com) we found all kinds of treasures, many created by the artist/interior designer himself. Sean Rush’s equestrian oil painting is called His Noble Profile. The nude is I Circle The Sun Like A Shadow. It’s an oil and conté pencil work on a stained handmade French paper. The asking price for each is $10,000.
Be dazzled by vintage jewelry. Diamonds may be a girl’s best friend, but some of the vintage costume jewelry at D. Brett Benson, Inc. (3616 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 120, www.dbrettbensoninc.com) made us giddy. And it’s a whole lot easier on the pocketbook. This Miriam Haskell necklace is $2,650. The bracelet is $1,395 and the earrings are only $185. That’s a lot of brilliance for the buck.

Chow down: Shopping makes us hungry. Not to worry:  The antiques stores, specialty shops and art galleries on Antique Row are complemented by several restaurants. Among them are Belle & Maxwell’s (3700 S. Dixie Highway, www.belleandmaxwells.com) and Cholo Soy Cocina (3715 S. Dixie Highway, www.cholosoycocina.com).
Belle & Maxwell’s serves scrumptious salads, soups and desserts, and the décor is delightful with stained glass art, fresh flowers, antique furniture and a small patio. Cholo Soy Cocina (above) is a tiny, Andean-American eatery that serves tortillas and fresh ceviche. The backyard patio has picnic tables and colorful Andean murals.

Cozy up to the first prez. George Washington’s birthday is Feb. 22. Our nation’s first president was born 285 years ago. Wouldn’t it be great to have him over for a birthday dinner? Oh, the stories the founding father could tell! Since that’s not possible, perhaps an almost life-size statue would be a good compromise. We found this one at Authentic Provence (3735 S. Dixie Highway, www.authenticprovence.com). You could take it home for $28,000. It’s in pretty good shape, but imagine the price if George’s left hand weren’t missing!
Find antique furniture in subtle and soothing palettes of whites, beiges and grays. In Faustina Pace’s shop (3635 South Dixie Highway, www.faustinapace.com), you’ll find  neutral-colored antiques that Pace collects in France, Sweden and Belgium. The whites, beiges and grays are easy to live with, she says. They are certainly easy to admire. We found ourselves lured in as we admired the window furnishings, with antique chairs, baskets and a desk in the neutral colors Pace’s shop promotes.

If you go
Evening on Antique Row, a benefit for the Historical Society of Palm Beach County sponsored by the Young Friends of the Historical Society, will be from 6-9 p.m. March 4 between Southern Boulevard and Monroe Drive. The event includes special entertainment, gourmet food tasting, beverages, live music and shopping. Tickets are $40 in advance or $65 the night of the event. Tickets for the VIP after-party from 8-11 p.m. are $100 in advance or $125 at the event. Info: www.hspbc.org
Antique Row is on South Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach between Belvedere Road and Southern Boulevard. Info: www.westpalmbeachantiques.com

This is the first of three shopping areas The Coastal Star will check out this year. Next month, we’ll visit East Ocean Avenue in Lantana.

Committee members and sponsors of the George Snow Scholarship Fund Cowboy Ball include (l-r, in front) Logan Rae, Kimmie Hruda, Katherine Regna, Richard Murdoch, Elizabeth Murdoch Titcomb, Jackie Reeves, Brenda Husinka, (middle) Lisa Valko, Tim Snow, Sherry Winter, Melanie Deyo, Michelle Adams, Jayne Scala, (in back) Joe Valko, Lewis Fogel, Samir Changela, Jamie Hagen and Frank Feiler. Photo provided

By Amy Woods
    
Bull riding, line dancing and whiskey tasting will have guests scootin’ in their boots at this year’s George Snow Scholarship Fund’s Cowboy Ball. The event kicks up its heels Feb. 25 with a new theme and a new location: country-Western at Mizner Park Amphitheater.
    “We wanted to change things up a bit, which will bring a new dynamic to the ball itself,” event Co-Chairwoman Katherine Regna said. “We wanted to keep the event fresh.”
    Billed as the All New Cowboy Ball, the fundraiser will feature games such as cornhole and ring toss, live music by a fiddle player, rustic décor that includes haystacks and wooden fences and a replica of an old saloon. There will be a photo booth with props that make event-goers look like characters from Bonanza.
    “It will have more of a rodeo feel to it,” Regna said.
    In the past, the event had a Caribbean theme and took place at Red Reef Park. The live auction remains, featuring everything from jewelry to travel to an overnight experience at Camp Deliverance, a cabin in the Everglades owned by George Snow Scholarship Fund President Tim Snow.
    “Ticket sales have already gotten off to a great start,” Regna said. “My goal is to have a sold-out, fun, entertaining evening with Boca’s finest supporters.”
    Proceeds from the Cowboy Ball will help provide high-school graduates in financial need with college grants. Since 1982, more than $8 million has been awarded to 1,600 scholars.
    “It’s an incredible organization that we’ve been close to for quite some time,” said Regna, whose father, Richard Murdoch, serves as board chairman. “It’s not just about the scholarships themselves, it’s about the students and their future.”
    In addition to the scholarships, the nonprofit offers several support programs aimed at ensuring students’ academic success. The Monday Morning Motivational Message is weekly communication consisting of inspirational stories and quotes. The College Supply Program is a gift bag of products scholars receive to use throughout their college careers. The Summer Jobs Program is designed to help young adults enter the workplace.
    “We provide a support system that many of our scholars are lacking at home,” spokeswoman Debi Feiler said.

If You Go
What: Cowboy Ball
When: 6 to 11 p.m. Feb. 25
Where: Mizner Park Amphitheater, 595 Plaza Real, Boca Raton
Cost: $175
Information: Call 347-6799 or visit scholarship.org

At Evelyn & Arthur, when you buy a pashmina, you support a cancer patient, a child managing autism or a woman overcoming heart disease. In the past, the boutiques gave pashminas to nonprofits as gifts; but now, for more efficiency, they sell them, donating the price of the proceeds back to a charitable organization.
    When an organization wants to encourage sales with an in-store event, Evelyn & Arthur offers a particular hue of pashmina for a week or month, giving the organization’s supporters a chance to buy and share. The pashminas cost $28 and 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the charity.
    In February, red pashmina sales support the American Heart Association and Go Red for Women heart health awareness campaign. In March, orange pashmina sales support the Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network. In April, blue pashmina sales support autism support and work, and in May, orange pashmina sales support The Great Give, an online giving campaign through the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.
    For more information, call 572-0900 or visit www.evelynandarthur.com. The coastal South County Evelyn & Arthur is at 277 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan.

3 new board members join FAU Foundation
The Florida Atlantic University Foundation’s board of directors welcomes Marny Glasser, Michael Miller and Bernard Paul-Hus, a trio that Chairwoman Patricia McKay described as having broad experience and insights that will benefit the school community as a whole.
    “I look forward to working with them,” McKay said.
    Glasser chairs the College of Arts and Letters advisory board and established the Harold L. Glasser Collection at the Wimberly Library. Miller is president and CEO of the IBM Southeast Employees’ Credit Union, which serves FAU’s financial needs with 16 branches. Paul-Hus is president and CEO of Hypower Electrical & Utility Contractor.
    Their combined goal will be to spearhead fundraising efforts and manage the foundation’s assets.
    In other FAU news, the Jerry and Devon Love Endowed Commercial Music Scholarship has been established by Fara Love to create scholarships for students in the school’s commercial music program.
    Fara Love set up the fund in honor of her late husband and daughter. Jerry Love played an important role in building the commercial music program, which is part of the College of Arts and Letters.
    “Jerry Love was my business partner and good friend for many years,” program director Michael Zager said. “Devon … was very artistic and had a great love of music and the record business. While losing a daughter and then a husband in two years is difficult, their legacy will live forever because of Fara’s generosity.”
 
Spady Museum receives $10,000 grant from NEA
    National Endowment for the Arts Chairwoman Jane Chu has approved more than $30 million in grants as part of the NEA’s first major funding announcement for 2017, and included in it is a Challenge America grant of $10,000 to the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum.
    The funds will be used for the Spady Living Heritage Festival, set for Feb. 18 in Delray Beach.
“The arts are for all of us, and by supporting organizations such as the Spady Museum, the National Endowment for the Arts is providing more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts,” Chu said. “Whether in a theater, a town square, a museum or a hospital, the arts are everywhere and make our lives richer.”

Submit your event or lisiting to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.

Wounded Warriors of South Florida and the Military Officers Association of America celebrated their fifth-annual Red Carpet Bash, which included the unveiling of the Wounded Warriors of South Florida’s new logo and name: Wounded Veterans Relief Fund. More than 315 attended the event, and enjoyed a cocktail reception, an auction and live entertainment. Proceeds exceeded $146,000. ABOVE: (l-r) Tonia Padgett, Sophia Eccleston and Dorinda Spahr. Photo provided by Michael Price Photography

A 2½-year-old golden retriever/poodle mix stole the show at the 23rd annual fundraiser. Chairwoman Lois Pope introduced the raven-haired dog, named Patton, to a crowd of more than 600. Patton is the offspring of a long line of U.S. military war dogs. He wasn’t the only highlight of the evening, as the Palm Beach Symphony entertained guests at a poolside reception and a 1920s speakeasy theme took over the ballroom. Gladys Knight was the featured performer, and organizers raised more than $1.2 million to benefit American Humane. ABOVE: Lois Pope with American Humane CEO Robin Ganzert. BELOW: Maude Cook and Christine Lynn. Photos provided by Capehart Photography

Members and friends of Impact 100 Palm Beach County enjoyed a pampered party in the garden setting of the resort’s lavish spa. Everyone was treated to champagne and hors d’oeuvres, received mini-treatments and left with a goody bag. ‘With an open courtyard, lush landscaping and a spectacular full moon overhead, it was an amazing setting for members to reconvene after the holidays and to introduce new women to our organization,’ event Co-Chairwoman Karen Rogers said. ABOVE: (l-r) Janet Little, Patricia Maguire and Ellen Elam. BELOW: Mary Donnell and Athena Economou. Photos provided by Sherry Ferrante Photography

Sixty donors of the federation reunited for the new season. They heard about the importance of their work and the exciting year ahead. Also discussed was ‘SHOAH: How Was it Humanly Possible – Telling the Story of the Holocaust, 1933-1945,’ a new multimedia traveling exhibit from Yad Vashem. ABOVE: (l-r) Jeff Rosenberg, Beth Mishkin, Barbara Rosenberg and Joe Mishkin. Photo provided by Jeffrey Tholl Photograph

Jim and Sue Patterson were honored by the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation for their ongoing support of the institution’s signature holiday event, The Prism Concert. For five consecutive years, the Pattersons have underwritten the expense of presenting the concert, which gives music students the opportunity to perform on a world-class stage in front of a large audience. Tickets to the much-anticipated show sold out in less than one hour. LEFT: Dreyfoos Principal Susan Atherley with Lisa Marie Browne. Photo provided by Capehart Photography

It was party time for members of the Soroptimist International of Boca Raton/Deerfield Beach chapter and their friends and benefactors during a celebration organized by new recruit Sue Heller, whose husband is artist Yaacov Heller. Yaacov Heller’s gallery was filled with larger-than-life canvases and sculptures of iconic entertainment celebrities. Guests also enjoyed music, dinner-by-the-bite and raffle prizes. ABOVE: (l-r) Dr. Heidi Schaeffer, Mariela Montgomery, Kim Champion, Dr. Ron Rubin, Judith Hinsch and Carole Wilson. Photo provided by Barbara McCormick