See more photos from the event
By Kelly Wolfe
They’d streamed in throughout the morning: deeply tan folks with knitted brows sporting flip flops, shorts, Hawaiian-print shirts and dozens of palm tree insignias — serious beach dwellers. The sign on the door said the room accommodated no more than 70, but that number had been exceeded long ago. They stood shoulder to shoulder in the pastel room, poised to make a point.
“We’re hoping to get input from citizens,” said Mary Renaud, president of the Beach Property Homeowners Association. “This is about having a plan in place so that everyone knows what we want.”
The charette, held at the Delray Beach Marriott Nov. 7, was a massive brainstorming session where residents could get together to daydream about what they want for the beach. There aren’t immediate plans to change anything on the beach at this time.
People were obviously interested in putting forth their ideas, since 30 minutes into the meeting organizers were turning people away.
Perry King Neubauer, an architect from Cambridge, Mass., listed suggestions on a big, white pad in the front of the room.
“I’m leading this mother,” Neubauer said, by way of introducing himself. “It’s important to have a master plan.”
Concerns varied, from smoking on the beach, to parking, to lighting, to vegetation, to showers.
One man said he didn’t like that joggers ran him over on the sidewalk during his morning walk. “There’s this woman who runs right up behind me and yells ‘Move!’” he said.
A woman said she was concerned about people on the beach after dark. “There’s a lot of activity by the sailboats,” she told Neubauer.
“Under the cover of darkness?” he asked.
“Yes,” she said. “Some of it sexual.”
One man requested that all the vegetation be removed from the dunes so he could see the water from across the street.
“Boo!” said the group. “Why don’t you cross the street, idiot?”
They agreed on one item in particular.
“What about exercise stations?” asked Neubauer.
“No!” they shouted in unison.
In essence, it was a lively crowd.
Afterward, they broke up into about a half-dozen groups. Afterward, each group presented coffee-stained plans that included such ideas as: a social area with disabled access and showers, a smoke-free beach, roving patrols of volunteers, and a better marking of the visitors center because “no one knows the visitors’ center is there — especially the visitors.”
Cathy Balestriere, who manages Crane’s BeachHouse, said she was glad she invested the time. “It was a very hopeful meeting,” she said. “It’s just nice to see we had so many good ideas come out of it.”
Kari Shipley, who lives two blocks from the beach on Vista Del Mar, said the meeting was very productive.
Albert Richwagen, who owns Delray Beach Bike and Sport, said that Delray Beach has one of the most beautiful beaches in Florida.
“The beach is an ever-changing canvas that should be kept natural, natural, natural,” he said.
Shipley said even though she didn’t agree with everything she heard — “I don’t care about all the [public] art. There’s a place for that.” — she said she liked the exchange of ideas.
Read more…
By Margie Plunkett
Golf carts with speeds under 20 mph will be subject to regulations designed to enforce responsible driving, according to a Gulf Stream town ordinance in the works that stops short of requiring operators to have a valid driver’s license.
State laws already regulate golf carts with higher speeds — and require a driver’s license.
Gulf Stream’s regulations would limit the number of people riding in the cart to the number of seats and would prohibit standing, towing and children on the driver’s lap.
Golf carts driven at night would be required to have safety equipment including headlights, taillights and turn signals. Commissioners approved the new rules on first reading in November and will hold a public hearing and final vote at their Dec 11 meeting.
Commissioners have long wrestled with how to regulate the lower speed golf carts in town, where residents and their children use the vehicles for school drop-off and pickup, errands and general transportation. Safety has been the primary concern as the town receives resident complaints about kids hanging off overloaded golf carts and golf carts towing skateboarders.
“We’re trying to be proactive instead of reactive,” Mayor William F. Koch Jr. said after the November vote. By regulating golf cart operation, the commission gives the Police Department the muscle to enforce against violations, Vice Mayor Joan Orthwein said.
One of the sticking points during commission discussions was whether to require a driver’s license. Children can get a learner’s permit at age 15 and a license at age 16. Children under 14 are not allowed by state statute to operate golf carts, the police chief said. Panel members were reluctant to banish younger teens from driving if they acted responsibly.
In other business, Gulf Stream authorized Delray Beach to handle its building permit process and gave final approval of ordinances that add a 10 percent utilities tax to electric and gas bills; prohibit discharge of a firearm; and require a $150 permit fee for use of PODS and other on-property portable storage after 48 hours and limit their stay to seven days.
Read more…
By Margie Plunkett
Help Wanted: Manalapan town manager.
Manalapan is in the market for a new town manager after Gregory Dunham, who has filled the role for most of this decade, told commissioners at their November meeting he is retiring from municipal government and will step down early next year.
“I’ve been a city manager for 28 years,” Dunham said in an interview later. “While I enjoyed every part of it, I would like to try something else. It’s a personal choice; I’m not dissatisfied with the profession. I’ve been the public sector since high school and I’m looking for a change. ”
Dunham counted among his accomplishments “managing through the problem we had on our well” and fire rescue services secured with Palm Beach.
Mayor Tom Gerrard asked if Dunham would join the private sector, Dunham said that remains to be seen. He later said he has several possibilities in the works.
The commission said it would start a search for candidates to fill the job, but noted that the task would likely be less difficult than when Dunham was hired. Job seekers are much more plentiful now, the panel noted, as the nation’s unemployment rate climbed to 10.2 percent in October in the wake of the recession.
The town manager essentially oversees administration of the town and reports to the commission. The town attorney and Dunham will complete a transition plan ahead of the Dec. 15 commission meeting.
During the meeting, Commissioners Marilyn Hedberg and Tom Thornton praised Dunham’s work and said they were sorry to see him go.
Dunham has been in South Florida municipal administration for about 15 years. He joined Manalapan as town manager in 2002 after a short stint in Wellington. Dunham had previously held the same position in Ocean Ridge for four and a half years and before that, was assistant city manager of Palm Beach Gardens from 1994 to 1999.
Dunham completed his undergraduate work in Texas, where he held positions as a police officer and an assistant city manager. He headed for Florida State University in 1992 to begin work on his master’s of public administration.
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By Margie Plunkett
Election day in Ocean Ridge and Manalapan may find a permanent home on the second Tuesday in March if commissioners in each town follow through on preliminary approvals in November.
Most of the 38 cities in Palm Beach County hold municipal elections on that date, but Ocean Ridge, Manalapan, Palm Beach and Jupiter Inlet Colony are among those that don’t. Ocean Ridge’s last elections were the second Tuesday in February; Manalapan’s were the first Tuesday in March — each just a week apart from the uniform election date.
“If you wish to retain your date, you’ll be expected to pay all the costs of [Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher’s] staff,” Manalapan Town Attorney Trela White said during that commission’s last meeting. “I’m sure that the money crunch has caused part of this. Everybody’s looking for resources.”
Bucher gave the mavericks an incentive to come into line and do away with the “helter skelter” system by noting she’s considering charging for municipal elections, Ocean Ridge Mayor Ken Kaleel explained during his town’s commission meeting. “We’ve been in negotiations since on what those fees would be.”
If all municipalities had elections on the same day, it would spread the costs — and reduce them.
“It doesn’t look like it would be a huge expense. It’s going to be around $3,800,” Kaleel said. The supervisor of elections is under an obligation to do presidential elections, he said, so if Ocean Ridge wanted to be completely exempt it would follow the presidential election schedule to avoid any fees. The ordinance says that in years with presidential elections, Ocean Ridge can change its election day to be held at the same time as the presidential primaries.
Both sets of commissioners voted on the ordinance on first reading, and planned second public hearings and final votes for their December meetings.
Read more…
By Nirvi Shah
Loggerhead sea turtles nested in smaller numbers this year than they did 20 years ago, says one international research and advocacy group pushing to change loggerheads’ status from threatened to endangered.
“The data is disappointing but not surprising,” said Kerri Lynn Miller, a marine scientist at Oceana.
“The downward trend will only continue unless permanent protections are established.”
The group said 90 percent of loggerhead nesting in the United States happens in Florida, which is one of the turtles’ two largest nesting hot spots in the world. But Florida’s loggerhead nesting population has dropped by more than 40 percent over the last decade and 2009 was the state’s fourth-lowest nesting season on record. The other turtles that nest in Palm Beach County or that are found offshore, including leatherbacks, green turtles, hawksbill and Kemp’s ridley, are all listed as endangered species.
Loggerheads have been listed as threatened since 1978. There is not a single cause for the decrease in their population, Miller said. Rather, a combination of their capture in fishing gear, destruction of their habitat, pollution and climate change is leading to their decline, as is disorientation from beachfront lighting. Hatchlings led away from the ocean by beachfront lights sap them of precious energy they need once they get to the water.
Meanwhile, ocean foraging and nesting beach conditions for Kemp’s ridleys in Texas and leatherbacks in Florida appear to be improving: 2009 was the largest nesting year on record for both species.
The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service are expected to make a decision about loggerheads’ status in February, Miller said. The Marine Fisheries’ own review of the status of loggerheads worldwide found that they are at risk of extinction.
Oceana, the Center for Biological Diversity and the Turtle Island Restoration Network have also petitioned the federal government to designate the Northwest Atlantic loggerhead as a distinct population segment. The petition calls for increased protections in the loggerheads’ key nesting beaches and marine habitats.
“The battle to uplist the Northwest Atlantic loggerhead has been going on for more than two years and during that time the population has only experienced further declines,” she said. “Strong protections must be established as soon as possible if these sea turtle populations are to have any chance of recovery.”
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As an American and veteran, I am very pleased when condo- and homeowners fly the flag on Veterans Day. However, I am very displeased knowing that some of these owners plant impatiens, over-water their grass so that the roots rot and it has to be replaced frequently, and let their sprinklers overspray onto the road, bicycle lanes and sidewalks.
There is more to being a good American than just flying the flag. Good Americans act responsibly by preserving our valuable resources and showing concern about the safety of others.
Jim Smith
Delray BeachRead more…
In our household, the word November has a unique usage. To us it means sadness, the blues. As in, “I have a bad case of the Novembers.”
It’s been that way for about 10 years now, since a series of losses initiated this annual sense of dread. Through the years, the month’s prophetic shadow has continued to prove true.
This past month was no different. Gone are friends, acquaintances, long-time family pets, and still with us are the intractable horrors reported daily in the news.
Loss and sadness.
As a Midwesterner, I see November sketching tree branches starkly against a damp, hovering fog on the verge of crystallization — yet still weeks away from the brilliant snow that redeems the frigid winter months ahead.
Promise.
That’s how I see December.
As a resident of our coastal community for 25 years, I’m reminded of life’s seasons by the unexpected warmth of winter sunshine, the bloom of an orchid, the scent of ripening citrus and that breathtaking blue of the Atlantic, crested with impossibly transparent froth and bordered with dancing, speckled shore birds.
Some ancient internal compass directs those migrating sanderlings and gannets to our shore. It’s no surprise many of us return as well each season — to rest, to refuel and to relive happy memories.
So in turning the calendar page, my wish to each of you is a December filled with the promise of tomorrow. Happy Holidays.
— Mary Kate Leming, EditorRead more…
By Christine Davis
The town of South Palm Beach may be small — a short stretch of about five-eighths-mile long, and a sliver less than a city block wide — but it stands gloriously high in its salute (and commitment) to art, music and education.
This year, the town’s Community Affairs Advisory Board rolls out its 14th cultural program. Its first-of-the-season art exhibit is already up and running and “Spotlight,” its music and lecture series, goes into full swing in January.
These programs are just two of a broad spectrum — from health screenings to concerts and casino trips — that is organized and implemented by members of the CAAB.
The board was created to provide improved communication and civic involvement between town residents and the Town Council.
“We have 25 board members and several volunteers,” explained Nancy McCrosson, the advisory board’s chair.
“Our Town Council adopted in its code a purpose to have this board in 1995. We act in an advisory capacity and make recommendations to the Town Council and the town manager involving community and civic events.”
“The individuals on this board are extremely dedicated,” McCrosson said. “Bigger towns cannot produce what we produce.”
Nancy and Robert Krell co-chair “Spotlight,” the lecture and music series.
For the five music events, the council hired Robert Sharon, a Julliard graduate, performer, pianist, conductor and founder of the Robert Sharon Chorale, to line up singers and performers. “We never question who he brings, and every time, we are pleased and surprised,” Nancy Krell said.
Sharon offers a variety.
“A couple events will have selections from operas, another program will be selections from Broadway, and my chorale will come in to perform. I like to offer a mix,” he said. “I’m toying with bringing in an instrumental group. And almost every program will include a what I call ‘a star for the future.’”
About the seven lectures, the Krells are very hands-on.
“It’s hard to put things together, but these people are willing to come and help us out,” Nancy Krell said. “A lot of them do it for a reasonable cost. They love coming to our town. They are challenged by our great questions and love our residents.” Case in point, Walid Phares, a senior fellow and director for the Future of Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies in Washington, D.C., who will give a “Middle East and Terrorism” update.
“He keeps coming back,” Krell said of the former Florida Atlantic University professor. “He’s an international player and he calls us his little village.”
Robert Watson, director of Lynn University’s American Studies Program, is a popular return lecturer, Krell said. His topic will be “Unforgettable Moments in Campaign History.”
And some, like Harry Orf, are speaking for “Spotlight” for the first time.
“One of our residents recommended him,” Krell said.
Orf, vice president of scientific operations and professor of chemistry at Scripps Research Institute, will speak Florida Scripps’ biomedical research.
“Sometimes I feel a little bit like a spy,” Krell admits. “I heard Jeffrey Morton give a talk, and asked him if he’d speak for us. Morton, an FAU international law and politics professor, will speak on Russia.
“We have a very good program,” she said. “I think seven lectures for $70 is unbelievable. And we work on ticket sales, so we don’t tax our town budget.
“We are a little town, five-eighths of a mile, and what we accomplish with our music and lecture series astounds other towns with more money.”
Dorothy Polayes chairs the board’s art committee. Beverly Myers of Manalapan is the currently featured artist. “She works in pastels, acrylic, watercolor, collage and mixed media,” Polayes said.
That show will run until Jan. 4, 2010. The following exhibit, which opens on Jan. 10 with a reception from 2 to 4 p.m. and runs through March 4, will feature Polayes’ pastels.
Following that, the work of North Palm Beach artist Joan Lustig will be featured. Her opening reception will be March 7 from 2 to 4 p.m.
“It’s a varied program,” Polayes said. “We look for work that people will enjoy who come to our Town Hall. The art is displayed in the same room where we host our lecture series, so the art gets a lot of exposure.”
If You Go:
Town of South Palm Beach Events take place in Town Hall 3577 S. Ocean Blvd.
All performances are at 7:30 p.m.
For information, call 561-588-8889.
The art openings are free of charge. To view the art at other times, call for an appointment.
Read more…
By Tim O’Meilia
The shadow of a proposed 10-story hotel — rejected by a single vote by the South Palm Beach Town Council in October — continues to darken town politics.
Urged by one of the owners of the Palm Beach Oceanfront Inn, the council voted 3-2 on Nov. 18 to file a complaint with the state ethics commission against three town planning board members. Moments earlier, the council declined to remove two members from the board by a 3-2 vote.
Mayor Martin Millar charged that planning board Chairman Mike Nevard and members Dee Robinson and Pat Festino openly opposed changing the town’s comprehensive plan to allow the 99-unit hotel. The board’s recommendations are advisory to the council.
Councilman Brian Merbler said Robinson and Festino were named as members of South Palm Beach Preservation, which opposed the hotel, in a letter from the group to state officials. “Their behavior was unethical and contrary to the best interests of the town,” Merbler said.
Both Robinson and Festino said they are not members of the organization.
Festino said she resigned by letter from the group when she was appointed as an alternate planning board member last year. Later she became a full member.
“I have no ethics violation,” said Festino, who added that she sent a message to the town attorney welcoming any investigation.
Robinson said she and Festino were mistakenly included in the letter to state officials and their names were later removed. “I ask and welcome a full review by the ethics commission. I don’t believe I’ve done anything wrong or anything unethical,” Robinson said.
Both said they listened to the arguments carefully, considered the comprehensive plan and voted in the best interest of the town.
Peter Paloka, one of the owners of the inn, urged the filing of a complaint. “If there is a personal conflict, shouldn’t we all know that so we can have a pure board?” he said.
Millar and Councilmen Charles McCrosson and Joseph Flagello voted to make the complaint. Merbler and Councilman Don Clayman opposed.
Although Merbler earlier had voted to remove Robinson and Festino, he said didn’t know enough about Nevard to include him in an ethics investigation. McCrosson and Flagello also opposed removing any board members.
The vote for an investigation came despite Town Attorney Trela White’s written opinion that the actions of the board members would likely be judged as advisory and too remote from the council’s vote to be considered benefitting any board member financially and thereby not an ethics violation.
Nonetheless, the town attorney’s office is fashioning a request for an informal review of the circumstances by the ethics commission.
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By Thomas R. Collins
A debate over east vs. west — and where the City Hall and police station belong — has erupted in Boynton Beach, fraught with questions over the identity of the city, biting exchanges between city commissioners and impassioned pleas from residents that the city’s headquarters stay near the coast.
City commissioners have decided to ask voters whether they want to pay for a new police station in the already existing Renaissance Commons complex on Congress Avenue, turning aside three proposals for other locations, including one at Ocean Avenue and Federal Highway. The question will be posed to residents on the March ballot.
The vote was 3-2 with Mayor Jerry Taylor and commissioners Ron Weiland and Marlene Ross voting for the Renaissance Commons location. Vice Mayor Woodrow Hay and commissioner Jose Rodriguez voted opposed the location.
Developer James Comparato’s proposal would cost the city $12 million, but that doesn’t include the millions that would be needed to outfit the raw space.
But the question that drew the most interest — where City Hall should be — was left unanswered. Commissioners never settled on a location for a new City Hall, or even on whether to build a new one at all or try to refurbish the existing building on Boynton Beach Boulevard.
The tide appeared to be heading toward keeping City Hall in the eastern part of town, with three commissioners saying they preferred that.
“Mark my words,” said City Commissioner Jose Rodriguez, whose district includes the current City Hall. “If we take City Hall and the police station out of here, this whole eastern part of town will collapse, will totally collapse. There is no question in my mind.”
Commissioner Ronald Weiland had a similar opinion.
“Moving everything out of downtown, you’re sending a notice to the business owners who have really taken a stake in Boynton Beach over many years that you’re giving up on downtown,” he said. “And that’s the wrong signal to send.”
He favored moving only the Police Department to Renaissance Commons, which according to Comparato’s proposal did not include space for the City Hall.
He suggested moving the city’s public works department, now in the eastern part of town on NE Ninth Avenue, to High Ridge Road, paving the way for redevelopment.
Commissioner Woodrow Hay, whose district includes eastern sections of town, wanted to move City Hall and the police station to city-owned High Ridge Road property, as one of the proposals called for. That would allow the sale of the existing City Hall site.
Mayor Jerry Taylor, drawn to the Renaissance Commons proposal because of the low cost, said he was concerned only with finding a spot for a new Police Department and was comfortable putting off the decision on City Hall.
In the end, there was no proposal for the police station or City Hall east of I-95. The only eastern option was tossed out because no cost estimates were included before the deadline.
That led to a bitter exchange between Commissioners Hay and Rodriguez.
“I still have a problem with you not submitting your figures like the others did,” Hay told that presenter, Owen Duke of the Patrinely Group.
“I don’t know why that’s become an issue now,” Rodriguez said. “This commission already said we were going to hear them out.”
“You be quiet for right now,” Hay told him.
“You don’t tell me to be quiet, sir. You can ask me to be quiet. You don’t tell me to be quiet.”
“You don’t interrupt me.”
“I can interrupt you if I’d like.”
And so it went on a night of strong opinions.
Residents mostly shared the same view: Keep City Hall in the eastern part of town.
Joyce Baker said a City Hall along Congress Avenue would be “a nightmare.”
“The traffic on that road is horrible for people to get in and out of,” she said. “This is the heart of Boynton right here (east of I-95).”
Resident Barbara Ready, saying keeping the City Hall and police station in the east was crucial for the downtown’s success, told commissioners, “Having a vibrant downtown would add to the quality of life for all citizens in Boynton Beach. It would just make Boynton beach a better place to be.”
Editor's Note: On Dec. 1, Boynton Beach commissioners voted 3-2 to drop a March referendum item for a new Police Department building and to expedite plans for the approved Renaissance Commons location.Read more…
By C.B. Hanif
How typical of Dr. Theodore “Ted” Bush: His church congregation was celebrating him. But he was celebrating them.
That would be the First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach, whose members assemble at a historic site a block from the ocean, and whose letterhead proclaims it “The Community Church by the Sea.”
Two Nov. 8 services marked their senior pastor’s 25 years. Yet during those services, which featured classical trumpet, vocal and organ solos, his sermons were an ode to his church:
“Over the years that I have been blessed to know you as a congregation and as friends, I’ve learned a good deal from you,” he said. “It is obvious that you are compassionate and friendly, caring and generous. You have the unique ability to look beyond yourselves, to look to the people outside the walls of this church. Often these people are on the very edge of society, or living in distant parts of the world. The more that I think of how I would actually describe you, the more that I am inclined to use two words: quiet courage.” The scene was much the same Nov. 3 when the Delray Beach City Commission proclaimed Nov. 8, 2009, “Dr. Theodore A. Bush Day.” The commission already had recognized, posthumously, the charity work of Dan Bernheim. It had honored Elizabeth Wesley as the “2009 Woman of Courage and Achievement.” Bush said he was humbled to be in the same room.
“What you have done for this community, no one can thank you enough,” he told Wesley. “Whatever we have been able to do is very small in that regard. But it comes from a congregation of people in the community that really care about Delray Beach and about the surrounding community.”
This man of stout stature and warm wit arrived with his wife, Mary, and their young children from their native Chicago, Ill., after serving seven years each at churches in Iowa and Barrington, Ill. He remains such a fan of the baseball Cubs and football Bears that it is a font of church humor.
“I keep telling people I’m really living in a southeast suburb,” he said. “It’s just 1,325 miles southeast.” He speaks with love and admiration for his wife, his adult daughters, and son, Ted, who in his early 20s died as a result of a brain tumor.
Yet for all that the city’s proclamation recognized him, he credited his congregation.
“You have changed the lives of countless people in this church, in our community and around the world,” he told them. “Most of their names you do not know. Most of their faces you have never seen. Make no mistake about it. Without you, in all likelihood there would be no Caridad Clinic in Boynton Beach. No Achievement Child Care Center, Carver Youth Program, Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach. No art program for severely challenged children in Boca Raton.
“You have helped to significantly change and heal some small pieces of a very fractured world, through your support of agencies like C.R.O.S. (Ministries), Adopt-A-Family, and the Community Caring Center in Boynton Beach.”
The next day, he still was lauding his congregation, for example for supporting members who felt called into the ministry. One, the Rev. Katie Fellows Christie, had returned to participate in the Sunday services. Between those programs, she said, “I told him that they’re honoring him, and he’s honoring them. And isn’t that what fellowship is all about?”
He’ll continue to take it all a day at a time, he said. But it is hard to conceive First Presbyterian’s biggest fan not eventually returning to Chicago.
“I do hope sometime in my lifetime to cheer the Cubs on to a World Series victory,” he says. “But I’m not going to hold my breath.”
Read more…
By Margie Plunkett
The Delray Beach Library is commemoratining its 96th year at a December meeting and celebrating four years at the current location in January with its annual Laugh with the Library fundraiser.
“The library is older than the town of Delray Beach,” said Library Director Alan Kornblau. The nonprofit library, the only one in Florida except for a Winter Park library, was founded in 1913 by the Ladies Improvement Association, he said —10 years before the town of Delray Beach was incorporated.
The library will honor the anniversary at a Dec. 16 business meeting, featuring guest speaker Palm Beach Post columnist Eliot Kleinberg and refreshments. Library Board President Dan Murtaugh will give a state-of-the library address and an election of new and returning board members will be held.
Laugh with the Library, Chapter 4, is a comedy night fundraiser set for the Delray Beach Marriott on Jan. 29 that marks the fourth year at the current library location, 100 W. Atlantic Ave. It’s an opportunity to see “top-notch comedy” in a New York-style comedy club, Kornblau said. “The Delray Marriott venue is awesome, the comedy, wonderful. It’s really special, laugh-out-loud comedy.”
The event is the biggest fundraiser annually for the library, which was built primarily with private donations and which operates with the assistance of a grant from Delray Beach, Kornblau explained.
The city reduced funding this year, but the Community Redevelopment Agency is contributing more and has enabled the library to stay open on Sunday, he said. The difficult economy has prompted more people to come to the library to check out books and other materials, but it has also squeezed funding and threatened some library operations.
In addition to the core services of lending books and other material, the library offers classes and entertainment, including the Sunday Musical Matinee 2010 Series, held once a month from January to April. The library also launched its new Life-Long Learning Center in November, which offers continuing education for adults on topics including art, political science and humor, among many others. Life-Long Learning features three-, four- and five-week courses on continuing education topics.
“It gives folks the opportunity to learn a little more,” Kornblau said. The library is trying to fill the void created when Palm Beach Community College dropped its continuing education program. The cost of the sessions, $35 to $45 per course plus a $15 fee per semester, are added revenue for the library.
If You Go:70th Annual Library Association MeetingWhat: The Delray Beach Public Library Association will hold a business meeting to celebrate the 96th anniversary
Where: Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave.
When: 5:30 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 16.
Cost: Free
Laugh with the Library, Chapter 4
What: A comedy-night fundraiser with comedian Rocky LaPorte to celebrate the library’s fourth year at its current location. The event features food, drink, casual attire. Attendance limited to about 500 people. Where: Delray Beach Marriott, A1A and Atlantic Avenue
When: 7:30 p.m.
Cost: $125 per ticket.
For more info: Call the library at 561-266-0799.
History of the Delray Beach Public Library
1911: The area west of the Intracoastal was incorporated as the town of Delray.
1913: The Ladies Improvement Association founded the Library.
1923: The area east of the Intracoastal was incorporated as the town of Delray Beach.
1927: The towns of Delray and Delray Beach join to form the city of Delray Beach;
the Delray Beach Library Association incorporates and agrees to manage library operations; Delray Beach City Council approves the first operating grant in the amount of $500.
1950: The Library opens at SE Fourth Avenue with unfinished sections.
1994: Library’s Volunteer Program began with eight volunteers.
1998: Awarded Enhanced Connectivity Grant; bringing Internet access to the library.
2006: Over 2,000 citizens celebrate the public grand opening of new building at 100 W. Atlantic Ave. with symbolic Book Passing Brigade and ribbon cutting by the mayor of Delray Beach.
SOURCE: Delray Beach Public Library; town of Delray BeachRead more…
By Nirvi Shah
A two-year survey of lighting violations along Palm Beach County’s coast found just about what sea turtle protectors expected: More than 40 percent of the properties on the beach have lights that could lead hatchlings astray.
The findings have led to questions about the effectiveness of a county law that allows some cities to monitor lighting violations on their own.
The way the 20-year-old law works, the county is responsible for monitoring lights along unincorporated stretches of beach, as well as the coasts for cities that agreed to hand over that duty to the county. That accounts for about 14 percent of the coastline. But those places that make up the remainder of the 45-mile coast opted out of the county’s requirements and must keep lighting problems in check on their own.
As a result, there has never been a single, consistent survey of the entire coastline, said Carly DeMaye, who oversees sea turtle protection for the county’s Environmental Resources Management Department. The county secured an $81,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to do just such a survey, investing 2,300 after-dark hours over two years to gather information.
“By providing results to local authorities, we can provide any assistance to those authorities who may not have the staff or expertise or who may not be able to follow up on these violations,” she said. Budget constraints could also be hindering some cities’ monitoring efforts.
This survey “takes a little bit of the burden off of them, just one time,” she said.
The municipalities aren’t required to do anything with the survey results.
But the large number of properties with violations in towns that should be policing their beaches for lights bothered County Commissioner Karen Marcus.
“If you can’t do it, if you don’t want to do it, why would you opt out?” she said.
In Gulf Stream, Town Clerk Rita Taylor said her town opted out of county supervision because they felt they didn’t need to adopt the county code.
“We’ve got our own,” she said, but the town takes no active role in monitoring the beach for errant lights.
“There’s some volunteers that patrol the beach. When they see lighting violations they usually give me a call,” Taylor said. “Then we take care of it.”
The way the county compiled the data, it’s difficult to tell whether the properties cited each year were the same ones. In 2008, county surveyors found 34 homes and buildings with lights that could distract turtle hatchlings in Gulf Stream. In 2009, they found even more. Darkening beaches during sea turtle nesting season, March 1 to Oct. 31, is key to keeping hatchlings from losing their way. If they are distracted by light that takes them away from the ocean, they waste precious energy needed when they hit the water, DeMaye said. “They have a very long swim ahead of them,” she said.
In many cases, fixing a lighting problem costs very little or nothing at all. A different kind of light bulb, a topper or special fixtures that shield the light from brightening the beach can solve many problems. DeMaye said that at face value, the large number of properties with lighting problems found by the survey doesn’t mean a cited property hasn’t made improvements over the years, or that the problem hasn’t already been solved.
“One light may have been on the night of the survey. You give them a call and it’s off for the rest of the season,” she said.
And County Commissioner Steven Abrams took a brighter view of the results than some of his colleagues. “If 40 percent of the properties were not in compliance that means 60 percent are. That’s almost two-thirds,” Abrams said. He said county policies don’t allow the commission to impose laws on incorporated parts of the area without giving cities the chance to opt out and create their own rules.
“The county still stands ready to offer tech support to any of the municipalities that ask for it,” he said. “I’m hoping this report serves as a basis to create more awareness. I don’t know of anyone on the coast who doesn’t want to try to protect the sea turtles.”
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Both employees forced to hand over free ice cream to an insistent Delray Beach police officer last April have since moved on to other professions, a co-owner of the shop said.
One employee is now in the medical profession and the other — in an ironic twist — works at the Broward County State Attorney’s office, said Randy Schmidt, a co-owner of the Ben & Jerry’s on East Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Schmidt said he wasn’t in the shop the night his employees were held up for two scoops.
When asked if his employees got out of the ice cream game because it was too fraught with corruption and danger, Schmidt just laughed. “That was really something,” he said.
Michael Brown was fired from the Delray Beach Police Department Nov. 20 after an internal investigation showed he demanded free ice cream from the Ben & Jerry’s and that he had also failed to pay for a meal at a local IHOP. Brown had been with the department since 2007.
— Kelly WolfeRead more…
By Mary Thurwachter
Christmas came early in Lantana, where officials received word on Nov. 20 that the town’s post office will stay in business, after all. The branch at 201 West Ocean Avenue was taken off the list of 241 post offices facing possible closure by the U. S. Postal Service in an effort to stop the bleeding in deficits.
Town Manager Mike Bornstein, also known as the Barefoot Mailman for his portrayal of the local legend, was pleased as punch when the news arrived. He helped lead a crusade to save the branch, which averages 2,058 customer visits a week during the winter season and far less during the summer.
“We really pulled together on this,” he said, “and when I say we I mean Lantana and the surrounding communities that use the post office, too, like Hypoluxo, Atlantis, Manalapan and South Palm Beach.” Officials from all of those towns turned out at an old-fashioned grass-roots rally at the post office on Oct. 21. A few county commissioners were on hand, too, as were school children and a not so jolly Ol’ St. Nick, dressed in fluffy white fur-cuffed shorts and lamenting about not being able to get “Dear Santa” letters from area children. A small plane circled above pulling a sign that read “We are nuts about our Lantana P.O.” That day, Bornstein, shoeless and clad in his Barefoot Mailman costume, and Mayor David Stewart gave stirring speeches and led the crowd in a publicity stunt that captured national attention. They encouraged fans of the local branch to write notes on coconuts and mail them to Postmaster General John E. Potter. Stewart and Bornstein got the ball rolling by donating a few hundred bucks of their own money to the cause. One by one, others addressed the coconuts and took them into the branch to pay the $4-$17 postage needed to mail them (depending on weight) to Washington, D.C.
More than 1,000 coconuts were sent to Potter, who donated them to a homeless shelter.
The idea for mailing coconuts has a historical base, Bornstein said. “Sometimes friends of the Barefoot Mailmen (there were several of them in the 1880s) would pay postage on a coconut and the mail man would be obliged to carry it on his journey, a six-day round-trip between Palm Beach and Miami.” It was a practical joke that inspired the recent publicity blitz.
Residents also collected more than 5,000 signatures on petitions and sent hundreds of letters of support to keep the branch open.
At the rally, Stewart acknowledged that the branch’s numbers did not look good for keeping the office open. “We know the postal service is trying to run a profitable service,” he said. “But they’ve got to look at this from a service point of view. We’ve got a group of elderly people who use the post office. Not everyone pays bills on the Internet.”
USPS spokeswoman Debra Fetterly said there was a study to look at the branch’s customer access, service standards, cost savings, impact on employees, environmental impact, real estate values and long-term post office needs.
“It was determined that it was in the best interest of the Postal Service and its customers that the Lantana Post Office remain open,” she said. “We appreciate our customers, and our employees look forward to continue providing outstanding service to customers in Lantana and surrounding communities.”
On Nov. 23, Lantana town commissioners signed a proclamation declaring Dec. 2 as “We Saved the Lantana Post Office Coconut Celebration Day.” A noontime party at the branch was planned for that day, complete with coconut treats.
This happy ending story will not quickly be forgotten, Bornstein said.
“The mayor and I will be going to the schools to talk about this. It’s a good civics lesson that shows that people can make a difference.”
Two other local branches – the Southboro station in West Palm Beach and one in Boca Raton – are among 11 Florida post offices that remain on the list of stations considered for closure.
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By Tim O’Meilia
Thirty-three years ago Bonnie Fischer found the dream retirement home — an affordable first-floor oceanfront condominium apartment at Imperial House with a view of a beach several hundred feet wide.
In mid-November, an angry north wind sent churning waves one after another onto that shrinking beach, clawing through a temporary wall of three-ton blocks and undermining a walkway that ran along the seaside building.
“I had ocean spray hitting my sliding glass doors and my bedroom windows,” Fischer said. “It’s way too close.”
The Atlantic Ocean is taking back the beach.
Fearing the waves might undermine the building, Police Chief Roger Crane ordered the residents of the 18 east-wing apartments to evacuate. Fischer spent two nights away from home. Engineers later found that the 50-year-old building was erected on pilings, rather than a less-ocean-proof concrete foundation more susceptible to surf damage.
The winds decreased, the occupants returned and huge boulders were deposited over the following three days to reinforce the temporary wall. “The walkway started pulling away from the building but the building was never compromised,” said Fischer, a member of the Imperial House board of directors.
Now the six-story, 58-unit Imperial House faces a more imposing task: erecting a $500,000 permanent sea wall before the turtle-nesting season begins April 1 or before the next winter northeaster’ threatens the co-op. “The issue is we’re at the eleventh hour,” said resident Anthony Carella, former secretary of the co-op’s board of directors. “The erosion of the coastline is not slowing up.”
The Imperial House has assessed its shareholders for the cost and has state permits in hand to begin the work in mid-December, but needs a path to get construction equipment and materials on to the beach.
That is proving to be more difficult than erecting the sea wall. The closest and most logical access is through the town of Lantana’s beach, immediately south of the Imperial House.
But, Lantana wants the co-op to pay $213,500 for access, the extra cost the town incurred in 2008 when it erected a sea wall to protect its beach and then wasn’t able to connect to the co-op’s planned sea wall.
The town had to re-engineer the sea wall plans, change its permit and build an additional section to the wall and doesn’t want to stick its taxpayers with the extra cost.
The Mayfair House, a 223-unit condominium five buildings north of the Imperial House, also wants to use the Lantana access to move a construction crane off the beach when its $1.6 million sea wall is finished. Work has yet to begin.
Lantana town commissioners want a $75,000 fee for access over its dune. Lantana commissioners gave both condos until Dec. 14 to work out an arrangement.
Neither building says it can afford the cost.
“$75,000 for interrupting their beach?” said Mayfair House President John Vivenzio. “Clearly, we’re not going to do that.”
“We can’t afford to do that and we can’t afford not to,” said Imperial House’s Fischer. “They have us over a barrel.”
Vivenzio said the Mayfair may have to devise a method of building the sea wall from the western side. He was critical of the town of South Palm Beach for not offering support for the condos. No South Palm Beach town commissioner attended a Nov. 23 meeting with Lantana commissioners and condo representatives.
“Their attitude is ‘We have no dog in this fight,’” Vivenzio said. “We’re the lowest point on A1A. If the Mayfair House goes, A1A goes. It’s a beach town. Without a beach, you have no town.”
Imperial House has already assessed its residents to the max — for the sea wall, hurricane windows, new paint and other improvements.
“If we don’t do it, the building is going to be permanently damaged and we don’t have the money to do it,” Carella said.
The Imperial House applied for a state permit in 2008 but disagreements among its board and with its engineers delayed the project.
“We had no contract or handshake agreement with Lantana” to install its sea wall last year when Lantana did, he said.
Fischer and Carella said the building is investigating whether Lantana can legally prevent the Imperial House from using an old state right of way to reach the beach and move its equipment.
“All it takes is one northeastern storm to make its way down here and cause havoc,” Fischer said. “The sound of the ocean waves is not soothing to me anymore.”
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Lantana’s Nature Preserve is preparing for thirsty runners at the Dec. 6 Palm Beach Marathon, putting together the only “wacky” water station in Lantana, according to Ilona Balfour, a director for the preserve. The station will be located on Ocean Avenue at Bicentennial Park at the western foot of the bridge.
The water station plans a mariachi theme, with bright, Mexican-style clothing and lively music to revive runners’ spirits, Balfour said, adding that the race’s water stations vie for the two top prizes of $1,000 and $500.
The Nature Preserve’s water station needs volunteers, and Balfour welcomes anyone who is interested. The Old Key Lime House won’t operate a water station, as originally expected. This is the first time the marathon will wend its way through Lantana.
Manalapan is warning residents about the traffic problems the race will cause that Sunday morning. While residents will be able to get off the island, they’ll have to choose another option to the Lantana Bridge. The intersection of Ocean Avenue and A1A, as well as the bridge, will be closed.
— Margie PlunkettRead more…
By Margie Plunkett
Lantana council members took a hard stand against helping the neighboring Imperial House condominium building at taxpayers’ expense and said it would charge $213,500 to allow the co-op to stage equipment to fix its rapidly deteriorating temporary sea wall.
The figure equals the added expense Lantana has incurred to rebuild its weather-damaged sea wall because the Imperial House had not made repairs on its sea wall at the time of construction, according to Lantana officials. Lantana has completed the $1.6 million sea wall, but still must build a wall that will connect with the Imperial House’s.
“It would be a tragedy to lose their building, but I don’t want to do it at our taxpayers’ expense,” Mayor David Stewart said at the council meeting early in November. “I don’t want to see their building go into the water. But I don’t want to set a precedent.”
Imperial House residents made a plea to Lantana at the town’s Nov. 9 and Nov. 23 council meetings, asking for permission for beach access to stage the equipment at a less costly sum than the initial $253,500 price tag the town initially set. The building is in peril of falling into the sea: The ocean is lapping at the base of the building and the temporary sea wall has sunk four feet in the last two months, residents said Nov. 9. The east portion of the building was temporarily evacuated and boulders placed at its base to stabilize deterioration. Lantana council members reduced the price by $40,000 because the park facilities and parking lot wouldn’t be impacted as much as initially thought. But they stuck to their guns on the balance, even as Imperial House countered that it would be willing to pay $35,000 over the course of a year, and listing projected savings for Lantana in memos between Imperial House Board President Art Pile and Town Manager Mike Bornstein. Mayfair House, a neighbor to Imperial House, also attended the Nov. 23 meeting because it is preparing to start its own sea wall repairs Dec. 1. Lantana had estimated a $75,000 access fee for Mayfair, which will be able to get a crane onto the beach from its property, but not off. The Mayfair House suggested the crane could be used for all three sea wall projects — at Mayfair House, Imperial House and Lantana.
But Lantana council said it would accept a total $213,500 from Imperial House and Mayfair House, and instructed the two to get together to work it out.
Vice Mayor Cindy Austino pointed out that Lantana was actually granting access for free, but recouping the taxpayer money that had to be spent unnecessarily because of the condition of Imperial House’s sea wall. At its Nov. 9 meeting, council had mentioned additional reasons it was reluctant to grant access, including that it wanted to protect the beach for residents, who find solace there come season. But they also said they believed the Imperial House was a South Palm Beach problem that that municipality wasn’t addressing. “South Palm Beach is going to be facing this over and over again,” said council member Elizabeth Tennyson. “We want to be a good neighbor, but we can’t give our assets away because your town is not taking care of you.”
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Twelve tiny treasures I was challenged to find.
In shops and boutiques — even online.
So I hunted and searched
Our coastal communities.
From Delray to Lake Worth.
I sought with impunity
Objects diminutive,
Either in price or in size,
Perfect for stuffing in stockings
oh my!
In this season of giving,
May the spirit burn bright
With these 12 little items
Of Coastal delight.
— Scott Simmons
1. Vera Bradley Stockings, $22
Pink Hibiscus, 223 E. Ocean Ave., Lantana.
Phone: 202-0092
You’ll hang these stockings by the chimney with care, and Santa won’t believe that you have such flair. Everything is perfect in paisley with Vera Bradley’s Symphony in Hue and Blue Rhapsody stockings. You can stuff them with Bradley’s pretty paisley pens ($19) and purse hooks ($12), all popular sellers, according to Pink Hibiscus owner Donna Keil.
2. Silvie Goldmark Design Butterfly and Flower salt and pepper shakers, $85
Maryanne Webber Gallery, 709 Lucerne Ave., Lake Worth.
Phone: 585-0003
Their sparkle and glitter had us all atwitter. But these Silvie Goldmark salt and pepper shakers lend the right bit of whimsy to any décor. German-born artist Thomas Leiblein designs the molds for each of these figures, and each piece is carved in clay, then cast in pewter and plated in either silver-color or 24k gold. Perfect as a hostess gift, or for yourself.
3. Shell purse, $75
Beachcomber Fine Arts, 112 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach.
Phone: 315-5717
Debbie Brookes wants you to keep the style of the beach within easy reach. Her shell clutch purse is perfect for evenings out. It’s just the right size for lipstick, a compact and credit cards. And it will fit comfortably on any restaurant table, from the Banana Boat to The Breakers. Also worth checking: Debbie’s shell-encrusted votives ($10) are a perfect hostess gift.
4. Save Florida: Eat an Iguana, by George Cera, $8.95
Hand’s, 325 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.
Phone: 276-4194
Leaping lizards! Iguana hunter George Cera has the recipe for ridding our region of an invasive visitor. Buy this book for the chef in your life; better yet, buy it for a chuckle. That has to be at least as good as iguana soup any day.
5. Laser Top, $4
Mercer Wenzel, 401 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.
Phone: 278-2885
It tweets and it twirls, and it lights with profusion. But if you need a quick gift, there’ll be no confusion. This friction-driven top is a hit with boys and girls of all ages, and Mercer Wenzel no doubt will need to order more before Christmas. Give it a whirl.
6. Mandela Bracelets, $19.99-$12,900
Available at www.theBangle.com
or at (866) 984-6664
Gulf Stream resident Julie Murphy has a mission. Her Nelson Mandela 46664 bracelets raise money for HIV/AIDS prevention worldwide. What’s with the number? It was Mandela’s prison number, now used as an icon for his humanitarian efforts. The bracelets, which bear the 46664 mark, as well as a digital imprint of Mandela’s hands, are made of copper, silver, gold and platinum, and have a serial number that allows owners to see how their bangle purchase helps others. They’re made in South Africa and provide jobs there. And, with the range of materials, from basic to deluxe, almost anyone can afford one.
7. Laughing animals and talking figures, $20 and up
Evelyn & Arthur, Plaza del Mar, 277 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan.
Phone: 585-1122
The stockings are hung, but you need a laugh. So what do you do? You head over to Evelyn & Arthur for one of these figures. We were partial to the Chuckle Buddies — one of them was a monkey that rolled around on the floor. “They’re a bona fide pain in the neck,” laughed a store staffer, who said they’re popular with kids from ages 9 months to 90.
8. Geodesis candles and sprays, $47
Excentricities, 301 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach.
Phone: 278-0886
These scents make the most sense, if you’re looking for something elegant but practical. Nothing holds a candle to Geodesis. Made in France, the candles last about 60 hours. And the fragrances? They’re intoxicating without overwhelming a room. Pink Grapefruit evokes Florida with a citrus zest. Tuberoses offer an old-world touch.
9. Shell-handled magnifier, $22
Boynton Beach Postal Center, 562 E. Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach.
Phone: 738-6002
Here’s a tropical twist on a household necessity. These shell-handled magnifiers are perfect for reading the fine print with style. And they’re popular with men, the store says. Also magnified: the giant wristwatch alarm clocks ($85), which look like vintage timepieces on steroids.
10. Bite o’ Blue blueberry dog treats, $8
Golden Bone, 14 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
Phone: 274-7666
A Bite o’ Blue is a bite o’ green. These dog treats are baked in Maine with wind-generated electricity, store owner Marcy Albin says. They’re loaded with antioxidants and are a treat your dog could share with you, Albin says. After all, they're made with human-grade ingredients. While we don't recommend them for humans, they are reason enough for that pooch in your life to “Sit! Stay! Enjoy!”
11. Wooden belt, $26.95 and up
The Trouser Shop, 439 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach.
Phone: 278-5626
A waist is a terrible thing to mind. But you won’t mind showing yours off when you’re wearing a cool belt like this. It’s made of tropical hardwoods and is fully adjustable. Good style, good fit. That notion doesn’t go against the grain at The Trouser Shop. “The biggest thing is making things fit,” says shop owner Bruce Gimmy. Also a great buy: Gimmy’s cloth belts, priced at around $20.
12. Christmas baby booties, $8
Snappy Turtle, 1100 E. Atlantic Ave., #A,
Delray Beach.
Phone: 276-8088
“Bring home holiday bootie,” my editor cried, and suddenly it was upon me she relied to find something to treasure, that rare object of pleasure. But, alas, I hunted both low and high for something exotic, something wondrous to buy. And when I unearthed these booties of red, it was then I remembered what often is said, that there’s no finer treasure than a wee, tiny babe. So with a smile in my heart, these booties I gave to our newspaper’s own sweet baby Jade (soon-to-arrive daughter of photographer Tim Stepien.)Read more…
By Jan Norris
It can be confusing to choose a bottle of wine to take to someone else’s home — there’s the unknown menus and the host’s taste to consider.
We went to three area wine experts to get their opinions on wines that are suitable for taking along to holiday festivities.
“My safest bet is something with bubbles — always this time of year. You know it’s going to be used, whether in general or for an occasion,” said Bob Leone, manager and wine director of Crown Wines and Spirits in Boynton Beach. “After that, it’s a matter of what number you attach to it. If money’s no object, then Dom Perignon, Krug, Cristal, Bollinger or one of the tête de cuvée from the French houses. For those, you’re looking at $100 and up.”
But for drinkable bargains, he says to look for “entry level French Champagnes. He likes Billecart-Salmon Brui Reserve — “about $43 a bottle,” he said. Others on his list: Piper-Heidsieck, Louis Roederer, Veuve Cliquot’s yellow label. These will be between $35 and $60 a bottle.
Dave Spitzer, owner of Delray Beach’s Old Vines and Spirits, would likely take something “that’s maybe not the normal fare. I’d go with something a little more unusual. He likes blends, like “a La Storia Cuvee 32. It’s a 2005 from Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. It’s a nice combination of Italian with domestic California grapes. I like doing that. It’s something nobody else might bring,” and costs around $24 a bottle.
He also likes the more recent pinot grigios from California. The producers are coming around, he said, after a lackluster start with these wines. “Oregon’s Duck Pond, or King Estate’s Pinot Gris from Williamette Valley are both good choices.”
As for a meal wine, “Again, for something unusual, there’s a small producer from Williamette Valley, Z’ivo, that makes a wonderful Pinot Noir. It’s $26 to $35. They also have a wonderful white blend, Z’ivo Quartet, for $21.”
He also recommends sparkling wines as the safe bet. “Nothing says the holidays like popping a cork.” Some drinkers don’t like bone-dry sparklings, so choosing one with a slight sweetness is OK, he said, especially with different types of hors d’oeuvres and foods.
“One I like to serve before telling them where it’s from is Gruet. They have a blanc du noir and a brut. It’s from New Mexico, it’s bottle-fermented and made in the true Champagne method. And for $16, you can’t beat the price.”
His general tips: Take sparkling wines to the party already chilled if you’d like them served. Don’t buy a bottle for the price just to impress. “Take something you’re happy to share, or that you think they’d like that you found; your host will likely appreciate that gesture,” he said. And, “Remember to take off the price tag!”
Jake Card is the “wine guy” at Lantana Fine Wines and Spirits. He also says go with quality that you can afford. There’s a great deal out there under $30, so you shouldn’t have to break the bank to impress someone. “You can find Sonoma’s Bear Boat pinot noir for less than $20. For their price range, they’re a consistent pinot producer. I like their style; it’s not over heavy, but not wimpy, either.”
He recommends the French producer Jean-Luc Colombo. “They make a few different Côtes du Rhône and most can be had for $15 to $16 a bottle.” France’s Rhone region has had a lot of good vintages lately, and, he said, “Jean-Luc Colombo puts as much emphasis on their Côtes du Rhône as their $80 Chateauneuf-du-Pape. It’s always good.” These reds have body enough to stand up to heavier hors d’oeuvres, he said.
As for whites, “I picked out a Calera, a California chardonnay. It’s very consistent. They make bottles from $15 to $50, and their Central Coast chard, from $15 to $17 is not too oaky, but not too soft, either. I love it because of the price point. You can’t beat it.”
And if you don’t know if your host is a red- or white-wine drinker, he agrees that champagne is the safe bet as a gift. “I have been partial to Nicolas Feuillatte — his regular brut, which you can get for around $30. Far and away better than most of the Moet, and to my thinking, Veuve Clicquot, which everyone seems to like, but I don’t care for.” For a red wine as a gift, he likes Patz and Hall Sonoma Coast pinot noir, at $40 or so. “It’s a fantastic bottle of wine for the price.”
And a Rombauer Chardonnay, for under $40, is his white-wine choice. “It’s not stretching the imagination or finding anything new, but even in a not-so-good vintage year, they manage consistency.”
Jan Norris is a local food writer who blogs about food (and more) at www.jannorris.com.Read more…
