ABOVE: Palm Beach resident Tom Miske shields his camera from the sea spray as large, powerful waves crash into the Boynton Inlet jetty, the effects of a distant nor’easter combined with a king tide period that raised sea levels.  

BELOW: Lantana resident Tami Delacruz collects garbage on the town’s beach while high waves wash across the sand and reach the sea wall of the Eau. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Musgrave

Palm Beach County has scrapped a plan that would have forced county residents to get annual passes to continue to park for free at 12 county beachfront parks beginning Oct. 1. At the same time, officials nixed a plan to slap out-of-county residents with $4-an-hour parking fees.

The turnaround came after parks officials discovered that the proposed fees would violate state and federal grants that were used for improvements at eight of the parks. According to the grant terms, all beachgoers have to be treated equally.

A County Commission plan to charge only out-of-county residents ran afoul of the conditions that prohibit discrimination, said Jennifer Cirillo, director of the county Department of Parks and Recreation. The county couldn’t make nonresidents pay while letting residents park for free.

Initially, Cirillo suggested charging everyone — both residents and nonresidents — to park at the 12 seaside parks, including Gulfstream Park in the County Pocket next to Gulf Stream, Ocean Ridge Hammock Park in Ocean Ridge, and Ocean Inlet Park in Boynton Beach. The fee would have generated an estimated $10 million annually.

While Commissioner Maria Marino championed the fee, she reversed course in July after receiving more than 2,000 emails from angry residents. Instead, she suggested just charging out-of-county residents, which would have put $3 million in county coffers.

The other commissioners followed her lead because seven of the 12 parks that would be affected are in her north county district.

While county residents won’t have to get parking passes and out-of-towners won’t have to pay at the 12 parks, not all county beachfront parks are free.

For years, the county has collected parking fees at South Inlet Park in Boca Raton and R.G. Kreusler Park, which is adjacent to Lake Worth Beach Park.

Boca Raton and Lake Worth Beach officials demanded it. They worried that revenues at their parks would plummet if beachgoers could park at the nearby county parks for free. 

Poised for the season

Ballet students (l-r) Isabella Liby, Olivia Kutsch, Olivia Baughn and Ava Liby practice during a master class at the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton.
Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Related: Season Preview: Old favorites and new thrills in art, music, dance and theater await culture lovers

By Ruth Santana

Grand plié, tendu, relevé!

The sound of shuffling feet echoes the verbal cues ballet teacher Victoria Schneider calls out. The live piano sets the rhythm of the class, bringing the buzz of excitement and nervousness to a peak as girls adorned in black leotards and pink tights do their best to follow along to the routine.

The 31 girls in attendance Sept. 20 were participating in the revival of the HARID Conservatory’s master classes, which had been on sabbatical since COVID-19 struck in 2020.

Traditionally held once a year for ballet students ages 13 to 16 years old, the master class took place as arts companies throughout South Florida are gearing up for their new performance seasons.

This year’s program at the internationally recognized ballet school in Boca Raton featured the school’s specialty — the Russian ballet style of teaching known as the Vaganova Method.

The students came from as near as Wellington and as far as Gainesville, Miami, Tampa, Fort Myers, and other distant cities.

“I learned a lot of different corrections that you might not hear from your own directors,” said Isabella Liby of Melbourne. “Even having the same stuff being repeated in a different voice might make it more apparent to you.”

The program’s return satisfied HARID Director Gordon Wright.

“Pre-COVID we ran those [master] classes for a number of years. We offered classes in the fall for kids from the local community and throughout Florida,” Wright said. “It’s open registration, we publicized it through emailing different schools and things on social media.”

Student Enola Fortin, from Melbourne, appreciated the challenge this master class presented.

“I feel like I always get better in a master class that provides more training … mostly technique and the ability to feel more grounded,” Fortin said.

Even ballet instructors were taking notes.

Kathryn Wheeler, co-founder and artistic director of Mount Dora School of Ballet, watched carefully from the sidelines.

“I think because the art form grows and because we progress with different generations, and as bodies change, it’s important to keep up with the teaching styles,” Wheeler said.

“It’s interesting to watch the HARID teachers and how precise they are with their movements and corrections.”

The master class lasted four hours; the students practiced barre, open floor, pointe, and modern dance.

Schneider, a teacher of 32 years at HARID, led the barre and pointe portion of the program. She walked around the room reminding the girls to turn their legs out, straighten their backs, and listen to the music, gently correcting movements and offering advice.

“There are various schools of classical dance. … We may use the same vocabulary, but the movements are not done the same way,” Schneider explained.

Ballet students aged 13-16 receive technical guidance from instructors Alexey Kulpin (above) and Victoria Schneider (below right) during a master class at the HARID Conservatory in Boca Raton on Sept. 20. Established in 1987, the school prepares the next generation of classical dancers for the professional stage. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Alexey Kulpin, a classically trained ballet dancer from Russia, oversaw the open floor exercises — focusing on leaps, turns and physicality.

“You want to challenge students. Of course, you want to give them steps that are a little more difficult … but you have to play it by ear,” Kulpin said.

After watching the students perform the movements he demonstrated, Kulpin gave advice on how to make those movements cleaner, telling the students where they should feel their weight. He also demonstrated proper leg and arm placement in relation to the Vaganova style.

The last hour of class focused on modern dance with Libby Faber Deen, a Juilliard alum.

For this portion of the class, students changed out of their leotards and tights and into sweatpants and T-shirts. The music also changed from the tranquility of classical music to a more upbeat percussion style.

Modern dance “has a bit more expression of movement. … It really complements their ballet training. … It helps them to be stronger and more confident,” Faber Deen explained.

Students left the afternoon’s program with smiles on their faces, chatting among themselves about the things they’d learned and accomplished.

“For me, a master class is a class where you bring people from all different backgrounds in the study of ballet together,” Schneider said. “You try to open their minds, hearts and souls in doing ballet in perhaps a different way.” 

Master Class participants wait for their turn with the instructors.

Local governments view tax relief on ballot as state threat to their authority

Related: Editor's Note: Is Amendment 3 the right tool to promote tax savings?

By Rich Pollack

It has been a sore spot bothering local government leaders for decades.

Home rule, the ability for cities, counties and towns to make key decisions affecting their residents, has been eroding with state leaders in Tallahassee invading the authority of local elected officials, many say. 

Under current legislation, for example, most Florida municipalities are prohibited from passing more restrictive land use regulations, at least until next year, and are stopped from banning short-term vacation rentals, such as an Airbnb. State laws also prohibit municipalities from enacting any regulations on firearms and ammunition.

“Home rule is constantly being eroded by legislative acts, unfunded mandates, legislative constraints and regulatory rules that preempt local decision making and budgeting and funding decisions,” says South Palm Beach Town Manager Jamie Titcomb.

Now there are those who fear a proposed constitutional amendment on the November ballot would be another blow to municipal governments and an increased power shift away from local self-governance should voters approve it. 

What is known as Amendment 3 would raise the exemption on homesteaded properties from $51,411 this year to $150,000 in 2027 and to $250,000 the following year if it receives at least 60% voter approval. 

Who controls the money?

Those familiar with the workings of government say that if the amendment passes, local governments will have less money to spend and will most likely be more dependent on the state, and in some cases the county, to cover the cost of services to residents. 

“It’s the power of the purse,” says Charles Chapman, a legislative advocate for the Florida League of Cities. “The power shift is wholly centered on who controls the money.” 

If local governments don’t have money to do what needs to be done, he says, they could be forced to go to the state for help. Those who are elected by the residents of their community will in many cases no longer always be the final decision makers on what funds get spent where. 

“All of a sudden it goes from a relationship-driven process to a decision being made by someone far away who has never been to that community,” Chapman says. “We’re seeing the local government’s authority being undermined because of finances.” 

Soaring property values

Supporters of the amendment, including the president of the Florida Realtors, say the amendment is about affordability at a time when many residents are struggling to make ends meet — and the higher exemptions will keep more money in people’s pockets. 

“We just totally focused on affordability,” says Broward County Realtor Chuck Bonfiglio, who leads the organization. “We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to buy a home.”

Supporters of Amendment 3 — including the Florida Realtors, which has committed $10 million toward promoting the proposal to voters — have pointed out that local governments have received more revenue as property values increase. They say spending should be reined in. 

Titcomb from South Palm Beach, who is also a former executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities, counters that actions of municipal leaders are often closely watched by residents.  

“At the local level, we’re under more scrutiny than any other level of government,” he says. 

State leaders over the years have defended legislation that gives the state more say in local decisions as being important for consistency instead of having a patchwork of rules and regulations throughout the state.  

Bonfiglio believes the local governments and those in Tallahassee can work together to find workable solutions to financial issues that arise while managing taxpayer dollars wisely.

“I think there’s tremendous opportunity for collaboration between state and local governments,” he says. 

A domino effect

The shift in decision making could filter down to the county level. Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo thinks that a handful of municipalities could end up dissolving because the amount of revenue coming in wouldn’t be enough to keep the town running. 

“There are municipalities in the county that will no longer be sustainable,” he says. 

Should a municipality fold, the responsibility for providing services to those residents would rest in the hands of the County Commission. 

Along with having to provide services, the county would also be responsible for paying off the debt of those cities and towns at a time when the county itself could be faced with a shortfall of about $330 million. 

Just dealing with the loss of $230 million in general fund revenue and the loss of $100 million in money to cover the fire rescue operation is enough to cause Abruzzo to lose sleep.

“Knowing the impact to first responders, the impact to county services and what it will mean to residents has kept me up at night,” he says. 

A growing separation

For residents of a community forced to dissolve should the amendment pass, there would likely be more distance — both physically and relationship wise — between them and decision makers. 

Now residents might have a chance to voice their concerns to an elected official whom they see at church or synagogue or who might live down the street. But that might be more of a challenge if the County Commission is making the decisions — let alone the state. 

Abruzzo says county commissioners will continue to listen to residents, including those who come from former municipalities. 

“Our board would do a great job,” he says. 

Abruzzo, a Democrat who served in the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate, says he believes the relationship between the state and local governments is a distant one. 

“Amendment 3 is a blatant gut punch to local government,” he says.

Enter the state

Abruzzo and others say they are hearing rumblings that one of the future goals of state leaders would be to do away with property taxes and raise the sales tax. 

“They would raise sales taxes to new heights,” he says. “It could be the highest rate in the nation.”

The idea of a sales tax increase and the potential for the state distributing it to local governments to offset the lack of property tax revenue is concerning to Bill Thrasher, Briny Breezes’ manager who previously was manager of Gulf Stream and interim manager of Highland Beach. 

“State-controlled sales tax collection and distribution will significantly reduce local control, the local voice, and convenience of attending public budget hearings where spending decisions are made,” Thrasher says. “Verifiably, local government is better governance of the public dollar.”

Putting the power to make local spending decisions in the hands of the state Legislature, Thrasher says, is problematic. 

“How many state legislators have even heard of the Town of Briny Breezes?” he asks.  “How could they even begin to understand the town’s current situation and the various critical issues facing Briny taxpayers?” 

Money concerns

Chapman from the League of Cities uses an example of a city with a public library no longer having the money to run a special program. 

The city can go to the state and ask for money through a grant program or ask for money through an appropriation that usually is sponsored by a legislator but must be approved by the Legislature and signed off by the governor.  

“Lord help us if the Legislature has a different political philosophy than the program the library is providing,” he says. 

Chapman gives another example of a group of residents going to their city commission asking to make improvements on a local road that residents say needs to be repaired.  

If there’s not enough money in the budget because there’s less property tax revenue, the city could go to the county, but that might be a long shot because the road is not a county-maintained road. 

If the county can’t help, the city could go to the state, but the state doesn’t have a process to fix a residential road, Chapman says. The city could then have to decide if the road improvement is more of a priority than building a playground or adding another paramedic.

For Abruzzo, the solutions will not come easy and they most likely won’t be popular. 

He says he sees the look on the faces of residents when he talks about having to make cuts that will have a long-term impact. 

“I do dread our residents’ demands and expressions when they realize the impact that Amendment 3 will have on our county if it passes,” he says. “It will not look and feel the same as it does today.” 

Bonfiglio from the Realtors association believes that Amendment 3 has sparked necessary conversations that show a common denominator. 

“We all want the same thing,” he says. “We want our communities to thrive. It’s just a matter of how we get there.” 

Don’t forget to vote

Election Day is Nov. 3. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The last day to register is Oct. 5.

Voters can request and send a mailed-in ballot, but it must be received by 7 p.m. election night.

Early voting is being held Oct. 19-Nov. 1 at 28 locations.

The ballot includes races for governor, U.S. Senate and other county, state, federal and judicial offices, three state constitutional amendments, and three county ballot questions. 

For more information, go to votepalmbeach.gov.

Boynton man still faces charge of being felon with handgun

De’Vante Moss appears in court at a May hearing. A jury cleared him in September of two murder charges and one of attempted murder. File/The Coastal Star

By Jane Musgrave

A 32-year-old Boynton Beach man, who insisted he fatally shot two people in self defense, has been acquitted of murder charges in connection with the 2024 double homicide at a Boca Raton beach hotel.

After deliberating for roughly six hours after a two-day trial, a Palm Beach County Circuit Court jury on Sept. 10 found De’Vante Moss not guilty of murder charges in the gunshot slayings of 49-year-old Christopher Liszak and 32-year-old Chandler Dill, both of Oakland Park.

Jurors also cleared Moss of a charge of attempted murder for shooting a third man outside the 365 Ocean extended stay hotel, across North Ocean Boulevard from South Beach Park.

Had he been convicted, it is likely Moss would have spent the rest of his life behind bars.

But, despite his acquittal, Moss remains in the Palm Beach County jail on a $50,000 bond.

He will return to court to be tried on a charge of being a felon in possession of a handgun in connection with the shooting.

His defense team asked that he be tried separately on the weapons charge because they didn’t want jurors to be swayed by knowing that Moss in 2022 pleaded guilty to a federal charge of distribution of fentanyl. No date for that trial has been set.

Caught on video
The key evidence in the murder trial was video captured by hotel security cameras. The two videos, shot from different angles, showed the chaos that erupted in the parking lot as Moss ran to his car after paying $100 to have sex with Dill.

During their deliberations, the jury twice asked to review the videos.

Also, in a rare move, Moss testified in his own defense, describing the events that unfolded.

After Moss and Dill had sex, Dill grabbed a pouch that Moss had brought with him to the hotel room and shoved it into her purse, according to court papers filed by Moss’ attorneys, Assistant Public Defenders Stephanie Gagerie and Michael Work. The pouch contained Moss’ cellphone and illicit drugs.

When Dill refused to return the pouch, Moss snatched her purse and fled. With Dill chasing him, Moss ran toward his 2017 silver Jaguar, the attorneys wrote, describing the scene that was recorded on the videos. As Moss approached his car, Liszak and Tuan Duy Hoang Ho joined the melee.

Ho told Moss, “I’ll shoot you,” grabbing his waist, indicating he was armed. Moss opened the passenger door of the Jaguar, grabbed a gun and climbed into the driver’s seat, the attorneys said.

While Dill continued to attack Moss through the open passenger door, Moss managed to retrieve his cellphone and drugs from the purse and tossed it aside.

By then, Ho had pulled out a gun and was aiming it at Moss, the attorneys said.

Boca Raton police are on the scene after the Sept. 20, 2024, shootings at 365 Ocean. Jurors reviewed hotel security videos before acquitting De’Vante Moss of murder charges. File/The Coastal Star

How shootings took place
In a desperate attempt to get away, Moss hit the gas. But, because the car door was open, the Jaguar moved only a couple of feet before the car’s automatic brakes locked, preventing his escape. In that split second, Ho reached into the car and grabbed Moss’ phone.

Surrounded, with a disabled car and no way to call for help, Moss jumped out of the car and began shooting, Gagerie and Work wrote.

In an instant, Liszak and Dill were dead. Ho, who was also shot, crawled toward the hotel, according to Boca Raton police. Moss followed him, retrieved his cellphone and, while Ho was on the ground with his arms raised, shot him again. Police said he was shot in the buttocks, thigh and scrotum.

Ho survived. He testified against Moss at the trial from the Broward County jail where he is being held on probation violation charges.

Jurors disagreed with judge
Before voting unanimously to acquit Moss, jurors struggled with his actions after the shootings.

“Presuming self defense, does he have a legal responsibility to call 911?” they asked at one point during their deliberations.

Neither Gagerie, Work nor Assistant State Attorney Chrichet Mixon would comment on the verdict because Moss still faces the weapons charge.

But, during a hearing in May, Mixon argued that Moss set off the deadly chain of events by stealing Dill’s purse.

Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer agreed. In a sharply worded order, he rejected Moss’ contention that his actions were protected by the state’s Stand Your Ground law. The measure allows judges to give someone immunity from prosecution if he or she used deadly force “to prevent imminent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the imminent commission of a forcible felony.”

The law was designed to protect “law-abiding citizens,” not “a robber/convicted felon” like Moss, Suskauer wrote in the May order, setting the stage for the September trial.

“During the course of committing an obvious robbery, Mr. Moss, a previously convicted felon, armed himself with a gun and killed two unarmed victims, including an unarmed pantless robbery victim who chased after him to get her pocketbook back,” he wrote. “He additionally shot the third surviving victim who only armed himself after the defendant grabbed a gun.”

The shootings, he said, were “absolutely not justified self defense.”

Four months later, a jury disagreed. 

Management of city’s tennis centers criticized

Coach David Sall gives instruction to Delray Beach resident Ann Pellegrino at the Boynton Beach Tennis and Pickleball Center. Sall left his work at the Delray Beach tennis centers, citing poor conditions and management there. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

It was supposed to be a slam dunk, or to be more precise, an overhead smash.

When the Delray Beach City Commission met for one of its August meetings, JCD Sports Group, which has run the tennis facilities at the Delray Tennis Center and Delray Swim and Tennis Center since 1996, was poised to be awarded another 10-year contract.

Then people started complaining. And Mayor Tom Carney took notice, asking the commission to take its own look to see if the company was the best choice of all the applicants.

Then Jules Schlecker came to the microphone at the Aug. 18 meeting, with harsh criticisms, claiming that dozens of female players plus three coaches had left the city’s courts in the past year and moved to Boynton Beach’s tennis facility.

One of those coaches, David Sall, who spent two years at the club south of Linton Boulevard commonly known as “Swim,” didn’t hold back when returning a call from The Coastal Star.

“It’s a toxic atmosphere, a toxic place to work,” Sall said. “They’re running it into the ground.”

At their meeting, commissioners decided to invite the five companies that had interviewed for the contract back for another round, this time in front of the commission. The presentations are scheduled for Oct. 20, officials said.

“There’s a lot of people complaining, and they’re everyday people,” Carney said. “Before I hand out a 10-year contract, there are a lot of questions I want answered.”

The tennis management team is responsible for hiring and overseeing the work of coaches, scheduling practice times, putting together teams to represent the facility and staging matches against other facilities. It also makes sure the courts, nets and fencing around the courts are all in good shape. However, maintenance of the grounds is the responsibility of the city.  

Players at Delray Swim and Tennis say this old, torn and faded windscreen is an example of neglect at the center.

A list of complaints

Sall, fellow coach Parker Evertsen and a handful of the women who have left Delray Beach programs were forthcoming about the problems and concerns they have with JCD, which has no affiliation with the Delray Beach Open held every February.

Players and coaches said JCD co-owner Sharon Painter is almost never on site (JCD also manages several golf courses), with the primary targets of their complaints being managers Jeff Bingo at the Tennis Center and Jennifer Fiedler at Swim, formerly know as Laver’s International Tennis Resort.

Among the complaints: 

Verbal abuse: Players and coaches alike said both managers frequently berate everyone from players and coaches to maintenance workers.

“The way they talk to the coaches is really inexcusable,” said Kelli Evertsen of Boca Raton, who left Delray Beach tennis after five years to play in Boynton Beach. She added about Fiedler: “The way I saw her treat (Sall) is a big reason why I left. She would yell at him, curse at him in front of all the ladies. She yelled at ladies.”

Fiedler could not be reached for comment.

Player retention: While Bingo said it’s not true that the city has lost 70 players — a figure Schlecker used at the commission meeting — he said 23 players left and 24 new ones have come on board. Critics say the attitude toward player retention is all wrong.

“When you go to meetings, they say they don’t care if people leave, they’ll just replace them,” Kelli Evertsen said. “And they have.”

Bingo insisted most of the departures are women and they comprise only 3% of the business. But Parker Evertsen — Kelli’s son who is another one of the coaches who left  — estimated there have been just as many men as women leaving.

“Jeff actually said to me, ‘Retention is not our goal,’” Sall said. “‘You come from a country club, where you have to take care of the people. These people are city members; we don’t have to take care of them. We don’t care if they stay or go.’”

Others said they have heard similar comments from Bingo, but he “absolutely” denied ever making such statements when asked by The Coastal Star.

“It is false and completely contrary to how I manage the city’s facilities, finances and treat our members and guests,” Bingo said. “For nearly nine years, my focus has been on serving the public, improving programming, and operating successful facilities for the city of Delray Beach.”

Kelli Evertsen said the Delray Beach program is down to five teams, less than half the number that are at Boynton Beach.

“They have courts (at Swim) that are empty on a daily basis,” Sall said. “It just amazes me.”

Poor maintenance: Bingo insists the Delray Beach courts “have never been in better condition,” but the critics say that’s not the case — and that the courts at Swim are particularly bad.

The center court at Delray Tennis Center “is in very good condition, because that’s where they do the tournament and commercials,” said Cristina Gomez, who left for Boynton Beach despite living within walking distance of the downtown courts. “Everything else is in very poor condition. There’s nothing great in terms of those courts at all.”

Kelli Evertsen said the courts are “embarrassing” at Swim.

“Half the courts, the windscreens are flopping, torn down, old, faded, with holes,” she said. “Weeds growing up. Weeds all over the courts. It’s awful.

“I don’t think any of us expected it to look like a country club. We go to St. Andrews to play, Woodfield; we’re not expecting class. But you would expect there are tables that aren’t beat up, chairs that aren’t missing backs.”

Reached by phone, City Commissioner Juli Casale defended JCD and its managers. She plays regularly on the courts and says it's up to the city to budget the money needed to maintain them properly.

Antiquated sign-up system: Gomez said Delray Beach is the only program she has been to in the past several years that doesn’t use a computer sign-up system, preferring to have clients sign in on sheets of paper torn into quarters.

“They lost my credit card number because they put it on a piece of paper,” Gomez said. “The customer service is just terrible.”

Swim “was just neglected,” Parker Evertsen said. “Wait in line, give your credit card, and now you’re running late because there’s a line out the door.”

Unprofessional behavior: Bingo and Fiedler not only manage their courts but also serve as coaches. Kelli Evertsen and Gomez said Fiedler has removed a coach, taken over a team and taken credit for its success.

Sall said Fiedler would “come on my court and chastise me in front of my clientele, that I don’t know what I’m doing. That’s after me teaching for 40 years.”

Gomez said Bingo would be constantly interrupted by other duties when giving her lessons.

“Out of the hour I would get 45 or 50 minutes,” Gomez said. “It became annoying. So instead of saying something I said, ‘I’m done.’”

Weighing the differences

FM Tennis, co-owned by Brandon Flanagan, is one of the five firms being interviewed in Delray Beach. The company won the contract for the Boynton Beach courts in 2025 and installed Felipe Puleo as manager there. 

Players who have left Delray Beach said they liked that Puleo — unlike Bingo and Fiedler — gives no lessons. The three coaches who left said the computer system in use makes everything easier and they are earning a higher percentage from their lessons than they did in Delray Beach.

“I was a bit apprehensive going to work there,” Sall said, “but (Puleo) runs a very professional operation.” 

Casale said the Boynton Beach program is “much more expensive” than Delray Beach’s, acknowledging Boynton Beach officials seem to put a higher priority on their program than Delray Beach does.

Kelli Evertsen said it was frustrating that despite the many complaints players have lodged with park officials about JCD, the company is still the recommended firm. 

“Are you kidding me?” she asked.

At the commission meeting, City Attorney Lynn Gelin said that not only was JCD the top-scoring firm interviewed by the staff selection committee, but by a wide margin.

Not long after the August commission meeting, a flyer circulated asking the public to email the commissioners voicing support for another contract for JCD — and Casale said many have. Bingo vehemently denied involvement, but Mayor Carney sounded skeptical.

Carney said he likes Painter very much, “but this is not the way to show there’s a level playing field.” 

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office vehicles line the 3500 block of South Ocean Boulevard in South Palm Beach on the morning of the shooting. Tim  Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Emily Rose Finn and Mary Thurwachter

A deputy responding to a request for assistance from a man who walked up to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in South Palm Beach soon found herself in a life-or-death struggle with the man.

The 32-year-old man said he needed her car and, when told that wasn’t going to happen, he lunged at her for her gun, Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said during a news conference describing the Sept. 17 incident.

The man knocked the deputy over backward and started pummeling her while on top of her, but the deputy was able to get control of her gun and shot the man in the chest, killing him.

“This could have gone very, very bad for this female deputy,” Bradshaw said. “She literally was fighting for her life. She did a good job just making sure that she was going to survive.”

The man was identified as Rex Alexander Magann, who officials said had been “Baker acted” — involuntarily detained for a mental health evaluation — at least four times, including twice last year. He also had a previous run-in with police and attacked a hospital worker.

While PBSO withheld the name of the deputy, multiple sources have identified her to The Coastal Star as Donna Korb — familiarly known around town as “Deputy Donna” — who has been with PBSO for at least 25 years, including the last four in South Palm Beach.

The deputy, who Bradshaw said was taken to HCA Florida JFK Hospital in Atlantis to be treated for facial injuries and evaluated for a possible concussion, was released later the same day, officials said.

A fateful call

The incident unfolded around 7:35 a.m. on State Road A1A near Town Hall, which is on the same property as the substation. Magann picked up a phone there and told dispatch he needed medical assistance, officials said.

Korb responded solo to the call and asked the man how she could help. According to Bradshaw, Magann told her: “I need a car. I’m taking your car,” before attacking her when she said no.

Bradshaw described the assault as “very, very violent.”

“He finally pushes her back, knocks her off her feet. She hits her head on the ground in the back. He’s on top of her, they’re still wrestling for the gun, he finally starts beating her in the face and in the chest to see if he can knock her unconscious.”

The deputy was able to get control of her gun and shot Magann, said Bradshaw, who described him as 5-feet-11 and 250 pounds and much bigger than the deputy.

“She saved her own life, without a doubt,” Bradshaw said. “This guy was intent on getting that gun.”

The shooting investigation closed A1A in town for about seven hours, Town Manager Jamie Titcomb said. Town officials canceled all meetings and services at Town Hall for the day.

The deputy was placed on paid administrative leave, according to standard agency protocol. The ongoing investigation includes the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Palm Beach County State Attorney’s Office and PBSO’s Violent Crimes Division.

Magann’s background

Titcomb said law enforcement told him that Magann was a local resident who had been living with his mother in town.

He pleaded guilty in November 2025 to separate charges of assault on a law enforcement officer and battery on an emergency medical care provider, according to court records. He was on probation when the Sept. 17 attack took place, the sheriff said. 

Both incidents took place in January 2025 after Manalapan police sought to pull Magann over for a traffic stop on A1A. Instead, according to the probable cause affidavit in that case, Magann repeatedly rammed the 2013 Hyundai Veloster he was driving into a parked police car, which had its emergency lights flashing. He left in the Hyundai and later, in the Ocean Inlet Park parking lot, fled on foot before being apprehended.

While in custody a couple of days later, he was taken from the Palm Beach County Jail to Neurobehavioral Hospital in West Palm Beach to be Baker acted, a West Palm Beach police report said. He arrived “argumentative and hostile” police were told. During intake, he rushed one of the medical care providers and hit him with a closed fist in the face, with a scuffle following as Magann continued to throw punches and kicks at the man, the police report said.

‘Deputy Donna’

The struggle and shooting in South Palm Beach wasn’t the first time Korb had encountered a life-or-death situation in town. On May 8, 2023, she didn’t hesitate to rescue a woman who was drowning and fighting to get back to shore.

Irina Bereslavska, now 71, is a frequent visitor to the town from Manhattan. Korb had seen her going into the ocean for a late afternoon swim that day, and she grew concerned due to the current and the swimmer’s age. Once Korb saw that Bereslavska was struggling, she notified dispatch, shed her uniform and ran into the water to rescue the Latvian-born woman. 

“That’s when years of dive experience seemed to kick in, knowing the danger she was in if not reached quickly,” Korb told The Coastal Star three years ago.

Korb with help from residents got a pool rescue ring float, then swam out and handed the float to the distressed swimmer and guided her back to shore. 

Without Korb’s intervention, the likelihood Bereslavska would have drowned was high, authorities said.

“She helped me a lot and I really appreciate it,” Bereslavska said when contacted by phone after the shooting. She had been visiting her friend Elena Kleer in the Mayfair condominium at the time of her 2023 rescue. “The town is lucky to have her. I was lucky to have her there looking out for me.”

Korb has also impressed former Mayor Bonnie Fischer, a town resident for 52 years.

“As a woman and mayor for many years, I’ve gotten to know Donna Korb and recognize her ability to navigate from a position of strength and fortitude. She has been a valuable asset to the town.” 

Larry Barszewski contributed to this story.

Related: Amendment 3: Power struggle?

Readers of The Coastal Star have often commented to me that they appreciate our balanced news coverage. I pray you take this column as a discussion of the merits of a plan, not the politics behind it. 

Five months ago our governor put forward a plan to rapidly raise the homestead exemption over the next few years, saving homesteaded taxpayers money and drastically cutting the tax revenue of every town, city and county in the state. It gained traction, and a variation of the governor’s idea got onto the November ballot as Amendment 3, requiring 60% voter approval to pass.

In theory this rewards people who choose to call Florida their full-time home and shifts the tax burden onto tourists, renters and snowbirds. But the plan calls for the state to have more control over taxes, taking away control from locals. This could basically end home rule on tax rates as we know it.

Claims of tax abuse

The idea also claims to be a way to end local tax collection abuse. I was having a hard time finding a local example of overt tax abuse, until news broke in September that the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office has used more than $6 million in recent years to bring back 41 retired and loyal department heads at inflated “salaries” after they already had generous pensions in place. The sheriff now says he is ending the program in October. No wonder residents think there is tax waste.

For Amendment 3

The Florida Realtors political action committee has set aside $10 million to promote Amendment 3, with its president saying that Floridians need “meaningful relief” from the high cost of living. So far the Realtors is the only organization to put money into this campaign. It’s hard to argue about the needs of each home-buying family, but what about the communities they live in?

Against Amendment 3

Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo calls Amendment 3 “a blatant gut punch to local government.”

Some municipalities wouldn’t survive the loss of revenue and the county would have to take over running them and take on their debt, he says.

“Knowing the impact to first responders, the impact to county services and what it will mean to residents has kept me up at night,” Abruzzo said.

Against the plan are most of the city and town managers in The Coastal Star communities, plus dozens of county and state agencies that serve health, educational and safety needs. 

Eroding home rule

Our cities and towns are well run by professional staffers, and they are directed by our neighbors: the mayors, council members and commissioners whom we elected. 

One way we enjoy local control of our taxes is in how much is spent on public safety.

I live in Ocean Ridge, and we choose to have more police per capita than in most other small towns. Shouldn’t we be able to control what we spend on ourselves?

Amendment 3 would strip away too much local control of tax spending. Do we want to erode home rule, let the state set a standard on spending, and see what kind of public services we get? No thanks.

What to do?

It’s hard to argue that saving Florida residents money on their tax bills is a bad idea. I would love to see our state, county and local governments find ways to spend less of our money on things we don’t need.

Amendment 3 would reduce taxes for some, but it would create more chaos than many of Florida’s towns, cities and counties could handle.  

Vote no, and let’s come back after the election and look for better ways to improve accountability.

— Jerry Lower

Publisher 

Boca Raton couple Michael and Camilla Goodwin’s charity helps families battling childhood cancer. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Tao Woolfe

Myla Carrera Goodwin was an extraordinary child — one whose intelligence, energy and compassion burned so brightly it was as if she knew, even before her cancer diagnosis, that her time on Earth would be brief.

Her parents, Camilla and Michael Goodwin, describe her as a kind of miraculous unicorn who taught them how to live in the light even as the shadows deepened around them.

And now, six years after Myla’s death at age 9, the Goodwins pay their little girl’s magic forward by helping other families navigate the hell of childhood cancer.

The Goodwins own and operate Crazy Uncle Mike’s, a popular live music, scratch kitchen gourmet food and dance venue at 6450 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. They founded Myla’s BeLeaf in 2021 to honor their daughter.

The charitable foundation — which has raised more than $3.2 million since its first fundraising gala at Crazy Uncle Mike’s in 2023 — provides grants up to $5,000 each to families struggling to pay basic bills after their children have been diagnosed with cancer.

More than 380 families have been helped by the foundation, Camilla Goodwin said.

Although the allotments are small, they can be a huge help to families struggling with rent or mortgage payments, utilities, transportation to hospital and treatment centers, car payments, fuel costs and groceries. 

“We work to ease the financial and emotional burdens families face so they can focus on care, connection and healing,” Camilla Goodwin said. “Our vision is a world without childhood cancer. Until that time, we envision a world where families facing childhood cancer feel supported, understood, and surrounded by care.”

 When Myla was 6, she was diagnosed with Wilms tumor, a rare kidney cancer that mainly affects young children. The cancer had already spread to her lungs. 

“Our world stopped,” Camilla Goodwin said. “Nothing prepares you for those words.”

But the world did not stop for Myla, who faced her diagnosis with courage and hope. She held onto that poise through surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, and alternative therapy in Austria, her mother said.

A photo of Myla from that time shows her smiling and resolute, a rainbow unicorn hat perched on a head stripped of hair by chemotherapy. Her eyes are bright, her skin luminescent.

“She endured more than any child ever should, yet she continued to show us strength, grace and joy,” Camilla Goodwin has said. “Even in the hardest moments, her spirit remained intact.”

But after all the treatments, doctors determined that Myla had, by then, developed multiple lesions on her lungs and that the cancer had spread to her brain. Make her comfortable, the doctors said. She died Jan. 1, 2020.

Camilla Goodwin, 49, born and raised in Sweden, is a real estate agent who speaks multiple languages and holds degrees in psychology and business leadership. Michael Goodwin, 63, a native of New Mexico, has owned many bars and clubs. He loves music, entertainment and good food. He has had extensive executive experience in the hotel industry in the U.S. and internationally.

The couple met at a club Michael owned in Las Vegas. The Goodwins, who live in Boca Raton, have two other adult daughters. 

Michael Goodwin said he is not as involved with the charity’s day-to-day operations as his wife, but enjoys turning Crazy Uncle Mike’s into a big, bold venue for Myla’s BeLeaf fundraising events.

And those annual events are extremely successful, he said. In August, the club hosted “Boca’s Got Talent,” a Boca Raton Regional Chamber of Commerce event designed to raise awareness and support for local families coping with childhood cancer. 

The gala raised about $650,000 for Myla’s BeLeaf, thanks to many small donations and some very generous ones, Michael Goodwin said. 

After Myla’s death, the Goodwins worked to establish relationships with hospitals and care centers to help identify needs and needy families, and to set up the charitable foundation, but it happened quickly and things fell seamlessly into place, he said.

“Myla’s magic was behind it,” Michael Goodwin said. “She was extraordinary. Hers was an energy of love, not loss.”

In the days and weeks following their daughter’s death, the couple repeatedly found leaves in improbable places. They came to believe that Myla had sent — and continues to send — foliage to comfort them.

“A leaf represents hope, renewal and growth, and those values reflect everything Myla stood for,” Camilla Goodwin said, explaining how Myla’s BeLeaf became the name of the charity. “Her spirit lives on through this foundation and through the lives it touches.”

To donate to Myla’s BeLeaf, visit mylasbeleaf.com.

Several charitable events throughout the year benefit the foundation.  

The next event will be a Ladies’ Tea at the Delray Beach Club from 2 to 4 p.m. Oct. 17. Tickets are $150. 

For more information, visit fundraise.givesmart.com/e/Gxk6gA?vid=1sd2f1.  

NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE A COASTAL STAR 

Send a note to news@thecoastalstar.com 

or call 561-337-1553.

Town property taxes go down again — The South Palm Beach Town Council in September approved keeping the town’s tax rate at $3.30 for every $1,000 of taxable value. However, unlike in other nearby towns that have held the line on their tax rates, South Palm Beach’s move means the average property owners will see their town taxes go down.

That’s because the town’s overall property values have declined for the second year in a row. The approved rate also marks the second consecutive year the town rate is below the “no new taxes” rollback rate, which was set at $3.4156 per $1,000 for the new fiscal year that started Oct. 1.

While the town’s taxes may be decreasing, Town Manager Jamie Titcomb explained to the council that many if not most residents will nonetheless see an increase in their total property tax bills because of assessments charged by the county, school district and other taxing agencies.

Town applies for grant — Titcomb informed the Town Council that the town had submitted a grant application with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection requesting $2.5 million toward its ongoing construction of a new wastewater lift station.

The grant would be expected to cover as much as 50% of the expected cost of $5 million.

Titcomb also said efforts are ongoing through the town’s lobbying firm in Washington to obtain federal funds for the same project. He said those efforts won’t occur until next summer, but “if both funding sources were to come through, there is a likelihood that the town’s majority investment in the lift station could be paid for by state and federal dollars.” 

Town vehicle donated — The council voted 4-0, with Council member Sandy Beckett absent due to illness, to donate a 2015 Ford Explorer to the town’s Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation for whatever purpose that office chooses.

The Explorer was previously used in various capacities by town employees, but that use was discontinued several years ago and the council has on multiple occasions debated the correct next step. Titcomb, who proposed the donation, said the move “could be a back channel asset to us in the long run.”

— Brian Biggane

By Chris Gerbasi

You can crunch the numbers. You can rearrange the numbers. But you can’t escape the numbers.

The Delray Beach City Commission went round and round during two lengthy — and sometimes loud — discussions of property tax rates and budget figures during its September meetings. The battle featured shouting matches, a momentary flirtation with the rollback rate and a suspenseful final vote.

When the dust settled, a supermajority of the commission came to the same bottom line: A tax rate increase was needed.

The commission on Sept. 22 voted 4-1 to approve a rate of $6.3501 per $1,000 of taxable value and a general fund operating budget of about $215 million for the fiscal year that started Oct. 1. That rate is an increase of just more than 3% over the previous tax rate. The city has now raised the tax rate for the second straight year after a dozen years of lowering the rate, culminating in 2024, when the commission approved a “no new taxes” rollback rate.

While the new tax rate is lower than the rate originally proposed to residents in August, it’s still not as low as Mayor Tom Carney would have liked.

Carney, the lone dissenting vote, said most residents he talked to had hoped the city’s tax rate would remain at least the same as the current year, $6.1611 per $1,000 of taxable value, if not lower.

“I’ve talked to a lot of people the last few weeks, I know what they’re looking for,” Carney said on Sept. 8, though only about 10 residents spoke during two public hearings. “They’re looking for us to tighten our belt.”

Rising operating costs, inflation and years of reduced tax rates contributed to the need for a tax increase, city officials said.

But the mayor argued that the city has enjoyed tremendous gains in property values — a 57% increase in its tax base over the past five years, he said — and dozens of new properties will go on the tax roll in 2027. Delray Beach property values rose 7.5% in 2026, according to the Palm Beach County property appraiser.

The commission’s decision essentially came down to a choice between maintaining the current tax rate of $6.1611 and a reserve fund balance equal to 18.9% of the city’s general fund budget, or the city manager’s proposed rate of $6.3501 that would have reserves equaling 20.27% of the budget.

The suspense at the Sept. 22 meeting grew because any amount above the rollback rate of $5.855 per $1,000 required approval by at least four of the five commissioners to pass. Carney seemed to have support from Vice Mayor Angela Burns, who said she wanted the lowest possible tax rate that would allow the city to still provide all services, but Commissioner Judy Mollica — and another commissioner — would also need to switch their stands to get the four votes needed for passage of the lower rate. 

Mollica said she was undecided just before the final vote, leaving the possibility that neither rate could get the needed four votes.

If the commission had failed to pass a property tax rate, the rate would have reverted to the rollback rate, an outcome City Manager Terrence Moore said would be terrible for the city: “No can do,” he said.

Commissioner Juli Casale made a motion to assess the higher rate, which was seconded by Commissioner Tom Markert.Then came the roll call. Just a few minutes after she said she was undecided, Mollica was the first to be called to vote. She supported the motion. 

When Burns’ turn came, she also voted for the higher rate, much to Carney’s surprise. Burns indicated she did not want to let “the process” of establishing tax rates dictate how the commission voted. 

The vote followed an evening of bickering, led by Carney and Casale trading insults. Even the city’s chief financial officer, Henry Dachowitz, reached his boiling point when Carney interrupted him during a budget explanation.

“If you’re not going to let me answer, why should I sit here?” Dachowitz said to Carney. “I have 50 years’ experience. This is ridiculous. I’ve forgotten more than the expertise on this commission.”

Casale pressed Carney at each meeting for specific ideas about additional budget cuts, but he didn’t offer any, instead deferring to Moore.

“My plan is that the city manager will figure (it) out,” Carney said. “If we have to address numbers of personnel, then we have to address that. Every other city is doing it.”

But Casale said Delray Beach’s actions are in line with those of surrounding communities. She also emphasized the need for the city to maintain its operating reserves at 21% to 25% of total operating expenditures.

“We’re modifying our reserves to make the budget work,” Casale said. “That is not a good day-to-day practice and it’s not fiscally sound for our long-term financial future.”

Finance officials typically advise that reserves be used to cover one-time expenses. Using reserves to lower the tax rate to cover continuing expenditures makes it that much harder to balance the following year’s budget without raising taxes or dipping deeper into the reserves. 

Markert shared Casale’s concerns about drawing down the reserve fund or lowering the tax rate any further, saying additional budget cuts would be “painful.”

“We have cut out all the fat and we’re now sawing through the proverbial bone,” he said.

The city’s proposed tax rate in preliminary property tax bills that went out in August was $6.4371 per $1,000 of taxable value. A commission workshop discussion on Sept. 1 resulted in trimming the rate to $6.3501.

The commission also approved a separate tax rate for voted debt. City property owners will pay $0.0289 per $1,000 to cover the debt payments, bringing the city’s combined tax rate to $6.3790 for every $1,000 of taxable value.

A Delray Beach resident with a home with a taxable value of $481,794 — the average valuation in the county — would pay $3,073 in property taxes, according to Dachowitz.

The city’s total budget — including general, special revenue, enterprise, debt service, capital and internal service funds — is about $716 million. The two largest expenditures are for police and fire rescue services. The police budget is $58.5 million, a 3.2% increase, while the fire budget went up 12.9% to about $56.5 million, largely due to salaries and benefits, officials said. 

By Larry Barszewski

Drivers in Delray Beach had better watch their speed and where they park in the city — because parking fines increased dramatically as of Oct. 1 and cameras are now being used for speed-zone enforcement around schools.

The city agreed to increase parking fines — it is particularly concerned about cars blocking sidewalks — after the U.S. Department of Transportation sent a notice that an Americans with Disabilities Act complaint had been filed over sidewalk access. The notice required the city to take steps to address the issue.

City Manager Terrence Moore approved a staff plan that increased the fine for blocking a sidewalk to $250 per violation — the same fine charged for parking illegally in a handicapped parking space — more than seven times higher than the previous $35 fine.

“When somebody’s blocking the sidewalk, you’re making somebody in a wheelchair, a mother with a stroller, a child have to walk into the street into oncoming traffic to circumvent the vehicle. So, while I understand the fine is hefty, there’s a reason for that, and it’s to ensure compliance,” City Attorney Lynn Gelin told commissioners at their Sept. 22 meeting.

“The thinking was really just to make it consistent with the wheelchair parking violation because that, too, has ADA implications as well,” she said.

Many other parking fines have also been raised from $35 to $250, including for parking on a crosswalk, median or paved right-of-way, for parking that blocks a driveway, faces the wrong way, or that’s within a prohibited or tow zone, and for double parking. 

4,945 speeding violations

As for speeding in school zones, Delray Beach is one of many cities that have begun using cameras to catch and fine violators. Boynton Beach and Boca Raton are also using such cameras, officials said.

And boy, are they working.

In a little over a month, from Aug. 10 to Sept. 18, Delray Beach issued 4,945 speeding violations caught on school zone cameras, according to a report presented to commissioners at the same meeting. Each violation results in a $100 fine for the vehicle’s owner.

The most violations — 2,407 — took place around Pine Grove Elementary School, and the second-most around St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic School, where 1,397 notices of violations were produced, the report said. The two schools accounted for 77% of all notices issued during that period.

The cameras are working throughout the school day — not just before and after school when flashing lights warn of a reduced speed limit. The fines are being charged to anyone going 11 miles per hour or more over the posted speed limit — including the in-between hours while school is in session but when no lights are flashing and the regular speed limit is in force. 

Eau owner begins lease on town space in Plaza del Mar

By Emily Rose Finn

Palm Beach County Fire Rescue does not want to be part of Manalapan’s planned new Town Hall. It wants to stay at the site of the current Town Hall instead — and it would pay to build a new facility there, Town Manager Eric Marmer told commissioners Sept. 8.

The town is planning to replace its Town Hall with a new one to be built on the former bank property it acquired at Plaza del Mar, 131 S. Ocean Blvd. The new budget includes $175,000 to design the building.

The town took that property through eminent domain. In June, a circuit judge approved the taking and the town deposited $2.85 million in the court registry. A jury could still set a different final price. 

Meanwhile, until a new Town Hall is under construction, the town has agreed to let its Plaza del Mar property serve as a base for renovation work across State Road A1A at the Eau Resort & Spa. Commissioners on Sept. 8 approved a lease with MPB Property LLC, the resort’s owner, for the former bank building, providing the town income in the interim before the town’s construction starts.

The $4,600-a-month lease, effective Sept. 11, runs for one year and then can be extended from month to month, with the Eau renting the building in its existing condition.

Commissioners also approved allowing materials storage next to the building, behind an 8-foot chain-link fence with windscreen and a rolling gate that will enclose the storage area for use by the resort’s contractor. 

At the resort itself, commissioners approved new black aluminum railings and teak-look cladding for the Eau’s guestroom balconies. “It’s basically a modification of the railings that are outside of the hotel,” said Tim Nardi, the Eau’s general manager. The new railings drop the current palm tree design.

“We’re very excited about the renovation that’s about to start at the hotel,” Nardi said. 

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream’s property tax bills for fiscal 2027 will have an increasingly familiar rate: $3.67 per $1,000 of taxable value, the same number it has been since 2021.

Town commissioners approved the tax rate in a final budget hearing on Sept. 23.

“There is no difference in this budget and the one that was tentatively approved during our budget hearing on Sept. 11,” Town Manager Trey Nazzaro said.

The approved tax rate will generate $7.53 million, up about $534,000 from this past year, Nazzaro said. Property values in town rose 7.9% to $2.05 billion.

More than 50% of the tax revenue goes to operation of police, fire and emergency medical services, Nazzaro said.

Under the new tax rate, the owner of a $1 million house will pay $3,672 in town property taxes in addition to county, school and other levies.

The new rate is 7.3% over the rollback rate, which would have raised $6.99 million, the same amount of property taxes as the previous year except for new construction.

The total 2026-27 budget is $12.4 million, which includes a $7 million general fund, $2.49 million water fund, $50,666 debt service fund and $2.87 million capital projects fund.

Work on the roads and drainage in the town’s Core area is wrapping up, and the capital projects money will go toward engineering and construction in the Place Au Soleil district. That work will include resurfacing of roadways, swale grading and reconstruction of roadways in spots.

Nazzaro will take $883,295 from the water enterprise fund to pay for a planned connection with Boynton Beach’s water plant, which he said will take place in spring 2027. Delray Beach will no longer be the town’s water supplier.

Gulf Stream now has $6.7 million in undesignated reserve funds, he said. 

By Jane Musgrave

Former Miami Dolphins fullback Rob Konrad in September ended his short-lived journey through the criminal justice system on a charge of reckless driving by taking an eight-hour defensive driving course.

At a hearing on Sept. 17, his attorney Greg Rosenfeld told Palm Beach County Judge Ashley Zuckerman that the 49-year-old Ocean Ridge resident had satisfied the terms of the nonprosecution agreement he inked with state prosecutors.

Since Konrad completed the course and paid $100 for court costs, prosecutors dropped the reckless driving charge he faced in connection with a June 29 crash in Gulf Stream. As part of the plea deal, prosecutors also dismissed three traffic citations Konrad faced after police said he lost control of his Land Rover SUV while driving an estimated 80 mph on State Road A1A near the Ballantrae condominiums.

The vehicle crashed into several trees, a streetlight and a water valve before flipping over. Konrad was airlifted to the hospital.

Konrad, who works as a financial adviser and in March paid $4.7 million for a 5,800-square-foot house on Harbour Drive South, played fullback for the Dolphins from 1999 to 2004. 

Better curve, new curbs — The town will redo the sharp curve where Sea Road meets Gulfstream Road in front of Town Hall.

Jackson Land Development will charge $57,758 to widen the asphalt there to 26 feet. The town rejected options to widen the curve to 30 feet or widen Sea Road by 4 feet to become 20 feet wide, saying both ideas made the road wider than was needed.

The 26-foot expansion was proposed by Police Chief Richard Jones and Public Works Director Robert Paulin as a way, along with new F curbs, to prevent the rutting that was prevalent before in front of the police station.

“I think they did a great job. It was well thought out,” Town Commissioner Joan Orthwein said.

Commissioners approved the expense at their Sept. 11 meeting. In August they had complained that the narrow curve made drivers slow down or stop to maneuver through it.

Party to welcome residents back — The Gulf Stream Civic Association and the town will split a $12,000 bill to throw a welcome-back party for seasonal residents at The Little Club.

The association approached Town Manager Trey Nazzaro with the idea, modeled after their centennial celebration party last year, and he set aside $6,000 for it in the fiscal 2027 budget.

The party is planned for Nov. 4.

“There’s been a lot of buzz about this,” Mayor Scott Morgan said. “I think it’s a great idea and the cost is de minimis frankly for the benefit it confers on the town.”

Residents recognized for lasting through Delray meeting — Three Place Au Soleil homeowners were praised at the Sept. 11 Town Commission meeting “for their civic participation, commitment to public engagement, and willingness to address the Delray Beach City Commission” as it reconsidered allowing new townhomes next door.

Residents Sam Pearlman, David Toal and Ann Bennett were the recipients of Gulf Stream’s appreciation and gratitude in a resolution “recognizing their patience and civic commitment in participating in a meeting that extended until approximately 10 p.m.”

The Delray Beach project, which was approved Aug. 18, involves 39 two-story structures and eight that will rise three stories. The property, which is on North Federal Highway adjacent to Place Au Soleil, sits just north of a golf cart business on the east side of the highway.                                                                            

— Steve Plunkett

By Larry Barszewski

Ocean Ridge town commissioners have given up their battle against the former owner of a dilapidated Coconut Lane home who racked up code enforcement fines topping $100,000.

Instead of approving a settlement in December 2024 that extracted at least some payment for the fines that began accruing two years earlier, as the town’s legal counsel had advised, commissioners continued their fight for more than a year and a half longer.

That fight came to an end on Sept. 14, when commissioners not only voted to make the case go away, but agreed that the town would be the one doing the paying. The commission took that action because there was a chance the town might have to pay even more if commissioners didn’t settle.

James Cooksey’s former property — now on the market and fixed up by a new owner with an asking price of almost $7 million — had been an eyesore at the end of Coconut Lane for several years. Cooksey, who has invested in real estate, purchased it in 2005.

In 2023, after a lien was placed on the 23 Coconut Lane property, Cooksey sued the town, saying he had not been properly noticed of the fines or the November 2022 hearing before a special magistrate where the $150-a-day fine was imposed. A judge dismissed the case, but Cooksey appealed.

It was before the appeal was decided that commissioners had an opportunity to settle the case if they would let Cooksey pay only $30,000 of the $117,000 in fines attached to the property near the end of 2024. They turned it down.

At the time, Cooksey told the commissioners he had a good case: “We can litigate the thing for two more years, I don’t care if that’s what you guys want to do. Pay people $500 an hour rather than resolving it.”

And things started to go Cooksey’s way. The appeal court reversed the dismissal and allowed Cooksey to file a new complaint. Cooksey actually paid off about $125,000 in fines and other fees to clear the title and sold the property for $2 million while still challenging the fines in court. 

In September, the commission voted to pay Cooksey $172,500, or $47,500 more than Cooksey had paid to clear the property’s title. The settlement was approved without discussion as part of a larger consent agenda.

Part of the reason commissioners agreed to settle was that the judge in the case had ordered arbitration, and the arbitrator was recommending the town pay more than $207,000 to Cooksey, according to a staff report.

While the commission voted to settle the case, Vice Mayor Steve Coz wasn’t convinced Cooksey hadn’t seen the notices, which he said included a red notice of violation posted on the house by police.

“He claimed he didn’t see it,” Coz said after the commission’s Sept. 14 meeting. “You have to get a picture of him being handed the notice.”

Cooksey did not respond to an email and a phone call from The Coastal Star seeking comments about the settlement.

Taxes up; no change in rate —  The Ocean Ridge Town Commission voted to hold the town’s tax rate at $5.40 for every $1,000 of taxable value, which is expected to produce an extra $1 million in tax revenue this year because of rising property values.

The approved rate results in a 6.13% tax increase over the no-new-taxes rollback rate. This is the fourth year in a row the commission has kept the rate at $5.40 per $1,000.

The commission at its Sept. 21 meeting also approved an $11.395 million general fund budget and $6.5 million in unassigned reserves for emergency situations. Those reserves, which equate to 60.5% of the general fund budget that is used to pay for day-to-day town operations, would be able to cover about seven months of regular town expenses if needed.

The town’s overall $20.7 million budget also includes $4.035 million for capital projects, including water main modernization, storm water improvements and sea wall protection. 

The owner of home with a $1 million taxable value will pay $5,400 in town taxes. 

Bringing books to town — The Palm Beach County Library Bookmobile is coming to Town Hall this fall, every other Monday, 2:45-3:30 p.m. The dates are Oct. 5 and 19; Nov. 2, 16 and 30; and Dec. 14.

Visit pbclibrary.org to place a hold on a book in advance. The site also allows visitors to borrow e-books, e-audiobooks, streaming films & TV, downloadable music, digital magazines and more. For additional information, call the library at 561-233-2600.                               

—  Larry Barszewski

By Holly Baltz

Winnie Diggans Edwards, who came back to her hometown to take care of a sick parent and ended up leading the history organization her father helped found, is leaving after 13 years as executive director of the Delray Beach Historical Society. Her last day is Oct. 30.

Past historical society President John Miller Jr. takes the reins as interim director at the end of October. His family has been in Delray Beach since 1903.

Edwards, who left Florida to attend college in Texas then worked in creative marketing for 22 years in places across the country, moved back when her mother, Betty Jane Diggans, became ill. Diggans died at age 97 in December.

Edwards isn’t certain what’s next.

“It’s time for a new chapter,” Edwards said in a Sept. 22 phone interview. “I feel so good and so positive about what I’ve contributed to my community and to my father’s legacy.”

The Diggans family has been central to the Delray Beach fabric for generations. Her father, Roy, was the society’s first vice president when it began in 1964.

“It is the memories and experiences of these past 13 years that I will value the most,” Edwards said in a letter to society members. “I will remember the countless stories shared with me, the friendships and relationships that developed along the way.”

When a nonprofit director is asked to name a top accomplishment, one might expect to hear about fund-raising or acquisitions.

Edwards has a different answer: “Creating culture inclusivity, really focusing on everyone knowing they are welcome here,” she said. 

“Sometimes ‘society’ denotes something. … We’ve worked very hard to make that happen.” Edwards said. “That’s why we’ve grown so much over the past 10 years.”

She has worked to push creativity and education to a wider audience and beyond history and preservation to conservation.

New partners included the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, the Surfrider Foundation and the Sandoway Discovery Center. 

 Her achievement list isn’t short:

• 29 large history exhibits, including “Fish Tales: An Exploration of the Area’s Fishing History,” one of the most popular that took up all three cottages on the organization’s campus at Northeast First Street and Swinton Avenue;

• Expansion of educational programs, history happy hours, walking tours and a weeklong summer camp for kids on the art of letter writing;

• Some of the group’s most popular events, such as the Fall Festival and Twilight in the Garden;

• An acre heritage garden on the society’s campus, turning green space into an educational garden with 100% native plants and 400 species in seven habitats.

Some other big moments of pride came when times were toughest, Edwards said, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We took an interesting approach. We talked our board into giving back,” she said. 

At a time when nonprofits struggled, the historical society bought thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards from restaurants, many of which suffered gravely during the pandemic. It also sent hundreds of burlap bag camp kits home for kids.  

And it broke a world record during that time.

The organization built the longest linear outdoor history exhibit in the world with 1,000 images from its archives. It created captions, laminated them and strung them on wooden posts around the entire campus — outdoors so it was safe for folks to get out of their homes and see others. About 4,000 came, Edwards said. 

“It was really fun, and people really appreciated it,” she added. “I still to this day tear up when I think about it.” 

The Diggans family has lived in Delray Beach for generations. Edwards’ great-grandfather, Charles Harvey Diggans, traveled to Delray in 1920 from Wilmington, Delaware. He ran a real estate business and sundry shop on Atlantic Avenue. 

Edwards’ grandfather, Leroy, became the first president of the Delray Chamber of Commerce in 1925. Leroy and Edwards’ father, Roy, both were U.S. postmasters in the city.

This year, Edwards got a surprise from her dad while she was sitting onstage on July 4 waiting for a time capsule to be unearthed. Unbeknownst to her, Roy had contributed a letter for the capsule, which was buried during the bicentennial celebration in 1976. He died in 2001.

After leaving a mark on Delray Beach, just like her family, Edwards plans pursuits that are simpler than running a bustling nonprofit: More time outdoors, hiking and riding bikes; travel; reading, and cooking for friends. 

“I feel like I had a 13-year opportunity of a lifetime,” she said. “I gave it my all.” 

Members are invited to a farewell for Edwards at the nonprofit’s annual meeting at 6 p.m. Oct. 8. 

By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach commissioners gave final approval to a 2027 fiscal year budget that once again will keep the tax rate at the same level it has been for the previous four years.

Meeting on Sept. 24, town commissioners voted unanimously, 4-0, to approve the $30.5 million total budget and to keep the town’s tax rate of $3.58 per $1,000 of taxable value.

That is the same tax rate the town has had since 2023 — and once again means a tax increase for most property owners.

The new rate will generate $14.7 million in property taxes, about $662,000 more than for the previous year, or just shy of a 5% increase. Those tax revenues cover about 73% of the town’s $20.1 million general fund budget.

While the town’s tax rate remains the same, taxes are up because the town saw a 4.1% increase in total property values.

Town Manager Marshall Labadie said the town’s new budget emphasizes safety and quality of life in the town, whose motto is “Three Miles of Paradise.”

“The budget prioritizes public safety, employee retention, infrastructure maintenance and long-term financial sustainability,” he wrote in his budget message. “Public safety, including police and fire rescue, represent about 67% of the general fund expenditures, reflecting the town’s continued commitment to resident safety and emergency services. The town continues to keep a mindful eye on the increasing costs of providing public safety services.”

Labadie said the budget was designed to ensure the town could continue to provide quality services while at the same time keeping an eye on the future.

“The budget reflects a balanced and conservative financial approach focused on maintaining service levels, preserving reserves and preparing for potential legislative changes that may impact municipal revenues in future years,” he wrote in his monthly communication with residents.

He also pointed out that a large portion of the town’s overall costs go toward staffing and maintaining the police and fire departments.

The 2027 budget, which took effect Oct. 1, shows a slight decrease in Police Department spending and a 7% increase in the fire rescue budget.

The town staff, in preparing the budget, kept in mind the possibility of revenues falling in the beginning of the 2028 fiscal year should a proposed increase in the homestead exemption get 60% statewide voter approval this November.

In his budget message to residents, Labadie said if that constitutional amendment — Amendment 3 — is approved, the town would lose about $1 million in 2028 and $1.5 million beginning in 2029. The legislation would increase the homestead exemption — currently at a little more than $50,000 of a property’s assessed value— to $150,000 in the 2028 fiscal year budget and $250,000 in 2029.

He said the town’s “strong reserves, conservative budgeting practices and five-year financial forecast place the town in an excellent position to adapt to these changes while continuing to protect the quality of life our residents enjoy.”