Newly discovered provision — never enforced — blocks development east of A1A

By Rich Pollack

Highland Beach town leaders are hoping to find a fix to ensure that a long-undiscovered clause tucked inside its sea wall restrictions doesn’t torpedo oceanfront property owners’ ability to build on their land.

Town Manager Marshall Labadie said that the town’s Building Department recently discovered a provision in the sea wall ordinance that prohibits development east of what is known as the state’s Coastal Construction Control Line.

That boundary line, designed in large part to protect the sand dune, was established in Palm Beach County in 1978 and revised in 1997.

Because the ban on construction east of the line wasn’t known, Highland Beach has been giving homeowners the green light to build within the restricted area.

“We as a town have been allowing it for 50 years,” Labadie said.

One reason for that, he said, is that the Florida Department of Environment Protection has been issuing permits for home construction east of the control line.

“We’ve deferred to state,” Labadie said. “The state has allowed it pending review of site conditions.”

In addition to dealing with the prohibition of development east of the Coastal Construction Control Line, the town is planning to address a zoning issue that requires a 120-foot setback from a beachfront property’s vegetation line or eastern property line unless there is a sea wall.

With a sea wall, that setback requirement is just 50 feet from the eastern property line or the vegetation line. But the state has been reluctant to allow new sea walls.

The result, town officials say, is that an oceanfront home built in compliance with the 120-foot setback would likely end up within the State Road A1A right of way, if not onto the roadway itself.

A third issue involves the elevation of construction on oceanfront property. The state requires homes that do not have a sea wall to sit at least a foot above the base flood elevation, which is usually 12 to 14 feet above the average ocean level.

To meet that requirement and also have underground-level parking, some property owners would be required to have an incline that could be too steep to be functional.

The state does allow for a lower elevation of parking facilities if there is a sea wall or if there are what’s known as breakaway walls stretching along the entire perimeter of the structure below the base flood elevation.

Again, however, the state is reluctant to permit sea walls, meaning breakaway walls are the most likely solution.

Those breakaway walls, Labadie said, would collapse and could cause a problem with storm surge during a hurricane, causing ocean water to flood A1A and possibly buildings on the west side of the highway.

“We would prefer a sea wall or building above the base flood elevation,” he said.

Labadie said the town is hoping to find solutions that will provide protection to the dune and help maintain its stability while at the same time not interfering with an owner’s or developer’s property rights.

The Town Commission is asking the town’s planning board to address the first two issues quickly and take a hard look at the breakaway walls issue.

By Patrick Sherry

The town of Lantana is hoping to get grant assistance for sea wall improvements at Sportsman’s Park.

The Town Council passed a resolution May 11 authorizing staff to apply for grant money under the Florida Inland Navigation District Waterways Assistance Program. If approved, the grant would cover half of the estimated $300,000 cost of designing the new sea wall and improvements at the site. 

“Should the application be approved, I intend to apply for the construction phase of the sea wall project next year, following the completion of the design,” said Vanessa Holloway, the town’s contract and grants administrator. 

The project is part of ongoing efforts to address flooding and sea level rise along Ocean Avenue. Town officials used the same grant program to fund part of the sea wall improvements at Bicentennial Park. They are considering raising the existing sea wall or building a new one in front of it with a raised cap.

“It won’t alleviate the flooding entirely, but this would be the first step to mitigating it and helping with the flooding in that area,” Holloway said. 

By Larry Barszewski

The Memorial Day weekend ended with two apparent ocean drownings, in Manalapan and in South Palm Beach, according to law enforcement officers.

The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue responded to a possible drowning of a juvenile in South Palm Beach near the Lantana public beach around 7:30 p.m. May 24.

“Upon arrival, they located a juvenile unresponsive after being pulled from the water by a good Samaritan,” according to the sheriff’s office. “The investigation established the juvenile was not a strong swimmer and was at the beach with his family. After being in the water for a short time, he began to struggle and was not able to stay afloat when a good Samaritan pulled him from the water and brought him to shore.”

The juvenile was taken to St. Mary’s Hospital and was pronounced dead at 8:44 p.m., officials said. The case remains open pending an autopsy.

On Memorial Day, May 25, Manalapan police and other agencies responded around 1 p.m. to a possible drowning near the Boynton Inlet in the 4000 block of South Ocean Boulevard. An officer at the beach had called in the report of a male not breathing.

Two juveniles told police they saw a man floating motionless in the ocean, so they jumped in from the pier and brought him to shore. Police performed CPR at the scene and Boynton Beach Fire Rescue transported him to Bethesda Hospital East, where he was pronounced dead.

The man, who had gone to Ocean Inlet Park, was identified as Shawn Whitley Duncan. The case remains open pending an autopsy. 

DELRAY BEACH — Willard George Kramer Jr., cherished by family and friends for a lifetime of kindness and generosity, died April 30. He was 96.

Mr. Kramer was a former member of Delray Dunes. He was also a member of the Delray Beach Club and The Little Club. He will be remembered for his dedication to his family, friends, Trinity Lutheran Church and especially to Bethesda Hospital.

He was born on Oct. 2, 1929, to Willard George Kramer Sr. and Olive Kramer. He was a standout baseball and football player in high school and joined the U.S. Army in 1947. 

After his military service, he went to Grove City College, where he earned his CPA and met and married Nora Mae Martin. 

He later joined the Price Waterhouse firm and rose to be the head partner in Detroit. He was a member of the Detroit Athletic Club, Country Club of Detroit and Lochmoor Country Club. He was on many boards including of Bon Secours Hospital and the Detroit Chamber of Commerce.

  After Nora Kramer’s death, he met and married Phyllis Spinner. Their love affair included family cruises, summers in Stowe, Vermont, many dinners and dances at their beloved Delray Beach Club, and nights cooking out on their patio overlooking the Intracoastal Waterway.

Mr. Kramer also was preceded in death by his son Michael Kramer.

He is survived by his wife Phyllis, his daughter Patricia Harris, daughter-in-law Susan Lorenger, grandchildren Ryan Kramer, Stephanie Sikora, Patricia Grant, Brian Harris and Rachel Harris, and 13 great-grandchildren. He leaves behind a legacy of love and integrity, as well as the joy he brought to those around him.

Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made in Mr. Kramer’s name to the charity of the reader’s choice.

— Submitted by the family

De’Vante Lashawn Moss is charged with two counts of first-degree murder, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jane Musgrave/The Coastal Star

By Jane Musgrave

A 32-year-old Boynton Beach man is claiming he was acting in self-defense when he fatally shot two people outside a Boca Raton hotel in 2024 and is asking a judge to throw out double first-degree murder charges he is facing.

De’Vante Lashawn Moss, who was arrested in Georgia a day after Chandler Dill and Christopher Liszak were found dead outside the 365 Ocean extended stay hotel, claims his actions were justified under the state’s Stand Your Ground law.

Fearing for his life, Moss said he shot Dill and Liszak rather than be shot himself, according to papers filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court. The 2005 law allows people to use deadly force, rather than retreat, if they have a reasonable belief that their lives are endangered.

At a hearing on May 18, Circuit Judge Scott Suskauer said he had lingering concerns about granting Moss’ request. The law says that people who are committing a crime aren’t allowed to seek immunity from prosecution, the judge said.

While Moss’ attorneys say that he came to the hotel to pay $100 to have sex with the 32-year-old Dill, who advertised her services as an escort, Suskauer said there is no evidence that the two had sex. In court papers, Moss’ defense attorneys said that they did.

Still, Suskauer said, while Moss can’t be accused of violating the state’s prostitution laws, other factors could spur him to reject the request.

Assistant State Attorney Chrichet Mixon said the dispute was triggered when Moss grabbed Dill’s purse from her hotel room and ran to his car. That’s robbery, she told Suskauer.

However, Assistant Public Defender Stephanie Gagerie said Moss grabbed Dill’s purse because she had stuffed a bag of illicit drugs she stole from Moss in her pocketbook and he wanted them back.

Further complicating matters is that Moss in 2022 pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of distribution of fentanyl and was placed on probation for two years. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from having a gun. That, too, could be sufficient to reject Moss’ request.

However Gagerie said courts have ruled that even those engaged in criminal acts are entitled to immunity. The key, she said, is whether they could safely escape. Moss couldn’t, she said.

Suskauer said he would make his decision after Mixon and Gagerie in mid-June file legal papers, laying out their opposing views.

The chaos that surrounded the Sept. 20, 2024, shooting was captured on video cameras at the hotel, which is on State Road A1A north of Palmetto Park Road.

Edited snippets reviewed by Suskauer showed Moss running through the parking lot with a black purse and Dill running after him.

Another man, Tuan Duy Hoang Ho, sees the struggle and comes to help Dill. Shortly after, Liszak walks out of a room he rented next to Dill’s and joins the melee.

In court papers, Gagerie said that Moss was only trying to retrieve his drugs and leave. But, she said, Ho indicated he had a gun and threatened to kill Moss. So, Moss grabbed a gun from the passenger side of his car and got into the driver’s seat.

Moss couldn’t close the driver’s side door because Liszak was holding it open while Dill continued to attack him, Gagerie said. Moss tried to drive away, but the automatic brakes on the silver 2017 Jaguar engaged.

Realizing the car wasn’t going to move, Ho opened the passenger-side door, holding a gun, Gagerie said.

Convinced he was going to get shot, Moss jumped out of the car and began shooting. Dill, who was shot in the neck, arm and back, and Liszak, who was shot in the chest, died in the parking lot.

In a report, Boca Raton police Detective Dale Graham said the video shows that Ho managed to get away from the car. Moss followed him, shooting him once, and while an injured Ho sat on the ground with his arms raised, Moss shot him again. Ho survived.

In addition to two counts of first-degree murder, Moss is charged with attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted, he faces a possible life sentence. A trial is months away.

By Sephora Charles

OCEAN RIDGE — Town Commissioner Dave Hutchins, a longtime commercial airline pilot who devoted the past decade of his retirement to serving his adopted town, died on May 18. He was 78. 

Mr. Hutchins was first appointed as an alternate to the Ocean Ridge Planning and Zoning Commission in 2015 and elevated to full voting membership in 2017. He remained on that board until 2024, when he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Town Commission. He subsequently won election to that unexpired term in March 2024 and was elected without opposition to a full term this year. 

“Commissioner Dave Hutchins served Ocean Ridge with dedication, professionalism and a sincere commitment to the community,” Mayor Geoff Pugh said in a statement. 

David Allen Hutchins was born March 31, 1948, the son of Edward and Marjorie Hutchins. He grew up in Falls Church, Virginia, and lived there until, when he was a teen, his family moved to Northglenn, Colorado. He had two brothers, John Milton and Mark Edward.

Airplanes and flying were in Mr. Hutchins’ blood. His father was an aircraft mechanic, flight engineer, flight operations instructor and licensed pilot over his career, while his mother also worked for an airline. 

Mr. Hutchins received an associate degree in flight technology from Purdue University and a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Colorado.

He served in the Colorado Air National Guard from 1970 to 1976. He made flying his career, working for 40 years as a commercial pilot captain — from 1973 to 2013 — for U.S. Airways/American Airlines. 

Mr. Hutchins and his wife, Donna, who survives him, moved to Ocean Ridge in August 1990.

“We can’t visualize living anywhere else,” Mr. Hutchins said in his 2023 Town Commission application. He was an avid angler who enjoyed being out on his boat on the ocean with friends.

When seeking appointment to the Town Commission, Mr. Hutchins expressed his passion for making changes that would improve the quality of residents’ lives — and the town. 

“His willingness to serve and continued commitment to the community reflected deep care for the town and its residents,” Town Manager Michelle Heiser said. “His kindness to each individual working within Town Hall or the Ocean Ridge Police Department, coupled with his genuine care and respect for those who served the community, left a lasting impression on the organization and all who had the privilege of working alongside him.”

Outside of work, Mr. Hutchins was known in the community for walking his dog, Bandit, every morning and socializing with others. 

“He was a good man, sweetheart of a guy,” Terry Brown, an Ocean Ridge resident and former town commissioner, said during the June 1 Town Commission meeting. 

Resident Rick Carey shared the same sentiment about Mr. Hutchins. “He’s a man of great integrity and respect,” he said. “I’m feeling a great deal of personal loss.”

During the commission meeting, Pugh said he met Mr. Hutchins 32 years ago while moving into his Ocean Ridge home. Mr. Hutchins immediately shook his hand and said, “Welcome, neighbor.”

“That gives you all you need to know about Dave Hutchins,” Pugh said.

Mr. Hutchins had been in declining health in recent years but continued with his civic responsibilities. The cause of death has not been disclosed. 

The town plans to have a memorial for Mr. Hutchins at Town Hall in a month or two. No other arrangements were available as of June 2.

“We will all miss him as a true, and loyal, friend,” Pugh said.

Larry Barszewski contributed to this obituary.

DELRAY BEACH — Tom Dolvin, a well-known and respected dentist in downtown Delray Beach for more than four decades, died in Waxhaw, North Carolina, on May 15, family by his side. He was 80.

Born July 23, 1945, Mr. Dolvin grew up in White City, a community bordering Fort Pierce. He was but 12 years old when his father died, so his strong Southern mother became both parents to her only child.

After skipping his senior year at Dan McCarty High School, Mr. Dolvin entered Emory University and, following graduation, continued at Emory’s Dental School, where he received his dental degree.  The next few years were spent in Germany, serving in the U.S. Army. Along with his young family, he then moved to Delray Beach, where he began a dental practice that lasted until 2016.

Mr. Dolvin’s interests were diverse, ranging from his windsurfing business F2 (“Fun and Function”) to opening Smoke Signals, a popular Boynton Beach restaurant. 

 His memberships at The Ocean Club and the Delray Beach Club provided countless hours of tennis and golf fun. He also wrote everything from greeting cards to lyrics, primarily for country songs — many of which placed in the top five of competitions, including the John Lennon Songwriting Contest.

Of utmost importance to him, though, were his daughters, Caroline and Ashley, whose comfort and care were instrumental in making his last months peaceful.

Tom is also survived by his former wife, Carol; his son-in-law, Tim O’Mara; and grandchildren Quinn, Wells and Gracyn.

As he once poetically and generously wrote: “The hearse won’t pull a U-Haul, that makes it pretty clear.

“You cannot take it with you, better use it while you’re here.”

In keeping with that spirit, Mr. Dolvin arranged for happy memories to be shared at two of his favorite watering holes: Harry and the Natives in Hobe Sound, 6-9 p.m. Aug. 7; and Carsons pub in Stuart, 4-6 p.m. Aug. 8.

Flowers and tree-plantings can be set up from the legacy website heritagecares.com, where memories can also be shared. Click on obituaries and scroll to Mr. Dolvin’s page link.

                                                       — Submitted by friends and family

By Mary Hladky

Save Boca has prevailed in its long battle to ensure that residents will be the ones to decide if Boca Raton can sell or lease any of the land it owns larger than one-half acre.

The city’s now-dead plan to lease its downtown campus land to developers was the impetus for the grassroots group’s formation and its efforts to defeat the redevelopment project.

Even after Boca Raton voters overwhelmingly rejected the project in the March 10 city election, Save Boca pressed ahead in its effort to get an ordinance and a City Charter change that would require voter approval of proposed city land leases or sales.

Save Boca got its wish on May 12 when the City Council unanimously approved the ordinance.

The council also approved a resolution by a 4-1 vote, with Council member Yvette Drucker dissenting, that provides for an amendment to the City Charter that also prohibits a land sale or lease without voter approval. Residents will vote to approve or disapprove the charter change no later than the March 9, 2027, municipal election.

There are limited exceptions to the vote requirement, such as for the extension of existing leases to nonprofit organizations and for utility easements. Those are intended to avoid the need to hold costly special elections for noncontroversial and routine matters unlikely to be controversial.

“I just want to thank all the citizens,” said Council member Jon Pearlman, Save Boca’s founder, who was voted into office on March 10. “Without you, we would not be in the position we are today … to protect our public parks and our way of life, that was the mandate why we were sent here.”

But he warned against complacency, saying the council’s action was “by no means a victory. We have to stay vigilant and continue to keep City Hall accountable to taxpayers. …”

Deputy Mayor Michelle Grau and Council member Stacy Sipple, also Save Boca members, thanked Pearlman for his efforts.

“We may not agree on everything,” Grau said. “But on this issue residents came together to protect our public lands and our public parks.”

“I don’t think people really know how much work was behind the scenes that (Pearlman) actually did,” Sipple said. “I don’t think he actually slept for a year. I am thankful he came forward and brought the community together.”

Mayor Andy Thomson, who as a council member opposed the proposed downtown campus redevelopment, also praised the outcome.

“I think this is an example of democracy in action,” he said. “It represents cooperation and common sense.” 

By Faran Fagen

James Changefield, cloaked in a brazen black and blue sports jacket, hands a passport to a member of the audience.

The enchanted item tantalizes the hands of other audience members as it is passed around until a random spectator says “stop.” The person with the passport is “chosen” to join Changefield on stage. Together, the audience and the plucked person choose a secret “birthday destination.”

Now, it’s up to Changefield to apply his mind-reading abilities to solve the mystery of the celebration site.

“Hopefully, I’ll decipher the correct thoughts of the audience and the spectator on stage,” Changefield said with a wink. “The hope with all these magic shows at Mizner is to create a magical journey for everyone involved.”

Changefield, an acclaimed mentalist, is one of four Magic in Mizner magicians taking the stage at the Club Room at The Studio at Boca Raton’s Mizner Park this summer.

Changefield’s mentalism/magic show is July 24.

The other magicians are Yarden Shalev, who performed May 30; Logan Light, who appears on June 26; and Jack Maxwell, who takes the stage on Aug. 14. All shows are at 7 p.m.

“I can’t wait to see what they all bring to the Club Room,” said David Eck, general manager of The Studio. “This isn’t spectacle magic; it’s mind-bending, intimate magic. Mentalism is very popular right now, and some of the acts have blown people’s minds.” 

Eck became general manager in December 2025 and is responsible for all of the bookings and rentals in the space. He and his staff opened the newly renovated Club Room this past fall and considered programming that would be a great fit for that venue. The theater holds 335 and the Club Room has a capacity of about half that number.

“A handful of magician/mentalists had reached out about wanting to be booked into the venue, and I thought this might be what we’re looking for in efforts to counterprogram our season,” Eck said.

So what exactly can spectators expect at these magic shows? All the magicians have their own style. Different personalities, different sensibilities, different tricks and acts. They all bring their own vibe to the room. No pyrotechnics, just good old-fashioned magic and mentalism.

The next two shows have sold out already. The Club seats only 144 for each show, so Eck anticipates the series will continue to sell out. Tickets start at $36.
Maxwell, the final magician in the series, said he is preparing a show “designed to bring people together and create moments they’ll hopefully be talking about long after the evening is over.”

His finale blends comedy, modern magic, audience participation, and mentalism.

“But more than any one element, I’ve always loved creating experiences where people aren’t just watching,” said Maxwell, who grew up in South Florida. “They become part of what’s happening.”

He has performed professionally for more than 25 years and has worked everywhere from cruise ships to corporate events to private celebrations.

As for Changefield, he’s planning a fun, yet philosophical show that talks about the intersection of humanity and AI.

“I’ll be creating wonder in the digital age,” said Changefield, who has performed all over the world for decades. “There will be magic for the eyes and the mind.” 

For more information and to buy tickets, visit TheStudioAtMiznerPark.org.

Longtime owners are credited with saving, enhancing downtown landmark

Managing partner Hilary Roche (center), who represents a third generation of family ownership, stands with other longtime Colony staff (l-r): Margarita Eberly, general manager for 20 years; Jorge Salvio Jr., bartender for 19 years; Bill Kevish, front office manager for 20 years; David Woods, accounting manager for 20 years; Marina Alvarez, housekeeping supervisor for 17 years; John Creaven, administrative support for 22 years, and Marie Jean Louis Jolis, a housekeeper for 10 years. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Sephora Charles

Long before Atlantic Avenue became the heart of Delray Beach, the Colony Hotel was already creating a history that now spans 100 years.

Entering the bright yellow Spanish Colonial Revival-style building transports guests back to the 1920s, with a functional 1926 Otis elevator, an original telephone switchboard, antique wicker furniture and historic photographs.

“It’s a community. It’s more than just a hotel,” said Hilary Roche, the hotel’s managing partner.

The business’s legacy dates to 1926, when Albert T. Repp opened the Alterep Hotel, now the Colony Hotel. Designed by Martin Luther Hampton, the building reflects Florida’s Spanish heritage, from its vibrant colored walls to the Cuban-style tile floor on the porch. The Alterep’s success was short-lived, as Repp later filed for bankruptcy.

After the hotel’s closing, newlyweds George and Agnes Boughton were passing through Delray Beach on their way to Cuba for their honeymoon when they stumbled upon the property and fell in love with it. 

In 1935, George and his father, Charlie, bought the hotel and renamed it the Colony Hotel. 

A functioning manually controlled traction elevator from 1926, above, and a medallion from the Historic Preservation Board, below.

The family affair expanded when John Banta, George’s cousin and Roche’s grandfather, started running the hotel with George. During World War II, the cousins were drafted, and their wives held down the fort, managing the hotel until their return. The family bought another hotel in Kennebunkport, Maine, in 1947, which is now operated by Roche’s brother, John Martin.

Delray Beach’s Colony Hotel operated seasonally from January to April, then the staff would travel to Maine to manage the other hotel from May to September for “cool summers, warm winters,” Roche said. The Delray Beach location has operated year-round since 2000 at 525 E. Atlantic Ave. 

“I feel like it’s another member of the family,” Roche said of the hotel. “I’m taking care of it for the next generation, so it’s just my turn right now.”

Mayor Tom Carney credits the hotel’s success to its being able to provide visitors with a unique historical vibrancy. 

In the 1980s, the owners were offered a deal to redevelop the property, but declined because of their greater vision of keeping the hotel and the city’s history alive, Carney said.

“I have a great deal of respect for the Colony Hotel and the Boughton family, who really kept it alive,” he said. 

Family ties are not limited to the owners’ history but extend to that of its employees. 

David Woods, the hotel’s accounting manager, joined the Colony 20 years ago, looking for “something different” from the corporate world. Two decades later, he still works there and plans to continue until he retires because he “became part of the family,” he said. 

That sense of belonging and community has been passed on to his sons, Cody, 29, and Cory, 25, who both work at the hotel. Cody is the manager of the hotel’s Cabana Club, while Cory works at the front desk. 

Other staff members, like the general manager and landscaper, also have children who have worked at the hotel at different times, reinforcing what Woods describes as a family-oriented environment.

Delray Beach’s Colony Hotel operated seasonally from January to April, then the staff would travel to Maine to manage the other hotel from May to September for “cool summers, warm winters,” Roche said. The Delray Beach location has operated year-round since 2000 at 525 E. Atlantic Ave. BELOW: The hotel pictured in the 1920s. Photo provided

Recognized on the city’s Local Register of Historic Places and a member of the Historic Hotels of America, the Colony has made its mark on the city’s tourism, said Laura Simon, executive director of the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority.

Born and raised in Delray Beach, Simon remembers going to the Colony as a little girl during the holidays to see the decorated Christmas tree and to shop nearby. She said the hotel creates a welcoming atmosphere for guests and incorporates them into its history. 

“It does carry a lot of history and a lot of conversation with that building and history for our town,” she said. 

Roche previously ran the 70-bedroom, three-story hotel with her cousin, Jestena Boughton, who is George’s daughter. Together they worked to preserve the hotel’s ambiance through original furniture, unique interior architecture and tropical fabrics. 

“You’ll feel history everywhere here,” Roche said. 

A maintenance crew also performs monthly preventive checkups throughout the hotel to avoid deterioration and keep the century-old property functioning properly. 

At the same time, modern installations have been necessary. 

“The technology part of what exists in the world today has forced our hand to change a little bit,” Woods said.

The hotel includes air conditioning, televisions, a modern elevator and high-speed internet to accommodate guests. Hurricane impact windows that look like the original windows were also installed.

Simon’s father, Roy Simon, who was a local architect, designed the development of the hotel’s updated laundry facility. It was one of his last projects before he died in 2024. 

The hotel’s evolution extends beyond its main building to the Cabana Club, located two miles away along the ocean at Linton Boulevard. Since the family’s purchase in 1951, the beach club has grown to include Florida native plants, environmentally friendly pools, 250 feet of beach, cabanas and changing rooms. 

“The Beach Club is really a fascinating place to lose yourself in,” Woods said. 

The lobby of the Colony Hotel exudes an old Florida vibe.

As the Colony Hotel celebrates its milestone birthday, the Delray Beach community hopes to continue preserving its distinct character and giving guests a homey experience for centuries to come. 

“It’s something that Delray can offer that, quite frankly, a lot of the cities around us don’t have,” Carney said. “They don’t have a Colony Hotel.” 

The MiCa shuttle runs 5-9 p.m. daily. Photo provided

By Rich Pollack

Boca Raton’s autonomous shuttle is on the move, now making its half-mile loop through Mizner Park on a daily basis, with plans to expand hours come the fall.

The self-driving MiCa shuttle, which seats eight and makes five stops while on a 12-minute trek through Mizner Park, could also be expanding its service to Royal Palm Place, if approval from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration comes soon.

The autonomous shuttle, which began service in Mizner Park in December, initially offered hours from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday through Sunday but has since expanded to 5 to 9 p.m. seven days a week.

Plans are in the works, according to city teams in public works and engineering who are overseeing the project, to have the hours expand again. They said current expectations are for a 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. schedule, with extended or modified hours during weekends and special events — and may be adjusted based on demand.

Since it began, ridership on the free shuttle has been consistent, reaching close to 2,700 passengers over 296 operating hours, or about nine riders per hour.

Not unexpectedly, ridership on the shuttle is highest between 7 and 9 p.m. with passengers visiting Mizner Park restaurants. The stop in front of Eddie V’s Prime Seafood remains the most active.

Project leaders, in an email response to The Coastal Star, said they have received 100% positive passenger survey feedback.

“The MiCa shuttle has exceeded the City’s expectations,” they wrote. “Ridership data shows strong demand for this public transit service within Mizner Park, as well as a willingness among residents and visitors to embrace new transportation technologies.”

The autonomous shuttle, which is powered by software from Boca Raton-based Guident, is an example of how cutting-edge technology can supplement other urban transit options, city staff says.

Because they are still relatively new, autonomous shuttles are still regulated by state and federal agencies, with the transportation safety administration requiring the MiCa shuttle to operate with an attendant on board — taking up one of its eight seats.

The city and Guident are continuing to evaluate the shuttle to determine if it can be safely operated without an attendant and when the appropriate government approval could be obtained, according to city staff.

Since it began operations, the shuttle has traveled through Mizner Park autonomously 93% of the time.

The attendant manually intervenes in anticipation of a problem that in many cases would have been prevented by the autonomous driving software. But the teams involved in the project have been taking a very conservative approach just to be on the safe side. 

Once the city receives federal government approval, the autonomous vehicle will cross Palmetto Park Road, bringing passengers to the shops and restaurants in Royal Palm Place.

City leaders have said that they heard from several residents requesting that addition.

In addition to the MiCa in Mizner Park, Boca Raton operates Boca Connect, a manned electric vehicle shuttle that provides service to and from downtown for the area east of Interstate 95 and generally south of Glades Road — including on the barrier island from about the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center to Camino Real. It also provides service to customers going from one downtown spot to another.

Boca Raton seeks lobbying in the sunshine — The Boca Raton City Council unanimously approved on May 26 an ordinance requiring that lobbyists disclose themselves as such when interacting with city staff, elected officials or members of city boards or advisory groups.

The ordinance, requested by Deputy Mayor Michelle Grau, requires lobbyists to submit written certification identifying themselves and who they represent and to make their status known to those they appear before. That includes lobbyists who have development applications with the city.

Grau described the ordinance as a “straightforward good governance measure.”

“If someone is trying to influence a development application, the public should know who they are and who they represent,” she said.

The county requires lobbyist registration, and its ordinance is enforced by the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics. The city ordinance builds on that to provide additional clarity on who is a lobbyist and whom they represent.

Spanish River Park gets recognition again — For the second consecutive year, Spanish River Park has received the prestigious Blue Flag designation.

The park, located at 3001 N. State Road A1A, is one of just three beaches in the United States to achieve the designation.

The Blue Flag is an international environmental award given to beaches that meet stringent environmental, safety, educational and accessibility standards.

The blue flag that flies above such beaches lets beachgoers know the beach is clean, safe and sustainably managed.

— Mary Hladky

Despite her best efforts, State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman has been unable to find someone to ‘adopt’ this fountain outside The Boca Raton resort, which is caring for it now. Boca Raton city officials recently said ‘No thanks.’ Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman thought she had very exciting news to share with the Boca Raton City Council.

Palm Beach County was willing to donate to the city a tiny parcel of land inside a roundabout on Camino Real that is outside the main entrance to The Boca Raton resort.

That meant the city would have control over a lovely but modest fountain built about 100 years ago inside the roundabout by Clarence Geist, the resort’s second owner.

Delivering her report to the council at its April 14 meeting, Gossett-Seidman assumed city officials would be thrilled.

Under city ownership, she reasoned, the fountain would get more tender, loving care. And it would lose the moniker she had given it — “the sad little orphan fountain.”

Until sleuthing initiated by Gossett-Seidman revealed information dating to the early 1900s that showed the fountain land belonged to the county, county officials were unaware.

The revelation, though, didn’t much interest them.

It turns out that the city is none too interested, either.

In a May email to Gossett-Seidman, City Manager Mark Sohaney said city officials appreciate her work and recognize the historic and aesthetic value of the fountain.

However, “the city currently does not have an identified municipal use or operational framework that would support assuming ownership and the long-term maintenance responsibilities that would come with it,” he wrote.

“The poor little fountain,” said Gossett-Seidman, whose district includes Boca Raton. “100 years old and it has no home.”

“It’s an example of what I try to avoid in government, going around and around,” she added. “It’s not my style.”

For the time being, the status quo will prevail. The resort will continue to maintain the fountain and assume its water and electricity bills.

But a grander vision for the fountain and landscaping improvements that had been in the works are on hold.

“We are working with state and local officials to solidify a thoughtful plan for what the next chapter will be,” Sara Geen Hill, the resort’s director of marketing, said in an email.

Gossett-Seidman isn’t walking away, either. “I’ll be working on it,” she said in mid-May.

But first, she had to get back to her day job. She had just been called to Tallahassee for a special legislative session.

This 24,000-square-foot estate at 2500 E. Maya Palm Drive in Boca Raton’s Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club fetched the highest residential sales price in the city’s history. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

A newly completed SRD Signature estate at 2500 E. Maya Palm Drive, Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, sold on May 20 for $75 million, according to Realtor.com.

Built by SRD Building Corp. with interiors by P&H Interiors, it was listed April 30 for $80 million. David W. Roberts, broker/owner of Royal Palm Properties, represented both the buyer, 2500 East Maya Palm Trust, with Scott Mustin as trustee, and the seller in this transaction. Mustin noted that the sale marked Boca Raton’s richest single-family residential real estate transaction to date. 

The seller was the 2500 East Maya Palm Land Trust with Steven Dingle as trustee. Steven Dingle, with Scott Dingle, owns SRD Building Corp. The property was purchased in April 2024 for $36 million, with the Dingles filing to commence demolishing the existing home and build the new residence as of August 2024.  

This property is sited on almost 1 acre with 292 feet on the water and a 110-foot private dock offering direct ocean access. The eight-bedroom, 24,000-total-square-foot residence features a gym, fitness centers, two primary suites, a spa and wellness retreat, hi-tech golf simulator and game room and six-car garage. 

“Properties of this caliber are exceptionally rare, particularly within Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club,” Roberts said. “The combination of nearly an acre on the Intracoastal, expansive point-lot frontage, and brand-new construction created a truly remarkable offering. This sale speaks not only to the strength of the Boca Raton market, but to the growing demand for generational-quality waterfront estates.”

***

WeatherTech founder David MacNeil’s double vacant lot at 1120 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, sold for $105 million in April. The new owner is HSH Sunshine Trust. The lot measures 3.63 acres and fronts about 342 feet on both the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.

MacNeil assembled the land in 2024 and 2025 by buying two adjacent properties in sales totaling $94 million. The resulting lot was listed for sale in December 2025 at $125 million.

Representing the seller was Premier Estate Properties agent Margit Brandt. Lawrence Moens of Lawrence A. Moens Associates Inc. represented the buyer.

***

Two adjoining properties in Manalapan, at 4000 and 4020 S. Ocean Blvd., owned by Jeff Greene, were recently listed for sale for $99 million.

Together, they comprise 3.14 acres with 236 feet on the ocean and 252 feet on the Intracoastal.

Greene bought the 0.87-acre 4000 S. Ocean Blvd. property in 2018 for $4.1 million, and he bought the 2.27-acre property at 4020 S. Ocean Blvd. in 2015 for $6.6 million. Both properties have 1950s-era homes on them, which Greene has listed over the years as rentals.

The two properties are being marketed for their land value by Premier Estate Properties agent Margit Brandt. In 2022, Greene had listed the properties for sale for $49.9 million with Christian Angle. 

***

An estate linked to Randal J. Kirk at 820 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan sold for $62.5 million in May. The buyer is Westview Holdings LLC, a Delaware limited company. Highlights of this 27,959± total-square-foot, nine-bedroom estate include a guest house, a wellness complex, library, theater, wine cellar and a recording studio. The property covers 2.26 acres between the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway. Premier Estate Properties agent Margit Brandt represented the seller.

Serhant agent Gary B. Pohrer represented the buyer. Kirk bought the property for $25.5 million in 2011 and listed it for sale in September 2025 for $134 million, reducing it to $75 million in February. Kirk is the executive chairman of Third Security LLC, a venture capital and private equity firm with offices in Virginia and Delray Beach.

***

El-Ad National Properties, an Elad Group company, announced that Alina Residences Boca Raton recorded more than $60 million in sales, including three penthouse transactions, during the 2026 winter-spring season. This recent momentum has led to the sellout of Alina 210. With both Alina 200 and Alina 210 now sold out (at 200 and 210 SE Mizner Blvd.), a limited number of residences remain available at Alina 220 (220 SE Mizner Blvd.). Alina 220 received its temporary certificate of occupancy in January 2025. Together, the three buildings total 303 residences.

***

Casa Avenida, a collection of eight four-story townhomes at 102 SE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, celebrated its official groundbreaking in May. Attendees included Delray Beach Mayor Tom Carney and Stephanie Immelman, president and chief executive officer of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce.

Developed by 4TRO Development and Kastelo Development and designed by RWB-Linares Architecture, the townhomes range in size from 2,804 to 3,336 square feet, with prices starting around $3 million. Each unit features a private elevator, two-car garage, second-floor terrace with a pool/spa and a fourth-floor terrace with an outdoor kitchen and bonus room.

The townhomes are expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2027. They are offered for sale by TJ Verdiglione and Nicole Melveney of the GVC Real Estate Team at Douglas Elliman. For more information visit www.casaavenidadelray.com.

***

The Cirrus Cos., a private equity real estate development firm led by founder and principal Robert B. Cohen II, acquired land at 248 SE First Ave., Delray Beach, for $2.2 million for a residential development of three townhomes.

Cirrus plans that this project will be the first in a series for downtown Delray Beach. The three 3-story, 3,200-square-foot townhomes will each have a pool, rooftop deck, backyard and two-car garage. The site has already been cleared, with permitting expected to take approximately 90 days and construction completed in about 10 months.

The townhomes will be priced at approximately $3.5 million, with sales and marketing handled by The Corcoran Group’s Delray Beach team, led by Jennifer Kilpatrick. Land acquisition was handled on the seller’s side by Corcoran’s Robert  Guntmacher.

***

The 2TON/Buzz leadership (l-r): Sam Nielsen, Elizabeth Kelley Grace, Julie Mullen and Jason Emmett. Photo provided

The digital marketing firm 2TON Creative and The Buzz Agency, a public relations firm, recently announced a merger, bringing these two longtime organizations together with complementary strengths under one umbrella to create a comprehensive, integrated digital marketing and communications agency.

2TON x The Buzz Agency, with 30-plus employees, is led by Jason Emmett, majority partner; Sam Nielsen, partner and chief operating officer; and Elizabeth Kelley Grace and Julie Mullen, partners and co-founders of The Buzz Agency.

The Buzz Agency was launched by Grace and Mullen in 2009 and 2TON was formed in 2018, when branding firm Levatas acquired WOO Creative. Emmett acquired 2TON Creative in 2024.

“For The Buzz Agency, the merger was a natural progression,” Mullen said. “We’re both agencies in the communications industry, but we never did the same thing, which is why we always partnered together in the past. The merger made perfect sense to us.” 

 “2TON didn’t do PR, so the merger was a whole additional vertical for us that I find incredibly synergistic,” Emmett said. “With The Buzz Agency, we got a fully baked PR firm that has its clients and its brand identity and everything else. What we don’t want to do is to roll that into the company, wipe out the brand, and move along. That’s why we’re trying to be very clear that The Buzz Agency still exists; it handles all the PR for the company. It’s almost like we have a Buzz division, and we have a 2TON division.”

Since the merger, the company has grown, acquiring Washington, D.C., public relations and marketing firm RMR in May. The company operates from The Buzz Agency’s Delray Beach office, 104 W. Atlantic Ave.

***

The Miami Association of Realtors and Broward, Palm Beaches and St. Lucie Realtors (RWorld), along with their respective Multiple Listing Services, MiamiMLS and BeachesMLS, merged into a single association and MLS in May. This unified association now encompasses approximately 93,000 members. The merger gives members a complete South Florida MLS dataset, free IDX feeds, the choice between the Flexmls and Matrix platforms, along with more educational seminars, products and services and signed global partnerships. 

***

Developer 280 E Palmetto Park Road LLC’s Glass House Boca Raton condominiums, 280 E. Palmetto Park Road, announced a new partnership with the Boca Raton Museum of Art. As part of their agreement, Glass House Boca Raton residents will each receive a complimentary Director Circle membership, an extension of the museum’s Visionary Circle tier.

Among the benefits of the Director Circle membership is a private, behind-the-scenes tour led by the museum’s director or chief curator. For more information, call 561-232-2644 or visit glasshouseboca.com.

***

Newmark managing director Mitch Heifetz, representing Brickstar Capital, arranged a new 13,900-square-foot retail lease at The Courtyard on Spanish River, a 60,000-square-foot mixed-use property at 500 NE Spanish River Blvd. in Boca Raton. The lease brings Composure Club, a fitness and wellness concept with a gym, to the property, with opening anticipated in late 2026. Composure Club was represented by Jared Robins of Inhouse Commercial.

***

True Floridian Realty, a brokerage at 100 NE Fifth Ave., Delray Beach, celebrated its 15th anniversary in May. Founded by Noelle McIntyre, a third-generation Floridian, the firm has closed over $1 billion in sales over her career, surpassing 1,445 transactions.

“I’m incredibly proud of our $1 billion in sales, but I’m even prouder of the lives we’ve touched along the way,” McIntyre said. To date, the firm has donated more than $125,000 to Homes for Heroes, provided more than 200,000 meals, and contributed more than $35,000 to local community impact initiatives.

The firm’s 40-plus agents operate through divisions: True Floridian Luxury for high-end coastal estates, a commercial group, and The FurBaby Group, led by broker associate Adrianne Kurman. The FurBaby Group offers a specialized “true experience” for pet-owner clients, from navigating HOA pet policies to identifying neighborhoods with proximity to veterinary care and dog parks. Additionally, the group has donated more than $65,000 to local animal rescue organizations.

***

Boca Helping Hands recently welcomed four new staff members. Kori Ernst has been named development and marketing associate, with a background in marketing, communications and community-based work. Anais Fauteux, a recent graduate of Florida Atlantic University with a background in public relations, joined as communications and marketing specialist. Also joining the team are Michelle Lee, staff accountant, and Erika Hawn, volunteer program manager. Lee is an FAU alumna with a degree in accounting.

Hawn has been a Boca Helping Hands volunteer since age 12.

***

Gigi Chazu, Boynton Beach economic development division director, addressed city projects, small-business incentives, grant information and community partnerships as guest of the Boynton Beach Chamber of Industry & Commerce’s Civic Leadership Forum at City Hall’s community room. She also discussed two new initiatives, Teen Entrepreneur Boot Camp and Citizen’s Academy. 

***

The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County is hosting a Hot Topic Luncheon, “‘Florida Budget and Tax Proposals: Paving a Path Toward Austerity,” with Estaban L. Santis, Ph.D., director of research for the Florida Policy Institute.

The luncheon will be held at the Fountains Country Club, 4476 Fountains Drive, Lake Worth Beach, at 11 a.m. on June 17. The price to attend is $45 for league members and $50 for nonmembers. The deadline to register is June 10. To register, visit lwvpbc.org.

Christine Davis writes business news and can be reached at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

ABOVE: Dozens of longtime surfers gathered last month for the opening of the Surfing Florida Museum at its new home in West Palm Beach. BELOW: A hand-crafted board by Nomad Surf Shop legend Ron Heavyside is part of the collection. The museum is open noon to 4 p.m. Friday through Sunday. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Ron Hayes

If you arrived at the grand opening celebration early, hoping to beat the crowd, you were disappointed.

The crowd had already beaten you.

The latest incarnation of the Surfing Florida Museum opened its doors at 4 p.m. on May 2, and by 4:30 the place was packed.

Filling the 9,200 square feet at 7623 S. Dixie Highway in West Palm Beach, old surfers, young surfers, and friends of surfing squeezed past each other for a better look at all those awesome photographs, the surfboards, the skateboards, the history of a sport that has inspired more great popular music than baseball, basketball and pickleball combined.

And the museum doors opened that day all because of a letter carrier called Mr. Gruber, and a shipwreck.

‘The ship’ was a magnet

On Sept. 8, 1965, a Category 3 hurricane dubbed Betsy made landfall in the Florida Keys, and outer bands battered Palm Beach County with 80-mph winds and 20-foot waves.

The Amaryllis, a Greek banana freighter, was heading for cover in the Palm Beach Inlet when Betsy’s massive swells shoved it ashore onto Singer Island, about a mile north of the inlet.

Betsy passed, but the Amaryllis stayed.

This was bad news for the crew of the 450-foot, 7,200-ton freighter, but very good news for surfers.

The stuck ship was now a breaking point, turning the waves at an angle rather than horizontally as they came ashore. Angled waves, better surfing.

“A few days later, a friend and I climbed up and got on the ship,” remembers Fred Salmon. “All these Greek sailors were running around and acting crazy, and they made us get off. The captain was a great big fat guy who thought the ship was gonna tip over.”

Salmon is 75 today and the chairman of the museum board. He was 14 then. Arriving on Singer Island two years earlier from upstate New York, he had graduated from skateboards to surfing with some encouragement from Beach Boys albums.

To local surfers, the Amaryllis was simply “the ship,” and word soon spread of the perfect surfing spot it had created.

“People came from all over the country to see that ship,” Salmon recalls. “In those days, you could park anywhere. I counted 250 boards in the water one day.”

Actually, 250 boards and a letter carrier named Marion Edward Gruber, grandson of a former West Palm Beach mayor and, more important, an amateur photographer.

M.E. Gruber was 41 when the Amaryllis wrecked.

“We kids all called him Mr. Gruber,” Salmon says. “He was an amateur photographer, but he used high-class equipment for the time.”

Mr. Gruber had come to photograph the ship. He wound up photographing the surfers, first off Singer Island, and then up and down the coast from Lake Worth to Jacksonville.

When he died at 83 on July 30, 2007, Mr. Gruber left behind an archive of about 5,000 surfing slides he’d photographed between 1965 and 1972.

Fred Salmon gave the eulogy at his funeral.

“He said he’d leave the archive to me in his will, which he didn’t do, but I had a letter where he said, ‘Good luck with your local history project.’”

Salmon contacted Mr. Gruber’s sister in Fort Worth, who agreed to give him the images if he formed a nonprofit organization.

James Stecki stands next to newspaper clippings in the Miami Herald and Palm Beach Post about his younger self.

Salmon brought on fellow surfers Tom Warnke, Corky Roche and Bill Keeton, and the Palm Beach County Surfing History Project Inc. was born.

The first of more than 40 surfing photo exhibits debuted at the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties in May 2009.

In 2014, the history project begat the Surfing Florida Museum, first at a gallery at 255 NE Sixth Ave. in Delray Beach.

In 2016, the museum moved to Park Avenue in Lake Park, and in 2018 to a warehouse in Grandview Heights.

The collection went into storage for two years during the pandemic, and then, at 4 p.m. on May 2, this newer, bigger Surfing Florida Museum arrived in the Palm Coast Plaza.

By 6:30, 523 people had come through the door.

Memorabilia dating to 1919

Now here we are, all these people ogling 80 panels celebrating surfing in seven Florida districts with 900 photographs donated by 100 photographers, historic panels, films, a library, a performing space, oral histories, countless memorabilia.

Here’s the large panel honoring the town of Lantana.

“Few places have produced as many champion surfers per capita as Lantana.” And that includes Caroline Marks, a 10-time national champion who spent her early years on Hypoluxo Island and, in 2024, won a gold medal in the Olympics.

Here’s a 1919 photograph of surfers by the long-gone Breakers hotel pier, the oldest known photo of surfing in Florida.

Here’s “Simmons Spoon,” a 10-foot-6-inch balsa wood board shipped from Hawaii in 1947 and believed to be the oldest board in Palm Beach County.

Here’s Jimmy Buffett’s board, autographed and donated.

Here’s the original logo for the Nomad Surf Shop from the early 1970s.

A bumper sticker campaign was critical to keeping surfer access in the town of Palm Beach in 1970.

And here’s a bumper sticker boasting “I Gave To Save Surfing,” a humble reminder of the time Palm Beach tried to ban the sport.

A surfer named Bruce Carter sued, a future mayor of West Palm Beach named Joel Daves defended the surfers, and on July 1, 1970, state Supreme Court Justice Joseph Boyd Jr. wrote:

“The Town of Palm Beach may regulate and control surfing and skimming in areas subject to its jurisdiction and may prohibit these activities at certain places along the beach. However, the complete prohibition of this sport from all the beach area is arbitrary and unreasonable.”

Surfers still catch waves off Palm Beach.

Father and son champions

The museum brought the exhibits. The visitors brought the memories. But trying to explain the joy of surfing to those who don’t is never easy.

“I always say it’s a bath for your brain,” says Warnke, 77, the museum’s executive director. “With yoga and meditation, they always say you have to be in the here and now, but when you’re surfing you have to be in the here and now. If you’re thinking about what you’re going to have for dinner, you’re going to fall off.”

Not far away, the man standing in front of a giant photograph of Surfer magazine is also the man on the cover of the magazine.

Scott McCranels and Jimmy Johnson chat in front of a photo where the teenage McCranels is visible second from the left.

Dr. Scott McCranels, a local orthodontist, is a member of the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame.

He and his late father, the orthodontist John McCranels, are the only father-and-son duo in the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame.

“Only a surfer knows the feeling,” he says. “It’s just you on that sloping wave. Gravity and your balance are doing all the work.”

Scotty “Frog” Miller, 68, surfed the Amaryllis as a boy.

“You’re on your own,” he explains. “In team sports, you’re only as good as the team, but in surfing, you can be as good as your skill allows.”

Does he still surf?

“Oh, no,” he says. “My shoulders are toast. That’s what happens when you paddle a million miles in your life, and I was also a pool plasterer. The last thing I rode was a hydrofoil, because I could get pulled by a rope.

“But I wish I still had every board I ever owned.”

Vivid memories

The Amaryllis remained aground on Singer Island until Aug. 22, 1968, when the Army Corps of Engineers towed the remains three-quarters of a mile offshore and sank them in 85 feet of water to create an artificial reef.

The boys and girls who surfed the ship are old men and women now, some with bad shoulders, but all with sweet, vivid memories.

On a wall at the Surfing Florida Museum is a large photograph of a surfing competition held at the ship in 1966. A surfboard placed on two chairs holds 10 trophies, with that day’s 10 winners standing proudly behind.

At the museum’s grand opening, an old surfer named Ed McCoy, 76, pointed at the third teenager from the left. “That’s me.”

And the girl standing beside him.

“And that’s Jerrie. I was 17, and Jerrie was also 17, and this photo was taken the day we met. She offered me a ride home to Lake Worth.”

He smiled at the memory.

“She’s in her red 1965 Mustang convertible with our boards in the back, all sunburned, and she bought me a meal at the Royal Castle on Forest Hill Boulevard.

“It was like meeting an angel.

“She passed a year ago,” he said. “We were married for 58 years and 10 months.” 

Ed McCoy with a photo from a surfing competition in 1966 that includes him, third from left, as a teen. Photo by Mary Burns

If You Go

What: Surfing Florida Museum

Where: 7623 S. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach

Hours: Noon-4 p.m. Friday-Sunday 

Admission: Free, but a $5 donation is requested

Info: 561-236-0155; surfingfloridamuseum.org 

Also: An exhibit titled ’Surfing History’ will open on June 22 at the Richard & Pat Johnson Palm Beach County History Museum, 300 N. Dixie Highway, and run through Oct. 31. An opening reception at 5:30 p.m. June 24 is free to the public.

Impact 100 Palm Beach County’s founders, (l-r) Lisa Mulhall, Cindy Krebsbach and Tandy Robinson, attend the Grand Awards Celebration in April. Impact 100 has awarded more than $8.5 million to local nonprofits in 15 years of service. Photo provided by Warner Prokos Photography

During its milestone 15th year, Impact 100 Palm Beach County has awarded major funding totaling $865,000 to a group of nonprofit organizations that serve southern Palm Beach County. The grants were presented April 28 at its annual Grand Awards Celebration at Boca West Country Club.

“This is what 15 years of collective giving looks like,” said Janean Mileusnic, president of Impact 100 Palm Beach County. “It’s women coming together, believing in something bigger, and making real, measurable impact across our community.”

The annual event spotlights organizations that are tackling some of the region’s most pressing needs across five focus areas.

Recipients of $100,000 grants by focus area are:

Arts, Culture & Historic Preservation

• Benzaiten Center for Creative Arts (Fragments Reimagined: Transforming Life’s Broken Pieces into Beauty and Purpose) 

Education

• Back to Basics Inc. (Back to Basics Uniform Expansion Project)

• Best Foot Forward Foundation Inc. (Foundations Spark Lab)

Environment & Animal Welfare

• Healthy Aquatics Marine Institute of Florida Inc. doing business as The Reef Institute (Rebuilding Reefs Delray to Boca)

Family

• CityHouse­-Delray Beach Inc. (The Children’s Home and Hope)

• The Jacob S. Zweig Foundation doing business as In Jacob’s Shoes (Sneakers Outfitted for Scholars and Athletes)

Health & Wellness

• St. Ann Place Outreach Center (The Homeless Outreach Program in Boynton Beach)

• The Soup Kitchen Inc. (TSK Meals on Wheels South)

Since its founding, Impact 100 Palm Beach County has invested more than $8.5 million into the community, funding high-impact initiatives that continue to expand access, opportunity and support for local residents.  

Apply now for funding from Quantum Foundation

Quantum Foundation is calling on local grassroots nonprofits to apply for funding through its Quantum in the Community program, now in its 16th year of supporting organizations that meet the most essential needs across Palm Beach County.

Applications for the 2026 cycle opened June 1 and close Aug. 2, with $1.25 million available to eligible nonprofits.

Through QIC, Quantum provides funding to organizations addressing basic needs such as food, shelter, transportation, clothing and financial assistance — factors that play a vital role in overall health and well-being. 

In 2025, Quantum Foundation awarded $1.25 million to 140 grassroots organizations across the county. To date, QIC has invested millions in local nonprofits working on the front lines of community health.

Eligible applicants must be registered 501(c)(3) organizations that have been operating in the county for at least six months and have  annual operating budgets of $500,000 or less. 

The foundation also will accept nominations for the Marie Thorpe Above & Beyond Award, which is a $2,500 award, with an additional $2,500 granted to the winner’s nominating organization.

Grant recipients will be announced in the third week of October and will be recognized at the annual Quantum in the Community Awards Breakfast on Nov. 17, at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach.

Toasts, Tastes & Trolleys event returns Sept. 18

The Boca Raton Historical Society and The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum announce the return of Toasts, Tastes & Trolleys on Sept. 18, an interactive evening celebrating Boca Raton’s history through curated experiences, culinary stops and guided trolley tours.

This end-of-summer tradition provides vintage-style trolleys for a progressive night out, traveling to local destinations for light bites, cocktails and storytelling that highlights the history of Boca Raton.

Proceeds support the Boca Raton Historical Society’s mission to preserve and share the city’s history through exhibitions, educational programming and community initiatives.

Dancers announced for Boca’s Ballroom Battle

The dancers have been announced for the 2026 Boca’s Ballroom Battle, to take place at 6 p.m. Nov. 7 in The Boca Raton’s Grand Ballroom. Now in its 19th year, Boca’s Ballroom Battle remains the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s largest annual event, bringing together community leaders for an evening of dance, philanthropy and friendly competition.

Eight local business and community leaders are paired with professional dancers from Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Boca Raton. After months of training and fundraising, the dancers will compete on stage for the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy.

The dancer lineup is: Ross Bloom, CEO of the biostation; Michael Boggiano, co-founder and managing partner of WealthCare Financial; Namrata Israni Bajaj, social media manager and content creator for Ngagemint; Mario Muñoz, managing member, Muñoz Photography; David Rosenberg, founder and CEO, Rosenberg Diamonds; Heather Rouffe, owner and director of sales, Atlas Event Rental; Selines Silverio, founder and CEO, Silverio Exito Consulting; and Nikki Stelzer, a stay-at-home mom and member of the Junior League of Boca Raton.

Florida Atlantic University receives $1.5 million gift

Florida Atlantic University has received a $1.5 million estate gift from Leif Carlsson, Ph.D., and Seija Carlsson to provide scholarships and program support for students studying ocean and mechanical engineering and biology. 

Through this gift, the Carlssons will support students who share their passion for the fields they pursued.

“This university has been very good for both of us,” Leif Carlsson said. “FAU is very vibrant with a great diversity of students, and it has been inspiring to work with them. It’s a very good feeling to make this gift.”

The gift establishes the Leif Carlsson Engineering Scholarship Endowment, to provide scholarships for students majoring in ocean and mechanical engineering, and the Seija Carlsson Biology Scholarship Endowment, to provide scholarships to biology majors. A portion of the gift will provide resources for student clubs and competitive teams within the Department of Ocean and Mechanical Engineering, including Owls Racing, the Marine Robotics Club, the Human Powered Submarine team and the Aerospace Experimental Association. 

Historical Society to host Summer Sips & Sounds

The Boca Raton Historical Society and The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, in collaboration with Festival of the Arts Boca, are bringing back the Summer Sips & Sounds series with music, history and community through curated live performances.

Each program draws inspiration from a distinct era of American music, offering a unique blend of storytelling, ambiance and connection.

Sips & Sounds lineup:

• July 2: Celebrate America: 250 Years in Song

Marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, this patriotic program will showcase iconic songs that reflect the American spirit — honoring history, unity and the evolving soundtrack of a nation.

• Aug. 20: Timeless Standards: The Songs of the 1930s

Experience the elegance of the 1930s through beloved standards that continue to resonate today, featuring enduring melodies that defined an era of classic songwriting.

• Sept. 17: Seventies by the Sea

Close out the series with a coastal-inspired tribute to the 1970s, blending feel-good favorites with laid-back summer energy.

The museum is at 71 N. Federal Highway. Additional details, including ticket information, event times, and featured performers, will be announced soon.

Annual Mayors Ball set for Oct. 24 at The Boca Raton

“Celebrating Boca’s Future” is the theme of this year’s Mayors Ball, to be held Oct. 24 at The Boca Raton. It is hosted by the Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton, and all proceeds will benefit up to 20 local nonprofits.

Emcees will be Rotarians Alex Price and Amy Kemp. They will recognize the winners of four awards named in honor of three former mayors and the legendary Addison Mizner:

• The George Long Award (Large Business Category) pays homage to the city’s first mayor and will be presented to CP Group. In 40 years in business, CP Group has acquired, repositioned and operated more than 170 office and mixed-use properties. CP Group’s most notable holding is the Boca Raton Innovation Campus, historic home of IBM and the first PC, now housing dozens of companies. Founder and managing partner Angelo Bianco will receive the award.

• The J.C. Mitchell Award (Small Business Category) honors the city’s longest-serving mayor during its most turbulent time (the Great Depression and World War II). The award recognizes the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University. What began in 1985 is now recognized as South Florida’s innovation laboratory, bringing new discoveries to market. The Research Park encompasses 70 acres with 400,000 square feet of innovation that produces a $610 million impact on the local economy. Research Park President Andrew Duffell will accept the award.

• The Susan Whelchel Award (Best Nonprofit) is named after a beloved mayor who served six years and added much to the city in terms of education, art and economic development. The recipient is the Child Rescue Coalition, an international nonprofit headquartered in Boca Raton. 

CRC develops innovative technology, provided at no cost to law enforcement worldwide, to help prevent child abuse and exploitation and combat online sexual predators. To date, CRC’s technology has contributed to the arrests of more than 17,000 internet child predators globally, and the safeguarding of thousands of children. CEO Greg Schiller will accept the award.

• The Addison Mizner Award (Individual) reflects the enriching and enthusiastic spirit of Boca Raton’s most iconic resident from a century ago, whose name adorns many public places. The award is being presented to Daniel Hostettler, president and CEO, The Boca Raton. Since 2021, Hostettler has championed a monumental transformation of the city’s most treasured and valuable property into a world-class destination. Celebrating its centennial after being opened by Mizner in 1926, The Boca Raton is the only resort in the Americas to earn quadruple five-star status from the Forbes Travel Guide.

Single-ticket sales start Sept. 1. Corporate sponsorships are now available. Contact Bob Tucker at 561-289-0436 or 522btucker@gmail.com for a sponsorship packet.

Proceeds from last year’s event were distributed through Rotary’s Service Above Self grant program. Local nonprofits awarded SAS grants were Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse; American Association of Caregiving Youth; American Disabilities Foundation; Bigger Than Sports; Boca Ballet Theatre; Boca Raton Achievement Center; City House; Faulk Center for Counseling; Friendship House; The Hab Center; In Jacob’s Shoes; JARC Florida; Kindness Matters; Marine Education Initiative; Morning Day Community Solutions; No White Flags; Propel Inc.; Spirit of Giving Network; Sweet Dream Makers; Tomorrow’s Rainbow; Twin Palms Center, and Villages of Hope. 

Family help program starts in Palm Beach, Broward

Community Based Connections Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to youth development, family strengthening and community empowerment services to underserved populations, has launched H.E.A.R.T. — Helping Every Area of Relationships Thrive — a family strengthening program in Palm Beach and Broward counties. 

This new five-year initiative, funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Office of Family Assistance, will help adults and couples strengthen relationships, improve parenting, and build family stability through workshops, personalized support, and services including child care, transportation and counseling.

Families in Broward and Palm Beach counties are eligible, including single parents, co-parenting partners, married or unmarried couples, expectant parents, and adults seeking to strengthen relationships, communication or family dynamics. There are no income restrictions, and participants may self-refer or be referred by partner agencies.

Participants receive:

• Relationship and parenting workshops (curriculum-based, at least 12 hours).

• Individualized case management and goal planning.

• Wraparound support such as child care, transportation and mental health counseling.

• An annual couples retreat and family building events.

• Job and career advancement support, in partnership with local organizations.

• Support with co-parenting, communication and conflict resolution.

For more information, call 954-643-6298, send an email to getconnected@communitybasedconnections.com, or visit communitybased
connections.com.

Send news, photos and notes to Lou Ann Frala at philanthropy@thecoastalstar.com.

Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County celebrated the 13th annual Moments Luncheon, honoring four decades of advancing maternal and infant health while attaining a record-breaking level of support. Panelists highlighted ongoing challenges, including declining access to early prenatal care and the complexity of navigating health care systems — barriers that disproportionately affect uninsured and underserved families. The discussion reinforced the role of HMHB’s programs, including prenatal care coordination, doula services, education and support groups, in closing gaps in care and improving outcomes. ABOVE: The HMHB leadership includes: (l-r) Daniel Lehrhoff, Dr. Helena De Carvalho, Neil Eisenband, Kathryn Rossmell, Lauren Whetstone, Amber Bautz, Nicole Hunt Jackson, Dr. Marsha Fishbane, Katrina Long-Robinson and Michelle Gonzalez. BELOW: Luncheon Chairs (l-r) Elizabeth McDonough, Allison Taylor and Rossmell. Photos provided by Coastal Click Photography

More than 300 guests gathered for the Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center’s Helene & Roy Schwedelson Special Needs Department’s 11th annual Shine Like A Star Luncheon. The luncheon included a silent auction and a presentation by autism advocate Kaelynn Partlow, star of Netflix’s ’Love on the Spectrum.’  Proceeds support the more than 25 programs that provide resources and inclusive opportunities for individuals with special needs and their families throughout the community. ABOVE: (l-r) Alexis Frisch, Marty Haberer, Ali Landman, Steve Clarfield, Soniya Patel-Festa, Mark Gotlieb, Alan Nash and Cindy Bergman. Photo provided by Jeffrey Tholl

HomeSafe’s annual golf tournament raised more than $75,000, with all proceeds going toward protecting and empowering children and families who have endured trauma, and to help prevent child abuse and domestic violence. The organization is a leading provider of prevention and intervention services, serving more than 15,000 infants, children, young adults and families each year. HomeSafe is one of just five specialized therapeutic group care agencies in the state — and the only one in Southeast Florida. Winning the women’s flight was the team of Patty Larkin, Genevieve Murphy, Lori Smith and Lisa Ruth. The men's winning foursome was Logan Shalmi, Andrew Lerner, Marc Elkman and Danny Valencia. The winning team in the mixed foursome flight was Andrew Waldman, Ana Waldman, Kristen Bissett and Aric Waldman. ABOVE: (l-r) Golf ambassadors Phil Procacci, Jim MacCutcheon, Shalmi, Larkin, Pete Austin and Brooke Qualk. BELOW: Terri and Ben Kennedy. Photos provided by Tracey Benson Photography

The Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts welcomed members of its Dress Circle, Marquee Circle and Helen K. Persson Society for an evening of appreciation featuring Broadway performers, rising student artists and top supporters to highlight the impact of arts education in the community. ’Having so many of our devoted donors gathered here is a tremendous honor, and we are deeply grateful for the opportunity to personally express our appreciation to our members of the Dress Circle, Marquee Circle and Persson Society,’ said Kravis Center CEO Diane Quinn. The evening previewed the 2026-27 season and highlighted how donor support directly fuels world-class programming and education initiatives that reach thousands of local students each year. ABOVE: Irwin Kudman and Melanie Cabot. Photo provided by Capehart