By Rich Pollack

Driving through Highland Beach on State Road A1A has gotten easier thanks to the near-conclusion of the Florida Department of Transportation’s $8.3 million resurfacing and improvement project.

It’s not quite a perfectly uninterrupted scenic drive yet, however, thanks to a long- awaited sewer-lining project, construction of townhomes and houses at the south end of town and an expected installation of embedded lighting in Highland Beach’s eight A1A crosswalks.

The town will soon begin the second phase on A1A of its massive sewer-lining project — with a price tag between $1.35 million and $1.5 million. Sewer pipe work on the side-street neighborhoods has been completed, but the lining of pipes under A1A had to wait for the conclusion of the state’s road project.

Town Manager Marshall Labadie said that while the sewer-lining project will be far less disruptive than replacing all the aging pipes, there may be some minimal intermittent disruption.

“We expect to see some lane closures for maybe a day or two at a time,” he said.

While traditional sewer line repairs include excavating and replacing old pipe, lining the pipes will be less intrusive and less expensive, he said.

Mostly, contractors will be working “from manhole to manhole” and will be injecting a liner resin that will coat the interior of the pipes, some of which are more than 50 years old.

During an inspection a few years ago, crews discovered areas where the pipes were leaking and where they were subject to water from the outside getting in, meaning the town was paying to treat wastewater it didn’t need to treat. There is also a concern about leaking sewage contaminating ground water.

The sewer lining work on A1A is expected to be completed within a few months.

“This project moves quickly,” Labadie said.

To avoid disruption to residents in condominiums on A1A, contractors will be rerouting wastewater flow to pipes not simultaneously being lined.

The town will tap into reserves in its sewer fund to cover the cost of the project.

At the south end of town motorists were required to drive over a metal plate while workers installed a sanitary sewer connection from a site on the west side of A1A that will include seven townhouses to property on the east side of the road that is also being developed.

While the metal plate was removed last month after the installation of the sewer line, motorists were left having to drive over what one resident described as a “nasty bump.” Town officials say the bump should be repaired quickly.

While some residents initially believed that the work on that section of the road was related to development of Milani Park, that is not the case. Labadie said, however, that he expects sanitary sewer connections will be needed and traffic will be disrupted while the work on the park is being done.

County officials have said a start date for construction of the park has not been determined.

Labadie said there could also be minimal disruption to traffic when the town installs embedded lights at crosswalks on A1A.

The town is hoping to get a $300,000 appropriation from the state to cover the cost of installing the pedestrian-activated lights at eight crosswalks. Labadie said the town will cover the cost if the funding doesn’t come through.

He said that project will probably not begin until summer at the earliest.

Highland Beach currently has pedestrian-activated flashing yellow lights at crosswalks and flags available to those crossing the road. The embedded lights will just be one more feature to alert drivers of pedestrians in the walkways.

Related: Forbes recognizes The Boca Raton in star-studded fashion

By Mary Hladky

The Boca Raton has received initial city approval to build a luxury residential building on the resort property.

The most recent planned change to the resort comes as it is celebrating its 100th birthday this year, commemorating the 1926 opening of the Cloister Inn. A variety of events and programs are being offered to resort members and guests.

The new residential units are an extension of a $375 million upgrade of the entire resort property that began in 2019 under the ownership of MSD Partners and Northview Hotel Group.

The renovation was intended to create a “new golden era” for the resort, said President and CEO Daniel Hostettler in 2022 when the first phase of the project was completed.

The resort, he said then, was focused on reclaiming the five-star status that it lost in 1985 no later than its centennial year.

In February, Forbes Travel Guide announced the resort had received four five-star ratings for 2026 — one of only seven properties worldwide to attain that status.

“To achieve this distinction during our centennial year is especially meaningful,” Hostettler said in the announcement.

And now, the resort is adding residential.

The city’s Planning and Zoning Board on Feb. 5 passed measures, including a rezoning of a 1.8-acre parcel from recreational to multifamily residential, and site plan approval to build an eight-story, 76-unit building with one floor of underground parking.

A City Council vote is expected in April.

The building is planned to rise in the middle of the resort’s golf course, slightly north and west of the main hotel. Units will range in size from two to five bedrooms.

The resort also plans a three-story fitness center for resort members and guests, and the existing golf maintenance facility will be relocated.

The resort’s residential plans have changed over the past two years.

In 2024, it proposed two eight-story towers with a total of 80 units and a five-story parking garage. That was changed last year to one eight-story building with 60 units and underground parking.

JJ McDonough, here at his Leeward Staffing office in Boynton Beach, runs luxury hospitality businesses. He and his family, temporarily in Boynton Beach, are awaiting completion of a new home on Hypoluxo Island, where he has lived for almost 15 years. Tim Stepien/Coastal Star

JJ McDonough — JJ stands for John Joseph, and he’s the IV, but he never uses it — is a busy guy.

The Hypoluxo Island resident runs two companies, is vice president of  the Hypoluxo Island Property Owners Association, promotes Lantana’s growth and beautification, works out and exercises with Elizabeth, his wife of 20 years, and is a serious soccer dad with his two sons, Kane, 14, and Van, 10. 

“I just have a bit of an insatiable appetite to make things better, and if I can help, I’ll try to,” he explains. 

Oh, and his family is living in a home they bought as an investment in Boynton Beach, because he’s building a new home on the island.

“I’ve been on Hypoluxo Island almost 15 years now, and we have started to build a brand-new home there,” says McDonough, 53. “I have the first floor done and the second floor should be going up soon. I’m hoping by the end of the year we’ll be back there.” 

Considering his background, his hospitality businesses feel like a natural extension. He grew up in his grandparents Ken and Helen Withall’s east Boca Raton home. Ken, a tennis pro, taught in the Caribbean and Southern California before taking over Fred Perry’s job at what was then the Boca Raton Hotel and Club. 

“After my grandfather retired, he played tennis and golf there as he aged, and so my first job at about 8 years old was brushing and lining tennis courts at the Boca Resort,” McDonough says.

In his 20s, McDonough taught tennis and started a business placing specialty recreation staff, tennis pros and massage therapists locally. Currently, his two businesses are Leeward Staffing and Sanctuare. Leeward Staffing places domestic staffing to high-net-worth clientele. Sanctuare is a brokerage firm that represents ultra-luxury real estate for short-term rentals.

“Essentially, my demographic is the top echelon of wealth,” he says. “I have worked with some of the most interesting and wealthiest and iconic celebrities in the world.

“It all started with tennis, I think. I grew up as essentially an employee around this type of wealth. 

“The dream for me always was to work for myself, to be very engaged with communities, and to enjoy it along the way, to stay active physically and be challenged mentally. I’ve always loved to travel, and both of these businesses have afforded me travel to all types of very interesting spots.”

Regarding his family life, he says, “Both my wife and I are very active. Every morning, prior to being parents, we would probably do two cardiovascular activities per day and then go to the gym or do yoga. Now, that is limited to once a day. But anyway, we’re an active family. We like to bike. We like to surf.  We are playing padel, which is a fun racket sport, and we spend a lot of time on the soccer field. Both of my boys play at a very high level, so we play soccer six days a week.” 

Kane is a student at Oxbridge Academy in West Palm Beach and Van attends Unity School in Delray Beach. Soccer doesn’t end when soccer season is over.  

“My sons actually do quite a bit of training for soccer. They do soccer camps at a very high level,” McDonough says. “Last year, Van played in one of the biggest tournaments in Madrid, and the year before, we were all through England for several weeks doing soccer camps there.” 

— Christine Davis

Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you? 

A. I grew up in a multigenerational home with my grandparents Ken and Helen Withall, my mother, Robin Cox, and my aunt Lisa McCusker, directly across the street from the beach that borders Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach. 

At the time, the area was far less developed than it is today. Spending so much time with my grandparents in old east Boca, back when it was still an authentic beach town, deeply shaped my sense of place and values.  

Q. What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of? 

A. After college, I started a couple hospitality businesses that didn’t succeed while trying to play professional tennis; I was also teaching tennis to a variety of ultra-wealthy and celebrity families. Those early experiences laid the groundwork for what followed. I have since owned and operated two luxury businesses for over 25 years and continue to make a positive impact in our industry, serving some of the world’s wealthiest families. 

Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today? 

A. I wish someone would have told me when I was young. … Pay attention to your energy and passion. Optimize learning, not prestige. Don’t confuse fear with intuition. There is no failure, only lessons. Your career journey will not be linear, and that’s OK. 

Q. How did you choose to live on Hypoluxo Island? 

A. I have traveled a lot international and domestically, and if I’m going to stay in the U.S., I don’t know of a better place in the winters than Palm Beach County. My wife and I are both from Palm Beach County, and with the exception of having ample land further west, there isn’t much better than Hypoluxo Island. The old Florida growth, the winding roads, non-gated, the community of neighbors on the island is amazing. Its non-pretentious rooted families provide an amazing sense of home.

Q. What is your favorite part about living on Hypoluxo Island? 

A. The community and the people in it, and the trees.

Q. What book are you reading now? 

A. Get A Grip: An Entrepreneurial Fable by Gino Wickman.

Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax? 

A. My grandfather was a jazz pianist and vocalist who loved the American Songbook, and my father was a blues harmonica and saxophone player; both genres greatly influenced my music tastes. I do listen to many different genres, but I tend to listen and lean more into a lot of jazz fusion — Yussef Dayes, Tanhai Collective, Jazzbois.

Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions? 

A. Always attempt to expand your knowledge and eliminate your limitations. 

Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions? 

A. I’ve had many mentors over the years, and while my current mentors are in business and parenting, my moral compass has always come from my grandfather. A World War II veteran, he was married 71 years and excelled as a businessman, athlete, community leader, musician and most importantly parent and grandparent. 

Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you? 

A. My wife seems to think Matthew McConaughey. He has such a great mix of effortless charisma, modernist philosophy, authentic humor … and is a great husband and father.

This proposed Mr. C Residences for downtown Boca would be the third Mr. C Residences in South Florida, joining those in West Palm Beach and Coconut Grove. Rendering provided

Yet another luxury condominium is coming to downtown Boca Raton.

Key International and Wexford Real Estate Investors announced the 12-story project at 41 SE Fourth St. in late January, saying it is branded as Mr. C Residences Boca Raton.

This would be the third Mr. C Residences in South Florida, joining those in West Palm Beach and Coconut Grove. The brand was founded by brothers Ignazio and Maggio Cipriani.

The tower will have 133 two- and three-bedroom units, ranging from 1,522 square feet to 2,869 square feet and priced from $1.7 million. It was designed by Arquitectonica with interiors by 1508 London.

Pending city approval, construction is expected to begin early next year. Sales will be handled by Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, and a sales office will be located near the building site.

A ground-floor Bellini restaurant will be open to the public. Other amenities, including a rooftop bar, infinity pool, cabanas and outdoor cinema, will be for residents.

The fourth floor will focus on lifestyle and wellness, including a spa, fitness center, steam room and sauna, cold and hot plunge pools, yoga studio and lounge.

Outdoor recreation areas will include courts for padel and pickleball, a golf simulator and a meditation lawn.

The project is a complete reworking of Wexford’s plans in 2022 to build a 12-story luxury apartment building with 190 units on the site.

— Mary Hladky and Christine Davis

By Rich Pollack

When Delray Beach needed water, lots of it and in a hurry, it turned to those it knew it could count on — its neighbors.

Those neighbors came through, providing the city with more than 30 million gallons of drinking water in all — and preventing city utility customers from experiencing any difference in the flow of water coming from their faucets.  

The need for that emergency water arose when contractors working on a facet of Delray Beach’s new water treatment plant inadvertently drilled into a 36-inch pipe that brings fresh water in for treatment. That triggered a reaction that invoked agreements with neighboring communities, the scope of which is rarely needed.

The break also set off a response from city workers that saved water customers from having to deal with low pressure and a boil water notice. 

Key to preventing the situation from being worse than it turned out to be was a series of water main interconnects with neighboring communities that are always available but not often used. 

Those interconnects come in handy when more water than needed is produced during maintenance and during smaller line breaks. It is not common for utilities to need backup for system-wide disruptions from multiple neighbors like Delray Beach did on Jan. 3, when it called on Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Palm Beach County for help. 

“It doesn’t happen often but it happens,” said Delray Beach Utilities Director Hassan Hadjimiry, who added that the last time water from other communities was needed for a system-wide problem was five years ago. 

Interconnects, he said, are standard operating procedure for utilities as an insurance against major production problems.

“This is part of normal operations that you have in your back pocket,” he said. “When something happens with water supply, we have to use it. The last thing we want is for the city not to have water.” 

At no point was the city without water, nor did it face even a threat of that. Residents were asked to reduce unnecessary usage for irrigation, car washing and driveway cleaning during the emergency.

Because the main line that was damaged was just one of three that brings water into the city’s aging water treatment plant, the chance that the utility would fail to provide water to customers without the interconnects was not an issue. 

Without that water coming in, however, Delray Beach might not have had enough water pressure to fully reach all its customers, especially those at the far reaches of the system.

The interconnects — large pipes that transport already treated water — are located at city boundaries, thus ensuring all customers have adequate water pressure. 

While repairs were being done — which took about a week for the most part, although additional work was still needed going into February — about 20 million gallons of water came from Palm Beach County, 10.5 million gallons came from Boca Raton and about 1.5 million gallons came from Boynton Beach. 

An additional small amount of water from a county interconnect at Linton Boulevard near Jog Road was still being used as of the middle of February. 

Different municipalities charge different rates, with Boca Raton charging $3.17 per thousand gallons, Boynton Beach $2.19 per thousand gallons and Palm Beach County $1.61 per thousand gallons. 

The cost of the water from the municipalities as well as the cost of repairs are being passed along to the contractor whose crews caused the break, Youngquist Brothers, Hadjimiry said. 

Implementing the interconnects, which required representatives from other municipalities to be on site to open valves simultaneously, was complicated slightly because the break occurred on a Saturday morning. 

Hadjimiry said that he was notified at 7:30 a.m., and was on site within a half hour and there for a large part of the weekend. 

All of the interconnects were in place by the end of the day, he said, before there was any impactful drop in water pressure in the system.

The break came as Delray Beach is in the process of building the new plant, which is expected to cost about $287 million and open in mid-2028.

The Boca Raton City Council approved plans for a hotel in Royal Palm Place after the plans were revised from underground parking to building a seven-story parking garage, in addition to reducing the number of rooms from 144 to 137. Rendering provided

The Boca Raton City Council on Feb. 23 unanimously approved plans by Investments Limited to build a 12-story hotel in Royal Palm Place.

The revised project marks the third change by Investments Limited, the largest commercial property owner in the downtown, to its plans since it first proposed a hotel in 2019.

The latest version is similar to its 2022 iteration. The main change is that underground parking has been eliminated and a seven-story parking garage added.

Project attorney Ele Zachariades told council members, sitting as Community Redevelopment Agency commissioners, that the parking garage was added due to a sharply increased cost of building underground parking.

The current proposal calls for 137 hotel rooms, a reduction of seven rooms from 2022. As before, retail and restaurant space including outdoor dining will be included in the project.

Some existing Royal Palm Place surface parking that is scattered in several locations, and which no longer complies with current parking regulations, will be eliminated or improved.

The existing Garden of Humanity will remain.

The hotel will be connected to the parking garage with a second-floor pedestrian bridge.

The garage will be built first followed by the hotel, which would be completed in about 18 months.

James and Marta Batmasian, who lead Investments Limited, also have proposed a hotel and retail project on Northeast Second Street immediately north of the Tower 155 condo in the downtown.

That project, unveiled last summer, has drawn heated opposition from Tower 155 owners.

— Mary Hladky

By Steve Plunkett

A ban on leaving any type of hurricane shutters up year-round in Gulf Stream is coming.

The town already prohibited leaving plywood shutters up outside of hurricane season or when there is no unseasonal named storm threatening.

But Bryan Isackson noted at the Town Commission’s Feb. 13 meeting that at least six of his neighbors have metal shutters still covering their windows.

“There happens to be one in particular that does all of them. Some just do on the second floor, some do on the sides of the house, but all visible from the front of the street,” Isackson said. 

Mayor Scott Morgan said he confirmed Isackson’s observations himself.

“It’s not only a safety hazard, but it’s unsightly and not in keeping with the aesthetics that this town tries to maintain,” Morgan said.

The mayor suggested that new Town Manager Trey Nazzaro bring back a proposed ordinance at the commission’s March meeting.

“I totally agree with this,” Commissioner Joan Orthwein said.

“You don’t need me to say how ugly these things are year-round. They’re just inappropriate. It’s not that kind of neighborhood,” Isackson said. “We have people investing a lot of money in building new homes, substantial investments, and then next door you have one that looks like it could be a crack house.”

New LPR cameras

In response to another resident’s complaint, Gulf Stream will install two license plate cameras near the intersection of Pelican Lane and Andrews Avenue at the south end of town. 

Flock Safety will install the cameras for $900, half its usual price because the town already uses its automated license plate readers elsewhere, Police Chief Richard Jones said. The annual continuing cost is $3,500.

Thomas Murphy, the acting president of the Driftwood Landing community association, had complained about reckless drivers invading the neighborhood, Jones said.

“Although Driftwood Landing is a quiet and safe community, I believe that one crime is too many when affordable and efficient systems can be implemented to prevent them,” Jones said in a memo to Nazzaro. 

The Yacht Club at The Boca Raton is one of four resort venues that earned five-star ratings with Forbes Travel Guide. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

The Boca Raton received 24 stars in Forbes Travel Guide’s 2026 Star Awards. The Beach Club and Spa Palmera at the resort retained five-star ratings, with the Yacht Club and Flybridge restaurant also elevated to five-star status. Additionally, the Tower hotel was recognized with a four-star award.

Arriving as The Boca Raton commemorates its hundred-year anniversary, these distinctions place it among seven resorts worldwide to earn quadruple five-star status — and the only one outside Asia. The Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach also received awards. Its hotel and spa received five stars, with Florie’s restaurant receiving a four-star rating.

Forbes Travel Guide rates luxury hotels, restaurants, spas and cruise ships. This year marks Forbes Travel Guide’s 68th annual Star Awards list and spans more than 95 countries worldwide.

***

A trust in the name of David F. MacNeil, the founder and CEO of WeatherTech, paid $68.32 million for an ocean-to-Intracoastal Waterway estate at 1940 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan.

The sellers were Francis and Dolores Mennella. In 2018, the Mennellas bought the lot from a company controlled by Billy Joel, and built a new home. Francis Mennella is the president of Valley Tool & Plastics in Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania.

The six-bedroom residence, with 10,521 square feet, was built in 2022 by Frankel Estates Homes and designed by Affiniti Architects. It sits on 1.94 acres. It features a 1,200-square-foot cabana near the beach, and access under State Road A1A connecting the two sides of the property.

Philip Lyle Smith and Carla Ferreira-Smith of Luxury Resort Portfolio represented the seller in the deal, while Margit Brandt of Premier Estate Properties worked with the buyer.

In 2024, a company led by MacNeil paid $38 million for the oceanfront estate at 1120 S. Ocean Blvd. Then in 2025, his company paid $55.5 million for the neighboring home at 1140 S. Ocean Blvd. He has since demolished both homes and started building a larger estate.

***

Robert G. Fessler, chairman of aviation firm Magellan Group, sold his 9,614-square-foot homesteaded Manalapan residence at 880 S. Ocean Blvd. for $31.5 million. The buyer is MCBXVII LLC, a company led by John Barry and Daria Barry, chairman/CEO and head of administration, respectively, of New York-based Prospect Capital Corp.

The six-bedroom coquina-clad contemporary residence, built in 1988 and expanded in 2004, sits on a 1.6-acre lot with 150 feet of frontage on both the ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway. Fessler bought the property for $5.2 million in 2000. Pascal Liguori Estate Group at Premier Estate Properties brokered the transaction.

***

Biotech executive Robert J. Edwards Jr. and his wife, Kristine M. Edwards, sold their estate at 336 E. Key Palm Road in Boca Raton’s Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club for $17.25 million. The new owner is Candace Voorhees Clark.

The home last traded for $8.75 million in 2014. The 9,192-square-foot, six-bedroom residence is on a 0.55-acre lot along a canal leading to the Intracoastal. David W. Roberts of Royal Palm Properties represented the sellers in the deal, while Louise Buehler of Douglas Elliman worked with the buyer. Robert “Bob” Edwards is the CEO of e5 Pharma in Boca Raton and, with Kristine, owns e5 Racing Thoroughbreds.

***

Rex Grossman, a former quarterback for the Chicago Bears and Florida Gators, and his wife, Alison, sold their 4,087-square-foot home on the Intracoastal at 715 SE Eighth St., Delray Beach, for $7.55 million. The buyer is a trust in the name of Michael Manning. Chris Scoppettone of Douglas Elliman and Derek Barra of Coldwell Banker represented both sides in the deal. The Grossmans bought the home for $2.7 million in 2013. 

Grossman was a first-team All-America quarterback for the Florida Gators in 2001 and won SEC Player of the Year. He was second in Heisman Trophy balloting in 2001. He’s a member of the University of Florida Athletic Hall of Fame.

Grossman was a first-round draft pick by the Bears in 2003. In the 2006 season, he led the Bears to Super Bowl XLI, where they lost to Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts. After Chicago he had stints with the Houston Texans and Washington Redskins before retiring in 2015.

Grossman and his wife also founded Florida Medical Staffing, a Delray Beach-based nurse staffing company.

***

Craig Zinn, president and CEO of  Craig Zinn Automotive Group, was named the 2025 Business Leader of the Year by Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business at its 31st annual breakfast ceremony in January at Boca West Country Club. Zinn bought his first dealership in 1980 after working in every department. His group operates dealerships in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

His philanthropic gifts include $2 million to Cleveland Clinic for the Cleveland Clinic Craig M. Zinn Concierge Medicine Suite in Weston and a $2 million gift to establish the Craig M. Zinn Distinguished Chair in Men’s Health. He also supports Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, Cleveland Clinic Florida and the American Cancer Society.

***

Boynton Beach City Manager Dan Dugger received an honorary lifetime membership to the Boynton Beach Chamber of Industry & Commerce Government & Community Council.

This distinction recognized the city’s leadership and commitment to building partnerships that support local businesses, encourage investment and strengthen the city’s economy.

***

American Heritage Schools recently hosted a dedication ceremony for the naming of the tennis courts at its Delray Beach campus after tennis coach Brian Schleifer. Schleifer has worked with athletes at the schools since 1996, where he has also served as athletic director, bus driver, lunch server, PE teacher, summer camp counselor and coach, and director of the tennis program. He also coached girls’ softball, boys’ flag football, and boys’ and girls’ basketball.

Under his direction, the tennis program has won 43 boys’ and girls’ combined district titles, 22 state championships and the boys’ national title in 2023.

***

Lang Realty announced its 2025 Top Producer Award recipients. The highest-producing individual agents are Tripta Chawla and Shereen Randazza. Elisa Danielian, Ingrid Hewitt and Isabelle Pollock; Jim Pappas, Paul Bidva and Suzanne Block; and Amy Snook and Noreen Payne are the Diamond Star Award Team winners. Bruce Gaines, Ryan Greenblatt, Sheldon Jaffee, Ana Londono, Blake Morris, Jeannine Morris and Allyson Sullivan are the Diamond Award Individual winners.

Brian Bahn and Lisa Hindin; Morgan Sheres and Samantha Bender; and Steve Rosen, Robin Rosen and Erica Lipman are the Diamond Award Team winners.

***

Toby Douthwright was named the Raymond F. Kravis Center for the Performing Arts’ new chief financial officer, following the retirement of Kyle Roberts.

Douthwright previously served as vice president for finance and chief financial officer at The Miami Foundation. His background also includes leadership roles at The Lord’s Place in Palm Beach County and at the Clinton Foundation.

***

Boca Raton City Council member Yvette Drucker was appointed to the National League of Cities 2026 Transportation and Infrastructure Services Federal Advocacy Committee for a one-year term. She will help guide the league’s federal advocacy priorities on local transportation programs including roads, safety, transit, rail and bridges.

***

The Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority’s Savor the Avenue will take place from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. March 23, spanning five blocks downtown.

Now in its 17th year, Savor the Avenue offers a four-course meal prepared and served by area restaurants.

Participating establishments include Avalon Beach House, Beach Club, Brulé/Rose’s Daughter, Campi, City Oyster, Elisabetta’s, Gabriella’s, Geronimo, Le Colonial, Lemongrass, Lulu’s, Rocco’s Tacos, Table 165, The Office, and Vic & Angelo’s. To make reservations, visit downtowndelraybeach.com/savortheave. Prices vary and are set by the restaurant.

Seating is limited, and each restaurant manages its own reservations and payment. 

Each participating restaurant will make a $500 donation to the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County, this year’s designated charity. More than $85,000 has been donated to local charities since Savor the Avenue began.

***

The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County’s annual Gala Luncheon will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. March 11.

Speaker will be Dianna Wynn, the president of the League of Women Voters of the United States. Tickets are $150 per person and can be purchased online at LWVPBC.org or by calling 561-276-4898.

***

The Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce’s 31st annual KDW (kingfish, dolphin, wahoo) Lantana Fishing Derby, to be held on June 6, has begun registration. To register visit lantanachamber.com/lantana-fishing-derby/. 

Early registration costs $250 through May 23; standard registration is $350 after that date.

***

Space of Mind, a coaching company, and its nonprofit Community Classroom Project have introduced a new residential program, Launch Pad, in Delray Beach. The program, for adults age 18-26, aims to help them obtain training in essential skills through workforce training, life coaching, life skills development, community building and parent coaching. For more information, visit  findspaceofmind.com or call 877-407-1122.

***

Construction of The Sanborn, a 44,000-square-foot, eight-story private members club, is officially underway at 100 NE First Ave., Boca Raton, with completion expected in April 2028. The project is led by general partner Steven Newman and developer Scott Kerner, with investor backing. 

Designed by HDA Architects Boca Raton, it will offer members-only amenities that include a restaurant, supper club, rooftop pool deck with a bar and grill, speakeasy, library, private dining rooms, wellness spa, fitness club, eight guest rooms and a card room.

***

The Delray Beach Housing Authority hosted a meet-and-greet with Delray Beach Chief of Police Darrell Hunter and his executive team to strengthen collaboration and communication. They discussed the Housing Authority’s operations and how the police can support its mission and improve resident safety.

***

The nonprofit Institute for Regional Conservation held an ecological restoration event at Red Reef Park in Boca Raton on Jan. 24. More than 50 volunteers participated. Another was held Feb. 7 at Atlantic Dunes Park in Delray Beach.  

More events are planned. The Institute, with the city of Boca Raton’s Office of Sustainability and volunteers, will install native plants on the beach dunes along Red Reef Park and

South Beach Park through September. To volunteer, contact Liz Dutra at ldutra@regionalconservation.org, or visit the Institute’s website regionalconservation.org and click on the events tab for info about upcoming events. 

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

By Jan Norris 

Food trucks have come a long way from the pizza and taco trucks of only a few years ago. They’re more like mobile restaurants with artisan foods and creative takes on cultural recipes.

They’re no longer run by mainly college kids doing part-time gigs, or by weekend grillmeisters.

Professional chefs who have owned brick-and-mortar eateries have traded in plates and tablecloths for takeout boxes and picnic tables.

William Mattiello had a restaurant in New York City for 25 years. “Business was great some nights; some nights, not so much,” he said.

William Mattiello takes an order at his lasagna truck in Delray Beach. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Now, his lasagna sells out nightly from the Mattiello’s House of Lasagna truck parked at 1601 N. Federal Highway in Delray Beach. He’s looking for a new space as he may be forced to move because the building at that site may soon undergo renovations. 

His food is authentic and made from scratch, with all the recipes from his hometown of Modena, Italy.

“People come to appreciate the craftsmanship,” he said. “This is exactly what you would eat in Modena, where it originally comes from.”

Even the noodles are handmade. “I mix the dough, I stretch the dough. I make the sauce and béchamel. Made fresh every day. It’s better than homemade because it’s all handmade.”

All except for the Caesar salad croutons, he said. “Everything else is made by me. It’s a long, laborious day.”

He starts at 8:30 a.m. and gets everything ready to open by 5 p.m. 

“But we have customers who are always there at 4 to pick up dinner.” He closes at 9 p.m., and takes Mondays off.

The best seller is his classic lasagna, with the white béchamel, followed by the Americana lasagna with a tomato-based meat sauce. 

Two other varieties — a short rib with brown gravy, mushrooms and shallots, and the vegetarian with spinach and mushrooms and béchamel — are popular. But he makes special ones now and then to add to the mix.

“Tonight is a blackened shrimp and zucchini with lemon zest and béchamel.”

All are served in single portions, $17 to $19.

The menu is limited, with garlic bread, salads and a couple of desserts — “when I have time to make them. Tiramisu and profiteroles from scratch: cream puffs filled with custard cream.”

All labor-intensive dishes.

Most customers come for takeout and dine at home. By 8 o’clock on a Friday night, he was sold out, and said it was usually all sold by 7.

Many fans buy the lasagna cold to take home and heat for dinner. Some stay, however, and order it served hot to eat in the small seating area next to the truck.

To entertain the patrons in the seating area, Mattiello shows sitcoms and movies — spaghetti Westerns — on a screen in the parking lot nightly. Few stay for the whole films that start at 7 p.m.

“But they really like The Love Boat.” He laughed about the 1977-86 series: “They stay around to watch it all when the weather is nice.”’

The truck’s a labor of love, Mattiello said. “It’s not a hot dog cart like before. It’s a mobile kitchen with a big, full menu.

“People come who wouldn’t usually stop at a food truck. Lasagna brings people together.”

***                             

At Ukelele, a food truck at 1402 N. Federal Highway in Delray Beach, another professional restaurant chef turned to his native Venezuelan culture to create an experience through food.

Ukelele in Delray Beach serves Venezuelan food from a truck, but the seating and staff give it more of a dining experience.

The line above the menu reads, “Travel to Venezuela without leaving Delray.”

Owner Josney Peroza wants to be the culinary ambassador to the South American country.

After several years of working as a caterer and as chef for a Peruvian restaurant in Broward County, he decided to get something of his own. 

Four years ago he began with only $3,000, renting a food trailer, and buying equipment over time. 

“All we had was our passion and intention,” Peroza said.

He works with his wife, Lucia, who brings along son Josney Jr., 18 months.

Cachapas, arepas, pabellon and other foods from his family’s culture are all made in-house and fresh daily.

“The only frozen food we have are French fries. A lot of the work is in the prep. We slow cook the meat, shred it, and cook it five hours to cook again,” he said. Peeling and grinding corn, squeezing the citrus for the lemonades and making the empanadas by hand are part of the labor. “We really care about the food.”

It’s a long day of work, starting at 10 a.m. and prepping, then cooking and serving. The Perozas close at 10:30 p.m., then must clean and get it all ready for the next day. 

“We get home at midnight.”

Recipes are authentic. “I used to work in tourism in Venezuela,” he said. “I traveled to many cities and small towns around the country and they have all these small restaurants with a grandmother or an older woman cooking her recipes.”

He’s replicating the experience, featuring favorite regional dishes and wanting his guests to have an emotional connection to the experience while eating at his truck.

“It’s a way to share Venezuelan culture. When you go to a tiny restaurant, it’s friendly. It feels personal and approachable.”

Delray Beach resident Garrett Golden and his friend Eric Hatton, of Boynton Beach, enjoy the shredded chicken patacon at Ukelele. 

The cachapas — griddled corn cakes — are similar to arepas but not as sweet. 

“They come from the plains areas. There is corn all around. Cachapas are made from yellow corn. Arepas, from white corn, are salty,” he said.

For vegans, he loads them with black beans and avocados. He’ll add cheese for lacto-ovo vegetarians, but has beef, chicken and pork options.

One of the most popular variations is the pabellon — a dish traditionally served over white rice, but instead served in an arepa. It’s filled with shredded beef, black beans, sweet plantains and white cheese for $13.50.

To compete with other trucks, he said, “You need to be in a high-traffic place. If you’re in a less high-traffic area, you’ve got to have something else. Roots, culture and a story behind the food. That’s hard.”

He’s planning special nights, but taking it all step by step.

“Some nights we pack the place, with good sales.” 

Catering and other events help, too.

The Perozas also work with delivery companies such as Door Dash and Uber Eats, and do takeout. A canopied area with lights and tables lets diners feel as though they’re at an outdoor cafe. Order at the truck and a server delivers the food. 

Open Tuesday through Saturday, 6-10:30 p.m.

“We don’t want to look at a restaurant,” Peroza said. “We’re more focused on this. It has to grow with soul. We are involved with this space. It’s part of a plan — keeping this intentional.”

***                             

A newer truck is Roka Turkish Cuisine, sitting in the Chevron gas station lot at Fourth Street and Northeast Fifth Avenue in Delray Beach. It’s been there for seven months and beginning to gain a following.

Kayhan Akin, a native of Istanbul, Turkey, runs it, selling food from his homeland.

He also is a restaurateur, having run three “real” restaurants in Turkey.

Kayhan Akin, who opened last year in Delray Beach, saw a truck as a better deal than a restaurant. Here he serves Jeff Fischer.

He and a friend serve up a dish of slow-cooked beef called kavurma. “It’s one of our best sellers,” he said.

The meat is braised slowly, then removed from juices, and cooked again with garlic and onion. After six or more hours, spices and pimento are added to cook another hour. The pan is sealed tightly and closed to rest. 

It’s served over rice, with an arugula salad with jalapeños and tzatziki sauce. It’s $19.

Hummus beef is the slow-cooked meat served over housemade hummus along with with crispy Turkish pita.

Akin smiles as he talks about another favorite. “It’s a grandmamma recipe,” he said.

The appetizer of dalma is dried eggplants and dried bell peppers stuffed with Turkish spiced rice.

“The second-best seller is kofte over crispy pita with tomato sauce and yogurt.”

It’s minced meat, formed as meatballs, served with Turkish spices and a little kick.

Other favorites include chicken shish kebabs, kokorec, or grilled lamb, and for dessert the Turkish burnt creamy pudding known as kazandibi. There’s also baklava. 

All the meats used are halal — processed according to Muslim laws and slaughtered humanely. The food is handmade “by me,” Akin said.

Vegetarian options are available throughout the menu.

Akin is in a food truck because, he said, “There’s not enough money for restaurants today. I see the food truck as a better opportunity.”

***                             

Neapolitan-style pizza is dished out from a truck called Rossano’s, adjacent to Ukelele at 1402 N. Federal in Delray Beach. The truck is the mobile arm of Rossano’s Pizza Lab at 1445 N. Congress Ave., Delray Beach, a restaurant owned by Marcelo Rossano. He started the truck during the pandemic to serve his Pizza Lab food. 

A wood-fired oven cooks  gourmet pizzas that require 48 hours to build. Served baked to order, on a fermented, crispy crust, the pies have ingredients such as mortadella, ricotta and pistachios (the Toto); arugula, fresh mozzarella, prosciutto and burrata (the Rossano); and hot Calabrian salami, Calabrian peppers and fresh mozzarella (the Diabolo). Vegetarian options include the Margherita and an eggplant, zucchini and peppers with cheese pizza.

The Neapolitan culture is here, too. A huge portrait of Napoli’s football son, Diego Maradona, adorns the truck. A brightly lit piazza-like patio with a screen of palms and plants encloses tables for dining in.

As for most of the trucks, prices are sometimes equal to a restaurant’s. The pizzas range from $21 for a Margherita to $27 for the Rossano. That’s for a four-slice personal-size pizza.

***                             

There’s a $19 burger at Cheffrey Eats, the food truck permanently parked at Barrel of Monks Brewing at 1141 S. Rogers Circle, in the Penn-Florida Commerce Center in Boca Raton.

Owner Jeffrey Lemmerman touts it as “the best burger in South Florida.”

He didn’t make up the claim — his My Boy Blue burger won the title two years ago in a Sun Sentinel poll.

“It’s made with bacon, blue cheese and caramelized onion jam that we make,” he said.

Right now, however, the French onion soup burger is considered the best, he said.

“We toast the bun with a garlic aioli and Gruyere, add a 7-ounce patty, melted Gruyere, caramelized onion jam and a side of onion soup to dip it in. It’s killer.”

Another favorite is a pastrami special using burnt-ends pastrami atop the burger patty. Also on the bun are relish, homemade pickles, cheese, onions and sauerkraut.

Appetizers and sides include truffle fries, Mongolian Brussels sprouts, and buttermilk fried housemade pickles. “Those are really big sellers. We go through 20 gallons of pickles a week,” he said.

Lemmerman, 36, is a South Florida native and comes from a culinary background. He studied culinary at Johnson & Wales University in North Miami after getting a business degree at the University of Central Florida. 

He worked in kitchens throughout college, then interned at the Addison Reserve Country Club in Delray Beach. After working in other restaurants, however, he decided to work for himself. 

“So I started the food truck.”

That was in 2016, and like most who launch trucks, Lemmerman went at it “driven by passion,” he said.

Having restaurant experience made a difference, although the truck is a totally different business.

“I went in pretty blind,” he said. “I kinda drove around, doing street events. I stopped those pretty quickly. They’re not good business.” 

“Then I started doing breweries consistently. I was the Tuesday truck at Barrel of Monks for 21/2 years, then started doing more elevated stuff, like beer pairings and other specials to match their beer.”

The owner asked him to be Monks institutional kitchen, and he agreed. 

“I’ve been here seven years, seven days a week.”

He loves the truck business, having found his niche and his place.

Place is key: “The thing I tell people looking at getting a truck is ‘get a spot — one location — don’t travel.’”

***                             

With new regulations and some confusing ones in certain cities, staying put may prove difficult.

For 3½ years, Dan Herrera set up his taco truck — Picnic — along the northern stretch of Federal Highway in Delray Beach, and for the last several months was at 3908 N. Federal Highway, over the Boynton Beach city border. 

In January, the truck was ordered off the property. Herrera was taken by surprise.

“We have the permits, the property owner’s permission — we did everything right,” he said.

Then a city worker came by and told him he’d have to close — because of city rules. He explained he had all his paperwork in order — health and fire inspections, food licenses and so on. All were up to date.

“The first lady was very nice,” he said. “But the next lady from Boynton Beach was extremely rude, and shouted that I had to leave now.”

He tried to explain the previous city worker had said everything was in order, but this worker would not yield.

“She called her boss. He came out and said the first lady made a mistake, and I had to leave. I still don’t know why.”

Boynton Beach cited the owner of the property — made up of adjacent parcels, one in the city and the other in unincorporated Palm Beach County — for not having the proper permit.

Picnic became a popular taco truck that gained its reputation after the coronavirus pandemic.

Herrera, a Colombian native, started his truck after the pandemic closings wiped him out in 2020 up North.

“I started saving money again, and moved from Connecticut to Florida to start a new business” — Picnic.

He made up his own recipes, focusing on a small menu of Mexican favorites. It hasn’t varied much.

“Every time, I try and make it better and better,” he said. 

The street food was a success. He found a spot on Federal Highway land, and set up a tent, with picnic tables and festive lights. “People liked to eat there,” he said.

Online reviews rave about the baked pork belly (chicharron) served several ways. “You can get it as a panini, burrito, taco, tostado, quesadilla — or in our custom-made ‘holy guacamole,’” he said.

All the fresh juices are natural. “No sugar added — they’re just pulp and water. Very healthy.”

He offers all dietary options, including gluten-free foods. “All our tacos are gluten-free.”

Now, he’s taking the truck to events around town, posting his schedule on Instagram. He’s serving lunch at the Delray Medical Center on the third Tuesdays of the month, and planned to be parked at the Boynton Beach City Hall for a festival March 6.

He also caters parties, weddings or corporate events in the Picnic truck. 

“We’re looking for another spot permanently,” Herrera said.

 ***                            

Former car salesman Sammy Hadid decided to get a food truck as a retirement gig, and is having fun running it.

The Taste of Thyme truck is on Old Dixie Highway north of Walmart in Delray Beach.

He had to move in January from his spot in Boynton Beach on Federal Highway near Picnic. “You’d think the city would want us workers, contributing to the city. Yet they give the trucks and the stores a hard time. They close and move away. 

“But it is what it is,” he said.

Hadid uses his wife’s family recipes to fill the menu at his truck with foods like falafel, homemade hummus and his “star recipe” — chicken shawarma. 

He’s true to the cuisine of his native city, Jerusalem. 

“We import all of our spices,” Hadid said.

He’s gaining customers who leave rave reviews online — the marketing method of this business. QR codes appear on all trucks for instant connections to the food trucks’ menus and sites.

“We have already 18 five-star reviews of the shawarma,” Hadid said.

The chicken shawarma is the best seller, but he’s switching things up with a shawarma taco — “but with our own spices. People are loving it.”

He also serves shawarma-loaded fries.

A melted cheese-beef bowl is another favorite special.

Dessert is a syrup-soaked basbousa, or semolina cake. 

More about trucks

Lemmerman at Cheffrey Eats thinks the trucks are a good way to start a career in food. “It’s an affordable entry point to restaurants. Restaurants cost so much money up front.”

But it’s not as easy as the hopefuls think, he said. “It’s also some of the hardest type of work around.” 

The responsibility of the entire business falls on the owner of the truck.

“People romanticize about a food truck, but there are so many hours people don’t think of that go into it.”

From obtaining several types of permits for each city they serve, to weather, to driving to pick up propane for stoves — “Companies don’t deliver,” he said — it’s a lot of driving. 

Then there are vehicle breakdowns that many mechanics won’t work on. “I changed my own transmission,” Lemmerman said. Add in all the prep and cooking ahead of time, supply and crew problems, and it’s a tough prospect, he said.

“There are only a couple of hours a day where you’re making money.”

But it affords a work-life balance, and money can’t buy that, he said.

“I’ve got a 5-year-old daughter. I don’t want to miss those life moments. I didn’t want to be a big, successful chef and sacrifice that.”

A brick-and-mortar restaurant isn’t off the table, however. It’s all about timing, he said.

“Right now, I’m smelling the roses.”

Schedules can be erratic, since most truck owners also do catering, special events, or “just move to a better location,” as one said. 

The owners depend on the internet, especially social media, to keep their fans informed. Find the schedules and full menus for each of the food trucks on Instagram, X or Facebook, or check out their websites.

All trucks have online ordering for pickup. Most pair with a delivery service such as Uber Eats or Door Dash as well. All take cards, cash or electronic payments.

Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com.

John and Arline McNally are honorary co-chairs for the American Association of Caregiving Youth benefit. The association supports more than 700 Palm Beach County students giving care to elders. Photos provided

By Lou Ann Frala

The American Association of Caregiving Youth laces up for the Hearts & “Soles” Sneaker Ball on March 13 in a time of dire straits for children and teens served by the Caregiving Youth Project.

The CYP supports more than 700 middle and high school students in Palm Beach County who provide daily care for chronically ill, disabled and/or frail elderly family members, while trying to stay in school and build a future of their own. The CYP team provides academic support, respite, mentoring and emotional care.

In its 20th year of service, AACY has supported more than 3,000 students. Its high school graduation rate over the past 11 years, through its partnership with the school district, is 98%, outpacing both the county and state rates. 

This year’s Hearts & “Soles” Sneaker Ball is of vital importance to the organization’s future. The “Soles” in the title implores people to “walk a day in the life” of the young people who are thrust into positions of adult responsibility before they’re even out of their teens, says AACY founder and President Connie Siskowski.

Co-chairs Kim Champion and Bruce Spizler.

“Most of our families are financially insecure,” Siskowski says. “The services we provide are so crucial.”

Without immediate support, services for students could be reduced or lost entirely. 

Attendees are invited to wear cocktail attire and their snazziest sneakers.

There will be showcases of blinged-out sneakers by artist Sue Heller and jewelry by her husband, renowned sculptor and silversmith Yaacov Heller. A live auction will include an opportunity to have a pair of sneakers customized by Sue Heller.

Details on the 2026 Sponsorship Package are at aacy.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Hearts-Soles-Sneaker-Ball-Sponsorship-Levels-01-23-26-3.pdf. Sponsorships confirmed by March 7 will be included in event materials. Contact julie@aacy.org with questions or to discuss sponsoring the event. 

If You Go

What: Hearts & ‘Soles’ Sneaker Ball benefit for the American Association of Caregiving Youth

When: 6 p.m. cocktails, 7-10 p.m. dinner, dancing, auction, March 13

Where: Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, Boca Raton

Cost: $325

More information: 561-391-7401; aacy.org

The Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation will welcome supporters, alumni and friends to the Cohen Pavilion at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts at 6 p.m. March 30 for “Defying Gravity,” a celebration of creativity, community and the impact of longtime supporter and board member George Elmore.

For decades, Elmore, a Gulf Stream resident, has been a steadfast advocate for the Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, a public high school. 

“What George has given our students goes far beyond financial support,” said Dreyfoos Principal Blake Bennett. “He has helped create an environment where young artists feel seen, supported, and challenged to dream bigger than they ever imagined.”

This year’s event also marks a milestone for the foundation with the recognition of Andrew Vahab as chairman of the board. Vahab is a 2001 communications graduate and the first alumnus of the school to serve as chairman. 

The evening will feature a performance by Broadway star and Dreyfoos alumna Talia Suskauer, Theater Class of 2014. Best known for her acclaimed portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked, Suskauer also will lead a Broadway master class for Dreyfoos theater students.

The evening is led by honorary chair Marti LaTour, with celebration chairs Dolores Fernandez Alonso, Fabiola Brumley, Laurie George, Michele Jacobs, Ava Parker, Diane Quinn and Kelly Smallridge.

Tickets start at $500, with special pricing available for alumni and young friends under 50 at $350. For tickets and additional information, visit dreamsofdreyfoos.com.

Historical society to host noted journalist and author

The Delray Beach Historical Society’s Heritage Garden will welcome journalist and bestselling author Michael Grunwald on March 19. Recognized for his reporting on climate change and environmental issues, Grunwald will discuss his 2006 book, The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise, and his newest work, We Are Eating the Earth, published in July.

This event will bring together the historical society’s environmental and garden partners, including the Institute for Regional Conservation, the Surfrider Foundation, the Sandoway Discovery Center, the Surfing Florida Museum, the Swinton Community Growing Project, the Delray Beach Children’s Garden and the city of Delray Beach’s Sustainability Department.

A welcome reception with light refreshments starts at 6 p.m. at the Old School Square Historic Gymnasium, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, followed by Grunwald’s lecture, Q&A and panel discussion. He will be available to sign copies of his books. Tickets are $28, $20 for Society members. Visit delraybeachhistory.org or call 561-274-9578. 

Nonprofits First celebrates two decades of service

Nonprofits First commemorated its 20th anniversary with a celebration recognizing two decades of service, innovation and leadership in the county’s nonprofit community. The event also marked the launch of the 2026 Rising Leaders, Advancing Leaders and Launching Leaders programs, which are designed to support and empower the next generation of nonprofit professionals.

Nonprofits First’s leadership programs CEO Trudy Crowetz reflected on the organization’s legacy and its future direction. 

“The kickoff of the 2026 Rising Leaders, Advancing Leaders and Launching Leaders programs represents our commitment to supporting the development of dynamic, strategic leaders who will continue to strengthen and elevate our community for years to come.” For more information, visit nonprofitsfirst.org.

Snow Scholarship Fund opens Success Center 

The George Snow Scholarship Fund opened the Snow Success Center with a ribbon-cutting and donor reception, marking a milestone in the GSSF’s 44 years and its investment in student success.

The Snow Success Center brings GSSF’s Scholar Services team together under one roof in Boca Raton, creating a space dedicated to supporting Snow Scholars academically, professionally and personally. 

The reception honored the individuals, families, foundations and corporate partners whose leadership gifts made the Snow Success Center possible.

Feeding South Florida has new board chair 

Michelle Esposito of Boca Raton has been appointed chair of Feeding South Florida’s board of directors. 

Esposito is the vice president of IT for JM&A Group, a subsidiary of JM Family Enterprises. Esposito leads the development and execution of JM&A Group’s technology strategy to support growth and enable faster, more efficient service delivery.

As chair, Esposito will play a key role in supporting Feeding South Florida’s programs, including its culinary and warehouse training initiatives; Food Is Medicine efforts such as the Mobile FARMacy and hospital pantries; home delivery services; workforce development; Client Choice Pantry, and Summer BreakSpot.

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

ABOVE (l-r): the museum's Southeast Regional Director Robert Tanen, council member Barbara Feingold, event chairs Marvin and Eva Schlanger, Joshua Abell, Sara J. Bloomfield, Noa Beer and Nat Shaffir. Photo provided by Jacqueline Marie for U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum 

The museum’s 2026 South Florida dinner drew more than 600, including nearly 30 Holocaust survivors, for a conversation moderated by museum Director Sara J. Bloomfield between two generations of survivors of deadly antisemitism: Holocaust survivor Nat Shaffir, 89, and Nova Music Festival survivor Noa Beer, 31. 

ABOVE (l-r): Veronica Bowleg, Gloria Chaney and Kenya Madison. Photo provided by Everett Hamilton

Healthier Boynton Beach, a Palm Health Foundation initiative, honored family caregivers at its ninth annual Caregivers Recognition Luncheon. Keynote speaker Charlotte Wright acknowledged the challenges and profound rewards of family caregivers’ service. The Caregiver Award was presented to Angela T. Williams of Delray Beach. Project Director Ricky Petty reflected on the community support that made the event possible, including contributions from 17 sponsors. 

ABOVE (l-r): Amy Dweck, Dr. Mijal Bitton, Julie Platt, Alana Newhouse, Shelly Snyder, Michelle Rojas-Tal, Alison Simon and Kathy Green. Photos provided by Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County

The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County welcomed nearly 500 women to the luncheon, themed ’ Strength in Sisterhood: The Timeless Power of Women’s Leadership.’  It featured a lineup of thought leaders, including Dr. Mijal Bitton, sociologist; Alana Newhouse, editor-in-chief of Tablet magazine; and special guest Julie Platt, immediate past chair of the board of the Jewish Federations of North America. The discussion was moderated by Michelle Rojas-Tal and explored the enduring influence of women’s leadership, the responsibility of philanthropy, and the role of Jewish women in shaping the next generation. 

ABOVE (l-r): Igor Alterman, Platt, Bruce Dan and Jill Rose. 

ABOVE: Janet Soderberg and Robert Lewis. BELOW: Florence Seiler and Robert Bickford. Photos provided by CAPEHART

 Grand Benefactor Sponsors James R. Borynack and Adolfo Zaralegui of Findlay Galleries hosted a kickoff cocktail reception at the galleries, followed by a dinner at Club Colette, honoring Palm Beach Symphony’s 24th Annual Gala chairs Amy and John T. Collins and honorary chairs Susan and Bob Wright, in advance of the gala. 

ABOVE: Ari Rifkin and Lois Pope. Photos provided by CAPEHART

The American Humane Society welcomed supporters, philanthropists and community leaders to the eighth annual dance, dedicated to honoring America’s heroes and the service dogs who stand beside them. Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of the AHS, honored the life and legacy of Herb Jablin, a longtime champion of the AHS. His wife, Sharon, a member of the AHS governing board, was present as guests reflected on Herb’s enduring impact and devotion to service. The evening’s Veterans Inspiration Chair was Lois Pope. Leigh-Anne Kazma served as gala chair.  

ABOVE: Lorena Ball and Leigh-Anne Kazma. 

L-R: Laura Barker, Patty Larkin, Matthew Ladika and Samantha Skaletsky. Photos provided by Downtown Photo and Kirstin Boncher

L-R: Jo Ann and Philip Procacci and Carrie Rubin.

ABOVE: Ward and Debbie Kellogg.

As 400 supporters danced the night away, HomeSafe’s 23rd annual affair raised more than $750,000 to protect vulnerable children and families. The celebrity host was Nicko McBrain. The evening included a performance by Mike DelGuidice, renowned vocalist and touring member of Billy Joel’s band; recognition of longtime board member Rob Vargas with the HomeSafe Hero Award; and a tribute honoring nine team members with more than 20 years of service.  

ABOVE: Clare Malfitano and Jayne Malfitano.   

ABOVE: Maria and Todd Roberti. 

ABOVE: Fern Schmidt and Jim MacCutcheon.

Physical therapist Elizabeth Keith (left) attends a fundraiser at Old School Square with Sydney Johnson and Cecilia to help defray the costs of Cecilia’s treatment for cerebral palsy. Cecilia turns 3 this month. Photos by Jan Engoren/The Coastal Star

By Jan Engoren

When Sydney Johnson, 31, went into labor 10 weeks early, nothing about her daughter Cecilia’s arrival went as planned. Cecilia spent several weeks in the NICU, and by the time she was diagnosed with cerebral palsy at age 1, Johnson found herself with almost no guidance. 

“We were given no helpful or useful information,” she says. “No resources. We were left to figure it out.”

She and her partner, Rhett Aucoin, 30, signed Cecilia up for occupational, physical and speech therapy, but after a year with no progress, Johnson realized the traditional approach wasn’t working.

Determined to find something more effective, Johnson, a Boynton Beach stay-at-home mom, began researching alternative therapies. She discovered the Adeli Method — an intensive therapy program originally developed for Russian astronauts to counteract the effects of zero gravity. 

The method uses an elastic exoskeleton suit that adds vertical load, improves trunk stability, compensates for weak muscle groups and helps the body relearn proper proprioception — the sense of self movement and body position.For children with extreme muscle weakness or tightness, it can help the brain make new connections to the body. 

Cecilia completed a three-week session, five days a week, three hours a day, and the results, Johnson says, were “crazy.”

Before the program, Johnson had been in what she describes as the biggest depression of her life, terrified of what her daughter’s future might look like. But within weeks, Cecilia was close to sitting unassisted, was able to pull herself into a crawling position, take steps with a walker, and feed herself finger foods. She also showed improved eye tracking. 

“So much progress in such a short period of time,” Johnson says. “It shot me out of my depression.” 

But she also knew that without continued therapy, progress could slip away.

The challenge was cost. Even two days a week of therapy quickly became financially overwhelming.

Volunteers Ava Capuano and Rebecca Catey staffed a table at the event, which raised almost $25,000.

To defray costs, raise awareness and help others in a similar situation, Johnson organized a community fundraiser through sponsor Hope Warriors Inc., and her budding nonprofit, Friends of Cecilia, in January at Old School Square, Delray Beach. 

Dozens of volunteers in “Friends of Cecilia” T-shirts were out and about lending a hand.

Two of them, Ava Capuano, 28, and Rebecca Catey, 26, who works as a barista at Bond Street Ale and Coffee in Boynton Beach, were staffing the visitors table.

“Sydney is the light in the community,” says Catey.  “She worked hard to put on this event and we’re happy to volunteer and raise awareness for her so she can get the help she needs for Cecilia.”

With more than 40 vendors, four food trucks, a Kids Zone and pediatric therapy providers on-site, Johnson raised almost $25,000 out of a goal of $40,000 — enough to support Cecilia’s treatment for the next eight months. She also plans to fund a scholarship for another child to attend an intensive program offering specialized treatment options often excluded from insurance coverage.

Johnson expects to have a 501(c)(3) designation for her Friends of Cecilia Inc., in three to six months, paving the way for another fundraiser.

Cecilia, who turns 3 in March, receives therapy four days a week with Elizabeth “Beth” Keith, 54, at Young Body Rehab in Palm Beach Gardens. Her treatment includes aquatic, occupational and speech therapy.  She also has hippotherapy at Vinceremos in Loxahatchee, where she rides a small pony to strengthen her core. 

“Cecilia reminds us to slow down and hear the truth behind every voice,” says Keith. “She’s so lighthearted in her observations and comments, I can’t help but be uplifted by her.”

The two have worked together for almost a year on “targeted intervention,” or knowing what to do first that will have the most impact, Keith says.

She looks ahead to preventing future issues such as joint problems or scoliosis, which can result from difficulties in moving. 

Despite severe muscle weakness, Cecilia has no cognitive delays, her mother says. She speaks in short sentences —“I take bath tub now, Mommy”— and is, Johnson says, incredibly smart, patient and motivated. 

“She wants to be able to walk so badly,” Johnson says. “She loves to work and learn and is eager to do more things.”

For Johnson, the most meaningful part of this journey is watching her daughter’s determination. “It’s the best feeling in the whole world to see her making progress,” she says.

And now she hopes to help other families feel that same hope. By sharing Cecilia’s progress so openly, Johnson hopes other families feel less alone while navigating their own challenges.

Visit hopewarriorsinc.org to learn more about what it does.

Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.

Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Melissa Levack has joined the Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group. She is on staff at Delray Medical Center and Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center. Levack focuses on aortic and valve disease. She has earned numerous honors for clinical excellence and investigation, and has presented her work nationally and internationally. Levack’s office is at 5352 Linton Blvd., Suite 100, Delray Beach.

HCA Florida JFK Hospital makes top 5% for third year in a row

HCA Florida JFK Hospital was recently named one of America’s 250 Best Hospitals by Healthgrades, placing the hospital in the top 5% of U.S. hospitals for clinical performance based on patient outcomes for the third year in a row. 

New operating room to help robotic, other surgical procedures

Delray Medical Center has opened a state-of-the-art, $1.9 million operating room designed to support advanced robotic and minimally invasive procedures. The operating room is equipped to support specialties that include urology, breast surgery, general surgery, ENT, thoracic surgery and interventional pulmonology. 

Biotech company closes deal on surgical, wound-care division

BioStem Technologies Inc., a biotechnology company with plans to move to Boca Raton, closed on a $15 million cash purchase of the surgical and wound care division of BioTissue Holdings Inc., with the potential for an additional regulatory milestone payment of up to $10 million for achieving 510(k) clearance for a new product, and potential commercial royalty milestone payments of up to $15 million. 

The deal includes BioTissue’s trademarked Neox and Clarix product lines, which are used to promote wound healing and generated about $29 million in sales last year, according to company figures. BioStem, currently based in Pompano Beach, purchased 4 acres in the Research Park at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton for a new headquarters last year, with support from local incentives.

Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

By Steve Waters

Anglers looking for a fight will have their hands full trying to reel in an amberjack.

The big, tough fish are concentrated around deep artificial reefs off South Florida now through May, which makes hooking an AJ, as the species is commonly referred to, relatively easy.

Landing one is the real challenge.

After taking a bait or lure, amberjacks tend to head straight for the wreck. If they make it, that’s pretty much the end of the fight, because it’s next to impossible to pull them out or the fishing line will break on the wreck.

The key for anglers is to reel furiously as soon as they set the hook in an AJ to get the fish safely away from the wreck. Even then, though, the powerful fish can take line as if the reel’s in free spool, so it’s critical for anglers to keep pressure on an AJ and keep it coming to the boat.

That’s even more essential when jigging with metal or butterfly jigs, which can cost from $7 to $25. A good day jigging wrecks for AJs can cost you $100 in lures.

The best thing about butterfly or flutter jigging, as opposed to dropping live baits around wrecks, is that you can fish more efficiently.

Capt. Corey McBride likes to lower a jig just above a wreck, then quickly jig it back up.

“Just lift up the rod and reel down as fast as you can,” said McBride, who fishes wrecks in 150-300 feet. “You can never go too fast.”

If an AJ doesn’t bite and the boat is still above the wreck, drop the jig back down and try again. Be advised that the technique can wear out an angler after a dozen drops, which is usually when a 50-pound or bigger amberjack hits the jig.

The jigs can be fished on conventional and spinning outfits, preferably with 50- to 65-pound braided line. And they don’t just catch amberjacks. McBride has caught almaco jacks, cobias, groupers, blackfin tunas and kingfish while jigging wrecks.

GPS coordinates and maps of artificial reefs — typically large boats deliberately sunk offshore to create habitat on sandy bottom where none exists — are available at myfwc.com/conservation/saltwater/artificial-reefs.

Among the best wrecks for amberjacks are many of the more than two dozen artificial reefs sunk off Deerfield Beach and Pompano Beach by the old Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo. There are a handful of scattered reefs off Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach.

On a wreck-fishing trip out of Boca Raton Inlet, Capt. Rick Redeker said that deeper wrecks often are better than shallower wrecks because they receive less fishing pressure. So if you start shallow and fishing is slow, don’t hesitate to fish farther offshore.

“If you can’t catch an amberjack on one wreck, move to another until you find them,” Redeker said.“There’s so many wrecks out there.”

His favorite bait for amberjacks is a small live bonito, which he catches by trolling a string of small jigs and spoons. Live blue runners and goggle-eyes also are effective, and grunts and pinfish will usually work.

We used 50-pound outfits with 200-pound braided line with a three-way swivel. The swivel was tied to a 10- to 20-foot leader of 80- to 130-pound monofilament with a big circle hook and a short piece of 40- or 50-pound monofilament attached to a lead sinker of 8 to 16 ounces, the weight depending on the strength of the current.

Redeker positioned his boat so the bait dropped to the bottom on the edge of the wreck instead of in the wreck. That way, when an AJ was hooked, Redeker could drive away from the wreck to improve the odds of getting the fish to the boat.

If you want to keep an amberjack, the daily bag limit in the Atlantic Ocean is one per person and the size limit is 28 inches from the tip of the nose to the fork of the tail. The season is open all year except for the month of April, when it’s closed.

Outdoors writer Steve Waters can be reached at steve33324@aol.com.