Lois Pope will reveal the winning name on Veterans Day for the dog in the new American Military Hero Dog monument at Tri-County Animal Rescue in Boca Raton. Photo provided Capehart

By Arden Moore

Sure, I wish I picked the six winning Lotto numbers. Or found out that I was selected by Jeff Bezos for a free trip above Earth inside his Blue Origin rocket.

Time for a reality check. Both are farfetched dreams of mine. However, my biggest down-to-earth prize is priceless. It is being able to share my life with a pair of remarkable dogs answering to the names of Kona and Emma.

Dogs simply make us better people, wouldn’t you agree? And, dogs definitely put the D in diversity when it comes to size, personality and talent.

So, it is fitting that in November, the month in which we traditionally take time to give thanks, two special dog events are happening. And, without surprise, both involve a friend and champion to all dogs — philanthropist Lois Pope.

The Lois Pope L.I.F.E. Foundation once again is sponsoring the American Humane Hero Dog awards with a special ceremony on Nov. 12 at the Eau Palm Beach Resort in Manalapan.

The day before, on Nov. 11, she will reveal the winning name of the new American Military Hero Dog monument at Tri-County Animal Rescue in Boca Raton. The date is fittingly Veterans Day.

To motivate the next generation of pet advocates, she and American Humane President Robin Ganzert dedicated the monument in mid-May. It is meant as a tribute to all dogs who served or are serving in the five branches of the U.S. armed forces.

Since September, Pope’s foundation has encouraged children in elementary and middle schools throughout Palm Beach County to create artwork or videos offering the name they feel is best suited for the monument dog. Students have a chance to win $2,500 for themselves and their schools if their name is selected for a statute that symbolizes military dogs past, present and future.

“It is my hope that with this contest — by naming the courageous canine on the American Military Hero Dog monument — that we remember there are heroes at both ends of the leash,” says Pope. “Dogs have served and sacrificed alongside our troops in wars and conflicts around the globe for more than a century. I felt it was time that they, too, had a permanent monument to honor them for their heroism.”

Hero Dog finalists

And speaking of four-legged heroes, seven remarkable dogs will be honored at the Hero Dog awards gala.

“We are deeply honored that Lois Pope and the Lois Pope L.I.F.E. Foundation are once again serving as platinum presenting sponsor of the American Humane Hero Dog awards,” says Ganzert. “Through her generous longtime support, she has helped save and improve the lives of millions of animals and brought vitally important recognition to the remarkable contributions that animals make in our own lives. We give our heartfelt thanks to Lois Pope and the caring members of the board of the Lois Pope L.I.F.E. Foundation.”  

Here are this year’s seven finalists and their categories:
• Law Enforcement and Detection Hero Dog of the Year: K-9 Hansel from Millville, New Jersey. Saved as a pup from a dog-fighting ring, this pit bull is now an accelerant detection dog for the Millville Fire Department.
• Shelter Hero Dog of the Year — Deputy Chance from Cape Coral. This dog was a victim of animal abuse and is now the “spokesdog” for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office.
• Guide/Hearing Hero Dog of the Year — Henna from Albuquerque, New Mexico. She provides a full quality of life for an individual who is deaf and legally blind.
• Military Hero Dog of the Year —SSG Summer from Mt. Airy, Maryland. This 10-year-old Labrador retriever recently retired from the Marines as a police explosive detection dog serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
• Search and Rescue Hero Dog of the Year — Little Man from Oklahoma City. He survived a major tornado as a pup and now works to help find missing people, including those in tornado strikes.
• Service Hero Dog of the Year — Sobee from Holts Summit, Missouri. Sobee was rescued from a shelter two days before a scheduled euthanasia by the K9s on The Front Line nonprofit and now lives with a disabled combat veteran.
• Therapy Hero Dog of the Year —Boone from Hookstown, Pennsylvania. He needs a special wheelchair to be mobile, but thrives as an ambassador for the nonprofit Joey’s P.A.W. (for “prosthetics and wheels”).
The event will be hosted by Emmy-winner Carson Kressley and feature pet-advocating celebrities, including actress Vivica A. Fox, Grammy winner Lisa Loeb, actress Alison Sweeney, the Alex Donner Orchestra and more.
“The Hero Dog awards celebrate America’s often unsung heroes,” says Pope. “From those who defend our country to those who help us heal, guide us, protect us, and help find the lost, every single contender exemplifies the courage and heroism we seek to spotlight in this campaign.
“I am proud to sponsor this event that is meant not only to honor these magnificent dogs, but to inspire Americans to reflect on the amazing contributions that animals make in our lives each and every day.”

Learn more
• For more details about the American Humane Hero Dog awards, visit www.americanhumane.org.
• For tickets to the Nov. 12 gala at the Eau, contact Mari Harner at marih@americanhumane.org. • For more information about the Lois Pope L.I.F.E. Foundation, visit www.life-edu.org.

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, author, speaker and master certified pet-first aid instructor. She hosts Oh Behave! weekly on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com.

The relocated Boca Raton Community Garden, now at Meadows Park, includes raised garden beds and a covered shelter.
Photo provided

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Just last month, the Boca Raton Community Garden celebrated a grand opening in its new location.

For the past 10 years, the popular garden thrived between the Downtown Library and where the railroad tracks are today. But when Brightline expressed interest in the location for a new station, the city was amenable.

And that’s when it offered the Junior League of Boca Raton, which sponsors the garden, an alternate 1.4-acre site in Meadows Park.

“In the heart of Boca Raton, it’s a great location for our new garden,” says league President Jamie Sauer.

On May 10, league members broke ground and by September, they had the wood-lined and soil-filled garden boxes ready for renting.

Neighbor to the Boca Raton Middle School, the garden has plenty of parking and is easily accessible to the students with whom the league women hope to team up for nature classes. A white walking bridge conveniently leads to homes in the nearby community. And a park pool attracts people to the area.

And, of course, the new location near a canal is in a prettier spot than the old one. But that comes with a caveat: Although the water attracts birds and other desirable wildlife, it also draws iguanas.

This is a concern for garden co-chairwomen Melanie Kamburian and Bridget Landford, who wonder whether the herbivorous lizards will chow down on the squash, eggplants, lettuces, herbs and other crops beginning to take root in the garden beds.

But a chain link fence with its lower portion covered in sheet metal extending 2 feet into the ground surrounds the garden in the hope it will keep the iguanas at bay.

“We urge people to keep the gates closed. And so far, we haven’t seen any in here,” says Landford, pointing to a sizable iguana on the canal bank outside the fence.

Since groundbreaking, workers have built 97 garden beds sized from 4-by-4 feet to 4-by-12 feet. Three of the boxes located by the garden gate along a brick path are raised a few feet off the ground to make them ADA accessible.

To make the garden feel more settled and honor its past, a number of items have been relocated from downtown. These include memorial benches and engraved bricks used in both locations for pathways.

Brightline also facilitated the move of mature fruit trees including two carambolas, a mango and a sugar apple to a spot just inside the fence. And the company arranged to relocate palm trees including towering coconut palms that shade a new mulch path along the canal.

It leads from the fenced garden to an area that will become a pollinator garden in phase two of the garden’s development, says Kamburian. Live oaks and a gumbo limbo also were relocated to provide shade to those who will want to watch the butterflies and bees at work.

On this sunny Sunday morning, Kamburian and Landford welcome gardeners to their plots. There’s the young boy with his parents who sticks a blue and silver pinwheel among the seeds he helped sow to deter birds from eating them.

A woman who just signed up for her plot is watering the soil to prepare it for planting. She hopes to grow vegetables and flowers. And as someone who eats healthy food, she’s glad the garden is organic.

Elsewhere an ambitious couple comes to see whether their watermelon, parsley, roselle, cucumbers, carrots, rainbow chard, leeks or cherry tomatoes have sent up shoots. One of them discovers her lemon balm is doing well and takes a few leaves to flavor her drinking water.

And then we meet Kristina Bergman with her partner, Mitzy Sosa, both of Delray Beach. Joined by Sosa’s sister Kimberley, they are busy planting their small plot for the first time.

“My work involves food but I don’t know much about growing it,” says Bergman, who is a registered dietitian.

Sosa, also a novice, has good advice for all the beginners: “I think to really learn, you have to get your hands dirty.”

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley can be reached at debhartz@att.net when it’s too hot to be in the garden.

If You Go
What: Junior League of Boca Raton Community Garden
Where: Recently relocated to Meadows Park, 1300 NW Eighth St.
Garden features:
• The garden is organic and growers are asked to donate 10% of their crops to Boca Helping Hands; www.bocahelpinghands.org.
• Garden plots come in 4-by-4 foot, 4-by-8 and 4-by-12 sizes, ranging in price from $45 to $110 for use during the 2021-22 growing season. They are available to residents and nonresidents; the city provides water for irrigation.
• You also can donate an engraved brick ($100 to $250).
Information: To ask a specific question, email
Garden@jlbr.org. To sign up for a garden plot or brick, visit www.jlbr.org/public-store.

Louis Hansen (right) of Gulf Stream and his AC Delray Rush teammate Christian Ofsanko of Delray Beach walk off the field with coach Luca Lagana during practice at Seacrest Soccer Complex in Delray Beach. Photo by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

The competition just wasn’t good enough.

AC Delray Rush, a youth soccer program based in Delray Beach that features two prominent players from Gulf Stream, dominated the competition in both the Palm Beach League and South Florida United League last year, at one point winning 17 straight games on its way to a 32-7-7 record.

Having come to the decision that the group they had been coaching for four years needed a bigger challenge, coaches Luca Lagana and Tony Valdepenas decided to raise the stakes, moving its age 13-and-under team up to the prestigious Florida State Premier League, the highest level in the state.

“The group needed a better challenge and a better opponent,” said Lagana, who was born and raised in Italy and played five years in the Italian Third Division. “The idea is to challenge them. It’s going to be harder, so they need to prove to themselves they can play.”

The jump in competition meant a significant change in the size of the playing field, from 75 yards long to 100, and from 45 yards wide to 70. The goals increased from 7 to 8 feet tall and from 16 to 24 feet wide — the full-size dimensions.

“It’s a huge difference, especially for the goalkeepers,” Lagana said.

The adjustment was a struggle early, as the team dropped its first four games. But it then improved to 4-5-1 by late last month.

Eamonn Endres, a midfielder, and Louis Hansen, a forward, make the trip from their homes in Gulf Stream to the Seacrest Soccer Complex in Delray for practices three days a week and games all over the state on weekends.

“They’re good players and really good guys,” Lagana said. “It’s very enjoyable to have them in the group.”

Eamonn said he started playing soccer at age 2, but his father, David, a physical therapist who is based in New York City, said his son’s game really started to improve when he began working with a coach with a European-style approach in Brooklyn at age 8.

“He brought out the best in him, taught him how to train properly, rather than just going out and kicking the ball,” David Endres said. “How to work it like a process.

“He was with him for three years in Brooklyn, and when we came down here this year, Luca had a very similar philosophy, so Eamonn fit right in.

“Luca and Tony are really great,” he added. “They’re so inviting; they brought him in and everybody on the team made him feel part of the team very quickly. The parents, knowing I go back and forth to New York a lot, volunteered to help get him to practices and games. So, it’s been a great experience.”

Gulf Stream resident Eamonn Endres, who just joined the 13-and-under team this year, gestures to Lagana as Liam Richter of Boynton Beach and Ofsanko listen to the exchange. Photo by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Louis Hansen led the team in scoring last year with 18 goals but spent the summer in Germany, not returning until mid-October. Although he spent time with a personal trainer overseas, the coaches determined his conditioning was not at a high enough level for him to play the full 90 minutes right away.

Nonetheless, he scored on a penalty kick in his first game back while coming on as a sub and playing just 25 minutes, then started and played 40 minutes his second game.

“The first game he drew the penalty and then converted it,” Valdepenas said. “He’s a phenomenal PK taker. Like a robot: He puts it in the lower right corner where no one can touch it."

“The second game we started him because the team we were playing, the Port St. Lucie Hurricanes, knew him and adjusted their defense to basically put two men on him, which opened things up for everyone else.”

Louis’ goal total actually dropped last year from two years ago, prompting criticism from his coaches for passing when he should have shot. Asked if he agrees with the long-held opinion that goal-scorers have to be selfish, Louis hesitated for a long moment before answering, “Yes.”

Valdepenas said Eamonn, meanwhile, has “fit in perfectly” with the team.

“That usually doesn’t happen, just because the spots on the team are so competitive,” he added. “They know they’re all working for a spot and there’s resistance when kids come in looking to take one. (But) Eamonn fit in well.”

Primarily a forward prior to joining the Rush, Eamonn has also adjusted to moving back to central midfield.

“It’s a bit of an adjustment to be more of a playmaker/ball mover,” Valdepenas said. “We encourage him to move up and take shots as well. But he’s definitely a big part of the team and doing really well.”

The highlight of Eamonn’s career came in May, when he scored four goals in a game against an all-star team from Orlando in the Bazooka tournament. The Rush reached the final of that event before losing to Port St. Lucie on penalty kicks.

The Rush, whose roster includes a girl, Kiana Sanchez, who primarily comes off the bench at right back, has been accepted into the field for the prestigious Dallas Snowball Cup Dec. 10-12 and is entered into a national tournament in Williamsburg, Virginia, next spring.

The latest state rankings have them 34th among more than 500 teams in their age group.

As for David Endres, he has nothing but good things to say about his son’s experience.

“He loves it,” he said. “Honestly, the kids on the team are his closest friends, and soccer is one of those sports where that happens.

“The kids on his teams become his closest friends and he spends the most time with them. It’s like a brotherhood — or in this case, brother and sisterhood.”

For more information on the team, visit https://acdelrayrush.com.

A study by Florida Atlantic University's Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and Mississippi State University is researching sharks that steal fish from anglers. Capt. Jake Booth holds a wahoo caught in 500 feet of water off Boynton Beach that was mutilated by a shark. Much of the wahoo was still salvaged for food. Photo provided by Capt. Chris Agardy, Fish Envy Charters.

By Willie Howard

Marine scientists are stepping up research on the problem of sharks stealing hooked fish by way of a study that will rely, in part, on reports from anglers along Florida’s east coast.

Florida Atlantic University’s Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute and researchers at Mississippi State University are sharing a $195,306 grant from NOAA Fisheries to gather more information on the frequency, location and species of sharks involved in shark depredation.

“Few studies have quantified the impact of depredation in recreational fisheries,” said Matt Ajemian, principal investigator on the study and director of the Fisheries Ecology and Conservation Lab at FAU Harbor Branch.

Ajemian has been working with the Facebook group named Sportsmen Fighting for Marine Balance. He and other researchers are asking anglers to continue to post photos and other information on the Facebook site when sharks maul or steal hooked fish.

Scientists would like information on the type of fish hit by sharks, the species of shark involved (if it can be determined) and the general location of where the depredation happened, such as depth, distance from shore and general location along the coast.

They’re not asking anglers to share precise fishing spots.

Palm Beach County offshore anglers have noticed the shark-stealing-fish problem for years, and some say it’s getting worse.

“The sharks are horrible,” said veteran Boynton Beach charter captain Chris Lemieux. “It’s a serious issue.”

Capt. Chip Sheehan of Boynton Beach-based Chips Ahoy Charters said he has seen the shark problem escalate in the past two years to include the mauling of sailfish — billfish that are almost always released alive by sport fishermen.

Sheehan, who has been charter fishing in the waters off Palm Beach County for 30 years, said about 20 of his sailfish have been attacked by sharks annually during the past two winter seasons.

Before that, he said, his sailfish were never “sharked.”

One of Capt. Chris Lemieux’s charter clients holds a sailfish that was mutilated by a shark after being hooked off southern Palm Beach County. Anglers release most sailfish they catch. Photo provided by Lemieux Fishing Charters

The problem of sharks eating fish hooked by anglers used to flare up mostly during the warm months, Sheehan said. Now, he said, it happens all year.

“Now you stop the boat and they’re sitting there waiting,” Sheehan said, referring to the sharks, which he says are mostly bull sharks and sandbar sharks.
One goal of the study is to positively identify which species of sharks are eating hooked fish. It can be hard to differentiate sharks, especially when they might be seen only for a few seconds, often well below the surface. Ajemian said the Mississippi State scientists will use DNA taken from the tissue of bitten fish to identify the sharks involved.

FWC proposes limited goliath grouper harvest

After years of debate over the fate of protected goliath grouper, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved a draft rule that would allow a limited harvest of the grouper in state waters.

The draft rule, approved in October, is expected to come back to the commission for a final vote in March.

A goliath grouper. Photo provided

The proposed harvest of goliath grouper would not be allowed in state waters off Palm Beach County or those south of Palm Beach through the Atlantic side of the Florida Keys.

In other parts of the state, the rule would allow the recreational harvest of up to 200 goliaths annually by anglers who win a random-draw lottery — and pay for a tag, priced at $500 under the proposal.

The limit would be one grouper per person annually. The season would be March 1 to May 31, and fish would have to measure between 20 inches and 36 inches to be legal to keep.

Lagoon restoration area expanding

The Tarpon Cove restoration area in the Lake Worth Lagoon is expanding with the addition of two more mangrove islands being created in part with sand dredged for the town of Palm Beach Marina expansion.

The $2.1 million project was scheduled to begin in October and should be complete in the spring.

Tarpon Cove is located on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway north of Southern Boulevard. Its two existing mangrove islands were completed in March 2020.

It’s one of several restoration islands created by Palm Beach County environmental officials, working with many partners, to improve habitat in the Lake Worth Lagoon — the estuary that stretches from North Palm Beach to Ocean Ridge.

Shorebirds are using the Tarpon Cove islands. Black skimmers and least terns arrived in May and nested.

Other birds observed at Tarpon Cove include blue herons, plovers, black-necked stilts, white ibises, roseate spoonbills, ruddy turnstones and a variety of gulls and terns.

Coming events

Nov. 6: Lagoonfest celebrating the Lake Worth Lagoon, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. along Flagler Drive, downtown West Palm Beach. Guided boat tours, kayak tours, sailing lessons, touch tanks, games and face painting for kids, native tree giveaway. Free. Details at www.Lagoonfest.com.
Dec. 4: Dust ’Em Off Sailfish Warmup tournament. Details and registration at www.dustemoffsailfish.com.

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Email tiowillie@bellsouth.net

Olga Kovaleuskaya reacts as her daughter Victoria, 18 months, throws a pumpkin through the air at “The Boca Pumpkin Patch Festival” at Mizner Park Amphitheater. Olga and her family reside in Boca Raton. Photo by Tim Stepien

Boca residents Samuel Meija, 5, and his cousin (Front,R) Daniel Rodriguez, 5, dress a scarecrow Saturday afternoon, one of the activities at “The Boca Pumpkin Patch Festival” at Mizner Park Amphitheater. Photo by Tim Stepien

Devon Silva-Frost, 2, of Boca Raton, enjoys making a pumpkin selection. Delray Beach native Samantha Frost came to the patch as a child and wanted to share the experience with her son. Photo provided by Samantha Frost

Delta Phi Epsilon sorority sisters from Florida Atlantic University pose for photos while they pick out pumpkins Sunday afternoon at Cason United Methodist Church in Delray Beach. Pictured left to right, Liv Roberti, Cooper Callahan, Chloe Tam and Amy Reynolds. Photo by Tim Stepien

Danielle Hurley of Boca Raton picks out pumpkins with her 6-year-old twins, Cameron Hurley and Leighton Hurley at Cason United Methodist Church in Delray Beach. Photo by Tim Stepien

By Rich Pollack

A state health alert for the waters near Bel Lido Drive remains in effect after a harmful blue-green algae bloom was discovered in Highland Beach two weeks ago.

An Oct. 6 visual inspection of the sampling area just south of the bridge from State Road A1A into the Bel Lido Isle community found no visible signs of the low-level algae bloom first identified on Sept. 23, a representative of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said.

Still, the agency is urging the public to remain cautious when around nearby waters until samples confirm no toxins are present. Those results are expected to be available early next week.

Department of Environmental Protection investigators have not yet determined the source of the blue-green algae bloom. But the department points out that increases in the delivery of nutrients to any particular water body can promote algae growth that can lead to the formation of a bloom. Warm water and changes in water flow can also contribute.

Health department officials urge residents to stay out of water where the algae bloom was reported and to also keep pets away from the area.

For more information, the state DEP encourages members of the community to visit its Algal Bloom Dashboard for updates on blue-green algae sampling events from around the state and information on how to report an algae bloom. The agency’s Protecting Florida Together website also gives community members a chance to receive daily updates on blue-green algae.

Workers stand near lumber retrieved from the Lofthus that was piled on the beach for transport to the mainland. Photos provided by the John Henry Moore Collection, Broward County Historical Archives, Broward County Library

123 years after the Lofthus ran aground off Manalapan, photos that offer first clear look at ship and a glimpse at pioneer life emerge from historian’s idle curiosity

By Ron Hayes

We’ve always known where to find the grave.
It rests 175 yards off Manalapan in 15 to 20 feet of water.
We’ve always known what happened: On the evening of Feb. 4, 1898, a vicious storm drove a Norwegian ship onto the coral reef.
We’ve always known what was left behind.
The crew of 16 reached shore safely in their life preservers, and a dog and cat were later rescued, but 930,000 feet of Southern pine bound for Buenos Aires was stranded on the grounded vessel.
And we’ve always known what it looked like, more or less. A single sepia photograph could be found online, faded and hazy, a copy of a copy of a copy.
The photograph is so old it looks like a ghost ship spied through dense fog. That was all the barkentine Lofthus left us to remember it by.
Until now.
On the evening of June 22, local historian Ginger Pedersen was at home, perusing the Broward County Library’s digital archives. She was merely curious, looking for nothing in particular, when she spotted a link to something called the John Henry Moore Collection.
The name meant nothing to her, but a tiny icon beside the link showed what appeared to be workmen posing before a palm tree.
That looks like a pioneer photo, Pedersen thought, and clicked. Among the small collection, she spotted a ship, a three-masted barkentine offshore, a small group of people onshore.
Oh, my God, that’s one of our shipwrecks.
Pedersen emailed the photo to Janet DeVries Naughton, a fellow historian and colleague at Palm Beach State College.
Is this the Coquimbo!!!!!
Yes, there were five exclamation points.
The Coquimbo, another Norwegian barkentine, had run aground off Boynton Beach in 1909, 11 years after the Lofthus.
Before Naughton could respond, Pedersen had zoomed in on the photo and there, perfectly legible on the bow, was a single word, Lofthus.
Among the other photos, she saw the pinewood cargo stacked on the shore, a tramway and windlass rising from the beach to the dunes, and gatherings of workmen who had loaded the pine onto the tram to be floated across Lake Worth to the mainland.
She saw a photo of the Lofthus offshore with the remains of the Oh Kim Soon, a smaller barkentine that had broken apart on the beach on Feb. 1, 1897, almost a year to the day before the Lofthus.
That ship’s hull is long gone.
Pedersen saw a sweet photo of a man holding a scrub jay in his hands while another sat atop his head.

Photographer John Henry Moore holds a scrub jay at his homestead in what is now Boca Raton. The birds were plentiful in the area at the time and were easily trained.

She had discovered 12 previously unknown, misidentified photographs that show the Lofthus clearly, introduce us to the men who brought the cargo ashore, and illustrate the importance of photography in historical research.

***

The crew of the Lofthus poses for John Henry Moore’s camera.

Built in England in 1869, the three-masted barque was first christened the Cashmere. For decades it worked the South Asia seas, sailing routes so dangerous that fake gunports had been painted on her sides to discourage Indonesian pirates.
In 1897, the Cashmere was sold to a Norwegian firm and the name changed to the Lofthus. It embarked on a new life in the Caribbean and South America, only to wreck off our coast the next year.
Along with the ship’s name, Pedersen could clearly discern those fake gunports on the port side.
The photo of this iron-hulled ship, 222 feet long with a 23-foot hold capable of bearing 930,000 feet of wood, was labeled “Sail Boat With People.”
According to the information on the link, the photos had been taken in 1899 in what is now Broward County.
All this was clearly incorrect.
But who was John Henry Moore?

***

On Nov. 15, 1988, a woman named Cecile Wilton wrote a letter to the Broward County Library.
“I’m delighted you desire the enclosed photos,” she wrote. “The man with the bird in his hands is my Great-Uncle Harry, altho his true name was John Henry Moore. He was a carpenter who worked on canals.”
The information accompanying the photos said Wilton lived in Terrehonne, Ohio.
Actually, she lived in Terrebonne, Oregon.
On July 8, Pedersen and Naughton met with Rochelle Pienn, the curator at the Broward County Library.
Pienne, who was not employed by the library in 1988 when the Moore collection arrived to be catalogued, brought out the original photographs from a gray, acid-free file box.
“The collection came with very little information,” Pienn explained in a recent email exchange, “and those who described it then did their best. The wonderful result, as often happens in archives, was that other scholars with more information — in this case Janet and Ginger — were able to help us make crucial identifications.”
The inaccurate link has been removed while the information is updated.

Moore (left) sits outside a palmetto hut on the beach.

John Henry Moore was born in Macoupin County, Illinois, in 1860. By 1899, he was in Boca Raton, paying $200 for 13 acres in a subdivision on which he began raising pineapples. Photos of his house are among the collection.
By Feb. 9, 1898, it was clear the Lofthus could not be refloated and so the contents were auctioned on the beach — the canned goods, hard tack, cooking utensils and guns.
The auctioneer was Major Nathan S. Boynton, whose name is now better known than John Henry Moore’s.
W.M. Brown of Titusville and L.C. Oliver of Miami paid $550 for the cargo of Southern pine, which had an estimated value of $35,000.
The man hired to get all that wood off the ship and across the dunes where it could be floated up to West Palm Beach and put on a train to Miami was Thomas Rickards, a Boca Raton pioneer and civil engineer who also sold lots for Henry M. Flagler.
Henry Moore had bought his 13 acres from Thomas Rickards.
We don’t know if Moore, the carpenter, helped build the tramway for transporting the wood. But we know he took pictures of it.
“Capt. Rickards has arranged a businesslike manner of getting the lumber off the bark,” The Tropical Sun reported on April 7, 1898. “We are told he gets off 6,000 feet a day.”

The wooden tram and windlass, designed by Thomas Rickards, transferred the wrecked ship’s cargo of lumber on the beach to Lake Worth, or what we now call the Intracoastal Waterway.

We’ve known about the wreck, the wood that was auctioned on the beach and the tramway that carried it over the dunes. All this is recorded in newspaper stories preserved in local history archives. But we couldn’t see it until Ginger Pedersen chanced on a mislabeled photo collection.
“Photographs are primary resources,” Janet Naughton says. “They illustrate and illuminate the past. In this case, no eyewitnesses remain, yet the images tell a visual story of not only the shipwreck, but its recovery efforts. The coastal topography, the flora, fauna, and the pioneer determination to overcome obstacles.”
Pedersen still marvels at the find.
“These photos are not copies,” she says. “I went down to the Broward library and handled them, the original photos. A painting is all in the mind of the artist, but there’s no disputing the facts you can get from an old photo.”

The salvaged lumber is ready to float along Lake Worth to West Palm Beach and Delray Beach.

On Aug. 4, 1898, a U.S. Navy tugboat began firing on the Lofthus’ hull, probably as target practice on its way to the Spanish-American war in Cuba.
A month later, 300,000 feet of wood was still in the ship’s hold, so dynamite was used to blow up the hull to free the remaining cargo. It worked, and the wood washed ashore.
In time, the wood was carried by train to Miami, where it was intended for a final home in yet another hotel Henry M. Flagler was planning in the Bahamas.
Thomas Rickards, the engineer who oversaw the cargo’s retrieval, left Boca Raton for North Carolina in 1903 after a hurricane destroyed his crops. He died in 1928.
In 1915, John Henry Moore sold his 13 acres for $400. Pedersen estimates they would be worth between $15 million and $20 million today.
By 1920, he was in Missouri, running a grocery store with his brother, and a decade later he’d moved on to Oregon, near his family. He never married and died in 1937, a half-century before Cecile Wilton, his great-niece, donated his photos to the Broward library.
Cecile Wilton died in 2006. She was 90.
On Jan. 6, 2004, the Lofthus wreck site was added to the National Register of Historic Places. It is Florida’s eighth “Underwater Archeological Preserve.”
In January 2013, a snorkeler named Steven Dennison happened upon the bow of the Coquimbo, situated in about 15 feet of water 350 yards off Ocean Ridge, apparently uncovered by the swirling waves raised by Hurricane Sandy the previous October.
When Dennison returned five months later, the sands had shifted and the Coquimbo had vanished. In the years since, the ship’s remains have occasionally been visible after passing storms stirred the sands.

John Henry Moore’s house, situated on property that is now part of Lake Wyman Park in Boca Raton.

When Pedersen consulted the county land records, she found that John Henry Moore’s 13 acres in Boca Raton had been part of a subdivision ranging from what is now Northeast Fifth Avenue to the Intracoastal Waterway.
“I’ve got to go there,” she said.
Perhaps it was all gone now, nothing but condos and office buildings, but she was curious. Curiosity had led to his photographs, after all.
And so, on Sunday morning, Aug. 22, she found herself in Lake Wyman Park. The northern end of Moore’s former home is now at the southern end of the park.
“There are towering pine trees there,” she recalled after her visit, “not Australian pines, but Florida slash pines, maybe Dade County pine, very, very old.
“They were probably here when Henry Moore was there.”

Section A, Lot 5 is believed to be his homestead. Map provided by the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum

A boat speeds along the Intracoastal Waterway north of Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack and Jane Smith

It was a perfect Florida June day when Harold “JR” Ewing, his wife and daughter boarded their 16-foot boat and headed north on the Intracoastal Waterway from Boca Raton to Delray Beach for lunch with friends.
Ewing’s boat slowed in the water off Highland Beach as a larger southbound boat created a sizable wake. Not all the boats in the area cut their speeds, however. Instead, the operator of a 29-foot Century apparently didn’t see Ewing’s boat in front of him and plowed into it, crushing the smaller vessel.
Ewing, who was behind the console, was struck by the Century’s bow and suffered numerous serious injuries, including the loss of sight in his left eye, paralysis on his right side, more than 28 skull fractures, spine fractures, a broken shoulder and three broken ribs.
“What upsets me is that I was blindsided,” he said. “He went up and over us. There was nothing I could do.”
Ewing, 48, and his wife, MaryJane, hope that renewed efforts by elected officials in Delray Beach and Highland Beach will persuade state lawmakers to implement regulations — including enforcing speed limits on the Intracoastal Waterway — to enhance safety.
“It’s sad what happened to me, but it shouldn’t happen to anyone else,” Ewing said.
Less than three months after Ewing’s June 6 accident, police, fire rescue personnel and officers from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were back near the water off of Highland Beach, this time responding to a crash in which seven people were thrown from a boat after it crashed into a sea wall. A 37-year-old woman died from her injuries.
While that accident is still under investigation, a citation was filed in the crash involving Ewing. The operator of the Century was cited for violation of navigational rules that results in an accident causing serious bodily injury, according to an FWC report. The violation is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by 60 days in jail or a $500 fine.
With both those accidents in mind, Highland Beach commissioners last month considered a resolution asking the FWC to “actively enforce existing designated boating speeds and all boating safety measures along that part of the Intracoastal Waterway that abuts the town of Highland Beach.”
Highland Beach’s proposed resolution, currently being revised, comes after Delray Beach commissioners twice passed a similar resolution. Delray Beach approved a resolution in February 2020 and a similar one in June, both asking the FWC to lower the boat speeds to a slow-speed/no-wake zone in a section of the Intracoastal.
Highland Beach’s proposal, however, is focused on increasing enforcement rather than on reducing speed.
Both communities, however, are focused on making the Intracoastal safer.
In Delray Beach, commissioners in September agreed to spend $65,000 on a 23-foot boat, with the money coming from the city garage fund that police and fire departments pay into annually. The boat will be purchased in October, then four officers will be trained to operate it before it is deployed.
Highland Beach commissioners also agreed to investigate the possibility of purchasing a boat, something residents say is much needed.
The boat in Delray Beach will allow marine patrol officers to enforce the laws, respond to emergencies and patrol the 3-plus miles of the Intracoastal, the beachfront, Lake Ida and 15-plus miles of canals, according to the supporting material.
Delray Beach Police Chief Javaro Sims plans to strike deals with nearby police departments in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach with their own marine units. The agreements would allow the marine units to pursue speeding boats into neighboring cities.
Delray Beach barrier island resident Pam Daley said the police boat was “a marvelous step forward to having a no-wake zone in the section of the Intracoastal. ... We will welcome it whenever it comes.”
The police boat also will help residents who live on the other side of the Intracoastal and are affected by wakes from speeding boaters on the waterway.
Patrick Potak, who has owned Marina Delray Inc., at the western base of the George Bush Boulevard bridge for 26 years, said wakes at times have damaged his docks and boats tied up there. He called the city’s plan to have its own marine patrol boat “good news for the residents and my marina.”
All along the waterway, wakes continue to be a concern for residents and are an issue for Ewing and his wife as they try to deal with challenges that come from the June accident.
“During the weekends it should all be no-wake zones from the Hillsboro Inlet to Boynton Beach,” Ewing said.
After undergoing his sixth surgery in September, Ewing said he is fortunate that the incident happened behind the town’s fire station where he could get a quick response. He’s grateful that his family members were not injured.
His wife and 14-year-old daughter were in the bow of the boat. The girl’s twin brother, who probably would have been at the console, decided at the last minute not to make the trip.
“For all the things that went wrong, there were a few things that went right,” said Ewing, who lives in Boca Raton and owns a construction services business. He can operate his business from the office but is no longer able to work in the field. “I’m in a bad way but I’m alive and here.”
The Ewings also are grateful for the support they have received from the community, including the more than 200 people who have contributed to a GoFundMe account that has raised more than $50,000.
That can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/harolds-adventure-partner.

Sean Kopins, who works at Marina Delray, encourages boaters to take it slow. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach kept its tax rate the same, but increased property values will give the city slightly more cash in the budget year that began Oct. 1.
The city’s tax rate — $6.66 per $1,000 of taxable value — is the same as last year’s when the pandemic shut down cities nationwide. The rate for debt service is down slightly to 17.9 cents per $1,000.
The city is using about $4.6 million from the American Rescue Plan Act to help balance the $152.3 million budget, leaving $873,660. That use is allowed by the U.S. Treasury, John Lege, finance director, told city commissioners at the Aug. 24 budget workshop.
Sixteen vacant positions, totaling $1.2 million, will be filled in January, saving 25% of their salaries or an estimated $291,635 in the budget year. The positions include five firefighters, three police officers and a lifeguard.
City Manager Terrence Moore did his part by eliminating the position of legislative affairs manager held by Jason King, whom previous manager George Gretsas hired. King was notified in August that his job would not be funded.
Mayor Shelly Petrolia suggested at the August workshop that it might be a future savings measure for the city to no longer handle building permits for Gulf Stream. Because of the contentious nature of some of the town’s residents, the city’s building clerks must spend time pulling records for the town when there is a public records request. Petrolia asked Moore to look into the Gulf Stream permit situation.
The current tax rate for Delray Beach will bring in about $80.5 million in property tax income. The city’s contribution to its Community Redevelopment Agency is $16.1 million, leaving about $64.4 million in the city’s general fund.
At the first budget public hearing on Sept. 13, Petrolia pointed out an item to remember when discussing next year’s budget. “We are always told that the tax rate set in July can be lowered. But think about all the work that the staff did and how difficult it would be to change in September,” she said.
To plan for future shortfalls, such as if the investment rates fall for the three pension funds the city must pay, new revenue sources must be found.
To that end, the police department received permission to buy a patrol boat for $65,000. Chief Javaro Sims told commissioners that with the boat purchase, his officers will generate income by ticketing boat operators for speeding and other violations.
At the second budget hearing on Sept. 23, Commissioner Juli Casale said, “I’m excited because this is my first year with actual items in budget.”
She pushed for the Coastal Habitat Conservation Plan, which will inventory all the plants on the municipal beach.
The Beach Bucket brigade is a more modest project that she suggested. She envisions canvas bags hanging on a vertical pole. Beachgoers could take a bag and use it to help clean up the beach.
Both projects are in the city’s beach management fund of $510,050.

By Rich Pollack

Residents planning to run for elected office in most March 2022 municipal elections will discover that paperwork is required to be filed earlier than in years past — thanks in part to a request from the county’s supervisor of elections.
In a letter to clerks and elected leaders in most municipalities, Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Wendy Sartory Link asked that each entity that hasn’t already done so adjust its qualifying period so it ends prior to the 95th day before the March 8 election in order for her office to get ballots out in time.
As a result, cities and towns holding elections will close the qualifying period before the last week in November.
Sartory Link said that her office needs time to create and print ballots as well as code the election in order to meet statutory requirements, such as ensuring that military and overseas ballots are mailed 45 days before the election.
It’s important, she said, for all municipalities to meet the qualifying period deadline.
“Our system does not allow us to ‘close’ or move forward one city at a time, so any delay by one municipality results in our inability to move forward with others,” she said. “I can’t do it for anybody until I do it for everybody.”
To meet the Friday, Dec. 3, deadline, most municipalities in coastal South Palm Beach County have already moved up their qualifying periods.
In Highland Beach, for example, the qualifying period will begin on the second Tuesday in November, Nov. 9, and end on the fourth Tuesday, Nov. 23. That is two weeks earlier than last year. Qualifying periods in Briny Breezes and South Palm Beach are also Nov. 9-23.
In Ocean Ridge, qualifying this year will begin on Nov. 1 and end on Nov. 12. In Manalapan qualifying is Nov. 2-16, and in Lantana it’s Nov. 8-19.
There are no scheduled March elections in Gulf Stream, Boca Raton and Delray Beach.

By Joe Capozzi

Manalapan officials are vowing to continue fighting a possible plan by a powerful union to create a new taxing district for Palm Beach County Fire Rescue service.
The county’s firefighters and paramedics union this summer considered a plan to initiate legislation next year that would allow the creation of the taxing district and have it up and running by October 2023.
But concerns from some municipalities led the union in September to postpone the proposal indefinitely, Scott Bielecky, president of the Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach County, Local 2928, told The Coastal Star on Sept. 20. 
“I’m not going to say it’s completely gone, but I don’t believe it’ll come back any time soon,’’ he said.  
“There are a lot of questions. The intent was not to have people so opposed to it without understanding it. We just ran into confusion over it.’’
Bielecky said he was reluctant to get into specifics of the original proposal. But a document circulated to municipalities offered a general outline of a taxing district aimed at offering the most efficient use of tax dollars while ensuring “fair and equitable costs” to residents and visitors.
It would not be fair and equitable for homeowners in Manalapan, town officials said.
The small but wealthy town of 419 residents will pay about $1.58 million under a contract with the county’s Fire Rescue for service in the year that started Oct. 1.
The proposed new district would have scrapped Fire Rescue’s system of offering service to the county’s unincorporated areas and 19 municipalities through two municipal service taxing units or service contracts.
If the proposal had gone through, Manalapan homeowners would have paid a tax rate levied against the assessed value of their properties. Under the current contract, Manalapan’s costs are based on either South Palm Beach’s assessed property values or the actual cost to run the station next to Town Hall, Manalapan Town Manager Linda Stumpf said.
Property values in Manalapan are just under $1.5 billion while values in neighboring South Palm Beach, which also has a contract with county Fire Rescue, are roughly $457 million. 
“It’s not good for Manalapan if this goes forward, and the union is pushing for it,’’ Stumpf told the Town Commission on Sept. 17.
“When I heard about it I was horrified, because it affects us substantially. It will affect the rest of the people in the county, because the millage rate will be a little bit higher than that MSTU.’’
Stumpf said her understanding is that Manalapan and Jupiter would take the biggest hits of all the county’s municipalities. 
“It will cost you substantially more than you pay now,’’ she told the commissioners, urging them to voice their opposition to local legislators. 
The proposed new district would have offered relief to Manalapan’s general fund budget, by removing the $1.5 million cost for the fire rescue contract, but town taxpayers would have ended up with a higher annual tax bill, she said. 
Mayor Keith Waters noted that Manalapan would have paid three times more than South Palm Beach for fire rescue under the proposed district.
“That’s not fair,’’ he said in an interview after the meeting. “Just because we have nicer homes doesn’t mean we have more people.’’ 
Bielecky said town officials needn’t worry.
“I don’t see it coming back any time in the near future and I’m sure if it were to, there’d be a lot more discussion,’’ he said. “If we bring it back, we will reach out ... and answer any questions.’’
In other business, Stumpf said the town remained at an impasse on a new police contract because the police union is objecting to her coronavirus policy at a time when the pandemic is affecting the town’s police force. 
The policy ranges from wearing protective masks to testing protocols for vaccinated and unvaccinated people, but the union felt it was too restrictive, she said. 
“We have one more meeting with them to see if we can come up with something that is agreeable,’’ she said Sept. 10.  “I just think we need to protect the residents and employees here with a policy that gives us some restrictions.’’ 
Meanwhile, the police chief’s September report mentioned at least one officer hospitalized with COVID-19 and plans to hire a part-time officer.
“Unscheduled absences continue to occur due to COVID-19,’’ Chief Carmen Mattox wrote Sept. 10. “Personnel have tested positive and require time to recover. Others have been exposed and are required to quarantine. At this time no vacations are being approved until staffing levels increase.’’

• The commission approved a $12.48 million budget and 3.1695 tax rate for the year that started Oct. 1. The tax rate is the same as the previous year.

By Steve Plunkett

Roads in the town’s core district won’t be torn up in 2022 or 2024, but get ready for detours in most of 2023.
Gulf Stream commissioners decided on Aug. 13 to make improvements to streets, drainage and water mains on both the west and east sides of the core area of town instead of spreading the work out over three years. Construction will begin in January 2023 and end 11 months later.
Commissioners were pleased to be told that they might save 5% on the roadwork construction costs by combining the core-area projects and that the town has enough money to pay for the work without borrowing.
“We’ve got a very healthy fund balance in the general fund. We have the money,” said Rebecca Tew, the town’s chief financial officer.
At their Sept. 10 meeting commissioners learned that motorcycle companies are seeking a zoning change in Delray Beach to allow dealerships east of Federal Highway and north of George Bush Boulevard, where automakers already have showrooms backing up to Place au Soleil.
Assistant Town Attorney Trey Nazzaro said the chosen area, if approved, would have minimal effect on Delray Beach residents.
“Therefore it’s going to impact us the most,” he said, promising a vigorous lobbying effort against the change.
In other business in August and September, commissioners:
• Adopted the rollback rate, $3.67 per $1,000 of taxable value, for fiscal 2022, which began Oct. 1, meaning the town will take in the same amount of property taxes as it did the previous year. Gulf Stream has adopted the rollback rate or below for the past six years.
• Rejected an appeal from 3247 Polo Drive to not have to replace a 25-foot gumbo limbo tree. New owner Graham Conklin said the tree was cut down before he bought the property in January. Town staff said it was removed Jan. 14. The Architectural Review and Planning Board had ruled he must remove a stump and plant a suitable replacement.
• Approved a request by The Little Club to build two pickleball courts 600 feet from the nearest neighbors. An earlier application for courts only 50 feet from residences had been denied.

By Joel Engelhardt

The population of the six barrier island towns of South County grew at an 11.7% pace over the past 10 years, a slightly lower rate than the county as a whole, census 2020 figures show.
The four larger municipalities with barrier island residents — Lantana, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton — grew at a 14.6% rate, matching Florida’s overall growth rate.
Florida, the nation’s third-largest state, grew to 21.5 million residents, figures from the decennial nationwide count show. 
The state’s third-largest county, Palm Beach, rose by 13% to 1.49 million residents, while the nation as a whole grew by 7.3% to 331 million residents.
The figures, released Aug. 12 and updated Sept. 16, will be used for redistricting seats in Congress and the Florida Legislature, as well as the Palm Beach County Commission. The census also is used to determine how much cities and towns get in federal and state revenues. 
Here’s a breakdown of the count for the 10 South County barrier island municipalities.

South Palm Beach
After the confusion of the 2000 census, which initially put the South Palm Beach population at 699 but later updated the count to 1,531, the town’s count is beginning to achieve equilibrium.
This year, the census is “spot-on,” Town Manager Robert Kellogg said, with 1,471 residents, an 8.3% increase over 2010’s adjusted count.
The rise is due to the inclusion of two condo buildings on the southern edge of town at the Lantana border, 4500 and 4501 S. Ocean Blvd., Kellogg said. Both buildings, totaling 114 units, were counted in Lantana in 2010, he said. 
The head count also coincides with the estimate of 1,460 residents in 2020 made by the University of Florida’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research.
That’s a big change from the past two Census Bureau efforts. 
The updated 2000 count, which came about when the Census Bureau realized it had put many town residents in Palm Beach or Lantana, held until 2010, when the bureau again had to reassess its South Palm count. 
In 2010, the bureau first put the population at 1,171, a 30% decline over the amended 2000 number, but later changed it to 1,358 — a mere 12.7% drop.
The 2020 count gave South Palm Beach a 24% rise in housing units, the second-highest in the county, behind only Gulf Stream.
South Palm Beach had the county’s highest housing vacancy rate at 49%, down from 50% 10 years ago. Aside from capturing empty homes, the vacancy rate takes into account seasonal homes where the owner lists another home as primary. 
South Palm Beach also saw an increase in residents who considered themselves white and not Hispanic, rising 15.5% since 2010. 
At the same time, the town’s Hispanic population grew to 8% from 4% 10 years ago.
The Census Bureau considers Hispanic origin to be an ethnicity, not counted in its racial numbers. The numbers of white, Black and Asian people cited in this story are those who did not claim Hispanic origin or more than one race. The bureau allows residents to claim up to six races.

Briny Breezes
The population of Briny Breezes dropped 16.5% to 502, the Census Bureau said, the largest percentage decline of any municipality in Palm Beach County. The number is 75 fewer people than the bureau’s April 2020 estimate for the town. 
The only other Palm Beach County municipalities to lose population over 10 years were Belle Glade, Pahokee and South Bay in the Glades and the two tiniest towns in the county, Glen Ridge and Cloud Lake.
“It’s a disappointment to me to hear that our population has dropped,” Town Council President Sue Thaler said. “We were afraid of that with the COVID shutdown, especially as it affected our Canadian residents. Many had to drop everything and return immediately to Canada in March 2020.”
Residents, including those from other countries, who departed before April 1, the official head count day, would not have been counted. Town volunteers took to the phones to call residents and urge them to complete a census form. 
“If there is something we can do about it I hope we do, because the undercount, I’ve been saying since COVID hit, is going to affect us for the next 10 years,” Thaler said. Census data is used to determine how federal and state revenues are shared among towns and counties. 
The 2020 drop comes 10 years after Briny recorded a 46% population increase. 
The Census Bureau appears to have rectified an error in its 2010 census, which counted 800 housing units in Briny Breezes, an impossible number in a town with just 488 lots. The 2020 census puts the number of housing units at 523. 
With the drop in housing units came a drop in the percentage considered vacant, from a countywide high of 53.5% in 2010 to 41.1% in 2020.
The town remained mostly white, at 95%, but registered 16 Hispanic residents, an increase over five Hispanic residents recorded in 2010.

Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream remained mostly white and growing in 2020, with the census showing a 21% population increase to 954. The rate of increase is the fourth-highest among the county’s municipalities and well beyond the countywide growth rate of 13%. 
It keeps Gulf Stream’s population ahead of the same six towns as 10 years ago — Briny Breezes, Manalapan, Jupiter Inlet Colony, the Village of Golf, Glen Ridge and Cloud Lake — plus the county’s newest city, Westlake, which has 906 residents.
The population rose from 786, buoyed by the 2011 annexation of 16.6 acres north of town, which was expected to add about 150 new residents, as well as the conversion of single-home estates into multiple lots. 
The bureau counted 662 homes in Gulf Stream, with 457 occupied, producing a 31% vacancy rate. That’s 137 housing units more than in 2010. The 26% rise in housing units was the highest rate in the county.
The town’s population registered 93% non-Hispanic white and 5% Hispanic, a rise from 4% 10 years ago.

Manalapan
Manalapan registered a 3.2% population increase, the 10th-smallest rise among municipalities in Palm Beach County, to 419 residents. The climb is 30% since 2000, when the Census Bureau counted 321 residents. The population remains overwhelmingly non-Hispanic white, at 92%, up from 90% 10 years ago. The census counted 306 housing units, down from 339 in 2010. The vacancy rate stood at 33.6%.

Ocean Ridge
Ocean Ridge’s population rose 2.8%, the ninth-smallest increase in the county, to 1,830 residents. Its population is 9% higher than it was 20 years ago, and remains more than 90% white.
The Hispanic share of its population rose to 4.3%, up from 2.9% in 2010, and the number of Asians in Ocean Ridge doubled to 30 from 15.
The town’s housing vacancy rate dipped slightly to 37.5% and the number of housing units dropped by just four, to 1,557.

Highland Beach
The town dominated by waterfront condos saw a 21.3% population increase to 4,295 in 2020 and a correspondingly sharp 21.7% rise in housing units. 
The population number is nearly 10% more than the April 2020 Census Bureau estimate and 17.5% greater than the University of Florida’s 2020 estimate for the town.
Highland Beach retained its position as the 21st-largest town in the county but the town grew at the fifth-highest rate among municipalities countywide.
The Census Bureau counted 774 more housing units in Highland Beach in 2020, but a corresponding rise in vacancies left the vacancy rate nearly unchanged at 43%.
The town added one large condo building since 2010, the eight-story Seagate condo at 3200 S. Ocean Blvd., though it added just 19 housing units. 
Still, residents volunteered to go door-to-door during the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020 to urge people to fill out their census forms, more families moved in and many residents switched their primary homes to Highland Beach, said town Commissioner Peggy Gossett-Seidman. 
“I’m pleasantly surprised people answered,” Gossett-Seidman said.
The town remained more than 90% white, with a rise in its Asian population to nearly 2% and a Black population of about a half percent. Hispanics represent 5.4% of the town’s population, up from 3.6% in 2010.

Lantana
Lantana retained its place as the 15th-largest municipality in Palm Beach County, with a 10.3% population gain to 11,504. Its white population dipped nearly 3% to just below half, at 49.6%. Its Black population rose nearly 24% and now represents nearly one-quarter of the town’s population. One-fifth of the town’s residents consider themselves Hispanic.
The census showed a 9% rise in housing units in Lantana, to 5,659.

Boca Raton, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach
Among the three large cities with coastal populations, Delray Beach grew the slowest, at a 10.4% clip, while Boca Raton gained 15.4% and Boynton Beach gained 17.8%. Over the past 20 years, Boca Raton and Boynton Beach grew by nearly a third while Delray grew by just 11%.
Boca Raton, with 97,422 people, retained its position as the second-largest city in the county, behind West Palm Beach.
Boynton Beach’s population reached 80,380, third-highest in the county, with Delray Beach next at 66,846.
All three cities saw a decline in white non-Hispanic populations, with whites in Boynton Beach dipping below half to 47.3%. Boynton Beach’s Black population rose to one-third.
Boca Raton, which was 84% white in 2000, stood at 70.8% white and 7% Black, while Delray went from 61.8% white 20 years ago to 57.4% white and 27% Black.
The Hispanic population of the three cities rose from less than 10% 20 years ago to 15% in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach and 11.6% in Delray Beach.
All three cities added housing at a rapid clip, with Delray Beach’s housing stock rising by 11.3%. Boca Raton’s and Boynton Beach’s housing stocks both went up by 9.4%.

A volunteer monitor from Sea Turtle Adventures checks a nest on the beach in Ocean Ridge on Aug. 13. The nonprofit found 75 green turtle nests this year in Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes and part of Ocean Ridge. Mary Kate Leming/The Coastal Star

By Larry Keller

Looking for a trend in this year’s South County sea turtle nesting? There isn’t one. The ancient critters were as capricious as a tropical storm when it came to what beaches they chose for laying eggs.
“It’s a little bit of a mixed bag this year,” said Joanne Ryan, who holds the permit to tabulate sea turtle nests in Highland Beach.
Nesting season runs from March 1 to Oct. 31, although a few turtles may lay eggs before and after those dates. Females lumber ashore after dark, dig nests and deposit 100 or so eggs each. Ideally, after a couple of months, hatchlings will emerge en masse like a tiny armored battalion charging undaunted into the sea.
Although there were no disruptions from major storms or beach renourishment projects this year, the number of green sea turtle nests decreased. The numbers are unlikely to change much, if at all, this late in the season.
There were 190 nests spotted by the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center team that surveys nests on 5 miles of Boca Raton shoreline, said David Anderson, sea turtle conservation coordinator.
In 2019, however, a record-high 393 green turtle nests were counted on Boca Raton beaches — more than double this year’s total. That’s an apt year for comparison, since greens normally nest in much greater numbers in odd-numbered years.
“We were thinking we might get 300” this year, Anderson said.
Like Boca Raton, Delray Beach had an all-time high in green sea turtle nests in 2019, with 52.
This year: only 28, said Joe Scarola, senior scientist at Ecological Associates Inc., which monitors 3 miles of shoreline there. Delray Beach’s nesting data goes back to 1984.
Despite the declines, one year does not make a trend with a species that lives and nests for decades, Anderson and Scarola said.
“It’s nothing to be concerned about,” Anderson said.
“I don’t see anything to worry about,” Scarola added. Sea turtles sometimes seem to develop nesting patterns, only to abruptly surprise researchers by doing something different, he said.
The nonprofit Sea Turtle Adventures monitors nests on 3 miles of beaches in Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes and part of Ocean Ridge. Its team found 75 green turtle nests this year versus 121 in 2019, said Jackie Kingston, president and founder of the organization.
At tranquil Highland Beach, however, which has no public access and therefore fewer human distractions, there were 285 nests, Ryan said.
Of the three species of sea turtles that nest locally, loggerheads are the most prolific. In Boca Raton, it was a below average season for them as well.
Gumbo Limbo tallied 647 loggerhead nests as of Sept. 21. That’s down from 756 last year and 913 the year before, and the fewest since 2010. Loggerheads typically finish nesting in Boca Raton by mid-August, Anderson said. “We thought we might get 800 or so.”
Maybe they liked the sand in Delray Beach better. Some 353 loggerhead nests were spotted there, easily topping the prior record of 290 in 2019 and last year’s total of 285, Scarola said.
At Highland Beach, there were 815 loggerhead nests, down from 978 last year, Ryan said.
On Kingston’s stretch of shoreline, there were 665 nests this year, almost the same as the 645 last year, she said.
Enormous leatherbacks are the first to arrive and to leave local beaches. Kingston’s team counted a record number 24 nests this year, up from 19 last year, which was the previous high.
On Boca beaches, a healthy 21 leatherback nests were counted by Gumbo Limbo, compared to 13 last year. That was the most tallied since 2015 when it found 25. Its nesting numbers date back to 1988.
In Delray Beach, 15 leatherback nests were found. That’s fewer than last year’s record of 21, but the same number as in 2019, Scarola said.
Six nests were found on Highland Beach, compared to 11 last year, Ryan said.
Leatherback nest counts are comparatively meager, because these turtles go ashore in far greater numbers to the north on Florida’s east coast. Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, for example, counted 235 leatherback nests this year on the 9.5 miles of North County beaches it monitors.
Gumbo Limbo staffers counted more false crawls this season than normal, Anderson said. This occurs when a turtle comes ashore after dark, then heads back to the ocean without laying her eggs.
Movement and lights on the beach from cellphones and flashlights, beach furniture and the presence of predators such as raccoons are among the reasons this happens. “They’re very skittish and finicky” as to where they nest, Anderson said.
This year, 60% of sea turtles’ drop-ins at Boca beaches resulted in false crawls, compared to 55% to 58% normally, Anderson said.
It was the same in Delray Beach, Scarola said.
There was about a 50% false crawl observed on beaches patrolled by Ryan in Highland Beach, and by Sea Turtle Adventures, farther north. Ryan and Kingston said that’s typical on their beaches.
Other than the leatherback record-high nest total, Kingston said, “It’s been a pretty uneventful season.”

Three of the dozen or so migrants who came ashore in Ocean Ridge are escorted by police across Old Ocean Boulevard. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Multiple law enforcement agencies responded around 9:15 p.m. Aug. 26 after a fishing boat with at least a dozen migrants came ashore in Ocean Ridge. Because of the number of people on the boat, the Department of Homeland Security requested assistance from local law enforcement. Personnel from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Boynton Beach police, Ocean Ridge police and other agencies responded and took part in the apprehension of at least a dozen men, women and children. Aviation, ground, canine, ATV, beach patrol and marine units were all part of the response. The U.S. Border Patrol was investigating the incident.

The boat provided a point of interest for curious neighbors the next morning.

By Joe Capozzi

Some unanticipated late-year windfalls for the town’s coffers will soften the blow on higher tax bills Ocean Ridge property owners can expect for 2021-22. 
Commissioners voted 4-1 on Sept. 21 to raise the tax rate for the first time in 10 years to $5.50 per $1,000 of taxable value from $5.35. Commissioner Geoff Pugh voted no.
In July, the commission set a tentative rate of $5.65 to balance an $8.8 million budget. But over the next two months, a financial analysis showed the town probably wouldn’t need to tap into the nearly $800,000 from reserves that had been earmarked for the budget year that ended Sept. 30. 
“The good news for us is we’ve had some windfalls,” Mayor Kristine de Haseth said. 
The biggest coup came from the building department, which will have brought in more than $1.1 million in revenue for the budget year that ended Sept. 30, Town Manager Tracey Stevens said. 
“We’ve never received a million dollars in revenue in the building department. That goes to show you how busy the building department is right now. We projected we’d only take in $350,000,” Stevens said Sept. 7.
Also, the town took in $116,000 from a lien related to code violations on an oceanfront property and will get small reductions in insurance costs next year. 
For the owner of a home valued at $1 million, the rate of $5.50 per $1,000 will add $387 to the tax bill for town services — $156 less than the increase would have been with a $5.65 rate.
If the commission had kept the rate at $5.35 per $1,000, taxes would still have gone up because property values increased 4.3% over last year to $1.15 billion. The town also would have needed to tap nearly $500,000 from reserves to balance the budget, a strategy that didn’t sit well with a majority of commissioners.  
The proposed budget calls for potentially tapping $331,000 from reserves. Whether that money will be needed won’t be known until next summer. 
Stevens said $650,171 was projected to go back into reserves by Sept. 30.
The tax rate has been $5.35 per $1,000 for the past nine years except for 2018, when it dropped to $5.25 per $1,000.
 Pugh said he didn’t think a tax rate increase was needed.
“I understand saving for a rainy day, but I also understand when you don’t need to do something. It’s not imperative,” he said.
The need to use reserve money in the new budget is based on increases in payroll and benefits outlined in the town’s union contract along with drainage and infrastructure maintenance, Stevens said.

By Joe Capozzi

Anyone, including the public, must now wear a protective mask when entering Ocean Ridge Town Hall. 
The Town Commission agreed to the policy Sept. 7 at the request of Vice Mayor Susan Hurlburt.
An earlier effort to approve the same mask mandate failed Aug. 2 because Hurlburt was absent. The commission voted 2-2 on the policy, but a majority vote was required to pass it.
Instead, the commission that day agreed to require only municipal staff to wear masks at Town Hall and in police headquarters, with the public being excluded from the mandate. 
On Sept. 7, Hurlburt said the pandemic is too deadly and unpredictable for the town to take any chances. 
Boca Raton’s mask mandate excludes the public. But Hurlburt noted that just about all other neighboring municipalities have required the public to wear masks in government buildings, in accordance with CDC guidelines to help contain the highly contagious Delta variant of the coronavirus. 
“Any and every extra level of protection needs to be utilized until it’s under control,’’ Hurlburt said. “For one more layer of protection, I don’t think it’s too much to ask for people who come into Town Hall.’’
Commissioner Geoff Pugh reluctantly agreed with the change, saying he’d go along with whatever was needed to make town staff comfortable. 
“I am vaccinated. I cannot wear a mask. It just drives me crazy,’’ he said. “If staff voted as a whole to say yes, we want (the public to wear) masks and at a certain time, I have no problem with it. I just think some of it is a little over the top. I’m sitting 3 feet away from each one of you. So what does this do?’’
“We know we are vaccinated,’’ Hurlburt replied. “We don’t know whoever comes into Town Hall isn’t.’’
Mayor Kristine de Haseth said the town staff is vulnerable because it is small. 
“If we lose one or two members and the rest have to go into quarantine, our Town Hall could be shut down. It’s not even worth, in my opinion, to be even having this discussion,’’ she said. 
“If there is one small thing we can do that would save somebody, none of us are experts, and it changes so quickly, but I would think that we could make a decision on something that is very, very easy and very, very simple than make the wrong decision and have that on our backs.’’
About 70% of the Police Department employees are vaccinated, Chief Richard Jones said.
He also said that more police employees have tested positive in the past four months than during the first phase of the pandemic.
“If we lose staff, especially in dispatch where they are sharing the same equipment over and over from one shift to the next, if I lose two people in dispatch, I’m going to be critically unable to answer 911s without having to man those stations by (paying) overtime to police officers,’’ the chief said.
“It doesn’t hurt us to wear masks. Our employees are mostly doing it anyways. There is no opposition from us.’’

A heavy rain and high tides on Sept. 21 challenged all of the swales on Hypoluxo Island, including the rocky one that Patrick McGeehin created in his yard. Water was much deeper on some parts of the island’s drive. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

Patrick McGeehin, who lives on North Atlantic Drive — a street prone to flooding after heavy rains and king tides — came up with a swale idea.
Working with his landscaper, McGeehin put rocks in his swale and, sure enough, when the next heavy downpour hit the island, McGeehin’s swale drained the water and kept the street outside his property flood-free.
His plan worked, he said, but the rocks violated the Lantana town code and he was cited. Rocks, no matter how attractive he made them, were not among the town-approved materials to be used in a swale.
Then McGeehin had another idea. He would petition the town to amend its maintenance and appearance standards for swales to allow for the rocks. His appeal came before the Town Council on Aug. 23 and, as it turned out, council members thought his swale idea was a swell idea.
They gave McGeehin the ordinance change he sought, although for now at least, the change applies only to Hypoluxo Island. If it works for residents there, the change in standards could be extended townwide.
Mayor Robert Hagerty also said the changes to the code could be zone specific.
McGeehin said the change he asked for would give homeowners some flexibility to use rocks in their swale.
“My house was finished in 2008 or 2009, so it’s up higher,” he explained. “Where my driveway comes down it’s very steep as it comes down to the road and at the bottom. There’s a big swale area that captures the water to not allow it to go into the street and flood.
“With the king tides and with what’s going on with climate change we’re getting a lot of water on North Atlantic Drive. The problem was, with all the water that’s laying there, it turned out I was having a big mudhole there. You could not maintain grass, which was the required material that was in the swale area. Not knowing there was even an ordinance, I put some rocks in there.”
McGeehin showed photos of his swale and the road after a heavy rain, where the water in front of his home did not go into the street while the water in the neighbors’ swales, without rocks, flooded the street.
“The objective I think should be that you keep your water on your land, if you can,” he said. “In my view, this holds water better. Even if you had sod there, it doesn’t drain as well and the water goes out into the street. It would still require a swale permit.”
His swale solution wouldn’t work everywhere, he said. “A property that runs flat might not be a candidate for stone, because stone might get into the street and become a nuisance over time. I’ve had this up for several months now and have had no problem because it’s a ditch. It’s not going anywhere. Aesthetically it looks better, too.”
Council member Lynn Moorhouse said he liked McGeehin’s idea for the island.
“As you know, the properties over there are raised and people are wanting to have the streets repaved every year and griping when there’s no place for the water to run and they’re not willing to put a swale in.
“I do think we need to tweak the ordinance like with approved decorative stone maybe of a certain size because when you get into pea rock and small stones it’s going to be all over the place,” Moorhouse said. “What he has done, I’m all for and we’re getting the water off the road.”
Council member Karen Lythgoe agreed. “I like what he’s done. I’d like to see a way to let him keep it. … You can never keep grass in a swale. It’s under water all the time.”
Although the council agreed to authorize the text change McGeehin requested, it made a few changes of its own, including that the minimum depth of the stones would be 6 inches.
That means McGeehin would still be in violation since the stones in his swale were only 3 inches deep. He would need to add another 3 inches to comply with the town’s revised code. Then, his rocky swale can stay.
In other action, the council granted a special exception request from Jeremy Bearman to allow for a restaurant over 2,500 square feet at 225 E. Ocean Ave. Bearman and his wife, Cindy, operate Oceano Kitchen at 201 E. Ocean Ave. and would like to open a restaurant in the new location, formerly home to Mario’s Italian restaurant.
Bearman’s request was met with enthusiasm from the town, including Moorhouse and Lythgoe, both regular customers of Oceano Kitchen.
“I’m spending my daughter’s inheritance at your restaurant,” Lythgoe gushed.
“I’m thrilled to death about his plans,” added Moorhouse.
Mayor Hagerty added his support.
“We look forward to having you at that place,” Hagerty said.
Bearman plans to keep his current restaurant running as well, and said he hopes to open the new larger restaurant in four or five months after tackling renovations and permitting issues.
At the Sept. 13 meeting, the town gave Bearman some relief on parking requirements. Current code calls for 49 parking spaces on site. The variance approved reduces that number to 18.
In 2019, Lantana revised its parking requirements for restaurants, reducing the number of spots by slightly more than half in an effort to attract more businesses to the downtown.
“There’s plenty of parking,” said Chamber of Commerce President Dave Arm. “The current code is still too restrictive.”
Additional spaces are available at Lyman Kayak Park, less than a block away from the restaurant.
Moorhouse agreed. “I’ve never had a problem parking. You can always park at the tennis courts.”
• The council authorized Shoreline Green Market to expand to twice weekly shows at the Recreation Center, 418 S. Dixie Highway.
Hours on Fridays will be from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday hours will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

By Mary Thurwachter

After narrowing its search to four candidates, the Lantana Town Council chose Brian Raducci, assistant city manager of Aventura, to become the next town manager.
He will fill the position vacated by Deborah Manzo, who left in June to become the administrator of Okeechobee County.
Raducci, 51, is a CPA with 25 years of local government managerial experience in Broward and Miami-Dade municipalities.
He resides in Coral Springs and his first day on the job will be Oct. 11.
During a question-and-answer session before the Town Council on Aug. 19, Raducci described the manager’s job as a “people person-orientated position.”
“I think it’s instrumental that you get a person who you believe is the best fit, not necessarily the person who has the most experience,” he said. “I bring forth a sense of calmness. People feel it’s easy to approach me, to talk to me and discuss their issues and I’m very much about collaboration.”
He says Lantana is a unique community.
“I find it to be a very charming community and it’s got a sense of small-town-ness to it that I really find endearing. … I think you want to move the town forward without jeopardizing that small-town charm or that small-town feel.”
Mayor Robert Hagerty said he had received a bunch of compliments about Raducci. “And more importantly, I got word that you were contacting people prior to your meeting with us,” Hagerty said.
Among those people was Dave Arm, president of the local Chamber of Commerce.
“Only one candidate contacted me: Raducci,” Arm said. “And he called me back again because he had done his research. I was very impressed he did his homework.”
Raducci served as Aventura assistant city manager in charge of finance and administration for 13 years. He said he wanted to advance his career and had applied to become the manager at a few other Florida municipalities in recent years.
Lantana’s second choice for the position was John Lege III, Delray Beach’s finance director. Lege’s background includes a 21-year Navy career, working as an independent auditor specializing in audits of local governments, chief financial officer for Ocala and both finance director and assistant city manager in Sarasota.
Like Raducci, Lege said that in preparation for his interview, he reviewed minutes and listened to audio of the town meetings for the past six months.
“But more importantly, I’ve spent some time in the community,” he said. “I started this before I even knew there was a position available. We’ve come downtown to the breakfast place and the Key Lime place.”
In a drive around town he came across a police officer who shared her thoughts on the town as well. “She represented the Police Department in a wonderful way,” Lege said.
He said he also stopped by the Chamber of Commerce office to talk with Executive Director Hector Herrera.
“One of the things he talked about is communication,” Lege said. “I think transparency and communication are paramount.”
Council member Lynn Moorhouse said he was impressed with Lege’s viewing Lantana as a destination. “He already goes to the Dune Deck. He has great ideas about what we can do to develop downtown.”
Rounding out the field of finalists were Larry Collins, manager of Louisville, Ohio; and Lawrence McNaul, county manager for the Hardee Board of County Commissioners.
“I think we’ve done our due diligence, for sure,” Hagerty said. “I talked to many of our employees and most everybody I talked to was in favor of Mr. Raducci. So, I’m very confident in our selection.”
Terms of Raducci’s contract were negotiated during a meeting among the mayor, Town Attorney Max Lohman, Raducci and hiring consultant Colin Baenziger.
At a special meeting Sept. 9, the council approved a 5-year contract for Raducci that includes an annual salary of $175,000, 1,040 vacation hours, 400 hours of sick time, $12,000 a year to lease a car, health and dental insurance, cell phone, laptop and scanner. The town will contribute 15% of his salary to a retirement account.
During public comments, former Mayor Dave Stewart said that previous town managers came in at the same salary as the person they replaced.
Manzo worked for the town for nine years and made a starting salary of $97,476 a year (what the previous manager was making) and earned $159,000 at the time she left.
Stewart said the contract was excessive and sent the wrong message to other town employees.
“Look at the long-term effects and make sure this isn’t something you’ll be sorry for in the future,” he said.
Moorhouse defended the contract.
“I feel strongly we are getting what we are paying for,” he said. “We have the right to fire him if he goes to hell.”

Eric Brief, a financial adviser from Ocean Ridge, will be a player coach for a U.S. masters soccer team in the Maccabiah Games in Israel, scheduled for July 2022. Brief, 59, expects to do more coaching than goalkeeping. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Eric Brief is going for the gold.
A soccer player since he was a third-grader in Maplewood, New Jersey, the 59-year-old Ocean Ridge resident has been a steady competitor in the Maccabiah Games — often called the Jewish Olympics — and has been adorned with medals twice.
At the ripe age of 43, he was a member of the U.S. masters team that went to Israel thinking it would get crushed and instead came home with silver.
Then, just two years ago at age 57, Brief served as player coach for a 55-and-over team that played five games in nine days at an 8,000-foot altitude in Mexico in the Maccabiah-sponsored Pan Am Games, bringing back a bronze medal.
His medal collection, however, is still missing one and he’s hoping to fill that void when he leads 22 aging soccer players on to the field in Israel for the 21st Maccabiah Games, scheduled for July 2022.
“I have a silver and a bronze and I really want that gold,” he says.
A financial adviser who has lived in Ocean Ridge for 30 years, Brief will once again be player coach of a masters 55-and-older team. But he likely will spend more time on the sideline than playing goalkeeper, his traditional spot.
Given his experience — this will be his fifth Maccabiah Games competition — Brief knows the gold medal will be hard to capture. The competition is tough, with teams from around the world — including soccer powerhouses such as Brazil and Great Britain — also setting their sights on winning.
Still, the team he is pulling together from throughout the U.S. is gearing up for the challenge.
“Winning is everything,” he says.
If the American team will have an advantage, it is likely to be that many members have played together for decades. In fact, five of the players expected to go with Brief to games in Israel played with him on a high school team that some considered the best in the country at the time.
That team had one loss in 50 games and was New Jersey state champion two years in a row.
“Four or five of the players on that team are college coaches,” Brief said. “We’re all still pretty close.”
Although some hoping to make the team have been working for months to get back into competitive form, most are just looking forward to being a part of the competition.
Considered the third-largest sporting event in the world, the Maccabiah Games in Israel draw 10,000 athletes competing in a multitude of sports, and a crowd of 45,000 packs into a stadium for opening ceremonies.
“This is fantasy camp and World Cup combined,” Brief says.
Competing is not just about the sports, he says. It’s also about a shared culture and experiences that see no international boundaries.
“Growing up, you don’t have a lot of Jewish athletes to look up to,” Brief says. “To see a group of guys who share your culture and seeing how good these guys are, it’s inspiring. When we all meet, it’s instant family and friendship.”
Brief said the games also provide his players with an opportunity to watch athletes compete in other sports and give them a chance to stay longer and take tours of Israel. During the 2022 games, Brief’s wife, Jane, plans to join him to take in the sights.
The father of two adult sons, Spencer, 25, and Davis, 23, Brief says he and his teammates often feel their age during practice and in competition, but are able to forget how old they really are — at least for a moment — when the games begin.
“Walking into the opening ceremonies with 45,000 screaming people you feel 19 again,” he said. “It’s unbelievable.”

— Rich Pollack

Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A. Maplewood, New Jersey. The town was one big ballfield for me and my friends. The only rule was, be home for dinner before dark. 

Q. What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A. I have been a financial adviser for 30 years and helped open an office in West Palm Beach for a major New York firm and was named one of the youngest partners at the time. I am now proud to say I am a managing director of investments and a private wealth financial adviser for Wells Fargo Advisors in Boca.
 
Q. What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A. Show up. Drop your résumé off in person to the person that will do the hiring. Be persistent and hand write a thank-you note. 

Q. How did you choose to make your home in Ocean Ridge?
A. My wife, Jane, found Ocean Ridge and we instantly felt at home. It felt a bit like Long Beach Island on the Jersey shore. 

Q. What is your favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge?
A. There are so many great things about this town. Being able to walk to the beach, walking the dog on old A1A and seeing so many friends and neighbors. The location is amazing, being so close to Delray Beach and I-95 and halfway between Boca and Palm Beach and two airports. 

Q. What book are you reading now?
A. I am a news junkie and spend a lot of time reading many different publications on business. 

Q. What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A. I like classic rock, ranging from Crosby, Stills & Nash to The Who. 

Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A. I am extremely fortunate to have a terrific father who has been a mentor and a friend. He is the most honest and honorable man I know. He served in Vietnam and spent his life as a doctor saving lives. I was also lucky to have a terrific business mentor in fellow Ocean Ridge resident Ralph Heckert. Ralph was my boss when we opened our Florida office and he moved to Florida after me. I encouraged him to move to Ocean Ridge and he moved in next door. It was a terrific decision for both of us and he still lives in Ocean Ridge as well.
 
Q. If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A. My wife’s favorite movie is Sweet Home Alabama, so I would have to say Josh Lucas. 

Q. Who/what makes you laugh?
A. I have a great group of friends going back over 45 years. Ten of us are going to Moab biking. We will have a lot of laughs, sitting around a campfire telling stories about the old days as well as recent events.