By Steve Plunkett

A Palm Beach County circuit judge has awarded Martin O’Boyle’s attorneys $122,687 in fees for a lawsuit that sought 15 months’ worth of a town commissioner’s emails and text messages.
The total was slashed after an expert witness for O’Boyle’s side testified that the fees the O’Boyle Law Firm wanted should be cut from $87,007 to $53,599, Circuit Judge Janis Brustares Keyser wrote in her Nov. 22 order.
Nine lawyers and paralegals at the O’Boyle Law Firm and four lawyers at threes other firms submitted bills.
A lawyer for the town, Joanne O’Connor, said Gulf Stream considers the ruling a win. “We do certainly think it reflects a significant reduction of fees,” O’Connor said. “Their own expert said reduce the fees by 40%.”
Elaine Johnson James, who represents O’Boyle’s StopDirtyGovernment LLC in the case, said Keyser still has to determine how much the expert is owed.
“With litigation ongoing, my client believes it is not appropriate to comment,” said James, who billed $27,137.
The lesser amount the expert recommended included approximately $21,000 for work done by Martin O’Boyle’s son, Jonathan, who heads the O’Boyle Law Firm. But the judge ruled that Jonathan O’Boyle was not entitled to fees for work he did after his father replaced him with another attorney, Robert Rivas, and further trimmed his allowable bill to $10,360.
Jonathan O’Boyle sent an automatic reply to an email seeking comment saying he was out of the country.
Rivas, who separately has represented The Coastal Star in First Amendment and other issues, was due $63,753, the judge said. But Rivas and Martin O’Boyle had a falling-out in 2018 over this and other cases, and Rivas sued for $120,019 in unpaid bills. Rivas dropped his lawsuit after settling for $50,000, he testified in a deposition in another public records case.
Keyser’s decision leaves two cases unresolved of the four left open in the global settlement that Gulf Stream and Martin O’Boyle reached in December 2018. The town paid O’Boyle $15,000 in that agreement, in which both sides dropped five cases and part of a sixth.
Gulf Stream in August agreed to pay $6,000 to settle a lawsuit over an O’Boyle request for a bill by another attorney for the town, Robert Sweetapple.
Still to be decided are O’Boyle attorney’s fees in lawsuits over a second Sweetapple bill and a letter O’Boyle sent the town regarding rules for sober houses. Also unresolved are the fees in another public records lawsuit that was not covered by the global agreement and which sought Gulf Stream police communications during the 2014 municipal election when O’Boyle ran for a Town Commission seat.
O’Boyle and town resident Chris O’Hare began blanketing Town Hall with public records requests in 2013, ultimately making more than 2,000 demands and filing dozens of lawsuits.
Both men said they were exercising their right to inspect government records; Gulf Stream argued it was a scheme to extort inflated attorney’s fees from small municipalities.

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream had every reason to think it would win its ultimately unsuccessful RICO claim against resident Martin O’Boyle and others and so was not wrong to pursue the case, federal appellate judges say.
“Simply put, the town did not need to be certain of success on its civil RICO claim in order to have probable cause to assert it,” wrote the trio of judges from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, the same court that upheld the dismissal of the town’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations lawsuit in 2016.
Mayor Scott Morgan noted the court held that the town had “a mountain of fraudulent and extortionate conduct to present” about the “O’Boyle-led scheme.”
“Gulf Stream will not be cowed by O’Boyle’s abusive tactics,” Morgan said.
The Nov. 21 opinion came in a derivative lawsuit filed by Denise DeMartini, whom O’Boyle called his “left-hand” woman and who sued the town shortly after the RICO case was dismissed, claiming Gulf Stream’s legal maneuvering amounted to illegal retaliation for her constitutionally protected activity of making public records requests.
DeMartini also claimed Wantman Group Inc., a contractor for the town and co-plaintiff in the RICO action, was guilty of malicious prosecution.
The appellate panel’s detailed, 73-page opinion examined district, circuit and U.S. Supreme court rulings on retaliation claims in criminal and civil actions. In contrast, the court’s earlier opinion upholding the dismissal of the RICO suit was 13 pages.
Richard Ovelmen, DeMartini’s lawyer, declined to comment on the decision, saying he had not yet talked with his client.
DeMartini was treasurer and later director of O’Boyle’s Citizens Awareness Foundation Inc., which had a stated purpose of testing and enforcing compliance with the public records law. She lost that job in 2015.
The panel noted that DeMartini failed to dispute numerous facts the town presented, including details on “what the town knew about her personal involvement in CAFI’s scheme,” that “employees of CAFI and the O’Boyle Law Firm dumped thousands of public records requests on the town” costing it attorney’s fees of about $370,000, and that former CAFI director Joel Chandler “gave the town detailed insight into the scheme.”
The court concluded that the town had reason to believe that CAFI’s conduct “was part of an illegal and fraudulent scheme to improperly extort settlement money and attorney’s fees.”
Earlier, the panel observed, “This court assumed that the defendants [O’Boyle, CAFI, DeMartini and others] had ‘engaged in a pattern of frivolous litigation activity while abusing, on a grand scale, their statutory right to request public documents from the government.’ ”

A circuit judge issued an emergency order on Thanksgiving Day stopping work in the canal behind Martin O’Boyle’s home.
O’Boyle is “enjoined from any further construction activity on the proposed water structure without approval by the [town] or further order from this court,” Judge James Nutt said.
Town officials sought the injunction after workers drove 20 concrete piles into the canal. O’Boyle has been seeking a building permit from Gulf Stream since April 2017 for a 12-foot-wide structure he first called a “dock” and later a “promenade.”
Town code prohibits docks wider than 5 feet.
— Steve Plunkett

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach won the first round of the wrongful-dismissal lawsuit filed by former City Manager Mark Lauzier.
On Nov. 18, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Lisa Small ruled that Lauzier’s complaint did not meet the requirements of the state’s Whistleblower Act. She dismissed that count with prejudice, meaning Lauzier cannot refile it.
Small said the printout of an Expedia travel itinerary with the word “Denied” written on it was not enough to be a written complaint.
Lauzier’s attorney, Isidro “Sid” Garcia, said he would file a motion for a rehearing, which must be made 10 days after the order is entered. Garcia could not be reached for comment. No motion had been entered by Dec. 3.
“I’m very, very happy with the ruling,” Lynn Gelin, the city attorney, said at the City Commission meeting Nov. 19.
Lauzier, who was fired March 1 after the city’s internal auditor had found questionable hiring and promotion practices, did not attend the hearing.
His whistleblower count centered on a printout of an Expedia travel itinerary to Tallahassee for Mayor Shelly Petrolia and her son, Anthony. In early March, the mayor was flying to Tallahassee for Palm Beach County Days. Anthony was going to be a state Senate page for the week.
Petrolia said she planned to reimburse the city, and wanted to travel with her son on the same flight in case one was bumped.
On Feb. 25, Lauzier when reviewing the travel itinerary wrote “Denied” with his signature and a note that Anthony is “not an official city employee. Travel — must be reimbursed.”
The next day, the mayor’s husband wrote a check to the city for $291.60 to cover the cost of Anthony’s plane ticket.
During the short hearing, Garcia said, “The mayor attempted to scam taxpayers by charging an improper expenditure to a city credit card.
“What caused the city manager’s termination was him catching the mayor red-handed using a city benefit to her advantage.”
Petrolia attended the hearing.
“They thought they found the Holy Grail,” she said afterward. “Instead, the chalice held no water. … Our attorney focused on the real issue — no whistleblower complaint.
“The investigation into Lauzier’s actions had started weeks before,” Petrolia said.
The city will seek sanctions from Lauzier to cover its litigation costs, Gelin said. Delray Beach had hired Brett Schneider of the Weiss Serota Helfman Cole & Bierman law firm to represent it. Gelin did not want to reveal the amount the city would request.
Lauzier’s wrongful-dismissal lawsuit remains open with a breach of contract count. He is seeking a jury trial.

By Jane Smith

Some South County coastal residents reported hearing an unusual number of train horns recently even though quiet zones had been established nearly 18 months ago.
Engineers of Brightline, soon to be Virgin Trains, can blow the horns when there is construction work within the railroad right of way, according to a company spokesperson.
“The federal quiet zone regulation states that if work is occurring, the locomotive engineer must blow the horn in the area where workers are present,” Michael Hicks, Brightline director of media relations, wrote in a Nov. 20 email. “It is my understanding that the work has been completed.”
Brightline alerts the public about construction through emails to the cities, local broadcast and traffic reporters, and its social media posts.
Hicks also stressed the importance of educating the public to stay safe around the railroad tracks and how a quiet zone works. “The quiet zone does not mean 100% quiet all the time,” he wrote.
The train engineer also can blow the horn when there’s an emergency on the track — such as a pedestrian, bike rider or vehicle stopped, Hicks wrote.
Brightline, a high-speed passenger railroad, uses the Florida East Coast tracks that are also used by FEC freight trains. Both operate under the federal quiet zone regulations.
Brightline service is available from West Palm Beach to Miami with three stops. More stops, including one in Boca Raton, are planned in an effort to increase ridership.

Six people from Farindola, Italy, spent Thanksgiving week touring greater Boynton Beach. They traveled here to join the Greater Boynton Beach Sister Cities program. Their first adventure was a Nov. 26 trip to the beach and snorkeling. That day ended with a walk around the Wakodahatchee Wetlands, where Monica Damiani exclaimed ‘bellissimo’ when she saw her first alligator. The tour guides were Jeanne Heavilin, Sister Cities president, and Susan Oyer, Sister Cities vice president and Farindola Committee chair. The official signing between the two cities took place Nov. 29. ABOVE: (l-r) Oyer; Helen Conlon, who is administrative assistant to artist Paul Critchley; Heavilin; and Ilenia Damiani and Monica Damiani, visitors from Farindola. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Jeffrey Stoops, new chairman of the board of directors of the Kravis Center, is excited about the renovations completed on the main hall. Photo by Capehart

By Brian Biggane

Jeffrey Stoops, who has taken Boca Raton-based SBA Communications from the brink of bankruptcy to a position as one of the nation’s largest cell tower providers, was recently named only the fifth chairman of the board of directors of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.
“This is quite an honor for me, and a testament to the trust my fellow directors have placed in me,” said Stoops, 71, who lives with his wife, Aggie, in coastal Delray Beach.
“A lot of it has to do with my background running large organizations, which Kravis is certainly one. It’s quite a machine, the Kravis Center, and a very well-run organization.”
Named one of Florida’s 500 most influential businesspeople by Florida Trend magazine in both 2018 and 2019, Stoops has received many awards, including Business Leader of the Year by Florida Atlantic University, the Excalibur Award from the Sun-Sentinel and CEO of the Year by the South Florida Business Journal.
This season marks the unveiling of a $50 million rejuvenation of the Kravis Center, the first major work that’s been done to the main hall in 25 years.
“And it’s just spectacular,” Stoops said. “It involves expanding the lobby, a lot of renovations inside — not seats but technical capabilities.
“(We have) an entirely new parking garage between the center and CityPlace, and an expansion of the existing garage, and a new ramp, so you have two ramps to get in and out, which dramatically changes the ingress and egress. We’re changing the look of the outside so it blends much more smoothly and easily with the rest of West Palm Beach.”
As the season gets underway, Stoops expressed excitement about the ongoing capital campaign and what he termed “our biggest year ever in terms of programming.”
“This is our Hamilton year, and Fiddler on the Roof, Miss Saigon, A Bronx Tale, among others.
“We have already surpassed the number of subscriptions for the Broadway series that we’ve sold at this point in time. So it’s going to be a very busy, active and I’m sure successful year.”

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I grew up in Wilmington, Delaware. I was born and raised there and lived there for 20 years, including attending the first two years of college at the University of Delaware. I definitely think it has had a large impact on my life, because I grew up in a very middle-class suburban environment, hung out with a bunch of lifetime friends, developed street smarts and common sense; and those qualities have a very relative place today and have served me very well.
Q: What professions have you worked in? What accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I’ve actually only had two jobs out of college. I had a ton of them before college. Early on I was a Fuller Brush man. That certainly taught me the meaning of hard work: Don’t get discouraged, you may take several nos before you get to a yes. But I graduated from Florida State, came down to Palm Beach County sight unseen, based on an interview I had with Gunster, and my wife and I packed up the U-Haul and made the trip down from Tallahassee, and made this our home.
I worked at Gunster for 13 years — leaving not because I didn’t like the practice of law but because I wanted to take a shot at the business side — and came here to SBA before there was such a thing as independent ownership of cell towers. That was in 1997. So I’ve really only had two jobs.
Greatest professional accomplishment? Working my way up and making full partner at Gunster was an accomplishment that I continue to be proud of, but in my first year as CEO here the world took quite a turn in terms of financing, and SBA was on the verge of going bankrupt. And I rallied the team and we avoided that, when many people thought that would not be the case. We saved the company, saved the shareholders. At the depth of our troubles you could have bought the equity of the company for about $10 million, and now we’re up to about $28 billion. So I look back on that as job No. 1.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Become an expert in something, and love what you do so that when you wake up in the morning you look forward and are eager to go about it. If that is what you find, it’ll never be a job.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in coastal Delray Beach?
A: We lived in Wellington for 24 years. Raised our children, had our family out there, but as they grew older our last two, twins Tim and Dan, were going to school at St. Andrews. We boarded them there because they were baseball players and from Wellington to St. Andrews was a long drive, their schedules were not predictable, so we wanted not only to get them back home with us for a period of time, but we also wanted to be closer to the water. … We had spent time in Delray, loved the kind of Lower Keys, beachy-town feel that it has as relative to other Palm Beach County cities.

Q: What is your favorite part of living in coastal Delray Beach?
A: It’s just a wonderful place to live. We’ve spent time in Boca, Palm Beach, but Delray has a very different feel. It matches the culture and personality of who my wife and I are.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I’ve read several recently. Hillbilly Elegy, by J.D. Vance, is a good one. I read a lot of financial press. I just read a fascinating book, The Kennedy Heirs, by J. Randy Taraborrelli, on the next generation of the Kennedys, the grandchildren of Joe Kennedy, being President Kennedy’s children, Robert Kennedy’s children. It was fascinating to read how both the triumphs and trials have affected that family.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: It’s usually the same artists, but different types of music from those artists. I’m very much a classic rock guy, ’60s and ’70s music, so Rolling Stones, Elton John. And Queen comes to mind from the recent Bohemian Rhapsody movie that was so enjoyable. The Beatles. And depending whether I want to relax or get charged up, if it’s Rolling Stones it could be Wild Horses or When the Whip Comes Down. You can go either way. I actually love music and have a fairly historical understanding of that era. I follow it and try and keep up with all the news that I can from that era. Though we continue to lose those members.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: There were senior partners in the law firm, Ken Beall and Mike Mitrione, who taught me the meaning of hard work and integrity, things that have survived and carried me through. But I really try to take inspiration from everywhere. I’m a big fan of historical figures, so I’ll read, I’ll take interest in all kinds of different things. I take my inspiration and my ideas from anywhere and every place. I consider myself a lifetime learner, and if you ever think you’re done learning, you need to go do something else.

Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: Tom Hanks. For some strange reason more than one person has told me that either he reminds them of me or I remind them of him. Why they say that I don’t know, but I’ll go with that.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: My new grandson, Harrison Jeffrey Prieto. He is 9 months old. He’s the first and he’s just cute.

By Dan Moffett

The town manager and deputy clerk of Briny Breezes are resigning their part-time positions, effective the end of the year, saying their workloads are too great and their pay too small.
“Part-time work, part-time wages but full-time responsibility,” Manager Dale Sugerman said during a hastily called special Town Council meeting on Nov. 14 to consider the resignations.
“People may not realize it but we only have two part-time employees, who have full-time responsibility for everything,” Sugerman told the council. “I think that’s what the real dilemma is.”
He said that since he became the first manager in Briny’s history two years ago, his duties have continued to expand: “I’m the utilities director, I’m the finance director, I’m the public safety director.”
Sugerman said that in his 40-year career as a municipal administrator, he’s never filled so many roles.
Deputy Clerk Maya Coffield, whom Sugerman hired shortly after he started, said she is overwhelmed by the nagging problems that have plagued the town’s building permit procedures.
Coffield complained of poor performance by C.A.P. Government Inc., the town’s building inspection contractor, and said she’s forced to work overtime to deal with permit errors and disputes.
Briny has had five different deputy clerks in the last six years.
Mayor Gene Adams said he asked Sugerman and Coffield to give the council a list of proposed changes that might persuade them to reconsider their resignations. They suggested hiring a part-time permit clerk, excluding council members from permit disputes and replacing C.A.P. with another vendor.
But the most problematic request from Sugerman and Coffield was for an increase in pay.
Sugerman requested a raise to $55,000 a year from his current salary of just under $40,000, and Coffield, an hourly employee, asked for a fixed annual salary of $41,000 to replace the roughly $31,000 she now earns with overtime.
The council voted 3-2 to reject the pay raises. Council President Sue Thaler, Kathy Gross and Christina Adams voted no; Chick Behringer and Bill Birch voted yes.
Sugerman and Coffield told the council they were a “package deal,” worked well together and were unwilling to negotiate separately. They said they were willing to stay on until Dec. 31 and help the town with the transition.
Residents and council members praised the two for their contributions over the past two years, but the call for higher wages found little support.
“That’s a large increase in money,” Gross said. “Where does that come from?”
Sugerman said the town had enough money in its unrestricted general reserve fund to cover the raises and hire the part-time permit clerk.
Alderwoman Adams suggested that addressing the permit problems with the contractor could improve conditions for the staff. “It does sound like we’re still having an issue with C.A.P.,” she said.
Thaler said both employees had added “tremendous value” to the town but said she was frustrated that the resignations came in before the council “had an opportunity to fix the permitting problems.”
Said Thaler: “I feel we were held hostage. I’m not happy with the way this was done.”
Birch said he thought it was in the town’s interest to do what was necessary to retain the employees — to “give them what they want so we can keep them.”
Behringer asked Sugerman if he was willing to accept a smaller raise. The manager said no. Though Behringer voted for the increases, he cited the manager’s proposed 38% raise and said, “Those are high numbers in any kind of business.”
In other business:
Five candidates have qualified for three council seats to be contested in the March 17 municipal election.
Incumbents Christina Adamas, Birch and Gross are seeking reelection to another two-year term. Newcomers Charles Swift and Lynne Weiner also qualified during the filing period that ended Nov. 26, Coffield said. The top three vote-getters will take the at-large seats. Incumbents Thaler and Behringer are not up in March.
Coffield said Gene Adams has preliminarily qualified for another term as mayor, pending verification of petition signatures.

By Sallie James

BRINY BREEZES — He was the voice of the resistance in 2005 when a developer offered residents of the beachside mobile home town known as Briny Breezes $500 million to buy their homes.
Thomas Byrne’s “Save Briny. Vote No” buttons garnered national attention, as did his unwillingness to trade a disappearing lifestyle for a $1 million windfall.
The deal fell through, but Mr. Byrne’s love for the quirky town never waned.
“We used to be an embarrassment,” Mr. Byrne, then 67, told The Washington Post in 2005. “Now it turns out we’re quaint.”
The man known to some as the “Godfather of Briny” and to others as “the Bird Man,” died Nov. 3 at Bethesda Hospital after a lengthy illness. He was 80.
Mr. Byrne was a carver of birds, an avid boater, a fisherman, a longtime drum major for the AOH Babylon Saffron Kilts in New York, an activist, a respected friend, a mentor and a beloved companion, said his fiancée, Jean Archibald. He stood 6-foot-5 and was a huge presence in every way, she said.
“He was bigger than life,” Archibald said. “He was always smiling and he was a happy man. But when he roared, he roared.”
Above all, he was a proud Irishman and Army veteran who never forgot his roots, she said.
Born on Dec. 20, 1938, in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Byrne worked more than 30 years for Allstate Insurance before retiring to Florida with his wife, Maureen. The couple had been married more than 40 years when Maureen Byrne fell ill and died during a fashion show in February 2003 in Briny Breezes.
“She was a model,” said Archibald, Mr. Byrne’s companion and caretaker for more than 15 years. “She said she didn’t feel good and right there she died of heart issues.”
Mr. Byrne and Archibald met through a mutual friend. The first time she saw him he was carving a bird out of a block of cedar. His children said he loved to gift the birds to friends and carved a lot of them.
“I have birds in every window. He was amazing,” Archibald said.
Mr. Byrne also loved boating and owned several boats during his lifetime. His most recent boat was a pontoon, which he and Archibald would take out at 5 p.m. almost daily until he became too frail to go.
“It had a lot of drink holders. That was our joke — it’s 5 o’clock somewhere,” Archibald said.
His drink of choice? A Manhattan.
Brian Byrne said his father was a renowned M1 Garand expert who knew more about the standard World War II service rifle than just about anyone else around.
“He was one of the top experts in the United States,” said Byrne, who lives in Cleveland. He said his father mainly dealt in parts and would help gun collectors restore their weapons with original parts.
“When he got into something he would go in with both feet,” Brian Byrne said.
Those who knew Thomas Byrne said he had a good sense of humor and never met a camera he didn’t like. When TV cameras swarmed Briny Breezes in 2005 during the possible sale, Mr. Byrne was willing to chat with reporters.
Brian Byrne said he recently found a photo of his father with an interesting note scribbled on the back.
“This would be a great funeral photo,” Thomas Byrne had written, his son said, chuckling.
Mr. Byrne’s family plans to scatter his ashes off Fire Island sometime next summer.
In addition to his fiancée and son, Thomas Byrne is survived by two daughters, Kathleen Lloyd and Elizabeth Czelowalnik, both of Long Island, and four grandsons he referred to as his “princes.”

By Rich Pollack

HIGHLAND BEACH — The phone call came in the middle of that April 1970 night letting Jerry Goldmacher know that Apollo 13 was in trouble.
Mr. Goldmacher, the spacecraft manager at Grumman Aerospace for the lunar excursion module that would serve as a four-day lifeboat for three astronauts, and his team helped NASA figure out how to best utilize the LEM as a rescue vehicle after an explosion sidelined the space capsule.
His role in helping to bring the Apollo 13 crew home safely was one of many shining moments in the 40-year career of Mr. Goldmacher, a longtime Highland Beach resident who died Oct. 28. He was 93.
“He was a special person,” said John Ross, president of the Highland Beach Coastal Democratic Club, a friend of Mr. Goldmacher who met him through the organization. “He was a very humble man.”
Throughout his career at Grumman, which ended with his retirement as vice president of operations for the aerospace division in 1990, Mr. Goldmacher also served as lunar module spacecraft manager for Apollos 15, 16 and 17.
“He was a wonderful man who had wonderful relationships with others and was perfect for his role at Grumman,” said his daughter, Helen Sullivan. “There were some NASA contracts where they asked specifically for him.”
Ross remembers that one of Mr. Goldmacher’s prize possessions was a small flag that had been to the moon, which guests could see as they entered the family’s Highland Beach apartment.
“Imagine being in the middle of saving Apollo 13,” Ross said. “Imagine the pressure.”
Mr. Goldmacher enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps when he was 17 and fought in the Pacific during World War II. He was married to his wife, Ruth, for 70 years and was a loyal family man.
“He was a very smart, kind man and very devoted to my mother,” Sullivan said. “He was a wonderful role model for his children and his grandchildren.”
Although his work at Grumman was an important part of his life, Mr. Goldmacher was never fully defined by it. Early on he took up motorcycle riding, sailing and playing guitar and was an avid reader whose favorite book was Look Homeward, Angel by Thomas Wolfe.
An engineer and early feminist, Mr. Goldmacher was known to be meticulous in just about everything he did.
“My father was incredibly patient, he was very talented and very exacting,” Sullivan said. “He was quite deep — but never somber. In fact, he had an incredibly sunny, optimistic outlook on life, loved a good joke and was good at telling them.”
He also loved movies — Cool Hand Luke was among his favorites.
In addition to his wife and his daughter, Mr. Goldmacher is survived by his four grandchildren, Juliet, Olivia, Paige and Shane, son of Mr. Goldmacher’s only son, Paul, who died in 1986.
Mr. Goldmacher’s ashes will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery next year.

By Sallie James

OCEAN RIDGE — Harry F. Sica Jr., a longtime Ocean Ridge resident who loved helping others almost as much as he loved spending time with his family, died on Nov. 16. He was 65 and had been diagnosed with lung cancer.
“He was a really generous guy. He loved helping people — anybody. If you made a connection with him — he just loved to reach out,” said his wife, Phyllis, who met her husband through her sister and his sister, who were friends.
The couple, both from New Jersey, married in 1994.
Mr. Sica worked in manufacturing. He owned Vanguard Research Industries in South Plainfield, New Jersey, and was active in the business until his death. The couple moved to Florida in 2005, the year Hurricane Wilma hit, his wife said.
They lived a few years in Delray Beach before making Ocean Ridge their home. Phyllis Sica said they immediately fell in love with the cool little beachy town with the laid-back vibe. But Florida’s unpredictable traffic proved to be problematic. Harry Sica was struck by a car a few years back while cycling, his wife said.
He got lucky. “He wasn’t hurt badly. He was a good drop and roller from all the years of skiing,” Phyllis Sica said.
The two had been skiers since childhood and loved traveling to Colorado, where they owned a second home. Together they would ski, hike and picnic, she said.
It was there they became enamored with the Shining Stars Foundation, which provides year-round recreational and social programs for children and their families faced with pediatric cancer or other life-threatening illnesses.
“It just caught our eye. The percentage of the donations that go to the (administration) were minuscule as compared to some charities that are management heavy. They have a tremendous amount of people that really volunteer their time,” Phyllis Sica said.
Harry and Phyllis Sica became staunch supporters. They are listed as major supporters on the Shining Stars Foundation website. The foundation provides everything from adaptive skiing, hiking and snowmobiling to rafting and biking and sailing.
“He was a really generous person,” his wife said.
In addition to his wife, Mr. Sica is survived by his daughter Ashley DeSouza, his brother Richard Sica and three grandchildren. Contributions can be made in his memory to the Shining Star Foundation.

BOYNTON BEACH — Marie J. Horenburger died Nov. 12, surrounded by family. She was 78.
Born in 1941 in New York City, Marie Kedzierski was the first of six children born of the late Marie Kedzierski (Riso) and Edward Z. Kedzierski. She was raised in Massapequa Park, New York, and eventually moved to South Florida.
Mrs. Horenburger was wonderfully devoted to her two children, Fred Horenburger and Dana Schweitzer. She was a loving grandmother to Emily Mosher (husband Shawn), Jack Scarton, and Benjamin Suarez-Scarton. She was “Grandmarie” to great-grandsons Isaiah Mosher and Shawn Mosher Jr. and recently welcomed great-granddaughter Amelia Mosher. Being a grandmother was the light of her life.
Mrs. Horenburger is also survived by her five siblings, Art Kedzierski (wife Gail), Linda Butcher (husband Tom), Helen Hood, Karen Sliwak and Ed Kedzierski. She will be missed by many close friends and family.
An accomplished woman, Mrs. Horenburger dedicated her time to public service. She began a public service career in the late 1970s. One of her proudest accomplishments was her part in the revitalization of the city of Delray Beach. In 1994 she was appointed by the Palm Beach County Commission to serve as its representative on the Tri-Rail board, and she served for 21 years.
Mrs. Horenburger will be missed for her wisdom, generosity, warmth and willingness to include everyone she came across as a member of her family.
A celebration of her life was held on Nov. 22 at Journey Church, Boynton/Delray Campus, 715 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach.
Donations may be made to the Lupus Foundation of America, Florida Chapter, 2300 High Ridge Road, Suite 375, Boynton Beach, FL 33426, or at lupus.org/Florida.

Obituary submitted by the family

GULF STREAM — Swan A. Brown Jr., who designed and maintained landscape from Pompano Beach to Gulf Stream, died June 10 in San Francisco.
He was 96.
Mr. Brown established his own landscape architecture business in 1956. Over several decades, he completed 90% of the landscaping projects in Gulf Stream.
After a life spent professionally designing estates, Mr. Brown had tips for amateurs: “Less is best. That’s the first rule. A beautiful shrub thoughtfully placed will do more for a yard than a jungle. Invest in a good sprinkler system. It’s cheaper in the long run.”
Longtime client and friend Marjorie McGraw wrote: “Over 25 years ago, we had the good fortune to engage a landscape architect, Swan Brown, to landscape our home in Gulf Stream. What started as a business relationship became a close friendship.
“Swan designed a magnificent garden which we enjoyed for many years. After we decided to downsize, we contacted Swan again to design our new residence’s garden. Swan had retired by then, but eagerly designed another beautiful garden for us.
“I think of him often while treasuring all our lovely plants and the fun times we had together. We miss our dear friend.”
Childhood family friend Laurie Potier-Brown wrote: “Swan was one of the first landscape architects in Florida, primarily working in Palm Beach County. He was one of the founders of the Palm Beach Look. Few who drive along A1A, admiring hidden, curving drives, surrounded by lush, exotic landscapes, realize that these were the creative designs from the mind of Swan Brown.
“It was the beauty of the land and his delight in making it so that inspired me to become a landscape architect myself. Swan’s work is still influencing generations of Florida landscape architects. Thank you Swan Brown.”
Mr. Brown was born Dec. 7, 1922, and raised in Ocala. He was studying at the University of Florida for two years when Pearl Harbor was attacked. Mr. Brown enlisted in the Army Air Corps and served in the South Pacific until the war ended. Mr. Brown then returned to the University of Florida to earn his bachelor’s degree in landscape architecture.
Mr. Brown married Hilma Fields in 1948. Swan and Hilma had two daughters, Bonnie (Brown) Cicchitto and Barbara (Brown) Clark. His legacy is left to his daughters, four grandchildren, four great-grandchildren and six great-great-grandchildren.
Mr. Brown was an avid walker and a dedicated University of Florida Gators supporter. He retired in 1994, moving to San Francisco. He truly enjoyed volunteering at the symphony, the Asian Art Museum, Project Open Hand and serving as a docent at the Strybing Arboretum for several years. He lived his final years at the Sequoias of San Francisco.
A celebration of his life was held at the Sequoias Independent Living Community on June 20.

Obituary submitted by the family

By Dan Moffett

Manalapan commissioners are beginning to take a serious look at replacing the town’s septic tanks with a municipal sewer system, and Mayor Keith Waters isn’t trying to shield anybody from how difficult and expensive the conversion could be.
“Short of building this place in the first place, this will be the largest single project the town has ever undergone,” Waters said. “That’s from the time we put sea walls up and did Intracoastal dredging in the 1950s.”
The mayor told commissioners during a Nov. 12 workshop that seeing the project through will be challenging for everyone involved.
“I say this not to be discouraging but just to be accurate,” Waters said. “It’s probably the single most painful process that we’ve ever been through and will make everything else pale in comparison.”
Engineers from Mock Roos & Associates of West Palm Beach told the commission that converting every septic tank in town could take as long as six years — from the project’s conception, to design, to financing, to completion. Construction alone could take four years and require tearing up every street in town at one time or another.
The total cost? Who knows? Depending on what type of sewer system the commissioners choose and whether they include moving or adding other utilities underground while the streets are torn up — such as power lines, fiber-optic cables, natural gas pipes, stormwater drains — that number could be something that climbs as high as $27 million.
Thomas Biggs, Mock Roos executive vice president, recommended moving forward in $2 million to $3 million phases, with most of work scheduled for summertime when the town’s population and traffic decline.
Town Manager Linda Stumpf said it might be possible to cut costs by collaborating on construction contracts with southern neighbors Ocean Ridge and Gulf Stream, which are looking at similar septic conversion projects.
Mayor Pro Tem Jack Doyle said that, with interest rates nearing historic lows, the financing prospects are promising, at least for the near term.
“There isn’t going to be a more receptive market from our perspective,” Doyle said.
Waters said all indications from Tallahassee are that state officials are committed to advancing the removal of septic tanks from Florida’s barrier islands. So Manalapan, sooner or later, will have to deal with sewers.
“Clearly this is coming down the pike,” Waters said, “and we need to get in front of it.”
By unanimous consensus, the commission agreed to hire Mock Roos to produce a detailed analysis of the project’s potential costs, options and financing possibilities. Biggs said it might take as long as six months to complete the analysis.
In other business, the commission will have at least one new member after the March 17 municipal election. Clark Appleby, who has held an at-large seat for six years, will be forced out because of term limits.
Vice Mayor Simone Bonutti, who holds an ocean district seat, and Richard Granara, who represents Point Manalapan, are up for re-election.
The period for candidates to qualify began at noon Nov. 26 and will end at noon Dec. 10. 

By Dan Moffett

Ocean Ridge commissioners aren’t buying a recommendation from a citizens advisory panel that the town should turn over its water pipes to Boynton Beach when a contract between the two communities expires next year.
In October, the town’s Septic to Sewer Citizens Advisory Committee voted 4-1 in favor of giving some 85,000 linear feet of pipes to Boynton Beach.
Boynton Beach provides water to Ocean Ridge but is not responsible for maintaining the pipes or repairing any problems.
As part of the recommendation, the committee stipulated that Boynton Beach should take full responsibility for maintaining the pipes “in perpetuity” at no cost to Ocean Ridge and to give the town preferred in-city water rates, the same as Boynton residents.
When the idea came before the Town Commission in November, commissioners and staff balked at the prospect of surrendering an asset that Town Manager Tracey Stevens says is worth at least $3.8 million.
And during their Dec. 2 meeting, commissioners decided the responsibility for pursuing answers to their inquiries and working out financial details of the water contract should shift back to the town manager and directed staff to negotiate directly with Boynton Beach so the town’s bargaining positions stay out of the public forum.
That move reflected the commission’s opinion that the advisory committee’s focus had become narrower.
Previously, in a memo sent to the committee after the Nov. 4 meeting, Stevens outlined eight questions for the committee to address including assessment of the condition of the pipes and valves, how much it costs annually to maintain the town’s pipes and how much it would cost to replace them.
The commission requested more information about ownership and liability of three water pipes under the Intracoastal Waterway that connect Boynton Beach’s pipes to Ocean Ridge’s.
The commission also wanted the committee to explore the process for repurchasing the pipes down the road if necessary and to provide information on how nearby Manalapan and Hypoluxo are handling the issue of pipes as Hypoluxo splits from the Manalapan water system.
At the Nov. 4 meeting, Vice Mayor Don MaGruder called the advisory committee’s recommendation on the water pipes “premature. I don’t think the Septic to Sewer Advisory Committee is really on a very good track there.
“They’re doing a really good job, but I think this came to the commission too quickly. They haven’t been able to do a lot of the research they wanted to do and that they still need to do.”
Mayor Steve Coz agreed, saying the main reason the committee was created was to look at ways to finance septic-to-sewer conversion — not to get “dragged into” water contract issues between the municipalities. The current agreement expires next November.
Commissioner Kristine de Haseth said the committee needed more guidance to stay on track. “Staff has to be very conscientious and clear on what you’re asking the committee to do,” she said. “With a $3.8 million capital asset, to give it away for nothing is fiscally irresponsible.”
Stevens said the recommendation raised potential unintended consequences that have not been fully explored. “We have a lot of questions that still need to be answered,” she said.
  During the Dec. 2 meeting, committee Chairman Neil Hennigan said the panel wanted to come before the commissioners and explain the reasoning behind its recommendation. He also asked for clarity on the advisers’ role.
Although the commission rejected the idea of a presentation on the water contract, Coz said he does want a presentation and a written report when the Septic to Sewer work is done. The committee plans to meet again Jan. 9.
In other business:
  • The commission is about to make another attempt at using signs to curb beachgoers’ bad behavior and trespassing on private property.
Commissioners approved language for four signs to be erected on the town’s beachfront: on the beach south of Ocean Inlet Park; north of Hammock Park; south of Oceanfront Park, and north of Briny Breezes.
The signs will say: “End of Public Beach. Please Respect Private Property. Thank you.”
The town’s logo will appear beneath the message.
• MaGruder told the commission on Dec. 2 he will not run for a second term in the March 17 municipal election because he is moving to North Carolina next year.
“This month I celebrate my 33rd year as a resident in Ocean Ridge,” he said. “By my count, there’s been 11 mayors, four police chiefs and at least seven town managers. … I just wanted to tell you all how much I appreciated you electing me to the commission. I love this town. I’m going to miss it.”
Besides MaGruder’s seat, the one held by Commissioner Susan Hurlburt may be contested. Candidate filing dates run until noon Dec. 13.

Rich Pollack contributed to this story.

The hall, a half-block off Atlantic Avenue on Southeast Third Avenue, will have 36 vendors and focus on ethnic cuisines. The market is expected to open in spring 2021. Rendering provided

By Christine Davis and Jan Norris

The trendy food hall concept broke ground in Delray Beach in November, with the shovels ready for the Delray Beach Market.
Menin Development is behind the 150,000-square-foot, four-story building that will consist of a parking garage for 220 vehicles plus the market on the bottom floor.
The market will be a half-block off Atlantic Avenue on Southeast Third Avenue, with the railroad tracks just west of it.
Longtime South Florida restaurateur Dennis Max, as director of hospitality, will oversee the 36 vendors expected to fill the hall.
“Craig Menin and I are old friends. He came to me with the idea already formed, and I gladly joined his team,” Max said.
Growing up in Los Angeles within walking distance of that city’s Farmers Market, which predated his childhood, played a huge role in influencing Max’s life in the food business, he said. He hopes to replicate parts of it in downtown Delray, as well as parts of other successful food halls such as the newer Time Out in Miami.
He’s curating a group of entrepreneurial vendors who will prepare dishes at the hall and in some cases sell ingredients or partial meals for people to prepare at home.
The focus is on ethnic cuisines prepared by people for whom they are heritage foods.
“Our mission statement is to be genuine and pure, authentic and fresh. There will be no chains here,” Max said. “We’re looking for real people who live in the community, who are first, second or third generation — it doesn’t matter. But to have that sort of background, be it Japanese, South American — anywhere, it doesn’t matter, and be authentic and pure, that’s what we want.
“J.P., our publicists, said it best: It’ll be a casual setting where you can get first-class, quality food options from around the world without having to travel, or commit the time to a traditional restaurant meal.”
The goal, he said, is to have as many foods prepared on site as possible for customers. “Also we want them to buy things to take home for the rest of the week for their meals,” Max said.
One example he gave was of the wurst maker who will offer sausages and wursts packaged for the home cook as a butcher would do.
“We will represent all this diversity, from Mexico and Italy, Spain, all around the world,” he said.
The food hall is an ideal venue for would-be restaurant owners for whom a brick and mortar space is prohibitive in both cost and labor. Food truck “graduates” are the ideal candidates, Max said.
“We love food truck people. There’s a natural progression from a food truck to a space at a food hall. It’s virtually impossible to open a brick and mortar restaurant, even a small one, for someone with a modest business.
“The food truck business owner is able to get the business concept and handle the efficiency of being a vendor in a busy hall. He or she already does that in the truck.”
Max and his team now are vetting each potential vendor in advance of the anticipated spring 2021 opening. Vendors are coming to the test kitchen at his office, or bringing around their food trucks for the team to sample. Those that are deemed authentic and good quality get the thumbs up.
Menin will remain the landlord and put up the money for all the equipment in the hall for the cooks: stoves, refrigerators, tables and small appliances. The vendor is therefore not out his life savings, Max said, if things don’t work out.
“It is a business venture,” he said. “The landlord needs to have control. I equate it to a sports team: The owner needs to be in control of the players. He needs to be able to let a team member go if they aren’t working out. This way, they can walk away with the time and labor they put in without losing all that money for equipment.”
The hall will be laid out with take-out window vendors such as Seed Coffee of Boca Raton occupying the west side with sidewalk seating. These vendors could stay open late and open early with the rest of the food hall opening later.
Inside, seating for 650 will be scattered throughout, both individual and communal spots. Vendors will have counter seating in their areas.
Outdoors, there will be seating for 150. That includes on the east side of the building, an indoor/outdoor beer garden with a patio.
Two bars, one on the mezzanine level and the second downstairs, will serve liquor; another craft brew bar will be indoors.
“Most food halls control all the alcohol but we’ll let our vendors sell beer and wine. A few each, so you don’t have to run all around after you get your food to get your drinks,” Max said.
A market with carts of fresh farm produce might be in the works for Saturdays.
“We’re looking to help entrepreneurs make that leap from a food truck to a food hall, and maybe to their own restaurant. There are great stories of this out there,” he said.
Menin is committed to the project and is hands-on, involved in all the decisions, unlike many market owners, Max said. He said he’s privileged to be paired with someone who isn’t in it for just the money.
“It’s like making a movie with the best director and best producer you could have. It’s really a labor of love,” Max said.
The Delray Beach Market will be at 33 SE Third Ave. It’s expected to create about 280 jobs during construction, and 250 or more permanent jobs.

Three new pop-ups have signed short-term leases and are open at Mizner Park in Boca Raton: Wolf Gallery; Lululemon, which sells athletic apparel; and Bonita’s, a women’s clothing store.
Hästens, a bed and mattress store, and Cielito Artisan Pops, offering frozen treats and gifts, will open shortly as permanent tenants.
Other new tenants slated to open in 2020 include Calaveras Cantina, a Mexican restaurant; the Blue Fish, a sushi and Japanese restaurant; Lost Weekend, a bar featuring billiards, other games, arts and brews; Subculture Coffee; and Strike 10 Bowling.  

Death or Glory, 116 NE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach, planned to hold an Ugly Sweater Party on Dec. 2 as part of its Miracle Holiday Pop-Up Bar. The idea was for people who didn’t have sweaters ugly enough to bring in what they had, with Delray Beach fashion designer Amanda Perna gussying up those sweaters, for free.
Perna’s brand, the House of Perna, has been sold at retailers that include Anthropologie, Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale’s, Nordstrom and BHLDN. In late 2018, she launched a second brand, Neon Bohemians, which debuted at Nordstrom. And in 2019, she published her children’s book, F is for Fashion.
Miracle Holiday Pop-Up Bar at Death or Glory continues to celebrate the holiday season through Dec. 31 and will sell glassware with 10% of sales donated to Action Against Hunger.
For more information, visit www.deathorglorybar.com or call 561-808-8814.

Lawn Love, a California app-based service for professional lawn care services, is launching in Ocean Ridge. Users of its service can schedule, review and pay for yard work via a mobile app or website, which uses satellite imaging software to review a property and generate a quote in a couple of minutes. 
Lawn Love has partnered with small lawn-care businesses across Florida, each having gone through a screening process to assess its level of lawn care experience. Services offered include mowing, weeding, aeration and gutter clearing. For more information, visit https://lawnlove.com.

Steve Schmidt takes part in CEO Build. Photo provided

In October, more than 100 CEOs and other senior-level business leaders took part in Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County’s third annual CEO Build to raise hammers and roof trusses on a Boynton Beach home for Gretta Ceasar and her family. They also raised $350,000.
Several also worked to revitalize the neighboring Maranatha Haitian Evangelical Baptist Church through the organization’s neighborhood revitalization program, presented by Vertical Bridge Holdings. Habitat’s “A Brush with Kindness” program reinvests in homes and other community assets. 
Among those who participated were Boca Raton residents Paul Adkins, Doug Fash, Forrest Heathcott, Rick Howard, David Isreal, Steve Schmidt, John Tolbert and Jay Whelchel; and Ocean Ridge residents Ken Lebersfeld and Scott Sullivan.
Fash, founder and CEO of Sunflower Landscaping and Maintenance, was the honorary chairman. Sponsors were Moraca Builders and Sklar Furnishings.

Boca Raton-based Pebb Capital purchased five Atlantic Avenue properties on 6.7 acres — which included acquisition of the Sundy House — for close to $40 million toward its plans to build a mixed-use project called Sundy Village in the Old School Square Historic Arts District. The sale closed Oct. 22, public records show.
The Delray Beach project will cost more than $100 million to develop and is in a federally designated Opportunity Zone.
The project will include nearly 50,000 square feet of retail and restaurant space and about 70,000 square feet of office space, with construction to begin within a year. Marshall Florida Holdings was the seller.

Kimberly Vassalluzzo purchased an estate at 249 W. Alexander Palm Road in the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, Boca Raton, for $13 million on Nov. 15.
The six-bedroom home, with 11,401 total square feet, was built last year. Mikhail Avrutin, who is the owner and developer of Baltic Hotel Group, was the seller. Both Vassalluzzo and Avrutin were represented by David W. Roberts with Royal Palm Properties.

Richard Templer, the owner of a professional horse racing stable, and his wife, Diane, bought a waterfront home at 190 NE Fifth Ave., Boca Raton, for $12.15 million on Oct. 24. Jeffery H. Norman, the founder of JH Norman Construction, sold the home.
The custom five-bedroom home, with 180 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway, was built in 2018 by JH Norman Construction and designed by the Brenner Architecture Group.
Norman bought the property for $6.79 million in March 2017 before building the house, records show. The D’Angelo/ Liguori team of Premier Estate Properties represented the buyer and the seller in the deal.

Walgreen Co., based in Deerfield, Illinois, sold the 14,362-square-foot store at 3200 S. Federal Highway in Delray Beach for $6.54 million in October, property records show. The buyer is WBAFL001 LLC, a Delaware company. Public records also show that Walgreens now leases the property from WBAFL001.
WBAFL001 is tied to Oak Street Real Estate Capital of Chicago, a private equity firm that manages commingled funds and accounts, according to its website. The Delray Beach property last sold in 2001 for $4.2 million.

Mitchell Robbins, co-founder of Robbins Property Associates, bought a 7,997-square-foot house at 461 S. Maya Palm Drive in the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club, Boca Raton, for $5.5 million.
The home, built in 2016, has five bedrooms, five bathrooms and two half-bathrooms.
The sellers, Robert and Suzanne Noble, bought the property for $5.825 million in 2016.
David W. Roberts of Royal Palm Properties represented the buyer and the seller in the deal.
Robbins Property Associates was founded in 2009 by brothers Mitchell and Steve Robbins to acquire multifamily communities. The firm merged with North Palm Beach-based Electra America in late 2016.

CDS Investments, a Florida limited company led by Carl DeSantis and William Milmoe, paid $3.1 million for the 10,000-square-foot building at 401 W. Linton Blvd., Delray Beach, on Oct. 24. Brokers William Cunningham and Christopher McInnis of Park View Realty represented the buyer, while Marcus & Millichap represented the seller, Callisto Realty LLC.
Callisto Realty paid $2,475,000 for the property in March 2007. The third floor of the building will soon be available for lease.

Broker Jeffrey Ray joined Compass Florida in November. He has opened an administrative office, Jeffrey Ray & Associates at Compass, 2875 S. Ocean Blvd., Suite 200, Palm Beach, and is assembling a team.
Ray, a Manalapan resident, founded Jeffrey Ray & Associates in 2008, specializing in luxury real estate from Palm Beach to Miami, with more than $300 million in closed sales to his credit. For info or to apply to join his team, email him at Jeffrey.ray@compass.com.

Atlantis resident Amy Snook, a partner in the All About Florida Homes team of Lang Realty, conducted training sessions for the Women’s Council of Realtors Leadership Academy in Chicago and Orlando. The Chicago program addressed membership development and how to bring value to members of an organization. In Orlando, participants received training for overall and event budget planning.

Kurman and McIntyre

True Floridian Realty, led by Noelle McIntyre, and FurBaby Real Estate, led by Adrianne Kurman, have merged to form the FurBaby Group at True Floridian Realty.
True Floridian Realty, founded in 2011, has more than 30 agents with locations in Jupiter, Delray Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Miami.
Kurman created FurBaby Real Estate in 2017, with the goal of helping clients find homes that fit both their needs and their pets’ needs.
Both women are passionate about animals. True Floridian Realty and FurBaby Real Estate donated nearly $20,000 to pet rescue organizations in Palm Beach County this year. And for every transaction, the FurBaby Group donates to local animal rescue organizations.
For more info, visit http://truefloridianrealty.com/furbaby.
McIntyre’s Delray Beach Real Estate Co. has merged with Dina L. Branham’s Deluxe Properties in Delray Beach. The merger created the Deluxe Division of Delray Beach Real Estate, with eight agents who specialize in luxury real estate.
For information, visit www.delraybeachrealestateco.com/deluxe-division. Both new business entities have offices at 100 NE Fifth Ave.

The Boca Real Estate Investment Club’s annual holiday party will be on from 6-8 p.m., Dec. 12 at Saltwater Brewery, 1701 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. The cost to attend is $20. For information, call 561-391-7325 or visit www.bocarealestateclub.com.

Brightline, soon to be Virgin Trains, was selected as the Project of the Year by the Urban Land Institute Southeast Florida/Caribbean as part of its 2019 Vision Awards. One of five finalists, Brightline was awarded the honor during a ceremony in October in Miami. The award recognized Brightline for its transit-oriented development in South Florida. Launched in 2018, Brightline operates in Florida between Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, with plans to expand into Orlando.

Boca Raton-based Florida Peninsula Insurance Co. and its subsidiary, Edison Insurance Co., announced that their president, Clint Strauch, was unanimously voted to serve a three-year term on the Florida State University risk management and insurance executive council board.
FSU’s Dr. William T. Hold/National Alliance Program in Risk Management and Insurance was recently ranked No. 3 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report.
The council supports and funds initiatives that provide students an industry perspective on the knowledge and skills needed to work in the field.
Strauch’s background also includes a stint as general manager of his own Allstate Insurance agency.

Jan Norris contributed to this column.

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

Delray Beach tennis star Coco Gauff shocked the world and herself with a Wimbledon victory over Venus Williams. Photo provided

By Brian Biggane

Local tennis fans hoping to catch Delray Beach sensation Coco Gauff in action will get their chance when Kevin Anderson and First Serve present the Courtside Cause at 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at the Boca Grove Golf and Tennis Club in Boca Raton.

Anderson, who reached a career-high No. 5 in the ATP rankings in July 2018, and Gauff will be joined on court by twin brothers Bob and Mike Bryan, the most successful doubles duo in the history of American tennis. Stand-up comedian Michael Kosta, a fixture on The Daily Show, will serve as emcee.

Gauff, 15, was the biggest story in the tennis world this year. She defeated Venus Williams in her first main-draw match at Wimbledon before advancing to the fourth round, then reached the third round of the U.S. Open two months later.

Gauff recently won the Linz Open in Austria, making her the youngest winner on the WTA Tour since 2004.

Anderson, a Gulf Stream resident whose wife, Kelsey, recently gave birth to their first child, a girl named Keira, was a finalist in both the 2017 U.S. Open and 2018 Wimbledon. He has battled injuries of late and underwent knee surgery in September. He still compiled an 11-4 record in 2019 that included a victory last January at an ATP event in Pune, India.

Proceeds from the event go to Dezzy’s Second Chance Animal Shelter and the Ocean Conservancy.

Tickets are $300 per person, or $5,000 for a group of eight that includes reserved seats, dinner and champagne. For more information visit www.courtsidecause.org.

Singer Diana Ross will perform at the Jan. 3 event.

By Amy Woods

Diana Ross and Rita Rudner return to The Breakers on Palm Beach to entertain an elite crowd at the Lady in Red Gala.

The Jan. 3 affair serves as an encore to the 2019 gala, at which the music icon and acclaimed comedian performed, drawing record attendance.

“Just like last year, L.I.F.E.’s 26th annual Lady in Red will be supreme,” said Lois Pope, chairwoman of the event and founder of Leaders in Furthering Education.

Ross, whom Billboard magazine declared “Female Entertainer of the Century,” and Rudner, who has the longest-running solo comedy show in Las Vegas history, will headline the gala, with the Palm Beach Symphony playing during the cocktail hour. The Danny Beck Party Band will take over after dinner.

Proceeds from the $1,000 ticket will benefit Pups4Patriots, a L.I.F.E. program that trains shelter dogs so they can be partnered as companions for veterans with disabilities.

“Our goal, as always, is to raise as much money as possible because the need is so great,” Pope said, adding that the United States has more than 4 million disabled veterans.

“It is estimated that upwards of 20% of these veterans suffer from PTSD, and we know that about 20 veterans commit suicide each and every day.

“We also know that having specially trained therapy and companion dogs has a profoundly positive impact on these veterans — helping them cope with the challenges of trying to reintegrate into society while still dealing with the physical and emotional scars of war.”

The cost to train one Pups4Patriots dog exceeds $20,000.

“The reason we have the freedom to have a gala such as the Lady in Red, that we have the freedoms that we enjoy so much in this country, is because of the courageous men and women who serve in our armed forces,” Pope said.

“We have a collective obligation to express our gratitude to them. So, the more money we raise, the more dogs we can train and then give them free of charge to the veterans.”

If You Go
What: Lady in Red Gala to benefit Pups4Patriots for disabled veterans
When: 6 p.m. Jan. 3
Where: The Breakers, 1 South County Road, Palm Beach
Cost: $1,000
Information: 561-582-8083 or www.life-edu.org

Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.

By Amy Woods

Shannon Eadon unanimously was elected by the board of Old School Square in October as the center’s president and CEO. She fills a vacancy left by Rob Steele, who resigned in May 2018.

Eadon hails from New Jersey, where she led a nonprofit theater in Englewood.

“I am humbled and grateful for this opportunity,” she said. “The staff at Old School Square have poured their hearts into this center, and I’m excited to foster their growing creativity.”

Board Chairwoman Elise Johnson said, “Eadon has a thorough understanding of the needs of our community, our visitors and our staff. I have no doubt that she is the right person to take the helm at Old School Square and lead us into a new decade as the community’s cultural center.”

New executive director at children’s foundation

Boca West Children’s Foundation has appointed longtime Boca Raton resident and community leader Pamela Weinroth as executive director.

Weinroth will oversee collaborations with the 25 local organizations the foundation supports in addition to fundraising projects.
“We are thrilled to welcome Pam as our executive director,” Chairman Arthur Adler said. “This is the perfect person at the perfect time to help us continue our mission to aid children at risk in our area.”

For information, call 561-488-6980 or visit www.bocawestfoundation.org.

Pugh to lead philanthropy at Community Foundation

Vicki Pugh recently was named vice president of philanthropic giving at the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties.

Pugh, who previously served as vice president for development at Palm Beach Atlantic University, will be in charge of connecting donors to philanthropic causes and facilitating legacy and planned gifts. She also will work with staff members to advance the foundation’s giving program.

“Vicki brings over 30 years of nonprofit experience to her new role,” President and CEO Bradley Hurlburt said.

“Her passion and expertise align wonderfully with our mission to advance the well-being of our communities. We look forward to the strategic direction she will provide in supporting our charitable giving efforts.”

For information, call 561-659-6800 or visit www.yourcommunityfoundation.org.

Community Caring Center names directors

The Community Caring Center of Palm Beach County has named its 2019-20 board of directors: Doreen Robinson, president; Nancy Flinn, vice president; Joyce Portnoy, secretary; and Patricia Saunders, treasurer.

New board members are the Rev. Joseph Dawkins and Steve English, who join returning board members Everlene Baker, Larry Dilijohn, John McGovern and Arturo Witman.

“These are exciting times for the Community Caring Center of Palm Beach County, and I look forward to working with our new officers and the entire board to build a stronger organization while we remain focused on feeding and serving families in need,” Executive Director Sherry Robinson said.

For information, call 561-364-9501 or visit www.cccpbc.org.

Public-private partnership forged for mentorship

Boca Raton-based Office Depot has launched a community-investment program called the Mentorship Movement, through which hundreds of at-risk youths are paired with adult mentors.

The program — in partnership with the United Way of Palm Beach County — involves Office Depot associates who guide, inspire and support young clients of the following nonprofits: Compass, Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County, Milagro Center, Path to College Fellowship and Take Stock in Children.

To kick off the program, the company presented a $30,000 check to the United Way of Palm Beach County to support the Mentorship Movement and other mentoring initiatives. The organization funds and oversees 24 such initiatives.
For information, call 561-375-6600 or visit https://unitedwaypbc.org.

In other Office Depot news, the company is providing volunteer mentors to students in Boca Helping Hands’ free job-training program.

The program prepares and certifies students for careers in health care, hospitality, technology and transportation. Mentors will work with students pursuing technology careers, providing insight into the field and ensuring the youths stay motivated.

“Office Depot is the first company to offer a corporate mentoring experience to our clients,” Boca Helping Hands Executive Director Greg Hazle said. “We need more of our corporate partners to consider adopting and mentoring students in our job-training programs.”

For information, call 561-417-0913, ext. 203 or visit www.bocahelpinghands.org.

NCCI’s campaign raises $230,000 for United Way

The National Council on Compensation Insurance wrapped up its annual campaign with the United Way of Palm Beach County, raising more than $230,000 for the agency and donating 1,000 hygiene bags to Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches and HomeSafe.

The campaign theme, “Hope Through Homes,” was selected to support the fight against housing insecurity in the community. Boca Raton-based NCCI worked with the United Way to make resources available to people struggling to obtain access to housing.

“No one should ever have to wonder where they will sleep at night,” said Allen Boyd II, NCCI’s campaign chairman. “Our team is proud to know that the money raised and supplies donated during our ‘Hope Through Homes’ campaign will make a positive impact on the lives of Palm Beach County’s citizens in need.”

Battle of Bands helps students prepare for jobs

The second season of the Golden Bell Education Foundation’s Battle of the Bands was all the rage this year as South County business leaders traded in their suits and ties for guitars and microphones to compete in front of 800 screaming fans.

The five amateur bands were Federal Highway, Game of Tones, Mechanical Solidarity (the winner), Rock Lobsters and The Stilettos. The battle kicked off with the winning band from last year, 180 Proof. Nearly $100,000 was raised for the Boca Chamber initiative, which funds programs promoting workforce readiness among students.

“The competing amateur bands worked hard all summer long to put on a memorable and entertaining performance, and it showed,” said Mariana Griswold, the chamber’s marketing and communications coordinator. “We are all so proud of their performances and the astounding amount of support we received from the community.”

Grant to fund upgrade for nature playscape in Delray

Achievement Centers for Children & Families recently received a $50,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties for the restoration of its nature playscape at the Nancy K. Hurd campus in Delray Beach.

The money will help turn the existing playground into one in which 125 preschoolers and their families can learn about the connection between nature and healthy living as well as the importance of environmental stewardship.

“Our children are beyond excited,” CEO Stephanie Seibel said. “They had input in designing the space by sharing their favorite outdoor activities, and we look forward to collaborating in offering new outdoor programming.”

For information, call 561-266-0003 or visit www.achievementcentersfl.org.

Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.

Jim Batmasian, Jo Anne Williams, Jim O’Neill and Debbie and Steve Schmidt. Photos provided by Gina Fontana and Jeffrey Tholl

More than 450 well-dressed guests danced the night away to support the health and wellness needs of local nonprofits at the fifth annual affair presented by Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton. The black-tie gala recognized elected officials who have exemplified Rotary International’s motto ‘Service Above Self’ and honored three visionaries: Lynn University President Kevin Ross, Florence Fuller Child Development Centers Executive Director Ellyn Okrent and Bluegreen Vacations CFO Ray Lopez.

Marisela and Adolfo Cotilla.

Patti Carpenter and Bill and Bonny Smith.