Brenda Medore, Patty Jones and Leanne Adair. Photos provided

Supporters of the Palm Beach County Food Bank gathered to celebrate the 4th annual Empty Bowls Delray Beach event, set for Dec. 8, and reminded each other how important it is to bring awareness to the almost 200,000 hungry residents in Palm Beach County. Hosts Craig and Shelley Menin, along with Chairwomen Stephanie Dodge and Marla Garchik, welcomed the crowd of more than 100 for an evening of cocktails and light bites. A silent auction of hand-painted bowls raised funds for hunger relief.

Kate and Josh Littlefield.

Garchik, Food Bank Executive Director Karen Erren and Dodge.

Hoskinson, of Roots & Wings; Reagan, of Bella Reina Spa; Mark Cassini, of Community Greening; and Marcie Young, of Young Dentistry. Photo provided by Emiliano Brooks / Studio B2

The Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce gave out well-deserved honors during its annual fundraiser and recognition event. This year’s winners are Ted Hoskinson, Crystal Palm Award for Community Service; Community Greening, Nonprofit of the Year; Young Dentistry, Business of the Year; Nancy Reagan, Business Person of the Year; and the late Bob Currie, Lifetime Achievement Award. ‘The whole crowd was excited to gather together to honor so many nominees for the Delray Beach Chamber’s annual award ceremony,’ CEO Stephanie Immelman said.

Amy Kazma, Lisa Warren, Cristy Stewart-Harfmann, Nancy Dockerty, Stanley, Nicole Mugavero and Renata Sans de Negri. Photos Provided

Nearly 1,000 guests attended the Junior League of Boca Raton’s annual affair, at which Michelle Stallone was named Woman Volunteer of the Year and Kirsten Stanley received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Stallone was nominated by Pink Ball, a nonprofit she founded to fund mammograms for uninsured people, and Stanley was nominated by the league and is its president-elect. The winners were chosen by an independent panel of judges.

Terry Fedele, Pat Thomas, Stallone, Jessica Kramer and Robin Mautino.

Alumni Association President Ranell Mason, Nancy Bayless and Stetson President Wendy Libby. Photo provided

Nancy Walker Bayless, Class of 1962, was honored for her commitment to and passion for Stetson University and contributions to enriching its core values. ‘My Stetson education was a gift that helped me to set standards for my personal and professional growth, ‘ Bayless said when accepting the award. Bayless and her husband, David, are part-time residents of Briny Breezes.

Ernie Simon with Allerton. Photo provided

The Crossroads Club benefited from the annual event, which raises funds for people suffering from addiction. More than 200 attended to support the nonprofit safe haven and honor Tony Allerton, its executive director. Guest speakers were State Attorney Dave Aronberg and best-selling author John Lipscomb. ‘The Crossroads Club provides a solution to help clients discover and maintain sobriety,’ said Delray Beach Mayor Shelly Petrolia, honorary chairwoman of the luncheon. ‘This nonprofit helps empower individuals to re-emerge as positive contributors to our city.’

Russell and Van Vechten

Photos provided by Kelly Boyle

A special birthday party became an opportunity for singers and dancers — including Kellye Cash, Johnny Cash’s niece, and Rob Russell, a local favorite — to support people with disabilities. The night benefits the Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities, set for March 1 in Boca Raton. In celebration of the 75th birthday of Jay Van Vechten, the bash’s director, a roster of legendary performers put on a show. Cash, a former Miss America, kicked off the evening with her version of ‘Ring of Fire.’ Nearly 100 attended.

Jane and Mark Hansen

  Kelly Boyle and Lowell Van Vechten

By Scott Simmons

The Plate: Smoked deviled eggs

The Place: Driftwood (in the former Scully’s), 2005 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach; 561-733-4782 or www.driftwoodboynton.com.

The Price: $7

The Skinny: News flash: Driftwood may be the best restaurant in Boynton Beach.

Oh, it’s not that the other places are bad, but Jimmy Everett and Ilia Gonzalez have kicked things a notch above their competition.
I stopped for a recent happy hour snack and an $8 cocktail.

About those cocktails — Tommy’s Margarita offers the right mix of sweet and sour, with El Jimador Blanco, agave and lime. El Bucho offered a savory punch, with Vida Mezcal, tamarind, lime, fresno and black salt.

But the star of my stop was the deviled eggs, which were at once rich and savory. The yolk was smoky and creamy, and it was garnished with a slightly sweet green tomato relish and a crisp of fried chicken skin — good, if not good for you.
A couple at a neighboring table recommended the pâté and the hummus, and said to order the swordfish any night it’s on the menu.

There’s always next time. …

— Scott Simmons

Adele Bulger of Ocean Ridge prepares Christmas cards with her daughters, Heidi, 14, and Maggie, 10. The Bulgers like to send family photo cards, and these include son George, 17. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Writing Christmas cards remains a beloved ritual during era of e-greetings

By Mary Thurwachter

For Adele Bulger, sending and receiving Christmas cards is a time-honored tradition and one she isn’t likely to give up. The Ocean Ridge wife and mother of three typically begins penning her holiday greetings after Thanksgiving and admits it’s sometimes a bit of a struggle to get all 150 of them out before Christmas. She includes notes in many cards, longer handwritten letters in some, and others go in the mail with just a signature.

“We are transplants, originally from Pittsburgh,” Bulger said. “We have friends from growing up; we have friends from college; friends from graduate school; and my husband and I lived in Cleveland for a while and we made some good friends there. So, it’s just a way to keep in touch.”

The Bulgers string up the cards they receive each year. “Everyone who comes into our home over the holidays looks at them and comments on them,” she said.

Sending out greeting cards for the December holiday is a tradition that originated in England in 1843, when Sir Henry Cole, a civil servant, began selling Christmas cards, unheard of at the time. The practice of exchanging Christmas cards grew quickly and spread to the United States by 1875.

Text messaging, email and social media have emerged to give cards a run for their money, and concerns that paper cards may not be planet-friendly have made an impact, too. But the tradition has found favor with enough folks to keep it alive.

More than 3,000 companies published greeting cards in the United States last year, the Greeting Card Association reported. Christmas cards account for about $2.25 billion in annual sales.

At Hand’s Office and Art Supply on Atlantic Avenue, in business since 1934, sales of Christmas cards have remained consistently high, according to general manager Roz Castle.

“They’re buying 100 at a time with their name printed on it and return addresses,” she said. “They come every year.”

But card sales have gone down drastically at some stores like Salutations, a 20-year-old gift and card shop in The Colony Hotel, also on Atlantic Avenue. Bulger buys her cards there and said supporting local businesses is important to her.

Diana Bush, whose family has owned Salutations since 2004, said that while her sales of small gifts have continued to grow, holiday card sales have declined greatly.

“People still do come in and buy boxed cards, but not anything like they used to,” Bush said. “We used to have people line up in August for them, but now if I do 10 (custom orders), I’m happy.”

Some people have stopped sending cards, Bush said, and many customers prefer photo cards (as do the Bulgers). “But many tend to order them online. They think they can do so much better online, but actually they can end up spending more.”

Like Adele Bulger, Palm Beacher Jason Arbuckle enjoys sending holiday cards — it’s one of the reasons he started his company, J.Falkner Cards, in 2011. J.Falkner cards are sold throughout the country.

J.Falkner, whose design center is in West Palm Beach, sells a new pineapple-themed card this year. Photo provided

“Come Christmas time, I sit myself down with stamps, address book, a favorite pen, a nice glass of red wine,” he said. “I generally get around 75 cards into the mail.”

This, he admits, may require a second glass.

“It’s the way I press pause during all the holiday frenzy and take a moment to appreciate the good fortune and great friendships of the year that’s just gone by.”

The market for cards has been changing, Arbuckle said.

“Everyone’s lives are getting faster, it seems, so that chance to sit down and send a card to everyone on your list is harder to find. And yet, because of Instagram, more than ever people want to create a beautiful holiday experience to post and share — and Christmas cards are a key part of that.”

The changes have made the card market even more interesting, Arbuckle said.

“While the conventional wisdom is that millennials don’t have time for old-fashioned things like cards, in fact the young audience has helped the card industry prosper,” he said. “While millennials might not buy boxes of Christmas cards to send to all their friends, they like to find single cards that are really special — and worth reposting on Instagram.”

Because his company is based in Palm Beach, “we like to bring a fresh, sunny twist to the season,” Arbuckle said. “Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean we need to give up our bright colors and tropical motifs. Our colors for Christmas are bright and fresh, and palm trees and pineapples get the holiday treatment. These designs really connect with our base here in South Florida.”

The pineapples are new, and J.Falkner is producing some of its best designs in a different format this year — as deluxe holiday matchboxes. “These have been a huge success,” Arbuckle said. “They make a table look immediately festive and are great little gifts.”

For the Bulgers and others, the festive tradition of exchanging cards continues from generation to generation.

“My grandmother, God bless, she died when she was 96 and she sent them out until the year she died,” Adele Bulger said. “My mother addresses her cards the day after Christmas so all she needs to do in November and December is add in the notes.”

Time will tell if Bulger’s children continue the tradition. The kids helped their mom stuff cards in envelopes this year — which could mean an extra candy cane in their stockings.

Card sources
Hand’s Office and Art Supply: 325 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-276-4194, www.handsdelray.com.

Salutations: 535 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, 561-266-6558, www.salutationsofdelray.com.

J.Falkner Cards: Headquarters are in Palm Beach and the design center is in West Palm Beach, but to find a store near you, see www.jfalkner.com. Salutations carries the cards, as do The Breakers, Four Seasons and Eau Palm Beach.

Brooke Diamond of Boca Raton honored Alex Morgenstern by working to put sunscreen dispensers in parks. Photo provided

By Joyce Reingold

A stuffed animal resembling a favorite pet. Water-resistant earbuds. A tween-sized fitness tracker. These are all suggested gift ideas for the 12-year-old set that would surely put smiles on many young faces. But when Brooke Diamond turned 12, she had other ideas.

The Boca Raton girl put out a call to friends, family and corporations asking for contributions of sunscreen and sun-protective clothing items, and money to buy two sunscreen dispensers to place at local parks.

It was the year leading up to her April 13, 2019, bat mitzvah at B’nai Torah, and she’d chosen melanoma awareness and prevention as a mitzvah project, her way of giving back to the community.

“I knew right away what I wanted to do,” she said, her soft voice filled with conviction.

When she was 10, she’d lost her beloved maternal grandfather, Alex Morgenstern, 73, to stage 4 metastatic melanoma. She wanted to do something meaningful to prevent others from developing what the Melanoma Research Foundation calls the deadliest form of skin cancer.

Brooke, now 13 and an eighth-grader at Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, is well-versed in melanoma facts and statistics. “On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns,” she said. “Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing melanoma by 50%.”

While there is no cure for melanoma, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says “most cases of melanoma could be prevented.”

Finding hope and purpose in prevention, Brooke watched as donations to her project, dubbed Peace, Love + Sunshine, began rolling in.

“We wrote letters to sunscreen companies and clothing companies,” said her mother, Lauren. “It was like the holidays. Every time you got to the door, there were boxes of sunscreen or boxes of the neck wraps fishermen wear.”

From the bounty, Brooke assembled 46 packages of sunscreen, SPF shirts and SPF hats for children at the Milagro Center in Delray Beach. And as the donations continued to flow, she delivered the same potentially lifesaving items to the dermatology department at the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach.

Brooke helped put together a 12-member team of friends and family — including her father, Harold — to take part in the SafeSun Foundation’s annual Run From the Rays 5K/1 Mile Run/Walk.

SafeSun, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and other skin cancers, donated the team’s registration fees to Caridad’s dermatology department.

Through Facebook fundraisers, Brooke raised $2,000. Del Prado Elementary — where Lauren teaches fifth grade — and its PTA contributed $500. Pride Air Conditioning donated another $500.

With $3,000 in hand, Brooke planned to acquire two automatic sunscreen dispensers she hoped to see placed near the carousel in Sugar Sand Park and by the tennis courts at the Swim and Racquet Center. Both were places where she and her brother, Mitch, now 11, had spent happy hours with the grandfather they called “Pop Pop.”

To learn more about the dispensers, Lauren spoke with Fran Nachlas, a founder of SafeSun. Nachlas had partnered with the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department and the West Palm Beach-based Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation to place dispensers in other Boca Raton locations.

The Diamonds then reached out to the foundation, asking the 501(c)(3) to safeguard their funds until it was time to work together to buy the dispensers.

Stacy Ostrau, executive director of the RDK foundation, said, “We’re really proud of Brooke’s dedication to help raise awareness and support people being sun-safe. She was so passionate about it, because of her grandfather, and she really worked hard to get that done.”

On Oct. 7, Brooke and her mother stood before Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District commissioners, asking them to green-light Brooke’s request. In a real-life lesson in civics, Brooke saw commissioners embrace and amplify her proposal.

Commissioner Craig Ehrnst proposed, and the panel agreed, that the district absorb the cost of filling and maintaining the dispensers. Each dispenser cost $500, with another $500 needed to fill it with sunscreen — approximately 4,000 “squirts,” according to the RDK foundation.

With the district absorbing the sunscreen expense, Brooke was able to donate another dispenser to Sugar Sand Park and the Swim and Racquet Center, for a total of four, and keep funds in reserve for future installations.

In the chambers that evening, a proud grandmother Tamara Morgenstern donated $1,000, more sun protection for future park visitors.

Brooke’s desire “to make a difference in our community inspired the board,” district Executive Director Briann Harms said in a news release. “By supporting her project, we encourage youth to engage in outreach while simultaneously helping protect our community. We are proud of her and happy to support this important initiative.”

“I’d love to see this as more of a holistic project for all of the area,” Ehrnst said at the meeting. “So, if that means another way of doing it instead of us individually putting one up here, one there, I’d rather work with the city to see how we can do this across the city.”

He looked at Brooke. “I’m very supportive of your project, Brooke, and if we can make it happen on a bigger basis, I think that would be more exciting, don’t you?”

“Yes!” she replied, and later she called it “awesome.”

Brooke isn’t always comfortable in the spotlight, but when it comes to advocating for sun-safety and melanoma awareness, she stands tall. “I don’t want the attention,” she said. “But I want the message to be out there.”

Through Peace, Love + Sunshine, her tribute to her grandfather, the message, and his memory, live on. Watch this space for installation plans, which are still in the works.

“It was a part-time job helping to manage this project with Brooke, and nothing gave me greater pleasure to do it because I knew something good was going to come out of something sad,” Lauren said. “And we talk about my dad in some way, shape or form just about every day.”

SunSmart America guidelines
When the UV index reaches 3 and above, use these five SunSmart guidelines:
• Slip on sun-protective clothing. Wear loose-fitting, close-weave clothing that covers as much skin as possible during outside activities.
• Slap on SPF 30+ sunscreen. Apply SPF 30+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen 20 minutes before going outside to ensure maximum effectiveness. Reapply every two hours or more often if you’re involved in physical or water activities.
• Put on a hat, to protect the neck, ears, face and nose.
• Stay out of the sun as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Use shade whenever possible. UV radiation can reflect from surfaces such as water, sand and concrete, so it is important to wear a hat, appropriate clothing and sunscreen even while you’re in the shade.
• Slide on sunglasses. Exposure to UV radiation can damage the eyes. When practical, wear close-fitting, wraparound sunglasses that cover as much of the eye areas as possible. Look for glasses that block 100 percent of UV rays and that absorb most high-energy visible radiation, or blue light.
Source: Richard David Kann Melanoma Foundation

Melanoma facts
• When it’s detected early, the five-year survival rate for melanoma is 99%.
• It’s estimated that the number of new melanoma cases diagnosed in 2019 will increase by 7.7%. 
• The number of melanoma deaths is expected to decrease by 22% in 2019. 
• The vast majority of melanomas are caused by the sun. One U.K. study found that about 86% of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun.
• On average, a person’s risk for melanoma doubles if he or she has had more than five sunburns, but just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles a person’s chances of developing melanoma later in life.
• Help prevent melanoma by seeking shade whenever possible, wearing protective clothing, avoiding direct sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., and using broad spectrum sunscreen with SPF of at least 30.
Source: Skin Cancer Foundation

Joyce Reingold has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to joyce.reingold@yahoo.com.

Baptist Health and UnitedHealthcare have agreed to renew United’s network relationship with Boca Raton Regional Hospital, a Baptist property. Beginning Dec. 1, United members enrolled in employer-sponsored, individual, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid benefit plans again had network access to Boca Regional.

The old agreement expired June 30, leaving plan members to find other providers or go out of network.

The BocaCare Physician Network has added neurologist Dr. Svetlana Faktorovich to the staff of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. She specializes in general neurology, neuromuscular medicine, and diagnosing and treating disorders affecting the peripheral nervous system. Those include myasthenia gravis, cervical and lumbar radiculopathy, plexopathy, peripheral neuropathy and myopathy.
Her expertise also includes electromyography/nerve conduction testing, skin biopsy for the diagnosis of small fiber neuropathy, and the use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of neurological ailments that include disorders of muscle tone and migraines.

Faktorovich, board certified in neurology, completed her undergraduate studies at Stony Brook University in New York and received a master of arts in medical sciences from Boston University School of Medicine. She earned her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in Boston. Her postgraduate training included a residency program in neurology and a fellowship in clinical neurophysiology with a focus in neuromuscular medicine, both at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. She is fluent in English and Russian.

Faktorovich is affiliated with the Marcus Neuroscience Institute and will see patients at 800 Meadows Road in Boca.

Tracy Edelstein was named vice president and chief nursing officer of Bethesda Hospital. Previously, she served as associate vice president of nursing services and interim regional chief nursing officer for Geisinger Health System in Scranton, Pennsylvania. She also served as an adjunct professor of nursing at Carlow University in Pittsburgh.

FoundCare Inc. health care center has been awarded $80,000 by the Promise Fund of Florida to start a program designed to help people with breast and cervical cancer get access to services. The program will cover education about breast and cervical cancer; it will link people at risk to screenings, such as mammograms and Pap tests; and it will help those diagnosed with cancer identify resources to facilitate their treatment and meet other daily needs. 

FoundCare is working with patients from Palm Beach County who receive primary care through FoundCare’s two locations, in central West Palm Beach and North Palm Beach. FoundCare accepts most insurance plans, Medicaid, Medicare, and self-pay is based on income and family size.

FoundCare was named a Health Center Quality Leader by the Health Resources and Services Administration in 2017 and 2018.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 561-432-5849 or visit www.foundcare.org.

Drs. Evan Bergmann and Christy Baggett have joined Cohen Medical Associates of Delray Beach.

Bergmann, a family medicine specialist, completed his undergraduate degree at the University of Florida and graduated from Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine medical school. He served his residency at Palmetto General Hospital.

Baggett is board certified in family medicine. She was a member of the Student Honor Organization during her undergraduate days at the University of Florida. She earned her medical degree at Nova Southeastern University College of Osteopathic Medicine, where she also completed a pre-doctoral fellowship in osteopathic principles and practice, emphasizing the musculoskeletal system.

For more information, visit www.cohenmedical.com.

Joni Goldberg, Alyce Erickson, Arlene Herson, Betsy Fletcher and Vanessa Carosella. Photo provided

The Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum’s 23rd annual presentation honored four individuals and one institution for positively affecting the lives of others. Arthur Adler, Kerry Koen, the late George Barbar, the late Merrilee Middleton and Florida Atlantic University each received a special medallion. ‘I think that every person who attended the event feels very fortunate to be living in this community,’ Executive Director Mary Csar said of the 130 guests in attendance.

Prime Catch’s renovations include whimsical marine touches and brighter colors. Photo provided

By Jan Norris

Phase 1 of the redo at Boynton Beach’s Prime Catch is complete, with a new dock, new decor, a new sign and some new menu items.

The doors opened Nov. 1 to the brighter and bigger space.

The owners, Luke, Pierre and Giles Therien, sons of the deceased founder John Therien, took advantage of the summertime slowdown and the ongoing plaza construction to jazz up the restaurant, which opened in 2004.

They rebuilt the dock, cutting its size slightly to accommodate what will be the 30-seat Prime Island Bar. The outdoor bar will have its own docks on the east side.

Manager Kim Edema said big boats are welcome. “We can accommodate three or four yachts at once at high tide.”

There’s a 6-foot draw, and most boaters are aware that things get iffy at low tide, she said.

“But we’re now ADA accessible on the docks. We used to have two steps up to the ramp but we eliminated those.”

The dining room is now a lighter and brighter white, with windows opened up onto the Intracoastal, and aqua and silver accents throughout.

“We’re calling it Florida chic,” Edema said, laughing.

There’s a sea theme with a touch of whimsy: In the upstairs bar and dining area, reconfigured for more seating and better views of the Intracoastal, giant blue octopuses crawl on the wall murals. Down below, tendrils that reflect the light hang from the jellyfish-shaped chandelier.

New menu items include appetizers such as a bianca flatbread, fried calamari and artichoke hearts served with a marinara and house-made white bean hummus.

The most popular so far is the new chilled raw bar platter, Edema said, with chilled Maine lobster, clams, oysters, shrimp cocktail and tuna poke.

The poke is a lunch favorite, she said, and is available separately.

Old favorites are still on the menu. Prime rib Wednesdays are from 4 p.m. till close; Mondays are Maine lobster nights.

Construction continues in the plaza, but owners are expecting the Prime Island Bar to be open by New Year’s Eve.

Prime Catch is at 700 E. Woolbright Road. Phone 561-737-8822; www.primecatchboynton.com. Open daily for lunch and dinner; on Sundays brunch is served.

Dada in Delray Beach is going strong as it approaches its 20th year in 2020. Co-owner Scott Frielich said much has changed since it opened in the historic Tarrimore house.

“Delray was a sleepy little beach town, and we were kind of off the beaten path. Odds were that we weren’t going to make it,” he said.

“Then Delray started really booming and everything kind of grew around us.”

He’s wary of so much development, however. “I feel there’s a little too much. It’s taken away from what we came here for. There were a lot of art galleries and mom and pop stores. Development kind of chased that away.”

Frielich has been approached to do more restaurants downtown: “I’m hesitant to open more locations. I think it’s reached a saturation.”

Instead, he’s focused on keeping Dada, the second-oldest restaurant downtown (City Oyster has it beat by a year or so), fresh and appealing for the diners.

A chef change is helping the menu move forward.

Chef Jessie Steele, a Delray Beach native, replaced Bruce Feingold at the helm in January and has brought some new items to the menu, while refreshing old favorites.

“I didn’t want to change the soul of the restaurant,” he said. “It’s an icon. But I kind of wanted to make my own stamp on it,” Steele said.

He has updated the popular mezze plate, adding muhammara, a Middle Eastern walnut dip, and restoring tabbouli to make it more Mediterranean.

“I changed up the tuna tartare. It’s now a seared tuna, but still served cold. Added a ponzu sauce, changed up the plating — we got rid of those ring molds. They’re so ’90s,” he said, laughing.

Roast duck breast replaces a half-duck, and diners can order it to any temperature.

One of the most popular appetizers stayed, too, with a nod to Spain. “I kept the Dada dates — I couldn’t take those off. They’re still wrapped in bacon and stuffed with chorizo. But I added a manchego cheese with marcona almond crema on top. They sit on a sherry vinegar gastrique.”

He didn’t touch the crabcake’s flavor profile, but took out the lavosh cracker filling and made it with more crab.

Another change is to the main dishes on the menu, where it followed the popular formula of a protein, starch and vegetable of the day.

“Now, each dish is composed with its own sides,” Steele said. “It’s a lot more work, but I think the customers appreciate it.”

He credits time cooking with chef Nick Morfogen at the former 32 East for his mentorship, but says Dada’s owners, Rodney Mayo and Frielich, want a Dada twist to everything, so he must unlearn some of the classics he was taught.

“With everything I change I have to do a full tasting with Scott and Rodney,” Steele said. “Rodney will say, ‘It’s good … but is it Dada?’ ” The chef laughed. “It forces you to be more creative.”

Steele added a smoker where he’s cooking smoked pork belly burnt ends. “The process is, we get whole bellies in and cure them, then smoke the whole belly. We take it out, cube it, and smoke it again to give it a heavy smoke. When it’s ordered, it’s fried, then tossed in a honey barbecue sauce. It’s been really popular.”

Steele also bought two deep fryers — for a variety of foods, but mainly house-made fries with his burgers, and the new fried chicken sandwich that debuted on the new Sunday brunch menu.

Dec. 1, brunch became permanent every Sunday instead of sporadically. The fried chicken sandwich, using the Freebird brand that Steele calls the best he’s ever eaten, also is served Sunday night — “since Chick-fil-A doesn’t serve on Sundays. We do. Till it’s sold out.”

The chicken is brined in buttermilk, pickle juice and Frank’s Hot Sauce. It’s served on Old School Square Bakery’s challah bun with shredded lettuce, tart pickles and an herb aioli.

To do it all, Steele helped build the new kitchen with all new appliances and tools. Not much could be done in the postage-stamp kitchen in the historic house. “I took out the wall between the hot line and the pantry. It opens up a little more room. We can move a little more.”

Dada is at 52 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Phone 561-330-3232; www.sub-culture.org. It’s open for dinner daily, and at 11 a.m. Sunday for brunch and dinner.

If your dream has been to open a small food business, the free entrepreneurship classes at the Secret Garden Culinary Business and Job Training Center can put you on the right path.

Eligible students can move from catering for friends to going pro, opening a restaurant or operating a food truck. Makers of homemade food can take the students’ juices, salsas, hot sauces, baked goods, jams, oils or even dog food products to the shelves to compete with big brands.

There are classes for wedding planners, musicians, food truck hopefuls, wholesale buyers and others in the hospitality business.
Graduate from the class, and the center will pay money toward your business license, and give you $150 toward a food manager’s license.

Classes meet at the center, 410 E. Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach, at 6 p.m. Monday and Thursday each week.
For information about the classes and to determine eligibility, call 561-386-4261.

In brief: Mizner Park is getting some new restaurants and spots for food. Lost Weekend, from the same owners as Kapow!, is coming next door to iPic Theater. Its original, a game room-lounge that serves handmade tacos, is in Miami Beach, and there’s another on Clematis Street in downtown West Palm.

Calaveras Cantina moves in, too; its other one is in Jupiter’s Harbourside Plaza.

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

Swabbing ears can prevent pain and itchiness, and Tim Vogel’s Scenthound shops aim to do such preventive care for $25 a month.  Photos provided

By Arden Moore

Of all the species on the planet, dogs definitely sport a capital D for diversity. Size-wise, they range from teacup Chihuahuas to mammoth English mastiffs. In terms of canine coats, there are silky Yorkshire terriers, double-coated Australian shepherds, curly poodles, wiry border terriers, corded komondors and hairless xoloitzcuintli.

Some breeds like the schnauzer, puli and bichon frise need frequent grooming to keep their coat styles mirroring their breed looks. Step into a traditional pet grooming salon and it’s a good bet you’ll see that the majority of dogs there have high-maintenance coats that need trimming, shaping or ridding of matted fur.

For those dogs an appointment takes three hours or more. It takes at least four hours for my groomer to brush out the mountains of excess black hair, bathe, blow dry and nail trim Bujeau, my 80-pound Bernese mountain dog mix.

But Tim Vogel wants to go beyond traditional grooming and focus on dogs’ overall health. As founder of the fast-growing South Florida-based Scenthound, Vogel is on a mission to make preventive care quick, convenient and affordable for people with dogs of all sizes and care needs.

Yep, his shops welcome all — including the yellow Labrador who just rolled in duck poo, the beagle with stinky breath and the golden retriever whose overgrown nails make tap-dancing sounds on the hardwood floor.

And Scenthound stores are strategically located in shopping centers with supermarkets so you can drop off your dog, complete your shopping and pick up your dog to head home together.

“We want to make it fast, easy and affordable for all dogs, and be able to get your dog in and out of our groom shop in 20 minutes for a low monthly membership,” says Vogel, who is also a professional pet groomer. “We found that there is a huge unmet need out there of dogs and of people who like having clean dogs.”

Tim Vogel with his dog Lucy.

One-time monthly visits for members are $25, and that covers the cost for bath, towel drying, ear cleaning, nail clip and teeth brushing. Blow drying and haircuts are extra. The goal of monthly maintenance is fewer problems to deal with, allowing for short visits.

Call Vogel ambitious and definitely a lover of all dogs. He and his wife, Jessica, share their Jupiter home with Lucy, a full-of-love, happy golden-doodle. His aha moment in creating Scenthound occurred several years ago when he had a chat with a neighbor, who had a Labrador retriever.

“I could smell his dog’s ear infections and noticed his knuckles because of his overgrown nails,” recalls Vogel. “He told me his dog doesn’t go to a groomer because he doesn’t need a haircut. But what his dog and all dogs need are preventive maintenance. That’s when I realized there was a huge need to give all dogs the regular maintenance they need. All dogs benefit from bathed coats, trimmed nails, clean teeth and odor-free ears.”

Vogel selected the name Scenthound strategically, as “scent” contains “s” for skin care, “c” for coat, “e” for ears, “n” for nails and “t” for teeth.

“A dog’s skin as the largest organ is usually the first indicator of health issues,” he says. “One time, I was blow-drying a golden retriever and noticed a weird pattern on his skin. I urged the owner to see his veterinarian right away. The veterinarian told him that his dog was within 48 hours of dying due to a staph infection.”

As for haircuts and coats, Vogel is not a fan of shaving down to the skin. “A dog’s coat acts as an insulator, keeping the dog cool as well as warm,” he explains. “What does need being brushed out is the undercoat to allow air to flow through.”

Canine ears come in all sizes and shapes. Bloodhounds and cocker spaniels have heavy, drooping ears that can trap moisture and mites.

“Regular maintenance of swabbing out the ears every two to four weeks and removing excess hair in the ears can avoid discomfort, pain and itchiness as well as preventing that nasty yeasty smell,” Vogel says.

Overgrown nails can scratch some floors or get snagged in rugs, causing painful bleeding that requires veterinary treatment. Vogel is a fan of regular nail trims, including the dewclaws located on the inside sides of each front paw.

Another biggie in the canine health maintenance regimen is the mouth.

“Foods can leave a biofilm on teeth, and infection in the mouth can impact a dog’s heart, liver, brain and other organs,” he says. “By age 3, about 80 percent of all dogs have some form of periodontal disease — and stinky breath.”

Of the top 10 most popular dog breeds, only two — poodles and Yorkshire terriers — require detailed and regular haircuts. But all dogs need and deserve maintenance to their coats, teeth, ears and nails.

“We don’t do breed standard haircuts — we do puppy cuts instead,” Vogel says. “Our brand position is focused on the overall health of the dog, not on a haircut style. Our goal is not to have the dog look pretty, but to have the dog be snuggle ready.”

Learn more
Scenthound has locations in Jupiter, West Palm Beach, Boynton Beach and Wellington. It plans to open new ones in Boca Raton and Palm Beach Gardens by February. Plans call for 30 shops by end of 2020. To learn more and find a Scenthound near you, visit www.scenthound.com.

Arden Moore, founder of fourleggedlife.com, is an animal behavior expert and host of the Oh Behave! show on petliferadio.com. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com.

This abstract holiday centerpiece uses dried mushrooms, nuts, moss, wire, stones and wheat. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

With the holidays fast approaching, the race to find perfect gifts has started. And for many, the winning selections will be floral arrangements and potted plants.

As a result, 70 million to 80 million poinsettias will be sold in the U.S. during this Christmas holiday season, according to Sundale Research’s “State of the Industry: Florists in the U.S.”

But you don’t have to limit yourself to those seasonal stalwarts including the traditional red, white and green floral arrangements you so often see, says Michael Mayer, owner of Tamara’s Flower Garden in Delray Beach for 15 years.

His boutique shop specializes in individually created floral designs that are predominantly made with high-end or “Dutch” flowers, including peonies, roses and tulips.

“These are things you can get from Holland that are better than what’s grown in other places,” he explains, adding that he works with many suppliers offering an international assortment of blooms.

Having grown up as a self-described jock living in New Jersey, he discovered his artistic side when he took an art class in college.
“When I started, my work looked like what my son hangs on the refrigerator from first grade,” he says. But it wasn’t long before Mayer’s work was shown in a campus gallery.

During his time enrolled at the New York School of Interior Design, he learned he wasn’t interested in the history and provenance of furniture, so he left. And that’s when he considered flower design to sate his artistic appetite.

After applying in person to over 65 flower shops on the upper East Side of New York, he heard from one. That was the well-respected Anthony Garden Boutique, and it taught Mayer the Victorian and French floral design in which the store specialized.
“This is where I got intrigued with the artistry of flowers,” he says.

From there he moved to shops that helped him discover other styles, including dish gardens, classical, tropical, Old World, whimsical garden and, his favorite, the clean lines of modern floral design.

On a recent visit to his shop, we were welcomed into his studio to watch as he worked his magic with blue and white peonies, bells of Ireland and even kale and thistle to create a floral piece for a client.

As he selected flowers and greenery out of the cooler and arranged them, he explained why he finds his work fulfilling: “I believe that flowers bring an energy with them and, if designed correctly, that energy becomes stronger and brings smiles to people’s faces.”

To help you design floral arrangements that create smiles this season, try these tips for purchasing an arrangement or creating your own:

Money matters: Mayer believes that if you are on a budget, it’s often better to create a smaller arrangement made with artistry and craftsmanship from higher-end flowers than to pack a large vase with the commonplace such as daisies, baby’s breath and carnations.

Creating a three-sided grouping can fill your gift-giving needs while helping to save money on flowers. But don’t forget about the appearance of the back of the arrangement, says Mayer, who is a stickler for detail. Hide the exposed stems by tucking leaves into the top of the vase to provide a more finished look.

Find the flow: When artistically placing the flowers, consider harmony of color, shape, including how each flower looks or “flows,” and texture. One way to gain texture is to use a flower with velvety petals alongside blooms with smoother ones.

Don’t waste space: Use the “real estate” inside the vase to add to the presentation. This is particularly true when using the glass vases that Mayer prefers for his modern designs. Try adding colored acrylic “gems,” shells, pebbles and/or loops of colored aluminum wire or curly willow to the empty vase before filling it with water and starting to create your arrangement. You’ll find some of these and other options at craft stores.

Men allowed: Mayer sees that more and more men are being sent potted plants and flower arrangements. For the man in your life, you might choose a darker container or a glass one, which Mayer often wraps with a bit of twine for a masculine accent. Then he suggests using darker, richer colored flowers such as those in shades of red and orange.

A final flourish: Clean the vase, especially if it is glass. You don’t want to leave a thumbprint or smudge that makes a bad first impression.

“It’s all these little extras that make a difference,” Mayer says, knowing that his — and your — attention to detail this holiday season will be appreciated.

Tips for longevity
“Before putting flowers into an arrangement, make a long diagonal cut at the bottom of each stem. The longer the cut the better, because it provides more drinking area for the flowers.

“Another way to increase the life of your arrangement is to change the water in the vase after arranging the flowers and before presenting them. This clear water not only looks better but helps keep the flowers fresh.

“And, if you receive a gift of flowers, be sure to keep the vase filled with water and change the water when it becomes murky. Use cool water to refill the vase, as warm water can accelerate the maturation of the flowers.”

— Michael Mayer, owner of Tamara’s Flower Garden in Delray Beach

If you go
Where: Tamara’s Flower Garden, 851 SE Sixth Ave., Suite 107, Delray Beach
Information: 561-243-0224; lmmfloralarts.com
Hours: 10 a.m.- 5 p.m. Monday-Friday; 9 a.m. to noon Saturday; closed Sunday.

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley can be reached at debhartz@att.net.

There’s always a full house at the Spontaneous Christmas Pageant at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Five for Christmas

• Carols by Candlelight: at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7, Old School Square, 51 N Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, featuring young people from Banyan Creek Elementary School, Dimensional Harmonies, Achievement Centers, Milagro Center and Village Academy.
Every one of them will be able to brag, “I once opened for Gloria Gaynor.”

Two other special guests will perform: Mary Gaines Bernard, who is Donna Summer’s sister, and the Holiday Voices, a traveling cast that has played at Disney, SeaWorld and Universal parks.

Tickets are $20 adults, $10 age 12 and younger, $50 premium and $100 VIP adults, $25 VIP age 12 and younger. VIP tickets include three drink tickets, access to a private lounge area with bar, complimentary light bites and assigned reserved seating.
561-243-7922, ext. 1; https://oldschoolsquare.org/events/4th-annual-carols-by-candlelight/

• Nativity viewing: St. Lucy Catholic Church is constructing a new outdoor nativity at the church at 3510 S. Ocean Blvd., Highland Beach. The church will celebrate the feast day of St. Lucy, for whom the church is named, with a special Mass at 6 p.m. Dec. 13.

Afterward, everyone will move outside, where the priests will bless the new nativity. A welcome-home dinner will follow in the Parish Center. Tickets are $10, available in the church office Monday through Friday. 561-278-1280; https://stlucycommunity.com

• Christmas at Boca Raton Community Church: Show your spirit and faith a few days early with a Christmas observation Dec. 18 at Boca Raton Community Church, 470 NW Fourth Ave. The church will celebrate with song, scripture and candlelight from 7 to 8:15 p.m. 561-395-2400; www.bocacommunity.org

• The Spontaneous Christmas Pageant: A delightfully chaotic presentation with no assigned actors or roles. Kids who want to participate do, and those who don’t still enjoy the fun-loving event.

It takes place at 4 p.m. on Christmas Eve at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach, and there’s always a full house. 561-732-3060; www.stjoesweb.org

• Separate celebrations for adults, families: Christmas is about children. Then again, it’s not. It’s about the birth of Jesus, a child, yet never a child. For many, Christmas is the most important — and joyous — religious holiday, and all the glitter and over-the-top parties and gift-giving make heads spin. Plus, everyone’s spiritual needs are different.

Maybe this year, you’re really thinking about what it means that Jesus was born and the comfort that comes from that.

Unity of Delray recognizes this and holds an adults-only Christmas Eve candlelight services at 11 p.m. Two earlier services are offered for families at 6 and 8 p.m.

Unity of Delray is at 101 NW 22nd St. (at Swinton Avenue), Delray Beach. Visit www.unityofdelraybeach.org.

Rabbi Leibel Stolik at last year’s Hanukkah menorah lighting and festival at Plaza Del Mar in Manalapan. This year’s event is Dec. 29.

And 5 for Hanukkah
• “The MaccaBeatles”: At 6 p.m. Dec. 27, Temple Beth El presents this lively musical Hanukkah shabbat service and dinner/dance. Bring your menorah and light candles together. Hear the story of the Maccabees through the music of the Beatles led by clergy and the youth and adult choirs, accompanied by the synagogue’s band.

A Hanukkah dinner and latke party will follow, and you can choose between a DJ dance party or classical live entertainment. The event is open to the public, but RSVP at www.tbeboca.org/special-events. Tickets are $20 adult, $12 for age 4-12. After Dec. 20, cost is $25 and $15. The temple is at 9800 Yamato Road, Boca Raton. 561-391-8900.

• “The Italian Jewish Christmas Show”: Featuring twin brothers Will and Anthony Nunziata, this is a don’t-miss for Christmas or Hanukkah. Billed as two parts Italian singers and one part Jewish comedian, the show also features Comedy Central’s Jessica Kirson.

Tickets are $45, $60 VIP, for the shows on Dec. 19 and 20 at the Boca Black Box Center for the Arts, 8221 Glades Road, Boca Raton. 561-483-9036; www.BocaBlackBox.com

• “Barbra Streisand: Holiday Memories”: Starring Carla DelVillaggio, the show comes to Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton, at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20 for a single show. DelVillaggio, an award-winning tribute artist who has played Streisand all over the country, performs holiday music like Jingle Bells mixed with Streisand’s hits, including The Way We Were, People and Don’t Rain on My Parade. Tickets are $35 and $45, available at 844-672-2849, miznerparkculturalcenter.com

• The Kultur Festival: “A Very Jewish Concert on Christmas Day” is at 3 p.m. Dec. 25, Levis JCC Zinman Hall, 9901 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton. The Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra under the direction of accordionist Aaron Kula performs a concert filled with entertaining songs, stories and jazzed up arrangements of classic Yiddish, Israeli and Chassidic melodies. Tickets $30, $40 VIP. 561-558-2520; levisjcc.org/sandler

• Jewish Food Fair & Hanukkah Festival: from 4 to 6 p.m. Dec. 29 at Chabad in the Plaza del Mar, 224 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan. Features the “Holy Smokes” kosher food truck, vegetarian Mediterranean dishes and other classic Jewish delicacies, plus live music, children’s activities, and a grand menorah lighting. 561-889-3499; www.chabadofsouthpalmbeach.org ;

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and events. Contact her at janisfontaine@outlook.com.

The crew aboard J2 leaves Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores after checking in and weighing fish caught in the Nov. 9 Dust’em Off Sailfish Warmup tournament. Led by Capt. Charlie Nicklaus, the J2 team released two sailfish.
Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

Capt. Nick Carullo of Miami and his team aboard Showtime released eight sailfish in the waters off Boynton Beach to win the Dust’em Off Sailfish Warmup, a multiple-inlet sailfish release tournament that attracted teams from Islamorada to Jupiter.

Fifty teams released a combined 108 sailfish in the Nov. 9 tournament despite a cold front that brought rain, strong winds and heavy seas to the waters off South Florida.

The Showtime crew won $41,750 for its first-place finish, tournament director Capt. Ben Sharpe said.

Capt. Gene Lebron and his team on Three Times L/Fishless finished second, with seven releases, followed by Capt. Evan Hamilton and his team on Pharma-Sea/Zizzz, also with seven (based on time of the releases).

Luke Lacroix of Fort Lauderdale won top angler, with four releases. Darin Chafin won the fun-fish division with a 24.8-pound dolphin caught aboard the Asian Pearl.

Three Times L/Fishless won the charity category, with $3,800 going to the fishing team and $3,800 going to Mahogany Youth, a Miami nonprofit.

Boynton/Delray, Boca hold boat parades

The 48th annual Boynton Beach/Delray Beach Holiday Boat Parade is scheduled for 6:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13.

Boca Raton will hold its 43rd annual Holiday Boat Parade on Dec. 15.

Boats in the Boynton/Delray parade will line up at 6 p.m. near the Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo. Boats decorated with holiday lights will proceed south to the C-15 Canal in Delray Beach.

A free watch party with live music is planned at Boynton Harbor Marina. Attendees are each asked to bring a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots.

Other suggested places to watch the parade include Intracoastal Park and Jaycee Park in Boynton Beach as well as Veterans Park and Knowles Park in Delray Beach.

Boat owners and captains can enter the parade for free by downloading an entry form at www.catchboynton.com.

The mandatory captains meeting is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at Banana Boat restaurant at Boynton Harbor Marina. Captains should bring a new, unwrapped toy to the meeting.

For more details, call Mercedes Coppin at 561-600-9097.

Boca Raton’s parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the C-15 canal (Delray/Boca line) and proceed south in the Intracoastal Waterway.

Decorated boats are expected to reach their southern destination at the Hillsboro Boulevard Bridge by 8:30 p.m.

Viewing locations include Spanish River Park, the Wildflower property and the west side of Red Reef Park.

Drawbridges will be held open about 45 minutes to allow the parade of boats to move through.

Bridges are scheduled to close to car traffic beginning at 6:50 p.m. at Spanish River Boulevard; 7:20 p.m. at Palmetto Park Road; and 7:30 p.m. at Camino Real.

Boaters interested in participating in the parade must enter by Dec. 9. A mandatory captains meeting is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd.

More information and a boat entry form can be found at www.myboca.us. Click on “experience Boca” and “special events” to reach the boat parade link or call 561-367-7073.

Students from the Marine Conservation Club at Wellington Landings Middle School toss biodegradable drift cards into the Lake Worth Lagoon from a public dock in downtown West Palm Beach. The cards are part of a citizen science project organized by the Angari Foundation and its partners to study currents in the lagoon. Photo provided by Whitney Jackson

Drift cards released in Lake Worth Lagoon

The Angari Foundation, a West Palm Beach nonprofit that promotes marine science research and education, released “drift cards” into the Lake Worth Lagoon in early November to study water movement.

It was the foundation’s fifth drift card release in the Lake Worth Lagoon, the county’s largest estuary, which stretches 20 miles from Ocean Ridge to North Palm Beach.

The yellow drift cards were released the afternoon of Nov. 2 in six locations in the lagoon, including one near Boynton Inlet.

The cards are made of thin plywood coated with a nontoxic paint, Angari Foundation spokeswoman Rachel Plunkett said.

Anyone who finds one of the cards labeled “Scientific Study — Please Report Discovery” is asked to keep the card and email a photo of it, including the location, date and time it was found, to lagoondrift@angari.org.

For details, visit www.angari.org/lagoondrift.

Coming events

Dec. 7: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the headquarters building at Spanish River Park, 3939 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Fee $35 ($5 for youths ages 12-19). Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 561-391-3600. Leave a message.

Jan. 1: A new bag limit for blackfin tuna takes effect. The limit is two blackfins per angler or 10 per boat, whichever is greater, in state and federal waters. Also, grouper season closes and will reopen May 1.

Jan. 8-11: 83rd annual Silver Sailfish Derby, a sailfish release tournament organized by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club and based at Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores. Captains meeting Jan. 8 at the fishing club. Fishing will be Jan. 9-10, followed by awards dinner Jan. 11. Entry fee $1,000 per boat for fishing club members, $1,500 per boat for nonmembers. Must enter by Dec. 20 to avoid $300 late fee. Call 561-832-6780 or visit www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.

Tip of the month

Want to catch stone crabs, best known for their tasty claws? Buy a stone-crab trap that meets state specifications. (Go to www.myfwc.com to find recreational saltwater regulations for stone crabs and traps.) Stone crab season ends May 15. Minimum claw size: 2.75 inches.

Release the crab after removing a claw. Claws should not be taken from egg-bearing crabs.

Crabbers must have a Florida saltwater fishing license, unless exempt, and must complete a free online registration form at www.gooutdoorsflorida.com. A five-trap limit applies to recreational crabbers.

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.

May McCarthy attributes her prosperity to her use of spiritual principles. She will speak Dec. 8 at Unity of Delray. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Since 1982, May McCarthy has founded and grown seven successful, profitable companies, sold a ton of books, spoken at colleges, churches and universities throughout the country and fulfilled the goals she set for herself with better-than-average success.

You can find out how she did it at the workshop “The Power of Why in Creating Abundance” from 1 to 3 p.m. Dec. 8 at Unity of Delray Beach, 101 NW 22nd St. (at Swinton Avenue), Delray Beach.

McCarthy attributes her prosperity to her use of spiritual principles and her solid partnership with her “chief spiritual officer.” Her 2015 book, The Path to Wealth; Seven Spiritual Steps for Financial Abundance, is a mix of motivational talk and personal finance.

Her 2018 book, The Gratitude Formula: A 7-Step Success System to Create a Life That You Love, teaches that success is a system, not a secret.

The goal of the workshop is to help participants discover their purpose and achieve greater success and prosperity in their personal and professional lives. Learning to live your life with purpose creates more joy, better health, fulfillment and true prosperity.

Jack Canfield, the co-author and man behind the prolific “Chicken Soup” books, says, “If you can tune into your purpose and really align with it, setting goals so that your vision is an expression of that purpose, then life flows much more easily.” Register at www.unityofdelraybeach.org.

Voice contestant at CROS event

Christmas According to Jazz, a fundraiser benefiting CROS Ministries, features the Julius Sanna Quartet, The Voice competitor Michaela Paige and Jody Marlow, who plays sax, flute and clarinet, among other instruments. The show takes place at 4 p.m. Dec. 8 at Trinity Delray, 400 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. Tickets are $10. Kids younger than 10 get in free.

CROS Ministries has one mission: feeding hungry people in Palm Beach and Martin counties. Visit www.crosministries.org.

Tips to navigate the holidays

Not everyone looks at Santa Claus or eight consecutive nights of gifts the same way. When the Interfaith Café meets on Dec. 19, you might hear something that will smooth the road to the holidays.

The meet-up will focus on family interactions during the holidays, with Rosemarie Rose-Spencer facilitating the discussion.
And facilitating is what Rose-Spencer does. A life coach, family mediator, career coach and teacher, she specializes in helping military active-duty and veterans and their families adjust to life in and out of the military.

The Interfaith Café group meets from 7 to 9 p.m. at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach. Light refreshments will be served.

Last chance to see ‘Rescuers’

Adolph Rose Levis JCC Sandler Center has been hosting an exhibition by photographer Gay Block, “Rescuers: Portraits of Moral Courage in the Holocaust,” since the start of November. This exhibit, which debuted at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, shows people who risked their lives to save Jews from the Holocaust, their experiences and the reasons behind their heroic actions. The exhibition will close on Dec. 22. The gallery is at the Sandler Center, 21050 95th Ave. S., Boca Raton.

Catholic news on airwaves

A new faith-based radio station is on the air in Palm Beach County. Turn your dial to 98.3 FM, where you’ll find the Catholic Voice of the Palm Beaches. You can also listen online at the station’s website. Right now, programming is from EWTN, but local programming should be added soon. Listen at 98.3 FM or visit www.WPBVRadio.com.

Holiday volunteers needed

The 14th annual project Holiday Packing Day needs volunteers to help fill 500 care packages from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Delray Beach Community Center, 50 NW First Ave.

The packages will be shipped to military men and women deployed overseas who have Delray Beach connections. Reserve a spot on the Project Holiday Facebook page at www.facebook.com/events/508322729920063/

Boca Helping Hands needs volunteers to prepare and serve food from 8:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 7, at 1500 NW First Court, Boca Raton.

You’ll be in good company: This is the day Boston University alumni living in Boca Raton come out to serve their community. Registration is at http:// bit.ly/2PaNbFQ.

Jesse Levine, a Boca Raton pro who ranked as high as No. 69 in the world, is the new tennis director at the Delray Beach Club, succeeding Chuck Narvin. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

By some accounts, Delray Beach Club tennis director Chuck Narvin is retiring for the fifth time. Narvin, 78, insists it’s only three.

Whatever the arithmetic, Narvin informed the club last summer the time had come to step away and the search began for his successor.

Enter Jesse Levine.

A Boca Raton product who as a player climbed to No. 69 in the world, Levine applied for the job and was at Wimbledon coaching Jessica Pegula when he heard from the club’s human resources manager, Kristi Frias.

“It was very good timing,” said Levine, 32.

“Being on the road 25-30 weeks a year is tough, and I’d been doing that since I was 14, 15 years old, living out of a suitcase,” he said. “I wanted to be at home, sleep in my bed, be close to my family and my girlfriend. It was important to get where the travel was minimized.”

Levine arrived in early November and planned to spend about a month working alongside Narvin to make for a smooth transition.

“I have big shoes to fill,” he said. “The members have nothing but good things to say about Chuck. Over the last few weeks I’ve gotten to spend almost every day with Chuck, and that’s been really neat, learning from him and learning about the culture he’s built here.”

A South Florida resident starting in 1973, Narvin spent time at Inverrary in Lauderhill, Woodmont, Gleneagles and the Country Club at St. Andrews before “retiring” and moving to Phoenix in 2004. He wound up at Anthem Country Club working four jobs.

“I was a teacher at Anthem with Walter Hurd, a substitute teacher, a ranger on the golf course and coached the team at Boulder Creek High School,” Narvin said.

The Delray Beach Club lured him back in 2011.

“I’ve been able to use my marketing skills as much as possible to develop a tennis program that took care of everything — social, competitive, and so forth,” he said.

“He came and pulled it all together,” General Manager Shane Peachey said. “He was exactly what we needed at the time. He’s done an amazing job, and Jesse has sort of picked up the racket and is taking it to the next level.”

A native of Ottawa, Canada, Levine moved to Boca with his family at 13 and played five sports at Boca Prep: soccer, golf, tennis, baseball and basketball.

He stopped the other four after realizing his junior year that tennis was his ticket to a college scholarship and wound up playing No. 1 singles at the University of Florida.

“I was there with Tim Tebow and my first day we won a national championship,” he said, referring to UF football.

Levine made All-America before turning pro in 2007.

At 5-foot-9 and 150 pounds, he needed to rely on quickness and fitness to hang with players like Gulf Stream’s Kevin Anderson, who stands 6-8.

“Being 5-9 has its limitations,” he said. “Everyone said I wasn’t going to be big enough or strong enough, but to me that builds fire. When they told me I wasn’t going to be able to do something, that just gave me more motivation to go and do it.

“When I cracked the top 100 at 18 people were like, ‘Who knows?’ I never said I was top 20, or top 50. I just wanted to maximize my game and be the best I could possibly be. I wound up getting to No. 68, and if somebody had told me that when I was 12, I would have signed on the dotted line.”

The winner of several national tournaments as a youngster, Levine scored his biggest match victory as a pro against former world No. 1 Marat Safin at Wimbledon in 2009. Five years later an elbow injury forced him into retirement.

“I got to walk away on my terms,” he said. “Not a lot of athletes can say that.”

Under contract as a player with Nike, Levine signed on with the sportswear giant as a talent scout while also serving as an analyst for the Canadian broadcaster Sportsnet.

He had become friends with Jeff Cohen, tennis director at Woodfield CC in Boca, and signed on as his assistant running the junior program.

Then came an offer to coach Madison Keys, whom he helped reach No. 7 in the world in 2016.

“Who knows if I’ll ever get a chance to coach a top-10 player again, so I jumped on that, and that led to coaching Jessica Pegula the last 21/2 years,” Levine said.

The daughter of Buffalo Bills and Sabres owners Terry and Kim Pegula, Jessica earned her first WTA title in August, just after she and Levine parted ways.

As much as he enjoyed working with top players, Levine said he gets just as much satisfaction from mentoring club members.

“It’s a lot different but it’s fun because there’s a lot of room for improvement, and they get such joy out of small improvements in their game,” he said.

“With the pros it’s more about focus, and mentality and pattern of play in their game. Here you change something. … I just got off the court with a member and he was so excited that he was starting to hit topspin backhands. That makes you feel good, to know you helped somebody.”

While the Delray Beach Club has only two courts on its fairly limited beachside tract, negotiations are underway to rent more, as has been done in the past.

Acknowledging that a solid foundation for the program is in place, Levine hopes to expand the junior program and bring in a few new ideas, such as cardio tennis.

“It’s about getting your heart rate up while enjoying yourself out there,” he said.

Narvin is confident he’s leaving the program is capable hands.

Levine has “impressed me with his history of playing and teaching,” Narvin said. “The members here are going to really enjoy his working here as tennis director. His personality is fantastic, and he certainly has the tennis skills to be a very good tennis director.”

Delray Beach’s 100-foot Christmas tree at Old School Square was set to light up Dec. 5. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

The Christmas and Hanukkah holidays are as busy as ever, and kids seem even more excited this year. Here are 10 events to help you plan the perfect holiday for them.

• The 100-foot Christmas tree: The tree lighting ceremony was set for Dec. 5 at Old School Square with Santa’s arrival and a holiday street fair. But that was just the beginning of the festivities. The tree remains open from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. each day through Jan. 1 so visitors can walk through and see holiday scenes of Santa’s workshop, a reindeer bar and the train house. Kids can visit with Santa at his Key West-style house from 5 to 9 p.m. through Dec. 23. Visit www.downtowndelraybeach.com/holidays.

• Hanukkah party west: The Winter Family Festival takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center, 9801 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton. Families with kids in preschool to fifth grade are invited to play on inflatables, climb a rock wall, do crafts, play sports and games, make a menorah, enjoy live entertainment and a petting zoo, and watch a Frozen princess performance. Do some holiday shopping at the shuk. Food vendors. Free and open to the community. Visit www.levisjcc.org.

• Boca’s street parade: The 49th annual Holiday Street Parade in Boca Raton takes place from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 11. The parade begins at Federal Highway and Southeast Fifth Street and travels north to the Mizner Park Amphitheater. More than 70 floats and groups will entertain viewers with dance, lights and music. Federal Highway will be closed to vehicles from Glades Road south to Camino Real from 5-11 p.m. Visit https://myboca.us/1465/Holiday-Street-Parade.

• Boynton/Delray boat parade: The 48th annual parade takes place from about 6:30 to 9 p.m. Dec. 13. It starts near Boynton Harbor Marina and goes south to Delray Beach along the Intracoastal Waterway. Viewing is available in Boynton Beach at Intracoastal Park and Jaycee Park and in Delray Beach from Veterans Park, among other spots. Call 561-600-9097 in Boynton or 561-243-7250 in Delray.

• Delray street parade: The Delray Beach Holiday Parade begins at 6 p.m. Dec. 14, along Atlantic Avenue from the Intracoastal Waterway west to Northwest Fifth Avenue. At least 70 floats, dancers, cheerleaders, bands and performers pave the way for the guest of honor: Santa will arrive on a fire truck. Visit www.delraybeachfl.gov.

• Boca boat parade: The 43rd annual parade begins at the C-15 canal at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 15, and travels south on the Intracoastal Waterway to Deerfield Beach. Bleacher viewing is at Silver Palm Park, Red Reef Park and the Wildflower property. Bridges are held in the up position for approximately 45 minutes during the parade. Avoid these areas during estimated closing times to avoid traffic delays. The estimated bridge closing times are Spanish River at 6:50 p.m., Palmetto Park at 7:20 p.m. and Camino Real at 7:30 p.m. Visit https://myboca.us/1464/Holiday-Boat-Parade.

• Hanukkah party east: The city of Delray Beach and Chabad of East Delray will cohost a Hanukkah celebration at 5:30 p.m. Dec. 22 at Old School Square. Special performances are planned, as are crafts, latkes and jelly doughnuts. The event is free and open to the public. Visit www.JewishEastDelray.com.

• Make something for the tree: Gumbo Limbo Nature Center will offer two ornament-making sessions for kids age 7 and older and adults on Dec. 14. “Ornaments Naturally” is from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. or 1-2:30 p.m. The center will provide shells, sea beans, pinecones and colorful craft supplies, but you are welcome to bring your own stuff. Reservations are required. For anyone younger than 18, an adult must sign up and participate. 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. $7 residents, $10 nonresidents. 561-544-8605; www.gumbolimbo.org

• Hanukkah party central Boca: Light Up Hanukkah celebrates the second night of Hanukkah with the lighting of the menorah. From 5:30-7 p.m. Dec. 23 at Boca Center, 5050 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton, just off Military Trail one mile north of Palmetto Park Road. Enjoy latkes, gelt, story time and crafts and the second candle-lighting at 6 p.m., but the highlight will be a performance by the rock ’n’ roll rabbi, David Paskin. Call 561-852-6080 or email pjlibrary@bocafed.org.

• The holiday roundup at Sugar Sand Park: Those last few days when kids are out of school and excited about the holiday are some of the times that test parents’ patience. Sugar Sand Park has three ideas:
-- Have kids who like to bake? Kids can make gingerbread houses at 10:30 a.m. or decorate cookies at 1:30 p.m. Dec. 23 in the Community Center. Ages 4 and older. Adult supervision required. Register by Dec. 21.
-- If you need a few hours to get some last-minute errands finished and can’t stay to supervise your budding baker, take advantage of Sugar Sand Park’s Kids’ Day In … Parents’ Day Out from 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 23. Drop off kids ages 5-12 at the Explorium for activities, games and pizza. Register by Dec. 22. $15 for residents, $18.75 for nonresidents.
Children ages 5 and older who like crafts can make three last-minute gifts at the park from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Dec. 24. Kids will make -- Slime, Sand & Swirls plus decorate wrapping paper or a gift bag. Parent/guardian supervision and registration required. $5 residents, $6.25 nonresidents.
-- Special winter break kids’ events continue at the park at 300 Military Trail, Boca Raton, through Jan. 5.
Call 561-347-3900 or visit https://sugarsandpark.org/.

During an assembly, head of school Gray Smith reads an essay by pre-K student Campbell Jones. Photo provided by Rachel O’Hara

By Rich Pollack

Gray Smith knew Gulf Stream School was unique even before he fled the Maryland winters to become its head of school.

Once he arrived and settled into the role for which he’d been preparing for decades, Smith had a chance to see firsthand what separates Gulf Stream School from similar institutions.

“It really is a special place,” he said last month, just a few days after he’d been officially installed as head of school. “It’s a small community and it’s a warm community.”

Since his arrival in the summer, Smith has been welcomed with open arms by members of that community, which includes parents of current and former students and alumni.

What came as a surprise to Smith was how much activity takes place at the school, just a stone’s throw from his school-provided home, where he can see things going on after school and on weekends.

“It’s an enchanting added bonus,” he said.

Maintaining and then building on Gulf Stream School’s powerful sense of community is an important part of Smith’s job. So is his role as an academic leader who is charged with making sure that close to 250 students — ranging from pre-K to eighth grade — get first-class educations.

Smith, who has a doctorate of education and organizational leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, is as much an educator — and lacrosse coach — as he is an administrator.

He is, in fact, teaching two sixth-grade reading classes this semester and will work with the school’s lacrosse program.

“I won’t be on the sidelines,” he says, “but I’ll be doing some coaching.”

Smith’s background with close to 25 years of teaching and serving in leadership roles at independent schools prepared him for his current role.

Prior to coming to Gulf Stream School, Smith, 47, served four years as the head of school at the Harford Day School in Bel Air, Maryland.

He previously served as head of the middle school at Severn School in the Baltimore area and before that served as assistant head of the upper school and dean of students at The Boys’ Latin School of Maryland.

He also held teaching and coaching positions in Kentucky and at Pine Crest School in Fort Lauderdale, where he was a teacher and assistant lacrosse coach in 2002 when the team won a state championship. He served as head coach in 2003.

In his role as an educator, Smith spent his first several weeks at Gulf Stream School visiting classrooms and seeing how skilled the faculty members are at building trust with the students.

He was impressed, he said, when he saw more than one veteran teacher watching over small groups of students talking about what they’re learning and then seeing those teachers work one-on-one with some of the students.

“It’s really individualized,” he said. “It’s been really interesting.”

Smith is also focused on bringing some new ideas to the classrooms while not shunning the techniques that are working well. He is interested in inquiry-based learning which poses questions to students and also presents them with problems or scenarios to resolve. “There are some things we can do here to make the great things we’re doing even better,” he said.

Smith’s ability to move forward, without discarding the traditions, sits well with parents like Chiara Clark, the mother of three children at the school and immediate past president of the parents auxiliary.

“I’m impressed at how he’s kept some traditions and added some twists along the way,” said Clark, who chaired Smith’s installation ceremony. “I love that he’s open to ideas and has already learned all the students’ names.”

Clark said she believes the fact that Smith has two sons attending the school will be a benefit.

“I love knowing he is taking a vested interest in all areas of our school because it’s where his kids attend,” she said. 

One of the challenges for Gulf Stream School, Smith says, is to get the word out about some of the innovative practices educators are using, as well as about the school’s overall environment.

“We’d like people to know how good we are,” Smith says.

A marketing committee of board members is on the task, but at the same time, Smith sees faculty members taking leadership roles among peers as another way to spread the word.

One example, he says, is to have some of the school’s educators lead workshops where they share the Gulf Stream School philosophy of developing trusting relationships with students that can improve academics.

As Smith continues to build relationships of his own — he greets students and parents every morning at drop-off and again at pickup — he remains mindful of the school’s 80-year tradition of serving the community.

“This feels like a place that is meant to serve the families that are here,” he said.