The name is Allen, John Allen. But when the Ocean Ridge man answers his phone, he uses the name of the famous man he impersonates — Bond, James Bond. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

John Allen was having dinner at a local restaurant one evening in 1996 when a man approached him with a peculiar proposition.
“He said, ‘Hey, I can make you a lot of money,’” Allen recalled. “I said, ‘What do you want me to do?’ He said, ‘I want you to beat up a guy and throw him in Donald Trump’s swimming pool. As James Bond.’
“I said, ‘Really? How much do you want to pay me for that?’ He told me and I said, ‘I’m your man.’”
Twenty-three years later, Allen, 72, of Ocean Ridge, is firmly established as the most prominent Sean Connery impersonator in the entertainment business. He’s not only met the Scottish legend innumerable times and served as his body double in movies and commercials, but has appeared in his James Bond character at parties, fundraisers and charity events around the world.
That first experience back in 1996 had him dropped off outside Mar-a-Lago in a tuxedo and save a woman who was purportedly being kidnapped.
“A movie producer had rented out the place for his wife’s 50th birthday party, and she loved James Bond,” Allen said. “They had me in the car, I drove up and jumped out, I stopped the kidnapping and threw the guy in the pool. It was so much fun.
“And then I started being flown around the world, mostly as James Bond. I was selected to work with Sean Connery, which was a highlight. He was making a million dollars a day and I was making a lot less. But I became his double stand-in, so they could film everything and not take up so much of his time. I would move a plant, or paint a wall, and he would come in and do the final shot.”
His days as a child actor while growing up outside Philadelphia gave Allen some of the background he needed, but learning Connery’s voice and mannerisms took time.
“I worked at the impersonation for quite a while,” he said. “There’s the voice, the Scottish accent, and the (raised) eyebrow; you must have the eyebrow.
“I was working in Los Angeles doing commercials and they wanted me to have the voice, so I had a dialect coach from Universal Studios working with me. Watching the movies really did it. It took me about a year, but now I can go in and out of it without any problem.
“It’s so important to do a good job. I’m passionate about my industry.”
Although Connery made only seven James Bond movies, the character has become so iconic that finding work is never a problem.
“I have more than 100 agents,” said Allen, who is divorced. “They call me; they know I’m the guy. They need me, rather than me needing an agent.”
And oh, the stories he can tell. His most recent gig was emcee of the Miss World Beauty Pageant in Miami and Coral Springs, but he spends much of the year in Las Vegas. He’s danced with the wife of the U.S. ambassador in Nicaragua and is now in talks to appear at a New Year’s Eve party on the top floor of the world’s tallest building in Dubai.
Connery, now 89, lives on Lyford Cay in the Bahamas, which Allen has visited numerous times.
“He would have the European companies fly there to do commercials: Scotch commercials, car commercials. So I’d be a part of that and got to know a lot of the people. I feel bad for them but I’ve heard Sean is fine; they survived (Hurricane Dorian) just fine.”

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I came from a little town in Pennsylvania, Alden, just outside Philadelphia. It was a great little town to grow up in. When I was a child I did some acting, worked with Gene Wilder, Howard Keel, Marsha Hunt and Arlene Francis. All in the professional theater in Philadelphia. That gave me a start in acting, so it’s in my character, and that’s where I am today. As time went on I got out of high school and had to go to work, so I went into business for myself.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I had a men’s store in Philadelphia, and for a time I had a boutique where we sold clothes to musicians, so I met a lot of them. They would pull up in their limos and come in to buy clothes. When I moved down to Delray Beach in 1979 I had a wicker store. I bought that building, and then kept buying the place next to me, so my compound was getting bigger.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: For the profession I’m in, I would say the most important thing is to stay humble. You’re not the guy; I’m not the guy, I’m not Sean. Sean had a magnificent career. I have a lot of fun, making money and attending wonderful functions, but I’m not him. Young people will have a tendency to lose that and battle other people in the profession, saying “I’m the best.” Just don’t do that.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in Ocean Ridge?
A: I got on my bike one day and came this way. I wanted to get out of Delray; it was too busy. I came riding up this street along the ocean, looked over and saw this place was for sale. I said, that’s exactly where I want to be. That’s my house. It worked out for me. I bought the house four days before Hurricane Irma came in two years ago. They asked if I wanted to wait until afterward and I said no. I was so anxious. I had to have it. We had some damage and had to have it repaired. It’s part of it, living here.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge?
A: Being fortunate enough to live in a place where I can look out my windows and see the ocean. Every day it gives me a little validation that I did the right thing in life. All my dedication to buying the properties and knowing they would increase in value. I landed in the right spot. I’m in paradise.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I’m waiting for a friend to give me a book about the guy Ian Fleming created the James Bond character from. I’m not sure of the name of the title, but I’m looking forward to reading that.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: I don’t listen to a lot of music. I had a boutique back in the hippie days in Philadelphia and we played the music full blast every day, so I like it quieter now. My daughter and I went to see the Rolling Stones when they came down recently and it was one of the best times of my life. We were right up front, the whole VIP treatment, so it was really nice. But mostly now I enjoy the peace and quiet when I’m home.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: Sean Connery is definitely one. And I really was inspired by Howard Hughes to buy land. He always said buy land and don’t sell it. I used to travel the world and import wicker when I had the wicker store, and I’d meet businessmen through that, guys who were putting their life savings into what they were doing. They were mentors. We’d banter back and forth, help each other out with customs, duties, imports and exports. They influenced me a lot to get where I am today.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?
A: “If not now, when?” — Attributed to Hillel the Elder, who lived in Babylon in the first century B.C. I really like that because you have to live your life right now.

Q: If your life were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: Who do you think? Wouldn’t that be fun? OK, Sean, go to work!

This dead loggerhead ingested more than 100 pieces of plastic it mistook for food. Photo provided by Gumbo Limbo

By Margie Plunkett

The tiny sea turtle, the size of the palm of your hand, had died after being washed back to shore this nesting season. A necropsy at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center revealed 104 pieces of plastic in its system.
As it turns out, plastic has appeared in every washback necropsied at Gumbo Limbo this season.
“Micro-plastics have been found in these washbacks throughout the years,” said Whitney Crowder, sea turtle rehabilitation coordinator at Gumbo Limbo. “But this year, we are noticing it in more copious amounts than ever before. And this is across the board — we’ve talked to other facilities and they’re seeing the same thing.”
The rising presence of plastics in washback sea turtles “is quite alarming,” Crowder says. While there is no clear resolution to the problem, researchers are floating possibilities. And judging by the response to Gumbo Limbo’s recent Facebook post of the turtle that ingested 104 bits of plastic, there’s at least a growing awareness of the issue.
City analytics of the Oct. 1 post indicated it reached about 330 million people, equal to about $3 million worth of advertising, Crowder said.
“I feel like people are starting to pay attention, I really do. And I cannot believe that the simple post reached as many people as it did. We have been blown away,” she said.
A washback turtle is larger than a fresh hatchling, and the algae growing on it is evidence that it made it out to the sargassum in the Gulf Stream. Washbacks range in age from a few weeks to several months old. When turtles are blown back to shore, it’s a sign that something is wrong, Crowder explained. Turtles are often weakened by ingesting plastic.
Gumbo Limbo treated more than 150 washbacks this year, and more than 50 of them died, according to Crowder. Many of the deceased turtles have not been necropsied yet, but all those that have been were impacted with plastic. Gumbo Limbo also helped release about 400 more washbacks into the Gulf Stream that had been transferred from other rescue facilities.
Sea turtle nesting season runs from March 1 to Oct. 31.
Gumbo Limbo’s rehabilitation staff treats weakened washback turtles by giving them sub-cutaneous fluids while the turtles try to pass the plastic. While some turtles die from plastic impaction, the staff also finds plastic in stronger turtles expected to be released.
Micro-plastics are everywhere in the ocean — from the water’s surface to its floor. Sea turtles swimming out to and living in the Gulf Stream “are living in an area where the currents are coming together, so they’re experiencing a lifestyle of lots of floating trash and lots of broken down plastic that’s going to continue with them throughout the currents,” Crowder said.
Discarded plastic never really disappears. “When it enters the ocean, the sun and weather break it down into tinier pieces that are easier for smaller animals to start accumulating,” Crowder said.
“The animals don’t know the difference between plastic and their food — at this point, they’re just trying to survive,” she said. Normally, small turtles would eat tiny crustaceans and plant life in the sargassum, but plastics are there, too.
The question of the hour: What’s to be done? “I think this is a wake-up call from the sea turtles telling us that we must transform the role that plastic plays in our society,” Crowder said. “We have to eliminate plastic from our daily life.”
But that is far easier said than done. “You can’t go to the grocery store without plastic being everywhere you look,” she said. “The more you start changing your lifestyle, the more you really notice how reliant we are on plastic.
“I know there’s a lot of different research ideas floating around now to try to tackle this. And a lot of younger people are having great ideas as more education gets out there. Hopefully, we can come up with a solution. Giving up straws is the first step in a larger movement, I think.”
If individuals can start making lifestyle changes, they can transform communities to take on those changes, Crowder said. That, she hopes, can be expanded to a call for action to create legislative changes. “That’s how it needs to happen.”
It’s important for Gumbo Limbo to “share our knowledge and turtle stories,” she said, explaining that if the people they reach want to make even small changes, that could expand to something much larger.
“We are amazed by the outpouring of support we have received by this story, and are encouraged by how many people want to help,” Crowder said.

By Mary Thurwachter

Before the Lantana Nature Preserve was created in 2000, the property’s buyer — who purchased 13.4 acres to build the Carlisle adult congregate living facility next door — agreed to pay $400,000 to design and construct the park. The agreement stipulated that the Carlisle would be responsible for maintenance and upkeep at the 6.5-acre park on East Ocean Avenue.
The Carlisle chose to pay the town to do the maintenance. However, that arrangement isn’t reflected in the legal documents.
At its Oct. 28 meeting, the Lantana Town Council voted to continue with the status quo and to amend documents to reflect that.
“I think we need to retain control because I don’t want to have something that isn’t acceptable,” said Mayor Dave Stewart.
The payment from the Carlisle for 2019 is $55,324. The annual budgeted amount is $32,000, with the remainder to go to updates such as a new roof on the gazebo and rebuilding the nature trail. The town, as detailed in the original sale agreement, can’t spend more than the amount Carlisle contributed for the preserve.
“Over time, projects have been deferred due to budgetary constraints,” said Town Manager Deborah Manzo. The planned asphalt pathway, expected to cost about $60,000, is one example. Hurricane Irma severely damaged the shell rock path two years ago. Since then, the council has debated various materials for rebuilding the path and, in June, agreed on asphalt.
Nature Preserve devotees prefer the shell rock, but council members dismissed it as too easily washing away.
Since Irma, the park has suffered from neglect and has been overgrown with weeds and invasive vegetation.
Rebuilding the path and cleaning up invasive vegetation aren’t the only concerns. Hypoluxo Island resident Media Beverly, who looked into the town’s financial records for the preserve, said if all the deed requirements were met since 2002, there’s approximately $433,000 unaccounted for in financial records.
“I’m speaking on this issue because the town requested $8,750 from the Friends (of the Nature Preserve) to remove exotic plants from the Nature Preserve,” she said. “The Carlisle has spent $50,000 to design and $350,000 to build, plus about $863,000 to maintain the preserve. That’s $1.26 million they’ve invested to beautify the town of Lantana.”
Beverly said she was not suggesting the money is missing or was mishandled, just that some income and expenses were never posted to the preserve. 
“Any money remaining after expenses has to still be there somewhere,” she said. “There’s a lot of money in the town’s general fund that belongs to the Nature Preserve. Let’s find it and put it in a special revenue fund so we can move on with the invasive plant removal and pathway reconstruction.”

By Mary Thurwachter

Lantana is updating its tree ordinance to be consistent with a state law and to create a new designation and regulation for historic trees.
The state law, which went into effect on July 1, bars local municipalities from regulating tree removals on residential properties. Under the legislation, municipal governments are not allowed to require any permits, notice, or approval for residents who wish to remove dangerous trees from their properties. All a homeowner needs to provide is a report from a certified arborist or landscape architect who says the tree poses a danger.
A dangerous tree is one that is seen as a threat to safety. If a property owner or builder has a certified arborist who claims that if a tree isn’t taken out it could fall on a house or other building, for example, that would be considered dangerous. If a tree or canopy could cause a disruption of electrical service, that could also be considered dangerous.
Development Services Director David Thatcher said at the Oct. 14 Town Council meeting that some language has been added to the ordinance to clarify how historic trees are defined.
“You all are well aware we’ve taken some heat in the last year or so for some trees coming down, particularly on Hypoluxo Island, as a result of homes being built,” Thatcher said. “The way the ordinance was originally written 20 years ago, there was nothing in there covering most of the canopy over there, which are ficus trees.”
Thatcher said the town’s new assistant development services director, Tiffany Kapner, is a horticulturist. She looked at the list of trees and at the canopy on the island and added two species of ficus, which she believes are the primary trees of the canopy, and several other trees that should be protected.
“We also added the state palm tree,” Thatcher said. “It’s not really a tree, it’s a big piece of grass. So, our code recognizes that, it always has. When you use palm trees to meet your landscaping requirements, you’ve got to use three palms to equal one tree.”
A historic tree, according to the new definition, means “any native tree with a trunk diameter of 30 inches or more, or a tree of the ficus species, in the event such tree contributes to the canopy for the area in which it is located. A tree may also be determined to be of notable historic interest to the town due to its age, type, size or historic association with the community and designated as such by the Town Council.”
The new wording, Thatcher said, is to give the town leverage to protect some of the biggest trees that may not be on the specimen list, to keep them from being taken down or at least require mitigation.
Specimen trees on the list include cabbage palm, Florida elm, mahogany, royal palm, slash pine, shortleaf fig, Southern magnolia, Southern red cedar and strangler fig. The palm trees must have a 5-foot clear trunk to be on the list.
Patricia Towle, who lives on Hypoluxo Island and worked on the first ordinance 20 years ago, said she applauded the council for updating it.
But she offered a few suggestions. “I think we’re maybe a little too limited on the trees,” she said.
In addition to the list of name trees, she said that any local tree with ecological, aesthetic or location value should be singled out as a specimen or historic tree.
“I would hate to see someone use the excuse of it’s not on the list to cutting it down, it could be a very attractive tree and I would like to see it protected,” Towle said.
“Also, I just want everybody to understand palms really should not be interchanged with hardwood trees. A deciduous tree, because of the strong root system and because it really protects against soil erosion, serves an entirely different function.”
The ordinance passed by a 5-0 vote on first reading. The town can, according to Town Attorney Max Lohman, amend the law at a future date to add to the list of specimen trees.

DELRAY BEACH — Robert “Bob” Gregor Currie, a proud resident of Delray Beach for 50 years, died Oct. 11 following a lengthy battle with cancer. He had turned 80 in July.
An architect by degree, Currie received his bachelor’s from the University of Minnesota and his master’s from Harvard University Graduate School of Design.
Following years of travel and employment with the Boston-based Architects Collaborative, Currie settled in Delray Beach in 1969 with his wife and two children to join his father-in-law, Kenneth Jacobson, to establish Jacobson Currie Architects.
Over the years the firm changed partners and names, with Currie as the one constant. In 2008 he was joined by Jess Sowards and José Aguila to form Currie Sowards Aguila Architects.
Over the course of his career, Currie planned and designed virtually every building type, including religious, municipal, public assembly, residential, commercial office, hospitality and historical restoration facilities, in the United States and worldwide, earning 65 design awards along the way.
In addition, he taught at the University of Sydney (Australia), the University of Miami and Florida Atlantic University.
An active member of the American Institute of Architects since his career’s inception, he became his company’s principal designer. Under his direction, the company was named Firm of the Year 2000 by the Florida Association of AIA.
The Palm Beach Chapter of AIA recognized Currie in 2002 with the Gold Medal Award for his contributions to the architectural profession and again in 2005 as Architect of the Year. In 2008 he was elevated to fellow by the American Institute of Architects, the organization’s highest honor.
Though he was credited with the design of hundreds of South Florida buildings, his contributions to Delray Beach gave him the most pride.
Working with his friend, Old School Square project visionary Frances Bourque, Currie and his team were involved from 1990 onward in the programming, master planning, architecture and historic preservation of this cultural jewel.
Other architectural commissions included the South County Administrative Complex and South County Civic Center; Temple Sinai; the Ocean Avenue Bridge; Sundy House Restaurant; and more than 25 fire-rescue and public safety projects.
Beyond his commitment to planning and architecture, Bob was dedicated to civic involvement, serving on the Palm Beach County Zoning Commission; Delray Beach Public Library board; Old School Square Foundation board; Pineapple Grove Main Street board; and Delray Beach’s planning and zoning board, community appearance board and public art advisory board.
An international traveler, Bob visited every continent, returning with stories and drawings to depict the sites and cultures to which he had been exposed. He cherished the opportunities he had to visit international landmarks by land, sea and air, but what he loved most was returning to his architectural practice, friends and family and his Village by the Sea, Delray Beach.
Currie is survived by many family members and friends, including his three sons, John Currie, James Currie and Mark Currie, and their mother, Mary Currie. He is also survived by his grandson, André; his sisters, Barbara Joe and Betty Bauman; his brother-in-law, Bill Bauman; many nieces and nephews, and his longtime friend and companion Jean Naviaux and her children, Rhett Lewis and Christy Lewis.
He was preceded in death by his daughter, Michelle Currie, and his parents, Leonard and Virginia Currie.
A funeral Mass was held Oct. 19 at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, Delray Beach.  Entombment followed at the Boynton Beach Mausoleum and Cemetery.
— Obituary submitted by the family

DELRAY BEACH — Blake Edward Vance of Delray Beach died Oct. 5, surrounded by family, after courageously battling a glioblastoma brain tumor. He was 83.
Mr. Vance was a loving husband, father, brother and friend and will be remembered for his quick, inquisitive mind, wonderful sense of humor and kind and loving spirit.
Mr. Vance was extremely proud of his Canadian heritage and family. Born on a farm in Aberarder, Ontario, he told wonderful stories of the fun and mischief he had with his siblings growing up on the farm. This was the foundation for his lifelong love of family, strong work ethic and high standards he set for himself and all he knew.
Mr. Vance’s career in academic publishing took him around the world, where he worked for D. Reidel Publishing, Addison Wesley, Harcourt Brace Jovanovich and CRC Press. His career was distinguished by his work with a Nobel laureate, Pope John Paul II and the many textbooks he helped publish while working with the world’s leading scientists, mathematicians and academicians.
After his career in publishing, he became a licensed personal property appraiser and started his own company, South Florida Appraisals.
In addition to having an active mind, Mr. Vance loved to be physically active. He was known to ride his bike 15 miles a day on a regular basis. When he turned 80, he competed in a 50-kilometer bike race in Canada and finished second in his division. He also loved to play tennis, fish, hike, ski, swim and volunteer. One of his legacies will include teaching all of his children and grandchildren how to play cribbage. He was competitive to the end — never giving up a muggins even to the youngest player.
Mr. Vance is survived by his wife of 35 years, Elizabeth (Bessie), his daughters Katherine Harunk and Mary Kim Brock, stepchildren Sarah Klein and Gardner Smith and siblings including his twin sister, Beth Gingrich, brother Scott Stevenson and youngest sister, Sydney Jones.
He was predeceased by his first wife, Susan Mary, sister Patricia Gamble and his parents, Bessie Jeannette MacKinlay and Blake Evans Vance. He also leaves a legacy of nine grandchildren and one great-granddaughter and many nieces and nephews, all who adored him and shared his love of candy.
A memorial service was held Oct. 12 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach. In lieu of flowers, donations in his honor may be made to Paul’s Place afterschool, where he volunteered for many years. Tax-deductible donations may be sent to Paul’s Place, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, FL 33444, Attention: Kathy Fazio in memory of Blake Vance.
— Obituary submitted by the family

About 130 Bahamians displaced by Hurricane Dorian were welcomed by (l-r) chef Brandon Mervil; Jimmy Everett and his wife, Ilia Gonzalez, the Driftwood owners; public relations specialist Sandy Collier; chef Christina Dixon Wells, and volunteer cook Jerusha Terry. Photo provided

By Christine Davis 

The dinner menu at Driftwood restaurant in Boynton Beach features entrees such as grilled octopus, fried calamari, swordfish, smoked short ribs and burgers.
On a Sunday evening in early October, however, the menu consisted solely of popular Bahamian fare. That’s because the restaurant closed to the public for a special event — free dinner and drinks for displaced residents of the archipelago who are living for now in South Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian’s destruction.
Jimmy Everett, Driftwood’s chef/co-owner, said a mutual friend of his and public relations specialist Sandy Collier put them together to stage the event. Collier — a Bahamas native — arranged for transportation to bring many of the families to the restaurant.
“Sunday dinners are big in the Bahamas,” Collier said. “I wanted the hurricane victims here to be able to enjoy an authentic Bahamian meal.  Many of them are living in hotels and don’t have a place to prepare a typical Bahamian dish for their families.” It was all to give the evacuees a sense of normalcy, Collier said.
“In any home on a Sunday in the Bahamas, you can get a plate of food from family, friends and even strangers.”
About 130 people attended the dinner. Ilia Gonzalez, Everett’s wife and Driftwood’s manager/co-owner, kept an eye on families’ children as they drew pictures with chalk outside and played musical chairs in the parking lot while their parents relaxed.
Collier and three other chefs for the day set up in the Driftwood kitchen. They prepared conch fritters, steamed conch, baked, steamed and barbecue chicken, Bahamian peas and rice, crab and conch salads, macaroni and cheese coleslaw and more.
A lot of people and companies helped make it happen.
Vanilla Ice, for example, contributed $1,000, and the Buzz Agency, a Palm Beach public relations firm, gave $500 and provided publicity, Everett said. That enabled Driftwood’s staffers to earn what they typically would on a Sunday night as they served the diners.
And Breakthru Beverage Group donated a case of rum for rum punch drinks, plus red and white wine. Driftwood provided the beer.
A duo that usually entertains at Driftwood on Sunday nights provided music once again, only this time for free.
Everett said he probably didn’t break even, but he sounded unconcerned. “You’re looking at these people as guests in your home,” he said. “A lot of these people hadn’t eaten in a restaurant for years.”
As the event was winding down and food, drinks and musical instruments were being put away, one last family showed up. They too were served and serenaded.
“That was one of those things that was really special,” Everett said.

New York City-based Doyle Auctioneers & Appraisers expanded its Florida operations in October, adding two auction professionals. Furniture and decorative arts specialist Sebastian Clarke was appointed senior vice president, and his wife, jewelry specialist Katherine Van Dell, was appointed vice president.
They join Doyle’s director of Florida operations, Collin Albertsson, a silver specialist and senior vice president. All three reside in Florida.
Clarke organized Doyle’s auctions of English and Continental furniture and decorative arts, provided estate appraisals, and served as an auctioneer for the firm. He sits on the board of directors of the Appraisers Association of America and is a certified member of the association. He also is a featured appraiser on the PBS television series Antiques Roadshow and is a charity auctioneer.
Van Dell is a member of the American Society of Jewelry Historians and a candidate for the graduate gemologist degree of the Gemological Institute of America. She is a featured appraiser on Antiques Roadshow.
Doyle has auctioned property from prominent estates and collections from Florida, including the estate of Lady Sarah Consuelo Spencer-Churchill, which featured important French furniture collected by her grandmother, heiress Consuelo Vanderbilt Balsan, who was a resident of Manalapan. Doyle also auctioned property from the estates of Marjorie Merriweather Post, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Barbara Wainscott, society columnist Aileen Mehle, and Wynant D. Vanderpoel.
Doyle’s landmark sale of Chinese porcelain from the F. Gordon Morrill Collection of Delray Beach drew affluent Chinese collectors, driving the sale total past $12 million.
Doyle, which was founded in 1962, holds more than 70 sales each year. Doyle’s network of regional offices and representatives includes Beverly Hills, Washington D.C., Chicago, Boston, Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and North Carolina, and Doyle will shortly open a regional office building in South Florida.
To reach the Florida office, call 322-6795 or email doylefl@doyle.com.

Collier Car Clubs, a membership garage for car collectors, will open a club in Delray Beach. The 50,000-square-foot facility, which is scheduled to open this spring, will be at 777 S. Congress Ave., the former location of ABC Carpet & Home. When complete, Collier Car Clubs will comprise a climate-controlled space for 240 cars; a co-working space with lifts, community tools and support staff; and a planning area and meeting space. The concept of membership garages is an enterprise for Parker and Miles Collier, founders of the Revs Institute museum and library in Naples.

Drive Shack, a new one-shop-stop golf and entertainment venue, opened in October next to Palm Beach International Airport at 1710 Belvedere Road, West Palm Beach. The three-story venue offers a driving range with 96 all-weather bays, and other amenities include more than 300 TVs, augmented-reality golf games, arcade games, rooftop terrace, bars and a restaurant. Golfers can use free TaylorMade clubs or rent premium TaylorMade clubs. The West Palm Beach Drive Shack is the company’s fourth location, after Orlando, Raleigh, North Carolina, and Richmond, Virginia.
Drive Shack hours are 9 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday and 9 a.m. to 1 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Pricing ranges from $25 to $45 per hour, based on the time of day. 
Drive Shack’s sister company, American Golf, manages traditional golf courses across the country.

Town Center at Boca Raton shows a list on its website of new retailers that have recently opened or will soon open in the mall. An Australian jewelry shop chain, Lovisa, opened in a 70-square-foot bay near Saks Fifth Avenue. Candid, a dental aligner startup, opened in an 1,800-square-foot studio near the Cafes at Boca. Northfleet, a handbag store, opened near Bloomingdale’s. Charley’s Philly Steaks opened in the Cafes at Boca, and Wetzel’s Pretzels is now open near Center Court.
In October, the Hope & Henry clothing store opened in the Nordstrom wing, and the Lego Store opened between Macy’s and Saks Fifth Avenue.
Retailers that will soon open include Cariloha, a shop that sells bedding, clothes, bath goods and accessories; Joseph’s Classic Market; La Boulangerie Boul’Mich bakery; Piercing Pagoda; Rex Baron restaurant; and Tempur-Pedic mattresses.
There’s a new play area, and Santa is coming. To see the complete list of the mall’s stores and restaurants, visit www.simon.com/mall/town-center-at-boca-raton/stores.

Shops in downtown Delray Beach, all decked out for the holidays, will offer some special holiday events Nov. 28 through Jan. 1. Check out Black Friday on Nov. 29 and Shop Small Business Saturday on Nov. 30 for shopping and giveaways.
Also coming are the 100-foot Christmas tree, holiday window-decorating contest, annual art festival, boat parade, caroling, holiday parade, menorah lighting, and New Year’s Eve fireworks. For the schedule, visit www.DowntownDelrayBeach.com/Holidays.

Donald and Peyton

Hair stylist and salon owner Lauren Donald of Delray Beach and philanthropist Julie Peyton of Boca Raton developed Under the Sun hair care products, with the intention of donating a percentage of its sales to local charities. The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation of Palm Beach County is the most recent beneficiary. To find a store or purchase the Under the Sun hair care line, visit www.alwaysunderthesun.com or call 855-888-4247. A percentage of the sales will be donated to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation for its 65 Roses Evening on the Ave event on Nov. 15 at Old School Square.

A boutique collection of 66 luxury condominium residences, 111 First Delray Beach, at 111 SE First Ave., is ready for occupancy.
The five-story condominium development, with two- and three-bedroom units, is already more than 75% sold, with only 16 units remaining. SOFA Partners, the developer, is led by two father-son teams, Manuel and Felipe Vergara, and Rafael and Daniel Rincon. The SOFA Partners team also includes George Ligeti of The Greenfield Group and Paul Kilgallon of Mainstreet Capital Partners.
One Sotheby’s International Realty Development Marketing is handling sales, with the sales center at 12 SE First Ave., suite No. 102. For more information, visit https://111firstdelray.com or call 501-0818.

Atlantic Crossing, the $300 million mixed-use development on track to begin vertical construction by year’s end in Delray Beach, signed two retail tenants and an office space tenant. Chico’s, a women’s retail chain, is signed for a 3,150-square-foot space along Atlantic Avenue. Chicago-based The Hampton Social restaurant will open in 8,677 square feet of space. Merrill Lynch will occupy the entire 20,000-square-foot third floor of one of Atlantic Crossing’s office buildings.
Atlantic Crossing, a development of the Edwards Cos., will have about 73,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space upon completion. 

National Realty Investment Advisors and U.S. Construction closed on a $73 million loan in October from CIM Group for Ocean Delray, a luxury condominium project at 1901 S. Ocean Blvd. Cushman & Wakefield arranged the construction financing. NRIA’s general contracting partner, U.S. Construction, has begun site prep and expects construction to commence in mid-November.

Branch Banking & Trust Co. provided a $22.67 million mortgage in October to PHG Delray Beach, an affiliate of Atlanta-based Peachtree Hotel Group, to build a Hampton Inn by Hilton in downtown Delray Beach. The hotel will be sited on 1.19 acres at 200 and 234 NE Fifth Ave., plus 401 NE Second St. Currently, the property has two small office buildings.  The developer acquired the land for $4.5 million in November 2018 and $2.4 million in January. Peachtree Hotel Group managing principal Jatin Desai has said in news articles that the company is working with the city for approval.

TMT Properties, a company headquartered in Coral Springs, bought two 30,000-square-foot Class B office properties at 190 and 200 Congress Park Drive, Delray Beach, for $10.1 million on Oct. 1. The seller was Parkview Properties.
Watershed Treatment Programs, which occupies about 20,000 square feet and is one of the largest tenants at the office buildings, recently announced that it is laying off more than 200 employees and will liquidate its assets. But Watershed is still paying rent as it winds down its operations, said Joseph Maas, TMT Properties general manager.
“We knew going into the deal that they were going to downsize to a smaller space, so the pricing per-square-foot that we were able to negotiate reflects that. Otherwise the price would have been higher.”
Other tenants are medical firms, a walk-in clinic, law firms and accounting firms, Maas said.
While TMT plans to make some minor aesthetic changes, it does not expect to make major renovations.
In September 2018, TMT purchased the office property at 220 Congress Park Drive for $11.4 million. Maas said the most recent acquisition means the firm will take over management of the Congress Park Association.
“There’s so much change happening in Delray Beach, which is the new hot spot, and with all the redevelopment going on nearby, we were finding a lot of traffic,” Maas said. “These buildings met our profile, and we like the area.”

Robert Sheetz sold a waterfront estate at 133 W. Coconut Palm Road in the Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club in Boca Raton for $11.45 million on Oct. 7. The buyer was the Trust of 133 W. Coconut Trust, with William Mark Lanier, Becky Lanier and Kevin Dale Roberts listed as the trustees.
The 10,967-square-foot, six-bedroom home, built by Wietsma Lippolis Construction in 2019, has 158 feet of water frontage. Sheetz purchased the property in October 2016 for $3 million to build the home. David W. Roberts with Royal Palm Properties represented the seller in the deal, while Eric Levy of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Florida Realty represented the buyer.

Joseph and Orla Imbesi sold their Manalapan home at 1675 Lands End Road for $6.1 million to Marilyn Flint, David Fischer and Zachary Fischer on Oct. 16. Joseph Imbesi sold the Bal Harbour Club in Miami-Dade County to an Argentine developer in 2012 for $220 million, a deal that made way for the Oceana Bal Harbour condo tower. The Imbesis bought the Manalapan property for $5 million in December 2012. Pascal Liguori and Tony Liguori of Premier Estate Properties represented the sellers, and Christian J. Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate represented the buyers.

The board of directors of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce selected Stephanie Immelman as the organization’s next chief executive officer. The choice was made after the search committee considered the qualifications and experience of more than 240 applicants. Immelman was formerly executive director of the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative. She has held senior marketing positions at Continental Airlines and AT&T and has worked in the corporate finance department of Global Crossing, focusing on international mergers and acquisitions. 

Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties invites residents to come together on Nov. 13 in small-group mealtime conversations to explore ideas on how to cultivate a stronger community during “On the Table.” This is the second year the Community Foundation will participate in this civic engagement initiative at venues throughout the counties.
New this year, local youth will be encouraged to join in the discussions. At the conclusion of the meals, participants will be encouraged to share their feedback via an online survey.
The Community Foundation again will share the results with the community, government officials, community leaders and nonprofits to help them determine how to best advance some of the ideas and solutions generated.
For more information or to sign up to participate as a host or a guest, visit www.onthetablefl.com.

The Boca Real Estate Investment Club will meet at 7 p.m. Nov. 14 for the last time in 2019. The meeting will be at the Gold Coast School of Real Estate, 2600 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton. It is free for the club’s members to attend, and $15 for non-members. For more information, visit www.BocaRealEstateClub.com.

The Boca Chamber will celebrate its annual Holiday Party & Auction at 5:30 p.m. Nov. 20 at the Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center. Money raised will support the Chamber’s programs. To register, visit https://one.bidpal.net/bocachamberholidayauction/welcome.

The Palm Beach Poetry Festival’s annual poetry contest for high school students runs through Dec. 1 in partnership with Old School Square.
Public or private high school students in the county can each submit one original poem (30 lines maximum) for consideration. Poems should be submitted to PBPF1@aol.com.
For contest rules, visit www.palmbeachpoetryfestival.org.
The winning poet will receive $200 and a pair of tickets to the Friday Night Poetry Reading on Jan. 24, featuring 2018 NAACP Image Award winner and Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award recipient Patricia Smith, the festival’s 2020 poet-at-large.
The four runners-up will each receive $100. The judge will once again be Jeff Morgan of Lynn University’s Department of English in Boca Raton.

Larry Keller and Jan Norris contributed to this report.
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com. 

By Mary Hladky

Palm Beach County residents who use Airbnb and HomeAway to rent out their homes or spare bedrooms now must provide information that will allow county Tax Collector Anne Gannon to make sure they are paying bed taxes.
The requirement is part of a Sept. 16 settlement of lawsuits the two vacation rental platforms filed after the County Commission unanimously passed an ordinance last year that tasked them with collecting and remitting to the county the 6 percent tourist development tax, or bed tax, that hotels and other short-term rentals pay.
Under terms of the settlement, vacation rental companies will not have to collect and remit the bed tax — a responsibility they have long opposed.
Instead, vacation rental hosts will have to post their business tax receipt and tourist development tax numbers on their online listings, providing proof they are paying the tax. Gannon’s office will verify the numbers.
Airbnb and HomeAway had to give hosts the ability to post the numbers on new listings in September, and by Nov. 1 for existing listings.
The companies agreed to advise hosts of the new rules. Those not complying by Nov. 1 will be delisted until they provide the numbers.
As of Nov. 7, the companies will provide to Gannon every other week a list of all rental listings and the hosts’ business tax receipt and bed tax numbers. Gannon will notify the companies if she finds any problems, and they will delist those without valid numbers until corrections are made.
Gannon won’t know how much additional bed tax revenue the county will receive as a result of the settlement until hosts who were not paying the tax start doing so.
The seven-page agreement is the first glimmer of compromise in the long-running battle between Gannon and vacation rental companies.
While the settlement resolves two lawsuits that had been consolidated in federal court, the two sides still are at odds in two pending state court cases.
Gannon has long contended that the county is not getting all the bed tax revenue it is owed because vacation rental hosts either do not know they are supposed to pay or simply don’t want to.
Hosts who spoke at a County Commission meeting last year said they were not trying to evade taxes. But many said they thought the vacation rental platforms handled the payments on their behalf.
Some also said that they did not understand what the county requires of them, and asked county officials to streamline procedures.
Tax collections are an issue across the state.
Airbnb reached an agreement with the state Department of Revenue in 2015 in which the company collects state sales tax from its Florida hosts and turns it over to the state. That same year, it began reaching agreements with counties on bed tax collections.
Since then, 40 of the state’s 67 counties, including Broward and Miami-Dade, have entered into agreements with Airbnb that the company will collect the bed taxes and remit them to the counties.
But Gannon has not signed on. The problem, she has said, is that the agreements do not require Airbnb to release any information about hosts or property addresses. Without that, Gannon said she can’t do an audit to see if Airbnb is paying all its hosts owe.
The agreements also don’t require the payment of previously uncollected taxes.
Vacation rentals are projected to be a $57.6 billion industry in the U.S. in 2019.
Florida hosts using Airbnb, one of the largest platforms operating in the U.S., earned $810 million in income in 2018 by providing accommodations to 4.5 million guests, the company reported.
Airbnb has about 3,700 listings in Palm Beach County, while HomeAway, which also operates VRBO and VacationRentals, has about 2,000.
While the legal battle has not ended in Palm Beach County, both Airbnb and Gannon were pleased with the settlement.
“We welcome today’s settlement as a step in the right direction towards a better, long-term relationship with Palm Beach County, something Airbnb has proactively sought for years,” Airbnb said in a September statement.
“We are satisfied with it,” Gannon said of the settlement on Oct. 7.
Gannon said she could not discuss the state court cases because they are pending, but she did express her displeasure with the vacation rental platforms.
“They filed these lawsuits after they agreed to sit down and talk to us. Two days later we had notice they filed,” she said.
In a 2014 lawsuit, Gannon alleged that Airbnb, HomeAway, TripAdvisor and CouchSurfing International failed to register as rental dealers and did not pay the bed tax.
On Jan. 23, Circuit Judge James Nutt ruled against Gannon, saying it is up to hosts, and not the vacation rental platforms, to collect and remit the bed tax.
Even so, he said Gannon’s goal is “laudable” and it would be most efficient if the platforms collected and remitted the tax.
Gannon has appealed the ruling to the 4th District Court of Appeal.
The county ordinance passed in 2018 added to rules already in place but shifted the burden to the platforms to make sure the bed tax is paid.
Shortly thereafter, Airbnb and HomeAway filed the now-settled suits in federal court.
The county amended the ordinance in June to eliminate provisions that required the platforms to submit monthly reports that included names of hosts, addresses of vacation rentals and bed tax account numbers, and to remove “illegal listings.”
It added a provision that the platforms collect the bed tax and transmit it to hosts, with the hosts sending the tax money to the tax collector.
Airbnb sued Gannon again in August, saying the county was doing an “end run around Judge Nutt’s ruling” and was improperly making vacation rental platforms the “de facto enforcement arms of the tax collector.” The company seeks a ruling that the portions of the amended ordinance are invalid.

By Mary Thurwachter

Water Tower Commons is inching closer to having its first retail businesses — a Wawa filling station with a restaurant and an Aldi grocery store. The Lantana Town Council, during its Oct. 14 meeting, voted to allow the developer special exception amendments for both proposals — although residents who filled the chambers largely opposed the filling station because of traffic concerns.
Water Tower Commons, a 73-acre retail and residential project east of Interstate 95 on Lantana Road, has been in the works since 2014. That’s when Lantana Development — a partnership between Wexford Capital and developer Ken Endelson’s Southeast Legacy — bought the 73-acre site, formerly home to A.G. Holley State Hospital, for $15.6 million. Although apartments are being built on the property, and some will be move-in ready by March, the retail portion of the project has been stagnant since 2017.
Two years ago, Water Tower Commons was negotiating to bring a Walmart Neighborhood Market to the property, but that deal fell through.
The shopping center portion of the project, originally planned for 280,000 square feet, has been scaled back to 150,000 square feet, reflecting a substantial softening of the retail market.
Ken Tuma, representing Lantana Development, and representatives of the gas station and grocery store chains laid out proposals for a 5,900-square-foot Wawa station and restaurant and a 19,658-square-foot Aldi. The gas station and restaurant would be in the southwest corner of the site at Lantana and Andrew Redding roads. The grocery store would be north of the filling station, near the entrance to the development from Andrew Redding Road.
The 16-pump Wawa would not be accessible directly from Lantana Road.
“Unlike a typical gas station that’s anywhere on a corner that’s allowed within a commercial land use, we are not having driveways coming into the site, so you have to enter through the mixed-use project,” Tuma said.
“It’s a really important point because it will help this project have more success and it will also allow the drivers to make sure when they’re coming to Water Tower Commons, they’re making a decision to come into Wawa and to be part of the overall center. It also allows for more pedestrian connection to the north.”
Many residents said that while they liked Wawa, they opposed this location because the area has enough filling stations and having another one would result in added traffic congestion.
“We’re proposing a fuel station on the north side of the road,” Tuma said. “There is currently a Shell station on the south side of the road and then to the west is a membership station at Costco, adjacent to I-95.”
He said westbound drivers in the morning would go to the station on the north side of the road and on the return trip drivers would likely go to the station on the south side of the road. A national study that engineers use shows that 61% of gas station trips are pass-by trips.
Still, traffic concerns appeared to be on everyone’s mind.
“This traffic on the road is terrible,” Mayor Dave Stewart said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. I would really like to see some other type of mitigation to move traffic around that site and I don’t know how to do it. I’m not a traffic engineer.”
Some suggested the Wawa be located on the southeast corner of the site property at Eighth Street.
“Eighth Street is already a commercially traveled road for the truckers and the dump site and the police station,” said resident Mary Lacorazza-Genova. “It’s across from a cemetery. It doesn’t interfere with a main quarter of Lantana Heights to get out of the neighborhood. I don’t know if that’s feasible, but I would highly support Wawa if they could flip the plan.”
Dave Arm, who owns a gym at 700 W. Lantana Road and is president of the Lantana Chamber of Commerce, said he had asked about placing the Wawa at Eighth Street.
“The problem,” he said, “is you can’t put a traffic light there because there’s already one at Broadway, so you can’t have two lights so close together.”
Arm also said that the state Department of Transportation has plans to widen Lantana Road from Andrew Redding Road and west over the I-95 overpass. However, that project is several years off.
Tuma said the developer looked very specifically at where the filling station would go. “Traffic signals were a critical element, but also as you go further east there is residential adjacent, so that’s why we don’t push it all the way to the east,” he said.
A traffic light on Lantana Road at the main entrance to Water Tower Commons is in the site plan, but can’t be added until the county determines that traffic has reached a certain threshold.
Traffic on Lantana Road already meets the threshold, but a certain number of trips must come out of the driveway from the site for the permit to be issued. That number is projected to be met after a good portion of the construction of the Wawa and Aldi is done. Town Attorney Max Lohman warned that having the traffic light put in could take 12-18 months after a permit is issued.
“I don’t think there’s a person in this room that doesn’t realize that there’s going to be a hell of a traffic jam there,” said council member Phil Aridas. “We really want that light.”
And some really want the development to proceed.
“The development of this property depends on the approval of this project,” Arm said. “We’ve waited five years. I’ve been staring at dirt for five years. If we don’t do this now, there will be nothing but dirt for another five years.
“It’s not like people are knocking down the doors to build retail stores. It’s not like Water Tower Commons hasn’t tried to get a Trader Joe’s, a Whole Foods, whatever. They are doing their darnedest to get this approved. If this doesn’t get approved, they’ll be starting all over again. Five more years of staring at all that dirt. It’s time to get this thing moving.”
Council member Lynn Moorhouse agreed.
“From my view, this is the best thing we’ve had out there in a long time,” he said. “Retail went south. I think now is the time, in spite of the fact there’s going to be some bellyaching about the traffic until the roads are expanded — and I take that road every day so I know how frustrating it can be.”

The dome of Boca’s old town hall, now the historical society’s home, gleams after being regilded for the first time since 1997. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Boca Historical Society dome restored to former brilliance

By Ron Hayes

The next time you drive through downtown Boca Raton, take a moment to admire that gold dome gleaming in the sun atop the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum.

And please don’t think about Addison Mizner.

Think about William Alsmeyer.

Early last month, a trio of expert artisans from The Gilders’ Studio of Olney, Maryland, spent a week cleaning, scraping and cementing new gold leaf to the cupola’s dome.

Addison Mizner (1872-1933), the legendary architect and developer who gave us the Boca Raton Club, the Everglades Club in Palm Beach, and numerous Mediterranean-style homes during the Florida land boom of the 1920s, had nothing to do with that dome.

“Addison Mizner didn’t invent Boca Raton,” says Susan Gillis, the society’s curator of collections, “but he put it on the map.

“Mizner was hired as the city planner, and he designed two versions of the town hall, which he called the city hall, in 1925 and ’26,” Gillis explains. “The first was two stories tall and considered too expensive. His second version was only one story and they started laying the foundation, but then that was also deemed too expensive.”

The land boom was going bust. Property taxes were not forthcoming, and in September 1926 the Mizner Development Corp. went bankrupt.

“Mizner had expensive tastes,” Gillis says.

Enter Delray Beach architect William Alsmeyer (1890-1976), who designed the building that stands today, a mission-style structure with a bell tower on its north end — the bell disappeared years ago — and the domed cupola.

Searching old files, Gillis has found a yellowed invoice. On Feb. 9, 1927, the Town Commission approved a payment of $877 to Alsmeyer for his design work.

Delray Beach’s William Alsmeyer completed the design on the town hall, which opened in 1927 after two Mizner efforts went bust. Photo provided by Boca Raton Historical Society

How the dome went gold is more mysterious, and it didn’t until the 1980s.

Alsmeyer’s original drawings called for the dome to consist of metal sheathing coated in stucco.

But on June 28, 1927, the commission also signed off on $121 for gilt.

“Apparently the stucco was never applied,” Gillis infers, “because 1927 photos show only the metal sheathing. The sheathing was painted silver as shown in a postcard from the 1950s.”

When the restoration of the town hall began in 1983, after the historical society took over the lease, the Boca Raton Rotary Club donated $25,000 to have copper sheeting added and the dome gilded. The gold leaf alone cost $5,000.

Could gold leaf that cost a mere $121 in 1927 appreciate to $5,000 only 56 years later?

“Absolutely. Gold was cheap back then,” says Michael Kramer, who would know.

A worker preps the copper dome to receive adhesive.

About 1,800 sheets of gold leaf cover the dome.

A squirrel hair brush smooths out the leaf as work on the regilded dome wraps up last month. Photos provided by The Gilders’ Studio

Kramer is the founder and president of The Gilders’ Studio, which regilded the dome in 1997, to mark the society’s 25th anniversary, and again last month.

“The most important thing is the preparation,” Kramer begins. “If it’s not done properly, the gold leaf and primer peel off.”

First the three-person team stripped the flaking gold leaf and adhesive, down to the copper finish.

“The copper was in excellent shape,” Kramer reports. “No tears, no holes. No bullets. When we did the Florida State Capitol building 20 years ago, there were several bullet holes. We dug out a bullet there.”

Then came two coats of a yellow metal primer.

On Friday afternoon, Oct. 4, they applied a slow-drying adhesive.

“The next day it’s just barely tacky, and you have the whole day to work on it, but we got real worried about the weather on Saturday,” he says.

Rather than spend three days applying the gold leaf, the gilders arrived at dawn that Sunday morning, worked until 5 p.m., then finished early Monday morning.

In the end, they had covered the entire dome with 4-inch sheets of gold leaf, then smoothed it all down with squirrel hair brushes to erase any wrinkles or overlaps. “You figure it takes roughly nine 4-inch sheets to cover a square foot, and the dome was about 200 square feet, so we used about 1,800 sheets,” Kramer says.

Those gold leaves were made especially for the dome by Manetti Goldbeaters of Florence, Italy.

“Pure gold is 24 karat,” Kramer adds. “We’re using 23.75 karat gold with ½ percent copper and ½ percent silver, so it’s 99 percent pure gold.”

Silver paint covered the copper dome in a postcard view of Boca Raton’s town hall from 1956. The dome has been gold since the 1980s. Photo provided by Boca Raton Historical Society

In 1997, the city paid $20,000 for the job. This time, the price was $40,000, according to Mary Csar, the society’s executive director.
The new gilding is part of the society’s History Alive! campaign, which hopes to raise $1.5 million to install six permanent history exhibits and pay for some interior improvements.

The city is contributing $650,000 to help pay for enclosing the back patio and adding impact doors, Csar said.

In general, the city will pay for regular maintenance, such as the new gilding, while the society’s fundraiser will pay for the new exhibits, Csar said.

She declined to reveal how much of the $1.5 million has been raised. “We’re underway,” she said.

William Alsmeyer, the Delray Beach architect for Boca Raton’s old town hall, with his wife, Florence, in a 1962 Palm Beach Post photo. Photo provided by Boca Raton Historical Society

Meanwhile, William Alsmeyer remains little known, while Addison Mizner remains an architectural legend. And one of the perks of being a legend is getting praise for buildings you didn’t design.

On April 15, 1982, when it was announced the historical society would move into the old town hall, a headline in The Boca Raton News announced, “Mizner design graces building to be a museum.”

And two years later, on Nov. 15, 1984, when the renovated building was dedicated, The Palm Beach Post praised “the stately town hall designed by Addison Mizner.”

That prompted an angry letter to the society from the late architect’s son.

The family had donated his father’s original drawings to the society, Ralph Alsmeyer noted, and yet nowhere in the paper’s report was his father’s name mentioned.

His father had lived in the area for 20 years, he wrote, “proud of his accomplishments in the area during the 1920s — never a millionaire, but solvent, which is more than you can say of Addison Mizner and his grand, elaborate, extravagant ways!”

And what of the original wall plaque that named his father the architect, Ralph Alsmeyer wondered. Had it been hidden or destroyed?

Peggy McCall, the archivist at the time, replied promptly to assure Mr. Alsmeyer that his father’s contributions were remembered and honored. The society was not responsible for the incorrect headline, she noted.

Yes, his name is still there on the lobby wall, 92 years after his work was done.

Wm. E. Alsmeyer, architect

And now the dome shines anew, atop that lovely old building he designed. Good as gold.

Committee members Jorgette and John Smith. Photo provided

Dec. 3: Attendees will kick off the holiday season at the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club’s social, featuring signature spirits, gourmet hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction to help the more than 760 members served by the nonprofit. Time is 6 to 8 p.m. Cost is $125. Call 683-3287 or visit www.bgcpbc.org.

Wanda Harrold, Lindy Harvey, Debbie Anderson, Lisa Mulhall, Mark Larkin and Susan Diener attend a reception at Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute to announce the nominees. Photo provided

Nov. 8: Guests will gather for the Junior League of Boca Raton’s signature soiree to celebrate local women and recognize nonprofits throughout Palm Beach County during a Saks Fifth Avenue fashion show by designer Andrea Lieberman. Time is 10:30 a.m. Cost is $150 to $250. Call 620-2553 or visit www.jlbr.org.

Stephanie Dodge and Marla Garchik are co-chairwomen of the fundraiser. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

The statistics speak for themselves: One out of six residents in the county does not know where the next meal is coming from, and more than 100,000 schoolchildren qualify for free breakfast and lunch, according to the Palm Beach County Food Bank.

On Dec. 8, the fourth annual Empty Bowls Delray Beach aims to spread the message that food insecurity plagues a county synonymous with wealth.

“The need to fight hunger in Palm Beach County is very real,” said Marla Garchik, co-chairwoman of the event. “Our goal is to bring awareness to the rising community that faces this struggle.”

The benefit for the organization that supplies food to more than 200 partners, including food pantries, housing programs and soup kitchens, will provide each guest with a simple lunch under a tent at Old School Square as well as a symbolic bowl to take home.

Area chefs will create more than three dozen varieties of soup that will be ladled by local leaders and served with bread from Old School Bakery. The bowls to be given out were decoratively painted by students from American Heritage, Gulf Stream, Pine Crest, Saint Andrew’s and Saint Joseph’s Episcopal schools, among others.

“I really feel that it’s our responsibility to inspire people to get involved and share this awesome experience of ending hunger,” co-chairwoman Stephanie Dodge said. “That’s what it’s all about.”

Dodge noted that while 1 in 6 residents worries about how to get the next meal, the other five worry about where.

“Most of us worry about where we’re going to go out to dinner,” she said. “And it’s just not our town. It’s other towns, and it’s other counties, states, countries. It’s a global thing to fight hunger, but it has to start in our own backyard.”

If You Go
What: Fourth-annual Empty Bowls Delray Beach
When: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Dec. 8
Where: Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach
Cost: $25 in advance, $30 at the door
More info: Call 670-2518 or visit oldschoolsquare.org/events/4th-annual-empty-bowls

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

Veterans toast their 2018 Day of Beauty at NSpa. This year’s event is Nov. 8. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

The Henry Morrison Flagler Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will celebrate Veterans Day by welcoming 10 female veterans of the armed forces to the 2019 Day of Beauty, set for Nov. 8.

The women will enjoy a day at NSpa in the Delray Beach Marriott followed by lunch at 50 Ocean.

“We want our brave women veterans to know how much we appreciate them for their service to America,” said Marjorie Ferrer, the chapter’s past regent. “They deserve all the honor.”

Community rallies to fund new food-delivery truck

The failure of Boca Helping Hands’ 25-year-old food-delivery truck — lovingly named Grandpa Bear — has turned into a blessing for the nonprofit.

After reports of the truck’s demise and subsequent hindrance of services to clients, contributions of more than $150,000 streamed in to fund a new refrigerated vehicle.

“We are simply astounded and so grateful for the incredible outpouring of support from the community and particularly appreciate the media getting the word out about this,” said Greg Hazle, the nonprofit’s executive director. “This new truck will enable us to fulfill and expand our efforts to feed families in need and will serve us well.”

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

Program launched to treat mental illness in seniors

Mental health concerns are on the rise in every community, including South Florida, and the senior population often is the most at risk for depression, anxiety and related issues. But according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, older adults are the least likely to seek help.

“As our population is aging, it is clear that we need to develop programs and resources to enable older adults to continue to lead meaningful and healthy lives in the communities in which they live,” said geriatric psychiatrist Susan Lehmann, a professor at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services has funded and launched a psychiatric program with Lehmann, who has been hired as a consultant. As such, she will help the organization create and develop a plan to aid the estimated one in five elders who experience mental health problems.

For information, call 852-3333 or visit https://ralesjfs.org.

Boca Festival Days a success for nonprofits

From bartending to bowling and beyond, this year’s Boca Chamber Festival Days had record-breaking numbers of attendees from whom to raise funds and awareness for participating nonprofits.

Boca Chamber Festival Days connects for-profit and nonprofit members to create fun-filled events for each during August. Highlights included a family-style Italian dinner to benefit ChildNet and a tour of the Boca Raton Resort & Club to benefit the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum.

“There was something for everyone, and we are thankful for those who attended and participated in these events,” said Mariana Griswold, the chamber’s marketing and communications coordinator.

For information, call 395-4433 or visit www.bocaratonchamber.com.

5th anniversary of Jewish Women’s Foundation

The Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Greater Palm Beaches is celebrating five years as an independent organization.

Established in 2002 as part of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, the women’s group broke out in 2014 with a focus on making social change.

“JWF became an independent organization because, while the federation does very important work in the community, ultimately our missions are different,” CEO Jennifer Kryshka said. “As an independent entity, we have been able to expand our mission to support all women and girls, including those outside of the Jewish community, deepen our organization’s advocacy and educational work and successfully create two leadership-development programs.”

For information, call 275-2200 or visit www.jwfpalmbeach.org.

Arc of Palm Beach is Nonprofit of the Year

The Arc of Palm Beach County is taking a bow after being named Nonprofit of the Year by Nonprofits First.

The charity, which serves people with developmental disabilities and their families, took home the prize from the Hats Off Nonprofit Awards last month. The event highlights the work that organizations and their employees and volunteers are doing to make a difference in the community.

“We are honored to have received this recognition not only for our programs and services but also for the wonderful people who benefit from them,” said Kimberly McCarten, The Arc of Palm Beach County’s president and CEO. “The clients who we are so privileged to serve deserve the best, and this is a nod to our daily efforts to make sure they feel accepted and included in the community.”

For information, call 842-3213 or visit www.arcpbc.org.

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

Honorary Chairs Bill and Mary Donnell, Charles Bender and Kelly and Will Fleming.

The Arscotts with Lisa McDulin. Photos provided by Coastal Click Photography

In anticipation of Hope Bash Boca on Nov. 2, Place of Hope at the Leighan and David Rinker Campus celebrated local supporters of foster care at the home of John and Cherie Arscott.

Club President Judy Mollica, McManus and Stevencia. Photo provided

The Rotary Club of Delray Beach announced the award winners for October: student Stevencia Estime and teacher Darren McManus. Stevencia is a17-year-old senior at Atlantic Community High School. McManus has been teaching for 22 years, 20 of them at the Delray Beach school.

Gail Marino, Christine Raymond and Anne Dichele.
Photo provided

More than $2,500 was raised to support expenses for the Gold Coast Down Syndrome’s Organization Resource Center, which houses programs for children with the condition. The event was sponsored by Douglas Elliman Real Estate in Boca Raton and Nature’s Corner Café in West Palm Beach.

The Plate: Crunchy Frybird

The Place: Flybird, 335 E. Linton Blvd., Delray Beach; 243-1111 or www.flybirdfood.com.

The Price: $12.95

The Skinny: You can smell the chicken grilling over an open flame as you pull into the lot for Flybird.

And next time, I will get grilled chicken.

But the Tuesday night I visited, fried fowl sounded good, and it was.

The chicken breast half on my sandwich was moist and juicy, with just the right amount of crispiness in its breading. The slaw that was served atop the chicken was tangy and light, and a chipotle mayonnaise lent subtle heat. Kudos also go to chef-owner Michael Salmon and his team for serving the sandwich on a perfectly toasted potato roll.

It was served with crisp housemade chips.

Salmon, who competed on The Next Food Network Star and 24 Hour Restaurant Challenge, was there the night I visited. Friends of his were raising a glass of wine to him and his 14-seat restaurant, which offers counter service, but with actual plates and cutlery. I raised a glass of iced tea. Nicely done.

— Scott Simmons

Frances Wurster and Cindy Sjogren

Marti LaTour, foundation member George Elmore and Debra Elmore. Photos provided by Christopher Fay Photography

With the secret location announced one hour prior to the outdoor event, hundreds of partygoers hurried to the annual all-white pop-up dinner party to support the Dreyfoos School of the Arts Foundation. With creative tabletop décor in hand and dinners in tow, they claimed their spots at the rows of tables assembled for the fundraiser.

The sale of John G’s in Manalapan puts Doris Di Meglio, left, in charge. Wendy Yarbrough, the founder’s daughter, helped the family choose the Di Meglios. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jan Norris

As John G’s transitions into its new ownership, the family taking it over wants to reassure its longtime fans that nothing will change, including the name.

And, they say, their own 13-year-old Boca Raton restaurant will remain as it is.

Doris and Laurent Di Meglio, Parisians, own Casimir Bistro, a traditional French bistro in Royal Palm Place. It’s been there 13 years.

“It’s our baby over there. We’ll keep it for sure,” Doris said. Laurent will continue cooking and operating it, while she runs John G’s.
The purchase of a second restaurant was to gain “a life,” she said.

“We have three kids. We want to have a life and to be with our family.”

A daytime restaurant will allow that; Casimir is open for lunch and dinner, while John G’s is breakfast and lunch only.

Longtime customers were shocked to learn of the beloved Manalapan eatery’s sale last month; there was no announcement or signs; the news spread by word of mouth.

It was a quiet transition with a staff meeting the day of the handoff, Wendy Yarbrough said.

Yarbrough, John Giragos’ daughter and manager of the restaurant since his death, said the sale had been planned.

“It was bound to happen. It’s time.” Grandkids and other family members weren’t interested in the hard work involved in running the seven-days-a-week bustling business, she said.

The family — Jay and Keith Giragos, cooks, and Wendy, manager — handpicked the buyers from a huge pool of bidders. Their experience as longtime restaurateurs with a solid reputation sealed it for them, she said. The couple started Cafe des Artistes in Jupiter; they sold it after a couple of years and started the slightly larger Casimir.

Yarbrough said a sale has been considered for years, ever since her dad’s death in 2010. But two years ago, a motorcycle accident that left her brother disabled for a time was a game-changer, Yarbrough said.

“After Jay’s accident, it’s been hard on all of us, him especially. He’s so frustrated since he can’t do anything. But he was worried about me. I’m 60 and it’s time for me to retire.”

She predicts a slight transitional time as the Di Meglios get their footing: “They’ve never done a breakfast. They’re counting on my staff and customers to help them.”

Doris Di Meglio confirmed it would be near blasphemy to change anything. She’s aware of the beloved reputation the spot has with residents and tourists alike.

“We fell in love with the story,” she said. “We’ve read all the reviews and heard the customer stories. They are so nice. They have come up to me and wished us well.”

The new owners will add credit cards — a benefit to customers, staff and kitchen, streamlining orders. A training period for the point-of-sale computer system will take a while, Di Meglio said.

But most of the staff remains, bringing decades of experience and customer appreciation with them.

Yarbrough said, “I took Doris around to meet the staff and went around the room. I told them to introduce themselves. It was, ‘Heather, server, 32 years.’ ‘Beverly, 27 years.’ ‘Busboy Romeo, 15 years.’ It was amazing. That’s my staff. They’re my family.”

The recipes were included in the sale, and the Di Meglios intend to keep them as is, along with the John G’s name, Yarbrough said.
“They’ve got all the recipes: the clam chowder, gazpacho, the French toast, down to the tartar sauce. All the soups Keith poured his heart into,” she said.

The new owners say they’ll also keep the chocolate-covered strawberries handed out on Sunday mornings to the line that still forms outside.

Di Meglio said they will add cappuccino and espresso to the menu, which brought a laugh when she learned of John Giragos’ story about desserts.

He once said he’d never offer dessert because he didn’t want diners lingering at the tables. “If I could get away with it, I wouldn’t even serve coffee,” he told this reporter.

“That’s funny,” Di Meglio said. “And now we’re offering more coffees.”

Yarbrough is making peace with the decision to sell, though it was bittersweet. Wondering whether the sale was the right thing to do, she lost weight and sleep, she said.

“My stress level is over the moon. It’s like walking-down-the-aisle jitters. Are these the right people to take over my life? My dad’s legacy? But we’re survivors. Look at all we went through and we’re still here.”

The 46-year-old eatery was first located at the old casino building at the Lake Worth pier, but it was ousted in the 2010-2011 season for construction. It moved in 2011 to Manalapan’s Plaza del Mar in the site of the old Callaro’s Steakhouse, “the scariest year,” Yarbrough said.

“We survived the bridge closing the year we moved in. We thought that was the end, but we made it. Then the plaza reconstruction and Publix. Thank God my customers crawled over the construction to get to us. They’re so loyal. We did fine,” she said.

Doris Di Meglio agrees, and it’s why she’s not changing anything. “The people working here are amazing. It’s perfect as it is, so why would we change something like that?”

Yarbrough sums it up: “It was a pretty good run, as my mom would say.”

Her parents’ approval still means a lot, and some peace comes from their spirits.

Just after the sale, she said, she visited her parents’ graves. Tess Giragos died in 2016.

“I go talk to them all the time,” Yarbrough said. “I told them we sold the restaurant.

“They said, ‘That’s OK. It’s time.’”

***

It’s never too early to start thinking about Thanksgiving — and pie.

Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches comes around for its fifth year with Pie It Forward, a campaign to benefit the hot-meal delivery program for homebound older adults.

A number of hotel restaurant and club chefs get into the spirit and bake pies for the campaign. This year, the Key lime pie will be baked by Eau Palm Beach’s pastry team.

How it works? Go to the organization’s website, www.mowpb.org, and order a pie (pumpkin, apple or pecan for $25, or Key lime for $35). Pick it up at the Palm Beach County Convention Center or Roger Dean Stadium on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving.

Your donation goes entirely to the program, and one pie purchase will feed one senior for one week.

Don’t need a pie but want to participate? Buy a “virtual” pie — just click on the box that allows you to make a donation to the nonprofit organization.

Meals on Wheels volunteers pack and deliver meals to hundreds of seniors each week.

They pay what they can for the service, which gives them a delivery person to check on them and interact with and meals they can heat up.

For more information, call 802-6979 or visit www.mowpb.org.

***

The buzziest restaurant around may be the post-apocalyptic Rex Baron, soon to open in Boca’s Town Center Mall. Both eatery and video-game bar, it’s one of the new waves of “eatertainment.” Audience participation is required. Read that: Patrons cook their own burgers and filets on lava rocks at the table. “Survivors” play at one of 32 virtual-reality games in a lounge, where drinks are served from IV bag tubes (through the VR helmets). Armageddon-chic decor married to Boca glitz is the theme.

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