A Palm Beach County sheriff's deputy tells beach-goers in South Palm Beach of restricted beach access on March 21. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

Palm Beach County commissioners, by a 4-3 margin, voted to reopen the county's beaches to county residents on May 18.

The May 8 decision is preliminary, with the commission agreeing to meet again on May 15 to finalize the plan for beach openings.

While it is possible commissioners could change their minds, that seemed unlikely after they negotiated among themselves to craft an order that a majority could accept.

Both public and private beaches would be allowed to reopen from sunrise to sunset. Beach-goers will have to abide by social distancing guidelines and gatherings would be limited to 10 people. Concession facilities will not be open.

But only Palm Beach County residents will be able to use them, as commissioners attempted to ward off an influx of beach-goers from Broward and Miami-Dade counties where beaches remain closed.

County and municipal law enforcement officers will enforce the order. Cities and towns, however, have the authority to decide they do not want to reopen.

The action marks the second step to ease the lockdown that has kept county residents largely confined to their homes because of COVID-19. The county reopened parks, golf courses and marinas on April 30.

Separately, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced in West Palm Beach that restaurants and some nonessential retail businesses can reopen May 11 with those in Broward and Miami-Dade counties to follow on May 18. Restaurants can offer outdoor seating with 6 feet of social distancing and indoor seating at 25% capacity.

Palm Beach County had asked DeSantis to lift the restrictions as he already had for 64 of Florida's 67 counties. But the governor placed greater restrictions on Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties because the three have more than half of the state's coronavirus cases.

County commissioners took the action on reopening beaches even though health director Dr. Alina Alonso had recommended against it. She warned earlier this week that reopening too soon risks a resurgence of the disease.

“Our own health department is telling us not to do it,” said Commissioner Gregg Weiss, who along with Mack Bernard and Mary Lou Berger voted against the reopening.

County Mayor Dave Kerner cast the deciding vote. “My intent is I want people to go to the beach,” he said.

Commissioner Robert Weinroth, who represents the coastal South County, was the strongest proponent of beach reopening.

“It is the right time,” he said. “There is no reason our residents can’t act responsibly.”

The fishing piers at the Boynton Inlet remain empty even as other Palm Beach County parks and recreation areas open on April 29. The fishing areas may be accessible before beaches in the county open. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

While parks in Palm Beach County were set to open Wednesday, April 29, anglers will have to wait a little to fish at the Boynton Inlet.

Because Ocean Inlet Park next to the inlet is a beach park and because beaches remain closed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the county will keep the park off limits to everyone hoping to get a bite on the line.

County Parks and Recreation Director Eric Call said that while the jetty and fishing areas that line the parking lots are separate from the public beach to the south, it would be hard to keep the areas separate to visitors.

"Logistically it would be difficult to manage," Call said.

But he said discussions are ongoing over whether to open Ocean Inlet Park's fishing areas before the county gives the green light to people who want to walk along the ocean's edge.

"It's closed now but it could be open sooner than the beaches," Call said.

For now, the gates are closed, and county staff and law enforcement officers will stop most visitors from entering the park. People who keep a boat at the marina there will be allowed in after showing verification.

When fishing is again allowed at the inlet, anglers will be required to adhere to social distancing and other restrictions, Call said.

Officers from Boca Raton police and fire departments and the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission gathered at Silver Palm Park on April 26 to monitor boaters who never showed up to party in Lake Boca. Photo by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

Boca Bash was a bust.

While the annual Boca Bash usually draws about 1,500 vessels and 10,000 attendees, no one showed up for a wild party at this year’s event on April 26. Very few boats were on Lake Boca and there were no incidents, Boca Raton police spokesman Mark Economou said.

Boaters apparently were dissuaded by a city emergency order that banned them from dropping anchor in Lake Boca over the weekend, as well as the urging of a Boca Bash organizer to stay away from the lake. Stormy afternoon weather was another factor.

The city does not control Lake Boca, which falls under state jurisdiction. But the state’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, which enforces boating rules in Florida, gave the city a temporary exemption to prohibit anchoring in the lake. Boca Raton police were authorized to give violators verbal warnings and arrest them if needed.

The FWC enhanced patrols on the lake and already had social distancing rules in place requiring boaters to keep 50 feet from one
another and have no more than 10 people aboard a vessel.

City officials wanted to put the kibosh on Boca Bash this year out of concerns that large groups of boaters massed on the lake and unable or unwilling to practice social distancing would increase the risk Covid-19 transmission.

Only a few vessels were in Lake Boca on April 26, the final day of an emergency ban on anchoring there. Normally the lake is jammed with boats on the weekend, especially for Boca Bash on the last Sunday in April. Photo provided by lakebocacam.com

By Steve Plunkett

Recreational boaters are banned from dropping anchor in Lake Boca this weekend in yet another effort to fight COVID-19.

City Manager Leif Ahnell signed an emergency No Anchor Order at 6:30 p.m. Friday, April 24, effective from 12:01 a.m. Saturday to 12:01 a.m. Monday.

The order specifically targets Boca Bash, an unofficial, alcohol-fueled party on the last Sunday in April in which "vessels come from all over to congregate, raft and anchor within Lake Boca," the state's Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said. The FWC, which enforces boating rules in Florida, gave the city a temporary exemption to prohibit anchoring in the lake and 500 feet north and south of it.

Boca Raton's police are authorized to give violators verbal warnings and arrest them if needed. "Our goal is to obtain voluntary compliance with this order," the police department said.

The FWC already had social distancing rules in place requiring boaters to keep 50 feet from one another and have no more than 10 people aboard a vessel.

A screenshot from www.cruisemapper.com shows cruise ships off the South Florida coast on the afternoon of April 23. Map provided

By Mary Thurwachter

Coastal observers who gaze out into the ocean after dark have seen large cruise ships lighting up the horizon in April. The vessels, bound by a no-sail order due to the coronavirus, had nowhere to go but they are still on the move.

On the east coast of South Florida, at least a half dozen ships have been in the same boat, so to speak — Celebrity Edge, Norwegian Bliss, Royal Caribbean Adventure of the Seas and three Carnival cruise liners: Conquest, Horizon and Fascination.

“We have announced a pause in our operations until June 26,” says Carnival spokesman Vance Gulliksen. “All 27 Carnival Cruise Line ships have been docked at our North American or Australian homeports with crew members, no guests, since mid-March. We have ships docked in ports such as Miami, Tampa, Port Canaveral and other homeports.  Ships are either docked in port or anchored at sea near the specific homeport.”

On April 22, Fascination and Horizon were anchored near Miami, Gulliksen says.  “Conquest was docked in Miami.  But this is constantly changing.”

Cruise industry expert Stewart Chiron, aka “Cruise Guy,” says there are many cruise ships based at Port Miami, Port Everglades and Port Canaveral. “They are continuously sailing up and down the east coast of Florida, keeping ships in working order. Crews onboard are performing maintenance and upgrades to ships. There are only minimal crews left aboard the ships, no passengers.”

The largest clusters of cruise ships have been in the Bahamas north of Bimini and west of Great Harbor Cay, Chiron said in April. But in May, there have been fewer ships cruising up and down the Florida coastline.

"Some ships are heading to ports to begin cold storage preparations until operations are normalized," he said. "When cruise lines resume sailings, fewer ships will be used at the beginning," Chiron said. "Carnival Cruise Line provided an example that they intend to begin sailing from three ports, Miami, Pt. Canaveral and Galveston, using eight of their 27 ships."

Chiron, based in Miami, is confident the cruise industry will rebound.

“I hope sailings begin to resume in July,” he says. “There are going to be many schedule changes as fewer ships will be sailing in Alaska and Europe this year. There are many people ready to go now. They're just waiting to be told when and where. People holding reservations should wait and let the cruise lines cancel so they can take advantage of future cruise credits and other enticements. Bookings are up for 2021. For 2020, people wanting to make reservations are just waiting for details.”

The boat ramp at Boca Raton's Silver Palm Park had been closed to commercial and recreational boaters alike since March 22. It is still off-limits to non-commercial fishermen. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

The Silver Palm Park public boat ramp opened for use by commercial fishermen today, April 22, but will remain closed to recreational boaters.

City Council members took the action as part of a lengthy April 21 workshop meeting held to discuss matters related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The decision came one week after commercial fishermen asked for relief so they can get out on the water and pursue their livelihoods.

But council members opted not to enforce who is using the boat ramp after City Manager Leif Ahnell said it would cost the city as much as $12,000 a week to staff the ramp 24/7 to make sure no recreational boaters launched their vessels from it.

“That becomes very expensive,” Ahnell said. “It is also onerous.”

City staff will monitor boat ramp usage for the remainder of the week. The ramp will be closed on Sunday, when the rowdy Boca Bash boat party was scheduled to be held on Lake Boca. One organizer has urged boaters not to participate in the annual event because of the coronavirus, but it is not clear what impact that will have.

Ahnell will report to council members on Monday on whether residents are taking advantage of the lack of enforcement to launch recreational boats.

“If we see it is out of control with a lot of people who are non-commercial fishing people, we would shut it down before Sunday,” Ahnell said.

“If we see too many recreational boaters, they will have ruined it for everybody and we will have to close it down,” said council member Monica Mayotte.

The decision is certain to upset recreational boaters, who have wanted to use the ramp to get out on the water as relief from COVID-19 emergency orders that prevent many outside activities.

The ramp opening is the city’s first small step toward reopening beaches, parks, marinas and golf courses.

While other openings are fraught with difficulties, opening the ramp to commercial fishermen was an easy step because Palm Beach County allowed this in March.

Council members want to do more as soon as possible, but cannot act until the county changes or eliminates restrictions to keep people from congregating and potentially being exposed to the virus. County officials are working on that now.

Since council members want to be able to act as soon as they can, they agreed that they need to start planning now.

But they sidestepped a resolution proposed by council member Andy Thomson that urged the county to reopen beaches, passive public and private parks, tennis courts and private golf courses “as soon as prudently possible” and in a way that does not expose city employees and residents to the coronavirus.

Instead, they opted for a wide ranging discussion of what should be opened and how to do that.

A majority of residents who commented on the issue urged the council to act.

“We have been living with this for about a month and a half and it is getting really old,” said Brad Bowman.

“We can’t remain quarantined forever,” said another speaker. “The parks, beaches and boat ramps must open.”

But the speakers did not reflect the sentiments of a majority of residents who sent emails or left voicemails on the subject.

While 12 emails and one voicemail supported opening parks and businesses, 126 emails and one voicemail expressed opposition to the openings out of concern that lifting restrictions too soon could result in city residents contracting COVID-19.

While all council members favored loosening restrictions in a careful and deliberate way to safeguard residents, Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers was most emphatic about acting soon.

“It is time to return sanity to our world,” he said.

Projections about how many people will be sickened or die have so far not been accurate, he said. While the virus is dangerous, lockdowns also are hazardous to health, he said.

“It is time to stop living in fear and it is time to start living,” he said.

Sandi Savia, the EMS liaison at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, part of Baptist Health South Florida, blows a kiss through her mask to a Boca Raton Fire Rescue crew as they and more than 20 other first responder vehicles parade past the Emergency Room entrance on April 17. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

Throughout south Palm Beach County, first responders and residents are showing support for hospital workers on the front lines battling the coronavirus.

On Friday evening April 17 more than a dozen emergency vehicles — lights flashing and sirens blaring — paraded past Boca Raton Regional Hospital as employees changed shifts.

“It was just an incredible experience,” said the hospital’s president and CEO, Lincoln Mendez. “Everyone felt it was very emotional.”

Dozens of hospital employees gathered at 7 p.m. April 17 to watch a parade of fire trucks and squad cars manned by first responders who drove by to honor them. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

The show of support — featuring representatives from Boca Raton’s fire rescue and police departments as well as from Delray Beach Fire Rescue, Palm Beach County Fire Rescue and the Broward Sheriff’s Office — was just one of many being held at area hospitals.

On Monday, April 20, first responders from Delray Beach Fire Rescue and Palm Beach County Fire Rescue were at Delray Medical Center to cheer on medical personnel, and similar events are planned for Bethesda Memorial Hospital’s two locations.

At Delray Medical Center, firefighters hoisted a huge American flag in front of the hospital and after a short presentation “took a knee” to thank hospital employees.

Delray Beach Fire Rescue personnel 'take a knee' out of respect for the staff at Delray Medical Center on April 20.  Photo courtesy of Delray Beach Fire Rescue

Those events, as well as others throughout the county, are being coordinated by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue in conjunction with local first responders.

“It’s been a great morale booster not just for the hospital staff but also for the firefighters because they’re happy to show their support for our healthcare heroes,” said Tara Cardoso, a healthcare specialist with county fire rescue. “You can see the smiles underneath the masks.”

Appreciation of emergency medical personnel, as well as police, firefighters and paramedics, is also coming from community members.

In Highland Beach, for example, residents took to their balconies at 7 p.m. Friday, April 17, for a “clap out,” with some applauding and others banging on pots and pans to show support.

“It was quite loud,” said Highland Beach Mayor Doug Hillman, who helped get the word out to residents at Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina, where he is president of the board of directors. “The response was fabulous.”

At 7 p.m. on April 17, residents of the Boca Highland Beach Club & Marina in Highland Beach stood on their balconies to applaud first responders and healthcare workers on the front lines of the coronavirus outbreak. Pictured top to bottom, (l-r), Audrey Gluck, Sergio De Simone, Walter Jones, Pat Jordan, Rod Werner and Bob Caprice.  Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The clap out, promoted by the town through emails, started with one resident organizing her community but grew into a community-wide event.

Carol Wittenberg, of Regency Highland, originally organized a clapping event to thank the workers of her condominium and found that it was greatly appreciated.

“The look on their faces was phenomenal,” she said.

She decided to take a next step and organize an event to bring the town together in support of the medical community, first responders and others who are serving the public at their own risk.

“This shows our appreciation,” she said. “It sends a message that we can’t even begin to show how much we appreciate what they’re doing. They’re putting their lives on the line for us.”

At Boca Regional that message was well received by those who were on hand to see the first responders parade past the hospital — and even by those who weren’t there.

“I think all healthcare workers really appreciate the show of support,” Boca Regional’s Mendez said.

By Mary Hladky

Nearly one month after the closure of beaches, parks, natural areas and golf courses, some stir-crazy Palm Beach County residents are pushing back against COVID-19 emergency orders that keep them from enjoying the outdoors.

The unrest flared in Boca Raton on April 13 and 14, when residents asked the City Council to open the Silver Palm Park public boat ramp so they can get out on the water.

This issue, which council member Monica Mayotte called “the elephant in the room,” dominated the council’s discussions during a series of “virtual” meetings over the two days — the first ones held online to spare residents and council members from crowding into the cramped council chambers and violating social distancing rules.

“I want to be able to launch the boat with my wife, with social distancing,” one resident told council members.

Eric Finn, a commercial fisherman who owns Finn-Atic Fish Co. in Boca Raton, which supplies local restaurants and sells directly to consumers, said fishermen should be able to use the boat ramp. City workers would not need to monitor them, he told council members.

He also communicated directly with Mayor Scott Singer on Facebook.

“I understand commercial fishing isn’t your priority right now, nor should it be. But people still need to eat,” he wrote. “Again I’ll ask, why can’t Silver Palm Park be open to those of us who have commercial fishing licenses?”

Council members were sympathetic to both boat owners who want to escape their homes and commercial fishermen.

But as with everything else related to the coronavirus pandemic, a decision on opening the boat ramp is complicated.

Palm Beach County closed boat ramps, docks and marinas on March 22. The next day, the county clarified that they were closed to boats used for recreational purposes but open to commercial fishermen.

The county acted immediately after people posted photos on social media of boat parties at sandbars in the waters near Tequesta and Jupiter.

Boca Raton warned people on social media not to congregate on Lake Boca, a popular spot for boat parties and the alcohol-fueled Boca Bash held annually on the last Sunday in April, after photos showed the lake crowded with vessels.

The city does not control Lake Boca, which falls under state jurisdiction. But Singer issued a sharp rebuke nonetheless.

“Let me put it bluntly,” he posted on Facebook on March 21. “This is not the right time to invite a bunch of friends on your boat for a big party.

“Right now, there’s a deadly virus that’s circling the globe and can seriously affect (or even kill) you, your family and anyone you might contact for weeks.”

While council members understood that residents would love to launch their boats from the boat ramp for recreation, City Attorney Diana Grub Frieser said the county directive applied to all cities and towns, effectively tying the council’s hands.

The boat ramp could be opened to commercial fishermen, if in fact they were actually intending to fish and not using their license to evade restrictions on recreational use, she said.

Mayotte noted that she had seen an April 10 report on WPTV-Channel 5 that there has been a recent surge in people applying for commercial fishing licenses.

Council member Andy Thomson said he had looked into that, and found that before the boat ramp closure, 25 boaters in Boca Raton and 400 in the county had a commercial license. In the past few weeks, an additional 400 people have applied for the licenses, with 40 of them in the city.

Council member Andrea O’Rourke asked how the city could determine which of those actually fish for a living.

“I am in favor of opening the boat ramp to existing commercial fishermen,” Thomson said. A majority of council members agreed.

City Manager Leif Ahnell said municipal employees would have to monitor the ramp’s use, putting them at risk of not being able to socially distance themselves from the boaters.

Frieser also said that if the ramp is opened to commercial use, commercial fishermen from throughout the county and other counties who also have a city permit to use the ramp would be able to use it.

But it may be possible to restrict access only to city residents, she said.

The council reached no decision on April 14, opting instead to have Ahnell and Frieser provide options and recommendations at the next virtual council meeting on April 28.

By Steve Plunkett

A National Guardsman provides instructions as cars pull into the drive-thru testing site at the South County Civic Center on April 7. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

A total of 250 patients are scheduled to be tested for COVID-19 today, April 8, at the South County Civic Center, and 146 had appointments for Thursday, April 9, Palm Beach County and the Cleveland Clinic said.

During the first day of drive-thru testing at the South County center on Tuesday, April 7, 138 people were tested, Cleveland Clinic said. Appointments can be made at 561-804-0250.

By Steve Plunkett

Telephone reservations for drive-thru COVID-19 testing at the South County Civic Center will begin at 10 a.m. April 6 with the earliest appointment available at 8 a.m. the following day.

The reservation phone number is 561-804-0250.

After the first day the phone line will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. seven days a week.

Pre-approval and appointments are required, County Commissioner Mack Bernard said while announcing the details April 5. Cleveland Clinic of Florida will screen callers for presence of symptoms, exposures and risk factors, he said.

The South County center, at 16700 Jog Road west of Delray Beach, will have 2,000 test kits available, Bernard said. The county's first coronavirus test site, at FITTEAM Ballpark of the Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach, will have more than 1,000 kits, he said.

"This is a time to remain calm; it's not a time to panic," state Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, said. "If we do what the protocols and the president of the United States have indicated such as social distancing, washing our hands and sheltering in place, we can get through this."

County Commissioner Robert Weinroth said his office has been besieged by people wondering why they cannot play golf, one of the many activities not allowed now.

"Please, adhere to these executive orders. Don't try and be a lawyer and figure out how to punch a hole between the lines and figure out how you can do things. ... We don't want to be like New York."

After the South County site opens, testing will be available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 8 to noon.

A testing site for coronavirus will open April 7 at the South County Civic Center west of Delray Beach.

"More info to follow," County Commissioner Robert Weinroth said April 2 in a COVID-19 email announcing the opening.

The South County center is at 16700 Jog Road. The testing site will be the county's second: its first opened at the FITTEAM Ballpark of Palm Beaches in West Palm Beach on March 31.

The combined cases for Boca Raton (135 as of April 2), Boynton Beach (117), Delray Beach (100), Lantana (6) and South Palm Beach (1) represent 49% of the county's 737 total cases.

—Steve Plunkett

Second-graders Emma Imperatore and Valentina Autiero presented their request for duck crossing signs to the Town Commission after a duck was killed near Gulf Stream School. “We don’t want that to happen again,” Valentina said. Rachel S. O’Hara/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

A duck that sadly became roadkill near the Gulf Stream School may become the impetus for new warning signs for motorists in town.

Second-graders Emma Imperatore and Valentina Autiero implored town commissioners to consider creating the signs in what Mayor Scott Morgan proclaimed was an “excellent presentation” on March 13.

“Good morning, everyone,” Valentina began while standing before commissioners. “A few weeks ago outside of our school on Gulfstream Road near the Little Club golf course, I saw a duck that had been run over and killed.

“We don’t want that to happen again because the black Muscovy ducks … cross the street many times a day,” she continued, flanking with Emma a poster board the two girls had handcrafted. “We would like to have two street signs installed that tell people: ‘Slow down, ducks cross here.’ Thank you.”

With their teachers and classmates watching, Emma then gave the girls’ recommendation on where the signs should be located, one for southbound traffic and one for northbound.

Morgan praised the second-graders for undertaking “a very important civic experience.”

“That is, you’ve seen a problem in our town, you want to address it and so you’ve come before the municipal body that has some authority to help grant what you’re seeking,” he said.

Because their proposal would affect both the Gulf Stream School and the Little Club, Morgan told the girls to contact the school’s headmaster and the club’s president and get their consent to installing the signs, then return to the commission on April 9.

“You were very persuasive,” Commissioner Donna White added.

Vice Mayor Tom Stanley wanted more information about Valentina and Emma’s suggested sign, which featured a mama duck leading her three ducklings.

“Can you read the little words on the sign? I mean ‘Duck Crossing’ is good — we all know what that is. But there’s also some extra words on there for emphasis. Can you tell us what those are — for the record?’ he asked.

“Quack, quack, quack, quack,” Emma and Valentina replied to the delight of the commission chambers.

In other business:
• The Little Club withdrew its controversial application to build four pickleball courts. Neighbors at the Hillside House and St. Andrews Club, some of whom lived just 50 feet away, had protested that the fast-growing but noisy sport would detract from their quality of life.
• Town Manager Greg Dunham said he was not permitting members of the public to enter the business side of Town Hall because of the coronavirus. He and other town employees meet people who need services in the lobby, he said.
• Dunham showed commissioners a map of a proposed street running from the entrance of Place Au Soleil to the Intracoastal along the north side of the subdivision. The street would have 14 lots, with the four nearest the waterway being larger than the 10 others.
The Gulf Stream Golf Club and the Florida Inland Navigation District own the land. Dunham said he has hired a land-use expert to evaluate the proposal.
• Commissioners denied a request for a variance from Daniel Stanton that would have let him add a second floor to his Place Au Soleil house 14 feet from the property line instead of 15 feet. Stanton had proposed buying a longtime eyesore next door, demolishing part of it and combining both it and his existing house to make what would have been the largest residence in Place Au Soleil.
Commissioners said the size and mass of the proposed structure were not in keeping with the neighborhood. His purchase of the decrepit house hinged on his getting approval of the remodeling plans.
Real estate broker Zac Mazur, representing the heirs of deceased homeowner Richard Lavoie, said if commissioners would rescind a demand to demolish the property at 2775 Avenue Au Soleil, he could sell it within 90 days to someone who would renovate it.
Over 10 years Lavoie ran up $1.9 million in code enforcement violations at the property, primarily for having a dead lawn and no fence around his swimming pool. Commissioners last October agreed to reduce the lien to $125,000 after Stanton proposed joining the lots.

By Dan Moffett

Ray McMillan eked out a 17-vote victory over Elvadianne Culbertson in the March 17 municipal election to claim a seat on the South Palm Beach Town Council.

McMillan, a New Yorker who has been a part-time resident of the town for 32 years, was buoyed by the endorsement of two council members, Bill LeRoy and Mark Weissman.

However, a week before the election, Weissman rescinded his endorsement, citing differences with McMillan over the fate of Town Hall.

What to do about the aging building became a central issue in the campaign. The council is considering how to renovate or rebuild the structure, and many residents told candidates they worried about the expense.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has told officials he would be willing to partner with the town on the project, with the idea of improving the working facility for his deputies.

Some voters told the candidates about concerns the sheriff’s help might lead the council to spend too much money on the project. McMillan was endorsed by the Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association, the police union, and Culbertson was not.

Both McMillan and Culbertson said they favored a limited Town Hall renovation — not a full reconstruction or expensive overhaul. Weissman has said he would consider a more extensive project.

“I’m for making repairs, not rebuilding,” McMillan said, and called his election win “fantastic.”

“Our priority now would be getting the Town Hall updated,” he said.

Both McMillan and Culbertson had lost previous attempts to join the council. McMillan ran unsuccessfully in 2017, and Culbertson lost a reelection bid in 2019 after being appointed to an open seat three years ago.

The other winner last month was Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb, a homeowner in South Palm since the early 1970s, who coasted to reelection with 44% of the vote (297 votes) in the three-way race for two seats. McMillan got 29.3% (198) and Culbertson 26.8% (181).

Gottlieb will be serving his seventh term after first joining the council in 2005. The election brings to an end a 10-year run in office for Stella Gaddy Jordan, who late last year decided not to seek another term.

South Palm voters also overwhelmingly approved three of five proposed amendments to the town charter.

The most significant change was the approval of an amendment that increases the terms of council members and the mayor from two years to four. McMillan and Gottlieb now will serve until 2024, and the other three council members will come up for reelection in 2022.

Voters also approved giving the mayor power to declare emergencies during natural disasters or other crises and a provision that updates and revises language throughout the charter.

Voters overwhelmingly rejected a proposal that would give council members the power to increase their pay while in office, and a measure that would have reduced the signature requirements needed for ballot initiatives from 15% of registered voters to 10%.

By Dan Moffett

The town of South Palm Beach is facing a lawsuit stemming from the forced resignation of a police officer in August.

Alicia and Michael Baum have filed a suit in Palm Beach County Circuit Court naming the town and former Officer Jose M. Fernandez as defendants and claiming damages in excess of $30,000 because of what the suit calls his harassment activities last summer.

The town declined to comment on the suit.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s investigators booked Fernandez at the county jail on Aug. 28 and charged him with two misdemeanors — stalking Alicia Baum and unlawfully installing a GPS tracking device on her car.

Fernandez resigned from the department two days later. In October, the Sheriff’s Office took over the department and policing in the town.

Michael Baum told PBSO investigators in July that Fernandez, 51, had carried on a yearlong affair with his wife that she wanted to end. Baum said he found a GPS device attached to the bottom of his Toyota SUV, and investigators then traced the tracker’s registration to Fernandez.

Alicia Baum told deputies she was “constantly looking over her shoulder” because Fernandez was following her and, despite her requests, refused to end their relationship. She accused Fernandez of following her while she jogged on Ocean Boulevard and while she shopped outside the town.

Alicia Baum said she did not fear physical harm from Fernandez but felt harassed.

Fernandez admitted to investigators, according to the PBSO report, that he bought the device and placed it on the car a few days before Michael Baum discovered it on July 30. But Fernandez said he did so because he feared retribution from Baum.

The former officer denied he was stalking the woman. He posted a $500 bond and left the jail shortly after his booking. No trial date has been set.

The Baums’ suit, filed by Palm Beach Gardens attorney Stuart Kaplan, accuses Fernandez of a “pervasive pattern of constant harassment” and violation of their constitutional rights. The suit accuses the town of negligence and “failing to supervise” Fernandez. The complaint also alleges the town’s police had pressured the Baums to sign a nonprosecution agreement.

OCEAN RIDGE: Bulldozers work in the surf at the north end of Palm Beach County’s Hammock Park as sand is pumped from the dredge through the floating pipe and then to shore, where a sand and water slurry is spread to widen the beach. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star and Kimberlee Duke Pompeo

Restoration projects wrapping up along beaches with public access

By Jane Smith

Sand lost to Hurricane Irma was restored by mid-March to the coast in southern Delray Beach and along Boynton Beach’s public beach and into Ocean Ridge. Renourishment efforts continued in Boca Raton.

The Army Corps of Engineers, which is managing the $26.5 million project, split the work in two with Delray Beach, Ocean Ridge and Boynton Beach grouped together and Boca Raton by itself.

Three days later from the same location, the beach sand is much wider.

The Delray Beach segment, about 1.8 miles from Casuarina Road south to the city line with Highland Beach, wrapped up March 13, Army Corps of Engineers spokesman David Ruderman said in an email.

The dredge then moved up to Boynton Beach/Ocean Ridge over the March 14 weekend, Ruderman said.

In Boynton Beach, heavy equipment was stationed at the city’s Oceanfront Park. The beachfront park, about 1,000 feet long, received sand, as did the beach about 3,000 feet north of the park and about 2,000 feet south of it. Both parcels sit in the town of Ocean Ridge.

That part of the work was finished March 27, according Tom Mahady, ocean rescue chief for Boynton Beach.

“They’re removing their gear, which is estimated to be done by April 1,” Mahady said in an email.

BOCA RATON: A Weeks Marine crew positions a dredge pipe on Boca Raton’s northern beach. Work there should wrap up by the end of April. Photo provided by City of Boca Raton

In northern Boca Raton, from just north of Spanish River Boulevard south to Red Reef Park, 1.45 miles of beach restoration is underway.

That work, which started in early March, involves placing 770,000 cubic yards of sand on the beach. “They are about 35% complete,” Ruderman said March 25.

The contract award was for $12.8 million.

“They are aiming to be done by April 30,” Ruderman wrote. “They should be off the beach in time for the major part of the sea turtle nesting window.”

Sea turtle nesting season started March 1.

The sand renourishment was paid for using federal tax dollars authorized by Congress in June under the Flood Control and Coastal Emergencies Act.

The approximate cost for restoring the beaches in Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Ocean Ridge is $13.7 million. The beaches received nearly 800,000 cubic yards of sand, equal to the amount needed to fill about 250 Olympic-size swimming pools.

DELRAY BEACH: Cliffs up to 3 feet tall are common along the edge of renourishment projects as ocean waves work to level the newly pumped sand. This is usually a prime spot to gather shells. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. of Illinois dredged the sand offshore for the three beaches. Weeks Marine Inc. of New Jersey is handling the Boca Raton work.

Tracy Logue, coastal geologist with the Palm Beach County Environmental Resources Management department, said extra steps were needed once the sea turtle nesting season started March 1:
• Hourly nesting surveys within the construction area.
• Relocation of any nests that could be affected by construction to a designated site outside of the project limits.
• Limited construction lighting for nighttime operations to avoid excessive illumination of the water’s surface while meeting federal standards for construction lighting at night.

New Commissioner Karen Lythgoe brought her granddaughter Sadie Smith to the ceremony. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

A couple of political newcomers looking to turn the tide in Lantana will have a chance to do so after handily beating two Town Council incumbents in the March 17 election.

Karen Lythgoe, the top vote-getter with 690 votes, defeated incumbent Phil Aridas, who received 487 votes for the Group 4 seat he has held since 2011.

The other newcomer, Mark Zeitler, outpolled incumbent Edward Shropshire, who has just completed his first three-year term. Zeitler received 637 votes to Shropshire’s 567 for the Group 3 seat. Three years ago, Shropshire defeated five-term incumbent Tom Deringer by a two-vote margin.

“It’s apparent that the residents of Lantana looked at the issues and looked at the candidates and felt maybe it was time for a change,” said Mayor Dave Stewart. “I will reach out and work with those who have been newly elected and, hopefully, as a council we can do the things that the residents feel are important.”

Lythgoe, 60, said her sizable win took her by surprise.

“Everybody told me ‘you’re never going win the first time out, we wish you well, don’t take it personally, we’re not going to give you money because we don’t know that you can be elected,’” she said. “When I began to see the initial returns, I was shocked. And as it kept going I was like, wow, I’m by myself, I’m self-quarantining and I’ve got nobody to tell.”

Before long, she was flooded with calls and congratulatory text messages.

Having garnered the most votes of any of the four candidates also amazed her.

“I sent out no fliers, no door hangers and my signs were tiny,” Lythgoe said.

Mark Zeitler is sworn into office.

Zeitler, 63, an air-conditioning contractor, spent election night watching TV and pacing outside his home.

“It kept saying 80%, I was waiting on the whole thing to come about,” he said. He awakened early the next morning to see congratulatory texts from friends and fans. By 5:30 a.m., he was out collecting campaign signs before going to work.

“I didn’t know how it was going to go and he did have a pretty good team and I thought because of that it would make things a little harder,” Zeitler said of Shropshire.

Both Lythgoe and Zeitler say their first order of business will be to listen and learn what they need to know about serving on the Town Council.

“I need to understand how the sausage is made, I have questions, I have things I’m wondering about,” said Lythgoe, an IT specialist who works in risk solutions for LexisNexis. One of the things she plans to investigate is how well the town is covered as far as computer vulnerabilities. “We need to protect our data.”

Zeitler said he needs to begin finding out “what’s what and what needs to be taken care of and what things are put on the table. I want to take a look at code enforcement, the aggressiveness of it.”

One of the reasons he ran, Zeitler said, was that he felt the town and Shropshire had become too gung ho about code enforcement. The two men live across the street from each other in the Lantana Heights neighborhood.

At the swearing-in ceremony on March 23, Lythgoe brought along Sadie Smith, her granddaughter. Sadie celebrated her seventh birthday the day after the election and was so happy and excited for her Nana. “One of the reasons I ran was to show her you can do anything you want to do,” Lythgoe said.

Another birthday was not as joyful.

Aridas, a county park ranger, turned 66 on election day but didn’t quite get the present he hoped for — another three-year term. He took the news well and appreciated all the kind words he received from residents who called him to say they were sorry he lost.

“I had nine years in there, and it was a great experience,” Aridas said. “I thought the voter turnout was kind of lousy, but you just never know about an election. I hope everything goes very well. There’s some very important things coming up in the town and I hope they’re handled right.”

Shropshire, who did not return calls as of press time, encountered a rocky road in his quest for second term.

In January, he was told by town staff that he had not qualified for the election, that his name would not appear on the ballot and that Zeitler won by default. Shropshire, 67, had not turned in the petitions from registered voters necessary to qualify, although the County Supervisor of Elections Office certified he had them and he was cleared by the former town clerk as having checked all the necessary boxes to qualify.

After Shropshire challenged the decision in court, a circuit judge ruled that he could remain on the ballot.

By Mary Thurwachter

One way or another, substantial changes are coming for the Lantana Public Library. The town has earmarked $400,000 for upgrades to the building, and architectural plans for those renovations are to be viewed by the Town Council on April 13.

But at the March 9 town meeting, a few other proposals were pitched by a developer hoping to build a hotel on or beside the town-owned library at 205 W. Ocean Ave.

Tony Mauro and his son Michael Mauro, who own the land behind the library (where the old bowling alley once stood) as well as the post office building next to the library, said they wanted to include the town in the vision for their development.

“Michael and I feel we have enough land with the bowling alley property to do something nice, but in all the design we’ve been playing with for over a year, it’s become pretty clear to us that to do something that will withstand the test of time, and make everyone very proud, it would be nice to be able to bring the library into the project,” Tony Mauro said.

“Our No. 1 choice would be to design and develop a hotel,” he said. “The design would be very different if it were just on our portion of land right now, and if the library were included it would change the design totally.”

One of the options the Mauros proposed was for them to purchase the library for a sum to be determined by multiple appraisers. Another option would involve exchanging the library for another parcel in the town and funding the construction of a new building.
A third proposal would be to build a new library at 500 Greynolds Circle to create a more centralized town municipal center, which would allow all of the funds to be utilized for the structure itself.

Council members quickly declined to consider a fourth option, which would be to provide a dedicated and permanent location for the library within a new overall project designed by the developers.

“Our library needs to be not in control of anyone else’s facility,” Mayor Dave Stewart said.

But some of the other proposals would be worth looking at, council members agreed. The Mauros will return with more fleshed-out ideas at the May 11 meeting.

In the meantime, the town will have an opportunity to see plans two Miami architects have put together for the Library Foundation.

Robert Barfknecht, president of the Lantana Library Foundation, asked the council to delay any decision on the Mauro proposals until he had a chance to show them the architectural plans the foundation had sponsored.

“We’re delighted to know that the town has budgeted a significant amount of money to upgrade the library to conform to ADA laws, etc., and we have offered to support architectural drawings and a new concept for this upgrade,” Barfknecht said. “We have dedicated $10,000 of our funds from the foundation to create architectural drawings and plans which will include cost estimates for upgrading the library. We’ll be ready to present these to the council in April and I think you’ll be delighted to see what’s coming along.

“The architects we have working on this are coming up with some very interesting ideas to make it a beautiful building which will include community spaces,” Barfknecht said. “I think you’ll be very pleased and proud that the building can be something really special. It already is special, but it can be much more special.”

“The way I see this, these are just ideas,” Stewart said. “We are getting ready to spend considerable money on the library and before we spend considerable money on the library, I think the question is would the council like to see a new building somewhere else, or would they like to see it as part of whatever project is going to be on the property? And there are all kinds of stipulations.”

For one thing, if the town would choose to sell the library, that would need to be voted on by residents, according to the town charter.
Lantana’s Public Library was founded in 1947 in the former bridge-tender’s house on Ocean Avenue.  The town bought the current library building, which is 50 years old, in the early 1990s after the Carteret Savings & Loan failed. It is operated by one full-time employee and a small army of volunteers.

By Dan Moffett

Three incumbents easily won reelection in the March 17 municipal election to keep their at-large seats on the Briny Breezes Town Council.

Christina Adams led all candidates with 103 votes, or 31.2% of the ballots cast. Bill Birch got 102 votes (30.9%) and Kathy Gross received 101 votes (30.6%).

Political newcomer Charles Swift had 15 votes and Lynne Weiner nine.

A month before the election, Weiner withdrew from the race, though her name remained on the ballot.

Council members serve two-year terms. Adams has served four years on the council.

Birch and Gross are beginning their second terms. All three cited improving relations between homeowners and building officials — in particular, simplifying and improving the town’s permitting procedures — as a priority for the council.

About 31% of Briny’s 330 registered voters turned out, compared with Palm Beach County’s overall turnout of 26.6%.

Commissioners Evalyn David and Peggy Gossett-Seidman with the documents. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

It was a Highland Beach happening that had all the earmarks of a made-for-TV special.

A safety deposit box is discovered that no one currently involved with the town knew anything about and that apparently hadn’t been opened for years.

Commissioners give the town staff the green light to move forward and a date is set to have the box forced open, mystery contents revealed.

“We authorized them to open it hoping it would contain valuable Spanish gold coins or something like that,” said Commissioner Peggy Gossett-Seidman, adding that she couldn’t help thinking of Geraldo Rivera’s opening of Al Capone’s vault in 1986.

Alas, when the day came to open the box and its contents were at last revealed, what was discovered inside was indeed valuable — if only to town historians.

Tucked away were some important papers, including the original Town Charter created 75 years ago and other documents that could have historical significance.

One page from the historic documents found inside the box describes concerns about vagrants and con men at the time.

“Sadly, there was no gold,” Gossett-Seidman said.

What was inside might have continued to be a mystery had a bank representative not asked if Highland Beach wanted to keep the safety deposit box.

The answer from town officials was “What safety deposit box?”

“We were surprised when we got the call,” said Town Manager Marshall Labadie.

Even John Rand, a former commission member some 30 years ago, was surprised to learn the box existed.

“He couldn’t believe it,” Gossett-Seidman said. “He said he never heard of it.”

Former town finance director Cale Curtis said he was aware the box and a couple of other safety deposit boxes existed but didn’t know historical documents were stored inside.

During a Town Commission meeting last month, Labadie announced contents of the box, which included water revenue bonds dating to 1956. He said the town is working to find ways to make it possible for residents to view the documents.

“There was no gold bullion or anything cool like that,” he said, much like the disappointing Al Capone vault opened on TV 34 years ago.

That led to a witty comment shouted from the audience.

“Or so you say,” a smiling resident said.