2013

Jan. 3 David Harden retires after 22 years as city manager. Douglas Smith, assistant city manager, becomes interim city manager.
Outgoing mayor Woodie McDuffie resigns after running unsuccessfully for county Supervisor of Elections. Vice Mayor Tom Carney becomes acting mayor.
Commissioners are Angie Gray, Al Jacquet and Adam Frankel. Christina Morrison is appointed to the commission.
Brian Shutt is city attorney.
March 12 Voters elect Cary Glickstein as mayor and Shelly Petrolia as commissioner. Frankel is re-elected without opposition. Gray and Jacquet remain commissioners.
April 1 Louie Chapman Jr., ex-town manager of Bloomfield, Connecticut, becomes city manager starting at $160,000.

2014

Jan. 3 Shutt leaves his position as city attorney to work in the private sector. Terrill Pyburn, assistant city attorney, becomes interim city attorney.
March 12 Jordana Jarjura defeats Gray for a commission seat. Jacquet is re-elected. Commission seats now have three-year terms.
May 13 Commissioners suspend Chapman for 90 days after he ordered $60,000 worth of garbage carts four months before commissioners had approved the request.
Assistant City Manager Bob Barcinski fills in for one month before his planned retirement on June 14, and then Assistant City Manager Terry Stewart takes over.
Commissioners attempt to fire Chapman for cause, but vote fails because at the time the commission needed four votes.
June 17 Pyburn takes city attorney position in Coconut Creek.
July 1 Assistant City Attorney Janice Rustin steps in as acting city attorney.
July 9 Noel Pfeffer, former Broward County deputy attorney, becomes city attorney at a starting salary of $149,500.
July 15 Chapman resigns as city manager and receives about $73,000 in severance pay. Rustin negotiated the settlement and both parties sign a mutual release of liabilities.
Aug. 26 Voters approve a charter change reducing to three the number of commissioners needed to remove the city manager.

2015

Jan. 5 Don Cooper becomes city manager, starting at $170,000. Glickstein is mayor. Commissioners are Frankel, Jacquet, Jarjura and Petrolia.
March Mitch Katz replaces Frankel, who is term-limited.
August Cooper outlines purchasing problems in a memo that says the County Inspector General and State’s Attorney offices are investigating. Six employees receive reprimands. The purchasing manager retires in June before the investigation is finished. Three department heads, overseeing police, fire and finance departments, are docked a day’s pay.

2016

February Former city employees Orlando Serrano, Cesar Irizarry and Harold Bellinger are arrested on charges they ordered products that the city paid for but did not receive. Serrano pleads guilty and is sentenced to 12 months in the county jail. Irizarry pleads guilty to grand theft and is sentenced to three years’ probation. Bellinger dies before his case goes to trial.
June 24 Pfeffer resigns and goes into private practice. Assistant City Attorney Rustin is name interim city attorney.
Nov. 1 Jacquet leaves the commission after being elected state representative. The commission is deadlocked when trying to appoint his replacement.
Commissioners agree to hire Max Lohman’s firm as the city attorney at $300,000 annually. Glickstein is mayor. Commissioners are Jarjura, Katz and Petrolia.
Dec. 30 Cooper resigns as city manager for family health reasons. Fire Chief Neal de Jesus becomes interim city manager.

2017

March 14 Jim Chard and Shirley Johnson are elected to the City Commission with Glickstein as mayor. Commissioners Katz and Petrolia remain.
Nov. 6 Mark Lauzier, former assistant city manager in Tacoma, Washington, becomes city manager, starting at $235,000.
Dec. 7 Lauzier changes the city charter to have his direct hires and department heads be exempt from the policy and procedures for hiring employees and doesn’t notify anyone, as required in the city charter.

2018

March 13 City voters elect Petrolia as mayor, Bill Bathurst as commissioner to fill the two years of Chard’s term (who resigned to run for mayor), and Ryan Boylston. Frankel is re-elected to the commission. Johnson remains a commissioner.
Aug. 1 India Adams, hired in January as an assistant to the city manager, receives promotion to assistant city manager.
Aug. 27 Julia Davidyan starts as internal auditor. She reports directly to the commission.
Nov. 6 Max Lohman resigns as city attorney after a heated exchange with Mayor Petrolia.
Nov. 13 Deputy City Attorney Lynn Gelin becomes interim city attorney.

2019

Jan. 15 Lauzier receives a 4 percent raise, retroactive to the Nov. 6 anniversary of his hiring.
Jan. 30 Lauzier institutes partial hiring freeze at Executive Team Leadership Meeting.
Feb. 5 Lauzier introduces Susan Grant as assistant city manager at the City Commission meeting. She starts Feb. 19.
Gelin becomes city attorney.
March 1 Lauzier is fired with cause.
— Compiled by Jane Smith

SOURCES: Archives of The Coastal Star, City of Delray Beach and South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Mark Weissman, a newcomer to the South Palm Beach council, is sworn in. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Dan Moffett

Former state Rep. Mark Weissman and incumbent Bill LeRoy claimed the two contested seats on the South Palm Beach Town Council in the March 12 municipal election, denying Councilwoman Elvadianne Culbertson another two-year term.
Weissman led the four-candidate field with 134 votes, roughly 29 percent of those cast, and LeRoy was close behind with 127 votes, or 27 percent. Culbertson, a three-year veteran of the council, got 109 votes (23.5 percent) and Kevin Hall, property manager of Palmsea Condominiums, 94 votes (20 percent).
Bonnie Fischer, who has served as mayor since 2015, was unopposed and returns for a third term. Council members unanimously reappointed Robert Gottlieb as vice mayor during their March 19 meeting.
Weissman, making his first run for office in South Palm Beach, appeared to resonate with voters because of his experience as a public official. He served as a state legislator from west Broward County during 2000-2002 and was a Parkland city commissioner for 14 years.
Weissman, 70, said “getting the people of our town to be more participatory” is one of his goals. He proposes reaching out to each condo building and creating a council of condo presidents to consider issues for council action.
“Not only so they know each other,” Weissman said, “but also so they know that the council is concerned about the same things the buildings are.”
Voters reelected LeRoy, a 3 1/2-year resident of the town who joined the council last year after winning a partial term created by the sudden death of Vice Mayor Joe Flagello in 2017.
LeRoy, 66, is an advocate for raising police salaries, which on average rank among the lowest in Palm Beach County.
He said, with roughly $3.5 million in cash reserves, the town can easily afford to boost officers’ pay.
“We’ve got all this money and we take care of our people so poorly,” LeRoy said. “We’ve got to take care of our people. If you don’t, they’re going to leave.”
In all, 285 South Palm voters cast ballots in the March election, a turnout of 22 percent.

By Dan Moffett

South Palm Beach council members are looking for a lobbyist to get behind their beach project. Never mind that they don’t have a beach project to get behind.
The plan to stabilize the town’s shoreline with concrete groins fell apart in February when county officials pulled out their support because of soaring costs and opposition from neighbors to the south.
That left South Palm Beach scrambling to find an alternative project that would do something to address residents’ concerns about their eroding beachfront.
“We’re looking at other options,” said Mayor Bonnie Fischer. “Nobody is giving up.”
Fischer said during the March 19 town meeting that she wasn’t ready to disclose those options. She also said she wasn’t ready to hire a lobbyist.
“I’m not against a lobbyist. But I think it’s a little premature.”
Despite her reluctance, Fischer grudgingly supported the proposal from newly seated Councilman Mark Weissman to find a lobbyist who can convince state and county officials that the town needs help to save its beach. Weissman’s motion passed 4-0 with Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan absent.
“It’s good to have a lobbyist,” said Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb. “But we also need a project to lobby for.”
Weissman argued the town should search for the right person now so the council is ready to go when it settles on an alternative project.
“Perhaps in the investigation we can find out who we want to engage, who’s available, who doesn’t have a conflict,” Weissman said. “Perhaps there’s somebody who’s done this at another municipality along the coast.”
Because condo buildings in South Palm Beach sit on a rocky ledge so close to the waterline, traditional beach renourishment projects are not feasible, environmental engineers say. Without groins to hold it, sand trucked in and deposited on the beach would quickly wash away.
“One little, tiny rainstorm and there goes the beach,” Fischer said. “It’s very disconcerting.”
Residents of Manalapan and farther south oppose groins because of concern they will interrupt the natural downstream flow of sand to their beaches. Manalapan and the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa threatened to sue to block the project.
Despite the opposition, Fischer said the town and the county “still have momentum” to move forward and find a plan that works for everyone.
In other business, the council honored police officers David Hul and Adam Farrish for lifesaving efforts.
Farrish provided aid to a heart attack victim walking along State Road A1A on Jan. 21.
Hul was first to respond in front of the Imperial House condominium on Jan. 24 when a motorist struck Rinaldo Morelli and his wife, Lena, police say, as they walked along A1A. Rinaldo Morelli, 75, died despite Hul’s efforts to save him with CPR. Lena Morelli was treated at Delray Medical Center and released.
Investigators from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office have not finished their report on the incident. Police believe the driver, Janet J. Reynolds, 91, of Palm Beach, drove her 2009 Lexus off the road and struck the couple. Officials say the investigation is likely complicated because of efforts to look into the driver’s health and medical background.

Retired avian veterinarian Greg Harrison holds a pelican found March 2 in front of the Dune Deck Condominium. A South Palm Beach resident, Harrison observed the bird for some time and intervened when it became obvious the bird was ill. After he called several rescue organizations, which were unable to provide pickup service, a driver for the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary happened to be nearby and transported the pelican to Jupiter for care. Harrison believes the bird, which is now doing well, was disoriented because of hunger, after the sanctuary representative suggested the quantity of fish for food is decreasing in this area. The Busch Wildlife Sanctuary is a donation-based organization and is open to the public: 575-3399; buschwildlife.org. Photo provided

Susan Simpson, Beverlee Schnellenberger and Kathy Jeffers (l-r) were the talk of Howard Schnellenberger’s 85th birthday celebration at the Schnellenberger home in Boynton Beach. When Tim Schnellenberger and his wife, Anyssa, started a genealogy project last year, they discovered his mother, Beverlee, had three half-sisters she never knew existed. The third, Jan Close, did not attend the celebration. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Beverlee and Jan met for the first time in February. ‘They’re so happy with me, thank God, and I’m so happy with them,’ Beverlee says of her sisters. Photo provided

By Brian Biggane

A genealogy project Tim Schnellenberger and wife Anyssa started last year “just for fun” turned serious when they discovered his mother, Beverlee Schnellenberger, had three half-sisters she never knew existed.
“It’s so exciting,” Beverlee said March 16 at a party celebrating the 85th birthday of her husband, legendary football coach Howard Schnellenberger, at their home in east Boynton Beach. “They’re so happy with me, thank God, and I’m so happy with them.”
Beverlee, 81, invited about 50 guests to mark Howard’s milestone; among them was newfound sister Kathy Jeffers of Toronto, whom she had never met. Also on hand was younger sister Susan Simpson of New Jersey, who by coincidence has been visiting Palm Beach County for the last several years to compete in equestrian competitions in Wellington. The third sister, Jan Close of Chicago, didn’t make the trip.
“Everybody is so happy for us,” Susan said. “The story is amazing.”
Tim Schnellenberger said he “wasn’t looking for close relatives” when he initiated the process on the website 23andMe.com last summer.
“My dad is from Kentucky and my mom is from Montreal, and we don’t spend a lot of time up there to know who is who and what’s what,” he said. “So we saw where we came from and our background, and didn’t think much of it.
“But there was a message there that I didn’t see, and then I got a Facebook message from Susan’s daughter, who turns out to be my cousin. She said, ‘We did 23andMe as well and have a high-percentage match; we think your mom might be related to my mom and her sisters.’”
As it turned out, back in the mid-1930s Beverlee’s father had a brief affair with her mother, then moved on and never looked back. The baby was placed with a family and Beverlee was never told of her background, believing the couple that raised her were her birth parents.
“My father that raised me probably thought I was his child,” Beverlee said. “We think; we don’t know.”
Seven months later her biological father got married and raised a family with three girls. Both families resided in the Montreal area but never had knowledge of the other.
“Our father would have been thrilled to have a fourth daughter,” Kathy said. “He adored his girls.”
As weeks passed by and the evidence mounted, Tim remained skeptical. He decided to send a 23andMe kit to Beverlee’s sister Lynn in Montreal to determine whether they were actually sisters.
“And two weeks later it showed less of a match with Lynn than with these people,” he said.
Now it was time to tell his mother, and he chose the family’s Thanksgiving get-together at his parents’ house to do it.
“I said, ‘Would you be OK if it turned out Piff, the father you grew up with, wasn’t your dad?’ She said yes. Then I said, ‘I think you have some sisters.’ So I explained the story and she said, ‘You mean I have sisters?’ I said ‘Yes.’ So she started crying. I said, ‘You’re happy about this, right?’ She said, ‘I’m so happy.’”
Within moments they were on the phone calling Susan in New Jersey. “She picked up,” Tim said, “and they started talking, and haven’t stopped talking since.
“They’re really awesome people,” he added. “I would have loved to have had them as a part of our family the whole time.”
As the three lined up for photos at the party, it was Howard who noticed not only the physical resemblance but that they all even dressed similarly.
Said Kathy, “We always thought Jan was the bossy one because she was the oldest. Now we know Beverlee is the oldest, and she’s bossy too.”
Whatever hesitation there was among the sisters belonged to Kathy, who admits she’s the most conservative of the family.
“I was very concerned that it was my mother’s (child), and she had given the baby away,” she said. “So I was very hesitant to do it.” The testing proved otherwise.

The Schnellenbergers renew their wedding vows before chaplain Leo Armbrust ahead of their 60th anniversary in May. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The party guests, many of whom have been friends since Howard’s stint of founding the football program at Florida Atlantic University and at least a few who date back to his national championship season at the University of Miami, were buzzing about the sequence of events that brought the sisters together.
Susan’s husband, Rick Simpson, who describes himself as a huge football fan, said he “really didn’t know what to say” when he first heard the story.
“It took a while to digest,” he said. “Susan was ecstatic from the first minute, and then she and Beverlee got together and it’s like they’ve known each other for 30 years. I don’t even know how to explain it. I tell other people and they say, ‘Naw. It just doesn’t work this way.’”
Simpson, who owns a recruiting business, had some fun when he told his employees the story, purposely leaving out the Schnellenbergers’ last name.
“So one of the guys wants to know, and I tell him, ‘Well, he was involved with football.’ So he says, ‘What’s his last name?’ I tell him and he says, ‘You’ve gotta be kidding me.’ He was all over it. He knows more about Howard than Howard does.”
In another nice touch to the evening, Leo Armbrust, who has served as chaplain to both the UM and Miami Dolphins football teams, took the opportunity to renew Howard and Beverlee’s wedding vows as they approach their 60th wedding anniversary in May.
Moments after the ceremony ended, Tim Schnellenberger stepped out the front door of the house, lit a cigarette and told the story of how 23andMe had just changed the lives of himself and his parents.
“This 23andMe thing is pretty amazing,” he said. “There’s really a whole new world out there.”

By Jane Smith

Starting April 1, the Delray Beach Fire Department began sending letters to East Atlantic Avenue restaurants reminding them of city rules.
The owners will be required to comply with set occupancy limits and follow a city code provision that does not allow a restaurant to become a nightclub after food service ends. The city approves only restaurants or stand-alone bars, not hybrid operations.
Repeat offenders will have to pick up the cost for the fire inspectors’ time to make sure the restaurant follows the occupancy rules, said Neal de Jesus, the interim city manager. Up until March 31, the city taxpayers paid for the fire inspectors’ time.
The city has five inspectors already trained to look for problems that arise when a restaurant changes over to become a club after hours. In April, 65 fire-rescue department paramedics will be trained to assist, de Jesus said. Repeat offenders could lose their city operating licenses, he said.
The cost charged to restaurants will vary by the inspectors’ overtime rate and will be for a minimum of four hours. Inspections will be done from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., primarily on Friday and Saturday nights, acting Fire Chief Keith Tomey wrote in an email.
At least two inspectors will be sent for each establishment’s inspection. Thursday and Sunday inspections may be included, he wrote.
This situation “has been going on for a few years,” de Jesus said at the March 28 City Commission workshop. He likened it to speeding every day: Even if you don’t get caught, it’s still illegal.
Commissioners gave him approval to enforce the city rules about occupancy and not allow the restaurants to transition to nightclubs by pushing the tables against the walls, in the kitchen or alleys.
Some even have put the tables in hallways leading to the exits, said Capt. Joe Cafone, who is a fire inspector and works weekend nights.
“We’ve seen restaurants with double the occupancy than allowed,” Cafone said.
The fire inspectors started working in the downtown area in January. They had not been authorized to inspect in the downtown area in past years.
Restaurants are coming into compliance, Cafone said. Most of them don’t understand that the occupancy also includes their staff.
“I see this as two different issues,” Vice Mayor Adam Frankel said. “There’s a capacity issue that you have to enforce. … But the morphing has been going on a long time. I can point to the now-closed Tryst restaurant, next to the Bull Bar, which used to do it all the time.”
Frankel stressed that it’s changing the nature of Atlantic Avenue on weekend nights.
“It’s turning into a show, like on Las Olas Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale and Clematis Street in West Palm Beach,” he said. “No one wants that.”
De Jesus said managers and owners of restaurants have told him that it’s been going on for years. “Now that we know, we can’t turn a blind eye to the occupancy problems,” he said.
The latest problem erupted during the SantaCon pub crawl, held Dec. 18 on Atlantic Avenue, de Jesus said. For $25, patrons received free drink coupons to five restaurants and bars. The crawl ended at 2 a.m.
The crowds pushed the restaurants and bars beyond their capacities and police had to be called.
Commissioner Ryan Boylston talked about a recent change in Boca Raton that allowed restaurants to change over to nightclubs after a certain time.
That idea was quashed by the four other commissioners, who said they wanted to protect Atlantic Avenue as a valuable economic driver to the city. The restaurants are spread out in Boca Raton, not concentrated in a five-block strip like Delray has, Mayor Shelly Petrolia said.
“We are in the known economic cycle of a destination location,” Commissioner Bill Bathurst said. “We have to manage it well.”
He talked about the Doxey Irritation Index, which says residents initially like tourists coming into their city. Then they become apathetic, after which irritation grows and is often followed by downright hostility. Canadian economics professor George Doxey created the index in 1975 when he was studying tourist economies in Canada and the Caribbean.
“If you do it the right way, you will make more money,” Bathurst said to the two rows of restaurant owners and their representatives in the commission chambers.

ABOVE: Paul Redclift and John Girard gave good reviews to the FPL crew that installed a transformer on Redclift’s property on Las Casas Road in Boca Raton. FPL thinks underground lines will ease power outages, but everyone in each selected small area must agree to have the work done. BELOW LEFT: Lines no longer run through the air in the neighborhood. BELOW RIGHT: Part of the power pole is gone; cable service still needs to be buried. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

Every time a strong storm blew through Palm Beach County, Boca Raton resident John Girard would lose power for 11 or 12 days while neighbors across the street had power restored in a matter of hours.
So when Florida Power & Light Co. asked if he would participate in a pilot project to place power lines underground in a section of his Palm Beach Farms neighborhood, Girard didn’t hesitate.
“I said sure. The best news I have ever heard,” he said.
The work was completed about a month ago and involved about 50 customers. Girard is hopeful that even if he does lose power during future storms, outages won’t last as long.
“All I can say is the crews they hired were polite. They were neat. They were thoughtful,” he said. “The proof will be in the pudding. We will see what happens when hurricane season comes and any storms hit.”
Since FPL started the three-year pilot project last year, it has finished burying power lines in five neighborhoods: Girard’s between Southwest 20th and 21st streets and Las Casas and Gonzalo roads, three apartment buildings near the corner of South Ocean Boulevard and Osceola Drive in Boca Raton, and in Sarasota, Pompano Beach and Fort Pierce.
The company plans more than 300 other projects across the state, including 14 in Boca Raton, 12 in Delray Beach and six in Boynton Beach. Each of the projects will be small, involving an average of 30 customers.
The goal is to test new methods of placing power lines underground that are more efficient and less expensive and disruptive than methods used in the past.
FPL will then analyze how well the underground lines perform during future storms as it decides how best to further harden the energy grid.
“I think we are going to see positive results,” said FPL spokesman Bill Orlove.
The reason for optimism is that underground lines in neighborhoods performed 95 percent better than overhead lines during Hurricane Matthew in 2016, 83 percent better than during Hurricane Irma in 2017, and 50 percent better in day-to-day operations, according to FPL.
FPL customers can’t ask to be included in a pilot project. The utility already has selected the locations based on the number of outages during Matthew and Irma, outages due to vegetation that blew into overhead lines, and day-to-day reliability.
Being selected by FPL doesn’t mean a specific project will be completed. All customers in the area must agree to participate. They also must grant easements so transformers can be placed in their yards and the lines put underground. If all don’t agree, FPL moves on.
“We have walked away from some projects because we were not able to get consensus,” Orlove said.
But most selected customers have been willing.
“Customers were happy to see we were taking their concerns about reliability seriously,” he said.
The work is completed at no extra cost to the selected customers, but that doesn’t mean it is free. The cost is included in the electric rates all customers pay.
FPL offers no guarantee that burying power lines will eliminate outages.
“Undergrounding is not a magic elixir,” Orlove noted.
FPL operates a hybrid system. Nearly 40 percent of its 68,000 miles of distribution power lines are underground, with the rest overhead. If a tree falling into an overhead line knocks out power where the underground lines link up with overhead lines, the customer with buried lines will lose power.
The utility has been placing more lines underground for years, but the work has been very expensive.
That is less of an issue now because FPL has been able to reduce the cost, in part by using methods that install the lines more efficiently without digging up ground. That coincides with the data showing that underground lines perform better, giving more incentive to place lines underground.
But underground line outages also can be triggered by flooding and storm surges, and it can take more time to locate a problem and fix it. Damage to overhead lines can be easier to spot and repair.
Another benefit of burying power lines is aesthetic.
Typical power lines run along Las Casas Road until the block where Girard and his next-door neighbor, Paul Redclift, live.
“The power lines are all gone now,” Redclift said.
Other than that, both men said there is little sign that a crew recently did the work.
The crew used a bore to place the lines underground, so the men’s yards were not dug up. A 3-foot by 3-foot transformer box is located behind a hedge, Redclift said.
“I barely noticed they were here,” he said of the crew.

By Mary Thurwachter

Like all parks in Lantana, the beach is officially shut from sundown to sunrise. But the gates are not closed and cars can drive into the parking lot and people still have access to the shoreline.
Council member Ed Shropshire wonders whether that shouldn’t change and proposes that the gates close from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
During a discussion at the March 25 council meeting, Shropshire said he had gone to the beach several times before it opened at sunrise and was concerned about what he saw.
“There seems to be a group of individuals that like to go there at night, particularly on weekends, and the behavior is less than exemplary,” he said. “I think we may want to consider closing the beach from like 10 o’clock at night to 7 in the morning. This will also eliminate some illegal parking by certain entities that use the beach as a private parking lot. It would also keep it cleaner and probably make it safer for residents.”
Shropshire said he had found enough beer bottles and hypodermic needles during beach cleanups to think that closing the gates at night might be warranted, but he wanted feedback from other members of the council as well as residents.
Mayor Dave Stewart said the town had contractual obligations to the Dune Deck, a beachside cafe that opens at 7 a.m. but has employees coming in an hour earlier.
Council member Lynn Moorhouse said not much could be done to change morning hours because of the Dune Deck, but he thought if something could legally be done regarding night hours it might be safer to have the beach closed. Opposition to the nighttime shutdown came from council member Phil Aridas, who said he didn’t want police walking the beach to clear it at night. “I just don’t see it happening,” he said. “Leave our beaches open. Some people work at night and want to go and watch the moon.”
Vice Mayor Malcolm Balfour said he likes to occasionally visit the beach at night and had been there recently to watch a full moon.
Police Chief Sean Scheller and Town Manager Deborah Manzo will study the matter to see it there is a problem and report back to council.
In other news, the council:
• Witnessed the swearing in of Moorhouse and Balfour, who were unopposed in the recent election.
• Chose Michelle Donahue as a regular member of the planning commission. Donahue had been an alternate member. A replacement for her position as an alternate will be filled at a later date.

Janet Schijns of Ocean Ridge holds Cassie Jo, her 5-year-old Labradoodle, and shows her collection of Star Wars and Wonder Woman figurines. Schijns runs her own company, the JS Group, a technology consultancy, and was recently recognized by the IT industry as Channel Partners magazine’s 2019 Channel Influencer of the Year. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

Janet Schijns grew up in a small town in New Jersey, the daughter of the police chief. One thing she learned there, the Ocean Ridge mother of two says, was that it is important to give back to the community.
That giving-back philosophy remains strong with Schijns, who is CEO of the Ocean Ridge-based JS Group.
“We consult with firms who need help with their go-to-market plans,” she said of the company. “That means routes to market (sales), marketing and business development.”
Schijns, 56, enjoys helping her community look more beautiful as a member of the Ocean Ridge Garden Club. But her favorite cause is the Elle Foundation, dedicated to the idea that terminally ill kids need one more great memory before their time is up.
There’s a reason she is so passionate about Elle.
In 2008, the closest friend of Schijns’ daughter, Ashlyn, was Lauren “Elle” Richmond of New Jersey. Diagnosed with cancer six years earlier, Elle Richmond had achieved her dream of swimming with dolphins through the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
But as Elle’s days grew short, Schijns became amazed to see her focus turn outward.
“The parents had spent almost all of their savings, done fundraisers and all these things, and it was at the worst part where there’s no hope left,” Schijns said. “And what made Lauren special is rather than think about her diagnosis, the last few months of her life were spent working toward how she could make it better for other people. She did some fantastic things.”
Out of that determination came the Elle Foundation.
“We were all good friends, but it didn’t really involve the social connection,” said Schijns. “Here was this child, who had these dreams that were never going to come true, and yet she wanted to do something more. She would constantly say, ‘I want to take care of the really sick kids.’ So that’s why I support it. To give a second wish to these kids.”
More about the Elle Foundation, which during the past decade has given a so-called “third wish” to 52 children, can be found at ellefoundation.org.

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: Not really sure any of us, myself included, are ever fully grown up — sounds boring to a techie like me.  I was, however, born in Mendham, N.J., and graduated from Montclair State University with a B.S. in finance. Growing up in a small town in New Jersey showed me how important it was to contribute to the community. My father was chief of police when I was a child, and this heavily influenced my life — showing me that you serve with honor and dignity whenever you are called upon to help.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: Well, I did work three whole days in finance when I first graduated from college, and then realized it wasn’t for me (despite the degree my hard-working parents paid for!), but then I quickly transitioned to a career in technology marketing and sales.
As for actual leadership positions in my field, I am currently CEO of the JS Group, and have been honored to also have had leadership positions in several very large public companies, including EVP of solutions and services at Office Depot, chief channel executive and chief marketing technologist at Verizon and VP of channels at Motorola.
I’ve always been most proud of having raised two wonderful children, Sean and Ashlyn, who are both great adults.
Most recently I am very proud to have been named “Channel Influencer of the Year” by Channel Partners; it’s quite an honor in my industry.  

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Pick something you truly want to do with your life, make it your career choice and then outwork your competition. Nothing beats hard work at the start of your career in the race to get ahead. Do it when you are young so that later in your career you can better balance your work and life. 
I would also say that every connection you make with people is valuable. Save your contacts and keep in touch with them. Offer to help them and do it. Treat them as well as you would treat money in your wallet; they matter just as much. As your career grows, having the right contacts to reach out to for help will make all the difference in your getting ahead.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in Ocean Ridge?
A: My son, Sean, went to Lynn University and is an active real estate investor and broker. He called me and said, “Put this address in your GPS and go see this house.” We saw the house and loved it. We then attended a town hall to get a feel for the town and met a few neighbors and we were hooked. It’s a great town and it’s been incredibly welcoming.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge?
A: My husband, Roy, and I truly enjoy the sense of community. The people in the town care about each other and our environment and take action to ensure that things happen. I’ve joined the Ocean Ridge Garden Club as well, and am so proud of what the group does to help preserve and enhance the local community. Of course, I also love the beach. It’s just my favorite place to go and relax and unwind.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Darknet, and before you read it make sure you are OK with being truly frightened at the implications of artificial intelligence and its potential impact to our daily lives in the very near future. It seems futuristic when you first read it, but do your research and you will see many of the elements of the book (like voice-spoofing your likeness) are happening today.  

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: Country music is my go-to feel-good music. It’s simple and easy to sing along with. For inspiration, Queen, always Queen. If you aren’t a fan yet, go see the movie Bohemian Rhapsody and you will be.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who inspired your life decisions?
A: I have been so blessed to have some truly great mentors. Great mentors spend the time to really get to know you and to help. Two of my most influential mentors were Mike Bauer, CEO of ScanSource, and John Stratton, COO of Verizon. They both helped me to succeed and to see the options open to me throughout my career.
My mother was always my biggest inspiration; she was a working woman long before it was popular. When I lost my mom a few years back my daughter, Ashlyn, stepped right up to be my biggest inspiration. She has challenged me to get back to being an entrepreneur and to take risks like joining the boards of startup tech firms and taking ownership shares in these firms as well.

Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: I always say go big or go home, so let’s say Sandra Bullock. I think she would bring that fun spirit to my story.

Q: Who/what makes your laugh? 
A: A silly knock-knock joke will always make me laugh, but to get me really going my husband, Roy, is the trick. He’s simply hysterical (it’s the Dutch birthright, I assume). He can make me laugh in any circumstance and takes every chance he gets to make me burst out laughing in public.

By Rich Pollack

After years of discussions, studies and lobbying of state officials, Highland Beach is taking a first step toward getting lighted crosswalks on State Road A1A. And it’s being done with the apparent blessing of the Florida Department of Transportation.
During a meeting April 2, commissioners gave Town Manager Marshall Labadie the green light to have a contracted engineering firm begin designing a crosswalk lighting project in collaboration with FDOT staff.
Labadie said the improvements the town hopes to see in the plans include pedestrian-activated, flush-mounted LED crosswalk lights as well as solar-powered, pedestrian-activated flashing lights and minor crosswalk landing improvements.
If the project can be completed as Labadie envisions, pedestrians hoping to cross State Road A1A could push a button and activate a pole-mounted light. At the same time, lights embedded in the crosswalk would be activated to further alert motorists of a pedestrian either entering the crosswalk or already in it.
“With pedestrian safety being a paramount concern for the community for many years, the goal is to make improvements to the existing eight crosswalks in the town,” Labadie said in a memo to commissioners.
Because A1A is a state road, any improvements the town makes must get FDOT approval.
Labadie, who met with state officials late last month, said that does not appear to be a problem as long as Highland Beach pays for the improvements.
Determining estimates for the cost of the project — as well as designing it and creating plans — are part of the responsibility of the civil engineering firm Keith & Schnars.
The firm will be paid not more than about $47,000 for the work, which must be completed within 180 calendar days from the date of the town’s approval.
Labadie said FDOT has standards for what can be used on state roads to enhance safety based on the volume of traffic and, in this case, the number of pedestrians using crosswalks.
Because the crosswalks in Highland Beach don’t meet those standards, FDOT is reluctant to foot the bill. FDOT officials, however, are OK with the town’s paying for the job.
“They will allow us to go farther, but it’s on our dime,” Labadie said.
The issuing of a work order to the engineers and the expected approval from FDOT are good news for resident John Boden, who has been pushing for lighted crosswalks for years.
In the past, FDOT hasn’t seen the need for lighted crosswalks. That has changed, according to Boden, due in large part to Labadie’s reaching out to FDOT and his building of a working relationship with its regional leaders.
“I’m delighted that the most-qualified person in the town has taken over moving the crosswalk lighting project to completion,” Boden said. “Nothing happened for two and a half years until Marshall got involved and he was able to get effective communication and cooperation with DOT.”
Labadie cautioned that while the project is moving ahead, certain variables could affect the final outcome. One of those variables will be costs that could be incurred in removing and reinstalling embedded road lights when the state repaves A1A in three to five years.
Another issue could be the need to put funding for the project in front of voters if the estimated cost exceeds the town’s $350,000 spending cap before a referendum is required.
Labadie thinks it is in the best interest of residents to light the crosswalks, even if the money has to come from the town’s budget.
“Taking these steps to protect our residents, even on our dime, is warranted,” he said.

By Rich Pollack

The absence of Betty Cabral — her warmth and her kindness — is still being felt at the Penthouse Highlands condominium a year after her death.
Cabral, a 22-year resident of a community with just 82 units, was found murdered in her apartment one year ago this month. She was 85.
Although detectives and prosecutors have charged Cabral’s financial adviser with siphoning off close to $3 million from her accounts, no arrest has been made in the homicide.
“I miss her sweetness,” said Helen Krantz, the condo’s office manager. “I miss her coming down every day and visiting.”
Those neighbors who knew her well say Cabral, a woman short in stature but with a big heart, was a giving person who focused much of her love and attention on her husband of more than 50 years, William, who died in 2017 after suffering from dementia.
“Her Billy was the love of her life,” Krantz said. “She used to say, ‘I love him wicked.’”
Neighbors said that William Cabral took care of the finances during the marriage, and his death left her vulnerable.
“She felt lost without him,” Krantz said.
Others in the condo complex agreed.
“She took care of Billy and Billy took care of everything else,” said neighbor Pat Acampora, who remembers Cabral’s walking back and forth in the condo’s pool every day for exercise until she began having difficulty getting around following an ankle injury.
Neighbors said that Cabral cared about others in the community and that feeling was returned, especially after her husband died.
“She had the cutest smile and everyone cared about her,” Acampora said. “She was just a good soul.”
Krantz said Cabral was always nice to those she came in contact with, including aides who helped her get around in the last few years.
“She was always happy to see people,” Krantz said. “She was always a pleasure and she made you feel good inside.”
Acompora said that Cabral frequently talked about her family members who were still in the Northeast.
“Betty loved her family,” she said.
She also loved holidays, especially St. Patrick’s Day, where she was known to get a little tipsy now and then after condo celebrations.
According to family members, the Cabrals lived in Cambridge near Boston for many years with Billy working for the city of Cambridge, mostly with veterans, while Betty held administrative positions at a hospital nearby.
The couple never had children, but Cabral was close to several nieces, including several in the Boston area who came to Florida to testify in a bond hearing for David Del Rio, who is charged with the theft of her life savings.
Del Rio, of Lee County, has been charged with several counts of grand theft, exploitation of the elderly, money laundering and fraudulent use of personal identification information, stemming as far back as 2013.
He was arrested in late September during a traffic stop near his home, which was later searched by police. Lee County sheriff’s deputies confirmed at the time that the bomb squad was called to assist, most likely because Del Rio reportedly had several weapons.
Del Rio’s attorneys have said that their client had no connection with the homicide.
“He’s unequivocally not involved in the homicide,” attorney Michael Salnick said at the time of his arrest.
Betty Cabral’s body was found April 30 when a Highland Beach police officer went to check on her after her car was found in Broward County. According to a prosecutor in the theft case, her throat had been cut.
Cabral’s death shook the community, which is still a bit on edge despite enhanced security measures, including additional cameras.
“Betty was an honest innocent person who believed in people,” said Alan Croce, president of the condo association. “When Betty came to an event there was sweetness.”

OCEAN RIDGE — Patrice B. Mahon, 84, died March 15 at her home in Ocean Ridge surrounded by her loving family.
She is survived by her husband, Neil, her sister Helen, her four children (Mary Pat, Steve, Cathie and Neil Jr.) and nine grandchildren.
The youngest of seven children, Mrs. Mahon was born on Jan. 22, 1935, in Pittsburgh to Peter and Anne Flaherty.
Always happy and full of energy, she was aptly described in her high school yearbook caption, “A sunny smile always has this gay gal.”
After receiving her bachelor’s degree at Carlow College (Mount Mercy) in Pittsburgh, she moved to New York City, where she met her husband, Neil.
With their four children, the couple settled in Chappaqua, N.Y., where Mrs. Mahon made a loving home as they built a full and rich life for their family.
In addition to leading her household, she was a community leader serving on the Parish Council of St. John & St. Mary as well as councilwoman of the New Castle, N.Y., town board.
With their children grown, the couple migrated to Quechee, Vt., in 1992. In retirement they became full-time residents of Ocean Ridge, where Mrs. Mahon served her community at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church as a eucharistic minister and in her garden club.
With her sisters, Helen and Catherine, always close by, Mrs. Mahon enjoyed life traveling with her husband, playing cards with her grandchildren and golfing.
Quiet strength, ever-present glow and happy attitude defined Mrs. Mahon as she cared for the love of her life. She will be sadly missed by all who were blessed to have known and loved her.
Her family would like to thank Dr. James N. Harris for his years of compassionate care.
In lieu of flowers, the Mahon family requests that well-wishers make donations to the Florida Cancer Specialists Foundation at foundation.flcancer.com (5204 Paylor Lane, Sarasota, FL 34240).
— Obituary submitted by the family

By Jane Smith

The Downtowner open-air vehicles will return to Delray Beach streets in May.
The same company received a fixed-route contract to replace the downtown trolley at the March 28 Community Redevelopment Agency meeting. The two contracts carry a total value of slightly more than $1 million in the first year.
For the fixed-route service, the Delray Downtowner will supply three, 14-passenger vans.
Eventually, these vans will be powered by propane. The current trolleys run on diesel fuel, more efficient than regular gas but more polluting. The CRA wants to switch to a clean-burning fuel, such as propane.
It might be difficult to get customized propane vans by May 1, said Steve Murray, chief executive officer of the Downtowner. In that case, gas-powered vehicles would be used for the first month or so.
For its point-to-point service, the Downtowner firm will lease nine global electric motorcars, or GEMs, enabling four to be on the street and picking up passengers within the CRA area — including the Northwest and Southwest neighborhoods.
Since the CRA is paying for the service, it can operate only within the CRA boundaries. An exception is made for the fixed-route pickup from the Tri-Rail station, since those riders are transported into the CRA district and are seen as providing an economic benefit.
When the Downtowner ran its free service, it was subsidized by ads, Murray said. Its advertisers wanted only to be on the main streets in Delray Beach, such as Atlantic Avenue and Ocean Boulevard.
The electric vehicles will not carry ads in the first year, Murray said. If the CRA wants to continue with the program and allow ads on the vehicles in future years, it will split the advertising revenue with the Downtowner’s advertising partner, Vector Media, based in New York. Vector serves transit companies in six Florida cities, according to its website.
Residents supported the Downtowner offerings at the March 28 CRA meeting.
“We are a resort town. I like the look that the Downtowner is providing,” said Mavis Benson, who runs the Avalon Gallery on Atlantic and serves on the Downtown Development Authority’s board.
The Downtowner firm wowed most of the CRA board members with its woody-look vans that can carry up to 14 passengers. Two wheelchair-users also can ride.
It’s a fresh concept, said Mike Monaco, chief technology officer for the Downtowner. “We took the 1950s woody and reimagined it,” he said. “It’s not the old trolley.”
The vans, each decked out to look like a surfboard with a fin on the roof, will stop at the Old School Square garage after leaving the Tri-Rail station to pick up people who want to go east and eventually to the beach.
“That will create a park-and-ride for passengers from outside the city,” Monaco said.
That route will not travel east on Atlantic into the often-clogged downtown core. Instead, the vans will go north on Swinton Avenue, make a right at Northeast First Street, stop at the OSS garage and then continue east on Northeast First Street to Federal Highway.
Angie Gray cast the lone vote against the Downtowner’s receiving the fixed-route contract. She preferred First Transit, the current trolley operator, and its focus on safety. Its drivers have commercial licenses needed for carrying more than 15 passengers.
The company’s proposed Starcraft Allstar Ford vehicles would carry 20 passengers each and have a camera running to record sound and video. The two vans would be powered by propane.
One proposed route went to Publix on Federal Highway, which Gray thought would be useful to residents of the Northwest and Southwest neighborhoods.
The Downtowner was ranked first by the CRA’s selection committee because it submitted the lowest price of three bidders.
The trolley contract with First Transit ends April 30. The city owns the trolleys.
For the point-to-point service, the Downtowner won over Miami-based BeeFree Holdings, which was ranked first by the selection committee. Its transit offerings are operated under the name Freebee.
Both proposals offered GEM vehicles. The Downtowner’s won’t have windows; BeeFree’s offered roll-up windows.
Both companies offered apps for smartphone users that promise to say when the vehicle will arrive. The Downtowner folks said their app is better because it provides updates, has a list of popular locations based on drop-offs inside the app and reduces the wait times.
The Downtowner also held an edge because its principals live in Delray Beach, it has four electric vehicle charging sites adjacent to its offices on Northeast Fourth Avenue, and it knows the streets from six years of operating in Delray, the CRA commissioners said when explaining their votes.
Last fall, the Downtowner stopped offering its free open-air shuttle service in Delray when it changed its business model to require partnerships with the cities it served.
Next year, the city is in line to receive an $860,000 federal grant to cover the cost of four trolleys.
If the grant will cover the alternative vehicles in the Downtowner’s fixed-route service, that will lessen the burden on city taxpayers, CRA Chairwoman Shelly Petrolia said after the meeting.
She also would like to see the point-to-point service expanded to the Lake Ida area and along the beach, north and south of Atlantic Avenue.
Those areas sit outside of the CRA boundaries, so the city may have to pay for the point-to-point service expansion, while the CRA pays for comparably priced items within its taxing district, Petrolia said.

BOCA RATON — Ruth Richards McGoldrick died March 13 at Boca Raton Regional Hospital, the fitting place for her last breath. She was 100.
Her daughter Pamela Smith and trusted companion, Eva Dias, were at her side when she died in the hospital at which she volunteered for over 40 years.
She was born Ruth Eleanor Richards on July 20, 1918, to Sarah Currie Richards and George Daniel Richards in Pittsburgh. Her sister Sarah Richards Crowe and brother George Palmer Richards predeceased her.
Miss Richards married Francis M. McGoldrick in 1951 and spent the next 35 years at his side. Retired Maj. Gen. McGoldrick died in 1986.
As Frank rose to major general in his Army career, Ruth was his constant companion and support. Their tours of duty included the Pentagon and commands based in El Paso, Texas, Colorado Springs, Seattle, Chicago and Seoul, South Korea.
While in Korea, Ruth led the growth of the Girls’ Vocational School in Seoul and the Paraplegic Village for Korean War veterans. She was recognized for her outstanding service by Korean President Park Chung-hee with the Public Welfare Medal.
Ruth and Frank retired to Florida in 1966 and made Boca Raton their home.
Mrs. McGoldrick’s passion for service continued in Boca Raton, where she totaled more than 40,000 hours of volunteer work at the hospital.
In addition to serving as the ninth president of the Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League (1976-1978), Mrs. McGoldrick led the Thrift Shop for over 40 years, making many friends while raising money for the hospital.
She and her husband also served as Boca Raton Community Hospital Ball chairmen in 1976.
Mrs. McGoldrick was Dame of Honour in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem Knights Hospitaller Malta. In 1989 she was honored as Boca Raton Woman Volunteer of the Year and was chosen for the Boca Raton Historical Society’s Walk of Recognition in 2004.
Mrs. McGoldrick was active in the National Society of Arts and Letters and the Garden Club. The highlight of each week was her bridge game with neighbors at St. Andrews, a community she loved.
Mrs. McGoldrick earned her bachelor of arts degree from Florida Atlantic University and was a proud member of the Majestic Owls Society.
Her greatest love was her family. She is survived by daughters Patricia Murphy (Tom), Pamela Smith (George, deceased), Deborah Tannenbaum (Jerome) and son John (Bonnie), grandchildren Mary Lampmann (Peter), John Murphy (Rocio) and Mark McGoldrick, and great-grandchildren James Lampmann, Ryan Murphy and Aidan Murphy.
She is also survived by sister-in-law Thelma Richards, nephew Jeffrey Richards (Denise), their children Joshua, Stephen, Cassandra and Rebecca and nephew Bradley Richards (Joanne). Also: nephew John Crowe (Jennie Belle), their children John Crowe III and Kristin Dussault (Dave), and their children (Deacon, Tristan, Audrey, Harper and Landon).
Ruth is also survived by cousins Jennifer Samuels, Karen Sims Franke (William) and Barbara Conover (David) and their children Kathy and David. McGoldrick nieces and nephews include Keven McGoldrick, Karin Nelson, Elizabeth Ringo, Peter McGoldrick, Blanche Bancroft, Charles Schulz and Edward Schulz.
A memorial service was held at St. Andrews Estates South, Boca Raton, on March 23.
Interment will be at Arlington National Cemetery. The family requests, in lieu of flowers, donations to the Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League Thrift Shop.

— Obituary submitted by the family

Cars can reach the museum from the east when Ocean Avenue is torn up. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

Playtime hasn’t stopped even as work continues on building Boynton Beach’s new Town Square.
The Schoolhouse Children’s Museum & Learning Center is open throughout construction of the municipal facilities, with signage to remind visitors.
“There’s no question that our operations have been affected by the exciting project that is Town Square,” Suzanne Ross, executive director, told the City Commission in February. “So far, we’re holding our own.”
While first-quarter visits were down about 6 percent when compared to the same period in the previous year, the museum also received two grants totaling $37,000, Ross told the commissioners.
“That will allow the museum to end the first quarter in the black,” she said.
The city-supported museum sits on Ocean Avenue between Seacrest Boulevard and Southeast First Street. In the current financial year, the city will give $255,169 to the museum, up slightly from the previous year.
Boynton Beach also owns the 1913 schoolhouse building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A nonprofit, Boynton Cultural Centre, runs the museum. It now is the only open building on that block.
The museum, open Tuesdays through Saturdays, provides interactive play with a mix of local history for young children, ages 3 to 8.
“We want them to play and wonder,” Ross said.
On April 29, the city is scheduled to begin tearing up that Ocean Avenue block as part of the $118 million Town Square, a 16-acre project that will create a downtown. New water and sewer lines will be added, along with stormwater drainage lines before the road is built up and paved.
The roadwork will be done in two phases, said Colin Groff, assistant city manager in charge of the Town Square project. The western half will be done first, then the eastern half. He estimates the work will be finished by July 5.
“We will add signs, move signs, to make sure the public knows the Schoolhouse Museum is still open,” he said.
Banners recently were added to the Town Square construction fences at key intersections along Boynton Beach and Seacrest boulevards, Ross said. A banner in front of the museum reads: “Come play with us! Open during Town Square construction.”
“The city supports us financially,” said Joy Woodworth, a museum board member who lives in Boynton and is a retired college educator. “It makes sense that when they close Ocean Avenue they would direct patrons to us.”
The city’s old high school, which sits just west of the museum, is planned to open later this year as a cultural center. Arts and dance classes will be held on the first floor and an auditorium will occupy the second floor. The renovation will cost $11 million.
The 1927 high school is on the city’s list of historic properties.
Boynton Beach partnered with E2L Real Estate Solutions to create Town Square, which will have office and retail and restaurant space, apartment buildings and a hotel in the second phase. The total project cost is estimated at $250 million.
Across Ocean Avenue, the development team is building a four-story City Center to house the city departments and library.
In the meantime, the museum board is planning its annual fundraiser for April 11.
The event at Benvenuto Restaurant in Boynton Beach will honor Nain and Curtis Weaver. The couple attended elementary school in the building and were among the museum’s founders, Ross said.
The Weaver family raised dairy cows on land near Boynton Beach Boulevard and Military Trail.
The fundraiser, titled “Schoolhouse Bash — Too Cool for School” runs 5:30-9:30 p.m.
“It’s a dinner dance with a twist,” Ross said. Attendees are encouraged to wear clothes from their favorite era of school, although it’s not required.
“It’s not a formal event, not even semi-formal,” she said. “We just want people to have fun.”
Tickets are $125 each and are available at SchoolhouseMuseum.org.

The Rachel K Goodwin, a specially outfitted 121-foot research vessel, is working in advance of planned beach renourishment in Delray this year and in 2020. Photo by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Stephen Moore

Jim Gammon and his wife, Margo Stahl-Gammon, are not ordinary South Florida beach lovers. They treasure the view from their beachside condo in Gulf Stream.
And when something upsets this scene, they want to know why.
On March 16, a strange-looking vessel appeared on the horizon. The Rachel K Goodwin is a 121-foot ship registered in the United States. It has a large, U-shaped extension on the stern with an iron beam across the top. This device seems to hold a litter of pulleys and ropes. It has been zigzagging less than a mile offshore up and down the coast, from just north of Briny Breezes to Highland Beach.
“We thought it was a fishing boat at first,” said Stahl-Gammon. “And we thought they were pulling seine nets. But then we found out it was surveying the sand in the area.”
Delray Beach has contracted with Aptim Environmental & Infrastructure, LLC to survey the ocean floor for two beach renourishment projects, set to begin in November 2019 and October 2020. The chartered boat serves as a marine platform to assist in data collection tasks.
The survey effort, which includes the contracting of the boat, costs approximately $670,000, according to Cynthia Fuentes, the manager for both renourishment projects.
“It arrived the second week in March. The boat is surveying the floor of the ocean by dragging it. The extension on the boat has a bunch of pulleys that are used to drag the floor of the ocean,” said Fuentes, the engineering division chief in the city’s Public Works Department.
“It tells us about not only sand, but reefs and other ecological aspects of the ocean floor. We will also drill into the floor to see how deep the sand is.”
Jim Gammon said that during the first days, “we tracked its path on our computer and it was 500-800 yards off shore.”
Fuentes said the work is doing no ecological damage.
“I can understand the concern for the environment,” she said. “Our office has received many calls about the boat and what it is doing. Right now all we are doing is dragging the bottom to see where the sand is. After the calls, we posted on our Delray Beach Facebook page information about the boat and what it is doing.”

The graphic traces the ship’s zigzags.

The Facebook post reads, “Ahoy, Delray Beach! Over the next few weeks, you might see this boat in the ocean waters off our city. It’s actually a hydrographic survey vessel that will be going back and forth gathering information the city needs about the ocean floor as we prepare for a possible beach renourishment project.”
Stahl-Gammon worked for the Army Corps of Engineers in Hawaii from 1988-1993 and was manager at the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge from 2000-2011. She is familiar with renourishment projects.
“We are concerned about the effects this renourishment project could have on our environment,” she said.
“How would it affect turtle nesting, the reefs and plants on the dunes? We have a natural ebb and flow of sand that has been working in this area for a long time. The Anastasia Rock Formation is also a concern since it attracts lots of fish.”
Anastasia runs from South Palm Beach to Jacksonville. The Blowing Rocks Preserve in Jupiter-Tequesta is part of it.
Brian Choate, the Corps of Engineers project manager for Palm Beach County, said the project is safe.
“There is usually no ecological damage done to these environments,” Choate said. ”All these projects are licensed and permitted through all the pertinent agencies. And if anything does go wrong, we work to mitigate the damage.”
Fuentes said the survey should finish by April 30 “if the weather cooperates. We lost a few days due to high winds.”

By Dan Moffett

When he interviewed for the mayor’s opening in February, Gene Adams told Briny Breezes council members he would bring energy to the job and improve relations with the town’s neighbors.
“Overall, I think I’ll be an active mayor,” he said.
It took Adams only a month to make good on his word.
The new mayor spent his first weeks in office representing Briny at a League of Cities meeting, introducing himself to Ocean Ridge officials and discussing with them common problems such as drainage and sea rise.
“It’s about building relationships and listening,” Adams said.
The council on Feb. 28 unanimously selected Adams to fill the unexpired term of Roger Bennett, who died unexpectedly earlier this year. Council members then reappointed Adams to a full one-year term in March.
At 54, Adams is one of the youngest mayors the town has had. Gerry Devine was 38 when he was appointed to the position in 2013, but he held the office for only five weeks. In 1963, Hugh David, Briny’s first mayor and the town’s founder, was 41 when he took the job and then held it for 34 years.
Adams, whose wife, Christina, has served on the council since 2015, has lived in Briny for five years and served as vice president of its board of directors for two years.
“For me, being mayor comes down to two key areas,” Adams told the council. “Since it’s a non-voting position, you don’t make decisions. But it comes down to leadership and it comes down to representation.”
Adams said he wants to help guide council members through difficult issues the town faces. He said 30 years of working in the corporate world — he currently oversees dozens of employees as a senior director at Target stores — has developed his leadership abilities.
Adams said he has learned about representation through service on several civic boards, and through work with the Broward County Emergency Operations Center and the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
“I’m used to leading people through tough decisions,” he said.
Keith Black, another Briny board member who led a council committee that wrote the job description for town manager, also applied for the mayor’s position. The council appointed Black to a position on the Planning and Zoning Board.
In other business:
• On March 28, the council voted 4-0 (with Kathy Gross absent) to shut down Briny’s website at least until June to protect the town against lawsuits over compliance with the Americans With Disabilities Act.
During the past two years, hundreds of governments throughout the state have faced suits over aging sites that didn’t accommodate screen reader software for visually impaired people.
Town Manager Dale Sugerman said the town will track residents’ reaction to the shutdown over the next few months, and then council members will decide whether to invest in upgrading the website or eliminate it.
Said Town Attorney Keith Davis: “There’s nothing that requires a local government to have a website.”
• Sugerman said construction has resumed on the Gulf Stream Views townhouse project south of town.
Palm Beach County building officials have approved developers’ permits on a conditional basis after stopping construction earlier this year. Developers still need FEMA to sign off on a flood map for the site. Completion of the six-building, 14-unit project is targeted for early next year.

Tom Lynch is chairman emeritus at Plastridge Insurance, which has been in the family since the late 1940s. His sons, Connor and Brendan, now run the agency. Tom has spent 50 years in the insurance industry. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Charles Elmore

Celebrating a 100th anniversary qualifies as no mean feat for any business in South Florida, but it’s hard to beat Plastridge Insurance’s claim for being dialed in to Delray Beach’s history: Its phone number was 1.
So it appears in telephone directories into the late 1940s: “Phone No. 1. Established 1919.”
Dialing was easy, maybe. Picking up? Not always a picnic. Everything from Depression-era business failures to a host of unrelenting hurricanes pounded the region over the decades.
“Florida was just a terrible place to do business because of catastrophes,” said Tom Lynch, 71, Plastridge’s chairman emeritus and a former Delray Beach mayor.
Yet in a place where a lot of people came and went, as did plenty of schemes to make a buck in paradise, the independent insurance agency planted itself and thrived.
Lynch himself is celebrating 50 years in the business as he turns over executive roles to his sons.
“To me, when you think of everything that’s happened in that 100 years, World War II, Korea, Vietnam, a Great Depression, several recessions and so much else, it’s really amazing,” said Connor Lynch, who now serves as the agency’s CEO with brother Brendan as president.
“I think we fit this kind of class of insurance agencies that is no longer in existence: in between mom-and-pop and big brokerage. One of the things I like is having such a strong community connection.”
Today the agency counts about 100 employees and $16 million in revenue, with offices in Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens and Stuart as well as on Northeast Sixth Avenue in Delray Beach.

The agency in the 1970s. Photo provided

Some things have changed over time. Once personal home and auto policies claimed a hefty share of the business, but now about 70 percent comes from commercial customers, such as condominiums, apartments, hotels, restaurants, and assisted living facilities, Tom Lynch said.
Though the agency’s roots remain firmly local, it is licensed in some 30 states, recently quoting a proposed policy in Hawaii, Connor Lynch said.
The challenge for an independent agency in South Florida particularly can be serving as the middleman lining up coverage from different insurance companies, not just one company that has “captive” agents. Disasters from the killer storm of 1947 to Hurricane Wilma in 2005 made legions of underwriters flee Florida’s risks like so many palmetto bugs at the snap of a kitchen light.
Tom Lynch recalls times when, for example, if he wanted to cover a hotel near the coast for $1 million, he had to do it by getting 10 policies for $100,000 from 10 separate companies.
The agency’s roots lie in an era before air conditioning and even before many local towns and cities had incorporated within their current borders.
Agent Amis Plastridge wrote policies in New England, where $600 of coverage on a home might cost $4.80 a year and require a special clause for a wood-burning stove, records from the time show. Then he set off for South Florida. He founded an agency in 1919 with partner Pierce Brennan in what would become Delray Beach.

A 1919 land auction in Delray drew quite a crowd. The boom coincided with the opening of Plastridge Insurance. Photo provided by the Delray Beach Historical Society

In those early days, when the town was called simply Delray, the Bijou theater hawked four silent-movie reels for 10 cents. Abraham George’s store sold yard goods, button hooks and shoelaces. Some 1,051 souls were counted in the 1920 census.
But the region was on the verge of a huge transformation in which the insurance business would matter a lot to buyers, builders and lenders. Suddenly a place known for pineapples and other produce was being pitched as a playground for the well-to-do.
“People realized they could make a lot more money in real estate than selling pineapples,” said Kate Teves, archivist with the Delray Beach Historical Society. “The land boom in the 1920s completely transformed Delray Beach and Florida forever.”
In time, that would be followed by a collapse in land prices and a depression, but the agency plugged along.
By the late 1940s, though, Plastridge’s son Robert had enough. Storms proved unrelenting, including a 1947 monster with winds up to 145 mph in the days before hurricanes were named. It killed 15 in Florida, tore off roofs around the region, including that at Hialeah racetrack, and went on to take 51 lives, many in and near New Orleans. He sold the agency to Tom Lynch’s father-in-law, Paul Speicher, and the business has remained in the family since.
The hand-off was a package deal. “When he sold him the agency, he also sold him his home and moved to Georgia,” Tom Lynch said.
When Tom Lynch eventually took control of the business in the 1970s, he kept the Plastridge name even as the business acquired other insurance agencies. The name was familiar to people, he figured.
Continuity would become a hallmark in more ways than one. Today he proudly points to employees who have remained with the agency for more than 30 years.
That mattered to clients such as Luke Therien, owner of the Banana Boat and Prime Catch restaurants in Boynton Beach. They have been doing business with Plastridge since 1978.
“We kept the relationship with Plastridge because it was such a family business,” Therien said. “We had a giant royal palm come down on the roof during Wilma. We lost awnings and our main air conditioning system. We were really scrambling at that point. Tom Lynch was the very first one there from Plastridge. He knew who to call at the insurance companies to get things done quickly, and it paid off.”
Therien admired what he saw as Lynch’s strong sense of civic responsibility as a mayor of Delray Beach, chairman of the Palm Beach County School Board and board member of the state’s last-resort insurer, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., among other roles. Lynch currently serves as the mayor of the village of Golf.
All that may have something to do with why customers kept calling. Even when the number was more than 1.
“Their ability to grow and evolve and keep their feet planted locally for 100 years has been an amazing feat,” said Jeb Conrad, president and CEO of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce.

By Christine Davis

The big reveal for the new iPic Delray movie theater, the city’s first new movie theater in 40 years, was held last month for media and friends.
A showing of 2019’s best picture, Green Book, and a live magic show kicked off the theater’s premiere.
Built by Hamid Hashemi, CEO of iPic Entertainment and creator of the Boca Raton Muvico Theater in 1999 (now owned by Cinemark), the Delray theater marks the 16th iPic nationwide.
“Delray hadn’t seen a new theater in decades,” Hashemi said. “There was a void. We wanted to bring a new form of entertainment to the downtown area. There’s nothing like it here.”
There are eight screens in the building at 25 SE Fourth Ave., with a total of 429 seats. Most of these are in pods — the arrangement of dual leather recliners separated by a swiveling table. A curved partition surrounding each one provides semi-privacy among the booths. Down in front, accommodations are arranged with easily accessible seats for people with disabilities.
Service at all seats includes food and drink delivery, pillows and blankets and complimentary unlimited popcorn.
The theaters also have stages for performing arts and are intended as a “social destination,” promoters said. Oversized contemporary art and green installations by up-and-coming artists chosen by Hashemi fill the lobby spaces in the four-story building, which will house offices and stores, and cover the curved walls around the 326-space parking garage. Valet parking is free to moviegoers for a three-hour time slot.
A cocktail bar is in the lobby area, with food such as lobster rolls, fillet sliders, buttermilk fried chicken and spicy tuna on crispy rice available from a Dine in the Dark menu designed by Sherry Yard, iPic’s chief operating officer. She also oversees the menu at Tanzy restaurant in Boca’s Mizner Park iPic. A rooftop lounge is being considered for the future.
Hashemi also announced he is moving iPic Entertainment headquarters from Boca Raton to offices above the new theater.
Tickets and showtimes are available at ipic.com. Moviegoers can sign up for special access membership programs there, too.

Don’t worry, your favorite spot for crime hasn’t gone far. Just head over to the Delray Beach Public Library, 104 W. Atlantic Ave. There in the library’s retail space, you’ll find Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore at its new location.
The independent locally owned store, specializing in mystery, suspense and thrillers, opened in 1996 in Sunny Isles Beach before founder Joanne Sinchuk moved it to Delray Beach in 2002. She and store owner David Wulf both said that they love Delray and are happy to keep Murder on the Beach “in the most fun small town in the USA.”
On the library’s part, “we are thrilled to have them as our new tenant,” said Karen Ronald, the library’s executive director. “There is an exciting synergy between the library and the bookstore. We both attract people who love to read and appreciate great stories. We look forward to celebrating the great joy of reading and collaborating in the future.”
When the Delray Beach Public Library opened in 2006, the retail space was occupied by the Cookbook Café. Most recently, The Buzz Agency operated out of the space from 2012 until fall 2018, when the public relations firm consolidated and moved to its Palm Beach office.

Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business announced a new three-year executive doctorate in business, with focuses on accounting, economics, finance, information technology, management or marketing. To be launched for the fall semester, the program will be offered on weekends with concierge service, and will include face-to-face lectures and presentations, along with supplementary online materials. For information, visit business.fau.edu/masters-phd/phd-program/executive-phd/.

The public is invited to watch the Boca Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy investor panel competition at 4:30 p.m. April 10. High school students will pitch their business ideas to industry leaders for the chance to win startup money during the program’s annual Shark Tank event. It will be held at Office Depot, Inc., 6600 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton.

The Douglas Elliman Real Estate team of Randy Ely and Nicholas Malinosky of Delray Beach and the Senada Adzem team of Boca Raton were named Pinnacle Club winners for making more than $1 million in commissions in 2018. They were honored during the company’s awards ceremony last month at the Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, CT.

Douglas Elliman Real Estate acquired Manalapan-based Scott Gordon Realty in February. Founder and CEO Scott Gordon has been a Palm Beach County condominium marketing and sales specialist since 1987. He and his wife, Mindy Gordon, with their team of real estate agents, will continue to work at 270 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan.

Claire Sheres recently joined Douglas Elliman Real Estate at 444 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, as executive director of luxury sales.

Real estate agents Steven Ochoa and Stephanie Vorcheimer have joined the Posh Properties team at 103 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. Ochoa, originally from Barranquilla, Colombia, has lived in South Florida for 19 years. Vorcheimer, who grew up in New Jersey, moved to Florida in 1986.

Richard and Eileen Tang purchased the 7,629-square-foot home at 1405 Lands End Road in Manalapan for $5.5 million. The sale was recorded on March 4. The sellers were Thomas and Loren Donino, who bought the property for $6.1 million in 2008. Richard Tang works for Element Capital Management, according to media reports. Previously, he headed North America sales at Royal Bank of Scotland Group. Jack Elkins, with William Raveis South Florida, represented the seller in the deal, and Paulette Koch and Dana Koch of the Corcoran Group represented the buyer.

The Delray Beach City Commission granted final site-plan approval in March for Ocean Delray, the condominium development planned for the Wright by the Sea site at 1901 S. Ocean Blvd. National Realty Investment Advisors and US Construction Inc. plan to demolish the hotel in late April and start construction of the 19-unit Ocean Delray, with an expected end date set for the fourth quarter of 2020. IMI Worldwide Properties is handling sales of Ocean Delray’s units.

Noreen Payne, a partner of the All About Florida Homes team of Keller Williams Realty, was named 2018 Director of the Year by the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce. Noted for her leadership and commitment to the chamber and the city, she has worked with the chamber’s board members and staff to develop and implement strategic goals focused on service. Payne is the chamber’s vice chair of programming.

Evan Golden holds his Apogee Award as the area’s top chief marketing officer of the year. Photo provided

Evan Golden of The Berman Law Group, which has an office in Boca Raton, has been honored by South Florida Business & Wealth magazine with a 2018 Apogee Award as chief marketing officer of the year. The award recognizes his dedication to his occupation, industry and community.
“We incorporate so many local nonprofit organizations in our marketing endeavors and events that desperately need exposure and awareness, so it’s very fulfilling and meaningful work,” Golden said.
Among his professional achievements, Golden was nominated for the Real Men Wear Pink campaign supporting the American Cancer Society. He was also recognized as a South Florida Young Leader in Philanthropy by Simply the Best magazine.
He is the on-air talent for Eye on South Florida, a video production company covering charity events in South Florida.
The award ceremony was held at Gulfstream Park in Hallandale.

Attorney Jay D. Mussman received Day Pitney’s 2019 Coleman Award last month, in recognition of his service and dedication to pro bono work. Mussman, a senior counsel in Day Pitney’s Boca Raton office, leads the law firm’s pro bono efforts in Florida and personally provides pro bono services through the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County’s Low Income Taxpayer Clinic, which assists individuals involved in tax controversies with the IRS.
He volunteers with the school district of Palm Beach County, serves as a community board member of the Financial Literacy Advisory Board, and works with Law Without Walls through the University of Miami School of Law.
Day Pitney LLP has more than 300 attorneys, in Boston, Connecticut, Florida, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C.

David Dweck’s Boca Real Estate Investment Club celebrated its 25th anniversary in February, with more than 100 guests attending. Money raised from the event will go to Boca Helping Hands, and to send an American military member to Israel through Heroes to Heroes. Dweck, with developer Frank McKinney, conducted an auction that raised money to build 10 homes in Haiti for the Caring House Project Foundation.

Chad Ruggiere, vice president of business development and marketing, announced that The Big Apple, 5283 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach, has undergone a $5.5 million transformation into a mini-mall. It has new signage, landscaping and parking lot, and its interior design was created to be like the streets of New York City. The building, comprising 35,000 square feet, will house more than 65 specialty shops.

The Altman Cos., developer of rental apartment communities, partnered with Habitat for Humanity of South Palm Beach County for its 2019 Home Builders Blitz. And a blitz it was. Donating more than $180,000 in materials and professional labor, The Altman Cos. broke ground on the Delray Beach Habitat home just east of I-95 on Feb. 13, and construction began March 11, with its completion set for the end of March. The house will belong to a single mother, a registered nurse, and her son.

Athena’s Fight Club, a new gym franchise for women and children of both genders aged 13-15, will celebrate its grand opening 6-9 p.m. April 17, at 127 NW 13th St., Suite 2, Boca Raton.
Classes will include resistance band training, motivational exercises and boxing exercises. The first 100 members may enroll for free and will receive a $100 gift bag filled with boxing gear.

Jan Norris contributed to this column.

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

By Mary Thurwachter

If it seemed to you that traffic was more congested, lines to see attractions were a little longer and reservations at your favorite restaurants were a bit tougher to get last year, there was a good reason. Palm Beach County experienced record-breaking visitation numbers in 2018, according to Discover The Palm Beaches, the county’s tourism marketing organization.
Year-end hotel performance data, released in late February, show 8.02 million visitors came to the county from January to December. That was an increase of 1.7 percent over 2017 and marked 10 consecutive years of tourism growth. And all those visitors generated a record-high $7.4 billion in economic impact to the area, supporting more than 70,000 jobs in the county.
A large share of the county’s tourists came to South Palm Beach County.
“The confirmed hotel developments under construction in Delray Beach (Aloft, Courtyard, The Rey) and Boca Raton (Mandarin Oriental) are vivid examples of the success of our tourism development strategies and the trust by investors in our tourism economy,” said Jorge Pesquera, president and CEO for Discover The Palm Beaches. “These properties, coupled with our southern cities’ commitment to visitor-friendly activities and urban renewal, will add more options for our visitors to experience in South County.”
Pesquera says he is proud to see the growing visitation numbers in the southern region, and throughout the county.
“The increases validate that our strategic marketing and group sales efforts toward creating the ‘endless season’ are working — and that excitement motivates our team to attract even more visitors here,” he says.
One South County resort enjoying the rise in visitors is the Seagate Hotel & Spa in Delray Beach.
“In the lead up to our 10-year anniversary this fall, across the board, the Seagate Hotel & Spa witnessed an upward trend in 2018,” says William Sander III, executive vice president, director of operations and general manager.
“The Seagate Spa and The Atlantic Grille led the way for the property as a whole. The continued interest and excitement for both outlets as we reach our decade mark can be attributed to the awards and accolades that the Seagate Spa continues to receive and the standard of quality that the Atlantic Grille upholds with its service and bespoke culinary offerings.”
Compared to 2017, the Seagate experienced a moderate to slight increase in the transient room nights and an overall room occupancy increase in 2018, according to Sander.
“We attribute the increase to a stronger, growing economy and the consistent quality service provided by the Seagate Hotel & Spa that has created a solid, steadfast foundation of repeat guests,” he says.
Another destination reporting an upswing in visitors last year is Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan.
“2018 was a terrific year for us,” says Nick Gold, Eau’s director of public relations. “There are several factors that we attribute this to, including the allure of Palm Beach. Many visitors want to come for the history and beauty of the area, as well as to visit friends and family.”
Occupancy levels at the resort were especially strong, Gold says. “As a new luxury brand in Palm Beach — we celebrated our fifth anniversary in July — we are still building our brand and pride ourselves on our strong service levels, repeat guests and outstanding reputation in the market.”
What propelled the visitation rise overall in the county?
Pesquera says the expanding meetings and convention market, a strengthened marketing plan and positive news media exposure were major drivers.
In February 2019, Discover The Palm Beaches launched a new marketing and leisure sales representation in five international markets: Mexico, Argentina, Germany, Canada and Colombia — added to existing representation in Brazil and England — with the goal of increasing visitation from these countries. 
Last year, international visitors increased by half a percent to 749,000, with significant growth from the U.K. (9 percent to 39,000 visitors), Brazil (3 percent to 29,000 visitors), and Colombia (5 percent to 22,000 visitors).
Domestic visitation grew 1.2 percent to nearly 4.5 million visitors from outside Florida. Visits originating within Florida grew 2.8 percent to 2.8 million visits, with Orlando showing the strongest growth with a 13 percent increase for the year.
Glenn Jergensen, executive director for the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, says that long-term economic strength is building and shows that collaborative tourism strategic efforts of the council and Discover The Palm Beaches are working.
“The Palm Beaches are on an unprecedented trend of leisure, arts/culture, sports and meetings/convention tourism successes, and we’re aiming to become a year-round travel destination,” Jergensen says.