The ocean-to-Intracoastal property at 1000 S. Ocean (left) was listed at $106 million, which would be a Manalapan record. The property at 1020 S. Ocean sold last month for $89.93 million, nearly a record. Both are recently redeveloped. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Christine Davis

After six years on the market, the ocean-to-Intracoastal estate at 2000 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan, owned by the billionaire Ziff family, finally sold in March for the recorded price of $94.17 million, and that sale set a record for the town. However, other properties are inching closer.
A big-ticket property that just came on the market is listed by Lawrence A. Moens Associates. The estate at 1000 S. Ocean Blvd. is priced at $106 million, as advertised on Realtor.com and on the Lawrence A. Moens website. The 22,868-total-square-foot, ocean-to-Intracoastal, eight-bedroom home and two-bedroom guest house, built in 2017, is sited on 2.2 acres.
It last sold for $14.995 million in April 2015. In 2017, the owner of the property, Jackson Real Estate Partners LLC, managed by Kenneth Slater, extended a 99-year residential lease agreement to Ellen and Kenneth Slater, who have homesteaded the estate as their primary home, according to tax rolls.
And there’s this in the “Just Sold” category. Recorded on Dec. 15, Paul Saunders, founder of James River Capital Corp., based in Manakin-Sabot, Virginia, and his wife, Victoria Saunders, a board member, former president and faculty member of the Innerwork Center, sold their 16,000-square-foot estate at 1020 S. Ocean Blvd. for $89.93 million in an off-market deal. The buyer is 122021Land Trust, with the trustee listed as James G.B. DeMartini III, chairman of the California accounting firm Seiler LLC.
According to public records, the Saunderses, who claimed homestead exemption on the property, paid $14.5 million for the nearly 2.2-acre lot in 2018. It features 200 feet of ocean frontage and a strip of land with a dock fronting the Intracoastal Waterway.
The Saunderses had a new five-bedroom house built on the lot, designed by the Benedict Bullock Group. Details include a golf-simulator room, outdoor putting green, an outdoor kitchen and pool, according to the architect’s website.
Senada Adzem of Douglas Elliman represented the sellers. Christopher Leavitt and Ashley McIntosh, also agents with Douglas Elliman, handled the buyer’s side, according to the Palm Beach Daily News.
Shelly Newman, an agent with William Raveis South Florida, has the listing for the ocean-to-Intracoastal 1960s-era geodesic-dome compound at 1860 S. Ocean Blvd., owned by Jeanette Cohen as trustee of an irrevocable trust in the name of her husband, Stephen D. Cohen. Not quite as pricey as the other two properties, the Cohens’ estate, which they bought in 1978 for $620,000, is now priced at its land value at $27.5 million. Newman listed it for sale in late May 2021 for $29.9 million, but later dropped the price.
Newman, who handled both sides in an off-market sale for a recorded price of $14 million at 1800 S. Ocean Blvd. in May, is involved in two other property deals on the same block. She represented the seller at 1840 S. Ocean, with a price of $18 million, and the buyer of the estate at 1880 S. Ocean in a deal that closed just before Christmas for $19 million.
The estate at 1840 S. Ocean was owned by former Bear Stearns executive Robert Steinberg and his wife, Suzanne, who bought the property for $8.975 million in 2009.
The new owner of the property is 1840 South Ocean LLC, a Florida limited liability company with an address of 222 Lakeview Ave., Suite 1500, West Palm Beach, which is the address of attorney Maura Ziska. Lawrence Moens represented the buyer. 
“Properties such as these in Manalapan are attractive to families looking to build a family estate,” Newman said. “Land is hard to find, and prices are so high in Palm Beach that a lot of people are choosing to live in Manalapan where they can build their family home on a larger piece of property. These are high elevation, ocean-to-Intracoastal, where people can enjoy sunrise and sunsets, boating and the beach with lots of property for children.”
Nearby in Ocean Ridge, Raymond Gregg Hill Sr. and his wife, Marsha, sold their 17,183-square-foot oceanfront estate at 6275 N. Ocean Blvd. to Simon Lincoln as trustee of the 6275 N. Ocean Land Trust for $27 million. The sale was recorded on Dec. 9.
According to its listing, the home, which was listed for sale in September at $29.9 million, features eight bedrooms that include two bunk rooms; an epicurean kitchen with a 15-foot kitchen island; an Alice-in Wonderland-like play area; media room; and a separate second-floor guest house. The Corcoran Group agents Candace and Phil Friis handled both sides of the deal.
The Hills bought the property in 2002 for $2.8 million from Ocean Ridge Development Company, with Frank E. McKinney as manager. The latest purchase was a record sale for Ocean Ridge, said Phil Friis, beating out the $19.879 million sale of 6161 N. Ocean Blvd., which sold in June 2018.

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Morris Flancbaum, president of Colts Neck, New Jersey-based custom homebuilder Colts Neck Associates, and his wife, Susan Rizzuto, sold their waterfront home at 250 NE Fifth Ave., Boca Raton, for $22 million. The sale was recorded on Nov. 24. The buyer is 250 NE 5th Avenue Land Trust, with attorney Gregory S. Gefen as trustee, records show.
The seven-bedroom, 10,538-square-foot estate sits on a 1.62-acre lot and features marble floors, a dock, summer kitchen and wine room. Flancbaum and Rizzuto bought the home in 2019 for $16.5 million. 
Jonathan Postma of Coldwell Banker/BR represented the seller. Nancy Gefen and Kathy Green of Signature International Premier Properties represented the buyer.

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Newbond Holdings has acquired the newly updated 139-key Waterstone Resort & Marina, 999 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton, in an off-market deal, according to a news release.
Newbond Holdings is a real estate investment firm founded by Neil Luthra and Vann Avedisian. 
“We were drawn to Boca Raton, and South Florida in general, by the unabated flow of families and businesses relocating to this market,” Luthra said. “The Waterstone is particularly well-positioned within its competitive set in the Boca Raton market. We are making a few select improvements to ensure that the Waterstone will be able to capture a disproportionate share of the future market growth.”
According to public records dated Dec. 7, the Waterstone was purchased for $37.875 million from BB Hotel Owner JV, managed by Matthew Lane, the entity that bought the property for $20.163 million in 1986. JLL’s Hotels & Hospitality Group represented the seller and worked on behalf of the buyer to originate the floating-rate acquisition financing.

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So, what’s the deal with the high-end sales in South County these days?
Jonathan Miller, the president and CEO of New York-based Miller Samuel Real Estate Appraisers and the author of a series of market reports covering almost 40 U.S. markets for Douglas Elliman, has been keeping a chart on U.S. sales that have closed at more than $50 million for 20 years. In 2014, he noticed “a slew of listings for properties worth reasonably $5 [million] to $10 million, that all of a sudden were priced at $30 [million] and $40 million and not selling,” he said. “Other homeowners in the vicinity were also pricing their properties dramatically higher. I called it aspirational pricing. Then we started to see some sales, and it became a new submarket, and it hasn’t stopped.”
The majority of the transactions occur in the Manhattan borough and the Hamptons in New York, Los Angeles, and Palm Beach. “Florida, in general, has become the bigger market,” Miller said.
By mid-December 2021, he saw 39 U.S. sales over $50 million. “It was 29 in 2020, so that’s a significant jump,” he said.
He attributes this to a combination of factors. He reasons that “wealthy individuals have come to put more value in real estate, and that it is affordable in the context of their wealth.”
Additionally, Florida has become more attractive given its looser pandemic rules than those in New York and California, for example. Wall Street businesses are either moving to Florida or considering moving here. People from California and New York, which have high property, state and local taxes, are attracted to Florida and Texas because of the federal SALT tax (state and local tax deduction limits) that went into effect in 2018.
In terms of Manalapan, Miller has noticed that neighboring areas also have seen high-end sales.
“The sale of housing is much more about immediate gratification rather than long term. I think this phenomenon has a long runway in front of it, just because land is a prized asset and it’s tangible,” Miller said. “This segment of the market was created and redefined in the last eight years.”

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Home prices are going up. But how long will this last? If you are a prospective home buyer and wondering about that, take a look at the Florida Atlantic University College of Business free website tool, called the Beracha and Johnson Housing Market Ranking, which was launched in October. Its interactive graphs show the degree of overpricing or underpricing per month in the nation’s 100 largest housing markets over the past 25 years. The goal is to help people make better-informed buying decisions. 
“Being able to see historically how a housing market has performed can help potential buyers visualize where their housing market is in its current housing cycle,” said Ken H. Johnson, Ph.D., an economist with FAU Executive Education in the College of Business. Johnson launched the rankings with Eli Beracha, director of the Tibor and Sheila Hollo School of Real Estate at Florida International University.
 “They will have a better understanding of the possibility of significant housing downturns or the potential for growth in home values.”
The site is at https://business.fau.edu/executive-education/housing-market-ranking/housing-top-100/index.php.

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Partnering with BrandStar Studios, Manalapan resident Robert Matthew Van Winkle, known as Vanilla Ice, will be renovating homes on TV again. This time, he’ll use virtual, augmented and mixed-reality technology.
Van Winkle plans to find inspiration from high-end celebrity homes, and then, based on a realistic budget, re-create them. BrandStar’s Catapult Productions division will place Van Winkle and his team in a large LED screen that will display the “shell” of the space previously visited. At that point, the renovation will start appearing in augmented reality, with Van Winkle describing how elements of the upscale home can be re-created in a home at a reduced cost.
“I am passionate about helping homeowners achieve what they may have previously thought as impossible as it relates to home remodeling,” Van Winkle said. “The ability to use cutting-edge technology to literally walk our audience through the process of reproducing elements that may have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in these celebrity homes in an affordable manner really excites me and my team.”
To watch previews of The Vanilla Ice Home Show, tune into IG Live, Facebook Live and YouTube starting in the first quarter of 2022.

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Walk of Recognition honorees are (l-r) Dan Guin and Jane Tyree for Boca Ballet Theatre; Terry Fedele; Robert K. Rollins Jr.; Edith Stein; George S. Brown Jr.; Lowell Van Vechten on behalf of her late husband, Jay Van Vechten; Tim Snow of the Snow Scholarship Fund. Photo provided

The Boca Raton Historical Society inducted its 2021 Walk of Recognition honorees in November: George S. Brown Jr., Robert K. Rollins Jr., Edith Stein, and the George Snow Scholarship Fund.
Brown, deputy city manager of Boca Raton and a former board member of the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, played a pivotal role in developing the partnership between the city and Florida Atlantic University.
Rollins, president of the Beacon Group insurance agency, has served on the board of the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District for 10 years. He’s also past president of the local Soccer Association and the Boca Raton Rotary Club and served on the board of directors of the FAU Foundation.
Stein is co-founder of the Martin & Edith Stein Family Foundation, which recently donated $5 million in support of a planned arts and innovation center in Mizner Park.
The George Snow Scholarship Fund, which helps students achieve their career goals through the pursuit of higher education, has awarded almost $16 million in scholarships since 1981 to nearly 2,400 Snow scholars.
Because the 2020 ceremony was postponed because of the pandemic, that year’s Walk of Recognition inductees were also honored: Terry Fedele; the late Jay Van Vechten; and Boca Ballet Theatre.

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Florida Humanities, a nonprofit affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities, in December awarded the Boca Raton Historical Society a $24,500 grant for general operating costs to help it recover from the economic impact of the pandemic. The NEH received $135 million from the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.
The state humanities councils, including Florida Humanities, each received a portion of the NEH award to support museums, archives, historic sites and other humanities-focused nonprofits. The Boca Raton Historical Society was one of 129 organizations in Florida that was awarded ARP funding totaling $1.88 million from Florida Humanities.

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Paul Lykins of KW Innovations won the Boynton Beach Professionals’ recognition award, following a review process and vote by the management team of the Boynton Beach Professionals leads group. Awards are presented every other month.
“This award was created to honor the member who has done the most for the group and the Boynton Beach community,” said John Campanola, chairman of the group and an agent with New York Life.
“Paul has been tirelessly working to promote the group and all of its members. He is an ardent networker throughout Palm Beach County and especially Boynton Beach.” 
For more information contact boyntonbeachprofessionals@gmail.com

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GL Homes received the Delray Beach Housing Authority’s Making the Difference Award for its donation of bedding, household goods and furnishings to 18 formerly homeless families. 
“Our programs provide working families a place to call home by providing families with rental assistance and affordable housing opportunities,” said Shirley Erazo, president and CEO of the authority. “We applaud GL Homes for their support and generous donation to these needy families.”

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

Suzanne Dunn directs a rehearsal of ‘Respect: A Musical Journey of Women’ at the Delray Beach Playhouse. This is her first time as director there. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Related Story: Delray Beach Playhouse: The show goes on again

By Ron Hayes

“If you could choose one song that meant the most to you,” Suzanne Dunn asks, “what would be the soundtrack of your life?”
Beginning Jan. 28, the Delray Beach Playhouse will offer 60 suggestions from more than a century of popular song when Respect: A Musical Journey of Women debuts under Dunn’s direction.
With a cast of eight and a five-piece band, the main-stage musical revue charts the history of women asking for a little r-e-s-p-e-c-t, as reflected in the lyrics of songs from 1910 to the present.
The memories are not always sweet, or respectful.
Yes, you’ll hear Helen Reddy’s defiant anthem, I Am Woman (Hear Me Roar). But much earlier in the 20th century Fanny Brice was singing, “Oh, my man, I love him so; he beats me too, what can I do?”
There’s These Boots Are Made For Walkin’, but also I Will Follow Him.
I Will Survive, but also Someone To Watch Over Me.
The show was created by Dorothy Marcic, a professor at Columbia Teachers College, who turned her book, Respect: Women and Popular Music, into a musical revue that has been performed more than 3,400 times since its debut in 1999.
“The show is written for four women, but we have a cast of eight, chosen from about 25 who auditioned,” Dunn says. “That way, four are also understudying so they can fill in if one drops out or gets sick.”
As befits a musical revue about women, Respect is also very much by women.
In addition to Dunn and the eight-member cast, the production team includes musical director Karen Nagy, choreographer Jeannie Krouch, stage manager Michele Popken, set designer Cindi Taylor, prop master Susan Rose, and lighting by Sonia Buchanan.
And Sandi Hagood sets the drumbeat for the four men in the band.
Dunn, the woman charged with putting it all together, came to acting and directing because many years ago she decided a college professor had undervalued William Shakespeare.
“I was a literature major at FAU,” she recalls, “and one day my professor told us, ‘Shakespeare belongs in literature, not the theater.’ Well, that didn’t make sense to me, so I switched my major to theater arts and earned a bachelor of fine arts degree.”
Since then, she’s worked professionally at the Pope Theater in Manalapan, the Theater Club of the Palm Beaches and the Lake Worth Playhouse. She made her Delray Playhouse acting debut back in 1987, when Randolph DelLago directed her in the British farce See How They Run. This is her first time directing at the playhouse.
“Am I scared?” she says. “I’m afraid I won’t give the actors what they need. I’m afraid people will hate it. You want everyone to love what you do, and that’s just not going to happen. But I’ll tell you, this is community theater, but we work as if the audience paid for front-row Hamilton tickets.”
And finally, of course, there’s that musical elephant in the room.
Can men enjoy a show about the musical journey of women?
“Men can enjoy it,” Dunn says. “It’s the music they grew up with as well.
“Men appreciate good talent.
“And men have daughters, too.”

If You Go
What: Respect: A Musical Journey of Women
When: Jan. 28-Feb. 13.
Where: Delray Beach Playhouse, 950 NW Ninth St.
Tickets: $38.
Information: Call the box office at 561-272-1281 or visit https://delraybeachplayhouse.com.

Other shows this season
Jan. 21-22: The Cabaret, a special encore performance of the 2007 Bistro Award-winning show A Collective CY: Jeff Harnar sings CY Coleman
Jan. 25, Feb. 22, March 22, April 27, May 25: Victory Dolls Lunch Club Matinee, starring vintage Andrews Sisters-inspired musical harmony group with South Florida’s Leading Ladies of Theater
Jan. 26: Lunch Club Matinee with comedian Jeff Norris
Feb. 7-10: Music Man, the songs of Meredith Willson
Feb. 14: The Cabaret Evening with Sally Mayes
Feb. 15: Lunch Club Matinee, an afternoon with songbird Sally Mayes
Feb. 18-19: Robert Dubac‘s The Male Intellect: An Oxymoron
Feb. 20: Robert Dubac‘s Stand-up Jesus
Feb. 23: Lunch Club Matinee featuring Peter Fogel’s ‘Til Death Do Us Part … You First
Feb. 25-26: Italian Bred
Feb. 27: The Music of Crosby Stills Nash & Young
March 6: The Edwards Twins, two brothers, 100 stars, master vocal and makeup illusionists
March 16-17: Lunch Club Matinee, Yanni’s featured vocalist Lauren Jelencovich in concert
March 18-April 3: Deathtrap play
April 9-10: Richard Barker, hypnotist, entrepreneur, entertainer, author, public speaker and TV personality
April 29-May 15: Same Time, Next Year play
May 28: Spidey, mentalist

The Delray Beach Playhouse, founded in 1947, moved to its current location along Lake Ida in 1958. Pictured is a set from a production in those early years, probably late 1950s. The second of four main productions this season at the venue opens Jan. 28. Photo provided

Delray Beach Playhouse marks 75 years of community theater

Related Story: ‘Musical Journey of Women’ to showcase century of songs

By Ron Hayes

“I never look back,” Randolph DelLago says, looking back.
“I remember driving into the parking lot and being amazed that there was such a beautiful theater in such a beautiful setting.”
That was in May 1982, and the Delray Beach Playhouse was already 35 years old.
This year, DelLago, 74, is marking 40 years as its artistic director, and the playhouse is celebrating 75.
How does a community theater survive and thrive for three-quarters of a century?
Community, of course.
From that day in 1947 when a group of men and women gathered in the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church parish hall to talk about putting on amateur plays, enthusiastic volunteers have been the theater’s life force.
“Amateur means ‘for the love,’” DelLago notes, “and to survive for 75 years in South Florida shows a commitment to a level of quality because we’re so dependent on amateur volunteer talent.”
Eventually, the amateurs outgrew those early one-act plays performed on a tiny stage in the parish hall. They moved to the city’s Civic Center, dared to tackle five productions during each five-month winter season, and became the “Little Theater of Delray Beach.”
In 1957, construction began on a permanent building in Lake Ida Park. Robert Blake, an amateur actor and professional architect, designed the building. Again, volunteers provided much of the carpentry, painting and installation, and in January 1958 the ribbon was cut and the curtain came up on The Philadelphia Story.
The theater’s windows were covered with plastic sheeting to keep out the cold, so when the winter winds blew, the sheeting rattled audibly. The restroom doors opened on the auditorium, so whenever nature drove a theatergoer to seek relief in mid-act, the restroom light flooded the auditorium.
There was no heating and no air conditioning.

ABOVE: The playhouse opened in 1958 in its current location along Lake Ida. ABOVE RIGHT: Delray Beach Playhouse organizers cut the ribbon on the theater in 1958.

But the Little Theater was now the Delray Beach Playhouse, and over time air conditioning arrived, as well as a lobby, dressing rooms and a children’s theater workshop.
And the restrooms no longer opened on the auditorium.
When DelLago arrived from Wilmington, North Carolina, in 1982, he already had an acting job waiting, playing Claudius in an Oklahoma City production of Hamlet. In the meantime, he’d accepted a one-time job guest directing at the Delray Beach Playhouse.
He chose Arsenic & Old Lace, the beloved farce about two elderly spinsters who poison 12 lonely old men with elderberry wine spiked with arsenic, then bury the bodies in their Brooklyn basement.
The victims are never seen during the play, but DelLago persuaded 12 local volunteers to don green makeup and eyeshade each night and join the cast for the curtain call.
“You couldn’t do that in a professional theater,” he points out. “Union rules would require that each of the corpses be paid.”
The play was such a success DelLago was asked to remain as the permanent artistic director. Oklahoma lost a Claudius, and the rest is local community theater history.
Since then, the playhouse has maintained its original vision of presenting five productions each season, a tradition interrupted briefly by the coronavirus threat, when part of the 2020-2021 season was presented as prerecorded online productions.

The Delray Beach Playhouse, seen in recent years, now has a capacity of 238 seats.

“I’m just sorry our 75th anniversary is taking place at a time when some are still not comfortable coming to the theater,” DelLago says.
This will be a four-show season. In addition to A Spider’s Web, which closed Dec. 19, and Respect: A Musical Journey of Women, opening Jan. 28, the playhouse will present Deathtrap in March and Same Time, Next Year in April.
But other shows go on, with matinees of one-act plays, lectures, a separate theater and stage for children’s productions, and the popular “Musical Memories” series, in which DelLago introduces audiences to the works of Broadway composers, accompanied by professional singers.
The tiny stage in the church hall is long past, and DelLago has no intention of leaving any time soon.
“I can’t imagine retirement,” he says. “To have done what I love all these years is an amazing gift. How many people get paid to do what they would do for free?” 

Feb. 5: Delray Beach Initiative’s nautical night of fun will include an authentic cruise experience highlighted by flower leis and themed food and drinks inspired by each port of call. Proceeds benefit Achievement Centers for Children & Families. Time is 7 to 10 p.m. Cost is $30. Call 561-266-0003 or visit achievementcentersfl.org/love-boat. ABOVE: (l-r, seated) Jessica Hall, Peggy Kelleher, Nancy Handler, Carol Eaton, Holly Black, Stephanie Seibel, (standing) Rich Pollack, Dan Paulus, Jeff Schwatz, Alan Glass, Stephen Green, Ted Hoskinson, Jim Nolan, Mitch Katz and Chuck Halberg. Photo provided

Feb. 22 through 24: Wayside House’s premier fundraiser, which kicks off with a preview party, returns in full force featuring unique items from 30-plus vendors from throughout the United States. The party is 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 22. Cost is $125. The show is 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 23 and 24. Cost is free. Call 561-268-0055 or visit waysidehouse.net. ABOVE: Chairwomen Lisa Hayes Jankowski and Martha Grimm. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

Two years have passed since the last Call to Heart Ball benefiting the Caridad Center, a vital Boynton Beach nonprofit providing free health care to uninsured people.
On Jan. 25, 2020, more than 330 guests filled the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa in Manalapan and raised nearly $500,000. On Jan. 29, a modest 200 will gather in the same luxurious location with coronavirus safety protocols in place.
“Hopefully, we’re still going to raise the same amount of money,” CEO Laura Kallus said.
Renamed the Essential Call to Heart Ball, the evening affair will celebrate the center’s core donors as well as its core patients.
“We wanted to focus on our essential donors who really came through for us during the pandemic,” Kallus said. “Our patients are essential workers — the ones who did not have the privilege of staying home.”
The ball also will highlight the essential nature of the largest no-cost clinic in Florida. It annually serves 5,000 of the area’s poorest people through a network of 170-plus volunteer providers.
“If the past two years have taught us anything, it’s how essential we are in the services we provide to the community,” Kallus said. “It is glaringly obvious that the way to help prevent the spread is to provide health care to those who are uninsured.”
The ball will have a cocktail reception followed by dinner, entertainment and a live auction. Dress is black-tie optional.
“We’re going to keep it as celebratory as possible,” Kallus said. “I think we all need that now.”

ABOVE RIGHT: Shahid Freeman and Caridad Center co-founder and board member Connie Berry at the 2020 ball. Photo provided

If You Go
What: Essential Call to Heart Ball
When: 6 p.m. Jan. 29
Where: Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan
Cost: $500
Information: 561-853-1638 or www.caridad.org

The campus officially opened the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence, marking a major milestone. The facility will play a central role in elevating the school’s standing in education and sports while helping students reach their potential. ‘We are extremely grateful to all of the generous donors who have supported the construction of this outstanding facility on our Boca Raton campus,’ FAU President John Kelly said. ‘Our journey to complete this state-of-the-art facility started with the Schmidts’ vision to build a complex that would benefit all our students. Today, this vision is a reality for FAU and the community we serve.’ ABOVE: With the Owls mascots are (l-r) Christopher Delisio, Dan Gropper, Kelly, Michelle Maros, Barbara and Dick Schmidt, Anthony Barbar and Brian White. Photo provided

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Delray Beach’s fundraising event broke a record by generating $190,000. Proceeds will help the club’s hunger-relief efforts and provide more than 100,000 nutritious meals. ‘We are so excited to have been able to host this special event in person, and we are proud it was such a success,’ co-chairwoman Virginia Costa said. ‘All were excited to see their friends after so long and to support an organization that is near and dear to their hearts.’ ABOVE: Susan and Michael Mullin. BELOW: Jennifer and Stephen Streit. Photos provided

Connected Warriors had a special ceremony on Veterans Day for the grand opening of its Veterans Outpatient Behavioral Health Treatment Center. The Boca Raton center will provide free counseling and customized treatment to clients through a network of licensed mental health professionals. ‘Our veterans need a place to receive instant help,’ Connected Warriors founder Judy Weaver said. ‘When they are struggling and at their lowest, that is the time for no bureaucracy, that is the time to say, come in, you are safe, I am here for you.’ ABOVE: Connected Warriors advisory board members (l-r) Jeff Burks, Jan Savarick, Keith O’Donnell, Weaver, David Frankel, Odette Artime and Bill Greenfield. Photo provided

Florence Fuller Child Development Centers’ signature fundraiser brought in $1 million and celebrated the agency’s 50th anniversary. The elegant evening included a cocktail hour, a silent auction, dinner and dancing and a ceremony naming Peggy Henry Van Dorp as the inaugural Legacy Society honoree. ‘We are so grateful for the unwavering kindness and commitment of our supporters who believe in investing in our children and families, securing our future,’ CEO Ellyn Okrent said. ABOVE: (l-r) Hiromi Printz, Simone Spiegel, Stacey Packer and Peg Anderson. LEFT: Dr. John Westine and Gail Wasserman. BELOW: (l-r, front) Carrie Rubin, Kathy Adkins, Denise Zimmerman, (back) Dana Weiss, Lauren Johnson, Megan Escamilla, Heidi Johnson Adams and Van Dorp. Photos provided

Close to 300 guests attended Best Foot Forward’s sold-out event and helped generate more than $250,000 to support the needs of children in foster care beyond the academic support the organization provides. Examples include medical expenses such as contact lenses or glasses and orthopedic braces as well as gas cards and Uber rides to enable youths to get where they need to go. ‘This was a memorable event, and we raised a significant amount of money to support student essentials like birthday celebrations, field trip money, senior year activities, groceries and college summer housing, which are often overlooked but are extremely important,’ co-founder Donna Biase said. ABOVE: (l-r, front) Robyn Moncrief, Christine Paige, Juliet Young, Claire Borghei, (back) Samer Fahmy, Haroula Norden, Mark Larkin, Maureen Mann, Brian Altschuler, Freyda Burns and Renee Burns. RIGHT: Danielle Rosse and Rochelle LeCavalier. Photos provided by Gina Fontana

Chad Birdsall and Jenna Fluehr were married Nov. 13 by Father Paul Pierce at St. Hugh Catholic Church, with the reception at the Mr. C Hotel in Coconut Grove. Jenna, 32, is the daughter of Lori and Chris Fluehr of Boca Raton. She is a director of finance for Discovery Inc. She graduated from Florida State University with a bachelor’s in finance and entrepreneurship and earned her MBA at the University of Tampa. Her mother is retired from the Chicago Tribune, where she was an advertising representative. Her father is a certified financial planner with Raymond James Financial. Chad, 33, is head of market operations with Bungalow Inc. He formerly was a manager for Uber in Singapore. He graduated from Ohio University with a bachelor’s in marketing. He is the son of Barbara and Cliff Birdsall of Dublin, Ohio. Barbara is retired from the Dublin School Board. Cliff is retired from Forward Air Inc., where he was vice president. The newlyweds met in Washington, D.C., and will reside there.

By Amy Woods

Leon and Toby Cooperman have made a transformational gift of $2 million to the Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services that will launch a capital campaign for a new center.
The Toby and Leon Cooperman Therapy & Family Resource Center, set to open this spring in Boca Raton, will be a one-stop shop for families with special needs.
“We are so pleased to be able to support causes and agencies that we care about,” Toby Cooperman said.
Added Leon Cooperman, “Rales JFS truly makes a difference in people’s lives. We believe that agencies like Rales JFS deserve support for the important services they provide, and we are blessed to be in a position to contribute to the creation of this new center.”
For more information, call 561-852-3333 or visit https://ralesjfs.org.

Gift to go toward FAU athletes’ mental health
The Schmidt Family Foundation has made a gift of $670,000 to create a position for an athletics mental health services director at Florida Atlantic University. The gift also establishes the FAU Athletics Mental Health Fund.
FAU Athletics Director Brian White said the gift is important to the development of student athletes.
“The health and well-being of our student athletes is our absolute highest priority,” White said. “Enhancing our mental health resources is critical to the holistic approach we are taking regarding student athlete wellness.”
For more information, call 561-297-3000 or visit https://fausports.com.

PBAU fundraiser to honor Women of Distinction
South County philanthropists Ronnie Heyman and Lois Pope have been selected as Palm Beach Atlantic University’s 2022 Women of Distinction.
The women will be recognized at a Feb. 22 luncheon at The Breakers in Palm Beach. Proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships for female students.
Women of Distinction is the school’s largest fundraiser. It was canceled in 2021 because of the pandemic.
For more information, call 561-803-2971 or visit www.pba.edu.

Boating & Beach Bash organizers need boats
The American Disabilities Foundation is requesting that captains offer their vessels and fuel for free rides to be given at the Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities.
Fifteen boats of more than 25 feet long are needed for the Feb. 20 event, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Spanish River Park in Boca Raton.
People who are interested can contact Liz Schmidt at 612-309-1363 or email lizschmidt1363@gmail.com.
The Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities is the nation’s largest event for children and adults with disabilities.
For more information, call 561-715-2622 or visit www.boatingbeachbash.com.

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

Buffalo cauliflower drumettes from Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton. Photo provided by Gyorgy Papp

By Jan Norris

Ah, those New Year resolutions — here they come again.
If they include eating healthier, you’re in luck — a number of spots will put you on the right road in South County.
Along with a dine-in meal — breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner — many of them also offer meal plans to provide their foods at home. They can be customized for number of days per week, as well as menu choices.
To understand some of the terms on these menus, here’s a brief rundown:
Gluten free: Foods free of products containing wheat, barley, rye and triticale. The strictest restaurants do not cross contaminate with gluten products — crucial for people with celiac disease.
Vegetarian: Foods free of animal flesh or byproducts. Some vegetarians are ovo-lacto, meaning they will eat eggs — including caviar — and dairy products, or consume byproduct foods where no animal is killed; thus these dishes are marked vegetarian.
Vegan: Totally animal-free foods (these foods have “no mother or a face”). Includes products such as honey, produced by insects.
Raw: Primarily organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, sprouts and seeds. No food is warmed beyond 118 degrees. Not necessarily vegetarian (raw milk, sushi, and carpaccio organic meats are eaten by some raw foodists).
Paleo: Unprocessed foods that would have been obtained by hunter-gatherers; wild, natural foods. Typically lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouts and seeds. Grass-fed and wild game meats are paleo. Dairy, refined sugar, wheat and farmed grains and legumes are avoided.
Sustainable: Briefly, foods that are environmentally and economically friendly, provide social benefits for growers, harvesters and their communities, and those that avoid wasting natural resources. This group of foods has a long list of attributes.
Locally grown: This can mean a wide region, especially in South Florida, where growing season is a short fall and winter. Ask for farm names and confirm with the farms, if you are concerned.
Here are some restaurants where you can find some of these foods on their menus:
A few are casual upscale restaurants, such as True Food Kitchen in Town Center, Boca Raton. Gluten-free, vegan, paleo and grass-fed are a few of the terms you’ll find on the menu. Along with full service, as well as takeout or delivery, it offers customizable meal-prep services.
Overall, True Food Kitchen offers a lot of options, especially for groups dining out with a variety of tastes. From pizzas, sandwiches and bowls to full entrees that can be customized, the restaurant strives to accommodate its diners. It is linked to Dr. Andrew Weil, a noted cookbook and healthy food author.
Farmer’s Table in the Wyndham Hotel in Boca Raton offers a number of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as more traditional fare from sustainable and local sources. Chef/owner Joseph Giannuzzi is known in the community for his “green” food objective — healthy and sustainable.
Raw salads, vegan quinoa or chicken meatballs, pasta made from squash and vegan cheeses are some of the items on the seasonal menu. Side items emphasize plant-based foods, and Buffalo drumettes are made with cauliflower, served with a vegan ranch dip.
With baby back ribs and roasted salmon on the menu, there’s a dish for everyone in your group.
At Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach (also in Boca Raton in Royal Palm Place), the dishes lean more paleo than vegetarian or vegan, but each is available. Bison meatloaf, shrimp and grits, and a buffalo meat burger served with a roster of vegetables give meat-eaters healthier options.
Pizzas with cauliflower and seed crusts are gluten free, and some are vegetarian and vegan.
Greens are organic, and some vegan offerings include a vegan-veggie burger, as well as an avocado Caesar salad.
Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar, at 1841 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, provides a full restaurant and wine bar experience. The emphasis is on seasonal fare, using local ingredients with unusual sauces and sides.
The roasted mushroom toast appetizer has a white bean-cashew “crema,” along with a charred cipollini, pomegranate and sorrel combo. There’s a warm butternut squash dip, and organic hummus served with an Israeli apple-celery slaw and naan.
Both grass-fed beef and bison burgers are available, as is a wild-mushroom cheese steak sandwich. Three entree bowls are on the menu: quinoa and vegetables; black beans and rice; and Korean vegetable fried grains. They are available with proteins such as chicken, shrimp, salmon and organic tofu.
One section of the menu is devoted to plant-based vegan, including an all-veggie burger, eggplant parmesan, pumpkin ravioli and an “Impossible Chorizo Burrito.”
Joey and Victor Weiss, a wife and husband duo, run Joey’s Home Bakery Gluten Free in Boynton Beach, at 1532 SW Eighth St. You can find a full roster of baked goods, including their new gooey cinnamon bun, and loaves of bread, pastries and treats — all gluten free. Many offerings are paleo and vegan, including cakes, cookies and quiches.
All products are baked in-house, including their gluten-free bagels. They offer both delivery and takeout. Specialties are on the board.
A number of small cafés dot Pineapple Grove in Delray Beach with healthy offerings in a casual, counter-serve atmosphere.
At Roots, in the Delray Beach Market food hall, you’ll find a variety of bold flavors in the vegan dishes, such as squash tamales with a cashew sauce, hearts of palm tacos and Buffalo fried cauliflower. Find the unusual jackfruit used on a Reuben sandwich. Counter takeout and communal seating are available.
In Boynton Beach, the Organic Kitchen and Mercantile, at 640 E. Ocean Ave., is open for breakfast and lunch with farm-raised meats, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free foods. The restaurant features a small café, takeout, and meal delivery plans.
The menu includes granola bowls, croissant sandwiches, brioche, and California style huevos rancheros. Organic, pasture-raised hen eggs, vegan cheese and nitrate-free bacon are featured.
Salads such as grilled artichoke arugula, a tahini green kale, and King Caesar can be dressed with chicken breast, sea scallops and local soft-shell crabcakes.
Buddha bowls and numerous sandwiches also are on the menu. Sides include air-fried veggies and potatoes.
In Boca Raton, the Living Green Cafe is set in the Fifth Avenue Shops at 2202 N. Federal Highway. A variety of sandwiches and wraps with vegan and gluten-free offerings are available. The specialties are fresh juices and smoothies, along with coffees and teas.
Brunch is served every day. Goat’s toast — vegetarian multigrain toast, avocado, dill, red onion and goat cheese, served with a side of greens — is a star offering.
Also on the menu are gluten-free, vegan pancakes; a protein omelet; the hippy omelet (avocado, onions, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and pesto); and a Greek bagel (with Greek yogurt, blueberries, honey and orange zest).
The establishment is also a small grocery with the same green products and fresh produce on the menu sold in a green-market format.
The Healthy Spot, a small takeout-only juice bar, is in the Shops at University Park, 141 NW 20th St., Boca Raton.
Smoothies, protein coffees, and energy teas start the menu, with healthy snacks in the mix such as protein waffles and protein donuts, as well as a donut “shot” that purports to “control hunger and reduce fat.”
Acai berry bowls and “loaded” teas have healthy properties spelled out on the menu. Power smoothies have flavors such as choco-peanut butter, strawberry shortcake and double chocolate.
Foods can be customized (sugar- and gluten-free) or come with certain macros added.
The shop has online ordering for pickup.

In brief
The New Vegan, a popular spot in Delray Beach for creative and house-made vegan foods, has closed. Fans of the Johnson family’s soul food offerings made completely from plant-based sources, including a take on fried chicken, now must go elsewhere for vegan, gluten-free and soy-free foods. No word on whether the establishment will open elsewhere to the public.

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

By Janis Fontaine

As South Florida adjusts to the coronavirus pandemic, in-person services and meetings are restarting.
One group that begins meeting again in January after an extended hiatus is the Interfaith Café, a discussion group that talks about cross-faith topics. The group is hosted by the Interfaith Coalition, a clergy group that coordinated events like family days at the park and an Interfaith Earth Day.
The monthly meeting features a presentation followed by a discussion and refreshments at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach. All are welcome.
This month’s meeting is from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 20. The topic for discussion: emotions of reconnecting. The guest speaker is life coach Rosemarie Rose-Spencer of Wellington.
She is a retired Department of Defense administrator with a background in mediation, motivational speaking and helping military families handle transitions. That gives her a keen perspective about handling intense emotions.
For more information, visit www.meetup.com/Interfaith-Cafe.

Islamic Center open house
The Islamic Center of Boca Raton, 3480 NW Fifth Ave., hosts a monthly open house from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Thursday of the month. Everyone is welcome and no reservations are needed. The next meeting is Jan. 6.
Anyone who is new to or interested in Islam, clear from misconceptions, will find this free event engaging and educational. Refreshments are served followed by a tour of the mosque and question/answer session. Call 561-395-7221 or visit www.icbr.org.

Old ritual at Unity of Delray
Unity of Delray Beach will hold its White Stone Ceremony at 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at the church, 101 NW 22nd St.
This evening of self-awareness has its roots in an ancient ritual that helped each individual focus on a personal path by selecting a new name.
This new name was written on a white stone tablet and signified freedom from the past, from who the person was. As they began a new year, participants made commitments and declared what their focuses would be by calling forth the new names.
Everyone is welcomed. For more information, call 561-276-5796.

Anti-abortion public rosary
Join in prayer for the protection of the unborn child with the Most Rev. Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop of Palm Beach, who will lead the rosary at 11 a.m. Jan. 22, at the old courthouse, 300 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach.
For more information, contact the Respect Life Ministry office at 561-360-3330 or visit www.ccdpb.org/programs/respect-life.

Catholic Days at the Capitol
Congregants from St. Lucy Catholic Church in Highland Beach will join Catholics from around the state at Catholic Days at the Capitol, Feb. 1-2 in Tallahassee.
This is an opportunity to attend a legislative briefing with elected officials and see the place where laws are made and changed. On day 2, enjoy a breakfast with the bishops of Florida and legislators. A votive Mass will be celebrated at the end of the event.
For more information, visit www.ccdpb.org or call Deanna Herbst-Hoosac at 561-360-3330 or email dherbst@ccdpb.org.

Research from FAU’s college of nursing showed battery-operated cats lifted moods of people in cognitive decline even though they were told the cats were not real. Photo provided by FAU

By Arden Moore

Numerous studies published in the past two decades echo what many of us already know in our hearts: Pets are good for our mental health. But a new study based on research conducted by Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing verifies that the healing power of pets is not limited to real ones.
Yes, even battery-operated robotic cats can improve mood, behavior and cognition in older adults with mild to moderate dementia. And, during this pandemic roller-coaster ride that limits visits to senior care facilities and hospitals, these high-tech felines are proving to be purr-fect mood-boosting companions.
In 2019, Bryanna Streit LaRose conducted a study on the impact of robotic cats for her doctorate of nursing practice project.
“I decided to use this as my project because I remember growing up and visiting my grandma who was in a memory care unit at a nursing home,” says LaRose. “When visiting her, my family would bring our two dogs. I still remember how all of the residents’ faces lit up with joy and excitement as the dogs approached them.”
LaRose teamed up with Lisa Kirk Wiese, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor; and Maria Ortega, DNP, APRN, director of FAU’s Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center, to co-author the results of this study. It was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Issues in Mental Health Nursing.
In the study, a dozen robotic cats — all black-and-white fluffy “tuxedo” types — “interacted” with attendees at the FAU adult day wellness center for 12 visits. Each battery-operated kitty would purr, cuddle and softly blink its eyes as study participants would talk to them, place them on their laps and even take naps with them.
“We made it clear to them that these are not real cats, but that they were welcome to name their cat,” says Wiese. “The participants in our study gave them names, including Fluffy and Happy, and a couple even named their cats after their spouses. After the study ended, we offered the participants to take their cats home. Some have continued to bring their cat on doctor appointments or took them with them when they moved. A caregiver mentioned that the cat was a wonderful distraction for her mother with dementia when the caregiver needed to be in the kitchen to cook dinner.”
The pandemic closed FAU’s adult day center for about a year, so these robotic cats are now in homes and senior care centers with ongoing research taking place virtually for health safety reasons.
“We now have people from all over the state,” says Wiese. “If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia, we welcome your participation.”
In the United States, it is estimated that one in three older adults dies with dementia-related diseases. Although there is no cure yet, this non-medication option using robotic cats has improved mood scores in participants.
“Engagement with pets increases your endorphins and helps decrease your risk of cognitive decline,” says Wiese. “These robotic cats help some relate back to a time when they had pets and evoke feelings of joy and happiness. They definitely help to lift one’s spirits.”
Another advantage in using robotic cats during the pandemic is the absence of worries about the safety or care of a real therapy cat or dog during visits.
“The robotic cats we used mimicked real cats,” says LaRose. “Research shows that they seem to provide a sense of comfort and a calming effect.”
What’s next for these FAU robotic cats? They will be used in a project to see how they may combat loneliness as well as physical and psychological symptoms of dementia in older adults in this coronavirus time.
The pandemic has prevented me and my certified therapy cat Casey and dog Kona from visiting memory care centers together. We miss interacting with the residents.
So, I am hoping that more centers will take FAU’s lead and offer these battery-operated felines to generate smiles and joy for people with memory issues. The sound of a sweet purr and the feel of a fluffy coat from a real or faux feline can definitely bring on happy smiles.

Read the study
Here is the link to view the complete study published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01612840.2021.1979142

Sign up for a robotic cat
Florida residents are eligible to order a robotic cat for free through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. These special cats are for people with health-related issues and are not just toys. Also, it takes about eight to 12 weeks for delivery. Learn more at this link:
https://elderaffairs.org/programs-services/livable-florida/livable-initiatives/

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, author, speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor. She hosts Oh Behave! weekly on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com.

Palm Beach County is preparing for a second phase at the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, west of Boynton Beach. Plans include a boardwalk, picnic area, playground and pavilion on 63 acres and connected to the current wetlands. Completion is expected in 2025. The orange lines show existing pipes. BELOW RIGHT: A mother bobcat and three cubs have been spotted at Green Cay. Some photos have made it onto Facebook. Rendering and photo provided

By Rich Pollack

Alligators, owls and bobcats, oh my!
No, they’re not at a zoo far away, they’re all here in our backyard at the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, tucked into a residential area west of Boynton Beach.
And January marks the beginning of peak season for migratory birds, flocking to the 100-acre preserve to escape the cold weather up North and, in some cases, to make a quick stop and recharge on the way to South America.
“At Green Cay you’re almost guaranteed to see something when you’re there,” says Jo Ann Ricchiuti of South Palm Beach, a wildlife photographer and a frequent visitor to the boardwalk that winds through the wetlands.
Throughout the year, bird watchers can find as many as 100 species — from hawks and great blue herons to least bitterns and ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Then there are the seldom-seen birds that stop by for a few days. Each year is different and even the regulars never know what they’ll see.
“Every once in a while, there will be a rare bird that draws a lot of attention,” says Bobby Seals, Green Cay Nature Center manager.
The rare bird this time was a barred owl, or maybe two, that stayed at Green Cay for a couple of weeks.
Green Cay has also been known to attract the Eastern screech owl, which is smaller and harder to spot.
But the rare birds were overshadowed by the presence of a mother bobcat and three cubs, who had been seen for a few months dashing though the parking lot, snoozing on a berm or hunting for rodents.
“Everybody’s been going nuts over the bobcats,” says Ricchiuti.
Bobcats are migratory and somewhat reclusive. Seals says they had not been seen at the center for a while.

Late afternoon light makes the display plumes on this great blue heron glow, while it stands in water near the boardwalk at Green Cay Wetlands on Dec. 4. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Best times to visit
For people looking for birds, the best time to visit Green Cay is early in the morning, or later as it’s getting dark, Seals says. This month and next are when visitors are likely to see the most birds.
Not every Green Cay visitor is there to see the birds, however. Some come just to be in a calming natural environment, while others come for a daily walk. It’s also a great place to bring the kids.
“We were there the other day,” Ricchiuti says, “and there were whole families all enjoying nature.”
In addition to the 1.5-mile boardwalk that winds through a variety of habitats — from cypress swamps to hardwood tropical hammocks — Green Cay has an expansive nature center with a variety of displays.
The nature center also holds meetings and environmental presentations, including Science for Seniors.
The next Science for Seniors is 1 p.m. Jan. 21, when a presentation on camouflage in nature is scheduled.
The Feb. 18 program will be about purple martins — frequent visitors. Programs are $5 each.

Major expansion coming
First open to the public in 2005, Green Cay is built on farmland sold to the county by Ted and Trudy Winsberg at a very reduced price. In addition to attracting wildlife and tourists, Green Cay serves as a reclaimed water facility, naturally filtering millions of gallons of water each day.
A new chapter in the evolution of Green Cay is about to begin as Palm Beach County plans a massive $40 million expansion that will include a state-of-the-art water purification facility, making it possible for fishing and kayaking in newly created lakes.
This phase of Green Cay, to be built on 63 acres east of the wetlands, will include a boardwalk, picnic area, playground, shaded fitness area and a pavilion.
Although the current wetlands will remain largely the same, the two phases of Green Cay will be connected. Now in the preliminary stages, phase two of Green Cay is expected to be completed in 2025.
While the expansion will provide new recreational opportunities, it will all have an important positive environmental impact.
“This next phase will combine some of the latest technologies in water reuse coupled with new environmental, recreational and educational opportunities for our community,” said Todd Bonlarron, an assistant Palm Beach County administrator. “The new purification facility will be the first of its kind in the state and provide the highest quality of water to a new 63-acre recreation park.”
For more information about Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, visit https://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/Pages/GreenCay.aspx

Captain Willie Howard is taking some time off but will return soon.

Joan Witter, who coined the name ’Ladies of the Garden’ for her crew, describes what needs to be done during one of their weekly meet-ups at the club grounds. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

This is the first in a series on four local garden clubs.

By Jan Engoren

With tips such as “keeping homegrown roses for future decorating” and topics such as “Everything We Need to Know About Crotons” and “Sustainable Gardening in Florida,” the Boca Raton Garden Club has inspired gardeners and would-be gardeners alike.
Celebrating 68 years in 2022, the nonprofit has missions of stimulating knowledge of gardens among amateurs, encouraging civic beautification, maintaining Florida’s natural beauty and furthering club programs.
Unlike many other garden clubs, the Boca Raton club has its own building and grounds. It owns the property at 4281 NW Third Ave., complete with native plants, orchids and flowering trees.
The grounds are maintained by the club’s “dirt gardeners,” women who work in and maintain the gardens.
Joan Witter is one of them, but she prefers the term “Ladies of the Garden.”
Witter joined the club three years ago when she retired from her horticulture and landscaping business.
Originally from Iowa, Witter says, “Green is green wherever you go.” She meets with her crew on Mondays, when they maintain the grounds by propagating, weeding, trimming and relocating plants.
They have 50 native orchids growing in trees, bromeliads, the yesterday-today-and-tomorrow plant (Brunfelsia pauciflora), the Chinese hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea), Dombeya trees, thryallis evergreen shrubs, clerodendrum and hibiscus shrubs, among others.
The club, which has 150 members, holds its meetings the first Tuesday of each month from October through May at 1 p.m. Meetings are open to the public and visitors are welcome at one or two meetings before joining. Annual dues are $50 in addition to $12 for administrative fees.
Mary Kaub, a former teacher and second-term president of the club, joined nine years ago when she became an empty nester. “I’ve learned so much about native plants, the environment and landscaping,” she says. “There is a wealth of information among our members.”
Kaub studied three years to become an accredited floral design judge and says she has taught all four grandchildren how to garden.
“Once they put down the computer, come outside and see a cocoon with a butterfly, they’re hooked,” Kaub says.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Kaub, Dellie Krebs and other members sewed nearly 2,500 face masks for members of the community and health care workers. 
The club participates in the Million Orchid Project created by the American Orchid Society and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami. The project was launched in 2013 to reintroduce native orchids in the environment. Orchids, once naturally abundant in Florida, were displaced by urbanization, and this is an effort to allow them to flourish naturally.
Additionally, the club hosts a junior gardening program at Whispering Pines Elementary School and before the pandemic did garden therapy with Alzheimer’s patients at the FAU Memory and Wellness Center.
Club members partner with the city to maintain Boca Raton’s Community Garden, work on conservation efforts, and provide scholarships to students in horticulture or other science fields.
The club’s ownership of the property dates to 1964, when after some fundraisers it put down $6,000 for three lots.
The land had a structure originally used by the Air Force during World War II as a boiler room and coal bin. The club had it rebuilt to include an office, kitchen, restrooms and a horticulture room. In four years, the women paid off the mortgage of $21,491.77.
In 1971, they added an auditorium, stage and sound system, which they use to this day. They raise funds year-round to support such efforts.
In addition to a bi-annual flower show, fundraisers include the Trash to Treasures, Vintage Jewelry and Plant Sale set for Feb. 18-19; creating custom ornaments; and Holiday House, a craft, baked goods and plant sale which ran in October and raised $18,000.
“Come and join us,” Witter says. “Not only is gardening a wonderful way to learn in a hands-on way, but you will meet some wonderful people.”

The club will hold its general meeting at 1 p.m. Jan. 4 in its clubhouse, 4281 NW Third Ave. The speaker will be floral designer Susie Slater, who will present “Horticulture in Design Arts,” an overview and demonstration. Free and open to the public. For more info call 561-395-9376 or visit bocaratongardenclub.org.

St. Paul’s music director David Macfarlane with members of his choir. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

The music ministry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has been bringing well-loved classical and chamber music to Delray Beach for more than 30 years, and the church has provided accomplished musicians with a venerable venue: the acoustically perfect parish hall.
In January, David Macfarlane will celebrate his one-year anniversary as director of the church’s music ministries. On Dec. 12, the church hosted its popular “Festival of Lessons and Carols” to a full house.
“We all felt the promise of a rebirth, like a weight lifting off of us,” Macfarlane said. “Tears were shed.”
The church continues to follow the diocese leadership where the coronavirus is concerned, so the choir continues to wear masks even while performing. “It’s uncomfortable and unpleasant, but I believe we present a model for others, so we follow the guidelines the church has set,” Macfarlane said.
Everyone has sacrificed in the name of caution.
“I’m 63 years old and 2020 was the first time I didn’t go to church on Christmas Eve,” Macfarlane said.
He was raised in the Lutheran church, and he began playing the organ in church in the eighth grade.
Macfarlane earned a degree in organ performance from the University of Illinois, a master’s from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music and a doctorate from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he received the Elizabeth Wyckoff Durham Award for keyboard performance.
His career includes 18 years as the director of music and organist at the First Presbyterian Church in Englewood, New Jersey, and 10 years at the Church of the Holy Trinity on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Macfarlane admits he had his eye on St. Paul’s position for a while. He bought a vacation condo in Oakland Park years ago and knew about the legacy of music at St. Paul’s. But when the position opened up a few years ago, Macfarlane wasn’t ready. His two sons (foster children he adopted) were still teenagers and he didn’t want to uproot them.
Now they’re 23 and 25 and out on their own. The timing was right. “I feel it was fated,” Macfarlane said.
The classical and chamber music for which the ministry is known is a passion for the organist.
“I believe it’s an example of ‘bring your best to God,’” he said. “Music is an art but it’s also an educational tool we can use to reach people.”
Macfarlane still lives in Oakland Park and makes the 25-minute drive to Delray Beach for work. He shares his condo with a rat terrier mix he rescued in 2021.
This year’s schedule features returning favorites and some new performers. The Delray String Quartet returns as the artists-in-residence. Other familiar faces include pianist Roberta Rust, Duo Beaux Arts, the Con Brio Quartet and the Girl Choir of South Florida. The finalists of the Lynn University chamber competition will perform. New this year will be the Palisades Virtuosi, a flute, clarinet and piano trio, a favorite of Macfarlane.
• “Mozart Juxtaposed,” featuring Rust on piano: 3 p.m. Feb. 13. $20. Free for 18 and younger.
• DSQ in the Round: Child Prodigies: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25. Featuring the Delray String Quartet. Seating is arranged 360 degrees around the performers in the parish hall. Reserved seating $60 and $50.
• Choral Evensong for the First Sunday in Lent: 5 p.m. March 6. Featuring the Chancel Choir of St. Paul’s and Macfarlane.
• DSQ in the Round: A Princess and a Bird: 7:30 p.m. March 25. Featuring the Delray String Quartet. Reserved seating $60 and $50.
• Lynn University Conservatory of Music 2022 Chamber Music Competition finalists: 3 p.m. April 3. $20. Free for age 18 and younger.
St. Paul’s is at 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. 561-276-4541; https://stpaulsdelray.org.

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.

By Christine Davis

The Palm Beach Health Network, made up of six hospitals including Delray Medical Center, supports opportunities for women to succeed in leadership roles. A McKinsey study on women in the workplace found that in 2021, 24% of C-suite members — or upper management — were female across all industries, and that number rose to 30% in health care.
In the Palm Beach Health Network, close to 70% of its top executives are female. They include Aganette Joseph, associate administrator for Delray Medical Center; Maria Morales-Menendez, chief operating officer for Delray Medical Center; Billie Young, IT director for Delray Medical Center and the Palm Beach Health Network; Amy Harrison-Daughtry, group director of health information management for the Palm Beach Health Network; and the top executive, Maggie Gill, CEO of Delray Medical Center and Palm Beach Health Network.
“I am proud that our female leaders are recognized for their strong work and that we are able to provide opportunities for them to advance their careers,” Gill said. “These women truly exemplify our commitment to delivering the highest quality care in the communities we serve. The Palm Beach Health Network is deeply invested in mentoring future female leaders and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion for everyone.”

***

Dr. Lloyd Zucker, medical director of neurosurgery for Delray Medical Center, which now offers a new scalpel-free treatment for Parkinson’s disease tremor patients, recently treated his first patient using sound wave energy to treat brain tissue at the source of the tremor. No surgical incision or anesthesia is necessary.
“I am honored to be able to not only treat the first patient at Delray Medical Center with this new groundbreaking procedure, but the first in any hospital in the region,” Zucker said. “We are now able to give those who suffer from this disease a chance to get back to living their lives, and pursuing their daily activities. We are at an exciting time in medicine when it comes to treating neuro disorders, and this technology is a game changer for patients who have suffered from Parkinson’s disease.”

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Richard S. Isaacson, M.D., neurologist and researcher, is director of the newly launched FAU Center for Brain Health within the Schmidt College of Medicine.
 He also will direct the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic and lead an academic clinical research program aimed at reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Lewy body dementia in individuals with a family history of these diseases who do not yet have any cognitive decline or other clinical complaints.
“Most people are unaware that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias begin silently in the brain decades before memory loss and other symptoms begin,” Isaacson said. “This leaves ample time to make brain-healthy choices in an effort to reduce risk and protect against cognitive decline. I am excited to join FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine to help identify patients at risk and to design personalized prevention strategies to delay or possibly prevent the onset of these diseases.”
Isaacson will maintain a clinical research program for individualized prevention for patients at risk. The FAU Center for Brain Health will support basic research, clinical care, education and outreach. The center plans to grow the clinical team to begin seeing patients in the second quarter of 2022.
In the meantime, the center has launched a free online course on brain health for the public at https://faumedicine.org/alz/course.
For information about the programs available at the FAU Center for Brain Health, visit http://faumedicine.org/alz.

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St. Mary’s Medical Center & the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital appointed Jessica Miller as its chief nursing officer in December.
“This is homecoming for Jessica, as she is returning to Tenet Healthcare where she has spent much of her career, and she was actually born at St. Mary’s Medical Center, giving her strong family ties to this community,” said Cynthia McCauley, chief executive officer of the medical center and children’s hospital.

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Palm Beach County has been recognized as one of 10 winners from across the United States of the 2020-2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize.
Palm Health Foundation, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, and Palm Beach County Youth Services Department collaborated on the application process.
Palm Beach County was recognized for pursuing innovative ideas and bringing partners together around a shared vision of health, including expanding access to behavioral health, focusing on youth and elevating resident leadership.
The awards were presented at a virtual ceremony in November.

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