A hatchling green turtle makes its way into the surf. Green turtles typically nest every other year. Photo provided

By Rich Pollack

At first glance, the dramatic drop in the number of sea turtle nests along the Palm Beach County coastline during the 2018 nesting season appears alarming.
Overall, the number of turtle nests on beaches from Boca Raton to Tequesta dropped about 33 percent — from 39,715 to 26,458 — according to numbers compiled by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Those numbers, however, don’t tell the whole story because they are skewed by an expected drop in the number of green sea turtle nests — with 2018 seeing close to 12,000 fewer green turtle nests than the year before.
Because the pattern for decades has shown that the number of green turtle nests on Florida beaches alternates from extreme lows one year to extreme highs the following year, local turtle researchers are unconcerned by the drop and predict high numbers this year.
“We’re expecting a busy green nesting season,” said David Anderson, sea turtle conservation coordinator for the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton.
Remove the drop in green sea turtle nests from the equation and it appears the 2018 season did not have a lot of surprises. There were only about 1,300 fewer nests last year in Palm Beach County than in 2017, if you don’t include the green turtle nests.
“If you look at it overall, it was about an average year,” said Kelly Martin, a senior environmental analyst for the Palm Beach County Department of Environmental Resources Management.
Though there were large amounts of sargassum seaweed on the beaches, and some red tides, neither seemed to have much visible impact on nesting or on the number of eggs that hatched in 2018.
Along with the drop in green turtle nests, there was a slight decline in the number of loggerhead turtle nests on county beaches, from 26,245 in 2017 to 24,876 last year. Again, the drop didn’t set off alarm bells, in part because most species of sea turtles nest every two to three years.
“Loggerhead numbers seemed pretty normal,” said Luciano Soares, assistant research scientist for the FWC’s marine turtle program.
There was actually a significant increase in the number of leatherback turtle nests in 2018, with 305 nests compared with 207 in 2017.
In the southern portion of the county, South Palm Beach had an increase in the number of loggerheads, to 1,432 nests in 2018 from 1,352 in 2017. Delray Beach also saw a slight rise, with the number of loggerhead nests increasing from 252 to 271.
Many communities saw increases in leatherback nests, with Boca Raton reporting 18 nests — up from five in 2017 — and Highland Beach reporting seven, up from three the previous year.
In Highland Beach, turtles came ashore to nest 1,825 times, with 955 staying to nest and 870 false crawls. The close to 50-50 ratio is common, according to Barbara James, who coordinates the sea turtle program in the town.
There were some positive signs when it came to hatch rates in 2018 as well.
During an inventory of 645 nests in Highland Beach there was evidence that more than 50,600 hatchlings left their shells, about 75 percent of the overall eggs.
In Boca Raton, the hatch rate was slightly lower at 65 percent, but that was an increase from 58 percent in 2017 and a low of 38 percent in 2016.
Sand temperature and rain, Anderson said, play a large role in those numbers. If the sand is too hot and there’s no rain to cool it down, the egg could be destroyed.
While the hatch rate appeared good in 2018, it’s difficult to know how many hatchlings made it to the ocean or were strong enough to survive once they made it to the water.
Some hatchlings did get caught in the sargassum, Anderson said, with a few rescued by people. Still, some of those young turtles may have used up energy they needed to survive in the ocean while struggling to get past the seaweed.
On its website the FWC says that only about one in 1,000 turtles survives to adulthood, because of predation from birds, crabs and other animals, as well as dehydration if they don’t make it to ocean quickly.
One interesting phenomenon in 2018 was the discovery of sea turtle nests in places that had never seen them before. One Kemp’s ridley nest was discovered as far north as New York.
Could climate change be responsible for a bit of a northern migration, as well as for what seems to be a longer nesting season, which officially begins this month?
That’s a big topic among researchers, who haven’t come to any conclusions yet, local experts say.
Palm Beach County’s Martin points out that the largest concentration of leatherback turtle nests used to be found in Palm Beach County.
Now there are more nests in Martin County than here.
“Climate change could drive turtles to high latitudes,” said Soares, “but not as far north as New York.”
That turtle, researchers say, maybe just got lost.

Sea turtle nesting totals

Boca Raton
2017 – 1,071
2018 – 723
Highland Beach
2017 – 1,829
2018 – 955
Delray Beach
2017 – 304
2018 – 278
Gulf Stream
2017 – 806
2018 – 448
Gulf Stream Park
2017 – 68
2018 – 53
Ocean Ridge (includes Briny Breezes)
2017 – 710
2018 – 638
Manalapan
2017 – 2,013
2018 – 1,071
South Palm Beach
2017 – 1,503
2018 – 1,465
Green turtle nests
2017 – 1,860
2018 – 134

Total nests,
Palm Beach County
2017 – 39,715
2018 – 26,458
Green turtle nests,
countywide
2017 – 13,263
2018 – 1,277

By Steve Plunkett

Town officials are poised to create time limits between 16 and 30 months on future new construction in Gulf Stream.
The new rules, which town commissioners will consider on final reading in March, come after unhappiness at the slow progress at 3140 Polo Drive, an 8,560-square-foot house that passed the three-year mark of building activity in February.
The pending ordinance notes that “lingering construction projects have a negative impact on the health, safety and welfare of town residents.”
The clock will start when a building permit is issued, and the allowable time is based on square footage. Trey Nazzaro, Gulf Stream’s staff attorney, looked at all home construction in town for the past eight years and at Palm Beach’s rules to develop the sliding scale.
Projects up to 3,999 square feet must finish in 16 months; those 6,000 to 10,000 square feet will get 24 months. Anything larger will get 30 months.
“In all the projects dating back to 2011 only one dragged on significantly longer than the proposed schedule. There were, I think, three or four that were one month over,” Nazzaro said.
Extra time can be granted by the Town Commission “for good cause.” Commissioners have the option to impose a fee for additional days, perhaps 10 cents a square foot, Nazzaro said.
Commissioner Paul Lyons wanted to make sure homeowners and contractors received a schedule of fees. “A lot of people get instructions more clearly if they understand the consequences of failure,” he said.
Commissioners also had a lively discussion on a separate proposal to limit time between demolition of a house and the commencement of rebuilding. Nazzaro suggested 30 days, but Vice Mayor Tom Stanley said 90 days was more realistic.
And Commissioner Joan Orthwein said it might be time to shorten the winter ban on construction from six months to five.
Commissioners will review a revised proposal in March.
In other business on Feb. 8:
• Police Chief Edward Allen introduced the town’s newest police officer, Allen O’Neal, who comes to Gulf Stream after five years in Manalapan and 26 years in Riviera Beach.
“We look forward to seeing you around town,” Mayor Scott Morgan said. “It’s a small town and we get to know our police officers.”
• Commissioners agreed to reduce a $200,000 lien on a house at 2900 Avenue Au Soleil to $20,000. The lien started accruing in November 2006 for code violations; property owner Anthony Turner died the following August. His estate, which disputed the validity of the lien, was unable to sell the property with the $200,000 cloud over it, commissioners were told.
As part of the settlement, the estate promised to make the property comply with code within six months.

Richard Granara takes the oath of office after his appointment to the Manalapan Town Commission. He will serve the year remaining on the term of Monica Oberting, who moved away from town. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Dan Moffett

Manalapan commissioners are exploring the possibility of buying the vacant BB&T Bank building at the northeast corner of Plaza del Mar as a new home for the town’s expanded Police Department.
Town Manager Linda Stumpf told the commission during its Feb. 26 meeting that the property, covering roughly two-thirds of an acre, went on the market for about $1.6 million after the branch closed and BB&T merged with SunTrust Banks, Inc.
Commissioners unanimously agreed to seek two appraisals for the property to consider whether negotiating a deal makes sense.
“I’m interested at the right price,” Vice Mayor Peter Isaac said.
A service station stood on the site decades ago, raising the possibility that old gasoline tanks or other environmental problems may be lurking beneath.
The two appraisals are a first step, Town Attorney Keith Davis said, and then commissioners can seek more information as part of due diligence if they decide to proceed with negotiations.
Manalapan expanded its Police Department from eight full-time officers to 12 last year as part of a response to a series of auto thefts. The department also moved its dispatch center from the guard shack on Point Manalapan to Town Hall. A move to the bank site could help provide the space to relieve the department’s growing pains, officials said.
Stumpf said she hoped to have the appraisals for the commission’s review within weeks.
In other business:
• Palm Beach developer Jeff Greene wants to flip the housing pattern on State Road A1A at Manalapan’s southern entrance.
Greene owns the three lots that are adjacent to Boynton Beach Inlet and divided by the road, with a house on the west side of the thoroughfare. He wants to build three new homes on the eastern, oceanfront side of the properties and use the western lots for docks, decks and cabanas.
Greene’s attorney, Ken Kaleel, said the change is logical because “the land mass is greater to the east than to the west.”
A zoning change would affect only seven lots in the town, Kaleel said, and the other owners in the small zone support the move. He said the plan would enhance the “arrival view” when people enter the town from the south.
The commission voted 4-1 to refer the proposal to the town’s Zoning Commission for review. Commissioner Jack Doyle voted against the referral, arguing that new construction on the east side needs sea walls, which the state no longer permits.
“We’re supposed to be forward looking,” Doyle said. “I’m talking about a future disaster here.”
Mayor Keith Waters said even if the town decides to change its code, Greene’s plan would still need state approval to go forward, which could take many months.
“This is a marathon,” Waters said. “It’s not going to happen in one or two meetings, I promise you.”
• Commissioners unanimously approved the appointment of Richard Granara to serve out the year remaining on Monica Oberting’s commission seat, which represents the Point. Oberting, who joined the commission in 2017, sold her home and moved out of Manalapan recently.
Waters said Granara has a background in real estate and construction, “a great deal of experience” that will help the commission. Granara has served on the town’s Zoning Commission for four years.
It was the last commission meeting for Isaac, who after six years on the panel became the first elected official in the town’s history to be ousted because of the term limits voters approved in 2013.
Isaac will be replaced this month by Stewart Satter, who qualified for the at-large seat in the March 12 election and was unopposed.

By Steve Plunkett

A federal lawsuit filed against Boca Raton has coastal communities scurrying to update their websites before they too wind up in court.
Juan Carlos Gil, a legally blind resident of Miami who has sued roughly 200 governments, stores and restaurants over access to information on the internet, added Boca Raton to his list of defendants Jan. 7.
Gil went to myboca.us in September to educate himself “on the quality of life and governmental functioning” in Boca Raton, his suit said. He quickly realized that PDFs on the website did not interface with “screen reader software” that visually impaired people use.
That’s a violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act, Gil said.
“This exclusion resulted in plaintiff suffering from feelings of segregation, rejection and isolation as plaintiff was left excluded from participating in the community programs, services and activities offered by the city of Boca Raton in a manner equal to that afforded to others who are not similarly disabled,” the suit said.
Boca Raton posted a notice online Feb. 15 saying that it is reviewing its website to make sure documents, forms and information meet accessibility standards.
“During this renovation period, we will be assessing the content on the site, removing documents that are not compliant, and removing links to some external sites and resources,” the notice said. “Many of these documents will be remediated and reposted as staff and resources are available to update documents.”
One of the first apparent changes was to the online City Council agendas. Those for the Feb. 25 and 26 meetings had no links to PDFs of the backup information on various items. Backup material was linked to the Feb. 11 and 12 meetings.
Boca Raton is hardly alone in trying to cope with how it gets information distributed over the web. Gulf Stream, which became the poster child for municipalities facing lawsuits over public records starting in 2013, spent $1,800 in January to make its website more ADA-compliant after hearing about the Boca Raton lawsuit.
Changes included boosting the contrast on webpages to ensure their compatibility with digital readers.
“We feel like we’ve made a very good-faith effort to be ADA-compliant,” said town finance officer Rebecca Tew, who heard about Boca Raton’s lawsuit at the January meeting of the local chapter of the Florida Government Finance Officers Association.
Tew and Gulf Stream’s executive assistant, Renee Rowan Basel, also signed up for three days of website training in April.
Meanwhile, the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District was finishing a $42,000 upgrade of its webpages.
Chrissy Gibson, Boca Raton’s chief spokeswoman, said the city was preparing a request for bids to see how much it will cost to update web documents. Converting just the 326-page city budget for 2018 cost $2,000, she said. Gil’s lawsuit seeks screen-reader versions of the budgets for 2017, 2016 and 2015 “and all City Commission agendas and backup for 2018, 2017 and 2016,” as well as “the many other documents” online.
Boca Raton has also hired the Florida Institute of Government at Florida Atlantic University to train city staff on how to create ADA-compatible documents.
How long it will take to convert the old PDFs has not been determined. In the meantime, “I’d be happy to meet with someone and read a document to them,” Gibson said.
Gibson and Tew both said no resident has ever complained to them about website accessibility.
Gil’s lawsuit against Winn-Dixie stores in 2017, which resulted in the grocery chain’s paying almost $109,000 for Gil’s attorney fees and costs, opened the floodgates on ADA website complaints.
The number of ADA web lawsuits filed in federal courts nationwide jumped from fewer than 200 in 2016 to almost 1,200 last year, according to the Florida League of Cities. Florida is the second-most sued state.
Gil settled an ADA lawsuit with the Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller’s Office in September for $9,500, The Palm Beach Post reported.
In June the Palm Beach County Commission paid $15,000 to settle litigation with Eddie Sierra, a deaf Miami man who has filed more than 30 ADA lawsuits demanding that online government videos include closed-captioning, The Post said. The same month the Palm Beach County School Board settled a suit with Sierra for $15,000. Boca Raton in August paid Sierra $11,000 for his attorney fees, it said.
Elsewhere, Delray Beach took minutes, agendas and videos offline in October while it revamped its website. A new website, delraybeachfl.gov, went live in January.
Since December, Delray Beach streams only its City Commission regular meetings and Community Redevelopment Agency workshop and regular meetings. Meeting videos with captions are posted later.
In January, commissioners asked that their workshops be streamed. Previously, the city streamed all commission, CRA and advisory board meetings.
Boynton Beach does not stream its meetings but uploads videos to YouTube, which provides closed-captions.
Lantana no longer puts recordings of its meetings online because of ADA concerns.
Highland Beach briefly stopped streaming meetings last summer, then hired sign-language interpreters to help hearing-impaired website visitors.

Jane Smith and Mary Thurwachter contributed to this story.

By Jane Smith

When Javaro Sims becomes Delray Beach police chief in May, he will be the city’s first black police chief.
City Manager Mark Lauzier announced his decision at the Feb. 12 City Commission workshop where fellow officers packed the first three rows of the chambers.
“After an in-depth process in which Sims and Assistant Chief Maria Olsen tried out for the police chief’s job, I offered the job to Sims,” Lauzier said. “He has the support of the department, the command staff and the community.”
According to the latest census estimates, minorities accounted for 37.9 percent of the population in Delray Beach, 36.5 percent in Boynton Beach and 25 percent in Palm Beach County. Boynton Beach also recently named a black police chief.
In January, Lauzier set up a special phone line for residents and city employees to provide input on the police chief selection. He said he would take the calls and listen to the voicemails.
The current chief, Jeff Goldman, became acting assistant city manager in August, allowing for Olsen and Sims to spend some time in the chief’s chair. Goldman returned to the chief’s position on Feb. 11. He will retire in May and then Sims will become chief.
Lauzier said he was impressed with Sims’ “one-community philosophy” that states when one neighborhood is hurting, the whole city is affected.
Deputy Vice Mayor Shirley Johnson, who lives in the Northwest neighborhood, was pleased that the announcement came during Black History Month.
Sims, 58, was hired by the department in 1992 after spending four years as a teacher. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Florida A&M University and a master’s in criminal justice from Lynn University.
As Sims rose through the ranks in the Police Department, he supervised the Community Policing Unit, the Street-level Narcotics Unit, the West Atlantic Avenue Task Force, the Community Response Division, the Criminal Investigations Division, the Support Services Division, the Community Patrol Division and, as assistant chief, the Special Services Bureau.
He graduated from the FBI National Academy in June 2014.
Olsen, 55, was hired by the department in 2014, following her retirement after 32 years with the West Palm Beach Police Department.
She will remain assistant police chief in Delray Beach.

By Dan Moffett

Several dozen condo residents from southern Ocean Ridge jammed Town Hall on Feb. 4 to make their case to the Town Commission for an A1A crosswalk.
They pretty much had the commissioners at hello.
Town Manager Jamie Titcomb told the group that the commission has intended to appeal to the state Department of Transportation for a crosswalk since debating the matter during last summer’s budget workshops.
Titcomb said commissioners decided to wait until peak tourist season to seek a required traffic study, however, so that state officials would see the strongest evidence of the need for a safe way to cross what has become an increasingly busy road.
With minimal discussion, the commission voted 5-0 to spend about $5,000 on the engineering study needed to make the crosswalk request to FDOT, which owns A1A and must approve all changes to it.
“Something for you to consider is that, under DOT standards, we can’t just build a crosswalk to nowhere,” Titcomb said.
Commissioners will have to decide on a location that allows public access on both sides of the road. A possible spot could be along the Crown Colony Club development, roughly across from Fayette Drive.
Several Crown Colony residents spoke in support of the plan.
“What we’re waiting for is an accident to happen,” said Sal Masarof, who said crossing the road has gotten more dangerous over the years — especially for disabled residents — with increasing traffic levels.
Results of the traffic study should be available in weeks, but it likely will take months before the town hears definitively from the state.
In other business:
• During a special meeting on Jan. 30, commissioners approved appointing Town Clerk Tracey Stevens as acting town manager, beginning March 18, when Titcomb is resigning to manage Loxahatchee Groves.
The vote was 4-0 to give Stevens the job for a 180-day period. Mayor Steve Coz was absent and did not vote because he was called as a witness in the trial of former Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella.
“I appreciate your confidence,” Stevens said, “and I’m excited about the opportunity.”
Police Chief Hal Hutchins also had sought the interim manager’s job, and commissioners considered splitting duties between him and Stevens. But ultimately they chose the clerk, who joined the Ocean Ridge staff three years ago after holding similar positions in Melbourne Beach and several municipalities in Maine.
The commission has unanimously approved the hiring of Kathie Gatewood as assistant clerk/administrative assistant to bolster the town staff. Gatewood has a background in retail management and a bachelor’s degree from Hodges University in Naples.
Coz said he supported selecting Stevens, saying she has done a “fabulous job” as clerk and her familiarity with the town was an important asset. He said after Stevens’ six-month period as acting manager, “We’ll take an evaluation of the situation.”
Loxahatchee Groves, an upstart municipality in western Palm Beach County, has a relationship with Titcomb that goes back 13 years to when he helped guide the community through the incorporation process.
• The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has awarded a $72,000 grant to an alliance of Palm Beach County coastal communities that is studying the potential effects of sea level rise.
Representatives of the communities have been meeting for months to discuss ways to prepare for looming environmental changes. Vice Mayor Don MaGruder has represented Ocean Ridge in the group, which also includes Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Lake Worth and Lantana.
The state grant will help the participants assess vulnerabilities in infrastructure, study the barrier islands, collect data and promote public awareness about sea rise.

By Dan Moffett

Three commission candidates in Ocean Ridge found a lot of common ground when they squared off against each other during an hourlong election forum, sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County on Feb. 7.
They all opposed sober homes, supermajority approval requirements and raising taxes. They all supported term limits, a proactive approach to sea rise and maintaining Ocean Ridge’s special quality of life.
An area of potential disagreement surfaced concerning how to deal with street flooding and the impact of rising seas. Political newcomers Susan Hurlburt and John Lipscomb say they are open to the idea of raising street levels, if engineers endorse it. But Steve Coz, the incumbent mayor, is soundly opposed.
“I just don’t see how that works practically,” Coz said. “It’s just not a solution.”
Coz said raising the level of some roads will mean residents hit a hump as they exit their driveways. He said the town recently changed its building rules and now requires new construction projects to start 18 inches higher.
“If we’re raising home elevations 18 inches,” Coz said, “imagine going through town and raising roads 18 inches.”
Coz said the town has completed drainage improvements for some neighborhoods, in particular Inlet Cay, and residents are “extremely happy” with the results. The work included repairs and maintenance to stormwater lines.
Hurlburt, for years a historic preservation advocate in Delray Beach, said that besides following the guidance of engineers, the town should pay attention to what other cities are doing and learning about rising seas.
“Miami and the Keys are putting big money into studies looking for different ways to address this situation,” she said. The message for Ocean Ridge: “It’s coming and it’s better to be proactive.”
Lipscomb, an entrepreneur and real estate agent originally from St. Louis, said there is no time like the present for infrastructure improvements. “It’s cheaper to do it now than to do it later,” he said.
Lipscomb said the town will have to deal with the long-term prospect of eliminating septic tanks and connecting with the Boynton Beach sewer system. He said it likely would make sense to “raise the roads and raise the sidewalks” while overhauling the sewers.
Lipscomb broke with his rivals by saying he could support spending public money to help condo associations upgrade their sewer systems. Coz and Hurlburt are against the idea, saying taxpayer dollars shouldn’t go to private entities.
All three support the proposed charter amendment on the ballot that would impose term limits on town commissioners. Hurlburt said the limits “are like a double-edge sword” in that, while they advance wider participation, they also may push qualified officials out of office.
Coz said the proposed amendment strikes the right balance because it puts a three-term limit on commissioners but allows them to run again after sitting out a year.
All three candidates oppose requiring a supermajority vote of four commissioners to approve high-density construction projects. The idea came up during last year’s charter review but commissioners voted it down.
“I’ve never understood the supermajority argument,” Lipscomb said.
The commission has to be “ahead of the game,” Hurlburt said, “and you don’t need a supermajority to do that.” Coz argued that a supermajority rule would give too much power to a minority of two commissioners.
Two seats will be contested in the March 12 election. The top vote-getter will serve until 2022, and the second-highest will finish the year left on the term of former Mayor Jim Bonfiglio, who resigned last year and unsuccessfully ran for the state Legislature.

By Dan Moffett

Besides filling two commission seats in the March 12 municipal election, Ocean Ridge voters will have to decide the fate of four proposed amendments to the town’s charter, the document that dictates government rules and procedures.
Probably the most contentious proposal contains a provision that imposes term limits on commissioners. If it’s approved, a commissioner would be restricted to three consecutive three-year terms, and then be required to sit out a year before running for the commission again.
Another proposed amendment governs the power of the town manager. The manager would have the authority to hire and fire employees without commission approval — except for the police chief position, over which commissioners would retain control. The proposal also removes the requirement that suspended police officers receive hearings.
The rules for selecting a mayor and vice mayor and filling commission vacancies under certain circumstances are addressed in another proposal. The amendment would also require a minimum 12 hours’ notice for special meetings.
A fourth amendment deals with housekeeping issues throughout the charter, cleaning up spelling errors and removing language that is no longer relevant.
The proposals are the result of months of deliberation last year by the town’s charter review committee, chaired by former Commissioner Zoanne Hennigan. Other committee members were former Mayors Geoff Pugh and Ken Kaleel, former Commissioner Terry Brown and Polly Joa.

Official Ballot Language
Town of Ocean Ridge
Charter Amendment Questions

QUESTION 1: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to address various housekeeping and administrative issues relating to qualifying periods, forfeiture of office, commencement date of Commission terms, date of Election, qualification of electors, form of ballots and correcting spelling errors?

QUESTION 2: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to clarify Town Managers are not required to be residents; modify the votes required to appoint, remove or compensate Town Managers; provide the Town Manager with authority to hire and remove employees, without confirmation or appeal by or to the Commission, but requiring Commission approval for termination of the Police Chief, and delete the requirement that a suspended Police employee is entitled to a Town Manager hearing

QUESTION 3: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to modify the selection of Mayor and Vice-Mayor; to modify Commission vacancies, forfeiture of office, the filling of vacancies and to add a provision on suspension from office; to increase Special Meeting minimum notice requirements; and to provide that three affirmative votes, by the Commission, are required for any approval?

QUESTION 4: Shall Ocean Ridge amend its Charter to provide that a Commissioner may not serve more than three consecutive terms, of three years each, unless there is, at a minimum, a period of one year at the end of a term in which the person does not serve as a Commissioner?

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Four candidates vie for two open at-large seats, each with a two-year term. The top two vote getters will each win a seat.

Elvadianne Culbertson
(Incumbent)

Personal: Declined to give her age; B.S. in business administration from Pacific Western University and M.S. in environmental management from Chadwick University; full-time South Palm Beach resident for nearly 14 years. Married, two grown sons and one stepson, one grandchild, four step- grandchildren, three step-great-grandchildren.

Professional: Retired; was a documentation specialist/consultant for the Center of Naval Analyses.

Political experience: Has held a seat on the South Palm Beach Town Council for the last three years.

Positions on issues: Wants improved fiscal accountability; supports better transparency in town government; favors local government more effectively governing itself rather than the state doing it.

Quote: “I think the town is better off with a detail-oriented person such as myself. Having served the town by being on both the Community Activities Advisory Board and the Code Enforcement Board, as well as editing the town newsletter, I was unanimously appointed to serve on the Town Council. I won honorable mention for innovative participation in the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County’s ‘Read for the Record’ and take part in the Keep Florida Beautiful program that has removed 3 million pounds of debris from Florida roads and has planted 30,000 trees and plants.”

Kevin Hall

Personal: 58; no college; married, two children; resident of South Palm Beach for eight years.

Professional: Currently is property manager of Palm Sea Condominiums. Was self-employed for 35 years in his painting contracting business and ran a construction company with his wife.

Political experience: None.

Positions on issues: Opposes construction of a new town hall, but wants the old one restored; concerned about the slow speed at which projects, police officers and town officials get approved; concerned about delays on the town’s storm sewer needs; wants to see beach renourishment go forward.

Quote: “I’m for a restored town hall, but not a brand new, five-story one. We’ve been waiting about three years for that to happen. We’ve been through yet another town manager and now we have an interim one instead of a new one. Things just take forever to get resolved around here. It took six months to a year to get a new police chief. We still don’t have our storm sewers done. That’s been going on for 2-3 years. We budgeted for two new policemen, but never hired them. Beach renourishment is another issue. If we’re not going to get it passed, I believe we need to move on and come up with a Plan B or just forget about it. We talk about a lot of things, but we do nothing.”

C.W. “Bill” LeRoy
(Incumbent)

Personal: 66; master’s in English from Bradley University; married, two children; resident of South Palm Beach for three and a half years.

Professional: Retired; was a real estate broker for 30 years.

Political experience: Has served one year on the South Palm Beach Town Council.

Positions on issues: Favors keeping local Police Department in place; wants better signage at the Town Hall; would like to see better management over traffic congestion.

Quote: “We have very few issues in our town. It’s a small town. We haven’t had any tax increases. We have a wonderful town and I’d like to see it stay a wonderful town. I don’t want any radical changes made to it. I want to preserve what we have here.”

Mark F. Weissman

Personal: 70; B.A. in administrative studies from Nova University and an A.A. in mortuary science from Miami-Dade Junior College; married, six children; resident of South Palm Beach for two and a half years.

Professional: Semi-retired; owned a funeral home in South Florida from 1973-1995, sold the business and stayed on for another 12 years as a consultant. Opened more funeral homes in Broward County in 2010 and sold those in 2014. Also has done consultant work for Delray Beach’s city cemetery.

Political experience: Former state legislator (2000-2002) and city commissioner of Parkland (1996-2000 and 2006-2016); served on the State League of Cities Environmental Committee; was vice chair of the Elder and Long Term Care Committee in the Florida House.

Positions on issues: Supports beach renourishment; favors maintaining first-class emergency medical services, police and fire protection teams; wants to keep millage rates and taxes low.

Quote: “My goal is to bring experience to the South Palm Beach Town Council, to protect the beauty and environment of South Palm Beach, as well as the safety and security of all residents in the city.”

Candidate profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Related Story: Commission candidates talk sea rise strategy at forum

One three-year term and a partial one-year term are contested this time around for the Ocean Ridge Town Commission. The top vote getter receives a three-year term and the runner-up gets a one-year term, which is the remainder of Jim Bonfiglio’s term. Bonfiglio resigned his seat to run for the Florida House. Seats are at-large.

Steve Coz
(Incumbent)

Personal: 61; Cum laude in English & classics from Harvard University; full-time Ocean Ridge resident for 32 years. Married, three grown children.

Professional: President of Coz Media since 2004, serving clients in the health field.

Political experience: Three years on the Ocean Ridge Town Commission and was appointed mayor in late 2018; has also served on the town’s Planning and Zoning Board and Board of Adjustments.

Positions on issues: Wants to hire a permanent town manager; concerned about population growth, town drainage, protecting beaches, traffic-related issues.

Quote: “I’m running again because I have experience. We have a relatively young commission and I’ve helped them deal with town matters for the last three years. I’m very familiar with the town, the challenges the town faces and the residents of the town. I’m also familiar with our various neighborhoods. We face challenges and I feel I can best help our town successfully overcome those challenges.”

Susan
Hurlburt

Personal: 63; Attended the University of Florida and graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in art history with a minor in art education; full-time Ocean Ridge resident for five years. Married, three grown children.

Professional: Retired; spent her career in museum administration as a curator and gallery director at the Fort Lauderdale Museum, the Boca Raton Museum and the Schmidt Gallery at FAU. Also went into interior design and ran an antique shop in Delray Beach called Bad Blonde Designs.

Political experience: Never held public office, but was appointed to Delray Beach’s Historic Preservation Board, serving for nearly a decade. She also served 12 years on the Beach Property Owners Association in Delray Beach.

Positions on issues: Supports managed growth; concerned with aging infrastructure; wants to preserve the town’s quality of life; favors emphasis on environmental protection.

Quote: “I believe in proactivity. If I’m going to be part of a community, I want to be the part of it that speaks up, listens, hears the issues and works toward making everything better. I love my town. That’s why I’m running. I want to preserve and protect our slice of heaven.”

John D.
Lipscomb

Personal: 60; Graduated from Columbia College in Missouri with a bachelor’s degree in business and a minor in marketing; full-time Ocean Ridge resident for six years. Married, two grown children, three stepchildren.

Professional: Realtor with The Presson Group for the last year. Also a property manager for the Villas of Ocean Ridge and author of two books — The Painting and the Piano and Through Jasper’s Eyes.

Political experience: None.

Positions on issues: Wants to see more preparedness for climate change; concerned about flooding; wants a city sewer system; supports mitigation of beach erosion.

Quote: “I’d like to speed up the process of the way things work in Ocean Ridge, so that we don’t get caught behind the eight ball in terms of being prepared for climate change. Ocean Ridge is a great town and I want to keep it the way it is. We’re the best-kept secret in Florida. I want to preserve our town and keep developers from coming in and overrunning things. I’m big on technology. I think that can help us a lot, in terms of modernization.”

By Mary Thurwachter

As work at the luxury condo project at 3550 S. Ocean Blvd. reaches its finishing stages, construction hours have been extended. The South Palm Beach Town Council agreed to the added hours during a special town meeting on Feb. 14 and a workshop meeting.
“Kast Construction is requesting to extend hours of operation to help achieve the projected schedule — Sundays 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Monday through Saturdays from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.,” Hector Gomez, construction manager, told the council. Previously, work hours were from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
“All we’re doing is trying to get this project done as soon as possible,” he said.
Not everyone was onboard with extra hours at the site of the old Hawaiian Inn hotel.
“We have a town rule and that should be our priority,” said Councilwoman Stella Gaddy Jordan. “We should stand as is. I don’t think we need to keep on accommodating issues such as this.”
Jordan said she was concerned about noise from electric saws and other machinery.
“We are conscious of the neighbors and would limit this work during extended hours to the interior of the units only,” Gomez said. “We are at the finishing stage of the project, so this work will be limited to quieter activities such as painting, grouting, trim out, appliances, cleaning, etc.; in other words, activities that would not affect the neighbors in any way.
“We do not anticipate having to do this every day or every week, but when we do work outside of standard hours, we would only limit the work to these types of activities and would not work outside of the condo units.”
Mayor Bonnie Fischer said she and interim Town Manager Bob Kellogg had recently visited the project and were impressed with the soundproofing.
“I don’t think it’s going to be a noise issue,” Fischer said. “They have much better windows and doors than any building in town.”
Council member Bill LeRoy said the project needed to be finished.
“I want it to be done. I want everybody to be happy. … Let’s get this done, be over it and talk about something else.”
Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb agreed.
“The sooner we can collect taxes the better the town is,” he said. “We would encourage you to finish sooner.” With condo units selling for up to $5 million each, the town’s tax base could rise significantly.
Gomez said everybody working on that project “would like to finish earlier and as soon as possible.”
Extended work hours are good through May 1.
Jordan also objected to work being done on Sundays, saying residents, especially those who live in buildings on either side of 3550 S. Ocean Blvd., should have one noise-free day.
Developed by Manhattan-based DDG real estate investment group, the 30-unit condo building is expected to open this summer.
In other business:
• The council approved unanimously a contract with Kellogg, whose nine-month probation as interim town manager will end on Sept. 30. Kellogg’s $95,000 annual salary will jump to $100,000 in October, assuming he receives a favorable evaluation. He will not get the $300 monthly car allowance he requested. If terminated without cause after the probationary period, Kellogg is eligible to receive 20 weeks of severance pay.
• By a 4-1 vote, the council approved Police Chief Mark Garrison’s request for a reclassification of a second sergeant position to lieutenant. “The person chosen will have the experience and knowledge to act on the chief’s behalf in his absence,” Garrison said.
This move won’t increase the budget and is only a title change. He said the position has been posted to receive applications.
Jordan cast the dissenting vote.

Three-year-old Luke Howard gets a push from his father, Jake, during the Hypoluxo Island property owners annual picnic at McKinley Park on Feb. 24. They were in town visiting grandparents Diz and Sally Howard of Hypoluxo Island. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Mary Thurwachter

The Town Council made some revisions to its 12-year-old polices and guidelines, even though the old policy had generally provided good guidance, according to Dave Thatcher, Lantana’s development services director.
“It was incredibly wordy and confusing,” he said at the Feb. 25 meeting. “The new one is a more user-friendly document and should be easier to understand by the public and easier to use by staff.”
Town staff worked with several groups of residents in a variety of situations in adopting the new policies, Thatcher said.
Since the guidelines were first adopted in 2007, there were 10 requests for calming projects. Three failed to meet the criteria.
Those applying for traffic-slowing measures must provide a petition signed by at least 66 percent of area property owners before a traffic study is done.
Due to pending litigation, Mayor Dave Stewart handed over the gavel to Vice Mayor Ed Shropshire to preside over the discussion.
In October, the Florida Commission on Ethics found probable cause that the mayor violated state statutes after a resident alleged he said he’d “make sure” her neighborhood would get the speed humps for which she petitioned the town if she had sex with him.
Stewart is fighting the claim and the case is headed for an evidentiary hearing this year.
Stewart voted with the rest of the council in favor of the guidelines. He said the goal was to trim them from 15 pages to 5.
The town agreed to take a look at speed bumps already in place on South Lake Drive beside the Old Key Lime House after restaurant owners Wayne Cordero and his son Ryan said the traffic-calming measures there were not performing well. Ryan Cordero said he had been struck by a car on South Lake and worried about children being hit.

By Brian Biggane

GULF STREAM — Alice Dye, a golfing icon who built a strong reputation for her charity work in South Palm Beach County, died Feb. 1. She was 91.
Dye, who with her husband, Pete, formed a legendary golf course architecture team that designed 145 courses around the world, was named First Lady of Golf by the PGA of America in 2004. She was one of the top female amateur players of her day, winning 11 Indianapolis city titles and nine Indiana state championships.
One of her solo designs was the par-3 St. Andrews Club course in Delray Beach, which had been planning to honor her at its ladies member-guest event on March 6.
“Coming to a golf course that she designed, and getting to meet her, and seeing all the things she has done for women in golf, it was truly an honor,” St. Andrews club pro Amy Carver said.
Dye had signed 80 copies of her book, From Birdies to Bunkers, which will be distributed to all participants in the event.
“We asked her permission to do the member-guest [event] in her honor and she thought that was great,” Carver said. “And I asked her if it would be too much to sign these books, and she said she would do it, and she did.”
Born Alice Holiday O’Neal in Indianapolis on Jan. 24, 1927, she was a student at Rollins College in Winter Park when she met Pete Dye, who had just returned from serving in World War II.
The two were married in 1950 and for much of their time together spent their winters in Gulf Stream and their summers at a home off the 18th green at Crooked Stick Golf Club near Indianapolis.
Gulf Stream neighbor Tony Graziano fittingly called the pair “golf royalty” but said, for all they’ve accomplished, their humility sets them apart.
“You go in their house and it’s a simple house that any one of us could live in, not pretentious at all,” he said. “The only thing pretentious is the golf memorabilia, which comes from a family life of golf success.
“And the personalities that go with them — they are and were absolutely regular folks. They never changed from being good, solid Midwestern people, no matter how famous they were.”
Perhaps the only way Mrs. Dye rode her reputation was in her work for charity. Her brother, the late Perry O’Neal, was a longtime president and board member of the Wayside House, a treatment center for women in Delray Beach. For more than 25 years, the Dyes hosted the Alice & Pete Dye Golf and Bridge Invitational each November at St. Andrews.
“For a long time, we had just the golf tournament,” Wayside President Kathryn Leonard said. “But then Alice said some of her friends no longer played golf, but all of them played bridge. So, it was her idea to add the bridge tournament and that brought in 100 more people.”
Last year’s tournament raised more than $25,000.
In addition to her prowess as a golfer — she won the 1978 North and South Amateur and the U.S. Women’s Senior Amateur in both 1978 and 1989 and was a member of the U.S. Curtis Cup team in 1970 — Mrs. Dye worked hard to help women enjoy the golf experience. She is considered the person most responsible for the advent of ladies tees that typically shorten par-72 courses by 1,000 yards or more.
She was the first female board member of the PGA of America and the first woman to serve as president of the American Society of Golf Course Architects.
It was also her inspiration that brought about one of the most famous holes in golf. Pete had removed so much sand from what was intended to be the par-3 17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra that he had no idea what to do next, whereupon Alice pulled out a napkin and drew a lake with the green in the middle. That lake has since become home to thousands of errant shots.
Other courses designed by the Dyes include Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, which will host the 2020 Ryder Cup matches, The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island in South Carolina and PGA West in California.
St. Andrews in Delray was always a favorite of Mrs. Dye, and former greenskeeper Charley Crell recalled what an honor it was to be hired there about eight years ago.
“That was part of the reason I took the job,” Crell said. “It’s a smaller golf course, but it’s really special because of the people who are there, in particular the Dyes. She really enjoyed being at the club, playing bridge and going out and playing. She did a lot for St. Andrews, loaning her expertise to different things. A great lady.”
Crell left St. Andrews last year for Reunion Golf and Country Club in Mississippi and said Mrs. Dye played a role in his getting that opportunity.
“She put in a good word for me, and it made a difference,” he said. “That meant a lot to me and my family.”
Mrs. Dye spent much of her time in recent years caring for Pete, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
The Dyes have two sons, Perry Dye of Colorado and Paul Burke Dye of Ohio, who are also golf course architects.
Pete Dye along with Perry’s wife, Ann, and Paul’s wife, Jean, are among Mrs. Dye’s survivors.
A celebration of life was held at the Gulf Stream Golf Club on Feb. 20. Another celebration of life is planned for 2-5 p.m., May 29, at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.
Donations can be made to Wayside House, 378 NE Sixth Ave., Delray Beach, FL  33483; waysidehouse.net; or the Indiana Golf Foundation, 2625 Hurricane Road, Franklin, IN 46131.

DELRAY BEACH — Linda Bailey Searle died at her home in Delray Beach on Jan. 16. She was 93.
Born March 14, 1925, in East Orange, N.J., to Clifford Sherwood Bailey and Ellen Laird Bailey, she grew up in Darien and New Canaan, Conn., and graduated from Ethel Walker School and Finch College.
In June 1945, she married John “Jack” Endicott Searle Jr., who was in the Army Air Corps.
Upon his discharge, Jack enrolled in MIT and the couple moved to Cambridge, Mass. In late 1947, they moved again to Marblehead, Mass, where they raised their two daughters.
Mrs. Searle was very creative and had beautiful style and taste. 
The couple bought a home at St. Andrews Club in Delray Beach in 1973, where they became very involved in the club. In particular, Mrs. Searle was very active within St. Andrews and led a number of the club improvement projects.
The couple were also members of nearby Gulf Stream Bath and Tennis, and The Little Club.
They maintained a presence in New England, owning a condominium in Beverly Farms, Mass. They were members of Essex County Club in Manchester, Mass.
Mrs. Searle was predeceased by her husband in 2012. She is survived by her daughters, Ellen “Kip” Searle Abbott and her husband, John H. Abbott, of Manchester, Mass., and Carol Putnam Searle, and her husband, Andrew J. Ley, of Dedham, Mass. She leaves a granddaughter, Kelsey Searle Abbott, and her husband, Peter T. McDougall, of Osprey. Also surviving her is her sister, Mary Bailey Lumet of New York City.
The family is very grateful for the loving care provided by her caregivers Nadine Holloway and Claudette Kirlew Smith.
Arrangements will be private. Contributions in her memory may be made to St. Andrews Club, Jack Searle Golf Tournament Fund, 4475 N. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33483.

— Obituary submitted by the family

OCEAN RIDGE — William Andrew Benton of Ocean Ridge and Morristown, N.J., died on Feb. 14 in Boynton Beach. He was 86. Mr. Benton was born Jan. 21, 1933, in South Orange, N.J. He attended high school at Blair Academy in Blairstown, N.J. He graduated from Bucknell University in 1958 following two years of Army service during which he was stationed in California in a bomb disposal unit.
While at Bucknell, Mr. Benton was a standout wrestler, serving as captain of the wrestling team. His accomplishments on the mat resulted in his induction into the Bucknell Athletic Hall of Fame and later into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame.
After graduation, Mr. Benton began his career as a member of the New York Stock Exchange until his retirement in 1990. He served the town of Madison, N.J., as a councilman and was a member of the board of the Madison YMCA.
He continued his service in Florida as a supporter of Bethesda Hospital and the Palm Beach Habilitation Center.
Mr. Benton was well-known for the size and strength of his hands, which he used both to rip Manhattan phone books in half and to make beautiful jewelry and stained glass creations that graced his home and the homes of family and friends. He also enjoyed boating, fishing and spending time with his loved ones.
Mr. Benton was preceded in death in 2014 by his beloved wife, Marilee (Lee) Fuller Benton, after 59 years of marriage. He was also predeceased by his parents, Thomas Henry and Mary Zimmerman Benton, his brother, Clark, and his sister, Elnora.
He is survived by his children: Jeff and Wendy Benton of Madison, N.J.; Karen and Tom Crawley of Sea Girt, N.J.; Tim Benton of Greer, S.C.; Marge Williams of Anderson, S.C.; and Gary and Ann Benton of Madison, N.J. He is also survived by 13 grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.
A celebration of life was held Feb. 20 at The Little Club in Gulf Stream. A second celebration will be held at a later date in New Jersey.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center at giving.mskcc.org.

— Obituary submitted by the family

Patricia Maguire, a painter from Ocean Ridge, sits at home in front of a few of her works with her dog Shiloh, a 9-year-old golden retriever. Maguire also has a studio in downtown Delray Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

Patricia Maguire has paintings hanging in the Cornell Art Museum in Delray Beach, the Boca Raton Museum of Art and homes and galleries throughout the country. But the idea that she has ever painted to be a commercial success is one she outright rejects.
“My feeling is you paint because something compels you to do it,” said Maguire, 64, who lives with her husband, Steve, in Ocean Ridge. “The time you spend painting is so involving and absorbing that you don’t notice the passage of time.
“What I tell people — and I usually get a laugh, even though I don’t mean it that way — is it’s kind of like sex in that you’re so absorbed you don’t know if five minutes have gone by or 40 minutes.
“Most painters I know do it because they want to do it. Whether it sells, or whether it’s going to be successful, is a totally different aspect.”
She has a studio in downtown Delray Beach in which to work, exhibit and teach classes.
Born in Argentina, Maguire spent much of her upbringing in Venezuela and Rio de Janeiro before coming to the Northeast for her education. A resident of Ocean Ridge for two years, she also has a home and studio in the Vail Valley of Colorado.
She enjoys volunteering and serving on the boards of several organizations: Old School Square, Plein Air Palm Beach, which promotes outdoor painting, and In The Pines, which is dedicated to the housing and education of agricultural workers. 
“Giving back to my community is my way of showing gratitude for the incredible opportunities I have been given, and it connects me to a variety of like-minded people,” she said. “I also care deeply for our natural environment, especially the health of our ocean. I joined the Ocean Ridge Garden Club when we moved here in order to learn how to care for our dunes and meet my neighbors.
“Nature, education, animals and children are the causes closest to my heart. Painting is how I best express my love for nature and people.”

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My father was born in Germany and left in 1938, when life for the German Jewish population became increasingly difficult. 
My mother arrived in Argentina in 1946 from Yugoslavia/Hungary. Only she and my grandmother from her family had survived the war. My mother spoke seven languages fluently, although she never had a chance to finish high school.
Buenos Aires is a very international city and at the time there was a large group of young Europeans starting a new life. We spoke German at home, and of course, my brother and I spoke Spanish with our neighborhood friends. We went to a Swiss German school.
When I was 9, we moved to Venezuela. At 13, I spent one year at a girls boarding school in Massachusetts. And when I was 14, my mother remarried and we moved to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Moving around, adapting to different countries, speaking several languages had a huge impact in how I view the world. I learned that although food and humor change from country to country, people are basically the same all over the world. 
I consider myself a real American: a blend of cultures with a sense that the world is what we make of it. 
I met my husband when I was a high school girl in Rio at the American School and Steve came from college to spend summer vacations with his family after his father had been transferred there by U.S. Steel from Pittsburgh. We became friends and started dating when I was 16. 
I went to Skidmore College in upstate New York, and although Steve was in Pittsburgh, our romance continued. Here we are now, still together 47 years after we met.
We were transferred to Venezuela by Steve’s work upon graduation, and I had a wonderful job with American Express. Due to my languages, I traveled quite a bit. I was in my 20s, feeling like a hot shot, with my high heels and briefcase, being sent to Tokyo, Singapore, Paris, Madrid and, of course, New York. I painted on the side.
We moved to Florida in 1983. I got my MBA at FAU, while working full-time during the day. 
In 1988 our eldest daughter was born, and I wanted to raise our kids. I taught international business at FAU as an adjunct professor for about nine years, as a part-time job while our three children were little.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: My advice to anyone is the same: Keep your dreams close to your heart and don’t give up. Do your best to play the hand you are dealt with the best attitude. But if you hold on to your dream, and keep trying every chance you get, you will eventually get there.

Q: How did you choose to live in Ocean Ridge?
A: We lived in Delray Beach for 25 years, in a boating community. Our kids grew up on our boat, swimming and going to the beach. But I’ve always had my eye on Ocean Ridge as a little magical, unspoiled corner of South Florida. When it came to downsizing and an opportunity to own a home on the beach came along, we jumped at the chance.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in Ocean Ridge?
A: Our three wonderful children live nearby, and we are proud grandparents. Our kids and grandkids spend part of every weekend swimming and playing on the beach with us. As I said, we are living our dream life!

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. From books I’ve learned about the ways of the world. Books have always been my refuge, my friends. Historical fiction is my favorite genre.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want inspiration? When you want to relax?
A: While I paint, I listen to music. My playlist is varied: light classical music, classic rock, reggae, Spanish guitar, and West African music (which is similar to Brazilian music).

Q: Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?
A: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry and narrow-mindedness,” by Mark Twain.  I’ve lived in different places and found people are people, no matter how rich or poor. We all aspire for the same things for our kids, wanting them to be healthy and happy. When people are isolated, they think they can only relate to others like them. But when they’re exposed to other cultures, they see that’s not the case.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: My parents and my maternal grandmother were my biggest mentors. I learned from them never to give up, even when your whole world has crashed down and you have to start over with nothing.
From them I also learned that books will teach you everything, even when you can’t go to school.
From my husband I learned about optimism and self-confidence, and from my children I learned humility, unconditional love and self-sacrifice.

Q: If your life were made into a movie, who would play you?
A: My husband says Catherine Zeta-Jones. Because I have dark hair and, like her, have a European background.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: I laugh a lot at myself. I have a fairly dark sense of humor and a husband with a wonderful sense of humor. I love to laugh at movies. Peter Sellers, all I have to do is to look at his name on the marquee and I start laughing.
Kids and dogs also make me laugh.

These new white LED lights at A1A and Atlantic generate significantly less glow than the old lights, but they’ll be replaced with red LED lights for turtles. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

The busy beachside intersection of State Road A1A and Atlantic Avenue faced the prospect of going dark on March 1, the start of turtle-nesting season, after Florida Power & Light said it could not install turtle-friendly red LED lights by then.
FPL and Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission also are working on approving amber lights by summer’s end to quell concerns about darkness on the rest of the 1.1-mile municipal beach.
City staff and FPL worked quickly in February on an agreement to replace seven newly installed white LED lights with red ones on poles near the corner of Atlantic and A1A, said Richard Beltran, company spokesman.
“The utility has two red LED lights in stock and ordered the remaining five from the manufacturer,” Beltran said. “It won’t be possible to have the red lights installed by March 1. We are working as quickly as possible.”
The red LED lights are considered turtle-friendly and can remain illuminated throughout the year. The white LED lights will be turned off from March 1 through Oct. 31 during sea turtle-nesting season.
The FWC approves the lights along the beach to protect sea turtle hatchlings. Once hatched, they are often disoriented by bright lights at the beach, including the glow from white LED lights.
The seven lights were chosen by the city and FPL to enable them to be swapped quickly, Beltran said. The city wanted the red LED lights to be installed so that they can remain lit during the turtle-nesting months. Otherwise, the beach would be dark eight months of the year.
But the Beach Property Owners Association members want to see a safer stretch for the entire municipal beach, which has parking spaces on the east side of A1A.
“The Delray Beach leadership has now accepted the option to have red lights installed rather than let this area go dark for the eight months of the turtle season,” wrote Bob Victorin, association president. “If a decision was made, as has been suggested, to provide only seven streetlights covering a few blocks north and south of Atlantic Avenue, that would not be acceptable to us.”
The association wants to see “the entire length of A1A from Casuarina Road to the north end of the beach have street lights to provide pedestrian and automobile safety, as well as security and protection for the residents of the many condominiums and home sites located on the west side of A1A,” Victorin wrote.
FPL and the FWC agree they are working to approve amber LED lights.I t might not be until late in the year when those lights are installed, Beltran said, which would remove red lights from the discussion.
Delray Beach Mayor Shelly Petrolia was not aware that only seven white LED lights would be replaced near the Atlantic Avenue intersection.
“I hope that the entire strip of A1A along the city beach could have the amber LED lights,” she said.
Jim Smith, a Delray Beach resident who chairs the bike and pedestrian safety advocacy group SAFE, said, “Adequate street lighting remains a major safety and security issue on most streets and neighborhoods throughout Delray.”
Delray Beach had its own amber fixtures on FPL poles for many years. Last August, FPL decided it wanted to have its own fixtures on its street lights and asked Delray Beach to choose the lighting type along the beach.
The choice was red LED lights that could stay lit throughout the year or white LED lights that would be turned off during nesting season.
The City Commission picked white LED lights after staff said the red lights would not provide enough illumination at night. The white LED lights were installed in early January.

Ned Wehler had to resort to hand watering when the recycled water system went down. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

Ned Wehler had to use a hose in early February to water his flowers and plants. The reclaimed water system was down again in Delray Beach.
“I went outside this morning and noticed my flowers were wilted,” Wehler said on Feb. 6. He lives on Ingraham Avenue on the barrier island.
After watering his flowers, Wehler went inside to check the city’s website. That’s when he saw a red banner strip across the top that read: “Reclaimed water is unavailable until further notice.”
It was the second failure within five weeks. Wehler said he was never notified either time until his flowers started to wilt. His sprinkler system uses reclaimed water.
Wehler and other barrier island residents from George Bush Boulevard south to Linton Boulevard are provided reclaimed water for their sprinkler systems. It was part of a settlement that Delray Beach reached with state and federal environmental regulators to stop sending wastewater into the ocean.
The wastewater treatment plant that serves Delray Beach sent its last raw sewage discharge into the ocean on April 1, 2009, according to Doug Levine, operations chief at the plant. The plant is still allowed to discharge treated wastewater from heavy rains, from testing its pumps and from “plant upsets.”
Delray Beach received state grants to hook up the residents to the reclaimed water system.
Marjorie Craig, Delray Beach’s utilities director, wrote in an email that providing reclaimed water for irrigation helps to reduce demands on the aquifer Delray Beach uses to provide drinking water to its residents. The reduced use of the aquifer helps to fend off saltwater intrusion.
Reclaimed water is treated wastewater, not suitable for drinking, cooking or bathing. Reusing that treated wastewater helps the city by reducing demand for drinking water, Craig wrote. In turn, that saves the city millions from seeking new water sources.

Failures may be linked
to work on treatment plant
The reclaimed water problem first occurred late last year when the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment Plant needed the city’s outfall pipe to send treated wastewater out to the ocean. It’s the same pipe Delray Beach uses to supply reclaimed water to its residents.
When the treatment plant needs to use the pipe for wastewater discharges, reclaimed water becomes unavailable to customers in Delray Beach. That’s because the treated wastewater might not meet the standards for reclaimed water so it’s not used, Craig said.
The joint treatment plant processes wastewater from both Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. City commissioners from the two cities sit as the governing board of the plant.
Delray Beach agreed to provide the outfall pipe for dual purposes about 10 years ago because it was in place, already carried treated wastewater and was cheaper than adding another line that would become obsolete in six years.
By 2025, the six Southeast Florida cities will be required to stop regular ocean discharges under the Leah Schad Memorial Outfall Ocean Program, signed into state law in 2008. The program was named for Schad, considered the grande dame of Palm Beach County environmentalists, who died earlier that year.
Craig, who was not with the city when that dual-purpose decision was made, wrote via email that the treatment plant’s chemistry was knocked out of balance by an unknown cause in February. That’s technically called a “plant upset.”
The recent reclaimed water shutdowns mark the first times the treatment plant had to use the outfall pipe for more than two days in about 10 years, Craig wrote. The outfall pipe had been used for a few hours after heavy rains in the past, but this was the first multiday incident, Craig said.
She thinks the cause is likely from upgrades in progress at the $20 million treatment plant, which might have disrupted the chemical balance needed to treat wastewater. Delray Beach and Boynton Beach are sharing the upgrade cost.
The upgrades cover aerators, headworks where the wastewater first enters and other improvements, Craig said. “The treatment plant needs aerators to provide air to the bacteria, otherwise the bacteria die,” she said.
The major construction at the 40-year-old treatment plant began in October, Craig wrote. “This will continue over the next nine or so months and may take another three to six months afterwards of ensuring correct adjustments,” she wrote.

Long-term plan
includes Boynton Beach
That information, though, was not communicated to the city’s reclaimed water customers who are east of the interstate. The western area receives its reclaimed water from another pipe, Craig said.
That’s why Wehler and his neighbors became upset when the reclaimed water was not available for their automated irrigation systems.
The first failure happened on Dec. 28 and lasted until Jan. 4, according to the city. But Wehler said he noticed the system was down on Dec. 23. The second one started on Feb. 4 and lasted until Feb. 8.
“This is getting pretty frustrating, plus my recently transplanted plants are dying as are my flowers,” Wehler wrote Jan. 2 to the Beach Property Owners Association. “And I have been watering by hand daily to keep the plants healthy.”
Craig’s staff is trying to improve communications to the city’s reclaimed water users by determining the best way to reach them: emails, automated phone calls, automated text messages or some other method. “We have to figure that out,” she said.
The Utilities Department is working on a short-term fix for its reclaimed water system. “When we have final regulatory approval and a design, we will share more details,” Craig wrote. That is expected in 60 days.
For the longer term, the city has hired a consultant to look into storage of reclaimed water.
“The biggest challenge is the lack of available land for a storage tank or tanks,” Craig wrote. “The barrier island uses about 500,000 gallons per day of reclaimed water, typically overnight.”
Within the next two years, when Boynton Beach expands its reclaimed water service to the properties it serves on the barrier island, Craig wants to connect with that system to avoid shutdowns of the Delray Beach system if there’s a need to use the outfall pipe. In that case, Delray could then supply reclaimed water by connecting to the Boynton Beach system.
Meanwhile, the treatment plant has to file monthly reports on outfall discharges to the West Palm Beach office of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. January’s report was due Feb. 28.
The December report included two days — Dec. 28 and 29 — when the treatment plant exceeded its allowed fecal coliform limit by eight times. On Dec. 29, the discharge of treated wastewater had more than three times the allowable limit of solids.
The West Palm Beach office is investigating the discharges, wrote Jill Margolius, the office spokeswoman.
She wrote that the department’s first priority is to work with the treatment plant to correct the “plant upset,” then identify any corrective measures needed to prevent this issue from happening again.
“Once this is complete, the department will then evaluate this from a regulatory perspective,” Margolius wrote. “If ultimately there are any identified violations on the part of the treatment plant, the department will address them as appropriate.”
The two discharge days did not coincide with any cautionary notices about water quality at the municipal beach in Delray Beach. The county office of the state Department of Health tests the water quality at beach locations biweekly, according to its Beach Water Sampling webpage.
The department reports on the water quality. Then, each locale decides whether to take action, said Alexander Shaw, local Health Department spokesman.

The kapok tree to be moved sits just east of the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum on Ocean Avenue. It will be sold or wind up on other city-owned land. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

Boynton Beach will save the kapok tree on Ocean Avenue property that it sold to the Town Square development team.
“We always planned to save that tree,” said Colin Groff, assistant city manager in charge of Town Square.
To prepare for moving, the roots of the 80-year-old kapok tree were pruned and its canopy was trimmed in mid-February, Groff said. Green Integrity’s Inc. of Deerfield Beach will move the tree.
If a buyer can’t be found in the next 60 to 90 days, then Boynton Beach will have the kapok tree moved across Ocean Avenue to city-owned property, Groff said. “The cost will not exceed $35,000 and that cost will be offset because new trees will not be required in that area,” he said. The estimated moving cost for a buyer will depend on how far the buyer wants to move the tree.
A taller kapok tree, just west of the historic high school on Ocean Avenue, will remain as part of the Town Square project, a private-public partnership between E2L Real Estate Solutions and Boynton Beach.
The 16-acre Town Square will create a downtown for Boynton Beach. The development will feature a combination City Hall and public library building, new fire station, a renovated historic high school that will have arts and rec classes on the first floor and banquets on the second floor, amphitheater, playground, downtown energy plant and parking garage.
The development team plans to construct apartment buildings, a hotel, retail and restaurant space, and parking garages on land it bought from the city.
The private kapok tree sits just east of the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum on Ocean Avenue. Not a Florida native, the kapok tree has withstood hurricanes while providing shade and shelter to those who gathered below it.
“As an historian, I support saving this vestige from the past,” said Janet DeVries Naughton, archivist and webmaster for the Boynton Beach Historical Society. 
“Obviously, it’s not the same as having the tree in its time-honored and familiar place, and that saddens me.”
Even so, she recognizes that life involves change.
“The tree and her magnificence have been documented and frozen in time through photographs,” DeVries said. “That’s why it’s important to chronicle history. … What came before fades away, unless we share it through written, oral or visual preservation.”