By Mary Thurwachter

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

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

Boca Historical Society dome restored to former brilliance

By Ron Hayes

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

And please don’t think about Addison Mizner.

Think about William Alsmeyer.

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

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

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

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

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

“Mizner had expensive tastes,” Gillis says.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

A worker preps the copper dome to receive adhesive.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Then came two coats of a yellow metal primer.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Wm. E. Alsmeyer, architect

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

Committee members Jorgette and John Smith. Photo provided

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

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

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

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

By Amy Woods

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

By Amy Woods

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

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

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

Community rallies to fund new food-delivery truck

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

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

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

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

Program launched to treat mental illness in seniors

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

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

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

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

Boca Festival Days a success for nonprofits

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

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

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

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

5th anniversary of Jewish Women’s Foundation

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

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

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

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

Arc of Palm Beach is Nonprofit of the Year

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Club President Judy Mollica, McManus and Stevencia. Photo provided

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

Gail Marino, Christine Raymond and Anne Dichele.
Photo provided

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

The Plate: Crunchy Frybird

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

The Price: $12.95

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

And next time, I will get grilled chicken.

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

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

It was served with crisp housemade chips.

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

— Scott Simmons

Frances Wurster and Cindy Sjogren

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

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

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

By Jan Norris

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

“They said, ‘That’s OK. It’s time.’”

***

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

***

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

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

Rock Anthony Tate Jr. of Montclair, New Jersey, and Johanna Ovsenek of Toronto were married in Toronto. The bride is the daughter of Peter and Athena Ovsenek of London, Ontario. Parents of the groom are Rock and Lyn Tate of Hypoluxo Island. 
The couple are both graduates of Sacred Heart University in Connecticut.  They will reside on Hypoluxo Island.
Photo provided

Parents and children enjoy art on display at the Delray Beach Public Library. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lucy Lazarony

It’s “out with the old and in with the new” at the Delray Beach Public Library, where a space on the first floor — once home to magazines — has become a children’s art gallery.

All the publications and many more are available online, making space for a kids’ art showcase.

There are track lights shining on the art, a small white bench for sitting and viewing the art, and the words “Young @ ART,” created from discarded books, hangs above the center of the gallery.

Library director Karen Ronald says the library encourages creativity in all its patrons, including children, who show their talent with crafts and in music programs.

Once the magazine space became available, Ronald said she thought, “Let’s go a step further and celebrate what children create and have official art installations in a public library downtown.”

A recent exhibition from children at the Palm Beach School for Autism reveals the diversity of the art on display. There is a collage created in the shape of large puzzle pieces that declares “I am unique, happy, kind, beautiful.” A painted piece states “Look, Think, Do.” And there are black and white profiles with swirls of color within.

There are six shows a year and exhibits remain for two months.

Students from the Milagro Center have put on exhibits. Each time the children were thrilled to have their art on display in an art gallery.

“I love working with the Delray Beach Library,” says Jamie Leigh Griffiths, director of marketing communications at the Milagro Center. “They are so creative and helpful. The experience has been great to get exposure for Milagro Center, and uplifting for the children in our program who get to experience seeing their art in a public space. They beam with pride and it boosts their confidence.”

Milagro student Jaeson, 10, had a colored pencil drawing in the gallery.

“Seeing my art displayed makes me feel like a good artist and makes me want to do more art,” Jaeson says. “It makes me feel happy.”

Ronald describes the children’s art gallery as “small and compact.”

And Griffiths says the size enhances the experience for viewers. “It’s really intimate and you get to feel what they’re creating emotionally,” Griffiths says.

In addition to the children’s art gallery, the library is hosting a still-life painting class for children at 4:15 p.m. on Nov. 20.
Upstairs in the library, the art of Patricia Lappin is on display until Dec. 13. In “Then and Now,” Lappin focuses her work on her life in Arkansas and Florida.

Debbie Englert and Audrey Taranda of Boynton Beach serve meals to people in need at the Soup Kitchen of Boynton Beach, which on a typical day feeds about 400. The group also uses volunteers to distribute food for the holiday. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Helpers describe why giving back is a tradition for them

By Margie Plunkett

What could be better than a golden turkey and all the sides on Thanksgiving? Add an act of kindness and it’s a perfect day.

Thanksgiving is a popular day for volunteering, as charitable organizations host dinners and fundraisers, and many people get in the spirit of giving back. Volunteer opportunities come in many forms, from serving guests or walking dogs to helping out at the annual Turkey Trot. Charitable organizations value volunteers, noting that they’re critical for the nonprofits’ existence. But beyond Thanksgiving, there are 364 more days in the year that volunteers are needed.

Dale Pratt and her family, of Boca Raton, have been volunteering on Thanksgiving for about a decade. At the start, “I didn’t expect how much we would get out of this, how good it would feel,” she said.

The Pratt family volunteers at the annual Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services Thanksgiving dinner for 700 guests who are generally seniors or adults with disabilities and might otherwise be alone. This year the dinner, a celebration served up on china and cutlery, is from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Nov. 28 at the Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center.

The two families who underwrite it — Edith Stein, and Etta and Raymond Zimmerman — join the celebration and visit with the guests.

Volunteers at a previous Ruth and Norman Rales Jewish Family Services Thanksgiving dinner included (clockwise from front) Naomi Steinberg, JFS President Danielle Hartman, David Pratt, Matt Levin and Richard Steinberg. Photo provided

“We started doing it because it sounded like a wonderful thing — feeding so many people in the community who weren’t going to have that kind of Thanksgiving Day,” Dale Pratt said.

Dale, 52, and her husband, David, 55, have prepped, plated and served food, among other assignments. Their children, Andrew, 22, and Julia, 20, have pushed wheelchairs, brought pies and engaged guests.

“Sometimes you’ll find we’ll be dancing with people if they want to get up and dance — or chatting with them,” Dale Pratt said. “They look forward to talking with you, engaging with you. You want them to feel like you’re there for them. It’s beautiful.”
JFS President Danielle Hartman said that “for many people like the Pratts, it is a highlight of their year.” For the guests, it’s more than just a meal: “We send them home with a full belly and a full heart.” Whether for guests or volunteers, the event “makes a lasting impact on everybody.” That makes a lot of people want to give back. “Sometimes, so many people come to volunteer, we have to turn them away,” Hartman said.

Go to www.ralesjfs.org/gobble to check on Thanksgiving volunteering. For year-round info, call 852-3333.
If the JFS is already full for Thanksgiving, it can suggest other opportunities throughout the year — whether for a few hours one day a year or for a few hours every week.

•

Shelley Franco, a volunteer at Tri-County, walks Princess Tuka, a Labrador mix. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Thanksgiving volunteering isn’t always centered on a meal.

Tri-County Animal Rescue, for instance, welcomes volunteers to give a happier day for pets that are between homes. The Boca Raton center rescues, rehabilitates and cares for pets as it seeks permanent homes for them.

Tri-County counts on volunteers all year for such duties as dog-walking and socializing cats in the cat room. Volunteers working with the dogs must first take a three-hour class and with cats a half-hour class.

Shelley Franco of Deerfield Beach, a regular volunteer and volunteer coordinator at Tri-County, comes to the shelter on Thanksgiving.

“You don’t know if families will come, and I want to make sure the dogs will have a walk,” said Franco. She said it’s important to be there for the animals, knowing that they’d love to be in homes of their own.

It also helps to walk off some calories. That’s important because both pets and Tri-County helpers enjoy a roast turkey feast on Thanksgiving.

To volunteer at Tri-County, call 482-8110.

•

Missy Agnello hands out T-shirts at last year’s Town of Palm Beach United Way Turkey Trot. Proceeds go toward feeding people in need in the county. Photo by Capehart

A fast-paced volunteer activity presents itself at turkey day races.

Missy Agnello of Palm Beach has volunteered at the Town of Palm Beach United Way Turkey Trot since it was still a neighborhood run — before it became official. “It’s a great event,” she said.

Agnello finds it satisfying that her effort helps serve thousands of holiday meals in the county.

Volunteering, participating in and sponsoring the 5K race — which starts at 7:30 a.m. in Bradley Park — helps provide Thanksgiving Day meals through about two dozen partner agencies that serve Palm Beach County, including Alzheimer’s Community Care, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse, Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County and Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County.

United Way estimates its proceeds ahead of the Thanksgiving Day run and writes checks that help the agencies provide holiday dinners to people in need.

This year, about $50,000 is expected to feed more than 6,000 people throughout the county, according to Aleese Kopf, director of marketing and communications.

The Turkey Trot has about 50 volunteers on Thanksgiving and could always use more. “It can be a challenge to get people to wake up at 4 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning to help us set up a race,” Kopf said.

Agnello, 58, is typically onsite at 6 a.m., helping participants pick up their packets at the registration desk. She and other volunteers also work at water stations and direct the runners as well as hand out medals and clean up after. The early start lets Agnello volunteer and still get home in time to do what she needs to for her family’s dinner. Her husband, Michael, 60, and daughters — Allison, 28; Emily, 26; and Mickie, 21 — have been regular participants in the race.

It became part of the family tradition: Her children would go to the race, stop for a Starbucks coffee on the way home and then settle in to scope out the Black Friday sales — or now, the online sales.

People interested in volunteering for the race can call 655-1919 or email kristenperrone@palmbeachunitedway.org.
Delray Beach will have its 33rd annual Turkey Trot 5K at Anchor Park, 340 S. Atlantic Blvd., on Nov. 23 and also needs volunteers.
For details, contact Danielle Beardlsey at 243-7277 or beardsleyd@mydelraybeach.com; or visit www.victorysportsmgt.com/event/dbtt19

•

Some organizations don’t need help on Thanksgiving Day, but they need food donations and may need help in the days leading up to it.

The Soup Kitchen in Boynton Beach may still need volunteer help 7 a.m. to noon the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday before Thanksgiving, when it expects to distribute 1,000 frozen turkeys, roasting pans and fixings for the holiday meal to registered families. And it’s still welcoming donations of frozen turkeys.

Executive Director Enrique Zuanetto said the kitchen serves its regular meal on Thanksgiving, but it has more than enough volunteers. Far fewer guests come that day — maybe 60 compared to the usual 400 in a day — because most have received the frozen turkey meal to make at home.

Zuanetto points out, though, that the Soup Kitchen needs volunteers every other day and welcomes those interested to sit down with him and talk about what opportunities would work for them.
To inquire about volunteer opportunities, call 239-3173.

•

Volunteers pack meals for Boca Helping Hands during last year’s pre-Thanksgiving event. Photo provided

•

Boca Helping Hands has a Box Brigade that will distribute frozen turkeys and dinner fixings on Nov. 18 in Boca Raton and Boynton Beach to people who have registered. It will partner with Boca Raton Resort & Club and the Addison on two Thanksgiving Day meals for those in need who have registered. Boca Helping Hands has enough volunteers for those events, but is looking for people to host fall food drives.

To donate, or for year-round volunteer opportunities, call 417-0913 or visit www.bocahelpinghands.org.

•

Thanksgiving may be a more popular time for volunteerism because people have a little more time then, said Karen Swedenborg, development manager at Boca Helping Hands. “A lot of people just want to give back.”

These are just a few of the organizations that welcome volunteers throughout the year. Contact organizations that interest you to determine what opportunities they offer.

Native plants and beautiful gazebos make for a perfect garden space at Pan’s Garden. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

On Nov. 23, Pan’s Garden in Palm Beach is celebrating its 25th anniversary amid a change in its director of horticulture, a cleaner and fresher look and a greater use of native plantings than ever before.

“The garden is 100 percent native,” says Susan Lerner, the director of horticulture appointed about a year ago by the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, which owns the half-acre garden.

It is set on land that, once having held a derelict house and parking lot, was originally designed to be “a quiet oasis showcasing native Florida plants,” according to an early brochure.

But it’s that and more, says Lerner. “It’s also a botanical garden that is meant to be a learning garden so people can come to see what the native plants look like and determine which they want to put in their own gardens.”

In preparation for the anniversary, the statue of Pan, the mythical half-boy, half-goat for whom the garden is named, has had its original patina lovingly restored. Pan once again stands invitingly in a semi-circular pool at the garden’s entryway, charming water-spouting fish at his feet with his pipes.

Desiring to honor the garden’s original vision, Lerner is working to rejuvenate what she inherited. Over the years, non-natives had crept into the mix, some areas had become overgrown and the few really sunny parts of the garden had often been used for plants that survive equally well in partial shade.

Her sweat and labor are already evident as you wander through the marsh and upland habitats that make this garden special. With Lerner leading the way, we follow the brick path to the man-made pond that fills the northern section of the garden.

We enter an area that Lerner explains was partially covered with invasive ferns. After checking with the fern expert at Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Coral Gables to identify which were invasives, she removed them.

Buds are ready to bloom on a marlberry plant.

But she left the natives such as the lattice vein ferns with their rolling leaf edges and the giant leather ferns with under-leaves that get so covered in spores that they feel and look like they are lined with rust-colored suede.

Elsewhere the native Walter’s viburnum had been pruned into a perfect sphere. That type of pruning has been abandoned because it’s Lerner’s belief that trees and shrubs should be pruned only for size and to keep them looking trim. She often goes out with clippers to do the work herself.

Otherwise, “a tree should be allowed to grow as it would in nature,” she says.

As she details her efforts to refresh this charming yet educational garden, Lerner tells us that when she arrived for her job interview there was nothing flying — no birds, no bees, no butterflies, no dragonflies.

“We can fix that,” she thought to herself.

Today she points to a large area of coontie, a native cycad with a fossil history that dates back 3 million years. It is the sole host plant for the black-and-orange atala butterfly.

A soldier butterfly feeds on the blue blooms of a Keys ageratum.

She learned that the garden was being sprayed with pesticide that would prevent the atala and other butterflies from successfully using its plants to host their eggs and support their life cycles.

Lerner immediately canceled the spraying contract, and today the garden is filled with these butterflies and other beneficial insects.
As you stroll the paths, you can’t help but notice how just about every area of the garden has benefited from her touch. Consider the sunny southern border that, even at only a few inches of elevation, is considered part of the uplands habitat.

“This was a bramble filled with many non-natives. It wasn’t possible to walk through here,” she says.

Today it is an open and airy walkway that you enter between a pair of handsome Simpson stoppers. The path is lined with beautiful but lesser-known native wildflowers such as Havana skullcap, tea bush and coral bean. And this once uninviting area, like many places in this garden, is filled with butterflies and other flying attractions.

“I want this to be the go-to native garden in Florida so people learn that planting Florida natives is not only the right thing to do to support native wildlife but also to provide a beautiful experience,” Lerner says.

If You Go
Where: Pan’s Garden, 386 Hibiscus Ave., Palm Beach
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily; closed during maintenance and private events.
Admission: Free
Anniversary celebration: From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 23, Pan’s Garden will host activities and educational programs for children and adults, including origami making, a scavenger hunt, butterfly plant tours and birding with binoculars.
The celebration will include, at 10 a.m., the garden’s rededication; 10:15 a.m., yoga; 11 a.m., a presentation on the garden’s participation in the Pine Jog Native Orchid Program; and at 4 p.m., a talk about the creation and impact of Pan’s Garden.
More info: Call 832-0731 ext. 113 or visit https://palmbeachpreservation.org/visit/pans-garden
Volunteer: Volunteers are always welcome. For information, call the garden.

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley can be reached at debhartz@att.net.

From preschool, Evan Hearn, teacher Elizabeth McWey and Ava Goodis. Photo provided

Juliette Ferber tips the watering can. Photo provided

Unity students serve as earth stewards all year and include gardening as part of their curriculum. From preschool and up, students till the soil, plant the seeds and cultivate their herb and flower gardens with assistance from teachers and parents. This teaches interest in gardening among the children and incorporates Unity’s earth-friendly approach, keeping with the Montessori program.

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

The nature center building at Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands (12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach) will be closed beginning this month for new roof construction.

But during the four to six months the work will require, the surrounding wetlands will remain open to the public and the wildlife will not be disturbed.

For updates visit www.pbcnature.com or call the Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Services Division, 966-6686.

Other nature centers and wetlands to visit include:
• Wakodahatchee Wetlands, 13270 Jog Road, Delray Beach; 493-6000.
• Daggerwing Nature Center, 11435 Park Access Road, Boca Raton; 629-8760.
• Okeeheelee Nature Center, 7715 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach; 233-1400.
• Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach; 734-8303.

Nick Saunders holds a blackfin tune he caught north of Boynton Inlet while fishing with Capt. Chris Lemieux of Boynton Beach. Photo provided by Lemieux Charters.

By Willie Howard

Pound for pound, blackfin tuna are amazingly strong.

When ocean anglers reel in one of the football-sized blackfins typically found in the waters off Palm Beach County in the fall, they’re often amazed that small tunas fight like much larger ocean fish.

The shorter, cloudier and cooler days of fall typically bring good fishing for blackfins, especially in low-light hours of the morning or late afternoon — or whenever clouds blot out the sun and encourage tunas to move toward the surface.

When you fish offshore, keep an eye out for flocks of birds coming down to the surface, ribbons of current and clumps of floating sargassum that are sheltering minnows.

Capt. Chris Lemieux of Lemiuex Charters in Boynton Beach recommends trolling small tuna feathers far behind the boat (meaning well beyond the white, bubbling water created by the propellers).

Lemieux, who runs his charters from Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo, trolls feathers in purple and black, blue and white or plain white when targeting fall blackfins.

If he can catch glass minnows in a cast net, Lemieux said he uses live minnows to chum up blackfins — or as small live baits fished on light spinning rods fitted with 10-pound-test line and small hooks.

When you search for blackfins in the waters off Boynton Beach, Delray Beach and Boca Raton, Lemieux advises trolling in about 150 to 300 feet of water. Look for relatively clean water. Troll over areas where the depth changes quickly.

Small, flashy trolling lures can work well for blackfin tuna often found under clusters of birds in the fall. From left are the Boone Feather Jig, the Williamson Flash Feather, a Mylar skirt covered by a small squid skirt, a Red Eye bullet lure and a small Clark spoon.

Lemeiux said it’s important to watch the water because blackfins sometimes break the surface while feeding. Tuna fishing can be a good way to start a morning of fishing in the fall, he said, as the tuna are more likely to be near the surface in low light.

Anglers who plan to keep and eat a blackfin tuna should remove the gills or use a knife to make incisions behind the pectoral fins. Place the fish in a bucket of salt water and let it bleed for a few minutes before placing it on ice — preferably in an icy, saltwater slush.

Blackfin tuna (Thunnus atlanticus) have jet-black backs, bronze lateral stripes and large eyes.

There are no size or bag limits on blackfins. But that will change Jan. 1, when the daily bag limit of two per person or 10 per boat, whichever is greater, takes effect.

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission approved the bag limit for blackfin tuna on Oct. 2. When the limit takes effect, it will apply in both state and federal waters (beyond 3 miles off Florida’s east coast).

When you clean a freshly caught blackfin tuna, don’t rinse the meat with fresh water, advises Capt. Chris Walter of Get Bent Charters in the Florida Keys.

Fresh water can be used to rinse the cleaning surface, but the tuna meat should be kept mostly dry.

Remove the skin, the blood line and the remaining dark meat. Cut the tuna into thin strips for sashimi or thicker steaks for grilling or searing.

Blackfin tuna does not freeze well and is best eaten fresh, so release tuna you don’t plan to eat or share with friends within a day or two.

Coming events
Nov. 2: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the headquarters building at Spanish River Park, 3939 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Fee $35 ($5 for youths ages 12-19). Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 391-3600. Leave a message.
Nov. 5: Boynton Beach Boating and Fishing Club meets, 7 p.m. at the clubhouse building near the boat ramps, Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, 2010 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. Call 614-1550 or visit www.bbbfc.org.
Nov. 9: Dust ’Em Off Sailfish Warm-up Tournament with check-in stations in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. Captains meeting Nov. 7. Three divisions. Entry fee $500. Details at www.dustemoffsailfish.com.
Nov. 9: West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s 85th annual awards barbecue and auction, 5:30 p.m., South Florida Fairgrounds (Gate 8, Building 10). Tickets at the door: $30 adults and $15 for youths under 15. Discount for advance purchase. Call 832-6780 or visit www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.
Nov. 23: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the classroom building next to the boat ramps, Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, 2010 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. Fee $20. Register at the door. Call 331-2429.

Tip of the month

Following a few basic conservation measures can help reduce the loss of corals to disease, says the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. The FWC asks snorkelers and divers to avoid touching corals, to use environmentally friendly sunscreens and to avoid anchoring near coral.

The FWC is asking anyone interested in coral conservation to join the Florida Coral Crew and receive email updates about efforts to prevent the loss of stony corals. Go to www.myfwc.com/conservation/coral.

The Reel Em In II team won the honor for biggest fish in the ChasenTailz KDW Fishing Tournament with the 41.3-pound kingfish held by Nick Frasca (kneeling). The Sept. 28 charity tournament attracted 172 boats. Photo provided by Leonard Bryant Photography

Reel Em In II wins in ChasenTailz event

Frank Frasca and his crew on the Reel Em In II won heaviest-fish honors in the Sept. 28 ChasenTailz KDW Fishing Tournament with a 41.3-pound kingfish caught off Juno Beach.

Frasca, of North Palm Beach, said he and his teammates were slow-trolling a live goggle-eye on the surface in 75 feet of water off Juno Beach when the big kingfish hit around 7 a.m.

His son, Nick Frasca, fought the winning kingfish. Team member Sean Horgan brought the fish into the boat with his new gaff, Frasca said.

The ChasenTailz tournament attracted 172 boats. Proceeds from the event benefit sick children and their families, organizer Summer Warren said.

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.

County Commissioner Robert Weinroth volunteered alongside Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer at the dinner in 2018. It’s hosted by Congregation B’nai Israel and Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church and will take place Nov. 26 this year at Ebenezer. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

On Nov. 26, nearly 3,000 people, many of them children, will dine on dishes made by the best chefs at some of the finest country clubs in Boca Raton and Delray Beach. Another 1,000 will receive dinners packaged to go. But at the end of the meal, there will be no check to pay and no server to tip.

The annual Feed the Community Thanksgiving Dinner is a joint venture by two Boca Raton congregations — Congregation B’nai Israel and Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church — to feed their friends and neighbors who don’t have the resources for a full Thanksgiving meal.

The dinner will take place starting at 3:30 p.m. in Ebenezer’s church building and the surrounding property at the southwest corner of Glades Road and U.S. 1 in Boca Raton. Tents will shield the food, dessert and beverage areas and provide shade for diners.
The Thanksgiving dinner tradition has been around longer than senior Rabbi Robert Silvers, who has served the synagogue for 26 years.

“I will brag about it,” he laughs. “It functions as a well-oiled machine. But to us, it’s not a special event. It’s what we do.”
The partnership between the two houses of worship began in 1984, when the synagogue’s leaders approached Ebenezer’s with an idea for a cooperative Martin Luther King Jr. commemorative event.

In 1985, the congregation at Boca Raton’s fledgling synagogue joined with the congregation of the city’s oldest African-American church for an interfaith service in memory of King, a year before Martin Luther King Jr. Day was officially celebrated.

From there, the relationship grew.

For the Thanksgiving feast, the kitchens at St. Andrews Country Club, Addison Reserve Country Club, Mizner Country Club and Boca Grove Country Club will each make nearly 1,000 servings of mashed potatoes, stuffing, macaroni and cheese and green beans. VIP Caterers will roast about 80 turkeys.

This fete isn’t popular with just the diners. There are so many volunteers from CBI’s congregation that it limits each person’s shift to 45 minutes, so everyone gets a chance.

“Now we have two and three generations of volunteers,” Silvers said. “Teens who came with their parents are now here with kids of their own.”

Silvers says Ebenezer and CBI have more in common than one might think.

“We both share the same giving heart,” he says. “We know the value of helping others. It’s a blessing to us to be a blessing to others.”

For more information about the Feed the Community Thanksgiving Dinner and other projects, call coordinator Minda Shaiman at 241-8118, ext. 119 or email minda.shaiman@cbiboca.org, or call Ebenezer church at 391-7357.

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