Frankie the yellow-winged Amazon parrot is back with Anthony Calicchio and will get a microchip implant to locate him in case he strays again. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Ron Hayes

How much would you be willing to pay for a newborn yellow-winged Amazon parrot?
Anthony Calicchio paid pizzas.
“I had a friend in Stuart who had a white cockatoo with some pink plumage, and its name was Pink Floyd,” he begins. “That’s what got me interested in having a bird.”
Calicchio grew up in Brooklyn. In 2008, he moved down to Boynton Beach to become a chef at Cafe Frankie’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria on East Ocean Avenue, and a year later he bought the business — and that newborn yellow-winged Amazon parrot.
“I got him from one of my customers,” he recalls. “She had two parrots. One of them laid four eggs, and Frankie was one of the four. We bartered for him, and I gave her $800 in pizzas.”
Not all at once, you understand.
“Well, I gave her a gift card with $800 on it. Every once in a while she’d come in and get a small pizza and a Coke or something. It took her about two years to use it all up.”
Calicchio’s pizza-rich friend bottle-fed the bird for four months, and then he brought it home.
“I kept him home for one day, and then I brought him to work,” he says.
Frankie the parrot was named after Frankie’s the cafe, not the other way around, and in the decade since, he’s come to work there almost every day. Perched atop his 5-foot cage just outside the door, where al fresco diners can admire him, you might say he’s become the restaurant’s beloved, bright green, yellow-winged maitre d’.
He rides on Calicchio’s Harley and he rides on his shoulder as Calicchio walks to lunch at the Banana Boat restaurant just across the avenue. He poses for selfies. He calls “Hello.”
Frankie knows about 30 words, none of them obscene.
“He says, ‘Whattyawant’ and ‘Fuggedaboutit’ and ‘Not me,’ ” Calicchio says. “I’ve had some customers try to teach him to curse, but kids come to see him, so I don’t let that happen.”
To stop by the cafe for the lunch special and not find Frankie strutting, preening or crowing “Hello!” would be like Walmart without the old greeters, or Publix without the free scales.
And then one day last month, his cage stood empty.
Frankie was born on the Fourth of July 2009, and on July 3, 2019 — a day before his 10th birthday —the bird disappeared from Calicchio’s backyard on Southwest Second Avenue.
“It was traumatic,” he recalls. “Frankie was on his cage at home, and I guess he got spooked and hopped over the fence. It’s the first time he’s gone in 10 years.”
The bird had no tag and no microchip implant, but he did have a decade of loyal customers and a local news media that know a good human interest story when one disappears.
TV crews came to show viewers the distraught owner and the empty cage. Newspapers as far away as Daytona Beach ran stories about the “famed” parrot. Calicchio got 2,000 hits on Instagram. Customers texted daily to ask if Frankie had been found. Missing-bird fliers were posted.
A week later, on July 10, a good Samaritan named Patrick O’Bryant called Calicchio. One of O’Bryant’s employees, Oviedo Gonzalez, who lives a few doors from Calicchio, was leaving for work when he spotted a parrot under his car and put it in a tree just before it risked getting run over.
At work, he told O’Bryant, and the two men returned to Gonzalez’s home, where they found the bird, still in the tree.
When O’Bryant saw a missing-bird flier, he called to tell Calicchio he’d taken the parrot to a friend named Tina Rosen, who cared for animals at her property behind O’Bryant’s wholesale nursery west of Delray Beach.
According to Calicchio, he then called Rosen and they exchanged photos. Rosen told him they weren’t the same bird because the photo on the flier didn’t show an orange spot on the shoulder and he didn’t have proper documentation. She told him she wasn’t comfortable having him come to her house and declined a $500 reward for the bird’s return — in currency this time, not pizzas.
When Rosen stopped taking his calls, Calicchio called Boynton Beach police, and Officers Jarvis Hollis and Lawrence Rini were on the case.
Rosen didn’t answer their phone calls either, according to their written report.
“At this time, Rosen has still declined to return the bird,” Hollis wrote. “Let it be known, Calicchio was unable to provide proper documentation for the bird, however it’s more than likely that the bird Rosen is in possession of is Calicchio’s bird.”
The officers called in Liz Roehrich, the city’s animal cruelty investigator.
The next morning, Calicchio and Roehrich went together to Rosen’s house and left with Frankie.
“She didn’t say hello,” Calicchio says. “There were six dogs barking at him, and all she said was if he broke out you should put a chip in him.”
Calicchio emphasizes there was nothing sinister or criminal in Frankie’s disappearance. The parrot wasn’t purloined, and no ransom was demanded.
Rosen declined to be interviewed. O’Bryant says she was not trying to keep the bird.
“She just wanted to make sure he was the rightful owner because he didn’t have proper documentation,” O’Bryant said, “and she blocked his calls when he became aggressive.”
On one point, Calicchio agrees with Rosen. Frankie will be getting a microchip implant.
On Friday morning, July 12, Frankie was back at work atop his cage.
“He’s back!” a grinning UPS driver exclaimed as he walked up to deliver a package.
“You got him!” arriving diners exulted.
“Where was he? What happened?” they asked.
“He was happy to see me,” Calicchio says. “When I brought him home, he was shaking. He had an orange and bananas, and somebody brought him a mango.”
Sitting at a table beside Frankie, Calicchio greeted customers, sharing their happiness when they saw the yellow-winged maitre d’ was back.
“It’s just like losing a part of your family,” he said. “I live alone. Just me and him.
“You know, Amazons live to be about 80, and I’m 54. He’s going to outlive me.”

Lethal bronzing is an incurable infection that causes palm fronds to turn brown and die. New growth also dies as a result. Photo provided

By Cheryl Blackerby

It’s the worse-case scenario for homeowners who have invested in palm trees costing $5,000 to $10,000 each. The trees’ fronds are turning a bronze-brown and new fronds are curling up and dying.
The arborist’s news is bad: The trees have a new disease that is terminal.
In 2006, a relatively new deadly bacterial disease called lethal bronzing hit the Tampa area and quickly spread east, killing palm trees ranging from stately Canary Island date palms to the indomitable sabal palmetto palm, the state tree. It has become prevalent in Palm Beach County just in the past couple of years.
Lethal bronzing, similar but genetically distinct from lethal yellowing, is now common on Florida’s east coast and is causing “significant palm losses in Palm Beach County,” according to University of Florida research.
Michael Zimmerman, owner of Zimmerman Tree Service, which has offered tree disease diagnosis in Palm Beach County for 39 years, says he has been doing preventive treatment for palms against lethal bronzing throughout the county, including on the barrier islands.
Once infected, the tree dies. Unlike lethal yellowing, there is no treatment for lethal bronzing, although the antibiotic oxytetracycline can be given to nearby trees for prevention against the disease, which is spread by planthopper insects.
Prevention requires inserting a port in the palm trunk where the antibiotic is injected every three or four months for at least two years. If homeowners have a big investment in one of the 16 species of trees susceptible to lethal bronzing, they will probably want to consider preventive treatment.
Symptoms of lethal bronzing include bronze-colored dying lower fronds; flower spikes that die prematurely; new palms that die and fold over; and premature fruit dropping, says Laurie Albrecht, horticulture extension agent with the University of Florida/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
Once a tree shows symptoms it’s too late for treatment.

Often misdiagnosed
Lethal bronzing is often misdiagnosed as lethal yellowing, which became prevalent in the southern third of Florida four decades ago, according to Zimmerman. The disease, also spread by planthoppers, killed more than 30 palm species but was particularly devastating to tall coconut palms.
But unlike trees infected by lethal bronzing, trees infected by lethal yellowing could be saved by injection of oxytetracycline every four months. Lethal yellowing is not as prevalent as it once was because of aggressive use of oxytetracycline and removal of diseased trees.
“Lethal yellowing is still here but it’s relatively rare,” Albrecht says.
Lethal bronzing, also called Texas Phoenix palm decline, was first seen in Texas, she says. DNA from the Florida disease was a perfect match for the disease found in Corpus Christi, Texas. The only way to diagnose the disease is by core sampling, which is sent for laboratory analysis, Albrecht says, because the disease is similar to other palm maladies such as potassium deficiency.
Lethal bronzing spread quickly throughout the Tampa area, which prompted an inoculation program for about 300 healthy trees at 24 sites around the city.
Spread only by insects, the disease cannot live outside a plant or insect, so it can’t be mechanically transmitted by pruning tools or infected roots touching new roots, according to University of Florida research.
Lethal bronzing, which affects a much smaller number of palm species than lethal yellowing, has killed palms including sabal, queen, Chinese fan and Carpentaria.
“It’s all over. We’ve seen it on the barrier islands. We’ve seen a lot of sabal palms go down, which never happened with lethal yellowing. The trees are infected by insects similar to the way mosquitoes transmit diseases,” says Zimmerman.
Tracey Stevens, Ocean Ridge’s acting town manager, said, “We have had a couple of complaints, and recently had to remove two dead coconut palms on Old Ocean Boulevard near Colonial Ridge that are in the town’s right of way.
“Public Works is currently working with our contractor to assess which trees may need to be treated, and which ones need to be removed if they are too far gone at this point.”
“Two trees with lethal bronzing were taken down,” said Bill Armstrong, head of public works for Ocean Ridge. “We’re keeping an eye on it. Not worried about it yet.”
Prevention is key for saving expensive healthy palms that are susceptible to lethal bronzing, according to University of Florida research.
“Currently, some developers in Palm Beach County are beginning to ask for susceptible palm species to be tested prior to installation,” Bill Schall, the UF/IFAS extension commercial horticulture agent, said in a blog.
“People are putting in expensive palms and you need to take care of them,” says Zimmerman. “Preventive care for lethal bronzing is now standard health care.”

Palms susceptible to lethal bronzing
Lethal bronzing is known to kill these 16 species of palms: Christmas, Bismarck, pindo, Carpentaria, coconut, Chinese fan, Canary Island date, edible date, pygmy date, wild date, Fiji fan, buccaneer, Mexican palmetto, sabal palmetto, queen and Chinese windmill.

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach commissioners have unanimously approved a slight cut in the tax rate, keeping a promise to city property owners to reduce the tax rate for 10 consecutive years.
The July 9 vote capped the total tax rate at $6.86 per $1,000 of taxable value for the financial year that starts Oct. 1. This marks the seventh consecutive year that Delray Beach is lowering its tax rate.
“I know we are trying to get things done, but I think we can drop the tax rate,” Mayor Shelly Petrolia said. “Dropping the rate would make us more attractive to people coming in.”
Commissioner Adam Frankel agreed. “We will have additional fees from the new hotels opening,” he said to justify his decision.
“For the first time, I agree,” said Vice Mayor Shirley Johnson, who is up for re-election in March.
Neal de Jesus, the interim city manager, presented staff’s recommendation for a slight increase in the tax rate to $7.06 per $1,000 of taxable value.
“Philosophically, there’s different ways to look at it,” de Jesus said. “In this time of economic prosperity, we should be spending now.”
The city just passed an amendment to cover a $3 million gap in the current year’s budget, he said. Last fall, $2 million was taken out of reserves to cover a shortfall in the public safety pension funds.
“Every time they lower their assumptions (of the rate of return on investments), it causes the city to contribute more,” de Jesus said.
For the next budget year, the public safety pension boards and the general employees pension board are reducing their rates of return, he said. “For the next year, another $1.5 million to $2 million.”
The second major cost comes from increases in employee salaries from contract negotiations and the rising cost of health insurance.
Third, de Jesus said, were the new hotels with increased visitors and buildings coming online. They will affect city services from trash pickup to public safety. “That all costs money,” he said.
De Jesus said reducing the tax rate would translate into a $2.1 million deficit compared with department requests.
Because property values rose in the city by 6.6 percent, Delray Beach has an extra $689.4 million of property to tax, said Laura Thezine, interim financial director.
At the slight tax reduction, the city will have $70.3 million for its general fund.
For a city homeowner with a house valued at $1 million for tax purposes, the decreased tax rate translates into a $100 annual savings.
Thezine also said the city’s roll-back rate is $6.46 per $1,000 taxable value. The roll-back rate is the number that would generate the same tax revenue as the prior year with allowances for new construction.
In addition, she gave this schedule of budget meetings: Aug. 13, budget workshop; 5 p.m. Sept. 5, a tentative budget hearing; and Sept. 19, the final budget adoption.
The city’s proposed tax rate has two components. The operating tax rate is $6.66 per $1,000 value and the debt service rate is 20 cents per $1,000 value.
The tax rates had to be set by the end of July for the county property appraiser to mail notices in mid-August to every property owner. The notices cover assessed values and proposed tax rates.
The rates can be lowered but not raised during the city’s budget hearings in September.
Just before the vote, de Jesus reminded commissioners that they were below their 25 percent target for reserves.
“It’s now 23 percent,” he said. “I want to make sure the commission understands this.”
In other tax-related news, the Downtown Development Authority received unanimous commission approval to continue its $1 tax levy per $1,000 property value in its district. The DDA will have a $1.1 million budget for the next financial year, up nearly 6 percent from the current budget year with an additional $59,721 of property tax revenue.

ABOVE: Resident Clair Johnson had 1,200 sandbags placed along the east side of Marine Way in anticipation of floods from king tides and storms. BELOW: City workers removed the bags, much to Johnson’s dismay. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

Another fall of king tides is coming, which is bad news for Delray Beach residents who live on Marine Way.
They will likely see water pushing through the crumbled and submerged Intracoastal Waterway seawall, flowing into their yards and, in some cases, their homes.
Last year, the city said it did not own Marine Way and as a result couldn’t start work to deter flooding. Thanks to a recent title search, however, the city now says it owns the block-long street and finally can begin the task.
The city says the work will take at least 24 months but has not said when it will begin.
The city has set aside $2.8 million for Marine Way improvements, to include a new sea wall, road and drainage improvements and a stormwater pump station.
Another $4.6 million is earmarked to rebuild the city marina, just to the south.
Marine Way residents say they have been waiting for more than three decades for relief.
The one-block stretch has a roadbed decayed from tidal flooding, private and unauthorized docks and a sea wall that’s been broken and ineffective for decades.
When Delray Beach was ready last summer to start the improvements, its project consultant contended the city did not own Marine Way, according to a June 19, 2018, letter from former City Manager Mark Lauzier.
“The city has no legal standing to proceed,” Lauzier wrote to Marine Way residents.
Again, in December, city staffers said they were researching the ownership of Marine Way.
Frustrated by the delays, longtime Marine Way resident Clair Johnson began building a three-sandbag-tall wall this spring.
It was on the eastern side of Marine Way, along 440 feet of the Intracoastal.
“I researched the city’s development rules and did not see any mentions of sandbags,” Johnson said.
The 72-year-old started filling the sandbags himself, but after he filled and stacked 80, he hired his lawn guy and a worker to do the remaining 1,120 bags.
“I’m just too old,” he said.
The wall was three-fourths finished when Johnson received a code violation on July 8. The notice gave him 72 hours to remove the sandbags.
What changed?
The new city attorney asked a different consultant, a lawyer who concluded the city owned the street.
“I wasn’t the city attorney at the time (Lauzier’s) letter was sent out,” wrote City Attorney Lynn Gelin in an email. Lauzier was fired in March.
“When I became aware of the issue as the city attorney, I reviewed old files and consulted with the city’s outside counsel, Steven Rubin,” Gelin wrote. “I don’t know if that was done by Mr. (Max) Lohman (the previous city attorney) or Mr. Lauzier.”
Rubin replied in a July 1 letter that his title search documents show that the city owns Marine Way.
Twelve city workers dismantled Johnson’s sandbag wall and carted the sandbags away.
Neighbor Genie DePonte said, “They should have left the sandbags up to see whether they are a short-term fix.”
Her title-search documents say she owns the property to the Intracoastal. “The city is overusing its power,” she said.
“I don’t want the city to take away my dock,” DePonte said. “It’s part of my property’s value. I’ve paid taxes on it for 30 years and have permits for it from the city and the Army Corps.”
Johnson said the city is relying on a faulty survey from 1939 to show ownership. The surveyor relied on a 1931 document where the heir to the Frank T. Noble estate erroneously gave the city roads, including Canal Street/Marine Way, that he did not own, Johnson said.
He plans to take the city to court to cover the cost of the sandbags and the expected water damage to his home in the fall from the king tides.
The four other buildings on Marine Way are owned by lawyer Adam Bankier and developer Burt Handelsman’s ex-wife and adult children. None could be reached for comment.

Marina delay discussed
Separately, Delray Beach staff met again in late July with marina-area residents at the Veterans Park community center to explain why that project is still delayed.
The marina work was supposed to start in May, but the two lowest bidders dropped out, according to city documents. On May 21, the City Commission awarded the contract to B&M Marine Construction Inc. of Deerfield Beach. Work began July 29 when B&M started preparing the site. The actual construction will start at the end of August, said Glen Bryant, B&M president.
Even though the commission awarded the project on May 21, B&M could not start immediately, said Isaac Kovner, project manager. Contracts had to go back and forth between the city and B&M, insurance had to be acquired by B&M and then a purchase order signed, Kovner said on July 30.
The city has lost about $25,000 in rental income from the marina, which leases 31 boat slips, eight designated for live-aboard owners.
The boaters were ordered to leave by May 1 and won’t be able to return for another year if the work schedule holds.
“Will there be Wi-Fi and any security cameras?” live-aboard boater Dylan Henderson asked.
Kovner said the marina will have Wi-Fi but not security cameras. After groans from some meeting attendees, he said the contractor might be able to supply the connections for the security cameras.
The project will bring new floating docks, a raised sea wall, drainage and lighting improvements, a new pump station and new streetlights and landscaping. A small park just west of the sea wall will hold stormwater runoff.
Architect Roger Cope, who also chairs a city advisory board, asked about the design of the new planned gazebos at the marina. He suggested the city use the same plans as the new gazebos at the beach.
“That way, no approvals will be needed,” he said.

Suzanne Boyd and her dog Sophia, a Chihuahua whippet mix, sit in the Gulf Stream home in which Boyd raises two children. Boyd formed her own production company after retiring from her job on the local CBS-TV morning show. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Stephen Moore

Suzanne Boyd seemed to be living a dream life. She spent 20 years as an award-winning journalist for CBS12 in West Palm Beach and was the co-anchor of the station’s morning show. She was one of the most recognizable TV personalities in the area.
But something was missing — quality time with her two children, daughter Laine, 13, and son Trace, 9.
She was fed up with going to bed at 6:30 p.m., working the morning show and getting home after the kids had already gone to school.
So, she did something about her lifestyle. She retired from the news business in September 2018. Now she has time for her children and more time for herself.
“I can go to bed with them,” she said, “wake up with them, go to their school events. We can go away and work remotely.”
After a few months of experiencing retirement, Boyd finds that she is as busy as ever. She has just rearranged her schedule. She formed Suzanne Boyd Productions and has created, with former CBS12 anchor Eric Roby, a morning digital talk show called Rise+Live with Roby and Suze.
She produces a digital livestream show with psychotherapist Shannon Thompson Jones called What Your Friends Won’t Tell You. She also makes time to do a podcast called People of Palm Beach, and she co-wrote The Dream Pillow, a storybook.
These days, she works by her own schedule and has plenty of time for her children.
“I realized in the process it wasn’t my schedule or my job that made me a busy person,” she said. “Suzanne Boyd is just a busy person and that is not going to change. I enjoy being busy and I love what I’m doing. It is a lot of fun.”
Neighbors in Place Au Soleil in Gulf Stream have also been reintroduced to Boyd, who is 46 and divorced.
“I started to be more social in the neighborhood by walking my dog more often, so I see people a lot more,” she said. “But in the last six months I’ve met many more of my neighbors than I ever did when I was doing the morning TV show.”
Sounds like mission accomplished for Boyd. More time for the children. Revamped work schedule. And more time for herself.
“I love being around people and make my living in the public eye, but I recharge by being alone,” she said. “Yoga and quiet time feed my soul. I even found walking on the beach. I never used to do this or go watch the sunrise because I was always inside when the sun rose. But watching the sunrise, those little things that people take for granted. Those are the things that I really do appreciate.”

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I grew up in a tiny town in North Florida called Monticello. My dad is a sixth-generation Florida farmer, so I grew up working in the fields. I think that taught me the value of hard work. But I also HATED farm life and wanted badly to leave Monticello. I went to University of Florida to study journalism and never looked back.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I’ve been working since I was 13. I started in the fields as a cotton scout and harvesting nursery stock. I also worked at the local pharmacy fountain as a soda jerk and cashier, and then as a bartender and waitress in college.
I started working in TV and radio in college and got my first reporting gig in Sarasota after college. I was at CBS12 in West Palm Beach for 20 years before retiring from the news business and starting my own company. I’m most proud of our coverage during hurricanes. Even though it was exhausting, it felt like that was the most important job — being there for our community during a frightening and difficult time.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Be true to yourself. Never compromise your values. Do what you love.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in Place Au Soleil in Gulf Stream?
A: I had a friend who lived in Place Au Soleil and absolutely loved the neighborhood. I found out that Bernard and Stephanie Molyneux were renovating a home in here and I made them an offer when the home was completely gutted because I knew if it went on the market it would be gone in a heartbeat.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in Gulf Stream?
A: The community feel, the people and the police officers. When I was working at CBS12 and waking up at 2:30 a.m., the officers would often wait at the end of my street to make sure I got out the door and in my car safely. They really care about our community.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: The Opposable Mind, by Roger Martin. It was a gift from a local CEO who said it helped him in business.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: Any music! I love music. I’m a huge Dave Matthews fan. I’ve probably seen him in concert close to 100 times.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: My parents are my original mentors. My mom taught me kindness and empathy. My dad taught me tenacity and to work hard. I’m also inspired by strong, intelligent women. I’ve always looked up to Oprah and Katie Couric.

Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: I love Kate Winslet and I’ve always wanted to have a British accent.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: My kids.

By Steve Plunkett

The town owes 11 lawyers who represented resident Martin O’Boyle in a public records case more than $65,000 for their legal work, a Palm Beach County circuit judge ruled July 30.
Gulf Stream and a 12th O’Boyle lawyer, Elaine Johnson James, were also given 10 days to agree on her legal fees or seek a hearing to determine them. James had submitted a bill for $6,897 not including time spent arguing about the fees.
The case “is but one — of several — antagonistic disputes” between O’Boyle and the town, Judge Glenn Kelley wrote in his ruling, the first judicial review of contested legal fees between the parties. O’Boyle’s attorney’s fees in three other cases still must be decided, with bills ranging from $35,000 to $340,000.
The litigation centered on a June 17, 2014, request that O’Boyle made to see who got copies of a letter he had written the town about rules on sober homes. The town gave him three documents two days later; he filed suit July 3, 2014, seeking more, and the town provided two additional documents July 10, 2014. The case was mediated last November, and a consent final judgment came Dec. 18.
O’Boyle’s lawyers argued they should be paid for work through the judgment; the town said it should be liable only up to when the last records were produced. Kelley agreed with O’Boyle.
“It is clear to the court that this case was litigated beyond what was candidly necessary,” Kelley wrote. “Nevertheless the court concludes that … the plaintiff is entitled to costs of enforcement (attorney’s fees) through the conclusion of the case.”
Jonathan O’Boyle, Martin’s lawyer son, will receive the largest amount under Kelley’s ruling, $16,590. He did not respond to an email seeking comment before deadline.
The two sides reached a settlement in December with the town paying Martin O’Boyle $15,000 to drop five cases and admitting it violated the Public Records Act in four others.

By Dan Moffett

The Palm Beach County Zoning Commission unanimously approved a variance request for the developer of the Gulf Stream Views townhouse project on July 3, allowing the construction of 14 small swimming pools on the property.
The approval came over the objections of two dozen residents of Briny Breezes and the County Pocket who attended the hearing — and the objections of the commission’s own staff.
County planners and plan reviewers had recommended that the request from New Jersey-based NR Living be denied, asserting that the developer failed to satisfy several criteria necessary for allowing the exception.
Rachel Streitfeld, an attorney who represents the residents, said they are considering an appeal of the decision.
“We may want to take it to the County Commission,” Streitfeld said. “We have other options we want to think about as well.”
The zoning board’s ruling allows the installation of a 7-foot-by-14-foot plunge pool behind each of the development’s 14 units, seven along Briny Breezes Boulevard and seven along Seaview Avenue. County code calls for a 28-foot setback between swimming pools and the street, but the zoning commissioners approved a variance that allows a setback of about 17 feet.
Developers say they need the swimming pools to attract buyers for the units. County planners had opposed the exception, saying essentially that the pools were an amenity, not a necessary part of the plan, and their absence wouldn’t create a hardship for NR Living.
Commission Chair Sheri Scarborough and Commissioner Robert Currie disagreed, arguing that because the county months ago required a central roadway into the project, the developer was left with nowhere else to put the pools. Denying them now would present a hardship for the developer, the commissioners said.
“There is no need or hardship requirement met for adding 14 pools,” Kristine de Haseth, executive director of the Florida Coalition for Preservation and an Ocean Ridge commissioner, told the commission. “There’s no reason for adding this to the project this late in the game.”
Residents complained about flooding problems since late last year when dozens of trucks of fill were hauled into the 2-acre site to raise the grade to 16 feet.
But commissioners dismissed those complaints, saying the issue before them was the swimming pools — not drainage problems or runoff from the site.
“This is not a hardship for developers. The hardship that is happening is to neighboring residents who now are experiencing flooding,” said Liz Loper, who lives on Winthrop Lane in the Pocket. “Now I have to place sandbags at my front door when it rains.”
Said Streitfeld: “With the fill, they’ve created a fortress. And these folks are about to become the moat.”

By Dan Moffett

South Palm Beach is closing out the 2018-2019 fiscal year in a stronger financial position than it has been at any other time during the past decade. And the town’s future appears to be even brighter — at least for the short term.
Property values are up 5.57 percent over last year, extending an upward trend from the past decade. The Palm Beach County property appraiser puts the town’s assessed value at about $362 million, approaching the all-time high mark of $432 million in 2007 before the Great Recession and real estate downturn.
By the end of next year, the 30 luxury condominiums at 3550 S. Ocean Blvd. are expected to be completed and move onto the tax rolls, adding another $80 million to $100 million of valuation.
Town Manager Robert Kellogg says South Palm Beach has about $3.5 million earning interest in reserve accounts.
There are also savings in expenditures.
Beginning Oct. 1, South Palm Beach will save $108,875 during the next year, and roughly as much each of the two following years, when the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office takes over the town’s law enforcement. The financial burden of running a small-town police department goes away. The sheriff is charging the town $1.05 million for the first year.
“I’m happy to announce that the merger is moving along very smoothly,” Police Chief Mark Garrison told the Town Council during its meeting on July 23. “Everyone can feel good about that. We’ve had a lot of positive feedback about our decision to go with the Sheriff’s Office and merge with them.”
Armed with optimistic news, council members are considering passing on savings to taxpayers. They unanimously voted to keep the town’s maximum tax rate where it is at $3.79 per $1,000 of taxable property value. At the next budget workshop on Aug. 13, the council is scheduled to discuss lowering the tax rate closer to $3.59, the rollback rate at which tax revenues stay flat year-over-year.
Town accountant Bea Good told the council that keeping the current rate for the next fiscal year would generate a surplus of $168,802 that could go into reserves or back to taxpayers. A year ago, the council cut the millage from $4 per $1,000 to today’s $3.79.
The town could also look at putting the excess toward several familiar capital projects. Mayor Bonnie Fischer and Kellogg are looking at possibilities for a beach and dune renourishment project, and Town Hall has needed renovation or repairs for years.
It might take as much as $70,000 to upgrade computer servers and make the town’s website compliant with federal disability standards. It will cost about $30,000 to improve streetlights and another $20,000 to upgrade the audio system in Town Hall.
Good told the council that revenues from the penny sale-tax increase county voters approved in 2016 continue to accumulate.
The town has about $270,000 saved and expects another $100,000 to come in during the next year. That money is restricted by law to infrastructure improvements.

By Dan Moffett

After Palm Beach County abruptly pulled out of a plan to stabilize her town’s eroding shoreline in February, South Palm Beach Mayor Bonnie Fischer said she was determined to find another option.
Now Fischer says she’s working on the details of a Plan B that she says would bolster the town’s dune line and replenish the lost sand on its beaches.
The partner this time isn’t the county but the town of Palm Beach. Fischer is negotiating an agreement with her neighbor to the north to work together on a beach dune restoration project that calls for buying tons of newly dredged sand from Palm Beach and moving it to the shores of the South Palm Beach condos.
Besides sand, the project would involve new plantings — sea oats in particular — to fortify the town’s dunes.
The cost to South Palm Beach could run about $700,000. The town has the money in hand, having put it away over the past five years to pay for the scuttled project with the county. The mayor said the sand likely would be trucked from Palm Beach to South Palm Beach.
The advantage of using dredged ocean sand, rather than hauling it from inland sources, is that it more closely matches what’s already on the beaches.
Fischer said she has the support of Palm Beach Mayor Gail Coniglio and her counterpart’s Town Council for the partnership.
“Gail has been extremely helpful,” Fischer said. “We’re very fortunate if this goes through with Palm Beach and we’ll be able to get some sand. Otherwise, we have no other option. We’re all private beach. The state’s not going to come in and fund a project.”
State Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Delray Beach, has confirmed that no help is likely to come from Tallahassee anytime soon. During a report on the legislative session given to the South Palm Beach council at its July 23 meeting, Caruso said the devastation caused by Hurricane Michael last year has drawn all the state’s beach resources to the Panhandle.
“Mexico Beach still doesn’t have electricity and still doesn’t have water,” Caruso said. “One of the things I was disappointed about is that almost all the dollars for beach restoration and dune recovery were shipped up there to help those who were devastated by Michael.”
Fischer said she hopes to have Robert Weber, the coordinator of Palm Beach’s coastal protection and dredging program, discuss the plan at South Palm Beach’s Aug. 13 meeting. Work could begin as early as November when turtle season ends.
One major hurdle that remains is gaining easement access to bring the sand to the coastline. Fischer and Town Manager Robert Kellogg have been meeting with condo groups during the past month to negotiate agreements.
Easements from condos were also a problem with the county project, which called for installing a network of seven concrete groins to hold sand and stabilize the town’s beaches. The project, which was conceived after Hurricane Wilma tore up the South Palm waterfront in 2005, also was met with opposition from neighbors to the south who claimed the groins would interfere with the natural flow of sand and damage their beaches.
The town of Manalapan and the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa threatened to sue to stop the project. In the end, county officials cited soaring costs — from a $10 million plan to something closer to $25 million — for shutting it down.
“It’s still a roll of the dice because one storm could take out all the sand,” Fischer said of South Palm’s Plan B. “But we don’t have another choice.”

Wright by the Sea, for 68 years a family-owned hotel at 1901 S. Ocean Blvd., is being razed July 26 to make way for 19 luxury residences on the almost 2-acre beachfront parcel. The new enclave is named Ocean Delray. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The Mandarin buildings will dominate the northeast corner of Camino Real and Federal Highway. Rendering provided

By Christine Davis

Penn-Florida Cos. has secured a $225 million construction loan from Madison Realty Capital for the third and final tower of The Residences at Mandarin Oriental, 105 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton.
Construction of The Residences, which commenced several months ago, is scheduled to be completed in less than two years along with the new Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
Anthony Orso, president of Newmark Capital Market Strategies, arranged the financing. Rochelle LeCavalier, vice president of sales of Douglas Elliman Development, is handling sales and marketing of the condo units, which start at $2 million.

Also in July, Deutsche Bank and Bank Hapoalim provided a $146 million construction loan for phase one of Alina Residences to El-Ad National Properties, an Elad Group company. The project broke ground at Southeast Mizner Boulevard in Boca Raton this year, and construction is underway on 121 one- to four-bedroom condominiums designed by Garcia Stromberg/GS4 Studios. They are slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2020. Prices range from just under $1 million to over $6 million.

Mike Walsh has listed his 8,796-square-foot, six-bedroom home at 1003 Rhodes Villa Ave., Delray Beach, for $6.295 million with Nicholas Malinosky and Randy Ely, agents with Douglas Elliman.
The property has 243 feet on the Intracoastal Waterway and is equipped to fit two 112-foot yachts. Amenities include a movie theater, gym and wine room. Walsh is president at Ocean Properties Ltd., a privately held hotel management and development company that has more than 30 hotels in Florida and operates more than 100 properties in North America.  

Real Trends, an industry publication, listed several real estate agents who serve the coastal area in south Palm Beach County on its “The Thousand” rankings for 2018. The annual awards list the top one-half percent of the nation’s real estate professionals.
In the Individuals by Sales Volume category, David Roberts, Royal Palm Properties, Boca Raton, placed 42nd with $173,474,000. Candace Friis, the Corcoran Group, Delray Beach, placed 73rd with $142,952,038. Pascal Liguori, Premier Estate Properties, Delray Beach, placed 76th with $140,678,000.  
For the category Teams by Volume, Nicholas Malinosky and Randy Ely of Douglas Elliman, Delray Beach, placed 188th with $148,558,425.

Mentor and career coach Deborah Bacarella has joined RE/MAX Advantage Plus. She can be reached at 239-2300 or MyRealEstateCareerCoach@gmail.com.

Owners Camelly Cancella and Carol Cook of ShearLuck Salon in Delray Beach celebrated a major expansion at a grand reopening party in June. “We are so excited to see the new salon take shape. We love the contemporary but casual feel,” said Cancella. “The new space shows off our passion and creativity. We thought through every detail. We even brought in chairs and sinks from Italy. We opened up the space to increase the natural lighting and increased the amount of workstations.”
The salon is at 530 NE Second St. in Delray Beach.

Dr. Kristin Quisenberry, known as “Dr. Q,” has been named the new lead veterinarian at Sandoway Discovery Center.
Dr. Scott McOwen, an original founder of the center who has guided its animal-care efforts for two decades, has been named director emeritus.
“Dr. McOwen’s dedication and commitment toward education and preservation of our coastal ecosystem is inspiring,” Quisenberry said. “I am excited to build upon his foundation and continue his standard of care, community involvement and work to support Sandoway’s mission.”
Quisenberry, who has a private practice in Delray Beach, is passionate about animal rescue and volunteers weekly with organizations that provide medical treatment and care for stray pets.

The Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Chairman’s Club recently hosted a presentation by Carolyn Gosselin, senior vice president of investor relations with the Florida State Chamber of Commerce. Her “Uniting Business for Good” rated construction, professional and business services and health services at the top in 2019 Florida forecasts for jobs created and industry growth rates.
The state Chamber of Commerce says that “Florida’s economy is rebounding at a pace that has other states looking to us for leadership. Our state is growing by more than 1,000 net new people a day, we are the third-most populous state in the nation, welcoming more than 105 million visitors each year.”

The Gold Coast PR Council recognized excellence by local public relations and marketing professionals with a luncheon ceremony.
Awards were presented in 15 categories, 12 of them competitive and three selected by the council’s board of directors.
Recipients included Boynton Beach Public Communications & Marketing Department, Clerk & Comptroller Palm Beach County, Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, Florida Atlantic University, Kaye Communications, Labor Finders International, Palm Beach County Constitutional Tax Collector, PR Czar, Tenet Florida Physician Services, The Buzz Agency and Tilson PR.
The Founders Award went to Debbie Wemyss, the PR Star was Ali Soule, and the Judges Award went to Moore PR.
The Presidents Award went to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel for its sensitive coverage of the Parkland school shooting and aftermath.

The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium, 4801 Dreher Trail N., West Palm Beach, received two awards for its work in the STEM educational field: the Florida Department of Education Commissioner’s Business Award and the School District of Palm Beach County’s Business Partner Gold-level Award.

Through a partnership with the American Boat and Yacht Council, Palm Beach State College now offers a curriculum designed to train marine service technicians. Students will gain hands-on experience in labs and on boats and each receive a postsecondary adult vocational certificate. Graduates also leave the program with ABYC student certification.
Classes for the program start Aug. 22, and those interested in enrolling should attend the information session on Aug. 7, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. in room ETD 103 of the Education and Training Center on the Lake Worth campus, 4200 S. Congress Ave.
For more information, call Eligio Marquez Jr., transportation technology program director, at 868-3542 or email marqueze@palmbeachstate.edu. More information is also available at www.palmbeachstate.edu/programs/Marine-Service-Technology.  
The expanding marine industry in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties had an estimated economic impact of $12 billion in 2018, an increase from $11.5 billion in 2014, according to a study by Thomas J. Murray and Associates, provided by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County. This growth translates to a 2018 total of 32,323 employees in marine services in the tricounty area.

In July, Palm Beach Media Group, a subsidiary of Hour Media and publisher of Palm Beach Illustrated and Naples Illustrated, acquired the assets of Florida Design magazine and its family of home design publications, which were headquartered in Boca Raton.

The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County’s Topic Luncheon at 11 a.m. Aug. 21 will feature Wendy Sartory Link, Palm Beach County supervisor of elections. The cost to attend is $25 before Aug. 14, and $35 afterward. It will be held at the Atlantis Country Club, 190 S. Atlantis Blvd. RSVPs are requested either at www.lwvpbc.org or by calling Esther Friedman at 968-4123.

The Boca Chamber and JM Lexus Wine & All That Jazz celebration on Aug. 24 will be held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Guests will enjoy 100 varieties of wine, cocktails and dinner by the bite from several of Boca’s top restaurants as well as live music, entertainment and dancing. For more information and to register, visit www.wine-and-jazz.com/register-now.html. General admission is $75.
Also, Boca Chamber Festival Days, an annual August happening where nonprofit chamber members join forces with for-profit chamber members, offers residents the opportunity to partake in a select variety of community events. For a list, visit https://web.bocaraton chamber.com/Advocacy/boca _chamber_festival_days.aspx.

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

Owner Wayne Cordero and his son Ryan, who manages the restaurant, stand on the dock at the Old Key Lime House. Wayne bought the building in 1986 after it had been closed for a couple of years. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Charles Elmore

To hear Wayne Cordero tell it, opening restaurants turned out to be a leap of faith as daunting as any circus dive on Atlantic City’s Steel Pier, where he said he worked summers in college and competed for attention with a world-famous diving horse. 
“Although I’ve succeeded, I’ve failed many times in the restaurant business also,” said Cordero, 79, who has opened, closed or sold more than 40 eateries in his day, from crab houses to Mexican. “Anybody will tell you it’s one of the hardest businesses.”
After 33 years under his family’s ownership, the Old Key Lime House will go down as anything but a passing splash. It has swamped the average restaurant lifespan of roughly 4.5 years. 
Indeed, the Lantana landmark bills itself as Florida’s oldest waterfront restaurant, counting previous owners who operated it under various names. Its history comes seasoned with the occasional operational lull, such as the two-year dormancy from which Cordero brought it back to life.
The restaurant operates from a house built in 1889 by the pioneering Lyman family, who sold fish and oysters decades before Lantana was incorporated as a town. A series of restaurants occupied it before Cordero bought it in 1986.
“When I walked in here for the first time, it had been closed for like two years,” he said. “Nobody had bought it. I walked around the back and saw the waterway, and I was like, ‘Holy cow. What don’t they see here?’”
First-time visitors to the restaurant can experience the same odd sensation of stepping through a portal. They enter a wooden house painted in a colorful Key West or Bahamian style, but the back of the house melts into a sprawling indoor-outdoor complex. There is no central air conditioning. Fans and cold drinks abound.

Five restaurants in one
Folks soon realize what Cordero means when he says it’s like five restaurants in one. It is a maze whose walls hold everything from historical photographs to family memorabilia, along with touches that pull back from stuffy seriousness. Bend down to read a small commemorative plaque around back, and it says absolutely nothing happened here in 1897.
There are two full kitchens and five separate bars. Specialties such as Key lime pie and crabcakes are made by hand daily. Then there’s that view, where the Intracoastal Waterway opens up from a narrow channel to a rippling vista of wide-open water.
Over the years, celebrity visitors have included Billy Joel, Mick Jagger, the Beach Boys, actor John Stamos and members of the Saudi royal family, owners say. Some have pulled up in boats or seaplanes.
“You could be sitting next to the president of Sara Lee or a biker guy,” Cordero said. “You never know.”
Hurricane Wilma blew away the dining room roof and twisted steel beams like spaghetti in 2005, but the Cordero family reopened the restaurant the next day with generators to feed first responders.
The family eventually rebuilt much of the waterfront space with chickee-hut roofing featuring interwoven cabbage palm fronds, overseen by no less an authority than former Seminole Chief James Billie. The owners trusted it more than modern construction to stand up to storms.
“We showed people, hey, we fell down and got right back up,” said son Ryan Cordero, 39, who grew up working in the family enterprise and went on to assume management responsibilities.
“You can’t beat the romance,” Ryan Cordero said. “This is something old. They don’t make them like this anymore.”
Then again, they don’t make too many restaurateurs who warmed up for that role by diving from cliffs and piers and later working as a stockbroker. Wayne Cordero said he developed a taste for diving after trying to impress other kids with his daring at a flooded quarry in his native Maryland. He continued diving in college at West Virginia Wesleyan.
“Then Atlantic City presented an opportunity,” he said. “All the guys used to go down there and park cars and work as bouncers. There was a diving show on the pier. It was three times higher than anything I’d dove off of, but it was Atlantic City, it was college, there was plenty of pretty girls. I said I’d like to do that. They said OK, prove it. I took the leap. I did that for three summers.”
That led to diving in Acapulco and competing in a world championship in Canada, he said, before he came to Florida to coach swimming and diving and teach social studies at Broward County’s Nova High.

Becoming a restaurateur
Later came a career turn as a stockbroker. Following discussions with a client, Cordero became intrigued with the idea of opening restaurants. He even took community-college classes to prepare.
Not all his restaurant ventures would prove to be roaring successes, such as the short-lived Jalapenos in Delray Beach. But the now-closed Crab Pot restaurant in Riviera Beach, for example, made quite a mark. It thrived for more than two decades before a developer made him an offer for the property that was too good to turn down, Cordero said. 
Family history would play a role in shaping the Old Key Lime House. Cordero said his grandfather William Kerr arrived in Key West in 1872 and designed the U.S. Custom House and Post Office, among other buildings. On the other side of the family, he said he learned that 19th century ancestor Virgil Cordero owned grocery stores that doubled as restaurants.
Cordero remembered trips from Maryland to Key West in the days when air conditioning meant opening the car windows. He never forgot his grandmother Agnes’ Key lime pie, the recipe for which he says remains a flagship offering at the Lantana restaurant.
As Wayne Cordero moved toward retirement from active management, he retained investments in several restaurants around the state, he said, but the Old Key Lime House has remained a cornerstone. He lives next door.
Which was harder, diving or restaurants? He smiled at the comparison.
“In diving, there was no pressure there except to succeed against other divers,” Cordero said. “With a restaurant, there’s pressure to succeed for your family. There’s nothing harder than trying to meet a payroll when you don’t have the money. That happened to me a few times.”
Costs fluctuate. Equipment wears out. And in the end, it’s a people business, he said.
In 2013, three servers at the restaurant were arrested on charges of stealing more than $93,000 from the business by not properly recording certain cash transactions. Ryan Cordero said at the time he had installed new technology that helped catch such irregularities.
Loyal employees, on the other hand, can make things go right — if you can keep them. And the restaurant has often managed to do so, in some cases for decades. Server Kim Tony will mark 30 years with the Old Key Lime House in September.
What has kept her around?
“Two things: One is the view,” she said. “The other is the family. I’m part of it now.”
When the Old Key Lime House is serving 1,700 meals — as on this past Mother’s Day, for example — it takes a coordinated army to get it done. The restaurant employs up to 200 workers at any given time, according to the family.
Some workers live in rental properties Wayne Cordero has bought up near the site. He said the payroll includes a carpenter and painter just to keep the place looking fresh.

Key Lime House legacy
To put the Old Key Lime House’s longevity in perspective, about 60 percent of independent restaurants, meaning those not part of a chain, close or change ownership within three years, according to industry studies. It’s all part of a swarm of more than 660,000 U.S. eateries fighting for more than $860 billion in revenue.
The restaurant’s success has made it a challenge to find enough parking slots and space for offices and administrative records, while preserving the area’s fishing-village character.
Last year the Lantana Town Council voted 5-0 to reject a plan to rezone an adjacent property Cordero owns so it can be used for office or commercial space, despite support from several speakers such as Dave Arm, president of the Chamber of Commerce. 
Michelle Donahue, of Hypoluxo Island, called herself a big fan of the Old Key Lime House and a regular customer, but she opposed the zoning change, saying when the time comes for the family to sell, “what does that do? What’s the comprehensive plan? I’m afraid that by zoning that commercial you’re opening yourself to a whole different ballgame that could change the dynamic of the center of our town.” 
Wayne Cordero said he was not disappointed by that outcome, calling the concerns of neighbors understandable, even as Lantana will continue to face difficult decisions about growth and development ahead.
Donahue said she has become an even bigger fan of Cordero and the Key Lime House since that meeting. Last December, when she and other residents joined forces with Community Greening of Delray to plant 15 oak trees along Ocean Avenue, the Corderos stepped in to not only pay for the project ($5,000), but also to send a crew from the restaurant to help.
“Without them, we didn’t have the money,” Donahue said. “They showed their community support not only with their pocketbook, but with their labor.”
Despite hurricanes and the ebb and flow of business tides, Wayne Cordero shows no signs of regret for diving right in to this particular restaurant deal. In hindsight, it looks like pretty good horse sense.
“This has been a delight,” he said. “It’s an idyllic spot.”

Mary Thurwachter contributed to this story.

By Sallie James

BOCA RATON — He was a savvy Boca Raton entrepreneur whose 62-year-old business is still open today, but those closest to Clyde E. DeShields say his greatest legacy was his devotion to family and dedication to helping single mothers. Mr. DeShields died at home on July 18 after a lengthy history of cancer. He was 89.
Mr. DeShields was born March 20, 1930, to Clyde and Dovie DeShields in Atlanta, but grew up in Fort Lauderdale, where he delivered newspapers as a boy, raised chickens and raced horses. His daughter, Debbie Stine, said he was always looking for ways to get ahead in life, having grown up in the care of a single mother from age 10. His mother worked multiple jobs to make ends meet.
Her struggles were something he never forgot, and his determination to help single mothers came from witnessing his mother’s efforts to support three children.
“His mother worked in the local drugstore and he knew he had to help out, and that is where a lot of that stemmed from. They were very, very poor,” Stine said.
In the early 1950s, Mr. DeShields served in the U.S. Army, spending time in South Carolina, Indiana and Japan.
He married Marjorie Larson in 1952, and founded Smith and DeShields Inc. in Boca Raton in 1957.
He became known as a fierce competitor and a fair employer. The family-owned business — which manufactures doors, door hardware and molding — is operated by his children today, with offices in Boca Raton, Jupiter, Fort Myers and Naples.
Mr. DeShields was an avid outdoorsman who loved to fish, ride horses and enjoy nature. In 1979, he and his wife purchased property in Montana, where he fell in love with the West. But his roots were always in Boca.
He was a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church and quietly provided financial assistance to single mothers and their children through his church connections. But he never sought acclaim for his good deeds, his daughter said.
He recently received a thank-you note from a young woman he had helped all the way through college. She wrote that if he hadn’t been in her life, she wouldn’t have been able to achieve what she had.
“He wasn’t the guy who was raising his hand in church. He wasn’t on the board of elders. He just did what Jesus told us all to do,” Stine said. “He was a mentor. There are no buildings named after him or streets named after him. He just did it.”
A longtime business associate wrote this to the family after learning of Mr. DeShields’ death: “Clyde was one of the most honest and kind individuals I have ever known. It was truly my pleasure to have known him so many years. He was always a man of his word.”
He is survived by his wife; sons David (Janice) DeShields, Daniel (Maryann) DeShields and Steven (Cynthia) DeShields; daughter Debbie (Jim) Stine; 10 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Services were July 26 at Glick Family Funeral Home, with burial at Boca Raton Cemetery. Donations in Mr. DeShields’ memory can be sent to St. Paul Lutheran Church and School, scholarship fund, 701 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33486, or Eagle Mount, 6901 Goldenstein Lane, Bozeman, MT 59715.

Jake Eder (No. 39, right) and his teammates at Vanderbilt University celebrate their NCAA championship. Photo provided

‘It was unbelievable’: Ocean Ridge pitcher closes out NCAA title

Related story: Delray athletes winning international acclaim

By Brian Biggane

There is no greater feat for a college athlete than to win an NCAA championship.

Ocean Ridge resident Jake Eder reached that pinnacle in late June and did it in style, pitching three innings to close out Vanderbilt’s 8-2 victory over Michigan. That gave the Commodores the College World Series title in Omaha, Neb.

“When it was all said and done, it was unbelievable,” said Eder, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore left-hander who turns 21 this month.

Eder, a product of Jim Breslin’s Top 10 Florida Baseball Academy in Boynton Beach, pitched three years for Atlantic High School in Delray Beach before completing his high school career at Calvary Christian in Fort Lauderdale. Recruited by several schools, he made Vanderbilt his last visit and formed a bond with pitching coach Scott Brown.

“I pretty much knew I wanted to go there as soon as my visit ended,” Eder said.

Used as a starter in nine of his 11 appearances as a freshman, Eder struggled, compiling a 1-4 record and 5.45 earned-run average.

“I kind of went through some stuff,” Eder said. “The first year in the SEC is kind of a learning curve.”

Coach Tim Corbin moved him to the bullpen to start this past season, first as a closer, then a middle reliever and finally what he termed “kind of an end-of-the-game type pitcher.”

“He really grew over the course of the season,” said Corbin, who was named National Coach of the Year after the season. “This is a kid who really, really loves pitching. It’s all he thinks about, it’s all he does. He’s got a bright future just because of his passion for what he does, and how he goes about it.”

Eder’s numbers improved dramatically across the board, notably in ERA, where he improved to 2.97, and in strikeouts-to-walks ratio, which improved from 37-22 to 35-15.

“We had a closer per se, but he was kind of that next guy,” Corbin said. “One of (our) top guys out of the bullpen. He really grew into that, and just developed more consistency the last third of the season.”

Eder pitched the last three innings as Vandy won the series. Photo provided

Corbin trusted Eder enough to use him twice as the Commodores, who finished 59-12, won the Southeastern Conference tournament. He pitched two shutout innings in an 11-1 win over Auburn, then allowed one unearned run over 32/3 innings in an 11-10 victory over Mississippi in the final game. His lone appearance in the NCAA Regional featured a perfect ninth inning in an 8-5 victory over Indiana State after the Sycamores had scored four runs in the inning.

After the Commodores took care of Duke in the Super Regional, Eder got the College World Series victory that propelled them into the best-of-three championship against Michigan. Working the seventh and eighth innings against Louisville, he gave up two runs (one earned), but benefited from a two-run rally in the ninth that secured a 3-2 victory.

Michigan won the first game 7-4, Vandy the second 4-1, setting up a winner-take-all finale. Eder told Brown, his pitching coach, how it would unfold: “We knew Mason Hickman was starting, so I told Scott it would be Mason to me, and that’s what we were going to go with.”

Hickman did his job, limiting the Wolverines to one run on four hits as Vandy opened up a 6-1 lead by the time Eder took over in the seventh. He allowed two hits and one run to wrap up the historic win.

“The last two innings the energy was flowing,” Eder said. “I was trying to juice it up a little bit, (so) I had to take a breath and finish it off.”

Leadoff hitter Ako Thomas was the last batter he faced with two outs in the ninth.

“I got two strikes on the guy and when I saw him pop it up,” to centerfielder Pat DeMarco, “I knew. I just kind of turned around and waited for him to catch it and everyone celebrated.”

Rushed by catcher Philip Clarke and the rest of his teammates, Eder quickly found himself at the bottom of the celebratory pile.

“It’s definitely something everyone on that team will remember forever,” he said. “That was a really special team. It was great to be a part of it.”

After a few days back home with his parents, Jeffrey, an orthodontist in Boynton Beach, and Amanda, Eder was off to New

England to pitch for the Orleans Firebirds in the highly competitive Cape Cod League.

“That should be good for him,” Corbin said. “The more touches he gets, the more confidence he’s going to get.”

Asked what Eder needs to work on, Corbin replied, “His command more than anything. He’s got a very strong arm, a consistent breaking ball, and now it’s just a matter of harnessing his pitches. The more he gets on the mound you’re going to see a more refined product.”

Said Eder, “The biggest thing is just knowing what kind of pitcher I am. I’m a ‘stuff’ guy over a command guy, so I have to have enough command not to walk guys. Let my stuff play in the zone rather than pinpoint pitches.”

Jake Eder grips a College World Series souvenir at the office of his father, Dr. Jeffrey Eder, an orthodontist. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Eder planned to make a handful of starts in the Cape Cod League before that ends in early August, then head back to Vanderbilt, where he hopes to be a starter next season.

Eder has learned in his first two years that keeping up academically at the SEC’s top academic institution makes for a tough balancing act with his dedication to baseball.

“It’s a tough school,” he said. “It’s a tough schedule, especially in the fall. We’re training every day, working out every day. You’re learning how to balance it, manage your time. It’s definitely a full load.”

Drafted in the 34th round out of high school by the New York Mets two years ago, Eder will become draft-eligible again after next year. Major League Baseball is a “realistic” goal, he admitted, but one that can wait.

“For me the goal is to come back and try to win another national championship,” he said. “The draft will take care of itself.”

By Amy Woods

The Junior League of the Palm Beaches is recruiting middle school students from South County to sign up for the 2019-2020 Cotillion Academy.
The academy — one of the league’s oldest legacy programs as it enters its 62nd year— teaches dance, etiquette and leadership skills through monthly classes that run from October to April.
“What these students are gaining is not only just dance and etiquette and leadership skills but also confidence-boosting skills,” President Laura Wissa said. “These children flourish. These children blossom.”
They learn everything from the foxtrot and the rumba to the salsa and the waltz as well as how to hold their partners properly in a ballroom-style setting.

“Since we are teaching middle-school-aged students, we use an open-frame partner positioning to ensure that no one is uncomfortable and everyone stays appropriate,” Cotillion Co-Chairwoman Kayla Foriere said.
The etiquette lessons include how to greet acquaintances and make introductions — in addition to table manners — all with a modern twist.
“I think we have come a long way in making Cotillion relevant and inclusive to middle schoolers while still keeping the tradition alive,” said Foriere, a Cotillion Academy graduate. “The structure of it was very much the same as it is now. We wore white gloves and had instructors teach us dance and etiquette. It was a great experience, and there are so many elements that I have been able to apply throughout my life.”
Co-Chairwoman Kelsey Puddington said one of the things that has changed is technology.
“For instance, when is sending a thank-you text or email appropriate vs. a traditional thank-you card in the mail?” Puddington said. “Sixty-two years ago, there were no cell phones or texting. All communication was done person to person.”
The leadership component will be taught by Craig Domeck, dean of the Catherine T. MacArthur School of Leadership at Palm Beach Atlantic University.
“We have taken traditional Cotillion from just dancing and etiquette and modernized it by adding a leadership component,” Puddington said. “This makes our program incredibly unique.”
The program culminates April 7 with a ball at the Four Seasons Resort Palm Beach. For more information, call 689-7590 or visit www.jlpb.org.

Foundation funds to help local youths in poverty
Boca West Children’s Foundation granted a record $1.1 million this past season to Palm Beach County nonprofits that support local youths.
Since its inception in 2010, the foundation has given more than $8 million to the cause.
“Our mandate is to identify and implement projects assisting at-risk children and their families for partner agencies in our community,” Chairman Arthur Adler said. “This record amount of funding will go a long way toward feeding, educating, clothing and keeping safe and healthy more than 5,500 children in need every day.”
It is estimated that 25 percent of local children live at or below the poverty level.

Hab-a-Hearts Luncheon raises nearly $150,000
More than 370 guests attended a sold-out benefit at the Mar-a-Lago Club for the Palm Beach Habilitation Center, a nonprofit that provides programs and services to adults with disabilities.
The 28th-annual Hab-a-Hearts Luncheon, themed “Jazz Up Your Giving,” included a performance of jazz favorites by students from Palm Beach Atlantic University. David Lin, the center’s CEO, thanked all of the donors, sponsors and volunteers.
“Their support of the event has a direct impact on our ability to provide a wide range of programs and services to adults with significant disabilities in Palm Beach County,” Lin said.
Nearly $150,000 was raised, which will help support the more than 500 men and women the center serves.

Grant to help Faulk Center meet growing need
The Faulk Center for Counseling has received a one-time grant of $65,000 from the Quantum Foundation to fund ACCESS: Child and Family Counseling for Medically Underserved & Uninsured Children and Families.
The grant will enable the center to meet the growing need for mental health services for the at-risk population in Palm Beach County. It also will provide education and training to the next generation of mental health professionals through a community-outreach intervention program.
“Through this generous grant from Quantum Foundation, the Faulk Center will work to strengthen children and families with mental health services provided by graduate students pursuing master’s or doctoral degrees in psychology, social work and mental health counseling,” CEO Vicki Katz said. “As a direct result, these students — engaged in the mental health community — receive an enriched sense of purpose in their lives to pursue professional careers in the Palm Beach County workforce.”
The foundation’s mission is to fund initiatives that improve the health of the community and its residents.

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

Jeff Stoops, Marti LaTour and Frank Compiani. Photo provided by Tracey Benson Photography

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties welcomed nearly 500 guests to the annual event that highlights key findings from the On the Table initiative. ‘This year, we were honored to celebrate the profound impact our new initiatives and fund holders have on our community,’ Bradley Hurlburt, president and CEO, told the crowd of board members, corporate sponsors, donors and local nonprofit leaders. ‘With over 4,000 participants, we were thrilled to share the results of our first-ever On the Table initiative, which found that housing, economic development and poverty are some of the most pressing issues in need of community resources. We look forward to continuing the conversation with residents on these issues and more for the second iteration of On the Table in November.’

Jennifer Smith and Hillary Moore.

David Duran, Ira Fox and Madison Fox. Photos provided by Russell Levine

The third-annual benefit featured savory bites from a variety of area restaurants along with live entertainment. More than $75,000 was raised for the Crossroads Club, a nonprofit 12-step-based meeting center that supports an average of 900 men and women a day who are pursuing recovery. Delray Beach City Commissioner Bill Bathurst presented the Vision of Hope Award to Marc Woods. The People’s Choice award went to Louie Bossi’s and the Critic's Choice award went to Proper Ice Cream. Each of them donated their $2,500 winnings back to the Crossroads Club.

An artist’s rendering of Elisabetta's Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach. Photos Provided

By Jan Norris

Lisabet Summa is putting her name on a restaurant at last. The longtime chef, consultant and partner of Big Time Restaurant Group has opened Elisabetta’s Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria on Atlantic Avenue.

The Italian restaurant borrows a good deal of its menu from Louie Bossi’s — another in the BTRG group with partners Todd Herbst and Bill Watson — and takes over the two-story space that was 32 East in Delray Beach.

We spoke by phone the week before she opened.

“I’m excited and nervous, too,” Summa said. “I’ve been with them 25 years — that’s almost half my life. This is the first time my name is on a restaurant, though.”

BTR is behind City Cellar in West Palm Beach, Big City Tavern in Fort Lauderdale, and numerous Rocco’s Tacos.

Hard to believe it’s already been 11 years since Rocco’s took off, Summa said. “We were three or more years ahead of the trend of taquerias,” she said.

The group has moved from American regional cuisine at its original City Tavern to chef-driven Mexican at Rocco’s to taking on Southern Italian-American with Louie Bossi’s — and now Elisabetta’s, Summa said. Her part of it draws on her father’s roots in Basilicata, Italy.

“I’m 50 percent Italian on my father’s side. Growing up, going to a really Italian community in St. Louis where all father’s relatives were, was really my immersion into Italian food, or at least, what my Italian family was cooking: braciole, lasagne. I never went to a specialty grocery store to get, say, aged Parmesan. It was an Italian community with Italian restaurants, grocery stores. It was called The Hill.”

She’s close to Louie Bossi, whom she hired and mentored 15 years ago. “I call him my brother; he might as well be.”

The Delray restaurant was first announced as Louie Bossi’s, but was changed to Elisabetta’s early on.

Chef Lisabet Summa

“We needed to diversify,” Summa said. “It’s such a different space being two stories. And it’s too close to Boca to have it be a Louie’s.”

His recipes, including the famous fist-sized meatballs, form the core of the menu.

“I’d say about 15 percent are new dishes,” Summa said. “We looked at things from his menu we could improve on. We have to have cannoli. Have to have meatballs — they’re his nonna’s recipe or his mom’s.

“We stayed in our lane. So much of Southern Italian is expected and known. We didn’t reinvent the wheel with Italian. We did add a more vegetable focus. We have a raw and lightly cooked crudité, pinzamonio — a veggie-centric platter of crudité. It’s a salad, cold, all veggies dressed like a salad.”

The walnut vinaigrette on the vegetable salad is from a recipe and technique shared by Judith Olney, cookbook author.
Summa incorporates as many local products as possible, but, she said, “This time of year, we’re dead in the water with local farms.”

New pastas and pizzas are on the menu, including a guanciale pizza made with house-made guanciale and stracciatella. A couple of new sandwiches also complement the menu, she said. “One is with a caponata, and one with imported tuna.”

Several dishes will come from the modern combi oven added in the rebuilt kitchen. With every restaurant the group builds, the kitchen is upgraded, something she’s proud her group can achieve.

Summa said she has always stressed and taught food costs and balance sheets in the kitchen so the staff understands the cost of the business.

“The staff is taught food is money. When I walk into a kitchen and see a piece of lettuce on the floor and point to it and ask ‘What is that?’ my cooks answer ‘Money, chef.’”

The combi oven is a modern marvel and expensive, the first one in the group’s restaurants.

“We named it Sophia, for Sophia Loren. She’s beautiful. She gets cleaned every night.

“Most (chefs) would die for it. I tell my staff if you keep your food costs down, you can buy equipment like this,” Summa said.
A trip to Italy with the chef who heads the team at Elisabetta’s, Kevin Darr, led to an orange-olive oil cake for the dessert list.

“We went to Italy and visited Dario Cecchini, the famous butcher in Chianti. We tasted this cake and I came home and asked my pastry chef to find a recipe for it,” Summa said.

 II Pepe, one of the signature drinks. The eatery serves Southern Italian-American cuisine.

Classics are coming over from Louie Bossi’s — cannoli and cheesecake.

“The recipe for Louie’s cheesecake is the best, so it’s perfect. Again, we stayed in our lane. A twist on the cannoli: It’s house-made. We make the cannoli, fry the shells, and use a pistachio paste.”

The chief dessert, however, will be the gelato. “Instead of a salumi bar in Louie’s, we’ll have a gelato bar. Friends of ours from Italy who had a shop are our own gelato consigliere,” Summa said, laughing. “Gelato is an important tradition in the south. It’s lower fat and lower sugar than American ice cream. Italians get a gelato a certain time of day like we get a latte or coffee — it’s just a tradition.”

Four flavors a day will be offered, along with special toppings created in-house.

“We soak raspberries in grappa and they’re aged three months then served over a vanilla gelato; an aged balsamic vinegar, which is traditional with strawberries in Italy; a salted marcona almond chocolate-covered brittle; and a honeycomb with a thyme-honey-butter sauce,” Summa said.

She has gone beyond the norm to keep the creamy dessert smooth. “We’ve put a lot of time and money researching gelato. We have an Italian gelato freezer; it melts differently at a different temperature than ice cream, so you can’t just adjust a regular American ice cream freezer. It’s one that keeps it from icing, and makes it always scoop-able and the same texture throughout.”

With a number of Italian restaurants already in downtown Delray, Summa is aware of the competition. She’s making this her priority, however, and anxiety isn’t helping her migraines. But she’s trying to relax, sewing new aprons for her sous chefs — her new hobby, she said.

“What we do is different. Hopefully it will meet expectations. We love Delray. We’ve been there so long. It’s a place where people congregate, hang out,” she said.

“With our time comes a bit of boldness. I think there’s always room at the top. That’s the only place we aim to be when we open.”

Elisabetta’s Ristorante, Bar and Pizzeria, 32 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Open 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily for lunch (brunch on weekends), dinner and late-night menus. 560-6699; www.elisabettas.com

Boca’s Mizner Park is turning over its shops and restaurants, and the general manager of Brookfield Properties, the landlord, says a few established restaurants from Palm Beach County will open there.

Calaveras Cantina, already seated in Jupiter’s Harbourside Plaza, brings its modern Mexican fare with a lively bar scene to Mizner in the former Junior’s space.

Gary Rack’s, which closed this year, will be occupied by The Blue Fish, a Japanese sushi restaurant chain from Texas.

The Subculture Group, led by Dubliner and Kapow owner Rodney Mayo, expands its holdings in the plaza by adding Lost Weekend, a bar with pool and other games, art and brews. It is set to take over the former Cheese Course next to the iPic Theater. Subculture Coffee, a modern coffeehouse with branches on Clematis in West Palm Beach, Jupiter, Delray Beach and South Beach, will lease space as well.

Uncle Julio’s, a Mexican eatery that anchored the north end of the plaza, will become a bowling venue, Strike 10.

Meanwhile, Max’s Grille, an original restaurant in the plaza, is having a revamp. It’s partially closed off but still serving as it undergoes a freshening with new interior.

As the mixed-use plaza changes, other tenants will be announced for the 28-year-old site built by Tom Crocker.

In brief …

The Arts Garage in downtown Delray Beach gets a new bar program, with a full permanent bar inside the venue. It’s to keep prices down yet offer guests drinks before and after performances. Beer, wines and liquors will be available. Patrons can no longer bring their own alcohol, but they are still welcome to bring their own foods, according to Arts Garage spokeswoman Stephanie Immelman.

Chef Thomas Op’t Holt at 50 Ocean in Delray Beach has come up with a fun way to highlight special menus featuring American regional cuisine. Once a month through July 2020, he’ll take diners on a Great American Road Trip with menu offerings representing famous streets in America.

First stop is Delray’s Atlantic Avenue, where he’ll honor George Morikami’s fruits and vegetable farms, the Orange Grove House history as a shipwreck refuge, and the speakeasy that was the old Arcade Tap Room. Included are historical footnotes about the areas. For this menu, foods such as a kombu-marinated hearts of palm salad, smoked swordfish, and a sour orange pie will represent Delray Beach.

He’ll also highlight dishes from such areas as Calle Ocho in Miami, Lombard Street in San Francisco, Chicago’s Miracle Mile, 6th Street in Austin, Texas, and Hanover Street in Boston.

Tickets for the Atlantic Avenue dinner, scheduled Aug. 7 at 6:30 p.m., are $65.27 per person (valet parking included); part of the money goes to the Delray Beach Historical Society. Get tickets at www.50ocean.com.

Get ready for Rose’s Daughter: The Italian sister restaurant to nearby Brule opens in Pineapple Grove this month. Read all about it at https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/dining-pineapple-grove-s-newest-italian-restaurant-boasts-chef-s-family-recipes.

Delray Beach loses Sardinia Enoteca, a modern Mediterranean that opened to much fanfare two years ago. It closed mid-July.

You still have a few days to get in on Dine Out Delray through Aug. 7. More than 38 restaurants participate in the prix-fixe lunch and dinner deals. Find them at www.downtowndelraybeach.com/restaurantweek.

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

By Christine Davis

Boca Raton Regional Hospital has officially merged with Baptist Health South Florida.
The final merger was announced on July 1, more than a year after Boca Regional began discussions with Baptist in hopes of elevating the hospital’s position as an academic referral center in South Florida.
It was the final step in growing up for a beloved community hospital born out of tragedy in 1967. The poisoning deaths of two young children became the impetus for its funding. The town had about 10,000 residents at that time and a devoted group of volunteers with a mission.
The new partnership ensures both not-for-profit organizations will continue to meet their mutual missions and commitments to elevate health care in an area that reaches across four counties.
“Our organizations share the same calling to improve the health and well-being of individuals and deliver compassionate health care to our patients at the highest standards of excellence and safety,” said Brian E. Keeley, Baptist Health president and CEO.
“We foresee an exciting future at Boca Regional Hospital that will cement its title as the preeminent health care provider in the community.”

Boca Raton Regional Hospital has earned Thrombectomy-Capable Stroke Center certification from The Joint Commission, in collaboration with the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association.
“Our expertise in treating stroke through this minimally invasive, catheter-based technique helps improve patient outcomes,” said Brian Snelling, MD, director of cerebrovascular neurosurgery and stroke at Marcus Neuroscience Institute. “This capability also significantly adds to the spectrum of advanced stroke-related services offered at the institute.”

Quantum Foundation recently funded $1.1 million to Palm Beach County programs aimed at access to health-related resources. Of the 12 honorees, Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches received $75,000 for its Meals for Veterans program. It supports lower-income, homebound, isolated veterans aged 75 to 95. 
In addition, Genesis Community Health Center, with sites in Boynton Beach and Boca Raton, received $100,000 to provide access to health resources and a medical home for underinsured and uninsured people in southern Palm Beach County.
Also, South Tech Skills Academy received $35,000 to serve South Palm Beach County by providing hands-on training in its practical nursing and medtech program for a traditionally underserved student population.

Florida is home to approximately 1.5 million military veterans and has the third-largest veteran population in the United States. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing have received a $1.5 million grant from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, to form a primary care workforce of practicing registered nurses who understand the needs of military veterans.
The project, “Caring-based Academic Partnerships in Excellence: Veteran RNs in Primary Care,” is designed to educate and provide clinical training for bachelor of science in nursing students in primary care and to provide professional development to practicing registered nurses in primary care.

Sallie James contributed to this story.
Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com

Delray Beach’s Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff, 15, reacts to one of her Wimbledon match victories. She reached the round of 16. Photo provided AELTC/Florian Eisele

By Brian Biggane

Fifteen-year-old Cori “Coco” Gauff of Delray Beach made international headlines when she became the youngest woman in the modern era to qualify for the main draw at Wimbledon — and reached the fourth round, becoming the youngest to achieve that feat since Jennifer Capriati in 1991.

Gauff wasn't the only southern Palm Beach County athlete to enjoy remarkable success this summer. Professional golfer Gary Woodland, who moved to coastal Delray Beach three years ago, also made a splash when he earned the first major victory of his career at the U.S. Open in mid-June at Pebble Beach. Woodland, a member at Pine Tree Golf Club in Boynton Beach, had only two top-10 finishes in 30 previous tries at majors, a sixth at the 2018 PGA Championship and an eighth at the 2019 PGA.

And Gulf Stream resident Kevin Anderson, who beat Roger Federer in five sets on his way to a runner-up finish at Wimbledon last year, won his first two matches before falling in straight sets to Argentina’s Guido Pella in July.

While most of the pre-tournament hype centered on Serena Williams’ pursuit of her 24th major victory, Gauff arguably became a bigger story right out of the gate when she defeated her childhood idol, Venus Williams, in straight sets in the first round at the All England Club.

Fifteen-year-old Cori ‘Coco’ Gauff of Delray Beach reacts to her surprise victory over Venus Williams in the first round at Wimbledon. Gauff had already won three qualifying matches and went on to win six in all before losing in the fourth round. AELTC/Florian Eisele

A former No. 1-ranked junior who earned her first WTA-level match victory at the Miami Open this past spring, Gauff impressed not only with her play on the court but with her display of maturity and perspective off it.

“There was definitely a lot of buzz among the players when it came to Coco Gauff’s story,” Anderson said. “I remember hearing when she became the youngest player to qualify for Wimbledon and I felt a little proud that she lives in Delray Beach, too. Not only was she playing great and beating incredible players, but she was also handling the spotlight really well. I know we’re all looking to see what she does next and I hope she continues to do well.”

“My goal was to play my best,” Gauff said after defeating Williams. “My dream was to win. That’s what happened. I think people kind of limit themselves too much. Once you actually get your goal, then it’s like, ‘What do you do now?’ I like to shoot really high, so I always have many goals along the road, but that way you have the ultimate goal.”

Coco’s parents, Corey and Candi Gauff, cheer on their daughter last month at the All England Club. AELTC/Florian Eisele

The daughter of Corey Gauff, who played basketball at Georgia State, and the former Candi Odom, who was a track star at both Atlantic High School and Florida State, Coco moved with her parents to Delray Beach at age 7, one year after taking up the sport, to concentrate on tennis. She has become a frequent visitor to the Delray Beach Tennis Center for training.

In 2014, at 10 years, 4 months, Coco became the youngest winner of the USTA Clay Court 12-and-under nationals. She won the girls singles championship at the 2018 French Open, her top result as a junior.

Mark Baron, tournament director of the ATP Delray Beach Open, said he was out to lunch at City Oyster on Atlantic Avenue one day during Wimbledon when four people approached him to talk about Gauff and what she was doing for the city’s tennis reputation.
“Tennis was pretty big before the splash,” Baron said, “and this has made it even more. We’ve had a lot to do with building junior tennis, in Delray, in the United States, and even the world. It is exciting.”

Family, friends and fans pack Paradise Sports Lounge in Delray Beach to cheer for Coco as they watch her fourth-round match against Simona Halep, the No. 7 seed and eventual champion. From left are Coco’s grandfather Eddie Odom Jr., aunt Joi Grant, who has her arm around Coco’s grandmother Yvonne Odom, and LaShonda Wright. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The Delray Tennis Center played host to the U.S. Boys 16 and 18 Clay Court Championships in July. Baron predicted some of those competitors will pop up again at the U.S. Open starting in late August in New York.

Woodland’s victory Woodland, meanwhile, had his major breakthrough two years after finishing second at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens in 2017.

The winner of only three events in his previous 10 years on the PGA Tour, the 35-year-old Kansas native held off West Palm Beach native Brooks Koepka by three shots at Pebble Beach, shooting 2-under 69 in the final round on one of the world’s iconic golf courses.

Woodland had made a name for himself earlier in the year when his video at the Phoenix Open with Amy Bockerstette, the first golfer with Down syndrome to receive a college athletic scholarship, went viral.

Woodland turned cheerleader when Bockerstette made an 8-foot par putt on the par-3 16th hole as part of pre-tournament activities; the video of that pairing has become the most-watched in the history of the PGA Tour.

Two days after his U.S. Open win, the two appeared together on NBC’s “Today” show.

While a lengthy layoff due to an elbow injury hurt Anderson’s chances at Wimbledon, he made an impact in another way. The president of the ATP Players Council, Anderson made an environmental statement by getting 4,500 plastic wrapping bags banned from the event.