Andrea Jourdan and Russell Arnold, her chef de cuisine, prepared a multi-course meal for dozens of patrons at the opening of Chez Andrea Gourmet Provence. Photos by Jan Norris/The Coastal Star 

By Jan Norris

A ribbon-cutting and mayoral welcome preceded the inaugural dinner at The Little House’s new tenant: Chez Andrea Gourmet Provence.

The restaurant in Boynton Beach’s historic house is the first of two that Andrea Jourdan, from Quebec, is opening in Palm Beach County.

Jourdan, a food celebrity who has owned specialty groceries, created gourmet products, written cookbooks, and opened restaurants in Los Angeles and Montreal, is bringing two styles of French cuisine to her restaurants.

“The Provençal menu here seems to match Florida well. The bright flavors, tomatoes, the seafood,” she said, setting out the amuse bouche of a cucumber and strawberry “gazpacho” shot.

Her opening menu was prix fixe, but offered a taste of dishes on the menu served at two seatings.

“It’s a little difficult in this tiny kitchen,” she said. “With everyone seated at once, it’s like catering. I could not do it without his help.” She put her arm around her chef de cuisine, Russell Arnold, who most recently cooked in Fort Lauderdale.

The modernized house was previously a restaurant called The Little House. Because of historic restrictions at the time, kitchen upgrades were limited and a professional outfitting was not possible.

The 1920s building on Ocean Avenue, the former Ruth Jones Cottage, was converted to the small restaurant/tavern in 2012 with the Community Redevelopment Agency’s backing. The restaurant closed two years later and was vacant until Jourdan moved in.

A complete renovation and addition of a professional kitchen made it marketable in 2017; Jourdan found it in 2019, calling it “a homey nest” that works with the modern French country cuisine she offers.

Diners seeking French onion soup typical in French restaurants may be unfamiliar with her version, a rich bouillon-based pearl onion soup with the cheese in the croutons.

The meal included a seared scallop with bacon foam.

Among other tweaks to the traditional: foams. Parmesan bubbles are spooned over slightly garlicky escargot removed from their shells, and bacon foam surrounds seared diver scallops in a pool of celeriac cream.

Pastry figures into many courses as well, with lamb pithiviers served with grilled lamb chops, and a warm bread pudding served alongside seared foie gras.

Although she’s happy with this restaurant so far, Jourdan is looking forward to her second opening in Lake Worth Beach, Chez Andrea Bistro, in the coming weeks. She’ll take over the former South Shores Tavern on Lucerne downtown, a much larger space that will afford two bars — one wholly for champagne — a dining room and a courtyard. There, a bistro menu will be served.
She calls South Florida, a coastal home to friends and family, a “natural setting” for her foods.

Chez Andrea Gourmet Provence, 480 E. Ocean Blvd., Boynton Beach. Phone 561-248-0612; chezandreagourmet.com. Open Tuesday-Saturday for dinner and weekends for brunch.
 

Savor the Avenue returns for its 12th year to showcase restaurants in a five-block-long party on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach.
March 23 at sunset, the avenue from Swinton to U.S. 1 will be set up with banquet tables, each decked out as restaurants vie for “Best in Show” tablescape.

Reservations filled up last month. Restaurants hold waiting lists, however, so you may find last-minute seats.

Some of the participating restaurants offer a “Savor Off the Avenue” menu for the night as well. Diners who choose to eat indoors at the restaurants may be offered the same menus as the banquet diners.

Restaurants participating include 50 Ocean, Cabana El Rey, Caffe Luna Rosa, Che!!!, City Oyster & Sushi Bar, Death or Glory, Elisabetta’s, Lemongrass, Rack’s Fish House & Oyster Bar, Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen, L’ACQUA, LionFish, Rocco’s Tacos, Rose’s Daughter and Vic & Angelo’s — all from Delray Beach.

The dinner is put on by Delray and Boca magazines along with the Downtown Development Authority. Some proceeds are earmarked for Community Greening, an urban forestry nonprofit in Delray Beach.

For menus, wait lists, and more information about the event, visit downtowndelraybeach.com/SavortheAvenue.
 

Delray’s Pineapple Grove is the setting for a Wine Walk from 6 to 9 p.m. March 26. Participating businesses include many non-food types in the Grove, such as Hyatt Place Hotel, Nada’s Italy, Claudia Dog Grooming, Salon 5, and others.

They will offer sips of wine and light bites to walkers. Cost is $25 per person.

The Wine Walk is sponsored by Wine House Social, which will stand as the check-in where glasses and swag bags will be given out.
The Beatles on the Beach Festival begins in earnest the next night, and Wine Walk participants are urged to dress in Beatles-era attire (’60s and ’70s, for those not remembering).

Go to www.winehouse-delray.com for all the details and tickets ($25).

A new bakery getting buzz is La Boulangerie Boul’Mich — a mashup of French artisan bakery meets Latin cafe at Town Center in Boca Raton.

The owners’ grandmothers are responsible for several recipes on the menu of artisan breads, pastries, egg dishes, sandwiches, fresh salads, entrees and desserts. The latter include tres leches and Nutella as well as guava cheese croissants.

It’s one of five in this South Florida mini-chain, this one at the Oak Tree valet entrance to the mall. Open daily for breakfast through dinner.

 
In brief: Boca Bacchanal celebrates everything Bacchus with its exclusive vintner dinners with noted chefs, and its Grand Tasting, the latter of which is still available to the public. It’s 7-10 p.m. March 7 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. Bring your comfortable shoes; the dine-around features multiple stations of small-bite plates, and 130 wines and champagnes to taste. Proceeds go the Boca Raton Historical Society to fund heritage education programs. Tickets are $125, available at www.bocabacchanal.com. …
Prime Catch in Boynton has completed its renovations and now has opened all its dock space and the new Prime Island bar, surrounded by water as it sits dockside in the Intracoastal. It’s been a total makeover with new menus, all water-view tables and new decor throughout. Go to www.primecatchboynton.com to see photos and get all the details.

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

Arthur Gutterman with retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO commander who holds a copy of his new book. Photo provided by CAPEHART

American Friends of the Hebrew University facilitated speakers who touched on topics ranging from agriculture to health to nanotechnology and from the humanities to the environment. Designed to showcase the work and importance of the university, the event was titled ‘A Tradition of Innovation: The Hebrew University of Jerusalem and the Future of Israeli Society, Technology and Medicine.’

Students learn dance, leadership skills and etiquette at the Junior League of the Palm Beaches’ Cotillion Academy, which finishes its 62nd season with an April 7 ball. Harper Mull pairs here with Benjamin Bagocius. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Junior League’s Cotillion Academy adapts traditional etiquette to modern life

By Jodi MacNeal

Engage in conversation with Harper Mull, and it’s easy to imagine her being perfectly comfortable in a Fortune 500 job interview. Or at an elegant dinner. Or on the Senate floor. Harper Mull is 9 years old.

The Delray Beach fourth-grader’s poise, polish and presence seem to come from her natural intelligence and personality, refined over the course of two seasons as a student in the Junior League of the Palm Beaches’ Cotillion Academy.

This modern version of the 62-year-old tradition isn’t designed to be snobby or old-fashioned. It’s meant to teach children how to conduct themselves with grace, no matter the situation, and to convey skills they’ll use for the rest of their lives. This year’s Cotillion Academy has brought together 23 students, ages 8 to 13, for monthly instruction in etiquette, leadership and social dancing. The young gentlemen wear jackets and ties. The young ladies wear dresses and white gloves.

Fancy gloves and handbag are a nod to the more formal nature of the classes.

Pulling on her gloves reminds Harper that she’s stepping into an out-of-the-ordinary setting that requires her very best manners. “It makes you look more formal when you have the gloves on,” she said. “It makes me feel something … special, almost. It makes me feel different.”

To a one, the children seem happy to be there. When they enter the ballroom, each child greets the instructors with a firm handshake, direct eye contact and a bit of friendly conversation. The children then find their seats and give their full attention to the lesson.
Well, most of their attention. A small portion goes to silliness and whispering.

Declan Tarpey escorts Colette Stickle into a Junior League of the Palm Beaches’ Cotillion Academy session in Jupiter.

Leadership instruction is the first order of business, led by Craig Domeck, dean and associate professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s MacArthur School of Leadership. This component was added three years ago, in an effort to make the Cotillion Academy more relevant to a new generation of students. Domeck makes sure to distill his lessons into a series of short, highly focused concepts that the children not only retain, but reference from week to week.

Harper’s favorite leadership lesson thus far? “Lead yourself,” the notion that as an effective leader, she must first develop the self-control and presence of mind to make wise choices about her own behavior. “The leadership part is helping me a lot,” said Harper, who attends Delray Beach’s Unity School, plays the clarinet, and competes as a gymnast. “It’s a really good feeling when people want to look up to you.”

Wendy Robinson Fernsell teaches etiquette lessons, which cover topics such as table manners (elbows off the table) and the differences among salad, dinner and dessert forks. But the discussion also breaks new ground, exploring best practices for social media, texting and cellphone use.

Finn Tarpey, Warren Taylor and Iain Tarpey (l-r) are ready to answer questions about cellphone etiquette.

Holding her iPhone, Fernsell began the discussion with a series of questions: “If we are dining with our families, should we have these out? Should our moms and dads have them out? What kind of message are we sending to the people at our table if we have them out?”

One young man’s hand shot into the air, and he answered confidently, “It says, ‘I don’t care about you.’ ”

Throughout the 75-minute session, there’s a steady exchange of ideas between students and instructors. At the break, the girls remain seated and the boys take their beverage orders, making sure each girl is served before helping themselves. No one wolfs down the mouth-wateringly thick gourmet chocolate chunk cookies. Everyone uses a napkin and the girls take off their gloves.

The evening closes with the dance segment, led by Jennifer Schwartz, an adjunct instructor of dance at Palm Beach Atlantic. The students learn new steps each month, and thus far have covered the waltz, foxtrot, salsa (“mild salsa,” one girl giggles), East Coast swing and square dancing.

You’d think it would be a big, dramatic production for boys and girls of this age to pair up and dance together, but they approach one another matter-of-factly, laugh at their missteps, and try really hard to get it right.

Craig Domeck of Palm Beach Atlantic University teaches leadership skills at an academy session.

Cotillion Academy classes, held at the Wyndham Grand Jupiter at Harbourside Place, run from October through March. This season will culminate in the 62nd Annual Cotillion Ball on April 7 at the Four Seasons Palm Beach. The 2019-2020 Cotillion Academy co-chairs are Junior League members Kayla Foriere, a Cotillion graduate and former Miss Boca Raton, and Delray Beach resident Kelsey Puddington.

“While Cotillion itself is seen as an upper-class, old-school tradition, the Junior League of the Palm Beaches has worked to adapt the program to apply traditional etiquette to today’s world,” Puddington said. “We live in a very technology-focused environment, and teaching our Cotillion Academy students how to socially interact without a phone, to introduce themselves properly, to write thank-you notes, how to have proper table manners and so many other skills, just sets them apart in today’s world. The Junior League enjoys keeping this tradition alive and giving back to our community’s youth.”

“We wanted to take something that is so classic, and bring it into the 21st century,” added Lisa Bagocius, a Junior League member who was instrumental in the addition of the leadership component. Her son Benjamin is in the academy. “It’s all about investing in your children and teaching them things that never go out of style.”

Harper Mull of Delray Beach says ‘the leadership part is helping me a lot. It’s a really good feeling when people want to look up to you.’

Harper’s parents, Lisa and Thomas Mull, admired the Cotillion tradition and felt that the experience would serve their daughter well. “You can never reinforce etiquette and leadership enough at this age,” Lisa Mull said. “It’s so nice that Harper’s learning to be a confident, strong young lady, but still be gracious and kind.”

Harper’s 4-year-old brother, Marshall, is a bouncy, dark-haired fellow who shakes hands with a friendly smile and remembers to add, “Pleased to meet you.”

He’s already warming up for his turn to attend the Cotillion Academy. In his closet is a little pair of tan suede dress shoes. Most people would call them loafers, but Marshall has given them a different name. They’re his Cotillion shoes.

Dozens of surfers paddled to the south end of the William O. Lockhart pier at Lake Worth Beach on the morning of Feb. 8 to honor the late surfing icon and orthodontist John ‘Chummer’ McCranels, who died Dec. 26 at age 81. McCranels was a South Florida surfing pioneer who was inducted into the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

Seakeeper’s roll-angle meter appears on multi-function displays, such as this Raymarine unit on the company’s 33-foot Boston Whaler demonstration boat. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

People who have avoided boats because of seasickness in the past have been taking to the water on boats equipped with computer-controlled gyroscopes that eliminate most of the roll.

Maryland-based Seakeeper says its gyros work in all sea conditions and can eliminate up to 95% of rolling, both while the boat is at rest and underway.

Other companies — including Mitsubishi, Quick and Mohmei — build boat-stabilizing gryos. Seakeeper is a fast-growing brand that has become popular on sport fishing boats in South Florida.

Stabilizing gyros are available for boats of many sizes. The smallest Seakeeper 2, for example, is designed for boats 27 to 35 feet. It runs on DC power and costs about $20,000, not including installation.

On the large end, the Seakeeper 35 is designed for boats over 85 feet, runs on AC power and costs $216,300. There are several models in between.

Introduced in 2008 after five years of development, Seakeepers are basically computer-controlled gyroscopes that tilt to counteract boat roll. A steel flywheel spins at high speed in a near vacuum (to minimize friction). The momentum of the spinning flywheel generates the stabilizing force.

The Seakeeper 2 on the company’s 33-foot Boston Whaler test boat took about half an hour to “spin up” before it was ready to work during a Jan. 24 trip led by Seakeeper demonstration captains Brian Mullinax and Pete Nolan.

Capt. Pete Nolan, the demonstration boat manager, shows the Seakeeper 2 stabilizing gyroscope. On a test run it dropped the roll angle to 2 to 4 degrees from port to starboard and back compared with 13 degrees when it was turned off. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

After running south from the Nautical Ventures marina in North Palm Beach, Mullinax ran the Boston Whaler to the wavy mouth of Palm Beach Inlet and stopped.

When Nolan turned off the stabilizer, the boat rolled about 13 degrees from port to starboard and back. With the Seakeeper on, the roll dropped to 2 to 4 degrees.

For the record, gyro stabilizers do nothing for up and down pitch of the bow when a boat moves over waves. They address side-to-side roll.

Mullinax and Nolan said Seakeepers are becoming popular with owners of deep V ocean fishing boats. The V-shaped bottoms help the boats slice through waves, but make them more likely to rock from side to side when drifting.

Anyone attending the Palm Beach International Boat show in late March can step onto the Seakeeper Boston Whaler for a “dock rock” test or visit the company’s booth to schedule a demonstration ride on the ocean.

Boat Show March 26-29
The 35th annual Palm Beach International Boat Show, featuring boats in a wide range of sizes, marine electronics, fishing and diving gear and educational seminars, is scheduled for March 26-29 along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach.

Produced by Informa Markets and owned by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County, this year’s boat show will offer more than $1.2 billion worth of boats, yachts and accessories on display.

Seminars offered at the show include youth fishing clinics presented by Hook the Future and adult fishing clinics produced by the IGFA School of Sportfishing.

New this year is the separate Superyacht Show Palm Beach, featuring about a dozen yachts ranging in size from 180 to 300 feet.
The invitation-only Superyacht Show will be March 26-28 at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach.

Hours for the regular boat show are noon to 7 p.m. March 26; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 27-28; and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. March 29.
Standard show admission is $28 for ages 16 and older and $18 for youths 7-15. Children 6 and under will be admitted free with adults.

Boat show attendees can choose the $150 Windward VIP experience, which includes show admission and access to a VIP lounge with food and drinks.

For details and tickets, visit www.pbboatshow.com.

Coming events

March 7: 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 561-391-3600. Leave a message.

March 19: Kickoff party for 26th annual Lantana Fishing Derby, 5:30-7 p.m. at Lakeside Anchor Inn. Captains meeting April 30. Fishing tournament set for May 2. Early registration fee $200 for up to four anglers through April 17. Regular entry fee $250. For details, call the Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce at 561-585-8664 or visit www.lantanafishingderby.com.

March 28: 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 561-331-2429.

Tip of the month

Want to refresh your boating skills before the spring and summer boating seasons? Go to BoatUS.org/courses to find a list of online courses such as using GPS for navigation, marine weather, boating basics and cruising. Use the code “Spring25” to save 25% on the cost of the courses through March 31.

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

The boardwalk at Gumbo Limbo winds through one of the few remaining maritime coastal hammocks in the county. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Wandering along the newly rebuilt boardwalk at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton, you can discover the beauty of the maritime coastal hammock preserved at this site.

Set atop the highest elevation on the barrier island, with beach and dunes to the east and wetlands to the west, this ancient hardwood forest used to run the length of Florida’s southeastern coast.

That’s until invasive plants and development destroyed much of it, says Gumbo Limbo Manager Leanne Welch.

Today, there are only three pieces of hammock preserved in Palm Beach County: this parcel (which measures about 15 acres), an 8.5-acre piece in Ocean Ridge and a segment in John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach.

Ancient man, like modern man, found these tree-covered and elevated areas to be particularly habitable. To prove it, our ancestors left shells, bones and broken pottery in refuse piles or middens. From the walkway, you can see their remains, which date back about 2,000 years.

The original Gumbo Limbo boardwalk, built in 1986, was a loop that included a 40-foot observation tower.

Bill Aseere was one of about 40 volunteers who spent about eight months building those original structures. He’d just moved here from California with a truck full of power tools, including an electric saw that ran on a generator. His job was to cut boards, handrail supports and railings that lined the pathway.  

“It was hot with lots of mosquitoes and then it rained. That walkway was a buzzard to build,” says Aseere, 86, of Boca Raton.
In 2002, an extension was added to connect the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center to Red Reef Park West. But over the years, flooding from storms and high tides caused the boards to decay, making the path dangerous to navigate. It finally was closed in February 2015.

It took four years to remove and replace the original walkway in two phases before it finally reopened to the public in July.
“It’s lush and cool back here, even on the hottest day,” says Welch. 

A stroll along the boardwalk becomes a nature lesson as signage provides Quick Response codes that can be read by cell phones to provide more information on what you see.

Technology aside, we turned off our phones and turned to Welch to help us understand what makes this mature hardwood forest special.

The peeling bark of a gumbo limbo glows in late-afternoon sun. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

As we walk, she points out the tropical plants that are typical of this habitat — including gumbo limbos, cabbage palms, poisonwoods, pigeon plums, wild coffees, sea grapes, strangler figs, lancewoods and a mastic tree that was hit by lightning.
Now a snag, it is left for nesting birds, insects and other wildlife to use as habitat. Spotted skunks have been seen in the area, Welch says.

Paradise trees with their “beautiful red flowers” are just starting to reappear. “We had them everywhere but unfortunately they were taken out in the hurricanes of 2004 and 2005,” says Welch. Hurricanes Frances, Jeanne and Wilma impacted Palm Beach County in those years.

“Tons of birds,” such as three varieties of woodpeckers, have also returned since the construction finished, Welch says.
The area also has cardinals, warblers, thrashers, gnat-catchers, kingfishers and an occasional owl.

The woods are home to squirrels, raccoons, a family of foxes, mangrove crabs climbing the trees, box turtles with domed shells that can be closed for protection, orb weavers obstructing the path with their intricate webs, and some not-very-welcome iguanas.

On our visit we even saw tree snails. They had been collected almost to extinction for their colorfully striped shells. But today, they are back again.

“This is the perfect place to discover the beauty of Florida’s disappearing maritime hammock as well as the plants and animals it nurtures,” says Welch.

 Maintenance tip
“Although we do remove plastics and other manmade debris brought into Gumbo Limbo on the tide, we practice hands-off maintenance — so we don’t pick up fallen palm fronds or broken branches. Our goal is to maintain the area as a habitat, not a park. We know everything in nature has value.”
— Leanne Welch, manager of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

If You Go
What: The reconstructed Gumbo Limbo Nature Center boardwalk
Where: 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton
Hours: Open daily 7 a.m. to dusk
Parking: The 59 carefully patrolled free parking spaces at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center quickly fill up. Additional, metered parking is available at Red Reef Park West to the south along A1A. Residents with beach parking stickers can also park at Red Reef Park East.
Info: www.gumbolimbo.org or 561-544-8605
Admission: $5 donation requested per person
Tours: “A Walk in the Hammock” tours are offered on most Saturdays starting at 10 a.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. “Early Birding With Al” is offered the third Thursday of each month starting at 8 a.m.
Schedules can change, so be sure to consult Gumbo Limbo’s program calendar (www.gumbolimbo.org/Programs-and-Events) or call the center to confirm the tour you wish to attend. These tours begin on the front porch of the Nature Center. No registration is required.

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

Ocean Ridge Garden Club member Allison Adams helps install new plants near the town’s entrance sign on A1A near Ocean Inlet Park. Club members replaced and added plantings at the town’s main entrances. Photo provided

Update: Plastic awareness event postponed

By Margie Plunkett

The Ocean Ridge Garden Club is hosting a Plastics-Free Awareness Day in an effort to help rid the sea of debris.

The daylong event, “Save the Seas — Plastics-Free Awareness Day: Engage, Inform, Inspire,” is presented by the Garden Club and the town of Ocean Ridge. It starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, March 21, with a beach cleanup.

Each year, the Ocean Ridge Garden Club has a community engagement event — and this year, it decided to focus on the environment with the Save the Seas day. 

“Our mission is ‘the ocean is our garden’ and we realized that plastics pollution is a huge issue.  We decided to create an awareness day to educate, inform and inspire as many people as we could,” said Mickey Farley, chairperson for the event.

The Garden Club hopes to provide a forum for groups with a “right to a point of view” on the issue to share their knowledge, Farley said, adding that the club has 12 partners who will be exhibiting their organizations’ efforts and purpose through the day.

The cleanup, sponsored by the Surfrider Foundation, is followed by an agenda of events held at Ocean Ridge Town Hall. From 10 to 11 a.m., family art activities and awards will be held.

Exhibitor booths are open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with music by Indigo Dreamers and a Nomad Surf Shop food truck.

Environmental presentations include “The Story” at 11 a.m., by Bryan Galvin of PasTrek 2019; “Rise Above Plastics” at noon, by Tom Warnke of the Surfrider Foundation; and “Native Plants and Wildlife for Coastal Gardens” at 1 p.m., by George Gann of the Institute for Regional Conservation.

Dick Lewallen’s book is intended to comfort people struggling with aging. Cover art provided

By Janis Fontaine

Pastor Dick Lewallen led small churches and worked as a campus minister in Texas until his 33-year marriage failed and he was forced to reinvent himself at age 59.

“Nobody wants a divorced pastor, but I found a little country church in North Florida that was as desperate as I was,” said Lewallen, who was born in Arkansas and raised in Oklahoma.

The new setting allowed him ample time for self-reflection, and as Lewallen looked back over his education, he recalled a significant class in clinical pastoral education. It’s the coursework that prepares an individual to work as a chaplain in hospitals, ministering to ill and dying people and their loved ones.

“I felt drawn to that setting,” said Lewallen, who’s now 78 and retired, living in Boynton Beach. When he found a program just down the road at UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, it felt divine.

A chaplain is usually a member of the clergy attached to a secular institution rather than a church. Chaplains are vital members of the military, serve police and fire-rescue personnel, provide post-disaster relief and support health care facilities. At hospitals, chaplains work closely with doctors, nurses and other staff to support them and provide spiritual care to patients and their loved ones — really anyone who needs help during a crisis.

Lewallen said he might find himself in the ER with a gunshot victim or with the family of a traffic fatality, or in oncology visiting patients forging their battles while their families keep watch.

“I had the gift of being good with people in crisis,” Lewallen said. “I was able to approach people with confidence. When I go into a death situation, I try to listen and watch. Presence is more important than talk.

“I had worked with college students for 20 years and I loved it, but chaplaining is my fit, my gift. It’s the hardest work I’ve ever done, but it was the best.”

After taking his CPE training at Shands, Lewallen brought his talents to South Florida to work as chaplain at John Knox Village, an aging-in-place, transitional retirement community in Pompano Beach. He held weekly services and Bible study, but much of his day focused on visiting residents whose deteriorating health forced them to be transferred to the hospital.

“I visited every resident to help them know they hadn’t been forgotten,” he said.

Some needed his visits, and some didn’t; Lewallen’s empathetic nature helped him tell the two apart. But his tender mercy came with a price. “I feel deeply, and it depletes you. It drained me and I realized I had to renew myself. Reenergize,” he said.

His favorite short-term methods of coping were to take a nap or go for a walk. “And I think service is very important. Volunteers get more than they give. I think a heart of service is genetic. My dad was the same way,” Lewallen says.

But eventually Lewallen took a year off after serving John Knox for about six years. Then he signed on for three more years at Abbey Delray retirement community.

Since he retired he has discovered a new vocation: author.

He recently published a 117-page collection of essays with a simple theme: “Aging is a spiritual journey.”

“You’d be surprised how many people don’t know that,” Lewallen said.

Older and Wiser: Inspiration, Humor and Hope for Growing Older is part parable, part stunning photography.

“I just started writing down stories when I was at John Knox, significant events, and the book kind of wrote itself,” he said.
Lewallen’s work has made him very fond and protective of older adults.

“Most people don’t know that growing older is tough,” he said. “We should show older folks they’re special.”

He will return to John Knox at 10 a.m. March 10 to give a talk about his book, and he welcomes the chance to start a compassionate conversation about aging, death and the transition.

Death is still a terrifying mystery to many people. Even after years of study, Lewallen is not sure why people fear death. He’d rather focus on stealing the sting of death by helping people accept and even welcome it.

In the last few pages, Lewallen writes, “Being gathered to one’s people is a comforting way to look at death. Death is not the end. Death is a transition from this life to the next. It is a door from one life to a better one. As persons of faith, we can look forward to the transition instead of fearing it, and we can be gathered to our people in peace.”

And who wouldn’t welcome a peaceful finale to a long journey?

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

Rosa and Robert Martinoff with granddaughters Davynn and Ella participate in a PJ Library Mitzvah event. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Each year, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, like thousands of other Jewish organizations worldwide, celebrates Mitzvah Day, a day of good deeds. This year, two events are planned.

The popular Super Sunday Phone-a-thon returns, an initiative co-chaired by Jeff Bovarnick. Its theme, “Calls Connect Community,” will have phones ringing in Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Highland Beach as hundreds of volunteers reach out to thousands of community members.

The message they’ll share: Whenever and wherever our Jewish family needs us, from down the street to across the globe, our community is there to help. The event is a morale builder for both the callers and the called.

Breakfast, snacks, dinner and raffle prizes add to the festive atmosphere. Volunteers are asked to sign up for shifts from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. or 4 to 6:30 p.m. March 15 at Zinman Hall on the federation campus at 9901 Donna Klein Blvd., Boca Raton. Teens can receive community service hours for their volunteer time. To reserve your spot, visit jewishboca.org/supersunday, or contact Marc Fishman at 561-852-3169 or marcf@bocafed.org.

The second event is a family event combining charity, Legos and games. Families are encouraged to join PJ Library, a Jewish engagement and literacy program, for a Lego Mitzvah Project from 2 to 3:30 p.m. March 15.

Families are asked to bring their PJ Library or other tzedakah boxes to donate. Kids get to help build a giant Lego tzedakah box, and games with prizes are planned. Reservations are required via www.jewishboca.org/pjlibrary, 561-852-6080 or pjlibrary@bocafed.org.

Tea time at St. Gregory’s
The Church Women of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church are inviting the public to their annual tea from 2 to 4 p.m. March 14 at the church at 100 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Tickets are $35, and proceeds will support the organization’s in- and out-reach efforts to help people less fortunate. Parking is free. Call 561-350-5964 to purchase tickets or for more information.

Passover dinner made easy
Henry’s, a South Florida staple for nearly 20 years, has an easy option for Passover dinner, eat in or take out. The eatery will offer families celebrating the holiday a Passover prix fixe dinner as well as to-go dinner options.

A traditional four-course Passover dinner with matzo ball soup or split pea soup, gefilte fish, chicken liver mousse or beet salad, and choice of entrees and desserts, is $45, served from 5 to 9 p.m. both nights. For reservations, call 561-638-1949.

To celebrate at home, ask Henry’s to pack up Passover to go. With a la carte items, you can tailor your meal to your family’s tastes. Orders must be placed by April 3. Pickup is April 8 or 9 by 3 p.m. Henry’s is in The Shoppes at Addison Place, 16850 Jog Road, Delray Beach. For catering, call 561-602-7324.

Pope-a-Palooza
Enthusiastic volunteers are organizing a huge celebration of all 38 years of Saint John Paul II Academy graduating classes with a reunion weekend April 24-25 in Boca Raton.

The event — Pope-a-Palooza — will kick off April 24 with an alumni welcome happy hour on the Saint John Paul II Academy campus. Individual classes are planning after-parties at local bars and restaurants to follow.

But the highlight happens Saturday, after an alumni Mass, at Mizner Park Amphitheater in downtown Boca Raton. Live music by the Resolvers, Uproot Hootenanny and Groove Thangs is planned, and the opening act, Wolfhawk, features academy alumni Kevin Ross (’86) and Jay Brandt (’95).

Food trucks, Islamorada Beer Co. beverages, a VIP sponsor section with an open bar and some surprises are planned. Tickets are $30 through March 31, $40 after.

Mike Fimiani of Boca Raton and Cathy Silk of Delray Beach, both class of ’83, the first class to graduate, are spearheading the planning. “I had a great experience in high school, and I made many of my friends for life,” Fimiani said.

Sure, it’s an excuse to get the gang together, but it’s also Fimiani’s way of giving back. “This will be the largest gathering of alumni, teachers and staff in the history of the school,” he said, “and we’re all excited about getting everyone together, but we do need help.”
Class captains to help spread the word are sought. If you can help, or for more information, visit www.popeapalooza.org.

Bobby Kane, 3, of Ocean Ridge and his mother, Lynsey, hand-delivered flowers to about 300 Unity School students with a card on each bud that read, ‘Because everyone deserves a flower on Valentine’s Day.’ ‘I think he’s a sweet kid with a big heart,’ said middle school director Barb Ferguson. ‘He came around and hand-delivered the carnations dressed in that adorable bow tie and outfit. Just spreading love and kindness.’ Bobby is in teacher Nilda Torres’ orientation class, the youngest class at the school. Photo provided

A wall of sliders is a focal point of the Great Room, allowing inside and outdoor activities to casually coexist. The room has a 10-foot fireplace.

Florida custom home builders Bertino & Associates designed and developed this new construction with thoughtful attention to detail, inside and out, to present Florida seaside living at its finest. White oak floors, walls of sliders, soaring ceilings and calming color schemes combine to make the home an open concept prepared for formal entertaining or simple family gatherings.

A formal dining room is a first-floor feature near the gourmet kitchen, pantry and wine center.

This two-story home with 7,537 total square feet has five bedrooms, five and a half baths, a separate guest house, an oversized three-car garage and pool and spa on the grounds, all within steps of the Intracoastal and the beach. The open kitchen has a porcelain waterfall island and state- of-the-art amenities with Thermador appliances.

19 Hudson Street, Ocean Ridge, is just a few steps from the beach and Intracoastal waterway.

The main level continues with an executive office, VIP guest suite, full laundry room and a family entrance complete with lockers. The first-floor master suite has an extraordinary bath with Grohe fixtures, separate vanities, a spa tub and steam rain shower. Full-size slabs of porcelain and natural stone create a true spa-style retreat.

First-floor master suite is an oasis of luxury with French doors to pool and garden.

Upstairs are two spacious en-suite bedrooms and a huge game room/TV room with a bar. An expansive veranda overlooks the pool and can be used as another space for entertaining.

Outdoors are covered patios encompassing the pool and spa and a well-designed summer kitchen. The garage is separate from the main house and has a spacious storage room. Above it is a guest house complete with all the necessities.

Clean lines and timeless, classic style are the design hallmarks of the property.

Offered at $3,800,000. Call Val Coz, Douglas Elliman, 900 East Atlantic Avenue, Delray Beach, FL 33483, 561-386-8011, valeriecoz@gmail.com

Each month, The Coastal Star features a house for sale in our community. The House of the Month is presented as a service to our advertisers and provides readers with a peek inside one of our houses.

Arden Moore’s newest pet, Rusty, is an adopted cat who used to perform on stage with animal trainer Samantha Martin and the Amazing Acro-Cats. Photo provided by Suzanne C. Grim

By Arden Moore

With the exception of my orange tabby, Casey, whom I selected from a shelter five years ago, every cat and kitten in my life since childhood has shown up unexpectedly.

This is in contrast to the dogs I’ve adopted. Each one — except Cleo, who was found wandering the streets with no ID tags or microchip — was thoroughly vetted by me and temperament tested before being welcomed into the family.

For those of you who have cats and dogs, does this sound way too familiar?

So, why am I surprised that I flew home from a major conference for shelter workers and cat rescuers in January with a new orange tabby kitten named Rusty?

This is no ordinary kitten. Sure, like far too many young felines, he had a crappy beginning. He was found as an orphaned, hungry kitten in a dumpster in Georgia. He needed two medicinal baths to rid the fleas covering his body. He had to be bottle fed and kept warm in a makeshift incubator to regain his health and strength.

But talk about a cat comeback. By 6 months, this loves-to-learn, sweet little guy was performing on stage with renowned animal trainer Samantha Martin and the Amazing Acro-Cats in New Orleans for three weeks in December.

In mid-January, Martin brought Rusty and some other members of her feline troupe to The Acatemy conference in Dulles, Virginia, where we both were speakers. My talk was on “Fear Free Pets” — how to use low-stress handling on kittens and cats in homes, veterinary clinics, shelters and in vehicles. I also taught a veterinarian-approved cat first aid/CPR class with the help of pet safety cat Casey, who has been my teaching assistant for nearly five years.

Martin and I have been friends for many years. She has a knack for finding talent in strays and shelter animals. Her go-to training tools are a target stick and a clicker, plus plenty of treats and positive-reinforcement praise.

Clicker training involves “marking” a desired behavior like a sit or sit up with pressing down on a metal clicker as soon as the act is done and then immediately handing over a treat and eventually pairing that act with a phrase, such as “Good sit.”

Targeting involves using a long stick with a round end to direct an animal to move from one place to another. In the case of Rusty, it meant he sat on a mark on stage before a sold-out audience and then leaped through a hoop and landed on another platform. Again and again.

So, at the conference, Martin shared her dilemma. She already has a pair of talented 2-year-old orange tabbies in her troupe and needed to find a home for Rusty that would continue to challenge his brain and fuel his desire to learn.

“Arden, I know all that you do with Casey all around the country,” she began. “I know that Rusty would be a great addition to your classes and your home. I just don’t want him to go to a home where he would sit around all day and be bored.”

That was all it took for me to say yes. It is rare to adopt so young a kitten who has so many talents and social skills. Another bonus: Rusty really loves other animals. He quickly made friends with Casey as well as my dogs, Kona and Bujeau, and our senior cat, Mikey.

About 10 days after adopting him, I brought Rusty to one of my Pet First Aid 4U classes — along with my seasoned team of Kona and Casey. Students were able to practice proper hand placement on Rusty to perform simulated kitty CPR and even wrap his front leg in our how-to-bandage-a-bleed demo. Yes, he purred the whole time.

He also came racing my way when I whistled.

So, what are the plans for this young, gotta-perform feline? I will continue to expand his trick repertoire and expose him in positive ways to all types of scenarios, such as riding in a pet stroller, walking on a leash and meeting people of all backgrounds and accepting being held.

When he turns 1, I hope he will join Kona and Casey and become a certified therapy pet who will entertain kids in schools and animal shelters, as well as residents in memory care centers.

Rusty is no ordinary kitten and my promise to him is that he will live an extraordinary life.

Please share how you came to adopt a special cat or dog and how that adoption has enriched the pet’s life and your own. Send them to me at fourleggedlife@gmail.com.

More about the Amazing Acro-Cats
This circus troupe of domestic cats — plus a groundhog, a few rats and other small animals — was founded by animal trainer Samantha Martin. The group also includes the Rock Cats, a feline musical band. Based just south of Atlanta, the Amazing Acro-Cats tours and performs throughout the United States. This is a nonprofit group that donates to animal shelters and lives its motto: “Saving Cats One Click at a Time.” Find more information and show dates at www.circuscats.com.

Arden Moore, founder of fourleggedlife.com, is an animal behavior expert and host of the Oh Behave! show on petliferadio.com. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com.

Grigol Kranz and Pam Casanave coach groups split into grades 1-5 and 6-10 at St. Andrews Club. Casanave is a regular in Boca’s Ballroom Battle. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Hair bows fly, ties flutter and laughter resonates off the windows overlooking the ocean as dozens of kids follow instructor Pam Casanave and her assistant Grigol Kranz in basic dance steps.

The ladies are in white gloves and party dresses in shades of rose from blush pink to blood red. The gentlemen wear suit jackets and ties. As they struggle to learn steps and avoid each other’s toes, Casanave and Kranz move between them, gliding and smiling.
When they let the kids loose for a game of “musical hearts,” they twirl and bop with abandon.

This is the dance portion of cotillion, a two-hour class that combines etiquette advice and dance instruction to build social skills and enforce gracious behavior.

The class, 60 kids from first to 10th grades, meets about 10 times between September and May at St. Andrews Club in Gulf Stream. Casanave, a professional dancer, choreographer and instructor from Boca Raton, started the cotillion classes through her company, Dance With Pam, last year with the encouragement of local moms.

Casanave is well-known in the dance community. She and her husband, Jean-Marc Casanave, owned Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Boca before he died in 2016.

Casanave continued to dance, choreograph and teach at her own school while focusing her talents on the annual Boca’s Ballroom Battle, which pairs amateurs with professionals to raise money for the George Snow Scholarship Fund. She helped grow the event into a huge success.

Casanave coached Literacy Coalition CEO Kristin Calder when she competed, and when Calder’s kids, Harrison, 16, and Caroline, 12, aged out of their cotillion classes after the eighth grade, Calder suggested Casanave and cotillion might be a perfect fit.

Casanave came up with a curriculum and hit the ground running in 3-inch heels last year.

For teaching purposes, the kids are split into two groups, grades 1-5 and 6-10, and each session carries an etiquette topic. For Valentine’s week, the topic was “magic words”: please, thank you, I’m sorry, excuse me, may I, and hello.

“Introductions show we’re friendly and courteous,” Casanave says.

Good manners open doors that even the best education cannot by using the universal principles of kindness, politeness and grace. “Parents want to raise kind and compassionate children, and manners serve us very well,” she says.

Dancing with actual touching takes a little getting used to, but dance’s similarity to sports helps.

Kranz, a ballroom dancer and personal trainer, coaches them: Stay loose, bend your knees, finish the movement, pay attention to your partner.

Instructors Pam Casanave and Grigol Kranz lead youngsters and teens in dance and etiquette classes at St. Andrews Club in Gulf Stream. Photo Provided

The kids represent different schools — Saint Andrew’s, Gulf Stream and Oxbridge — which they like. Margaux Bonutti, 12, goes to Gulf Stream and is more comfortable in cleats on the soccer field, but really enjoys the dance lessons. Her 15-year-old brother, Marc, who goes to Oxbridge and is interested in aviation, says, “At first I was hesitant about coming to class, but now I appreciate the things they’re teaching us and I look forward to it.”

Caroline Calder loves music and theater, so she can’t learn enough dance, and Gracie Robinson, 12, who rides horses three times a week, thinks cotillion is bringing out her personality. Among the younger kids, the attention span is shorter, but the lessons are there. Amelia Grandic, 7, in a sequined top and fuchsia tulle tutu, nibbles cookies post-dance and stops talking about her guinea pig to offer this dance (and life) advice: “It helps if you follow the directions.”

But Amelia’s brother, Thatcher Grandic, 9, in his navy-blue blazer and no-nonsense glasses, sees the big picture. He says the purpose of good manners is to make others feel comfortable. He says good manners are about treating strangers like friends.

The Gulf Stream student, who likes math, is not sure what he wants to do when he gets older, but says, “I’d like to do something that helps the world.”

And that is the epitome of good manners.

About 40 vendors sell fruits, vegetables and other goods in Boca. Linda Haase/The Coastal Star

By Linda Haase

Anyone who knows Emily Lilly can tell you where she spends Saturday mornings from November to early May.

It’s the same place she’s been for the past 23 years — the Boca Raton Greenmarket. Lilly, who has been the manager since the venture began, is dedicated to bringing farm-to-table produce, artisan products, delicious food — and more — to customers in a fun, relaxed ambiance.

The market, which runs from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. through May 9, has a sweet spot at the Boca Raton City Hall grounds, where it relocated after 20 years at Royal Palm Place. There are plenty of trees to provide shade and a stage-like area for musical entertainment.

Variety is key at this market, which has about 40 vendors, says Lilly. In other words, expect the unexpected. Looking for cranberry beans? They’re front and center, along with more than 80 kinds of herbs and spices, lemon peel strips, made-to-order guacamole, jackfruit, gargantuan carrots, truffle burrata, aromatherapy necklaces, organic butterfly pea flower tea and even root beer-float-flavored finishing butter. (Mix it with sriracha and simple syrup for a to-die-for glaze for chicken wings, ham or ribs.)

Be sure to stop by the Broward Beekeepers Association booth, where experts share information on the importance and quirks of bees. (Who knew honeybees have two stomachs or that a queen bee can lay more than 2,000 eggs a day?)

Arrive early and join the free one-hour yoga class, then cool off with coconut water served inside the freshly carved out fruit. Wander around and you’ll discover lush flowers and plants, Mediterranean food, nuts galore, fresh-squeezed juice and more, including a soothing hand wash at the La Cure booth.

Expect a line at “the fish guy” booth, where customers exchange recipes and pleasantries while waiting up to 30 minutes for the coveted smoked fish dip, stone crab claws, homemade mustard sauce, fresh fish and other ocean delights. The market began with a mission, explains Lilly: “to offer produce from farm-to-table with nothing in between.” It evolved, adding local artisans showcasing their products, music and more.

Now, it’s also a Saturday morning destination for the entire family, including the family pup. As for the future? Lilly has one desire. “I’d love better weather on Saturdays. This year it has been horrendous. It does not make for a good outdoor venture.”

New Sunday market

Can’t get to the greenmarket on Saturdays? Or want to double your weekend fun? Head to the newly opened Florida Fresh Market at Mizner Park from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. The market may continue year-round, organizers say. At the south end of the center, between Lord & Taylor and Yard House, the market features a fresh produce center along with local vendors highlighting prepared foods, jams and jellies, breads, local honeys, unique artisan items and more.

“We are excited to offer our guests yet another reason to visit Mizner Park,” says general manager Dana Romanelli Schearer. “With our many offerings and beautiful outdoor space, Mizner Park lends itself to Florida Fresh Market events, especially during the milder South Florida months.”

Ron Campbell painted the yellow submarine for the Beatles’ animated film of the same name. He contributed about 12 minutes of the finished product. Photo provided

Update: Cartoonist cancels Old School Square appearance | Beatles on the Beach Festival postponed

By Ron Hayes

When the second annual International Beatles on the Beach Festival hits Delray Beach on March 26-29, you’ll hear from more than a dozen Beatle imitators — and one Beatles illustrator.

You’ll hear The Bertils from Sweden, The NoWhere Boys from Colombia, Beat and Shout from Brazil and Estefy Lennon, a female John Lennon tribute band from Argentina.

You’ll hear “McCartney Mania,” with a full orchestra, and even a performance by Micky Dolenz, former drummer for those “prefab four,” The Monkees.

Also promised is a display of artwork by the some of the Beatles at the Cornell Art Museum in Old School Square, where you'll have a chance to meet and hear Ron Campbell, but he won't be singing Yellow Submarine.

He helped draw it.

Campbell was 28 and already a veteran cartoonist when he drew sketches used to animate many scenes in the beloved feature cartoon, Yellow Submarine.

It was Campbell who helped bring the Sea of Time sequence to the screen, the Chief Blue Meanie and his sidekick Max, and of course, “Jeremy Hillary Boob Ph.D.,” the Nowhere Man.

Before that, he’d animated the hit Beatles TV cartoons back home in his native Australia, and afterward he’d go on to work on Scooby-Doo and The Smurfs, the Flintstones, Jetsons and Rugrats.

Beloved characters all, but when Campbell appears at cartoon festivals, sharing his memories and selling his artwork, the cartoon characters who draw the biggest crowds are the ones based on four real human beings.

“I’d say it’s 50% Beatles,” Campbell says. “With the Beatles, you not only get the attraction of cartoons, you also have the love of the music.”

A graduate of the Swinburne Art Institute in Melbourne, Campbell was already established, animating Beetle Bailey and Krazy Kat cartoons when his director, Al Brodax, called in the middle of the night. He’d just sold a new show. Would Ron like to direct it?

“What show?”
“The Beatles.”
“Al,” Campbell told him, “insects make terrible characters for a children’s show.”

This was in 1964.

“I was a serious young man listening to classical music,” Campbell says, speaking from his home in Arizona. “This was hundreds of little girls drowning out the music, so I hadn’t taken a second’s notice of it. But I quickly learned.”

The Beatles cartoon TV series ran for four years at the height of Beatlemania, and in 1967 Brodax called again, asking Campbell to contribute to the upcoming feature film.

By then, he’d moved to California, worked for Hanna-Barbera’s Smurfs series and opened his own company, Ron Campbell Films.
He helped complete about 12 minutes of the finished Yellow Submarine film, work that took about eight months.

“I didn’t even mention it when I was giving my bios and stuff,” he says.

But the rock band he hadn’t paid attention to in 1964 didn’t go away, and the psychedelic cartoon he’d help draw still draws praise and fans.

“That’s because their rock ’n’ roll music is good,” he says. “It’s varied, it’s rich, it’s not monotonous, and every song is different, with magical phrasing in it.”

Campbell turned 80 in December. He’s retired now, traveling to Beatles shows about once a month. But while the Beatles and Yellow Submarine have endured, the art of hand-drawn animation that he mastered has faded as Pixar and Disney’s computer-generated imagery has taken its place.

“CGI belongs to the young people,” Campbell says, without bitterness. “It’s got nothing to do with me. CGI is cold, but with great story lines and beautiful design and very expressive production. Computers can do things no human being can hope to do. But hand-drawn work has a softness and pleasantness that computers can’t capture.”

By now, you’re no doubt asking what all who come to his exhibits ask. Ron Campbell drew John, Paul, George and Ringo, but no, he never met them. “I’m sorry,” he tells the fans, “but you can’t shake the hand that shook the hand.”

And surely his favorite Beatles song must be Yellow Submarine?

“Here Comes the Sun,” he says. “And I like Hey Jude. It reminds me of Ravel’s Bolero. But a favorite? That’s impossible.”

If You Go
What: Beatles on the Beach
When: March 26-29, with music events March 27-28
Where: Old School Square and Cornell Art Museum, Delray Beach, and other venues around town
Admission: $29.50 a day for general admission, $89.50 for concert VIP or $152.50 for weekend VIP. VIP tickets cover entry to all events.
Info: www.beatlesonthebeach.com
Meet Ron Campbell: The artist will paint, talk to visitors and show his work at the Cornell Museum from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. March 26-28 and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. March 29. Admission is free.

By Mary Hladky and Jerry Lower

Any hopes that suspended Mayor Susan Haynie might have had of reclaiming her elected office ended Feb. 27 when both her defense lawyer and the prosecutor asked that her trial on public corruption charges be delayed.

In a four-minute hearing Circuit Judge Jeffrey Dana Gillen canceled Haynie’s March 23 trial date and rescheduled it for July 20. He also told prosecutor Brian Fernandes and defense attorney Bruce Zimet to file any new evidence by June 1.

Fernandes contends that Haynie used her position on the City Council to vote on six matters that financially benefited Jim and Marta Batmasian, the city’s largest downtown commercial landowners, and failed to disclose income she received from them or their company, Investments Limited.

Haynie, 64, has pleaded not guilty to charges of official misconduct, perjury, misuse of public office and failure to disclose voting conflicts. She faces more than 20 years in prison.

Haynie, a fixture in Boca Raton politics for 18 years, has not publicly commented on the case since her April 24, 2018, arrest. Then-Gov. Rick Scott suspended her from office, but she never resigned.

If her trial had started March 23 and she were quickly acquitted, Haynie could potentially have reclaimed the mayor’s seat but only until her term of office ends on March 31.

Scott Singer was elected mayor four months after Haynie’s arrest and is seeking election to a full term on March 17 with only token opposition from Bernard Korn.

Four owners are fighting the sale of the Delray South Shore Club, a timeshare that closed in January. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

The cozy 15-unit timeshare closed its doors the Saturday after New Year’s, employees were terminated, and security guards started patrolling the grounds pending the resort’s sale to a Pennsylvania-based developer.
Owners of most of the 765 timeshare weeks at the Delray South Shore Club are no doubt looking forward to the estimated $16,078 payout for each week they owned at the beachside complex.
But four owners, who collectively have seven weeks, are continuing a legal battle to undo the 498-156 vote to sell the resort, alleging that they and fellow unit owners were duped by misleading information and “scare tactics” from the timeshare’s board of directors, maneuvers they say will lead to windfall profits for two directors who live nearby.
“It’s frustrating for us knowing what is happening and being unable to educate the other owners as well as work through the slow legal system,” said Jacqui Derrick, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court.
The suit originally sought to block the Aug. 5 vote authorizing the sale of the complex at 1625 S. Ocean Blvd.; it was amended to focus on alleged breach of contract by the timeshare association and alleged breach of fiduciary duty by the two directors, barrier island residents Kenneth MacNamee and Robert Deutsch.
“It’s a real family place, and it’s really important that the city of Delray, and other places too, know what these jerks are doing,” co-plaintiff John Runyon of Minnesota said.
Derrick and her husband, Bob, also a plaintiff, live about an hour’s drive from Atlanta and own four timeshare weeks. William Miller of Boca Raton is the fourth plaintiff.
In their lawsuit they assert that the resort’s Declaration of Condominium requires unanimous consent of all unit owners to terminate the timeshare.
Members of the board of directors, who are now called termination trustees following the dissolution of the timeshare, assured the other owners that their attorney, Seth Kolton, is “vigorously defending against the plaintiffs’ baseless claims.”
Kolton argued that the lawsuit should be dismissed partly because MacNamee and Deutsch as members of the board of directors are statutorily immune from personal liability. But Circuit Judge Howard Coates Jr. denied Kolton’s motion on Dec. 20.
MacNamee would tell The Coastal Star little about the case.
“As the defendant in the lawsuit, I look forward to my day in court to set the record straight. Until then, I have ‘no comment,’ ” he said in an email.

ABOVE: Sara Clendenin, 32, who had been coming to the Delray South Shore Club since she was in her mother’s womb, makes a final visit with her boyfriend, Dan Sophie, and her mother, Pat. BELOW: Arlene Stuckenbrock of Chicago and Reed Owen sip Bloody Marys. Stuckenbrock had been coming to the timeshare since 1982. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

MacNamee and Deutsch won seats to the seven-member board in November 2018, the same month they learned they had won a sealed-bid auction arranged by the board to buy 23 association-owned weeks.
Paul Widemer, a former director, questioned MacNamee’s and Deutsch’s qualifications to be directors before the election, saying MacNamee “does excel in being disruptive and obnoxious.”
MacNamee, who lives on a canal three lots off the Intracoastal Waterway, then went to Widemer’s home in Lantana and took pictures. “I don’t know your business background and acumen,” he replied to the 86-year-old widower’s email, “but given your domicile situation, you don’t appear to have been very successful, certainly not in my league.”
The board president sent copies of the email exchange to all owners.
Last February the board notified unit owners that the association had received two unsolicited offers to purchase Delray South Shore. In the same mailing, the board posed a one-question survey: “Do you have any interest in selling Delray South Shore Club? Yes or No.”
The board says “a majority of owners responding to the survey” expressed interest in selling, by its count 272-260. But the plaintiff owners insist the outcome is reversed if you subtract the 23 votes MacNamee and Deutsch acquired in the November auction.
In the subsequent Aug. 5 vote, owners were asked whether to terminate the timeshare and warned of future renovations of up to $2 million.
The board’s mailer stated the case this way: “Simply stated, if the vote passes: DSSC will be sold, and you as an owner in good standing will receive approximately $16,000 for each week that you own. … If the vote fails: You as an owner will likely have an additional expense of $2,000-$2,500 per week that you own, which may be spread over a few years.”
MacNamee first invested in Delray South Shore in 1984 and by 2011 he and his wife, Mary, had acquired a total of eight weeks for $22,548, according to the plaintiffs’ research of property records.
They bought seven more weeks for $3,500 on March 6, 2018, and sold one the next day to Deutsch for $1,000. MacNamee added another week to his holdings that July for $10.
Deutsch’s purchase qualified him to run for a seat on the board that fall. In the association’s November auction MacNamee bought six weeks for $4,560 and Deutsch bought 17 weeks for $11,725, the plaintiffs say.
They also find it suspicious that four of the eight auction winners were on the board of directors.
By their math, MacNamee stands to get $337,638 for his $29,618 investment while Deutsch will convert his $12,725 of timeshare weeks into $289,404.
A subsidiary of U.S. Construction Inc., the Philadelphia firm that bought the Wright-by-the-Sea hotel for $25 million in 2018, submitted the $12.3 million winning offer for Delray South Shore. The lawsuit delayed the deal’s planned Jan. 6 closing.
The other offer, for not as much, came from Delray Beach-based Seaside Builders LLC.
U.S. Construction is also a partner in developing Gulf Stream Views, a 14-townhome project just south of Briny Breezes.
The plaintiffs’ lawsuit says MacNamee and Deutsch breached their fiduciary duty “by knowingly, intentionally and maliciously promoting the sale of the association and self-dealing only to seek a windfall profit from their recent activity of purchasing … many foreclosed units within the association well below market value.”
Jacqui Derrick grieves over the loss of “the average man’s vacation beachside resort” and fears Berkshire by the Sea, at 126 N. Ocean Blvd., may be the next target of developers. The Berkshire board of directors notified owners in 2016 that its timeshare ownership arrangement would expire in 2021 unless they amended the bylaws, “just like what our BOD did to us with the same type of wording. Interesting.”
Runyon, 74, bought his two timeshare weeks in 1999 for $5,000 each and faithfully paid his maintenance fee, which he said was $749 a week last year.
“My goal is to preserve Delray South Shore,” he said. “To those of us who don’t see it the way the speculators see it, this is Florida of the ’80s.”
During the timeshare’s final week, guests basked in the sun, walked the beach and congregated in the cabana, but the mood was bittersweet.
“I love this place,” said Sara Clendenin, 32, of St. Louis, who first visited the timeshare while in her mother’s womb. “We come here every year and know all of the people here. They’re like a whole ’nother family you get to see each year.”
Nancy Fooks from New York, who came on New Year’s Day to say goodbye to the friends and the place, admitted she had been crying over its looming closure.
And Arlene Stuckenbrock of Chicago, who had been visiting the club since 1982, recalled watching her son playing as a child from her patio seat.
“I always had the 52nd week of the year, and sometimes the first week of the year. I won’t be able to do that anymore,” she lamented.

Jerry Lower contributed to this story.

By Charles Elmore

For all the headlines about rising seas, king tides and other climate threats, homeowners in most cities and towns across southeastern Palm Beach County stand less prepared than they were eight years earlier when it comes to flood coverage from the National Flood Insurance Program, records from the program show.
Fewer folks have NFIP policies in nine municipalities in the region, compared to three cities with more.
In Delray Beach, residents shed about 10% of NFIP policies between 2012 and 2019. Boynton Beach residents with policies dropped almost 30%. Policy counts fell more than 40% in Briny Breezes.
After years of NFIP rate increases and added surcharges, some homeowners chose not to renew policies if, say, they were not required to carry flood coverage by a mortgage lender.

Briny Breezes resident Linc Musto said he dropped flood insurance for about four years, but resumed coverage after Hurricane Dorian hit the Bahamas in 2019, narrowly veering from Florida.
“Seeing the widespread devastation in the Bahamas made me realize what we would have faced had its path brought it over to Briny,” said Musto, 85, who worked in the insurance business for more than 50 years.
Paying premiums for flood insurance “might be painful for the homeowners, but it does leave them vulnerable if they don’t have it,” said Jim Wrona, a Realtor with POSH Properties in Ocean Ridge.
The average flood claim runs about $43,000, federal officials say, but crucially, it requires a flood policy to collect. A standard homeowner policy does not cover flooding caused by rising water from lakes, rivers, canals and the ocean.
NFIP, backed by the federal government, accounts for all but 3% to 4% of flood policies in the county, though private insurers have recently ramped up efforts to underwrite more flood coverage. 
Florida residents buy the most NFIP policies of any state by far — about 35% of the nation’s total. But a common refrain heard around the state is that Florida has received only a little over 7% of the NFIP’s payouts during the past four decades. Records show that hundreds of thousands of Florida’s homeowners over the last decade have balked at shelling out more as debts piled up for disasters occurring largely in other states.
The average annual cost of an NFIP policy, including various surcharges, pushed past $1,000 nationally by 2019, federal reports show.
Pricing can vary over time as flood maps are updated and redrawn, and the cost for an individual home can vary widely from the average. John G. Backer, one of the owners of the Gracey-Backer Inc. insurance agency in Delray Beach, recalled an example where the premium was $500 for one property and $5,000 for next door.
“There’s a lot of sticker shock,” Backer said.
In effect, some homeowners choose to self-insure, meaning they watch what happens with flooding threats in their neighborhoods over time and decide whether to shoulder the financial risk themselves.
Flood policies come on top of standard home insurance costs that are in some cases rising even faster, to protect against threats such as fires, hurricanes with high winds and plumbing leaks.
As of December, the average cost of a standard policy climbed above $3,000 annually for the first time in Palm Beach County for Florida’s second-largest insurer, state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp.
“At this rate,” said homeowner Marie Berman in Boca Raton, “no one will want to buy in South Florida as insurance is way out of whack. I think this is a huge issue that will affect property values in a huge way.”

Rates being analyzed
Difficult financial decisions for homeowners are likely to get tougher in the months ahead.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which oversees NFIP, announced that beginning on April 1, renewal premiums will increase an average of 11.3%. That does not include the effects of proposed risk-based pricing, postponed to 2021, which could raise costs even more for some property owners in places designated to carry higher risks. Others could see lower costs.
“FEMA continues to conduct a comprehensive analysis of the proposed rating structure planned for implementation and effective as of Oct. 1, 2021,” an agency spokesman said. “It is premature to speculate on any changes in premium rates.”
The NFIP remains the dominant player in a realm of insurance where private companies have historically feared to tread because risks are so high. Private insurers have recently dipped a cautious toe further into flood insurance waters, and Backer said he has begun selling more policies from private carriers.
As of Sept. 30, 2019, there were 4,564 policies from private insurers providing a property’s primary source of flood coverage in Palm Beach County, up about 33% from 3,424 a year earlier, according to data supplied by the industry-funded Insurance Information Institute.
The group’s Florida representative, Mark Friedlander, said the data available to him did not show the cities or ZIP codes where the policies were located.
Private agents and companies can also sell and administer NFIP policies through established programs. 
Nationally, the number of NFIP policies has decreased from 5.7 million in 2009 to fewer than 5.1 million as of June 30, 2019, federal records show.

Measures may lower costs
Several local cities are taking steps to strengthen seawalls, improve drainage systems and otherwise reduce flooding risks in ways that can help lower NFIP premiums for their residents.
In December, for example, Delray Beach announced its improved Community Rating System score would save residents about 5% on NFIP policies, or about $450,000 citywide.
In early January, Ocean Ridge Town Manager Tracey Stevens reminded residents that FEMA scheduled an open house for Feb. 4 and 5 in West Palm Beach for property owners to see the latest flood maps and discuss their options.
Ocean Ridge had fewer NFIP policies in 2019 (1,243) than it did in 2012 (1,301), though records show a slight uptick from 2018 (1,237).
Boca Raton, Gulf Stream and Manalapan showed a slight increase in 2019 NFIP policies compared to 2012. Delray Beach, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes, Highland Beach, Hypoluxo, Lake Worth Beach, Lantana, Ocean Ridge and South Palm Beach registered fewer NFIP polices in that span.
In early 2020, thousands of local homeowners can decide how a flood policy looks in the light of a new year.
“As flood events are one of the costliest disasters each year, FEMA reminds homeowners that anywhere it can rain, it can flood,” a FEMA spokesman said. “On average, 1 inch of rain can cost nearly $25,000 in repairs.”
Federal officials say they’re trying to apply the latest and best technology to the problem.
“FEMA’s goal is to make flood insurance significantly easier for agents to price and sell policies, and in turn, help customers better understand their flood risk and the importance of flood insurance,” the spokesman said.

Public open house on flood insurance
The Federal Emergency Management Agency is hosting a public open house Feb. 4-5 in West Palm Beach on flood maps and rates. No appointments are necessary and members of the public can drop by at any time during two three-hour windows.
Where: Mary V. McDonald-Wilson Center, 1505 N. Australian Ave., West Palm Beach
When: 4 -7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4, and 9 a.m.-noon Wednesday, Feb. 5

Waves from boats’ wakes wash over a sea wall and stir up the Intracoastal Waterway in Delray Beach. The city said it would ask the state to consider rising sea levels in setting lower speeds. Some residents have built higher walls but are still concerned about potential property damage and want a no-wake zone. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Intracoastal residents want city to defy state to lower boat speeds

By Jane Smith

Palm Trail residents are asking Delray Beach city commissioners to take action against rising tides and seas and reduce boat speeds on the portion of the Intracoastal Waterway that runs beside their street.
In the stretch between the bridges at George Bush Boulevard and Atlantic Avenue, slightly less than a mile, residents see weekend boaters zipping by. The speed boats kick up wakes, which crash into and over sea walls and enter backyards and city-owned pocket parks, streets and drains.
The waterfront residents want to see a no-wake zone year-round across the waterway to protect their property and the city property, but the state controls the speed limits in the Intracoastal.
“You have to challenge the archaic rules that don’t take into account what others see as a crisis worldwide,” George Walden told commissioners at their Jan. 16 meeting.

Walden

Walden, who lives on the Intracoastal, plans to raise his sea wall by 15 inches to combat the rising tides and keep his property from sliding into the waterway.
The commissioners, though, decided to take a baby step in that direction.
The city attorney will draft a resolution urging the state to consider the rising tides in their boating speed regulations. “We are preempted from drafting an ordinance regulating boat speeds,” City Attorney Lynn Gelin said.
Even so, some commissioners are leaning toward lowering the boat speed limits.
“We have new issues,” Mayor Shelly Petrolia said at the meeting. “Higher tides were not an issue just five years ago.” She wants to pursue “the low-hanging fruit” that she said should not be difficult to change.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission enforces boating speeds and ensures wildlife safety in the Intracoastal.
To include rising tides would be a lengthy, multi-step process, FWC regional spokeswoman Carol Lyn Parrish said.
“The data on the rising tides and king tides has to be there to support restriction of the speed zones,” she said.
FWC maps show boat speeds in the waterway through Delray Beach are limited to 25 mph from Oct. 1 to May 31. The other four months, boat speeds are capped at 30 mph.
Year-round, a 50-foot-wide slow-speed buffer exists on both shores of the Intracoastal.
In addition, boats must maintain idle speed from 300 feet north to 600 feet south of the George Bush Boulevard bridge and slow speed with minimum wake from 300 feet north of the Atlantic Avenue bridge to 500 feet north of the Knowles Park boat ramp.
But boaters go faster than that on weekends, Walden, who lives north of the Atlantic Avenue bridge zone, said in a Jan. 17 memo to commissioners.
“I would invite each and every one of you to sit at my dock on any given weekend to view firsthand the reckless disregard of most boaters,” Walden wrote.

Jill and Eric Schifferli live on Palm Trail and have raised their sea wall by a foot to combat wakes. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Jill Schifferli, who lives on Palm Trail and is president of the Palm Trail Homeowners Association, agrees. “Many residents have raised their sea walls,” she said at the Jan. 16 meeting.
They see the damage from the brackish Intracoastal water in the city’s pocket parks at the end of the streets. When boats go zipping by, residents can see the water bubble up through the drains near the waterway.
After the Schifferlis raised their sea wall by 12 inches, Jill and her husband, Eric, planted native Florida grasses that are salt-tolerant because the tidal flow killed their other grass.
“We want the city to help us with our situation by reducing the boat speeds,” she said. That also would reduce property damage for the city pocket parks and streets, she added.
Steve Plamann, who lives off the waterway on Northeast First Court, is nonetheless affected by rising seas. He said that during Hurricane Dorian last year, tidal water flowed onto his street. “It was the highest I have ever seen,” said Plamann, who has lived there for about 30 years.
Residents who live along the east side of the Intracoastal on the barrier island support lower boat speeds, said Bob Victorin, president of the Beach Property Owners Association.
“We met with the Palm Trail group to discuss this issue,” Victorin said. “Manatee protection is another reason for a low-wake zone.”
Manatee season runs Nov. 15 to March 31. Deaths of manatees have been rising in Florida, Jill Schifferli said at the meeting. In 2019, manatee fatalities from collisions with watercraft were up 10.5% over those in 2018. In 2018, there were 124 deaths; in 2019 the number rose to 137.
Manatees, the state’s official marine mammal, are a protected species in Florida. Also known as sea cows, they are aquatic relatives of the elephant. They often have scars from being run over by boat propellers.
For all those reasons, Palm Trail residents continue their quest for lower boat speeds.
“We implore you to take the necessary next step to create and pass an ordinance designating the area between Atlantic and George Bush a No Wake, Slow Speed area,” Walden wrote on Jan. 17 to the commission.  
He then wants the commission to send the ordinance to the FWC for its approval.
“And should FWC decide to reject the commonsense approach of Delray Beach, I would recommend that the mayor drive (literally) the issue directly to the governor’s office to be appealed and overridden as shortsighted, archaic and out of touch with the realities of 2020.”
Mayor Petrolia agrees about the importance of considering rising tides in the boat speed limits.
“It’s a difficult situation that needs to be looked at. Rising tides should be included when determining boating speeds,” she said Jan. 19.
“We may need to pass it through our sustainability officer and then through the new resilience officer in the governor’s office.”