ABOVE: A chick pleads with an adult for food. BELOW: A few minutes later, its wish was granted. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

The least tern, a migratory bird threatened with a loss of natural beach habitat, appears to be making a comeback in Boca Raton.
This year, for the first time in many seasons, wildlife biologists have spotted at least six tern chicks on Boca Raton’s beach and are optimistic about the future of the local least tern beach colony, one of only two in South Florida.
"This is a big deal because the least tern is a state threatened species," said Natasha Warraich, assistant regional biologist with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, who has been monitoring the colony. "It’s exciting that their eggs are actually hatching."
Two years ago, wildlife biologists spotted a nesting pair of least terns with eggs, but those eggs did not hatch. Warraich said that this year the colony has grown to about 20 pairs and that could mean additional chicks.
Survival of the chicks — which still face the threat of predation — could eventually lead to a strengthening of the colony, which appears to migrate to the same beach area in Boca Raton from its winter grounds in Central America.

By Dan Moffett

Years of neglected infrastructure maintenance have left Ocean Ridge with a hole in its budget that town commissioners will have to reach deep to fill.
“I’m the bearer of bad news,” acting Town Manager Tracey Stevens told the commission during a May budget workshop. “Your capital expenditures are going way up this year due to the infrastructure needs.”
The good news for Ocean Ridge is that it has a healthy reserve fund and a growing tax base to soften the blow. Property values in the town rose about 6 percent in the last year to an estimated $1 billion, according to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office, driving up tax revenues.
Commissioners are hoping to hold the current tax rate of $5.35 per $1,000 of taxable property value despite the rising costs and major capital projects in the $8.1 million 2019-2020 budget.
Expenditures overall are up 14.66 percent and the town is facing a deficit of about $510,000, most of it going to cover the needed infrastructure repairs and upgrades for fire hydrants, water lines and storm drains.
“We have two choices,” says Mayor Steve Coz, “raise taxes or tap into reserves. Or we could do a combination of both.”
Ocean Ridge has about $4.8 million in unassigned reserves on hand, or roughly 67 percent of the annual general fund expenditures. Town auditors have told commissioners 45 percent is considered satisfactory, and even after tapping into the reserves, about 48 percent of annual expenditures will remain. So the reservoir of ready cash should be large enough to handle emergencies.
Recapturing the police contract with Briny Breezes could bring in an additional $180,000 in revenues. Ocean Ridge held the contract until losing it to Boynton Beach three years ago. Police Chief Hal Hutchins said he hopes to have a decision from Briny by Aug. 1.
The commission denied Hutchins’ request to spend $20,000 on body cameras. Three commissioners — Coz, Vice Mayor Don MaGruder and Phil Besler — said they were opposed to the idea philosophically, and the tough budget year was no time to reconsider.
The commission also persuaded Hutchins to wait a year before buying a new $48,000 vehicle for the department.
Results of a salary survey found that some of the town’s top employees were underpaid compared with those in surrounding municipalities.
Commissioners approved a total of about $13,000 to boost the salaries and benefits of two police lieutenants. Hutchins also got a roughly $16,000 boost to $120,000 per year.
The commission agreed in principal to make permanent the promotions of Stevens, the former town clerk, to manager and Karla Armstrong to the clerk position. Both have received high praise from commissioners. Stevens will get a $27,000 raise to about $102,000 and Armstrong will go up $15,000 to $60,000.
Still, the town will save about $40,000 between the two positions compared with salaries in the survey.
“All I’m trying to do is save money,” Coz said, saying the pay was appropriate for two relatively inexperienced employees. “I think it’s fair for people who have days on the job, not years.”
MaGruder and Commissioners Kristine de Haseth and Susan Hurlburt supported spending $23,000 to participate in a regional study of the long-term effects of sea rise on the town.
Residents also should expect their solid waste and recycling fees to go up by a modest amount in the next fiscal year.
The commission plans to formally set a maximum proposed tax rate at its next budget workshop on July 15 beginning at 5 p.m.

By Dan Moffett

Ocean Ridge has taken the first small steps in what figures to be a very long journey to replace the town’s septic tanks with a municipal sewer system.
During their regular meeting on July 1, town commissioners unanimously approved hiring Raftelis Financial Consultants from the Orlando area to assess the costs and financing options for the conversion.
Raftelis, the only bidder for the assignment, has municipal clients across the country but recent work in Monroe County is particularly relevant. Company Vice President Tony Hairston told the commission his firm had helped in the conversion of tens of thousands of septic tanks in the Florida Keys, including those in Islamorada, Key Largo and Marathon.
Hairston estimated roughly $45,000 in initial costs to help Ocean Ridge develop a business plan for the multimillion-dollar, multiyear project. Raftelis consultants will charge the town $192 per hour.
Also, the commission has completed appointments to the newly created citizens advisory committee on septic to sewer conversion. The members are Roy Schijns, Ron Kirn, John Lipscomb, Arthur Ziev and Neil Hennigan. The committee and the consultants will hold their first meeting on July 15 beginning at 10 a.m. in Town Hall. Representatives of Boynton Beach Utilities are also expected to attend and make a presentation.
Mayor Steve Coz and commissioners say they believe it’s inevitable that state officials eventually will make septic conversion mandatory.
In other business:
• Acting Town Manager Tracey Stevens told the commission that the Florida Department of Transportation has rejected the town’s request for a crosswalk on State Road A1A near the Crown Colony Club and Fayette Drive. Stevens said state officials believe results of a recent traffic study showed that the crosswalk wasn’t warranted.
• Commissioners unanimously approved spending $91,253 to repair a drainage outflow pipe on Spanish River Drive.
Town engineers believe the 12-inch pipe has collapsed and is contributing to continuing street flooding problems in the Inlet Cay neighborhood. Stevens told the commission that homeowners’ overgrown vegetation in the easements is impeding the progress of repairs on the island. She said the town has repeatedly requested cooperation from the residents.
“We will continue to explore our options,” Stevens said, “though they are limited without the necessary easements.”
• It doesn’t look like Ocean Ridge will be getting its own ZIP code anytime soon.
Coz had floated the idea earlier this year, and the commission asked former Commissioner Robert Sloat to investigate how the town might pursue it.
“It’s a long, arduous process to get our own ZIP code,” Sloat told the commission during its June 3 meeting.
He said the federal government would require the town to survey residents to find out if they want it, and help from the South Florida congressional delegation might be needed for the effort to move forward. The town also likely would be responsible for coming up with its own post office, delivery truck and postmaster.
Sloat said, based on his research, the impact on insurance rates would be negligible, however.
The greatest barrier to getting a distinct postal code probably would be size. The U.S. Postal Service typically gives ZIP codes to cities and towns with populations between 10,000 and 25,000. The population of Ocean Ridge is about 1,900.
“It sounds like it’s running into a stone wall,” Coz said.

By Steve Plunkett

Town commissioners rejected an appeal by resident Martin O’Boyle to let him build a “promenade” 30 to 36 inches higher than his sea wall and extending 12 feet into the canal behind his yard, unanimously agreeing that the structure should comply with the building code for docks.
At the outset of a June 14 hearing by commissioners sitting as Gulf Stream’s Board of Adjustment, O’Boyle attorney Scott Weires challenged Town Manager Greg Dunham over the definitions of “dock” and “promenade.”
“You believe that that [promenade] is still similar to a dock for some reason. You’re indicating that it looks like a dock and that’s why you believe the promenade section should also be defined as a dock?” Weires asked.
“That’s correct. It is possible that a boat could dock there,” Dunham said.
O’Boyle began applying “informally and formally” for a permit to build over the water in April 2017, Dunham told commissioners. Previous applications referred to the proposed structure as a “dock,” but the most recent one, dated March 11, 2019, elevated it over the sea wall and called it a “promenade” with “no boat docking.” A small section at the eastern end was 5 feet wide and labeled “boat dock.”
“We really wanted to expand the backyard,” O’Boyle’s architect, Robert Currie of Delray Beach, told commissioners.
Weires argued during the almost three-hour hearing that the town code does not define “promenade” or prohibit building one.
“We have constitutional protections to do what we want with our property subject to reasonable zoning regulations,” Weires said. “So I can build it unless you specifically tell me that what I want to build is caught within the definition that prohibits what it is that I want to build.”
Part of O’Boyle’s reasoning that he could build the structure was based on a 2013 dispute he had with the Board of Adjustment over a front entry feature he planned for his house, at 23 Hidden Harbour Drive. After he was denied a building permit, he filed approximately 400 requests for public records and 16 lawsuits against the town in a six-month period. He also painted signs and cartoons on his house criticizing town officials.
In July 2013 the town and O’Boyle settled their differences over the entryway and records requests up until that time, with Gulf Stream agreeing to pay its litigious resident $180,000 for his legal costs and O’Boyle withdrawing his lawsuits. Both sides also promised to reach a development agreement granting permission for the home’s 25-foot-tall front entry.
O’Boyle contended he could construct a promenade because the settlement agreement references the town code as it was in 1981, the year he built his home and before Gulf Stream made rules for docks.
But the town said the agreement applied only to a “building envelope” defined as the area “between the Intracoastal Waterway, the private roads, and the common property line to the west.”
The settlement “does not apply to structures in the water,” Town Clerk Rita Taylor wrote O’Boyle in March, denying his application because the proposed dock was wider than 5 feet and lacked setbacks from neighboring properties.
In other business:
• Dunham said about two dozen homeowners still have stakes to keep traffic off their yards after Mayor Scott Morgan sent a letter asking residents to remove them. Dunham said he would send a follow-up letter seeking compliance.
• Commissioners awarded an $8,450 contract to low bidder C Knowles Construction to make repairs inside the Place Au Soleil gatehouse following mold remediation.
• The next Town Commission meeting will be July 9, a Tuesday, instead of the usual second Friday of the month. Commissioners will discuss the town’s proposed budget for 2019-20.

By Dan Moffett

Two very familiar suitors have come forward and offered to provide police services to the town of Briny Breezes for the next three years.
One is Boynton Beach, the holder of Briny’s current police contract, which expires on Sept. 30. The other is Ocean Ridge, which policed the town for some 30 years before raising its price and losing the contract to Boynton Beach in 2016.
The proposal Briny’s next-door neighbor submitted to the Town Council suggests it is firmly committed to winning back the lost contract. Ocean Ridge proposes charging Briny $180,000 for the first year of a three-year deal, with subsequent annual 3 percent increases.
That number is significantly below the roughly $219,000 the town is paying Boynton Beach this year, and lower than the $215,690 Boynton says it wants to renew the existing agreement. Briny council members will get the chance to hear the details of both proposals during a special workshop scheduled for Aug. 1. Boynton Beach will make a one-hour presentation on its plan beginning at 3 p.m. in Town Hall, immediately followed by a one-hour presentation from Ocean Ridge.
Besides cost, enforcement issues are likely to come up during the workshop. Alderwoman Christina Adams has complained about how police have handled recent trespassing violations and parking offenses.

In other business:
• Council members assigned Town Manager Dale Sugerman and Town Attorney Keith Davis the task of working out details of a new building permit process with Briny’s corporation.
In May, Alderwoman Kathy Gross proposed allowing the corporation to deal directly with building contractors and the town’s building official when residents apply for permits. The idea is to streamline the process and reduce the workload of town staff.
Corporate officials have been open to the plan but want more details. Sugerman and Davis said they would draft a proposed agreement outlining the process and bring it for consideration at the next meeting on July 25.
The vote to advance the proposal was 3-1, with council President Sue Thaler dissenting and Alderman Chick Behringer absent.
• Ownership of Briny Breezes Boulevard continues to be a nagging issue. Sugerman said Palm Beach County officials have told him the 30-foot-wide right of way belongs to the town and the county claims no ownership. However, developers of the Gulf Stream Views townhouse project in the County Pocket maintain their northern property line runs 4 feet into the current paved road.
Sugerman and Davis said they would research property records to try to confirm ownership and the precise location of the right of way. The manager said it may be necessary for the town to hire a surveyor to resolve the issue.
• During a budget workshop before the June 27 meeting, Sugerman told the council he recommends holding the tax rate at the statutory maximum of $10 per $1,000 of taxable value for the next fiscal year. Briny has maintained that maximum rate since 2009.
The Palm Beach County Property Appraiser’s Office brought good news: Briny’s property values have risen 8.8 percent over the last year, to about $53.8 million. The office said it was the seventh-highest increase among the county’s 39 municipalities.
Property tax revenues figure to rise with the valuation to about $510,300, up from $470,200.
Higher interest returns on reserves, lower legal fees and potential savings on a new police contract are other positives for the next budget year. Sugerman proposes spending $10,000 to replace aging chairs and desks in Town Hall.
The council will hold its next budget workshop at 3 p.m. July 25, immediately before the regular town meeting.

ABOVE: Project engineer Michael LaCoursiere uses renderings and photos as he explains Gulf Stream Views to Briny Breezes and Pocket residents. BELOW: Pocket resident Marie Chapman expresses frustration with flooding in her neighborhood. She said it wasn’t a problem until construction started. LaCoursiere said the area needs a new drainage system. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Related Story: Zoning board unanimously OKs swimming pools for townhouse project

By Dan Moffett

Developers of the Gulf Stream Views townhouse project say they are running out of ideas for allaying the flooding concerns expressed by neighboring residents in Briny Breezes and the County Pocket.
“I don’t know what else we can do,” Michael LaCoursiere, the project engineer, told a group of several dozen homeowners during an often contentious meeting June 17 at the Delray Beach Marriott.
LaCoursiere said the old neighborhoods in Briny and the Pocket need a drainage infrastructure overhaul that is beyond the scope of what New Jersey-based NR Living can offer.
“A major community-wide project is what your community needs,” he said. “They’re doing what they can as developers.”
LaCoursiere said the project is being built to retain on-site the rainwater of a 100-year storm, beyond the permitting standard of a 25-year storm. The developers say they have complied with every requirement Palm Beach County, FEMA and state officials have made.
Marie Chapman, who lives on Winthrop Lane in the Pocket, said she believes the project already has caused drainage problems. Recent heavy rains backed up sewers, she said, and left “shin-deep water” in her yard. Her neighbors echoed similar complaints.
“My house is 80 years old and it never flooded before you guys started construction,” Chapman told the developers. “And we’re just into hurricane season. I’m not sure you’re aware of why we’re so angry.”
Residents say that for decades the dormant 2-acre project site served as a drain field for runoff from Briny Breezes and the Pocket. That ended when construction began.
Chapman said the standing rain water and subsequent sewer problems are raising health issues. “You guys have had a huge impact on our day-to-day lives,” she said.
Kristine de Haseth, executive director of the Florida Coalition for Preservation, said homeowners have had to hire a lawyer and engineer in an effort to protect their property rights.
“These folks are flooding,” de Haseth said. “They’re digging into their pockets to solve a problem they didn’t create.”
Glenn La Mattina, NR Living senior vice president, said developers are willing to consider possible solutions from residents. “We are open to suggestions,” La Mattina said.
LaCoursiere said the developers have cleaned out existing catchment drains outside the site and are considering installing trench drains on the Seaview Avenue swales.
“That’s not a real significant thing,” LaCoursiere said, “but I imagine that in your eyes any drop of water that we save from going down that hill is a benefit to everybody out there.”
La Mattina said developers would back off plans to remove invasive plant species from the sea grapes along the oceanfront after hearing residents complain about potential damage to the dunes.
NR Living organized the meeting to inform residents that the developers would seek a variance from the county to allow construction of 14 7-by-14-foot plunge pools, one behind each unit along the southern and northern property lines. The county’s Planning & Zoning Commission scheduled a hearing on the request for July 3.
Bradley Miller of Boynton Beach, the project’s planner, said developers are asking county building officials to loosen swimming pool setback requirements. If the county rejects the request, Miller said developers will install patios instead.
Developers say the pools were added to the plan as an amenity that would enhance marketing to high-end buyers. Pre-construction prices for the three-bedroom units range from $1.8 million to $2.7 million. The project is scheduled for completion early next year.

Briny Breezes park manager Donna Coates jokes with World War II veterans Ed Manley (left) and Peter Bialowas during a Flag Day event on June 14. When asked whether they would serve again if duty called, Bialowas was quick to answer that he would. Always the joker, Manley said that ‘considering the shot I took to the tush, I would have rather spent my younger days dancing.’ Dozens of residents gathered at the Memorial Fountain for ceremonies that included the unveiling of pavers in the veterans’ honor. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Construction of the Ray, a 141-room hotel in Delray Beach, is expected to begin later this summer. Rendering provided

By Christine Davis

Delray Beach-based Menin Development landed a $72 million loan to finance construction of the Ray, a 141-room hotel planned in the Pineapple Grove Arts District at 201 NE Second Ave., according to a June 6 Commercial Observer report. Madison Realty Capital provided the 24-month construction loan with extension options.
The Ray will have a rooftop pool and bar, event space and two restaurants. Menin Development purchased the site for $26.6 million in 2016. Ground was broken on June 12. Construction will begin later this summer and is expected to be completed May 2021.

Ground will be broken for Delray Beach Market, 33 SE Third Ave., another Menin Development project, later this summer.  Touted as “Florida’s largest food hall,” with 60,000 square feet housing 35 curated vendors, the market is set for a grand opening in fall 2020.

Boca Raton’s Mizner Park, which was built by Tom Crocker and opened in 1991, is undergoing a renaissance with an influx of new restaurants, bars and entertainment venues. Among the new tenants signed or in the works are the Lost Weekend bar, Calaveras Cantina Mexican restaurant and bar, Bluefish sushi and Japanese restaurant, and Strike 10 bowling alley.
“The ownership of Mizner Park changed hands,” explained Andrea O’Rourke, City Council member and Community Redevelopment Agency chair. “It was owned by GGP Inc. and bought out by Brookfield (almost a year ago). There was a bit of a standstill because of the sale of the property.”
In addition to new venues, changes are underway at others. Atlas Restaurant Group’s Ouzo Bay restaurant closed the week of June 24 and will move to Miami, while the company’s Loch Bar will remain open at Mizner Park. And Max’s Grille, which opened almost 30 years ago, will stay open while undergoing upgrades to be completed in September.
“There had been two partners and Burt Rapoport bought out Dennis Max,” O’Rourke said.
That transaction happened about a year ago.
What will happen to Lord + Taylor is still a question. Last year, the company said it was considering strategic alternatives and planned to close up to 10 stores in 2019, and in May 2019, Hudson’s Bay announced it was considering selling the Lord + Taylor brand. So far, three stores have been closed, and, announced in June, another two will close this fall.

The nationally historic Gulfstream Hotel is on market for an undisclosed price.
CBRE Group in Miami began marketing the 106-room hotel and nearby vacant parcels in mid-June, said Natalie Castillo, CBRE first vice president.
“We will be bringing highly qualified developers/hoteliers to evaluate this exceptional property at the heart of Lake Worth Beach,” Castillo said.
The six-story hotel sits on .54 of an acre, and 1.12 acres to the west are included.
The properties last sold in May 2014 for $7.23 million to a partnership of Hudson Holdings of Delray Beach and CDS Holdings of Boca Raton. After lawsuits were filed between the partners in early 2018, CDS retained ownership of the hotel. Real estate investor Carl DeSantis is a principal of CDS Holdings.

Rochelle LeCavalier is the new head for sales of the Residences at Mandarin Oriental, Boca Raton, for Penn-Florida Companies. LeCavalier joined Douglas Elliman in 2018 when the brokerage acquired her company, Pink Palm Properties. The 92-unit Mandarin, at 105 East Camino Real, is expected to open in 2021, a year after the hotel is completed.

Regent Holding LLC, managed by Leo Ghitis, sold a pair of office buildings at 902 Clint Moore Road, Boca Raton, to Congress Corporate Plaza II LLC, managed by Sergio Fernandez and Paul Berkowitz. The $21.2 million deal, recorded on May 29, included the assumption of a $10.48 million mortgage from Fidelity & Guaranty Life Insurance Co. The property was formerly acquired in September 1992 for $3.45 million. 

Toby & Leon Cooperman Sinai Residences, a Boca Raton retirement community at 21036 95th Ave. S., plans a $160-million expansion and redevelopment, to break ground next year and expected to be completed by fall 2022. The plan includes the addition of 111 independent-living apartments, as well as updates to existing amenities.

Kim and Stephen Bruno bought 1160 Royal Palm Way in Boca Raton from G. Robert Sheetz for $12.603 million, according to public records dated June 12. Sheetz bought the property, .36 of an acre with 109 feet of water frontage, in 2017 for $4.625 million, and built a new 12,539-square-foot home. The builder was Wietsma & Lippolis Construction.
David W. Roberts of Royal Palm Properties was the listing agent, and Kenneth Beckett of Beckett Realty Advisors, LLC represented the buyers. Sheetz is a co-owner of the Sheetz convenience store chain with more than 500 locations in Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio and North Carolina.

David J. Stern sold the 5,275-square-foot home at 925 Hillsboro Mile in Hillsboro Beach for $7.5 million to Thomas O. Katz of Boca Raton, according to public records. Stern had paid $8 million for the home in 2008, according to records. Todd Kirkpatrick of Whitaker Real Estate represented the buyer. Michelle Howland of Compass represented the seller. Stern was disbarred by the Florida Supreme Court in 2014 for his Plantation-based firm’s alleged misconduct.

Douglas Elliman Real Estate reported on the growth of the Oceanfront International Group and its expansion into the Caribbean market. Led by broker Steve Davis, the Oceanfront International Group includes Jessica Robertson, Brent Robertson, Adam Greenfader and Victoria Brewer. In the past two years Oceanfront has grown a portfolio of global listings totaling nearly $400 million throughout Florida, Costa Rica, Dominica, Puerto Rico, the Bahamas, St. Barthélemy, St. Maarten and Turks & Caicos.

At Douglas Elliman in Boca Raton, Annette “Babe” DeLuca joined Tinka Ellington’s team. DeLuca is a teaching golf pro who spent 16 years playing on the LPGA tour. She was an all-state softball player and three-time state champion at Cardinal Newman High.
Shelley Nesbitt has also joined Douglas Elliman in the Boca Raton office. Nesbitt has more than 25 years’ experience in finance and real estate, having served as a vice president for the Royal Bank of Canada and as a senior vice president at HSBC Securities.

Lawrence Dahman, who previously owned Dahman Realty, joined One Sotheby’s International Realty in Boca Raton. Dahman spent 12 years as a Florida Association of Realtors state director and was recently awarded Realtor Emeritus status by the National Association of Realtors for his more than 40 years of participation and leadership. 

Mark R. Osherow, of Osherow PLLC Lawyers and Advisors in Boca Raton, was named for the 13th consecutive year to the Florida Super Lawyers in the area of business litigation. Super Lawyers is a rating service that uses independent research and peer evaluations in its selections.
Osherow is certified as a specialist in business litigation by the Florida Bar and can practice before all Florida, Connecticut, New York and New Jersey state courts. He is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Courts for the Southern, Middle and Northern districts of Florida, as well as before several other federal trial courts. At the appellate level, Osherow is admitted to practice before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Doreen Yaffa, managing partner of Yaffa & Associates, a Boca Raton marital and family law firm, was appointed to the board of the Faulk Center for Counseling. She mentors young attorneys and hosts her Yaffa Power Women series for businesswomen; she is co-chair of the local Alzheimer’s Association; and is involved with Impact 100 and the Jewish Community Center of Boca.

Anthony Bajak, chief operating officer of Good Samaritan Medical Center, joined the YMCA of the Palm Beaches board in May. He will work to create awareness and raise resources to advance the Y’s mission to promote youth development, healthy living, and social responsibility. 

George Gann, executive director and chief conservation strategist for the Institute for Regional Conservation in Delray Beach, was an instructor at two workshops at the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve in Staatsburg, N.Y.  The one-day workshops introduced ecological restoration professionals to an approach based on the Society for Ecological Restoration’s International Standards for the Practice of Ecological Restoration, of which Gann is second author. 

Professional Bank has a new full-service branch at 980 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. Photo provided

Professional Bank has a new full-service branch in Boca Raton. The bank previously operated a loan production center in the city before opening the downtown branch. The new 2,500-square-foot branch is at 980 N. Federal Highway, Suite 100.

Crane’s Beach House in Delray Beach has received Trip Advisor’s Certificate of Excellence for five years in a row, meaning it has entered Trip Advisor’s Hall of Fame. To receive the certificate, a property must receive great reviews and its manager must demonstrate a responsive, customer-focused approach.

Five Star Senior Living Inc.’s Five Star Premier Residences of Boca Raton achieved the newly launched J.D. Power Senior Living Community Certification. To earn the designation, the community underwent an evaluation that included resident satisfaction surveys and on-site evaluations of operational best practices.

RailUSA, LLC, a Boca Raton-based independent freight railroad and rail services holding company, acquired a 430-mile rail line and related real estate from CSX Corporation in May. The line, now named Florida Gulf & Atlantic Railroad, operates from Baldwin to Pensacola, passing through Tallahassee, with a connection to Attapulgus, Ga. RailUSA is owned by Equity Group Investments, the private investment firm of Sam Zell; Boca Raton-based International Rail Partners, a group of veteran rail operators; and other Equity Group co-investors.

Two funders have helped start the South Florida Science Center and Aquarium program Pint Size Science: Growing up with STEAM. The goal is to implement science, technology, engineering, art and math learning into regular curriculums for kids ages 3-5.
Science Center educators will train staff from child-care centers throughout the year. The program will also give family members the chance to be involved through Family Fun Packs with a lunch kit, watercolor paint set, a magnifying glass, a collection box and play dough.
The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation gave $55,000 to fund the program in Palm Beach County. A.D. Henderson Foundation gave $50,000 to fund the program in Broward County. The funding will serve about 75 teachers and staff at 10 child-care centers in Palm Beach County. The Broward grant will reach 400 students and 100 teachers in that county. Palm Beach State College is a partner in this project. The South Florida Science Center and Aquarium is at 4801 Dreher Trail North, West Palm Beach.

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, teaching students in grades 6-12 how to start and run their own businesses, is accepting applications for its 2019-20 program.
For information on the Greater Boca Raton Chamber’s YEA! class, contact Sherese James-Grow at 395-4433, ext. 232 or sjamesgrow@bocachamber.com.

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

Freebee, Delray Beach’s selected point-to-point transportation provider, plans to have vehicles that carry
advertising. Service is set to begin Sept. 3. Photo provided

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach is still waiting on the new vehicles it contracted for to replace the downtown trolley, and officials aren’t happy with some details of contract negotiations.
First Transit, the city’s fixed-route operator, has not yet ordered the new propane-powered vehicles, Community Redevelopment Agency board members learned at a June 11 workshop. The company is waiting until it has a signed contract with the city before ordering the vehicles, and that could be months away.
“It will take 14 days from when we sign the contract to get the new vehicles,” said Shannon Borst of First Transit, based in Cincinnati with local offices in Boynton Beach. The new mini-van vehicles will take between 120 to 160 days to have their engines changed from diesel power, Borst said.
First Transit will work with Freebee, the selected point-to-point operator, to use its smartphone app to allow riders to know where the minivan is and to find the nearest stop.
The CRA board members had talked about wanting wooden bench seats in the new vehicles like the old trolleys had to give visitors an old-time experience. But the white minivans already on the streets have individual bus seats and have replaced the trolleys, Borst said.
“We were underwhelmed,” Shelly Petrolia, CRA chairwoman and Delray Beach mayor, said after the workshop. “Why would we pay [more] for them if they are going to be exactly like what we have?”
The board members agreed to extend First Transit’s contract to operate two diesel minivans for another six months while the exact type of vehicles, the style of vinyl wrapping and other details are negotiated.
The minivans can be wrapped to look like a Woody — a 1960s era station wagon that had wood panels on doors or roof, Renée Jadusingh, CRA assistant director, said at the workshop.
Meanwhile, Freebee has ordered its vehicles for the point-to-point system, said Jason Spiegel, managing partner of Freebee. The service will begin on Sept. 3.
“We’re excited to be in Delray Beach,” Spiegel said at the workshop. The five electric-powered vehicles will be wrapped and carry advertising, in addition to the city and CRA logos.
The CRA board members didn’t like the idea that the point-to-point vehicles would be promoting businesses as they drove through the downtown.
Without the advertising, Freebee would need to charge the CRA an additional $180,000, Spiegel said.
“It’s a little disappointing,” Petrolia said after the workshop. “I feel snake-bitten by these transit contracts.”
Separately, Patrick Halliday is operating a pedicab service from 8 p.m. to midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, weather permitting. His drivers service the area between Swinton Avenue to the ocean and north to Fourth Street and south to Third Street.
Halliday, a bicycling advocate, has wanted to start the pedicab service for years. He received Florida Department of Transportation approval, which said pedicabs should be treated as bicycles and are allowed on the street.
The pedicab ride is free and operates on a “generous gratuity” to the driver. Four pedicabs will run each evening, Halliday said.
Riders who want to summon a pedicab should call 288-4511 and press 1.

By Jane Smith

Bakery owner Billy Himmelrich’s lawsuit against Delray Beach has moved to an appeal court since a circuit judge denied his motion on June 24 to reopen the case.
Himmelrich and business partner David Hosokawa had asked the judge to reconsider their claim under the Bert Harris Act, which protects property rights.
The partners say when the city created a three-story height cap for downtown properties in early 2015, Delray Beach limited what they could build on their four parcels, according to their May 6 rehearing motion. They own two parking lots and two buildings, just east of the Old School Square grounds.
They were not notified in writing, as the Bert Harris Act requires. Himmelrich, though, did attend the zoning hearings.
They are seeking $6.9 million in damages.
Judge Jaimie Goodman agreed with the city that Himmelrich and his partner first needed to file a formal plan with Delray Beach. Goodman made his ruling without prejudice, allowing the partners to make a claim when they file a plan.
The partners had sued Delray Beach in May 2018 to be able to build four stories on their parcels.
While the partners were waiting for Goodman’s decision on the rehearing, they appealed their loss to the Fourth District Court of Appeal.

By Rich Pollack

Getting into Delray Beach City Hall to pay your water bill, stop by the clerk’s office or take care of other business is now a little more challenging than it has been for years, and it may soon get even tougher.
For decades, visitors could just walk right in without having to stop and explain where they were going.
That changed about a month ago, when the city instituted a policy requiring visitors to sign in at the front desk, leaving their names, whom they planned to see and what time they arrived.
While there have long been discussions about improving security at City Hall and other government buildings, the recent shooting at a Virginia Beach municipal building that left 12 people dead increased the sense of urgency to get something done locally.
“This is just the beginning of a multitude of safety and security issues we’re addressing,” interim City Manager Neal de Jesus told city commissioners during a meeting last month. “We’re going to do whatever is necessary to protect our employees and visitors.”
He said the city is looking at security issues at all its buildings, not just City Hall, to ensure that employees and visitors alike are not in harm’s way.
“In today’s world there’s a need to secure facilities,” he said. “Safety and security in municipal buildings has been an ongoing topic for years.”
The interim city manager said the city staff has begun researching security options for City Hall and is considering a system similar to those used by hospitals.
“We intend to go digital,” de Jesus told commissioners.
He said the city is researching the practicality and cost of a system where residents present a driver’s license to be scanned. They then get their photo taken and receive a paper badge with their name and photo on it, as well as the name of the department they’re visiting.
While the city has not had any major security problems at City Hall, there have been issues that raise concerns.
Last month two visitors in the lobby of the city’s building service department got into an altercation, de Jesus said, and there have been threats made against some employees.
“Utility billing gets a multitude of threats of bodily harm on a regular basis,” he told commissioners.
Another problem, de Jesus said, is that staffers frequently find people wandering through City Hall without knowing where they’re going.
A new system, he said, would also provide an additional level of customer service, making it easier for staff to direct visitors who may have trouble getting to where they need to be.
Mayor Shelly Petrolia said that most other cities she visits have some form of city hall security and that Delray has been behind. “I know we’ve come a long way and still have a long way to go,” she said.
Delray is not alone in reviewing its security at municipal buildings. In Boca Raton, which after 9/11 had a metal detector and guard at its City Hall entrance but no longer does, a review of security reinforcements and protocols is in progress.  
The previous security procedures were removed as part of a reconfiguration of the City Hall entrance during the recession, according to city officials.
While the recently implemented sign-in process at Delray City Hall has gone smoothly, according to de Jesus, there was at least one resident who was caught off guard.
Vice Mayor Shirley Johnson said she received a call from a resident who was irate over having to sign in.
“The public is not accustomed to what we’ve done and it was a shock,” she said.
De Jesus said he had heard of only that one upset resident. “There have been several hundred people sign in and only one complaint,” he said.

By Jane Smith

Lawyer Renée Jadusingh became the executive director of the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency as of June 29, a promotion from the assistant director’s post she held since 2018.
Jadusingh replaces her former boss, Jeff Costello, who submitted his resignation on May 28. He offered to stay until Aug. 23 “to facilitate a smooth transition.”
But CRA board members decided that Costello would stay only 30 days, as his contract required. Costello, who made slightly more than $146,000 a year, was to have a performance review last month.
The board members voted 6-1 in June to promote Jadusingh, 38, to be executive director with a $145,000 annual salary and a $3,000 annual car allowance.
CRA Treasurer Bill Bathurst voted no because he wanted to conduct a search for the best candidate.
‘I’m very impressed with Renée,” CRA Vice Chairwoman Shirley Johnson said at a June 4 meeting. When Jadusingh worked for the Overtown CRA in Miami, “she visited 450 homeowners and convinced them to move out of their homes temporarily and move back at CRA expense. ... I thank Jeff Costello for hiring her.”
Jadusingh, happy to be promoted, said, “I will benefit from the redevelopment plan that Jeff created from the board’s input. Now, I’ll have to implement the projects.”
She will oversee 13 employees, including the Greenmarket manager and Arts Warehouse director. The CRA area covers one-fifth of the city, mostly along Atlantic Avenue east of Interstate 95 to the ocean.
The agency is embarking on an ambitious plan to clean and complete the alleys in the Northwest and Southwest neighborhoods. It also is negotiating with a developer, BH3, to redo 9 acres in the 600 to 800 blocks of West Atlantic.
Jadusingh became the assistant director in February 2018. She was making $110,000 in that position.
Previously, Jadusingh spent 3 1/2 years as the staff attorney for the Southeast Overtown/Park West Community Redevelopment Agency in Miami. She negotiated and drafted general business contracts, housing restrictive covenants, construction contracts and other legal documents.
In 2012, she graduated from St. Thomas University School of Law in Miami Gardens. She sits on the board of the Florida Redevelopment Association.
Costello, 55, said it was “a good time” for him to leave. “I’m glad they promoted from within the CRA.”
After 30 years with the city, including 12 at the CRA and more than four as executive director, he will take some time off to spend with his two teenage sons. Between his previous city planning job and the CRA assistant director’s position, he spent two years at New Urban Planning in Delray Beach.
He will stay in Delray Beach, but he declined to say what his next job will be.
At his last board meeting on June 11, the board members and staff treated him to an Oreo cake from Publix and a card.
“God bless,” Costello said, “and thanks.”

A change of paint color and replacement of the barrel-tile roof with a more durable metal will change the aesthetics of the Marriott and please its insurance company. Rendering provided

By Jane Smith

The Delray Beach Marriott plans to change its architectural style and color scheme starting in August.
“Right after Hurricane Irma, our insurance company said we needed to change the roof,” said Mike Walsh, president of Ocean Properties, which owns and runs the oceanfront hotel.
The barrel-tile roof, indicative of the hotel’s Mediterranean architectural style, was not holding up well to severe weather. Metal roofs were suggested, meaning a new look for the hotel in the Anglo-Caribbean style.
“We’re excited,” Walsh said. “We want the hotel to look its best.” Renovations should be finished by Christmas, he said.
The hotel will be repainted from standard beige to Arcadia white with details in Brilliant white. Both are Benjamin Moore paint colors, said Gary Eliopoulos, the architect for the project.
He presented the changes on June 12 to the city’s Site Plan Review and Appearance Board.
“It was a standard beige for decades,” said Roger Cope, chairman of that advisory board. “The color change is phenomenal.”
The white colors are trending now, Eliopoulos said.
The already approved restaurant with an entrance on East Atlantic Avenue will have “real cedar shakes as a roofing material,” Cope said.
The cedar shakes will be used only on the new 5,000-square-foot restaurant, Eliopoulos said. The rest of the hotel will have metal roofs.
The board approved the changes 5-0. Two members, Annie Adkins-Roof and Linda Purdo-Enochs, were absent.
Delray Beach residents will notice other design changes to the south façade facing Atlantic Avenue and to the west one facing Andrews Avenue.
The medallion on the south side will be removed and replaced with a large, concrete-etched mural of palm fronds.
The western side will have two vertical, concrete-etched murals of palm fronds.
The hotel’s lobby will be freshened, too.
Ocean Properties hired the same interior designer the iPic movie theater used to create a new front desk and ceiling treatment, Walsh said.

Grilled salmon salad is one of the $7.99 Thursday lunch specials at Cafe Frankie’s in Boynton Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Those who stay put during the sweltering season are treated to restaurant deals well worth checking out

By Jan Norris and Janis Fontaine

It’s heating up out there — and not just the weather. Summer dining deals are getting hotter as restaurants aim to lure customers to make up for those who have fled to cooler climes.
Those who sweat it out are rewarded.
Check out the prix fixe menus at 50 Ocean, above Boston’s on the Beach in Delray Beach. Two-course lunches are $19, and a three-course dinner for $39 with that oceanfront view is well worth it. Try the fire-grilled swordfish with farro tabbouleh and preserved eggplant. It’s a terrific spot to take out-of-towners.
On the ocean in Manalapan at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa’s Temple Orange Mediterranean Bistro, the three-course Eau Neighbors lunch prix fixe is $28, and the Neighbors dinner is $60.
If it’s a drink you’re after at Eau Palm Beach, the bar at Angle and the Stir Bar & Terrace both offer Manhattans or glasses of Champagne for $5 each Tuesday through Thursday. Angle’s three-course prix fixe dinner on those days is $75 and has entree choices such as a Fort McCoy Ranch filet mignon, a miso-glazed Florida grouper and Lake Meadow Farm duck breast — all with sides. Fruit cobbler with the signature strawberry-basil ice cream is what we’d choose for dessert.
More drinks are on tap at Deck 84 in Delray Beach on the water. It extends happy hour from 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. A bar bites menu is available 3-6 p.m. with a gluten-free, spicy tuna taco for $12. Bring Rover on over, too — dogs have their own menu here that even features a vegetarian option and a CBD biscuit. Howl, yeah.

Tanzy’s farm-to-glass cocktails are $7 during happy hour at the Boca Raton restaurant. Photo provided

At the Sardinia Enoteca Ristorante in Delray, take 40 percent off the food menu prices on Mondays (spaghetti Bottarga di Muggine — oh, my!) and half off bottles of wine on Tuesdays. A plate of pasta is just $12 on Wednesdays, and ladies drink free at the bar from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursdays.
Josie’s Ristorante in Boynton Beach is taking 20 percent off the whole check each Monday through Thursday, lunch and dinner, and up to 3 p.m. on Fridays.
The craziest deal is Meatball Monday, however — but get there early because word’s definitely out. The signature giant meatballs with fresh ricotta cheese are only $2 each, and one may fill you up. Meatball sliders are just $2.50, and the restaurant whacks $3 off the martinis. That’s one cheap date. (Grab a rideshare home, please.)
In Palm Beach, saddle up for the steak deal on Sundays at the Meat Market. It’s half price for all the signature steaks.
There’s an early bird deal at PB Catch, also in Palm Beach, where it’s BOGO on the entrees every night before 6:30. That includes the signature cioppino, a treasure of a dish filled with seafood in a tomato-fennel broth with a grilled crostini to dip in it. A true taste of coastal summer.

The Atlantic Grille, at the Seagate Hotel in Delray Beach, offers happy hour specials, plus a prix fixe menu. Photo provided

Most of these deals last through summer; check the restaurants ahead of time just to be sure. Reservations might be a good idea, though it shouldn’t be as hard to get in during these lazy days of summer.

Boca Raton
Casimir French Bistro — 416 Via De Palmas Suite 81, Boca Raton. 955-6001; www.casimirbistro.com.
Summer Madness dining deals through Oct. 25 include: Monday, All-you-can-eat mussels, $25.50; Tuesday, Reward night: Spend $75 and get a $25 gift card; Wednesday: Duck Night. The house favorite is $23; and Thursday, Lobster Night: Get a 1.5-pound lobster, sautéed spinach and basmati rice, $28.
Chops Lobster Bar — 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton. 395-2675; www.buckheadrestaurants.com/restaurant/chops-lobster-bar-br/
Happy Hour: 5-7 p.m. daily. Wine by the glass, $6; spirits, $7; signature martinis, $7.75. Get $8 small bites including baked clams casino, Thai chili calamari, truffle fries and burrata mozzarella. $12 plates include lobster and white cheddar mac ’n’ cheese and ahi tuna tartar. Get a 7-ounce bacon cheeseburger with gaufrette chips for $11.
Three-course prix fixe dinners: Sunday-Thursday. Choose from six appetizers, eight entrees including filet mignon and lobster-stuffed lobster, and three desserts starting at $54.
Louie Bossi’s Ristorante — 100 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton. 336-6699; www.
louiebossi.com.
Martini Monday: Half off all martinis and $2.50 meatball sliders, Monday 4 p.m. to close.
Roman Holiday: Half off every bottle of wine under $99 with the purchase of an entrée, Wednesday.
Extended Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. daily at the bar. $2 off drinks and half-price pizzas.
The Rebel House — 297 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton. 353-5888; www.lifetastesbetter.com.
Beer, bourbon, barbecue: A five-course dinner pairing: 7 p.m. July 3. $75, inclusive.
Rocco’s Tacos — Boca Center, 5250 Town Center Circle, Boca Raton. 416-2131; and 110 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 808-1100; www.roccostacos.com.
Summer dining deal: From 4-7 p.m. daily at the bar, get signature tacos and appetizers for $2, $3 house wine, Mexican beer starting at $3 and $5 well drinks and margaritas. Bottles of Veuve Clicquot are $50.    
Tanzy Restaurant — Mizner Park, 301 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. 922-6699; www.tanzyrestaurant.com.
Weekend brunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Happy Hour: 4-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday. Get wine by the glass and beer, $5. Farm-to-glass cocktails, $7. Small plates like housemade meatballs and flatbreads, $6. And Chef Jet Tila’s spicy tuna on crispy rice, $6.
The Yard House — Mizner Park, , 201 Plaza Real, Suite 1201, Boca Raton. 417-6124; www.yardhouse.com.
Happy Hour: 3-6 p.m. Monday-Friday, and late night from 10 p.m. to close Sunday-Wednesday. Get select half-priced appetizers, including boneless wings, poke nachos, ahi sashimi, spinach cheese dip, queso dip, chicken nachos, chicken lettuce wraps, fried chicken tenders, classic sliders, Wisconsin fried cheese curds, fried calamari, moo shu egg rolls, fried mac and cheese, and half-priced pizzas. Take $2 off draft beer, wine, spirits and cocktails, $3 off nine-ounce wine and $4 off half yards.

Boynton Beach
Café Frankie’s — 640 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach. 732-3834. www.cafefrankies.com.
Half wine deal: Take 50 percent off all bottles of wine from 8-10 p.m. daily. Dine in only.
Dollar off deal: Take $1 off all bottled beer and $2 off glasses of wine.
Discounted appetizers: 4:30-6:30 p.m. daily. $5 (grilled eggplant), $6 (fried calamari) and $8 (spicy mussels).
Lunch specials: $7.99 lunch deals from 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Josie’s — 1602 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach. 364-9601; www.josiesristorante.com.
Summer celebration deal: Take 20 percent off the menu all day Monday through Thursday and until 3 p.m. Friday. Dine in only. Limited time. Some exclusions apply.
Eight for $8 deal: Choose from eight lunch specials including shrimp or chicken Caesar, eight wings, 2 meatball sliders, rigatoni bolognese, panini caprese. Dine in or take-out.
Extended happy hours: 2-7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 4-7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Late Night Happy Hour: 9 p.m. to close, order from the happy hour bar menu.
Meatball & Martini Monday: $2 meatballs, $2.50 sliders and reduced-price martinis, dine in only.
Take-out pizza special: Get a large one-topping pizza for $10.99 on Monday and Tuesday.

Delray Beach
The Atlantic Grille — 1000 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 665-4900; www.theatlanticgrille.com.
Happy Hour: Get $4 house wine, draft beer and well cocktails, $6 Svedka martinis and reduced-price appetizers.
Prix fixe menu: Sunday through Thursday, order from the special prix a la carte fixe menu. Choose from two appetizers, two entrees and two desserts. The menu (and prices) change each week. In week one, they offered a watermelon caprese, $12, or chilled cherry soup, $10. Entrees: Sautéed flounder amandine yellow rice, garlic green beans, $27, or farro primavera, $24. Desserts are blueberry cobbler and white chocolate cheesecake, $9, or ice cream, $8. Get three courses with a choice of La Terre Merlot, Cabernet, Chardonnay, or Rex & Goliath Pinot Grigio. Two glasses per guest or one bottle of wine per two guests, $38 per person.
50 Ocean — Above Boston’s at 50 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. 278-3364 or 665-4666; www.50ocean.com.
Prix fixe menus: Two-course lunches are $19, and a three-course dinner for $39. Try the fire-grilled swordfish with farro tabbouleh and preserved eggplant.
Burt & Max’s — 9089 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 638-6380; www.burtandmaxs.com. Deals are valid through Sept. 30.
$1 Kids’ Meals: Monday through Thursday, get a kids’ meal for a buck with the any adult entrée purchase. The $1 price benefits the Child Rescue Coalition. Kids are age 12 and younger. No take-out/delivery.
Extended Happy Hour: From 11:30 a.m.- 6 p.m., get wine by the glass and half-price on beer and spirits at the bar and high tops. A bar bites menu is available from 3-6 p.m.
Half-Price Wines Days: Mondays and Wednesdays, get half off bottles of wine with the purchase of an entrée.
$20 Bottles of Wine: Choose from a rotating list of wines by the bottle.
12 for $12 Lunches: Twelve meals priced at $12 each, Monday through Friday, 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.
Caffe Luna Rosa — 34 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. 274-9404; www.caffelunarosa.com.
Wine Dinners: A four-course meal paired with appropriate wines selected by the restaurant, $59, plus tax and tip. Dates: July 23, Aug. 13, Sept. 3 and 24, Oct. 15, and Nov. 5 and 26.
City Oyster & Sushi Bar — 213 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 272-0220; www.cityoysterdelray.com.
Half-price wine: Take half off any bottle of wine under $99 on Mondays with the purchase of an entree.
Happy Hour: From 4-7 p.m. daily at the bar; includes half-off drinks, beer and select wines and $1 off raw bar.
Bottomless brunch: $13 mimosas and $13 endless Bloody Marys with the purchase of an entrée, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturdays and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sundays. 
Deck 84 — 840 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 665-8484; www.deck84.com.
$1 Kids' Meals: Monday through Thursday, get a kids’ meal for a buck with the any adult entrée purchase. The $1 price benefits the Child Rescue Coalition. Kids are age 12 and younger. Through Sept. 30. No take-out/delivery.
Wine Wednesdays: Half-price.
Extended Happy Hour: From 11:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday get wine by the glass and half price on beer and spirits at the bar and high tops. A bar bites menu is available from 3-6 p.m.
Ellie’s 50’s Diner — 2401 N. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. 276-7716.
Summertime Specials: Prix fixe breakfast ($4.97), lunch ($8.97) and dinner ($13.97).
Cash only deal: Get 20 percent off your check when you pay cash through Sept. 30. Not valid on Summertime Specials.
Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar — 1841 S. Federal Highway, #402, Delray Beach. 266-3239; www.harvestseasonalgrill.com.
Prix fixe menu: From July 21-Aug. 2, get a $20 three-course prix fixe lunch menu and a $35 four-course dinner menu.
Lemongrass Asian Bistro — Two locations: 420 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 278-5050; www.lemongrassasianbistrodelraybeach.com, and 101 Plaza Real S., Boca Raton. 544-8181; lemongrassasianbistrobocaraton.com.
Lunch specials — 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday. Sushi and sashimi lunch specials ($9.95-$12.95) come with a choice of appetizer: ginger salad, shumai (steamed or fried), gyoza (steamed or fried), California roll or a vegetarian spring roll. Poke bowls are $15.
Luigi’s Coal Oven Pizza — 307 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 274-1969; www.luigiscoalovenpizzadelray.com/food/ ;
Summer Happy Hour: From 3-7 p.m. Monday Friday and 3-6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, get half off well drinks, glasses of wine $12 or less, domestic beers, $1 off craft and imported beers, plus an array of appetizers from $5-$9.
Wine Wednesday: Half off all bottles of wine $100 or less all day.
Late Night Happy Hour: Get an 8-inch pizza for $5 from 10 p.m. to close Friday and Saturday.
Mussel Beach — 501 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 921-6464; www.musselbeachdelray.com.
Happy Hour: 3:30-6:30 p.m. Monday-Friday in the bar/lounge only. Get half-priced cocktails, $10 off mussel bowls and appetizers for $7, $10 and $14.
Sardinia Enoteca Ristorante — 3035 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. 332-3406. www.sardinia-ristorante.com.
40 percent off Mondays: Take 40 percent off the food menu on Monday nights.
Pasta Wednesdays: Get a bowl of pasta for $12.

Manalapan
Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa — 100 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, 800-328-0170, www.eaupalmbeach.com.
Breeze Ocean Kitchen — Daily: Get two tacos and a margarita for $20.18.
Temple Orange Mediterranean Bistro — Daily Eau Neighbors Lunch: A three-course meal is $28. 
Daily Eau Neighbors Dinner: A three-course meal is $60.
Stir Bar & Terrace — The classic summer special: Tuesday through Thursday, get $5 Manhattans and Champagne by the glass at the bar.
Angle — Get a three-course tasting menu for $75 Tuesday through Thursday (a $20 savings).

Palm Beach
The Breakers — 1 S. County Road, Palm Beach. 659-8488; www.thebreakers.com. Summer deals continue through Sept. 30.
Prix Fixe Summer Specials: Specially priced three-course menus at Echo and the Italian Restaurant.
Flagler Steakhouse’s Prix Fixe Brunch — A specially priced three-course Sunday brunch menu, through Sept. 30.
Sunday Brunch at the Circle dining room — Hotel guests save 20 percent.
Buccan — 350 S. County Road, Palm Beach. 833-3450; www.buccanpalmbeach.com.
Summer Sunday Fried Chicken Special: Chef Clay Conley brings back his summer fried chicken special. Every Sunday night through September, get three pieces of crispy chicken with specialty sides (like collards, baked beans, mashed potatoes, biscuits) for $27.
Café Boulud — 301 Australian Ave, Palm Beach. 655-6060; www.cafeboulud.com.
Le Voyage: Vietnam — July.
Le Voyage: China — August.
Summer Les Plats Du Jour — Monday to Sunday. A selection of classically inspired dishes
prepped by Executive Chef Rick Mace: Monday: Coq au Vin; Tuesday: Moules Frites; Wednesday: Moroccan Lamb Shank; Thursday: DB Burger; Friday: Salt Baked Yellowtail Snapper; Saturday: Chateaubriand for Two; Sunday: Veal Viennoise.
Brunch Prix Fixe: 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Three courses, $39.
Lunch Prix Fixe: Noon-2:30 p.m. Monday-Friday. Two courses, $29, or three for $36.
Dinner Prix Fixe: Three courses with your choice of dishes like Key West pink shrimp, pate grand-mere, moules frites and baked Alaska. Monday to Thursday, $49.
Happy Hour: From 4-6 daily in Le Passage, the remodeled lounge, get $9 wine and signature cocktails and ten $17 bar bites like squash blossoms, chicken yakitori, charred octopus and crispy duck pastilla.
Café L’Europe — 331 S. County Road, Palm Beach. 655-8272; www.cafeleurope.com.
Sensational Summer Prix Fixe menu: Choose from a trio of appetizers, four entrees and three desserts for $55.
Wine Not Wednesday — Bring your own bottle, with no corkage fee.
Thirsty Thursdays — 30 percent off all wine and Champagne bottles.
Fabulous Fridays: Start the weekend with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Yellow Label — $85.
Wine Flight Weekends: Sample two ounces, three wines for $19.50 per flight.
Hai House — 150 Worth Ave., #234, Palm Beach. 766-1075; www.haihousepb.com.
Get a Summer Prix Fixe for 2 for $50, featuring soup, a dim sum sampler plate, and a shareable entrée and house fried rice. Upgrade to include two cocktails, wine or draft beer for $62.
Meat Market Palm Beach — 191 Bradley Place, Palm Beach. 354-9800; www.
Meatmarket.net.
Signature Steak Sundays — Every Sunday five Signature Steaks are half price and offered at full- and half-sizes.
PB Catch Seafood & Raw Bar — 251 Sunrise Ave., Palm Beach. 655-5558; www.PBCatch.com
Summer BOGO: Before 6:30 p.m. daily, buy one entrée and get the second free. Dine in only.
Happy Hour: From 4:30-6:30 p.m. daily, get two-for-one drinks and oysters, and $5 appetizers.

And there’s more!

Flavors of the Season: Summer Dining Series — The annual series hosted by the Society of the Four Arts features four lunches by award-winning chefs at some of your favorite restaurants in Palm Beach. Chefs present meals especially suited to our long hot summer and will include a discussion with the chef on current dining trends. Lunch begins at 12:30 p.m. except the Grand Finale at the Flagler Steak House, which begins at 11 a.m. At that program, a discussion — “The Breakers — A City on the Island” — is planned. Tickets for the four-part series are $300, single lunches are $95. Meet at the restaurants; valet parking is available. Reservations are required at 805-8562; email campus@fourarts.org; www.fourarts.org.
Restaurants: July 11, Sant Ambroeus, Marco Barbisotti; Aug. 1, Renato’s, Javier Sanchez; Aug. 21, The Grand Finale at The Breakers Flagler Steak House, Anthony Sicignano.

Flavor Palm Beach
For September, the best restaurants throw a party and offer a three-course lunch for $20 and a three-course dinner for $30-$45. More than 50 restaurants are participating, including Ruth’s Chris, Morton’s Steakhouse, 50 Ocean, PB Catch, Vic and Angelo’s and Sant Ambroeus.
Info: www.flavorpb.com.

Dine Out Downtown Delray Restaurant Week — From Aug. 1-7, restaurants in downtown Delray Beach are hosting a week of multi-course prix fixe menus starting for lunch at $20 and dinner at $40 per person. More than 35 restaurants will participate, including Caffe Luna Rosa, Deck 84 and 50 Ocean. Info: www.downtowndelraybeach.com/restaurantweek.
Boca Restaurant Month — This takes place in September at more than 20 restaurants in Boca Raton. For $21, get a three-course lunch, and for $36 get a three-course dinner. Restaurants include Rocco’s Tacos, Brio, the Melting Pot, Morton’s Steakhouse, Prezzo and Ouzo Bay. Info: www.bocarestaurantmonth.com.

— Compiled by Janis Fontaine

ABOVE: Serving on the Junior League board are (l-r) Krista Downey, Alexandra Chase, Emily Schachtel, Laura Wissa, Ann a, Pam Schanel, Sue Gibson, Felice Shearer, Julie Rudolph and Sarah Cohen.
BELOW: The management team includes (l-r) Aimee Shaughnessy, Jeana White, Natasha Rawding, Felice Shearer, Kathryn Sexton, Nadia Islam Spivak and Sarah Kudisch.
Photos provided by CAPEHART

The Junior League of the Palm Beaches has named its 2019-20 board of directors and management team.
Leading the cause is President Laura Wissa, who has been a member of the league since 2006 and served as vice president of fundraising as well as chairwoman of numerous committees.
“In my 13 years of being in JLPB, this organization has changed me,” Wissa said. “It has taught me how to become a community leader and a better person.”
Members of the board of directors are President-Elect Julie Rudolph, Executive Vice President Felice Shearer, Secretary Krista Downey, Treasurer Ann Breeden, Nominating Chairwoman Kristen Laraia and members Alexandra Chase, Sarah Cohen, Sue Gibson, Emily Schachtel and Pam Schanel.
The management team, which oversees the league’s day-to-day operations, includes Shearer, Executive Vice President-Elect Sarah Kudisch, Membership Vice President Jeana White, Community Vice President Kat McGinley, Communications Vice President Aimee Shaughnessy, Treasurer-Elect Nadia Islam Spivak, Fundraising Vice President Natasha Rawding and Fundraising Vice President-Elect Kathryn Sexton.

Community Foundation caps year of giving
The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties’ year of charitable giving — focused on community revitalization — included grants totaling over $1.3 million to area nonprofits. The foundation also awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to 104 county high school students in amounts that ranged from $1,000 to $26,000, with Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, Atlantic High School and Lake Worth High School earning the most scholarships.

Major legacy gift to benefit Boca Helping Hands clients
Boca Helping Hands has announced that the late Arthur Remillard Jr. left the organization $1 million as a legacy gift to its endowment fund.
“This is huge in our world,” said Gary Peters, Boca Helping Hands board president. “Arthur Remillard’s first major gift to Boca Helping Hands in 2006 enabled us to purchase the building we are in today, allowing our organization to expand from its beginnings as a small soup kitchen. His estate gift will help ensure that we can keep growing and serving those in need for decades to come.”
When Remillard initially contacted Peters, Boca Helping Hands was providing 36 meals per day. Now it is feeding nearly 200 poor and hungry a meal six days a week, serving 4,000 per month.
“As a longtime Boca Raton resident, our father was passionate about wanting to help establish a comprehensive resource center for the less-privileged citizens of this great town,” son Regan Remillard said. “Boca Helping Hands is the culmination of that passion, and our father’s legacy gift will help Boca Helping Hands continue its critical, compassionate mission of providing food, access to medical care, financial assistance and job training to Boca’s neediest residents.”

Glades seniors get college scholarships via Take Stock
Fifty seniors from Glades Central High School received $440,000 in Florida Prepaid scholarships as a result of their commitment to the Take Stock in Children Palm Beach & Johnson Scholars program.
The students joined the program in 2015 and have maintained their participation in the Glades Climate Change Initiative. The initiative paired the then-freshmen with volunteer mentors and set them on a course to academic success. The graduation rate nearly doubled in four years.
“Our students in the Glades are so deserving of this opportunity,” said Nancy Stellway, Take Stock in Children’s executive director. “Belle Glade is an area that can often be overlooked because of the economic disparity, but it is so encouraging to know that we are giving the students an opportunity to further their education and improve their future lives and the lives of their family members.”

Moran Foundation aids environmental education
Sandoway Discovery Center in Delray Beach has received a two-year grant totaling $90,000 from the Jim Moran Foundation.
The money will be used to support the center’s education and animal-care programs that allow students and visitors to learn about the environment through hands-on activities and live-animal encounters. The money also will enable a book to be sent home with every student from a Title I school participating in the Junior Naturalist Program.
“This is a tremendous opportunity to enhance and strengthen the student experience at Sandoway,” Executive Director Danica Sanborn said.

CROS Ministries event raises nearly $50,000
CROS Ministries welcomed 200 supporters to its “Raise Your Glass To End Hunger” event at Delray Beach’s Old School Square Fieldhouse.
The fundraiser included wine and beer tasting, as well as signature dishes from local restaurants and caterers. Guests bid on a variety of donated items in both the silent and live auctions.
The nearly $50,000 in proceeds will benefit the faith-based organization that brings together members of the community to help alleviate hunger.

Arts grant to fund Spady comic book project
The Spady Cultural Heritage Museum has been awarded a $20,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to create an exhibit and a series of community events exploring the origin and impact of multicultural comic book heroes.
The history of multicultural comic book characters extends far beyond Black Panther, Falcon and Storm — heroes made famous by recent movies — and the project, titled eroica: black, brown, red and yellow comic book narratives, focuses on the origins and representations of superpowers of color.
“eroica will be an opportunity to engage people in conversations and reflections that deal with pop culture, iconic imagery, cultural representation, civil rights, modernism and history — all through the depiction of heroism in comic books,” museum Director Charlene Farrington said.
Additionally, The NEA awarded an Art Works grant of $10,000 to Palm Beach Poetry Festival in support of the 2020 festival, which will be Jan. 20-25 in Old School Square, Delray Beach. 

5K run/walk benefits four local charities
The 12th annual Rooney’s 5K Run/Walk held in April at Palm Beach Kennel Club raised $19,039.41 for Greyhound Support Transport, Palm Beach County Police Athletic League, Potentia Academy and Westgate/Belvedere Homes Community Redevelopment Agency, with the help of sponsorships and nearly 600 participants.
 The fourth annual Rooney’s Spring Golf Tournament, at Abacoa Golf Club, raised $16,000 to benefit Awesome Greyhound Adoptions/Hounds & Heroes, Florida Atlantic University Honors College, Forgotten Soldiers Outreach and Wounded Veterans Relief Fund. 

Office Depot employees assist at Boys & Girls Club
Boca Raton-based Office Depot recently had its second annual Depot Day of Service volunteer initiative. In South Florida, more than 300 volunteers helped to complete a revitalization project at the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club in Delray Beach.

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ABOVE: (l-r) Peter Bonutti, Iain Calder, Harrison Calder and Glen Calder. Photo provided

The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County scored a hole in one with its third-annual outing, raising more than $20,000 to provide links to literacy for children, adults and families who struggle with reading. A total of 40 players took part in the oceanside tournament, which was followed by lunch and a silent auction. The winning foursome was Vincent Delazzero, Trent Hayes, Wayne Warren and Troy Wheat, but the real winners are those the coalition serves. ‘One in seven adults in our county is unable to read and understand information found in books, newspapers and manuals, and nearly half of all third-graders are not reading on grade level,’ said Kristin Calder, CEO of the coalition. ‘Fundraisers like Literacy Links help us ensure that every child and every adult in Palm Beach County can read.’

ABOVE: Stephanie Cherub with Kari Shipley. BELOW: Reeve and Anne Bright. Photos provided

Glitz, glam and giving were the stars of the show celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Achievement Centers for Children & Families. Specialty retailer Boston Proper unveiled its summer line on the runway, but the bigger announcement was that the Boca Raton-based company has donated more than $1 million to ACCF since their partnership began 11 years ago. ‘It was a stunning evening that captivated everyone’s attention and hearts,’ Executive Director Mary Kay Willson said. ‘We are grateful for our long-standing partnership with Boston Proper and the opportunity to serve more than 10,000 families over the years.’ This year, the event raised $78,000. ‘There’s no other organization making the kind of impact ACCF is on our community,’ Boston Proper CEO Sheryl Clark said. ‘We are absolutely delighted to support this worthy cause year after year.’

St. Joseph’s Episcopal School had its 61st-annual auction — the institution’s signature fundraiser — to benefit the Jaguar Fund. The Jaguar Fund is used to provide scholarships and financial aid to eligible students; it also is used to make improvements to the campus. This year, proceeds will help purchase technology to enhance the STREAM (Science, Technology, Religion, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) initiative. ABOVE: Amy McCabe with Suzanne Boyd.
Photo provided by Carol Cunningham

TOP: (l-r) Caroline Villanueva, Jeff Stoops and Erren. MIDDLE: Elmore and LaTour. BOTTOM: Caron and Bob Dockerty. Photos provided by CAPEHART

Palm Beach County Food Bank supporters came together for an evening of celebration sponsored by Marti LaTour, chairwoman of the agency, and George Elmore, who welcomed guests with cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres. LaTour shared accomplishments from the past season and goals for the future, pointing out that the issue of hunger continues to grow. ‘According to the Palm Beach County commissioners’ study, there is a 78-million-pound gap here in our county from what we currently distribute to what is actually needed,’ she said. Added Executive Director Karen Erren: ‘When we think of Palm Beach County, we think about a lot of things, but we don’t always realize that there are almost 200,000 people in our county that don’t know when they will get their next meal.’

More than 100 golfers participated in a dynamic day on the course to support Sacred Heart School’s scholarship fund. The 10th-annual charity event raised $154,000. ‘The weather was amazing, and the greens, as usual, were impeccable,’ Principal Candace Tamposi said. To date, the school has provided grants to more than 1,800 students. ‘These amazing students have received scholarships to prestigious high schools like Cardinal Newman, Oxbridge Academy, American Heritage and St. John Paul II Academy, just to mention a few,’ Tamposi said. ABOVE: Honorary Chairman Patrick Donaghy with Tamposi. Photo provided