By Steve Plunkett

    The last week of March was scheduled to be a busy one for construction teams at the new Spanish River interchange on Interstate 95.
    Workers closed Spanish River Boulevard overnight March 28 to pour a bridge deck. They also planned to close Airport Road overnight March 30 for a bridge deck pour.
    Also on March 30, they expected to permanently close the old northbound exit ramp to westbound Yamato Road. The exit ramp — with traffic signals, and lanes for both westbound and eastbound vehicles — was to open March 31, Florida Department of Transportation spokeswoman Andi Pacini said. The schedule hinged on having good weather, she added.
    Work on the $69 million interchange will reach the 90 percent completion point on or about April 7, Pacini said. Crews started their work in January 2014. It will be Boca Raton’s fifth entrance/exit on I-95.
    The project is now scheduled to wrap up in late September and last 1,502 days, about a month longer than planned. Pacini said weather woes and holidays caused the delay.
    The I-95 southbound exit ramp over Yamato Road is the only one of 13 bridges left with substantial construction to do, Pacini said.
    “We will complete the substructure in the next few weeks and will set beams in late April. These will be the last beams on the project,” she said.  
    The popular T-Rex Trail just west of the interstate reopened to pedestrians and bicyclists in late December after being blocked for 16 months. The trail connects De Hoernle Park and Yamato Road.
    Besides the interchange, the project includes widening Spanish River Boulevard west of FAU Boulevard, building 13 bridges between Spanish River Boulevard and Yamato Road, adding auxiliary lanes and traffic signals on Yamato, and installing sound walls along Yamato and on the east side of I-95 north of Yamato.
    The new interchange is expected to make the lines of motorists exiting I-95 at Glades Road shorter and ease traffic on Glades and Palmetto Park roads.
    As construction continues, the interstate between Glades Road and Congress Avenue may have up to three lanes closed, as needed, from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. Sundays through Thursdays. The project area is 2.5 miles long.

Five-oh splashes in the surf at Red Reef Park before Caitlin Bovery (left in blue shirt) repositioned

the recovered sea turtle deeper in the water so it could swim away. Bovery said juvenile turtles are not used

to moving on sand. A boat propeller made the gash in Five-oh’s shell.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Mitchell Kay (center) photographs Five-oh in the tank the young turtle called home for almost a year.

A satellite tag attached to Five-oh’s back enables its movements to be tracked.

By Steve Plunkett

    A scrappy young sea turtle that survived what should have been a fatal encounter with a boat propeller in the Intracoastal Waterway last Easter has hightailed it from Boca Raton for the calmer St. Lucie River more than 60 miles north.
    Five-oh, named after the TV police drama Hawaii Five-0 in honor of the Boca Raton officers who stopped its initial bleeding, reached the waters around Stuart two days after its March 9 release. A GPS device epoxied to the turtle’s back shows it hasn’t strayed far since.
    Mitchell Kay was hosting a barbecue at his home off the Intracoastal just south of the Spanish River Boulevard bridge on March 27, 2016, when he heard unusual splashing and discovered the turtle struggling in the canal, a fresh gash halfway across its back. Its left rear flipper was nearly severed.
    “It looked like it was going to drown,” Kay said.
    He whipped out his smartphone and Googled “wildlife rescue” for help, but most agencies were closed for the holiday. He finally got in touch with the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, which alerted the police.
    Meanwhile, one of the barbecue guests, Tory Fritz, grabbed his scuba mask, snorkel and fins from the back seat of his car and jumped into the water.  
    “He actually lifted the turtle onto a JetSki platform,” Kay said. Video that Rocio Centurion, Kay’s girlfriend, took of the rescue shows Five-oh trying to help with its front flippers as Fritz pushes from behind.
    A police squad car and the marine patrol unit were next to arrive. Officers carefully lifted the animal onto land and applied pressure to stop the blood. Kay said the turtle had been struck by a boat probably minutes before. “It was a brand-new wound,” he said.
    Gumbo Limbo’s sea turtle rehabilitation team credited Kay’s and Fritz’s quick response with saving Five-oh’s life. Many rescues fail because turtles in distress swim away after being spotted and cannot be found, said Caitlin Bovery, the team’s assistant coordinator.
    “The fact that they jumped in and put the turtle on a JetSki launch was critical,” Bovery said.
    She got in the back seat of a police cruiser for the trip back to Gumbo Limbo.
    “It was my first time in a cop car, I had a sea turtle next to me, and no one got a picture,” Bovery said.
    Five-oh had the first of two CT scans and spent the next nine days in “dry dock” before undergoing surgery to reconstruct muscle tissue and repair its flipper. Staff veterinarian Maria Chadam used negative vacuum pressure to help heal the gash and covered the wound with bandages and zip ties.
    Bovery said Five-oh, a juvenile loggerhead less than 10 years old, probably was looking for food in the Intracoastal. Green turtles often show up in the waterway, she said.
    “It’s not terribly common to see loggerheads in the Intracoastal like that,” she said.
    Kay called the waterway near his house a high-speed zone and said “unfortunately there’s a lot of inexperienced operators” who don’t watch out for marine life.
    Barrier island residents Phil and Judy Messing donated Five-oh’s satellite tag, which will transmit GPS signals for about a year. Go to www.gumbolimbo.org/satellite-tracking for a link to the turtle’s movements.
    The loggerhead has a lifespan of up to 100 years. Five-oh’s sex will become apparent when it reaches adulthood in 10 or 15 years, Bovery said.
    Five-oh was Gumbo Limbo’s third loggerhead release of 2017, following Holiday on Feb. 16 and Velociraptor on Feb. 28. Holiday was found near the St. Lucie Nuclear Power Plant just after Thanksgiving with 7 feet of fishing line coming out of her rear; an X-ray showed a large fishhook in her throat. Velociraptor was a pier-hooked juvenile that healed fast after a “quick and easy” hook removal surgery, rehabilitation coordinator Whitney Crowder said.
    Several greens have also been released this year.
    Crowder called Five-oh a “very special” turtle. “This little fellow surpasses all other previous patients here in our rehab facility by staying here for almost one year,” she said. “He really was a miracle.”
    Gumbo Limbo took in more than 100 sea turtle patients in 2016 and released 38 rehabilitated patients within the year, Crowder said.

Volunteers serve homeless and low-income people at the Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach,

which CROS Ministries runs. The kitchen has about 150 volunteers.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

    Twenty minutes before lunch was served, homeless men, women and a few children began lining up outside the Caring Kitchen in Delray Beach. A few chit-chatted and a man and woman with a disagreement shouted at each other, but most waited silently.
    Precisely at 11:30 a.m., the doors opened and the people filed in past a table with free toiletries.
    Franklin Nelson, an Army veteran who was volunteering at the hot meals program that day in February, exchanged pleasantries with each person and made sure the line moved smoothly.
    Other volunteers ladled pasta with meat sauce, salad and a piece of garlic toast into Styrofoam containers. After taking one, each person could then head to the dessert table, where more volunteers offered homemade cookies and chocolate cake.
    Some people sat to eat at tables squeezed into the small room. Others opted for solitude, and moved outside.
    Nelson said he has family members and veteran friends who are living on the streets. So when he happened on Caring Kitchen, he decided to volunteer.
     “I wanted to do something to help the community,” he said. “This was it.”
     Homelessness is a longstanding problem in Palm Beach County and across the country, and one that defies easy solutions.
     People can fall swiftly from a stable life because of lost jobs, overwhelming medical bills, mental illness or drug dependency. The proliferation of sober homes in the county,  notably in Delray Beach, adds another cause: People kicked out of the homes for violating rules can end up on the street.
     Palm Beach County’s Homeless Point-in-Time Count, released March 22, showed that 1,607 people were homeless countywide, an 11.5 percent increase from the last count in 2015.
     That total undoubtedly is too low, since many homeless don’t want to be counted for a host of reasons, including fear that they will be separated from their children or uncertainties about how their information will be used.
     But Wendy Tippett, the county’s director of human and veterans services, doesn’t believe the count, conducted over 24 hours in late January, actually reflects an increase. That’s because this year those collecting the data were allowed to count as homeless those who denied it, even though it was obvious they were living on the streets.
     Ten percent of those counted as homeless this year live in Delray Beach, 7.6 percent in Boynton Beach and 3.27 percent in Boca Raton.
     Even if the number of homeless people did not grow, the count showed troubling increases among two groups. Homeless people 18 to 24 jumped 73 percent, while homeless people 60 and older went up 33 percent.
     One reason for the youth jump, Tippett said, likely is that more people are willing to come out as gay, lesbian or transgender. When they tell their parents or caregivers, some are asked to leave their homes, she said.
     A problem facing older adults is that there are so few nursing homes or assisted living facilities that people living on Social Security or Social Security Disability can afford, she said. Once discharged from hospitals or other facilities, they end up homeless.
     But the count also pointed out successes. Chronic homelessness dropped by 49 percent and homeless veterans decreased by 62 percent because of a rapid re-housing financial assistance program and a housing voucher program provided through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Those programs are potentially threatened by President Donald Trump’s plans to cut $6 billion in HUD funding.
     “I definitely think we are improving and the numbers reflect the ability of the very low income and disabled to secure safe, decent and affordable housing,” Tippett said.
     Yet the high cost of housing in Palm Beach County puts many people at risk of homelessness.
     The average monthly cost of a two-bedroom apartment is $1,500. To afford that, a family needs an income of $45,000 a year, Tippett said. Yet about 80 percent of county residents earn less than $35,000 a year, she said.
     Services are available, but they fall short of the need.
     The Senator Philip D. Lewis Center opened in 2012 in West Palm Beach as the county’s first homeless resource center. It provides 20 beds in a women’s dorm and 40 beds in a men’s dorm for temporary housing.
     To get services, homeless people are assessed at the center. Each gets a case manager who determines that person’s needs and which community service providers can meet those needs.  
     The Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County operates as an umbrella organization of those service providers, such as Gulfstream Goodwill Industries and Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches.
     Tippett wants to open another resource center that will move the county toward the goal of having a total of four.
Despite these efforts, many homeless people struggle to get on firmer financial footing.
     That has created tension in cities, where residents complain about homeless people camped in parks or other public places and call on the police to do something about the situation.

Homeless people have rights
     A homeless man and city workers at Veterans Park in Delray Beach last month said police come to the park at various times and tell the homeless people who are sleeping there to move along.
     But police are in a tough spot.
     Delray Beach Police Lt. Russ Mager knows homeless people make many other people uncomfortable. But they, too, have rights, he said.
     If they are breaking the law, police can take action, he said. Their mere presence is another matter.
     “It is not a crime to be homeless,” Mager said.
     The Police Department is hiring a service population advocate to link those who need services to those who provide them, an initiative pressed by Chief Jeff Goldman.
     The new hire would work with people who are homeless, mentally ill or evicted from sober homes.
     To do more to address homelessness, the City Commission created the Delray Beach Homeless Initiative in August. Its members have 18 months to develop recommendations.
     But they are looking at ways to take action before that. One of the first steps was to increase the number of volunteers helping the county complete the homeless count in the city, out of concern they were undercounted in the past, said Ezra Krieg, who co-chairs the initiative with Delray Beach Police Sgt. Darrell Hunter.
     Another idea was hatched when the city learned public schools within its boundaries have 192 homeless students in kindergarten through grade 12.
     “That was a call to action,” said Janet Meeks, deputy director of public affairs.
     The students get free meals at school. To help them on weekends, the homeless initiative is raising funds — with a goal of $60,000 — from local businesses and service and religious organizations that would go to the school district to pack meals in backpacks for the students on Fridays, Krieg said.
     Another priority is to find a new and larger location for Caring Kitchen, whose presence at 196 NW Eighth Ave. does not please neighborhood residents.
     “This is an essential community program,” Krieg said. “We need to find a place.”
     The city now recognizes that it can’t expect the county, service organizations and volunteers to resolve homeless issues on their own, said Krieg, director of housing initiatives at Gulfstream Goodwill and the former director of the Lewis Center.
     “The county is doing its part,” he said. “Unless the city also steps up, we won’t be able to address this issue in Delray Beach.”

Nonprofits loom large
     Even though the county has set up infrastructure to help homeless people, much of the actual work falls to volunteers and nonprofits.
     The Caring Kitchen, operated by CROS Ministries, has about 150 volunteers. With a staff of just three people, “We need all of the volunteers to provide all the services we provide,” said assistant program director Shona Castillo.
     That includes serving about 60 breakfasts and 160 lunches each weekday, and dinners four days a week.
     Other services include helping homeless people get IDs, which are frequently lost or stolen, and apply for food stamps and Medicaid. If someone has a friend or relative in another city who can help, Caring Kitchen staff confirms that and then pays for a bus ticket.
     Its small building is a hive of activity in the mornings. Cars and trucks pull up frequently to drop off food donations. A table behind the dining area is stacked with bread donations. Boxes of canned goods line one wall.
     The volunteers said they are enriched by their efforts. “I enjoy what I do — helping people,” said Nelson, who recently had to stop his daily trips to the center to undergo medical treatment.
     Sadakatzahra Glemeau, who was serving iced tea at lunch in February, described the Caring Kitchen as a “warm environment.”
“It doesn’t make you feel like an outcast,” she said.
     CROS Ministries also operates food pantries in Delray Beach and six other cities in the county as well as in Martin County that provided food to nearly 50,000 people over nine months last year.
     Clients include seniors, the working poor, unemployed and homeless. “They are trying to make ends meet. They need us,” said Melanie Winter, the Delray Beach food pantry coordinator.  
     When Caring Kitchen is closed, Cason United Methodist Church picks up the slack.
     Every Saturday at 9 a.m., volunteers distribute brown bag lunches prepared by volunteers at St. Edward Roman Catholic Church in West Palm Beach and nonperishable lunches that Cason volunteers assemble with the help of Publix, which provides breads and desserts, said bag lunch coordinator Sara Knight.
     The church, at 342 N. Swinton Ave., also has held memorial services when a homeless person dies. The sister of a man who died “said it really helped her to know he had friends and people who cared for him,” Knight said.
     Cason is among 19 interfaith congregations in Delray Beach that work with Family Promise of South Palm Beach County, on the campus of St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church.
     Each congregation has agreed to provide shelter at night for homeless families for one week each quarter. They are housed in rooms in the church, are provided meals and have access to showers and computers.
     During the day, when their children are in school, the parents go to Family Promise, where they receive a mental health assessment, and referral to mental health treatment, if needed.
     Family Promise provides resources to help unemployed parents find a job and instructs them on financial management. Case managers work to keep the parents moving toward self-sufficiency, including saving enough money to rent an apartment. Families are in the program 30 to 90 days.
     Seventy-five percent of the 16 families helped last year “graduated” and almost all remained employed and housed for the 12 months they are tracked.
     Although not designed specifically for homeless people, CityHouse in Delray Beach helps single mothers and their children, who can stay in the program for up to two years.
     CityHouse places the moms and kids in five units of a seven-unit apartment building, whose location is not disclosed. One unit serves as a family room for classes, meals and celebrations. An in-house manager supports and encourages them.
     The concept of the program, which is supported by private donations, is that the lives of kids won’t improve unless the mother is stable and able to care for them.
     “Our goal is to help the women become financially independent and develop a healthy support network,” said executive director Lisa Wanamaker.
     “On average, I get a phone call or email three times a week from a mom who is sleeping in her car with her children, or just had a baby and nowhere to go. The need is enormous.”

 Native plants keep the dunes healthy

Bay bean (Canavalia rosea), a vine that trails along beach dunes and coastal sand,

blooms most of the summer and sporadically the rest of the year.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

    Although some may consider coastal wildflowers to be weeds, those of us living along the ocean should think of them as some of our best friends. By putting their roots down in search of water, they also secure the sand.
    “And that helps prevent beach erosion,” says Jeff Nurge, co-owner of Native Choice Nursery in Boynton Beach. These native plants also act as a buffer between what lies inland and the wind and waves off the ocean during heavy weather.  
    Besides storm protection, the vines and shrubs offer sustenance for butterflies, birds, bees and other insects. And they provide shelter for wildlife such as small mammals, snakes and lizards as well as 30 species of what are considered rare animals, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.  
    But even though they are valuable to man as well as nature, dunes are not immune to man’s impact. Many have been destroyed and replaced with buildings, parking lots and other construction.

Seeds of the bay bean are buoyant, which allows them to be distributed by ocean currents.

The purplish-pink flowered plant is part of the pea family.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

    “Our beaches are never going to be natural again,” says Nurge. In fact, only 35 percent of native dune vegetation remains undisturbed along Florida’s 1,260 miles of coastline, according to the DEP. Many seaside residents and towns are doing their best to preserve and even grow the dunes by installing native plants, including flowering vines and shrubs, at appropriate places in the sand. So the next time you go to a beach where the dunes are preserved or being restored, take a moment to look around and notice what’s growing.  
    “Knowledge is power and if you are knowledgeable about the dune plants, you will have an interest in them and be more prone to protecting them and all they offer us,” says Nurge.
    To make your dune visit more informative, we asked Nurge to provide a list of some flowering plants you can find on the dunes in Palm Beach County. Take these pages the next time you visit the ocean.
    “If you can identify the plants around you, you’ll get more enjoyment out of your visit and it will be more of an interactive experience,” says Nurge.

Coastal flowering plants

Bay cedar (Suriana maritima), a low bush that can grow into a tree, sports tiny yellow flowers.

It hosts the rare mallow scrub-hairstreak and martial scrub-hairstreak butterflies.

Its seeds are dispersed by water so it tends to grow at the bottom of the dunes.

Photo by Jeff Nurge/Native Choice Nursery

Beach morning glory (Ipomoea imperati), a vine with white flowers displaying yellow centers,

grows on the downside of the dunes where moths and other insects nectar on it. You’ll find it bathing in full sun.

Photo by Jeff Nurge/Native Choice Nursery

Beach verbena (Verbena maritima) grows near the water. Therefore, it is rare to find it on our local dunes,

where much of its habitat has been replaced by condos and other homes. If you hope

to see this vine with its purple flowers, look in areas that are 100 to 200 yards back from the water line.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Blackbead (Pithecellobium keyense) is a large prickly shrub that can grow into a tree on the back of the dune

where a hammock is forming. Its flowers look like powder puffs that range from white to deep pink. After its flowers

fall off, the plant forms black seeds. It is a host plant for large orange sulfur and Cassius blue butterflies.

Photo by Jeff Nurge/Native Choice Nursery

The dune sunflower (Helianthus debilis) seeds readily, so you’ll find a lot of it growing on the dunes.

If you see this plant, bees and butterflies will not be far away as this flower provides plenty of nectar.

Photo by Larry Allain hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

Where to find coastal wildflowers

Here are some places in Palm Beach County where dune flowers grow:
    Delray Municipal Beach — It runs for 6,840 feet along South Ocean Boulevard (A1A) from Casuarina Avenue and the Seagate Beach Club north to the first beachfront home.  The most mature section of renovated beach can be seen north of Sea Spray Avenue, with street parking available. The section around East Atlantic Avenue is slated to be restored within the next year.
    Gumbo Limbo Nature Center — 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton; 544-8605; www.gumbolimbo.org. Part of Red Reef Park, this area will give you a view of what the dunes and beaches were like before man started building east of A1A.  
    MacArthur Beach State Park — 10900 Jack Nicklaus Drive, North Palm Beach; 624-6952; www.macarthurbeach.org. This park has four habitats, including pristine beach and dunes.
Protect our dunes. It’s the law. At the beach, stay on the designated pathways and walkovers to protect the vegetation. Also, state and local laws make it illegal to dig up the dune vegetation or take any part of the plants, including flowers, clippings and seeds. They must be left in their natural state, said Nora Fosman, senior environmental officer for the city of Boca Raton

The Jamaican caper (Capparis cynophallophora) is a flowering shrub that can grow into a tree at the back of the dunes. Its white flowers turn purple and look like bursting fireworks. After it blooms, the plant produces fuzzy, brown bean-like pods that split open to reveal a sticky orange-red flesh containing its seeds.

Photo by Jeff Nurge/Native Choice Nursery

The endangered necklace pod (Sophora tomentosa var. truncata) gets its name from the shape of its seedpod,

which looks like strung beads. The seeds are poisonous to humans. The plant’s yellow flowers attract hummingbirds

because of their shape. They also attract a variety of butterflies, including the cassius blue and mangrove skipper.

Photo by Stephen Brown/horticulture agent, UF/IFAS Lee County Extension

Railroad vine (Ipomoea pes-caprae) is related to the beach morning glory and has many of the same characteristics,

except that its flowers are purple. A fast grower, it can cover the dunes quickly. Although you might think the shape

of its flower would attract hummingbirds, the plant grows too low to the ground for them to hover and sip nectar.

Photo from Wikimedia Commons

Sea oxeye daisy (Borrichia frutescens) is a vine ground cover that grows on the back side of the dunes in lower areas.

Here it forms a thicket that helps secure the dunes by gathering and holding sand. Its quarter-size flowers look like daisies.

They attract insects such as butterflies, beetles and wasps. The plants may have either silvery gray green

or bright green foliage; the dunes have two varieties.

Photo by Larry Allain hosted by the USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database

White sage (Lantana involucrata) has white flowers with yellow centers and petals that fade to pale pink.

This delicate flower attracts many different birds plus butterflies and bees. Its purple fruit is toxic to humans.

Although it needs light, you’ll find this plant in hammock areas, where it is prized because it is wind-tolerant.

Photo by Jeff Nurge/Native Choice Nursery

Beach planting and cleanup event
   

    The Institute for Regional Conservation will hold a volunteer day at Atlantic Dunes Park in Delray Beach from 9 a.m. to noon April 8. Volunteers of all ages are needed to help remove invasive plant species, plant native species, and pick up trash and recyclables.
    The institute will provide the tools, plants and light refreshments. Volunteers should bring sunscreen and gloves, and wear long sleeves, long pants and a hat. Atlantic Dunes Park is at 1605 S. Ocean Blvd. Meter parking is available just west of State Road A1A.

By Janis Fontaine

    St. Vincent Ferrer Parish will host a traditional Seder on April 10, when Jews worldwide celebrate their feast of Passover.
    In addition to a full-course dinner, the celebration will include spiritual music and fellowship. Msgr. Stephen Bosso, professor of sacred scripture at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary, will lead.
    The celebration will take place in Kellaghan Hall at St. Vincent, 840 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Tickets are $25. Reservations are required. Call 665-8566 or email familylife@stvincentferrer.com.
                                  
    Don’t throw it away! Donate it!
    The Pastoral Ministry’s second annual rummage sale is coming up April 30 at St. Mark Catholic Church in Boynton Beach, and if you have items to donate, the organizers ask that you drop them off by April 29.
Their list of preferred items includes jewelry, home decor, antiques, collectibles, furniture and working appliances.
    Things that they do not want? Clothes, shoes, CDs, cassettes or books.
    You can also purchase a table to sell your items and keep your profits. Tables are $25 for a 6-foot table and $40 for a 12-foot table. Refreshments will be provided by the American German Club, and if you spend $10, you get a free lunch.
    Proceeds benefit St. Mark’s Pastoral Ministry. For a table or to make a donation, call Sister Mary Joan at 735-3530.
                                  
    Talk theology over a beer. Pub Theology, a group from the First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton, meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday and the third Wednesday of the month at Biergarten in Royal Palm Place, 309 Via de Palmas No. 90, Boca Raton, for conversation, fellowship and open discussion, served with the beverage of your choosing. For more information, call 395-1244 or visit www.fumcbocaraton.org

Send religion news to Janis Fontaine at janisfontaine@outlook.com.

Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of Eat to Live and the force behind Dr. Fuhrman’s Health Oasis

at the Boca Beach Club, gives free educational talks when he’s in the area.

Here he speaks at the 4th Generation Organic Market.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O'Connor

    The lunch buffet inaugurating Dr. Fuhrman’s Health Oasis was a work of art. Big leafy heads of red oak and green oak lettuces were presented like bouquets. There were roasted beets with walnuts, toasted quinoa, oven-roasted tofu with apple, zucchini and kale. It was almost too beautiful to eat, but guests lined up to tuck into the bounty.
    The setting at the Boca Beach Club provided an elegant background to the food and for Dr. Fuhrman’s Health Oasis, which took its first clients in January.
    An awkward note: Milk, salt and sugar were confined to a small table in the corner. When a few people walked to that table, it was immediately obvious to anyone that they were seeking out substances discouraged on Joel Fuhrman’s nutritarian eating system.
    “We call that the walk of shame,” said Donna Hearn, executive clinical director of the Health Oasis.
    Fuhrman, author of The End of Diabetes, Disease-Proof Your Child and Eat to Live and star of a public television special, works on a simple principle, that every bite of food must contain the most nutrients possible. That is his “nutritarian” philosophy.
    “We want to change the face of health care in America,” Fuhrman told the group. “This is my mission, to give people all the information they need.”
 
Say goodbye to dairy, meat
    On the Fuhrman plan, change starts immediately. Milk, cheese, meat and butter disappear from the fridge, replaced by vegetables and fruits, nuts and whole grains.
    Fuhrman and his partners decided to locate their oasis at the oceanfront Beach Club because it provides a soothing atmosphere for changing eating habits, away from temptations and stress.
    This is no fat farm, although many clients lose considerable weight on a diet of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
    “We tell people, don’t worry about how much you eat,” said Laurie Marbas, oasis medical director. “Weight loss here is incidental to overall health. They are surprised at the volume, and their cravings go away in 24 hours.”
    Clients stay at the oasis from two weeks to four months, depending on their medical conditions and work schedules.
    “We want everything we’re teaching them to sink in, so they can take it home with them,” said Marbas, a board-certified family medicine doctor.
    “And we’ve found, almost without exception, almost all patients ask to extend their stay,” said Jack Frydman, CEO.

CEO is also a devotee
    Frydman had been using an anti-diabetic medicine for 12 years, when he saw Fuhrman on the Dr. Oz television program. His doctor wanted him to start taking statins for high cholesterol. By following the Fuhrman diet, he lost 50 pounds in three months and has not had any blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar problems in the five years since then.
    “According to what we read in Dr. Fuhrman’s books, no medicine can heal as effectively as the body’s own systems,” said Frydman.
    Frydman notes that the nutritarian system is based on hundreds of peer-reviewed studies. Eat to Live, for example, includes 26 pages of footnotes referring to such studies.
    “Even educated people, when they have that information in front of them, have to change what they’ve been taught at your mother’s knee, what you’ve been taught by your culture and what’s been emotionally helping you through rough times,” said Frydman.
    He recently ran into his former doctor, who was amazed by Frydman’s dramatic improvement in health and weight.
    “I said, why don’t you do this yourself? And he said, you know, Jack, when I get home I want to eat something that makes me feel better.”
 
Medical director calling
    Besides training clients how to eat and cook healthy food, Oasis staff prepares them for returning to the world of fast food and temptations. When they leave, Marbas stays in touch once a week by phone and clients have two years of access to Oasis staff.
    Marbas is a relentless soldier for the nutritarian system. She’s heard all the excuses for not eating right — time and money come up often. She shows patients how they can eat well on $50 a week.
    She had already been teaching her patients nutrition when Fuhrman recruited her from her practice in Colorado. She even shamed drug sales representatives to replace pizza and other unhealthy snacks they brought to her medical office.
    “People would say, oh, Marbas got to them,” she said.
    Sometimes her colleagues have chided her for being a little too intense on the subject of healing illness with nutrition.
    “I don’t have time for that,” she said. “I consider this lifesaving information.”
    Medical and therapy services may be covered by health insurance. The housing portion of the program is on a self-pay basis.

    Lona O’Connor has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to Lona13@bellsouth.net.

Students at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine participated

in the nationwide event in which fourth-year medical students find out where

they will spend their residencies. At top, a few of FAU’s 61 graduating medical students

open their sealed envelopes March 17 at the same time as others across the country

as part of the National Resident Matching Program.

Above (l-r): Emily Kelly of Delray Beach, Marisa Vinas of Ocean Ridge and Sherrie Moore of Boca Raton

display their match results. Kelly is headed to LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, to study urology.

Vinas is headed to Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, to study surgery.

Moore will go to University of Alabama Hospital at Birmingham to study anesthesia.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Christine Davis

   Delray Medical Center announced in February that it received the Healthgrades 2017 America’s 50 Best Hospitals Award, in recognition that it placed within the top 1 percent of more than 4,500 hospitals nationwide for its superior clinical performance.
    In the Healthgrades 2017 Report to the Nation, Bethesda Hospital was recognized as one of America’s 100 best hospitals for orthopedic surgery and America’s 100 best hospitals for cardiac care. For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide.
                                
    U.S. News & World Report 2018 Best Graduate Schools Guidebook ranked the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing at Florida Atlantic University No. 44 for its doctor of nursing program and No. 45 for its master of science in nursing out of 532 eligible master and doctoral programs.
                                
    Boca Regional Hospital’s Gloria Drummond Physical Rehabilitation Institute, established with a lead gift from Elaine J. Wold, celebrated its grand opening in March.
    The institute is home to the Davis Therapy Centers, Dodson Family Foundation Cardiac & Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center, Howard & Barbara Farkas Orthopedic Rehabilitation Center, Aquatic Therapy Center, Diabetes Education & Nutrition Center, Wound Care & Hyperbaric Center  and Neurological Rehabilitation Center. The institute is at 650 Glades Road, Boca Raton.

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

Lakeview Church Delray family pastor Scott Rowan with his wife, Tricia, and son, William.

Worship pastor Daniel Williams and his wife, Laura.

Celebrations and community projects will be part of the Saturday program.

Photos provided

By Janis Fontaine

    March 25 marked a milestone at Lakeview Church Delray. The church held its first Saturday night service, led by Craig Ratliff, teaching pastor; Daniel Williams, worship pastor; and Scott Rowan, family pastor.
    And it already has its own brand.
    “The Saturday worship service at Lakeview Church, 2599 N. Swinton Ave., is branded as SaturdayNight.Church,” Ratliff said, “which also serves as the website for the service and its connected ministries as well.”
    Ratliff came to Lakeview in 2015.
    He’s a certified coach, speaker and trainer with the John Maxwell Team, an association of coaches, teachers, speakers and professionals who use their talents and skills to provide leadership training.
    The teaching is based on the principles developed by Maxwell, the New York Times best-selling author of more than two dozen books, including The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 21 Indispensable Qualities of a Leader.
    Ratliff is using those qualities to lead the church in a new direction.
    “I love starting new things, but I knew we had to do something different to get people’s attention,” Ratliff said.
    In a time when we don’t know our neighbors’ names, people are desperate to connect on a personal level, he said. “SaturdayNight.Church is working to fill that need for relationships.”
    Besides his teaching responsibilities and leading SaturdayNight.Church, Ratliff is the lead pastor of City View Church in West Palm Beach, a new church opening in September. He answered our questions about his goals for SaturdayNight.Church.

    Q: Why did you decide to add a Saturday service?
    A: Very simply, it fills a need and provides a great opportunity for us to meet our community where they are in life with the message of help, hope and healing found in Jesus Christ. What we have come to realize is that so many people in our world today are turned off from God and the church. Yet, they are still looking for something. That something is often a place to belong, a place to become, and a place where they can be a part of blessing the world.
    SaturdayNight.Church is for anyone who is looking to give God and church one more chance or even to explore God and the church for the first time.
    Q: How will SaturdayNight.Church differ from the other services?
    A: The Saturday service is a contemporary, family-friendly worship environment. In addition, because we are gathering on Saturday nights at 5:30 p.m., we can create extracurricular activities.
    For example, we’ll host a Cinco De Mayo celebration as well as community service projects throughout the year where individuals and families can enjoy themselves, meet other like-minded people, build strong friendships and connect with others in serving our community in the name of Jesus.  
    We like to say that SaturdayNight.Church comes with a promise and our promise to you is that you will love the difference at SaturdayNight.Church. You will experience messages you can relate to, music that is uplifting and exciting, build real relationships, and it will be the best day of your child’s week too.
    Q: What demographic do you want? Young people? Working people?
    A: Our desire is to connect with individuals and families throughout our surrounding communities. God has created a unique and diverse cultural environment here in South Florida and I believe that a healthy church will reflect that diversity.
    SaturdayNight.Church also provides a great opportunity for families to fit worship into their already busy schedules. We want to partner with parents to raise a generation that loves Jesus and is used greatly by him.
    ​Part of the SaturdayNight.Church brand is “cityKIDS!” which provides a place where children birth through fifth grade can discover and develop a passion for God through worship, teaching and a variety of fun activities. Children are exposed to God’s word and challenged to grow in their relationship with God.  
    And just think of the countless individuals who are required to work Sundays. SaturdayNight.Church opens the door for them to be able to reconnect with a worship environment that they have been missing out on.
    Q: You’re doing this along with Daniel Williams, worship pastor, and Scott Rowan, family pastor. What are their roles?
    A: Daniel Williams is a great young pastor and family man who is responsible for leading our worship team, overseeing all of our worship service environments and all of the teams that serve within those environments. Scott Rowan is another young pastor who was born and raised in Palm Beach County and now is raising his own family here in our community. Scott is responsible for helping make sure that we are caring for and ministering to the whole family, a key area.
    The “cityKIDS” environment will be his focus. Scott does an incredible job of creating a fun, engaging and safe environment for kids of all ages at SaturdayNight.Church.    
     Q: What can visitors expect when they come to SaturdayNight.Church?
    A: Our check-in volunteers will be on site and ready to assist you. It’s not mandatory to sign in, but if you are new it will assist with introductions and staying in touch. For families, we suggest arriving 15 minutes early to ensure you and your child have enough time to complete the process so children end up in the correct age group.
    If you want to preregister, you can fill out the form online and we’ll have everything ready for you when you arrive. Visit www.SaturdayNight.Church.
    
Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at janisfontaine@outlook.com.

Campers take photos at the West Palm Beach waterfront for the Palm Beach

Photographic Centre’s FOTOcamp (photo by Andy Spilos).

Children take a break at the Southern Dance Theatre in Boynton Beach (photo by Seth Steinberg).

Kids check out the sea turtles during Summer Camp at  Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton.

Others enjoy the water during a beach outing of Gulf Stream School’s Summer Camp.

Photos provided

NOTE: With so many summer camps offered in our area, we selected those located between the Boca Raton Inlet and the Port of Palm Beach. We kept our listing mostly east of I-95. Not all summer camp schedules have been set. Please check thecoastalstar.com for additional information as it becomes available. Also refer to listed websites for missing information such as pricing. If your organization offers a camp not listed, please send details to thecoastalstarcalendar@gmail.com.

ACADEMIC
     Henderson Summer Enrichment Program: A.D. Henderson University School, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Grades K-6. Two 4-week camps M-F 6/5-30. Morning Program: language arts, reading, social studies/science, math 8:15 am-12:30 pm $440/4-weeks. Afternoon Program: swimming, physical education, computer enrichment, music/movement, cultural arts. 12:30-5:30 pm $440/4-weeks. Full-day (both camps) $830/4 weeks, $275/week. Enroll by 4/28: 297-3970; adhus.fau.edu
Summer Youth College: Palm Beach State College, 3000 St. Lucie Ave, Boca Raton. Ages 8-14. Students choose classes: science, technology, engineering, arts, math, recreation. Lunch available for purchase or bring your own. 6/19-7/27 9 am-4 pm M-Th. $1,044/6 weeks; $43.50/day; early drop-off & late pick-up additional. 862-4730; palmbeachstate.edu/syc/boca-raton

ANIMALS & ENVIRONMENT
     Environmental Camp: Gumbo Limbo Environmental Complex, 1801 N Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton. Grades 1-9. Campers learn the importance of conservation through outdoor activities and hands-on lessons. 8:30 am-noon or 1-4:30 pm: M-F 6/12-7/28. $107-$134/week + additional field trip fees for teen camp. Bring lunch, snack, drink, hat, bug repellent, sunscreen. Limit one session per camper. 544-8605; gumbolimbo.org 393-7888; summercampboca.com
     Safari Day Camp: Lion Country Safari, 2003 Lion Country Safari Rd, Loxahatchee. Ages 6-13. Weekly themes. Animal or environmental activity each day with crafts/games. 9:30 am-4:30 pm M-F 6/12-8/11. $260/week. Before-/after-care $10/day. Includes lunches, snacks, T-shirt, cap, water bottle, craft supplies. 793-1084, x2127; lioncountrysafari.com
     Space of Mind’s Sustainable Summer: 102 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Ages 8-17. Campers become civil engineers and design a city that can sustain itself as our future redefines the environment and our way of life. M-Th 7/10-8/3. (9 am-3 pm $525/week. 894-8772; findspaceofmind.com/summer-programs
     Summer Zoo Camps: Palm Beach Zoo, 1301 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach. Unique wildlife themes; zookeeping activities include animal encounters, exhibit visits, crafts, games. Zoo Camp (ages 5-10) 6/5-8/11 $230-260/week; Jr. Zookeepers (ages 11-14) 6/19-23, 7/10-14 & 7/31-8/4 $280-310/week 8:30 am-4 pm. Before-/after-care available for additional cost. Lunch (optional) $45/week. 533-0887, x229; palmbeachzoo.org

ARTS
     Armory Art Center Summer Camp: 811 Park Place, West Palm Beach. Ages 5-17. A week filled with art education in various media. 9 am-4:30 pm M-F 6/5-30 & 7/10-8/4. Ages 5-11 $235/week; ages 12-18 $285/week. Includes all art materials and one camp T-shirt; bring lunch, snack, beverage. Sibling/multiple-week discounts available. 832-1776; armoryart.org
     Art Camp: Boynton Beach Art Center, 125 SE 2nd Ave. Ages 6-14. Develop artistic talents using various media and the power of imagination. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/12-8/4 (no camp 7/4). $575-$720; $25 registration fee/child. Full camp balance due by 4/15. 742-6221; boynton-beach.org
     Art-Sea Living Summer Camp: Art-Sea Living, 112 S. Federal Highway #7, Boynton Beach. Ages 5-12. M-F 6/5-8/11.10:30 am-2:30 pm. $353/week; 2+ weeks $200/week. $75/one time registration fee. 737-2600; artsealiving.com
Artist for a Day: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. Ceramic painting, fabric creations, clay hand building, canvas art, foundations of drawing. 8:30 am-1 pm M-F 6/5-9 & 8/7-11. $330-$412.50/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     ArtsCamp: Kravis Center Cohen Pavilion 2nd floor, 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach. Ages  9-11. Explore acting, dance, technical theatre, vocal music, culminating in an original performance. Interviews scheduled in the order applications received. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-23. $650/3-week session (includes 1 camp T-shirt). After-care available for additional cost. Enrollment limited: 651-4366; kravis.org/artscam
     Fashion, Sewing & Design Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 8-16. For young fashionistas who want to learn to design and sew their own clothes. Different projects allow students to enhance their skill levels. 8:30 am-1 pm M-F 6/26-30 & 7/10-14 & 8/7-11. $280-$350/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     FAU TOPS Summer Arts Camps: Florida Atlantic University Arts & Humanities Bldg, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Grades K-12. Piano and creative writing. 9 am-4 pm M-F. Grades K-5 6/26-30, 7/3-7, 7/10-14, 7/17-21 & 7/31-8/4. Grades 6-12 6/5-9, 6/12-16 & 6/19-23. Auditions required for new TOPS campers TBA (scholarship auditions will take place 1-7 pm 5/7). $290/week. $50 non-refundable deposit. Camp tuition due by 5/26. 634-7228; fau.edu/tops
    FOTOcamp: Palm Beach Photographic Centre, 415 Clematis St, West Palm Beach. Ages 10-17. All areas of photography from basics to state-of-the-art digital imaging. 9 am-3 pm M-F 6/12-23, 7/10-21 & 7/24-8/4. $745-$795/2-week session. Fees include use of SLR digital cameras & lenses, paper for digital printing. 253-2600; workshop.org
     Fun Chefs Academy of Cooking: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. Cooking, nutrition, culinary geography, etiquette. Make a kitchen craft each day, create a cookbook of recipes to keep. 8:30 am-1 pm M-F 6/12-16 & 7/10-14. $330-$412.50/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     Kids Need More Art 2017 Summer Art Series: Go Out & Play: Pine Jog Environmental Education Center, 6301 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach. Ages 5-12. M-F 7/10-8/4. Express Day (9 am-3 pm, $210/week); Full Day (8:30 am-4 pm, $230/week); and Extended Day (8:30 am-5 pm, $245/week). 746-4576; kidsneedmoreart.com
     Once Upon a Happily Ever After Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 9-12. Writing stories, books, fairy tales, more. 1:30-4:30 pm M-Th 7/24-27. $200-$250. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
Painting, Printing, Collage & Drawing Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. 8:30 am-3 pm M-F 7/3-7. $325-$406.25/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     UNIQUE Hands-On Experiences at Benzaiten Center for the Creative Arts, 1105 2nd Ave S, Lake Worth. Children all ages. Glassblowing, sandcasting, flameworking, fusing, more. Call/check website for cost/schedule. 508-7315; benzaitencenter.org
Youth Summer Camp: Boca Museum of Art School, 801 W Palmetto Park Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. Explore artistic skills, expand connections to the natural world. Weekly themed camps. 9 am-4 pm M-F, 6/5-8/4 (closed 7/3-4). $275/weekly ($165 for 7/5-7 three day camp) (discount for museum members). Before-/after-care available. 392-2500; bocamuseum.org/artschool

CHURCH
     Advent ADVENTure Club: Advent Lutheran School, 300 E Yamato Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 5-13. All sports, baton, art, cooking, intro to sports, hoops pursuits, fun with science, secret spies & super heroes, crazy olympics. Half day 7:30 am-12:30 pm ($150/week) or 8:30 am-1:30 pm ($175/week). Full day 7:30 am-6 pm M-F 6/5-8/11 $225/week includes lunch. Registration fee $50/through 4/18; $100/after 4/18. 395-5322; rholloway@adventschoolboca.org
     Camp Keshet: Ruth and Edward Taubman Early Childhood Center at B’nai Torah Congregation, 6261 SW 18th St, Boca Raton. Ages 2-6. Sports, swimming, Shabbat, arts, crafts, yoga, cooking, more. M-F 6/12-30, 7/5-7/21, 7/24-8/11 (closed 7/3&4) 9 am-3 pm (half days available for ages 2-4) 3-, 6-, or 9-week sessions. Before-/after-care available for additional cost. Registration fee, deposit, and security due 6/1. $695-$4,380. 750-9665; bnaitorahecc.org/camp-keshet
     Camp Mece: First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton, 625 NE Mizner Blvd. Ages 2½ (potty trained) to 6. Arts & crafts, music, dance, computers, storytelling, dramatic play, explorations, sports, Bible time, field games, water play. 2-week minimum. Bring snack and lunch. 9 am-2 pm 6/19-23, 6/26-30, 7/10-14 & 7/17-21. $150/week + $30 registration fee. Early drop-off available for minimal fee. 368-1215; meceboca.org/summer-camp
     Catholic Kidz Camp: Tracking Mary, Mysteries & Messages: St. Vincent Ferrer Family Life Center, 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach. Age from completed pre-K to 4th grade graduates. 9 am-noon 6/5-9. $40/child. 276-6892; stvincentferrer.com

     CROS Camp: Sunlight Community Church, 1325 N A St, 1615 Lake Ave, Lake Worth or First Presbyterian Church, 235 SW 6th Ave, Boynton Beach. Grades K-8. Nondenominational Christian camp. 8 am-5 pm M-F 6/5-8/4. $25/week; $225/entire summer; sibling discounts; $25 application process fee/child. Fee includes T-shirt, field trips, special programming. Breakfast, lunch, snack provided. Before-/after-care available at some locations. 233-9009, x102; crosministries.org
     First Presbyterian Vacation Bible School: 33 Gleason St, Delray Beach. Ages 3 to completed 5th grade or youth helper 7th grade & above. Arts & crafts, Bible study, recreational activities. 9 am-noon 6/12-16. Free. 276-6338 x23; firstdelray.com
First United Methodist Boca Overnight Camp: Warren Willis United Methodist Summer Camp in Leesburg. Grades 4-12. Beautiful camp on Lake Griffin divided into age-specific areas. Worship, small groups, ropes course, archery, swimming, arts/crafts, more. Camp is accredited by American Camping Association. FUMC Boca week is TBA. 395-1244; fumcbocaraton.org/category/summer-programs
     First United Methodist Vacation Bible School: First United Methodist Church of Boca Raton, 625 NE Mizner Blvd. Ages 3 (potty trained) to 4th grade. 9 am-12:30 pm 6/12-16. $35 advance; $45 after 5/1. 395-1244; fumcbocaraton.org
Seacrest Christian School: 2703 N Seacrest Blvd, Delray Beach. Ages 2-8. Arts, crafts, science. 8:30 am-3:30 pm M-F 6/5-8/4. Half day (8:30-11:30 am), full day or 3 full days (M/W/F). Free morning care 7:45-8:30 am. After-care 3:30-5:30 pm $5/hour. $93-$190/week + $15/week activity fee. 276-5552; seacrestchurch.com
     St. Joseph’s Episcopal School Vacation Church Camp - Maker Fun Factory: 3300 S Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach. Ages 4-11, 6/12-16, 9 am-noon, donations accepted. 732-2045; sjsonline.org
     St. Vincent Ferrer Tracking Mary: Mysteries & Messages: 840 George Bush Blvd, Delray Beach. Grades 1-4. A Catholic Kidz Camp. 6/5-9 9 am-noon. $40/chid. 276-6892; stvincentferrer.com

     SUNFUN Adventure Summer Camps at Trinity Lutheran School: Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Grades Pre-K to 6. Details on website. Adventure, sports, specialty camps start 6/5; enrollment begins 4/1. 276-8458; trinitydelray.org
     West Park Baptist Summer Day Camp: 4004 W Lake Ida Rd, Delray Beach. Ages 5-15. Sports, daily chapel, games, crafts, etiquette, life-skills training, self-defense training, swimming. 8 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/5-8/11 (closed 7/4). $100/week + $50/registration per camper. 495-2107; westpark-baptist.com

DANCE
     Magnifique Ballet Intensive: Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach. Features internationally renowned artists and dance educators. Students entering grades 4-6. Includes 6 days of training 7/3-8. $600. For an audition, contact Miranda Hawkins at 651-4350; hawkins@kravis.org. For complete schedule: 308-8377; parisballetdance.com
     Preparatory Department’s Dance Summer Session: Palm Beach Atlantic University, 901 S Flagler Dr, West Palm Beach. Ages 8-13. Ballet, modern, jazz, hip hop, conditioning for dance and pointe. Bring lunch. $60-$210 + $25 registration fee. 9:30 am-1:30 pm M-F 6/5-23. 803-2403; pba.edu/camps
     Summer Dance Classes & Dance Intensives: Southern Dance Theatre, 1203 Knuth Rd, Boynton Beach. Prince & Princess Camp (ages 3-5) ballet, tap, jazz, groovement 5-6 pm T&Th 6/20-7/27 $180. Mini Dance Camp (6-8) ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop 5-7 pm T/Th 6/20-7/27 $335. Summer Fun Dance Camp (9-12) ballet, tap, jazz, modern, acro, musical theater, leaps & turns 8:30 am-3 pm M-F 6/19-30 & 7/17-28 $500/session. Summer Intensive Program (10-18) intermediate and advanced dancers by audition only 8:30 am-3 pm M-F: 4-week program 7/3-28 $975; 3-week program ages 9-18 6/26-7/14 $800. Dancer’s Tune Up (intermediate & advanced) 9:30 am-12:30 pm M-F 6/19-30 $175/1 week, $300/2 weeks. Audition 1-4 pm 4/9. After-care 3-5 pm $25/week. 736-9097; southerndancetheatre.com

EQUESTRIAN
     Boca Summer Horse Camp: 8656 Surrey Lane. Ages 6-14. Equine care, balanced seat riding, horsemanship techniques. Bring lunch, snacks, beverages. 8:30 am-2 pm M-F 6/5-8/11. After care available at additional charge. $250/week; $75/day. 445-3946; staffordshireequestriancenter.com
     Boca Riding Club Summer Camp: 16489 Winners Circle Dr Barn 4, Delray Beach. Ages 5 & up.  Ride daily, participate in horse care. No experience necessary. 9 am-2 pm M-F 6/5-30, 7/31-8/11. $75/day; $350/week; $1300/4 weeks. Sibling and multiple week discounts. 305-2855; bocaridingclub.com
 
GENERAL
     Afternoon Kids in Action Aftercare Program: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-16. Option for kids attending a specialty program at Sugar Sand Park. M-F 6/5-8/11. 1-5:30 pm $95-$118.75/week; 3-5:30 pm $55-$68.75/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     American Heritage Summer Day Camp: 6200 Linton Blvd, Delray Beach. Ages 3-14. 9 am-3:15 pm M-F. Day Camp: Ages 3-13, three 3-week sessions, 6/5-8/4, $1350/session; ages 3-4 half day 9 am-1 pm, $1095/sessions. Art Camp (6-14), three 3-week sessions, 6/5-8/4, $1350/session. Robotics Camp & Science Adventure Camp, 6/5-8/4, three 3-week sessions, 6/5-8/4, $1350/session. Musical Theatre Camp, ages 6-14, 6/5-7/14, 6-week session, $2700. Includes lunch and snacks. Transportation & extended care available. Free morning care 8-9 am. 637-2440; ahsummerprograms.com
     Boca Raton Recreation Services Summer Camps: For children entering grades 1-9, 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/12-8/11. Traditional, Traditional Plus and Tween camps 6/12-7/21 (closed 7/4) $812.50-$1,539.50 (week-to-week available). Extended camp 7/24-8/4 $175.60-$259.50/week & Tween Extended camp 7/24-8/4 $226.50-$280.50/week. $20/application fee, $10/school usages fee. Open House for camps held at respective sites noon-2 pm 6/10. Themed camps with age-appropriate activities meet at various locations: Boca Raton Community Center Annex, 150 Crawford Blvd; Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, 1798 NW Spanish River Blvd; JC Mitchell Middle School, 2470 NW 5th Ave; and Boca Raton High School, 1501 NW 15th Ct. Additional camps/specialty programs also available. 393-7888; summercampboca.com
     Boynton Beach Recreation & Parks Department Summer Camps: Ages 5-12. Themed camps w/age-appropriate activities meet at various locations: Kids Rock (ages 4-5), Civic Center, 128 E. Ocean Ave., 742-6243; Camp Happy Days (6-12), Intracoastal Park Clubhouse, 2240 N Federal Hwy. 742-6237; Camp Shining Stars (5-12), Ezell Hester Community Center, 1901 N Seacrest Blvd 742-6550; Camp Dolphins (5-12), Carolyn Sims Center, 225 NW 12th Ave, 742-6641. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/12-8/4 (no camp 7/4). $500/resident; $625/non-resident; $25 registration fee per child. Lunch, field trips included. 742-6240; boynton-beach.org
     Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County Summer Camps: Ages 6-18. Camps are specific to each area club: Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Riviera Beach. Weekly sessions 7:30 am-6 pm 6/5-8/14. $120/2-week session + $30 annual membership fee. Field trips extra. Breakfast and lunch included. Check website for more information and to sign up. 683-3287; bgcpbc.org
Brighthouse Day Camp: Christa McAuliffe Middle School, 6500 Le Chalet Blvd, Boynton Beach. Grades K-9. Field trips for grades 5-9, weeks 4 & 8 for additional fees. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-8/4 $210-$225/week (2-week minimum). Counselor In Training (grade 10), $60/week. $50/registration fee. Before and after care available. 738-1984; jointheyesmovement.com Camp Destination: Boynton Beach Civic Center, 128 E Ocean Ave. Ages 10-14. 8 am-5 pm 6/12-7/7 & 7/10-8/4. Per session: $350/resident; $438/non-resident. 742-6222; boynton-beach.org
     Camp Habitat: Location to be determined. Ages 14-21. Registration includes water, snacks, building tools, construction materials, one camp T-shirt. Students earn service hours. M-F. Bring lunch. Call/check website for location, details. 819-6070; habitatsouthpalmbeach.org
    Camp Shalom: Mandel JCC, 8500 Jog Rd, Boynton Beach. Ages 2 to 10th grade. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-8/11 (closed 7/4) Camp Shalom: $240-$525/week. Counselor In Training (grades 9-10), $450-$525/3 weeks, $150-$175/1 week. Specialty Camps: $273-$590. Yeladim Preschool Camp (732-7620): ages 2-4. M-F, 9 am-1 pm ($180-$265), 9 am-4 pm ($235-$305). $50 registration fee before 5/10; $100 registration after 5/11. Before and after care available for additional fee. 259-3000; campshalom.org
     Criminal Justice Summer Camp: Florida Atlantic University School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 15-17 (must be entering grade 10-12 by fall). In partnership with Boca Raton Police Department, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, and FBI Miami office. Observe/participate in mock crime scenes, mock criminal trials; demonstrations of bomb squads, K-9 units, SWAT teams; visits to police marine units, 911 call centers, local FBI offices. Limited enrollment; first-come, first-served. 6/11-15 & 7/9-13. $600. 297-3040; fau.edu/sccj  
     Delray Beach Summer Camp: Pompey Park, 1101 NW 2nd St & Community Center, 50 NW 1st Ave. Ages 5-12. Structured program of recreational and sporting activities, homework assistance from certified teachers. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/12-8/4. 8-week session $545-$550 + $25 registration fee. Breakfast, lunch, snack provided daily. 243-7000 x5109; mydelraybeach.com
     DeVos-Blum Family YMCA Camp: 9600 S Military Tr, Boynton Beach. Field trips, entertainment, arts & crafts, swimming, sports, games. One-week sessions 7:30 am-6 pm M-F 6/5-8/11 (closed 7/4). Registration fee $25. Traditional camp (ages 5-11) M-F, 7:30 am-6 pm, 6/5-8/11 $190-$290/week. Teen camp (12-15) M-F 9 am-6 pm, 6/12-8/4 $235-$335/week session. L.I.T. Camp for Teens/Leaders in Training (2-15) M-F 9 am-6 pm, 6/5-7/7 & 7/10-8/11 $420-$450/per session. Sports camps (5-11) M-F 7:30 am-6 pm, 6/5-8/11, $200-$300/week. Aquatic camps (5-11) M-F 9 am-2 pm, 6/5-30, 7/10-8/11, $195-$290/week. Junior lifeguard camp (10-14) M-F, 9 am-2 pm, 6/26-30 & 7/24-28, $200-$250/week. Fitness clinic (10 & up) M-F 9 am-1 pm, 6/5-8/11, $120-$220/week. Preschool full-day camp (3-5) M-F 7:30 am-6 pm, 6/5-23, 6/26-7/14 and 7/17-8/4, $595-$675/3-week session + $50 registration fee. Preschool part-time camp (ages 4-5) M-F 9 am-1 pm, 6/5-16, 6/19-30, 7/10-21 & 7/24-8/4, $300-$355/2-week session. Extended care 7:30-9 am or 2-6 pm $25-$50/week per session (am or pm). Sibling discount available. Parent orientation 6:30 pm 5/31. 738-9622; ymcaspbc.org
     Fab 5 Days of Summer: Art Center, 125 SE 2nd Ave, Boynton Beach. Ages 5-12. Daily field trips. 7:30 am-5:30 pm. Per day $29/resident; $35/non-resident. 742-6650; boynton-beach.org                                                                                                           

     Florence Fuller Summer Camp: East Campus, 200 NE 14th St, Boca Raton & West Campus, 10130 185th St S, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. Outdoor sports, swimming, field trips, arts/crafts, nature activities. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F Jun-Aug. $100/week + $30 registration fee. Includes breakfast, lunch, snack. East Campus: 391-7274; West Campus: 482-2902; ffcdc.org
     Fun & Fitness! Activities Program: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. Hip hop, tumbling, sports, theater games, arts & crafts, water play, themed dress-up days, pizza party. 8:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/5-9, 7/3-4, 7/24-28, 8/7-11. $195-$243.75/week + $15 materials fee. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org

     Fun 5 Camp: Boynton Beach Art Center, 125 SE 2nd Ave. Ages 5-12. Field Trips, arts & crafts, games, more. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/5-9. $130/resident; $163/non-resident. 742-6221; boynton-beach.org

     Gold Coast Ninja Challenge: Ezell Hester, Jr. Community Center, 1901 N Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach. Ages 5-14. Learn/oracice skills with pros from Gold Coast Gymnastics; emphasis on increasing core muscle strength. 9 am-4 pm. $145/resident; $181/non-resident. 742-6650; boyntonbeach.org
     Gulf Stream School Summer Camp: 3600 Gulf Stream Rd, Gulf Stream. Grades Pre-K through 8. Academics, sports, technology, field trips, reading, more. Call school for brochure for schedules/costs. 276-5225; gulfstreamschool.org
Happy Sunshine Yoga: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 8-13. Spirited program helps tweens bridge transition from childhood to teen. 8:30 am–1 pm 8/7-11. $175-$218.75/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
Kidnastics: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. Relays, aerobics, tumbling, sport games, musical games. Sneakers and comfortable clothes suggested. 8:30 am–1 pm M-F 6/19-23, 7/17-21 & 7/31-8/4. $125-$156.25/week + $15 materials fee. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
    Levis JCC Marleen Forkas Believe In Summer Camps: 9801 Donna Klein Blvd, Boca Raton. Early childhood camp ages 2-4. Upper camp grades K-9. Theater camp ages 7-14. Sports camp grades K-4. Dance camp grades K-5. CIT (Counselor in Training) grade 10. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/12-8/4. Themes vary by age. Before-/after-care available for additional cost. $835-$1,900/2 or 4-week session. 852-5090; levisjcc.org  
     Levis JCC Marleen Forkas Camp Kavod for Special Needs: 9801 Donna Klein Blvd, Boca Raton. Grades K-12. Designed to enhance social, motor, language and other life skills that promote greater independence. Families from all backgrounds/religious affiliations welcome; intake meeting w/camp director required. 9 am-4 pm M-F, 2-week sessions 6/12-8/4 (closed 7/4). $720/2-week session; $50-$130/before- and/or after care. 852-3269; levisjcc.org  
     Music, Dance & Drama Camps: Boynton Beach School of Music, Dance & Drama, 9804 S Military Tr, E2, Boynton Beach. Ages 4-11. Includes music, dance, drama and instrument playing with a performance of a Broadway-style musical on the last day of camp. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-30 & 7/10-8/11 $225/week. Half-day camp (ages 4-5), 9 am-1 pm M-F $125/week. $35/registration fee. 877-2435; boyntonmusicdance.com
     Peter Blum Family YMCA Camp: 6631 Palmetto Cr S, Boca Raton. Traditional camp (ages 5-11) M-F 6/5-8/11 7:30 am-6 pm $195-$295/week; Teen camp (12-15) M-F 8 am-6 pm $235-$335/week. Leaders in Training Camp (12-16) 6/5-7/7 & 7/10-8/11, 9 am-5 pm $310-$410/5-week session. Aquatic camps (5-11) M-F 6/5-8/11 9 am-2 pm $200-$300/week. Camp Sea Monkeys (3-5) M-F 6/5-30 & 7/10-8/11 9 am-1 pm $150-$250/week. Glee Camp (7-11) M-F 6/26-30 & 7/24-28 9 am-2 pm $200-$300/session; Dance Camp (7-11) M-F 6/19-23 & 7/17-21 9 am-2 pm, $200-$300/session. Art Camp (5-11) M-F 6/19-23, 7/17-21 & 8/7-11, 9 am-2 pm $200-$300/week; Jr. Adventure Camp (8-11) M-F 6/12-30 & 7/10-8/4, 9 am-2 pm, $235-$345/week; Sports camps (5-11) M-F 6/5-8/11, 9 am-2 pm $200-$300/week; Basketball camp (5-11) M-F 9 am-2 pm, 6/5-9, 6/19-23, 7/3-7/5-7, 7/17-21 & 7/31-8/4, $200-$300/week; Karate camp (5-11) M-F 9 am-2 pm, 6/12-16, 7/10-14 & 7/31-8/4, $200-$300/week; Specialty camps (5-22) M-F 6/5-8/11 7:30 am-6 pm $195-$295/week. Extended care 7:30-9 am $25-$50/week; 2-6 pm $30-$55/week. Sibling discount available. Closed 7/4. Parent orientation 6:30 pm 5/26. 237-0949; ymcaspbc.org
     Pine Crest School Summer Camps: 2700 St. Andrews Blvd, Boca Raton. Ages 4-15. Band, digital media, robotics, fine arts, KidVenture, Elevate, sports, swim, tennis. 9:30 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-7/28; before care 7:45 am; after care until 5:30 pm. $399-$579/week. Includes lunch & snacks. Before-/after-care $60-$133/week. Fees due by 5/15. 852-2823; summer.boca@pinecrest.edu; pinecrest.edu/summer  
     Pine Tree Summer Camps: Lynn University, 3601 N Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 3-14. Half-day, full-day, overnight, specialty programs. Sports, arts & crafts, circus acts, science experiments, computer skills, video production, more. 9 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-23, 6/26-7/14, 7/17-8/4. $625-$2,275/session includes hot lunch and instructional swim daily. Camp uniforms required (available in LU campus store & online). After-care until 5:30 pm $325/week. Multiple session discounts available. 237-7310; pinetreecamp.com   
     Saint Andrew’s School Day and Sports Camps: Saint Andrew’s School, 3900 Jog Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 3-13. 8:45 am to 3:10 pm M-F 6/5-8/4 (up to 9 weeks, 2-week minimum). Day Camp (ages 3-10); Sports Camp (6-13); Surf, Skate & Create Camp (8-15) 6/5-16 & 7/24-28; Dance Intensive 3-week camp, (8-18) 6/5-23; Engineering 3-week camp  (8-14), 6/5-23; Tennis & Travel Camp (6-13), 6/5-9, 7/31-8/4 & 8/7-11; Handwork Sewing Camp (5-12) 6/12-16; Fashion & Machine Sewing (9-15) 6/12-16; Girls Softball Camp (8-16) 6/12-16; STEM Camp (9-12) 6/12-16, (6-8) 6/19-23; Tech 3-week camp (8-14) 7/10-28; Young Inventors Camp (5-8) 8/7-11; Art Camp (3-13) 8/7-11; Sports Camp (5-13) 8/7-11. $3,250-$4,286.25/8- or 9-week session; $425-$495/weekly. Before-/after-care available for additional cost. 210-2100; saintandrews.net/summercamp
     Schmidt Family YMCA at the Volen Center: 1515 W Palmetto Circle S, Boca Raton. Full-day Preschool Camp (ages 3-5) M-F 7:30 am-6 pm 6/5-7/31 $195-$295/week, Monthly: 5 days a week $785-$794/month, 3 days a week $540-$650/month, 2 days a week $415-$525/month. Half-day Camp Sprouts (3-5) 8:45 am-12:45 pm $135-$235/week. Sibling discount available. Open house 6:30 pm 5/25. 395-9622; ymcaspbc.org
     S.O.A.R. Summer Opportunity for Adult Readiness: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. For young adults & high schoolers with autism and similar learning disabilities. Living arrangements on campus, 3 meals/day, activities, access to FAU facilities. Ages 18-25: 2-week sessions 5/22-6/2; 6/5-6/16, 6/19-30, 7/10-21; $2,400/session + $100 non-refundable application fee. Ages 16-17: 1-week sessions 6/5-9, 6/12-16, 6/19-23; 6/26-30; $1,400/session + $75 non-refundable application fee. 213-5450; fau.edu/pcpo/schedule
     Space of Mind’s Summer Schoolhouse: 102 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Ages 8-17. Campers explore their passions through the arts, music, movement, cooking, and more. M-Th 6/12-8/3. (9 am-12:30 pm $300/week; 9 am-3 pm $525/week. 894-8772; findspaceofmind.com/summer-programs
     Summer Adventure Camp 2017: Beth El Early Learning Center, 9800 Yamato Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 2-5. Sports, outdoor play, music, arts & crafts, gardening, zumba, and Shabbat sing-a-longs. Options for each 4-week session: 3 days (9 am-1 pm, 9 am-3 pm, 7 am-6 pm) $565-$905; 5 days (9 am-1 pm, 9 am-3 pm, 7 am-6 pm) $950-$1360. Session 1 5/22-6/16 (closed 5/29); Session 2 6/19-7/14 (closed 7/4); Session 3 7/17-8/11. Pizza Lunch Wednesdays $4/day. 2 week minimum. $75/child registration fee. 391-9091; tbeboca.org
     Summer Youth Arts Program: Palm Beach State College Humanities Building, 4200 Congress Ave, Lake Worth. Ages 7-14. Featuring workshops in art, film, theater and photography. 8 am-4 pm M-Th 6/5-7/27. $149/week. 862-4730; palmbeachstate.edu

MUSIC
     Arts Garage Summer Camp: 180 NE 1st St, Delray Beach. Ages 6-18. Music/theatre: voice, dance, acting. Visual arts/technical theatre: costume/scenic design, stage management, lighting, more. Bring lunch & snack. 9 am-3 pm M-F. Scholarships/payment plans available. Call for details. 571-8510; artsgarage.org/page/camps
     Pianissimo! Piano Camp: Palm Beach Atlantic University, 1100 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach. Ages 10-16 (beginner to advanced). Group classes, private lessons, music theory, music history, student concerts. 8 am-5 pm M-F 6/26/30. $300. 803-2403; pba.edu/camps
     School of Rock Summer Camps: School of Rock, 7433 S Military Tr, Lake Worth & Old School Square, 51 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Themed camps with live performance finales. 9 am-3 pm M-F. Summer Rock, School of Rock (ages 7-17) 6/12-16, $333.33/week; Classic Rock I, Old School Square, 7/24-28 $595/week; Classic Rock II, Old School Square, 8/7-11 $595/week; 855-2646; southpalmbeach.schoolofrock.com
     Stringendo School for Strings Summer Academy: Palm Beach Atlantic University, 1100 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach. Ages 5-18. Group classes, private lessons, orchestra, student concerts, beach day. Audition required. 8 am-5 pm M-F 6/5-23. $950; sibling discount available. 803-2403; pba.edu/camps  
     Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County Summer Camp: Palm Beach Atlantic University, 901 S Flagler Dr, West Palm Beach. Ages 8-18. All orchestral instruments, all levels. Guest performance and field trip weekly. Bring lunch. 8:30 am-4:30 pm M-F 7/10-14 & 7/17-21. $325/week; $600 both sessions early registration discount before 5/1. After-care 4:30-5:30 pm $25/week. $100 deposit required w/registration. Fees due by 6/12. 281-8600; yopbc.org
     Youth Orchestra of Palm Beach County Mini Mozart Camp: Boca Raton Community Center, 150 Crawford Blvd. Ages 5-8. String camp for students with limited or no experience. Recital on final day of camp. Bring lunch & snacks. 9 am-2 pm M-F 6/12-16. $200. Registration & payment at myboca.us. 281-8600; yopbc.org

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
     Camp Bright & Smart Robotics at Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. M-F 8:30 am-3 pm. Coding & Lego Robotics (ages 7-12) 6/19-23 & 7/24-28; Advanced Coding & Lego Robotics 6/26-30 & 7/31-8/4; 3D Printing & Game Design (10-14) 7/17-21. $385-$481.25/week + $40-$65 materials fee per camper per week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     Children’s Science Explorium Science Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-10. Age-based science themes. Grades 1-2: 6/12-30 & 7/24-28. Grades 3-5: 7/3-21 (closed 7/4). Entering K: 7/31-8/4. 9 am-1 pm M-F. $107-$134/week. 347-3912; scienceexplorium.org
     Digi-Camp Boca Raton: Young Makers Lab, 5455 N Federal Hwy #1, Boca Raton. Ages 7-14. Digital media technology, photography, film production, video game programming, stop motion animation, engineering, coding, web building, rocketry, RC planes, robotics, drones. 9 am-3:30 pm M-F 6/5-8/11 (closed 7/4). $330-$500/session. Extended care $75/week (7-9 am & 3:30-6 pm). 236-0938; digicamp.com
     FAU Pine Jog Summer Day Camp: 6301 Summit Blvd, West Palm Beach. Ages 5-12. Weekly themes: environment, arts, culture, sport, outdoor fun. Open house 5-6 pm 5/18 at Pine Jog Elementary Cafeteria, 6315 Summit Blvd. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/5-8/4 (closed 7/4) $150/week + $40 registration fee (includes camper bag, water bottle, 3 shirts); breakfast/lunch/snack included. 656-5430; pinejog.fau.edu
     FAU Summer Science Institute: 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 11-15. 4-week non-credit academic program: experiments/activities in marine science, environmental science, geology, physics, genetics, molecular biology, biotechnology, astronomy, more. 8:30 am-12:30 pm M-F 6/19-7/12 and 7/17-8/9. $800/4-week session + $50 application fee; lunch and t-shirts included. 409-9031; science.fau.edu
     Mad Science Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages  6-10. 8:30 am-3 pm M-F Fun-gineering: 6/5-9. Spy Camp 6/19-23. Inventors & Explorers 7/24-28. $324-$406.25/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
Science Summer Camp and Science Institute: Palm Beach Atlantic University Center for Integrative Science Learning, 901 S Flagler Dr, West Palm Beach. Grades 1-12. Daily laboratory experiments led by PBA faculty: physics, chemistry, biology, marine biology, nursing, pharmacy. 8:30 am-3:30 pm M-F 6/5-16. Grades 1-5 $175/week; pre-care available 7:30-8:30 am & after-care available 3:30-5 pm $15/child/day. Bring lunch. Grades 6-12 $250/week. 803-2296; pba.edu/camps
     South Florida Science Museum Summer Camp: 4801 Dreher Tr N, West Palm Beach. Themed weeks: science lessons, laboratories, crafts, outside activities. 9 am-4 pm M-F. Science Summer Ventures (ages 4-12) 6/5-8/11 $225-$250/week. Summer Tech-ventures (7-14) 6/5-8/4 $275-$300/week. Extended hours 7:30 am-5:30 pm $10/day. 832-2026; sfsciencecenter.org

SPORTS
     Basketball Camp: Ezell Hester, Jr. Community Center, 1901 N Seacrest Blvd, Boynton Beach. Ages 5-14. Learn and practice skills with pros from Gold Coast Gymnastics; variety of drills and games. 8/7-11 9 am-3:30 pm. $90/resident; $113/non-resident. 742-6650; boynton-beach.org

     Boca Sports Stars Summer Camp: Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, 1798 NW Spanish River Blvd, Boca Raton. Ages 7-14. Organized sports, physical activities, age-appropriate games, field trips. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-7/28 (closed 7/3). $195/week (2-week minimum). Free pre-camp 8-9 am. Extended camp 4-6 pm $20/week. Includes 3 camp T-shirts, transportation, hot lunch on Fridays. $50 registration fee. 251-7578; bocasportsstarscamp.com
     The Breakers Jr. Golf & Tennis Camp: 2 South County Rd, Palm Beach. Ages 6-13. M-F 6/12-30 & 7/10-8/25. Golf & Tennis Camp 9 am-4 pm $495/week. Golf Camp 9 am-1:30 pm $395/week. Tennis Camp 11:30 am-4 pm $395/week. $85 full-day camp (includes camp essentials bag and lunch); $60 half-day camp (includes golf or tennis camp essentials bag). All sessions include swimming or indoor activity 12:15-1:30 pm. Golf clubs and/or tennis racket available upon request. Sibling discounts available. 659-8474; thebreakers.com
     Evert Tennis Academy Summer Camp: 10334 Diego Dr S, Boca Raton. Ages 8-18. Students who aspire to play professionally, earn a college scholarship or simply improve their game. 6/4-8/19. Boarders’ program 7 am-10 pm Sun-Sat, $1,295-$1,995/week. Non-boarders 8:30 am-3:30 pm M-F, lunch included, $895-$1,695/week. Half-day (mornings) $595-$795/week.  Multi-week discounts available. 488-2001; evertacademy.com
     Goal to Goal Soccer Camp for Boys & Girls: YMCA Peter Blue Family, 6631 Palmetto Circle S, Boca Raton. Ages 5-14. Foundations for beginners and skill enhancement for the competitive/travel team player. Camp activities in afternoon. 9 am-noon or 9 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-30, 7/10-8/11. $175/week half-day, $275/week full-day. Bring lunch. Pool time included full-day only. Early drop-off 7:30-9 am $30/week. After-care 3-6 pm $55/week. 297-3711; abcsportscamps.com/faus
     Hurricane All Stars Cheer Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 5-12. Sportsmanship and teamwork. Cheers, chants, jumps, tumbling, stunts, dance, games, conditioning. 8:30 am-1 pm M-F 6/12-16 & 7/3-7 (closed 7/4). $250-$312.50/week + $10 materials fee. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     Owl Softball Academy: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 7-17. Develop softball skills and fundamentals in competitive environment. 9 am-3 pm. Session 1 (ages 7-14) M-F 6/12-6/16 $300. Session 2 (7-14) M-F 6/19-23 $300. Session 3 (7-14) M-F 6/26-30. Session 4 (14-17) T-Th 7/11-13 $300. Lunch provided. Campers must bring their own softball equipment. 251-5000; collegesoftballcamps.com/fau
      Palm Beach Sports Camps at St. Vincent Ferrer: Grades K-8. Volleyball, basketball, soccer, cheerleading. Groups divided by age/ability. Bring lunch/snacks. M-F 6/5-8/4 9 am-3 pm. $125-$250/camp. 407-497-8969; stvfschool.org

      Paris Saint-Germain Soccer Camp: Caloosa Park, 1300 SW 35th Ave, Boynton Beach. M-F 7/10-14 & 8/7-11. U8-U12 (ages 8-12): 9:30 am-3 pm; U13-U18 (13-18): 5-7 pm. $349. Must have PSG Academy Nike Training jersey. 800-399-9665; contact@psgacademyflorida.com
     Quail Ridge Country Club Junior Summer Tennis Camp: 4175 Quail Ridge Dr S, Boynton Beach. Ages 4-14. Stroke basics, strategy drills, singles ladder, inter-club matches, swimming, movies, pizza party, awards. 9 am- 3 pm M-F. Sibling/multiple week/early registration discounts available. Call for details. 735-4530; quailridgecc.com
     Sailfish Athletics Summer Camps: Palm Beach Atlantic University, 1100 S Dixie Hwy, West Palm Beach. Basketball Camps: Boys & Girls Mini Camp, T-Th 6/13-15, grades 4-5 9am-noon, grades 1-3 1:30-4:30 pm, $89/session; Boys Skills Camp 1: M-Th 6/19-22, 6/26-29, grades 6-12, 9 am-4:30 pm, $295; Boys Elite ID Camp, Th-F 6/22-23, grades 9-12, Th 6-9 pm; F 9am-11am, $75. Soccer Camp: M-Th 6/24-27 & 8/7-10, boys & girls ages 5-18, full day 8:30am-3:30 pm $250, half day 9am-noon $150. Girls Volleyball Camps: Individual All Skills Camp M-Th, 7/10-13, 7/17-20, 7/24-27 & 8/7-10, ages 9-15, 9 am-3 pm, $295/includes lunch and T-shirt; High Performance Camp, M-Th, 7/10-13 & 7/17-20, must be entering 9th grade/class of 2021, 9am-3 pm, $295/includes lunch & t-shirt; Teen Camp, Th-Sat, 7/13-15, ages 14+, Th 3-9 pm, F&Sat 9am-3 pm, $200.  Check website for details. 803-2333; pba.edu/camps
     Sand Turtles Beach Volleyball Camp: South Beach Park Pavilion, 400 N Ocean Blvd, Boca Raton. Ages 8+. 9 am-1 pm W-F 7/5-7 & 7/19-21. 367-7054; summercampboca.com
     Soccer Academy: Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 5-14. Foundations for beginners and skill enhancement for competitive/travel team player. 9 am-noon or 9 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-7/21. $160/week half-day; $260/week full-day; $100/deposit. Lunch & pool time included full-day only. Overnight camp (ages 10-18) 6/18-21 $425-$525; $200/deposit. 702-0837; fausocceracademy.com
     Sports & Fitness Zone Camp: Carolyn Sims Center, 225 NW 12 Ave. Ages 7-14. 9 am-1 pm 6/12-8/4. $220/resident; $275/non-resident. 742-6650; boynton-beach.org
     Summer Skate Camp: Hobbit Skate Park, 505 SE 5th Ave, Delray Beach. Ages 5-13. Skate instruction, field trips, more. 9 am-4 pm (8-9 am drop off/4-5:30 pm pickup) M-F 6/12-8/4 $140-$150/week + $25/application fee. Campers provide skateboard, helmet, knee/elbow pads. Snacks provided; bring lunch, water each day. 243-7158; mydelraybeach.com
     SUNFUN Sports Camp: Trinity Lutheran School, 400 N Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. Featuring Adventure Camp, Specialty Camps and Sports Camp. Enrollment begins 4/1. Call/check website for details/costs. 276-8458; trinitydelray.org
Taylored Athletes Summer Basketball Camp: Grandview Prep School, 336 Spanish River Blvd NW, Boca Raton; Boys & girls ages 5-16. 8:30 am-3:30 pm M-F 6/5-30 & 7/10-28. Before 5/1 $190/week; after 5/1 $225/week; includes lunch. Sibling/early registration discounts available. 239-5470; tayloredathletes.com
 
SURF & WATER
     Boca Surf School: Red Reef Park (South Side), 1400 N A1A. Ages 5-13. No experience necessary; must be able to swim. 9 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-8/14 $299-$349/week, $99/day. Surfing/snorkeling equipment provided. Sibling/multiple week discounts available. After-care available for a fee. 393-7807; islandcamps.com
     Delray Beach Surf Camp: 500 S Ocean Blvd/1100 Casuarina Rd. Ages 6-15. Surfing, skimboarding, boogieboarding, kayaking, snorkeling, stand-up paddling. 8:30 am-noon M-T, 8:30 am-12:30 pm F. 703-7210; delraybeachwatersports.com
     Junior Lifeguard Camp: Denson Pool, 225 NW 12th Ave, Boynton Beach. Ages 10-14. 1:10 ratio; lifesaving/leadership skills, fitness, professional development. Coursework; in-water/land skill drills. 8:30 am-1 pm M-F 6/5-30 or 7/10-8/4. $300/resident; $350/non-resident. 742-6221; boynton-beach.org
     Ocean Adventure Camp: Red Reef Park, 1400 N A1A, Boca Raton & Silver Palms Boat Ramp, 600 E Palmetto Park Rd. Ages 5-15. Education/exploration of Florida’s waters. 9 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-8/11 $325-$406/week (7/4 week $260-$325), $79-$91/day. After-care 3-5 pm $20/day. Early registration (before 5/31)/multiple week discounts available. Register at Boca Raton Community Center or online: 715-0499; underbluewaters.com
     Palm Beach Surf Camp: Juno Beach Loggerhead Park, US 1, Juno Beach. Surf Camp (ages 6-13) 9 am-1 pm M-F 5/29-8/18 $200/week. Water Sports Camp (ages 7-13) 9 am-3 pm M-F 5/29-8/18 $285/week. Teen Water Sports Camp (ages 13 & up) 9:30 am-3 pm M-F 5/29-8/18 $285/week. Includes all equipment. Early/late care (8-9 am or 3-4 pm) $25/week. 543-7873; alohasurfingschool.com
     SCUBA Camp: The Scuba Club Inc, 4708 N Flagler Dr, West Palm Beach. Ages 12 & up. Certification, includes all equipment, 5 open-water dives. M/T 10 am-3 pm, W-F 8:30-11 am 6/12-16, 6/19-23, 7/10-14, 7/17-21 & 7/31-8/4. $399/week. 844-2466; thescubaclub.com
     Summer Exploration Camp: Catherine Strong Park, 1500 SW 6th St, Delray Beach. Sports, educational activities, arts & crafts, Peanut Island snorkel adventure, skating, other field trips. Ages 6-12. 7:30 am-5:30 pm M-F 6/12-8/4. 8-week camp: $600/resident; $640/non-resident. 243-7194; lawsone@mydelraybeach.com
     Summer Sail Camp: Palm Beach Sailing Club, 4600 N Flagler Dr, West Palm Beach. Ages 7-16. Water safety, boat handling, teamwork, sportsmanship, sailing basics. Classes by age, weight, skill level. Basic swimming skills required. Bring lunch/snacks/water bottle. 9 am-noon or 9 am-4 pm. M-F 6/5-8/4 (no camp 7/3-7/7).  Half-day camp $225; full-day camp $350. $20 registration. Free pre-camp (8-9 am) & post camp (4-5 pm). Member/multi-sibling/multi-session discounts available. Free registration before 5/1. 881-0809; pbsail.org
     Surf Camp: Oceanfront Park, 6415 N Ocean Blvd, Boynton Beach. Ages 6-12. 1:7 ratio; basic ocean safety, respecting our beaches/each other, marine life, surfing. 9 am-3 pm M-F. Per week $200/resident; $250/non-resident. 742-6221; boynton-beach.org
Waves Surf Academy & City Surf Camp: Anchor Park, 340 S Ocean Blvd, Delray Beach. Ages 5-16. 9 am-2:30 pm M-F 5/29-8/18 (closed 7/4) $285-$300/week; $60-$70/day; $50/half-day (noon pickup). 843-0481; wavessurfacademy.com

THEATER
     Broadway Artists Intensive 2017 at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach. Ages 12-20 by audition only. 3-week immersion in acting, voice, dance; taught by all-Broadway faculty including guest artists. Audition 4/9 10 am. Intensive 7/10-29. 9 am-5 pm. $1,650. Optional housing & meals available. 855-554-2929; thebroadwayartistsintensive.com
     Broadway Artists Intensive Junior Program at Kravis Center, 701 Okeechobee Blvd, West Palm Beach. Ages 9-13. Introductory session for ballet, jazz, tap, vocal technique, acting, improvisation. No audition necessary. 6/26-30 9 am-5 pm. $450. 651-4376; thebroadwayartistsintensive.com
     Curtain Up! Theatre Performance Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 6-15. Sing, act, choreograph, dance. 8:30 am-3 pm M-F. Something Wicked in Oz: ages 6-15 6/12-30 3-week session $750-$937.50 + $50 materials fee. Alice in Wonderland: ages 6-15 7/3-14 (closed 7/4) 2-week session $500-$625 + $50 materials fee. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     Delray Beach Playhouse Summer Camp: 950 NW 9th St, Delray Beach. Ages 6-18. Check audition/rehearsal schedule for times. 9 am-1 pm. M-F 7/17-21, 7/24-28, & 7/31-8/4. $125/week. 272-1281 x4; delraybeachplayhouse.com
     Director’s Cut Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 6-14. One-week sessions. 8:30 am-3 pm M-F. Lego Stop Motion (ages 7-12) 6/12-16 & 7/17-21. Music Video Production (9-14) 7/10-14 & 7/31-8/4. Claymation (9-14) 6/12-16 & 7/17-21. Filmmaking (9-14) 6/26-30, 7/24-28 & 8/7-11. $280-$350/week + $25 materials fee/camper/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     Drama Kids Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 6-13. Sing, act, choreograph, dance. 8:30 am-3 pm M-F 6/5-9 & 7/31-8/4. 1-week session $250-$312.50/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     Lake Worth Playhouse Summer Performance Camp: 713 Lake Ave. Ages 8-14. 9 am-3 pm M-F. Session 1 Hairspray Jr. 6/5-24, performances 6/22-24. Session 2 Legally Blonde The Musical Jr. 7/10-29, performances 7/27-29. $600/session. Includes camp T-shirt, materials, costumes. Aftercare 3-5:30 pm $100/week/camper. 586-6410; lakeworthplayhouse.org
     Performing Arts Summer Camp: Sol Children’s Theatre at Olympic Heights HS Performing Arts Theatre, 20101 Lyons Rd, Boca Raton. Ages 8 and older. Vocal music, acting, dance, theater. 9 am-3 pm M-F. Session 1 Disney’s Aladdin Jr. 6/5-30. Session 2 The Addams Family 7/10-8/4. $1,290/4-week session; $2,325/both sessions. Lunch, snacks, show T-shirt, DVD included. Lunch opt-out available (all food brought in must be ORB kosher). Before-care begins 7:30 am $25/week; after-care until 5:30 pm $45/week. 447-8829; solchildren.org
     Progressive Arts & Theatre Camps: St. Luke Catholic School, 2892 S Congress Ave, Palm Springs. Ages 3-14. Broadway show 12:30 pm on last F of each 2-week session. 8:30 am-4 pm M-F 6/19-8/11. Before-/after-care available for additional cost. 602-0730; email forevermev@yahoo.com
     Rock Music Camp: Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S Military Tr, Boca Raton. Ages 8-13. 8:30 am-3 pm M-F 7/17-21. $250-$312.50/week. 347-3900; sugarsandpark.org
     Rocky Mountain Conservatory Theatre: Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, 201 Plaza Real, Boca Raton. Ages 5-18. 9 am-3:30 pm M-F. Session 1 Disney’s The Lion King Jr. (ages 5-10), The Addams Family (ages 11-18), 6/5-24, performances 6/22-24. Session 2 DreamWorks’ Madagascar Jr. (ages 5-10), Guys & Dolls Jr. (ages 11-18), 6/26-7/15, performances 7/13-15. $900/one session, $1,775/2 sessions. Students bring lunch/snacks. Deposit required, registration fee $25. Sibling discounts available. Before-/after-care available (8-9 am & 3:30-5:30 pm) $7/hour charged in ½-hour increments. $25/registration fee. 962-1570; youthactors.com
     Showtime Performing Arts Theatre Summer Camp: 503 SE Mizner Blvd #73, Boca Raton. Ages 5-17. 9 am-3 pm M-F. Grouped by age/ability. Acting, voice/music, dance class; rehearse for camp performances after lunch. Each session ends with musical performance. Session I The Addams Family 6/12-30; Camp Rock The Musical 7/3-28. 1-week workshops: Moana 6/5-9; Cats 7/31-8/4; Glee 8/7-11; The Sound of Music Revue 8/8-12. $1,200/4 weeks; $900/3 weeks; $300/1 week. Extended session 8-9 am & 3-6 pm $5/hour. Registration $40. 394-2626; ShowtimeBoca.com
     Standing Ovation Performing Arts: 7429 S Military Tr, Lake Worth. Ages 6-16. Weekly themes: acting, pantomime, improvisation, playwriting, crafts. 9 am-4 pm M-F 6/5-8/12. $200/week. Performances 5 pm every F. 3-week production camps (ages 6-12) 9 am-3 pm M-F. Annie Jr. 6/5-23, performances 6/30-7/1. Wonderland 6/26-7/14, performances 7/21-22. Disney’s High School Musical 2 Jr. 7/17-8/4, performances 8/11-12. The Secret Life of Toads 8/7-11 (ages 6-12), 9 am-3 pm, $200/week. Make a Movie Camp 6/19-30 (ages 8-16) 10 am-4 pm, $400/2 weeks. TBA Musical Production Camp 7/10-28 (ages 10-17), 10 am-4  pm, $600/3-weeks. Before-/after-care available for an added fee. Registration fee $25/yearly. 734-0187; standingoh.com

Jason McCobb, his wife, Denia, and daughter, Reese, in a sunflower field on their farm.

Blooming nasturtiums in the raised bed gardens at the Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton are not only pretty but edible.

Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

    At the Farmer’s Table restaurant in Boca Raton, you’ll see a small patch of land between the parking lot and the restaurant building that’s now a kitchen garden.
    Here, cedar boxes filled with rich dirt support stems of fragrant rosemary, rattlesnake pole beans grow toward the sky and the frilly tops of fennel bulbs blow in the breeze.
    This isn’t just the handiwork but the mission of Jason McCobb (also known as Farmer Jay), who is out to fill any empty space he can with a vegetable patch.
    “The food system begins in your back yard. A vegetable patch should be as common at restaurants and homes as bathrooms,” he said.
    It doesn’t matter whether you plant a fruit tree out front, a tomato patch in a corner of the yard or a full kitchen garden instead of a lawn, as long as you participate.
    “Everybody can do their part and grow something,” he said.
    And that’s why since about 2010 McCobb has worked with restaurants, schools and homeowners to create and plant box gardens. You can see his handiwork at Tanzy in Mizner Park as well as the Farmer’s Table, where we talked to him.
    He builds the cedar boxes in a wood shop on his 2 ½-acre farm in Lake Worth. He fills them with his own mixture of soil and fertilizes them with his private recipe of chicken manure, worm castings, volcanic rock dust and coral calcium. Then he installs an irrigation system that uses micro-sprayer heads.
    Of course, this 1,200-square-foot garden with its 17 boxes can’t supply all the produce for the Farmer’s Table. “I could plant the whole thing in romaine and it still wouldn’t be enough,” he said.
    Instead, he views his restaurant garden patches as an opportunity to educate the public about what can be achieved in small spaces and how food looks in the field.
    And it gives the chef a chance to try new things. For example, this garden contains such uncommon offerings as moluccan spinach, Japanese parsley and Italian red-stemmed dandelions.
    Also, the chef can harvest the produce when he needs it to assure freshness, and he can select the vegetables at the maturity he desires. For example, the turnips growing here can be taken when they are young or as they grow larger. And the chef not only gets the turnip itself but also the greens.
    “Nothing goes to waste here,” Farmer Jay said, even if some of the spent plants he pulled out today are fed to the chickens on his farm.
    As the seasons turn and the crops are used up, new ones must be planted. Farmer Jay works with the chef to decide what to grow. During the growing season from September to May, you might find frisee, romaine, mizuna, onions, oregano, thyme and mint.
    He also likes to grow edible flowers such as pansies, marigolds and nasturtiums, not only to eat but to add color and attract pollinators.
    In the heat of the summer, he grows native Everglades tomatoes the size of marbles, some varieties of romaine lettuce, amaranth greens and okra, among other things.
    On this day, he did maintenance at the garden, a service he offers only to restaurants. He cleared out beds of marigolds that had gone to seed as well as Japanese parsley and heirloom broccoli to be replaced by rows of mint and basil.  
    As he worked, a couple leaving the restaurant stopped to admire his handiwork.
    “I love this,” said Angela Vernon, who with her husband, Tim, was visiting her mother-in-law in Boca Raton. “My dad was a real gardener and we were just talking about getting started growing vegetables this summer at our house.”
    Little did Farmer Jay know that the seed of an idea he sowed here will bloom halfway across the country when this couple returns home and plants their garden in Chicago.
    
Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley is a certified master gardener who can be reached at debhartz@att.net when she’s not digging in her garden.

Boys and girls can spend time with Batman and Sleeping Beauty during Princesses and Superheroes Day

on April 22 at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum in Boynton Beach.

Photo provided by Capehart

By Janis Fontaine

    Calling all superheroes! Princesses, too!
    Kids who love to dress up can wear their best princess gowns or superhero costumes and join the fun at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum in Boynton Beach when it celebrates Princesses and Superheroes Day on April 22.
    “This is our fourth year doing it,” said executive director Suzanne Ross. “It’s a really family-focused event and it brings new people to the museum, and it raises a little money.”
    Ross says the nonprofit museum, which marked its 15th anniversary in November, has been a success because the team of educators and the program manager are always adding new elements, “which brings a freshness to the center and keeps the vision of the founders in focus.”
    That vision? “Children will embrace lifelong learning through the joy of discovery.”
    Located in the historic Boynton School building, the museum has two floors of exhibits and opportunities for interactive play, exploration, imagination and creation. It offers exposure to art, music and the sciences through free weekly programs, affordable classes and specialty workshops.
    Ross has served as executive director of the museum since October 2013 and says the number of visitors has increased from about 28,000 then to more than 36,000 last year. She credits the new art classes and says “it’s so unique and so child-friendly. When the door opens and a child runs in yelling, ‘Yay,’ that makes our day.”
    For Princesses and Superheroes Day, the game plan has games and crafts, dancing and face painting and the chance to meet a grown-up princess and, though not the real Batman, a close personal friend of his.
    “We’ll definitely have a female superhero, too,” Ross said. “We don’t want the girls to think they can only be princesses.”
    Some local heroes — police officers and firefighters — will come by to meet the kids and talk about their jobs of helping people in times of trouble, just like superheroes do. Ross says the plan is to have a police car or fire engine on site — if the vehicle is not too busy working.
    “We want the kids to know these are the good guys, the real heroes,” Ross said.
    Ross worked for several nonprofits before joining the museum. “I found my home. Happy children,” Ross said, “that’s the reward.
    “We’re in it for the giggles.”
    Teenagers and retirees interested in volunteering for the event should call the museum at 742-6780.  
    Princesses and Superheroes Day runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 22 at the Schoolhouse Children’s Museum & Learning Center, 129 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach.
    Tickets: $10 or $7 for members. Info: 742-6780; www.schoolhousemuseum.org

A most unusual egg hunt
    The Easter Egg Hunt at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens is going to take on a surreal feeling when egg hunters and their parents discover Sophie Ryder’s giant bunny sculptures resting in the garden.
    Children will hunt for hidden eggs among the 2 acres of sculptures, ponds, palms and native plants. To make sure everyone has fun, hunters will be separated into three age groups: 3 and younger, 4 to 6 years and 7 to 10 years. In each age group, there is one distinct hidden egg with a special prize inside.
    The gardens contain more than 250 rare palm species, as well as cycads and unusual tropical flora, and have one of the largest public plant collections in Florida. Carefully positioned among this wealth of plants are Ann Norton’s sculptures, monolithic stone pieces created by London artist Sophie Ryder.
    Ryder, 54, studied painting and combined arts at the Royal Academy of Arts, where she began to create a world full of mystical creatures, animals and hybrid beings. She says she sculpts the world as she would like it to be.
    Like Norton, “working big” is part of her craft, and like Norton, she’s a diminutive woman dwarfed by her pieces. Rising is more than 13 feet tall and The Kiss is 19. Six other pieces are positioned in the gardens. Eight smaller works are on display in the studio.
    Also on display in tribute to Norton’s dedication to preservation and conservation are Todd McGrain’s sculptures of extinct birds.
    Norton planned the garden to serve as a quiet retreat for humans, a respite for migrating birds and a home for native wildlife. McGrain’s exhibition spotlights the loss of bird species due to environmental changes and includes five bronze sculptures of extinct North American birds.
    While children seek secreted eggs, adults can enjoy lemonade in the garden. A visit from the Easter bunny is planned.
    The Easter Egg Hunt will begin at 10 a.m. April 15 at Ann Norton Sculpture Gardens, 2051 Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach. Tickets: $15 adults, $10 for ages 65 and older, $7 for students, and free for children younger than 5. Tickets must be purchased in advance.
 Parking is at Palm Beach Day Academy, 1901 S. Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach.
 Info: 832-5328 or www.ansg.org.

Students at FAU’s Karen Slattery Educational Research Center for Child Development celebrated Pi Day

on March 14 outside the university’s Social Science Building on the Boca Raton campus. Why March 14?

Because pi is 3.14. Here, Dean Elmaleh puts a pie in the face of Koray Karabina, an assistant professor

in FAU’s department of mathematical sciences.

Photo provided

The Advent Gators competed in the Lutheran Basketball Association’s national tournament in Valparaiso, Ind.,

after finishing the season 13-5 and placing second in the state tournament. Members are (l-r) first row:

Brian Blackmon, Oxo Schreiber, Omar Williams, Kyle Martin, Greg Kovacs, Cooper Franklin.

Second row: Coach Dave Franklin, Jeremiah Martin, Joseph England, Bryson Leidy, Coach Dusty Pflugner and Ryan Horton.

Photo provided

Cats don’t have a sense of humor but can be quite hilarious to watch.

Photo provided

By Arden Moore

    If you share your home with a dog or a cat, I’m wagering that your pet’s antics pop a smile on your face at least once a day. In fact, pick a day and count how many times your pet makes you grin, chuckle and even unleash a full belly laugh. I bet your pets make you laugh more than your spouse, kids or best friend.
    Admit it (I will) that those short videos posted on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube that make you laugh until you nearly cry always seem to feature a dog, cat or other pet doing something goofy and unexpected.
    Pets don’t aspire to be standup (on all four legs) comedians. Their needs are simple and sincere: All they want is healthy chow, a comfy bed and a big heaping of our love.
    So, if you are in a snit over bumper-to-bumper traffic, bored by leftovers lingering in your fridge or stressed by work projects, head over to the Palm Beach Improv in West Palm Beach on April 9 to take in the comedy act of rising star Adam Ferrara.
    Yep, he is “that guy” who has appeared on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon, earned two nominations for best male standup by the American Comedy Awards and has appeared on many television shows, including NBC’s Law & Order, ABC’s Ugly Betty and starred opposite Denis Leary in ABC’s The Job.
    Not sure if Ferrara will work pets into his routine that night, or if there may be a surprise onstage appearance by a four-legger, but he earns my applause for making this a special night for shelter animals. That’s because the Lowe’s I Promise To Care Foundation officials are sponsoring Ferrara’s time at the mic and will be giving 50 percent of all ticket sales to the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League.
     In any given month, this West Palm Beach-based shelter strives to find forever homes for 700 dogs and cats under their care.
    “We are always appreciative of any group offering to conduct a fundraiser for us and we are grateful to be chosen by Lowe’s I Promise To Care Foundation,” says Rich Anderson, executive director of the Rescue League. “We expect a great turnout.”
    Countless studies confirm that pets do a body good, by elevating our feel-good hormones, lowering our blood pressure and even reducing cholesterol. And, who needs Prozac to restore a healthy mindset when you’re blessed to have a purring cat on your lap or a fun-looking dog begging you to toss that ball across the living room just one more time?
    “We say there is never a dull day at Peggy Adams because we have natural entertainment value of hundreds of animals here,” Anderson says. “If you are feeling a little stressed, the opportunity is here to spend time with our dogs and cats, who are instant stress relievers.”
    Inside Anderson’s home are a pair of Chihuahua-Yorkshire terrier mix siblings named Rex and Roxie. He adopted them when they were abandoned as litter mates nearly 10 years ago and every day since, the doggy duo keeps smiles on the faces of Anderson and his family.
    “We affectionately call Roxie the spaz because she is a very hyper little dog who loves to harass her bigger brother, Rex, who puts up with her,” says Anderson. “And, for some odd reason, Rex loves to howl at train horns — nothing else. I love my goofy pets.”
    So do I. When I teach my pet first-aid classes, my orange tabby Casey draws chuckles from students each time he dives headfirst into my partially opened first-aid kit bag to grab the bag of treats and dash behind my podium. He acts as if we can’t hear him crunching his stash of treats.
    And my Jack Russell terrier mix Kona loves to perform. Sometimes she gets wobbly legged when she does a series of body spins too quickly. She plops on the floor and recovers by leaping into my arms and showering my face with kisses.
    There is no question that pets keep you happier and healthier. And laughter is good medicine, especially when the source is an ever-loyal canine or feline.
    
Got a funny story, video or photo of your pet tickling your funny bone? Share on our site, www.thecoastalstar.com. Just click on Talk, Videos or Photos.

    Arden Moore, founder of www.FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on www.PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.

The Elegant Mouse,
by Brian Biggane;
Coastal Star Books, 80 pp, $19.95

By Steve Pike
    
    Except for one season on the old PGA Tour (1954), Bob Toski was an average player. But Toski’s golfing life, which spans some 85 years and counting, is far from average, as we discover in Brian Biggane’s new book, The Elegant Mouse: The Bob Toski Story, which details the life and times of one of golf’s great teachers and gentlemen.
    Biggane details Toski’s path from hitting balls as a youngster at Northampton Country Club in Haydenville, Mass. (he was one of nine children, whose mother died when he was 5) to the World Golf Teachers Hall of Fame (1990) and the PGA Golf Professional Hall of Fame (2013).
    Along the way Toski, who lives in Boca Raton, competed and traveled in the early days of the PGA Tour with the likes of Ben Hogan, Sam Snead and, later on, a swashbuckling young player from Latrobe, Pa., named Arnold Palmer.
    Nicknamed “the Mouse” by Snead because of his 5-foot-7-inch, 118-pound frame, Toski took home his biggest check  — $50,000 — for winning the 1954 World Championship of Golf.
    “He was a good player, but for a very short time,” said Biggane, a retired 35-year veteran of The Palm Beach Post.
    The Elegant Mouse is full of stories and pictures of Toski’s days competing and socializing with golf’s elite. As much as the book is a look into the life of one of golf’s most important figures of the past 65 years, it also shines a light on a long-lost era of American sporting life.
    Golf insiders will love the book for Biggane’s painstaking research into Toski’s career as an average PGA Tour player (five victories in 19 seasons) and for some 60 years as one of the world’s most famous golf instructors. Toski, it can be argued, was golf’s first superstar instructor — a man who paved the way for the likes of David Leadbetter, Butch Harmon and Hank Haney.
    In the book’s foreword, the legendary Jack Nicklaus (a North Palm Beach resident) tells of how Toski — born Robert John Algustoski in 1926 — reminds him of his fabled coach, Jack Grout. Each, the Golden Bear writes, “pounded away’’ at the fundamentals of the game.
    Among Toski’s students: a child prodigy named Judy Torluemke. As Judy Rankin, her married name, she became one of the best and classiest players of all time.
    “I was his first successful student,” Rankin told Biggane. “And there have been a lot since.”
    Toski also is credited with bringing to the U.S. a young British golf instructor named Martin Hall, whom he helped get a job at St. Andrews Country Club in Boca Raton. Hall now is one of the game’s leading instructors, a fixture on The Golf Channel and director of instruction at The Club at Ibis in West Palm Beach.
    “Bob worked with thousands of people across the country and around the world,” Biggane said. “Most people who know something about golf know a little bit about Bob. But most of them don’t know his big story.”
    After reading The Elegant Mouse, they’ll know Toski’s big story and, more important, they’ll know the man who helped shape golf as we know it today.

For sale locally at Gulfstream Pharmacy in Briny Breezes.

Order online at www.bobtoskibooks.com.

Michael Wood holds the 51.5-pound kingfish he caught using a live goggle-eye off Jupiter last yearto win heaviest fish in both the Sail Inn KDW tournament and the Lantana Fishing Derby. Both events were held on May 15.

Photo provided

By Willie Howard

    With the warming water and generally calmer seas of spring and summer come a series of ocean fishing tournaments targeting kingfish, dolphin and wahoo.
    Most of the tournaments benefit charitable causes and give friends and family members a chance to fish together in hopes of catching a big one — and, if they’re lucky, taking home a check.
    To be sure, there are some big fish in the Atlantic waters off South Florida.
    The Bootleggers fishing team rocked last year’s tournament scene and won $10,000 with an 86-pound wahoo caught May 21 in the Downtown Showdown KDW tournament based in West Palm Beach.
    This year’s KDW tournament season kicks off April 15 with the Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament and Firehouse Chili Cookoff based at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, followed by the Lantana Fishing Derby on April 29.
    Fishing teams usually start planning their KDW season in the late winter or early spring. Most tournaments offer discounts for early entry.
    Here’s a list of ocean fishing tournaments coming up in Palm Beach and northern Broward counties:
    April 15: Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament and Firehouse Chili Cookoff based at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park, Boynton Beach. Captain’s meeting 5 p.m. April 13 at Bru’s Room Sports Grill near the Boynton Beach Mall. Entry fee $250 per boat by April 8 or $300 thereafter. Call 252-0769 or www.boyntonbeachfirefighters.com.
    April 22: St. Clare Catholic School family fishing tournament for kingfish, dolphin, wahoo and snapper based at Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. April 21 at Sailfish Marina. Entry fee $200 per boat by April 3 or $275 thereafter. Call 622-7171 or www.stclareschool.com.
    April 29: Lantana Fishing Derby. Weigh-in at the Old Key Lime House restaurant on Ocean Avenue, Lantana. Captain’s party 6 p.m. April 27 at the Lantana Recreation Center, 418 S. Dixie Highway. Awards party April 30 at the recreation center. Entry fee $200 per boat by April 15 or $250 thereafter. Call 585-8664 or www.Lantanafishingderby.com.
    May 6: Sail Inn KDW tournament based at Boynton Harbor Marina. Captain’s meeting 5 p.m. May 4 at Sail Inn Tavern, 657 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach. Entry fee $200 per boat by April 15 or $250 thereafter. Call 276-5147 or www.sailinnkdw.com.
    May 6: Anglers for Autism tournament featuring inshore and offshore divisions. Entry fee for offshore KDW event $400 per boat. Inshore catch-photo-release tournament for snook, redfish, sea trout and jack crevalle. Inshore entry $250. Weigh stations at Square Grouper in Jupiter and Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores. Details: www.anglers4autism.com.
    May 13-14: Pompano Beach Fishing Rodeo. Kickoff party and captain’s meeting 5 p.m. May 11 at Alsdorf Park Boat Ramp in Pompano Beach. Fishing out of Hillsboro Inlet. Weigh-ins at Alsdorf Park. Awards party May 15. Early entry fee $400 per boat by May 6, $500 thereafter. Call 954-942-4513 or www.pompanofishingrodeo.com.
    May 13: Grand Slam KDW. Weigh-in stations at Square Grouper in Jupiter and Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores. Captain’s meeting May 12 at Riverwalk Events Plaza in Jupiter. Details: www.fishgrandslamkdw.com.
    May 20: Downtown Showdown KDW tournament and Seafood Festival based at the city docks on Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. May 18. Entry fee $350 per boat. Details: www.downtownshowdownkdw.com.
    June 3: KDW Classic tournament presented by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club and based at Riviera Beach Municipal Marina. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. June 2 at Riviera Beach Marina. Entry fee $200 per boat for fishing club members or $225 for nonmembers by May 19. All entries $300 per boat after May 19. Call 832-6780 or www.kdwclassic.com.
    June 24: Lake Worth Fishing Tournament for kingfish, dolphin, wahoo and snapper. Weigh-in at Palm Beach Yacht Center in Hypoluxo. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. June 23 at Tuppen’s Marine & Tackle in Lake Worth. Awards barbecue June 25 at Dave’s Last Resort in Lake Worth. Early entry $175. Regular entry $250. Details: www.Lakeworthfishingtournament.com.
    July 8: Big Dog, Fat Cat KDW Shootout based at Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores. Pre-tournament party 7 p.m. June 27 at Sailfish Marina. Captain’s meeting July 7 at Sailfish Marina. Entry fee: $150 per boat through June 25, $200 per boat through July 2 and $250 thereafter. Details: www.bigdogfatcat.org.
    Aug. 12: Mark Gerretson Memorial Fishing Tournament in Delray Beach. Captain’s meeting 6 p.m. Aug. 10 at Hurricane Bar & Lounge, 640 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Entry fee $200 per boat. Call 927-8092 or www.mgmft.net.

Goliath grouper debate
    Goliath grouper have been the subject of much debate in recent years.
    Overfishing reduced their numbers substantially in the 1980s. The harvest and possession of goliath grouper have been prohibited in state and federal waters off Florida since 1990.
    After reports of high abundance in Florida waters in recent years, including many encounters by divers, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is taking public comments on management options for the large grouper.
    Options include the possibility of limited harvest, which could be restricted by seasons and geographical areas as well as by size and bag limits, and possibly sales of harvest tags such as those used for tarpon.
    These giants of the grouper family live as long as 40 years, possibly longer, and reach 8 feet in length and 800 pounds, according to the FWC.
    FWC commissioners are not expected to discuss management options for goliath grouper until September, possibly later.
    Meanwhile, the public can comment on management options by going to www.myfwc.com/saltwatercomments.
    To read a presentation on goliath grouper by the FWC staff, go to www.myfwc.com/commission. Select commission meetings, then click on the meeting of Feb. 8-9, 2017.

Shark numbers low
    Blacktip and spinner sharks that typically move through the shallow water along Palm Beach County beaches during the late winter were relatively scarce during February and early March.
    So says Florida Atlantic University researcher Stephen Kajiura, a biology professor who tags the sharks and often finds thousands of them moving in shallow water during aerial surveys of the South Florida coastline.
    “The numbers this year are a small fraction of what they should be, and I think it can be attributed to the warm water,” Kajiura said.
    “This year may be an indication of what is to come as global water temps continue to rise. We may no longer have the seasonal influx of blacktips each winter, or they will be in much smaller numbers.”

Coming events
    April 1: 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 for adults, $20 ages 12 to 19. Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 391-3600 or email fso-pe@cgauxboca.org.
    April 8: West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s annual yard sale featuring fishing rods, reels, lures, boating and diving gear and clothing, 7 a.m. until noon at the fishing club, 201 Fifth St., West Palm Beach. (Tax-deductible donations accepted before the sale to benefit the Palm Beach County Fishing Foundation.) Call 832-6780.
    April 22: 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. For ages 14-18, $10. Family rate for three or more people: $50. Younger than 14 free with a paid adult. Register at the door. Call 704-7440.
    April 26: Capt. George Gozdz discusses fishing for cobia and permit on wrecks and reefs at meeting of West Palm Beach Fishing Club, 7 p.m., 201 Fifth St., West Palm Beach. Free. Call 832-6780 or www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.
    
Tip of the month
    Anglers hoping to set a world fishing record, take note.
    The International Game Fish Association’s board of trustees recently approved changes to the IGFA’s angling rules and world record requirements.
    Two key changes took effect April 1.
    First, a bystander can touch or briefly hold an angler to prevent him or her from falling. But the catch is disqualified if someone holds or touches the angler “in a manner that assists them in fighting the fish or takes pressure off the angler.”
    The second change pertains to backing attached to the fishing line. The old (and often-contested) rule stated the catch would be classified under the heaviest line strength on the reel.
    The new line and backing rule states that the catch will be classified under the breaking strength of “the first 16.5 feet (5 meters) of line directly preceding the double line, leader or hook.”
    For details, go to www.igfa.org. (Click on Fish and pull down to International Angling Rules).

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

Linda Geller-Schwartz, shown here in her office, was recognized by the county chapter

of the National Organization for Women for her community service.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack
    
    Linda Geller-Schwartz has made standing up for those who can’t stand up for themselves her life’s work.
    An advocate of causes ranging from protecting victims of human trafficking to the push for equal pay for men and women, Geller-Schwartz tirelessly fights against injustice.
    “If I see something that upsets me, I have to do something about it,” she says.
    For her work in the community, including her efforts as the Florida state policy advocate for the National Council of Jewish Women, Geller-Schwartz, of Boca Raton, last month was named the recipient of the 44th annual Susan B. Anthony Feminist of the Year Award by the Palm Beach County Chapter of the National Organization for Women.
    “Linda is an advocate against every injustice — social or political — in our state,” says Arlene Ustin, president of the local NOW chapter. “She is a role model of advocacy and activism and she’s my hero.”
    Geller-Schwartz’s volunteer work on behalf of the nonprofit National Council of Jewish Women focuses on advocating for women, children and families and often overlaps with the core issues identified by NOW nationally.
    “Everyone knows that she’s at the forefront of all the issues we advocate,” Ustin said of Geller-Schwartz, who’s a member of the local NOW chapter. “You name any issue of urgency or importance and she’s not only a voice, she’s a leader.”
    That leadership, Ustin said, played a big part in Geller-Schwartz’s selection for the award, presented during the NOW chapter’s Susan B. Anthony Luncheon last month.
    As state policy advocate for the NCJW, Geller-Schwartz often teams with leaders of other organizations to persuade lawmakers to support certain issues and not support others.
 “We’re working with legislators trying to get good legislation passed and bad legislation stopped,” she says.
    Geller-Schwartz, who is married and has one son, has frequently reached out to the staffs of state lawmakers — and to lawmakers themselves — to speak in favor of voting rights and against legislation that treads on women’s reproductive rights.
Her efforts have had the most visible impact in the arena of supporting efforts to stop human trafficking in Florida, raise awareness and improve advocacy for the issue.
    As the former leader of Partner Organizations Against Sex Trafficking, and as an advisory board member for 1HTC, a Southeast Florida anti-human trafficking consortium, Geller-Schwartz has worked to get legislation passed that requires the posting of the human trafficking hotline number in public places. That number is 888-373-7888.
    Geller-Schwartz, who did not wish to share her age, has advocated for education in schools about the human trafficking problem in the state.
    While contacting legislators is a big part of Geller-Schwartz’s advocacy efforts, so is communicating with others and encouraging them to write letters or otherwise show their support of causes.
    She writes an electronic newsletter, distributed to other members of the National Council of Jewish Women in Florida, keeping them informed on important issues in Tallahassee and Washington.
    For Geller-Schwartz, who has a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Toronto, working on behalf of the rights of women and children has been an important part of her life.  
    Before moving to Florida two decades ago, she was director general of the Women’s Bureau in the federal Department of Labor in Canada, and a senior policy adviser in the government.  
    In Palm Beach County, she served as an adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University in the Women’s Studies Center and the Department of Sociology until her retirement.
    “It’s been in different roles, but the issue of equality has always been central in my life,” she says. “We’ll all be better off in a society where equal rights are available to everyone.”

By Jane Smith
    
    South County election mavens will be watching the role mail-in ballots play in this month’s municipal elections.
    Some groups have learned how to win local elections by asking voters to use mail-in ballots and collecting them, saving voters the postage cost.
    Previously called absentee ballots, the mail-in ballots were the deciding factor in three South County municipal races in the past 10 years.
    Last year, in the Boynton Beach City Commission Seat 3 race, incumbent Mike Fitzpatrick thought he was headed to a runoff election. Then, after mail-in ballots were counted, newcomer Christina Romelus was the winner.
    In 2015, Gail Adams Aaskov won her Ocean Ridge commission seat despite having the fewest in-person votes on Election Day. She had the highest mail-in votes at 35, making her the top vote-getter and knocking out challenger Ed Brookes. Geoff Pugh was second and secured the other open commission seat.
    Al Jacquet won his 2014 Delray Beach City Commission seat by setting a record of the most mail-in votes by a commission candidate. He bested challenger Chris Davey, who had more in-person votes.
    “Jacquet put a huge amount of time into the Haitian-American community,” Davey said. “It’s not unusual for a candidate to target a racial or an ethnic group they belong to.”
    Born in St. Martin, Jacquet moved to Delray Beach when he was 10. He went on to become a lawyer and sit on the city’s Planning and Zoning Board. During his commission election in 2012, he won at the polls and was the leader in mail-in ballots at 318. Two years later, he collected nearly triple that number, but his votes at the polls trailed Davey’s by 429.
     “I absolutely thought I would win when the poll results were counted,” said Davey, a real estate broker who has served on the city’s Planning and Zoning Board. “Most prognosticators said I won. … The absentee ballot count came in late that evening.”
    Jacquet won the seat by 265 votes. He could not be reached to explain how he pulled off the stunning victory.
    At the first City Commission meeting last September, Jacquet spoke out against allegations of voter fraud in his August win to be state representative. Nearly half of his votes were mail-ins.
    His opponents raised questions about voter fraud in the Haitian-American neighborhoods in Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. The questions prompted Palm Beach County Sheriff’s deputies to show up at the doors of Haitian-American residents in Delray Beach, Jacquet said.
    “Black folks are voting too much, something must be wrong,” he said sarcastically.
    Davey said the signatures on the absentee ballot envelopes cannot be compared to the ones on the voter registration card during a challenge.
    But Susan Bucher, Palm Beach County supervisor of elections, said they can be compared, but her office has to charge for staff time to do it. The first 30 minutes is free, but any ballot envelopes reviewed over that time would be charged $100 per hour, she said.
    Vote by mail now accounts for one-third of how ballots are cast in general elections, Bucher said. The other two methods are early voting or in-person voting on Election Day.
    Cities and towns have opted out of early voting, Bucher said.
    The vote-by-mail application is valid for two general election cycles or four years.
    Condo dwellers, church groups and Haitian-American voters use the vote-by-mail option more frequently, Bucher said. The candidates go door-to-door asking for the person’s vote, she said. The ballots have to be returned to the main elections office by 7 p.m. on Election Day, according to state law. Branch offices close at 5 p.m. on Election Day.
    By state law, a person collecting ballots cannot be paid. That law was enacted in 1998 in Florida. Before then, ballot brokering was popular.
    Collecting the ballots saves the voter postage. It costs about $1.21 to mail a ballot back to her office, Bucher said.
    When Fitzpatrick ran for re-election in Boynton, he thought he would win as the incumbent or head to a runoff.
    A retired city firefighter, he spoke in his first term of the need to reform the police and fire departments’ pension plans.  The Boynton Beach Firefighters and Paramedics union then donated $1,000 to Romelus.
    Fitzpatrick also said he was part of Boynton’s Sister City delegation that went to Haiti. Romelus had promised in the summer of 2015 to be his interface with the Haitian-American community, Fitzpatrick said.
    That September, she invited Fitzpatrick to her house to hear a pitch about a home business she was running with her husband. He declined, saying his wife handles those decisions.
    The next thing he heard was that she had filed to run against him for the District 3 seat.
    Romelus, who was born in Haiti, used Jacquet as her campaign manager. Jacquet donated $250 to the Romelus election campaign.
    She sent this response via email, “I choose not to comment at this time” to a series questions about her upset victory.
    In Ocean Ridge, Brookes said Aaskov was helpful in 2011 when he first ran for the commission, taking him  around the condominiums she manages and introducing him.
    But in 2015, she was on the same slate as Brookes and Pugh. Aaskov said she was too busy to discuss her strategy then.
    “Gail is the property manager for condo associations. People who live there may not be here during the election,” said Brookes, a self-employed, furniture sales representative. “They look to Gail for info about who to vote for.
 “Snowbirds listen to one voice, it’s the easiest path.”
    Ocean Ridge has about 1,100 registered voters, enough for one precinct. Since the elections office recounts one precinct in each town, “I didn’t have to ask for a recount,” Brookes said.
    He was able to review the mail-in ballot envelopes, but they don’t indicate which candidate the voter selected.
    “If I could have had my friends understand the game, just vote for one of the three on the ballot, I could have won,” he said.
   

    Voters in Gulf Stream will elect all five members of the Town Commission on March 14. Commissioners each serve a three-year term and this is an at-large election. The top five vote getters will win the seats, with no runoffs. Once elected, the commissioners will appoint a mayor and vice mayor.

Profiles compiled by Steven J. Smith

Paul A. Lyons Jr.
(incumbent)

    Personal: 70; graduate of Georgetown University with a B.S. in business administration; resident of Gulf Stream for 13 years; married, two children, five grandchildren.

    Professional: Financial services specialist working 16 years with Irving Trust Co., five years with Mitsubishi Trust & Banking; participated in private equity businesses in Denver and Vail, Colo., since 1992; retired last year.

    Political experience: Member of the Gulf Stream Town Commission since 2014; former chairman of the Gulf Stream Architectural Review and Planning Board for four years.

    Positions on issues: Selection of a new town manager; maintaining the architectural integrity of the districts within the town; focusing on a comprehensive plan regarding town infrastructure; maintaining financial oversight.

    Quote: “The town government needs to be responsive and consumer friendly to its constituents. I want people loving to come to Town Hall and feeling that any question they have is a good one and any way we can possibly help them, we will.”

Julio M. Martinez

    Personal: 57; graduate of the University of Miami with a degree in general studies; resident of Gulf Stream for 14 years; married, two children.

    Professional: Retired from medical sales position with Pfizer Pharmaceuticals in 2015 after 24 years; currently works for pharmaceutical company Depomed in its oncology division.

    Political experience: None.

    Positions on issues: Wants town government to be accountable to its citizens; streamline government.

    Quote: “I was former president of the Place Au Soleil homeowners association for four years, so I have experience as a leader. If I’m elected, I want to make sure everybody’s voice is heard. If we face challenges, I want to be sure we focus on solving them. I want to cut down on the red tape and get things accomplished in a very harmonious way. I want anyone walking into Town Hall to go in there with good thoughts.”

Scott Morgan
(incumbent)

    Personal: 59; graduate of Pennsylvania State University with a B.A. in general art/science; graduate of the Dickinson School of Law with a J.D.; resident of Gulf Stream for over 20 years; married, three children.

    Professional: Practiced law in Pennsylvania for 25 years; started Humidifirst Co., a manufacturing company in Florida, 12 years ago.

    Political experience: Mayor of Gulf Stream for the last three years; former chairman of Gulf Stream Architectural Review and Planning Board.

    Positions on issues: Improving the roads in Place au Soleil and the core town areas; enlarging an outdated Town Hall to improve service to town residents; concluding the remaining public records lawsuits; achieving a timely completion of the utilities burial project.

    Quote: “Over the last three years, I spearheaded Gulf Stream’s legal strategy that achieved significant judicial success toward concluding the onslaught of litigation filed against the town, as well as stopping the filing of new public records lawsuits. In addition, our commission has built Gulf Stream’s financial reserves up to historically high levels and can now focus on the road and building projects requested by our residents. My goal is to continue working with our residents to preserve the special quality of life that defines the town of Gulf Stream.”

Martin E. O’Boyle
    Personal: 65; Completed the 11th grade then left school to start a business and help his parents. Later obtained a G.E.D. ; Gulf Stream resident for 36 years; married, six children, 11 grandchildren.

    Professional: Owner of Commerce Group, Inc.; has been a shopping center developer for the last 48 years; has owned over 200 shopping centers in every state except Alaska, Hawaii, Montana and Wyoming.

    Political experience: Ran for Gulf Stream commission in 2014.

    Positions on issues: Concerned with the current litigation going on in town; wants to reduce the legal budget.

    Quote: “I offer a voice with a different view. My No. 1 goal is to end the unnecessary and economically wasteful and distasteful litigation that is now going on. Also, currently the town allows you to speak for three minutes. They refuse to answer questions. My next goal would be to answer those questions and when the meeting is over, to convince the commission to stay overtime if necessary and answer any and all questions that any and all residents have — and do my best to assist them. I also want to bring the legal budget down from $1 million per year to $5,000 per year. It used to be $3,400 per year. If I’m elected — and I don’t think I will be, because the civic association runs the town — all votes will be 5-0 or 4-1. They’ll be 5-0 if I think they’re doing the right thing, 4-1 if I don’t.”

Joan Orthwein
(incumbent)
    Personal: 61; graduated from the University of Missouri in Columbia with a B.S. degree in civil engineering; Gulf Stream resident for 33 years; married, three children.

    Professional: Civil engineer with York, Pa., division of manufacturing firm Borg-Warner for a year, then five years with Southwestern Bell. Retired in 1984.

    Political experience: 20 years as Gulf Stream town commissioner; also served as head of the Architectural Review Board. Past mayor.

    Positions on issues: Focused on the completion of the utilities burial project; overseeing the timely management of public records requests; replacing the town manager.

    Quote: “I think everything is running well in Gulf Stream. If reelected, my focus will be on keeping Gulf Stream great as the well-rounded, beautiful town it is. We have a great community and a great community sense. We have a wonderful mix of older and younger people and we want to keep it that way.”

Thomas Stanley

(incumbent)
    Personal: 39; graduate of Princeton with a B.A. in history; J.D. degree from Florida State University; resident of Gulf Stream for seven years; married, no children.

    Professional: Attorney specializing in trusts, estates and real estate with the law firm MacMillan and Stanley since 2002.

    Political experience: Town commissioner from 2012-present; member of the Gulf Stream Architectural Review Board for one year (2012); served on the Delray Beach Historic Preservation Board from 2007-2012. Currently vice mayor.

    Positions on issues: Improving infrastructure and public works projects; continuing to protect the town and its employees from frivolous public records lawsuits; supporting the town and its districts in their needs relating to neighboring development.
Quote: “The biggest thing looking forward is to continue working on a long- range plan for a phased repair and replacement of our water system. We’ve been bogged down with other issues and I’m really interested in turning our attention to infrastructure improvements — especially the water system.”

Donna S. White

(incumbent)
    Personal: 69; graduated from Catholic University with degrees in psychology and English; Gulf Stream resident for 15 years; widow; two children, two stepchildren.

    Professional: Office manager for McDonnell Douglas Aircraft Corp. for five years; purchasing agent then assistant manager for EMBRAE Air; currently retired.

    Political experience: Town commissioner from 2013-present; Architectural Review and Planning Board member from 2006-2010. Also a current board member of the of the Place Au Soleil homeowners association.

    Positions on issues: Concerned with potentially invasive redevelopment plans Gunther Volvo has in town; achieving a timely completion of the utilities burial project; renovation of Town Hall and hiring additional in-house staff for currently outsourced work.

    Quote: “I want to continue to generate a sense of respect and cooperation between Place Au Soleil, the barrier island, the town staff and the Police Department. We’re all one town, working for the common good of everyone. Positive solutions are based on positive communication.”