The old Mercy Center is demolished next to the new one (right).

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Janis Fontaine

    It’s a new era at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church and School in Boca Raton, where the old Mercy Center, built in 1989, has been replaced with a new one. A formal blessing and dedication is being planned for mid-March.
    The church’s timeline began in December 1956, when the first Mass was held in Domina C. Jalbert’s Aerological Laboratories off 20th Street in Boca Raton.
    In 1960, the founding members funded and built a provisional church and the school’s first classrooms just a few blocks off Dixie Highway in central Boca Raton. The new, permanent church was completed in December 1988. A few months later, the construction began that renovated the provisional church into a parish social center — what became the Mercy Center.
    But the church, with more than 3,600 member families, outgrew the Mercy Center. The development committee first considered expanding the old Mercy Center by adding a second floor, but the building couldn’t support it. To make way for a center that would meet the needs of the church, the old center had to be torn down.
    In December, the Mercy Center was demolished with St. Joan’s new, modern Mercy Center ready. For health and safety reasons, the heavy machinery and demolition crews cleared the land while the 500-plus children who attend St. Joan of Arc School were on Christmas break.
    But seeing the building hauled away as rubble was bittersweet for some parishioners who had seen the church grow over the last 60 years. To help with the transition, the original stained glass windows, a prominent exterior cross, and an Art Deco figure of St. Joan of Arc all became important parts of the new center.  
    Msgr. Michael McGraw offered encouragement to the parish in the church bulletin in November: “Looking past the stained glass windows at the new Mercy Center you can imagine the bright future that we have in front of us, and the wonderful growth that will follow for our parish, ministries and community.”
    Development and Stewardship Ministry Director Wendy Horton says the stained glass windows are better displayed in the new building. The church hired stained glass experts to remove, preserve and reframe the windows for their new home flanking the doorway into the auditorium at the new Mercy Center. Light pours into the new building and through the windows’ red and yellow panes to light the room with warmth and energy.    
    The $5.5 million, 20,200-square-foot building has clean lines and modern design. There’s a catering kitchen, a huge auditorium with a stage, plenty of room for socializing, classrooms and meeting rooms for Bible study and rehearsal space for the drama, dance and music programs.
    Double-bookings of meeting rooms will be a thing of the past, Horton laughs.
    The new building has the same footprint as the old, Horton said. The land that is left vacant by the old Mercy Center will become a playground and sports fields for both children and adults.  
    Horton hasn’t had time to consider what her next project will be, “but there’s always something to be done.”
    “We’re very excited after all this time that (the new Mercy Center) is finally complete,” Horton said. “Everyone will benefit.”
    St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church & School is at 370 SW Third St., Boca Raton. For more information, call 392-0007 or 952-2838; www.stjoan.org.

    Interfaith Dialogues — On Feb. 7 and March 14, the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, 141 S. County Road, Palm Beach, will be the site of interfaith panel discussions. Panelists include C.B. Hanif, a Muslim and former editorial writer for The Palm Beach Post; Tom O’Brien, from the Episcopal Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea, and Rabbi Howard Shapiro, rabbi emeritus of Temple Israel. The discussions are hosted by the Palm Beach Fellowship of Christians and Jews. Topics: “Different Ways Jews, Muslims and Christians Read Their Sacred Scriptures” (Feb. 7); and “The Meaning of Israel to Jews, Christians and Muslims” (March 14).
    Admission is free for fellowship members; $10 for nonmembers. Get a series pass for $20 in advance. 833-6150; www.palmbeachfellowship.net.
                                
    Music at St. Paul’s takes place at 3 p.m. Feb. 5, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. It features Gareth Johnson on violin and Tao Lin, piano, performing music of Beethoven, Ysaye and others. $15 adults, $5 students. $20 for preferred seating available. Call 276-4541.
                                
    The Club Singers perform at 3 p.m. Feb. 19 at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach, 33 Gleason St. This all-volunteer, nonprofit organization of talented singers gives back to the community by providing scholarships and donations to worthy students. Free will offering benefits the scholarship fund. For information, call 276-6338.
                                
    St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church Parish Festival will be Feb. 24-26 at the church, 840 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach. Carnival rides and games, raffles, live entertainment on two stages, a fish fry on Friday and flea market. Admission is free but for $10 you can get in early at 3 p.m. Feb. 24. For info, call 276-6892 or visit www.stvincentferrer.com.

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

Pat Boden lives in Highland Beach and trained on the A1A path.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O'Connor

   As he drank his coffee every morning in October, John Boden could track his wife, Pat, as she made steady progress across the back roads of northern Spain. She was wearing a GPS device that posted her whereabouts on a computer tracking map.
    She was roughly 2,000 miles east of their Highland Beach condominium on the Atlantic Ocean, heading to a place on the northwestern coast of Spain: “Finisterre,” the end of the Earth.
    Pat Boden, 73, and five companions walked 490 miles in 34 days on the Camino de Santiago, the Way of St. James.
    “I still can’t believe I did it,” she says, looking through a pile of guidebooks and maps and a photo of her in her floppy blue hat. If John Boden had been able to zoom in close enough, he might have seen that spot of blue bobbing along the Camino.
    Pat Boden became fascinated with the Camino after watching The Way, a movie starring Martin Sheen as a grieving father who walks the Camino after the death of his son. She watched it again, and then a third time. She got busy researching the trip.
    The Bodens have been all over the world, to Egypt and Turkey, to China and even Spain on a previous trip. But John Boden decided that walking 490 miles was not to his taste.
    Through a travel service, Patricia Boden joined a group of five strangers with the same fascination and started her training. To allay her husband’s worries, she wore the GPS device. She also texted him daily.
    After Jesus’ resurrection, believers say, he instructed his disciples to preach the gospel to the ends of the Earth. That’s where St. James (Santiago in Spanish) ended up, at Finisterre, the end of the known world at that time.
    Remains thought to be those of St. James were discovered there in the 11th century and the church of Santiago de Compostela was built, 30 miles inland from the Atlantic. Trodden by peregrinos (pilgrims) for a thousand years, the Way of St. James, like the roads to Rome and Jerusalem, became one of the most holy pilgrimages for Roman Catholics.
    Pat Boden had no way to prepare for walking in mountains as high as 5,000 feet, sometimes steeply up, other times down. The highest local elevation she had was the Linton Avenue bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway near her home.
    “I trained during the summer in the wicked heat, walking the sidewalks of Highland Beach, Boca and Delray Beach,” she said.
    “My husband didn’t take me seriously until I bought the plane ticket.”
    The Camino trip was broken down into daily sections of 10 to 15 miles a day, ending in a private room in an inn each night. The pilgrims’ luggage preceded them in a van, so they carried only what they needed for the day. Some days they ate meals or snacks on the road, some days the tour company cooked hot lunches for them on propane stoves.
    “To me, at this stage of life, it was perfect,” said Boden. “In the old days, the pilgrims had to walk home, so it was double the distance. A lot of them died.”
 
Making friends of strangers
    One man in Boden’s group walked so fast — 3.72 miles an hour —that he was already showered and waiting to greet the rest when they arrived at their inn each day.
    “We just bonded so well, we laughed so much,” Boden said. “The people really made it for me.”
    Though she had not embarked on the Camino for religious reasons, she had her share of transcendent experiences.
    “We came to that great big hill with the big tall cross on it. It’s the highest place on the trip,” she recalled. “You bring a rock with you from home and you are supposed to leave your problems and cares, and pray for anyone who’s sick.
    “I didn’t think I was doing the walk for any [spiritual] reason, but a lot of friends had said, don’t forget me when you’re there. And I was giving thanks for my friend Brenda, who had a cancer on her spine that just went away two years ago. The doctors couldn’t see it anymore. I put down my rock and I just started crying.”
    As the pilgrims came within 62 miles of Santiago de Compostela, streams of others were converging on the same road. There are several routes, including walks from Portugal and France, and some pilgrims walk only the last 62 miles, so the small trickle of walkers became a steady stream as they closed in on their destination.
    “When the five of us got to Santiago, we all started crying,” said Boden. “Part of it was just, we made it. Part of it was seeing all those peregrinos together.”
    Boden avoided foot blisters by wearing toe socks under regular socks. One companion had blisters covering the soles of both feet, which had to be drained and bandaged. She never complained.
    “You’d ask her how she was doing and she would say, oh, fine. I said to myself, I’m through complaining.”
    By the time they reached the outskirts of Santiago, Boden had developed painful shin splints.
    “I was near tears. The others said, you don’t have to walk the rest of the way. But I said, I don’t care if I have to crawl on my knees.”
    And she didn’t complain.
    She also decided to go back to church. As it happens, she lives within walking distance of St. Lucy Catholic Church in Highland Beach.
    “Every Sunday, I could make up a reason not to go,” she said. “But for some reason, God put me across from that church, so now I go every Sunday.”
    Boden is already planning to walk the Way again, this time north from Lisbon, Portugal. Her sister, as well as the woman with the blisters, are planning to join her.
    “When you’re there, you don’t have any worries in the world,” said Boden. “We didn’t have to worry about anything. It’s just you yourself, nature and your friends.”

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

By Christine Davis

    Bill Russell, chief executive officer and a founder of The Treatment Center of the Palm Beaches, retired in December. Anthony “Tony” Foster, the center’s chief operating officer since 2015, was named interim CEO.
    Also in December, the center made a $25,000 donation to Palm Beach County Fire Rescue for the purchase of naxolone, an emergency-use medication that can block the effects of opioids and rapidly reverse an overdose. The donation covers the cost of more than 700 doses of naxolone, which is approximately a three- to four-month supply.
    In Palm Beach County, more than 375 people overdosed and died from opioids between January and September 2016, already surpassing the previous year’s total drug overdose deaths.
    “With this donation, The Treatment Center is taking our efforts to help individuals and our community overcome the battle of addiction a step further. We recognize the scope and magnitude of this public health epidemic, especially now in this time of crisis, and we will continue to do more to restore hope for the still suffering families and those affected by the disease of addiction,” said The Treatment Center shareholder and recovery advocate Laura Laramee, a Delray Beach resident.
                                
    Lifespace Communities, a not-for-profit operator of continuing care retirement communities, named Kevin Knopf as its new regional director of operations. He will be responsible for leadership, strategic planning and day-to-day operations for the five Lifespace communities in Florida: Abbey Delray, Abbey Delray South and Harbour’s Edge in Delray Beach; The Waterford in Juno Beach; and Village on the Green in Longwood.
                                
    Under the leadership of Bethesda Health’s interventional cardiologist Dr. George Daniel,  doctors at Bethesda Heart Hospital and Bethesda’s Research Center, in conjunction with the Research Physicians Alliance, are studying a treatment to end chronic heart failure through a national clinical trial called DREAM-HF-1.
    The treatment involves harvesting stem cells from healthy matching donors, and later injecting them into the heart muscles of study participants via a catheterization procedure, followed by periodic evaluations with the study team. Post-procedure visits last approximately 24 months and are conducted via office visits and phone interviews.
    For potential study participants to find out more, they should check with their doctors to see if they may be eligible, and call the Bethesda Health Research Center at 374-5020.
                                
    Amanda Murphy was promoted to dean of the Bethesda College of Health Sciences and director of the Education Resource Center. With Bethesda for the past seven years, she previously served as a clinical nursing instructor.

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

A father and son take in the peacefulness of the Cypress Swamp.

Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Baton Rouge, a lichen, grows where the air quality is good.

Spider lilies are among the varied flora in the national refuge.

Purple beautyberry offers a spot of color to boardwalk visitors.

A pileated woodpecker drills on one of the swamp’s tree trunks.

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

    The Cypress Swamp in Boynton Beach may be one of our area’s best kept secrets.
    “People don’t seem to know we are out here,” says Bruce Rosenberg, a volunteer at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, where the swamp is located.
    And that’s too bad, because as you walk through the swamp on a 0.4-mile boardwalk, you discover what’s special about this unique ecosystem that used to stretch from Fort Lauderdale north past Lake Okeechobee.
    “Today there are only about 500 acres of swamp left, but what’s here is an environmental jewel,” says Rosenberg, who is an encyclopedia of information about the flora and fauna.
    He points out the trees that tower overhead and filter the light. These pond cypress and bald cypress are at home with their feet and knees in the water. But this time of year they look like they are on dry land.
    Don’t be fooled, says our guide as he explains that October to May is the dry season when the water is stored in layers of peat and muck lying atop an underground base of limestone.
    Notice one large specimen bordering the walkway has striations in its trunk. These are markings of a resident bobcat that uses the tree for honing his claws so he can hunt for raccoons and possums. Take a look on the railing lining the walk and you may find some of his scat.
    Overhead, hanging Spanish moss adds a bit of intrigue to the trees. The Seminoles used the moss as blankets when nights got chilly, Rosenberg tells us.
    On other trees you’ll notice small ferns that may be brown or green depending upon when you visit. This is the resurrection fern that can live for 100 years without water. When it’s dry, the plant looks desiccated and gray but when it detects moisture, it turns bright green.
    There are 11 species of ferns in the swamp, including the giant leather fern that can grow to 12 feet, plus the strap fern, the Hottentot fern, the royal fern and the sword fern.
    Also look on the tree trunks for lichens. The swamp is home to five varieties, ranging from red velvety splashes of Baton Rouge to the greenish tangles that are old-man’s-beard.
    “You only get lichens growing where there’s good air quality,” says Rosenberg.
 Take a deep breath and the air does seem pure.
    But as you near the center of the swamp, you’ll notice there’s very little breeze. Rosenberg explains that the ferns and other plants block the wind and keep the air still.
    Look closely and you’ll even see flowers growing here. Blue mist flower has colorful fuzzy blooms. There also are the purple blooms of the climbing aster. And if you look up you may even see a stiff flower star orchid with its pale green flowers growing in a tree.
    When you tire of looking at what’s growing in the swamp, consider what else lives here. Dragon flies dart from plant to plant. Pileated woodpeckers find the perfect spot to drill into the saw palmettos. Eastern screech owls and great horned owls with their 5-foot wingspans have been spotted. And the air is filled with the chirping of insects and frogs.
    In fact, Cuban tree frogs are the reason you’ll see about 100 numbered lengths of white plastic pipe stuck into the muck. They trap these invasive frogs, which are being counted for a census of their population.
    Although this boardwalk is relatively short, it’s a good place to get away from civilization, and a visit may change preconceived notions you have about swamps.  
    “This is a very peaceful place,” says Rosenberg.

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley is a certified master gardener who can be reached at debhartz@att.net.

If You Go
    The Cypress Swamp is part of the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, 10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach.
    The Visitor Center is open 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. It’s closed Thanksgiving and Christmas.
    The swamp boardwalk that you enter behind the center is open daily 5 a.m. to 10 p.m.
    Entrance fee is $5 per private vehicle. If it’s not being collected at the gate, please pay in the Visitor Center. Several types of passes are available.
    For information, call 734-8303 or visit www.fws.gov/refuge/arm_loxahatchee/ or loxahatcheefriends.com.
    Volunteer Bruce Rosenberg, a self-taught ethnobotanist, offers a free swamp tour from 1:30 to 3 p.m.  Mondays and Thursdays. To find out about this and other tours, call or visit the websites. Always call before attending any event or tour to be sure it will take place as scheduled.

Gardening Tip     
“You should treat plants that you find growing in South Florida like you would mushrooms up North. Avoid eating them unless you know they are safe. Many of the plants you’ll see here are very poisonous.”
— Bruce Rosenberg, volunteer guide at the Cypress Swamp, Boynton Beach

Ocean Ridge resident Natalia Smith takes a selfie with Coco, her 3-month-old Maltipoo, a Maltese Poodle mix.

Tim ­Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Arden Moore

    Let’s be candid. Valentine’s Day dates can be hit and miss. Even if you are blessed to be with “the one,” this holiday can generate a lot of stress triggered by trying to find the right gift, making reservations at the right restaurant and coming up with the right words to describe your affection for that special person in your life.
    So, why not shift your focus on this holiday to that special four-legger in your life who showers you with love and affection 365 days a year, 24/7?
    That’s my game plan this Valentine’s Day for Cleo, my 15-year-old retired canine surf dog; Kona, my 2-year-old terrier mix; and Casey, my 2-year-old orange tabby.
    Fortunately, Palm Beach County puts out the welcome mat to pets in a variety of ways. Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate this heartfelt holiday with your pet:

    Make a splash. Weather permitting, escort your water-loving dog to the Dog and Bark Beach, 3001 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Please note that you must obtain a permit and show proof of residency before unleashing your pup to race across the shoreline.

    Dine in style. Look for dog-friendly eateries that allow your well-mannered, leashed dog to join you in patio seating. Consider places like the Hurricane Alley, 529 E. Ocean Ave., Boynton Beach, or Boston’s on the Beach, 40 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. Both restaurants feature doggy menus your canine chum will drool over.
    Unleash energy at a dog park. Treat your dog-friendly, athletic dog to a sniff-and-greet outing at a dog park where she can romp and run without a leash inside a safe enclosed park. Here are parks earning high approval ratings from the www.BringFido.com website: Canine Cove at South County Regional Park, 12551 Glades Road, Boca Raton; Lake Ida Dog Park, 1455 Lake Ida Road, Delray Beach; City Paws, 1401 Lake Ave., West Palm Beach, and F.I.N.D. Park, 211 River Park Drive, Jupiter.

    Attend a special dog event. The PetSmart stores in the county will host a “Puppy Love” event from noon to 3 p.m. on Feb. 11. Dog trainers will be available to offer tips on puppy nutrition, dental health and training. There will be drawings and photo opportunities and plenty of Valentine’s Day-themed toys and treats, according to Robin Burger, assistant store leader at the PetSmart in West Palm Beach and proud pet parent to a pair of Australian cattle dog mixes named Iviza and Pacha.

    Fetch some Fido fashion. Adorable Yorkshire terriers named Charlie and Spike serve as inspiration for a line of fashionable-yet-functional dog harnesses created by Jamie Broder. Her Boynton Beach-based company showcases the WagSwag Collection with lots of selections, including those that illuminate puppy love for Valentine’s Day. Use  the “Be Mine 20” coupon code for added savings at www.charlieandspike.com.

    Head for a pampered getaway. The Alfond Inn at Rollins College in Winter Park is offering a special puppy love package through Feb. 28 that includes a two-night stay, room service for your dog and a variety of treats and gifts at rates starting at $580. Learn more at www.thealfondinn.com. To find other pet-friendly lodgings, go to www.BringFido.com.

    Showcase your camera hound. Honor your dog or cat by booking a photo session with pet professional photographers and frame your favorite pose. Or take some silly selfies with your furry pal. For a list of pet photographers featured on Thumbtack, go to: www.thumbtack.com/fl/west-palm-beach/animal-photography/.

    Bring out the inner hunter in your tabby. Enrich the life of your indoor cat while working his brain and his muscles with food puzzle toys that he can swat and figure out how to get the tasty kibble to spill out for consumption.

    Don an apron and be a pet chef for a day. Instead of buying store-bought treats, find a healthy dog or cat cookie recipe you can make for your favorite pet. My dogs love “Marvelous Mutt Meatballs” from my book Real Food for Dogs, and Casey pumps up his purr for “Tuna Patties” from my book Fit Cat. (The recipes are below.)

    If you are fortunate to share your home — and your heart — with a pet, you will never be alone on Valentine’s Day. Your pet will be there to help you celebrate in whatever manner you choose — guaranteed.

    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.

From my Real Food for Dogs, here is the recipe for Marvelous Mutt Meatballs:

1 pound ground beef or ground turkey
2/3 cup grated cheddar cheese
2 carrots, finely chopped
1 cup bread crumbs
2 eggs, whisked
3 tablespoons tomato paste (low-sodium)
    Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Scoop out spoonfuls of the mixture and roll into mini meatballs, each about the size of a quarter. Place the meatballs on a cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Cool before serving. Serves 10 to 15 canine guests.

From my Fit Cat book, here is the recipe for Tuna Patties:

2 eggs
One 6 1/2-ounce can of water-packed tuna, drained
1 cup bread crumbs
1 teaspoon brewer’s yeast
2 tablespoons margarine

In a medium bowl, whisk eggs. Add the tuna, bread crumbs and brewer’s yeast. Blend with a wooden spoon until moistened and thoroughly mixed. Form the mixture into 6 patties. In a large skillet, melt the margarine over medium heat. Place each of the patties into the skillet. Cook each side for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden brown. Allow the patties to cool and then crumble into small pieces. Sprinkle over your cat’s kibble or put in a wide bowl. Makes 6 portions.

Daniel Diaz, resident chef for Sur La Table, teaches a Mediterranean cooking class

on a Saturday morning at the store’s Mizner Park location.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Janis Fontaine

    Daniel Diaz didn’t intend to have a career teaching cooking to kids. The culinary leader, who trained at Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts Miami in Miramar, took a part-time gig teaching cooking classes at Sur La Table in Boca Raton.
    “The enthusiasm of the kids really got to me,” Diaz said. “They had an absolute blast, and I did, too. When they offered me the full-time position as the lead chef for the cooking school, I was thrilled.”
    These classes are hands-on, interactive, and the youngsters  leave with new skills, Diaz said. Class sizes are small, usually limited to 16 students so each child gets the attention he or she needs. And where else is a gourmet meal part of the curriculum?  
    “The quality of the students blows my mind,” Diaz said. “Some of the cooking skills and knowledge the younger kids have acquired is baffling. It’s like they grew up watching the Food Network instead of Sesame Street.”
    The Sur La Table Mizner Park school offers more than 20 classes a week in all varieties of cooking and for all kinds of students, but most are geared toward adults.
    Children’s classes are usually in the form of weeklong camps during the summer and winter breaks, but a few children’s classes are scheduled on Saturdays during the school year. And most classes are separated into age groups of 8 to 12 and 13 to 17.
    For special occasions, Sur La Table offers family fun classes designed for a child and adult to cook and learn together. The classes are perfect for one-on-one bonding with parents or grandparents, Diaz said.
    Diaz says the cooking reality shows for kids on TV have driven the demand for classes, and classes do fill up quickly.  “I’m surprised how knowledgeable the kids are. They have very mature palates for their age.”
    Experts say children who get involved in cooking are more likely to try new foods and make smarter, healthier food choices.
   This is tactile, hands-on learning that engages all the senses.
    Diaz agrees. “The best thing is to see a kid come in with no skills and by the end of the week, we’re seeing real creativity and artistry.”
    Sur La Table is at 438 Plaza Real in Mizner Park, Boca Raton. For reservations, call 953-7638 or 953-7670 or email cooking113@surlatable.com.

Sur La Table classes
    Upcoming offerings include:

    Family Fun/Valentine’s Day Treats — Feb. 11. An adult and a child age 6 or older work together to make strawberry jam sweetheart tarts, old-fashioned chocolate fudge and Valentine chocolate kiss cookies.
    Kids Pasta Workshop — 10 a.m.-noon or 1-3 p.m. Feb. 20. Learn to make fresh pasta dough from scratch. For ages 8-12. $49.

Other options
    Classes offered at Publix at Polo Club Shoppes, 5050 Champion Blvd., Boca Raton, include spring break camps for youngsters ages 8-10 and 11-13.
    Both groups get an introduction to the culinary world and learn basic skills, prep and cooking methods. Camps meet in the morning or afternoon March 20-22.
    Publix is also offering a Teen Chef’s Camp at 6 p.m. March 20-22 for ages 14 and older. Teens learn advanced skills and get a sound culinary base to launch future culinary expeditions.
    For information or to register, call the Publix Aprons Cooking School at 994-4883.

Third-grader Phoebe Condon is the picture of concentration as she lines up a shot.

Ryan Fenton, a fourth-grader at Gulf Stream School, hits an iron at The Little Club range.

He has played golf for about three years.

After the practice session ends, the students gather, some holding hands,

for the quarter-mile walk back to Gulf Stream School.

Photos by Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

    As club pro Wanda Krolikowski hauled several sets of undersized clubs from the bag room at The Little Club in Gulf Stream on a recent sunny late afternoon, a cluster of children appeared in the distance, marching down the No. 4 fairway on their way to the driving range.
    Skipping, jumping and clearly excited to be outside after another long day in the classroom, the group — all students from Gulf Stream School, ranging in age from 7 to 10, first to fourth grade  — soon spread out across the range, grabbed clubs, balls and tees and launched into a range session.
    “The school actually approached me about it a couple of years ago,” Krolikowski said before fanning out to give individual instruction to each of nine junior golf wannabes. “It’s worked out great; I think even better than we expected.”

The Little Club pro Wanda Krolikowski works with first-grader Colton Ettwein.

    Many, but not all, of the students’ parents are members at The Little Club, and the youngsters say the most enjoyable part of the exercise is that they see enough improvement to encourage their parents to bring them along when they play a round.
    “This helps me a lot,” said Ryan Fenton, a 9-year-old fourth-grader who said he’s been playing about three years.
    “I practice at least three times a week, and my handicap is about a 20 on this course. I come out and play 18 (holes) with my dad.”
    Eight-year-old Phoebe Condon, a third-grader, already has set high goals for herself. Asked how good she thinks she can be, she replied, “As good as my dad. No, better than my dad.”
    That will take a while. Fenton, clearly the best of the group on this day, has enough control over a sand wedge, which he says is his favorite club, that he can flip shots toward a natural bunker about 50 yards away and almost make them stick. Many of the others swing and alternately connect and miss the balls, all of which are teed up to improve the chances of contact.
    There is plenty of banter back and forth, and much of it brings smiles to those within hearing range.
    “That tee is very unlucky,” one girl comments after several poor hits.
    “Oh my God, you should have recorded me!” another cries out to a photographer who was looking the other way.
    Gulf Stream School art director Holly Pemberton, who is the chaperone on this day, watches one of the smallest boys swing a driver and says, “It’s like the weight of the club throws his whole body backward.”
    Krolikowski had predicted some students would start losing interest after a time, and sure enough, water breaks and bathroom breaks become the norm about halfway through.
    Krolikowski said the number of students who turn out for the twice-weekly lessons depends largely on the schedules of their parents.
    “One reason some of the parents like the program is they don’t have to pick them up until 4:15, which gives them a little more time at work or whatever,” she said. “It really is a part of their after-school program, and it’s more than just playing in the playground. They come here and learn golf, so it’s more beneficial.”
    Twice a year Krolikowski puts on what she calls a “golf-a-rama,” a daylong event with several skill competitions — closest to the pin, a six-hole putting contest and a three-hole scramble — followed by a barbecue with pictures and prizes.
    “I limit it to 16 teams, which is 16 parents and 16 children, with complimentary food and drink,” Krolikowski said. “And the parents don’t have to be members. I give the Gulf Stream School top priority, and then I open it up to our members. We fill it right up and they have a great time.”
    Soon enough, Pemberton checks her watch and sees it’s time to head back. Worn out by the exercise, the students line up and trudge the quarter-mile back to campus.
    “A lot of these kids come to my summer camp, and we have Thanksgiving and Christmas camps too,” Krolikowski said. “Our junior program is growing; we had 13 at my Christmas camp and I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh.’ My main goal is to let them have fun while learning the game, and that seems to be working.”

By Willie Howard

    Boating the waters near Mar-a-Lago was restricted when then President-elect Donald Trump visited his luxurious estate in Palm Beach for the holidays during late December and early January.
    Boaters enjoying the waters near the Southern Boulevard Bridge probably noticed the orange Coast Guard boat with a machine gun mounted on the bow stationed in the Lake Worth Lagoon just west of Mar-a-Lago.
    Offshore boaters might have noticed the Coast Guard cutter in the ocean east of Mar-a-Lago.
    But it’s not clear how many boaters were aware of the three “security zones” on the water established by the Coast Guard and other law-enforcement agencies to protect Trump.
    The Coast Guard announced the zones with a press release and with postings on its Twitter and Facebook accounts. (Search for U.S. Coast Guard Southeast on Facebook and use @uscgsoutheast on Twitter.)
    The Coast Guard will not say whether the same security zones will apply whenever Trump comes to Mar-a-Lago, but it’s safe to say that some sort of boating zones are likely.
    Penalties for violating the boating security zones included a civil fine of $88,000, a criminal penalty of up to $10,000 and/or imprisonment of up to 12 years, according to the Coast Guard.
    No boaters were found in violation of the boating zones when Trump visited over the holidays, according to the Coast Guard’s District 7 public affairs office in Miami.
    “Several boaters were reminded of the security zones, but there were no repeat offenders that resulted in fines,” said Eric Woodall, a Coast Guard public affairs specialist.

Bahamas requires license, guides for flats fishing
    Anglers ages 12 and over intending to fish flats in the Bahamas for bonefish, permit and other shallow-water fish must first buy a license.
    The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism recently announced the flats fishing license requirement, effective Jan. 9.
    A “personal angler’s license” is $15 daily, $20 weekly and $30 monthly. Annual nonresident licenses cost $60. Also, a certified guide must be hired for every two anglers.
    The new regulations were called “unnecessary and counterproductive” by the Abaco Fly Fishing Guides Association.
    The regulations define “flats” as areas with 1 to 6 feet of water with habitats such as sand, mud and mangroves.
    Bonefish, permit, tarpon, snook and cobia caught on the flats must be released under the regulations.
Bahamians can keep one flats fish daily for personal consumption, but Americans and other visitors must release all fish caught on the flats, said Richard Treco, a manager with the Bahamas Ministry of Tourism office in Plantation.

    The regulations ban commercial fishing on the flats.
    Applications for a personal angler’s license must be submitted in hard copy (until an electronic processing system is established) at administrators’ offices throughout the Bahamas. For visitors, they must be stamped at the port of entry.
    Many guides and lodges are buying licenses ahead of time for their clients as a service, said Cindy Pinder, secretary of the fly fishing guides association.
    “Rollout of the licensing scheme before the online mechanism was in place was a foolhardy decision on the minister’s part,” Pinder said.
    Penalties for violating the Bahamas flats fishing regulations include fines of up to $5,000, up to three months in jail (or both), as well as possible forfeiture of boats, fishing gear and vehicles.
    For more information, go to www.Bahamas.com/fishing or call the Bahamas Tourist Office in Plantation, (954) 236-9292.

Fishing poetry contest
    South Florida fishing fans will have a chance to test their skills at writing poems based on the Delray Beach Historical Society’s Fish Tales! exhibit.
    The free poetry contest based on the popular exhibit is being organized as part of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival.
    Contest organizers suggest that contestants first visit the Fish Tales! fishing history exhibit, then write a poem of up to 30 lines for the contest, inspired by the exhibit.
    Only one poem per person will be reviewed. The deadline for submission is March 1. Winners will be announced in April.
    Prize for the best poem: $100. Four $25 prizes also will be awarded. The 10 best entries will be published online.
    For details on the poetry contest, visit: www.palmbeachpoetryfestival.org/news/fish-tales-poetry-contest/
    Winnie Edwards, the historical society’s executive director, said the Fish Tales! exhibit has attracted about 2,000 people and will remain open through late spring.
    The exhibit features more than 300 historical photos of fishing, diving and related events, along with antique rods, reels, fishing tackle and diving gear.
    It’s open 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Delray Beach Historical Society’s campus, 3 NE First St., Delray Beach.Admission is free. Donations are appreciated. 274-9578 or www.delraybeachhistory.org.

Double Take wins
Silver Sailfish Derby
    The Key Largo-based fishing team on Double Take, led by Capt. Mike Laufle, released nine sailfish to win the 80th annual Silver Sailfish Derby, a sailfish release tournament hosted Jan. 5-6 by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club.
    The Juno Beach-based fishing team on Goin’ Raptor, led by Capt. Will Sabayrac, also posted nine releases for the tournament but finished second overall based on the time of the releases.
    Capt. Jamie Ralph and his team on Pro Payroll, based in Lantana, finished third with eight releases.
    Fishing was relatively slow. Anglers on 40 boats released 153 sailfish in two days of fishing — down from 166 sailfish released by 37 boats in the 2016 Derby.
But when winter winds kicked up heavy seas a few days later, it stoked the sailfish action in the 45th Annual Gold Cup Invitational Team Fishing Tournament, held Jan. 8-12.
A record 448 sailfish were released by 21 boats in three days of fishing during this year’s Gold Cup.
Heavy seas kept most at the docks in the first day of the tournament, but on the second day 20 boats released 199 sailfish, a one-day tournament record.
Capt. Jon Brooks and his fishing team on Ditch Digger won top boat and took home the Gold Cup trophy, with 38 sailfish releases posted in three days of fishing.

Fly fishing for billfish
    Renowned billfish angler Nick Smith will speak on fly fishing for sailfish and marlin Feb. 22 at the West Palm Beach Fishing Club.
    Smith is a lifelong blue-water angler who won the fishing club’s Donald S. Leas III International Angling Trophy for numerous sailfish and marlin releases on fly during 2016.
    The free speaker meetings, held the first and fourth Wednesdays of most months, begin at 7 p.m. in the club’s headquarters at 201 Fifth St. in downtown West Palm Beach.
    At the March 1 meeting, angler Rich Vidulich will share methods and locations for catching pompano.
    For more information about the fishing club and upcoming speakers, go to www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org or call 832-6780.

Coming events
    Feb. 4: 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 adults, $20 ages 12 to 19. Register at the door. Bring lunch. 391-3600 or fso-pe@cgauxboca.org.
    Feb. 16-20: The 2017 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show will be at the Miami Marine Stadium on Rickenbacker Causeway. (Strictly Sail Miami will be held on the same dates at Miamarina at Bayside Marketplace.) Show hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Adult admission is $25 except Feb. 16, when admission is $40. For details about this year’s boat show, including tickets for the show and parking, go to www.miamiboatshow.com or call (954) 441-3220.
    Feb. 25: 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, fee is $10. Family rate for three or more people $50. Under age 14 free. Register at the door. 704-7440.

Tip of the month
    Snook season opened Feb. 1 and will remain open through May 31 along Florida’s east coast.
    Spring can be a great time to catch snook at spillways, at fishing piers, inlet jetties and from boats in the Lake Worth Lagoon.
    Snook are both beautiful and delicious, but anglers should brush up on the state’s strict snook regulations before heading out to fish for the popular silver fish with distinctive black lateral lines.
    To be legal to keep on the state’s east coast, snook must measure between 28 inches and 32 inches in total length. The daily bag limit is one snook.
    No multiple-pronged hooks may be used to take snook when fishing with live or dead bait. Spearing snook is prohibited.
    Anglers who plan to keep a snook must have a snook permit in addition to a Florida saltwater fishing license — unless they’re under age 16, Florida residents age 65 or older, or otherwise exempt from the license requirement.
    When fishing for snook, be sure to have a measuring device ready. Because so many snook are not of legal size, anglers should think ahead about how they will handle them before they’re released.
    Keep snook in the water as much as possible. For photos, ready the camera before lifting them out of the water for a few seconds — or photograph them in the water. Support snook under the belly when lifting them, and lower them gently back into the water.
    Try using non-offset circle hooks to reduce the chance of deep-hooking snook, especially when fishing with live bait. Consider flattening the hook barbs on lures used to target snook.

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

Peter and Carmel Baronoff believe in giving back to the community.

Photo provided

By Amy Woods
    
    He serves on the board of trustees for Boca Raton Regional Hospital, chairs its medical staff review committee and runs one of the largest health care companies in the United States.
    She has a background in bodybuilding, culinary arts and modeling and hosts a weekly television show about living life to the fullest. She wrote a book about it, too.
    Both their résumés are reason enough for Peter and Carmel Baronoff to win a Boca Raton Rotary Club OPAL (Outstanding People And Leaders) Award. Add in their tireless philanthropic work raising scholarship funds to send local students to college, and they define the acronym.
    Peter Baronoff, 58, a longtime Rotary member who chaired the ceremony in previous years, said news of the personal honor took him by surprise. He was having lunch with another Rotarian, thinking they were going to discuss nominees for the award’s health-and-wellness category, when the following exchange occurred.
    “He stopped me in the middle of our conversation while I was making a suggestion,” Peter Baronoff said. “Then he said, ‘Unfortunately, you couldn’t be there, but we’ve already decided who’s going to be this year’s honoree.’ And I said, ‘How can you do that to me?’ And he said, ‘Real simple: Because it is you and Carmel.’ It kind of caught me in my tracks.”
    The lunch companion, Irving Gutin, died two months later, making the moment even more poignant.
    “He was going to present Carmel and me the award,” Peter Baronoff said.
    The OPAL Award recognizes Boca Raton residents who have demonstrated a commitment to serve their community through charity efforts aimed at making the area a better place to live, work and play.
    The Baronoffs will join honorees Arthur Adler, Yvonne Boice-Zucaro and Jordan Zimmerman on Jan. 14 at the Boca West Country Club.
    “Carmel and I have always believed in giving back to the community,” Baronoff said. “We’ve been blessed with so many wonderful things in our lives. We like to help others. It’s just something that’s ingrained in us. Getting this award means we are doing the right thing.”
    Carmel Baronoff, 56, who has a degree from the Florida Culinary Institute, now the Lincoln Culinary Institute, puts it to good use.
    She frequently offers to prepare dinners for 10 as auction items and, to date, has raised $20,000 doing so. She also volunteered to cook a meal for more than 100 at another charity event.
    “Whoever calls us, we help them,” she said. “It’s a team. People get awards, but you really can’t do anything without support and help.”
    One of her most passionate causes is clothing and feeding single mothers and their children. She does so as president of St. Jude Catholic Church’s Council of Catholic Women.
    “People who do not have food and clothes in Florida is mind-blowing to me,” she said. “It’s here, and it’s right in our neighborhood. Even Mother Teresa said you don’t need to go to India to see the poor. And she was right.”

If You Go
What: Rotary Club of Boca Raton’s OPAL Awards
When: 6:30 p.m. reception, 7:30 p.m. dinner Jan. 14
Where: Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive, Boca Raton
Cost: $250
Information: Call 477-7180 or visit opalawards.com or rotarydowntownbocaraton.org

By Dan Moffett
 
    Ocean Ridge Police Chief Hal Hutchins says he’s finishing up the last details of his investigation into the Richard Lucibella incident and expects to have a report ready soon.
    “I anticipate making a recommendation to the town manager upon finalization of my review of the report, and in accordance with the town’s ordinances, in the very near future,” Hutchins said.
    Hutchins’ task got easier when Lucibella resigned as vice mayor  and essentially removed himself from the picture. The pending criminal court case against him “will not have bearing” on the town’s probe of the incident, the chief said.
    The internal review now focuses mostly on the behavior of three police officers at Lucibella’s home that night, particularly off-duty supervisor Lt. Steven Wohlfiel. Officers responding to the scene described finding him “obviously intoxicated.” Arresting officers Richard Ermeri and Nubia Plesnik complained of injuries after scuffling with the vice mayor.
    Hutchins’ report is expected to make recommendations about what disciplinary action, if any, the town should take against Wohlfiel or the other officers. Hutchins reassigned Wohlfiel to office duty for the duration of the investigation.
    Once filed, the report goes to Town Manager Jamie Titcomb who, under the town’s charter, has the authority to discipline or terminate employees, with the approval of the Town Commission. Titcomb can accept or reject the investigation’s conclusions in proposing penalties to the commission during a public meeting.
    “Once the report is completed and the legislative procedural issues are addressed,” Hutchins said, “the report will become public record as would any other document. Until then it is confidential in accordance with [Florida statute].”

Related Story: Town fires police lieutenant over Lucibella incident

By Steve Plunkett
    
    Richard Lucibella, Ocean Ridge vice mayor, resigned from office Dec. 7, the same day he was charged with a second felony connected to an Oct. 22 gathering in his back yard.
    “Due to impending litigation between the town of Ocean Ridge and myself, it would be impossible for me to effectively discharge the duties of my office,” Lucibella wrote Mayor Geoff Pugh. “I believe it is in the best interests of our town that I step down.”
    Circuit Judge Charles Burton scheduled a hearing for 8:30 a.m. Jan. 10 at the courthouse in West Palm Beach.
    Lucibella faces one count of battery on a law enforcement officer in addition to resisting an officer with violence. Both are felonies punishable by up to five years in prison. Town police also charged him with misdemeanor use of a firearm while under the influence of alcohol.
    Assistant State Attorney Danielle Grundt added the felony battery charge but decided not to take action on a misdemeanor count of discharging a firearm in public. Her filing canceled a court hearing set for Dec. 8.
    Lucibella has pleaded not guilty to all charges. His attorney, Marc Shiner, said through his assistant that he would have no further comment on the case.
    Police arrived at Lucibella’s oceanfront home that Saturday night after neighbors complained of hearing gunshots. Officers said they found the vice mayor and one of their supervisors, Lt. Steven Wohlfiel, “obviously intoxicated” on the patio. Officers say they took a .40-caliber Glock handgun from Lucibella and found five spent shell casings on the patio. Police also confiscated a semiautomatic pistol they said Lucibella had in his back pocket.
    According to police reports, when officers Richard Ermeri and Nubia Plesnik tried to block Lucibella, 63, from entering the house, he resisted. The officers wrestled him to the ground and handcuffed him. Lucibella needed treatment for facial injuries, and Ermeri and Plesnik also required medical attention, according to the reports.
    Lucibella was absent from the two Town Commission meetings after the incident, on Nov. 7 and Dec. 5. Pugh said the commission would discuss the vice mayor position and the vacant seat at its Jan. 9 meeting.
    Filling the seat temporarily seems “illogical,” Pugh said, because commissioners would have to decide to do that in January, then review names and select someone in February who would then be a voting member only for the March meeting. Lucibella’s three-year term was to expire in March.
    Through Shiner, Lucibella has claimed that he is the victim of police overreaction. He maintains officers should not have entered his backyard in the first place, and then that they used excessive force. Shiner has called for Ermeri’s firing and an investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The use of excessive force is a defense against a charge of battery on a law enforcement officer.
    Shiner was an assistant state attorney for nearly 13 years before going into private practice in 2000. Grundt began her legal career at the State Attorney’s Office in 2013.
    Police Chief Hal Hutchins reassigned Wohlfiel until completion of an internal investigation of his role in the incident. Both Lucibella and the lieutenant told police they knew nothing about shots being fired.
    Pugh said “some folks got really upset” by Lucibella’s arrest and subsequent resignation.
    “It’s not the first time we’ve had things happen that make the town look silly,” the mayor said. “Does it make the town look bad? I guess, yes.”
    Pugh said the incident also showed that Ocean Ridge “is made up of real people, and people make mistakes.”
    
Dan Moffett contributed to this story.

By Dan Moffett

    The 4th District Court of Appeal has ruled that Palm Beach County cities and towns don’t have to pay the county’s bill for running an inspector general’s office — even though their voters approved it.
    The unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel in December overturns a lower court decision and is a victory for home rule and municipal autonomy, say attorneys for a coalition of 14 municipalities that sued the county.
    “This case has always been about the legal method for funding a countywide program, not the virtue of, or the need for the program itself,” said Manalapan Town Attorney Keith Davis, who hailed the ruling as “great news” for the towns. “This is not, and never has been, about the OIG (Office of Inspector General) itself. My clients are not foes of the OIG.”
    Davis said the essence of the issue is whether the county has the right to bill municipal governments directly without negotiating a contract with the municipalities.
    In 2015, Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Catherine Brunson ruled that the county did have that power and got it when voters went to the polls in 2010 and approved a referendum establishing the OIG. The appeals court disagreed, however.
    “The court held that the voters’ original approval of the referendum did not rise to the level of creating a contract between the county and the municipalities that would allow for the billing scheme,” Davis said. “The court held that there was no waiver of sovereign immunity based on the referendum that created the OIG in the first place.”
    Inspector General John Carey said he was “deeply disappointed” by the court’s reversal, which raises questions about how his office, which has a $3 million annual budget, will find the money to keep doing work as the county’s government watchdog. Had the lower court decision been upheld, Palm Beach County’s 39 cities and towns would have had to come up with roughly $6 million by the end of 2016 to cover their share of the past and current OIG bills.
    Davis said he expects the case ultimately to wind up in the Florida Supreme Court. Besides Manalapan, the other plaintiffs in the suit are West Palm Beach, which has played the lead role in the legal fight, Gulf Stream, Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Ocean Ridge, Riviera Beach, Lake Park, Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, Tequesta, Palm Beach Shores and Mangonia Park.
    Briny Breezes Town Attorney John Skrandel applauded the appellate ruling and told his Town Council he intends to add Briny’s name to the coalition of municipalities.
    “This is a distinctly big win for the towns,” Skrandel said. “Basically 99 percent of the things the county wanted got shot down.”
    Skrandel said the referendum was overly vague about how to pay for the OIG, and county officials went too far in trying to define it.
    “They got creative here, and that’s something you never want to do,” he said. “It was a very dangerous thing the way they did it. … If a county can tax a city, that’s huge. It was a dangerous precedent to set.”
    Judge Carole Taylor, in writing for the appellate panel, said that — contrary to the lower court’s view that the voters’ will trumped the need for a contract — municipalities have the distinct power to control their budgets and decide what costs to pass on to their residents.
    “Voters may not waive a municipality’s sovereign immunity through a local referendum,” the ruling said. “In sum, we hold that the municipalities’ decision whether to budget funds for the OIG program is a discretionary decision protected by sovereign immunity.”

By Jane Smith
    
    The proposed Riverwalk project is sailing through the approval process in Boynton Beach, despite residents’ objections to its height and traffic.
    The 10-story, U-shaped apartment complex will replace the vacant Winn-Dixie shopping center at the southeast corner of Federal Highway and Woolbright Road.
    Residents on its upper floors will have views of the Atlantic Ocean along with the adjacent Intracoastal Waterway. That will allow the project to charge as much as $2,200 in monthly rent for some of its 326 units.
    The project’s land-use and zoning changes were tentatively approved at the Jan. 3 meeting by a 3-2 vote. Mayor Steven Grant and Commissioner Christina Romelus voted no.
    The second reading with  public input will be Jan. 17.
    It also will return for votes on its height exception and setback exception requests, along with its site plan approval on Jan. 17.
    Riverwalk’s owner is seeking an extra 5 feet above the 10-story limit to allow stair towers and design elements and a setback of 139 feet from Woolbright Road because a Wendy’s fast-food restaurant sits at the center’s north side.
    Attorney Michael Weiner gave the Riverwalk presentation at the Jan. 3 meeting.
    “The greater good of the city will be served to have the increased height at nodes, or activity centers,” he said.

    In late 2014, the parent company of Winn-Dixie announced plans to close some stores, including this location, which shut down in January 2015. Several months passed before the shopping center’s owner, Isram Realty of Hallandale Beach, gained control of the store space.
    At the Dec. 27 city Planning and Development board meeting, Isram’s attorney, Steven Wherry, said the Community Redevelopment Agency “approached my client about doing a mixed-use project there; my client was interested.”
    But Harry Woodworth, president of the Inlet Communities Association, said at that meeting, “The building is massive. The density can be achieved at seven stories.”
    INCA represents 10 waterfront communities in Boynton Beach.
    In July, Isram President Shaul Rikman told the CRA board members, who also sit as the City Commission, “We submitted a seven-story project and came back to the city and CRA and said we can’t make it at seven stories. … We need 10 stories to break even. They said, ‘You know what, we’re working on creating nodes (to allow taller buildings) and hold off on it until such thing passes or not.’ ”
    Isram waited, and the CRA and city came through.
    Just before the Riverwalk project was approved by the city’s Planning and Development board in December, the CRA updated the plans for its entire 1,650-acre district, which covers most of the land east of Interstate 95. Most of the updates were agreeable to the residents, such as turning Boynton Beach Boulevard into a complete street with wider sidewalks, shade trees, better lighting and benches.
    But residents opposed the height increases at several intersections and along Ocean Avenue.
    The updated plans call for a mixed-use zoning district at the Woolbright and Federal intersection, even though the three other corners were redeveloped recently. The old plan allowed up to 75 feet, or seven stories, while the new plan gives up to 100 feet, or 10 stories.
    Woodworth called the Woolbright and Federal intersection “the worst intersection in the CRA district” and urged the Planning and Development board members in December to use common sense and not just rely on traffic studies. The intersection sits just west of the Woolbright bridge that connects Boynton Beach with Ocean Ridge.
    But Wherry had already played the money card. At another advisory board meeting in July, he said the redeveloped Riverwalk would increase the city’s tax base by nearly $1.1 million annually.
    At the December meeting, Wherry was asked how parking would be monitored in front of the building. He said all residents would have stickers for their cars. “If it becomes a problem, the city will invoke a contingency that is a two-step process,” he said.
    Isram is working out the terms of how that process would work with the city attorney, Wherry said.
    “The city could survey the area and provide the developer with a 30-day notice,” he said. Then the developer could hire a valet parking company and eliminate self-parking. If it’s still a problem, the developer would have to construct rooftop parking on the building that houses a Walgreen’s and a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft store.
    He said Isram could do that without the tenants’ permission because their leases covered only the interior space, but the potential plan was discussed with both tenants.
    The city’s planning director, Mike Rumpf, said the parking question was asked of all developers.
    “The applicant must provide a plan or strategy in the event the parking projections were wrong or for some reason demand increased resulting in a shortage,” he wrote in an email.
    As to the restaurants in the center, Prime Catch owns its property and will stay.
    Wherry gave these updates for the other restaurants: Rice Fine Thai will move to the 500 Ocean project, under construction at Ocean Avenue and Federal Highway; Josie’s is deciding whether to take space in the building with Walgreen’s and Jo-Ann Fabrics or move off-site; Sushi Simon is moving out of Riverwalk; and Primo Hoagies and Bond and Smolders will be given an option to move within the redeveloped project.

Commission likely  to vote this month on city

review team’s recommendations for downtown

By Jane Smith

    The four candidates Boynton Beach is considering to work on redeveloping Town Square read like a “who’s who” of development teams in South Florida and beyond.
    Boynton Beach is seeking a developer partner to help jump-start the 16.5-acre site downtown that is home to its City Hall, police headquarters, fire station No. 1, Civic Center, Madsen Center and Arts Center. According to the city, the mixed-use development can accommodate residential, office and retail space.
    Among the notable names in the proposals are:  
    Historic preservation architect Rick Gonzalez, currently working on the Swinton Commons project in Delray Beach, is part of the Boynton Beach Town Square LLC bid. He also worked on the restoration of the Mar-a-Lago estate for President-elect Donald J. Trump.
    Another participant in this proposal is John Markey, whose firm developed two multifamily projects in the western part of Boynton Beach. The team includes Kimley-Horn, a North Carolina-based engineering design firm that does consulting work for cities throughout South Florida.
    Bill Branning, former Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency board member and board chairman of the Old School Square in Delray Beach, and his BSA Construction firm teamed with Atlantic Realty Partners and Kaplan Residential as part of the Boynton Vision LLC bid.
    Local attorney Michael Weiner, who owns the Post Office building at Seacrest Avenue and Boynton Beach Boulvard, is also a participant along with Kimley-Horn.
    The third bidder, Town Square Partners, includes Davis Camalier and William Morris, who are developing the Ocean One project in Boynton Beach. They are joined by Kaufman Lynn, the Boca Raton-based construction company that is moving its headquarters to Delray Beach; along with historic preservation planner Wes Blackman, whose firm has done work for Trump; and Chris Brown, former Delray Beach CRA director, and his Redevelopment Management Associates, which provides contract services to cities to run their CRA districts.
    The fourth team, Municipal Consolidation and Construction, is based in Washington, D.C. Its president, Frank Haney, has committed to hiring local firms to do design, engineering, surveying and legal work.
    The first round of selecting a developer partner ended Nov. 22, with four candidates made public Dec. 22. A six-member city review team will select one to four of them to move to the next round of review by Jan. 6, according to Tim Howard, assistant city manager.
    The development teams will be ranked based on a set of criteria that include: the team’s development experience with projects over 350,000 square feet, partnership experience with a government agency, the makeup and experience of the design team and experience of its architects and contractors, the team’s financing capacity, and experience with at least one public-private partnership.
    Then the full City Commission will have to approve the selections, likely at its Jan. 17 meeting, Howard said.
    The Public Library, Schoolhouse Children’s Museum and historic high school must remain at their current locations in Town Square, according to the city proposal document. Boynton Beach is open to demolishing the Civic, Madsen and Arts centers and having their uses become part of the high school building.
    A potential stumbling block to reusing the high school building was removed in early December when a judge dismissed the third-amended lawsuit against the city. The judge did not allow the Boynton Old School Partnership LLC an opportunity to amend the complaint for its plans to create an event center at the high school. The only recourse for architect Juan Contin’s firm was an appeal, but nothing was filed as of Dec. 30.
    Also in the mix is a city-owned 5.5-acre site along High Ridge Road. Boynton Beach had acquired the site for a new police headquarters building in 2004, but it is open to selling or trading the land at the intersection of Gateway Boulevard and Interstate 95.
    For the next round, the teams will have six weeks to submit renderings of the Town Square buildings and a financing plan of how the deal will be structured. The deal’s terms include amount of taxpayer dollars requested and plans for acquiring the city-owned buildings, demolishing them and replacing them with new ones that would be leased back to the city. The rental rate should account for the value of the city-owned land given to the developers, according to the city proposal document.
    The review team will spend another six weeks ranking the second-phase proposals after they are submitted. Then, the city commission will select a Town Square partner in late April or early May.
    The winning team will have 20 days to pay $100,000 to the city to set up the contracts. If no deal is reached, the money will be returned within 30 days.

Delray Beach plans to trim its sea grape trees down to 2 feet and then maintain them at 4 feet high,

except for three canopies within a 1,385-foot stretch of public beach.

Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith
    
    The topic of sea grape trimming turned into a debate of aesthetics vs. science at two City Commission meetings in December.
    “I worry about what we are doing to our sea grapes and canopies,” Commissioner Shelly Petrolia said at the first meeting.
    Commissioner Mitch Katz, who was not a member of the commission when the sea grape trimming first came up a few years ago, asked to see the year-old permits on Dec. 6. He also wanted to have the science explained about why sea grape trimming is beneficial to the Delray Beach dune system. Some Delray Beach residents like the canopies created by the sea grapes that lead to the municipal beach.
    At each meeting, the tree-trimming contract was on the consent agenda. Petrolia pulled it off for discussion at the first December meeting; the city manager pulled it off at the Dec. 13 meeting.
    At the Dec. 6 meeting, Donald Robinson, Manor House Condo Association president, spoke in support of trimming the sea grapes. The condo building sits on western side of A1A, opposite of where the sea grapes would be trimmed.
    “In the past six months, people are sleeping in there on mattresses,” he said. He also talked about finding condoms and stolen chairs from the beach concession inside the sea grapes.
    “The sea grapes are so thick and tall, that if a big storm came through, they could blow across the street and damage the Manor House,” he said. If that happens, the condo association would sue the city because it had been warned, Robinson said.
    Dune consultant Rob Barron, hired by Delray Beach to manage its coastal system, agreed. The former Delray Beach chief lifeguard said sea grapes are worse than Australian pines during a storm. Sea grapes are fast-growing and have brittle wood and shallow roots.
    The city planted 50 yards of sea grapes in the 1980s and they have expanded 330 percent, Barron said.
    “Nothing grows under them,” he said.
    The sea grapes don’t hold the sand, said Environmental Services Director John Morgan. “We need to bring in low-growing plants to keep the dune healthy.”  
    In other areas of the city’s coastline where the sea grapes were trimmed, the dune plants have thrived, making Delray Beach a model of coastal management and biodiversity.
    At the Dec. 13 commission meeting, Morgan presented a compromise. Most of the sea grapes would be trimmed to 2 feet and maintained at 4 feet, except for three canopies along a 1,385-foot stretch of the public beach. Two would be at the opposite ends and one would be in the middle near the Atlantic Avenue pavilion.
    The citywide contract with Zimmerman Tree Services costs a total of $75,000, about $35,000 of which would be for sea grape trimming, Morgan said.
    The compromise secured votes by Commissioners Petrolia and Katz.
    But Mayor Cary Glickstein worried that they were voting for how the sea grapes look and not the science behind why they should be trimmed.
    “The commission hired this expert, paid him for his opinion. … He has implemented the plan approved,” Glickstein said.
    “Then people in the community are saying this is not what we like. If we wanted that kind of opinion, we should have done a survey.”
    He didn’t like the compromise, which he called a “complete cop-out” to the science. But he voted to approve the contract to ensure the sea grape trimming would occur.
    In other business at the December meetings, the commission unanimously:
    • Agreed to pay up to $200,000 to design and rebuild the Atlantic Dunes Park pavilion that was destroyed in a suspicious fire in June.
    • Agreed to five-year deals with its service providers, formerly called nonprofits, to give them taxpayer dollars in exchange for reporting requirements of annual budgets, business plans, audits, outreach and diversity plans and the number of people served or participated in the activities. The service providers are: Delray Beach Historical Society, Sandoway Discovery Center, the Spady Museum, Achievement Centers for Children and Families, and the Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County.
    • Agreed to a 10-year lease with the Old School Square board at a nominal rent of $1 annually for the Cornell Museum, the Crest Theatre, the Field House, the pavilion and grounds. The lease requires the following reports: annual budget, annual audits, number of adults and children served in the programs, a three-year strategic plan, efforts and results of increasing diversity on its board and cooperative program efforts with other city arts organizations.
    The lease details the type of activities the city would like to see on the grounds and in the buildings. In addition, it lists who is responsible for damages. The lease can be renewed twice for 10 years each time.

Dozens of residents wore yellow in support of Yvonne Odom’s selection for interim commissioner

at the contentious Dec. 13 Delray Beach commission meeting.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

    The Delray Beach City Commission remains deadlocked over filling a seat left vacant when Vice Mayor Al Jacquet resigned Nov. 8 to take a state House seat won in the November election. It’s a temporary vacancy, however, because that commission seat will be up for grabs on the March 14 ballot.
    The commission’s disagreement has created a rift in Delray Beach. It’s led to emotionally charged City Commission meetings, a nasty mailer that criticized the mayor, an automated phone call that rebuked two city commissioners, and two court papers filed to force the city to follow its charter and hold a special election within 60 days.
    The first legal action, filed Dec. 7 by resident Kenneth MacNamee, who applied to fill Jacquet’s seat, was set aside after resident J. Reeve Bright filed a similar action on Dec. 15.  
    Bright had secured a hearing on Dec. 30. The former lawyer personally served legal documents to the city manager and city commissioners. But because of this, the judge ruled that the action could not be heard Dec. 30, saying that Bright must use a process server to hand out legal documents.
    After the documents are properly served, a new hearing will be scheduled within two days. As of press time, the hearing date hadn’t been set.
    Meanwhile, the deadlock is building walls in Delray Beach.
    “I used to think all of the negativity was just on Facebook,” resident and business owner Ryan Boylston said at the Dec. 13 commission meeting. “But in the last week, I’ve seen a mailer, I’ve heard about a robo call and I’ve seen people wearing T-shirts on a Delray Beach float (in the holiday parade) that I didn’t think were prideful of our city.”
    The people on the Garlic Fest float included former Mayor Jeff Perlman. He wrote a blog post about the Dec. 10 parade, saying he wore the T-shirt with its “Lake Worth Making Delray Nervous” wording in jest.
    “If a Garlic Fest float can anger you, I suppose you are blessed,” he wrote on the YourDelrayBoca.com website under a blog post called Teachable Moments.
    Twice the Delray Beach commissioners have voted on filling the vacant seat. They agreed the commission needed a minority representative to replace Jacquet, who is Haitian-American, but they were split on whether Josh Smith or Yvonne Odom, both African-Americans, should fill the seat temporarily.
    Odom is a retired educator. She remains active in the city’s youth athletic leagues and promised not to run in March.
    “We, the citizens of Delray, have always been able to talk it out,” she said at the Dec. 13 commission meeting.
    Most of the speakers on Dec. 6 and 13 supported her.
    Smith also attended the meetings, but he did not speak publicly. A retired school administrator, he ran unsuccessfully for the commission seat now held by Mitch Katz. He also served on the city’s code enforcement board and has filed paperwork to run for Vice Mayor Jordana Jarjura’s seat in March.
    Jarjura and Mayor Cary Glickstein supported Odom, while Commissioners Katz and Shelly Petrolia backed Smith.
    The nasty mailer was sent in early December to a select group of city voters, usually directed to the man of the house. The anonymous mailer blamed the mayor for all of the city’s problems.
    But Boylston, who is also chairman of the taxpayer-supported Downtown Development Authority, told the commissioners they all shared the blame. “The mailer had facts on it,” he said Dec. 13. “It’s all of your fault.”
    The day before that meeting, an automated call was made to some residents. The caller said she was Melanie with an important Delray Beach update. She went on to chide Katz and Petrolia “for putting politics ahead of what’s best for our community.”
    At the Dec. 13 meeting, resident Nancy MacManus said the call offended her because she believes all commissioners are working hard.
    That meeting imploded when Glickstein criticized Katz and Petrolia for not allowing another vote that would select their top three choices, suggested by Jarjura as a way to find commonality among them.
    But the extra vote could be in violation of the city’s charter, which was why Petrolia said she did not want to do it.
    “I’m ashamed to sit up here with the two of you with this community sitting out there,” Glickstein said Dec. 13, referring to black residents.
    Petrolia countered, “Likewise, mayor.”
    But Glickstein was not finished. “To Ryan Boylston, who said it’s our fault, you’re right,” the mayor said. “I own the piece that I haven’t been able to create a collegiate atmosphere this town deserves.
    “I’m trying to get you to see how people who have been stepped on for years and all they want is to have someone sit up here for three months, even if nothing happens.”
    Katz took offense to what he called “a lecture,” saying he didn’t need another dad.
    Glickstein and City Attorney Max Lohman said the county supervisor of elections was not able to hold an election within 60 days. The supervisor offered to host one in February at the same time as elections in Palm Beach and Hypoluxo, which would be a few days beyond the 60-day limit outlined in Delray’s charter.
    They also pointed out that a special election would cost the city at least $75,000 and the election could be confusing to city voters when there is a municipal election in March.
    But Bright and MacNamee disagreed.
    “We have a charter that runs our city; it’s not up to the mayor, and he needs to understand that,” Bright said Dec. 30.

Chief Edward Allen at the Gulf Stream police station, where he has been an officer for more than 28 years.

Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Dressed as Santa Claus, Chief Edward Allen talks with Katniss, Kiran and Kaia Koedel

at Ocean Ridge’s holiday party on Dec. 2.

By Steve Plunkett

    The town’s new police chief hasn’t strayed far from his roots.
    Born and raised in Boynton Beach, Lt. and acting Chief Edward Allen was promoted to Gulf Stream’s chief of police at the Town Commission’s Dec. 9 meeting.
    “I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel particularly safe this morning,” Town Manager William Thrasher said as he formally introduced the new chief to commissioners.
    Mayor Scott Morgan called it a time “of conflicting emotions” with former Chief Garrett Ward missing from duty since June because of health problems. Ward submitted his resignation effective Dec. 1.
    Morgan said he “wholeheartedly” supported Allen’s appointment. “He is a man with excellent managerial skills. He oversees things very well. He communicates very well. He’s loyal to his staff, to the men who serve under him, and he is decidedly loyal to the residents of Gulf Stream.”
    Public service runs in Allen’s family. His father, Ed Sr., was chief of the Boynton Beach Fire Department. Allen started out in Boynton’s Police Department in 1981, moved to the Ocean Ridge force in 1986 and to Gulf Stream on June 10, 1988.
    “I’m actually the longest-tenured employee in the town,” he said.
    He feels fortunate to inherit a 12-person force that has kept the number of crime reports low, but said the figures are deceiving. “You can’t put numbers on what you prevent,” Allen said.
    He also said “things are running very smoothly” in Gulf Stream. “I don’t see [making] any major changes at all.”
    People in Ocean Ridge know Allen as the Santa Claus at their annual holiday party for the past five or six years. He got the gig through his friendship with then-Police Chief Chris Yannuzzi, who knew that Allen also mounted a Christmas display at his home in Boynton Beach that drew 250-300 viewers. “I’ve only lived in four homes,” said Allen, who now resides west of Lantana.
    Watching Allen, 57, take the oath of office from Town Clerk Rita Taylor were his wife, Karen; his parents; his daughter and two stepdaughters; friends; almost all of the Gulf Stream police force; and Ocean Ridge Police Chief Hal Hutchins, who like Allen was a lieutenant before being promoted.
    Hutchins called Allen “a great guy” who fits his community. “He’s probably one of the most patient people I’ve ever met,” Hutchins said.
    In other business at the December commission meeting:
    • Thrasher told commis-sioners he expects Gulf Stream will receive “as much as $250,000” from the recently approved extra penny sales tax in Palm Beach County. The money will be used for road improvements, he said.
    • Morgan said the town will advertise in January for someone to replace Thrasher, who is retiring in April. “We anticipate a fair number of résumés,” Morgan said.
    The mayor will screen the applications with Thrasher and Taylor, then call a special commission meeting to select the new town manager.

By Jane Smith
    
    He started as a valet attendant decades ago when he was in college. He liked meeting people and especially driving their cars. Soon he was “hooked” on the industry.
    “Everybody needs parking,” said Jorge Alarcon, the new parking facilities manager for Delray Beach.
    Formerly regional sales director for Eagle Parking, he saw the Delray Beach opening on the International Parking Institute’s website for parking professionals.
    Alarcon, who started in June with an annual salary of $75,608, likes the challenge of implementing a master parking plan for the entire city — with commission approval. The plan covers meters on the barrier island, two city-owned parking garages and 14 city-owned parking lots.
    Atlantic Avenue meters west of the Intracoastal Waterway are part of the plan, Alarcon said. Business owners, residents and others will want to have input. Then, the City Commission will have the final say — likely next spring.

    The master plan includes bicycle parking, valet parking and pedestrian paths, as well as shuttle services, Alarcon said.  
    The plan was finished in 2010. “Technology in the parking industry has advanced tremendously in the past six years,” he said.
    Here’s what Alarcon sees for the parking future in Delray Beach:
    How many parking spaces does Delray Beach have?
    The central core (Swinton Avenue east to the Intracoastal) has about 1,830 spaces, including about 700 in the two city-owned garages. The barrier island has around 683 spaces. We also have four golf-cart parking spaces and two areas designed for motorcycles, mopeds and bicycles.
    The last study is now 6 years old. Do you think it’s time for a new study?
    I am recommending the city explore available technology to provide a better parking experience for anyone visiting Delray Beach.
    What plans do you have to make visitors, shoppers and diners aware of empty parking spaces?
    Technology will play an important role in providing awareness of available parking. “Smart parking” is how the industry refers to it. By placing sensors in the parking spaces, the sensors will communicate through a smartphone application about the availability of parking spaces, which ones are empty or filled.
    People visiting a restaurant or shop in Delray will be able to locate the closest available parking space and not spend time searching. They also will be able to pay for the parking using the smartphone application.
    In addition, they have the option of receiving updates of when the parking time will expire and to purchase more time — all through their smartphones.
    We are working on making the parking experience in Delray Beach as seamless as possible.
    The city’s Community Redevelopment Agency recently updated its study of downtown parking needs. One update was done during mid-January, then the other update in late April. What did the results tell you?
    The CRA’s recent 2016 report on the use of parking spaces in the downtown core reflects few changes between the months in the use of the parking for both on-street and off-street. In Delray Beach, we really do not have seasons when it comes to parking.

By Dan Moffett

    Saying it’s time to step aside, Manalapan’s David Cheifetz has decided not to run for mayor again when his term expires in March.
    “I’ve been a resident of Manalapan for 12 years now,” Cheifetz said during the Dec. 13 town meeting, “and during that 12 years I’ve served on ArCom, was chairman of ArCom, served on zoning, and ran in the last contested election for commissioner and defeated the incumbent. I’ve been mayor for two terms now, and I think it’s time for someone else.”
    Cheifetz’s surprising announcement opens the door to a potential overhaul of the Town Commission next spring. The seats of three other commission members — Vice Mayor Peter Isaac, Mayor Pro Tem Chauncey Johnstone and Commissioner Basil Diamond, who preceded Cheifetz as mayor — also are up for reelection.
    None of them has declared candidacy yet, but they have until Feb. 14 to file.
    Unlike many coastal communities, Manalapan’s mayor is elected directly by voters, and sitting commissioners would have to resign their seats to run for the at-large position.
    Cheifetz, 75, helped guide the town through some important capital improvements and some contentious legal disputes during his four years as mayor.
    The town replaced the Audubon Causeway bridge, at a cost of just under $1 million, and renovated Town Hall and the library to comply with federal disability requirements.
    Manalapan also resolved a decade-long legal fight with residents Louis and Wendy Navellier over building code violations, collecting $232,000 in fines. Complaints about civil rights violations by the Police Department ended when resident Kersen De Jong, a frequent critic of town officials, died at the age of 65. Cheifetz also pushed through new rules on decorum to keep order during meetings that were often long and heated.
    The most significant accomplishment during Cheifetz’s tenure likely will be the town’s approval last summer of a deal to bring a Publix supermarket to Plaza del Mar, something many residents had wanted for years.
    “It’s been a good run,” Cheifetz said. “Now it’s time for someone else to become mayor.”
    In other business:
    • The commission told Town Manager Linda Stumpf to investigate the possibility of hiring an engineering company to replace Mock Roos & Associates, the town’s longtime consultant, for work that is about to begin on the town’s water delivery infrastructure.
    Several commissioners have complained about the West Palm Beach firm’s performance in recent years. Cheifetz said he was unhappy with the company’s work on a street paving project and the Audubon Causeway bridge replacement.  “It seems we are being obligated to deal with a firm who has let us down in the past,” the mayor said.
    Stumpf said that since Mock Roos designed the infrastructure project, other engineers may be reluctant to take over without designing it themselves. That could cost the town an additional $40,000 or so. “Mock Roos’ expertise is with water utilities,” Stumpf said. “They’ve done an excellent job with that.”
    Commissioners were not persuaded and told her to explore other options.
    • Stumpf said town officials hope to present Hypoluxo with a new contract proposal for water services sometime in January. Plans to make the presentation in December were derailed by the death of Hypoluxo Mayor Ken Schultz.