By Mary Hladky

In yet another sign of trouble for the Mandarin Oriental project in downtown Boca Raton, affiliates of developer Penn-Florida Companies filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Dec. 23 after they were unable to repay lenders about $210 million at loan maturity.

The affiliates, Via Mizner Owner II and Via Mizner Pledgor II, are building the 164-room Mandarin Oriental hotel on Federal Highway to the north of Camino Real.

The hotel and adjacent branded condo residences were to be completed in 2017. But construction has proceeded very slowly with long periods of no activity. Many Boca Raton residents complain that the construction site is an eyesore.

A summary of the bankruptcy case states that the Penn-Florida affiliates and secured lenders “seek to engage in a consensual chapter 11 process for the reorganization of their businesses and to protect the high market valuation of the property for the benefit of all parties of interest.”

They estimate the value of the building upon completion at more than $450 million.

They have asked to file the case under seal because public disclosure of certain information could chill interest in the property and could be used for negotiating leverage.

One year ago, another affiliate of Boca Raton-based Penn-Florida filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection to head off an auction of its 101 Via Mizner luxury apartment building located immediately south of the condos and hotel.

Penn-Florida faced losing that 366-unit building because it failed to pay off a $195 million senior loan provided by an affiliate of Blackstone Mortgage Trust in 2022.

That problem was resolved in July when Cardone Real Estate Acquisitions — led by real estate investor and social media celebrity Grant Cardone — purchased the building for $235 million and creditors were repaid.

A number of would-be condo owners who had placed large deposits on units, and were tired of waiting for the building to be completed, have filed lawsuits seeking return of their money.

Contractors also have filed suits, claiming they had not been paid for completed work.

Greg Dunham is retiring after nearly nine years as town manager, effective Jan. 30. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream Town Manager Greg Dunham is calling it quits after almost nine years at the helm of town government.

“This is a great town to retire from. It’s been a great ride,” said Dunham, whose last Town Commission meeting will be Jan. 9, with his last day on the job coming Jan. 30. 

Dunham, who became Gulf Stream’s town manager on May 1, 2017, told commissioners and town employees of his imminent departure at Mayor Scott Morgan’s annual Christmas party for the Town Hall staff on Dec. 19.

When he was hired, he told commissioners he jogged 3 miles a day, six days a week and hoped to keep working until he turned 75, depending on “how my knees do.” 

He almost made it. Now 73, he had one knee replaced two years ago and the other one last year.

Under his watch, Gulf Stream finished the second phase of its long-drawn-out project to bury electric, telephone and cable TV lines and remove all the utility poles. It also embarked on an ambitious 10-year capital improvement plan to upgrade its stormwater drainage system, replace its water mains and repave its streets. 

The town is now in the eighth year of the project, with work in the Core District expected to finish in April before moving on to Place Au Soleil.

“I have thoroughly enjoyed being here because we accomplished a lot,” Dunham said.

And while he accepted the job in 2017 with enthusiasm, he admitted he almost didn’t come to Gulf Stream. At the time, the town was still battling resident and twice unsuccessful commission candidate Martin O’Boyle in court over his hundreds of public records requests. Gulf Stream and O’Boyle settled the last of 44 lawsuits the following year.

“I said, ‘I’m not going to do this.’ And then the mayor got on the phone,” Dunham said. “He was very convincing.”

Morgan called Dunham “a great town manager.”

“He not only brings decades of experience, which gives him the judgment to handle almost every issue that can come up,” the mayor said. “The most significant thing about Greg I think is his personality. He is a genuinely kind and considerate and smart manager.

“And what always impressed me was not only the way he could manage staff, but whenever a resident had an issue, they would call him. He didn’t want to talk to them on the phone about it; he always wanted to go meet them in person at their home.

“And that was a striking and demonstrative element of (his) managerial skill. (He) would resolve things directly with our residents, and I really appreciated it,” Morgan said.

Dunham started out as a police officer and assistant city manager in Texas, then moved to Florida State University to finish a master’s degree in public administration. With diploma in hand, he got work as an assistant city manager in Palm Beach Gardens, then was town manager in Ocean Ridge from 1998 to 2002 and in Manalapan from 2002 to 2010. After a break from government jobs, he served as town manager of Kenly, North Carolina, for five years before coming to Gulf Stream.

He plans to travel in retirement. His first trip will be to Vietnam with his older brother, who was badly wounded there when Dunham was still in high school.

And he’s looking forward to the birth of a grandchild in May. 

“I don’t think I have any regrets,” said Dunham, who just received a plaque from the International City/County Management Association for his 45 years of public service.

“I wouldn’t trade any of my career in local government service for anything,” he said. 

At least one homeowner on Sailfish Lane says blighted homes and properties such as this one at 5 Sailfish Lane are lowering property values. This home was cited for overgrown vegetation. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

A stroll down Sailfish Lane in Ocean Ridge finds a street in flux. 

Older ranch-style residences, built in the 1950s, are mixed with modern, larger homes and even brand new construction that looks spectacular but also out of place. 

There are established families who have lived in their homes for decades alongside rental properties. And all of it within a short walk to the beach — a neighborhood with homes having market values just north of $1 million.

Eric Brief, who lives at 8 Sailfish Lane, appeared at the Nov. 3 Town Commission meeting and said he was ready to sue the town over properties that are not being properly maintained.

“We don’t hear about blight a lot in our town, but it exists and it’s not being dealt with, and it’s a real problem, and you’re going to have a problem on your hands,” he said.

His panorama of complaints included an Airbnb that wakes him up routinely, cars being parked on the lawn, a garage held up by a 2-by-4 and a house with a lawn that was two feet high.

“You’re probably looking at a bunch of residents getting together to sue the town over this, because it’s hurting our lifestyle and our real estate values,” he told commissioners. “I’ve been coming here for 10 years, and I’m not going to put up with it anymore, and it’s going to get ugly.”

However, Brief also said he files complaints against families over what they say are trivial matters: a beach chair or barbecue equipment left outside the garage after an outing, a random car seat left out after cleaning of the vehicle.

Other homeowners didn’t want to go on the record because they feared retribution either from Brief or the town, but they said he has been harassing certain neighbors for years, calling him a bully.

New measures considered

Vice Mayor Steve Coz said the town is working to tighten property-maintenance rules to address visible signs of blight without imposing “draconian” measures that would pit neighbors against one another.

Coz said Ocean Ridge does not have a formal blight ordinance to present and that he has been consulting with the town attorney, the town manager and residents while drafting proposed language. He said the effort is focused on clarifying code language to target what is visible from public streets.

“No one would complain about what the neighbor has in their front lawn if they can’t see it,” Coz said. He said the town’s existing codes were written decades ago and need tightening so enforcement is clear and defensible.

Coz offered examples of conditions the proposed language aims to address, including front yards that mix stone with construction debris and lawns overrun by weeds.

Coz acknowledged the temporary loss of a code-enforcement officer when a contracted inspector took another job. He said hiring a replacement and putting clearer guidelines in place will make enforcement less ad hoc and reduce the need for police involvement in code matters, which he said can inflame situations.

The vice mayor said he expected to present discussion points to the Town Commission after the holidays. “It’s going to take a couple of months,” he said, and emphasized that any ordinance would avoid being heavy-handed.

Are existing laws enough? 

Town Manager Michelle Heiser, though, said that the town does not need a new blight ordinance — it needs to enforce the ordinances it already has.

Heiser said the town has statutory and local tools to address blight and code violations. Rather than drafting new rules, she urged better use of existing processes, including working with property owners and, when necessary, using the town’s special magistrate for enforcement.

Heiser said town staffers have been actively engaging with one particular homeowner on Sailfish Lane across from Brief with what looks like concrete chunks as ground cover. “They’re going to at least come into the minimum compliance by putting some sod down,” she said.

She emphasized a willingness to work with residents but defended the town’s current approach of education first, enforcement when required.

A neighbor, who had been subject to complaints from Brief, did not want to comment when contacted. The home in question was not one of the 1950s models but a modern single-family residence with landscaping and not a hint of blight in sight. 

Other homes — also subject to Brief’s complaints — had received notices from code inspectors days after he addressed the commission.

Big houses, small lots

Brief, who said he has lived in Ocean Ridge for 33 years, said he doesn’t want to be the bad guy. “If somebody doesn’t call on it, the town doesn’t do anything,” he said.

Former Commissioner Terry Brown lived on Sailfish Lane briefly when his house was undergoing repairs. His insurance company put him up in a home that was being rented. 

He agreed that Ocean Ridge residential streets are transforming as the town updates zoning and encourages larger single-family homes in areas once dominated by duplexes and modest old seasonal Florida cottages.

“They’re allowing huge houses to be squished into small lots,” he said.

Brown said the town is actively reviewing nonconforming lots on streets. “They’re trying to clean up the south end, and we’ll see what happens,” he said. 

Former Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long easily defeated Republican Maria Zack in the Dec. 9 special election for state House District 90.

District 90 includes Ocean Ridge, Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes and parts of Delray Beach and Boynton Beach.

Long, the Democrat, took 63.2% of the vote to Zack’s 35.9%. Karen Yeh, with no party affiliation, garnered less than 1%. There was 14.7% turnout.

The seat was vacant because of the death of Rep. Joe Casello, D-Boynton Beach, in July.

Long said he believed he earned the vote of independent voters who are alarmed by the direction of the country under President Donald Trump.

“They’re tired of not being able to afford anything. They’re tired of seeing what’s happening to folks from the immigrant community,” Long said.

“There’s a lot of outrage right now, and a lot of people struggling right now, and they are ready to see some change and some action.”

Long credited his volunteer team for getting people to the polls for a December special election.

“It was just an amazing community effort, and I’m super grateful,” he said.

Delray Beach commissioners at their Dec. 8 meeting couldn’t agree on someone to replace Long until the March 10 elections are over.

Yvonne Odom, grandmother to tennis star Coco Gauff, and Price Patton, a member of the city’s Planning & Zoning Board and part owner of The Coastal Star, each lost out on 2-2 votes.

— John Pacenti

Capt. Austin Nuquist and Lt. Ross Gornall of Palm Beach County Fire Rescue demonstrate using a lifesaving ring at Sportman’s Park. Several rings were installed in Lantana as part of the Aden Perry Hero Life Ring Initiative. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Aden Perry died trying to save a motorist who drove into a lake.

L-R: Lantana Mayor Karen Lythgoe; Council member Mark Zeitler; Sarah Perry, Aden’s mother; Council member Jesse Rivero, and Town Manager Brian Raducci attended the ceremony. 

By Steve Plunkett

The state’s Sunshine Law, the town’s weak-mayor form of government and a deep personal goal led Ted Gross to be a one-term-and-done mayor of Briny Breezes.

Gross, who did not file qualifying papers in November to run for reelection, used the time allotted for the “Mayor’s Report” at the Town Council meeting to elaborate on his three reasons for not seeking office again.

The Sunshine Law, which states in part that two or more government officials cannot discuss government business without first notifying the public of their planned conversation, was “quite restrictive,” Gross said.

“I have close friends who sit on the dais and who hold official roles within the corporation (Briny Breezes Inc.). And my interactions with them became limited,” he said. “I was unable to discuss anything that might be on an agenda or could come before the council in the future.

“In Briny that’s almost everything,” Gross said.

He had spoken several times during his term about his dissatisfaction with being a weak mayor, one who must sign contracts and is the face of the town but who does not have a vote on issues.

“The weak mayor framework makes the role primarily ceremonial. While respect and attention shown to the mayor is meaningful, I often felt I did not deserve it because when residents brought any concerns or ideas, my ability to help was very limited,” Gross said. “I found myself unable to make the level of impact that I believe a mayor should be able to make for their constituents.”

Last, “and probably most important,” Gross said, he wanted to book more of his time “to a mission that is deeply important to me and I have been working on it for a while, and one that I believe that I can make a meaningful impact — that is supporting individuals affected by sex trafficking and abuse, particularly boys and men.”

Gross said this group receives “far too little recognition or support” and the issue is especially significant in South Florida, “and yet resources remain scarce.”

“I feel the call for this work and I believe I can make a difference by focusing my energy there,” he concluded, adding that he is grateful for the opportunity he had to serve.

Gross’ wife, Kathy, resigned as an alderwoman in October 2024 after he had been in office almost a year and she had been on the dais almost six years.

Also declining to run for election was Alderwoman Holly Reitnauer, who is married to Alderman Bill Birch. Reitnauer, who took Kathy Gross’ Seat 2 in December 2024, will have been in office only 15 months when her tenure ends in March.

She was absent from the council’s Dec. 11 meeting and has not publicly discussed her reason for not running for office.

Alderman Jeff Duncan, who drew no challengers during November’s qualifying period, was automatically elected to his Seat 4 position and will serve a second two-year term.

Under the town’s charter, the council will choose a “qualified elector” to be Briny’s new mayor and a new alderman at its first meeting after what was to be the March 10 election. 

Employee of the Year recognized — Marc Fichtner, chief of Lantana’s Ocean Rescue, was honored as Employee of the Year during the Dec. 8 Town Council meeting. The award recognizes his dedication and service.

Fichtner “plays a vital role in keeping our beachgoers safe. He consistently demonstrates leadership, professionalism and has an unwavering commitment to protecting the community,” Police Chief Sean Scheller said.

Free movie night Jan. 9 — Lantana invites residents to enjoy a free movie night starting at 7 p.m. Jan. 9 at the Sports Park. The featured movie will be How to Train Your Dragon, a fantasy adventure film and a live-action remake of the 2010 animated film, which itself is loosely based on the 2003 novel by Cressida Cowell. In the film, a Viking boy named Hiccup defies centuries of tradition by befriending a dragon named Toothless. 

Snacks and refreshments will be available.

For more information, contact Nadine Shawah at 561-540-5754 of nshawah@lantana.org.

See what’s going on at the beach — Lantana’s beach webcam is up and ready to watch on the town’s website. See earthcam.com/usa/florida/lantana/?cam=lantanabeach#google_vignette.

The webcam allows visitors to check conditions before they head to the beach.  

— Mary Thurwachter

Manalapan Town Manager Eric Marmer told commissioners at their Dec. 9 meeting that the town will save nearly $150,000 a year while locking in predictable garbage collection rates and expanding services to residents.

The Town Commission recently approved the agreement with Waste Pro, which includes an initial five-year term with the option for a five-year extension. A key feature is a 3% cap on annual price increases, tied to the Consumer Price Index, that Marmer says will keep waste collection costs stable for at least the next decade.

The first year of the contract is $53,000.

Marmer told commissioners that the anticipated savings from the new deal will be steered toward other community priorities, including a recently launched beach cleanup program with town staff.

Residents will see little change in their day-to-day garbage and recycling routines. The new vendor will use existing cans and maintain current collection days, though residents needing replacements will be able to request them directly.

Collection under the new contract will begin the first week of January.

— John Pacenti

NMP Golf Construction Corporation workers dig in to a $28.5 million renovation that has closed Delray Beach’s historic municipal golf course, which originally opened in 1926. The renovation will include new practice facilities, improved parking, bridge replacements, new cart paths and a remodeled clubhouse. The course and clubhouse are expected to reopen in November 2026. Tim Stepien / The Coastal Star

By Brian Biggane

Even as it continued planning toward the construction of a new Town Hall, the South Palm Beach Town Council received sobering news from Town Manager Jamie Titcomb about another significant expenditure: the new wastewater lift station.

Titcomb told the council at its December meeting that the initial estimates for the lift station of about $1 million have increased considerably, and the new price tag figures to be in the $3 million to $4 million range.

Titcomb added that “we made some very important connections” at a legislative conference in Orlando prior to the council meeting and that he’s hopeful the town will secure a federal grant to cover most, if not all, of the lift station expense.

Whereas Titcomb said the timeline for the grant would likely be 12 to 18 months — and getting it may prove unsuccessful — Vice Mayor Monte Berendes expressed optimism it

would be secured. He said he was part of a specific conversation Titcomb had with an unnamed official in Orlando.
“He was very positive we could get the money if it was under $5 million,” Berendes said. “I would like to recommend that we do go after it.”

Added Titcomb: “I think we got the sense from talking to our federal partners that there’s kind of a golden opportunity, timeline wise, to go get this in the hopper.

“Florida is a donor state to Washington; we only get 85 cents back on the dollar of what we send there. So, we’re certainly entitled to go after those kinds of resources.”

While Titcomb said he would expect the new lift station to last up to 50 years, he acknowledged the existing one will likely need repairs while the grant process plays out. One emergency repair on a pump in 2025 cost $54,000, and he said he was told by an engineer that a bypass valve needs to either be repaired or replaced soon.

“My biggest concern is that the projected costs are, in my opinion, three times what they’ve been projected over the last several years to rebuild or relocate this station. That’s a direct result of post-pandemic supply-side availability of construction materials and companies’ tariffs,” he said.

If the grant did not materialize, Titcomb said, the other option would be to pursue a bond through the League of Cities or another entity, such as “a very, very low-interest capital infrastructure dollar loan, or some other combination of assets we already have in place.”

The council unanimously approved a motion instructing Titcomb to pursue the grant.

Meanwhile, no representative from CPZ Architects attended the meeting, leaving it up to Titcomb to update the Town Hall timeline for the council. He said the firm expects to complete drawings for the new building by early January, at which time bids for the construction firm to oversee the project will be sought for a period of 30 to 45 days. He suggested the council anticipate a special meeting in late February to select a contractor.

Of course, elections involving four of the five seats on the council could make all that planning moot. Mayoral candidate Rafael Pineiro and council candidates Fran Attardi and Adrian Burcet are all running on the platform that they would prefer a retrofit of the current 50-year-old building over a new structure.

Both Titcomb and the current council insist that won’t work as state laws mandate the current structure be demolished if the cost of the project is more than half the value of the Town Hall’s current value. 

Correction: The print version of this story misspelled the name of one of the council candidates. The candidate is Adrian Burcet.

Utility also serves Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes

By Rich Pollack

Palm Beach County commissioners are waiting for a deep-dive look into Boynton Beach’s water utilities before moving forward on a possible purchase of the operation, a step that could potentially affect residents in three South County coastal communities.

The idea of Boynton Beach’s selling its utilities department to the county surfaced unexpectedly in October when City Manager Dan Dugger made the offer to county commissioners who appeared opposed to the city’s annexation of several communities west of its municipal boundaries.

The city, Dugger said, would be willing to drop its efforts to annex western communities if the county purchased the water utilities operation.

Those communities in the unincorporated area receive water from Boynton Beach Water Utilities, as do water customers in Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes, with Gulf Stream to be added.

Following a preliminary report in December, county commissioners gave staff the green light to take a harder and more thorough look at Boynton Beach’s water treatment operation. It will review finances and the future needs of the two water plants the city operates, as well as infrastructure.

That due diligence will take at least a year, staff told the commission, and could take as long as two years should the two governments get to a point where they’re ready to negotiate a deal that makes sense for both.

“They’re looking at everything,” said County Commissioner Marci Woodward, whose district includes the coastal communities that could be impacted by the change.

During the presentation to commissioners, Chief Deputy County Administrator Todd Bonlarron said a preliminary look at the water operation showed an operating budget of about $72 million and a capital budget of about $36 million.

The utility, he said, has about $53 million in debt, which expires in 2035.

Bonlarron pointed out specifically that the utility plans a 15% rate increase for the current fiscal year and an 8% to 11% increase over the next four years.

As part of the presentation, Bonlarron pointed out that the Boynton Beach utility has a $467,808 capital improvement plan that includes upgrades to the facilities.

The utility, according to county staff, has about 125,000 customers and about 150 employees.

Of those customers, 11,425 are outside of the city, including 3,158 in Ocean Ridge, according to the city. Briny Breezes has a master meter, which includes all users in the mobile home community.

Gulf Stream — which is currently served by Delray Beach — signed a 25-year agreement with Boynton Beach in late 2024 and will pay $2 million to have a new pipe laid to connect with its water system. That may not happen until October 2027.

Should Palm Beach County buy Boynton Beach’s water utilities department, it would also take on responsibility for maintenance of the distribution system including pipes, city officials said.

In examining the costs of water to residents from Boynton Beach and the county, staff looked at how much a customer using 5,000 gallons pays on a monthly basis.

Customers outside of Boynton Beach pay about $82 a month while those in the city pay about $66 for 5,000 gallons, according to county numbers.

Palm Beach County Water Utilities customers pay an average of $67.52 for single-family homes and $57.48 for multifamily units for 5,000 gallons, according to the county presentation.

Woodward said county staff believes the county might be able to offer a lower rate than what some Boynton Beach customers are paying now.

The commissioner said she believes the decision on whether the deal goes through will likely come down to how much the county is willing to spend on the system and if the purchase makes sense from the county’s viewpoint.

Woodward said she believes the city has a quality water utility operation, but she also praised the county’s operation.

“We have a great water utility department,” she said. “It pays for itself.”

Bonlarron said staff will come back to the County Commission after the financial review in a few months for guidance on whether to continue with the due diligence.

By John Pacenti

Scott Porten — a strong defender of the former nonprofit that ran Old School Square Center for the Arts — is facing 12 counts of child pornography after Dropbox reported his computer to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to a police report.

The 63-year-old real estate developer from coastal Delray Beach was arrested Dec. 11 on 11 counts of possessing child pornography and one count of “obscene communication” involving transmitting child pornography, according to an affidavit by Delray Beach Police Detective Michael Liberta.

The national center forwarded the tip to the Broward County Sheriff’s Office and the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, according to Delray Beach police spokesman Ted White. The Broward Sheriff’s Office forwarded the information to Delray Beach police, who began their investigation Nov. 28, the affidavit said.

The original tip came from Dropbox, a popular cloud-based storage service for electronic files.

A Dropbox user with the screen name “Scott Porten” allegedly uploaded seven photos that depicted sexual abuse of children or unclothed children. Dropbox also reported emails associated with Porten with the account, including his business, Porten Companies.

A search warrant for the Dropbox account discovered the seven images. In addition, four other images apparently from the same series were located, as well as 500 images of AI-generated images of nude prepubescent children, Liberta said.

There were also 26 images advertising child pornography websites, 63 thumbnail images advertising child pornography, and two videos of anime that depicted the sexual performance of a child, according to the report.

Court records show Porten was taken to Palm Beach County Jail and released on $120,000 bond — $10,000 for each count — on Dec. 13. In a Dec. 19 filing, defense attorney Scott Skier said he is representing Porten.

A Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office “face sheet” says Porten was arrested at 1000 James L Turner Blvd. in West Palm Beach. However, no such address exists. But Palm Beach International Airport has a similar address: 1000 James L. Turnage Blvd.

Porten has a long track record of civic involvement in Delray Beach. He was profiled by The Coastal Star in 2012 after he assumed leadership of the Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce’s governmental affairs committee and was chair of the Old School Square nonprofit group.

Later, he was part of the pushback when the city demanded financial records from the nonprofit Old School Square Center for the Arts, which ran the Cornell Art Museum, the Crest Theatre, the Fieldhouse and the outdoor Pavilion. The long-term lease for the organization was terminated in August 2021.

“You decided without notice and took the nuclear option,” he told the City Commission at the time.

The city’s fight with the non-profit polarized residents and split political factions.

Today, the city shares running Old School Square with the Downtown Development Authority.

In the “Meet Your Neighbor” feature from 2012, Porten said, “Now that I am raising my children in Delray Beach, I realize the important role that the arts played in my development. This observation has been my focus in recent years and is the reason behind my involvement at Old School Square Cultural Arts Center.”

The story showed a photo of Porten with his wife and two children. 

Workers install hexagonal tiles into the sea wall at Snug Harbor Gardens, which will create eco-friendly substrate for oysters to get a start. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Patrick Sherry

Boynton Beach’s Art in Public Places program, which has placed murals, sculptures and other artwork around the city, recently found an unusual place to leave its cultural mark — on a condominium’s sea wall.

Snug Harbor Gardens Condominium was required to contribute to the city’s public art program because of the construction cost of its new sea wall on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway north of Woolbright Road. But rather than just make a cash payment into the city’s fund to help cover the cost of some future artwork, the sea wall’s contractor had his own idea for what — and where — art could be.

Designed as a sprouting mangrove, with patterns mimicking the rise and fall of tides, the contractor’s proposal used Snug Harbor’s new sea wall as a canvas for an environmental art piece that would also attract marine life and improve coastal shoreline defenses.

“There’s not much art you could do on a sea wall, but I like how that proposal [adds] ecological enhancements to the area, and it eventually can improve the ecosystem,” said Karina Maldonado, a member of the city’s Art Advisory Board that unanimously approved the project. “I think it was a very creative thing for them to do.” 

Snug Harbor’s new sea wall artwork uses 100 hexagonal tiles in a sculptural arrangement, with the work done by APH Marine Construction — the company that built the sea wall. 

APH started construction of the sea wall in July, said Arthur Tiedeman, company vice president. APH promotes the construction of hybrid sea walls that combine the walls’ hard structure with environmental enhancements to improve coastal protection.

The hexagonal tiles used in the artwork are that extra protection. Although Tiedeman used the Snug Harbor tiles for art, he wants to convince future clients that adding the ecological tiles to their sea walls are worth the extra expense. In December, he installed another hybrid sea wall with mangrove planters and reef arches at a home on Marlin Drive in Ocean Ridge. 

Tiedeman explained that these installations are meant to convey how important natural ecosystems are to protecting shorelines, and the sprouting mangrove represents a new beginning. 

“We want our community to hear the message of the importance of the intertidal zone and mangroves in front of hardened shorelines,” Tiedeman said. “We want to represent a new beginning — the adoption of a new way of building infrastructure with the environment in mind.” 

In Ocean Ridge, mangrove planters were installed on one home’s sea wall.

The tiles mimic reef structures that oysters and other marine life can latch on to as the tide rolls in and out — lapping up against the sea wall attachments. Protruding spikes create deep crevices that protect creatures from predators. As marine life grows on the structure, the sea wall’s art design will become more distinct. As a finishing touch, Tiedeman and his team hand-carved the phrase “Protect the Tide” on the top of the sea wall. 

The city’s Art in Public Places program, which started in 2005, has helped create notable art pieces throughout Boynton Beach. Those include the 40-foot-tall Cavalcade sculpture downtown at the 500 Ocean complex at Federal Highway and Ocean Avenue,  and the stainless steel, moving Reflections sculpture near City Hall. Recently,  as part of the program, city officials selected designs from multiple local artists with plans to transform traffic boxes into public art.

With the Snug Harbor sea wall construction costing about $600,000, developers had the option to pay into the city’s Public Art Fund or create an on-site art piece. Residents and the construction team chose to use $4,000 to commission a visually appealing design that is part of the sea wall. 

“I had to come up with a meaningful art design — something that people passing by on a boat or people on the bridge could be drawn to, understand and respect,” Tiedeman said. 

Part of the Snug Harbour installation will resemble a mangrove leaf cluster.

Along with the art piece, the sea wall is meant to last 100 years. The oysters and other wildlife that grow on the tiles will transform the structure into a living barrier that is more resilient than standard sea walls, Tiedeman said. Not only that, the marine life will help improve water quality and biodiversity by creating a new habitat. 

Snug Harbor resident Michael Slobodkin, who helped vet APH Marine Construction, is happy with how the whole sea wall project turned out. 

“I think it’s much better looking than the old cement walls that are all around,” Slobodkin said. “I think all these old sea walls are going to have to be replaced, and this is very appealing to look at from the water.” 

Alastair Pleasanton, whose family owns the Ace Hardware on Boynton Beach Boulevard, is putting his art education to work. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Patrick Sherry

After 200 hours of painting a vibrant underwater scene on the side of his family’s hardware store, Alastair Pleasanton was told the partly finished mural might have to be covered up.

Work on the mural came to a halt in October, when a Boynton Beach code enforcement officer notified the owners of Ace Hardware, at 510 E. Boynton Beach Blvd., that they needed a permit and approval by the city to paint the mural. If they continued to paint, the months of work already put in would have to be painted over if it wasn’t approved.

Valerie Pleasanton, Alastair’s grandmother and store owner, said she found the process of getting the permit frustrating, but the family contacted city officials to try to get approval from the city’s Art Advisory Board.

“I took a chance and said, let’s try anyway, because there’s only so much time that we can have to paint, and I really wanted it done before the end of [2025],” she said. “Our schedule has slipped enough that that’s not going to happen, but a lot of it is done.”

In December, the two presented the art board with their design of a colorful marine environment featuring the city’s signature sailfish and bright aquatic wildlife across the large east side of the building.

“I wanted to do a piece of artwork that tied community identity together with my family’s history,” Alastair Pleasanton said at the meeting.

The board unanimously approved the mural with the condition of removing some background fish at the top of the design to leave more open space. Since then, the artist has been working steadily on finishing the mural. He thinks that it will take 100 hours to finish, by the end of the summer at the latest.

“It’s definitely long, and it’s tedious, but it’s worthwhile,” Alastair said. “I get a lot of people who stop, make positive commentary, and who are happy to see it going up.”
Valerie Pleasanton wanted to have a mural painted on the wall to make the store more visible and stop people from tagging it. Before Alastair painted the mural, during the holiday season the owners used to cover the wall using Christmas trees and a tent. After city officials started requiring a permit to sell Christmas trees, the store had the wall empty throughout the year.

“Once you put a mural up on the wall, it’s like they respect that another painter has done some work there … and they don’t tag your wall anymore,” Valerie Pleasanton said.

The family opened the hardware store in the early 1970s, and it’s one of the oldest family-owned businesses in the city. Alastair Pleasanton, 22, has worked at the store since he was 14, sometimes adding his artistic flair to promote the business. Over the years, he created the store’s logo, reworked its marketing, and painted the dumpster to discourage taggers.

Alastair attended Alexander W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts and is now studying studio art at Florida Atlantic University. He said it was rewarding to create such a large art piece for a business he has been a part of for so long.

“I really can’t think of anywhere else where an [administrative] assistant would be allowed to sit and paint for eight hours,” he said. “It’s very rewarding to me; it’s a sign of how far I’ve managed to come with the business and everything.”

He hopes the coat of character that brightens the wall will add an artistic highlight to the developing downtown area.

“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Valerie Pleasanton said. “We have had so much community support and positive comments from people, either just driving by or our customers who are in the store.”

Leo Phillips of Delray Beach with Smurf collection. Tim Stepien/Coastal Star

Leo Phillips has an abiding admiration for Papa Smurf, the lead cartoon character from The Smurfs, who Phillips describes as “wise, collegial and understanding.” 

Phillips wants to be like Papa Smurf — who is 546 years old and “deals with very different personalities; people in his village have all kinds of personalities and he manages to make life there fun, collegial and optimistic,” says the 80-year-old Phillips. “He’s a great leader. And I really truly believe this. A great leader should give credit to others when things go well and be prepared to take responsibility when they do not. Papa Smurf is a consummate leader. He even shows compassion to his enemy.”

About his numerous nonprofit activities and pursuits, the Delray Beach man takes Papa’s philosophy. 

“I have many interests, and they are all important. I believe strongly in all of them. To single one out, that would not be a good leader.   

“I believe in their missions, in what they do. They are important to the community. When I take on a leadership role, I want to do nothing but my best, and I believe in that strongly. If you are going to do something in life, do it well. If you can’t meet that test, don’t do it.” 

In true Papa Smurf fashion, he credits his life’s bounty to family and friends.

Phillips and his wife, Pat, celebrated their 42nd anniversary on Aug. 23. “We have each other — no kids,” he said. “We married later in life. I like spending time with her. She’s absolutely a wonderful person. I was most fortunate to have the luck to meet her. And she was a blind date. We hit it off immediately. We started off slowly, only six nights the first week!

“I also like to play bridge with my friends.”

Phillips mentions other people as well as organizations that he appreciates.

Since leaving the corporate world in 1999, he has been actively involved with nonprofits and with his communities, he said. “In the Washington area, I was involved with nonprofits, and here, I got involved with them a lot more. 

“There were a couple of gentlemen who got me started in major nonprofits here. One was Ernie Simon. Ernie was a lawyer in town. He passed away at age 93 a few years ago. And the other person was Leon Weekes, former mayor of Delray Beach. The two took me under their wing and got me involved. I was very blessed to know both of them. They were wonderful people who gave a lot to this community. 

“My friend Harvey Oyer is amazing. I don’t know how he has the time and energy to accomplish all that he does.”

Paying it forward, Phillips has taken others under his wing. “From my students in my teaching career, one became a deputy foreign minister of Korea. A number of students thank me. 

“I mentored people along the way, and I wasn’t even realizing it.

“And years later, people I dealt with in nonprofits and churches have said to me similarly. Sometimes, you don’t know how you might touch someone until years down the road.”

His motto: “Success isn’t just about career achievements; it’s about the lives that you touch along the way. Life is a learning experience, and if you stop learning, you are not getting all that you can out of life.

“I am also very interested in sports. I have competed in a number of sports throughout my life and have enjoyed attending numerous sporting events as well as following them constantly on television. During my college years, I served as the sports information director. 

“I was responsible for brochures, programs, statistics, attending press conferences and hosting a weekly radio show. My brochures were judged to be among the finest in the country.” 

— Christine Davis

Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?

A. I grew up in Hillsdale, Michigan. The schools at which I was educated are:

• Hillsdale College, Hillsdale, bachelor’s in political science  

• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, master’s in political science, juris doctor

• Free University of Brussels, Belgium, comparative and international law

• University of Exeter, England, legal studies

• John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, Senior Managers in Government Program.

My education provided broad exposure to various disciplines. I studied in depth such diverse subjects as music composition and mathematics. 

Q. What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

A. University professor. I lectured in one of six Korean national universities while affiliated with the U.S. Peace Corps. I lived with a Korean family. I continue to enjoy my friendship with students from that era who have been most successful in their chosen endeavors. 

As an attorney, I practiced with a well-known New York City law firm, a profit-making U.S. government corporation providing financing and political risk insurance in the developing world, and as senior officer of a Standard & Poor’s 500 corporation in the hotel and health care industries.

I’ve been a Realtor, affiliated with established local real estate firms.

I am most proud of negotiating large business transactions that did not find their way into litigation. 

While I have received numerous recognitions and awards throughout my career, my most important accomplishment is being married to my wonderful wife of 42 years, Pat. She has been with me every step of the way, providing guidance and counsel.

Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today? 

A. Have a passion for what you do. Do not do something because your family or friends urge you to do it. Also, do not do something to chase a possible monetary return. Finally, understand your strengths and weaknesses. You need to match your strengths with your passion.

Q. How did you choose to make your home in Delray Beach?

A. My wife’s family, Margaret and Walter “Bud” Floyd, first bought a home in Delray Beach in the early 1960s. My wife had worked here on and off for several years. She introduced me to Delray in the early 1980s and I loved it. 

Q. What is your favorite part about living in Delray Beach? 

A. Besides Delray’s being a beautiful town, I am blessed to have many good friends and opportunities to assist others through my nonprofit activities.

Q. What book are you reading now?

A. Poor Charlie’s Almanack. The book reflects the life and wisdom of Charlie Munger, a co-founder of Berkshire Hathaway with his friend Warren Buffett and a great philanthropist. It also reflects his commonsense view of life and values which are important.

Q. What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax? 

A. I love classical music. It both inspires and relaxes me. I am especially partial to Beethoven, Bruckner and Brahms. My mother, Martha, was a professional musician of some stature. I performed in high school, college, community and church choirs, orchestras and bands. 

Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions? 

A. The Bible says, “This is the day the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad in it!” I have been a longtime admirer of Norman Vincent Peale, who wrote The Power of Positive Thinking. Positive thinking brings better health and more enjoyment in life.

Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?

A. My father, Leo Phillips Sr., taught me that you have had a successful day if you made someone’s day better. Also, the good you do today may not be seen for a period of time. Finally, one person can make a difference in the world. From my father, I have learned that life is like a chess game: One needs to understand moves that may have to be made down the road and prepare for the same. 

Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?

A. Papa Smurf. He is wise, collegial and understanding. 

Council considers raises — The South Palm Beach Town Council addressed its own salary structure for the first time in four years at its December meeting.
The council settled on raises that will up the mayor’s $1,000 monthly salary to $2,000 and more than double the pay for most council members — going from $600 monthly to $1,500.

The raises won’t be official until the motion gets a second reading in January and won’t take effect until after the March elections.

The new numbers would not apply to Council member Ray McMillan, who is not up for election until 2028, but will apply to anyone elected March 10 as well as those elected in the future.

The council was provided a comparative list of municipal salaries around Palm Beach County but agreed that South Palm Beach is unique due to its size and the fact it has no commercial property and no main highway, as State Road A1A is owned by the Florida Department of Transportation.

Vice Mayor Monte Berendes said that inflation has increased approximately 3.5% annually over the past four years, totaling 14%, and he added that council members were being “grossly underpaid.”

The agreement would also award the elected officials annual cost-of-living raises pegged to inflation.

Urban appointed — Louis J. Urban was appointed to the town’s planning agency. Mayor Bonnie Fischer said she’s known Urban “for a while” and termed the appointment “excellent.”

— Brian Biggane

Former Boynton Beach Human Resources Director and one-time Delray Beach City Commission candidate Tennille DeCoste has been publicly reprimanded by the Palm Beach County Commission on Ethics for misuse of public office, Boynton Beach officials reported.

The Commission on Ethics also found that former Boynton Beach Mayor Ty Penserga orchestrated a private meeting to pressure City Manager Dan Dugger to withdraw ongoing ethics complaints against DeCoste — and then supported DeCoste’s complaints against city leadership that the ethics commission later dismissed.

“The evidence made clear that former Mayor Penserga used his position not to support transparent governance, but to advance Ms. DeCoste’s personal interests during an active ethics investigation,” the city’s statement said.

Dugger filed the complaint with the ethics commission, which accepted a negotiated settlement agreement with DeCoste on Dec. 4.

Investigators found that DeCoste, who was running for the Delray Beach City Commission at the time, had used a city purchasing card for a non-city event without authorization, according to the Boynton Beach statement. They also found she coordinated the effort to pressure the city manager, filed unfounded retaliatory complaints against city leaders, and attempted to obstruct the ethics oversight process, the statement said.

The ethics commission advocate had recommended findings of probable cause on five allegations against DeCoste, including acceptance of a gift from a vendor, but the settlement included only the findings of misuse of public office and interference violations.

Dugger fired DeCoste in February 2024 for intermingling her job duties with her campaign for the Delray Beach commission, which she eventually lost. She was employed with

Boynton Beach for 14 months at a $188,000 annual salary.

—Staff report

By Rich Pollack

DELRAY BEACH — Betty Diggans cherished her Delray Beach community.

A longtime resident who was transplanted from Ohio when she was just 18, Mrs. Diggans was a well-known and cherished fixture in the city she loved for almost 80 years.

Betty Jane Diggans, an early entrepreneur, real estate agent, the wife of one of the city’s earliest postmasters and, above all else, the matriarch of a deeply rooted family, died Dec. 1. She was 97.

“My mom felt very blessed that she arrived in a town that embraced her,” said her daughter, Winnie Diggans Edwards. “She found a sense of community and a sense of family in the three generations of Digganses that became a foundation for the rest of her life.”

For more than 75 years, Mrs. Diggans was active at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, serving on the vestry, singing in the choir, hosting events, contributing to bazaars and helping publish church cookbooks and historical church family biographies.

It was there that she met the love her life, her husband, Roy Diggans.

Early on she worked at the Colony Hotel and later at Lucille and Otley’s restaurant in Boynton Beach before teaming up with her close friend Puddy Ellingsworth to open The Place, a Delray Beach staple restaurant on State Road A1A. They also formed a business that catered some of the community’s most memorable gatherings.

In the mid-1970s she acquired a real estate license and began working under the mentorship of Eleanor Gringle at Gringle Doherty & Wheat.

“What I remember about my mom’s real estate days is that she always went the extra mile and her clients remained her friends for many years,” Diggans Edwards said.

Her commitment to community extended throughout Delray Beach: She volunteered with the Chamber of Commerce, the Delray Affair, the Community Chest, the Atlantic Avenue Merchants Association and the Delray Beach Historical Society.

She also served as president of the association at her condo and was a member of the Beach Property Owners Association.

When not dedicating time to her community work, Mrs. Diggans found refuge and inspiration in a variety of avocations. An avid reader from a young age, she loved reading and listening to compelling novels, biographies and books about history and art.

Mrs. Diggans also found joy in oil painting and loved gardening as well as cooking and baking. She studied photography, mastered crossword puzzles, and delighted in travel.

Through visits with her children, she explored the Texas Hill Country, the coastal towns of Maine, sailing the Chesapeake Bay, hiking in Northern California and Colorado, and the vibrant cultures of New York and New Orleans.

“My mother lived her life with curiosity and an open heart,” said Diggans Edwards. “Her legacy of kindness, generosity and resilience will continue to inspire her family and the Delray Beach community she cherished.”

Mrs. Diggans’ greatest joy was watching the stories of the lives of her grandchildren, great-grandchildren and extended family unfold. Through visits, videos, letters, artwork and phone calls, she remained a steady source of wisdom, encouragement and love until the end. 

Mrs. Diggans was preceded in death by her husband, Roy, who died in 2001. She is survived by her children Kathleen Fields (John), Charles Emory Diggans (Lauren) and Winifred Diggans Edwards; her grandchildren Susan, John William, James (Van), Bradley (Jennifer), and Tyler (Elizabeth); and her great-grandchildren Atticus, Declan, June and Benjamin. 

In lieu of flowers, the family welcomes donations in Mrs. Diggans’ memory to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach and the Delray Beach Historical Society.

A celebration of her life will be held at 11 a.m. Jan. 31 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., followed by a reception in the historic parish hall.

The recently built estate at 110 Churchill Way in Point Manalapan sold for more than $17 million, topping the neighborhood’s previous best by more than $2 million. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

A driver crossing the Ocean Avenue bridge from Lantana enters Hypoluxo Island, a 3-mile-long island subdivision with about 315 single-family homes.

Properties on the island, split between Manalapan and Lantana — and including Point Manalapan at its southern end — have more than doubled from their pre-pandemic prices, said Jason Haverkamp of William Raveis Real Estate.

In Point Manalapan, Charles M. Adams sold his home at 110 Churchill Way for a recorded $17.12 million in December to Martin and Jean Shafiroff.

“It was an off-market for $18.95 million net,” explained Haverkamp, who with Pamela O’Connor represented the buyers of the Manalapan property. Both are agents with William Raveis Real Estate.

“It’s a unique property, a new-construction home on a private protected waterway on three-quarters of an acre and it’s also the largest home in this neighborhood,” Haverkamp said.

It is also a record-breaking sale for its area, topping the $14.8 million sale in June of 1423 Lands End Road, in the Lantana portion of the island.

Buyer Martin Shafiroff is the vice chairman of global wealth management at Stifel, and Jean Shafiroff is an author and philanthropist.

Adams, an executive of Adams Communications & Engineering Technology, was represented by Mercedes Foster, an agent with Real Broker LLC.

“Homes on Hypoluxo Island offer so much in terms of size and views and are a far better value than homes on Palm Beach. It’s definitely an up-and-coming area that is becoming much more prestigious,” Haverkamp said.

As of late December, 14 residences were listed for sale on Hypoluxo Island, with six of those in Point Manalapan.

High-priced listings on Point Manalapan include a large home at 1275 Lands End Road in Manalapan on a double lot priced at $34.9 million, listed by Howard Parker of Howard A. Parker Realty LLC, and 1635 Lands End Road in Manalapan, priced at $20.5 million, listed by Lucrecia Lindemann, an agent with Dalton Wade Inc. Another property in that price point on the island, the home at 1422 SE Atlantic Drive in Lantana, is priced at $21 million and listed by Margit Brandt, an agent with Premier Estate Properties.

Other properties for sale include a home at 807 N. Atlantic Drive in Lantana, priced at $12.45 million and listed by Fern Fodiman, an agent with Sotheby’s International Realty; a home at 5 Barefoot Lane in Lantana priced at $11.995 million and listed by Steven Presson of the Corcoran Group; a home at 50 Spoonbill Road in Manalapan, priced at $8.995 million, also listed by Presson; and a home at 1690 Lands End Road in Manalapan, priced at $8.9 million and listed by Jack Elkins, an agent with William Raveis Real Estate.

Presson, a resident of Hypoluxo Island for seven years, has sold real estate on the island for 18 years, he said, adding that in 2025, he sold 12 homes on Hypoluxo Island with two pending sales in mid-December.

“I believe that the island has become one of the most coveted for coastal living in South Florida,” Presson said. “It’s beautiful, safe, scenic and has a sense of community. Many buyers have been priced out of Palm Beach and even West Palm Beach, but still want a coastal lifestyle, and Hypoluxo Island is at the top of their list.

“Before this recent buzz, once a quarter I’d see a celebrity or a name people would recognize. Now it’s once a week. I saw a CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a supermodel and her family, and a professional athlete all in the last three weeks, all looking and previewing properties on Hypoluxo Island. They wanted to be in Palm Beach and were priced out, and just 25 minutes down A1A, they can live in a coastal community at a fraction of a cost without giving up the exclusivity and the privacy that they all were seeking.”

***

While Hypoluxo Island is no doubt attractive, coastal Manalapan along State Road A1A has the really big-ticket prices (the highest current listing is $150 million for an estate at 1370 S. Ocean Blvd.).

As far as recent sales go, Frank and Dolores Mennella sold their ocean-to-Intracoastal estate at 1940 S. Ocean Blvd. to WeatherTech founder David MacNeil, with a selling price of $75 million.

The Mennellas purchased their 1.94-acre piece of vacant land in 2018 from Billy Joel for $7.5 million, and built a 16,500-square-foot residence, with a cabana on the ocean side that can be accessed via an underground tunnel.

In this current deal, Philip Lyle Smith and Carla Ferreira-Smith of Luxury Resort Portfolio held the listing and Margit Brandt of Premier Estate Properties represented MacNeil. 

This is MacNeil’s third Manalapan purchase in the last couple of years. In April 2024, MacNeil bought the vacant property at 1120 S. Ocean Blvd. for $38.5 million. Then last May he bought for $55 million the property at 1140 S. Ocean Blvd., an under-construction ocean-to-Intracoastal residence owned by a company affiliated with Joe Farrell of the Farrell Cos. Those properties, by the way, are back on the market as vacant land, priced at $125 million and listed by Brandt.

Billionaire investor and philanthropist Dr. Herbert “Herbie” Wertheim paid $61.75 million for a 27,745-total-square-foot estate at 1160 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan. Sited on 1.73 acres, the contemporary-style residence, rebuilt by Siobhan Zerilla of Bluedoor Building, includes a separate guesthouse, pool cabana, a dock, and 13-car garage.

The main house fronts 160 feet each on the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.

Wertheim is an optometrist, inventor, scientist and stock investor. He founded and runs Brain Power Inc., a manufacturer of optical tints for eyeglasses.

The seller, NBU Land Trust, paid $28 million for the estate in 2021. Agents Candace Friis and Phil Friis represented the seller.

***

In Boca Raton, Thomas Wickwire, the chief investment officer at Boca Raton-based Livingston Street Capital, and his wife, Jeanne, sold their Intracoastal Waterway estate at 1203 Spanish River Road for $16.4 million. The new owner is David Breazzano, an executive with the Boca-based investment management firm Polen Capital. Premier Estate Properties agents brokered the deal. The home was bought with Gerard Liguori and listed by Joseph G. Liguori, who noted that it was “a landmark sale and a record price for an older renovated home” for the Estates Section on Boca Raton’s barrier island.

***

And just a footnote about Lion Country Safari ... The 254-acre park, complete with wildlife, just sold to the family of billionaire Larry Ellison, a Manalapan resident.  

Here’s the comment on Lion Country Safari’s website. “After 58 years of leadership and dedication to wildlife, conservation and education, Lion Country Safari is saying farewell to the last members of its founding family, as ownership transitions to the Larry Ellison family who has a longstanding commitment to wildlife conservation. Our proud history and exemplary record in animal care, welfare and preservation will continue to be a core focus in the future. Operations will continue as normal, and our commitment to engagement, guest experience and wildlife conservation remains unchanged.” 

For Ellison, one of the richest people in the world, did he get Lion Country Safari for a steal at $30 million, relatively speaking? 

In 2024, he purchased Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa for $277.4 million, and in 2022, he bought the Ziff Estate, Gemini, at 2000 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan, from Jim Clark for $173 million.

Here’s how that deal went down: Lion Country Safari Inc., managed by Charles Richard Koppel, sold the property for $12.71 million to Waverly Inc., also managed by Koppel.
Lion Country Safari terminated its land lease with Waverly, which was the tenant. Then, Waverly sold the property for $30 million to LCS Property LLC, which has the same address in Walnut Creek, California, as the Larry Ellison Foundation.

***

Doug Mills, the Pulitzer Prize-winning senior photographer for The New York Times, is featured in “Capturing the American Presidency” at the 2026 Alan B. and Charna Larkin Symposium. It’s at 4 p.m. Feb. 26 in FAU’s University Theatre, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. 

Mills recently earned his third Pulitzer Prize for his photographic coverage of the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania. His first Pulitzer was in 1993 with the Associated Press for team coverage of the Clinton/Gore campaign, and he won a second Pulitzer for the Associated Press’ team investigative coverage of the Monica Lewinsky affair.

Following the symposium, attendees can view “America at 250: We Hold These Truths: We Walk These Grounds,” an exhibition featuring work by Mills in the Schmidt Gallery from Jan. 22 through March 29. General admission tickets for the lecture are $35.

To purchase a ticket, visit fauevents.universitytickets.com. Also, a VIP reception will be at 2:30 p.m. in the Schmidt Gallery hallway. Tickets for the reception, which include admission to the lecture, are $75.

The Schmidt Gallery is in the Performing Arts Building, building 51.

***

Theatre Lab, the professional resident company of Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, earned multiple awards for its 2024-25 productions. Theatre Lab won three Silver Palm Awards, which recognize contributions to South Florida theater. 

Gage Callenius received the Outstanding Performance award for his role in The Last Yiddish Speaker. Iain Batchelor won the Actor and Puppeteer award for his role in The Impossible Task of Today. Nicole Perry won the Performer and Choreographer award for her role in The Impossible Task of Today. 

Theatre Lab also had two winners among seven finalists at the 48th annual Carbonell Awards, which honor theatrical excellence at theaters from Miami-Dade to Palm Beach counties. 

Deborah Zoe Laufer won an Outstanding New Work award for The Last Yiddish Speaker. Batchelor won an Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Male Role award for his role in The Impossible Task of Today.

Theatre Lab finalists were Jeff Bower for Outstanding New Work in The Impossible Task of Today; Vaishnavi Sharma for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Lead Female Role award in The Impossible Task of Today; Patti Gardner for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Female Role in The Last Yiddish Speaker; Thomas Shorrock for Outstanding Lighting Design in The Last Yiddish Speaker; Matt Corey for Outstanding Sound Design in The Last Yiddish Speaker.

***

The Delray Beach Housing Authority elected Ivan Gomez as chairman and Ezra Krieg as vice chairman of its board of directors. This organization aims to offer safe housing to low- and moderate-income families. The Delray Housing Group elected Andrea Keiser as chairman and Noah Hale as vice chairman of its board of directors.

The Delray Housing Group is an affiliated nonprofit created by the Delray Beach Housing Authority to develop and manage affordable housing.

Christine Davis writes business news and can be reached at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

FAU classes cater to older adults: ‘Never too late’

Participants enjoy a foreign policy presentation at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute on the FAU Boca Raton campus. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jan Norris

A slogan at the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at FAU says it all: “Where learning never retires.”

The institute provides classes in a variety of subjects in a lecture or seminar format — but with no textbooks, no homework and no tests. While open to all, the programs are tailored to older adults, many of whom earned college degrees in the previous century.

“The majority of our students are retirees,” said Jill Rosen, interim director of OLLI, as it is known. 

Between the Boca Raton and Jupiter campuses, Florida Atlantic University has about 5,000 OLLI members who pay $60 a year to get discounted prices for classes and advance notice for popular speakers. Classes, priced individually, cost from $34 for members to $80 or more for multiweek courses or VIP lectures; bundling brings other discounts. 

Robert Reeves, 78, has been attending classes since 2014, when he and his wife moved down to Boca Raton permanently from Manhattan.

“We started going right away. My wife and I are enthusiastic about it. The breadth of their programs, from current events, political, medical, music, self-help, history, art — there’s something for all interests,” he said.

Reeves favors courses on history or current events, but recently signed up for a crime scene investigation course. 

“My wife is really into the crime shows; we took that together,” he said. “I learned some things. I thought what was interesting, the guy worked in the field for the New York PD. He said the shows were somewhat accurate, but compressed into an hour.”

Reeves also goes in for lighter, entertainment–themed classes; some are concerts performed by local bands.

“Sometimes we go out with friends. It’s like going out for a night,” he said.

Reeves also took a course on ChatGPT. He attends multiweek history courses, as well as classes on movies and theater. 

“I enjoy the history courses the most,” he said. “I think it’s a wonderful institution. It’s reasonable and convenient.

“For quality and content, you can’t beat it.”

Variety of courses

Courses run the gamut from detailed discourse on Renaissance natural magic and the scientific revolution, to a two-part lecture on Diana Ross. 

Other titles in the upcoming catalog include Cuba, a History and a Present; Dealing with Overwhelming Anxiety: Insights from a Psychologist Holocaust Survivor; the Modern Legacy of 1776; the Art of Tango; and Sounds of Music: Simon and Garfunkel.

Ed and Ferne Emmer of Boca Raton have been students at OLLI for three years. He, too, likes the diverse class offerings, and just finished a two-part seminar on Cher. 

“I’m not sure why I took it,” Ed said. “But she led a really interesting life.

“Time just flew by; you sort of wished there was another hour. The professor made it really interesting. He was so engaging.”

Lifelong Learning students Ed and Ferne Emmer of Boca Raton interact with the Quantum Jungle exhibit inside the MAD Arts in Dania Beach, one of the off-campus outings on the course schedule.

Excursions are offered

Judy Scara, the associate director of programs, books the professors and other experts. Some are faculty and give the traditional lecture; others are brought in to provide interactive seminars where students are part of the class curriculum. 

She gave an example of a seminar about birth order.

Before his talk, the instructor separated the class into firstborns, then middle children, then babies. “It was really engaging,” she said. “Everyone loved it.” 

The spring catalog with courses and excursions is now available.

“I try to mix it up with diverse things,” Scara said. “They said they want to get into excursions, so I book fun things to get the students off campus.”

She’s had a wine-tasting trip, an Everglades tour, and a trip to MAD Arts in Dania Beach, a digital interactive art gallery. Upcoming plans include a trip to PopStroke, the new Tiger Woods mini-golf venture. 

Lifelong Learning students interact with the The Junk Machine (2024), a work by conceptual artist ClownVamp, inside the MAD Arts in Dania Beach.

Recently in Jupiter, OLLI students went to an artist’s class to make Turkish lamps.

“One of the students asked me to take her picture with her lamp. I did, and she said, ‘Now write under it: It’s never too late to learn.’ She’s 93,” Scara said.

That’s the mission of OLLI, Rosen said. “There are people who look for these programs to find a retirement community. They want to stay engaged. It really drives some to choose this area.

“We have an amazing program,” Rosen said. It is one of the largest in the country.

FAU president’s interest

The institute has been operating since 1980. It is self-funded, with student course fees helping pay instructors, staff and maintenance. 

The new president at FAU, Adam Hasner, is refocusing on the institute. 

“He brings an understanding of what this population can bring to FAU,” Rosen said. “He wants this to be part of the Hometown University,” the theme used to showcase the classes to area residents.

Most classes are held in the Ely Meyerson Continuing Education Hall, a state-of-the-art auditorium that seats 500. 

For special speakers, Scara said, it sells out. Members get first dibs on popular lectures.

The pandemic took a toll on attendance, however. 

“This population is particularly vulnerable,” she said, “so many stayed home. Their communities stepped up their programs, and some people have not returned. But we’re hoping our programs will bring them back to campus.”

Her spring catalog is the result of suggestions from patrons, board members and the students, and builds on past programs that proved popular. 

Hot topics always include politics and current events such as the Middle East peace talks. Big-name commentators, such as Chuck Todd and Jon Meacham, will speak this spring, and Major Garrett and John Martin will give a presidential run-up lecture.

“Sometimes it’s banging the bushes for new and interesting topics,” Scara said. “I want to keep the energy up. We have a lot of repeat patrons, and you want to keep it fresh. They want to learn something new.”

’Exciting professors’

Margarita Castellon is secretary of the board for OLLI. She’s also chair of the marketing committee, a volunteer position.

“I’ve been involved for seven years,” she said. “I take about 15 classes every semester. I leave behind at least 10 classes I’d like to go to.”

She has a master’s degree from Harvard and compares Jeffrey Morton, an FAU political science professor, with Ivy Leaguers. “We have the most exciting professors. Nationally recognized folks,” she said.

FAU professor Jeffrey Morton gives a presentation on foreign policy at the Boca Raton campus.

Meacham, a Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and author of books on presidents, is a great draw, Castellon said. 

Martin, Politico’s senior political columnist, sits for “fireside chats” with FAU’s Hasner. Morton, “he’s our rock star,” Rosen said, as a speaker on world politics. His current-events lectures sell out.

The social aspect of OLLI is also important. “It’s a lifeline for some people,” Scara said. “We are the third space for a lot of people. It’s not their home, not their work, but the place where they can come and be comfortable and safe.” 

Many students have been caretakers for a spouse, or have lost a spouse. The classes are a way to become engaged again, she said. “We’re really like a second home for some.”

The OLLI staff also encourages the formation of special-interest groups.

“We had a very popular lecture this year about bird watching, called Bird Nerding. We encouraged the students to form a group to connect outside of class,” Scara said.

Other groups include book clubs and a glee chorus.

Arleen Roberts, 85, of  Boca Raton, is part of the volunteer marketing committee. Originally from Massachusetts and a snowbird, she has been a permanent resident for 22 years and was taking OLLI courses long before the pandemic shut them down for months.

“They’ve come a long way,” she said. “The speakers really know their stuff.”

She goes to lectures by Richard Rene Silvin on local history, or watches international films with Shelly Isaacs’ commentary. 

Keeping the mind engaged

Roberts likes that some lectures are “edutainment,” but says others also attract her.

“The talent is here,” she said. “I’m willing to try something different. Something that didn’t necessarily jump out at me. Some turn out to be not so great, but others are wonderful, and engaging.”

The Boca Raton classes are convenient, too, she said. A new parking area directly across from the auditorium makes it easy to get in and out of class. “They bused us over before,” Roberts said. “It was hard for some people.”

Roberts also likes that the staff has brought back excursions, canceled during the pandemic. She’s looking forward to a private tour of the Norton Museum in West Palm Beach in February as part of the group.

“We’re so lucky to have this in Boca,” she said. “Who needs New York?”

Ed Emmer says he does miss the Big Apple, but OLLI fills a void in Boca Raton. 

“I’ve lived my whole life in big cities, New York and London. I love it here from November to May. From June to October, I like New York.”

Emmer is in his third year of classes.  He likes all the history classes but plans to attend a lecture on Peter, Paul and Mary with friends from his building. 

From the earliest wars in the Middle East to the French and American revolutions, to modern wars, centuries are covered. Speakers propose new angles and throw out ideas about alternate outcomes to engage student discussion.

“I sat in a class on Abraham Lincoln and immigration. One of the professors from the university interviewed the speaker, then there were questions from the audience,” Emmer said. “It was really interesting and relevant.”

He said the experience of sitting with like-minded students in the comfort of the main auditorium, along with the use of technology, encourages him to return. Screens display simultaneous captioning during lectures. Catch-up videos are available in case people miss classes. “Technology is clearly advancing,” he said. 

Ferne Emmer has some interests that differ from her husband’s. She has taken several courses on cinema.

The Thin Man series was “really interesting,” she said. She’ll go back for a lecture on Katharine Hepburn soon.

The Emmers found out about OLLI from a friend. 

“I was looking for something to keep me engaged,” Ed said. “I’m not a golfer. I’m not a boater. I was looking for something to expand my knowledge. You have to keep moving, body and mind.” 

It’s easy to fall into the trap of sitting around a pool and “do whatever, and doze off. It’s important to keep your body active with exercise. But it’s just as important to keep your mind active.”

For more information about the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, visit Olli.fau.edu.