Connor Lee took charge of all aspects of the labyrinth: design, site preparation and finding people to help. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Connor Lee had always wanted to do something for his church, Unity of Delray Beach.
“I’ve been attending Unity for seven years, and before that we attended Unity in Palm Beach,” the Atlantic High School senior said. At the same time, Connor was looking for a project to complete his Eagle Scout certification.
“I was talking to the Rev. Durgan and she said she’s always wanted a labyrinth,” Connor said, referring to Laurie Durgan, the church’s youth education director. And there it was! Connor could build a labyrinth at the church to earn his Eagle Scout rank.
Connor had walked a portable labyrinth that the Rev. Ytonna Finnegan, assistant youth education director, used at Unity teen retreats. “I really didn’t know much about them,” Connor said, “but the Rev. Hurley did.”
Linda Hurley, director of the prayer ministry, has been studying labyrinths for more than 20 years and was thrilled to share her training as a Veriditas labyrinth facilitator and her experience from studying labyrinths in France and Germany. “I was fascinated by the design, the sacred geometry involved and the deep meaning behind the labyrinth,” Hurley said.
A labyrinth is a singular path, usually curved or circular, leading to a center. Almost every culture has a labyrinth, Hurley said. Some date back more than 4,000 years.
Walking the labyrinth isn’t like a maze, where you’re solving a puzzle to escape. There’s only one way in, and the entrance is also the exit. There are no dead ends and there’s no way to get lost. Instead, the goal is to lose yourself in a meditative walk. Labyrinths are tools for personal, psychological and spiritual transformation. Experts say labyrinths may enhance right-brain activity and mindfulness.
Walking a labyrinth is a way to quiet the mind, recover balance and encourage insight and self-reflection. Labyrinths are nondenominational and cross-cultural.
People who have walked labyrinths say they bring peace to the mind, body and spirit.
Connor sees it more simply: “You’re connecting to yourself and to whatever God you believe in. It’s about making the connection.”
With Hurley’s guidance, Connor took charge of all aspects of the labyrinth: design, site preparation, choosing the correct materials and lining up people to do the work.
Connor decided on a garden path labyrinth, a grass pathway outlined with brick pavers. He said some people like to walk barefoot, maybe to feel more connected to the planet. It was also more cost-effective to use more grass and less brick.
He used a design borrowed from the famous labyrinth at Chartres Cathedral in France.
Once the site was chosen, Connor’s crew — other Boy Scouts — cleared it. “We had to hire a tree removal service,” Connor said. The people at Tip Top Tree Service in Delray Beach surprised Connor by donating their services, and once the tree was out, the Scouts dug up the rest of the vegetation and leveled out the dirt before laying 60-70 pieces of sod to fill in blank spots.
“While we waited for the sod to take hold, we outlined the labyrinth with spray paint,” Connor said.
The Scouts dug out the outline with trenching shovels and added sand for drainage before they laid more than 1,000 pavers donated by Deck & Drive of Boynton Beach.
It took about two dozen young men almost 80 hours to do the work, most of which was accomplished between 9 a.m. and noon on Saturdays to fit the teens’ busy schedules. “Some came only once, but others came every week,” Connor said. It gave him a chance to practice the leadership skills central to a Boy Scout’s preparation.
“It helped me take other leadership roles as well,” Connor said. As the student government president at Atlantic, he takes responsibility for 2,300 youths.
One of the most important lessons he has learned is not to be afraid to lead. “Stay true to yourself,” Connor said. “Lead your own way, using your own methods. Use your uniqueness.”
The labyrinth is in front of Unity, easily accessible to all.
“It’s solitary, even when you’re walking with others,” Hurley said. “You’re all on one path, but you’re on your own journey.”
Durgan has known the Lee family, including Connor’s parents, DJ and Lynn, for more than 20 years. “Connor’s light has been a blessing. Wherever he goes, he just makes everything better,” she said.

World Labyrinth Day
To celebrate the 10th annual World Labyrinth Day and to formally welcome the public to Connor Lee’s labyrinth, a special “Walk as One at 1” will begin at 1 p.m. May 5 at Unity of Delray Beach, 101 NW 22nd St. It is part of a worldwide group walk.
The public is invited to gather at 12:30 p.m. for a brief introduction and a circle of prayer. For more information, call 276-5796 or visit www.unityofdelraybeach.org.

By Janis Fontaine

On May 15 in many places throughout the world, crowds will gather as the day winds into evening.
They are awaiting the start of a holy event, the first sighting of the crescent moon that marks the start of the ninth month of the Islamic calendar. The monthlong lunar cycle is celebrated by 2 billion Muslims as Ramadan.
In Islam, Ramadan is the holiest time of the year. The Islamic calendar is a lunar calendar, based on the phases of the moon. Ramadan takes place at a different time each year, and over time, it passes through all the seasons.
Ramadan is a holy month of fasting, introspection and prayer for Muslims. It commemorates the phase of the moon when, around A.D. 610, Muslims believe Muhammad received revelations from God (Allah) through his angel Gabriel. This holy event took place in the Saudi Arabian city of Mecca, which is why, wherever they are in the world, Muslims face Mecca for their daily prayers.
The teachings were collected into the Quran, a 114-chapter holy book, like the Christian Bible or the Judaic Torah. Muslims believe the Quran contains the exact words of God.
During Ramadan, Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset each day, but break the fast with family and friends once the sun goes down. A check of the calendar shows this doesn’t officially happen until after 8 p.m., so Muslims fast until then. Ramadan culminates in Eid al-Fitr, a three-day festival and one of Islam’s most important holidays. This year, Ramadan ends the evening of June 14.
All Muslims who are old enough and healthy enough fast during Ramadan. Fasting is a way for Muslims to cleanse the body, but it’s also a way to empathize with people who are poor and hungry. In addition to fasting, Muslims avoid drinking, smoking, sex, impure thoughts and words, and immoral and even unkind behavior. Self-restraint is important. Self-reflection is vital.
Some people read from the Quran or recite special prayers or go to the mosque. Omam Khalid wrote in his article The Dos and Don’ts of Ramadan, “This month is about patience, forgiveness and goodness and anything that hinders a Muslim achieving this state should be avoided at all costs.”
Ramadan also is a time of celebration. During Ramadan, “the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed and the devils are chained.” This makes Ramadan the perfect time to do good, and to ask and give forgiveness, with no devil to tempt you.
The Pew Research Center estimates that there were about 3.45 million Muslims living in the U.S. in 2017, which means Muslims make up just over 1 percent of the total U.S. population.
The Islamic Center of Boca Raton hosts a monthly open house the first Thursday of each month from 7 to 9 p.m. The community is invited to the center to learn more about Islam. Refreshments are served following a tour of the mosque and a question-and-answer session. The Islamic Center is at 3480 NW Fifth Ave., Boca Raton. Call 395-7221.

Islam and Ramadan
Islam — Islam means “to surrender to God.” Muslims believe there is one omnipotent God and people can achieve salvation by following his commandments.
The Quran — The holy book that contains Muhammad’s revelations, believed by Muslims to be the exact word of God.
Muhammad — The final prophet in a line of prophets that includes Adam, Abraham, Moses and Jesus. Muhammad lived from around A.D. 570 to 632.
The Five Pillars of Islam — The pillars include a declaration of faith called shahada; prayer; charity, called zakat; fasting; and pilgrimage, or hajj, which requires Muslims to make a trip to the holy city of Mecca.
Ramadan — The holy time that recognizes the gift of the Quran.
Iftar — The evening meal at which the fast is broken. The humble date is a traditional food eaten to break the fast.
Taraweeh — This special evening prayer is prayed only during Ramadan. It’s no longer required but it’s a strong tradition and many modern Muslims pray it. It’s a long prayer, lasting more than an hour.
America’s first and oldest mosque — Lebanese immigrants built the first mosque in North Dakota in the 1920s. The mosque was torn down in the 1970s and later replaced. What is probably the oldest surviving mosque was built in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in the 1930s.

Prayers for addiction
A worship service and information session about the opioid crisis will be held from 2 to 4 p.m. May 6 in the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach, 33 Gleason St. Prayer for those affected by addiction will follow, and several experts will speak from different perspectives. A Q&A session will conclude the afternoon. Free. Guests welcomed. Call 276-6338 or visit www.firstdelray.com.

Marian Rosary Festival
The rosary will be prayed in many languages at the 2018 Marian Rosary Festival honoring Mary, Mother of the Church, on May 6 at Emmanuel Catholic Church, 15700 S. Military Trail, Delray Beach.
The Most Rev. Gerald Barbarito will preside over the ceremony, which begins at 2 p.m., and will offer the benediction. For more information, call 496-2480.

Interfaith Café meets
Join the theological discussion from 7 to 9 p.m. May 17 at South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach.
This month’s program is “The Gift of Years,” an evening of reflection and conversation on how a rich and mature spirituality addresses regret, relationships and hope. The presenter is the Rev. Dr. Steven Olds, S.Th.D., a Roman Catholic priest of the Diocese of Orlando and a professor and spiritual director at the St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary.
Light refreshments will be served. The meeting is free, but donations are appreciated. The Interfaith Café meets the third Thursday of the month. Volunteers are needed to assist with a variety of duties to keep this program going. For information or to volunteer, email Jane@Aurorasvoice.org.
Music at St. Paul’s
A special concert of Bach arias featuring soprano Adriana Ruiz is planned for May’s Music at St. Paul’s at 3 p.m. May 20 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
Under the direction of Paul Cienniwa, countertenor Edgar Sanfeliz Botta will also perform, and several musicians will perform on period instruments, including Robert Billington and Scott Ireland on traverso, Laurice Campbell Buckton on baroque violin, and Marie Ridolfo on viola da gamba. Cienniwa will play harpsichord/organ.
Soprano and alto arias are from Bach Cantatas 35, 36, 45, 132, 147, 210, 214 and 243. Soprano and alto duets come from Cantatas 78 and 93. Organ works are based on the chorale Wer nur den lieben Gott läßt walten, and Trio Sonata in G major, BWV 1038.
Tickets are $20. Admission is free for 18 and younger. Arrive by 2:30 p.m. for a pre-concert lecture by Cienniwa. For more information, call 278-6003 or visit www.music.stpaulsdelray.org.

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

FAU researchers make progress in helping couples dealing
with memory loss sharpen their communication skills

Some people in the FAU study took part in painting classes or other activities at the Louis and Anne Green Memory Center in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O’Connor

The scenario is familiar and sad.
“This couple, you can see the problems they’re having,” Christine Williams, director of the Ph.D. in Nursing program at Florida Atlantic University, says while scanning a report on a study she led. “She doesn’t understand that he can’t do any better than he does. She’s very critical, demeaning, harsh. He’s very stubborn.”
The study attempted to help couples communicate better when one of them has Alzheimer’s disease or another type of dementia.
Williams, also a professor at the nursing college, designed the study and was its principal investigator.
For 10 weeks, researchers from the Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing worked with 15 couples in their homes. Caregivers were trained to reduce critical behavior and care receivers learned to reduce their unsociable habits, such as not making eye contact. Researchers found measurable positive changes in communications by the end of the 10 weeks, including the ability of care receivers to stay interested and engaged, remain on topic and even joke with their partners. Caregivers learned how to encourage their partners rather than shutting them down.
The study was published in the International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry.
Couples, who all attended programs at the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center, received a manual with 10 weekly areas of study. Researchers met each week with couples, separately and together. For 10 minutes each week, the couples engaged in conversations that were put on video and later evaluated.
“This intervention is important because there are no other programs specifically developed for couples where one has Alzheimer’s disease or dementia,” Williams said. “While marital counseling is available, it’s very different when you have one partner who is losing their ability to communicate.”
More than 5.4 million adults in the United States have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and more than 15 million family members care for them at home. A substantial number of caregivers, 40 percent, are spouses. Spouse caregivers have received billions of dollars in health care for stress-related issues.
When case workers teach new practices to couples, their lives improve, Williams reports.
“After she learns what his limitations are, she’s trying to get him to take his antibiotic,” Williams says. “He does eventually take it, and they joke as they go along.”
Later, she says, “You can see how she gives him all the chances in the world to talk. She doesn’t talk for him, she doesn’t demand.”
In between is a painstaking process that reveals the shame, the fear and the resentment below the surface of marriages under the ultimate stress.
“Somehow, we think that what our spouse does reflects badly on us,” she says, referring to the sometimes baffling behavior of people with Alzheimer’s. The caregiver spouse “is just mortified.”
During the 10-week study, caregivers learned to improve their spouses’ behavior and reduce their own stress.
“When you hold a conversation with them, when you are supportive, encouraging and boosting their self-esteem, you give them the message that they are worth talking to,” Williams says. “You can, with your attitude, still give them the time to be in a relationship.”

Christine Williams’ study examined communication skills between couples in which one of them suffers from memory loss. Photo provided

Study inspired by personal experience
To have a spouse with Alzheimer’s still carries a stigma and can isolate a couple from their friends. Some couples bond with others in the same situation, Williams said, meaning they don’t have to explain to someone who might not understand or tolerate it.
They know to be patient if, for example, a spouse has trouble ordering food in a restaurant.
Some people with Alzheimer’s “think they’re fine, but a lot of people are painfully aware,” Williams says. “One woman told me, ‘My husband just puts his arms around me and says, ‘I’m so sorry this is happening.’ It’s heart-wrenching for these couples.”
Williams’ interest in caregiver couples started when she observed her parents in their later years. Her father, she says, was a wonderful caregiver to her mother but didn’t understand the extent of her memory loss. He tried to argue her out of incorrect memories.
“He didn’t know how to just drop it, and she was getting frustrated,” Williams says.
Although much research focuses on nurses and other professional caregivers, research on family caregivers is rare, Williams says.
Spouses can learn how to get their loved ones to continue to care for themselves, such as brushing their teeth, and how to deal with more complex issues of relating to them as people despite their limitations.
The stress of caring for an Alzheimer’s patient can reveal the cracks in a relationship.
“When suddenly they don’t recognize this person, having empathy becomes more challenging,” Williams says. “They may say, ‘He’s not the man I married.’ And if there is [emotional] baggage, they may be rolling that into the Alzheimer’s.”
Sometimes, the key is to help the caregiver to accept that the spouse with Alzheimer’s “is not going to miraculously change.”
One man in the study kept showing photos to his wife and demanding, “Who’s this? That’s your twin daughters.”
“I did convince him that that was not helpful,” Williams says.
Williams wants couples and families to know “there is hope. And if there’s nothing more to be done, they can learn to maintain that connection and learn how not to interfere with the relationship and with what the person can still do.”
The Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center has a couples group that includes support groups, caregiver education and memory-enhancing games, mindfulness training and respite for caregivers. For more information, visit fau.edu/memorywellnesscenter.

Lona O’Connor has a lifelong interest in health and healthy living. Send column ideas to lona13@bellsouth.net.

Communication tips for family members affected by Alzheimer’s

1. Share news of the day: Talk about family and friends and the daily agenda so that your family member with memory loss is still involved in everyday life.
2. Expectant waiting: Set aside a small amount of time, when you are not busy and distracted, just to talk. Focus on being open to whatever your family member considers important. You don’t need to keep talking. It’s OK to sit quietly together and let your family member break the silence.
3. Connect: Communicating is more than talking or exchanging information. You can communicate without words. What is your voice saying? Does it show compassion, impatience, love, disrespect? Are you communicating what you intend? Is the message one of caring?
4. Search for ways to communicate: Try multiple ways of engaging. Try a new topic, a touch, a smile or a song.
5. Accept their story: Listen without correcting. Honor your loved one’s efforts to communicate even if you disagree with “the facts.” Being “right” is not as important as being supportive.
6. Share memories: Couples share special memories. Rather than ask, “Do you remember the time …,”  share the memory freely. Offer memories of special times.  Think of it as a gift. Start with “I remember when. …”
7. Tell stories: Talk about shared interests, what you are reading, what you noticed about people, events or nature. These are everyday stories that can help you stay engaged with your family member.
8. Create a caring environment: By creating predictability and a supportive environment, you are making it possible for your family member to take the risk to join conversations. Being corrected or ignored is painful and can encourage someone with a memory problem to give up trying.
9. Give compassionate care: When a loved one with a memory problem needs help, provide it with compassion. Use words and gestures to express your affection as you offer help. While love may have been taken for granted before, it needs to be openly expressed now.
10. Delight in unexpected responses: There will be moments of clarity, shared humor, or times when your family member will let you know that you are appreciated. Feelings are beyond words. Appreciate and cherish those special moments.
Source: Christine Williams, director of the Ph.D. in Nursing program at Florida Atlantic University

Mindy Shikiar has been appointed chief operating officer for Boca Raton Regional Hospital. She replaces Karen Poole, who retired in early April. Shikiar has been at Boca Regional since 2003 and served in positions such as vice president of oncology services, ambulatory services and business development. She has had oversight of major program and facility expansions at the hospital’s Eugene M. & Christine E. Lynn Cancer Institute, the Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health and Wellness Institute and the Gloria Drummond Physical Rehabilitation Institute.
“Mindy Shikiar’s experience and skill set are ideally suited for this important role within our organization. Her leadership will be instrumental as we continue to enhance our position as a preeminent, academic referral medical center in the region,” said hospital President and CEO Jerry Fedele.

Tarsha Jones, an assistant professor at Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, got some good news times two. She received a $182,812 diversity supplement grant from the National Cancer Institute of the National Institutes of Health awarded through Columbia University and a $5,000 grant from the D.A.I.S.Y. Foundation.
The two-year National Institutes of Health grant will further Jones’ research and career development skills and enhance diversity among biomedical and behavioral scientists. Jones, along with her research mentors, will examine racial and ethnic disparities in the use of genetic testing among young breast cancer survivors. In her research funded by the D.A.I.S.Y. Foundation, Jones is studying barriers to genetic testing of black and Hispanic women with cancer risks who receive care in community health centers.

Boca Raton Regional Hospital was recognized by Becker’s Hospital Review as one of “150 great places to work in health care” for the second consecutive year. Becker’s Hospital Review accepted nominations and developed an editorial review process.
Boca Regional’s submission included a look at its offerings in employee recognition and professional development programs, along with wellness initiatives and competitive benefits. Examples include the hospital’s @WorkCare Health Center and its Healthy Habits program.

Symphony, a senior living community on West Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach, will open this summer. It plans to offer 88 supportive independent living and assisted living apartments and 34 memory support apartments. Monthly apartment prices range from $4,595 to $6,600. Amenities and services include restaurant dining, bar, salon and spa, a movie theater, gym, as well as nursing care options. For more information, call 672-0774.

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

ABOVE: Dena Balka in the kitchen at the Infusions Café. RIGHT: Red stem kale is a hearty green thriving in the garden. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

The Secret Garden is a small raised vegetable garden at the Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach. The enthusiasm of those who use and maintain it makes up for its lack of size.
Visitors may enjoy 10 three-tiered planting beds flush with bright green lettuce leaves, mustard greens, red- and yellow-stemmed beet greens, delicate carrot tops and plenty of tomato plants well-covered with ripening green orbs.
An in-ground bed at the edge of the parking lot sports rosemary, lettuce and well-formed heads of red cabbage. And, at the rear of the garden, two prolific papaya trees in plastic tubs produce sweet fruit.
This garden got its start about eight years ago when the center’s executive director, Sherry Johnson, realized that a vegetable garden would help fulfill the center’s mission to create a healthier community.
The community in the heart of Boynton Beach, she explains, is a food desert where healthful food is difficult to obtain and many of the residents are low-income older adults.
The garden originally covered two nearby lots that were offered to the center for the price of paying the real estate taxes. There it flourished providing plenty of produce for nutrition and cooking classes. The fruits and veggies also were delivered to local residents’ homes, providing them ingredients for healthful eating.
But the garden faltered when Johnson couldn’t find anyone to maintain and harvest it on a regular basis. So about three years ago, when the generous landowner died, Johnson decided to downscale the garden and bring it onto the center’s own property where it sits today.
“At that time, we chose to focus on teaching the next generation about growing their food and getting better nutrition,” she says.
Even so, the center’s Veggie Mobile continued to visit seniors. But the smaller harvest meant it now has to be stocked with produce purchased from local farmers as home-schooled children work in the garden to earn credits.
“Here they can learn about organic farming and what to do with the harvest. They can get a science lesson from using natural pest control. And they discover the plumbing involved with plants, their root systems and all of that,” Johnson says.
The chefs who use the center’s commercial kitchens find it’s handy to have ingredients just outside the door. That makes it easy to incorporate the fresh produce in their creations as well as in nutrition and cooking classes.
“You just get your scissors, go out and clip what you need,” says Dena Balka, who runs Infusions Café, a small eatery at the center. “I usually bring a colander with me and put the harvest right in there. Then I come in and wash what I picked to use right away.”
You may find her picking a little fresh arugula to add to sandwiches or some basil for pesto. “I like to layer flavors and ingredients so my dishes are never boring and there are lots of textures,” she says.
Bright green wooden boxes of foliage and herbs as well as potted areca palms also sit just outside the restaurant door. Patrons sit among them as they dine al fresco at wrought iron tables.
Visit the center and you can’t help but notice how beautifully the gardens are maintained. That’s thanks in part to Winfred Patrick, who visits almost daily to keep the beds well-weeded, fertilized and watered. “Being in that garden helps calm me down,” he says.
Besides working there, he gets to enjoy the bounty of the garden when he munches a fresh-picked tomato or a green pepper under the sun. The community also respects and enjoys this garden at the center, where many are nourished both physically and emotionally.
“Having this, we’re just blessed,” Patrick says.

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

Gardening tip

“We try to plant a little of everything. Our garden does well because we know what grows in Florida and understand the growing seasons. We’ve found that tomatoes thrive as do green peppers and squash. But we haven’t planted many fruit trees such as mangoes, because they take years to develop and we haven’t gotten there yet.”
— Sherry Johnson, executive director, Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach

If You Go

Where: The Secret Garden and Infusions Café are at the Community Caring Center of Greater Boynton Beach, 410 E. Boynton Beach Blvd.
When: The garden on the east side of the building is open every day for viewing. Café Infusions serves lunch 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, and brunch 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Information: Call the center at 364-9501 or visit www.cccgbb.org. For Infusions Café, call 578-0272, e-mail dena@infusionscafe.com, or visit infusionscafe.com. The menu changes weekly and can be viewed online.

ABOVE: Dolphinfish (mahi mahi) begin to show up in greater numbers as the weather warms in the spring. These were caught in mid-April by Tim Workman (left) and Dave Hammond from the Lantana-based Geno V charter boat operated by Capt. Geno Pratt (far right) and his son, Zane Pratt. RIGHT: Ben He of Wellington shows one of two kingfish he caught vertical jigging during the April 12 morning trip on the Lady K drift boat, based in Lantana. Schools of spring kings are common during May in the waters off Palm Beach County.

Photos by Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

Spring is here. Days are getting longer … the sun, stronger. For ocean anglers, that means live bait such as Spanish sardines, threadfin herrings and pilchards should arrive this month, followed by predators such as kingfish, cobia and blackfin tuna.
Bottom fishing for mutton snapper usually improves during May, as does fishing for colorful, high-jumping dolphinfish, best known as mahi mahi.
With spring fishing action expected to heat up with the outside temperatures, here are a few suggestions for catching ocean fish along the coast of southern Palm Beach County:

1. Find live bait.
Look for dimples on the surface of the water in the morning — or find the bait clouds on your boat’s depth finder. If they’re small baits, such as pilchards in shallow water, net them with a cast net. Larger baits such as Spanish sardines are best caught with sabiki quills, then moved carefully into a live-bait well.
Try a No. 6 sabiki rig with an ounce or two of weight clipped to the string of hooks. (Be careful, because the tiny gold hooks often wind up in shirts or fingers.)
If you don’t like catching bait, buy it from an on-the-water bait dealer such as Dynamite Live Bait, which often sells bait from a boat just inside Boynton Inlet.
2. Match hook sizes to the size of the live bait fish. A 2/0 or 3/0 hook works well with a live Spanish sardine or threadfin herring (also known as greenie). Add about 6 inches of light wire between the hook and the leader to catch toothy fish such as kingfish and wahoo.
3. Add weight to get baits below the surface. Try hooking a sardine onto a 5/0 circle hook tied to 5 feet of 40-pound-test leader with 2 ounces of weight above the leader to catch blackfin tuna.
4. Try drifting with unweighted flat lines holding live bait to catch dolphin and surface-feeding kingfish. Don’t be surprised if a sailfish hits your live sardine or threadfin herring.
“The sardine is my favorite bait by far,” says Capt. Chris Lemieux, a Boynton Beach charter captain.
Lemieux also likes to net dozens of small pilchards, which he throws out as live chum to attract blackfin tuna, typically in 140 to 250 feet of water.
5. Troll near weed lines, current edges and floating debris to find mahi mahi. Try trolling artificial lures such as Rattle Jets, rigged ballyhoo or rigged squid to catch mahi mahi. After one is hooked behind the boat, have a pitch bait (such as a sardine chunk or squid on a half-ounce jig) ready to toss out to followers when they appear near the boat.
6. If you don’t have live bait, use a dead sardine or ballyhoo (from the freezer case at the bait shop) threaded onto triple 5/0 hooks and tied to 40-pound-test leader to catch kingfish, dolphin, snapper and cobia.
Add weight above the hooks as needed. Watch the depth finder on the boat for fish under the boat. Kingfish often show up as marks on depth finders 20 feet or more below the surface.
7. Don’t forget bottom fish. Fishing for the beautiful, tasty mutton snapper can be productive in May and June. Drift with dead sardines, squid or ballyhoo on 30-pound-test leader to catch mutton snappers. (Don’t forget the minimum size for muttons: 18 inches in overall length.)
Drift fishing can be an effective way to fish the ocean along the coast of southern Palm Beach County, said Capt. Bruce Cyr of the Lantana-based Lady K drift boat.
Try drifting with dead baits such as frozen sardines (or a combination of dead and live baits) in three depths at the same time.
Surface baits (unweighted flat lines) target sailfish, dolphin and surface-feeding kingfish. Lightly weighted mid-water baits often catch kingfish, cobia and blackfin tuna. At the same time, bottom baits rigged with heavier weights could catch snappers, groupers, African pompano or amberjack.
Drifting with baits positioned in various depths offers anglers the chance to catch a wide variety of fish, Cyr said.

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

Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament & Chili Cook-Off

Mullet Mafia team anglers (l-r) Ryan Reinert, Jason Gonzales, Timothy Riley, Robert Thomas and Hayden Buckner — all from the Coral Springs/Parkland Fire Department — celebrate the 61.4-pound wahoo they caught off Boynton Beach to win $1,500 as biggest wahoo and heaviest fish in the 13th annual Boynton Beach Firefighters Fishing Tournament at Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park in Boynton Beach on April 21. Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

The always engaging French bulldog is not a great swimmer and so should wear a doggie life vest in the water. Photo by Ashley McGeeney, Blue Wonder Frenchies

By Arden Moore

What do Lady Gaga, Leo DiCaprio and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson have in common with some dog lovers who live in West Palm Beach?
All of them share their homes with the French bulldog breed that they regard as magnifique.
I admit I found the results of a recent dog popularity poll surprising. It turns out that of the 190 recognized dog breeds in the world, the French bulldog ranks No. 1 in West Palm Beach. This news is according to research conducted by the American Kennel Club, an organization that dates to 1884 and maintains the largest registry of purebred dogs in the world.
Sorry, Labrador retrievers. Apologies to all your German shepherds, and better luck next time to those smiling golden retrievers. All of these fine breeds take a back leash to the French bulldog here as well as in New York City, Los Angeles and Honolulu, according to the AKC poll.
“This is the second year in a row that the French bulldog has been on top in West Palm Beach,” reports Gina DiNardo, AKC executive secretary. “It looks like this playful, smart breed will continue to be a popular choice.”
Who isn’t surprised by this ranking? Certified professional dog trainer Jaime Devereaux, who trains all types of dogs throughout Palm Beach County, and professional French bulldog breeder Ashley McGeeney, co-owner of the Blue Wonder Frenchies located in Loxahatchee.
“I was not surprised by this poll result because Frenchies are popping up everywhere lately,” says Devereaux, who operates Jaime Doolittle Dog Training. “I’ve trained numerous Frenchies and fall in love with every single one of them. They are great dogs.”
Devereaux says some people mistakenly peg French bulldogs as stubborn, but she has found that not to be the case.
“I’ve actually found Frenchies to be very easy to train because they are usually very food-motivated and excel with obedience training. Their only limitation would be that they are what’s known as brachycephalic dogs (short muzzles) and can overheat quickly, so short training sessions outside work best for them.”
McGeeney and her husband, Jared Schorr, fell in love with French bulldogs in 2013, motivating them to carefully breed AKC-registered French bulldogs at their Blue Wonder Frenchies center located just outside of West Palm Beach.
“Their quirky personalities and cute bat ears are what I think draws people to this breed. That’s what attracted us to French bulldogs,” says McGeeney.
Here are some fun facts about Frenchies:
They didn’t originate in France. These toy-size bulldogs were born in Nottingham, England, during the mid-1800s, where they became mascots for lace makers. They migrated to the French countryside with some of these lace makers and bred with terriers and pugs, developing their now-famous bat ears.
Yes, they do snore. That’s because of their short snouts. So, turn on your sound machine to muffle their snoring at bedtime.
When they are awake, they do not have reputations as big barkers, but they do enjoy engaging in conversations with their favorite people.
Be patient during potty training. French bulldogs may need a little more time and guidance to understand the home is their den and their bathroom is outside.
Vest them up for swims. These stocky, short-legged dogs are no canine versions of Michael Phelps, so be sure to fit them in a life vest for laps in the pool and swims in the ocean. Always supervise them around bodies of water.
They sport fun nicknames. Because of the way they play out their back legs, they are affectionately dubbed “frog dogs” and due to their playful personalities they are known as “clowns of the canines.”
McGeeney adds these insights into this breed: “French bulldogs are very curious and more apt to learn tricks than obedience first. But their fun-loving attitudes make them get along with everyone, people and dogs alike.”
French bulldogs are not typically up for adoption in animal shelters, but you can reach out to breed rescue groups led by the French Bulldog Rescue Network at www.frenchbulldogrescue.org. Or you can consider getting a puppy from professional breeders like McGeeney (bluewonderfrenchies.com).
“Jared and I have been residents of Palm Beach County for our entire lives and the focus of our breeding program is quality over quantity,” says McGeeney. “All of our dogs live in our home. Our puppies are well-socialized to all kinds of sights and sounds to make sure you have a well-adjusted family member.”
Oh, in case you were curious which breeds make the top five in nationwide popularity: From first through fifth for 2017 are the Labrador retriever, German shepherd, golden retriever, French bulldog, and the bulldog.
My canine pack includes a trio of mutts: Kona, a Jack Russell terrier-whippet combo; Cleo, a bichon frise-poodle blend, and Bujeau, a Bernese mountain dog-Catahoula leopard mix.
My favorite purebred is the Pembroke Welsh corgi, a short-legged, long-backed canine of the herding group and a royal favorite of Queen Elizabeth. My late great Jazz was a corgi and I affectionately describe corgis as a cross between Robin Williams and the Three Stooges because of their brilliant comedic personalities.
What’s your favorite dog breed and why? Share your reasons by emailing arden@ardenmoore.com.

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor. She hosts the Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com.

ABOVE: Ocean Ridge Garden Club member Sylvie Glickstein climbs into a sea grape tree to attach an orchid. RIGHT: The gardeners use Liquid Nails to attach the seedlings to the trees. The Million Orchid program is experimenting with locations around the county to try to re-establish native orchids in the wild. BELOW: Stella Kolb, a member of the Garden Club, holds a tray with 100 orchid seedlings. Fifteen members of the club worked with Palm Beach County employees to carefully glue the butterfly and dollar orchid species to the hammock trees, which offer the growing epiphytes a stable place to thrive.

Photos by Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

Aubrey Deptula is a talented writer who wants a science-oriented career. Her parents both work in the medical field. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

At 15, Aubrey Deptula is already putting together an impressive academic and athletic résumé.
Aubrey, a sophomore at Boca Raton Community High School, earned the highest score in the nation on one of the toughest exams: media studies.
She and students from 15 other Palm Beach County schools were honored last month at an awards ceremony at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport.
Aubrey, Alexa Lisa Gauvin and Duc Tran won “Top in the Country” medals for getting the highest scores on their exams as part of the Cambridge Assessment International Education diploma program. Alexa outscored her peers in marine science and Duc in chemistry. Both attend Palm Beach Central High.
“I feel like I was better prepared,” Aubrey said of her achievement. “I spent a lot of time researching the processes and technology of media.”
Aubrey, who lives in coastal Boca Raton, is pursuing the diploma in a program that is part of the famed University of Cambridge. It “prepares school students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning.”
She also plays volleyball.
“Aubrey is a leader on our campus,” Principal Susie King says. “She takes her education seriously and sets her goals high. She is an absolute pleasure to be around and has a kind word or smile for everyone.”
Media studies is the analysis, understanding and appreciation of the media in our everyday lives, and the media’s effects (intended or otherwise) on the public. The topic requires extensive analytical writing, and Aubrey, who will be 16 on June 14, competed against many older students.
For Aubrey, doing well on the exam had additional value: She’s trying to earn college scholarship money, including Florida’s Bright Futures scholarship.
“I’ve been working toward that as a way of giving back to my parents,” Aubrey said.
She’s interested in the medical field, which entails quite a bit of college.
But her writing is getting her noticed. Aubrey isn’t afraid to tackle difficult topics. She recently wrote an essay about how technology affects gender equality, and she’s interested in humanitarian topics, especially women’s rights.
“My parents say I have a way with words,” she said.
She’d make a fine journalist, but Aubrey is committed to the challenging STEM program at Boca Raton High and she wants a science-oriented career.
Her parents, Tom and Kelly Deptula, both work in the medical field, and she loves to listen in on her dad’s conversations about the advances in orthopedic medicine, equipment and treatment.
“I think it’s mind-blowing,” Aubrey says of the biomedical technology field. “They can manufacture things that actually save lives.”
This focus on studies is only part of the Aubrey Deptula equation. The 6-foot Aubrey is also a hitter and blocker who made Boca Raton’s volleyball team this past season. The Bobcats won a state championship in the 2016-17 school year.
At one tournament, Aubrey felt overwhelmed by the demands of the sport she loves and the weight of projects due in AP biology and AP world history. Her coach, Brett Sikora, stepped up.
“I just broke down, and he really helped me,” Aubrey said.
Sikora said he used his experience working with college athletes to help Aubrey.
“It’s all about time management,” Sikora said.
His tips included making a list and prioritizing projects by due date and breaking down big projects into smaller tasks. The practical solutions seemed to help her refocus her energy.
“Aubrey is an incredible learner and she works very hard,” Sikora said.
Aubrey seems to have a knack for learning not only from her own actions but from both the mistakes and achievements of others. Playing on a strong team with eight returning seniors helped her.
“It all comes down to paying attention,” Sikora said. “Aubrey is always watching and learning.”
Aubrey admits she’s very competitive, but she has a soft heart. She plans to spend her summer working as a camp counselor, teaching kids about sports.
She would love to play volleyball in college. At least she thinks so. That’s more than two years away.
And volleyball scholarships are hard to come by, Sikora said, but require just as big of a commitment as more popular sports.
For now, Aubrey still finds time to just relax. You might find her playing beach volleyball or hanging out with her family, which includes two older brothers, Brent, currently studying at Florida State University, and Ryan, a senior at Boca High.
There’s been one side benefit of Aubrey’s achievements, and it’s one all girls with big brothers can relate to: “They’re starting to take me a little more seriously,” she said.

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Palm Beach County and the city of West Palm Beach and have proclaimed the third week in May as Native Plant Week. To celebrate, the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society has helped organize a full schedule of events that fulfills its mission to educate the public about the importance of using these plants for landscaping.
These events also celebrate the revised landscape ordinance recently passed in West Palm Beach that encourages the use of native plants when landscaping private and public lands.
Birds need caterpillars to feed their young; insects have evolved with specific native plants for their life cycle. If there’s no native plants, there will be no insects and no birds, explains Susan Lerner, president of the local FNPS chapter.
And that’s why when you visit communities where the landscape is predominantly showy exotics, you don’t hear birds singing in the trees or see butterflies flitting about on diaphanous wings. There’s nothing to attract or support them.
“And that’s too bad because these plants are the gateway to sustainability,” Lerner says. “They not only support wildlife, but also require less water and fertilizer than most of the plants imported from elsewhere.”
The theme for the week is “Renewal.” And it will culminate in the 38th annual FNPS conference at the Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center in Miami.
The celebratory events begin May 14 with “Renewal: Going Native,” an exhibition and sale of native plant photography at the Palm Beach Photographic Centre. Eighteen photographers from all over Florida are participating. These include Rufino Osorio, a longtime Palm Beach County resident, and Homestead resident Roger Hammer, who specializes in Florida wildflower photography, says Lerner.
As the week progresses, the local chapter of the FNPS will hold its 13th annual Rare and Unique Native Plant Auction on May 15, at the Mounts Botanical Garden. Involving both a live and silent auction, the evening is also about learning.
It will include presenter Craig Huegel, author of a blog celebrating native wildflowers (hawthornhillwildflowers.blogspot.com), and auctioneer Andrew Burr.
“Andrew is fun, energetic and appropriately cajoling,” says Lerner. “He knows this is one of our main fundraisers and he makes sure everyone has a good time.”
On May 16, renowned entomologist and author Doug Tallamy from the University of Delaware will present “Bringing Nature Home: Renewing Our World With Native Plants” at the Florida Atlantic University Boca Raton campus.
His message is that as Florida has been developed, it has less and less habitat for birds, bees and other critters. He urges everyone to landscape with native plants to help our native fauna survive.
Lerner invites the public to attend any or all of these Native Plant Week events.
“We’ve planned them for anyone who wants to help bring our native wildlife back into Florida,” she says.

Native Plant Week events
Renewal: Going Native
What: Exhibition and sale of native plant photography by 18 Florida artists
When: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. May 14-Aug. 4 Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Where: Palm Beach Photographic Centre, 415 Clematis St., West Palm Beach
Cost: Free
Information: 253-2600 or 247-3677

Renewal: Going Native, the Birds, the Bees, the Flowers and the Trees
What: The 13th annual Rare and Unique Native Plant Auction, a silent and live auction. Proceeds benefit the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society.
When: May 15. Doors open 7 p.m.; live auction begins about 7:30.
Where: Mounts Botanical Garden, 531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach
Cost: Free admission; no charge to bid
Information: 247-3677

Bringing Nature Home: Renewing Our World With Native Plants
What: Seminar by entomologist Doug Tallamy
When: 7 p.m. May 16
Where: Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium, FAU, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton
Cost: $5 in advance, purchase tickets at bringing-nature-home.eventbrite.com; $10 at the door
Information: 352-7835

Renewal
What: 38th annual FNPS conference
When: May 17-20
Where: Miccosukee Resort and Gaming Center, 500 SW 177th Ave., Miami
Information and registration: fnps.org/conference/2018

To contact the Palm Beach County Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society, call 247-3677.

Bathurst, Boylston, Frankel also take seats on council

New Mayor Shelly Petrolia brought an oversized gavel to her swearing-in. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach voters came out at the highest rate in more than 10 years in March when they elected Shelly Petrolia as mayor.
“I feel great,” she said the morning after the March 13 election. “All of the work paid off.”
The new commissioners and mayor were sworn in March 29.
Petrolia is the city’s third woman mayor, following the election of Rita Ellis in 2007 and the appointment of Catherine Strong in 1954. When Strong was chosen as mayor, she had the highest number of votes among the candidates. Back then, Delray Beach used that method to select its mayors, according to the Delray Beach Historical Society.
Petrolia, a Realtor, beat her opponent, Jim Chard, by having 809 more mail-in votes (2,184-1,375). She lost at the precincts by 392.
“We did a lot of door-knocking,” she said. “Not necessarily different from my competitor.”
Plus, her twin sons cast their first votes for her, she said. They turned 18 on Feb. 9. The registration cutoff date for municipal elections was Feb. 12.
Chris Davey, an election watcher and commercial real estate broker, knows the power of the mail-in ballots. He ran for City Commission in 2014 against incumbent Al Jacquet. Davey led at the polls by 429 votes and when the mail-in ballots were tallied, he lost by 265 votes.
When Ellis was elected in 2007, mail-in ballots (then called absentee ballots) were only 3 percent of the vote. By the 2018 Delray Beach election, mail-in ballots accounted for 42 percent of the vote, according to the county Supervisor of Elections Office website.
“It’s more convenient for people to vote that way,” Petrolia said.
Chard, a retired public administrator, believes he was the better candidate because of his background and experience. He was elected to the commission in March 2017 and threw his hat into the mayor’s race in the fall after Cary Glickstein said he would not run for re-election.
“I won on Election Day, but I lost on the mail-in ballots,” he said. “We tried hard to get those votes.”
After “licking my wounds,” Chard will become active again in the city’s nonprofits. “I could be more effective there than as an elected official,” he said.

Ryan Boylston is sworn into office accompanied by his wife, Cassidee, and their children, Madelyn, 10 months, Elliott and Preston (right)

Mitch Katz, who held City Commission Seat 3, was upset by newcomer Ryan Boylston. Katz received 397 more mail-in ballots, but he lost on Election Day when nearly 1,400 more people voted for Boylston.
Katz, who works for a private education company, said he lost because Boylston’s campaign had targeted him in the last few weeks before Election Day. Katz didn’t have the money to buy new ads or mailers to counter.
“It’s a combination of things,” Boylston said. “I’m the stronger candidate with the civic and professional résumé and I have a reputation in town that I can work with all segments of the city.”
Boylston has served on the city’s Downtown Development Authority board, including one year as the chairman. He sat on the city’s Education Board for nine months and stepped down when he was sworn in as commissioner. City rules ban commissioners from also serving on city boards.
Boylston will remain on the board’s Education Master Plan Committee as a parent member, he said.
He owns his own marketing agency, Woo Creative, with an office in downtown Delray Beach.
Katz said he would spend the next few months concentrating on his family and work, and then decide what public service role to play. He also volunteers as an assistant scoutmaster to his son’s troop.
Adam Frankel, a criminal defense lawyer, returns for his second stint as a city commissioner. He won both the mail-in and in-person votes in Seat 1. He could not be reached for comment.
At the candidate forums, Frankel said he wants to establish a $1,000 fee on transient homes that rent more than three times in one year. The fee is aimed at sober homes, but it also could target homeowners who offer their houses as vacation rentals. The money collected would be used to cover code enforcement costs. Frankel also wants to hire a full-time city attorney, decrease staff turnover and improve development between the interstate and Swinton Avenue.

With Bill Bathurst as he is sworn in are his wife, Debra (left), stepfather, Jim Marshall, and mother, Barbara.

Bill Bathurst, a Realtor, did not have any challengers to finish the remaining two years on Chard’s seat. Bathurst raised about $5,000, which he gave away in March to Delray Beach nonprofits. Because his family moved to Delray Beach in the 1930s, Bathurst will focus on historic preservation, but in the modern way so that historic buildings can be renovated for small businesses. He calls that ambition Village by the Sea 2.0. Bathurst describes the word “village” as an attitude of caring. He also wants to create a people-first mentality that translates into working together to get things done.
Petrolia’s priorities will be controlling developments that add to traffic and congestion; preserving historic buildings; creating a parking management plan for the downtown; building roads, sewers and sidewalks that are sustainable; and continuing to monitor sober homes so that safety can be maintained.
Boylston wants to focus on education and small businesses that provide jobs in The Set and Haitian communities. He also wants to provide stability to repair the city’s reputation to get things done.
“It will be a team approach to all of the rest that the commission wants to do,” he said. “Petrolia will be our head coach because she has five years’ experience as a commissioner. That’s the most important thing needed in a mayor.”

By Jane Smith

Boynton Beach will finally get a real downtown.
City commissioners in mid-March unanimously approved spending $118.3 million to redevelop 16.5 acres to create a walkable Town Square where people can live, work and play.
The new downtown area includes the essentials for city living: library and City Hall combined in a new City Center, the historic high school renovated to be a cultural center, a new fire station, two parking garages with 465 public spaces and a park with an amphitheater.
Private developers will construct two buildings to house 705 apartments, 13,800 square feet of restaurants and 15,000 square feet of office/retail space. They also will build a hotel with 125 rooms, and additional ground-floor retail will serve as the gateway into Town Square.
The Town Square project will be bordered by Boynton Beach Boulevard on the north, Northeast/Southeast First Street on the east, Southeast Second Avenue on the south and Seacrest Boulevard on the west. The police headquarters will be built on city-owned land on High Ridge Road, near the city’s Emergency Operations Center.
“We’re excited about the project,” said Assistant City Manager Colin Groff, who is in charge of Town Square. “We think it will be transformational for the city.”
City leaders have talked about the need for a downtown for at least 20 years, Groff said.
After the vote, City Manager Lori LaVerriere thanked the mayor and commissioners “for putting a lot of faith and trust in staff. It will be a wonderful and successful project. Staff has been working on it for 21/2 years.”
Some residents have mixed feelings about the project.
“I’m in favor of the project other than the eight-story buildings,” said Harry Woodworth, former president of the Inlet Communities Association.
Barbara Ready, who chairs the city’s Historic Resources Preservation Board, said, “I’m thrilled beyond belief that the high school is being saved. It’s a beautiful building that once was the heart and soul of the city.”
She and others held rallies to save the high school in 2015 when then-Mayor Jerry Taylor wanted to see it demolished.
Ready is not thrilled about the density in Town Square. She said an eight-story apartment building sits too close to the nationally historic Schoolhouse Children’s Museum. “It’s not compatible with the two-story Children’s Museum,” she said.
Former City Commissioner Mike Fitzpatrick bemoaned the smaller size of the Kids Kingdom playground. “It’s been moved and reduced by two-thirds,” Fitzpatrick said.
The playground needs to be at least 7,000 square feet, said longtime resident Susan Oyer. She sits on the city’s Planning and Development Board, whose members want to make sure the playground has a usable size.
“I don’t think the city gave developers everything they wanted, maybe about 95 percent,” Oyer said. She also talked about the eight-story apartment buildings as incompatible with one-story houses and apartments across two-lane Northeast First Street and Southeast Second Avenue.
Even so, she said, “There’s a lot for residents to like,” such as the renovated high school and the park with an amphitheater.
Town Square has an ambitious schedule: bonds issued in June, library and City Hall demolished in July, high school renovation complete in November, an energy plant to fuel the project finished in February, the south garage and Fire Station No. 1 complete in July 2019 and the City Center, housing the library and City Hall, finished in September 2019.
The city will own the land under the public buildings. It will sell the land for the apartment buildings, the hotel and the two garages.
The bulk of Boynton Beach’s share of the project will come from the sale of $76.1 million in bonds issued by a company called CFP Boynton Beach Town Square LLC. That partnership is run by the nonprofit Community Facility Partners, based in Minnesota.
Boynton Beach will lease the land to CFP in a complex agreement.
The city will use money from its general fund and a financial commitment from its Community Redevelopment Agency to make the annual payments. Depending on the interest rates, the annual payments will be between $4.4 million and $5.1 million, said Tim Howard, assistant city manager for finance.
The bonds will be paid off in 25 years, Howard said. At that time, the land and buildings will revert to the city.
Boynton Beach will use a variety of sources to pay the remaining $42.2 million, Howard said. Those sources include the city and utility budgets, the CRA taxing district, federal tax credits for the high school, land sales to private developers at an average price of $1.25 million per acre, and $3 million from the proceeds of the penny sales tax.
The plan to use penny sales tax money drew a response from Taylor. He sits on the committee that oversees how Boynton Beach spends those tax dollars. “The money should be used on existing roads and sidewalks, not on new projects such as the high school,” he told commissioners.
But LaVerriere insisted it was OK to use the sales tax to help pay for the high school renovation. That seemed to appease Commissioner Mack McCray, whose vote was needed to make the commission’s support of Town Square unanimous.
Fitzpatrick also questioned the wisdom of selling some of the land to the developers. “What if in the future, 25 or more years, when another City Commission needs that land?” he said. He wanted to see long-term land leases. He had sent the commission a lengthy email in August on the issue.
“That structure wasn’t offered,” Groff said. The developers insisted no one would be willing to lend money for a private project when they didn’t own the land. “In Mizner Park, Boca Raton financed the deal,” he said.
Woodworth said the project should be done in phases, eliminating the need to rent temporary space for the library, City Hall and police headquarters.
Groff, though, said the developers need to hit this market while it’s still hot. The apartment buildings will be built at the same time as the combination library and City Hall on Ocean Avenue.
During demolition and construction, the library will be housed in two locations: a temporary 5,000-square-foot branch on the west side of Seacrest just south of Boynton Beach Boulevard, and a larger location in Quantum Park on High Ridge Road, south of Gateway Boulevard. The temporary location for City Hall will also be Quantum Park, Groff said.
He expects to bring leases for commissioners to sign at the April 17 meeting.
“We have a good schedule that can be met,” Groff said, “and I think our guaranteed costs are accurate.”
At the end of the meeting, LaVerriere said to the public, “I hope you feel good about it. Town Square will transform our city.”

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream needs $10 million over the next 10 years — roughly double what it usually budgets — to replace aging water pipes and repair streets, consultants say.
Joe Kenney, an engineer with Mathews Consulting, told town commissioners March 9 that overall the town’s water pipes provide good flow for daily conditions. But as another consulting firm warned Gulf Stream in 2012, the water mains are old and getting older.
“A lot of it is pre-1970s. It’s coming to the end of its expected service life,” Kenney said.
Kenney recommended replacing 19,700 linear feet of pipe, almost half the town’s total 44,367 linear feet, in the coming decade.
He also looked at the roadway and storm sewer systems and devised three strategies for Gulf Stream: resurfacing a road with minimal utility work, replacing a water main with trench paving and resurfacing the road, and reconstructing a road with grading and sewer adjustments and water main replacement.
The third strategy “is kind of starting over to make sure everything functions adequately,” he said.
The engineers also rated Gulf Stream’s streets and found none are perfect and none are failing.
“All the roads are generally in that middle category — minimal or moderate defects,” Kenney said. He also suggested widening roadways when possible.
“Some roadways it’s 11 or 12 feet. If you were going to build a new road in South Florida the standard is 20 feet. We see variances to 18 feet,” he said, promising to produce a map showing which streets could be wider.
Kenney said town commissioners could generate an economy of scale and minimize disruption to residents by bundling some projects together rather than trying to do one or two each year.
“The impact on the residents is going to be a major part of this equation,” Town Manager Greg Dunham said.
Included in the target list of future projects are reconstruction of Bermuda Lane, Old School Road, Gulf Stream Road, Oleander Way, Polo Drive and Middle Road and replacing the final 3,550 feet of water main under State Road A1A up to Sea Road.
Commissioners will review Kenney’s draft report; Dunham asked him to return with a possible timetable showing which projects to tackle first.
In other business, town commissioners adopted an ordinance lifting term limits on members of the Architectural Review and Planning Board and then reappointed ARPB members Thomas Smith and Malcolm Murphy.
Previously board members could serve only three consecutive three-year terms.

Builders with Republic Construction work on the roof of the addition to the Gulf Stream Town Hall on March 15. They were expected to punch through the existing building’s wall sometime in April. ‘You may see some temporary placement of individuals here in the commission chambers for offices,’ Town Manager Greg Dunham said. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

The town has joined a growing effort to save sea walls, docks and moored vessels from boats speeding up and down the Intracoastal Waterway.
Gulf Stream resident Robert Souaid asked Town Manager Greg Dunham to write various agencies seeking a slow-speed zone for the town’s portion of the waterway, which Dunham said the town had previously done.
“A number of times,” Town Commissioner Joan Orthwein interjected as Dunham briefed her and her colleagues March 9.
Dunham said he went to Souaid’s house on Wright Way for a firsthand look at the wave action on his dock.
“Literally while I’m there, a boat came speeding down the Intracoastal and splashed all over us,” he said.
Kristine de Haseth, executive director of the Florida Coalition for Preservation, said Rene Gross, who lives in an unincorporated county pocket directly across the Intracoastal from Souaid, recruited Souaid to the cause and asked the coalition for assistance.
“We helped him get in front of Briny, and Briny is writing a letter. We helped him get in front of St. Andrews; it’s going to write a letter,” said de Haseth, who was elected to the Ocean Ridge Town Commission in March.
De Haseth said officials of the state’s Boating and Waterways Section, part of the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “haven’t been very receptive in the past” to speed limits on the Intracoastal south of Woolbright Road, “but this gentleman is trying as much as he can to at least include the municipalities, include the major clubs to have some letter.”
She said Briny Breezes has had to replace most of its sea wall and all its docks. “It’s an ongoing maintenance issue,” she said.
The FWC held a public workshop in March in Fort Walton Beach to consider expanding a “boating safety zone” in the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway 415 feet to protect users of a county boat ramp.
It held another workshop in Apalachicola on a proposal to shorten a safety zone north of a bridge by 1,200 feet in an area “with no public fuel docks, boat ramps and boating launching and landing facilities along the shorelines.” The FWC proposal also would extend that safety area 300 feet south of the bridge to protect it.

Shops in California’s Carmel-by-the-Sea have distinctive style with paneled windows and carved doors. Photo provided

By Jane Smith

Downtown Delray Beach has a certain indefinable something, called an X-factor by urban consultant Bob Gibbs.
In late March, when Gibbs presented his analysis, he said Atlantic Avenue is a national standard for a walkable downtown with shopping and dining options.
He also gave suggestions about how the city could become the Southeast version of Carmel-by-the-Sea in California. The much smaller town has a population of about 4,000 with a strong style.
Delray Beach has an estimated population of nearly 66,000, according to the University of Florida’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research.
“Delray Beach has the potential to be known worldwide,” Gibbs said.
The city’s Downtown Development Authority sponsored his study and the Town Hall session where Gibbs gave his presentation at the Crest Theatre.
Gibbs touched on many of the city’s hot-button issues, such as parking, cleanliness, signs, architectural styles for the storefronts, landscaping and flowers, and the need for coordinated street furniture.
He thinks parking in the city garages should be free for at least two hours and possibly around the clock. “That would reduce the problem of employees parking in front of stores on Atlantic Avenue,” Gibbs said. The free parking also would appeal to shoppers who don’t mind walking.
Boca Raton and Naples have free parking in their city garages, he said.
Gibbs thinks meters on Atlantic, west of the Intracoastal Waterway, and the side streets could work in Delray Beach. He prefers single meters that can take credit cards, cash or coins or be operated via a smartphone.
“But Naples does not have meters on its streets,” Gibbs said. The rationale behind that decision should be explored by Delray Beach leaders, he said.
Gibbs thinks the city’s sign system needs work. “It should start at the interstate, continue into the downtown, point out the garages and the beachfront,” he said.
Then at key intersections, such as Atlantic and Northeast Second Avenue — the entrance to Pineapple Grove — signs should direct diners and shoppers to places in that area, Gibbs said.
Some people say brick-and-mortar stores are going away because of internet sales, but Gibbs remains bullish on downtown Delray Beach.
That prediction should hold true for the next five years, he said.
“We found the city could support 350,000 square feet more of retail space,” he said. “Stores want to be in a walkable downtown that Delray Beach has, not in a strip center.” The proposed developments of Atlantic Crossing and Midtown Delray plan to add 77,028 square feet of shops.
Speaking of strip-center styles, Delray Beach needs to stop allowing that design style with aluminum frame doors and dark-tinted windows. Gibbs didn’t want to share names, but he said there were seven or eight examples along Atlantic.
He suggested downtown Delray Beach shops aspire to be a version of Carmel-by-the-Sea stores, with paneled windows and carved doors.
Delray Beach hired planners from the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council to create design style guidelines. The City Commission has adopted them. The next step is to make sure the building owners follow the guidelines, Gibbs said.
“Tougher design guidelines were supported by a lot of developers,” he said. Gibbs talked with Delray Beach developers, along with retailers, for his analysis.
Landscaping and adding flowers are a quick fix to make the street look fresher, according to Gibbs.
For coordinated street furniture, Gibbs suggests that Delray Beach leaders decide on a design style for benches, bike racks, trash and recycling containers, and light posts. Then, as money allows, replace the mishmash of styles.
Gibbs called Delray’s DDA one of the most effective and best-managed organizations that he has worked for nationally.

Outgoing Ocean Ridge Mayor Geoff Pugh is flanked by his daughter, Alexis, wife, Lisa, and son, Jonathan, at a special reception in Town Hall on March 5 to recognize his 15 years of service to the town. Jerry Lower/ The Coastal Star

By Dan Moffett

Ocean Ridge commissioners unanimously chose James Bonfiglio to be the town’s next mayor, believing his experience as a lawyer could be useful in resolving some contentious legal matters on the horizon.
Bonfiglio, who was elected to the commission in 2014 after a long run on the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, has been an advocate of aggressively enforcing building codes and strengthening the Police Department to deal with looming growth issues. “I think you all know that there is a lot of pending litigation facing us over the next few months,” Commissioner Don MaGruder said during the town meeting April 2. “Jim is certainly qualified to help (Town Attorney) Brian Shutt oversee that. With that I think that Jim is the most qualified on the commission to serve as mayor.”
Ocean Ridge is facing potential problems from two cases in the courts. Former Vice Mayor Richard Lucibella is facing felony charges over gunfire at his home in 2016, and his attorney has accused a town police officer of using excessive force. Also, developer William Swaim is challenging the town for refusing his plans to build houses behind Town Hall.
Bonfiglio, 64, likely will have a short tenure as mayor, however. He is a Democratic candidate for the state House District 89 race and under Florida’s “resign to run” law must leave the commission by November.
Commissioners chose MaGruder as the town’s vice mayor. Newly seated Commissioner Phil Besler nominated Steve Coz for the position, but the motion died for lack of a second. Kristine de Haseth, the commission’s other newcomer, then nominated MaGruder, who won the job on a 3-2 vote, with Besler and Coz dissenting.
Bonfiglio replaces Geoff Pugh, who resigned last month with a chorus of compliments after serving on the commission for 15 years, the last six as mayor.
“It’s been a great honor and a pleasure serving with you,” Bonfiglio told Pugh during the March 5 meeting. “I think you’ve been a great mayor.”
“I so appreciate your common sense and your love for Ocean Ridge,” Coz told Pugh. “You’ve merged those two into making the proper decisions that benefit the citizenry. I don’t know how we’re going to replace you, frankly.”
Pugh said his wife, Lisa, had attended only about four of his meetings but has heard all about them.
“She has put up with the total recap of every single meeting for 15 years,” Pugh said with a laugh. “She’s been my best sounding board.”
In other business, Police Chief Hal Hutchins says he is working with Manalapan Chief Carmen Mattox to develop a proposal under which Ocean Ridge would provide dispatching services to its northern neighbor.
Besides the revenue Ocean Ridge would collect from Manalapan, Hutchins said, his department would benefit from sharing immediate radio intelligence and links to Manalapan’s license plate recognition cameras. He said the arrangement could enhance the performance of both departments.
The chief said he would bring the commission more details at the meeting on May 7.

Phil Besler and Kristine de Haseth won in their first attempts at running for public office. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Dan Moffett

Coastal advocate Kristine de Haseth said she “did a lot of door-to-door canvassing” in campaigning for a seat on the Ocean Ridge Town Commission, and growth-related issues ranked high on voters’ minds.
“When it affects daily life, that’s when they start paying attention,” she said.
Relief from traffic congestion, tighter code enforcement, more community policing — Ocean Ridge residents, de Haseth said, are looking for ways to cope with the impact of growth in surrounding communities and redevelopment within the town itself.
De Haseth, 55, director of the Florida Coalition for Preservation, struck the right chord with voters. She coasted to victory in the March 13 election, receiving 424 votes of the 585 ballots cast, or 72.5 percent.
Political newcomer Phil Besler claimed the other commission opening with 330 votes (56.4 percent).
Incumbent Gail Adams Aaskov, a 15-year commission veteran and former mayor, lost her seat, finishing a distant third with 175 votes (29.9 percent).
“I think people are ready for a change,” de Haseth said.
And more change is coming in Ocean Ridge. The commission will work under a new mayor, James Bonfiglio, who takes over for Geoff Pugh. He stepped down in March after six years at the helm. Then Bonfiglio’s seat is expected to open in November once he resigns to enter the state House District 89 race. Besler, 63, told voters his 40-year career as an accountant gives him experience that will help the town’s budgeting and fiscal management. A 13-year resident of Ocean Ridge, he says the commission has to develop a new strategic plan to prepare for the challenges that are coming.
“If you read the strategic plan for 2000, it’s not going to address what’s going to happen to us in the next 10 to 20 years,” Besler said. “We’ve got to get our arms around that.”
De Haseth said her work with the coalition over the past 12 years has enabled her to develop connections with neighboring communities that will benefit Ocean Ridge as it tries to maintain its character in the wake of regional growth.
“I bring a lot of knowledge about issues and the process of government,” she said. “I bring relationships with surrounding governments.”
Aaskov said she’s looking forward to moving on to other things and that her public service likely has ended.
“I donated 15 years to Ocean Ridge and wrote two books about it,” she said. “Enough is enough. I never had a personal agenda, which is more than I can say about some of the others.”
Turnout on Election Day was 35.8 percent of the 1,633 registered voters, with 107 voting by mail. There were 241 undervotes, meaning that many voters chose only one of the three candidates instead of the two selections they were allowed.
De Haseth said many of her backers intentionally under-voted to concentrate their support with her campaign and avoid raising the tallies of her rivals. “Why dilute your vote?” she said.

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach can now boast it has two historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places.
The newest register listing came in mid-March when the National Park Service, which keeps the Historic Places list, decided that the Old School Square Historic District could join the Marina Historic District.
“We are delighted that this honor has at last been bestowed on one of our most cherished historic districts,” said JoAnn Peart, president of the Delray Beach Historic Preservation Trust. The city asked the group in 2014 to begin working on the district for submittal to the National Register. “It took a lot of time and sweat to get the district listed.”
The district, which runs along Swinton Avenue from Northeast Fourth Street to Southeast Second Street, is home to some of the city’s most significant buildings, including the Old School Square campus and the 1902 Sundy House, home of the city’s first mayor. Both are listed individually on the National Register.
After the state approved sending the district listing to the federal level in late November, Hudson Holdings — developer of the proposed Midtown Delray project in the southern half of the district — put out a flier with misinformation about what the National Register listing would mean to property owners, according to Historic Preservation Trust members.
“SAY ‘NO’ TO THIS DAMAGING DESIGNATION,” the flier copy read. Instead of being a feather in the cap, the National Register listing was described as limiting property repair and renovation, she said.
But the historic building changes and renovations are reviewed on the local level by the city’s Historic Preservation Board, Peart said. Nothing is done on the federal level, she said.
Steve Michael, Hudson Holdings co-founder, said he no longer opposes the designation.
“We originally thought they were trying to stop the development of Midtown Delray,” he said. “But we don’t think that anymore.”
Historic Presevation board chairman, John Miller, called the flier “mean-spirited and punitive.” On the flier, Hudson Holdings offered the services of its notary to have the statements certified, he said.
Michael said his team was trying to educate property owners about the designation. Midtown Delray received conditional approval from the city one week before the district was listed on the National Register in mid-March.
“We need to make them aware of the changes to our site plan that includes demolitions and slight relocations of historic buildings,” Michael said. “I don’t know when we will alert the National Park Service. We are trying to work on our site plan.”
The listing was delayed by 30 days after another district property owner appealed to the National Park Service in mid-February to postpone the decision. The owner promised to provide details, but didn’t produce them.