The announcement of the expansion of Promise Fund medical services brought out (front, l-r): Promise Fund CEO Audrey Brown; Promise Fund founder Nancy G. Brinker; Florida Lt. Governor Jay Collins, U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel; state Sen. Lori Berman; and Promise Fund board members Mami Kisner and Eric Brinker. Promise Fund’s mission is to improve survivorship from breast and cervical cancers by providing guided support and free to low-cost access to screenings and treatment. Photo provided

By Jan Engoren

With the promise to give every woman the opportunity to obtain health care regardless of who she is, where she lives or what income she has, the South Florida-based nonprofit Promise Fund has expanded its presence to include a clinic at Genesis Community Health Center in Boynton Beach.

“We can and must do everything in our power to ensure no woman dies simply because she lacked access to care,” Nancy G. Brinker said in an announcement about the expansion of the organization she founded in 2018 to fight breast and cervical cancers. “That has always been our mission — and our promise.”

 Brinker also founded Susan G. Komen for the Cure in honor of her sister, who died from breast cancer in 1980.

After working tirelessly to raise funds for breast cancer research through Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Brinker has shifted her focus to early detection and prevention screenings for both breast and cervical cancers. The Promise Fund mission is to improve survivorship by providing guided support and free to low-cost access to screenings to women who don’t have adequate health insurance.

The Boynton Beach office is at 709 S. Federal Highway, Suite 4. Promise Fund has three other clinics after also recently adding BCOM Broward Community & Family Health Centers in Hollywood; and a second FoundCare site, FoundCare/Yolette Bonnet Center in West Palm Beach. The original FoundCare is on South Congress Avenue in Palm Springs.

Each site offers essential women’s health services to underserved populations, including mammograms, Pap smears, clinical breast exams, diagnostics and treatment.

West Palm Beach patient Vanina Gatica was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 46. In a video on Promise Fund’s website, she speaks of the help she received from her patient navigator, Aydeivis Jean Pierre, and others. 

“My son, my daughter and husband came to my mind, and I was thinking what life would be for them if I was not around,” Gatica says. “It was hard to think what was coming.”

She expressed worry about the cost of diagnostic MRIs, ultrasounds and 3D mammograms and wondered how she could afford it.

Promise Fund Chief Operating Officer Karen Patti, who lives in Delray Beach, says the organization was designed to be a model of care and was founded with the idea of creating a system that could be replicated in other communities.

“It’s very exciting,” she says, noting that if they are caught early, breast cancer is 99% curable and cervical cancer, 95% curable.

“Nancy’s vision is to educate communities and make sure all women have access to services,” Patti says. “We meet women where they are and apply what we’ve learned to ensure every woman can access early detection and screenings.”

About 1 in 8 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive breast cancer during their lifetimes, with an estimated 317,000 new cases and 42,700 deaths from the disease expected this year in women and men, the American Cancer Society says.

In addition, about 13,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed and about 4,000 women will die of this cancer in 2025, according to the American Cancer Society.

Through education and outreach, Promise Fund has engaged more than 109,000 women in South Florida, including nearly 20,000 women who have been screened and 266 women who have received cancer treatment.

“We know early detection saves lives,” says Promise Fund CEO Audrey Brown. “We are here to give guidance, and our health navigators are here to help women on their health care journey.

“We want to increase survivorship from breast and cervical cancers to make Palm Beach one of the healthiest counties in Florida,” she says.

Each site features 3D mammography equipment and AI technology from Hologic, along with diagnostic imaging and ultrasounds, cervical screenings, and treatment (LEEP and colposcopy).

In addition to securing the equipment and funding necessary, Promise Fund has embedded each center with a navigator who provides guided support to women throughout the process. 

Research has shown that patients who have worked with navigators have significantly better outcomes.

“We want to be a model for the country,” says Patti. “If we can do it here in Florida, we can do it anywhere — no excuses.”

Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.

Free mammograms

Promise Fund asks that patients register in advance at 877-427-7664. 

• Oct. 4, 8 a.m.–2 p.m., Intracoastal Park, 2240 N. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach

 • Oct. 17, 8 a.m.–3 p.m., St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach   

• Oct. 29, 9 a.m.–2 p.m., Delray Beach Public Library, 100 W. Atlantic Ave.

Learn more: On Oct. 5 from 3-5 p.m. at St. Joseph’s, Promise Fund will help women learn about free and low-cost health care.

Online: thepromisefund.org

A happy pooch samples a dessert from Scoopy Doo’s in Delray Beach. The store, owned by Dianna and Kyle Scotto, lets dogs enjoy treats such as prime rib flavored ice cream. Photos provided 

By Arden Moore

As we embark on the holiday season that kicks off with Halloween and ends after we usher in the first day of 2026, taste buds are about to be tempted. But what may be delicious and safe for us to eat can be downright dangerous to our dogs.

Case in point: dark chocolate. For people, dark chocolate is rich in antioxidants, offers dietary fiber, and contains flavanols touted to improve blood flow. Some studies suggest it may boost brainpower. Can I get a yum?

Unfortunately, dark chocolate contains theobromine, definitely a no-no ingredient for dogs. Within six hours of ingesting dark chocolate, depending on the size and health of the dog, these symptoms can surface:

• Vomiting

• Diarrhea

• Rapid heart rate

• Muscle tremors

• Seizures

• Death, in severe cases.

As a master pet first aid/CPR instructor and founder of Pet First Aid 4U, I am on a mission to help you and your pets enjoy a tasty — and safe — holiday season. 

Prevent an unplanned visit to the emergency veterinary hospital by never sharing these holiday foods with your pets:

Pumpkin pie, loaded with sugar or artificial sweetener xylitol, can cause digestive upset, liver issues and seizures.

Seasoned turkey, especially the skin, fat and gravy, can trigger painful pancreatitis.

Stuffing that contains seasonings and onions can damage red blood cells.

Grapes and raisins can lead to kidney failure.

Eggnog can lead to tremors and seizures, especially if you add alcohol.

Now that we have addressed no-no foods, it’s time to celebrate the holidays and beyond with our dogs by treating them to healthy options. Fortunately, in Palm Beach County, I found a pair of dedicated dog advocates who know pet nutrition and who have been creating healthy treats for our canine pals.

Dianna Scotto has been operating Scoopy Doo’s in Delray Beach with her son, Kyle, since moving to South Florida in 2013 after serving 25 years in the New York City Police Department.

Carrie Sarabella, who operates Snaks 5th Avenchew in Boca Raton, watches her dog, Belvedere, devour a cake. Her cakes can include applesauce, peanut butter, yogurt and tapioca.  

Carrie Sarabella is also a native New Yorker, an award-winning equestrian and dog mom who operates Snaks 5th Avenchew in Boca Raton. 

At Scoopy Doo’s, all dog cakes and ice cream desserts are made in house and with human-grade ingredients. 

Some are definitely targeted for canine taste buds. I know my three dogs, Kona, Emma and Nova, would drool for prime rib flavored ice cream and the carob brownie cake.

“The prime rib ice cream is made with lactose-free milk, gelatin and beef bone broth,” says Dianna, who has been active in dog rescue adoption efforts for more than 10 years. “Some of our doggy regulars also like our cheese-flavored ice cream. There is nothing in our store that I would not feed my dogs.”

Her dogs are Chihuahua mixes she rescued who answer to the names of LJ, Sassy, Cash Money and Tito. Also in her home is a “forever rescue” named Bibi, who is blind, deaf and 17 years old. 

Scoopy Doo’s is known for its doggy cookies homemade from whole wheat flour and peanut butter. 

“When customers enter our store with their dogs, we always ask if their dogs have any dietary restrictions and we guide them to healthy options,” says Dianna. “We also offer a line of one-ingredient treats, like dehydrated liver chips and organic chicken or bone broth.”

Carrie spent 14 years as a lead anesthesia technician. She loved the medical field, but her priorities shifted when her then-dog Pinero, an American cocker spaniel, struggled with food allergies.

“It’s a lengthy process to try to figure out food allergies and what to eliminate from the diet,” says Carrie. “Pinero had extreme allergies being treated by antibiotics and other prescriptions. The dosage kept increasing. I felt there had to be a better alternative to antibiotics.”

Carrie now has a certification in canine nutrition and works closely with veterinarians to ensure her pet bakery provides safe and nutritious offerings. They include dog treats with such ingredients as steel-cut oats, applesauce, peanut butter, yogurt, tapioca and rye flour.

Her current dog, Belvedere, is a black Labrador retriever. His allergies are controlled by a healthy diet, and he happily serves as the store’s official cheese-tasting officer. 

“Belvedere also eats all our wheat-free treats made with oats, peanut butter, cinnamon and pumpernickel,” says Carrie. “Knowing what he can and cannot eat makes him a great taste tester.”

She also makes treats for horses that are shipped to equestrian advocates all over the country. One of her top online items is a birthday cake for horses she has trademarked as a “birth-neigh cake” made of oats, molasses, apples and cinnamon.

“Our pet bakery is primarily for dogs, and our online store caters to the horse/equine world,” she says.

For this holiday season and beyond, Dianna and Carrie plan to continue to dish up healthy ingredients safe for their dogs and for their clients’ dogs.

Bone appetit! 

Arden Moore writes about pets and can be reached at fourleggedlife@gmail.com.

Healthy choices and emergency help  

Snaks 5th Avenchew offers healthy treats for dogs, horses and other pets and is owned by Carrie Sarabella. The shop, located at 555 N. Federal Highway, Suite 7 in Boca Raton, also ships its treats all over the United States. Learn more at www.snaks5thavenchew.com.

Scoopy Doo’s is owned by the mother-and-son team of Dianna and Kyle Scotto and is at 507 E. Atlantic Ave. in Delray Beach. The cakes, cookies and ice cream are made of human-grade ingredients. Learn more at www.scoopydoosdelraybeach.com. 

The ASPCA Pet Poison Helpline is staffed 24/7 by board-certified veterinary toxicologists. Keep its toll-free number handy: 888-426-4435. Learn more at www.aspca.org/pet-care/aspca-poison-control.

Capt. Abie Raymond holds a mutton snapper he snagged recently. Top mutton spots from Boca Raton to Lake Worth Beach are along the second reef and the third reef, as well as around wrecks 100-150 feet underwater. Photo provided by Abie Raymond

By Steve Waters

South Florida saltwater anglers have multiple fish-catching options in October. In the fall, schools of mullet swim along local beaches. Anglers can fish for snook, tarpon, Spanish mackerel, bluefish, jacks and other predators that follow the schools from boats, fishing piers and beaches. 

And they can target tasty mutton snapper, which are congregated on reefs and wrecks.

“In the fall, where you find one mutton, you’ll find a lot more,” Capt. Dennis Forgione said. “They’re usually a little smaller than spring muttons, but there’s usually a lot more around.”

The fish can be found in depths ranging from 20 to 150 feet, so it sometimes takes several stops before you locate a concentration. Once you’re on a good spot, you can catch muttons almost every time you drop a bait to the bottom.

Top mutton spots from Boca Raton to Lake Worth Beach are along the second reef and the third reef, as well as around wrecks in 100-150 feet of water. You can cover a lot of reef by drifting. When you find the fish, you can anchor. 

To fish a wreck, slowly troll around it until you find the part that is holding the muttons.

“Generally this time of year, the muttons are migrating along the reef,” Forgione said. “Usually it’s the second or third reef, so try both. Use your depth-finder to look for fish.”

If the muttons aren’t on the second reef, located in 50-60 feet, move to the third reef, located in 90-100 feet. If the muttons don’t bite there, try fishing a wreck. If you go an hour without a mutton, try another wreck. If you catch a few muttons, stay where you are.

Forgione likes to anchor his boat when fishing for muttons. Unlike fishing for grouper, you don’t have to set up on top of a wreck or a reef. That’s because muttons usually hang out in the sand around the structure.

If he’s fishing a reef, Forgione anchors on the outside of it. 

When fishing a wreck, Forgione anchors on the down-current side: If the current is running to the north, he anchors on the north side of a wreck. Then he puts out a chum bag on the surface and drops his bait straight down.

Most anglers use 20-pound spinning or conventional outfits for muttons. The standard rig for the wary fish consists of an egg sinker placed above a swivel that is attached to 10 to 20 feet of 30-pound fluorocarbon leader. The weight should be heavy enough to rest on the bottom. 

Forgione uses a 3-ounce sinker for a light current and up to 2 pounds of lead for a screaming current.

Good baits for mutton snapper include live pilchards, finger mullet, ballyhoo and the biggest shrimp you can find, which reduces the number of bites from less desirable bottom fish. Top dead baits are a chunk of bonito and a ballyhoo plug, which you make by cutting off the bait’s head and tail, then threading a 5/0 or 6/0 hook into the plug. 

Capt. Abie Raymond fishes shallow patch reefs for muttons, which he finds by looking for schools of ballyhoo jumping out of the water as they’re being chased by the snapper.

“It’s usually happening in 20 to 60 feet of water and most people think that’s probably bonitos in there, that’s probably mackerel in there,” Raymond said. “Not this time of year.”

He fishes live ballyhoo on 7-foot spinning rods with 20-pound monofilament line and 4-foot, 30-pound fluorocarbon leaders. The shorter leaders work because Raymond is fishing in cloudy water compared with anglers who fish in deeper, cleaner water. 

Unless he has patient anglers, Raymond leaves the mutton outfits in his boat’s rod-holders.

“The reason I have them sit in the rod-holder is because they need to be real still,” he said. “Customers have a tendency to want to wind and wind and wind. The rod-holder doesn’t have that tendency.”

Outdoors writer Steve Waters can be reached at steve33324@aol.com.

LEFT: Upstairs on the second floor, sharing a balcony with two guest suites, is a comfortable home theater with large screen and projector. RIGHT: The pool, which has a view of the ocean, sits adjacent to a loggia and family room that provide a quality indoor/outdoor entertaining option. They are connected by French doors and offer a flowing open floor plan.

With tropically landscaped grounds underscoring Italian Renaissance-inspired architecture, this estate on North Ocean Boulevard in Delray Beach has a rich elegance that sets a luxurious standard for resort-inspired coastal living. Reimagined by Courchene Development with an uncompromising eye for quality, the seven-bedroom residence spans 13,675 +/- square feet. It was designed to embrace breathtaking ocean vistas. 

The gourmet double-island kitchen is finished with custom cabinetry, a built-in buffet, marble counters, professional-grade appliances and a pantry.

Making a dramatic first impression, a circular glass-railed staircase winds around the three-story foyer, introducing the living room and ocean beyond. Also on this floor are a dining room, family room, and library with custom built-ins. Upstairs, the lavish primary suite serves as a tranquil retreat, complete with a morning bar, private ocean-view balcony, dual walk-in closets and a spa-like marble bath with double vanities, a soaking tub, a dual-head shower and separate water closets. 

A third guest suite occupies the uppermost floor, offering exceptional privacy. On the north end of the property is the guest house. It has a first-floor club room and two ensuite bedrooms, living room and kitchen which are separate and on the second floor.

The living room is appointed with a beamed ceiling, a linear gas fireplace and a bank of French doors offering views of the pool and ocean.

Overall estate details include a glass-fronted wine display, wood and porcelain-tile floors, an elevator, a four-car garage, a concrete barrel-tile roof, a fire-sprinkler system, full-house generator and impact windows and doors. 

Offered at $29,900,000.

Contact the Pascal Liguori Estate Group, 561-414-4849. PLEG@premierestateproperties.com

Hailey Clark, a marine biology student at Florida Atlantic University and a volunteer for the Coastal Stewards, releases Sparrow, a green sea turtle, into the ocean on July 10. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

Citing “ongoing financial challenges,” the Coastal Stewards, a nonprofit that started out more than 40 years ago as the volunteer Friends of Gumbo Limbo in Boca Raton, today announced it has dissolved the organization.

The move comes three months after the group on June 12 barred the public from its sea turtle rehabilitation area at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and shuttered its gift shop there. It released its final turtle patient off Red Reef Park on July 10.

In a news release, the nonprofit said it would give 75% of its assets to the George Snow Scholarship Fund to endow a Coastal Stewards scholarship. The remaining dollars will be split among the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, the Dolphin Research Center in Marathon and the Marine Animal Rescue Society in Miami, it said.

When the Coastal Stewards decided to close the turtle rehab unit, it had $1,000,012 left in its bank accounts, down from $3.8 million the group reported having in assets to the IRS in 2020.

“While this decision is bittersweet, the trustees felt strongly that the best way to honor our history and preserve our mission was through a lasting legacy,” said Shivani Gupta, a corporate wellness speaker and one of the group’s trustees since late 2023. “These gifts to the George Snow Scholarship Fund and several of our valued nonprofit partners will ensure that commitment lives on.”

Merchandise left over from gift store operations will be donated to the Sandoway Nature Center in Delray Beach and Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park Inc. in North Palm Beach, the group said.

The nonprofit shifted from being strictly volunteer-run in 2020, hiring John Holloway as its president and chief executive officer to guide the transition. Holloway’s salary was $122,323 in 2023, according to Internal Revenue Service records.

The closure of Gumbo Limbo’s turtle rehabilitation center did not affect the three “resident” sea turtles housed in outdoor tanks, which remain on display and available for public viewing. Also still open are the city-run turtle nesting and hatchling programs, youth camps and community education, the butterfly garden, boardwalk and observation tower.

For the first time this week, Florida Department of Transportation crews came out in the daylight to continue their work removing all evidence of Delray Beach's colorful Pride intersection in the city's downtown Pineapple Grove business district.  Crews had previously come in unannounced Monday night to paint over the intersection, and returned Tuesday night to clean up the poor job they had done the night before. Supporters of the Pride intersection at Northeast First Street and Northeast Second Avenue planted miniature Pride flags in response to the state's action and in support of the city's LGBTQ community. Larry Barszewski/The Coastal Star

Related: Delray Beach: State returns a second night to finish painting over city's Pride intersection - News - The Coastal Star 

ABOVE: A crew prepares to sandblast parts of the interesection. BELOW: Crews use a multi-step process to complete their work. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

FDOT crews blast off any of the remaining paint. The intersection was closed to traffic for a good part of Wednesday while the work was underway. Larry Barszewski/The Coastal Star

This is how the intersection looked earlier Wednesday after the second night of painting by FDOT crews. There were still marks needing to be cleaned. Photo provided by the City of Delray Beach

This is how the intersection looked after FDOT crew's first swooped in on Monday night. Photo provided by Vice Mayor Rob Long

This is the intersection before the state stepped in to remove it. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

The revised plan for the downtown campus cuts commercial and residential square footage and keeps more recreation and green space. Memorial Park will get a new monument. Rendering by Terra and Frisbie Group 

By Mary Hladky

As opposition to the city’s plans to redevelop its downtown campus has reached fever pitch, developers Terra and Frisbie Group have revamped their plans to reduce the project’s density and preserve more green and recreation space.

But residents aren’t mollified. Immediately after Terra/Frisbie officials outlined the substantial changes to the City Council on Sept. 8, members of the opposition group Save Boca denounced the new plan. More than 100 turned out for another council meeting the next night to drive home their message.

Save Boca organizer Jon Pearlman summed it up this way on Sept 8: “Get these people out of here,” he said of Terra/ Frisbie officials. “We don’t want to see them anymore.”

“The fundamental problem here is we don’t trust you,”  resident Buffy Tucker told council members.

 The message was the same on Sept. 9, tinged with anger and charges of betrayal.

“Three minutes is hardly enough to express my disgust,” said Richard Warren of the time allotted to speakers. “For you guys to be this tone-deaf, I don’t get it. Nobody wants this.”

Passions run strong even though Terra/Frisbie officials said they have listened to residents and revised the project in response to their objections.

Now eliminated from their plans are a hotel and one office and one residential building. Residential units have decreased from 912 to 740. The retail square footage has dropped from about 140,000 square feet to 80,000.

Eight clay tennis courts will remain on site and the number could increase to 10. Other recreation facilities have been added. All six banyan trees will remain where they are now. And the former Children’s Museum, housed in a historic building, will stay on site.

Memorial Park also will be retained, and will include a new monument to those who died in World War II that veterans groups will help design.

The changes will substantially decrease the amount of revenue the project will generate for the city — a drop from $3.1 billion to $2.1 billion, according to Terra/Frisbie calculations.

A majority of council members had wanted to fast-track the project and set an ambitious timetable. They scheduled Oct. 28 as the date to vote on a master agreement with Terra/Frisbie, but that has now been set aside with no new date set.

“I think it is clear we will not have an Oct. 28 vote on this matter,” Mayor Scott Singer said on Sept. 8.

The council also has acknowledged the obvious — that the fate of the project will be decided in an election, possibly the one already scheduled for March 10.

It is now apparent that Save Boca will have enough signatures on petitions to force the city to hold a vote on city ordinance and city charter changes that would not allow the council to lease or sell any city-owned land greater than one-half acre without allowing a vote. The city plans to lease the 30-acre downtown campus property for 99 years to Terra/Frisbie.

“We welcome that process,” said Frisbie Group principal Rob Frisbie. “We are not trying to force this on anyone. We are trying to collaboratively design something that is truly in the best interest of the community.”

Terra/Frisbie will hold two additional workshops on the project for residents.

They are Sept. 29 at the Downtown Library and Oct. 6 at the Spanish River Library, both from 4 to 7 p.m.

Trial set to start in 2023 shooting at Berkshire by the Sea

UPDATE: Mark David Anderson's second-degree murder trial, scheduled for Sept. 22, was canceled on Sept. 9 by Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe at the request of Anderson's defense team. A new trial date wasn't set, but the trial is likely to be delayed until next year.

By Jane Musgrave

When Mark David Anderson is tried this month for the September 2023 slaying of popular Delray Beach computer tech Albert Camentz, only one of the two witnesses to the shooting will be called to testify.

The other, the former longtime director of Broward Addiction Recovery Center, fatally shot himself a year after Camentz was killed, court records show.

The death of 62-year-old Jack Feinberg, who defense attorneys have painted as a plausible suspect in Camentz’s killing, adds to the intrigue that has surrounded the case since gunshots rang out at a drug- and alcohol-fueled get-together at an oceanfront timeshare in Delray Beach.

“Nothing makes sense,” said Shawn Mahoney, a longtime friend of Camentz’s who has been following the twists and turns from his home in Flagstaff, Arizona. “It’s as weird today as it was the day after Al was shot.”

While state prosecutors say there is strong evidence that Anderson fatally shot Camentz, Feinberg’s death gives attorneys powerful ammunition to discredit their claims. Anderson, 47, a self-employed carpenter from Lake Worth Beach, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of second-degree murder. He faces a possible life sentence if convicted.

A pair of guns
Forensic experts determined that the type of bullet that killed the 58-year-old Camentz matched those in a gun Delray Beach police found in the timeshare Anderson was renting at Berkshire by the Sea, 126 N. Ocean Blvd. But, the experts couldn’t conclusively say that the gun, owned by Anderson, was the murder weapon.

The firearm Feinberg used to take his own life used the same .380-caliber bullets.

Susan Schneider, who was married to Feinberg and a witness to the shooting, said her late husband and Anderson owned the same type of guns. “I heard them discussing that they both had .380s,” she said during a deposition.

Even before they knew that Anderson and Feinberg owned similar weapons, defense attorneys Mike Dutko and Robert Gentile said much of the evidence against Anderson didn’t add up.

They questioned why Feinberg initially offered police only sketchy details about what happened and refused to talk further without having an attorney with him. When he finally met with police, his story changed.

Most of all, they questioned why Feinberg and Schneider claimed they didn’t know Camentz had been shot and drove him to their house six miles away instead of getting medical help.

In the midst of all the legal maneuvering, Anderson’s attorneys have also raised questions about their client’s health.

What was once a golf-ball-sized lump on the back of Anderson’s head has grown considerably since he was booked into the county jail, they wrote in court papers.

Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Cymonie Rowe refused their request to allow Anderson to be released on bond so he could have the lump removed and find out if it’s malignant.

Glenn Cameron, an attorney for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, said jail medical personnel are monitoring the growing mass and have offered to give Anderson pain medication for discomfort. Rowe can’t order the sheriff to provide treatment, he wrote in court papers. Both Rowe and Anderson’s attorneys agreed.

Drugs and alcohol
The trial, which is scheduled to last four days, will focus on the events that unfolded at the timeshare and Feinberg’s reaction to the news of his friend’s death.

After a night of drinking and listening to music in Boca Raton, Anderson invited Feinberg and Schneider to his timeshare. As the couple was driving to Delray Beach, Camentz called Feinberg. He agreed to join them, according to a report by Delray Beach police Det. John Caceres Duque.

Camentz had never met Anderson, Schneider told Caceres. When Camentz arrived, alcohol, cocaine, marijuana, nitrous oxide, and ketamine were flowing freely. Camentz grabbed a beer.

As Camentz, Feinberg and Anderson talked, Schneider told Caceres, she decided she wanted to take a dip in the hot tub. Schneider said she went to get a towel and Anderson disappeared into the bedroom.

When Anderson returned, Schneider said he was holding “a black object with both hands extended,” Caceres wrote. Anderson pointed at Camentz and a loud noise ripped through the apartment.

Feinberg fell off the couch, but got to his feet laughing. Camentz clutched his chest, saying he couldn’t breathe.

Schneider told Caceres she didn’t see any blood or holes in Camentz shirt and thought he might be having a heart attack. She said she wanted to take Camentz to Delray Medical Center, but he said he was feeling better and wanted to sleep at the couple’s house.

When they arrived at the house in the Floral Lakes community off West Atlantic Avenue, she said Camentz turned ghostly white and began complaining of chest pain. She called 911.

In a report, paramedics said they immediately determined that Camentz had been shot or stabbed. They took him to Delray Medical Center where he was pronounced dead of a gunshot wound to the chest.

Witness statements
When Caceres approached Feinberg at the hospital to ask him about the shooting, Feinberg said he was going to the hot tub when he heard a loud bang.

He said he didn’t know the name of the building where the shooting took place. His memory, he said, was muddled because he suffered from a “cognitive disorder,” the detective wrote.

He didn’t elaborate, but in his March 2023 resignation from the government-funded addiction treatment agency, Feinberg said that an unidentified illness he incurred during the pandemic had gotten worse.

After Caceres told Feinberg that Camentz had died, he refused to answer any more questions without an attorney.

By the time Caceres arrived at the couple’s house, Feinberg was already there. Caceres said he heard Feinberg yelling at his wife, telling her not to answer any questions without an attorney. Schneider ignored her husband. She told Caceres where the shooting occurred and who fired the fatal shots.

“Mark shot Al,” she told Caceres.

With Schneider’s information, police went to Berkshire by the Sea, found Anderson sleeping and arrested him. They found three blood spatters on an outside wall, later identified as belonging to Camentz.

A day after he refused to talk to Caceres, Feinberg changed his mind.

During a meeting with Caceres at the Ray Hotel in downtown Delray Beach, Feinberg confirmed what his wife had already told the detective. There hadn’t been any animosity between Camentz and Anderson. The four were having a good time.

The shooting was inexplicable, he said.

“I don’t know, why would he come out and done some sort of thing with some sort of weapon,” he told Caceres.

A licensed medical health counselor, Feinberg suggested Anderson may have been in a psychotic state. He suspected that Anderson had taken liquid LSD, along with other drugs, causing him to hallucinate.

Concocted stories?
But, Anderson’s attorneys said Feinberg’s decision to wait to talk to Caceres wasn’t an accident. It gave him and Schneider time to compare notes to make sure their stories matched, Dutko said at a 2024 court hearing.

Dutko didn’t respond to an email or phone call for comment about the upcoming trial. By office policy, prosecutors don’t talk about pending cases.

But, at the same 2024 hearing, Assistant State Attorney Jo Wilensky scoffed at the notion that Schneider and Feinberg concocted their stories. Their accounts of the shooting matched because both were in the timeshare and saw what happened, she said.

Feinberg offered a key detail, she said. He told Caceres he saw a green light flash just before the ear-splitting boom filled the apartment. The gun police found in Anderson’s timeshare was equipped with a green laser sight.

Like Wilensky, Mahoney said he is convinced Anderson is responsible for his friend’s death. But, he said, he worries that defense attorneys may be able to persuade a jury to focus on Feinberg’s lapses instead of the evidence against Anderson.

“It’s such an unbelievably sad story,” he said. “Al didn’t know this guy. This guy didn’t know him. Nothing about it makes sense.” 

The remnants of Delray Beach's Pride intersection on Sept. 9 are seen after the state's transportation department came in overnight to try to remove the LGBTQ colors from the city intersection in downtown's Pineapple Grove. Photo provided by Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long

BELOW RIGHT: A text from a city official showing the Pride intersection Sept. 10 after state crews returned to repaint it. They later sandblasted the intersection, too. Image provided

UPDATE (SEPT. 11): Delray Beach city commissioners decided to reverse course after the state came in again Tuesday night and most of the following day to finish the blacking out of the Pride intersection that it had botched Monday night. At a special Thursday evening meeting called by Mayor Tom Carney, commissioners voted 4-1 to cease the rule-making challenge they had initiated at another special meeting two days earlier, with only Vice Mayor Rob Long opposed.

The majority said the situation had changed after the most recent action by the state to remove the Pride symbol — painting the intersection over again with black paint and then sandblasting it — at what state officials had earlier warned would be the city’s expense.

While the city had voted Sept. 9 to join Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach in filing a petition saying the state had not followed it's own rule-making procedures when it banned painted intersections, the majority were persuaded that the city’s participation came with a financial risk and wasn’t needed: Delray Beach would benefit if either of those cities were successful, without Delray Beach having to spend any money in the fight.

Carney said he couldn’t see spending money on a challenge with the intersection's colors already gone and one that — in the end — the city knows it can’t win. He had no kind words for the state’s bullying tactics.

“I think the whole thing was handled with complete, utter disrespect to the city of Delray Beach,” Carney said.

On that, at least, he and Long agreed.

“First, they came in and they painted it black in the rain. They knew it wasn’t going to stick. They did it anyway,” Long said. “It seems like they were just sending a message, ‘We’re going to deface something that’s important to your community.’”

Continuing on, Long said, “Then they came in again, after we spoke, blacked it out completely … and then they came in and sandblasted it all anyway. Why bother blacking it out?”

Because they’re going to charge the city for the work, he said. “Why do that? Because they’re sending a message. They’re sending a political message.”

Commissioners plan to discuss other ways of honoring the city's LGBT community at their Sept. 15 meeting.

UPDATE (Sept. 10): Florida Department of Transportation workers returned overnight to repaint the intersection with another coat of black paint, city offiicials confirmed, cleaning up the mess that was left the previous day. The intersection was closed to traffic in the morning and early afternoon as crews continued to do work there.

UPDATE (Sept. 9): The Delray Beach City Commission met in special session Tuesday evening and voted 3-1 to have the city join Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach in challenging the state’s lack of rule-making procedures when it created its recent ban on painted intersections. Vice Mayor Rob Long and Commissioners Angela Burns and Tom Markert voted in favor of pursuing the challenge and Mayor Tom Carney voted against the motion. Commissioner Juli Casale was absent.

Commissioners blamed state transportation officials for creating an unsafe intersection through their rushed effort to paint over the intersection on a rainy night, with the smearing of paint worsening throughout the day. They directed staff to take the steps necessary to make the intersection safe. However, staff noted that the underlying LGBTQ Pride colors probably would not be salvageable, either through hydro blasting or sandblasting the paint off the concrete intersection.

-- Larry Barszewski

Related: Delray Beach: Scrubbing out Pride, Sept. 9-10

By John Pacenti

As Delray Beach tried to exhaust its legal and administrative remedies, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration painted over the city’s LGBTQ Pride intersection.

The Florida Department of Transportation, accompanied by Florida Highway Patrol troopers, painted over the intersection of Northeast First Street and Northeast Second Avenue in the Pineapple Grove business district in the early morning hours of Sept. 9, city officials said Tuesday.

The paint job didn’t even cover the rainbow that stretched across it, leaving remnants of color.

Vice Mayor Rob Long, the elected official who pressed this issue the most, sent photos of the intersection, saying FDOT painted over the intersection extremely poorly during the night when thunderstorms pummeled Palm Beach County.

It comes as Delray Beach filed an administrative motion following a Sept. 2 state hearing on the intersection, requesting the disqualification of the FDOT’s designated presiding officer, who heard the city’s position that the intersection actually promoted safe driving and that the state had no jurisdiction over a municipal road.

“The city believes that the recent disclosures of communications involving the presiding officer raise reasonable concerns about impartiality and due process,” Delray Beach spokeswoman Gina Carter said. 

In the meantime, Miami Beach had filed legal action against the state to protect its rainbow crosswalk across Ocean Drive.

“Our goal is to ensure that this matter is reviewed in a fair and unbiased manner, consistent with Florida law and the principles of administrative justice,” Carter said.

FDOT sent Delray Beach a notification on Monday that the city had lost its appeal.

Facebook post put out by the city of Delray Beach on Sept. 9.

Rand Hoch, president and founder of the nongovernmental Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, said he was shocked when a Coastal Star reporter told him of the news.

“It is illegal and it's cruel and unfortunately, it’s done,” said Hoch, who had encouraged the city to explore all legal remedies to save the intersection.

“This decision from Tallahassee shows it has no regard for the law, no regard for the LGBTQ community, no regard for taxpayers,” said Hoch. “I don’t understand how they could have done this.”

City Commissioner Juli Casale said the intersection was just a part of the war from DeSantis on home rule — the ability of municipalities to govern themselves.

“Liberty is lost a little at a time,” she said.

Municipalities in Florida have a constitutional right to govern themselves, she said.

“That right is being taken away — not by constitutional amendment but by the direction of the state,” Casale said. She noted that the state Legislature has passed numerous preemptions that concentrated regulatory power at the state level and took it from municipalities.

This isn’t the first time DeSantis’ FDOT used the cover of night to erase an LGBTQ symbol. The agency did the same when it painted over the LGBTQ crosswalk outside the Pulse memorial that commemorated the 49 people who died at the Orlando nightclub in 2016 in one of the worst mass murders in U.S. history.

Citizens then took chalk and paint and filled in the intersection in rainbow colors and FDOT crews again rendered it black-and-white. Eventually, several protesters were arrested as DeSantis stationed FHP troopers to guard the crosswalk.

DeSantis’ animosity toward the LGBTQ community is well documented, from the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law to book bans and the targeting of drag clubs. He says the rainbow intersections are a safety hazard despite studies showing that public art at intersections make them safer.

Correction: A previous version of this story had an incorrect date for the Pulse nightclub shooting. It took place in 2016.

By Steve Plunkett

In a surprise move, Briny Breezes Town Manager Bill Thrasher has dropped his proposal to raise town taxes 98% and instead is seeking to keep the property tax rate the same as this year, at $3.75 per $1,000 of taxable value.

Thrasher had been talking for months about a rate of $6.75 per $1,000, detailing the proposal at Town Council meetings and on the Briny Breezes in-house TV channel.

But on Sept. 3, he received an email from the town’s consultants on its sea wall and stormwater system upgrades “informing me that the town's loan will not occur in (Fiscal Year) 26 or perhaps only late FY26.” 

“The state revolving loan fund will not accept construction loan application before August 2026,” Thrasher continued. “This may change to an earlier date, but the uncertainty caused the change.”

In short, he said, if the town doesn’t take out a loan, it doesn’t need to raise taxes to pay for one.

As recently as the Aug. 28 Town Council meeting, Thrasher gave a PowerPoint slide presentation demonstrating that the $6.75 rate would have raised one resident’s overall tax bill by $394 — or 18% if all other taxing agencies kept their rates level and the resident’s property appraisal stayed the same.

But the town’s assessed property values rose 10%, one of the top increases among municipalities in south Palm Beach County.

Even keeping the same $3.75 per $1,000 rate will raise taxes the town receives 9.97% more than the so-called rolled-back rate. That levy, $3.41 per $1,000 of taxable value, would give the town the same tax revenue as this year, except for taxes from new construction.

Public hearings are scheduled in Town Hall for the tax rate and budget at or after 5:01 p.m. Sept. 11 and for the final tax rate and budget at the same time Sept. 25.

Though the preliminary tax notices that went out to property owners in August list the tentative tax rate as $6.75 per $1,000, the agenda posted on the front of Town Hall for the Sept. 11 meeting says the tentative rate is back to the current $3.75 per $1,000 rate.

Wednesday morning at the beachAt 7:15 AM Sept. 3, a man was seen dragging a homemade boat from the dune in front of the Capri apartments in Ocean Ridge down to the shore and launching the boat into the ocean.  He spent some time paddling close to shore south past Briny Breezes, where more than a dozen officers from Ocean Ridge, Gulf Stream, Customs & Border Patrol and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office — along with three marine units and a PBSO helicopter — convinced the man to come back to the shore and speak to them. Photos and reporting by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

After a long discussion with the law enforcement officers, during which the man refused to identify himself and provided conflicting information about himself and his boat, he was taken into custody for resisting arrest.

Law enforcement stopped with the man at Old Ocean Boulevard in Briny Breezes, where he was checked out by Boynton Beach paramedics. 

According to PBSO Sgt. Rafael Padilla-Rodriguez, in addition to resisting arrest and refusing to be identified, the man told police he didn't have any weapons on his body.  While many items that he had in a bag tied to his shirt could be useful on a boat, they included a knife, scissors, hatchet, and chain. BELOW: Law enforcement checks out the vessel, which appears to be made in part by tarp and construction foam, and included multiple life vests, water jugs and other items. FOLLOW UP: A PBSO spokesperson said the man was not an "illegal" but was homeless with a homemade boat. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge, the spokesperson said.

Nests took a beating from surf. Earlier, hundreds of hatchlings were rescued from sargassum. Still, it’s been a good year overall.

Rebecca Germany, sea turtle conservation assistant at Gumbo Limbo, hammers a stake back in the sand in Boca Raton on Aug. 21 after high waves spawned by Hurricane Erin dislodged it from near a turtle nest. Because little water had washed over this nest, it appeared to be among the majority that withstood the storm. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Related: Nighttime lights at the beach cause concern

By Steve Plunkett

While 2025 is shaping up to be a decent year for sea turtle nestings on area beaches, many of those nests were hit hard as Hurricane Erin blew by in August and — before that — emerging hatchlings faced challenges traversing the mounds of sargassum piling up on shore.

Early in the summer, when sargassum was at its peak, turtle watchers in Highland Beach say they rescued more than 100 hatchlings that were caught in the seaweed — and others watched helplessly as trapped hatchlings were picked off by birds on the hunt for an easy meal.

These green sea turtle hatchlings were among those rescued from washed-over nests. They were kept at Gumbo Limbo for a couple of days and released after waves had calmed. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Then, as sargassum declined in August, Erin stayed far offshore but still delivered a blow to South Palm Beach County’s nests. Half the nearly 500 nests still incubating on Boca Raton’s beaches when Erin passed by were submerged or washed over by the surf — and a fifth of them were lost completely.

A surfer takes advantage of the waves generated by Hurricane Erin in late August at Delray Beach, although the storm passed hundreds of miles offshore. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star 

Erin, churning in the Atlantic hundreds of miles to the east, kicked up waves and caused higher high tides starting around Aug. 19. Many monitors were still assessing the powerful storm’s toll late into the month.

“Prior to the storm we had 497 marked nests still incubating on the beach. We had 251 nests washed over or submerged during the storm. We lost 98 of the 251 nests,” said David Anderson, who leads Boca Raton’s sea turtle conservation team over the city’s 5 miles of beaches.

“Since the storm, things are back to normal, though tides continue to be high and some nests are still getting wet,” he said. As of Aug. 27, “we have 359 nests still on the beach.”

Nests from Ocean Ridge to Gulf Stream “have certainly taken a beating,” said Emilie Woodrich of Sea Turtle Adventures, which monitors about 3 miles of beach in that area. She estimated 60% of the remaining nests were affected by Erin and the high seas.

“We have been experiencing wash overs, inundations (standing water over nests), and lots of accretion (buildup of sand over nests),” she wrote in an email. “We have not been experiencing full washouts, thankfully. We have lost a lot of stakes that mark the nests, but that does not mean the nests won’t hatch!”

Boca Raton also was stacking up stakes dislodged by Erin.

Dozens of stakes recovered from the surf and beach after Erin tossed them away from sea turtle nests are now due to be repainted for next year. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

“We have actually had no washbacks yet,” Anderson said, referring to older hatchlings who make it out to sea but get carried back to shore even weeks later. “In spite of the large swells and high tides, winds were mostly out of the west (and) the current was lateral to the beach.”

There were no washbacks in Highland Beach either.

“I don’t have an exact number of washed-out nests,” said Joanne Ryan of the Highland Beach Sea Turtle Team, which monitors roughly 3 miles. “We are still assessing damage, but pretty much all our nests from upper middle beach to the eastern part of the beach, has been too wet for any results. Five days of being smacked with relentless tides have left them saturated.”

Numbers look good

The turtle nesting numbers were healthy prior to Erin and portend well for the full season.

“Barring another storm, it has still been a pretty good year, particularly for greens,” said Boca Raton’s Anderson. “We were expecting a high green nesting year and so far they’ve come through — not record breaking but seventh-highest total so far.” 

It’s a banner year for green turtle nests in Highland Beach.

“As of the end of July we have more than triple of what we had in 2024, and we kind of expected that,” Ryan said.

Greens typically cycle through low numbers of nests one year followed by high numbers the next.

But the greens were making fewer nests than anticipated in Gulf Stream, Briny Breezes and Ocean Ridge.

“We are not having the big numbers this year that we somewhat expected. … At the end of July, we had 122 greens,” Woodrich said. “In comparison, we had 49 in 2024 and 254 in 2023 at the end of July.”

Sea turtle nesting season started March 1 and goes through Oct. 31.

Huge mounds of sargassum on local beaches peaked in June and July. Baby turtles such as this loggerhead hatchling struggled to climb past the seaweed on their way into the ocean in Boca Raton. Photo provided by Gumbo Limbo Nature Center

A female green sea turtle heads back into the sea while crawling over sargassum after laying clutches of eggs on the beach in Ocean Ridge. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Just days before Hurricane Erin’s waves started to wash over nests in August, dozens of people attended a nest dig and hatchling release at Gulf Stream Park. A total of nine green and loggerhead hatchlings were released into calm waters by members of the Sea Turtle Adventures staff. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Sargassum impact

Mounds of seaweed in June caused different problems.

“The sargassum was really in huge piles, and yes, our team probably rescued over 100 hatchlings up and down Highland Beach from in between the rows of seaweed,” Ryan said. “Thankfully we have not had any more major pileups of the weed since that big one in June.”

Seaweed was a problem for hatchlings in Sea Turtle Adventures’ territory, too.

“Some hatchlings eventually make it to the water, although more tired than they would be if they went straight into the water right away,” Woodrich said. “Others are getting plucked up by night herons and crows.  

“There were several times we were trying to chase down the birds with hatchlings in their beaks, but to no avail.”

While hatchlings face difficulties with seaweed, nesting has not been impacted, Anderson said. 

“The females crawling ashore plow through the sargassum at the wrack line to reach the sandy beach,” he said. 

Tips for protecting hatchlings

To help ensure that sea turtle hatchlings safely make it to the ocean, beachgoers should follow these guidelines:

Keep your distance: Stay away from hatchlings, remain quiet, and keep all lights off (including flash photography and cellphones). Do not touch, move or disturb hatchlings.

Let hatchlings emerge: If you see hatchlings on the beach, allow them to crawl to the ocean on their own. Removing or digging hatchlings out of a nest is illegal. Removing sand above the nest will make it more difficult for the hatchlings to emerge.

Take your belongings:  Remove obstacles such as beach chairs, tables, water sports equipment, and umbrellas before dark. Properly throw away trash so that it doesn’t blow into the water or become an obstacle.

Digging and holes: Avoid digging holes on the beach and knock over sandcastles so that hatchlings are not harmed by these structures. Help keep beaches clean, flat and dark.

Source: Loggerhead Marinelife Center

SEA TURTLE NESTING

While crews watching sea turtle nests in South County say it has been a good year for nesting, the number of loggerhead turtle nests dropped significantly for the second consecutive year (after 3,484 nestings in 2023), and the biannual bump in green turtle nests has not been as big as anticipated. Here are this year’s early counts compared to last year’s final totals.

City Turtles        2025*       2024

Boca Raton
Leatherbacks         21               19

Loggerheads         819             824

Greens                 238             72

Delray Beach
Leatherbacks        19               12

Loggerheads        299             292

Greens                 60              14

Highland Beach 

Leatherbacks        11               13

Loggerheads        723             795

Greens                509             127

Gulf Stream to Ocean Ridge

Leatherbacks       16                16

Loggerheads       479              715

Greens               152               49

Totals

Leatherbacks       67                60

Loggerheads       2,320           2,626

Greens                959             262

Overall totals: 3,346         2,948

*Counts for 2025 are as of Aug. 31. 

Sources: City of Boca Raton, Ecological Associates Inc., Highland Beach Sea Turtle Team, Sea Turtle Adventures 

Related: Hurricane adds to heaps of trouble for sea turtle babies

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream town officials will continue their attempt to persuade residents who live on the oceanfront to shield their home’s lights from the beach and to use sea turtle-friendly red or amber light bulbs.

The effort in part is also to keep Gulf Stream from being required to adopt Palm Beach County’s more restrictive rules for lighting on the beach, which are designed to prevent sea turtle hatchlings from becoming disoriented.

Gulf Stream has its own turtle protection ordinance so that the county cannot cite its residents.

“Our ordinance is one of encouragement. We don’t go into people’s homes and tell them what to do with their lighting,” Mayor Scott Morgan said at the Town Commission’s Aug. 8 meeting.

Commissioner Joan Orthwein said an acquaintance who lives in a fourth-floor unit in Ocean Ridge kept her bathroom light on and was ordered by the county to keep her shutters closed during turtle nesting season.

“I’m just telling what happened. It’s true,” she said.

Town Clerk Renee Basel told commissioners she had toured turtle nests the night before with Sea Turtle Adventures, which monitors nests on the town’s beach.

“She showed me the tracks of the turtles, and they were going north and south, not east and west. She said that’s what disorients them is these lights,” Basel said. The artificial lighting may attract hatchlings, causing them to crawl away from — instead of into — the ocean.

After receiving photos of Gulf Stream homes with lights visible from the beach, Basel began calling the owners asking them to turn down or turn off their lights at a certain time, or to put them on timers. Most of them “are not even here,” the mayor said.

“I haven’t gotten through all of them, but right now they’ve been about half and half,” she said. “A lot of them didn’t even know their lights were on.”

But a couple of owners said they were not going to change their lighting for security reasons. The mayor planned to meet with them to possibly persuade them to do something.

Governor is angry; residents pour out hearts to city

Since 2021, the Pride flag’s colors have decorated the intersection of Northeast Second Avenue and Northeast First Street in Delray Beach. Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the city’s refusal to erase the LGBTQ symbol. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

At first, there was silence. Then a cacophony. And then an avalanche, one that reverberated nationwide.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration made clear it didn’t care what a rainbow intersection meant to Delray Beach’s LGBTQ community — or to any other Florida city, for that matter — and demanded it be erased. 

But the governor couldn’t stop the unexpected: how a minor act of defiance caught fire and made Delray Beach an inflection point.

“If our values matter, then we must defend them, not just in court, but right here on our streets,” Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long said at an Aug. 12 City Commission meeting that started the avalanche. 

As of Sept. 2, the fate of the intersection remained technically in limbo, with a decision by the Florida Department of Transportation expected Sept. 5 at the earliest — though the agency had denied other cities’ appeals on their rainbow crossings.

Long told The Coastal Star that a Sept. 2 administrative hearing at an Orlando Florida Department of Transportation office was “performative at best” and that litigation appears to be the next step.

The day of the hearing, DeSantis held a news conference and blasted Delray Beach and Key West for even appealing his decision on the intersections. 

“They have basically taken the position — even though the law is what it is, even though FDOT has issued guidance — that they should just be able to be a law unto themselves and do whatever they want,” the governor said.

FDOT officials had given Delray Beach — as it has done for other cities — an ultimatum to erase the intersection or have the state come do it and charge the city. DeSantis could try to withhold $60 million in state funds, City Manager Terrence Moore has said.

Delray Beach spokeswoman Gina Carter said the City Commission will have to decide whether to proceed to the next step, litigation, if and when FDOT denies the city’s appeal.

How the protest started

Delray’s stand against Tallahassee started with a modest proposal by Long at the Aug. 12 commission meeting where not one of his fellow elected commissioners initially spoke up. Let not Delray Beach capitulate, he said, at least not immediately — as Boynton Beach and West Palm Beach had done in removing their painted intersections ­— to DeSantis’ latest attack on the LGBTQ community.

The way his critics see it, DeSantis aims to reverse the plot of the movie Pleasantville, to bleed the color from these intersections, rendering them back to 1950s black-and-white, when members of the LGBTQ community were criminalized, forced to stay in the closet, to keep who they really were and whom they really loved a secret.

Long asked for a consensus not to erase his city's intersection until FDOT formalized its threat in a letter — which it did three days later. 

Mayor Tom Carney and the other commissioners made their remarks on other issues as if Long had said nothing about the intersection painted in the Pride flag’s colors at Northeast Second Avenue and Northeast First Street in the Pineapple Grove Arts District, installed in June 2021.

But Long — who will run for state representative in a special election in December — wouldn’t let it go. “I brought up a consensus item, and everyone just sort of pivoted away, didn’t say anything.”

Commissioner Angela Burns then spoke up and said she agreed to wait until FDOT made its request official. Then Commissioner Tom Markert consented and Carney said, “Yes, we can think about it.”

Opposition to edict grows

Call it coincidence or zeitgeist, but after Delray Beach made the tiniest of decisions, then other cities — Key West, St. Petersburg, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale — pushed back on DeSantis. The Washington Post, The New York Times and the Associated Press wrote national stories.

And 17 people came and spoke at the commission’s Aug. 19 meeting a week later — passionately, sometimes through tears, turning a municipal meeting into an extraordinary event. Long said he had never seen the commission chambers so full.

They came not just from the community or surrounding cities, but from out of the county, saying the rainbow intersection attracted them to Delray Beach to visit, to feel seen. Erase it and real visitor dollars would vanish, they said.

Delray Beach resident Irene Slovin said she is a lesbian and has a piece of the rainbow ribbon from the grand opening ceremony in 2021. Every year, she takes a photo of herself and her partner at the intersection.

“If you choose to erase our crosswalk, you will never erase our memories or who we are,” she said.

U.S. Army veteran and city resident Marcie Hall — shaking and fighting back tears — said, “And some people ask, why should anyone care about this? Marginalized people sometimes need a symbol to show they matter. Taking away that symbol says they don’t.”

Siobhan Boroian, who said she was at the meeting to address parking, not rainbow intersections, said, “This is the most moving commission meeting I’ve ever attended — and I have attended many.”

DeSantis’ response

How triggered was DeSantis on cities not responding to FDOT’s threats?

His administration ordered the agency — in the dead of night — to paint over the rainbow intersection in front of the Pulse memorial in Orlando, where 49 people were murdered in 2016 by a religious extremist. Residents showed up the next morning with colored chalk to fill in the blanks, and then returned the following day with real paint. The state then painted over it again and stationed a Florida Highway Patrol trooper there, eventually arresting one protester.

“We will not allow our state roads to be commandeered for political purposes,” DeSantis said in an Aug. 21 social media post.

Then there was his press conference in Orlando at an FDOT office on Sept. 2, the day of Delray Beach’s hearing.

“So they just decide they don't like the law. They want to do what they want to do, that just isn’t going to fly. It is not going to fly. So eventually FDOT will be able to correct it in Delray and correct it in Key West,” he said.

Besides the fact that Delray’s rainbow intersection isn’t a state road, the governor’s tweet harkens back to the idea that LGBTQ is a choice — and a political one at that. DeSantis also undercut FDOT’s reasoning for paving over the intersections, which was that they posed a safety hazard.

Contrarily, the “Asphalt Art Safety Study” by Bloomberg Philanthropies and Sam Schwartz Consulting in 2022 found a direct link between public art installations at intersections and improved safety for pedestrians and cyclists. It found a 50% decrease in crashes involving vulnerable road users and a 27% increase in drivers yielding to pedestrians.

“This has nothing to do with public safety. Governor DeSantis is once again injecting his politics into local communities to silence, censor and erase our LGBTQ community,” Chris Rhoades, a Delray Beach resident and board member of Equality Florida, said at the Aug. 19 meeting.

The city has already been told by its own lobbyist that the DeSantis administration is not happy that Delray Beach funds a Pride festival in June. 

Again, call it coincidental, but the city has gotten its first letter from DeSantis’ DOGE team, asking for cursory documents, said spokeswoman Carter.

“Any additional violations by the city of Delray Beach shall be cause for the immediate withholding of state funds,” FDOT wrote Aug. 15 in regards to the intersection — in case the city had any ideas to move it to another street.

With $60 million at stake, Moore said he was ready for a crew to sandblast the rainbow intersection the next week for $12,000 in taxpayer dollars. “I don’t believe the city of Delray Beach has much choice at all,” Moore said.

Do cities still have a say?

Rand Hoch, president and founder of the Palm Beach County Human Rights Council, told The Coastal Star that the rainbow intersection edict is another attack on home rule, the ability for communities to mold themselves in the image their residents deem fit.

“Does the state have the authority to dictate what a city can do with its own land and threaten them — I use the word extort,” Hoch said.

The Human Rights Council paid $16,000 to make the Pride intersection a reality in 2021.

Hoch said Long’s galvanizing of the community was his finest moment as an elected leader. “I’m very proud to know him and to call him a friend and an ally,” he said.

Already, the state painted over the intersection at the Pulse memorial and said it would do the same to the one in St. Petersburg. 

In Miami Beach, where there is a rainbow intersection across Ocean Drive, Commissioner Alex Fernandez said, “We need to resist this action.” Fort Lauderdale is under an FDOT order, as well. 

The LGBTQ community came out to protest in Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach on Aug. 30-31.

What's next for Delray?

Long said the city had already been told by FDOT that no waiver would be granted. “The only way to actually get a fair evidence-based proceeding is to take this to court,” he said.

“Hopefully, we will join Key West and Fort Lauderdale in taking that next step after we hear back from FDOT with their inevitable predetermined stance that our crosswalk is noncompliant.”

Long said at one point that FDOT crews should be arrested for trespassing if they try a sneak attack in the dead of night, like they did in Orlando.

Whether the majority of the commission would go along with litigation remains to be seen. Carney told The Coastal Star, “I just think we exhaust our administrative remedies before we do anything.” 

Rhoades said the issue goes beyond dollars and cents: “It's about whether we stand firm in the values of inclusion and building a welcoming city.” 

Boca Raton residents pack the Aug. 26 City Council meeting where Save Boca presented to the council 5,200 signatures on a petition geared toward stopping a proposed mixed-use development. It includes a new City Hall, Community Center, retail space and about 900 rental units. The placard refers to Mayor Scott Singer’s first mayoral campaign. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Voters could decide fate of downtown campus project

Related: City and Save Boca spar over downtown campus plans

By Mary Hladky

Clutching a tall stack of papers, Save Boca organizer Jon Pearlman strode to the podium to declare that defeat of city efforts to redevelop its 30-acre downtown campus is all but assured.

“Tonight I have a special delivery for the council — 5,200 signatures from all across the city of Boca Raton for our initiative ordinance to protect our public land.

“The voice of the people is stronger than ever and they are saying loud and clear, ‘stop this project.’ The people don’t want it.”

Save Boca has secured more than enough of the required 3,676 signatures on petitions for a city ordinance amendment and, as of Sept. 2, is very near the 6,112 required for a City Charter change.

Both would not allow the City Council to lease or sell any city-owned land greater than one-half acre without allowing residents to vote on the matter. The city plans to lease the campus property for 99 years to a joint venture of Terra and Frisbie Group.

Save Boca prefers the charter change because the council could repeal the revised ordinance without voter approval.

If voters get to decide, Save Boca members say they are certain the redevelopment project will be doomed.

They cheered wildly as Pearlman attempted to hand the paper pile to City Clerk Mary Siddons during the Aug. 26 City Council meeting.

Tensions rose when Siddons did not immediately accept the petitions, with some crowd members yelling “Why!” After she conferred briefly with City Attorney Joshua Koehler, cheers erupted again when Siddons took them.

Outcry continues
No vote on the redevelopment project was scheduled that night. But the city allows resident comment on it at every meeting, giving Save Boca members chances to repeatedly press their case against plans that would add residential, retail, office and hotel to the city-owned land that includes City Hall and cause the relocation of a number of recreation facilities.

Of the more than three dozen residents who spoke, only one supported the redevelopment.

Joe Majhess termed the council’s actions as “political suicide.” Several other speakers said the same.

“It is our land and you couldn’t care less,” he said. “Public land deserves a public vote.”

“Public trust is at an all-time low,” said Martha Parker. “The way this project has been approached has been all wrong. … Please stand with us and fight to protect our public park land.”

“It should be decided by a referendum and not by five people who live west of I-95,” said Lisa Mulhall, referring to the council members. “You have lost our trust. … Are you listening? I don’t think so.”

After residents spoke, Council member Andy Thomson explained once again why he opposes the project and wants to terminate the city’s deal with Terra/Frisbie to develop it.

Even though Terra/Frisbie has reduced the project’s density and increased green space, Thomson said it remains too dense and is being pushed forward too rapidly.

The council members have not yet seen a financial analysis and he still doesn’t have answers to many questions, Thomson said.

The project should be terminated, he said. But if it isn’t, “I do think because this is public land … there should absolutely be a public vote on this,” he said.

Champlain Towers lawsuit
He also broached a matter first raised days before by Save Boca, which said that Terra Group and affiliates were among those named as defendants in a massive class action lawsuit resulting from the 2021 collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside.

The case, which was widely reported at the time by media including the Miami Herald, settled in 2022. Relatives of the victims and survivors of the collapse were paid nearly $1 billion.

The settlement “factored in my decision-making” when the City Council selected Terra/Frisbie, Thomson said. Only Thomson favored Related Ross.

Among the defendants in the case was the Eighty Seven Park condominium next door, which plaintiffs partially blamed for the Champlain Towers collapse. They claimed that during Eighty Seven Park’s construction in 2016, Champlain South was destabilized when metal sheet piles were driven into the ground about 12 feet from its perimeter wall.

An affiliate of Terra Group, 8701 Collins Development, was the developer of Eighty Seven Park. Terra Group and affiliate Terra World Investments also were defendants.

At the time, Terra attorney Michael Thomas denied liability and said the construction had nothing to do with the Champlain South collapse. His clients’ insurers made a business decision to settle to avoid the time and expense of litigation, he said.

Terra Group and Terra World had no ownership interest in the condo and did not make settlement payments, while 8701’s insurers paid $28 million, Terra Group said in a statement in response to a query by The Coastal Star.

Thomas, a shareholder with Greenberg Traurig, told the City Council that “Terra and 8701 Collins had no culpability in any way, shape or form.”

“The settlement will have no effect on the developer’s ability to deliver … for this city,” he said.
Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas, who is vying with Thomson in the 2026 mayoral race, said she was aware of the litigation.

If Thomson had concerns, he should have raised them in February when the council ranked the four developers that were seeking to be hired by the city, she said.

Nachlas also questioned why Thomson joined a unanimous council vote to give Terra/Frisbie top ranking despite his support for Related Ross and noted that Related Ross’ proposal was much larger and denser than Terra/Frisbie’s.

Suit seeks to stop project
In another sign of discontent with the redevelopment project, resident Lorraine Blank has filed a pro se lawsuit against the city for what she said was its failure to comply with a state law that mandates the completion of an independent cost-effectiveness analysis of the public-private partnership between the city and Terra/Frisbie.

She is seeking an injunction against the redevelopment project. If the judge declines to grant one, she asks for an order to produce the analysis.

“We believe the claims are based on a misinterpretation of Florida law and lack merit,” said a city spokeswoman. “The city has complied, and will continue to comply, with all applicable requirements. …” 

A Glock 9mm handgun, bullets and a list of addresses were found in the suspect’s car. Photo provided

By Rich Pollack

Detective work by the Ocean Ridge Police Department combined with the use of crime-fighting technology helped lead to the arrest of a man charged with firing bullets into 16 homes and businesses throughout the county in a months-long shooting spree. 

While some of the homes 29-year-old Sterling Maloney is accused of shooting up were occupied at the time, there were no reported injuries — though prosecutors have added a charge of attempted first-degree murder.

“We’re very lucky that no one was hit, killed or injured with these shootings,” said Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Col. Talal Masri, who said that Maloney kept a ledger detailing the locations he shot up and a list of 10 more places he was planning to target.

“We don’t know what was going to happen the next time,” Masri said July 31 when announcing Maloney’s arrest. 

PBSO had not previously reported that police were investigating such a string of shootings involving the same handgun.

Sheriff’s investigators began looking into the shootings in February after buildings in Royal Palm Beach were struck by bullets. More shootings followed, including six in Delray Beach and four in Boynton Beach.

One of those shootings — in Boynton Beach in May — occurred at a home occupied by four people including two children under the age of 5. 

In court records, detectives said that damage to the home was estimated at about $5,000 and that damage to a homeowner’s vehicle that also was struck by bullets was about $13,000. 

In court documents, the resident of the home said that “he and his family were terrified after the event” and that at least one family member couldn’t eat or sleep for two days.

Delray Beach police said that at least one of the homes struck by bullets in their city was occupied at the time of the shooting.

Most, if not all of the shootings appeared to occur in the early morning hours before daylight. Several vehicles at targeted homes were also damaged by bullets. 

While Maloney’s motive for all the shootings remains unknown, there appears to be a common thread. 

As detectives interviewed people in the homes, they discovered that many of the residences were occupied or formerly occupied by people who went to Atlantic High School with Maloney and his brother, according to court records. 

One woman, who had previously lived at a home where vehicles came under gunfire, told investigators that she had gone to school with Maloney and that he had asked her out but she declined. The woman told detectives that she and Maloney “hung out with the same group of people in high school.” 

Ocean Ridge Police Sgt. Keith Ramirez investigates the scene July 15 outside a home near Thompson Street and Old Ocean Boulevard where one of the shooting episodes took place days earlier. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

A case in Ocean Ridge

PBSO and the other police agencies had used a central database and found the shell casings in all the shootings matched and appeared to come from the same Glock 9mm handgun. Who was firing that gun remained a mystery until the shooter took aim at a vacant home in Ocean Ridge early on July 11.

“They had so many shootings, but they didn’t know who was doing it,” Ocean Ridge Police Chief Scott McClure said.

In Ocean Ridge that morning, at least a dozen shots were fired at an unoccupied home on Thompson Street. One of the bullets went through a window.

The shooting was noticed the next day when a passerby saw bullet holes and contacted a police officer who was in the area on another call, McClure said.

McClure said that through the use of technology, including license plate recognition cameras, static cameras and video taken from home-security cameras in the area, his officers were able to identify a vehicle they suspected was involved.

A home security camera, McClure said, helped detectives determine what vehicle was used in the shooting, and static cameras and license plate recognition cameras helped investigators determine information about the car that was obtained from the license plate number. 

Ocean Ridge police put out an alert July 17 to all the police departments in the area to be on the lookout for the blue Hyundai Sonata. Six hours later, Boynton Beach police officers pulled over the vehicle, being driven by Sterling Maloney.

A car full of evidence

McClure said Ocean Ridge police were called to the scene and met with Maloney.

“Our detectives interviewed Sterling the day of the traffic stop,” McClure said, adding that Maloney was released for lack of probable cause to hold him.  

But the car was impounded because of its tie to the Ocean Ridge shooting, and after obtaining a warrant, investigators found the gun — later linked to multiple shootings of businesses and homes — ammunition and the ledger with past targets and a list of potential targets.

“It was good on our part that we got these breaks to stop them in their tracks,” McClure said. “They’d been looking for him since February.”

McClure said the investigation in Ocean Ridge was a team effort.

“Everybody had a hand in this,” he said. “It’s good detective work and I’m proud of them.”

Masri, of the sheriff’s office, said that Maloney was surprised when he was arrested July 31.

He said that sheriff’s detectives, who took the lead in building the case against Maloney, are now looking to determine a motive and are following up to see if there are any commonalities connecting all of the victims. 

Besides the attempted first-degree murder charge, Maloney faces 10 counts of shooting into a building, 12 counts of criminal mischief with more than $1,000 in damage to property, and one count of discharging a firearm in public. 

He is being held in the Palm Beach County Jail, with bond set at $500,000 each on 14 individual counts. 

Related: Save Boca has its say, submits petitions for referendum

A Boca Raton City Council discussion on the proposed redevelopment of the city’s 30-acre downtown campus gave proponents a chance to push back on some of the residents’ objections and correct what they see as misinformation.

“Not a giveaway, but a return: The city gains billions in financial return, avoids raising taxes and secures modern civic infrastructure at no cost to residents,” the city said in an audience presentation on Aug. 26.

Should park stay downtown?
Many residents do not want to lose the 17-acre Memorial Park that is part of the downtown campus. It now has tennis courts, a skate park, softball fields and other recreation facilities, many of which will be relocated to other city or Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District parks.

City officials have repeatedly said the existing facilities are very old and of poor quality. Moving them would allow the city and the district to provide greatly enhanced new facilities.

Some residents see merit to that, but others want the city to upgrade the current facilities, which are convenient to people who live in or near the downtown.

Is tribute to World War II vets being sacrificed?
Another major issue, one that has caused an outcry among residents, is that they believe Memorial Park was created to honor those who fought and died in World War II.

Eliminating it is unacceptable, they say.

Both sides agree Memorial Park was created with that name in 1947. A war memorial building was intended to be built, yet never was.

But a war memorial, dedicated to veterans, has existed at the Boca Raton Cemetery and Mausoleum at 451 SW Fourth Ave. since 1953, and Veterans Day and Memorial Day ceremonies are held there, City Manager George Brown said.

Many city residents are unconvinced, and want Memorial Park preserved. A Sept. 2 Fox News report drew national support for the park’s preservation.

Will banyan trees be saved?
The downtown campus’ beloved banyan trees are another sore point. The city has said they will be preserved, but Save Boca contends two will be cut down.

Rob Frisbie told the council on Aug. 26 that all six will be preserved, four in their current location, while two will be moved to stand outside the new City Hall.

Is public-private partnership needed?
Jon Pearlman of Save Boca argues that the city should ditch Terra/Frisbie and rebuild City Hall and the Community Center in their same spots on the campus.

That work could be done for less than $50 million, he said, and the city could easily finance that itself since it has $667 million in reserves.

But city officials say that is not the case. The city maintains cash balances in about 30 funds that cover various city operations such as providing water and sewer services. Those are not reserves, but rather operating cash flows. They can’t be commingled and there are legal restrictions on what the money can be used for. Most of it can’t be used to build a City Hall and Community Center. The city now has $34.5 million in unrestricted funds that could go to such construction.

City consultants are doing an economic report and analysis of the project’s impact on city finances. That information could be available in September.

— Mary Hladky

Related: The Coastal Star captures top honors — nine times — in annual competition

Here at The Coastal Star, we think a byline says a lot. 

If you’re not familiar with newspaper lingo, a byline is the name at the top of a story telling you who wrote it. Similarly, a picture caption usually has a credit line with the name of the photographer who took the shot.

Longtime readers of the Palm Beach Post or the South Florida Sun Sentinel might recall some of these bylines that have appeared in those papers: Rich Pollack, Ron Hayes, John Pacenti, Charles Elmore, Jan Norris, Brian Biggane, Mary Thurwachter and Anne Geggis — or a photographer by the name of Tim Stepien. Many past reporters at those papers might also recognize the names of editors Mary Hladky and Steve Plunkett.

So, what do these names have in common?

It’s that they were all recognized Aug. 1 with first-place awards (some held jointly) from the Florida Press Association for work they did in 2024 — work they did right here at The Coastal Star. 

Because of their work and the work of many others at the paper, the FPA also recognized The Coastal Star with its top award for general excellence among weekly and monthly newspapers in the state with circulations of over 15,000.

Work that is delivered free to you each month.

Even before becoming The Coastal Star’s editor last year, I was proud to be part of this “little paper that could,” with its reporters, photographers, editors and management who have such significant journalism experience, much of it gained right here in Palm Beach County. I think that few papers our size can say the same.

Some of the staff at this paper were around in the 1980s and 1990s, when the bigger dailies had reporters regularly assigned to cover our small coastal communities — and they can recall the later void in coverage that lasted until this paper came onto the scene in 2008.

Thanks to good management and a strong sense of purpose by the paper’s owners, I’m hopeful that The Coastal Star will be here for years to come.

But the paper faces some of the same concerns affecting the larger newspaper industry — and I’m talking about more than just revenues and balance sheets.

The FPA awards were presented during an annual conference for journalists. One seminar in particular dealt with the increasing obstacles reporters face trying to get information from officials who don’t seem particularly inclined to share it.

Our reporters have run into their share of ignored requests for information, steep fees for requested documents and legal blockades to obtaining even some of the most basic news reporting information. 

Fortunately, with their decades of experience, our reporters can be quite resourceful in getting the information they need to give you an accurate, complete picture of what’s happening in your communities. 

I can tell you that they are not doing their jobs to win awards, but it is nice when that recognition comes along. 

We’re just hoping that you, the reader, is the winner: with stories that are good reads about your neighbors, or informative pieces about your local government, or just interesting looks at what’s going on in your community. 

Delivered free to you each month.

— Larry Barszewski, Editor

A father and two children slosh through a flooded sidewalk along A1A after an Aug. 31 downpour. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Roadwork delays — along with standing water — raise concern

Related:  Highland Beach: Sewer lining project could begin soon (fingers crossed)

By Rich Pollack

Construction on State Road A1A through Highland Beach is likely to continue for at least two more months, frustrating residents and town leaders who are weary of travel delays — and flooding that they say is now worse than before work began.

Originally scheduled to be completed by May, the $8.3 million Florida Department of Transportation project that began in July 2024 could be still going on through October, according to Highland Beach Town Manager Marshall Labadie, who met with FDOT representatives in late August.

“Extending construction by six months and asking for patience of residents is a tall ask,” Labadie said. “Unfortunately, it appears to be our only option.”

The delays could mean the project — which has come with lane closures and traffic backups — will continue just as part-time residents return.

“Now they’re going to be eating into the season with more traffic, more slowdowns and more bottlenecks,” resident John Shoemaker said.

The delays in completion of the 3.35-mile-long project are likely to also push back a Highland Beach sanitary sewer lining project that will start once the FDOT work on A1A is completed. That work will be trenchless and will not affect the improved roadway. Town officials had planned to begin the sewer lining before the end of September, but then learned of FDOT’s latest timeline.

State FDOT representative did not respond to emails regarding the cause of the road project delays.

A deluge of concern
Shoemaker, along with several other residents, has also been outspoken about concerns over A1A flooding that followed heavy rains in August.

One of the main objectives of the road project — from just south of Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach to the Highland Beach border with Boca Raton — was to reduce street flooding.

Residents and town leaders, however, say that’s not happening and didn’t happen after a heavy downpour from a thunderstorm on Aug. 23.

“The event we observed had A1A flooding in several locations worse than before construction,” Labadie said. “That had everyone concerned including the town.”

The flooding, he said, was in several sections of the road and on the sidewalks.

“The standing water was deeper and was there longer than usual,” he said.

The town manager said that the standing water on the road was gone within about 24 hours but that the water on the sidewalks remained for several days.

“That caused people to walk in the road,” he said.

Resident Deborah Muller said that after the heavy rain on Aug. 23, water on the sidewalk near her home was almost to the top of her knee-high rain boots.

“The crews are taking care of the roadway, but the water is flooding onto the public sidewalk and onto people’s property,” she said.

State asks for patience
State engineers have said that the flooding issues will improve once the project is completed.

“They asked for patience as this work is finalized and committed to meeting with us again once complete to reassess the problem areas,” Labadie said.

The town manager noted that construction crews have been working on improving swales at the north end of the project and believes that work will soon be taking place in Highland Beach.

Labadie expects to see improvements on the road but even with the improved swales, he foresees long-term issues on sidewalks and in right of ways.

At the same time work is being done on the swales, crews are working on ensuring that driveways will be level with the roadway once a final level of asphalt is applied. In addition to road resurfacing and drainage improvements, the project has included the installation of bike lanes on either side and the extension of the northbound left turn lane onto Linton Boulevard.

“It’s been a great improvement because traffic is not as backed up as it was,” Muller said. 

Marjorie Waldo stands among works by Delray Beach native McKinson Souverain in the Black Box Gallery, a showcase for emerging artists at Arts Garage. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Kathleen Kernicky

When Marjorie Waldo was hired as president and CEO of Arts Garage in Delray Beach, she quickly realized how big a crisis she was facing.

“It was a turnaround business in the truest sense,” Waldo said of the nonprofit performing arts organization she has led since November 2016.

“We were financially drowning, our relationship capital was shot, and it seemed like every angle of the business had to be reprogrammed.

“I came in knowing the organization was in crisis. Until you’re sitting in the chair at your desk, you don’t really know how big the crisis is.”

Drawing on her turnaround expertise as a former educator and executive, Waldo has helped the organization “build a toolbox” to ensure its future survival and success.

That included keeping its doors open during the pandemic and, more recently, facing the potential loss of government grants that could affect about a third of its budget.

“When I first started, I wasn’t aware of how deep the troubles went or how much of a commitment this would take,” Waldo said. “It didn’t scare me away. I’m tough and I fight for what I believe in. I do not like to fail.”

It is more than an aversion to failure that drives her commitment. Waldo’s love of the arts is rooted in the belief that they have the transformative power to break barriers and bring people together.

“We believe the arts transcend all of the differences between us,” she said. “It is a universal language that allows people to share experiences.”

Her goal is to reach as many people as possible with the highest quality experience.

“We want to make sure that everyone can walk through our doors, regardless of their income,” she said.

Born in Key West and raised in southern Virginia, Waldo showed interest in the arts beginning in childhood.

“I studied dancing. I sang in choirs. By age 10 or 11, I was reading massive amounts of literature. In high school, I was acting in school plays.”

At the University of Virginia, “I started as a business major and lasted about a year before I bounced back to what I loved, which was drama.”

In search of a career path after graduation, she tried the banking, retail and nonprofit sectors. She became a substitute teacher to earn money and “fell in love with teaching.”

Waldo taught English to high school students before moving from Princeton, New Jersey, to South Florida in the mid-1990s. Her focus switched to working with at-risk youths and turning around struggling charter schools.

“My real interest emerged with the troublemakers. I was drawn to work with the kids who were throwing chairs, getting into fights,” said Waldo, 62, who has two children and has lived in Delray Beach since 1999.

Eventually, she left education. With a master’s degree in educational leadership from Florida Atlantic University, Waldo became a consultant.

She was teaching others how to run a business when she pivoted back to her love of the arts and accepted the position at Arts Garage.

Founded in 2011, Arts Garage brings a diverse group of performers to its stage in downtown Delray Beach each year. From Grammy Award-winning musicians to emerging artists, actors and comedians, it provides entertainment — and arts education and development programs — to adults and children. 

In 2024, Arts Garage hosted more than 300 events and served about 29,000 attendees, generating an economic impact of about $4.1 million, Waldo said. During her tenure, attendance has increased by 50% and the budget has grown by 60%.

Waldo is confident the organization will overcome the new challenges. Turnaround between the end of 2016 and the end of 2018 was likely the largest challenge, but the pandemic came in a close second.

“Today, we have an incredible board of directors who are passionate about the work that we do and we have significant support from our community,” she said. “I would like to know that Arts Garage will still be here long after I am not.

“I would like to leave a legacy that will continue to provide these vibrant experiences to as many people as possible.”

 For more information about Arts Garage, visit artsgarage.org.

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