Sandra Featherman of Highland Beach has spent much of her life as an educator, including 11 years as president of the University of New England in southern Maine.  She recently wrote a book about solving problems in higher education in this country.  “I care about education,” she says. “I really care.”  Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

    Here in South Florida, especially in Highland Beach, Sandra Featherman is known mostly as the wife of the town’s previous mayor, Bernard Featherman.
    Go north to Maine, however, where the couple lived for many years, or to Philadelphia, where she grew up, and you’ll discover Sandra Featherman is well known in her own right.
    “Here I am Bernard Featherman’s wife,” she says. “In Maine, I’m President Featherman.”
    The title comes from her 11 years as president of the University of New England, a private university in southern Maine, between Kennebunkport to the south and Portland to the north.
    Although she left the university in 2006, Featherman remains president emeritus and is still recognized for her accomplishments, that include overseeing substantial growth at the school.
    To label Featherman, 83, as “just” a college president, however, would be an injustice. She is also a well-respected political scientist, an author of books and more than 50 professional papers, a television- and radio-show host, a social activist and a philanthropist.
    Even now, after more than a decade of retirement, Featherman stays busy serving as a commissioner of accreditation for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
    In Florida, she is on the board of Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland and the board of Gulf Stream School.
    Her understanding of higher education is based on decades of experience, including four years as vice chancellor of academic affairs at the University of Minnesota in Duluth.
    That experience helped her as she wrote her recent book, Higher Education at Risk: Strategies to Improve Outcomes, Reduce Tuition, and Stay Competitive in a Disruptive Environment.
    Featherman is well regarded as a political scientist with a knack for accurately predicting election outcomes, especially local elections. She did not try to predict the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, however, believing it would be too close to call.
     “I’m a very good election prognosticator,” she says. “I understand politics, it’s in my bones.”
    Her skills earned her regular election-night appearances on local television stations and to being quoted in newspapers across the country, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal.
    As an activist in the areas of education, women’s rights and civil rights, Featherman has joined and led many organizations, including the presidency of the PTA of Philadelphia while her two sons were growing up. She also served on the board of the Community College of Philadelphia for 21 years, including a stint as chair.
    “I care about education,” she said. “I really care.”
    Part of that stems from her upbringing in a household where her mother struggled after the death of her father when she was in her late teens.
    “We were very poor when I went to college,” she said. “I saw education as a way forward for everybody.”
    Although she says she is selective in the causes she supports both with participation and philanthropy, Featherman still stays involved in many organizations.
    “I can’t help it,” she says. “It’s who I am. When I see a problem, I want to fix it.”
    If there is a reward for her efforts, it is the sense of accomplishment and pride she gets knowing she has had an impact.
    “I’m very proud of the fact that people will still write me and tell me I’ve made a serious difference in their lives,” she said.


    Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
    A. I grew up in Philadelphia and went to school there, at the University of Pennsylvania.  Growing up in the city gave me a very urban-oriented sense of the world.
    
    Q. What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
    A. During college, I worked part-time for a community newspaper. I later taught math in public schools for a few years. I have spent most of my career as a college professor and administrator. I am proud of building the institutions where I served, and I am particularly proud of the active role I have taken on behalf of women’s rights.
    I have participated in and delivered presentations on women’s and other human rights issues at numerous colleges and organizations across the United States, and have given talks or delivered papers in many other countries, including Kenya, France, England, Israel and Russia, among others.

    Q. What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today? 
    A. Choose to do something you love. It is hard to commit to a career you don’t care deeply about.

    Q. How did you choose to make your home in Highland Beach?
    A. My husband’s brother had lived in Highland Beach before we moved here, and we each had cousins living here. We had visited them a lot of times and loved it here.

    Q. What is your favorite part about living in Highland Beach?
    A. The people are great. We have made a lot of friends here. And, as many people say, living in Highland Beach is a little bit like living in heaven.

    Q. What book are you reading now?
    A. I have just finished Daniel Kahneman’s Thinking, Fast and Slow, Jennifer Egan’s Manhattan Beach, and Jacqueline Woodson’s Another Brooklyn, which was my favorite book of the year. It is poetic and powerful.

    Q.What music do you listen to when you need inspiration? When you want to relax? 
    A. I love all music, but especially show music and jazz, and relax with Mozart and Beethoven.

    Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
    A. I grew up before women had mentors.  I have tried to mentor a number of promising women. My own role model was Eleanor Roosevelt, who I met when I was 19 years old. She spoke at a political rally I had organized at my college. She gave me the privilege of sitting with her on the drive to her train afterwards.

    Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?
    A. Ingrid Bergman, if she were still living.

    Q. Who/what makes you laugh?
    A. I laugh a lot. I love comedy that is not foul-mouthed, ethnic, racist, homophobic or anti-feminist.

Nancy Steiner sits at one of the Sanctuary recovery homes. The Crossroads at Antigua Foundation board plans to close the Delray Beach operation as Steiner retires. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

    After 35 years in the addictions treatment industry, Nancy Steiner should be able to retire at 71, feeling good about the lives she helped to save.
    As founder and manager of the Sanctuary, a high-end trio of recovery residences in Delray Beach, she has helped 250 people who have passed through in search of sobriety during its nearly 13 years of existence. Each residence houses five people.
    But her retirement will be bittersweet.
    When the Crossroads at Antigua Foundation board members met in July, they decided to close the Sanctuary in December when the last residents leave, citing Steiner’s retirement and the recovery industry’s troubles in Delray Beach.
    The foundation plans to sell the homes and use the money to provide scholarships to its Crossroads Centre facility located on Antigua in the West Indies. The foundation owns the Delray Beach property and supports the operation of the Sanctuary.
    The Sanctuary’s homes were not yet on the market as of late November. The county Property Appraiser’s Office has valued them between $396,729 for the smallest one to $567,091 for the largest. Homes usually sell for more than the market values set by the Property Appraiser’s Office.
    “The main thing was that Nancy was retiring,” said Nicos Peraticos, CEO of the Crossroads Centre.
    The Antigua center has a detox unit with a full-time nursing staff and a full-time physician, Steiner said. It also has 30 beds in two wings for sober living, allowing men to sleep separately from women. Guitarist Eric Clapton, who struggles with substance abuse, founded the center in 1998.
    The month before the board members met, two national news outlets ran stories about patient brokering and other abusive practices in the recovery industry in Delray Beach.
    “We considered [Delray] a dangerous environment that we did not want to continue in,” Peraticos said.
    NBC Sunday Night News led its June 25 broadcast with Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg — who has received state money to create a Sober Homes Task Force. He said “most of the apples are rotten” when talking about the drug rehab business in South Florida.
    The same month, The New York Times ran a story that called Delray Beach the relapse capital of the country. Poorly run treatment centers have been proven to be making more money off drug addicts who relapse than recover.
    Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein was interviewed for both reports. He still considers Delray Beach to be “very dangerous” and would advise any parents outside the immediate area not to send their children here for recovery help.

Stopping bad operators
    The city and state are working to keep the “bad actors” from running treatment centers and sober homes.
    “We and every other city absolutely need ethical patient-driven recovery/treatment providers, like the Sanctuary,” Glickstein wrote in a November email. “Part of the problem with the tidal wave of unscrupulous profit-over-patient operators is that it has made it more difficult for the responsible operators to work.”
    Aronberg also is tempering his message, said Al Johnson, his chief assistant who runs the Sober Homes Task Force.
    “The Sanctuary closing is a sad byproduct of this environment with 592 overdose deaths countywide last year,” Johnson said. “We are turning the corner. It’s like trying to turn a battleship, it goes slowly.”
    Steiner sits on the Sober Homes Task Force and on the Delray Beach Drug Task Force.
    Before running the Sanctuary, Steiner spent three years working at the Antigua Crossroads as clinical outreach and marketing director.
     Steiner and her husband bought three Delray Beach homes between 2004 and 2006 and turned them into recovery residences. Then, the Crossroads foundation purchased the Osceola Park homes and asked Steiner to run them.
    Residents pay $4,700 a month. The cost covers a double room, linens, towels, a beach towel, and laundry and cleaning supplies. Each person is responsible for his own meals, except for the Sunday night community meal that is mandatory.
    “Ninety-five percent of what we have is structure and accountability,” Steiner said. “I knew treatment alone was just not enough — keeping them ‘planted in recovery’ and using the tools they learned in treatment was the continuum of care needed.”
    A New Jersey native, Steiner received her nursing degree from Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia. Her addictions industry career began in 1981 when she worked as a detox nurse in a Peoria, Ill., hospital.
She moved to Florida in 1993 to become nursing director at the now-closed Comprehensive Alcoholism Rehabilitation Programs in West Palm Beach. She later worked at Fair Oaks Pavilion, Hanley Hazelden and LifeSkills South Florida.   
    Steiner served on the original board of the National Association of Recovery Residences. She founded the Florida Association of Recovery Residences, helped to write its standards and served two years as its president.

Standards, structure pay off
    One of these standards involves being a good neighbor. Steiner wanted the Sanctuary to have a low profile and insisted that its van and residents’ vehicles park in the rear of the homes. To give back to the community, residents help to clean a nearby city park each week, Steiner said.
    A few years after the Sanctuary opened, one of the homes housed women, but it now caters to men only. The homes are certified, registered with the city, operate on an all-cash basis and provide residents with sober living and life skills.
    Sanctuary residents don’t overwhelm the city’s public safety departments with overdose calls. In the past three years, no emergency calls were made to the Sanctuary addresses, according to the Delray Beach Police Department.
    Vice Mayor Jim Chard, who lives next door to the Sanctuary homes, was initially disappointed that his neighbors were transient residents. Sanctuary clients must stay for three months but the average stay is six months, Steiner said.
    “My thinking has evolved over time,” Chard said. “I got to know the management and they are very committed to their profession. … They go beyond what is required for their residents.”

By Dan Moffett

     South Palm Beach council members have cut their list of candidates for the vacant town manager position down to three, and Mayor Bonnie Fischer hopes to offer one of them a contract before the end of the year.
    “We want to get this filled as quickly as possible,” she said.
     Vice Mayor Robert Gottlieb said: “These are outstanding candidates. It’s an honor for this town to have that kind of response.”
     The council picked the three finalists during a special meeting on Nov. 16 after considering the resumes of at least seven candidates.
     The town manager’s job opened in October when the council abruptly terminated Bob Vitas through a unanimous vote of no-confidence. Vitas and council members bickered for months over the details of his new contract, including cost-of-living raises and the requirement in a charter provision that calls for an annual review — which he never received.
     Since his ouster, Town Clerk Maylee DeJesus and Police Chief Carl Webb have taken over the manager’s administrative duties.
     With plans for a beach stabilization project in the works and considering a possible renovation of the Town Hall building, the council can ill-afford to go too long without a manager on the scene.
     The contract is expected to call for a salary of around $100,000, with merit raises possible only at the council’s discretion, and a six-month probation period.
     The finalists are:
     • Mike Hein, who has worked the last two years as the assistant town manager in Longboat Key. Before coming to Florida, he was city manager of Tucson, Ariz., for four years and then Pima County’s director of emergency management and homeland security.
     Hein told the Town Council he gained considerable experience with beach projects when he oversaw a renourishment plan in Longboat Key that called for hauling in 16,000 dump trucks (430,000 cubic yards) of sand. South Palm Beach hopes to begin a beach stabilization project late next year.
     During the 1990s, Hein worked as the town manager of Marana, Ariz., and also took on budget issues for the Nogales, Ariz., finance department. He was also the city of South Tucson’s director of economic development.
     Hein holds an under-graduate degree from Wisconsin -Stevens Point, and earned a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Arizona. Hein also did postgraduate work at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.
     • Teresa Lamar-Sarno is special assistant to the city manager of Stuart. A certified planner, for the last 10 years she has served as the city’s community redevelopment administrator.
     Lamar-Sarno told the council she has experience in social media — Facebook, Twitter and website construction — and could help South Palm Beach develop its Internet connections, an improvement Gottlieb has frequently supported. Lamar-Sarno told the council she has experience in grant writing that could bring in money for social media development.
     Originally from Brooklyn, Lamar-Sarno earned a master’s degree in political science and government from the University of Central Florida.
     • Mo Thornton is known to many government officials in Palm Beach County. For the last 21 years, she has worked as the manager for the City of Atlantis and has served as treasurer of the county League of Cities for 20 years. Thornton told council members that the many contacts she has made throughout South Florida would be valuable to the town.
     Thornton’s first job in Atlantis was as the city’s bookkeeper in 1989, and she then became its finance director. Thornton has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Florida Atlantic University.
     Earlier this year, she did some consulting work for South Palm Beach, advising the counsel on how to go about selecting an auditing firm. Thornton is originally from St. Paul, Minn.
     In other business:
     During the regular town meeting on Nov. 28, the council unanimously approved a contract hiring Grau & Associates as the new South Palm Beach auditors. The Pinecrest firm replaces Nowlen, Holt & Miner of West Palm Beach who worked for the town for many years.
     Grau agreed to an eight-year contract that starts at $18,000 annually and increases to $21,500 in 2024.

By Rich Pollack

    Crime in South Palm Beach County’s five coastal communities remained low during the first half of 2017, dropping more than 20 percent from the same time last year, according to statistics released late last month from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
    The number of crimes dropped in both Gulf Stream and Ocean Ridge, with Gulf Stream reporting five crimes in the first six months of this year — two fewer than in the same period last year.
    The total number of crimes in Ocean Ridge dropped almost 60 percent, from 47 in the first half of last year to 19 during the same time period this year.  
    South Palm Beach and Manalapan experienced two more crimes each during the first half of 2017 than during the same time frame last year. Highland Beach had an increase in total crimes from 12 in the first half of 2016 to 22 in the first half of this year.
    “Sometimes we see increases in the number of crimes reported because we ask people to report any and all crimes,” Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann said. “We’re fortunate that most of the crimes reported were minor with minimal losses.”
    Of the area’s larger cities, Boca Raton saw an 8 percent increase; Lantana was up 20 percent. Delray Beach saw a 4 percent decrease while Boynton Beach — which provides police services to Briny Breezes — remained essentially flat.
    Overall, Palm Beach County saw about a 1.5 percent decrease in crime during the first six months of this year, dropping from 24,172 crimes in the first six months of 2016 to 23,804 in the first six months of this year. Statewide, crime dropped by about 2 percent.
    Ocean Ridge was plagued by thefts from unlocked cars and motor vehicle thefts in 2016. However, police created an awareness campaign focused on the need to lock cars and protect valuables. The program, as well as changes in patrol techniques, may have played a significant role in reducing those crimes.
    “We had a very impactful public education campaign, not just here but countywide,” Ocean Ridge Police Chief Hal Hutchins said. “Not only is the public more vigilant, but so are police officers.”
    Overall larcenies in Ocean Ridge totaled 37, of which 23 were thefts from vehicles, in the first six months of 2016. The number of larcenies in the same period this year dropped to nine, including five thefts from vehicles.
    Ocean Ridge also saw a significant drop in motor vehicle thefts, with seven reported in the first half of last year and only one reported in the same time frame this year.
    Hutchins suspects some of the motor vehicle thefts last year were because the owners left the keys in their unlocked vehicles. There were no indications that ignition systems had been tampered with on the stolen cars that were recovered.
    Keys left in cars also played a role in crimes in Highland Beach. The number of stolen cars increased from one in the first six months of last year to five in the same period this year.
    Hartmann said the keys had been left in three of the five cars reported stolen.
    To reduce the number of thefts from vehicles and stolen cars, Highland Beach police launched a massive educational campaign in May. The campaign included delivering door hangers with crime prevention tips and spreading the word through presentations at condo and homeowners associations along with other means of communication.
    Hartmann said the department also recently installed a license-plate recognition system and took steps to increase law enforcement visibility.

By Dan Moffett

    Briny Breezes Town Council members have interviewed three finalists for the newly created town manager position and hope to have it filled by the end of the year.
     In all, seven candidates applied for the part-time job with an annual salary of about $50,000. After two hours of interviews on Nov. 17, council members said they were pleasantly surprised with the qualifications of the finalists.
    “People said we’d have a hard time getting good candidates because we’re a small town,” said Alderman Bobby Jurovaty. “These are good candidates.”
    Alderwoman Christina Adams also wants the council to consider a fourth option: Special District Services, Inc. With an office in Palm Beach Gardens, SDS creates and manages special taxing districts throughout the state. The company was among the original seven applicants and says it can handle management of a town, using a team approach with its staff of specialists.
    Council President Sue Thaler is seeking legal advice from Town Attorney John Skrandel to determine whether the council can consider the company’s application or whether the position must be filled by an individual.
    Thaler said the council planned to discuss the next steps in the manager’s hiring at the town meeting Nov. 30.
    The three finalists are:
    • Annmarie Burke: Originally from Brooklyn, Burke had a 24-year career with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office during which she rose to rank of captain supervisor. She was the first woman in the department to run a patrol district.
    Burke told the council that, as an emergency responder, she gained experience dealing with the Federal Emergency Management Agency. She also helped negotiate collective bargaining agreements for the sheriff’s office.
 As a sheriff’s supervisor at Palm Beach International Airport, she wrote a federal grant that enabled the Transportation Security Administration to acquire explosive detection dogs.
    “The budget will be my No. 1 priority,” Burke told the council, saying she believes Briny can cut spending.
    She has a bachelor’s degree and doctorate in criminology from Barry University. A marathon runner, Burke owned and operated the Delray Beach Running Store until selling it recently.
    • Dale Sugerman: With 40 years’ experience in municipal management and 29 years of it in Florida, Sugerman told the council there isn’t much about running a town’s business that he hasn’t seen before: “Nothing will take me by surprise.”
    He was the town manager in Highland Beach from 2005 to 2011 and an assistant city manager in Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. In 1989, he became the first manager in Sunrise’s history, taking the job after the Broward County city changed its form of government.
    Sugerman has an extensive record of working with FEMA, holding 13 certificates for training courses. He said he will try to promote a culture that is “appreciative of the differences” to diminish the discord between Briny’s corporation and the town.
    He holds a doctorate in global leadership from Lynn University and bachelor’s degree from the University of Cincinnati.
    • Dan Winters: Over the last 30 years, Winters has helped develop parks and recreation systems in Palm Beach and Broward counties. He was director of leisure services in Greenacres for a decade beginning in 1987 and helped develop a park system from scratch. He also has worked in the private sector as a consultant for Pompano Beach.
    Winters said he has forged working relationships with county officials over the years and will draw on those to benefit Briny Breezes. He told the council that he knows how to deal with government budgets (“like shooting fish in a barrel”) and write grants. But he said his priority is to improve relations between the town and corporation.
    “It’s almost like ‘them’ and ‘us’ now,” he said. “My goal would be to make it ‘we.’”
    Winters has a bachelor’s degree from Wittenberg University and did post-graduate work at the University of Georgia.

The veterans enjoy lunch at 50 Ocean following a day at nSpa in Delray Beach. The 10 women were honored for their service by the Henry Morrison Flagler Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. They also were recognized during the city’s Veterans Day ceremony and attended a lecture at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

    Ten female veterans were honored for their service — and treated to pampering beauty treatments and seaside dining — by the Henry Morrison Flagler Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution. The special attention provided for the women, with help from several local businesses, was the DAR’s way of celebrating Veterans Day this year.
    On Nov. 10, the women were treated to a day of beauty at nSpa at the Delray Beach Marriott, followed by lunch at 50 Ocean on A1A, just steps away from the hotel and across the street from the Atlantic Ocean.
    On Nov. 11, Veterans Day, they were recognized during a ceremony in Delray Beach presided over by Mayor Cary Glickstein. Following the ceremony, the women were taken to the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach for recognition and a lecture was given by curator Janel Trull.
    “We want our brave women veterans to know how much we appreciate them for their service to America,” said Marjorie Ferrer of the Henry Morrison Flagler DAR Chapter.
    The veterans clearly felt the love.
    “The thought of giving us a wonderful day of beauty treatments to celebrate our military service is more than we could ever ask for,” said U.S. Marine Sgt. Judith Kephart, a retired nurse. “The massages, manicures and pedicures were much appreciated. The ladies of the DAR really know what women enjoy to feel pampered and appreciated. We made new friends and we will never forget the special treatment.”
    Besides Kephart, honored veterans were Jennifer Hughes, Army (retired); Violet Galloway, Army enlisted veteran; Laquantis Morton, Army enlisted veteran; Yvette Avila, Army enlisted veteran; Eileen Torricelli, Army sergeant; Anna Torres, Navy enlisted veteran; Debra Carter, retired Navy nurse; Mary Anderson-Kokeel, Army enlisted veteran; and Tiffany Jackson, Army enlisted veteran.
    Businesses donating gifts to the project include nSpa, Sequin Jewelry, Spodak Dental and The Flower Market.
                                
    Arielle Feinberg is now the spa and leisure director of Eau Spa. Previously, she served as general manager of Haven on the Lake, a mind-body wellness center in Columbia, Maryland.
    Throughout her career she has been a spa and fitness director at Rancho Valencia Resort & Spa in Rancho Santa Fe, California; Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Kissimmee; Starwood Hotels & Resorts in Singer Island, and The Bath Club in Miami. A certified master personal trainer, she also served as director of the U.S. Marshals Fitness Facility where she led training of U.S. marshals.
                                
    Douglas Elliman agents Zaicha Martell-Spodak and Gayle Clark were named to lead sales at 3550 South Ocean condominiums in South Palm Beach. It’s a DDG development, and construction is expected to be completed early 2019. Each of the 30 two- and three-bedroom residences will have direct elevator access, entry foyers, balconies, direct water views and layouts ranging from 2,700 to over 3,000 square feet. Five penthouses, with ocean and Intracoastal Waterway views, will have rooftop terraces with plunge pools and outdoor kitchens.
    The design team includes Garcia Stromberg of Palm Beach, Kobi Karp Architecture of Miami and Champalimaud of New York. KAST Construction is the general contractor. The sales office is in Plaza del Mar at 205 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan. For information call 232-2976, email sales@3550southocean.com, or visit www.3550southocean.com.
                               

    Ocean Ridge resident Valerie Coz has moved from The Fite Group to Douglas Elliman’s Delray Beach office, joining as senior director of luxury sales, and bringing with her four listings totaling $5.5 million. Coz is a member of the Top Broker Forum, an industry organization of multimillion-dollar sales agents. Previously Coz co-founded SafferCoz Real Estate in Delray Beach.
                                

    Kaufman Lynn Construction, a construction management and general contracting company, has moved to new 23,298-square-foot headquarters at 3185 S. Congress Ave., Delray Beach. Since establishing itself as part of the community in 1989 with a team of 10, Kaufman Lynn Construction has grown into a multimillion-dollar company, with 130 associates.
                                
    Abbey Delray senior living community broke ground in November on a $36 million expansion and redevelopment project. The expansion will add 48 assisted-living apartments, 30 memory-support suites, a new dining venue and enlarged meeting spaces.  
    Abbey Delray is at 2000 Lowson Blvd., Delray Beach.
                                
    The old Beachway Therapy Center on North Federal Highway in Delray Beach is becoming the Delray Oasis Business Park.
    The .75-acre property contains five small buildings from five decades, said David Marulli, an owner. “They will be unified through the Mediterranean style of architecture,” he said.
    The renovated buildings will have barrel tile roofs, canopies and trellises.
    Marulli and partner Howard Dean, of Tarrytown, New York, found the property listing on the Loopnet.com site. They paid $1.59 million for the property in March 2016. Their first tenant was Loosen Up Massage.
    Twelve blocks north of Atlantic Avenue, Delray Oasis is a viable alternative to that high-rent district, Marulli said.
    The partners secured a $50,000 Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency grant in June to help with exterior upgrades of nearly $400,000, Marulli said. One tenant, the Family Yoga Zen Zone, received a $6,000 CRA rent-assistance grant.
    The complex is about 80 percent leased, with rents ranging between $35 and $50 a square foot, Marulli said.
                                
    This year, Florida Redevelopment Association honored the Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency, city of Delray Beach and Delray Beach Community Land Trust for their Courtyards on 12th Workforce Housing Project partnership.
    The Courtyards on 12th project, consisting of six duplexes, adds to the city’s affordable housing stock. In 2012, the CRA, Delray Beach and Palm Beach County funded the beautification of SW 12th Avenue and two other streets, along with adjacent alleyways.
    They then acquired and renovated the first five duplexes in 2013, and partnered with Delray Beach Community Land Trust, a nonprofit that specializes in affordable housing. In 2016, the remaining duplex was purchased and renovated.
                                
    The Boca Chamber celebrated its 65th annual gala in October at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. The event honored Ethel Isaacs Williams, who will serve a second term as chair of the board of directors during the coming year. Also, Jerry Fedele, president and CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital, and his leadership team were presented with the M.J. “Mike” Arts Award of Excellence, for the impact they’ve had on the Boca Raton community.
                                
    Bring the children to see Santa, and visit Delray Beach’s “famous 100-foot Christmas tree,” which is brand new this year, says Stephanie Immelman, executive director of the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative, which puts on the city’s holiday celebrations.
    Other holiday happenings throughout the month include The Holiday Boat Parade, the Holiday Parade, Screen on the Green, the Menorah Lighting, and the family-friendly New Year’s Eve Celebration in Old School Square Park from 5 to 9 p.m. with fireworks.
    Also, in partnership with nonprofits, donations can be dropped off at the Gingerbread House located next to the Christmas tree in Old School Square during December. For a list of local nonprofits participating, as well as a detailed schedule of events, visit www.100ftChristmasTree.com.
                      

Delray Beach Fashion Week swim and surf show models pose near the railroad tracks for the 2017 event. The 2018 Fashion Week is scheduled for Jan. 24-28. Tickets are available online. Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit two local charities. Photo provided

           
    VIP passes, priced at $160, for Delray Beach Fashion Week, Jan. 24-28, are available online. Ticket proceeds benefit the Achievement Centers for Children and Families and the Arts Garage’s educational programming for children. The event, created by the Downtown Development Authority and downtown merchants, highlights local designs and will take place throughout downtown Delray Beach.
Fashion Week sponsors include In the Grove Hair Studio, Glavidia Hair Studio, VUP Media, Victoria DeSilvio Group, Park View Realty, Che!!!, The Colony Hotel & Cabana Club, The Sandy Shoppe, Shear Luck Salon, Tipsy Salonbar.
    For information and to purchase tickets, visit www.DelrayFashionWeek.com or call 243-1077.
    

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

Volunteers with Sea Turtle Adventures install collection canisters for used fishing line at the Boynton Inlet. Photo provided

By Steve Plunkett
    
    Sea turtles nested on South County beaches in mostly record numbers in 2017.
    “We had a record-breaking year, and so did many other beaches along the east coast of Florida,” turtle monitor Jackie Kingston told the Gulf Stream Town Commission on Nov. 9, nine days after nesting season ended.
    Gulf Stream proper had 806 sea turtle nests from March 1 to Oct. 31, said Kingston, who monitors the beaches from about Woolbright Road to George Bush Boulevard. Her 3-mile stretch counted 1,077 nests.
    “This is a great beach for sea turtle nesting. It’s very high-density, the majority of it is private, the homeowners do a great job of shielding the lights during nesting season, and it’s really a prime location,” Kingston said.
    Highland Beach, also with 3 miles of sand, reported even better results. Barbara James said her monitors recorded 3,721 exits from the ocean with 1,829, or 49 percent, resulting in nests.
    “It’s a large number for a short beach,” James said.
    Curiously, James said, a “huge number” of loggerheads crawled up on the sand in July but did not dig nests.
 If they had, their eggs would have been hatching about the same time as Hurricane Irma struck in early September.
    “Maybe they know about the hurricanes two months in advance,” James said.
    Boca Raton logged 1,072 nests, up from 785 in the previous year but below the record 1,178 posted in 2013. Green turtles dug 300 nests (up from 38 in 2016), leatherbacks only five (down from 18) and loggerheads 767 (up from 729). The city has 5 miles of beaches.
    Monitors in South Palm Beach recorded approximately 380 nests.
    Kingston, the Gulf Stream monitor, also heads a nonprofit group, Sea Turtle Adventures, that brought a program called the Responsible Pier Initiative to the Boynton Inlet on Nov. 18.
    Volunteers installed collection canisters for used fishing line in Ocean Inlet Park and put up signs telling fishermen what to do and whom to call if they accidentally catch a sea turtle. The canisters will be emptied regularly and the monofilament line recycled.
    The initiative, started by the Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach, is now at more than 50 locations and has resulted in the rescue of more than 220 sea turtles that were hooked or entangled in fishing lines, Kingston said.
    “We’re really excited to bring it here to Boynton Inlet,” she said. “Thousands of people visit Ocean Inlet Park every single year, and I think it’s about time we increase the environmental visibility there and show that we’re doing the right thing for the community and the fishermen that are out there.”

By Steve Plunkett

    The public has a new spot downtown to watch boat traffic on the Intracoastal Waterway.
    City officials opened the Wildflower site, at the northwest corner of the Palmetto Park Road bridge over the waterway, to pedestrians and vehicles on Nov. 27.
    The 2.3-acre parcel is mostly parking lot, and Boca Raton is letting motorists park there free. Foot traffic can enter through a gate at the base of the bridge; vehicles get in via Northeast Fifth Avenue.
    Workers for the city installed six park benches, repaired a troublesome crack in the site’s sea wall, opened gates to neighboring Silver Palm Park and freshened up the site with mulch. The park, which so far lacks a name, is open from 8 a.m. to dusk daily. “Possible hazards may exist,” a sign warns. “Entry and use at own risk.”
    The Wildflower site will also be open during the evening Dec. 16 as a viewing site for the Holiday Boat Parade.
    More changes are coming. The City Council hired engineers Applied Technology and Management Inc. on Nov. 28 to design a new sea wall for the parcel. On Dec. 11 the council will get an update from consultant EDSA Inc. on a master plan for Boca Raton’s waterfront parks.
    Boca Raton bought the land, at 551 E. Palmetto Park Road, eight years ago for $7.5 million. In July 2016, council members changed part of the vacant parcel’s land designations from residential to commercial to accommodate a long-planned restaurant.  But voters decided the following November that all city-owned land on the Intracoastal should be for “public recreation, public boating access, public streets, and city storm water uses only.”
    The council changed the land designations to “recreation and open space” in June.

By Rich Pollack

    Highland Beach’s annual Light Up the Holidays celebration is on the move.
    Traditionally held in the Town Hall parking lot, Light Up the Holidays 2017 will be held in the parish hall at St. Lucy Catholic Church beginning at 6 p.m. Dec. 4.
    As in years past, the event will feature the lighting of a Christmas tree and a menorah, refreshments and a performance by the Dimensional Harmony Choir from Boynton Beach High School.
    Also performing will be Nicholas Abrahams, a violinist, town resident and a senior at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach.
    The celebration will include blessings from Father Brian Horgan of St. Lucy’s and Rabbi Aviva Bass of Temple Sinai in Delray Beach and have a flag ceremony by Boca Raton High School’s Navy JROTC.
    St. Lucy’s is at 3510 S. Ocean Blvd. For more information, visit www.highlandbeach.us or call 278-4548.

By Sallie James

    The Boca Raton Children’s Museum will receive a $100,000 city grant for repairs to a building known as the “cottage” at the popular museum, at 498 Crawford Blvd. City Council members approved the grant during the Nov. 14 council meeting.
     Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, a Boca Raton-based nonprofit organization, took over the struggling entity in September 2014.
     An estimated 20,000 people annually visit the museum, according to Ellyn Okrent, chief executive of the Florence Fuller centers.
     In January 2016, City Council members approved $50,000 for building repairs and $30,000 for exhibit enhancements.

By Mary Hladky

    The proposed Midtown development faces significant new obstacles as a result of conditions imposed by both city staff and a city board that would delay the start of construction, reduce the size of the project and possibly torpedo it.
     Developer Crocker Partners drafted proposed ordinances that set a framework for how Midtown can be built. But that prompted complaints that the developer had assumed control of a city process, and the City Council ordered staff six months ago take back the reins.
     Midtown, to be built between Interstate 95 and the Town Center at Boca Raton, is envisioned as a “live, work, play” transit-oriented development where people will live and walk or take shuttles to their jobs in the area, shopping and restaurants.
     As many as 2,500 mostly rental units would be built on nearly 300 acres where no residential exists. A new Tri-Rail station at or near Northwest 19th Street along the CSX railroad tracks would bring people to and from the area.
     The proposed ordinances would allow restaurants, bars under certain conditions, hotels, convenience stores and schools. Drive-in restaurants, gas stations, veterinary clinics and outdoor seating or entertainment would require City Council approval.
     The city’s redo of the proposed ordinances still allows 2,500 units. But they could not be built until the Tri-Rail station is constructed and operating and Military Trail is redesigned to make it easier to cross and more pedestrian friendly. The tallest buildings in the area now are 145 feet, but the height limit would be reduced to no more than 105 feet.
     “We were shocked when we saw that,” Crocker Partners managing partner Angelo Bianco said of the Tri-Rail station requirement.
     The city’s Planning and Zoning Board went even further at its Nov. 9 meeting. The board unanimously approved the proposed ordinances, but added conditions that it recommends the City Council adopt.
     Board members called for reducing the number of residential units to 600. They want no construction until streets in the area are redesigned, landscaping and other infrastructure work completed, and a shuttle system is operating. Crocker Partners proposed some residential units as small as 500 square feet, but the board recommended a minimum of 700 square feet.
     Several board members said the city may need to create a special taxing district for the Midtown area that would pay for roads, landscaping and other improvements.
     After Brandon Schaad, director of the city’s department of development services, outlined to planning board members changes city staff made to the proposed ordinances, attorneys representing Crocker Partners said some of the key changes are unconstitutional and violate Florida law.
     The Tri-Rail station requirement is “arbitrary and unreasonable and creates an indefinite moratorium [on Midtown construction],” said Deana Falce, a litigator with the Shubin & Bass law firm.
     “Private property owners have no control over whether the Tri-Rail station is ever built,” she said.
     The requirement for completion of improvements to Military Trail, the main artery through Midtown, leaves the project at the mercy of the city and county, which would jointly plan the work, she said.
     The building height requirement is “arbitrary” and will discourage development, Falce said.
     An angry Planning and Zoning chair William Fairman chastised the attorneys for not submitting a packet outlining their objections before the meeting. Board member Larry Snowden called the unconstitutionality claim “insulting.”
     “We never want to commence legal action unless it is absolutely necessary,” Bianco said after he meeting. “But we need to protect our property rights.”
     He expressed hope that Crocker Partners and the city can work together to “find common ground.” But the city restrictions, Bianco said, will “create unreasonable barriers to development.”
     Downsizing the project to 600 units is unrealistic for a 300-acre site, he said. “It is such a small number of units, it would not allow us to achieve the minimum necessary to create the integrated, pedestrian-walkable neighborhood we want to develop,” he said.
     Midtown should not be dependent on construction of a Tri-Rail station, he said. While he supports mass transit and the station, it “is not necessary for us to achieve … what we want to achieve,” he said.
     The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which operates Tri-Rail, has been considering building a second station in Boca Raton since 2007 and recently launched a new study to evaluate the idea. If SFRTA decides to build one, construction would not begin until 2022.
     When Schaad briefed City Council members on the planning board’s decision at their Nov. 13 workshop meeting, Mayor Susan Haynie and council member Scott Singer weren’t certain how to proceed. Council members Robert Weinroth and Andrea O’Rourke said a master plan should be created for the Midtown area, which also would delay construction.
     The City Council will consider the ordinances and the planning board’s recommendations again after Schaad completes an analysis.
     Two public hearings will be held before final decisions are made.

Boca Raton’s Irena Elmstrom, left, placed first in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge U.S. Nationals with teammates Jacqueline Palmer, of Las Vegas, right, and Cheri Ardoin, of Lake Charles, La. in the Female Relay event. Photo provided by Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services Department

By Sallie James

    Imagine running a race where the venue is a five-story tower. Now imagine doing the climb in 45 pounds of broiling bunker gear.
    Up and down, as fast as you can go. Add hoisting, chopping, dragging a gigantic fire hose and rescuing a life-sized, 175-pound “victim,” and you have all the elements of a fearsome firefighter competition.
    Boca Raton firefighter/paramedic Irena Elmstrom took top honors in the Scott Firefighter Combat Challenge U.S. Nationals in Texas in October. She also won a silver medal in the Firefighter Combat Challenge World Championships, which took place Oct. 23-28 in Louisville, Ky.
    Elmstrom has been a firefighter for 15 years and has been competing for 14 years.
    “I love it,” she said.
    It’s a given that it’s sweltering business. Bunker gear is heavy and hot, and training in Florida isn’t easy.
    Luckily, the gear used in competitions is lighter than standard firefighting gear because it doesn’t have as many pockets and extras as the gear used on normal duty. But it’s still really hot.
    “It’s basically like a firefighting obstacle course,” Elmstrom said.
    Elmstrom earned the following titles at the Oct. 5-7 event: U.S. National Co-Ed Tandem Champions (1:30:15), Female Tandem Champions (1:58:36) and Female Relay Champions (1:48).
    Firefighters who competed with Elmstrom were David Bowman, of Charlotte, N.C. (Co-Ed Tandem); Jacqueline Palmer, of Las Vegas (Female Tandem and Female Relay); and Cheri Ardoin, of Lake Charles, La. (Female Relay).

By Sallie James

    Noisy renters beware: Boca Raton is considering a new code enforcement tactic that would allow violators to be fined on the spot.
    “Direct ticketing” is an alternative city officials say would produce instant results. The current system relies on a time-consuming process that sends a suspect to a special magistrate who must then determine if a violation occurred.
    The subject came up at a Nov. 13 workshop during a discussion about how to curb code violations at rented single-family homes and duplexes. The city scrapped an initial proposal to register rentals because it seemed too involved.
    “I think instant ticketing will be a little more responsive to the neighbors who are suffering,” said Mayor Susan Haynie.
    Deputy City Manager George Brown said direct ticketing would be effective in nuisance cases such as excessive noise.
    “If that person believes they were not violating the code, they can go before a magistrate,” Brown said. “I think direct ticketing is probably a more effective tool because it addresses the violation as it occurs.”
    No sum for such potential fines has been established at this time.
    The issue of nuisance violations and rental properties has largely focused on areas where owners have rented single-family homes to college students. Problems with noise, vehicles parking on unpaved areas, outside storage of personal items and property maintenance have cropped up in neighborhoods near Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University.
    The city reported 1,986 code violations last year that included overgrown vegetation outside homes, too many cars parked in certain areas and trash all over properties. But the total number of violations in 2016 was down 400 from the year before.
    Brown said the city has seen a “significant” reduction in those issues because of recent additions to code enforcement staff with added shifts on nights and weekends.
    Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers said a registration program would have been burdensome and created “a huge amount of infrastructure” compared to issuing direct fines.
    Council member Robert Weinroth agreed.
    “I like the direct ticketing. That is the answer,” Weinroth said. “I think it gets to the root of the problem.”
    The City Council is expected to revisit the issue soon.

LEFT: Delray Beach resident Michelle Cerami, a licensed midwife, gave birth to her daughter, Natalie, 5, at home.
RIGHT: Zeresh Altork of Boynton Beach studied to be a doula after the in-home birth of her son, Eiden, 9. She and her husband, JP Piqué, also have a daughter, Leila, 5, and dog, Dolsa. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Lona O'Connor

    A home birth is a rare occasion in the United States — only 1.36 percent of births, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
     But for those who choose to employ midwives and doulas, they are as close as a Google search. Or word of mouth.
    “It’s not a service I’m out there selling to people,” says Michelle Cerami, 33, a Delray Beach midwife who has been in private practice for three years.
    Her clients seek her out, and they come from all walks of life.
    “It surprised me that women come to me from penthouses on the water and little apartments, single moms and married women with big families, which is cool,” she said.
    A midwife is a health care professional, and a doula acts as a counselor and support system for mothers during pregnancy, labor and breastfeeding.
    “It’s a lot of hard work and it’s extremely satisfying,” says Cerami, who has attended more than 250 births, 116 as primary midwife. “But for me, it’s more about the moms and the families I serve, giving them that experience, giving these babies a gentle transition into this world.”
    Cerami trained at the Florida School of Traditional Midwifery in Gainesville. She is licensed as a medical practitioner by the state of Florida and has earned national certification.
    “I didn’t think of midwifery as a career option until I had my son,” she says. “My aunt is a nurse midwife, and she gave me the idea. I had my son with midwives.”
    Originally from New York’s Long Island, Cerami has been in Florida for eight years with her children, Noah, 11, and Natalie, 5.
    Her clients come from all over Palm Beach County.
    The right candidate for a home birth is someone who has no serious health problems.
    If the mother develops gestational diabetes or has high blood pressure or is anemic, has low blood iron levels, if the baby has genetic abnormalities or if labor starts before 37 weeks, home birth is not a good option.
    “A premature baby definitely needs the support of the hospital and all the equipment,” says Cerami.
    
A woman’s choice
    Otherwise, midwifery is a matter of preference.
    “Some people just don’t want to go to a hospital,” Cerami says. “At home, you’re relaxed, your family can be there and you can surrender to the birth. Some women just want to feel what it is to be in labor.”
    Cerami’s son slept through his sister’s birth, but “when he woke up, he got to meet her right away. Home birth demystifies the process. I can just speak for myself, but I think it’s a gift I’ve given to my kids.”
    Cerami’s fee is $5,000. Her clients pay her either out-of-pocket or through Medicaid and a few participating insurance companies. As a licensed midwife, she is eligible to work with insurance companies.
    By comparison, the average cost of a hospital birth is $8,800, more for premature birth, caesarean section or other complications, according to a study done for the March of Dimes.
    About half of Cerami’s clients choose underwater births, either in a bathtub or a purpose-made inflatable tub.
    “It’s comforting and relaxing and it takes all the weight,” says Cerami. “And the babies are much calmer. Sometimes they don’t even cry. My son was a water birth. He just made a little noise and started breathing.”
    Cerami meets with the mother once a month until 28 weeks, then every two weeks, then weekly until the birth, where she is accompanied by a trained birth assistant. Both the midwife and the assistant are certified to provide CPR and neonatal resuscitation.
    “It’s pretty rare that complications happen at home, but there are things that are unpredictable,” says Cerami.
“I once had a baby transferred to a hospital because his breathing rate was too high,” she says. “And we had a mom in early labor whose blood pressure was really high, so we had her transported by ambulance.”
    Among developed countries, the United States is alone in having so few home births. In Europe, more than 75 percent of births are attended by midwives, according to the World Health Organization.
    A study of 79,000 home births in 2012 and 2013 in Oregon and Vermont, the states where the most home births occur, showed a higher mortality rate for home births: In planned out-of-hospital births, 3.9 out of 1,000 cases resulted in a baby’s death during the birth process or within four weeks afterward, compared with 1.8 deaths out of 1,000 in planned hospital births.

Emotional support
    Some home births may have both a midwife and a doula.
    Zeresh Altork, a doula, acts as a counselor to mothers and families during and after pregnancy.
    “The midwives give the medical support and doulas are there for emotional, physical and informational support,” says Altork. “Our sole responsibility is the emotional well-being of the woman.”
    Altork, 42, lives in Boynton Beach with her husband, JP Piqué, son, Eiden, 9, and daughter, Leila, 5. She has been in practice for nine years and has supported about 275 births.
She provides doula services to women who give birth at home and in hospitals.
    “Doulas take care of the mother so she can take care of the baby,” says Altork. “A doula is a kind of mother figure.”
    Altork was a school counselor and family therapist for 10 years. “When I became pregnant with my son, I started investigating my options for the best possible birth,” she says. “It doesn’t have to be routine, it is not to be feared, it can be a very empowering moment.”
    She was so enthusiastic on the subject after Eiden was born at home with the help of a midwife that a friend suggested she train to be a doula.
    “I just wouldn’t shut up about it, she told me. So a month or two later, I was training. I loved it. I found my passion.”
    Her biggest influence was Barbara Harper, a nurse, midwife and internationally known advocate of warm-water home births.
    Altork met Harper seven years ago at a home-birth workshop in Spain, where Altork was living. Fluent in Spanish, Altork acted as Harper’s translator.
    “She told us that women have everything they need to give birth. They just need information,” Altork says.
    Some couples hire Altork even before the woman becomes pregnant, but it’s more common for her to start her work during the second trimester of a pregnancy.
Altork charges a basic rate of $1,050, but her fee can be higher if the mother needs more attention before or after the birth.
    “I get to know the mom and the dad and see how they work together,” says Altork. “I need to understand their needs and help them make their birth plan.”
    
    For more information on midwifery and home birth, contact Michelle Cerami at michelle@eastcoastmidwifery.com. Her website is www.eastcoastmidwifery.com.
    For more information on doula services, contact zeresh@alovingbirth.com.Website:  www.alovingbirth.com.

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

By Christine Davis

    Delray Medical Center has been recognized as a five-star recipient for a wide range of treatments and surgeries. It received neuroscience, cranial neurosurgery and stroke care excellence awards and was named among the top 5 percent in the nation for neurosciences, cranial neurosurgery and the treatment of stroke.
    These achievements are part of findings released by Healthgrades, an independent health care ratings company, and are featured in its 2018 “Report to the Nation.”
    For its analysis, Healthgrades evaluated approximately 45 million Medicare inpatient records for nearly 4,500 short-term acute care hospitals nationwide to assess hospital performance in 32 common conditions and procedures, using all-payer data provided by 17 states.
                                
    Officials at Delray Medical Center announced that Teresa C. Urquhart is their new chief operating officer. They also announced that they offer a new procedure, the Edwards SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve for mitral valve replacement inside a failed surgical valve. This is the only valve approved for valve-in-valve procedures due to failure of a surgical mitral valve.
    Also, Delray Medical is the first hospital in South Florida to implant a new device used to seal off the left atrial appendage  — a small appendage connected to the left atrium
    The device, called Amplatzer Amulet Occluder, works by blocking the left atrial appendage at its opening, which minimizes the opportunity for blood clots to form and move into the bloodstream.
                                
    David C. Brodner, M.D., was appointed associate medical director for sleep medicine with eviCore Health-care.
    Brodner is board-certified in otolaryngology (ear, nose and throat), head and neck surgery and sleep medicine. His office is at 8794 Boynton Beach Blvd., Boynton Beach.    

    In October, Baptist Health South Florida acquired a majority interest in South Palm Ambulatory Surgery Center, which has changed its name to Baptist Health Surgery Center. This center, at 1905 Clint Moore Road in Boca Raton, is Baptist Health’s second outpatient surgery center in Palm Beach County.
                                
    In honor of Veterans Day, Boca Raton Regional Hospital recognized its physicians, employees, volunteers and board members who are veterans of the U.S. armed services.
    Included in the program were Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie and retired Air Force Lt. Col. Melvin Pollack, director of Vets Helping Heroes.
    The Boca Raton Community High School NJROTC, Boca Raton Fire Rescue Services, Boca Raton Police Department, the Spanish River High School Super Splash Show Choir and other community and veterans group leaders attended.
                                
    Call 4 Health has hired three new team members: Alex Karanau is its new chief information officer; Lissette Ferro-Lloret is now the director of operations, and Victoria Rodriguez is the new marketing specialist.
    Call 4 Health is a medical call center and nurse triage service headquartered in Delray Beach.
                                
    Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

ABOVE: Eric Brandon of Nautical Ventures folds down the transom bench seat on the Blackfin 272 center console he displayed at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in November. The bench is a comfortable place to sit that would be an obstruction to anglers if it didn’t fold flat against the transom. BELOW RIGHT: For passengers who enjoy lounging when they cruise, the optional 170-quart “coffin box” cooler with pad and removable backrest dress up the Crevalle 26 Open bay boat. Photos by Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

    Powerboat designers are adding creature comforts to center console boats, hoping they will appeal to buyers who want oceangoing fishing machines that double as platforms for family outings.
    Several of those fishing/family boats were on display during the 58th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in early November — as were replicas of vintage boats and luxury boats powered by multiple outboards.
    
Some examples
    The Blackfin 272 center console — a fast, oceangoing fishing machine that comes with fishy features such as outriggers mounted to a hard T-top, a 30-gallon live bait well, below-deck fish boxes, tackle drawers, a bait-rigging station and under-gunwale rod holders.  Creature comforts that don’t detract from the boat’s fishability include a foldaway transom bench seat, removable, forward-facing backrests for the bow seats, a removable table for lunch breaks and a soft shade top for the bow, which can be easily removed for storage. The boat show price: $179,000.
    The Crevalle 26 Open, a bay-style fishing boat that can be purchased with a full upper station, meaning you can run the boat from a perch on top of the T-top, where the visibility is much better than it is from the deck. That’s great for finding fish. But the Crevalle’s optional 170-quart “coffin box” style cooler with removable backrest and stylish pad also make the bay boat appealing for family cruising. A freshwater shower, optional extended swim platform, an in-console portable toilet and optional pylon for towing water skiers make the Crevalle suitable for a variety of water activities. Boat show price: $103,900.
    The Cobia 301 center console features an inward-opening side door (with removable boarding ladder) for easy entry and exit when swimming, snorkeling or diving. The side door also can be opened for dockside boarding and for hauling big fish aboard. Like the Blackfin, the Cobia features a foldaway transom seat and plush forward seating with a removable table for picnics in the bow. The Cobia’s roomy head (toilet) area inside the center console includes a freshwater sink, vanity mirror and towel bar. The boat show price: $179,900.
    With a base price tag over $1 million, the Formula 430 All Sport Crossover is not your typical outboard powerboat. Pushed by a team of four 400-horsepower Mercury outboards, the Formula on display at the boat show could reach a top speed of more than 60 mph. Comfort features include a sleeping berth and forward lounge, two refrigerators, a huge stern platform for easy access to the water and a galley with a stove. Slide-in racks convert the 52-gallon live bait well into a scuba tank compartment. Options include a satellite television system, stand-up paddleboard racks and a Seakeeper stabilizer. The boat show price: $1,058,300.

Metan Marine’s mahogany-trimmed, 13-foot Tender Series boats at the Fort Lauderdale show are based on the classic Boston Whalers.

    For nostalgic boaters who long for classic crafts that were popular in the 1960s and ’70s, Massachusetts-based Metan Marine offered replicas of early Boston Whalers at the boat show.
    Billed as a classic tender for a larger boat, the 13-foot Metan on display at the show featured mahogany seats and PlasDeck teak decking. The Mercury outboard engine was modern, but it could be disguised with a vintage cowling for that out-of-date look.
    Company President Mike Borrelli said he started out restoring old boats, a venture that became so popular he started building them from scratch. Metan plans to build replicas of two Bertram classics, 26 and 32 feet, early next year. Boat show price for the 13-foot Metan, 40 horsepower Mercury outboard and trailer: $25,000.

The Fort Lauderdale show continues to grow in size and scope. Photo provided by Forest Johnson, Show Management

Irma caused $500 million in boat damage
    When Hurricane Irma swept across Florida in September, it damaged or destroyed about 50,000 recreational boats, causing an estimated $500 million in damage.
    Boat damage could have been much worse, according to the Boat Owners Association of the United States, also known as BoatUS.
    “While locations in the right front quadrant of the storm such as Big Pine Key and Marathon were hit hard with a Category 4 storm, Irma lost strength as it approached the mainland,” said Rick Wilson, vice president of claims for BoatUS marine insurance.
    Recreational boat losses from Hurricane Harvey in Texas were significantly lower, at 13,500 boats with an estimated value of $155 million.

Coming events
    Dec. 2: Basic boating safety class offered by Coast Guard Auxiliary, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the headquarters building at Spanish River Park, 3939 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton. Fee $35 for adults or $20 ages 12 to 19. Register at the door. Bring lunch. Call 391-3600 or email fso-pe@cgauxboca.org.
    Dec. 8: The Boynton Beach & Delray Beach Holiday Boat Parade. Decorated boats will line up at 6 p.m. at the Ocean Avenue Bridge near the Old Key Lime House restaurant in Lantana and proceed south to the C-15 Canal at the border of Delray Beach and Boca Raton. Music begins at 6 p.m. at Boynton Harbor Marina. The parade is scheduled to start at 6:30 p.m. Donations of new, unwrapped toys are being collected for children. For viewing locations and a parking map, call the Boynton Beach CRA at 600-9097 or visit www.catchboynton.com. In Delray Beach, call 243-7250.
    Dec. 22: Early-entry deadline for the 81st annual Silver Sailfish Derby, a sailfish release tournament organized by the West Palm Beach Fishing Club. Captain’s meeting Jan. 10 followed by fishing Jan. 11-12 and an awards dinner Jan. 13. Entry fee $1,000 per boat for club members by Dec. 22 and $1,500 for non-members. Call 832-6780 or go to www.westpalmbeachfishingclub.org.

Tip of the month
    Divers who enjoy spearing tasty hogfish should remember that the recreational hogfish season is closed in state waters along the east coast as well as in the Florida Keys and on the west coast south of Cape Sable.
    The hogfish harvest season will reopen May 1.
    Recreational harvest of hogfish is still allowed in state and federal waters north of Cape Sable in the Gulf of Mexico.
    For details, go to www.myfwc.com. Click on saltwater fishing, recreational regulations and hogfish.

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

    There is water in the streets. It’s there when it rains hard, when tropical weather blows through, when the highest tides of the year align with phases of the moon and when Lake Okeechobee water is diverted into canals and drained into the ocean.
    Sometimes, all of these things happen at the same time and public safety is at risk.
    Yet, as I attend the public meetings of our coastal municipalities, inevitably some member of the public — or an elected representative of the people — suggests that rising and standing water are nothing new and we shouldn’t be concerned. They say most of the land along the Intracoastal Waterway was created by fill and is sinking. They proclaim that water in the streets has nothing to do with sea level rise. Some even question why we should spend taxpayer money on the sinking land of individual homeowners.
    This is a heartless and narrow-minded approach to a problem that affects all of us who live along the ICW and cannot be wished away.
    Palm Beach County’s property appraiser estimates the value of properties east of A1A to be worth $64 billion. It’s easy to imagine the property between A1A and the ICW is worth as much or more, since the bulk of real estate on the barrier island falls into this area.
    That’s a lot of value (and its corresponding tax base) to watch it sink under the depths of denial and neglect.
    Thankfully, there are community leaders and concerned residents who see a bigger picture and want to find answers. They realize the impact rising water levels have on our local economy and are seeking ways to hold back the flood waters of crisis before they begin to erode the waterfront real estate market.
    Solutions won’t be cheap, but in our coastal market, infrastructure hardening and repair will only increase long-term value. And well-timed maintenance, along with implementation of flooding-sensitive building codes, can provide immediate results.
    But we should not avoid hard conversations about land banking and eminent domain and property abandonment. Wastewater management and septic systems will also need to be discussed.
    These don’t have to be partisan discussions, and just because we talk about these things now doesn’t mean they will happen tomorrow. It’s time to start talking about possible solutions and stop denying that there is water in the streets.

— Mary Kate Leming, Editor

Anne and Peter Vegso own Health Communications Inc., a book publisher in Deerfield Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

If Anne and Peter Vegso’s last name sounds vaguely familiar, it may be because it can be found on a sprinkling of buildings throughout the area.  
    There’s the Vegso Community Resource Center in Boca Raton; Casa Vegso, a shelter and transitional housing center for victims of domestic abuse; and the Vegso Family Arena at the Equine-Assisted Therapies of South Florida facilities in Coconut Creek.
    While their name might ring a bell, Anne and Peter Vegso tend to fly under the radar when it comes to the big names in South Florida philanthropy — and that’s just fine with them.
    “We don’t need to see our name on a building,” Anne Vegso says. “We don’t need people to know who we give to. We just want to know that we improved someone’s life, and if it’s a woman or a child it’s so much better.”
    This month, the Vegsos will help raise money for one of their favorite causes —  women and children — by having their successful book-publishing company, Health Communications Inc., serve as presenting sponsor of the 18th annual Women of Grace Luncheon on Nov. 9 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.
    The event, expected to include 650 guests this year, raises money for the Center for Women and Children at Bethesda Health, addressing a different specific need each year.
    This year, money raised will be used to purchase a state-of-the-art, realistic mother-and-baby birthing simulator for training both staff and parents.
    For the Vegsos, who will bring in as speakers the authors of Oola for Women, Find Balance in an Unbalanced World (and who will provide each guest with a copy of the book), the Women of Grace Luncheon is a perfect match for their philanthropic philosophy.
    They became familiar with the event after Anne was recognized as a Woman of Grace in 2014 for her work with Delray Beach-based AVDA, Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse.
    “We like the idea of supporting local nonprofit organizations that need a specific amount of money for a specific purpose,” Anne Vegso says.
    Adds Peter Vegso: “When you give to local organizations, you have a better understanding of where the money is going.”
    While they support a variety of causes, the focus of the Vegsos’ giving through their family foundation is on organizations that help women and children.
    “It’s just something that my heart is close to,” Anne says.
In addition to supporting the luncheon, which each year recognizes five women doing outstanding work in the community, the Vegsos have supported the renovation of the maternity, labor and delivery areas at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.
    They also support Equine-Assisted Therapies of South Florida, a therapeutic riding program for children and adults with special needs. Their business warehouse is used as the storage and distribution area for the Junior League of Boca Raton’s diaper bank, and their foundation supports Boca Ballet’s First Step program, which introduces ballet to at-risk children.
    “Anne and Peter have always been doing great work in the community, but they do it in a very low-key way,” says Kimberley Trombly-Burmeister, this year’s chairwoman of the Women of Grace Luncheon. “They are fabulous philanthropic leaders in our community.”
    Peter Vegso, 73, grew up outside Montreal while Anne, 69, was born in England and moved to Canada with her family when she was 18. They met at a party in Toronto that Anne went to only because her sister didn’t want to go alone. It was there that she caught Peter’s eye.
    “I saw her and said, ‘That’s it,’ ” Peter Vegso said.
    The Vegsos were together while Peter and partners built a small business that started out printing a weekly newspaper and information pamphlets about addiction. It evolved into a multimillion-dollar book business that has published thousands of titles — mostly in the health, self-help and inspirational areas — and now Health Communications has about 65 employees.
    The couple, who live in Boca Raton, have been married for 46 years and have two daughters and five grandsons, some of whom are already learning about the importance of philanthropy.
    Before making a donation to an organization in the names of her two oldest grandsons, Anne Vegso asked them what causes they would like to support. One chose Save the Turtles and the other The Caring Kitchen.
    “It’s important for them to recognize that they are extremely blessed,” she said.

If You Go
What: 18th annual Women of Grace Luncheon benefiting Center for Women and Children at Bethesda Health
When: Nov. 9, reception at 10:30 a.m., luncheon 11:30 to 1 p.m.
Where: Boca Raton Resort and Club
Honorees: Yvonne Boice, Tammy Culmer, Linda Heneks, Jacqueline Moroco Maloney, Kirsten Stanley
Chairwoman: Kimberley Trombly-Burmeister
Speakers: Troy Amdahl and Dave Braun, authors of Oola for Women, Find Balance in an Unbalanced World. They will sign books at 7 o’clock that night at Murder on the Beach bookstore in Delray Beach.
Cost: $150
Information: Email PHenderson@BHinc.org or call 737-7733, Ext. 84429.

By Dan Moffett

    Briny Breezes moved closer to finding a way to resolve nagging disputes over code violations when the Town Council voted Oct. 26 to use either a special magistrate or a citizens enforcement board to hear residents’ cases.
    The decision, which came on a 3-2 vote, authorizes Town Attorney John Skrandel to write a proposed ordinance that allows the council to choose either method to enforce building rules. Voting for the measure were council President Sue Thaler and Aldermen Bobby Jurovaty and Chick Behringer. Christina Adams and Jim McCormick voted no.
    Adams said she was concerned the proposed ordinance was “a little misleading” because it didn’t commit the town to using one option or the other, but most likely would be used to hire a magistrate.
    “Let’s call it what it is,” she said. “Let’s be open with everybody.”
    Adams, who has been reluctant to support a magistrate system, said, “Briny is different than anyplace else” and argued its corporation could play a role in resolving code disputes.
     Jurovaty disagreed. “In the state’s eyes, we are no different than any other town,” he said, arguing that Briny has no alternative but to satisfy state requirements to enforce codes.
    Skrandel said with the ordinance, the council would need only to approve a resolution to choose either the magistrate or citizens board.
    “You can try one for a while and if it doesn’t work out switch to the other,” said Skrandel, who is expected to have a draft of the proposed ordinance for the council’s consideration at the Nov. 30 town meeting.
    The council heard from Cosmo Tornese, a senior engineer with CAP Government of Coral Gables, the company that handles Briny’s building permitting and inspection work. Tornese said the magistrate approach is much more effective than using a citizens board because it is objective and eliminates personal relationships and biases that create conflicts.
    “The magistrate is what you want,” Tornese said. “I don’t know of any town that uses a board.”
    Every other municipality in Palm Beach County uses magistrates to settle code cases. A magistrate is a lawyer with special training in building codes and law. Skrandel said typically a magistrate charges between $200 and $350 per hour.
    In other business:
    • During a special meeting on Oct. 12, the council decided to postpone reviewing applications for the town attorney position until a new manager is hired. The council gave final approval to the job description for the manager position on Oct. 26.
    Thaler said council members thought the new manager should have a voice in the lawyer’s hiring and agree with the council’s choice. She said the town has heard from a number of promising, experienced candidates who appear capable of handling Briny’s legal work.
    • Citing personal reasons, Jack Lee resigned as the town’s mayor on Oct. 1, but said he would remain active in the town’s affairs.
    “I’m resigning as mayor,” Lee said. “I’m not resigning as a resident of Briny.”
    A 60-year resident of the town, Lee, 68, took over the mayor’s seat in April. He also served as Briny’s mayor from 2001 to 2007. Thaler said the council is hoping to find someone soon to serve out the remainder of Lee’s term, which expires in March.
    • The council unanimously approved changes to the town’s building code recommended by the Planning and Zoning Board. Chairman Jerry Lower said the changes are intended to simplify the town’s code and bring it in line with the corporation’s.

Editor’s note: Jerry Lower is publisher of The Coastal Star.

By Jane Smith

    Delray Beach’s City Commission picked the candidate with Florida experience as the next city manager.
    Mark Lauzier will start Nov. 6 with an annual salary of $235,000 under a contract approved Oct. 17 by the City Commission.
    “It’s a rich contract,” Commissioner Shelly Petrolia said. “Our expectations are high.”
    Lauzier also will receive a $650 monthly car allowance, $2,500 monthly housing allowance for six months, up to $25,000 for moving expenses, a bank of 120 vacation/personal days and 40 sick days, and retirement benefits paid for by the city.
    “I’ve been preparing my entire career for this job,” Lauzier told the commission at an Oct. 10 special meeting.
    Lauzier comes from a job as assistant city manager in Tacoma, the third-largest city in Washington state, with nearly triple the population of Delray Beach. He oversaw five departments there.
 He started as a police officer in Connecticut, then became a budget officer.
    He received a master’s in public administration with a city management concentration from the University of New Haven, Connecticut.
    His Florida experience includes serving as an assistant city manager in Pompano Beach and city manager in Parkland, both in Broward County.  
    At the special meeting, Mayor Cary Glickstein, who usually gives his opinions last on issues, spoke first before commissioners picked the new city manager.
    “I spoke to the mayor of Pompano Beach, whom I have known since high school, the mayor of Parkland and the Dallas city manager who recruited Lauzier to Tacoma,” he said. They all gave glowing support of Lauzier, the mayor said.
    Lauzier knows how Florida government works and will bring that knowledge here, Glickstein added. “The citizens of this town need a legitimate city manager,” he said.
    Petrolia said she appreciated that information from Lauzier’s former employers. But she favored the other candidate, Ed Collins of Utah.
    “He actually opened our budget and talked to me about the things in it,” she said. She called him a likable man who is steady, even-keeled and a quick learner.
    Even so, she joined the majority in selecting Lauzier. After the selection, Lauzier withdrew his name as a finalist for the Jupiter town manager position.
    Lauzier, who intends to live in Delray Beach, said he will first talk to staffers about their roles and then with the commissioners about their priorities. “I will assess the environment, and then I will make suggestions,” he said.
    Glickstein has high hopes for Lauzier.
    “I get the distinct impression [Lauzier] has a plan and is eager to jump in,” Glickstein said via email. “But like any such leadership role, he needs staff buy-in to achieve his vision, which will take some time.
    “The good news is that our police and fire departments are in great shape because of the leadership in those departments, which represent more than 50 percent of our budget and personnel. Mark can focus initially and almost exclusively on City Hall and other external departments.”
    Fire-Rescue Chief Neal deJesus took over after the previous city manager left in December. He expected to serve as the interim city manager for a few months and stated he did not want the job permanently. He received a salary increase to $187,013. When he returns to his fire chief position, he will be paid $159,515.
    At that time, acting Fire Rescue Chief Keith Tomey will revert to assistant fire chief at an annual salary of $135,000. He had received a 10 percent boost, to $148,500 a year, as acting chief.