Riptides at the beach. Strong currents in the inlet. Distractions on State Road A1A.

And, oh yeah, hurricane season has arrived. Can’t you feel them circling, honey?

Be careful out there.

Since A1A is now officially the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway, let me quote the great beach bar balladeer: “Fruitcakes in the kitchen, fruitcakes on the street, Struttin’ naked through the crosswalk in the middle of the week.”

I don’t know about fruitcakes, but there is definitely a healthy dose of near-nakedness in the beach crossings along A1A. I guess some driver distractions are more welcome than others.

But I digress.

Let's start with hurricane season. There’s a mass preoccupation with what may be brewing offshore and what category an approaching storm will reach. Ice cream cone debates (one scoop or two) become less important — and far less chilling — than getting the scoop on the cone of a hurricane’s forecast track.

If you’ve never been through a hurricane, just know this: If one hits us, we’re in for a heap of misery.

So, stock up on water and other essentials, make sure your generator is ready if you have one, and get your emergency evacuation plan in order.

Be prepared out there.

And not just for hurricanes.

Say, for instance, you go out for a refreshing dip in the ocean. As best as you can, choose lifeguarded areas when you’re at the beach and pay attention to signs warning of riptides and other dangers.

Be smart out there.

Take advantage of help that’s available to you. At the Boca Raton and Boynton inlets, safety has improved thanks to life ring donations in May from the Aden Perry Foundation. It didn’t take long for one of the new arrivals to serve its purpose, during a Memorial Day rescue at the Boynton Inlet just weeks after it was placed there.

Then there’s the elephant on the island — A1A — with lots of crosswalks in some areas and none in others. Use them when you can.

But please, don’t try to be macho when crossing A1A. If the crosswalk has a button to make lights flash, press it. Also, no one will think less of you if you carry one of those orange flags — provided at some crosswalks — as you cross the road. 

Remember: It’s not about your abilities; it’s about the abilities of the driver coming at you. Have you seen how some people drive lately? Anything that can draw attention to yourself as you cross the street is a good thing.

Last of all, for drivers, I realize you’re facing plenty of distractions that have nothing to do with the amount of clothing worn by beachgoers. Avoid the urge to catch a glimpse of the ocean or see what’s behind the gate of an estate you’re passing.  

Depending on the day, it may feel like it takes all of your energy just to watch out for those ubiquitous A1A bicyclists. Maybe you’re taxed having to drive through a road construction project that has shifting lanes and is loaded with traffic barrels and heavy equipment. 

No matter the circumstance, the advice is the same: Pay attention out there.

— Larry Barszewski,

Editor

By Mary Hladky

One year after discontinuing its commuter pass, Brightline once again is offering one to South Floridians who had used the original pass to get lower-cost fares.

But the rides now cost more, which undoubtedly displeases commuters who had relied on the old pass to afford transportation from homes in one city to jobs in another, or those who want to use the trains frequently for other reasons.

Boca Raton riders were shocked that the pass was eliminated June 1, 2024, telling City Council members this was a “declaration of war against commuters” and a “bait-and-switch.”

A reprieve seemed in the offing on Jan. 10, when Brightline announced that it expected to launch a new commuter pass in March.

But nothing happened until May 6, when the high-speed rail line unveiled new multi-ride passes. However, the 40-ride pass best suited to regular commuters was shockingly more expensive than the original one.

That pass for travel anywhere between Miami and West Palm Beach cost $899, or nearly $22.50 per one-way ride and $45 round trip. The original $399 pass cost $10 one way and $20 round trip. Riders, needless to say, did not like it.

Ten days later, Brightline announced “the return of the commuter pass.” The 40-ride option had been reduced to $599, or just under $15 per ride. There’s a caveat: “Passes are available in limited quantities, while supplies last,” the company said.

The change, Brightline said, was “based on guest feedback” and would “add even more value for our most frequent and loyal riders with deeper savings.”

Brightline officials did not respond directly to a question from The Coastal Star about whether customer complaints had prompted the change.

“We always continue to refine product offerings to try and match the needs of our guests and the demand for the offering,” spokeswoman Ashley Blasewitz said in an email.

Brightline has insisted since its inception that it is not a commuter rail line. The goal was to offer much more profitable long-haul service to and from South Florida and Orlando.

And yet, when Brightline expanded service beyond Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach to build stations in Boca Raton and Aventura, it became a de facto commuter line for many riders.

Brightline de-prioritized those passengers one year ago when it eliminated the old pass and prioritized those going to and from Orlando. Since then, short-haul ridership has declined while long-distance ridership has increased substantially.

April long-distance ridership was up 20% compared to April 2024 and short-distance ridership was down 3%, according to Brightline’s April revenue and ridership report. The report mainly attributed the short-distance decline to the elimination of the original commuter pass.

Another potential problem for commuters is that train schedules are not set in stone. Brightline can eliminate certain trains but leaves open the option of adding them back to the schedule. So a rider who relies on a specific departure time might have to switch to a less convenient time.

“Our schedules change quite regularly depending on demand for certain times/availability of trains,” Blasewitz wrote.

People who have pre-purchased a ticket on a train that is eliminated or whose departure time is changed are notified. 

Seaplanes can’t dock in Lantana — The Lantana Town Council unanimously voted to amend its ordinances May 12 to prohibit the docking or tying up of seaplanes or flying boats — seaplanes with a fuselage designed as a hull, allowing them to operate on water — to any pier or dock in Lantana. The amendment aims to address concerns related to safety, noise, and compatibility with existing land and water uses.

The change was made as part of an ongoing review of regulatory provisions and was reviewed and unanimously approved by the Planning Commission on May 8.

Free smoke detectors — Lantana residents who signed up by last month’s deadline will get free smoke and carbon monoxide alarm installations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 14 in their homes. To learn more about the program, call 561-616-7034.

Pickleball court survey — The town is conducting a survey to collect feedback on the proposed conversion of the north tennis courts at the corner of Iris Avenue and South Lake Drive to pickleball courts.

Participation will help the town better understand the community’s needs and preferences for court usage. The project involves converting the two existing tennis courts into six pickleball courts.

To take the survey, visit s.surveyplanet.com/kf46cyhl

Budget talks to begin — Lantana will hold its first budget workshop beginning at 5:30 p.m. June 9 in the council chambers at 500 Greynolds Circle.

— Mary Thurwachter

Sydney Michelin will be on a boat as a volunteer medic during the Bahamas-to-Lake Worth Beach Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis this month. She enjoys paddleboarding herself, here at Rutherford Park in Boca Raton. Michelin lost two cousins to cystic fibrosis when she was young. ’The challenges that they faced drove me to stay in the fight against CF,’ she says. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Kathleen Kernicky

After moving back to South Florida three years ago, Sydney Michelin was looking for a nonprofit where she could help others, advocate for a meaningful cause and volunteer her skills as a registered nurse.

Michelin, 30, who lives in Boca Raton, found a perfect fit as a volunteer at the ninth annual Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis this month. Participants on paddleboards and surf skis, or in kayaks, canoes and rowboats, will make an 81-mile ocean crossing from Bimini, Bahamas, to Lake Worth Beach, arriving June 22 after some 12 hours of travel following a midnight departure. 

The Crossing benefits CF patients and their families through Piper’s Angels Foundation. The nonprofit was founded by paddler enthusiast Travis Suit after his daughter, Piper, 17, was diagnosed with CF at age 4.

An avid paddleboarder, Michelin will be assigned to a boat that provides medical support to paddlers and their accompanying boaters throughout the journey. It is her second trip as a Crossing volunteer.

“Obviously, it’s an intense physical and mental journey,” she said. “You’re watching for dehydration, exhaustion, injuries. Some of the paddlers have CF, so it’s also a way of being aware of their feelings and making sure you’re communicating with them.

“It can be an emotionally exhausting experience. You’re there to be a calm, steady presence.”

Michelin has a personal connection to cystic fibrosis, a genetic disorder that primarily attacks the lungs and digestive system. Two cousins died of CF when she was young. “The challenges that they faced drove me to stay in the fight against CF,” Michelin said.

Volunteering at the ocean-crossing event and its annual gala at the Kravis Center is a way to “honor my cousins’ memory and support others living with the condition.” 

A nurse for the past six years, Michelin works as an IVF coordinator at CCRM Fertility, a leading fertility treatment center based in Denver.

“I was drawn to fertility nursing because it blends science with compassion and advocacy in a way that is pretty unique. I’ve always been passionate about women’s health. The idea of being able to help someone build a family resonates with me,” Michelin said.

Her work in the medical field dovetails with her support of the CF community. As a fertility nurse she guides patients through the process of genetic testing, which includes screening for CF and other genetic mutations. 

“It made me more aware of the role genetics can play in our life,” she said. “It pushed me to look at my own genetics, given I have CF in my family. It deepened my empathy for the patients and the families.”

Michelin grew up in South Florida, graduating from St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton before earning a bachelor of science degree in nursing from Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina. She played soccer in high school and during college.

“That shaped my love for teamwork and staying active,” said Michelin, who enjoys running and paddleboarding. “It’s my way of staying grounded and balanced outside of work.”

Volunteering offers a sense of purpose and connection.

“The Piper’s Angels Foundation came into my life for a reason that’s both a work purpose and personal,” she said. “You never know what people are fighting through. There are people out there who are paddling 81 miles in the ocean and fighting CF while they’re doing it. I look at myself in the mirror and think if they can do it, I can do it. 

“I feel honored to be able to support people who are pushing themselves for such a meaningful cause. I am proud to contribute however I can.” 

For more information on the Crossing for Cystic Fibrosis, visit crossingforcysticfibrosis.com.

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Rodman ‘Rock’ Leas lives on Hypoluxo Island across from the Lantana Nature Preserve. He and his wife — avid birders — enjoy the wildlife preserve’s scenery. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

From Ernest Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea to Jimmy Buffett’s Son of a Son of a Sailor, the romanticism of the job of a fishing captain has become firmly established in American lore. Having lived that life for about 20 years, Rodman “Rock” Leas can testify that the experience is all it’s cracked up to be.

“I loved the ocean,” said Leas, 67, a Hypoluxo Island resident whose fish stories nowadays occur only when he joins friends to charter a boat about once a month.

“I explored the out islands of the Bahamas when nobody could get there, when they were untouched except for the natives. Later on, I heard Jimmy Buffett went to those places and all the yachts followed him there. So, I’m pleased I was able to get to those places when it wasn’t that way.”

Socializing while coming of age around Palm Beach, Leas had plenty of temptations to take a different path.

“There was a bar called the 24 Club, and my friends would start there and would go out the back door and head to the Marakesh to go dancing,” he said. “I knew if I went out the back door I’d be up until 4 in the morning, and if I went out the front door, I’d be up at 6. I always wanted to fish, and it kept me out of trouble.

“That’s why I support the West Palm Beach Fishing Club: Get kids into fishing and they stay out of trouble. It kept me on the straight and narrow, and then it turned into a career.”

Leas earned a degree in seamanship from the Chapman School in Stuart in 1977, started out as a mate and moved up to captain in 1985. As time went by, he became more confident in his ability to help clients catch the big ones.

“I remember running the daughter of the owner of the boat up the coast of this (Bahamian) island to the airport, and told her, ‘The plane isn’t going to get here for about 40 minutes. You want to catch a blue marlin?’ I was serious, and she said sure. I put the baits out, 10 minutes later we hook up, 20 minutes later we were releasing the fish, and the plane (on its way to landing) flies over the boat.

“It was so cool to be in that situation. To be able to offer this girl this opportunity and be serious about it. They say 10,000 people can go blue marlin fishing and 1,000 will catch one, so that’s 9,000 people who come up empty. So, to be able to say, ‘Hey, we’ve got half an hour, would you like to catch one,’ that’s something.”

One thing Leas doesn’t miss about the job was always having to stay on top of the weather forecast.

“The temperature range, precipitation, the wind — especially the wind,” he said. “Even when I was on vacation, I was watching the weather in Palm Beach. It’s so nice not to have to do that.”

A member of the Sailfish Club in Palm Beach, Leas set out to play golf in retirement but found more willing companions in skeet shooting. He has improved significantly and has joined the South Florida Shooting Club in Stuart. He is also an avid birdwatcher and is a member of Audubon Everglades.

Leas has been married to his wife, Maria, for 23 years and has a daughter and a son by an earlier marriage.

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: Born in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania, a suburb just north of Philadelphia, and moved to Florida at 15, where I graduated from St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton. My senior year introduced me to water skiing after school and fishing off the beach. The crystal-clear waters of South Florida and the friendships I made ignited my lifelong love for the sea. I graduated from the Charles S. Chapman School of Seamanship in 1977.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: As a sport fishing captain until my retirement in 2005, I had the incredible opportunity to explore the Bahamian islands, fish in prestigious tournaments, and introduce people to the beauty and wonders of the ocean. It was deeply rewarding to help others catch their first billfish or bonefish. One of my proudest moments was being recognized for heroism in rescuing the crew of a capsized boat, a moment where preparation met opportunity. The Palm Beach Civic Association honored me with the Raymond Kunkel Award for heroic action because of my efforts that day.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Every truly successful person I’ve met — whether a mason, photographer, lawyer or house painter — had one thing in common: They loved their work. That passion fueled their thriving businesses. My best advice? Show up and give your best effort, and love what you do.

Q: How did you choose your home on Hypoluxo Island?
A: My older brother was selling his house, and I found myself fishing off his dock constantly. When I got married in 1986, the timing was perfect to settle down and start a family here.

Q: What is your favorite part about living on Hypoluxo Island?
A: My neighbors are the best part of living here. Also, this island has so much wildlife, which always fascinated me. My wife and I are avid birders, keeping a close watch on the visitors passing through our feeders on their way to warmer grounds. They mark the seasons for us. Buntings in the fall and cedar waxwings in the spring and the crows of summer.
Living across from the Lantana Nature Preserve is a privilege — we often take walks through its serene paths, hoping to catch glimpses of owls or kingfishers.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I’ll admit it, I enjoy beach reads. This winter my daughter nudged me toward a few rom-fantasy novels, filled with flying dragons and daring quests for love. They were fun, but I’ve since returned to my usual reads. I recently finished Mind’s Eye by Douglas E. Richards and am now diving into Perimeter by M.A. Rothman. Action-packed adventures filled with heroes who possess extraordinary abilities to save the world.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: Naturally, I connect with Jimmy Buffett’s music. Motown and the songs of the ’70s bring back the memories of my early summers. I listen to old radio detective shows when on long drives in my car.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: I looked up to tournament-winning fishing captains, asking endless questions, eager to learn. One captain taught me the art of varnishing, a skill I still value. My father had a saying: “If you’re allowed to be five minutes late, you’re allowed to be five minutes early.” That perspective shaped my career and much of my life.
I idolized Jackie Morrow. He was an excellent bluefish and sailfish captain out of Palm Beach and he once called me on the radio back around the late ’70s or early ’80s and asked me what I saw in the water. Just the fact that he thought I was a good enough fisherman that he would call and ask if I was getting any bites meant the world to me.
When I feel overwhelmed and unsure of what to do next, I simply focus on doing the next right thing, and somehow everything falls into place.

Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: My father was friends with Sean Connery, so my pick is an easy one.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: Rodney Dangerfield’s stand-up always got me laughing, and John Oliver never fails to deliver sharp, insightful humor that exposes society’s absurdities.

By John Pacenti

Just like a heart patient with clogged arteries, a bypass will be used to shore up Ocean Ridge fire hydrants that do not have adequate water pressure due to aging, corroding pipes. In the meantime, the town is moving up the timeline on an infrastructure project to replace those pipes.

Boynton Beach Fire Rescue, which services the town, has had crews doing drills in Ocean Ridge to ensure homes in the affected area on Hudson Avenue are protected in case of fire.

The plan, Fire Chief Hugh Bruder told the Town Commission at its June 2 meeting, is to run hoses on one of two nearby lines on State Road A1A that have the standard pressure of 1,500 gallons per minute.

Bruder said the bypass is necessary because hydrant flow tests discovered that inadequate water pressure along Hudson Avenue would severely limit firefighting effectiveness.

“I think we have a plan in place that the residents can feel safe, that if there’s a fire in this area, we’re going to be able to get to it and put it out as quickly as possible,” Bruder said.

Homes in the Pelican Cove development — and those on Ridge Lane, Anna Street, Engle Drive and Edith Street — are in the affected area, according to a map presented by Bruder.

Town Engineer Lisa Tropepe recommended that the town expedite Phase 4 of its ongoing plan to replace aging water pipes, saying that phase would cover most of the affected area of the low-flow fire hydrants. The town has estimated the overall replacement project will cost $39 million and be done over eight years. Commissioners voted to approve $24,000 for a study of the pipes for Phase 4.

“The first step is to collect the data. The first step is to get the survey done right from Ocean Avenue to Corinne (Street),” Tropepe said.

Bruder told commissioners his department is set to receive a new fire boat in August that could also be used in the event of a fire. He said “it’s going to be a critical piece of equipment for us to fight fire from the water.”

By Rich Pollack

Boaters will be less likely to have an encounter with law enforcement come July as the result of Florida’s new Boater Freedom Act.

Currently law enforcement officers can stop boats to conduct safety and marine sanitation inspections without having evidence that a violation of the law has taken place. 

Under the new legislation, officers will need to have reason to believe that vessel safety laws have been violated. A violation of marine safety laws may only be considered a secondary offense. 

State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-Boca Raton, a boater, says that there was a belief, especially among longtime responsible boaters, that some of the inspections were unnecessary.

“The overwhelming feeling is that there were probably too many random stops,” said Gossett-Seidman, who voted for the law. “Now the focus is on real rule breakers.” 

Under the provisions of the law, marine officers will have the authority to inspect for the necessary safety equipment and licenses should a boat be stopped for another violation. 

The required equipment includes engine cut-off switches, personal flotation devices, visual distress signals, fire extinguishers, and backfire flame controls.

The proper number of life vests is one of the priorities, and Florida law also requires that all children under 6 must wear a personal flotation device.

While the effect of the law will not be felt for several months, leaders of at least one local law enforcement agency say they don’t expect major changes in the way the marine unit operates. 

“The new law won’t have a big impact because our focus is on speed reduction education and manatee zone enforcement,” said Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann. 

The town’s marine unit, he said, will continue to educate boaters on safety requirements and perform inspections if a boat is stopped for speeding or other violations. 

In addition to requiring probable cause before an inspection can take place, the law will require the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to create Florida Freedom Boater decals that can be placed on a boat that has completed a safety inspection. 

The decal, Gossett-Seidman said, will let law enforcement and others know that the operator is a responsible boater. 

“This is very decent legislation,” she said. 

A preliminary design shows a two-story Town Hall. The council also looked at three-story proposals. Rendering provided

By Hannah Spence

The South Palm Beach Town Council decided at its May meeting to construct a two-story Town Hall instead of a three-story one — while facing opposition from a handful of residents who insisted that renovating the existing structure was all that was needed. 

“It doesn’t seem necessary as of right now,” said Olga Serafimova, who was among a group of about 20 residents who attended the regular Town Council meeting on May 16. “Lots of buildings in our area are a lot older than that. Nobody thinks of tearing them down.”

However, according to Town Manager Jamie Titcomb, a new building is necessary — and he said the town has the data to prove it. 

“It has been determined through multiple studies contracted out by the town over several years that the current facilities were beyond useful functionality and condition,” said Titcomb. 

A renovation of the current building would automatically trigger upgrades needed to meet the current Florida Building Code and more recent FEMA regulations. The cost and rehabilitation studies done prior to the pandemic, along with significant code and FEMA regulation changes, make renovation of the current facility untenable, Titcomb said. 

Links to multiple assessment study reports performed on the existing facilities for the town can be viewed on the “Town Hall” tab on the town’s website, www.southpalmbeach.com.

For about five months, CPZ Architects — the company hired to design the project — has held individual meetings with each council member where it discussed matters such as building design and identifying the project scope. 

According to a financial report presented at the May 16 meeting, the town has the $6 million to $6.5 million that has been identified as conceptually needed for the project and that no additional taxation of residents would be required. The available money is taxpayer dollars that have been saved over the years with the intent of putting the money toward the Town Hall.

Council member Sandy Beckett admitted she used to be among those who felt the existing Town Hall could be renovated, but she now agrees with her colleagues that it’s time for a new building.

“First of all, to make it more attractive and more modern,” said Beckett. “Some people expressed we don’t need a place for meetings and such, but we do try to promote community involvement and events, so we certainly want some space for that.”

Joe Barry, vice president of CPZ Architects, said his firm is very early on in the conceptual design. The difference between the two-story and three-story building options was roughly 1,500 square feet, with the two-story model costing roughly a million dollars less than the three-story option.

“Obviously there are going to be some people who aren’t happy with the decision,” said Beckett. “But hopefully, as time goes on and this building evolves and we make other decisions, there will be more input that will help us to design a building that everybody will be happy with.”

About an hour and a half into the meeting, resident Rafael Pineiro said he was appalled that none of the council members had made a single comment about what would happen with the existing turtle sculpture now at Town Hall. 

Mayor Bonnie Fischer, responding about what is to be included or excluded at the new Town Hall, said Pineiro’s “statements are conjecture, not factual, as decisions on these matters have not even been made to date. However, the Town Council has indicated all along that the turtle sculpture and the memorial bricks will be utilized in the new town campus.”

Also, Fischer said, the Town Council will determine all final configurations and amenities of the new Town Hall design that gets bid out to contractors. 

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream residents will face higher water bills this fall before the town switches its water provider from Delray Beach to Boynton Beach.

The town was already braced for Delray Beach’s expected boost from $4.49 per 1,000 gallons to $5.28 per 1,000 come Oct. 1. That long-planned 18% increase was part of Gulf Stream’s motivation to find a new provider.

But in a May 9 letter to Delray Beach city commissioners, Delray Beach City Manager Terrence Moore said Gulf Stream wants service to continue until October 2027 and that his utilities director will “evaluate potential rate adjustments to offset increased service-related expenses.”

No dollar amount was given, and Gulf Stream Town Manager Greg Dunham said neither Moore nor Delray Beach Utilities Director Hassan Hadjimiry had contacted the town with a figure.

When Gulf Stream connects to Boynton Beach’s system, the cost to town customers will plummet to $3.75 per 1,000 gallons under a 25-year agreement the town and the city signed last fall.

But before that can happen, a water main must be laid from Seacrest Boulevard east along Gulfstream Boulevard to a connection just inside the entrance to Place Au Soleil. 

The main will be installed in conjunction with a roadway improvement project on Gulfstream Boulevard, which separates Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. Both cities are sharing the cost of improving the road.

“The most up-to-date estimate for this work to be completed is 18 months,” Dunham told Moore in an April 15 letter. “Thank you for continuing to provide water during this transition period.”

The water arrangement has soured relations between Delray Beach and Gulf Stream somewhat. Dunham has said the town first approached Moore in August 2022 to see if he would lower the customary 25% surcharge that Gulf Stream was paying, the maximum the state allows. 

But Delray Beach said no and encouraged the town to seek a better rate elsewhere. 

“It was only at the Delray Beach city manager’s direction that the town started talking with the city of Boynton Beach and its utility department,” Dunham has said.

As recently as April 12, 2024, Assistant Town Attorney Trey Nazzaro said it looked like Gulf Stream would be renewing its contract with Delray Beach. But six days later Dunham told Moore that the town would switch its water provider to Boynton Beach.

And six days after that, Moore told Gulf Stream officials that the town would have to get off the city’s water system by June 17, 2025.

He also said Gulf Stream “has been on formal notice of the city’s intention not to renew the agreement since May of 2022, if not before.”

At the time, Delray Beach was charging the town $3.81 per 1,000 gallons.

Delray Beach is raising its water rates to pay for building a new water plant. The city says it can only afford a plant large enough to serve its own population, which is expected to grow by 7,000 residents. 

Water payments from the newcomers will more than offset the money Gulf Stream has been paying. 

Delray Beach has supplied Gulf Stream with water since at least 1976. It also provides fire rescue services for the town and until August 2022 handled its building permits.

Along with lower rates, Gulf Stream expects to get better water pressure from Boynton Beach once it connects. 

A gate to the beach completed last month at the end of Tropical Drive protects a pathway that had been the subject of a dispute between drive residents and their Turtle Beach condominium neighbors. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Musgrave

A long-running feud between Ocean Ridge neighbors over beach access appears to be over.

In May, the finishing touches were put on a 4-foot-high wooden gate that gives Tropical Drive residents exclusive use of a 5-foot-wide strip of sand at the end of the narrow street that leads to the ocean.

The fence, which cost $800 according to town records, is the only concrete evidence that residents of Tropical Drive and Turtle Beach condominium have reached a truce in the battle that began in 2022 when the 26-unit complex put up “No Trespassing” signs on its swath of the beach outside its gated entrance. The signs inflamed residents of Tropical Drive.

Tropical Drive resident Debbie Cooke, who helped coordinate the project, said she and the other roughly four dozen property owners and renters who live along the street just want to enjoy the beach.

“We need to be assured all of our residents and residents on Tropical Drive will be able to continue to use the path they always did without fighting and without looking at signs,” she said in a text.

Channeling poet Robert Frost, who wrote that “good fences make good neighbors,” Cooke voiced hope that the gate will end years of acrimony.

“We hope this leads to being friendly neighbors with the residents of Turtle Beach and live happily ever after,” she said.

Tropical Drive vs. condo
Cooke’s upbeat view belies the stormy history between the neighbors and the fact that it took a lawsuit and an ingenious real estate purchase to end the dispute. Along the way, insults were hurled, an arrest was made and, under pressure from Ocean Ridge residents, the Town Commission voted to change the code to clarify the number, location and appearance of signs on the beach.

The actions that led to the gate began in March 2022 when Tropical Drive property owner Bryan Joffe paid $40,000 for a strip of land that leads from that street to the beach.

The purchase came as emotions were running high about the signs Turtle Beach posted on the beach.

Part of the land Joffee purchased borders the back entrance to the condo’s property and has long been used by Turtle Beach for garbage pickup.

Months after buying the land, Joffe turned it over to Sunrise Beach LLC, a newly formed group of Tropical Drive residents.

In early 2023, Sunrise Beach sued Turtle Beach, accusing it of trespassing on the recently acquired land. It asked for an injunction, stopping the complex from continuing to use the property for trash pickup.

The condominium responded by filing a countersuit against Sunrise Beach. It claimed Turtle Beach had used the land for years, giving it what essentially amounted to squatter’s rights. It called the use of the land for garbage pickup “essential.”

Last summer, the suit was settled for undisclosed terms, court records show. Mark Feinstein, a lawyer who is president of the Turtle Beach Condominium Association, didn’t return a phone call for comment. The association’s attorney, Spencer Sax, declined comment as did attorney Robert Hartsell, who represented Sunrise Beach. Cooke declined to offer specifics.

It’s not unusual for legal settlements to include confidentiality clauses, preventing those involved from revealing the terms.

But, while the property suit was settled, one more is pending.

Libel suit unresolved
Feinstein in 2023 sued Sean Currie for libel after the then 35-year-old who lived with his parents on Tropical Drive posted a comment on the town’s Facebook page accusing Feinstein of engaging in a bizarre sexual act.

Currie had strong feelings about the “No Trespassing” signs Turtle Beach posted on the beach. In January 2022, he was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of criminal mischief after police said he grabbed one of the signs and threw it. The charge was dismissed after Currie agreed to pay $300 to replace it.

The libel case was scheduled to be tried before Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Maxine Cheesman in early May. However, court records indicate no trial took place.

As in the property case, all of the attorneys involved declined comment. Whether a settlement is in the works is unknown.

Early in the litigation, Feinstein offered to settle the lawsuit for undisclosed terms. When the offer wasn’t accepted, he unsuccessfully sought punitive damages, which could have drastically increased the amount he could be awarded.

In court papers, an attorney for Currie said the two lawsuits were both were spurred by the uproar over beach access.

Just as Sunrise Beach sued Turtle Beach in response to the condo’s “No Trespassing” signs, Currie blasted Feinstein on social media because he felt strongly that the signs were wrong, wrote attorney Douglas Allison, asking that the suit be thrown out.

Feinstein claims he was defamed when Currie publicly accused him of a “heinous, despicable act.” But, Allison said, Currie used the term only to emphasize his belief that Ocean Ridge officials and Turtle Beach “are unlawfully erecting signs on the public beach that are washing away in storm surge and causing pollution.”

Courts have consistently ruled that such political speech is protected. “One can readily see that (Currie) was simply using impassioned, loose, and figurative language to enhance the town’s awareness of the issue,” Allison wrote.

“While it may have been ‘vulgar’ or ‘gross,’ no reasonable person could ever view Currie’s insult of Feinstein in context and conclude that it was meant literally rather than as an epithet or rhetorical insult.”

While much has changed, Feinstein has said he wouldn’t back down. “I’m not litigious,” he told The Coastal Star last year. “I don’t want his money. The whole idea is to let him know his actions have consequences.” 

I have been a resident of the Seagate neighborhood for 26 years. My wife, Linda, and I are avid readers of The Coastal Star, which we think does an excellent job of informing us about what is going on in our beautiful coastal communities. It has always been refreshing to get our local news without the political bias and opinionated news of our mainstream media.

If you are going to write about people’s opinion [O Canada, Will You Still Come and Visit? — May 2025], you should cover both sides. 

We know many Canadian visitors that are appalled by what is happening in their country and would love to live here in Florida all year round if they could. They tell us about the Canadian government’s failures — including affordability, housing, public debt, inflation, devalued currency, poor national health care, out-of-control immigration, decline into wokeness, failed global ideology, government’s overreach into citizens’ freedom and the politicization/weaponization of federally run institutions. 

Canada’s prime minister, Justin Trudeau, had to resign due to his failures and the discontent of the Canadian people.

Last year we were in Montreal and stayed at the W Hotel across from Victoria Park, where there was an anti-Israel encampment with antisemitic signs and banners. The statue of Queen Victoria in the park had been defaced. At McGill University there was a huge encampment with signs like “No Jews Allowed” and “Death to Israel.” 

This lawlessness and racism would not be tolerated here in Florida. We are very fortunate to live in the greatest, freest, most prosperous nation on Earth. We are also blessed to live in a state that upholds law and order. 

You should keep in mind that you are in a state and in a country whose people voted for our current government.

It is Canadians’ choice to come to our beautiful, free and safe area — or not. They can stay in their country enduring their frigid winters if they wish.

What you ignored is that for every Canadian that dislikes our government, there are many others that would love to live here and enjoy our way of life.

— Joe Carballosa

Delray Beach

 Boynton Beach firefighters/paramedics wheel a gurney back to their medical transport vehicle following a possible electrocution on June 4 in Ocean Ridge. Boynton Beach Fire Rescue and Ocean Ridge police responded to reports of a tree trimmer being electrocuted while trimming fronds on a coconut palm behind a home on Beachway Drive.  Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Henry Fitzgerald

A worker was killed Wednesday morning while trimming a palm tree behind a residence at 4 Beachway Drive in Ocean Ridge. He appeared to have been electrocuted while trimming the tree.

The 26-year-old man could be seen dangling from the coconut palm tree by his harness about 30 feet off the ground for several minutes before Boynton Beach Fire Rescue firefighters in a bucket truck managed to get him down. Powerlines could be seen close to the tree, which appeared to have burn marks.

Chelsea Sanabia, a spokesperson for Boynton Beach, which provides fire rescue services to the town, said town police got a call at 10:50 a.m. of smoke in the area. When police arrived, they discovered the tree trimmer.

“When officers arrived, they noticed the man stuck in the tree,” Sanabia said. “They immediately called Florida Power & Light to shut off the power so they could start the rescue. OSHA was called and the investigation is continuing.”

Tom Pelegrin, who lives at 16 Adams Road directly behind the home, said his neighbor told him she was in her back yard at about 10:45 when she heard a scream.

“She told me she looked up and saw the gentleman in distress,” he said. “She also saw smoke, then she called 911. This is horrible. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Police said the man was working alone. They declined to identify him pending notification of next of kin.

Power was restored around 12:20 p.m.

This is the second incident this year in Ocean Ridge of a tree trimmer being killed. A man was caught in a wood chipper and killed while working at Ocean Ridge Town Hall on Jan. 28.  

Ocean Ridge commissioners unanimously endorsed the site plan for a 15-unit condominium at the former home of a co-op at 6855 N. Ocean Blvd. Rendering provided

By John Pacenti

In the first Ocean Ridge development of a multifamily condominium in decades, town commissioners and the public embraced the design for the proposed condominium to grace a former co-op site.

The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the major site plan review for the property at 6855 N. Ocean Blvd. It is the first multifamily development since the early 1990s when the Portofino condominiums were built.

Commissioners praised the staff of the Building & Zoning Department for working with Ohio-based Edwards Companies and its associated contractors to address any concerns with the design.

“I don’t think we’ve ever had somebody come in front of us with [Building and Zoning] and the company, and everybody agrees and works together very well,” Vice Mayor Steve Coz said at the commission’s May 5 meeting.

Mayor Geoff Pugh said, “This is exactly what the Town Commission has always strived to get people on [Building and Zoning] to do this type of work: detailed, comprehensive, and it’s just an impressive form of work.”

Edwards bought the since-demolished co-op in October 2022 for $29 million. West Palm Beach architect Keith Spina unveiled a four-story Dutch Colonial design to the commission that decreases the 22 units of the co-op to 15, plus garage parking, swimming pool and deck, resident bar/grill area, and interior amenities.

“It’s fantastic,” said Pugh, noting how reducing the number of units reduced the density. Bryan Donahue, a land planner with Insite Studio, told the commission that the reduction in units means fewer daily trips on State Road A1A. 

A rendering shows a structure in white with cobalt blue accent shutters and gables. Units have setback windows with balconies. Spina said the designs were changed — at the town’s suggestion — from a more contemporary design so that the building more closely matches Ocean Ridge’s aesthetic. 

“Our building is designed so that we can have a 10-foot ceiling in the master bedroom and in the living area,” Spina said.

The Ocean Club, next door, will have access to the fitness center at the new development. Ocean Club President Allen Weaver said there is agreement on shared parking spaces and an access road.

“We have a 60-year history of those properties — separate ownership yet common usage,” he said.

Resident Terry Brown, a former commissioner, praised developers for planning a crosswalk. “This property is going to be a wonderful property,” he said. 

By John Pacenti

In a surprise, Ocean Ridge Interim Town Manager Michelle Heiser said she would be amenable to staying on in the position permanently. 

Heiser’s comments at the end of the Town Commission’s June 2 meeting came after she attended a municipal managers conference in Tallahassee at the end of May. Earlier in the month, she helped outline for commissioners a detailed process to find a permanent replacement.

Heiser said at the June 2 meeting that she came back from the conference with a handful of potential candidates who would be interested in the job. She then added her name to the mix.

“I completely understand if that’s not a fit in your eyes. It’s nothing personal, but I do want you to know that I’ve enjoyed working with each of you,” she said.

Mayor Geoff Pugh suggested that Heiser discuss a potential offer with Town Attorney Christy Goddeau. Commissioners have been effusive in praising Heiser — especially when it came to financial matters. Lynne Ladner, who resigned in April, struggled with the budget to the commissioners’ frustration.

Pugh said the beginning of the fiscal year 2026 budget process with Heiser has been like “night and day. A breath of fresh air.”

“I’ve worked closely with Michelle and her team, and it’s quite a difference,” Commissioner Ainar Aijala Jr. said.

Heiser has recommended a salary range of $180,000 to $270,000 — a significant increase from the current $144,000 base salary. “It gives you an opportunity to consider where they’re at within their lifespan of their professional career,” she said.

If the commission decides to go in a different direction from Heiser, she helped outline a plan in choosing a permanent replacement, including round-robin interviews with elected leaders and a final public interview.

Commissioners emphasized the importance of finding a candidate with strong financial management skills. “We want somebody who understands how to budget and manage a budget process,” Aijala said.

The search comes with some constraints, including mandatory considerations for veterans’ preference in hiring even if there is one desired candidate the town wanted to recruit. 

The commissioners stressed flexibility in their search, acknowledging that the perfect candidate might not meet every initial criterion. 

“I don’t want to overweigh what we think is most important, so they self-select against coming,” Aijala said. “I might be willing to take somebody with less financial background if they were an incredible superstar.”

The town lost some candidates during its last search for a town manager because it didn’t pay enough for travel reimbursement.

 “We should pay reasonable travel,” Aijala said. 

New fluoride law forces city to change direction — Delray Beach City Manager Terrence Moore told city commissioners at their May 20 meeting that the city is preparing to halt the fluoridation of its water supply by July 1 following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ signing of a bill prohibiting the additive.

The Florida Legislature passed SB 700 after the DeSantis administration used data that it said showed an impact on cognitive function for children who drank water with fluoride. Those studies, however, were from India, where the concentration of fluoride was much higher than that used in the United States.

DeSantis dispatched Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo to try to convince municipalities to ban fluoride earlier this year. But after hearing from dentists in February, the Delray Beach City Commission voted 3-2 to continue the practice of adding fluoride to the city’s water supply.

However, with the new law, the state has preempted self-rule for municipalities on the issue, joining Utah in banning the additive.

Moore told commissioners the city will save $100,000 in capital equipment costs related to fluoride treatment and another $100,000 in annual cost savings.

Proponents of fluoridation of the public water supply — a decades-long practice — have long argued that fluoride helps prevent tooth decay. 

New driver’s license policy emerges after train-fire truck collision — One of the consequences of a Delray Beach fire truck’s collision with a Brightline train on Dec. 28 was the revelation that 10 of the city’s Fire Rescue employees had allowed their driver’s licenses to lapse in recent years.

Under a new policy, employees who operate city vehicles or receive car allowances must sign a consent form for continuous license monitoring, City Manager Terrence Moore told the City Commission in his May 15 information letter. Human Resources will be responsible for maintaining and supporting all related sensitive information.

The firefighter at the wheel of the December crash — David Wyatt — had his license suspended for a period in 2023 when he failed to attend a mandated class after he ran his vehicle into a tree on an Atlantic Avenue median. 

In the train crash, Brightline video shows the aerial fire truck Wyatt was driving going around lowered train crossing gates before being struck. Wyatt has since been fired. 

The suspended driver’s licenses among Fire Rescue employees led briefly to the paid suspensions of Assistant Chief Kevin Green and Division Chief Todd Lynch before an independent investigation found that city policy was really to blame.

— John Pacenti

By John Pacenti

The Delray Beach City Commission is reeling as a leaked document, social media outrage, and defiant statements followed the revelation that a whistleblower complaint had been filed over the potential strong-arming of a new city director over a code violation at a popular restaurant.

The whistleblower complaint remains sealed while an independent investigation is conducted, but a redacted page from it, under the subject “Code Enforcement Concerns,” has been leaked to The Coastal Star.

Trouble in the Code Enforcement Division first surfaced in October when an officer was arrested and charged with shaking down a resident selling ribs out of his home — the case remains open, though state prosecutors so far have declined to file charges.

Then it came to light that a supervisor had liens removed from a home she owned after resolving long-standing code violations—without alerting city officials that it was her property. The supervisor resigned in February.

An investigation by the city’s Human Resources Department didn’t look at the arrest of the officer or the allegations of conflict of interest by the supervisor until Commissioner Juli Casale insisted.

Whatever problems were lurking in Code Enforcement were supposed to be excised by the hiring of Jeri Pryor as the director of Neighborhood and Community Services, who oversees the division.

Leaked document

But now it is Pryor who has filed the whistleblower complaint in the form of an email to City Attorney Lynn Gelin, sources say. 

The City Commission at a special meeting on April 29 instructed Gelin to retain a private firm to investigate the whistleblower allegations. Gelin told commissioners the allegations are exempt from public disclosure and that no one should be talking about the matter while it is under investigation.

Vice Mayor Rob Long recused himself from the discussion and vote on hiring an outside firm to avoid the appearance of a conflict of interest, but he did not elaborate at that time on the reason for his decision.

The redacted email that was leaked does not show Pryor’s name but is from a city director — overseeing code issues — who started Jan. 21. That’s the same date that Pryor was to begin her new position, according to City Manager Terrence Moore’s Jan. 10 Commission Information Letter about her hiring. 

“I regret to inform you that I am sending this email to address conflicting directions I have received,” the whistleblower writes in the email to Gelin dated April 29. When contacted for comment by The Coastal Star, Pryor deferred any questions to a city spokeswoman. 

In the email, Pryor said she took the job that oversees the Code Enforcement Division “despite the division’s unfavorable public history.” 

Moore, according to the email, called her on Feb. 20 to talk about a local restaurant, Dada, which had been issued a violation for using an A-frame sign for its valet services. Pryor said she told Moore that code enforcement officers were cracking down on all businesses that were using the A-frame signs, which are not allowed.

Dada is a restaurant owned by Rodney Mayo and has been a mainstay of downtown for nearly a quarter century. His Subculture coffee shop on Federal Highway has also been the subject of much discussion by commissioners regarding alleged code violations. It was a topic in a heated commission workshop, also held on April 29.

Though Long’s name does not appear in the unredacted portion of the email that was leaked, he has issued a statement — in response to The Coastal Star questions — that he was on the Feb. 20 phone call with the city manager and the employee.

After a five-line redaction in the leaked email that comes as the phone call is being mentioned, the whistleblower wrote to Gelin: “I am only doing what I was told to do and it sounded like selective enforcement and I won’t do that.”

Moore then told her to “be more educational and not automatically issue notice of violations,” according to the email.

Long’s statement

Long’s statement to The Coastal Star said an accusation contained in the whistleblower complaint — one that is not visible on the redacted page — that he threatened the job of the employee with the phrase “if you want to stay here” is false. 

“To be clear: I have never — and would never — threaten a city employee or direct staff outside of the City Manager or City Attorney, and only then as part of commission consensus,” he wrote. “I remain committed to integrity, transparency, and serving the people of Delray Beach.”

Long said the call in question was initiated by Moore while he was meeting with the city manager in person.

“I was completely caught off guard by the accusation, which was made over two months after the referenced conversation,” he said.

Long said the complaint has been “weaponized” with details — exempt from public disclosure — made available to the media.

“The whistleblower process exists to protect people from retaliation when serious wrongdoing occurs — not to be used as a vehicle for malicious attacks cloaked in confidentiality,” Long said. “Undermining that process threatens its credibility when it truly matters.”

Mayo, in an interview, said that his businesses are caught in the political crossfire. “This whole thing has absolutely nothing to do with Subculture, right? We are caught in the middle,” he said.

The perception, Mayo said, that he and Long are best friends and “doing all this bad stuff” is false. He said commissioners Long and Angela Burns responded to his efforts to reach out to the city to solve any code issues with the coffee shop. “Obviously, I met with Rob. I met with Angela right away,” Mayo said. 

Mayor Tom Carney, at the April 29 workshop, accused the staff of “subverting the will” of the consensus of the commission when it came to Subculture. The mayor said staff was directed in January to come back to the commission, but instead instituted a new occupational use for the establishment.

Previous complaint

Though never officially named by the city as the whistleblower, Pryor has been the subject of social media posts after the announcement by Carney that the complaint had been filed.

A 2024 newspaper article surfaced about Pryor when she was working as chief of staff for Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Warren Sturman. She filed a complaint against Commissioner Steve Glassman there for using an expletive in her presence on Jan. 9, 2024, according to the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Sturman told the outside investigator that Pryor used stationery with his letterhead — on which she wrote her complaint — without his permission. Pryor accused Glassman of “violent, hostile and aggressive behavior.”

The investigator ended up recommending that the Fort Lauderdale City Commission adopt a code of conduct, concluding that Glassman’s comments did not constitute harassment or bullying.

Delray Beach social media erupted over the posting of that story. 

“I’m deeply concerned that someone is trying to expose and discredit the whistleblower in the matter involving a Delray Beach City Commissioner — before any investigation has even started,” Ingrid Lee, administrator of the Facebook group Delray Matters, posted.

“It suggests someone in power is trying to shut this down before the truth comes out.”

Reaction to leak

The leaked confidential document took center stage during the commissioners’ statements at their May 6 regular meeting. 

Commissioner Tom Markert suggested using a polygraph to determine who on the dais or immediate staff leaked the document to The Coastal Star. “When we have material breaches like this, we need to get to the bottom of it — however we have to do it,” he said.

Burns said the “breach, in my opinion, was not an accident. It was willful, premeditated and intended to cause harm. It was the equivalent of placing individuals before a firing squad.”

Casale said that the leaked document had additional redactions and asked for an investigation by the city attorney. “So someone took it, altered it, and sent it out to people with the sole purpose of impacting the whistleblower,” she said. “I am absolutely shocked.”

Casale said the additional redactions were “pretty telling.”

Long felt Casale was saying he was behind the leak and pointed the finger back at his political rival. “You see in the press who has lots of quotes about things we are not supposed to talk about,” he said.

Casale shot back, “If I leaked it I wouldn’t have taken your name out of it.” There was further sniping between the rivals at the May 20 meeting over who leaked the complaint.

In a May 15 memo to the commission, Gelin said her staff ran an email search and determined the whistleblower email was “forwarded” by Carney, Deputy Vice Mayor Burns and Moore. The memo does not say to whom they forwarded the email.

Gelin said her staff could not determine who disseminated the redacted version of the complaint that deleted the reference to Long on the city’s computer server. 

By Steve Plunkett

Briny Breezes will borrow an extra $500,000 to kick-start the modernization of its drainage system.

Town Manager Bill Thrasher at first proposed getting a $2.5 million loan to cover the costs of the town’s ambitious project to upgrade its drainage system and raise its sea walls.

“This budget is anticipating a $3 million loan,” he told Town Council members on May 22.

Why the higher number? “Because of some costs involved with loan processing and some legal hoops that we have to jump through,” he said.

Thrasher had already alerted the aldermen of his plan to raise the town’s property tax rate by 80%, from $3.75 per $1,000 of taxable value to $6.75, to build reserves to pay back the money.

“We can handle a $3 million loan,” he said.

In the fiscal year 2026 budget, which begins Oct. 1, Thrasher said he anticipates using money already earmarked by the Resilient Florida program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency to pay for permitting and design of the drainage work.

The estimated construction cost is $3.3 million. He will use almost $1.4 million from FEMA, nearly $1.7 million from the state program and $268,266 from town reserves.

While some residents have wondered whether the town can delay doing the projects if circumstances change, Thrasher assured the council that he did not consider that an option.

“I want everybody to know that I have no intention whatsoever to shelve this project,” he said.

Thrasher has repeatedly said he plans to obtain other grants and accept donations to keep the cost to residents minimal.

Aldermen were scheduled to authorize Mayor Ted Gross to sign agreements to hire a bond counsel, accept the Resilient Florida grant and direct Engenuity Group to create construction drawings. But action on those items was postponed until the council’s June 26 meeting.

Also postponed was a discussion of resurrecting the town’s website. 

GULF STREAM — Michael M. Mullin III died on April 26 at his home in Florida.

Mr. Mullin, or “Moon” as he was known to those who loved him, was born in Forest Hills, Queens, New York, in 1939.  He grew up in the shadow of the Westside Tennis Club and was a ballboy at the U.S. Open Tennis Championship when it was still held at the club. Michael had a penchant for all racket sports and was well known in New York City as a junior tennis champion. 

Mr. Mullin graduated from the University of Heidelberg while serving in the U.S. Air Force. 

In 1967, Mr. Mullin moved to Delray Beach when he became the sales rep for the Izod Lacoste clothing company for Florida and the Caribbean. His whole world would change forever when he left the Sail Inn Tavern to see Susan Stokes Swem driving up in her purple Corvair convertible. Perky Frazer introduced them on the spot, and they were married exactly one year later across the street at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church.

They would settle down on Palm Trail, where they would start their family. Starting in 1972, and over the next 51 years, the Mullins lived at Froggy Bottom in Gulf Stream.

The couple kept an open-door policy there for all tennis players to come over for a little refreshment after a hard day on the Gulf Stream Bath and Tennis Club courts. 

The home was filled with backgammon by the pool, daiquiris of any flavor and the occasional reggae band on the roof. The parties were plentiful, and Mr. Mullin would be the center of attention with a great story, funny joke and a huge warm smile. 

Summers belonged to Mr. Mullin’s second love, Osterville on Cape Cod — where he spent a great many summers at Aunt Tempy’s Cottage on the Wianno golf course, enjoying chipping and putting well past dark. The Wianno Club offered the tennis, golf and casual friendships that Mr. Mullin loved so much.  

The ultimate salesman, Mr. Mullin took friends’ suggestions he move from selling shirts to selling homes and thus a career in real estate began. He spent 34 years selling and developing residences from Manalapan to Boca Raton. More than anything else Mr. Mullin loved to show people the many aspects of why southern Palm Beach County is the best community in Florida. 

In the last months of his life, Mr. Mullin was still working for Premier Estate Properties, which supported him with unconditional love through his long battle with cancer. 

The last chapters of Moon’s life were devoted to philanthropy and giving back to those less fortunate than himself. Mr. Mullin was a devoted supporter of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County since joining the board of directors in 2003. He served faithfully on the executive committee and alongside his beloved wife, Susan, made an immeasurable impact on the Delray Beach club and the wider community. Mr. Mullin’s leadership and generosity not only strengthened the organization but touched countless lives. 

“Michael’s unwavering dedication and kindness will continue to inspire us every day,” said Jaene Miranda, president and CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.

Mr. Mullin served on the board of the Bethesda Foundation from 2009 to 2017. The organization gives the caregivers of Bethesda Hospital the resources they need to provide best-in-class care. Mr. Mullin was also instrumental in the creation of the Bethesda Hospital East Benefactor Pavilion.

One of his proudest achievements was helping to save the Australian pines that adorn the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway in Gulf Stream. The canopy created by the trees gives the main thoroughfare of this little enclave a feeling all its own.

This was just one of a great many chapters that could be written on the random acts of kindness and little things Mr. Mullin did for the place he called home.

Nothing was more important to Mr. Mullin than his friends. By combining his love of golf and the friendships created on the course, he founded a group of men known as the “Coconuts.” The Coconuts would travel around the country — and occasionally the world — for a long weekend of competition and good cheer. 

All that being said, nothing got Mr. Mullin more excited than cheering for his beloved Miami Dolphins. Having moved to Florida in their second season, he attended hundreds of games both home and away over the last 50-plus seasons.

His favorite day, which he accomplished on multiple occasions, was a mid-morning round at Indian Creek followed by a big pile of stone crabs at Joe’s in Miami Beach in preparation for Monday Night Football at the Orange Bowl or Hard Rock Stadium.

Mr. Mullin was predeceased by his parents, Michael Matthew Mullin Jr. and Maryanne McCoy Mullin, and his brother, Edward “Woody” Mullin.  

In addition to his adoring wife of 58 years, Susan, Mr. Mullin is survived by his son, Michael Matthew Mullin IV, and daughter, Jennifer Warwick Mullin, sister Mary Louise Norton, sister-in-law Cindy Mullin, daughter-in-law Justine Ambrecht Mullin and grandchildren Susan Sloane Mullin, Michael “Quinn” Matthew Mullin V and Ireland Ambrecht Mullin, and his devoted labradoodle, Fritz. 

The family requests that donations be made to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County (800 Northpoint Parkway, Suite 204, West Palm Beach, FL 33407).

 A celebration of life will be held later this year, date and location to be announced to family and friends.

— Submitted by the family

Former town police chief dies — The South Palm Beach Town Council held a moment of silence at its May 16 meeting to honor former Police Chief Carl Webb, who died April 16. He was 71. Webb served as chief from 2014 to 2018 and was with the town’s force for 30 years. The town switched in 2019 from having its own police department to having the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office provide police services.

Council members also acknowledged the recent passings of former town Police Commander Rob Rizzotto, who died in February; Rene Canning, a member of the town’s Community Appearance Advisory Board who died in April; and Pope Francis.

Town manager’s contract extended — The Town Council approved a two-year extension of Town Manager Jamie Titcomb’s contract through June 2027 with a 9.8% hourly wage boost.

Titcomb receives no fringe benefits, insurance coverage, pension, retirement contributions, or other provisions a town manager usually has in a work agreement. A special contract was created so Titcomb could serve under a “part-time” status, as he came back to work out of retirement.

He is compensated at a higher hourly rate, with his total hours capped at an average of 25 a week. Titcomb was paid $82 per hour; the council amendment increases Titcomb’s contractual hourly compensation to $90 per hour, which would amount to as much as $117,000 annually at 25 hours a week for 52 weeks.

A1A sidewalk in need of repair — Residents complained to council members at the May meeting about the condition of the State Road A1A sidewalk in town. The path has been described as “ugly” and “dangerous” — even after some repairs were completed.

Resident Olga Serafimova provided proof that she has been in contact with several people at the Florida Department of Transportation, who she said kept referring her to other people. Resident Rafael Pineiro said the sidewalk is “non-compliant with ADA. We have people who fall weekly.” He asked who has the responsibility to ensure that the sidewalk is in compliance.

Mike Melendez, an FDOT District 4 representative, was invited to attend the meeting. Although he said he is sensitive to the concerns, he stated that if the intent is to have maintenance replace the entire sidewalk, there may be intermediate measures the department would say meet the requirement.

Council member Raymond McMillan told Melendez that “I don’t really care how it gets done; I want it all done.”

— Hannah Spence

Edward Hillery Jr., who served as Ocean Ridge’s police chief for 17 years — and police chief of Boynton Beach before that — died May 13. He was 85.

Hillery, a U.S. Air Force veteran, took over as chief in Ocean Ridge in 1993 and retired in 2010. He also served 23 years with the Boynton Beach Police Department, rising through the ranks to become chief and retiring there the day before he started in Ocean Ridge.

Hillery worked quickly to improve morale in the department, whose prior chief had resigned in a financial scandal.

— Larry Barszewski