Oops, ouch, mea culpa.

Mistakes happen. As hard as we try, there are times when our publication doesn’t catch a date-error, typo or misspelling. Sometimes an item simply needs more explanation to make sense to readers. And much to our chagrin, there have been times when we published bad information.

Regardless of the error’s scope, our policy is to set the record straight. We do this a few different ways:

• Fix the error online as quickly as possible.
• Publish a print correction or clarification in the next print edition.
• When necessary, publish a revised story.

Reporting is a complex business. Distilling hours-long meetings into 600-word stories takes skill. As does winnowing down a lengthy in-person or telephone interview. Sometimes information is misunderstood, vague or not provided.

Feature stories and people profiles have their own challenges with the spelling of names, ages of individuals and dates of events. In short, there are plenty of places to err.

So, to hold our readers’ trust, The Coastal Star spends an inordinate amount of production time on catching anything that doesn’t look or read right.

All of our stories are locally produced, so we check phone numbers and website addresses, double-check the spelling on names, check that today’s story accurately reflects the past. It’s a time-consuming process, but journalistic excellence is always our goal.

Still, on occasion we miss something that should be obvious, or a deadline keeps us from following up on questions, or we simply interpret information incorrectly. Mistakes happen.

And whether an error requires a quick tweak online, a simple clarification or a formal correction, we understand the importance of not perpetuating misinformation, so we fix it.

And we let our readers know.

— Mary Kate Leming, Executive Editor

Boca’s Ballroom Battle contestant Jacqui Moroco practices with her dance partner, Jan Clancy, at Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Boca Raton. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Sallie James

For two minutes this month, dental professional Jacqui Moroco will doff her lab coat, slip into dancing shoes, step onto a stage before hundreds and wow the crowd with a spicy swing routine — all in the name of education.

Her routine will be one of eight acts in Boca’s Ballroom Battle, an annual fundraiser for the George Snow Scholarship Fund. Moroco and seven other community leaders will strut their stuff on Sept. 14 at The Boca Raton, where they will compete as dancers and fundraisers.

“This is going to push me out of my comfort zone,” admitted Moroco, 59, a Delray Beach orthodontist for 31 years. “We are going to be at The Boca Raton in a very large ballroom. You need to exaggerate the moves.”

Just like in the TV show Dancing with the Stars, the contestants will compete in themed, choreographed dance routines. And just like in the real show, each participant will be paired with a professional dancer. 

Moroco has been diligently practicing with partner Jan Clancy of Boca’s Fred Astaire Dance Studio since late April. So far, she’s feeling confident.

Her biggest concern? “How do I make these sexy moves that are not typical of the way I carry myself?”

Because the contestants are all well-known in the community, the fundraiser continues to have huge appeal, said Robin Deyo, chairwoman of the scholarship fund’s board of trustees.

“Each one of them comes with their own circle of influence, so it’s always engaging new people to the event,” Deyo noted. “People like Jacqui are so inspired by the education component they really don’t have a problem asking … people to support their efforts.”

The other contestants are John W. Clidas, senior vice president, Synovus Trust Co.; Sarah Doyle, a luxury travel adviser with Valerie Wilson Travel; Al Goldberg, a retired chef/owner of Gourmet Adventures Catering; Gina Harrow, executive director of the Yellow Ribbon Fund; Zoe Lanham, vice president of The Addison; Alex Price, CEO of Priceless Perspective LLC; and Matt Williams, founder of Fropro Snack Bar.

Contestants do much more than just dance. Each one was tasked with coming up with a unique way to raise money for the scholarship fund. Moroco, for instance, partnered with

La Nouvelle Maison restaurant in June for a “dine and donate” event in which 10% of all proceeds benefited the scholarship fund. Other contestants organized fundraisers such as a ladies night out, a cornhole contest and a casino night party. Donors can also contribute on the scholarship fund’s website.

The Ballroom Battle “winners” are the male and female dancers who raise the most money.

To date, the scholarship fund has awarded $31.4 million in scholarships and support services to more than 3,300 students. The annual event is the Snow family’s way of turning tragedy into triumph.

The scholarship fund was established in 1982 in memory of Boca businessman-turned-chopper pilot George Snow, who disappeared in 1980 after transporting a news crew to the Bahamas to cover a story involving shipwrecked Haitian migrants. Their helicopter vanished without a trace on its return trip to Miami.

Moroco is in it to win it. A cardboard cutout of herself in a long dress, displayed in the lobby of her practice at Moroco Orthodontics at 4600 Linton Blvd., promotes the Ballroom

Battle with a simple message: “Help me raise money for students & win!”

If You Go
What: Boca’s Ballroom Battle 2024
Where: Grand Ballroom at The Boca Raton, 501 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton
When: 5 p.m. cocktails to midnight Sept. 14
Why: Fundraiser for the George Snow Scholarship Fund
Tickets: Tables start at $2,500 but are almost sold out. A limited number of individual tickets are available on request.
Info: Contact Amy Greene at AGreene@scholarship.org or 561-347-6799.

NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE A COASTAL STAR
Send a note to news@thecoastalstar.com or call 561-337-1553.

Key West, synonymous with Margaritaville, received the first sign designating State Road A1A in Florida as the Jimmy Buffett Memorial Highway. Eventually, the new markers should be erected statewide, including along A1A in Palm Beach County.
ABOVE: Buffett’s sister Lucy makes remarks at the private unveiling of the new signage one day prior to its public unveiling. Photo provided by Heather Jones, Margaritaville Enterprises

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has released new flood zone maps, putting thousands more Palm Beach County residents into high-risk flood zones.

The new maps are effective Dec. 20, requiring property owners’ immediate attention, particularly if they have mortgages requiring flood insurance.

Three open houses are being held in September to provide residents an opportunity to learn more about their flood zones and risks. Representatives from the county, municipalities, FEMA and the insurance industry will be available to answer questions and provide information.

The meeting for Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Briny Breezes, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Hypoluxo, Ocean Ridge, South Palm Beach and unincorporated Palm Beach County will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Boynton Beach Police Department Community Room, 2100 High Ridge Road, Boynton Beach.

The session for Lantana, Manalapan and other municipalities will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Howard Park Community Center, 1302 Parker Ave., West Palm Beach.

The third open house will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 26 at the Jupiter Community Center Auditorium, 200 Military Trail, Jupiter.

Everyone in the county is at risk for flooding no matter what zone you live in, FEMA says. If you have any questions, call the county’s Flood Hotline at 561-233-5374.

— Steve Plunkett

By John Pacenti

After proposing deep cuts to support a rolled-back property tax rate, Delray Beach City Manager Terrence Moore found the needed money in the city’s couch cushions — though the new budget won’t be completely without pain.

Under the rollback rate, the city will reduce its contribution to the Community Redevelopment Agency by $1.3 million. It will also reduce its contribution to the CRA’s grant program, called A.-G.U.I.D.E., by $200,000.

“The CRA revenue is based on the millage rate set by the city of Delray Beach, and so we have to take that into consideration,” Moore said at the Aug. 13 workshop. “So it’s just an accounting adjustment.”

Moore went on to say he has had discussions with CRA Executive Director Renee Jadusingh. “Fortunately, they do well financially. Yep, it’s pretty solid.”

The commission in July approved the rollback millage rate of just over $5.90 for each $1,000 of taxable value. Mayor Tom Carney led the charge to decrease taxes for the upcoming fiscal year as the commission adopted a rate that would save a homesteaded property with a taxable value of $1 million last year about $278 in city property taxes.

At the rollback rate, Moore said property taxes collected would fall $6.2 million from his originally proposed tax rate. He initially had department managers propose various cuts, such as reducing the number of firefighters on a shift, decreasing police patrols and curtailing events, such as the Christmas village.

Carney sent Moore back to find ways to make the rollback rate work without cutting significant services in the $187 million budget for FY 2025, which starts Oct. 1. Moore was able to make adjustments, taking into account the reduced CRA payment and other expenditure and revenue adjustments.

The city can expect conservatively at least $900,000 more from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Chief Financial Officer Hugh Dunkley said various projects are in different stages of closeout, with FEMA owing the city $1.4 million for Hurricane Irma damage in 2017 and another $500,000 for damage from Hurricane Dorian in 2019.

“So it’s various events, hurricanes over the years,” Dunkley said. “FEMA usually takes a while.” 

Other revenue funding adjustments included course fees from the new Creative Arts School ($291,000), which is expected to start in the fall; a reimbursement for EMS transport fees ($165,000) due to a vendor billing mistake; and additional revenues from boat launch and park fees ($277,659).

On the expenditure side of the equation, besides the CRA reduction, there was a $2 million reduction from the general fund to the beach renourishment project. Moore said this is allocation magic as the project will still be fully funded through the capital improvement program. 

An additional $788,000 will be saved through department attrition by not filling current open positions or new openings as employees leave for various reasons, Moore said. The

Police Department led all departments with $236,468 through position attrition.

The new budget even found $97,989 more for library services, as requested by the commission.

“Delray Beach appears to be the only taxing authority in all of South Florida to support and embrace the rollback rate in this regard,” Moore said. “There was a great deal of work accomplished over the last couple of weeks to bring back these considerations.”

Commissioner Tom Markert praised Moore and the staff.  “This was not fun, this was not easy, but you got it done, and I’m really comfortable with how you got it done and what the final work product looks like,” he said.

Commissioner Rob Long, who voted against the rollback rate along with Commissioner Angela Burns, said, “I do feel like we’re wrestling with our shoulders pretty close to the mat right now. So I could see budget amendments coming up down the road.”

At its Sept. 3 budget hearing, the commission tentatively approved of the proposed tax rate by a 4-1 vote, with Long voting no.

The commission also supported the proposed budget 3-2, with Long and Vice Mayor Juli Casale opposed.

The final vote on the budget and tax rate will take place at a Sept. 16 public hearing.

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream will bump up its starting salary for police officers $4,000, to $70,000, and give its veteran officers a $4,000 across-the-board raise.

Town commissioners agreed to the higher pay at their Aug. 9 meeting.

“Everybody’s competing because everybody’s having trouble hiring and retaining, so they’re throwing money at it,” Police Chief Richard Jones said.

Jones passed out a chart showing that the town’s police force pay ranks in the lower half of Palm Beach County municipalities.

“So that kind of puts us, Chief, with these different positions right now kind of the median range for the county,” Vice Mayor Tom Stanley said of the raises.

Jones and Town Manager Greg Dunham said they would propose a step plan next year with police raises based on length of service to rein in the pay boosts. Starting salaries were $52,250 in October 2022, then lifted to $61,250 in June 2023 and $66,000 last October.

“If we keep going like this, a five-year police officer’s going to be making $200,000 a year,” Dunham said.

Dunham also said he plans to give $5,000 pay raises to Town Clerk Renee Basel, who has leadership roles in municipal clerks associations and serves as the town’s human resources director, and to Public Works Director Anthony Beltran, who is acting like an owner’s representative in dealing with Gulf Stream’s road and drainage project.

“I have contractors walk up to him and ask him, how do I do this?” Dunham said.

One idea to improve bike safety on sections of State Road A1A where there are no road shoulders is to install sharrows, which are already in use in Delray Beach near City Hall. The pavement symbols indicate cyclists may use the full lane. Photo provided

By Charles Elmore

A year that began with a traumatic crash injuring six bicyclists and a driver on State Road A1A in southern Palm Beach County was on track to end with a batch of new safety measures in place, from pavement markings to new road signs.

But a state transportation official is now calling such proposals a “preliminary draft,” with a broader study ongoing for what to do on an iconic coastal roadway that draws all sorts of travelers and residents — but not always consensus between the two.

For example, “sharrows” have been under consideration in Gulf Stream and Manalapan, places that have no A1A shoulders, according to a Florida Department of Transportation presentation to a countywide planning agency in June. Sharrows mean markings on the pavement depicting a bicycle with forward-pointing arrows. The purpose, as state officials describe it, is to remind travelers that bicycles can command the whole lane in such circumstances.

An FDOT spokesman said Aug. 27 that plan was not set in stone and research continues.

“The Florida Department of Transportation is conducting a comprehensive study of bike/pedestrian facilities on State Road A1A in Palm Beach County,” said Guillermo Canedo, spokesman for the agency’s District 4.

Gulf Stream Town Manager Greg Dunham said Sept. 3 that after discussions with FDOT, the town will not be getting sharrows. Dunham said “in lieu of sharrows, the department has decided to place six signs along A1A near the town.”

Such road signs are also being planned in some towns that have unmarked shoulders on both sides, including Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Boynton Beach and Delray Beach. The signs say, “Share the Road,” and have a bicycle symbol.

During FDOT’s June presentation to the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency governing board, a department design manager, Chris McCurdy, said the sharrows and sign safety features for A1A in South County would be completed in the next six months.

Canedo’s take was different.

“Once the study is completed, the recommendations from the study will inform our decision-making for specific locations along SR A1A where there may be short-term and long-term safety improvements that are viable,” he said.

That study would be completed in October, according to the timeline shown in June.

A Manalapan official said his town had not heard much about what is coming and would like more information.

“We want to make sure everyone’s safe,” said Eric Marmer, assistant town manager for Manalapan.

There has been talk of having transportation officials come to a Manalapan town meeting. The next regularly scheduled one would be Sept. 24, but nothing was arranged as of late August.

Longer-term A1A repaving plans could take five years and involve bicycle and pedestrian safety components in Boca Raton, Highland Beach and Delray Beach, among other places in the county. For example, the project underway in Highland Beach is to include a 5-foot bike lane on each side once it is complete, possibly late in 2025.

The feasibility study that began in March, two months after the accident in Gulf Stream, aims to look at further ways to improve bike and pedestrian safety on the corridor. One of those ways could be to widen A1A shoulders “where feasible.”

Plenty of factors complicate the issue. Residents in some towns have resisted expansion of A1A in the past and questioned the wisdom and safety of encouraging more cycling or other traffic.

Features such as signs and pavement markings might be considered “push button” projects that could be completed with relatively modest planning and cost by year’s end, McCurdy said at the June 20 meeting.

The point of sharrows, for instance, is to “communicate to the traveling public, that’s those behind the dashboard and those on the bicycle, that the bicycle has the ability to command the full width of the lane,” McCurdy said. “The people behind the dashboard recognize the bicycle has the right to be there.”

The pavement markings recur every 250 feet, she said. “That’s constant reminders,” she said.

At that meeting, County Commissioner Marci Woodward of Boca Raton said she liked many elements of the plan but wondered if it risks burdening drivers with so much information that they tune out. Signs or pavement markings would join existing safety features that can include flashing lights.

“It gets to be a lot and I think people go blind to it,” Woodward said. “People are looking at the ocean on A1A when they come to an open area. There’s a lot to look at.”

Her husband recently witnessed a crash on A1A, she said, where a vehicle slowed sharply for a pedestrian crossing but the following driver was caught off guard and it resulted in a rear-end collision.

Getting the balance right could be one the program’s challenges.

“It’s not realistic for drivers to pay attention to 20 signs on a quarter-mile stretch of A1A,” she said.

Steve Plunkett contributed to this story.

By Steve Plunkett

The first of Bluewater Cove’s two Intracoastal Waterway lots will be home to a single-story 6,343-square-foot Georgian-style residence.

Gulf Stream town commissioners approved the site plan for the house at their Aug. 9 meeting after considering what people on the opposite side of the Intracoastal might say.

“I think this one has a pretty significant impact on the neighbors especially since I received some comments that some of the neighbors thought they were going to be looking at a FIND area for the rest of their lives from the east side,” Vice Mayor Tom Stanley said.

The land that is now Bluewater Cove on the west side of the Intracoastal was previously owned by the Florida Inland Navigation District, which swapped its waterfront acreage with the Gulf Stream Golf Club, which then sold the property to the developer of the street. FIND commonly keeps its land undeveloped to use as storage sites for dredging the waterway.

Before commissioners could approve the house’s plan, they passed an ordinance allowing front-entry features on any one-story home to be 16 feet high instead of 14. The architects for the Bluewater Cove residence said they would have to reduce the slope of the roof, making the overall structure unattractive, poorly scaled and not truly Georgian design, if forced to build at the lower level.

The new home will have four bedrooms, a club room, a three-vehicle garage opening to the side, and in another first for the street, a circular driveway to the front door. The house faces a turning circle at the end of the cul-de-sac.

Commissioner Michael Greene questioned the amount of hardscape at the front of the house. “It just seems like it could be more greenery in the front of the property,” he said.

Landscape architect Louis Vlahos said some of the plan’s drawings omitted plantings to show more of the house, and that the specimen tree shown in the driveway island will grow to be 18 to 20 feet tall, “almost twice the size.”

The drawing also lacked two large oaks at the front, he said.

“I think it’s attractive,” Mayor Scott Morgan said. “Our main concern is the view from the east, and I think by maintaining a single-story home with a large portico for the setback of your glass doors, I think you’ve achieved that.”

Also approved was a variance for 555 Pelican Lane allowing a dock into the Intracoastal to be rebuilt at an angle to the sea wall instead of parallel. The original dock dated to 1951 and needed to be replaced after the equally old sea wall was redone. It also was 4 inches wider than the maximum allowed 5 feet.

Lawyer Tom Murphy, representing property owner Susannah Scott-Barnes, said the dock cannot be seen by any other member of the community.

“This is really not a variance for relief in order to therefore do something new but rather a variance to preserve what is old, and … what is old in Gulf Stream is good,” Murphy said.

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream’s road and drainage improvement project continues to be plagued by unexpected conditions — the latest by underground utilities being buried less deep than usual.

“Typically, utilities of power, Comcast, things like that going across roadways are 2 feet or greater below pavement,” Jockey Prinyavivatkul of Baxter and Woodman Consulting

Engineers told town commissioners Aug. 9. “Your cable (TV) and telephone cables are a little bit more shallow.”

The same situation happened with Florida Power & Light Co.’s underground electric lines.

“FPL runs 4 feet typically, but when they go into residential and they don’t have the room to directional-bore at 4 feet, they compensate,” said Anthony Beltran, the town’s public works director.

It’s all too close for contractor Roadway Construction LLC to use a tilling machine to prepare a street for asphalt. Instead, it will have to dig down to the utility conduits, cover them with 5½ inches of base rock to protect them from the weight of traffic, then fill in the trench and compact the soil. The dirt that is removed must also be hauled away.

And that means a change order to the construction contract. The commission approved two, along with a budget adjustment, for a total change of up to $977,305.

One is a $95,691 order to do the necessary extra work on Wright Way and Old School Road. Commissioners also approved spending up to $704,228 more on the base rock alternative as the project moves forward, without the need for the engineer and contractor to return to commission chambers.

“The big number is a worst-case scenario. At least it gives us the funding in place that we can move forward efficiently,” said Rick Chipman, the construction project manager for Baxter and Woodman.

“We do not anticipate the entire amount being used,” Prinyavivatkul said.

Commissioners also approved a $177,386 change order for widening parts of Banyan and Gulfstream roads, Lakeview Drive and all of Old School Road, from 18 feet to 20 feet to match the Core’s other streets.

Meanwhile, construction workers have been deployed to a handful of other areas to keep busy while waiting for money to be authorized.

“We don’t want them to be not coming in to work and not having any work to do,” Town Manager Greg Dunham said.

Roadway planned to spend the weeks of Aug. 26 and Sept. 3 preparing Wright Way and Old School Road for paving.

‘Radical’ solution to quorum issue saves budget from loss

By Jane Musgrave

Manalapan has a new town commissioner and she’s the same as the old one.

Commissioner Cindy McMackin was sworn in at the town’s Aug. 9 meeting, replacing, well, herself.

A confluence of unrelated events put McMackin in the strange position of resigning her post in July only to be reappointed the next month.

The idea, which Town Attorney Keith Davis described as “radical,” was the town’s unconventional way to avoid blowing a nearly $300,000 hole in its proposed $9.1 million budget.

“It’s unprecedented,” Assistant Town Manager Eric Marmer said at the July 23 meeting as town officials struggled to come up with a solution to avert the financial shortfall. “I’ve never experienced this.”

The potentially budget-busting situation can be blamed, in part, on a botched computer update that cybersecurity company CrowdStrike sent out on July 19 that had global repercussions. The flawed Microsoft Windows update caused the biggest technology outage in history. It wreaked havoc on all business sectors, including hospitals, financial institutions and, notable for Manalapan, air travel.

The timing, for Manalapan, was particularly problematic.

July is the month all governments in Florida must meet to set a proposed tax rate for the upcoming fiscal year. Unlike other meetings, which can be attended via Zoom, state law requires elected officials to be physically present to vote at the rate-setting hearing.

Some of Manalapan’s elected officials head out of town in the summer, returning only for mandatory meetings.

So, when the computer glitch immediately grounded 4,000 flights and caused chaos in the skies for days, two town commissioners who planned to attend the July 23 meeting to set the proposed tax rate got stranded, while a third was out of state with no plans to be at the meeting in person.

“I’ve checked. Nobody’s getting out of here for three, four or five days,” said Commissioner Dwight Kulwin, who was in Massachusetts and only able to attend the July meeting by phone.

Commissioner Orla Imbesi was also stuck in the unable-to-fly zone. McMackin was in Montana and wasn’t planning to return until Aug. 8.

With only three commissioners at the meeting, the town didn’t have its needed four-member quorum. That meant, according to the Town Charter, no vote could be taken.

But the clock was ticking. Under Florida law, the tentative tax rate had to be sent to the Palm Beach County property appraiser by Aug. 4, although officials at the appraiser’s office asked that the rates be submitted by July 31.

If they violated the law, commissioners couldn’t impose the property tax rate of $3.00 per $1,000 of assessed valuation they needed to fund the budget in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Instead, by law, they would be limited to the rolled-back rate of $2.8486 per $1,000, which would leave the town’s planned budget $291,000 short.

The lower rolled-back rate would generate the same amount of taxes as last year from existing properties because property values have increased. But town officials had hoped to keep the same $3.00 per $1,000 of value rate as they had approved last year and use the extra money for services.

“We’re going to have to operate the town on donations,” Marmer said as town officials debated a possible solution.

Ultimately, attorney Davis came up with the unorthodox plan. If one of the commissioners resigned immediately, the commission would need only three to make a quorum and the tax rate could be set.

McMackin volunteered. “I’m probably the prime person to resign,” said McMackin, who also attended the meeting by phone. “I’m just here to help the town basically. Whatever works best for the town, I’m completely willing to do.”

So, she resigned.

The three commissioners at the July meeting — Simone Bonutti, Elliot Bonner and David Knobel — approved keeping the rate the same as last year’s. Residents can comment on the spending plan during hearings on Sept. 18 and 24, after which a final tax rate and budget will be approved.

In August, McMackin returned to town and was reappointed.

While Mayor John Deese and Kulwin voiced concerns that the opening would cause a flurry of interest and wannabe commissioners would be upset when McMackin was reappointed, Town Manager Linda Stumpf said their fears were unfounded.

“I don’t think they’re going to be banging down my door,” said Stumpf, who last year had to find five new commissioners to replace four who chose to resign rather than file new, more detailed, state-required financial disclosure reports —and a fifth needed when Deese moved into the vacated mayor’s position.

Stumpf’s prediction was correct. Aside from McMackin, only one other person sought the post. Davis told commissioners that they couldn’t just automatically reinstate McMackin.

They had to make it an open process. 

Decade-long Manalapan resident Jerry Jacobson said he applied in response to a mass email the town sent out.

“I was just trying to help out,” said Jacobson, who is a lawyer and holds a doctorate degree in medicine.

He said he didn’t know why the seat was vacant. When told the odd story, he laughed.

“Sounds like politics,” Jacobson said. “There’s no way else to describe it.”

By Anne Geggis

When she steps down as Manalapan’s town manager at the end of this month, Linda Stumpf will go out in much the same way she’s led the smallest of the South County coastal municipalities: efficiently and without much fanfare.

The two-decade town employee (nearly 14 years as manager, the balance as finance director) has issued the edict that no retirement party will be held to mark the occasion.

Still, her staying power stands out in a time when most municipal managers don’t last more than a few years.

“I would put her down as one of the top town managers I’ve had the pleasure to know,” said South Palm Beach Mayor Bonnie Fischer, who tried to woo Stumpf to come north to her town from Manalapan.

The Town Commission is planning to give Stumpf a $25,000 going-away gift, which it expects to include in the new budget that will be voted on this month.

“We hope everyone will support that as part of a thank you to her for her 22 years of service to Manalapan,” Mayor John Deese said at the commission’s July 23 meeting. “It’s not necessarily a normal precedent for the town, but it’s also not a normal precedent to have someone serve the town for 22 years.”

He described the payout as “good and fair.”

At a March meeting of the Town Commission, Stumpf praised the addition of Eric Marmer as assistant town manager. He will assume her duties at her retirement. She also made a rare statement about her ongoing medical issues, which in recent years have meant she used a wheelchair in dealing with a chronic illness.

“I’ve been sitting in this chair for over a year,” she said. She’s still working at recovery, going to occupational and physical therapy sessions.

“So, my legs … the atrophy is there and I have to build it back,” she said.

Stumpf is leaving after overseeing some seismic change in Manalapan. The transformation has occurred without a lot of metaphoric storms — even if there were hurricanes to manage and, more recently, the sudden resignation last year of all but two members of the seven-member Town Commission because of a new state law requiring fuller disclosure of elected officials’ assets.

The property value of the town, which covers about .45 square miles of land, has nearly doubled in the time Stumpf has been a part of Manalapan’s operations — expanding from $635 million in 2003 ($1.19 billion when calculated in 2024 dollars) to its current taxable value of $2.24 billion.

Per square mile, Manalapan is among the most valuable in South Palm Beach County. Boynton Beach, for example, is 35 times Manalapan’s size in land mass, but its taxable value is only about four times greater than Manalapan’s.

Stumpf is credited with shepherding the development of the only Publix located on the South County barrier islands. The store opened in 2016 with Publix officials calling it a store unlike any other in the country.

“People were afraid it was going to cause too much traffic,” Fischer said. “But the end result … everybody loves it.”

Tracey Stevens, who worked in neighboring Ocean Ridge from 2016 to 2022 as town clerk and then town manager, has served on committees with Stumpf and collaborated as officials in neighboring towns.

“Whenever we had a police issue or a hurricane issue, we always came together and worked together for the betterment of the communities,” said Stevens, who is now Haverhill’s town manager.

Stumpf, Stevens said, brought an authoritative, no-nonsense manner to the proceedings.

“She really knew what she was talking about,” Stevens recalled of their collaboration.

Jane Musgrave contributed to this story.

By Jane Musgrave

The town of Manalapan could be getting a refurbished fire station and possibly a revamped Town Hall.

A tentative plan to launch what would be one of the most expensive projects in town history was spurred by changes in fire rules, such as those that require additional firefighters to work each shift, said Assistant Town Manager Eric Marmer.

But, he said, the fire station, which is attached to the administrative complex, isn’t the only part of the building that needs work. The 43-year-old building has been plagued by roof leaks. While modernizing the fire station, it makes sense to address other problems, he said.

“It’s not a huge rush,” Marmer said. “We’re going to slowly roll through the process and see where we’re at.”

In about a month, the town plans to advertise for proposals from firms to review better ways of utilizing existing space. Then an architect would be hired to come up with proposals and cost estimates. Finally, a construction manager would be hired.

Since Palm Beach County Fire Rescue uses the station to serve town residents, Marmer said the county would pick up some of the costs. It is likely a bond issue would be needed to fund construction.

“It’s a long-term project,” he said. “It is a big project but a worthy one.”

By John Pacenti

Ocean Ridge commissioners and Town Manager Lynne Ladner wrestled over her proposed salary increases for staff, with the manager saying the employees had been left behind while raises were given to police officers over the last two years.

“I don’t believe that it is equitable to make such substantial increases to the base salaries of individuals in the Police Department when you do not consider equitable base salary increases for all other employees,” Ladner said at the commission’s Aug. 5 budget workshop.

Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy pushed back on new increases, saying, “I’m not feeling like everyone’s on the same page in terms of looking out for the taxpayer’s best interest.”

In the end, commissioners approved a 3% cost-of-living raise and an average 3% merit increase based on performance for 12 non-police administrators and staff. This past year they received one-time bonuses not added to their base salaries.

The town is just starting negotiations with the police union regarding any salary increase for the town’s 16 police officers. 

The pay increases could still be tweaked as the $10.4 million proposed budget is finalized this month.

The discussion of the salary increase proposal came after a consultant presented to commissioners a compensation and classification study of non-police employees. Ocean Ridge taxpayers paid $14,000 for the report, which found that the town salaries were in the “realm of market competitiveness.”

Yet, Brian Wolfe of Evergreen Solutions said some employees resented having to do tasks outside their job descriptions and there was a split among staff.

“There is some tension, or at least an inference of tension, between two primary groups of employees in the town: the Police Department and everybody else,” Wolfe said. 

Ladner told commissioners in a memo she aimed to bring administrative staff salaries back to the “midpoint.”

She proposed significant raises to seven positions:  

• Police chief ($130,095 to $140,000, 7.6% increase)
• Public works supervisor ($90,956 to $99,286, 9.2% increase)
• Town clerk ($90,956 to $99,286, 9.2% increase)
• Deputy town clerk ($55,125 to $61,988, 12.4% increase)
• Building clerk ($55,125 to $61,988, 12.4% increase)
• Dispatch manager ($102,000 to $108,500, 6.4% increase)
• Senior police dispatcher $74,425 to $80,000, 7.5% increase).

The increases would have added more than $52,000 to the proposed annual budget — or .5%.  

Ladner might as well have proposed building a super-collider in town as the commission vigorously opposed her proposal. 

“This comes back to you,” Cassidy told Ladner. “You’re not feeling that it’s equitable, and then that is what you are sharing with staff. And we are looking at this report that we spent a considerable amount of money on, saying that we are equitable with the market.”

Ladner told Cassidy to put herself in the shoes of staff who have been passed over for significant raises. “What is the motivation to put in evenings and weekends when employees do not feel valued? He (Wolfe) quite clearly told you that the employees feel that there is a discrepancy.”

In an unusual twist, Mayor Geoff Pugh turned to Clerk Kelly Avery and asked her if she works nights and weekends.

“I used to,” Avery responded. “Not since the last budget. My job is getting done but at a slower pace.”

Again, Cassidy lit into Ladner. 

“It comes down to morale, too,” she said. “You were very upset last year because you didn’t feel it was equitable, and now we’re going right back to where we were. And if that’s the message that all staff is getting, then of course people don’t want to work any extra.”

Base salaries for police officers have increased by $10,000 since 2023, Ladner said.

The mayor said it was unfair to compare raises between police and other staff. “Well, see, that’s the problem,” Pugh said. “There’s a fundamental difference. One employee carries a gun and puts his life on the line, the other does not.”

Commissioner Steve Coz — with the police chief and clerk bookending the dais — then drove the discussion on providing staff with a 3% COLA and a 3% merit raise. The commissioners quickly came to a consensus — though Cassidy said it was important if necessary to revisit the raises as the budget process plays on.

Ladner didn’t go away completely defeated. 

She turned to getting approval for an increase of pay ranges for some positions so current staff wouldn’t top out in the town’s salary structure and not even receive COLA or merit raises.

The commission approved her proposal for new salary ranges, which will allow her to bump up Police Chief Scott McClure’s salary to $140,000 annually — a figure that the commissioners had just rejected.

By John Pacenti

Ocean Ridge Town Manager Lynne Ladner made the same mistake this year in preparing the budget as the one that led to the town’s inadvertently violating state law last year, Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy said at the Aug. 5 commission budget meeting.

The meeting had already been contentious with Cassidy and Ladner locking horns over staff salaries. Then Cassidy said Ladner was again using net values of property rather than gross values as the state requires to determine property taxes to be collected. The right figures were presented at the meeting, however.

The town in December was forced to call a special meeting to approve its budget and tax rate again after it was determined the wrong figures were used in publishing advertisements notifying residents of the FY 2024 rate and budget. Florida revenue officials determined the town “to be in violation of the law.”

The correction led to $58,738 more in tax revenue.

Ladner has proposed the same tax rate as last year at $5.40 per $1,000 of taxable value.

When Ladner sent out the information to commissioners, Cassidy said she again included net values, not gross values, in calculating taxes.  The commissioner said she corrected Ladner twice but the manager “was a bit defensive about it.”

“I’m worried about the mistakes and the errors and the defensiveness,” Cassidy said. “So it’s just a great frustration.”

That’s when Commissioner David Hutchins — who had been largely quiet through the workshop — said, “May I make a suggestion? You’ve said it three times. We get it. You’re pissed off. Why don’t we just lower it a little bit and move on?”

Ladner, when asked about Cassidy’s comments on Aug. 14, said she has a good working relationship with the commissioner.

“There are times where we don’t see eye-to-eye,” Ladner said.

By Mary Thurwachter

Some good news on the beach front. The long-awaited project to add sand could begin as soon as January. South Palm Beach Mayor Bonnie Fischer made that announcement during a Town Council meeting on Aug. 13.

“I spoke to Public Works Director H. Paul Brazil of Palm Beach and he’s starting the dune restoration project probably in January,” she said. “One hurdle they have to get through is to get permission from Lake Worth Beach in order to get access for the heavy equipment to come down south of Lake Worth’s beach to get to South Palm Beach.

“If this is accomplished, and we get the project going, I was told they will not charge South Palm Beach anything for placing the sand. All we have to pay for is the sand, and I thought that was very generous.”

Fischer said she would be in close contact with Palm Beach and find out more as January approaches.

The first phase of the town of Palm Beach dune restoration project was completed in May 2021 for $739,000.

The second phase has been planned for several years, the result of an interlocal agreement among Palm Beach, South Palm Beach and Lantana. Since South Palm Beach has no public beach, truck access had previously been planned by way of Lantana’s public beach. But the latest proposal would utilize Lake Worth Beach for that purpose.

Trucks will likely transport the sand from a stockpile at Phipps Ocean Park.

Lantana has yet to decide if it will participate in the project, but its town manager, Brian Raducci, is optimistic.

“Assuming it is economically feasible for the town of Lantana, it is my hope to be able to participate in this exciting and important project and bring about this vital beach improvement to our residents and visitor,” he said.

Since the current plan is to use Lake Worth Beach for access, Raducci said “they should not need beach access through Dorothy Rissler (Lane) as originally planned.”
Raducci, like Fischer, is awaiting an estimate of what should be expected for a unit rate for sand and an estimate of the quantity that each would need based on current conditions.

“Everything will be based on how much dry beach they have to work with in both the town of South Palm Beach and Lantana,” Raducci said.

Raducci said Lantana did not anticipate reimbursing the town of Palm Beach for the cost of the sand; that was originally proposed in exchange for the use of Dorothy Rissler Lane for access, “which apparently is no longer needed.”

“They are going to reach out to Palm Beach County ERM to see if they have any funds available to help place sand in Lantana,” he said. “Once that is all worked out, we would need to enter into a new interlocal agreement in order to move forward.”

Town manager reviewed — Town Manager Jamie Titcomb received positive remarks from Town Council members as part of his annual evaluation on Aug. 12. Unlike previous managers, Titcomb, who earns $82 per hour, is part-time and limited to 25 hours a week. His two-year contract expires in June of next year.

Council members rated him in various administrative categories from one to five, with five being the strongest. His overall scores from the four council members ranged from four to five.

Mayor Bonnie Fischer called for better communication and said Titcomb needed to do a better job of keeping the council apprised of details, such as the new people that are working in Town Hall.

Fischer also wanted to know how the manager was doing with hours, since early on he was spending more time at work than his contract allowed.

“I’m pretty much staying within my cap,” Titcomb answered. “There are some weeks when the sewer main breaks, or I have to come in after hours for something, that can bump my hours. But averaging out, I think I’m in pretty good shape.”

Titcomb thanked the council for the good scores and said he would take to heart the areas for improvement. The review won’t affect his salary but is a condition of his contract.

Virtual attendance allowed — The council voted to amend town law to allow its members, as well as members of town boards, to occasionally attend meetings virtually, by phone or other digital means. However, a quorum must be established in person, according to Town Attorney Ben Saver.

The amendment, Saver said, puts into words what is already the practice. No definition was given for what “occasionally” meant.

Even though the Town Council was reduced to four members after the resignation of former Vice Mayor Bill LeRoy in April — and the council is choosing to leave the seat vacant until the 2026 elections rather than fill it as the Town Charter provides — it still takes three council members to make a quorum.

Council member Ray McMillan, who attended the Aug. 13 meeting by phone, wanted to know if virtual attendance had any effect on salaries. Saver said it did not. Members receive $600 a month, with the exception of the mayor, who is paid $1,000.

Deputy honored again — Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy Donna Korb was recognized as Deputy of the Month after her lifesaving efforts involving a resident who cut her left arm while moving a glass tabletop in her condo. Korb arrived at Southgate Condominiums on May 21 ahead of paramedics and applied a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

When paramedics arrived, they applied another tourniquet and administered additional care.

“Deputy Korb’s quick action was instrumental in the lifesaving effort,” said Sgt. Mark Garrison, who made the presentation.

In May, Korb was honored after rescuing a 68-year-old swimmer who struggled to stay afloat off the shores of South Palm Beach.

New Community Affairs board member appointed — Elenora Levin was appointed to serve a two-year term on the Community Affairs Advisory Board. Levin, who lives in the Barclay Condominiums, has held leadership roles at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and St. John’s University in New York and has experience in grant writing. In her application, Levin said she has a strong ability to take initiative and make decisions based on facts.

— Mary Thurwachter

By Mary Thurwachter

South Palm Beach residents can expect the budget for FY 2025 to look much like this year’s with the same — or possibly slightly lower — tax rate. So said Town Manager Jamie Titcomb, who discussed the proposed budget during a workshop on Aug. 12.

While all the numbers were not yet ready to be plugged into the document, Titcomb said he was proposing to keep the same rate as this year — $3.40 per $1,000 of taxable value.

The current valuation of the town is up 10% over last year and using the $3.40 rate, based on usual calculations, would generate an additional $192,722 in revenue.

Any extra money, the town manager suggested, would go in a contingency fund to take care of transitional expenses connected to building a new Town Hall.

In July, the council signed a design contract for the new governmental center with CPZ Architects of Fort Lauderdale.

During a special meeting with staff and the architect’s representative on Aug. 29, the council unanimously voted to adopt the proposed first phase of the architectural program.

“Starting the following week and into the coming weeks, we will begin implementation of scheduled one-on-one meetings with council members for their input and priorities with the architects and their team,” Titcomb said. “We are anticipating scheduling of community input meetings to follow shortly thereafter. We will also begin to initiate ancillary site studies, surveys, and geotechnical phases necessary for design conditions affected by site configuration requirements.”

Update reports will be given at most every Town Council meeting going forward, Titcomb said. “Everyone is excited and motivated to get the project started and progressing efficiently.”

The new building will cost about $4 million, but the town won’t have to borrow or raise money for it.

“You guys collectively with previous councils have been very prudent and conservative and had foresight to put away money over time, which is in our investment accounts,” Titcomb told the council.

One of the largest expenses in the $2.7 million budget is the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office contract, which is increasing 2% for an additional cost of $22,279. The total cost for the contract will be $1,136,223.

Budget hearings are set for 5:01 p.m. Sept. 9 and Sept. 16 and the town could lower the property tax rate as late as the second hearing.

But at least one council member, Vice Mayor Monte Berendes, said that while lowering the rate sounds “wonderful,” it may not be the best idea this year. It was a switch for

Berendes, who in July had said it might be “a good year to give the residents a break” on their taxes.

“With the building going up and our expenses, I don’t think we can afford doing that,” he said at the August meeting. “I don’t think lowering it would make that much of a differ-ence.”

Ocean Ridge Police Chief Scott McClure (right) and Lt. Aaron Tobin talk with longtime resident Edith Behm before escorting her and other residents out of the Briny Breezes Town Council meeting last month. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Residents agitated by news removed for disrupting meeting

By Steve Plunkett

Briny Breezes has qualified for a $7.2 million grant from the state to upgrade its stormwater drainage system and raise its sea walls.

The Town Council authorized Mayor Ted Gross to formally accept the grant as well as a $1.4 million federal grant at its Aug. 22 meeting, but the council had to take a recess, directing police to ask several opponents of the grants to leave after they disrupted the meeting.

Hanna Tillotson, grants administrator for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Resilient Florida program, alerted Town Manager Bill Thrasher three days before the meeting that the money would soon be available.

“The Program will be providing you with a formal notice of grant award and next steps, but DEP wanted to provide you with this notice of grant award in order to secure the Town’s federal grant funding award for this project,” she wrote.

Thrasher said he wanted Gross authorized to sign the paperwork ahead of time so the council would not have to schedule a special meeting to do so.

In a note to corporation shareholders, Michael Gallacher, general manager of Briny Breezes Inc., and Susan Brannen, board president, hailed the “incredibly positive news” as “a huge step in the right direction.”

While Briny Breezes has to come up with matching dollars to receive either grant, Thrasher said he and the town’s consultants are optimistic that still more grant money will be available.

“Our objective is that it won’t cost one penny to any resident. That’s the objective,” Thrasher said to the handful of doubters who attended the meeting. “Is it possible? Is it a realistic objective? I want you to listen to me. It is 100% possible. And your negativity is not helping anything whatsoever.”

The opponents in the audience said they did not want to be saddled with paying back grants, that the grant items were added to the council’s agenda the day before the meeting, and that the decision to accept them should be put to a vote of the residents.

“You were not even elected. You were appointed,” resident James Arena complained.

At one point the opponents of the grants grew rowdy. Council President Liz Loper loudly hammered her gavel on the dais and declared a recess. Police asked some to leave for being disruptive.

Gross was also appointed as the council’s liaison to lobby County Commissioner Marci Woodward for possible financial assistance on the sea wall work, a role previously taken by Mayor Gene Adams, who resigned last year.

“I did work with Commissioner Woodward for a little bit on that and it is the opportunity to get money back to pay for the grants,” Adams said at the meeting.

The town was awarded the $1.4 million “pre-disaster mitigation” grant in March but then had to complete a complicated application process by June 28 to get it.

Thrasher said he will recommend using $3.5 million of the state and federal grants on the drainage work. He hopes to use the remainder and find an additional $7.2 million for the sea wall construction.

He and consultants Brizaga Inc. and Engenuity Group Inc. have been working for more than three years to identify the effects of sea level rise on aging sea walls and to find money to fix them. A Flooding Adaptation Plan in 2021 recommended installing a multi-pump drainage system, pumping station and discharge pipes to help eliminate road flooding and prevent damage to personal property and homes.

By Steve Plunkett

Briny Breezes is taking steps to clarify that fires on the beach are banned during turtle nesting season and require a permit from November through February.

After inconclusive discussions on April 25, May 23 and July 25 followed by a somewhat heated hour-long workshop on Aug. 15, town aldermen on Aug. 22 approved on first reading an update to the town’s ordinances on sea turtles, artificial lighting and fires on the beach.

“This ordinance has had a fairly robust history to this point,” Town Attorney Keith Davis said as he started the Aug. 22 conversation.

If approved on a second reading, the changes will allow amber, orange or red lights, which sea turtles cannot see, to be visible from the beach instead of insisting only that lights be shielded or aimed away from the sand. The dates of sea turtle nesting season will be corrected to say March 1 to Oct. 31. The code will prohibit fires on the beach during nesting season and require a town permit at other times of the year. Permits will not be needed for small enclosed fires or propane-generated fires, although rubbish fires will be banned.

“You’ll be happy to hear that I’ve read through and I like it the way that it is. I think it represents everything that we ended up discussing,” Mayor Ted Gross said.

The idea of updating the ordinance began in February when Michael Gallacher, general manager of Briny Breezes Inc., asked if a permit would be necessary to build a bonfire on the beach. Davis and colleague Trey Nazzaro quickly noticed that the town code incorrectly said turtle nesting season started on April 1 and devised some other suggested changes.

When the changes were presented at the workshop session, Gross was the strongest critic.

“One of the things that we talked over and over again is about the color scheme that renders the light safe for turtles,” he said then.

“In the memorandum that the lawyers sent us, we can add that to the ordinance,” Council President Liz Loper said.

“Frankly I thought that’s what we were having them do. I thought we’d come to this meeting with that already done,” Gross responded. “I’m kind of baffled because I thought when we came to this meeting we’d be discussing it in the form we had already discussed. But it looks like we’re going all the way back to stage one. … We’ve done this five or four times. Why is this never updated?”

Even with a permit at the right time of the year, someone would not be able to light a bonfire on the beach if it was a “no burn” day, Police Chief Scott McClure said. He said his department would check with Palm Beach County on the day of the planned fire to see if weather conditions would allow it.

The proposed ordinances will return to the council for a second reading at a future meeting.

Dr. Tatyana Nektalova set up her dermatology practice in Plaza del Mar after realizing that barrier island residents had to cross the bridge and drive a ways to receive this service. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

One of the nicest perks dermatologist Tatyana Nektalova has found since her move from New York City to South Palm Beach two years ago has been the difference in her commute.

“In New York it was an hour on the Long Island Expressway into Manhattan,’’ the skin doctor said. “Now it’s a 10-minute walk. It’s the best part of my day. I love it.”

A former chief resident of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital, Nektalova, 35, left her practice in Tribeca during the coronavirus pandemic when businesses closed for several months. She decided to relocate to coastal Palm Beach County, where she realized the barrier islands were lacking any dermatology facility.

“I had been looking in Boca, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach when I was walking past this shop (in Plaza Del Mar) and didn’t realize we had missed it,” she said. “It was zoned for retail, so it wasn’t coming up in our searches.”

Nektalova resolved that issue by presenting her case to officials from the town of Manalapan, who opted to make an exception. Then the real work began as she set about establishing her practice, Dermatology & Aesthetics of Palm Beach.

“I got the approval from the commission in January (2023) and signed the lease in March. Then I had to find an architect who understood our vision, and then the construction to build a 2,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art office with everything in terms of cutting-edge treatments.”

While waiting for it to open, which happened this past April, Nektalova signed up to provide concierge services, seeing more than 100 patients. That has helped her establish a client base that has continued to grow, albeit slowly, during the off-season.

“The whole practice has been built through word of mouth, no advertising or marketing,” she said. “I’ve been super grateful to the community. I’m trying to fill a very big unmet need.”

Nektalova says she had a severe skin condition called polymorphous light eruption while growing up.

“This itchy, and sometimes painful, rash would emerge with sun exposure,” she said. “Each summer, I was the kid that was restricted to swimming outdoors after dusk and was forced to always wear an oversized T-shirt and wide-brimmed hat to protect my skin. This experience profoundly shaped my life, giving me a window into what my patients are going through, especially the little ones.”

Recognized by her peers as one of New York’s “Super Doctors” yearly from 2019 to 2022, Nektalova also established a mentorship program with impressive results. Invited several years ago to speak at an event for aspiring medical students, she connected afterward with several of them.

“One of my mentees is now a dermatology resident at my alma mater, Mount Sinai Hospital, and we’ve published a paper together. I’ve been able to connect her with the chairman of Mount Sinai Hospital, who got her involved in research, and I’ve tried to keep in touch and be helpful when I can,” Nektalova said.

“Many of my students are now physicians’ assistants, nurses, nurse practitioners, so I really enjoy taking on that role and getting involved, so it’s not just a job where they’re handing me a scalpel. I want them to learn, I want them to be engaged, get hands-on experience, which is as good as it gets.”

She hopes to establish a similar program with students in the Palm Beach area.

Driving around the area with its beaches, Nektalova said she is sometimes alarmed at how casually people can respond to the dangers of the sun’s rays.

“You can enjoy daily activities, you can go to the beach, you can go for a walk or run; you just have to do them safely,” she said. “Sun protection is important: wearing sunscreen, a hat, glasses, SPF-protected clothing, and avoiding peak hours.

“I don’t think dermatologists want to scare people,” she said. “They just want them to be a little bit wiser in their decisions.”

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you? 
A: I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, within a Bukharan Jewish family that fled the Soviet Union as refugees in the early 1990s. This background influenced my perspective and aspirations, instilling in me a pursuit of the American dream and an unwavering emphasis on education. 
The challenges my family faced taught me resilience, which became crucial as I navigated the rigorous academic demands of the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education.
This accelerated bachelor of science-doctor of medicine program not only honed my commitment to excellence but also reinforced the values of hard work instilled by my immigrant experience.
Medicine, both noble and compassionate, naturally became the pinnacle of profession for me. 

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: Over the past decade, I have worked as a physician, specializing in medical, cosmetic and surgical dermatology. My training at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, where I served as chief resident, laid a strong foundation for my career. I previously practiced in SoHo, Tribeca and the Upper East Side neighborhoods of Manhattan, caring for adults and children. 
I am most proud of founding Dermatology & Aesthetics of Palm Beach, a concierge dermatology practice at Plaza Del Mar in Manalapan. My goal with this venture is to build a practice where I can develop deep connections with my patients and offer unparalleled personalized care. I strive to make every person feel seen and be heard, which I believe is central to the essence of medicine and human experience. 

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Focus on being of service to others. Finding fulfillment and gratification often comes from making a positive impact on people’s lives. Follow your internal compass, the place where your personality aligns with your soul’s purpose, and you will not miss. 

Q: How did you choose to make your home in South Palm Beach?
A: Like many New Yorkers, I escaped to Palm Beach County during the pandemic and am happy to now call it home. 

Q: What is your favorite part about living in South Palm Beach?
A: My walk to work. The palm trees, ocean breeze and sunshine ground me. 

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I am an avid reader. The book I am currently reading, for the second time, is Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl. Profound and compelling, it drives the following message home: “When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.” 

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: Andrea Bocelli’s voice can be incredibly soothing. I was lucky to attend one of his most special events at Madison Square Garden, where he performed with his son and daughter. Frank Sinatra’s My Way tells the story of self-determination and inspires confidence in all people. 

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: My parents, Svetlana and Daniel. They moved to this country with nothing. Without the ability to formulate a single sentence in English, my father got his first job as a tailor by walking into a local dry cleaner with only a thimble in his pocket, and knowledge of the work he was certain his hands could do. He is now the head tailor for major Hollywood films and television series. My mother, who started out as a medical assistant for a cardiologist, is now the assistant nurse manager of a surgical intensive care unit at a Level 1 trauma center. They are the definition of the American dream and, above all else, good people. 

Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: Penelope Cruz. She is deep, authentic, and has reinvented herself over and over again. 

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: My nephew, Benjamin. He is 5 years old. Even when he is misbehaving, you can’t help but smile.