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Frankel pursues federal options

Task force takes on local issues

By Jane Smith
    
    The city’s public safety departments will be able to hire 12 staffers to assist with the growing drug-overdose problems, under a proposed tax rate set by the Delray Beach City Commission.
    Police and fire-rescue staff have responded this year to 293 heroin overdoses as of July 27, compared with 195 for all of last year, according to the Delray Beach Police Department. The overdoses are increasingly fatal, despite police and fire-rescue’s use of Narcan to counteract the high.
    In all of 2015, 10 people died from heroin overdoses compared with 28 so far this year.
    City Manager Don Cooper described the $110.04 million budget as having a back-to-basics focus, in his executive summary of June 24. From the city’s goal-setting sessions of October and January, he gleaned a list of priorities: police, fire rescue, code enforcement and parks.
    Repairing and replacing city assets is underway, with work started on Old School Square, a contract awarded to determine the cost of work on the public docks and seawalls at Veterans Park, and work started on the beach promenade.
    The proposed tax rate of $7.21 per $1,000 value is lower than the current year’s rate of $7.34, according to the city’s finance department. The tax rate will go into effect in the budget year that starts Oct. 1.
    Most Delray Beach property owners won’t see a reduction in their property taxes because property values increased by an average of 10 percent in the city, the county property appraiser determined. Homeowners with a $50,000 homestead exemption will see their taxable property values increase by .7 percent.
    The proposed tax rate has two components. The operating tax rate is $6.96 per $1,000 value while the debt service rate is 25 cents per $1,000 value.
    Tax rates had to be set by the end of July for the county property appraiser to mail notices in mid-August to every property owner. The notices cover assessed values and proposed tax rates. The rates can be lowered but not raised during the city’s budget hearings in September, Cooper said.
    At the July 12 commission meeting, Mayor Cary Glickstein asked whether the city can afford the reduction when he quizzed the city’s financial officer: “Are we going to regret setting that number?”
    No, said Jack Warner, chief financial officer.
    Most of the city’s property value increase occurred in the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency district that covers more than 1,900 acres from the interstate to the beach. The CRA, which gets a percentage of the city tax dollars over a base rate set in 1995, and the city have their spending goals closely aligned.
    As an example, the CRA will pay for two new officers downtown in the next budget year to allow 24/7 coverage of that district. The CRA estimated that cost to be $188,625 for salaries and benefits.
    The city would pay for two additional police officers and eight fire-rescue employees in next year’s budget.
    The city also is relying on the CRA to pay for the improvements at Old School Square, estimated to cost $1.1 million. The repairs should be finished by December.

By Jane Smith

    With $275,000 in hand from the Florida Legislature, Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg led the first meetings of the Sober Homes Task Force in mid-July at the West Palm Beach police station’s community room.
    His chief assistant, Al Johnson, had spent the past three months assembling the group that includes elected officials, industry workers and advocates, prosecutors, fire-rescue workers and town attorneys.
    At the second session, held two days later, nearly half had connections to South County coastal cities. At this meeting Aronberg gave each task force member a business card with a toll-free hotline (844-324-5463) for the public to report questionable business practices of recovery industry providers.
    The task force goal is finding ways to clean up the sober home industry by the end of the year. It will focus on four areas: regulation, clarifying laws, policies and marketing plans.
    “Lives are at risk,” Johnson said. “This is not about shutting down sober homes or recovery residences. But it’s about protecting the vulnerable patients.”
    He rattled off overdose data for Delray Beach. For all of 2015, the city had 195 heroin overdoses compared with the first six months of this year, when the city recorded 242 overdoses from heroin.
    Justin Chapman, a prosecutor with the Southwest Florida State Attorney’s Office, was hired to run the task force. He talked about stopping rogue treatment centers from giving kickbacks to sober homes to get patients on the centers’ treatment plan and run up insurance bills.
    Ted Padich, formerly with the state Division of Insurance, is another new hire. Both also will be involved with the law enforcement group of the task force.
    Rogue providers will find the loopholes, said Suzanne Spencer, executive director of the Delray Beach Drug Task Force. She encouraged strong enforcement of the rules.
    Former Delray Beach City Commissioner Adam Frankel said he was from the “rehab capital of the world where not a day goes by when you don’t see a kid lugging a suitcase down the street,” indicating the person was just evicted from a sober home. He wants to see a no-nonsense approach to clean up the recovery industry.
    Boca Raton City Councilman Scott Singer simply asked for help maintaining the quality of life in his city’s communities.
    Most agreed that stronger regulations are needed for treatment centers because the Department of Children and Families does not have the money to do it adequately. The task force will look at whether the state’s Agency for Health Care Administration is more suited to do the job because it licenses health care facilities.
    Sober homes, though, can’t be regulated because of federal housing and disability laws. Recovering drug and alcohol users who live together while maintaining sobriety are considered a family and a protected class.
    The voluntary certification provided by the Florida Association of Recovery Residences has fallen behind, even though providers pay a fee to be certified. The certification just became mandatory July 1 for state-licensed treatment centers that send their patients to sober homes.
    Treatment centers can bypass the law by opening their own recovery residences or patients can choose on their own to live in a noncertified place, said a DCF spokeswoman.
    Some attendees, including Andrew Burki who heads the Life of Purpose Treatment at Florida Atlantic University, said third-party brokers are a major problem. He thinks the task force needs to define “brokering” so that the law is better enforced.
    “We can’t prosecute our way out of a systematic problem,” Johnson said. “Once the lights go out, the roaches come back out.”
    George Jahn, who runs Sober Living in Delray Beach, said brokering was a criminal enterprise. “People doing it are in it for the money, not the heart,” he said.
    A county fire-rescue employee, Matt Willhite, suggested that standards need to be written for who can run a sober home, its capacity and the type of care given.
    Johnson said he’d like “to stop the commerce between recovery residences and marketing providers, the flop houses who give heroin to vulnerable addicts to get them back into rehab.”
    The task force has a schedule that calls for two meetings each month through June. The public meetings are held at the West Palm Beach police station. The law enforcement group meetings are closed to the public.

By Steven J. Smith

    A very big 2016 election year offers candidates at nearly every level, and the Aug. 30 primary ballot promises some hot races.
    At the federal level, candidates will vie for seats in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.
    For U.S. senator, the Republicans will pit Marco Rubio against Carlos Beruff, Ernie Rivera and Dwight Mark Anthony Young, while Democratic candidates Roque “Rocky” De La Fuente, Alan Grayson, Pam Keith, Reginald Luster and Patrick Murphy all vie for their party’s slot. Augustus Invictus and Paul Stanton will run as Libertarian Party candidates.
    U.S. congressional candidates include Republicans Carl J. Domino, Mark Freeman, Rick Kozell, Brian Mast, Rebecca Negron and Noelle Nikpour, and Democrats Jonathan Chane, Randy Perkins and John “Juan” Xuna.
    At the state Senate level, District 29 will see Democrats Mindy Koch and Kevin Rader face off. Democrats Bobby Powell and Michael Steinger will compete for District 30 and District 31 will be decided among Democrats Jeff Clemens, Emmanuel G. Morel and Irving “Irv” Slosberg.
    State House races are as follows: for District 85, Republicans Rick Roth and Andrew Watt; District 86, Republicans Laurel S. Bennett and Stuart W. Mears; District 86, Democrats Tinu Pena and Matt Willhite; District 87, Democrats Darren James Ayoub, Virginia Savietto and David Silvers; District 88, Democrats Edwin Ferguson, Angie Gray and Al Jacquet; and District 91, Democrats Kelly Skidmore and Emily Slosberg.
    Other state offices include Republican state committeeman and Groups 1 and 4 in the Fifteenth Judicial Circuit.
    A constitutional amendment is also on the ballot, which would “authorize the Legislature, by general law, to exempt from taxation the value of solar or renewable energy source devices.”
    In Palm Beach County, primary races will take place for county court judge, county commissioner, School Board members, sheriff, property appraiser and supervisor of elections, special taxing districts and committeeman/committeewoman officers in 12 precincts.
    Early voting for the primary election runs Aug. 15-28. Early voting sites will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Voters must bring a current picture/signature ID.
    The deadline to request a vote-by-mail ballot is Aug. 24. All vote-by-mail ballots must be received at the Supervisor of Elections main office (at 240 S. Military Trail, West Palm Beach, FL 33415) by 7 p.m. on Election Day.
    For a list of the 15 early voting locations, contact the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office at 656-6200, or by email at mailbox@pbcelections.org. Or log on to www.pbcelections.org.

By Jane Smith

    The feds may be coming to the rescue of South County coastal cities beleaguered by the proliferation of sober homes.
Their chief ally is U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel.
     In mid-July, she met with one of the original authors of the Americans with Disabilities Act and the 1988 law that added disability status to the Fair Housing Act. Recovering drug users living as a family while maintaining their sobriety are considered a disabled class that is protected under federal law.
     The law’s author suggested that Frankel reach out to individuals in the disability rights community to help make the case that “over-concentration of sober homes creates de facto segregation and violates the long-standing principles of integrating disabled individuals into the community,” according to Frankel’s July 15 letter.
     Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie appreciates Frankel’s efforts. “She really is attacking this on all levels. It’s really a federal issue,” Haynie said. “We tried on the local level and failed. Statewide, the voluntary certification is a step in the right direction. But the rubber meets the road on the federal level.”
     In addition, Frankel and 16 congressional colleagues sent a letter in early July to the U.S. Government Accountability Office asking for help in determining the number of sober homes nationally, statewide and locally.
     The letter also asks the GAO to determine the regulations that cover sober homes, the range of services they provide and their roles in Medicaid and other federal insurance programs for drug and alcohol abuse.
     “There is so much that we don’t know about sober homes,” said Frankel, a Democrat, who persuaded eight Republican representatives to sign the letter. “Parents who send their kids to sober homes to recover from addiction don’t know if they are effective. When problems arise, local governments do not know how to regulate and address community concerns.”
     Delray Beach Mayor Cary Glickstein marveled at the coast-to-coast support for the sober homes issue. “It illustrates that we are getting national support from both sides of the aisle and reiterates (that sober home proliferation is) not a parochial problem,” he said. “If there ever was a bipartisan issue, (this) is one.”
     The city’s public safety departments spend an increasing amount of time responding to overdose calls. In the first six months of 2016, Delray Beach saw 242 overdose calls from heroin alone, compared with 195 heroin overdose calls in 2015.
     Frankel’s letter follows one sent by Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in early June to the GAO. Warren had two Republican co-signers: Sens.Marco Rubio of Florida and Orrin Hatch of Utah.
     Warren’s office publicist said the office would let her letter speak for itself. A call to Rubio’s office was not returned.
     The GAO said it has accepted the requests, “but the work is not expected to get underway until late this year. Once it begins, the first steps will be to determine the exact scope of what we will cover and the methodology to be used.”
     Boynton Beach Mayor Steven Grant said his city would not wait until the feds can act. The city will proceed with its local business certification program to identify all home-based businesses and ensure the city is collecting the appropriate tax from the business.
     Meanwhile, Haynie and Glickstein are waiting for the joint statement promised by Frankel after attending a sober homes forum in May. Before the forum, Frankel and an assistant HUD secretary toured sober home locations in Delray Beach. They saw luggage, clothing and furniture on front lawns, indicating evictions.
     The assistant secretary was shocked and said he would go back to Washington and secure a joint statement from HUD and Department of Justice lawyers that cities could use as a basis for local regulations.
     In her mid-July update, Frankel said, “The agencies have assured us that they are working hard to release the new joint statement in the near future, possibly as soon as August.”

Former world-class tennis player Wendy Overton now lives in Gulf Stream

and sells real estate out of Delray Beach.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

    The popularity of tennis in the ’70s and ’80s was such that many of its stars were recognized by their first names: Chrissie, Martina and Billie Jean were among those whose surnames seemed an afterthought.
    Not far behind was a Wendy — to be precise, Wendy Overton, who rose to as high as No. 4 in the U.S. and No. 10 in the world, and since has climbed high in the ranks of the south Palm Beach County real estate market.
    A top seller with Corcoran Realty of Delray Beach, Overton is not far from amassing 30 years while ringing up hundreds of sales — a good number of which involve properties east of the Intracoastal.
    “I have to admit I’m a bit of a workaholic,” she said, “but that’s in my makeup.”
    Overton is among a select group of former players to whom every tennis professional in the world today owes a debt of gratitude. There was no women’s tennis tour when she graduated cum laude from Rollins College in Winter Park in 1969. She was one of a handful of top players — a group that included Billie Jean King and Rosie Casals — who planted the seeds for the Women’s Tennis Association at a meeting at a hotel in London just before the Wimbledon tournament was held in 1973.
    “All the women who were entered (in Wimbledon) were there,” recalled Overton, 69. “We met in an auditorium, and Billie Jean was up on the stage, and she said to Betty Stove, from the Netherlands, ‘Lock the door. Anybody who wants to leave can leave, but nobody else is coming in.’
    “That’s when we founded the Tour.”
    After spending nine years as a touring pro, Overton spent 10 as director of tennis at Hunters Run in Boynton Beach, where the tennis program had five members when she joined and about 6,000 when she left.
    When Hunters Run built a stadium court, members chose to name it after her.
    She also has accomplished much since leaving tennis for business, becoming a founder and director of Women’s Sports Legends, a sports marketing enterprise, and becoming a member-elect of Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities.
    She currently sits on the committee of the Bethesda Pro-Am Golf Tournament and has given time to the Caring Kitchen, the Delray Beach Historical Society and the Achievement Center for Children and Families.
 — 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 Ormond Beach and started playing tennis at age 7. My first tournament was a state event in Jacksonville, and I went on to win the state championships in the 14-, 15-, 16-, 17- and 18-and-under age groups. Winning state championships qualified me for nationals, and I reached the semifinals in singles in nationals and won the doubles on grass courts in Philadelphia.
    All those experiences helped my maturity process a great deal, but I went to Rollins on an academic scholarship, not an athletic scholarship, because Title IX hadn’t been passed yet and there was no such thing as athletic scholarships for women.
    Our team at Rollins was very good; I played No. 1 singles throughout my four years there and we did well on the national level. I was getting to know people from around the country in tennis and forged relationships that I still have today.

    Q: Tell us about your tennis career and how it helped shape the person you have become.
    A: Two years after I came out of Rollins about 12 to 15 of us — led by Billie Jean King, Rosie Casals, Virginia Wade from England, Francoise Durr of France — decided to start the Women’s Tennis Association. The USTA, which actually was the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association at the time, told us not to do it, but we still did it.
    We had a board of directors and I was on the first one. I had a very bad temperament on court, so they made me chairwoman of the disciplinary committee. But going through that whole experience taught me a lot about standing up for what you believe in and remaining on course to get things done.
    My nine years as a touring player gave me great experiences. One of my biggest victories was beating Billie Jean at the Virginia Slims of Jacksonville in the semifinals. I don’t even recall who I played in the finals.
    
    Q: Any special memories from Wimbledon or the U.S. Open?
    A: Some of my best Wimbledon memories were made representing the U.S. in the Wightman Cup matches there against England.
    The U.S. Open is a much bigger event for me. We would stay in New York and ride out in limos.  I made it to the final eight one year, which gives me tickets for life for the final eight, food included. I won the U.S. Open Seniors doubles championship with Rosie Casals in 1987 and in 1997 with Anne Smith from Texas.

    Q: How did you choose to make your home in Gulf Stream?
    A: I always wanted to live there, so when I was teaching at Hunters Run, I had a house in the Hamlet in Delray Beach, and if it would rain I would get in my car and drive through Gulf Stream. There was one little area close to Gulf Stream Bath & Tennis that I really liked; it was called Driftwood Landing, right behind the B & T. There were only about 12 houses back there. So I would always go to that same area, and one time I was driving and noticed a “for sale” sign. There was a guy there washing his dog, and he was the guy who cut my hair.
    I said, “Art, is this your house?” He said, “Yeah, don’t you remember, we bought this place.” I said, “Well, you just finished it.” And he said, “Well, we’re pregnant, and we don’t want to have a baby living so close to the water.” So I asked to come in and look at it and bought it a month later, and I’ve been there 36 years.
I’ve done a lot of work on it over the years. I lost my roof in (Hurricane) Wilma, but put on a third bedroom and third bath, and had to put in a new septic system. I have a home generator.
    Everything has been updated. The kitchen has been redone three times; the bathrooms have been redone. It’s just a great house: pool, dock, 100 feet on the Intracoastal. There are only 12 or 14 homes back there. It’s only nine blocks to Atlantic Avenue, so I walk that every day.
    Q: What is your favorite part about living in Gulf Stream?
    A: It’s a tiny town, a township. We have our own Gulf Stream hall, where we vote, our own police station. It’s just small, which is good. Private. Very private.
    I had a meeting at my house of tennis legends back in the early ’80s and everybody showed up: Billie Jean, Martina Navratilova, Pam Shriver, maybe 17 or 18 of us.
My driveway was full and Martina was driving a Porsche and she pulled it up on my neighbor’s yard. So he called the police, but then he came over, knocked on the door and said, “OK, whose Porsche is this?”
    I said, “I think it’s Martina Navratilova’s.” He said, “Who?” So he’s looking in the living room and there’s Martina, Tracy Austin, all these great players, and he couldn’t believe it. Those were good times.

    Q: Who has been your mentor?
    A: My father, without question. He introduced me to the game and, even though he and my mom split up when I was young, he used to come to all my events. And every time he came I lost. So I said, “Dad, don’t show up, OK?”
    So I was playing in the 18-and-under grass court championships in Philadelphia, in the semifinals, and I looked over and behind a tree, way over there, was my father. I saw him. So I lost, and I knew he had a two-hour drive home, so I waited and called him then. I said, “Hey, Dad, where were you today? Because I saw you behind that tree.” But I got over that and started winning when he came. I looked up to him.
    As far as in the game, Doris Hart, who used to be director of tennis at a club down around Lighthouse Point, helped me a lot. I knew her for years and we became good friends.

    Q: What influence has your success in tennis had in your real estate career?
    A: I’d say almost all of my clients know what I accomplished in tennis. It gave me wonderful connections and friends I still have to this day. Jeanne Evert Dubin has been my best friend going back 48 years, and I’ve sold 11 houses to the Evert family.
A few years back I got the listing for Greg Norman’s house in Jupiter, largely through Chris Evert at the time they were together. But it was overpriced and didn’t sell.

    Q: What book are you reading now?
    A: Killing Lincoln, by Bill O’Reilly. I majored in history and public affairs in college and have always had a love for history. I feel like Lincoln was a great president, and his term came at a hard time.

    Q: Is there a quote that inspires you?
    A: “Go for it,” by Billie Jean King. When she played Bobby Riggs in Houston (in 1973), she was also in a tournament prior to that match. So we said, “Billie Jean, you’ve got a lot riding on this match. Don’t blow it by playing in a tournament. You’re going to get tired.” She said, “Don’t worry. Go for it!” She was great and she killed him.

    Q: Who would play you in a movie?
    A: Candice Bergen. She’s about my age and I always liked her in that sitcom Murphy Brown. She has a great sense of humor.

    DELRAY BEACH — Kenneth Michael Van Arnem Sr., 65, of Delray Beach (formerly of Detroit) passed away on July 18.
    Mr. Van Arnem, an early pioneer in the computing industry, attended the University of Detroit and served in the Army from 1970 to 1971 during the Vietnam War.  After being awarded the Bronze Star for bravery, Mr. Van Arnem created and ran the Gulf Coast RV Park.  
    Mr. Van Arnem went on to hold key positions with such companies as Cybergate, the first ISP provider in Florida, Honeywell and ACTS Computing in Detroit, Universal Computer Leasing in Wiesbaden, Germany, and Total E networking in Paris and London.  In the late ’70s and early ’80s, Mr. Van Arnem was the vice president of operations for the Detroit Express soccer team, and was also a partner in Van Arnem Racing, SCCA and IMSA GT production road racing.
    Mr. Van Arnem returned to South Florida in 1989 with Finalco and then Gemini Leasing in Boca Raton.  In the early 2000s, he became involved with real estate development in South Florida with his brother, and spearheaded such projects as the Casa Bonita condo development, 55 Town Square and Santa Fe Suites.
    Mr. Van Arnem is survived by his children Kerri (Colorado Springs, Colo.), Kassandra (Detroit) and Ken Jr. (Walled Lake, Mich.); grandchildren Devin and Alexis; siblings Nancy (Birmingham, Mich.) and Harold (Ocean Ridge); longtime partner Victoria Spungin; and his service dog, Madam.
    Burial with military honors was held July 22 at the South Florida National Cemetery in Lake Worth. A reception followed at the American Legion Milton Myers Post 65 in Delray Beach.
    In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Assistance Dogs International or Milton Myers Post 65.
    Please visit www.LorneandSons.com to sign the online guestbook and share condolences.

— Obituary submitted by the family

By Emily J. Minor

    SOUTH PALM BEACH — Antigone Diane Potonides, a seemingly shy woman with a penchant for outspokenness who delayed her own dreams before launching a career teaching English, died in her sleep at a local nursing home July 2. She was 87.
    Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., the daughter of Michael and Mary Koconas, Mrs. Potonides was 8 years old when the family moved back to Cyprus for her father’s health. She returned to the States when she was barely 19 years old. Within the year, she had married Homer Potonides, a man she’d met at school in Cyprus.
    In the early years of their marriage, Mrs. Potonides worked at the local telephone company in New York, helping to put her husband through college. Homer Potonides, who preceded her in death, would go on to become an accomplished aeronautical engineer, holding many patents and working on high-level rocket ships, said the couple’s daughter, Mary Ann Babnis.
    After Mr. Potonides’ career was off and running, and after the couple had had their two children, Mrs. Potonides finally began her college studies.
    Mrs. Potonides earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Hofstra University, and then a master’s degree in English from Queens College. She also studied abroad one summer at Cambridge University and another summer at Oxford.
    Eventually, she taught English in Massapequa, N.Y., for 22 years.
    Mary Ann Babnis remembers her mother as quiet — certainly more quiet than their outgoing father. But she was also full of convictions and would very often “write letters about things she was passionate about,” her daughter said. She felt deeply about certain social issues and worked hard to “better the world for others,” Babnis said.
    “She wasn’t very outgoing, and the last 10 here she was very quiet,” Babnis said. “But she was accomplished, and she cared deeply about certain things.”
    Among those passions was her work with Daughters of Penelope, Senior Club at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, West Palm Beach, and the Philoptochos Society, which means “Friend of the Poor.”
    Babnis said some of her mother’s volunteer work went mostly unnoticed during her and her brother’s childhood years.
 “She was named Penelope of the Year one year,” she said, “and some of this I didn’t even know until I started digging through some papers and things.”
    But quiet or not, Mrs. Potonides apparently loved learning. After the couple had moved to South Palm Beach for good in 2002, she continued taking courses with the Lifelong Learning Society at Florida Atlantic University, her daughter said. Mrs. Potonides also loved music, lectures and travel. And she loved the ocean view from their condo.
    Mrs. Potonides was buried July 11 at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery in Royal Palm Beach. Memorial gifts can be made to the church choir at St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church, 110 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33405; or the Alzheimer’s Association, Southeast Florida Chapter, 3333 Forest Hill Blvd., West Palm Beach, FL 33406.
    Besides her daughter, survivors include the couple’s son, Roy Potonides, and a granddaughter, Christina Diane Babnis.

By Rich Pollack

    A popular beachfront pavilion in Delray Beach that was destroyed in what has been described as a suspicious fire will be rebuilt, but when it will reopen and how much it will cost the city to rebuild it are yet to be determined.
    Delray Beach firefighters were called to Atlantic Dunes Park, just north of Linton Boulevard on State Road A1A, at about 3 a.m. on June 28 and discovered the large pavilion engulfed in flames.
    Parks and Recreation Director Suzanne Fisher said firefighters were unable to save the pavilion, which collapsed under the heat.
    The city plans to rebuild the wooden structure, Fisher said, but is waiting for information from the insurance company before determining when a new pavilion will be built.
    “It’s really a gem on Delray Beach,” she said. “It serves such a need.”
    Built in 1977, the pavilion was popular with beachgoers, families and others celebrating weddings or family reunions, as well as with visitors who stopped by on a regular basis in the early morning to take in the surroundings.
    The city’s only large shelter available for rental on the east side of State Road A1A — just a flight of stairs from the beach — the pavilion brought revenue into the city with rentals costing $110 for two hours and $200 for four hours.
    “It was very heavily used,” Fisher said.
    As a result of the fire, the city was forced to cancel a number of bookings and offer refunds.
    The fire also resulted in the closing of the park because of safety concerns, but Fisher said city crews did an outstanding job of clearing and opening the site in time for visitors to watch the July Fourth fireworks from the beach.
    The fire at the pavilion was one of three set that same morning, and fire officials have classified the other two — both not nearly as extensive as the one at Atlantic Dunes — as suspicious.
    The Atlantic Dunes fire was investigated by the city and the state Fire Marshal’s Office but the cause remains listed as undetermined.
    “It will remain that way until a tip is received,” Delray Beach Fire Rescue Capt. Kevin Saxton said, adding that anyone with information should contact Delray Beach police or Delray Beach Fire Rescue.

Lisa and Chris Ruth have expanded their FirstLight Home Care franchise to include a location in Broward County.

Photo provided

By Christine Davis

    A move from Manhattan to Gulf Stream two years ago marked the start of a new business venture for Lisa and Chris Ruth. They opened nonmedical homecare franchises, FirstLight Home Care of the Gulf Coast and FirstLight Home Care of the Palm Beaches.
    This year, they opened a third location in Deerfield Beach to serve communities south of Palm Beach County, and they now employ 150 caregivers.
    The business answers a community need — providing home care for people, mainly seniors, who require assistance to stay at home.
    Good caregivers are crucial.
    “Both of us had grandparents with Alzheimer’s,” Chris says. “We’ve seen good and not so good caregivers, and we are always looking for great caregivers to provide exceptional care, and it’s satisfying to see the difference they make in our clients’ lives.”
    Their business services run the gamut from offering a bit of respite to family caregivers by taking over driving or grocery shopping to advanced care for clients who have suffered strokes and need mobility assistance, for example.
    “Our typical clients are the adult children with kids of their own, who are worried about their parents,” Chris says. “These seniors are at home or in some sort of facility, and their adult children want to get their parents more help.”
    When choosing employees, the Ruths carry out background checks and drug testing. They ensure licensing, insurance and bonding. They provide special training when necessary.
    The couple decided to get into the home care business after moving to Gulf Stream. They have two children, 7 and 10, and chose to live in the coastal town because of the schools, Chris says.
    “We made that decision first and then answered, ‘What should Lisa and I do?’ ” Chris says.
    A venture capital investor, Chris had started Halyard Capital, investing in media communication and business services, before owning and running Northern Gulf Partners, a business focused on redevelopment opportunities in Iraq. Lisa ran leadership development for Raytheon before the two married.
    So, they have finance and human resources covered, and after catching up with an associate, Bernard Markey, now director of FirstLight Home Care, they settled upon their niche.
    What sets them apart is their hands-on attitude, according to Chris.
    “We focus on quality. We have an online portal, for instance, that allows our clients to review caretakers’ daily notes. For employees working hourly, they call an 800 number from the client’s phone. It’s like a punch card. We know when caretakers arrive and, if they’re late, within three minutes we’re calling to make sure everything is OK.
    “We have a very personalized custom approach. I’m often the one going out meeting with the clients to get a sense of what kind of caretaker would be the best fit. That’s pretty distinctive.”
    Costs depend on the level of care, from $75 a visit on up, but sometimes clients don’t realize that some financial help is available.
    “Here’s one of my favorite stories,” Chris says. “The daughter, in her early 70s, was the primary caretaker for her dad, a highly decorated World War II vet who was in a wheelchair.
    “And when she got sick with breast cancer, his situation was put in real jeopardy. The Military Order of the Purple Heart got in touch with us and we were able to get him services through the Veterans Administration.
    “That paid for a significant portion of his care, enough to keep him safe at home while his daughter was going through her own chemo treatments. When we started out, even before the VA committed, I said we were going to help if it didn’t work out. And it did work out and transformed their lives. We love helping people like that.”
    For more information, visit http://www.firstlighthomecare.com/home-healthcare-palmbeach-jupiter/

or call 271-4644.

By Jane Smith

    Delray Beach won’t have to pay more than $25 million in damages to the developers of the stalled Atlantic Crossing project after a federal judge dismissed the case and sent the remaining seven claims back to state court.
    “I’m very pleased with the court’s ruling, which dismissed all federal claims against the city,” said Mayor Cary Glickstein. “As it stands, the ruling eliminates the possibility of any federal court damage award against the city, which was the thrust of their case.”
    The remaining state court claims don’t seek monetary damages, he said.
    The mayor’s deposition, one of 16 allowed in June, never took place. “It was only required in connection with the federal court claims, which have all been dismissed,” he said. “I presume my deposition would not occur unless the state court deems it necessary.”
    The proposed Atlantic Crossing project sits at the main intersection in the city’s downtown — the northeast corner of North Federal Highway and East Atlantic Avenue. The 9.2-acre development lies just west of the Intracoastal Waterway with the city’s Veterans Park in between.
    When finished, Atlantic Crossing will contain 343 luxury condos and apartments plus 39,394 square feet of restaurants, 37,642 square feet of shops and 83,462 square feet of office space.
    The $200 million project was proposed by a partnership between Ohio-based Edwards Cos. and Ocean Ridge resident Carl DeSantis. Edwards bought DeSantis’ share in June for $38.5 million. But both would have shared in the proceeds if the federal case had been decided in favor of the developers.
    “We are reviewing our legal options to move Atlantic Crossing forward and secure our property rights,” said Don DeVere, vice president of the Edwards Cos.
    Atlantic Crossing began in 2008 as Atlantic Plaza II before the recession. Fast forward five years, Edwards was brought into the project, which was renamed Atlantic Crossing.
    The development team sued Delray Beach in June 2015, claiming the city has not certified its site plan that was approved in November 2013 and affirmed by a previous City Commission in January 2014. Last October, the lawsuit was moved to federal court.
    In April, while the federal lawsuit was on hold, the City Commission rejected the project’s modified site plan that added a driveway and redesigned the valet area into a circular path from a horseshoe-shaped version. The plan also called for improved contrast for the two loading docks and a pedestrian crosswalk moved north in the project to improve its safety.
    The changes, though, were not enough to satisfy two Delray Beach commissioners and the mayor. They want a real street with sidewalks and bike lanes instead of a driveway and extra turning space so that vehicles can leave the underground garage safely.
    The ownership of two alleys and NE Seventh Avenue is in dispute. Both are needed to complete the project, the development team and the city agree. As recently as July 12, city commissioners agreed to ask for the return of the alleys and street.
    The development team had amended its federal complaint four times in less than 1 year. Federal Judge Donald Middlebrooks dismissed the two federal counts on July 25.
    The Florida Coalition for Preservation lauded that decision as a “victory for the commission and the people of Delray Beach.”
    The grass-roots coalition for responsible development also said in a statement that the developers’ attorneys “attempted to overwhelm private citizens (including the coalition) for both public and private communications about the project.”
    The coalition recommends that the litigation be dropped and the time be spent on making Atlantic Crossing work better.

After years of discussion, planning and anticipation for the project, shovels finally hit the dirt

during the July 20 groundbreaking ceremony for the 4,700-square-foot U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility

at the Boca Raton Airport. The $4.3 million customs station is expected to add convenience and safety

for planes returning to Boca Raton after international flights. Currently, those aircraft are required

to make an interim landing at a nearby airport with a customs facility – often Palm Beach International

Airport or Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport ­– before returning to Boca Raton. The reduction

in the number of takeoffs and landings will decrease fuel consumption,

Airport Authority Executive Director Clara Bennett said.

ABOVE: Atlantic Aviation managers Linda Hernandez, Richard Thacker, Devin Lawrence

and Azra Thomas join Bennett at the groundbreaking. BELOW: Jennifer Connors,

U.S. Customs and Border Protection port director, predicts improved service to the community.

A rendering of the new facility planned to open in the summer of 2017.

Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Jane Smith

   Artists, videographers and other creative types can look forward to the June opening of the Arts Warehouse, after Hatcher Construction & Development won the bid to convert the vacant building into an arts incubator.

   The Delray Beach Community Redevelopment Agency paid $1.1 million in 2010 for the 15,000-square-foot warehouse in Pineapple Grove. The CRA had planned turn it a space into a building where artists and businesses can work side by side.

   Hatcher, of Delray Beach, was one of three contractors who responded to the CRA’s request for proposals earlier this year.

   Hatcher with partner D. Stephenson Construction Inc., of Delray Beach, bid $2.2 million. West Construction of Lake Worth bid $2.1 million. Emerald Construction Corp., of Dania Beach, bid $2.5 million.

   CRA Assistant Director Thuy Shutt said all three bids had irregularities. Hatcher’s insurer didn’t like the language required in the performance bond, but the company’s owner, William Hatcher, said the bond would be provided.

   Hatcher, which does not have experience with construction projects over $2 million, as the CRA requires, entered into a consulting agreement with D. Stephenson to use its list of projects. “I do feel that putting that language in there puts a limit on the opportunities for contractors to step up,” he told the CRA board on July 12.

   He also said, “West is a fine contractor. I feel we both are qualified.”

   Matthew West, vice president of West Construction, said his firm’s bid was $135,000 lower and should be picked. He gave the CRA his list of the subcontractors and value of work performed, saying his firm would do 46 percent of the project itself.

   Both West and Emerald were deemed nonresponsive for not providing the subcontractors’ list.

   Hatcher’s bid had two faults, West said. The company put qualifications on the bond and it hasn’t done any projects over $2 million. “Those two issues are larger than our failure to submit the list of the subs and the amount of the work we would do ourselves,” he said.

   Even so, the CRA board members voted 5-2 in favor of Hatcher’s firm, with Cathy Balestriere and Paul Zacks voting no.

   Construction will start Oct. 1, Shutt said.

   The CRA’s request for bids to manage the Arts Warehouse received only one response, Shutt said. The company, Institute for Civic Achievement Inc. run by Tom Fleming, did not have enough of a track record to be judged, she said.

   The CRA board decided to allow staff more time to talk with similar arts organizations about how they draft such proposals and report back in 90 days.

   In other CRA news, the City Commission selected Reggie Cox to continue as chairman of its CRA board and Joseph Bernadel as the agency vice chairman for another year.

By Christine Davis

According to the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches June report, Palm Beach County’s median home price in June was $320,000, compared with $284,500 in January, but, the report noted, median home prices are historically high around June and low around January. Last year in June the median home price was $303,000. During the same time frame, the county’s non-foreclosure/non-short sale inventory has remained constant.
    Causing fluctuations in the median home price numbers is the rising price of foreclosure/short sale inventory.  In this segment of the market, while the number of foreclosure and short-sale homes sold has decreased to almost half (45 percent for foreclosures and 48 percent for short sales), their median prices have risen, year-over-year. The median sales price for foreclosures has risen to $233,000, a 16.5 percent gain, and for short sales, it’s risen 23 percent and is now $270,000.
                                
    Real Trends released its list of 1,000 top-performing real estate agents as advertised in The Wall Street Journal, and a number of the agents named are connected to real estate transactions in The Coastal Star’s readership area.
    In the category of “individuals with highest total sales volume,” local realtors include:
No. 20 Christian Angle, Christian Angle Real Estate, Palm Beach ($210,239,844); No. 32, Paulette Koch, The Corcoran Group/NRT, Palm Beach $174,417,040); No. 36 David Roberts, Royal Palm Properties, Boca Raton ($172,731,689); No. 40 Jim McCann, The Corcoran Group/NRT, Palm Beach ($163,075,246); No. 110 Candace Friis, The Corcoran Group/NRT, Delray Beach ($105,452,000).
    In the category “teams with highest total sales volume,” local teams include: No. 145 D’Angelo/Liguori, Premier Estate Properties, Boca Raton ($126,687,000), No. 180 Pascal Liguori, Premier Estate Properties, Delray Beach ($81,190,000).
    In the category “individuals based on highest average sales price,” Jilly Cammisa, an agent with Premier Estate Properties, Delray Beach, was ranked No. 28, with $11,909,550.
    For teams in this category, Nicholas Malinosky and Randy Ely, agents with The Corcoran Group/NRT, Delray Beach, ranked No. 29, with $5,258,303.
                                
    The $51.5 million sale of TGM Oceana, a 160-unit complex at 2519 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton, was recorded on July 5. And while the previous sale is recorded as $14.5 million in 2010, don’t jump to the conclusion that those numbers represent a 255 percent gain.
    Here’s the back-story: According to 2008 newspaper articles, Chicago-based Laramar negotiated with Ocean Bank of Miami and NRW Development to complete a foreclosure on the property, which was approved by the court six months later at $70.13 million. At that time, it was estimated that Laramar paid somewhere around $35 million.
    The complex, originally built in the 1960s, was bought by NRW in 2006 with the intent to convert the units into condominiums. Plans went south within six months, and hence the foreclosure.
    After the dust settled, Laramar intended to sink money into the property — at about $40,000 per unit — keeping it as luxury rentals, and Laramar did complete a number of upgrades. The complex’s new owner, TMG Associates, plans to further renovate.
    Laramar Group was represented by Hampton Beebe, Avery Klann, Jonathan Senn, Dick Donnellan and Marc deBaptiste of ARA, a Newmark company.
    Situated on 4.7 acres, TGM Oceana has more than 100 feet of ocean frontage as well as a 10-slip marina on the Intracoastal Waterway. Only a handful of units are currently available. Prices start at $1,620 a month for a one-bedroom unit with 700 square feet. Three-bedroom units, with 1,500 square feet, start at $2,475.
                                
    Recorded June 27 by the Palm Beach County clerk’s office was the $5.23 million sale of the 2005 custom six-bedroom, 7,725-square-foot home at 3496 S. Ocean Blvd., South Palm Beach. The owner is listed as EFN Family Limited Partnership, with the warranty deed signed by general partners Edward F. and Katherine R. Napleton. The buyer was M. Rahat Faderani. Agents Jim McCann and Cameron Sydenham of the Corcoran Group represented both parties in the deal.
                                
    Caspian Delray, at 190 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, is a new mixed-use development with 146 rental apartments, developed by NCC Development Group in conjunction with Monogram Apartment Collection. Completion is slated for this fall.
    Four retail bays, ranging in size from 795 to 930 square feet and with 14-foot ceilings, are available through Roxanne Register of Katz & Associates. For pricing, call Register at 869-4346.
                                
    HCA East Florida, a division of Hospital Corporation of America, recently embarked on a major capital investment initiative to invest $650 million in health care facilities in Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and St. Lucie counties.
    As part of this initiative, JFK Medical Center in Atlantis will receive $108 million to add a new three-story building, expand its emergency room, complete renovations of patient units, and expand and upgrade its parking facilities.
                                
    Teresa “Terry” Fedele, a member of Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing advisory board since 2013, is now its chair. Formed in 2012, the advisory board leads the college’s advocacy and fundraising efforts, and recently assisted in the launch of its Lamplighter scholarship program, which provided half of the 2015-2016 freshmen with $500 scholarships.
                                
    For the fourth year in a row, Castle Connolly Medical Ltd. research firm noted that out of the county’s hospitals, Boca Raton Regional Hospital had the most primary-affiliated physicians. For a complete list of the hospital’s physicians who made the research firm’s “Top Doctors” list, visit castleconnolly.com. 
    In other news from the hospital, Melissa Durbin, its vice president and chief nursing officer, was elected to the board of two Florida nursing organizations. She is president of the South Florida Organization of Nurse Executives and secretary of the Nursing Consortium of South Florida.
                                
    Dr. Jeffrey Newman, a thoracic and cardiac surgeon, is the new medical director of the Comprehensive Atrial Fibrillation Institute at Delray Medical Center. The institute offers those living with an irregular heart rate a multidisciplinary approach that includes interventional cardiology, electrophysiology and cardiac surgery. 
    Other news: Geeta Karat, a registered nurse of Delray Medical Center’s Surgical Orthopedics Unit, received the Daisy Award, after being nominated by a patient, also a nurse, who described Karat as “very special, showing empathy, compassion and understanding.” The Daisy Award for Extraordinary Nurses was created by the Daisy Foundation, founded in memory of J. Patrick Barnes by his parents after they experienced the compassion and care of their son’s nurses.
                                
    On July 7, Boca Helping Hands, a charity with a food center that serves hot meals to its clients, named Whole Foods Market, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton, as a key partner for its donation of more than 500,000 pounds of food in the past five years. That adds up to 384,615 meals to local families.
                                
    Lang Realty recently donated $3,500 to the American Red Cross as part of its annual Open House Extravaganza 2016. More news from Lang: To make finding a home easier, LangRealty.com now offers search options for types of properties or communities under its search menu heading.
                                
    The Greater Boynton Beach Chamber of Commerce will present Candace Etzler with Comcast Spotlight speaking on “How to Reach Your Customer in a Multi-Screen World.” Part of its Lunch & Learn series, Etzler’s presentation is scheduled for Aug. 18 at noon at the chamber’s board room, 1880 N. Congress Ave., Suite 214, Boynton Beach. For information call 732-9501.
    Also, the chamber website has a fresh look after eight years, a new mobile-friendly www.boyntonbeach.org.  

                                
    Sarah Pearson, senior vice president of the Boca Chamber, graduated from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Institute for Organization Management program. Since 1921, the institute has educated chamber and nonprofit leaders on how to build stronger organizations and become strong business advocates.

                                
    In August, the Boca Chamber offers its Festival Days, with 28 events that connect its 100-plus nonprofit members with its for-profit community, as a show of support for their contribution toward improving the quality of life in Boca Raton.
    The Chamber and JM Lexus’ “Wine & All That Jazz,” the festival’s signature event, will feature a large variety of fine wines and food from some of Boca’s restaurants. Set for 7 to 10 p.m on Aug. 27, it will be held at the Boca Raton Resort and Club. A portion of the proceeds will support the efforts of the Chamber’s  Golden Bell Education Foundation. To register for this event, and to see more about other events, visit the Chamber’s website: www.bocachamber.com/events.

Keyes CEO Mike Pappas and Illustrated Properties Chairman Francis Fiske ‘Bud’ Adams Jr.

have merged their companies to form the largest independently owned real estate firm in the state.

Photo provided

                                
    On July 20, Keyes Co. and Illustrated Properties announced their merger. Combined, they form the largest independently owned real estate firm in Florida.
    Illustrated Properties dates to the 1930s, when F.F. “Bud” Adams Sr. began selling land in Hobe Sound and on Jupiter Island. Bud Adams Jr. moved to Palm Beach and founded Illustrated Properties along with Rodney Dillard.
    Keyes has remained independently owned and operated since its founding in 1926.
    In Palm Beach County, the companies have more than 1,100 sales associates and generate more than $6 billion in annual revenue from their real estate service lines. Both companies will operate under their existing brands and will maintain their management teams and employees.  
                                
    On June 30, at the 2016 Golden Bell Fundraiser, 300 people gathered at the Piñon Grill in Boca Raton to raise money for Boca Raton’s public schools and local educational programs. That night, Golden Bell and Inner Circle Executive Club raised more than $5,500.
    In addition to the Piñon fundraiser, the Boca Chamber’s Golden Bell Education Foundation announced that nearly $60,000 was granted to Boca Raton public schools and scholarship programs for the 2016-17 academic year. Looking ahead, applications are open for the 2016-17 Young Entrepreneurs Academy. Contact Jenna Reed at 395-4433, ext. 232, for information.
                               
    In June, Caffe Luna Rosa, at 34 S. Ocean Blvd. Delray Beach, donated $1,000 to Steve Weagle’s Ride for the Red Cross. Money raised for the ride is used to help educate local residents on preparing for the hurricane season.
                                
    For the fourth consecutive year, the city of Delray Beach’s Campaign for Grade Level Reading received $5,000 from Amtrust Bank to purchase books for the 2016 summer reading program.  This donation will provide reading material for local students at Title I schools.


    Mary G. Hart, executive director of the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County, accepted the position of executive director at Lantana-based Dress for Success Palm Beaches. She succeeds founder and CEO Diane Wilde. Also, Colleen Fitzgerald was promoted to director of operations.  

                                
    This month, two Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce presentations will be offered to the public. At 8 a.m. on Aug. 11, its Celebration of Education breakfast, featuring guest speakers Jeff Rubin, founder of It’Sugar candy store, and Kiwana Alexander-Prophete, Carver Middle School principal, will be held at the Delray Beach Golf Club on 2200 Highland Ave. Cost for nonmembers is $35. Also, its four-session Civic Engagement Training Program, geared toward residents interested in serving on boards or running for office, will be presented on Thursdays starting Aug. 18 at 6 p.m.  To apply, email advocacy@delraybeach.com.
    Other news from the Chamber: Joel Bouvier,  a financial services professional with New York Life Insurance, was selected as its Ambassador of the Month for June. Ambassadors serve as the greeting arm of the chamber to promote new member participation and retention.
                                
    Want to get her (or him) to say “yes” and are you planning to use Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa on your big day? Meet with the resort’s engagement specialist, Courtney Poston, through its new Ring Master concierge services and come up with a totally engaging proposal experience.
Matchless settings for the big question run the gamut from heart-racing snorkeling and skydiving encounters to laid-back luxurious fantasy yacht excursions. Then, following down the path to matrimonial bliss, the resort’s got the bride’s feet covered. Brides who spend more than $50,000 on their wedding package at the resort will receive a pair of wedding shoes of their choice, up to $800, from Neiman Marcus Palm Beach. Wedding experts Stacie Hallinan and Linsey Bruce “stand ready to assist the brides every step of the way,” said the resort’s public relations director, Nick Gold.

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

Brent Robinson picks up a can near a shopping cart he found filled with trash at Lake Wyman.

Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By April W. Klimley

    Bruce Hurley discovered something when he organized a cleanup day for the shore along Lake Wyman: Environmental stewardship can be challenging.
    “It’s my going-away present to Boca,” Hurley said before the cleanup, held July 16 on the west side of the Intracoastal Waterway, facing Gumbo Limbo nature preserve and backing onto Rutherford Park.
    He had long been planning a move to North Carolina with his son, Grayson, and wife, Mary Ellen, on Aug. 8. The cleanup idea stemmed from a wilderness adventure day he went on with Grayson over a month ago. They went deep into a wilderness pocket at Lake Wyman Park that Hurley had explored while he was in high school in Boca Raton.
    Today, the park is overgrown and the pathway into it is barely visible. When Hurley, 52, took his son through it, they had to traipse over uprooted trees, avoid natural booby traps and elude the abandoned boardwalk. They also saw a remarkable number of hermit and land crabs, spiders and birds, to the delight of Hurley’s son. But when they reached the shoreline, they were in for a big surprise.  
    “The only downside of our day was the shameful amount of garbage,” Hurley said. “We even found a shopping cart filled with garbage and junk.”

A cleanup crew discovered garbage strewn all over Lake Wyman Park’s little-used boardwalk.

    This debris marred the natural beauty of the shoreline, and Hurley was both incensed and inspired.
    He immediately decided to organize a Lake Wyman natural area cleanup — as his parting gift to the city and an exercise in environmental activism.
    Little did he know how much effort it would take. Just a few people came forward after his call to action — perhaps because the July heat was already in the high 90s in the morning.
    One dedicated soul was Brent Robinson, the owner of Robinson’s Nursery and Landscaping, who volunteered to get permits from four agencies so the cleanup could proceed.
    Robinson contacted the state Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Inland Navigation District, the Boca Raton Recreation Services Department and the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center. Gumbo Limbo provided the insurance release forms and cleanup equipment.  
    “Gumbo Limbo was very supportive,” said Robinson as he unloaded his truck. “They contributed garbage bags, grab-its and gloves. And they will pick up the garbage at the end of the day.”

Bruce Hurley (rear) and his son, Grayson, forge into the wooded area at Lake Wyman Park.

Hurley and nursery owner Brent Robinson organized a cleanup to collect trash from the park’s cluttered path and lagoon.

Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

    Robinson showed up early for the cleanup, accompanied by his young daughter. He joined Hurley, Grayson and Mary Ellen, plus another volunteer, Mahesh Neelakanta.
    Neelakanta had seen Hurley’s “call for action” on a Facebook page. He decided to participate because Lake Wyman Park’s wilderness is a place to go exploring with his young son, Tenzin.  
    “This is as close as you can come to a wooded area in Boca,” he said. “You have to get that area cleaned up so that parents can take their kids in and go exploring.”
    This small but dedicated group set out southward to find the overgrown entrance to the path. They struggled through the brush, finally reaching the shoreline of Lake Wyman, where they started bagging refuse in earnest. They found garbage ranging from bottles and beer cans to plastic bags and Styrofoam pieces. As they picked up more and more debris, the bags kept getting heavier and heavier.
    Mary Ellen Hurley and Neelakanta decided to turn around and walk out of the park with three large bags each. The rest of the group walked on. By the time they reached the central part of the shore and spied the end of the Rutherford Park boardwalk, they realized they had had enough.
    “We decided to leave some bags behind and come back later. They had just gotten too heavy for us to haul back,” said Bruce Hurley, as he emerged from the shore with his tired companions.
    Robinson offered to bring a crew in from his company to haul out the remaining bags in the next day or two into the parking lot.
    But Hurley wasn’t satisfied. “There is at least 30 bags’ worth of garbage still there to get, plus two shopping carts to haul out,” he said.  
    More debris had accumulated than Hurley remembered from a month ago. Some of it, such as the Styrofoam, seemed likely to have floated in from boats on the Intracoastal. But other items looked like they had come from people passing through and just leaving garbage behind.
    Not willing to give up, Hurley started calling upon friends and neighbors right away to join him for another possible excursion to finish the cleanup before his August departure. He was also determined to find someone with a boat to help haul away the bags and shopping carts.
    “But that won’t be the end of it,” Hurley said. “More garbage is bound to accumulate. The challenge will be to keep the place cleaned up. It’s a great piece of wilderness. I’m hoping people will go and visit it, and then come out carrying garbage bags with any refuse they find.”
    Hurley talks about his departure wistfully, even though he’s looking forward to settling in a new region after living in Boca Raton for 50 years. He recently wrote to friends online that, “My home is wherever my family is, but a big part of my heart will always belong to Boca.”

Countess Henrietta de Hoernle, 1912-2016

Countess Henrietta de Hoernle, shown last year, left her name

and her husband’s name on more than 40 buildings throughout Boca Raton.

Photo by Barbara McCormick

Philanthropist donated
millions to Boca causes

By Mary Thurwachter

    Difference-makers support causes large and small and wear a variety of hats. Some even come with tiaras.
    Henrietta, the Countess de Hoernle, known as The Countess, was one of them. She possessed a bedazzling collection of the ornamental crowns, some of which are on display at the Boca Raton Historical Society with more of the philanthropist’s memorabilia.
    The countess died July 22 at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. She was 103.
    With or without bejeweled head wear, the countess sparkled.
    “Her eyes were so animated when talking about her favorite causes,” said Boca Raton native Doug Mummaw, an architect and Rotary Club president who worked with the countess on various causes. “I always think of her as this dignified, caring individual, much like her friend Flossy Keesely, who died in January at 101. These were special people.”
    The countess and her late husband, Adolph, the Count de Hoernle, moved to Boca Raton in 1981. With their time and money, the couple supported numerous charities, including soup kitchens, hospitals, universities and historical preservation.

In 1985, the countess donated $500,000 to restore the train depot

as a gift to her husband, Count Adolph de Hoernle.

Photo provided by the Boca Raton Historical Society

    Their impact was transformational.
    Their names appear on more than 40 local buildings, including the Red Cross, YMCA, Museum of Art and The Railway Station. They donated an estimated $40 million to local organizations.
    “While volunteering at a hospital as a young woman, I marveled at buildings that carried the names of people who gave money for people they didn’t know,” the countess said during a 2012 Coastal Star interview. “I wanted to do the same one day. I felt it was my obligation.”
    And give she did. Over and over again.
    The de Hoernles’ commitment to local philanthropy was unequaled, as they lent their name and resources to numerous charities in Boca Raton and the surrounding area.
    After Adolph de Hoernle died in 1998, the countess pressed on with her philanthropic work. She was active in the Order of St. John of Jerusalem and Knights of Malta, and is holder of the Grand Cross, Dame Commander of Justice and Ambassador at Large. Four years ago, she became one of just three people in the world to receive the Order of St. John’s highest award, the Cross of Merit.
    She gave her time, too, and served on more than 30 charitable boards. Her motto: Give while you live so you know where it goes.

The countess gave to and enjoyed the arts, here at Lynn University

with friends Ruth McGoldrick (left) and Madelyn Savarick.

Photo by Barbara McCormick

    “Henrietta, Countess de Hoernle, was one of the most remarkable ladies I have had the pleasure of knowing,” said her friend Isabelle K. Paul, commander, Order of St. John of Jerusalem. “Right up to the end she was still thinking of her beloved order, whose mission is to take care of the sick and the poor. She was the most selfless person whose heart was bigger than the universe. She was truly a blessing not only to the order, but to thousands who she never knew or faces she never saw. But her legacy will go on.”
    Another friend and philanthropist, Alyce Erickson, said she especially appreciated the countess’ support of the arts and the building of the Mizner Park Amphitheater, the construction of state-of-the-art theaters for dance, literature, drama, musical theater and music, and her financial support to exceptional young artists.
    “Because of her philanthropy, lives have been changed, hungry people fed and clothed, countless buildings have been built, education promoted, plus making available the Lynn University bachelor’s and master’s online degree programs, construction of dormitories, student life centers, recreational centers, athletic facilities and parks for one and all,” Erickson said.
    Mary Csar, executive director of the Boca Raton Historical Society, said she misses the countess already. Csar said that when the count and countess made a $500,000 donation to restore the 1930 train depot in 1985, it was the largest gift ever made in the state for historic preservation.
    The countess told The Coastal Star for a 2012 story connected to her 100th birthday celebration that her husband wasn’t thrilled with the idea of supporting the train station renovation.
    “He said he could build a new one for less money, which he could, of course,” the countess said. “But it wasn’t about that. It was about preservation. So I did it and gave it [The Count de Hoernle Pavilion] as a present for his birthday.”

From the Black Forest
to Brooklyn
    The countess was born Sept. 24, 1912, in the German Black Forest town of Karlsruhe. Her parents, George and Theresa, were musicians. She moved to the United States in 1931 to live with her grandparents in Brooklyn, N.Y.
    She married the first of three German husbands, Karl Heinz Bisping, after meeting him at the Liederkranz Club, a Manhattan social club founded by German-Americans to promote social interaction and instrumental music.
    After Bisping died in an accident, the countess later married Jeff Gass, who died in 1949 from malaria he contracted while serving in the U.S. Army during World War II.
    In 1950, the countess married businessman and engineer Adolph, the Count de Hoernle. They met at a Liederkranz masquerade ball.
    The couple lived in Bronxville, N.Y., where the countess began volunteering at the Lawrence Hospital thrift shop.
    Adolph de Hoernle made his fortune manufacturing stamped metal products. After he sold his company in 1965, the couple traveled the world.
    They began using titles before moving to Florida, and there was some controversy about how they acquired them. In 1992, a story in The Boca Raton News accused the de Hoernles of buying their titles in 1981 for $20,000. The countess forcefully denied the claim and disinherited the city’s charities to the tune of $22 million.
    She had a change of heart after residents resolutely supported her, stuffing her mailbox with letters of gratitude. Fans wore orange buttons and carried posters that read “I love Countess de Hoernle.” She felt the love — and she returned her money to the Boca Raton charities.
    She claimed the Knights of Malta, a European chivalric order to which the de Hoernles belonged, let them know that her husband, through his family, had a legitimate claim on the title and encouraged the duo to start using the titles, Count and Countess de Hoernle.
    The countess continued to help others. It was her passion, after all.
    “Pittsburgh had the Carnegies; New York, the Rockefellers; Seattle, Bill and Melinda Gates. Boca Raton was fortunate to have the de Hoernles,” said County Commissioner and former Boca Raton Mayor Steven Abrams. “The countess changed the philanthropy scene here by donating to a lot of different causes, not just a few pet projects, and also always challenging others to contribute along with her. She was also known for volunteering for the charities she supported.”  
    Henrietta, the Countess de Hoernle is survived by two daughters, Carol (Richard) Wagman and Diana (Alan) Burgess; grandchildren, great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
    A funeral service will be held at 11 a.m. on Aug. 6 at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Public viewing and paying of respects will begin at St. Gregory’s at 9:30 a.m., before the funeral service.
    At her request, instead of flowers, family and friends are encouraged to make contributions to the Order of St. John of Jerusalem: Florida Commandery, c/o Commander Isabelle Paul, 1771 Sabal Palm, Boca Raton, FL 33432. Glick Family Funeral Home of Boca Raton handled funeral arrangements.

To read a Q&A with Countess de Hoernle on her 100th birthday, visit www.thecoastalstar.com.

The ocean in the Boca Inlet barely covers Paul Varian’s waist

because of sand accumulating.

Photo provided by Tony Coulter

By Steve Plunkett
    
    Boaters already watch out for snorkelers, rocks and paddleboarders in the Boca Raton Inlet. This summer they face a new danger: shoals in the middle of the channel.
    “The inlet is in real dire shape right now. At low tide it’s really a hazard getting out to the ocean,” said Tom Thayer, a boater and former member of the city’s marine advisory board.
    “You get out about a hundred yards past that jetty, and it has gotten very, very shallow, even almost impassable for smaller boats,” resident Lee Babey told the City Council at its July 26 meeting. “This summer I’ve really seen a lot of boats get stuck.”
    Capt. Tony Coulter, who lives in Boca Raton and runs the dive boat Diversity out of Deerfield Beach, said the sand was like an island.
    “Literally there’s an island out in the middle of this thing,” Coulter said. “You either have to cut real hard to the south and go straight down probably about four or five condos and then come back around to get away from the shoal, or cut to the north.”
    Both sides have their dangers, he said.
    “The problem with cutting to the south is there’s a group of rocks there that people put out there and there’s a whole bunch of kids snorkeling, there’s a whole bunch of boats out there, so you’ve got a choice — run over a snorkeler or go beach your boat on the sandbar,” he said.
    “Same thing on the north side — you’ve got the swimmers at the Boca Resort and Club, kayaks and paddleboards and all that stuff coming out.”
    Coulter asked that the city dredge what he called the southeast corner of the inlet to clear an alternate channel.
    “We’ve got commercial fishing boats that won’t use the inlet anymore because of the fact that it’s so shoaled up,” he said. “They’ll go down to Hillsboro or even go out of Boynton, which is even kind of worse when it comes to … being rough.”
    City Manager Leif Ahnell said his staff would look at options that could be undertaken in November as soon as turtle season ends.
    “We’re not permitted to do dredging now because of turtle season — they’re a federally protected species,” Ahnell said.

By Mary Hladky

    After months of effort, Boca Raton now has a stopgap policy intended to make its downtown more visually appealing.
    But a final policy won’t come for at least four more months as a city subcommittee studies the issue and makes additional recommendations on how developers should include open space in projects they submit to the city for approval.
    The City Council, sitting as the Community Redevelopment Agency board, approved the open space policy by a 5-0 vote on July 25.
    It pushes developers to include open space that can be easily seen by the public, usually at the front of buildings. But it is more flexible than an earlier proposal that would have required open space to be at the front of buildings.
    Local architects at a May meeting opposed the idea, complaining that it would limit their design creativity and would not let them count as open space attractive features such as interior courtyards.
    “It should be predominantly visible [to the public] and connect to the public realm,” CRA Chairman Scott Singer said of the policy’s open-space intentions.
    Commissioner Robert Weinroth sought and received assurances that the city was not opening privately owned open space, such as a condo swimming pool and deck, to the public.
    The intent of the policy is to improve the appearance of downtown by requiring that building projects have open space that residents and visitors can see as they walk or drive downtown, even if they don’t have access to it.
    The matter now goes to a subcommittee of the Downtown Boca Raton Advisory Committee, which will conduct a thorough review and recommend further refinements.
    Committee members asked to be allowed to conduct the review and wanted six to nine months to complete it, but the CRA board limited them to four months.
    The board’s action is the result of the most recent controversy to erupt over downtown development.
    City officials in December discovered a 2003 memo of which they were unaware that had been used as a guide by planning staff evaluating proposed projects for their adherence to open-space requirements. They said the memo was partially erroneous and could have allowed developers to skimp on providing open space.
    Downtown activists were outraged that a potential mistake could have gone undetected for 13 years, and brandished accusations of “corruption” and “conspiracy.”
    That prompted an exhaustive four-month review of downtown projects approved since 1988. But rather than include too little open space, the review found that developers had delivered 26.3 percent more than required under city ordinance.
    Even so, city officials wanted to make sure the city’s open-space requirements are clear and unambiguous. That led to the recommendations to which the architects objected.
    The open-space issue is sensitive because downtown construction is booming, and many activists don’t like the appearance of new buildings they say are too massive and are changing the character of their city.
    These include the Mark at CityScape, a mixed-use project at the southeast corner of Federal Highway and Palmetto Park Road; the Palmetto Promenade, a mixed-use project across the street; and the huge Via Mizner development at the corner of East Camino Real and Federal.

By Steve Plunkett

    The City Council changed the land-use designation and zoning of its Wildflower site to accommodate a proposed restaurant, even as a Nov. 8 ballot question looms on whether the site should be commercial or green space.
    “I want to hear from the people on this in November, so I’m going to withhold my judgment,” Mayor Susan Haynie said before joining a 4-1 majority authorizing the changes. The northern portion of the waterfront parcel was coded for residential use, which Haynie said was inconsistent with the southern part.
    More than 20 members of the public spoke at the July 26 council meeting before the votes were taken.
    Resident and business owner Bobra Bush urged the council to support what would become the city’s only eatery on the Intracoastal Waterway.
    “Build a beautiful, Boca-worthy waterfront restaurant venue which can be enjoyed by residents and tourists alike, and make some money doing it,” Bush said. “That additional revenue will benefit all of Boca’s residents in work and play.”
    Another resident, artist Kim Heise, favored a park.
    “I would like to think we’re not kind of strapped for cash so much that we need to have so much revenue, we need to think like that has to be our top priority. I’d like to think that we can kind of consider, you know, environmental things as well,” Heise said.
    Council member Scott Singer, who voted against the changes, also weighed in for preserving the site.
    “There are plenty of restaurants; there’s not enough green space,” Singer said.
    In response to a citizen initiative, the council also introduced an ordinance to keep city-owned land on the Intracoastal only for “public recreation, public boating access, public streets and city stormwater uses.”
    Members will vote on the ordinance Aug. 9. If they do not approve the ordinance, they will vote on a resolution to place the question on the Nov. 8 presidential ballot.
    The July 26 votes changed the land-use designation of the northern part of the site from residential to commercial and rezoned it from single-family residential to local business district. The southern portion was already zoned local business.  The former Wildflower nightclub got special permission to put a parking lot on the then-residential portion, something that would not be allowed today, city senior planner Ingrid Allen said.
    Jeremy Rodgers, the council’s newest member, who had never taken part in a Wildflower vote, said there was a clear pattern in the history of the issue stretching back to 2006.
    “We’ve shown specific intention to move forward with this [restaurant] plan year after year, most recently in 2014, to move forward with this lease negotiation with good intention. ... I think we move forward with our original commitment and do, you know, stay true to our word,” Rodgers said.
    The city bought the 2.3-acre parcel on the north side of Palmetto Park Road in 2009 for $7.5 million. Council member Robert Weinroth said Boca Raton officials were not driven by a profit motive.
    “This has never been about [return on investment], this has never been about how much value can we get out of this land. If that’s what we were looking to do, we’d be building a condominium on there,” Weinroth said.
    City officials have tentatively scheduled a council vote on leasing the Wildflower site to the Hillstone Restaurant Group on Dec. 13 if the citizen initiative does not pass.

By Rich Pollack

    Highland Beach residents will see their municipal tax rate drop for a second consecutive year, after town officials gave tentative approval to a change in the operating rate from $3.50 per $1,000 of taxable value to about $3.28 per $1,000.
    During a special meeting last month, commissioners voted to approve the tentative rate but added that it could probably be even lower once the process of reviewing the town’s proposed 2016-17 budget begins this month.
    “I feel we can probably go down from there as we start tweaking,” Commissioner Carl Feldman said.
    The overall tax rate, with debt service included, would decrease to $3.88 per $1,000 of taxable value from $4.14.
    The reduction in the operating tax rate to the rollback rate — the rate needed to generate the same amount of property tax revenue the town received in the prior year — was made possible by an increase in the overall taxable value of property within the town.
    That number increased from $2.07 billion last year to $2.2 billion this fiscal year.
    Last year, Highland Beach commissioners cut the operating tax rate from $3.95 per $1,000 of taxable value — where it had been for three consecutive years — to $3.50.
    In addition to recommending that commissioners accept the rollback rate as the tentative tax rate, Finance Director Cale Curtis presented a proposed $11.02 million 2016-17 general fund budget.
    That budget is an increase of about $200,000 from the current year’s budget with about $31,000 in additional tax revenue as well as about $25,000 in revenue from licenses and fees.
    Curtis said the town can expect an additional $244,000 in expenses due to a newly negotiated contract for fire service with Delray Beach, which would be offset by reductions in personnel expenses and capital expenditures.
    Commissioners agreed to hold public hearings on the budget at 5:01 p.m. on Sept. 14 and Sept. 27.

By Rich Pollack

    After months of complaints from a handful of residents who say town codes are not being properly enforced, frustrated Highland Beach town commissioners agreed in July to revamp the code inspection process and hire a full-time code enforcement officer.
    Currently, the town has a building department office manager who spends about 10 hours a week investigating code violations. She passes the results of her investigation to the town’s contracted building official, Mike Desorcy, for follow-up.
    For the past several months, the firm that provides building inspection services — SAFEbuilt — has also provided a part-time code enforcement inspector who works three days a week.
    During a workshop late last month, however, commissioners learned the town was paying $48 an hour for the part-time code enforcement inspector and also paying additional fees when Desorcy provided code enforcement services.
    “We’ve been misled here,” Vice Mayor Bill Weitz said. “Our code enforcement person was an office manager? And we’ve been getting complaints for years? No wonder we don’t get code enforcement.”
    Commissioners said they were under the impression that SAFEbuilt was providing the part-time code inspector at no charge. “This is incredible to me,” Weitz said. “This is not a failure to communicate, this is miscommunication.”
    Commissioner Rhoda Zelniker, who has been speaking out for weeks about concerns with how town codes are enforced — specifically when it comes to new construction — said she, too, was upset to discover that the town didn’t have a full-time code enforcement inspector.
    “This really is unbelievable,” she said. “It’s disheartening to me.”   
    During the meeting, commissioners heard that before the recession, the town had a full-time building official and a full-time code enforcement officer. During the building slowdown, however, the town decided to outsource building inspection services.
    “Somehow we went from a department that had two functional people in it to a department that is dysfunctional,” Weitz said.
    In a recent follow-up meeting, commissioners agreed to begin the process of hiring a full-time code enforcement officer immediately.
    “For $48 an hour, we could certainly get a very fine person,” said Commissioner Lou Stern, who earlier had brought up the need for a full-time inspector. “We need to make sure people know we mean business.”
    Commissioners recommended the new code enforcement officer report to the Police Department. Police officers already assist with code enforcement during, after or before regular business hours.  
    In addition to discussing code enforcement, the commission also discussed renewal of the SAFEbuilt contract. SAFEbuilt receives 50 percent of building permit fees collected by the town. It also receives $48 an hour for planning and zoning consultation and any after-hours meetings or inspections.
    Commissioners agreed to the contract after being assured by Town Attorney Glen Torcivia that it could be terminated without cause by either side with 30 days’ notice.