Selfless Love Foundation is celebrating a decade of dedication. Since 2015, the nonprofit based in Jupiter has assisted thousands of children in foster care by helping them get adopted and by providing supportive housing for youths aging out of the system. Its record-breaking fundraiser included signature cocktails, exquisite auction items and heartwarming stories highlighting the organization’s milestones. ‘When my husband, Ed, and I started Selfless Love Foundation, we never imagined what would happen in 10 years,’ founder and CEO Ashley Brown said. ‘All the families that have been created through adoption and the youth who are succeeding against all odds are the living legacies of Selfless Love that our supporters have helped to build.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Ajayda Davis, Eloise DeJoria, Jazzy Amerson, Tradella Lester, Serena Aguilar, John Paul DeJoria and Antonia Fede. Photo provided by Capehart

A full field of players raised more than $30,000 for Achievement Centers for Children & Families at the nonprofit‘s sixth annual golf tournament. Achievement Centers, based in Delray Beach, supports hundreds of children and their families by providing access to affordable child care and after-school services. Under the leadership of Co-Chairmen Mike Cruz and Leon Teske, the event received support from numerous sponsors, including the Delaire Country Club Car Club. ‘Achievement Centers for Children & Families has given me and my fellow car enthusiasts a meaningful way to connect with younger generations and share our passion for automobiles,’ club member Jim Newman said. ‘Learning about their impactful programs serving at-risk youth across south Palm Beach County has been truly rewarding.’ ABOVE: Cruz and Teske. Photo provided

With record-breaking ticket sales of more than 500, the annual Kravis Center Gala featured a performance by Harry Connick Jr. Guests were first ushered in to a 1940s-themed Klub Kravis cocktail reception. The evening concluded with dinner and dancing highlighted by a replica silent film created especially for the event. ‘Education and community engagement are at the heart of the Kravis Center’s mission, and the generosity of our Gala guests helps make it all possible,’ Gala Co-Chairman William Meyer said. ‘Together we are shaping the future — one student, one performance, one life-changing moment at a time.’ ABOVE: Jeff and Aggie Stoops. Photo provided by Capehart

The Creative Waves Foundation raised more than $100,000 at an event that featured opportunities to win vacations to Africa and Italy, fine jewelry, a golf outing and a fishing charter. The event also featured songs sung by children from the Belle Glade enrichment center and by Bianca Rosarrio and The Smooth Operators band. The foundation helped fund the 15,000-square-foot enrichment center that opened in February. The foundation also underwrites student scholarships and summer programs. ABOVE: Steve and Val Coz of Ocean Ridge. Photo provided

Michael and Dale Bare.

David and Dale Pratt.

Dara and Andy Tupler.

JARC Florida, a South County-based nonprofit that provides programs and services to educate and empower individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities, brought in more than $1.1 million at its 39th annual fundraiser. Nearly 400 guests attended. The 2025 Lynne & Howard Halpern Champions for Special Needs Award was presented to the late Bernie Marcus and Billi Marcus. Craig Shapiro received the 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award. ‘The JARC Gala is a heartfelt celebration of our clients, their families, dedicated staff, generous donors, volunteers and the community partners who make our mission possible,’ CEO Jeffrey Zirulnick said. Photos provided by Jeffrey Tholl Photography

In honor of the 100th anniversary of the Spady House, home of the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum, Steve and Lori Martel served as hosts of a garage-band celebration. As members of the museum’s Society 1926, the Martels are leading efforts to raise $100,000 during the next year. Society 1926 members are organizing a series of events, and the Martels kicked off the first one with a rousing lineup of musical performances. Participants also enjoyed food and wine while learning about the museum’s mission to promote Black history. ‘We believe that a community that includes a mix of good people is a necessary key to a great life,’ Steve Martel said. ‘The Spady Museum is part of what makes our city so great, and Lori and I are honored to help it continue.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Holly Downs, Ed Flak and Anne Stretch. Photo provided by MasterWing Creative

More than 850 guests enjoyed the 22nd annual benefit for Achievement Centers for Children & Families as they visited seven exquisite homes with gorgeous views, eclectic art and lush landscaping. More than $200,000 was raised to support people in need of services in South County. ‘Each year we select a different Delray Beach neighborhood where homeowners can showcase their interior designs and architectural styles,’ Co-Chairwoman Noreen Payne said. ABOVE: Gina Griffin and Robert Norberg. Photo provided

Freestyle skier Eileen Gu strikes a pose at Cloister at The Boca Raton. Photo provided by Sports Illustrated

By Joe Capozzi 

The swimsuit models get all the attention in the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue. But folks in south Palm Beach County are excited about a certain other model gracing the 2025 cover — The Boca Raton resort and spa.

The Boca Raton is one of five featured locations for the 61st swimsuit edition, released May 13. One of four sites that won cover spots, the resort served as the backdrop for shoots featuring mostly Olympic medal-winning athletes. 

That’s gold-medal gymnast Jordan Chiles on the cover, lounging on the beach. Those are WNBA player Cameron Brink and gold-medal freestyle skier Eileen Gu on the roof of the Cloister wearing bikinis that would make Addison Mizner, the hotel’s original designer, blush. 

“Approaching its 100th birthday, The Boca Raton shows off plenty of Mizner’s signature Spanish Mediterranean, Moorish and Gothic influences,’’ the magazine says in its opening page, describing the resort as “a sanctuary that blends the laid-back luxury of beachfront living with the vibrancy and amenities of a world-class destination.’’

The release of the issue allows The Boca Raton to show off its all-new Beach Club hotel, which opened in January after an extensive $130 million redesign. 

“SI has such a global reach. It makes for great PR for both parties. We were really pleased to be selected,’’ said Daniel A. Hostettler, the resort’s president & CEO, who credited Laura Davidson Public Relations, the resort’s PR firm, for successfully pitching The Boca Raton to Sports Illustrated.

For 11 days last November, a “small army” of photographers and swimsuit models converged on The Boca Raton, “mostly out of view of guests,” he said. 

Other Olympic medalists photographed at The Boca Raton include track and field’s Gabby Thomas, gymnast Sunisa Lee, golfer Nelly Korda, surfer Caroline Marks, and swimmer Ali Truwit, along with race-car driver Toni Breidinger. 

“These are some phenomenal athletes so it’s really neat to see them scattered about the resort. There’s a lot of pride for us,’’ Hostettler said.

“They found some great locations here including the roof of the Cloister with some great architecture and the restaurant decks. When you see the magazine, you’ll recognize instantly that a good 50 percent of the photos were done here,’’ he said. 

Other shooting locations were in Bermuda, Mexico, Switzerland and Fort Worth, Texas. The magazine’s three other covers feature resorts in Mexico and Bermuda. 

Within days of the magazine’s release in May, Hostettler started hearing reaction. 

“People were thrilled to see us and how we were on the cover and so prominent throughout the magazine,’’ he said. “We’ve had a lot of industry colleagues saying, ‘Wow, this is big!’’’

Since 1964, the annual Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue has featured shoots in exotic locations across the world. Florida has been featured several times, starting in 1981 when Christie Brinkley graced the cover on Captiva. 

“It was an honor to collaborate with the Sports Illustrated team who captured our property’s energy and spirit of eternal summer permanently within its pages,” Hostettler said. 

Jo Jo Harder of Boca Raton with her cover dog Romeo and new book. Harder created the America’s Top Dog Model contest, an idea on which the book is based. Photos provided by Jo Jo Harder

By Arden Moore

It’s called the catwalk — the runway that supermodels strut upon at internationally acclaimed fashion shows. Jo Jo Harder of Boca Raton knows this world oh so well. She lived it.

She has also succeeded as a flight attendant, fashion designer, stylist, author and producer. 

After living in New York City and Minneapolis, she spent time in an ocean vacation villa in Key Largo and fell in love with South Florida. She has resided in Boca Raton since 2003.

“I declared that when I moved to Florida, I went to the dogs!” she says with a laugh.

In the past two-plus decades, Jo Jo has boldly combined her love for fashion and for dogs. She created the annual America’s Top Dog Model contest and the annual America’s Top Dog Model calendars. Her efforts garnered praise in leading pet and fashion publications, as well as from television and radio show hosts and even in an award-winning documentary. Simply put, she has been credited with developing doggie glamour now embraced worldwide.

Through it all, Jo Jo stays focused on her mission: “to celebrate dogs that make a difference in people’s lives.” 

Recently, she unleashed her fourth book, called Vintage Tails: Featuring America’s Top Dog Models. On the cover striking the canine sweet pose is Romeo, her loyal and fashionable Italian greyhound who is now 17 years old. 

Romeo is wearing a vintage 1950s silk chiffon scarf and 1930s rhinestone brooch.

“My Romeo inspired me to create this book,” say Jo Jo. “Romeo’s companionship and love are priceless to me. He brings out the best in me by being by my side.”

The 78 pages of this hardcover book feature bejeweled, feathered and decked-out America’s Top Dog Model canines in attire from the 1920s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s.

“Each page is a tail-wagging tribute to the elegance and sophistication of yesteryears,” she says. “It’s been my dream to author a black-and-white coffee table book with Romeo on the cover.”

In her book’s introduction, Jo Jo inspires readers by writing, “Welcome to Vintage Tails, where you will find magical and captivating stories. Step back in time and imagine your dog’s style in the ’20s, ’30s, ’40s and ’50s. Think black-and-white screen, smooth music and old Hollywood glamour.” 

Among the canine models featured are:

• Daphne Simone, a dashing cocker spaniel model who traveled through Palm Beach County, New York City and the East Hamptons. She is shown wearing a tiara and proudly posed next to a stylish travel bag with a bow.

• Fabulous Lola channeled her inner canine Audrey Hepburn inside an open classic Mercedes Benz model from the 1950s.

• Babydoll is in a silky full-length gown, captured doggy daydreaming of 1930s stars Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

I first learned about Jo Jo in 2011 and profiled her in my pet column for The Coastal Star. She had just authored what is considered to be the first style book for dogs, aptly titled Diva Dogs: A Style Guide to Living the Fabulous Life. 

At the time, she shared the following timeless advice to ensure success at any canine party or event:

• Hone your doggy manners at home. Enroll your dog in an obedience class with a professional certified trainer who employs positive training techniques.

• Shop early. Don’t delay shopping for an outfit for your dog to attend a canine event. 

• Clean up your act. “Party dogs should arrive groomed, bathed and with their nails trimmed,” she says. 

Jo Jo — when I caught up with her recently — acknowledged that not all dogs wish to be fashionistas. 

“Not all dogs like wearing clothes and it’s important not to force it,” she says. “Their happiness is our No. 1  priority.” 

Jo Jo also enjoys helping budding entrepreneurs in the pet world.

“Keep your eye on the goal,” she says. “Be persistent, engaging, supportive, collaborative and charitable. Connect with pet businesses locally and on social media. Work hard and never stop believing. Above all, be kind!”

With Romeo at her side, Jo Jo reflects on her life and then says, “I would like to be remembered as a helpful and honest person who was a good mother, a loyal friend and an animal lover. I would like to be remembered as being uniquely creative and for my love of animals.”

Arden Moore is an author, speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Learn more by visiting www.ardenmoore.com.

Vintage Tails earns plenty of praise  

Sheila Firestone, a composer and president of the Boca Raton branch of the National League of American Pen Women, writes: “Delight in the elegance of those unforgettable decades with America’s Top Dog Models in Vintage Tails. Be charmed, just as I was!”  

Pilley Bianchi, bestselling author of For the Love of Dog, writes: “In Vintage Tails, author/influencer Jo Jo Harder delivers a delightfully charming and clever book taking us on a historic and pictorial journey of stylist pups and their real-life stories.” 

Learn more about Harder at americastopdogmodel.com. 

B’nai Torah Senior Rabbi David Steinhardt (second from right) poses with (l-r) President Scott Frank, Executive Director Leesa Parker and Executive Vice President Melanie Jacobson. Photo provided 

Senior Rabbi David Steinhardt of B’nai Torah Congregation in Boca Raton was honored with the 2025 Melanie Jacobson Inspirational Jewish Leadership Award during Shabbat services on May 3. The award, which recognizes individuals “who exemplify visionary Jewish leadership, spiritual integrity, and a deep commitment to community,” was first given in 2023. 

B’nai Torah is the largest Conservative synagogue in Southeast Florida, and Rabbi Steinhardt has served it for more than three decades. 

The congregation has grown to more than 1,400 families under his leadership. But Rabbi Steinhardt, who was honored by the city with a proclamation on May 27, plans to step down on June 30. Find out more in our interview in the July edition. 

Former pastor of Ascension Catholic Church dies 

Father Charles Hawkins, who served Ascension Catholic Church in Boca Raton as associate pastor from 1989 to 1991 and pastor from 2002 to 2014, died May 8. He was 77. 

He was ordained a priest on June 10, 1978, and assigned to teach theology at the all-boys Cleveland Benedictine High School. On weekends, he served parish liturgies, beginning a long career of pastoring that brought him to Florida in 1989. Father Charles was remembered at a funeral Mass led by Bishop Gerald Barbarito on May 16 and buried at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery in Royal Palm Beach.

Ascension Catholic Church is at 7250 N. Federal Highway. Call 561-997-5486 or visit ascensionboca.org.

Spanish River announces summer program schedule

Through Aug. 3, Spanish River Church will offer one worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday in the Worship Center followed by coffee hour in the Connect Center. Newborns through fifth graders are welcome to attend SRC Kids. 

The church hosts an Adult Vacation Bible School, noon to 1 p.m. Wednesdays in June. It’s a study of Romans 8 led by Pastor David Cassidy. 

Also, the church hosts the MammoVan, 9 a.m.-2 p.m. June 21. Schedule an appointment at spanishriver.com/connect or by calling 561-994-5000.

The church is at 2400 Yamato Road, Boca Raton. 

Early morning beachside worship offered at park

The Christ-Consciousness Study Circle meets at 7:30 a.m. Sundays at Ocean Ridge Hammock Park, 6620 N. Ocean Blvd. Open to all faiths, this group gathers on the beach “to reconnect, breathe and explore deeper meanings in sacred text.” 

Acoustic music and worship are followed by a study of sacred sources including the Bible, the Kabbalah, gnostic gospels and Buddhist texts.

Free but RSVP at eventbrite.com/e/christ-consciousness-study-circle-tickets-1103196112269?aff=ebdssbdestsearch

Evening Bible school needs volunteers 

Volunteers are needed for SHINE from June 16-19 in the Ministry Center Chapel at Boca Raton Community Church. The program — “a high-energy, faith-filled summer camp” for kindergarten through fifth graders — takes place 6-8 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

Kids participate in crafts, code cracking, Bible study, snacking and building friendships. The cost is $30, or $75 per family.

The church is at 470 NW Fourth Ave. Contact Danielle Rosse at 561-395-2400 or visit bocacommunity.org.

Celebrate Juneteenth  at St. Gregory’s Episcopal

“Celebrating Freedom,” a Juneteenth event hosted by St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, is planned for 5-8 p.m. June 21 in Harris Hall. Festive music by the Resurrection Steel Pan Orchestra, storytelling, crafts, praise and a supper are planned. Bring a dish to share (sign up online). 

This event is organized by the Becoming Beloved Community Ministry. Contributions to its Juneteenth/Beloved Community fund, which supports the ministry’s healing events, educational program and pursuit of racial justice, are welcomed.

To RSVP (required), visit stgregorysepiscopal.org/juneteenth. For information about the Becoming Beloved Ministry, contact Cyndi Bloom at cyndibloom65@me.com or 617-461-3122.

St. Gregory’s is at 100 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton.

Church’s Yoga Mass combines prayer and poses 

St. Gregory’s Episcopal offers the combination of prayer and yoga poses from 4 to 5 p.m. June 28 in St. Mary’s Chapel. The Rev. Elizabeth Pankey-Warren and Father Andrew Sherman lead the Mass. All levels are welcome. Bring your own yoga mat. Call 561-395-8285.

Cason opens registration for spiritual conference

Registration is open for Cason United Methodist Church’s Worship Outside the Walls, a weekend of spiritual growth Aug. 1–3 at the Warren Willis Camp & Conference Center in Fruitland Park.

Guests from across the Florida Conference of United Methodist Churches will attend. Call the church in Delray Beach at 561-276-5302.

St. Lucy Catholic Church offering pilgrimage to Italy

Join Fathers Brian Horgan and Giuseppe Savaia of St. Lucy Catholic Church in Highland Beach on a pilgrimage to the shrines of Italy, Sept. 15-27. 

The cost is $4,590 per person, which includes round-trip air from Miami, double occupancy lodging, two meals a day, sightseeing with English-speaking guide, airport taxes and fuel surcharges (which are subject to change), and tips to drivers and guides.

The priests will act as your spiritual hosts as you visit Milan, Venice, Assisi and Rome. This tour is arranged by Inspirational Tours Inc. A $300 deposit is required to hold your space.

Contact Moses or Nicole at moses@inspirationaltoursinc.com or 800-231-6287. Find more information at stlucy.net/13-day-italian-pilgrimage.

Church seeking donations to pay for packing meals

Ascension Catholic Church packed 61,144 meals for Cross Catholic Outreach during its food packing event in April, but the church is short of its goal to defray the $19,000 cost.

Donations are welcomed. Mark your donation of any size “Feed 60,000.” Ascension Catholic Church is at 7250 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Call 561-997-5486 or visit ascensionboca.org.

— Janis Fontaine

Andy Hagen is the new executive director of Boca Helping Hands after volunteering there for years. Photo provided 

By Janis Fontaine

Andy Hagen, the senior pastor at Advent Life Ministries in Boca Raton, donned a new hat on June 1: “I’m moving from feeding souls to feeding bodies,” he said.

Hagen was named executive director of Boca Helping Hands, a nonprofit that provides food, medical and financial assistance to individuals and families, assisting nearly 35,000 people annually with its programs. 

“This is truly God’s work,” Hagen said. “I’ve been involved in BHH for years and I got a lot of satisfaction from working there. What they do is really tangible. In my mind, I’d been feeding souls. Now I’m feeding people. It’s a calling that’s rewarding, but it’s also sad. There will always be poor and hungry.” 

Hagen replaces Greg Hazle, who has stepped down.

During Hazle’s eight-year tenure, BHH experienced tremendous growth, matching its programs and services with the increasing needs of the community.

In his 20 years at Advent, Hagen led an $8 million organization with 90 employees across two church campuses, plus two schools and a senior living center, and still found time to volunteer each week at BHH’s Lake Worth Beach Pantry Bag distribution site. “Most of the people BHH feeds are seniors and children, veterans and the homeless,” he said.  

Experts report that, despite Palm Beach County’s wealth, more than 173,000 residents struggle with hunger and that 51,000 children do not have enough to eat on a daily basis. More than half the students enrolled in county schools qualify for free or reduced-price lunch.

“We don’t have a food quantity problem in this country,” Hagen said. “We have a problem with accessibility and affordability. We grow an incredible amount of vegetables here but there’s a paucity of vegetables in some neighborhoods.” 

Experts call these areas food deserts, where nutritious food is unavailable because stores stock products with long shelf lives instead of perishables.

“But Boca Helping Hands does a lot more than feed the hungry,” said Hagen, who for the past eight years has served on the board of directors. Though feeding the hungry is fundamental to its work, it’s not the sole focus. 

“We are providing more than just a meal; we’re finding ways to help people become self-sufficient,” Hagen said. 

Through its vocational training and ESOL programs, BHH is making a long-lasting impact, following the old “teach a man to fish” adage. 

“We know there are times when people need a handout, but we want to provide a hand up to a better life,” Hagen said. “Where do kids who leave school prematurely to go to work find good-paying jobs? Trucking and transportation jobs are hard jobs but they’re good jobs, and the CDL [commercial driver’s license] is something you can get without a diploma.

“We focus on two different areas, inspired by the goal that we’re trying to help them have a better life: CDL licenses and trade programs, programs that train technicians. We want to develop more opportunities in training. We’ve done certified nurse assistant and food service training, but those jobs don’t get you the income that brings self-reliance. We need to train for better paying jobs than those. A big focus for me will be to provide leadership in that area.”

For the first time in his career, Hagen isn’t ministering to people on a daily basis. “My gratitude toward Advent after 20 years is immeasurable. I’m so proud to be able to serve in a new way and I think my parishioners are proud too — many of them are volunteers.” They still call him Pastor, “but I’m just Andy now,” he joked.

Born and raised in Michigan, Hagen earned his undergraduate degree from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He got his master’s and doctorate from the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago before he began serving the church. 

Hagen is adept at leading people and solving problems, but his new job comes with new challenges. Government cutbacks worry him, he said. 

“We have one agency we work with, and we called, and our contact had been let go. We don’t have any idea what effect tariffs will have on the food distribution,” he said. 

But the pastor has faith. “There’s always something we can do. We shouldn’t let our frustration paralyze us. It needs to lead to action, because we can make a difference, and not just in Boca. We should be confident that our organizations are going to come through,” Hagen said.

Doing God’s work is about finding a way, he said. “I’m working for an organization where federal funds are declining, and we’re still trying to figure out what the outcome is going to be. We know we’re getting less food from the food banks.”

So, Hagen looks to the community for help. “I was never able to turn five loaves and two fishes into a feast for thousands, but maybe if we all pull together, we can.” 

Bowling for Bread 

Mark your calendars for Bowling for Bread, a fun fundraiser taking place from noon to 2:30 p.m. Aug. 24 at Bowlero, 21046 Commercial Trail, Boca Raton. This annual event benefits the BHH Backpacks program.

During the 2023-24 school year, the BHH Backpacks program provided 30,227 weekend meal boxes to 1,374 children from 13 schools. Sponsorships are available beginning at $1,000. 

Lane sponsorships are available for $500 and $100 to sponsor a child. For details, visit bocahelpinghands.org/ty-for-attending-bowling-for-bread or call 561-417-0913.

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com

About Boca Helping Hands

Boca Helping Hands was founded as a soup kitchen in 1998. It’s now one of the largest nonprofit service providers in South Florida with 23 staff members and more than 300 core volunteers assisting nearly 35,000 clients annually. Here are some of its recent statistics and efforts:

• Distributed 103,390 pantry bags from its five Palm Beach County locations in 2024, served 59,585 hot meals that same year, and sent weekend meals home with food-insecure elementary school students via the BHH Backpacks program. 

• Helped hundreds of people access affordable medical, dental and behavioral care through its partnership with Genesis Community Health and Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing Community Based Clinics.

• Provided emergency financial assistance to Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach residents in crisis to help with rent, overdue utility bills and the rising cost of child care through the Children’s Assistance Program.

• Gave free ESL classes and courses in health and wellness, financial management, and other life skills.

• Awarded scholarships for qualified candidates to attend accredited vocational training classes that prepare them for careers in the health care, information technology, construction and transportation industries.

Structural interventional cardiologist Brijeshwar Maini, MD, FACC, has joined the Palm Beach Health Network Physician Group, a division of Tenet Healthcare Corp. He is on staff at Delray Medical Center and Good Samaritan Medical Center, where he leads the Center for Preventive Cardiac Medicine. Both hospitals are part of Tenet Healthcare.

Maini previously served as national and Florida medical director of cardiology for Tenet Healthcare. He helped start an advanced heart care program at Delray Medical Center and led research trials on heart treatments. 

As a clinical professor of medicine at Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Maini has trained future cardiologists.

His office is at 1411 N. Flagler Drive, Suite 8000, West Palm Beach.

Delray Medical Center brings in minimally invasive system 

Delray Medical Center recently acquired the Intuitive da Vinci 5 surgical system, which can be used for minimally invasive urology, gynecology, thoracic and general surgeries. It uses less force on tissue, offers clearer images, better ergonomics for surgeons, and more computing power than the previous model.

Delray Medical’s improved cardiac survival rate recognized

Delray Medical Center was recently named a Florida Resuscitation Center of Excellence, recognizing its role in a statewide effort to improve survival rates for cardiac arrests. The program equips hospitals with advanced tools, training and best practices.

Marcus Neuroscience Institute part of initiative on dementia

Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital is participating in the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience Model.

It is a nationwide initiative designed to assist in the management of dementia care by improving the quality of life for patients as well as assisting their caregivers. 

For more information, call 561-955-4600 or search Marcus Neuroscience Institute/Boca Raton/Baptist Health. 

JFK Hospital awarded Stroke Center certification

HCA Florida JFK Hospital has received the DNV Comprehensive Stroke Center certification. The certification can determine to which facility a patient should be taken for the most appropriate, reimbursable care.

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

Barbara Weissman (l-r), Jerry Weissman, Miriam Baum Benkoe and Jeffrey Benkoe all had a hand in opening the kosher pantry at Bethesda Hospital East in Boynton Beach. Photo provided

By Jan Engoren

When Boynton Beach resident Jennifer Abels, an account manager for an environmental lab service company, had out-of-town visitors from Montreal recently, they headed to the beach.

Not accustomed to the Florida sun, Abels’ cousin began feeling ill from the heat.

After a call to 911, she was taken to Bethesda Hospital East and treated with IV fluids.

 Once she felt better, the two, who keep kosher diets, thought about finding something to eat at the hospital.

Abels, who is in her 40s and the mother of three grown children, had read about the opening of the kosher pantry at Bethesda and asked a nurse about it.

“They were super-helpful,” Abels said. She found the pantry on the fourth floor and grabbed some soup and crackers to sustain them over the four-hour period they spent in the emergency room.

Having this service available is “priceless,” Abels said. “To have this kosher pantry available gives us peace of mind. If I ever have to go to the hospital again, just knowing this is available puts my mind at ease.”

Abels’ experience highlights the unmet need that had long been recognized by hospital staff and community volunteers, leading to the effort to bring the pantry to fruition.

After one year of planning, the pantry opened in mid-April during the Passover holiday to serve the dietary needs of Orthodox Jewish patients and their families.

 Bethesda is at 2815 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach.

The pantry is a joint effort between the hospital’s chaplain, the Rev. Kathleen Gannon, and her pastoral care team and volunteers Miriam Baum Benkoe and Jennie Yudin.

Benkoe is from the Annette Alter Behar Bikur Cholim of Boynton Beach and Yudin from the Florida Chesed Network.

Bikur Cholim, or “visiting the sick,” is a Jewish commandment to alleviate the suffering of people who are ill, and the Chesed Network is a social service agency.

“We’re committed to meeting our patients where they are,” said Gannon, an Episcopal priest who trained in interfaith disciplines. “We study, we learn and respond to the unique and sacred needs of our patients.”
A typical food pantry caters to a broader population experiencing food insecurity and may not offer food that complies with Jewish dietary laws or is readily accessible on the Sabbath.

The new pantry offers complimentary kosher sandwiches, salads, snacks, coffee and prepared foods that can be heated up in separate microwaves designated for dairy or meat.

The Bikur Cholim was started by Benkoe and named for her mother, who died seven years ago. Benkoe, a teacher from Oceanside, New York, began volunteering at Bethesda before the pandemic and envisioned the day when the hospital would have a kosher pantry, as do many hospitals in areas of large Jewish populations.  

“It’s a godsend for people,” Benkoe said. “It’s a big help and blessing to accommodate the needs of patients and their loved ones.”

Yudin, the liaison to the Florida Chesed Network, worked with Benkoe to realize their vision of the pantry. 

Originally from Baltimore, Yudin worked as a critical care technician at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and in its patient experience department, where she helped patients navigate the hospital system, a role that prepared her for her position at the Chesed Network.

With other kosher pantries at Delray Medical Center, Boca Raton Regional Hospital and at Baptist Main in Miami, Yudin says the outcry for having this service in Boynton Beach has been growing for the past three years.

Part of that reason is the growth of the Orthodox Jewish population in Boynton Beach, especially since the onset of the  pandemic in 2020, when many people left New York for Florida.

The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County predicts that by 2026, the Palm Beaches will be home to 200,000 Jewish residents.

“The community is beyond excited and grateful,” Yudin said.

During Passover, the team put together a seder plate for patients and family members visiting during the holiday.

Gannon said the response has been positive.

“I get a phone call at least once a week thanking us for reaching out to our Jewish patients,” she said. “The response has been excellent.”

Jerry Weissman, part of the Florida Chesed Network and one of the inaugural donors to the program, moved to Florida from Brooklyn in 2019 just before the pandemic.

Weissman, who says he is “orthodox from birth,” worked in the health care industry for more than 50 years and saw a need for this service when he moved to Boynton Beach.

“With more Orthodox Jewish families moving into the area, the need for this type of service is growing,” he said.  

Because Orthodox Jews cannot travel by car on the Sabbath, they may be stuck in the hospital from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday, and need a room where they can eat a kosher meal or have a snack and relax.

“It’s a true mitzvah of the hospital and the larger Jewish community to take care of these patients and their families,” Weissman said. “This is a proud moment for us.”

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

Steven Lin, valedictorian at Atlantic High in Delray Beach, plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Florida. He would advise other high-achieving students to ’go for balance rather than striving for perfection’ and to ’give some time to yourself every day for leisure.’ Photo provided 

By Faran Fagen

A water wheel generator, a mouse trap car and a water-bottle rocket are some of the mechanisms that highlight Steven Lin’s résumé as valedictorian of Atlantic High School in Delray Beach.

The generator from his senior year taught him the biggest lesson of all — teamwork.

“This was our first year designing a water wheel generator,” said Lin, 18.  “None of my teammates had experience building one, so it wasn’t surprising that the prototype never performed as we expected. I believe the best thing we eventually came up with was to compartmentalize the tasks so that each of us specializes in certain components of the generator.”

Lin was responsible for designing the mechanical wheel. Eventually, the team’s collective effort contributed to a first-place finish in the Palm Beach SECME Olympiad. The acronym stands for Science, Engineering, Communications, Mathematics Enrichment.

Lin, of Boca Raton, has been a huge cog in the wheel at Atlantic over the past four years. In addition to SECME, of which he was president junior and senior years, he tutored underclassmen in math and physics, assisted in donating canned goods and cereal to food banks as a National Honor Society member, and led a top-three Brain Bowl team.

He learned to juggle activities from the moment he started his freshman year.

“If there were one piece of advice I would give, it would be to go for balance rather than striving for perfection,” said Lin, who notched a 3.97 unweighted grade point average to earn the valedictorian honor. “Apart from your academics and extracurriculars, you should give some time to yourself every day for leisure to avoid burnout.”

Lin filled his spare time outside of school with worthwhile activities. He was a volunteer at the Glades Road branch of the Palm Beach County library. In 10th grade, he amassed 60 volunteer hours in its summer lunch program, which provided free lunches to 100-plus kids. 

In 11th grade, he earned 150 hours promoting literacy to younger kids, and organized and tidied up rows of bookshelves. He was involved in the entire book restructuring to fit with the needs of adolescents and young teens.

“My experience as a volunteer at the library during the summer was very rewarding,” Lin said. “Serving meals to children reminds me how much of a difference that comes from performing these small acts of kindness. The library doesn’t just serve as a place for literacy, but also offers support to those in the community.”

But the accomplishment of which Lin is most proud is the extended essay he wrote during the summer between junior and senior years, which was a requirement for the International Baccalaureate program at Atlantic.

He chose to write under the topic of physics, specifically methods to estimate the surface temperatures of selected exoplanets.

“This was my first exposure to writing a research paper, and I enjoyed the overall process,” Lin said. “Although I mainly struggled with the data collection, it became satisfying in the end, especially when the data aligned with my predictions.”

Lin credits his success to the support of his family — his mom, Minlan Zheng, father, Mingqiang Lin, and brother, Jackie Lin.

Lin plans to major in mechanical engineering at the University of Florida. He hopes to work in the aerospace industry after graduation, preferably with NASA. 

“Designing and innovating on cutting-edge technology is something I would dream of working with, and I believe these advancements will be beneficial in addressing the challenges and global issues happening on the ground,” he said.
Lin, also proficient in Java and Python, already has experience with coding at a college campus. The Atlantic High coding team finished in the top 25% at the University of Central Florida High School Programming Tournament. The competition consisted of 80 teams from across Florida.  

“Although our team didn’t make it on the podium, the experience taught me how to think critically, and I was able to apply my knowledge of programming at the time to solve realistic scenarios,” Lin said. “It was also the same year I was first exposed to learning a programming language, so I had so much to learn and improve on.” 

The 30th Annual Lantana Fishing Derby brought the community together for fun, food, music and, of course, fishing. The event also honored one of the Lantana Chamber of Commerce’s original board members, Lynn ’Doc’ Moorhouse, who was instrumental in transforming what had been a struggling golf tournament into a thriving fishing derby.  While the anglers were out at sea, the kids had a derby of their own — with a record-breaking 72 participants at Bicentennial Park.  The awards party on May 4 at the Lantana Recreation Center was a perfect close to the weekend. ABOVE: Sponsors of the kids derby are (top, l-r) Amy Kemp from FPL, David Lumbert from Ocean Bank and Keith Vukusich from AvMed, who is vice president of the Lantana Chamber.  The winners are (l-r) Sebastian, Noah and Melody. Photo provided by Leonard Bryant Photography

Code enforcement issues at center of controversy

By John Pacenti

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

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

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

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

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

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

Leaked Document

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Moore then told her to “be more educational and not automatically issue notice of violations. Do more public outreach and only focus on the big code violations, allowing long-term business owners to use A-frame signs,” according to the email.

Long’s statement

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

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

Long said the call in question was initiated by Moore while he was meeting with the city manager in person. “I was completely caught off guard by the accusation, which was made over two months after the referenced conversation,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

Previous complaint

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

In addition to a flag on the beach celebrating Delray Beach’s blue flag status, numerous banners adorn the light poles on both sides of Atlantic Avenue between A1A and the Intracoastal Waterway. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Related story: Along the Coast: O Canada, will you still come and visit?

By Mary Hladky

Boca Raton’s Spanish River Park beach has been awarded the much-coveted Blue Flag Beach Award that signifies it meets stringent environmental and safety standards.

With the award, announced on April 22, the Boca Raton beach becomes only the third in the continental U.S. to be so honored. The others are Delray Beach’s municipal beach and Westward Beach in Malibu, California, which both first received the award in 2023.

Delray Beach also has received good news. On the same day Boca Raton was notified, Delray Beach learned it once again had received the annual award.

Boca Raton planned to hold a flag-raising ceremony at 9 a.m. May 2 at the Spanish River Park beach. Delray Beach was to hold its ceremony at 10 a.m. May 1 at Atlantic Avenue and State Road A1A.

The award recognizes beaches that meet more than 30 environmental, education, water quality, environmental management and safety criteria.

Boca Raton sought the award for the Spanish River Park beach because it is the city’s flagship beach.

The Blue Flag award is administered internationally by the Foundation for Environmental Education, headquartered in Copenhagen, Denmark. Blue Flag USA, operated by the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association, administers the award in the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii.

Boca Raton now will install new information boards at the park’s central pavilion with details about local conservation efforts, water quality, water safety and eco-friendly practices, the city said. The city’s free educational programs offered through Gumbo Limbo Nature Center helped the city win the award.

“Our residents and visitors can take pride in knowing that Spanish River Park beach meets some of the highest standards in the world,” Mayor Scott Singer said in a statement.

Delray Beach was honored with the award for the third straight year.

“We at the City of Delray Beach are incredibly proud to receive this prestigious international award again,” Delray Beach Public Works Assistant Director Cynthia Buisson said in a statement. 

How to navigate A1A chaos? Police explain law, give tips for walkers, drivers

A couple crosses A1A without using a crosswalk to get to Atlantic Dunes Park in Delray Beach. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

The close call came as Rafael Pineiro was crossing State Road A1A in the town of South Palm Beach. 

He and a friend had just started walking from the beach park near the south end of town when a car slowed to let them cross. 

At the same time, the driver of a second northbound car decided to go around the slower first car and came perilously close to hitting his friend and Pineiro, who is advocating for crosswalks in town — which has none — following a collision that killed a pedestrian in 2023.

“I remember saying ‘this is a bad situation’” just prior to the near miss, Pineiro said. Fortunately, he was paying close attention to the roadway and he and his friend stopped walking in time.

Crossing a highway should be simple: Look both ways and wait until the coast is clear before you cross. However, when it comes to A1A, with its abundance of crosswalks in some areas — and lack of them in others — and with many bicyclists also using the road, the guidelines for when a walker should go and when a driver should stop can be complicated. 

Confusion can contribute to tragedy and may have been a factor in February when 71-year-old Roz Lowney was killed while crossing A1A in a Delray Beach crosswalk.

For drivers and pedestrians, knowing the best way to be safe can be challenging. 

Should a driver stop and let someone waiting to cross the road go if that person is not at a crosswalk? Is it OK to cross outside of a crosswalk? Should pedestrians step into the crosswalk when a car is still going, but is far enough away that the pedestrian believes the car has time to stop? 

Do drivers have to stop if they see a walker entering a crosswalk in the opposite lane? Do bicycles have to stop when a pedestrian is in a crosswalk? 

Top tip: Assume nothing

While the answers differ based on specific circumstances, law enforcement professionals who have decades of experience and hundreds of hours of training advocate being cautious and offer some tips that can enhance safety for everyone using A1A.

One of the most basic of the recommendations that apply to both drivers and those crossing A1A is to avoid assumptions. 

People entering a crosswalk should never assume that a vehicle is going to stop, even though that is the law, law enforcement and safety advocates say.

“The crosswalk isn’t your savior,” says Manalapan Police Chief Jeff Rasor, who spent several years leading Delray Beach’s traffic division before arriving in Manalapan this year, and who has undergone several hundred hours of traffic safety training. “The crosswalk is not a physical barrier.” 

Rasor said some who cross the road just assume a car is going to stop and step into the crosswalk without waiting for the car to slow or without making eye contact with the driver to get an idea of whether he or she will slow down.

On A1A where there are pedestrian-activated flashing yellow lights, some pedestrians enter the crosswalk as soon as they push the button, believing all drivers will hit the brakes. 

But some drivers don’t. “Don’t have a false sense of security,” Rasor says. 

Do drivers know the law?

Florida law is clear about cars stopping when there is a pedestrian in a crosswalk — crosswalk signs say it, too. Motorists must stop even when the pedestrian is in the opposite lane of traffic and must stop once the pedestrian steps foot into the crosswalk.  

Still, Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann points out that a beach road like A1A draws a lot of tourists from out of state and even out of the country who may not know the law. As a result, pedestrians need to be extra sure the vehicle will stop, which isn’t always the case. 

Drivers on A1A should also be alert and defensive and not assume they will be able to stop in time when a pedestrian is in the crosswalk. Rasor recommends keeping an eye on your speed and driving within the speed limit. 

He said drivers should reduce their speeds when they see a pedestrian entering the crosswalk. By slowing down gradually before coming to a halt, instead of coming to a sudden stop, motorists can avoid rear-end collisions. 

Drivers should also be extra cautious if they see someone not at a crosswalk, on either side of the road, waiting to cross. Both Rasor and Hartmann, however, recommend not stopping because the driver behind you could try to go around you and end up hitting the pedestrian. 

Don’t be distracted

The message from both Rasor and Hartmann for pedestrians waiting to cross is to go back to what you learned as a kid — look both ways first. Both recommend looking to your left, then to your right and then to your left again. 

Crossing in a place without  a crosswalk is OK if there’s not a crosswalk nearby, Rasor said, but it should always be done with extra caution. 

Another piece of advice to both pedestrians and motorists is to stay off your cellphone both when crossing the road and when driving along a road with lots of pedestrians and bicyclists, especially if you’re holding the phone. 

Distracted pedestrians and distracted motorists account for a fair number of the crashes involving both vehicles and pedestrians, Rasor said.

Even motorists speaking on a phone hands free should be extra vigilant when driving on a heavily traveled road like A1A because of the distraction the phone causes.

Distractions also account for crashes involving bicyclists. In a recent survey done by Boca First, bicyclists listed distracted, impaired and careless drivers as one of the top dangers in riding on A1A. 

Like vehicles, bicyclists are required to stop if a pedestrian is in a crosswalk. 

Rasor says that it’s important for pedestrians to make sure they’re aware of their surroundings so they’ll have a better idea of when vehicles might be coming their way. If you’re about to cross the road after a curve, for example, recognize that you might not see a car coming right away, so be extra cautious. 

Trent Schambach and his son, Sutton, wait with Shelby Stenger, Sutton’s grandma, to cross A1A to their car from Atlantic Dunes Park in Delray Beach.

Night crossings

Hartmann recommends taking extra safety steps when crossing after dark.

“Crossing at night, you’re not as visible as you are in the daylight,” he said. “It’s more important that your caution and awareness are greater at night.”

In Highland Beach, which has been a leader in taking measures to ensure pedestrian safety, lights have been installed to illuminate all the town’s seven crosswalks and they are on all night. Those crosswalks all have pedestrian-activated flashing yellow lights and orange flags that pedestrians can carry across the road. 

Other communities also have pedestrian-activated yellow lights at crosswalks. 

Highland Beach is planning to embed lights in the crosswalks once road construction is completed. 

Educating both motorists and pedestrians on how to cross A1A safely is a priority for local law enforcement agencies. In Highland Beach, police often go to condo meetings and other gatherings to share safety tips. 

Highland Beach has also conducted crosswalk safety operations in which a police officer in civilian clothes attempts to use a crosswalk. Motorists who don’t stop can receive a citation. 

“Our residents’ safety is our No. 1 priority, so we’re willing to deploy the latest safety measures,” Town Manager Marshall Labadie said. 

Patrick and Maeve Murphy, visiting from Boston, use the crosswalk and crosswalk flag to properly cross A1A just north of the Coronado at Highland Beach. They were headed to the beach.

Tips for navigating A1A

For pedestrians 

• Look both ways (left-right-left) before crossing — even if you’re at a crosswalk. 

• Stay off your cell phone while crossing to avoid distractions.

• Push the button (before crossing) to activate warning lights at crosswalks that have them. Using orange flags where available also will increase your visibility to drivers.

• Don’t assume a car is going to stop, even if you’re in a crosswalk and it’s the law.

For motorists 

• Don’t use a handheld cell phone while driving — and be extra vigilant watching for pedestrians and bicyclists while using a hands-free cell phone, which also is distracting.

• Stop for pedestrians once they are in a crosswalk, whether they’re in your lane or the opposite lane. (It’s the law.)

• Drive within the speed limit, making it easier to gradually stop for pedestrians without having to slam on the brakes, which could cause a rear-end collision.

• Be cautious about pedestrians attempting to cross outside of crosswalks. Don’t stop if they are waiting for traffic to pass before crossing, as drivers behind you might not know what you are doing and may either rear-end you or seek to go around you, endangering the pedestrians.

Source: Local law enforcement agencies

Unwelcome vessel anchors at condo for lengthy stay, angering residents

The barge and its floating water jets were stored across the Intracoastal Waterway from The Boca Raton and out of the channel, beside the Boca Inlet condo. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star.

By Rich Pollack

They came to Florida for the Easter or Passover holiday and were looking forward to sitting around the pool outside their Lake Boca Raton condo.

Then came the large barge, planted just a few feet off the condo’s sea wall, an unwelcome guest that stayed for close to two weeks — with little the condo could do about it.

Diesel fumes spewed from a generator on the barge, filling the air and seeping into the 98-unit condo’s fresh air system, later choking at least five residents who had to seek medical attention.

“People came down for the holidays and they couldn’t sit outside,” said Madeline Stern, a board member at the Boca Inlet condominium.

As condo managers began efforts to move the barge — which was there to put on three light and water shows for conference guests at The Boca Raton resort across the way — they discovered the barge was in a part of the Intracoastal Waterway that no government agency wants to accept as its responsibility in this situation.

The shows, arranged by a nationwide financial institution, were April 23 and 26, with a third set for April 29.

Some Boca Inlet condo residents enjoyed an April 26 show meant for The Boca Raton across the Intracoastal, but many were upset that the display’s barge sat along their sea wall for almost two weeks. Larry Barszewski/The Coastal Star

“We started calling every agency we could think of and spoke to everyone except the Army and the Navy,” said Joe Lari, the condo manager whose company, J & J Management, has been working for the Boca Inlet condo for three years. “It seems like it should be in almost everyone’s jurisdiction but no one wants to claim it.”

Lari said the barge also blocked several boat slips at the condo’s dock and he had hoped that it could be moved, perhaps closer to The Boca Raton, without blocking the channel.

Fumes bother residents
Lari said plenty of the fumes from the barge got into the building. “This was dangerous. It’s insane,” he said.

Despite the condo’s efforts — including calls to local, state and federal agencies — the barge which arrived on April 18, Good Friday, was still there a dozen days later, although the noise and fumes from the generator — still annoying to residents — were no longer constant after the first five days.

For one resident, the diesel exhaust fumes were enough to make her so worried about the impact on her health that she called a family physician and went to get checked out.

“I felt like someone was sitting on my chest,” said the resident, who hadn’t been able to go out on her apartment’s balcony or sit by the pool.

Who you gonna call?
While government agencies, including the Boca Raton Police Department and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, have the power to enforce laws on the Intracoastal, there is apparently little those agencies could do as long as the barge wasn’t interfering with navigation or breaking the law.

The FWC says permits aren’t necessary to travel the Intracoastal, nor does it issue permits to anchor there.

A representative from the city of Boca Raton said that because the barge was outside the city’s jurisdiction it did not require a special events permit. She added that staff from the city’s Code Enforcement Division had visited with residents at Boca Inlet and later reached out to the contractors who were putting on the water and light show.

After code enforcement contacted those operating the barge, some improvements were made. The generator wasn’t running as often and the barge was moved about 20 feet to the north, farther away from the pool. Even so, it still remained just a few feet off the condo’s sea wall, blocking would-be visitors from docking, Lari said.

One of the main members of the team contracted to produce the water and light show said the crew had made adjustments to minimize the disruption to condo residents, including cleaning the filters and cutting back on the time the generators were operating. Technicians were brought in to make sure everything was operating efficiently.

“When we were working at first, we didn’t see it as a problem,” he said. “When we were made aware that there were community concerns, we made every effort to go above and beyond standards.”

A noise inspection by the city found no issues, according to the city spokesperson.

Information hard to get
Although it was a challenge to get any confirmation about what the barge was doing in Lake Boca up against the condominium’s property, Lari said he was told it was there to put on three separate water and light shows set to music — think the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas — on three different nights as part of a conference at The Boca Raton rewarding outstanding employees of Minneapolis-based US Bank.

In an email to The Coastal Star, the resort’s executive director of marketing, Sara Geen Hill, said the hotel was not responsible for the barge or the water and light show and would not comment on who was putting on the show.

“We are not involved in activations taking place on the adjacent waterway,” she said. “In keeping with our commitment to guest privacy, we do not disclose information about resort guests or the organizations who visit our property.”

While an email to the communications department of US Bank requesting information about the event — Legends of Possible — was not answered, some of those who were being honored for being outstanding employees did post about coming to Boca Raton.

Boca Inlet residents (l-r) Evguenia Kostina and Tatyana and Michael Lukas toast with champagne while awaiting the start of the April 26 light and water show. Larry Barszewski/The Coastal Star

Watching the show
Stern, from the Boca Inlet condo board, said she and several others tried to watch the display from the pool deck on the first night, April 23, but said the wind pushed the water from the display onto the pool deck, forcing her and others to go inside.

Residents who were outside on April 26 for the second display had a different experience, since the wind was blowing away from the condominium.

“I never saw something like that,” resident Evguenia Kostina said of the water and light show. “I love it. It’s not bothering me. It’s beautiful.”

Some condo residents brought champagne poolside, and some boaters on Lake Boca stopped to see the display.

Also present were members from Boca Raton’s code enforcement, who were testing for noise and fumes. With the wind blowing away, however, any fumes weren’t bothering the poolside audience that night.

While there were some residents of the condo who weren’t too upset about the barge being there for almost two weeks, Stern said it was disappointing that residents couldn’t sit outside when the fumes were blown their way.

“The whole situation was quite unpleasant and shouldn’t have happened,” she said.

Mary Hladky and Larry Barszewski contributed to this story.

Related story: Along the Coast: Boca Raton joins Delray Beach as recipients of Blue Flag Beach Award

By Mary Hladky

If it were up to Canadian Dory Kilburn, she would sell her home in Briny Breezes and never return to the U.S.

“I really love Briny,” she said. But President Donald Trump’s threat to annex Canada as the 51st state, his demeaning rhetoric about the country’s leaders and the imposition of tariffs have horrified her.

She’s equally concerned about how he is running his own country. 

“Democracy is slipping away in the United States,” she said. “The United States was always our guiding light. Now it is not. It is really scary.”

Yet she’s not going anywhere for now. Her husband, Jack Marcuccio, wants to “wait and see what happens” before making a decision to sell.

Kilburn is not the only Canadian who would like to pull out of Florida. She and her husband know 10 couples who attend a three-month golf holiday in Naples each year. They are not booking for next year. Two couples they know in Cocoa Beach have sold their homes.

Other Canadians who own homes in Briny Breezes and spoke with The Coastal Star don’t want to pull up stakes.

Joan Nicholls spent only eight days in her Briny Breezes home this year because medical problems pushed her back to Ontario for treatment.

“I am looking forward to going back down there again,” she said. “I had a wonderful time. I hated to leave.”

And there’s no doubt she will return. She has bought a golf cart. “I have all intention of going back.”

Larry Sudds rooted for Trump to be elected president even though he knew Trump might hurt Canada financially. So he is fine with Trump’s actions. 

“I have no problem getting back to Palm Beach County no matter what happens,” said his wife, Linda. “I am not opinionated on anything. It is what it is. Hopefully it will turn out to be the best on both sides.”

The fact that these annual visitors love where they live part-time and have long-standing ties to Palm Beach County sheds some light on whether or how much the county’s Canadian tourism will be hurt by U.S. politics.

No clear trend yet

As of late April, the county’s tourism marketing organization, Discover the Palm Beaches, had no current data that would show if the county is taking a hit. President and CEO Milton Segarra expects to get that as soon as this month.

But Segarra is hopeful.

While he is expecting some decline, “so far, the numbers we have are extremely positive,” he said. 

Hotel bookings as of February surpassed all his goals. “The Palm Beaches are registering one of the best high seasons ever,” he said.

Peter Ricci, director of Florida Atlantic University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management Program, agrees that there’s not yet cause for alarm.

“While there is economic and political uncertainty globally, The Palm Beaches seems to have thus far bucked any type of negative trend,” he said in a late March email. “As a local tourism professional, I remain optimistic for the 2025 calendar year thus far.”

As of late April, he had not changed his assessment. He attributes the county’s positive showing so far at least in part to Trump’s frequent trips to Mar-a-Lago and the politicians, other visitors and media who come in his wake.

Canada’s crucial tourism role 

The stakes are high. Canada is Palm Beach County’s most important international market, accounting for 39% of the county’s total international visitation.

Last year, nearly 370,000 Canadians visited the county, contributing $500 million to the economy.

Canada is vitally important to the state as well. It is the state’s top international market, with 3.3 million Canadians visiting in 2024.

If Palm Beach County avoids a sharp downturn by the end of the winter tourist season, Segarra said that might be due to the fact that most Canadians arrive in the fall. So they were already here when Trump launched his tirade and tariffs against their country.

But Segarra is getting feedback that shows Canadians are concerned about the potential impact on their economy and they are “emotionally charged about the narrative about the sovereignty of their nation.” 

So he took a different approach when members of his organization traveled to Toronto in March. 

Rather that creating a new business strategy to attract visitors, he thanked his Canadian partners for their support.

If the situation improves and Canadians are ready and willing to travel to Palm Beach County, Discover the Palm Beaches will launch tailored marketing that Segarra hopes will retain Canada as a top market.

The Trump effect

But much remains well outside Segarra’s control. If Trump backs off his crusade to take over Canada and punish it with tariffs, relations between the countries might stabilize and Canadian animus toward the U.S. could fade.

If not, Canadians would have even more reason to shun the U.S.

While Palm Beach County may have escaped the worst for now, there are plenty of indicators already that things have gotten ugly.

Canadians are boycotting U.S. goods. Two-thirds of Canadians said they have reduced their purchases of American products in stores and online by more than 60%, according to a March survey by the Canadian market researcher Leger.

Advance bookings for Canada-U.S. flights in April-September are down over 70% compared to last year, according to the aviation data firm OAG. Airlines, however, have disputed that number.

Nonetheless, airlines are reducing the number of flights from Canada to the U.S. The greatest impact has been felt in Florida, with Miami International Airport seeing 23% fewer seats and Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport with 20% fewer, according to OAG.

But Canadian travel to Palm Beach International Airport increased in February, according to the airport’s most recent report. Air Canada brought in 5,747 passengers, compared to 4,814 in February 2024. But that number was down from January, when 7,098 passengers arrived.

The Canadian airline Porter, which first flew into Palm Beach International in November, brought in 2,081 passengers in February. 

Canadian tour companies have reported a sharp drop-off of people booking tours to the U.S.

A weaker Canadian dollar also is having an impact, since it makes the U.S. more expensive. Canadian money stretches further in places like Mexico and Costa Rica.

The fall will tell

Sophie Lalonde, chair of the Canada-Florida Business Council, agrees with Segarra that the impact of Trump’s words and actions were muted because Canadians were already in Florida when tensions flared.

“You will have a better feel, a more realistic picture in the fall” when it is known how many Canadians are returning, she said.

But she sees a worrying sign.

Many Canadians, she said, come to Florida for spring break. Yet that didn’t happen this year. 

“This year people canceled their trips, even trips that were pre-booked…,” she said. “A lot of Canadians are revolting and saying, I am not going.”

Trump may not be the sole reason, she said. The weak Canadian dollar likely played a role.

But feelings in Canada are running strong. “Canadians are upset. They are upset because it is a fight that shouldn’t have started. We have always been good friends. We have done business together for forever,” Lalonde said.

She highlighted Canada’s value to Florida. Six hundred Canadian companies operate in the state while Canadians contributed $4.6 billion to Florida’s economy in 2022.

“We are very important to you guys,” she said, “just like you are very important to us.”