By Rich Pollack

A full year after becoming the county’s first new fire department in 30 years, Highland Beach Fire Rescue has numbers showing that it matched the expectations of some while exceeding the expectations of others, especially those who predicted failure.

“Our service delivery is unrivaled and our financial expectations are being met,” said Town Manager Marshall Labadie. “We hear good things about our fire department on a weekly basis.”

Since it began in May 2024, Highland Beach Fire Rescue had responded to just over 900 calls during the full year ending April 30. That works out to about 2.5 calls per day, although the numbers are higher during the season.

“We average about four or five calls in the winter months,” said Fire Rescue Chief Glenn Joseph. “We anticipate about 1,000 calls in a full calendar year.”

The number of calls in a day can be unpredictable, he said, with the most calls in a day — nine — coming during one 24-hour shift in July.

A number that stands out is the department’s average response time, which was just above 4 minutes in the first four months of this year and which has been far below 5 minutes consistently.

“It’s a great response time,” Joseph said.

One of the factors contributing to that response time is the small size of the town — just over 3 miles long — along with the fact that the town’s new fire station is centrally located.

Joseph said that the department has put a focus on getting the fire rescue personnel on a truck and out of the station within a minute of being dispatched. The average dispatch to en route time was about 40 seconds during the first four months of this year and a little longer from May to December last year.

“We encourage people to not delay getting out of the station,” Joseph said.

It’s not surprising that most of the calls Highland Beach Fire Rescue handles are medical related.

More than half of the calls, a little under 530, were medical calls excluding motor vehicle accidents with injuries. Falls make up a large portion of those calls.

One area where the department saw a significant drop in calls from the first eight months of operation to the last four was in the number of false alarms.

From May to December, fire rescue responded to 45 false alarms, or about 51/2 calls per month. In January through April of this year that number dropped to just 14.

Joseph credited the department’s risk reduction team for the decrease through its inspections of buildings and its comprehensive approach to making sure all fire safety equipment is functioning properly.

The chief said that lowering the number of false alarms reduces the chance of an accident — responding vehicles go with lights and siren — which could injure fire rescue personnel on their way to a call as well as residents.

He said too many false alarm calls could lead to residents becoming complacent and starting to disregard the alarms.

Highland Beach’s new fire department opened on May 1, 2024, in a newly constructed station, ending a 30-year partnership with Delray Beach providing staffing for the town’s fire station.

Labadie said that the last full year that Delray Beach provided the service, the city charged the town about $5.4 million. Running the station now costs Highland Beach about $5.7 million a year, but Labadie said comparing the two is difficult because there’s no way of knowing if Delray Beach’s charge would escalate and if so, how much that would have been.

He also pointed out that Highland Beach now staffs the station with seven firefighter/paramedics on a shift while Delray Beach provided five on a 24-hour shift. Highland Beach now has three personnel on the rescue truck and can fully staff two rescue units if there are simultaneous calls.

“We believe we’re providing better service at a lower cost,” the town manager said. 

By Mary Hladky

Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas and City Council member Andy Thomson are facing off to become Boca Raton’s next mayor in 2026, replacing Scott Singer, who is prevented by term limits from seeking reelection.

Former Council member Robert Weinroth filed on April 25 to run for Thomson’s Seat D. Weinroth won a special election to the council in 2014 and then a three-year term without opposition in 2015. He was elected to the Palm Beach County Commission in 2018 and became county mayor.

After he lost reelection in 2022, he filed to run for the Palm Beach County School Board, but withdrew from the race and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024 in the Republican primary,

Andy Thomson
Thomson, who filed to run on April 2, was first elected to office in a 2018 special election and was reelected with no opposition in 2020.

He resigned from the nonpartisan council in 2022 to pursue an unsuccessful candidacy as a Democrat for the Florida House District 91 seat now held by Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-Boca Raton. He reclaimed his council seat last year, capturing 62.5% of the vote to defeat opponent Brian Stenberg.

Thomson’s three-year council term ends in 2027, but Florida law requires him to resign before the candidate qualifying period this November for the city election the following March, though the resignation can be effective as of March 31, 2026, when he or someone else would take office.

Thomson, a Georgia Tech graduate and former football player, earned his law degree from the University of Miami and practices business law at Baritz Colman Richan & Harris in Boca Raton.

“I enjoyed immensely the opportunity to be on the City Council for over five years,” he said. “I have shown myself to be a rational decision-maker and someone who has the future of Boca in mind. What I want most of all is to move the city in the right direction.”

Fran Nachlas
Nachlas, a retired surgical nurse and University of Florida graduate who became deputy mayor on March 31, filed to run for mayor on April 29.

She first won election to the council in November 2022 when no other candidate filed to run for Thomson’s open seat. She would have had to wait until March 2023 to assume office, but because Thomson had already been forced to vacate the seat, the remaining council members saw no reason to wait and appointed her to the position effective Dec. 1, 2022.

“Innovation and common-sense decisions are the hallmarks of my public service, and we are going to keep Boca safe, secure, resident-focused, and an economic powerhouse under my administration,” she wrote on her campaign website.

“Keeping our local economy energized, making City Hall even more efficient, and making smart choices to address traffic and infrastructure needs will be key responsibilities for

Boca Raton’s next mayor. I’m not afraid to shake things up to get things done.”

Other races
Marc Wigder, who was first elected to the City Council in 2023, filed to retain his Seat B for another three-year term on April 28. He is the founder and managing principal of the real estate company Greenhouse Property Co.

As of late May, Wigder, who also serves as chair of the Community Redevelopment Agency, faced no opposition.

Christen Ritchey filed on May 5 to run for Nachlas’ Seat A. A city Planning and Zoning Board member, she briefly sought a council seat in 2022, challenging Wigder. But she withdrew from the race to focus on her two children and her law firm, now named Johnson Ritchey Family Law. She threw her support behind Wigder.

Perennial candidate Bernard Korn, a real estate broker who has never won an election, filed to run for mayor on April 1 and for Nachlas’ Seat A on May 1.

In his unsuccessful run against incumbent Yvette Drucker last year, he garnered his strongest showing ever, capturing 23% of the vote.

Drucker, who is prevented by term limits from seeking another City Council term, has joined the 2026 contest to succeed term-limited state Sen. Lori Berman, D-Boca Raton. Berman has endorsed Drucker.

By Mary Hladky

Boca Raton officials are firming up plans to build a new police headquarters costing as much as $175 million on city-owned land immediately east of the Spanish River Library.

The new facility, described by Deputy City Manager Jim Zervis as the “largest public works project this city has undertaken,” would be financed with a 30-year, tax-exempt general obligation bond. Residents would foot the cost by absorbing a property tax increase that would end when the bond is paid off.

Voters will decide if that will happen. They likely will be asked whether or not to approve the bond issue in the March 2026 city election. By having the election then, the city would avoid the cost of holding a special election.

The new headquarters would replace the existing headquarters that was built in 1987 across Northwest Second Avenue from City Hall and is now too small and in poor condition.

Zervis and Police Chief Michele Miuccio told City Council members on May 12 that the new building is badly needed. When the current headquarters was built, the city had 145 police employees. It now has 331 and is “busting at the seams,” Zervis said.

As a result, police personnel and equipment are in five locations, creating significant inefficiency, they said.

Although the existing building is in the downtown government campus that is in the process of being redeveloped, the move to a new location is not directly related to that, officials said.

The current headquarters is on 4.4 acres, which is not enough land to accommodate the centralization of police operations.

The city parcel at the intersection of Spanish River Boulevard and Broken Sound Boulevard is 20 acres, but city officials do not yet know how much of that land would be needed for the new headquarters.

Another reason for the proposed move is that the current location is no longer considered to be in the center of the city. Because of city growth north and west, officials see the Spanish River site as more central with much better access to major roadways that will give police better and faster access to all parts of the city, they said.

Miuccio said that police response times will not be reduced for any part of the city as a result of the proposed new location. The downtown campus redevelopment plans call for inclusion of a 10,000-square-foot police substation.

The city has penciled in a new police headquarters cost of $175 million, but that amount is an estimate that could be reduced.

If the bond issue is approved, construction is estimated to start in early 2027 and finish in early 2029. 

Boca Raton plans to launch an autonomous vehicle pilot project in about three months in a half-mile loop within Mizner Park once federal agencies approve. The goal is to eventually expand the service to city streets. Photo provided

Boca Raton is on track to begin providing another way to get around downtown without driving a car, but the added service isn’t happening fast enough for some City Council members.

Officials will launch an autonomous electric vehicle pilot project in about three months, when they expect to have needed approvals from the U.S. Department of Transportation and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The city is starting small, offering the service only in a half-mile loop within Mizner Park. It then plans to enlarge the service area south to Palmetto Park Road before eventually expanding to include Royal Palm Place. After that, Boca Raton will offer it on city streets.

The service was proposed by Guident, a Boca Raton-based company that seeks to speed up autonomous vehicle adoption and will provide the software and remote monitoring.

The eight-seat vehicle, which will travel no faster than 25 mph, is made by Auve Tech.

The vehicle will be self-driving, but Circuit Transit, which began operating an EV shuttle service one year ago throughout the greater downtown area and later on the barrier island, will have an employee on board to take over operation if anything goes wrong, as federal rules now require.

When launched, the service will make four to six stops in Mizner Park and will be offered four days a week for nine hours a day. The initial three-month trial will cost $90,405.

City Council members, who heard program details at a May 12 meeting, were pleased the service will be starting, but exasperated that it initially will be so modest.

They doubted it would attract much ridership in Mizner Park, which is easily walkable.

“Once again, Boca Raton is late to the party,” complained Council member Yvette Drucker. She noted that West Palm Beach launched the same service in April and it already is operating on city streets.

She and other council members pressed city staff to expand the service area as soon as possible.

— Mary Hladky

Humor on exhibit in Highland Beach emerged from artist’s hair-on-fire epiphany

Marissa Acocella with the tools of her craft at home in Highland Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

It was New Year’s Eve 1990 and Marisa Acocella was searching for answers from a higher authority. 

A self-taught cartoonist who had been drawing since she was 3, Acocella earned a degree from the Pratt Institute in New York and was working as an advertising agency art director, catering to high-powered clients. She hated it. 

So she lit a candle to summon saints and others from above and ask for guidance. She accidentally leaned forward into the flame, setting her hair on fire. This happened right  after Acocella had added the line “she was a little upset during the meeting” to an irreverent drawing of herself with a gun in her mouth.

Then she had an epiphany.

“That’s when I realized that’s what I should have been all along — a cartoonist,” she said. 

Three and a half decades later, that once-frustrated commercial artist is an internationally recognized cartoonist whose work is regularly featured in The New Yorker. Her cartoons have also appeared in some of the top fashion magazines including Mirabella, Glamour, W and Elle, as well as in The New York Times and O, The Oprah Magazine. 

Now 64 and living in Highland Beach, Acocella is also the author of three graphic novels, and the acclaimed graphic memoir — Cancer Vixen — detailing her battle with breast cancer that was diagnosed in 2004, three weeks before she was married. 

Marisa Acocella has authored a book detailing her battle with breast cancer.

Through July 22, a sampling of 28 of Acocella’s cartoons from The New Yorker will be on display in the Highland Beach Library, along with underwater photographs by Mark Kosarin.

Visitors to the exhibit will note that Acocella’s work is somewhat eclectic, although fashion tends to be a favorite theme. 

“They’re about fashion but they’re not just about fashion,” she said. “They’re about women.”

Her work, much of which was created while she lived in Manhattan, can also be autobiographical and, of course, a little irreverent. 

“I look at the world through my own lens,” she said. 

Working for The New Yorker, she says, is not easy. The magazine famous for its cartoons has a reputation for being highly selective.

Like many of the cartoonists who submit ideas, Acocella sends 10 to 12 drawings every week to The New Yorker.

“It’s a lot of hard work,” she said, adding that as a cartoonist there is no steady paycheck. “You can go months without a sale.” 

Acocella’s cartoons from The New Yorker are on display in the Highland Beach Library. This one hints at her love of fashion and a childhood as daughter of a luxury shoe designer. Cartoons provided

Coming up with ideas for the one-panel cartoons that appear in the magazine is the fun part, she says. “As an artist, you go where your imagination takes you, then you put it down on paper.”

The hard part, she adds, is re-creating the initial sketch that took five minutes to rough out and turning it into the final artwork, which can take days.

The daughter of a high-end shoe designer — her mother, Violetta, also of Highland Beach, designed the shoes Jackie Kennedy wore to her husband’s inauguration — Acocella grew up with sketches everywhere in her home. 

“The first thing I ever drew was a shoe,” she said. 

By the time she was 3 she was drawing women similar to those in the drawings her mother submitted with trend reports to manufacturers. 

“I got bored because the women weren’t saying anything,” she said. 

That changed when Acocella was 8 and the family went on a vacation to Bermuda. The resort where they stayed put them in a room that her mother was unhappy with, so the staff put them in a “pink elephant” of a house on the edge of the property. 

Gracing the walls were sketches and The New Yorker cartoons and Acocella soon learned that the house had belonged to James Thurber, a famous cartoonist and author for the magazine.

She stayed up to 3 a.m. reading Thurber’s books and studying the cartoons with captions, realizing she could make the people in her drawings talk. 

Acocella awoke four hours later with the sensation that something was crawling on her, only to discover hundreds of red ants all over the bed. 

“I tell people ‘That’s when I got bitten by the cartoonist bug,’” she said.

Most of Acocella’s cartoons focus on women and fashion, although men are not immune from her wit.

During her career, Acocella worked on a twice-monthly reportage column for The New York Times — journalism in cartoon drawings — and had a monthly comic strip in Mirabella and later in Elle. 

Excerpts from the book Cancer Vixen appeared in Glamour magazine, with 72 panels on six pages. 

Cancer Vixen, which chronicles her successful battle with breast cancer — even though she didn’t have health insurance — is being considered as the basis of a television show and a movie.

Her books are available at the Highland Beach Library.

While working on another book, Acocella is continuing to come up with ideas, some of which manifest when she’s strolling through Highland Beach. 

“I get my best ideas when I’m walking,” she said. 

If You Go

What: Art exhibit featuring works by Marisa Acocella, including 28 of her cartoons for The New Yorker, and underwater photography by Mark Kosarin 

Where: Highland Beach Library, 3618 S. Ocean Blvd.

When: Through July 22; 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Mon.-Thu., 10-4:30 Fri., 9-1:30 Sat. 

Information: 561-278-5455 or https://highlandbeach.us/231/Library

Ballroom Battle dancers will be (l-r) George Petrocelli, Michael Drews, Mitchell Fogel, Troy Ganter, Michelle Hagerty, Lauren Muñoz, Linda Paton and Allison Stewart. Photo provided by Muñoz Photography

The eight dancers for the 2025 Boca’s Ballroom Battle, co-chaired by Terry Fedele and Zoe Lanham, have been selected.

The theme will be the British Invasion, and the attire will be bold fashion inspired by music from across the pond.

In its 18th year, the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s signature event is set for Sept. 20 at The Boca Raton and coincides with National Dance Day. 

The dancers’ goal is to capture the coveted Mirror Ball Trophy not only by giving  spectacular performances but by raising funds to help students achieve higher education.

For more information, call 561-347-6799, Ext. 114, or visit ballroombattle.com.

Apply now for ‘Quantum in the Community‘ grants 

The Quantum Foundation is calling local grassroots nonprofits with annual budgets up to $500,000 to apply for a portion of the $1.25 million in grants available this year.

The grants are aimed at meeting the basic needs of Palm Beach County residents by providing food, shelter, transportation, clothing, showers, furniture, medical equipment and hygiene supplies.

“Our grantees are not only serving but encouraging and giving strength to those who need it most,” foundation President Eric Kelly said. “They all make our neighborhoods a much stronger and healthier place for residents.”

Applications for “Quantum in the Community” grants will be accepted through Aug. 1. 

The foundation also is accepting nominations for the Marie Thorpe Above and Beyond Award. In memory of staff member Marie Thorpe, who served the foundation for more than two decades, the recognition will be given to an everyday hero who exemplifies sacrifice and service. 

For more information, call 561-832-7497 or visit quantumfnd.org

Donation expands YMCA scholarships for teens

The YMCA of South Palm Beach County has received a $20,000 donation from Maurice and Margie Plough and the M.B. & Edna Zale Foundation to support at-risk teens.

The funds will provide full and partial scholarships, giving teens access to Y memberships and programs that promote academic success, leadership and personal growth.

“With today’s teens facing rising challenges like mental health issues and academic pressure, support like this ensures no teen is left behind due to financial barriers,” said Bryan Hunt, executive director of the Peter Blum Family YMCA.

For more information, call 561-395-9622 or visit ymcaspbc.org

$460,000 in grants goes to 21 nonprofits

The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties has awarded its Community Impact summer grants following a highly competitive cycle in which 40 applicants sought more than $1.7 million in funding.

Grants worth $460,000 to 21 local nonprofits will empower them to launch or expand summer programs ranging from academic enrichment and mentorship to arts and wellness.

“We’re proud to support these 21 organizations whose summer programs will positively impact local children, families and communities,” said Julie Fisher Cummings, chairwoman of the foundation’s Community Impact committee, which oversees the process. “These grants reflect the foundation’s deep commitment to strengthening nonprofits on the front lines of change.”

For more information, call 561-659-6800 or visit yourcommunityfoundation.org

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.”