By Mary Hladky

Boca Raton is working with Palm Beach County to determine what can be done to improve safety along the stretch of East Palmetto Park Road that runs from the Intracoastal Waterway to State Road A1A.

Beachside residents for years have sought changes that would improve the appearance, walkability and safety of that portion of the road but have been unable to persuade the city to take action.

That changed on Aug. 22, when Municipal Services Director Zachary Bihr told the City Council that the city will evaluate what can be done to improve safety. Possibilities include adding a traffic signal at an intersection and a crosswalk.

The city’s analysis has the blessing of the county, which owns that section of the road. The Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency also will be involved.

The city’s turnabout comes one month after County Commissioner Marci Woodward, who lives in Boca Raton, offered the county’s help to improve the road.

At the time, Deputy City Manager George Brown was noncommittal. An earlier city study had determined that no crosswalks are warranted and installing them could create safety hazards, a finding that angered beachside residents.

In other city business, council members voted unanimously at the same meeting to authorize making an offer of $400,000 to settle protracted litigation over a city ordinance that banned the controversial practice of conversion therapy on minors.

The city, as well as Palm Beach County, repealed their ordinances after a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in 2020 that the bans were unconstitutional because they violated the free speech rights of Dr. Robert Otto of Boca Raton and Dr. Julie Hamilton of Palm Beach Gardens.

The two therapists earlier had accepted a city offer to pay Otto $50,000 and Hamilton $25,000. Liberty Counsel, whose attorneys represented them pro bono, then sought a total of $2.1 million from the city and county to cover their attorney’s fees.

It remains to be seen if Liberty Counsel will accept the city’s offer.

Your August article about “buried valves” in Ocean Ridge has some disturbing quotes. Ken Kaleel might not have known about this issue, but it has come up over and over when valves broke, or could not be located and had to be replaced. During my three years as commissioner, 2020-2023, this issue came up several times, and in staff meetings, Public Works Supervisor Billy Armstrong clearly told us of the situation. Of course, getting this information would have required some commissioners sitting today to have attended these staff meetings. 

The issue also was discussed during the budgeting process in 2020-2022.  Those same commissioners brushed the issue aside as not important enough.  

 We know the water pipes are aging out. We know at some point we will need to convert our septic to sewer.  Neil Hennigan, as chair of the septic to sewer advisory board, developed a plan and presented it to the commission in April 2023. This included dealing with the pipes. 

Mayor Geoff Pugh and Vice Mayor Steve Coz did not want to spend the money to move the next phase forward.   

So here we are: Years pass and nothing happens. We will be spending half a million dollars in finding valves that attach to 80-plus-year-old pipes, some that we want to replace along State Road A1A — another project that has not happened in over a year. Money spent by Ocean Ridge residents, when down the road our only real option is to give our water pipes to Boynton Beach to not have to pay $40 million for the sewer system we will have to install. At this point, they probably would not want our pipes.

At the April meeting, Hennigan was trying to save our town the $500,000 it will cost to find the valves, the $900,000 American Rescue Plan Act money you want to spend on A1A pipe replacement, that appears to be going to our engineering firm, who keeps taking from the pot. He was giving the town a way out. Mr. Coz should be begging him to come back and donate more of the hundreds of hours he spent finding solutions for this town that will in turn save us all millions of dollars. 

Ocean Ridge needs a long- term water plan, and many commissioners do not have the desire or ability to think strategically or globally, so short-term decisions are costly and are not sound. Shall we just wait for a major crisis?

This issue has come up month after month and the very people outraged now did not want to act on it. It was under Mayor Pugh’s administration that the hydrants were not serviced and cost this town over $100,000. Mr. Pugh, Mr. Coz and Mr. Kaleel all have been on this commission long enough to have heard about the issue, which was the same issue that Billy Armstrong has brought up in staff meetings over and over and was never given money to rectify.

The same people who silenced the messenger are now outraged that their inability to properly run the town is biting them in the ... !

Martin Wiescholek
Ocean Ridge

Former Atlantic Plaza buildings are being torn down to make way for the second phase of Atlantic Crossing. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Larry Barszewski

Veterans Park visitors have lost their easy Atlantic Avenue access to parking there now that Atlantic Crossing has begun its second phase of construction, which includes the demolition of the old Atlantic Plaza and an adjacent office building.

The demolition work forced the closure of the park’s Atlantic Avenue entrance, which was actually the entrance to the old plaza’s parking lot, which is now part of the construction zone.

While pedestrians on Atlantic still have easy access into the park next to the bridge, the only route for drivers is entering Northeast First Street from Federal Highway and proceeding east along Atlantic Crossing’s northern construction border to the park.

The city can’t create a park entrance on Atlantic Avenue because it would be too close to the bridge over the Intracoastal Waterway, Public Works Director Missie Barletto said in an email to The Coastal Star.

Some residents have complained that Northeast First Street at Federal Highway is one of the city’s most dangerous intersections, site of a fatal crash in 2016, which will discourage people from using the park. Barletto said the city will keep an eye on that concern.

“Once the project construction has been completed and the new area is fully occupied, the city will conduct a traffic analysis to determine whether a traffic light is required at NE First Street and northbound Federal Highway,” Barletto wrote. A state investigation after the 2016 fatality said a traffic light wasn’t warranted, but led to additional signage for the intersection.

Once Atlantic Crossing is completed, visitors may be able to drive through the former Northeast Seventh Avenue — which is now in the middle of Atlantic Crossing, but is expected to remain open to vehicular traffic — to connect with Northeast First Street, rather than having to use Federal Highway.

Parking is still available on the west and north sides of the park, and the Atlantic Crossing developer has sectioned off 20 additional parking spaces on the northeast corner of the project near the park for park visitors.

Some of that parking may be blocked off as construction proceeds, including for a planned underground parking garage next to the parking lot.

“As the company will need to establish a safe zone in order to place pilings for this part of the project, a portion of the western parking area will be required to be restricted from public use,” Barletto said. The city anticipates other parking will be provided to retain the same amount of public parking.

What the parking will look like ultimately still hasn’t been determined, with the city awaiting Atlantic Crossing’s proposal.

“They’re working on their finalized plan set for that and have not submitted it to us yet. So, we haven’t been able to make any kind of judgment call on that or bring it back to commission for discussion,” Barletto told commissioners at their Aug. 15 meeting.

The parking spaces to the west of the park are expected to be turned into a landscaped area that acts as an expansion of the park, with paths connecting the park and Intracoastal to the new retail and residential space.

“The ultimate vision is that all of that asphalt that separates Atlantic Crossing from Veterans Park … would become all park space. … There would be pedestrian connections, but the cars would sort of stay on the other side. It could be a fantastic improvement, but they need to bring the drawings in and go through the process so that you could see them and we can confirm that they meet the rules we discussed for parking,” Barletto said.

An earlier site plan presented to commissioners and included on Atlantic Crossing’s website would replace the parking to the west with additional parking on the park’s north side, replacing its shuffleboard and lawn bowling areas. The current situation hasn’t yet affected the Lady Atlantic tour boat that docks at the park because it has been undergoing annual inspections and maintenance since July 27, but tours are expected to resume in September. The boat’s owner, Joe Reardon, did not return phone calls seeking comment.

In other news:

• Commissioners approved a settlement agreement with former City Manager George Gretsas at their Aug. 8 meeting. The city is still negotiating over the release of the terms of the settlement, City Attorney Lynn Gelin said, and will not release a confidential memo detailing the terms of the settlement until that is complete.

• Danica Sanborn, executive director of the Sandoway Discovery Center, told commissioners about improvements at the center, which is on State Road A1A a couple of blocks south of Atlantic Avenue, that include a stingray touch tank. She also said the center would like to expand the work it does with sea turtles and get permission from the state for hatchling releases, possibly done with an assist from Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton.

• The commission gave initial approval to a new ordinance that no longer allows the bridges over the Intracoastal Waterway to be closed for special events, but some commissioners said they might not support it when it comes up for final approval. The main event affected would be the Delray Beach Festival of the Arts, which is held in January.

The festival’s sponsors plan to move the event farther west on Atlantic Avenue, to the west of Federal Highway.

“I think it’s overkill,” Vice Mayor Ryan Boylston said of the proposed ordinance. “Closing a bridge has to come before the commission anyway.”

• Commissioners reviewing City Manager Terrence Moore applauded him for the work he has done, especially for his presence in the community, in awarding him a 4.1% pay increase to $239,429.

• The Community Redevelopment Agency is accepting applications through Oct. 31 for its new Redevelopment Advisory Committee. It is being created in response to the commission’s removing non-commissioners from the CRA’s governing board. The new five-member board, which will make recommendations to the commission, will be made up of CRA property owners.

• The amount of money the city plans to use to renovate the north end of City Hall has grown from $2 million to $4 million and will include enough space to allow for growth for the next several years, Barletto said. Also, the city no longer plans to replace the Crest Theatre’s air conditioners, which have all been repaired, she said.

By Mary Thurwachter

South Palm Beach is suffering budget woes, and they have nothing to do with money or expenses. With a new town manager — only two months on the job — and an even newer financial consultant putting the budget together in such a short time, the struggle is real.

Nevertheless, to give input on a budget, Town Council members need a budget proposal. And they didn’t get one ahead of their Aug. 29 workshop.

Council members got their agenda packets with worksheets and a copy of the budget for the current year, but no proposed budget. That left Mayor Bonnie Fischer astounded and unhappy.

“We don’t have what we need,” Fischer said, addressing Town Manager Jamie Titcomb at the workshop. “It’s your job to provide us with a proposed budget, not our job to craft it.”

At Fischer’s suggestion, the council by consensus called for a recess until 2 p.m. Sept. 5. That way members would have time to view and make changes or additions before the first public hearing on Sept. 12. The second hearing is Sept. 25. Hearings begin at 5:01 p.m. in the council chambers.

Titcomb reminded the council he had been manager since only June 5 and said he has his own way of doing a budget and wasn’t a big fan of the way things had been done before.

“We are diligently narrowing the numbers for the next fiscal year,” he said. “We are also concurrently working on the option of grants, bids and process to hopefully leverage and extend the town’s reach toward a new community facility here. FY2024 should prove to be a good planning, funding, bidding and project implementation year toward the town vision.”

Titcomb, who is a part-time employee, came aboard a week after the previous, full-time manager left. And Ron Bennett, the new financial consultant, began soon after — although he is familiar with the town because he served as its auditor in the past.

At the workshop, two council members, Raymond McMillan and Robert Gottlieb, away since May, participated by phone. Bennett, unable to be there due to illness, also attended by phone. Council members Bill LeRoy and Monte Berendes joined Fischer on the dais.

“This is a planning and implementation year budgetarily and operationally,” Titcomb said in an email before the workshop. “The Town Council has been consistent with narrative for moving forward on a redesign and rebuilding of a new Town Hall and community center complex.

“There are a lot of moving parts to such a project, thus I intend to work with council on setting the building blocks in place to effectuate this significant public project. We are collaboratively engaged in setting up process, bidding protocols and funding mechanisms to move forward on a new Town Hall.”

Near the meeting’s end, Vice Mayor LeRoy asked: “Where do we go from here?”

“That depends on when Jamie can have the budget ready,” Fischer said.

“I can have it by the end of the week,” Titcomb answered. But the council agreed to resume the workshop at 2 p.m. Sept. 5, a week before the first public hearing.

Titcomb said he would build the budget using the current millage rate of $3.45 per $1,000 of assessed value, a rate the council could choose to lower at the Sept. 12 hearing. The council is not allowed to vote during workshops.

According to state law, a tentative budget must be posted on a municipality’s website at least two days before the scheduled budget hearing. Florida sets Oct. 1 as the start of the fiscal year for each municipality.

By Mary Thurwachter

Looks like a little more tinkering will be required for that unique contract Town Attorney Glen Torcivia negotiated for South Palm Beach’s new manager, Jamie Titcomb.

Titcomb’s two-year contract has him working 20-25 hours a week at $82 an hour. The hours are capped at 25 to avoid triggering the town’s health insurance plan, which is automatically given to employees who work at least 26 hours a week. He doesn’t get pension benefits or paid holidays.

The problem is that the transition hasn’t been running as smoothly as hoped and Titcomb, who came on board June 5, has been averaging 30-31 hours a week. The previous town manager, Robert Kellogg, was a full-time employee. His leaving on May 25 sparked the resignation of Beatrice Good, the town’s financial consultant. Since then, Donna Mitchell, who issued building permits, also left.

All those departures at the same time contributed to the mess Titcomb inherited.

“It’s an interesting and challenging job,” Titcomb said at the Aug. 8 Town Council meeting. “I’ve been dealing with a lot of things that probably wouldn’t have to be dealt with in another town. We’re trying to right the ship.”

From the start, Titcomb, who was town manager in Loxahatchee Groves until he retired a year ago, didn’t want another full-time job. He wants to stick to the terms of the contract.

“Nobody would like to reduce hours more than I would — except maybe my wife,” he said.

“We’ve had a really rough go in the last couple months,” said Mayor Bonnie Fischer. She suggested the manager’s position might be better salaried, rather than per hour.

“We’re still under what we budgeted for a full-time manager,” said council member Bill LeRoy. He said it wasn’t surprising that the new manager would need more time at the start, but he thought hours would naturally be reduced as time progressed.

The contract adjustments will be worked out by Torcivia and Titcomb.

In the meantime, the town has hired a new financial consultant, Ron Bennett, who appeared at the meeting and had worked with the town in the past.

“I don’t have the July financials yet,” he said, apologizing for the tardiness. “We’re playing catch-up here. We walked in behind the eight ball. Nobody left us a road map where all the records are.”

He said he hoped to have records all sorted out by the meeting in September.

Two new automated systems being initiated should be helpful, Titcomb said.

“One is MyGovernment-Online, which is a permitting process,” he said. “People will be able to fill out their own paperwork as well as pay for it on a web-face portal.”

The other program, CivicReady, is the replacement for BlackBoard, and is for emergency notifications “as well as other things going on in the town,” Titcomb said. “Both systems will increase the efficiency of staff through portals.”

In other news, the town:

• Heard from the Sheriff’s Office about the importance of keeping car doors locked and valuables out of sight to avoid vehicle burglaries. The topic came up after the council heard that burglars vandalized 17 cars at the Imperial House and across the street at South Palm Beach Villas on Aug. 3. The vandals, who broke car windows, came from Lantana Beach, which is open 24 hours a day.

• Heard from Ben Saver, the deputy town attorney, about a new state law, Bill 774, that requires mayors and council members to disclose their full net worth. Starting next year, they will have to disclose all assets over $1,000 with additional information about income.

“This is really a full financial disclosure compared to what you had to do in the past,” Saver said. “We can do a quick PowerPoint presentation for you at one of our meetings this year, and that way we can get a little bit deeper into what the requirements are and answer questions.”

By Mary Thurwachter

If you’ve driven by — or through — Water Tower Commons lately, you know the once empty lots have been filled with residential apartments and commercial buildings, including Aldi, Wawa and Chick-Fil-A.

A car wash (El Car Wash) is under construction and Dunkin’ Donuts has been approved and is wading through the permitting process, according to Sandra J. Megrue of Urban Design Kilday Studios, WTC’s architectural firm.

The development’s newcomer will be Fifth Third Bank at Main Street and Lantana Road. In order for the financial institution to be constructed there, Urban Design Kilday and the bank had to amend the site plan, which had pegged that space for an 1,800-square-foot restaurant.

At its Aug. 14 meeting, the Town Council modified the use to allow for a 1,900-square-foot bank with a drive-through and an ATM drive-through.

Megrue said the number of parking spaces on the lot will be reduced from 34 to 13 and two EV charging stations will be installed.

WTC occupies 73 acres east of Interstate 95 on Lantana Road on what used to be A. G. Holley State Hospital. The tuberculosis hospital was built in the early 1950s on state-owned land and sold in 2014 for $15.6 million to Lantana Development, developers of the land.

In other action:

• The council authorized paying $109,592 to Baxter & Woodman, Inc. for engineering services to perform a sea level rise assessment and an Ocean Avenue vulnerability assessment.

“The assessments are an effort to determine what the likely impact of sea level ri se will be to the Ocean Avenue corridor, to include the businesses, roadway, parks and other infrastructure that is important to the municipality,” said Eddie Crockett, director of operations.  

“Discussions on a regional level have been ongoing for several years,” Crockett said. “The assessment will assist us in identifying where to expend resources to protect from or mitigate the impact of rising sea levels.”

• The council awarded a $1,841,942 contract for residential waste and recyclable materials collection and disposal services to Coastal Waste and Recycling of Florida. The five-year contract begins on Oct. 1. The new contractor will provide new garbage trucks and containers for customers and will make a $50,000 special event contribution.

• Council members heard from Town Manager Brian Raducci that the town of Palm Beach wants to hold off on a planned dune restoration project until November 2024 because of other priorities.

Lantana is part of an interlocal agreement with Palm Beach, South Palm Beach and Palm Beach County for the project, already delayed twice. The project involves transportation of sand from Phipps Ocean Park and placement on the beaches of South Palm Beach and Lantana.

Raducci said he would call for a meeting among the partner municipalities to discuss the project further. Town officials had hoped the restoration would be completed by the end of this year.

Boynton Beach commissioners and the city’s arts advisory board are in a dispute over a sculpture the board approved for installation at WXEL’s office plaza on Congress Avenue.
ABOVE: A model of the sculpture, Harmony, by artist Patti Warashina, who lives in Seattle. RIGHT: A drawing of the sculpture showing its scale. Photo and rendering provided

By Tao Woolfe

The Boynton Beach City Commission and the arts advisory board are at odds over a 12-foot-tall sculpture titled, ironically, Harmony.

The sculpture depicts an elf-like Asian figure balancing on a globe, holding a musical note and a baton in its upraised hands.

The artwork was commissioned by WXEL for its office plaza at 3401 S. Congress Ave., as part of the city’s Art in Public Places program. But the public media company’s choice of artwork has rubbed some the wrong way.

At a City Commission meeting on Aug. 15, members of the audience described the sculpture as “hideous” and even “satanic,” and decried the arts advisory board’s recent 3-2 vote to approve the project.

By the end of the long night and wide-ranging discussion, the City Commission had decided it will be the final arbiter of all public art that evokes controversy.

Specifically, the commission approved an ordinance on first reading that will allow the commissioners to overrule any arts advisory board choices that bear a whiff of residents’ disapproval. The override would need only a simple majority vote, the ordinance says.

The commissioners also discussed the possibility of limiting artist eligibility to Florida, with an emphasis on artists from the tri-county area.

Patti Warashina, the creator of the Harmony sculpture, lives in Seattle. Her work has won so many awards — local and national — that they take up a full page of her résumé.

Most recently, the awards include the Smithsonian Visionary Artist award, the American Craft Council gold medal and a National Endowment for the Arts award.

Her work, which spans 50 years, is on display in museums, colleges and public squares from Pomona, California, to Kyoto, Japan.

According to a biography of the artist written for the John Natsoulas Center for the Arts in Davis, California, Warashina likes to inject humor and irony into her work.

“The human figure has been an absorbing visual fascination in my work. I use the figure in voyeuristic situations in which irony, humor, absurdities portray human behavior as a relief from society’s pressure and frustrations on mankind,” Warashina said in a statement she gave to the Davis museum.

Cindy Falco DiCorrado, one of the Boynton Beach residents who complained that Warashina’s artwork is “demonic,” said that besides this particular piece of artwork, DiCorrado objects to Warashina’s politics.

The 83-year-old artist has parodied presidential candidate Donald Trump in her work. DiCorrado is an outspoken Trump supporter.

“Pedophilia is rampant,” DiCorrado said. “There are signs and symbols. This is what that statue represents. … This has got to stop.”

Jackie Dobbins, who lives near WXEL’s offices, agreed.

“Did we throw the beach and the water away to become Lucifer’s playground?” she asked. “There’s so much satanic stuff in the city it makes my stomach crawl.”

Two members of the arts advisory board spoke up at the City Commission meeting, and although they did not detail the arts board’s thinking in approving the sculpture, they defended the overall work and mission of the board.

“I am proud to be a member of the arts board,” said Ace Tilton Ratcliff, who voted in favor of installing Harmony. “I’m proud to have this sculpture — the first artwork by an Asian-American. Patti Warashina is amazing.”

Barbara Ready, who was chairwoman of the city’s arts commission for seven years, said she is concerned about the city’s attempt at censorship.

“Art is very subjective. There are pieces that a lot of people like, some that some people like, and some that people dislike,” Ready said after the meeting. “The city commissioners allowed themselves to be swayed by squeaky wheels and small- mindedness.”

Ready said that if the commission limits the work to only coastal themes and local artists, a deeper, richer level of work will be lost to the city.

She also worries that developers watching the arts fight might be discouraged about enthusiastically giving money to the Boynton Beach Public Art Fund.

The Art in Public Places program is funded through a 1% fee, meaning that developers pay a fee of 1% of their construction budgets to facilitate artwork. The artwork can be created for their properties or spent on artwork in other parts of the city.

The ordinance allowing the City Commission to override the arts board is expected to come back before commissioners for a second reading in the coming weeks.

WXEL did not respond to requests for comment.

By Larry Barszewski

When it comes to salary considerations, Ocean Ridge commissioners decided they don’t have to treat Town Hall workers and Police Department employees exactly alike.

At an Aug. 15 budget meeting, the commission approved a $2,500 pay increase for the Police Department’s 19 employees, which will be added to their base salaries Oct. 1, while agreeing to a $2,500 one-time stipend for six Town Hall employees.

“What you’re telling the town staff is that this commission does not value them and the fact that their cost of living has gone up equally to the same cost of living as the PD,” Town Manager Lynne Ladner told commissioners.

Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy disputed that depiction.

“You are putting words in our mouth. That is not what we’re saying and we’re done talking about the police and can we move on and just talk about the staff,” Cassidy said after agreeing to award the police pay boosts.

“How are police not staff?” Ladner asked, to which Cassidy said: “That is a political view. That is not what we’re talking about.”

While the Police Department has had difficulty filling positions, Town Hall has also lost three employees during the current fiscal year, according to town records.

Mayor Geoff Pugh said the police salary increases are warranted because of the critical services police provide.

Commissioners are trying to address “how we’re doing the pay for the Police Department in order to get more employees to stay here for the Police Department and bring in police so we can have a Police Department,” Pugh told Ladner, who became town manager in April after serving as interim manager since September. “And being that you haven’t been here for a long time, it’s hard to understand how valuable this Police Department is to the town of Ocean Ridge.

“Actually, without a Police Department, we kind of lose our identity a little bit. So that is a very, very important staff, not to say that our other staff is not an important part.”

Commissioners approved raising the starting salary for police officers by $4,000, a 6.5% increase, to $66,000. They also agreed to a $5,000, 10% increase in the starting salary for police dispatchers, raising that minimum pay from $50,000 to $55,000.

Commissioner Ken Kaleel said Police Chief Scott McClure presented data showing the town’s police and dispatcher salaries were not competitive with those in surrounding communities, but the commission had no comparable data for the half-dozen other town employees under Ladner.

Two of those employees — Town Clerk Kelly Avery and Public Works Supervisor Billy Armstrong — received $7,500 raises in March at the same time commissioners gave similar $7,500 raises to all of the town’s certified police officers.

Vice Mayor Steve Coz said his proposed one-time stipend would put money directly into the pockets of the Town Hall employees. And all employees — police and others — are eligible for merit raises up to 5%.

“Yes, people are spending more on their groceries. Here’s some money to help you out as inflation comes back under control and you get a 5% [merit] raise,” Coz said. “I don’t see that that’s not valuing” town staff.

The salaries are part of the proposed town budget for the fiscal year that starts Oct. 1. The commission will hold its public hearings on the budget Sept. 5 and 18.

The commission expects to hold the tax rate at the same level as the current rate — $5.50 for each $1,000 of taxable value — if not lower it. Several commissioners want to approve a reduction, but they are waiting for additional information from Ladner given changes to the budget that were made at the Aug. 15 meeting.

By Larry Barszewski

Downtown Development Authority board members will meet with Delray Beach city commissioners to discuss the future of Old School Square. However, the DDA members themselves are undecided about what their agency’s continuing role should be in bringing new life to the city’s historic cultural arts campus.

What the DDA decides may depend in large part on what commissioners are looking for at the workshop meeting, scheduled for 6 p.m. Sept. 7 at the Arts Warehouse, 313 NE Third St.

The DDA stepped forward to help the city following the commission’s 2021 decision to oust the downtown cultural center’s longtime operator, a nonprofit called Old School Square Center for the Arts.

Commissioners complained the nonprofit group failed to provide requested audits and other financial documents, and that it started renovations of the Crest Theatre without properly covering the city in the renovation bond.

The DDA agreed to manage the Cornell Museum in December 2022, the rest of the campus in March, and it will take over scheduling of events at Old School Square’s vintage gymnasium from the city’s parks department in October.

Its contract with the city runs through September 2024. What happens then is up in the air.

Two of the three commissioners who voted to get rid of the former operators are no longer on the commission — one lost reelection and the other was term-limited — and the new commissioners don’t bear the hostility to Old School Square’s former operators that surfaced during the breakup.

The former operators got a meeting with the new commission in May, designed to begin a healing process with the group, which still has significant support among the city’s movers and shakers. The commission’s workshop with the DDA comes four months later and — as of the DDA’s August meeting — board members still didn’t know if it would be a two-way discussion or if they’d have to share time with the former operators.

It turns out it will be a three-way talk. The DDA will present its overview to commissioners and then the former operators will do the same, followed by a discussion of the short- and long-term goals for the Old School Square campus, according to the agenda later released by the city. At the DDA’s Aug. 14 meeting, it was clear there were differing opinions about the DDA’s partnership with the city.

The DDA’s newly appointed chairman, Brian Rosen, one of four people the commission voted onto the board in May, was concerned about the potential liability the DDA would face if an accident occurs on the Old School Square campus. He also fears that getting bogged down with Old School Square would take away from other DDA priorities, such as economic development.

“We have this really amazing thing, and it needs a lot of focus and love and money,” Rosen said of the Old School Square campus, on the northeast corner of Atlantic and Swinton avenues. “We could decide to create that, but that doesn’t seem like that’s really what we want to be doing because there are so many other things that are so important that the DDA has to focus on.”

Rosen is also worried about the money it will take to keep the programming going. The city plans to contribute $1 million of the DDA’s proposed $1.32 million Old School Square budget for the coming year, but it doesn’t want to underwrite the program forever.

Rosen said the DDA would have to raise millions of dollars in the future. “Now we’re talking about running a capital campaign. Do you know the time and energy it takes to raise a couple of million bucks?”

But Vera Woodson, in her last meeting as vice chair of the DDA board, pointed to the accomplishments the DDA has achieved in a little over a half-year of running things there.

Some of those were included in a City Commission presentation on Aug. 8 by Laura Simon, the DDA’s executive director.

The campus had summer events — including a Bon Jovi tribute band; a kids-oriented prince/princess Disney tribute band; a mural fest; an art installation; and the official reopening of the Cornell Museum.

The DDA has also created a website for the campus and an Instagram account that had 1,741 followers as of last month. The city’s renovations to the Crest Theatre on the campus are expected to be completed in October, with the possibility that some programming there could begin early next year.

“I know what [the DDA staff has] been able to do and accomplish and I’m so invested in the success that has been happening and what they’re able to do, and how I can see down the road of what they can continue to accomplish and grow with that,” Woodson said. “I guess I am somewhat attached to it and that’s why I fight so hard to say I’d rather the DDA take it over because there’s synergy and energy that is moving forward in a positive direction.”

A significant unanswered question is the role the Old School Square Center for the Arts has in the future of the campus. The commission has already supported the group’s being involved in some of the programming. There has also been talk that the organization could serve in a cultural advisory role.

Vice Mayor Ryan Boylston told Simon one of the keys to success of the cultural arts campus “is going to be through partners — and whether that’s partnerships with Old School Square or some of the other organizations you’re having conversations with, or it’s partnerships with us, so that we can do some of the lifting.”

The city and Old School Square’s former operators have settled a suit and countersuit stemming from the group’s ouster, but the two sides are still in a dispute over the group’s application to trademark the Old School Square name.

The group’s online site, oldschoolsquare.org, blurs the distinction between the group and the campus and could be confusing to the public. The site’s events calendar shows nothing happening on the campus, despite the programs taking place through the DDA.

Both the former operators and the DDA have Instagram accounts: The group’s is @oldschoolsquaredelray and the DDA’s is @delrayoldschoolsquare.

The DDA’s transition website for the campus, delrayoldschoolsquare.com, contains current information about Old School Square activities. The agency is also working to develop new branding for the campus.

“We said when we took over, when we came into this place we were going to change the narrative,” Simon told commissioners. “We created the marketing, reopened the Cornell Museum, we built the team to do the transition and then to fill the gaps.”

Bobbi Horwich, resident and fitness instructor at The Carlisle in Lantana, draws a crowd for a yoga class inside the fitness room. Horwich also has started a ballet class. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Bobbi Horwich is something we rarely see: a born-and-raised native of Palm Beach County who has never lived anywhere else. That’s one thing that makes her unusual, but there are others.

Horwich once owned a drugstore in West Palm Beach that was the go-to spot for the Kennedy clan.

And she occasionally hosts luncheons with women mayors Bonnie Fischer (South Palm Beach), Betty Resch (Lake Worth Beach) and Karen Lythgoe (Lantana) as well as Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon to discuss the issues they are facing.

The 80-year-old resident of The Carlisle in Lantana also runs both fitness and ballet classes for residents there several days a week, and the classes have become very popular.

“When I moved here (in November 2020), I wanted to do something,” Horwich said. “So I started and, little by little, people started coming in. Some are people who never did anything. And that’s my claim to fame.

“I get quite a few fit people. And then I get people who just come and do what they can. I have two friends who are 102 years old; we have breakfast, and one takes my class. And now I started a ballet class. We have a barre, and we have two men who attend. It gives me a good feeling when I’m finished.”

Horwich, who attended Twin Lakes High School, which was located on the current site of the Kravis Center, has enjoyed seeing the area blossom into a cultural hotbed.

“There was a time when all West Palm Beach had was a good library,” she said. “It was a place my mother could drop me off, it was safe and you could visualize the rest of the world.”

Literacy and libraries are two of Horwich’s passions. Another is the environment, as exemplified by her being honored as an “Everglades Champion” by the Marshall Foundation in 2010 after her lobbying in Tallahassee landed it a $100,000 grant from the state.

“People would not know that deep down I’m really insecure,” she said. “That’s why I like being around older people. I’m insecure but I love strong women. I really do.”
Horwich has lost two husbands — and a daughter, Fort Lauderdale attorney Marcie Nolan, who died of ovarian cancer at age 48.

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I went to Twin Lakes High School and the University of Florida. It’s been something being here all those years and seeing Palm Beach County grow the way it has. We didn’t have anything in the way of culture. We didn’t have ballet, we didn’t have music. I was so happy when we got libraries in the county, and very happy when the senior community came in and demanded it. So, I’ve seen that change.
I’ve seen the waterfront change, too. The mansions have become smaller but much richer. I’m not happy with what’s happened with the Ag Reserve, but what’s happening with infrastructure and restoring things is nice. This has become a nice place to grow up. I’ve seen the magnet schools do something wonderful. I was sorry my late daughter didn’t get to go to Suncoast and Dreyfoos. And the diversity, it’s getting better. Just not as much as I would like.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I owned a small, independent drugstore in downtown West Palm Beach before it all changed. They didn’t have surgical supplies then, so we sold them. We took care of the Kennedys, going back many years.
After that I worked for the state of Florida in Children and Family Services, just for a while. I’m a soft touch, so when people came in, I’d do my best to help them.
Then I met this wonderful doctor (who became her husband) and he said, “You know, I want to travel, I want to do things,” and I realized I didn’t need it (her job with Children and Family Services) anymore. It was only 21/2 years, but it was an experience I will never forget.
Then I became much more volunteer-oriented, until I moved here.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Never say never. My daughter started up at Amherst College and went through all the A’s — anthropology, architecture — and she ended up being an environmental specialist, and then becoming a lawyer. You’re never too late to start anything, never too old to try something new.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in coastal Lantana?
A: I had an apartment with my husband in Palm Beach and I was very busy there, but then my husband died and my daughter died, as well. Then I decided to move here because I was lonely in Palm Beach, especially in the summer when everyone would go away. I was going to have to spend a lot of money to update my apartment there, and everything I needed was here. I like being taken care of, so this was a good fit.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in coastal Lantana?
A: It’s my village. I love the shopping center across the street, I’ve got my doctors, my library, my post office. I can walk to the beach. I’ve made some friends in the town. I’m friendly with Bonnie and some of the other women mayors and we have lunch and talk about all their different issues. And I like that.
Also, the beach is a half-block away, and we don’t have as much asphalt here, so it doesn’t get as hot as other places. Location is everything, and this has it.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: I like Michael Connelly, I just got the new David Baldacci book. I don’t read all bestsellers; I don’t read Danielle Steel. But I like a book with a good character and good story. And a lot of times the location will be Key West or New York or somewhere I know. There’s a book out called Pineapple Street, by Jenny Jackson. I read it and that’s a good story.
The library system in Palm Beach County is wonderful. There’s something for everybody.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: I can’t say I like rap. I love Tina Turner. I like dancing so I like pop music, and when they play ’60s music, I like that. They have a lot of music here. I also used to love Neil Diamond and Earth, Wind and Fire. I like danceable music. I don’t go as far back as the ’40s with the big bands, but there’s good music out there.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: I had one, Honey Duncan, and she just died. Honey’s husband was a drama teacher who taught Burt Reynolds and many others. She took me under her wing. They lived in Lake Worth and she was very big in libraries, and also in Democratic politics, but mostly libraries. She was a great mentor to me.
I also have a wonderful lady in Palm Beach, the former mayor, Gail Coniglio, who also said I was her mentor. She said, “I don’t know anything over the bridge, Bobbi, but you know people over there. If I’m going to be mayor, I need to know what’s going on.” So that worked out very well.

Q: If your life story were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: Cate Blanchett, since she’s so diversified and she wears such beautiful clothes. She has a movie, Tár, that I thought was very good, but not everybody is going to like it. She’s Australian, and so many great actors come from there.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: A good joke. My friend Gerson here writes a poem every day and some of them make me laugh, and I have a hearty laugh. Also, I get newspapers and sometimes I laugh at some of the headlines.

Dozens of surfers paddled off the shores of Lantana Beach on Aug. 5 to honor Rob Caldwell (left), who died on July 13 at the age of 67. Caldwell, a career lifeguard and surfer, worked for the Lantana Fire Department from 1976 to 2009 and was captain of the beach patrol. Over the years, he saved more than 100 people. Photo provided by Alex Moreno

LANTANA — Beloved family man and restaurateur John Joseph Caruso died Aug. 4. He was 80.

Born June 19, 1943, in Brooklyn, New York, to Esther and Francis Caruso, John was the youngest of seven children: two sisters and four brothers, who were raised to love God, family, country and their fellow man. His parents moved the family upstate to Phoenicia, where they operated Villa Caruso hotel and restaurant.

Despite working hard in the hospitality business, Mr. Caruso cherished his memories of growing up in the Catskills alongside his siblings with an abundance of love and laughter.

The family shared a strong bond with their Catholic church community, St. Francis de Sales, where John served as an altar boy.

He loved performing in the musical variety shows his father put on for the benefit of the church, as well as in the annual Passion play in their former parish in Brooklyn.

As a young man, Mr. Caruso attended Onteora Middle/Senior High in Boiceville, New York, where he excelled in sports.

He joined the U.S. Army and was stationed in Germany, where he was trained in tactical missile defense.

After his honorable discharge in 1967, Mr. Caruso worked in several of Manhattan’s premier restaurants. Thereafter Mr. Caruso enjoyed a decade-long career with Hylan Chesler in the Hamptons at the Dune Deck Hotel and at Chesler’s Palm Beach restaurant.

When Mr. Caruso opened his own business, the Marrakesh Disco in West Palm Beach, he met the girl next door, Sandra Panais, whose family owned and operated the Royal Greek Restaurant and the Royal Palm Motor Lodge.

His other ventures include the famous Dune Deck Café at Lantana Beach, which he founded in 1991 and operated with his wife and her family.

John and Sandra were together in love for 45 years. They were members of St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church. When in Mr. Caruso’s company, you knew you were special.

His heart, sense of humor and irresistible charm made him sought-after and remembered by a wide circle of family, friends and business associates. Whether on the golf course, at the casino, or greeting customers at the Dune Deck Café, Mr. Caruso made every encounter a party.

He is remembered in love by his wife, Sandra, and the Panais, Calomiris, Caruso, and Carrano families, including cousins, nieces and nephews — too many to count — all of whom held a place in his enormous heart.

A funeral was held Aug. 9 at St. Catherine’s in West Palm Beach.

Donations may be made to St. Catherine Greek Orthodox Church or the Heroes Foundation of America: www.heroesfoundationofamerica.org. Memories may be shared at www.dorsey-smithmemorygardens.com for the Caruso family.

— Obituary submitted by the family

GULF STREAM — Robert Eugene Glennon Jr. of Gulf Stream and Arlington, Virginia, died Aug. 7 at his home in Arlington. He was 75.

Born on April 23, 1948, in Bement, Illinois, the son of Robert Eugene Glennon Sr. and Martha Chapman Glennon, Robert worked his way through the University of Illinois, earning his bachelor’s in 1971.

A participant in the ROTC program, he joined the U.S. Army after graduation and achieved the rank of captain. Following his Army service, he enrolled at the University of Florida’s Levin law school, where he was a proud “double Gator,” earning both his JD in 1974 and his LLM in taxation in 1975.

Mr. Glennon, who often credited the law school with changing his life, later served on the UF Law board of trustees. In honor of his late wife, he also endowed the Helen Blechman Award, given annually to the graduating senior who has amassed the most pro bono hours.

After earning his LLM at Florida, Mr. Glennon served at the university as an instructor of tax law. Days before he was set to accept a full-time professorship at a Midwestern law school, the D.C. lobbying firm Williams & Jensen offered him an interview. He joined the firm in 1976, where he was mentored by the legendary Texas-born tax attorney and lobbyist J.D. Williams.

This role launched a near half-century career in legislative policy and strategy work and led to Mr. Glennon’s becoming a partner at Williams & Jensen and subsequently at the global law firms Mayer Brown and Hogan Lovells. He held the position of senior counsel with Hogan Lovells at the time of his death.

Mr. Glennon was involved in every major tax bill brought before the U.S. Congress in the last 45 years. He was distinguished for his legislative lobbying work around such complex issues as corporate tax policy, environmental, land and historic conservation, and legislation related to cancer and mental illness.

Throughout his career, he actively supported a wide array of local and federal electoral efforts and political candidates of both parties.

Mr. Glennon was consistently recognized by clients, peers and the national media as one of the preeminent tax legislative attorneys and one of the best lawyers in the United States.

He married Helen Blechman in 1983, and in 1986, the couple welcomed a son, Michael, to whom Robert was a loving and devoted father. Following Helen’s death in 1998, Michael and Robert formed an extraordinarily close bond that not only endured until Robert’s death, but also transcended generations and passed to his grandchildren, Helen (Ellie) and Lily.

A lifelong country music fan, Mr. Glennon was happiest in Gulf Stream, listening to music by the pool, or in Napa Valley, California, sampling wines with family and friends.

He is survived by his son, Michael (Anna), and two granddaughters, Helen and Lily, of Gulf Stream, as well as three siblings, Lorraine Glennon, Mary Glennon and Edward Glennon. A celebration of life will be held this fall in Washington, D.C., at a date and time to be determined.

Friends and family can honor his memory through a gift to the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where the family is establishing a scholarship focused on tax law. Donate at https://bit.ly/RobertGlennon (Robert Glennon in honoree line) or via check, noting its purpose in the memo line, to Office of Development, Levin College of Law, 309 Village Drive, Gainesville FL 32611.

— Obituary submitted by the family

By Jeff Perlman

DELRAY BEACH — Entrepreneur and philanthropist Carl A. DeSantis died Aug. 10. He was 84.

Born in Boston in 1939 and raised in South Florida, Mr. DeSantis attended college at Florida State University in Tallahassee. He returned to Miami to begin his career managing retail drugstores before becoming an ambitious entrepreneur at a young age.

With a strong work ethic and boundless energy, he was the founding force behind Rexall Sundown. Under his leadership, the company became a global powerhouse offering a wide array of nutritional supplements. His dedication to quality, innovation and consumer trust became the hallmark of the company’s success.

Beyond Rexall Sundown, Mr. DeSantis saw the potential for a healthier alternative to sugary beverages, and played a pivotal role in bringing Celsius energy drinks to life.

His commitment to promoting well-being and offering products that contribute positively to people’s lives remained unwavering.

Mr. DeSantis was also a generous philanthropist, contributing to educational, spiritual and cultural organizations and institutions, including Florida State University, Florida Atlantic University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, Nova Southeastern University and Bethesda Memorial Hospital.

The recently formed Carl Angus DeSantis Foundation has been active supporting local nonprofits that offer help to children in crisis and mentor those who need a helping hand. It also makes major donations to support Alzheimer’s research.

Mr. DeSantis’ legacy is one of inspiration, innovation and determination. He leaves behind a devoted family, friends and colleagues, and millions of consumers touched by his work.

His infectious laughter, warm smile and genuine interest in others endeared him to everyone he met. He was devoted to Delray Beach and lived for many years on the barrier island.

CDS International Holdings, the family office, will remain headquartered in Delray Beach.

He is survived by his children: Deborah (Mark) Colbert, Dean (Laura), and Damon (Cynthia); the mother of his children, Sylvia DeSantis; his sister, Dorothy (Joseph) Greene; his six grandchildren, Kyle (Adaliz), Cameron (Kelli), Katelyn Rowan-Miller (Campbell), Katie, Conor (Karissa), and Carson (Matt) Glasheen; his seven great-grandchildren; and nephew Brett and nieces Shari (Bryant) Pasley and Audrey.

A funeral Mass was celebrated Aug. 22 at Ascension Catholic Church in Boca Raton, followed by entombment at Our Lady Queen of Peace Mausoleum, Royal Palm Beach.

Contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association online at www.alz.org.

By Sallie James

BRINY BREEZES — He was the beloved Briny Breezes dock master whose seasoned ear could pick out the sound of a misfiring boat engine from the front porch of his home, day or night. Boaters knew the slightest hint of trouble on the water would send Doug Baumgarten running toward the dock to jump aboard and lend a hand.

Helping others was what “Dock Master Doug” loved best.

The longtime Briny Breezes resident, whose vibrant enthusiasm landed him in the ocean instead of on a boat deck at least once, died of complications related to cancer on July 7 at home surrounded by family. He was 83.

Mr. Baumgarten loved boats, planes and family and made sure all three were always a major part of his life. Relatives remembered him as a handsome man with a big smile who loved to tell cheesy jokes.

His parents were among the original settlers of Briny Breezes.

“He was very popular and outgoing,” said his daughter, Dawn Baumgarten. “He would literally just hear (boats) out of our window because you could see everything, and anytime something went wrong, he would run out and help. He would also keep a lookout and if you weren’t from Briny you were not allowed to be anywhere near the boats, or park near the boats or the water.”

Born Sept. 10, 1939, in the suburbs of Chicago, Mr. Baumgarten spent his early years in Warrenville and Wheaton, Illinois. He met Linda, the love of his life, in high school.

Upon graduation, Mr. Baumgarten joined the U.S. Navy, where his passion for boats and the ocean took hold. But despite his sense of adventure, he worried that Linda would fall for someone else, so he wrote her regularly for three years to make it clear he was still interested.

“He was very concerned she was going to marry someone else,” Dawn Baumgarten said. Linda waited and the couple married in 1961.

After spending three years as a sailor, Mr. Baumgarten became a student at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. He then turned his sights to the skies. After graduating from college, he went to flight school and became a pilot for United Airlines, where he worked until he retired.

Mr. Baumgarten traveled a lot because of his job, but made time for his two young sons and daughter. He involved all three children in scouting and served as a Boy Scout leader, making sure his daughter had access to the same opportunities as her brothers.

Camping, fire building, dirt bike racing, dance, swimming and ballet were all part of his kids’ childhoods. Mr. Baumgarten’s life revolved around family: He named his boat the MiaKai after his two granddaughters, Mia and Kai, and carried a pinup-style photo of a young Linda in his wallet to the day that he died.

“She had one leg up and one leg down, a very sexy pose. It was a little racy for that time,” Dawn Baumgarten said. “He had that picture all that time. They just never stop loving each other.”

Mr. Baumgarten and his wife were active members of the Briny community. He belonged to the Jaycees, and was an avid tennis player who transferred his skills to pickleball. A week before he was hospitalized, he was on the pickleball courts hitting balls, his daughter noted.

Mr. Baumgarten had a sense of humor, adventure and responsibility that stemmed from his youth, when he caused a ruckus with a few cans of paint.

As the story goes, a new water tower had just been erected and the mischievous high schooler coyly told his parents he was going out one night to “paint the town.” What he really did was paint the water tower, with high school-themed graffiti that caused an uproar in the school district.

When the school threatened to cancel prom because it could not track down the culprit, Mr. Baumgarten came forward and fessed up.

“He confessed because he didn’t want everyone to miss prom,” his daughter said, laughing.

Always a forward thinker, Mr. Baumgarten donated his body to science in the spirit of learning and research.

Mr. Baumgarten is survived by his wife, Linda; a daughter, Dawn Baumgarten, and two sons, Douglas and Todd Baumgarten; two sisters and a brother; and two granddaughters.

A virtual memorial service for Mr. Baumgarten is being planned. Friends who would like to participate or contribute should send an email to jenniferlcerulli@gmail.com with the title “Wacky Wings” in the subject line, and include an email, a preferred phone number and a note explaining how you knew Mr. Baumgarten.

DELRAY BEACH — Fish market and restaurant owner Robert “Bob” Griek died Aug. 6. He was 86.

Born in Long Island, New York, on Sept. 24, 1936, to Nicholas and Nellie Van Essendelft Griek, he had two sisters — Betty Atherton, his twin, and Marilyn Carraretto.

Mr. Griek joined the Navy in 1953. After four years in the service, he was part of a team that figured out how to artificially inseminate oysters, clams and other bivalves.

In 1960 he moved to Delray Beach with his parents and sisters and opened a retail fish market named Delray Seafoods.

In 1961 he married his dream girl, Moreva Chalaire. They bought property in Cashiers, North Carolina, in the early 1980s and built their vacation home on 23 acres.

They also opened a restaurant in the next town, called Highlands Seafood and Smokehouse, which he ran for many years. The restaurant, although not owned by the family, is still in business today.

The family ran the fish market together for 48 years until retirement in 2008.

Mr. Griek was a fixture in Delray Beach for over 50 years. He was a great storyteller and a real jokester, as all his customers would know when they went into the market. He was well-known around town with his big smile, bright blue eyes and dark tan, and made friends wherever he went.

Mr. Griek was also a man of Christian faith, kind, happy and always helping strangers when they needed it most.

He is survived by Moreva, his sister Marilyn, his children Amanda and Christopher, five grandchildren — Savanna, Luke, Kaitlyn, Kylie and Payton, who adored him as “Poppy” — as well as nieces and nephews.

Above and Beyond Community in Boca Raton hosted a celebration of life on Aug. 24. Lorne and Sons Funeral Home was in charge of arrangements.

Donations in Mr. Griek’s name are suggested at ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, or online at https://raise.stjude.org/RobertGriek.

— Obituary submitted by the family

By Tao Woolfe

The Pierce, a residential/commercial project considered crucial to Boynton Beach’s downtown revitalization, could be delayed for as long as a year while two lawsuits make their way through Palm Beach County Circuit Court.

The lawsuits came to light at a Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency meeting on Aug. 8 when Jeff Burns, founder and CEO of Affiliated Development, asked for an extension of the Aug. 11 deadline for obtaining a building permit from the city.

He said Fort Lauderdale-based Affiliated has had to cease all pre-construction work because an adjacent property owner — F. Davis Camalier, of 209 N. Federal Highway — filed suit against Affiliated and the city. Boardwalk Italian Ice & Creamery leases space at that location.

Camalier is claiming that the city improperly abandoned three roads to accommodate Affiliated’s winning bid to build The Pierce, a $100 million development that will contain 300 apartments.

Camalier says in the complaint that the city did not conduct its own analysis before agreeing to shut down the rights of way and incorrectly concluded that the closed alleys and streets “would not adversely affect traffic.”

On the contrary, the complaint says, granting the application would increase traffic, impair ingress and egress and “grossly limit accessibility by customers as well as first responders.”

The abandonments would vacate a portion of Northeast First Avenue; a portion known as North Alley; and the full length of another alleyway known as South Alley. Camalier’s lawsuit asks the court to review the abandonments.

Affiliated, meanwhile, has filed a countersuit claiming that Camalier is engaging in “extortionate behavior, tortious interference and abuse of process.”

“This is nothing but a shakedown effort by Camalier and his entities,” to force “an inflated purchase price for his adjacent property or receive a portion of the deal/project to which he has no right,” the suit says.

The Affiliated suit alleges that Camalier has used similar legal tactics in the past.

“This is an unfortunate thing,” Burns told the city commissioners who were serving in their roles as CRA board members on Aug. 8. “It is our job to persevere and see it through — and we will. Our interests are aligned.”

Burns had asked the board for at least a year’s extension to pull a building permit. He said he did not want to have to start all over and resubmit the site plan for approval.

The CRA board agreed, although Mayor Ty Penserga asked that the matter be fine-tuned by city attorneys.

The Boynton Beach City Commission in February approved some site plan changes to The Pierce — originally envisioned as a $73 million downtown complex of apartments, restaurants, retail stores and green space at 115 N. Federal Highway.

Burns has said the project cost is now estimated at $100 million.

Affiliated Development received the city’s blessing on Feb. 21 to rezone the 2.3-acre complex to a new mixed-use downtown core designation; tweak the master and site plans; redesign the parking garage; and abandon some alleyways.

The Pierce will offer 150 units each of workforce and market-rate luxury rental apartments. It will have 17,000 square feet of commercial area that will accommodate restaurants, office space and retail stores.

It will feature public art projects including murals and a large, perforated metal corner treatment on the south parking garage emblazoned with nautical images and lettering that says “Welcome to Boynton Beach.”

The restaurants, including a freestanding new building for Hurricane Alley, and wide sidewalks will provide “an active, engaged area with day and night activity,” Burns said.

The new Hurricane Alley building is also now on hold.

The garages will offer 450 spaces, 150 of which will be for public parking.

The commission in February and March approved many of The Pierce’s requested changes, but asked the developer to work with merchants, especially the owner of the Ace Hardware, to ensure that if the rights of way are abandoned, delivery trucks have enough room to get in and out.

Burns agreed.

By Rich Pollack

Facing a maximum sentence of life in prison on murder charges, the woman who detectives say tossed her newborn daughter into the ocean in 2018 instead pleaded guilty to two lesser charges and was sentenced to 14 years behind bars.

Arya Singh, 30, who was originally charged with first-degree murder in the death of her child — named Baby June by sheriff’s detectives — pleaded guilty on Aug. 2 to aggravated manslaughter of a child and abuse of a dead human body.

As part of the sentence, Judge Howard Coates credited Singh with 231 days for time served in the Palm Beach County Jail, where she had been since her arrest late last year, and ordered that she serve 10 years of probation following her release.

Singh’s guilty plea came more than five years after the 2-day-old girl was found floating near the Boynton Inlet by an off-duty firefighter.

The intensive search for the infant’s mother ended in December when Palm Beach County sheriff’s detectives, using the latest DNA technology available, zeroed in on Singh.

Investigators believe that Baby June was born in a hotel room. They discovered that Singh had searched online for hotels in the Boynton Beach area eight times during a two-hour period the morning of May 30, 2018, the day the baby was born.

They also found that Singh had conducted numerous searches of news sites for about a month after Baby June’s body was discovered.
In August 2022, shortly after Singh was identified as a suspect, DNA found by undercover detectives on a discarded coffee cup confirmed that Singh was indeed the mother of Baby June.

Investigators did a subsequent DNA test and conducted several interviews to be certain of their findings before filing charges against Singh in December.

In court records, detectives said they believed the baby was born alive but was already dead when she was placed in the water. Although prosecutors accused Singh of killing the child by asphyxiation, they believe the homicide was not premeditated.

Investigators believe that Singh acted alone and that the child’s father was unaware of the baby’s birth.

As part of her sentence, Singh was ordered to pay just over $700 in court costs.

TOP: Private jets make up a huge share of traffic at Boca Raton Airport. RIGHT: A sign greets travelers at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility. Coastal Star file photos

By Christine Davis

Boca Raton Airport is marking the fifth anniversary of its U.S. Customs and Border Protection facility. Since its 2018 opening, the 4,400-square-foot facility has cleared about 7,900 international flights and welcomed visitors from nearly 70 countries.

Designed to meet all Department of Homeland Security standards for international arrivals, the facility is staffed by federal law enforcement officers with access to a trained K-9 unit. In addition to providing customs clearings, it participates in the Small Vessel Reporting System and conducts federal inspections for boaters.

Before this facility opened, international travelers going to Boca Raton Airport had to go through customs at other South Florida airports. By enabling the customs procedure to be completed in Boca Raton directly, this facility has reduced the number of low-altitude flights over surrounding neighborhoods and has made Boca Raton a more accessible location for international visitors, helping to enhance the city’s tourism.

***

Bryn Mawr Capital Management, a subsidiary of WSFS Financial Corp., has opened an office at 980 N. Federal Highway, Suite 110, Boca Raton.

“We purchased the assets and acquired the client relationships and associated assets under management from Bell Rock Capital,” said Eric Springer, WSFS integrated communications manager. “We assumed the previous lease, and Jackie Reeves, director of retirement plan services, is in the area and has established presence” as Boca Raton office manager.

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The ocean-to-Intracoastal estate on 1.3 acres at 3060 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan changed hands for $16.5 million, in a deal recorded July 21. The seller was the family trust of the late Dr. Gerald Kent Shortz, a former town mayor and commissioner, who bought the property in 1973 for $140,000. The new owner is Jorey Chernett, from Bloomfield Township, Michigan, CEO of Clearpath, which makes diagnostic imaging technology. Bank of America provided a $10.725 million mortgage to the buyer. Shelly Newman of William Raveis Real Estate represented the seller in the deal, while Vince Spadea Jr. of Douglas Elliman worked with the buyer.

The property had a 1942-era, 2,404-square-foot residence that has since been razed. “This property is one of the very few in Manalapan that you can potentially build east of A1A,” Newman said.

***

Marc Schneebaum, senior vice president and CFO at Avalyn Pharma Inc., and his wife, Mari, bought a waterfront five-bedroom, 17,083-square-foot spec mansion at 2909 Spanish River Road in Boca Raton from Catherine Stile for $14.75 million.

Stile bought the property in 2020 for $2.875 million and built the contemporary-style home with a Boca Raton firm, J.H. Norman Construction. It was designed by Boca Raton-based Brenner Architecture Group, with interior design details by Jack Lonetto of The Decorators Unlimited.

David Roberts and Kelly Brooks, agents with Sanctuary Realty LLC, represented the seller. Rona Namer, an agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, brought the buyer. 

***

The 40-year- old, 892,000-square-foot enclosed Boynton Beach Mall on 91 acres at 801 N. Congress Ave. is up for sale, according to The Palm Beach Post. The mall was being marketed by JLL brokerage for redevelopment as a new residential neighborhood with 1,700 housing units. In an email response, however, a representative of JLL wrote that “our team is unfortunately not available for comment.” 

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The Tideline Ocean Resort and Spa in Palm Beach, which is owned by an entity connected to Palm Beach real estate investor Jeff Greene, recently closed, enabling it to complete $20 million in renovations.

“Tideline is becoming part of the Marriott Autograph Collection of hotels like the Ben (in Palm Beach), one of their four-star boutique brands,” Greene said. “They require a property improvement plan to bring it up to their very high standards. We didn’t have to do what we are doing, but since it was rebuilt in 2010, we decided it was time for a refresh. It will have all new flooring, furniture and tile work to make it beautiful. It will look like a brand-new hotel.”

Since all the work is cosmetic, with furniture and supplies ordered over the past year, he hopes the hotel will reopen within the next 45 days. “We’ve already finished a few floors,” he said.

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The Delray Beach Housing Authority recently completed the Section 8 Management Assessment Program certification from the Department of Housing and Urban Development with a final score of 100%.

“To earn the rank of ‘High Performer’ from HUD, our agency demonstrated compliance with HUD regulations and proved efficient use of funding and resources while serving the greatest number of needy residents,” said Shirley Erazo, the Housing Authority president and CEO. “We are so proud of receiving this rating from HUD. This is a true reflection of our mission and what we stand for.” 

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Jasmine Fisch is the new marketing manager for The Seagate Hotel & Spa, 1000 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Previously, she was the digital marketing manager at The Boca Raton, and brand partner and organic media director at LBV Fashion in New York City. 

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The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County’s “Hot Topic Lunch” will host Michael Burke, superintendent of the School District of Palm Beach County, speaking on the status and future challenges of the local public education system. 

The luncheon will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 20 at Mounts Botanical Garden Exhibit Hall, 559 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. Cost to attend is $25, and payment must be made online at https://lwvpbc.org/event/sept-hot-topic-2023/.

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

St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton began extensive remodeling in May. St. Gregory’s leadership expects the work to finish by the end of November, just in time for the church’s 70th anniversary. Photo provided

Area churches restore stained glass, sanctuaries

By Janis Fontaine

When morning sunlight passes through the stained-glass windows at Church of the Palms, it ignites the sanctuary with color: yellow and amber, crimson and magenta, cobalt and cyan. A glowing vermillion cross on the floor creeps slowly toward the altar as the day progresses.

“Before it was just a diffused orange glow,” Pastor Todd Petty said. “Now when I walk in, I feel something divine. It’s peaceful. Worshipful.”

The Delray Beach church is among several in South County making much-needed updates and repairs in 2023. St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church of Boca Raton and St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach spent the summer renovating. These aren’t small projects. Church of the Palms spent nearly $300,000 repairing its east-facing frontage. The other churches spent more. All of the projects were complicated.

At Church of the Palms, it took months of delicate work to remove thousands of pieces of rare, mouth-blown sheet glass — the most expensive kind of stained glass manufactured in the world — label them, clean them and plan for their reinstallation.

The window of Church of the Palms in Delray Beach has been protected by hurricane glass. Photo provided

The stained-glass work fell to the fine craftsmen at McMow Art Glass in Lake Worth Beach with an assist from DeMattia & Son Construction on installing the hurricane-protective windows, the doors and the framing of the narthex.

McMow Art Glass, an artistic presence in Lake Worth Beach for nearly 50 years, had nine artisans working on the restoration, including Hans Maurer, a highly skilled master from Germany. The east-facing window had been spared storm damage, but a healthy fear of hurricanes (and the building code) demanded that the stained glass be protected by hurricane glass.

The church has unusual architectural characteristics that made the process both a joy and a challenge, said Shanon Materio, president and creative director of McMow. With its soft curves and glowing wood, Materio says, it resembles a mandolin.

The glass used in the intricate depiction of the symbol of the United Church of Christ is rare mouth-blown sheet glass manufactured by Lamberts Glass in Germany. Tiny bubbles in the glass make it even more luminous. Church records say it was crafted and installed by Nobis Studios from Canton, Ohio, in 1965.

Things have changed since then. In order to meet building codes, the whole tableau had to be rescaled — a geometric problem requiring precise calculations to maintain the integrity of the design. “The ratio had to be correct, which required a lot of time and effort,” Materio said.

Another arduous chore: Cleaning the windows of almost 60 years of dirt, dust and debris — soot from candles and incense, nature’s detritus and millions of exhaled breaths laden with impurities — revealed the truly spectacular quality of the glass, Materio said. “The fluidity of the glass, and the jewel tones. You cannot replicate it. There’s nothing better.”

When the glass was made in the early ’60s, there were lots of sources for stained glass, mostly in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Ohio. Today, there are few.

McMow downsized 18 months ago to devote itself to the craft of restoration and preservation of this fine art. “I like that we’re not throwing something away,” Materio said.

And there’s plenty of work to be done.

The cost of the project, the faithful provided. In January, the church bulletin read: “We are pleased to report that because of your faithful support — and a generous $75,000 gift from the Boynton Beach Church — our capital campaign exceeded its goal! We hoped to raise $275,000 to restore the stained-glass windows in the Sanctuary building and to install new front doors. Instead, we raised $340,850!”

That $75,000 gift did more than just help pay for the restoration.

Boynton Beach Congregational Church had sold its building in downtown Boynton and lost its pastor. It was looking for a new home. The church was welcomed by Church of the Palms. In May 2022, they began practicing a “cooperative ministry.”

With them, the congregants brought an artifact from the original church: a cross in the Dalle de Verre style, which is stained-glass pieces set in a matrix of concrete and epoxy resin. It was designed and fabricated by Conrad Pickel in his Boynton Beach studio in 1980.

McMow Art Glass gave it a new aluminum frame and mount and placed it in the Church of the Palms courtyard between the sanctuary and Friendship Center. The cross represents the joining of the two churches. It looks like it was made for the courtyard, Petty said.

Church of the Palms is at 1960 N. Swinton Ave. In-person worship takes place at 10 a.m. Sunday, followed by coffee in the Friendship Center. The virtual service streams at 4:30 p.m. Call 561-276-6347 or visit www.churchofthepalms.net.

Contractor Coy Eaton assembles the new pews, which are a bit darker than the old ones, at St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church in Delray Beach. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

New this month ...
Nearby, St. Vincent Ferrer is undergoing its own upgrades.

In June, the church closed for the summer to give the sanctuary a face-lift. When parishioners return in September, they’ll be welcomed by shiny new pews, fresh paint, new lighting fixtures and neutral tile replacing the carpet. The church has held weekday Masses in the intimate and austere adoration chapel; weekend Masses were held in the school’s gym.

First, the space with room for 808 worshipers, was gutted. The old carpet and pews were removed, and the room was repainted a nice bright neutral cream color. New modern lighting fixtures were installed. Then the room was tiled with slip-resistant ceramic tile to match the altar.

Finally, on Aug. 7, a huge truck pulled up in front of the church and started the all-day job of unloading the new pews and materials.

“The pews are a richer color, a little darker than before,” office manager Ericka Ruiz said. They were chosen to coordinate with the wood ceiling.

Each three-piece pew had to be individually assembled, then the kneelers had to be attached, and the pews moved into position and bolted to the floor. The church raised about $800,000 for the upgrades in donations from parishioners.

At 5 p.m. on Sept. 7, Bishop Gerald Barbarito will celebrate a special Mass blessing the renovated church.

St. Vincent Ferrer is at 840 George Bush Blvd. Call 561-276-6892 or visit www.stvincentferrer.com.

... and coming in the fall
St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church began extensive remodeling in May, and the church leaders expect the work to finish by the end of November, just in time for St. Gregory’s 70th anniversary.

In 1953, a few Episcopalians living in Boca Raton wondered if they really had to drive to Delray Beach to worship. They didn’t. The church first congregated in a single room furnished with an altar at one end and a kitchen at the other in a tiny building a block north of Palmetto Park Road.

In 1956, the Episcopalians broke ground for a building of their own on land donated by A.S. Weisman, a Jewish man who gave them two adjoining lots on the condition they build the church in two years. They did.

But within 10 years, they had to expand again. A much larger sanctuary and gorgeous stained-glass windows were added in 1966. During renovations in July, the team discovered several pieces of plywood signed by workers from Snow Construction, the company that built the sanctuary, led by George Snow of Snow Scholarship renown.

Now workers have stripped the church down to its bare bones and ripped up the tile and carpet from the floors. The Austin pipe organ (purchased in 1994 for $500,000) was removed and stored, and the remaining pipes were covered and protected. McMow Art Glass came on board to protect the stained glass during the construction.

Scaffolding was erected to restore the tongue-and-groove wood ceiling. The roof was repaired, and a new drainage system was installed to better protect St. Gregory’s stunning architecture from Florida’s unfriendly weather. Inside, a fire control room and fire sprinklers were installed.

It took until mid-July to finish work on the ceiling. While the scaffolding was up, the stained-glass windows were cleaned of years of dust and soot. Also in July, a steel beam was installed, and the columns removed from the old library hall, which will open up the sanctuary to natural light. A new entryway will welcome parishioners when the church reopens in the fall. In the meantime services will continue to take place in Harris Hall.

“It’s been a miracle,” parish administrator Kristen Chaney said, adding that so far, renovations have been covered by generous donations from parishioners.

In the Aug. 10 bulletin, the church leaders reported the best news yet: “Construction is progressing on time and within budget.”

If that continues, work should be completed by Thanksgiving. The estimated cost of the planned construction in the sanctuary is about $3.6 million.

St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church is at 100 NE Mizner Blvd. Call 561-395-8285 or visit www.stgregorysepiscopal.org.