Senior Minister Jeanmarie Eck goes from a mega-church in Houston to a more intimate role in Delray Beach. Photo provided 

By Janis Fontaine

Unity of Delray Beach has filled its senior minister position, a job vacant since Greg Barrette left in 2019. South Florida native Jeanmarie Eck returned from Houston in November to fill that role.

“We had a feeling the right person would come along. We were steadfast and we refused to water down our standards,” board President Harvey Brown said. In Eck, “we found so much substance, and she more than met our standards. She’s a thinker.” 

Unity of Delray Beach is “one of the flagship churches in the Unity movement,” Brown said. It serves an important role for people in search of spiritual enrichment in an environment that is less structured and “dedicated to inspiring individual spiritual empowerment through the practical teachings of Jesus Christ.”

Since Frances Jarrell held the first Unity class in Delray Beach in 1948 (with one student in attendance, the legend says), Unity of Delray and Unity School, founded in 1964, have grown into a center for spiritual teaching and enlightenment.

Eck had served as lead associate minister at one of Unity’s mega-churches, Unity of Houston, for the last 10 years before she was called back to Florida. She goes from working with a staff of 20 ministers to a more intimate role.

“I welcome the chance to work more closely with the community,” she said. “It’s a privilege to be the leading voice.” 

Eck graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School in Fort Lauderdale. She was raised a Catholic but slowly transitioned from that faith and was ordained as a minister in 2014.

“I’d never thought about being a minister before,” she said. “All the Catholic clergy were male.” 

After high school, Eck studied the performing arts in college, earning a BA from Rollins College and an MFA from the University of Mississippi. She had a successful and blossoming career in film and theater, but everything seemed to lead back to the Lord. Eck heard a voice that said, “There’s something more.” 

She visited different churches, drawn in by the music and to expand her knowledge beyond Catholicism. She went on “a prayer quest,” asking “what is my purpose?” In the early 2000s, she discovered Unity and in 2009, she joined the choir, using her talents to bring her closer to God. “I was ministering through singing, and it became about service,” she said.

Eck went on to earn a Master of Divinity from Unity Institute & Seminary in 2014 and earned certifications from Southern Methodist University in 2019 and Unity Worldwide Spiritual Institute in 2024. She continues to pursue her own spiritual growth to better serve her community. Eck offers classes for new members and encourages anyone with an interest in what Unity does to come to a service. 

Eck sees a lot of similarities between performing and preaching. “You have to have the skill to get up and deliver your message,” she said. It’s a challenge for which Eck is prepared. Her approach to service melds with Unity’s mission: “It’s a positive, affirming, uplifting environment.”

Eck lives in Delray Beach with her husband, David, their 9-year-old daughter, Felicity, and their rescue Pomeranian mixes, Duchess and Bentley.

Unity of Delray Beach is at 101 NW 22nd St. 561-276-5796 or www.unityofdelraybeach.org

Spanish River volunteers step up to serve the city  

The Spanish River Church family made a mammoth contribution to the community during its Serve the City 2025. At least 226 SRC volunteers gleaned 1,788 pounds of peppers with CROS Ministries, collected 98.3 pounds of trash at the beach, collected 3,085 diapers, 1,012 wipes and 227 books for the Junior League, and donated 35 bags/boxes of clothing to Changing Lives of Boca Raton.

The church is at 2400 Yamato Road, Boca Raton. www.spanishriver.com 

HOPE Fest Florida offers music, fun

HOPE Fest Florida, a free festival of Christian music and guest speakers, takes place from 4 to 10 p.m. April 5 at Boca Raton Community High School, 1501 NW 15th Court. Sean Smith from Sean & Christa Smith Ministries and Kevin VanDermyden from Jesus Encounter are on the ticket. Donations are appreciated. For more information, visit www.hopefestflorida.com.

Ascension Catholic Church to host food packing event

Ascension Catholic Church will team up with Cross Catholic Outreach to pack 60,000 meals on April 12. Volunteers are still needed to work from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the church, 7250 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Register at https://ascensionboca.org/latest-news-upcoming-events or call 561-997-5486.

Grace Vacation Bible School seeking student volunteers

Middle and high school students are encouraged to apply to become Grace Vacation Bible School youth volunteer team members and make a difference this summer.

Applications are open until May 14. Volunteers must be available noon-4 p.m. June 8, 8:15 a.m.-1 p.m. June 9-13 and 10 a.m.-noon June 15. This is Grace Community Church’s active Amped Student Ministries.

The church is at 600 W. Camino Real, Boca Raton. Register at www.graceboca.org/amped or call 561-395-2811.

Ride 4 Orphans returning for 13th annual event 

The 13th annual Ride 4 Orphans bicycle ride takes place at 7:30 a.m. April 26, beginning at Spanish River Church, 2400 Yamato Road, Boca Raton.

Partners include Spanish River Church, The Avenue Church in Delray Beach and Gospel Fellowship in Boynton Beach. The charity ride benefits children in need in Chad, Malawi, Haiti and India, and local children in foster care via 4KIDs and Place of Hope.

The ride is 15, 34 or 62 miles. Registration is $40 via www.ride4orphans.com. There’s also a family ride escorted by Boca Raton police officers with lunch and activities.

All adults and children must register to ride and are encouraged to attend a safety briefing prior to the ride. Registration price includes a T-shirt, goody bag, snacks, lunch, raffles, a silent auction and family activities.

Call 561-994-5000 for more information. 

Send religion news to Janis Fontaine at fontaine423@outlook.com.

By Jan Engoren

While the bird flu is making headlines, South Florida experts say the average person doesn’t have to worry about catching it. 

H5N1, a highly pathogenic avian influenza, mostly affects birds, but when a human is infected, the virus has the potential to cause severe illness or death.

However, Leslie Diaz, an infectious disease specialist and chair of Infection Control at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center, says “this virus is specific to birds and is a low risk to humans.”

The transmission of the virus to humans is exceedingly rare. Most human cases have been linked to direct contact with infected poultry, rather than through casual community transmission.

Diaz emphasizes that everyday precautions, such as good hygiene and avoiding contact with sick birds, are generally sufficient for the public.

Those most at risk of contracting the virus, she says, are workers who handle chickens or other birds. Those workers should take precautionary measures such as wearing masks and goggles.

As of last month, there were 70 confirmed human cases of H5N1 bird flu (none in Florida) and one death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There was no known person-to-person spread.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, as of late February more than 970 cases of H5N1 had been confirmed in U.S. cattle, and the virus had been detected in more than 80 commercial poultry flocks, affecting nearly 19 million birds.

The CDC recommends the following precautions:

• Avoid direct contact with wild birds and other animals infected with the avian influenza-A viruses.

• Avoid direct contact with sick or dead wild birds, poultry and other animals. 

• Wear personal protective equipment if you come in direct contact with infected birds.

• Be aware that wild birds can be infected with avian influenza-A viruses even if they don’t look sick.

• Do not touch or consume raw milk or raw milk products, especially from animals with confirmed or suspected avian influenza-A virus infection.

Diaz says she is more worried about people contracting the regular flu or the measles virus (rubeola) and suggests they wash their hands regularly, avoid crowds and wear masks if they are at risk, such as by having a weak immune system.

Measles, an extremely contagious disease, has been on the rise since 2024, with a total of 483 confirmed cases reported this year through March 27 in 20 states including Florida, according to the CDC. It says 97% of the cases are diagnosed in unvaccinated people or people whose vaccination status is unknown.  

There has been one confirmed death in Texas of an unvaccinated child from measles and another under investigation in New Mexico.

Measles was once considered eliminated in the U.S., but the number of cases of this airborne virus is on the rise because of lax vaccination compliance.

Before this outbreak started, there were only 59 reported cases of measles in the U.S. in 2023.

Similar to the adage of “location, location, location” as the best way to sell real estate, Diaz says “vaccinate, vaccinate, vaccinate” is the best way to prevent infectious diseases such as measles and the flu. 

“Vaccinations are the best weapon we have to prevent the flu and other infectious diseases,” she says. “These are highly contagious viruses, and you can contract one through exposure to only a few particles or droplets.”

She especially advises people 65 years or older, or those with underlying conditions such as heart or lung issues, to stay on top of annual vaccine protocols and take additional precautions such as masking and avoiding crowds.

Diaz notes that even a healthy person may contract a virus and transmit it to an elderly relative.

If you have school-age children, Diaz says to make sure they receive their measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.

And for the flu, she recommends an annual shot for most adults with or without underlying conditions.

“It’s never too late to vaccinate for the flu,” she advises. “Even in April, the flu is still circulating.

“Even if you didn’t get vaccinated this past winter, it’s not too late,” Diaz says. “If you haven’t gotten your shot, you can still get it now, even into the summer.”

Visit cdc.gov for more data.

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

Dr. Bill Benda enjoys a day on the water with his best bud, Buddy. Benda had Buddy euthanized at home using the Lap of Love program when the pooch was suffering from mass cell cancer. Photos provided

By Arden Moore

For a dozen years, a yellow Labrador retriever named Buddy was the constant companion of Dr. Bill Benda.  They took walks together. Buddy loved bounding into water at the beach, fetching tossed balls and joining Bill on boat rides.

“I adopted him from a rescue group when he was 1 and at his prime, he weighed 115 pounds,” says Bill, a semi-retired emergency room physician who lives in the County Pocket near Briny Breezes. “He was handsome, calm, very loyal and I believe he was the GOAT dog in our neighborhood,” meaning greatest of all time.

Buddy was diagnosed with mass cell cancer that required chemotherapy treatments from veterinary specialists in Miami last year. 

In the morning of Nov. 6, Bill knew it was time to make the gut-wrenching decision to let Buddy die peacefully. 

“Buddy couldn’t stand up anymore. He couldn’t pee, but he was still totally alert,” says Bill. “I knew it was time to say goodbye, so I called Lap of Love that morning. They came that afternoon to perform the at-home euthanasia. I miss Buddy every single day.”

Throughout Palm Beach County, pet parents are saying goodbye to their beloved pets by choosing at-home euthanasia ceremonies. Lap of Love is a network of veterinarians all over the country that offers veterinary hospice care and performs at-home euthanasia. 

Dr. Meagan Meador, of West Palm Beach, is one of these veterinarians at the Lap of Love center serving Pam Beach County. And, like Bill, she is a pet parent who understands the power of compassion, loyalty and love that pets can bring.  

On her right ring finger, she wears a silver ring containing crushed blue quartz and ashes of her late cat, Simon. 

“I adopted Simon when I was in veterinary school at Tufts University,” she says. “Simon was a one-eyed cat who I instantly fell in love with. We became a team. For 15 years, he was with me through difficult challenges — when I moved from Massachusetts to South Florida, through multiple job changes, marriage and a divorce. I memorialize him every day by wearing this ring.”

Meagan spent 12 years as an emergency medicine veterinarian and loved the high-speed pace but began suffering from burnout during the coronavirus years. She was looking for some type of veterinary work she could do outside a hospital.

She found Lap of Love. 

“I took this job part-time in 2021 and made it full-time in 2022,” she says. “I thought it would be something to do as a stepping-stone to my next veterinary venture, but I love it so much because it is so fulfilling. I am honored to help families be able to say goodbye to their pets in as peaceful and painless way as possible.”

She continues, “Sometimes I also cry during the visit and that is OK. It is important for families to see that we veterinarians are also human and vulnerable. I tell them that grief is the process of changing a relationship of presence to a relationship of memory.” 

Lap of Love stays in touch with these pet parents by sending sympathy cards with personalized messages from veterinarians who met them, by offering them grief support resources, identifying cremation options and sending out compassionate emails one year after the euthanasia to simply say that they are thinking of the family. 

Many of us lucky to share our lives with cats, dogs and other companion animals also must endure tear-filled goodbyes when age and disease rob the quality of life in them. We want to do something special to honor the passing of our pets. 

Benda built a floral memorial as a way to honor Buddy.

Bill decided to honor Buddy by creating a floral memorial garden in his front yard that features a statute of a dog sporting angel wings. He also alerted a few neighbors of the scheduled euthanasia that day. 

Word spread quickly. Throughout the day of Nov. 6, friends came to visit Bill and Buddy.

“Some came and sat down with Buddy in the front yard,” he says. “Some hugged him and me. One brought a cold burger that Buddy, of course, ate. The veterinarian from Lap of Love came in the afternoon and she let us have all the time we needed — my neighbors and me — to say goodbye to Buddy. He was such a great dog.”

He paused, sobbed and then added, “Dogs don’t live as long as we do because they earn heaven much faster.”

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

More on Lap of Love

Lap of Love offers at-home hospice care and performs at-home euthanasia for pets. It was founded in 2009 by a pair of veterinarians, Drs. Dani McVety and Mary Gardner, and now has centers in 43 states and more than 300 veterinarians. On its website, Lap of Love offers a lot of resources, including pet loss support groups, counseling, ways to deal with grief, ideas to memorialize pets and much more. There is also an Angel Fund where 100% of donations are given to support families in financial need so that they can give a peaceful end-of-life, at-home experience to their pets. Learn more by visiting www.lapoflove.com, calling 561-800-0192 or emailing SoFlo@LapOfLove.com.

This modern estate of 8,691 total square feet in Boca Raton was built in 2021 and is in a well-established, sought-after location in the Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club. 

From the entryway to 2391 Areca Palm Road, located in the exclusive Royal Palm Yacht & Country Club, you will encounter a stunning two-story great room with walls of glass, a gas fireplace as well as stairs and an elevator. There is also a formal dining room with a glass wine closet. 

The home has five bedrooms, six full baths and one half bath. One ensuite bed/bath is downstairs. 

Upstairs contains a great loft area that has a custom lacquer and quartz bar; along with the other four bedrooms. 

All the bedrooms are oversized and ensuite with ample closet space and storage.

Other amenities include a complete array of impact windows, two laundry rooms, and a three car + golf cart attached garage.

It is offered fully furnished at $9,950,000. 

Contact Joyce Schneider, Broker/Owner, Castles By The Beach Realty, 889 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33432. Office: 561-392-9770. Cell: 561-212-4403. Joyce@castlesbythebeach.com or www.CastlesByTheBeach.com

One eastbound lane is closed on East Palmetto Park Road east of the Intracoastal Waterway in
Boca Raton so that an emergency road repair can be completed.
The Boca Raton Police Department announced the closure on March 10, saying the repair will
take about two weeks to complete. Until then, drivers might experience travel delays.
Highland Beach also announced the emergency repair, saying it was necessitated by road
settlement or a possible sink hole.
The repair is being done by Palm Beach County since East Palmetto Park Road is a county
road.
For more information, contact the Palm Beach County Road and Bridge Division at 561-233-
3950, Highland Beach officials said.

--Mary Hladky

By Mary Thurwachter

Newcomer Jesse Rivero, a 50-year-old firefighter, defeated veteran Town Council member Lynn “Doc” Moorhouse for Lantana’s Group 1 Council seat.

Moorhouse, 81, a retired dentist, has been on the council for 21 years and was endorsed by the Professional Firefighters/Paramedics of Palm Beach County — a surprise and disappointment to Rivero, who has served 20 years with Palm Beach County Fire Rescue.

But at a candidates’ forum sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce eight days before the vote, Rivero said, “He (Moorhouse) may have the endorsement of the union, but I have the endorsement of the community.” Turns out he was right.

Rivero collected 58% of the vote compared to Moorhouse’s 41%. Only 733 Lantana voters turned out for the March 11 election.

Reached by phone election night, Rivero, celebrating with family and a few friends at El Bohio Cuban Restaurant, said Moorhouse had already called to concede and extend congratulations. Mayor Karen Lythgoe and Police Chief Sean Scheller also called with congratulations.

“Like I said at the debate, I didn’t get the endorsements Doc got, but the people were behind me and whatever the people decide will happen,” Rivero said. He said he thought the election would be close because Moorhouse had history in the town and knew a lot of people. “But I know a lot of people, too.”

Moorhouse was unavailable for comment but told Rivero he had a good run.

Kem Mason, who holds the Group 2 spot, was elected automatically when no one else filed to run for the position during the election qualifying period that ended Nov. 15. Mason, 66, is a retired firefighter and is completing his first term. Council terms are for three years.

Unofficial results

Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office

Unofficial result

Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office

Unofficial results

Source: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office

By Rich Pollack

In an election with a light turnout, Highland Beach voters agreed to let town leaders spend up to $3.5 million on a public safety boat dock and renovation to the town’s old fire station.

Just 390 voters — a little more than 10% of those in town registered to vote — cast ballots, with 234 voting in favor of giving commissioners permission to spend money on the projects and 156 voting no.  

“I’m very thankful for the people who voted in favor,” said Mayor Natasha Moore. “People are recognizing the importance of public safety.”

Police Chief Craig Hartmann and Town Manager Marshall Labadie have said the dock, planned for an area on the Intracoastal Waterway behind the town’s library, will increase visibility of the department’s marine unit.

It will also make it easier for Highland Beach’s marine officers and fire rescue personnel to respond to emergencies on the water. 

The town is also hoping use the money approved by voters to demolish a part of the old fire station, just north of Town Hall, and upgrade the bay area where the town now keeps a backup rescue unit and a backup fire truck.

The price of the dock project is estimated to be $1.5 million to $2 million, and town leaders hope that the Florida Inland Navigation District will cover half the cost. Should that not happen, the town’s expense could be over $900,000, the current spending limit before voter approval is required.

Voter approval was also needed for the old fire station project, which could cost up to $1.5 million, or about $600,000 over the spending cap.

By putting the issue on the ballot, the town in essence hedged its bets so it can move forward without delays regardless of the outcome of the grant request for the dock or cost estimated for the old fire station.  

“We hope we don’t have to spend over $900,000,” Labadie said. 

Last year Highland Beach built a new fire station to replace the longtime station that Labadie said was too old, too small and below the flood plain. 

While there were discussions about possibly keeping the entire building, Labadie said that the living quarters section would need too much work. Instead, the town is getting cost estimates for work to fix the bay area and electrical storage areas and replace the roof. 

“We’re using the building for storage of $2 million worth of equipment,” he said.

Unofficial results

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Office

Lauren and Claire McCormack, Jeanie Bulloch and Kai McCormack (l-r) wave to catch the attention of oncoming State Road A1A drivers. They are in the same Delray Beach crosswalk where a fatal accident occurred Feb. 5. Police say crosswalk signs were not present at the time of the crash. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star  

By Rich Pollack

Roz Lowney loved the South Florida lifestyle. 

A devoted family matriarch who enjoyed playing canasta at a local beach club, Lowney and her husband of 50 years lived in Canton, Massachusetts, with Roz spending winters in Delray Beach and her husband, Tim, a family physician, leaving his practice for short vacations and long weekends here. 

Friends said he was just a day away from heading to their Florida condo when he got word of a tragic crash that would devastate a tight-knit family.

Roslyn Lowney, a mother of four and a grandmother of nine who married her high school sweetheart, was killed when she was struck by two cars as she crossed State Road A1A on her way home after playing canasta and having dinner with friends at the Delray Beach Club.

 She was 71. 

“We wish we had more time with her but cherish the time we had,” her family wrote in an obituary that appeared in the Canton Citizen, which serves a community where the Lowneys have become an integral part of the fabric. 

The Feb. 5 crash took place at night, shortly before 8:30 p.m., on a Delray Beach portion of A1A that was — and remains — under construction. 

According to Delray Beach police, Lowney was walking west from the club in a crosswalk when she was struck by a northbound vehicle driven by a 76-year-old man. She was then pushed into the southbound lane where she was struck by a second vehicle driven by a 48-year-old woman. Both vehicles stopped. No charges have been filed and no citations issued while police continue their investigation.

Delray Beach police said there were no crosswalk signs at the time of the crash. Area residents said there were signs for the crosswalk before construction began and that the signs were back following the fatality. The signs now in place do not have flashing lights — neither automatic nor pedestrian-activated.

Officials with the Florida Department of Transportation, which is charge of the construction contract, did not respond to emails from The Coastal Star seeking comment. 

Safety concerns

The construction in the area where the crash occurred is part of a year-long $8.3 million A1A resurfacing project that began in July and stretches 3.35 miles, from Linton Boulevard and through Highland Beach to the Boca Raton line.

Some residents who live near the club don’t bother with the crosswalk.

In Highland Beach, town leaders have been urging residents to be cautious and patient when using A1A. For several years, the town has been providing orange flags at crosswalks to help ensure motorists see pedestrians crossing. The town also has pedestrian-activated flashing yellow lights at crosswalks. 

“We’ve seen people using the flags at night,” Town Manager Marshall Labadie said.

 Boca Raton also has orange flags available at its A1A crosswalks, but Delray Beach’s — like the one where Roz Lowney was struck — do not.

At home in Delray

In an email to The Coastal Star, the Lowney family wrote that she would often traverse A1A, going to and from the Delray Beach Club.

“Roz would walk across the street to the beach club and there she would enjoy water aerobics, yoga, mahjong, canasta, her great friends, the amazing staff, and the beach,” the family wrote. 

She also enjoyed playing golf.

Roz and Tim Lowney, according to the family, had been spending winters in Delray Beach for the past 20 years, living for most of that time in the Tropic Isle community. They joined the Delray Beach Club six years ago and purchased the A1A condo across from the club a little more than a year ago. 

“They treasured spending their winters in Florida and their summers in Cape Cod,” the family wrote.

While she was away from home, Roz Lowney continued to work remotely as bookkeeper for her husband’s medical practice.

‘A blast to be around’

Friends in Florida who knew Roz Lowney describe her as an outgoing woman with a great sense of humor.

“She was funny and just a blast to be around,” said a longtime friend, who added that Roz loved the Delray Beach Club. “She was always there.”

Her family said that she enjoyed being with other people.

“She was the first one to make a plan to get people together to eat, laugh and enjoy each other’s company,” they wrote. “She will be sorely missed by her family and friends in Florida and beyond.” 

Recent A1A fatal crashes

The crash that killed her comes less than two months after a bicyclist on State Road A1A in Boca Raton was killed after he was struck from behind by a Chevy Equinox shortly after 7 a.m. 

The driver involved in the Dec. 15 accident was charged with DUI after police said he failed sobriety exercises.

Since 2021, there have been two other pedestrian fatalities on A1A in southern Palm Beach County reported by The Coastal Star.

On Nov. 10, 2023, a 73-year-old South Palm Beach woman was killed when she was struck in a hit-and-run crash while crossing A1A by her home, a short distance north of Lantana’s Ocean Avenue. Police later charged a 43-year-old woman with leaving the scene of a fatal accident and tampering with evidence. 

The speed limit has since been lowered in the town from 35 mph to 30 mph and several signs have been erected urging drivers to be careful and share the road.

In 2021, New York Federal Judge Sandra Feuerstein was killed when she was struck by a Honda Civic that was driven onto the sidewalk on A1A near Spanish River Boulevard. The female driver later pleaded guilty to charges including driving under the influence causing serious bodily injury. 

Town eyesore on the market for $5 million, but buyer beware

This duplex once owned by Elizabeth DeLorean, an ex-wife of automobile magnate John DeLorean, sits in disrepair just south of Tropical Drive. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jane Musgrave

When John Dragonas bought a seaside home in Ocean Ridge that was owned by one of the ex-wives of notorious automobile executive John DeLorean, it could have been his ticket to riches.

Instead, the 78-year-old spent years living in his van in the driveway of the dilapidated one-story house on Old Ocean Boulevard before crushing debt forced him to drive away from the home and his dreams.

“It changed my life,” he said. “It’s been the most difficult situation I’ve ever been in.”

Now, nearly two years after Dragonas lost the house and 21 years after longtime resident Elizabeth DeLorean died, the boarded-up house just south of Tropical Drive has captured the imagination of others.

Howard Goldsmith, a Boca Raton investor who seized the house after Dragonas defaulted on a $2.1 million loan, has put the house and an adjacent vacant lot that DeLorean owned on the market for $5 million.

Interest has been intense, said Dorian Hayes, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker Realty. Architectural renderings posted on the company’s website show a modern 5,000-square-foot two-story house that could turn the overgrown property into a homeowner’s dream.

How Coldwell Banker Realty envisions a new home at the site. Rendering provided

“There’s going to be a bidding war,” Hayes predicted, noting that oceanfront land in the area is scarce.

But, she acknowledged, before buyers start driving up the price, there are hurdles to overcome. “We’ve got to go through a few steps,” she said.

The property

The steps are not baby ones, according to those who have been through the process and know how difficult it can be to develop property along the ocean — particularly one as strange and unconventional as the former DeLorean home.

Surrounded by invasive Australian pines and Brazilian pepper trees, the house is actually a duplex. Built in 1952, it sits at an odd angle with one side hovering within feet of the property line.

The land where the house is located has been divided into two separate parcels. Those two tracts would have to be combined with the vacant lot to the north so an expansive home could be built on what would be a roughly half-acre site.

Most important, like nearly all of the land along Old Ocean Boulevard, all three parcels are seaward of the state’s Coastal Construction Control Line.

That means the Florida Department of Environmental Protection largely dictates what can be built on the environmentally sensitive land where the whims of nature and the strength of hurricanes are ever threatening.

Faced with a lawsuit from a homeowner who paid $6 million for a crumbling oceanfront home and found he was unable to improve it, the Town Commission in 2023 relaxed key development rules for about eight homes along a narrow stretch of Old Ocean Boulevard between Anna and Corrine streets.

However, farther south on the oceanfront road, questions remain about what can be done with the DeLorean house, which many town residents view as an eyesore that should be torn down.

The DeLorean years

Robert Larkie, a retired contractor who owned the land with DeLorean for nearly 15 years, said he discovered that development rules blocked him from making almost any improvements. The vacant lot was particularly problematic.

“We couldn’t even trim the hedges or put a picnic table on it,” said Larkie, who lives in Boynton Beach.

His relationship with DeLorean began shortly after she bought the duplex and vacant lot in 1980. Needing a place to stay, he said he knocked on the door and asked DeLorean if he could rent half of the duplex. She agreed.

In 1984, he convinced her to let him divide the land, so he would own one half of the duplex and she would own the other. “I’m a contractor,” he said. “I don’t rent.”

DeLorean didn’t appear to need any financial help. When her 14-year marriage to John DeLorean ended in 1969, she received $400,000, the couple’s nearly 2-acre estate near Pontiac, Michigan, and payments totaling $375,000 for 15 years, according to news reports. The divorce came long before the onetime General Motors wunderkind in 1982 was accused of trafficking in cocaine and eventually forced into bankruptcy.

However, Larkie said, Elizabeth DeLorean was amenable to his offer and agreed to joint ownership of the vacant lot.

“We got along great — no fights, no arguments,” he said. 

But they lived their separate lives. 

She loved the beach and her two dogs, driving along North Ocean Boulevard with them in her lap. She haunted garage sales, buying knick-knacks that filled her home, Larkie said.

Although DeLorean talked about her former husband, Larkie said, he declined to elaborate beyond saying that she told him that she came up with the name for one of her husband’s signature cars, the Pontiac Firebird.

While DeLorean was happy at the beach, Larkie said he was incensed by how much he was paying in taxes, particularly for the vacant lot that town officials said he couldn’t use. He said he went to the Palm Beach County Property Appraiser, hoping the office would give him a break on his taxes. His efforts failed.

Rules for redeveloping the duplex were also onerous, he said. While the roughly 1,000-square-foot duplex could be torn down, a new structure couldn’t be any bigger, he said.

“You can’t increase the footprint. You can’t build higher,” Larkie said he was told.

In 2000, he’d had enough.

He sold his share to Dragonas. DeLorean, then in failing health, did the same.

DeLorean died in 2004 at age 81. The woman, who was regularly featured in society pages in Michigan when she was married to John DeLorean, died in obscurity. A one-line obituary announced her death. A Cremation Service Of The Palm Beaches handled the arrangements.

The Dragonas years

Even though she no longer owned the duplex, Dragonas said he allowed her to stay in her former home before her death.

“She was delighted to be back in the place she loved so much,” Dragonas said.

Dragonas, meanwhile, was trying to figure out — without success — how to redevelop the site of the duplex and build on the vacant lot. Lawyers, engineers and architects told him that development was possible, but he said he could never get a straight answer from the town.

While reluctant to talk about his experience, he said a former town official told him there was concern that he would try to mimic the three-story duplex that in 2015 was built just south of the DeLorean house.

The old duplex is next to a duplex built in 2015.

Dragonas said he didn’t want to build a giant structure. “I wanted to find people who would respect the site and not put a towering high-rise in there,” he said.

But, he said, he couldn’t figure out a way to move forward. “I had a dozen people walk away,” he said. “I could only hang on for so long.”

The house didn’t have air conditioning so he lived in his van. His health suffered. With no financial resources, he had to walk away. “I dearly miss that property,” said Dragonas, who still lives in South County.

Hopes and headaches

For Goldsmith, the land has produced its own share of headaches.

He was cited twice in June for code enforcement violations —one for not trimming the hedges and another for boarding up the windows of the house. While he eventually trimmed the hedges, the $100-a-day fine for violating a town code that requires buildings to have windows is still accruing. By the end of January, it stood at $22,000.

Hayes said Goldsmith is not a developer. He just wants to sell the property. While she is working to combine the three lots into one parcel and is making plans to seek a state environmental permit, she said she is frustrated by the lack of direction she has gotten from the town.

A letter she got from town officials outlines the process — meetings with town officials, submitting an application and complying with town development laws. But it doesn’t say whether Goldsmith’s plans would be approved.

And, it includes a word that stymied Larkie: footprint.

According to town rules, “if you build on the vacant lots or change the footprint of the existing structure on the other lots, a variance is required” because the coastal construction line is west of the property, town officials said in the letter.

When the Town Commission relaxed coastal construction rules in 2023 for land at the north end of Old Ocean Boulevard, Town Attorney Christy Goddeau said Goldsmith would still need to get a variance to develop DeLorean’s property. And, she said, variances are hard to get.

A property owner must prove that there is a justified reason to throw out town zoning laws. The owner must show that the property itself is unique and that he will suffer undue hardship if forced to abide by the rules. The hardship can’t be self-created and economic factors alone aren’t sufficient.

Given rules protecting environmentally sensitive oceanfront land, it is unclear if a variance would be approved.

Town Manager Lynne Ladner declined comment. When asked about potential hurdles, she sent The Coastal Star town development regulations, zoning maps and other documents.  

Hayes said she is convinced Goldsmith’s plans will be approved. A team of lawyers, architects and engineers is working to make it possible.

A continuing eyesore

For longtime resident Terry Brown, the situation is maddening. Steps should have been taken years ago to address the sad state of the DeLorean property and do something about it, he said.

“There’s peeling paint. You can see rotting wood. You’d say, ‘Why does this exist in Ocean Ridge?’” he said.

If he had his way, the town would raze the house and turn the property into a natural area, adding to the parcel it owns to the north.

“This has gone on for more than 20 years,” Brown said. “The town people and the residents have to walk by and look at that structure. Why hasn’t the town done anything more than cite the guy for a couple of boarded-up windows?” 

Split commission votes to keep fluoridating water after dentists rebut surgeon general

After the Delray Beach City Commission voted to continue fluoridating the city’s drinking water, dental hygienist Linda Reichman resumed the discussion with Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

Don’t mess with the dentists.

After Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said the practice of adding fluoride to the municipal drinking water system was “public health malpractice,” a group of dentists rebutted him at the Feb. 4 Delray Beach City Commission meeting.

The commission voted 3-2 against a motion made by Commissioner Angela Burns to end fluoridation of the city’s drinking water, which the city has been doing for 36 years to prevent tooth decay. Mayor Tom Carney and Burns were the “yes” votes.

Ladapo told commissioners that studies have shown that fluoride affects neurological development in children, resulting in low IQ scores. He said the National Toxicology Program at the Department of Health and Human Services looked at between 60 and 70 studies.

Researchers found a relationship between fluoride and lower intelligence. “Not by a little bit, but actually substantially,” said Ladapo, who has also called for a halt on the use of the COVID-19 vaccine. “Also, potentially, behavior changes, things like ADHD, hyperactivity disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

“There are dozens of studies that have shown this adverse relationship,” he said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President Donald Trump’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, has also condemned fluoridation.

A small group of dentists from Boca Raton — which does not add fluoride to its water — attended the commission meeting to counter Ladapo’s recommendation. 

Dentists rebut Ladapo

Jeffrey Ganeles, a board-certified periodontist, said the studies on which Ladapo relied were done outside of the United States where the fluoride levels were much higher. He said tooth decay is no small thing, often cascading from a single filling that over time fails, requiring a root canal, a crown, a bridge or a dental implant.

Boca Raton periodontist Dr. Jeffrey Ganeles spoke on behalf of fluoride treatment of drinking water during the commission meeting.

“I can usually tell within minutes whether a new patient grew up in an area of fluoridated water,” Ganeles said. “People with a mouthful of fillings, crowns and missing teeth almost certainly did not, while those with only a few small fillings likely had fluoridated water as kids.”

Richard Kitt, also a dentist in Boca Raton, cited another study that recommended the status quo. “I’ve seen what it (fluoridation) does and also in areas of underprivileged people not getting fluoride in the water during tooth development,” he said. 

Navigating conflicting waters

Communities throughout Florida have stopped putting fluoride in the water. The issue came up in Delray Beach because the equipment to put the additive in the water needs to be replaced if the practice is to continue.

Angela Hill, one of a few city residents to speak at the commission meeting, urged the city to discontinue the practice. She said the cons outweigh the pros when it comes to the additive’s ties in some studies to neurological disorders like ADHD.

“I would rather my boys have no teeth and dentures than for them to be on medication for the rest of their lives,” she said. “I would much rather have a healthy mind and a steadfast child than to have someone with pretty teeth.”

But Commissioner Rob Long said he changed his mind after speaking to the dentists and reading their material.

 “There’s also an argument to say that if we took fluoride out of the water, the folks who are the most underserved in the community would be the ones who suffer the most, and so I do think we do have a responsibility to look out for those folks,” he said.

Commissioner Tom Markert said at the Feb. 4 meeting he was leaning toward keeping the fluoride in the tap water but wanted a workshop on the issue to learn about alternatives. 

“This one is a jump ball. It just is. You know, the federal agencies are split in terms of their recommendations to us, that’s bad,” he said. “The medical communities are split. That’s not good. I ran around my neighborhood over the weekend, and my neighbors are all split on this.”

Commissioner Burns, however, was unequivocal in her position to end fluoridation, saying families should have a choice whether to use fluoride. 

“I think there are many ways that we can get fluoride to students in the schools, in the home, and I don’t think that it should be forced upon them in the water,” she said.

Carney agreed, saying fluoride can be added now in any number of ways.

“When fluoridation first came out, it was largely because the communities which were spread out and really didn’t have the access to the same dental care, the same opportunities to have fluoride,” Carney said. “But you know, today there are fluoride pills that are free. Everyone’s using fluoride toothpaste.”

Ladapo lost Delray Beach, but on the same day won on the issue when Lee County commissioners voted to remove fluoride. 

“It’s insane to continue to support this with the information that we have now,” Ladapo said in Lee County earlier that day. “And you know, who suffers the most? Well, so far, it’s children and pregnant women.” 

Former Boca Raton Mayor Richard “Dick” Orville Huopana died Feb. 3 at Croasdaile Village in Durham, North Carolina. He was 96.

Mr. Huopana was born to Orville Huopana and Lillian (Kinner Huopana) Peters in Endicott, New York. He graduated from Spencer High School in New York and enlisted in the U.S. Army, ultimately serving as an infantry platoon sergeant. He continued to serve his country in the Army Reserves.

Upon completing his active duty, he married Barbara Alice Adams in 1952. The couple welcomed three daughters as he designed and built their family home on Bornt Hill in Endicott.

Mr. Huopana’s college studies included drafting and engineering. He was hired by IBM in Endicott as a draftsman, and rose to the role of senior engineer, specializing in manufacturing engineering in both professional and managerial capacities. In 1967, his career with IBM took him and his family to Boca Raton, where he worked on the inception and launch of IBM’s personal computer product line.

Mr. Huopana became interested in Boca Raton’s local government, initially serving on its Planning and Zoning Board. He became involved in Citizens for Reasonable Growth, a grassroots organization aimed at preserving the town’s environment and controlling its building density. He served on the City Council and was elected mayor of Boca Raton, serving between 1974 and 1977.

He also served on Palm Beach County’s Area Planning Board and on the environmental policy committees of both the Florida League of Cities and the National League of Cities.

Along with raising his family, working at IBM and politics, Mr. Huopana enjoyed golf and handball, and was an avid fan of the Miami Dolphins. He also enjoyed boating, taking his friends and family (often “the Northern visitors”) on fishing trips in his boat. 

After a 37-year career at IBM, Mr. Huopana retired in 1987.

In 1988, he and Barbara relocated to North Carolina to be closer to family, which by then included their young grandchildren. He designed and built their home in Hillsborough, North Carolina, where they were active members at St. Matthews Episcopal Church.

An avid and talented writer, Mr. Huopana wrote editorial columns that were regularly published in the Durham Herald Sun and Raleigh News & Observer. The topics were varied, but often focused on government, particularly the federal debt, about which he was very well versed and opinionated.

After Barbara’s death in 1999, Mr. Huopana eventually moved to Croasdaile Village in Durham, in 2008, where he met his future partner, Carol Kirby.

Mr. Huopana is survived by his daughters, Christie Weatherly and Diane Thomas; grandchildren Galen (Caroline), and Chelsea Smith; great-grandchildren; and partner of eight years, Carol Kirby. He was predeceased by his parents; his brother, George Huopana; daughter Patti Huopana; and granddaughter Colleen Weatherly. 

The family extend thanks and gratitude to Ms. Kirby for loving and providing companionship to the family patriarch. The family appreciates the support provided by his caregivers at the Croasdaile Village Pavilion during Mr. Huopana’s final months.

A memorial service is being planned by the family. The family can be contacted for details or to share condolences at memorial.huopana@gmail.com.

—Submitted by the family

I am writing to address a common misconception that has repeatedly stalled progress on much-needed pedestrian safety measures in our community: the notion that crosswalks require sidewalks on both sides of the road. This claim is not only incorrect but also detrimental to the safety and convenience of our residents.

In Palm Beach County, there are scenarios where the installation of crosswalks is a no-brainer.

There are several instances where the same community facility, like a pool or beach access, is split across the street. Residents, especially the elderly or those with mobility issues, must cross to utilize these common amenities. The argument that these crosswalks cannot be installed due to the absence of sidewalks on both sides is not supported by engineering guidelines or local codes.

Another common situation is where parking lots are located directly across from community facilities. Here, crosswalks are essential for safe pedestrian access from parking to the facility, yet these projects are often tabled with the same unfounded objection.

Let’s look at the facts:

• ADA Accessibility Guidelines (Section 4.2.4) clarify that crosswalks should connect to accessible routes, not necessarily sidewalks. If there’s no sidewalk on one side, a crosswalk can still connect to a path or another form of pedestrian access leading to a facility.
• The Florida Department of Transportation’s Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (Section 3B.18) emphasizes the installation of crosswalks where pedestrian safety would benefit, without mandating sidewalks on both sides.
• Our local Unified Land Development Code under Article 6, does not require sidewalks on both sides for crosswalk installation, but stresses providing safe, convenient and direct pedestrian access.

These guidelines show that the decision to install crosswalks should be based on engineering judgment, focusing on pedestrian safety and access needs rather than a strict interpretation of sidewalk presence.

Our community deserves to have its pedestrian safety prioritized, especially in clear-cut cases where crosswalks are evidently necessary. I urge the local authorities to reconsider their stance on crosswalk installations and look at each case on its merit, ensuring that safety and accessibility are at the forefront of our community’s planning decisions.

Rafael Pineiro
Palmsea Condominium
South Palm Beach

Did you ever think you really knew something, something vitally important? Only to find out the things you thought you knew were not only out of date, but also bordered on dead wrong? 

I took a basic lifesaving class when I was in college and thought I knew enough to save a life. Not only that, my oldest brother was a fireman and a couple of good friends are paramedics. So of course, just by osmosis, I had to know what to do if I were faced with a life-threatening situation.

Boy was I wrong.

I recently took a CPR/Stop-the Bleed class put on by the Starbright Civic Collective and Ocean Ridge police and found out how limited my skills were. 

The two-plus hours of class with 20 students included a candid, non-medical-term lecture followed by live practice where we each got the chance to resuscitate a training dummy and “stop the flow of blood” in a demonstration body wound.

Countless things in life can cause a medical issue, and the older we get, the more likely someone we know will need medical assistance. Traffic crashes come to mind, but so does slipping in the shower. Heck, just the aging process makes us more prone to cardiac issues, as well as sleep apnea and other conditions.   

Along this coast, we have some of the best-trained first responders working in our fire and police departments. Yet, no matter how quickly they might respond to a 911 call, our waiting for their arrival may not be good enough. 

Brain damage can occur within a few minutes of a heart attack without CPR. The longer it takes for oxygen and blood flow to be restored, the greater the risk of brain damage or death.

CPR is typically required if a person has stopped breathing because of a heart attack. In the past, I was taught to do 30 pumps on the chest, followed by breathing into the mouth for a couple of puffs, continuously repeating.

The most important thing the new class taught me is how to do proper CPR — using your hands and arms to compress the chest rapidly. That forces the flow of blood needed by the brain.

You have to push really hard. The compressions need to push the chest down at least a couple of inches to really pump blood. It’s best to get the person on the floor or other hard surface — where it’s easier to compress the chest than on a bed or couch.

Why not just use automated external defibrillators, which hang in plastic boxes in so many public hallways? The AED may be a great tool when used in conjunction with CPR, our instructor, Officer/Paramedic Jimmy Pilon, told us, but will not save a life on its own. CPR is still needed.  

Stop the bleed …

You should also know how to stanch bleeding from a critical wound so a person doesn’t bleed out while waiting for paramedics to arrive. These most serious wounds, such as from slicing open a finger or stepping on broken glass, require constant pressure to slow or stop the bleeding. It might require packing the wound with sterile gauze — even using a clean dishcloth or T-shirt is better than nothing.

If you ever encounter a person in medical need, here are some tips: Put your phone on speaker so your hands are free; call 911; and be ready to provide a street address and to follow the operator’s directions.

Learn the basics now. Find a class to take. 

Who knows, you may get a chance to be the first responder, helping save a life until trained professionals arrive.

— Jerry Lower, Publisher

Laurie Arsenault, one of 10 children, was always told by her father: “The world is not a trash can. Pick up after yourself.”

Now she is known as the Angel of Beachway for picking up 540 pounds of trash in the last two years from Ocean Ridge beaches.

On Feb. 3, Ocean Ridge Vice Mayor Steve Coz read a proclamation in her honor at the monthly Town Commission meeting.

“Please don’t litter. First of all, I have OCD,” she told those in attendance. “If I see it in my vision, I have to pick it up.”

The 66-year-old was born in Massachusetts and was a nurse for 40 years, picking up after patients and keeping hospital rooms antiseptic. With her husband, Salvatore, Arsenault has six children and six grandchildren.

“I don’t want my grandchildren to grow up in a trash can or an ashtray,” she said.

Arsenault, a Boynton Beach resident, picks up on average three pounds of trash a day, including shoes, toothpaste, plastic pots, bottles, bottle caps and — of course — cigarette butts.

Arsenault said she used to be a cigarette smoker and “I’m paying penance now. I’m picking up.”

Arsenault said there is a side benefit to her beach cleanup: “It keeps me limber by bending down and back up again.”

— John Pacenti

By John Pacenti

Manalpan’s great sand transfer plant war of 2025 ended not with a bang but a whimper.

“I feel tapped out of what I can potentially do to shut [the plant] down or do anything on that matter,” Town Manager Eric Marmer said at the Beach Committee meeting on Feb. 7.

He then proposed hiring an outside firm to complete a comprehensive study of the private beaches in town — as was done in Highland Beach. Commissioner Cindy McMackin, in a thought seconded by Commissioner Dwight Kulwin, said the town should hire a lobbyist and it should be former State Attorney Dave Aronberg.

Marmer said at the Feb. 11 regular Town Commission meeting that he was going ahead with engaging Aptim Environmental & Infrastructure — the same firm that did the Highland Beach study — for Manalapan. The first phase of the study would cost $10,000 and the second phase between $17,000 and $20,000.

“I really think we need to move forward with this because we have done a lot of due diligence but we are not ocean engineers, we are amateurs,” Marmer said. “But you know, we have a concern, and I think this is the next step.”

Manalapan has been on a quest since last fall to learn everything it can about the county’s sand transfer plant at Ocean Inlet Park and whether it was robbing sand from the town’s private beaches to spew out on the other side to benefit Ocean Ridge and other municipalities to the south.

It’s been quite a journey. Kulwin spent hours with an operator at the sand transfer plant and reported back to the committee what the man said.

A resident, Dr. Peter Bonutti — spouse of Vice Mayor Simone Bonutti — was named a county liaison. He found an interesting U.S. Army Corps of Engineers study that he said showed the plant was committing highway robbery and debunked the position that all sand flows from north to south.

Mayor John Deese and Marmer set off in January to meet with Palm Beach County officials. Both came back with a sobering conclusion: Neither the county nor the plant is to blame for the town’s beach woes.

“We were greeted with very open arms and very understanding concerns,” Deese said Feb. 7. “As they explained to us, it’s not isolated to Manalapan. It’s obviously a statewide issue, but in particular to Palm Beach County.”

Since Manalapan’s beaches are private, the town cannot receive any federal or statewide money for renourishment.

“The only thing that could be done that they suggested, which is above and beyond what they can do, is to lobby the state and federal governments to allow the public money to be used, you know, to protect private beaches,” Deese said.

McMackin said the prohibition on public money is unfair because as a wealthy community residents pay a lot in property taxes. She said hiring a lobbyist — she mentioned Aronberg at the Beach Committee meeting — “would be a good use of money to fight for our town.”

As for the sand transfer plant, Marmer said the only thing he could do — if directed by the commission — is to tell the town attorney to sue the county.

However, his recommendation would be to follow Highland Beach’s route and hire a firm to do an in-depth study of the town’s beaches and what can be done to remedy erosion on them.

“They did a really good beach study, and it went property by property and said exactly what their observation was, their condition and recommendation with photos of each property,” he said.

Highland Beach then sent out notices to all the residences there to tell them what they individually could do.

Peter Bonutti, though, stressed he didn’t think the county was being honest when it came to the sand transfer plant, saying data has not been filed that is required by its operating permit.

“It is not operating legally,” Bonutti said.

Tim Sharp works in Boca Raton teaching students in the Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy, one of his several volunteer missions. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Hannah Spence

Many people aspire to spend their golden years at the beach or playing golf, but 66-year-old retiree Tim Sharp spends most of his time volunteering.

“It’s a great feeling to give back to the community,” said Sharp, who donates his time to causes such as recreational soccer, the Delray Beach Public Library, the American Cancer Society’s Road to Recovery program, St. Jude Children’s Hospital and the Delray Beach Historical Society.

Volunteering “gives people a purpose on ‘Why am I here, what am I doing?’” he said. “A lot of people lose that, especially when they retire, and it’s hard to get that back.”

Sharp’s journey in volunteer work started in 2001 when he coached his daughter with SABR, a Boca Raton soccer program. He eventually joined the board, on which he served for about four years. 

During this time, a friend invited him to a meeting at the Rotary Club of Boca Raton Sunrise. That led Sharp to decades of service with that club, including two stints as president.

From there, volunteering became a way of life for Sharp, particularly after he retired as a hydrogeologist and project manager at the engineering firm CH2M Hill in 2014. 

His wife, Katherine Karageorges-Sharp, was diagnosed with oral cancer earlier that same year. She suffered from the disease on and off for about six years before dying in 2020.

After losing his wife, Sharp eventually settled in Delray Beach. He continued to support organizations such as the Rotary Club of Boca Raton Sunrise and SABR TOPSoccer, which caters to special-needs children and adults. Sharp is the club’s Boca sponsorship coordinator and is taking some responsibilities off administrator Suzi Vogelgesang’s plate.

He began using the online service VolunteerMatch to find opportunities in Delray Beach. He was grateful to find the first match with the Delray library. But the second opportunity, American Cancer Association’s Road to Recovery program, is especially dear to him.

“This volunteer opportunity proved to be very close to my heart as I remember all of the countless trips to and from appointments for my late wife,” said Sharp, who through the program provides rides for cancer patients to and from their health appointments.

Through participating in Road to Recovery, Sharp has gotten to know some cancer patients on a personal level, such as Robert Kohl, who has colon cancer. Sharp has driven him on several occasions.

“I’ve had different drivers at different times, but Tim was the most consistent out of all of them,” said Kohl, who signed up for Road to Recovery because he does not have a car. Before meeting Sharp, he’d had the disappointing experience of having a driver cancel. Sharp came in at the right time. “Tim is very nice, he’s very personable,” said Kohl.

More recent, Sharp started volunteering for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a program the Boca Chamber runs, which teaches teenagers how to start a business.

“They have some very interesting ideas,” Sharp said of the would-be business owners. “The whole point in doing this is to get them to be more confident in themselves, to know that they can do something like this, whether they actually go and start a business or not. They’ve learned a skill that they may not have had before and probably won’t get from high school.”

That’s not his only contribution to future leaders; Sharp is setting up an annual scholarship through the George Snow Scholarship Fund for students from both the Best Foot Forward program and the Milagro Teen Center in Delray Beach.

Through all his opportunities, Sharp has followed a certain philosophy when it comes to volunteering.

 “You have to treat it like a profession,” he said, “meaning you must be professional. I’ve found that a lot of volunteers will raise their hand but then don’t show up. They have an excuse. You’ve got to put your heart into it.” 

Correction: This story was updated to include the correct time when Katherine Karageorges-Sharp was diagnosed with cancer.

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