Ocean Ridge Police Officer Debra Boyle watches Dash, a trained police therapy dog, interact with residents Martha Stanfield and Marion Moon. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Related story: Paws Up for Pets: Not all cats are aloof; in fact, some make purrfect therapy animals

By Larry Barszewski

Ocean Ridge police now have a dog on the force — one that is more likely to jump onto your lap and nuzzle up to you than take down a criminal suspect.

“We’ve gone from K-9 dogs that sniff out drugs and bombs and bite people, to ones that give hugs,” Police Chief Scott McClure says.

Meet Dash, police therapy dog, sidekick to community policing Officer Debra Boyle.

Officer Deb had no doubt her 3-year-old Dash could do the job, as he has helped her through tough times of her own since she got him as a puppy.

“He brought comfort to me and brought my anxiety down,” she says — exactly the on-the-job talent Dash displays whether he’s visiting a town resident in the hospital, tagging along on a wellness check to the home of a sick or elderly resident, or just hanging his head out the open window of Officer Deb’s patrol vehicle, greeting passersby on Old Ocean Boulevard.

“He’s just got such a gentle soul. He’s great with the elderly. He’s great with everybody,” Officer Deb says.

Dash graduated at the end of October from the Paws & Stripes College of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, part of its second graduating class of police therapy dogs.

He gives new meaning to “backing the blue.” He’s a purebred blueblood — a Cavalier King Charles spaniel — and he works for blueberries.

“He loves blueberries,” says Officer Deb. With so many people feeding him treats throughout the day, the blueberries are a healthy alternative and help Dash — all 20 pounds of him — stay fit and trim.

At the Portofino condominiums, Dash makes regular visits to the home of Marion Moon and Martha Stanfield.

“Can he have a T-R-E-A-T?” Stanfield asks as Dash arrives with Officer Deb. “I won’t say it out loud because I know that’s what he wants.”

Quickly, Dash is in the lap of Moon, who turned 96 in November, and he’ll stay there for most of the visit as Moon lavishes him with affection.

“I just love him. He’s so sweet,” says Moon, who gets by using a walker. Her husband died in 2017, as did Josephine, the precious poodle the couple had for 16 years. “He just makes me so happy,” she says of Dash.

Though Dash primarily visits Moon, he makes time for Stanfield, too.

I think he’s got the softest fur of any animal,” Stanfield says. “It’s just so soft, like silk.”

It’s not so much the breed as the dog itself that matters most when determining which are cut out for therapy dog work, Officer Deb says.

She also has a 6-year-old shepherd mix named Gunner and a 1-year-old Cavalier King Charles spaniel named Tucker.

“All three have different personalities,” she says. “This one, I call him the king of the house.”

Unlike Tucker and Gunner, who are content to play with their toys, Dash will jump right into Officer Deb’s lap at home.

“He’s a people person,” Officer Deb says. And you know what she means.

“He loves to come to work,” she says. “He knows when I put the uniform on” and he’s ready to go himself.

Dash will have other emotional support duties as needed. Police therapy dogs can work with victims of crimes, making them feel more comfortable talking about what they experienced. They can be in the courtroom at the foot of a victim testifying on the stand, helping that person through what can be a traumatic experience.

“Dash is there for a number of reasons: the mentally ill, victims of violence, kids, the sick, our elderly population,” McClure says.

Teaming up with Dash also helps Officer Deb break down barriers or discomfort people may have with police.

“It initiates conversations,” she says. “It just bridges the gap between law enforcement and the public.”

Dash’s eating habits could be a good influence on kids in town.

“I give him frozen vegetables with his dinner. He loves peas and carrots and green beans. He loves fruit,” Officer Deb says.

Dash isn’t the first police therapy dog in the area. Boynton Beach added a therapy dog in 2016 and now has Elliott, who graduated from the PBSO program in 2022. PBSO has 10 therapy dogs on its force, and Delray Beach had two therapy dogs graduate the course along with Dash.

Officer Deb says the goodwill that therapy dogs deliver can’t be measured.

“If I can leave somebody with a smile on their face, that’s made my job worth it,” she says.

By Larry Barszewski

Manalapan is down to only two town commissioners — not six — as four have resigned rather than submit to a more detailed disclosure of their personal wealth that the state is requiring of elected municipal leaders starting in 2024.

Mayor Stewart Satter said he, too, will be leaving the commission.

“Regrettably, due to the new financial disclosure rules requiring that I disclose my net worth publicly, I am resigning from my role as Mayor effective this December,” Satter wrote in a Nov. 27 email to The Coastal Star.

Fortunately for the town, the massive shake-up underway isn’t as dire as officials first feared, as enough town residents have stepped up and offered to fill the commission’s new vacancies.

While the two remaining commissioners and the town’s nonvoting mayor aren’t enough for a quorum to run the commission’s next scheduled meeting on Dec. 18, the Town Charter allows that as few as two commissioners can vote to approve replacements for the commissioners who have left, Town Attorney Keith Davis said. Once that’s done, the commission can get back to business.

Commissioners Aileen Carlucci, Kristin Rosen and Richard Granara announced in October their intentions to resign, and Commissioner Chauncey Johnstone announced Nov. 13 that he was leaving for the same reason.

But the commission found out at its Nov. 14 meeting that there are still residents willing to be appointed, even with the new financial reporting disclosures, known as Form 6.

Thanks to a Nov. 1 town email blast seeking residents willing to serve, Vice Mayor John Deese and Commissioner Simone Bonutti will be able to restock the dais on Dec. 18.

The expected commission appointees are:
• Orla Imbesi to replace Johnstone
• Dwight Kulwin to replace Carlucci
• David Knobel to replace Rosen
• Elliot Bonner to replace Granara

Three of the appointments would end in March, while Knobel’s appointment would be until 2025.

Only two of the planned replacements — Imbesi and Bonner — filed papers in November to run in the March election. Because no one else filed for the two seats, Imbesi and Bonner are automatically elected to the term that begins in March, Davis said.

Because Kulwin didn’t get his qualifying papers in on time, the town is expected to hold a second qualifying period Jan. 2-12 for that seat, which would give Kulwin time to file his papers if he is still interested, or allow for others who may decide to run.

If the four appointments are made as expected Dec. 18, the four can be sworn in and begin serving immediately.

However, if Kulwin does not file qualifying papers in January, his service would end in March — unless no one else files and the commission were to reappoint him to the seat.

Satter hedged at the November meeting about whether he would resign.

“I would not comply with Form 6. So, if I decide to stay, I would just willfully not comply,” Satter said at the time.

But he is now set on leaving after the Dec. 18 meeting.

“Given how things have fallen into place, I think we’ve found some good candidates,” Satter said. “I feel much more comfortable that we’ve left the town in good hands.”

Once Satter’s resignation takes effect, the commission would be able to appoint someone to finish his term, which ends in March 2025, Davis said.

Some of those resigning are still willing to volunteer time if needed. Rosen, a former member of the Architectural Commission, said she would be willing to return to that board and replace Knobel, a current member who will have to step down if he is appointed to the Town Commission.

Assistant town manager hired — The Town Commission on Nov. 14 approved a three-year contract for Eric Marmer to be assistant town manager, with the understanding that he would take over for Town Manager Linda Stumpf after her planned retirement in September 2024. The contract provides a $150,000 salary. While it is expected that Marmer will succeed Stumpf, the contract says that is a decision the commission will have to make when Stumpf retires.

Police chief gets a contract, too — Police Chief Carmen Mattox has been in his position for more than 10 years, all that time without a contract. That changed Nov. 14 when the commission approved a five-year deal for him. Mattox said he never felt the need for a contract, but he and other town officials agreed it made sense with all the changes taking place in town government. His salary is $145,821.

Surprise landing on Lands End— Police Chief Carmen Mattox received a one-hour heads-up the morning of Nov. 14 that a private helicopter would be landing at a vacant lot at 1475 Lands End Road, where it was picking up some “VIPs.” The landing was unusual in town, but appeared to be legal and no complaints were received. Mattox had a fire truck stationed nearby just in case, because of overhead power lines in the area and the smaller size of the lots on The Point.

Cul-de-sacs getting some loving — The planned reconstruction of the cul-de-sac island at the end of Lands End Road is underway. Manager Linda Stumpf told commissioners Nov. 14 that fresh landscaping will also be coming to the two other cul-de-sac islands in town.

— Larry Barszewski

Four candidates qualify for three spots on March ballot

By Larry Barszewski

The Ocean Ridge Town Commission has appointed David Hutchins and Ainar Aijala Jr. to fill two upcoming vacancies on the commission.

Hutchins, a retired airline pilot who currently sits on the town’s Planning and Zoning Commission, and Aijala, a retired longtime executive with the auditing and consulting firm Deloitte, will be sworn in at the commission’s January meeting.

“I would like to thank you guys for putting some faith in me,” Hutchins said after the 3-0 vote for him at a special Nov. 9 commission meeting. “I think the experience I got at P&Z will be helpful and I’ll do everything I can and I’m sure I will learn a lot more.”

Aijala was not present at the meeting. He was appointed on a 2-1 vote. Former Commissioner Robert Sloat, who served for three months in 2019 in an appointed capacity, also received a vote.

The two appointees will replace Commissioners Ken Kaleel and Philip Besler, who turned in their resignations effective Dec. 30.

Their seats, as well as Mayor Geoff Pugh’s, will be up for election March 19. Candidate qualifying for the election closed Nov. 17, with four candidates in the running for three open seats.

Hutchins, Aijala and Pugh have all qualified to be on the ballot, as has Nicholas “Nick” Arsali, who handles real estate development, investment, portfolio management and brokerage for Southern Engineering and Construction.

The top two vote-getters in the election will fill the two, three-year term openings on the Town Commission and the third-place finisher will receive the remaining two-year term.

Kaleel is resigning rather than be forced to submit a more comprehensive financial disclosure form that the state will be requiring from elected municipal officials beginning in 2024. Besler said he was resigning for personal reasons.

Kaleel and Besler were appointed to their positions in May, following the resignations of Commissioners Martin Wiescholek and Kristine de Haseth. Both had previous experience as commissioners.

This time around, Sloat was the only applicant to have served on the commission, a three-month appointment in 2019 to finish former Mayor James Bonfiglio’s term.

Kaleel and Besler were not allowed to vote for their replacements, so the decisions fell to the same three members who appointed them: Pugh, Vice Mayor Steve Coz and Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy.

The three made their selections from eight applicants — five who originally applied when the two seats were open in April and three who submitted their names in October.

The other applicants were Arsali, Craig Herkert, Victor Martel, Mike Mullins and Peter Wolf.

Aijala served 38 years at Deloitte, including four years as CEO of its world leading global consultant practice. He retired in 2020 and has lived in town since 2019.

Aijala has served on the global board of Junior Achievements Worldwide. He has also served on the board of governors at The Little Club in Gulf Stream.

“I have always been committed to serving the communities in which we live, but until my recent retirement I was only able to fulfill this commitment through my involvement with charitable and not for profit organizations. I am now able to serve the residents of Ocean Ridge without conflict and would be eager to do so,” Aijala wrote in his application for the position.

Hutchins has been a town resident since 1990. He has been a member of the planning commission since 2017 and was an alternate member 2015-17.

By Larry Barszewski

One of two deep injection wells at Ocean Ridge’s largest wastewater package treatment plant has been out of service for more than a year, which officials say could leave three communities uninhabitable were the plant’s second well to malfunction.

The Colonial Crown Manor Wastewater Treatment Facility services 290 residential units in Crown Colony, Colonial Ridge and Ocean Manor.

Wastewater issues are not new in town or in some other barrier island communities, which have grappled for years with whether or how to replace package plants or septic systems — which potentially threaten the coastal environment — with some type of sewer system.

“If a failure did occur, we would need to abandon the three communities, all 290 units, making $100 million worth of property unusable,” said Ron Kirn, president of Colonial

Crown Manor Disposal Systems Inc., in a statement read by Commissioner Carolyn Cassidy at the Nov. 6 Town Commission meeting.

Kirn’s statement said the Florida Department of Environmental Protection may yet approve the necessary permits to replace the injection well, but that within a decade the department may require an upgrade to an “Advanced Waste Treatment” status, which Kirn said could cost about $1.5 million. The failed injection well was originally completed in 1984.

Other communities with injection wells or plants that use drain fields could “experience this same nightmare” in the future, he said.

“It is clear that the FDEP does not want these plants or septic systems in either single or multifamily homes. These outrageous costs and bureaucracy is hoping that towns will be pressured into installing municipal sewer systems where mandates have yet to be issued,” Kirn said.

Ocean Ridge has discussed the possibility of hooking up to Boynton Beach’s sewer systems or finding another alternative. Kirn was a member of a septic-to-sewer committee the commission appointed to investigate the issue. That committee’s chairman made a report to commissioners at their May 1 meeting, but the commission took no action at the time.

“We really need to start considering Boynton Beach sewers and getting away from septic systems,” said Paul Smith, who lives at Crown Colony Club, at the Nov. 6 commission meeting. “I installed septic systems in New Jersey, so I know a lot about them and I just think it’s time. I mean, this whole town is built out, so every home is on a system. It’s just mind-boggling to me that we haven’t considered this earlier.”

The town has set aside $924,943 from the county’s local infrastructure sales-tax proceeds as a start to dealing with a septic-to-sewer conversion, but there have been questions about whether or when the state will mandate such a conversion.

Cassidy said the town of Sebastian is now under orders by the state to convert.

A new law called the Indian River Lagoon Protection Program is requiring residences still on septic tanks in Indian River County, including Sebastian, to hook up to available sewer lines or to install enhanced nutrient-reducing onsite sewage treatment and disposal systems by 2030.

Coastal construction rule changes approved — The Town Commission gave final approval Nov. 6 to a pair of ordinances that relax some restrictions the town placed on coastal construction in 2020, eliminating the need for homeowners to get a variance in many situations where construction only involves changes to non-living spaces, such as patios and pools.

It also changed the status of older homes on Old Ocean Boulevard between Anna and Corrine streets built east of the 1979 Coastal Construction Control Line, moving them from “non-conforming” to “conforming” structures. That change will make it easier for homeowners there to rebuild.

Minimum flood elevations levels in limbo— The town can’t enforce the preliminary FEMA maps it adopted in 2019 because they won’t be official until after Palm Beach County’s ongoing litigation over the maps is concluded. The state preempted local governments from using preliminary FEMA maps for any rules for permitting.

Commissioners are concerned some property owners in a high hazard flood zone could build to a lower height than would be allowed under the FEMA maps, putting their homes at greater risk of flooding. Commissioners asked to have the town send notices to affected property owners seeking to build, warning them of potential consequences of building lower than the levels in the contested maps.

Limit sought on bridge openings — Vice Mayor Steve Coz, who lives near the Woolbright Road bridge, wants to see limits on how often the bridge opens and has asked Town Manager Lynne Ladner to bring up the issue with the county. Although the drawbridge opens “on demand” and timed openings — such as on the hour and half-hour — aren’t permitted, Coz said the county bridge tenders should make sure at least 15 minutes pass between openings.

— Larry Barszewski

By Larry Barszewski

Nine candidates have qualified for Delray Beach’s March 19 municipal elections, with three each running for mayor and two other City Commission openings.

Vice Mayor Ryan Boylston has raised more than $110,000 in his bid to become mayor, far outpacing the other five candidates who have filed campaign treasurer reports through September, the latest period available. Not counting any personal loans to campaigns, Boylston has raised about $35,000 more than the five others combined.

The remaining three candidates opened their campaign accounts since September and won’t have to file a treasurer’s report until January.

“I can’t really take credit for raising the funds that I raised. I announced and checks started rolling in,” said Boylston, who announced in May. “I don’t refuse money.”

Boylston said he’s shooting for $150,000 to $200,000, which he said is typical for a mayoral campaign in the city. He said he’s not being bought.

“I have a voting record,” said Boylston, who founded 2TON, a creative marketing agency. “I’ve voted against my supporters as many times as I’ve voted with my supporters.”

Mayor
Boylston is in the race along with Shirley Johnson, who served six years on the commission before being term-limited this year, and Tom Carney, who served on the commission from 2011 to 2013, including a short stint as acting mayor.

Mayor Shelly Petrolia was term-limited from seeking re-election.

Through September, Boylston had raised $111,140, which included a $1,000 personal loan. Johnson, who retired from IBM, reported raising $23,690, but most of that — $20,000 — was a personal loan. Carney, an attorney, won’t have to file a campaign report until January.

Boylston reported 98 contributions of $1,000 each so far, the maximum amount an individual can contribute. More than 40 of those contributions were from outside Delray Beach.

By category, Boylston has received more than $18,000 from real estate professionals, at least $15,000 from contractors and other development-related businesses, at least $12,000 from hoteliers, restaurants and other hospitality-related businesses, and $5,000 from local car dealerships.

Boylston has also raised $3,860 from 66 contributions of $100 or less.

Seat 1
The current commissioner, Adam Frankel, is term-limited and is planning to run instead to be Palm Beach County’s next public defender.

The three candidates who qualified to run for the seat are James Chard, Tennille DeCoste and Thomas Markert.

Chard, a retired business executive, was elected to the commission in 2017, but served only a year when he resigned after an unsuccessful attempt to become mayor. DeCoste is a former human resources director for the city who now holds the same position in Boynton Beach. Markert is a market research industry executive who previously worked for AC Nielsen; he also served as a senior vice president at Office Depot.

DeCoste raised $27,490, which included a $500 personal loan, through September. Chard raised $20,117, partially funded by a $2,792 personal loan. Markert isn’t required to file a contributions report until January.

Seat 3
Looking to move into Boylston’s current commission seat is former Commissioner Juli Casale, along with Anneze Barthelemy and Nicholas Coppola.

Former Commissioner Christina Morrison, who was appointed to fill a short stint on the commission in 2013, had opened a campaign account to run for the seat, but in the end opted not to qualify. Morrison said she decided against running after Casale’s late entry into the race, saying she feared having too many candidates would split the vote and give

Casale a chance at returning to the commission.

Casale, an ally of Petrolia, served for three years beginning in 2020 before losing to newcomer Rob Long in March. With that election, the working commission majority switched from Petrolia, who had been aligned with Casale and Johnson on many key votes, to Boylston, Long and newly elected Commissioner Angela Burns, who replaced Johnson.

Coppola, a retired electrical contractor, held the early fundraising lead in the race with $39,370 — including a $20,000 loan from himself — through September. He is the chairman of the city’s Code Enforcement Board.

Barthelemy, who has 23 years of experience as a social worker, reported raising $10,708, which included a $1,300 loan.

Casale, a community activist who has also served on other city boards, does not have to file a campaign treasurer’s report until January.

By Larry Barszewski

The latest plans for Delray Beach’s Veterans Park tweak past proposals for the site. They would expand the park by absorbing the existing parking lot to its west. New parking would be made possible by sacrificing the park’s shuffleboard and lawn bowling courts.

The new parking lot construction work is to be done and paid for by Atlantic Crossing developer Edwards Cos., which projects to have the new parking lot design completed by January and — after receiving the necessary city approvals — for construction to begin in March and for the new lot to be completed in August.

City commissioners were supportive of the plans presented at their Nov. 7 meeting, directing staff to put together an agreement with the developer for the project.

“I’m super-excited about this. I can’t believe we’re going to have the opportunity for what is kind of a public-private partnership, in a way, to fund this,” Vice Mayor Ryan Boylston said. “One of the rare jewels that we don’t really talk about is that we have green space like this on the Intracoastal. Not every city can say that.”

The company, in a written offer to the city, said “in exchange for this significant private investment in the park we would ask that the city fund the balance of park improvements pursuant to a plan to be developed.”

Once the new parking spaces are added and available, Atlantic Crossing construction crews will move their heavy equipment staging to the old spaces on the west side of the park. The park expansion into that area would have to wait until the Atlantic Crossing construction is finished and the equipment removed.

The new design includes almost the same number of parking spaces as currently, 92 vs. 94, but adds a drop-off spot close to the park’s community center. Boylston said a drop-off would be helpful.

“Sometimes when you park in that parking lot, you’re very far away from that community building. It’s a long hike for some of our residents,” he said.

In addition, there’s the possibility of adding spaces designated for golf cart parking on Northeast First Street on the north side of the park.

“We have talked about taking some of the on-street parking that exists now and will continue to exist, and dividing that up into golf cart parking, which will double the amount of parking spaces available in that area and resolve some community requests for additional golf cart parking in the downtown area,” Public Works Director Missie Barletto said.

Mayor Shelly Petrolia supported having those spaces.

“I think there are a lot of people within the town, the city, that use golf carts,” Petrolia said. “That’ll actually be a positive, a net positive for us.”

The new parking lot will also have a direct connection to the park’s walkway along the Intracoastal Waterway. The expanded park to the west is expected to have paths connecting it to Atlantic Crossing’s retail, residential and restaurant spaces.

“There is slightly more green space as a result of this reallocation of asphalt than there is in the park now,” Development Services Director Anthea Gianniotes said. “It’s not a tremendous amount, but it is a more vegetated area than previously. Part of that is because the courts [to be removed] certainly are not green. They’re recreational area, though, to be fair.”

A construction worker died Nov. 9 when an excavator toppled over onto him at a home demolition in Delray Beach. Photo provided by Delray Beach Fire Rescue

By Larry Barszewski

A construction accident that killed a worker during a home demolition Nov. 9 on Lewis Cove was still under active investigation by Delray Beach police late in the month.

In a report released Nov. 30, police identified the victim as Eric Edward Guthrie, 56, of Loxahatchee. Guthrie is listed as owner of Guthrie Hauling Co. of Loxahatchee on the company’s website.

Around 8:50 a.m., an excavator being used to move debris with its claw teetered over and fell onto the cab of Guthrie’s nearby grappler dump truck, where Guthrie was operating the grappler’s controls from behind the cab, according to the police report. Guthrie was pinned unconscious under the claw arm with severe trauma visible to his right thigh, police said.

Guthrie was taken to Delray Medical Center, where he died. The medical examiner determined Guthrie died of “multiple blunt force injuries” and ruled the manner of death an accident, the police report said.

Police identified the excavator’s operator as William James Malkemes, 63, of Delray Beach. Both Guthrie and Malkemes had been subcontracted to remove debris from 1041 Lewis Cove, on the west side of State Road A1A a couple of blocks north of Atlantic Dunes Park. The property sold for $2 million in March.

Malkemes, president of Tip Top Tree Service in Delray Beach, told police he drove the Case excavator up the pile of demolition debris and he was using the excavator bucket to pick up debris when he felt the excavator shift, off-balance.

“As a result, Malkemes drove in reverse then forward in an attempt to regain equilibrium,” the police report said. “As Malkemes drove forward, the excavator lost balance and fell onto the grappler operation platform where Guthrie was sitting. Guthrie fell off the platform and onto the ground along the passenger side of the cabin.

“The excavator landed upside down with the arm on top of Guthrie and the bucket resting on top of the crushed cabin and platform of the truck.”

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration is also investigating. An OSHA official said the office had no additional information to release. Investigators have six months to file a report, the official said.

The general contractor for the construction work being done was Matthew Wolf, police said.

Water treatment plant construction negotiations underway — Delray Beach received five proposals for design-build construction work planned for the water treatment plant and it is negotiating contract terms with CDM Smith Constructors Inc., the top-ranked firm.

Fire union contracts approved — Delray city commissioners approved two, three-year fire-rescue contracts, one for rank-and-file department members and the other for unionized supervisors, with modifications that will have a $20 million-plus impact on the city budget over the next three years. Only Mayor Shelly Petrolia voted against the contracts, concerned about their impact on the town budget.

The average work week for shift employees will go from one day on and two days off to one day on and three days off beginning in October 2025.

Planning and Zoning Board appointments made — Because of a revamping on how planning proposals are handled by different city boards, commissioners restarted the city’s Planning and Zoning Board from scratch, making new appointments for its seven seats.

Commissioners reappointed four members of the board — Christina Morrison, Chris Brown, Greg Snyder and Julen Blankenship — and named three new members: Alison Thomas, Morris Carstarphen and Aaron Savitch. Former Board Chairman Chris Davey, who filed an ethics complaint that was dismissed against Commissioner Rob Long earlier this year, did not make the cut.

Site Plan Review and Appearance Board appointments made — Commissioners also reconstituted the city’s Site Plan Review and Appearance Board. Reappointed were the previous chair, Dana Adler, along with members Annette Gray, Linda Purdo and Steven Cohen. Newcomers to the board are Jose Alvarez, Keith Beal and Adam Nelson.

Let’s get digital — The city received a Top 10 Digital Cities Award for 2023 by Government Technology magazine and the Center for Digital Government. The city’s website, social media and other information technology ranked No. 4 in the country in cities with populations under 75,000.

— Larry Barszewski

Work to replace a privacy wall came too close to more than a dozen Australian pines and their roots. Photo provided

By Steve Plunkett

People living on State Road A1A will face a higher level of scrutiny in the future if they plan any kind of construction near Gulf Stream’s beloved Australian pines.

Workers replacing the privacy wall at 2817 N. Ocean Blvd. caused a near-disaster when they dug perilously close to more than a dozen Australian pines, prompting an emergency visit from the town arborist and a $5,250 bill to the homeowner to save the trees.

Making things worse, Assistant Town Attorney Trey Nazzaro had been assured the construction would cause no harm before the project got permission to proceed.

“I specifically asked the applicant whether or not there was enough distance between the excavation and the Australian pines and she was under oath and she said yes. So I said, ‘OK, I’m going to trust what you’re going to say’ and that ended up not being true.

“So obviously that was not enough. We need some additional review,” Nazzaro told town commissioners on Nov. 9.

In an email to the landscape architect in charge of the construction, Nazzaro bluntly expressed the town’s fears.

“In addition to the significant damage to the root system, much of the dirt from the excavation was just thrown on top of the trees, which as I understand may suffocate them over time,” he wrote.

The arborist, Jonathan Frank of Bartlett Tree Experts, gave Nazzaro a document titled “Tree Preservation Standards During Construction” that he had created for another client and recommended using “tree preservation language” relating to industry standards in any change to the town’s ordinance governing construction applications.

“He mentioned that with our water main project along A1A, the contractor working for the town implemented tree protection fencing that worked very well with a goal to keep any construction equipment and things away from the roots and trunks,” Nazzaro said.

He and Frank also talked about requiring a meeting with the arborist before any excavation if the digging would happen within 10 feet of existing Australian pines, “something that’s very innocuous and easy that gives us some leeway to sort of lean on his expertise.”

Commissioners told Nazzaro to continue working on an ordinance for them to consider at their Dec. 8 meeting.

The arborist pruned the affected pines to reduce their height by 25% to make them less susceptible to wind, pruned damaged roots and excavated the trees’ root collars. He also treated the trees with potassium phosphite when the damage was discovered in October and will return in January for a second dose.

Brian O’Neill bought the oceanfront mansion for $29 million in September 2022.

The state planted Australian pines on both sides of A1A in the early 1900s to address high winds along the highway. “The Town of Gulf Stream is the only remaining stretch where the Australian Pine Canopy still remains,” the town boasts on its website.

By Steve Plunkett

After 19 months as a Gulf Stream town commissioner, Thom Smith has called it quits, resigning his position at the end of the board’s Nov. 9 meeting.

“I have been honored and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to serve the town I feel so strongly about,” he read from his prepared resignation letter. “We have a very special place to live and recreate and I look forward to it remaining so for many years to come.”

Outside the meeting, Smith said he resigned to have more time to devote to his accounting business and to family members who live outside of town.

He was not worried, he said, about having to disclose his net worth and other financial details on the state’s Form 6 had he remained on the dais. Filing the Form 6 is a new requirement this year for elected municipal leaders in office as of Dec. 31.

“I could have handled it,” Smith said.

Smith, who was born and grew up in Gulf Stream, was appointed to the commission in April 2022 after serving as chairman of the town’s Architectural Review and Planning Board. He replaced Donna White, who moved to Palm Beach Gardens.

Smith joined the ARPB as an alternate in May 2008 and became a full board member in March 2009. He took the reins as chairman in June 2018.

Also at the Nov. 9 meeting, town commissioners accepted the resignation of Jorgette Smith from the ARPB “for personal reasons” and elevated Michael Greene, an alternate member, as a full member of the board.

Jorgette Smith joined the planning board as an alternate in December 2017 and became a full member in June 2018.

Thom Smith’s departure will give the commission a chance to add someone from Place Au Soleil, whose residents filled a commission seat continuously from 1998 until Smith’s appointment last year. It’s up to commissioners to appoint someone to fill the seat, which isn’t up for election until 2026.

Though out of office, Smith was still expected to attend the December meeting and maybe more, lending his financial expertise to reviews of higher-than-expected bids for road and drainage work in the town’s Core District and of a proposal to make Boynton Beach the town’s provider of drinking water instead of Delray Beach.

“It makes sense to go to Boynton, but the costs seem very high,” Mayor Scott Morgan said.

Assistant Town Attorney Trey Nazzaro said Boynton Beach’s water rates are lower than Delray Beach’s, but Gulf Stream would have to pay $2 million up front to connect to its system, making the break-even point seven years in the future.

Morgan also noted the September passing of Commissioner Joan Orthwein’s husband, Percy “Perk” Orthwein II, who Morgan hailed as a good husband, good father and a patriarch of one of the oldest families in town.

“What I remember best about Perk is that he was a remarkable raconteur,” Morgan said. “He was a wonderful man to tell a story. He could regale you with a story that (was) sometimes factual, sometimes apocryphal but always with a sense of humor. Sometimes a touch of sarcasm, but it always made for the most interesting story. And that’s how I like to remember my time with Perk.”

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream’s police officers soon will be adding a burst of color to their shoulders.

Police Chief Richard Jones tapped into his inner artist after deciding the current shoulder patch was “very poor, at best” and did nothing to connect his department to the town it serves.

“I looked at the patch and I was trying to figure out its significant value to us as an organization. We really could not figure that out,” he told town commissioners on Nov. 9. “So, we designed a new patch … that incorporates the town seal and the history of the town into the Police Department’s patch and insignia.”

The new patch is triangular and shows the town seal’s familiar golfer, polo player and sailboat with a cluster of palm trees and a rising sun. When he sent it to the company making the patches, “They were very surprised at the number of color elements that we were requesting,” he said.

Capt. John Haseley, who with an outside artist helped Jones create the new emblem, passed out samples to get commissioners’ reactions.

“I think it looks great, much nicer,” Commissioner Joan Orthwein said.

The patch it replaces used elements from the state seal: a less dramatic sun behind a cocoa tree, steamboat and an Indian woman.

Mayor Scott Morgan had Jones model the new patch by holding it up over the old one on his uniform.

“The white from the previous patch stands out very well on your blue uniform, whereas the background here is blue. You want to put that over your patch, let’s see what it looks like,” Morgan said.

All agreed the new one is an improvement. “The yellow kind of makes it pop,” Orthwein said.

Jones, who also created a new patch for Ocean Ridge three years ago when he was on that town’s police force, said the change to the new design will be gradual.

“It will take us, you know, probably a year to transition so that we’re not spending money unnecessarily on new uniforms,” he said. “But all of our new officers and all the uniform replacements that we will begin doing immediately, we will start putting the new patch on.”

Corey Merritt and his son Henry, 6, avoid the incoming tide as it crashes into and erodes the dunes at the north end of Delray Beach. Photos by Tim Stepien and Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Heavy weather just shy of a tropical storm rating brought days of wind, rain and intense waves in mid-November. RIGHT: Guests staying at Delray Sands Resort in Highland Beach take selfies with crashing seas behind them. BELOW: Diners eat lunch behind the protective plastic curtain at Caffe Luna Rosa in Delray Beach. High winds accompanied the rain, with some areas along the South Florida coastline experiencing gusts up to 70 mph.

ABOVE: Residents of Southeast Wavecrest Way in Boca Raton drive through their flooded neighborhood in a golf cart. BELOW: Ocean Ridge resident Edward Sivri works to clear his driveway after winds knocked over this sea grape tree.

By Mary Thurwachter

Lantana voters will have a choice for mayor in the March 19 election.

Challenging incumbent Karen Lythgoe will be George Velazquez, 57, an alternate on the town’s planning and zoning board. Although his legal name is “Jorge,” his friends call him “George” and he is using that name.

Velazquez is a political newcomer, but he has helped friends with campaigns and served on the county’s Hispanic Vote committee. He was born in Chicago, raised in Miami, and has had a home in Lantana since 2017. A former commercial real estate agent, Velazquez worked in a federal prison in Miami from 1996 to 2009.

“I’ve thought about this for a while,” he said, when asked about running for office. “I saw that there was a need in Lantana. I’d like to see more transparency in our town.”

He speaks three languages — Spanish, English and a little Italian — and was on Lantana’s education committee until it was disbanded about a year ago.

Lythgoe, 64, says she is seeking election to a full three-year term “so that I can continue the work our current council is doing to improve public safety, replacing our aging infrastructure and ensure property values stay up.”

She was elected to the council in 2020 and was acting mayor after Robert Hagerty resigned last year. During a special election earlier this year, she ran unopposed to complete the rest of Hagerty’s term, which ends in March.

Lythgoe, who works for LexisNexis Risk Solutions, said that during her tenure “we were able to obtain $6 million in grants and have the projects in flight to upgrade our water mains throughout the town. What the council has been doing is having the effect of reversing the look of the town in general. The synergy between council and staff is the best it has been in recent memory, and I don’t want that to stop.”

By Mary Thurwachter

For the second consecutive year, the Lantana Town Council gave a generous merit raise — 5% — to Town Manager Brian Raducci and heaped praise on his work.

“We’re one of the luckiest councils in Palm Beach County having him as our manager,” Vice Mayor Lynn “Doc” Moorhouse said during the manager’s yearly performance evaluation on Nov. 13.

“He has done an absolutely amazing job in catching up the infrastructure and going forward with some preemptive stuff. We’re getting a lot of grant money, we have a person in Tallahassee working for us and this town is moving in the right direction better than it ever has.”

Moorhouse also praised Raducci for uniting the council. “There’s nobody on this council that’s mad at anybody — Brian’s brought that closer together.”

Other officials also extolled Raducci’s virtues.

“It’s been a pleasure to work with Brian and I agree with what Doc said about the grant money bringing a lot of improvements,” said Chris Castle, the council’s newest member.

This year, the town received $2.8 million in grants and appropriations. The bulk of the money — $1.2 million each from the federal and state governments — will be used for water main replacement.

Grant money will also go toward improving the stormwater drainage system and a future-needs analysis; an asset inventory and Ocean Avenue vulnerability assessment; and to pay for ADA door openings and parts of the library garden.

Council member Kem Mason said Raducci has “dragged us into the 21st century” and works well with law enforcement, receiving nothing but praise from the police and their union. “He’s a great communicator. He’s always available to answer any questions and is doing a great job.”

Vice Mayor Pro Tem Mark Zeitler said “so far, so good. I like the grant money, and he has brought us all together.”

Mayor Karen Lythgoe was as effusive as Moorhouse.

“You make all of our lives much easier,” Lythgoe said. “The whole staff looks up to you. You’ve empowered your directors, you guide them. Everybody knows what they’re supposed to do.”

With that said, Lythgoe said she wanted to keep him.

“I brag about you when I go off to be with the rest of the folks at Florida League of Cities and I have to tell myself ‘shut up, Karen,’” fearing someone will steal the manager away.

Raducci began working for the town in October 2021 with a starting salary of $175,000.

Last year, the council gave Raducci a 5% cost-of-living adjustment and a 4% merit raise, bringing his salary to $191,100. This year on Oct. 1, he got a 5% COLA increase, upping his pay to $200,655. The latest advance brings it to $210,687.

Resistance to setback change — An ordinance to modify the rear setback requirements related to waterfront lots sailed through the Town Council on its first reading in October, but it faced pushback from Hypoluxo Island residents on the second reading Nov. 13.

“This is a staff-initiated text amendment in an effort to mitigate some of the more commonly council-approved variance requests,” said development director Nicole Dritz.

Currently, all above-ground structures on waterfront lots are required to maintain a 20-foot rear setback from either the high-water line or the existing sea wall, Dritz said. “Such structures located on non-waterfront lots in both the R1A and R1 zoning districts are only required to have a 10-foot rear setback. The ordinance proposes to amend this regulation to allow structures that are less than 8 inches above the surrounding grade to be constructed within 10 feet of either the high-water line or the existing sea wall.”

Media Beverly, a Hypoluxo Island resident who has been successful in getting the council to reverse decisions in the past, fell short this time, despite preparing a diorama to illustrate negative aspects of the proposed change.

“Just because a few builders wanted to add pavers inside the 20-foot waterfront setback, doesn’t support changing the entire ordinance allowing pools to be built 10 feet from the water,” Beverly said. “Little by little, Lantana, as we knew it, is on the way out.” 

Two other island residents voiced objections.

Ann McGlinn-Work said the ordinance was poorly written and left the door open for future issues. Erica Wald said sea walls are already crumbling and easing up on setbacks would only exacerbate the problem.

But Town Attorney Max Lohman said the current ordinance wasn’t working and needed to be changed. The council agreed, unanimously.

Clerk works from Tennessee — Town Clerk Kathleen Dominguez will be working remotely from 856 miles away. Dominguez says she has the town’s blessing to do her job from Nashville, Tennessee, where her husband has taken a job. Holding down the fort locally will be Maria Rios, the executive assistant to the town manager and deputy town clerk hired in July.

Dune Deck’s canopy takes flight — Vice Mayor Pro Tem Mark Zeitler took a spin around town the morning of Nov. 16 to check for any damage caused by the wind storm the previous night. The main casualty: the Dune Deck Cafe at Lantana Beach. High winds tore apart a large blue and white striped canopy over the café’s outdoor seating area, ripping the metal framework out of the concrete where it was anchored. It landed on the roof of the restaurant’s northern section, Zeitler said. The restaurant was closed for about 24 hours but reopened with table umbrellas replacing the canvas canopy.

Employees recognized — Department directors presented employees with service awards at the Nov. 13 Town Council meeting. The longest-serving employee honored was Jerry Darr, who has been with the town for 35 years. Other long-serving workers recognized were Darrell Blom, 30 years; Karen Dipolito and Gerardo Aponte-Rentas, 25 years; Suzanne Woodward, 20 years; Thomas Dipolito and Joseph Margolis, 15 years; and Peter Cummings, 10 years.

Recognized for working for Lantana for five years were Shanker Doobay, Christian Vargas, Charles Benedict, Justin Dorfman, Anthony Harvey, Miguel Perez, Carla Smart and Loretta Miller.

— Mary Thurwachter

By Steve Plunkett

Final asphalt paving completed? Check.

Drainage ponds at Glades Road interchange done? Check.

Tolls being collected on Interstate 95’s new express lanes? Check.

The clock is winding down on the Florida Department of Transportation’s multiyear $148 million project to add toll lanes on I-95 from south of Glades Road to south of Congress Avenue, raze and rebuild the Clint Moore Road overpass between Congress and Yamato Road, and build a diverging diamond interchange, in which traffic on Glades flows to the left side in each direction above the highway.

The agency started collecting express lane tolls in both directions on Nov. 18. And Dec. 1 marks day 1,627 of 1,680 planned construction days and the work being 96.8% completed.

“We are anticipating final acceptance ahead of schedule,” project spokesperson Andi Pacini said.

But it will be years before the express lanes, or “managed lanes” in FDOT lingo, are extended north through Delray Beach and beyond, said Guillermo “Billy” Canedo, the agency’s district communications manager.

The FDOT is currently conducting a Project Development & Environment — or PD&E — study to provide additional managed lane capacity along I-95 from south of Linton Boulevard to north of Okeechobee Boulevard, he said.

“The design and construction phases are currently unfunded in the department’s Draft Tentative Work Program for Fiscal Years 2025 to 2029,” Canedo said. “The expected completion date of the study is May 2025.”

Boca Raton’s diverging diamond interchange, or DDI, opened on April 3. Pacini said the FDOT’s traffic operations team continues to work with the city’s Traffic Engineering

Department to observe, modify and optimize signal timing for all movements. Both the FDOT and the city continue to emphasize that the posted speed limit within the DDI is 35 mph.

Still ongoing are installation of small signs, laying of sod, and final thermoplastic striping.

Roadway, lighting, ramp signals and Intelligent Transportation System elements await final inspection and punch list work.

For southbound I-95 traffic, entrances to the express lanes are south of Congress Avenue and south of Glades Road; exits are north of Glades and north of Hillsboro Boulevard.

On northbound I-95, entrances are north of Hillsboro and north of Glades; exits are south of Glades and south of Congress. Customers must have an active SunPass or a Florida-compatible transponder properly affixed to the windshield.

Tolls in Miami-Dade County, the first to get I-95 express lanes, vary from 50 cents to $10.50, depending on distance, time of day and congestion. The goal is to keep traffic in the express lanes moving at an average speed of 45 to 50 mph, the FDOT says.

Motorists with hybrid or fully electric vehicles travel toll-free after registering.

Ellen Barnes has been picking up trash from the beach near her home in South Palm Beach for more than 20 years. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Like many of her South Palm Beach neighbors, Ellen Barnes takes frequent walks along the beach. Unlike most, however, she grabs her canvas bag on her way out the door and collects the trash that washes up, then drops it in a nearby trash can or back at her residence.

“From the time you’re a little kid, you’re taught that when you see a paper you pick it up,” said Barnes, 64. “The beach is special.”

Barnes’ activities earned the attention of Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Deputy Donna Korb, who nominated her for a Star Resident award she received from the PBSO in October for her contributions to the community.

A resident of South Palm Beach for 22 years, Barnes said she’s made the brief trip across State Road A1A at least a couple of times a week over the years, and almost daily during the times she’s been between jobs.

“I love the ocean,” she said. “I walk across the street and swim down to the Eau and swim back. I was on the swim team for a while. So, you want that to be clean.”

She said that although she occasionally sees a few beer bottles lined up against a wall, the vast majority of the trash she collects washes up from the ocean.

“Plastic bags, pop-top cans, Clorox boxes. They have little creatures on the sides. Old ropes that come out of the ocean, and things somebody tried to float on, like bottles or milk jugs that are tied together. If it washes up, I throw them in the recycling here at my house. Whatever it takes.”

She said the situation has “definitely” gotten worse in the past five years.

“There’s more stuff that washes in now. I wasn’t aware of it as much as I am now, but it’s probably because there are more people out there now.

“They say there are places in the world with big expanses of trash. That’s a nightmare for me.”

Barnes works as the clinical coordinator for nursing simulations at Keiser University in West Palm Beach, running the skills and simulation labs. Her husband, Ned, now retired, was president of the Palm Beach Civic Association.

The couple travel frequently, visiting Key West “at least a couple times a year,” Barnes said. They also visit her family in Portland, Oregon, and his family in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

The couple have two sons and seven grandchildren. Son Cory Lewis lives in Boca Raton and is a captain in the Boynton Beach Fire Department. Zach lives in Denver and runs Airbnbs.

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I grew up in Lexington, Kentucky. I attended Christ the King elementary school and Lexington Catholic High School.
I grew up on about 10 acres with horses, chickens, bunnies and lots of gardening chores. At the time I did not appreciate it, but later on in life, it taught me love of the land and the natural beauty around us — such a gift. In retrospect, attending Catholic school taught me how important it is to be there for one another, and that our highest calling is taking care of one another.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I worked for four years as a paraprofessional with severe and profound-to-trainable adults and children. I almost became a special-ed teacher. Shortly after that I had an amazing birth experience which led me to nursing, my chosen profession.
Working side by side with fellow nurses, midwives and doctors as a labor and delivery nurse has always been a great source of pride for me.
I have also worked as an educator, which has been almost half of my 32 years in nursing. I feel I have been able to share my strengths and experiences with nursing students and to emphasize how important it is to be a compassionate and competent caregiver.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: The path is not always clear. Start moving in a direction and that experience, if it is not the right one, will lead you to something suited for you. Your accomplishments and especially your failures on that path are invaluable in learning who you are, and what you will be best at.
Keep moving — there is something for you! Also, I’ve been telling nursing students for a long time that if you know what you want, but can’t get right into it right away, get as close as you possibly can: I mean emotionally, physically, mentally and even geographically. Keep your ears and eyes open and that will lead you to an opening in the career/position that appeals to you most. Then go for it.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in South Palm Beach?
A: My boyfriend (now her husband)lived in South Palm Beach when we were dating. In love, and on the water, beautiful paths to walk on, and the stunning ocean right across the street. What could be better?

Q: What is your favorite part about living in South Palm Beach?
A: I have made incredible friends here alongside the beauty of the ocean. It is my happy place!

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Horse, by Geraldine Brooks. I was raised in Lexington and this book takes place there during the Civil War. One family that owned slaves had a Black man who worked as a trainer, which was unheard of at the time. My sister read it and recommended I read it. I rode horses all the time growing up.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: Traveling Wilburys, Paula Sinclair, Jimmy Buffett, Adele. When I want to be inspired, the sound of the ocean does the trick. I guess it’s hard to see a pattern there. When I’m driving to work I listen to Paula Sinclair, who’s like a folk singer. I like Jimi Hendrix, too. I’m kind of all over the place.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions? 
A: My parents raised 14 children: I was the ninth child in a mix of eight girls and six boys. My father, who passed away more than 25 years ago, was a pediatric surgeon who worked amazingly hard and loved the land.
My mom, the bearer of all those children, kept that whole unit together, which is spectacular. Today she is 100 years old and living happily in Portland, Oregon, surrounded by several of my siblings.
They inspired me to work hard, always to be persistent and always keep showing up. They led by example. I know it was not easy; they had their struggles but kept showing up. I feel my life has been truly blessed because of their presence in my life.

Q: If your life were to be made into a movie, who would play you?
A: People tell me I look exactly like Linda Hamilton, who was the female lead in the movie The Terminator with Arnold Schwarzenegger. They tell me I should be in that movie.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: Pickleball and the friends I have made because of it. What could be better than sweating and laughing with really fun people?

By Rich Pollack

The battle between Delray Beach and Highland Beach over who owes who money for fire service fees heated up after a preliminary report from state auditors showed the city failed to bill the town $2.2 million, mostly for pension contributions dating back several years.

At the same time, Highland Beach leaders are sticking to their claim, made before the state’s Joint Legislative Auditing Committee earlier this year, that Delray Beach owes the town money because the city used the wrong calculation to determine the fees.

How the conflicting viewpoints will be resolved could end up being decided through mediation or even in a courtroom, with Highland Beach Town Manager Marshall Labadie telling commissioners that the town is developing a pre-litigation strategy.

“If we have to go to mediation, so be it,” he said, adding that he spoke to an attorney specializing in these types of issues within days of the preliminary audit report being made public early in November. The audit was ordered by the state committee in March.

While Delray Beach officials have not come right out and said that they will seek to get the $2.2 million that they should have billed Highland Beach, City Manager Terrence Moore said that the city will use forensic auditing services to determine the precise calculation of the balance due to the city.

“Final data analysis from this exercise will be reported to the City Commission, enabling consideration relative to mediation and/or other opportunities available to both parties,” Moore wrote in a note to his commission.

In Highland Beach, town leaders said if it turns out the state auditors are correct and the city didn’t bill the town properly, the town shouldn’t be responsible for resolving the issue.

“Because they underbilled us, doesn’t mean we should have to pay,” said Highland Beach Commissioner Evalyn David, an attorney. “There’s an argument to be made that this is on them.”

In the preliminary operational report, which focused on the financial processes used by Delray Beach’s Fire Rescue Department as part of its agreement with Highland Beach, the auditor listed a handful of findings that showed flaws in how numbers were calculated. 

“During the period October 2019 through December 2022, the City experienced significant turnover in certain key management positions, which may have contributed to the control deficiencies and instances of noncompliance disclosed in this report,” the auditor from the State Auditor General’s Office wrote.

Among the findings were:
• Firefighter salary and benefit amounts recorded in the city’s accounting records and billed to the town did not agree with employee timekeeping records.
• City purchasing policies and procedures did not ensure that goods and services ordered, received and distributed to the town’s fire station were accurately billed to the town.
• The city didn’t perform timely collection efforts on the town’s nonpayment of billed services totaling $517,654.

The auditors also found that Delray Beach didn’t use consistent actuarial information to calculate how much Highland Beach should have contributed to the pension fund for the firefighters who were assigned to serve the town.

Some members of the Delray Beach commission in published reports have portrayed the auditor’s report as a win for the city, but Highland Beach leaders say it is just the opposite.

“I would be embarrassed if I was Delray,” said Town Attorney Glen Torcivia. “Delray looks like it wasn’t mismanaged, it looks like it wasn’t managed at all.”

Labadie told commissioners that Delray Beach’s financial issues and inability to provide the town with adequate records were factors behind Highland Beach’s decision to start its own department, which will take over from Delray Beach in May.

“That’s one of the reasons we wanted to leave,” he said.