Linda Loch didn’t find another space for her salon and plans to retire at the end of April. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

Another roadside landmark along State Road A1A is slated to soon disappear.

The Briny Hair Salon, the Briny Breezes Town Hall’s next-door neighbor, has lost its lease and must vacate by April 30. 

Linda Loch, who has operated the beauty salon for 34 years, said she wasn’t told why, “just that they want to put somebody else in here where they can get four times the amount of rent.”

“There is no reason they have to kick me out,” she said.

Briny Breezes Inc., the co-op that manages the mobile home community, originally sent Loch a “Notice of Non-Renewal of Lease” on Oct. 31, demanding that she leave the premises by Dec. 31 with an option to request a 30-day extension.

Loch instead asked to stay until the end of April, and the co-op agreed.

Michael Gallacher, general manager of the co-op, noted that Briny Breezes Inc. is a for-profit corporation, and said Loch’s rent has been “very low” for “many years” and most of her customers live in neighboring Gulf Stream.

In September, Gallacher said, “Ms. Loch advised that she was meeting with a gentleman who wished to operate a separate business out of half the shop. We made clear that this was not acceptable.

“After reviewing the situation, we made a business decision to seek proposals from tenants who can provide meaningful benefits to Briny shareholders while paying market rent that contributes appropriately to sustaining the park’s expenses,” he said.

At first Loch’s customers were “really upset,” she said.

Customer and friend Diana Grainger, who owns the South Ocean Beach Shop in Delray Beach at A1A and Atlantic Avenue, had choice words: “deplorable” and “absolutely, positively unjust.”

Loch, too, was not happy.

“I think it’s terrible to do that to me. I actually think it could be age discrimination,” she said. “I am 78, but I’m capable still of working, And I want to work ’cause I think it’s healthy for me.”

Before the termination notice arrived, Loch spent $8,000 on new carpet and paint to make everything look fresh and new, she said. For the first half of November she scoured vacant commercial space for a place to relocate her business but wasn’t impressed by what she found.

“I wouldn’t take any of my customers there,” she said.

Rising rents have forced shops and restaurants for years to leave Delray Beach’s popular Atlantic Avenue. And the imminent departure of Loch’s salon brings to mind the 2023 closing on A1A of the Seaside Deli and Market at 4635 N. Ocean in a landlord-tenant dispute. It has since reopened under new ownership.

Loch’s rent this year was $1,612.98 a month for the salon at 4800 N. Ocean Blvd. By comparison, the town pays the co-op $1,792 per month for its side of the building, more than twice the space, at 4802 N. Ocean.

The Town Council signed a five-year extension of its lease starting in October 2024, allowing for rent increases each year of $50 per month.

When first grappling with the lease notice, Loch fretted about what her next steps would be.

“This has been my life,” she said. “For 34 years I’ve been here. And I have a wonderful clientele in the season.”

But after winning the April 30 lease extension, she said she has come to accept her circumstances and is ready to retire. “It’s OK,” Loch said. “I’m at peace with it now.” 

Gulf Stream’s Core District construction project will likely continue into April.

Originally scheduled to end before Christmas and later modified to finish up Feb. 28, the work will now extend to April 17, according to a proposal by contractor Roadway Associates LLC.

Town commissioners on Nov. 14 approved paying Baxter and Woodman Consulting Engineers up to $215,272 for the extra time they will be coordinating and supervising the project. The amount included having two inspectors in town full-time in November and December to monitor the construction.

The engineers are also looking into ways to make the curve from Sea Road to Gulfstream Road more drivable. Residents were finding it hard to negotiate the roadway with new raised curbs on both sides of the street.

Commissioners also approved spending up to $80,000 to get a third-party contractor to install a water bypass line mostly along Oleander Way, which has had numerous boil-water orders for weeks as Roadway Associates tried to install a new water line. The commission expects to charge that amount back to Roadway.

“This project has just been horrendous,” Commissioner Joan Orthwein said. “These were the original water lines, so they had to be replaced.”

— Steve Plunkett

Shoppers crowd the Southern Handcraft Society, Delray Beach chapter’s 32nd annual art and craft show. The three-day event ended Nov. 22. BELOW: Alida Bowden organizes a few of the displays. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

The Delray Beach City Commission rejected a proposal to reinstate a supermajority voting rule for removing the city manager, after a heated public hearing that drew dozens of residents passionate about local governance.

The proposed change would have had city voters in March reconsider a 2014 vote that got rid of the four-vote supermajority requirement for the five-member City Commission to fire the city manager. Supporters — such as Vice Mayor Rob Long — argued the higher bar would prevent political caprice and ensure more stable municipal leadership.

Voters got rid of the supermajority after the city couldn’t get rid of City Manager Louie Chapman Jr., who had lied to the commission about a $60,000 trash bin purchase. Three commissioners voted to fire Chapman, but because of the supermajority requirement, he remained in the position, eventually resigning and receiving $73,000 in severance.

Long, who initiated the discussion, said the decision should rest with voters. “We’re not making the final call,” Long said. “We’re simply asking if residents should have a chance to decide.”

Mayor Tom Carney expressed skepticism, noting that City Manager Terrence Moore has been in the position for five years. “So I don’t think that the commission makes a decision to remove a city manager on an arbitrary or willy-nilly basis,” he said. “I think the simple majority has worked.”

Commissioner Juli Casale strongly opposed reimplementing the supermajority, citing potential undemocratic consequences. “What’s so bad about the simple concept of majority rule?” she asked.

Moore said he does not support the change. “I simply rely on my professional background and training to offer responsiveness, attentiveness, leadership, guidance, performance, and outcomes,” Moore said.

“I simply rely on my background and experience to offer meaningful contributions that will hopefully offer a lasting impact,” Moore said.

Supporters argued that the city’s previous move away from the supermajority rule led to instability, with a revolving door in the manager’s office. Delray Beach is on its fourth city manager since 2015, with one resigning for family reasons, one fired on a 5-0 vote and another fired on a 3-2 vote.

“Every time there’s movement in that office, particularly in the director’s offices, it’s reset, reset, reset, reset, and we wonder why things don’t get done,” resident Reggie Cox said.

Angela Hill, another resident, echoed these sentiments: “I would love to see it on the ballot,” she told commissioners. “The supermajority gives sustainability and stability.”

Delray Beach wasn’t the only municipality to wrestle with the supermajority question.

Boynton Beach’s charter review committee had recommended a referendum that would require a supermajority to hire or fire the city manager and the city attorney. The Boynton Beach City Commission voted to table that referendum at its Nov. 4 meeting, which means it won’t be placed on that city’s March 10 election ballot. 

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream voters will choose next March among the five incumbents on the Town Commission and a political but not unknown newcomer.

Michael Glennon, who has taken an active role as a resident in commission discussions the past three years and now sits on the appointed Architectural Review and Planning Board, filed his qualifying papers to campaign, as did office holders Scott Morgan, Tom Stanley, Robert Canfield, Michael Greene and Joan Orthwein.

The top five vote-getters March 10 will take seats on the dais after the election. It is the first contested commission race in Gulf Stream since 2017.

Glennon, as the parent of a Gulf Stream School student and a resident in the Core District, spoke at the Town Commission’s January 2023 meeting supporting the school’s request to raise the limit on the number of children who could attend. In January 2024 he again backed the school in its purchase of a pre-K campus in Delray Beach.

He was appointed to the town’s ad hoc committee exploring ways to avoid massing in new home design in March 2024, became an alternate member of the ARPB in April 2025 and was elevated to full board member the next month.

This will be the first appearance on a ballot for Canfield and Greene. Canfield, who has lived in Place Au Soleil for 10 years, was appointed to the Town Commission in January 2024 after time on the ARPB.

Greene similarly was appointed to the commission in February 2024 and served on the architectural board. He lives on the west side of North Ocean Boulevard.

Morgan, currently the mayor, first took a seat on the dais following the 2014 election after being the ARPB chairman. Stanley, the vice mayor, was appointed to the commission in 2012 after an ARPB stint.

Orthwein celebrated her 30th year as a commissioner this year. She too spent time on the ARPB. 

After the election, the new commission will name the mayor and vice mayor. 

By Patrick Sherry 

Lantana’s traditional seagull and sailboat logo, which can be seen throughout the town, might be changing. 

The town is considering an entire rebrand with the help of a local marketing agency, which would create a new identity for Lantana through redesigning longtime logos and visual images. 

Representatives from 2TON, a creative and marketing agency in West Palm Beach, presented their plans to create that identity to the community at a Town Hall meeting on Nov. 3. 

Back in April, the Town Council supported plans to rebrand the town. Subsequently, a rebranding committee was formed. The committee selected 2TON, which is getting $18,000 to head the project. 

At the Town Hall meeting, Ryan Boylston, founder of 2TON and a former Delray Beach city commissioner, emphasized that his company’s mission is to establish uniformity and cohesiveness. He explained how Lantana’s current branding is not consistent, which could hurt the view people have of the town. 

“It’s not just a logo, your brand is your identity,” Boylston said. “We’ve seen cities over the years that haven’t done a really good job of communicating what their brand is, and then the world decides to brand their city for them.” 

Lantana currently uses its municipal seal as its main logo, which has a seagull and a sailboat in the water. Some departments and town buildings use variations of the seal with different colors and fonts, or incorporate other visual elements. 

During the presentation, Boylston showed examples of those inconsistencies and how they show up in other areas, such as town signage.

To fix this, 2TON would create a logo family and brand guidelines that would direct town officials on what colors, fonts and logos they should use to maintain consistency across the board. 

The company would also create a unique town tagline — a short, memorable phrase or motto to help reinforce the town’s new brand identity. 

To ensure 2TON had the community’s interests in mind, residents had the opportunity to give their feedback on what they think the redesigns should include. Attendees participated in a brainstorming session to decide what best represents the town. 

They came up with words and elements that are central to Lantana’s identity — “coastal,” “peaceful,” and “laid back” were some of the most common.

Not only that, those at the meeting also voted on options for potential taglines that 2TON created. The top choices included “Old Florida, Today” and “Relax, you’re in Lantana.” 

Other feedback was given about what 2TON should look into as potential logo design elements. Some residents supported incorporating Lantana flowers and maintaining some aspects of the town seal. 

Boylston explained that his team will use this feedback to create an identity that aligns with the town’s vision, so that it’s also one that can always be used in the future. 

“I want to make sure that my team has all the input necessary to put together the best brand possible” for the town and the residents of Lantana, Boylston said. 

To gain more comments from residents, officials posted a community survey on the town’s website, www.lantana.org. 

The survey asks similar questions, such as words that best describe Lantana, what visual elements best represent the town, and what should be reflected in the logo. Residents can also upload their own ideas or sketches for a logo concept.

The survey closes on Dec. 11.

After the project is completed, the final rebrand will need to be approved by the Town Council.

From there, 2TON expects there would be a 12- to 24-month rollout period to implement the changes.

By Patrick Sherry

Owners of a nearly $8 million Hypoluxo Island property next to the Ocean Avenue bridge will be building a security wall taller than typically allowed, one that they say will protect their family. 

The Lantana Town Council approved a variance for the wall — at 101 N. Atlantic Drive — that will reach 11 feet high as the property slopes down to the Intracoastal Waterway. The town’s Planning Commission recommended approval of the application last month after hearing the owners’ concerns about people trespassing on their property by going under or through the side of the bridge. 

Ana Davie, owner of the property since 2017, told the council that she and her husband consider the house their forever home, but they want more security.

“In those seven years, we’ve had to call the Police Department a couple of times, we’ve had items stolen off our dock, and I’ve had people walking on the dock,” she said.

A neighbor came to the Nov. 10 council meeting to support the application.

“I feel this is a great way for the Davie family to be able to protect and have greater security for their family there,” Michelle Donahue said. 

However, there was opposition, with another neighbor telling the council she opposes the wall because she doesn’t want the owners to raise the ground level, which would increase the wall height. 

“An impression will be created that we live in a walled-in compound and, at worst, attract the attention of burglars,” said neighbor Ilona Balfour. “We know that houses being built now need to abide by new rules, elevation, and so forth. That doesn’t mean that the whole lot should become a mountain.”

Town ordinances allow a maximum height of six feet for walls. While this application requested a variance of 11 feet, in reality, that portion will be level with the 6-foot-high portion of the wall. It only becomes longer as the ground level falls to its lowest point, near the sea wall.

Elmar Benavente, principal designer for Be Design and the architect working on the project, added that workers won’t raise any part of the property’s ground level and will add landscaping.

The wall “will not go higher, but maintain those six feet all the way to the property line,” said Benavente. “They have agreed to landscape — they have agreed to maintain the trees and to keep it beautiful, so it doesn’t [detract] from anyone’s view.” 

Staff recommended approval, citing safety concerns. The council subsequently passed a motion to approve it 5-0. 

Lantana Town Council incumbents Mark Zeitler and Chris Castle secured new three-year terms on Nov. 21 after being the only candidates to qualify for what was to be next year’s municipal election. 

Zeitler and Castle both successfully filed to retain their respective seats, which will last until March 2029. With no contested seat, the town won’t hold an election previously scheduled for March 10. 

Jacqueline “Jackie” Morel originally filed to run for Castle's seat, but town ordinances require candidates to submit nominating petitions to be placed on the ballot, equal to 1% of the total voter registration in the town. Morel didn’t get enough petitions to qualify. 

Voters first elected Zeitler in 2020. Zeitler, who has been a Lantana resident for more than 60 years and is an air conditioner contractor, will now serve his third consecutive term on the Town Council.

Castle has been on the council since 2023 and is currently the town’s vice mayor pro tem. He is also a member of the Greater Lantana Chamber of Commerce and a technician for the city of Boynton Beach. 

— Patrick Sherry

Correction: The print version and an earlier online version of this story incorrectly identified the seat that Jacqueline Morel had planned to seek. She filed paper's for the seat held by Town Council member Chris Castle, who works as an air conditioner contractor.

Lantana’s town manager will be sitting on the council dais for another five years. 

The Town Council approved renewing Brian Raducci’s contract 5-0 at its Nov. 10 meeting. 

Raducci, who has 25 years of local government managerial experience, has been serving as the town’s manager since 2021.

The council also approved giving Raducci a 5% salary increase that will be applied retroactively to his fourth year anniversary, which was in October. 

This now brings his total salary from $239,272.80 to $251,236.96 annually. The renewed contract will begin next year and run until 2031. 

Council members praised Raducci for his service to Lantana and for thinking outside of the box. They mentioned his efforts to improve the council’s operations through hiring both a lobbyist and a grant writer, finding ways to save money, and figuring out how to allow the town clerk — who lives in a different state — to work remotely. 

“Dealing with Brian has been pretty smooth sailing,” said Council member Jesse Rivero. “He’s very transparent; he’s a straight shooter, like I am…. He’s very responsible, and I had a good time with him.” 

Raducci thanked the council members and said he is excited about continuing to work with them. 

“You’ve allowed me to take some of these opportunities — some of these challenges — and try some non-conventional things,” Raducci said. “We have a lot more to do. … I think we’ve made great strides, and I’m looking forward to working with each and every one of you and continuing that effort.”

— Patrick Sherry

City nets millions from undersea cables that zip along data

Tentacles of undersea cables reach out to global destinations from Boca Raton’s Spanish River and Silver Palm parks. This map shows how the seven existing cables stretch thousands of miles across the hemispheres. Map provided

Related: Submerged lands buyer faces choppy legal seas

By Jane Musgrave

When Boca Raton officials gave a European-based company the go-ahead to use Spanish River Park as a landing spot for a 1,200-mile undersea fiber-optic cable that would stretch to Cancun and Guatemala and possibly beyond, some city residents cringed.

“Why are we going to compromise one of our main beaches?” asked Jon Pearlman, founder of the Save Boca citizens group and a recently announced City Council candidate. “This is our land. Don’t approve this tonight.”

What many city residents don’t realize is that the cable that the council approved in September won’t be the first to make landfall at the popular 95-acre park that extends from the Intracoastal Waterway to the Atlantic Ocean.

Five already exist and plans are underway for an additional three, including the one that was recently approved, according to TeleGeography, a company that maps fiber-optic cables across the globe.

Another two extend from Silver Palm Park, along the Intracoastal south of Palmetto Park Road — including one owned by Globenet Cabos Submarinos America — and one more, not on TeleGeography’s radar, is planned for Spanish River Park, city officials said.

That means 11 cables will extend from Boca Raton, one of the largest number in Florida and among the most on the eastern seaboard. 

Why Boca Raton?

The cables that are sunken and buried are part of a vast invisible global network that has put Boca Raton on the map as an undersea fiber-optic hub. The longest one, installed in 2001, is 15,500 miles long, stopping in Puerto Rico and Guatemala before winding its way along both sides of South America.

The cables are the roads of the information highway, carrying 99% of global internet and telecommunication traffic, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. 

Exactly how Boca Raton became a hot spot for the cables is unclear. 

Some have suggested that as the former home of IBM and the birthplace of the personal computer, the city had a natural affinity for telecommunications.

But Brandon Schaad, director of development services for the city, said he suspects Boca Raton became a magnet for fiber-optic cables when significant divisions of the now defunct Tyco International were headquartered in the city some 20 years ago.

Tyco was an early pioneer in the fiber-optics industry, designing, building and installing networks throughout the world, and was one of the first to lay a cable from the city.

“Tyco had a good relationship with the city,” Schaad said. Most important, he said, then city leaders envisioned the long-term benefits of attracting fiber-optic cable companies. 

The financial rewards are indisputable. If the Spanish-based Telxius wins approval from state and federal agencies for its latest cable, it will pay the city nearly $2.7 million for the easement it got to use less than half an acre in Spanish River Park.

Over the years, payments from various companies and consortiums have added millions to the city’s coffers.

Minimal impact, official says

As what Schaad called an “early mover” in the industry, the city also is home to two processing centers that receive the information that streams through the undersea cables at the speed of light. The centers transmit the information to a vast network of underground cables. 

The two 15,000-square-feet-plus communication substations — one on South Dixie Highway and Southeast Sixth Street, and another on West Rogers Circle in the South Congress Industrial Center off Clint Moore Road — are the ultimate landing points for data transmitted by the undersea cables. Both were built roughly 20 years ago.

From 1998 to 2000, the one on Rogers Circle was owned by Tyco.

While Pearlman and others worried about construction disrupting park activities, Schaad said few will notice when crews arrive next year to lay cable from Boca Raton’s banks. Disruptions from the installations are minimal as are the effects on the environment, he said.

City Manager George Brown, now emeritus, has been with the city for 43 years and has watched other cable projects. 

“I’m going to give a very non-engineering description,” he said before the council in September approved the easement for Telxius. “They essentially open up a manhole and directionally bore where the cable needs to be.”

Schaad agreed. “It’s not excavating,” he said. “It’s very low intensity. The impact is very, very minimal.”

Because the first lines were installed more than 20 years ago, some of the infrastructure is already in place.

For instance, in its plans to install another undersea cable at Spanish River Park in 2027, Telxius says once it hits land the cable will run through vacant ducts that were installed years ago. The so-called CELIA cable will link Boca to Puerto Rico, Aruba, Martinique and Antigua. In about five years, the company also plans to install a third cable, using the same easement.

An invisible technology

Both of Telxius’ planned cables — TIKAL-AMX3 and CELIA  — will have to be approved by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. And, Schaad said, requests aren’t rubber stamped.

Telxius’ initial plans to run the cable for TIKAL-AMX3 through an off-shore sand pit that is used to renourish city beaches was a no-go, Schaad said. Ditto any plans to disrupt off-shore reefs.

The company was required to run the cable north to miss sensitive marine habitat and the sand borrow area before curving it south to reach Central and possibly South America if the company decides to extend the line another roughly 1,000 miles to Colombia.

Still, at least one council member was skeptical about the use of the park for undersea cables. 

Council member Andy Thomson cast the lone vote against granting the easement to Telxius. He said he didn’t have enough information to support it, noting that it appears to benefit residents of Central America rather than people who live in Boca Raton.

“I don’t recall us approving something like this in my time here,” said Thomson, who was first elected in 2018. “So this is putting me in a spot where I have too many questions to be able to vote on it.”

Schaad said he understands that people don’t fully grasp the invisible technology. Before he became development services director in 2016, he said he had no idea how many undersea cables landed in the city.

Once he learned about the networks that crisscross the globe, he said he realized how the city figured into the worldwide internet picture.

“Oh, wow,” he remembered thinking, “this is why the internet is so fast. It’s an incredible infrastructure.” 

By Steve Plunkett

Briny Breezes is looking for two good aldermen or women.

Alderman Jeff Duncan was the only one of three incumbents in November to file qualifying papers for the March 10 election. Mayor Ted Gross and Alderwoman Holly Reitnauer did not.

That means Duncan was automatically elected to his Seat 4 position and will serve a second two-year term. Duncan originally was appointed as an alderman in December 2023 when no one filed to run for the seat after then-Council President Christina Adams resigned early.

In March, when the three current terms end, the Town Council will appoint people to fill Gross’ Seat 6 mayor's seat and Reitnauer’s Seat 2, according to the town’s charter.

“At its first meeting after the election, the Town Council shall declare any office that was left unfilled due to a vacancy in candidacy to be a vacant office. The Council, by plurality vote, shall appoint a qualified elector to fill that vacancy for the full term of that office,” the charter says.

Gross was appointed to be mayor in December 2023 after he had qualified for the March 2024 election and then-Mayor Gene Adams resigned early to avoid having to file a detailed statement of his finances.

But a lawsuit held up implementation of the state’s in-depth financial statement known as Form 6 and aldermen have since only had to file the previous, less-intrusive form. 

Reitnauer, who is married to Alderman Bill Birch, will have been in office only 15 months when her tenure ends. She was appointed an alderwoman in December 2024 after Kathy Gross, Ted’s wife, gave up her Town Council seat. 

Correction: The print version and an earlier online version incorrectly explained how the mayor will be selected. The mayor will be chosen by the council from the electorate and appointed to fill the Seat 6 mayor's seat.

Twelve candidates on Boca Raton ballot

Related: January election canceled, but project’s fate will be in voters’ hands

By Mary Hladky

Resident furor over Boca Raton’s plans to redevelop the 31-acre downtown campus now has engulfed the March 10 city election as redevelopment opponents attempt to win control of the City Council.

Five candidates who are part of the opposition group Save Boca or support many of that group’s positions have announced they are running for mayor or the three other council seats that will be on the ballot.

In all, a large field of 12 candidates, including three current council members, qualified in November to run.

Save Boca has a slate of three candidates — Save Boca founder Jon Pearlman, Michelle Grau and Stacy Sipple.

Running for mayor
The mayor’s race includes the high-wattage matchup between Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas and Council member Andy Thomson, who are vying to replace term-limited Scott Singer.

Nachlas supports the redevelopment, while Thomson repeatedly has called for the project to be terminated.

Thomson maintains that even though developers Terra and Frisbie Group have made significant concessions to win over opponents, the project remains too dense and has been pushed forward too rapidly.

Joining them in that contest is Mike Liebelson, whose résumé includes more than 40 years of experience with energy companies, including executive management positions in two publicly traded companies. He now is a senior adviser to several sustainable energy companies.

When he learned the City Council planned to lease land to private developers, he began attending council meetings.

“I just could not believe the level of tone deafness this council had for the interests of the people,” he said.

When Liebelson did not see any mayoral candidate he could support, he decided to run for office himself. He opposes handing over city land to private developers and pledges to take no campaign contributions from developers. While not part of Save Boca, he gives the group credit. “I have to thank Save Boca for really educating the community,” he said.

Council Seat B
Pearlman and Save Boca supporter Meredith Madsen are challenging incumbent Council member Marc Wigder for Seat B.

“I saw where the leadership of Boca was taking the city. They were taking it to a very dismal place,” Pearlman said. “I am running to revert the course of the city … and to protect our public land, our parks and to do what is right for the residents and represent their best interests.”

Pearlman, co-founder of the Mission Lean fitness app who also has an office that manages investment portfolios, said that the Save Boca slate “will not take one cent of developer contributions. Therefore, we can act without being compromised. We can make every decision in the best interest of the citizens of Boca, not the developers.”

Madsen, the founder and CEO of Sunshine & Glitter, which sells sunscreen products, frequently speaks out at City Council meetings against city plans to redevelop the campus in partnership with Terra and Frisbie Group.

Council Seat A
Three candidates are vying to replace Nachlas in Seat A: Save Boca candidate Grau; Christen Ritchey, a former Planning and Zoning Board member, who resigned from that position to stand election; and Bernard Korn, who initially filed to run for mayor as well, but withdrew from that race.

Grau is a certified public accountant with Grau & Associates in Boca Raton that specializes in governmental auditing. When she learned about the redevelopment plan, she saw that “residents were concerned about not being part of the process” and what she said was the lack of information provided by city officials.

When she expressed an interest in running, she was told, “‘We need you, Michelle. We need someone with a financial background,’” she said. “I know government budgets. I know how to spot waste.”

Ritchey, a family law attorney, briefly was a council candidate in 2023 but withdrew to focus on her children and her law firm. While she is not part of Save Boca, “I love that they have come together to let the residents have a voice,” she said.

Ritchey has not yet taken a firm position on the redevelopment, but said, “I think first and foremost, collaboration and communication is key.”

Korn, a real estate broker, is a perennial candidate who has never won an election. He had his best showing in 2024 when he captured 23% of the vote when running against incumbent Yvette Drucker.

Council Seat D
Three candidates are running for Thomson’s Seat D.

Former Council member Robert Weinroth is making a bid to serve again.

He won a special election to the council in 2014 and then ran without opposition in 2015 and term-limited out in three years. He was elected to the Palm Beach County Commission in 2018 and became county mayor.

After Weinroth lost reelection in 2022, he filed to run for the Palm Beach County School Board, but withdrew from that race, and ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2024 in the Republican primary. He did not return calls from The Coastal Star about his current candidacy.

Entering politics for the first time is Larry Cellon, who is well known in the city for serving nearly 10 years on the Planning and Zoning Board and, before that, 27 years on the Community Appearance Board.

He resigned from the planning board to run.

Cellon is a founding member of Workshop 344+, formed by a group of influential residents who have plans to improve a five-block section of East Palmetto Park Road.

Frustrated because that effort hasn’t gained traction with city officials, Cellon decided on a council run.

Cellon is not affiliated with Save Boca, but he opposes the redevelopment plan. “I see no reason for us to give away our public lands to a private developer,” he said.

Instead, Cellon said, the city should upgrade city buildings and recreational facilities on its own.

“I think we can do it ourselves,” he said. “We can do it better.”

Sipple, a clinical pharmacist, is Save Boca’s candidate for Seat D. She said council members are not listening to residents. And residents “want to feel they have a City Council that listens to them and responds to them.”

Sipple opposes the redevelopment project.

Too many development projects have been approved in the city and are changing its character in a way that residents don’t want by turning it into an overbuilt and congested Miami or Fort Lauderdale, she said.

Sipple opposes the redevelopment project, saying it would bring an unneeded hotel and residential units. She believes that the city can improve the downtown campus on its own, at a far lower cost.

“I hope our residents show up in force and vote” in the March 10 election, she said. 

The Boca Raton Bowl spilled the beans about its new sponsor in November. It’s Bush’s Beans. Photo provided

By Larry Barszewski

It looks like South County’s contribution to this year’s college bowl season — Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans — is going to be a gas.

And that’s not a crock.

It’s a bowl. A bowl of beans. 

The game, to be broadcast on ESPN, takes place at 2 p.m. Dec. 23. Tickets go on sale Dec. 7.

The Boca Raton Bowl’s name legacy started with first sponsor Marmot (outdoor clothing and sporting goods), got a jolt with Cheribundi (tart cherry beverages), then landed on the “who could think of a better” promotion — South Florida’s susceptibility to hurricane disasters — with the RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl.

Now it’s Bush’s Beans to the rescue, announced Nov. 20 as the bowl’s latest sponsor.

The company is “on a mission to turn the stadium into the biggest bowl of beans the world has seen,” said Stephen Palacios, Bush’s senior vice president of marketing.

Because, it seems, when life is a bowl of beans, there’s no fear of winding up in the pits.

Holding the Bowl of Beans game at Florida Atlantic University’s Flagler Credit Union Stadium could prove providential — as the bowl can put the credit union’s bean counters to good use.

However, despite Bush’s Beans’ best efforts to brand the event to its taste, it’ll probably end up being just the Bean Bowl to most viewers.

Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, like so many who tune into the NFL Super Bowl each year, seems to be more interested in the commercials that will air during Bush’s Boca Raton Bowl of Beans than in the game itself. 

The city’s partnership with the bowl “highlights our attractiveness to businesses and job creators through targeted ads airing during the game,” wrote Singer in an email to The Coastal Star. Even before the Bean Bowl got its name, the mayor was out touting Boca Raton as a great escape to New York City businesses concerned about that city’s election of a democratic socialist, Zohran Mamdani, as mayor. 

The benefits of the city’s partnership with the bowl game continue to increase even as sponsors have changed, Singer wrote, and Bush’s “provides new creative marketing opportunities for additional exposure.”

Boca Raton: The city that’s full of beans.

That just leaves the bowl teams, which are expected to be  announced Dec. 7. 

The expectations have varied greatly. CBS Sports was recently projecting a matchup between Florida International and Lousiana-Lafayette, while Coastal Carolina, South Florida and Southern Mississippi were among other names bandied about as potential contenders.

Maybe bowl-eligible Duke University would be a better choice, supported by Bush’s Beans’ own longtime mascot, Duke (a dog and a good boy). Duke’s Blue Devils could then fight it out with the University of Alabama, another bowl-eligible team, with Bush’s Best Red Beans pureed to create a Crimson Tide chip dip. 

All in all, the Bush’s Beans sponsorship has the ingredients to be long running. With all the bean-eating bravado that will be taking place, it’s easy to see that one bowl will surely lead to another. 

For more information, go to BocaRatonBowl.com.

Delray Beach City Commissioner Angela Burns won reelection when no one filed to run against her by the city’s Nov. 21 qualifying deadline.

Three candidates have qualified to run for the open seat now held by Vice Mayor Rob Long. Long has to resign his seat in December because he is running for state representative in a Dec. 9 special election.

The candidates hoping to move into his seat after the March 10 election are real estate broker Judy Mollica, attorney Andrea Keiser, and Frances-Delores Rangel, a city resident going on 60 years, who has served as the executive secretary to the commission.

Mollica is a member of the city’s Planning and Zoning Board, president of Friends of Delray and a board member of the private Old School Square Center for the Arts organization that used to manage the city’s cultural arts campus.

Keiser was named to the board of the Delray Housing Authority in January.

Rangel was named employee of the month in December 2016 for her role as executive secretary to the commission.

The City Commission has yet to appoint a temporary replacement for Long’s seat. The issue has been pushed to its Dec. 8 agenda. Any appointment will require the majority support of the four remaining commission members.

— John Pacenti

By Rich Pollack

Laura Thurston wanted to take her 2-year-old grandson to a playground with swings and slides and all things designed for small kids who just want to have fun.

A resident of Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina at the south end of Highland Beach, Thurston loaded up a stroller and made the mile-long trek to Spanish River Park, rather than drive and deal with parking rates that are $35 a day during the week and $50 on weekends for non-Boca Raton residents.

“It’s a lot to bring kids that far,” she said, adding that she raced home to accommodate an increasingly impatient toddler.

Thurston and several other Highland Beach grandparents, who point out that the town is a public playground desert, say Milani Park would be a great place for swings, slides and maybe a seesaw.

But when the Palm Beach County park opens some time in 2028, a playground will be nowhere to be found.

“There’s the missing component,” says Debbie Shulman Brecher, another Highland Beach grandmother. “People have expressed a desire for something for kids.”

County Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Cirillo says there will be things for kids to do — just not on playground equipment — at the 5.6-acre park straddling State Road A1A.

The roadblock, she said, is a 2010 settlement agreement between the county and the town that designates much of what can and can’t be part of the park.

“Although we did have community requests for a more traditional playground in the park, this park design is following the Stipulated Settlement Agreement and conceptual design approved by the town,” she said.

But the architects and engineers who are designing the park have included some elements with children in mind, she said.

“We did have several people reach out through our public meetings stating they are excited to bring their children and grandchildren to the park with them, so we are being intentional in the design to have experiences for intergenerational memories,” she said.

There will be wildlife appreciation and educational signage and elements along a boardwalk on the east side that Cirillo said will be “artistic and playful.”

The design process is ongoing, she said, and the design team has been discussing having areas along the boardwalk near trees “for reflection that are for all ages but could be considered more appealing to children.”

On the west side, near the wetland area, there will be a boardwalk with signage about the environment and history of the site. The area could also have an Art in Public Places installation, Cirillo said.

“I am excited to hear of the outcome in the new year of the Art in Public Places process and particularly how grandparents, children and grandchildren together may interact with the art selected,” she said.

An open green space on the west side of the park will be available for unstructured play.

Then, of course, there’s the beach, where kids can play in the sand and surf under the watchful eyes of lifeguards.

All of that is good, Thurston and Shulman Brecher say, but it’s not enough.

Thurston understands that the county is trying to make the park as much fun for kids as it can, but she would like to see it more interactive.

“Kids need to be kids,” she said. “Children want to run and scream — they don’t want to sit and talk.”

Shulman Brecher thinks she and Thurston are not alone in wanting their small town to be more accommodating to young children.

“I think a lot of people would like to have a place for kids,” she said.

Thurston is hoping the county can find ways to make the park more attractive to active kids while at the same time staying within the bounds of the settlement agreement.

A playground, she said, would give her grandkids an extra reason to want to go visit grandma.

“I’m just a grandmother who wants my grandkids to have a place to have fun,” Thurston said. 

Highland Beach resident Debbie Muller (left) donated money to help police acquire certified therapy dog Sparky, whose handler is Brittney Jarboe (right). Sparky’s main job will be to help police put people at ease. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

Sparky, Highland Beach’s new police therapy dog, isn’t just trained to heel, he’s also trained to help heal when a wagging tail can put someone at ease.

The latest in a number of certified police therapy dogs now making their way to police departments in Ocean Ridge, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and other area communities, Sparky is a magnet, attracting police officers and town employees who can’t wait to offer a friendly hand to sniff.

Soon the unassuming 2-year-old schnauzer-terrier mix and his handler and new best friend, Brittney Jarboe, will be available to assist police officers who come across residents or visitors who could benefit from Sparky’s comforting and supportive presence.

“He can be an icebreaker,” said Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann. “He can put people at ease when they talk to us.”

What police departments locally and across the country are finding is that police therapy dogs can reduce anxiety and stress and actually encourage communication.

In Highland Beach, with its large senior population, Sparky will be called on to follow up on welfare checks, where officers are often called to make sure a resident living alone, for example, is OK, according to Hartmann.

Sometimes those residents might just need a friendly voice — or in Sparky’s case an oscillating tail — to make them feel more at ease.

Sparky will also be used to help calm victims of a crime or an accident and to provide comfort to someone dealing with the loss of a family member.

“Therapy dogs just put people at ease when they’re in a situation,” Hartmann said. That includes police officers as well.
In Highland Beach, Sparky will have an added benefit. Since town police officers accompany the fire department on many of the calls, Sparky can also be available to help calm those going through medical emergencies — as well as their worried loved ones.

Sparky will be out and about often. He’s already been in attendance at a Town Commission meeting and will be at town events.

“This is a great way to connect with our community,” Hartmann said.

Sparky’s arrival in Highland Beach came partially through the generosity of resident and dog lover Debbie Muller, who helped pay for some of the program’s startup costs.

“The chief told me about the program and I was all for it,” said Muller, who tripled the donation that had originally been asked.

By John Pacenti

In an unusual December election, voters in Florida House District 90 will pick a new state representative.  

The Dec. 9 election choice features Democrat Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long, Republican Maria Zack or independent Karen Yeh, who has no party affiliation.

The seat has been vacant since July due to the death of Democrat Rep. Joe Casello following a heart attack.

The House district encompasses a coastal portion of southern Palm Beach County, including Boynton Beach, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Gulf Stream and Delray Beach.

Long has served as a city commissioner since March 2023. No matter the outcome of the election, he was forced to resign his seat as of Dec. 9 in order to run.

He previously served two terms in a countywide elected role as a Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District supervisor, where he chaired the board for four years.

“After nearly a decade serving this community, I understand the issues firsthand and have the relationships to deliver real results for District 90 on day one,” Long said.

He has criticized Zack for living in Palm Beach and not residing in the district. Under state law, she can move to the district if she is elected. 

Zack defeated Bill Reicherter in the Republican primary in September.  She said moving  shouldn’t be an issue and she has been looking at several residences.

“I have worked specifically on creating solutions to end government corruption and prevent government corruption,” she said of her candidacy.

A main issue in the race is Gov. Ron DeSantis’ proposal to put on the 2026 general election ballot a referendum to eliminate property taxes, the lifeblood to fund municipal governments.

Long has said he supports economic growth as opposed to property tax elimination.

Zack — a math professor turned political consultant — said she has been working with economists at the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, and others on how to eliminate the property tax.

Yeh, the third candidate, does not support eliminating the property tax. “I think it’s very important for our firefighters and police to have local spending,” she said.

Yeh lives in Boynton Beach and is a former licensed real estate broker, a former teacher and has worked as an accountant and an auditor. She said her lifetime experience makes her the best candidate.

“Everybody says I can’t win because I’m not a Republican or Democrat,” she said. “All I want to do is concentrate on what is good for the local people.” 

Patrick Lamb plays the saxophone on the beach near his home in South Palm Beach. He’ll perform his longtime Christmas concert, which has a Charlie Brown theme, on Dec. 17 at Old School Square in Delray Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

While Patrick Lamb loves living in South Palm Beach, he’s often somewhere else. He is a musician and vocalist, with two recent releases: Mint Condition and a remake of a Gino Vannelli hit, I Just Wanna Stop, which recently made No. 6 in the UK Soul Charts. He has a record label, Patrick Lamb Productions, and he owns Palm Beach Sound Co. 

“Ever since I was 19, I’ve toured all year long,” he said, estimating that he’s on the road about 100 days a year. “I’ve toured with Diane Schuur, Bobby Caldwell as part of his band, and as part of Gino Vannelli’s band the last 18 years. 

“Recently I’ve moved on from that, and I’m focused on my solo career” and namesake band.

Lamb has produced 250 concerts over the years. Entertainers he’s booked include Schuur, Sheila E., and Arturo Sandoval. “I’ve produced events for the Oxford Hotel, Bend, Oregon, for 14 years and I just did sound for John Lloyd Young, head of the Jersey Boys,” he added.

He’s a busy guy. On the day The Coastal Star interviewed him, he had just returned from Los Angeles, working with American Idol’s Randy Jackson on several songs. 

Music has held an important place in his life from early on, Lamb said. “I moved 12 times by the time I was 14, and at one of the schools, they had a recorder, and I just took a liking to it.”

Eventually, upon joining a school band, he was introduced to the saxophone. 

Then his grandmother Marie Maxwell got into the act, so to speak, when she gave him a saxophone she found at a garage sale. “It was rusty, brassy and looked like it had washed up on the beach. It was in a really old case with a belt around it,” Lamb said. 

“It would only play three notes. I played that for the first 14 years of my touring. It never played quite in tune, and I thought it was me, until I got endorsed by Cannonball Instruments. It took me a long time to get really nice instruments.”

Lamb moved from Portland, Oregon, to Florida with his wife, Joan, five years ago. Since then, he’s been making local connections. 

As part of that integration into the local community, he’s bringing to Delray Beach his longtime Christmas show, “Patrick Lamb’s A Charlie Brown Christmas Tour,” inspired by Vince Guaraldi’s score for A Charlie Brown Christmas, the 1965 animated television special that has become a Christmas staple.

“About 10 to 12 years ago, I was looking for a concept for a Christmas tour (with music that) everybody loves and that musicians love. I love Vince’s music and that became the program I chose.

“Anybody who has seen that program remembers the little dances in Charlie Brown, and we invite people to come down and dance and we have sing-alongs.”  

Lamb likes it when people come together around music, and for this show, he said, “Kids are singing and their parents get into the spirit of the whole event. I am in the happiness business, and everybody is smiling and having fun. That’s why I do this. I also do this for the awareness of the importance of arts and music in the schools. 

“I am following part of my mission in my life and my legacy.”

“Patrick Lamb’s Charlie Brown Christmas Tour” will come to the Amphitheater at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton Ave., in view of Delray Beach’s 100-foot Christmas tree, from 5 to 8 p.m. Dec. 17. 

Lamb will be joined by his namesake band and the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches. A student band from the School of Rock will play a happy Christmas rock and roll set, and a student dance group from the Achievement Centers for Children & Families will perform. 

For tickets, priced from $27.37 general admission, go to events.delrayoldschoolsquare.com/event-details/charlie-brown-christmas.

— Christine Davis

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?

A: I’m from the Mississippi Delta. My childhood was a bit of an odyssey — my parents were teachers, and by the time I was 14, we had moved 12 times through Mississippi, Georgia, Florida and Texas. I went to first and second grade at Boyle Elementary in Boyle, Mississippi, and later studied under Andy Hardwick before earning scholarships to several colleges.

Constantly moving made me shy and uncertain at first, but in hindsight, it taught me independence and resilience. I eventually found my grounding in music — performing with the International All-Star Band, winning soloist awards at the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and studying under Dave Barduhn at Mount Hood College, who arranged for Stan Kenton.

A call from Diane Schuur changed everything and launched my touring career. Since then, I’ve had the privilege of performing with artists like Bobby Caldwell, Smokey Robinson and Gino Vannelli — what I like to call “a saxophonist to the stars” kind of journey.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?

A: I’ve worked since my teens — everything from picking strawberries and cleaning roofs to parking cars and making pizzas. Every job taught me something about work ethic and humility.

Music has been my main profession since I was 16, but I’ve also always had an entrepreneurial streak. I founded a ticketing company that grew to over $50 million in sales, and later launched Palm Beach Sound, which I brought down from Portland, Oregon, when I moved here.

Now we live by the ocean near Eau Palm Beach, and I can honestly say I’m doing what I love — performing, producing and building meaningful projects that bring people together through music.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person selecting a career today?

A: If you love music, get into a good music school and find mentors who challenge and inspire you. Always stay curious, humble, and hungry to improve.

A professional music career is not a halfway commitment. It’s like the Olympics: the top 2% makes it, and that takes 200% dedication. If you must ask, “Should I do this professionally?” — the answer is probably no. Passion has to drive you, not convenience.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in South Palm Beach?

A: My wife, Joan, is from Florida and absolutely loves it here. When we first visited, we stayed at The Breakers and The Four Seasons to get a feel for the area — and we were hooked.

It took time to transition our businesses, but the community welcomed us with open arms. The teams at the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority and Old School Square — especially Victoria DeSilvio and Laura Simon — have been incredible partners in connecting new community members and supporting the arts.

Q: What’s your favorite part about living in South Palm Beach?

A: Waking up, having coffee and watching the surfers. It never gets old.

Q: What book are you reading now?

A: The 50th Law: Overcoming Adversity Through Fearlessness. It’s a powerful reminder that fear is the only real obstacle between us and our potential. (The book is by rapper 50 Cent with co-writer Robert Greene.)

Q: What music do you listen to for inspiration and relaxation?

A: For inspiration, I listen to Emmet Cohen, Christian McBride and other incredible new artists pushing jazz forward. For relaxation, I go back to the classics — albums like Miles Smiles that never lose authenticity.

Q: Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions?

A:  “Argue for your limitations, and they’re yours.” I hear people talk about what they can’t do, and I think, “Then you’ve already lost.”

Another guiding truth for me is, “The only thing that matters is what’s true.” I’m not interested in red or blue — I just want what’s real.

And one more: “God makes a way where there is no way.” When I look at my life now, I could never have imagined where God was taking me. Honestly. He’s been there for me the entire time — even when I didn’t know it.

I was scheduled to climb Mount Hood in 1986 with my climbing team, but I twisted my ankle playing indoor soccer and couldn’t go. That climb tragically took the lives of seven students and two faculty — all friends of mine. 

I’ve also survived two dump truck accidents (yes, there’s probably a joke in there somewhere), a broken back in three places, and the challenges of a broken family, alcoholism, disillusionment and depression.

It is only through the grace of God that I’m here today.

Q: Have you had mentors or individuals who have inspired your life decisions?

A: A few stand out — Andy Hardwick and Michael Barranco in Jackson, Mississippi. My grandmothers, Marie Maxwell and Laura Ethredge, gave me unconditional love and stability during all the moving around. My grandfather, Otto Maxwell, was a Marine-turned-plumber who earned respect through quiet strength and integrity.

And most of all, my wife, Joan. She’s been the greatest influence — steady, grounded and full of light. Moving from Portland  to Florida was one of the best decisions I ever made, personally and professionally.

Q: If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?

A: Probably Joaquin Phoenix — he’s unpredictable, complex and intense enough to capture my journey.

By Rich Pollack

Two members of the Highland Beach Town Commission will be returning to their seats next spring after neither drew opposition before the filing deadline in November.

Mayor Natasha Moore, who as vice mayor filled the seat following the death of Mayor Doug Hillman in 2023 and who was elected without opposition to complete the term in 2024, will lead the commission for three more years.

Also returning is Commissioner Donald Peters, who will serve a second three-year term beginning in March.

Moore said she decided to run again to help the town continue its positive momentum and to ensure that projects Highland Beach has started are completed with the long-term interest of residents a priority.

She said that during the time she’s been on the commission the town has made progress in strengthening public safety, protecting the coastal environment, investing in infrastructure, and ensuring Highland Beach remains financially strong.

“My commitment is to keep Highland Beach safe, well-managed, and prepared for the future,” she said. “I’m grateful for the trust our community has placed in me, and I remain dedicated to serving with transparency, accountability, and a clear vision for what comes next.”

Peters said that he, too, wants to continue the progress the town has made in recent years.

“I love the town and I hope to help keep our theme of ‘three miles of paradise,’” he said.

The automatic election of both Moore and Peters to serve on the commission marks the third year in a row that Highland Beach commissioners have been chosen without opposition.

In March, Commissioner Jason Chudnofsky, who had run without opposition, began his first term on the commission, filling the seat vacated by term-limited Evalyn David.

The previous year Moore, Vice Mayor David Stern and Commissioner Judith Goldberg were all returned to their seats without opposition.

Commissioners and those who follow town government believe the lack of opposition to current commissioners is an indication that residents are pleased with the direction the town is moving.

Haynie

Criminal charges against former Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie were resolved by a plea deal nearly five years ago, but related ethics charges have remained open.

Now, the state Commission on Ethics has dismissed three of the most serious of those charges, but did not do so based on their merit.

Rather, commissioners had to dismiss them because of a new state law that took effect this year. It says that complaints filed against an official must be based on personal knowledge rather than hearsay.

Parts of the complaint against Haynie by Al Zucaro, publisher of the now-defunct BocaWatch blog, were based on news reports and not on his personal knowledge.

As a result, three of eight charges had to be dropped, according to ethics officials. Ethics commissioners unanimously did so at their Nov. 14 meeting without commenting.

Eliminated are charges that Haynie violated state law by concealing a business relationship with commercial property owners James and Marta Batmasian, and by voting on matters that financially benefited herself or the Batmasians.

The remaining charges accuse Haynie of filing inaccurate financial disclosure statements in 2012 through 2016. Those statements also concealed the relationship and her votes.

Haynie faces a reprimand and fines of up to $20,000 per violation, although she and the commission could reach an agreement on the penalty.

The ethics commission still must act on these charges, but has not set a date for doing so.

In the criminal case, Haynie pleaded guilty on April 1, 2021, to two misdemeanor counts of misuse of public office and failure to disclose voting conflicts. She was placed on probation for 12 months.

By happenstance, one of the ethics commissioners who voted at the November meeting is former Boca Raton Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers, who resigned from the council in 2020 and now is a field chief technology officer for Armis, a cybersecurity company headquartered in San Francisco.

Rodgers, who was appointed to the commission in June by Gov. Ron DeSantis, told commissioners that the agency’s general counsel had determined that he had no conflict of interest and could vote.

— Mary Hladky