Fifth-graders Valentina Autiero and Emma Imperatore stand beside the new duck-crossing sign outside the Gulf Stream School that they designed and promoted. A second sign was installed in front of Town Hall. The persistent students asked town commissioners in March 2020 and again in May 2022 to create the warnings after a Muscovy duck was run over and killed near their school. Photo provided by Rachel S. O’Hara/Gulf Stream School

Gulf Stream Police Chief Edward Allen gave the Town Commission no details on why he is leaving the job, but Mayor Scott Morgan called it a retirement and praised Allen’s integrity. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

Gulf Stream is losing its longest tenured employee, Police Chief Edward Allen, who has served on the town’s police force since 1988.
“Effective Jan. 31 … I will be leaving my position here as the police chief,” he announced at the Town Commission’s December meeting without offering details on why.
Mayor Scott Morgan labeled it a retirement.
“You have been with this town for many, many years — decades — and, at least as long as I’ve been on this commission, you have led what is really one of the finest police departments on the barrier island and, frankly, beyond that,” Morgan said. “I want to say that you’ve brought honesty, integrity to your position. Now you’ve instilled that in your officers and have made them what is a very special police department to our very special town.
“I think I speak for everyone here in congratulating you,” the mayor said of Allen’s “well deserved” retirement after almost 35 years working for the town, “thanking you for your many years of service.”
Allen, 63, joined the Gulf Stream Police Department on June 10, 1988, when he was 29 years old. He was promoted to chief on Dec. 9, 2016, after his predecessor, Garrett Ward, resigned for health reasons.
Allen supervised a police captain, two sergeants and 10 officers.
He started his police career in 1981 in Boynton Beach, where he was born and raised, and moved to the Ocean Ridge police force in 1986.
For years he also served as Santa Claus at Ocean Ridge’s holiday party. His father, Ed Sr., was chief of the Boynton Beach Fire Department.
Allen’s departure is coming only four months after the Sept. 30 retirement of Town Clerk Rita Taylor, then Gulf Stream’s second-longest tenured employee. Taylor worked for the town for 32 years and nine months.

In other business at the Dec. 9 meeting:
-- Commissioners were told that a 25-foot live oak tree would be planted outside Town Hall, replacing the green buttonwood tree blown over by Hurricane Ian-related wind in late September.
-- Town Manager Greg Dunham reminded commissioners that construction is restricted but not prohibited in Gulf Stream for the six-month winter season, and there is a lengthy list of exemptions. “Every year … around Dec. 1 the staff deals with construction exemption requests on a daily basis basically,” he said, noting that two noisy projects were nearing completion.
-- An informational session with a security camera industry representative was scheduled for the commission’s Jan. 13 meeting. The subject: the possibility of getting live feeds of nonresidents driving into town from citizens’ security cameras. Resident Beau Delafield, who twice has lost vehicles to thefts, and Civic Association President Curtiss Roach asked commissioners to investigate.
-- A new guardhouse at Place Au Soleil was approved.

By Rich Pollack

For 4 1/2 years, the identity of “Baby June” and the questions of how her tiny 2-day-old infant body ended up floating in the Boynton Inlet remained a mystery.
Despite relentless efforts by Palm Beach County Sheriff’s detectives searching for anyone who knew anything and tracking tip after tip to frustrating dead ends, there was little to go on.
Now thanks to the latest advances in DNA analysis technology using public databases, detectives have the answers to questions that have long eluded them: A Boynton Beach woman — the mother of Baby June — is in custody on first-degree murder charges.
Last month, after an extensive investigation that included a covert DNA collection, sheriff’s detectives arrested 29-year-old Arya Singh and charged her with tossing the baby she had on May 30, 2018, into the ocean.
“There have been a lot of question marks about Baby June’s death and now we have an idea of what happened,” said lead detective Brittany Christoffel of the sheriff’s cold case unit. “It’s nice to have some answers.”
Christoffel said that the baby was a surprise to her mother and was thrown into the ocean shortly after she was born.
“She didn’t know she was pregnant up until the time she gave birth,” Christoffel said. “When the baby was born, she wasn’t sure if she was alive or dead, and that was that. By the time the baby went into the inlet, she was already deceased.”

Ruled a homicide
However, the Palm Beach County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to court records, concluded that Baby June died of asphyxiation and ruled the death a homicide.
“Physical and toxicological findings support that infant was born alive and in a health care environment,” the medical examiner’s report said.
Investigators, according to published reports, believe that Baby June was born in a hotel room and discovered that Singh had searched online for hotels in the Boynton area eight times during a two-hour period the morning of May 30, the day the baby was born.
The infant was found by an off-duty Boynton Beach firefighter two days later, on June 1, and given the name Baby June by investigators.
Detectives believe that Singh acted alone and kept the birth of the baby and her actions in the aftermath a secret from most, including the baby’s father, a former boyfriend.
“She was fully responsible for the baby ending up in the Boynton Inlet,” Christoffel said.
Genetic testing technology gave detectives their first real break in the high-profile case.
Using forensic genetic genealogy — the same technology used to identify the Golden State Killer in California a few years ago — members of the sheriff’s forensic biology unit were able to identify relatives of the father.
Armed with the lead — gathered in part through a public database — detectives met with the father, who led them to Singh.
“He knew nothing about the baby,” Christoffel said.

Building a case
Once the mother was identified and DNA evidence collected, investigators began building their case with search warrants that gave them access to Singh’s computer searches and GPS tracking information.
Court records show that detectives used Google location data to document her movements on the day the baby was born and discovered that she was at a lifeguard stand just south of the inlet shortly after 9:30 that night and stayed in the area until 10 p.m.
They also found that Singh had conducted numerous searches of news sites for about a month after Baby June was discovered.
In August, shortly after Singh was identified as a suspect, DNA found by undercover detectives on a discarded coffee cup confirmed that Singh was indeed the mother of Baby June.
Investigators did a subsequent DNA test and conducted several interviews to be certain of their findings before filing charges against Singh.
In court records, Christoffel said that the scientific evidence combined with information from the searches made it possible for her to conclude Singh was responsible for the baby’s death.
That Singh remained silent while detectives conducted extensive searches for the mother of the baby, also helped her reach that conclusion.
“At no time has Arya Singh reported her child missing to law enforcement,” Christoffel wrote.

By Jane Smith

Parking for Veterans Park visitors likely will become less convenient as the massive Atlantic Crossing project next door prepares for a new phase of construction.
The Delray Beach park at the northwest corner of the Intracoastal Waterway and Atlantic Avenue may soon lose all parking spaces that sit adjacent to the Atlantic Crossing site to the west. Those spaces would instead be used as a construction staging area for the project’s second phase on the Atlantic Plaza site if an agreement can be reached.
With a 3-2 consensus at its Dec. 6 meeting, the City Commission directed staff to continue negotiating with Edwards Companies, the owner of the 9-acre complex, about an interim parking plan. Commissioners will be able to review the plan after evaluation by a city advisory board, according to the city attorney.
The developer had suggested using an interim parking lot it owns on the north side of Northeast First Street, but that site was rejected by all commissioners. The street has been torn up for the past five years by heavy construction equipment traveling on it, making the lot problematic for park users, commissioners said.
“We would be mixing heavy equipment with pedestrians,” said Mayor Shelly Petrolia, who, along with Deputy Vice Mayor Juli Casale, was not in favor of the new deal.
Another proposal, to create a new parking lot on the north side of the park, would mean the city may lose its shuffleboard and lawn bowling courts at the park.
Casale objected to that proposal, given the park’s recent designation as a historic resource, saying it would take out historic buildings and replace them with a parking lot. She also did not approve of the request made by the developer to speed up construction at Atlantic Crossing.
The project has nearly completed Phase I construction at the northeast corner of Northeast Sixth and Atlantic avenues, said Don DeVere, Edwards vice president. “We’re not happy with the pace of construction. It’s been far too slow,” DeVere said.
Letting the needed heavy equipment use the western Veterans Park spaces would speed up the construction and allow two underground garages to be “dewatered at the same time,” said Vince Testa, construction manager.
Vice Mayor Adam Frankel said Edwards has gone “above and beyond” what was required. He was in favor of working out an arrangement.
The Veterans Park shuffleboard courts have not been used in six years, said Sam Metott, the city’s parks and recreation director. The lawn bowlers have a group of 25 to 30 people who use the courts seasonally, he said.
Staff could not say exactly how many parking spaces exist in Veterans Park or how many would be replaced by the proposed addition of parking spaces on the park’s north side. Nearby residents estimated the park has 70 to 80 parking spaces.
Delray Yacht Cruises, which operates Intracoastal Waterway tours from the park aboard the Lady Atlantic and the Lady Delray, already advises its customers to use any available downtown parking facilities.
Amid the parking concerns, a monthly event at Veterans Park is being asked by the city to move to a new home because it has outgrown the park’s footprint. The Coco Wellness Marketplace, held the first Sunday of the month, would prefer to stay.
“Veterans Park is the right location for us,” Corey Heyman told commissioners during the public comment section of the meeting. “The shade from the trees and the breeze from the waterway” make it ideal.
She asked for more time to find a different location, saying a Jan. 1 expulsion was too soon, especially given that her group had a verbal agreement with the city to stay at Veterans Park through 2023. The commission agreed to allow the marketplace more time and to be at the park on the first Sundays of January and February.
Atlantic Crossing continues to draw criticism from the Marina Historic District across Atlantic Avenue from the massive project.
“It’s not in the best interest of the city, its residents, its visitors or anybody else, but Atlantic Crossing,” Sandy Zeller, a former historic district resident, said during the public comment portion of the commission meeting.

By Joe Capozzi

Briny Breezes officials are endorsing a possible plan by the Ocean Ridge Police Department to patrol a private townhouse community just outside the town limits. 
Ocean Ridge is in negotiations to provide police services to Gulf Stream Views, a community of 14 townhomes that opened in 2022 just south of Briny Breezes Boulevard in the County Pocket. 
Ocean Ridge officers already patrol Briny Breezes under a contract with the mobile- home community, which is immediately south of Ocean Ridge.
If the Gulf Stream Views deal can be reached, it would offer an increased police presence in Briny Breezes, Ocean Ridge Police Chief Richard Jones told the Town Council on Dec. 8. 
“Based on what they are asking from us and what we would be providing, it is definitely an enhancement to the security within Briny Breezes,’’ he said.
Jones said he has spoken with officials at Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, which patrols the roughly 2-acre Gulf Stream Views site, and was told they would have no objections to turning it over to Ocean Ridge if an agreement can be reached.
“I think it’s a great idea,’’ said Briny Mayor Gene Adams. 
Adams also voiced his endorsement in a conversion with Ocean Ridge Vice Mayor Kristine de Haseth. 
“Not only does it benefit the townhomes, but it benefits by default folks in Briny and also folks in the surf pocket. I think it is a wonderful idea,’’ de Haseth said. 
At the Dec. 5 Ocean Ridge Town Commission meeting, when Jones first mentioned publicly that Gulf Stream Views wants to negotiate with Ocean Ridge, no explanation was offered for why the townhouse community is exploring a new police service option instead of just sticking with PBSO.
Maria Beckett, president of the Gulf Stream Views Homeowners Association, told commissioners the community initially had private security brought in by the developer, but the association didn’t retain the security firm for budget reasons. 
Jones told The Coastal Star he believes the community wants more frequent patrols and quicker response times. “They just want to feel safer and have a faster response time in general.”
Beckett said the townhomes recently installed two license-plate recognition cameras which will benefit the south end of Briny Breezes.
Ocean Ridge Commissioner Geoff Pugh said he supports the plan “as long as it doesn’t affect the level of service the police provide to Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes.”
“I know the sheriff wants to get rid of the County Pocket, so you never know what comes down the line,’’ Pugh said. 
Jones, who plans to bring back a formal proposal to the Ocean Ridge Town Commission in early 2023, said the level of service his department provides to Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes would not be affected. 
“It’s definitely an enhancement to the security in Briny Breezes,’’ the chief said. “This is a partnership more than anything and it’s beneficial to all three communities.’’ 

Praise for town manager
Town Manager William Thrasher wanted the council to delete a provision in his contract requiring him to provide four weeks’ notice before taking any vacation. He got that and more as council members showered him with praise for his work before granting his request. 
“I think our town manager is doing an incredible job and any questions or changes he may request should be granted,’’ Alderman Bill Birch said. 
“In the short term I have been here, his work is awesome,’’ said Alderwoman Liz Loper.
Thrasher, who this month enters his fourth year as Briny Breezes’ town manager, said he appreciated the words of support. He said he asked the council to delete the advance-notice rule because it was nearly impossible for him to schedule any time off that far in advance. 
“I thought it was time to clean that up because I felt a little guilty about it,’’ he said after the meeting.

Bill Lazer, 98, of Boca Raton became a business professor and taught for almost 40 years at Michigan State and Florida Atlantic universities. He made friends with business executives, including Walmart’s Sam Walton. His condo has a limited edition wall hanging by Alexander Girard, who produced it for Herman Miller furniture. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

College was not remotely on the radar for Bill Lazer as he grew up in the Canadian prairie city of Winnipeg. He finished high school, got a job at a garment factory and didn’t think much about his future.
Then along came World War II and the then-18-year-old enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1942. His assignment wasn’t glamorous — he was stationed in Labrador, where ships traveling from the U.S. and Canada to Europe routinely stopped to refuel. But the Canadian version of the G.I. Bill gave him the chance to enroll at the University of Manitoba.
Lazer earned a degree in commerce, marking the beginning of a life ensconced in education, from earning master’s and doctoral degrees to nearly 40 years as a professor at Michigan State and Florida Atlantic. He also served on boards and committees impacting a variety of aspects of American life.
“I never planned to go into teaching,” said Lazer, who lives in coastal Boca Raton, “but once I got into it I was having a ball. It was, God, they’re paying me for this? I was having an impact on the lives of people and it was utterly fantastic. I never dreamed I would enjoy it so much.”
Lazer’s first job after school was as assistant to the president of a knitting mill in Winnipeg, but the University of Manitoba needed a business professor and persuaded him to come aboard. After three years he moved on to Michigan State.
“The job was for one year and I stayed for 28,” he said.
Many of his students were executives, whom he enjoyed more than his regular students.
“The students are afraid of you — they have to get a grade,” Lazer said. “The executives don’t have to get a grade. They’ll tell you what they think, and I love it. As a result of Michigan State, I was able to deal with executives effectively.”
Many of them also became friends, including Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart and Sam’s Club; Japan’s Masatoshi Ito, who built 7-Eleven into the giant of convenience stores, and Hoshiro Mitsunaga, who founded Dentsu, the world’s largest ad agency.
Lazer, 98, also enjoyed a 61-year marriage to Joyce, now deceased, who was trained as a classical pianist. Lazer said that none other than Arthur Rubinstein said he would have recommended her to any conservatory in the world.
“Fortunately for me she decided to study philosophy when she got to university, so she permitted me to do anything I was able to do,” Lazer said. “Whenever I got an award I would introduce her from the audience. A fabulous partner.”
Lazer also has a connection to jazz musician Dave Koz. He and Joyce were close friends with Koz’s parents, Audrey and Norman. “He’s like another son to me,” Lazer said.
Lazer, who enjoys dining at Oceans 234 in Deerfield Beach, has two children, son Randy and daughter Simone. Randy is in real estate in Las Vegas and Simone has been involved as a writer and producer on Broadway and currently lives in Nashville.

— Brian Biggane

Q: Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?
A: I started my college education after the war at the University of Manitoba, where I got a bachelor of commerce. That was an education in the British tradition, very specialized in business. I went to the University of Chicago for my master’s in business administration. Then I got my doctorate at Ohio State University, which was the mecca for marketing at the time. That was a two-year course and I was able to get it in eight months. A few years later, I won a Ford Foundation scholarship that took me to Harvard and MIT for a year.

Q: What professions have you worked in? What professional accomplishments are you most proud of?
A: I’ve taught my whole adult life, and really appreciate all the awards I’ve gotten, but for a different reason than people might expect. By my wife doing what she did for the family, she allowed me to do my thing. So, when I got an award, that was an opportunity to have her stand and introduce her to the audience. I won the highest academic award at Michigan State, became an honorary alumnus, got an honorary doctorate, became an honorary member of the Varsity Club. I don’t know which was the best, but I was just so privileged.

Q: What advice do you have for a young person seeking a career today?
A: Don’t just go to school to get a degree, get an education. Learn how to learn, to keep learning throughout your life. Also, learn to deal with change because the situations are so different now. Companies change so rapidly. You have to adjust, adapt, look to the future and what you think is going to happen. Too many people go to college and don’t care about the grades, they want a better job. Take advantage of the opportunity.

Q: How did you choose to make your home in Boca Raton?
A: My wife always wanted to play the piano and look at the ocean. We used to live on Highland Beach and it was the same thing. When we came to this building there was a vacant unit facing A1A and we said no thanks. We had to wait for one on the ocean, and moved here in 1994.

Q: What is your favorite part about living in coastal Boca Raton?
A: I love the ocean, the ever-changing scene. And also, in this building there are three outstanding, kind people I really love. And Boca at one time had a village-type effect, but that’s gone now. It’s more like Fort Lauderdale now.

Q: What book are you reading now?
A: Battle for the American Mind, by Pete Hegseth and David Goodwin. Growing up in Canada we studied a lot of Canadian history and a lot of European stuff. Didn’t read much American stuff. But it’s about the battle for American education, how it’s failed, how we got to where we are. At Michigan State, you couldn’t be hired if you were a conservative. I lived that.

Q: What music do you listen to when you want to relax? When you want to be inspired?
A: I like classical and smooth jazz. With my wife being a classical pianist, we used to have world-class musicians coming to the house. But our relationship with Dave Koz has really helped me appreciate smooth jazz. He’s introduced me to a lot of those people. One time he played the Kravis Center and we were in the audience and he said, “My own mother and father are deceased so I want you to meet my other parents.” And he had us stand up. Such a nice young man.

Q: Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions?
A: When I got to Ohio State to work on my doctorate I studied with a world-famous instructor in marketing, Dr. Theodore Beckman, who was a distinguished professor. He became my adviser, my friend, and he certainly was a mentor for me. I owe him a lot.
And when I was at Michigan State the president was John Hannah. He won the congressional Medal of Honor, he was in charge of civil rights under several presidents, he was in charge of manpower during World War II, he was a giant of a man. For whatever reason he took a liking to me and let me do my thing.

Q: Who/what makes you laugh?
A: I like some of the older comics. Sid Caesar, Johnny Carson. And recently I was watching the All in the Family show and they were classics. Norman Lear recently had a 100th birthday party and Dave Koz went and said he’s still very sharp. Some of the stuff that passes for comedy now isn’t funny.

Q: Is there something people don’t know about you but should?
A: About a year-and-a-half ago the dean at the University of Manitoba asked if we could schedule a half-hour phone conversation. Two-and-a-half hours later he said, “I want you to write your memoir for the special collection.” So that’s what I’m doing now. It’s taken a lot longer than I ever thought it would.

By Jane Smith

The historical Cornell Art Museum, closed for about 15 months in a dispute between the city and its previous operators, hosted a grand reopening reception on Dec. 28.
The Surfing Florida Museum has an exhibit on the top floor. On the ground floor is the #LoveDelray collection of artworks from Delray Beach-area artists.
The museum will be open and be free to the public on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.
It is now being operated by the Delray Beach Downtown Development Authority under a $25,000 agreement approved by the City Commission.
At the Jan. 10 commission meeting, an overall agreement between the city and the DDA to oversee the Old School Square campus will be discussed. That deal would replace the DDA’s current Cornell agreement with one that covers all five venues on the 4-acre campus: the Fieldhouse, the Pavilion, the Cornell, the Crest Theatre and associated arts classrooms.
The Surfing Florida Museum has been searching for a permanent home since it started 14 years ago, said Tom Warnke, its executive director. The Cornell exhibit will stay through June. “I’m hoping the exposure will lead to something permanent,” Warnke said. “I’m beyond excited.”
In late February, Surfing Florida also will open a 12-month exhibit at the renovated Lantana Public Library.
Separately, the commission agreed to pay $1.2 million to finish the renovations of the Crest Theatre building. The city did not put the work out to bid but used a job-order process to speed construction and have a guaranteed price, Public Works Director Missie Barletto said at the commission’s Dec. 6 meeting. It selected Harbour Construction Inc. of Miami.
Vice Mayor Adam Frankel said the commission did not like the previous contractor hired by Old School Square Center for the Arts — the former longtime operator — because the renovation was not put out for bids. He voted against the contract because there still was no bidding process for the work. Commissioner Shirley Johnson, who pulled the item from the Consent Agenda for discussion, also voted against the contract.
The Crest building renovations were started without expressed city approval as required in the lease and — combined with long-standing concerns as to how OSSCA was spending taxpayer dollars — led to the City Commission terminating its lease with OSSCA. The lease termination came on a 3-2 vote in August 2021.
Then, in November 2021, OSSCA sued the city and its elected officials for wrongful termination of the lease. That lawsuit is still pending.
OSSCA also filed papers in November 2021 to trademark the Old School Square name. After the city found out about the trademark application almost a year later, it hired an outside law firm to contest the trademark in November.
OSSCA filed its response to the city’s challenge on Jan. 2. It claims the trademark is not tied to the Old School Square campus owned by the city.
The reply, done by attorney Allen Bennett, said the group is entitled to use the name, because it continues “to offer services in the vicinity of the historic, generally known geographic location referred to colloquially as the ‘Old School Square.’”
OSSCA also filed papers to amend its November 2021 application to eliminate museum services from the list of services it provides — since it no longer controls the Cornell Museum space — and focus on arts education classes and rental of performing arts theaters.
The response said OSSCA’s application didn’t misrepresent its address as Old School Square’s, because its lease was still in force when it applied for the trademark.

Some say that the proposed City Center Delray will overwhelm Doc’s and that its Streamline Moderne style will be out of touch with the Mediterranean Revival style of the Old School Square Historic District, in which the new project will sit. Rendering provided

By Jane Smith

Doc’s, a fast-food eatery that got its start in 1951 as a Dairy Queen franchise, unanimously won a historic designation from the Delray Beach City Commission — but the new complex it will be part of had a tougher time before the board.
“I couldn’t picture Delray Beach without Doc’s,” Commissioner Ryan Boylston said at the commission’s Dec. 6 meeting. “My grandparents took me there. I take my kids there.”
Retired schoolteacher and longtime resident Yvonne Odom also supported saving Doc’s, with its outdoor seating and walk-up window service.
“It has a lot of memories for those of us who grew up here and went to Doc’s after football games,” she said.
Doc’s has been closed for nearly two years and will re-open by the end of 2023, said Pushkar Marathe, a chef hired for the restaurant by one of the partners, Steven Michael.
The new complex that will be adjacent to Doc’s, City Center Delray, received 3-2 approval of its site plan. Mayor Shelly Petrolia and Deputy Vice Mayor Juli Casale voted no on the controversial project, which will house retail and office space.
Petrolia was concerned that the new building would overwhelm and compete with Doc’s older structure. Doing so would violate U.S. Secretary of Interior standards for historic structures, she said.
The center’s size of nearly 32,000 square feet is massive compared to the 1,600 square feet of Doc’s.
Casale pointed out that the city’s Historic Preservation Board recommended denial of the project by a 6-1 vote. Most of its board members were concerned the three-story building would overwhelm Doc’s one-story height, said Michelle Hoyland, the city’s historic preservation planner.
The three-story building will be constructed in the Streamline Moderne style, which some board members said did not fit with the architecture of the surrounding Old School Square Historic District. That district has Mediterranean Revival-style buildings with stucco walls and tiled roofs.
City Center Delray will sit across North Swinton Avenue from the Old School Square campus. The complex extends along Atlantic Avenue for a block west of Swinton to Northwest First Avenue.
Most of the 12 speakers talked glowingly about Michael, a partner in City Center Delray. Their effusive comments prompted City Attorney Lynn Gelin to say, “What we are voting on is not the personality and character of Mr. Michael.”
Two speakers, including barrier island resident Kelly Barrette, talked about the federal standard that the new portion must be compatible with the surrounding designs. Barrette, like the other speakers, urged the commission to add Doc’s to the city’s register of historic places. She opposed the larger City Center Delray plan.
Boylston said he did not like voting against the city’s Historic Preservation Board, “but they have a narrow view. I look at the project as a whole. ... At what point do we push so hard that none of this becomes reality.”

By Mary Thurwachter

Police Chief Sean Scheller shared a good report for his department with the Lantana Town Council on Dec. 12 — and council members gave him license-plate recognition cameras for squad cars.
Scheller said year-end numbers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement — “basically our report card for the year” — showed the Police Department did very well, with crime dropping in town more than at the state or county level.
According to the FDLE, crime in Florida is down 8.3% and crime in Palm Beach County is down 10.2%.
“In Lantana, crime is down 19.9%,” said Scheller, who has been chief for 12 years. “We are performing at a very high standard and you guys are getting exemplary level police work in this town.” He said this was a team effort and thanked everyone from his staff to the Town Council and residents.
Additionally, Lantana’s clearance rate, indicating how many cases were cleared, was 24.4% compared with the county’s 23%.
“You might think this is a small number,” he said, “but it’s actually a high number when you remember that when, for example, somebody parks their bike and it’s gone, we have no suspects, no lead.”
The FDLE report was met with cheers and applause.
Later in the meeting, the council voted to spend $251,600 on license-plate recognition cameras for police cars and another $90,600 for 16 more cameras to be installed at predetermined locations around town. Cameras will be financed with federal American Rescue Plan Act funds.
“With this and in-car cameras, Big Brother’s going to be watching every move in this town,” Scheller said.
The council also agreed to spend $44,375 for a bi-directional amplifier system from Stellar Communications Group, LLC, to boost radio signal reception in the police headquarters at 901 N. Eighth St., next to the sports park.
The building had been used previously “as a jail cell for delinquents and the whole building is basically solid brick wall,” Scheller said.
The radio signal strength, measured after impact-resistant windows and doors and a metal roof had been installed, was deemed “unacceptable” with several dead zones. The dead zones prevent police staff from effectively receiving radio communication throughout the building, Scheller said.
“The continued existence of these dead zones constitutes a threat-to-officer-safety issue, qualifying this acquisition for an emergency purchase which is exempt from competitive bidding,” Scheller said. “The amplifier system will boost the signal to 100% connectivity.”
“We’ve got to keep safe the people who help keep us safe,” acting Mayor Karen Lythgoe said.
This amplifier system was not included in the budget and will be paid for with either available general fund reserve money or ARPA funds and will be included in the mid-year budget amendment, according to Town Manager Brian Raducci. The system may not meet the eligibility rules for the ARPA.

Agenda format to improve
The council approved spending $57,255 for a three-year contract with Granicus, LLC, for agenda management software.
Town Clerk Kathleen Dominguez said the software will automate and streamline the creation of public agendas and minutes, publish meeting documents online and in an ADA-accessible format, livestream and record public meetings, and provide closed captioning of meeting audio for ADA accessibility.
Dominguez said a link will be provided on the town’s website where residents can search, find and review meeting recordings, agenda packets and minutes. Citizens can also sign up to receive notifications of meetings and links to agendas when they are published.
Lantana does not have cameras to provide meeting video, but if the town decides to get them, the new software would be compatible, Dominguez said.

In other business, the council:
-- Approved a $212,959 contract with Baxter & Woodman, Inc., for engineering services related to development of the town’s proposed comprehensive plan for water, wastewater, roadway, sea wall, and parks and recreation facilities, along with a stormwater master plan. ARPA funds will be used to finance this expense.
-- Presented the Employee of the Year Award to general maintenance worker Cesar Barrero for his “tireless efforts and dedication to the town while working in the utility division,” Lythgoe said. “Cesar always shows up where he’s needed and always has a smile on his face.”

By Larry Barszewski

Plaza del Mar expects to welcome a medical tenant — Laser & Skin Center of Palm Beach — into remodeled space at its west end, based on an approval received at the Town Commission’s Dec. 13 meeting.
The practice will be operated by Tatyana Nektalova, a board-certified dermatologist who previously worked in Tribeca and the Upper East Side in New York City. It will offer comprehensive medical, cosmetic and surgical care.
Nektalova needed Town Commission approval for a dermatological office at the plaza. The approval is required so the town can review the overall makeup of the plaza and make sure there aren’t too many non-commercial businesses there.
“It was set up originally so that could not just become a medical plaza,” Mayor Keith Waters said of the approval process.
“I think it’s timely and perfectly placed as an opportunity for the community,” Waters said of the dermatology practice. “The idea is to keep a balance in that plaza. We don’t want to overweight it with anything.”
Commissioners unanimously approved the dermatology use in Unit 205, between the dry cleaners and nail salon. The practice will include minimally invasive procedures, such as removal of skin cancer and cysts.
In some ways, Nektalova is following her former customers here. She told commissioners a number of her clients, some of whom she said worked at Goldman Sachs, were part of the pandemic migration that brought about an influx of New Yorkers to Southeast Florida.
Nektalova said she found a need for a practice on Palm Beach County’s barrier islands.
“There currently is no dermatologist in the entire Palm Beach area, so from Palm Beach island to Manalapan all of the doctors are in West Palm Beach predominantly,” Nektalova said. “There are some spas offering cosmetic services, but they’re not board certified.”
Besides approval of the dermatology operation, town commissioners in other action Dec. 13:
-- Reviewed steps for a voter referendum that would require voter approval of any attempt to sell the town’s water plant in the future, so a future commission couldn’t take such an important step on its own. The referendum isn’t expected to go before voters until March 2024, so it will probably be May or so before the commission starts working on language for the charter change.
-- Discussed, but made no decision on, adjusting construction work hours to possibly require contractors to end earlier on Saturdays. Commissioner Aileen Carlucci said it might be of benefit for residents to have the allowed construction limit on Saturdays scaled back from 6:30 p.m. to 3 p.m.

By Joe Capozzi

The Town Council will hold a special meeting Jan. 6 to review options for finding a new town manager to replace Robert Kellogg, who plans to resign at the end of March. 
A representative with the International City/County Management Association will attend the meeting to offer suggestions, which may include finding an interim town manager until a full-time manager is hired. 
The town could also consider hiring a recruiting firm, which Ocean Ridge has done in its search for a manager. A recruiting firm could cost $25,000 to $35,000, said Town Attorney Glen Torcivia, whose firm also provides town attorney services for Ocean Ridge. 
Kellogg announced his plans to resign after councilman Ray McMillan unsuccessfully tried to fire him at the council’s Nov. 15 meeting. McMillan’s motion to terminate Kellogg failed when no other council members supported it. 
At the Dec. 22 council meeting, Mayor Bonnie Fischer thanked Kellogg “for everything he does. I don’t think he’ll be going anywhere for a while because it’s not an easy process to find a new town manager. It takes time. We’ve been through it three or four times.’’ 
Fischer added, “It’s very bittersweet, the whole thing. Thank you, Bob, for everything.’’ 
“It’s not over yet,’’ replied council member Robert Gottlieb, who did not attend the Nov. 15 meeting when McMillan tried to fire Kellogg.
Gottlieb, looking ahead to 2023, offered praise for Kellogg. 
“It’s going to be a great new year for all of us, I hope. We’re lucky to be here and help others,’’ he said. “That’s what this council is all about. It’s helping this town to be better, and Bob, you’ve been and are an important part of it and I appreciate you greatly.’’ 

New Town Hall 
With no discussion, the council tabled consideration of a $15,000 contract with Slattery & Associates to design a new Town Hall, a project that has been debated for more than five years. 
The firm was ranked first among three that interviewed with the council in November, but town officials want to do more research to make sure the firm can design a facility that will be built with structural insulated panels. 
“They have experience. We want to make sure if we hire them they are capable of providing the service that we want,’’ Kellogg said after the meeting.  
At the end of the meeting, Fischer said she hoped con-struction would start in 2023. 
Fischer and Kellogg are working with Torcivia to overcome what the mayor called “a few glitches” and “to figure out what’s best so we can move forward using SIPs. That’s our focus to get that done. Once that gets started and we get moving, it should take off a lot quicker than regular traditional building,’’ she said. 

In other business:
-- The council agreed to spend $2,300 for new fuel lines to the aging generator at the lift station outside Town Hall. In the next year the council will consider a recommendation by a maintenance company to replace the generator. 
A new generator could cost $200,000 to $250,000, some of which could come from grant money, Kellogg said. 
“This is not something we can gamble with,’’ Vice Mayor Bill LeRoy said. “We can’t take a chance on not having it.’’
--  Kellogg told the council that the Dune Deck condominium received a state permit in early December to make repairs to an eroding sea wall. But he said he didn’t think the town had issued a formal permit yet for the work. He said the condo, which applied for the state permit in June, is expected in January to seek relief from fines a special magistrate imposed in May.

By Tao Woolfe

The Boynton Beach City Commission has approved a settlement agreement with JKM BTS Capital, LLC, the developer of the long-stalled public/private Town Square project that city officials had hoped would revitalize the downtown area. Here are the major terms of the agreement, which was reached after several court-mandated mediation sessions among the city manager, city attorneys and the developer:
l The city will be paid $4.5 million by JKM.
l The developer will pay the city up to another $100,000 in attorneys’ fees for related litigation.
l JKM will sell three parcels of land conveyed by the city for the project to another private developer. As part of the purchase agreement, the new developer must provide sufficient parking for the project as well as sufficient public parking.
l In return, the city will dismiss its lawsuit against JKM.
“If any of the conditions are not satisfied, the Settlement Agreement will become null and void,” the agreement stipulates.
Time Equities, a New York City-based developer, has expressed interest in taking over the development of Town Square.
Under Boynton Beach’s original agreement with JKM, the $250 million project was to comprise a mix of municipal buildings and privately developed apartments, a hotel, restaurants and shops.
The developer was also expected to build two parking garages, providing some 2,000 spaces for use by residents, businesses and the general public. The project’s 16.5-acre area sits between Boynton Beach Boulevard and Southeast Second Avenue.
In return, the city agreed to give JKM the three parcels of land, to pay almost $2 million in cash to the developer and to provide underground water and sewer lines.
The developer, claiming the city had reneged on its commitments, failed to complete the project. The city filed suit against JKM in November 2020.

A new zoning district, allowing Boynton Beach to set height restrictions on mixed-use downtown buildings without angering current developers, has been approved by the City Commission.
The zoning code amendment will exempt any existing or in-progress development from having to comply with the new restrictions limiting new mixed-use projects to 85 feet in height.
Amanda Radigan, the city’s principal planner, has told the commissioners that such a zoning change would allow the city to limit building height without risking lawsuits.
Commissioners have twice discussed imposing restrictions but shied away from a vote because they feared legal repercussions.
Commissioner Thomas Turkin introduced the idea of height restrictions in May, saying lower buildings would make the city more inviting. He cited Delray Beach’s less imposing buildings as an example of good planning.
Current Boynton Beach height limits on the two mixed-use zones in the downtown core are 100 and 150 feet.
Residents have said that in recent years the city has become taller and denser at an unsustainable pace.
Residents at the Jan. 3 commission meeting applauded the move to lower building height and density, but said it did not go far enough.
“We had asked for a four-story maximum,” said resident Susan Oyer, meaning 48 feet. “I’m incredibly disappointed.”
The commissioners heard from two attorneys who warned that taking away developers’ design options could result in very expensive lawsuits.

— Tao Woolfe

The boat ramp renovation at Boynton Beach’s Harvey E. Oyer Jr. Park has been completed and the docks and the park have reopened.
“They look great,” Kacy Young, the city’s parks and recreation director, said of the three ramps. The site also has “new stations for cleaning fish that are already very popular,” Young said.
The city held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Dec. 17, which was attended by the public, city officials and city staff.
The $1.25 million project was funded equally by the Palm Beach County penny sales tax — approved by voters to pay for park, road, bridge and other public projects — and the Florida Inland Navigation District. To accommodate the construction, the park was closed from mid-September through Dec. 1, 2022.

— Tao Woolfe

Sports agent Phil Terrano, who played at the park as a kid, proposes to upgrade it and build a sports training facility there in partnership with the city. Tao Woolfe/The Coastal Star

By Tao Woolfe

As far back as Phil Terrano can remember, he’s wanted to give something back to the park that launched his career.
More than two decades after playing his last baseball game at the East Boynton Beach Little League park, Terrano — now a successful sports agent — is on the verge of seeing his dream come true.
The Boynton Beach City Commission recently gave preliminary approval to Terrano’s proposal to build an indoor training facility and add a new turf field to the 12.76-acre grounds of the park on Woolbright Road.
The commission is expected to give final approval to the project in the coming weeks.
“We are really hoping to break ground in January or February,” Terrano said in an interview. “We’d like to have it done by the end of 2023, but it would be even better if it was done by summertime.”
Terrano had proposed a 7,500-square-foot training facility, but city officials, after touring similar sites in South Florida, said they would like the building to be 12,000 square feet. The exact size of the for-profit facility has yet to be determined.
Through a partnership between Terrano and the city, the facility would offer strength and conditioning training for multiple sports, nutrition programs, batting cages, bullpen mounds, data assessment, physical therapy, chiropractic services, youth camps and scholarship programs.
The Cressey Sports Performance facility in Palm Beach Gardens offers similar services. Such specialized gyms — which cater to adult and school-age athletes willing to pay membership fees to improve their performance — are springing up around the country.
The Boynton Beach Parks and Recreation Department, as well as Building Department staff, are working on a master plan for the park that will include revamping the existing grass fields, adding T-ball and artificial turf fields, and upgrading the bathrooms and concession stands, said Kacy Young, the city’s parks and recreation director.
Terrano told the city commissioners he would like the 17 Major League Baseball players he represents to train at the site. The presence of baseball pros would provide extra incentive for Little Leaguers to be their best, as well as offer opportunities for kids to collect autographs and insider tips.
Young said he likes Terrano’s plan to have the major league players practicing alongside the Little Leaguers.
“It will be beautiful and we hope it will increase the usage of the park,” Young said. “We feel the project would be a great benefit to the entire city.”
The city acquired the park in the 1950s from the developer of High Point retirement village. It was envisioned as land that could be used eventually for expansion of the adjacent city-owned cemetery, according to city records.
By the late 1950s, however, Little League was outgrowing its original home at Galaxy Park, which had only one field, and the city decided to move league operations to Woolbright Road.
The East Boynton Beach Little League park lost its luster over the years, however, and the fields were often neglected and overgrown except for a rescue effort in 2006.
Shortly after Hurricane Wilma blew through South Florida and destroyed much of the park, the producers of the ABC home remodeling television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition stepped in to repair the home of the 2003 national Little League champions.
The renovation included repairing the northeast fields, replacing light poles, and installing a new irrigation system, fencing, signage and batting cages. Crews also repaired the roof and interior of the concession stand.
Terrano, 44, who grew up in Boynton Beach, said he played on the fields from age 10 until he was almost 20. He later coached teams, served on the Boynton Beach Little League’s board of directors, and cooked hot dogs on weekends.
“People didn’t believe in the park and never kept it up,” Terrano said. “Volunteers did as much as they could, but most of them had full-time jobs and couldn’t be here that much.”
City officials hope this new injection of money and interest will turn things around.
Terrano, the CEO of Primetime Sports Group LLC, said he and investors he has enlisted will probably spend $3 million to $4 million to build and maintain the training facility and add the turf field. The city will do the rest and will maintain the fields, he said.
“I played here and it means a lot to me to give back,” Terrano said. “If it wasn’t for Boynton Beach Little League, I would never have gotten into a career with Major League Baseball.”
Terrano now lives in Lake Worth Beach with his wife, Shiela, and his two sons, Dylan, 11, and Dominick, 6.
The training facility will be a for-profit operation, Terrano said, but the project is as much about bringing life back to the park as it is about the money.
“It is my field of dreams,” he said. “I told the city commissioners:
“If you let me build it, they will come.”

A Manalapan house bought by singer Billy Joel for $22.1 million in 2015 is now on the market through Christian Angle Real Estate for $64.9 million. Photo provided by Realtor.com

By Christine Davis

Piano man Billy Joel has listed his ocean-to-lake estate at 1110 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, for $64.9 million. Joel, using an ownership company, bought the compound in 2015 for $22.1 million from Texas banking businessman Donald A. Adam.
Built in 2010, the nine-bedroom, 20,838-square-foot house sits on 1.6 acres with about 150 feet of frontage on the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway.
The compound includes a guest house and staff house.
The property went on the market in November. Details in the main house include a theater room, a pub room and bar, paneled library, 12-plus-car garage and wine cellar with a wet bar and tasting table. Broker Christian Angle of Christian Angle Real Estate holds the listing. 

***

Mark Sherman’s estate at 1140 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, was listed for $59 million with Douglas Elliman agents Pier Paolo Visconti and Claudia Llanes.
Sherman, CEO of Green Wave Electronics in Atlanta, with his ex-wife, Isabella Sherman, paid $8 million for the house in December 2000.
The $59 million price tag will be for a finished renovation that has been underway on and off since 2017 with a few permit extensions. According to Visconti, the renovations are expected to be completed in 14 to 16 months.
When finished, the residence, on 1.61 acres with 150 feet of waterfront on the ocean and Intracoastal Waterway, will have seven bedrooms and 12,420 square feet. Features will include a gym, library, home theater, a game room, wine storage for 1,000 bottles, and a garage that can be configured to accommodate 12 cars.
Prospective buyers have other purchase options, said Visconti. “If the buyer wants to buy it as is, obviously the price will be lower. Another possibility, we just made plans to build a 3,500-square-foot guest house on the property, and for that, the price would be adjusted as well,” Visconti said.

***

Investors Bernard and Margaret Palmer sold the house at 404 E. Coconut Palm Road in Boca Raton to a trust managed by Lake Wales-based attorney Mark Warda for $18.6 million in November, according to public records.
The Palmers bought the property for $4.6 million in December 2020, demolished the existing house and commissioned Boca Raton-based SRD Building Corp. to build an 8,731-square-foot, six-bedroom estate, which was completed in 2022.
David Roberts of Royal Palm Properties represented the sellers, and Susan Rindley of One Sotheby’s International Realty represented the buyer.

***

James and Kimberly Caccavo made two moves in the local real estate market in 2022. The more recent focuses on a Manalapan spec house, 71 Curlew Road, which they bought for $10.5 million in a deal recorded Nov. 30.  
The seller was listed as an LLC named for the address managed by Stephen Varga of Varga Homes, who bought the half-acre property, with 178 feet of water frontage, for $1.9 million in 2020. Varga tore down the house and built a 10,500-square-foot home, which was completed in 2022.
Nick Malinosky and Randy Ely of Douglas Elliman represented both the buyer and the seller.
In June, the Caccavos flipped an oceanfront Gulf Stream estate at 3565 N. Ocean Blvd. to James and Estee Sausville for $27.5 million, almost double what they bought it for the year prior.
James Caccavo is the founder and managing general partner of the California-based Steelpoint Capital Partners, a private equity firm. Kimberly Caccavo is founder of Face Your Grace, a motivational e-learning platform.

***

Darielle Singerman, who operates RedCon1 Gym in Boca Raton, sold her home at 4400 Sanctuary Lane to Andrew Cook and Fanjun Dai as trustees of the Zhang Family Trust for $10.2 million. The deal was recorded Dec. 5.
Singerman bought the five-bedroom, 12,000-square-foot estate, with a pool and dock, for $8.65 million in April 2021, records show.
Senada Adzem of Douglas Elliman had the Boca Raton listing, and Jeff Daly of Realty Home Advisors International brought the buyers, according to Realtor.com.
Singerman and her husband, Aaron Singerman, own a home at 4100 Sanctuary Lane, which they purchased in October 2021 for $6 million, and a home at 16598 Fleur de Lis Way, Delray Beach, which they bought for $2.3 million in 2016.
This current sale comes just after Aaron Singerman’s release from federal prison on Dec. 1. He served a fraction of his 54-month sentence, which was handed down in January 2022, for selling illegal steroids through his brand, Blackstone Labs.

***

Selkirk Sport, an Idaho manufacturer of pickleball paddles and accessories, made an endorsement deal in November with James Ignatowich, 22, of Delray Beach.
Ignatowich is a newcomer to pickleball after playing tennis in the junior ranks and at Vanderbilt University.
He competed on Major League Pickleball’s Team Ranchers in 2022 and has won several pro medals, including the gold in men’s singles at the Beer City Open in July in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
He defeated Zane Navratil, 14-12, 12-10, for the championship after beating JW Johnson, Federico Staksrud and Navratil on his way to the final.
Then in August in Newport Beach, California, his Team Ranchers won the league championships, defeating BLQK, 3-0, and Ignatowich walked away with $25,000.
Ignatowich, now a senior at Vanderbilt, said he switched from tennis to pickleball because “it’s way more fun, and it’s way easier to get started playing and you can get to the top really quickly. I am already one of the top 10 players in the world.”  
When he’s home from college, he practices at Caloosa Park in Boynton Beach.
As one of Selkirk Sport’s lineup of brand ambassadors, he will be equipped with Selkirk’s paddles and outfitted in branded Selkirk Sport apparel.
His two favorite paddles are the Vanguard Power Air Invikta and the Project 002 Invikta. “They provide a great amount of power and spin,” he said.
Of interest to all those pickleball enthusiasts out there, he’s posting tips and instructional videos on his Instagram, @jamesignatowich.

***

For people who have muscle cars and like showing them off, listen up and sign up.
Stingrays, Barracudas and other 1950s through 1970s muscle cars will be at Delray Beach’s Old School Square on March 4 at the Muscle On the Beach car show.
This benefit for the Sandoway Discovery Center will be hosted by Mike Brewer of the Discovery/Motor Trend TV series Wheeler Dealers.
“A few years ago, we had an idea to raise money for the Sandoway Discovery Center’s new stingray garden by gathering another kind of stingray — Chevrolet Corvettes,” said George Walden, who is volunteer co-producer of the event with fellow classic car buff Jack Barrette.
“Now we’ve got the best examples of American muscle cars coming to downtown Delray,” said Alex Ridley, president of Sandoway Discovery Center’s board of directors. “The children of Palm Beach County need fun, interactive educational opportunities now more than ever — this event is a great opportunity for the community to support our work, and a lot of fun for attendees and volunteers.”
For people who want to show their muscle car/truck/hot rod, or to be a sponsor or vendor, call 617-312-4701 or email Barrette at info@muscleonthebeach.com.

***

The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum has announced several special happenings.
Jan. 7 kicks off the museum’s Free Fun Saturdays, a continuing program slated for the first Saturday of every month in 2023. The admission fee will be waived on those days for all visitors.
Because the new Brightline station has opened, the museum will offer a $2 discount off the regular admission to anyone with a Brightline ticket.
On Jan. 12 at the museum’s Town Hall Talk, author and Lynn University professor Dr. Robert Watson will make a presentation on his book Escape: The Story of the Confederacy’s Infamous Libby Prison and the Civil War’s Largest Jail Break. The talk will start at 6 p.m. with check-in and refreshments. The lecture begins at 6:30 p.m. Cost to attend is $10.
Open through the end of June, the temporary exhibit MiMo in Boca Raton: Mid Century Modern Style, and the Architecture of Howard McCall offers a look through architectural drawings and photos of the works of the longtime architect whose commercial and residential works helped shape Boca Raton.
McCall opened his office in Boca Raton in 1958 and was joined by partner Pat Lynch in the 1960s. McCall designed St. Gregory’s Church, the Church on the Hill, and Advent Lutheran. He also developed the first Fifth Avenue Shops, local gas stations, commercial buildings and mid-century condos. The partners also designed most of the Camino Gardens models and the original houses of Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club.
The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, at 71 N. Federal Highway, is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Admission is $12 for adults, $8 for students and seniors, and free for members and children 4 years old and under.

***

The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County will host Verdenia C. Baker, county administrator of Palm Beach County, at its Hot Topic Luncheon, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Jan. 18.
Baker oversees 6,800 positions and balances a $6 billion annual budget. Since becoming county administrator, she led the voter-approved 2016 Infrastructure Sales Tax initiative that will generate $2.7 billion for new and renovated schools, roads and facilities over a 10-year period; led initiatives such as the Mandatory Inclusionary Workforce Housing Program and Community Land Trust; and reimplemented the small/minority/women business enterprise program in 2019.
The luncheon will be held at Mel’s Way Bistro, 3536 Via Poinciana, Lake Worth Beach; price to attend is $35. Registration must be made at https://lwvpbc.org/event/jan-hot-topic-state-of-the-county/.

***

Florida Atlantic University’s 2023 Alan B. and Charna Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency presents “A Conversation with Laura W. Bush and Barbara Pierce Bush” at 4 p.m. Feb. 11. The lecture, which will be moderated by presidential historian Timothy Naftali, will take place in the Carole and Barry Kaye Auditorium, FAU Student Union, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton campus. Tickets are $35-$125 and can be purchased at www.fauevents.com or via 561-297-6124. 

***

FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters will hold its third Culture, Arts and Society Today party at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at the Polo Club of Boca Raton, 5400 Champion Blvd.
Tickets for this fundraiser are $250 and can be purchased at  https://fauf.fau.edu/2023CAST or by contacting Gail Vorsas at 561-297-2337.
The 2023 CAST party will honor Marta Batmasian and Marilyn Weinberg for their contributions to the arts in South Florida.
“The faculty and students in FAU’s School of the Arts are world-renowned for their artistry,” Batmasian said. “We are incredibly lucky to have them in our community to provide outstanding exhibitions, concerts and theater and dance performances.”  
To become a sponsor, contact Laurie Carney at lcarney@fau.edu or 561-297-3606.
 For more information, visit www.fau.edu/cast-party.

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

Hundreds of European starlings, known as a murmuration, take flight at sunset at Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge west of Boynton Beach. Photo by Susan Wasserman BELOW RIGHT: Five young gallinules huddle near the shore of Lake Ida in Delray Beach. Photo by Peter W. Cross

By Rich Pollack

Slip into the hidden Lantana Nature Preserve, sandwiched between the Intracoastal Waterway and the Atlantic Ocean, and you might catch a glimpse of an American redstart or even a bay-breasted warbler.
Stroll the boardwalk at the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands and there’s a good chance of observing a roseate spoonbill or maybe a least bittern or sora rail.
Stake out a spot on an aging wooden-planked dock along the eastern shore of Delray Beach’s Lake Ida and an osprey, red-shouldered hawk and — if you’re lucky — a bald eagle may soar in the sky above you. Sprinkled throughout southern Palm Beach County are a few parks, refuges and natural areas that have become favorite hangouts for resident birds as well as migrating species pausing as they flee the Northern chill for the warmth of South and Central America.
Those places have also been a magnet for people who enjoy the challenge of spotting a rare species, as well as those who find joy just seeing birds in their natural habitat.
“South County has some excellent birding spots,” says Chuck Weber, a longtime Palm Beach County birder, who coordinates the Christmas Bird Count for Audubon Everglades, the local branch of the national organization.
The Christmas Bird Count, held Jan. 2, encompassed an area 15 miles in diameter, including parts of the barrier island and a large chunk of South County.
While the consensus is that the number of birds in North America is down, Weber says that too many variables make it difficult to determine if this is the case here, although it is likely.
Still, last season there were 146 species identified in the count, similar to previous years, with the likelihood that the numbers will be close this time around.
One reason South County and the whole of Palm Beach County remain popular among birds is the diversity of habitat, which provides food, shelter and safety for many species.
For coastal shorebirds, South County offers miles of beaches, including some that do not get a lot of human visitors. Songbirds can find homes in coastal hammocks, while wading birds flock to both natural and man-made wetlands.
Local government agencies, says birder Sue Young, deserve a healthy dose of the credit for ensuring that natural habitat remains accessible to wildlife — and to people who enjoy witnessing them in action. “When we preserve these areas, the birds are going to show up,” she said.
Tucked between condos, townhomes and residential neighborhoods throughout South County are also small nature preserves, including the Hypoluxo Scrub Natural Area, Ocean Ridge Natural Area, the Seacrest Scrub Natural Area in Boynton Beach, the Delray Oaks Natural Area in Delray Beach, and the Pondhawk Natural Area in Boca Raton.
These spots provide habitat for many critters and don’t always have the abundance of birds found at more recognized locations, but they are on many birders’ lists of spots worth visiting occasionally.
Here are several popular birding spots in southern Palm Beach County.

A prothonotary warbler. Photo by Chuck Weber

Lantana Nature Preserve
440 E. Ocean Ave.

Drive too quickly along Ocean Avenue as you head west from State Road A1A and there’s a good chance you’ll scoot right past the entrance to the Lantana Nature Preserve, a 4.6-acre man-made oasis that has become a magnet for birds traversing the East Coast.
“We think of it as a migration hot spot,” says longtime Palm Beach County birder Chuck Weber. “It’s a beautiful little spot.”
Weber credits the town of Lantana for creating the preserve — just west of the Carlisle home for seniors — using mostly Florida trees and shrubs to transform a site that had been overgrown and strewn with litter into a peaceful refuge for birds and birders.
“They did a great job of creating a native coastal hammock,” Weber said. That’s important, he says, because birds generally prefer native plants and trees for shelter and food.
What makes it special: The Lantana Nature Preserve is small and easily accessible. You’ll find an abundance of native trees — from strangler figs and gumbo limbo to poisonwood and mangroves — that draw mostly smaller songbirds during migrations.
What you’ll see: Many of the birds you’ll see at the preserve are usual suspects found in the area during migration periods, including blue-gray gnatcatchers, a variety of warblers and painted and indigo buntings.
In the fall, you might see a chestnut-sided warbler.
Rare sightings: A red-legged thrush was sighted there a few years back, and so was a La Sagras flycatcher. “For such a small place, it has an impressive list of rarities,” Weber said.

A roseate spoonbill. Photo by Sue Young

Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands
12800 Hagen Ranch Road, Boynton Beach

Wakodahatchee Wetlands
13270 Jog Road, Delray Beach

When Sue Young wants to show off Florida wildlife to visitors from the North, her first stop is typically Wakodahatchee Wetlands.
“The sheer spectacle of nesting birds there blows everyone away,” she says, explaining that wood storks, great blue herons and great egrets have created close-up rookeries hard to find anywhere else in the area.
Like its neighbor Green Cay, Wakodahatchee is a man-made wetland filled with water from nearby county-operated water treatment plants. Both have boardwalks winding through them that escort visitors up close to avian visitors as well as an occasional alligator.
“They’ve taken Florida habitat and shrunk it down to a manageable size,” Young says.
While Wakodahatchee is smaller and may have birds in greater concentrations, the 100-acre Green Cay has a bigger variety, partially because it includes a larger woodland habitat. Young has seen as many as 50 species in one day there.
What makes them special: The boardwalks bring visitors close to the birds, and over time, the wildlife have accepted people passing by.
“You have a chance to see natural behavior from a bird that would normally get spooked and fly away,” Young said.
What you’ll see: Both locations have a similar assortment of wading birds and ducks, while pied-billed grebes, common gallinules, tricolored herons, great blue herons and great egrets are abundant. At Wakodahatchee, you’ll see more wood storks and great blue herons, while at Green Cay you’re likely to see more warblers in the woodland areas.
Rare sightings: Green Cay has had barred owls and eastern screech owls visit, and a pair of Chuck-will’s-widows have taken residence this season. In the past, Green Cay has seen a La Sagras flycatcher, a least grebe and a reddish egret. At Wakodahatchee, a golden-winged warbler — normally seen in South or Central America — was spotted several years ago, creating international interest among birders.

A piping plover. Photo by Kenny Miller

Spanish River Park
3001 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton

There are few remaining places for birders in Palm Beach County the size of Boca Raton’s expansive Spanish River Park.
Coastal shore birds are in abundance east of State Road A1A, and migratory songbirds find shelter in the old Florida growth on the west inside the oceanfront sanctuary.
Not far offshore you’ll find seabirds such as gannets, and on the west side of the park mangroves will attract an occasional egret or great blue heron.
“Spanish River Park is a great place to see birds because there’s so many different species, both on the beach and in the park, on any given day,” says birder Kenny Miller, who can be seen many mornings on the beach before sunrise and in the park shortly thereafter.
He is always on the lookout for hard-to-find species. During an October visit, he counted 49 bird species, including a rare, white-crowned pigeon.
The nearly 95-acre park — which has three tunnels, making it easy to navigate between the two habitats — also includes two trails winding through the coastal hammock.
There is a $35 daily charge for parking inside the park and metered parking is available on Spanish River Boulevard at $2 per hour.
What makes it special: Spanish River Park attracts a diversity of wildlife found in two very different habitats. Several species of coastal shorebirds patrol the beach while the coastal hammock draws songbirds and others during migration.
What you’ll see: On the beach, you’ll see laughing gulls, herring gulls, royal terns, sanderlings and an occasional willet, as well as a handful of other species. Peering out over the ocean, you’ll see seagulls, gannets, perhaps a common loon and even a scoter. Migratory birds, including many species of warblers, can be found inside the park.
Rare sightings: The first Florida sighting of a hermit warbler took place at Spanish River Park several years ago. A mangrove cuckoo was discovered there, and piping plovers have been seen on the beach.

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
10216 Lee Road, Boynton Beach

Susan Wasserman often walks along the levee and marsh trails of the Loxahatchee Wildlife Refuge just before the sun sinks over the wetlands. She searches the trees and wetlands for elusive birds.
Wasserman tends to avoid the boardwalk that twists through a small hardwood portion of the park where the Everglades meets urbanization, preferring solid ground instead.
“You’re not walking over the wetlands, you’re walking in them,” she says. “I don’t feel like an observer of the wildlife. I feel like I’m among it.”
A natural Everglades ecosystem, the refuge “is a mosaic of wet prairies, sawgrass ridges, sloughs, tree islands, cattail communities and a 400-acre cypress swamp,” according to the park literature.
To enter the refuge, a $10 daily entry fee per car or a $25 annual pass is required. The park offers a variety of recreational activities and includes a nature center.
What makes it special: This national wildlife refuge, covering over 225 square miles, is home to about 250 species of birds, including the Everglades snail kite, an endangered species.
What you’ll see: Sandhill cranes, large pileated woodpeckers, wood ducks, monk parakeets and nanday parakeets are frequent visitors. Owls, including a great-horned owl and barred owls, also have been seen.
Rare sightings: Birders flocked to Loxahatchee a few years back when a vermilion flycatcher was spotted. But to make even a routine trip unforgettable, they can watch the hundreds, maybe thousands, of European starlings seemingly dance on cue through the sky — creating a murmuration at sunset.

An osprey carries off a largemouth bass for its breakfast. Photo by Peter W. Cross

Lakeview Park
1100 Lake Drive, Delray Beach

It wasn’t until the pandemic that retired photojournalist Peter W. Cross started paying attention to the birds visiting this small park tucked into the Lake Ida neighborhood.
During early morning visits with his yellow Labrador retriever Roxy, Cross noticed common wading birds such as egrets and herons. But as he became more attuned to the bird life around him, he recognized other species, including woodpeckers, warblers and even raptors.
“When the pandemic happened, all this wildlife came out,” Cross said. “You’ll see just about every type of bird.”
The park is easily accessible on the eastern edge of the natural lake and since the water is home to several species of fish — including peacock and largemouth bass — it is a favorite for birds, including an occasional raptor, Cross said.
What makes it special: The park is a hidden gem, where visitors can stand on a dock at the water’s edge and see several species of resident birds, as well as a few migrating species.
What you’ll see: Osprey, red-shouldered hawks and Cooper’s hawks are frequent visitors, as are many types of warblers and woodpeckers common to the area. Limpkins pulling apple snails from their shells are often seen, and a roseate spoonbill may make an appearance.
Rare sightings: The park has attracted a spot-breasted oriole, and Cross has caught a glimpse of a bald eagle soaring over the lake, hunting for a morning meal.

More images from Lake Ida
Photos by Peter W. Cross

A juvenile gallinule creates an image of itself as it takes off from the lake’s placid waters.
A red-eared slider turtle fends off a curious great blue heron.
A spot-breasted oriole glows in the early morning light as it searches for a meal.

Feb. 14-16: The Wayside House fundraiser, supporting addiction-treatment services for women, will feature dozens of vendors from throughout the United States selling upscale merchandise. Time is 5-7 p.m. Feb. 14 for a preview party and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 15 and 16. Cost is $125 for the party and free Feb. 15 and 16. Call 561-268-0055 or visit www.wayside house.net and click on ‘events.’ ABOVE: Co-Chairwomen Lisa Jankowski and Martha Grimm. Photo provided

OPAL awards chairs and honorees include (l-r) Neil Saffer, Amy and Mike Kazma, Terry Fedele, Greg Hazle, Jan Savarick, Christine Lynn, Pia Giannone and Spencer Siegel. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

Whether a billionaire philanthropist or a public-school teacher, any recipient of the Rotary Club of Boca Raton’s Outstanding People and Leaders award exemplifies “service above self.”
The club’s motto not only has inspired its 80-plus members to come together and make the city a better place to live, work and play, but also forms the basis for honoring the citizenry.
“We honor people in the community who are the ones who make Boca Raton, Boca Raton,” Co-Chairman Neil Saffer said of the annual OPAL awards. “The presentation itself: We try to make it as Grammy Award-ish as possible, with giant LED screens, to give these honorees their finest hour.”
The major fundraiser will take place Jan. 14 at Boca West Country Club. Festivities include a cocktail reception, a seated dinner, a high-end auction and an uplifting program complete with videos celebrating the lives and achievements of the 2023 honorees.
“The food, drink and entertainment are always as good as it gets,” Saffer said. “Everything about it is first-class.”
Honorees are community leader Terry Fedele, Boca Helping Hands Executive Director Greg Hazle, philanthropists Mike and Amy Kazma and theater impresario Marilynn Wick. Rotarian Pia Giannone also will receive an award.
Proceeds will benefit one of the club’s most important missions: to fund scholarships at FAU and Palm Beach State College for students in both academics and trades.
“It’s wherever we can make a difference, whether someone wants to be a plumber or someone wants to get a college degree,” Saffer said. “We have helped hundreds of students whose parents are happy, proud and grateful.
“It’s a wonderful event, and it’s dual-purpose,” he said. “Those we honor support missions like ours and often become advocates for missions like ours. Some even guide our students if not hire them.”

If You Go
What: Rotary Club of Boca Raton OPAL awards
When: 6:30 to 11 p.m. Jan. 14
Where: Boca West Country Club, 20583 Boca West Drive, Boca Raton
Cost: $300
Information: 561-477-7180; opalawards.com or rotaryclubbocaraton.com

Florida Atlantic University has kicked off the public phase of its first comprehensive campaign in more than 20 years.
“Transcend Tomorrow: The Campaign for Florida Atlantic University” is an ambitious plan to raise $600 million for the school and will focus on three fundraising priorities: health, the environment and scholarship/student success.
“Private support has played an important role in the genesis, development and growth of FAU,” said Chris Delisio, vice president of institutional advancement and CEO of the FAU Foundation. “Transcend Tomorrow provides us with an opportunity to focus our fundraising priorities as we plan and prepare for the needs of the future.”
For more information, call 561-297-6144 or visit transcendtomorrow.fau.edu.

Closing literacy gap
The Golden Bell Education Foundation, together with the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County and the School District of Palm Beach County, has distributed kits to Boca Raton Elementary School to kick off a reading program.
The kits are part of the S.P.I.R.E. program, for Specialized Program Individualizing Reading Excellence.
In addition, members of both foundations came together to present the district with a $40,000 donation.
S.P.I.R.E. is a communitywide initiative to help close the literacy gap for underperforming students in kindergarten through third grade at all 13 public elementary schools in Boca Raton.
For more info, visit www.goldenbelleducationfoundation.org or call 561-395-4433, extension 232.

Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.