By Jane Smith

Real estate developer Michael Marco is pouring millions of dollars into reconstructing a historic home on the barrier island in Delray Beach — a project that was delayed after he ran afoul of city regulations.
“I’m trying not to think about the lost time and increased cost,” he said in April at the historic house site at 212 Seabreeze Avenue that he plans to make his family home. The city shut down the renovation in August 2020 for not having a needed demolition permit and did not allow the work to restart until December 2021.
While the actual construction costs have more than doubled over earlier estimates, some preservationists say the city’s history is incurring a much dearer price. They say Marco — no matter how well-intentioned — is not so much preserving history as he is building a close replica of it.
For them, the history was lost in less than 24 hours in July 2020, when workers removed the glass panels and louvers of the mid-century modern house, leaving only a steel skeleton on the site. Marco did not get a demolition permit, which is required if more than 25% of a home is going to be removed.
The city shut down the construction site for almost 1½ years. In December, the Historic Preservation Board and the City Commission unanimously approved allowing Marco to proceed with his reconstruction of the Paul Rudolph-designed home, while also allowing it to stay on the city’s register of historic homes.
Marco apologized to the board for stripping the house to its skeleton without contacting the city. “We should have reviewed everything with the historic staff before it was done. That was our mistake, a huge mistake on my part,” he said.

Why it could be historic
Rudolph, a pioneer of the Sarasota School of Architecture, was acclaimed for his modernism and later became chairman of the Yale School of Architecture. Marco’s house was one of the few Rudolph designs built on Florida’s East Coast, with most being in the Sarasota and Bradenton area on the Gulf Coast.
The predominantly glass Delray Beach house — built in 1955 before air-conditioning was widely available — was done for Sewell C. Biggs, a Delaware native who collected American art.
Richard Heisenbottle, a historic preservation architect hired by the city to review the Biggs house situation, said it’s still possible for the house to be historic.
If the reconstruction follows the U.S. Secretary of Interior’s guidelines that call for photos and plans of the original design to be used in the redesign, then the reconstructed house can be considered historic, he told the board members.
“We have the documentation that is required by that standard,” Heisenbottle, from Coral Gables, said at the December meeting.
The city originally approved listing the house in its historic inventory in 2005 at the request of the owners at the time, Virginia and Erskine Courtenay. She loved the house because it gave her a feeling of being up in the trees, according to the documents prepared for that designation.
The historic-designation report described the Biggs house as “a significant example of the modernism which swept through the state in the years after World War II. It is an example of the work of a leading American architect, Paul Rudolph, whose testing ground was Florida.” 

Why others say it can’t be
Not everyone agrees the Rudolph-designed home should remain on the city’s inventory of historic homes without an explanation.
“Things can be rebuilt, but it’s not a historic structure,” said John Miller, who has twice chaired the Historic Preservation Board. “Personally, I don’t think it can stay on the city’s list of historic places without an asterisk saying it was a historic structure and rebuilt in the Paul Rudolph style, with the mass of the home not the same.”
Miller, a Delray Beach native, is president of the Delray Beach Historical Society. He became a local history buff because his great-grandfather and grandfather were Delray Beach mayors.
The Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation no longer lists the Delray Beach house on its website. Its chief executive has said the new homeowners are assuming they know how Rudolph would react to today’s construction issues — something that’s not possible.
For that reason, the foundation’s website states: “The Paul Rudolph Heritage Foundation will not support such a rebuilding as an authentic Rudolph design. …The original residence will remain ‘demolished’ in our project list.”

‘Labor of love’ for owner
Historic Preservation Board Chairman Ben Baffer asked Heisenbottle to write a letter to the Rudolph Foundation after the Biggs house is reconstructed, explaining why it should still be considered an authentic Rudolph-designed home. Heisenbottle agreed.
Construction workers have been able to reuse most of the steel beams by sanding them and painting them, a process that took months, Marco said.
His wife, Nina, found the original Rudolph house plans that called for the ground floor to be enclosed in glass.
They will add air-conditioning, but they will not tint the glass to reduce the heat from the Florida sun. Tinted glass was not part of the Rudolph design. The reconstructed house will be about 60% glass.
After the house is rebuilt to look like the original Rudolph design, Marco will apply to the city for property tax abatements for his historic property improvements for 10 years. Marco expects reconstructing the home will take another 12 to 18 months.
His hard costs for the reconstruction now exceed $2 million. In January 2021, GLM Builders estimated the reconstruction cost to be about $920,000.
His soft costs for attorneys, engineers, architects and other consultants are mounting. He even gave up his day job as a residential real estate developer to oversee the daily work at his Seabreeze property.
“It’s a labor of love,” Marco said. “That’s how it makes sense to me.”

By Jane Smith

A former Delray Beach water quality inspector filed a federal complaint against the city on April 18, claiming she was wrongfully dismissed for pointing out problems with the city’s beleaguered reclaimed water program.
Christine Ferrigan, who earlier received Florida whistleblower protection from Palm Beach County’s inspector general, said she was let go in January, five days after she filed a written retaliation complaint against two of her Utilities Department supervisors.
City Manager Terrence Moore said then that Ferrigan’s position was eliminated in a reorganization “done for efficiency and austerity reasons.” However, Ferrigan’s position was the only one eliminated in the reorganization of the Utilities Department, according to her complaint.
Moore sent Ferrigan a Jan. 26 email saying her services were no longer needed, effective immediately. Ferrigan turned in her badge and was escorted out of the building, she said in an April 25 conference call interview that her attorneys also attended.
Her son also was let go from his job in the city’s Public Works Department on March 2. His job loss was described in the complaint as “the City’s continuing agenda to retaliate against” Ferrigan.
The city does not comment on pending legal action, but spokeswoman Gina Carter said in an email to The Coastal Star:
“The City has the unfettered right to organize (and reorganize) its departments in ways that are efficient and fiscally responsible. In the case of Utilities, Director Hassan Hadjimiry chose to streamline efficiencies within his department. The position Ferrigan held was not related to reclaimed water but rather to the City’s Industrial Pretreatment Program.”
Ferrigan, though, said she received approval in the summer of 2018 from her now-retired supervisor, Scott Solomon, to set up the city’s reclaimed water program. Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater suitable only for lawn irrigation, not for human or pet consumption.

OSHA to probe complaint
Ferrigan’s complaint is filed with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration. One of her attorneys, Richard Condit, called it the “first step” in her legal fight with the city.
She is seeking 11 remedies, including back pay, a different position because hers no longer exists, training for staff and managers about whistleblower rights, and attorneys’ fees.
OSHA will conduct its own investigation, including interviewing witnesses and reviewing reports, Erika Ruthman, U.S. Department of Labor spokeswoman, said in an April 26 email to The Coastal Star. The Labor Department oversees OSHA.
Ruthman said whistleblower investigations vary in the length of time. Ferrigan’s attorney, who specializes in such cases, said most last between six months to a year. If either side does not agree with the results, then it can appeal to an administrative law judge, Ruthman said.
Ferrigan, hired in June 2017, often sided with barrier island residents and provided information to the Florida Department of Health after it began investigating the city’s reclaimed water program.
In late 2018, Ferrigan inspected South Ocean Boulevard locations and interviewed residents who were reporting being sickened after the reclaimed water was connected in the area. The city issued a boil-water order for the area in December 2018.
According to Ferrigan’s complaint, the city should have reported the illnesses to the Health Department and let the department investigate whether the water was responsible.
The Health Department investigation began after it received a January 2020 complaint from one of the South Ocean Boulevard residents, who said she did not understand the cross connection that occurred at her house in December 2018.
Cross connections happen when the drinking water pipes are mistakenly connected to the reclaimed water lines.
In February 2020, triggered by the resident’s complaint, the city shut down its entire reclaimed water system to avoid a citywide boil-water order.

Whistleblower status

When giving Ferrigan whistleblower protection in September 2020, the county inspector general wrote that the city’s staff and elected officials “potentially still are being less than truthful in documenting and describing the city’s water problems.”
However, in a May 2021 report, the inspector general was not able to link the illnesses of the South Ocean Boulevard residents to the reclaimed water.
The Health Department’s investigation led the city to sign a five-year consent order Nov. 9 with the department, agreeing to pay $1 million in civil fines to settle issues in the reclaimed water program.
But the same month the consent order was signed, Ferrigan reported to the Health Department concerns of fellow staffers who feared retaliation, according to her complaint. They had been ordered by Hadjimiry to remove information that was required from the city’s database of backflow preventers, the complaint reads. Backflow preventers stop reclaimed water from flowing back into the drinking water supply.
This is Ferrigan’s second whistleblower battle with a South County coastal city.
She claimed whistleblower status in 2008 after she was fired from Boca Raton’s water department. She sued the city, claiming she was let go because of information she provided to state environmental officials about the city’s backflow and cross connection programs.
Ferrigan and her attorneys received a $537,500 settlement in 2014 from the city’s insurance company, published reports said. The city did not admit any wrongdoing.

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach residents could see average water and sewer bills jump more than 30% over the next five years, while the cost for those who regularly use much more city drinking water could double.
City commissioners unanimously approved the increases in a preliminary vote at their May 3 meeting, with the largest increases in the potable water rates. A final vote is expected May 17, when the public will have a chance to comment on the proposed rates.
The average residential water user, who consumes 6,000 gallons a month, would see a combined monthly bill of $75.66 in five years, up from the current $57.85.
Officials say the added income is needed to pay for a new water treatment plant. That plant will cost about $125 million, Daryll Parker of Willdan Financial Services, the city’s water rate study consultant, said at the March 8 commission meeting. The current plant is one of the oldest in the state.
Delray Beach has not raised its potable water rates since 2009, said retired City Manager David Harden, who discussed his concerns with The Coastal Star.
“The rates need to be modified,” Harden said, but the ones proposed “are too high, too fast.”
In January, he and his wife, Andrea, sold their historic home on Swinton Avenue. They used 29,500 gallons a month, mostly for the lawn, he said, because the city’s cheaper, reclaimed water isn’t available for irrigation there.
Their water consumption put them in one of the highest-use residential categories.
Their average monthly water bill was $72.01, Harden said. If they had stayed in that house, their monthly water bill would increase to $164.35 under the proposed rates, he said, raising the water portion of the bill more than $1,100 a year.

By Mary Thurwachter

Just when it looked like construction on Lantana’s library was about to resume, a canceled Town Council meeting on April 25 further slowed the progress.
On the agenda was a $734,227 contract with West Construction, Inc., to complete the library renovation. Work has been at a standstill since late December when it was discovered that the general contractor, Sierra Construction Management & Remodeling of Weston, was operating without a license.
But no vote was taken April 25, of course, since there was no meeting.
A notice on the door of the council chambers, written on the letterhead of Mayor Robert Hagerty, said the meeting was canceled “due to circumstances beyond our control.”
Vice Mayor Karen Lythgoe offered insight on the circumstances, saying in a telephone interview that the entire five-member council, town manager and town attorney had been exposed to COVID-19 during a visioning retreat with department heads on April 22.
“One of the people at the retreat came down with COVID,” Lythgoe said. “We’ve all been exposed, and two other people are showing symptoms of COVID, but negative so far. It was decided we should just call it off.”
Town Manager Brian Raducci said it hadn’t been determined if a special meeting would be called regarding the library contract.
After the town shut down Sierra’s work at the library, at 205 W. Ocean Ave., in December, it sought to turn the work over to a subcontractor, Multitech Corp. However, Multitech was unable to obtain the bonds required to restart the work.
The town then negotiated with West, which had been the second-lowest bidder when the contract was awarded in July. West bid $883,932 then, compared to Sierra’s $723,200.
According to the agenda report for the April 25 meeting, West has agreed to complete the work within 120 days from the date it receives a notice to proceed from the town. Failure to do so would cost the contractor $500 a day.
The total cost of the library is about $277,000 more than originally anticipated. Any funding shortfall will be paid for through the infrastructure surtax funds, other revenue sources or from the town’s reserve funds, according to the agenda report.
The library is temporarily housed in the Recreation Center at 418 S. Dixie Highway.

Visioning retreat
No one from the public attended the morning-long visioning retreat, which was held at the Finlandia House, just steps from Town Hall. The meeting wasn’t recorded, but minutes were taken, Town Clerk Kathleen Dominguez said.
Lythgoe said the retreat was “excellent,” but that the public notifications for events like that could be better. The meeting was noticed on the town’s website with an agenda, Dominguez said.
“I’m thinking email blasts or robo-texting,” Lythgoe said.
“We’ve got to drive traffic” to the website, she said. “We’ve got to get a better website. The website sucks. We’ve been talking about this for two years.”
The retreat allowed the council to hear from directors about their departments, what shortcomings they see and what they plan in the future — and for council members to submit their own priorities, including direction for the upcoming budget, Lythgoe said.
“We were all pretty much in alignment,” she said.

The 23,625-square-foot estate was built in 2014 on nearly two acres. Photo provided by Robert Stevens

By Christine Davis

Omaha businessman Steve Buchanan and his wife, Samantha, paid $40 million for the mansion at 2455 S. Ocean Blvd., Highland Beach, in a sale that was recorded in public records on April 6. This sale marks a record for the town, surpassing the $34.7 million sale in February of the home next door at 2445 S. Ocean Blvd.
The Buchanans made their purchase with a $30 million mortgage from JPMorgan Chase. Buchanan founded Buchanan Energy and Bucky’s Convenience Stores, which he sold last year to the convenience store chain Casey’s General Stores for $580 million, according to a news release.
The sellers were Bruce Leeds and Marina Rubio Ruiz. The property was purchased for an undisclosed amount in 2011 and the 23,625-square-foot estate was built in 2014 on the 1.88-acre lot with 150 feet of beachfront. The estate was designed by Madey Architects NY, and was built by Mark Timothy Luxury Homes, with interiors by Marc-Michaels.
Jonathan Postma of the Jonathan Postma Group represented the buyers. Ocean Estate Properties’ Bev Aluise Knight represented the sellers.

***

The 1.43-acre ocean to-Intracoastal parcel at 1260 S. Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan was sold for $40 million by 1260 S. Ocean LLC, managed by Stewart A. Satter, through his real estate company, Carnegie Hill Development. The sale, at a record price for a vacant lot of its size in Manalapan, was recorded March 31.
Buyers were Saltbox LLC and Artemis Realty, both managed by attorney Carolyn S. Nachmias in Burlington, New Jersey. Robert Preston with Carnegie Hill Realty represented Satter. Jack Elkins and Bunny Hiatt with William Raveis Real Estate represented the buyer.
Satter, Manalapan’s vice mayor, purchased the lot in March 2021 for $15.45 million from 1260 Manalapan Properties LLC, managed by Tonio Arcaini. Satter offered the property for sale two ways: vacant, with town-approved house plans and building permits for a 27,000-square-foot estate, which he listed for $42.5 million. He also had it listed for $125 million, with the furnished estate to be executed by the team he often uses for his projects: RWB Construction, Marc-Michaels Interior Design and the Benedict Bullock architecture group.
“Frankly, I would have sold it either way,” he said, adding that the buyer plans to build with his team using his plans with minor changes. “It’s an unusual lot, ocean to Intracoastal in Manalapan, and the buyer saw the value. She will save time with having the permitting in hand and she’ll also save money versus me finishing it and buying a finished project.”
The property drew considerable interest even after this deal went hard, Satter said.
“A couple Realtors said, ‘Hey, I have a buyer who will pay the full price of $42.5 million.’ You never know if those deals would have gone to fruition, but those buyers couldn’t find what they wanted,” he said.  
A previous comparable sale price for vacant land in Manalapan occurred in July 2005 when developer Frank McKinney paid a recorded $42.5 million for 8.6 acres with 820 feet of ocean and lake frontage at 700 S. Ocean Blvd. McKinney divided the parcel into five lots for redevelopment.

***

The estate at 2929 N. Ocean Blvd., Gulf Stream, sold in March for $26,694,444 to the David J. Miller Trust. The seller was 2929 Ocean Trust, which bought the property for $15,900,338 in May 2021.
The six-bedroom, 9,269-total-square-foot estate has 121 feet on the ocean. Corcoran Group agents Candace Friis and Phill Friis represented both the buyer and seller, according to Zillow.

***

Dermatologist and health book author Dr. Nicholas Perricone paid $6.8 million for an oceanfront five-bedroom, 5,480-square-foot townhouse, Unit 2, at Ocean Place Villas, 4211 S. Ocean Blvd., Highland Beach, in a sale that was recorded March 29. The seller was Marton Anka, who bought the property in 2014 for $4.6 million. Emily Roberts with Douglas Elliman represented the seller. Mariela Stochetti with Douglas Elliman and Suzanne Petrizzi with Corcoran represented the buyer.

***

Daniel Shooster and his wife, Leslee, paid $5.6 million for Unit 601 in the first completed phase of the Alina Residences development at 200 SE Mizner Blvd. in downtown Boca Raton. The sale was recorded March 28.
The developer, El-Ad National Properties, sold the four-bedroom, 4,836-square-foot condo. Alejandro Salazar and Rochelle LeCavalier of Douglas Elliman represented the seller. Alex Platt of Compass represented the buyer.  
The nine-story building has 102 condo units, 12 penthouses and seven villas.
Daniel Shooster is a former owner of the Festival Flea Market in Pompano Beach.

***

El-Ad has broken ground on the second phase of the Alina Residences. It will have two nine-story residential buildings and complete the project. The company said Phase 2 was 40% sold and that construction is scheduled to be completed by the third quarter of 2024.
The Alina 210 building will consist of 30 corner residences, with floor plans that include three or four bedrooms plus a den, ranging in size from 3,300 to 5,400 square feet. Pricing starts at $3.5 million.  
Alina 220 will have 152 residences of one to four bedrooms with den. These range from 1,400 to 5,400 square feet, priced from $1.7 million to more than $8 million. Douglas Elliman Development Marketing is the exclusive sales team. For more information, visit eladnational.com.

***

The official groundbreaking of 1625 Ocean — a U.S. Construction development with 10 condominiums and four penthouses on 120 feet of oceanfront in Delray Beach — took place in April. Architect Randall Stofft is the designer.
Of the 14 residences at 1625 S. Ocean Blvd., only one was still available for sale in April. “Our near sellout prior to groundbreaking is more evidence that the South Florida market is still hot, and still very attractive to those from the Northeast, California and residents who already live locally,” said John Farina, CEO of U.S. Construction.
Each unit is named after a musician. The final penthouse, The Sting, offered at $6.495 million, features four bedrooms, 5,000 square feet, terraces, a plunge pool, and summer kitchen. IMI Living is handling the sale. For more information visit www.1625Ocean.com or call 800-755-0358.

***

After receiving a $100,000 grant from the American Rescue Plan, the Delray Beach Public Library, partnering with the city’s Housing Authority, is distributing 54 GrandPad tablets to seniors at Lake Delray Apartments. A GrandPad is a computer tablet designed for people who have little to no experience with technology. 
“The GrandPad project, brought to me by Isabella Rowan, our program coordinator and volunteer manager, has reconnected seniors on fixed incomes with the world” after some lived in isolation during the pandemic, said Karen Ronald, the library’s executive director.  “I haven’t seen my grandson in person and this device lets me laugh and talk with him,” said Phyllis Martin, one recipient. “I have become more comfortable with the technology and I want to thank the library and hope we can continue to use them.”
The grant expires Sept. 30 and the library will need to set up a fundraising program to keep the program going. For information, contact Rowan at 561-266-9490 or isabella.rowan@delraylibrary.org 

***

Ethan Shapiro, head of school at Saint Andrew’s School, was named the Business Leader of the Year during the Boca Chamber’s annual business awards luncheon in March at Boca West Country Club.
Boca Raton Innovation Campus was recognized as the Business of the Year. The Small Business Leader of the Year Award recipient was Erick Solms, president of Simplitfy.
The awards honor entrepreneurs and businesspeople who generate economic prosperity and have strong philanthropic involvement in the community.

***

Gina Pierre of Amazon Hub Delray received a President Joseph R. Biden Lifetime Achievement Award for being part of the first minority mother/daughter duo to own and operate an Amazon Hub and Amazon counter location in the United States. 
“I don’t set out to win awards. But when you receive an award it’s an affirmation. It means that people appreciate what you do. Every award I have received is a confirmation of something I have done, and that motivates me to push a little harder,” Pierre said. 
Amazon Hub Delray is at 401 W. Atlantic Ave.

***

Florida Peninsula Insurance announced that litigation manager Paige Crider received the Emerging Leader Award at the inaugural Florida Women in Insurance Leadership Awards, presented in Tallahassee by the Gunster law firm. The luncheon served as part of Gunster’s Leading Florida Forward initiative.
Florida Peninsula’s director of special investigations, Virginia Austin, and the underwriting analytics manager, Tamie Moran, received recognition as nominees. 

***

In an annual Mother’s Day promotion, shoppers can receive a phalaenopsis orchid plant with every $200 they spend at downtown Delray Beach’s stores, gift shops, art galleries, spas, salons and fitness studios through May 7. To claim an orchid, bring a receipt dated May 2 through 7 to the front of Global Pursuit at 400 E. Atlantic Ave. or Sara Campbell at 1051 E. Atlantic from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 5-7. Restaurant, green market, hotel stay, food and beverage receipts are not valid.

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

Sharon Goldstein, 89, on the pool steps at Berkshire by the Sea in Delray Beach. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Almost-90 fitness fan makes big splash with her seaside water aerobics classes

By Mary Thurwachter

Sharon Goldstein’s students wear caps with substantial visors and dark sunglasses to partake in her morning water aerobics sessions at Berkshire by the Sea. After all, the sun can be brutal as it rises over the Atlantic.
Goldstein’s class isn’t brutal, but it’s no walk in the park either.
“It’s a place to get some healthy exercise,” the soon-to-be nonagenarian says. (She’ll turn 90 in September.) “I work them very hard. It is work, but something you get used to.”
The classes are free and offered Monday through Friday from mid-March to the end of April, when Goldstein lives at her Delray Beach timeshare.
Her students are “quite a bionic group,” she says. “I have so many people in the pool with me that have had hip replacements, knee replacements and shoulder replacements. It’s been great for them because most doctors, after they’ve had that kind of surgery, will recommend exercise after they’ve gone to rehab. They tell them to get to a pool and walk. I expand on that theme.”
The water workouts have helped Goldstein stay fit. “I don’t have any bionic parts,” she laughs.
Her daughter Jane Kapusta says: “Mom has always been into exercise and eating healthy. She is not an extremist. Desserts are usually included after dinner.”

People in the seasonal classes are ’quite a bionic group,’ Goldstein says, with various joint replacements. She took up water aerobics at age 75 after injuring her foot while playing tennis.

Commanding attention
Sometimes, the morning workouts become a little too social.
“At the beginning of each class, I announce that the only voice I want to hear is mine, otherwise I kind of lose control when everybody starts talking,” Goldstein says.
The suntanned fitness guru has been coming to the Berkshire, a 51-unit timeshare resort on North Ocean Boulevard in Delray Beach, for more than 40 years, but didn’t start teaching water aerobics there until 15 years ago.
The mother of five from Milwaukee took up tennis when she was 40, loved it and excelled at it until a foot injury sidelined her at age 75. That’s when she took the plunge into water aerobics.
“It was such a wonderful outlet because when I couldn’t play tennis anymore, I thought, oh, what am I going to do?” she says. “My life is at an end. But then one of my dear friends said ‘you would really enjoy water aerobics. Try it.’ I did — and I got hooked.”
The following winter, when she arrived at the Berkshire, she marched down to the pool first thing in the morning and began to do water exercises. Another woman asked to join her and, before long, a class was born.
“We put up notices right in front of the elevator that there was a water aerobics class from 9 to 10 every day Monday through Friday, and no charge. Come and exercise and get some healthy workouts,” Goldstein recalls. “That’s kind of how it evolved.”
Music was part of the program from the start but as time went on, she got help with that.
“One of the guys comes with his iPad or pod and plays music,” she says. “I’m so not tech; all I know is he has this small thing, and he connects it to that, and it makes wonderful music.”
Most any kind of music will do, she says: “Disco, songs from musicals, all kinds of stuff just as long as it has a decent beat.”
She learned many of the exercises during classes she takes four days a week back in Wisconsin, although she does improvise. Exercise balls and pool noodles used in her classes are provided by the resort, for which she is most grateful. Early on, she bought those items herself.
She’s also grateful for “Sergio and Heron,” two resort employees who faithfully clean the pool before each class. “The pool sparkles every morning,” Goldstein says.

The Berkshire provides pool noodles and someone else brings a music player to spice up the class.

Positive feedback
Reviews of her work can be collected by talking to the folks around the pool or in the hot tub where arthritic exercisers go to unwind after the vigorous sessions conclude.
“I’ve been with her since the first year,” says 79-year-old Bonnie Arnold from Prince Edward Island province in Canada. “I have a lot of arthritis. It has certainly helped me.”
When the group gets chatty, Goldstein “gets us to settle down. We laugh and carry on. We have a good time. The feeling is just wonderful.”
Another student is Goldstein’s daughter from Mazomanie, Wisconsin. Kapusta says her mom is “not a drill sergeant, but wants everyone to get a great hour of water aerobic exercise, but at each person’s physical ability and to stay focused during class.”
Kapusta, 62, has a bad back and goes at her own pace but says she still gets a great workout.
One of Goldstein’s students discovered she and Goldstein were neighbors back in Milwaukee.
“We both live on Lake Michigan about two blocks apart,” says Mary Dengel, 83. While most in the class stay at the Berkshire, Dengel has an apartment at the East Wind Beach Club co-op next door. “We’ve become very good friends,” says Dengel, who like Goldstein is a widow.
Goldstein’s husband, Bob, died a year and a half ago at 92 from complications of COVID-19. He had been an enthusiastic participant in his wife’s aqua exercise classes.
“Sharon’s just amazing how she does these water aerobics,” Dengel says. “We do a lot of stretching and we jog in place and get our heart going.”
Certain weeks have bigger groups, Goldstein says. “We have the turnover people that are only here for a week or two or three, and then I get a new group. But most of them are repeaters.
“My biggest thrill is when they come back and say ‘oh, I continued this when I went home.’ That’s always a good feeling for me.” 

By Amy Woods

The Martin F. Greenberg Family Foundation contributed $1 million to a health care cause that will result in the naming of the post-anesthesia care unit.
On the second floor of Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s Center for Surgical Services, the state-of-the-art Martin F. Greenberg and Family PACU will have 26 bays, isolation rooms and two nurses stations.
“When I decide to support an organization, it’s really because it tickles my fancy,” Greenberg said of the hospital and its foundation. “Its mission and goals need to be sound and impactful. And, just as importantly, its people need to be worthy. The hospital and the foundation ... they are made up of special people.”
The donation, announced in March, brought to $224 million the total raised for “Keeping the Promise — the Campaign for Boca Raton Regional Hospital.”
The goal is $250 million for the largest fundraising initiative in the hospital’s history. The money is supporting its most ambitious period of expansion.
“This leadership gift to Boca Regional is especially meaningful to me and Tali because it benefits our friends and neighbors,” Greenberg said, referring to his wife. “Boca Raton Regional Hospital has a great impact on our community, and we want to do everything we can to support it.”
For more information, call 561-955-4142 or visit https://donate.brrh.com.

Boynton Woman’s Club awards scholarships
The Boynton Woman’s Club, which has been awarding scholarships to local high schoolers for nearly 50 years, continued the tradition by giving out five more to students who plan to attend Florida colleges in the fall.
The recipients were honored at a luncheon at Quail Ridge Country Club.
“All applicants were so talented, and it was very difficult to make decisions,” club president Christy Hintz said. “Our winners stood out though because they were all so accomplished and articulate, and each one had made a special effort to help other people.”
The recipients are:
• Jake Palmer, Park Vista Community High School
• Daniela Rivera, Boynton Beach Community High School
• Ryan “RJ” Rudnet, Park Vista
• Ryan Sohn, Park Vista
• Christian Tomas, Park Vista
A separate scholarship intended for a woman who is returning to continue her education, was awarded to Nilza Madden.
“This has made such a difference in my life,” Madden said. “When I graduate, I will be able to contribute to the health of our communities and also fulfill a longtime goal of making a difference to the well-being of everyone in the whole community.”
For more information, call 561-369-2300 or visit www.boyntonwomansclub.com.

Impact 100 announces winners of $100,000 grants
Impact 100 Palm Beach County announced winners of its $100,000 grants for 2021-2022.
Recipients are: Young Singers of the Palm Beaches — South County Sings for Healing in the Arts, culture & historic preservation category; Friends of Foster Children — Kinship Care & Connections, in the family category; Marine Education Initiative — Sustainable Agriculture Education Initiative, in the environment & animal welfare category; Xcel Mentoring Network — Youth Training & Wellness Project that addresses career training and health, in the education category; the Soup Kitchen — Lift Up, in the health & wellness category.
Additional grant winners are Unicorn Children’s Foundation — Family Navigator Program; and Love Serving Autism — Serving with Heart in South Palm Beach County.
Impact 100 PBC is a group of philanthropic women who award grants to 501(c)(3) nonprofits to allow them to launch or expand high-impact initiatives or programs.

For more information, call 561-336-4623 or visit www.impact100pbc.org/contact-us

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

Some of Les Girls are (front, l-r)Maureen Hamilton, Neide Duran, Roshan Massoumi, Laila Sedfaoui, Monika Erikson; (second row) Cobie Bill, Sophia Isaac, Monique Sheft, Poonsri Pierce, Rita Sullivan; (back) Nelly Mellander, Mignon Gardner, Stephanie Lefes, Margarita Abrishami, Margaret Kallman and Carlene Kolbe. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Tao Woolfe

The women lined up along the eastern wall of the tiny, posh Palm Beach restaurant, looking more like rows of flowers than members of a private diplomatic corps.
They were dressed in bright spring dresses and hats, trying their best to squeeze together for a group photo without losing their composure — or bumping their neighbors’ brims.
The occasion was the 50th anniversary of Les Girls of Palm Beach, a social club for women born outside the United States. Represented in the photo — and the club — are some 30 nationalities among its 45 members.
Although the luncheon at Cafe L’Europe in late March was a special event, the club holds similar events throughout the year at various Palm Beach venues to celebrate the international network members have created.
“Many of the women come to this country and may not have a community they can turn to,” said Rita Sullivan, who moved from Spain, lives in Palm Beach and serves as the group’s media liaison. “The club provides that support.”

Les Girls (l-r) Carlene Kolbe, Maureen Hamilton and Laila Sedfaoui.

The club also provides support to charities in the West Palm Beach area, donating funds to a different cause each year. Among the recent recipients are the Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches, The Lord’s Place, St. Ann Place, Holy Ground homeless shelter and Hope House.
The charities are chosen by the club’s board of directors, which also decides who will be allowed into the club. Members sponsor new potential members, but everyone is interviewed and carefully vetted before joining the ranks, Sullivan said at a recent meeting of the board.
“We don’t advertise at all,” said Marcella De Muth Gintowt, the board chair, who lives in West Palm Beach. “We do screen.”
A few exceptions are made for candidates who are not foreign-born, but they must have strong ties to another country — either through language or culture, or both.
Using her background as an example, Sullivan, who has lived in the United States for nearly 50 years, says that “I am American, but I am Spanish in my heart.”

Les Girls (l-r) Estela Fanjul, Martina Covarrubias, Andree Dowling, Henya Betras, Sophia Isaac and Rita Sullivan with seated Marcella De Muth Gintowt. 

Although the current members would not reveal names, they said celebrities had graced the ranks: an opera singer from Finland, a Vogue model, the wife of a Coca-Cola mogul.
Asked whether they had an opinion on this nation’s controversies about immigration, the board of directors seemed to physically draw back from the conversation.
“We don’t talk about politics,” said De Muth Gintowt. “We are diplomatically very neutral. We don’t let that divide us.”
But at least two of the members at the anniversary luncheon silently expressed solidarity with a nation in distress. They were dressed in yellow dresses and wore bright blue hats: the colors of Ukraine.
“From Finland to Venezuela, from Scotland to Iran. … We have come in all ages, different backgrounds and faiths,” club president Martina Covarrubias said in her speech opening the luncheon festivities.
She was quoting from a speech given by founding member Giovanna Phillips at the club’s 25th anniversary.
Phillips, who taught Spanish, English and French at the Palm Beach Recreation Center, formed Les Girls of Palm Beach at the request of her students, who wanted to get together to practice their new language skills.
According to club history, the growing membership met monthly for lunch, and later, dinner at members’ homes. An early qualification for inclusion was a home large enough to entertain the ranks — including, at times, the husbands.
Members would bring typical dishes from their native countries to share with the group. The tradition, however, grew unwieldy as the ranks swelled to more than 50, Sullivan said.
Through the years of events and charity work, great friendships have formed. There has even been one successful matchmaking effort, said Henya Betras of Hypoluxo Island in Lantana.
“We had a party and they met and were married,” Betras said. “These things happen.”
The members say that such networking, here and abroad, remains the key to the club’s longevity.
Or, as founder Phillips said more eloquently, “We all have in common a great secret: It is the gold of friendship.”

Members of St. Lucy Catholic Church’s Palm Beach Diocesan Council of Catholic Women donned their favorite Easter toppers to attend a festive celebration that not only recognized the holiday but also signaled the end of season. The council’s charitable activities and fundraisers include food and clothing donations for underserved people in Pahokee, helping needy mothers and children through the Birthline / Lifeline program and organizing collections for Ukraine. ABOVE: (l-r) The Rev. D. Brian Horgan, council Vice President Susan Hiles, co-President Anne Dunn, Recording Secretary Eleanor Hoffman and co-President Mary Lou Goldberg. Photo provided

Hundreds of guests enjoyed ’80s-era entertainment in support of South Florida’s most vulnerable residents. HomeSafe’s 19th annual fundraiser featured celebrity host Nicko McBrain — Iron Maiden’s drummer — and generated proceeds that will go toward the nonprofit’s mission of creating safer, more productive lives for children and families. ‘This moment in HomeSafe’s history is a huge undertaking, and we are so grateful that so many have supported our efforts during the initial fundraising phase of our Healing the Hurt campaign,’ CEO Matt Ladika said.
ABOVE: (l-r) Lori Keezer with sponsors Maggie and Ken Rosenberg and Steve Bernstein. INSET: Sponsors Debbie Lindstrom and Bob Sheetz.
Photos provided by Tracey Benson Photography

Marking its first in-person event since the onset of the pandemic, the Lion of Judah welcomed more than 300 guests to a special conversation with noted author and journalist Bari Weiss. The gathering rang in the 50th anniversary of the organization’s founding and issued a call to action for the local Jewish community. ‘Our south Palm Beach community Lions have always had a huge heart for our beloved Holocaust survivors, our special-needs community, those battling food insecurities and mental and physical illnesses,’ member Karen Dern said. ‘This work never stopped.‘ ABOVE: (l-r, seated) Michele Meisner, Robynn Ginsberg, Jill Deutch, Randi Winter, (standing) Amy Zamore, Naomi Steinberg, Wendi Lipsich, Kathy Green, Laura Beinner and Gail Greenspoon. Photo provided by Jeffrey Tholl Photography

The King David Society of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County welcomed former Israeli President Reuven Rivlin and Israel Democracy Institute President Yohanan Plesner to a conversation that touched on current events. Topics included challenges to Israel’s democracy and future opportunities in the Jewish state. ‘The discussion was ‘insightful, stimulating and relevant to the world today,’ federation Chairman Larry Feldman said. ABOVE: Judy and Sid Swartz. Photo provided by Jeffrey Tholl Photography

The signature benefit for the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County raised $175,000 to aid children and adults struggling with reading skills. Bestselling author Elizabeth Berg was a huge hit with attendees. Berg penned the 2021-22 Read Together Palm Beach County book The Story of Arthur Truluv. Coalition board members Bernadette O’Grady and Debra Ghostine co-chaired. ‘The luncheon was an inspiring celebration and tribute to the love of literacy and our significant efforts in the community,’ CEO Kristin Calder said. ‘We are grateful to the sponsors, volunteers and attendees for their generous support to help us increase our impact to transform lives through literacy.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Louise Glover, Christine Olson, Tandy Robinson, Berg, Deborah Dowd and Susie Roegiers. Photo provided by Tracey Benson Photography

More than 150 major donors and guests attended a dinner to honor benefactors, founders and sponsors as well as members of the Dress Circle. A Valentine’s Day-themed three-course meal was followed by singing from Audra McDonald. ‘We are so delighted you are here with us, especially after such a long break without events and live performances,’ board Chairman Jeffrey Stoops said. ‘Tonight’s dinner is our opportunity to show our appreciation to all of you for your extraordinary loyalty and generosity.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Stoops, CEO Diane Quinn and sponsor Mike Bracci. Photo provided by Capehart

Drift, the new signature restaurant in the Opal Grand Resort along A1A in Delray Beach, will feature a Sunday brunch on Mother’s Day, May 8. Photos provided

By Jan Norris

With all the new restaurants in Delray Beach, it’s hard to keep up. A couple of guys have a solution: a food tour.
Matt Guidice and Anthony Guzman, both of South Florida, founded culinary walking tours of Delray Beach and Fort Lauderdale just as the coronavirus pandemic hit. They regrouped after it was safe to return to public spaces, and now lead tours in both cities through their company, Craft Food Tours.
The off-Avenue walking tour of Delray starts at 11:30 a.m. weekends and takes up to 14 visitors to five restaurants for 10 sips and tastes. It’s enough for lunch and provides history and architecture commentary along the way.
Private tours can be arranged for up to 80 people, and they do corporate events as well.
The restaurants that participate rotate, so guests don’t exactly know where they’ll be going; it’s a combination of flavors and styles. Chefs often come out to greet guests and describe their plates.
There’s also a happy hour tour at 6 p.m. Thursdays where the venues change to emphasize drinks and small plates, with eight drinks and four plates at three spots. Children must be 13 or older for this tour.
It’s rain or shine, and you do walk throughout — about 1.5 miles, give or take, but only a stretch of three or four blocks at a time before you’re seated and eating, drinking and learning.
Cost for the food tour is $79 per adult, $65 per child. Dietary restrictions are accommodated with advance notice; booking well in advance is encouraged.
Find more information about the tours and bookings at www.craftfoodtours.com.

***

If you haven’t made reservations for Mother’s Day — one of the biggest dining-out days of the year — get on it. Despite the growing number of restaurants, they book quickly for brunch, the traditional meal for moms.
There’s a new one in Delray Beach, and not many have heard of it: Drift. It’s the signature restaurant in the Opal Grand Resort — the redux of the Delray Beach Marriott on the ocean.
Billed as an endless summer atmosphere, the nautical-themed space has five dining areas, including a large wrap-around bar, lounge area with “mixology room,” a chef’s galley, the main dining room and an outdoor veranda. A rooftop event deck is open for booking as well.
The all-day menu has favorites such as charcuterie boards, a variety of dips and spreads for sharing, and the twist on the trend: lobster and avocado toast. Seafood is prevalent with Maine lobster bisque, baked oysters, and in salads, with Ora king salmon, and tonno — olive oil poached tuna. That salmon can also be ordered a la plancha. Chicken, burgers and fish tacos also are on the menu.
Sunday brunch runs 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with chicken and waffles, short rib hash, a roasted vegetable scramble, and other breakfast-type items served alongside the butcher’s block carving station. Meats and fish include overnight smoked brisket, Moroccan spiced leg of lamb, a rosemary crusted rib rack, pastrami spiced salmon and cherry bourbon glazed ham. Salads, flatbreads, burgers, desserts and several sides also are on the menu.
Live entertainment, and plenty of adult beverages complete the package.
Prices for Mother’s Day brunch: $89.95 for adults and $25.95 for kids under 12.

Drift, at the Opal Grand, 10 N. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. 561-274-3289; www.opalgrand.com.

***

Brule Bistro in Delray and others will offer free desserts for mothers.

Need other ideas? All the big spots have a brunch — though few have gone back to actual buffets because of the pandemic, so expect a la carte. Some are putting a few specials on the menu just for Mother’s Day.
Call in advance to confirm information that may have changed since this writing.
The main tip: Make your reservation now.
The Addison, 2 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton. 561-372-0568; theaddisonofbocaraton.com. Outside courtyard seating available. Reservations start at 10 a.m.
Brule Bistro, 200 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. 561-274-2046; brulebistro.com. A la carte brunch menu; free dessert for moms.
Caffe Luna Rosa, 34 S. Ocean Blvd., Delray Beach. 561-274-9404; caffelunarosa.com. No reservations, but the restaurant opens at 7 a.m. A la carte menu; great open-air dining across from the beach.
Elisabetta’s Ristorante, 32 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 561-560-6699; elisabettas.com. A la carte menu with specials such as burrata toast. Lively atmosphere upstairs and down.
Farmer’s Table, 1901 N. Military Trail, Boca Raton. 561-417-5836; dinefarmerstable.com. A special menu for brunch. Farm-to-table including juices and drinks.
Farmhouse Kitchen, 399 SE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. 561-826-2625; farmhousekitchenboca.com. Vegan and vegetarian dishes on the a la carte menu here. Some specials offered for Mother’s Day.
Harvest Seasonal Grill, 1841 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach. 561-266-3239; harvestseasonal.com. Healthy choices at the farm-to-table concept restaurant. A la carte menu.
Lionfish, 307 E. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. 561-639-8700; lionfishdelray.com. A la carte, seafood-focused menu. Open air dining room, lively bar.
Pavilion Grille, 301 Yamato Road, Boca Raton. 561-912-0000; paviliongrille.com. Brunch buffet followed by live entertainment from Elvis tribute performer David Morin starting at 5 p.m.
Prime Catch, 700 E. Woolbright Road, Boynton Beach. 561-737-8822; primecatchboynton.com. Nice waterfront setting with tiki bar. Seafood-focused a la carte menu.
The Ray Hotel Ember Grill, 233 NE Second Ave, Delray Beach. 561-739-1705; embergrilldelray.com. Brunch served 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.
Rose’s Daughter, 169 NE Second Ave., Delray Beach. 561-271-9423; rosesdaughterdelray.com. A la carte Italian menu with some specials. Free dessert for moms.
SALT 7, 32 SE Second Ave., Delray Beach. 561-274-7258; salt7.com. A la carte menu. Famous “fishbowls” of signature drinks for table sharing.
Sundy House, 106 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. 561-272-5678; sundyhouse.com. Buffet, but it’s more about the lush garden setting here.

***

Death or Glory, in the historic Falcon house in Delray Beach, will switch names again, though the format will stay largely the same.
One half of the current ownership, Annie Blake, has partnered with Sean Iglehart, one of the owners of Boynton Beach’s Sweetwater, to reopen mid- to late May as The Falcon.
“There’s so much history to the house,” Blake said. “It’s coming up on 100 years old.”
The opportunity for a refresh comes after Blake’s business partner, Ayme Harrison, moved to England to open an ice cream shop. “We had a good five-year run,” Blake said. “This was a good finale and the timing worked out.”
Upscale bar food with sharable plates will continue with the emphasis on craft cocktails.
For longtime fans, Blake has comforting news: “Buddy, our mascot, will still be here.” Buddy is the Havanese-poodle mix with his image on plates and so on.
“The Halloween and Christmas pop-ups will be back,” she said. “We’re bringing the house party back.”
Death or Glory closed last month, going out with a full-dress funeral party.

Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com

Historical Society Executive Director Winnie Diggans Edwards (left) counts on volunteers like Dan Kowalski and Connie Cook Lyons to keep the Heritage Gardens thriving. Photos by Jan Engoren/The Coastal Star

By Jan Engoren

On a beautiful Friday morning, volunteer Dan Kowalski is watering the Heritage Gardens, the Florida native garden at the Delray Beach Historical Society outside the 1920s Cason Cottage.
The garden at Swinton Avenue and Northeast First Street was conceived in 2017 as a collaboration between the Historical Society and the Grass River Garden Club. It was born out of the desire to teach the importance of utilizing native plants and as a way to mitigate the dwindling green space and natural habitats in the city due to increased development.
“It’s an asset and a green oasis in the midst of downtown Delray Beach,” says Winnie Diggans Edwards, executive director of the Historical Society. “We’re blessed with 1 acre of property and as a gathering place for the community. We wanted to create an outdoor classroom to educate the public on its history through nature.”
She credits Carl Terwilliger of Meadow Beauty Nursery in Lake Worth with helping design and plant the garden and her volunteer garden committee, which includes several master gardeners, for maintaining it.
Kowalski is outside most days from 8-11 a.m., doing his part to keep the beach verbena (Glandularia maritima), the blanketflower (Gaillardia pulchella) and the coontie plants (Zamia pumila) watered.
Growing native Florida gardens as opposed to Florida-friendly gardens “is best for sustainability reasons,” says Kowalski. “We don’t use any chemical fertilizers and we make use of the natural rainwater, as we have more than 300 gallons of water stored in our rain barrels.”
The garden has distinct sections, including a Florida scrub section, a pollinator garden, the Lower Keys, oak hammock, Dade County pine forest, wetlands, a raised bed heritage farm, a raised bed gladiola garden, and a fruit grove with a starfruit tree, Zill mango tree and a Brazilian grapetree or jaboticaba (Plinia cauliflora).
In the wetland area are swamp milkweed, a host for monarch butterflies, fragrant water lilies, buttonbush and a pond apple tree (Annona glabra).
Still in the works are educational kiosks to be located in each distinct habitat, providing an information panel describing the habitat’s plants, the fauna that benefits and messages about perpetuating Florida native gardens, endangerment issues and sustainability.
The improvements will assist the garden in providing guided and self-guided tours. The Historical Society also plans to hold lectures, classes and kids summer camp, all centered on native gardening, sustainability and conservation. 
As detailed on the society’s website, the mission is “to provide an outdoor, interactive experience that engages and inspires visitors of all ages to preserve our history, cultural heritage, and planet for future generations.”

The property includes the Cason Cottage, whose furnishings showcase Delray’s early history.

Edibles are next
The next phase of the garden will be to plant green beans, tomatoes and pineapple, all original crops dating back to the city’s agricultural heritage.
Edwards says Delray Beach has a rich history of garden clubs beginning in the late 1800s, when the town was founded as an agricultural city. She credits the Ladies Improvement Association of 1902 with the genesis of the city’s beautification efforts. One of those early garden clubs, the Poinciana Garden Club, remains active to this day, and a scrapbook with memorabilia from the nine original clubs sits in the Historical Society archives.
Edwards says the Delray Affair, which had its 60-year anniversary last month, began as a celebration of the city’s agricultural heritage and was first known as the Gladiola Festival, because the city was the gladiola capital of the country.
At last month’s gala the Historical Society sold special Florida-hardy gladiola bulbs, known as corms.
Connie Cook Lyons, a third- generation Delray Beacher and former naturalist with the Deering Estate in Miami, has deep roots to the Historical Society and has volunteered at the garden since the start.
Her father and Edwards’ father were founding members of the Historical Society and her brother, David Cook, is the vice president.
Walking through the Heritage garden, Cook Lyons highlights the native coontie plant, used by the atala butterfly to lay its eggs.
“This plant helped bring the atala butterfly back from the brink of extinction,” she says.
She points out the Hercules club tree (Zanthoxylum clava-herculis), a member of the citrus family and a host plant for caterpillars of the giant swallowtail butterfly.
“The garden is a place to come for peace and tranquility and to look for butterflies,” says Cook Lyons.
“We are bringing things full circle,” she says. “Learn about Delray’s history, stroll through the gardens, take pictures and use them as inspiration to create your own native garden.
“Preservation and conservation are twin tenets of our mission. The garden is an oasis of beauty and learning for years to come. We hope to leave a strong legacy for future generations.”
She quotes an old gardening adage especially relevant for native gardens: “In their first year, they sleep, in their second year they creep and by the third year, they leap.”
This particularly applies to slow-growing plants such as manzanitas, mahonias and other shrubs.
Now in their third year, they are “ready to leap,” says Cook Lyons.

Educational Heritage Gardens: Open year-round. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Suggested donation, $5. Group tours welcome. 

Twilight in the Garden
What: Delray Beach Historical Society fundraiser.
When: 6-10 p.m. May 14
Where: Historical Society campus (Cason Cottage), 3 NE First St.
Admission: $150
Reservations: Call 561-274-9578 or visit https://delraybeachhistory.org
Details: Food and craft cocktails from Caffe Luna Rosa, Farmer’s Table, Meso Beach House, Costa Organic Kitchen, Dada, Ember Grill at The Ray, Ceasar’s BBQ, Delray Hideaway, Hawker’s, Hopportunities, Warren Delray, Deke’s in Delray and others. Music from Brett Staska and Uproot Hootenanny.

The Institute for Regional Conservation, a Delray Beach nonprofit that aims to protect, restore and manage biodiversity regionally, and to prevent the local extinctions of rare plant, animals and ecosystems, was awarded a $10,000 Community Impact Grant from New York Life. 
The grant will support Restoring the Gold Coast phase two, which aims to recover the beauty and diversity of plants and animals native to coastal ecosystems in Palm Beach County.
In its second phase, Restoring the Gold Coast expands from a concentration on the coastal dune system to include the whole barrier island west to the mainland along the Intracoastal and adjacent waterways.

— Staff report

Mitzvah Day participants included (l-r) Robin Siegal, Cathy Haubenstock, Jill Rose, Susan Strulowitz and Karen Green. Photo provided by FANEFOTO

The federation welcomed hundreds of residents to do a good deed — or mitzvah — by offering activities with the goal of helping others. Everything was free and open to the public. ‘The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County wanted to celebrate our big giving day with an even bigger give-back effort,’ Mitzvah Day Chairwoman Sandy Gerstein said. ‘Additionally, we wanted to welcome our community with feel-good events, where we could reconnect, meet new people and feel safe outside, among friends.’

The Delray String Quartet will perform at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach on May 22. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

You may have noticed the colorful Little Free Pantry boxes popping up around the area.
Little Free Pantries are small, localized food collection boxes for folks who need a little help meeting their family’s nutritional needs. These pantries can hold only a small amount of canned or boxed goods, donated by neighbors, but they make a huge difference.
Jessica McClard launched the grassroots mini-pantry movement in May 2016 in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and Summer Faerman at B’nai Torah Congregation of Boca Raton spearheaded the project locally, with more than a dozen pantries popping up in Boca Raton and Delray Beach in the past year.
The newly opened pantry at St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church in Boca Raton is supported by the church, but some are started by neighbors or schools.
The philosophy is simple: “Take what you need; give what you can.” There’s no organization, just neighbors helping neighbors.
A typical pantry will stock tomato sauce, pasta, rice, cereal, canned tuna, fruits and vegetables, and toiletries.
McClard offered guidelines on starting your own Little Free Pantry, and Faerman used those as a guide. If you’re getting ready to head north for the summer, consider donating those unneeded pantry items to the project. You can find locations and information about starting your own Little Free Pantry at https://btcboca.org/littlefreepantry.

New deacons ordained
St. Vincent de Paul Seminary ordained 11 seminarians as transitional deacons on April 2, including Marc Gustinelli from Palm Beach diocese. The ordination Mass at St. Joan of Arc Church in Boca Raton was celebrated by Bishop David Toups, who formerly served as rector of St. Vincent de Paul before he was named bishop of Beaumont, Texas.
St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Boynton Beach is an ATS-accredited school founded in 1963 with a student population of more than 115 seminarians. Over the years, 650 of its seminarians have gone on to serve as priests in parishes in the Southeast and Caribbean.

New life skills center
JARC Florida announced that the new Caryn J. Clayman Life Skills Center will break ground in Boca Raton in September and open about a year later. The demand for services for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities continues to grow along with south Palm Beach County’s population. The 13,000-square-foot facility will be a modern space where the nonsectarian organization can serve more residents.
JARC Florida, based in Boca Raton, operates 10 group homes in the Boca Raton and Delray Beach area for adults with developmental disabilities. For more information, or to volunteer, visit http://jarcfl.org.

Morning coffee and prayer
The Prosperity Coffee prayer meeting at Unity of Delray Beach resumed in April. Meetings are the first Thursday of each month — the next were set for 7 a.m. May 5 and June 2 — at 101 NW 22nd St.
Prosperity Coffee is led by Charlene Wilkinson and is using the book The Prayer Way to Health, Wealth and Happiness, by Lowell Fillmore, available online. Phone meetings are also held. To be a part of the phone group, call 720-740-9634 and use pass code 2152894. For more information, visit www.unityofdelraybeach.org or call 561-276-5796.

Spring tea and fashion
The Episcopal Church Women of St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church will celebrate women and mothers at the annual Spring Tea and Fashion Show from 2 to 4 p.m. May 7 at the church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd., Boca Raton. Tickets are $35. Proceeds benefit the church’s ministries and outreach programs. Call 561-395-8285; www.stgregorysepiscopal.org.

Mother’s Day novena
St. Lucy Catholic Church offers parishioners an opportunity to celebrate their mothers, living or dead, with special Masses from May 8 through 16. A novena is a series of nine prayers or Masses that are focused on a specific intention. These “spiritual bouquets” for Mother’s Day are an option for those who can’t bring mom flowers. For more information about honoring your mother with a special prayer, call the church office at 561-278-1280.

5K run to fight hunger set
Registration has begun for the 2022 Hustle to End Hunger 5K to be held Oct. 1 at John Prince Park in Lake Worth. Registration fees are $40 until Aug. 31. There will also be a 5K walk and a virtual option.
Sponsors and volunteers are needed. The race benefits CROS Ministries. To register, visit www.runsignup.com. For more information, visit www.crosministries.org.

Chabad class registration
Chabad of South Palm Beach will offer the course “Beyond Right: The Values That Shape Judaism’s Civil Code” from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays from May 17 to June 21 at Chabad Center, 224 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan.
The course is in-person only and registration is $79. Returning students save $10. Call 561-889-3499 or visit www.chabadofsouthpalmbeach.org.

Music at St. Paul’s
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church’s monthly offering of classical music continues at a special time on May 22. The program “Romantic Power and Poetry” by the Delray String Quartet begins at 5 p.m. and features works of Hugo Wolf, Alexander Glazunov, Giacomo Puccini and Robert Schumann.
Tickets are $20, free for ages 18 and younger. St. Paul’s is at 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach.
For more information, call 561-278-6003 or visit https://stpaulsdelray.org.

— Janis Fontaine

By Joyce Reingold

Incisionless focused ultrasound. They are three words that when combined describe a potentially life-changing treatment for people who have tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease or essential tremor.
Last year, Delray Medical Center became the first hospital in Palm Beach County to offer this procedure, which uses magnetic resonance imaging to direct high-intensity ultrasound at the brain tissue at the source of the tremor.
“Tears, joy, amazement,” says Dr. Lloyd Zucker, chief of neurosurgery at the medical center, describing patients’ reactions when they see their steady arms and hands at the end of the treatment. “I still stand in awe every single time we do it.”
Zucker has been performing the procedure for three years — most recently in his role at Delray Medical Center, which is part of Tenet Healthcare. It’s done using the Exablate Neuro device, which was developed by Insightec.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration approved the use of the Insightec device in 2016 for essential tremor and in 2018 for Parkinson’s disease.
While it’s not a treatment option for every patient with motor symptoms, it’s a life-changing addition to the options already available.
“For many years, medication was the mainstay of treatment. … If you look at patients with essential tremor, many of them have tried one of three different medications. Fifty to 70% of them fail on medication treatment in five to seven years,” Zucker says.
“In the ’80s … there was the advent of something called deep brain stimulation, which is kind of what it sounds like. You put an electrode within the brain, you lead a wire under the scalp behind the ear and you put a pacemaker-like device by the clavicle.
“This delivers electrical impulses to the area of the brain that you’ve targeted and can be used for the tremors of essential tremor. And it can be used for the tremors of Parkinson’s disease and some of the other aspects like rigidity and slowness of motion. But there’s been a large number of patients that have been reluctant to undergo an intervention as great as that.”

Scalpel-free treatment
The focused ultrasound is an outpatient procedure. Most patients go home the same day and return to their regular activities within a few days. Zucker explains how it works:
“Ultrasound is usually a very benign form of energy and we use it for many things. But now what we’ve done is we’ve combined a helmet with 1,000 ultrasound sources that are focused at a point. And when you focus all that ultrasound at a point, it generates heat. That in and of itself wouldn’t be enough, but we’ve used the MRI to help us target where we want to access within the brain.
“The end result of that is without an incision, without a hole, it basically works directly through the skull without ever having opened it,” he says.
Zucker says the ultrasound frequency is ablative, “which means it destroys a small area of the brain by using heat. So, we are using that to knock out an area that’s causing the symptom that we would like to see relieved or at least abated.”

The patient experience
In preparation for treatment, patients receive a local anesthetic so the special frame can be put on their heads. This holds heads still in the MRI.
“The patient is usually lying there anywhere from as short as an hour and a half to as long as about three hours. The actual treatments are ranging from 10 and 12 seconds to up to about 35 seconds. In between the treatments, the machine is actually going through a cooling phase. What makes it a longer day than just three 12-second treatments is that in-between time,” Zucker says.
Patients are evaluated during treatment intervals. “And when we’re satisfied that we’ve gotten reasonably good control or elimination of the tremor, we get them off the table and they go home,” he says.
Studies show tremor control in patients who had the procedure seven to 10 years ago, Zucker says. “It’s been studied a little longer in Europe. Obviously, the experience in the United States is a little bit shorter, but it appears to be a fairly robust and long-lasting therapy.”

Possible side effects
Medical interventions have their risks, of course. In Insightec-sponsored clinical studies, the most common adverse events associated with the MR-guided focused ultrasound were imbalance/gait disturbance (26% of study patients), numbness/tingling (33%) and headache/head pain (51%).
“Most of these events were classified as mild or moderate, and 48% of all adverse events resolved on their own within 30 days,” Insightec says on its website. (Learn more at www.insightec.com/safety-information.)
During the treatment, Zucker says some patients describe a feeling of warmth. Others have described feeling pressure, “and a few, extreme pressure.”
“Some patients have no discomfort at all. Some patients have mild to moderate discomfort. But nobody has gotten off the table with their tremor gone and complained about what they went through.”

‘It’s like I was born again’
South Floridian Carol Klein, one of Zucker’s patients, first felt disbelief, wonderment and then teary-eyed after treatment. A video on the Insightec Facebook page shows Klein, at procedure’s end, holding out a steady arm, the severe hand shaking from essential tremor gone.
“I have my old life back, and I thought it was gone. I did. It’s like I was born again,” she says in the video. Watch the video at www.facebook.com/INSIGHTEC.MRgFUS/videos/643328180376267/.
“Anybody that sees one of these surgeries, sees the patient before, sees the patient afterward, knows that it is life-changing. And when you get to do that, that’s kind of why I went into medicine in the first place,” Zucker says.

Joyce Reingold writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to joyce.reingold@yahoo.com.