By Steve Plunkett

St. Joseph’s Episcopal School will shutter its campus at the end of the school year, its board of trustees announced March 31. 

The trustees madethe "agonizing decision to close" in a meeting the day before, Board Chairman Bill Swaney and Vice Chairman Peter Philip said in a letter to the school community.

St. Joseph's Episcopal Church, which owns the property on which the school has sat for 60 years, told the school in April 2022 that it would not renew its lease. The school sought accommodations with the church and also looked for a new location  "only to learn that extensive permitting and remodeling would prohibit the completion of any move for at least two years," the trustees’ letter said.

"Despite all these good efforts, it is clear now that the church has forced the school to close," the trustees said. "We’re devastated for our students, parents and teachers."

The church’s spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a phone call or email seeking comment.

The school on Feb. 20 lost its bid for an injunction to let it continue operating on the church’s grounds until a lawsuit between them was resolved. Circuit Judge Bradley Harper ruled the school did not have "a substantial likelihood of success … given the absence of any writing which establishes the existence of a 99-year lease agreement.”

The school claimed it had an oral, 99-year lease to stay where it is, at 3300B S. Seacrest Blvd., until the year 2093.

The church said the school signed a five-year written lease in 2012 and was given a five-year extension that expired last November. Both sides last year agreed to extend the lease until June 30 while the dispute headed to court.

The church has not given its reasons for not wanting to renew the $5-a-year lease.

"We remain perplexed about why the church chose to ignore the interests of our constituents,” the trustees said in their letter. “We are extremely disappointed and angry that the church has behaved so callously.

“Perhaps above all, we are crushed that the school will no longer exist in service to the community of which it has been so integral a part.”

The letter also said the school’s Early Childhood Academy, at 2515 N. Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach, will remain open next school year.

The school had 175 students enrolled in pre-K through eighth grade. While the two entities share the St. Joseph’s name and the same location on Seacrest Boulevard, the school split off from the church in 1995.

That was a year after Swaney gave the church approximately $2.5 million worth of stock in his company, Perrigo, “for the express purpose of the church constructing buildings and facilities for use by the school,” the school’s lawsuit said.

Swaney, the suit claimed, made it clear to the church’s vestry that he was making the gift in exchange for a promise, made orally several times, that the school would never be displaced from the property. The church sold the stock and built a gymnasium, library, classrooms and administrative offices.

By Rich Pollack

Just six days before he was set to begin his second term in office, Highland Beach Mayor Doug Hillman died March 15 following a brief battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 77.

Mr. Hillman’s death, which came less than two months after his wife of 54 years died, was a shock to town leaders and residents, with some just learning about his illness less than a month ago.

Elected mayor three years ago after serving on the town’s Financial Advisory Board and having run unopposed this election cycle, Mr. Hillman was well respected for his leadership style and his ability to use a touch of levity to lighten serious discussions while working to build consensus.

Town Manager Marshall Labadie, who has worked with many elected officials over the course of his career, praised the late mayor as “one of the best.”

“It really doesn’t get much better than Doug,” he said. “His leadership style and his concern for the community set him apart from most local leaders I have worked with. He became a mentor and a friend.”

Vice Mayor Natasha Moore said one of Mr. Hillman’s strengths was his willingness to listen to others.

“All of his decisions centered around what he thought would be best for the town,” she said.

In addition to his leadership in Highland Beach, Mr. Hillman also served as president of his condo association at Dalton Place, as well as president of the umbrella organization at Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina. 

“As president of Dalton Place and Boca Highlands, Doug was considered a visionary and smart and business-savvy,” said friend and neighbor Ron Reame, who is vice president of Dalton Place and on the board of governors of Boca Highland. “He was the voice of reason.”

Reame said that it was Mr. Hillman who led efforts to revitalize their building, bringing it up to “five-star resort” quality.

“Doug was a man of integrity, was kind, helpful, patient, fair and complimentary to all who worked with him,” Reame said. “He was influential and inspiring to our community.”

With Mr. Hillman’s death, Moore will automatically fill in as mayor for no more than 30 days. Within that time, the Town Commission will have an opportunity to appoint a mayor who will serve until March 2024, when an election will be held to fill the remaining two years of Mr. Hillman’s term.

Moore, who has served as vice mayor for two years, said that Mr. Hillman was instrumental in helping her grow in the position.

“Not only was he a colleague, he was also a mentor,” she said. “He put all of us in the right position to make good decisions.”

Prior to coming to Highland Beach, Mr. Hillman served as an executive for some of the best-known men's, women's and children's apparel, accessory and footwear brands, including Levi's, Dockers, Burlington Hosiery, Keds, Pro-Keds and Sperry Topsiders, as well as London Fog, where he became president.

Mr. Hillman also served as a business adviser to the governor of Maryland and as a consultant to the Baltimore Police Department. In addition, he was a professor at both Johns Hopkins University and American University, where he taught advanced marketing courses at the graduate level.

Mayor Hillman is survived by son Michael, daughter-in-law Michelle, granddaughter Molli and grandson Miles.

A memorial service will be held at 10:30 a.m. March 19 at Dalton Place in Boca Highland Beach Club and Marina.

By Steve Plunkett

The ailing sea turtles at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center have been temporarily moved to other facilities, its veterinarian has quit, and the coordinator of its turtle rehabilitation program and her assistant are no longer there.

“The rehabilitation facility is CLOSED until further notice,” the city-operated nature center says on its website.

The unexpected turmoil comes as Boca Raton prepares to hand off operation of the rehab program to the nonprofit Gumbo Limbo Coastal Stewards, formerly known as the Friends of Gumbo Limbo.

“Obviously some people aren’t happy about certain things,” city spokeswoman Anne Marie Connolly said.

The Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach took six of the program’s turtles; Zoo Miami is caring for two and the Florida Oceanographic Society in Stuart has one. Seven of the turtles are patients; two, named Morgan and Cane, are Gumbo Limbo “residents.”

The turtles were moved March 14, she said, following the resignation of veterinarian Dr. Maria Chadam.

Chadam, who cared for Gumbo Limbo’s turtles for more than a decade, said the time was overdue for her to focus on other aspects of her life.

“A culmination of events has quelled my optimism to a point where I cannot continue as a key member of this organization. This decision does not reflect a concern related to any one person or on any specific event,” she wrote in a Feb. 13 letter giving 30 days’ notice.

John Holloway, CEO and president of the Coastal Stewards, answered the next day: “Effective immediately, your services under the contract are no longer required,” he wrote.

“Once she resigned, that put our permit in temporary status,” Connolly said.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issues permits for sea turtle research and rehabilitation, with one provision being that a rehab program must have a veterinarian on staff.

Also gone from the nature center are the rehab program’s coordinator, Whitney Crowder, who started working there in 2012 as the assistant coordinator, and Emily Mirowski, her assistant, who gained worldwide attention with a Facebook post about a baby turtle who died after eating 104 bits of plastic. Both were laid off after they decided they did not want to work for the Coastal Stewards.

“Unfortunately, as far as the staff members … it didn’t work out the way we intended,” Connolly said, praising their contributions to the program. “We would have hoped they stayed onboard.”

Adding to the confusion at the nature center is the final stage of a $3.2 million project to connect pipes to a new pump on the east side of State Road A1A that will push seawater to Gumbo Limbo’s viewing tanks and aquariums. The new system should be complete by the end of the month.

Some of the relocated turtles might recover and be released back into the ocean before a new veterinarian and program staff are hired and the FWC permit is reauthorized.

“Of course, we will miss Morgan and Cane while they are away, but everyone is committed to welcoming them home as soon as possible,” Holloway wrote in an email to interested parties. “Please consider donating, shopping sustainably in the gift store, joining our membership, and check our website and social media often for exciting updates and ways you can be a part of our future.”

The city started negotiating last fall for the Coastal Stewards to assume responsibility for the rescue, rehabilitation and release program. As part of the new arrangement, donations collected at the door, which used to go to the Stewards, will now be used for ongoing maintenance and improvements.

The city owns Gumbo Limbo and the surrounding Red Reef Park; the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District pays for all operations and improvements.

The rehab program has grown tremendously over the years, Connolly said.

“While the city and the (Beach and Park District) want to support the success of the program, both organizations believe the animal rescue and veterinary component of this program can be better served by a nonprofit organization with fundraising capabilities, membership support, and the flexibility that local government agencies don’t have,” she wrote in an email. Years ago, she noted, Boca Raton transitioned all operations of the Tri-County Animal Rescue west of the city to a nonprofit.

Still open at Gumbo Limbo are its boardwalk, nature trails, gopher tortoises, aquariums, butterfly garden and exhibits. The Boca Raton City Council in late February approved spending $2.4 million from the Beach and Park District and the Stewards to rebuild Gumbo Limbo’s observation tower.

By John Pacenti

Delray Beach voters handed Mayor Shelly Petrolia a major defeat on Tuesday – and she wasn’t even on the ballot.

The electorate – roughly 6,900 out of more than 46,000 registered voters – rejected the candidates Petrolia supported in favor of two candidates who promised to return Delray Beach to an old way of doing business, eschewing controversial decisions and trumpeting civility. 

Those who showed up to vote also approved $120 million in two bond measures, which are slated to pay for a potential new police station, for renovations of existing fire stations and for park improvements.

Businessman Rob Long defeated one-term Commissioner Juli Casale for the District 2 seat – 53% to 47% -- with a margin of 377 votes.

Angela Burns, a former teacher and community organizer, defeated former Commissioner Angie Gray for the District 4 seat, 52% to 48% – or by 213 votes.

She takes the seat vacated by Commissioner Shirley Johnson, who could not run again because of term limits. Johnson often voted with Casale and Petrolia on key issues.

Results shift power on commission

The election very much leaves Petrolia playing Don Quixote against a stacked commission. 

Long said the election was a repudiation of Petrolia, who once called for his removal from the Planning & Zoning Board when he criticized the city’s water quality. “I think this election was a referendum on the mayor's leadership style and the decisions that have been made over the last couple of years,” he said.

 “That being said, I hope the mayor and I can find common ground and work together to serve our residents at the end of the day. That's all that matters.”

A 13-year resident of Delray Beach, Long serves as the chairman of the Palm Beach Soil & Water Conservation District.

Casale was a political neophyte in 2020 who came to office after fighting a development in her Sabal Lakes neighborhood.

"The residents are either far more pro-development than I thought or far more apathetic than I thought," Casale said in a text message on Wednesday. "Either way the result is the same."

Burns campaigned as the only non-politician running, saying that the people’s voices weren’t being heard at City Hall. “Our community has spoken loud and clear and it’s proof our message resonates,” Burns said.

Gray could be reached for comment on Tuesday. Neither could Mayor Petrolia. 

The Long and Burns connections

Burns and Long hired the same political consultant and at public forums agreed on nearly every issue.

Both talked about bringing civility back to the City Commission after recent years brought a water quality scandal, an ousted city manager and the removal of the longtime nonprofit that ran Old School Square – Old School Square Center for the Arts, Inc.

But their victories may bode something else as both have said they want to return the running of Old School Square to the ousted nonprofit and wrest control of the Community Redevelopment Agency from the commission – decisions that won’t come easy.

The commission voted just last month to hand over the reins of the city cultural center to the Downtown Development Authority.

The commission also took over an independent CRA in 2018 after it said the CRA repeatedly ignored the needs of businesses west of Swinton Avenue, instead supporting more affluent areas. Commissioners now hold five of the seven seats on the CRA’s governing board.

“My goal is to bring unity to the city to start more or less a healing process to bring civility and professionalism back to the dais,” Long told The Coastal Star.

He acknowledged, though, that the election was close and the city remains divided, adding, “I’m here to serve every resident, not just my supporters but my opponents’ supporters, too, because in an election this close I want to represent the entire community.”

The Long victory will be seen by his opponents as a win for developers as he sat on the Planning and Zoning Board that greenlighted many of the new high-end developments that are under construction or in the pipeline.

During the day on Tuesday, the Casale campaign team expressed worry that Long in an 11th-hour robocall portrayed himself as against overdevelopment, fearing that could turn the tide.

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reported in January that a lawyer representing developers funneled business to Long’s grassroots outreach business, Door 2 Door Strategies. Long voted on one project in question based on the advice of an assistant city attorney who said he didn’t have a conflict of interest.

The Long-Burns quinella was also a win for Commissioner Ryan Boylston who is said to be angling for Petrolia’s job. He threw his support over the weekend to Long and Burns, deriding the “toxicity” of the commission and said “I for one want the ‘Delray Way’ back.”

Certainly, Delray Beach’s old guard will be happy – five former mayors supported Long.

Police and fire unions will also be happy. Casale had pivoted recently to calling for an audit of the Fire Rescue Department and investigating overtime abuses in the Police Department. Both police and fire unions endorsed Long and Burns. Long said at public forums that it was critical to have good collaborative relationships with first responders.

State-ordered audit is city’s latest drama

On Monday, the state Legislature’s Joint Legislative Auditing Committee unanimously approved a request by State Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman (R-Highland Beach) for the auditor general to examine what Delray Beach has charged Highland Beach for fire service the last six years. 

The city and town are fighting over what is owed and the audit underlined what Long and Burns characterized as continued chaos. 

Team Petrolia upending the apple cart the last three years did produce drama. 

The firing of the nonprofit running Old School Square for lack of accountability and mismanagement occurred at a commission meeting where it wasn’t even on the agenda. 

The firing of former City Manager George Gretsas made sure the city ran through more city managers than Spinal Tap does drummers.

Both the nonprofit and Gretsas have sued the city.

The city also agreed in November 2021 to pay $1 million to the Florida Department of Health for water safety violations – the foremost being that reclaimed water was making its way into the drinking water system.

Two bond issues approved

In a vote that almost certainly has more long-lasting implications, voters overwhelmingly approved a $100 million public safety bond and a $20 million parks bond. Both bonds received support from more than 60% of voters.

City spokeswoman Gina Carter said the parks bond will bring much needed improvements. 

She said the public safety bond “will allow our police and fire departments to grow. It will enable state-of-the-art technology and hurricane hardening to be central to our public safety infrastructure.”

Carter added the bond will also add a dedicated Emergency Operation Centers, which will serve the city during storms and emergencies.

At a forum on the bonds in February, the city said $80 million would be allocated either for building a new police headquarters or a major renovation of the existing structure. The rest would go to help renovate its aging fire stations.

The $20 million for parks will include improvements to Catherine Strong Park, such as covered basketball courts, a covered practice field, walking trails and improvements to restrooms and lighting.

The general obligation bonds will be paid for by revenue from property taxes. The city is required to levy enough property tax to pay for the debt service on the bond.

The estimated cost over 30 years to a resident with a home having $1 million in taxable assessed value would be $428 for the first year of the public safety bond. That amount would decrease to $360 annually when the city retires two previous bonds next February.

The parks and recreation bond is a separate cost. The 30-year estimated cost will be an additional $88 annually for a home with a $1 million taxable assessed value.

Unofficial vote totals updated as of 10 a.m. March 15.

By Mary Hladky

Boca Raton voters soundly defeated a measure that would have increased City Council members’ terms of office from three years to four.

The proposed change to the city charter, the only matter on the March 14 ballot, was opposed by 59.4% of voters and favored by 40.6%.

It would not have changed the two-term limit for council members.

The outcome was a major defeat for Mayor Scott Singer, who proposed the change and actively urged residents to support it.

In pressing for the initiative, Singer said that of the state’s 25 largest cities, Boca Raton is the only one that does not have four-year terms.

Longer terms would give council members more time to bolster their expertise on city matters. And because they would stand election less frequently, they could focus on city issues rather than campaigning, he said.

But opponents, including unsuccessful 2021 City Council candidates Brian Stenberg and Josie Machovec, argued that residents have not called for such a change.

They also said it was a waste of city money to spend about $225,000 to hold an election that would draw little interest because no council candidates would be on the ballot. Singer, Fran Nachlas and Marc Wigder won election without opposition.

Singer countered that the change would save money over time, since it would result in fewer elections being held.

Council members voted 3-2 in December to place the charter change on the ballot. Voting against were Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke, whose final term ends on March 31, and Nachlas, who said she could not support a change that benefited her with a longer council term.

By Rich Pollack

There will be two new faces on the five-member Town Commission following the March 14 vote, which saw just over 800 of Highland Beach’s 3,900 registered voters casting ballots.

Newcomer Judith Goldberg defeated challengers Maggie Chappelear and Peter Kosovsky and will serve the one year left in the term of Peggy Gossett-Seidman, who resigned to run successfully for state representative.

“I am just thrilled to represent this magical town,” Goldberg said, adding that she believes her forthright conversations with residents helped her get votes. “I just spoke about the issues honestly.”

Goldberg received 408 votes, or just over 50% of the total votes cast, with Chappelear receiving 30.5% or 246 votes while Kosovsky received about 19% or 152 votes.

In a two-way race for a three-year term, newcomer Don Peters defeated incumbent John Shoemaker, capturing 53% of the votes to Shoemaker’s 47%.  

“A lot of people worked hard for me and I’m very thankful,” Peters said.

The former police officer and town supervisor in Yorktown, New York, said he believes his victory is the result of residents wanting more of a voice in the way the town is run.

“People just want their government to listen,” he said.

Both Peters and Goldberg were backed by the Committee to Save Highland Beach, a political action committee that sends messages to more than 2,000 email addresses.

The election marked the first time since 2020 that voters had an opportunity to select a town commissioner; all candidates running in the last three years ran unopposed.

During this year’s campaign season, transparency and increased public input in decision-making was a common theme among the candidates.

Chappelear, who first got involved with the town when she supported safer boating conditions on the Intracoastal Waterway, ran her campaign with a focus on being the voice of residents on the commission. A 38-year resident of Highland Beach, Chappelear has also been a strong supporter of dune restoration.

Goldberg, an attorney and mediator, ran her campaign focus on transparency and having energy and vitality for good governance. She is a supporter of preservation of natural resources and property values and supports effective growth planning.

Kosovsky ran his campaign on public oversight and involvement believing there needs to be more public involvement in the running of the town. In an unusual move in what had been a very civil election season, Kosovsky was openly critical of Goldberg for what he claims were violations of campaign rules. 

In the race for the three-year seat, Peters often spoke about keeping taxes low and also wants to see residents having a greater voice in the decisions made by town leaders.

Shoemaker, who served three years on the commission, ran on his experience and on the effectiveness of the current commission in addressing long-standing issues. He says he ran on continuity, collaboration and competence. 

The low turnout, Shoemaker said, may be a reflection of how well the town is operating.

“When things are going well, people don’t seem to have as much interest in local affairs,” he said.

The election in Highland Beach remained mostly civil, with all candidates each spending less than $10,000 on signs, emails and online and print advertising. 

Goldberg, who had a strong online presence, led the pack in expenses, spending more than $8,200, according to the latest campaign finance reports. Kosovsky was next spending just under $4,000, while Chappelear spent just under $1,400.

In the seat for the three-year term, Shoemaker spent about $2,250, while Peters spent only about $750.

In all, the five candidates spent about $16,500 for their campaigns.

By Mary Thurwachter

Not long after the polls closed in Lantana’s Town Council races March 14, the winners — incumbent Mark Zeitler and newcomer Christopher Castle – celebrated with friends and supporters at Lantana Pizza.

“I’ve been up since 2 a.m., I’m so wired,” Zeitler, 67, the owner of an air-conditioning firm, said by phone after seeing the final results of his Group 3 race. “I look forward to doing good things for the town.”

He defeated newcomer Ray Lastella, 32, an entrepreneur with a boat detailing company and a jet ski rental company, by a vote of 488 to 393.

For the Group 4 position, Castle, 37, a maintenance facilities director for PetMeds, won 470 to 406, outpolling Army veteran (and manager of Ace Rental Place in Lantana) John Raymer, 53. This was Raymer’s second run for office. He ran unsuccessfully last year against veteran Council member Lynn “Doc” Moorhouse.

“I’ve been through all the emotions from giggles to glee,” Castle said on the phone. Early results showing mail-in ballots had him worried, he said, but in the end, he won with more than 53% of the vote. He’s looking forward to being sworn in on March 27 and getting to work for the town.

Council terms are for three years.

Lantana residents also voted 507 to 341 to change the Town Charter to put an end to runoff elections. Currently, a candidate must receive at least one more than 50% of the votes in a race to be elected. If no candidate gets a majority, a runoff election is held between the two candidates receiving the most votes in the race.

Forced runoffs in two council races last year made some elected officials consider a change to a plurality system, where the candidate receiving the highest number of votes in a race — whether or not it is a majority — is the victor. Voters agreed. Proponents argued that runoff elections were an unnecessary expense.

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

37 of 38 precincts reporting

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

SOURCE: Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections (unofficial results)

A week before the March 14 municipal election, Palm Beach County Elections Supervisor Wendy Link said 8.758 voters out of 194,000 eligible voters countywide, or almost 5%, had returned their mail-in ballots.

It’s too late to ask for a Vote-by-Mail ballot for this election if you didn’t renew your request by March 4, though you can still do it to vote in future elections in 2023 and 2024. In addition, there is no early voting for the municipal election.

The polls will be open on Election Day from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. You should bring a photo/signature card such as a Florida driver license or U.S. passport with you.

Municipalities holding elections this month include Boca Raton, Delray Beach, Highland Beach, Lantana and Ocean Ridge. For more information or to look up your precinct polling place, go to www.votepalmbeach.gov

--Steve Plunkett

By Mary Hladky

Major construction on the new Diverging Diamond Interchange at Glades Road and Interstate 95 will wrap up ahead of schedule.

A fourth lane in each direction on Glades Road will be completed by March 31, state transportation officials told Boca Raton residents on March 2, ahead of the previously announced May 1 completion date. The roadway also will be paved and striped by then.

“We are working as quickly as possible to get the fourth lane open,” Aurelio Matos, Florida Department of Transportation senior project engineer for the interchange, told residents at a town hall meeting hosted by Mayor Scott Singer. “By the end of the month, we will have the final configuration.”

The fourth lanes will allow traffic to move more quickly through the interchange and improve safety, officials said.

That was welcome news to residents. One complained it took him 23 minutes to navigate the interchange in one direction and nearly 20 minutes in the other.

The project won’t be completely finished until May 1 though. Still to be completed are the removal of old ramps and creation of drainage ponds, which will be graded and sodded.

Work is continuing to synchronize the interchange’s traffic signals to further alleviate delays and congestion.

The FDOT and the city have five cameras on the project, which allows them to make tweaks as they go. Matos said there have been no issues with people driving in the wrong direction.

The project was launched in March 2021. The new interchange opened in “temporary condition” on Jan. 30.

By Joe Capozzi
 
Technological improvements planned for Boynton Beach Fire Rescue’s dispatch center mean Briny Breezes residents can expect faster response times in their tiny coastal community. 
The average response time in Briny Breezes last year was 6 minutes and 53 seconds, said Hugh Bruder, chief of Boynton Beach Fire Rescue, which provides services to Briny under a $453,000 annual contract. Although that’s lower than the recommended national response time of eight minutes, Bruder said he thinks his department can do better. 
“We don’t even like the 6 minutes and 53 seconds. We always try to be better. We want to get here as quickly as we can,’’ he told the Town Council on Feb. 23.
Improvements are on the way. 
Fire Rescue plans to purchase an improved dispatching system that will shave up to 60 seconds off response time, Bruder said. The cost of the system could range from $750,000 to $1 million, money he said would come from a combination of grants and state appropriations.
There is no date for when the system will be up and running.
“The timetable is I wish I had it yesterday,” he said after the meeting. “We’re in the process of searching for grant money.”
That 60-second difference “is huge,’’ he told Briny officials. “As you can imagine, for someone with cardiac arrest who needs oxygen, that’s a very big deal. We are making a lot of moves to try to reduce response times where we can.’’
Bruder reminded the council of another recent addition to his department that benefited Briny. A high-water vehicle, acquired last year, “had a very heavy presence” in November when flood water stirred by Hurricane Nicole swamped the coastal community. 
“That high-water vehicle came in handy and assisted several of your residents,’’ Bruder said. “We are pretty proud of that equipment.’’ 
Fire Rescue also is planning a massive expansion to its dive-rescue program over the next two years, including the purchase of a 26-foot boat, he said.
In other business:
• Ocean Ridge Police Chief Richard Jones informed the Town Council that he will be resigning by May 11 to take a job in the nearby coastal town of Gulf Stream. Ocean Ridge provides police service for Briny. 
“Thank you for what you’ve done,’’ Mayor Gene Adams said. “You’ve done a wonderful job at Ocean Ridge and Briny Breezes for sure. I’m personally glad you’re staying on the island.’’
• Briny Breezes Corporation announced vote results at its annual shareholders meeting Feb. 22. Only 27.1% voted yes to give the corporate board direction to market the park for sale. And 61% percent of the park’s shareholders voted to change the number of shares required to put future petition items to the community for a vote. What had required 10% will now require 35%.
• The Town Council will hold its annual organizational meeting at 3 p.m. March 21. The next regular Town Council meeting is March 23.

The Delray Beach Tennis Center hosted the Delray Beach Open in February, with American Taylor Fritz (far court) defeating Miomir Kecmanović of Serbia for the title. The stadium will have Team USA vs. Austria in the Billie Jean King Cup in April, with hopes of landing the 12-nation finals in November. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

City part of international event with local players set to compete

By Brian Biggane

Five years after turning professional, Coco Gauff plans to play her first significant hometown tennis event when the Delray Beach Tennis Center hosts a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier April 14-15.
The matches between the U.S. team and Austria are a big catch for Delray Beach. What would be bigger — much bigger — is for the center to land the 12-nation finals, scheduled for November.
Formerly known as the Fed Cup, the largest women’s team event in the world annually plays a weeklong final tournament. Prize money awarded last year totaled $11.4 million, with $2 million going to the winning team.
Gauff, ranked No. 6 in the world in women’s singles, isn’t the only local tennis star who will play for the United States. Boca Raton’s Jessica Pegula, 29, ranked No. 3 in the world, committed to play on Feb. 21, although U.S. captain Kathy Rinaldi said she would not finalize her team until mid-March.
Gauff and Pegula could handle the two singles matches each day, then team up in doubles — as they have done for the past several months ­— if necessary.
The Austrian team will face a daunting task. Its only player ranked among the top 100 is No. 91 Julia Grabher, and Austria has never advanced to the finals of the BJK Cup.

Crowds arrive for a match at the men’s Delray Beach Open last month. Women will take over the courts in April for Billie Jean King Cup matches. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

City is a tennis hot spot
Delray Beach, which has built a worldwide reputation as a tennis hub, has previously hosted qualifiers in 2005, 2007 and 2013 as well as Davis Cup qualifiers, the male equivalent of the Billie Jean King Cup.
City Manager Terrence Moore said a full stadium in April would send a message to the International Tennis Federation, which will pick the finals site in late April after the qualifiers are complete, that the city and stadium are up to the challenge to be finals host.
“That would be fantastic,” Moore said.
DBTC manager Jeff Bingo said the facility did $2.6 million worth of business last year, up from $700,000 just five years ago.
The crowds for the 2023 Delray Beach Open played last month were another indication that the region is ready for a major tennis event to go along with the Miami Open, which starts March 19. Attendance for the week was a tournament-record 63,072, with four of the individual sessions sold out and all box and veranda seating also sold out for the week.
City officials teamed with the Palm Beach County Sports Commission to land the April matches after they were held three of the past five years in Asheville, North Carolina. The economic impact of the first two years in Asheville registered $8 million, giving Delray Beach an expectation the qualifier will bring an impact this year in the $4 million range.
Sports Commission Executive Director George Linley said the partnership with the city and Tennis Center could be renewed during future opportunities.
“Our Sports Commission will look at every opportunity to bring sports to this county,” Linley said. “It’s always based on the amenities and facilities we have. So, we will work to bring the best tennis events we can.”

Coco Gauff (right) of Delray Beach with doubles partner Jessica Pegula of Boca Raton. Photo provided by WTA Tour

Gauff eager to play at home
Gauff, who turns 19 on March 13, said the April event will be special and the prospect of Delray Beach’s hosting the finals would be even more so.
“Delray Beach has truly been a home for me and I’m always happy to come back here,” Gauff said. “It gives me an opportunity to represent my country at home.
“There was a lot of support when I was here (as a fan) in 2013 and I hope there will be even more this time.”
Asked about the prospect of hosting the finals, Rinaldi, a Palm City native who has been captain since 2017, added her support.
“Obviously, how great would that be?” she said. “Coco is super-excited to play in her backyard and have her family and friends come to support her.
“It’s nice to play at home in the United States; it gives us an opportunity to share tennis with the community, and get out and grow the sport, and everybody gets so excited when they can root for the Unites States.”
Last year’s Billie Jean King Cup finals were staged at Emirates Arena in Glasgow, Scotland, where the capacity of 8,200 is identical to that of Delray Beach. Gauff, who made her debut in the event when the U.S. failed to advance past the Czech Republic and Poland in group play, said that the indoor arena felt smaller than Delray Beach’s outdoor stadium.
Bingo said Delray could “absolutely” meet any criteria it would get from the ITF to serve as finals host.
“We have the stadium court plus five practice courts, and for the ATP 250 we turn a pickleball court into another practice court, so we have six,” Bingo said, referring to the Delray Beach Open. “And if they told us ahead of time, we could convert clay courts as well.”
As for housing tennis fans coming from all over the world to see some of the game’s brightest stars, Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce CEO Stephanie Immelman said the timing of the matches in November would be a plus. She said Delray boasts 1,400 hotel rooms and that Boca Raton and other nearby coastal cities could handle any overflow.
“That’s our shoulder season and we’re just starting to get busy in November,” she said.
“I’m sure the city would be delighted to host the finals, and I know the USTA is very friendly toward Delray Beach, probably because Coco lives here, but they like working with the city.”

U.S. is an 18-time champion
Launched in 1963 as the Federation Cup and changed to the Fed Cup in 1995, the annual event was rebranded the Billie Jean King Cup in 2020, when it was expanded from a two-team final to the 12-team format featuring nine winners of qualifiers, the top two finishers from the previous year and a wild card, which often is the host country.
Last year 110 nations competed. While the U.S. has hosted six times, its last such experience came in 2010 in San Diego.
The U.S. has been champion 18 times, including seven straight from 1976-82, but its last title, in 2017, was its first since 2000. The Czech Republic has won six times in the last 11 years and is second to the U.S. in overall wins with 11. Switzerland won for the first time last year. Russia, which won for the fifth time in 2021, and Belarus have been banned from competition since the invasion of Ukraine.
Gauff, who traveled from the WTA Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, to Glasgow last year to play in her first BJK Cup finals, said the Miami Open will be her previous event to the April qualifier, so she should be better rested.
“Home court is definitely an advantage,” she said. “The crowd can really sway the way the matches go, especially in this type of event.”
“We’ve played in all different spots — Hawaii, Washington, San Antonio, Asheville, Tampa — and all have been sold out,” Rinaldi said.
“It’s an incredible experience for our team, our staff, and for the fans because whether you’re a huge tennis fan or just want to come support the USA, it’s been a lot of fun.
“When you’re representing your country it’s a whole different emotion. Anything can happen because everyone’s playing for your country, and there’s no greater honor.”
Single- and two-day ticket packages are available through ticketmaster.com. Visit usta.com/billiejeankingcup for more information.

Tropical Drive resident Taylor Nixon was among those who spoke to the Town Commission against the placement of No Trespassing signs on the beach by the Turtle Beach condos. They said the signs make it appear as if the entire beach is closed to public access. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Joe Capozzi

Town commissioners, responding to complaints about blight and intimidation, will consider a new ordinance regulating the placement of “No Trespassing” and “Private Beach” signs on the beach in Ocean Ridge. 
The decision to consider the sign rules emerged from a broader, ongoing dispute over public access rights on the town’s beachfront — for years a controversial topic in Ocean Ridge and many other coastal communities across Florida. 
The Ocean Ridge debate has gotten particularly nasty over the past several months, pitting neighbors against neighbors, with accusations flying like blasts of sand.
Caught in the middle is Mayor Susan Hurlburt, who lives in Turtle Beach of Ocean Ridge, a 26-unit condominium community on the battle’s front line — a roughly 300-foot stretch of beach between Tropical and Hersey drives. 
Hurlburt is seeking another three-year term as commissioner on March 14, and the dispute has become cannon fodder for her political opponents, including two commissioners who have endorsed a challenger and who support public access rights directly east of Turtle Beach.

One of the Turtle Beach "Private Beach" signs.

Police Chief Richard Jones identified 141 signs on or near the beach, on roads and crossovers. Of those, perhaps 90 or so signs are on the beach, which is where commissioners are focusing their possible regulatory measures. 
While a sign-placement law may not answer the broader question over public beach access in Ocean Ridge, commissioners hope new rules might help extinguish the lingering tensions that boiled over Feb. 6 when more than 100 angry residents packed Town Hall.
“It has gone too far with this hostility,’’ said Lacey Siegel, a Tropical Drive resident who said she considers the beach “sacred land” where she meditates, practices yoga and sunbathes. “The signs are breaking us apart.’’
Turtle Beach says Siegel and others are trespassing because the beach is the condo’s private property through deeded beachfront access rights. The condo says it erected “No Trespassing” signs to discourage unruly beachgoers who have littered, played loud music and even left underwear on the signs overnight as acts of defiance. 
Those claims are disputed by residents living just north and south of Turtle Beach who have circulated a “Stop Sign Pollution” petition urging commissioners to ban signs below the dune/vegetation line. 
They say the signs are purposely placed in a manner that misrepresents public access rights and are part of a campaign to intimidate anyone who doesn’t live at the condo. 
“The sole purpose of those signs is ‘we are going to intimidate you rubes out there into not using your beach,’’’ said Christopher Currie, who has led the fight on behalf of Tropical Drive residents.
Siegel was one of three women who complained to the commission about harassment from condo residents aiming cameras at beachgoers.
“I have felt violated,’’ said Taylor Nixon of Tropical Drive. “I have been out there in my bathing suit relaxing, reading my book and I have been getting videotaped by some of the neighbors probably to use as evidence of being in their property. That is very stressful and a little aggressive.’’
To bolster their concerns, residents point out that “Keepoffmybeach” is the name of a Wi-Fi network — presumably belonging to a Turtle Beach resident — that is visible on a smartphone near the condo.
Mark Feinstein, president of the Turtle Beach of Ocean Ridge Condominium Association, disputed the comments by Tropical Drive residents as “misinformation” by “a very vocal minority” of residents. He criticized the Town Commission for “giving them a soap box” and an “air of credibility” by even considering a sign ordinance. 
“It’s all a ruse,’’ he said. “What they are attempting to do is make all private beach public beach.’’
The signs, approved by the town, “are necessary because of the transients who would be steered to our beach by the Tropical gang,’’ he said. 
Elliot Zank, who lives on Old Ocean Boulevard just south of Turtle Beach, said he often sees ride-hail drivers dropping off beachgoers at the end of Tropical Drive, even though a sign posted at that spot on Old Ocean Boulevard prohibits drop-offs.
“The signs are necessary … to prevent a major influx of nonresidents from crowding the beach,’’ said Zank, one of several speakers who agreed with Feinstein but were still outnumbered Feb. 6 by people against the signs.
“Removing the signs would violate owners’ First Amendment rights,’’ he said.  

County complained before
Residents living near Turtle Beach aren’t the only ones who have complained to the town about signs on the beach in Ocean Ridge. 
In February 2022, a Palm Beach County government supervisor complained to then-Town Manager Tracey Stevens in a letter about town “signs indicating limits to public accessibility” north and south of Boynton Beach Oceanfront Park.  
The signs “may incur significant financial liability for the town by restricting public access to publicly funded beach areas with active easement agreements in place. The signs should be removed immediately to prevent any further public perception that access is limited within the project area,’’ Andy Studt, a program supervisor for the county’s Department of Environmental Resources Management, said in the letter.
The signs referenced in the letter, which was included in the backup material to the commission’s Feb. 6 meeting, were installed in 2019 at the unanimous direction of the Town Commission to replace previously posted signs that had been damaged or removed. The signs near Oceanfront Park are no longer on the beach, although a town sign at the south end of Ocean Ridge near Briny Breezes still stands.
The ERM complaint was not discussed Feb. 6. Although there are dozens of “No Trespassing” signs at crossovers along Old Ocean Boulevard, it’s the signs on the beach that a majority of commissioners are targeting for rules on where they can be placed or whether they should all be removed. 
“I believe in personal property rights and I also believe in the rights of the public,’’ said Commissioner Geoff Pugh, who said there are probably at least 40 signs that “need to be removed posthaste. It’s blight.’’
Pugh said he has no problem with beach signs against the dunes west of the wet and dry sand. 
“My problem,’’ he said, “is once you get past vegetation line and you see a sign and have to walk around it, that’s when it becomes, why are we splitting the community up?’’ 
Pugh said, “We should create an ordinance for those signs and get them removed because the beach is for all of us.’’  
Hurlburt, the mayor who lives in Turtle Beach, has tried to stay out of the public fight, restricting her comments on the topic at commission meetings. 
Hurlburt and Commissioner Martin Wiescholek are running for reelection March 14, with Carolyn Cassidy the challenger. The top two vote-getters win three-year terms.  
But on Feb. 6, Hurlburt took offense when Commissioner Steve Coz said that the offending signs were posted in the wet sand. Hurlburt said the signs are farther west, 10 feet from the dune in dry sand. 
Coz, a political opponent of Hurlburt who has endorsed Cassidy, blamed Turtle Beach for creating the discord by posting signs in a manner that misleads members of the public into thinking they can’t walk north or south along any part of the beach east of the condo. 
“To have one community cause this horrible rift in the haves and have-nots, among neighbors, among Ocean Ridge residents, it’s just sad,’’ said Coz, who at one point was interrupted by Feinstein shouting at him.
“I’ve never seen anything like this and to think one community can do this to this town really upsets me and makes me angry,’’ Coz said.
Wiescholek said he’s glad the town is finally taking a look at regulating beach signs.
“We had this on our agenda two years ago but we didn’t take action, unfortunately,” he said. Town Attorney Christy Goddeau said she would study case law and present the commission with options for regulating signs. But she warned against an outright ban of signs, which she said would violate First Amendment rights. No date has been set for further commission discussion.
Pugh, noting how residents have complained about the signs at commission meetings since at least November, said it was long past time for the town to be proactive. 
“I’m not going to sit here and not do something because the town might get sued,’’ he said. “Let’s create an ordinance and let’s see what happens down the road."