By Amy Woods

Leon and Toby Cooperman have made a transformational gift of $2 million to the Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services that will launch a capital campaign for a new center.
The Toby and Leon Cooperman Therapy & Family Resource Center, set to open this spring in Boca Raton, will be a one-stop shop for families with special needs.
“We are so pleased to be able to support causes and agencies that we care about,” Toby Cooperman said.
Added Leon Cooperman, “Rales JFS truly makes a difference in people’s lives. We believe that agencies like Rales JFS deserve support for the important services they provide, and we are blessed to be in a position to contribute to the creation of this new center.”
For more information, call 561-852-3333 or visit https://ralesjfs.org.

Gift to go toward FAU athletes’ mental health
The Schmidt Family Foundation has made a gift of $670,000 to create a position for an athletics mental health services director at Florida Atlantic University. The gift also establishes the FAU Athletics Mental Health Fund.
FAU Athletics Director Brian White said the gift is important to the development of student athletes.
“The health and well-being of our student athletes is our absolute highest priority,” White said. “Enhancing our mental health resources is critical to the holistic approach we are taking regarding student athlete wellness.”
For more information, call 561-297-3000 or visit https://fausports.com.

PBAU fundraiser to honor Women of Distinction
South County philanthropists Ronnie Heyman and Lois Pope have been selected as Palm Beach Atlantic University’s 2022 Women of Distinction.
The women will be recognized at a Feb. 22 luncheon at The Breakers in Palm Beach. Proceeds from the event will go toward scholarships for female students.
Women of Distinction is the school’s largest fundraiser. It was canceled in 2021 because of the pandemic.
For more information, call 561-803-2971 or visit www.pba.edu.

Boating & Beach Bash organizers need boats
The American Disabilities Foundation is requesting that captains offer their vessels and fuel for free rides to be given at the Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities.
Fifteen boats of more than 25 feet long are needed for the Feb. 20 event, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Spanish River Park in Boca Raton.
People who are interested can contact Liz Schmidt at 612-309-1363 or email lizschmidt1363@gmail.com.
The Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities is the nation’s largest event for children and adults with disabilities.
For more information, call 561-715-2622 or visit www.boatingbeachbash.com.

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

Buffalo cauliflower drumettes from Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton. Photo provided by Gyorgy Papp

By Jan Norris

Ah, those New Year resolutions — here they come again.
If they include eating healthier, you’re in luck — a number of spots will put you on the right road in South County.
Along with a dine-in meal — breakfast, lunch, brunch or dinner — many of them also offer meal plans to provide their foods at home. They can be customized for number of days per week, as well as menu choices.
To understand some of the terms on these menus, here’s a brief rundown:
Gluten free: Foods free of products containing wheat, barley, rye and triticale. The strictest restaurants do not cross contaminate with gluten products — crucial for people with celiac disease.
Vegetarian: Foods free of animal flesh or byproducts. Some vegetarians are ovo-lacto, meaning they will eat eggs — including caviar — and dairy products, or consume byproduct foods where no animal is killed; thus these dishes are marked vegetarian.
Vegan: Totally animal-free foods (these foods have “no mother or a face”). Includes products such as honey, produced by insects.
Raw: Primarily organic vegetables, fruits, nuts, sprouts and seeds. No food is warmed beyond 118 degrees. Not necessarily vegetarian (raw milk, sushi, and carpaccio organic meats are eaten by some raw foodists).
Paleo: Unprocessed foods that would have been obtained by hunter-gatherers; wild, natural foods. Typically lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts, sprouts and seeds. Grass-fed and wild game meats are paleo. Dairy, refined sugar, wheat and farmed grains and legumes are avoided.
Sustainable: Briefly, foods that are environmentally and economically friendly, provide social benefits for growers, harvesters and their communities, and those that avoid wasting natural resources. This group of foods has a long list of attributes.
Locally grown: This can mean a wide region, especially in South Florida, where growing season is a short fall and winter. Ask for farm names and confirm with the farms, if you are concerned.
Here are some restaurants where you can find some of these foods on their menus:
A few are casual upscale restaurants, such as True Food Kitchen in Town Center, Boca Raton. Gluten-free, vegan, paleo and grass-fed are a few of the terms you’ll find on the menu. Along with full service, as well as takeout or delivery, it offers customizable meal-prep services.
Overall, True Food Kitchen offers a lot of options, especially for groups dining out with a variety of tastes. From pizzas, sandwiches and bowls to full entrees that can be customized, the restaurant strives to accommodate its diners. It is linked to Dr. Andrew Weil, a noted cookbook and healthy food author.
Farmer’s Table in the Wyndham Hotel in Boca Raton offers a number of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as more traditional fare from sustainable and local sources. Chef/owner Joseph Giannuzzi is known in the community for his “green” food objective — healthy and sustainable.
Raw salads, vegan quinoa or chicken meatballs, pasta made from squash and vegan cheeses are some of the items on the seasonal menu. Side items emphasize plant-based foods, and Buffalo drumettes are made with cauliflower, served with a vegan ranch dip.
With baby back ribs and roasted salmon on the menu, there’s a dish for everyone in your group.
At Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen on Atlantic Avenue in Delray Beach (also in Boca Raton in Royal Palm Place), the dishes lean more paleo than vegetarian or vegan, but each is available. Bison meatloaf, shrimp and grits, and a buffalo meat burger served with a roster of vegetables give meat-eaters healthier options.
Pizzas with cauliflower and seed crusts are gluten free, and some are vegetarian and vegan.
Greens are organic, and some vegan offerings include a vegan-veggie burger, as well as an avocado Caesar salad.
Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar, at 1841 S. Federal Highway, Delray Beach, provides a full restaurant and wine bar experience. The emphasis is on seasonal fare, using local ingredients with unusual sauces and sides.
The roasted mushroom toast appetizer has a white bean-cashew “crema,” along with a charred cipollini, pomegranate and sorrel combo. There’s a warm butternut squash dip, and organic hummus served with an Israeli apple-celery slaw and naan.
Both grass-fed beef and bison burgers are available, as is a wild-mushroom cheese steak sandwich. Three entree bowls are on the menu: quinoa and vegetables; black beans and rice; and Korean vegetable fried grains. They are available with proteins such as chicken, shrimp, salmon and organic tofu.
One section of the menu is devoted to plant-based vegan, including an all-veggie burger, eggplant parmesan, pumpkin ravioli and an “Impossible Chorizo Burrito.”
Joey and Victor Weiss, a wife and husband duo, run Joey’s Home Bakery Gluten Free in Boynton Beach, at 1532 SW Eighth St. You can find a full roster of baked goods, including their new gooey cinnamon bun, and loaves of bread, pastries and treats — all gluten free. Many offerings are paleo and vegan, including cakes, cookies and quiches.
All products are baked in-house, including their gluten-free bagels. They offer both delivery and takeout. Specialties are on the board.
A number of small cafés dot Pineapple Grove in Delray Beach with healthy offerings in a casual, counter-serve atmosphere.
At Roots, in the Delray Beach Market food hall, you’ll find a variety of bold flavors in the vegan dishes, such as squash tamales with a cashew sauce, hearts of palm tacos and Buffalo fried cauliflower. Find the unusual jackfruit used on a Reuben sandwich. Counter takeout and communal seating are available.
In Boynton Beach, the Organic Kitchen and Mercantile, at 640 E. Ocean Ave., is open for breakfast and lunch with farm-raised meats, vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free foods. The restaurant features a small café, takeout, and meal delivery plans.
The menu includes granola bowls, croissant sandwiches, brioche, and California style huevos rancheros. Organic, pasture-raised hen eggs, vegan cheese and nitrate-free bacon are featured.
Salads such as grilled artichoke arugula, a tahini green kale, and King Caesar can be dressed with chicken breast, sea scallops and local soft-shell crabcakes.
Buddha bowls and numerous sandwiches also are on the menu. Sides include air-fried veggies and potatoes.
In Boca Raton, the Living Green Cafe is set in the Fifth Avenue Shops at 2202 N. Federal Highway. A variety of sandwiches and wraps with vegan and gluten-free offerings are available. The specialties are fresh juices and smoothies, along with coffees and teas.
Brunch is served every day. Goat’s toast — vegetarian multigrain toast, avocado, dill, red onion and goat cheese, served with a side of greens — is a star offering.
Also on the menu are gluten-free, vegan pancakes; a protein omelet; the hippy omelet (avocado, onions, spinach, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and pesto); and a Greek bagel (with Greek yogurt, blueberries, honey and orange zest).
The establishment is also a small grocery with the same green products and fresh produce on the menu sold in a green-market format.
The Healthy Spot, a small takeout-only juice bar, is in the Shops at University Park, 141 NW 20th St., Boca Raton.
Smoothies, protein coffees, and energy teas start the menu, with healthy snacks in the mix such as protein waffles and protein donuts, as well as a donut “shot” that purports to “control hunger and reduce fat.”
Acai berry bowls and “loaded” teas have healthy properties spelled out on the menu. Power smoothies have flavors such as choco-peanut butter, strawberry shortcake and double chocolate.
Foods can be customized (sugar- and gluten-free) or come with certain macros added.
The shop has online ordering for pickup.

In brief
The New Vegan, a popular spot in Delray Beach for creative and house-made vegan foods, has closed. Fans of the Johnson family’s soul food offerings made completely from plant-based sources, including a take on fried chicken, now must go elsewhere for vegan, gluten-free and soy-free foods. No word on whether the establishment will open elsewhere to the public.

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

By Janis Fontaine

As South Florida adjusts to the coronavirus pandemic, in-person services and meetings are restarting.
One group that begins meeting again in January after an extended hiatus is the Interfaith Café, a discussion group that talks about cross-faith topics. The group is hosted by the Interfaith Coalition, a clergy group that coordinated events like family days at the park and an Interfaith Earth Day.
The monthly meeting features a presentation followed by a discussion and refreshments at the South County Civic Center, 16700 Jog Road, Delray Beach. All are welcome.
This month’s meeting is from 7 to 9 p.m. Jan. 20. The topic for discussion: emotions of reconnecting. The guest speaker is life coach Rosemarie Rose-Spencer of Wellington.
She is a retired Department of Defense administrator with a background in mediation, motivational speaking and helping military families handle transitions. That gives her a keen perspective about handling intense emotions.
For more information, visit www.meetup.com/Interfaith-Cafe.

Islamic Center open house
The Islamic Center of Boca Raton, 3480 NW Fifth Ave., hosts a monthly open house from 7 to 9 p.m. the first Thursday of the month. Everyone is welcome and no reservations are needed. The next meeting is Jan. 6.
Anyone who is new to or interested in Islam, clear from misconceptions, will find this free event engaging and educational. Refreshments are served followed by a tour of the mosque and question/answer session. Call 561-395-7221 or visit www.icbr.org.

Old ritual at Unity of Delray
Unity of Delray Beach will hold its White Stone Ceremony at 7 p.m. Jan. 12 at the church, 101 NW 22nd St.
This evening of self-awareness has its roots in an ancient ritual that helped each individual focus on a personal path by selecting a new name.
This new name was written on a white stone tablet and signified freedom from the past, from who the person was. As they began a new year, participants made commitments and declared what their focuses would be by calling forth the new names.
Everyone is welcomed. For more information, call 561-276-5796.

Anti-abortion public rosary
Join in prayer for the protection of the unborn child with the Most Rev. Gerald M. Barbarito, Bishop of Palm Beach, who will lead the rosary at 11 a.m. Jan. 22, at the old courthouse, 300 N. Dixie Highway, West Palm Beach.
For more information, contact the Respect Life Ministry office at 561-360-3330 or visit www.ccdpb.org/programs/respect-life.

Catholic Days at the Capitol
Congregants from St. Lucy Catholic Church in Highland Beach will join Catholics from around the state at Catholic Days at the Capitol, Feb. 1-2 in Tallahassee.
This is an opportunity to attend a legislative briefing with elected officials and see the place where laws are made and changed. On day 2, enjoy a breakfast with the bishops of Florida and legislators. A votive Mass will be celebrated at the end of the event.
For more information, visit www.ccdpb.org or call Deanna Herbst-Hoosac at 561-360-3330 or email dherbst@ccdpb.org.

Research from FAU’s college of nursing showed battery-operated cats lifted moods of people in cognitive decline even though they were told the cats were not real. Photo provided by FAU

By Arden Moore

Numerous studies published in the past two decades echo what many of us already know in our hearts: Pets are good for our mental health. But a new study based on research conducted by Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing verifies that the healing power of pets is not limited to real ones.
Yes, even battery-operated robotic cats can improve mood, behavior and cognition in older adults with mild to moderate dementia. And, during this pandemic roller-coaster ride that limits visits to senior care facilities and hospitals, these high-tech felines are proving to be purr-fect mood-boosting companions.
In 2019, Bryanna Streit LaRose conducted a study on the impact of robotic cats for her doctorate of nursing practice project.
“I decided to use this as my project because I remember growing up and visiting my grandma who was in a memory care unit at a nursing home,” says LaRose. “When visiting her, my family would bring our two dogs. I still remember how all of the residents’ faces lit up with joy and excitement as the dogs approached them.”
LaRose teamed up with Lisa Kirk Wiese, Ph.D., RN, an assistant professor; and Maria Ortega, DNP, APRN, director of FAU’s Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center, to co-author the results of this study. It was recently published in the peer-reviewed journal Issues in Mental Health Nursing.
In the study, a dozen robotic cats — all black-and-white fluffy “tuxedo” types — “interacted” with attendees at the FAU adult day wellness center for 12 visits. Each battery-operated kitty would purr, cuddle and softly blink its eyes as study participants would talk to them, place them on their laps and even take naps with them.
“We made it clear to them that these are not real cats, but that they were welcome to name their cat,” says Wiese. “The participants in our study gave them names, including Fluffy and Happy, and a couple even named their cats after their spouses. After the study ended, we offered the participants to take their cats home. Some have continued to bring their cat on doctor appointments or took them with them when they moved. A caregiver mentioned that the cat was a wonderful distraction for her mother with dementia when the caregiver needed to be in the kitchen to cook dinner.”
The pandemic closed FAU’s adult day center for about a year, so these robotic cats are now in homes and senior care centers with ongoing research taking place virtually for health safety reasons.
“We now have people from all over the state,” says Wiese. “If you have a loved one with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementia, we welcome your participation.”
In the United States, it is estimated that one in three older adults dies with dementia-related diseases. Although there is no cure yet, this non-medication option using robotic cats has improved mood scores in participants.
“Engagement with pets increases your endorphins and helps decrease your risk of cognitive decline,” says Wiese. “These robotic cats help some relate back to a time when they had pets and evoke feelings of joy and happiness. They definitely help to lift one’s spirits.”
Another advantage in using robotic cats during the pandemic is the absence of worries about the safety or care of a real therapy cat or dog during visits.
“The robotic cats we used mimicked real cats,” says LaRose. “Research shows that they seem to provide a sense of comfort and a calming effect.”
What’s next for these FAU robotic cats? They will be used in a project to see how they may combat loneliness as well as physical and psychological symptoms of dementia in older adults in this coronavirus time.
The pandemic has prevented me and my certified therapy cat Casey and dog Kona from visiting memory care centers together. We miss interacting with the residents.
So, I am hoping that more centers will take FAU’s lead and offer these battery-operated felines to generate smiles and joy for people with memory issues. The sound of a sweet purr and the feel of a fluffy coat from a real or faux feline can definitely bring on happy smiles.

Read the study
Here is the link to view the complete study published in Issues in Mental Health Nursing:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/01612840.2021.1979142

Sign up for a robotic cat
Florida residents are eligible to order a robotic cat for free through the Florida Department of Elder Affairs. These special cats are for people with health-related issues and are not just toys. Also, it takes about eight to 12 weeks for delivery. Learn more at this link:
https://elderaffairs.org/programs-services/livable-florida/livable-initiatives/

Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, author, speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor. She hosts Oh Behave! weekly on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com.

Palm Beach County is preparing for a second phase at the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, west of Boynton Beach. Plans include a boardwalk, picnic area, playground and pavilion on 63 acres and connected to the current wetlands. Completion is expected in 2025. The orange lines show existing pipes. BELOW RIGHT: A mother bobcat and three cubs have been spotted at Green Cay. Some photos have made it onto Facebook. Rendering and photo provided

By Rich Pollack

Alligators, owls and bobcats, oh my!
No, they’re not at a zoo far away, they’re all here in our backyard at the Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, tucked into a residential area west of Boynton Beach.
And January marks the beginning of peak season for migratory birds, flocking to the 100-acre preserve to escape the cold weather up North and, in some cases, to make a quick stop and recharge on the way to South America.
“At Green Cay you’re almost guaranteed to see something when you’re there,” says Jo Ann Ricchiuti of South Palm Beach, a wildlife photographer and a frequent visitor to the boardwalk that winds through the wetlands.
Throughout the year, bird watchers can find as many as 100 species — from hawks and great blue herons to least bitterns and ruby-throated hummingbirds.
Then there are the seldom-seen birds that stop by for a few days. Each year is different and even the regulars never know what they’ll see.
“Every once in a while, there will be a rare bird that draws a lot of attention,” says Bobby Seals, Green Cay Nature Center manager.
The rare bird this time was a barred owl, or maybe two, that stayed at Green Cay for a couple of weeks.
Green Cay has also been known to attract the Eastern screech owl, which is smaller and harder to spot.
But the rare birds were overshadowed by the presence of a mother bobcat and three cubs, who had been seen for a few months dashing though the parking lot, snoozing on a berm or hunting for rodents.
“Everybody’s been going nuts over the bobcats,” says Ricchiuti.
Bobcats are migratory and somewhat reclusive. Seals says they had not been seen at the center for a while.

Late afternoon light makes the display plumes on this great blue heron glow, while it stands in water near the boardwalk at Green Cay Wetlands on Dec. 4. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

Best times to visit
For people looking for birds, the best time to visit Green Cay is early in the morning, or later as it’s getting dark, Seals says. This month and next are when visitors are likely to see the most birds.
Not every Green Cay visitor is there to see the birds, however. Some come just to be in a calming natural environment, while others come for a daily walk. It’s also a great place to bring the kids.
“We were there the other day,” Ricchiuti says, “and there were whole families all enjoying nature.”
In addition to the 1.5-mile boardwalk that winds through a variety of habitats — from cypress swamps to hardwood tropical hammocks — Green Cay has an expansive nature center with a variety of displays.
The nature center also holds meetings and environmental presentations, including Science for Seniors.
The next Science for Seniors is 1 p.m. Jan. 21, when a presentation on camouflage in nature is scheduled.
The Feb. 18 program will be about purple martins — frequent visitors. Programs are $5 each.

Major expansion coming
First open to the public in 2005, Green Cay is built on farmland sold to the county by Ted and Trudy Winsberg at a very reduced price. In addition to attracting wildlife and tourists, Green Cay serves as a reclaimed water facility, naturally filtering millions of gallons of water each day.
A new chapter in the evolution of Green Cay is about to begin as Palm Beach County plans a massive $40 million expansion that will include a state-of-the-art water purification facility, making it possible for fishing and kayaking in newly created lakes.
This phase of Green Cay, to be built on 63 acres east of the wetlands, will include a boardwalk, picnic area, playground, shaded fitness area and a pavilion.
Although the current wetlands will remain largely the same, the two phases of Green Cay will be connected. Now in the preliminary stages, phase two of Green Cay is expected to be completed in 2025.
While the expansion will provide new recreational opportunities, it will all have an important positive environmental impact.
“This next phase will combine some of the latest technologies in water reuse coupled with new environmental, recreational and educational opportunities for our community,” said Todd Bonlarron, an assistant Palm Beach County administrator. “The new purification facility will be the first of its kind in the state and provide the highest quality of water to a new 63-acre recreation park.”
For more information about Green Cay Nature Center and Wetlands, visit https://discover.pbcgov.org/parks/Pages/GreenCay.aspx

Captain Willie Howard is taking some time off but will return soon.

Joan Witter, who coined the name ’Ladies of the Garden’ for her crew, describes what needs to be done during one of their weekly meet-ups at the club grounds. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

This is the first in a series on four local garden clubs.

By Jan Engoren

With tips such as “keeping homegrown roses for future decorating” and topics such as “Everything We Need to Know About Crotons” and “Sustainable Gardening in Florida,” the Boca Raton Garden Club has inspired gardeners and would-be gardeners alike.
Celebrating 68 years in 2022, the nonprofit has missions of stimulating knowledge of gardens among amateurs, encouraging civic beautification, maintaining Florida’s natural beauty and furthering club programs.
Unlike many other garden clubs, the Boca Raton club has its own building and grounds. It owns the property at 4281 NW Third Ave., complete with native plants, orchids and flowering trees.
The grounds are maintained by the club’s “dirt gardeners,” women who work in and maintain the gardens.
Joan Witter is one of them, but she prefers the term “Ladies of the Garden.”
Witter joined the club three years ago when she retired from her horticulture and landscaping business.
Originally from Iowa, Witter says, “Green is green wherever you go.” She meets with her crew on Mondays, when they maintain the grounds by propagating, weeding, trimming and relocating plants.
They have 50 native orchids growing in trees, bromeliads, the yesterday-today-and-tomorrow plant (Brunfelsia pauciflora), the Chinese hat plant (Holmskioldia sanguinea), Dombeya trees, thryallis evergreen shrubs, clerodendrum and hibiscus shrubs, among others.
The club, which has 150 members, holds its meetings the first Tuesday of each month from October through May at 1 p.m. Meetings are open to the public and visitors are welcome at one or two meetings before joining. Annual dues are $50 in addition to $12 for administrative fees.
Mary Kaub, a former teacher and second-term president of the club, joined nine years ago when she became an empty nester. “I’ve learned so much about native plants, the environment and landscaping,” she says. “There is a wealth of information among our members.”
Kaub studied three years to become an accredited floral design judge and says she has taught all four grandchildren how to garden.
“Once they put down the computer, come outside and see a cocoon with a butterfly, they’re hooked,” Kaub says.
During the coronavirus pandemic, Kaub, Dellie Krebs and other members sewed nearly 2,500 face masks for members of the community and health care workers. 
The club participates in the Million Orchid Project created by the American Orchid Society and the Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden in Miami. The project was launched in 2013 to reintroduce native orchids in the environment. Orchids, once naturally abundant in Florida, were displaced by urbanization, and this is an effort to allow them to flourish naturally.
Additionally, the club hosts a junior gardening program at Whispering Pines Elementary School and before the pandemic did garden therapy with Alzheimer’s patients at the FAU Memory and Wellness Center.
Club members partner with the city to maintain Boca Raton’s Community Garden, work on conservation efforts, and provide scholarships to students in horticulture or other science fields.
The club’s ownership of the property dates to 1964, when after some fundraisers it put down $6,000 for three lots.
The land had a structure originally used by the Air Force during World War II as a boiler room and coal bin. The club had it rebuilt to include an office, kitchen, restrooms and a horticulture room. In four years, the women paid off the mortgage of $21,491.77.
In 1971, they added an auditorium, stage and sound system, which they use to this day. They raise funds year-round to support such efforts.
In addition to a bi-annual flower show, fundraisers include the Trash to Treasures, Vintage Jewelry and Plant Sale set for Feb. 18-19; creating custom ornaments; and Holiday House, a craft, baked goods and plant sale which ran in October and raised $18,000.
“Come and join us,” Witter says. “Not only is gardening a wonderful way to learn in a hands-on way, but you will meet some wonderful people.”

The club will hold its general meeting at 1 p.m. Jan. 4 in its clubhouse, 4281 NW Third Ave. The speaker will be floral designer Susie Slater, who will present “Horticulture in Design Arts,” an overview and demonstration. Free and open to the public. For more info call 561-395-9376 or visit bocaratongardenclub.org.

St. Paul’s music director David Macfarlane with members of his choir. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

The music ministry at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church has been bringing well-loved classical and chamber music to Delray Beach for more than 30 years, and the church has provided accomplished musicians with a venerable venue: the acoustically perfect parish hall.
In January, David Macfarlane will celebrate his one-year anniversary as director of the church’s music ministries. On Dec. 12, the church hosted its popular “Festival of Lessons and Carols” to a full house.
“We all felt the promise of a rebirth, like a weight lifting off of us,” Macfarlane said. “Tears were shed.”
The church continues to follow the diocese leadership where the coronavirus is concerned, so the choir continues to wear masks even while performing. “It’s uncomfortable and unpleasant, but I believe we present a model for others, so we follow the guidelines the church has set,” Macfarlane said.
Everyone has sacrificed in the name of caution.
“I’m 63 years old and 2020 was the first time I didn’t go to church on Christmas Eve,” Macfarlane said.
He was raised in the Lutheran church, and he began playing the organ in church in the eighth grade.
Macfarlane earned a degree in organ performance from the University of Illinois, a master’s from the University of Hartford’s Hartt School of Music and a doctorate from Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts, where he received the Elizabeth Wyckoff Durham Award for keyboard performance.
His career includes 18 years as the director of music and organist at the First Presbyterian Church in Englewood, New Jersey, and 10 years at the Church of the Holy Trinity on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Macfarlane admits he had his eye on St. Paul’s position for a while. He bought a vacation condo in Oakland Park years ago and knew about the legacy of music at St. Paul’s. But when the position opened up a few years ago, Macfarlane wasn’t ready. His two sons (foster children he adopted) were still teenagers and he didn’t want to uproot them.
Now they’re 23 and 25 and out on their own. The timing was right. “I feel it was fated,” Macfarlane said.
The classical and chamber music for which the ministry is known is a passion for the organist.
“I believe it’s an example of ‘bring your best to God,’” he said. “Music is an art but it’s also an educational tool we can use to reach people.”
Macfarlane still lives in Oakland Park and makes the 25-minute drive to Delray Beach for work. He shares his condo with a rat terrier mix he rescued in 2021.
This year’s schedule features returning favorites and some new performers. The Delray String Quartet returns as the artists-in-residence. Other familiar faces include pianist Roberta Rust, Duo Beaux Arts, the Con Brio Quartet and the Girl Choir of South Florida. The finalists of the Lynn University chamber competition will perform. New this year will be the Palisades Virtuosi, a flute, clarinet and piano trio, a favorite of Macfarlane.
• “Mozart Juxtaposed,” featuring Rust on piano: 3 p.m. Feb. 13. $20. Free for 18 and younger.
• DSQ in the Round: Child Prodigies: 7:30 p.m. Feb. 25. Featuring the Delray String Quartet. Seating is arranged 360 degrees around the performers in the parish hall. Reserved seating $60 and $50.
• Choral Evensong for the First Sunday in Lent: 5 p.m. March 6. Featuring the Chancel Choir of St. Paul’s and Macfarlane.
• DSQ in the Round: A Princess and a Bird: 7:30 p.m. March 25. Featuring the Delray String Quartet. Reserved seating $60 and $50.
• Lynn University Conservatory of Music 2022 Chamber Music Competition finalists: 3 p.m. April 3. $20. Free for age 18 and younger.
St. Paul’s is at 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. 561-276-4541; https://stpaulsdelray.org.

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.

By Christine Davis

The Palm Beach Health Network, made up of six hospitals including Delray Medical Center, supports opportunities for women to succeed in leadership roles. A McKinsey study on women in the workplace found that in 2021, 24% of C-suite members — or upper management — were female across all industries, and that number rose to 30% in health care.
In the Palm Beach Health Network, close to 70% of its top executives are female. They include Aganette Joseph, associate administrator for Delray Medical Center; Maria Morales-Menendez, chief operating officer for Delray Medical Center; Billie Young, IT director for Delray Medical Center and the Palm Beach Health Network; Amy Harrison-Daughtry, group director of health information management for the Palm Beach Health Network; and the top executive, Maggie Gill, CEO of Delray Medical Center and Palm Beach Health Network.
“I am proud that our female leaders are recognized for their strong work and that we are able to provide opportunities for them to advance their careers,” Gill said. “These women truly exemplify our commitment to delivering the highest quality care in the communities we serve. The Palm Beach Health Network is deeply invested in mentoring future female leaders and promoting diversity, equity and inclusion for everyone.”

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Dr. Lloyd Zucker, medical director of neurosurgery for Delray Medical Center, which now offers a new scalpel-free treatment for Parkinson’s disease tremor patients, recently treated his first patient using sound wave energy to treat brain tissue at the source of the tremor. No surgical incision or anesthesia is necessary.
“I am honored to be able to not only treat the first patient at Delray Medical Center with this new groundbreaking procedure, but the first in any hospital in the region,” Zucker said. “We are now able to give those who suffer from this disease a chance to get back to living their lives, and pursuing their daily activities. We are at an exciting time in medicine when it comes to treating neuro disorders, and this technology is a game changer for patients who have suffered from Parkinson’s disease.”

***

Richard S. Isaacson, M.D., neurologist and researcher, is director of the newly launched FAU Center for Brain Health within the Schmidt College of Medicine.
 He also will direct the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic and lead an academic clinical research program aimed at reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Lewy body dementia in individuals with a family history of these diseases who do not yet have any cognitive decline or other clinical complaints.
“Most people are unaware that Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias begin silently in the brain decades before memory loss and other symptoms begin,” Isaacson said. “This leaves ample time to make brain-healthy choices in an effort to reduce risk and protect against cognitive decline. I am excited to join FAU’s Schmidt College of Medicine to help identify patients at risk and to design personalized prevention strategies to delay or possibly prevent the onset of these diseases.”
Isaacson will maintain a clinical research program for individualized prevention for patients at risk. The FAU Center for Brain Health will support basic research, clinical care, education and outreach. The center plans to grow the clinical team to begin seeing patients in the second quarter of 2022.
In the meantime, the center has launched a free online course on brain health for the public at https://faumedicine.org/alz/course.
For information about the programs available at the FAU Center for Brain Health, visit http://faumedicine.org/alz.

***

St. Mary’s Medical Center & the Palm Beach Children’s Hospital appointed Jessica Miller as its chief nursing officer in December.
“This is homecoming for Jessica, as she is returning to Tenet Healthcare where she has spent much of her career, and she was actually born at St. Mary’s Medical Center, giving her strong family ties to this community,” said Cynthia McCauley, chief executive officer of the medical center and children’s hospital.

***

Palm Beach County has been recognized as one of 10 winners from across the United States of the 2020-2021 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health Prize.
Palm Health Foundation, Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County, and Palm Beach County Youth Services Department collaborated on the application process.
Palm Beach County was recognized for pursuing innovative ideas and bringing partners together around a shared vision of health, including expanding access to behavioral health, focusing on youth and elevating resident leadership.
The awards were presented at a virtual ceremony in November.

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

Athena Zarcadoolas has worked with her family to help people in Costa Rica, where her mom was born. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

At 14, Athena Zarcadoolas has done more to make this world a better place than some others manage in a lifetime.
“It’s fun. I do it because I want to do it,” not to fill her CV or because her parents ask her to, she said by phone.
Athena, an eighth-grader at Gulf Stream School, has helped build two schools in Costa Rica, working alongside the students who would study there. She helped rebuild a family’s home that had been destroyed by fire. Before the pandemic, Athena and her family fed hundreds of homeless people on Christmas Eve at a church in the center of Alajuela, Costa Rica.
“I want to make a personal connection, talk to them and hear their stories,” said Athena, who speaks Spanish.
Because Athena’s mother was born in Costa Rica and her parents met there, the family frequently travels to the country, where they have a second home.
“We like to eat out a lot,” Athena said, “because it supports the economy. The people have struggled a lot.”
Costa Rica is “very peaceful, friendly and very welcoming,” she said.
From her home base in Gulf Stream, Athena is a frequent volunteer at the Caridad Center, the largest free health care clinic in Florida and one of the largest in the nation. Caridad provides care for uninsured and underserved children and families in Palm Beach County.
Charity work is a family affair and Athena, with her mother, Nancy, and sisters, Dorothea and Paulina, are familiar faces at the Boynton Beach facility.
Athena, who plays volleyball and golf, also volunteers with the Miracle League of Palm Beach County, a baseball program open to all children regardless of mental or physical disabilities. She said it is important to her because she was a victim of bullying.
She was born with muscular dystrophy and goes to physical therapy once a week to stay strong and combat the muscular weakness associated with the genetic disease.
“They made me feel different, like an outsider,” she said. “Bullying hasn’t really changed. It’s a lot more secretive now.”
Athena says she’s known since she was little that she wanted to be a doctor. A few years ago, she upgraded the dream: She now plans to become a cardio-thoracic surgeon.
In keeping with her determined pursuit of that dream, Athena recently told her parents, Nancy and Paul, that she plans to go to boarding school for her high school years. She has her eye on two schools: one in New York state and the other in Connecticut.
“My parents were originally against the idea,” Athena said. “I really think it’s my best option and it will make it easier to balance my workload.”
For now Athena says English is her favorite subject.
“I love to read,” she said, adding she still prefers real paper books to a Kindle or tablet.
She also enjoys writing, and her love of literacy has made her an enthusiastic volunteer for the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, where she was a top money-raiser.
“I’m a very hard worker,” she says, when asked about her strengths. And she’s organized: “I keep two planners.”
She names her late grandpa as one of her heroes for his positive attitude and great spirit, qualities she shares.
Her parents have shown altruism her whole life, she says. She can’t imagine a world that didn’t include giving of herself. To her, giving is the greatest gift.
“Some of the happiest times I’ve felt are seeing people smile because of something I have been able to do for them,” she said.

Sited on 121 feet of direct oceanfront, this newly constructed home sits among lush landscaping. Photos provided

Contemporary designed epicurean kitchen has a butler’s room, custom cabinetry and top-shelf appliances.

Recently completed, this new coastal estate has unsurpassed attention to detail in its 9,269 total square feet of space. It has a main home and a separate guesthouse with a living room/kitchen area and a spacious bedroom/bath. The main home has five bedrooms and five full and three half baths. Upon entering, guests and family will be greeted with wide open spaces in a sleek design presenting an abundance of natural light.
The first floor has the living room, formal dining room, guest suite, chef’s kitchen, a casual dining area and a family room that opens to the outdoor entertainment area with loggia, summer kitchen and pool/spa.
The upstairs features the expansive master suite plus three additional en suite bedrooms and lounge area. All of the requisite features in high-end construction are evident, including storm protection with impact windows and doors, whole house generator, Smarthome technology and security. Luxury amenities include a walk-in wine cooler, loft, efficient storage, fireplaces and an elevator.

 A gated entrance and paver-covered drive lead to the home’s front entry, a nearby three-car garage and guest villa.

 The ocean-facing master retreat has a balcony, large walk-in closets, coffee bar and luxurious his/hers baths.

Offered at $26,995,000. Contact Candace Friis, 561-573-9966, candace.friis@corcoran.com or Phil Friis, 561-706-1922, phil.friis@corcoran.com, The Corcoran Group, 901 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33483.

The spacious open living room is the setting for a dramatic staircase and fireplace.

Each month, The Coastal Star features a house for sale in our community. The House of the Month is presented as a service to our advertisers and provides readers with a peek inside one of our homes.

This home in The Sanctuary in Boca Raton has unobstructed views of a water-surrounded preserve for bird-watching as well as large-boat access with no fixed bridges. Photos provided

Wood floors set the stage for a family room and breakfast area washed in natural light from walls of windows and doors that overlook wide water views and the nature preserve.

This two-story concrete block constructed home is on a rare point lot in the sought-after community of The Sanctuary. With 11,092 total square feet, this property features a master suite on each level with elegant master baths and expansive walk-in closets. The first-floor master bedroom overlooks the patio, dock and preserve. The upper level master has a walk-out balcony to view the entertainment area, dock and preserve beyond. There are three additional en suite bedrooms upstairs. The home has a total of six bedrooms, seven full and two half baths plus a formal dining room, formal living room, a recreation room and laundry room. An inside elevator, fireplace and four-car garage are additional amenities.
The barrel tile roof was replaced in 2016. In addition to The Sanctuary community’s marina, the home has its own private 130-foot dock with water and electric and room for up to a 101+ foot yacht.

The gourmet eat-in kitchen has a cook island, a prep island, pantry and breakfast area and custom cabinetry.

Floor-to-ceiling windows surround the first-floor master bedroom with sitting area and overlook the nature preserve.

Offered at $7,495,000. Contact Jeannine Morris, 561-706-8287, jeannine@morrisreg.com or Blake Morris, 561-901-6960, blake@morrisreg.com, Lang Realty-Boca, 4400 N. Federal Highway, Boca Raton, FL 33431.

Each month, The Coastal Star features a house for sale in our community. The House of the Month is presented as a service to our advertisers and provides readers with a peek inside one of our homes.

Victor Gonzalez volunteered his Santa suit and recorded holiday music to entertain families who came the day after Thanksgiving to see the Christmas village and 100-foot tree in downtown Delray Beach. Here he poses for photos being taken by his wife, Francesca, on the front stoop of the workshop for Santa’s helpers. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

A new law requires cyclists to ride in a single file on sections of A1A with no designated bike lane. A surveillance camera captures a pack of riders taking up most of a travel lane while riding north near the Eau Palm Beach in Manalapan. Photo provided by Manalapan Police Department

‘Two abreast’ signs finally off A1A, but education of riders lags, police say

By Joe Capozzi 

After months of complaints from coastal police chiefs in south Palm Beach County, the Florida Department of Transportation has finally removed outdated bicycle-riding signs along State Road A1A. 
But the agency still has not responded to requests to post signs reflecting new rules that took effect July 1.
The removal of the old signs in November eliminated a potential legal hurdle that prevented many coastal police departments from enforcing a new law that requires bicyclists to ride in a single file along sections of A1A with no designated bike lanes. 
Those signs, reflecting an old rule allowing bicyclists to ride two abreast along road shoulders without designated bike lanes, finally went down the second week in November.
“It wasn’t just our municipality. Everybody up and down A1A and in Broward County was affected,’’ Highland Beach Police Chief Craig Hartmann said.
But the chiefs are still waiting for the DOT to post new signs and to offer a program educating the public on the new law, which allows police to crack down on pack cyclists who impede traffic. 
“It makes enforcement almost impossible when you have a sign that says (riding two abreast) is permissible when in reality it’s not,’’ said Ocean Ridge Police Chief Richard Jones. He said he and other chiefs had made multiple requests throughout the summer to the DOT to remove the signs.  
DOT officials did not respond to multiple requests for comment. 

Bike lanes vs. shoulders
Cyclists are allowed to ride no more than two abreast only in designated bike lanes. But there are no such lanes, just narrow shoulders, along A1A in South Palm Beach, Ocean Ridge, Manalapan, Gulf Stream, Highland Beach and parts of Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
As the months ticked by after the new rules took effect, police chiefs voiced frustration over the DOT’s slow response to remove the old signs and offer clarification on the new law. It also allows motorists to cross yellow lines when they pass cyclists in an effort to maintain the 3 feet of separation required.
“At what point in time do we have the ability to start enforcing the laws that the Legislature has said are in effect? We can’t do it while the illegal signage is posted,’’ Jones said in an interview.
“Everybody is dealing with it, so I don’t know why the Department of Transportation can’t get their act together.’’
An hour after that interview, Jones sent another email to DOT officials — and offered to remove the signs himself.
“We previously reached out to DOT and we thought we had been lucky enough to get this resolved when a DOT contractor showed up to remove the signs,” Jones wrote. “However, the contractor was afraid to work in the rain and stated that they would return the next day. This was over a month ago and the signage remains in place. These signs prevent us from enforcing the new laws and they send the wrong message to bicyclists.’’
In his email, Jones explained that police chiefs in Manalapan, Highland Beach and other towns have told him they’re having the same problems.
“Is there anything that you can do to get this taken care of or should I just go remove them myself and store the signs for you all to collect?’’
Four days later, on Nov. 16, Jones received a reply from a DOT subcontractor who said eight signs from Manalapan to Boca Raton were removed on Nov. 9. The subcontractor said his crews went back out on Nov. 15 but couldn’t find any more of the outdated signs. 
Jones said he is certain that as of Nov. 12 at least two of the old signs were still posted in Ocean Ridge. But after receiving the subcontractor’s email, Jones said he went back out and found that they’d been removed. 
Hartmann and Manalapan Police Chief Carmen Mattox said old signs were removed from their towns, too. 
Jones said he and other chiefs are glad the old signs finally went down, but they wondered why it took so long and happened only after months of complaints from local police.

Education material needed
The sign issues are just part of a larger problem with the DOT, some coastal chiefs said, because the agency also hasn’t responded to their requests to post new signs or offer a public education program.
“We’d been waiting for the signs to be removed,’’ Hartmann said. “But now that they’re down, there’s really not a clear understanding across the board on the new law. We’ve asked them to put out some educational information and we haven’t seen anything yet.”
One avid cyclist told The Coastal Star he saw an electronic sign stating the new law on A1A in northern Broward this summer. Jones said he hasn’t considered those signs because they’re too expensive for his small town. Several meetings to discuss a potential outreach program had been scheduled, with help from state Sen. Lauren Book, a co-sponsor of the new bike law. But each meeting was postponed because someone from the DOT was never available to attend, Jones said. 
The only public outreach Jones has seen about the new law was a presentation this summer by the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency. 
“How are people supposed to know what the rules are if the governing body, the Florida Department of Transportation, doesn’t do some type of outreach program to put the information on TV or signage on roadways where people are used to riding two abreast? They’ve done nothing,’’ he said.
In Highland Beach, the majority of bicyclists comply with the law and try to ride single file as far onto the right shoulder as possible, Hartmann said. When police see pack riders, which usually happens on weekends, they stop them and try to educate them, he said.
“It’s very challenging. It’s time-consuming and it’s tough to do safely with traffic coming in both directions,’’ he Hartmann said. “We’re hoping the state has more involvement with some of the education and attention to this.’’ 
Mattox said he was “waiting to see what the state’s going to do” before he commented on the new bike law.

City may incur more fines if terms aren’t met

 Letter to the Editor: City manager promises ‘brighter’ future for Delray water customers

By Jane Smith

Delray Beach must meet three years of deadlines along with paying a record $1 million civil fine and $21,193.90 for costs and expenses to settle issues raised by the county branch of the Florida Department of Health regarding violations in the city’s reclaimed water program.
If it doesn’t meet the conditions, the city will have to pay an additional fine of $5,000 per day for each corrective action.
The city, which signed the consent order on Nov. 9, has to meet the conditions to ensure it stays in compliance with state drinking water regulations. These include:
• Within 30 days of signing the order, Delray Beach must publish a public notice about its failure to implement a cross connection/backflow program that was supposed to start in 2008 to prevent mixing of reclaimed and drinking water.
• Within 180 days, Delray Beach must complete the installation of the backflow prevention devices that are marked “pending” on lists submitted to the Health Department.
• Also within 180 days, the city must complete an inventory of all properties connected to its drinking water system. The inventory must cover the type of property served, type of backflow prevention device installed, the manufacturer of the device, date of installation and date of replacement in accordance with the maker’s specifications.
• Within three years, Delray Beach must ensure that all connections to its drinking water system follow the state rules controlling cross connections and backflow protection. The city must list the addresses where backflow protection is not needed by state law or local rules, but it does not have to physically inspect those sites.
• The city must provide quarterly progress reports of connections during the three-year period until the corrective action is completed.
“I’m confident we have the people and systems in place to meet the Health Department’s requirements,” Mayor Shelly Petrolia said. “If we don’t, we will have to pay penalties of $5,000 a day.”
Petrolia also said the problems appear to date to 2008 when the program was started. “I am extremely disappointed that the city’s current taxpayers will pay for the deficiencies,” she said.
“I’d rather see the money go to the water system upgrades than pay civil fines, but I think the regulators wanted to get the city’s attention,” barrier island resident Ned Wehler said.

Negotiations got testy
The Health Department’s chief legal counsel was concerned over news reports about the consent order, a legal agreement that binds both parties.
“We should provide a statement because I believe based on what I’ve read so far that everyone thinks this consent order covers only the reclaimed water,” chief legal counsel Cathy Linton wrote in a Nov. 10 internal Health Department email that included Rafael Reyes, the department’s environmental health director.
“Rafael, I think we need something that states that the City of Delray will have 180 days to advise the Department of Health where all the other non-reclaimed water sites are that need backflow protection, and three years to ensure that the backflow protection is installed in all those sites.”
The settlement comes more than 19 months after the Health Department demanded the city shut down its reclaimed water system to avoid a citywide boil water order in February 2020. Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater suitable only for lawn irrigation and not for human or pet consumption.
On Jan. 2, 2020, a South Ocean Boulevard resident called the Health Department to say she was not properly informed of a cross connection in her area. Cross connections occur when the drinking water pipes are mistakenly connected to those carrying reclaimed water.
The civil fine, the highest ever imposed by the Health Department, is down from the $1.8 million that the city was asked to pay in June. The higher amount included a 25% surcharge for the city’s history of noncompliance.
City Manager Terrence Moore touted the $800,000 reduction in letters to the editors of local newspapers. The city also paid the Lewis, Longman & Walker law firm nearly $110,000 as of Oct. 28 to negotiate with the Health Department.
Negotiations broke down in the late summer over the proposed $1.8 million fine.
“As you may recall, our offer (on July 30) proposed a final settlement of $327,192.90,” attorney Frederick Aschauer wrote to Linton on Aug. 30. “We also proposed that the city be afforded the opportunity to conduct an in-kind penalty project.”
He called the transfer of money from one public body to another a way “simply to exact a pound of flesh.”
Aschauer also wrote that the city “has already expended significant sums recently in order to improve its utility’s service and increase its efforts to ensure the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.”
Delray Beach has spent more than $1 million bringing the program into compliance.
“By not complying with the rules since 2008 for reclaimed water the city had a cost savings,” Linton wrote in an Oct. 1 email to Aschauer. “For the backflows that are missing from businesses the city has failed to comply with the rules since the 1990s.”
Her email added that the Health Department has spent months with the state Department of Environmental Protection going over its proposed consent order. The county Health Department leaders wanted to make sure they followed DEP guidelines for enforcement fairness and consistency.
“We will not be back at the negotiating table for less than what we said was the Health Department’s lowest number — $1 million in penalties and all of our costs,” Linton wrote.
The Health Department also cited the city for failing to report residents who said they became sick from drinking contaminated water at the cross connection reported in December 2018.
The city has an ordinance that requires property owners to connect to the reclaimed water system when the pipes are installed near the property. But some South Ocean residents were able to switch back to lawn irrigation with drinking water and the city paid for the plumbers’ costs.
“That’s ridiculous,” said barrier island resident Bill Petry. “We all should be treated equally.”

Some materials that contractors pick up on Hypoluxo Island likely don’t belong in the recycling bins. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Larry Barszewski

For the first time in two years, Palm Beach County cities and towns are receiving a dividend from the recycling efforts of their residents.
A total of $141,612 is being portioned out by the Solid Waste Authority to the county’s 39 municipalities. The money may be little more than pocket change — Manalapan’s share comes out to only $137.09, for instance — but it means the county’s recycling efforts are once again paying for themselves. The revenue sharing takes place only after all the SWA program costs have been covered.
Ocean Ridge Mayor Kristine de Haseth says her town encourages recycling — it will even supply the blue and yellow bins to make it easier for residents rather than having them contact the SWA — in an effort to reduce the county’s waste stream.
Ocean Ridge’s share of the disbursement is $551.17.
“It has nothing to do with the revenue side,” de Haseth says. “It’s nice to get, but it doesn’t cover much, even for a small town like ours.”
Recycling programs around the world took a hit in 2018 when China, which was a major purchaser of the collected materials, became far pickier in what materials it would accept, particularly when it came to paper goods. Many places nationally ended up dumping recyclables in landfills because they could not find buyers, while those that could sell saw the value of their materials plummet because of the market glut.
At the same time, the SWA’s recycling costs increased because of the county’s living wage rules, which gave a roughly 50% hourly wage increase to recycling plant workers. The SWA plugged away, finding takers for its products, although the money it earned no longer covered expenses — at least not until this summer.

Recycling markets rebound
The good news is that many markets are rebounding, the SWA reports:
• Premium mixed paper, which fell from about $100 a ton in 2017 prior to China’s actions, to about $38 a ton in 2020, boomed to more than $140 a ton this year.
• Cardboard, which dropped from about $165 a ton to about $55 a ton, averaged more than $120 a ton this year.
• Even basic mixed paper, which went from around $88 a ton to $20 a ton, has climbed back to averaging about $38 a ton recently.
The value of some plastics — particularly the containers with “2” in their recycling triangles — weren’t affected as much, but they have also seen large increases this year. The SWA’s HDPE natural No. 2 plastic materials, including milk jugs, have averaged between $600 and $1,000 per ton in recent years, but averaged more than $1,600 a ton for 2021.
Unfortunately, there’s little way of knowing for sure whether the trend will continue or is a momentary blip.
“Market prices are market prices,” based on the vagaries of supply and demand, says Willie Puz, the SWA’s director of public affairs and recycling. “The recycling market is commodity driven, and the markets fluctuate up and down for a number of different reasons. So, what stands true for a commodity price one month, may be different the next month, may be different the next year.”

Saving landfill space
The main goal of recycling is not to turn a profit, but to save landfill space, he says.
“Recycling is done for a number of different reasons. From the Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County’s perspective, it’s also to decrease our reliance on a landfill. Any way that we can divert a specific waste stream, in this case it’s recyclables, it’s to our advantage, our county’s advantage,” Puz says. “There’s going to come a time when we will have to site a new landfill, and there’s not a lot of space for that landfill to go. … And you know there’s a lot of ‘not in my backyard’ for a landfill.”
When it comes to recycling, the county and its municipalities have room to grow, state Department of Environmental Protection data shows. Palm Beach County ranks fourth among counties and is close to the goal set by the state years ago of having three-quarters of its waste stream going to recycling, but that includes credits the county gets for burning trash to produce electricity at its waste-to-energy incineration plant. The traditional recycling portion is closer to 45%.

With the increase in online shopping, much more cardboard is being set by curbs like these collections on Hypoluxo Island. TOP: The boxes are cut and folded, ensuring they will be recycled. BOTTOM: The stack of whole boxes is more likely to end up in the trash and be burned in one of the county’s waste-to-energy incinerators. 

Recycle more, recycle right
According to the state data, there’s a lot more that residents and visitors could be doing.
The materials coming into the county’s recycling center account for only one out of every 12 aluminum cans disposed of here, only one out of 11 plastic bottles and less than a third of the office paper and cardboard that is being thrown away, the state says.
While the Solid Waste Authority wants to see residents recycle more, it also wants them to recycle right. That means being careful about what they put in their recycling bins, to make sure it’s a product the county actually recycles and that it isn’t contaminated. The county’s recycling guidelines don’t always match what people think is recyclable.
“You have a very high snowbird season, where we get hundreds of thousands of other residents, where they recycle differently somewhere else, and a lot of times they think they recycle better wherever they came from,” Puz says. “And you have the tourist visitors that we have. It takes us all to do the right thing to make recycling successful.”
Here are some things about recycling in Palm Beach County you may not know:
• Big pieces of cardboard and boxes that you leave at the curb to be recycled may end up being thrown into a garbage truck because some communities don’t have recycling trucks that can handle the larger pieces.
If the recycling truck on your street has side-loaders, where the materials have to fit into a hopper, the only way for recycling to work is to cut the cardboard down into smaller pieces that fit into your recycling bin first.
• Bottle caps are recyclable, but only if they’re attached to the bottles. The shredders at the recycling plant will be able to sort the cap plastic from the bottle plastic. Loose bottle caps are a big no-no. They’ll get stuck in the machinery and cause equipment breakdowns.
• Bring your plastic bags to grocery store recycling bins; don’t put them in the bins you put out on the curb. The plastic bags will get caught in the recycling machinery.
• Don’t put items in your recycling bins because you’d like to think they can be recycled: Styrofoam, packing peanuts, paper products having food stains on them, aluminum foil or aluminum pans, plastic eating utensils and plastic straws should all go into the garbage.
• Ropes, coat hangers, stringy material or anything else that could get tangled up in the recycling plant machinery should be left out of your bins.
“Recycling is not dead and residents should still recycle,” Puz says. “It’s most important for them to recycle right, per their local program.”

Someone stole my bike. It wasn’t new and I have another one, but it was the same aqua blue as the ocean on a summer day. You could feel the wind in your hair just looking at it.
The bike was also the color of this newspaper’s masthead logo and was a gift from my husband in our first profitable year of business. Losing it is not a huge financial loss, but for sentimental reasons, I’m sad that it’s gone.
When we called the Ocean Ridge police to report it missing from the screened porch of the property we own in Briny Breezes, the kind officer told us it was just one of several stolen from the area in the past month.
I learned later that neighbors in Ocean Ridge also found their bikes missing.
Obviously, some group of people believed they needed bicycles more than we did. In all, three bicycles were reported stolen in Briny Breezes and four in Ocean Ridge during November. None was recovered and the police have no suspects. Chances are good there were more stolen than reported.
Richwagen’s Delray Bike & Sport explained when we called to get the make and model, that bicycle thefts have been on the uptick since pandemic-induced supply chain issues have made bikes hard to come by and have caused an increase in street value.
So, sadly, I suspect my beautiful blue bike has already been dismantled for parts in a warehouse in Broward County or is packed into a shipping container on a boat in the Miami River.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe it’s been polished up (the handlebars were pretty rusty) and donated to an organization that provides bikes to needy kids. That would cheer me up. But I’m doubtful.
So, in the spirit of Christmas, my plan is to pay it forward by writing a check for the cost of a new bicycle to one of the many local toy drives taking place in December.
Many kids need bikes to get to school, to the grocery store, to their friends’ houses, to the park.
If a kid can use a bike to help out his household, get away for a little solitude, or simply have a bit of fun, I’ll feel like I have turned a bad event into something good.
My hope is that, maybe someday, as the kid who receives the bike gets older, she’ll pedal to the beach, feel the wind in her hair and marvel at the aqua blue of the ocean on a summer day.
Happy holidays!

— Mary Kate Leming,
Editor

Steve King, director of development at Boca Helping Hands since September, started out with the organization by distributing bags of groceries to people in need. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jan Engoren

After retiring from his first career at Bank of America and Comerica in Boca Raton and working in Lynn University’s Office of Development, Boca Raton resident and Miami native Steve King says he has found his true calling.
Appointed as director of development at the nonprofit Boca Helping Hands in September, King is combining his expertise in fundraising, community service and engagement and doing good at the same time.
“For the first time, I’m doing something that I believe in and feel wonderful about every day,” says King, 55.
“There’s nothing I don’t enjoy,” he says. “I’m very privileged seeing the people we’re helping and hope to keep going until I’m 80.”
In volunteering for the organization since 2012, King and his family served food and distributed pantry bags as a way to become more active in the community.
“Engaging with clients was so rewarding that I look forward to making a greater impact in my current capacity by creating stronger community partnerships and enhancing programs,” King says.
Boca Helping Hands provides food, medical and financial assistance as well as education, job training and guidance to foster client self-sufficiency.
The organization assists more than 27,000 people annually and distributes more than 80,000 pantry bags at five Palm Beach County locations, serving 90,000 hot meals annually, six days per week.
In addition, the group offers access to affordable medical, dental and behavioral care through its partnerships with Genesis Community Health and FAU’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing community-based clinics.
When the coronavirus pandemic struck in March 2020, King served up to 300 lunches each day and assembled and distributed as many pantry bags.
“My job is to engage with the public, meet donors, do outreach and attend events,” King says. “We want to meet donors where they are and not wait for them to come to us.”
This past Thanksgiving, BHH fed approximately 3,000 families in the county.
“You can see our donors’ joy when they drop off food for Thanksgiving labeled ‘from my family to your family,’” he says.
King credits the organization’s top three sponsors — Boca Raton’s ADT, Phoenix Tower International and Boca Raton’s Robert and Anita Kriensky.
“We couldn’t have done it without them,” he says.
As a child, King admired his parents — both public school teachers. His mother was a special ed teacher and his dad taught homebound kids.
“Both my parents would give you the shirt off their back,” he says.
King’s mother died last year at the age of 86, in a nursing home. Because of the pandemic, King was unable to visit and feels a lasting sadness.
“I’d love to be able to hug her and thank her and share one more Thanksgiving,” he says.
They made him the person he is today, he says.
“I want to leave my mark and make a difference,” King says. “I love Boca Raton and want to create meaningful change.”
He enjoys living in Boca Raton and says: “This city offers everything. It’s paradise.”
He moved to Boca in 1986.
“The people are wonderful,” says King. “We have a top-notch hospital, museum and two universities, beautiful beaches and parks. From education to the outdoors, from arts to sports to a variety of restaurants, there are so many amenities. I go to the beach every weekend and either read or paddleboard.”
King met his wife, Ann-Louise, at Lynn University on the first day of school in 1987. She’d arrived from Sweden to play tennis for Lynn University, then known as the College of Boca Raton.
“I carried her bags from the car,” he recalls. “I remember she didn’t thank me. I learned later she was hot, exhausted — and overwhelmed by travel. Obviously, I’ve done something right — we’ve been married 30 years and have two adult children.”
Despite what F. Scott Fitzgerald said — “There are no second acts in American life” — King seems to be excelling in his.
“My job is extremely fulfilling,” he says. “It’s very gratifying to make an impact. Boca Helping Hands is a very enjoyable place. Even on a bad day here we’re helping someone and making sure they’re having a good day.”

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Former Boca Raton Deputy Mayor Robert Weinroth is now helming the Palm Beach County Commission after being unanimously elected by his colleagues to the ceremonial post of mayor.
“This is a paradise we live in and it’s our job to make it the best paradise in the world,” Weinroth said as he assumed his new role on Nov. 16.
He won election to the City Council in 2014, serving for four years before he was elected county commissioner for District 4, which covers the county’s southeastern part.
Among the challenges facing the county are the need for better mental health services, the lack of affordable housing, opioid use, food insecurity and inflation, Weinroth said.
Weinroth is a longtime resident of Boca Raton, where he and his wife, Pamela, recently purchased a condo at Alina Residences downtown.

— Mary Hladky

On Nov. 9, the Delray Beach City Commission voted unanimously to approve a consent order with the Florida Department of Health Palm Beach County. Over the past 20 months, a lot has been accomplished to bring the city’s reclaimed water cross-connection control program into compliance.
Ultimately, we arrived at an $800,000 reduced remittance from what was originally proposed by the Department of Health. 
Supporting our legal team and Utilities Department staff throughout the negotiations to arrive at a final consent order with the Department of Health has been one of my top priorities since I began working for the city just a few months ago. Likewise, the team’s diligent work over the past several months has given the city closure on this very important matter and I sincerely thank them for their efforts. 
I realize that our current team here can’t change the past, and the work they have done over the past 20 months to bring our reclaimed water program into compliance is not a function of placing blame on a single individual. It’s about ensuring the service we provide is meeting the necessary standards and serving our residents, business owners and stakeholders as it should. That is true accountability.
Despite my short tenure with the city, I want to offer a heartfelt apology to our residents, business owners and stakeholders. Without question, you deserve a utilities system that meets compliance standards as well as the needs of our community. This is something I am deeply committed to, as is the city’s current Director of Utilities Hassan Hadjimiry, who was hired in June of 2020. Our shared vision centers on the core belief that sound infrastructure is the foundation upon which strong cities are built. 
The city’s reclaimed water system is an integral part of our utilities infrastructure. It plays an important role in water resource, wastewater and ecosystem management. Reclaimed water is highly treated wastewater that can be used for irrigation to recharge the groundwater supply and ease the demand on our drinking water sources. Our property owners who have access to and use reclaimed water for irrigation purposes are doing their part to conserve our most precious resource — and for that I am extremely grateful.
Continuing to strengthen our infrastructure is imperative to ensuring Delray Beach’s future is a sustainable one. Moving forward, the implementation of several sustainable capital improvement programs, including a new water treatment plant, will help ensure the city’s infrastructure will meet and exceed our community’s future needs. I am confident that our future will be brighter — with dependable infrastructure and utilities services that all can rely on. 

Terrence R. Moore, ICMA-CM,
Delray Beach city manager 

Thank you, Ocean Ridge residents, for returning me to the Town Commission for another three-year term.
During my years on the commission my platform has been pretty simple. I believe in private property rights, a strong Police Department, a commission that listens to the residents rather than to each other, and limited town governance that is based on common sense and not overly intrusive into residents’ lifestyles and choices.
Ocean Ridge faces two pressing issues: drainage and aging infrastructure. That’s where the focus should be. Longer term the conversion from septic to sewer (which most likely will be mandated by the state) needs to be addressed.
We live in a wonderful gem of a town. I will do everything I can to ensure that Ocean Ridge retains its unique small-town character.
Thank you.

Steve Coz
Ocean Ridge commissioner

Editor's Note: No other candidate qualified for Coz’s seat. As a result, there will be no municipal election in March.