ABOVE: (l-r) Nicole Williams, FAU President Adam Hasner and Aalesha Chisholm-Green. Photos provided by Florida Atlantic University
With contributions from alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends, FAU raised more than $617 million over the past decade for scholarships and programs as part of ’Transcend Tomorrow: The Campaign for Florida Atlantic University.’ That surpassed the campaign goal of $600 million.
ABOVE: Dick Schmidt and Sharon Kusuke.
ABOVE: Laura and Charles Compton. Photo provided by Tracey Benson Photography
The seventh annual Cocktails for the Club raised a record $284,789 for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County’s Delray Beach club. The event was chaired by Laura Compton. Proceeds will go to the club’s hunger relief efforts, workforce readiness program and digital literacy. For more information, visit bgcpbc.org or call 561-683-3287.
ABOVE: Guest speaker Joe Theismann. BELOW: Evelyn Hopkins and Guy Quattlebaum. Photos provided by Tracey Benson Photography
More than 350 attended the YMCA of the Palm Beaches 16th annual Prayer Breakfast. Former Super Bowl champion quarterback Joe Theismann, now an entrepreneur, Emmy Award-winning NFL analyst, author and philanthropist, spoke of the importance of supporting the YMCA’s mission. ’True success isn’t just about achievements,’ he said. ’It’s about how we lift up and contribute to those around us, bringing our best every day for the good of others.’ Learn more at ymcapalmbeaches.org. Follow on Instagram @ymcapalmbeaches.
ABOVE: Tim Coffield and Pat Rooney.
ABOVE: (l-r): Garden Club members Susan Holtz, Britt Flanagan, Mickey Austin Farley, Carol Larson, Elisa Garcia and Cindy Martel. Photo provided
Florida Arbor Day was Jan. 16, but members of the Ocean Ridge Garden Club got a head start, planting a native gumbo limbo tree to mark the occasion a week earlier. Club members say early in the year is the perfect time to plant trees, though they will require watering to get established before the hotter spring temperatures arrive. This tree was donated by a club member.
ABOVE: (l-r): Kelly Barrette, vice president of the Delray Beach Preservation Trust; and Jaime Mayo and Michael Hanlon, principal partners of Hanlon \ Mayo Architecture. Photo provided
The Delray Beach Preservation Trust partnered with the city and Hanlon \ Mayo Architecture to replace a historical marker at the entrance to the Old School Square Historic District. The distinctive marker was cast at Sewah Studios foundry in Marietta, Ohio, and the text approved by the city and the historic division of the Florida Department of State. Old School Square Historic District, formed in 1987, was the first of five historic districts established in the city. The trust also partnered with the city to replace a marker at the entrance of the Del-Ida Historic District.
ABOVE: Dara Siegel, Paige Kornblue, Jan Savarick, Michelle Hagerty and Neil Saffer. BELOW: Neil Gillman, Abby Bernstein-Henderson, Doris Gillman and Alex Henderson. Photos providedThe 28th annual gala, hosted by the Rotary Club of Boca Raton, celebrated community leadership and philanthropy. The gala was co-chaired by Jan Savarick, Neil Saffer and Dara Siegel. It honored Steven Bernstein and Abby Bernstein-Henderson, Michelle Hagerty, Dr. Van P. Williams, Haley and Brad Winstead, and Rotarian Lifetime Legacy Award recipient Myron Yudkin, 97, who received a standing ovation. Christine Lynn was honorary chair and presenting sponsor. Proceeds will benefit Rotary’s scholarship and youth programs.
ABOVE: Lynn, Patricia Thomas and Terry Fedele. BELOW: Peter and Susan Brockway.
By Jan Engoren
As AI and high‑tech gadgets become more ubiquitous, people are taking advantage of wearable technologies and mobile apps to take their fitness and health routines to the next level.
One of these people is Boynton Beach resident Tony Vitale, 71, a retired Realtor, computer instructor and Apple reseller. A self‑described “tech geek,” Vitale swears by his Apple Watch and Apple Health app to keep his weight and health on track.
He monitors his workouts and heart rhythm for A-fib and used the Lose It! app to help him lose 100 pounds through a diet and exercise program that included the treadmill, cardio classes and resistance training. “I developed a routine,” he says.
He even invested in a Withings scale, which measures body fat, muscle mass, body composition and other metrics, as well as a sleep mat to track sleep duration, patterns, REM cycles, heart rate and snoring.
A devotee of the Apple Health app — which stores his lab results, notes from doctor visits and tracks blood pressure and other vitals — Vitale chooses physicians who also use the platform. “It’s a way to gain some control over your health outcomes,” he says.
His enthusiasm reflects a broader shift. Wearable technology such as the Apple Watch, Oura ring and Whoop band continues to grow in popularity, despite raising some concerns over data privacy and how that data may be used.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, wearable tech is projected to be the No. 1 fitness trend for 2026. Other top trends include fitness programs for older adults, exercise for weight management, mobile exercise apps, balance and flow training and core strength.
Dr. Berkcan Akpinar, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at NYU Langone Medical Associates in Delray Beach and West Palm Beach, has seen the shift firsthand.
A former team physician for the Boston Bruins, Red Sox and New England Patriots, Akpinar is a strong proponent of using technology to improve health. He uses an Apple Watch himself.
“Technology for health is readily available and easy to use,” he says.
His watch even pings him when he’s “slacking off,” a reminder he appreciates. The start of the new year, he notes, is an ideal time to set health goals. His own resolutions include going to the gym four to five days a week, eating more greens and vegetables and cutting back on conveniences like Uber Eats and DoorDash.
Akpinar encourages people to begin their fitness journey slowly. “Start with the basics,” he says. “Jumping jacks, toe touches, knee pushups and stretching.”
Once you are warmed up, he recommends a power walk, stair climber or elliptical machine, gradually adding resistance training over time.
According to the Fitness Industry Insights website, which tracks fitness trends, virtual training and fitness apps are projected to grow 26.72% through 2030, and wearable tech is expected to grow by 14.6% over the same period.
Additionally, the Consumer Technology Association reports that more than 65% of U.S. adults who use wearable technology rely on it not only for fitness, but also to monitor sleep, stress, heart health and personal productivity.
Experts note that while wearables can be powerful tools for behavioral change, they’re not a substitute for a physician. Devices can vary in accuracy, and over‑reliance on data, constant monitoring and self‑interpretation of results may not always serve the wearer.
Boynton Beach librarian Janet Naughton, 63, also depends on her wearable technology to stay active. “I like it for accountability and competitiveness,” she says. Naughton began using the Peloton app during the pandemic and continues to find it “extremely helpful,” especially for on‑the‑go workouts.
“I can do a 10‑minute arms session with light weights anywhere, anytime,” she says. “The app lets me know when I’m on a streak, and I can work out with others or compete if I want.”
She’s part of a PeloLibrarian group and believes that even small daily efforts add up.
Naughton also uses a Fitbit and its companion app to track her weight, steps, sleep and heart rate. The device reminds her to move if she’s been sedentary for too long.
“I’m not a fitness buff or the healthiest person, but these apps help me keep active,” she says. “Technology is amazing.”
While wearable technology may not be a magic bullet for everyone in the pursuit of health and wellness, it has become an accessible and steady companion — one that can guide, motivate and empower you along the winding road toward better health.
Jan Engoren writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to jengoren@hotmail.com.
Correction: An earlier online version and print version of this story incorrectly listed Janet Naughton's age. She is 63.
Megan S. Powe was appointed chief operating officer for HCA Florida JFK Hospital in Atlantis and assumed the job in January.
Previously, she served as chief operating officer for Ascension Columbia St. Mary’s Hospital in Milwaukee. Prior to that, she held multiple senior leadership roles within Tenet Healthcare, including hospital COO, market chief strategy officer and chief strategy officer.
Powe holds a master's degree in health care administration from Trinity University in San Antonio, and a bachelor's degree in business administration, with concentrations in management and marketing, from Spring Hill College in Mobile, Alabama.
Pediatric cancer patients treated to holiday party
Students from American Heritage Schools’ premedical program, from both Broward and Palm Beach County campuses, hosted the 26th annual holiday party for 18 pediatric cancer patients from Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital at Broward Health Medical Center in December.
Patients received holiday treats and took part in activities that included gingerbread cookie decorating, ornament making, bracelet crafting and games.
Send health news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.
Dave Stewart holds up a snook. Capt. Ron Mallet says snook fishing in South Florida is excellent during the season that starts in February, but anglers should be prepared for broken lines and some lost fish. Photo provided
By Steve Waters
It was the opening night of the winter snook season, and the fishing was fast and frustrating.
Capt. Ron Mallet had two experienced sea trout fishermen from South Carolina on his boat, and they were fishing for snook for the first time.
Mallet gave his customers some pointers, telling them to hold their rods out to the side as they drifted live shrimp in the Intracoastal Waterway. When they felt the “thump” of a snook bite, all they had to do was reel the line tight to set the hook.
Less than an hour into the trip, after a few missed hits and broken lines, one of the anglers, who was following Mallet’s advice, landed a beautiful 36-inch snook. The fish was released because it was over the slot limit of 28-32 inches to keep a snook (anglers are allowed one per day).
“He was ecstatic,” Mallet said. “The other guy kept trying to horse in the snook and kept breaking the line. Then the first guy caught a 28-incher, which went into the cooler. On the next drift, he released one.
“Meanwhile, I’m trying to help the other guy, but he won’t listen.”
At the end of the trip, the first angler hooked yet another snook, the biggest of the night. As the fish stripped line from the 17-pound plug rod, the angler offered the rod to his fishless friend.
The stubborn fisherman took the rod and held it straight up. Mallet suggested the angler point the rod tip down and to the side so he could steer the snook away from trouble. The angler ignored the advice and, as a result, was unable to stop the fish, which swam straight to a rockpile and broke the line.
The snook fishing in South Florida when the season opens Feb. 1 — it’s been closed on the Atlantic coast since Dec. 15 — can be terrific. But be prepared to lose some fish. And if you’re paying to fish with a guide, it pays to listen to the guide.
This time of year, snook can be found from the Intracoastal Waterway in Palm Beach County to the back end of finger canals connecting with other canals that eventually flow into the Intracoastal. During the winter, snook move into these canals seeking warm water. Snook become listless in cold water and can be snagged or netted, which is why the season is closed from mid-December through January.
Later in the spring, snook congregate near inlets and beaches as they prepare to spawn. The season closes again from June 1 to Aug. 31, when snook are spawning and easily targeted because they are so concentrated.
Bridges located over or near the Intracoastal are prime snook fishing spots. Snook also can be found after heavy rains by open spillways — the Boynton and Lake Worth spillways are among the best spots — where the snook ambush baitfish flushed out of freshwater canals.
Mallet likes to drift with the current along sea walls using live shrimp. Usually, the bigger the shrimp, the bigger the snook it attracts. Lures that imitate shrimp also hook snook.
The top of the outgoing tide is the best time to fish, whether from a boat or a bridge. That’s when snook will lie in wait for baitfish to be carried by the current and past pilings, boat docks and rocks.
Given those hangouts, break-offs are inevitable. That’s why many anglers who fish from bridges use 80- or 100-pound line with heavy-duty 10-foot rods. When you use light tackle, technique is critical, as that stubborn angler from South Carolina discovered.
Mallet doesn’t take any chances when he gets a bite. He reels quickly to get the fish away from obstructions.
“If you can, take the initiative when a snook is first hooked,” he said. “Treat every fish as if it’s a serious one.”
Outdoors writer Steve Waters can be reached at steve33324@aol.com.
Elliott and Robin Broidy (above) purchased this architectural drawing of the crematoria at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where Jews were killed and cremated as part of Nazi Germany’s ’final solution.’ This is one of only two known original drawings produced of the building. Photos provided
By Janis Fontaine
In November, Elliott and Robin Broidy of Boca Raton paid $1.5 million for an old drawing. Not a piece of fine art, but an architectural sketch drawn on cheap newsprint dated Oct. 24, 1941.
The landscape-oriented drawing, about 3 feet long and 2 feet wide, is sepia-toned with age and protected by plastic; it depicts a house of horrors: the crematoria at Auschwitz-Birkenau, where millions of Jews were systematically exterminated.
What the Broidys now own is one of only two known original drawings produced in preparation for meetings where the logistics of killing Jews on an industrial scale would be discussed.
“The drawing we have is clear proof of genocidal intent,” Elliott Broidy wrote in a Nov. 21 op-ed in The Wall Street Journal. “To behold it is to confront the deliberate design of evil. My most sincere wish is for this whiteprint to be memorialized as part of an irrefutable body of evidence that negates Holocaust denial and helps to forever silence malevolent revisionists while also educating new generations about the lessons of the Holocaust.”
Robin Broidy recalled the first time she stood before the drawing: “It’s a horrible feeling. You’re standing so close to evil. These people created this document that you’re holding in your hands with the purpose of murdering, exterminating, terminating mass numbers of people. And you’re just, you’re sad.”
The document itself is nothing special: “The paper isn’t premium,” Robin Broidy said. In wartime paper is expensive. “They were doing as much as possible on very cheap paper, so all the blueprints are on low-quality paper.”
The significance of the document lies in the date. Drawn by SS architect Walter Dejaco under the authority of Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss, it’s the snapshot of the moment when the men who planned the execution of millions of Jews actually put pen to paper and drew up the plan for the place the extermination would happen. The whiteprint is stark and irrefutable proof that the Shoah, the Hebrew word for the Holocaust, was conceived months before the announcement of the “final solution” in January 1942 at the Wannsee Conference.
The Broidys purchased the artifact from Rabbi David Baron of Temple of the Arts Synagogue in Beverly Hills, who had received it from a friend of a congregant who had bought it at a Nazi memorabilia auction in Germany. Neither the buyer nor seller was aware of its historical significance. According to journalist Benjamin Raziel of Forbes, the Nazis understood the power of documentation and they tried to destroy as many records as possible as the Allies approached, so finding artifacts of this import is rare.
Professor Robert Jan van Pelt, the foremost expert on Auschwitz architecture, authenticated the document, but when asked to place a value on it, Robin Broidy said, “He couldn’t. He said, ‘I can’t value it. It’s priceless.’”
In an act of remembrance and reverence, the Broidys agreed to pay $1.5 million to the Temple of the Arts for the drawing. The money would be earmarked for Baron to use to create a global early-childhood curriculum promoting empathy and altruism. The rabbi’s curriculum aims to reach children when they are young, long before extremist ideologies can take root.
“He has done research that indicates that children’s values are formed between zero to 5,” Robin said. “Therefore, if you can teach children altruism, empathy and listening to another person’s point of view then, they will be less likely to become an extremist and less likely to create hateful attitudes.”
That you become what you are taught isn’t a new idea, but Robin said, “Education is always the key. Education is the key to succeeding in life and to being a good person, getting your values straight.”
It’s also quite simple. Robin likes to tell the classic story of Rabbi Hillel, who was asked, “Can you teach the entire Torah standing on one foot?” Robin says his answer is the answer: “Sure I can. Whatever is hateful to you, do not do unto others. That’s what Jews are taught from their infancy.”
Baron told the Broidys how much money he would need to start his program, and they settled on a number. “It was a number that had some meaning,” Elliott said, “because out of the 6 million that died, 1.5 million were children.”
It’s not the first time the Broidys have stepped up like this. They’ve been actively fighting antisemitism and extremism for years. Their support turned “hell-on-earth” into a symbol of truth and light when the Counter Extremism Project transformed Rudolf Höss’ residence at 88 Legionow St. into the Auschwitz Research Center on Hate, Extremism and Radicalization (ARCHER) at House 88.
The lovely private villa with its gardens and swimming pool where the Höss family lived in comfort and affluence — Höss’ wife called it “paradise” — sits just outside the fence of Auschwitz. The Höss children played under skies darkened by the smoke rising from the crematoria next door. While they hosted lavish parties with decadent food, Jews starved just feet away.
Today the property has a mezuzah on its front door. ARCHER at House 88’s goal and message are to turn a site of mass murder into a global center dedicated to exposing the machinery of hate and educating the world. Education must begin with children, but it has to continue through adulthood. Truly, no dog is too old to learn.
Today’s battle is against misinformation and how easily it spreads. Researchers and educators, policymakers and activists work to prevent the spread of online extremism, promote safety on digital platforms and counter misinformation and radicalization.
“What ARCHER is fighting against is the mainstreaming of extremism — the same propaganda, the same misinformation, the same lies that enabled the Germans and the SS to be able to do this without a second thought, without remorse, without thinking,” Robin Broidy said. “That is the message that we are trying to send to today’s young people. Anytime somebody tries to tell you that the other someone else is less than human, don’t believe them.”
The fight continues right in our own backyard.
In January, several news agencies, including WPEC CBS12, reported that Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies had investigated a swastika and racial slurs painted on the pavement outside Florida Cancer Specialists, a medical office plaza in West Boca. An employee discovered the white lettering which targeted both Jewish and Black communities. A discarded paintbrush and empty paint can were recovered nearby but no usable fingerprints were found. The damage was estimated at about $500, and the graffiti was quickly removed. But the implications will last.
Antisemitism is part of being a Jew, but Jews don’t fight hate with hate, Robin says: “You move on, and you try to show the world that you’re decent, wonderful human beings. You try to be positive, try to educate.”
To that end, the Broidys plan to display the whiteprint at institutions and organizations dedicated to combating antisemitism and preserving the memory of the Holocaust, before making a long-term gift of it to one institution. “Probably the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum,” Elliott said.
The Broidys relocated to Boca Raton from Los Angeles to be closer to their children, grandchildren and about three dozen of Robin’s relatives. Elliott, chairman and CEO of Broidy Capital Holdings, is an entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist with a career spanning four decades. Robin is a former film producer and movie executive who with Elliott has been devoted to the fight against antisemitism — they call it “our major fight” — for decades.
Philanthropically, the Broidys support organizations dedicated to countering antisemitism, hate and extremism, including the Museum of Tolerance Jerusalem, the Counterterrorism Education Learning Lab (CELL), the George Washington University Program on Extremism, and StandWithUs.
“This document is our way of changing the world a little bit, if possible, and that’s no small feat,” Elliott said.
Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423@outlook.com.
“From Hate to Hope: My Journey Beyond White Supremacy” is the title of a lecture by Frank Meeink, formerly a prominent white supremacist, offered by Chabad of South Palm Beach at 3 p.m. Feb. 15.
The former skinhead became a Jewish activist after serving time in prison. Some claim he was the inspiration for Edward Norton’s character in the cult film American History X.
On a much lighter note, the Chabad, at 224 S. Ocean Blvd., Manalapan, will host a Purim Party at 5 p.m. March 3 with food, the megillah reading and live music. Purim is the spring festival that celebrates the miracles told about in the book of Esther and the salvation of the Jews in Persia over Haman in another unfulfilled plot to destroy them.
Reservations are requested for all events at chabadspb.org/RSVP.
Cason United Methodist holds ‘Love Luncheon’
A Valentine’s Day-themed party takes place from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Feb. 14 at Cason United Methodist Church, 342 N. Swinton Ave, Delray Beach. The Love Luncheon is a specially prepared “meal that makes a difference.” It is hosted by Cason Kids Care, which teaches Christian principles of kindness and service to kids 5-11, and The God Squad, a newly formed group for middle schoolers.
The luncheon supports 4 Kids (4kids.us) and its Christian foster care outreach.
A $10 donation is requested. Reserve your place online by going to casonumc.org/calendar and selecting the event, or call 561-276-5302.
An example of the items that will be available at the Step-Above-Rummage Sale at First Presbyterian. Photo provided
Two community events at First Presbyterian
First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach hosts its annual Step-Above-Rummage Sale from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 5-7 at the church, at 33 Gleason St. Find new and used items in a well-organized, department store-like setting with plenty of friendly sales help.
On Feb. 8 at 4 p.m., First Presbyterian sets the mood for Valentine’s Day with a concert called “Music to Eat Chocolates By,” showcasing love songs performed by the First Delray singers joined by Gordon Roberts at the piano. The repertoire of songs includes beloved music from Broadway, opera, the American Songbook and contemporary genres. There will be chocolate!
Tickets are $20 each.
For more information about these events, call 561-276-6338. Visit firstdelray.com/concerts/upcoming-concerts for more music info.
Marriage workshop offers chance for deeper love
Advent Lutheran Church, 300 E. Yamato Road, Boca Raton, will host “Love Well: A 2-Day Marriage Workshop” from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 20 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 21. This in-person workshop is designed to challenge, strengthen and encourage spouses to deepen their love for each other.
Discover new ways to meet each other’s needs, communicate more effectively, resolve conflicts with grace, and better understand how personality impacts relationships.
The $149 price per couple includes a relationship workbook and guided teaching and conversations in a supportive, faith-based setting. To register, visit rwlw.org/events.
For more information, call 954-909-0360 or email Monica@livethelife.org.
Aaron Kula with his Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra. Photo provided
Orchestra in sing-along concert at B’nai Torah
Aaron Kula & the Klezmer Company Jazz Orchestra performs a joyful sing-along concert — “It’s Fiddler on the Roof! A Community Sing-Along with Actors & Musicians” — at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 11 at B’nai Torah Congregation, 6261 SW 18th St., Boca Raton. Four professional actors and eight KCJO musicians lead the fun, with projected lyrics to all your favorites: “Tradition,” “Matchmaker,” “Sunrise, Sunset” and “To Life.”
Later in the month, at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 18, B’nai Torah presents “The Piano Man Show!” featuring the songs of Billy Joel, Elton John, Carole King, Barry Manilow, Stevie Wonder and more performed by cantor Randy Herman and special guest Coleen Dieker.
General admission tickets for each performance are $30 for members and $40 for guests at the door.
For more information, call 561-392-8566 or email info@bnai-torah.org.
Humanity discussion to be held at Temple Beth El
“What Does It Mean to Be Human?” is part of the Wisdom & Wonder Series with Rabbi Rachel Mikva and meets from 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 12 at Temple Beth El’s Schaefer Family Campus, 333 SW Fourth Ave., Boca Raton. Topics include: What does it mean to be human; are we good; are we free; are we more than dust?
Our religious convictions influence our feelings about public policy, from criminal justice to abortion to the definition of gender.
Register at tbeboca.org or call 561-391-8900.
Author to speak on her ’Jewish Way to Good Life’
B’nai Torah’s 2025-26 Author Series, presented in partnership with the Jewish Book Council, brings acclaimed writers, rabbis and thinkers from around the world to B’nai Torah to share their newest works. The next presentation features Rabbi Shira Stutman at 7 p.m. Feb. 12, speaking about The Jewish Way to a Good Life. Stutman is senior rabbi at Aspen Jewish Congregation and encourages Jews to embrace Chesed, Tzedek and Shabbat as pathways to joy. The event is free, but registration is required at btcboca.org/event/author-series-rabbi-shira-stutman.
Participate in Yoga Mass and Sacred Movement
St. Gregory’s Episcopal, 100 NE Mizner Blvd. in Boca Raton, continues to offer two programs that combine movement and prayer.
At 4 p.m. Feb. 19, Yoga and Sacred Movement mixes gentle stretching movements and breath work with reflection on scripture and prayer.
The program is led by parishioner and yoga instructor Daphne Lombardo under the direction of the Rev. Dr. Robyn Neville and is open to seniors and families. Bring your yoga mat and water.
At 4 p.m. Feb. 28, join YogaMass in St. Mary’s Chapel, a combination of graceful yoga, words of faith and contemplative meditation with the Revs. Elizabeth Pankey-Warren and Neville leading. Bring your yoga mat and water. Call 561-395-8285 or email rneville@st-gregorys.com.
’Pastoral Ministry’ class at St. Vincent Ferrer
St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, 840 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach, hosts the School of Christian Formation for the Diocese of Palm Beach and is registering its next class, “Pastoral Ministry,” which will begin March 5. Classes meet at the church from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays for six sessions. Registration is $10 and textbooks are $10-$20.
The SCF offers courses for Catholics who want to learn more about their faith. Classes are taught by Lily Potito, who holds a master’s degree in theology from Ave Maria University. To register, call 561-276-6892, ext. 1305, or email faithformation@stvincentferrer.com.
The next class is part of a three-year certificate program offered by the Diocese of Palm Beach. In addition to St. Vincent, the diocese offers classes at Ascension, St. Jude and St. Joan of Arc Catholic churches, all in Boca Raton.
Visit diocesepb.org/ministriesoffices/ministries/hispanic-ministry/school-of-christian-formation.html for the complete schedule.
Anxiety Club explores comedians’ efforts to overcome anxiety. Photo provided
Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival to begin Feb. 7
The Judy Levis Krug Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival presents about 50 documentaries, short and feature-length Jewish-themed films from around the globe this month at Movies of Delray and the Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center.
Plus, enjoy special guest appearances, discussions, panels and special events from Feb. 7 to 22. Movies of Delray is at 7421 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. The Beifield Auditorium at the Levis JCC is at 21050 95th Ave. S., Boca Raton.
The films include Once Upon My Mother, Anxiety Club, Hold on to Your Music, Fantasy Life and The Future Awaits.
Single tickets are $14. A five-film pass is $59, 10 films for $105, or all access for $360. For a full schedule and tickets, visit levisjcc.org/filmfestival.
Trinity Lutheran set to host two-day gospel conference
Trinity Lutheran, 400 N. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach, is hosting a multi-speaker event, “Out of the Darkness and Into Christ, A Gospel Conference,” Feb. 20-21. The event includes keynote speakers Chad Bird, Scott Keith, Erick Sorensen, Erica Sorensen, and Trinity Lutheran Pastor Jake Roedsens.
Bird is a scholar-in-residence at 1517, a nonprofit organization “that exists to declare and defend the Good News that you are forgiven and free on account of Christ alone.” He holds master’s degrees from Concordia Theological Seminary and Hebrew Union College and his books include The Christ Key, Unveiling Mercy and Hitchhiking With Prophets.
Keith is the executive director of 1517, a speaker, writer, triathlete and co-host of both “The Thinking Fellows” and “Tough Texts” podcasts, and he is the author of Being Dad: Father as a Picture of God’s Grace.
To register or for more information, visit www.1517.org/events/trinitydelray2026.
Faith-based book club set to meet at St. Paul’s
The Sacred Space Book Club meets again from 3:15 to 4:30 p.m. Feb. 21 in Bush Hall at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church to discuss works of both fiction and nonfiction that further our understanding of the history of inequity, discrimination and pain suffered by members of minority and marginalized communities.
Participants help build the list of books to read and take turns facilitating the discussions. The group grew out of the Sacred Ground and Becoming Beloved Community programs, which use films and reading materials to act as springboards for dialogues on race that are grounded in faith.
It is not necessary to attend every meeting to participate. Contact Ellen Kentner for more information about the club at ellen@stpaulsdelray.org.
Also at St. Paul’s, beginning on Feb. 7, Patti Daniell, an experienced registered yoga teacher, will lead gentle yoga from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. Saturdays in the Parish Hall. A donation of $10 is suggested.
St. Paul’s is at 188 S. Swinton Ave., Delray Beach. 561-276-4541; stpaulsdelray.org.
— Janis Fontaine
Charm City Burger Co. offers a mouth-watering array of burgers, fries and more. Photo provided
By Jan Norris
Boca Raton finally gets charmed — by an award-winning burger spot.
Charm City Burger Co. owners Michael Saperstein and Evan David opened the first outpost of their popular Deerfield Beach burger spot in downtown Boca Raton.
It was announced as “coming soon” more than two years ago, but finally came to fruition in January — at 201 NW First Ave., the former Baja Cantina space.
“The building was in rough condition,” Saperstein said. “It took us a while to build out. After we were granted a new lease in Deerfield, there wasn’t the urgency to move, so we took our time to do it right.”
They’ve expanded space-wise and with a larger menu at the new restaurant, Saperstein said.
“It’s bigger, a little bit more modern. A lot of same bright colors, same woods, diamond plate decor.”
It’s a from-scratch kitchen, with most items cooked once the diner orders at the counter.
“With a bigger kitchen, we can do more dishes and serve a few different items,” he said.
Those include gluten-free, hand-breaded chicken tenders served in a variety of sauces; an updated “double-smash” veggie burger, seared in yellow mustard, served with dairy-free American cheese, grilled onions and pickles; a “super deluxe” grilled cheese with a four-cheese blend, candied bacon, roasted garlic confit, and a spicy tomato-bacon jam.
Saperstein said the fries and the new Southern fried sweet onion “bloomer” are offered cooked in beef tallow, which he says is healthier than frying in processed seed oils. Vegetarians can ask for all fried foods to be cooked in sunflower oil instead.
New snacks include grilled corn ribs with a barbecue spice and served with an Alabama white barbecue sauce that’s vegan and gluten-free.
Flash-fried potato chips are cooked to order, dusted with spices or flavors of the diner’s choice. Gluten-free brownie pudding and a “half-baked” chocolate chip-peanut butter cookie, both served with ice cream, are new desserts.
Burgers remain the signature item, described on the restaurant webpage as “five-star chef-designed burgers at a quick service price.”
Saperstein said the price will hold at $12 for the basic burger, dressed with lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle and Charm sauce. American cheese (optional) is free, too. Diners get a choice of buns: artisan-baked sesame, whole wheat oat, or sliced brioche. The last is a $1 upcharge. “Prices are all over the place. But we aren’t raising our burgers — nope,” Saperstein said
The meat is a proprietary blend, a one-third-pound patty ground daily at Sunshine Provisions, a USDA facility in Hallandale. Saperstein and David own that company.
No new alcohol drinks will be offered, Saperstein said.
“We’re toying with the idea of working with a brewery to make a special beer just for us. But we are keeping it the exact same — beer only. We’re family oriented.”
As for other expansion plans, “We’re just now open here, but it’s a possibility now with the new model.”
He said he’s more worried about the new downtown development that is proposed to go up all around his building. “We’re a little worried about that — delays in road openings, when they’d be finished, and so on.”
But he already has new clients and hopes for many more. “Some people were afraid to come here to this area,” Saperstein said, calling it a “dive.” But he hopes the new restaurant and cleanup attracts burger lovers and families.
Charm City Burger Co., 201 NW First Ave., Boca Raton. 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Boca Bacchanal
The big wine event of the season, Boca Bacchanal, returns for its 23rd season in April, with a kickoff event at Saks Fifth Avenue in Town Center at 6 p.m. Feb. 26.
Wine samples and gourmet bites will be on the menu.
The event is also the big reveal for the vintner dinners, where chefs and wineries are paired to a host home. Tickets to these dinners, which sell out quickly, go on sale then.
The dinners are April 9 and 10 at various homes in the area.
The Grand Tasting, featuring champagnes, other wines and beers, as well as gourmet food samples from area chefs, is at the Addison in Boca Raton, scheduled for April 12.
The event is hosted by and benefits the Boca Raton Historical Society/The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum.
Tickets for the kickoff event are $75 at bocahistory.org/boca-bacchanal, the same place you can buy Bacchanal tickets once they are released.
Valentine’s Day benefit
For an interactive dinner to celebrate Valentine’s Day, take part in “Love in the Kitchen” at the Feeding South Florida food bank in Boynton Beach.
Chefs Chrissy Benoit and Susan Taves will host a cooking class and wine tasting with desserts, raffles and live entertainment from 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 7, a week before the holiday. Cost is $150 for individuals, $275 per couple at secure.qgiv.com/event/fy26_loveinthekitchen, with money going to support hunger relief.
Jan Norris is a food writer who can be reached at nativefla@gmail.com.
By Arden Moore
Did you just adopt a puppy or an older dog? My congratulations — and condolences. Chances are that your much-loved canine pal may be displaying some unwanted behaviors, such as barking rapidly when the doorbell rings or chewing your just-bought sneakers.
With more than 200 breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club and endless mutt combinations, dogs certainly put the capital D in diversity. But what every dog, big and small, young and old, benefits most from is proper training.
Fortunately, help is here. In recognition of February’s designation as National Dog Training Education month, I reached out to five well-credentialed dog trainers based in Palm Beach County who have collectively trained thousands of dogs of all sizes, ages, breeds and temperaments.
Mitchell Stern, owner of Yes! Dog Trainers in Boynton Beach, is on a quest to increase adoptions at animal shelters by training both the person and the dog.
“I tell clients, ‘Don’t be a dog owner. Be a dog trainer’ to bring out the best in their dogs,” says Stern. “Training your dog for five minutes per day enhances the bond, trust and communication with your pet.”
He emphasizes that no one training tip will fit all dogs. Dogs, like people, are individuals.
But he does offer this strategy to curb nuisance barking.
“When your dog is looking out the window and barking incessantly, we must acknowledge the job their DNA tells them to do,” says Stern. “Your dog is alerting you to an outside presence. So, try standing up, going to the window, getting in front of your dog, cactus your arms and make a big show of looking outside for the ‘murderer.’
“Then announce ‘all clear’ and run to the other side of the house. Say ‘thank you,’ and give your pup a treat. Eventually, announcing ‘all clear’ will have your pup leave the barking behind and come to you for a pet-fest, treats or praise.”
Got a mouthy new pup who loves to nip? Robert Burnell, of Sit Means Sit based in West Palm Beach, first advises pet parents that puppies use their mouths to explore and to interact, as they are still learning the rules of the household.
“Reward your pup when he is calm or preoccupied with chewing a safe toy,” says Burnell. “You can try putting bitter apple or vinegar on your hand or leg to make it taste bad and offer them a Nylabone or Gumma bone soaked in (salt-free) chicken broth that you froze. This will make it taste better and give the dog the chewing satisfaction that they need. Dogs need to chew.”
Jeff and Heather Hill, owners of Sit, Fit & Trained based in Boynton Beach, emphasize the importance of crate-training newly adopted puppies as a win-win for the pup and the pet parents.
“When pups are in that infant stage, people need to be available to keep their eyes on their pup at all times, learn their body language and be ready to take them out to potty in a split second,” says Heather Hill. “A crate can become a puppy’s little happy and safe place. Puppies need that alone time to build confidence by instilling autonomy. Plus, crating a puppy at night and for naps during the day will give their owners the chance to take care of their own human needs.”
Michelle Martiya, owner of Essential Animal Trainer based in Boca Raton, says be concise and consistent and don’t forget to celebrate when your dog is doing something right.
“Resist saying, sit, sit, sit and repeating those cues,” Martiya says. “Ask your dog for that desired behavior by saying, 'Sit.' Then pause. Give your dog a hint to figure out he needs to sit by raising a treat over his head.
“My biggest piece of advice is to stop micromanaging your dog. If you only look for what your dog is doing wrong, you miss the awesomeness when your dog is doing something right, like sitting.”
Arden Moore writes about pets and can be reached at fourleggedlife@gmail.com.
How to reach trainers in this story
Mitchell Stern, Yes! Dog Trainers: yesdogtrainers.com
Robert Burnell, Sit Means Sit: sitmeanssit.com
Heather and Jeff Hill, Sit, Fit & Trained: sitfitandtrained.com
Michelle Martiya, Essential Animal Trainer: essentialanimaltraining.com
Lessons learned from dogs
When asked, “How have dogs made you a better person?” our featured dog trainers unleashed these answers:
Mitchell Stern: “Dogs live 100% in the present moment. I often think about how I carry anger from an argument I had an hour ago and then stop and try to be more like a dog.”
Robert Burnell: “I have learned how to step back and look at the situation for what it is and what the dog needs. Dogs continue to instill in me patience, persistence, fairness and consistency.”
Heather and Jeff Hill: “We are both patient people by nature, but working with dogs 24/7 required us to get a whole other level of patience. We also love that working with dogs has required us to continue learning and growing.”
Michelle Martiya: “I now see training as a conversation. When you are in a conversation, it is much better to pause and wait for them to respond instead of just talking. Dogs have taught me to listen more.”
Joshua Reiter markets Josh’s Sprouts at his school in Boca Raton and has plans to scale up. He created a miniature hydroponic system (below) that can grow sprouts in 14 days. He sells it as a starter kit for $40, much less than the cumbersome systems that preceded it. Photo provided
By Faran Fagen
Senior Joshua Reiter’s interest in hydroponics began with an old, donated system to his school.
His science teacher at Grandview Preparatory, Donna Leech, asked, “Think you can get this running?”
If you ask Reiter, he was more interested in skipping English than becoming a farmer.
“I mostly just wanted to mess around with it and see if we could actually get it to work,” said Reiter, of Ocean Ridge. “But once I began to tinker, I was hooked. We saw significant sprout growth every day, and this captivated me. I wondered just how tall they’d grow, and whether they would actually taste good.”
Fast forward two years: Reiter, now 17, has turned a passion project into a consumer product with the launch of Josh’s Sprouts, a compact, 3D-printed, countertop hydroponic system that allows anyone to grow fresh microgreens at home.
Reiter, founder of Josh’s Sprouts and president of the school’s wildlife club, realized that at-home hydroponic kits are cumbersome, often cost around $2,000 and take up an entire shelf or room. He set out to engineer something different: a small, affordable, low-maintenance system that fits seamlessly into everyday life.
“Once I understood how the big hydroponic systems worked, I couldn’t stop asking why they had to be so huge and so expensive,” Reiter said. “I wanted to design something that was nice looking, compact, and simple enough that you could set it up in under a minute and harvest fresh microgreens two weeks later.”
Reiter had his first “aha moment” when he started to think about how he could get younger students involved and interested in growing sprouts.
“I knew the system had to be simple, fun and affordable so they wouldn’t be overwhelmed with complicated instructions or maintenance,” he said. “So, over the summer, I started work on a smaller system, then even smaller system, finally landing on my current design.”
He actually had the idea for the current system in the middle of a college visit with Northeastern University while he was talking to an admissions officer about his design.
“It was this other ‘aha moment’ that led me to design an 8-inch pumpless hydroponic system that grows microgreens in only 14 days,” he said.
Reiter’s product evolved rapidly from a student project to a consumer-ready prototype.
The Josh’s Sprouts $40 Starter Kit includes a 3D-printed outer and inner cup designed for hydroponic growing; a full spectrum grow light that serves as an artificial sun; four hemp mats (two large and two small) that pull nutrient-rich water up to the seeds; premeasured nutrient mix and scoop; and two pre-portioned seed packs (pea shoots and sunflower microgreens).
Users simply fill the reservoir with water, add one nutrient scoop, place the hemp mat and seeds, turn on the light and walk away. A dense crop of microgreens is ready to harvest in about 14 days. The reservoir typically provides enough water for approximately 21 days.
“Microgreens are incredibly nutrient-dense because they’re in such a competitive stage of life,” Reiter explained. “They grow fast, are healthy, taste great on salads and sandwiches, and with this system you don’t need a garden, perfect weather or a green thumb.”
He estimates he has dedicated 30-40 hours per week to the project while completing both Grandview coursework and dual-enrollment classes at Palm Beach State College.
“Josh is a perfect example of what happens when you give students real freedom to explore their passions,” said Jacqueline Westerfield, head of school at Grandview Preparatory School. “Josh walked through every door — from wildlife club and field biology to 3D printing and entrepreneurship — and turned an idea into a product that could genuinely change how people grow food at home.”
Reiter plans to study entrepreneurship or management in college and is exploring a future launch on a platform like Kickstarter or Shopify. In the meantime, he’s debuting Josh’s Sprouts at Grandview and preparing to scale up based on early demand.
As for college, Reiter really likes Virginia Tech, and is also interested in University of Florida, Penn State, Florida State, Georgetown, Northeastern, and Babson College.
When he’s not sprouting, he enjoys going to the gym, snowboarding, hiking, cooking, and hanging out with family.
All proceeds from Josh’s Sprouts will support the Grandview Wildlife Club in establishing a memorial for Leech, who arranged for Grandview’s first hydroponic system in fall 2024 and championed the student team responsible for managing its harvests. Her encouragement, guidance and belief in hands-on, curiosity-driven learning left a lasting impact on Reiter and countless other students.
Leech, who died of cancer in 2025, also coordinated with the Marine Education Initiative and set up time for its people to instruct students on how to operate the shelf system. She planned trips for the lower school students to visit the Marine Education Initiative’s headquarters to see how its operations worked.
“When I set out on the journey of making a 3D printed hydroponic tower, Mrs. Leech was instantly supportive and excited, offering up a corner of her classroom for my testing area,” Reiter said. “For one full semester, I spent five hours per week in her room talking with her about how I could get it to work. When things got slow or didn’t work out the way I thought they would, she motivated me to keep looking for new solutions.”
For more information on Josh’s Sprouts, visit Reiter’s website at sites.google.com/view/joshs-sprouts/home.
Meticulously renovated on a private 100-foot stretch of ocean frontage, this home has 9,500 +/- total square feet and sits on Old Ocean Boulevard in Ocean Ridge. Perfectly positioned between State Road A1A and the ocean, the home is versatile with six bedrooms, six full baths and one powder room. The ground floor includes an entertainment and media area, designer kitchen and dining space, private en suite bedroom, gym with storage for boards and bikes, and a four-person sauna and massage room. The level can be locked off to create a luxury guest house within your own home.
The home has multiple generous-sized living areas for gatherings, entertaining or everyday life, part of its open-concept design.
Upstairs the main level opens to spectacular ocean vistas with multiple living areas, en suite bedrooms, primary suite and a private office oasis.
Outside are a circular paver driveway with an epoxy-floored two-car garage and ample guest parking, entirely new deck tiling and railing by the pool, along with abundantly landscaped grounds that provide beauty as well as privacy.
Offered at $12,995,000.
The ground level can be securely locked off, creating a self-contained, private suite/apartment for guests or residents.
Contact Nicholas Malinosky, 561-306-4597, nicholas.malinosky@elliman.com, or Michael O'Connor, 561-414-1249, michael.oconnor@elliman.com. Douglas Elliman, 900 E. Atlantic Avenue, #1, Delray Beach
Lane closures are planned this week on State Road A1A at the Boynton Inlet bridge as part of a state transportation project to repair, paint and seal the bridge. Shown here is corrosion on the underside of the bridge. Photos provided
Motorists and cyclists on State Road A1A near the Boynton Inlet can expect traffic delays this week due to temporary lane closures that are expected as part of a bridge improvement project there.
Pedestrians will also be affected at the A1A bridge that connects Ocean Ridge to Manalapan.
Florida Department of Transportation officials have announced that one A1A lane in each direction will be closed intermittently for joint repair and overlay work from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 2 through Feb. 6. There may also be intermittent sidewalk closures for under-bridge work during those same periods.
The $579,000 FDOT project includes “repairing, painting, and sealing the bridge, sidewalks, railings, and sea wall to strengthen the structure and extend its lifespan,” according to the deparment. The work will add non-slip surfaces on the bridge deck and sidewalks to improve safety for both drivers and pedestrians.
The overall project, which started in January, is expected to be completed by the summer, the department reported.
--Larry Barszewski
One lane will be closed on the A1A bridge at the Boynton Inlet intermittently between Feb. 2 through Feb. 6 for bridge repairs and rehabilitation work.
A water line break has Delray Beach asking residents and other customers of its drinking water system to limit non-essential water use and high-consumption activities such as lawn irrigation and car washing.
The city’s water utility also serves the town of Gulf Stream.
The city reported on Jan. 3 that a contractor working on the construction of a deep injection well for the city’s water treatment plant “mistakenly caused a pipeline break.” The break was in a raw water pipeline that sends water into the plant for treatment.
The city said it is using utility interconnections with the cities of Boca Raton and Boynton Beach to keep water flowing while repairs are being done.
“At this time, the water supplied through these interconnections is disinfected using chloramine rather than free chlorine, which is the disinfectant currently used by our system,” the city said, indicating it was a precautionary measure.
“If you have specific concerns — such as for dialysis, aquariums, or other sensitive uses—please contact us for additional guidance,” the statement said.
Anyone having questions is advised to call the Delray Beach Utilities Department customer service team at (561) 243-7312 Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
“Once the situation is fully resolved and normal operations are restored, we will promptly notify our customers,” the city statement said.
— Staff report
By John Pacenti
Tallahassee’s drip, drip, drip erosion of home rule is about to become a tsunami as Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Republican supermajority’s war on municipalities is now aimed at draining their lifeblood: property taxes.
If the most extreme proposal — HJR 201 — in the Florida House succeeds in eliminating virtually all property taxes on homestead properties, then towns and cities would have to find new ways to pay for simple services beyond policing — or cut them out of their budgets entirely — municipal leaders say. That’s what’s on the table during the annual two-month session of the state Legislature that starts Jan. 13.
Forget about money for fireworks, festivals and events — never mind whatever Republicans in the Legislature find “woke,” like Pride celebrations. The questions would now be more basic, like how to fund a fire department.
“We would face some pretty serious reductions,” said Boca Raton City Council member — and mayoral candidate — Andy Thomson.
“Imagine if you just wipe out our revenue. That is a catastrophe — a catastrophe,” said Democrat Rob Long, the newly elected District 90 state representative and former Delray Beach vice mayor.
“It’s as though Tallahassee is deconstructing the recipe of what success looks like, and then just deteriorating what quality of life will be in cities,” said Ocean Ridge Town Manager Michelle Heiser.
Make no mistake, the proposal to eliminate property taxes has support. With property values increasing, municipalities are flush with cash and spending like drunken sailors, critics say.
David Wesley Cornish, a new Boynton Beach resident, said at his city’s Sept. 8 budget hearing that placing the burden of raising revenue on property owners is “un-American.”
“Why does it have to be the people in here who own property, who follow the rules, who go to work every day and do what we’re supposed to do to make the community better, and we’re the people getting penalized,” Cornish said.
Legislation being considered
At least eight proposals to eliminate property taxes in some way are under consideration in the Florida House of Representatives. HJR201 would eliminate all non-school ad valorem taxes for homestead properties.
The idea is to put one or more of the initiatives on the 2026 November ballot. Those measures would have to reach a 60% threshold — something that is not easy, as supporters of measures on abortion and marijuana found out last election.
HJR 201 made sure to protect funding for law enforcement, knowing no measure would withstand opposition from the powerful police unions. The bill would force municipalities to keep a certain level of police services but make them find ways of paying for them that don’t include taxing homestead properties.
A war on municipalities
The Coastal Star spoke with numerous public officials. Some insisted on talking on background, as many expressed concerns about potential retribution from Tallahassee.
What they said was this: Many lawmakers who are leading this charge hail from Podunk counties with no idea of the needs or finances of South Florida cities like Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and Boca Raton — or even small coastal towns, the officials said.
They say DeSantis wants to distract from his failure to rein in home insurance costs and/or that he spent $50 million, by some estimates, in taxpayer dollars to fight abortion and marijuana initiatives in 2024.
The governor created his own Elon Musk-inspired Department of Governmental Efficiency (DOGE) to target mostly Democrat-run counties like Palm Beach, Orange, and Hillsborough.
He unleashed Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who has often cited fantastical figures to bash those same Democrat-run counties, according to municipal sources.
Over the past few years, any number of bills have been designed to strip away home rule.
Municipalities, including Delray Beach and Palm Beach, have filed suit against the state over SB180, signed into law last year. It effectively froze local growth management and planning efforts in local municipalities.
Then there is the newly strengthened Live Local Act, which takes the power away from municipalities to keep out big, unwieldy developments.
There have been others, from prohibiting handbills and environmental lawsuits to regulating restaurants.
“Four years ago, they started it in subtle ways, so that it became more normalized to see bits and pieces kind of get carved off,” Heiser said. “And then all of a sudden, now there’s this issue in your face that almost everything is being preempted.”
DeSantis’ brand of white Christian nationalist governance in 2025 included using the state transportation department to erase intersections and crosswalks that honored LGBTQ communities, often paving them over in the middle of the night under the guise of traffic safety.
Many new preemptive laws, said one elected leader, provide provisions to remove those from office who dare to stand up to Tallahassee and invoke home rule.
“Threatening fines and removal from office to suppress local home rule prerogatives is undemocratic and unconstitutional,” Delray Beach Commissioner Juli Casale said.
“Home rule is provided for in the Florida Constitution and by statute. Home rule enhances democracy by enabling local elected officials to address local concerns and solve local problems, as they were elected to do so.”
‘A weird cultural divide’
Many municipal officials say there is an unprecedented disdain in Tallahassee for municipalities of any size.
“I think for all municipalities in the state of Florida, they need to remember that, per our Constitution, the cities and counties exist at the permission of the state,” Republican Sen. Jason Brodeur said at the Dec. 8 meeting of the Joint Legislative Auditing Committee.
Brodeur’s headquarters is in Lake Mary in Seminole County, with a population of about 17,000. It is about as far from diverse South Florida communities as heaven is wide.
“They think that local governments are crazy and not trustworthy, and they want to eliminate them in some manner. And this is one way of doing it,” Thomson said.
Long said it all adds up to deflection and distraction, not governance.
“It’s just a really misguided belief about how economies actually function in Florida, and there does seem to be a real weird cultural divide between local government and state government that I don’t fully understand, given the Republican mantra is small government’s good,” he said.
An unfair tax?
DeSantis, speaking to the Forum Club on Oct. 15 at West Palm Beach’s Kravis Center, explained his thinking on the proposal.
“It’s almost like you are renting from the government,” the governor said. “So what we said is that it’s not like we are eliminating it from every property, but as your personal homestead property, we want you to be able to own that free and clear.”
Boynton Beach City Manager Dan Dugger, at the city’s Sept. 8 budget meeting, said he would vote to eliminate property taxes because he lives in the city and pays “a substantial amount of property taxes.”
“We’re going to have to look at more of a fee-based system so that we can actually replace that revenue,” he said. “And we also have to look at what Tallahassee is proposing as a solution or alternative funding source.”
Dugger said he has heard about elevating sales tax to where municipalities will have an allocation based on population, including demographics such as income and age.
“It’s an exciting thing, and at the same time, it’s something that definitely is a precarious situation that we have to navigate through, and there’s going to be some challenges, but we can definitely get there,” Dugger said.
Core services in jeopardy
Palm Beach County Administrator Joe Abruzzo said eliminating homestead property taxes would decimate the county’s budget and force painful cuts to essential services.
“That’s roads and bridges, that’s planning, zoning and building, that’s Parks and Rec. It’s massive,” he said, and warned that Palm Beach County Fire Rescue would lose about $250 million in potential impacts to fire-rescue funding.
Abruzzo explained how Tallahassee fundamentally doesn’t understand local government, pointing to Ingoglia’s use of the Consumer Price Index to falsely claim the county wasted $344 million last fiscal year. Ingoglia provided not one example of waste, though.
“The Consumer Price Index doesn’t match what we’re purchasing of any sort here in the county,” Abruzzo said.
He said the county, through property taxes, pays for 30 departments to the tune of $600 million. Another $120 million in capital outlay is earmarked for construction projects.
“Local government would not be able to function. It’s not a joke, it’s not a fallacy,” he said. “Our local governments would be beyond devastated.”
Delray Beach City Manager Terrence Moore said recent state laws “while well-intentioned, have nonetheless introduced certain constraints on the traditional home-rule authority exercised by municipalities.”
As a result, Moore said the laws have created adverse impacts on Delray Beach’s ability to effectively self-govern on a local level, “particularly in areas where community character and neighborhood quality of life rely on finely tuned, place-specific approaches.”
He said the added layer of Tallahassee bureaucracy can introduce complexities that make it more challenging for city staff to respond as swiftly and comprehensively as city residents expect.
He said the city hopes to “engage in the broader consensus on the appropriate balance between state oversight and municipal autonomy.”
Shifting the burden
In the meantime, non-homestead properties — such as businesses, rental properties and second homes — would see their taxes skyrocket, hurting economic growth and worsening the housing crisis, officials said.
Boca Raton would lose around $57 million if ad valorem taxes from homestead properties were eliminated. In most South County municipalities, homestead properties account for more than a quarter of the property taxes they collect — topping 55% in Gulf Stream.
Besides eliminating services, municipalities would look to recoup that revenue. One way would be to increase taxes on non-homestead properties: businesses, second homes and rental properties.
“Businesses would take the brunt. Or, you know, apartments. Those aren’t homesteaded,” Thomson said.
“So you’re talking about potentially increasing the affordability crisis, really for the renter, because it would be passed on. Of course it would be.”
The other option would be to start charging for services that are currently free, such as using the library, he said.
Thomson added that there is already property tax relief. The Save Our Homes Act caps increases in a homestead property value at 3% annually, even if the increase in value is double digits. Municipalities miss out on that extra revenue.
While the House proposals generally carve out public safety, Thomson warned that Boca Raton would still face major budget pressures that could indirectly affect police staffing or services if other revenue or cuts aren’t found.
Impact will vary
In Ocean Ridge, the worst-case scenario is a bit different.
Heiser, the town manager, said HJR201 would provide a modest financial hit because fewer than half of the town’s residents have homesteaded their properties.
“These bills are going to impact the cities that have the highest percentage for homesteading,” Heiser said, noting that Ocean Ridge’s large number of second homes and investment properties provides some insulation.
However, she expressed concern about the broader trend of state preemption of local authority. She asked how in the world a town is going to be able to lobby for special events if HJR201 passes. “If you couldn’t fund the event, you’re not going to be able to fund the lobbying that it would take to get the money for the event,” she said.
Gulf Stream’s lobbying
The main opposition to the potential property tax initiatives is the Florida League of Cities, which has stressed home rule and fiscal realism, calling it a “Tallahassee takeover.”
In 2025, the league honored Gulf Stream with its Home Rule Hero Award, noting Town Clerk Reneé Basel. The award notes local officials who went above their duties to reach out to state lawmakers to give a local perspective.
“Reneé played a key role in educating legislators on the importance of preserving home rule — the ability of municipalities to address local issues with local solutions and minimal state interference,” Gulf Stream Mayor Scott Morgan said.
He said the timing was “particularly significant” considering the tax initiatives.
“These proposals would effectively dismantle the traditional home rule authority of Florida’s municipalities,” Morgan said. “Cities would be unable to provide even basic services without financial support from the state, shifting critical budgetary and policy decisions to lawmakers in Tallahassee — far removed from the needs and interests of small communities like Gulf Stream.”
Manalapan’s wait and see
In the meantime, next door in Manalapan — one of the wealthiest communities in the county — Town Manager Eric Marmer is taking a stay calm approach, feeling that there’s a lot of sound and fury coming out of Tallahassee, but, as of yet, it signifies nothing.
He said he isn’t losing sleep over the proposed property tax changes because he’s seen no workable replacement plan and prefers to focus on the work that needs to be done for his municipality.
“I don’t have the time to worry about it, to be honest, until it’s time to worry about it,” Marmer said. He called the proposal “an unfeasible proposition” but expressed confidence that residents understand the role taxes play.
“We don’t like property taxes, but this is why we can flush our toilets and we have running drinking water and the police show up at our homes.”
On tap in the state Legislature
Many bills are seeking to cut property taxes in the annual legislative session that starts Jan. 13. Any that are approved could result in constitutional amendments on the November ballot needing 60% voter approval.
• HJR201: Eliminates non-school ad valorem taxes for homestead properties;
• HJR 203: Creates new $100,000 homestead exemption each year for 10 years;
• HJR 207: Establishes a new 25% non-school homestead exemption;
• HJR 209: Adds a $200,000 exemption for homesteads with active property insurance;
• HJR 211: Eliminates the $500,000 “Save Our Homes” portability cap, allowing residents to carry their full assessment reduction to a new property.
• HJR 213: Reduces the annual assessment growth cap for non-homestead properties — businesses, rentals and second homes— from 10% to 5%.
• HB 215: Requires a two-thirds vote from a municipal governing body to approve any millage rate increase above the state-defined rollback rate.
— John Pacenti
Higher sea walls may be needed in future; will residents agree?
Robert Stalzer, the tennis pro at Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa, helps a hotel guest cross the flooded road in front of the resort after rains in late 2024. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By John Pacenti
State transportation officials have a short-term fix for the flooding that vexes Manalapan along State Road A1A from the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa to just past Town Hall: raise the road.
But a long-term solution given expected sea level rise will force either the town or Palm Beach County to tackle how to get private property owners to foot the cost to raise their sea walls, engineers told town commissioners at their Dec. 9 meeting.
Jeremy Nichols, a consultant with Allbright Engineering, representing the Florida Department of Transportation, said a data-driven study that analyzed chronic flooding problems found that both tidal surges and heavy rainstorms routinely inundate area roadways, driveways and sidewalks, disrupting residents and local traffic.
New backflow preventers are helping a bit, but any driver during the recent king tides knows the problem is far from fixed.
The study used precipitation records, tidal data and elevation modeling, in addition to firsthand, time-stamped flood photographs from a September 2023 storm. “This gives us a high level of confidence in what we propose,” Nichols said.
It found that up to a foot of water accumulates at low roadway elevations. He showed photos of significant flooding in front of the Eau Palm Beach at the intersection of East Ocean Avenue and South Ocean Boulevard (A1A).
Nichols said the intersection was the “center of our study.”
“There’s flooding that occurs here during high tides and rainfall events that has generated a bunch of complaints,” he said.
Looking at the watershed as a whole, a lot of small basins drain toward the roads unless there are private drainage systems on abutting properties. “The roadway itself has a lower elevation than surrounding properties,” Nichols said.
That’s despite a $10.4 million state-financed project in 2009 raising A1A’s roadbed 18 inches and improving drainage on a 3-mile stretch south of the Eau.
The current plan presented to commissioners also includes sidewalk improvements off A1A north of East Ocean Boulevard that don’t lie in the town’s jurisdiction. Unfortunately for Manalapan, that $250,000 project will be the first on the checklist because it is the easiest and least disruptive.
Within the next five years, FDOT plans to elevate a portion of South Ocean Boulevard and upgrade the gravity drainage system for $6 million. The project would run from the intersection to just south of Town Hall.
Future efforts
Long-term plans include improving sea walls for both FDOT’s right of way and private property owners for $500 per linear foot. Installing a pump system would run $9 million to $10 million per mile.
“This project kind of addresses immediate current-day flooding and future flooding problems, both from tidal and precipitation,” Nichols said.
However, it is going to need town and resident buy-in.
“There has to be a joint effort, whereas the sea walls need to start coming up with time,” said Aylin Costa, another engineer with AllBright.
“There are other municipalities, and, you know, counties that have put in sea wall ordinances and things like that, where, when folks are coming in to do repairs, there’s a higher elevation that’s required.”
Property owners would have to bear the cost of increasing the height of the sea walls, while FDOT would pay for installing the pumps, she said.
Some coastal municipalities have gotten pushback from residents for trying to mandate sea wall height. Right now, it is a hot topic in Broward County, FDOT drainage engineer James Poole told the commission.
“How do you compel a private owner to raise their sea wall? They may not be interested,” Poole said. “They may be OK in accepting whatever vulnerability they might have to the sea level rise with whatever wall that they have out there today.”
Broward, he said, is mandating that any property owner who repairs a sea wall must meet new standards. Furthermore, this can trigger a mandate on neighbors to raise their sea walls because they are now a “weak link,” Poole said.
By 2060, every sea wall has to be 5 feet NAVD88 in Broward. “I know that Palm Beach County is keeping an eye on it and contemplating doing its own,” he said.
Commissioner David Knobel said the standing water is an environmental concern because it becomes stagnant and collects pollutants from the cars. He wondered if the state Department of Environmental Protection would have any input on the project.
Any drainage upgrades would have to meet state water quality benefit requirements, specifically by treating polluted roadway runoff before it enters local waterways, Costa said.
Cyclists enjoy unfettered access to the new bike lanes on the stretch of State Road A1A through Highland Beach and part of Delray Beach now that traffic-control barrels are gone. The $8.3 million resurfacing and drainage project lasted more than a year but is largely complete, according to state transportation officials. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
By Rich Pollack
The bright orange-and-white barrels that lined State Road A1A through Highland Beach and part of Delray Beach for more than a year are gone, and that’s good news for many bicyclists and a good sign for anyone using the 3.35-mile stretch of beachside highway.
Since July 2024 the barrels, which were put up on the shoulder of the highway to protect construction workers and guide motorists during an $8.3 million resurfacing and drainage project, have been seen as a road hazard for bicyclists like Larry Burgreen.
A snowbird from upstate New York, Burgreen often rode his bike from his home in north Boca Raton to Delray Beach on A1A, but shelved the trip last season and during the past few months due to the construction.
“I wanted to start biking again but the barrels are there,” he said shortly before the barrels were removed, adding that he believed the ride would be unsafe.
Burgreen says he is looking forward to resuming his trips on the barrel-free sides of A1A.
“I am sure I will be trying out the new bike lanes soon,” he said.
Now that the barrels have been removed, bicyclists who rode in the lane of traffic alongside cars, SUVs and other vehicles can now use the newly paved and in some places marked bicycle lanes on either side of the road.
A cyclist navigates traffic while in the new bike lane in Highland Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
The removal of the barrels is also signaling a long-awaited completion of the project, which originally had been proposed to take little more than a year.
The project, according to a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Transportation, is scheduled to be completed within a few weeks. But a substantial amount of the work, including most of that which could disrupt traffic flow, is already completed, according to Highland Beach town officials.
In recent weeks, work including pavement markings and installing sod and pavers in driveways has been done, according to the town leaders. A remedial punch-out list of items — and a few more paver installations at driveways — are what primarily remains.
One of the last remaining steps will be a walk-through with Highland Beach and Delray Beach officials, along with FDOT representatives who will point out any “minor details that might have been missed” to the construction contractor.
While the paving of A1A was completed before the start of December, the barrels remained until shortly before Christmas, with bicyclists like Burgreen wondering why they hadn’t been removed.
The answer, according to an FDOT spokesperson, was based on safety concerns for both bicyclists and crews who continued to work in the area.
“The barrels in this area were placed to guide motorists and cyclists through the active work zone and to create a consistent, predictable traffic pattern during construction,” the spokesperson wrote in an email to The Coastal Star.
With completion of the project imminent, Highland Beach is moving forward with two projects: the embedding of lights in the eight pedestrian crosswalks on A1A and the resumption of a sewer lining project.
The sewer lining, which has already been completed on side streets, could cause some minor traffic flow issues, town leaders say, but they likely will be short term.
The embedded lights will augment pedestrian-activated flashing lights at entrances to the crosswalks on both sides of A1A, to go with flags pedestrians may carry for added visibility.
