Preliminary plans for Affiliated Development’s eight-story, $73 million project in downtown Boynton Beach. The plan will be fine-tuned after details are worked out with the city and existing store owners. Rendering provided

By Tao Woolfe

The future of downtown Boynton Beach development has become clearer in the past few weeks with city approval of a $73 million mixed-use complex and of a new restaurant in and around a historic home, plus action aimed at building a new post office downtown.
The biggest of these projects will be Affiliated Development’s apartment and retail complex along the west side of Federal Highway south of Boynton Beach Boulevard.
The Boynton Beach Community Redevelopment Agency and the developer have agreed on two long-negotiated sticking points in Affiliated’s contract with the CRA.
Although a few details are still pending, the City Commission, serving as CRA board, on June 7 unanimously cleared the way for the project, which includes both affordable and market-rate apartments, restaurants, office, retail, a parking garage and green space.
Construction could begin as soon as 18 months from now, if the developer can quickly obtain the needed land use and land development approvals, Thuy Shutt, the CRA’s executive director, said after the meeting.
The plan provides a new home for Hurricane Alley, a popular bar and restaurant, on Northeast Fourth Street. The new site will have with an outdoor area, as well as 3,000 square feet of indoor seating, according to the plan.
Ace Hardware and other businesses in the area would not be affected, Shutt said.
The city and the Fort Lauderdale-based developer spent months hammering out compromises on the $5.5 million, below-market price Affiliated will pay for the land; on public spaces in the 545-space free-standing, multilevel parking garage; and the number of affordable apartments.
Under the almost-final agreement, the parking garage will provide 150 spaces — above those required by city code — for public use. If Affiliated needs more spaces (up to a maximum of 10), it must lease them from the CRA.
The developer also agreed to provide affordable rental apartment units with this breakdown: 50% (118 units) of the total 236 apartments will remain affordable for 15 years; 30% (about 70 units) will remain affordable for 30 years; and 5% (11 units) will remain affordable in perpetuity.

Plans for new post office
The CRA board voted at its June 14 meeting to seek proposals for a mixed-use commercial space at 401-411 E. Boynton Beach Blvd. that could serve as a new home for the downtown post office.
The existing building at this location, which is owned by the CRA, would be demolished. A newly constructed building would house the United States Post Office, currently at 217 N. Seacrest Blvd., on the first floor.
Other businesses — such as medical offices and/or a tourist information center — could be housed on other floors of a new building, Mayor Ty Penserga suggested.
“Let’s let the developer community come up with something creative,” the mayor said.
Meanwhile, the CRA is expected to acquire the building on North Seacrest in January from the current owners and then, possibly, extend the post office’s lease until a new location is available.
Rich Hancock, a spokesman for USPS, said the post office is committed to staying in downtown Boynton and would be amenable to a new space as long as it can provide 3,200 square feet of retail storefront space and at least 20 parking spaces.
“We are not looking to purchase anything,” Hancock said, but USPS hopes to lease space to establish a “long-term postal unit.”

Broadstone project
The impending construction of the Broadstone Boynton Beach, a 2.76-acre mixed-use complex at South Federal Highway and Southeast First Avenue, will displace 20 employee parking spaces for Two Georges Waterfront Grille.
Fernando Bonilla, of the developer Alliance Residential Co., asked the CRA board on June 14 to allow the temporary use of the CRA-owned parking lots at 115 N. Federal Highway to accommodate the employees.
Alliance was offering to lease the parking lots, but Penserga said he did not want to commit to the deal because it could mean depriving Hurricane Alley of parking spaces and it would be difficult for the city to police the lots.
“Public parking spaces are precious,” the mayor said, and suggested that Alliance approach other businesses for temporary spaces.
Construction on the eight-story Broadstone complex, with 274 multi-family units and ground floor commercial space, is expected to begin in September.

Pauline’s restaurant
The historic Oscar Magnuson house, at 211 E. Ocean Ave., is the future home of an American-style restaurant that will be open seven days a week.
Anthony Barber, the new owner of the site, told the City Commission on June 21 that he hopes to open in the next 18 months. He will renovate the two-story house, which was built in 1919, for inside dining.
More immediate, Barber said, he is planning to use big shipping containers for the kitchen area, walk-in food storage, restrooms, an artisan bar, and a rotisserie grilling area.
Barber, who owns Troy’s Barbeque in West Palm Beach and on Federal south of Woolbright Road in Boynton, said he has lived in Boynton Beach for 35 years and looks forward to opening a restaurant in his home city’s downtown.
“This project is very special to me,” Barber said, adding that he will name the restaurant Pauline’s, after his grandmother.
The restaurant will employ some 30 people, Barber said, and he will not seek a loan to finance the venture. Rodney Mayo of the Subculture Group has told the CRA he is providing $1 million in financial backing for Barber’s restaurant and the needed renovations.
“We’re partners in the restaurant as well as the property. We’re planning on going into the venture together,” Mayo said in December.
City commissioners unanimously gave preliminary approval to the restaurant.
“Thank you for investing in your city,” said Commissioner Thomas Turkin.
“Congratulations,” said Commissioner Woodrow Hay. “It’s high time we invested back in our own community — especially minority entrepreneurs like yourself.”

James Muir opened Nicholson Muir Meats this year in a historic home on Ocean Avenue in Boynton Beach. BELOW RIGHT: The butcher shop also has a small restaurant and sitting area. Photos provided

By Christine Davis

Passers-by will notice the old Ruth Jones Cottage at 480 E. Ocean Ave. in Boynton Beach has a new occupant — one that is already drawing meat lovers from all around.
The new tenant is Nicholson Muir Meats, a gourmet butcher shop with a small restaurant that has been open since the end of February. The meat market specializes in wagyu beef from ranches in Australia, Japan and the United States, says business owner James Muir.
The historic Jones cottage, moved to the Ocean Avenue site 11 years ago, was occupied by the Little House Restaurant and later Chez Andrea Gourmet Provence, which opened during the pandemic and closed in January 2021.
Muir, who was born in Argentina and moved to the United States when he was 10, studied at the French Culinary Institute, worked at Ian Shrager Hotels and later with chef Rocco DiSpirito in New York.
Before moving to Boynton Beach three years ago, Muir owned his own catering company and restaurant on Long Island. The restaurant, Artaux, received an “excellent” review in 2015 from The New York Times. Although the dining spot has since closed, the catering company remains in business.
Muir and his wife, Jennifer, a dentist, have one son, Bruce, 6.
Nicholson Muir Meats concentrates on high-end products and a wide variety of retail items to accompany the steaks — prepared foods, salads, grab-and-go spices, and wine.
“We cut meats to the customers’ preference and tell them how to cook it,” Muir said. “We even have links to different videos that show you how to cook the steaks.”
The restaurant is small, with seating for 12 at a table and six more at the bar.
It has options for vegetarians, including quiches, empanadas and salads. Catering service is also available.
Reservations aren’t essential but “are always a good idea,” Muir says. “We try to make it more like a restaurant, but, honestly, we don’t want to be a restaurant. We’re a butcher that cooks for you.”
How does Nicholson Muir Meats differ from its neighbor, the Butcher and the Bar at 510 E. Ocean Ave.?
“They do all Florida cattle and we do everything except Florida,” Muir explains. “They are more a restaurant and bar, and we are more of a butcher shop where if you want to sit down, we’ll cook for you. Service is very informal.
“We do have beer and wine but we have a less formal atmosphere and we’re not open for dinner. We do Saturday tasting menus twice a month, which you need to reserve ahead of time. We focus mainly on the butcher and meats.”
Hours are 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday; closed on Monday.

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More than 100 restaurants throughout 39 municipalities from Boca Raton to Jupiter are participating in The Palm Beaches Restaurant Month, Aug. 1-31. That’s good news for tourists and local foodies who can cash in on great deals, prix fixe menus, and specialty drinks and dishes all month long.
Restaurant Month, organized through Discover the Palm Beaches, encourages folks to get out, support and sample an array of eateries that make up the local culinary culture.
“We have neighborhood favorites and local mainstays participating as well as highly regarded restaurants with celebrity chefs and exciting new hot spots,” Jorge Pesquera, CEO of Discover the Palm Beaches, said in a news release. “We’re continuing to secure new restaurants throughout the destination and look forward to offering more options than ever before in August.”
Go to PalmBeachesDining.com to browse participating restaurants and menus, and filter by the type of cuisine.
Tickets aren’t necessary, but reservations are encouraged. The website will incorporate the Open Table site to make reservations easily accessible. 
Other foodie-specific events around Palm Beach County include Bon Appetit Boca in July (www.bocarestaurantmonth.com), and in September, Flavor Palm Beach (www.flavorpb.com) and Downtown Delray Beach Restaurant Month (downtowndelraybeach.com/restaurantmonth).

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John Kelly, the seventh person to serve as Florida Atlantic University’s president, will step down at the end of this year.
He will remain with FAU, serving as the university’s president emeritus and focusing on its research capabilities.
The transition was announced on June 20 by Brad Levine, chair of the FAU Board of Trustees, in an open letter to the FAU community.
An interim president will be appointed to serve while a national search is conducted to replace Kelly, Levine said.
Kelly joined FAU as president in 2014 from Clemson University, where he had served in several administrative positions.
“My decision to step aside as Florida Atlantic University president comes at a time that I believe is not only right for me personally, but also for the university,” Kelly said in a statement. “My new role as university president emeritus will afford me the time and flexibility to complete certain projects that are important to me personally, and are important to the Board of Trustees.”
Levine praised Kelly’s accomplishments, including conceiving of the Schmidt Family Complex for Academic and Athletic Excellence and improving FAU’s ranking in the state university system.

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FAU’s Daniel Flynn, Ph.D., won a Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program award in May for the 2022-2023 academic year.
Flynn, a university vice president, steers all research-related endeavors at FAU’s six regional campuses and is a catalyst for emerging programs that support local entre-preneurship and economic development.
The award was given by the State Department and Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board.
The Fulbright is the government’s leading educational and cultural affairs program and offers renowned students and accomplished professors support to pursue research and professional projects in partnership with more than 160 countries.
Flynn, who has a doctorate in microbiology, spent more than 20 years in various research-related roles in the fields of cancer cell biology and breast cancer invasion before transitioning into research administration in 2008 and coming to work for FAU in 2015.
As part of the program, Flynn will take part in a two-week group seminar in France to acquaint higher education administrators from America with France’s education and research systems.
“The power of impactful research comes to fruition when discoveries are translated into improved efforts — whether it be innovations in technology, drugs, policy, etc. — that ultimately improve our lives and those lives around us,” Flynn said in a news release.
After the seminar, Flynn says he plans to introduce learned best practices to researchers at FAU, establishing a platform for collaborations with FAU and French scientists.

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Lauren B. Trotta, Ph.D., has joined the Institute for Regional Conservation in Delray Beach as a biodiversity conservation fellow, thanks to support from the National Parks Conservation Association. 
Trotta will help with the effort to conduct a 20-year review of IRC’s Rare Plants of South Florida, a book published in 2002. The publication came after an intensive seven years of work by IRC and collaborators and documented the status of the rarest 25% of South Florida’s native plants, including more than 100 that may have been extinct in the region. The book’s release was followed by land manager workshops and a surge of plant survey and study work by IRC and others.
A Connecticut native, Trotta has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Providence College in Rhode Island, and a master’s and doctorate in wildlife ecology and conservation from the University of Florida.
Previously, Trotta’s research experience focused on understanding the drivers of floristic diversity in Miami-Dade’s urban pine rock land habitat fragments.
Melissa Abdo, director of the Sun Coast regional office of the National Parks Conservation Association, applauded IRC’s long-term efforts to study and share regional biodiversity information and to connect communities in South Florida to their natural heritage.
South Florida is unique in that its ecosystem is anchored by large national preserve and park sites — Big Cypress, the Everglades, and Biscayne — as well as a mosaic of other protected lands and waters such as national wildlife refuges, state and local parks, and even backyard habitats.
“Bringing a lens of science to understanding how rare plant diversity is conserved across these parks of South Florida will bring such value to our community,” Abdo said in a news release.

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Two major awards were presented at the annual meeting of the Boca Raton Historical Society on May 18 at the Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum.
The Myrtle Butts Fleming Award, named after one of the Historical Society founders, was given to volunteer Barbara Montgomery O’Connell by Executive Director Mary Csar.
The new Dave Ashe Award, named after another founding member, was given posthumously to Linda Prowe Jackson. She moved to Boca Raton in 1957 and later served as the museum’s ambassador to Boca High School alumni and other longtime residents, urging them to contribute to the Historical Society’s vast array of Boca collectibles as Ashe did before he died in 2015 at age 90.
“Linda believed in her city and the importance of history as a guide for the present and future generations,” Historical Society curator Susan Gillis said in a news release. “We lost her last year at much too young an age, but we are pleased to honor her memory by naming her the first recipient of this award and we’re so pleased that it was accepted by her grandson Connor Jackson.”
The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum is the home of the Boca Raton Historical Society, whose mission is to collect, preserve and present information and artifacts relevant to the past and evolving history of Boca Raton. It also aims to maintain a visible role in education and advocacy of historic preservation in the community.
Open Wednesday through Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., the museum is in historic Town Hall at 71 N. Federal Highway. For more information, call 561-395-6766 or visit www.BocaHistory.org.

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Stacee Lanz, special events coordinator for the city of Boca Raton, was recently named “Most Valuable Events Person” by the Greater Miami Festivals and Events Association at its ninth annual conference and exhibition.
“This designation by an organization of my peers is a tremendous honor,” said Lanz, who joined the city in 2003 as special events coordinator.
“We are very proud of Stacee, whose talent and dedication make her an integral part of our team,” Amy DiNorscio, amphitheater and community events manager for the city, said in a statement.
Lanz, along with three others, was nominated by the festivals and events group and won via a popular vote that took place online.
“We applaud Stacee for her accomplishments and commitment to excellence in event planning,” said Amanda MacMaster, executive director of the association.

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Melissa Perlman, president of the Gold Coast PR Council — South Florida’s largest independent association of public relations, communications and marketing professionals — announced this year’s Bernays Award nominees. The awards, given since 2005, honor excellence in local public relations campaigns, marketing programs and media coverage.
The honors will be presented at the council’s 17th annual Bernays Awards luncheon on July 21 at the Delray Beach Golf Club. Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at www.eventbrite.com/e/bernays-awards-2022-presented-by-gold-coast-pr-council-tickets-355212759927. 
T.A. Walker, the Taste & See reporter at WPTV News 5, will emcee the luncheon. Honors will be presented in 10 competitive categories along with four special awards selected by the nonprofit organization’s board of directors.
Only one award winner is announced in advance, the prestigious Presidents Award, which is given to a person or organization for truly outstanding performance. This year’s recipient is Rick Christie, executive editor of The Palm Beach Post, for keeping the daily newspaper running and relevant, breaking major news during a time when the viability of print journalism is under attack, both politically and financially.
In addition to the Presidents Award, three other board-selected awards will be given: PR Star, which goes to a person or organization that made an extraordinary difference last year; the Founders Award, which goes to a person or organization that has made a lasting contribution to Gold Coast PR; and a new award that will be revealed at the luncheon.  
For more information about the Gold Coast PR Council, visit www.goldcoastprcouncil.com.

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James Shaw, chairman of the ACLU of Florida’s legal panel, will talk about the state of civil rights in Florida and changes in the law from this year’s legislative session during a Zoom discussion on July 15. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County, the Hot Topic discussion begins at noon and is open to all concerned citizens.
To register, go to https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register WN_PQJV197mSSWqCAMg49SLQA.

Steve Plunkett, Mary Thurwachter and Mary Hladky contributed to this column.
Send business news to Christine Davis at cdavis9797@gmail.com.

Ellie and Bob Smela, who opened Ellie’s ’50s Diner in 1990, are retiring. The restaurant will close July 10. That’s Ellie depicted on the sign, sporting a poodle skirt. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Ellie’s ’50s Diner is closing after 32 years of serving comfort food with a side of nostalgia

By Jan Norris

Bobby Darin is jiving out Mack the Knife on the jukebox this afternoon at Ellie’s ’50s Diner. But soon, it’ll be The Spaniels, with their classic closing song, Goodnite, Sweetheart, Goodnite.

That will signal the end for the retro diner in Delray Beach owned by Ellie and Bob Smela, who agree, “Well, it’s time to go.”

The iconic building with the neon and ’57 Chevy on its sign at 2410 N. Federal Highway has been sold. Ellie’s will close for good July 10.

The Smelas sat in the diner, telling their story. Ellie was dressed like a sock hopper: a pink poodle skirt, scarf around her neck, pearl bracelets. Her nails and lipstick were bubblegum pink. You could expect a song from Grease was about to play.

But they were chronicling the end of this fantasy theme — the stark contrast between today and the 1950s.

A combination of skyrocketing food costs, broken supply chains, an unpredictable labor force and a 364-day-a-year job has the couple looking forward to retiring.

They’ll be doing some “road trips” and winding down at their second place, a family farm homestead, in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, Bob said.

Bob Smela says Ellie’s ’50s Diner has been busier than normal for this time of year since he and Ellie announced it would close July 10. The diner is at 2410 N. Federal Highway in Delray Beach. Call 561-276-1570 or visit www.elliescatering.com for more information.

They started out in the food business opening Ellie’s Deli, a sandwich shop, on what was then Delray’s Northeast Eighth Street (now George Bush Boulevard) in 1982. From that, they also ran three food trucks that serviced the area’s warehouses, construction sites and spots like the flea market and car dealerships.

The Smelas opened the diner in 1990 after Bob told Ellie, “We’re not making enough money.”

He said, “I had to find a building for us to expand.”

They found the property that originally housed a Dairy Queen and then the Bahama Smokehouse.

“People told me I was crazy buying here. It was a bad part of town at that time,” he said.

Ellie said their neighbors were “a pawn shop, a dirty bookstore and something else across the street, a sub shop or something.”

The main drag was populated with “prostitutes walking up and down the street, among other questionable people,” Bob said.

They persevered, and reconstructed the building for a small diner, about 80 seats. Eventually they added a back room with 40 more seats, and later, an event center where weddings and lively New Year’s Eve parties took place.

Ellie designed and Bob built out the restaurant, gathering nostalgic pieces for decor, and hiring servers with personalities.

One who’s worked here for decades, Donna Giordano, plays the role of crabby server. “People love her, they ask for her,” Ellie said. “When someone says it’s their birthday, she’ll say, ‘Oh, bummer!’”

It’s all part of the fun atmosphere, a throwback to the ’50s diners along the East Coast, Bob said. Those eateries coincided with the birth of rock ’n’ roll, teens coming of age, and cars that were showy works of art. They also served the average worker solid, if plain, comfort food at reasonable prices.

Kitsch decor a hit

This Marilyn Monroe likeness ($1,300) and other artwork at the diner were sold.

There’s a kitsch factor that “makes everyone smile,” Ellie said. Elvis, Marilyn and Sinatra are life-size cutouts set around the rooms and pasted on restroom doors. Bettie Page, James Dean, Charlie Chaplin and John Wayne, too.

No matter if some diners are more in tune with Green Day than Blue Suede Shoes, everyone seems to enjoy it, she said.

Pink and aqua neon strips frame the ceiling. The front counter is a Formica pattern called Boomerang, a design found in 1950s kitchens everywhere, and the swivel stools of chrome and leatherette.

A “Lost in the ’50s” sign hangs over the service window and a Coca-Cola red and white clock keeps time above the milkshake machine. High school graduation portraits of guys with outgrown crew cuts in skinny ties line the front wall.

All of it is now for sale.

Live entertainment they introduced proved to be a draw. Elvis impersonators were popular on Valentine’s Day, and the Beatles tribute band from Orlando, which appeared more than once, played to sold-out crowds.

“We have a Neil Diamond impersonator — Neil Zirconia — who performs with his wife. He’s very popular, too,” Ellie said.

The vintage car shows held monthly in the parking lot drew hundreds of enthusiasts as well. One last, huge car show was held in mid-June — with another record-setting crowd.

Regulars were like family

Bob Smela says hello to Libby Vollmer, who with her husband, Jack, are longtime customers and huge fans of Ellie’s ’50s Diner.

The Smelas got to know most of their regulars by name.

“Remember Ed? He came in for breakfast for 25 years or more,” Bob said. “He sat in booth No. 5 and brought his crossword puzzle. He was 98, and still sharp.”
Ed’s daughter told them about his death last month. “When we don’t see our regulars for a while we wonder what happened,” Ellie said.

The Smelas’ family-like friendliness is what attracted Libby and Jack Vollmer. They’ve been coming to Ellie’s for decades, mostly for breakfast or lunch on Sundays.
“It’s such a great atmosphere,” Libby said. “It’s so bright and cheerful. We love the waitresses. They seem like they really enjoy their job and are like family. Bob and Ellie treat them very well.”

Ingrid Paoletti, since the beginning, and Heather Gordon, for three months, have been part of the diner’s staff.

The Vollmers, now in Boynton Beach, came to Delray Beach in 1965, and lament the closing as yet another iconic Delray spot gone. “Few older businesses are still here. The Patio, Ernie’s Tap Room, Hand’s, Wenzel’s — all the names are gone. And now Ellie’s. We’re sad about it,” Libby said. “They were part of a tradition. We don’t know where we’ll go now.”

Bob Smela is worried that a lot of his diners won’t have a place to get the quality food Ellie’s served, such as the restaurant’s most popular dish, turkey dinner.

“We cooked whole turkeys on the bone and made mashed potatoes from scratch. We have a machine in the back that peels 25 pounds at a time in three minutes, and another one to mix them,” he said.

The prime rib nights were noteworthy as well. “We cook them in the Alto-Shaam,” he said, referring to a specific roasting oven. “It comes out perfect.”

Other foods such as fried bologna and liverwurst were items not found on most menus and came from Boar’s Head, he said.

“They had liver and onions, too,” Libby Vollmer said. “All their food was great.”

Ellie’s own Elvis cake, a pineapple-walnut cake with cream-cheese icing, was a shop favorite. “She makes two or three a week and they sell out,” Bob said.

“That reminds me, I need to call George and tell him I’m making one,” she said. George is another regular who always buys two slices — one to eat and one to go. “He loves it.”

The people, new and old, were the best part of the diner, the Smelas said, and the part they’ll miss most about it all.

“You have to like people to be in this business,” Bob said. It gave him joy, he said, to serve quality food and see people return for it.

They’ve found a bigger audience since the closing was announced.

“We’ve been busier than any other time pre-COVID for this time of year. Once people heard we were closing, they rushed in,” Bob said. “Maybe we shouldn’t have closed.”
He looked at Ellie and she shook her head.

Would you do it again? he was asked.

Both shook their heads at once. “It’s too hard,” Ellie said.

“No way,” he said. “I couldn’t afford it.”

He pointed to rents on Atlantic Avenue. “They’re insane.” The only way to make money is to own the land under you, he said, and even that’s iffy today. He’s glad to be selling with the real estate market on the upswing.

He’s unsure whether the new owners, whom he declined to identify, will keep the property a restaurant, but says it’s possible, since they’ve asked for the kitchen equipment to stay.

He wishes them well but shakes his head.

“I’m going to be a consultant to others who want to open a restaurant. I will try to talk them out of it.”

Pink Poodles, with vodka and pomegranate, and mojitos are offered at Corvina. Photo provided by Svetlana Davis

By Jan Norris

The summer doldrums are about to hit, with no holidays or formal excuses to party.

Since people lucky enough to have Northern retreats have fled the heat, it’s left to the locals to get in on the dining deals available during the summer.

Here are a few we know of, along with happy hour specials for people who like to dine early.

Corvina Seafood Grill in Boca Raton has a number of drink specials, as well as a longish happy hour even on weekends — a rarity.

The weekly specials are:

Sunday Sipping: half-price bottles of wine (for wines under $100) with an entree, along with happy hour 4-7 p.m.

Martini Monday: Half-price martinis when you dine at the restaurant, and happy hour 4-7 p.m.

Taco Tuesday: $9 fish tacos and $5 margaritas all night and happy hour 4-7 p.m.

Hump-day Wednesday: Extended happy hour, 4-9 p.m., $6 cocktails and $6 wines.

Half-price Oyster Night Thursday: Half-price oysters by the half dozen, along with happy hour 4-7 p.m.

Corvina’s happy hour is also served Fridays and Saturdays, 4-6:30 p.m., at the indoor/outdoor bar, and a “9 for $9” menu has nine items to choose from for $9 each.

The Casimir French Bistro in Boca has summer discounts daily.

Monday: all-you-can-eat mussels; Tuesday: discounts on all duck dishes; Wednesday: two-course night, meaning with every entree, diners get a free soup, salad or dessert. On

Thursday diners get a discount on lobster dinners.

Happy hour, 3-6 p.m. nightly, offers discounts on beer, wines and appetizers, including a new menu item, flatbreads.

At Latitudes in Highland Beach, enjoy the ocean view during happy hour from 4:30-6:30 p.m. Drinks and menu items are $8 to $12 during these sunset hours.

Vic & Angelo’s happy hour menu is most generous: half-price off the entire menu, along with discounted drinks. You need to get there early, however — happy hour is weekdays only, 3-5 p.m. Vic & Angelo’s is on Atlantic Avenue in Delray.

The steakhouse Cut 432, also on the Avenue, offers $6 snacks and half-price house wines, beers and spirits at the weekday happy hour, 5-7 p.m.

Villagio in Boca Raton offers a good deal on some classics such as chicken Parmesan, chicken Milanese and portobello mushroom flatbreads for $10 during happy hour, to be extended on weekends through the summer. It’s from 5-7 p.m., and there are several drink specials to pair with them.

At the Wine Room Kitchen and Bar in Delray, diners can get a $12 charcuterie board as well as $9 small plates and $4 bites during happy hour, 3-7 p.m. The Wine Room serves $8 cocktails, $5 beers and $7 wines. On Wednesdays, it’s Match Day, and money put on the Wine Room card over $20 is matched.

At Prime Catch in Boynton Beach, sit at the dockside tiki bar to get $5 drinks and order from the bar bites menu. Happy hour is 3-6 p.m. weekdays.

At the Rebel House in Boca Raton, happy hour is 4-7 p.m. every day and features $6 cocktails and $6 plates, such as pork cheek empanada or wedge salad. A meat and cheese board is $10.

Catch brunch at Rose’s Daughter and Brule, sister restaurants in Delray. There’s an $8 Saturday brunch cocktail menu, plus 20% off all menus during happy hour, 4-6 p.m. all summer long at both eateries.

Caffe Luna Rosa in Delray Beach will offer a four-course wine pairing dinner for $69 on July 26, Aug. 16, Sept. 6, Sept. 27, Oct. 18 and Nov. 8.

Going just for drinks? The Old Key Lime House in Lantana offers 40% off mixed drinks — draft beer and premium wines excluded — 4-7 p.m. weekdays.

In brief: After 16 years, Dubliner Irish Pub closed its doors in Boca Raton. Partner Vaughan Dugan said, “Over time, everything evolves, and that’s certainly true in Boca and the hospitality industry as a whole. People want fresh ingredients, craft cocktails and comfortable seating to relax while catching up with friends." The Subculture Group will open Shaker & Pie, a modern pizzeria, in its place.

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

Supporters of Boca Helping Hands passed go at the 16th annual Monopoly-themed fundraiser, which attracted more than 150 guests. Boca Helping Hands President Gary Peters served as the tournament mediator. ‘This event is so much fun and unique,’ Peters said. ‘Think about how you loved Monopoly as a kid. This event is a way to enjoy the game and give back to our community.’ Proceeds will assist 27,000 people in South Florida with everything from hunger relief to job training.

Eric Shaw and Beverlee Schellenberger with Mr. Monopoly. Photo provided

More than 400 wine enthusiasts enjoyed a two-day celebration of exquisite food and drink. The annual benefit for the Boca Raton Historical Society included five memorable vintner dinners and an amazing Grand Tasting. ‘As always, Boca Bacchanal was a festive weekend that celebrates and enhances the appreciation of wine and food while bringing together world-class chefs and vintners, offering their finest specialties, while providing the entire community with a delightful opportunity to support the heritage education programs of The Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum and the Boca Raton Historical Society,’ society executive director Mary Csar said.

Todd and Maria Roberti with chefs Emilia Egusquiza and Salvatore Spina at a vintner dinner.

LeAnn and Russell Berman at the Grand Tasting. Photos provided by Jacek Gancarz

The American Heart Association had its 67th gala in support of lifesaving research and education programs to fight heart disease and stroke. A total of 350 guests attended the black-tie affair — which had not been held since 2020 because of the pandemic. They enjoyed dinner, dancing, a gorgeous orchid auction and an exciting live auction surrounded by greenery and decor befitting the ‘Garden of Plenty’ theme. PHOTO: Laurie Silvers and Mitch Rubenstein. Photo provided by Capehart

By Amy Woods

According to the National Retail Federation, the average family spent nearly $800 last year to prepare one child for school — an amount that is the highest in the history of the survey.

Back to School PBC is an annual event that helps prepare at-risk children for the upcoming academic year. Children are paired with volunteers to pick out new backpacks, supplies, uniforms and socks and shoes.

Children also receive haircuts, healthy meals and snacks. Participating families have access to basic health care. The South County event takes place July 30 at the Village Academy Center, 400 SW 12th Ave., Delray Beach.

“Thousands of low-income families in our community struggle to provide the basics, let alone prepare their children for the upcoming school year,” said Ali Rubin, of the Spirit of Giving Network, a nonprofit that partners with Palm Beach County’s Countywide Community Revitalization Team to spearhead the event.

Back to School PBC serves more than 5,000 students annually, and donations are needed.

“Now, more than ever, it is critical that we continue to provide these families with the sense of stability, security and support that Back to School PBC offers,” Rubin said.
For more information, call 561-385-0144 or visit spiritofgivingnetwork.com.

Literacy Coalition has new AmeriCorps director

Lorie Graham has joined the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County as the new Literacy AmeriCorps director.

Graham comes to the organization from the Palm Beach County School District, where she taught English for eight years. She also has experience with nonprofits.

“Her wealth of varied experience in education, nonprofit management and communications makes her the perfect fit for this job,” said Kristin Calder, the coalition’s CEO.

Graham is focused on recruiting more Literacy AmeriCorps members. Recruits work 35 to 42 hours each week providing services to ensure children and adults have the reading skills necessary to succeed in school and life.

“We’re excited that Lorie has joined our team,” Calder said.

For more information, call 561-279-9103 or visit literacypbc.org.

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

By Christine Davis and Amy Woods

The fundraisers at the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation have more big reasons to smile. A recent pair of $1 million donations to the Keeping the Promise campaign came from Jonathan and Laura Beinner and Ken and Maggie Rosenberg of Boca Raton.

With the Beinners’ gift announced in late May, the campaign to construct and upgrade hospital facilities has collected more than $230 million toward its $250 million goal.
That sum included 43 donations of seven or eight figures.

The Beinners’ generosity will be acknowledged with the naming of the Jonathan and Laura Beinner Administrative Offices Suite in the new Gloria Drummond Patient Tower. The tower is the centerpiece of the project.

The eighth-floor nurses’ station in the tower will be named for the Rosenbergs.

Both couples cited the importance of health as the motivation for their donations.

“In the old days, if you got sick, you would run back to New York to see your doctors,” Ken Rosenberg said in a news release. “Now, we are running back to be here in Boca Raton to have the quality facilities and physicians offered by this growing hospital.”

Laura Beinner said: “Without your health, it becomes really hard to enjoy your life. Jon and I always support the hospitals, wherever we are. Now that we’re in Boca for the school year, we wanted to add Boca Regional to our list. “Our family recognizes the importance of education, health and human services, and local and national Jewish causes. We feel very fortunate to be able to support key agencies in the communities in which we live and are so grateful that we are in the position to do so.”

The Beinners have three sons and a daughter and the couple, through their philanthropy, want to teach them the importance of giving back.

A semiretired executive with Goldman Sachs, Jonathan Beinner recognizes the importance of strong leadership and felt it was important to support the hospital and its leaders.

“Successful hospitals rely on leaders who are skilled and committed,” he said. “The two go hand-in-hand. Laura and I wanted our gift to both support the hospital and salute its leadership.”

Lincoln Mendez, CEO of Boca Regional, said that the hospital is always grateful for extraordinary gifts, but these two were special.

For the Beinners, “this one is particularly moving because it is their very first gift to us, and the seven-figure generosity tells us the Beinners believe in our vision, this initiative and Keeping the Promise.”

As for the Rosenbergs, Mendez said: “Ken and Maggie were motivated by the great care that they received from Boca Regional doctors, including Dr. John Strobis and other outstanding physicians, who have all had a profound impact on his and his family’s health.”

The campaign is the largest fundraising initiative in the hospital’s history and is supporting its most ambitious period of growth and expansion.

Campus redevelopment plans include the new Drummond tower, where patients will be welcomed in the Louis B. and Anne W. Green Lobby with plans for retail, dining, meeting space, a sanctuary, outdoor courtyards and other conveniences for visitors.

The tower will feature all new surgical suites and all private patient rooms exceeding the latest safety standards for care. In the current hospital building, all existing rooms will be converted to private in a comprehensive renovation of all patient units.

An expansion of the Marcus Neuroscience Institute is well underway with emphasis on neurovascular/stroke, central nervous system tumors, spine, and epilepsy/seizure disorders.
The recently opened 972-car Schmidt Family Parking Facility will be connected to the Marcus Neuroscience Institute once the new tower is complete.

Also underway is construction of the Toby and Leon Cooperman Medical Arts Pavilion, with outpatient surgery, physician offices, an ambulatory surgery center and adjacent parking.

For more information, call 561-955-4142 or visit donate.brrh.com.

— Christine Davis and Amy Woods

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

Xan Rammacher’s Community Cat Medical Fund in its first year provided funding for medical treatment of more than 60 sick or injured felines roaming Palm Beach County. Photo provided

By Arden Moore

In the dedicated world of helping community cats in Palm Beach County, Xan Rammacher saw a gap and is doing her best to fill it.

She estimates that more than 250,000 community cats roam throughout the county. By definition, community cats live outside and do not have owners. Some are friendly toward people and would love to be adopted and live indoors. Others are feral and do their best to avoid human interaction.

But all these cats need to eat and they need to be spayed, neutered and receive necessary vaccinations. And some of these cats also get sick or injured and need medical treatment.
After spending about five years performing TNVR work, meaning trap, neuter, vaccinate and return, and paying out of her own pocket to cover medical expenses for kittens and cats with respiratory infections or injuries, Rammacher had a lightbulb moment.

“I realized there was truly a need to help the injured and sick homeless cats in our community that don’t have an advocate,” she says. “It is a very helpless feeling not being able to help a suffering animal.”

Rammacher launched the Community Cat Medical Fund about a year ago. And she did all the paperwork to ensure her group met the qualifications to be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Rammacher is doing her best to complement volunteers who feed these cats, who perform TNVR and who agree to give foster care to felines ideal for adoption. She also salutes the work done by shelters, including the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League based in West Palm Beach.

On the CCMF website, Rammacher makes clear what her nonprofit can and can’t do.

“CCMF is not a traditional rescue. We are not a trapping, transporting, fostering service,” she says. “We financially provide assistance for veterinary care for community cats. We exist to be a resource for trappers whenever we can financially provide assistance for veterinary care for community cats.”

To celebrate CCMF’s first anniversary, Rammacher organized a fundraiser in late May at the Cactus Grille & Tequila Bar in Palm Beach Gardens and announced that CCMF provided funding for veterinary care of more than 60 community cats in its first year.

In recent posts on her group’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/CCMFINC), Xan shares the plight of a community cat named JR who “got in a tussle” with another community cat and suffered an eye injury that cost $700 to treat. She spotlights a pair of black-and-white cats. The one dubbed Wallie received antibiotics for a persistent cough and the other she calls Louie underwent a much-needed dental cleaning.

Rammacher’s effort to fill in the medical gap for these cats gets applause from people in the community-cat world.

“The sad truth is, most or all shelters are not able to provide medical care to suffering community cats,” says Paul Bates, who heads the community outreach TNVR program at Peggy Adams. “Most people who feed community cats simply cannot afford to pay for medical care for them. Community cats suffer and die horrible deaths in the streets.

“Xan is providing lifesaving medical care to community cats. No one else is doing this in our county.”

That makes Bates a fan of Xan.

“We have many people who TNVR cats in our county and bring them to our free TNVR service at Peggy Adams,” Bates says. “But what happens when a community cat trapper comes across a cat in a colony that is very sick or has a broken leg? What Xan is doing is truly lifesaving work.”

Word of Rammacher’s work also prompted Cuddly, a crowd-funding site focused on animals, to give CCMF a $5,000 grant. Learn more about Cuddly by visiting www.cuddly.com.
Rammacher is not shy about CCMF’s biggest needs: monetary donations and local foster volunteers.

“Generally, the cats only need a couple of weeks to recover” after medical care, she says. “CCMF can provide the food, litter and any equipment needed during foster. Your spare room or bathroom could literally be the cats’ only chance between a healthy return to life or suffering on the streets.”

Rammacher knows firsthand about fostering and adopting. She shares her home with husband, Ray, and their three former community cats. The oldest is Taz, now 14. Xan rescued Taz as a tiny kitten in a rainstorm at a mall parking lot.

Fittingly, the first two community cats on which she did TNVR care as a volunteer she ended up adopting: a mama cat, now 5, named Jane and her 4-year-old son, Tarzan.

“Rescue in itself can be very hard and forming the right support network is vital to survival,” says Rammacher. “CCMF cannot exist without local volunteers from community cat trappers, fosters, transporters, rescue partners and colony managers. We must all work together for the betterment of the cats.”

Learn more
The Community Cat Medical Fund Inc. is a nonprofit that helps caretakers of community cats pay for needed veterinarian services. The fund also supports people who humanely trap and give foster care to these cats. Go to comcatmedfund.org or facebook.com/CCMFINC for more information.

Arden Moore is a bestselling author, professional speaker and master certified pet first-aid instructor. She hosts a nationally syndicated radio show, Arden Moore’s Four Legged Life, and the weekly Oh Behave! podcast on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.ardenmoore.com.

Lawn games and inflatable sprinklers were all part of the holiday weekend fun at the Lantana Library, currently housed at the town’s recreation center. Alaric Wang, 5, of Lantana, plays a fishing game and Milly Marzipan, children’s musician, performs for the kids. Photos provided

Kozak’s interpretation of the First Station of the Cross: Jesus is Condemned to Death. The oak carving shows soldiers leading away Jesus after he was condemned by Pontius Pilate, who in the background is ’washing his hands’ of the death. Photos provided

By Janis Fontaine

Some people see the hand of God working in our lives in tiny ways. This is one of those stories.

The Brotherhood of St. Andrew at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach wanted to honor Father David Angelica for years of devoted service to the church family, and the brotherhood found a way that also honors the church and supports a small-business owner in a country at war.

One of Angelica’s favorite devotions was praying the Stations of the Cross during Lent with the congregation. The stations are the 14 stopping points along the Way of the Cross, the path that Jesus is believed to have followed on Good Friday. Praying the Stations of the Cross is a traditional way of commemorating the last day of Jesus’ life.

Early Christians made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem to walk the Way of the Cross in person, but that’s not realistic anymore, so the custom arose of replicating the devotion in a new setting, using artistic representations to commemorate each stop.

For Angelica, leading parishioners through the events of that day was a liturgical high point each year and he used photographs glued to cardboard that he hung from screws on the trusses between St. Paul’s stunning stained-glass windows.

Church member John Putnam praised Angelica in a profile he wrote, calling him a Renaissance man for his many gifts — “prayer, contemplation, preaching, compassion and counseling.” He also pointed to Angelica’s robust sense of humor.

The screws are still there, but Angelica retired early in 2022 and has relocated to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. Bill Hurd of the Brotherhood of St. Andrew said his group had been looking for something to replace Angelica’s photos for a couple of years but couldn’t find the right pieces until Hurd checked Amazon.

Hurd, who has been a member of St. Paul’s for 42 years, says the decision to purchase the carvings was a “no-brainer.” Now the photos have been replaced by ornate wood carvings of the stations made by an artisan named Maxim Kozak of Lviv, Ukraine.

“My name is Maxim Kozak,” he says on his Amazon page. “I’m a happy man, happy father and happy husband. My family is my inspiration.”
Hurd said, “The quality is amazing for the price. He offered two finishes and we chose the darker finish to match the wood trusses in the church.”

The pieces look as if they belong there and certainly represent an upgrade. Each plaque is about 10 inches square and much of the work is done by a machine process Kozak invented.

Kozak’s interpretation of the First Station of the Cross: Jesus is Condemned to Death. The oak carving shows soldiers leading away Jesus after he was condemned by Pontius Pilate, who in the background is ’washing his hands’ of the death. Photos provided

Kozak, a father of two, has always loved woodworking, and he became interested in “the ability to use modern technology in this craft,” because it improved both “maximum production speed and product details.”

Most of Kozak’s pieces are made from oak, which is a very hard, sturdy wood, not generally suited to fine carving. Kozak wrote: “For me the main thing is the result. So, I use superfine tool in order to most accurately reflect all the details.”

The pieces are exquisitely detailed and highlighted with gold paint. As you look at them in the changing light, Jesus’ crown of thorns glows like a halo. Most of Kozak’s work is devoted to religious iconography, but he also makes other home furnishings. Each of the 14 panels cost about $60, including shipping. Since the Russian invasion, a friend has been helping Kozak send out the art through Poland.

“One of the appeals was that the artist was a small-business owner doing this to feed his family,” Hurd said.

Kozak has been selling on Etsy since 2015 and has sold more than 10,000 pieces, which has allowed him to hire others to help with designs, production and shipping. Kozak’s business has a motto: “All we do is for you to believe in miracles.”

Praying the Stations of the Cross in whatever form is an opportunity for Christians to meditate on Jesus Christ’s suffering and the needs of suffering people today. St. Paul’s also donated the Lenten offering plate collections to Episcopal Relief and Development’s Ukrainian Crisis Response Fund.

Father Paul Kane has kept in touch with Kozak via email and said last month that he last heard from him at the end of May. “Maxim and his family were still at home in Lviv, and he seemed positive," Kane said.

When the plaques were hung, a gold sign dated March 6, 2022, below the first carving read: “Given by the Brotherhood of St. Andrew in thanksgiving for the ministry of Father David Angelica.”

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. Contact her at fontaine423e@outlook.com.

By Janis Fontaine

Temple Beth El of Boca Raton continues to grow and planned to welcome Rabbi Elana Rabishaw as its fourth full-time rabbi on July 1. She will join the clergy team that includes Rabbis Dan Levin, Jessica Spitalnic Mates and Greg Weisman, Cantor Lori Brock, and cantorial soloists Michelle Auslander Cohen and Jake Harris.
An open house for prospective members will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Aug. 16, at the Schaefer Family Campus at 333 SW Fourth Ave., Boca Raton. Call 561-391-8900 or visit tbeboca.org.

No One Buried Alone rite
The No One Buried Alone ministry will hold a memorial service from noon to 1 p.m. July 6 at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery, 10941 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach. Everyone is welcome.
The NOBA project started officially in May 2011 after the death of a 100-year-old patient at JFK Medical Center in Atlantis.
Father Gabriel Ghanoum, who had been the medical center’s director of spiritual care since 2010, began the initiative to take care of her and other individuals in Palm Beach County who died without known relatives or next of kin. With Adriana Gorrondona at the Palm Beach County Department of Human Services and Our Lady Queen of Peace, the No One Buried Alone ministry was born.
The ministry maintains that every human being deserves a dignified burial. The first compassion service was held at Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery on July 27, 2011. In 2013, the remains of 29 infants were laid to rest in the baby section. Last Nov. 13, 171 individuals were laid to rest. Because of the pandemic, more people died and more of them died alone.
Ghanoum told the Florida Catholic: “When we name each person from the list, I say ‘I love you’ because love was absent in their final moments on this Earth. These are our brothers and sisters in Christ, we love because God loves them. That is enough and all that matters.”
No One Buried Alone is an ecumenical ministry open to all regardless of faith or background. To learn more, visit https://ourqueen.org/no-one-buried-alone or call 561-793-0711.

B’nai Torah gets big gift
B’nai Torah Congregation, the largest conservative synagogue in Southeast Florida, announced at the end of April that Boca Raton residents Donna and Gerald Kramer gifted one of the largest single donations the synagogue has ever received. The temple wouldn’t share the exact amount, but the Kramers confirmed that the amount was “seven figures.”
The gift was made in honor of David Steinhardt, senior rabbi at B’nai Torah Congregation, who has held the position for more than two decades. Steinhardt said he was “profoundly appreciative that they have chosen to honor me in such a significant way.”
For more information, visit www.btcboca.org.

By Larry Barszewski

Drivers traveling State Road A1A near the Boynton Inlet can expect traffic delays over the next two weeks because of a bridge repair project that starts Monday, June 20.

Officials are recommending motorists find an alternate route while the Florida Department of Transportation performs concrete spalling repairs on the bridge near Ocean Inlet Park in Ocean Ridge and Manalapan.

Northbound and southbound traffic will be affected on the two-lane road due to lane closures that are part of the bridge work.

The work is schedule from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. from Monday to Friday, June 20-24, and again from Monday to Friday, June 27-July 1, according to an FDOT online construction information site.

The work is not expected to affect the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Water samples taken between May 14 and 18 show those from (l-r) a Delray Beach home on Delray Lakes Drive, a Delray Beach condo on Dotterel Road, a Boca Raton home on Southwest Fifth Street, and two samples from a Delray Beach home on Sandoway Lane that still has old galvanized pipes on one side of the house and pvc on the other. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Yellow tap water may be safe to drink, but Delray residents are still concerned

By Rich Pollack

The video posted on Facebook by the city of Delray Beach on April 21 appeared simple enough.
For what seemed like the umpteenth time, Delray leaders set out to explain why the city’s water is often discolored, and to once again assure residents that the water is safe to drink.
Instead of quieting down critics, however, the video unleashed a firestorm of negative comments, many taking on a political undertone and pointing fingers at current city leaders.
“Water is supposed to be clear and that’s the bottom line,” says Tracy Caruso, a former mayoral candidate and an outspoken critic of how the city is dealing with water that at times comes out of the faucet with a green or yellow tint. “I’ve never been told to drink a glass of yellow water and been told it’s OK.”
City leaders want to be clear, even if the water isn’t. They agree that there’s a problem with water color, but say they are disheartened by the steady drumbeat from people who are fostering distrust in the safety of the city’s water. The water, which is tested daily, meets or exceeds all government standards, they say.
The only real solution to significantly reduce the yellow and green tints that cloud Delray’s water, say people in neighboring cities who are responsible for having clear water come out of taps, is for Delray to replace its obsolete 70-year-old water treatment plant with one using more up-to-date methods.
That’s on the drawing board but it will come at a high cost, one that residents will initially start to see in their water bills as early as July — while a new plant won’t be up and running for at least four years.

An erosion of trust
How did the color of water become such a hotly debated issue in Delray?
Part of it, city leaders say, is due to an erosion of trust in the city’s overall ability to provide safe drinking water.
Politics, of course, is also a factor, with water quality issues being raised in the last municipal election and expected to be raised in next year’s March election.
“I understand that people may have a trust issue in light of past practices, but in the short term the city has taken necessary steps to make sure the water meets or exceeds all health advisory standards,” says Commissioner Juli Casale, who is up for re-election in March and has been the target of many of the critical comments after she reposted the city’s video. “In the long term, a new water treatment plant is in the works.”
The lack of trust stems from a series of issues that have plagued the city’s Utilities Department in recent years. They include:
• Treated wastewater entering the drinking water supply and leading to a $1 million fine.
• Sludge from the bottom of a water storage tank making its way to people’s faucets.
• A complaint from a whistleblower charging the city failed to report required issues to state regulators.
There also are critics of the city’s water treatment process who are concerned with PFAs, man-made chemicals that some studies show are harmful to humans. The city says the level of PFAs in city water falls below the danger level set by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

The color of water
At least one utilities director in a neighboring city, who has faced concerns with off-color water before, says Delray would be wise to resolve the color problem.
“Yellow water isn’t going to harm anyone but the perception is that it’s not clean,” says Chris Helfrich, Boca Raton’s utilities director. “You want to be able to drink a clear glass of water.”
Helfrich knows firsthand how important it is for drinking water to be devoid of color. Back in the mid-1990s, Boca Raton built a new water treatment plant, in part as a response to complaints about discolored water.
That plant, which uses membranes to filter out color-causing particles as well as other impurities, has helped the city achieve a level of between 4 and 5 color units in its water, which is well under the maximum 15 color units included in the EPA National Secondary Drinking Water Regulations standards. Those regulations set non-mandatory standards for 15 contaminants, including color, chlorides, iron and odor.
Delray Beach, which also supplies water to Gulf Stream, reports its water coloration hits as high as 12 units. Boynton Beach has two treatment plants, with its east plant that also supplies Ocean Ridge having a level of 8 units, while water from its west plant has a level of less than 1 color unit.

The city of Delray Beach is working on plans to replace its 70-year-old water plant. A new plant could cost more than $130 million, and residents are likely to begin paying for it through higher water bills starting this summer. Photo provided

The different processes
Delray Beach’s plant uses a lime softening process to treat water and filter out most of the impurities, but it does not remove nearly as much color as the Boca and Boynton plants.
In Boca Raton, a portion of the city’s water is treated with a lime softening system similar to Delray’s, but then the water is combined with water that is treated using a membrane filtration system that removes more of the impurities.
Boynton Beach’s two treatment plants use different technologies, according to Utilities Director Poonam Kalkat. The east treatment plant uses lime softening combined with an ion exchange system that pulls impurities out of the raw water. The city’s west plant uses a membrane filtration system similar to that used by Boca.

The stuff in the water
On its website, Delray Beach explains that the color of finished water is determined in large part by the raw water it draws from the aquifer. That water contains what Boca’s Helfrich refers to as organic particles — minerals as well as residuals of vegetation in the water.
“Things decay over time,” he says.
Some Delray Beach wells have fewer organics than others, but state and federal restrictions limit the city’s options when it comes to pumping.
“Finished water color is greatly influenced by the color of the raw water from the wells running at the time,” the city’s Utilities Department said in an email response to questions from The Coastal Star.  “The City is not allowed to only pump raw water from the wells with the least amount of color.”
Another factor that can affect water color is the age of pipes that bring water from the city’s connection to a property. Those pipes, which are the responsibility of property owners, can be galvanized steel that rusts and can cause discoloration in water, especially in older dwellings.
The Coastal Star recently drew water from a home built in 1937 that had galvanized pipes feeding the kitchen sink, but PVC pipes, installed during an update, feeding the bathroom sink. There was a noticeable difference, with the water from the kitchen faucet having significantly more color.

Testing the water
The discoloration in the water leads to further distrust of the water treatment process as a whole. Critics like Tracy Caruso question the daily testing process that the city conducts in-house to ensure water quality.
“One of the mistakes is that there hasn’t been enough oversight,” she says, adding that she would like to see outside government agencies more involved in the testing of water.
In fact, in a letter to Delray Beach Utilities Director Hassan Hadjimiry, Caruso’s husband, state Rep. Mike Caruso, offered to reach out to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to assist if needed.
In the email to The Coastal Star, the city said that its testing process is overseen by state regulators.
“The Florida Department of Health has observed samples being collected, that are then sent to outside laboratories,” the city said.  “In addition, the water utilities laboratory participates in proficiency testing every year and auditing every two years to maintain its certification.”
For his part, Boca’s Helfrich says the in-house process used by most water treatment facilities is very reliable.
“There are too many checks and balances to skew the data,” he says. “I can’t fathom a way to cheat without getting 10 people involved.”

Water bills going up
Delray Beach city leaders are still developing plans for a new water treatment plant and have not decided what type it will be.
Whether the city goes with a plant like Boca’s or one like Boynton’s, Casale says residents can be assured that the plant will have a system that filters out color. Early estimates are the project could cost somewhere between $130 million and $145 million.
Where that money will come from is still something the city needs to figure out. Federal and state grant money and other funding most likely will be available to help.
Water users will be picking up much of the cost as the city prepares to raise its water rates. City commissioners plan a final vote on the proposed rates in June that would raise the bill of the average user, calculated to be a resident using 6,000 gallons of water a month, from $57.85 to $75.66 monthly by 2026.
That still would keep the city rate, which hasn’t been raised since 2009, below that of neighboring cities. But former Delray Beach City Manager David Harden, speaking before the commission, said those numbers don’t tell the whole story.
He’s concerned the increased costs will be far more for homeowners who don’t have access to reclaimed water to irrigate their lawns. He said the monthly $72 bill he paid at his former home on Swinton Avenue would jump to about $164 a month in 2026 under the new rates.

The impact of rhetoric
While plans for a new plant are being developed, both Tracy Caruso and Casale are hoping to see the messages the other is sending out toned down.
“The first thing they need to do is stop putting out information saying water with color is normal,” Caruso says. “Yellow or green water is not normal.”
Caruso said she also is concerned that some city leaders, including Mayor Shelly Petrolia, have encouraged residents to purchase water filtering systems if they’re unhappy with city water.
Casale says she is worried about the impact some of the rhetoric from the other side is having on residents, some of whom buy bottled water rather than drink what comes out of their faucets.
“It’s very upsetting seeing people purchasing water they could not afford because they were being told they should not drink the water,” she says, referring to tap water.

Related story: Along the Coast: Advantages for homeowners hard to see in new insurance rules

By Joel Engelhardt and Mary Hladky

Florida condominiums will be required to retain reserves to pay for structural defects under a bill passed May 24 during the special legislative session in response to the Surfside building collapse that killed 98.
The bill, added without notice in the session devoted to insurance reform and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis on May 26, also requires condos to undergo structural inspections as they age. 
But the reserve requirement appeared to be the sticking point in March, when legislators failed to pass a bill during the regular session. 
While cities and counties could have required inspections, as Boca Raton and Highland Beach did in the fallout from Surfside, they can’t order condominiums to keep enough money on hand to pay for them — or for subsequent repairs.
“We can do everything we can do, but we can’t do that,” said Richard Radcliffe, executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities. “So it’s wonderful that they did that.”
Under the bill, condos and co-ops three stories or taller and within 3 miles of the coast must have a “milestone inspection” 25 years after opening and every 10 years thereafter. The first inspection for those farther from the coast would be 30 years.
In a review of property records last year, The Coastal Star found that 90% of the 348 condos along the barrier island from South Palm Beach to Boca Raton are more than 25 years old.
Buildings that opened before July 1992 would have until the end of 2024 to do their first inspections. 
The initial Phase 1 inspection would be visual. If no signs of structural deterioration are found, a more in-depth Phase 2 inspection is not required. 
But if there are signs of trouble, the next inspection would be more intrusive, including the option of chipping away at columns to determine structural integrity.
Those inspection reports must be distributed to every condo owner, be posted in a conspicuous place on the property and published on the association’s website, under the law.
It requires a reserve study that includes a physical analysis and a financial analysis, with the latter spelling out how much money is required to meet repair needs. 
“At a minimum, a structural integrity reserve study must identify the common areas being visually inspected, state the estimated remaining useful life and the estimated replacement cost or deferred maintenance expense of the common areas being visually inspected and provide a recommended annual reserve amount that achieves the estimated replacement cost or deferred maintenance expense of each common area being visually inspected by the end of the estimated remaining useful life of each common area,” the law says.
If an association fails to complete a structural integrity reserve study, it is deemed “a breach of an officer’s and director’s fiduciary relationship to the unit owners.”
Board members can be sued if they breach their fiduciary duty.
Emily Gentile, president of the Beach Condo Association of Boca Raton and Highland Beach, generally supports the legislation, but has concerns about the sudden financial burden on those condos that do not have healthy reserve funds to finance repairs.
The bill repeals, as of Dec. 1, 2024, the ability of condo associations to waive the funding of reserves or to collect less reserve money than needed to make repairs. Many condos waive reserves, with the result that no money is available to fix problems and owners can face hefty special assessments to cover the costs.
While it’s very important to maintain adequate reserves, Gentile said, the requirement “is another financial burden on condominiums.” It could be lessened if condo boards are given more time to build up their neglected reserve accounts, she said.
The fiduciary provision makes it even more important that condo associations insure their board members, she said. Gentile also noted that condo units attract fewer buyers when there is ongoing litigation. The bill requires disclosure of inspection reports to potential buyers.
Despite her concerns, Gentile said condo boards should accept the changes.
“You have to stand up and say this is what we need to do to make sure we are OK,” she said.
By requiring inspections for coastal buildings after 25 years, the state law is slightly more stringent than Boca Raton’s ordinance, which requires inspections after 30 years. 
When Boca passed the law in August, shortly after the June 24 collapse of Champlain Towers South, Mayor Scott Singer said it was important to act quickly to enhance safety rather than to wait for the state to act. 
But Singer said then that he would be willing to revise the city’s ordinance so it would not conflict with state law. After the legislation passed, he said he anticipated a thorough review of it before decisions are made on what action the city will take.
“Our goal was to take proactive measures,” he said. “I am glad the state has reacted a year after we have.”
Boca Raton launched its building certification program in January when it sent out notices to 14 associations saying their buildings must be inspected. Additional notices would be sent out at three-month intervals until the owners of all 191 buildings that meet the city’s criteria for inspection are notified.
Inspections in Boca must be conducted by both structural and electrical engineers. If repairs are needed, the building owner must submit a repair plan to the city within 30 days.

Joshua Smith trapped this 6-foot-long iguana west of Lake Worth Beach. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Joe Capozzi

Air rifle in hand, the hunter spotted his target on a tree branch over the shoreline some 30 yards south of the Briny Breezes marina.  
It’s the kind of shot Joshua Smith has made countless times in his four years as an iguana trapper with Nexus Nuisance Animal Services. But on this sunny May afternoon, his crafty target sensed danger.
As Smith approached, the bright green lizard slithered up the branch and out of the trapper’s jurisdiction. 
“He’s no longer on (Briny Breezes) property,’’ Smith said, conceding momentary defeat.
His disappointment wouldn’t last long. By the end of the week, he would bag a dozen iguanas in the common public areas at Briny Breezes. It was a modest haul compared with the 100 he dispatched from a community west of Boca Raton, but they’re all part of a seemingly endless bounty for hunters.

Using an all-terrain vehicle and an air rifle, Joshua Smith pursues a green iguana in Briny Breezes, near the Intracoastal Waterway. LOWER RIGHT: Smith later used a long pole and snare to capture this juvenile, which he estimated was a year old.

Across South Florida, suburban areas have been under siege from the invasive green iguanas, creatures native to the Caribbean and first reported in Florida along the southeast coast in the 1960s.
The lizards, which have no known domestic predator, are free to multiply and grow from finger-length hatchlings to bulls the size of small alligators. Their appetite for foliage, flowers and vegetables has turned residential walkways, swimming pools and golf courses into iguana-size Jurassic Parks.
Beyond what’s visible, Ocean Ridge Town Manager Tracey Stevens said, “iguanas pose a threat to the town’s infrastructure, as they dig burrows that erode and collapse sea walls, sidewalks, foundations, berms and canal banks.’’ 
“They cause damage to landscape vegetation which is important to maintain in an effort to battle the heat island effect which contributes to sea level rise.’’ 
Ocean Ridge has had a removal contract for town property with Tom Portuallo’s Iguana Control since 2018, and the $19,200-a-year deal is money well spent considering the millions of dollars in damage the critters can cause if left unchecked.
“They’re like ants, rats and roaches. They’re everywhere. They’re here to stay,’’ Portuallo said.
There’s also the problem of iguana poop. It’s everywhere, too, and it’s been known to transmit the infectious bacterium salmonella to humans who inadvertently come into contact with it.
And there’s evidence indicating iguanas are posing a threat to native and endangered species of tree snails and nickerbean, which is a host plant of the endangered Miami blue butterfly. 
“It will be a forever problem, really,’’ said Portuallo, who launched his company 14 years ago. “What we try to do is control them.’’ 
Controlling the “forever problem” is the shared mission of dozens of trapping companies that have set up shop in recent years, from Iguana Snipers and Iguana Police to The Iguana Guy and Iguana Busters, which also lets the public (for a fee) accompany its trappers on iguana hunts.
At Iguana Control, business is so brisk that Portuallo is about to launch a sister company. In June, Iguana Chum will offer fishing bait made from the thousands of lizards bagged by Iguana Control’s trappers from Key West to Jensen Beach.

A green iguana blends in well to the green fronds of a cabbage palm.

Like all nonnative reptile species, green iguanas are not protected in Florida except by anti-cruelty laws and can be humanely killed on private property, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. 
“I know they didn’t choose to be here, but they can cause a lot of damage and can end up costing people a lot of money,’’ Smith said. 
Briny Breezes hired Smith’s Nexus Nuisance Animal Services for one week in May to get a handle on “our small but growing iguana problem,’’ said Michael Gallacher, general manager of Briny Breezes Inc. 
It’s the first time the co-op has hired an iguana trapper. 
“We have been lucky, as many waterfront communities are overrun by these animals,’’ Gallacher said in an email to shareholders in May. 
But with more and more iguana sightings along the town’s riprap sea walls, it’s important for the corporation “to eradicate this issue before these animals take over and cause further damage,’’ he said.
Smith said his fees can range from $50 to $200 per visit.
Knowing that a female iguana can lay up to 100 eggs, “it pays to eliminate them as soon as possible before the area along our sea wall is infested with these reptiles,’’ Gallacher said. 
Other coastal municipalities from Boca Raton to South Palm Beach say they don’t have a problem with the reptiles and do not contract with iguana removal companies.

Iguana Control trapper Alejos Serna checks out a stand of trees for his prey near the parking lot of Oceanfront Park.

Humane killing legal, but not easy for hunters
Smith and Portuallo said their companies humanely and lawfully exterminate iguanas with pellet shots to the head or neck from air rifles.
But it’s not always a turkey shoot. Iguanas are skittish and agile, posing a challenge for some hunters.
“They can run, they can climb, they can swim, they can hold their breath underwater,’’ Iguana Control trapper Alejos Serna said as he patrolled the trees near the parking lot of Oceanfront Park one day last month.
“The only thing they can’t do is fly, and thank God for that,’’ he added.
The largest ones — they can grow up to 6 feet from head to tail — will put up a fight.
“If you corner one the wrong way, they’ve got a very strong tail they can whip you with,’’ Smith said. “Their nails are very sharp and their teeth are even sharper. I have been bitten, scratched, whipped with the tail more than I would like to admit.’’ 
Perhaps most vexing, trappers say, is that iguanas are not dumb.
As trappers make their rounds, iguanas seem to wise up and attempt to avoid them, even at distances at which they otherwise wouldn’t budge if a walker or jogger approached. 
As a result, Portuallo and Serna said, trappers sometimes take different routes on patrols of the same locations or even cover their trapper uniforms with raincoats.   
“It’s like he knows who I am and saw me coming,’’ Smith said after watching the iguana skip town up the tree branch and out of Briny Breezes.
Walking toward the north end of the Briny Breezes marina, Smith ran his fingers along bright hibiscus blooms. “This is their favorite food,’’ he said. “This tells me the problem here isn’t too bad.’’
A few minutes later, he noticed something on the sea wall behind an Ibis Drive home. Upon closer inspection, the suspected iguana turned out to be a harmless mermaid, a statue sunbathing in front of Darlene Lozuaway’s mobile home. 
“That’s not an iguana. You leave her right where she’s at,’’ Lozuaway said with a friendly laugh as she watched Smith from her back porch. 
Smith was voicing surprise about the town’s slim-to-none iguana pickings over the past hour, about to call it a day, when he spotted a bright green target on the sea wall along Flamingo Drive. 
It wasn’t very big but it was an iguana. To avoid posing danger to homes behind the sea wall, Smith chose not to use the air rifle. 
He grabbed a 21-foot extension pole with a fishing-wire snare at the end. The iguana seemed oblivious to the noose brushed against its head and then looped around its neck.
Smith gave a quick yank, and the lizard flipped and flailed as he reeled it in, the first of 12 iguanas the trapper would bag in Briny that week.
“Smallest one I’ve seen here,’’ he said. “It’s more fun with the big ones. They put up more of a fight.’’
He hogtied the front and rear feet with tape and laid the iguana in the bed of his white Chevy Silverado, right next to a cage containing a large bull snagged a few hours earlier west of Lake Worth Beach.
Both iguanas would be taken home, humanely killed and sold to customers who use them as food, Smith said.
Nearly 6 feet long, with the telltale orange color of an adult male displaying its dominance to competing males, the bull iguana dwarfed the small green one. But it represented one fewer iguana for Briny Breezes to worry about. 
Besides, Smith said before cleaning up with a disposable wipe, size doesn’t matter when it comes to eradicating iguanas.
“That,’’ he said, gesturing from the hogtied green lizard to the spiky orange bull, “will grow into that.’’

Prevention ideas
Here are steps residents can take to deter green iguanas from frequenting their property, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission:
• Remove plants that act as attractants.
• Fill in holes to discourage burrowing.
• Hang wind chimes or other items that make intermittent noises.
• Hang CDs that have reflective surfaces.
• Spray the animals with water as a deterrent.

Welcome to hurricane season.
If you’re new to the area you may have recently encountered your first flooded roadways, rising groundwater and canceled windstorm insurance.
Add to that mix La Niña holding in the Pacific, a slowed Gulf Stream, a warmer than usual loop current and the National Hurricane Center’s 2022 predictions, and it’s looking like we’ll be saying “weather channel” into our TV remotes soon.
Luckily in mid-May, we had Saharan dust. Seriously: Dust from Africa can suppress hurricane formation.
If this all sounds confusing and alien, it won’t soon. Our South Florida season of storms is just beginning. You’ll be a hurricane pro by November.
If you’re staying for the summer, you should know that along with rising temperatures and humidity this time of year come government budget workshops. This is when they’ll talk about how to spend your tax money.
You might want to attend. This is the critical time for individuals and governments to plan for the possibility of storms.
So, for all you novices, here are some storm lessons learned from past seasons:
• The electricity will go out. Get a generator. Put gas in it — and your car. Be sure you’ve got propane for the grill. You may need to grill all that food thawing in your freezer. And remember, ATMs, gas stations, pharmacies and grocery stories all need electricity to operate. Get what you need in advance.
• Sewer systems have electric pumps that power lift stations. If you don’t want to receive “do not flush” notices from city hall, push your elected officials now to make sure they’ve got enough working generators to keep things flowing.
• Residents of the barrier island are often asked to evacuate. It’s not so much because there’s fear of the ocean sweeping us all away; it’s because once trees and utility lines come down, it takes a while to clear roadways for public safety. In other words, paramedics won’t be able to get to you. Leave the island, go to higher ground. Especially residents of Briny Breezes. Don’t be stubborn. Leave.
• Trees will fall down. Driveways and roads will become impassible. Check with your municipality to make sure it has an adequate contract with a company that can quickly begin clearing the roadways. The sooner this happens, the sooner you can get back on the island.
• Expect roads to have standing water for hours. Clear the storm drains in your neighborhood — including the one at the end of your driveway. Don’t contribute to the flooding.   • Fill the freezer with water jugs. It’s not so much that there may not be water (although there may not be if systems get contaminated), but you’re going to want ice. Trust me.
• Charge your smartphone, tablet and tools and consider backup options, such as a car charger for your phone. Once the storm passes, communication is critical and a dead battery is worthless.
• Don’t let your elected officials deplete their reserve accounts. It’s a complicated and expensive process to recover from a storm. The federal government usually comes through with assistance, but it can take years for funds to be approved and delivered. Your municipal staff needs access to cash to pay overtime and get life back to normal for residents.
But don’t just take my word for it. Check at your city or town hall for vital hurricane preparedness information. And don’t be afraid to push your elected leaders on being prepared. Hurricanes can be survivable, but they aren’t cheap. Our elected leaders shouldn’t be either.
Stay safe.

— Mary Kate Leming
Editor

Joanne Ryan stands on the fresh tracks of a loggerhead in Highland Beach. Ryan manages the collecting of sea turtle nesting data and is an avid photographer. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Jan Engoren

Even before sipping her first predawn coffee each day, Joanne Ryan is already compiling data on her team’s counting of sea turtle nests and hatchling rescue efforts and sending it off to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
As the Highland Beach permit holder and principal officer for the FWC for the past year, Ryan is in charge of the sea turtle program along the town’s 3-mile stretch of beach, coordinating volunteers and overseeing the day-to-day operations. 
“I decided to step up when Barbara James, the previous permit holder, stepped down after 15 years,” says Ryan, a Delray Beach resident who works full-time as a portfolio accountant for a property management company. “It’s a bit of a challenge — you need to get up early, rain or shine — but so rewarding once you do.”
Ryan says that Highland Beach “is very turtle friendly. The residents are very receptive and helpful. If we report a lighting issue, it gets handled. I’m proud and happy to have access to the beach and work as guardians for these threatened and endangered sea turtles.”
Almost 70% of the nation’s sea turtles nest on Florida’s beaches. These volunteers try to help the one out of 1,000 hatchlings that makes it to adulthood and returns to the beach to lay eggs.
The eggs incubate for 60 days and when they hatch, volunteers can aim hatchlings toward the ocean if they get disoriented.
Between March 1 and Oct. 31, Ryan and her team rope off the nesting areas of sea turtles; document the crawls and whether or not they result in nests; record the hatches; inventory the number of nests; track the progress of the turtle population and whether it’s declining, and so on.
One of Ryan’s goals for the group is to incorporate as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.
A photographer and boater, Ryan, 64, was always interested in nature and the outdoors, where she enjoys time with her husband, Steve, a carpenter and volunteer with the Coast Guard.
In high school she dreamed of becoming a National Geographic photographer before being persuaded by her parents to look toward business.
She grew up in Yaphank on Long Island, where her grandparents were potato farmers, and she was a member of the Long Island Beach Buggy Association. Along with her cousin, she spent many summer nights camped out on the beach.
It was her cousin who first put a camera into her hands.
To this day, Ryan brings her camera to the beach, where she photographs the turtles, the sunrise, the ocean and other wildlife. She hopes one day to sell some of her images.
“When I explain our conservation efforts to people, they say to me, ‘You’re very passionate,’” Ryan says. “I’m passionate about preserving our environment, ridding the oceans and beaches of plastic and making a difference through education and raising awareness.”
Gardening is another of Ryan’s passions. A certified Florida master naturalist through the University of Florida’s master gardener program, Ryan learned from naturalist Steve Bass, former director of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.
She also admires Melissa Groo, a wildlife photographer and conservationist who combines her photos with stories to raise awareness about the natural world and the species that inhabit it.
Ryan first met her husband after an evening softball game, at the raw bar Dirty Moe’s Oyster Boat in Boca Raton. They had rock shrimp and beer back when a pitcher of beer was $3.95, and a glass of wine could be had for $1.75.
Dirty Moe’s is gone, but the couple, now married 33 years, have two rescue cats, Storm Serge (named after a character in the Tim Dorsey mystery books and because he followed them home like a “storm surge”) and Lucy (named after “Lucy the Leatherback Turtle”). The couple are without a dog for the first time in 30 years.
James, who held the Highland Beach permit for 17 years and worked with Ryan for 12 of them, says, “Joanne’s commitment to nature and the environment is a win-win for the future of the all-volunteer sea turtle data collecting group.”
What drives Ryan in her volunteerism is the conviction that she’s making a difference.
“It can be a struggle to get out of bed at 5 a.m., even on a good day,” she says, “but once you’re out and hit the sand and beach and see the sky and water, it’s beautiful. I consider it an honor to do this work.”
She quotes an old volunteer adage, “Volunteers don’t get paid because they’re worthless, but because they’re priceless.”

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Send a note to news@thecoastalstar.com or call 561-337-1553.

This month’s Coastal Star mailbag included one letter with a photo and a question for readers: Do you know these flashy dressers?
Coastal Star reader Mary Wollney of Lantana sent in this photograph, which she took sometime between 2008 and 2011, of three unknown but hard-to-miss men she spotted golfing at Palm Beach Par 3.
“They explained that they get together in their distinctive colorful garb to remember one of golf’s most admired sportsmen, Payne Stewart,” Wollney wrote.
Stewart, who often wore similar clothing on the golf course, died in a plane crash in 1999.
Wollney thought it might be fun to see whether anyone can identify these dapper dressers.
If you know these men, please let us know! Send an email to news@thecoastalstar.com.