By Mary Thurwachter

Slightly more than 2 square miles in size and with a population hovering around 12,000, Lantana may be small, but not without its charms. There’s that small “fishing village by the sea” vibe, for starters, a picturesque beach known to attract sunrise watchers and ocean swimmers, and a quaint downtown with enticing restaurants and shops.

“We may be tiny, but we’re mighty,” says Mayor Karen Lythgoe, She and other town leaders and staff holed up at the Finland House across the street from Town Hall for a visioning session on April 11.

Department heads and Town Council members took turns sharing their thoughts on what the town needs during the years ahead and where tax dollars might best be spent.

Town Manager Brian Raducci says the yearly session is a project he initiated after he came to Lantana in October 2021.

“This is a workshop,” he made clear, “so nothing we talk about today is set in stone.” A consensus by the Town Council, however, gave staff directions on what ideas to spend time pursuing.

One of those ideas, presented by Development Services Director Nicole Dritz — and receiving a consensus from the Town Council — was rebranding. Staffers from various departments have already formed a committee to talk about where the town is on branding and where it would like to go.

They talked about bringing in a marketing firm with experience in municipal branding to prepare guidelines and create a new logo. “More and more communities are moving away from using their seal as their logo,” as Lantana currently does, Dritz said.

The new logo would be used on everything from business cards and polo shirts to trash cans, bus benches and banners.

Bids would be sought for the work, which Dritz estimated would cost between $100,000 and $200,000.

There is research, Dritz said, that indicates good branding can help attract businesses, tourists and property owners.

Redeveloping downtown was also on the agenda, specifically four parcels on the north side of Ocean Avenue owned by sister-and-brother Marsha Stocker and Steven Handelsman. The town and the owners are seeking a developer to build a mix of apartments, shops and restaurants.

Since last year, the 12 decrepit cottages between Oak Street and Lake Drive have been torn down to make way for development, and a marketing firm has been secured by the owners.

“The owners want to develop the property and are considering a 49-year lease,” Raducci said. He said the council needs to be patient to find the right fit for the property.

While council members would like to limit the height of the buildings to four floors, they said they would consider five stories under certain circumstances.

Among other topics that came up during the workshop, council members:

• Agreed to investigate further development at the beach, considering what could be done with the entire 7 acres. Ideas included rebuilding the pavilion, relocating the Dune Deck, constructing an amphitheater and parking garage, and fortifying the boardwalk.

• Talked about selling three town-owned waterfront properties on North Lake Drive to help finance beach development. Selling the land, which Lantana purchased in 2012 for $965,000, would necessitate a change in the charter — and that would require a referendum.

• Suggested adding docks at Sportsman’s Park, an idea that also came up last year. Vice Mayor Kem Mason said the docks would be revenue producing.

• Considered adding video coverage of town meetings. Currently only audio coverage is available.

Stashing away cash for future needs — According to a report shared at a recent meeting by Lantana Finance Director Stephen Kaplan, the town has $14.4 million in reserves.

Last year the town added $2.6 million to the fund.

“When comparing this as a percentage to fiscal year 2025 budgeted expenditures, it can be used as a decent indicator of the town’s fiscal health,” Kaplan said. “The unassigned balance accounts for 87% of fiscal year 2025’s general fund originally adopted operating budget (not including debt or capital); however, even when including the total adopted budget, it still accounts for 81%.”

Kaplan said as the town grows the reserves, it will assist the funding of future years’ projects.

“In considering the budget for fiscal year 2024/25, the Town Council and management were conservative as to the growth of revenues and expenditures,” Kaplan said.

Having healthy reserves also helps Lantana secure better interest rates, should it need to get a bank loan.

Funding sought for sea wall — The council authorized sending in an application for money under the Florida Inland Navigation District’s Waterways Assistance Program. If approved, the funding would cover 50% of the costs associated with the construction of a new sea wall and upland park improvements at Bicentennial Park.

Employee of the first quarter honored — Tammy Reeves has worked in various divisions for the town for more than 20 years and is currently a key member of the Public Works Division’s maintenance team. On April 14, she was recognized during a Town Council meeting as the top employee during the first quarter of 2025.

Co-workers call her the town’s beautification specialist because she has a desire to make Lantana look its best.

Her bosses say she is one of the hardest-working and most outgoing members of the team.

— Mary Thurwachter

By Mary Hladky

Boca Raton City Manager George Brown will retire at year’s end, ending a 43-year career with the city.

Brown, 74, announced his departure at the April 8 City Council meeting, allowing time for the executive search firm Mercer Group Associates to conduct a search for candidates to replace him.

Under the schedule laid out by Brown, council members would interview possibly as many as five candidates in July and finalize a contract with their top choice in September.

Brown’s retirement was expected. When he officially assumed the top job on Jan. 1, 2024, eight months after the council selected him to succeed Leif Ahnell, Brown indicated that he intended to serve a short time.

Yet Brown’s tenure will be long enough that, if all goes as planned, he will have overseen the completion of a final deal with Terra and Frisbie Group to redevelop the 30-acre downtown government campus — the city’s highest priority project.

The council heaped praise on Brown.

“Whoever comes in has big shoes to fill,” said Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas. “I appreciate your expertise, your knowledge and guidance.”

“What we have here is a person who has dedicated his life to the city,” said Council member Marc Wigder.

“You have done an enormous amount of fantastic service to this city,” said Council member Andy Thomson.

Brown quickly shared credit with city staff. “It is a team effort. It was not just me,” he said.

And he vowed to remain engaged.

“I am not going to be disconnecting from the city,” he said. “I intend to remain involved, committed. I can’t get it out of my blood so that is just something that is going to have to happen.”

Brown joined the city’s building inspection division in 1977 and rose through the ranks to become assistant city manager. He left for five years, but was recruited to return and became deputy city manager in 2004.

He has handled many of the city’s most complex matters, including the sale of the city’s western golf course in 2021 and the lease of city land in Mizner Park in 2022 that at the time cleared the way for construction of The Center for Arts and Innovation. That project, however, came to a halt earlier this year when TCAI was unable to meet city-set fundraising deadlines.

In another key administrative change, the city has hired Jorge Camejo as deputy city manager.

Camejo effectively will take over Brown’s responsibilities when he held that position, overseeing major projects — especially in the downtown.

Camejo has a 28-year history with the city, serving as executive director of the Community Redevelopment Agency, which oversees the downtown, from 1989 to 1998, and as director of development services from 1998 to 2010.

He left to become executive director of the Hollywood CRA, a position he held until his return to Boca Raton.

Rules governing downtown development expire in 2028 and the CRA will cease to exist in 2039. Camejo will have a major role in revamping the development rules and the city’s eventual takeover of the CRA’s functions.

Camejo’s ”vast experience in urban redevelopment and his deep understanding of our community’s vision makes him the ideal candidate to help guide growth and development in downtown Boca Raton,” Brown said in a statement.

By Mary Hladky

Boca Raton’s disjointed efforts to make the downtown more vibrant, walkable and inviting are about to get a reset.

The City Council has hired Speck Dempsey, an urban design and planning firm, to help transform the downtown into a memorable destination. The five-year agreement is for $284,965.

The consulting firm is led by Jeff Speck, the author of Walkable City, who many consider to be the guru of walkable urbanism.

That’s what former Deputy Mayor Monica Mayotte repeatedly pressed her fellow council members to do before she left office, to no avail.

“I am overjoyed that Jeff Speck is now going to be engaged in this project for our downtown. He is the right person to do this,” she told council members at their April 7 meeting. 

“It makes me very happy the effort I started is now coming to fruition.”

That sentiment was echoed by architect Juan Caycedo, a member of a group of professionals known as Workshop 344+, who have created their own ideas for how to revitalize East Palmetto Park Road.

“We should have hired him to start with to design this street,” he said. “I am sure when we see the ideas from Jeff Speck, we will be looking at what we really need to do in our city.”

Former Deputy Mayor Andrea O’Rourke, who launched Workshop 344+, also was pleased.

“We are collectively very happy to welcome Jeff Speck on board as a consultant,” she said.

But Speck Dempsey won’t be working alone. The firm will be teamed up with Alta Planning + Design, hired by the city two years ago to re-envision East Palmetto Park Road.

While Speck Dempsey does work with other consultants elsewhere, the situation in Boca Raton is a bit awkward.

When Alta presented three redesign options in November, council members were so underwhelmed that they sidestepped a selection decision.

Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas indirectly noted that at the council meeting, saying, “We wanted to see something more significant. …

“I hope when you do come back it will really be what we are looking for — a sense of place, really iconic and a place that is a landmark for our city.”

She hoped the two consultants would “really work together” to do that.

“That is certainly our intent,” said Alta principal Alia Awwad.

The project, though, is about more than just East Palmetto Park Road.

Its scope has been expanded to include much of downtown, including the 30-acre government campus that is in the process of being redeveloped to include new government buildings, residential, retail, hotel and office.

Alta already is looking at additional downtown streets and parts of West Palmetto Park Road.

The two firms will do a downtown walkability assessment and traffic and mobility reviews of the government campus.

That will include reviewing traffic and mobility plans being drafted by Terra and Frisbie Group, the joint venture selected to do the campus project.

Saying the Terra/Frisbie proposal is “high quality,” Speck added, “We are excited to look at it, kick the tires a bit … to see if we can integrate it into the downtown.”

The firms will work with the city to hold a 21/2-day design charette, possibly to take place in June, that includes an open-to-the-public, half-day walkability tour along East Palmetto Park Road.

Savanna Cousino, 12, of Coconut Creek rides her skateboard April 27 at Tim Huxhold Skate Park in Boca Raton. The park is downtown on property slated for redevelopment. It has skateboarding, rollerblading spaces, and shuffleboard courts. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Mary Hladky

As Boca Raton officials move quickly to redevelop their 30-acre downtown government campus, the most vociferous and sustained objections to the massive project have come from users of the recreational facilities there that will be relocated to free up space for a new City Hall, Community Center, residential units, retail, an office building and a hotel.

Avid tennis players who use the 10-court Boca Raton Tennis Center were the first to speak out, demanding the city keep and enlarge the tennis center where it is, or at least relocate it nearby.

They now have been joined by users of Tim Huxhold Skate Park, which also faces banishment to a new location.

Skateboarders and their parents have shown up in force at meetings of the City Council and the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, even though the district is not the agency responsible for the relocation decision.

“This is a passionate group,” District Commissioner Craig Ehrnst said at an April 7 meeting, adding that it would be a “shame” not to do something for them.

The next night, supporters spoke their minds to City Council members.

“There is a huge, passionate community that is going to lose a park when it closes for the new city development,” said Toni Fralliciardi, the mother of two skateboarders. “I really think investing in a place for them to call home is really important.

“We are one of the most underserved areas in the country per capita for skaters,” she said. “We need to build something state-of-the-art that brings people to Boca.”

“It is a beloved part of our city,” said Rachel Bennett, whose son has used the skate park since he was in kindergarten. “There is a whole community of skaters and they are going to miss that little park and deserve to have something bigger and better built.”

Supporters have come to realize that any effort to keep the park at its current location is doomed. So they have coalesced around the idea that this is an opportunity to get a new, better park, replacing one that opened in 1998 and is antiquated.

They have a long list of reasons why it is important to keep skateboarding in Boca.

It’s an Olympic sport, debuting in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Better skate parks are being built in many Florida cities, and Boca should not be left behind. The sport supports mental and physical health. It teaches kids resiliency. Good skate parks have become destinations, and boost the local economy.

The city is working with the Beach and Park District to find new locations for the skate park, tennis center and ballfields.

They are jointly developing a conceptual recreation plan focusing on parks that have enough space for new amenities and are analyzing where downtown recreation facilities could fit in.

Nothing is final yet, but it is all but certain the softball fields would go to Sugar Sand Park, at Military Trail and Palmetto Park Road. A location for the tennis courts hasn’t been decided, but City Manager George Brown has promised that the city will replace all the 10 existing courts.

District commissioners unanimously agreed on April 7 that they want the skate park in North Park, the former Ocean Breeze golf course site north of Yamato Road, and that the city should help them pay for the project.

The city supports the North Park location, and the city and district are now discussing how the cost will be split.

Platform Group, which designs and builds skate parks, has told the district that the cost of one ranges from $3 million to $3.6 million, but the actual cost of a new Boca Raton skate park will depend on its final design, said Briann Harms, the district’s executive director.

By Mary Hladky

Mayor Scott Singer proposed redesigning the city flag late last year as a way to bolster civic engagement and community pride during Boca Raton’s centennial year.

Instead, his idea rankled many residents, who thought the time and effort could better be spent on addressing city problems such as traffic congestion, homelessness and what many see as overdevelopment.

“Why is this important and why now?” resident Joe Majhess asked the City Council on April 8. “It is clearly not what the citizens want.

“Our message is simple. Enough. Enough of the madness, enough of the dissension and enough wasting taxpayer dollars.”

“Our flag is nice and historic,” said resident Paul Nolan. Holding up images of four of the proposed design options, he added, “That is hideous.”

City Council members, who had endorsed Singer’s proposal in December, heard the message and pulled the plug on the project on April 21.

The new design options “are fine,” said Council member Andy Thomson, “but not so overwhelmingly better than the existing flag to justify a change.”

The flag redesign is a “distraction” from other important projects, said Council member Yvette Drucker. “At this point, the flag is not a priority, at least not for me.”

“Sometimes, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” said Council member Marc Wigder. “I am kind of in that camp right now.”

Singer felt the city flag did not meet current flag design standards and had enlisted flag experts to suggest alternatives. The city’s centennial marketing consultant Merit Mile was brought in to launch the project and get residents involved in the effort.

That’s when the negative comments started rolling in, surprising Singer.

But he declared victory anyway.

The project engaged residents, he said. “I consider this a success.”

By Rich Pollack

Traffic issues, pedestrian safety and a familiar subject — parking spots and their abundance — were on the minds of Highland Beach residents as county leaders provided an update on the progress of Milani Park at a public forum last month.

With development of the park certain, county leaders and the team hired to design the park gave about 75 residents a first look at what the site at the south end of town could look like and asked for feedback.

What they got was a list of several dozen questions, many aimed at the county’s commitment to include 100 parking spaces on the west side parcel of the property, which straddles State Road A1A.

While some residents asked if the county would consider scaling back the number of spots, county leaders said they will be proceeding with 100, the number included in a 2010 stipulated agreement between the county and the town.

In his presentation, lead architect Jeffrey Huber told residents that the parking area will be designed with a lot of plants and trees to make it more attractive in hopes of minimizing concerns.

“We don’t want it to look too much like a parking lot,” he said.

Huber said that the parking lot should be “part of the park experience” and that an abundance of shade trees along with natural vegetation would improve aesthetics.

“From above you’re going to see a tree canopy,” he said.

In addition to pushing for a reduction in parking spaces, several residents expressed concern about pedestrian safety. People going to the beach side of the park who have parked in the lot will have to cross A1A, and pedestrians will be in the parking area.

Residents also expressed concerns about cars backing up onto A1A as they wait to get into the parking lot and questioned what the county will do to keep trespassers off private beaches and others from loitering.

Assistant County Administrator Isami Ayala-Collazo said the design team would take a “comprehensive approach to traffic calming to reduce speeds and enhance pedestrian safety both in the park and at primary crossing points.”

Among steps to be taken are raised sidewalks inside the parking area to slow vehicles and improve visibility, consideration of enhanced lighting at key crossing areas, and delineating pedestrian and bicycle paths where feasible to ensure separation from motor vehicle traffic.

Ayala-Collazo said that the pedestrian crossing area is being designed with distinctive pavement markings and landing points at each end.

The county will also have enhanced signage at crossings and make sure landscaping does not impede vision for pedestrians or motorists.

“We want to ensure pedestrian and bicycle safety,” said county Parks and Recreation Director Jennifer Cirillo.

Because A1A is a state road, the county is coordinating with the Florida Department of Transportation on some of the safety issues, including a request from one resident who wondered if an elevated pedestrian bridge would make sense.

Ayala-Collazo said that a pedestrian bridge is not part of the discussions but that the county is open to exploring the idea in coordination with FDOT. So far, however, the focus has been on road level crossings that are minimally disruptive.

To reduce the chances of cars backing up onto A1A, the site is being designed so that there will be room for several cars in a line before any stack up.

The parking attendant on site also will work to prevent traffic from backing up.

“A full-time park attendant will assist with the safe flow of patrons into the park and park closure should it reach capacity which will also contribute to pedestrian safety,” Cirillo said.   

There will be a charge to park but the attendant will not collect money.

“The parking area will be staffed but parking fees will be collected via a parking app. This eliminates the need to queue at the main gate and allows visitors to proceed directly to a parking space,” Ayala-Collazo said.

County staff also will be on the east side parcel, with Ocean Rescue personnel and maintenance staff assigned to the area. And Cirillo said that park ranger patrols would help enforce the county ordinance against loitering.

In response to resident concerns about park patrons trespassing on private beaches and adjacent property, Cirillo said the county would keep to the restrictions in the settlement agreement and would have signage on site.

She added, however, that seaward of the mean high-water line along the entire coast of Florida is public beach.

Once design work is completed, the county will submit plans to Highland Beach, which has the responsibility for issuing building permits.

Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas and City Council member Andy Thomson are running to become Boca Raton’s next mayor in 2026, replacing Scott Singer, who is prevented by term limits from seeking reelection.

Thomson, who filed to run on April 2, was first elected to office in a 2018 special election and was reelected with no opposition in 2020.

He resigned from the nonpartisan council in 2022 to pursue an unsuccessful candidacy as a Democrat for the Florida House District 91 seat now held by Peggy Gossett-Seidman, R-Highland Beach. He reclaimed his council seat last year, capturing 62.5% of the vote to defeat opponent Brian Stenberg.

Thomson’s three-year council term ends in 2027, but Florida law requires him to resign before the candidate qualifying period this November for the city election the following March, though the resignation can be effective as of March 31, 2026, when he or someone else would take office.

Nachlas, a retired surgical nurse who became deputy mayor on March 31, filed to run for mayor on April 29. She first won election to the council in November 2022 when no other candidate filed to run for the seat. She would have had to wait until March 2023 to assume office, but her fellow council members, seeing no reason for that wait, appointed her to the position.

Also filing on April 1 to run for the city’s top office was real estate broker Bernard Korn, a perennial candidate who never has won an election. But in his unsuccessful run against incumbent Yvette Drucker last year, he garnered his strongest showing ever, capturing 23% of the vote.

Thomson, a Georgia Tech graduate and former college football player, earned his law degree from the University of Miami and practices business law at Baritz Colman Richan & Harris in Boca Raton.

“I enjoyed immensely the opportunity to be on the City Council for over five years,” he said. “I have shown myself to be a rational decision-maker and someone who has the future of Boca in mind. What I want most of all is to move the city in the right direction.”

— Mary Hladky

By Mary Hladky

An affiliate of Penn-Florida Companies is seeking to auction its 101 Via Mizner luxury apartment building in downtown Boca Raton so that it can pay its creditors.

The affiliate, Via Mizner Owner I, LLC, has requested that the auction take place on June 16.

The April 15 filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court is the latest twist over the fate of the 366-unit apartment building at 101 East Camino Real. It is part of a three-phase project that is envisioned to also include a 164-room Mandarin Oriental hotel and 85 branded residences.

While the apartment building was completed in 2017, construction of the two other buildings has dragged along for years and the project is well beyond its original completion date.

Penn-Florida first faced losing the apartments late last year. An affiliate of Blackstone Mortgage Trust, which provided a $195 million senior loan to Penn-Florida in 2022, filed a notice in December that it had initiated a Uniform Commercial Code foreclosure on the building for failing to pay off the loan. An auction was to be held on Jan. 15.

At the time, Penn-Florida said that the loan was in good standing and was in the process of being repaid in full in January.

But Via Mizner Owner I filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection that month to head off the auction and give it more time to complete refinancing.

In March, Via Mizner Owner I sought and received Bankruptcy Court approval to hire CBRE to sell the apartment building. Now, CBRE will conduct the auction Penn-Florida wants, if it takes place.

Via Mizner Owner I said in a court pleading that it wants to maximize the value of the building for the benefit of creditors. The best way to do that, it said, was to sell the building to the highest bidder. It valued the building at $272.5 million.

The Coastal Star asked Penn-Florida for comment, but none was provided as of April 23.

A number of prospective condo owners for the branded residences project, who had placed large deposits, have tired of waiting for construction to be completed and have filed lawsuits seeking return of their money. Some have reached settlement agreements with Penn-Florida, but other cases are pending.

The cover of the centennial book. Photos provided

To celebrate the city’s centennial, the Boca Raton Historical Society is offering a coffee table book, ’Dream City: A Pictorial History of Boca Raton,’ that chronicles the city’s remarkable 100-year journey. With more than 170 pages of storytelling and images, ’Dream City’ explores Boca Raton’s transformation from Addison Mizner’s Mediterranean-inspired vision to its rise as a culture and technology hub. The book, priced at $100 plus tax, may be picked up at the History Museum store, 71 N. Federal Highway, or shipped for an additional $15. More information is at www.bocahistory.org.
 

Sea turtles, new condominium high-rises, the city’s first Office Depot and a dog rescued by city firefighters are among the topics covered in the 1980s section of the book.

By John Pacenti

The Delray Beach City Commission met hastily on April 29, with Mayor Tom Carney announcing a whistleblower complaint had been filed. City Attorney Lynn Gelin told commissioners they were not to speak about the complaint — especially to the media — to protect the employee who has sought protections under state law.

“I don’t even think we should be having any further discussions on the dais until the investigator comes back, provides you with a report and findings and you can discuss it at that time,” Gelin said.

Commissioner Juli Casale said the allegations were already known in some circles of the city. “These are allegations at the highest level,” she said. “This is tragic.”

The special meeting took place right before a workshop on “permitted zoning use and code enforcement standing” involving the Subculture coffee shop. 

At the special meeting, Carney said commissioners needed to approve authorizing Gelin to engage with outside counsel to hire an independent investigator to look into the complaint.

Commissioner Rob Long then recused himself to avoid an appearance of a conflict of interest, but did not elaborate on what the conflict would be. “I fully support my colleague’s decision to have an outside investigation,” Long told The Coastal Star, but would not elaborate further.

Casale said she thought the individuals named in the complaint should be put on paid administrative leave. Carney said that would not be done.

“That’s typically what we do in the city, throughout every department,” Casale said. 

Commissioner Angela Burns agreed with the mayor, saying she was unaware of the allegations but that the investigation should be conducted without any staff being put on leave.

“How is the individual in the city who made the complaint supposed to function adequately in their job under the circumstances?” Casale said.

Under the Florida Whistleblower’s Act, complaints are confidential during the investigation to protect the individual who made them from retaliation. The disclosure can be lifted if it is deemed necessary to protect the public health, safety or welfare, or is necessary for the investigation.

Rodney Mayo, owner of Subculture, speaking during the public comments portion of the workshop, seemed to indicate that the whistleblower’s complaint may be tied to complaints to the Code Enforcement Division involving his establishment at 302 NE Sixth Ave.

“We are the scapegoats in this. There’s a political issue going on. There’s something going on (within) the city,” he said.

Carney was livid with the staff at the April 29 workshop, saying that commissioners had asked in January about complaints regarding outside activities at the coffee shop to come back before them. Instead, he said staff went and gave Subculture approvals for such events.

“That is really subverting, in my view — and I’m using that word truthfully — what I thought was at least the will and the consensus of the commission,” Carney said.

Shop in Plaza del Mar keeps a mom-and-pop flavor even with owners as guardians of booming industry

Rich and Heather Draper sample their product from behind the counter of the Ice Cream Club shop in Manalapan's Plaza del Mar. Rich opened the store in 1982, and Heather is financial director.  Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By John Pacenti

It’s been happening now for nearly five decades. Customers come from all over to the Ice Cream Club in Manalapan’s Plaza del Mar.

Why??? Have you tasted the ice cream?

“I love it,” said Sammilia Wells, a home health care provider who had been introduced to the store from a client on Palm Beach. 

“And even though she passed on, I still would take my husband, my kids, and would try to introduce them, because it’s just really good ice cream,” she said.

Adam and Donna Goldstein got a taste of the Ice Cream Club’s offering at the Palm Beach Food and Wine Festival in December and just had to have more. Adam is an ice cream aficionado and even went on an ice cream diet (he swears he lost weight).

“I love that it’s a mom-and-pop space, and they started years ago and they’re still here,” Donna Goldstein said.

The storefront that Rich Draper started in 1982 with two buddies turned into an ice cream wholesaler with a plant in Boynton Beach that supplies independent shops throughout the eastern seaboard and the Bahamas. You won’t find Ice Cream Club at your local grocery store. You have to find a boutique parlor that carries it. 

“We made ice cream in the store for the first, I don’t know, seven or eight years,” Draper said. “It was in the back of the store and people would come in, you know, from different parts of the country.”

Heather Draper, his spouse of 18 years, is a former regional bank president who is the Ice Cream Club’s financial director. If you don’t appreciate ice cream, you will after talking to Heather.

A town institution

“It’s not just getting the ice cream, it’s an experience,” she said outside of the Manalapan store on a sunny afternoon. “I have so many people telling me about how they came here with their grandparents or their parents. There’s a lot of good stories behind it.”

The Ice Cream Club is renowned for its flavor profiles (more than 125), plus hard-packed yogurts, no-sugar or non-dairy desserts, and soft serve. The store has the flavor Garbage Can with seven different brand name candy bars, but also Butterscotch Bomb that keeps up with it, Blueberry Cheesecake and Harry’s Brew (with a wizardly treat). And the classics, of course, the velvety chocolate and the buttery vanilla.

The ice cream is made in a plant in Boynton Beach.

The Ice Cream Club couldn’t be in a better place. The store was the first to inhabit the Plaza del Mar shopping center in 1982. It is across the road from the Eau Palm Beach Resort & Spa and nestled in a sweet spot for people who live along State Road A1A in several municipalities.

When the store opened, it was across from the Eau’s predecessor, the private La Coquille Club. The members were some of the first dedicated customers.

The backstory

Rich Draper grew up in Springfield, Illinois, went to college in Champaign and migrated to Chicago — but as a young man he wanted to get down to the Sunbelt. He made $12,000 on a real estate commission and that was the seed money for the Ice Cream Club’s shop. 

He opened the store with Tom Jackson and Mike Scott, the latter a friend he had known since kindergarten. Both are still with the company. Jackson is senior vice president and Scott is vice president.

The three amigos did find trouble getting ice cream to stock in the store. Then Rich Draper went to a restaurant show in Chicago and met a guy selling ice cream makers and the rest is history. 

Members of La Coquille Club, down from the Northeast on vacation, would tell Draper about ice creams they enjoyed. “So we just tried a lot of different flavors,” he said.

A scoop on the business

Heather Draper said ice cream is a pretty good business, proving to be “recession-proof, Amazon-proof and pandemic-proof.”

The store can offer more than 100 flavors, whether you buy a 3-gallon bucket or a sugar cone with sprinkles.

“Overall, with the cost of everything today, it’s still an inexpensive treat. And so you see people yearn for that experience,” she said. “We’re providing them with a unique product, they can’t get anywhere else.”

And it’s not just the business proper into which the Drapers put their effort. Food safety is a big priority. They are on multiple committees, helped develop websites, and do all sorts of speaking engagements on the subject.

“Food safety is job number one, right?” Rich Draper said. “It’s the foundation. Everything else is nothing without that.”

The Ice Cream Club is involved in www.safeicecream.org, a group of industry and education experts that was brought together by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy.

“These smaller companies, mom and pops, they don’t have a team of 75 people in quality control,” Heather Draper said. “How do we make food safety pre-competitive? How do we give them every tool to be physically compliant and to make sure it’s safe for their customers to do it?”

And helping these boutique ice cream shops succeed is seen as a winning strategy for the wholesaler. It comes as a service when the clients sign up to buy the ice cream.

“We help them with store layout, help them with equipment selection, training, we do all these things just to help them get started,” Rich Draper said. 

He also stressed that the company values its employees, now up to 70 with an average tenure of 23 years. He said many are “diamonds in the rough.”

“Maybe young men and women that hadn’t really had a good start in life, but end up being like super smart and can do a lot of great things,” he said. “And we’ve seen them come along. You’ll see someone be able to buy their first house for their family.”

Lantana residents (l-r) Joe Sweat and his wife, Vell Sweat, share a banana split with Keri Sweat, Joe’s sister,  at the Ice Cream Club in Manalapan.

Boynton plant churns on

The Ice Cream Club’s 18,000-square-foot plant is in Boynton Beach and it has a storage and distribution facility, opened in 2021, in Riviera Beach that holds up to 1,000 pallets of ice cream.

The Drapers, who live in Palm Beach, often drop in at the Manalapan store just to people-watch. They observe the grandparents or the parents come in with their kids, watching them get excited, and talking about what flavors they are going to get.

“This is probably their only outing of the day, if not the week, but they’ve chosen to come to us and relax,” Rich Draper said. 

“We take a lot of pride that we’re bringing joy.”

Impact 100 Palm Beach County's $100,000 award winners are (l-r, front) Andy Caesar, Achievement Centers for Children and Families; Renee Layman, Center for Child Counseling; Ted Hoskinson and Ashley Kluthe, Roots and Wings; Jeaneen West, Milagro Center; Bridget Langford, Delray Beach Children’s Garden; (back, l-r) Impact 100’s Janean Mileusnic with winners John Dyben, Hanley Foundation; Michelle Gonzalez, Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County; Kimberley Trombly-Bermeister, Baptist Health South Florida Foundation; and Impact 100’s Jeannine Morris. Photo provided by Warner-Prokos Photography

Impact 100 Palm Beach County awarded a total of $837,000 in grants to local nonprofits in five focus areas — arts, culture & historic preservation; education; environment & animal welfare; family, and health & wellness.

More than 450 members and guests gathered last month for the 14th annual Grand Awards Celebration, at which 12 South County organizations received financial support.

“This annual event represents the culmination of months of hard work, collaboration and connection,” said Kimberly Boldt, co-president of Impact 100 Palm Beach County. “What unites us is our shared belief in the power of giving and the future we’re building together for our community.”

Eight high-impact grants of $100,000 each were awarded to:

• Achievement Centers for Children & Families;

• Baptist Health South Florida Foundation; 

• Center for Child Counseling;

• Delray Beach Children’s Garden; 

• Hanley Foundation; 

• Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County; 

• Milagro Center; and

• Roots and Wings.

An additional four groups received merit grants: Community Greening; Move to Heal; Restoration Bridge International; and Volta Music Foundation.

For more information, call 561-336-4623 or visit impact100pbc.org.

Grants to YMCA will send kids to summer camp 

The YMCA of South Palm Beach County is making the dream of summer camp a reality for children and teens from the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach thanks to a pair of grants totaling $40,000.

A $10,000 grant from the Walter and Adi Blum Foundation will provide financial support for 65 youths from the Caridad Center to attend the Y’s program for free. Camp is June 2 to Aug. 6.

“Summer camp is more than just a fun escape from school; it’s an opportunity for personal growth, socialization and skill development,” said Barry Davis, executive director of the DeVos-Blum Family YMCA in Boynton Beach.

The Y also received a $30,000 grant from the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties to support camp scholarships for Caridad Center youth.

“Since 2005, this program has been a critical resource for families facing economic and social challenges,” Davis said. “This grant ensures that children who need it most can enjoy a safe, enriching summer camp experience that fosters learning, friendship and fun.”

For more information, call 561-237-0974 or visit ymcaspbc.org/summercamp.

Beach cleanups come with educational talks

The Coastal Stewards, a nonprofit dedicated to the protection of marine life and the coastal ecosystem, had its monthly beach cleanup in Ocean Ridge where a team of 20 volunteers removed 300 pieces of debris.

The beach cleanup was led by Harrison Albert, the organization’s education officer, who taught attendees about the difference between macro- and micro-plastics and how small changes with regard to single-use plastics can make a massive difference in the environment.

The next beach cleanup will take place from 9 to 11 a.m. May 24 starting from The Coastal Stewards’ headquarters, 5112 N. Ocean Blvd. The public is welcome to participate. 

For more information, call 561-310-9921 or visit thecoastalstewards.org/events.

Women’s recovery group hits $1 million milestone

Since Her 2nd Chance incorporated in 2018, the nonprofit based in Boca Raton has paid more than $1 million in working wages to the women in recovery it serves.

The women create custom gifts for sale online and in the studio at 3100 NW Boca Raton Blvd., and learn career skills. “This achievement is more than just a number; it’s a testament to the resilience of the women we serve and the power of employment and economic opportunity in the recovery journey,” Executive Director Erin Sabin said. “By providing employment and support, we are helping break cycles of addiction, relapse and unemployment, one paycheck at a time.”

For more information, call 561-405-6346 or visit her2ndchance.org.

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

A photo caption in the April 2025 edition of The Coastal Star misidentified two of the women pictured at the centennial celebration of the Boynton Woman’s Club. The correct identification is, from left to right: Michele Walter, Lynne Freeman, Janet DeVries Naughton and Donna Artes.

Left to Right: Florida Atlantic University’s library archivist, Victoria Thur, is joined by Susan Oyer, Boynton Beach resident and founder of the St. George’s Society of Palm Beach; Susan Watts, St. George’s Society member and donor; and Linda Golian-Lui, dean of FAU’s library, to celebrate the society’s donation of A King’s Story, a rare (only 385 copies) autobiography by Prince Edward VIII, the Duke of Windsor. Edward gave up the throne to marry his beloved Wallis Simpson, to whom the book is dedicated. Tao Woolfe/The Coastal Star

The National Society of Arts and Letters’ Florida Chapter gala dazzled attendees with a showcase of talent from local students. The fundraiser bestowed the Lifetime Achievement Award upon Jeff and Joanna Kaye for their contributions to the arts. ‘Our Star Maker Awards provides an extraordinary platform for the incredible young artists NSAL supports,’ said Kirsten Stephenson, chapter president. ‘Witnessing their performances is truly inspiring and deeply rewarding for our members and supporters who play a vital role in propelling these artists to the next level.’ ABOVE: (l-r) NSAL member Madi Guzinski, Stephenson and Marilyn Nelson. Photo provided by Amy Pasquantonio

 Left to Right: Simone Bonutti, Kristin Calder, Tammy Fender, Maggie Dickenson and Debra Ghostine.

George Elmore and Marti LaTour.

Pat Toppel and Robin Muir.

Left to Right: Janet Donovan,  Caron Dockerty and Brenda Medore.

The Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County hosted more than 600 literacy supporters, including New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray, who was featured at the event and interviewed by South Florida PBS ’Between the Covers’ host Ann Bocock. The luncheon, presented by Bank of America, raised more than $300,000 to support literacy programs throughout the county. Photos provided

Left to Right: Bobby Julien, Danita DeHaney, Jeff Stoops and Joanne Julien.

Russell and Mariam Hagan.

Bobby and Joanne Julien served as hosts of the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties’ evening affair attended by several South County philanthropists. Joanne Julien is chairwoman of the foundation’s Scholarship Committee, and she educated those in attendance about the program and its impact on the community. Since 1972, the foundation has distributed nearly $250 million in scholarships aimed at closing  the  area’s opportunity gaps. Photos provided by Tracey Benson Photography

Stephen and Nicola Verses

John and Judith Temple

Boca Bacchanal, a benefit for the Boca Raton Historical Society/Schmidt Boca Raton History Museum, uncorked in grand style during its kickoff celebration. Fine wine, gourmet bites and the highly anticipated reveal of this year’s chefs were on the menu. The night also marked a special moment in Boca Raton’s centennial celebration. ‘Bacchus Beckons is always a highlight of Boca Bacchanal, and this year was particularly special as we celebrate Boca Raton’s 100th anniversary,’ said Mary Csar, the society’s executive director. ‘The energy in the room was incredible, and we are thrilled to have officially kicked off Boca Bacchanal 2025 with such enthusiasm.’ Photos provided

The League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County welcomed 200-plus friends to its annual event, which was packed with juicy dialogue between MSNBC reporter Katie Phang and author/historian Robert Watson. The league, a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government, has a mission of empowering voters and defending democracy and strives to make sure voter turnout increases each election year. ABOVE: (l-r) Alice Munn, Trudy Wasserman, Darlene Kostrub, Marilyn Ricci and Linda Sorenson. Photo provided by Jacek Gancarz