The first phase of renovations (shown in yellow) at Ocean Inlet Park Marina will include removing old fixed docks and installing floating day-use docks. Work is scheduled to begin in May. Rendering provided

By Willie Howard

The modernization of aging Ocean Inlet Park Marina is scheduled to begin in May with the removal of old concrete fixed docks, the replacement of the marina bulkhead and the addition of floating day-use docks for the public.

The owners of boats stored at the marina’s 20 slips were expected to receive notice in late February that they must remove their vessels by April 30.

The first phase of the renovations — expected to be completed in the spring of 2022 — will include removing the old concrete fixed docks that extend west toward the Intracoastal Waterway, replacing the bulkhead and adding three ADA-accessible floating day-use docks at the south end of the marina.

The floating day-use docks will undoubtedly be a welcome sight for boaters who have struggled to pick up or drop off passengers at the fixed docks during low tide.

Lifts for Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office boats will be moved to the north side of the marina as part of the phase 1 work. The crumbling sidewalk near the bulkhead on the marina’s north side also will be replaced.

A view of the old fixed docks that will be torn down as part of renovations at the county park, located just south of Boynton Inlet.
Willie Howard/The Coastal Star 

“The goal of this project is to replace the failing bulkheads and fixed docks that have been in place for over 35 years and have reached the end of their useful life,” said Bob Hamilton, director of park development for Palm Beach County’s Parks and Recreation Department.

Money for the $3 million estimated cost of the phase 1 work will come from proceeds of the county’s 1-cent sales surtax and a grant from the Florida Inland Navigation District.

Although boat owners will be vacating the marina’s slips this spring, it could be late 2023 before they can move their boats back there.

New floating-dock slips are scheduled for construction as part of the second phase of renovations. The timing of the second phase depends on funding, Hamilton said, noting that the county has applied to FIND for a $1.5 million grant that would cover about half of the phase 2 cost.

A new marina building and restrooms near the parking lot are planned for the third phase of work.

Hamilton said there are no plans to bring back the café that used to operate next to the marina building, but noted that parks officials will consider some type of food concession during the design of the third phase.

Palm Beach boat show March 25-28

The Palm Beach International Boat Show is scheduled for March 25-28 along the waterfront in downtown West Palm Beach.

Face masks will be required for exhibitors, show staff and attendees. Show producer Informa said all of those people will have temperatures checked before being allowed to enter the show.

Show entrances will be on Flagler Drive at Evernia Street and at North Clematis Street.

Tickets cost $28 for adults and $18 for ages 6-15.

For details about the show and parking locations, call 954-463-6762 or visit www.pbboatshow.com.

Tip of the month

Fish for cobia during March. Drop a cobia jig near the bottom or use a dead sardine on triple hooks garnished with a flashy “duster” and a half-ounce weight over the hooks.
Fish over natural reefs or near wrecks such as the Skycliffe (just north of Boynton Inlet). Have a measuring tape and a heavy-duty landing net handy.
Cobia must be at least 33 inches to the fork of the tail to be legal to keep. Undersized fish should be released as quickly as possible. Daily bag limit: 1 cobia per angler.

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Email tiowillie@bellsouth.net.

By Janis Fontaine

Using an idea borrowed from television, a group of local business leaders and entrepreneurs introduced the Philanthropy Tank six years ago. The program energizes the next generation of “change makers” by challenging high school students to develop and implement sustainable public service projects in Palm Beach County.

The students pitch their ideas to solve community problems in an effort to win $15,000 in grant money to implement them. Hundreds of students in grades 8 through 12 applied to make presentations (virtually this year) in front of a panel of mentors who make the final decisions.

Seven teen group finalists have been chosen for the March 30 finals, including Sarik Shah of Ocean Ridge and Ashwin Parthasarathy of Boynton Beach, both high-achieving juniors at American Heritage High School Boca/Delray.

They had heard about the digital divide — the chasm between students who have access to computers and the internet and those who don’t — but when the coronavirus hit, it highlighted the problem for the friends. “I’m a tennis player, Sarik said, “and it’s like asking a kid to play tennis without a racket. He could play, but barely.”

Sarik and Ashwin did their research and learned that at least 50,000 student households in Palm Beach County didn’t have computers.

“I knew there was a need, but it was double or triple what I thought, partly because there might be several kids in that house who are sharing a computer,” Sarik said.

The digital divide denies students access to an education, and “education is everyone’s right,” he said.

Sarik’s partner, Ashwin, agrees: “Education allows students to secure better jobs and ensure a better path for their future, so I strongly believe no student should be denied the right to reach their full potential due to lack of computer access.”

Sarik and Ashwin propose to change that by collecting used computers and getting them into the hands of people who need them. “Many gently used computers often go to waste after they are no longer being used. We recognized the opportunity to refurbish these computers and redistribute them to students in working condition,” Ashwin wrote in their pitch for Digital Edge.

They’ve collected about a dozen computers and have reached out to businesses for used computers and assistance with repairs. “Minor problems I can fix,” Sarik said.

The idea to present Digital Edge to the Philanthropy Tank “just clicked,” Sarik said. “I had friends who had participated in the past and we already had the idea for Digital Edge.”
Despite their demanding school schedules, the duo decided to commit to the Philanthropy Tank.

“These students’ passion for making a difference in their community in very personal ways is incredibly inspiring,” Amy Brand, CEO for the Philanthropy Tank, said in an email.

“The founders, staff, and the mentors who volunteer to guide these students are looking forward to watching each finalist’s upcoming presentation on March 30.”

So far, the Philanthropy Tank has infused more than $600,000 into 45 student projects, which have helped more than 300,000 local citizens. More than 500 students have benefited from participating.

Sarik and Ashwin’s goal is to donate 150 computers by the end of their first year and then increase the total by 50 in each of the following years.

Now, they are practicing their presentation, fine-tuning their pitch so they can move Digital Edge forward.

But Sarik says he already learned an important lesson: “We take way too much for granted.”

Register to watch the live-streamed event at www.eventbrite.com; search for Philanthropy Tank Palm Beach. If you have a gently used computer to donate, contact Sarik or Ashwin at DigitalEdgeFL@gmail.com.

Mutual Attraction by Karen Coleman shows a ruby-throated hummingbird feeding on a coral honeysuckle.

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Both nature enthusiasts and art lovers will find plenty to enjoy at the Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach through April 30. That’s when the foundation — known for celebrating the architectural, botanical and cultural heritage of Palm Beach — is hosting “Wildly Exquisite: Florida’s Native Plants.”

“It’s an art show that features 34 botanical works depicting native Florida plants that are often cultivated in gardens,” says artist Carol Woodin, who helped curate the show and is the director of exhibitions for the American Society of Botanical Artists.

But this indoor event is only the beginning.

Once you’ve seen the realistic and detailed artworks demonstrating the intricacies and nuances that make Florida’s native flora so attractive, you can step outside into Pan’s Garden, which is owned by the foundation.

Here, in Florida’s first all-native botanical garden, you can see how more than a dozen of the show’s subjects put down their roots in nature.

“The exhibition is a useful tool to get people engaged with native plants and to understand their importance,” says the foundation’s director of horticulture, Susan Lerner, who oversees Pan’s Garden.

To help, she has carefully labeled the plants shown in the art that also appear in the garden.

During judging of 86 entries for the show, Woodin instructed the four judges, including Lerner, to look for works that provided botanical accuracy, were pleasing to view and whose artists showed proficiency of technique strong enough to make accuracy possible.

“Artists need to take into consideration elements of both traditional artwork and science. Botanical art is a melding of the two,” says Woodin.

For example, Karen Coleman’s entry called Mutual Attraction depicts the tubular red flowers of the honeysuckle plant that will nurture a hovering hummingbird preparing to sip their nectar.

Outside in Pan’s Garden, that same honeysuckle drapes over a wall — adding color, life and, yes, hummingbirds to the curated space.

Another Florida native, the Southern Magnolia, in a classic botanical illustration by Charlotte Ricker.

Other artworks provide an in-depth look at their plant subjects. Consider the Southern Magnolia, by artist Charlotte Ricker. She not only skillfully reproduces the plant’s lush white flowers but also the progression of those flowers from bud to ripened fruit. You’ll even see the green beetle that is the magnolia’s main pollinator.

“All those details that the botanical artist selects to portray must be accurate,” says Woodin. “You can’t fudge things.”
That’s why you’ll come away from a study like this really knowing something about the magnolia, which also grows in Pan’s Garden.

Just remember that although all the plants depicted in this show are Florida natives, many also grow in other areas of the country and the world. And not all of these plants are native to South Florida.

Consider Ashe’s Magnolia, for example. Its pink-tinged white flowers have been boldly reproduced for the show in etching techniques by Monika deVries Gohlke.

Listed as endangered by the state of Florida, this magnolia is native to only a few steep-sided ravines and bluffs in Florida’s Panhandle, according to informational notes written by Lerner.

Although it can be grown in gardens from seeds provided by permitted nurseries, you won’t find it in Pan’s Garden. However, its unique beauty deserves a place in this show.
By viewing these plants up close in the artwork, away from the green background of other plants you have in a garden, you may come to understand that natives tend to be smaller and less showy than the exotics from China and Africa. But they are no less beautiful, their details worthy of appreciation.

“I hope they inspire you to plant natives in your garden,” says Lerner.

IF YOU GO
What: “Wildly Exquisite: Florida’s Native Plants” botanical art show plus Pan’s Garden.
Where: Art show at Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach, 311 Peruvian Ave.; Pan’s Garden is adjacent at 386 Hibiscus Ave., Palm Beach.
When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Art show runs through April 30; Pan’s Garden open year-round.
Admission: Both the botanical art show and Pan’s Garden are complimentary.
Parking: On-street only.
More information: For Preservation Foundation of Palm Beach and Pan’s Garden, visit https://www.palmbeachpreservation.org/ or call 561-832-0731; for Pan’s Garden, request ext. 113.
To learn more about the American Society of Botanical Artists, visit https://www.asba-art.org/
For your visit: The “Wildly Exquisite” catalog, including 34 color plates of the show’s artworks, costs $20 at the show, with proceeds benefiting the Preservation Foundation and the ASBA. Or it can be ordered for $29.95 including US shipping and handling.
A free pamphlet with information about the art works — but with no color plates — is available to viewers at the show. Works in the show are for sale.

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley can be reached at debhartz@att.net.

Dozens of students, including kindergartner Sarah Lash, were marked with ashes on Ash Wednesday at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach, using ingenuity in the form of 9-inch cotton-tipped applicators. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Happy Passover! And Happy Easter!

Because both are tied to the lunar calendar, Easter, the most important Christian holiday, will always coincide with Passover, the first festival of Judaism, but the spring timing isn’t all they share.

Jews have been celebrating Passover — which commemorates their escape from slavery in Egypt — since the exodus itself, scholars say, which was around the 13th century B.C.
Centuries later, Jesus would be crucified during the Passover day of preparation, what Christians call Good Friday. The night before, Jesus hosted the Last Supper, a Jewish seder.
It is called Maundy Thursday or Holy Thursday now, and Christians revere the day as the origin of Christianity’s most important sacrament: the Eucharist of which Holy Communion is part.

Maundy Thursday services will be held on April 1 this year, with Easter on April 4.

At St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach, the annual seder that brings Christians and Jews together to celebrate has been canceled because of the coronavirus for the second straight year, but the interfaith spirit of goodwill remains. The church hopes the seder can return next year.

For some Christians, Easter is a one-day holiday. But the season really begins on Ash Wednesday, which this year was Feb. 17, and lasts about six weeks.

On Ash Wednesday, the ashes from the burning of palms from the previous year's Palm Sunday, which have been crushed into a fine powder and blessed by the priest, are applied to the forehead in the shape of a cross.

The minister prays, “Turn away from sin and believe in the Gospel” (Mark 1:15), or “Remember that you are dust, and unto dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19), the older, more traditional invocation. The ashes are also a plea to God for mercy and compassion, pardon and forgiveness.

In this no-touch pandemic world, Pastor Dave Franklin at Advent Church in Boca Raton said about 35 drivers came to the church drive-thru to be marked with ashes.

At St. Joseph’s Episcopal, the Ash Wednesday service was live-streamed to classrooms, then kids were taken one class at a time to the church, where they were marked with ashes. Nine-inch cotton-tipped applicators were used, which was fun, funny and a break from the isolation of the pandemic.

Rabbi Josh Broide at Boca Raton Community Synagogue says his congregation is eager to celebrate Passover, which is March 27 to April 4, but many still feel vulnerable to the virus. Involving the children in the retelling of the Exodus story and the Resurrection story is important to both faiths.

“Families look forward to getting together, and it’s important to engage the children,” Broide said. “It’s also a time to reflect and see what matters. Politics are divisive, the economy is erratic. Do we really need to fight with each other?”

St. Joseph’s and most other churches and synagogues are finalizing Easter and Passover plans and, as with Ash Wednesday, celebrations may require creativity. Some will be virtual only and some usual activities will be canceled as they were last year during lockdowns. But in-person services have resumed in places, and Broide and Franklin feel positive about the future.

“We have a tight community and that helps,” Franklin said. “It’s been a blessing to have virtual church because it allows us to stay connected, to engage with people online who don’t feel comfortable coming to in-person worship, and it’s especially important at Easter.”

Holidays can make people feel more isolated, Broide said. “I get a lot of calls from lonely people and I tell them to stay strong. I believe we can see the beginning of the end,” he said. “Call it cautious optimism.”

Or faith.

Janis Fontaine writes about people of faith, their congregations, causes and community events. janisfontaine@outlook.com.

St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic School in Delray Beach completed a $6.5 million renovation and addition in 2019 and dedicated the finished work Jan. 31.

Monsignor Thomas J. Skindeleski blesses the school courtyard. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

A plaque honors Mary Babione Veccia, a former student, whose family donated the money for the clock tower. Family attending the event included (l-r) Mary's husband, Joe Veccia, mother, Helen Babione, daughter Kim Veccia Amsalem and grandson Bruno Amsalem.

By Janis Fontaine

As people prepare to celebrate Easter and Passover toward the beginning of April, food is definitely part of the plan.

Both holidays are celebrations: Passover celebrates the freedom of the Israelites after centuries of slavery. Easter celebrates the forgiveness of sins and a guarantee of eternal life.

And when people are happy, we feast!

The foods Christians and Jews eat have symbolic meanings.

For Christians, eggs symbolize life and Christ’s resurrection. Bread is also symbolic of Jesus, and of course the lamb is Christ as well. Salt represents purification, and horseradish is symbolic of the bitter sacrifice of Christ. Ham and bacon are symbolic of great joy and abundance.

In the Jewish tradition, symbolic foods found on the seder table include a roasted lamb shankbone, which represents the sacrifice of the ancient Hebrews. Maror and chazeret are “bitter herbs,” frequently horseradish and romaine, which recall the bitterness of slavery. Charoset, a sweet salad of apples, nuts, wine and cinnamon, represents the mortar used by the Hebrew slaves to make bricks. And karpas — a green vegetable, usually parsley — symbolizes the freshness of spring. A roasted egg is a symbol of springtime and renewal. It isn’t eaten, but should look roasted to complete the plate.

But matzo is probably the most important symbol on the seder table. Three pieces of unleavened bread are covered with cloth. The unleavened bread (made without yeast) reminds Jews of how quickly they fled their enslavers — so quickly they could not wait for the bread to rise.

At St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, a centuries-old tradition called the Blessing of the Easter Basket is still practiced, but it doesn’t involve chocolate bunnies or jelly beans.

On Holy Saturday, congregants bring the food they’ll serve for Easter dinner to the church to be blessed by the priest. The tradition can be traced back to Eastern Europe with different cultures:

In Poland, the practice is called Święconka; the main food is an egg, which is broken and shared by all on Easter Sunday morning. The lamb is molded of butter or made from pastry as a centerpiece for the Easter table.

In Rome, a crisp white tablecloth is adorned with an uncooked Easter lamb and decorated with flowers, wine and fruit. A large traditional cake called “pizza” is also served.

In Russia, you’ll find painted eggs in the basket, as well as the makings for a traditional Orthodox Easter cake called kulich, a tall cylinder of yeast dough frosted with icing and nuts. The elites in Old Russia once served 48 dishes to match the number of days of the Lenten fast.

The biggest Easter food basket blessing in the world is held each year in the Romanian town Miercurea Ciuc. In 2018, more than 7,000 people came to have their Easter baskets blessed.

Here are the local Blessing of the Easter Basket and other Easter services for 2021 available as of late February:

Advent Church of Boca Raton — Easter services likely will take place at 9 and 10:30 a.m. April 4 in person. A sunrise service was in the planning stages. Check the church website at www.adventboca.org.
Ascension Catholic Church, Boca Raton — Holy Thursday, 7 p.m.; Good Friday, 3 p.m.; Saturday, 7 p.m. vigil; Sunday Mass at 8, 10 and noon. Visit www.accboca.net.
First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach — The church has been virtual-only since January, but is counting down to reopening, it hopes in time for the Easter services. Check the church website at www.firstdelray.com.
First United Methodist Church, Boca Raton — Virtual and in-person worship outside by reservation. Check with the church for details at www.fumcbocaraton.org.
St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, Boca Raton — Check with the church at www.stgregorysepiscopal.org.
St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church, Boynton Beach — Check with the church at www.stjoesweb.org.
St. Lucy Catholic Church, Highland Beach — Check the church website at www.stlucycommunity.com.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Delray Beach — Palm Sunday vigil, 5 p.m. March 27, and Palm Sunday services, 8 and 10 a.m. March 28. An Easter Vigil, 6 p.m. April 3, Easter Sunday services, 7:30, 9 and 11 a.m. April 4. Virtual services will be broadcast on the church's website and YouTube channel. https://stpaulsdelray.org.
St. Vincent Ferrer Catholic Church, Delray Beach — Holy Thursday, 7 p.m.; Good Friday, 3 p.m.; Holy Saturday, 1:30 p.m. Blessing of the Easter Basket; Easter Mass, 7, 9 and 11 a.m. Sunday.

­

More than a dozen Ocean Ridge Garden Club members made 63 floral arrangements that were given to shut-ins, first responders and recipients identified by faith-based organizations. ABOVE: (l-r) Sylvie Glickstein, Lynn Allison and Christina Benisch organized the event. Photo provided

Ozzie and Harry, both born Sept. 1, have eyelid agenesis. One of Ozzie’s eyelids and both of Harry’s needed to be sewn shut. Their foster parent thinks they would be fine ambassadors or therapy cats for an organization devoted to blind people or for a retirement community. Photo provided

I have done a lot of fostering cats and kittens over the last 10 to 15 years, working with different agencies and taking breaks when needed. I love each and every one of the felines put under my care.

But this experience was unusual. Both kittens born Sept. 1, 2020, had eye issues. The condition was eyelid agenesis and the end result was Harry had both eyelids sewn shut and Ozzie has one good eye and one eyelid sewn shut.

They are just the cutest brothers and are inseparable.  They came to me from Ru4me Pet Rescue. My household includes two cats, both rescues, and two dogs, one rescued from a kill shelter and one from Puerto Rico. All the animals get along and some have developed special relationships — with Ozzie and Harry even napping together.

The boys can be lap cats, they can play hard, jump up on chairs, and manage stairs. Sometimes you would not even know that Harry cannot see and Ozzie has only one eye. 

They are very affectionate and love people — even napping or sleeping with me.

As you can see, these brothers are destined to be “special” cats. It would be wonderful if they could be ambassadors for a special- needs group or therapy cats for a blind organization or retirement community.  

Perhaps there is someone with a little extra time, due to the pandemic, who could make this happen.

Kate Pemberton
561-866-7458
delraynative@yahoo.com

Christel Connelly of Ocean Ridge adopted two kittens from the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League. Connelly, a high school French teacher, named them Binoche (left) and Juliette and says, ‘They make our house feel alive.’ Photo provided

By Arden Moore

Kittens do the darnedest things. They can tackle toes, ambush ankles, leap like acrobats, wink at you with soft eyes, suddenly plop into a deep nap and try to chat with you in high-pitched mews.

Finding out what makes kittens tick can be tricky. They aren’t born with owners’ manuals. I often equate the first year of a kitten’s life as the wonder year — as in, you wonder where your sanity went.

Too often, nouveau kitten adopters learn as they go — and as their kittens grow. Just ask Christel and Jim Connelly, of Ocean Ridge. Their quiet home has erupted into delightful energy thanks to the arrival of a pair of sibling kittens they named Binoche and Juliette.

They were bestowed French names on purpose when the Connellys adopted them last month from the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League (via foster volunteer Emily Minor). Christel was born in Dijon in the Burgundy region of France (known for mustard and red wine).

She teaches French to high school students, usually via her home laptop due to the pandemic. In the background, her new kittens often make surprising and fun appearances.
Their antics have made Christel realize she needs to learn a third language — cat.

“They are super sweet and love to play, cuddle and sleep, but I do feel like I am learning a new language so I can communicate with them,” laughs Christel. “Sometimes when I am teaching, they try to play with my computer screen and then they will lay down on my attendance book, purr and fall quickly asleep. Building relationships remotely is not always easy, but my kittens are definitely helping me connect with my students who love their antics.”

Christel admits her feline knowledge is limited, but she is determined to learn more about cat health and behavior. Years ago, she had a cat named Chloe and is grateful now that her kitten duo received a healthy start from Minor’s fostering for a few weeks.

“I think that they are better-behaved than I expected and I believe it is due to the fact that they were fostered and the foster mom did a good job,” says Christel.

Minor and her husband, Marty, of West Palm Beach, picked up this kitty pair on Christmas Eve from the Peggy Adams Rescue League. In about one year, they have fostered 23 kittens, including a trio currently with them named Linc, Pete and Julie (from the classic Mod Squad television show of the late 1960s and early 1970s).

“Even before the pandemic, I felt like I needed more joy in my life and I decided to start fostering kittens,” says Minor, a former newspaper reporter who now also volunteers for Meals on Wheels. “It has been so much fun fostering kittens who are adorable, but very young.

“Peggy Adams provides us with everything we need — blankets, cat food, toys, kitty pens — and we socialize them in our home until they are ready for permanent homes to enjoy wonderful lives.”

Katie Buckley-Jones, associate director of animal operations at Peggy Adams, notes that kitten season in Florida typically starts around March and April and continues through November.

Check out the numbers from this shelter: In 2020, Peggy Adams adopted out 3,216 kittens that were born primarily from free-roaming cats.

“Most of our kittens come from outside community-cat populations, so it is really important that we follow strict quarantine protocols with the kittens,” says Buckley-Jones. “We do not put unrelated litters together for play sessions because of this. Our foster families make sure to keep their pets separated from the kittens as well.”

She continues, “At that fragile age, kittens are at risk for so many diseases that can be potentially fatal, so it is important we protect them from any possible disease.”

For anyone who is interested in fostering or adopting kittens, Buckley-Jones offers these tips and insights:

• Do not engage in any hand play with kittens. Felines need to learn at an early age that hands are not toys. Playful hand wrestling with kittens can unintentionally teach them to bite or attack hands and other body parts in play. Instead, redirect kittens’ high-energy play toward wand toys or toss cat toys for them to chase and pounce on.
• Size up the litter box for success. Newly adopted kittens fare best with small litter boxes with low sides to give them access. Also, initially confine your kitten to a small, cozy room like a bathroom that has kitty amenities like bed, litter box and food/water bowls.
“Letting new kittens free roam in homes can cause them to become overwhelmed and stressed,” says Buckley-Jones. “Give them time to gradually get acclimated into your home.”
• Do a room-by-room safety inspection. “Make sure to kitten-proof your home before they arrive,” she says. “Kittens like to play with dangly things like cords and wires. They like to try to climb up high and they like to scratch on things. Get them comfortable with having their nails trimmed while they are small and make it fun and rewarding with treats.”

Christel and Jim Connelly report that the fast-growing sisters Juliette and Binoche keep them amused and happy.

“They make me smile the first thing in the morning and with COVID-19 concerns these days, it is nice to smile the first thing in the morning,” says Christel. “I love to hear them purr and I love that they are cuddlers. They make our house feel alive.”

To learn more about adopting or fostering kittens, contact the Peggy Adams Animal Rescue League via www.peggyadams.org. The adoption center is open between 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily by appointment only.

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

This house, a mile south of Plaza del Mar, was originally designed by the renowned architect John Volk.

Nestled one mile south of the Eau Palm Beach, this one-of-a-kind ocean-to-Intracoastal, British West Indies-style estate property is on one of the finest lots in Manalapan.

Encompassing over two acres, the property presents an impressive 193 feet of water frontage across each of the beach and lake coastlines. It is equipped with a new seawall and private dock that can support vessels up to 40 feet.

The expansive living and dining rooms offer unending views of the ocean.

The grand entrance foyer offers unparalleled views of the ocean and Intracoastal at every turn through the natural light of the dozens of impact windows and doors that encircle the home. It is a 12,856-total-square-foot estate boasting seven bedrooms and five bathrooms.

The renovated dine-in chef’s kitchen offers a large center island for entertaining and serving hors d’oeuvres and beverages.

The formal living room and dining room flow into each other and into the adjacent kitchen. A state-of-the-art wine room will serve the discerning collector. Most impressive in this lineup of extraordinary features is an oversized balcony overlooking the front of the property, where you can enjoy beautiful sunsets over the private mini-golf course and one of two pools on the front lawn. If sunrises are more important, simply walk around to the other side of the house and watch over the private oceanfront beach and backyard pool.

The estate runs from the ocean to the lake, offering 193 feet of water frontage.

Offered at $34.85 million. Contact Steven Presson, The Presson Group, Corcoran, 901 George Bush Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33484. 561-843-6057. stevenpresson@corcoran.com

Beverlee and Howard Schnellenberger married in 1959. She proposed to him, and at first he said no. Photo Provided

Coach Schnellenberger’s wife shares stories, letters that show the couple’s enduring affection

By Brian Biggane

He played end on one Canadian Football League team; she was a majorette in the band of another. Their chance meeting in August 1958 led to a marriage that is still going strong more than 61 years later.

“It’s a love story — we have a beautiful love story,” said Beverlee Schnellenberger, sitting in her east Boynton Beach home as she reflected on her life with Howard, the most iconic football coach in South Florida other than the late Don Shula.

“I’m so happy I asked him to marry me.”

The couple in 2014. Photo Provided

Every marriage has its highs and lows. For the Schnellenbergers, the highs include Howard’s three national championships as an assistant at Alabama, the “perfect season” as offensive coordinator with the Miami Dolphins in 1972, and his national title as head coach at the University of Miami in 1983.

The most difficult times have come more recently. Howard, 86, hit his head in a fall last July and suffered a subdural hematoma. After two surgeries, he is living in a Boca Raton rehab center, where he is working to regain his cognitive abilities.

Howard, who first came to Boca Raton to start the Florida Atlantic University football program more than 20 years ago, expressed his feelings about Beverlee when he dedicated his 2014 autobiography, Passing the Torch, to her:

“Beverlee has been mother and father, counselor, accountant, banker, mechanic, cook and housekeeper, and she has done it all in a loving way that allowed me to be free to do my thing in football without feeling bad about spending time on the job.”

Longtime friend and FAU supporter Dick Schmidt said the pair’s enduring love is something to behold.

“I’ve seen a couple that is as much in love as they were when they first met,” Schmidt said. “They’re just a terrific couple. And both very unique.”

“I’ve never seen a couple more committed to each other,” said Don Bailey, who was Howard’s first Dade County recruit to UM in 1979 and has been the analyst on Hurricanes radio broadcasts for 19 years. “Both of them always set the example of how you’re supposed to be.”

Love at first sight

A star end in high school in Louisville who played for the incomparable Paul “Bear” Bryant at Kentucky, Howard was in his second year with the BC Lions when a teammate, Joe Poirier, arranged for some players to meet a few young ladies at the Berkeley Hotel after a preseason game in Montreal in 1958. Poirier and Beverlee both grew up in the area.00

The meeting was brief, but Beverlee, now 83, was impressed.

A month later she and two friends drove cross-country to Vancouver, where she had been asked to be a caretaker to a friend of her parents. Beverlee and Howard met again and something clicked.

“I fell in love with him immediately,” she said. “I knew he was the one. I was 21, and from the boys I’d dated I knew he was the one.”

They started dating, and before long it was time to pop the question. So she did.

“I fell in love with him so much that I said, ‘Will you marry me?’ And he said no. But he said I could go visit him in Kentucky for Christmas.”

When Beverlee arrived in Louisville she anticipated a return proposal, but when Christmas came he presented her with a box holding two cashmere sweaters.

“I was so disappointed and so ungrateful I went to his sister’s room, where I was staying, and cried. I said, ‘Your brother doesn’t love me like I love him.’”

A week later they went out for pizza and when he went to pay, he asked for her help finding the right change.

“So I looked in his hand and there was a diamond ring. I was so excited I started to cry.”

Soon they set off for Montreal to ask her father’s permission. He gave it and they began planning the wedding, but a few days later, Howard got an offer from Blanton Collier to become an assistant coach at Kentucky. He left immediately, meaning in the 10 months between their meeting and the wedding they were together only a handful of days.

Love letters

They filled those days apart with some phone calls but mostly letters — dozens and dozens of letters.

“I would write a letter and he would respond,” Beverlee said. “I’ve kept the ones he sent to me, but most of the ones I wrote he threw away. I kept those I had all these years.”

Some are informative, some more romantic; they fill a thick red scrapbook Beverlee keeps close and, especially now, leafs through on occasion as a way of remembering that special time in her life.

When time came to set a wedding date, they chose the first Saturday in May, when Montreal is finally getting around to spring. That also happens to be the biggest day of the year in Howard’s native Louisville.

“Being a Canadian girl I had no idea the Kentucky Derby was a big deal, and he didn’t say anything,” Beverlee remembered. “So it was sad that none of his friends came to Montreal.”

Poirier, by then Howard’s former teammate, was persuaded to be best man. “To this day we say we had to rent a best man,” she said.

Family ups and downs

Soon Beverlee was settling into the role of football wife, one she would play for most of the next 50-plus years.

“Our family life and our love life was one great big football season,” she said. “It was all football. Thank goodness I had three sons. It was a love affair with football, and your husband, and the family, and it was a beautiful experience.”

That family grew when Beverlee gave birth to their first son, Stephen, in 1960 while Howard was at Kentucky. Stuart came a year later and Tim in 1967.

The family has also had its ups and downs. Tim became a successful international model, becoming the spokesman and lead model for the Calvin Klein Obsession fragrance. But he and Stephen also battled drug abuse as teenagers, prompting intervention from their parents in both cases.

Stuart, who is in the concrete business, graduated with a finance degree from Miami when his father was coaching there.

“But we always worked it out together,” Beverlee said of the family problems. “We didn’t fight about it. Got through it with counseling, meetings, understanding the disease, working as a family. Because it is a family disease; it’s not just the person who has it.”

Tim used his own experiences to start a rehab center, Healing Properties in Delray Beach, in 2002. “That’s why Tim got so involved in rehab, because he’s been there, done that and didn’t want anyone to go through what he went through,” Beverlee said.

Stephen was diagnosed with cancer in his mid-40s and died in 2008 at the age of 48.

“When our son died, when he was real sick, that’s what brings a family close, and that’s what brings a husband and wife close,” Beverlee said. “Because they work it out.”

Magical years

After two years at Kentucky, Howard got an offer to reunite with Bear Bryant at Alabama. He wasn’t there long when Bryant needed someone to travel to Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, to recruit a hotshot quarterback named Joe Namath. Because Howard had played at Kentucky with Namath’s brother Frank, Bryant picked Howard to go.

“Coach Bryant said don’t come back until you have him,” Beverlee said. “He was supposed to be there for one day but stayed three or four, ran out of money, out of clothes, he was writing bad checks … but he got him.”

Howard held a special place for Bryant throughout his life, and in January he was presented with the Paul “Bear” Bryant Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Heart Association.

After Schnellenberger spent five seasons and won three national championships at Alabama, George Allen offered him a coaching position with the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams. Beverlee said the next four years were a magical time.

“We loved it,” she said. “We were invited to all the parties, and at the games I’m sitting next to Yvonne De Carlo with Bob Hope right in front of me.

“We lived a couple miles from the training camp so Howard would ride his bicycle, and on his way home there’s flowers everywhere. So he would pick flowers from the yards, one from here, one there, then come home every night with a bouquet for me.”

Howard had planned to stick with Allen, but that changed after four seasons when, at 4 o’clock one morning, the phone rang. On the other end was Shula, who had worked alongside Howard at Kentucky and had just been hired to coach the Dolphins. Shula wanted Howard as his offensive coordinator.

University of Miami players carried coach Howard Schnellenberger off the field after a 1981 victory over Notre Dame gave them a 9-2 finish with a six-game winning streak. Two years later Miami won the national championship. Photo provided by Robert Mayer

The perfect season

Two years later came the perfect season, as the Dolphins became the only team in NFL history to finish undefeated. As for pressure, Beverlee said they never felt any.

“We all lived pretty much on the same street in Miami Lakes and we all got along so well, it felt like family,” she said. “It was business. It was always, ‘We’re going to play a game now.’ It was never, ‘We’re going to win or else.’”

Dick Anderson, a safety on that team, built a close relationship with Howard.

“It was Howard, and it was Howard and Beverlee,” Anderson said. “To this day it seems the same way.”

After the ’72 season another opportunity arose. The Dolphins’ director of player personnel, Joe Thomas, moved to the Baltimore Colts as general manager. He hired Howard in 1973 as head coach only to see owner Robert Irsay fire Schnellenberger early in the 1974 season because he wouldn’t play the quarterback Irsay wanted.

The coach wasn’t unemployed for long. Shula created an opening on his Dolphins staff and invited Howard to return, which he did until 1979. Then Beverlee described an opportunity that would change the Schnellenbergers’ lives forever.

“He called me and said, ‘I just got a call from somebody with the Miami Hurricanes and they want me to coach. And I told them no,’” she recalled. “Seven coaches had turned down the job, it was so bad.

“So I said, ‘We should go; it would be fun.’ I said, ‘Call them back, call them back.’ So he called them back and that was it.”

Short of money to recruit, Howard drew an imaginary line across the state at Orlando and called the territory south of it the State of Miami, then targeted the kind of talent that had always left to play at places like Michigan, Notre Dame and Penn State.

“He’d go to Overtown, Liberty City, smoking his pipe, and it got to where the kids were waiting for him,” Beverlee said. “They’d say, ‘Let the scholarship man in.’ So he’d ‘accidentally’ leave his pipe there. So, he would have to go back and get the pipe, and get another visit. That’s how it started. Kids from that time came to him.”

He promised to take Miami, which had posted only two winning seasons in the previous decade, to a national championship in five years, then met his goal.

“Everybody laughed when he kept saying that,” Beverlee said. “It would be, ‘We’re on a collision course with the national championship,’ or ‘The only variable is time.’ He would post these slogans around the locker room. And the players believed.”

Ill-fated choice

Schnellenberger’s players carried him off the field after UM’s 31-30 win over No. 1 Nebraska on Jan. 2, 1984, in the Orange Bowl, and his future never looked brighter. But he made an ill-fated decision to leave the Hurricanes to coach a new Florida franchise in the upstart United States Football League. When the job fell through, Schnellenberger was idle until 1985, when he was lured to the University of Louisville, another program that needed a jump-start.

“He knew everybody in Louisville,” Beverlee said. “We said we weren’t interested, but they kept calling. The governor, John Y. Brown, got involved, and they put together a group that would subsidize him.”

Howard once again resuscitated a moribund program. A 10-1-1 finish in 1990 capped by a 34-7 win over Alabama in the Fiesta Bowl was the high point of his 1985-94 tenure, and in 1995 Oklahoma came calling.

Intrigued by a chance at taking over a big-time program as opposed to resuscitating one, Schnellenberger arrived and promised a fast return to success.

It didn’t happen and things got ugly quickly, particularly toward the end of the season when the Sooners lost four of their last five games to finish a disappointing 5-5-1.

Recognizing the animus on both sides, Howard resigned, leaving millions on the table.

“They didn’t like us and we didn’t like them,” Beverlee said. “So we left.”

A bust in the Schnellenberger home holds many of the former coach’s championship medals. Coastal Star file photo

Launching FAU program

The Schnellenbergers returned to Miami, where they had kept the house they bought when Howard first joined the Dolphins, and waited to see if an opportunity would materialize.

A couple of years went by before he got a call from FAU President Anthony Catanese, saying the university had decided to start a football program and wanted him to be the point man.

“Howard said, ‘Sure,’ then told me FAU had called,” Beverlee said. “And I said, ‘Where is that? Never heard of it.’”

Schnellenberger struggled when he tried to find a coach, prompting Catanese to suggest he take the job. He agreed.

Starting in 2001, he would go 58-74 in 11 seasons before retiring from coaching in 2011. He finished 158-151-3 over his 27 years at the college level.

After living 25 years in Ocean Ridge, the couple moved to Boynton Beach in 2015 while Howard continued to serve as an FAU ambassador. Then came the evening of last July 16.

Howard tripped on a carpet and fell headfirst into a metal statue of an owl that Burt Reynolds had given the couple.

Beverlee said Howard underwent surgery to remove blood from the brain.

“Then he was in a rehab place, fell out of bed, and he had to go back to the hospital for more surgery,” she said. He had four surgeries in all.

COVID-19 protocols prevented Beverlee from visiting for four months. The Schnellenbergers had occasional FaceTime calls via nurses’ cellphones until family was allowed access in late November. Now Beverlee and Tim visit a few times a week.

One of those visits offered a promising development.

“It’s really helped him to see us,” Beverlee said. “One Sunday Tim was there and they were watching a Dolphins game when Howard turned to Tim and said, ‘They need offense.’ He’s aware of everything; he knows what’s going on. It’s just going to take time to get it working again.”

Former Buffalo Bills star Jim Kelly, who was Howard’s first quarterback at UM in 1979, has remained close to the pair. He said Beverlee “has always been there from start to finish” with Howard.

“Especially now, when Coach is not doing very well,” said Kelly, who has endured multiple bouts with cancer. “She’s almost been like a mother to me. She’s always looking out for everybody. It’s always awesome to see.”

More love letters

During the UM days, Beverlee would take time the Thursday of every game week to write a letter to Howard.

“I would think about it all week, write it, and on Friday I would pick out his clothes for the game and stick it on the inside pocket of his coat.

“How much we loved each other, something motivational, and each week was different.

“With Valentine’s Day coming, I’d like to say to the ladies: Be kind, understanding, and grateful you have each other. When times are tough, get tougher, work it out, it’s worth it. Being sweet to your husband takes less energy and stress. It’s no fun not having them around.”

Shirley Erazo, president/CEO of the housing authority, and Rose Clay, housing specialist, show donated backpacks with GoSection8.com representatives (l-r in back) Elizabeth Wrenn, Jennifer McMahon and Michael Lazdowsky. Photo provided

By Amy Woods

An annual initiative called Book Bag Bash recently took place to benefit children from low- and moderate-income families living within the Delray Beach Housing Authority’s jurisdiction.

The initiative, in partnership with GoSection8.com President Richard Cupelli, provided more than 600 backpacks filled with school supplies, hand sanitizer, face masks and snacks to local students.

“By providing our children brand new backpacks filled with grade-appropriate school supplies, we can ensure that our children will have some sense of normality during this pandemic,” said Shirley Erazo, president and CEO of the authority.

“Whether in person or virtually, they will have the supplies needed to start the new school year on the same level as their peers and excited to learn.”

For more information, call 561-272-6766 or visit www.dbha.org.

Quantum gives $2.7 million to provide food, health care

Hit with an especially large demand because of COVID-19, an organization whose mission is to fund initiatives that improve the health of Palm Beach County residents approved 17 grants totaling $2.7 million.

Quantum Foundation’s board of trustees OK’d the allocations, which include $1.25 million to Feeding South Florida.

“This grant means everything to our organization,” said Paco Vélez, president and CEO of Feeding South Florida. “It is critical to have such an investment from an organization like Quantum Foundation. Both of our missions align as we look to break the cycle of hunger and poverty, and the first step is providing access to the programs that we can provide thanks to this grant.”

The pandemic has been catastrophic for families, Vélez said, noting that since March 2020, his organization has doubled its output of food — to 120 million pounds compared with 62 million pounds — in one year.

“A little boy came through our drive-thru distribution recently and asked if we knew of any jobs for his family so they will not turn off the lights,” Vélez said. “The coronavirus pandemic has highlighted the need for better long-term solutions for families.”

Other grants include $300,000 to Genesis Community Health, $250,000 to the Community Health Center of West Palm Beach and $200,000 to CROS Ministries.

“Your zip code is more of a marker to health than your genetic code,” foundation President Eric Kelly said. “Health equity is our way forward, and these vulnerable communities need their basic needs met now more than ever.”

For more information, call 561-832-7497 or visit www.quantumfnd.org.

Adopt-A-Family earns award, $200,000 grant

Bank of America has named a local nonprofit as a 2020 Neighborhood Builders recipient for its work in preventing homelessness.

Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches — one of two charities selected in Palm Beach County among 142 across the country — also was awarded a $200,000 grant and one year of leadership training.

“It is a tremendous honor for Adopt-A-Family to be recognized as a 2020 Bank of America Neighborhood Builders awardee,” CEO Matthew Constantine said. “This award will allow us to continue our efforts in providing one of the most fundamental and basic needs — stable housing.”

Added Fabiola Brumley, Bank of America’s Palm Beach County market president, “Nonprofits are the backbone of our community, and now more than ever they need our support to ensure that those they serve have the tools and resources to meet their evolving needs.”

For more information, call 561-253-1361 or visit www.adoptafamilypbc.org.

Malvern Foundation awards grants to local nonprofits

The charitable arm of Malvern Bank has awarded 16 grants, totaling $100,000, to charitable groups in its local markets. Among the recipients are two Palm Beach County-based organizations: Quantum House and Vita Nova.

“These organizations provide vital services each year to hundreds of people in Palm Beach County,” said Anthony Weagley, president of Malvern Federal Charitable Foundation.

“Our grants are intended to assist these organizations in fulfilling their missions of helping our neighbors.”

For information about Quantum House, call 561-494-0515 or visit https://quantumhouse.org. For information about Vita Nova, call 561-689-0035 or visit www.vitanovainc.org.

Trio appointed to board of Mounts’ Friends group

William Bittner, Mary-Therese Delate and Karen Marcus have joined the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden as board members supporting Palm Beach County’s oldest and largest public garden.

Paton White, incoming president of the Friends, announced the new positions, noting that Bittner is an insurance broker, Delate is a 30-plus-year Gold Coast resident, and Marcus is a former county commissioner.

“All three of these extraordinary, talented, insightful community-service professionals will be invaluable assets for Mounts Botanical Garden as we continue to grow and attract new visitors,” White said.

For more information, call 561-233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org.

Three named to board governing Spady Museum

Kim Ardila-Morgan, Elizabeth Burrows and Christopher Redding have joined the board of Expanding and Preserving Our Cultural Heritage, which governs operations at the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum.

Ardila-Morgan is a retired director of the Center for Applied Ethics at Palm Beach State College. Burrows has spent most of her career working in Delray Beach’s public and nonprofit sectors. Redding owns and operates a small business called Let’s Talk Innovation, which offers resources and funding to small businesses.

“Each of our new members brings a wealth of experience from different sectors to our board,” President Bill Whigham said. “We have a cross-section of skill sets from education, government, nonprofit and small business represented by Kim, Elizabeth and Christopher, which I believe will benefit museum operations in meaningful ways.”

For more information, call 561-279-8883 or visit www.spadymuseum.com.

Lighthouse for the Blind announces fresh start

The nonprofit that has served blind and visually impaired people in South Florida since 1946 is separating from Gulfstream Goodwill Industries and transitioning to a new location.
Plans include moving to offices adjacent to the JFK Medical Center North Campus in West Palm Beach.

“We are appreciative of the support and guidance GGI provided over the years, However, it’s time that the organization does as we encourage each of our clients to do, and that’s to develop our capabilities to the fullest and return to being a fully independent organization once again,” said Donté Mickens, board chairman of Lighthouse for the Blind of the Palm Beaches.

Mary Allen, longtime director of vision services, will remain at the helm of the organization as interim executive director.

Meantime, it is unveiling a fresh corporate logo and tagline focused on its 75th anniversary. The marquee event of the celebration is the Eye Ball on April 15.

“These changes are an exciting new chapter in our 75-year legacy,” Mickens said. “These changes, however, will not deter from our mission, as Lighthouse will always remain focused on providing essential services for those with visual impairments.”

For more information, call 561-586-5600 or visit www.lhpb.org.

Co-Chairwomen Martha Grimm and Lisa Jankowski. Photo Provided

By Amy Woods

COVID-19 has affected nearly every aspect of business, personal and social life in South County and beyond, including the cherished charitable community.

Of the nonprofits whose work enhances and improves the lives of people in need, Wayside House in Delray Beach is among the oldest and best. The 46-year-old women’s addiction-treatment center has 23 residential beds and aids about 300 clients each year; others receive help through intensive outpatient systems and, because of the pandemic, telehealth medicine.

“With people not being able to connect and not being able to have the facilities they’ve had in the past, opioids, alcohol — it’s all really escalated,” said Martha Grimm, co-chairwoman of the organization’s Spring Boutique, an annual affair that will take place online Feb. 16 through 18. “I think more than ever programs like this are needed.”

This year marks the first in the Spring Boutique’s history that loyal followers will not be able to enjoy three days of in-person mixing and mingling while browsing for that special something. Yet the new — and necessary — format has not ebbed the enthusiasm of the more than two dozen vendors from around the country who ordinarily would make the trek to Florida for the fundraiser.

“I think this year we’re just happy to put something online,” Co-Chairwoman Lisa Jankowski said. “We’re just happy to have this opportunity to move our event forward. We don’t want to be forgotten.”

Everything from classy clothing to home décor to stunning jewelry will be offered via links to merchants’ websites set up on the Wayside House homepage. Twenty percent of sales will go to the cause.

“The vendors have been just wonderful,” said Marlene Passell, the center’s marketing and communications director. “We’re very optimistic and hope that the people who have been attending the event in the past will continue to support us online.”

If You Go
What: Spring Boutique
Dates: Feb. 16, 17 and 18
Where: Links to merchants at www.waysidehouse.net
Information: 561-666-5919 or the website

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

The beer-braised pork shank is a chef’s specialty at the recently reopened Ambassador Grill in The Ambassador hotel in Palm Beach. Photo provided

By Jan Norris

Welcome news for fans of The Ambassador in Palm Beach’s south end: The hotel reopened with a signature restaurant, the Ambassador Grill, featuring a large outdoor seating area to accommodate the protocols for COVID-19.

It’s billed as a “neighbor-hood” eatery with all-American fare. The team behind the 1947 hotel’s redo is the same one that brought the Brazilian Court around decades ago.

The executive chef, Juan Xavier Pareja, has a pedigree with noted restaurateurs Alain Ducasse at Benoit, and Andrew Carmellini at A Voce, which earned a Michelin star.

Both restaurants are in New York.

Pareja has designed a menu around regional U.S. favorites, such as cornbread-crusted oysters with a creamy remoulade from New Orleans, and hot, buttered Maine lobster on a brioche roll reminiscent of New England.

A California red oak grilled salmon with caper brown butter is from the wine country.

Salads and starters include a watermelon gazpacho with fried peanuts, and a barbecue mushroom flatbread.

A few casual items are on the list, including citrus-mojo chicken wings, and the “AAA Burger,” a double smash 6-ounce patty with cheese that aims to compete with other famous burgers made on the island.

Another of the chef’s specialties is the beer-braised pork shank, slow cooked, served with a polenta and bacon gremolata.

Chicken under a brick with a twice-cooked potato, and eggplant parmigiana with smoked mozzarella are among other choices on the dinner-only menu.

Bobby Schlesinger, CEO of the Ambassador group, said the group wanted to capitalize on the existing restaurant facilities, and make good use of the outdoor patio seating that will accommodate diners in the age of COVID-19.

Thus, the seating is socially distanced and safe, he said. Diners sit around an 8,000-square-foot covered pool deck that overlooks the Intracoastal Waterway.

Sunset is prime time, as the restaurant is open only for dinner, 5-10 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday.

The hotel is open to non-guests.

The Ambassador Grill at The Ambassador is at 2730 S. Ocean Blvd., Palm Beach. Reservations are suggested; takeout orders are welcome. Phone 561-473-9799 or visit www.ambassadorpb.com.

Back in the saddle

Welcome back to chef Bruce Feingold, formerly the longtime chef-daddy of Delray’s Dada. He’s now in charge of the stoves as executive chef at Farmer’s Table in Boca Raton after months of hiatus.

The restaurant in the Wyndham hotel co-owned by Joe Giannuzzi has the tagline: Feel Good Food.

“It was a perfect opportunity for me,” Feingold said. “I’ve known Joey for ages. We’ve both been around. Farmer’s Table is known for the quality of food, creativity and its healthy lifestyle. It’s just perfect for me.”

He said he’ll have things to learn, as well as things to add to an already healthy menu. The support he says he’s received will help him acclimate to the new environment and methods.

“The mantra here is ‘fresh, healthy, delicious,’” Feingold said. “It’s a vegan-style menu — no dairy, gluten-free, everything from scratch. It’s a good thing to learn for our own personal health. We evolve.”

Diners have returned to restaurants that have outdoor dining, and Farmer’s Table has a large courtyard that provides social distancing.

“People are getting out again,” Feingold said. “You can see them smiling — or at least their eyes glistening over their masks. They’re happy to be out.”

The restaurant does a good takeout business, and it has the adjoining Farmer’s Table Express, where customers can come in to the small market and pick up prepared foods or ingredients and whole meals that have cooking instructions on them. They’re popular, Feingold said, and provide a safe outlet for restaurant food in the coronavirus era.

He’s happy to be back behind a stove. “I’m excited. A new adventure for me, so it’s exciting. I got to be honest with you: There’s a phenomenal atmosphere here, and the food is great. I’m very happy.”

M.E.A.T. moves

George Patti is as busy as ever, with the big move of his M.E.A.T. Eatery a few streets south in Boca Raton, and his venture into the meal delivery service.

M.E.A.T. moved out of the office building at Yamato Road on Federal Highway into the strip mall at 2831 N. Federal. It has the same menu as before with award-winning burgers the star, but pulled pork from the smoker and other sandwiches and craft brews are available as well. All condiments and sides are made in-house here.

Patti is also involved in Mealtago, a chef-driven venture that features several days of meals delivered to homes Sunday night for the following week. The partners currently deliver to Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Deerfield Beach and Parkland.

“We saw a need, and decided to offer quality meals since there are people who are still not comfortable eating out. It’s grown from six to 20 households per week,” Patti said.

The meals cover diet plans such as keto, gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan, as well as traditional dinners.

Each box is enough for two meals, or one with leftovers; most orders are for five meals per week per person, he said.

The price varies, depending on the foods chosen, and the menus change weekly. They are listed at mealtago.com on Mondays, and orders are taken until 2 p.m. Friday.

Catering (delivery only at this point) is also offered, as well as bulk food items.

More information about Mealtago is available on the website.

In brief

Newcomer to the Avenue in Delray is Avalon Delray, a New York transplant. Slated to open on the corner of Northeast First Street and Atlantic Avenue by the end of February, the restaurant will feature a menu with a coastal spin on the modern steak and seafood house. It’s part of the Host Restaurants group. … The popular Elisabetta’s in Delray now has a sister restaurant open in downtown West Palm Beach on Flagler Drive at Banyan Boulevard. They share the same menu. . . . A new chef has taken the stoves at Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach. Chef Dieter Samijn, former chef at Bar Boulud in New York City, is originally from Belgium, and he’s noted for his flair for charcuterie. His first menu is expected at Cafe Boulud in mid-February. Former chef Rick Mace moved over the bridge to open Tropical Smokehouse in West Palm Beach with another Boulud alum, Jason Lakow.

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

By Joyce Reingold

The timing was not fortuitous. Just as Florida Atlantic University was poised to open its Marcus Institute of Integrated Health at FAU Medicine in Boca Raton last spring, the coronavirus began spreading through South Florida, triggering stay-at-home orders and shifting many health care services to virtual platforms.

And yet the idea couldn’t have been timelier. Through a grant from the Marcus Institute, FAU Medicine could now include integrative health services under its primary care umbrella, offering patients additional paths to wellness through options like mind-body practices, nutrition consultations, acupuncture and osteopathy.

The center proceeded with its pre-coronavirus planned launch by offering telehealth visits and online wellness classes. As 2020 progressed, the doctors began to see a limited number of patients on-site and continue to do so.

“Once we received this grant, we were able to hire an integrative medicine specialist, Dr. Anton Borja, who joined us earlier this past year, and we launched the institute,” says Dr. Joanna Drowos, D.O., associate dean for faculty affairs at FAU’s college of medicine, associate professor of family medicine and a member of the integrated medical science department. “And so, what that means is that we’re offering integrative health, which is really about a more holistic approach to patient care. It’s not to say that we only look at things that are considered alternative or complementary, or only things that are traditional. We sort of merge everything together, go where the evidence is and make more holistic recommendations to our patients that include a variety of different modalities.”

These modalities include:
• Osteopathic manipulative medicine and treatment: “I went to osteopathic medical school and I spent an extra year in school, working on my skills in osteopathic manipulation,” Drowos says.
“So that is something extra that I love to offer to my patients. It’s an alternative to help them, if they have discomfort. It’s great for a lot of different conditions. … We can use manipulation to alleviate symptoms. Dr. Borja is also a D.O. and does manipulation, but he’s also trained in traditional Chinese medicine.”
• Acupuncture: Borja, the institute’s director, practiced Chinese medicine and acupuncture before attending medical school. He wanted to combine conventional and integrative medicine, taking a holistic approach he says is “more ingrained” in Europe and Asia.
“Acupuncture is fundamentally just working on the physiology of the body, talking about the circulatory system and the nervous system,” he says. “We know that by stimulating different areas of the body, you’re stimulating the nervous system and it creates a cascade of responses that have been well-documented in the research. At its most fundamental, you’re triggering the nervous system and it creates a change in the brain that creates sort of a stress reduction. That’s just one piece of the multiple components that have been found in the research into what acupuncture does.”

The institute also offers nutrition consultations, mind-body practices, and micronutrient, vitamin and supplement infusions as tools for patients exploring ways to manage chronic pain or other ongoing conditions, improve their health, change lifestyles or reduce stress.

“With chronic illness and complex illnesses … it tends to be multiple factors, including the diet that patients have eaten most of their lives, the stress levels that they’re dealing with, the amount of exercise, their socioeconomic condition, their genetics,” Borja says. “And all of these factors play a part in how disease manifests. And so that’s where integrative health can really make inroads and can complement and accentuate conventional medicine, because we’re able to look at a bigger picture and take these things into consideration.”

Drowos says the goal is to develop a partnership between the patient and practitioner, using evidence-based treatments to address their concerns.

“I think of integrative medicine as just good medicine. It’s about how everything fits together,” she says. “We’re sort of bridging the traditional and the nontraditional. It has to be evidence-based. We’re not looking for therapies that are experimental or anecdotal. It’s really about making recommendations that have strong evidence and that are beneficial. … So, I think that we’re physicians with just a little bit of a broader focus and we can look at evidence that may not come to all family medicine physicians or all internal medicine physicians.”

When pandemic conditions have waned and a new normalcy sets in, the institute will be ready to fully blossom.

“The amazing news is that part of the grant covered renting the space adjacent to the primary care practice and we are actually finishing construction on a very large space that’s going to be dedicated to integrative health,” Drowos says.

“There’s a community room for mindfulness activities, a demo kitchen, a room for micronutrient therapy, lots of treatment rooms. … The idea is that once it’s safe to do so, we’ll use our space again and invite people in for all kinds of different classes — yoga, meditation, cooking demonstrations, you know, anything that we can do to sort of promote health because that’s a part of it.”

The Marcus Institute of Integrated Health at FAU Medicine is in the Galen Medical Building at 880 NW 13th St., Boca Raton. For more information call 561-566-5328.

Joyce Reingold writes about health and healthy living. Send column ideas to joyce.reingold@yahoo.com.

Members of the Delray Medical Center nursing team gather for a photo as they celebrate receiving the 2020 Hometown Heroes Award from the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce in December. Photo provided

By Christine Davis

The Delray Medical Center nursing team was awarded the Hometown Heroes Award for 2020 from the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce, as it honored local health care professionals.

“This year more than ever, it means so much to our team to have our community recognize our nursing staff for their hard work, heroism and amazing dedication during this unprecedented pandemic,” said Maggie Gill, CEO of Delray Medical Center. “We are thankful for all of the support we have received, and we want to remind our community that our hospital is safe, and they should not delay care for a new or urgent condition.”

In January, Michael Nordness became Delray Medical Center’s new chief administrative officer as well as the group chief operating officer for the Palm Beach Health Network. Previously, Nordness served as the chief operating officer at Orange Park Medical Center in Jacksonville. Before his time there, Nordness was the assistant administrator at Haywood Regional Medical Center in Clyde, North Carolina.

Jonathan Price is the new chief executive officer of the Faulk Center for Counseling in Boca Raton. Previously, he served as the vice president of grants and fund development for Alzheimer’s Community Care.

After serving as vice president of the Faulk Center’s board of directors, Gwenesia S. Collins, PharmD, has been appointed president of the board. She is currently the assistant vice president of acute care pharmacy for the north region at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. 

The Faulk Center is at 22455 Boca Rio Road.

Kelly Skidmore is the new chief executive officer of Palm Beach Medical Society and Palm Beach County Medical Society Services. Skidmore, who was recently elected to the Florida House of Representatives, District 81, also served as public relations specialist for the Marine Industries Association of South Florida since 2016. She replaces Tenna Wiles, who is retiring after 22 years.

A research team from Florida Atlantic University’s Schmidt College of Medicine has developed a simplified COVID-19 testing protocol, which can detect minimal quantities of SARS-CoV-2 using samples from nasal and throat swabs as well as saliva, and can be easily used in research laboratories. Results, published in PLOS ONE, have shown that this protocol is efficient.

Study co-authors are Sean Paz, Christopher Mauer and Anastasia Richtie, graduate students in the college of medicine. This work was supported by a Florida Blue Foundation grant.

Palm Health Foundation invested $2,316,345 in solutions to health challenges during 2020, including funding toward COVID-19 relief. The foundation’s Healthier Together initiative grant-making strategy became the platform for rapid deployment of resources and funds in vulnerable communities and inspired organizations across the county to form new alliances during the crisis.

For information about Palm Health Foundation, call 561-833-6333 or visit www.palmhealthfoundation.org. 

The fist-sized bloom of the Hot Princess lives up to its name. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

Many give or receive roses only on Valentine’s Day. But for Debbie Coolidge, they are an everyday affair. “I like going outside each morning to see what roses are blooming and enjoy my coffee,” she says.

Debbie and her husband, Geoff, are owners of Cool Roses, a nursery on 1 acre in West Palm Beach. They offer about 3,000 potted rose bushes each year that they graft, root and grow. These include more than 1,000 varieties known to do well in Florida’s climate and soil.

Think red antique roses, pink Louis-Phillippe blooms as well as hybrid tea and English roses. And don’t forget the climbing varieties perfect on a trellis.

They also recently planted about 50 in-ground rose bushes to use for cutting flowers that clients have requested.

Though they appreciate roses, the couple discovered them only later in life.

In the late 1980s, Debbie was a professional hairstylist and Geoff did construction work. On weekends, they would travel to Sarasota to see Geoff’s family.

For about 10 years, the trip took them past Giles Ramblin’ Roses — a popular rose nursery in Okeechobee. In a hurry to arrive in Sarasota or back home, the couple says the flowers piqued their interest but they never checked them out.

That’s until a long weekend meant they were in less of a rush and Debbie finally convinced Geoff they had time to, well, stop and smell the roses.

Debbie couldn’t resist buying fragrant Double Delights featuring strawberry red, white and yellow blooms. And she picked up a few Just Joeys that produce an apricot confection.

At home, Geoff planted some of the roses they’d bought in the shady circle in front of their house. Then he headed to his mother-in-law’s home near the Intracoastal Waterway in

Lake Worth to plant some there, too.

In time, Debbie’s roses died but her mom’s thrived.

One of the heirloom varieties at the nursery is the Mrs. Dudley Cross, a Key West thornless rose. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

To discover why, the couple joined the Greater Palm Beach Rose Society and later the American Rose Society, where they gained a horticulture education including the fact that roses need lots of sun.

Soon they were having success growing the colorful blooms.

“I’d work construction and then come home to relax by trimming and grafting the bushes,” says Geoff.

Roses can be tricky to grow in South Florida unless the plant itself is grafted onto rootstock that makes it easier for the roses to cull water and nutrients from the soil.

In a busy year, Geoff has been known to have made about 3,000 grafts of 100 varieties of roses onto Fortuniana rootstock.

In the meantime, Debbie was in charge of the misting house where antique rose cuttings were given a spritz of water every 10 minutes until they sprang white thread-like roots.

“Eventually, we had enough roses in the front yard that we were both able to quit our jobs and do this full time,” says Debbie.

Geoff and Debbie Coolidge. Photo provided

But in 2004, the hurricane season brought Charley, Frances and Jeanne to visit. These storms wreaked havoc on the Cool Roses nursery as well as roses being grown in home gardens throughout the county.

So when rose gardeners called to ask Geoff and Debbie for help restoring their wind- and salt-blighted roses, the couple found a new opportunity.

Today they not only graft, grow and sell roses, but also plant and/or maintain rose gardens for 65 clients on the barrier islands from Jupiter Island through Boca Raton.

At the same time, Debbie is raising and selling salvia, rosemary and other butterfly-attracting plants.

“I like to grow different rose varieties and plants that do well with roses, so that we have something for everyone. Especially now that Valentine’s Day is here,” she says.

If You Go
Where: Cool Roses, 888 Chase Road, West Palm Beach
Information: Hours by appointment only at 561-310-8508; Geoffcoolidge@comcast.net; www.coolroses.com
To order: Visit website to see what rose varieties are offered and then call to order for home delivery. Rooted roses are shipped in pots via FedEx.

Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley can be reached at debhartz@att.net.

A pantry in front of Advent Church in Boca Raton provides free dry and canned foods to people in need. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

Churches might have the legal right to discuss politics from the pulpit, but should they?

“Our particular tradition is not to use the pulpit for politics, even though we might like to,” said Pastor Andy Hagen of Advent Church in Boca Raton. “The role we have is to present the values of our faith and keep speaking them.”

Those values? “Love and hope.”

Father Marty Zlatic of St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church of Boynton Beach agrees: Making any sort of political statement from the pulpit is “a delicate dance.”

“We have to remember that 50% of our congregation is red and 50% is blue. We don’t have a political preference,” he says of the church. “It’s a morality preference. It’s how we treat people and that we respect the dignity of every human being.”

From pure seeds, positive things bloom, he says.

“I preached on Sunday on the gospel John 1:47,” Zlatic said recently. “I didn’t mention any names. The goal is to prepare the message in a way that even someone who opposes it might hear it.”

The passage: “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no guile.” In biblical translations, guile means “deceit” or “fraud.”

Most of the time his message is one of hope and healing, Zlatic said, but people need the promise of truth to hope and the knowledge of truth to heal. “People always need to talk about hope.”

“My healing word is ‘understanding,’” Hagen said. “I don’t believe we’re divided. I believe we want the same things, but we’re not convinced we can all get them. Someone has convinced us there’s not enough of the pie to be shared.”

COVID-19 has divided people, emotionally, spiritually and physically. Even though online church service viewership is consistent and more popular than anyone expected, others aren’t so happy to worship from home.

“People are yearning for a human connection,” Zlatic said. “We’re a very huggy church. Praying on the phone, rather than being able to hold someone’s hand, it’s certainly harder. I’ve learned to smile with my eyes.”

To strengthen those connections, Zlatic gave the congregation “homework.” He asked people to take out their church member directory and call someone they didn’t know, just to say hello. He laughs when he says, “I told them to be sure to say we’re not asking for money!”

So far, it’s working out well.

Some kindnesses sprouted organically. The St. Joe congregation spontaneously started the In Touch ministry, where volunteers regularly call homebound congregants to check in on them.

At Advent, Hagen said the church started a small food pantry outside, where people can drive up to drop off (or pick up) food. As the sun was setting, he watched a little girl jump out of a car to put a few cans in the box. It’s been more popular and successful than anyone imagined, he said.

“I think when you focus on love, great things happen.”

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

This was one of six tableaus that depicted scenes from the Nativity story at St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church. Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach is known for its delightfully chaotic Spontaneous Christmas Pageant, a church tradition that recruits mostly kids from the audience to act out the Nativity story. But COVID-19 forced church leaders to cancel the event, which packs the church to SRO every Christmas Eve.

Not wanting to disappoint the congregation, Dee Zlatic, who leads the children’s ministry, and her team came up with a new idea: six tableaus depicting scenes from the glorious birth story frozen in time so that folks could drive past.

“We had the costumes and props and we had lots of families volunteer to act out the scenes,” Zlatic said. Each vignette allowed families to stay in their respective bubbles in keeping with COVID-19 precautions.

Zlatic was thrilled when, at the last minute, a local petting zoo delivered goats and ponies to round out the final tableau, a re-creation of the Nativity scene.

Charles Milling, with his wife, Julie, and their baby boy, Ellis, just a few months old, took on the role of the Holy Family. Milling, who leads the Christian band Live Hymnal, which performs at the church, also prepared and recorded the Christmas music and the Scripture readings people played in their cars.

More than 300 cars drove through, said Father Marty Zlatic, who was pleased and proud of the turnout and of Dee, his wife.

As people left, John Flynn played the bagpipes and everyone received a keepsake: a clear Christmas ornament handmade by Kyle May that contains the parish’s catchphrase —

“Keep Jesus in your bubble.”

St. Joseph’s remembers victims of COVID-19

On Jan. 20, almost a year after it was first reported that a strange, potentially deadly virus was spreading around the world, St. Joseph’s held a special service to commemorate the 400,000-plus lives lost to COVID-19.

“We knew we were going to do something, but when we saw the luminaries on the National Mall in Washington, we wanted to replicate it,” Father Marty said. “We can’t have 400,000 luminaries, but we can have 40.”

St. Joseph’s parishioners showed up for the outdoor socially distanced event. Since the outbreak, St. Joseph’s has followed stringent protocols, including fogging the church after every service, requiring masks and reserved seating in 6-foot family bubbles, and touchless Communion.

In-person services by reservation take place at 10 a.m. Sundays, and outside services on the lawn begin at 7 p.m. Wednesdays. The church is at 3300 S. Seacrest Blvd., Boynton Beach. 561-732-3060; www.stjoesweb.org.

Bethesda-by-the-Sea to host Empty Bowls event

The Church of Bethesda-by-the-Sea will host a reimagined eighth annual Palm Beach Empty Bowls, a fundraiser for the Palm Beach County Food Bank, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Feb. 26. Guests will be served from a drive-thru to ensure safety amid the pandemic. Delivery is available for large orders.

One in six of Palm Beach County’s 1.5 million residents has trouble getting good meals. Many are children. Because of COVID-19, the demand on local food banks nearly tripled in 2020.

The mantra of this annual fundraiser is “eat simply so others may simply eat,” and it asks each person to substitute one lavish meal for a solemn, simple feast of soup and bread and bottled water. The soup will come from the area’s best restaurants and bread from Old School Bakery.

Tickets are $30, which includes one pint of soup and bread. All proceeds from Palm Beach Empty Bowls benefit the Palm Beach County Food Bank to fight hunger in our community. The church is at 141 S. County Road, Palm Beach. www.pbcfoodbank.org; 561-670-2518.

Diocese’s Mass gets new time slot on TV

The Diocese of Palm Beach’s Sunday morning Mass for the homebound no longer airs at 9:00-9:30 a.m. It airs on CW34 WTVX from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m. The time change is due to a programming revision by CW34.

Visit www.diocesepb.org/videos to hear the weekly homilies.

Global Sub Dive’s Go America vessel sank 10,000-pound, 7-by-6-foot reef balls Jan. 9 in the Delray Dredge Hole, a permitted artificial reef site roughly .35 mile long by .13 mile wide. CCA/Florida’s South Palm Beach County chapter and No Shoes Reefs Foundation are behind the effort to create a 32-acre reef park. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

Before dawn on the cool morning of Jan. 9, Rodrigo Vera of Delray Beach and the reef construction team from Global Sub Dive loaded 13 concrete reef balls onto a ship named Go America and headed out Port Everglades Inlet, bound for Delray Beach.

By 9:30 a.m., the Go America captain was maneuvering the ship over an artificial reef site in about 65 feet of water off the south end of Delray’s public beach.

After a cable from the ship’s crane was attached, the first of the 5-ton reef balls was lifted into the air, then carefully lowered into the water.

A diver followed to make sure the beehive-shaped structure landed upright on the bottom as intended. Palm Beach County environmental officials observed from a boat nearby.

A scuba diver from Industrial Divers enters the water to make sure the ship sank the reef balls in the correct area of the ocean floor. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

The process was repeated a dozen times, each with a slight change in position to place each of the reef balls in predetermined spots at the northeast corner of the artificial reef site — a rectangular depression created when sand was removed for beach restoration.

The new reef balls are located at these coordinates: 26/27.179N and 80/02.941.

Boaters should avoid anchoring over the reef balls because anchors could become stuck in the holes of the structures, said Jena McNeal, Palm Beach County’s artificial reef coordinator.

Anglers can fish over the reef balls by starting generally south and east of them and drifting over them.

Divers can explore the new artificial reef structures — and the fish they attract — by drifting with a support boat displaying a dive flag on the surface drifting with them.

Vera pulled the reef ball project together, working as president of CCA/Florida’s South Palm Beach County chapter and as a board member of the Sandoway Discovery Center.
Country singer Kenny Chesney’s No Shoes Reefs Foundation (www.noshoesreefs.org) paid for the reef balls.

CCA/Florida’s South Palm Beach County chapter used a $13,000 grant from Impact 100 Palm Beach County and another $10,000 raised at a CCA banquet to pay for transporting and placing the reef balls on the bottom.

Vera hopes the 13 reef balls will be the first part of a more elaborate artificial reef at the 32-acre site that will become an educational and recreational “marine park.” He is applying for permits for a buoy that would hold cameras transmitting live underwater video from the reefs to the Sandoway Discovery Center and is looking for a sponsor to pay for maintenance of the camera system.

Working through CCA/Florida, Vera also hopes to raise $100,000 to buy, clean and sink a freighter that he said would fit perfectly in the rest of the Delray Beach artificial reef site.

Details about plans for the Sandoway Marine Park can be found at www.delrayreef.org.

Miss Texas wins Silver Sailfish Derby

Capt. Matt Bierley and his team aboard Miss Texas released 12 sailfish in two days of fishing Jan. 7-8 to win top boat in the West Palm Beach Fishing Club’s 84th annual Silver Sailfish Derby.

Capt. Matt Bierley and his team on Miss Texas celebrate with champagne at Sailfish Marina in Palm Beach Shores after winning top boat in the 84th annual Silver Sailfish Derby. The team scored a two-day total of 12 sailfish releases. Photo provided

After finishing the first day with four releases, the Miss Texas anglers picked away at the sailfish using live bait under fishing kites south of Palm Beach Inlet.

They finished the second day with eight releases to beat 46 other boats in the derby.

Capt. Nick Carullo and his team on Priceless almost beat the Miss Texas team, but wound up finishing second with 11 releases because one of the team’s sailfish could not be identified on video. Rules in modern sailfish tournaments require each sailfish to be shown on video, along with a member of the crew touching the leader to score the release.

Capt. Mike Simko of North Palm Beach was this year’s top derby angler with a two-day total of nine releases scored on his boat KiteKeeper. The KiteKeeper team also won top small boat, for boats under 35 feet.

York Pottratz of Jupiter finished second in the angler category, with six releases scored aboard Miss Texas.

Capt. Chip Sheehan, who operates Chips Ahoy Charters at Boynton Harbor Marina, finished sixth overall with his team on Reel Synergy, posting eight releases over two days. Sheehan said he found his sailfish off Delray Beach.

Forty-seven boats released a total of 196 sailfish in two days of fishing.

Temporary bag limit increased for kingfish

The daily bag limit for king mackerel, better known as kingfish, is four per angler, up from two — at least until March 16. The minimum size remains the same at 24 inches to the fork of the tail.

The former two-kingfish bag limit will apply again after March 16, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Tip of the month

Want to learn more about tagging and releasing small dolphinfish (mahi mahi) to benefit research about the species? Visit www.dolphintagging.com.

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Email tiowillie@bellsouth.net.