Among the donations is a truck loaded with building supplies. Kari Shipley recruited artists to paint it with the names of Delray Beach and Marsh Harbour. On the back are symbols for the two churches involved and the Bahamas Youth Network. ‘These are our neighbors, too,’ Shipley says. ‘They’re barely 90 miles away.’ Photo provided

By Janis Fontaine

The monster storm formed in the Atlantic at the end of August 2019, gaining strength until Sept. 1, when the most intense tropical cyclone on record struck the Bahamas with wind and water and an unbridled fury.

Hurricane Dorian is believed to be the worst natural disaster in the Bahamas’ short history. The Category 5 storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph and gusts recorded up to 220 mph. The deadly storm surge — more than 20 feet of water — flooded the islands. Across the Bahamas, more than 70,000 people were left homeless and economists estimated the damage at more than $3.4 billion (a quarter of the Bahamas’ GDP).

Marsh Harbour, the largest town on Great Abaco Island and a commercial hub for many smaller islands, lost 95% of its buildings, but one church, Kirk of the Pines, was left standing.

Soon after, members of First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach donated money for a water purification system and solar generators for the pastor’s cellphones. Life returned to rudimentary homesteading: water, shelter, food, communication.

Now the two churches have a mini-supply chain going. It took about a year, but in October, First Presbyterian shipped a barely used box truck filled with tools and building supplies to Pastor Gabe Swing, who lives with his wife, Jan, in a camper next to the church.

Delray Beach resident Kari Shipley, who suggested Marsh Harbour and Kirk of the Pines as recipients for First Presbyterian’s Christmas charity project, estimates the church raised more than $50,000.

First Presbyterian also got a deal on the truck through a parishioner with connections to the auto industry, for about $30,000, plus $5,000 to ship it, said Shipley, a longtime deacon and elder at the church who has ties to Marsh Harbour.

The truck is crucial for logistics — just about every car on the island was destroyed — to get the tools and supplies where they are needed.

“It will serve as a roving workshop,” Pastor Swing said, “readily accessible, that we can also use to move supplies.”

When he’s not swinging a hammer, the pastor is working with the Bahamas Youth Network, a community-based Christian organization that connects adult mentors and coaches with local teenagers and young adults.

“We want to grow these young people into tomorrow’s leaders. Programs focus on teaching participants to make good life decisions and building leadership skills,” he said. The BYN gets support from the U.S. organization, the Caribbean Youth Network.

Some things are getting better in Marsh Harbour. Small planes can land at the international airport. Two grocery stores are open. But the challenges continue: Jobs, except in construction, are scarce. School hasn’t resumed.

Pastor Swing, who has made his home in the Bahamas for about 10 years, five of them in Marsh Harbour, says his biggest concern is food insecurity. People are hungry, and few have enough work or money.

Many left for the United States or parts of the Bahamas that sustained less damage. Swing lost track of some of his parishioners.

Some people who remained live in tents and without tap water or electricity. The lucky ones live in campers and have generators.

Jan Swing coordinates the mission trips that bring hundreds of people to the islands to provide the labor force for the construction. She says in just six months she’s had to cancel 12 trips because of COVID-19 restrictions. Those are finally starting to lift, another good sign. But so much is still needed.

For more information, visitfirstdelray.com or call 561-276-6338.

•

Want to travel to Marsh Harbour? Although each island and community may have different rules, effective Nov. 1 the Bahamas removed the 14-day quarantine requirement that had been in place. But all visitors must complete an electronic Bahamas Health Travel Visa application before departure, upload the results of a negative COVID-19 swab test taken within seven days of arrival and provide contact information.

Visitors must also take a rapid test on day five of the visit, which is included in the cost of the Bahamas Health Travel Visa. All entry requirements can be viewed at www.bahamas.com/travelupdates.

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

Dozens of people brought gifts to the First Presbyterian parking lot. Photos by Tim Stepien / The Coastal Star

By Janis Fontaine

First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach added a new member to its church family in September and staged a baby shower the hard way.

The Community Church by the Sea, as it is also known, welcomed Pierre Isaac Rapier, son of the Rev. Greg Rapier and his wife, Lissette. It’s the first baby the church has added to its worship family in many years, so the congregation was excited.

Even the coronavirus pandemic wasn’t going to stop the parishioners from commemorating such a blessed event, so they did what lots of people have done: They staged a drive-by celebration.

On a sweltering Saturday in September, dozens of guests gathered — even Marie Buss, age 94, who had made a special baby blanket for Pierre. People decorated their cars and more than 50 vehicles led by a bagpiper made an orderly parade past the happy couple.

Linda Prior, who helped organize the event, thought busy Gleason Street might get clogged with traffic, but guests seemed to trickle in, which was just perfect, she said.

For a few minutes, it looked like the mother-to-be might not show: Lissette was having contractions but her doctor cleared her to make a quick visit to the church.

“She’s been fantastic,” Greg Rapier said. “It wasn’t exactly what she signed up for.”

Greg said the events surrounding the late September birth were “exhausting and joyful,” and for the first time he was almost grateful for the pandemic restrictions because the new family enjoyed a little solitude.

But the Rapiers also faced the challenge of being on their own with no help to fall back on in caring for the baby.

“I always knew this,” Greg said, “but it’s even clearer now: Love is a lot of hard work and sacrifice.”

St. Paul’s music director

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Delray Beach is welcoming a new director of music ministries to replace Dr. Paul Cienniwa, who took a position as the orchestra director for the Binghamton Philharmonic in New York.

Dr. David S. Macfarlane, from First Presbyterian Church of Englewood, New Jersey, will join the church’s highly regarded music ministries. An accomplished musician, experienced church organist and choir director, Macfarlane also taught as an adjunct professor of music at Bergen Community College and was the assistant conductor/choirmaster for the Amore Opera of New York.  

Although the church resumed limited in-person Sunday services in September, the Music at St. Paul’s program has not resumed. Macfarlane won’t begin his work until January.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is at 188 S. Swinton Ave.; www.stpaulsdelray.org; 561-276-4541.

Rector named bishop

St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach announced that Pope Francis appointed SVDP’s rector and president, Msgr. David Toups, as the new bishop of the Diocese of Beaumont, Texas. Toups, who was ordained in 1997, served SVDP as rector and president from 2012 to 2020 and as assistant dean from 2004 to 2006. During the past eight years he oversaw major renovations and expansion at the seminary.

A massive mitzvah

Thanks to kindhearted people, many Jews were able to celebrate the most important Jewish holidays of the year even in the midst of a pandemic.

Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service worked to distribute Rosh Hashanah meals throughout Palm Beach County with help from the Jewish Volunteer Center of the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and the Kind Kitchen of Palm Beach.

JFS’s kosher food pantry also undertook its annual distribution of 35 Rosh Hashanah holiday food baskets.

The three nonprofits, with more than 150 volunteers, packaged 230 holiday meals, loaded them into cars and delivered them to 173 households in Boynton Beach, Lake Worth Beach, Palm Beach Gardens, Royal Palm Beach, Wellington and West Palm Beach.

The Alpert JFS is a nationally accredited service provider for children, adults, seniors and Holocaust survivors.

To learn more, visit www.AlpertJFS.org or call 561-684-1991.

Holly House goes virtual

For the first time in more than 50 years, the ladies of Holly House at First Presbyterian Church of Delray Beach won’t host their large, annual sale of handcrafted holiday items at the church. But that doesn’t mean the ladies have been idle.

The crafters have been busy making holiday items, but they’ve moved sales mostly online to the Facebook Marketplace. You can find all the adorable decorations and gifts you love there.

Available are craft supplies, fabric, sewing notions, and handmade products ready to sell.

Shoppers are welcome to make an appointment to visit in-person Tuesday, Thursday, and possibly Saturday mornings to make purchases.

It is cash and carry. Masks are required. By making appointments, the church can limit the numbers of shoppers at one time.

For more information, contact Linda Prior, 561-702-0245, Linda_Prior@hotmail.

Palm Beach Par-3's location on the ocean provides a captivating golf setting.

By Brian Biggane

Two par-3 golf courses along the A1A corridor in South Palm Beach County have been identified as being “among the world’s best” in a feature story in the September/October issue of Golf Magazine.

St. Andrews, a private club featuring three holes along the Intracoastal Waterway near Gulf Stream, and the Palm Beach Par-3, between the ocean and Intracoastal in the town of Palm Beach, were among 25 “exemplary” courses on a list that included Augusta National, Pine Valley in New Jersey and Bandon Dunes in Oregon.

“Even to be on the same page with those kind of courses, it’s quite a compliment,” St. Andrews head pro Amy Carver said.

“We’re a municipal course,” Palm Beach head pro Tony Chateauvert said, “so we’re accessible to anyone who wants to play. Augusta National, Pine Valley, you can’t get on those courses.”

Recognition is nothing new for the Palm Beach Par-3, which has been ranked both among the best and “most fun to play” by Golf Digest.

Designed by Dick Wilson and Joe Lee, the course opened in 1961 but fell into disrepair before four-time major champion Raymond Floyd oversaw a redesign in 2009.

“The town of Palm Beach recognized what we had and put a lot of money into it,” Chateauvert said. “Then six years ago we redid the clubhouse with a great al fresco restaurant. So now we’re a destination golf course. People come from all over the world to play it.”

Former Gulf Stream resident Alice Dye, with help from design partner and husband Pete Dye, built the St. Andrews course in 1973 and renovated it in 2013.

Tropical land-scaping at St. Andrews includes beds of red hibiscus and royal palm trees. Photos provided

“It’s like a little hidden gem,” Carver said. “There are people who drive up and down A1A every day who have no idea we’re even here.

“Most people who come out here are surprised. It’s under 2,000 yards, and they go, ‘Eh, this is going to be easy,’ and it’s not. It’s a challenge. You have to know how to score.  
“Most people can’t hit 18 greens, and on the short shots the wind makes an even bigger difference, because you’re hitting a lofted club, and with more loft it’s going to go higher and be even more subject to the wind.”

The Palm Beach Par-3 plays at more than 2,000 yards from the back tees, with No. 4 at 196 yards and No. 5 at 212.

Still, Chateauvert said, the course lives up to its motto: Friendly, Fast and Fun.

“People come off the 18th hole and they’re always in a good mood, they’re having fun, it didn’t beat them up too much, and that’s what golf is supposed to be. Too many golf courses are just too difficult for the average golfer. Par-3 courses, be it the Palm Beach Par-3, or St. Andrews, are much more fun for the average golfer.”

Not to mention, Carver said, a test for even the best.

“At any level it’s a challenge,” she said. “I don’t care if you’re a new golfer, a scratch handicap. And sometimes for the better golfer it’s even more of a challenge, because you’re thinking, ‘How many birdies can I make?’  

“Then they come out here and it’s like, ‘Wow.’ Any golfer can improve their game out here.”

St. Andrews has also recently been recognized as a “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” by Audubon International. The program “provides information and guidance to help golf courses preserve and enhance wildlife habitat, and protect natural resources,” according to the announcement.

Kimberlee Pompeo sparked the starter kit idea as she took out invasive Scaevola taccada and vines from her Ocean Ridge property and put in natives. Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley

George Gann’s goal is to restore biodiversity to Palm Beach County’s barrier islands, one patch of land at a time.

To aid the process, interested landowners can purchase biodiversity starter kits created by the Institute for Regional Conservation under the auspices of its Restoring the Gold Coast program. A recent $100,000 grant from Impact 100 Palm Beach County helped fund the effort and educational campaign.

“These kits can be planted on virtually any piece of island property, including private residences and condo associations as well as office complexes, parks and medians. Every bit helps the area’s biodiversity,” says Gann, founder of the Delray Beach-based IRC.

Gann says evidence exists that during their history the barrier islands from Boca Raton to Lake Worth Beach have been home to more than 200 plant species.

These are native species that originated on the barrier islands without the help of humans. Those that didn’t originate here migrated naturally on the wind, the waves or on birds’ feet.

“We are not looking at species that people purposefully brought with them or that attached themselves to airplane wheels,” says Gann — thinking of all the bougainvillea, hibiscus and other showy exotics that have been imported from the Caribbean and Asia.

But over the years, much of our native diversity has been destroyed or lost as man developed the islands and beach erosion led to destruction of habitat.

Today, scientists know that these native plants remain important because, like art, they have intrinsic beauty, says Gann. They also can bind the soil with their roots, making the landscape more stable. And they make it more resilient in the face of hurricanes, plant diseases and insect pests.

Plus, as these native plants produce seeds, nectar, pollen and fruits, they create habitat for native birds, butterflies, insects and other animals on the islands.

The idea behind the starter kits is to return the native species and the resulting biodiversity to our barrier islands. Each of the four kits that are now offered includes five native species in small to medium pots.

One of these will be a “rare plant surprise,” an “oddball” species that might become available. And each kit is designed for a different coastal zone where wind, sun, water and sand uniquely interact.

The value of planting natives is visible on a 50-by-50-foot patch of beachfront property in Ocean Ridge owned by Kimberlee Pompeo, Florida Federation of Garden Clubs’ District X vice chair for the barrier islands.

Since 2013, she has been removing the invasive Scaevola taccada and vines that were crowding out the sea grapes and saw palmettos originally on the property. She has continued to add natives, and today her landscape boasts more than 40 species.

Sea lavender.

As she worked with Gann last spring, Pompeo’s interest in restoring her own property helped spark the creation of the biodiversity starter kits.

“They are a good way to return native species to the land in the way that nature intended,” she says.

On her foredune, she has planted the Beach Dune/Coastal Grassland kit ($75), including sea lavender that can survive the salty wind, cresting water and moving sand that energize this part of the dunescape.

Gann explains that this is the only kit that you necessarily need oceanfront property to plant. The others are more versatile.

For example, the Coastal Strand/Shrubland kit ($85) includes saw palmetto and yellow joyweed, which are typically found just behind the dune front where there’s less wind and salt spray. But Gann says the kit can be used just about any place on the barrier island where there is full sun.

Marlberry in bloom.

Also versatile, the Tropical Hammock/Coastal Garden Kit ($90) can be planted along a road or in a formal or informal garden. It fits any place on the island away from direct wind, says Gann. This kit includes the Jamaica caper-tree and marlberry.

There’s even a butterfly-attracting kit ($60) for people who enjoy these fluttery charmers. It too can be used any place on the barrier island protected from the wind. Gann hopes to soon have this kit available with plants that will do well on the mainland.

“The idea is to put together a few plants that deliver a lot of bang for the buck and efficiently return biodiversity to the barrier islands,” says Gann.

To purchase plants
Visit https://donorbox.org/restoring-the-gold-coast. Use one form for each type of kit you want. If you want multiples of the same kit, mark it on the form, then figure the multiple amount you will donate and write this in the comments area along with the number of kits you want. You will be contacted about picking up your purchase.

To learn more
Visit the Institute for Regional Conservation’s biodiversity starter program website at www.regionalconservation.org/DonationRGC.html. Or contact Cara Abbott at abbott@regionalconservation.org or 305-304-6610.

JFK Medical Center main and north campuses and Palms West Hospital collaborated with the technology company EverFi to launch a mental health and wellness digital education course for middle and high school students in Palm Beach County.

Called Mental Wellness Basics, the course provides learners with accurate information about mental health disorders, the sharing of peer experiences with mental illness and messaging that treatment is effective and available. For information, email Community.Engagement@HCAhealthcare.com. 

JFK Medical Center announced in October that the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation certified its cardiovascular rehabilitation program. The program includes exercise, education, counseling and support for patients and their families.

Delray Medical Center was certified by DNV GL Healthcare in August for its stroke care based on standards set by the Brain Attack Coalition and the American Stroke Association.
Comprehensive stroke centers treat any kind of stroke or stroke complication, and a stroke center certification determines which facility a patient is taken to for the most appropriate care when a stroke occurs.  

As of August, Delray Medical Center offers GE Discovery IQ PET/CT. Physicians use this tool to determine whether a patient has cancer even before it shows up on other imaging exams. Scans are available on Tuesdays. For information, or to schedule an appointment, call 561-637-5303.

In September, Delray Medical Center’s surgical weight loss program received national accreditation as a Center of Excellence in Bariatrics from Optum Health. For information, visit www.delraymedicalctr.com. Also of note, Tenet Healthcare’s Palm Beach Health Network hospitals, which include Delray Medical Center, are allowing most patients admitted through the Emergency Department to have a visitor. 

Khalid A. Hanafy, MD, Ph.D., has joined Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital as medical director of neurocritical care and director of research. He specializes in the care of subarachnoid hemorrhage patients and the study of neuroinflammation.

He is associate professor of neurology at Florida Atlantic University Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine in Boca Raton. Previously, he was the director of the neurological intensive care unit and an assistant professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School.

In September, board-certified urologist Blake Evans, MD, FACS, joined BocaCare Physician Network, a part of Baptist Health South Florida. Evans has experience in robotic and laparoscopic surgery. Previously, he served as the interim chair of the Department of Surgery at Cape Coral Hospital in southwest Florida.

He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society. Evans earned his medical degree from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine. He completed his urologic training at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida in Gainesville. He sees patients at 10 E. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton.

An article that appeared in the ACS Central Science journal in September reported the findings of Scripps Research chemist Matthew Disney, Ph.D., and colleagues, who have created druglike compounds that, in human cell studies, bind and destroy a COVID element to stop the coronavirus from replicating.

“This is a proof-of-concept study,” Disney says. “We put the frame-shifting element into cells and showed that our compound binds the element and degrades it. The next step will be to do this with the whole COVID virus, and then optimize the compound. We wanted to publish (the report) as soon as possible to show the scientific community that the COVID RNA genome is a drug-able target.” 

In our last issue, we reported about Palm Beach Research Center’s Moderna COVID vaccine phase three clinical trial, which began July 31. As of mid-October, the study is nearly over, having almost met the enrollment goal nationwide, said David Scott, president and CEO of the research center.

“Moderna has been very pleased with the study’s progress. We all look forward to the study gathering meaningful data for Moderna to analyze and share with the FDA.”
Clinical studies for Regeneron, the COVID antibody cocktail that President Donald Trump received under a compassionate-use request, are underway in  Boca Raton.

For information on Regeneron studies as well as others, visit https://clinicaltrials.gov.

Physicians at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute at Boca Raton Regional Hospital have begun and are part of a multi-institutional randomized study on the use of umbilical cord stem cells to treat patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome due to COVID-19 infection. The treatment involves an infusion of mesenchymal stem cells, known for their ability to reduce inflammation and regenerate damaged lung tissue.

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

By Joyce Reingold

As the influenza season converges with the COVID-19 pandemic, the message from medical professionals this year is more emphatic than ever: Get your darn flu shot already.
Dr. Andrew Savin, an internal medicine physician with the Bethesda Health Physician Group, a part of Baptist Health South Florida, is of a like mind.

“I’m trying to tell patients, and I’m sure every physician is, to get the flu vaccine to decrease the risk that people are going to have to deal with two different infections — not necessarily at the same time, but making things very confusing for the patients, the health care providers, the family members. So, if any year is good to get a flu shot, it’s going to be this year and probably next year as well.”

During the 2018-19 flu season, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates the vaccine prevented 4.4 million cases of the flu, 2.3 million doctor visits, 58,000 hospitalizations and 3,500 deaths. But, getting the vaccine doesn’t mean you won’t get the flu — the CDC says vaccines have been 40%-60% effective in prior years.

“Every year, the flu virus is almost like something made out of Legos, and you replace one red piece with a yellow piece, or you may have one part sticking out that looks different than the other part,” Savin explained. “And what happens is every year it changes. Some years it might repeat, and some years it’ll be different for 10 years.

“And what we do is early in the flu season, across the world, we start figuring out what seems to be going across all the different countries. And we try to make it (the vaccine) in anticipation of what it’s going to be like the next season.”

Since flu season typically peaks between December and March, it’s still too early to know the efficacy of this year’s vaccine. But Savin said there’s no question it’s well worth the quick jab in the arm.

“Every once in a while, they’ll miss the right virus. And most of the time they get it and there’s some level of protection. And what I have found is that even if they don’t get it exactly right, the people who do get flu, even if they’ve had the vaccine, don’t get as sick. The people who I typically see who are the sickest are the ones who didn’t get any vaccine and it happens to be a pretty virulent year,” he said.

Savin said over the years, he’s heard a variety of reasons why people are still wary of the vaccine, most of which are “complete urban myths.”

One, for example, is that the vaccine gives you the flu.

“You’re not injecting people with the flu virus. You’re injecting them with little pieces of the flu virus, the parts that your immune system needs to attack. So, your body’s sort of making a little copy of that and making immunity to it, but it’s actually not reproducing in your body as a virus,” he said.

Others believe the vaccine is dangerous. “The number of problems with it, in terms of side effects and issues with patients, is I would say minimal compared to what I see when patients get the flu,” Savin said. “I have seen people get a sore arm. I’ve seen people sometimes get some aches and pains or low-grade fevers with it. Other than that, the number of patients who’ve ever really have bad problems with the flu shot is almost minuscule. … So, I really don’t get too concerned about it.”

Given the presence of COVID-19, Savin said, this flu season finds us in “uncharted waters.” Still, he is optimistic, largely because of what we’ve learned during the pandemic.
“I’m seeing people are pretty much keeping themselves very protected, which I think means that people are probably going to get the flu less this year … they’re not going out and getting exposed to flu, which is pretty easy to catch in the environment,” he said. “Wearing a mask and going to Publix to pick up some things and leaving — the chances of getting influenza from that are really pretty low.”

Because the flu and the coronavirus, both highly contagious respiratory illnesses, may present with similar symptoms, Savin said testing, via nasal swabs, will be especially important this year.

“We just have to be really careful, use common sense and test people that we think need to be tested — and get everybody that flu shot.”

Getting a flu shot

If you haven’t had yours yet, the CDC says it’s not too late: “Vaccination can still be beneficial as long as flu viruses are circulating. If you have not been vaccinated by Thanksgiving (or the end of November), it can still be protective to get vaccinated in December or later. Flu is unpredictable and seasons can vary.”
You can get vaccinated at Publix, CVS and Walgreens — usually at no charge and sometimes with the bonus of a gift card — as well as at physicians’ offices and urgent care centers. Baptist Health offers free flu shots at its multiple urgent care locations. Or, plug your address into the nationwide VaccineFinder.org to see more options.
As always, check with your doctor first if you have any questions about getting a flu shot.

Flu symptoms
Fever or feeling feverish/chills *
Cough
Sore throat
Runny or stuffy nose
Muscle or body aches
Headaches
Fatigue
Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.
* It’s important to note that not everyone with the flu will get a fever.
Source: CDC

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

Naughton blesses Beatrix Kiddo, 1.

Because of COVID-19 precautions, St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church’s 25th annual blessing of the animals was a drive-up with the Revs. Martin Zlatic and Mary Naughton blessing each animal that arrived at the Boynton Beach church.

Zlatic blesses Abbey, a 6-year-old dog who belongs to St. Joseph’s youth minister Shannon Zalewski.

Christina Wood and Loki, 12, attended St. Joseph’s blessing of the animals for the first time this year. Wood says that Loki does not play well with others, so the drive-thru was perfect for them.

Sugar, 34, was blessed by Naughton.

Athena Grace, 4, waits to be blessed.

Zlatic gets his own blessing in return from 1-year-old Bella.

More than $500 was raised to be donated to the K9 units for the Boynton Beach and Delray Beach police departments. The church donated an extra $400 to the departments. Zlatic and Naughton blessed six K9 units and about 100 animals in all, including a mouse. The drive-up format made it easier to participate than usual.

Photos by Rachel S. O'Hara/The Coastal Star

Harvey the baby squirrel and Dinky the donkey were two of the stars of Unity of Delray’s blessing. Photos provided

By Arden Moore

How have you adapted this year to this never-ending pandemic? Perhaps you have groceries delivered to your front porch. Or you host weekly happy hours not in bars, but via Zoom. Maybe you’ve converted your spare bedroom into your office.

As the months pass, we pine for things we took for granted, like munching on buttered popcorn inside a crowded movie theater or tailgating before a big football game.
But if you look closely, you can notice acts of creativity and resiliency that COVID-19 has been powerless to prevent.

Case in point: For the first time since launching the blessing of the animals service 21 years ago, the Rev. Laurie Durgan, of the Unity of Delray Beach church, got the opportunity to bless an unprecedented variety that included Dinky the donkey, Harvey the squirrel, a homebody cat named Miss Puma and a pair of black swans.

In years past, Durgan looked forward to petting, giving treats and saying prayers directly to well-mannered dogs, cats and the occasional turtle or bearded dragon present at this special blessing held every October in honor of St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals.

Rather than cancel the blessing due to the heightened health precautions during the pandemic, Unity of Delray Beach opted to make it a virtual event and open it to any and all critters anywhere.

Places of worship all over Palm Beach County and beyond got creative to bless animals. Some elected to celebrate by staging drive-up prayer blessings. At St. Joseph’s Episcopal Church in Boynton Beach, the Revs. Martin Zlatic and Mary Naughton delivered blessings to pets in vehicles.

“When we decided to go virtual, I knew I would miss all the kisses from the animals and the way I smelled after the blessing of all the animals, but this time, I am able to open up the avenue to bless far more than before,” says Durgan.

Indeed. Instead of blessing 30 to 50 pets who showed up at the church, Durgan blessed more than 140 who walk, swim and fly, from all over, during a recorded ceremony now posted on YouTube.

They included:

• A rescued baby squirrel named Harvey. In late August, Terry Capuano and her grandson, Jayce, of Delray Beach, found a newborn squirrel who was barely alive. She contacted a nurse friend who gave her a formula recipe and instructed her to keep the squirrel on a heating pad for warmth.
“Even though we thought of keeping Harvey as a pet, we knew the most humane thing to do was to nurse him back to health and bring him to the Busch Wildlife Rehabilitation Center in Jupiter where he could live and socialize with other squirrels,” says Capuano. “As he began to eat and grow stronger, he became very lovable and would burrow into my neck to cuddle.”
They found this squirrel in need on Aug. 28, the 19-year anniversary of the death of Capuano’s brother, Marc.
“This virtual event was a blessing in disguise,” says Capuano. “I miss my brother every day and I think he had a part in this squirrel showing up and needing us to keep us from being sad on the date of his passing.”

• Dinky the donkey plus about 30 goats, birds, swans, horses and more who reside at Toby’s Legacy Critter Creek Ranch in Palm City.
Tim Morell, president of the ranch, heard about Durgan’s virtual blessing and sent photos of many ranch residents. They included Dinky, a protective sort who alerted him about a mini horse that fell off a bridge into a creek and was rescued. Morell also asked to include in the blessing a special dog named Sparky, who passed away in July at age 12.
“Spark was a Doberman and a service dog who would often go to the library for kids to read to him,” recalls Morell. “When I suffered a broken neck in a vehicle in 2013 and had to wear a medical halo, Spark would never leave my side during my recovery. It feels so great to include Sparky in the blessing.”

• A senior cat named Miss Puma. “There is no way I would have even tried to take her to the blessing of the animals because she definitely does not want to leave the house,” says Judy Somers, of Boynton Beach, who has attended Unity of Delray Beach for 25 years. “I mean, my veterinarian does house calls to care for her because I cannot get her into the car. Miss Puma comforts me and has been a blessing for me during this pandemic. I am grateful she got to participate in this year’s virtual event.”
Brenda Robinson, of Boynton Beach, again coordinated all of the requests for blessings of pets, wildlife, birds and more this year. She initiated the animal blessing at the church in 1999 with Lidia Leith, who now lives in Tampa.

“Because we had to go virtual due to the pandemic, there were unexpected blessings,” says Robinson. “Rev. Laurie was able to bless many more animals of all types from everywhere. And because we posted the blessing on YouTube, many more pet owners were able to see what a blessing of the animals is all about.”
Never underestimate the power of the pets, especially during these challenging times. Every day, I count my blessings who happen to answer to the names of Bujeau, Kona, Emma, Casey, Rusty and Mikey.

Watch the virtual blessings

As a special tribute to the virtual blessings of all animals, living and deceased, here are two videos from the Unity of Delray Beach church provided by Brenda Robinson, of Boynton Beach.

A preview of the variety of pets, wild animals, birds and more who were blessed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l38Tp
_h72Xw&feature=youtu.be.

The link to the virtual blessing ceremony performed by the Rev. Laurie Durgan: https://youtu.be/3_JqGWzdnm4

Arden Moore, founder of fourleggedlife.com, is an animal behavior expert and host of the Oh Behave! show on petliferadio.com. Learn more at www.ardenmoore.com.

A feisty winter sailfish jumps during this year’s West Palm Beach Fishing Club Silver Sailfish Derby. The 2021 derby is set for Jan. 7-8. Photos by Willie Howard/The Coastal Star

By Willie Howard

November’s northerly winds bring sailfish to South Florida waters, creating an opportunity for anglers who enjoy catching and releasing billfish — but also a responsibility for those who don’t intend to catch a sailfish but suddenly find one stripping line from a reel and leaping from the waves.

Almost all sailfish are released. Anglers must have a federal HMS angling permit to keep one, and the sailfish must be at least 63 inches long (measured from the tip of the lower jaw to the fork of the tail) to be legal to keep.

That means ocean anglers must be prepared to release sailfish in good condition. Sailfish, Florida’s official saltwater fish, are prone to acrobatic jumps and head shaking at the surface in attempts to throw the hook.

After the fish settles down and can be held alongside the boat, remove the hook, if possible, or cut the line as close to the hook as possible.

Non-offset circle hooks such as these 7/0 Mustads are commonly used by anglers targeting sailfish with live bait. The backswept point of a circle hook is less likely to snag soft tissue inside a fish than a traditional J hook.

Wear gloves before trying to grab the bill. Hold the fish in the water, gripping the bill a few inches above the mouth with two hands, thumb touching thumb. After the sailfish is stabilized on the surface, keep the boat moving slowly forward so the sailfish can extract oxygen from the water and regain strength. When the sailfish begins to kick with its tail, set it free.

The reviving process might take five minutes. A caught sailfish is like a boxer winded after a long bout. Generally, the longer the fight, the more exhausted the sailfish will be and the longer it should be revived.

James Swanwick revives his first sailfish, taken on a live pilchard in 100 feet of water straight outside Palm Beach Inlet, in January. The boat is moving slowly forward, pushing water over the sailfish’s gills so it can regain strength.

The resuscitation process creates time for photographs and short videos. Show the angler holding the sailfish in the water while it’s being revived. Have the captain move the boat so the sun illuminates the fish and the person holding it. Don’t forget to maintain a good grip on your cellphone or use the strap on your camera to avoid losing it overboard.

Avoid the temptation to haul a sailfish into the boat for photos.

Federal fisheries laws require anglers to release sailfish and other billfish “in a manner that will ensure maximum probability of survival, but without removing fish from the water.”
It’s acceptable to lift the fish’s head out of the water, briefly, for a photo while leaving most of the fish in the water.

Catching and releasing sailfish is not overly difficult during the cool months, November through April. No need to bother with fishing kites, though kite fishing is a popular and effective method for catching sailfish.

Live goggle-eyes, pilchards or threadfin herring attached to a 7/0 non-offset circle hook will catch sailfish. Smaller hooks can be used for smaller baits. Try using a live bait rod fitted with a conventional reel holding 20- to 30-pound main line and 30- to 40-pound leader.

Non-offset circle hooks (mandatory in sailfish tournaments) are recommended for sailfish because they’re designed to slide over soft tissue inside the fish’s mouth and lodge in the corner of the jaw, minimizing damage.

If you’re setting up your boat to drift over a reef for kingfish and snapper, put the live bait intended for sailfish out first and let it move 150 feet or so behind the boat before stopping. That should keep the bait from swimming back under the boat and wrapping around the other lines, but check the bait periodically just in case it has a case of wanderlust.

When a sailfish hits and feels the hook, it’s likely to jump. If it’s connected to your rod, have an angler gradually tighten the drag on the reel and fight the fish. Bring in the other lines and prepare to move the boat slowly toward the fish to regain line.

Have someone on the boat shoot photos or videos during the fight. Sailfish often make spectacular jumps, sometimes close to the boat. Photos of the angler battling a sailfish can be just as exciting.

Ft. Lauderdale boat show is on despite pandemic
The 61st annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show was scheduled for Oct. 28 to Nov. 1 at seven locations along the waterfront despite challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic.
Producer Informa U.S. Boat Shows says extra cleaning, hand-sanitizing, touch-free ticketing and social distancing are part of the show. Extra entrance points aim to minimize lines, and docks are wider — up to 30 feet.
All exhibitors and attendees must wear face coverings.
The Fort Lauderdale boat show is the largest in-water boat show in the world, with more than 80% of the show taking place in open-air spaces, according to the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, which owns the show.
Show hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. (except on Nov. 1, when the show closes at 6 p.m.) Adult admission is $35. Call 954-463-6762 or visit www.flibs.com.

Nautical flea market set for Nov. 14-15
The 12th annual Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and West Palm Beach Seafood Festival is set for Nov. 14-15 at the South Florida Fairgrounds, 9067 Southern Blvd.
The market, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day, will feature new and used boats for sale along with boating and fishing gear and marine accessories.
Adult admission is $10. Youths 12 and under will be admitted free. For details, visit www.flnauticalfleamarket.com.

Manatee zones take effect Nov. 15
Seasonal speed zones that require boaters to slow down to avoid striking manatees begin Nov. 15 and continue through March 31 in Palm Beach County.
The area around Florida Power & Light Co.’s Riviera Beach power plant (south of Peanut Island) is one of the most manatee-sensitive areas in Palm Beach County. Manatees are attracted to warm-water discharges from the power plant during cold weather.
Boat operators should wear polarized sunglasses and avoid boating over shallow sea grass beds to reduce the chance of hitting manatees.
Boaters who encounter a sick, dead or injured manatee should call the state’s Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-3922.

Bahamas updates COVID guidelines
Boaters headed to the Bahamas still must present a negative COVID-19 swab test (less than seven days before arrival), but the requirement that visitors “vacation in place” expires Nov. 1, meaning they can move around beyond the confines of their accommodations.
To enter the Bahamas, visitors must obtain a negative COVID swab test and apply for a Bahamas Health Travel Visa at www.travel.gov.bs. Click on the international tab to upload the test results.
In addition, Bahamas visitors will be subject to a rapid antigen test upon arrival and four days (96 hours) after arrival. Details: www.bahamasmarinas.com/procedures-and-protocols.

Tip of the month
Want to better understand all the notes and symbols on nautical charts? Download NOAA’s free U.S. Chart No. 1 at www.nauticalcharts.noaa.gov/publications/us-chart-1.html.

Willie Howard is a freelance writer and licensed boat captain. Reach him at tiowillie@bellsouth.net.

Retiring principal Vikki Delgado’s kindergarten class this year included three students who are children of former students at St. Vincent Ferrer School. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

By Rich Pollack

Vikki Delgado never intended to become principal at St. Vincent Ferrer School in Delray Beach. But sometimes the Lord works in mysterious ways.

A former preschool teacher at the Catholic school who had left four years earlier to help with family obligations, Delgado was at the YMCA in Boynton Beach when she was approached by a then teacher who brought up the idea of her becoming principal.

“She said, ‘Do you hear God calling you?’” Delgado recalls.

A short time later — on a Tuesday in May 2008 when she was scheduled to interview for the job — Delgado was at morning Mass and saw signs pointing to her future in the reading of the day, the psalm, and then the gospel that contains Jesus’ phrase “Let the little children come to me.”

The messages from above, she said, were hard to miss.

“My blessing has always been, ‘OK, God, what do you want me to do next,’ and every time he has shown me the way.’”

Now, 12 years after getting a job that felt like it was meant to be, Delgado is stepping down and has handed the reins to her former assistant principal, Denise O’Loughlin.

“I think it’s time,” Delgado said, adding that her Oct. 30 departure was bittersweet. “I feel like I’ve done the best work of my life here. All of the gifts that the Lord has given me, I feel like this is where they’ve best been used.”

Delgado will miss the children she has greeted every morning for the last 12 years, the parents she has gotten to know and the staff that has become like family. But she says she’s happy to have O’Loughlin step in.

As she takes over, the new principal is inheriting a school that has grown both physically and in enrollment under Delgado’s watch. Yet it has retained the closeness and high quality of education that first brought Delgado there as a parent looking for a school for her daughter.

Delgado recalls finding the school almost by accident and knowing right away that it was the place for her children. “I felt at home,” she said. “It reminded me of the Catholic school that I went to.”

Delgado, O’Loughlin says, had a knack for making sure people who came to the school always felt welcome.

“She makes everyone feel loved and accepted,” O’Loughlin said. “She has a kind, helping spirit that is infectious to everyone. She is just dearly, dearly loved by the students, parents and everyone she meets.”

O’Loughlin believes the strong religious beliefs that guide Delgado were key to her success as principal.

“She is a true light for what our Catholic faith is all about,” O’Loughlin said.

As principal, Delgado oversaw the multimillion-dollar expansion of the school, which was completed in August 2019. It includes a two-story building with 13 classrooms — many for the middle school students — and a new main office.

The expansion has enabled the school to reduce classroom size and provide improved facilities, including an expanded and modernized science lab.

Delgado, who was born in Cuba, has also focused on diversity and making the school more accessible. Since she took over as principal, the number of scholarships awarded through grants and donations has doubled.

Throughout her years at St. Vincent Ferrer School, Delgado has always focused on building relationships with students and with families and helping children grow educationally as well as in character.

In her final months she was out front greeting children and doing temperature checks while learning to recognize masked students by their eyes.

“Kids here discover their God-given gift and in turn give it back as a gift to the world,” she said.

For Delgado, a knack for teaching and working with children could well be a gift — one that she exhibited at an early age while leading her three younger siblings, but also a gift she fought.

The daughter of a kindergarten teacher, Delgado earned degrees in music and education at the University of Miami and spent several years working in music therapy with special needs children.

While earning her master’s degree in educational leadership she was introduced to a teaching job at Miami Dade’s Jan Mann Opportunity School, an alternative school for challenging students who may have been disruptive and disinterested at other schools.

“That was my turning point,” she said. “I could see how I could make a difference.”

All the while, she said, she kept thinking that teachers could do more if they could just reach children earlier.

After her two daughters enrolled at St. Vincent, Delgado was asked to fill in for the preschool teacher, who was out on maternity leave. She did that for eight years before leaving to take care of an ailing mother.

She was about ready to return to education, and in fact had a job lined up with Palm Beach County schools, when she got the call from St. Vincent’s to be principal.

While her job for most of the past 12 years has been as an administrator, Delgado has also made it a point to visit classrooms and go back to teaching. Last year, in fact, she spent much of the school year teaching a sixth-grade writing and English literature class.

Delgado, 59, says that she had originally planned to leave at the end of last school year but stayed to help with the transition brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.

She says she will spend her time “getting off the bus,” enjoying things like gardening and just being a grandmother, relaxing until whatever is supposed to come her way arrives.
“We’ll see what God has for me next,” she said.

It's all about the views at this Delray Beach oceanview estate, which has walls of windows along balconies that invite the outside in.

Artfully designed by Rick Brautigan Inc., this ultra-contemporary five-bedroom, 4.5-bath residence is a study in contrasts.

Built on a deep quarter-acre lot, its 5,817 square feet of living space has hard industrial-style elements such as a metal roof, steel spiral staircases and built-in metal bookcases; and sleek urban design, with its stunning master bath and gourmet chef’s kitchen. It’s all juxtaposed against interior architectural curves, exterior water elements and a lush tropical setting.

With the kitchen (left), dining room (right) and balconies beyond, the house has ample space for gracious entertaining.

This fenced property has a gray brick motor court lined with fiber-optic night lighting and rimmed by specimen palms and manicured hedges.

Reflecting its beachy locale, it boasts custom-designed water elements, including a covered heated lap pool with spa and spillover waterfall as well as an outdoor shower.

There are covered and uncovered patios in this home, which has ample space and privacy for elegant as well as casual entertaining, grilling and alfresco dining.

The spacious family room offers a perfect spot to unwind or entertain.

Important special features to the property include CBS construction, impact windows, volume ceilings, designer fireplaces, industrial style elevator, glass and steel stairs, porcelain flooring, a wet bar, four-zone AC and security system.

The split plan that separates guest rooms and secludes the master suite has nearly uninterrupted windows that show views of the Atlantic.

This house is offered partly furnished.

The east side of the home is virtually all windows to maximize views of the ocean.

Offered at $5,995,000. Call Pascal Liguori, Broker Associate, 561-278-0100, or Antonio Liguori, Broker Associate, 561-414-4849, at Premier Estate Properties, Waterway East, 900 E. Atlantic Ave., Suite 4, Delray Beach, FL 33483.

By Mary Hladky

With Jeremy Rodgers on military duty overseas and unable to attend City Council meetings, his fellow council members will soon appoint a resident to serve the remainder of his term of office or until his deployment ends.

Rodgers notified council members in an Oct. 14 letter that he can’t attend meetings remotely, as he had hoped to do, and asked them to fill his seat.

He recommended his wife, Mandy, saying she is “best qualified” and “has no political ambitions or intent to run” for office.

Council members thanked Mandy for her willingness to serve but said they wanted to give all residents the opportunity. The city will accept applications until 5 p.m. Oct. 22. Council members will interview applicants on Oct. 26 and make the appointment on Oct. 27.

Rodgers’ term ends on March 31.

A lieutenant in the U.S. Navy Reserve, Rodgers was called to active duty and deployed in August to Qatar in support of NATO operations in Afghanistan.

He was elected to a three-year council term in 2015 and won re-election in 2018.

“We miss you,” said Mayor Scott Singer. “We are grateful for your service.”

By Mary Hladky

Moving at lightning speed, the City Council unanimously accepted the donation of the 167-acre Boca Golf and Tennis Country Club to the city just eight days after the gift was announced.

Council members brushed aside pleas from country club neighbors at their Oct. 14 meeting to postpone the vote.

Speakers complained they were never consulted or even told that the new owners of the Boca Raton Resort & Club were offering the country club to the city, and voiced concerns about increases in traffic, possible decreases in their property values and whether the city had done adequate due diligence.

Many asked, “What’s the rush?”

But council members said the deal was simply too good to pass up.

“I think this is a slam dunk for the city,” said council member Andy Thomson.

Other cities would “salivate” over such a donation, said Mayor Scott Singer, who described it as “the most generous donation” ever made to the city. Answering residents' questions about the quick vote, City Manager Leif Ahnell said, “The donation is available now. … I am not under the impression it is available at a later date. This would be a fantastic opportunity.”

City officials expect to break even on operating the golf course, or possibly make a small profit.

Residents’ concerns can be addressed before the city takes over operation of the country club, council members said. The Boca Raton Resort & Club will continue operating the country club through Sept. 30, 2021.

MSD Partners, formed by billionaire Michael S. Dell, and Northview Hotel Group, acquired the country club as part of their purchase of the resort for $875 million in 2019. In announcing the donation, the owners said they want to concentrate on an ongoing massive, $150 million renovation of the resort. They said the country club had been underutilized for over a decade.

The country club is located outside the city limits on Congress Avenue north of Clint Moore Road, about 7 miles from the resort. It includes an 18-hole championship golf course, tennis courts, clubhouse and pool.

By Mary Hladky

The new owners of the Boca Raton Resort & Club plan to donate the 130-acre Boca Country Club to the city, which would take over the operation of the 18-hole championship golf course, tennis courts, clubhouse and pool, the city announced on Oct. 7.

The plans call for MSD Partners, formed by billionaire Michael S. Dell’s private investment firm, and Northview Hotel Group to convey the property to the city this month. But the resort will operate it as a private club through Sept. 30, 2021, after which the city would take over.

“This incredible opportunity will enable us to deliver world-class recreation to more residents, including championship golf on a beautiful course,” Mayor Scott Singer said.

MSD Partners and Northview acquired the Boca Country Club when it bought the resort in 2019 for $875 million in Palm Beach County’s biggest-ever property deal.

They now have embarked on a massive, $150 million makeover of the luxury resort and want to concentrate on that project, according to Coburn Packard, partner and co-head of real estate at MSD Partners.

“The Boca Country Club is an excellent facility, but as a private club, it has been underutilized for well over a decade,” he said. “We will be pleased to see it achieve its full potential while supporting the greater Boca Raton community.”

The Boca Country Club is located on Congress Avenue north of Clint Moore Road, in unincorporated Palm Beach County just north of the city limits and 7 miles from the resort property.

It was not immediately clear how the gift will affect the state of public golf in Boca Raton. An affiliate of developer GL Homes is under contract to buy the city’s municipal golf course, off Glades Road west of Florida’s Turnpike, for $65.5 million on April 30, 2021. But the city has an option to delay the sale until Oct. 30, 2021.

Meanwhile, the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District has submitted plans to the city to build a new 18-hole golf course on the site of the defunct Ocean Breeze golf course on Northwest Second Avenue north of Yamato Road. The district bought the site in 2018 for $24 million with financial help from the city.

Materials and tarps cover both of the unmoveable portions of the bridge over the Boca Raton Inlet in late August. The bridge is getting a cleaning and new paint. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

By Steve Plunkett

The bridge over the Boca Raton Inlet, which has been closed for repainting, will reopen to vehicles and pedestrians at approximately noon on Oct. 8, the Florida Department of Transportation announced.

"Normal bridge operations have resumed with on-demand openings for marine vessels," FDOT spokeswoman Angel Streeter Gardner said. "Painting operations are anticipated to continue through the end of the month of October."

The bascule bridge, officially known as the Haven Ashe Bridge after a longtime bridge tender, closed to land traffic in August.

The state DOT is changing the paint color from light blue to dark blue.

The agency expects the work to be done by late fall.

By Jane Smith

Boynton Beach boaters were able to persuade the City Commission to raise the $50 annual parking pass at Harvey Oyer Jr. Park to just $200 instead of a proposed $350.

The decision was made at the city’s Sept. 22 final budget hearing. The new rate takes effect on Oct. 1.

“The $350 rate is causing quite an uproar,” said Boynton Beach resident Sven Mautner. “They are basing it on $1 a day.”

But he said the annual parking pass cost just $50 in the financial year that ends Sept. 30.

“I have a 21-foot boat with a single motor,” said Mautner, who first read about the proposed increase in The Coastal Star. “I use it to go snorkeling with my wife.”

Resident Clifton J. Bell emailed Commissioner Christina Romelus and Public Works Director Andrew Mack with this subject line: “City Resident Boat Decal 700% Increase is EXTREME.”

He objected to residents having to pay the higher cost of the permit when Boynton Beach plans to install metered kiosks that will operate 24/7, seven days a week. “Our taxes already go towards funding of city parks,” he wrote.

The city will charge any vehicle that uses the long boat spaces $1.50 per hour, payable at the two parking kiosks. The maximum charge is $10 on weekdays and $25 on weekends.

Boynton Beach will offer boat owners an annual parking pass at $200 for Florida residents and $350 for non-residents.

At the final budget hearing, Mack explained that the city is using penny sales tax money and a Florida Inland Navigation District grant to replace the Oyer Park boat ramp, on the Intracoastal Waterway. Requests for proposals will go out before the end of the year, he said. Construction will start in late spring or early summer.

Because of the construction, Commissioner Justin Katz proposed a $100 annual parking pass. “Boaters might not be able to use the ramp,” he said.

But Mayor Steven Grant wanted to keep the parking pass at $200.

“If you use the boat ramp eight times during the weekends or 20 times during the week, the pass will pay for itself,” he said. “People abuse the boat ramp and leave their trailers there.”

The idea of charging for parking is to allow more boaters to use the park, said Colin Groff, assistant city manager. “Ten shorter spots will be free. But if you park in the longer spaces, you will have to pay,” he said.

Reducing the pass cost by $150 will mean about $50,000 less in revenue to the city, Groff said. “But the city could sell more passes at the lower rate. We just don’t know where the numbers will be,” he said.

City commissioners narrowly approved the $200 annual parking pass rate, with Vice Mayor Ty Penserga and Katz voting no. Penserga had said at the first budget hearing that the pandemic was not the time to be raising rates.

By Steve Plunkett

Boca Raton’s City Council must reconsider its 5-0 decision not to grant permission to build a duplex on the beach, Palm Beach County circuit judges say.

Council members Andrea O’Rourke and Monica Mayotte prejudged the application by 2600 N Ocean LLC proposing a four-story, 14,270-square-foot residence east of A1A between Spanish River Park and Ocean Strand, the judges decided.

At a Feb. 26, 2019, City Council meeting, attorney Robert Sweetapple, representing the landowner, showed a campaign video of then-council member and now Mayor Scott Singer standing on a dune and declaring he could not support plans for a house on the beach. Sweetapple also had copies of emails that O’Rourke and Mayotte had sent constituents saying they would vote against variances for construction seaward of the Coastal Construction Control Line.

In a ruling issued Sept. 16, Circuit Judges Jaimie Goodman, Janis Keyser and G. Joseph Curley said Singer’s statements constituted a “general political stance made in a campaign video” and were permissible. But O’Rourke’s and Mayotte’s emails to residents — saying they had “no intention of granting [the application]” and “[would] do all I can to prevent this from happening” — showed they were not impartial, the judges said.

“This was more than mere political bias or an adverse political philosophy — it was express prejudgment of Petitioner’s application,” they said.

Their ruling said 2600 N. Ocean LLC “is entitled to a new hearing without the participation” of Mayotte and O’Rourke, who has since become deputy mayor. That would leave Singer and council members Jeremy Rodgers and Andy Thomson to rehear the application.

But Rodgers, a Navy Reserve officer, has been deployed on active duty to the Mideast and has not attended a council meeting since late June.

Sweetapple promised even more litigation over the parcel, which was recently appraised at $7.2 million.

“Boca Raton has engaged in a decades-long program to deny any development of this private, taxpaying, oceanfront property. To date it has failed to acquire the property as part of its spectacular oceanfront park system,” he said. “The continued denial of any reasonable development of this parcel constitutes a taking. The ongoing illegal actions of the city will continue to be addressed in the courts.”

Each side of the proposed duplex would have had a roof level with a pool, spa, fire pit and outdoor kitchen. Sweetapple said the building would have special glass facing the ocean that would transmit only 10 percent of interior light, below the city’s request for 15 percent, and have only 8 percent reflectivity. Lighting is a concern for nesting and hatchling sea turtles.

Council members caused an uproar when they gave a zoning variance in late 2015 for a four-story beachfront home two parcels south, at 2500 N. Ocean Blvd. The state Department of Environmental Protection issued a notice to proceed with that project, which still needs review by the city's Environmental Advisory Board and another council vote.

By Mary Hladky

Former Boca Raton Mayor Susan Haynie’s trial on public corruption charges has been postponed for the fourth time, and is now set to begin on Jan. 11, 2021.

Prosecutors and Bruce Zimet, Haynie’s criminal defense lawyer, agreed to move back the trial date from Oct. 26, citing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, additional time needed to complete pre-trial discovery and the possibility that not enough potential jurors would be available.

Palm Beach County Chief Judge Krista Marx suspended all jury trials in April because of the coronavirus pandemic but issued an administrative order on Sept. 9 allowing a limited number of trials to begin after Oct. 9.

Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen ordered the new trial date on Sept. 11.

Haynie, 64, was arrested on April 24, 2018, on charges of official misconduct, perjury, misuse of public office and failure to disclose voting conflicts. She faces more than 20 years in prison if convicted.

Prosecutors contend that Haynie used her position on the City Council to vote on six matters that financially benefited James Batmasian, the city’s largest downtown commercial landowner, and failed to disclose income she received from him.

Haynie has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Zimet has repeatedly said she will not accept a plea deal.

Then-Gov. Rick Scott suspended Haynie from office, but she never resigned. Scott Singer won a special election to claim the position in 2018 and was re-elected in March.

This arch and four others near the Atlantic Avenue pavilion will be cut down to 48 inches high to allow more plants to grow underneath. A city consultant in February advised leaving the tall sea grapes uncut to provide habitat for migrating songbirds and a buffer from streetlights for sea turtles.

By Jane Smith

The sea grapes along the municipal beach — including five iconic arches — will be trimmed, Delray Beach city commissioners decided on Sept. 10.

More than half of the 42 people who spoke on the sea grape issue at the commission meeting preferred trimming them. The sea grapes will be trimmed to be 48 inches in height.

Donald Robinson, representing 40 residents of the Manor House condominiums at 100 N. Ocean Blvd., called the arches a security issue. As he did more than three years ago, he complained about the arches “housing homeless people.”

He also said Manor House residents were worried about parts of the sea grapes breaking off during a storm, blowing across Ocean Boulevard and damaging their condos.

Other speakers who supported trimming the sea grapes said a lower height would let them see the ocean during their daily walks on the promenade.

Vice Mayor Ryan Boylston, who voted for trimming all the sea grapes on Aug. 18, also in a 3-2 vote, asked for the issue to be reheard at the Sept. 10 meeting.

He first talked about his kids geocaching (using GPS coordinates to find outdoor treasures) in the sea grape arches and wheeling his grandmother into the pavilion at Atlantic Avenue and Ocean Boulevard to see the ocean.

He also went to the beach before the meeting to take pictures of the arches and where the trimming has happened. He pointed out in the images how the area without the tunnels was “healthy and biodiverse” in its plants. The photos of the tunnels showed little plant life underneath the sea grapes.

Commissioner Adam Frankel, who supported the trimming on Aug. 18, continued to say they should be trimmed. He read a letter by Rob Barron, a dune consultant and former Delray Beach lifeguard, about how several of his native plantings died underneath the sea grapes.

“I believe in the science and Mr. Barron,” Frankel said.

But the two who voted for keeping the arches pointed out that Barron does not have a biology or other advanced degree as the coastal engineers hired to do the February study on the sea grape trimming plan.

Barron “is valuable to us in that he knows where all the native plants are,” said Missie Barletto, public works director.

“Mr. Barron said all the sea grapes should be removed,” said Commissioner Juli Casale, who wanted to keep the five arches.

Casale also said more than 1,600 residents signed a petition for keeping the arches.

“People come from all over and take pictures of the sea grape tunnels,” said Mayor Shelly Petrolia, who wanted to save the arches.

“The public wants the sea grape tunnels. Govern yourselves accordingly,” she said before the vote.

The trimming will continue in October after two colonies of honeybees are moved, Barletto said.

Materials and tarps cover both of the unmoveable portions of the bridge over the Boca Raton Inlet in late August. The bridge is getting a cleaning and new paint. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Tall ships, beware!

The bridge over the Boca Raton Inlet, which is being repainted, will have restricted daytime access for boaters starting Sept. 8 through Sept. 28, the Florida Department of Transportation says. Boats that need the bridge raised on weekdays can only transit the inlet before 7 a.m., after 5:30 p.m. and during three scheduled 30-minute openings: at 10 a.m., noon and 2:30 p.m.

“Vessels that may pass through the bridge without an opening may do so at any time,” the U.S. Coast Guard added.

In addition, the bridge vertical clearance will be reduced from 22.1 feet to 20.1 feet, the FDOT said. The bridge will operate on its normal schedule from 5:30 p.m. to 7 a.m. daily and on weekends and may open for emergencies at any time.

It remains closed to land traffic. Vehicles and pedestrians are being detoured to Federal Highway via Palmetto Park Road and Hillsboro Boulevard.

The repainting is scheduled to be finished in late fall.

—Steve Plunkett