" - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T06:58:07Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/%22Obituary: Sandra Feathermanhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/obituary-sandra-featherman2018-05-02T14:40:41.000Z2018-05-02T14:40:41.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>HIGHLAND BEACH — Sandra Featherman, a leader in the world of higher education and a tireless advocate for the rights of women and children, died April 26. She was 84.<br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960792866,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960792866,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="97" alt="7960792866?profile=original" /></a>The wife of former Highland Beach Mayor Bernard Featherman, Mrs. Featherman spent 11 years as president of the University of New England in southern Maine and was a well-respected political scientist, an author of books and more than 50 professional papers, a television and radio show host, and a philanthropist. <br /> Most of all, Mrs. Featherman spent much of her life helping to change lives either through her higher education efforts or her activism. <br /> “The legacy of making a difference is something she was very proud of,” said her son Andrew Featherman. “She fought all her life for higher education and she fought all her life helping to empower women.”<br /> In a November interview with <em>The Coastal Star</em>, Mrs. Featherman said she often heard from students from many years ago, letting her know about her positive impact on their lives.<br /> “I’m very proud of the fact that people will still write me and tell me I’ve made a serious difference in their lives,” she said. <br /> While she spent decades in higher education as a professor and an administrator — including a four-year term as vice chancellor of academic affairs at the University of Minnesota in Duluth — Mrs. Featherman is best known in academic circles for her leadership at the University of New England. <br /> During her years as president, several academic programs and majors were added, and the student enrollment grew at a steady pace. Under Mrs. Featherman’s leadership, the university gained a national reputation for its leadership in health care education. <br /> Although she retired in 2006, Mrs. Featherman remained active in higher education circles, serving as a commissioner of accreditation for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.<br /> “She accredited hundreds of colleges across the country,” said Andrew Featherman.<br /> In Florida, she was on the board of trustees of Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland and the board of Gulf Stream School. <br /> “She was very proud of her involvement with Florida Poly Tech,” Andrew Featherman said. <br /> Her years in higher education led her to write her 2014 book, Higher Education at Risk: Strategies to Improve Outcomes, Reduce Tuition, and Stay Competitive in a Disruptive Environment.<br /> Mrs. Featherman was also well regarded as a political scientist with a knack for accurately predicting election outcomes, especially local elections. She did not try to predict the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, however, believing it would be too close to call.<br /> “I’m a very good election prognosticator,” she said. “I understand politics, it’s in my bones.” <br /> Her skills earned her regular election night appearances on local television stations and made her an expert source for newspapers across the country, including The New York Times and Wall Street Journal.<br /> Memorial services were held late last month in Philadelphia, and family members are planning to host a South Florida celebration of her life — possibly this summer — for her many friends in Highland Beach and the surrounding area. <br /> Mrs. Featherman is survived by her husband, Bernard Featherman; sons Andrew (Elizabeth) and John (Masako); and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews. <br /> Contributions from Florida may be made in her name to Florida Polytechnic University.</p></div>Business Spotlight: The Hurricane in this alley is named Kimhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/business-spotlight-the-hurricane-in-this-alley-is-named-kim2016-06-29T16:17:44.000Z2016-06-29T16:17:44.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960665456,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960665456,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960665456?profile=original" /></a><em>Hurricane Alley owner Kim Kelly is celebrating the 20th anniversary of her Boynton Beach raw bar and restaurant.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>By Rich Pollack<br /><br /></strong> Grab a seat toward the end of the bar at Boynton Beach’s landmark Hurricane Alley Raw Bar and Restaurant and you might discover a small plaque, often obscured by ketchup and mustard bottles, honoring the memory of Harvey Oyer, a longtime and well-known real estate man with pioneer roots. (His great-uncle, Charlie Pierce, was one of the legendary Barefoot Mailmen.)<br /> “He helped me get started and he didn’t give up on me,” says owner Kim Kelly, who first opened the doors to the place in 1996, with Oyer as her landlord. “He’s one of the reasons we’re successful.”<br /> In exchange for giving Kelly an occasional pass on the rent, Oyer would daily commandeer his reserved seat at the bar and after lunch be handed a bill for just $4, no matter what he ordered.<br /> While Oyer’s generosity is one of the reasons Hurricane Alley is still here after 20 years, another has to be Kelly herself, a self-described gale force of action behind the hurricane in the restaurant’s name. <br /> On July 30, Kelly and Hurricane Alley — now a destination restaurant near where Ocean Avenue meets U.S. 1 — will be honoring the restaurant’s 20th anniversary with its “Summer Sizzle” celebration.<br /> Set to take Boynton by storm, the party from 3 to 11 p.m. will feature three bands, lots of food and a variety of vendors. <br />“It’s been 20 years and I’ve survived,” Kelly says. “There’s nothing better than surviving a hurricane.” <br /> It’s not only Kelly and the restaurant that have survived, it’s also the historic 1919 building housing Hurricane Alley that has survived. <br /> Over the years the space has been everything from a pharmacy to a restaurant and soda shop. <br /> But it had been vacant for more than a decade when Kelly, a bartender with a business degree, decided to become her own boss. <br />With lots of drive but little money, Kelly approached Oyer and asked if she could rent the vacant restaurant space. <br /> “We gutted the place,” she said, adding that she was doing a lot of the work herself, learning to use circular saws and drills. <br />To make ends meet, Kelly tended bar in West Palm Beach until 4 a.m., then after just a couple of hours of sleep, she got ready to open what was then Café Barista.<br /> Following six months of hammering and sawing, Kelly’s dream came to life when the cafe opened— but it wasn’t smooth sailing. <br /> “There were a lot of tears on the back steps,” she says. <br /> Back then, Kelly did just about everything herself, including working a tiny kitchen — a challenge since she had no idea how to cook. <br /> “I once called my mom and asked her how to bake a potato,” she said. <br /> Following four years of struggling, Kelly and two friends — both surfers — sat out back beside the alley and came up with a new name and a new concept. <br /> After coming close to closing the doors of what had evolved into a renamed raw bar and seafood restaurant, Kelly landed a loan to expand the kitchen. <br /> Over the years Hurricane Alley has expanded twice, and last year Kelly added a food truck that she takes on the road. The restaurant, which started with two employees, now has 43.<br /> She was also part of an important merger of sorts — marrying steady customer Burt Garnsey, whose family has operated the Sea Mist drift-fishing boat for four generations. Now Hurricane Alley offers a “You hook ’em, we cook ’em” deal to folks who bring in their catches from the Sea Mist. <br /> Kelly says one reason the restaurant has lasted so long is that she is never far away. She works seven days a week and is known to duck into the kitchen and start cooking if orders back up.<br /> “You can’t own it and walk away,” says Kelly, 53. “That’s how the vision gets lost.”<br /> Another way to preserve a vision is to make sure the people who supported it through thick and thin are not forgotten. <br /> So there, at the top of Hurricane Alley’s sandwich menu, you’ll find the Hurricane Harvey, a rare roast beef sandwich that Harvey Oyer would order from his seat by the end of the bar. <br /> And no, you won’t get it for just $4 (it’s now $9.95), no matter who you are.</p></div>Meet Your Neighbor: Terry Fedelehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/meet-your-neighbor-terry-fedele2015-12-02T20:30:14.000Z2015-12-02T20:30:14.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960611894,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960611894,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960611894?profile=original" /></a><em>Terry Fedele has been a vital part of the local health-care philanthropy scene since coming to Boca Raton with her husband, Jerry, seven years ago. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p>Her lengthy résumé might boggle the minds of some of the most avid volunteers in South County, and her monthly schedule might do the same.<br />She earned accolades for an even lengthier list of inspired accomplishments at this year’s Soroptimist International of Boca Raton / Deerfield Beach Women of Distinction breakfast, which honors female leaders making a difference in the lives of others.<br />“I feel very, very fortunate,” wife, mother, board member and community volunteer Terry Fedele said of the award. “There are many women in this community who give tirelessly of their time, talent and treasure, so I feel extremely blessed to have won.”<br />The 63-year-old coastal Boca Raton resident has lived in the area for seven years and is building a new home with husband Jerry, president and CEO of Boca Raton Regional Hospital.<br />“We feel like we landed in paradise,” Fedele said.<br />Before moving to Boca Raton, she worked in the Pittsburgh area as a registered nurse at the Allegheny General Hospital Suburban Campus (then called Suburban General) and eventually landed a series of professional roles prior to retiring as executive vice president of hospital operations. Her success in — and passion for — the health-care industry led her to join a long list of boards and committees that share her vision.<br />Fedele serves on Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation’s Hospital Ball, Go Pink Luncheon and golf tournament committees and is coordinator and director of sales for the Allianz Championship’s Women’s Pro-Am, which benefits the hospital’s Christine E. Lynn Women’s Health & Wellness Institute. She is a member of the hospital’s Collaborative Care Council and helps its Debbie-Rand Memorial Service League auxiliary group.<br />She also serves as a board member of the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center at Florida Atlantic University’s Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, gives her time to the college’s Caring Hearts Auxiliary and co-chairs its Keep Memories Alive walk. She and Jerry will co-chair the American Heart Association’s Boca Raton Heart Ball in 2016.<br />Education is another one of Fedele’s passions, so she decided to get involved with the Boca Raton Children’s Museum (vice chairwoman of the board), Florence Fuller Child Development Centers (chairwoman of the Men With Caring Hearts Awards Luncheon and co-chairwoman of the Wee Dream Ball) and the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s Boca’s Ballroom Battle (committee member) and Caribbean Cowboy Ball (co-chairwoman).<br />“My calendar is full, but that’s the way I like it,” she said. “The busier I am, the happier I am.”<br /><em>— Amy Woods</em></p>
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<p>10 QUESTIONS<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you?<br /><strong>A.</strong> I grew up in Pittsburgh, the daughter of blue-collar parents who instilled a strong work ethic in me and the value of education.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> In what professions have you worked, and which ones make you the proudest?<br /><strong>A.</strong> I have always been very proud of working in the nursing profession as I enjoy helping others and making a positive difference in their lives.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> What advice do you have for young adults selecting a career today?<br /><strong>A</strong>. Select a career that you are passionate about, and do not focus on how much money that choice affords you. Money is a short-term satisfier, and work is a significant part of your daily life.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> How did you choose to make your home in Boca Raton?<br /><strong>A.</strong> My husband, Jerry, took a job in Boca as the president and CEO of Boca Raton Community Hospital, which is now Boca Raton Regional Hospital.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> What is your favorite part about living in Boca Raton?<br /><strong>A.</strong> The people and how much they support their community and the organizations within the community. Every day in Boca is a perfect day, as this is truly paradise. For me, spending time helping others, being with friends and family, being at the beach and golf time makes life wonderful.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> What music do you listen to when you need inspiration or want to relax?<br /><strong>A.</strong> I like classic ’60s and ’70s music.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> Do you have a favorite quote that inspires you?<br /><strong>A.</strong> Treat others as you would want to be treated.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> Have you had mentors in your life — individuals who have inspired your decisions?<br /><strong>A.</strong> My dad is my hero. Through his example, he taught me to always be positive and not to wallow in sorrow or problems but to move on to the solution.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?<br /><strong>A.</strong> I would really want Katharine Hepburn, as she was strong, independent and the kind of person willing to give of herself to help and better others.<br /><br /><strong>Q.</strong> Who/what makes you laugh?<br /><strong>A.</strong> My husband and my children, as they are the joys of my life.</p></div>Boca Raton: Canal dredging project aims to improve boat navigationhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-canal-dredging-project-aims-to-improve-boat-navigation2015-03-04T16:56:17.000Z2015-03-04T16:56:17.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p><span><b>By Sallie James</b></span></p>
<p> Keeping the waterways free of navigation-clogging silt so boats can pass freely is a pricey proposition. </p>
<p> To help cover the cost of a huge dredging project to clear the silt from the Hillsboro Canal, Boca Raton officials are hoping to receive grant money from the Florida Inland Navigation District Waterways Assistance Program. The project is estimated to cost $550,000 and the city’s share will depend on the size of the grant.</p>
<p> The city is anticipating a cost-sharing reimbursement from FIND ranging anywhere from $275,000 to $412,000. And Deerfield Beach is expected to contribute approximately $137,500 toward the project, according to a memo from Jennifer Bistyga, of Boca municipal services.</p>
<p> Preparation for the dredging got underway more than a year ago and cost $100,000. The city entered an agreement with FIND for an array of preparatory services to measure sea depth, sea grass and organisms living in the bottom of the water, the submittal of agency permit applications, and the preparation of project bid documents, project bidding and the award of a construction contract, according to Boca Raton Deputy City Manager Mike Woika.</p>
<p> Under a cost-sharing arrangement for Phase I, the cities of Boca Raton and Deerfield Beach each contributed $25,000; two commercial marinas jointly contributed $25,000; and a consortium of boat owners from the Royal Palm Yacht and Racquet Club contributed $25,000, Woika said.</p>
<p> Phase II, the dredging, will involve the removal of 13,400 cubic yards of silt that has accumulated along the proposed length, posing a hindrance to boating navigation, Woika said.</p>
<p> Expected to start within a year, the dredging begins just west of Dixie Highway and continues east to just west of Deerfield Island Park, he said.</p>
<p> According to a city memo, Boca entered into an agreement with the Army Corps of Engineers in 1976 to maintain the navigability of the Hillsboro Canal between the Intracoastal Waterway and Dixie Highway. The Hillsboro Canal was subsequently dredged in 1976 and 1996.</p></div>