award - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T13:31:34Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/awardTots & Teens: FAU High students float ideas for sargassum use, win cash awardshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/tots-teens-fau-high-students-float-ideas-for-sargassum-use-win-ca2024-01-30T16:10:23.000Z2024-01-30T16:10:23.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12368589462,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12368589462,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12368589462?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><em>Guy Harvey Foundation award winners Kezia Abraham and Ava Detassis.</em></p>
<p><strong>By Faran Fagen</strong></p>
<p>Her vision was to collect mass amounts of sargassum washing up on beaches before they rotted and use the piles as sustainable material in a not-so-sustainable fashion industry.</p>
<p>“Instead of using other materials that create waste and contain toxins, sargassum can be used as a renewable resource,” said Ava Detassis, a senior at Florida Atlantic University High School in Boca Raton.</p>
<p>Detassis and schoolmate Kezia Abraham, a sophomore, recently won awards from the Guy Harvey Foundation, which collaborates with local, national and international organizations to conduct scientific research and provides funding to affiliated researchers who share this objective.</p>
<p>Ocean Exchange, a leader in supporting the acceleration of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and the sustainable blue economy, announced the awards.<br /> Detassis, of Boynton Beach, earned the 2023 Guy Harvey Foundation and Ocean Exchange Conservation Award of $1,000 and Nexus Art Award of $500 for her proposal, “Sarcasm for Sargassum: A Fashion Brand Sustained by Sargassum.”</p>
<p>Abraham, also of Boynton, took home the 2023 Guy Harvey Foundation and Ocean Exchange Scholar Award of $500 for her proposal “Use of Sargassum as a Formidable Agricultural Biofertilizer and Ruminant Feed.”</p>
<p>Detassis’ concept is to create a line that utilizes sargassum in the thread, dye and packaging materials of fashion. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12368590261,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12368590261,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="12368590261?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Ava’s ’Don’t be a Crab’ shirt features this design with a Florida blue crab. </em><br /> <strong><em>Photos provided</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><br /> Her shirt design for Sarcasm for Sargassum included a Florida blue crab and the phrase “Don’t be a Crab.’’</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">“The goal of Sarcasm for Sargassum is to provide a humorous and potentially educational clothing brand to fellow ocean lovers, while also providing another sustainable option in the fashion industry,” Detassis said. Abraham’s theory explains that sargassum-based fertilizers may help reduce the amount of farmland needed for livestock and usage of nitrogen-rich fertilizer. It enriches the soil, allowing crops to grow organically, and the feed acts as a diet supplement, making these uses of sargassum cost-effective products that can counteract global warming. Sargassum is also easier to digest than current diets for livestock and provides all necessary nutrients. </p>
<p style="text-align:left;">“This project was a great passion of mine, as I love the environment and I want to help the community and our world,” Abraham said. “Helping our community goes further than maintaining our environment, a passion which I explore and want to explore as a physician.”</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Abraham is dually enrolled at FAU and plans to major in biology and attend medical school, practicing as an orthopedic surgeon.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Abraham realized that the sargassum build-up on beaches was so plentiful that it almost looked like a field of grass. She thought to herself, why can’t it be? Ocean creatures eat seaweed like ruminants eat grass, so seaweed can be manipulated to imitate modern ruminant feed. And this feed can solve other problems faced in agriculture.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">“It is so important for us to inspire, educate and engage the next generation of marine conservationists, and that’s what we aspire to do with the GHF Conservation Scholar and Nexus Art Awards,” Guy Harvey Foundation CEO Jessica Harvey said. “Kezia’s proposal aligns perfectly with our mission of finding solutions to conservation through scientific research. Both students are so dedicated to conservation and sustainability.”</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">As for Detassis, Harvey said, “I love that Ava combined sustainability and fashion in her proposal, since our brand is committed to making products that contribute to ocean conservation and marine education and, like her, we are focused on making responsible apparel that consumers can feel good about wearing.”</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Detassis is contemplating a bachelor’s in architecture or interior design with a possible minor or double-major in studio art at a university in Florida.</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">“I’ve always been interested in design and different uses for creativity, but also the way our infrastructure affects the environment,” Detassis said. P</p>
<p style="text-align:left;">For more information on the Guy Harvey Foundation, visit <a>https://guyharveyfoundation.org. Follow</a> the foundation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @GuyHarveyOcean.</p></div>Boca Raton: Beach renourishment work wins national accoladehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-beach-renourishment-work-wins-national-accolade2023-06-28T14:27:32.000Z2023-06-28T14:27:32.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12127780864,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12127780864,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="12127780864?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Recent renourishment efforts not only widened the beach, but also improved navigation at the Boca Raton Inlet. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;">Boca Raton has received a “Best Restored Beach Award” from the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association for its collaboration with Deerfield Beach and Hillsboro Beach to renourish beaches in the three municipalities.<br />By working together, the three municipalities saved money on renourishment projects that they conducted independently in the past. The municipalities used about 370,000 cubic yards of sand dredged from the Boca Raton Inlet.<br />The ASBPA’s annual award honors restoration projects around the U.S. that improve a shoreline’s resiliency and mitigate damage and flooding from severe storms.</p>
<p style="text-align:right;"><br /> <em>— Mary Hladky</em></p></div>Highland Beach: $650,000 grant to fund emergency center, sewer improvementshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/highland-beach-650-000-grant-to-fund-emergency-center-sewer-impro2022-09-28T14:31:46.000Z2022-09-28T14:31:46.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>It took three tries, but Highland Beach finally has its first legislative appropriation in the town’s more than 70-year history.<br />Town leaders were recently notified a request for $650,000 to fund two projects through the Florida House of Representatives Local Support Grants has been approved. <br />The funds, according to town Commissioner Peggy Gossett-Seidman, who led efforts to secure the money, will help the town with plans for a new fire station and will be used to enhance a part of the town’s preparation for the potential impacts of sea-level rise. <br />“It’s nice to have recognition from the state that our residents deserve a fair share of state appropriations,” she said. “These grants will help ensure their safety and security and also help provide a cleaner environment.” <br />Highland Beach will receive $375,000 that will be used to create an Emergency Operations Center in the proposed new fire station. <br />It will also receive $275,000 to rehabilitate its six lift stations to ensure that wastewater removal systems operate efficiently even as sea levels rise. <br />Town Manager Marshall Labadie said that an Emergency Operations Center will make it safer for people coordinating rescue and cleanup efforts following a hurricane to remain in Highland Beach during the severe weather. <br />“The station will be a full EOC up to Category 5 hurricanes, allowing staff to remain on the three-mile barrier island during storms,” Highland Beach leaders wrote in the application for the funding. <br />In the request for dollars to rehabilitate the lift stations and prepare them to operate despite threats of rising seas, the town wrote that residents could be subjected to lower water quality without the improvements. <br />“Compromised lift stations can lead to sewage backups and leakages to the environment,” town leaders wrote. <br />The lift stations serve as sewage collection points throughout town and pump gathered wastewater under the Intracoastal Waterway to Delray Beach, where it is pushed through to a regional treatment and disposal facility. <br />The town will use the state funds to raise the levels of some lift stations and strengthen others to ensure they are impervious to rising sea water and other challenges. <br />Gossett-Seidman, who worked closely with state Rep. Mike Caruso (R-Delray Beach) to get the funding, said that appropriations are funds that come to a community as a result of requests for a specific project made to a local legislator. <br />“They are for projects beyond what the state would fund in the budget,” she said. <br />Earlier this year, Highland Beach suffered a setback in its efforts to win appropriations from the state when Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed requests for three projects, including the Emergency Operations Center. <br />The town had also asked for money for drainage improvements along State Road A1A and for additional crosswalk lighting. <br />Gossett-Seidman said the town decided not to ask again for help with the latter two projects in its request for money from the House of Representatives because drainage issues are being addressed in a Florida Department of Transportation A1A resurfacing project scheduled for 2024.<br />Embedding crosswalk lights in the pavement, she said, would have to wait until after the roadwork is completed. <br />An earlier appropriation request from the 2019-2020 budget year also made it through state committees and the Legislature but were axed by the governor. That year, most appropriations were cut so that the money could be used for efforts to fight the spread of COVID-19.<br />“We were approved both times up until the request got to the governor’s office,” Gossett-Seidman said. <br />The latest appropriation was from a fund controlled by the House of Representatives and didn’t require approval by DeSantis or the state Senate. </p></div>Boca Raton: Rodgers thanked for service on the dais and overseashttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-rodgers-thanked-for-service-on-the-dais-and-overseas2021-04-28T14:19:14.000Z2021-04-28T14:19:14.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8862131289,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8862131289,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="8862131289?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a>Jeremy Rogers thanked city residents in a video from Qatar. </em><strong>Photo provided</strong></p>
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<p><strong>By Mary Hladky</strong></p>
<p>Former Deputy Mayor Jeremy Rodgers, who was unable to complete his second term in office after his August deployment to Qatar in support of NATO operations in Afghanistan, bid farewell to city residents on the day his term would have ended.<br /> In a video filmed in Qatar, the Navy Reservist thanked city residents and his fellow City Council members on March 31.<br /> “I’ll never stop fighting for you guys who put me here,” he said to residents. “I have done everything I can to serve you guys, to fight for you, to do what is right. What a wonderful city we have. It is an amazing place. It has truly been an honor to serve.”<br /> He promised to continue serving the city “one way or another.”<br /> Mayor Scott Singer presented Rodgers with a plaque in his honor, and all five council members thanked him for his service to his country.<br /> “He served our community with honor, as one would hope with any elected official,” Singer said. “He brought unique insight to our discussions on the dais and made them better.”<br /> On April 22, Rodgers posted a brief update on Facebook: “Heading home,” he wrote from Al Udeid Air Base in Doha, followed by emojis of the U.S. flag and an anchor.<br /> Council members appointed Yvette Drucker on Oct. 27 to replace Rodgers until his term ended. Drucker already had started campaigning for term-limited Rodgers’ seat and won election to a three-year term on March 9.<br /> After honoring Rodgers, council members unanimously agreed to make no changes to their positions. Andrea O’Rourke will continue as deputy mayor, Monica Mayotte as Community Redevelopment Agency chairperson and Andy Thomson as CRA vice chairperson.</p></div>Lifesaving Award: Town Hall, Manalapan —Jan. 26https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lifesaving-award-town-hall-manalapan-jan-262021-02-03T16:32:20.000Z2021-02-03T16:32:20.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8511235870,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8511235870,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8511235870?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Police Chief Carmen Mattox honors property manager Andrew Klinginsmith for his ‘bravery and selfless attitude for putting his life in danger in order to save a fellow citizen.’ Klinginsmith rescued a passenger who was ejected from a box truck on Dec. 18 when it crashed against a wall along A1A. He tried to rescue the driver, who was unconscious inside the cab as the truck burst into flames. The driver died. Klinginsmith sustained first- and second-degree burns to his arms and face. Town Clerk Lisa Petersen said ‘his actions were not unexpected. He’s one of the good guys!’ <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p></div>Boca Raton: Praise showered on water departmenthttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-praise-showered-on-water-department2020-12-30T15:39:16.000Z2020-12-30T15:39:16.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p><strong>By Rich Pollack</strong></p>
<p>Boca Raton’s innovative use of wastewater, its creative billing of reclaimed water customers, and its use of state-of-the-art monitoring technology are gaining national attention. <br /> The city’s Utilities Department was recently named one of 65 departments nationally to be designated a Utility of the Future Today by the Water Environment Federation and several partner organizations.<br /> The award, according to Boca’s Director of Utility Services Chris Helfrich, focused on the city’s reclaimed water program, which offers highly treated wastewater effluent to golf courses, other organizations and homes for irrigation. <br /> “This award recognizes our use of cutting-edge technology to determine what we can do to make our system better,” Helfrich said. <br /> The award recognizes Boca Raton’s designation as a 100% water-reuse facility, meaning that all treated effluent is used for irrigation, except in unusual circumstances. That results in several environmental benefits, including a recharging of the aquifer as the reclaimed water percolates through the ground. <br /> By repurposing wastewater effluent for irrigation, the utility can avoid discharging the treated water into the ocean or going through the costly process of deep-well injection. At the same time, Boca Raton is able to conserve potable drinking water that might be otherwise used for irrigation. <br /> The city estimates that it saves about 4.1 million gallons of water every year as a result of the reuse program. <br /> Helfrich says that about 13 million gallons a day of reclaimed water goes to seven golf courses in the Boca Raton area, and is used for irrigation for the courses and some landscaping at the Boca Raton Resort & Club and the Royal Palm Yacht and Country Club. Reclaimed water helps irrigate lawns and landscaping at about 1,600 homes, including most east of the Intracoastal Waterway and south of Camino Real. <br /> To oversee the water flow, Boca Raton uses a high-tech telemetry system that can monitor pressure in water pipes remotely and can ensure that water levels in golf course storage ponds aren’t too high or too low. <br /> Boca Raton’s utility was also recognized for its innovative billing system for reclaimed water. Rather than charge its largest users a per gallon rate, the utility enters into a 10-year contract with the user where it charges a fixed monthly rate and in exchange, the user receives a 40% discount. <br /> “This was something we brainstormed internally,” Helfrich says, adding that he isn’t aware of any other utility using a similar billing system. <br /> With the billing system in place, customers know what their monthly bills will be and the utility knows how much revenue to expect from those users on a monthly and annual basis. <br /> Helfrich said city leaders have been supportive of the initiatives and have been forward thinking when it comes to the water and wastewater treatment needs in the community. <br /> Since 2016, the Utilities of the Future Today program has celebrated the achievements of water utilities that transform from the traditional wastewater treatment system to a resource recovery center. It also recognizes utilities that serve as leaders in the overall sustainability and resilience of the communities they serve.Ú</p></div>20-Year Award Presentation: Lantana Council Chambers — Nov. 9https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/20-year-award-presentation-lantana-council-chambers-nov-92020-12-02T16:25:36.000Z2020-12-02T16:25:36.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}8241246890,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}8241246890,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="8241246890?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Dave Stewart, who has been Lantana’s mayor for 20 years, received a 20 Years of Service Award from the Florida League of Cities during a meeting of the Town Council. Stewart was president of the Palm Beach County League of Cities in 2007-2008. His association with the leagues, Stewart said, ‘taught me a lot and I would not be as effective as I am without the Palm Beach County League of Cities and the Florida League of Cities.’ ABOVE: (l-r) Sam Ferreri of the Florida League of Cities, Stewart and Richard Radcliffe, executive director of the Palm Beach County League of Cities. <strong>Mary Thurwachter/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p></div>Lantana Lifesaving Awardhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-livesaving-award2020-07-31T15:00:00.000Z2020-07-31T15:00:00.000ZMary Thurwachterhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryThurwachter<div><p><span style="font-size:14pt;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960956677,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960956677,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="640" alt="7960956677?profile=original" /></a> Lifeguard Tanner Thielemann (right) received the Lantana Police Department’s Lifesaving Award during the July 27<sup>th</sup>Town Council meeting. Police Chief Sean Scheller, who made the presentation, said Thielemann, a 34-year-old South Palm Beach resident, noticed a distressed swimmer yelling for help about 60 yards offshore on May 23. Thielemann grabbed a buoy and swam out to bring the 18-year-old man safely back to shore. Earlier that day, Thielemann, a lifeguard and marine safety officer in Lantana for five years, had been talking to beach-goers about the dangers of rip tides which were occurring that day. <strong>Mary Thurwachter/The Coastal Star</strong></em></span></p>
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<p></p></div>Philanthrophy Notes: Grant to boost neuroscience institute at Boca Regional Hospitalhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/philanthrophy-notes-grant-to-boost-neuroscience-institute-at-boca2020-03-03T21:41:55.000Z2020-03-03T21:41:55.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p></p>
<p><strong>By Amy Woods</strong></p>
<p><strong>Boca Raton Regional Hospital</strong> has received another transformative donation toward its $250 million “Keeping the Promise” campaign to expand and improve the hospital.</p>
<p><br />Philanthropists Bernie and Billi Marcus have made an additional gift of $15 million. It will supplement a $25 million commitment from their foundation in 2012, which created the Marcus Neuroscience Institute.</p>
<p><br />“There are few who understand the value of ensuring the next generation of health care better than Bernie and Billi Marcus,” said Lincoln Mendez, the hospital’s president and CEO. “We are forever grateful to them for their foresight, relentless spirit, selfless generosity and commitment to their passion — the Marcus Neuroscience Institute.”</p>
<p><br />Keeping the Promise has raised $153 million toward its goal.</p>
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<p><strong>Nonprofit is looking for a few good women</strong></p>
<p>Impact 100 Palm Beach County has issued an open invitation to women who want to make difference in their community.</p>
<p><br />Through March 31, a membership drive is taking place for the organization, which is dedicated to giving high-impact grants to nonprofits that rely on donations to further their missions. The grants will be presented April 15 during the Grand Awards event.</p>
<p><br />“The goal of Impact 100 Palm Beach County is to turn a nonprofit’s visionary idea into reality in a high-impact way that helps the local community,” President Kathy Adkins said. “Since 2011, Impact 100 Palm Beach County has awarded more than $3.3 million in grants to over 30 nonprofits to make positive change in southern Palm Beach County.”</p>
<p><br />For more information, call 561-336-4623 or visit <a href="http://www.impact100pbc.org">www.impact100pbc.org</a>.</p>
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<p><strong>Luncheon raises $45,000 for Crossroads Club</strong></p>
<p>More than 200 attended The Crossroads Club’s Gratitude Luncheon to benefit the nonprofit haven for people fighting addiction.<br />Longtime Delray Beach resident Tony Allerton, the club’s executive director and one of its original members, was honored for six decades of service to the community.</p>
<p><br />“For 37 years, The Crossroads Club has helped tens of thousands of people who suffer from addiction — from local residents to snowbirds to visitors to our community,” said Delray Beach Mayor Shelly Petrolia, who served as honorary chairwoman. “This nonprofit helps empower individuals to reemerge as positive contributors to our city.”</p>
<p><br />A total of $45,000 was raised.<br /><br /></p>
<p><strong>Poverty-awareness initiative launched</strong></p>
<p>The Junior League of Boca Raton’s Little Black Dress Initiative will take place March 9-13, raising awareness for the needs of underserved women and children in Palm Beach and Broward counties.</p>
<p><br /> League members will wear the same dress every day for five days along with a button that reads, “Ask Me About My Dress.” The goal is to address the reality of limited resources and lack of choices among people who live in poverty.</p>
<p><br /> The event was to kick off March 5 at Rex Baron Boca Raton. It will coincide with the Association of Junior Leagues International’s Day of Impact on March 10. On March 25, members will donate their dresses to Dress for Success Palm Beaches. Chairwomen Cheryl Marcus and Tara Patton are aiming to raise $20,000 through the initiative to buy diapers for mothers in need.</p>
<p><br /><strong>The Arc receives national award for innovation</strong></p>
<p>It was an amazing year for The Arc of Palm Beach County.</p>
<p><br />The charity earned 11 awards in 2019 recognizing its programs, services and staff. The Arc received a national Program Innovation Award for designing a student mentor program.</p>
<p><br /> It also recognized two team members, with the Leadership in Education Award (to Bairbre Flood) and the Direct Service Staff Award (to Brooke Teta).</p>
<p><br />“I see the work my team does and the lives that they impact on a daily basis,” said Kimberly McCarten, president and CEO of The Arc of Palm Beach County. “To have our peers, partners and the community recognize our dedication is both satisfying and humbling.”</p>
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<p><strong>Celebrations mark milestone for Toastmasters</strong></p>
<p>The Bill Gove Golden Gavel Toastmasters Club of Boynton Beach recently celebrated its 20th anniversary along with the birthday of its namesake.</p>
<p><br />Mr. Gove, who died in 2001 at age 89, was a charter member of the local club, which has earned Toastmasters International President’s Distinguished Club status for 17 of its 20 years. He also served as the first president of the National Speakers Association.</p>
<p><br />The mission of the Bill Gove Golden Gavel Toastmasters Club is to provide a mutually supportive and positive learning environment for members to develop communications skills. For more information, call 561-737-7388 or visit billgovetoastmastersclub.com.</p>
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<p><em>Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.</em></p></div>Jacob’s Ladder Award Gala— The Polo Club of Boca Raton — Dec. 14https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/jacob-s-ladder-award-gala-the-polo-club-of-boca-raton-dec-142020-03-03T21:27:13.000Z2020-03-03T21:27:13.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960926674,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960926674,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="7960926674?profile=original" /></a><em>Perry Isenberg, John and Meryl Guerrero, Matt and Stephanie Scupp, Tami Isenberg and Bari and Michael Zahalsky. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p>Jewish Adoption and Family Care Options’ annual event raised more than $1 million for abused and neglected children and those with developmental disabilities. Chaired by Stephen and Nanci Beyer and Stephen and Helene Weicholz, the elegant evening featured a cocktail reception, fine dining, silent and live auctions, dancing and a heartwarming presentation about the agency’s life-saving work.</p></div>Boca Raton: Landscape excellence recognized by city committeehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-raton-landscape-excellence-recognized-by-city-committee2019-12-04T17:13:22.000Z2019-12-04T17:13:22.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p>Presented during a ceremony at City Hall on Nov. 20, Boca Raton’s annual Landscape Excellence Awards recognized seven properties. The award criteria included tree canopy, proper pruning, variety, color and texture, as well as how the property is fertilized, irrigated and maintained.<br /> The winners were selected by the Boca Raton Beautification Committee, whose goal is to make Boca Raton the “most beautiful city in America.” Recipients were Por La Mar Park, 789 Palm Ave., in the city-park category; St. Gregory’s Episcopal Church, 100 NE Mizner Blvd., place-of-worship category; Boca City Walk, 33 SE Eighth St., residential high-density category; Library Commons Apartments, 24-74 NW Seventh St., residential medium-density property category; the Sanctuary, which won in residential low-density gated property; Build Masters, 2420 NW First Ave., industrial small-property category; and the building at 1700 NW Second Ave., small commercial-property category.<br /> The all-volunteer Beautification Committee, founded in 1983, first funded landscaping at South Federal Highway and Royal Palm Way. From this small project grew an effort that today includes 5 million square feet of landscaped medians and right of way throughout the city.</p>
<p><em>— Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley</em></p></div>Lantana: Police officers commended for saving twohttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-police-officers-commended-for-saving-two2019-12-04T17:03:29.000Z2019-12-04T17:03:29.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong></p>
<p>Three Lantana police officers were given lifesaving awards — and a standing ovation — for having prevented two suicide attempts on I-95 overpasses in September.<br /> Police Chief Sean Scheller, who made the presentations during the Nov. 25 Town Council meeting, shared the details, and in one case video from the police car, of the rescues.<br /> On Sept. 24, Officer Ngin Tuang responded to I-95 and West Lantana Road regarding a suicidal woman atop the overpass, Scheller said. Tuang establish rapport with the woman to distract her. During the conversation, Tuang was able to inch close enough to grab her from the railing and pull her to safety.<br /> “Officer Tuang’s swift and decisive action clearly saved this woman’s life and may have prevented additional injury or death on an unsuspecting motorist traveling on the interstate,” Scheller said.<br /> On Sept. 29, police were called to the I-95 overpass at Hypoluxo Road, where a man was straddling the guardrail above the southbound lanes of the interstate.<br /> Officer Jacquelyn Cucca talked to the man until she and her partner, Officer Luis Morales, were able to get close enough to pull him off the wall. Scheller, who showed a video captured by a squad car camera, praised Cucca for her patience and calming demeanor, and both officers for their work.<br /> “Their decisive action and teamwork clearly saved this man’s life and may have prevented additional deaths or injuries to the unsuspecting motorists below,” Scheller said.<br /> “This doesn’t happen often,” he said, referring to suicide attempts from overpasses, “and I’m so proud of these officers.”<br /> Among other police honored at the meeting was Officer Elizabeth Waldkoetter, who received the Employee of the Third Quarter award for leading the department’s efforts to collect and deliver supplies to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian.<br /> “Elizabeth worked diligently with town staff and local residents in coordinating relief efforts for those dramatically affected in the Bahamas,” Scheller said. Waldkoetter secured a local vessel, which made several trips to the Bahamas.<br /> <strong>In other news</strong>, Town Manager Deborah Manzo introduced the town’s new development services director, Nicole Dritz, effective Nov. 18.<br /> Dritz, 30, has worked for the town for five years and has been the town clerk. She replaces David Thatcher, who resigned in October after 19 years with the town. <br /> Her responsibilities will include managing the building division, code enforcement, planning and economic development functions. She will oversee the town’s redevelopment efforts, which include drafting codes, creating land use categories, amending the comprehensive plan and developing strategies for commercial and residential revitalization. <br /> Dritz has a bachelor’s degree in urban and regional planning from FAU and served as the town’s community planner for three years. She also served as assistant public works director and interim library director.<br /> Until a new clerk is hired, Dritz will do double duty as clerk and development services director.<br />In other action, the Town Council gave Manzo a glowing evaluation and a 6% pay increase — from $148,542 a year to $157,455. Her contract was extended until 2023.</p></div>Along the Coast: Coastal Star wins 10 state journalism awardshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-coastal-star-wins-10-state-journalism-awards2019-12-04T16:06:35.000Z2019-12-04T16:06:35.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Steve Plunkett</strong><br /> <br />Florida Press Club judges honored The Coastal Star with three first-place awards, five seconds and two thirds in the annual Excellence in Journalism Competition last month.<br /> Top awards in their categories were to Editor Mary Kate Leming (commentary) for her columns on the murderous attack at a newspaper office in Maryland, guns and suicide, and local environmental awareness; to Ron Hayes (arts news) for a feature on murals being painted in a Boca Raton park; and to Scott Simmons and others (feature page design) for laying out stories and photos on Thanksgiving toasts, Publix scales and the new Norton Museum. <br /> Runners-up went to Rich Pollack (in-depth reporting and education writing) for coverage of a Highland Beach homicide and a profile of the retiring head of Gulf Stream School; to Gretel Sarmiento (arts news) for reviews at the Norton and the Boca Museum of Art; to Dan Moffett (government news) for reports on South Palm Beach and Ocean Ridge; and to Steve Plunkett (public safety news) for coverage of a former Ocean Ridge vice mayor’s felony trial.<br /> Third-place awards were given to Joyce Reingold (health writing) for columns on 3-D mammography at Bethesda Women’s Medical Center and other subjects, and to Brian Biggane (sports feature) for articles including Delray Beach’s renown as a mecca for tennis.</p></div>Celebrations: George and Mary Hood Award — Stetson University, DeLand — Nov. 9https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/celebrations-george-and-mary-hood-award-stetson-university-deland2019-12-03T22:00:14.000Z2019-12-03T22:00:14.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960902052,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960902052,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-full" alt="7960902052?profile=original" /></a><em>Alumni Association President Ranell Mason, Nancy Bayless and Stetson President Wendy Libby. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
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<p>Nancy Walker Bayless, Class of 1962, was honored for her commitment to and passion for Stetson University and contributions to enriching its core values. ‘My Stetson education was a gift that helped me to set standards for my personal and professional growth, ‘ Bayless said when accepting the award. Bayless and her husband, David, are part-time residents of Briny Breezes.</p></div>Along the Coast: Coastal Star wins eight statewide awardshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-coastal-star-wins-eight-statewide-awards2019-07-31T16:41:22.000Z2019-07-31T16:41:22.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Stephen Moore</strong><br /> <br />The Coastal Star won eight awards at the 2018-19 Florida Press Association’s competition for weekly newspapers. The awards ceremony was held in St. Petersburg on July 12. The Coastal Star competed in the largest category against newspapers with circulations of more than 13,000.<br /> “Contests are a way for us to showcase the professionalism of our writers, editors and photographers,” said Executive Editor Mary Kate Leming. “We are proud their work placed so well within a category that includes the largest and best weekly newspapers in the state.” <br />The monthly took home four first places, two second places and two third places.<br />Feature writer Ron Hayes won two first places and a third place. Hayes won in the feature story/profile category with a story about Alberta Schultz, the 1953 Miss Boca Raton who was celebrating 50 years as a local travel agent. He also won in the community history classification with a story about the Wise Elder Circle at the Delray Beach Historical Society.<br /> Rich Pollack was a first-place winner in local government reporting for stories about the town of Highland Beach’s having to shell out $225,000 in severance pay to three town managers in three years.<br /> The fourth first place went to James Arena in the reader-generated photo category for his overhead photo of dozens of surfers on surfboards surrounding Ryan Heavyside at a memorial service for his father, Ron, who died during the 50th anniversary year of his Nomad Surf Shop. Hayes took third place in the best obituary class for his obit on Heavyside.<br />Second-place winners were Gretel Sarmiento in the arts, entertainment and review reporting category for her story about sculptor Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, and Sallie James in health, medical and science reporting for her story about a local gym providing boxing workouts for people with Parkinson’s disease. Janis Fontaine’s story on St. Lucy Catholic Church’s celebrating 50 years was a third-place winner in the faith and family reporting category.</p></div>Spirit of Giving honors Boca couple: Cheribundi Boca Raton Bowl, FAU — Dec. 18https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/spirit-of-giving-honors-boca-couple-cheribundi-boca-raton-bowl-fa2019-01-02T16:09:38.000Z2019-01-02T16:09:38.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960834071,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960834071,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960834071?profile=original" /></a><em>Anne and Peter Vegso of Boca Raton and two of their grandsons acknowledge the crowd before the couple were honored at halftime of the Boca Raton Bowl last month at FAU Stadium. Their philanthropic giving was celebrated by Spirit of Giving Network President David Dunston (left), who gave the Vegsos the Show Your Community Spirit Award.’ <span class="s1"><b>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</b></span></em></p></div>Along the Coast: State press club honors The Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-state-press-club-honors-the-coastal-star2018-11-28T18:40:13.000Z2018-11-28T18:40:13.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><em>The Coastal Star</em> racked up 10 awards — one first-place, four second-place and five third-place— at the 68th annual Excellence in Journalism Competition sponsored by the Florida Press Club.<br />The awards were handed out at the Press Club’s annual banquet Nov. 3 in Mount Dora.<br /><em>The Coastal Star</em> took home honors in the Class C and Class D divisions, which encompass daily, nondaily, community, tribal and college newspapers. Florida magazines and newspaper supplements are also included in the class.<br />The first-place award went to Ron Hayes, writing/environmental news.<br />Second-place awards went to Cheryl Blackerby, writing/environmental news; Ron Hayes, writing/minority reporting; Jerry Lower, photography/features; and Dan Moffett, writing/government news. <br />Third-place awards went to Deborah S. Hartz-Seeley, writing/environmental news; Mary Hladky, writing/business writing; Willie Howard, writing/sports column; Arden Moore, writing/public safety reporting; and Rich Pollack, writing/government news.</p>
<p><em>— Henry Fitzgerald</em></p></div>South Palm Beach: League of Cities banquethttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/south-palm-beach-league-of-cities-banquet2018-05-30T16:38:23.000Z2018-05-30T16:38:23.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960792086,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960792086,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="533" alt="7960792086?profile=original" /></a><em>Robert Gottlieb (right), vice mayor of South Palm Beach, receives the William ‘Bill’ Moss Memorial Award from Palm Beach County League of Cities President Keith James on May 23 at the Kravis Center in West Palm Beach. The award is given to public servants who demonstrate ‘exemplary involvement, support and dedication’ to the league. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p></div>Miss Jr. Pre-Teen Glamour Winner: Rosen Centre Hotel, Orlando – Dec. 18https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/miss-jr-pre-teen-glamour-winner-rosen-centre-hotel-orlando-dec-182018-01-03T00:59:52.000Z2018-01-03T00:59:52.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960766869,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960766869,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="600" class="align-center" alt="7960766869?profile=original" /></a><em>Bindiya Evans, of South Palm Beach, won Miss Jr. Pre-Teen Glamour in a national modeling competition for ages 7 through 9. Bindiya received a trophy and a $2,500 cash prize. <b>ABOVE</b>: Bindiya with her parents, Rahonie and Lee Evans. <b>Photo provided</b></em> </p>
<p></p></div>Scholastic achievement: Gulf Stream School, Gulf Stream – June 8https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/scholastic-achievement-gulf-stream-school-gulf-stream-june-82017-06-28T13:13:06.000Z2017-06-28T13:13:06.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960730077,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="500" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960730077,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960730077?profile=original" /></a><em>The Donald H. Miller Award for Highest Average/Ranking of the class of 2017 at Gulf Stream School</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>was presented to two recipients this year — Julie Moquin and Landon Brody. The award was shared</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><em>Head of School Joseph J. Zaluski, left, made the presentations.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Photo provided</strong><br /><br /></p></div>Lantana: Why this small, under-the-radar beach town shows big-time appeal in a new surveyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/lantana-why-this-small-under-the-radar-beach-town-shows-big-time-2016-06-29T15:00:00.000Z2016-06-29T15:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960658294,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960658294,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960658294?profile=original" /></a>Lantana has a public beach, one of the requirements for under-the-radar beach towns in a nationwide survey by realtor.com. Above, the Ellis family of Lake Worth cools off in the water at the beach. <strong>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Mary Thurwachter</strong><br /> <br /> Near the end of a Town Council meeting in May, when public comments were given, a longtime Lantana resident marched to the podium to offer her congratulations because Lantana had been named America’s fourth-best under-the-radar (and affordable) beach town by realtor.com.<br /> “I had no idea,” Mayor Dave Stewart says when asked about the designation. He guesses the title followed some sort of polling done during the last year. But he has since learned the criteria, discovering that the honor came both for what Lantana is not as well as what the town offers residents.<br /> For example, Lantana is not a famous beach town. It has a low Google search volume compared with hot spots like Miami Beach and Santa Monica, Calif. And it is small. Only 10,000 people live within its three square miles. Yet there are plenty of good restaurants and residents are offered beach access and oodles of amenities. <br /> Homes are affordable, too. “You could get a condo for $50,000 or a mega-mansion for millions,” Stewart says.<br /> All of those things were considered by realtor.com’s survey, in which Lantana came in after first-place Ocean Park, Wash., second-place Cape Canaveral and third-place Crescent City, Calif.<br /> “We’re a little slice of Old Florida in the middle of the Gold Coast, with the kind of small-town atmosphere that has disappeared from much of this area,” says Chamber of Commerce president Dave Arm. “We have great restaurants, world-class fishing and diving, a new kayak and paddleboard park and fishing pier.” </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659461,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659461,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960659461?profile=original" /></a><em>Anglers unload the Lady K drift boat at Lantana’s Sportsman’s Park, near the Old Key Lime House. The boat goes out daily.</em></p>
<p><br /> And then there’s the annual fishing fest, a three-day event attended by hundreds of residents and visitors with free family-friendly parties open to all.<br /> “We host 50 underprivileged children at our Kids’ Derby every year, assisted by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and the Lantana Police Department,” Arm says. “We give them each their own rod and reel and tackle box to keep. We take them fishing at the Lantana fishing pier at Bicentennial Park and teach them to bait their hooks, cast and fish.” <br /> The little angler with the biggest fish wins a bicycle. Second- and third-place prizes are given, as well.<br /> Seems the fish weren’t biting much at this year’s derby in May.<br /> “Third-place fish was a crab,” Arm says. <br /> “Most of these children have never been fishing, and we hope we’re kicking off a lifelong appreciation for the sea and our sport,” he says.<br /> Arm and his wife, Renee, own Lantana Fitness.<br /> “We enjoy seeing people of all ages and backgrounds exercising together at a true neighborhood club,” he says. “It’s that kind of community, and why we love Lantana.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659487,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659487,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960659487?profile=original" /></a>Patrons at the Dune Deck enjoy the view and breeze at the beach.</em></p>
<p>Mary Smith loves Lantana, too. A regular at Town Council meetings (she is the one who spoke about the realtor.com designation after she saw it on Facebook), Smith has lived in the town for 47 years.<br /> “From the moment I moved here from a suburb of Buffalo, N.Y., I have loved the fact that Lantana was a small town where I could — and do — walk everywhere. <br /> “Lantana has the best beach around, as far as I’m concerned. It is a family-friendly place and I went to it every day when I moved here. When I started a family, I took them every afternoon, as well. I still go often. Because the warm waters of the Gulf Stream come close to the beach, the water is always warm.”<br /> The beach, with 745 feet of ocean frontage, isn’t anywhere near as wide as it was in the ’70s and ’80s and British journalists, in town for tryouts at <em>The National Enquirer</em> (based in Lantana then), played cricket on the shoreline. But the beach still has its charm with picnic areas, an oceanfront pavilion, lifeguard station, playground and the Dune Deck, a seaside restaurant known to locals and travelers from around the globe.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659878,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960659878,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960659878?profile=original" /></a><em>A path winds inside the Lantana Nature Preserve. The coastal hammock, often used for ecological education, was previously a garbage dump.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><br /> But Lantana’s allure extends well beyond the beach and its newly paved parking lot. One of the town’s proudest assets is the Lantana Nature Preserve, a coastal hammock between the Carlisle senior living facility on East Ocean Avenue and the Intracoastal Waterway — and simply a lovely place to take a short hike.<br /> Other town amenities include a sports complex with baseball and soccer fields, a recreation center with tennis courts, shuffleboard courts and a barbecue pavilion and a two-acre boat launching facility.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960660074,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960660074,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960660074?profile=original" /></a><em>The house that is home to the Old Key Lime House restaurant, built in 1889, is one of the oldest existing structures in Palm Beach County.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">Shops and restaurants along Ocean Avenue, including the iconic Old Key Lime House (one of state’s oldest waterside eateries), are thriving again since the Ocean Avenue bridge was rebuilt three years ago.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960660470,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960660470,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960660470?profile=original" /></a><em>Shops and restaurants along East Ocean Avenue are thriving since the rebuilt Ocean Avenue bridge opened three years ago.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;">“I love the relaxed atmosphere of all our functions,” says Stewart, who exemplifies the laid-back beach town/fishing village vibe by wearing Hawaiian shirts (and often shorts) as he presides over Town Council meetings. <br /> The town’s Fourth of July fireworks celebration is among the best around and always draws a big crowd to Bicentennial Park.<br /> “We have movies at the beach, a dog park, a Halloween party for kids at the Nature Preserve, an all-volunteer library (except for the director), and all kinds of free events for families,” Stewart says. <br /> “At Christmastime, our Kiwanis Club gives away 50 to 90 bikes to kids and on Thanksgiving they deliver 600 to 700 meals to people who otherwise wouldn’t have a turkey dinner,” the mayor says. <br /> “We have our problems like any municiaplity, but it’s all those little things that make a difference,” Stewart says.<br /> Until a few years ago, retired town Councilman Lou Canter emerged from the sea on Groundhog Day as Lantana Lou, the town’s answer to Punxsutawney Phil. With trident and stuffed fish in hand, Lou would proclaim “12 months of beautiful weather and eight more weeks of our good friends the snowbirds.”<br /> In 2009, Lantana residents mailed hundreds of coconuts to Postmaster General John E. Potter in an effort to save their post office. And it worked, raising awareness in a nutty beach town way.<br /> Lantana is a friendly small town, for sure.<br /> “If you go to the Ace Hardware store, people will know you and you will know them,” Stewart says. “It’s that kind of town.”<br /> The mayor remembers when he and his wife were house hunting in 1989, the year his son was born. They scoped out houses between Port St. Lucie and Boca Raton, looking for a place on the water.<br /> “We wanted a place we could dock our boat and be able to get on a bicycle and ride to the beach,” he says. The search landed the Stewarts in Lantana, on Hypoluxo Island.<br /> “The only place that came close was Sewall’s Point,” he says. “The house we liked there was on the market for $1.4 million and ours was $350,000 at the time.”<br /> They have no plans to leave. </p></div>Books: National writing award is a boost his old forklift can’t deliverhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/books-national-writing-award-is-a-boost-his-old-forklift-can-t-de2016-05-31T18:48:24.000Z2016-05-31T18:48:24.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960653271,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960653271,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="720" alt="7960653271?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>J.W. Alden of Hypoluxo got $1,000, a trophy and inclusion of his short story in L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
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<p><strong>By Ron Hayes</strong><br /><br /> For 10 long years, J.W. Alden worked the graveyard shift at one of those mammoth retail warehouses. Maybe Costco, maybe Sam’s Club, he’d rather not say.<br /> He was the guy who spent his nights driving the forklift, stacking giant pallets of bottled water and toilet paper over the aisles.<br /> He got home about 6 a.m. His wife, Allison Goff, left for work at 8. During the day, he tried to write science fiction stories.<br /> And then one morning she looked at him and asked, “James, when are you going to just be a writer? Why don’t you just quit and write full-time?” <br />For his wife, it wasn’t a tough call.<br />“He was a gray version of himself,” she remembers, “unhappy, stuck in the grind with no time to be creative.”<br />As the director of member and visitor services at the Flagler Museum in Palm Beach, she made a decent salary. She was climbing, happy in her career, but her husband clearly wasn’t.<br />“I wanted us both to achieve our goals and couldn’t stand to bear witness to him wasting his talent or his time,” she said.<br /> That was three years ago.<br />In April, the Hypoluxo resident was flown to Los Angeles, put up in a fancy hotel for a week and given a check for $1,000 and a trophy for his story, The Sun Falls Apart, at the 32nd L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future awards.<br /> “The only thing I had to pay for was my food,” he said. “It was a very cool experience walking down Hollywood Boulevard to the writers workshop every morning.”<br /> Founded in 1983 by Hubbard, the prolific sci-fi writer and founder of Scientology, the award celebrates only a dozen writers out of thousands of submissions. Alden spent the week learning from such science fiction luminaries as Orson Scott Card, Tim Powers and Larry Niven, and came home with a copy of L. Ron Hubbard Presents Writers of the Future, Vol. 32, containing his work.<br /> The Sun Falls Apart is the story of Caleb, a boy who has never seen the sun. Raised behind boarded windows and a fortified door, his only hope of freedom is by passing strange tests his parents give him and for which he must use a power he doesn’t understand.<br /> “I’ve been writing off and on since I was a kid,” Alden said, “but my love of science fiction has changed over the years. As a kid, it was all about the sense of wonder and possibility, space travel and magic. Now I see science fiction and fantasy also have the potential for metaphor and allegory. You’re not confined to reality, so you can make a statement without being obvious.”<br /> After stepping off the forklift in 2013, Alden was accepted almost immediately into the six-week Odyssey Writing Workshop at St. Anselm College in Manchester, N.H. Then he came home and turned the family condo’s spare bedroom into a writing cave.<br /> “OK,” he told himself, “I want to see how far I can go and make this dream a reality.”<br /> The dream is still more dream than reality, but it’s gotten more real. He’s sold 10 stories, about five to professional markets, and always been paid.<br /> “I’ve never sunk to the unpaid level to get published,” he said, “even if I’m only paid a penny a word.”<br />Having a husband who sits home conjuring fantasy worlds after she heads off to work is fine with his wife.<br />“I wanted him to focus on his writing so I could see a different version of him,” Goff said, “one with a genuine passion and perseverance. Neither of us has looked back once.”<br />At the awards ceremony April 10, Alden thanked his wife.<br /> “I can’t communicate in words how vital she is to my growth as a writer,” he said, “and a person.”<br /> Now, with published stories and a recognized writing award, his next challenge is to find an agent and boldly go where so many struggling writers have gone before — a first novel.<br /> “I do have an idea for a novel,” he said. “I’m a little nervous about it but also excited. It feels a little like reaching into the unknown.”<br /> For more information, visit <a href="http://www.AuthorAlden.com">www.AuthorAlden.com</a> and <a href="http://www.writersofthefuture.com">www.writersofthefuture.com</a>.</p></div>Gator Gala: University of Florida, Gainesville – Sept. 11https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gator-gala-university-of-florida-gainesville-sept-112015-11-04T16:27:43.000Z2015-11-04T16:27:43.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960603470,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960603470,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="204" alt="7960603470?profile=original" /></a></p>
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<p><em>More than 300 Gators attended the alumni association’s annual celebration of affiliates, clubs and leaders that represent the university’s best qualities in local communities. The association gave out several awards to those fighting for the Gator Nation, including Gator of the Year to Joelen Merkel, of Ocean Ridge. She received a thank-you note for her hard work from Gov. Rick Scott.</em> <br /><strong><em>Photo provided</em></strong></p></div>Gulf Stream: Town to consider fire service alternativeshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-town-to-consider-fire-service-alternatives2015-06-03T20:17:41.000Z2015-06-03T20:17:41.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960580701,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960580701,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960580701?profile=original" /></a></strong><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960580701,original{{/staticFileLink}}"></a>The Gulf Stream Town Commission poses with the Palm Beach County League of Cities’ Defender of Home Rule trophy awarded at a May luncheon. PHOTO: (l-r) Town Manager William Thrasher, Commissioners Tom Stanley, Donna White , Joan Orthwein, Mayor Scott Morgan, Vice Mayor Robert Ganger and outgoing League president, Mayor Steve Wilson of Belle Glade. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Dan Moffett</strong><br /><br />Gulf Stream town commissioners want to explore the possibility of forging partnerships with other neighboring coastal communities to handle fire and emergency medical services.<br />The move toward coalition-building comes in the wake of new rumblings in Delray Beach about eliminating the city-run Fire Department and contracting with Palm Beach County. Delray currently provides fire services to Gulf Stream and Highland Beach, and cost to the towns would soar if they have to find other providers.<br />“For a lot of people, this looks like a seminal event that Delray is going through,” said Gulf Stream Vice Mayor Robert Ganger. “Inevitably, it’s going to cost us more, no matter what.”<br />Commissioners hope to find support from Highland Beach, Ocean Ridge and others for a study to assess the prospect of collaborating on services, perhaps even creating a barrier island fire district.<br />“It’s a big jigsaw puzzle that has to be very carefully put together,” Ganger said. “It absolutely has to start with a study.”<br />The worries about the Delray Beach contract, which expires in 2019, surfaced during a rare afternoon meeting on May 13 to consider long-range planning and budget matters. The special session filled the Town Hall chamber with about three dozen residents.<br />Mayor Scott Morgan said the commission is considering raising the town’s tax rate about 15 percent — from $3.90 per $1,000 of assessed property values to $4.50 — to replenish general fund reserves that have been depleted by several years of legal battles with residents Martin O’Boyle and Chris O’Hare.<br />Morgan said the town has about $750,000 in reserve but should have at least twice that to cover emergency expenses. He said the tax hike should put another $800,000 into the town’s coffers and offset its legal costs.<br />“Gulf Stream is way below other towns, even at 4.5 mills,” Morgan said.<br />Town Manager William Thrasher gave commissioners another reason to have a healthy reserve fund: aging water lines. Thrasher said most of the town’s water infrastructure is 50 to 80 years old and prone to costly failures. Three years ago, it took about $1.5 million to fix a broken pipe along A1A. Thrasher said the town would need about $8 million to replace all the old lines, but only about $4.8 million of that amount would have to be done in the next 10 to 20 years.<br />The commission has two discretionary projects on its wish list: expanding Town Hall, and replacing the aging maintenance building in back of it. “It’s a 1930s facility in a 2015 town,” Ganger said.<br /><strong>In other business:</strong><br />• After a couple of months of negotiating with developer Tom Laudani, commissioners signed off on his plan to build two adjacent houses at 3410 and 3424 N. Ocean Blvd.<br />Morgan led a chorus of commissioner complaints that the original designs were too similar and violated town rules aimed at preventing speculative “cookie cutter” development. Laudani, whose Seaside Builders company built Harbour View Estates several years ago, agreed to make architectural changes to the houses to satisfy the commission.<br />• The Palm Beach County League of Cities has honored Gulf Stream with two awards that recognize the town’s handling of the public records disputes with O’Boyle and O’Hare.<br />The league gave the town its Defender of Home Rule Award and gave Thrasher its William “Bill” Moss Memorial Award. Named for the former West Palm Beach city commissioner, the Moss award goes to public servants who demonstrate “exemplary involvement, support and dedication to the priorities, principles and programs of the League of Cities.” Ú</p></div>Editor's Note: Community impact can come from one or manyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/editor-s-note-community-impact-can-come-from-one-or-many2015-04-01T19:00:00.000Z2015-04-01T19:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960569889,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960569889,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960569889?profile=original" /></a><em>Editor Mary Kate Leming and Publisher Jerry Lower, were honored by the Boys and Girls Club.</em> <br /> <strong><em>Photo provided</em></strong></p>
<p>When we started <em>The Coastal Star</em> in November 2008, the last thing we anticipated was to be recognized with a community award. <br /> After many years in daily journalism, we knew the important role a newspaper can play in its community, of course. And we understood it was critical to dig into local coverage: to put pressure on government when questions of transparency and fairness arise, to let the majority know what is happening when the few try to make change happen without public debate. Hell, we learned sometimes you even have to count the votes.<br /> It’s seldom an easy job and we often get weary of the work hours, the staff management and, more recently, the legal fees. <br /> So, we were honored (and humbled) to be recognized by the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach with the Forrest & Francis Lattner Community Impact Award at their March 19 “Be Great” dinner. <br /> Recognized that same evening was Kyra Dobard, 17, the 2015 Youth of the Year award winner.<a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960570455,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-right" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960570455,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="126" alt="7960570455?profile=original" /></a><br /> Kyra, too, is an important part of our community. After nine years as an active participant at the Boys & Girls Club, she’s about to head off to college to pursue a pharmacy degree. We wish her much success. <br /> We hope she’ll return to the area when she graduates. Young people like Kyra are the rock on which we build our future. Kyra makes me believe our future is solid. <br /> In our shifting media landscape, I suspect it will be a rare day when Kyra holds a print newspaper in her hand. We hope that her mobile device will deliver digital “news” where the principles of journalism have not been chipped away by corporate desires for cheap and easy niche marketing and unrealistic profit margin expectations.<br /> We are fortunate to have so many local businesses that support our journalism. We work closely with these businesses — and with our friends at the nonprofits — in many ways to strengthen the broader community. The Coastal Star is honored to be part of this ongoing relationship and grateful for this community recognition. <br /> And because we believe all of the children in our community hold the keys to our future, we ask you to join us in supporting the work of the Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach.<br /> To support the Naoma Donnelley Haggin Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach, call 561-683-3287 or visit bgcpbc.org.<br /> <br /> <em>— Mary Kate Leming, Editor</em></p></div>Jurist of the Year Award Dinner: Bear Lakes Country Club, West Palm Beach – Oct. 24https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/jurist-of-the-year-award-dinner-bear-lakes-country-club-west-palm2013-10-30T13:55:14.000Z2013-10-30T13:55:14.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960467080,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960467080,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="576" alt="7960467080?profile=original" /></a><em>Circuit Judge Lucy Chernow Brown was awarded the Jurist of the Year Award by the Palm Beach County Justice Association at a sold-out dinner reception. The award is given annually to a Palm Beach Circuit Court judge who personifies excellence in preserving justice and professionalism during trials.</em><br /><em>LEFT: Palm Beach Circuit Court Judge Catherine Brunson, Circuit Court Judge Lucy Chernow Brown, Fourth District Court of Appeal Judge Carole Taylor and Palm Beach Circuit Court Judge Rosemarie Scher. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em><br /><br /></p></div>Gulf Stream: Expediency wins out in utilities votehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/gulf-stream-expediency-wins-out-in-utilities-vote2013-09-04T15:30:00.000Z2013-09-04T15:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p><strong>By Tim O’Meilia</strong><br /> <br /> The choice for the Gulf Stream Town Commission was time or money.<br /> Award the long-awaited contract to put overhead utilities underground now or wait two months to make the award and perhaps save $165,000.<br /> They chose time. <br /> By a 4-0 vote at their Aug. 13 meeting, commissioners awarded a $1.75 million contract to Hypower Inc. of Fort Lauderdale to begin work in September on the first phase of the $5.4 million project. <br /> Already 16 months behind schedule, commissioners said they didn’t want to further delay the project that residents voted to pay for in November 2011. <br /> “People coming down (from summer homes) will say where the heck’s the digging,” said Commissioner Bob Ganger. <br /> Although four contractors bid on the project, two were rejected because they did not include a crucial work schedule. One of them, Mastec North America, was the low bidder by $165,000.<br /> Hypower’s bid is less than town consulting engineer Danny Brannon’s estimate. <br /> Brannon recommended re-bidding the work anyway because he said that having only two responsive bidders was a solid reason for a do-over and a good chance for a lower price. <br /> “I’m always reluctant to award something to someone who can’t follow the rules,” Ganger said. <br /> Town Manager William Thrasher recommended accepting the low bid since Hypower was also more highly ranked on other criteria. Brannon said all four contractors were well-qualified. <br /> “There’s something to be said for those who come in with a complete bid,” said Commissioner Donna White. <br /> “Is $100,000 worth two months?” asked Mayor Joan Orthwein.<br /> Brannon expects landscape removal to begin immediately in the Phase 1 area, south of Golfview Road. Construction is set to begin in late September. If the work remains on schedule, the first phase would be completed by late September 2014. The work includes $228,000 for installation of 22 street lights that were not included in the original project.<br /> Phase 2 is scheduled to begin construction in May 2014 and be completed by August 2014.<br /> Even with the power, telephone and cable lines underground, the overhead lines and poles might not be removed by Florida Power & Light until months after the project is complete, Brannon said.</p>
<p><br /> <strong> In other business</strong>, commissioners:<br /> • Agreed unanimously to appoint a five-member ad hoc committee to recommend changes in the town’s design guidelines, including roofs, colors and home styles.<br /> “Times have changed. There’s a lot of new construction in town. We’re interested in the town keeping its character but also being more flexible,” said Orthwein, who has pushed for changes. <br /> The commission is hoping for volunteers and expects to consider applicants at the Sept. 9 meeting.<br /> • Briefly discussed the proposed budget, which would give 2.5 percent raises to town employees. Ganger noted that the pay raise is higher than this year’s Consumer Price Index uptick of 0.6 percent. Thrasher said the increase would cost the town $28,000 in a $3.2 million budget. The commission took no action. Final budget hearings are scheduled Sept. 13 and 24.<br /> • Approved unanimously the site plan for the fourth of six lots carved from the former Spence estate on North Ocean Boulevard. The plan for the Harbor View Estate lot is a 8.726-square-foot Colonial West Indies-style home, partially two stories with a three-car garage, pool and cabana. <br /></p></div>Paws Up for Pets: Tale tells power of can-do attitudehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/paws-up-for-pets-tale-tells-power-of-can-do-attitude2013-07-31T14:45:11.000Z2013-07-31T14:45:11.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960451887,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960451887,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960451887?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>AJ Brockman with his service dog, Dre, a Labrador retriever that has been nominated for top honors at the American Hero Dog Awards. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p><strong>By Arden Moore</strong></p>
<p> Last year, I celebrated my Oct. 6 birthday in style — by getting a birthday hug from ageless animal advocate and actress Betty White on the red carpet at the annual American Hero Dog Awards held at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.<br /> I was there covering the event as host of the Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com and could not think of a better memory maker for my birthday than to be among people and dogs that every day make a difference in the lives of so many. <br />Getting a hug from Betty, who has been a guest on my show, proved to be the best birthday gift I’ve ever received. <br /> This year, I hope to return — not for a hug from Betty White — but to cheer on a pair of new friends I’ve met in the pet world: digital artist AJ Brockman and his service dog, Dre. These Palm Beach County residents are among the finalists for consideration for top-dog honors at this event sponsored by the American Humane Association.<br /> The deadline for public voting for finalists occurred right around press time for this month’s issue of The Coastal Star, so I am being optimistic that AJ and Dre are indeed among the honored finalists.<br /> But even if they are not, their tale illustrates the power of a can-do attitude, the ability to motivate others and the importance of maintaining a playful sense of humor.<br /> Let’s start with the humor factor. Take a peek at Dre’s Facebook page (<a href="http://www.facebook.com/DreHeroDog">www.facebook.com/DreHeroDog</a>) and you will see the two of them sporting matching handlebar mustaches. Brockman’s is real; Dre’s is not. But this 4-year-old, 72-pound black Labrador trained by Canine Companions for Independence assists Brockman with daily activities and much more — Dre has become his best friend and partner in unleashing smiles to others.<br /> And their can-do attitudes speak volumes. Brockman, age 25, was born with spinal muscular atrophy, a degenerative disease that parked him in a wheelchair by age 2. Yet he has earned a bachelor’s degree from Digital Media Arts College and has become a successful artist of digital paintings and operates the Single Handed Studio (<a href="http://www.singlehandedstudio.com">www.singlehandedstudio.com</a>). <br /> “I’m pretty much a paraplegic except that for the few inches of movement I have in my left hand,” says Brockman, of Palm Beach Gardens. “I can always count on Dre. If I’m working on an image on the computer and my hand slides off the mouse, Dre is there to nudge my hand back. He opens doors for me, gets the phone if it rings and can even fetch me a beer from the refrigerator. He is my buddy, my best friend.”<br /> I invite you to check out some of Brockman’s diverse artwork on his studio’s website. He blends impressionism with realism in his pieces that capture life in South Florida. His work has attracted a faithful following, including attorney Phil DiComo of Loxahatchee.<br /> At the law office of Haile, Shaw and Pfaffenberger in North Palm Beach, where DiComo works, visitors are treated to not one but five original works by Brockman, including a large digital banyan tree aptly named MacArthur Majesty.<br /> “This piece by AJ is the first thing you see when you walk in and it is beautiful,” says DiComo. “It appears to be moving. We love AJ’s work and we are planning on getting two more pieces from him.”<br /> Finally, there is the ability of Brockman and Dre to motivate and inspire others. DiComo recalls watching this duo at a leadership event last October for high school juniors. <br /> “At the luncheon, before AJ was set to speak about careers in digital media, he and Dre were hanging out with the high school students and you could see that they had an immediate connection with those students. And, then when he spoke, he immediately put everyone at ease. <br />His work demonstrates that his limitations haven’t really limited him. His attitude is phenomenal. He and Dre received the highest ratings by the students among all the speakers that day.”<br /> I agree. The minute I started speaking with Brockman for this column, I felt like I had made a new friend. And, it was great to hear Dre occasionally “speak up” with a friendly bark.<br /> Brockman best describes himself not as disabled but as being differently abled. You can bet I will be among those rooting for him at this year’s American Hero Dog Awards — and beyond.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960451683,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-full" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960451683,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960451683?profile=original" /></a><strong>American Hero Dog Awards </strong></p>
<p>Each year, the American Humane Association sponsors the American Hero Dog Awards to celebrate the special positive and inspiring bond between people and their dogs. The event honors dogs that unconditionally aid people in many ways, from being service dogs to being military dogs and much more. The contest has eight categories of heroic dogs. This year, the event will be Oct. 5 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. To learn more, visit <a href="http://www.herodogawards.org">www.herodogawards.org</a>.</p>
<p><br /><em>Arden Moore, founder of FourLeggedLife.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting <a href="http://www.fourleggedlife.com">www.fourleggedlife.com</a>.</em></p></div>Cricket League Honorable Mention: Ocean Ridgehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/cricket-league-honorable-mention-ocean-ridge2013-04-09T21:11:00.000Z2013-04-09T21:11:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960448657,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960448657,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960448657?profile=original" /></a><em>Zoie Garnsey, 11, of Ocean Ridge received Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Cricket League art competition sponsored by Cricket Magazine. For this contest, each entrant was asked to submit an original story about a wizard. Winners receive recognition and prizes and the best entries are published in the world-wide magazine and on its Web site for children: <a href="http://www.cricketmagkids.com/contests">www.cricketmagkids.com/contests</a>. Zoie attends Sea Star in Boca where she is part of a fourth- and fifth-grade Waldorf education class. Her father is Barkley Garnsey, and her grandmother Nancy Garnsey and great-grandmother Janet Hall live in Ocean Ridge.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960447667,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960447667,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960447667?profile=original" /></a> Zoie received the award for this picture. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p></div>Scholarship Award Winner: Boynton Beach/Lantana Rotary Clubhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/scholarship-award-winner-boynton-beach-lantana-rotary-club2013-02-27T19:53:52.000Z2013-02-27T19:53:52.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960429900,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960429900,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="334" alt="7960429900?profile=original" /></a><em>The Boynton Beach/Lantana Rotary Club has awarded the first scholarship for a student of the United States to attend the May 28-29 Molecular Frontiers Annual Symposium in Stockholm, Sweden at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. Destiny Andrews, a certified student pilot and a junior at Boynton Beach High School’s BASA Aviation Academy will be accompanied by her physics teacher, Nicole Neuhengen and Rotary Club past-president Deborah Donnelly-McLay, who is a member of the Strategic Board of Molecular Frontiers. By partnering with Molecular Frontiers, Rotary gives students the opportunity to learn and expand in the areas of science, while forming an international fellowship bond. Photo (from left): Boynton Beach High School physics teacher Nicole Neuhengen, Boynton Beach/Lantana Rotary Club President Dr. Gay Voss, Boynton Beach/Lantana Rotary Club Past President Deborah Donnelly-McLay, scholarship recipient Destiny Andrews, and Destiny’s mother, Heather Andrews. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p></div>