boca ballroom battle - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-28T12:27:27Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/boca+ballroom+battlePhilanthropy Notes: Snow Scholarship Fund announces lineup for Boca’s Ballroom Battlehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/philanthropy-notes-snow-scholarship-fund-announces-lineup-for-boc2023-08-01T17:07:49.000Z2023-08-01T17:07:49.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12175332660,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12175332660,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" width="710" alt="12175332660?profile=RESIZE_710x" /></a><em>Contestants (l-r) Shoshana Davidowitz, Dr. Patricio Espinosa, Danielle Rosse, Caroline Johnson, Lawrence Levy, Brad Winstead, Jamie Sauer and Rick Versace take a break during rehearsal at Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Boca Raton. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p><br /><strong>By Amy Woods</strong></p>
<p>Eight daring dancers will hoof their hearts out next month during the always popular fundraiser known as Boca’s Ballroom Battle.</p>
<p>Benefiting the George Snow Scholarship Fund, the exhilarating event showcases the talent and philanthropy of the community, all to support educational opportunities for deserving students in Palm Beach County.</p>
<p>“We are thrilled to bring Boca’s Ballroom Battle back for another incredible year,” said Tim Snow, president of the organization. “We are grateful to all the participants, sponsors and attendees who help make this event a resounding success year after year.”</p>
<p>Boca’s Ballroom Battle will take place at 6 p.m. Sept. 23 at The Boca Raton. For more information, call 561-347-6799, Ext. 104 or visit <a href="http://www.ballroombattle.com">www.ballroombattle.com</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Stoops to lead board </span><span style="font-size:14pt;">of Community Foundation</span></p>
<p>The Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties has appointed Jeffrey Stoops as incoming chairman of the board.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12175333466,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12175333466,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="104" alt="12175333466?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Stoops first joined the nonprofit in 2019. He has served as vice chairman of the board, chaired the foundation’s community impact committee and coronavirus response fund, and was a member of the finance, philanthropy and strategic planning committees.</p>
<p>“The Community Foundation is a powerful organization with broad capabilities to do good in our community, and I’m elated to have the opportunity to help lead our organization as board chair during the upcoming stages of our 2022-2027 strategic plan,” Stoops said. “I look forward to continuing the foundation’s efforts and work to provide financial aid and support to those who need it most in Palm Beach and Martin counties.”</p>
<p>For more information, call 561-659-6800 or visit yourcommunityfoundation.org.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Center for Child Counseling names new board member</span></p>
<p>The Center for Child Counseling’s board of directors voted in Melissa Haley as a member to help the nonprofit move forward its mission of mental health care.</p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}12175335279,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-left" src="{{#staticFileLink}}12175335279,RESIZE_180x180{{/staticFileLink}}" width="99" alt="12175335279?profile=RESIZE_180x180" /></a>Haley, founder and president of the Haley Foundation, will contribute her expertise in forging philanthropic partnerships to mitigate adverse childhood experiences.<br />The Haley Foundation supports health care for women and children.</p>
<p>“I understand through personal experience the importance of a childhood free of trauma and full of love and compassion,” Haley said. “Sometimes those elements are not available, and children suffer and grow into adults with difficulties and challenges that otherwise, with early intervention, may have been avoided.”</p>
<p>For more information, call 561-244-9499 or visit <a href="http://www.centerforchildcounseling.org">www.centerforchildcounseling.org</a>.</p>
<p><span style="font-size:14pt;">Spady museum will receive grant for arts programs</span></p>
<p>The National Endowment for the Arts has approved a $10,000 donation to the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum in Delray Beach.</p>
<p>The donation is a Grants for Arts Projects award to support a residency program and an exhibition scheduled for next spring, titled “Back for More: Pleasure in Abundance,” a follow-up to last year’s “Radical Pleasure.”</p>
<p>The exhibition pairs literary and visual arts.</p>
<p>“The National Endowment for the Arts is pleased to support a wide range of projects including the Spady Cultural Heritage Museum’s residency program, demonstrating the many ways the arts enrich our lives and contribute to healthy and thriving communities,” NEA Chairwoman Maria Rosario Jackson said.</p>
<p>For more info about the museum, call 561-279-8883 or visit <a href="http://www.spadymuseum.com">www.spadymuseum.com</a>.<br /> <br /><span style="font-size:14pt;">Faulk counseling center seeking volunteers</span></p>
<p>The Faulk Center for Counseling, a mental health facility based in Boca Raton, is seeking dedicated volunteers to join the team.</p>
<p>Whether assisting with administrative tasks or helping with outreach programs, volunteers will gain valuable experience and contribute to the well-being of clients.</p>
<p>The center promotes well-being through a variety of free and low-cost mental health programs. </p>
<p>For more information, call 561-483-5300 or visit faulkcenterforcounseling.org.</p>
<p><em>Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net.</em></p></div>Pay It Forward: Mirror Ball trophy up for grabs at annual dance fundraiserhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/pay-it-forward-mirror-ball-trophy-up-for-grabs-at-annual-dance-fu2021-08-03T17:02:22.000Z2021-08-03T17:02:22.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}9352130500,RESIZE_930x{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}9352130500,RESIZE_710x{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="9352130500?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><strong>By Amy Woods</strong><br /> <br /> The George Snow Scholarship Fund’s Ballroom Battle returns for its 14th year and its second as a televised event to raise money for aspiring college students.<br /> The Dancing with the Stars-themed competition is set for 7 p.m. Aug. 14 and will air on WPTV-TV from the station’s studios as well as online. It features eight dancers, each paired with a professional, strutting their stuff during choreographed routines.<br /> “Over the last 13 years, our event has become the do-not-miss event of the season as eight of our community’s most recognizable personalities take to the dance floor for a good cause,” said Tim Snow, the organization’s president. “Not to mention that coveted fundraising Mirror Ball trophy.”<br /> Among those vying for the trophy awarded to the top fundraisers is Dr. Jeffrey Stein, 63, a Boca Raton internist. <br /> “Am I going to be the best dancer?” Stein mused. “I don’t know. But I do know I am going to have the most fun.”<br /> He plans to channel his inner John Travolta in a rhinestone-studded disco outfit.<br /> “There’s a lot of people who do this, and they get out of their comfort zone,” Stein said. “This was a fundraiser that was so easy for me to do. I’m enjoying learning certain dances. At the same time, I’m hopefully going to put some kids through college.”<br /> Dancing always has been part of his life, especially while he attended medical school at the American University of the Caribbean in Montserrat.<br /> “It was my release,” Stein said. “I just used to put on a cassette and listen to ’70s music and dance in my dorm room to take the pressure off an exam or to distract me. It was my way to decompress.”<br /> The other dancers are Elmar Benavente, Kelly Fleming, Dre Garcia, Dr. Melyssa Hancock, Ryan Reiter, Mindy Shikiar and Robert Snyder. Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Boca Raton is giving all of them a series of lessons to perfect their moves.<br /> “Whether I win or not is immaterial because the only people who are winning are the kids who are going to get a scholarship,” Stein said. “My life is not going to change with what happens, but if I can change kids’ lives, that’s what matters.”</p>
<p><br /> <span style="font-size:14pt;">If You Go</span><br /> What: Ballroom Battle for George Snow Scholarship Fund<br /> When: 7 p.m. Aug. 14<br /> Where: On air at WPTV-TV, online at <a href="http://www.wptv.com">www.wptv.com</a> and <a href="https://scholarship.org/ballroom-battle">https://scholarship.org/ballroom-battle</a><br /> Information: 561-347-6799 or <a href="http://www.ballroombattle.com">www.ballroombattle.com</a></p></div>Philanthropy Notes: Ballroom Battle will have live telecast instead of audiencehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/philanthropy-notes-ballroom-battle-will-have-live-telecast-instea2020-07-01T14:51:34.000Z2020-07-01T14:51:34.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960949494,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960949494,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960949494?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>Ballroom Battle contestant Kirsten Stanley shared this photo with Facebook friends of her first in-person practice.</em></p>
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<p><strong>By Amy Woods</strong></p>
<p>The George Snow Scholarship Fund’s 13th annual event will look a little different this year, or at least come to its audience a different way. The Ballroom Battle will be broadcast at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 26 on WPTV-TV, as well as live-streamed from both the station’s and the nonprofit’s websites. <br /> Previously, fans watched the show at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, but in keeping with federal guidelines prohibiting large gatherings during the coronavirus pandemic, the production took an alternative tack. It will take place at the WPTV studios in West Palm Beach.<br /> Organizers of Ballroom Battle hope the televised showdown will resemble — more than it ever has before — Dancing With the Stars, the hit TV series after which it is modeled.<br /> “It is like developing an entirely new event, but we think it will be great for our dancers and our community,” said Debi Feiler, the fund’s vice president of program services.<br /> The evening pits eight local dancers and their professional partners from the Fred Astaire studios in Boca Raton against each other in a quest for the coveted Mirror Ball trophy, which goes to the top male and female fundraisers. <br />Seven of the dancers have been announced: Steven Bernstein of SBA Communications, Boca Raton attorney Robin Bresky, Dr. Gwenesia S. Collins, from Boca Raton Regional Hospital, William Donnell of NCCI, Tara Lucier of integrated supply chain company Inspirage, Kirsten Stanley of Tammy Fender Holistic Skin Care, and Kyle Stewart of Wells Fargo.<br />The money raised by the dancers benefits aspiring college students. <br /> For more information, call 561-347-6799 or visit <a href="http://www.ballroombattle.com">www.ballroombattle.com</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Gift to benefit marine biology program at FAU</strong> <br /> Florida Atlantic University has received a $1.125 million gift from the Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation.<br /> The gift will establish the Glenn W. and Cornelia T. Bailey Foundation Marine SEA Scholars Program at the Charles E. Schmidt College of Science’s Marine Science Laboratory at the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. <br /> “This gift will allow for the next generation of marine scientists to ensure that important work and discovery will continue for generations to come as evolving impacts to the marine ecosystem continue,” said Ata Sarajedini, the college’s dean.<br /> Jeanette Wyneken, director of the laboratory, said the funds are going to bring “amazing opportunities for marine biologists in training to gain hands-on experiences in the science and the communication of science.”<br /> For more information, call 561-297-2676 or visit <a href="http://www.fau.edu">www.fau.edu</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Impact 100 names winners of grants</strong><br /> Impact 100 Palm Beach County named the nonprofit winners that took home a combined total of $565,000 in high-impact grants.<br /> The five organizations that received $100,000 apiece are CityHouse, Community Greening Corporation, Florida Atlantic University Foundation, GIVT, and Roots and Wings. <br /> Five finalists received $13,000 apiece. They are Boca Helping Hands, Coastal Conservation Association, Compass, Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast, and Spady Cultural Heritage Museum.<br /> “These grantees began the application process for funding nearly a year ago,” President Kathy Adkins said. “Given these uncertain times, we know that receiving these high-impact grants is more critical to our finalists than ever.”<br /> Impact 100 Palm Beach County is a women’s 501(c)(3) dedicated to funding South County initiatives. It consists of members who donate $1,000 annually.<br /> For more information, call 561-336-4623 or visit <a href="http://www.impact100pbc.org">www.impact100pbc.org</a>.</p>
<p><br /><strong>COVID-19 emergency fund set up to feed families</strong><br />Achievement Centers for Children and Families, which serves 900 clients annually from three Delray Beach locations, has mobilized its resources in the wake of the coronavirus.<br />While learning programs are closed for the safety of students and staff members, the organization is helping with such challenges as loss of employment and food security as well as other critical needs.<br />“We are committed to doing everything we possibly can, in any way we can, to help our children, families, staff and partners,” CEO Stephanie Seibel said, noting that the newly created COVID-19 Emergency Fund is seeking donations. “Also, in our efforts to support the community as a whole, we are partnering with local restaurants and suppliers to provide meals for our families and are offering opportunities for the community to sponsor meals and support local restaurants.”<br />ACCF has distributed more than 3,500 meals since making the quick pivot from being an after-school center to feeding people in its aid.<br />“The demand for our services is greater than ever,” Seibel said. “Our partners and supporters have been instrumental in our efforts to serve meals for over 200 families each week all while supporting local restaurants and their employees.”<br />For more information, call 561-266-0003 or visit <a href="http://www.achievementcentersfl.org/coronavirus">www.achievementcentersfl.org/coronavirus</a>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960949896,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960949896,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960949896?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>Lois Pope encourages others to help the food bank. Photo provided</em></p>
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<p><strong>Pope donates $1 million to county Food Bank</strong> <br /> Philanthropist Lois Pope of Manalapan has donated $1 million to the Palm Beach County Food Bank to support and expand its Food4OurKids program.<br />The program, a year-round weekend and summer initiative designed to fill nutritional gaps when children are not in school, now is needed every day.<br />“No child should ever go hungry, here in Palm Beach County or anywhere else in this country,” Pope said. “Children need food. They need proper nutrition to learn and thrive. But now, during this coronavirus pandemic when they are not in school, they are especially at risk of going hungry. So I invite others — in fact, I urge others — to join me in this vitally important, essential effort.”<br />For more information, call 561-582-8083 or visit <a href="http://www.life-edu.org">www.life-edu.org</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Mentoring program gets boost from Boynton</strong><br /> The $200 donation that the Boynton Beach City Commission made to the Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service is helping the nonprofit’s Mentoring 4 Kids program prosper.<br /> The program provides same-gender role models for children ages 6 to 14 who live in single-parent homes. Mentors provide friendship, guidance and support and take the youths to a wide range of community activities.<br /> Studies show mentoring decreases school dropout rates, enhances self-esteem and confidence and strengthens relationships with family members, peers and teachers.<br /> For more information, call 561-238-0285 or visit <a href="http://www.mentoring4kids.org">www.mentoring4kids.org</a>.<br /> In other news, the Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service celebrated its inaugural “Road to Resilience” luncheon, which drew a pre-COVID-19 crowd of more than 200 to witness a virtual chat between Dr. Jennifer Ashton in New York and Dr. Elaine Rotenberg, the nonprofit’s clinical director.<br /> Their conversation focused on the need to shine a light on addiction, mental illness and suicide and to debunk myths and remove the stigma attached to behavioral health problems.<br /> All attendees received a complimentary signed copy of Ashton’s book Life After Suicide, which recounts how she and her children picked up the pieces following her husband’s death.<br /> Event proceeds will benefit the service’s annual fund. For more information, call 561-684-1991 or visit <a href="http://www.alpertjfs.org">www.alpertjfs.org</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Community Foundation leader to retire</strong><br />After seven years of dedication to the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Brad Hurlburt, president and CEO, is retiring.<br />Hurlburt will stay with the agency through June 2021 to ensure a smooth transition for his successor.<br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960950653,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960950653,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" alt="7960950653?profile=original" /></a>“Brad has done an outstanding job building the organization into an invaluable resource for our community and beyond, and he will certainly be missed,” Chairwoman Sherry Barrat said.<br />During Hurlburt’s tenure, combined assets have grown to more than $200 million, up from $150 million. The board will engage an executive firm this summer to conduct the search for a new leader.<br />“This was the opportunity of a lifetime for me, and I will forever treasure partnering with outstanding board members, community leaders, donors and organizations in our community that make a meaningful difference,” he said.<br />For more info on the foundation, visit <a href="http://www.yourcommunityfoundation.org">www.yourcommunityfoundation.org</a> or call 561-659-6800.</p></div>Boca’s Ballroom Battle Boca Raton Resort & Club — Sept. 20https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-s-ballroom-battle-boca-raton-resort-club-sept-202019-10-02T16:05:43.000Z2019-10-02T16:05:43.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Eight community leaders danced for dollars during the 12th annual Boca’s Ballroom Battle,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> modeled after Dancing With the Stars. Dancers, who were paired with professionals from the Fred Astaire Dance Studios in Boca Raton, raised more than $640,000 for the George Snow Scholarship Fund, which grants four-year college scholarships to local students. The fund has granted more than $12.1 million in scholarships and support services since 1982.</em></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960889457,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960889457,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960889457?profile=original" /></a></em></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Philanthropist Margaret L. Blume danced with James Brann. <b>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
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<p class="p1"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960889892,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960889892,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960889892?profile=original" /></a></strong></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>ABOVE:</strong> Supporters of South County YMCA President Jason ‘Twinkle Toes’<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> Hagensick cheered him on as he danced with Loreta Kriksciukaityte <strong>BELOW</strong>.</em></p>
<p class="p1"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890474,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890474,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960890474?profile=original" /></a></p>
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<p class="p1"><b><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960890672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960890672?profile=original" /></a></b></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Kriksciukaityte also teamed with Jody Saffert of Boca Raton Regional Hospital</em></p>
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<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Fran Nachlas celebrates after winning the prize as top female fundraiser, with more than $182,000 in donations. Eddie Ventrice raised over $243,000, the most among the males.</em></p></div>Dancing for dollarshttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/dancing-for-dollars2019-09-01T17:09:55.000Z2019-09-01T17:09:55.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960885476?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><em>Tim Quinn’s mother, Christine, laughs as Quinn and Sayra Vazquez Brann prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle at Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Boca Raton. The annual contest is Sept. 20 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. <b>Photos by</b> <b>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Boca’s Ballroom Battle: Dancing ability a plus, but fundraising a must</strong></span></p>
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<p class="p1"><span class="s1"><b>By Margie Plunkett</b></span></p>
<p class="p2">When dance instructor Sayra Vazquez Brann asked her student to demonstrate his normal dance move, Tim Quinn connected her with his New York designer friends on a FaceTime call. “They imitated my movements,” Quinn recalls. Brann “was dying. I would literally stand in one place and kind of move my arm to hold my cocktail — and that was my dance move.”</p>
<p class="p3">Quinn, a celebrity makeup artist with Giorgio Armani Beauty, has since been practicing to compete in the 12th annual Boca’s Ballroom Battle, a competition modeled after <i>Dancing with the Stars</i>. His Fred Astaire Studio dance partner, Brann, has been teaching him the steps, posture and attitude essential to the dance they’ll perform at the Sept. 20 competition.</p>
<p class="p3">By July, Quinn had learned lunges and anticipated attempting a “somewhat terrifying” lift.</p>
<p class="p3">“This is a whole lot different” from his previous moves, he said. “I have a lot more respect for dance — I didn’t realize how much work it is.”</p>
<p class="p3">Quinn is one of eight local residents chosen for the dance competition at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, which benefits the George Snow Scholarship Fund. The Boca Raton-based organization grants four-year college scholarships to students in Palm Beach County, as well as Blanche Ely and Pompano Beach high schools in Pompano Beach.</p>
<p class="p3">The fund has granted $1.4 million in scholarships and support services this year and $12.1 million worth since 1982. Boca’s Ballroom Battle is the largest of the fundraisers that benefit the scholarship fund.</p>
<p class="p3">Dancers are chosen for their ability to attract contributions as well as their potential in dance. They take group and private lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studios of Boca Raton,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> and their dance partners are selected from the studio staff. At the end of the Battle, two winners are chosen — the man and woman who have brought in the most donations.</p>
<p class="p3">When Quinn was invited to compete, he thought of plenty of cons: his crazy travel schedule, time needed as his mother’s caregiver, and the nerve damage in his leg from a battle with cancer a decade earlier. He finally agreed to do it. But it was while attending the ESPYs in Los Angeles in July that he realized he could.</p>
<p class="p3">At the “Oscars of sports,” Quinn was inspired by men and women with major disabilities “who are megastar athletes. Here I’ve been for the last 10 years, because of the cancer treatment, thinking, ‘I can’t do that.’ Sometimes we limit ourselves in our own head,” he said. “These are people who haven’t let anything stop them.”</p>
<p class="p3">Ultimately, Quinn was really glad he agreed to compete. “I’m kind of sort of dreading it, but secretly I’ve always wanted to learn how to dance. So it’s kind of fun.” He was also moved by the “far-reaching impact” of the George Snow fund, the need for scholarship funds locally, and “how remarkable it is to change someone’s life.”</p>
<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885855,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960885855,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960885855?profile=original" /></a><em>Instructor James Brann and contestant Minelle Tendler prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle. She said she ‘grew up dancing salsa my whole life. So I feel pretty confident.’</em></p>
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<p class="p3">Another contestant, Dr. Minelle Tendler, who owns Tendler Orthodontics in Boca Raton, says dance comes naturally to her, but echoed Quinn on the effort involved. “I’m originally from Puerto Rico, so I love dancing, and singing and having fun. When they asked me would you be OK with the dance part, I’m like, ‘absolutely.’ But I’ve already done a few lessons, and let me tell you, it’s not so easy.”</p>
<p class="p3">Tendler says she has an advantage: She has good rhythm and “grew up dancing salsa my whole life. So I feel pretty confident.” But, she adds, “Ballroom dancing is very different from what I’ve done. It’s more coordinated and strategic.”</p>
<p class="p3">The biggest challenge in the competition — and lesson learned — for Tendler is the fundraising. “I’ve been a member of the Junior League for many years now. And I did a lot of charitable work back home in Puerto Rico, but this is totally different. It’s asking. Sometimes it’s hard to ask.</p>
<p class="p3">“That’s probably been the biggest lesson for me: You just have to overcome the initial fear and go for it,” Tendler said. “You ask and you shall receive. People donate. I keep getting surprised every day at all the people who want to support me and who already know of the George Snow Scholarship Fund. It’s been difficult, but eye-opening — and incredibly rewarding.”</p>
<p class="p3">Tendler says she has been a big supporter of the community, schools, her patients and all their teams. Now the table is turned. “I’m the community dancer, so all my employees, patients and parents are cheering me on. It’s a warm, fuzzy feeling to see that support in return.”</p>
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<p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960886053,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960886053,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960886053?profile=original" /></a><em>Contestant Eddie Ventrice and instructor Sayra Vazquez Brann prepare for Boca’s Ballroom Battle to raise money for the George Snow Scholarship Fund. <b>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</b></em></p>
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<p class="p3">Contestant Eddie Ventrice, a Boca Raton resident and managing partner of BV Group-UBS Private Wealth Management, describes his dancing ability as “not great.” He’s nervous at the prospect of performing in front of hundreds of people, but “I enjoy learning the dances,” he said.</p>
<p class="p3">That’s his favorite part of the competition. Least favorite? Finding the time to train and raise money.</p>
<p class="p3">The cause behind the dance competition — the support for students through the George Snow Scholarship Fund — “is something that I can relate to personally,” Ventrice says in a letter to donors and friends. “Being the first generation to attend college and coming from a family who struggled financially, I barely got by. I spent my college years working 30 hours a week, received financial aid and the maximum amount available in student loans.</p>
<p class="p3">“I have my dance shoes and I’m taking lessons,” Ventrice says, urging supporters to “please come out and have a good laugh at my expense at the Boca Raton Resort on Sept. 20.”</p>
<p class="p3">Other dancers at this year’s fundraiser: Margaret L. Blume, philanthropist; Jason Hagensick, president and CEO of the YMCA of South Palm Beach County; Fran Nachlas, RN, of the Boca Raton Outpatient Surgery and Laser Center; Diana Riser, president and co-owner of the Pace Branding & Marketing advertising firm; and Jody Saffert, director of organization development and effectiveness at Boca Raton Regional Hospital.</p>
<p class="p3">You can support your favorite dancer with donations at <a href="">www.ballroombattle.com. </a>;</p></div>Philanthropy Notes: Dancers named for Boca’s Ballroom Battle scholarship fundraiserhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/philanthropy-notes-dancers-named-for-boca-s-ballroom-battle-schol2019-05-28T23:29:19.000Z2019-05-28T23:29:19.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960872665,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960872665,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960872665?profile=original" /></a><em>The Boca’s Ballroom Battle contestants will include (l-r) Jody Saffert, Fran Nachlas, Dr. Minelle Tendler, Jason Hagensick, Diana Riser and Margaret Blume. <b>Photo provided</b></em></p>
<p class="p1"></p>
<p class="p1"><strong>By Amy Woods</strong></p>
<p class="p1">The competition has begun for Boca’s Ballroom Battle benefiting the George Snow Scholarship Fund.</p>
<p class="p2"><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> The eight community volunteers who will compete are philanthropist Margaret Blume; Jason Hagensick, president and CEO of the YMCA of South Palm Beach County; operating-room nurse Fran Nachlas; celebrity makeup artist Tim Quinn; Diana Riser, president of Pace Advertising; Jody Saffert, a Boca Raton Regional Hospital executive; orthodontist Dr. Minelle Tendler, and Eddie Ventrice, managing director of UBS Private Wealth Management.</p>
<p class="p3">Paired with professional dancers from the Fred Astaire studios in Boca Raton, the participants will get a series of lessons to perfect their routines and then compete for the Mirror Ball trophy Sept. 20 at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.</p>
<p class="p3">“This is the do-not-miss event of the summer, as eight of our community’s most-recognizable personalities take to the dance floor for a good cause,” said Tim Snow, president of the nonprofit that helps send students to college.</p>
<p class="p3">For information about buying tickets or donating on behalf of one of the dancers, visit <a href="http://www.ballroombattle.com">www.ballroombattle.com</a>.</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>Grants to help students </b></span><span class="s1"><b>in Boca nonprofit’s classes</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">PROPEL (People Reaching Out to Provide Education & Leadership) recently earned an infusion of grant funding, allowing the Boca Raton-based nonprofit to continue preparing students for academic success.</p>
<p class="p3">The organization will receive $40,000 a year for two years from the Jim Moran Foundation and $34,000 from the Saul and Theresa Esman Foundation. Both are in addition to a $10,000 grant from Capital One.</p>
<p class="p3">PROPEL chief executive Gregg Francis said the money will support key programs for student education, including the literacy, library and SAT Prep programs. The SAT Prep program takes place from 3:30 to 7 p.m. four days a week at PROPEL’s offices.</p>
<p class="p3">“The majority of our students are studying to improve their reading comprehension and math to score well on exams and college-entrance tests,” Francis said. “We have a tremendous success rate among first-generation college students, many of whom join high school and middle school classrooms coming from other countries and not knowing how to speak English.”</p>
<p class="p3">In other news, PROPEL is partnering with Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine to offer reality-based training to the next generation of physicians.</p>
<p class="p3">Beginning in August, FAU medical students will conduct a Service Learning Project with the students at PROPEL, who range in age from 12 to 19. The medical students will learn what issues are affecting the health and well-being of the teens and pre-teens while they, in turn, will learn what it takes to become a doctor.</p>
<p class="p3">“This Service Learning Project benefits our kids by giving them access to other young people who are working just as hard as they are, if not harder, to make their goals a reality,” Francis said.</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>Impact donates $24,000 </b></span><span class="s1"><b>to Meals on Wheels</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches has received a $24,000 grant from Impact the Palm Beaches. The money will be used to purchase new kitchen equipment for the nonprofit, which serves freshly prepared nutritious noontime meals to more than 200 homebound seniors five days a week.</p>
<p class="p3">“We are honored to have been named a finalist by Impact the Palm Beaches and to have our program recognized for the important work we do in the community,” said Pamela Calzadilla, president and CEO. “The Impact the Palm Beaches grant is especially important to our organization because we receive no government funding and depend largely on the generosity of our community.”</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>Lord’s Place gets $300,000 in grants to help homeless</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">CareerSource Palm Beach County has awarded an additional $100,000 in funding to The Lord’s Place to increase services to help homeless people. The funding complements $200,000 the agency awarded to the nonprofit earlier this year.</p>
<p class="p3">CareerSource Palm Beach County has provided a total of $2 million in funding to The Lord’s Place in the past decade to disrupt the cycle of homelessness and unemployment.</p>
<p class="p3">“The Lord’s Place has an outstanding track record of providing intensive services to CareerSource homeless participants, and we look forward to working with them to expand these efforts,” said Steve Craig, president and CEO. “These services include benefits navigation, peer support, individual therapy, literacy tutoring, financial coaching, referrals to stabilized housing and health-care coordination.”</p>
<p class="p3">The money will enable The Lord’s Place to dedicate more time and resources to participants who are 18 and older and are incarcerated or homeless or were previously incarcerated or homeless.</p>
<p class="p3">“We are grateful for this increased level of support from CareerSource,” The Lord’s Place CEO Diana Stanley said. “The services it will help us provide are life-changing to those we serve. Through the expanded training and counseling this grant funds, individuals who were once homeless or incarcerated will have increased access to meaningful and sustained employment, which is key to long-term stability in their lives.”</p>
<p class="p4"></p>
<p class="p5"><span class="s1"><b>Beach Bash lets people </b></span><span class="s1"><b>with disabilities celebrate</b></span></p>
<p class="p3">They arrived in wheelchairs, on walkers, gripping canes, led by service dogs and holding onto the arm of a loved one or a caregiver for support. About 6,000 guests celebrating the 11th anniversary of the Boating & Beach Bash for People with Disabilities on March 10 found their way to Spanish River Park in Boca Raton for a day like no other.</p>
<p class="p3">Jay Van Vechten, the event’s director,<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span> is already planning next year's event scheduled for March 1, 2020.</p>
<p class="p3">The bash brings together children, teens, adults, seniors and military veterans with disabilities for an event billed as the biggest of its kind in the country.</p>
<p class="p3">“For the thousands who participated in the 2019 bash and for the hundreds of volunteers there to help them, it was one of the most memorable days of their lives,” Van Vechten said.</p>
<p class="p3">To donate to or volunteer for next year’s event, visit <a href="http://www.boatingbeachbash.com">www.boatingbeachbash.com</a>.</p>
<p class="p3">Checks can also be made out to and sent to the event’s parent organization, the American Disabilities Foundation, P.O. Box 99, Boca Raton, FL 33429.</p>
<p class="p6"></p>
<p class="p7"><i>Send news and notes to Amy Woods at flamywoods@bellsouth.net</i></p></div>Correctionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/correction-62018-10-30T21:06:28.000Z2018-10-30T21:06:28.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p class="p1" style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960814896,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img width="750" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960814896,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960814896?profile=original" /></a><em>A caption in the October issue on the George Snow Scholarship Fund’s Boca’s Ballroom Battle incorrectly stated the amount of funds raised. The amount is $480,000. <b>Photo:</b> Community dancers and professional instructors included (l-r) Jamie Rosemurgy, James Brann, Nancy Dockerty, Joseph Veccia, Sayra Vazquez Brann, Matthew Maschler, Tracy Tilson, Aleksandr Skarlato, Dr. Cristina Mata, Samir Changela, Loreta Kriksciukaityte and Chris Warren.</em></p>
<p class="p2" style="text-align:center;"><em><span class="s1"><b>Photo provided</b></span></em></p></div>Around Town: Steps that shine – Ballroom Battle breaks fundraising recordhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/around-town-steps-that-shine-ballroom-battle-breaks-fundraising-r2017-08-29T16:00:00.000Z2017-08-29T16:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960732881,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960732881,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960732881?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>Terry Fedele and James Brann, owner of the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, entrance the audience. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>By Thom Smith</strong></p>
<p> Seldom is the Boca Raton Resort & Club in such terpsichorean splendor. On Aug. 19, the Mizner Center’s Royal Palm Ballroom was filled with dancers from around the globe — pros, amateurs and pro-ams — for the Killick Klassik, a weekend-long competition with more than $50,000 in cash prizes, plus scholarships and trophies. <br /> If you appreciate top-notch ballroom dancing, this was the place to be.<br /> The crowd was much larger in the adjacent Grand Ballroom and the dancing was, shall we say, a bit less refined. The payoff was much greater, though not for the dancers.<br /> The 10th annual <strong>Boca’s Ballroom Battle</strong> paired community leaders, all rank amateurs, with professionals from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, for competition in fundraising for the George Snow Scholarship Fund. Their success was measured by how much money they raised and by the prizes for the best man and woman fundraisers: mirrored balls.<br /> Started in 1982, the fund has awarded $9.2 million in grants to more than 1,400 students, 300 who now receive assistance. This year it has awarded just over $1 million to 87 Snow Scholars.<br /> Among those on the dance floor were <strong>Lisa Kornstein Kaufman</strong>, who refuses to let multiple sclerosis hold her back; <strong>Elizabeth Titcomb</strong>, who, in costume a la La Cage Aux Folles, showed flashes of brilliance; and <strong>Logan Skees</strong>, a Marine veteran and director of business development at Trainerspace.<br /> The mirrored balls went to community activist <strong>Terry Fedele</strong>, who raised $124,851, and <strong>John Tolbert</strong>, who runs the Boca Resort & Club. He raised a record $193,332 of the record $508,000 taken in, obliterating the 2016 total of $336,000.<br /> “We did things at the hotel, even a yoga event,” said Tolbert, who readily admitted to having two left feet, “but we did a lot in the community and when we could, all the dancers worked together. It’s a great cause and it’s great for the community. I loved the fundraising, and the dancing was just a lot of fun.”<br /> ***<br /> The <strong>U.S. Professional Tennis Association</strong> holds its annual convention next month in Orlando. Among its 13,500 members you’ll find a few household names such as the Everts — Chris, Jeanne (Dubin), Drew and John — Kathy Rinaldi, and Jay Berger. But USPTA members are not, for the most part, players. They help create the household names. They are the teaching pros, the people who create and develop the players.<br /> <strong> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733266,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733266,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="98" alt="7960733266?profile=original" /></a>Rick Macci</strong> runs the Rick Macci Tennis Academy at Boca Lago Country Club. But as a coach and guide to the likes of Serena and Venus Williams, Maria Sharapova, Jennifer Capriati, Andy Roddick and Mary Pierce plus up-and-comers Sofia Kenin, Vicky Duval, Tornado Alicia Black and Hurricane Tyra Black, he can claim an impressive résumé. <br /> On Oct. 13, Macci will become the 20th — and, at 62, the youngest — member of the USPTA Hall of Fame. A seven-time USPTA Coach of the Year and USPTA Florida Hall of Fame inductee, Macci is renowned for his technical, strategic and mental expertise. He has been named Coach of the Year seven times by the U.S. Tennis Association, which recently honored him and Billie Jean King with Team USA Legendary Coaching Awards. <br /> “Rick Macci is one of our sport’s greatest coaching minds, proven by the almost surreal list of champions he has coached and influenced,” USTA Player Development General Manager Martin Blackman said. “Rick’s expertise and passion for teaching continues to keep him as one of the world’s foremost instructors.”<br /> ***<br /> Though they’ve dominated the women’s game for more than a decade, tennis is taking a back seat for the <strong>Williams sisters</strong>. Venus had completed her surprise run to the final at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open was a month away, and with sister Serena’s pregnancy in full bloom, why not throw a shower? But instead of a five-star hotel or the ballroom at their home club of BallenIsles, they chose Nick’s 50’s Diner on Okeechobee Boulevard, just west of Interstate 95. <br /> The guests, including Ciara, La La Anthony, Angela Beyince, Kelly Rowland and Eva Longoria, arrived in ’50s attire — poodle skirts and saddle shoes. Reddit co-founder and father-to-be Alexis Ohanian adopted a greaser look with white T-shirt and leather jacket. <br /> Baby’s due in mid-September. <br /> ***<br /> Summer has certainly been lively up in West Palm Beach. Before launching his latest tour, seasonal Palm Beacher <strong>Rod Stewart</strong> rehearsed with <strong>Cyndi Lauper</strong> at <strong>G-Star Studios</strong>. And because G-Star is part of the sprawling G-Star School of the Arts for Film, Animation and Performing Arts complex on Congress Avenue, students served as crew, loading in, setting up and loading out truckloads of gear and watching the rehearsals. <br /> When the producer asked if anyone could play piano for a sound check, student <strong>Kiley Thibodeau</strong> stepped up to Stewart’s original Hammond B-3, vintage 1952, and rattled off a series of tunes while technicians dialed in the equipment.<br /> Stewart, who’s sold more than 100 million records, and Lauper, who has sold more than 50 million discs and won a Tony for writing the score to Kinky Boots, were impressed. Touring the campus, Stewart took note of the vintage C-47 cargo plane on display and left his autograph on it.<br /> “This is what we do that no other high school or college can,” G-Star founder and CEO Greg Hauptner said. “Many of our students receive real world, hands-on experience working on sets with the cast, crews and stars of multimillion-dollar films, commercials, music videos and rehearsals and more.”<br /> The tour opened July 6 at Hard Rock Casino in Hollywood.<br /> ***</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733055,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733055,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960733055?profile=original" /></a><em>David Aronberg and Lynn Martin in happier days. <strong>Photo by Mike Jachles</strong></em></p>
<p><br /> Against all odds … Palm Beach State Attorney <strong>David Aronberg</strong> served in the Florida Legislature and is reputed to be considering a run for Congress against freshman Republican Brian Mast. He’s a lifelong Democrat. A little more than two years ago he married <strong>Lynn Martin</strong>, a former Miami Dolphins cheerleader working in public relations. She’s a Republican and a committed Trump supporter. She even named her dog Ivanka. <br /> Early this year, she filed for divorce. The grounds: She wants to have a baby but says he doesn’t; and he wouldn’t stand up for her when his Democratic friends criticized her.<br /> Meanwhile, as the case plods through the courts, Lynn, a Boca Raton resident, is still in action, managing her own public relations business and Palm Beach Book Club, and hooking up with TransMedia Group, a large Boca PR firm and talent and modeling agency. <br /> TransMedia chief Tom Madden, who first hired her years ago for his New York agency, plans to send her on an exploratory trip to Israel and said he might publish a book <br /> by Lynn titled <em>I Make a Great Ex-Wife</em>.<br /> ***<br /> Hadn’t heard much from pizza whiz <strong>Dak Kerprich</strong> since he sold Jerk-O, formerly Pizzeria Oceano, in Lantana to Jeremy and Cindy Bearman last February. They changed the name to Oceano Kitchen, added a canvas awning over the open-air dining deck and tweaked the menu. <br /> Kerprich disappeared, allegedly in search of another atypical spot in Lake Worth or West Palm. <br /> In early August, in true Kerprich style, he resurfaced — at Zapata Mexican Rotisserie on North Dixie in Lake Worth. But only on Mondays and only for a month. <br /> The menu was typical Kerprich — shellfish here, duck there, exotic salads, typical of the oddities for which he became famous in Lantana.<br /> But Zapata is just temporary. <br /> “We are looking at a few spots on South Dixie in West Palm and in Northwood,” Kerprich confessed. “You know me. I don’t like new construction. The next space has to have character, and a good story behind it always helps.”<br /> Stay tuned.<br /> *** <br /> Speaking of chefs, <strong>Eau Palm Beach</strong> has a new boss in the kitchen. Like many veterans in the resort dining business, Executive <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733275,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960733275,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="103" alt="7960733275?profile=original" /></a>Chef <strong>David Viviano</strong> is well-traveled, coming to Manalapan from Montage Kapalua Bay on Maui after an award-winning stint at the St. Regis Aspen Resort & Spa, where he claimed gold in the 2014 Aspen Mac & Cheese Festival. <br /> In his 20-year career he also has seen action at Westin and Ritz-Carlton hotels and at such high-end standalones as Jardiniere in San Francisco.<br /> Before finding his way to the kitchen, Viviano, a Michigan native, took an ill-considered diversion, taking a college degree at Miami of Ohio in, of all things, journalism. He still enjoys writing but realized his true calling was as a chef. <br /> At Eau, however, he will have to make at least one sacrifice. He enjoys surfing, and with rare exception, Florida’s East Coast can’t match Maui.<br /> ***<br /> Across the bridge from Eau Palm Beach, prospects for another restaurant taking over the space at 210 E. Ocean have dimmed. Paesano, the last venture, closed in 2016. Lantana resident <strong>Morris Costigan</strong>, who owns O’Shea’s Irish Pub on Clematis Street, made a pitch to the Lantana Town Council in July for a European-American bistro, but he said he was unable to reach agreement with property owner Small Corp. of Palm Beach.<br /> ***<br /> A few miles south in Delray Beach, new exec chef <strong>Blair Wilson</strong> has already redone the menu at <strong>Max’s Harvest</strong>, adding such dishes as buffalo alligator (miso buttermilk, ’nduja hot sauce, blue cheese), tuna-wrapped oysters and charred cauliflower with feta cheese, aji amarillo, golden raisins and capers. And those are just the starters. Main dishes include vermilion snapper (jasmine rice, sorrel, pickled chile, shogun vinaigrette) and a bone marrow burger with aged cheddar, cherry pepper aioli, bread and butter pickles and malted fries.<br /> After serving as executive chef at The Social Club in Miami Beach, the Virginia native was looking for a small-town atmosphere where he could celebrate the best local ingredients. <br /> ***<br /> A couple of blocks away, <strong>Smoke</strong>, the upscale barbecue spot just east of Swinton, has been shuttered after only three years. Owners <strong>Scott Kennedy</strong> and <strong>Stephen Chin</strong> cited rising rent and expenses, but they hope to resurface somewhere in Delray Beach soon. Meanwhile, any loyal customers can head south to Fort Lauderdale, where Smoke BBQ offers a more traditional barbecue spot near Galt Ocean Mile.<br /> ***<br /> The time has come... Sometime in the new year, <strong>32 East</strong>, the granddaddy of Atlantic Avenue’s signature restaurants, will close after two decades. The buyer is Big Time Restaurant Group, a West Palm Beach-based multi-concept operation with footprints all over South Florida, from West Palm Beach to Miami. 32 East will give way to Big Time’s newest venture, Louie Bossi’s, which is billed as high-energy, handmade Italian. Other Big Time spots in Delray include Rocco’s Tacos and City Oyster.<br /> But regardless if Delray Beach is ready for a restaurant with a bocci court, as is the case at Bossi’s in Boca Raton, 32 East founder <strong>Butch Johnson</strong>, who’s been on the avenue since 1996, is ready to go.<br /> “A lot of people are sad,” said Johnson, “but it’s not the same town.<br /> “Delray is going to be dominated by high-volume restaurants. They’re going to put a lot of money into renovating this place.”<br /> While Johnson and Big Time boss Todd Herbst have agreed in principle, the deal still faces legal and logistical hurdles. Johnson expects chef John Thomas and the veteran staff will remain in action for several months.<br /> “We’ll probably have little farewell parties during the last months,” Johnson said. “We’ll bring back old bartenders, have a Nick Morfogen night (with the original executive chef, now at Pine Tree Golf Club in Boynton Beach). We’ll say goodbye the right way.”<br /> Since Johnson owns the building that houses 32 East, he’ll still collect a tidy rent check, but he has no intention of leaving the business: “I’m looking around for another city with a CRA [community redevelopment agency] that would like to expand its profile.”<br /> <br /> <em>Thom Smith is a freelance writer who can be reached at thomsmith@ymail.com.</em><br /></p></div>Around Town: Resort’s president hopes to rock Boca’s Ballroom Battlehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/around-town-resort-s-president-hopes-to-rock-boca-s-ballroom-batt2017-08-01T16:48:20.000Z2017-08-01T16:48:20.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734672,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734672,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" width="600" alt="7960734672?profile=original" /></a></strong><em>John Tolbert (right) dances with Terry Fedele. The couple next to them is Heather Shaw Fairs and Logan Skees. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>By Thom Smith</strong></p>
<p><strong>John Tolbert</strong> has crossed hundreds of ballroom floors during his hotel management career, but the president and managing director of the <strong>Boca Raton Resort & Club</strong> is the first to admit he is far more comfortable dancing unnoticed among thousands of revelers at a rock concert. That could change, however, as Tolbert hopes to trip the light fantastic at <strong>Boca’s Ballroom Battle</strong>, the local fundraising equivalent to Dancing With the Stars. <br /> Tolbert joins seven other contestants at the 10th annual event Aug. 18, but even though it’s being held at his hotel, he doubts he’ll be able to claim any home floor advantage.<br /> “If I went to a U2 concert, I could dance fine,” he said, “but when you’re talking about formal dancing, learning the tango and cha-cha, in a ballroom setting … I was not trained in that regard.”<br /> For several weeks, he and the other competitors have been training at Fred Astaire Dance Studio with their professional partners, putting together the routines they hope will result in the Mirror Ball trophy.<br /> “That’s the fun part,” Tolbert said. “The teachers are amazing. It’s a lot of work, but it’s a lot of fun. I’ve been trying to go two to three times a week, because I’m starting from zero.”<br /> Tolbert’s challengers, of varying talent, are <strong>Jim Dunn</strong>, vice president and general manager at JM Lexus; <strong>Terry Fedele</strong>, a registered nurse, retired hospital executive and community volunteer; <strong>Lisa Kornstein Kaufman</strong>, founder and creative director of Scout & Molly’s boutiques; <strong>Derek Morrell</strong>, proprietor of Ouzo Bay restaurant; <strong>Heather Shaw Fairs</strong>, vice president and general manager at Saks Fifth Avenue; <strong>Logan Skees</strong>, director of business development at Trainerspace; and <strong>Elizabeth Murdoch Titcomb</strong>, principal and founder of Iolite Creative, a multimedia company.<br /> Tolbert took over the reins at the resort in early 2016, but he’s hardly a stranger, having run the marketing department from 1994 to 2002. His career has taken him to Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the nearby Ritz-Carlton in Naples, working for the likes of Wayne Huizenga, the Blackstone Group and Marriott. <br /> Born in England when his father was in the Air Force, he grew up in Maryland in the family farmhouse built in 1780. “It’s really a special place, only 35 minutes outside of Washington and it was a dairy farm,” Tolbert said. <br /> Now, however, he’s in unfamiliar territory, but he welcomes the challenge. After last year’s Ballroom Battle, the winners urged him to consider competing. <br /> “It seemed like a great idea last August and now all of a sudden it’s about to happen,” he said. “But the George Snow Scholarship Fund is a great organization, the Boca Ballroom Battle is fun and it’s just a great night.<br /> “I’m a work in progress. My goal is to evolve into a performance that will not embarrass the charity or myself.” <br /> The battle kicks off with cocktails at 6 p.m. Competition begins at 7 followed by an after party — and noncompetitive dancing in the Palm Court. <br /> Since 1982, the Snow Fund has given more than $9.2 million in scholarship awards to more than 1,700 Snow Scholars. For tickets, $185, or to pledge support for a dancer, call 347-6799 or visit <a href="">www.scholarship.org. </a>; <br /> ***<br /> Salud!<br /> In one of the most unusual proclamations ever issued by a government body, the town of Palm Beach on July 14 urged residents and her friends worldwide “with a martini in hand, to raise a toast” to <strong>Brownie McLean</strong>. <br /><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734270,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734270,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="99" alt="7960734270?profile=original" /></a>The occasion: her 100th birthday. For most of her century, Brownie, the undisputed queen of Palm Beach, brushed off speculation about her age, preferring to say she was “61-plus.” Recently, she told Barbara Marshall of <em>The Palm Beach Post</em>, “I think it’s quite an accomplishment to survive that long.” And she has definitely survived with style. <br /> Mildred Brown was a horse-riding tomboy on a Virginia farm when both parents died in accidents during the Depression. After working briefly in a pulp mill, she made her way to New York and landed a modeling job at 16. She married and divorced nightclub owner George Schrafft and eventually hooked up with Jock McLean, whose family developed McLean, Va., and owned The Washington Post and the Hope Diamond. <br /> To Brownie, its red sparks looked “evil.”<br /> The McLeans graced the social registers not only of Palm Beach, Washington and New York, but also Paris, London and various and sundry Mediterranean capitals. It wasn’t that long ago that she was hosting parties in Morocco. <br /> El Solano, their magnificent estate on South Ocean, was party central in Palm Beach. You name the charity, Brownie would host the fundraiser. But after Jock died in 1975, the house was too big to manage, so Brownie began renting it. <br /> One renter, Larry Flynt, shot pictorials for Hustler there, which didn’t please Brownie, and she finally sold it — to John Lennon and Yoko Ono. <br /> While money hasn’t been a problem since Brownie left the farm, it has never mattered. Through it all, the driving force behind her success has been her kindness. Though she’s been provided many opportunities, she’s never had a bad word to say about anybody. <br /> ***<br /> Another Palm Beach institution, not quite as old, has bid farewell to The Island, at least for a few years.<br /> <strong>Testa’s</strong>, which opened in 1921, has closed. The 1.3-acre site on Royal Poinciana Way that includes a long-closed gas station and several small shops will be redeveloped into six two-story buildings with a new restaurant, shops and six luxury condos. But the new complex won’t be ready for a minimum of 30 months or, more likely, three years.<br /> Whether Testa’s will return hasn’t been decided. The Testa family reportedly has received offers to relocate to Wellington and to other spots in Palm Beach, but for now the legendary crab cake sandwiches and strawberry pie are history.<br /> ***<br /> Raise a stein to <strong>NoBo</strong>, the latest addition to Boynton Beach’s growing craft brewery community. NoBo (short for North Boynton) is nestled in the warehouse district just west of I-95 and north of Gateway, within walking distance of local pioneers Due South and Copperpoint.<br /> The June opening was a long time coming for brothers <strong>Steve</strong> and <strong>Tim Dornblaser</strong>, who had initially hoped to open in late 2015, first as Lagerhead Brewing, then as Driftwood Ales before they settled on the distinctive NoBo. <br /> The present menu includes four staples — a blonde ale, a hefeweizen, an American IPA 2.0 and a coffee porter. A constantly changing list of seasonals — presently six — includes The Funky Monk, a strong Belgian golden ale, and a sour hefeweizen with peaches. <br /> Guest taps include Crisp Cider from Broski Ciderworks in Pompano Beach and Mango Wit from Proof Brewing in Tallahassee. <br /> The Dornblasers will pour any legal size draft, from 5-ounce samplers ($2-$3) to 12- and 16-ounce drafts ($5-$6) and 32- and 64-ounce growlers ($9-$20).<br /> Open every day but Tuesday, NoBo is building a calendar of special events featuring food trucks and a football kickoff party Sept. 2 featuring FSU versus Alabama.<br /> ***<br /> Speaking of football, the day before the Noles meet the Tide, we’ll know how far FAU has progressed under new head coach <strong>Lane Kiffin</strong>, as the Owls take on Navy. <br /> Those permanently attached to their TVs can catch the game on ESPNU. But despite replays, easy access to restrooms and cushy recliners, football games are better enjoyed live and in person. And FAU’s stadium is among the best. Tickets start at a modest $12. <br /> ***<br /> Just about anything except water can be fermented. Kombucha, for example, is tea with a kick and lots of probiotics, and it’s also being brewed in Boynton. A couple of blocks away from NoBo, <strong>Chris Montelius</strong> has opened <strong>Non-Prophet Brewing</strong>, producing such flavors as strawberry basil, blueberry mint, passion fruit and raspberry lime, plus a ginger ale and a dry-hopped version. <br /> Montelius only wholesales or fills growlers for individual customers for now, but he plans to add a retail space. Meanwhile, the curious and the enthusiastic can head back to NoBo, where his kombucha is among the guest offerings.<br /> ***<br /> Locals who feared the worst can relax. <strong>Ken Dickey</strong>, who had announced plans to create a nude beach at Gulfstream Park, has turned his attention northward. <br /> His group, <strong>Palm Beach Naturists</strong>, now thinks MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach would be an ideal location to attract tourists and locals who enjoy nude sunbathing. <br /> The closest nude beaches now are Haulover on the north side of Miami and Blind Creek Beach in Fort Pierce. Dickey believes some of the money that goes to those areas should come to Palm Beach County. <br /> Actually, before being renamed MacArthur Park, for former owner John D. MacArthur, the 2-mile stretch was a popular, albeit unofficial, clothing-optional beach. Legend has it that during a visit to discuss building an amusement park in nearby Palm Beach Gardens, MacArthur took Walt Disney there for a skinny-dip.<br /> ***<br /> <strong> Dr. Phil McGraw</strong> will head the list of celebrities for the <strong>28th Chris Evert/Raymond James Pro-Celebrity Tennis Classic</strong> to <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734466,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734466,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-right" width="100" alt="7960734466?profile=original" /></a>be held Nov. 3-5. An avid tennis player, McGraw will join Evert for the first time since 2002. <br />Other returnees include actors <strong>Timothy Olyphant</strong> (FX’s <em>Justified</em>), <strong>Jamie McShane</strong> (Netflix’s <em>Bloodline</em>) and <strong>Maeve Quinlan</strong> (CBS’ <em>The Bold and the Beautiful</em>), <em>American Idol</em> winner <strong>David Cook</strong>, and three-time Indy 500 champion <strong>Helio Castroneves</strong>. Newcomers include <strong>Robin Givens</strong> (<em>Head of the Class</em>) and <strong>Tate Donovan</strong> (DirecTV’s <em>Damages</em>). Also returning: tennis legends <strong>Martina Navratilova</strong> and <strong>Luke Jensen</strong>. <br /> Since 1989, Evert’s event, which includes two days of tennis at the Delray Beach Tennis Center and a gala, pro-am and cocktail event at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, has raised $23 million to battle drug abuse and child neglect. (<a href="http://www.chrisevert.org">www.chrisevert.org</a>) <br /> ***<br /> Another remarkable fundraising operation, the <strong>Boca West Foundation</strong>, has been in operation only since 2010 yet has already raised $4.8 million for local charities. Its most recent venture, a concert by <strong>Jennifer Hudson</strong> at Boca West Country Club, took in $1.45 million. The money will go to 25 area children’s programs, including Boys & Girls Club of Palm Beach County, Boca Helping Hands, Caridad Center, Florence Fuller Child Development Centers, Viner Community Scholars Foundation and Sweet Dream Makers.<br /> ***<br />The fifth annual <strong>FLAVOR Palm Beach</strong> offers discounted prix fixe menus at 50-plus Palm Beach County restaurants during September. Three-course lunches will be priced at $20 and dinners from $30. Each reservation made through FlavorPB.com’s OpenTable link will benefit The Palm Beach County Food Bank. For a full list of participants, menus and reservations, go to FlavorPB.com. Reservations are suggested. <br /> ***<br /> Boca Raton has lost a friend, a character, a legend. Just a few weeks shy of his 70th birthday in the early hours of July 20, longtime arts writer <strong>Skip Sheffield</strong> died in his sleep. The cause of death has not been revealed. <br /> Skip was a cancer survivor, but in a Facebook comment in May about a photo of his band, the Sheffield Brothers, at Tim <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734689,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960734689,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="101" alt="7960734689?profile=original" /></a>Finnegan’s Irish Pub, he offered a hint:<br />“My newly installed Seymour Duncan pickup made my little 1976 Fender ‘baby bass’ a real powerhouse. I was less so. That’s why I am seated. I like to think of myself as a tough guy, but I am fragile. I thank my brothers for being patient with me. The spirit is willing but sometimes the body is weak.” <br /> Then in a reply to a friend he noted: “I have ‘persistent anemia.’ It has ebbed and flowed since childhood.”<br /> As sleepy Boca Raton woke up, Skip was there. Born Norman Sheffield in New Hampshire, he first moved with his family to Miami, then to Boca Raton when Federal Highway’s two lanes ran by Africa USA, Bethesda in Boynton Beach was the closest hospital and high schoolers went to Seacrest in Delray Beach. From 1968 to 1986 his father was general manager at the Hillsboro Club. <br /> As Boca grew, so did Skip. A renaissance man of sorts, he loved motorcycles and vintage automobiles, poetry and literature, surfing, rock ’n’ roll, theater and movies. He and brothers John and Richard formed a band, the Sheffield Brothers, and played concerts, local bars and parties along Florida’s East Coast. They never made the big time, but that didn’t matter. Said Skip, “Block parties are good because people of all ages get together.”<br /> He graduated from FAU with a master’s degree in English lit. All those habits, all those hobbies, all those loves came together in a perfect storm at <em>The Boca Raton News</em>, where Skip quickly strode from the mailroom to arts critic. He previewed and reviewed movies, plays and concerts yet still found time to work on the old cars and catch a few waves. He managed to form a family — with three daughters and grandchildren.<br /> He wrote for the <em>News</em> until the paper closed in 2009, then signed on with <em>Atlantic Avenue</em> magazine and the weekly <em>Boca Raton Tribune</em>, freelanced and blogged.<br /> Facebook has been flooded with comments.<br /> “We have all lost a kind soul, a caring friend, a maker of music, a teller of tales,” friend Marie Rocheleau Graves wrote. “Skip Sheffield could reach in and pull a memory of the past and make it our own. Life is a day at the beach — he took us there on his bike rides, photos and memories, documenting the changes taking place, recalling the times of old. Somehow he made perfect sense of it all . . . or at the very least kept us hanging for the next story.”<br /> In announcing his brother’s death on Facebook, John Sheffield wrote, “For me ... yesterday was the day the music died.”<br />A formal memorial service will be held Aug. 26 at First United Methodist Church in Boca Raton. However, friends and family are saving the real sendoff for the following evening at Tim Finnegan’s in Delray Beach with a performance by the remaining Sheffield Brothers and assorted musical guests. The brothers’ rationale: “In true Skip Sheffield fashion ... the show must go on!”<br /><br /><em>Thom Smith is a freelance writer who can be reached at thomsmith@ymail.com.</em></p></div>Shall We Dance? Boca’s Ballroom Battle to benefit college-scholarship programhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/shall-we-dance-boca-s-ballroom-battle-to-benefit-college-scholars2015-07-29T01:00:00.000Z2015-07-29T01:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>By Amy Woods</strong> <br /> <br /> A footloose and fancy-free fundraiser for the George Snow Scholarship Fund has brought together eight amateur rug-cutters who will twirl their way across the parquet Aug. 28. <br /> Boca’s Ballroom Battle — an evening of dining and dancing — pairs local volunteers who have agreed to shake their “groove thang” with professionals from Fred Astaire dance studios in Boca Raton. This year’s theme: the ’80s.<br /> “All of these individuals are givers,” Debi Feiler, the fund’s vice president of program services, said of the hand-picked hoofers. “They all have, at one point, been out there in some charitable fashion doing something for the community.” <br /> The lineup is comprised of Brian Altschuler, Peg Anderson, Elias Janetis, Frank McKinney, Holly Meehan, Chris Nichols, Donna Parlapiano and Wendy Sadusky. Each is tasked with bringing in as much money as possible through pledges. The Coastal Star caught up with McKinney, Meehan and Sadusky to ask them why they dare to dance.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960593466,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960593466,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="465" alt="7960593466?profile=original" /></a><em>Frank McKinney, real-estate entrepreneur and author, practices dance moves with partner Pam Casanave at Fred Astaire dance studios in Boca Raton. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Frank McKinney</strong> <br /> <strong>Occupation:</strong> Real-estate artist <br /> <strong>Residence:</strong> Delray Beach <br /> <strong>Dance partner:</strong> Pam Casanave <br /> <strong>Song:</strong> <em>You Shook Me All Night Long</em>, by AC/DC <br /> <br /> <strong>CS:</strong> Is dancing difficult? <br /> <strong>FM:</strong> I am very athletic, so I thought, “Wow, this dancing thing should be pretty easy.” That was certainly learned to be untrue. <br /> <strong>CS:</strong> Have you ever done anything like this before? <br /> <strong>FM:</strong> Never, but I love the feeling of experiencing things that are well beyond my comfort zone, and I have two left feet. I’ve stepped on my partner’s toes a few times. I’ve probably broken her toes. <br /> <strong>CS:</strong> What is your goal? <br /> <strong>FM:</strong> To raise enough money to cover five scholarships. I never had a chance to go to school, so to be able to send kids who can’t afford it means a lot to me.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960593084,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960593084,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="285" alt="7960593084?profile=original" /></a><em>Holly Meehan, photographer and volunteer, busts a move with dance partner James Brann.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Holly Meehan</strong> <br /> <strong>Occupation:</strong> Volunteer extraordinaire <br /> <strong>Residence:</strong> Boca Raton<br /> <strong>Dance partner:</strong> James Brann <br /> <strong>Song:</strong> <em>Footloose</em>, by Kenny Loggins <br /> <br /> <strong>CS:</strong> What is your dance background? <br /> <strong>HM:</strong> My husband David and I took dance lessons 10 years ago before our wedding, but I’m not sure that counts. <br /> <strong>CS:</strong> What do you think about this year’s ’80s theme? <br /> <strong>HM:</strong> Ahhh, those were my jams. I’m loving the ’80s theme and really hope the attendees get involved and pull out the <em>Miami Vice</em> pastels and Madonna lace. <br /> <strong>CS:</strong> What is your goal? <br /> <strong>HM:</strong> Breaking previous records is always my goal — anything to raise the bar. Like any charity organization, it makes a difference to see volunteers really get involved and show their passion, and if I can dance my way to help a local student get funding for college, how could I say no?</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960593285,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960593285,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="247" alt="7960593285?profile=original" /></a><em>Wendy Sadusky, designing housewife, strikes a pose with dance partner Jacob Jennings at Fred Astaire dance studios in Boca Raton. <strong>Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Wendy Sadusky</strong> <br /><strong>Occupation:</strong> Designing housewife <br /><strong>Residence:</strong> Boca Raton</p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><strong>Dance partner:</strong> Jacob Jennings <br /><strong>Song:</strong> <em>Hey Mickey</em>, by Toni Basil <br /><br /><strong>CS:</strong> Who recommended you? <br /><strong>WS:</strong> Chris Palermo, a past participant and now a neighbor. When he did it, I mistakenly said, “That looks like so much fun.” No, I absolutely am thrilled to be asked to participate in this. <br /><strong>CS:</strong> How are the dance lessons going? <br /><strong>WS:</strong> It’s really, really fun. I’ve never danced, though, so it’s really something different. It’s about lines and angles and trying to make yourself look good. <br /><strong>CS:</strong> What is your goal? <br /><strong>WS:</strong> $25,000. The opportunity to give these children a chance to go to college is so important. They’re kids that work hard, get good grades, and they would have zero chance without funding.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>If You Go</strong> <br /><strong>What:</strong> Boca’s Ballroom Battle <br /><strong>When:</strong> 6 to 11 p.m. Aug. 28 <br /><strong>Where:</strong> Boca Raton Resort & Club, 501 E. Camino Real <br /><strong>Cost:</strong> $175 <br /><strong>Information:</strong> Call 347-6799 or visit <a href="http://www.scholarship.org">www.scholarship.org</a></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"></p></div>Meet Your Neighbor: Robert Sweetapplehttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/meet-your-neighbor-robert-sweetapple2014-07-30T13:30:00.000Z2014-07-30T13:30:00.000ZChris Felkerhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/ChrisFelker<div><p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960524852,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960524852,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="538" alt="7960524852?profile=original" /></a>Robert Sweetapple surprises Fred Astaire Dance instructor Ashley Jones with a lift</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em>during rehearsal for this year’s Boca Ballroom Battle to benefit the George Snow Scholarship Fund.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;"> On a warm Wednesday evening in late July, Robert Sweetapple and Ashley Jones are navigating the floor at the Fred Astaire Dance Studio in Boca Raton as Rod Stewart sings the Motown classic Same Old Song from the loudspeakers.<br /> To be precise, Ashley Jones — a professional instructor at the school — is dancing. Robert Sweetapple, a high-powered lawyer, is … improving.<br /> “This is my 14th lesson, and I’m going to need 10 more,” Sweetapple joked during a break — which is unfortunate, because the eight amateurs competing in this year’s Boca Ballroom Battle get only 15 lessons before the Aug. 16 competition. <br /> The event, now in its seventh year, raises money for the George Snow Scholarship Fund, and Sweetapple has put his commitment to education ahead of any fear of embarrassment.<br /> A managing member of Sweetapple, Broeker & Varkas, he has lived in Boca Raton for 28 years. He and his wife, Karen, have four children — all of whom attended Gulf Stream School. Three are away at college and the youngest attends St. Andrew’s School while their father attends the Fred Astaire.<br /> “I’m definitely slow on the uptake,” Sweetapple confessed before returning to the lesson, “but it’s amazing how with practice you can get the basic gist of it.<br /> “I just thank God I’ve done better in court than I do here!”<br /> <em>— Ron Hayes</em></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>TEN QUESTIONS</strong><br /> <br /> Q. Where did you grow up and go to school? How do you think that has influenced you? <br /> A. My dad died when I was 10, so in 1965 we moved to Perrine, south of Miami, from Fairfield, Calif., and I went to elementary school there. Then we moved to Plantation, where I graduated from Nova High School in Fort Lauderdale. That was the Broward County magnet school, and it allowed me to go on to Colgate University in New York, and then the University of Florida law school. If I’d stayed where I was, I’d be picking tomatoes with all the rest of my neighbors.<br /> <br /> Q. What professions have you worked in? What life accomplishments are you most proud of?<br /> A. I’ve been a trial lawyer for 34 years, primarily practicing commercial litigation, and I’m most proud of being able to help people who are sometimes in the worst situation they’ve ever been in and help them through tough times. And I’ve made a lot of very good friends in the process.<br /> <br /> Q. How is it that you were pursued to dance in this year’s Boca Ballroom Battle event?<br /> A. My wife and Tim Snow conspired. After 32 years of marriage, my wife wants to see some new moves. <br /> <br /> Q. Why is the George Snow foundation important to you?<br /> A. Because it makes education available to worthy young people who otherwise couldn’t afford to obtain a great education. There’s a very short window. If you don’t go to college in that window, the odds of you going back later in life narrow every year.<br /> <br /> Q. How did you choose to make your home in coastal Boca Raton?<br /> A. I’ve always loved boating and the water, and growing up in Plantation, a lot of my friends lived in east Lauderdale. In 1965, Plantation was in the middle of nowhere, and I vowed I would never live in the Everglades again. We’ve been in Boca since 1986.<br /> <br /> Q. What is your favorite part about living in Boca? <br /> A. The boating. I have a Donzi 35-foot fishing boat and a Fairline cabin cruiser. I fish a little bit, but primarily we take it to the islands. <br /> <br /> Q. Do you have a favorite quote that inspires your decisions? <br /> A. “Life’s battles are not always won by the stronger or faster man, but sooner or later the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.” Napoleon Hill <br /> Q. Have you had mentors in your life? Individuals who have inspired your life decisions? <br /> A. My biggest mentor other than my own mother was Joan Kamilar, who was my best friend’s mother when I was growing up in Perrine. I asked her once what was the most important word in the English language, and she said “empathy.” She said, “When you feel sorry for someone because you think you’re better than they are, that’s sympathy. When you realize you’re no better, that’s empathy.” She was a professed atheist, but I’ve never met a person I’d consider more of a Christian.<br /> <br /> Q. If your life story were made into a movie, who would you want to play you?<br /> A. Well, I’d want it to be a comedy. Could it be Eddie Murphy?<br /> <br /> Q. Who/what makes you laugh?<br /> A. Everything! Having a sense of humor is inside you, and you have to start by laughing at yourself.</p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span class="font-size-3">IF YOU GO</span> <br /><strong>Boca’s Ballroom Battle,</strong> a fundraiser for the George Snow Scholarship Fund<br /><strong>Where:</strong> The Boca Raton Resort & Club<br /><strong>When:</strong> 6 p.m. Aug. 16<br /><strong>Tickets:</strong> Starting at $150<br /><strong>Information:</strong> 347-6799 or <a href="http://www.scholarship.org">www.scholarship.org</a><br /><br /></p></div>Boca’s Ballroom Battle: Boca Raton Resort & Club – Aug. 16https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/boca-s-ballroom-battle-boca-raton-resort-club-aug-162013-09-04T16:00:00.000Z2013-09-04T16:00:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>See More</strong> <a href="http://thecoastalstar.ning.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=2331112:Album:113038">Photos</a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960464095,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960464095,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="180" alt="7960464095?profile=original" /></a><em>Robyn Nassetta performs to Ease on Down the Road from The Wiz with her partner, Ivan Rivera. She was honored as Best Female Dancer.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960464285,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960464285,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="180" alt="7960464285?profile=original" /></a><br /> <em> Dorothy MacDiarmid and partner Eric Dehant dance to Money, Money, Money from Mamma Mia.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960464480,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960464480,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960464480?profile=original" /></a>Gary Collins grins as he accepts the trophy for Best Male Dancer.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> <em>More than 750 guests attended the event, which raised more than $230,000 for The George Snow Scholarship Fund.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p></div>Around Town: Boca Ballroom battle raises record for scholarship fundinghttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/around-town-boca-ballroom-battle-raises-record-for-scholarship-fu2012-08-29T18:30:00.000Z2012-08-29T18:30:00.000ZMary Kate Leminghttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/MaryKateLeming769<div><p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Photo <a href="http://thecoastalstar.ning.com/photo/photo/slideshow?albumId=2331112:Album:77463">slideshow</a><br /></strong></p>
<p><strong>By Thom Smith</strong></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><strong>Glen Calder</strong> was in on the act, but he just wasn’t sure how. Wife <strong>Kristin</strong> was competing in the annual <strong>Boca Ballroom Battle</strong>, so in support of the cause — the <strong>George Snow Scholarship Fund</strong> — he agreed to play a role in her dance number.<br /> The theme was movies, and each of the eight dancers assumed the identity of a film star or character for an opening intro and then an actual dance number. A former Boca Raton deputy mayor and health care executive, <strong>Peter Baronoff</strong>, for example, assumed the role of <strong>Mrs. Doubtfire</strong>. Boca YMCA boss <strong>Dick Pollock</strong> recreated the dance scene from <em><strong>Pulp Fiction</strong></em>. Local activist <strong>Beth Osborne</strong> pulled an <strong>Austin Powers</strong>.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402476,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402476,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960402476?profile=original" /></a><em>Peter Baronoff did his best ‘Mrs Doubtfire’ imitation and set a record for fundraising.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402489,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402489,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960402489?profile=original" /></a><em>YMCA President Dick Pollack was picked for best male dancer.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402679,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402679,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960402679?profile=original" /></a><em>Beth Osborne was honored for best female fundraiser and dancer for her ‘Austin Powers’-like moves.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> For the Calders’ act, Glen knew only that he was to sit on a chair on the dance floor. The music started and Kristin, head of public relations for the Bethesda Hospital Foundation and mother of three, strutted out in a fur coat, which she removed to reveal a swirling dress, straight out of <strong><em>The Seven-Year Itch</em></strong>. Then doing her best <strong>Marilyn Monroe</strong>, she sang “Happy Birthday, Mr. President,” to her stunned but grinning husband. <br /> Calder and her partner, Fred Astaire Studio dance director <strong>Jay Molter</strong>, then segued into their “real” dance to <em>Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend</em>. <br /> “When I see the photos I can’t believe it’s me out there,” Calder said. “When they asked me to participate, I was pregnant and thought this would be a good way to get back in shape. But to learn the choreography and pretending to be Marilyn Monroe was as mentally challenging as it was physical. It’s a very emotional experience as well. Most of us wouldn’t get out there if it wasn’t for a cause.”<br /> Calder didn’t win. The mirrored ball trophies for best dance went to Pollock and Osborne, who also took the top fundraising prize with Baronoff. But no regrets, as the event raised $290,000 for college scholarships.</p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403052,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403052,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="238" alt="7960403052?profile=original" /></a><em>Kristin Calder was greeted with flowers by her children, Harrison and Caroline, after channeling Marilyn Monroe.</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong><br /></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><br /> “It gets better every year, the talent of the dancers and what people put into it,” she said. “When I look at the pictures and see all the people smiling and having such a great time, it was worth it. And for a few minutes, I was Marilyn Monroe. That was great. I’m sure it will be a part of my life for some time to come.”</p>
<p style="text-align:center;">*** <br /> Imagine how the world would have been if MM had done the samba. The essence of Brazil will transform Boca on Sept. 7 as <strong>Friday Night Live!</strong> celebrates Brazilian Independence Day with a full schedule of events at Sanborn Square. Entertainment by singer <strong>Rose Max</strong> and <strong>Batuke Samba Funk</strong>, art, fashion and Brazilian food from Gourmet Truck Expo. The carnival begins at 6 p.m.<br /> ***<br /> Aside from the music, a large part of the appeal of playing in a local band is its spontaneity and unpredictability. <strong>Brian Bolen</strong> has seen a lot of both during his career, most recently with <strong>Uproot Hootenanny</strong>, a string band. It plays most of its gigs at bars and clubs in the coastal towns, although it recently has added an annual hop to the Emerald Isle for a fortnight of performances. <br /> “We played 10 gigs in 15 days this year,” said Bolen, who plays guitar and bass and sings. “Next year we’ll have some more gigs lined up. I think they’ll let us back in.”<br /> Perhaps the guys also made an impression on <strong>Khris Royal</strong>, who stopped by the <strong>Wishing Well</strong> in mid-August after a concert at <strong>Pompano Beach Amphitheater</strong>. Royal is a sax player, born and raised in the jazzy-funk of New Orleans, who was accepted at Boston’s prestigious Berklee School of Music at age 16. He’s played with the <strong>Marsalises</strong> and <strong>Bobby Brown</strong> and recorded with the likes of <strong>Mary J. Blige</strong>, <strong>Ashanti</strong> and <strong>Erykah Badu</strong>. Now in one of those surprise, unexpected musical moves, he’s added his sax to <strong>Rebelution</strong>, a fast-rising band from California that plays, of all things, reggae. <br /> After the Pompano concert, Royal met some of the locals who invited him to go clubbing … and he accepted … and when they arrived as the Wishing Well and the surprised Bolen invited him to jam … he accepted. <br /> “He jumped up and played. He was fun to jam with,” Bolen said of the resulting fusion of Irish, rock, reggae and jazz. “I mean, we’re a full-on string band, but it worked.”<br /> Royal and Rebelution have moved on with their national tour, but Uproot Hootenanny is busy at home in Boca, with dates Sept. 7 at <strong>The Funky Biscuit</strong>, Sept. 14 at The Wishing Well and Sept. 29 at <strong>Biergarten</strong>. <br /> ***<br /> Hold it! This can’t be right. A new building and business opening ahead of schedule? Well, it’s happened. <strong>Hyatt Place Pineapple Grove</strong> opened Aug. 8. Its 134 rooms, none on the ground floor, feature 42-inch flat-screen TVs, cozy corners and sofa lounges and expansive views of downtown Delray. It’s certified “green” (energy efficient) and includes a rooftop pool, a hot tub, workout room, full service bar, 24-hour food service, conference rooms and a ground floor gallery. During September, rooms start at $109 and are expected to range from $170 in summer to $300 during the season. A grand opening is planned for October.<br /> *** <br /> On the subject of dining and entertainment, Boynton Beach for years has taken a back seat to its more vocal neighbors north and south. Not any more.<br /> With a big boost from the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, young, energetic and innovative restaurateurs intend to turn what has been a town that people passed through on their way to Lake Worth or Delray and Boca into a dining destination. <br /> To make its point, the CRA recently offered media members a trolley tour of five spots that typify the town’s potential. <br /> Everything at <strong>The Backyard</strong> — half a block west of Federal — is outdoors, except the cooking; that’s done in an Airstream trailer. Live music, cold drinks and fresh, locally supplied food keep the place packed seven days a week. <br /> <strong>Chrissy Benoit</strong>, who once worked for <strong>Wolfgang Puck</strong> and moved to Lake Worth after a hurricane blew her out of Orlando, is working wonders with the just opened <strong>Little House</strong>, the renovated cottage on East Ocean, a block west of Federal. Again, it’s all fresh. Warning: The Pop Rock petite citrus sour cream pie ($6) is deadly.<br /> Across the street, seafood plays a big role at <strong>Hurricane Alley</strong>, although landlubbers can have their fill, too! But you can fish all day on the <strong>Sea Mist III</strong> drift boat and they’ll cook your catch for you. They also offer up a jalapeño margarita, an Asian calamari salad and a décor to delight the most debauched nautical wheeler.<br /> Farther south at Federal and Woolbright, on the ground floor of Las Ventanas, <strong>Sweetwater</strong> bills itself as a cocktail bar, rustling up some of the wildest libations known to man, as well as barrels of craft beers and a cellarful of wine. Food, too! It opened a year and a half ago, and with nearly 500 rental units above, they expected most patrons to be walk-ins. To the contrary, folks from Boca to Jupiter have found out. <br /> The only waterfront site on the tour, <strong>Prime Catch</strong>, actually has the New England feel of old brick and stained wood, cod and live Maine lobster. But the Therian family, which also owns the <strong>Banana Boat</strong> up the road and the <strong>Fifth Avenue Grill</strong> in Deerfield Beach, loves to fish and their catches — mahi, swordfish — make up a large part of the menu. <br /> Most important — the town has a new can-do attitude. It’s worth a stop.<br /> *** <br /> Down in Boca, almost as quickly as <strong>Philippe</strong> opened, it closed. Reportedly, <strong>Philippe Chow’s</strong> success with his Asian fusion restaurant didn’t travel well to East Palmetto Park Road. Local diners weren’t willing to pay the price, so he pulled the plug after only a year. <br /> Similarly, <strong>Assaggio del Forno</strong> in Boca’s Regency Shops at Jog and Yamato has closed barely six months after opening. <strong>Dennis Max’s</strong> foray into modern small-plate Italian cuisine didn’t catch on with the locals who wanted “old-style Italian.” <br /> “I decided to let my partner (<strong>John Williams</strong>) do what he wanted,” Max said. “I think he’ll reopen in October.”<br /> The severed partnership also spelled the demise of <strong>Frank and Dino’s</strong> in Deerfield Beach, but don’t expect Max to slow down. <br /> Though business couldn’t be better at <strong>Max’s Grille</strong> in Mizner Park, on Aug. 27 Max closed it for a month to give it a major makeover, including a new display kitchen. Until it reopens Sept. 26, Max urges diners to give <strong>Max’s Harvest</strong> in Delray a shot.<br /> Max’s next project is <strong>The Mexican</strong>, a sit-down restaurant with a large indoor-outdoor bar in <strong>Royal Palm Place</strong>. Max says it’s similar to <strong>Carlos and Pepe’s</strong>, a concept he developed with <strong>Burt Rapoport</strong> more than 30 years ago in Fort Lauderdale. <br /> Look for a late-October, early-November opening, which will be followed around Thanksgiving by <strong>Burt and Max’s</strong> in the still-under-construction <strong>Delray Marketplace</strong> out west at Lyons and Atlantic. After more than a decade apart, Max and Rapoport are again teaming up. This venture, Max said, will be an evolution of <strong>Max’s Grille</strong>.<br /> It’s a lot safer than it was three years ago,” Max said of the restaurant business. “A lot of young people are doing restaurants that are approachable, affordable, with excellent food that’s international. People want to go out and have a good time, and restaurants fill that need — now more than ever.”<br /> Also coming to the Marketplace will be <strong>Famiglia</strong> pizzeria, <strong>Shula Burger</strong>, <strong>Cabo Flats</strong>, a casual Mexican restaurant already opened in Palm Beach Gardens, and a 10-screen, 16-lane theater-bowling alley combo. <br /> *** <br /> Back in <strong>Mizner Park</strong>, around the first of the year, you should be able to go from a concert in the amphitheater at the north end to a jam session in the south end. The space formerly occupied by <strong>ZED451</strong> is scheduled to become <strong>JAZZIZ Nightlife</strong>, a spinoff of <strong>Michael Fagien’s</strong> JAZZIZ magazine. <br /> Fagien, a radiologist by day, plans to spend $6 million on the concept that will offer good food, good service and good shows — day and night — but previous attempts at jazz venues in South Florida, much less Boca, haven’t done well. However, with the emergence of the <strong>Arts Garage</strong> in Delray, and with Fagien’s ties to performers through his magazine, the odds may be improving.<br /> Meanwhile, <strong>Train</strong> is booked at the amphitheater Sept. 5 and <strong>Bonnie Raitt</strong> on Oct. 21, while Funky Biscuit has <strong>The Lee Boys</strong> on Oct. 19, and <strong>Maria Muldaur</strong> on Oct. 27. <strong>Rusted Root</strong> will play the Biergarten on Nov. 7.<br /> *** <br /> Up in Lake Worth, Sauceboss <strong>Bill Wharton</strong> and <strong>Damon Fowler</strong> headline <strong>Blues, Brews and BBQ</strong>, Oct. 20-21 at Bryant Park; the <strong>Bamboo Room</strong> has <strong>New Riders of the Purple Sage</strong> booked for Nov. 2-3 and <strong>Steve Forbert</strong> on Nov. 8. </p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402692,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960402692,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960402692?profile=original" /></a><em>Visitors to the Seagate Hotel and Spa visit the hotel’s new shark tank (above), which has three small sharks (below).</em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong>Photos by Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><em><strong><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403065,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960403065,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960403065?profile=original" /></a></strong></em><br /> <em>Thom Smith is a freelance writer. Find him at thomsmith@ymail.com.</em></p></div>Around Town: Mayor’s dancing-champ son has tips for Boca Ballroom Battlershttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/around-town-mayor-s-dancing-ch2011-08-03T16:35:52.000Z2011-08-03T16:35:52.000ZDeborah Hartz-Seeleyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/DeborahHartzSeeley<div><p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960345296,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" width="360" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960345296,original{{/staticFileLink}}" alt="7960345296?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span>Jay Whelchel and Mariya-Khristina Shurupova practice for last year’s <br />Boca’s Ballroom Battle at the Boca Raton Resort & Club.</span> <span><b>Photo by Jerry Lower</b></span></p>
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<p>By Thom Smith</p>
<p>“I’ve got a book deal in the works. We’re talking about a made-for-TV movie,” <b>Jay Whelchel</b> says.</p>
<p>This time last year, the Boca Raton commercial real estate specialist was the toe-tapping, fast-moving, high-kicking king of the dance floor at the Third Annual <b>Boca’s Ballroom Battle</b> and he has the disco ball trophy to prove it. </p>
<p>Volunteer and philanthropist <b>Laura Stoltz</b> took the women’s title.</p>
<p>The year has passed so quickly: The fourth annual dance-off, which raises money for the <b>George Snow Scholarship Fund</b>, is set for Aug. 19 at the <b>Boca Raton Resort & Club</b>; Whelchel admits his attention has not been on the dance floor:</p>
<p>“Actually, dancing the baby to sleep is about it,” he said, confirming that 6-month-old daughter Vivian has replaced professional partner <b>Mariya-Khristina Shurupova</b>. She and brother <b>Jack</b>, 2½, couldn’t care less how nimble the old man is. </p>
<p>“Children just don’t respect the accomplishment at all,” Jay Whelchel lamented. “They don’t understand the significance of it.”</p>
<p>Kidding aside, Whelchel took last year’s event quite seriously, practicing for several months before the competition. Plus, he felt added pressure: His mother, Boca Mayor <b>Susan Whelchel</b>, had won the inaugural. So Jay prepared for his hustle routine as he had approached game days as a high school and college athlete.</p>
<p>“The week before I was about 50 percent ready, but it got closer, I started to visualize the routine, got my game face on,” he said. “You start to focus and it all comes together. I got up for it at the right time.”</p>
<p>This year’s contestants include businesswoman and philanthropist <b>Yvonne Boice</b>, plastic surgeon Dr. <b>Rafael Cabrera,</b> Boca West Country Club General Manager <b>Jay DiPietro</b>, Coldwell Banker Executive Vice President <b>Ingrid Fulmer</b>, Mercedes Benz of Delray Executive Manager <b>Ralph Mesa</b>, Bell Rock Capital Managing Director <b>Jacqueline Reeves</b>, philanthropist and volunteer extraordinaire <b>Pat Thomas</b> and Waste Management’s South Florida Director of Disposal Operations <b>Bryan Tindell</b>.</p>
<p>Welchel has some tips. “I wasn’t nervous,” he said, “No, I was excited. You’re up for it. Don’t know what’s gonna happen, so it all comes down to preparation. </p>
<p>“It seems so abstract when you’re practicing, but it will click. For some it’ll click in a month or maybe a week. When I first heard the song, it seemed so fast that I couldn’t even feel the beat, but eventually you learn your routine so well that the speed slows down. That’s what happened to me.”</p>
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<p>The Ballroom Battle is a highlight of <b>Boca Festival Days</b>, a monthlong celebration of the city, its institutions and its people. Sponsored by the <b>Boca Chamber of Commerce</b>, Boca Festival Days gives the city’s for-profit Chamber members an opportunity to raise support and money for its nonprofit members. </p>
<p>Following a July 27 kickoff party at <b>Carrabba’s</b> on Southwest 18 Street, the first fundraiser was the inaugural <b>White Coats 4 Care</b> reception, sponsored by <b>Kaye Communications</b> Aug. 1 at <b>Carmen’s Restaurant</b> <b>at the Top of the Bridge Hotel</b>. Donations of $100 or more will buy lab coats and other important equipment for students at <b>FAU</b>’s brand-new <b>Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine</b>, which opens for class the same day. </p>
<p>With its Blue Hawaii theme, the Festival Days’ “Summer in the City” bash at <b>Mizner Park Amphitheater</b> should be heaven for Elvis lovers with a Vegas-style stage tribute to the king of rock ’n’ roll. Show begins at 7 and doesn’t cost a cent to get in. For details about all the events, which continue through Aug. 29, go to bocachamber.com.</p>
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<p>Speaking of tribute shows, <b>Neil Zirconia</b>, who bills himself as “the ultimate faux Diamond,” brings his version of <i>Brother Love’s Traveling Salvation Show</i> to Boca’s <b>Pavilion Grille</b> Aug. 13. Despite its location in the ultramodern glass-enclosed atrium of Boca’s <b>Stonegate Bank Building</b>, the Pavilion is a throwback to a time when people went dancing. </p>
<p>It features a 2,000-square-foot dance floor. Dance lessons are offered Tuesday and Wednesday nights and live music puts transforms that training into action just about every other night, usually for a $10 cover charge that includes one drink. Those who prefer dinner with their dancing can opt for hors d’oeuvres, soups and salads ($3-$17), sandwiches or burgers ($10-$16) or entrees ($17-$32). Occasionally, the dining room is taken over by private parties, so reservations (912-0000) are a must, unless you’re prepared to dance in the parking lot. </p>
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<p>Since 2004, the <b>Boca Raton Singers</b> have staged modest concerts and performed in local nursing and retirement homes, often for no charge. But then the economy played a sour note, as various public agencies, including city governments and the <b>Palm Beach County Cultural Council</b>, cut funding to several small cultural organizations. To many, $10,000 is a paltry sum; to the singers, it meant everything.</p>
<p>Enter <b>Henrietta de Hoernle</b>, better known as the countess. She likes their music. More important, she admires the fact that every member is a volunteer, even Music Director <b>Gerald Luongo</b>. So when board president <b>Connie Paladino</b> called to plead her case, the countess agreed to help out. </p>
<p>The chorus will still have to raise money on its own, but with the countess’ help, it plans to expand in size and stage larger, more ambitious shows. And it’s changed its name … to the <b>de Hoernle Singers</b>. </p>
<p>Open auditions will be held at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 and Sept. 12 at the group’s rehearsal site, <b>Grace Community Church</b>, 600 W. Camino Real. Notify Paladino in advance by email at cmpaladino@aol.com.</p>
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<p>Now that the women’s <b>World Cup</b> is over, soccer fans are turning their attention to Boca Raton for a few games, at least. <b>magicJack</b>, Boca’s surprise, last-minute franchise in <b>Women’s Professional Soccer</b>, features seven members of the women’s national team play including player and newly named head coach <b>Abby Wambach</b> and goalkeeper <b>Hope Solo</b> (no relation to Han Solo).</p>
<p>magicJack’s new owner is as controversial as his players are talented. Palm Beacher <b>Dan Borislow</b> bought the <b>Washington Freedom</b>, moved to Boca and renamed it magicJack for the internet telephone device that made him millions. He’s often seen tooling around Palm Beach on his $30,000 <b>Can-Am Spyder RT</b>, a three-wheeled motorcycle. He’s also a fan, and even played the game.</p>
<p>Only three regular season home games remain, all of which will be played at FAU’s soccer stadium.</p>
<p>New Jersey’s <b>Sky Blue Soccer</b> comes to town Aug. 6, led by U.S. National Team player <b>Heather O’Reilly</b> and Swedish player of the year <b>Therese Sjögran</b>. Four days later, it’s the Western New York Flash with four-time world player of the year <b>Marta</b> and Satellite Beach’s own <b>Ashlyn Harris</b>. Expect the largest crowd ever to watch a soccer game in Palm Beach County. </p>
<p>magicJack will close out the regular season Aug. 14 against league-leading <b>Philadelphia Independence</b>. For ticket info, go <a href="http://www.ticketmaster.com">www.ticketmaster.com</a>.</p>
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<p>While the opening of a medical school is a big story, the big questions around FAU concern football.</p>
<p>No. 1: How will the <b>Owls</b> do this year? A: Could be dicey. Head coach and Ocean Ridge resident <b>Howard Schnellenberger</b> says the quarterback is key and hopes to pick one no later than 10 days before the opener at <b>University of Florida</b>. If he survives the Swamp, he gets <b>Michigan State</b> a week later and <b>Auburn</b> two weeks after that.</p>
<p>No. 1: Asked if he had the energy for his 11th season at age 77, Schnellenberger, FAU’s first and only head coach, said, “If I didn’t, I’d already be gone.” Athletic Director <b>Craig Angelos</b> says he won’t make a decision until the season is over. </p>
<p>No. 1: How’s the stadium doing? Still ahead of schedule and under budget, school officials boast. </p>
<p>As for specs, it seats 30,000 in the grandstand, 24 suites, 26 loge boxes, more than 1,000 open-air premier club seats and more than 4,000 priority club seats. Suite, loge and premier club seat holders can relax in an air-conditioned, 8,000-square-foot premier club or a covered, 16,000-square-foot outdoor priority club. By the way, premium seats (not just for fat-cat boosters) are wider. </p>
<p>The student-and-band-only section is in the south end zone. Student tickets are free.</p>
<p>Elsewhere, most season tickets are $135 and $150. That covers the entire east stands, north end zone and the west stands to the 5-yard-line at the north end. A seat on the 50 can be had for $385.A seat in Section 205 Row Z will set a die-hard Owl fan back $1,480 while one in Loge 306 C will go for $9,560. </p>
<p>But then, this is Boca.</p>
<p>First home game is Oct. 15 against <b>Western Kentucky</b>. The stadium also will play a big role in FAU’s 50th anniversary celebration Oct. 29. Meanwhile, <b>Fanfest</b> on Aug. 20 should offer more answers.</p>
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<p>Here and there: It’s called the <b>English Tap & Beer Garden Restaurant</b>, but the new spot in <b>Boca Center</b> is German-inspired — a Biergärten concept with open-air dining and lots of international beers and other libations and live entertainment. It’s actually the offspring of <b>Wild Olives</b>, which was moved into the old <b>Cucina D’Angelo</b> space next door by owner <b>John Watson</b>. Wild Olives Exec Chef <b>Ken Stevens</b> stays on, so look for an eclectic pub menu with emphasis on locally grown and fresh.</p>
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<p>The Morfogen the merrier. Since <b>Nick Morfogen</b> arrived 15 years ago, <b>32 East</b> has ranked as one of the best restaurants in the Southeast. This month brother Stratis, a veteran of the New York and more recently Miami restaurant scene with partner <b>Philippe Chow</b>, will open Philippe in Boca Raton. The casual version of Chow’s Manhattan showcase will take over the former <b>III Forks</b> site on East Palmetto Park Road. </p>
<p>The opening, planned for mid-August, should be star-studded, as Morfogen has some big investors — literally: <b>Alonzo Mourning</b>, ex-Miami Heat, <b>Jerome Bettis</b>, ex-Pittsburgh Steelers and still-active hoop stars <b>Chauncey Billups</b>, <b>New York Knicks</b>, and <b>Al Harrington</b>, <b>Denver Nuggets</b>. </p>
<p>Chow is one of two dozen chefs from Boca to Palm Beach participating in the <b>March of Dimes’ Sixth Annual Signature Chefs Auction</b>, Sept. 9 at the <b>Boca Raton Resort & Club</b>. Exquisite wines and spirits, sumptuous samplings from the chefs and an auction of dining packages. Call (561) 684-0102. </p>
<p>Heading north. As we reported earlier, <b>Angelo Elia</b>, owner of <b>Casas d’Angelo</b> in Fort Lauderdale, Nassau and Boca, (but no link to <b>Cucina d’Angelo</b>) had been looking for months for the right spot to bring the Angelo name to Delray. He finally found it just south of Atlantic on Seventh Avenue — the old <b>Carolina’s Coal Fired Pizza</b> space. He hopes to have <b>D’Angelo Trattoria</b> open by summer’s end, with a gelato shop to follow soon after. <span><i>Thom Smith is a freelance writer. Contact him at ThomSmith@ymail.com.</i></span></p>
<p> </p></div>Coastal Star: Loyal volunteer dancing for a good cause — Boca Ratonhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/coastal-star-loyal-volunteer2011-06-29T16:30:00.000Z2011-06-29T16:30:00.000ZDeborah Hartz-Seeleyhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/DeborahHartzSeeley<div><p> </p>
<p><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960336860,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img class="align-center" src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960336860,original{{/staticFileLink}}" width="360" alt="7960336860?profile=original" /></a></p>
<p style="text-align:center;">Pat Thomas practices with dance instructor, Ivan Rivera, 22, <br />at Fred Astaire dance studio in Boca Raton. They will be partners<br /> in the Boca Ballroom Battle. <span><b>Photo by Tim Stepien</b></span></p>
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<p><span><b>By Mary Thurwachter</b></span></p>
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<p>As the pros at Fred Astaire Dance Studio assessed contestants for this year’s Boca Ballroom Battle, they determined which dance would best suit each contender. For Pat Thomas, they selected the cha-cha, a lively, flirtatious dance full of energy and passion — much like Thomas herself. </p>
<p>Thomas had never taken a lesson before, although she is no stranger to the dance floor.</p>
<p>“I’ve attended at least 25 hospital balls over the years,” Thomas, a tireless hospital volunteer, said. </p>
<p>Contestants have already completed five weeks of group lessons and have been paired with a professional dancer as they continue with 15 individual lessons. </p>
<p>The Boca Ballroom Battle, a <i>Dancing with the Stars</i>-type competition benefiting the George Snow scholarship will be held on Aug. 19 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club.</p>
<p>Thomas has nothing but praise for her Fred Astaire partner, Ivan Rivera, who she says is “an excellent teacher who makes learning fun.” In fact, it’s been so much fun, she may even take more lessons after the competition, regardless of the finish. But make no mistake about it; she is “in it to win it.” </p>
<p>Besides being fun, Thomas says dancing is really good exercise.</p>
<p>“I’m very energetic anyway, but this has made me feel like getting out walking more and has improved my stamina,” she says.</p>
<p>It didn’t take a lot of coaxing to get her to compete, she says, because the event is for a good cause — the George Snow Scholarship Fund. She knew George Snow and one of his daughters, who was an ER nurse. </p>
<p>Born in Buffalo, N.Y., Thomas moved to Boca Raton 50 years ago when she was in her early 20s. Boca was a sleepy town back then, she recalls, but then IBM came and everything changed. The town grew up around her.</p>
<p>She cherishes the time she spends with her four children and nine grandchildren, most of whom live nearby. But she always makes time for her other passion — volunteering.</p>
<p>On Tuesday evenings during the season, she volunteers at the emergency room of Boca Raton Regional Hospital. “It’s a kind of concierge service,” she said. “I go into the waiting room to see if someone needs a warm blanket, for example, and make sure everyone has what they need.” </p>
<p>She has been a volunteer with the Debbie-Rand Memorial Services League, auxiliary to the hospital, since 1983 and was the organization’s president from 1995 to 1997 and again from 2001 to 2005.</p>
<p>Thomas has served on the Hospital Board since 1997 and serves on the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation Board. In 1999, she was chosen Woman Volunteer of the Year. </p>
<p>She helped to found Boca Raton’s Promise for Youth and Caring Hearts Auxiliary 10 years ago and was president for four years. </p>
<p>A recent walk-in-the mall fundraiser she helped organize raised $150,000 for the Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center at FAU, which offers innovative programs of care to help people with mild and moderate memory loss to maintain their cognitive and social interactive skills. </p>
<p>Thomas is president of the Wellness Center as well as the Friends of the Conservatory at Lynn University. </p>
<p>In 2002 she was chosen as a Woman of Distinction by the Boca Raton Soroptimist Organization, in 2003 the Boca Raton Historical Society inducted her into the Walk of Recognition and in 2008 was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award. </p>
<p>“I have a wonderful circle of friends from my volunteering,” Thomas said. “I appreciate everything, everyday.” <span>Ú</span></p></div>