jim - News - The Coastal Star2024-03-29T05:28:56Zhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/feed/tag/jimAlong the Coast: WINDING UP ON TOPhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-winding-up-on-top2019-07-30T21:00:00.000Z2019-07-30T21:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p style="text-align:center;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960879475,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960879475,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960879475?profile=original" /></a><span style="font-size:10pt;"><em>Jake Eder (No. 39, right) and his teammates at Vanderbilt University celebrate their NCAA championship. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:14pt;"><strong><span style="font-size:18pt;">‘It was unbelievable’: Ocean Ridge pitcher closes out NCAA title</span></strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:12pt;"><strong>Related story: Delray athletes <a href="https://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/along-the-coast-delray-athletes-winning-international-acclaim" target="_blank">winning</a> international acclaim</strong></span></p>
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<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><strong>By Brian Biggane</strong></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">There is no greater feat for a college athlete than to win an NCAA championship.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Ocean Ridge resident Jake Eder reached that pinnacle in late June and did it in style, pitching three innings to close out Vanderbilt’s 8-2 victory over Michigan. That gave the Commodores the College World Series title in Omaha, Neb.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“When it was all said and done, it was unbelievable,” said Eder, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound sophomore left-hander who turns 21 this month.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Eder, a product of Jim Breslin’s Top 10 Florida Baseball Academy in Boynton Beach, pitched three years for Atlantic High School in Delray Beach before completing his high school career at Calvary Christian in Fort Lauderdale. Recruited by several schools, he made Vanderbilt his last visit and formed a bond with pitching coach Scott Brown.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“I pretty much knew I wanted to go there as soon as my visit ended,” Eder said.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Used as a starter in nine of his 11 appearances as a freshman, Eder struggled, compiling a 1-4 record and 5.45 earned-run average.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“I kind of went through some stuff,” Eder said. “The first year in the SEC is kind of a learning curve.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Coach Tim Corbin moved him to the bullpen to start this past season, first as a closer, then a middle reliever and finally what he termed “kind of an end-of-the-game type pitcher.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“He really grew over the course of the season,” said Corbin, who was named National Coach of the Year after the season. “This is a kid who really, really loves pitching. It’s all he thinks about, it’s all he does. He’s got a bright future just because of his passion for what he does, and how he goes about it.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Eder’s numbers improved dramatically across the board, notably in ERA, where he improved to 2.97, and in strikeouts-to-walks ratio, which improved from 37-22 to 35-15.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“We had a closer per se, but he was kind of that next guy,” Corbin said. “One of (our) top guys out of the bullpen. He really grew into that, and just developed more consistency the last third of the season.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960879680,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960879680,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960879680?profile=original" /></a></span><em>Eder pitched the last three innings as Vandy won the series. <strong>Photo provided</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Corbin trusted Eder enough to use him twice as the Commodores, who finished 59-12, won the Southeastern Conference tournament. He pitched two shutout innings in an 11-1 win over Auburn, then allowed one unearned run over 32/3 innings in an 11-10 victory over Mississippi in the final game. His lone appearance in the NCAA Regional featured a perfect ninth inning in an 8-5 victory over Indiana State after the Sycamores had scored four runs in the inning.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">After the Commodores took care of Duke in the Super Regional, Eder got the College World Series victory that propelled them into the best-of-three championship against Michigan. Working the seventh and eighth innings against Louisville, he gave up two runs (one earned), but benefited from a two-run rally in the ninth that secured a 3-2 victory.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Michigan won the first game 7-4, Vandy the second 4-1, setting up a winner-take-all finale. Eder told Brown, his pitching coach, how it would unfold: “We knew Mason Hickman was starting, so I told Scott it would be Mason to me, and that’s what we were going to go with.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Hickman did his job, limiting the Wolverines to one run on four hits as Vandy opened up a 6-1 lead by the time Eder took over in the seventh. He allowed two hits and one run to wrap up the historic win.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“The last two innings the energy was flowing,” Eder said. “I was trying to juice it up a little bit, (so) I had to take a breath and finish it off.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Leadoff hitter Ako Thomas was the last batter he faced with two outs in the ninth.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“I got two strikes on the guy and when I saw him pop it up,” to centerfielder Pat DeMarco, “I knew. I just kind of turned around and waited for him to catch it and everyone celebrated.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Rushed by catcher Philip Clarke and the rest of his teammates, Eder quickly found himself at the bottom of the celebratory pile.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“It’s definitely something everyone on that team will remember forever,” he said. “That was a really special team. It was great to be a part of it.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">After a few days back home with his parents, Jeffrey, an orthodontist in Boynton Beach, and Amanda, Eder was off to New</span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">England to pitch for the Orleans Firebirds in the highly competitive Cape Cod League.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“That should be good for him,” Corbin said. “The more touches he gets, the more confidence he’s going to get.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Asked what Eder needs to work on, Corbin replied, “His command more than anything. He’s got a very strong arm, a consistent breaking ball, and now it’s just a matter of harnessing his pitches. The more he gets on the mound you’re going to see a more refined product.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Said Eder, “The biggest thing is just knowing what kind of pitcher I am. I’m a ‘stuff’ guy over a command guy, so I have to have enough command not to walk guys. Let my stuff play in the zone rather than pinpoint pitches.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:center;"><span style="font-size:10pt;"><a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960880053,original{{/staticFileLink}}" target="_blank"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960880053,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-center" alt="7960880053?profile=original" /></a></span><em>Jake Eder grips a College World Series souvenir at the office of his father, Dr. Jeffrey Eder, an orthodontist. <strong>Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star</strong></em></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Eder planned to make a handful of starts in the Cape Cod League before that ends in early August, then head back to Vanderbilt, where he hopes to be a starter next season.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Eder has learned in his first two years that keeping up academically at the SEC’s top academic institution makes for a tough balancing act with his dedication to baseball.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“It’s a tough school,” he said. “It’s a tough schedule, especially in the fall. We’re training every day, working out every day.</span> <span style="font-size:10pt;">You’re learning how to balance it, manage your time. It’s definitely a full load.”<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">Drafted in the 34th round out of high school by the New York Mets two years ago, Eder will become draft-eligible again after next year. Major League Baseball is a “realistic” goal, he admitted, but one that can wait.<br /></span></p>
<p style="text-align:left;"><span style="font-size:10pt;">“For me the goal is to come back and try to win another national championship,” he said. “The draft will take care of itself.”</span></p></div>Delray Beach: PAC money and community support drive Delray electionhttps://thecoastalstar.com/profiles/blogs/delray-beach-pac-money-and-community-support-drive-delray-electio2017-03-29T19:00:00.000Z2017-03-29T19:00:00.000ZThe Coastal Starhttps://thecoastalstar.com/members/TheCoastalStar<div><p><strong>By Jane Smith</strong><br /> <br /> A political newcomer and a seasoned public servant will join the Delray Beach City Commission after they were handily elected March 14.<br /> The most contentious race was between retiree Jim Chard and his main contender, political novice Kelly Barrette, for Seat 2. Two others — police officer Richard Alteus and social worker Anneze Barthelemy — also ran for that seat, but garnered less than 10 percent of the vote each. <br /> <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960719658,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960719658,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="98" alt="7960719658?profile=original" /></a>Chard took 56 percent of the vote and Barrette was a distant second with 28 percent. “I am interpreting the results as a mandate to get things done,” Chard said.<br /> Chard says he will work to implement his plan to rid the city of rogue sober home operators and wants to create a list of all capital improvements needed and find a way to pay for them, even if it means issuing a bond. <br /> He also thinks Delray Beach needs more upscale office space so that it no longer loses premier businesses to Boca Raton.<br /> Said Barrette: “I’m proud of the campaign that I ran, which was almost entirely supported by citizens. I haven’t decided how I will stay involved in Delray politics or if I will run for a commission seat again.”<br /> The Chard-Barrette contest quickly turned into a battle between development and establishment interests and Barrette’s grass-roots, controlled-growth supporters.<br /> Chard raised just under $70,000. His major contributors include a variety of development interests — iPic theater, Swinton Commons mixed-use project, Delray Place retail center and hoteliers — as well as a co-founder of an upscale sober home facility; three former mayors; two former city commissioners; three board members of the Beach Property Owners Association; and the chairman of the Community Redevelopment Agency.<br /> He used nearly half of that money to pay his campaign consultant, Cornerstone Solutions, $32,955.98. Most of it went to direct mail, email and telephone campaigns, according to Chard’s campaign finance reports.<br /> Rick Asnani, a co-founder of Cornerstone, also runs political action committees and electioneering communications organizations, such as Keeping Citizens First Inc. The organization sent out at least two mailers in support of Chard, did a telephone poll of residents regarding the iPic project and made automated phone calls backing Chard.<br /> As of Feb. 28, the organization raised $50,000, all of it coming from two other PACs. The PACs have no contribution limits, nor do they have to report how much they spend on any one candidate. The money the PACs raised was given to Cornerstone Solutions or Keeping Citizens First. (State law limits contributions to individual candidates to $1,000 per contributor.)</p>
<p> Records show that one of the PACs giving to Asnani’s organization received $5,000 from investor Carl DeSantis, one of the early principals of the Atlantic Crossing project; $2,500 from Isram Realty Holdings, which owns the Delray Square retail center, and $1,000 from the Dunay, Miskel and Backman law firm that represents iPic and Swinton Commons.</p>
<p> The money fueled an anti-Barrette campaign of mailers and automated calls that dismissed her as a part-time resident who fights issues on social media, such as Facebook.</p>
<p> Chard said he has no control over what the PACs do. He said Asnani’s team showed him polling results on residents’ opinions on the iPic complex. Chard said he approved the message of the automated calls made by Keeping Citizens First. <br /> “I sent out my own mailers,” he said. “I didn’t see the version the PAC sent out, but I gave input into what was covered.”<br /> He said he will not be swayed by his contributors. “I have been saying no to developers on the city’s SPRAB [Site Plan Review and Appearance Board, where he served as vice-chair], I have a five-year track record of saying no to developers,” Chard said.<br /> Barrette, who started the Take Back Delray Facebook page, took no money from developers. She raised just under $30,000 from like-minded residents, colleagues and two current city commissioners. Donors included longtime resident Peter Humanik, frequent commission critic and CPA Ken MacNamee, Urban Greenway critic John Cartier and landlord Benita Goldstein. <br /> Barrette spent $14,659.06 on mailings. Her postcards were typical political ones that compared her political stance to Chard’s, she said.<br /> In the Seat 4 race, Shirley Johnson raised $30,000 and garnered nearly 64 percent of the vote. She doesn’t have political <a href="{{#staticFileLink}}7960719266,original{{/staticFileLink}}"><img src="{{#staticFileLink}}7960719266,original{{/staticFileLink}}" class="align-left" width="98" alt="7960719266?profile=original" /></a>experience, but she has the support of community leaders in the Northwest and Southwest neighborhoods. A retiree from IBM, she says her top three priorities on the dais will be safe neighborhoods, youth activities and sustainable growth.<br /> She did send some mailers that compared herself with opponent Josh Smith, but she did not do automated phone calls.<br /> Her contributions came from development interests with projects proposed in the city — including iPic, Swinton Commons and Delray Place South. They also came from lawyers, including former Commissioner Jordana Jarjura, political action committees for firefighters and Realtors, two board members of the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, and two former mayors. <br /> Angie Gray, a former city commissioner who held Seat 4, was her campaign consultant and received $5,000 for that work. Gray also donated to Johnson’s campaign, as did community activist and retired educator Yvonne Odom.<br /> “I told developers and others at the first forum, they are going to be misled if they thought contributing to my campaign buys approval,” Johnson said. “I will judge everything on whether it is good for Delray.”<br /> Her opponent, Josh Smith, a retired educator, could not be reached for comment. <br /> He raised nearly $18,000. His major donors included $1,000 from Rosebud Capital Investment partnership (a major Atlantic Avenue property owner), $1,000 from restaurant owner and city Parking Board member Fran Marincola, $1,000 from Seaside Builders, $1,000 from commission critic MacNamee and his wife, $500 from Commissioner Shelly Petrolia’s husband, Anthony, and $500 from the land-use law firm Greenspoon Marder.</p></div>