News

By Rich Pollack

    It took a couple of votes and close to 30 minutes of sometimes heated discussion, but Highland Beach town commissioners finally agreed at their October meeting to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony and open house to show off the recently completed renovations to Town Hall.
    With some members of the commission wanting only an open house and others preferring a formal ribbon-cutting and open house, commissioners reached a compromise by agreeing to have a ribbon-cutting — with just one speech, given by the mayor — as well as tours of the new Police Department and commission chambers.
    Even then, however, the commission was split, with Vice Mayor Ron Brown voting against the proposal. In explaining his vote, Brown said he was opposed to having a speech, especially one given by Mayor Bernard Featherman.
    “There were two people on the commission who voted no when we were trying to get this project approved, and one of them was the mayor,” Brown said.
    But Commissioner Carl Feldman, who had also voted against the nearly  $900,000 renovation project, countered by saying the two votes were not against the project but, instead, against the process.
    In the end, commissioners voted 3-1 — with Commissioner Dennis Sheridan absent because of an illness — to go ahead with the ribbon-cutting and plaque unveiling.
    Commissioners unanimously agree to hold the event on Dec. 1, to coincide with the town’s Light Up the Holidays celebration.
    The open house will begin at 3 p.m. with tours of the renovated facilities. Refreshments, including finger sandwiches and cookies, will be available outside but not permitted in the building.
    The ribbon-cutting and plaque dedication with a short speech by Featherman will take place at 4:30 p.m.
    The town’s Light Up the Holidays celebration starts at 5 p.m. and will include performances by the Dimensional Harmony Choir from Boynton Beach High School, the Temple Sinai choir and town resident Josephine Dolce, a former opera singer.
    The celebration will include the lighting of a menorah and a Christmas tree and also will include refreshments.
    Commissioners have allocated $2,000 for the open house and $2,000 for the Light Up the Holidays celebration.