The Boca Raton Tribune Yo u r C l o s e s t N e i g h b o r
Number 494 • Year XI COMMUNITY see page 3
BLU-PAC picks to address Boca Chamber
East /West Boca Raton, Highland Beach, Delray Beach, Deerfield Beach, FL COMMUNITY see page 4
Boca Historical Society uses pandemic downtime for $3.9M upgrade
COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
FAU Names Dean for College of Social Work and Criminal Justice
James Batmasian among 26 Pardoned by President Donald Trump
see page 5
see page 12
Mizner Park getting spiffed up – artistically and culturally – with two new projects By: Dale King The north end of Mizner Park should be the artistic and cultural gem of the city. After all, the property houses the Boca Raton Museum of Art and the Count De Hoernle Amphitheater. The neighboring structures are in excellent shape. But adjacent to the amphitheater that is normally a year-round entertainment and activities hub were it not for the COVID pandemic is a vacant lot often used for overflow parking at amphitheater events.
Continued on Page 3
Boca Raton Museum of Art’s Fundraising Efforts after Annual Gala’s Cancelation By: Megan Mandatta Many organizations and businesses have had to change the way they make money due to the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure their success and the safety of their guests. The Boca Raton Museum of Art has canceled their January gala and instead are choosing to hold a virtual fundraiser through January 15. Support for the Boca Raton Museum of Art allows for major artists to include their work in the museum.
Continued on Page 8
The Boca Raton Tribune Your Closest Neighbor
FOLLOW US ON
January 8 - January 14, 2021 SPORTS
see page 18
FAU’s Late Rally Falls Short at JMU
Boca Raton’s Seniors Helping Seniors a lifeline during COVID-19 pandemic At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, the country faced what The Atlantic called a “baffling problem”. A nation-wide mask shortage. China had stopped shipping masks to the United States due to its own Coronavirus outbreak, and America’s stockpile was almost out. Healthcare workers were forced to reuse masks and people across the country were trying to come up with alternatives to store-bought medical-grade face masks. The gravity of the situation and the undeniable impact it could have on the elderly population was not lost on Ed Dunkel and Paul Kaiser, owners and caregivers of the local branch of Seniors Helping Seniors, which took action early on in order to ensure the safety of both employees and clients. “I went to all the local sources, drug stores, etc., to see if I could buy some masks and they were already sold out and at that point I thought…this is going to be a problem,” said Kaiser.
Continued on Page 15
YOUR CLOSEST NEIGHBOR.