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The Boca Raton Tribune C O M M U N I T Y

Jillian Flaherty Wins Final Live Per formance Round of the 2022 Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Idol

Before a packed house filled with city and county, business and community leaders; finalists’ friends and family and Bowl fans, five semi-finalists took the stage Friday evening in the 2022 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Idol presented by The City of Boca Raton. Jillian Flaherty triumphed after performing live in two rounds to win the opportunity to sing the National Anthem at the 2022 bowl game on Tuesday, December 20 at FAU Stadium. Held at the Boca Raton Marriott at Boca Center, the event benefited the Bowl’s Charity Partner Spirit of Giving and its Annual Holiday Gift Drive that brings holiday magic to thousands of children in need.

Chosen through an open-to-the-public round of online voting, the five finalists hailed from Boca Raton, Lake Worth, Wellington, and Tallahassee. Each performed a song of their choice for the live audience and a combination of audience votes and judges’ selections determined the top three.

The top three voted to perform the National Anthem in the final round of the competition were: - Jillian Flaherty, 20, soloist, amateur, Lake Worth - Hadas Levy, 40, soloist, professional, Boca Raton - Emily Shecter, 21, soloist, professional, Wellington

Flaherty, the winner of the 2022 RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl talent competition presented by The City of Boca Raton said she is beyond excited to be given the opportunity to perform the National Anthem to a stadium crowd prior to the nationally televised game kick-off. She will receive 10 game tickets for family and friends that include sideline access during the performance.

The Lake Worth, Fla. native started singing in grade school and hasn’t stopped since. She is in her second year at Florida Atlantic University and is currently majoring in music. Flaherty is a member of the Chamber Singers and Cantemos, a Latin American choir, at FAU. The 20-year-old entered the competition because she feels that singing the National Anthem is one of the most fulfilling experiences one can have as a singer.

“I love to support our country with the nation’s anthem, and as a singer I couldn’t think of a better way to represent my department, school and country,” shared Flaherty.

ESPN/WPTV Television Sports An-

chor Keli Ferguson served as emcee. Those serving on the panel of judges were: - Andrea O’Rourke, Deputy Mayor of the City of Boca Raton, the National Anthem Competition’s Presenting Sponsor - Shanna St. John: Executive Director, Nat King Cole Generation Hope - Molly Jade Vogel: Theater, Film, TV and Vocal Performer “Each year the national anthem competition talent is steeper, the final live rounds are more crowd-pleasing, the audience is more engaged and our charitable partner, Spirit of Giving, leaves also as a big winner,” said RoofClaim.com Boca Raton Bowl Executive Director Doug Mosley. “I congratulate Jillian for bringing her talent and dedication to win this competition and thank The Lake Worth, bowl partner the City of Fla. native started Boca Raton for its support in making this lead-in event singing in grade a resounding success.” school and hasn’t The Roofclaim.com Boca Raton Bowl is a celstopped since. ebrated annual holiday tradition in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County that lives up to its other name “Boca’s Biggest Annual Outdoor Party.” It is also the only collegiate Bowl game in Palm Beach County featuring all the pomp and circumstance of a traditional bowl event. It is a high-energy, entertaining experience for both college football fans and non-fans alike and allows the national spotlight to shine on Boca Raton and Palm Beach County. For more community countdown events that benefit Bowl Charity Partner Spirit of Giving and game week info, visit roofclaimbocaratonbowl.com and/or follow through social media on Facebook (Facebook.com/ BocaBowl), Twitter (@BocaBowl), and Instagram (@BocaBowl).

S undy Village Donates $12,000 to Palm Beach County Public Schools

D ive r s i f i e d , mu l t i - s t r a t e g y r eal estate and private equity investment fir m Pebb Capital is continuing its commitment to the local Delray Beach community, the future home of its transfor mative Sundy Village mixed-use project. To mark its role in the area, Pebb Capital organized its second Back-to-School donation, with $12,000 of much need supplies and support for local elementary, middle and high school students in Delray Beach. Further, it is a sponsor of the Atlantic High School Eagles football team for the 2022-23 academic year, a key opportunity to positively impact those in the academic setting.

In what has become a multiyear s u p p l y d o n a t i o n f o r Pa l m B e a ch County Public Schools, Pebb Capital coordinated needed school materials for S.D. Spady Elementar y, Village Academy and Car ver Middle School. From backpacks and notebooks to board games and personal protective items, like hand sanitizer, Pebb Capital created custom packages for each school. The occasion was celebrated with an in-person donation to key administrators at each school on October 4.

“T he Delray Beach community has been rooted in our company for decades, and we are honored to assist teachers and families with needed items and ease the financial burden they may be facing at this time,” said Todd Benson, principal with Pebb Capital. “We are proud to be part of Delray Beach and look forward to prospering together.”

Sundy Village is a transfor mative, mixed-use development located at the gateway of Downtown Delray Beach. Spanning approximately seven acres, the destination will ser ve as an entryway to the entertainment corridor of Downtown Delray Beach, introducing a lifestyle retail and hospitality experience that offers historical elements in an urban setting. Features include 96,000 square feet of ‘Class A’ office, more than 26,000 square feet of retail, the landmarks Sundy House and Cathcart House, underground parking and other elements that honor the area’s history and future growth. Patrons will enjoy open-air courtyards, breezy walkways, green space and indoor/outdoor dining and seating areas. To learn more, visit https://sundyvillage.com.

About Pebb Capital

Founded in 2014, Pebb Capital is a diversified, multi-strategy real estate and private equity investment fir m. The fir m invests across the capital stack and focuses on value-oriented and cyclically-defensive investments that generate attractive risk-adjusted returns. Since its inception, the fir m has amassed a por tfolio exceeding $2 billion of investment value across multiple ventures, including in student housing, retail, lending, hospitality, and more. For further infor mation, visit www.pebbcap.com.

Palm Beach State College students take center stage at U.S. Senate Debate

PBSC students played a leading role in the Decision 2022: Before You Vote U.S. Senate debate between incumbent U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Rep. Val Demings, hosted by Palm Beach State College at the Duncan Theatre on the Lake Worth campus.

In the days leading up to the Oct. 18 debate and at the debate itself, students participated in class discussions and volunteered at the event. A group of students attended the live debate, and others w e r e a b l e to see it at a watch party on campus.

E v er y step of the way, the s t u d e n t s s h o w e d t h e y w e r e e n g a g e d in lear ning about the candidates and the issues at stake.

“PBSC holding this debate and the opportunity I had to watch it on campus will absolutely stand out for me when I look back at my college experience,” said Janya O’Meara, a first-year student pursuing an Associate in Arts degree. “It allowed me to witness history.”

In his Introduction to American Government class, Associate Professor Phillip Mancusi focused on concepts like civil discourse, to help students analyze what they would hear in the debate. His class was featured on WPBF 25 News, where he s p o ke t o r e p o r ter Jade Jar vis, who produced two stories following the students from the class to the watch party.

“Civil discourse is incredibly important,” said Mancusi. “Just because somebody believes something different than you, it doesn’t make you right and it doesn’t make you wrong. It’s important to be able to have those conversations with somebody about those differences.”

Students who attended the watch party put this lesson in civil discourse into practice by sharing varying viewpoints.

“I thought the debate was very interesting in terms of the topics that were brought up,” said Christiano Garcia, an A.A. student studying communications and media. “Val Demings really went for the jugular to get her points across, and Marco Rubio definitely had some things to get off his chest. I’m still going to do more research, but at the moment, I could be swayed either way. It really depends on how much they can stand up to their word and show us why they want this office.” Alexandria Thomas, who is working toward a Bachelor of Science degree in Human Services, thought the candidates conquered a lot of concrete issues such as gun control, but would have liked to hear more about prison reform and mental health. “This was my first Senate debate, so I was not prepared for all of the emotion that came with it,” Thomas said. “I took d e b a t e i n high school and expecte d t h e r eb u t t a l s t o b e m o r e a b o u t g e tting to the root of the issue, rather t h a n w h a t t h e o t h e r person does or does not do. I felt like they did a lot of arguing, a lot of standing up for themselves and a lot of jabbing. It would have been nice to get more of what they plan to do.” The debate helped students gain insights into the candidates’ positions, but they also benefited from talking with each other. “It was awesome being there with people who also go to Palm Beach State,” Garcia said. “Some students were excited, some were a little on the fence, but having that broad spectrum of thought regarding the debate was just amazing, and I loved

“PBSC holding this every moment of it.” “ Wa t c h i n g i t debate and the with other students opportunity I had to made me feel a sense of tog ether ness,” watch it on campus will T h o m a s s a i d . “ I absolutely stand out for know a lot of us feel the same way about me when I look back at certain subjects. We my college experience,” were listening to be prepared enough so that when we vote, we vote to make the changes that we actually want.” As told to WPBF’s Jar vis by Jackie Pecker, a PBSC Honors College student and Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member, “I just feel even more ready to vote and having the debate on our actual campus here just heightens that energy. It was great to watch along with other students and have conversations that also influence my vote.” Jarvis came away from her reporting very impressed by the students. “They had some really thoughtful answers to the questions that I asked them about the debate and also their own personal views,” Jarvis said. “All of those students I spoke with are ver y passionate about politics and of course, now very energized to head to the polls on Election Day.”

FAU Poll Shows Desantis Leading Crist in Race for Re -Elec tion

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is on track for re-election, leading Democratic challenger Charlie Crist by 11 percentage points and garnering strong approval ratings, particularly for his response to Hurricane Ian, according to a new statewide poll from Florida Atlantic University.

In the race for Florida governor, DeSantis leads Crist 51 percent to 40 percent, a survey of registered voters by the Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) shows.

The Republican incumbent’s overall approval rating was 53 percent, and his hurricane response approval was better at 63 percent. In addition, 66 percent of respondents expect DeSantis to be re-elected.

“The governor’s hurricane response received strong approval among Floridians, who most likely favor him in the upcoming gubernatorial race,” said Monica Escaleras, Ph.D., director of FAU BEPI.

The survey of 719 Floridians also revealed that inflation was the most important issue to voters by a wide margin at 36 percent. Threats to democracy was the next most important issue at 19 percent. Interestingly, only 9 percent of respondents felt abortion access was an important issue.

In the U.S. Senate race, Republican incumbent Marco Rubio leads Democratic challenger Val Demings 48 percent to 42 percent, with 7 percent still undecided. Also, 60 percent of respondents expect Rubio to be re-elected.

“Republicans continue to perform well in Florida,” said Kevin Wagner, Ph.D., a professor of political science at FAU and a research fellow of the initiative. “If these numbers hold, Florida’s status as a battleground state might be in question.”

Wagner noted that both Democratic candidates are doing well with younger voters, but they will need higher turnout to close the gaps in these races.

Other findings showed that respondents favored DeSantis and former U.S. President Donald Trump to U.S. President Joe Biden in a hypothetical 2024 matchup. DeSantis leads Biden 48 percent to 42 percent, while Trump tops Biden 45 percent to 41 percent.

Biden’s approval rating was underwater – 41 percent favored the job he is doing and 50 percent opposed.

Roughly 34 percent of respondents indicated the recent FBI search of Trump’s Mar-a-Lago makes them less likely to support Trump if he runs again in 2024. A third of respondents said the raid would make them more likely to support Trump, while 33 percent said it would not make a difference.

The survey was conducted Oct. 12-16. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 3.65 percentage points. The data was weighted by ethnicity, age, education, party affiliation, region and gender, based on 2020 turnout modeling. Data was collected using cell phones, land lines and an online panel provided by Dynata.