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FEBRUARY | 2020
Packing 40,000 meals for Haiti with love at Grace Community By: Diane Emeott Korzen Contributing Writer Maria Lara and her son Santiago drove all the way from Davie to Camino Real in Boca to lend a hand at Grace Community Church’s recent Meal Packing Event on Jan. 12. “I saw the event on Facebook and said to myself, ‘They can always use extra help.’ This is our first time at the event and the church. Everyone was very welcoming. They gave us a T-shirt, [coffee and donuts], and we were ready to get started. It was a great experience!” enthused Maria Lara. Visitors walk through Remembrance Plaza, which recalls the four students and two instructors killed 10 years by an earthquake in Haiti. Photo by Dale King.
New tears shed for 6 from Lynn killed in Haiti quake 10 years ago By: Dale King Contributing Writer
In the waning late afternoon sunshine of Jan. 12, parents, relatives, friends and colleagues of four Lynn University students and two faculty members killed in a horrible earthquake 10 years ago in Haiti wept new tears for their loved ones who never returned from the humanitarian mission called Journey of Hope. In all, 12 students and their instructors left the green and quiet Boca Raton campus on a journey to help the poor and bring hope to hard-bitten Haitians with visits to a children’s handicapped home and an all-girls orphanage.
Without warning, a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince at 4:53 p.m. on Jan. 12, 2010. It devastated the island and stole the lives of four of the 12 visiting Lynn students and both faculty members. Eight students did return to the U.S.
“We are so very proud of them, for their acts of goodness,” said Lynn University President Kevin Ross, addressing a crowd standing in the shadow between a building to their rear and the monument to the teens and elders taken much too soon on that terrible day a decade ago.
Each year, the university remembers Dr. Richard Bruno, an assistant professor in the College of Liberal Education; Dr. Patrick Hartwick, dean of the Donald E. and Helen L. Ross College of Education and students Stefanie Crispinelli, Britney Gengel, Christine Gianacaci and Courtney Hayes with a ceremony that begins at the moment the earthquake hit.
In 2012, the university constructed and dedicated Remembrance Plaza on the campus – a place of reflection and inspiration where a short story of each Journey of Hope mission member who died in the disaster is written on glass panels adjacent to falling water from the top on the memorial to an adjacent pond. [CONT. PG 2]
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This was the church’s 4th annual Meal Packing Event, held every January to kick off the New Year. It was the third meal packing held outside under an event tent, a previous event was held indoors. The outdoor location and street-side event sign drew in friends and neighbors from the community to join with church members on the project. Some 300 people were expected at the ‘9 a.m.-to-finish’ effort to as-
Families work together to pack 40,000 meals to send to Haiti. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen.
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
New tears shed for 6 from Lynn killed in Haiti quake 10 years ago After Ross’ address, visitors slowly walked the memorial where flowers were placed in front of each glass panel. Mourners, including parents of the young women who perished, hung together, held each other close and experienced the memorial with deep thought and prayers. [FROM PG 1]
“Many of you never had the opportunity to meet these remarkable six individuals, but you know their story through this memorial, which stands not only to remind us of their service, but to inspire us as well,” said Ross after ringing of a bell six times for Lynn’s own who never came home. “After the earthquake, members of our Lynn community gathered in this area to hold candlelight vigils, and they made sure those luminaries glowed brightly every single evening until we had found the last missing member of our Lynn family,” Ross said. Britney Gengel, whose parents have created the Be like Brit Foundation which built and operates an orphanage in Haiti, was located in the rubble of the collapsed Hotel Montana 33 days after the quake hit. “Families carry on the legacies of their loved ones in many ways,” Ross noted. Len and Cherylann Gengel, parents of Brit-
ney Gengel, founded the Be like Brit Foundation in honor of their daughter. Shortly before her death, she texted her mother, describing how much the work she was doing meant to her and how she wanted to start an orphanage in Haiti. “They love us so much and everyone is so happy,” said Brit in her message. “They love what they have and they work so hard to get nowhere, yet they are all so appreciative. I want to move here and start an orphanage myself.” Inspired by Brit’s text, her parents went ahead and built the orphanage. The 19,000 SF structure – signifying that Britney was 19 years old when she died – is shaped like a B, her first initial, and is home to 66 children – 33 boys and 33 girls, recalling the 33 days that passed before Britney’s remains were located. The facility is non-adoptive, so it is a permanent home for the children. This year, the Gengel family also released a documentary video marking the 10th anniversary of the earthquake that demolished Haiti and killed hundreds of thousands. Len and Cherylann Gengel speak of their loss in the video, as do their two sons. They also discuss the development of the orphanage, which is shown in detail.
Lynn University President Kevin Ross addresses those attending a ceremony recalling the four students and two instructors killed 10 years by an earthquake in Haiti during a humanitarian visit. Photo by Dale King.
Visit belikebrit.org for information on the Foundation and to view the documentary. Ross said the university also honors the Journey of Hope legacy through its annual Knights Unite Day of Caring, a single day of service that began Jan. 12, 2011, and the Citizenship Project. Over the past three years, participants packed and delivered 2,000 Comfort Cases for children in foster care. Since 2011, Lynn has partnered with 38 different organizations and completed more than 40,500 service hours as part of the Citizenship Project. This year, 34 classes
The Britney Gengel story is written on a glass panel in Remembrance Plaza at Lynn University. Photo by Dale King.
are participating in 110 service experiences with Big Dog Ranch Rescue, Boca Helping Hands, Boca West Medical, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, Paint Your Heart Out and others. “Together, we have done so much good work over the past decade as we carry on Stephanie, Britney, Christine, Courtney, Dr. Hartwick and Dr. Bruno’s spirit of service,” said Ross. “We are proud to share their story with future generations through this memorial and the acts of goodness they will continue to inspire us to do.”
Packing 40,000 meals for Haiti with love at Grace Community semble and pack Rice & Veggie pouches to be distributed by Lifeline Christian Mission. The meals are fortified with 20 vitamins and minerals, and are an excellent source of protein. Just add water.
[FROM PG 1]
“They’re helping us pack 40,137 meals today. Lots of hands make light work. They’re helping us continue to serve those in need,” said Youth Pastor Derek Gillespie, who was on-scene, with Pastor Jason Whitener stopping by to greet and thank volunteers between preaching on “love” at Sunday morning services. By 10:30 a.m. one pallet of 14,000 meals had been packed. As of 11:25 a.m. the count was updated to over 30,000 meals. “We’re entering the last little bit. We paid for 40,000 meals. Representatives from Lifeline drove down from Ohio,” added Gillespie. Lifeline is a nonprofit based out of Westerville, Ohio, with
Ella, 6, pours protein powder into the meal packs. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen.
a mission of sharing the love of Jesus around the globe. It was founded by Bob and Gretchen DeVoe in 1980, starting with a Christian school and church in Grand Goave, Haiti. Doors later opened in Honduras. Lifeline partnered with and sponsored house churches in Cuba in 2004. In 2005, they developed a Bible institute and sports ministries in El Salvador. The outreach concluded around noon, with all 40,000 meals packed, Communications & Young Adult Coordinator Allie Ward said.
Matt Collins (L) shows 10 year church member Linda Prentice (R) how to seal completed meal bags. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen.
A decade-long church member Linda Prentice got a lesson from Matt Collins in how to seal filled bags [using a tabletop machine similar to a deluxe flatiron]. At a second table, Mason, 5, was happily helping out, assisted by Samuel, 36. At another table, Ella, 6, had mastered how to scoop protein powder into the meal bags her group was preparing.
Mason, 5, is happy to help out, assisted by Samuel, in packaging meals to send to Haiti. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen.
Each table worked together as a team, forming an assembly line. The first member held open an empty Rice & Veggie bag under a large funnel, with each member contributing an item: a spoonful of freeze-dried veggies, a spoonful of yellow protein powder, a large scoop of grains (resembling Grape-Nuts cereal), a large scoop of rice. The filled bag was then weighed by a sixth team member, standing ready to add extra rice if needed to equal the target weight of 390 to 395 grams. A seventh team member sealed the bags. Meal bags were eventually boxed up and loaded onto a truck. “We actually tasted one of the meals last year,” said a volunteer. “You boil the bag and serve it. It’s actually good, very flavorful. They get everything they need [in the meal].” Grace Community Church is located at 600 W. Camino Real. 561-395-2811, www.graceboca.org.
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
things you need to know this February in Boca Raton 1 The Mabel Mercer Foundation’s Cabaret at Lincoln Center that is Live at Lynn University continues on Feb. 12 with Shana Farr in Whistling Away the Dark Through Songs of Julie Andrews. The show begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Keith C. and Elaine Johnson Wold Performing Arts Center. Farr intertwines melodies synonymous with Julie Andrews into an evening of standards by Rodgers and Hammerstein, Lerner and Loewe, and the Gershwins, along with stories of how a young English girl became America’s sweetheart. Tickets: $40.
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Florida Atlantic University’s 2020 Alan B. and Charna Larkin Symposium on the American Presidency presents Doris Kearns Goodwin with “Presidential Leadership in Turbulent Times.” The lecture will take place on Feb. 12 at 3:30 p.m. in the Kaye Auditorium. Tickets are $35. Doris Kearns Goodwin is a world-renowned presidential historian, public speaker and Pulitzer Prize-winning, New York Times No. 1 best-selling author. Her seventh book, “Leadership in Turbulent Times,” is a culmination of Goodwin’s five-decade career of studying the American presidents, focusing on Presidents Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Baines Johnson. Photo courtesy of Annie Leibovitz.
3 Catch FAU student Abigail Howard’s play on human sex trafficking “Only One” on Feb. 9 at FAU’s University The-
atre. Written and directed by Howard and produced by FAU, the production is a 45-minute play that will show at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. Each show will be followed by an expert panel discussion and Q + A.
4 The Boca Raton Chamber’s 2020 DIAMOND Award luncheon, which honors a woman who has achieved success in her professional career and continually makes a difference in the Boca Raton Community, will take place at 11:30 a.m. on Feb. 21 at the Boca Resort. The DIAMOND Award recipient is the executive director of the Boca Raton Airport Authority Clara Bennett. This year’s PEARL Award winner is Rhea Jain, founder and owner of Renoosh and 2019 Chamber YEA! graduate. 5 Florida Atlantic University and the Palm Beach Book Festival present BBC Radio Correspondent Kim Ghattas with a lecture and book signing on Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. in the University Theatre on FAU’s Boca Raton campus. Tickets are $25, FAU student tickets are free. Ghattas is a BBC radio and TV correspondent. Author of “The Secretary: A Journey with Hill-
ary Clinton from Beirut to the Heart of American Power,” she was previously a Middle East correspondent for the Financial Times and part of an Emmy Award-winning BBC team covering the Lebanon-Israel conflict of 2006. Her forthcoming book, “Black Wave: Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the Forty-Year Rivalry That Unraveled Culture, Religion, and Collective Memory in the Middle East,” will be available at the lecture.
6 Listen to piano soloist Jamie Lober as she performs romantic classics from The Great American Songbook and modern love songs at 4 p.m. on Feb. 16 at Steinway Piano Gallery, 7940 N. Federal Highway in Boca. She has been in the spotlight since she was 5 years old. She has her own music brand, Music From The Heart 305. Seating is limited for the performance. Tickets cost $25 and are for sale on Eventbrite.
7 Festival of the Arts BOCA kicks off at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 28th at Mizner Park Amphitheater with “Cirque du Cinema.” With roots in Cirque du Soleil, the fabled Pickle Family Circus, and acrobatic and dance troupes from all over the world, Troupe Vertigo will present a program featuring Cirque’s awe-inspiring physical feats of power and beauty paired with the music from blockbuster movie classics. Thrill to the spectacle of acrobats, jugglers, and aerial flyers soaring high above the heads of The Symphonia orchestra as
they perform on stage. Photo by George Simeon.
8 Celebrate Bonn, Ludwig van Beethoven’s birthday during Festival of the Arts BOCA with Beethoven Birthday Bash at 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 29 at Mizner Park Amphitheater. Celebrate the life and work of this bold composer with a concert of Beethoven’s works, including his Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” and the “Triple” Concerto, featuring The Symphonia, conducted by Constantine Kitsopoulous, and guest artists The Eroica Trio. 9 Nationally renowned program The Moth, a storytelling competition, heads to Boca’s Cultural Arts Center at 3 p.m. on Feb. 29 as part of Festival of the Arts BOCA. Participants tell their stories live without notes. Anyone with a five-minute story to share on the day’s theme can step on the stage and tell a story. The theme for Festival Boca’s StorySLAM is “Achilles Heel.” Prepare a five-minute story about weaknesses and soft spots and vulnerable situations. 10 Boca West Children’s Foundation will celebrate its 10th anniversary and $8 million raised for projects that serve at-risk youth with a gala on March 1 at Boca West Country Club. The event begins at 6 p.m. and will feature dinner and entertainment by acclaimed late night talk show host and stand up comedian Jay Leno. Tickets $500.
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FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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FAU College of Arts and Letters hosts Brazilian Carnivale showcase to raise money for scholarships, show off student work Staff report Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters is putting all of letters from A to nearly Z on display during a Brazilian Carnivale themed fundraiser on Feb. 20. From anthropology to women’s studies, the college houses more than a few dozen majors and minors in topics ranging from commercial music to philosophy. To showcase some the disciplines housed in the college, its advisory board has planned its inaugural Culture, Arts and Society Today Party, known as the CAST Party, a fundraiser for student scholarships. With a Brazilian Carnivale theme will come performances by Brazilian Beat, a dance group dedicated to showcasing the beat of Carnaval of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, along with the college’s own award-winning theatre, music and dance faculty and students. “The faculty in FAU’s School of the Arts are world-renowned for their performances and visual arts creations, and this attracts top caliber students,” said Marta Batmasian, chair of the advisory board for the College of Arts and Letters. “We are very lucky to have these incredibly talented students and faculty members who provide our community with outstanding exhibitions, concerts, and theatre and dance performances.” There will be entertainment and dinner by the bite. It will all take place on Feb. 20 from 6 to 10 p.m. at The Loft at Congress at 530 NW 77th Street in Boca Raton. Tickets are $125. Proceeds from the CAST party will support students with scholarships. “Through the generosity of donors, we are able to support students who may otherwise not be able to attend college, including some that are the first in their families to go to col-
Support Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters during the inaugural CAST party this Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts month. Photo courtesy of and Letters holds public performances and lectures in the Univer- and Letters students perform dance productions that are open to FAU. sity Theatre. Photo courtesy of FAU. the public. Photo courtesy of FAU.
lege,” said Michael Horswell, dean of FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters. “By supporting this event, our donors will be changing people’s lives.”
The fundraising event is just one way the college is showing off some of its accomplishments. Throughout the year, the college hosts programs that are open to the public including gallery collections, lectures, plays and other performances. A recent lecture on foreign policy given by a faculty member drew a crowd of 1,400 to a theater on campus. The school has hosted high profile speakers including James Patterson, Robert Kennedy and Jane Goodall in recent time. Theatre productions are designed and put on by students and faculty as are musical performances.
Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters has several galleries on campus that feature open to the public exhibits. Photo courtesy of FAU.
4 p.m.
March 21
University Theatre
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
$25
University Theatre
Doris Kearns Goodwin- Leadership in Turbulent Times
$20 per panel, $75 all day pass
Dean Horswell said providing accessibility of the arts to the Boca Raton community is fundamental to the school’s mission.
Feb. 12
Upcoming events:
Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium
Kim Ghattas BBC Radio and NYT correspondent
3:30
$35 Palm Beach Book Festival
Feb. 6
Florida Atlantic University’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters brings lecturers and speakers to campus like Jane Goodall. Events are open to the public. Photo courtesy of FAU.
Four panels feature a total of 10 NYT Best Selling Authors For more information about FAU’s Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters, visit fau.edu/artsandletters. Tickets are $125 and can be purchased at fauf.fau.edu/2020cast or by contacting Suzy Livingston at slivingston@fau.edu or 561-297-2584.
Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton launches C.H.O.W. program to feed kids over weekend Staff report To help keep kids and their families full over the weekend, the Rotary Club Downtown Boca launched a C.H.O.W., Children’s Health On the Weekend. The program sends weekend meals home with children who are served by the Florence Fuller Child Development Centers. When the program started, it served 35 families identified by Florence Fuller as having food insecurity. These families may not have enough food to eat on weekends. Now, C.H.O.W. is helping 50 students and their families.
“On the weekends, right here in our community, many struggling families are unable to provide adequate nutrition for their children,” Florence Fuller CEO Ellyn Okrent said. “The Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton fills this gap for many of the neediest children and families in Southern Palm Beach County and we are grateful for its partnership.” The program is led by the rotary chapter’s founding president Alan Kaye and Board Member Tabitha Stambaugh. The club coordinates with Pan-Florida Challenge, a Naples-based company that provides the Super Power Pack food packages and Boca Helping Hands that stores the food.
Ann Brown, Howard Guggenheim, Marilyn Wilson Amy Berger, Deborah Carman, Dr. Alan Brustein pack meals for Rotary’s C.H.O.W. program. Submit- participate in packing meals for kids to eat over the ted photo. weekend with their families. Submitted photo.
On Friday mornings, rotary club members volunteer to pack and deliver the meals to
Florence Fuller. The program works on a
[CONT. PG 46]
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
The Great Mr. Swindle’s Traveling Peculiarium and Drink-Ory co-producer Allison Blei 1 The Great Mr. Swindle’s Traveling Peculiarium and Drink-Ory is coming to Boca Raton this month. What can attendees expect to see if they attend? They can expect an evening of amazement, thrill and laughter! Guest will experience a 90 minute show under a spectacular tent featuring acrobats, aerialist and comedians. Our artists come from all over the world and were hand selected, which means that they are the best of the best! The Drink-Ory Garden opens one hour prior to showtime which serves beer, wine, cocktails, snacks and dishes prepared by Chef Zil Wolfgang. The artist will also mingle with guests in the DrinkOry Garden prior to the show, so it is fun to arrive early.
2 How did you get into producing this show and coming up with the concept? Who is your favorite character? Well, I started as a performer in 2007. I traveled performing and through all my travels, I have experienced many different things, seen so many shows and was able to compile knowledge of what works and what doesn’t work. But the humorous conversations shared with my partner/husband brought the concept to life. It is a barnumesque inspired show. My fa-
vorite character is Mr. B.S. Swindler! He is the impresario who traveled the world collecting all of the bizarre and unusual characters.
3 We heard you went from working as a financial analyst in Boca Raton before running away and actually joining the circus. How did that happen? Well, I went to school at FSU where I earned a degree in Finance but where I also joined the Collegiate Circus as a hobby. I was fortunate to be able to both earn a finance degree and pick up the
Boca Briefs FAU Athletics Receives $5 Million Sponsorship from RoofClaim. com to Name FAU Arena Florida Atlantic University’s basketball and volleyball arena has a new name thanks to a partnership with Brian Wedding and RoofClaim.com. The Florida Atlantic University Athletic Department has partnered with Brian Wedding and RoofClaim.com on a $5 million, 10-year sponsorship to name the RoofClaim. com Arena. “We are tremendously excited to partner with Brian Wedding and RoofClaim.com,” said Brian White, vice president and director of athletics. “This partnership is transformational for our student-athletes and fans, as well as the community. We are thrilled about the opportunities provided to FAU and our athletics department from this investment.” Wedding is the founder/CEO of RoofClaim.com, a company he has aligned with several reputable and charitable companies and organizations though corporate partnerships. RoofClaim.com is a technology service company specializing in the diagnosing and processing of shingle and tile roof replacement insurance claims though the use of cutting-edge technology, and industry leading processes. The company is recognized nationally for its services and is also a member of the National Roofing Contractors Association and the National Association of Home Build-
art of live entertainment. After college I followed my original goal and became a financial analyst, but realized something was missing. Looking for a change, I went to a flying trapeze audition and got the job! That was the beginning of a wonderful journey in live entertainment and bringing joy to audiences.
4 The show will take place under a
new “Odd-itorium in the Round.” Tell us about the tent and what the viewing experience is like.
The tent is brand new and was made by the premier tent makers in the world! It was custom made and recently shipped
ers. RoofClaim.com is a subsidiary of Jasper Inc. “I am very excited about the growth and vision of Florida Atlantic University, under the direction of President Kelly and Director of Athletics Brian White,” Wedding said. “There is a lot of synergy between FAU and RoofClaim. com. We are both working to help those in the South Florida region, as well as expand the student and fan experience. I look forward to raising a championship trophy with FAU one day.”
here from Italy. The colors, the Sidewalls, the size, everything about it is a bit unusual. It may be the worlds smallest big top! We also have a new and upgraded seating arrangement. Every row is raised and every seat is an individual seat with cushions.
5 You produce the show with your husband, Ivan Espana, What is it like working with your spouse? It is actually great and I wouldn’t change it! For me, there is no doubt that working with your spouse is a learned art, but once you figure it out, the rewards are priceless.
The city recently received news from Moody’s Investors Service indicated that the City and its’ Water & Sewer credit positions both remain rated Aaa, the highest credit rating level. Citing an “exceptionally healthy economy and tax base,” the report went on to say that Boca Raton’s tax base of 29.7 billion is “significantly stronger” than the US median, and that the median family income of city residents is “very strong.”
Mizner Park to host Sunday Florida Fresh Markets
Boca Raton Children’s Museum closed, to reopen spring
Mizner Park will now offer a Florida Fresh Market on Sundays beginning on Feb. 9.
If you are looking to take your children to the Boca Raton Children’s Museum, you will have to wait until spring time.
From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays, head to the south end of Mizner Park between Lord & Taylor and Yard House, to find fresh produce, prepared foods, jams & jellies, breads, local honeys, artisan items and more. “We are excited to offer our guests yet another reason to visit Mizner Park,” said Dana Romanelli Schearer, general manager at Mizner Park, which is managed by Brookfield Properties. “With our many offerings and beautiful outdoor space, Mizner Park lends itself to Florida Fresh Market events, especially during the milder South Florida months.” Boca receives AAA rating from agencies Boca is one of the first Florida cities to receive a AAA rating from all three rating agencies.
The museum is temporarily closed. In December, the decision to close the museum temporarily was made after the operator, the Florence Fuller Child Development Center discussed an operation, ownership and management transition with the City of Boca Raton. When the museum reopens, it will be managed by the City’s Recreation Services Department. While the museum is closed, the city will assess and evaluate the buildings, grounds, programming, exhibits and financial position. The Florence Fuller Child Development Center managed and operated the museum for the past five years with help from volunteers. The nonprofit struggled to make the museum a self-sustaining entity.
Side-by-Side by Monroe & Sweet on display at Boca’s Levis JCC By: Jan Engoren Contributing Writer Walking out of Dennis Scholl and Kareem Tabsch’s 2018 film, The Last Resort, a documentary about the Jewish retirees in Miami Beach in the late 1970-80s, shot by photographers Gary Monroe and Andy Sweet, Terri Berns, director of the Judi & Allan Schuman Museum Gallery at the Levis JCC in Boca Raton, had an epiphany. “I’m going to present these two photographers’ images and visions sideby-side,” she said.
Andy Sweet pictured with a camera. His photos of Jewish retirees in Miami Beach are on display A photo of Gary Monroe on a bench capat Boca’s Levis JCC. Submitted photo. tured by Andy Sweet. Submitted photo.
LIFE
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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Thus, was born Side-By-Side in Old South Beach: Photographs by Gary Monroe and Andy Sweet and accompanying lectures, Florida Fresh Miami Beach Retrospective running at the Levis JCC Sandler Center’s Judi & Allan Schuman Museum Gallery through Feb. 16. In the early 1970s, with freshly minted MFA degrees from the University of Colorado at Boulder Miami natives Monroe and Sweet returned to their hometown with the idea to spend a decade photographing and documenting the elderly Jewish community of South Beach – the Miami Beach Project. Working in two distinct styles, Monroe in dramatic black and white using a Leica, resulting in meticulous and structured images and Sweet with his Hasselblad camera, providing more vivid colors, giving his images a casual and spontaneous style. Berns, herself a Miami girl and photographer, was familiar with the places and people in the old Jewish community of Miami. “Anyone who knew the beach during its Jewish heyday, will be impacted by this exhibit,” she said. “This tropical shtetl in the sun was a place where people (many of them Holocaust survivors) went for parties on the beach, to sit on their porch or in the sun. It was a thriving community and a great place to live out their retired years.” Monroe, 68, and himself now retired to Ormond Beach, continues to photograph. He reminisces about those years in Miami Beach. “Everybody who is Jewish has a connection to Miami Beach,” he jokes. “We spent a lot of time sitting on benches on Ocean Drive talking to people,” he said. “In those pre-digital
A photo of photographers Andy Sweet and Gary Monroe, who photographed Jewish re- A photo captured by Andy Sweet. Submitted tirees. Submitted photo. photo.
days, it was a different environment. People kibbitzed and socialized outdoors. These people loved us like we were like their grandchildren.” In fact, one of the images in the exhibit shot by Sweet, shows Monroe sandwiched on a bench between two elderly women. He is in 70s tiedye; his long hair carefree, a camera slung around his neck. The women, both holding shopping bags, (one advertising Pall Mall cigarettes), are wearing housedresses and a bemused look on their faces. Conversely, Monroe’s black and white image shows Sweet standing behind a park bench, his head cocked back and his camera at the ready, in back of two elderly women seated on the bench, formally dressed in a coat and sweater holding an umbrella to shade them from the sun. Viewed in today’s context, the photographs are nostalgic depicting tanned seniors in flowery pastels, holding umbrellas, smoking cigarettes and schlepping shopping carts. That community vanished in the early 1980s with the arrival of the Cuban Marielitos, more drugs and crime, the Miami Vice-ing of the city, the restoration of the art-deco architecture and the recognition of developers that these people were sitting on a gold mine. Jews migrated north to Boca Raton and Palm Beach County.
Monroe believes, “The whole community vanished like it never existed.” Ellen Sweet Moss, Sweet’s sister, and her partner Stan Hughes spent many years uncovering and restoring Sweet’s photo archives, after Sweet was tragically murdered in 1982 at the age of 28.
INSIDE
Palm Beach County
“If Andy were here, he’d be pretty pleased,” said Sweet Moss. “He loved to make people laugh and was always doing different things. He had a lot of interests and was the kindest person I ever met.” She remembers that at the age of 10, he painted the family’s live-in help’s room black to use as a dark room. “This is the first time in forever that Gary and Andy will be exhibited together,” said Hughes, a graphic designer, who spent ten years restoring Sweet’s photos and bringing them back to living color with Photoshop. “It’s great to see their original concept for the Miami Project brought back to life.”
Bubbles & Burgers [8]
The exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, call the Sandler Center at 561-558-2520 or visit levisjcc.org/boxoffice. Florida Fresh Miami Beach Retrospective programs are $18 unless otherwise noted. The History of Discrimination in South Florida [CONT. PG 11]
Valentine’s Day date ideas [15]
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Don’t miss events 1 AVDA’s 13th Annual Heart of a Woman Luncheon returns on Feb. 26. The luncheon begins at 10:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Yacht Club and will feature keynote speaker, Audrey-May Prosper, a Florida native survivor of domestic and sexual violence who was doused in gasoline and set on fire by her abusive ex-husband in 2009. AVDA’s Heart of a Woman Luncheon honors the strength, courage and determination of women. For more information or reservations, call 561-265-3797 or visit www.avdaonline.org.
2 The South Florida Garlic Fest is turning 21. Celebrate the festival’s birthday on Feb. 8-9 at John Prince Park. The “Best ‘Stinkin’ Party in South Florida” returns with garlic, music and family friendly activities. For more information, visit GarlicFestFL.com.
3 The Junior League of Boca Raton will hold its signature event, Flavors 2020 on Feb. 6 at The Addison. Thirty South Florida restaurants including The Addison, Harvest Seasonal Grill, Kapow Noodle Bar, Loch Bar, M.E.A.T Eatery & Taproom, Ramen Lab Eatery and Sammy J’s, will provide savory tastings. Attendees will enjoy an open bar, along with live music and entertainment performances, raffles and a live auction, as well as pop up vendors. This year, guests will vote on
their favorite dish from the participating restaurants and the winner will be crowned the “JLBR Flavor.” VIP admission tickets are $150 and include early admission at 6 p.m., a swag bag, and a designated VIP Lounge area with a private open bar and private restrooms. Chef Patrick Duffy from The Addison will serve as honorary executive chef. To purchase tickets, 561-620-2553 or visit www. JLBR.org.
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The Delray Beach Open by VITACOST. com returns to the Delray Beach Stadium & Tennis Center from Feb. 14-Feb. 23. The event will showcase tennis legends such as David Ferrer, James Blake, Tommy Haas, Marcos Baghdatis, Juan Martin del Potro, Kei Nishikori, the Bryan Brothers, Nick Kyrgios, Milos Raonic and international sensation Coco Gauff. Offcourt entertainment includes VIP fêtes, a new Craft Beer & Bubbly Bar, Sports Bar, VIP Lounge and Game Room, live music and local art. To view session times and to purchase tickets, visit https://yellowtennisball.com/
5 Ribbit the Exhibit is open at the Mounts Botanical Garden. See the enchanting cast of 23 whimsical, larger-than-life frog characters. Follow the exhibit guide to discover them in 17 locations throughout the garden. Each frog has a name and a story. The Ribbit sculptures are each 5 to 7 feet tall and handcrafted from copper, colored with natural patina with some secured to
a solid stone tread, others sitting in chairs or on trees—all designed by artist J.A. Cobb. Tickets $15 for non-members.
6 The Wick Theatre will present the fan favorite pick of the year, Evita. The production runs through Feb. 23 and features Broadway star Sean McDermott and American’s Got Talent sensation Daniella Mass in the iconic musical. The astonishing Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice mega-hit won multiple Tony Awards including Best Musical 1980 and Best Revival 2012. There is a 2 p.m. matinee and 7:30 p.m. evening performances. Tickets, $75-$95, are available at www.thewick.org or by calling 561-9952333.
7 Before the 18th annual Boca Bacchanal returns next month, enjoy leadin event Bubbles & Burgers from 6-8:30 p.m. on Feb. 20 at the Boca Beach Club. Hosted by ALINA Residences, guests will sample gourmet burgers, along with a selection of Champagnes and wines. There will also be a photo booth and musical entertainment by New York Sounds DJ & Entertainment. Complimentary valet parking will be available. Tickets cost $100 per person and benefit the Boca Raton Historical Society & Museum. 8 The Boca Raton Seafood & Music Festival returns to the Mizner Park Amphitheater from Feb. 7-9. Enjoy foods cooked fresh on site including seafood, meat and vegetarian dishes. Seafood dishes are prepared using indigenous and sustainable seafood from Florida’s coastal waters. There will be live music featuring soul, rock, R&B and jazz to reggae, Caribbean and more. Admission is $5. Hours of the festival are 4-10 p.m. on Friday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. on Saturday and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
9 The streets of Mizner Park will be filled with art on Feb. 2 when the 34th Annual Boca Raton Museum Art Festival hits Mizner Park. From 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., folks will be able to purchase all types of one-of-a-kind art including paintings, sculptures, jewelry, photography, ceramics, art glass and more from 165 artists. Admission is free and proceeds help support the museum’s educational programs for children.
10 Boca’s Food Truck Fridays continues on Feb. 14 from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Sanborn Square. Enjoy lunch outdoors with sweet and savory food options and live musical performances. The location of the food trucks changes monthly to different parks in Boca.
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
February Calendar Music at St. Paul’s The Flute’s Garden of Delights Feb. 9, 3 p.m. (pre-concert conversation with Anne Timberlake at 2:30 p.m.) $20 suggested donation / 18 and under FREE The Flute’s Garden of Delights, a concert featuring recorderist Anne Timberlake with lutenist Adam Cockerham. Delray String Quartet in concert
Music at St. Paul’s continues its 32nd Season with the Delray String Quartet performing a program titled, “A Trio of Quartet Giants.” The quartet “giants” include Haydn’s Quartet in F major (“Serenade”), Op. 3, No. 5, Shostakovich’s Quartet No. 7 in F# minor, Op. 108, and Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 10 in E-flat, Op. 74, “Harp.” The concert will be performed “in the round” in St. Paul’s Parish Hall.
Delray Beach Playhouse Some Enchanted Evening: The Songs of Rodgers and Hammerstein Through Feb. 16 Friday, 8 p.m.; Saturday, 2 & 8 p.m.; Sunday 2 p.m.; Wednesday (2/5 only), 8 p.m.; Thursday, 8 p.m. This musical celebrates the unique partnership of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein. From their beginnings in 1943, to the creation of a show called OKLAHOMA, their musical alchemy turned into pure magic as one success led to another: SOUTH PACIFIC, CAROUSEL, STATE FAIR, THE KING AND I, CINDERELLA and THE SOUND OF MUSIC.
A Haitian Music Series: Jean Chardavoine
Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday, 2 & 7:30 p.m.; Thursday (2/13), 2 p.m. and Thursday (2/20), 2 & 7:30 p.m. Universally acknowledged as one of the greatest classical and operatic conductors of the 20th Century, Leonard Bernstein also composed some of Broadway’s most popular musicals. Tickets $35 (adults); $15 (students); $25 (groups)
Arts Garage Troy Anderson: A Tribute to Louis Armstrong
Feb. 12 6-8 p.m. General Admission $25 Haitian born but Brooklyn bred, an amazingly talented artist thus, enabling Chardavoine to be a refined professional. Lenore Raphael - A Tribute to the Oscar Peterson/Milt Jackson Trio Feb. 15 8-10 p.m. General Admission $35 | Reserved $40 | Premium $45
General Admission $35 | Reserved $40 | Premium $45
$40
The Best of All Possible Worlds: Leonard Bernstein on
Feb. 10-20
8-10 p.m.
7:30 p.m.
8-10 p.m.
lease.
Feb. 1
Feb. 28
Tickets $35 (adults); $15 (students); $25 (groups)
Broadway
This performance is based on the music of the Jazz legend Louis Armstrong and his Hot Five Band. Between the Lines Art Exhibit Opening Reception Feb. 7 6-8 p.m. Join us for Happy Hour from 5-7pm and enjoy the art at the opening of the BETWEEN THE LINES EXHIBITION featuring local emerging artists Amanda Foor and Gail Butters Cohen. The event is free! Biscuit Miller and the MIX Feb. 7 8-10 p.m. General Admission $35 | Reserved $40 | Premium $45 Biscuit is known for his high energy shows and blazing million dollar smile. He is a born entertainer and is at home on the stage where he connects with his audience through a fun and funky approach to the blues. Albino Mbie Feb. 9 7-8:30 p.m. General Admission $30 | Reserved $35 | Premium $40 The concert “Celebrating life” will mark and mean a new chapter to Albino Mbie’s career. In this concert, Albino Mbie and his band will bring music from his first Album “Mozambican Dance” to pre-3rd album re-
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Lenore Raphael (piano) is a worldrenowned Steinway artist. She recently recorded and was added to the Steinway Spirio catalogue of the world’s greatest pianists. She has toured with such notable musicians as Clark Terry, Howard Alden, Jon Hendricks.
General Admission $30 Steve Forbert, live and solo has a magical presence, drawing an audience into his highly original and observant music without ever raising the volume of his distinctive rasp above conversation level. The Smoogies Band Feb. 21 8-10 p.m. General Admission $35 | Reserved $40 | Premium $45 What do you call a conglomerate of diverse, talented multi-instrumentalists and composers? You call them “The Smoogies” — a musical smoothie blended with a lot of cultures, life experience and most certainly: love. Nicole Yarling: One Song – Celebrating the African Diaspora Feb. 23 7-8:30 p.m.
Out of the House Series: Steve Forbert
General Admission $30 | Reserved $35 | Premium $40
Feb. 19
One Song - A Composer’s Forum is a Jazz
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
concert celebrating The African Diaspora. This performance featuring Nicole Yarling, Jim Gasior, Marty Quinn, John Yarling, Jean Caze, and David Leon will demonstrate that much of the music we enjoy has its roots in Africa.
returns to the Wick stage for another powerhouse evening of comedy and music as he lovingly celebrates those wonderful character roles: The roles he should have played, wants to play or shouldn’t have played. Evita
Stanley Jordan Returns Feb. 28-29 8-10 p.m. General Admission $40 | Reserved $45 | Premium $50 Be it bold reinventions of classical masterpieces or soulful explorations through pop-rock hits, to blazing straight ahead jazz forays and ultramodern improvisational works—solo or with a group—Jordan can always be counted on to take listeners on breathless journeys into the unexpected.
through Feb. 23 The Wick Theatre is proud to present their fan favorite pick of the year, Evita. The production features Broadway star Sean McDermott and American’s Got Talent sensation Daniella Mass in the iconic musical. The astonishing Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice megahit won multiple Tony Awards including Best Musical 1980 and Best Revival 2012. Tickets $75-95
Micheal L. Walters
NOT ONE MORE Alliance Walk for Eating Disorders Awareness
What a Character
Feb. 29
Feb. 4
9 a.m.
8 p.m.
Sunset Cove Amphitheater
Wick Theatre
For one night only, join Carbonell Winner Michael L. Walters as he
The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness will hold its 2020 South Florida NOT
ONE MORE: The Alliance Walk for Eating Disorders Awareness.The Alliance hopes to raise awareness of eating disorders, positive body image, and recovery. Adult (18 years +) $25 Child/Student (Under 18 years) $15
8 p.m.
Feb. 9-10
An upbeat, stylish, intimate musical cabaret, reminiscent of vintage Vegas! The 70-minute musical revue features a combo of live original music and well-known stylized and re-imagined modern standards. “The HOTTEST 6:00 p.m. show on the Strip” features four Broadway-caliber powerhouse singers and a four-piece band led by renowned concert pianist Philip Fortenberry.
Saturday: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Tickets start at $55
Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
MusicWorks presents Joan Osborne
The Cornell Art Museum presents an outdoor, juried fine art show featuring fine artists in all media by 150 artists from around the country. The front lawn of the Cornell Art Museum and Old School Square’s center grounds will transform into an exciting outdoor gallery with live music and a Hospitality Lounge.
Feb. 5
Old School Square 4th Annual Spring Art on the Square
8 p.m.
Free admission; Special $5 Admission to Cornell Art Museum
Joan Osborne has rightfully earned a reputation as one of the great voices of her generation -- both a commanding, passionate performer and a frank, emotionally evocative songwriter. A multi-platinum selling recording artist and seven-time Grammy nominee.
The Cocktail Cabaret
Tickets start at $57.
Feb. 3
Stayin’ Alive
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Feb. 8
Tickets start at $57
8 p.m.
Steve Solomon’s From Brooklyn to Broadway in Only 50 Years!
STAYIN’ ALIVE is the largest and most definitive production of its kind, offering big screen video clips, photos, and dazzling imagery, and offers to their audiences the songs and sights of a full Bee Gees play list, singing blockbusters such as Night Fever, Jive Talkin, How Deep Is Your Love, You Should be Dancing, Nights on Broadway, and Staying Alive. Tickets start at $55
dies’ tackle issues like dieting, exercise, plastic surgery, sex, and the relentless search for a positive self-image.
3-4 p.m.
Tickets start at $57
Census Day arrives on April 1. Be prepared by joining Sandy Goodman, Census Partnership Specialist, and Corrina Balderramos of the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County for an engaging free presentation on the impact of the 2020 Census. “Census 2020: Make It Count!”
Feb. 15
Catapult
8 p.m.
Feb. 22 8 p.m.
Lilias White - From Brooklyn to Broadway
Presenting an evening of hilarious comedy with the author and star of one of the longest-running one-man comedies in Broadway history: My Mother’s Italian, My Father’s Jewish & I’m in Therapy. It will be a night of pure enjoyment as Steve, using his gift for acting, dialects, and voices, brings to life twenty or more oddball people in hysterical situations to which we can all relate.
Feb. 10 - 11
Tickets start at $55. 8 p.m.
Lilias White made her Broadway debut in Barnum. She has also appeared on Broadway in Cats, Carrie, Dreamgirls, Once on This Island, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, Chicago, and Fela! (Tony Award nomination). Tickets start at $57
An Evening with Betty Buckley Feb. 17-18 8 p.m. Betty Buckley is a legendary, multi-awardwinning actress and singer whose career spans theater, film, television and concert halls around the world. Tickets start at $57
MusicWorks presents Al Stewart
WaistWatchers the Musical!
Feb. 13
Feb. 21-22
8 p.m.
8 p.m.
Al Stewart came to stardom as part of the legendary British folk revival in the sixties and seventies and developed the combination of folk-rock songs with delicately woven tales of the great characters and events from history.
WaistWatchers The Musical! takes a hilarious and lighthearted look at four women dealing with their obsession with food and assorted body image issues. Set in Miss Cook’s Women’s Gym, the 22 clever and catchy songs propel the fun along as the la-
Side-by-Side by Monroe & Sweet on display at Boca’s Levis JCC [FROM PG 7]
with Seth Bramson
Feb. 3, 7:30 pm You may have heard some of the myths and stories dealing with the history of discrimination in South Florida, including signs that said “No Jews/No Dogs” in front of the famous hotels. But what are the facts? Professor Seth Bramson, America’s single-most published Florida history book author, will tell the real and true story about Jim Crow, segregation and restricted clientele.
León will discuss how this iconic show redefined the style of the city and saved it from further downfall. Miami Beach Comedy: A Cavalcade of Stars with Ira Epstein Feb. 7, 1 pm Join us as we sample some classic routines by comedy stars Myron Cohen, Jack Carter, Alan Sherman, Jerry Seinfeld and others who find humor in the sunshine state.
The Vice of Miami during the 80’s with Pedro Medina León
The Art Deco Architecture of Miami Beach with Sharon Koskoff
Feb. 5, 7:30 pm
Feb. 10, 2:30 pm
It was the first half of the 1980’s and Miami was the city with the highest murder rate in the United States and the center of operations of the drug cartels. It was no longer the tourist destination it once was. Then in 1984, “Miami Vice” debuted on television.
During the 1930’s, almost 200 hotels and 500 apartment buildings were built on Miami Beach in the “deco” style. Uncover these architectural treasures and the influence the past makes on the future.
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An America’s Got Talent finalist from Season 8, Catapult is a magical production that features incredible dancers who work behind a screen to create shadow silhouettes of shapes from the world around us. General admission $20. Classic Albums Live: Creedance Clearwater Revival, Chronicle Vol.1 Feb. 29 8 p.m. Classic Albums Live is back for a second season of concerts that takes classic albums and performs them live, on stage - note for note, cut for cut - using the world’s greatest musicians. This is NOT a local tribute band. General admission $20.
Boca Raton Library Census 2020:Make it Count Feb. 1
Downtown Library
Census answers shape our community by determining the need for vital public services like new schools, infrastructure, affordable housing, disaster recovery funding, and much more. With over 675 billion dollars in federal funding available to enhance our community, learn what a complete and accurate count in 2020 can mean for local residents, students, and visitors. Story Central Feb. 8 4-5:30 p.m. Downtown Boca Library When Ray Christian tells stories form his life, people listen—and cheer! Find out why in his moving and thought-provoking Story Central performance, “Stories from a Life of Service.” Dr. Ray Christian is a retired army paratrooper and combat veteran who teaches African-American History and Storytelling at Appalachian State University.
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
BFA students at Lynn prep for ‘Crimes of the Heart’ Feb. 5-7 By: Dale King Contributing Writer The Bachelor of Fine Arts program at Boca Raton’s Lynn University is dashing through its second year, making strides one might consider “dramatic.” “We have a full class of musical theatre students who are very driven and motivated,” said Adam Simpson, assistant professor in the College of International Communications and chair of the drama program. “We have the opportunity to do a greater variety of shows.” While Lynn has offered a drama curriculum for a number of years, the BFA course in drama opened in the fall of 2018 under the direction of Adam Simpson and Professors Bruce Linser and Harry Murphy. Getting into the course is no cakewalk. It requires an application and an audition. The BFA in drama is the most prestigious undergraduate degree available for theater students. Lynn’s program offers stage hopefuls concentrated theatrical training that prepares them to work professionally in theater, movies, television and musicals. “As a drama major, students can choose between two specialized tracks, acting or musical theater performance. Students specializing in acting focus on advanced acting techniques, directing, technical theater and playwriting, and students specializing in musical theater performance study singing and vocal techniques, dance, music theory and musical theater history.” This season, students in the course include both sophomores and freshmen,
Riley Houde, as June Muldoon, speaks to Dr. Galen Gray (Jo Piccin) in Anatomy of Gray, presented by BFA students at Lynn University. Photo courtesy of Lynn University.
bringing a more mature and established presence to the group of stage-focused scholars. Simpson is already planning ahead for the 2020-2021 school year “when we will add one more production to the schedule” as the class expands with freshmen, sophomores and juniors. “This year, we are doing two plays, a musical and the Celebration of the Arts, when segments of the university take part in two days of artistic endeavors [April 30 and May 1.] “Next year, we’ll be doing two plays, two musicals and the Celebration.” The BFA students kicked off this year with a production of Thoroughly Modern Millie, a show that tells the story of a small-town girl, Millie Dillmount, who comes to New York City to marry for money instead of love – a thoroughly modern aim in 1922, when women were just entering the workforce. Millie begins to delight in the flapper lifestyle, but problems arise when she checks into a hotel owned by the leader of a white slavery ring in China. “It was a resounding success,” said Simpson. “Based on the feedback, I understand it was well attended.”
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Dr. Galen Gray (Jo Piccin) examines a patient as June Muldoon (Riley Houde) observes, in the play, Anatomy of Gray, presented by BFA students at Lynn University. Photo courtesy of Lynn University.
He said the student actors seemed comfortable and understood the racial element which has always been a touchy, sometimes objectionable, component of the musical. The youthful thespians also handled the second play, Anatomy of Gray, with similar comprehension of its unusual theme. Written by Jim Leonard Jr. and directed by Linser, who is also an actor and Carbonell Award recipient for stage excellence, Anatomy is a touching, often funny story that paints a picture of love, loss, hope and redemption. Freshman Riley Houde starred as June Muldoon and Jo Piccin took the stage as the enigmatic doctor Galen Gray, who arrived in the town of Gray, Ind., in a hot air balloon that crash-landed during a tornado. Dr. Gray arrives at a time when the town has no doctor. He begins to cure folks miraculously. But when many people begin developing unusual spots the doctor can’t cure, they question his abilities and the nature of the incurable ailment. “The students handled the themes well,” said Simpson. “Some of these
June Muldoon (Riley Houde) and Dr. Galen Gray (Jo Piccin) tend to the ill preacher, in the play, Anatomy of Gray, presented by BFA students at Lynn University. Photo courtesy of Lynn University.
are things they haven’t yet experienced in their own lives. I was very proud of this, and of this cast.” Lynn’s BFA learners are prepping for the next show, Crimes of the Heart, scheduled Feb. 5-7 in the Wold Performing Arts Center on the university campus. “They are doing really well, even during the first read, they were able to get the style.” Simpson will direct the show with its six characters — three sophomores and three freshmen. Beth Hanley’s Crimes of the Heart is set in Hazlehurst, Miss., where the three Magrath sisters gather to await news of the family patriarch, their grandfather, who is living out his last hours in the local hospital. Lenny, the oldest sister, is unmarried at 30 and facing diminishing marital prospects; Meg, the middle sister, is back after a failed singing career on the West Coast and Babe, the youngest, is out on bail after having shot her husband. Tickets may be reserved in person at the Lynn box office in the Wold Center; online at lynn.edu/events or by phone at 561-237-9000.
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FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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Parenting date night ideas not just for Valentine’s Day
building and work together to solve a mystery not where your kids shoes are.
By: Heather McMechan Contributing Writer
Escape rooms are the highlight at Adventure Vault | Escape Room Boca Raton with a variety of group puzzle challenges. You can bring beverages and appetizers while you are solving the mystery. Adventure Vault is located at 3350 NW 2nd Ave, Suite A4 in Boca Raton, FL. Call 561- 922-3881 for reservations.
Kids can take up a lot of your time. When bedtime routine is over, one of you is in their bed asleep, while the other is passed out on the couch.
ner where someone serves you a hot meal and takes care of you. Go for an ocean view that’s romantic or dine with a little entertainment.
I found through the years that it’s so important to try to make time for each other. To be intimate, to make memories, and to actually have an adult conversation. But you need to mix things up. Don’t just go out to your favorite restaurant that you only go to when you get a sitter. Try a new view or something that has you both thinking, swinging and throwing.
50 Ocean is a casually elegant ambiance with panoramic ocean views and an elevated American menu of seafood & meats. After dinner, go downstairs to Boston’s On The Beach for live music overlooking the surf. 50 Ocean and Boston’s On The Beach are located at 40 S. Ocean Blvd. in Delray.
Get the scoop on my parenting date night ideas not just for Valentine’s Day
Saiko-i Sushi Lounge & Hibachi is fashionable locale for hibachi-cooked fare, original sushi rolls & cocktails with an Asian twist. Have a few laughs and be entertained while having a delicious meal. Saiko-i Sushi Lounge & Hibachi is located at 5970 Southwest 18th Street Suite #E4 in Boca Raton. Call 561-393-5888 for reservation.
Enjoy extreme indoor axe throwing at Game of Axes – Axe Throwing Bar, South Florida’s new favorite place to engage in axe-citing competition while drinking with friends. They serve wine, beer and mead. They do not serve food, but you can bring your own as long as it’s commercially prepared. Game of Axes is located at 12550 S Military Trail in Boynton Beach. Call 561- 617-0120 for reservations.
Hit some balls
Throw an axe (not at each other) Dinner with a view Make time to go out and have a nice din-
Why not try something new and get your frustrations out. Axe Throwing is becoming a fun South Florida date night trend.
Escape from the kids Escape Rooms are a fun way to do team
If he loves golf and Fortnite, then Drive Shack might be the perfect date night. It’s a virtual reality golf range located at 1710 Belvedere Road, in West Palm Beach. It features a 150-seat sports bar and restaurant serving comfort-food dishes on its second floor, a retro arcade game room and a third-floor lounge and outdoor terrace. Call 561-771-5354 for reservations.
Crane’s ambiance is the perfect place for love to bloom!
Crane’s is a boutique hotel get-away for those seeking coastal comfort in a lush and romantic setting. Couples can relax by the pool, grab refreshing cocktails during our happy hour at the Tiki Bar, or head down to the beach and soak up the sun and waves. Book your slice of romance today and escape the ordinary. Upgrade your stay! Ask us about our romance packages.
TF 866-372-7263 W cranesbeachhouse.com 82 Gleason Street, Delray Beach, FL 33483
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Catch musical, ‘To Life 2,’ at Boca’s Willow Theatre By: Dale King Contributing Writer Shari Upbin, Boca Raton’s own stage producer/director, kicked off 2019 with a show called To Life, a tribute to Jewish musical originators, which drew sellout crowds and demands for a sequel. She has follow-up with To Life 2, more stories and music celebrating the contributions of Jewish composers to the Golden Age of Broadway, playing through Feb. 2 at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail, Boca Raton. “I’m delighted to have the opportunity to direct Part 2 of To Life,” Upbin said. “These Jewish composers and stars of Broadway have shaped the form of musical theatre from the outset.” “Jewish contributions to the Broadway musical have been phenomenal,” she added. “In fact, Jewish composers and lyricists created the Broadway musical. Children of immigrants, called outsiders – people who struggled for acceptance in mainstream society – created the greatest American shows in history. Show Boat, West Side Story, My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof, Gypsy… and scores more!”
A talented cast does a top-notch job of delivering the goods in the intimate, 155seat performance hall. All are familiar faces to Boca Raton audiences. Among the vocalists is Wayne LeGette, back for his second To Life. He worked with Upbin in Broadway Life and Hollywood Life. He recently created the roles of Renfield/Dr. Westfeldt in Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors at the Maltz and played Bela Zangler in Crazy for You at the Wick. A fellow performer in Dracula, Mallory Newbrough brings her dynamic voice to the stage. Recipient of a Carbonell Award for her performance of Janis Joplin songs in Beehive at the Wick, she is perhaps best known for portraying Belle in Beauty at the Beast, also at the Wick, and Sally Bowles in Cabaret, at Lake Worth Playhouse. She reprises that tune in To Life 2. Amy Miller Brennan, also vocally blessed, has performed locally, in New York City, nationally and internationally. She directs Performance Edge 2 Voice and Theatre Academy in Boca Raton. Michael McKenzie recently appeared as Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha for
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MNM Theatre, at the Rinker, and reprises “The Impossible Dream” from that musical. Not only has he appeared in stage shows near and far, but has racked up a list of TV and movie credits, appearing in House of Cards, Orange is the New Black, Law & Order, Blacklist and Babylon 5, among other shows. Actor/signer Jeffrey Bruce is also master of ceremonies and narrator, offering a bevy of tidbits about Jewish composers and offering inside jokes for the audience, many admittedly from New York. He also presents an excellent rendition of “Kids,” performed by Paul Lynde in the musical, Bye, Bye Birdie.
A production photo from To Life 2 from left, Wayne LeGette, Amy Miller Brennan, Michael McKenzie, Jeffrey Bruce and Mallory Newbrough. Photo by Carol Kassie.
Hamlisch, John Kander and Fred Ebb, Dorothy Fields, George and Ira Gershwin and Jerry Herman, among others.
Musical selections include “The Man that got Away (Amy, Mallory),” “Hello, Dolly (all),” “Don’t Rain on My Parade (Amy),” “If I Were a Rich Man (Wayne)” and “Embraceable You (Michael),” among many others.
Hy Juter from Jupiter Theatre Co. is the producer, and, during the show, Bruce prods him into putting together To Life 3 for next year. This production was created and written by Scott Siegel, a well-known pop culture critic who covers film, theatre and cabaret with his wife, Barbara, writing “The Siegel Column” for TheatreMania.com and “The Two of Clubs” column for Talkin’Broadway.com.
This second iteration of last year’s favorite picks up where the previous show left off. It highlights the works of Marvin
Tickets are $40 or $35 for groups of six or more. Call 561-347-3948 or visit https:// sugarsandpark.org/life-2.
Pianist Paul Reekie excels on keyboards and shows it as musical director of To Life 2.
Celebrate this Valentine’s Day with the people you love in the most romantic dinner setting around.
Boca Raton family seeks cure for rare genetic disease to save 4-year-old son By: Joanie Cox-Henry Contributing Writer Up until his first birthday, Jordan Ogman had been hitting all the typical milestones. But shortly after blowing out the candles on his first birthday cake, his parents Stacey and David Ogman felt in their hearts there was something wrong. “While he didn’t regress, Jordan was moving at a much slower pace than this peers and without the same strength and ease that our daughter, Jordan’s older sister, Kira, had progressed with,” Stacey said. “We immediately began early intervention services such as physical therapy, occupational therapy, developmental and speech therapy.” After many months of questions and concerns, Jordan’s family finally received a diagnosis on Sept. 17, 2019. At age 4 years old, Jordan was diagnosed with TECPR2, a fatal, neurodegenerative, debilitating, genetic disease that seemingly disproportionately affects Ashkenazi Jews. He struggles throughout the day to walk without constantly falling, to process information and has limited ability to speak. “We immediately went to Boston to confirm the diagnosis and to meet with neurogeneticists, neurobiologists and critical care physicians,” Stacey said. “We were given devastating news that our son is dying and there is no available treatment or cure at this time for TECPR2.” Determined to save Jordan, The Ogman family has since formed The Jordan Avi Ogman Foundation to garner awareness and funds for a treatment and cure for TECPR2. Their goal is to raise $2.5 million dollars immediately so the University of Florida’s Powell Gene Therapy Center can complete their research and pursue the plan of action for a treatment/cure. This research would not only save Jordan’s life but it would benefit other children battling TECPR2, as well as potentially lead to lifesaving breakthroughs for other neurodegenerative diseases of the brain. “We know that TECPR2 is a fatal neurodegenerative disease” Stacey said. “But Jordan’s life is not a tragedy. He is a warrior. He’s resilient and bright and we’re fighting every minute to save his life.” While the Ogman’s are literally working 24/7 to find a cure for TECPR2, its Jordan’s drive that keeps them going. “The determination and willpower he has at 4 years old keeps us motivated,” David said. “We stay strong for each
David, Jordan, Kira and Stacey Ogman. Submitted photo.
other. And I want Jordan to never give up because we’re not giving up.” Both University of Florida graduates, Stacey and David never imagined they’d be returning to their alma mater seeking a lifesaving cure for their son. In the meantime, the Ogman family is doing all they can to keep Jordan’s life as happy and normal as possible between therapy appointments and playtime with his big sister, who cannot fathom life without her little brother. “I love being a big sister to Jordy and I want him to last forever,” Kira said. The Ogman family was also honored for Jordan to have a special initiation into Alpha Epsilon Pi Fraternity. His father is a longtime member of the Jewish frat and it was very important to the family that Jordan receive the chance to join.
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INSIDE
Palm Beach County
“When he says ‘Nana,’ my heart just melts,” said Lisa Kenny, Jordan’s paternal grandmother. “He’s my only grandson, my only prince. He’s a happy, excited child and we have to find a cure.” Upcoming Events: On Feb. 20, from 7 to 10 p.m., PRIME Red Meat Lover’s Club is hosting an event “Meaningful Meeting” for Jordan at Museum 66, 2051 High Ridge Road in Boynton Beach. It will be a night of steaks, music, pinball, cigars, auction, bourbon and classic cars. rmlcforjordan.com https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ red-meat-lovers-presents-a-meaningful-meating-forone-of-our-own-tickets-86954181297?utm-medium=discovery&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&aff=escb&utm-source=cp&utm-term=listing On March 15, at 11 a.m. at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Sweetness & Laughter Gala, The See the Light Awards Ceremony. It will be an afternoon celebrating progress and personal heroics complete with a sumptuous brunch and “Mean Girls” Broadway Show. mfrfoundation.org
Jordan and his sister Kira Ogman. Submitted photo.
HEALTH
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
For more info and/or to donate: Visit https://savingjordan.org/
Students sing to patients [18]
Treating headaches [21]
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Lynn University drama students perform Disney songs for kids at West Boca Medical Center Staff report
ites including Frozen, Pocahontas and
preparing a project that would bring
The Princess and the Frog.
smiles to kids in the hospital.
West Boca Medical Center became a
The students have been preparing for the
“It was so much fun seeing their reac-
pseudo stage for Lynn University fresh-
performance since October. The show
tions,” freshman Abbie Fricke said after
men as they performed a 30-minute
was a highlight of a three-week semes-
the performance. “It was so inspiring to
show of Disney movie hits for kids in the
ter that Lynn University runs in January
see them moving and dancing.”
hospital.
called J-Term. The shortened semester
A hospital room at the pediatric unit at
The kids received a small respite from their hospital beds as they heard the students perform songs from Disney favor-
allows students to participate in experiential learning opportunities. The musical theater majors worked on
Nurses and doctors on the pediatric unit stopped by to check out the performance.
Lynn University students perform Disney songs for kids in pediatric unit of West Boca Medical Center. Staff photo.
So did CEO of West Boca Medical Cen-
the show was the highlight of many of the
ter George Rizzuto, who told the students
patients’ day. He told the Lynn students they should be proud of themselves. Patients clapped and sang along to the fa-
A COMMUNITY BUILT ON HEART
miliar tunes. One asked if she could meet the performers after the show was over. Of course, the students said yes. Fricke said her goal is of course to make it to Broadway, but as long as she is performing she is happy.
Don’t let A-Fib hold you back
Embrace Life’s Heart Moments As the most common heart rhythm disorder, Atrial Fibrillation (A-Fib) occurs when a person endures heart palpitations, chest pain, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness, and confusion. With a higher chance of blood clots, individuals are more likely to experience a stroke than a person with normal risk factors. This is why at Delray Medical Center, we combine physician expertise and our highly experienced staff to offer you some of the latest, minimally invasive treatment options available for A-Fib.
2019
A patient at West Boca Medical Center dances to Disney tunes performed by Lynn University freshmen. Staff photo.
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Contact us to learn more about A-Fib at an upcoming lecture, or to find a physician.
Lynn University students perform Disney songs for kids in pediatric unit of West Boca Medical Center. Staff photo.
ADVANCING NEUROLOGICAL REHABILITATION
The DYNAVISION D2 is a revolutionary diagnostic and rehabilitative tool. It works on visuo-motor, neuro-cognitive, and spatial skills as well as on a neurological process termed “efferent copy”. This process engages and integrates two very important regions of the brain; the cerebellum and frontal lobe. These areas of the brain are responsible for everything that makes us human such as problem solving, timing, sequencing, planning, initiating thought processes, and coordination. The Dynavision D2 has been utilized in many studies including one in which the Conde Center For Chiropractic Neurology, the Upledger Institute, and the Ricky Williams Foundation collaborated on. This study neurologically assessed retired National Football League Players which had at least one concussion in their career. The results were astounding as the players displayed numerous deficiencies in brain activity. The Dynavision D2 is used in the treatment of the following conditions: • Dizziness-Vertigo • Traumatic-Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries • Post-Stroke • Parkinson’s Disease • Multiple Sclerosis • Autism Spectrum Disorders
thecondecenter.com info@thecondecenter.com 561-330-6096 Atlantic Grove 401 West Atlantic Avenue Suite 014 Delray Beach, FL 33444
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
West Boca Medical Center appoints new Emergency Department Medical Director Staff report West Boca Medical Center recently welcomed Cory Harow, M.D. FACEP, as the new medical director of the emergency department. He is board certified by the American Board of Emergency Medicine. Dr. Harow joined the West Boca Medical Staff in Nov. 2017. Prior to his time at West Boca Medical Center, Dr. Harow served as the emergency medical director at Lakeside Medical Center, in Belle Glade. He also was the Assistant Medical Director at Memorial Regional Hospital in Hollywood. “We feel fortunate to have Dr. Harow as our medical director of the emergency department,” said George Rizzuto, CEO of West Boca Medical Center. “Dr. Harow’s clinical experience, expertise and proven leadership skills will no doubt have a positive impact on our patient care and community. I look forward to partnering with him as we continue to provide high quality care that our patients have come to expect from West Boca Medical Center.” Dr. Harow earned his bachelor’s degree from Columbia University in New York. He then received his medical degree from Stony Brook University. Dr. Harow completed his residency at the University of Chicago in emergency medicine and was also a faculty member and teaching assistant at the University of Illinois.
Boca Regional Hospital implements long-term monitoring system to help prevent future strokes Staff report People who have had a stroke can reduce the risk of having another one thanks to a new program at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. Boca Raton Regional Hospital is the first hospital in Palm Beach County to launch a long-term monitoring program for cryptogenic stroke patients to help reduce their risk of a secondary stroke. The multidisciplinary stroke team at the Marcus Neuroscience Institute offers the option to insert a small implantable cardiac monitor to continuously monitor heart activity to capture abnormal heartbeats and rhythms, which often go undetected and can increase stroke risk significantly. This data is relayed quickly to specialty cardiac physicians so that they can promptly initiate treatment when required. The Cryptogenic Stroke Pathway program utilizes the Reveal LINQ system that includes a cardiac monitor and bedside transmitter
to relay critical information to electrophysiologists at the hospital. The monitor analyzes heart data for any signs of atrial fibrillation (AFib), irregular or rapid heartbeats. The device is implanted using a minimally invasive procedure to avoid infection, reduce scarring and avoid any other medical complications. The system allows patients to continue their everyday activities without any interference for up to three years. “Patients that have suffered cryptogenic stroke often have undiagnosed atrial fibrillation or other cardiac complications months after being discharged from a hospital. Traditional programs typically end weeks or even days after the initial stroke,” said Brian Snelling, M.D., medical director of the Marilyn & Stanley Barry Center for Cerebrovascular Disease & Stroke at MNI. “The Reveal LINQ system is enabling us to detect heart dis-
turbances on a long-term basis to facilitate proactive treatment when needed.” One of the first patients in the Cryptogenic Stroke Pathway program credits his life to the Reveal LINQ system. The patient, Mohammed Elfadel, came to MNI in July 2018 with a life-threatening large vessel occlusion stroke without a known cause. He received mechanical thrombectomy and was implanted with the Reveal LINQ cardiac monitor prior to discharge. Nearly one year later, the MNI electrophysiologist team detected Afib in Mohammed which required him to immediately switch medications. MNI has maintained a 100 percent stroke pathway percentage since the implementation of the Reveal LINQ. Many hospitals have protocol for patients who have experienced an ischemic stroke, only a select few implemented a long-term monitoring program designed specifically to cryptogenic stroke.
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FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
21
Vagus nerve stimulation for treatment of headaches, other neurological conditions By: Dr. John Conde DC, DACNB Special to the Boca and Delray newspapers The vagus nerve is a cranial nerve which is housed in the skull and is often referred to as the “wandering nerve” because it is the longest nerve in the human body. It travels from the brain stem to the outer ears and all the way down to the lower intestines. The vagus nerve is considered to be a part of the parasympathetic nervous system family, which is responsible for putting the body at rest, slowing the heart rate, enhancing digestion, sexual arousal, lacrimation (tearing), urination, normalizing blood vessel diameter, and defecation to name a few functions. These processes are the exact opposite of the sympathetic nervous system which is considered to be responsible for “Fight or Flight” dynamics. Ideally, the predominance of activity should involve the parasympathetic nervous system with activation of the sympathetic nervous system only when appropriate, however this has not been the case for quite some time. Due to our lifestyle and the egregious demands our society places on us daily, this ratio of activation is completely thrown off. We
develop a much greater sympathetic tone which is highly contributory to many neurological and psychological conditions. This is one of the reasons why there is such a high level of interest and research in vagus nerve stimulation and the recalibration of the ratio of parasympathetic versus sympathetic activity. Invasive or surgical vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) involves the surgical implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator (pacemaker) for the treatment of seizures. This was FDA approved in 1997 for the treatment of seizures and then in 2005 for depression and 2015 for weight loss. However, due to the impracticality and danger associated with implantation of this stimulator researchers have been working tirelessly to ascertain a treatment modality that was non-surgical and non-invasive. They have finally succeeded. They have taken advantage of a small patch of tissue in the outer ear termed the cymba concha which is innervated by the auricular branch of the vagus nerve and found that stimulating this area with electrical current can have significant
Attend our Home Care Job Fair!
modulatory effects on the parasympathetic nervous system. Because the stimulation is occurring externally it is called transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS). tVNS is garnering significant traction in several different medical specialties due to the wide-reaching effects this treatment can have. Headaches, specifically migraines are now being treated in many clinics with a combination of modalities that includes tVNS. The understanding is that in patients with chronic migraines there lies an irregularity in blood vessel diameter control such that vasodilation
is prominent. Also an area in the brain stem that mediates head and face pain termed the trigeminal cervical complex (TCC) becomes irritated. Normalizing blood vessel diameter and activation of the TCC in the brainstem along with other targeted rehabilitation techniques can reduce migraine frequency and intensity. Other conditions being looked at for treatment include depression, tinnitus, epilepsy, pain, psychological conditions, dysautonomia, mood disorders, autism, and the global effects of aging. These are all mostly “off-label” but promising.
Dr. John Conde is a Board Certified Chiropractic Neurologist, one of only one thousand in the country. He holds diplomate status through the American Chiropractic Neurology Board. He provides specialized care for difficult cases of back neck pain, numbness-tingling, vertigo-dizziness balance disorders, fibromyalgia, migraines, AD/HD, autism, and dyslexia. His office is located at the Atlantic Grove in Delray Beach and can be reached at 561330-6096, drconde@thecondecenter.com, www.thecondecenter.com
You’re Invited!
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More Life
Fireside chat demonstrates STEM education is not just another BRiC in the wall
periments such as electric cars and gokarts, robots, drones and rockets from the Henderson school.
By: Joanie Cox-Henry Contributing Writer
Matthew Alberto, a senior at A.D. Henderson University School & FAU High School, with BRiC hosts a fireside chat on the topic of “Leadhis electric go-kart project. Photo by Joanie ing the Way in STEM Education.” Photo by Joanie Cox-Henry. Cox-Henry.
America may be shockingly ranked 39th in the world when it comes to math and science, but leaders at Boca Raton Innovation Campus [BRiC] are working to change that. West Palm Beach anchorwoman and Henderson alum Gianna Caserta led a packed fireside chat with Modernizing Medicine CEO Daniel Cane and A.D. Henderson Superintendent Dr. Joel Herbst on Jan. 15 inside Boca’s BRiC Conference Center. Focusing on the topic of “Leading the Way in STEM Education,” Cane and Herbst discussed the various ways A.D. Henderson University School and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) High School are changing lives locally and beyond. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Now, many programs are adding A for arts to make the acronym, STEAM. “While we’re falling behind other countries in math, in Florida, graduation rates are up across the state,” Herbst
said. “Our governor is focused on funding education now and investing in teachers and students in a way we’ve never seen before.” In 2018, Cane and his wife Debra, gifted the A.D. Henderson University School and Florida Atlantic University (FAU) High School with $1 million. The impact of that gift can be seen through The Cane Institute for Advanced Technologies. “We need to prepare our students today for the jobs of tomorrow,” Cane said. “The STEAM jobs are the hardest jobs the country to fill and there are at least a million of these jobs in the U.S. The average starting salary is $90,000. As a community, we need to make more STEAM-related jobs available locally so these graduates aren’t going off to Silicon Valley, New York and other places after graduation.” As event goers sipped wine and sampled food from Gary Rack’s Farmhouse Kitchen in Boca Raton, they were also able to view student projects and ex-
Matthew Alberto, a senior at A.D. Henderson University School & FAU High School was proudly displaying an electric go-kart project that’s used as a stepping stone for freshmen in the Experimental Vehicle Club. “I grew up loving cars and never imagined I’d be working on experimental cars,” said Alberto, 18, who resides in Deerfield Beach. “This school has opened opportunities for me I would not have had anywhere else.”
BIZ
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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While the discussion highlighted the importance of STEM education and how Henderson and FAU High School are creating an enviable academic foundation for students, the results speak for themselves. “We’ve had 36 students graduate from college before high school and debt free,” Cane said. According to Herbst, two students have already received patents and another two students have patents pending. And while all students who received a STEM-focused education may not end up in a STEM-related field, Cane maintains the skills learned are priceless. They are working with cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, robotics, virtual reality, augmented reality, automation and artificial intelligence.
INSIDE
Palm Beach County
“These students are learning how to problem-solve and how to think critically,” Cane said. “We need to give them innovative content, encouragement and then get out of their way.”
State Farm provides grant for JFS’ Career & Employment Services Staff report
Exotic car showroom to Boca [24]
Jewish Family Services Career & Employment Services clients can brush up on their computer skills thanks to a $2,500 grant from State Farm. Career & Employment Services (CES) provides candidates with comprehensive job readiness training through programs that teach individuals how to develop a personal brand, how to create a resume that packs a punch, as well as how to improve interviewing skills. “A computer trained and savvy employee is essential in today’s workforce” said Jose Soto, State Farm Public Affairs Specialist. “We are proud to provide a grant to the Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services to help support their career and employment training program.”
State Farm gifts JFS Career & Employment Services with a grant. Submitted photo.
Based upon requests, CES recently added two fee for service programs, Resume Writing Service and LinkedIn Profile Service. These programs provide for a one-one consultation with a career strategist who will construct a professionally written resume or profile. The goal of CES is to transform job candidates into successful employees. CES works closely with candidates during each step of the process to help them on their path to self-sufficiency.
Get your game on [26]
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Atlantis Motor Group brings exotic car showroom to Boca AMG also has a motorsports division that caters to the gentleman racer, or collector seeking a rare and historic automobile or competition car.
By: Diane Feen Contributing Writer Are you in the mood for a 2020 Bugatti Divo in a blazing red color? How about a 2018 Porsche GT2RS with green and black colorscape? If these exotic cars are not what you had in mind, don’t worry, the owners of Atlantis Motor Group have a lot more in store for you, literally. Their new 14,000-square-foot exotic auto showroom is the first one in Boca Raton. But owners Richard Weisman and Ken Gold are not deterred, as a matter of fact they are giddy at the prospect of bringing the most luxurious exotic cars (and race cars) to Boca Raton residents. “There have been exotic car warehouses in Boca Raton, but not dealerships or a showroom like ours,” said Weisman, an exotic car aficionado, who owned an exotic car dealership in Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. The exotic cars — some with names that you may not be able to pronounce — are sleek, curvy and seductive. So much so that they’re priced from $100,000 to $5 million. “We can custom design any car to cater to the customer’s satisfaction – needs or wants,” said Gold.
“As a long-time vintage race car driver and avid Porsche enthusiast myself,” says Gold, “I have no doubt our clientele will be impressed with our lineup of competition cars.” Atlantis Motor Group owners Richard Wesiman and Ken Gold. Submitted photo.
You bet they can. Just ask Boca financier John. “I purchased a Porsche GT2RS and a Lamborghini Huracan from Ken and Richard because they know more than anyone about exotic cars. The fact they’re opening a showroom in Boca Raton is a real treat for everyone in south Florida - not just for the quality of their vehicles – but for their commitment to excellence and industry knowledge,” he said. Atlantis will also have an off-site service department to take care of your cars’ inner most mechanical details. According to the owners they have scouted the world for the best mechanics in the business. There will be vintage Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, Rolls Royce’s, Bentleys, Maserati’s Aston Martins, McLarens, Bugatti’s and more.
When you think of vintage (or gently used) luxury autos it’s common to think they come with a lot of miles. But not so, according to Gold and Weisman. “We have late model exotic cars with little or no miles. People often buy them as collectors’ items or as investments.” If there is a specific exotic car you’re looking for and can’t find, just ask the guys at AMG – they’ll find it for you. They have both been in the exotic car business for many years and know where to find any car you can imagine (if it exists of course). If you do have an exotic car and want to store it in the summer months they offer private climate-controlled storage as well. They also have track support and customization, as well as financing, insurance, parts and service. The showroom will open in late February. The modern interior design is spacious and sleek to showcase its rarified autos that are the dream of many. The environment is the
experience, and both Gold and Weisman are pros at the exotic auto ambience. Weisman owned a local production company in Boca Raton in the 80’s. He started selling exotic cars in Ft. Lauderdale and was so successful that he thought he would push the limits of luxury by opening the only car dealer in Caesars Palace Forum Shops in Las Vegas. “Selling cars in Las Vegas was fun and we were successful at it.” Gold was in the logistics end of the business, transporting exotic cars around the world. He is a well-known vintage race car driver and avid Porsche enthusiast. Gold owned a collection of Porsche 935 race cars and is considered one of the world’s top experts in 935’s. “Whether you’re purchasing your dream vehicle or looking to upgrade or sell your current one, we have the expertise and resources to make those dreams a reality. We have vast networks that provide us with access to many exotic and luxury cars, parts and service that other dealers simply can’t provide.” The exotic autos will be the main attraction, but the 14,000-square-foot, one-story showroom at 351 Yamato Road in Boca Raton will be the frame. For more information, www.atlantismotorgroup.com
Boca-based ADT INC. acquires Defenders for $381 million Staff report
Boca Raton-based security company ADT INC. acquired Defenders, its largest independent dealer, for $381 million. The move is a step in ADT’s strategy to drive capital efficient growth, eliminate dealer margin, reduce cost to acquire new customers and improve return on capital going forward. “We are thrilled to join the ADT team,” said Jim Boyce, President & CEO, Defenders. “This acquisition brings our direct response marketing capabilities, best in class sales expertise, and national reach to a leading provider of security, automation, and smart home solutions. Together, we will be better positioned to leverage the trusted ADT brand, improve the combined company’s go-to-market operations and deliver an enhanced customer experience.” Defenders founders David P. Lindsey and Jessica A. Lindsey received approximately 16.3 million shares of ADT common stock for 100 percent of their ownership in Defenders, while the remaining $260 million of consideration was paid in cash to retire existing Defenders debt, fund other liabilities, and pay transaction expenses. The cash consideration was partially funded from existing revolving credit facilities.
“We have built our business by partnering with ADT to sell and install state-of-the-art security systems, helping to protect more than 2.2 million families through our bestin-class marketing team and expert knowledge of the industry,” said David Lindsey, Chairman and Founder, Defenders. “Given this longstanding and productive relationship, we are proud that this transaction will integrate us even closer into the ADT team, and I am excited to be a significant shareholder and see the benefits we are able to deliver to customers as a combined company.” Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Defenders has approximately 2,900 team members across more than 130 field branch locations, and has developed a best-in-class direct marketing skillset, currently generating more than 6 billion ADT advertising impressions annually. “We’re excited to officially join forces with the impressive Defenders team after successfully partnering with them for nearly 22 years so that, as one company, we can create a unique and simplified platform,” said Jim DeVries, ADT’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This opportunistic acquisition creates numerous strategic, financial and operational advantages for ADT, and is consistent with our stated goal of driving down the capital intensity of the business as we seek to drive long-term, profitable growth.”
presents
A free family event at our campus! Saturday, February 22nd from 10 am - 1 pm 15935 Lyons Rd, Delray Beach, FL 33446
H C A U O T al u n n 2nd A Kids of all ages can explore, climb, and touch a variety of different trucks and vehicles on our campus! Touch-A-Truck will also include face-painting, a Home Depot build station, and more fun activities from our vendors.
COME JOIN US! Please RSVP at dsa.link/TouchATruckDelray • • • •
Palm Beach Fire Engine Palm Beach Paramedic Truck Palm Beach Sheriff Patrol Car Palm Beach Sheriff Patrol Truck
• • • •
Palm Beach Sheriff Office Fun Mobile Florida Fish & Wildlife Patrol Truck Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue Truck Chacon Landscaping Equipment Truck
• • • •
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Get your game on at West Boca’s Game of Zones By: Shaina Wizov Contributing Writer Game of Zones is a family friendly entertainment center in West Boca Raton that not only appeals to toddlers, tweens and teens, but also to the 20, 30 and 40 somethings who want to let their inner child run loose. You don’t need to have kids with you to still feel and act like one. Next time you’re looking for something different to do, grab a group of friends and take advantage of the interactive experiences that Game of Zones has to offer. There are a variety of arcade games, five bowling lanes, laser tag
and bumper cars, as well as a full menu with food to fuel your game day — things like crispy chicken wings in honey BBQ, garlic-parmesan, Thai chili, blackened dry
We are your white party!
rub, teriyaki, mango habanero and GOZ blackberry, salads and wraps, loaded nachos, an option to build your own pizza or burger, and more. A selection of beer, wine and spiked seltzers are also offered. Game of Zones is a family run business, owned by husband and wife duo, Ravi and Clara. The inspiration behind Game of Zones stemmed from the arrival of Ravi and Clara’s first child and the lifestyle changes that came with it. The two had careers in the tech world and decided to put those on hold to build a business together that was more meaningful to their current lives, where they could feel a sense of community. They wanted to establish a place where both kids and adults can have fun, and so, this entertainment center for all ages was born. With only 6 months under its belt, business is growing, with a great return rate of 45 percent repeat weekly customers. “They tell us they love hanging out at Game of Zones,” Clara said. “That it already feels like a home-y local place they can count on.” The weekends get busy, so if bowling is on your agenda, make sure to call ahead and reserve your lane. The bumper cars area, known as the ‘Spin Zone,’ is small, but the
cars are mighty. You can play classic arcade games like Skee Ball and Air Hockey, or one of newer games inspired by current pop culture. The laser tag experience is ideal for a group. Everyone gets a special code name and runs around a custom-designed, glow-in-the-dark, Sci-Fi Tribal Arena trying to zap each other without getting hit. Clara predicts 2020 to be very promising. “With seasonal dates ahead like Valentine’s Day and Spring Break, we are expecting groups of kids and teens to come experience [everything we have to offer.]” For example, on Valentine’s Day, Game of Zones is offering a ‘Parents Night Out’ promo, giving parents the opportunity to have a kid-free date night while their kids enjoy a night at Game of Zones. The offer is valid on Feb. 14 from 5 p.m. to midnight, and cost is $49 for the first child, and $30 for additional siblings, which includes an ‘All You Can Play’ card and a meal for each child. No matter what day you visit Game of Zones, there is always some kind of special going on. On Monday, get half-priced game cards to use for arcade games, laser tag and the Spin Zone. Tuesday is dubbed ‘Taco and Tag 2SDAY’ featuring $2 tacos and two-for-one laser tag. On Wednesday, kids get free pizza with the purchase of a $20 game card or combo play. Bowling is half-priced on Thursday, at $9.99/hr per lane. On Friday, you can “Party Like It’s $19.99” with two hours of unlimited arcade games, laser tag, and Spin Zone. Saturday is all about the “Play With Your Food” combo deals, with both children and adult specials offered. Bring the family in on Sunday and get the Family Pack for $99, which includes 4 $20 game cards, 1 large pizza and 4 large drinks. Game of Zones is located at 11411C West Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton, FL 33428. For more information, visit their website at https://gameofzonesfl.com and follow on Facebook and Instagram.
Ventura’s Pizza Kitchen brings family tradition to Boca By: Natalya Jones Contributing Writer The Ventura Family has a rich history of pizza in New Jersey, but their newest location has popped up in Florida’s Boca Raton.
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The origin of Ventura’s Pizza Kitchen’s recipes can be credited to the Boca restaurant’s owner Gina Ventura’s family, whose parents are the current owners of Ventura’s Greenhouse in Margate and Ventura’s Offshore Café in Northfield. Both locations are in New Jersey. They also started Ventura’s Pizzeria and The Hideout located in Mt. Laurel, NJ. The Ventura family of six immigrated from Abruzzo, Italy to America in 1957. Among them were four boys and their parents. Gina’s father was one of the boys. The Ventura brand is still excelling over 50
years later with the majority of recipes coming from his mother and father. The parents started Mama Ventura’s, a small restaurant located in Camden, NJ. Although the restaurant closed in 2013, the Ventura name lives on in the restaurant industry. The family made their way to Boca Raton to open the newest location. Gina Ventura said their customers from up north visit the Boca and Delray area and now they have a familiar place to go. “They love us up there and said we would do great down here,” she said her New Jersey customers told her. Ventura’s Pizza Kitchen uses selected organic produce as well as non-GMO meats. As far as their pizza goes, the classic 16 inch cheese pizza is made with cheese on the bottom and sauce on top in the restaurant’s brick oven. [CONT. PG 42]
“The Italian Restaurant On The Beach” OPEN DAILY AT 7:00 AM Full Bar available all day Call 561-274-9404 for information
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Biz Briefs Santa Fe Suites celebrates 10th anniversary in Delray Beach
Santa Fe Suites, a health care executive office suite complex, recently celebrated its 10th Anniversary in Delray Beach. The suites house 22 businesses with spa and health services functions that also features 65 parking spaces. The first floor offers salon services that include haircuts and styling, waxing, nail treatments, facials and skin care treatments, and massages. The second floor houses businesses that offer mental health counseling, psychotherapy and business processing services. Harold Van Arnem, President of the VAP Group Inc. which manages the Suites said, “When we started the Santa Fe Suites ten years ago, our goal was to have a venue where independent men and women could start and run their own businesses. It is difficult to find affordable small spaces for independent providers in Delray Beach so this concept filled those needs.”
so unique.” “I love the fact that we’re in the heart of the city and the parking is amazing,” said Louise Heinonen, owner of Reflecting Your Beauty, which offers aesthetics including facials, anti-aging and body treatments. “I’ve been in the building for three years and it’s become part of my home. This concept gives me the freedom to do what I want. It’s intimate, quiet and peaceful. My clients love the privacy of my space and the feeling of being in a Southwestern atmosphere.” Another tenant of Santa Fe Suites is John Davis of John Davis Counseling Inc. who is also President of the Mental Health Counselor’s Association of the Palm Beaches. “This is a great building and it has a wonderful historic feel,” he said. “I’ve been a tenant for the past six years and I love it. The location is in the central business district where we can walk to restaurants on Atlantic Avenue.”
Attorney Ashley Ackerman joins Yaffa & Associates firm Ashley Ackerman has joined Yaffa & Associates as an associate. She will apply her experience as an assistant state attorney advocating for children and victims of domestic violence as clients navigate complex issues that arise during a divorce.
Kellie Garcia, a hairdresser and owner of Kellie Kuts, is one of the spa services offered on the first floor of the building.
“Ashley is sympathetic to families going through difficult times,” said Doreen Yaffa, the firm’s founder. “Many of her domestic violence victims were also going through a separation from their spouse. ”
“I’ve been in this building for the past ten years and this location is awesome,” she said. “The concept of the Suites allows people to be on their own without the high overhead of most buildings. All the tenants work together but we’re all independent. It’s
While studying at Barry University School of Law, Ackerman was a teaching assistant for legal research and writing, and a research assistant for her children and family law professor. She worked as a guardian ad litem, where she advocated for children
who were abused or neglected. Ackerman became a certified legal intern, representing indigent youths in juvenile delinquent matters. She graduated with a concentration in children and family law. “I have always had a passion for advocating for victims of domestic violence and children who are caught in the middle,” Ackerman said. “I am excited to bring my experience to Yaffa & Associates and assist families going through one of the hardest times in their lives. Dealing with divorce is not easy, but I hope to bear the burden for our clients and help them see it through.” In her 8 years in the state attorney’s office for the 15th Judicial Circuit, Ackerman handled over 60 jury trials. Cases ranged from domestic battery to attempted murder. She was awarded the Palm Beach County Sheriff ’s Special Commendation Medal for her work on the Sober Homes Task Force. Ackerman is a member of the Florida Association of Women Lawyers, Palm Beach County Bar Association and the Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County. She graduated from Florida Atlantic University with a bachelor’s degree in education.
ADMA Biologics added to NASDAQ Biotechnology Index Boca’s ADMA Biologics, Inc. (NASDAQ: ADMA), a commercial biopharmaceutical company dedicated to manufacturing, marketing and developing specialty plasma-derived biologics for the treatment of immunodeficient patients at risk for infection and the prevention of certain infectious diseases, has been added to the NASDAQ Biotechnology Index® (NASDAQ: ^NBI). The NASDAQ Biotechnology Index was launched in 1993 and is designed to track the performance of a set of securities listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market® (NASDAQ) that are classified as either biotechnology or pharmaceutical according to the Industry Classification Benchmark. Companies in the NBI must meet eligibility criteria, such as an average daily trading volume and minimum market capitalization. The NBI is re-ranked each year and is calculated under a modulated capitalization-weighted methodology. The company also released its fourth quarter 2019 preliminary unaudited total revenues of $11.9 million, compared to $4.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2018, which reflected a 193 percent increase.
Institute for Regional
Conservation Celebrates its 35th Anniversary
The Institute for Regional Conservation (IRC) a nonprofit dedicated to the protection, restoration, and long-term management of biological diversity, recently celebrated its 35th Anniversary. The Delray event was attended by IRC staff, colleagues, associates, and friends sharing the story of how IRC began and the critical importance of IRC’s work in the age of global change. According to George Gann, Executive Director and Chief Conservation Strategist for IRC, “The IRC has grown from the dreams and aspirations of college students at the University of Colorado to an organization working at the cutting edge of conservation and ecological restoration locally, regionally, and around the world. IRC could not have enjoyed 35 years of conservation work without the collaboration and support from many committed individuals.”
Erin L. Deady, P.A. adds to team Erin L. Deady, P.A. has hired Darah Cotton to join her Delray firm. Cotton will serve as the firm’s certified paralegal and project manager working on multiple aspects of their legal, consulting and transactional practice including environmental, land use, real estate finance and development issues. Cotton will also support the firm’s growing real estate practice. She has more than 10 years of experience in providing managerial and executive assistant support while demonstrating the ability to work under pressure. Most recently, Cotton obtained her Masters of Science in Real Estate Development from Nova Southeastern University, Terry W. Stiles School of Real Estate Development. “I’m excited to have Darah join our team,” Deady said. “She has knowledge of and can handle different areas and specialties like managing multiple projects in a deadline driven and fast paced environment. With her background and knowledge, we expect great things.”
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Local sweets, treats for your valentine By: Michele Bellisari Special to the Boca and Delray newspapers #SoooBoca loves to celebrate love! We especially love to celebrate Valentine’s Day and have shared some of our favorite sweets and treats spots with you. There are so many little gestures you can do to show your love, in fact, according to Fooddive.com, “A survey from the National Confectioners Association found 80 percent of Americans plan to share chocolate and candy with friends, family and loved ones for Valentine’s Day.” In order to help make your Valentine’s Day gift giving easier, we are sharing suggestions of where you can purchase some of our favorite sweets this year, candy and cookies. Candy Truth be told, the mere mention of Valentine’s Day makes us think of heart shaped boxes filled with chocolates, exotic truffles and chocolate covered strawberries and shops in #SoooBoca have exactly what we are looking for!
For over 20 years, this local gem has been providing handmade chocolates, including their famous “Boca Trash” to our community. Hoffman’Chocolates Located throughout South Florida, the location in Boca Center is one of our favorites. This is the perfect place to buy a delicious assortment of candies for Valentine’s Day. We have to admit, their chocolate covered pretzels are to die for! Godiva Chocolatier Located in Boca Town Center their highend chocolates are sublime and their packaging always special. Their Valentine’s Day selection is truly spectacular and includes everything from heart shaped boxes filled with milk and dark chocolate candies to chocolate covered strawberries.
Specialty baked goods are another great way to celebrate the holiday. Here are some local favorites: Chocolates by Mr. Roberts Located in east Boca, this specialty chocolate shop was opened in 1982 by Heinz Robert Goldschneider, a chocolatier trained in Switzerland. This shop offers the most delicious candies including decadent truffles, beautiful gift boxes and even chocolate bark. So Sweet it Is
ice cream and cookie concept has a location right here in Boca Raton! In addition to nitrogen ice cream creations, PHENOMENOM offers a tasty selection of freshly baked cookies, ice cream cookie sundaes, ice cream cookie sandwiches, and more. Just Baked Boca Right in the heart of Downtown Boca this popular shop has cookies that are simply delish and they also deliver! Candy’s Cake Pops Cake pops are all the rage and we love them! They are magical, pretty and the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day! You can order a variety of lovely treats including Valentine’s Day Party Cake Pops.
Michele Bellisari is the founder of #SoooBoca® Lifestyle & Media based in Boca Raton and a Realtor with RE/MAX Services. She and her daughters blog, vlog, post and share all things Boca Raton, South Florida & Beyond from events, people, food, travel, home decor, fashion, beauty and real estate! You can find more at www.soooboca.com and on all the socials @soooboca.
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Cookies and Baked Goods
Le Macaron Located in Mizner Park, this french patisserie has the most amazing selection of delicate, flavorful and colorful macrons. (Try the raspberry and salted caramel, two of our favorites) PHENOMENOM This popular South Florida-based nitrogen
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FRIDAY FEB 7th
3PM - 6 PM 9PM - 11PM
PRIME FOR HAPPY HOUR
Featuring live music, complimentary Chef’s table with new menu light bites, and signature cocktail, Pátron and Bacardi tastings! Happy Hour at the three bar locations with half off new Bar Bites menu, well drinks, house wine and domestic beers, $2 off new signature cocktails and other drinks.
SATURDAY FEB 8th
1PM - 5PM
PRIME ISLAND
Join us for Tito’s and Casamigos tastings, half off new bar bites menu on Prime Island, boat display at the island docks by South Florida Marine, live music.
SUNDAY FEB 9th
11:30AM - 3PM
PRIME FOR BRUNCH
Enjoy new brunch dishes, a “huge” Bloody Mary Bar with $5 Grey Goose, bottomless mimosas for $15, live music, and come by boat to Sunday Funday on Prime Island.
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For reservations, please call 561.737.8822 or visit primecatchboynton.com Open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. 700 E Woolbright Rd | Boynton Beach, FL 33435
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Prime Catch to debut new island bar, menu, interior redesign Staff report
Immerse yourself in an island dining experience at the newly redesigned Prime Catch. Located at 700 East Woolbright Road in Boynton Beach, the waterfront restaurant has a new look and new menu that will be on display Feb. 7-9. The renovation features an expanded lobby, additional windows, upgraded hostess area, renovated bathrooms, new bar and lounge and a reconfigured upstairs bar and dining area that allows more seating and better water views. Outside, there is a new north patio with umbrella seating and an expanded south patio. Decor brings the water elements inside with a sea theme of bright white, aqua and silver with wall murals featuring jellyfish, an octopus and fish by artist Ruben Ubiera. Chandeliers of jellyfish with tendrils help reflect the light were added along with all new furniture, artwork and lighting. The highlight of the renovation is Prime Island, a new 25-seat bar located in the Intracoastal waterway. It is surrounded by boat docks and brings a new meaning to “dock and dine” in South Florida. Executive Chef and Certified Culinarian John Bonk has refreshed the menu to go along with the new, laid back ocean vibe of the space. Diners will see changes to the lunch, dinner, brunch and cocktail menus as well as a new Bar Bites menu.
Head to Prime Catch to have Head to Prime Catch to see its new look during a debut Boynton’s Prime Catch has a new look, menu items a waterfront view with dinweekend on Feb. 7-9. Submitted photo. and an island bar. Submitted photo. ner. Submitted photo.
New lunch and dinner items include raw bar platters with chilled Maine lobster, clams, oysters, shrimp cocktail and tuna poke; Bianca Flatbread; Spanish Octopus a La Plancha; Prime Thai Salad; Bouillabaisse; Beef Short Rib Ragu; Zuppa De Pesce; Pan Roasted Root Vegetables and Diver Scallops Osso Bucco Style. The new Bar Bites menu features Ahi Tuna Tacos, Cheddar Burger, House Smoked Wahoo Dip, Calamari Zuppa, and Crispy Artichoke Hearts. Signature cocktails added to the menu include Frozignon Blanc, Pomo 75, Dragon Fruit Margarita, Cucumber Breeze, Blackberry Rye, and Strawberry Prosecco Mojito.
Featuring live music; complimentary Chefs table with food tastings/samples of signature cocktail and pass arounds, Patrón and Bacardi tastings; happy hour at the three bar locations featuring half off new Bar Bites menu and well drinks, house wine, domestic beers and $2 off new signature cocktails and other drinks. PRIME ISLAND - Saturday, Feb. 8 – 1 p.m. - 5 p.m. Join us for Tito’s and Casamigos tastings, half off new bar bites menu on Prime Island, boat display at the island docks by South Florida Marine, live music. PRIME FOR BRUNCH - Sunday, Feb. 9- 11:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Prime Catch will celebrate a refreshed waterfront dining experience and the new Prime Island from with a series of events including:
Featuring new brunch menu items, Bloody Mary Bar with $5 Grey Goose, bottomless mimosas for $15, live music, come by boat to Sunday Funday on Prime Island.
PRIME FOR HAPPY HOUR - Friday, Feb 7 — 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Prime Catch is open daily from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. For reservations, please call 561.737.8822 or visit www.primecatchboynton.com.
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
San Diego sustainable seafood restaurant Lionfish to open downtown Delray this spring Staff report
panding the Lionfish concept.
Soon you will be able to taste a sea-to-table meal in downtown Delray Beach.
They knew the second location had to open in a coastal town where people care about the ocean. They decided to anchor down in Delray Beach.
Clique Hospitality Group has plans to open a second Lionfish location where Luigi’s Coal Oven Pizza shuttered at 307 E. Atlantic Ave. Lionfish is the creation of hospitality mogul Andy Masi, who operates restaurants and nightclubs on the west coast, and chef Jose “JoJo” Ruiz. The first Lionfish concept opened about 3 years ago inside a hotel in San Diego. The goal was to create a sustainable seafood restaurant that used local fisherman and local purveyors.
Butter Poached King Crab is a featured menu item at Lionfish, which is opening downtown Delray this spring. Photo courtesy of Arlene Ibarra.
“We are really passionate about the ocean and also food,” Masi said, adding Lionfish tied their passions together. Masi and Ruiz then began to explore ex-
“San Diego has such a great fishing community, and Florida has the same thing,” chef Ruiz said. “Plus, we can actually serve lionfish.” Masi said has was impressed with Atlantic Avenue. Clique Hospitality is calling Delray home its second home. The company has opened a local office in Delray that will employ 10 people by the time the restaurant is open. “We think we are going to really be wel-
NYC’s Just Salad opens in Boca Raton Staff report
If you are looking for a healthy, fast-casual meal, head to Just Salad in Boca Center. The New York City concept has expanded to South Florida with its first Palm Beach County location in Boca Raton. Just Salad is known for its best-selling Buffalo Chicken Salad, Keto Zoodle Bowl, and Crunchy Avocado Toast, as well as its val-
Masi is redoing the entire restaurant space so it won’t look like the former pizza place. The menu will feature a lot of shared dishes that are inspired by flavors of the world. Seafood will be sustainable and traceable. There will be craft cocktails created by mixologists. Masi said the experience of food and beverage has evolved over the years. People aren’t ordering their own salad and entree. Rather, they are ordering a few things for the table. Lionfish encourages sharing. There is no scheduled opening date. Just Salad was founded by Kenner as an answer to a simple question: what’s with the shortage of healthy food on-the-go? Kenner worked closely with a registered dietician to develop health-minded recipes that could be made in a New York minute, and in 2006 he debuted the healthy, fast-food concept in New York City.
ue-packed menu featuring over 10 items under $10. “Like many New Yorkers, Just Salad feels right at home in Florida,” said Nick Kenner, Founder & CEO of Just Salad. “We’re excited to finally join the Boca community after hearing from our Boca fans for so many years. While there are plenty of healthy restaurants in the area, none offer the mix of quality, affordability, and sustainability that
comed in the Delray community,” Masi said. “We are making Delray home.”
The Boca location is Just Salad’s third Florida location. The Boca store will employ about 30 people.
Just Salad is the home of the reusable bowl, which is the World’s Largest Restaurant Reusable Program and a recipient of EPA’s WasteWise Award. The company recently pledged to send zero waste to landfills by 2022.
The eatery fills a 2,300-square-foot space at Boca Center. Community tables and banquette seating options can fit 63 diners.
Online and app ordering will be available with a 20-minute pick-up guarantee. Hours of operation are 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
Just Salad is so well known for.”
New Chick-Fil-A open in Delray Beach Staff report
Chicken fans have a new place to get their nuggets or sandwiches. Chick-Fil-A has a new Delray Beach location at 4823 W. Atlantic Ave. The restaurant will be overseen by franchise owner Erik Benitez. He will oversee day-today activities of the business which will employ about 120 team members. The fast-casual space will seat 140 people in the dining room. The space is 4,000-squarefeet and features a community table, recycled Coca-Cola chandeliers and a two-story, indoor children’s playground area.
℄愀氀氀 吀漀搀愀礀℀ 㔀㘀ⴀ㠀㤀ⴀ㘀㈀ 㠀 匀攀爀瘀椀渀最 愀氀氀 漀昀 倀愀氀洀 䈀攀愀挀栀 䌀漀甀渀琀礀 愀渀搀 愀氀氀 漀昀 䈀爀漀眀愀爀搀 䌀漀甀渀琀礀
倀椀渀攀愀瀀瀀氀攀 䜀爀漀瘀攀 ㈀㜀 一漀爀琀栀攀愀猀琀 ㈀渀搀 䄀瘀攀⸀ 䐀攀氀爀愀礀 䈀攀愀挀栀Ⰰ ㌀㌀㐀㐀㐀
There will be a curbside parking spot for catering pick-ups and Chick-fil-A app mobile orders, along with a designated inside counter. Chick-fil-A Operator Erik Benitez and wife, Shelley, met while working at Chick-fil-A. Erik’s journey to becoming an Operator began as a 16-year-old needing to earn money for a car. He interviewed at the Chick-fil-A at Palm Beach Lake Boulevard in 2004, having never eaten or knowing anything about the
Chick-Fil-A franchise owner Erik Benitez stands outside his Delray store. Submitted photo.
chain. For the next 5 years he worked at several Chick-fil-A locations in Southern Florida before returning to work, once again, as a manager for his original Operator. While attending college full-time, Benitez spent the next three years traveling across the country, helping to open 61 new Chick-fil-A restaurants which planted within him the desire to become an Oper[CONT. PG 40]
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FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Start that project now! Natalie Lerch Sudit is the founder of Boca-based SHASHI Cool Feet Socks are designed to go from the SHASHI Cool Feet Socks. Submitted photo gym to every day wear. Submitted photo.
SHASHI Cool Feet Socks provide style, comfort, performance features for workout classes By: Marisa Herman Associate Editor Natalie Lerch Sudit has always been into ballet, pilates and barre. And while there are plenty of cute outfit options, she noticed when it came to sock options she was limited. “There wasn’t anything pretty in the market,” the founder of Boca-based SHASHI Cool Feet Socks said, adding most sock options were ill-fitting and not performance driven. She wasn’t necessarily looking to open a sock business, but with the trend of athleisure-wear on the rise, she thought it was time to create a performance sock that was fashion forward. “People were starting to pay attention to what you’re wearing to class,” she said. “People were completing the whole look with ugly socks. It was time to have a performance sock on the market.” SHASHI Cool Feet Socks are designed to keep your feet feeling clean and refreshed while staying active. The mesh studio sock utilizes COOLMAX® technology, specially designed fibers that transport moisture away from your body to the surface of the fabric where it evaporates. The socks can be worn in all types of work out classes from barre to spin and can go from the gym to the streets.
The first SHASHI sock debuted in 2013. It took Sudit several years to bring the product to market. The sewn-in mesh material makes the sock difficult to produce, so it took time to find a manufacturer. The mesh material is what prevents feet from becoming clammy during workouts, she said. “SHASHI sock is the closest thing to barefoot you can get,” she said, adding you won’t be thinking about taking off your socks mid-workout. “The socks are shaped to fit your feet and there is no bulky fabric that you are pulling on when you are working out.” SHASHI socks come in five different styles including regular toe, spilt toe, open toe, no show and ballet tie. There are more than 10 color options. Different styles include the classic plain mesh, tattoo socks that feature a tattoo design on the front, the star line, which is sparkly, the sweet line, which has metallic colors and a Palm Beach line with patterns. There are options for men, too. Sudit has a background in graphic design. The running dog mascot was modeled after Sudit’s dog. And the name SHASHI is the nickname used for her son when she was pregnant with him. SHASHI socks start at $16 per pair. They can be purchased on Amazon.
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“You don’t feel like you’re wearing anything on your feet and they have a grip to them,” she said. “Effortlessly the sock translates from a studio environment to an every day environment.” She said the socks are performance based, but are fashionable to wear to a party.
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SHASHI Cool Feet Socks are performance driven for ballet, pilates, barre and other classes. Submitted photo.
*Total closing costs generally range from $0 - $7500. Examples of closing costs paid by the bank are fees for a credit report, flood determination, title insurance and other costs. Bank paid closing costs will include up to $200.00 toward appraisal fees. Customer is responsible for paying any additional appraisal fees over that amount. Line must be funded by 50% or $10,000 at closing, whichever is greater. CenterState Bank will waive reimbursement of closing costs as long as your account is open for at least 2 years. Offer is available for primary residences only. Manufactured Homes/Mobile Homes are not eligible for a home equity line of credit. **Rate based on minimum beacon score of 721, ***Rate based on minimum beacon score of 700, ****Rate based on minimum beacon score of 640. Annual Percentage Rate (APR) may increase after consummation. Maximum APR is 18%. Property insurance is required, and if applicable, flood insurance will be required. All loans subject to credit approval. Rates and terms may change at any time. Other restrictions may apply. CenterState Bank N.A. NMLS #403455
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Boca’s economic development report members across 130 field branch locations and has developed a best-in-class direct marketing skillset, currently generating more than 6 billion ADT advertising impressions annually.
By: Jessica Del Vecchio Economic Development Manager Special to the Boca and Delray Newspapers Boca. Business. Briefs. Phoenix Tower International (PTI) entered into agreements to acquire 1,408 towers in Ecuador and 1,046 towers in Colombia. With these two recent acquisitions, PTI will own and operate over 7,000 towers across Latin America. Founded in 2013, this international company is thriving. Two of the five companies in Palm Beach County that outperformed the S&P 500 this past decade, are based in Boca Raton. SBA Communications (NASDAQ: SBAC) was up 630 percent and Geo Group (NYSE: GEO) increased by 227 percent.
Associate Professor of Marketing from Lynn University, Andrew Burnstine, was recently featured on a segment of WPTV’s The List. The List is a daily syndicated television show that’s entering its 8th season. Professor Burnstine discussed the benefits of recycled textiles and the environmental impacts of sustainability. ADT acquired its largest independent dealer, Defenders for approximately $381 million. Founded in 1998 and headquartered in Indianapolis, Defenders has approximately 2,900 team
The Hispanic Entrepreneur Initiative (HEI) recently launched in Boca Raton. This 501(c)(3) was created with the mission to empower the South Florida Hispanic Entrepreneur community through educational programs, to increase their odds of sustainable business success in the U.S., and to optimize the quality and length of their learning cycle as business owners. The newly established organization will provide the tools for the development of capabilities for the Hispanic entrepreneurs and opportunities to access the Hispanic market to other corporations. The programs will be in English and Spanish and will build a bridge between the entrepreneurs and corporations seeking to enter the U.S. and Hispanic markets.
Boca’s dog beach received some well-deserved recognition in a recent edition of Forbes magazine. The list included seven dog beaches across the U.S., from Washington, Michigan, New Jersey and California - Boca’s Bark Beach is in good company. Boca Raton - Make your next move your best move. Have corporate news to share or looking to relocate/expand your company to Boca Raton? Contact the city’s economic development office at economicdevelopment@myboca.us or 561-393-7761. Want to see what we are up to? Follow us on Facebook @BocaEconomicDevelopment.
Delray Chamber is putting on its game face By: Stephanie Immelman President, CEO Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce Special to the Boca and Delray newspapers In February, The Delray Chamber is promoting sports of all sorts. Old School Square is hosting the Big Game Watch Party for the Superbowl on Feb. 2. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for an outdoor viewing experience. Bring your own chair or blanket. A full bar and concessions will be available on site during the event. Old School Square kindly produces this event for the community for free but donations are always welcome. If you need to find anyone from the Delray Chamber during the week of Feb. 14-23 we will be at the Delray Open! The Chamber Bash takes place from 5:45 p.m. – 7:15 p.m. on Feb. 19 at the Tennis Center. Mem-
bers of the Delray and Boca Chambers gather at the Hospitality Pavilion for food from local restaurants, drinks and the chance to meet ATP players. Tickets for the evening’s matches are included in the price of $35. For tickets, email ChamberBash@YellowTennisBall.com Our Young Professionals will get together at Ace & Taste on Feb. 20 at the Tennis Center from 5–8 p.m. The price of $15 includes tickets for both evening matches and the first 50 attendees receive a free drink. The Chamber will round out our Sports month with our Focus on Women event on Feb. 27 at Central Park Tae Kwon Do. The “Empowering Unity and Community” evening kicks off at 5:30 p.m. and will feature pop up vendors, drinks and snacks, tae kwon do demonstrations and the chance for a lesson that evening.
The chamber is all about sports this month. Photo courtesy of Dangerwing Photography.
Take advantage of the beautiful weather this month and take part in some sports yourself. Chamber member Fleet Feet can help you with gear and members such as Putt N Around, Purlife and Sunshine Meadows Equestrian Center can inspire your sports activities. For more information, visit www.delraybeach.com
Everybody calls Lee! 74 N.E. 4TH AVENUE, SUITE #1, DELRAY BEACH | CallLee.com
Royal Palm Residences will feature 48-boutique residences
Staff report
Royal Palm Residences will be the next luxury condo project built in downtown Boca Raton. Developer Group P6 is bringing the nine-story, 48-residence project to the corner of Fifth Avenue and East Royal Palm Road. The developer recently completed 327 Royal Palm in downtown Boca. This project will overlook the Boca Raton Resort & Club, Atlantic Ocean and a waterfront park. It is the location that excites Managing Partner at Group P6 Ignacio Diaz the most about the project. “We are the only development tucked away on a quiet, residential street,” he said. “It’s a corner lot by the Intracoastal. It is an unparalleled location in downtown Boca.” Royal Palm Residences will offer three to five-bedroom residences –including six penthouses— ranging in size from 2,425 to 7,168 square feet. Prices for the residences will start at $1.75 million. Each residence will have 270 degrees of natural light, dual-entry private elevator access directly into the unit, European kitchens & top of the line appliances, including Wolf gas barbecues built into large outdoor terraces. Diaz said each floor has two units and those units can be combined. Owners who choose to combine will end up with two elevators to access their home and 360 degree views.
Royal Palm Residences will feature 48-boutique residences in downtown Boca. Submitted photo.
Amenities include two assigned, secured, underground parking spaces; an expansive wellness plaza, featuring a state-of-the-art fitness center, boutique pool with a heated spa and a club room with European kitchen and bar for entertaining. The building will also feature a 24hour doorman and private underground storage. “Boca Raton buyers expect unparalleled design quality and worldclass amenities when choosing a luxury building in downtown Boca and we plan for Royal Palm Residences to not only meet, but exceed those expectations,” Diaz said. “The project marries bold and artistic design with Boca’s unique history to take luxury boutique living to
another level.” Award-winning Boca Raton-based design firm RLC Architects designed Royal Palm Residences and world-renowned, Suffolk Construction will be the project’s general contractor. One Sotheby’s International Realty is exclusively handling sales and marketing for Royal Palm Residences.
REAL
Another luxury condo project headed to downtown Boca
ESTATE
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
Diaz said eight units are already under contract and construction isn’t scheduled to commence until the summer. For more information about Royal Palm Residences or to schedule a private showing at the project, call 561-948-4051 or visit https://www. rpresidences.com/.
INSIDE
Palm Beach County
Royal Palm Residences residents will have ac- The pool at Royal Palm Residences will have a cess to a club room on site. Submitted photo. heated spa. Submitted photo.
Lang Realty raises money for cancer [36]
A rendering of the lobby of Royal Palm Residences in downtown Boca. Royal Palm Residences amenities include a fitness center. Submitted Submitted photo. photo.
More shops for Uptown Boca [40] Royal Palm Residences will feature European A rendering of a Royal Palm Residence master A rendering of a Royal Palm Residence living kitchens and top of the line appliances. Submitbathroom. Submitted photo. ted photo. room. Submitted photo.
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
What’s up in the real estate market… of 2018 due to her outstanding participation and service within the Realtors® Association at the Local, State, and/or National level during the 2018 service year and beyond.
Upgrades headed to downtown Delray Beach SunTrust Bank building The downtown Delray Beach SunTrust Bank building will be getting a makeover. Plans to revamp the exterior of the nearly 14,000-square-foot building located at 302 E. Atlantic Ave. has received the OK from Delray commissioners. Constructed in 1929, the building will soon receive facade improvements, a new roof and utility improvements. The existing arcade will be eliminated. Other planned changes include new, modern storefront glazing, a color change, new awnings, new LED lights and a reconfigured roof parapet. The first floor will receive additional square footage once the arcade
is removed. The makeover will give the building a contemporary masonry modern design. Amy Snook inducted into the real estate Honor Society Amy Snook, a partner in the All About Florida Homes Team of Lang Realty, was recently inducted into the Realtors Association of Palm Beaches and Greater Fort Lauderdale’s’ Honor Society. She was recognized at the Realtor Revolution Conference and Annual Meeting at the Palm Beach County Convention Center.
According to Jessica Lowe, VP of Programs for RAPB+GFLR, “We are very fortunate to know highly involved, passionate, and dynamic members such as Ms. Snook. We are beyond thankful for her contribution to our Association and participation in events, volunteerism, education, local/ state/national Conferences and governance, Global and Commercial Alliances, and Realtor® Party contributions.” Lang Realty raises $13,000 plus to benefit American Cancer Society
The loan was made to a joint venture between Investcorp and The Preiss Company to refinance the off-campus student housing asset. It was arranged by Michael Gigliotti and Jesse Wright of JLL’s New York and Miami offices.
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Square Mile Capital provides $71 million loan to Boca Raton Student Housing Complex Square Mile Capital Management LLC (“Square Mile Capital”) originated a $71 million loan secured by University Park, a 598-bed student housing property located in Boca Raton.
Snook was identified as an eligible member to be inducted into the Honor Society class
BEYOND JUST GROUT CLEANING
Lang’s branding and advertising turned pink; offices were decorated in pink, and pink themed events were held throughout the company. Lang Agents and staff have formed teams to participate in area’s Making Strides events in Boca Raton, West Palm Beach and Port St. Lucie.
Lang Realty’s Scott Agran, President, presents a check to Lynn Curry, Community Development Manager for the American Cancer Society Southeast Region. Submitted photo.
Lang Realty recently donated more than $13,000 to the American Cancer Society Making Strides Against Breast Cancer, as part of their Open the Door for a Cure campaign. Throughout the month of October, Lang turned “pink” in support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, and a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each home closed that month was dedicated to the charity. “This was a company-wide effort that included donations from each closing contributed by our agents,” said Scott Agran, President of Lang Realty. “Many of our own agents and staff have personally battled this disease or have gone through this with loved ones. We are delighted to support this worthy cause.” As part of the month-long promotion,
“University Park, which primarily serves housing needs of Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University attendees, is well positioned as the area’s highest quality student housing option,” Square Mile Capital Principal Eric Cohen said. “In addition to the superior attributes of the property itself, we saw a very compelling opportunity to establish a lending relationship with the Investcorp and The Preiss Company team, which combines global investment capabilities with the expertise of one of the nation’s top student housing owner-operators.” Sitting just a half mile from Florida Atlantic University’s main campus, University Park provides its student tenants a bestin-class off-campus living experience with amenities including fully furnished units, in-unit washer/dryers, gated security, shuttle services to neighboring campuses, a 24/7 sundry market, a resort-style pool, a two-story fitness center and an outdoor turfed courtyard. It was completed in 2015 and acquired by the joint venture in 2016.
Real Estate. REDEFINED. In the heart of Boca Raton and Delray Beach from ocean front estates to luxury homes and condominiums, Lang Realty is here for you.
www. LangRealty.com Toll Free: 1 -800-632-4267
TROPIC ISLE
RX-10550134 $12,950,000 Bill Giberson 561-305-0505
BOCA VILLAS
RX-10565091 $2,900,000
Stephanie Kaufman 561-929-1770
BLUE INLET
RX-10581105 $1,499,000
Olive Belcher 561-271-6922 Brittany Belcher 561-716-8125
THE BRIDGES
RX-10589289 $1,295,000 Maria Kovachev 772-633-8771
BOCA HIGHLANDS
REIDS JOHN B. VILLAGE
Blake Morris 561-901-6960 Jeannine Morris 561-706-8287
M. Peg Delp 561-436-5560
RX-10581049 $3,995,000
SEVEN BRIDGES
RX-10591463 $2,795,000 Tom Walsh 561-573-2226
BOCA HARBOUR
RX-10554442 $1,485,000
Brian Pearl 561-245-1541 Vincenza Antonacci 561-714-8464
RX-10567255 $3,150,000
TROPIC ISLE OF DELRAY BEACH RX-10590779 $2,750,000 Elena Carissimo 786-510-0408
AZURA
RX-10568439 $1,475,000 Frank Tipton 561-703-0065
CHALFONTE
MIZNER COUNTRY CLUB
Ana Londono 561-843-1171
Ryan Greenblatt 561-350-1850
RX-10592192 $1,220,000
View More Listings On Our Website:
LangRealty.com or call 800.632.4267
RX-10591646 $1,099,000
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Valentine’s Day lesson: Show some love to your home By: Stacey A. Giulianti, Esq. Chief Legal Officer Florida Peninsula Insurance Company Special to the Boca and Delray newspapers Golf pro Rick Heard speaks to the Beach & Park District board on Jan. 6. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen,
Boca’s Beach & Park District rejects City’s amended agreement on golf course By: Diane Emeott Korzen Contributing Writer In an effort to move on from “bogeys of the past” as 20-year PGA Golf Professional Rick Heard put it during a meeting, the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District cast a unanimous vote to decline the City’s proposed amendment agreement on Boca National Golf Course at its first business meeting of 2020. Commissioner Craig Ehrnst made the motion to reject on Jan. 6, with Commissioner Robert Rollins seconding it – to a round of applause from the audience after the vote. The next step was for the District’s Briann Harms to write a letter to the city rejecting the deal, review the budget with Merv Timberlake, prioritize district projects, and come up with a plan to present to the Board for approval to implement the golf course. In December 2019, the City presented the District with an amended agreement that would have ceded more control over the golf course to the city, while forcing the district to potentially absorb more of the project’s cost. At a Jan. 13 Boca City Council Workshop, Harms was called
to the podium by Mayor Scott Singer to speak on the District’s decision. Council Members said they were under the impression the city’s proposal was in round one of negotiations, and that further negotiations would be forthcoming. Harms, who stated she is the Beach & Park District’s Executive Director, not a voting member, held firm to the district’s wish to reject outright the proposal. The district wishes to stick with the current deal, which requires design approval of the golf course by the city. Harms later called section16C of the proposed ILA “the icing on the cake. They gave themselves on off ramp and none for us. The agreement in totality was very one-sided.” Harms concluded that negotiations with the City over the golf course have been ongoing for at least 10 months and the District is ready to move forward. “We can do this project. You guys have Brightline [and other projects to think about],” she said. [CONT. PG 39]
In February, enjoy the “love” that abounds, but we also ask that you show your home some love as well! Proper and regular inspection and maintenance of your home – whether a house, condominium unit, apartment, or duplex – will keep you and your residence safe and sound. Some of the most commonly neglected maintenance items may cause thousands of dollars in damage, but they are easy and typically inexpensive to prevent. Start by walking through your home – both inside and outside – and look for anything unusual. Holes, large cracks, broken or frayed pipes or wires, leaks or moisture, sharp objects – and begin by cleaning up and repairing those issues. Since water damage from broken pipes or plumbing lines is the number one cause of residential property damage, now is a good time to: • Check your AC units and look for any broken or frayed hoses or connections. Have a professional tighten or replace those parts. • Look under your sinks for any dripping pipes or long-term leaks, and have a plumber replace those items. • Inspect your washing machine and dishwasher connections and ensure that no water is escaping from those appliances. • Look behind your toilets, showers, and bathtubs for any leaks or excessive moisture. Replace any parts that are old or worn. • Know where your water main switch is located, so that you can
turn it off in the event of a pipe rupture or break. • Monitor your water bills; a higher than usual monthly charge may indicate a leak somewhere in the system. • Consider adding a water monitoring system, like WaterCop. Frankly, hiring a plumber to review all your water connections and pipes is a terrific idea to do at least once a year. Of course, there are always hurricane shutters to inspect – especially now, months before the summer. Still, this is a good month to look at adding, replacing, or upgrading window protections to a home, since the rush of the hurricane season is not yet upon us. Taking care of window protection now will alleviate stress in June. Fires also cause incredible damage and potential loss of life, so it’s critical to check your home for any danger signs. Show some love to your home, and follow these simple guidelines: • Inspect all your electrical cords throughout the entire home. If they are damaged, frayed, or cracked, please replace them. • Extension cords are to be used temporarily, never for long periods of time. • Don’t overload extension cords or wall outlets. • Always plug appliances directly into wall outlets. • Have a professional contractor fix any broken outlets or switches. • Update any outdated or malfunctioning fuses or circuit boxes. • Check that you have installed the correct light bulb wattage for all fixtures or lamps. • Move lamps away from draper-
ies and shades and install proper lampshades as needed. • Replace the batteries in your fire/ smoke detector and test them to ensure proper functioning. • Keep matches and lighters in a secured location and out of your child’s reach. • Purchase mini fire extinguishers, and show every family member how to use them. Your homeowners insurance policy may also cover injuries to other people that come onto your property – a coverage known as Liability Insurance – and minimizing injuries to your friends and neighbors is good old common sense as well. Some policies contain an animal liability endorsement. Tips include: • Put the dog away when visitors come by, especially those with whom your animal is unfamiliar. • Always keep your dog on a leash while outside your residence. • Young children should never play with a dog without immediate adult supervision. • Make sure your backyard gate automatically closes and latches shut. • Inspect the fencing to ensure that the dog cannot escape from your property. • Complete a dog training and obedience class with your furry friend. Other injuries can occur, and you can prevent them with a few easy steps: • Don’t let children run around the pool deck and prohibit any diving. • Keep firearms stored properly and locked away. • Mop up spills immediately. • Inspect furniture, especially tables and chairs, and make sure that they are in strong, solid condition.
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FDOT gives update on express lanes I-95 from Glades to Linton project By: Diane Emeott Korzen Contributing Writer Florida Department of Transportation and its partner Prince Contracting LLC have been paving since November. That is when mainline paving began on the $148 million project that kicked off June 19, 2019 -- with major construction starting late last month. FDOT and Prince have 1,500 contract days to complete the I-95 Expansion from south of Glades Road in Boca Raton to south of Linton Boulevard in Delray Beach – known as 3B-2. Construction on this leg of I-95 should be complete in late 2023, weather permitting, according to I-95 Community Outreach Specialist Andrea Pacini. Drivers who travel the Interstate have also likely noticed a companion leg of roadway expansion that’s further along. Work on 3B-1 – from south of SW 10 Street in Deerfield Beach to south of Glades Road in Boca – is expected to continue through Spring 2022, Pacini said. The purpose of both projects is to install express lanes.
A total of two express lanes will be created in each direction. One lane will be added, and the High Occupancy Lane (HOV) lane will be converted to an express lane. The work includes a reconfiguration of the Glades Road interchange to a Diverging Diamond Interchange. Additional improvements include: overhead sign structure installation, Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS), Express Lane markers, new signalization, lighting, utility relocation, and ramp signaling at five interchanges from Glades to Linton. About 50 people came out to the second floor mezzanine at Spanish River Library to hear an update from FDOT on Jan. 15. FDOT Construction Engineer Paul Lampley said the goals are: “Safety, mobility, and building lanes to add capacity [for 2040 traffic projections]. We’re trying to move people through traffic in a safe manner.” Councilman Andy Thomson, who also serves on the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency, said he has safety con-
Boca’s Beach & Park District rejects City’s amended agreement on golf course The district will fund Boca National by re-prioritizing the funding of some current and future projects. Eliminating some proposed aspects of Boca National – notably an onsite hotel -- reduced the estimated cost to $13.4 million, in line with what City officials requested. [FROM PG 38]
Looking at FDOT drawings are Patricia Mikulin A crowd comes out to hear update from FDOT on representing Heatherwood Condominiums, Scott I-95 expansion from Glades Road to Linton Boule& Linda Steel, while Roy Schofield of the Construc- vard. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen. tion Project Team looks on. Photo by Diane Emeott are the construction of shoulder-mountKorzen.
cerns for bikers and walkers. “As a member of both City Council and the [Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency] TPA, I have concern over bike and pedestrian safety on Glades Road at the DDI. They could have better signalization as well as green markings [on the roadway] for bike riders,” he said. Boca resident Glenn Gromann asked about landscaping at the Spanish River exit. FDOT said the landscaping will happen after construction is completed. Other projects discussed at the meeting
ed sound barrier walls along I-95 northbound between Clint Moore Road and Linton Boulevard. Ground-mounted sound walls are to be installed on Yamato Road, adjoining University Heights community, and along I-95 northbound, south of Linton, adjoining Tierra Verde community, according to FDOT. And a new Clint Moore Road bridge over I-95 will be built to improve clearance over I-95 travel lanes. Bridge widening will take place at the Glades Road bridge over the SFRTA railroad tracks and Military Trail; and also at the I-95 bridge over the C-15 canal (between Peninsula Drive and Linton), according to FDOT.
GOLDEN HARBOUR • BOCA RATON 540 KAY TERRACE
Teeca will include a Price Fazio designed 18-hole golf course, an 11-hole short course, practice facilities, a learning center and a temporary clubhouse. The facility will be open to the public.
Harms estimated it would take about 5 years for the district to complete the project on its own.
At the end of a Boca council meeting, some council members remained hopeful a renegotiation between the two boards could be salvaged.
Boca National, to be built on the site of the former Ocean Breeze Golf Course in Boca
The two boards met on Jan. 27 after the Feb. edition of the paper went to print.
Ask an expert: Your HOA, condo questions By: Avi Tryson, Esq. Special to the Boca and Delray newspapers Q: I was recently elected to the board of my condominium association, and our rules prohibit certain types of dogs like Doberman pinschers. Right before I became a board member there was an incident with a tenant’s Doberman pinscher and an owner where the dog was aggressive toward the owner and scared him, but the dog didn’t bite him. Now the owner is demanding that the board evict the tenant or remove the dog. To make matters worse, there are several other owners in
the building who have dogs that aren’t allowed by our rules. What can we do? H.C., Boca Raton, FL A: You may be surprised, but this situation happens more often than you might imagine. With regard to the rule not being strictly enforced in the past, the fact that the association has not been strictly enforcing this rule before doesn’t prevent the association from enforcing in the future. In order to enforce the rule, the board would need to hold a meeting that has been duly noticed i.e., 48 hours prior notice, and [CONT. PG 40]
Deepwater point lot offers the ultimate boater’s lifestyle with 219 ft. of waterfront! Minutes to the Boca Inlet and Ocean. $2.612M
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Uptown Boca adds more retail shops Staff report West Boca’s Uptown Boca project has announced more retail tenants. Joining the plaza will be the first South Florida location of REI, Recreational Equipment, Inc., Naked Taco, Sloan’s Ice Cream, Sport Clips, The Joint, Tide Cleaners and L’Eggspress. • Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) - is a specialty outdoor retailer, headquartered near Seattle, with 162 stores in 39 states. REI is the nation’s largest consumer co-op with a growing community of more than 18 million members who expect and love the best quality gear, inspiring expert classes and trips, and outstanding customer service. • Naked Taco – a full-service Mexican restaurant based in South Beach. Celebrity Chef Ralph Pagano brings people together in a fun environment for killer tacos and the best Margaritas. • Sloan’s Ice Cream – award-winning luxury ice cream featuring fresh baked waffle cones, cookies, brownies, chocolates, gifts and much more. • L’Eggspress – a family run business based in Montreal, Canada, serving hearty and traditional breakfasts as well as innovative, ketogenic friendly and paleo diet menu items. • Sport Clips – men’s haircuts like no other with sports on TV’s everywhere and featuring stylists who know how to give the haircut you want. Enjoy a hot steamed towel, in-
vigorating shampoo, neck and shoulder treatment. • The Joint - from everyday life and beyond, chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic can help you find relief from back pain, neck pain, migraines and more. • Tide Cleaners – understands your busy lifestyle and works to accommodate your needs featuring a drive thru and 24hour drop box. A brand you trust and service you’ll love. Uptown Boca is located at Glades Road and 95th Avenue South. The newly announced retailers will join previously announced tenants including Chick-fil-A, Silverspot Cinema, Lucky’s Market, Lynora’s Osteria, Olive U Mediterranean Grill, F45 Training, Tipsy Salonbar, Bolay and BurgerFi. “From day one, we have targeted retailers and restaurants that will give Uptown Boca a unique identity within the community and make the project a vibrant and desirable destination,” said Brian Schmier, CEO of Schmier Property Group. “REI has always been a first-round draft choice, and we are thrilled Uptown Boca was selected as its first South Florida location. Our continued goal is to provide local residents and tenants with a refreshed and elevated shopping, dining and entertainment experience with distinctive concepts such as Naked Taco and L’Eggspress, which fit perfectly with our strategy. Uptown Boca will fill the community’s need for a project that offers all components of a shop, dine, live experience.”
A rendering of the retail portion of Uptown Boca. Submitted photo.
Uptown Boca will feature approximately 155,000-square-feet of retail and 456 Class A luxury rental apartments. The 38acre project is being developed by Schmier Property Group, Giles Capital Group and Rosemurgy Properties in partnership with Wheelock Street Capital. “Our goal with Uptown Boca has been to create a connected community where synergies align to provide residents and visitors with a first-class, walkable destination” said Rick Giles, President of Giles Capital Group. “The retail component of the project is about 98 percent leased up and leasing on the residential component will begin in the coming months. Residents are going to enjoy the walkability of the community along with a diverse selection of carefully curated tenants and a variety of resort-style amenities.” For more information about Uptown Boca, please visit uptownboca.com.
Ask an expert: Your HOA, condo questions New signs help folks get around downtown Boca
pass a motion that from that date moving forward this rule will be strictly enforced; however, any owner or tenant that has a dog which is prohibited as of the date of the meeting will be allowed to keep their dog, but they will not be allowed to replace the dog once it dies, or for tenants, once their lease expires. After the meeting you will need to send written notice to the community advising everyone that from now on the rule will be strictly enforced. [FROM PG 39]
With regard to tenants, an association’s governing documents typically state that every lease must provide that as a material condition of the lease the tenant shall be in full compliance with the declaration, which in your instance, would include the pet restriction. It can be argued that when a lease is being renewed it is a new lease, and therefore, any tenant who has a dog that is in violation of the governing documents at the time of their renewal would have to move out. That being said, this will be fact specific depending on the language in your association’s governing documents. With regard to the incident you describe in your question, it is important to note that blatantly not enforcing the rule that arguably would have prevented the incident can expose the association to a great
deal of liability. To avoid any incidents in the future, the board has the right to pass a rule specific to the tenant’s dog that requires the dog, as an example, to be muzzled when it is in the association’s common elements. Another option is to seek removal of the dog not because of its breed, but due to the incident. This may help avoid the selective enforcement argument; however, if the dog did not actually touch or physically injure the owner, I am not sure a single incident of being aggressive is sufficient to convince a judge to order the removal of the dog. Avi S. Tryson, Esq., is Partner of the Law Firm Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross. Visit www.gadclaw. com or to ask questions about your issues for future columns, send your inquiry to: question@gadclaw. com. The information provided herein is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. The publication of this article does not create an attorney-client relationship between the reader and Goede, Adamczyk, DeBoest & Cross, or any of our attorneys. Readers should not act or refrain from acting based upon the information contained in this article without first contacting an attorney, if you have questions about any of the issues raised herein. The hiring of an attorney is a decision that should not be based solely on advertisements or this column.
New Chick-Fil-A open in Delray Beach [FROM PG 32] ator. Following graduation with a business management degree from the University of Phoenix in 2012, he was accepted into corporate’s learning development program and opened another 21 restaurants. His dream was realized in 2015 when he was selected as Opera-
tor of the Chick-fil-A at Newport Centre Mall in Jersey City, where he earned one of the chain’s top honors for its Operators, Symbol of Success, in 2018. “Shelley and I are excited to return to the area we consider home and serve the Delray
Beach community both inside and outside our restaurant,” said Benitez. “I am committed to applying Chick-fil-A’s core principles of caring for and serving guests through our Team Members providing remarkable hospitality and fresh, hand-crafted food.”
Staff report Looking for how to get around downtown Boca? There are new signs that will help visitors navigate their way through the downtown district. New wayfinding signs were recently installed throughout the downtown. Each wayfinding sign features three Downtown Boca destinations, along with directional arrows pointing the way to each. Among the points of interest featured on the signs are, Mizner Park, Royal Palm Place, City Hall, Visitor’s Center, the Downtown Library, Parks and others. The vibrant colors and design of the signs are easy to understand and reinforce Downtown Boca’s branding. Each sign measures approximately 4 feet wide by 5 feet tall, making them an effective directional tool for both vehicles and pedestrians.
A new wayfinding sign points people toward Mizner Park and other points of interest in downtown Boca. Photo courtesy of Downtown Boca.
A new wayfinding sign points people toward City Hall in downtown Boca. Photo courtesy of Downtown Boca.
“The new wayfinding signs not only guide people to shopping, recreation, museums and more, they also educate new visitors on the array of engaging downtown attractions that are worth a visit, attractions they may not have known about otherwise.” Downtown Manager Ruby Childers said.
additional six signs will be placed along Dixie and Federal Highways, upon final issuance of required permits.
Six wayfinding signs have been installed along City maintained streets, including Palmetto Park Road and Mizner Boulevard. An
The current wayfinding signs follow a series of directional pavement signs that were installed in the spring of 2019. The final phase of Downtown Boca’s broader direction system will be gateway signs, welcoming visitors at the four main entrances to the downtown district, scheduled to begin fourth quarter of 2020.
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
What’s in your digital wallet? Estate planning for the digital age By: Jennifer L. Fulton, Esquire The Law Offices of Robin Bresky Special to the Boca and Delray newspapers While often overlooked, most people today have “digital” assets that should be reviewed upon death. These digital assets could include email and social media accounts, online photo storage, online portals to health and financial information, frequent flyer miles and credit card points, streaming services, and even cryptocurrency. But why bother accessing the digital information? First, some digital information can be monetized. Frequent flyer miles and credit card points, depending on the company’s terms of service, may be an estate asset. Likewise, cryptocurrency could be exchanged for fiat currency (such as the US Dollar) and passed to the beneficiaries. Online photos may have sentimental value. An email may be important proof in a lawsuit. If bills are received and paid online, the personal representative will
want online access. Abandoned social media accounts or streaming services can be targeted by abuse for hackers. Conversely, some social media platforms, like FaceBook, allow you to choose a legacy contact to set up a memorial page when you die. Assuming your personal representative knows what your digital assets are, does he know how to access them? While most states have now passed the Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (“UFADAA”), the language in this act balances the privacy of the decedent against the need to access digital information, and, short of the decedent giving explicit permission through a legal document or custodian online tool to a fiduciary, the information available to the fiduciary is not always sufficient. Your nominated personal representative, trustee and attorney-in-fact should have explicit permission to access your digital assets in your estate planning documents, to ensure they can gain the level of access needed. Otherwise, they may get only a catalogue of your emails, and not the content. The best practice is to create a repository for a list of all digital assets, provide password information and instructions to your personal representative or trustee for each digital asset, stating what you want done. If
Beethoven Birthday Bash with the Eroica Trio
Don’t leave your loved ones wondering: “What’s in your digital wallet?” Check with your attorney to see if your are sufficiently prepared for handling your digital assets upon your death. Jennifer L. Fulton, Esq. is an attorney at The Law Offices of Robin Bresky (www.breskylegal.com) focusing on Estate Planning, Probate, and Estate and Trust Administration. A member of the Florida Bar since 1996 with a Juris Doctor degree from Nova Southeastern University, Fulton works with clients to plan for the milestones of life (college, “adulting”, marriage, children, grandchildren, aging parents, pre- and post-divorce, loss of a spouse, aging, diminished mental capacity) and administration upon death. She can be reached at 561-994-6273 or EstatePlanning@BreskyLegal.com
Ventura’s Pizza Kitchen brings family tradition to Boca Although it’s not gluten free per se, it is low in gluten, according to the restaurant. [FROM PG 26]
However, there is the option of cauliflower crust for those who want no gluten whatsoever. The restaurant may purchase cauliflower crust, but they make all the marinara them-
selves. Other memorable menu items include garlic Parmesan chicken wings, Italian chicken wings, chicken Parmesan, meatballs, eggplant Parmesan and more. Ventura’s Pizza Kitchen is located at 199 W. Palmetto Park Road Unit A in Boca Raton. Visit VenturasPizzaKitchen.com.
A SEASON OF HEROES
Feb 28-Mar 8, 2020 festivalboca.org
The Empire Strikes Back Film With Live Orchestra
561-300-4138
© 2019 & TM Lucasfilm Ltd. All Rights Reserved © Disney.
Nu Deco Ensemble
your asset can be monetized, it will need to be included in your probate estate (assuming it is not in trust), and it will need to be included in your gross estate for estate tax purposes. If you own cryptocurrency, the secrecy surrounding ownership is so tight that you must leave very complete information for your personal representative. This includes the type of cryptocurrency, how much you own, where you purchased it, all the step-by-step information needed to access it (including keywords and passwords), and the location of a digital wallet or thumb drive in which a back-up may be kept. This information should be kept in a safe place, such as a safe deposit box, in your attorney’s vault, or in an online vault (for which you must provide them the entrance information), and you should
choose your fiduciaries carefully.
Amy Walter
Jesmyn Ward
Postmodern Jukebox
Miloš
Laurie Santos
Authors & Ideas Series Documentary film about four women vying for success in classical music
Roz Chast
Presented by The Schmidt Family Centre for the Arts, Mizner Park, Boca Raton – Constantine Kitsopoulos, Music Director. Sponsored in part by the Board of County Commissioners, the Tourist Development Council, and the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County.
Troupe Vertigo
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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Jewish nonprofits bring awareness to needs of impoverished Holocaust survivors Staff report
a full lifeline of services.
Two local Jewish nonprofits are launching community campaigns to raise awareness of the needs of Holocaust survivors who are living at or below the poverty level in Palm Beach County.
Currently, it is estimated that the annual cost per survivor is $10,000 per year, depending upon level of need. Funds raised through the campaign will be used to provide free services including everything from medication management, skilled nursing and nutritious meals to transportation, housekeeping, clothing, respite care, safety system installation and home repairs.
The Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County and the Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services both launched initiatives to bring attention to the need of impoverished Holocaust survivors. To help provide services, the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County teamed up with MorseLife Health System to launch “NOW for Holocaust Survivors,” a community campaign to find the estimated 5,000 survivors living at or below poverty level in Palm Beach County and provide the essential services they need. “It was shocking to learn that there are so many Survivors living within our reach who are suffering from food insecurity, isolation and poor access to care,” said Keith Myers, President and CEO of MorseLife Health System. “As a nationally recognized senior services organization in Palm Beach County with a history of serving the Jewish community, we have an immediate and sacred responsibility to find and help these individuals.” While MorseLife and Federation already subsidize home care, food and other services for many survivors through private donations, the new campaign will enable both community organizations and their partners to broaden their reach and offer
In addition, the MorseLife 50-acre campus will offer long-term and short-term care as needed. “As Jewish people, we are all responsible for caring for one another,“ said Michael Hoffman, President and CEO Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. “Jewish Federation and our partners have a history and expertise of ensuring we care for vulnerable people in our community. Working together with our vast community network, we can reach and provide for more survivors to enable them to live with dignity.” In South Palm Beach County, there is also a focus on Holocaust survivors’ needs. JFS hosts Café Europa, a social gathering for Holocaust Survivors living in South Florida, twice a year. At the December event, the fact that one-third of all Holocaust survivors in the United States are living at or below the Federal poverty line, was discussed. Rales JFS is planning for the future needs of the growing senior population in Palm
Michael Hoffman, President & CEO of Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, alongside Keith Myers, President & CEO of MorseLife Health System as they announce a lifeline for 5,000 impoverished Survivors living in Palm Beach County. Submitted photo.
Beach County, often referred to as the “Silver Tsunami,” with a special emphasis on caring for aging Holocaust survivors. In 2019, Rales JFS opened 60 new Holocaust cases, which staff say is unprecedented compared to recent years. The agency currently provides assessments, case management, home-care and financial assistance for over 400 Holocaust survivors. President & CEO of Rales JFS Danielle Hartman said there is a growing need for support for various reasons including: Holocaust survivors are living longer, outliving their resources with no family to help, which means they are running out of money sooner than expected (most lived on fixed income); Unlike other aging populations, Holocaust survivors age differently, with more health issues (and different ones) than typical seniors because of the physical trauma experienced during the Holocaust (including malnutrition, living in
Gizella Fischer recounts her story of survival following the announcement of NOW for Holocaust Survivors, a community campaign led by MorseLife Health System and Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. Submitted photo.
confinement, lack of dental care, etc.) Rales JFS is also raising additional funds necessary to ensure Holocaust survivors are able to age in place, where they feel most comfortable, and not be moved to institutions. Studies have shown that being in institutions is traumatic to the survivors, because it brings back the haunting memories of concentration camps. “It’s important for Holocaust survivors to age at home, rather than being moved into a nursing home or institution to protect them from memories or fears that may come up – due to their experiences during the Holocaust,” Hartman said. Many of the new Holocaust survivor cases also involve Russian Jews, and as a result of the influx of Russian speaking Holocaust Survivors, 2 years ago Rales JFS added Russian speaking staff and identified home-care agencies that could provide Russian speaking aides to support the growing number of Russian Holocaust survivors coming to Rales JFS for assistance.
FAU students receive scholarships from Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation Staff report Two graduate students from Florida Atlantic University were recipients of 2019 Guy Harvey scholarships. Ashley Schenk and Ryan Stolee were two of eight students selected to receive the award from the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, a non-profit organization that conducts scientific research and hosts educational programs aimed at conserving the marine environment. Each student receives a $5,000 scholarship to support their individual academic programs as well as a certificate designed and signed by world-renowned marine wildlife artist and conservationist Dr. Guy Harvey. Ashley Schenk, from Chattanooga, Tenn., is a doctoral student at FAU studying veterinary medicine with re-
search focused on conducting an ecosystem survey of hogfish populations in South Florida.
their passion and acknowledge the tremendous work
Ryan Stolee, from Brooklyn Park, Minn., is a graduate student at FAU studying biology with research focused on blacktip shark patterns and habitat uses during overwintering in South Florida.
in 2010 through a partnership between Florida Sea
“We are proud to be supporting these brilliant young minds who are the next generation of researchers, marine biologists and conservationists,” said Dr. Harvey. “We want to do everything we can to fuel
they are helping to pioneer.” The Guy Harvey Scholarship Award was established Grant and the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation to recognize graduate students at Florida universities whose research focuses on the biology, ecology, habitat or management of fish in Florida’s marine environment. Since its inception, 57 students have received more than $250,000 in scholarships. Applications are now being accepted for the 2020 Guy Harvey Scholarship Award. For more information, and to apply, visit www.flseagrant.org/students/scholarships/ guyharvey/
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Boca Rotary honors eight with OPAL Awards; praises Campbell for ‘lifetime achievement’ By: Dale King Contributing Writer The Rotary Club of Boca Raton has “big dreams” and “audacious goals,” says its president, Vanessa Havener. One is to make sure “students in Boca Raton realize their potential through mentorship and education, without crushing debt.” Members of the Rotary organization that meets each Wednesday at noontime raises cash to help disadvantaged students make it through college and into the working world by presenting its prestigious OPAL (Outstanding People and Leaders) Awards each January at a fundraising gala.
Bobby Campbell, seated with his wife, Barbara, receive Rotary Club of Boca Raton’s Rotary Club of Boca Raton’s Lifetime Achievement Award from Neil Saffer and Jan Savarick. Photo by Dale King.
Leon Cooperman and wife, Toby, address the audience at the Rotary From left, Arthur Adler and Rotarian Spencer Siegel with Club of Boca Raton’s OPAL Gala OPAL Award honorees Doris and Neil Gillman. Photo by Dale King. Jan. 18. Photo by Dale King.
Last month, the 22nd annual OPAL Gala drew more than 400 people to Boca West Country Club the night of Jan. 18 where OPAL trophies were handed out to eight people – three couples and two individuals. Recipients, the Rotary says, are “citizens from Boca Raton who have demonstrated an on-going commitment to serve our city through philanthropic, professional leadership, education, civil, community and medical service endeavors. During the past two decades and two years, OPAL events have raised more than $1.5 million and empowered more than 400 high-achieving, but financially challenged local students with scholarship assistance to attend schools of higher learning along with mentors to help the process. “This year,” said the three co-chairs in the program book, “we are also providing that same mentorship to trade school and professional certificate seekers to give them a hiring advantage in today’s more competitive job market.” Before the presentations, the club took part in an emotional tribute to philanthropist Bobby Campbell who, with his wife, Barbara, were presenting sponsors for OPAL. Speaking with deep emotion, OPAL cochair Neil Saffer offered a testament to the longtime benefactor. “Bobby Campbell motivates and inspires,” said Saffer. “In the 20-plus years I have known him, never once did I ask him for anything. He
Laura Reiss displays her OPAL Award recipient Jerry Kramer addresses the audience at the Award at the Rotary Club of Boca Rotary Club of Boca Raton’s OPAL Gala Jan. 18. Photo by Dale Raton’s Gala Jan. 18. Photo by Dale Sue and Yaacov Heller address the audience at the Rotary Club King. King. of Boca Raton’s OPAL Gala Jan. 18. Photo by Dale King.
sees a need and he fills it.” Campbell worked at his family’s bakery as a child and, later, took a job at a Kinney shoe store. He parlayed that experience into his life’s work, founding BBC International, a major children’s and athletic footwear design and sourcing company. He came to town when he moved the firm’s headquarters to Boca Raton. Saffer, accompanied by the event’s two other co-chairs, Jan Savarick and Spencer Siegel, handed the award to Campbell, who was sitting with his wife, Barbara, local philanthropist Christine Lynn and other friends at a table directly across from the podium. The crowd stood and applauded the benefactor as the audience crowded the Campbell table to take photos. Saffer noted that Bobby and Barbara have committed $100,000 to the Rotary’s scholarship program. “We can do this with zero administrative costs because of our relationship with Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach State College and our great volunteer team.” Among OPAL awardees this year were Toby and Leon Cooperman, introduced
by Arthur Adler, chairman of the Boca West Children’s Foundation. Son of a plumber, Leon went on to work for Goldman, Sachs & Co. for 25 years. After retiring, he launched an investmentmanagement business, Omega Advisors, which he ran for 27 years before converting it to a family office at the end of 2018.
at Boca’s Sunrise Park Elementary School which has grown into the Kindness Matters 365 Foundation that educates children in the importance of being kind to themselves and others. Kindness Matters 365 has spread to nine states, with more than 500 ambassadors and 4,000 members in 90 chapters.
His wife, Toby, has held a lifelong interest in people with special needs and volunteered as an advocate on their behalf.
Doris and Neil Gilman have partnered with dozens of charities in Pittsburgh and in Boca Raton and have built their volunteerism and philanthropy around causes that involve children, animals and veterans. They endorse Sweet Dream Makers’ mission to provide beds to children and families in need.
Next, FAU President Dr. John Kelly introduced Jerry Kramer, a person he described as one who “truly started at the bottom.” He lost his mother at age 5 and his father offered little guidance. He went to work as a boy and later joined the Army, fighting in the Korean War where he received a Bronze Star and Purple Heart. “I will be 92 on my next birthday,” he said proudly. The OPAL award honored his success in the home and apartment construction field and his work with many charities, including one providing rescue dogs to returning military veterans. OPAL honoree Laura Reiss created a free, after-school Kindness Matters program
Art is at the top of the agenda for Yaacov and Sue Heller. He is a world-renowned sculptor, painter and silversmith whose work has been used to convey messages of hope, tolerance, acceptance, remembrance and peace. Sue is a retired art educator with more than 30 years of experience. The program for the evening says: “For Sue and Yaacov Heller, life individually, and as a couple, has involved giving back and creating awareness through the arts and education.”
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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Boca MLK march carries forward ‘Dream’ for neighborhood revitalization By: Diane Emeott Korzen Contributing Writer Boca Raton city leaders joined church congregants and community members for a morning Martin Luther King Day March down Federal Highway on Jan. 20. Developing Interracial Social Change (DISC) and Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church co-sponsored an 8 a.m. community breakfast before the 10 a.m. March to Mizner Park. The march began at 102-year-old Ebenezer Baptist Church, which was formed before the ‘Town of Boca Raton’ was ever incorporated in 1925. Ebenezer Baptist is one of two sister churches both founded in 1918 in the historic Pearl City neighborhood, circa 1915, just south of Glades Road between Dixie and Federal highways – Ebenezer Baptist at 200 Ruby St. and Macedonia African Methodist Episcopal (AME) at 128 Pearl St. – reportedly established about 6 months earlier. The neighborhood originally housed blue-collar African Americans working at Boca Raton Resort, area farms, construction and other jobs. “This neighborhood [Pearl City] and Old Floresta are the oldest parts of the City,” said 35-year Ebenezer church member John E. Brown, who spoke of a joint service with B’nai Israel held at the church for the last 36 years on the Sunday before the march. Also, just north of Glades, is the historic Lincoln Court neighborhood. In 2002, Boca City Council had the area declared a historic district, and repaved streets that had fallen into disrepair in the low-income housing section which includes Dixie Manor housing project, a property of Boca Raton Housing Authority. The 2020 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Day Jr. Ceremony, held in the empty lot just northeast of Mizner Park, brought
once again to the forefront a dream for the neighborhoods and community to come together, to bring about revitalization. Mayor Scott Singer thanked DISC leaders and the residents of Pearl City and Lincoln Court “who have offered ideas for greater revitalization of these neighborhoods.” He said that City Council had recently approved funding for a series of neighborhood-led Community Meetings to discuss the ideas from Pearl City residents on how to maintain and enhance these most historic areas of Boca Raton. Singer was joined by Palm Beach County Commissioner Robert Weinroth and Boca Council members Monica Mayotte, Andrea Levine O’Rourke and Andy Thomson at the event.
Rev. Henry Willis is master of ceremonies at Boca MLK Day Ceremony. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen.
“With the input of professional planners who have offered their expertise to fulfill residents’ visions, we look forward to the coming start of these meetings and the discussions we hope will make our community stronger and more vibrant,” he said. Singer added that Boca City Council had allocated $20,000 in Fall 2019 toward a pilot program involving the historic neighborhoods. He said no date has been set, yet, for when official Community Meetings would start, but in talking to DISC and Rev. Henry Willis he found that some conversations between the neighbors had already taken place. Neighborhood Revitalization Coordinator for Habitat For Humanity Crystal Spears noted in her speech that, “Recently people in the community have come together. Only when people feel good about themselves, and we tend together to basic needs, [such as housing, can progress happen.] Wiping back tears, she said she was “Extremely grateful to the Lincoln Court and Pearl City community. Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.” Boca Raton Community High School
Gay Kranick holds up the portrait of Civil Rights leader MLK created by her son John from magazine scraps when he was a stuBoca High Marching Band performs in MLK Day March and dent at Boca High. Photo by Diane Emeott Ceremony. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen. Korzen.
Marching Band and drum majorettes led the march, followed by politicians, members of Boca Raton Interfaith Clergy Association, DISC and the community. Among those walking was Gay Kranick, mom of artist son John Kranick who created a striking portrait of Dr. King using little scraps of magazine when he was a student at Boca High School. He graduated in 1992. Kranick carried the portrait throughout the march, placing it at the foot of the podium where speakers deliver their speeches, so all could have a visual reminder of what the holiday stood for. “After everything he [Martin Luther King]
Church congregants singing Lift Every Voice And Boca City Council members participate in the MLK Flag girls from Boca High School lead MLK Day Sing during the MLK Day Ceremony. Photo by Diane March and ceremony. Photo by Diane Emeott Ko- March down Federal Highway. Photo by Diane Emeott Korzen. rzen. Emeott Korzen.
did, today I thought to myself, I can carry this. So I took this picture off the wall!” County Commissioner Weinroth recalled being just 11-years-old in August 1963 when MLK delivered his ‘I Have A Dream’ speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. “I remember hearing his voice; though the gravity probably didn’t register,” he said. Weinroth spoke of the impact of Courage left by Civil Rights Leaders during a turbulent time; with JFK assassinated in November 1962, Malcolm X in February 1965, MLK in April 1968 and Bobby Kennedy in June 1968. “Martin Luther King relied on his Christian faith, and the Civil Disobedience practices of Ghandi, in showing us the way to mend broken fences, and to live together,” he said. “To us in Palm Beach County, he challenges us to contribute more, and I don’t mean financially. Rather, to join in on the struggle. If he were here today, he would not allow us to build an idol to him or pat ourselves on the back. He would want us to be awakened. Dare us to work together.”
YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
Boca, New York join to mourn death of philanthropist Harvey Sandler By: Dale King Contributing Writer Friends, relatives and colleagues of Harvey Sandler in Boca Raton and New York are mourning the passing last month of the philanthropist and community activist who, with wife, Phyllis, endowed many area charities. Sandler, who died on New Year’s Day at age 77, has been remembered since his death for his many contributions to various segments of the community. “A few weeks ago, we lost Harvey Sandler, a man who said that everyone should give and give and give until it feels good,” Jan Savarick, co-chair of the OPAL (Outstanding People and Leaders) Awards, said during the Jan. 18 event. “Harvey loved life, he loved music, he loved dancing, he loved golf, he loved to play bridge,” said Savarick, former president of the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation. The Sandlers also gave to the hospital. “He was a self-made man,” she added, noting that he ascribed to the philosophy of spending the first half of one’s life making money; the second half, giving it away and enjoying. During his career, Harvey Sandler owned Sandler Capital Management in New York and Phyllis worked as a financial planner for a life insurance company. Together, they have named the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler Pavilion at the Lynn Cancer Center and The Phyllis Sandler Center for Living Well at Boca Raton Regional Hospital. They also named and endowed The Phyllis and Harvey Sandler Center for Jewish Life Enhancement at the Adolph & Rose Levis Jewish Community Center. “Harvey and his wife Phyllis have had such a tremendous impact on the Boca Raton Regional Hospital’s ability to deliver outstanding medical care,” Boca Regional Hospital president Mark Larkin said. “In the last 25 years, Harvey’s gifts have help to build new buildings, purchase new equipment and literally touched the lives of as many people who live in Boca Raton today, about 600,000. Creating the Phyllis and Harvey Sandler Pavilion, The Phyllis Sandler Center for Living Well, the Sandler Medical Plaza on Glades Road, and many other ar-
Harvey Sandler pictured with his wife. Sandler died on New Year’s Day 2020. Submitted photo.
eas of the Hospital. He made a profound difference on the lives of the people in this community!” The Sandlers are also one of the largest contributors to the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County and created the organization’s Sandler Family Major Gifts annual event. In 2017, Florida Atlantic University announced a $7.25 million gift from Phyllis and Harvey to name The Phyllis and Harvey Sandler School of Social Work within the College for Design and Social Inquiry. The FAU School of Social Work provided this statement: “Words cannot describe the loss we are feeling within our school and college at this time. Harvey Sandler and the entire Sandler family have continually supported the school with their transformative gift, compassion, kindness and generosity.” “In addition to the naming and endowing of our school, the Sandler family has been integral to the funding of students’ scholarships through the annual Phyllis Sandler Heart of Social Work event, which is the school’s largest fundraiser.” Also, “We at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County are shocked and deeply saddened at the untimely passing of Harvey Sandler, a pillar of our Federation and the Jewish and wider South Palm Beach County community,” the Federation said in a statement. “The profound loss of this man whose compassion, kindness and generosity inspired his towering philanthropy, shakes our entire community.” Crowds of mourners attended a funeral for Harvey Sandler Jan. 5 at Congregation B’nai Israel in Boca Raton. Besides his wife, he leaves five children and 17 grandchildren.
Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton launches C.H.O.W. program to feed kids over weekend confidential basis. Recipients of the meal packages take home the packages in bags that are not visible to other students. The packages are handed to the parent prior to child pickup.
[FROM PG 5]
“The ability to keep confidentiality allows the recipients not to feel shame or embarrassment when they receive assistance,”Stambaugh said. “At that age of the recipients, this is of utmost importance.” In addition to food, small, neveropened wrapped personal items donated by individuals and businesses, such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, shampoo are also provided. “We are currently serving 50 students,
52 weeks of the year, with a family size of four, serving 10,000 during a year in our community with this weekend family program,” Kaye said. “With more funding we can continue to grow C.H.O.W. to support more than 2,600 families annually.” Okrent said the service meets a need that has been overlooked.
“During the weekdays, our centers provide two meals and a snack per day to more than 600 children, ensuring that two-thirds of children’s nutritional needs are met daily, and now C.H.O.W. meets a need that would otherwise be overlooked,” she said. “Currently, based on C.H.O.W. funds, 50 children have been selected
by the Centers’ staff, based on need, to be provided with a weekend food bag, filled with healthy food items.” How to help: • $375 feeds one family each weekend for one year • $3,750 feeds 10 families each weekend for one year • $7,500 feeds 20 families each weekend for one year To learn more and/or make donations, visit www.chowrotary.com , email chow@rotaryboca.org or to pay online visit https://tinyurl. com/RCDBRchow. To arrange for delivery of items, contact Deborah Freudenberg at chow@rotaryboca. org or 561-299-1429.
FEBRUARY 2020 | YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER
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Boca’s Faulk Center for Counseling presents Community Impact Awards By: Dale King Contributing Writer The Faulk Center for Counseling recently held its Community Impact Awards reception and dinner at the Broken Sound Club. This year’s honorees included: • Dr. Virginia Crist, licensed mental health therapist, who received the Caring Heart Award. • The Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton, recipient of the Mental Health & Wellness Award. • Dr. Paul Peluso, chair and professor of the Department of Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Florida Atlantic University, the Education Excellence Award. Co-chaired by Eileen Sands, a Broken Sound resident, and Lois A. Weisman, the awards recognize individuals and organizations that support the Faulk Center’s mission of providing free and low-cost mental health counseling services to uninsured, underserved at-risk indi-
From left, Gwenesia Collins, Vicki Katz, Lois Jeffrey Bovarnick, left, and Allen Konis, repre- From left, Genna Brisson, Virginia Crist, Lois A. Weisman and Paul Peluso. Photo courtesy senting Rotary Club Downtown Boca Raton. A. Weisman, Christian Langenstein and Eileen of Faulk Center. Photo courtesy of Faulk Center. Sands. Photo courtesy of Faulk Center.
viduals of all ages. Such services are provided to individuals, couples and families, and group counseling is also available. Other offerings include support groups, reduced fee psychological testing and educational workshops. No one is ever turned away because of an inability to pay.
Proceeds raised from the awards will help more than 2,000 South Florida children and adults take part in individual and group counseling programs. District 4 County Commissioner Robert Weinroth and his wife, Pamela, were honorary chairs.
Council Corner: New laws in 2020 By: Commissioner Robert Weinroth Dist. 4 Special to the Boca Newspaper You contract to have work done on your house – perhaps a new roof, a resurfaced driveway, maybe an updated bathroom. The contractor fails to perform as promised and remediation costs you thousands of dollars. Now what?
Failure to name the proper parties may result in the rejection of the claim or in a judgment that cannot be enforced. A complete list of the proper parties and how they must be named in the lawsuit is provided at: mypalmbeachclerk.com/resources/frequently-asked-questions-faq/ county-civil-court/small-claims
Engaging an attorney to seek damages is probably going to be difficult unless you are willing to pay an hourly rate and at an hourly rate the expense of pursuing the claim will quickly exceed the potential judgment.
A jury trial can be requested upon “written demand” of the plaintiff when the suit is commenced or upon the defendant’s request within 5 days after service of notice of suit or at the pretrial conference, if any. Otherwise the right to a jury trial is waived.
The answer is, proceed in small claims court where you can represent yourself. Litigants or parties representing themselves in court without the assistance of an attorney are known as pro se litigants (Latin for in one’s own behalf). As of Jan. 1, the maximum damages you can seek increased from $6,000 to $8,000 (excluding interest and costs). Your action can be brought in Palm Beach County if the defendant resides here, the cause of action occurred here, or any property involved with the action is located within the county. Even if the total claim exceeds the maximum, the matter can be handled as a small claims matter if you are willing to limit your potential recovery to $8,000.
depend on whether the party is a person or a business and how the business is set up (e.g., partnership, corporation or sole proprietorship).
out the appropriate forms. A deputy clerk at the court can assist you. In addition, free, do-it-yourself workshops are available each month from the Clerk & Comptroller to provide technical assistance. The Clerk & Comptroller’s Self Service Center is also available to provide access to an attorney for a nominal charge to offer procedural advice (not legal representation).
The processing of the paperwork necessary to pursue a claim in a court within Palm Beach County is a fundamental responsibility of the Clerk & Comptroller’s office.
Anyone 18 years or older, or any individual doing business as a company, may file a small claims case. The party filing a claim is referred to as the “plaintiff.” The party being sued is referred to as the “defendant.”
To file the claim, you will first need to bring all of the information and paperwork to the proper courthouse and fill
A claim must designate the proper plaintiff(s) and defendant(s). The determination of the proper party(ies) will
The fees for filing a claim in small claims court are less than those required to file a lawsuit in the County of Circuit Court.
each year until Sept. 30, 2026 when it reaches $15. The state legislature is currently in session. Each year, it meets in Tallahassee for 60-days to address the bills filed by the state representatives and state senators. These have been referred to as the 60 most dangerous days in Florida due to the unpredictable nature of what will ultimately make it to the governor’s desk for his signature. Keep your eyes on Tallahassee this month. Things move quickly as the session progresses with a whirlwind of activity until March 13 when the session is scheduled to end.
Meet the team Reach us at: BocaNewspaper.com 561-819-1109 info@bocanewspaper.com
Some other changes in the law occurred on Jan. 1, which you probably should be aware: 1. While texting while driving has been prohibited for some time, the full enforcement of the law was delayed until Jan. 1. 2. The minimum age to purchase cigarettes or vaping products is now the same as alcohol (21). 3. Florida’s minimum wage increased from $8.46 to $8.56. Florida Amendment 2, $15 Minimum Wage Initiative, will be on the ballot in November. If approved by the voters, the minimum wage in Florida will increase to $10 on Sept. 30, 2021 and then increase $1
Jeff Perlman, Editor-in-Chief and Principal Scott Porten, Chief-Financial-Officer and Principal Craig Agranoff, Content Director and Principal Fran Marincola, Adviser and Principal Marisa Herman, Associate Editor Kelly McCabe, Account Manager Ginger Novak, Account Manager Kylee Treyz, Account Manager
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YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER | FEBRUARY 2020
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