DELRAY
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Main • December 2015 • 1
PineappleNewspaper.com I DELRAY BEACH I DECEMBER 2015
Delray Sweet Home Petting Zoo at Saint Shark Tank Sinks Joseph’s School for the Holidays Teeth Into Budsies DELRAY BEACH, FL – This year the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative invites you to come home for the holidays and enjoy a month of traditional Christmas activities. Delray Beach may have attained national recognition as the Most Fun Small Town in America and Coastal Living’s Happiest Seaside Town, but its warm small town characteristics are what make it such a special place for those who live and visit to spend the holidays. “We realize that many of our citizens are yearning for the old Village by the Sea vibe. Therefore at the Tree Lighting this year we’ve scaled down the footprint and we’ve planned traditional family activities,” explains Stephanie Immelman, Executive Director of the Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative. Santa will arrive on a Vista BMW Convertible this year as opposed to a helicopter, allowing him more time to greet the children. “Our message to the community will be ‘that in keeping with our theme, Home for the Holidays, we’re focusing on what the Holidays are really about which is being with family and helping your fellow man,’ ”says Immelman. In another gesture in support of fellow man, the top of the tree will be the tri color bleu blanc rouge in solidarity with France. There are an assortment of fun events and activities happening in town the entire month of December. The action kicks off on December Continued on page 4
LOOKINSIDE Special Holiday Pullout Section! Event Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 - 13
section 2
Beyond the Mat. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 - 5 Sports. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 - 11 BIZ
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Real Estate Briefs . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 People. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 - 9 LIFE
Above: (L to R): Beth Thompson (owner of Critter Caravan); Christina Murphy (ECA mother); Dillon Murphy (her son)
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Curtain Calls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Style/Fashion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 - 11
By Dave DiPino Contributing Writer
When Budsies founder Alex Furmansky was on ABC’s primetime show Shark Tank, he was offered deals from two of the famed investors but had to put the “sharks” in their place when they swam away from his vision of making the world more huggable. Daymond John and Kevin “Mr. Wonderful” O’Leary offered Furmansky deals, albeit with ridiculous valuations on Budsies as a company. Furmansky had no choice but to let the sharks go, but did so with a smile and walked off the soundstage set with momentum to move forward with his creation and company. “The Friday that Shark Tank aired and that following weekend, we had 100,000 visitors to the Budsies website (www.budsies.com),” Furmansky said. More than eight million American families tuned Continued on page 7 into Shark Tank that night.
A LOOK BACK AT DELRAY BEACH HISTORY
An Artists’ Colony Among the Swaying Palms Submitted by the Delray Beach Historical Society
COMMUNITY NEWS section 1 Holiday Happenings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 -6
HEALTH
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OYNTON BEACH, FL – On Friday, October 23, 2015, Saint Joseph’s Episcopal School’s Early Childhood Academy attended their annual Petting Zoo event, coordinated by Director of Admission, Mary Aperavich. Beth Thompson, owner of Critter Caravan of Boca Raton, provided a menagerie of animals for the academy’s one-to-three year olds, including Bandon chickens, dwarf Nigerian goats, sheep, a potbellied pig, a blue-tongued skink, parakeets, a Malaccan Cockatiel, “Elvis” the Sun Conran, and “Jaz” the parakeet. Featured at the event were decorative keepsake class pumpkins diligently created by students and teachers which are auctioned off to the highest bidders! All proceeds will benefit the Jaguar Fund Campaign for 2015 – 2016. Saint Joseph’s is an academic and arts preparatory school serving children ages one through three at its Early Childhood Academy, and Pre-Kindergarten through Grade Eight on its Main Campus. For more visit www.sjsonline.org.
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ELRAY BEACH, FL – Is it the sun, sand and surf that beckoned them to our shores? Perhaps it’s the year-round balmy temperatures or charming downtown sidewalk cafés … or maybe the light is just right for artistic creation? Nobody knows for sure why so many artists ended up in Delray Beach over the years, but they’ve always been a part of our community fabric. Today, Downtown Delray Beach and the Arts District in Pineapple Grove and Artists Alley are home to numerous galleries and studios, displaying fine art and unique one-of-a-kind masterpieces. According to prominent local artist Vincent Cacace, who had a gallery for many years on Atlantic Avenue and was instrumental in establishing Artists Alley in Delray Beach’s Arts District, “The natural splendor, spectacular winter weather and an appreciation of local art continue to draw artists and collectors. There are cross currents of good energy in this town ... a feeling of a cultural crossroads where all are welcome,” he said. “The current art scene remains strong in Delray,” he added. “In Artists Alley, we now have 15 spaces with 20
Arcade - Atlantic Ave. - 1936
working artists. There is new work created and exhibited at each of our First Friday and Third Thursday event nights. The art lovers came out this summer and we expect a very strong season.” Just like today, in the 1930s-50s, Delray Beach was a winter mecca, originally for writers, Continued on page 14