NEW & NOW

IN THE ZONE Funny CARS

Lake Clarke Shores resident Paul Richards and his brother Dave Richards of Wellington may race “funny cars,” but their favorite pastime is no joke—with Paul as owner and Dave as driver for Paul Richards Racing, they race in the National Hot Rod Association, the governing body of drag racing.

“A funny car is a vehicle that has been altered in the wheelbase and/or had the engine position moved other than the way it came off the assembly line in order to have better traction and speed on a racetrack,” Paul explains. Today’s funny cars have a chromoly chassis with a carbon-fiber body on top to resemble a production vehicle.

The racing bug was passed down to them: “Our father, Gary Richards, was involved with funny cars practically since their inception in the 1960s,” Paul shares. “There was always a car in the shop and a race to go to.” Their next race, which takes place Labor Day weekend, is also their biggest event of the year: the U.S. Nationals at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indianapolis, Indiana.

SADIE GLENN, SR DRIVEN MEDIA

Paul and Dave Richards inherited the funny car racing bug from their father, a regular on the racing circuit in the 1960s and ’70s. The brothers’ next race is the U.S. Nationals.

SPOTLIGHT

STAR POWER

Boca Raton resident Jorie Blake Rosen isn’t like most 10-year-olds. Spunky and ambitious, she’s a professional child actress—and now a recording artist, too. During lockdown, she didn’t just face cancelled school and extracurriculars; she lost her outlet to perform, and gigs including two films and a Broadway opportunity slipped through her fingers. Instead of letting the disruption get her down, she wrote and released her first single, “Make Your Own Music,” a catchy tune meant to inspire people to follow their dreams. The song has received more than 30,000 streams.

Rosen connected her song to the MakeA-Wish Foundation of Southern Florida and raised $1,000 in the first week. Over the years, she has also supported Tri-County Animal Rescue, Toys for Tots, No Kid Hungry, Mini Mitzvahs, and The Actors Fund.

Her positivity has paid off: Rosen wrapped two films this spring, is booked to shoot another project this fall, and currently has a TV pilot being shopped around to various networks.

Lasting Love

l Lou and Edith Bluefeld of Boca West Country Club (bocawestcc.org) both turned 100 this year (Lou on January 9 and Edith on August 4), but their greatest accomplishment to date isn’t a century’s worth of birthdays: It was celebrating their eightieth wedding anniversary on February 23. How have they made their love last? Below, Lou shares his top six tips for a long and happy marriage: 1. Respect each other. 2. Trust each other. 3. Learn to say yes to everything unimportant, rather than bicker. We saw a lot of our friends bickering over nothing. We always say, “I don’t have to be right on the small things.” 4. We argue like anyone else, but we never go to bed angry at each other. 5. Good health. 6. God’s blessing.

GO GREEN Sustainable SHOPPING

Angela Wade already found success as an award-winning Palm Beach equestrian, but now she can add “entrepreneur” to her repertoire: she founded Shades of Green (shadesofgreen.com), a sustainable shopping platform with an evaluation system that examines 25 different variables across sourcing, manufacturing, shipping, and product life cycle to give consumers a transparent look into the sustainability of the products they purchase.

“Sustainable shopping is thinking about the potential environmental, social, and economic impacts before purchasing an item, and opting for products that are made using sustainable practices such as renewable or organic materials, biodegradable or natural plant-based dyes, or those manufactured with zero-waste in mind,” Wade explains.

In a market plagued by “greenwashing”— brands slapping a few buzzwords on their packaging rather than making substantive changes to their materials and manufacturing process—she aims for Shades of Green to be a trusted source of healthy goods with minimal environmental impact.

The mural adorning the facade of Clematis Social was painted by popular street artist Amanda Valdes, niece of owner Cleve Mash. The grand opening party featured Grammy award-winning DJ Cedric Gervais.

TALK OF THE TOWN

PARTY ON

The establishment at 219 Clematis Street in West Palm Beach has seen many names— Monkey Club, Dr. Feelgoods, Pawn Shop—but through it all, remains the longest-running nightclub in the county. That’s thanks to the strategic thinking of Palm Beach Gardens resident Cleve Mash, who owns the space with his business partner (and brother) Michael Mash III.

The pandemic spurred yet another transformation, this time into a new concept called Clematis Social (clematissocialwpb.com). There are still multiple bars and a dance floor with space to party, but now patrons can enjoy other

sources of entertainment, too, with games such as Ping-Pong, pool, chess, and checkers. Mash PAPICHULO TACOS also remodeled, improving the flow of the space while maintaining views of the stage throughout, and added new lighting and decor; the finishing touch was an eye-catching clematis-flower mural by his niece, street artist Amanda Valdes, splashed across the front. This reinvention aims to embrace the continued evolution of Clematis. “Clematis Social has been a huge hit with our guests already,” Mash shares. “They love the changes and I’m excited that we’re seeing so many new faces. We feel a sense of pride that our downtown merchants and city administration really like it as well.”

Just Peachy

Subculture Group (sub-culture.org) has long provided locals their go-to coffee fix and some of the area’s best restaurants. Known for embracing the alternative set, they’re now deepening their connection to the arts community with a space blending art and co-working. Recently opened, The Peach on Georgia is a mixed-use artist cooperative with studio space for artists, regular events for the public to enjoy (think workshops, classes, and monthly art walk weekends with live entertainment and creative vendors), and an outpost of Troy’s Barbeque on property. The Peach is located at 3950 Georgia Avenue in West Palm Beach.