30 May, 2019 0 Comments

Things We Loved in May

May 30, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Great documentary with a guest appearance by Delray’s own Max Weinberg.

Things We Loved in May

 

It was great to see Boca Raton based Mela Artisans featured in Florida Trend Magazine in May. The company specializes in selling handmade goods made in India online and in stores such as Home Goods and TJ Maxx.

Keep an eye on this growing company.

 

FAU’s College of Engineering and Computer Science earned a $652,820 grant from the National Science Foundation to establish an Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning Laboratory. That’s good news for FAU as the Lab is said to be a first of its kind grant for the National Science Foundation proof of the university’s growing reputation in cutting edge fields of research.

 

 

Over 64 of tomorrow’s stars converged on the Delray Beach Swim & Tennis Club May 4-6 for the United States Tennis Association Boys and Girls 18 and under championship.

 

The PIM Open features rising stars who come to Delray for three days of top notch competition.

 

The event provides a boost to the local economy just when we need it, putting heads in beds at hotels and exposing Delray to players, families, coaches, college scouts etc.

 

Tennis is an important industry in Delray and we should grow it,  not litigate it.

 

 

 

 

We wish The EJS Project a happy one year anniversary and congratulate them on a great mini- documentary that was released in May. Check out the organization here: https://www.ejsproject.org/

 

We were honored to attend the 100th anniversary celebrations Plastridge Insurance at the Delray Marriott. Please see our blog about Plastridge and the legacy of the Lynch family here. We were also thrilled to see Plastridge win the “Business of the Century Award” from the Boca Chamber at a gala luncheon at the Boca Resort.

Plastridge Chair Tom Lynch told the capacity crowd that the key to success is to balance business with family life and to find time to take care of your health along the way. Tom is a terrific role model.

Congrats to fellow honorees Sal Saldana GM of Town Center at Boca Raton named Business Leader of the Year & Roxana Scaffidi of Florida Accounting & Advisers who was named Small Business Leader of the Year.

 

We were thrilled to see Frances Bourque get an honorary degree from the University of Florida in May. Please see our tribute here https://yourdelrayboca.com/our-frances-a-most-distinguished-citizen/

 

 

Speaking of Plastridge, CEO Connor Lynch was honored by Sun-Sentinel with a Next Excalibur Award.

 

Lynch, 38,  was not only honored he is the first winner of the Next Excalibur Award, which recognizes the next generation of leaders whose voices will contribute to the growth and sustainability of business and civic life in Palm Beach and Broward counties. Connor was selected by a committee of previous Excalibur award winners. His father was an Excalibur winner in 2000.

How cool is that!

 

Restaurant fare

 

Crazy Mike’s has crazy good wings.

Timpano on Las Olas has awesome food.

Da Best on Dixie and Yamato is a great sandwich shop.

Okeechobee Steakhouse: a classic with a fun bar scene, great service and truly great food. A true gem.

We tried Duck Donuts in Boca and it was awfully good. Just delicious.

The penne with mushrooms at Sardinia—defies description.

Don’t miss the plum wine at Sushi Thai in Delray and we are loving the Bee Hive in Boca.

Also, if you visit iPic Delray check out the pizza. It’s delish.

Last but never least, Ziree never fails in the taste and service department. Highly recommend you visit.

 

Thanks Chuck

Kudos to our friend Chuck Halberg who does so much for the community.

Chuck, a longtime Arts Garage patron, donated the roughly $40,000 worth of improvements that will add a classroom, an improved box office, a bar and administrative offices.

Viva Las Vegas

I attended my first International Council of Shopping Centers convention in Las Vegas this month.

In a word, it was overwhelming. More than 30,000 attendees, miles of booths and exhibits and some interesting seminars on the future of retail and shopping center design.

One takeaway: while we read about the “retail apocalypse” bricks and mortar still has some life left. Sure things are changing and we have to pay attention and adapt, but 91 percent of retail sales still take place in a physical store. We’ll revisit some of these subjects in upcoming blogs.

 

The 2019 Boca Raton Bowl will be televised on ABC on a Saturday afternoon instead of ESPN on a Tuesday night. The game will be played in FAU Stadium and the date is Dec. 21. Time is 3:30. Very cool. Mark your calendars.

 

Movies:

 

We caught Booksmart at Cinemark. Wonderful directorial debut from Olivia Wilde. The film has a chance to become a classic of the coming of age genre.

Finally, saw Vice on a cross country flight. Powerful. Christian Bale just may be the best actor of his generation.

We also caught a special showing of Asbury Park: Riot, Redemption, Rock N’ Roll at the new iPic. Wonderful documentary chronicling the rise, fall and rise again of a seaside city. We’ll have more in an upcoming blog. Highly recommend you go if you love cities, rock music and New Jersey.

 

Books:

 

I finished two books in May and recommend both. Palaces for the People by Eric Klinenberg is a beautifully written book about the public realm and the best defense of public libraries I’ve ever seen.

Love the title. And the sentiment.

Investments in libraries, parks, community centers, art, culture etc.,  are essential keys to happiness and strong communities. It’s a good message for our troubled times.

 

Thanks to Kate Volman I read Matthew Kelly’s book on creating a winning and happy culture, the Culture Solution.

 

A must read for business, government, academics and non-profit leaders who care about creating winning cultures. And if you don’t care…well you aren’t really a leader.

Until next month. Thanks for reading.

28 March, 2019 0 Comments

Things We Loved In March

March 28, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Legends train in Delray…former Delray Open Champ and Delray resident Kevin Anderson and Hall of Famer Martina Navratilova.

 

Things we loved in March
We schlepped all the way to the Miramar Cultural Center to catch a lecture by two-time White House photographer Pete Souza and he was worth the trip.
Mr. Souza served as President Reagan’s photographer and then did an 8 year stint in the Obama White House.
His photography is magnificent. Of course there are the iconic shots—the President and his national security team watching Seal Team Six take out Osama Bin Laden, a five year old African American boy touching the President’s head and marveling that his hair is the same etc. etc.
But it was the behind the scenes shots of family, staff and life as POTUS that truly captivated.
Souza has released a few books and has a large following on Instagram if you want to check out his work.
The Miramar Cultural Center is pretty special too.

In Praise of LF
Leadership Florida is an organization that is close to my heart.
I’m a graduate of Class XXIV and I’ve tried to stay involved by attending annual meetings and serving on a few committees. The organization is dedicated to training, convening and educating leaders in politics, academia, business and non-profits. I think the best legacy of the organization is that it helps instill a love of Florida into those who participate. We may love our cities, we may love our regions but Leadership Florida helps us appreciate the wonders of our state.
For decades, Wendy Walker was the organization’s leader and guiding light. She retired about two years ago and has remained in touch with the organization.
Last month, Diane and I and fellow LF grad Jon Levinson had a chance to meet Wendy and her family for lunch at the marvelous River House in Palm Beach Gardens.
It was a great afternoon of catching up, talking about the state of our state and learning where other graduates have landed.
If you value leadership, I urge you to check out the organization and apply for one it’s programs. It will change your life.

Discover the Theatre Lab

We attended a play at the FAU Theatre Lab for the first time in March.
“To Fall In Love” by Jennifer Lane (remember that name she’s a wonderful talent) was given a reading by Theatre Lab Artistic Director Matt Stabile and the talented local actress Niki Fridh.
The play was directed by Louis Tyrell, a name that should be familiar to local theater goers.
The experience was electric.
And we highly recommend that you visit this small little gem of a theater on the FAU campus.
In fact, the Lab will present another  Jennifer Lane play “Harlowe” through April 14. Call 561-297-6124 or visit https://nam03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=www.fauevents.com&data=02%7C01%7C%7C0e30c440221440d3afe308d6b2e205d8%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C636893081156480236&sdata=m6rM1LHn3wc8rSXhEO0F5f6YmroVDN1%2BFB9mZwAHaDU%3D&reserved=0 for more information.
After the play, Tyrell and the two person cast answered questions about the performance. It was an intimate and engaging experience and we were amazed at how two talented actors with no props other than a music stand could turn a reading into a transformative and emotional experience.
The Theatre Lab is a gem.

Good Books
We have a few books to recommend this month.
“Blitzscaling” by Linked In founder Reid Hoffman is a good read and helpful if you want to build a company that will conquer the world or at least its market.
Really enjoyed “Return on Courage” by Ryan Berman which talks about the benefits of being courageous in business and in life. Dare to try, dare to be different and take some chances. Simple advice but oh so hard in entrenched organizations.  But those people and organizations that do find the courage reap outsized rewards and change the world.

Celsius + Creative Mornings
Close readers of this space know I’m a huge fan of Creative Mornings Palm Beach.
And knowing their caffeinated audience I thought our beverage company Celsius would be a good fit.
So I replaced my personal sponsorship of the group with a Celsius sponsorship and I’m pleased to report that Creative Mornings and Celsius have hit it off! So check out an upcoming Creative Morning and make sure you sample Celsius, a local company that’s doing some great things.

The Gazebo rocks & Senor Burrito is also great

Chicken Chablis, French bread and two good friends dining at the bar/counter at Boca’s sublime Kathy’s Gazebo. My friend had liver…he said it was good. I’ll have to take his word for it.

There are few things in life better than sitting at the bar at Senor Burrito with a margarita, chips and a plate of carne asada. Trust us on this. Seriously.

Welcome iPic Delray

The red carpet gala at the new iPic Delray was one of the best parties ever. Truly.
This project is another level. The art work, the design, the comfort of the pods, the finishes.
CEO Hamid Hashemi and his team deserve kudos for their  perseverance in the wake of toxic opposition. iPic’s  execution and vision is something to see.  The project is a wow.

New Digs for Stuart & Shelby

Congratulations to Chuck Halberg and the team at Stuart and Shelby on the grand opening celebration  of their new headquarters on 4th Avenue in Delray.
The office looks great and a big crowd turned out for a genuine good guy who does so much for the community.
We wish them many more years of continued success.

Days of Wine & Seafood

It was great to see the Delray Wine and Seafood Festival return to Old School Square.
Great seminars, awesome food and the “wine down” garden was brilliant.

 A terrific job by producers Festival Management Group. Nancy, Bern, John and Lindi are something special. If you missed it this year, make sure you mark your calendars for next year. And don’t miss the pairing seminars. We attended a Cabernet seminar featuring Napa Valley wines such as Frog’s Leap, Spring Valley and Rutherford. Paired with great food courtesy of Caffe Luna Rosa’s terrific chef Ernie DeBlasi . It was a memorable experience. P.S. Caffe Luna Rosa has magnificent crab cakes and lobster rolls.

Only in Delray

Sharp eyed tennis fans got a major treat in March when they stumbled on Delray’s Kevin Anderson training with legend Martina Navratilova at the Delray Tennis Center.
The former Delray Open champ hails from South Africa but fell in love with Delray after playing here. He soon bought a home and even adopted a rescue dog at the CRA Green Market. Pretty cool.
Martina was in town and the two had a chance hit a few balls and chat about the tennis life.

Speaking of tennis, Delray sensation Coco Gauff earned a wild card to play in the prestigious Miami Open. Quite a coup for the 15 year old junior champ as the Miami Open is considered one of the world’s top tournaments—a step below a Grand Slam. Coco won her first WTA tour match beating fellow wildcard Catherine McNally 3-6, 6-3, 6-4. On a related note, she was also featured in Forbes magazine in March.

A New Venu
We checked out West Boynton’s Venu last month, a live music venue, restaurant and bar in The Canyon Center.
The food was delicious, the happy hour menu was inexpensive and tasty and the acts range from tribute bands to national acts such as Los Lobos and the Marshall Tucker Band. Rascals legend Felix Cavaliere played there in March. Really interesting place. We were there the same night they had a sell out for a Queen tribute band.

Burgers and Wine and Cars

Highly recommend Zimburger, a burger and wine bar in the Town Center Mall.
The veggie burger is outstanding and so are the truffle fries, which may cancel out the veggie burger.

Imagine our surprise when we stumbled into an appearance by rock hall of famer and Cars frontman Ric Ocasek at the mall’s Wentworth Gallery.
It turns out Mr. Ocasek is also a fine artist and the gallery was featuring his paintings.
I’d say seeing his art work was “just what I needed” but that would be too obvious.

Making Deals and Bringing Jobs to Town
I had a chance to speak to the South Florida Office Brokers Association at their monthly meeting hosted at Delray Central,  a recently renovated office building owned by Grover Corlew, a local real estate firm.
For me, it was a chance to talk about the redevelopment of the Office Depot headquarters across the street and to meet the pro’s who bring the tenants to projects.
It was an impressive group.
I was also very impressed with the renovations done to the newly branded Delray Central office building which looks great.
It’s really good to see investment happening along the Congress Avenue corridor.

A Fond Farewell to a Great Chief

Congratulations to Police Chief Jeff Goldman on his retirement and his new gig in corporate security.
Chief Goldman and I go way way back. He was a young officer on Delray’s tactical team working street level drugs and crime when I was young reporter in Delray back in the 80s, when parts of Delray resembled an open air drug market.
I was able to observe the Police Department’s stellar work on frequent ride alongs at all hours of the night. I got to know Jeff and we’ve been friends ever since.
It was gratifying to see him rise through the ranks and make a difference along the way.
Being chief is a very hard job but Jeff kept his head about him through the opioid crisis, weird politics, spasms of violence in the community and changing players at City Hall, including a slew of city managers.
I will miss him and wish him well in his next chapter.

Inspired Choices
Congratulations to Amanda Perna and Jamael Stewart on been named the new hosts of Delray Morning Live. The duo will replace the show’s founders Ryan Boylston and Kate Volman who have become Wednesday morning staples on Facebook with their live stream featuring a host of local luminaries.
It isn’t easy to do a weekly live show but Ryan and Kate have done an amazing job.
I had a chance to catch up with Kate after a recent show at Capital One Cafe and she’s doing great things in the leadership field as a new CEO of a consulting company. We all know Ryan is super busy as a city commissioner and entrepreneur.
Amanda is a talented entrepreneur herself and Jamael is a rising star as our assistant director of community improvement.
Good to see the Chamber of Commerce involved as the show enters a new era. Tune in Wednesday’s on Facebook.

Making an Impact
Kudos to Lynn University’s new Social Impact Lab on it’s fabulous “Business for Good” conference. Top notch speakers on topics including venture philanthropy, impact investing and fair trade attracted a large crowd. Terrific launch for the new lab which is amazing. (See a future blog for more info).

Long Table, Great Night
Savor the Avenue did it again.
A great night eating at large tables spanning Atlantic Avenue highlights Delray’s terrific restaurants.
We sat with new residents and visitors from London who marveled at our town.
Kudos to Delray Magazine, the DDA and all of the participating restaurants. We were at The Office’s table and it was great.

What a month. See you in April.

11 March, 2019 0 Comments

Forever Young…

March 11, 2019 By Leave a Comment

The Franchise

It’s hard when your childhood heroes are leveled by life.

I don’t know why, but for some reason the heroes of our childhood remain vibrant, young and strong in our mind’s eye.
We remember their primes and often don’t “age” them in our memories.

So when I think of Tom Seaver, I still see a powerful young pitcher rearing back and dragging his knee on the mound firing fastball after fastball past the best hitters of his era.
But those days are long gone.

Today, “Tom Terrific” is 74 and last week his family announced his retreat from public life as a result of dementia.

For those of us of a certain age and a certain geography, Tom Seaver is an icon. He’s the best New York Met ever. A legend and one of the best pitchers ever.

I saw him pitch once at the old Shea Stadium and watched many other times on WOR Channel 9. When he pitched it was an event and even when we watched we looked the next day at the box score in Newsday because seeing his pitching “line” was also a  thing of beauty.
He was that great.
Truth is, I hadn’t thought of Tom Seaver in quite some time but I was still floored by the news.

Dementia?
Seaver was always an analytical pitcher, who despite his physical gifts was cerebral on the mound. He mentored younger pitchers and they hung on his every word.
74?
That doesn’t seem right. And then I realized that all of us kids who followed him are eligible to receive AARP magazine every month.

The decades have flown by.

I read a lot about Tom Seaver over the past week. By all accounts, he lives a peaceful and happy life tending to his family’s vineyard in California.
While he will fade from public view, I’m confident he will never fade from our memories.

The truly great ones never do. Their accomplishments live on. They change the world in their own distinct way and they change us too.

Tom Seaver brought a generation of fans tremendous joy.

He gave us lasting memories of endless summers watching baseball with our friends. Only the summers weren’t endless. They fade into fall and then winter. If we remember that, we will cherish the seasons all the more.

iPic Opens

A quick note about last week’s grand opening of iPic Delray.

In a word, it was amazing. A great party, a great night and most important the new theater and office complex is terrific. Truly, a new level.

IPic CEO Hamid Hashemi and his development team are to be commended for their vision and execution. They should be thanked for their belief in Delray and their willingness to make a colossal investment and create 250 jobs.

During the needlessly brutal approval process, the iPic team were called amateurs by a former elected official. It was a nasty comment and unbecoming of Delray. It’s possible to oppose a project without belittling those seeking to invest in your city.

Take a trip to the new Ipic and you’ll see firsthand that Mr. Hashemi and his company are far from amateurs. They are innovators and we are lucky to have iPic’s corporate headquarters in our city.

25 February, 2019 1 Comment

Things We Loved In February

February 25, 2019 By 1 Comment

Radu Albot rode a string of upsets to win the Delray Open.

Things We Loved in February

Joni 75 at iPic.

This special concert film captured a magical night marking Joni Mitchell’s 75th birthday.

Great performances by Graham Nash, James Taylor, Norah Jones, Emmylou Harris, Brandi Carlile, Los Lobos, Seal and others.

Just amazing. And the iPic experience is sensational. Can’t wait for the Delray version to open in March.

As for Joni, her music is timeless.

 Killer App

Don’t miss the “sweet angels” appetizer at Papas Tapas one of my favorite restaurants on the planet.

 Great Young Minds

My team had a chance to work with a cohort of graduate students from the University of Miami as we contemplate options for the old Office Depot headquarters.

The students are studying design and real estate development under the tutelage of placemaking expert Chuck Bohl, a UM professor.

I’ve been a big fan of Dr. Bohl for years so it’s a thrill to work with him.

The students are bright and passionate. Can’t wait to see what they come up with.

 In Praise of La Cigale

La Cigale never fails to impress.

Delicious food, wonderful service.

 In Praise of Independent Film

The Movies of Delray is an independent theater that shows some films you can’t find anywhere else.

We saw a gem called “Heading Home” the story of Team Israel which shocked the world with an impressive performance in the 2017 World Baseball Classic.

The film won the Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival’s top honor and is very special. A rowd pleaser from start to finish the documentary tells the story of  how a group of Jewish American ball players bonded with each other and discovered their roots.

A special treat: the director of the film and one of its stars Cody Decker of the Arizona Diamondbacks made a surprise appearance to answer questions and talk about the future of America’s pastime in Israel.

It was a cool experience.

 Off the Beaten Path

We like to venture off the beaten path especially during the busy season and as a result we’ve discovered some culinary gems.

Hacienda, a large Mexican restaurant on the southeast corner of Atlantic Avenue and Military Trail, is one of our finds.

We had a large family dinner there in February and enjoyed the food and attentive service. The San Gria wasn’t bad either.

We recommend you venture off the beaten path every now and again. There’s a lot to be discovered in our community— off the beaten path.

 Shout out to Lori Nolan

We noticed that the wonderful Lori Nolan celebrated 20 years with the Delray CRA on Valentine’s Day. How appropriate since we love Lori and her stellar work running the CRA Green Market all these years. Wishing her the best on the next 20! She’s been terrific and invaluable.

 A New Chief

Congratulations also to new Delray Police Chief Javaro Sims who was chosen for the post by City Manager Mark Lauzier.

It’s a tough job but after nearly 27 years of service we have confidence in Chief Sims.

 Meet the Beatles

What better place than Old School Square to spend Valentine’s Day?

And what better way to spend it than listening to a great Beatles tribute band with the love of your life.

We saw the Mersey Beatles at the Crest and they played Abbey Road start to finish to mark the 50th anniversary of that landmark LP. They also played a huge array of hits from early albums including my favorite Rubber Soul.

The Mersey Beatles are four lads from Liverpool and are widely considered at the top of the list of Beatles tribute bands.

As a special treat, we got to see John Lennon’s sister Julie Baird who was in Delray to raise awareness for Strawberry Fields, a non-profit in Liverpool that works with youth. It was a special Delray night.

We would have went to Dada after the show. After all, Yelp just named it the 100th most romantic restaurant in the United States but alas it was late and we are too old to be out late on a school night.

 History at the Delray Open

I like the Delray Open. Pro tennis is good for Delray. The event distinguishes us as a city. It’s worth the money and drives economic development.

It was great to see Radu Albot make history as the first person from Moldava to win a pro tennis tournament. A few years back, Kei Nishikori became the first man from Japan to win an ATP event.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Bryan Brothers captured their 117th title…a record for doubles.

 Last Resort

We saw The Last Resort at Living Room Theater.

It’s an affectionate look back at Miami Beach’s 1950s-1980 heyday through the lens of two talented photographers.

It’s also a must see. A great documentary.

 In Search of Manatee’s

Thanks my sister in law we discovered Manatee Lagoon in Riviera Beach in February.

It’s a beautiful facility where manatees and other fish gather to swim in waters warmer by FPL equipment.

Even though we didn’t see any manatees we did see tarpon and barracuda and enjoyed the exhibit space. A great place to hang.

 Happy anniversary

A hearty congratulations to our friends at Plastridge Insurance on their 100th birthday.

In today’s complex world, it is truly special to not only last but to grow and improve. Plastridge has done all three.

That takes leadership, vision, an ability to adapt and the courage to evolve.

In addition, the agency and its employees have served the community in a vast array of ways. For its 100th birthday, Plastridge donated $100,000 to local charities.

Tom, Connor and Brendan Lynch and the entire Plastridge team have much to be proud of and we have much to admire as we celebrate one of Delray’s historic businesses.

Here’s to the next 100 years. Congratulations!

 Due South

I belong to a truly terrific business group led by Bryan DeFrances and Matt Kutcher of JP Morgan Chase.

Really special group of people who get together each month.

Last month, the group took a guided tour of Due South, a great brewery in Boynton’s Brewery District.

Joe, our guide, was excellent— as was the beer. If you go, and we highly recommend that you do, try the Cat 5 and Caramel beers—incredible. Also don’t miss the gourmet food truck. It may be the best around.

Kudos to Boynton Beach for creating and supporting the district.

Here’s to March!

 

 

 

 

 

20 February, 2019 8 8 Comments

Love, Delray

February 20, 2019 By 8 Comments

Dear Delray,

 

This year, you will celebrate your 108th birthday.

What a milestone for you and citizens like me who love you so much.  So often people talk about you and focus on your challenges and problems—political division, crime, drugs, parking issues etc.

But, you can’t let the naysayers get you down – you’re still the precious gem that your founders saw all those years ago.

Sure, I know you have some blemishes after all this time, but I also know about your boundless potential.

I’ve always known about your boundless potential.

Last week, on Valentine’s Day, the National League of Cities sent out a series of love letters like the one above from mayors, city council members and others to their cities. I read beautiful notes to places like Portland, Maine, Lexington, Kentucky and Ames, Iowa and I thought they were heartfelt and wonderful.

None of the love letters glossed over problems—they mentioned crime, vacant buildings, heroin overdoses, homelessness and inequality but they also found so much to love about their hometowns.

Which is a good thing, because far too often, we are fussy and overly critical about where we live.

Recently, I ran into an urban planner who consults in cities all over the country. He made it a point to tell me how he thought Delray was “so hard on itself.” And I agreed.

At a recent, Urban Land Institute meeting, Delray was mentioned as a role model for other cities in South Florida. Not that cities want to be Delray, just that they admire who we are and where we’ve come from. It was good to hear this, but I have to be honest, my first thought was “well, they ought to talk to the people who live here because wow are they critical.”

But you know what?

I was wrong.

Most people who live here do love Delray, they just get drowned out sometimes by some of the…ahem… loud voices who tend to tilt a little toward the negative.

If you didn’t know better (and we do) and if your view of Delray was limited to social media here’s what you’d find. This is a sampling from a two minute cruise down the rabbit hole last week. Excuse the syntax…

“What happened to this beautiful Village By The Sea charm?! It’s a large metropolitan greed city!”

“Traffic is getting worse every day at some point I will not go to in town Delray !!”

“The only reason for me to go to downtown Delray is the Elks Lodge and the bank.”

It is so tempting to respond….but it really wouldn’t make much of a difference.

Right after my 2-minute dive into the negative— as if through some divine intervention –I got a notice through “Next Door” about a group called Love Delray.

Love Delray is a quarterly volunteer initiative that seeks to unite our community through collaboration and service. Here’s a link https://lovedelray.com/

The group meets and fans out to serve local non-profits such as the Delray Children’s Garden or CityHouse Delray. Sometimes they’ll just go and clean the beach. Isn’t that cool?

My strong hunch is that there are more lovers than complainers in Delray Beach.

As for the critics, the Elks Lodge is amazing but there’s some pretty good restaurants and shops too. Nobody likes traffic, but it beats the alternative which is a place that’s dead and buried and there’s plenty of charm if you would just open your eyes….how many cities have an Elvis impersonator, a professional tennis event and a really great Wine and Seafood Festival?

Answer: not many.

Last week, I took a left turn and within a few minutes I was sitting in the Crest Theatre listening to John Lennon’s sister introduce a truly amazing Beatles tribute band. People were dancing in the aisles…and the list goes on and on. Last night, I sat and watched the fourth best tennis player in the world and a rising American star play beautifully.

Sorry I couldn’t help myself. I answered the naysayers.

So Dear Delray, stay positive. You are a pretty cool little city. And we love you.

 

 

 

4 February, 2019 0 Comments

Things We Loved In January

February 4, 2019 By Leave a Comment

Juan Martin Del Potro and his passionate fan base will be in Delray in two weeks.

Things we loved in January

We didn’t want to let last month go before giving you a recap…so here goes.

The World Beneath Your Feet at the Living Room Theater. The documentary tells the story of Matt Green who walked every street, park, cemetery and public space in all five New York boroughs. That’s over 8,000 miles! An amazing story and lots of lessons about how you truly discover a place once you walk it. For those who love NYC and those who enjoy a quirky story this a film for you.

A dive into Middle Eastern and Indian fare

We highly recommend La Vie Restaurant in Pompano Beach. Absolutely wonderful Lebanese restaurant. Great service, delicious food, unique atmosphere and yes some belly dancing. Worth the trip south.

We also discovered Saffron & Curry a terrific Indian restaurant on West Atlantic and Congress. Delicious rice, family run and wonderful bread.

Lunch at Abe and Louie’s, highly recommend the Abe and Louie salad. A classic and still a good place to people watch. While the dining room is where you’ll see all the movers and shakers, we prefer the bar which is cozy and oozing with atmosphere.

Polar Vortex?
The weather. What a month! Can you imagine how many people caught in the polar vortex are saying “I’m moving to Florida?”

Great playoff football. Interesting to see the emergence of Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. He could be a generational talent. The Saints, featuring Delray’s Tre’ Quan Smith, we’re robbed. Awful.

And yes I know that in 44 out of 50 states it’s not cool to like Tom Brady, but you have to at least acknowledge his greatness. Six rings in nine trips. Amazing.

Mutts Gone Nuts at Old School Square. The traveling show features an array of rescue dogs performing amazing tricks and exhibiting astounding athleticism. If they come here again, don’t miss it.
Congratulations to Bill Branning of BSA Corporation on becoming the new chair of the Delray Chamber. And thanks to Rob Posillico for his year of service as chair.

Warming up for the Delray Open Down Under
Great to see Delray Open Champ Frances Tiafoe make a great run at the year’s first slam, the Australian Open. Tiafoe made his first slam quarterfinal with a big win on his 21st birthday. Of course, the reward was a match with Rafael Nadal. Tiafoe lost but he’s clearly a star on the rise.
Delray resident Kevin Anderson did very well in Australia too. The upcoming Delray Open boasts two top ten players and three top twenty players. Not too shabby. Time to drop the costly lawsuit to get rid of the tournament. The old mayor is gone, let’s move on.

We have become big fans of Sardinia restaurant in southeast Delray.
Terrific mozzarella made fresh on the premises, great service, a nice bar and good live music.
We met some old friends there recently and just had a blast. Don’t miss the tiramisu and the ravioli. Terrific.

A sad note: Delray lost a dear friend when Sean Nathan of Caffe Luna Rosa passed recently. Sean and I bonded over the NY Yankees. I will miss him as will the many patrons of Luna Rosa who came to love Sean over his many years of dedicated service. Rest In Peace my friend.

31 October, 2018 0 Comments

October Musings & Memories

October 31, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Happy Halloween!
October loves

Lunch at the Cuban Cafe with two leaders I admire: Pastor Bill Mitchell and Karen Granger of 4 Kids.
Pastor Mitchell produces the terrific Boca Lead series which in October featured the incredible work of Simon Sinek. If you want to be a better leader this is the community to explore.
Taking the dogs to Lake Ida Park in the evening when it is finally cool and there’s the hint of a breeze. The best part of the year is nearly here.
Fresh Kitchen and Bolay–both in Boca are terrific.
So good. Every time.
The recently remodeled Delray Elks Club looks great. Terrific job and some really nice people are members.
Bagels With and Bagels with a Schmear are also so darn good…oy the carbs…
Delray Beach author and poet Letit Flose is making some noise.
Her original poem, “It’s We,” has been selected to appear in A Garden Of Black Joy: Global Poetry From The Edges of Liberation & Living! 
 
They received poems from all over the world – from Cape Town South Africa to New Orleans to Berlin, Germany and rigorously selected 114 poems to be included in this year’s anthology.
Very impressive. Amazon has her two books of poetry. Highly recommend both.
Deepest condolences to the Walsh family on the loss of Tom Walsh, patriarch of the family that founded and runs Ocean Properties.
OPL has significant holdings in Delray including the Delray Marriott and Residence Inn.
The company has properties throughout North America.
Delray’s own Tre’ Quan Smith was on the receiving end of the historic pass from New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees that set the new record for career passing yards.
Brees has now passed for nearly 41 miles—astounding.
We’ve written about Tre’ Quan before. His involvement with Delray Students First, now College Bound, his attending Village Academy etc.
His NFL career is off to a stellar start.
Here’s what future Hall of Famer Brees had to say about his rookie teammate.
“Tre’ Quan stepped in and did a magnificent job. Credit to him for the way he has come along here in his rookie season. Really made a ton of progress each and every week, especially the last couple weeks this kid can really be a big part of our offense.”
That’s high praise from an NFL legend. Wow!
We lost two other local icons/contributors in October.
Detective Kenny Herndon passed away and it was gratifying to see an outpouring of love and support on social media from an array of retired Delray police officers. He was very special.
Bob Miller, a long time leader in the city’s business and sports community also passed in October.
Miller Field is named after Bob who did a lot for Atlantic High School sports and Little League baseball. He was a long time leader at the Chamber of Commerce and ran a very successful State Farm Insurance agency on Federal Highway for decades. Just a great guy.
Both Mr. Miller and Sgt. Herndon will be missed.
I wanted to share a tribute to Mr. Miller written by Bill Wood, our former chamber president and another amazing guy. Bill shared this on Facebook so I don’t think he will mind if I share these wonderful sentiments.
“Over the last several decades Delray Beach has been blessed with an amazing group of remarkable men and women who provided wisdom and guidance to the development of our city.
Sadly we just lost one of those remarkable leaders…
Bob Miller.  Bob passed away this October and even though we have not talked in years I already miss him and his stories of growing up in Delray Beach.
Hopefully there are biographies popping up on Facebook about Bob’s life  that will outline his many contributions to our city.
In simple words Bob was (among other things) a husband, father, teacher, coach, fisherman, businessman (over 40 years) and leader in the community… there is a reason for the name “Bob Miller Little League Park”.
The people who helped make Delray an outstanding community were not all Mayors or City Commissioners… most were residents, business folks, remarkable individuals who loved our city, believed in it and wanted to make it better…
The Chamber of Commerce recently held one of it’s Leadership Programs featuring several of our past Delray Beach Mayors.  Jeff Perlman (a former Mayor), in the most recent installment of ‘Your Delray Boca’ wrote about that and towards the end of his blog Jeff said this… “We need people with passion, a love for the town, humility, emotional intelligence, strength, foresight and courage to step up and lead.”
We do need people with those attributes but… we have been blessed by having former leaders, like Bob Miller, who had the passion, the love, humility, intelligence, strength, foresight, and courage to be a leader in our great community over a long period of time.
I am so grateful for remarkable men (and women) like Bob Miller who collectively made Delray Beach – as the Chamber saying goes – a great place to live, work, and play.”
Other highlights: an evening at the Elks (congratulations on their award from the Chamber).
We discovered Prosper Ice Cream on Congress Avenue. Magnificent.
And we also enjoyed some great pizza with a stagiano salad at Renzo’s. Highly recommended.
If you can don’t miss “The Old Man And The Gun” Robert Redford’s farewell to acting. He’s terrific, as he always is and so is Sissy Spacek. Two old pro’s who transcend the screen. It’s worth a visit to the theatre.
3 October, 2018 0 Comments

14 Back

October 3, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Bucky takes Torrez deep.

There was nothing like baseball in the 70s.
The Big Red Machine, the great A’s teams, crazy uniforms, great mustaches and larger than life personalities: Reggie, Thurman, Hammering Hank, Tom Terrific, Pudge, Yaz, Billy and The Boss.
It was a special time.

A new documentary available on Amazon via Sports Illustrated TV brings it all back.

“14 Back” tells the story of the 1978 Yankees and the fierce and soul sucking rivalry between the Yankees and Red Sox which burned hotter than ever in those days.

That ’78 season and that team were my all time favorites.

Ron Guidry was my favorite player, I followed the soap opera in the NY tabloids daily and I loved Nettles, Munson, Mickey Rivers and Willie Randolph.

The Yankees were a surreal drama in those days with personality disputes, brawls, insults and twists and turns that defied description.

And oh, they played baseball too— mounting an historic comeback from 14 games behind the  super talented Red Sox to force a tie and a winner take all one game playoff. I watched that game with my dad and grandfather on a small TV in Queens and we hung nervously on every pitch.

It was an amazing game with big hits, drama and even wind that played tricks and a blinding sun that played havoc with the vision of fielders.

The game was also full of personal stories with players trying to break ancient curses and overcome nagging doubts about their abilities.

This was the game that Bucky Dent hit his famous home run and forever became Bucky “Effing” Dent in New England. It was the game that broke Red Sox captain Carl Yastrzemski’s heart and it was the game that solidified Goose Gossage’s legend and reminded everyone of “the original sin”, the trade of Babe Ruth to the Yankees which unleashed a curse that was very real and wasn’t exorcised until Johnny Damon slugged a grand slam at Yankee Stadium in 2004.

So if you love a good story well told, check out 14 Back.

The documentary also got me thinking about the local ties of some of the participants.
Here’s a few I can think of. I’m sure there are more.
The hero, Bucky Dent, ran a baseball school in Delray Beach for a long time with Larry Hoskin, a really great guy.
Bucky is still around and is also a great guy.

On the 25th anniversary of his famous home run, we reached out to him as a City Commission and prepared a proclamation honoring his achievement.
Bucky graciously agreed to come to Delray City Hall where I happily made the presentation. My colleague, a  Red Sox fan, Commissioner Bob Costin seized the moment by donning a Sox hat at the precise moment Bucky approached the commission dais. Bucky cracked up. We all did. Ya gotta love Bob Costin.

Years before, when Little Fenway was built at Miller Field (that’s right there’s a replica of Fenway right off Linton Boulevard), Bucky did the coronation by re-enacting his famous homer. It was 1989 and it cost $100,000 to build the replica Green Monster. Mickey Rivers showed up to stand in the on deck circle and Red Sox pitcher Mike Torrez was gracious enough to serve up another home run pitch.
Pretty cool.
Contrary to press reports at the time, Torrez had no intention of throwing a brushback pitch.

“You can’t rewrite the history books,” said Torres “You live with it and you die with it. I agreed to do this for the sake of the kids who will be using the facility. A lot of the kids weren’t even born at the time so it’ll be something special for them.”

Indeed it has been a special place.

Speaking of Mickey Rivers, he would play in the one and done Senior Professional Baseball Association for the team based in West Palm. I was fortunate to interview Mick the Quick as a young reporter. He gave me his bat.

The legendary Red Sox captain “Yaz” would end up living in Highland Beach after living for a while in east Delray.. He could be seen from time to time at Boston’s on the Beach. How cool is that?

As for Boston’s on the Beach, I am told by someone who would know, that the “Spaceman” Bill Lee (who figures prominently in the 14 Back documentary) that a movie on his life features a scene at Boston’s in Delray Beach. Amazing.

But the hero of the piece is Bucky.

I still see him around town from time to time. For 30 plus years he has run a charity golf tournament at The Falls Club in Lake Worth which always attracts a slew of ball players.
The event benefits local charities, including those who care for cancer patients and their families.
He may not be loved in Boston, but he remains one of my all time favorites and a hero to Yankee fans everywhere.

6 August, 2018 0 Comments

Heroes Change Lives

August 6, 2018 By Leave a Comment

Delray Students First is a local non-profit that is changing the lives of young people.

 

Mark Sauer is one of my local heroes.

The founder and visionary behind Delray Students First has a passionate desire to help young people break the cycle of poverty so they can find a better life. We are blessed that he landed in Delray and has decided to put his considerable talents, abilities and passions into changing the lives of our young men and women. After a long and successful career at the top of the sports and corporate worlds (past president of the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Blues), Mark has immersed himself in our community. Thank goodness.

One of those lucky folks who landed in Mark’s orbit was Delray’s own Tre’Quan Smith, a University of Central Florida wide receiver who was drafted in the third round by the New Orleans Saints this year.

Smith is currently experiencing his first NFL training camp training under the watchful eye of disciplinarian coach Sean Payton.

So imagine the delight when we got an email last week from Mark directing us to the New Orleans Saints website  https://(https://www.neworleanssaints.com/video/afternoon-wrap-for-monday-july-30) where we caught a first glimpse of Tre’Quan doing his thing which is basically catching everything thrown his way by future Hall of Famer Drew Brees.

The Saints are absolutely over the moon with Tre’Quan’s early performance—although Coach Payton sticks to the script with some cautious words of what he needs to improve. But based on what we know about Tre’Quan Smith, we can rest assured that he will do what needs to be done to make the most of this shot at the NFL.

Now my friend Mark Sauer will never say it because he’s humble and kind, but there are many young people like Tre’ Quan who have a shot at a good life because of the efforts of Mark and his talented team at Delray Students First.

The organization provides tutoring and mentoring to talented young people who need a dose of caring and love in order to succeed.

These are the type of efforts that change lives and communities. Mark and his lovely wife refer to Tre’Quan as a son—and that love, caring, attention and help has made all the difference.

There is a very good chance that Tre’Quan can have a successful career in the NFL. He’s talented, hardworking and hungry. If you watch the video you won’t see over confidence despite a strong early camp. What you will see is a humble young man who is dedicated to getting better, who is anxious to dive into the complex playbook so he can make the most of a unique opportunity that a whole bunch of people have worked hard to make happen.

While Tre’Quan gets the ink and is the most vivid story of Delray Students First’s success, he is not the only example of a life made better thanks to the efforts of an organization and its supporters.

Delray Students First empowers high school students in Delray Beach to reach their potential…We love that word empower. Because this program asks a lot of its students. They have to put in the work. They have to study, avoid temptation and work hard. If they do, there is a community of caring professionals and volunteers who will help them achieve.

But it does take a village and so Mark is an evangelist in search of resources. So if you happen to be looking for a great cause driven by great people—look no further. Delray Students First changes lives.

 

 

11 June, 2018 2 2 Comments

We Are A Tennis Town

June 11, 2018 By 2 Comments

A rivalry for the ages.

We saw a terrific movie last week: Borg vs. McEnroe which is On Demand.

The movie—which did little box office—has been called the first great tennis movie.

Truth is, there is a very little competition. I’m not sure there’s even a good tennis movie never mind a great one.

But Borg vs. McEnroe is really good.

The Swedish actor who plays Bjorn Borg looks eerily like him and while it takes a while to buy Shia Labeouf as Johnny Mac you quickly lose yourself in the story of Borg’s quest to win a fifth straight Wimbledon title.

He was all of 24 in 1980 but already burned out from having turned pro at 15. Bjorn’s son Leo, himself a top junior player, plays the young version of his dad. He’s terrific.

You quickly see the toll the sport has played on Bjorn’s emotional state. He’s depressed, exhausted and on the precipice of a big fall. He would leave the game at 26.

John McEnroe is the young, arrogant lion eager to topple Borg. He’s fire to Borg’s ice, although we learn that Bjorn is a lot more like McEnroe than we thought. Yes, he has a volcanic temper but he’s bottled it up and is paying a high price.

I’m writing about this wonderful era of tennis a day after the French Open finals only because there are many local ties to the legends of the game.

Bjorn Borg has played at the Delray Beach Tennis Stadium on a long defunct tour known as the Nuveen Champions. Jimmy Connors has played there as well both on the Nuveen and at the Chris Evert Pro Celebrity Classic. Guillermo Vilas, Andres Gomez, Ivan Lendl, Mat Wilander, Andy Roddick, Johan Kriek, Jim Courier, Aaron Krickstein, Serena and Venus Williams, Steffi Graf, Andre Agassi, Kei Nishikori, Juan Martin Del Potro, Jennifer Capriati, Jimmy Arias, Mardy Fish, Lindsay Davenport have all played in Delray.

And of course, John McEnroe too.

We are many things, but we are also a tennis town.

Boca has a rich heritage as well with classic matches between legends of the game at Boca West, the Boca Resort and Club and the Polo Club.

Way back in the 80s and 90s, Delray hosted the junior version of the Davis Cup at the old Laver’s Resort. The greats of the game came through here as kids staying with local families. The Sunshine and Connolly Continental Cup were great events. Those of us who love the game would watch the young players and wonder which ones would be on Centre Court at Wimbledon in a few years. It turns out it was quite a few.

Over the years, we attracted tennis players as residents, academies (Rick Macci and others) and other junior, senior, Fed Cup and Davis Cup events. The Slims and of course our ATP event.

During the French Open, it was fun to follow our “Delray players” (those who play our event every year) as they made their way through the draw.

It was really thrilling to see local junior Cori “Coco” Gauff—remember that name—win the junior title.

Coco is the granddaughter of Yvonne and Red Odom. We wrote about her grandma a few weeks ago.

Yes, Delray has a tennis heritage.

The greats of the game have played here and now perhaps the future.

Keep your eyes on Coco and check out Borg vs. McEnroe to relive tennis’ golden age.

 

 

 

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