A New Year; Let’s Make it a Good One

2017 Calender on the red cubes

A new year.
A new set of possibilities.
As we turn the page on ’16, a year many are happy to see pass let’s endeavor to start fresh and dream big.
In that spirit here are some predictions and wishes:
-America begins to turn the tide on its opiate addiction. Maybe this is the year when doctors stop over prescribing pains meds. Maybe this is the year that government gives prosecutors, cities and regulators the tools they need to hold irresponsible sober home operators accountable. Maybe this is the year we appreciate responsible providers who are trying to save lives.
-Perhaps 2017 will see the formal adoption of the Congress Avenue Task Force’s vision and catalytic development on the old Office Depot site as well as near Saltwater Brewery.
-We’re rooting for new FAU football coach Lane Kiffin to build a winning program in Boca. Kiffin is a bold hire with baggage, but he’s got a pedigree that’s intriguing to say the least.
-Boca continues to reel in companies, grow new ones and build its downtown. It’s economic development office shows what’s possible– even with a small team. We predict more of the same in ’17.
-We see The South Florida Garlic Festival thriving at its new venue at John Prince Park attracting foodies and taking advantage of the “glamping” trend.
-We’re hopeful to see iPic open in ’17 and predict it will function well and enhance Delray’s downtown.
-We predict that Impact 100 for Men will have a successful launch and attract more donations as a result.
-We believe ’17 will be the year when Old School Square and President Rob Steele will soar. With sometimes contentious lease negotiations with the city in the rear view mirror, the organization can concentrate on growing and fulfilling its historic and important mission.
-We predict big things for the Via Mizner project anchored by the Mandarin Hotel. It’s a landmark project. Make no mistake.
-We hope that plans to revitalize 20th Street in Boca gain traction in the New Year.
-14 years ago a new “central park” was envisioned where a surface parking lot once existed near Old School Square. Let’s hope ’17 is the year that the park takes shape.
-Let’s also hope ’17 is the year that stability returns to Delray City Hall. The ability to hire a new City Manager is a golden opportunity.
-We predict this is the year that positivity begins its slow march back to the public square. As a result we predict a better Boca Delray.
Happy New Year.

 

FAU’s Promise

Football is only one part of the FAU vision for greatness

Football is only one part of the FAU vision for greatness

We went to the FAU football game Saturday and it was great.
A 41-37 thriller won by the Owls.
I’m embarrassed to say it was the first time I attended a game. I love football and FAU and I’ve had my share of opportunities but we just never seemed to go.
But when Beth Johnston, a dear friend who works for FAU, arranged for a Delray day and a spot in the President’s suite alongside friends we just had to go.  I’m glad we did.
The new stadium is beautiful.

The sight lines are great and the atmosphere is terrific. It’s college football and you get swept up in the excitement.
The crowd was fair, not empty but not filled either, but those who attended seemed to be having a wonderful time. Still, the program has some work to do in order to fill 30,000 seats. It’s important that they get there and it will be a landmark day for our community when it happens. And I think it will.
In addition to football, the afternoon was a primer on FAU. Beth is a great host and a passionate professional she wasn’t going to let this opportunity to connect people to FAU pass.

We started the afternoon with some FAU trivia that focused on the university’s academic accomplishments; which are surprising and considerable.
Over the course of the game we had a chance to mingle with President Kelly and his wife, FAU Board Chair Anthony Barbar and the newly appointed director of public leadership among others from the school and foundation.  It was an enlightening experience and President Kelly and his team exude vision, confidence and ambition. They yearn to be a top 25 university, a place of national significance and they seem to have a plan and a laser like focus to achieve that lofty goal.
We should not only be rooting for that to happen we ought to be involved in making it so. Because if FAU thrives and excels it’s good for all of us, especially it’s host city Boca and it’s neighbor Delray.
It’s also good for our kids and community. Businesses will have an educated workforce, entrepreneurs may decide to stay and others will locate here because of FAU’s research, resources and energy.
A great university is a valuable calling card and amenity for a region.
In my few minutes with President Kelly we discussed his tenure at Clemson and it’s impact on Greenville and the region which was significant. He’s enamored with Delray and is clearly reaching out for closer ties. So is Jorge Calzadilla, the recently hired VP of Public Service who did magnificent things for children in Clemson’s service area. Mr. Calzadilla also mentioned a desire to focus FAU’s resources on community issues especially those relating to children and families. This is an opportunity that city officials in Delray would be wise to embrace.
Chairman Barbar also sees the new administration as an amazing opportunity to fulfill FAU’s potential to impact the region. He and other business leaders recently travelled to Raleigh NC where they saw the power of three great universities to drive innovation and economic development in the Research Triangle area.

The folks in Raleigh have a significant head start but there is no barrier to this region becoming world class as well –provided we knock down some parochial walls that exist between counties, cities, other institutions and business organizations.
The moment is here because in our backyard we also have a terrific university in Lynn with an international student body, a visionary president and faculty and a dynamic business school and curriculum. We just have to work together, root for one another, make some strategic investments, get involved and yes attend a few games.
The future will thank us if we do.

FAU Football Honors Founder of Program

Homage to Howard

Homage to Howard

Howard Schnellenberger built his legendary coaching career and was the driving force that helped Florida Atlantic University build a football stadium. Now, the field on which the Owls play their home games will bear the name of one of college football’s most accomplished program-builders.

 The field at FAU Stadium on the University’s Boca Raton campus will be named Howard Schnellenberger Field, honoring the man who coached the Owls during their first 11 seasons and retired after the 2011 campaign with 158 victories during 27 years as a head coach at four Football Bowl Subdivision institutions.

 FAU’s Board of Trustees approved the new field name during a conference call on Wednesday, Aug. 20.

 “I am humbled beyond belief that the University would bestow this great honor on the Schnellenberger family, and me personally,” said Schnellenberger. “This is probably the highlight of my coaching career. Thanks to the FAU Board of Trustees, the University, the fans, the players and the coaches that were an integral part of this.”

 A ceremony to honor Schnellenberger will be held prior to the Owls’ first home game of the season at FAU Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 13. FAU President John Kelly also will make a special presentation at halftime. FAU hosts Tulsa, with the kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m. It will be the fourth season for the Owls in the 29,419-seat on-campus stadium.

 “Coach Schnellenberger is a legend – a true visionary who always will be synonymous with FAU football,” said FAU President John Kelly. “The University, the community, and fans of college football everywhere look to Coach as the consummate leader, and are thankful for all he has done for the sport. I know FAU will always remember this as we cheer our team on the beautiful field that will forever bear his name.”

 Schnellenberger welcomed the idea of bringing football to FAU in 1998. During his tenure as FAU’s coach, the Owls garnered two bowl victories and one Sun Belt Conference championship. Twenty of his FAU players have signed professional contracts, with five drafted by the National Football League.

 An assistant coach on the Miami Dolphins’ 1972 undefeated Super Bowl championship team, Schnellenberger made his greatest mark in the collegiate ranks. His career has been highly chronicled throughout the years, from winning the first national championship as coach at the University of Miami in 1983 to ushering the University of Louisville program from near obscurity to a top 20 national ranking. Schnellenberger went 6-0 as a head coach in bowl games, the most bowl victories for a coach with a perfect record.

 After reaching the goal of bringing football to FAU – the Owls played its inaugural season in 1999 – Schnellenberger embarked on the challenge of getting a stadium built in order to move the program to the next level. FAU Stadium opened on Oct. 15, 2011, with the Owls hosting Western Kentucky. The open-air stadium features 6,000 premium seats, including 24 suites, 26 loge boxes, 1,000 premier club seats and 4,000 priority club seats.

 “ We are thankful we have the opportunity to honor Coach Schnellenberger with the naming of our football field,” said Pat Chun, FAU’s vice president and director of athletics. “As our first football coach, he forever changed Florida Atlantic University. To permanently honor Coach Schnellenberger will serve as a great reminder to all who enter our stadium of his vision, impact and legacy.”

 Schnellenberger played for Paul “Bear” Bryant at the University of Kentucky and served as an assistant to Bryant at the University of Alabama. He was an assistant to NFL Hall of Fame coaches George Allen (Los Angeles Rams) and Don Shula (Dolphins), and served as head coach of the Baltimore Colts during the 1973 season and of three games in 1974.

 Schnellenberger was hired as FAU’s director of football operations on May 1, 1998. He coached FAU’s inaugural game on Sept. 1, 2001, against Slippery Rock at Pro Player Stadium in Miami. Under Schnellenberger’s leadership, the Owls won the New Orleans Bowl in 2007, marking the quickest a program had advanced to a bowl game after moving to Division I-A, which was later renamed the Football Bowl Subdivision. FAU also won the Motor City Bowl the following season.