Thankful…

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, we’d like to offer a short list of what we’re thankful for in Boca Raton and Delray Beach.
This is by no means a complete list, just some things that are top of mind these days.

Wise Tribe -this Delray Beach based organization is quietly but effectively building community and asking provocative and important questions via a series of events and talks. We’re grateful for their passion and willingness to convene.

Boca Bowl– Isn’t it cool that we have our very own Bowl game?

Boca’s Office of Economic Development—This very active office is crushing it. Just check out their social media feed. Always positive, always newsworthy and always announcing lots of jobs and partnerships with local companies and CEOs.

The holiday display at 5th Avenue Grill–Simply magnificent and a great Delray tradition. GM Glenn “Zippy” Fiedler and his staff do an amazing job.  Make sure to check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

Delray’s downtown seasonal festivities– Lots of hard work goes into making Delray a holiday hot spot. We appreciate it. So do tens of thousands of visitors and residents.

Community Greening—this nonprofit has a simple but profound mission: plant trees in Delray and educate people about the benefits. If you want to see how this works up close head to Knowles Park on November 25 from 9 am to noon to help the group plant trees. You’ll have fun and they’ll give you pizza.
Sounds like a deal.

Creative Mornings —At the risk of being sappy, we just love the positive energy and smart conversation. This month’s meeting at Saltwater Brewery was lots of fun and an eye opener about the health of our oceans and planet.  They have built something very special at Creative Mornings. Very very special.

Delray Art League–This community institution is a local treasure. Not only do they produce wonderful works of art, but they support young artists with scholarships. You can catch this amazing group during its next Artists in the Park outing Dec. 2 at Veterans Park. You won’t be disappointed and the artists are also very nice.
Happy Thanksgiving!

Things We Liked In September

Congrats to the DBMC and Chamber!

Well, September 2017 may not be remembered fondly thanks to Irma, Harvey and Maria.

October is off to a heartbreaking start as well with a horrific mass shooting in Las Vegas.

Still, we aim to stick to our tradition (starting last month) of pointing out some good things in our world and community.

Things we liked in September…
In no particular order…

  • Neighbors helping neighbors pre and post Irma. At times like this, we sometimes discover and often rely on neighbors to help us prepare and cope. For this we are thankful.
  • The Abe and Louie salad
  •  Cream of Mushroom soup at Madison’s. It’s a great restaurant. Try it.
  • Old School Bakery. There are no words to describe the artistry of Old School’s bread.
  • WPTV’s Steve Weagle doing stellar work pre and post Irma. We also rediscovered Bryan Norcross and send shout outs of appreciation to other local meteorologists.
  •  The yeoman’s work done by city staff and utility workers in Boca and Delray to help us get back on our feet post Irma.
  •  The book “The New Brooklyn” by Kay Hymowitz. If you love cities and want to gain some insights on gentrification look no further.
  •  Actress Kristen Bell of “Frozen” entertaining senior citizens and others while riding the storm out in Orlando.
  •  The Good Place on Netflix-starring Ms. Bell.
  •  The black and white cookies at 3Gs.
  •  The guy who plays Spanish guitar at Farmers Table in Boca.
  •  The zest for life and learning that we see from our friend Connor Lynch.
  • A photo of Dr. Craig Spodak with the great Simon Sinek on Instagram. Mr. Sinek wrote the great book “Start With Why”, which is a must read. Dr. Spodak is also an inspiration.
  •  My new grand puppy Riley. An adorable golden (are there any other kind?).
  •  The memory of Phish an adorable Chihuahua and a longtime fixture at the Delray Green Market. Hugs to Jim and Lori Nolan.
  •  Thanks to Hypower Electrical Services and John Potts of TAW Power Systems for their efforts to restore power to the Sandoway Discovery Center saving animals and sea life that were endangered by the loss of electricity. Awesome.
  •  Marisa Herman’s stellar work at the Delray and Boca Newspaper. Make sure to catch her front page article on 92 year old author Bob Levinson in this month’s Delray Newspaper.
  •  Debbie Stackhouse Smith too!
  • Happy one year anniversary to Delray Morning Live and kudos to the excellent hosts Kate Volman and Ryan Boylston. Joe and Mika have nothing on these two.
  •  The music of Steely Dan. Rest In Peace Walter Becker. Thanks for decades of unforgettable music.
  • Congratulations to Dupree Jackson Jr.

    Keep your eye on him. He’s a powerful and committed leader with a big heart. And boy do we ever need heart in our world and communities.

  • We are also immensely impressed with WiseTribe and its leader Jacqueline Botting.
  • Congratulations to the Delray Marketing Cooperative and Delray Chamber of Commerce for winning international recognition. The International Festivals & Events Association (IFEA), which recognizes the world’s best event producers, recently announced the winners of its annual Pinnacle Awards during its 62nd annual convention  in Tucson, Arizona. The Delray Beach Marketing Cooperative (DBMC) and the Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce each received a Gold Award, the IFEA’s highest honor, proving once again that when it comes to showing the public an awesome time no one can compete with Delray Beach events, even on an international level.The DBMC won for Best Newspaper Insert for the Famous 100 Foot Christmas Tree and the Chamber won for Best Promotional Video for its Seek in the City Scavenger Hunt.

    We know we missed some good news–so this is only a partial list. But also a reminder that even in difficult times, we have much to be thankful for.