The city is currently accepting applications for the Green Living Task Force, which will be responsible for developing a plan to heighten environmental awareness throughout Boca Raton. Those interested should possess a knowledge of or interest in environmental sustainability, and the nine members will be appointed by the city council. Members must be city residents or own real property in Boca Raton, but up to two members can be Boca business owners. The task force will present its findings in a written report to the city council, and applications must be submitted to the city clerk’s office by July 17. For more information or to download the application, visit www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us and click on taskforce application.

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Residents of Woodfield Country Club and Woodfield Hunt Club recently joined forces to help local families in crisis. The "Woodfield Feeds the Hungry" initiative was led by volunteers from the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, and they raised $9,000 in food and monetary donations during May.
“As unbelievable as it may sound, there are many people in our Boca-Delray Jewish community who are going hungry. The donations went to the Forster Family Kosher Food Pantry, a program of Ruth Rales Jewish Family Service that is helping more families than ever before,” said project co-chairwoman Susan Rahn.
Several of Woodfield’s younger residents also joined the project and raised funds by canvassing neighborhoods and setting up lemonade stands. For more information or to assist, e-mail jessicar@bocafed.org or call 561-852-3109.

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Congressman Ron Klein will be in Boca Raton this week discussing health care and veterans' issues. Klein will host a health care town hall from 2 to 3:30 p.m. June 29 at the Boca Raton Community Hospital’s Dawson Theater, 800 Meadows Road, and his staff will assist constituents with health care casework. He will also meet with the Veteran’s Advisory Board from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. June 30 at Palm Beach Community College in room HT 102, 3000 St. Lucie Ave., to assist with VA claims and registration for the new GI Bill. For more information, call 561-544-6910.

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JJ Grey headlined the event under the watchful eye of a budding fan. A crowd of eco-enthusiasts gathered this past weekend for the inaugural "Surfin Snook Summer Jam" at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in West Boca to raise awareness and celebrate a recent landmark decision. The event was co-sponsored by the Snook Foundation and the Palm Beach County chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, both of whom were plaintiffs in a recent lawsuit against the town of Palm Beach. The proposed project would have granted the town a permit to dredge and fill 1.8 miles of beach surrounding the Lake Worth pier with what the groups argued was poor-quality sediment.

"This project would have obliterated the beach and coastal environment because the material they proposed to use would not cement. It would end up on top of 7 acres of reef, kill off marine life and jeopardize tourism revenue by impacting surfing, fishing and diving," said event co-chairman and Surfrider chapter chairman Greg Lyon.

Snook Foundation Southeast Florida Regional Director Brett Fitzgerald said the lawsuit is proof positive that grassroots campaigns can and do bear fruit.

"It really is a huge victory on so many levels. There was so much science and concrete evidence backing our case that it would have been very difficult to come to any other conclusion," he said.

Dee and Ed Ottenthal moved to West Boca one year ago from New Jersey and it was their first time at the amphitheater.

"This is such a beautiful venue, and the music has been fantastic. What these organizations are doing is so important, and it also nice to be able to spend time outside watching the sun set sipping a glass of wine," said Dee.

For information about the organizations, visit www.surfriderpbc.org or www.snookfoundation.org.

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Julie Ott, Lee Steinberg, Larry Casey, CEO of the American Red Cross Greater Palm Beach Area Chapter, and Tracy Sussman, manager of the South County Service Center.

Boca Raton resident Lee Steinberg moved to the area in 2003, just in time to witness the aftermath of a busy hurricane season. He saw how much support the local Red Cross provided to struggling residents and has been a major benefactor for the last six years. Steinberg recently donated $40,000 to the Red Cross as part of its HEROES Campaign, a six-week fundraising initiative that wrapped up June 5.

“The money was donated through the Lee Pearlson Steinberg Foundation, which my mother is also a part of. We try to support organizations that make an impact locally, and the Red Cross certainly fits that bill,” he said.

Steinberg said he had always known of the Red Cross’ work internationally, but was unaware of how much assistance the group provides to local residents in need.

“We all know how quickly they respond in a storm’s aftermath, but they do so much more. If a local family is displaced by a fire, they are right there with food or anything else they may need,” said Steinberg.

He also said the only other entities that provide so much support to so many are police and fire departments, both of which are funded.

“The Red Cross sustains by way of donations, and they do not receive any kind of funding. I wanted to be involved with an organization that helps everyone regardless of race, gender, age or any other factors,” he said.

For more information or to assist, call 561-994-2060 or visit www.redcross-pbc.org/southcounty.

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A handful of residents were recently treated to a wealth of pertinent information during the city’s Hurricane Preparedness Workshop. Representatives from the National Hurricane Center, Red Cross, Fire Rescue Services and various city departments spoke in a unified voice about the importance of early preparation and extending the discussion.

“I’d like to think that the attendance is a bit low because everyone knows this information and is making the necessary plans. Hopefully, everyone here will extend the conversation and discuss these measures with their neighbors,” said Boca’s emergency management coordinator Nicole Gasparri.

Meteorologist Robert Molleda made the trek north from the hurricane center in Miami and provided a comprehensive overview of the forecast process and Boca’s susceptibility.

“Based on history and all of the models, the chance of tropical storm or hurricane force winds passing within 75 miles of Boca Raton is about 15 percent. That may not seem like a big number, but the odds of winning the lottery hover in the .001 percentile but people do win,” he said.

Hurricane season officially began June 1, but Molleda said things really heat up in August.

“Based solely on numbers, Sept. 10 is the peak of the season. That said, sometimes people let their guard down a bit as we near October, but as we all know in South Florida, October can be a busy month,” he said.

Proper generator use and storage was a recurring theme, and public information officer Frank Correggio was emphatic about one particular point.

“Even if you don’t have a generator yourself, your neighbors may, and you should absolutely have a carbon monoxide detector. Do not run the generator near a vent or especially near an open window,” he said.

For information on city measures and programs, visit http://www.ci.boca-raton.fl.us/safety/hurricane.

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St. Andrew’s School recently became the first school in the state and the sixth in the nation to be awarded the Gold level certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. The rating is based on the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards, which is a voluntary third party rating system where credits are earned for satisfying specified green building criteria.

“We are thrilled and honored that the Moabery Early Years Learning Center has been certified at the Gold level by the LEED for Schools Rating System. Saint Andrew’s School is fully committed to finding long term ways to do our part and live in balance with the natural world that sustains us,” said school headmaster Dr. Ann Marie Krejcarek. F
or more information about the rating system, visit www.usgbc.org.

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The Sugar Sand Park Community Center, 300 S. Military Trail, is accepting applications for its third annual juried art show, "Come Out & Play," until 5 p.m. July 3. Interested artists must be 18 or older, and entries can be two or three-dimensional work. Forms are available at www.sugarsandpark.org or at the community center. For more information, call 561-347-3900.

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West Boca Medical Center was recently awarded certification as a Primary Stroke Center by the state. The designation is based on treatment protocols and the hospital’s ability to diagnose and treat stroke patients rapidly.
“Being certified as a Primary Stroke Center is truly a great accomplishment for West Boca Medical Center and our community as a whole. This designation reinforces West Boca Medical Center’s strategic goal of achieving excellence in healthcare,” said WBMC CEO Mitch Feldman.
Time is of the essence in the event of a stroke, and Feldman said treatment begins immediately and continues after the patient is discharged. For more information, visit www.westbocamedctr.com.

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Starting July 1, the Mae Volen Senior Center will partner with the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County to begin day-to-day management of the Adolph and Rose Levis Alzheimer and Adult Day Care Center on the Federation’s campus in West Boca. “We are especially pleased that our search for a partner led us to Mae Volen, a highly qualified and most experienced agency from within our own community. Our Federation has provided tremendous support to this vital service and will continue to do so,” said Federation President and CEO William Bernstein.
Mae Volen President and CEO Elizabeth Lugo said the union is a perfect fit. “Like the Federation and JCC, we know the profound value, for both clients and caregivers, of a rich, nurturing environment that recognizes seniors as unique and complex individuals. This is now our joint commitment to the community,” she said. For more information, call 561-558-2510.

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