Hospice by the Sea is offering a grief camp for children ages 5 to 15 from Wednesday, Oct. 24 to Friday, Oct. 26 to assist them in dealing with the loss of a loved one.

The camp is offered at Hospice, 1631 W. Palmetto Park Road, just east of Interstate 95.

“Many school guidance counselors recommend our program for their students," said Ken Walters of Hospice by the Sea. "Our staff of volunteers comes from a wide range of professions, and we have therapists, nurses and athletic coaches.”

The children take part in activities such as canoeing, but also keep journals and write letters to their departed loved one. “It may be a parent, grandparent or a sibling," Walters said of those attending the camp. "And the last night of the camp they put the letter in a huge bonfire.”

In addition, an afternoon session is offered for caregivers. Camp officials are in constant contact with the child’s parent or guardian during the free camp, Walters said.

For information visit www.hospicebytheseafl.org or call 561-416-5059.

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Ron Klein
U.S. Rep. Ron Klein, the incumbent for House District 22, will square off against his Republican rival, Allen West, in a debate scheduled at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Oct. 20 at the Boca Pointe Country Club in Boca Raton.

Reporters from newspapers in the area will moderate the debate. Seating is limited to the first 500 people to register at bpro@earthlink.net, including the names and phone numbers of up to four attendees.

Allen West

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Boca Helping Hands has been lending a hand to families in need since 1998. The nonprofit group has had to operate from several locations in the Boca Raton area.

Officials have been searching for a permanent home for Boca Helping Hands for the past five years without success.

But now that search is over: The group recently announced it has found a site from which to provide all of its services to the community.

“It really is a dream come true for everyone that has been involved over the years, and we will be able to provide all of our services from a single location now,” said Linda Gove, executive director of Boca Helping Hands.

The 12,000-square-foot building at 1500 NW First Court will be unveiled during a ceremony scheduled at 10 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2. The new space features a community room, job development program space, a pantry warehouse center and administrative offices.

Boca Helping Hands provides 27 tons of food each year. Last year 500 families received assistance with utility bills, rent, medication and transportation.

For information visit www.bocahelpinghands.org or call 561-417-0913.

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JARC, formerly known as the Jewish Association for Residential Care, operates six group homes for adults with developmental disabilities in South Palm Beach County.

That number will soon grow to 10 homes at JARC’s Yamato Court development near Yamato Road and U.S. Highway 441. Each of the 5,000-square-foot homes has eight bedrooms, back-up generators and hurricane-resistant glass windows.

Developers Harvey Geller and Rob Levy donated the land, and JARC board member Michael Greenberg and Minto Communities also donated their services to the project.

The new campus is named after long-time JARC benefactor Norman Rales, who will be honored at the association’s dinner dance and gala next year.

For information visit www.jarcfl.org.

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The Town Center at Boca Raton mall recently was equipped with a closed circuit television system and command post.

The new security system will be unveiled at a 9 a.m. ceremony Thursday, Oct. 2 at the mall's Terrace at Town Center wing. In addition, the ceremony also will include the ribbon-cutting for the Boca Raton Police Department's new substation at Town Center.

The changes follow last year's discovery of a mother and daughter who had been killed and left inside the woman's vehicle in a mall parking lot. No suspect has been found in the case.

The 1,700-square-foot police substation, located at the Terrace at Town Center, will serve as the operational base for officers patrolling the mall and will be staffed by civilian volunteers and community service officers.

For information call 561-368-6001.

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Linda Botwinick of West Boca Raton is using the downturn in the real estate market to her advantage.

The real estate agent says that as business has shifted, she's been nurturing her artistic side and has 40 paintings on display at Sugar Sand Park, 300 S. Military Trail.

“I am a member of the Boca Museum’s Artists Guild, and this is truly my passion. I do enjoy real estate as well, and it gives me a good right brain/left brain balance,” Botwinick said.

She described her work as Impressionistic and based mostly on her travels. “I ... always bring my camera, and people really seem to relate to the work," she said.

"I heard a saying once that I very much believe in: it is not how many breathes you take in life that counts, but what takes your breathe away,” Botwinick said.

Her work will be on display through Wednesday, Oct. 8. For information call Botwinick at 561-271-8132.

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Jewish women of all ages recently prepared for the new year at the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County’s women’s season kick-off event.

Those in attendance were treated to an afternoon of expert beauty advice, and Temple Beth El Associate Rabbi Jessica Spitalnic Brockman spoke to the crowd about the relationship between inner and outer beauty.

“We are delighted that our outreach throughout the community for this event has been so successful," said Kathy Green, co-chairwoman of the event with Lisa Siemens.

“Almost half the women attending are newcomers, and in this difficult economic period, with so many people in need in our own neighborhoods in Israel and elsewhere, it’s even more important to let people who care know how they can get involved and help,” Green said.

For information about opportunities for women, e-mail Idan@bocafed.org or call 561-852-3342.

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Poppi Mercier, Barbara Schmidt and Maria Levix

Barbara Schmidt of the Schmidt Family Foundation recently presented the Children’s Museum of Boca Raton with a $10,000 donation to support the museum's upcoming expansion project.

The Schmidt Family Foundation has supported the museum for several years through their FACES multicultural program, which helps to expose various Florida cultures to museums through use of the Traveling Museum.

The first phase of the expansion of the Children's Museum is the construction of a village commons area that will focus on local heritage to further the museum’s mission of exposing children to arts, culture, science, history and humanities.

“The new construction will be on the right hand side of the two buildings we have now, and the bottom will be called Jason’s Music Hall, and we will have musical programming for young children,” said Poppi Mercier, the museum's executive director.

Mercier said there also will be construction of a building called the Voyager dedicated to science and technology.

For information about the Children’s Museum or the building campaign, call 561-368-6875.

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A group of Barack Obama supporters gathered outside the Republican Party’s Boca Raton office at the northeast corner of Dixie Highway and Yamato Road earlier today to protest John McCain’s economic policies.

The protesters also made distinctions between the beliefs of each of the presidential candidates.

“Social Security is vital to the country and future generations. McCain wants the younger generation to forgo Social Security and invest in an extremely unstable market,” protester Barbara Roth said.

Bobby Gravitz, spokesman for the Obama campaign in South Florida, also was on hand. He said Obama is better equipped to handle the challenges of the times. “McCain has called Social Security a disgrace as recently as July, and we believe there is nothing disgraceful about one of the cornerstones of the country,” he said.

Most passersby honked in seeming support of the group, but a well-dressed man in a black Cadillac could not resist the temptation and U-turned several times to confront the protesters.

They bantered back and forth in civil tones about Republican allegations of higher taxes. “There are so many problems and McCain is just more of the same. I have a business in Nashville and had to give my employees gas vouchers to get to work, and now there is no gas at all. I’m not sure what happened to the leadership of this country,” said Greg Harrison.

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Retired Air Force Major General Scott Gration and Senior Advisor Richard Clarke are scheduled to visit Boca Raton Wednesday, Sept. 24.

The pair will speak at Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road, at 5:15 p.m. on Barack Obama’s platform as part of the presidential candidate's Change We Need foreign policy tour. The three-day effort kicks off Tuesday, Sept. 23, and visits nine Florida universities and colleges.

Topics include strengthening America’s international standing, ending the Iraq War responsibly, fighting al Qaeda and achieving energy security. For information call 561-297-3000.

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Yvonne S. Boice, president of Fugazy International Travel in Boca Raton, is scheduled to speak for Palm Beach Community College's Women’s Leadership Institute on Global Issues.

Her speech is set for 9 to 11 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3 at PBCC's Boca Raton campus at Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road. Her presentation, "Women: Basic Rights and Freedom - Comparing and Contrasting Women’s Lives Around the World," focuses on the difference in women’s rights in the U.S. and abroad.

PBCC’s Women’s Leadership Institute was created in conjunction with local chapters of the American Association of University Women and Zonta International.

The session costs $10. For information call 561-862-4401.

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JARC, 21190 95th Ave. S. in West Boca Raton, has planned an employer appreciation breakfast/resource fair starting at 8:30 a.m. Friday, Oct. 3.

The breakfast portion of the event honors companies that have hired developmentally disabled JARC residents and clients. Starting at 10 a.m., the resource fair will provide a variety of information about health-related issues, including government benefits.

The fair is open to the public and will also feature representatives from stage agencies, pharmaceutical companies and financial planning firms. The event is free, but reservations are required.

For information or to register call 561-558-2550.

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The American Health Association is accepting nominations for its annual Senior Achievement Awards, which honor area senior citizens who volunteer at nonprofits.

This year’s ninth annual awards are focusing on those who have served in the Armed Services. “We really want to honor seniors who have served, particularly those from Palm Beach [County] who are veterans of the current conflicts,” said J. Robert Gordon, American Health Association president.

The categories in which award are presented include health care, human services, civic services, longevity and a discretionary award presented by the judges.

Winners will be honored at a luncheon scheduled Tuesday, Nov. 11 at Benvenuto Restaurant, 1730 N. Federal Highway in Boynton Beach. Luncheon tickets cost $35, but entry is free for veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Nominations are being accepted until 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 26. The nomination form can be found at www.americanhealthassociation.org.

For information call 561-361-9091.

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The Caldwell Theatre Company is hosting a voter registration drive from 5 to 10 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 20 and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 21 in the main lobby of the theater building at 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton.

There will be trained volunteers assisting voters and applications will be available in English and Spanish.

Prospective voters must be 18 or older and have a valid picture ID with a signature. Registration for the Nov. 4 general election ends Saturday, Oct. 4.

Those unable to attend the Caldwell event can register at http://election.dos.state.fl.us/gen-faq.shtml#link1.

For information call 561-656-6200.

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Left, Rabbi Jordan Friedman

Rabbi Jordan Friedman recently was named the first full-time rabbi for West Boca Raton's Congregation Shaarei Kodesh.

Friedman was ordained from Hebrew Union College and served as associate rabbi at Denver’s Congregation Emanuel for four years, then as assistant rabbi at Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell, Ga.

He has a bachelor’s degree in business from the University of Colorado and a certificate in Jewish Early Childhood Education from Gratz College in Pennsylvania.

Rabbi Friedman will be installed at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 18 at Congregation Shaarei Kodesh, 19785 Hampton Drive.

For information visit www.shaareikodesh.org or call 561-852-6555.

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Spanish River Christian School’s 11th annual golf tournament is set for Oct. 4 at Boca Greens Country Club, 19642 Trophy Drive in West Boca. Proceeds of the tournament will benefit the school’s technology department.

“We have a very modern technology department and the equipment is always in need of updating,” said project coordinator Miriam Tobias.

The bulk of the funds will go to the technology department, but Tobias said 10 percent of the proceeds from all fundraisers go to the school’s scholarship fund.

For information or to register for the tournament, call 561-994-5006, ext. 289.

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Below, Allan Federman works on fighting cancer.

Allan Federman, 30, is a survivor of testicular cancer who decided to share his experience with those who find themselves in a similar situation.

Federman, who lives in Boca Raton, is getting the ball rolling on starting a South Florida chapter of Imerman Angels, a Chicago-based cancer support organization with a different approach.

“The concept is simple: a survivor is matched with a person battling the same cancer based on geographic location and age,” Federman said.

The "cancer fighter" and"survivor" talk to one another on a regular basis.

Federman said he wished he'd had that kind of support while he was going through treatment.

“It would have been wonderful to ask questions of a person that went through the same exact thing," he said. "There is so much uncertainty, and that perspective would have been invaluable.”

Jonny Imerman, who at 26 was diagnosed with cancer, founded Imerman Angels to provide the kind of support he lacked. The group’s goal is by January 2013, every cancer fighter in the U.S. will have free access to a cancer survivor within 24 hours of being diagnosed.

For information about getting involved in a South Florida chapter, call 561-212-2001, send an e-mail to anonymous.good.friend@gmail.com, or visit www.imermanangels.org.

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Residents and staffers at the St. Andrews Estates North, Edgewater Pointe Estates and St. Andrews Estates South retirement communities recently donated 1,800 pounds of food to Boca Helping Hands.

ACTS Retirement-Life Communities owns the three properties, and the drive was done in conjunction with the ACTS southern division corporate office. Nationwide, 13,000 residents and staff from ACTS communities collected 26,000 pounds of food that will be distributed to 13 food banks in Alabama, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Florida.

Boca Helping Hands has been assisting needy area families since 1998, providing food, financial and job placement assistance. For information, visit www.bocahelpinghands.org.

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Below, Andrew Rose

Andrew M. Rose recently was promoted to senior vice president of marketing and corporate development for the West Boca Raton-based Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County.

Before joining the Federation in 2005, Rose was owner of the Deerfield Beach company Marketing Inc. for 17 years. He is a long-time volunteer in the area and received the Betty and Marvin Stone Leadership Award in 2004 for work done with the Adolph and Rose Levis Jewish Community Center.

Rose will oversee the Federation’s corporate sponsorship program. For information call 561-852-6034.

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Jeffrey Nadel, 15, a sophomore at Saint Andrew's School in Boca Raton, said he was tired of what he saw as the disparity between his obligations and his rights as a young teen, so he decided to do something about it.

Nadel helped found the newest chapter of the National Youth Rights Association in Boca Raton, and his primary goal is to lower the legal voting age to 16 in Florida.

"I am legally entitled to work, and I am required to pay both state sales tax and federal income tax, but I don't have the right to vote," he said. "I care about this country and this state and I want to be represented."

Nadel said he has rallied a group of politically engaged teenagers to support the
cause. They have created a Web site, filmed television commercials and are
looking for additional support.

For information, visit www.16tovote.org.

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Auditions for Boca Raton's annual Battle of the Bands are scheduled from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 27 and Saturday, Oct. 4 at the Mainstream Teen Center, 260 Crawford Blvd.

South Florida teens can try out for a chance to battle for musical supremacy on Saturday, Nov. 22, when the six selected bands will take the stage from 5 to 9 p.m.

“We certainly want as many participants from the Boca area as possible, but it is open to all area middle and high school students,” said Amanda Liebl, the teen center's youth programs coordinator.

The winner will receive $450 in cash and prizes, an eight-hour recording session at Day Door Studios and the chance to play gigs at Backbone Music and Island Water Sports.

For the auditions, bands must arrive 30 minutes before their scheduled start time and bring their own equipment. For information or to schedule an audition, call Liebl at 561-393-7888.

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Five Tenet hospitals in South Florida are collecting items for Haitians dealing with the aftermath of Hurricanes Gustav and Ike.

West Boca Medical Center, 21644 U.S. Highway 441, is the collection point in Palm Beach County. Items can be dropped off between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 19 in the hospital's main lobby of West Boca Medical Center.

Needed are nonperishable food such as rice, dried beans, canned goods, powdered milk, and bottled water. Non-food items including toothpaste, toothbrushes, blankets, towels, shampoo and soap also are needed.

The items will be taken to St. James Catholic Church in Miami for distribution to Haiti. For information call Linda-Jean Long at 561-488-8136.

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The Mae Volen Senior Center, 1515 W. Palmetto Park Road, is hosting an optical voting machine demonstration at 10 a.m. Friday, Sept. 26.

The Partnership for Aging has joined forces with the senior center to provide the demonstration, which will give voters a look at the new machines that will be used in upcoming elections.

The demonstration is open to all. For information, call 561-395-8920.

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Clothing designer Barbara Katz is joining Diagnostic Centers of America to host a luncheon and fashion show to kick off national Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Stride in Style event is set for 11:30 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 2 at The Addison, 2 E. Camino Real.

Proceeds will benefit South Palm Beach County's Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk on Saturday, Oct. 18 at Mizner Park in Boca Raton. Last year, 3,500 people walked and raised $345,000.

Tickets for the Stride in Style luncheon are $100 and can be purchased by calling 561-994-8600. For information about the walk, e-mail Maggie.Gunther@cancer.org or call 561-394-7751.

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A debate on the relevance of the Second Amendment, which gives citizens the right to keep and bear arms, has been scheduled at Florida Atlantic University's campus in Boca Raton in observance of Constitution Day.

The debate is set for 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 17 on the plaza outside the S.E. Wimberly Library, but will be moved inside in the event of inclement weather.

Dr. Kevin Wagner, assistant professor of political science, will moderate the debate, which is aimed at sparking interest in Constitutional issues among students.

For information e-mail Carol Lewis at at clewis@fau.edu or call 561-297-0245.

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If scaring the pants off of innocent folks sounds like a good time to you, Sugar Sand Park is offering some Halloween fun that's right up your alley.

Auditions have been are set for actors who want to participate in Sugar Sand's annual Shriek Week. Those interested in trying out for a scary role need to come out to the park, 300 S. Military Trail in Boca Raton, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 16; Wednesday, Sept. 17; and Thursday, Sept. 25.

The auditions are open to all. “If someone feels they can act and will be good at scaring people, come on out. There will also be compensation for professional actors based on experience,” said Stacee Cooney, the park's special events coordinator.

Shriek Week begins Wednesday, Oct. 24. For information visit www.sugarsandpark.org or call 561-347-3900.

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Teams from ACTS Retirement Life Communities battled it out this morning in the first Nintendo Wii senior bowling tournament.

Residents of Edgewater Pointe, St. Andrews Estates South and St. Andrews Estates North got into the swing of things as a roomful of supporters clad in team colors cheered them on with each falling pin.

“We’ve been playing for about five weeks, and it’s great because there is no heavy lifting," said Joe Riccobene of the St. Andrews South team. "We have people playing in wheelchairs, with walkers - anyone can play.”

St. Andrews South was trailing with only a few frames left, but team members bowled four consecutive strikes to take top honors.

ACTS community fitness director Betty Ankrom said she organized the tournament after hearing about a similar event held at a Pennsylvanian retirement community.

“They really get into it and compete, but in a friendly fashion," Ankrom said. "It is so important for them to stay active, and the Wii games are perfect for those less flexible.”

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Palm Beach County residents who will participate in the American Heart Association’s upcoming Start! Heart Walk gathered recently to kick off the event.

The celebration and fundraising event was at the Spanish River Library, 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd. and featured WPTV-Channel 5 television personalities Chandra Bill and Paige Kornblue.

The walk is scheduled Saturday, Sept. 27 at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton and the Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach. It is part of the Heart Association’s Start! initiative, which encourages companies to promote physical fitness among their employees.

For information about Start! or the Heart Walk, call 561-394-0170.

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Members of a Boca Raton group called Rescue Rehab Home are heading to Louisiana Wednesday, Sept. 10 to rescue animals left homeless in the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav.

Jamie Wolf founded the nonprofit organization one week before Hurricane Katrina struck the same region in 2005. “We went [to New Orleans] five days after Katrina hit and brought 24 dogs home, all of which have been adopted,” she said.

The group also will bring much-needed pet supplies to the area. Several items are still needed for the trip, Wolf said.

“We need carry kennels suitable for air travel and monetary donations, but what we need most are homes for the animals. We are bringing three vans with trailers and will incur major transportation costs,” she said.

The first group should be returning Sunday, Sept. 14, and there will be animals ready for adoption at that time.

For information or to assist, visit www.rescuerehabhome.org or call 561-894-1235.

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Some of the students previously helped by St. Paul.

Monika Walcheski, a pre-kindergarten teacher and cheerleading coach at St. Paul Lutheran School in Boca Raton, is heading to Honduras Sept. 17 to 20, but not for a vacation.

Rather, Walcheski is off to bring much-needed school supplies to a fourth-grade class in Honduras that St. Paul students and teachers also assisted two years ago. With St. Paul Lutheran Church members Kristen Martin and Richard Ambrose, Walcheski will distribute supplies collected from St. Paul students at the end of the 2007-2008 school year.

The three are transporting 98 boxes filled with notebooks, pens and other needed school items to schools in the villages of Tornabe, San Juan, Escondida, Triunfo de la Cruz and an orphanage outside San Pedro Sula.

The program was started by Kristen Martin in 2006.

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Massage Envy shops are taking appointments for the chain's free massage day on Monday, Sept. 15. In return for a free massage, the company is asking for donations that will be sent to the Susan G. Komen breast cancer research foundation of Miami/Fort Lauderdale.

"We've been a very successful franchise organization and this is our way of giving back," said Mark Sturman, South Florida spokesman for the event.

For Sturman this year's event is personal: His sister died May 3 of complications from breast cancer. He said within 15 minutes of her death he called the company and asked to spearhead the event.

"I wanted to make sure we did this right so that we are making a difference," he said.
In the past three years Massage Envy has raised more than $350,000 for the Komen foundation.

This is the first year the company is offering a day of free massages in all of its outlets, with a goal of raising about $10,000 per store. Massage Envy will have 800 stores nationwide by the end of the year with 23 in South Florida, 11 of which are in Palm Beach County.

Boca Raton-area locations are:

Mission Bay Plaza
20423 S. U.S. Highway 441
561-477-3689

7050 W. Palmetto Park Road
561-368-2111

4125 N. Federal Highway
561-750-6606

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The Palm Beach County School District has scheduled a program on the prevention of cyberbullying in schools at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 18 at the Safe Schools Institute in Boca Raton.

Organized in conjunction with the nonprofit Rodd D. Brickell Foundation, the program is to take place at the institute, on the campus of Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, 1750 NW Spanish River Blvd.

“It is the first program in response to the new legislation and there will be several more" scheduled, said Kim Mazauskas, a teacher with the district's Safe Schools Institute.

"The idea is to provide parents with resources and strategies to promote safe use of technology,” Mazauskas said.

Scheduled speakers include academic counselors, school principals, human resources personnel and research experts.

For information call 561-982-0900.

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Last year's Golden Bell breakfast was at West Boca High.

The Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce will be awarding several grants to Boca Raton-area public schools at its annual Golden Bell Breakfast set for Thursday, Sept. 11.

The majority of the funds presented by the chamber's Golden Bell Education Foundation were raised through the Splash of Gold Fashion Show event, with the remainder provided by corporate and private donations.

Last year, the foundation awarded $48,000 to a dozen area public schools. The chamber created the Golden Bell Education Foundation in 1991 and since then it has donated a total of $865,000, benefiting 50,000 students.

Thursday's breakfast is from 7:45 to 9 a.m. at the Marriott Boca Center, 5150 Town Center Circle. Tickets cost $15 online for members, $30 for members at the door and $50 for nonmembers.

Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.bocaratonchamber.com.

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Volunteers are needed to work in the gift shop at the new Spanish River Library, 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd.

Gift shop assistants work four hours per week helping patrons and ringing sales. That is not the only volunteer opportunity at the library, according to Catherine Vanden Broeck, volunteer coordinator for the city.

She said the library also is in need of tutors, an assignment that requires a larger commitment from volunteers.

“They teach adult students and typically meet twice a week working on things like comprehension,” she said. “English may not be their native tongue or they may not have had a formal elementary education.”

Vanden Broeck said that retired teachers make ideal tutors.

For information about volunteer opportunities, call 561-393-7770

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For the past three years, the Archer Disability Foundation has been helping disabled people to find jobs. The group is now turning to the community for financial assistance.

The foundation is hosting a night of dinner and dancing at 6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 12 at Ascension Catholic Church’s Family Center, 7250 N Federal Highway. All proceeds will help the ADF’s job placement efforts.

“It all started when I couldn’t find employment for my son anywhere,” said ADF President and Founder Rose Lee Archer. “I turned to the school district and different agencies, and nobody could help us.”

Last year, the foundation found jobs for 17 disabled people and Archer said it is time for the general public to realize the abilities of the disabled.

Cost of the dinner dance is $20 per person. For information, call Rose Lee Archer at 561-241-7987.

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At left: Cindy Metcalf and Irena Elmstrom show medals.

Boca Raton Fire Rescue’s Combat Challenge Team recently traveled to Haverhill, Mass. to compete in the second annual New England Championships.

And several members of he team came home with medals: Firefighter Irena Elmstrom and Assistant Fire Chief Cindy Metcalf won the Ladies Tandem event, and firefighters Shelly and Sherry Griffith received a bronze medal in their first-ever competition.

Elmstrom also won gold in the women’s individual competition and in the coed tandem competition with partner David Bowman.

Battalion Chief Brett Lea and Metcalf won bronze in the coed tandem competition. “Mutual Aide,” the men’s relay team, made the semi-finals and currently are ranked second for the Grand National Championships, scheduled Oct. 17 and 18 in Atlanta.

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Since 1985, the Boca Raton Welcome Club has been welcoming women who have recently moved to the area and is now looking to expand its membership.

The club is hosting an evening of dinner and dancing at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept 19 at Carmen's Restaurant, 999 E. Camino Real to introduce themselves to potential members.

"I came to Boca three years ago from Michigan and didn't know a soul,” said Lynn Kelin, the club’s publicity chairwoman. “The group really helped me make some very good friends and connect to the area immediately."

Kelin said the Welcome Club arranges group trips around South Florida and to local restaurants, offers book discussions and participates in local volunteer activities.

For information call Kelin at 561-487-0360 or e-mail her at lynn.kelin@gmail.com.

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The Haven, a Boca Raton alternative home for young men, recently received a $500,000 donation from the Vegso Family Foundation.

Haven officials say the funds will be used to renovate one of the four cottages on their campus at 21441 Boca Rio Road.

“The Vegso Family Foundation is a long-time Haven supporter, and their support has made a tremendous difference,” said Don Stewart, Haven executive director.

The Haven has 48 beds for boys and teens ages 11 to 17. The average stay at The Haven is about three years, Stewart said. “We do make exceptions in cases of siblings, and right now we have a 9-year-old boy who came along with his 11-year-old brother.”

The Haven provides the boys with life-skills programs along with their regular academics, and Stewart said 80 percent of the residents achieved at least a 2.0 GPA last year.

For information visit www.haven4kids.org.

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The Lion & Eagle Pub is no longer just for the English.

Rob Allen, the new owner of the pub at 2401 N Federal Highway formerly called the Lion & Eagle English Pub, said he didn’t want to give the impression that the bar is for Brits only.

“I’m English and very proud of it, but I want people to know that we are more of a neighborhood bar than an English bar,” Allen said. “Sometimes people hear ‘English pub’ and think all they can get is a Guinness and English food.”

While you can still get both at the Lion & Eagle, Allen has brought a new chef on board who has expanded the menu, and the pub now has a liquor license.

“Our chef has worked at several five-star restaurants and [since] some people don’t really care for beer, they [now] have a bar full of options,” he said.

For information call 561-447-7707.

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Motivational speaker Omar Periu, who has conducted about 5,000 seminars and training programs, is the featured speaker at the West Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 9 at the Boca Dunes Country Club, 400 Country Club Drive.

Perui has been a featured speaker at events with several A-list celebrities including Donald Trump, former President Gerald Ford and college football coach Lou Holtz. The Florida Business Advisory Council named Perui their 2008 Florida Business Man of the Year, and he is a member of the National Speakers Association.

The cost of the breakfast varies based on chamber membership status. For information, e-mail info@westbocachamber.com or call 561-482-9333.

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Boca Raton’s Altman Companies recently celebrated the opening of its newest project by bringing smiles to the faces of children in the area.

The Altman Development Company donated 200 teddy bears to the Boca Raton Police Department that will be distributed locally.

President and CEO Joel Altman supports several local organizations and founded the nonprofit Kids@Home in Boca Raton, which supports teens transitioning from foster care to adulthood. Kids@Home coordinates independent living services for more than 200 Palm Beach County adolescents.

For information visit www.kidsathome.org or www.altmancos.com.

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