“Who’s the boss?”

The BOSS, Boynton Online Services System is now available, giving residents access to up-to-date account information, billing history and consumption summaries on the Internet.

Customers can use the BOSS to pay utility bills using their credit cards.
To use the BOSS, log on to the city’s site at www.boynton-beach.org, click the online services button and follow the instructions.

Residents will need their account numbers, last billed amount, cycle and route.

The BOSS is a new suite of interactive online services that also includes a Business Tax module that allows businesses the convenience of renewing licenses online and Boynton e-News.

In the fall, the city will add a frequently asked questions section to the BOSS. The section will continue to grow as the public submits questions and staff supplies the answers.

An interactive online job application process is also being planned.

For information about BOSS, call 561-742-6300.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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A school cleanup, neighborhood cleanup, beautification of a community, a painted mural or canned food drive.

There are five options Great Florida Bank, 741 W. Boynton Beach Blvd., is offering residents to vote as to which will receive a $2,500 check from the bank.

The free funding is part of the bank’s “Building 7 Great Communities Campaign” in which it is entering seven communities in South Florida including, Boca Raton, Miami and Boynton Beach.

The Boynton Beach branch is having its grand opening at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 2, in which the winning project would be announced, said Terrence Brown, the bank's chief marketing officer.

Brown said his bank considers itself a local community bank, one which wants to fully know each community it enters.

“We wanted to come up with an idea that would get to the heart of the neighborhood,” he said. “Especially now with budgets cuts, we wanted to do something to help.”

Choose one of the following potential community enhancement projects at www.greatfloridabank.com/7greats and vote online.

Great Florida Bank is headquartered in Coral Gables, and was established on June 30, 2004 as a state-charted commercial bank.

Brown said Boynton Beach was a very high traffic spot and good market for deposits that would add liquidity to the bank.

“It is a high-producing location,” he said.

For information, visit www.greatfloridabank.com or call 866-514-6900.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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The Boynton Beach Young Professionals Group started in June and with two gatherings in the books, Jane Garee, co-chairwoman, said the group has been a success so far.

“We’ve seen about 40 people come to each event,” she said.

The young group highlights new businesses and new professionals ages 21 to 43 in the greater Boynton Beach area.

The group has flaunted such local bars as Slainte, Tentazione and Carolina Ale House.

“I’ve gotten business out of it,” she said, referring to the networking aspect of the group. “All the members are really active and agressive at networking.”

The third meeting is set to take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at Carolina Ale House, 365 N. Congress Ave.

The cost for the event is $5.

For information, call 561-452-1397.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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The nation witnessed 343 firefighters die in the tragedy of Sept. 11, 2001, and seven years later, those fallen firefighters are not forgotten by their brothers, said Steve Lewis, spokesman for the Boynton Beach Fire Department.

The Fire Chief’s Association of Palm Beach County is set to honor those who perished during Sept. 11 with a Remembrance Ceremony at 9 a.m. at Old School Square, 51 N. Swinton, in Delray Beach.

The event is set to include speakers from all around Palm Beach County, honor guard, and pipe and drum corps.

Sate Sen. Jeff Atwater will be the keynote speaker and a 21-gun salute to honor the fallen is also set to take place.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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Ronald McDonald is set to stop by for a reading hour at the West Boynton Beach Library, 9451 Jog Road, 10:30 a.m. Sept. 12.

With the Ronald McDonald Reading Challenge, children who read books from a suggested reading list can receive free food coupons for McDonald's.

Cilla Jacobson, youth services director for Palm Beach County libraries, said the children who visit branch libraries also fill out a visit card when they come in.

“Then at the end of the month of September, they are in a drawing for additional prizes like bikes and other goodies,” she said.

Jacobson said the reading challenge is for children in grades kindergarten through fifth.

Completed Reading Challenge visit cards qualify children for the prize drawing, including gift baskets from Dairy Farmers, Inc., Wal-Mart gift certificates and books.

More than 10,000 children throughout Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast participated in the McDonald’s Reading Challenge program last year.

The reading challenge is throughout the month of September.

 McDonald’s launched the program as a way to encourage children to discover all their libraries have to offer.

Complete rules for the McDonald’s Reading Challenge are available by calling 561-208-4178.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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With the summer season coming to an end, Boynton Beach residents and beachgoers have the opportunity to purchase new Oceanfront Park parking decals valid from Oct. 1 to Sept. 30 of next year.

Nicole Cangelosi, Recreation and Parks Department spokeswoman, said parking decals would be available for purchase beginning Sept. 9 at City Hall, 100 E. Boynton Beach Blvd.

They will also be on sale Sept. 10 at Intracoastal Park Clubhouse, 2240 N. Federal Highway.

Residents who live within the corporate city limits may purchase a parking decal.

Proof of residency or ownership within corporate city limits is needed, which can include a utility bill with the name of the individual seeking a parking decal, a current tax bill, a property deed or current executed lease agreement.

Residents also need vehicle registration for each vehicle.

Oceanfront Park parking decals are $30. The park is at 6415 N. Ocean Blvd.

For information, call 561-742-6650.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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Ronald McDonald has a busy month planned for September.

National Library Card Sign-Up Month takes place, along with the 16th annual McDonald’s Reading Challenge. 

Ronald McDonald is set to come out to the Boynton City Library, 208 S. Seacrest Blvd., at 4:30 p.m. Sept. 16 for a magic show and to promote reading.

Karen Abramson, library spokeswoman, said Ronald McDonald would be performing magic tricks to children of all ages and telling them about how they can get free McDonald’s food by reading.

The Reading Challenge encourages children to visit their libraries during September and sign up for a Reading Challenge Visit Card.

Abramson said if the children show that they have read most of the book from a suggested list, they could get free coupons for McDonald’s food.

“I think these kids would do almost anything for some free McDonald’s food, even read,” Abramson said.

More than 10,000 children throughout Palm Beach and the Treasure Coast participated in the McDonald’s Reading Challenge program last year. 

Complete rules for the McDonald’s Reading Challenge are available by calling 561-208-4178.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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Jonathan Pellnitz, a former student at South Tech Academy's Automotive Technology Program, completed his training in June 2007.

He was recently accepted into the Mercedes-Benz training program, located in Massachusetts.

The Mercedes-Benz program of study is titled the ELITE program and for students to qualify, they must have a quality grade point average, consistent attendance, and a perfect driving record and pass an entrance exam.

Jim Kidd, president at South Tech, said Pellnitz matured while at South Tech into an exceptional technician. He said he has full confidence in Pellnitz and believes he would excel in the Mercedes program.

Kevin Gary, advanced training manager for the Mercedes-Benz ELITE training program, said he was excited to have Pellnitz admitted into his program.

Pellnitz is set to start the program in October.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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The Boynton Beach Mall, 801 N Congress Ave., has implemented the addition of a canine security detail as part of its security program.

The new security enhancement is an addition to the current layers of mall security.

Lydia Gilmore, vice president for the Florida portfolio of Simon Property Group, said she thinks the extra security of canines would be an extension of the group’s current efforts as well as a partnership with local police.

The trained German Shepherd and handler make their way throughout the mall at various times to deter any potential criminal activity and disorderly conduct.

The trained dogs have been known to enforce order by chasing, holding or detaining suspects by virtue of the threat of it being released.

Canine patrols act as a visual deterrent, said John Lusher, vice president of IPC International, shopping center security.
 
Other Simon Property Group retail centers in Florida, including Palm Beach Mall, Dadeland Mall and Shops at Sunset Place are utilizing the added security measure.

John Petruzzi, vice president of corporate security and emergency management for Simon Property Group, said the goal is to give security exactly what it needs to ensure mall guests their safety. 

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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National Public Lands Day is the nation’s largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance the country’s public lands.

More than 125,000 volunteers help build trails, bridges, plant trees, remove garbage and remove invasive plants.

Gary Solomon, Sand Sifters organizer, said his local cleanup group would celebrate the 15th annual National Public Lands Day with a cleanup of its own 8 to 10:30 a.m. Sept. 6 at Oceanfront Park, 6415 N Ocean Blvd.

Solomon said free T-shirts are available while supplies last. For the Public Lands Day, a commemorative poster will also be given out.

For information, call 561-734-9128.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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On Aug. 29, Lynelle Chauncey Zelnar will be honored with the 2008 Glory Award for her work with Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, a local nonprofit that sends monthly care packages to soldiers overseas.

The award ceremony is set to take place at 6:30 p.m. at Crest Theatre in Delray Beach and is given annually to those in the community dedicated to volunteering and community involvement.

Tickets to the event are $22 for adults and $10 for children. All proceeds go to low-income areas of Delray Beach.

Food and live entertainment is scheduled at the ceremony.

Zelnar said she is truly honored to be a recipient of the award.

She said it is because of all the support she has received throughout the years that FSO is able to continue what began in 2003, simply to assure that deployed troops are not forgotten.

To buy tickets, call 954-415-8332.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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Technology used to differentiate real warhead missiles from decoys is now also being used to diagnose possible oral cancer.

OralCDx Laboratories of New York has created a new BrushTest™ that is non invasive and can be used by dentists to analyze spots in the mouth that seem abnormal.

Jamie Laviola, a Lake Worth dentist, introduced the BrushTest™ to his practice back in June.

He said the test could be administered easily, eliminating the need for a biopsy to be taken from the mouth.

“You just swab the gum and pull off cells from it,” he said. “Then you put the cells onto a slide and send the slide to OralCDx.”

Laviola said the results are faxed back to his office, 115 JFK Drive, within four to five days.

Sharon Golubchik, spokeswoman for OralCDx, said with the new technology and eliminating the need for a biopsy, no one should even think twice about getting the new test done.

She said oral cancer kills as many Americans as melanoma, twice as many as cervical cancer, occurs nearly as frequently as leukemia and is rising among women, young people and non-smokers.

OralCDx was co-founded in 2000 by Mark Rutenberg, who brought over the technology for the BrushTest™ after working with the Star Wars program in the 1980s.

The Star Wars Strategic Defense Initiative was a proposal by President Ronald Reagan in 1983 to use ground and space-based systems to protect the United States from attack by strategic nuclear ballistic missiles.

The initiative focused on strategic defense which included using computer technology to differential decoys from real warheads if a missile broke into different pieces and a decoy overlapped a real warhead on the satellite image.

Rutenberg said in the Star Wars program, technology differentiated the real warheads from decoys so that defense could focus on the real warheads and not waste resources on decoys.

“It is similar technology where with the brush test if the cells on the slide overlap, the computer can still recognize the normal cells from abnormal cells,” Rutenberg said.

With the BrushTest™ technology, OralCDx is not fooled if a normal cell overlaps an abnormal cell on the microscope slide.

Laviola said the transition to the new technology has been easy and that he believes the BrushTest™ would become commonplace in future dentist visits.

For information about the BrushTest™, visit www.oralcdx.com.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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A ceremonial demolition of the Old Lake Worth Bride took place Aug. 20 to make way for the new Snook Islands Natural Are Public Use Facility, to be located north of the current Lake Worth Bridge.

Palm Beach County Commissioner Robert Kanjian said he was not yet in possession of a demolition permit, thus the ceremonial demolition would have to suffice.

The new public use facility for Snook Island is set to begin construction next spring and will give residents access to the 100-acre Snook Islands completed in 2005, which includes 11 acres of mangroves, 2.2 acres of oyster reefs and more than 60 acres of seagrass habitat.

The new public use facility will include a boardwalk, gazebo, fishing pier and a 20-car or boat parking area.

“Sometimes progress comes by getting rid of the old things,” Kanjian said of the future demolition of the old bridge.

Kanjian said the assistance of Lake Worth Mayor Jeff Clemens was instrumental in the Snook Islands project.

“When you work together, that is when things can actually happen,” he said.

Clemens said the project would bring marine life back to Lake Worth.

“And this project will showcase the marine life here,” Clemens said.

Mike Rothman can be reached at mkrothman@tribune.com.

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