It used to be that after October 15, you could let your guard down and breathe a sigh of relief that another hurricane season had elapsed. Now for the second time in three years, we are facing late season storms. Instead of Halloweens marred by snow like our northern neighbors, tropical systems are ruining one of the best childhood nights of the year.

Two years ago, Wilma struck the week before Halloween. People were still cleaning up the mess and trying to get power restored on October 31. This year Noel and its wind and rain are threatening to make this a soggy disaster.

Some communities have already cancelled planned outdoor events. Trick or treating, if it does take place, will be mother nature's trick and certainly not a treat in this weather.

One option is to take the activites indoors. The Town Center at Boca Raton mall will be hosting trick or treaters from 6:00 through 7:30. Masks are only allowed on children ten years of age and younger and toy weapons are prohibited. Although it's not the same as going door to door in your neighborhood, at least its one way to salvage a little joy.

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Despite running the risk of sounding like Boca's head cheerleader, I have to say that the Women's Center at the Boca Raton Community Hospital is an outstanding resource, conducting over 45,000 mammograms each year. The Fourth Annual Go Pink Breast Cancer Awareness Luncheon, which took place on October 15 at Boca West Country Club, highlighted just how lucky we are to have this facility and its’ dedicated doctors and staff.

Dr. Louise Morrell, the Medical Director of the Center for Breast Care at Boca Raton Community Hospital, spoke optimistically about the advancements in cancer detection and treatment. She proudly noted that the Hospital offers the latest medical technology, digital mammograms, for all patients. Nationwide less than 20% of the population is able to take advantage of this innovation.

Geralyn Lucas, the guest speaker and author of Why I Wore Lipstick to My Mastectomy, gave an amazing speech discussing her bout with breast cancer. Diagnosed with breast cancer at age 27, she spoke about how she took back control of her life by wearing red lipstick to her surgery, high heals for chemo treatment, and choosing a bigger cup size for her reconstruction. Her vibrant, funny yet also serious discussion was a great example of how she is making an impact on other women's lives.

The luncheon itself was a pink wonderland with pink tablecloths, pink centerpieces and over 750 guests many sporting pink ensembles. The swag bag was great and included potpourri, chocolates, a teddy bear and a $25 coupon for Saks Fifth Avenue.

Annually, I sit in the waiting room at the Women's Center at Boca Raton Community Hospital sick to my stomach with fear over my impending mammogram and ultrasound. Although I hope to never avail myself of any other services at the Women's Center, it is comforting to know that the most medically up to date and complete compassionate care is offered right here in our backyard.

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You know that the South Palm Beach County Women’s Tennis Association season is in full force when you start seeing more women in tennis outfits at Publix. Tennis matches for all levels started Monday, September 17, 2007 and continue through May, 2008. Over twelve hundred women from their twenties upwards participate in the league’s weekly matches.

Teams are composed of up to sixteen players from various country clubs, neighborhoods, community centers and public courts. There are nine divisions and anywhere from seven to fourteen teams in a division, with division one being the strongest players. Matches start at 10 a.m. and conclude with lunch hosted by the home team. Depending on how you play and/or the venue, lunch can be the highlight of the day.

Changes to the league this year include a new rule about footfaults and the addition of flexible scheduling for matches on weeks taking place near religious holidays. Rule books have been distributed to all team captains and rosters and team scores will continue to be available and updated throughout the year at www.spbcwta.org. There are still openings on several teams and if you are interested in joining the league refer to the website.

Good luck to all players and especially Swim and Racquet Club Team 4. Let the games begin!

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Quick, what’s pink and twenty seven stories high in Boca Raton? If you guessed the Tower at the Boca Raton Resort and Club, you know your Boca hotels. The hotel, designed by renowned architect Addison Mizner over 80 years ago, is a cool historical treasure given Boca’s history of new cookie-cutter developments. The resort is also a great place for a quick weekend getaway if you know how to take advantage of being a local.

Although the hotel limits daily visits to those who pay a substantial sum and join as Members, anyone staying overnight gets full run of all the facilities. As any savvy Floridian knows, if you go during low or shoulder season you can snag a good deal and get to be king or queen of the hill at reduced rates. Another alternative for better rates is to bid on a hotel package in one of the myriad local charity silent or live auctions. The hotel often donates rooms and/or golf and sometimes you can get a good deal on a two night stay.

Disappointingly for now the Beach Club is closed for renovations. The pool area at the beach is not scheduled to reopen until April, 2008, while the Beach Club hotel rooms will not be available for occupancy until 2009. Even without the Beach Club, however, there are plenty of activities available.

My family recently took advantage of the off season rates and had a blast. My husband played golf on the resort course and raved about the magnificent setting. The on site marina has a variety of boating options and we loved our trip on the Ocean Breeze catamaran. There is a beautiful pool, multiple clay tennis courts, a well equipped fitness room, a croquet course and a first class spa complete with exotic treatment options.

The restaurants at the hotel are good but like everything else very pricey. We had a celebratory dinner at Old Homestead and it was excellent. A less expensive option for locals is to simply drive off property and enjoy your favorite Boca restaurant. Being a resident, you can take advantage of the hotel on your terms and benefit from this town treasure.

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“NBC and the RNC both had a concern about Boca Raton because it sounded snooty, was not a real city, like holding a debate in Beverly Hills.” This quote refers to the nationally televised presidential debates that will take place in January on the FAU campus, but could have been about anything taking place in Boca Raton. The city is perpetually stereotyped and maligned in both local and national media and I don’t know about you, but I am tired of it.

How dare anyone say that we are not a real city? We have a strong city government that works to appropriately manage growth, lots of hardworking local businesses, flourishing schools, a vibrant cultural community, and active charitable organizations. We might have more than our per capita share of restaurants and plastic surgeons, but we are still a true society of concerned and active citizens.

Boca Raton is by no means the most affluent city in South Florida yet it gets a bad rap as being full of rich snobs. Sure there are lots of wealthy folks here, but there are just as many if not more in places like Palm Beach and Jupiter Island. More importantly, there is a broad spectrum of individuals living in Boca. There are soccer moms, retirees scraping by on Social Security, working professionals, families on welfare, college students, Democrats, Republicans, people of all religious faiths – in short, a true community of people who chose to make their home here.

I would like to use this blog to highlight the amazing things that make Boca a real city and intend to feature organizations, events and people who contribute to making our town special. Of course, I’ll be starting from my own experiences but if you have someone or something that you think is noteworthy, please let me know by responding to this blog. I’d also like to start keeping track of movies, books, magazines, and news articles that refer to Boca and checking them for derogatory connotations. Let me hear from you so that we can combat the Boca Raton character assassination!

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