When I grew up in South Florida in the early 1970's, a cultured evening consisted of a night out at the famed Elbo Room on Fort Lauderdale beach. Since than theatres, art museums and performance venues have opened and expanded in cities from Miami through Palm Beach. The vast cultural wasteland of my youth has been transformed into an arts banquet and this winter season presents a smorgasbord of offerings.

The Boca Raton Museum of Art, located in Mizner Park, supplements its permanent collections with two special exhibitions. Degas in Bronze: The Complete Sculptures presents 73 Degas sculptures including ballet dancers, horses and women bathing. Tiffany Studios: Holtzman Collection showcases 50 stained glass pieces created by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Both exhibitions are a visual delight and run through April 27, 2008. For information about museum hours, curator tours and special events check out the museum website at http://www.bocamuseum.org.

The Festival of the Arts, also at Mizner Park, runs from February 29th through March 16th. The festival is a celebration of music, literature, film, art, food and wine. Some of the highlights of the program include literary events with Doris Kearns Godwin, Joyce Carol Oates and Ann Patchett and musical performances by the Pat Metheny Trio, Chick Corea, and the Russian National Orchestra with Joshua Bell, violin and Renee Fleming, soprano. This is the second year of the festival and if last years performances are an indication, this will be one of the outstanding pieces of the cultural season. Performance schedules and event tickets are available at http://www.festivaloftheartsboca.org.

The American Ballet Theatre will be performing its new production of Sleeping Beauty March 13 through 16 at the Carnival Center in Miami. This is the ABT's only Florida appearance this season and the ballet features 90 dancers, world-renowned principals and a full symphony orchestra. The Kravis and Broward Center both have numerous offerings including touring companies of such Broadway productions as Spamalot and Wicked.

For something a little unconventional, check out the Botero, Chihuly and Lichtenstein exhibit at Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami. The exhibit runs through May 31 and one of the highlights is the lighting of the sculptures on Thursday evenings from 6 until 9. You can walk through the gardens and take in the beauty of Botero's unique pieces, Dale Chihuly's glass, Lichtenstein's sculptures and the beautiful silhouettes. For more information the website is http://www.fairchildgarden.org.

These are the main events on my cultural calendar and I would love to hear any other suggestions. Write a comment with your personal favorite so that everyone can share in the South Florida arts experience.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

Thanks to my fellow blogger, Tina Korn, of West Boynton for the following articles offering suggestions of thing to do with visiting guests or when you have a day free to be a tourist in your own backyard.

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center
Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is located in Boca Raton, Florida at
Red Reef Park, between the Atlantic Ocean and the Intracoastal Waterway.
Twenty acres of Boca Raton's Red Reef Park include a nature center and sabal palm
hammock, coastal dunes, and mangrove wetlands. There are a variety of mammals,
birds, reptiles and fish. Rare and endangered species such as the manatee, the
brown pelican, the osprey and sea turtles can sometimes be observed. A beautiful
butterfly garden and a boardwalk offer tranquil settings for a lovely stroll. Climb the
40 foot observation tower and look out over the Atlantic Ocean and Intracoastal.
This center aims to make visitors aware of the need to preserve and protect nature.

Gumbo Limbo is open from Monday through Saturday from 9AM to 4PM and
Sunday: 12PM to 4PM. They are closed on New Year's Day, 4th of July,
Thanksgiving and Christmas day. There is no charge but a “suggested ”donation
of $ 3.00 per person. Their nature-themed gift shop has imaginative gifts.
1801 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton 561-338-1473 gumbo@gumbolimbo.org.

Wakodahatchee Wetlands
Wakodahatchee Wetlands was constructed by Palm Beach County Water Utilities
Department on 56 acres into a thriving wetlands habitat. Approximately two
million gallons per day of highly treated reclaimed water is used to maintain this
wetlands habitat, in a park-like setting. The name is derived from a Seminole Indian
phrase meaning "created waters."

"The Wakodahatchee Wetlands have attracted an abundant variety of wildlife,
including turtles, frogs, otters, alligators and more than 150 different species of birds.
There is a three-quarter mile boardwalk that winds through three of the wetland's ponds,
allowing visitors the opportunity to read interpretive signs and learn about water
purification, wetlands ecology, natural history and the interdependence of people
and their environment. The existing pond berms have been planted with native
plants using natural landscaping techniques to provide extensive planted buffers,
which eliminate views from the top of the berms into the adjacent neighborhoods.
The constructed wetlands benefit the community in a variety of ways, combining
the seemingly unrelated functions of water treatment, wildlife habitat and recreation
into a wetland ecosystem that is fully accessible to the public. Environmentally,
it detains storm waters, protecting downstream areas from flooding. It naturally
purifies waters containing nutrients, like nitrogen and phosphorus, without
using fossil-fuel energies or producing sludge." (From the Wakodahatchee
Wetlands Web page and the Palm Beach County Water Utilities Department brochure).

Wakodahatchee Wetland is located in Delray Beach, Florida, on the east side of
Jog Road, between Woolbright Road and Atlantic Avenue. The wetland is open to
the general public from sunrise to sunset, seven days a week. Tours of
Wakodahatchee Wetland are conducted on the second Tuesday of every
month at 9:00 A.M., and on the third Wednesday of the month at 4:00
P.M., during winter months. The tour lasts approximately one hour, and the tour
group size is limited to 20. Space on the tour must be reserved in advance.
For reservations or questions about the wetland, please phone (561) 641-3429.

Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge
Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge is located
two miles south of Boynton Beach Boulevard, off U.S. 441. It is one of 538 refuges
in the National Wildlife system. There are many activities to enjoy and lots of wildlife
and nature to see. The refuge was established in 1951. In total, the refuge includes
over 221 square miles of Everglades habitat, and is home to the American alligator
and as many as 257 species of birds may use the refuge's wetland habitats.

In addition to being a home to wildlife, the refuge offers many recreational opportunities:
Walking trails, a canoe trail, bike trail, boat ramps, fishing platform,
observation towers, butterfly garden, and a visitor center.

There is a 400 acre cypress swamp. A boardwalk into the swamp even gives the visitor
a chance for an up-close swamp experience, without any danger.
Daily Schedule: Refuge opens at 5:00 A.M. and closes at 6:00 P.M.
Visitors Center: Open Wed - Fri 9:00 - 4:00; Sat and Sun 9:00 to 4:30.
Golden Age Passport gives you free admission.
$5.00 per vehicle.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

In response to America's Most Wanted airing the murder stories of Nancy and Joey Bochicchio and Randi Gorenberg on Saturday, February 16th, the police in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County finally released more information about the crimes. The fact that new information was divulged at this late date only serves to highlight the total mismanagement of these cases by every entity involved.

First, the owners of Town Center, Simon Property Group, Inc. (“Simon”) have been in the forefront of the denial movement. Simon has long been aware of problems in their parking lots and kept it hushed up. There are plenty of cameras in the mall to stop shoplifters but crimes against persons evidently were not as much a priority. By instituting "Up Front Parking" and taking over more spaces for valet parking Simon exacerbated the parking lot problems. Simon's initial silence on the murders and then its lame new parking proposals are troubling. The free parking is only until 5 p.m., for mothers with young children and expires Mother's Day. Are we to assume that women without children, including the elderly, women who enter the mall after five or after Mother's Day are not potential targets? Simon should take a serious look at its policies and make some concrete concessions that might even affect its bottom line.

The Boca Police Department's handling of crime frighteningly resembles the Keystone Cops. The police did not believe the woman who was kidnapped in August and even made her take a lie detector test. Then there was no warning to the public about the predator. Even after the Bochicchio's were murdered very little information was released and it was only in response to a national television show that we get more information. It has been almost a year since the Gorenberg murder and two months since the Bochicchio's and the police have no suspects. Shouldn't there be some forensic evidence? The Police Department needs to find the criminals and bring them to justice. Even more important for the future the police need to be proactive and focus on stopping predators and alerting the public to serious crimes.

The Boca Raton Mayor and City Council were also aware that Town Center parking areas are crime ridden. The initial response from the elected officials to the Gorenberg murder was null and the first reaction to the Bochicchio murders was disbelief. It was not until the City Council meeting almost one month later that they excoriated Simon. The Council should stop blaming Simon and do some inward introspection. Why were they unaware of the August kidnapping? Doesn't the police department keep the elected officials aware of town issues? Why did they wait almost a month to issue any public statements? There is a new incumbent Mayor and this is a good time to institute new procedures to assure that our elected officials do not get caught unaware again.

It is deeply troubling that three innocent lives have been lost in our community. Hopefully, Simon, the police and elected officials will learn from mistakes made in handling these cases so that they are more effective in thwarting such crimes and apprehending the perpetrators.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

World class tennis takes place in Delray Beach this weekend at the International Tennis Championship finals. The semi-finals start Friday, February 15 and culminate in the finals on Sunday the 17th at the Delray Beach city tennis courts on Atlantic Avenue and Swinton.

Players in the singles semi-finals include number 5 ranked James Blake, Vince Spadea, Sam Querrey, Robby Ginepri and local Mardy Fish. In addition, to the singles there are doubles matches with such players as the crowd pleasing Bryan brothers.

I attended the Thursday, February 14th day matches and caught some great tennis, watching American's Fish and Ginipri prevail. The tennis level is amazing, the event is well organized and it is enjoyable to try and second guess the line judges.

There are bands performing, food stands and even a temporary restaurant run by Bova's, making this a fun place to spend some time over the weekend. With the predicted good weather this is an ideal place to be.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0) | Share:

Hot chocolate from the Boca Raton Hotel and Resort slides down my throat, the velvety taste lingering on my tongue. I pick up and devour a piece of Boca Trash from So Sweet It Is, relishing the sweet salty combination. Next comes the piece de resistance, a warm chocolate souffle topped with vanilla ice cream from Royal Palm Country Club. I follow it up with a chocolate martini and even I, an affirmed chocoholic, am satiated.

The seventh annual Junior League of Boca Raton's Chocolate Decadence fundraiser took place on Thursday February 7 at the Shops at Boca Center. Hundreds of people came to sip, imbibe, nibble, munch and devour unlimited samples from multiple stands for the $30 admission fee. In addition to chocolate and its derivatives, several stalls offered real food, including sandwiches, soup, and sushi, to counteract the overdose on the glycemic index. For those truly suffering from food overload, there was live music and vendors offering everything from purses, shoes, stationary and soaps for sale.

As a relapsed chocoholic, this event has become a tradition in my family. I love the kitschy fountain filled with plastic flamingos and soap bubbles, the strange human statues and of course the food. My only complaint is that there is a VIP tent for which you have to pay $70 to enter and that Morton's, which also has a great chocolate souffle, has moved into the VIP tent.

The event always coincides with Valentine's Day and is one you should be sure to attend if you like chocolate. It is a true Willy Wonka experience in Boca and one that kids and adults can both appreciate.

> Discuss this entry

Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0) | Share: