The very active manatee season which coincides with "snowbird" migration begins on November 15 th and ends on March 31 st.

Beginning March 1st, the sea turtle nesting season begins and continues until October 31 st. Sea Turtles are threatened by artificial light visible from the beach which may deter them from nesting or disorient sea turtle hatchlings.

You can help the sea turtle. Be careful when digging on the beach. Most sea turtle eggs are deposited 18 inches below the surface of the sand above the high tide line. To avoid disturbing sea turtle nests, dig holes and sandcastles below the high tide line and place umbrellas with care.

If you live on or near the beach, help to reduce sea turtle disorientation by turning off all unnecessary lights. By replacing bulbs with energy efficient amber LED's, you can save money and sea turtles.

Should you come across an adult turtle on the beach, do not approach her. Turtles can be deterred from nesting by movement, noise, and light (such as light from a flashlight, camera flash, or cell phone ). Stay behind the turtle and out of her line of sight.

You can see a live sea turtle at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. Call (561)338-1473 for more information.

Photos on the left show the sea turtles of Palm Beach County.

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Theatre arrived at the Arts Garage in Delray Beach on February 7, 2012 with a reading of “Line” which is Israel Horovitz’s classic existential, absurdist allegory.

This Friday, February 10, 2012 there will be a reception followed by a performance of artists competing to win the People’s HeART Award. Your vote can decide the winner.

This Saturday and Sunday, February 8 and 9, will bring music from an acclaimed saxophonist and jazz bands to the Arts Garage, located at 180 NE First Street in Delray Beach.

For information and to purchase tickets, click on the following:

www.artsgarage.org

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Florida Power and Light tells us that most residential customers have standard residential service which includes a price incentive to conserve energy. Electricity usage at or below 1,000 Kilowatt Hours (kWh) per month is billed at a lower rate.

Here are the standard service costs, excluding utility taxes and franchise fees:
>Monthly non-fuel price of 5.184 cents per kWh for the first 1,000 kWh used
>Monthly non-fuel price of 6.184 cents per kWh for usage over 1000 kWh
>Fuel price of 3.343 cents per kWh for the first 1,000 kWh used
>Fuel price of 4.343 cents per kWh for usage over 1,000 kWh
>Storm charge of 0.108 cents per kWh used
>Gross receipts tax of 2.5 percent, collected on behalf of the state of Florida
>Customer charge of $5.90 per month

The Florida Public Service Commission allows utilities to charge customers for certain services to recover the related costs.

Here are the current service charges:
>$14.88 to open an account
>$17.66 to reconnect service after disconnection either for non-payment or violation of a rule or regulation
>$23.24 or 5 percent of the payment amount, whichever is greater, for each payment returned by bank
>1.5 percent added to overdue bills, applied on the past-due balance each month
>$5.11 when a field visit is made to collect on an overdue account and payment is made to the FPL representative

Want more information regarding your FPL bill? Go to:
www.FPL.com/yourbill
Are you a Community Leader? Does your COA or HOA receive an electric bill? Your association may be entitled to a refund. Click on the following for information:
http://allianceofdelray.com/item_list.asp?subcat=521&subtitle=Check+Your+Association+Electric+Bill

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From routine diagnostic work to advanced examinations in cardiology, neurology, and oncology, the 128 Multi Slice CT Scanner will quickly scan and provide high diagnostic confidence for patients at the Delray Medical Center. This machine is also suited for emergency situations like accidents, strokes, or heart attacks which require speedy diagnosis.

The speed of the scanner is faster than a human heart and it sets a new benchmark in lowering the radiation exposure to the patient. Extreme safety measures built in include the ability to ensure that the only dose applied to the patient is the dose that is clinically relevant with no compromise in image quality.

Pictured at the ribbon cutting ceremony for the new Siemens 128 Multi Slice CT Scanner are, left to right: Mike Malone, Pres. Greater Delray Beach Chamber of Commerce; Bob Schulbaum, Alliance of Delray Residential Associations President; Mark Bryan, CEO Delray Medical Center; Theresa Griffith, Radiology; Chad Kelman, MD, Radiology

For more information, call (561)495-3179 or go to www.delraymedicalctr.com

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On Saturday February 25, 2012 at 8 PM, the British Invasion group Mad Cow will be performing at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in West Boca Raton. The concert is free and gates will open at 7 PM.

You can bring lawn chairs, blankets, and coolers. There will be food vendors there. No pets are allowed. The park is located 2.5 miles west of State Road 7 on Glades Road.

This event is sponsored by the West Boca Community Council in partnership with Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation.

Doors, Beatles, Stones, Pink Floyd, and many other groups are represented in the songs that Mad Cow (group pictured in photo left) presents.

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On March 19, 2012 Representative Irv Slosberg will present an informational meeting with Florida Governmental Departments, Palm Beach County Governmental Departments, Palm Tran, DMV, and Federal Departments.

Bring your questions to Temple Emeth located at 5780 W. Atlantic Avenue. Between 9 AM and 12 PM speakers will include Congressman Ted Deutch, Commissioner Burt Aaronson, Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, County Tax Collector Anne Gannon, Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, and Commissioner of Agriculture Adam Putnam. Representatives from the Department of Veteran's Affairs, the Florida Lottery, the Department of Elder Affairs and other State and local officials.

RSVP to (561)470-6644 or email deborah.kwon@myfloridahouse.govFor a printable flyer, click on the following link:
http://allianceofdelray.com/picture/200invitation_march_19.pdf

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The Alliance of Delray Residential Associations attended today’s Zoning Commission meeting in West Palm Beach where an application requesting that the signage at the Delray Marketplace include internal illumination. The Delray Marketplace, currently under construction at Atlantic Avenue and Lyons Road, is planned to open in November 2012 with some of the most innovative tasteful combinations of architecture in its design.

Surprisingly, only silhouette lighting and external lighting are allowed in new construction in the Agricultural Reserve, both of which can be glaring, obtrusive, and illegible. The internal lighting proposed by the builder, Kite Realty, is considered “standard of the industry” and is used in the illumination of various street signs and can be viewed at many of the newer shopping plazas.

Alliance President Bob Schulbaum and First Vice President Lori Vinikoor requested that the signage at the Delray Marketplace contain the internal illumination for better readability, ambiance, and safety for the public. It will also save energy because of the use of LED lighting.

It was a unanimous “Yes” vote by the Zoning Commission. The Delray Marketplace will continue to lead the way in state of the art design, green technology, and beauty as one of the planned jewels of the Agricultural Reserve.

Photo shows Alliance President Bob Schulbaum and First VP Lori Vinikoor at one of the many County meetings regarding the Delray Marketplace project. The Alliance has been instrumental in obtaining space for a Sheriff Substation on the premises of the Marketplace and a public Amphitheater.

To view artist renderings and construction schedule for the Delray Marketplace, click on the following:
http://allianceofdelray.com/sub_category_list.asp?category=36&title=Construction+and+Development+Plans

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Settlement from litigation against online travel companies
West Palm Beach, FL - - - Anne M. Gannon, Constitutional Tax Collector for Palm Beach County, reached a significant settlement agreement with major Online Travel Companies (OTC), also referred to as Third Party Intermediaries. Defendants include Expedia, Orbitz, Priceline and Travelocity. Defendants agreed to collectively pay the county over $1.9 million in uncollected Tourist Development Tax aka “bed tax”.
Gannon filed suit against OTCs in the Palm Beach County Circuit Court in July, 2009. The suit alleged the OTCs did not pay the county's tourist development tax as authorized by Fla. Statute 125.0104 and County Code 17-111. A "bed tax" of 5 cents per dollar is levied on all Palm Beach County hotel stays for a period of 6 months or less.
“This is great news for our county,” said Gannon. “Our county has realized serious reductions in property values which have impacted the amount of revenues collected and services provided to our citizens.” Revenue derived from bed tax collections is used to promote Palm Beach County tourism, fund cultural programs and beach restoration. Tourism is a major industry of the county and Florida.
The settlement is not an admission of liability by the OTCs that they are subject to the “bed tax”. If the Florida legislature does not pass legislation in the two year period, litigation by Gannon against the OTC’s regarding their liability for the “bed tax” may begin again.
The chart at the end of the release describes the process OTCs use to book and remit bed taxes to Florida counties. Central to the dispute over OTC bed tax payment is the issue of how OTCs calculate state and local hotel bed taxes. The Commission Model is when a guest pays the retail room rate to the hotel, and the hotel pays a commission for bookings secured OTCs. The bed tax is calculated on the retail room rate and has the same taxes paid as rooms sold directly by hotels. The hotel remits the bed tax on the full retail amount to the tax collector.
Gannon’s legal team includes Palm Beach County attorneys Jeff Liggio, Esq., Lou Silber, Esq., and John Romano, Esq. Liggio, lead attorney for Gannon, says “This litigation in Palm Beach County is similar to litigation against the OTC’s elsewhere in Florida and throughout the nation.”
Numerous other counties in Florida have filed suits including Broward, Flagler, Leon, Manatee, Pinellas, Polk, Nassau, St. Johns, Alachua, Escambia, Charlotte, Hillsborough, Pasco and Volusia.

Once again, competing legislation has been filed for the 2012 legislative session over how the bed tax is calculated and/or has the potential for exempting OTCs from any payment of bed tax to counties in Florida.

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The one million dollar Atlantic Avenue widening project is scheduled to begin in October 2012 and last for nine months.

From east of the Kings Point entrance to west of Via Flora the pavement will be removed and the road resurfaced. Existing sidewalks and pedestrian features will be upgraded to conform with the American in Disabilities Act.

The existing 4 foot shoulder will be a designated bicycle lane east of Jog Road. Existing signage and pavement markings will be updated throughout the corridor.

For more information and a drawing of the planned construction click on the following;
http://allianceofdelray.com/item_list.asp?subcat=380&subtitle=ATLANTIC+AVENUE+WIDENING

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You still have time to visit the Fair which will end this coming Sunday. The Fair is Celebrating its 100 th anniversary and soon the sand sculptures in the exhibit hall will include a huge sand sculptured birthday cake behind the “100” that you see in the photo. Pictured are sisters Lori Vinikoor (left) and Donna Lerner enjoying the many exhibits. You can learn more about Palm Beach County amenities and programs at the fair including the Artificial Reef Program, the Lake Worth Lagoon Initiative, and the Office of Small Business Assistance . National organizations such as the Girl Scouts are represented.

Agriculture has a huge influence at the Fair. Live rabbit and poultry exhibits, a petting zoo, and horse and livestock exhibits can be viewed. The Sundy feed Store has a variety of local farming organizations represented including the Palm Beach Rare Fruit Council. Pictured is the booth in the Sundy Feed Store where tree grafting demonstrations and exotic fruits can be viewed. Charlotte Gomes, First VP of the Rare Fruit Council stands behind the exhibit counter. Eleanor Rizzo in background seated.

There is still time! Visit www.southfloridafair.com for more information.

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