Ribbon cutting at the Grand Opening of Daggerwing Nature Center Expansion, Saturday April 26,2008: From Center behind ribbon to the right: County Commissioner Burt Aaronson; Lori Vinikoor, Alliance V.P. Special Projects; Dennis Eshleman, Director of Parks and Recreation Department

The Honey Bee Exhibit: One of many exciting and interactive exhibits demonstrating Florida wildlife from below the ground to the upper tree canopy

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Under a bright, hot sun around 6 P.M. Saturday March 29, 2008 with a crowd of nearly 1,000, the grand opening ceremony of the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in West Boca Raton was conducted by Palm Beach County Commissioner Burt Aaronson. (Shown in photo with Sheri Scarborough, President of the West Boca Community Council, Aaronson, Robert Schulbaum, President of the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations and Barbara Katz, President of Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations.)

The invocation was given by Paul Murray, Deacon, Saint John the Evangelist Church. Presentation of colors was made by Honor Guard and Aviation Unit of Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office. Student Michael Dobrin led the audience in the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the singing of the National Anthem by students Shannon Martin, Meridith Mox, Michael Natoli and Matthew Vo Pelt.

Among the speakers were State Representive Richard Machek, Tom Kruse, West Boca Chamber of Commerce,
Dennis Eshleman, (left) Director, Parks and Recreation Department and Troy McLellan, President of Boca Raton chamber of Commerce. Machek praised Aaronson and Eshleman for their efforts to bring this new West Boca public facility to completion.

In his closing remarks Commissioner Aaronson said: "This is your facility--for all the families throughout the county. We hope you will use it for the enjoyment of you and your children for many generations to come." The ribbon cutting ceremony then followed (photo above), and the entertainment began, provided by Spanish River H. S. Symphonic band under the direction of Craig White, the Olympic Heights H. S. Soundsation under direction of Brad Lister. The West Boca Raton H. S. Choral Group, directed by Jason Locker was the final entertainment group of the evening. A sensational fireworks display lit the night sky at the conclusion of the evening.

Future programs include: April 11 Movie Night, 9 PM. Sound of Music.
April 22 Boca Raton High School will perform an evening of music. 7-9 PM.
April 25 Movie Night 9 PM Eddie Murphy as Dr. Doolittle.

The 9,930 square foot amphitheater has a 1,700 square foot stage with rear screen projection capability; a state of the art sound and light system, four dressing rooms with private attached restrooms and a production office, all air conditioned.

The outdoor grass festival seating area will seat up to 3,000 spectators (bring your own chairs or blankets.) There is a covered vending area where grilling and cooking takes place with an electric hook-up and potable water. Additional facilities for the public adjacent to the amphitheater is a large group picnic pavilion, restroom building, single table picnic shelters and ample parking.

It is a facility that will truly be enjoyed by adults and children for generations.

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At the invitation of Alliance President Bob Schulbaum, we went on a tour of the South County Regional Park off Glades Road in Boca Raton, Thursday November 1. Also included in this group were Sheri Scarborough, President of West Boca Community Council; Harriet Helfman, Vice President of Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations; Kimberly McNeeley, Director of Recreation Services of the County Parks and Recreation Department and others. The tour was led by Dennis Eshleman, Director of Palm Beach County Parks and Recreation Department and Commissioner Burt Aaronson and his two staff members Mary Lou Berger and Vivian Leiva.

We first drove round the lush 950 acre park that stretches from Yamato to Glades Road west of State Rd. 7 to get an overview of its vastness. The Glades Road section which includes the Sunset Cove Amphitheater is scheduled to open sometime in 2008. This will be an outstanding outdoor venue for all kinds of performances including orchestra and choir concerts, stage plays, and motion picture presentations with space for 3,000 Festival seating (“bring your own” seats). A state of the art sound system will be installed.

This theatre will present a great opportunity for businesses to advertise and sponsor events in the future. Major corporations and local businesses will be able to put their name in front of the large Palm Beach County audiences who will attend events here. Contact Ms. Ann Butler, Amphitheater Manager at (561) 966-7057 for further information.

The nearby Osprey Point Golf Course with three 9 hole championship layouts is anticipated to be ready in 2009.

We next swung over to the Yamato Rd. entrance to the park which has been open for several years now, providing athletic fields, tennis and racquetball courts and the Coconut Cove Water Park to residents.

We assembled in a Coconut Cove Water Park classroom to learn about the nearby Daggerwing Nature Center expansion. Ms. Kelli Kirchoffer, Manager of Daggerwing described with a series of large color renderings the new wing additions being made to Daggerwing, scheduled to open spring of 2008. The new wing will focus on entertaining children as they walk through to view live animals and use new interactive exhibits.

These spectacular new additions to the County Parks and Recreation system will provide wide open space and leisure activity facilities for residents for years and generations to come thanks to the foresight and planning of Commissioner Aaronson and Dennis Eshleman and their staffs.

Continue to scroll down to see past blog entries.

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Yesterday I thought it would be nice to take my wife for a drive over to the new West Delray Park to show her around the new facility. Covering the opening this past Friday morning impressed me with the beauty of the grounds and the facilities available for the model airplane flying field, power boating and archery.

I was particularly interested in getting closer to the airfield, as I have a long time friend that belongs to the club and flies his planes there.

Imagine my dismay when we got near the airfield, there was a gate being locked at 2:30 in the afternoon by one of the members of the Model Airplane club, preventing us from getting close to the facility.

As we sat in our car and watched this gentlemen lock the gate, I asked him “Is this restricted to members of the Model Airplane club?”

“Yes,” he replied. “Only the members of the club have a key to this lock and can get in.”
We took the road back and went around the other way following the sign that said “Archery.” We came to another locked gate. From there we turned around and went home.

I don’t think that’s right. I thought this was a public park open to all citizens of Palm Beach County. Is it only available to elite club members that fly model airplanes and practice archery? Can Dennis Eshelman or any of his staff offer an explanation?
Mort Mazor

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Drive to the end of West Atlantic Avenue—and I do mean the END. There you will find a brand new 313 acre park for all to enjoy. Commissioner Burt Aaronson served as Master of Ceremonies for the dedication this Friday morning, October 19.

After the invocation was given by Rabbi Richard M. Yellin of Temple Emeth, area residents were welcomed by Aaronson. Distinguished guests who spoke were: State Representative Richard Machek, South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member Patrick Rooney, Jr., Robert Schulbaum, President of the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations; Sheri Scarborough, President of West Boca Community Council; Barbara Katz, President of Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations and Dennis Eshelman, Director, Parks and Recreation Department. Other guests attending: State Senator Ted Deutch and County Administrator Robert Weisman.

Earlier, Representative Machek told me “This park is an outdoor paradise—a true diamond in the rough. The best medicine for folks is to exercise in the fresh air and sunshine. This new park is perfect for hiking, cycling and jogging.”

The park has many unique features. There is an archery range where members of the Gold Coast Archers will be able to practice and hold archery events. Members of the Palm Beach Remote Control Power Boaters will operate their remote control boats on a lake in the park.

For model airplane enthusiasts, the Palm Beach RC Association will be flying their models from dawn to dusk seven days a week on a runway 600’ long and 50’ wide. Club members Stuart Rosenberg, Jerry Cohen and Bucky Winokur were among those attending the dedication, prior to putting their planes with wingspans anywhere from 50” to 108” in the air to demonstrate their flying skills.
“We will teach anyone interested how to fly a model airplane, free of charge,” said Rosenberg.

The club meets the second Thursday of each month at 7:30 P.M. at the South County Civic Center, and is part of a national organization The American Models Association.

So take that drive west on Atlantic the next time you yearn for some wide open space. You'll see the model airplanes fly and the boats streak and if the boys in the Archery club are around you can even watch their arrows fly! You'll find it all here in the new West Delray Regional Park.

Mort M.

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