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Source: http://feeds.feedburner.com/SouthFloridaSun-sentinelcom-BocaRaton

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<title>Brightline tells bondholders it will be late on interest payment, report says</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/11/brightline-tells-bondholders-it-will-be-late-on-interest-payment-report-says/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Lyons]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 11 Jul 2025 21:01:56 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Florida News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
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<description><![CDATA[Brightline reportedly told bondholders it will miss an interest payment scheduled for July 15. The high-speed rail line between South and Central Florida continues to lose money despite advances in long-distance ridership. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Brightline, the high-speed railroad that runs between South and Central Florida, will be late with a scheduled July 15 interest payment to investors who hold tax-exempt bonds that were issued last year, according to a news report confirmed by the company on Friday.
The unrated bonds, which command 10% and 12% interest rates, were sold through the Florida Development Finance Corp., which reportedly is about to <a href="https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/07/11/brightline-seeks-400m-to-kick-off-plans-for-orlando-to-tampa-route/">consider another $400 million borrowing for Brightline</a> to expand to Tampa from Orlando.
Bloomberg, citing the bond documents, said the deferral does not constitute a default, an event that would occur if the rail line missed three interest payments in a row.
Ashley Blasewitz, a Brightline spokesperson, told the news service the deferred payment will be made out of operating cash or new equity and debt financings.
She did not immediately respond Friday to an emailed request from the South Florida Sun Sentinel seeking comment on the deferred payment and the proposed $400 million borrowing, both of which came to light this week.
<a href="http://sun-sentinel.com/2025/05/27/brightline-draws-caution-flags-from-wall-street-despite-revenue-and-ridership-gains/">Ratings agencies</a> Fitch and S&P Global downgraded multiple bond issues earlier this year, citing rising costs and lowered reserves.
Brightline, which started service in 2018 in South Florida and now carries passengers over a 235-mile rail line between Miami and Orlando, has been piling up significant financial losses despite steady gains in ridership. Besides the two end-point cities, the privately owned company serves Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton and West Palm Beach.
First-quarter passenger figures this year increased to nearly 800,000 versus 720,000 in 2024. Quarterly revenues were up 11.6% to $54.6 million.
The net loss for the period was $60 million, down from $116 million in 2024, a year that ended with a total net loss of close to $550 million.
<h4>First-quarter ridership a mixed bag</h4>
Brightline’s strategy of buttressing long-distance ridership to and from Orlando continues to pay dividends. Figures for the first quarter exceeded 26%. But rider figures were off by nearly 8%, according to a company report.
The short-haul outcome is a result of pulling capacity from South Florida to focus on Orlando, a move that raised commuter fares.
In reports this past spring, the ratings firms expressed concern that <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/05/20/brightline-quickly-cuts-some-prices-of-new-frequent-rider-passes/">Brightline’s average fares</a> — which rose more than a dollar year over year in the first quarter to just over $56 — aren’t high enough to help cover its operating and expansion expenses.
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<dcterms:created>2025-07-11T17:01:56+00:00</dcterms:created>
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<title>Florida Atlantic’s John McCormack named to American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/09/florida-atlantics-john-mccormack-named-to-american-baseball-coaches-association-hall-of-fame/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Cameron Priester]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 09 Jul 2025 20:07:37 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[College Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[FAU Owls]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12804683</guid>
<description><![CDATA[John McCormack, FAU's longtime head baseball coach, was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association 2026 Hall of Fame Class.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[John McCormack, the longtime baseball coach at Florida Atlantic University, added another entry to his list of accolades on Wednesday, when the American Baseball Coaches Association announced he would be a part of their 2026 Hall of Fame class.
“The award will have my name on it, but it is a testament to the program and all that has been accomplished on and off the field,” read a statement from McCormack, who in his 35 years with the program has helped build it into one of the more successful on FAU’s campus.
Since taking over as head coach in 2009, the man known as “Coach Mac” has led the Owls to six NCAA Regional appearances, four regular season conference championships and a conference tournament championship in 2013.
In 17 seasons under his leadership, Florida Atlantic has a record of 577-372-2 and has seen 13 players get selected in the MLB draft, most recently Los Angeles Angels’ first baseman Nolan Schanuel, who was taken with the 11th pick in 2023.
McCormack has been a fixture in FAU’s baseball program for over three decades now, signing on as an assistant coach in 1991 before being promoted to associate head coach in 1998. As an assistant and associate head coach, McCormack helped lead another 658 wins, seven NCAA Regional appearances and the program’s only regional championship in 2002.
The Owls have finished with winning seasons in all but one of McCormack’s 17 as head coach, including this past season going 37-21.
<aside class="related left"><h2 class="widget-title" data-curated-ids="" data-relation-type="automatic-primary-tag">Related Articles</h2><ul><li>
<a class="article-title" href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/28/d-e-i-appears-dead-in-florida-thats-wrong-letters-to-the-editor/" title="D.E.I. appears dead in Florida. That’s wrong | Letters to the editor">

D.E.I. appears dead in Florida. That’s wrong | Letters to the editor 
</a>
</li><li>
<a class="article-title" href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/21/letters-to-the-editor-18/" title="Defending DeSantis’ higher-ed record | Letters to the editor">

Defending DeSantis’ higher-ed record | Letters to the editor 
</a>
</li></ul></aside>
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12804683</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2017/07/12/EFMBP6Q2T5FM7BZDRTWQNIQTFQ.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="213951" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ FAU coach John McCormack prepares his team for their season opener in 2017. Mike Stocker, South Florida Sun-Sentinel ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-07-09T16:07:37+00:00</dcterms:created>
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<title>Hundreds of new homes are advancing through Boca Raton’s development pipeline</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/07/hundreds-of-new-homes-are-advancing-through-boca-ratons-development-pipeline/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2025 08:10:32 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12794551</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Construction of another residential project in Boca Raton was approved by the city’s planning and zoning board recently, becoming one of several like it in the development pipeline, signifying the city's growth. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[More than a dozen development projects in Boca Raton are under review, which could mean hundreds more residences and thousands of square feet of new shops, restaurants and office space in the city.
Some of the projects propose only 20 residential units — such as Briskel Pointe at 6800 N. Federal Hwy. — while others, such as the Modera Boca along Dixie Highway, pitch a more than 300-unit building, according to city documents.
When talking about Briskel Pointe during a recent public planning and zoning board meeting, Peter Begovich, a senior planner with the city, said the development promotes the “public health, safety, comfort, order, appearance, convenience and general welfare of the city.”
He also said that the development “answers the growing demand for housing of all types of designs” and offers a greater variety of layouts than is normally possible via conventional zoning.
Similar statements have been made about some of the other projects in the city’s development pipeline in recent months, and with <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/02/will-politics-lead-new-yorkers-businesses-to-move-to-boca-raton-mayor-singer-supports-it/">Mayor Scott Singer welcoming more people and businesses</a> to Boca Raton, perhaps the “significant opportunities for housing” may be more necessary.
Included in the growing list of projects in review before the city officials are:
— The Oval, a 10-unit residential development with about 2,000-square-feet of retail at 501 East Palmetto Park Road.
— The Boca Raton Residential, a 76-unit residential development at 501 East Camino Real.
— Atrium Residential, an eight-story, 222-unit multi-family residential building with 15% of the units designated as affordable and workforce housing, at 6111 NW Broken Sound Parkway.
— North Park Villas, a 10-unit project at 5910 NW 2nd Ave.
— Ibis Row, which has been proposed as four, two-story townhomes at 1700 Juana Road. This project in particular has <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/01/27/boca-raton-condo-proposal-draws-fire-from-neighbors-who-say-its-too-much-too-close/">gained negative traction</a> from people who live in the nearby neighborhoods who believe this project would disrupt the single-family pattern.
<figure id="attachment_12797996" class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="746px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="A residence near the former Life Center Boca Raton displays signs opposing a potential townhome development on the site at 2 SW 12th Ave. in Boca Raton on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12797996" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-4-070125.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A residence near the former Life Center Boca Raton displays signs opposing a potential townhome development on the site at 2 SW 12th Ave. in Boca Raton on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
Just because a project is under review, though, does not mean it automatically gets approved. Each project has to go through the city’s approval process, which could ultimately mean being rejected by the City Council.
Some projects go entirely unnoticed by residents. Others are criticized, like Ibis Row. Others are even praised.
When Briskel Pointe was discussed at the most recent planning and zoning board meeting, one person brought up how the project could bring more traffic to Federal Highway. That concern was followed up by praise from Villas at Berkeley Condominium president Michael Speizman. The Villas Berkeley is directly south of where Briskel Pointe could rise.
“It’s replacing a kind of rundown, vacant lot that, I don’t want to think what’s going on in it, but it’d be better if it was housing,” he said.
<figure id="attachment_12798000" class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="746px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="A vacant lot at 6800 N Federal Hwy, in Boca Raton is shown on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12798000" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-2-070125.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A vacant lot at 6800 N Federal Hwy, in Boca Raton is shown on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
Attorneys from the law firm Miskel Backman who are representing Briskel Pointe argued in documents that the city’s population “is steadily growing, particularly post-pandemic with many moving to the city from out of state,” which also leads to higher housing costs. Thus, more residences may continue to rise, whether current residents want them to or not.
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12794551</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-Raton-development-1-070125.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="431949" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ A vacant lot at 6800 N Federal Hwy, in Boca Raton is shown on Wednesday, July 2, 2025. A residential project is being proposed to rise on the land. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-07-07T04:10:32+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2025-07-07T04:06:54+00:00</dcterms:modified>
</item>
<item>
<title>Voted best for burgers, Cheffrey Eats to compete at Saturday’s South Florida Wing Bash</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/03/he-makes-the-regions-best-burger-will-he-also-be-king-of-wings-at-south-florida-wing-bash/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ben Crandell]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2025 11:30:55 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Entertainment]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Restaurants, Food and Drink]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Things To Do]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Events]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[The Eat Beat]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12796937</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Competing with chicken wings for the first time, chef Jeffrey Lemmerman of Cheffrey Eats discusses where you can find his favorite wings and why you need a platter on your next date. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The chef responsible for South Florida’s best burger (<a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/05/29/who-cooks-the-best-burger-in-south-florida-the-votes-are-counted-and-the-winner-is/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ask Sun Sentinel readers</a>) has a secret: His favorite food is actually chicken wings.
“Man, they’re just satisfying. I love ’em,” says Jeffrey Lemmerman, a Lake Worth Beach resident best known for his <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/02/07/which-food-truck-do-you-think-is-south-floridas-best-find-out-whos-no-1-in-our-poll/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">popular Cheffrey Eats food truck</a>.
Long a fixture at Barrel of Monks Brewing in Boca Raton, at any given time Lemmerman’s Cheffrey Eats menu includes a half-dozen inventive burgers and a similar variety of uniquely sauced chicken wings.
He puts beef and bird together for the Barnyard Burger — a patty stacked with a fried chicken breast and bacon — which drew a mouthful of praise when Guy Fieri brought his <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/03/11/guy-fieri-puts-south-florida-restaurants-under-the-diners-drive-ins-dives-spotlight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">“Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives” cameras to Cheffrey Eats</a> in 2022.
So while the annual Boca Burger Battle takes place across town on the same day, Lemmerman will try to earn his wings as a contestant at the South Florida Wing Bash on Saturday, July 12, at South County Regional Park in Boca Raton.
After serving as a judge for two years at South Florida Wing Bash, this will be the first wings competition for Lemmerman, a past winner of the People’s Choice Award at Boca Burger Battle.
“The goal is to win. If I’m going to be a good chef and make my favorite meal, it’s going to be really good,” he says, estimating that he will serve more than 2,000 wings at the all-you-can-eat event.
The third annual South Florida Wing Bash will feature more than 20 chefs vying for supremacy for a panel of judges, as well as for the coveted People’s Choice Award. Participants include Windy City Pizza, Indulge BBQ, Earl’s Slow and Low BBQ, Atomic Biscuit, Brass Rooster Wing Factory, Joe’s Backyard Smokehouse and TJ’s Southern Kitchen.
Guests at the 21-and-older event will find unlimited wings, beers, seltzers and spirits, as well as live music, ax throwing and a golf simulator. Tickets start at $59.99+ for admission from 7 to 10 p.m. VIP tickets cost $79.99+ for 6 p.m. entry. (Ticket prices are set to increase by $5 after Saturday, July 5, according to the <a href="https://www.battlebrosevents.com/southfloridawingbash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">official event website</a>.)
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="441px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Fan-favorite food truck Cheffrey Eats, shown here with its chicken wings, is one of many contestants competing in the annual South Florida Wing Bash on July 12 in Boca Raton. (Cheffrey Eats / Courtesy)" width="1440" height="330" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12782451" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/tfl-l-summer-food-feasts-2025-04.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text"><div class="photo-credit">Cheffrey Eats / Courtesy</div>Cheffrey Eats' chicken wings will be competing in the annual South Florida Wing Bash on July 12 in Boca Raton. (Cheffrey Eats/Courtesy)</figcaption></figure>
The secret to a great chicken wing is simplicity, Lemmerman says. He believes that par-cooking — many restaurants partially cook wings in advance and finish them in a fryer later, to save time — robs the wing of valuable moisture. He “hates” breaded wings for similar reasons.
“I believe the best way to make a wing is to start naked, raw and I just throw it on the fire right there,” says Lemmerman, who will coat his entries at South Florida Wing Bash with a “secret sauce” made specifically for the event.
Where does Lemmerman find his favorite wings when he’s out and about? He has two go-to stops: 40 Flavors Wings & More in Lake Worth and Thirsty Turtle Seagrill in Juno Beach.
Thirsty Turtle won South Florida Wing Bash in 2023 with a wing adorned only with Buffalo sauce and a side of house-made blue cheese. Lemmerman was a judge and gave it his vote.
“It was the perfect wing. It was exactly what I would want if I was sitting in front of a game with friends and just wanted to eat a platter of wings,” he says. “There were a lot of other fancy wings, creative wings, but for me, choosing a winner, it came down to: What do I want a big plate of? It was Thirsty Turtle, hands down.”
That communal ritual surrounding a platter of chicken wings — be it on game day or on a date — is another appealing feature.
“I feel like they break down a lot of social barriers, too,” Lemmerman says. “I would recommend a date with someone eating chicken wings. You’re covered in sauce, across the table from someone. It’s the most intimate meal you can have. If a girl is comfortable enough around you to get messy with some chicken wings, that’s a pretty good sign.”
<h4>IF YOU GO</h4>
WHAT: South Florida Wing Bash
When: 6-10 p.m. Saturday, July 12
WHERE: Near Sunset Cove Amphitheater at Burt Aaronson South County Regional Park, 20405 Amphitheater Circle, Boca Raton
COST: $59.99+ for all-you-can-eat-and-drink access from 7 to 10 p.m.; VIP admission is $79.99+ for entry at 6 p.m. Group packages also available, and ticket prices are set to increase by $5 after July 5
INFORMATION: <a href="https://www.battlebrosevents.com/southfloridawingbash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BattleBrosEvents.com</a>
Staff writer Ben Crandell can be reached at <a href="mailto:bcrandell@sunsentinel.com">bcrandell@sunsentinel.com</a>. Follow on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/BenCrandell/" data-mrf-link="https://www.instagram.com/BenCrandell/"> Instagram @BenCrandell</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/BenCrandell" data-mrf-link="https://twitter.com/BenCrandell">X @BenCrandell</a>.
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12796937</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/tfl-l-best-food-truck-winner6-e1751464864226.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="208393" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Jeffrey Alan Lemmerman, owner of Cheffrey Eats food truck, in Boca Raton on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025. Cheffrey Eats is a Best of South Florida Dining series winner for best food truck. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-07-03T07:30:55+00:00</dcterms:created>
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<title>Will politics lead New Yorkers, businesses to move to Boca Raton? Mayor Singer supports it</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/02/will-politics-lead-new-yorkers-businesses-to-move-to-boca-raton-mayor-singer-supports-it/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 18:27:12 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12795439</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer said he thinks people in New York City will "vote with their feet" and begin moving to the city in even larger droves as the New York City mayoral election plays out.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[The New York City mayoral election won’t take place for another four months, but Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer already is encouraging people and businesses to relocate if they’re dissatisfied.
“I think people are looking for good governance and communities like Boca Raton,” Singer said in an interview with the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “I think people in New York are going to be rightfully scared that no matter what happens in November that they’re always at risk of a socialist government coming in with higher taxes.”
Singer also emphasized his belief that Boca Raton has “the ability to accommodate businesses of all sizes,” welcoming not just new residents but more business, too.
Singer’s statements have drawn news coverage, including by the <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/06/29/us-news/boca-raton-mayor-woos-nyc-capitalists-after-socialist-mamdanis-victory-better-quality-of-life/">New York Post</a> — spurred by the recent success of Zohran Mamdani, the New York City Democratic mayoral candidate. Mamdani, 33, reportedly a <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/25/election-2025-ny-mayor-democrats/">self-described democratic socialist</a>, wants to freeze rents for stabilized tenants, remove bus fares, create city-owned grocery stores, make child care free, and bring up the corporate tax rate while also taxing New Yorkers who make more than $1 million annually a 2% tax, according to his campaign.
The next New York City mayor won’t be known until Nov. 4, but Singer is hammering home his belief in Boca Raton as a “paradise” with “great talent, great communities, great opportunities.”
Mamdani’s policies, if implemented, “are going to cause a lot of people to vote with their feet,” Singer said.
For his part, Singer is preparing for his term-limited exit as Boca Raton’s mayor. Some Republicans have speculated <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/02/boca-raton-mayor-scott-singer-considers-congressional-run-to-unseat-moskowitz/">he may run for Congress</a>, while Singer has said he hasn’t “ruled out any opportunities” to serve the community.
<h4>Luring people from New York City</h4>
Could Boca Raton — which some people believe already is hitting its capacity in terms of traffic, schools and development — actually see a fresh wave of people from New York?
That might be a bit of a premature jump, said Scott Gerow, the director of luxury sales for the CBG Luxury Team at Compass in Boca Raton. And while he said he couldn’t begin to count how many calls he’s received about “what’s going on in New York” since last week, he wouldn’t advise concerned New Yorkers to immediately sell their property this summer and move down to Florida.
Instead, Gerow said people might spend the next few months leading up to the election conducting research.
“If someone is against (Mamdani’s) potential victory, and they think that the city will change negatively because of his policies, I do think that those buyers will start the process of looking in Florida,” Gerow said. “I think that they maybe perhaps will wait until after the election, if he is elected, to purchase ultimately. … A buyer will do their homework.”
Regardless of the New York City mayoral race outcome, Gerow said he thinks people who already were considering a move to Florida could view the current state of the election as their “last straw.”
He said the situation could be similar to the COVID-19 pandemic: People who already were on the cusp of retirement, for example, may have seen the pandemic as their way out.
“COVID ultimately kind of was the thing that let them get out of there and come to Florida, and this could be very much like that,” Gerow said.
The conversations around Mamdani, New York City and Boca Raton could be slightly played up, though, Gerow said — only time will truly tell if Boca Raton, among other communities, sees a significant migration.
Matt Watkins, the CEO of Watkins Public Affairs, a national consulting firm focused on civic infrastructure, federalism and equitable economic development, wrote in a statement for the Sun Sentinel that the longstanding trend of not just New Yorkers but Northeasterners moving to Florida is driven more by “structural factors” such as housing costs, retirement opportunities and even remote work than “by a single mayoral race.”
“Mamdani’s victory may deepen perception divides, but it doesn’t fundamentally shift the calculus for most movers. High-earners already inclined to leave for tax reasons have largely made those moves,” Watkins wrote.
This is supported by data from the U.S. Census Bureau, which found that the reasons for people moving fell under the umbrellas of housing, family and employment such as choosing to own rather than rent, seeking cheaper housing, wanting a safer neighborhood, securing a new job or shortening one’s work commute. Other miscellaneous reasons include leaving for college, one’s health or a change in marital status.
Singer also is targeting corporations for relocation to Boca Raton in part to bring in new residents, but also to keep those the city may already have.
“If we’re able to attract more high-paying jobs, it helps further the opportunities for young people and retaining some of the talent coming out of Florida Atlantic University, Lynn University. The people are already here, but it’d be great for them to have opportunities,” Singer said.
Singer didn’t get specific about which businesses he may be speaking with, though he believes Boca Raton could experience growth in its “existing strengths” of financial services, technology, health care, aviation, manufacturing and entertainment.
“A lot of of those companies in New York have analogs that could be down here and doing even better,” he said.
<figure id="attachment_12528960" class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="604px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer helps kick off the city's Centennial year with the unveiling of a public art sculpture named "Reflections of Time" at Sanborn Square in Boca Raton on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. The sculpture replicates a major mid-century Boca Raton landmark from the 1960s that welcomed residents and visitors to the city. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5884" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12528960" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/tfl-l-sanborn-square-new-art1.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer helps kick off the city’s Centennial year with the unveiling of a public art sculpture named “Reflections of Time” at Sanborn Square in Boca Raton on Monday, Jan. 6, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
It’s not likely, though, that everyone in Boca Raton would share the same enthusiasm about an influx of New Yorkers — as with most new development proposals, many residents view change of that nature as a direct threat to the quality of life that roped them in to living in one of the wealthiest cities in Florida in the first place.
In a recent <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ScottSingerUSA/posts/pfbid02STfw69W6C54DazoxbqzBH7zfcxnmgPiF6N9tydaV48kZfp4PpoybC7xsxdZyyqZGl">Facebook post</a> shared by Singer about Mamdani, one user wrote: “As a native New Yorker, I’m all for living a better lifestyle; however, Boca is full. There are plenty of other towns that have underdeveloped land to accommodate housing and urban development.”
Others praised the mayor: “I remember back when you first ran and you have done nothing but make Boca an unbelievable place for families to raise their kids.”
Singer, who used to live in New York, has yet to announce what’s to come after his eight-year mayoral run, but he said he is very intent on staying put.
“I’m here for good and still working to make sure that this is a place that (my kids) want be when they raise their families as well. That’s my goal for everyone in Boca Raton, that you get an opportunity to enjoy this at all phases of life and for the future generations,” he said.
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12795439</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/tfl-l-Boca-Raton-100-years-Resort-1-031225.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="366413" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ The Boca Raton, a historic resort, is shown on Wednesday, March 11, 2025. It's among the many long-standing fixtures in the city, which this year is celebrating its centennial. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-07-02T14:27:12+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2025-07-02T14:27:00+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer considers congressional run to unseat Moskowitz</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/02/boca-raton-mayor-scott-singer-considers-congressional-run-to-unseat-moskowitz/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Anthony Man]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 02 Jul 2025 15:39:02 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Florida News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[National News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[National Politics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12797099</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Scott Singer, the term-limited mayor of Boca Raton, may seek the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz. “I love public service and haven’t ruled out any opportunities to continue to serve our community."]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Scott Singer, the term-limited mayor of Boca Raton, may run for Congress.
Singer said he hasn’t made a decision, despite speculation among some Republicans this week that he was on the verge of entering the race in the Broward-Palm Beach County 23rd Congressional District.
He didn’t foreclose the possibility. “I love public service and haven’t ruled out any opportunities to continue to serve our community,” Singer said in a phone interview.
If he decides to run, it would set the stage for an intense Republican primary contest for the nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, a Democrat who is seeking a third term in 2026.
Already running are former state Rep. George Moraitis, R-Fort Lauderdale, and Joe Kaufman, who was the 2024 Republican nominee against Moskowitz, plus some other lesser-known candidates.
Candidates for offices like Congress often announce their intentions early in a quarter so they have almost three full months before they have to file their first campaign fundraising reports, hoping they can use that time to show an initial report with an impressive amount raised. The days leading up to a long holiday weekend, aren’t prime time for a candidate announcement.
Singer has received a burst of national attention this week as he capitalized on the victory of Zohran Mamdani in the New York City Democratic mayoral primary in an attempt to benefit Boca Raton.
Singer’s response to the democratic socialist’s primary victory: pitching New York businesses on the idea of moving to Boca Raton.
His effort made a <a href="https://nypost.com/cover/june-30-2025/">front-page headline</a> of the tabloid New York Post — “Boca Raton mayor luring biz looking to escape Mamdani’s socialist policies” — and interviews and mentions on both the <a href="https://x.com/AmericaRpts/status/1940106392142262281">main Fox News</a> channel and on the <a href="https://x.com/ScottSingerUSA/status/1940057146592207244">Fox business channel</a> on cable. All three outlets, part of the Murcoch family’s conservative media empire, are favored sources of information for Republicans.
Singer said his effort wasn’t part of any kind of potential campaign strategy.
“My continued promotion of Boca Raton has nothing to do with any campaign. It’s about attracting jobs here. And the New York primary has given us another great audience and more reasons for people to want to come to a low-tax, high-talent, world-class city like Boca Raton,” he said.
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Singer, a lawyer, was first elected to the Boca Raton City Council in 2014. He was elected mayor in 2018, and reelected in 2020 and 2023. No one came forward to challenge him in 2023 for his final term, which ends in March 2026.
Singer thought about running for Congress, but <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2022/03/02/candidate-who-lost-a-2020-democratic-primary-by-less-than-half-a-percent-may-run-for-ted-deutch-congressional-seat/">opted not to</a>, when the seat opened in 2022. Then-U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, a Democrat, resigned to become CEO of the American Jewish Committee. Moskowitz was elected in 2022 and reelected in 2024.
There’s an interplay of politics and geography in a potential Republican primary.
Voter registration figures as of Tuesday show 69% of the district’s registered Republicans — who will vote in the primary and determine the party’s nominee — live in the Broward part of the district, which is Moraitis’ home territory.
The remaining 31% live in the Palm Beach County part of the district, which is Singer’s home base.
For Republicans, the district looks increasingly enticing.
The 23rd District — which takes in northern Broward and much of the coast extending south through most of Fort Lauderdale and a share of southern Palm Beach County — has become more Republican.
<figure class="wp-caption alignnone"><img decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="499px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Mayor Scott Singer of Boca Raton said he hasn't decided if he'll run for Congress in 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" height="332" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12234528" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/tfl-l-double-homicide-boca-7-092324.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Mayor Scott Singer of Boca Raton said he hasn't decided if he'll run for Congress in 2026. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
Moskowitz’s 2022 and 2024 victories were the smallest margins of any congressional races in the state.
The partisan voting index from the Cook Political Report rates the district as D plus 2, which means it performed 2 points more Democratic than the nation during the past two presidential contests. That represents a shift toward the Republicans; After the 2020 presidential election and before last year’s voting, the partisan voting index was D plus 5.
National Republicans didn’t devote money or attention to the 23rd District in 2022 or 2024. For 2026, the National Republican Congressional Committee has Moskowitz on its list of 26 Democrats it is targeting for defeat.
Democrats are optimistic partly because the first midterm election after a presidential election is usually good for the party that doesn’t control the White House.
The June analysis from the nonpartisan Inside Elections said “Republicans are eager to capitalize on political shifts that have turned Moskowitz’s once-safely Democratic district into competitive territory.” It rated the district as “lean Democratic.”
Both Singer and Moratiis are supporters of U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who is seeking the Republican nomination for governor.
Singer said he was waiting for Donalds to enter the race earlier this year, and immediately endorsed him. “I saw someone who had a clear vision to lead our state and has had an impressive record of service in his career. And he’s got the vision and the passion to lead our state to even greater success.”
<figure id="attachment_12678138" class="wp-caption alignnone size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="499px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, left, is being challenged for reelection in the Broward-Palm Beach county 23rd Congressional District by former state Rep. George Moraitis. (Staff/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="1600" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12678138" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/tfl-l-moskowitz-moraitis-file-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz, left, is being challenged for reelection in the Broward-Palm Beach county 23rd Congressional District by former state Rep. George Moraitis. (Staff/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
Moraitis and Donalds served together in the Florida House of Representatives, before Donalds was elected to Congress.
While the gubernatorial candidate was talking about President Donald Trump’s first six months in office at a large political gathering, sponsored by Club 47, near West Palm Beach on Monday night, he spotted Moraitis.
“George Moraitis. Oh my gosh, what’s up man?” Donalds exclaimed. “I heard you’re running for office. How’s it going?”
Donalds explained that “George Moraitis is a good friend. Known him a long time, a long, long time.” He then turned back to national politics.
Political writer Anthony Man can be reached at aman@sunsentinel.com and can be found @browardpolitics on Bluesky, Threads, Facebook and Mastodon.
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12797099</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2018/11/05/57P3OGMEMVCHDOW3I2PTA7ZOJE.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="224567" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Mayor of Boca Raton Scott Singer speaks to the crowd during a rally for Republican gubernatorial nominee Ron DeSantis in Boca Raton on the final day of early voting, Sunday, Nov. 4, 2018. John McCall, South Florida Sun Sentinel ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-07-02T11:39:02+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2025-07-02T11:39:00+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>South Florida cities getting millions from settlement in ‘forever chemicals’ legal battle</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/29/south-florida-cities-getting-millions-from-settlement-in-forever-chemicals-legal-battle/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Susannah Bryan, Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Sun, 29 Jun 2025 09:11:25 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12791630</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Cities that joined a class-action lawsuit against manufacturers of “forever chemicals” are getting a big payout. Fort Lauderdale is in line for nearly $35 million. Boca Raton has won $32 million. And Delray Beach has been awarded $15 million.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[South Florida cities from Fort Lauderdale to Boca Raton are in line for a mega windfall in the form of multimillion-dollar settlement payouts from manufacturers of potentially toxic “forever chemicals” that have made their way into the country’s drinking water.
Fort Lauderdale is in line for nearly $35 million. Boca Raton has won $32 million. And Delray Beach has been awarded $15 million.
The cities were plaintiffs in a national class-action lawsuit that accused 3M, DuPont and dozens of other manufacturers of <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/07/28/cities-sue-3m-while-commissioner-seeks-own-answers-to-questions-about-forever-chemicals-in-water-supply/">polluting the water supply</a> of municipalities around the country with perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances known as PFAS — commonly referred to as “forever chemicals.”
Hollywood, Hallandale Beach, Dania Beach and Sunrise also joined the class-action suit and are collecting combined damages of $35 million, said James Ferraro Jr., one of the lead attorneys in the class-action case who represented several cities in Florida, Georgia and Massachusetts.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims the companies released PFAS chemicals into the environment for decades despite being aware of the harm they posed to people, animals and the environment.
“All public water systems in South Florida are in the same boat in terms of PFAS,” Ferraro said. “They’re pulling water from the Biscayne aquifer so there’s a similar range of PFAS contamination. These chemicals can be harmful to human health. They are toxic chemicals.”
PFAS chemicals have been used in everything from firefighting foam to non-stick frying pans, pizza boxes and candy wrappers, carpets, clothing, shampoo and cosmetics.
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the potentially harmful compounds have been linked to a variety of health problems, including thyroid disease, liver damage, some cancers, weakened immunity, reduced fertility in women, low birth weight and developmental delays in children.
In <a href="https://www.pfaswatersettlement.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/3.-ECF-10-3-Settlement-Agreement-as-originally-filed.pdf">settling the case</a>, 3M and the other defendants did not admit wrongdoing.
3M argued that some PFAS contamination resulted from the company’s production of firefighting foam under government military contracts, implying federal approval of its work. 3M also argued that the presence of PFAS at low levels doesn’t automatically equate to harm.
PFAS chemicals still linger in groundwater, rivers and lakes and take hundreds to thousands of years to break down, according to the EPA.
The chemicals can also linger for years in the bodies and bloodstreams of animals and humans.
EPA standards mandate that all U.S. cities keep PFAS levels at 70 parts per trillion gallons of water or lower. The agency plans to lower it to 4 parts per trillion by 2031.
<h4>Safe to drink?</h4>
City officials have been quick to reassure the public that their water is <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2024/05/28/fort-lauderdales-yellow-tap-water-safe-to-drink-city-says/">safe to drink</a>.
Fort Lauderdale’s drinking water does contain PFAS chemicals but is safe based on current EPA requirements, Mayor Dean Trantalis told the South Florida Sun Sentinel.
But a new <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2023/02/08/fort-lauderdale-pulls-trigger-on-new-14-billion-water-plant/">$666 million water plant</a> expected to open at the end of 2026 will filter out a much higher level of PFAS chemicals than Fiveash, the old treatment plant it’s replacing, Trantalis said.
Fort Lauderdale Commissioner Steve Glassman says he is proof the city’s drinking water is safe.
“We always <a href="https://www.fortlauderdale.gov/government/departments-i-z/public-works/utilities-division/water-quality-report">test the water</a>,” Glassman said. “I’ve been drinking it every day and I’m feeling fine. And it’s only going to be better once we get the new water plant open.”
Every year, approximately 100,000 tests are performed on Fort Lauderdale’s drinking water in state-certified laboratories, city spokeswoman Ashley Doussard said.
“These tests include daily bacterial and chemical tests on finished water, weekly bacteriological tests of water in the distribution system, monthly and quarterly testing of water supply wells, and annual tests of all regulated drinking water contaminants and their health effects,” she said. “The city of Fort Lauderdale continues to provide drinking water that meets or exceeds local, state and federal requirements.”
Sites on social media, including Reddit, often share tips and suggestions about buying tap water filters specifically for removing PFAS from their drinking water at home.
“We’ve all heard of it,” said Mark Dearman, an attorney representing Delray Beach in the PFAS lawsuit. “We hear it referred to as ‘forever chemicals.’”
<h4>‘Like gum on bottom of a shoe’</h4>
Likened by researchers at the University of Florida to gum on the bottom of a shoe, PFAS substances do not disintegrate naturally, meaning they stay in the environment and in human bodies for decades.
More than 2,000 water samples taken by UF researchers found PFAS concentrations across all of Florida’s water bodies, with some containing more than 40 parts of PFAS per trillion gallons of water.
“Most of the contaminants in the processed material are <a href="https://ufhealth.org/news/2025/new-research-map-shows-levels-of-forever-chemicals-in-floridas-water">dumped back</a> into our waterways,” John Bowden, a UF professor and researcher on the project, said in a report about the study. “If our drinking water comes from these sources, it will often contain PFAS. What should be alarming for all Floridians is that in the springs, which are often destined for use as drinking water, PFAS are present.”
These human-made chemicals can resist just about anything, which is what made them so useful for military and firefighting equipment. But they also made their way into many everyday items including nonstick pans, makeup, nail polish, paint and microwaveable popcorn bags.
While the settlement signals a win in the long litigation battle against the companies that manufactured PFAS chemicals, Ferraro said it still won’t be enough for many municipalities.
“Boca Raton is getting about the same amount of money as Fort Lauderdale,” Ferraro said. “The biggest driver of the settlements is the amount of water they treat. Dania Beach is going to get far less than Fort Lauderdale because they treat less water.”
Fort Lauderdale is receiving $28.9 million from 3M; $2.9 million from DuPont; an estimated $1.8 million from Tyco Fire Products; and an estimated $1 million from BASF Corp.
Fort Lauderdale is expected to receive 65.6% of the 3M settlement this year. The remainder will paid yearly between 2026 and 2033.
The DuPont, Tyco and BASF settlements are expected to arrive this year.
Fort Lauderdale officials have not yet decided how to spend the money, although $4.8 million might go toward creating the city’s own emergency reserve in case the Federal Emergency Management Agency goes away.
<h4>More money than expected</h4>
Glassman says he played a key role in making sure his city joined the class-action case.
Ferraro’s law firm contacted his office two years ago, Glassman said.
“They weren’t having any luck getting appointments with anyone on the commission,” he told the Sun Sentinel. “We had the meeting. And it sounded like something we should be involved in. We got it in front of the commission and we joined the class action. It’s a lot more money than what I expected.”
Boca Raton will get $32 million over the next five years, with 60% to 65% of the money expected to arrive within six months.
Boca Raton plans to put the settlement money toward construction of a new $55 million water treatment system that should be completed by 2029 or 2030.
Delray Beach will get $15 million, with about 40% arriving in the next few months and the remainder to be distributed annually over the next five years.
City officials say they may use some of the money for a new $280 million water treatment plan expected to break ground this year.
Delray Beach Vice Mayor Rob Long said he’d like to use a portion of the settlement to help offset the rate hike on water bills expected to kick in once the plant is built.
In joining the class-action case, Delray Beach was seeking compensation for the costs and expenses related to the past, present and future investigation, sampling, testing and assessment of the extent of PFAS contamination along with PFAS removal.
Boca Raton was also seeking compensation for the remediation, removal and monitoring of the ongoing contamination of the city’s water supply.
<h4>Hard to remove</h4>
Destroying PFAS is “very, very, very expensive,” said Chris Helfrich, utility director for Boca Raton.
Getting rid of “forever chemicals” is possible, but one streamlined and cost effective solution that doesn’t come with negative environmental impacts isn’t available yet, Helfrich said. And because the EPA doesn’t require public water systems to destroy PFAS, utility systems end up recycling it back into lakes, canals and the ocean.
Whether or not the drinking water in these municipalities is safe to drink depends on one’s mindset, Helfrich said.
Four parts per trillion is roughly equal to one drop of food coloring in 5 million gallons of water, or more than 300 swimming pools, he noted.
Based on the city’s annual drinking water quality report for 2024, one PFAS sample came back at 5.8 parts per trillion.
The Boca Raton water treatment plant already removes some PFAS from the drinking water that serves around 130,000 people. But it isn’t yet able to filter out enough to meet the federal level of 4 parts per trillion.
Still, Boca Raton’s water is completely safe to drink, Helfrich said. And the city is on its way to meeting the federal requirements not by the EPA’s deadline, but before it.
Down the line, the federal government or the states might be called on to help fund new water plants in cities that need help filtering out PFAS chemicals, according to Ferraro.
“They have to come to the reality that settlement funds are a huge help, but for some public water systems it’s not going to be the end all,” Ferraro said. “They’re going to need a lot more. The federal government is going to have to fill the gap to address this issue in certain places for sure, and it’s going to be billions of dollars on a yearly basis.”
Under President Donald Trump, <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/05/14/forever-chemical-rule-rollback/">EPA guidelines</a> on PFAS chemicals have loosened. Under Trump’s administration, certain PFAS chemicals no longer need to be regulated at all. And the deadline for municipalities to come into compliance has been extended from 2029 to 2031.
Whether that was a smart strategy depends on who you ask, Ferraro said.
“It cuts both ways,” he said. “In the environment, is it better to have it (take effect in) 2029? Yes. For public water systems, is it? No, because their focus is in looking at how big of a lift is it going to be to actually get this in place and meet these regulations. They would like to have this at zero parts per trillion, but the reality is it’s extremely expensive to get there.”
For now, municipal water systems and the EPA are taking things one step at a time, said Helfrich.
“It’s linear,” he said. “Let’s get it out of the water. Let’s get the quality of the water safe to drink. And then let’s remove it from the environment.”
Susannah Bryan can be reached at sbryan@sunsentinel.com. Follow me on X @Susannah_Bryan
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12791630</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/migration/2020/02/26/5AJAWS6H4ZEY7ARU42H3XGJ6OE.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="244554" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ The entire lower east coast of Florida relies on the water deliveries from Lake Okeechobee – as well as our water conservation areas – to continually recharge the Biscayne aquifer and local wellfields. This freshwater supply is critical to fighting the looming threat of saltwater intrusion – a threat that grows larger, as sea-level rise impacts our area., writes the director of the South Florida Water Coaliton in an op-ed. (ABOVE) A sailboat starts down the St. Lucie Canal after leaving Lake Okeechobee.(AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-06-29T05:11:25+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2025-07-03T16:47:09+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>Boca Raton’s new shopping, housing community nears construction at Tri-Rail station</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/25/boca-ratons-new-shopping-housing-community-nears-construction-at-tri-rail-station/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:25:34 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12785798</guid>
<description><![CDATA[Coming to Boca Raton's Tri-Rail station is a mixed-use project that will offer shops, restaurants and 340 new residences, some of them considered workforce housing.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[Coming to Boca Raton’s Tri-Rail station is a mixed-use project that will offer shops, restaurants and 340 new residences, some of them considered workforce housing. The project’s groundbreaking is expected this summer.
Link at Boca is a transit-oriented development rising at <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/680+W+Yamato+Rd,+Boca+Raton,+FL+33431/@26.3936766,-80.1021033,597m/data=!3m2!1e3!4b1!4m6!3m5!1s0x88d91e27e0baec9f:0xe612d8e8ff99e5f6!8m2!3d26.3936718!4d-80.0995284!16s%2Fg%2F11wfcnv2kp?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDYxNy4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D">680 W. Yamato Road</a>, the Tri-Rail station’s parking lot and the land next to it. Once construction begins, the project will take about two years to complete. By then, the mostly vacant area by the Tri-Rail station will have an eight-story tower with studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments and 24,000 square feet of shops and restaurants.
Link at Boca, which is being developed in collaboration with the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, is just one of the developments in the works along the Tri-Rail corridor, which spans across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. The transportation authority is investing $40 million to clean up and repair stations with the goal of making them more alluring.
And for the Boca Raton project, the U.S. Department of Transportation has <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/01/19/boca-raton-tri-rail-station-plan-with-340-new-residences-to-get-federal-boost/">granted a federal loan</a> as part of a series of initiatives aimed at addressing the affordable housing crisis, announced in January in the final days of former President Joe Biden’s administration.
For the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station area, the vision was to create a “vibrant mixed-use environment.” For 13th Floor Investments, which is the developer producing the project, this is the third Link-branded transit-oriented development the firm has created — the other two are Link at Douglas, which is connected to Miami’s Douglas Road Metrorail Station and the upcoming Link at SoMi, which is a project next to the South Miami Metrorail Station.
“We’re very thematic investors, and we think that the future of transit-oriented projects is very bright here in South Florida,” 13th Floor Investments president of development Aaron Stolear said.
“South Florida has many things going for it,” Stolear said, citing the “great weather” as an example. “But the other side of the coin is that it does have a lot of traffic. And so we think that the future of transit-oriented projects is bright in the sense that the value of being close to mass transit is only going to increase over time.”
Meanwhile, the Comras Company is handling the retail leases for Link at Boca, which are “designed to serve residents, transit riders and the wider community with a curated mix including innovative food and beverage concepts, from fast-casual to sit-down dining, as well as wellness and lifestyle-oriented offerings,” according to a statement about the project.
Stolear said 13th Floor is deliberate about which retail tenants they choose for these Link projects. In the Link at Douglas project, for example, there is a grocer, a sushi place and a restaurant that provides breakfast, lunch and dinner, among other tenants.
“We care very deeply about what we bring into our projects, and we think that Link at Boca is going to be the same,” Stolear said. “Ultimately it’s going to have a lot of food and beverage, it may have some exercise and fitness, coffee shops, that sort of tenant is really what we’re going after.”
<div class="article-slideshow" id="mng-gallery-228d0bfec0b478d223e4e24106008e2a"><button class="icon-close mng-gallery-fullscreen-close" aria-label="Close fullscreen slideshow"></button><ul class="mng-gallery-initialized mng-gallery-slider"><button id="mng-gallery-prev" class="mng-gallery-prev mng-gallery-arrow" aria-label="Previous" type="button"></button><div class="mng-gallery-list draggable"><div class="mng-gallery-track"><li data-index="1" class="mng-ge mng-gallery-active" id="mng-ge-0" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"><div class="image-wrapper"><img decoding="async" width="1024" height="788" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline" alt="Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next..." draggable="false" sizes="(max-width: 40em) 620px,(min-width: 40em) and (max-width: 50em) 780px,(min-width: 50em) and (max-width: 65em) 810px,(min-width: 65em) and (max-width: 80em) 1280px,(min-width: 80em) 1860px,1860px" srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?w=1860 1860w" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The development will feature an eight-story 340-residence tower and 24,000 square feet of retail. (Courtesy/13th Floor Investments)</div></div></li><li data-index="2" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="574" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-1.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-1.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-1.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-1.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-1.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-1.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/3-1.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The development will feature an eight-story 340-residence tower and 24,000 square feet of retail. (Courtesy/13th Floor Investments)</div></div></li><li data-index="3" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-2" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="624" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4-1.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4-1.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4-1.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4-1.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4-1.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4-1.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/4-1.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The development will feature an eight-story 340-residence tower and 24,000 square feet of retail. (Courtesy/13th Floor Investments)</div></div></li><li data-index="4" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-3" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="576" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/11.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The development will feature an eight-story 340-residence tower and 24,000 square feet of retail. (Courtesy/13th Floor Investments)</div></div></li></div></div><button id="mng-gallery-next" class="mng-gallery-next mng-gallery-arrow" aria-label="Next" type="button"></button></ul><div class="caption mng-gallery-information-container"><button class="caption-expand mng-gallery-caption-expand" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Show caption">Show Caption</button><div class="slideshow-credit mng-gallery-image-credit"></div><div class="slide-count">1 of 4</div><div class="slideshow-caption mng-gallery-image-caption">Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The development will feature an eight-story 340-residence tower and 24,000 square feet of retail. (Courtesy/13th Floor Investments)</div><a href="#" class="icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand" aria-label="Expand fullscreen slideshow">Expand</a></div></div>
<h4>Transit-oriented developments — or TODs</h4>
Link at Boca is one of two rather significant transit-oriented developments coming to the city, with the Boca Raton Brightline station gearing up for a major overhaul with nearly 1,000 residences, office space, shops, restaurants and public gathering spaces all part of the city’s <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/05/29/boca-ratons-major-development-plan-near-brightline-station-may-see-some-changes-including-fewer-homes/">government campus master plan</a> along Palmetto Park Road.
These projects are, in part, the result of city officials’ often impassioned attempts to achieve more connectivity among people, their jobs, businesses, and transportation by taking away cars from roads, not adding them.
Transit-oriented developments represent “a significant urban planning approach,” Dave Magua, a Boca Raton-based broker with the Keyes Company real estate firm, argued in a report he created about the potential impact of transit-oriented development in the city, particularly denoting the proposed Brightline transit-oriented development.
In his research, Magua concluded the potentially positive and negative impacts of these kinds of projects.
On the positive side, such projects may offer:
— Creating jobs and economic growth, which also could mean attracting new residents and businesses.
— Increasing property values and tax revenue for the city.
— Reducing traffic congestion and improving pedestrian infrastructure.
But some of the challenges could be:
— Displacing some existing businesses and residents.
— Placing a strain on existing green spaces — that is, “if new green spaces are not adequately integrated, increased population density” could burden existing parks and recreational areas.
— Facing the “last mile” problem, wherein a need still exists for getting people to their final destination, whether that is work or home, even if they are coming from the Brightline or Tri-Rail station.
One of the biggest challenges in the beginning of projects such as these, though, is fear, Magua said.
“Fear of loss, fear of life change, fear of losing value, losing that enchantment of that community,” he said. “Every time there’s an affordability housing project on any doorstep … there’s always a kick fight back every time.”
In Boca Raton, the government campus project has drawn concern, with some residents worrying about the relocation of the current sports facilities there, encroaching on the nearby neighborhoods and actually adding traffic to the city despite one of the goals being to reduce it.
But to Stolear, “the more the better” when it comes to transit-oriented developments.
“We need to flip a switch in our residents’ heads, if you will,” he said. “In the sense that they need to be comfortable moving around South Florida with a variety of modes of transportation, not necessarily only car.”
The government campus project will be completed in different phases over several years. Link at Boca is expected to be finished by 2027.
<figure id="attachment_12521156" class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="741px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Land slated for development adjacent to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail Station is seen on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Construction is expected to begin this summer. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12521156" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-005.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Land slated for development adjacent to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail Station is seen on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024. Construction is expected to begin this summer. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
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<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12785798</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/TFL-L-BOCA-VILLAGE-002.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="272547" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Passengers disembark on Tuesday, Dec. 31, 2024, at the Boca Raton Tri-Rail Station. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-06-25T08:25:34+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2025-06-25T08:25:34+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<title>Israel evacuees rely on Florida — or private groups led by vets, ex-spies, or ex-diplomats — to get home</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/20/israel-evacuees-rely-on-florida-or-private-groups-led-by-vets-ex-spies-or-ex-diplomats-to-get-home/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[David Lyons]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Fri, 20 Jun 2025 18:19:53 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Florida Jewish Journal]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Florida News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[World News]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12781955</guid>
<description><![CDATA[As ballistic missiles from Iran struck Israel, U.S. visitors used their own initiatives or turned to quickly assembled rescue efforts by the state of Florida and an array of private organizations. ]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[For Eric Weinbaum, the last straw for his family was the Iranian ballistic missile that destroyed a building near his family’s Airbnb in Tel Aviv.
“We left early Tuesday morning at 6 a.m., taking a van to the Sheikh Hussein crossing in northern Israel,” he told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. “Once we crossed into Jordan, we took another van to Amman. From there, we flew to Istanbul, then to JFK [International Airport], and finally into Palm Beach [International] Airport — about 40 hours of travel, door to door.”
“What made it truly surreal, though, was watching missiles fly overhead near the Jordanian border crossing, and again around 2 a.m.,” he said. “While we sat aboard a Royal Jordanian flight preparing to depart for Istanbul, we could see the missiles coming overhead towards Jerusalem, and the Iron Dome intercepting missiles off in the distance.”
Weinbaum and his wife, son and son’s fiancee arrived in Israel on June 12 from their Boca Raton home for his daughter’s wedding.
“We arrived in Tel Aviv … to calm skies and peaceful days, but things quickly spiraled into panic,” he said. “That’s what ultimately led us to make the decision to exit through Jordan.”
The family did so on their own, not with the help of any specialized evacuation organization, the state of Florida, Israel or the U.S. Government. From a logistical standpoint, they had an advantage over thousands of others trying to flee the burgeoning air war between Israel and Iran. His son is a Delta Air Lines pilot who served in the U.S. Marines and knows his way around the world of commercial aviation.
<h4>Tens of thousands seek exits</h4>
The Weinbaums were among an estimated 40,000 tourists in Israel when the war broke out. On Thursday, Israel’s Ministry of Tourism said in a statement from Director General Danny Shachar that it had compiled a list of 22,000 tourists and turned it over to authorities as part of an operation called “Safe Return,” which is now assisting foreigners trying to leave Israel. It was originally set up to help bring Israelis back home from overseas.
Shacher said he’s asked that return flights that brought Israelis home be used to take foreign tourists back to their countries.
“Tourists find themselves in a situation of uncertainty and even distress amid an intense war,” he wrote. “Some are staying here longer than planned, sometimes under difficult financial and personal circumstances. Such operational prioritization is not only a humanitarian and necessary act but also has great political and image value: These tourists will become ambassadors of goodwill for the State of Israel.”
Border crossings into Egypt and Jordan remain open, he said.
<figure id="attachment_12782568" class="wp-caption alignnone size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="1008px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Sonia Delgado rests after landing at the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla., on an evacuee flight from Israel, on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Lily Speredelozzi/Tampa Bay Times via AP)" width="6720" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12782568" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Sonia Delgado rests after landing at the Tampa International Airport on an evacuee flight from Israel early Friday. (Lily Speredelozzi/Tampa Bay Times via AP)</figcaption></figure>
Shacher invited tourists who have not registered for evacuation flights to fill out a digital form at the following link: <a href="https://govforms.gov.il/mw/forms/TouristEvacuationFromIsrael@tourism.gov.il?displang=en">https://govforms.gov.il/mw/forms/TouristEvacuationFromIsrael@tourism.gov.il?displang=en</a>
From the American side, there are a number of non-U.S. Government efforts under way to bring back Americans. Although the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which was closed after the war started, reopened Friday, the State Department said on its website that it had nothing to say about aiding Americans who want to leave Israel. The department has elevated its travel advisory for Israel to its Level 4 “Do Not Travel” warning.
“We have no announcement about assisting private U.S. citizens to depart at this time,” the statement said. “The Department of State is always planning for contingencies to assist with private U.S. citizens’ departure from crisis areas. We will alert the U.S. citizen community if there is additional information to share regarding departure options. U.S. citizens should enroll in the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program to receive the latest updates.”
The department noted that Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv remains closed, and there are no commercial or charter flights operating from there. Israeli seaports are also closed, the department said. But the Times of Israel reported that the first cruise ship “bringing stranded Israelis back from Cyprus, in coordination with the Transportation Ministry” arrived at the Ashdod port in southern Israel early Friday.
The non-U.S. Government organizations now involved in evacuations say they are employing military veterans as well as those with experience abroad while employed by the State Department and intelligence and foreign aid agencies. Their overseas contacts and expertise developed in the past are now proving beneficial during present-day crises, the organizations say.
That experience appeared to be in play as the state of Florida commenced its efforts to bring back Floridians and other Americans from Israel via Cyprus.
<h4>State of Florida / Grey Bull Rescue</h4>
At a Tampa news conference before sunrise Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis and Kevin Guthrie, executive director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said they chose the Grey Bull Rescue organization for its members’ deep expertise in war zones overseas. The agency has <a href="https://greybullrescue.org/middle-east-request-help/">established a link</a> to Grey Bull Rescue for families seeking help.
“This is probably the most challenging and logistically difficult mission that the Florida Department of Emergency Management has done,” DeSantis said after a plane from Cyprus offloaded 160 passengers at Tampa International Airport. “All of a sudden, to have this happen, you’re really in no man’s land. And so, we understood there was a need for help.”
Guthrie said the state would not discuss the tactics being used for security reasons.
It was the second flight in two days to land in Tampa from Cyprus orchestrated by the state. It is a rescue effort that has now brought 320 Floridians and other Americans back to the U.S. The first flight touched down Thursday morning. The governor called it a “24/7” operation with more flights to come.
He said the effort, which includes helping <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/17/u-s-jews-fleeing-israel-iran-hostilities-to-fly-home-in-florida-backed-airlift/">Birthright Israel tour participants</a>, is not limited to Floridians. Out-of-state residents, the governor said, are also welcome to use the Florida connection.
One of Friday’s arriving passengers, Josh Hammer, a Newsweek commentator based in Hallandale, profusely thanked the governor, the state, and Grey Bull.
“You’re essentially living on pins and needles for the bombs to go off,” said Hammer, who was also in Israel for a wedding. “And then you have basically 90 seconds or two minutes to take — in our case, our 6-month-old baby — and just run to the bomb shelter.”
In a Zoom news conference on Thursday, Grey Bull Rescue founder Bryan Stern said his group expects to have received 6,000 requests for help by Saturday. As he spoke, 4,000 people had registered with his organization through the emergency management agency.
Sterling said Grey Bull Rescue and the DeSantis administration are working in lockstep with each other to bring Americans home. Another participant who is deeply involved: State Sen. Jay Collins, a U.S. Army veteran who served as a Green Beret.
“We continue to conduct operations throughout the region,” Stern told reporters.
“We have buses, we have airplanes, we have maritime options which remain solid,” he said. “Our relationships [in the Middle East] are extremely solid and allow us to do things that are very hard to do.”
“The situation on the ground is complex to say the least,” he added. “Our good friends from the state of Florida are backing us up.”
He said Collins “is fully embedded in our team. We are literally in the same room most hours doing stuff.”
“It’s not a political thing. It’s not a military thing. It’s an American thing,” he added. “That’s why we’re out there saving American lives.”
<h4>Project Dynamo</h4>
The organization, which initially worked to bring Americans home after the fall of Afghanistan, has helped people escape violence in Haiti, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and is now working to evacuate U.S. citizens visiting Israel.
On Thursday, a flight carrying about 30 American veterans on a retreat to Israel landed at Miami International Airport as a result of the organization’s efforts.
“Our people are experts at going into foreign countries, building human networks and putting together the logistics required to get people out of an area that’s very bad and where they don’t to be,” James Judge, a member of Project Dynamo, said by phone from Cyprus, where he is arranging marine transportation for evacuees. “It’s not just wars and conflicts. It’s any crisis where Americans need to get out of a bad place.”
The group participated in the Florida project to evacuate people after the Oct. 7 attacks by Hamas on Israel. It says that since its inception in 2021, the group has rescued over 7,000 people from conflict zones and disaster areas — including Afghanistan, Ukraine, Mexico, Haiti, Sudan, and Israel.
As with any complicated rescue project, Project Dynamo needs funding. It operates offices in Naples and Tampa and two in Texas.
“Everything we do needs to be proper,” Judge said. “We make sure every American has documentation. We also do a lot of permanent [U.S.] residents and our allies too.”
“We have gotten a lot of support from a lot of public officials,” Judge added. “It doesn’t matter what political leaning you are. If you are in harm’s way we will come to get you.”’
Those who need help can visit <a href="https://projectdynamo.net/">projectdynamo.net</a>. The group also needs more donations to help more people, he said.
<h4>Focuspoint International</h4>
At an operations center in Sunrise, staffers are helping clients who have paid for a form of insurance that provides help escaping conflict zones.
Greg Pearson, founder, CEO and also a military veteran, said the company specializes in emergency response as a service. Clients pay upfront for the service plan they need. “You don’t pay for utilization,” he said.
While not travel insurance per se, the company’s plans more resemble a roadside assistance plan for vehicles.
“We have seen, since June 15, roughly 400 requests for assistance,” he said. “We have conducted hundreds of evacuations since June 13.”
<h4>Frontline Global</h4>
The Fort Lauderdale-based company says it is a membership-based travel assistance and emergency evacuation organization that is now conducting operations across Israel for members and non-members.
In a statement, the company said it has Americans on the ground in Israel and Jordan.
“Frontline Global is on the ground, working tirelessly to provide safe passage for those caught in this rapidly evolving crisis,” co-founder Chris Gavaghen said in a prepared statement. “Our American teams are fully operational, offering door-to-door expedited services to ensure American citizens and others can reach safety in Jordan, Egypt, or Cyprus. We urge anyone needing assistance to contact us immediately.”
Gavaghen could not be reached for further comment.
But the company said it is “leveraging its extensive experience in crisis zones to facilitate safe crossings through operational land borders, including the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge, Jordan River/Sheikh Hussein, and Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba crossings to Jordan, as well as the Taba crossing to Egypt.”
Limited flights are available from Amman, Jordan, and Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, the company said, and it is “coordinating logistics to ensure seamless transitions.”
The company, which was founded last year, can be reached by visiting IsraelEvac@frontlineglobal.io. It maintains offices on three continents and employs a team of “critical care paramedics, former U.S. special operations, U.S. intelligence professionals, and crisis response experts.”
<h3>Costs vary</h3>
The price of evacuations appears to be fluid, depending on a person’s situation, transportation needs and other factors.
James Judge of Project Dynamo said it costs the nonprofit roughly $1,000 per person to arrange an exit from Israel
Eric Weinbaum, the Boca Raton resident who came home on the strength of his own family’s arrangements, said each person in his party was charged $100 a head for a van ride to the Jordanian border. There were taxes and fees on both sides of the border.
But by his reckoning, money was not an issue as he entrusted the task of making the family travel arrangements to his son and the son’s fiancee.
“I said, ‘here’s my credit card, just do it,'” Weinbaum recalled. “You can’t spend money six feet under.”
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12781955</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-Z-US-Mideast-Wars-Iran-Israel-Evacuations-03.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="198890" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Passengers, family, and friends greet each other after landing at the Tampa International Airport in Tampa, Fla., on an evacuee flight from Israel, on Friday, June 20, 2025. (Lily Speredelozzi/Tampa Bay Times via AP) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-06-20T14:19:53+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2025-06-20T14:21:51+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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<item>
<title>Sea Turtle Rehab Center in Boca Raton is closing due to financial shortfall</title>
<link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/17/sea-turtle-rehab-center-in-boca-raton-is-closing-due-to-financial-shortfall/</link>
<dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
<pubDate>Tue, 17 Jun 2025 07:30:41 +0000</pubDate>
<category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
<category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
<guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12776033</guid>
<description><![CDATA[The Coastal Stewards conservation organization announced it is closing its sea turtle rehabilitation center at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton due to financial challenges. Thirteen sea turtles will need to be relocated.]]></description>
<content:encoded><![CDATA[After Blossom got sick and injured, she was given surgery and proper nutrition to heal.
Eugene was “cold-stunned” and covered in barnacles.
Now, the juvenile sea turtles are improving — Blossom is on the brink of re-release, which she clearly is antsy for as she slaps her fins against the sides of her holding tank on a recent afternoon. And Eugene is “Eating well!!!” according to notes about his recovery.
They both received care at the Turtle Rehab Center within the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton. But the center closed for good on Friday and will not be taking in new turtles. The nonprofit conservation organization The Coastal Stewards, which is behind the center, cited “ongoing financial challenges.”
“Like many environmental nonprofits, The Coastal Stewards has faced increasing difficulty securing consistent and sustainable funding,” Shivani Gupta, a Board of Trustee Member for The Coastal Stewards, said in a statement. “This difficult decision allows us to reallocate resources and focus on our long-standing commitment to marine conservation education and empowering the next generation of ocean advocates.”
<figure id="attachment_12776231" class="wp-caption alignnone size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="741px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Blossom, who has Fibropapillomatosis, comes up for air in the sea turtle rehabilitation center at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton on Monday, June 16, 2025. The marine nature preserve's rehab center has been shut down by the Coastal Stewards due to financial challenges. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12776231" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-4-061625.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Blossom, who has Fibropapillomatosis, comes up for air in the sea turtle rehabilitation center at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton on Monday, June 16, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
The Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, which is run by the city of Boca Raton, will stay open and continue its other conservation programs, such such as sea turtle nest protection and counting. Gumbo Limbo’s three resident sea turtles — Lefty, Morgan and Lady McNubbins — will remain there for the duration of their lives.
The Coastal Stewards board of trustees chair Ata Sarajedini said the organization had a shortfall in projected donations and did not see that changing.
“As the Coastal Stewards organization, we are still very much interested in conservation — beach conservation, marine life conservation, educating the future leaders in the area of environmental conservation,” Sarajedini said. “So education and science education is still part of our mission.”
Running the rehab center was an expensive aspect of The Coastal Steward’s operations, so ceasing it may lead to the organization allocating more funds to educational goals.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission will decide where to transfer the 13 sea turtles — potential new locations include Loggerhead Marinelife Center in Juno Beach and Zoo Miami. Until then, they will remain at Gumbo Limbo and receive veterinary care.
Most of the patients were harmed due to interaction with the human world, be it getting tangled in netting or fishing line, swallowing a fish hook or getting struck by a boat, said Gumbo Limbo Nature Center Manager Leann Welch. Some of the turtles also have a virus called Fibropapilloma, which can lead to tumors.
<figure id="attachment_12776232" class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" sizes="741px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" alt="Barnicorn, a juvenile green sea turtle who was injured in a boat strike in Palm Beach County, swims in his tank in the sea turtle rehabilitation center at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton on Monday, June 16, 2025. The marine nature preserve's rehab center has been shut down by the Coastal Stewards due to financial challenges. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12776232" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-2-061625.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Barnicorn, a juvenile green sea turtle who was injured in a boat strike in Palm Beach County, swims in his tank in the sea turtle rehabilitation center at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton on Monday, June 16, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
The gift store operated by The Coastal Stewards inside the Nature Center has also closed.
In a statement issued in response to the closure, Boca Raton city officials wrote that they “remain open to exploring partnerships with other qualified nonprofit organizations that may be interested in continuing sea turtle rehabilitation on-site and will determine the best use of the gift shop space.”
]]></content:encoded>
<post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12776033</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/TFL-L-turtle-rehab-center-1-061625.jpg?w=1400px&strip=all" fileSize="217515" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Bubbles, who was found entangled in a buoy in Miami, floats in her tank in the sea turtle rehabilitation center at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center in Boca Raton on Monday, June 16, 2025. The marine nature preserve’s rehab center has been shut down by The Coastal Stewards due to financial challenges. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
<dcterms:created>2025-06-17T03:30:41+00:00</dcterms:created>
<dcterms:modified>2025-06-17T03:25:51+00:00</dcterms:modified>
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