Robert’s Community Report: 12/1
By: Robert Weinroth
– It’s become a Thanksgiving tradition for many families within our community to volunteer and help serve a thanksgiving meal at the Levis JCC on the campus of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County for those who might not be able to enjoy the holiday.
– For those serving and those served it’s a special day to come together and celebrate this holiday. Thanks to Jewish Family Services and the Jewish Community Center in Boca Raton, volunteers made sure no one was alone for Thanksgiving, providing a warm meal among friends. It all began 23 years ago by Larry and Roxane Phillips.
– This year over 300 volunteers joined together to serve over 700 meals In recent years the event has been underwritten by Edith & Martin Stein and Etta & Raymond Zimmerman. Despite Martin’s recent passing, The Zimmerman’s and Edith Stein are keeping the tradition alive.
– It may not have been pretty, but is was a defining moment as the Florida Atlantic University Owls were victorious in their final regular season game, beating Charlotte 31-12. The victory marked the first perfect season in conference play for FAU. Up next, the Conference-USA Championship where the East Division champion Owls will host the West Division champion North Texas football squad. The Owls perfect conference record earned them home field advantage. The game will be played on the Schnellenberger Field at FAU Stadium on the Boca Raton Campus on Saturday December 2nd at Noon. Come out and show your support for our champions.
– The Owls are already bowl eligible. Where they are invited to play will be determined by the results of Saturday’s matchup. Team matchups for the college bowl games will be announced on Sunday December 3rd (at which time the Owls will learn in which bowl game they will play and against which college team while Boca Raton will learn who will be coming to our city to play in the 2017 Boca Raton Bowl set for Tuesday December 19th at FAU).
– The Mizner Park Comedy Club held its inaugural performance at Mizner Park Cultural Center on Saturday night. Comic Cure, a social for-profit company, began in September of 2015 with one simple mission – use the unifying power of laughter to uplift and engage communities around important causes. They produce live comedic events in South Florida, Los Angeles, and Philadelphia to showcase promising local talent and benefit local non-profit organizations. Monthly performances are scheduled through the spring on December 23rd, January 13th, February 10th, March 20thand April 21st. The submission deadline for aspiring comics interested in performing at the December show is Sunday December 3rd at midnight. To learn more, go to http://ComicCure.com/events/Flroida/Mizner-Park-Comedy-Club/
– The Nutcracker was, once again, presented by the Boca Ballet Theatre under the direction of Dan Guinn thanks to the generous support of Marleen Forkas, in memory of her late husband, Harold.
– This year the production features American Ballet Theatre’s Catherine Hurlin and José Sebastian. As in past years, young children were invited to meet the dancers after the two matinee performances.
– Mark your calendar for the Boca Ballet Theatre’s Special Event, Stars of American Ballet on Saturday march 10th Tickets for the 1PM show at the Countess de Hornele Theatre can be obtained at www.BocaBallet.org
– Habitat for Humanity South Palm Beach County invited the participants in its recent CEO Build program to a reception at the Boca Raton Resort. TheCEO Build fundraising event celebrates and harnesses the unstoppable power of corporate leaders to come together to help transform our community by helping and working alongside local, hard working, low-income families with a hand up, not a hand out to build a safe, decent and affordable place to call home. The CEOs collectively raised the cost of building a $150,000 simple, safe and affordable home. Each “CEO Builder” devoted part of one day to help meet and build alongside the family in the construction process, offering an empowering, unique, fun, and positive environment to give back during a day filled with camaraderie, helping to change the life of a hardworking mother and her children. Mark your calendar: The 2018 CEO build will take place on October 19-20.
– A Unity Event, organized by the Development Corporation for Israel / Israel Bonds and hosted by B’nai Torah Congregation – Boca Raton, was held on Monday with Rabbinical representation from Reform, Conservative and Orthodox Boca Raton synagogues. The program recognized the honorees from 11 synagogues and the Jewish Federation of SPBC. The keynote speaker for the evening, Amb Ido Aharoni, delivered an impassioned speech about the hurdles the State of Israel has been forced to confront throughout its history and how Israel Bonds have played a decisive role in Israel’s rapid evolution into a groundbreaking, global leader in high-tech, green-tech and biotechnology with worldwide sales exceeding $49 billion since the bonds were first issued in 1951.
– The City Council met on Monday (as CRA) and again on Tuesday to address a number of issues. Several pieces of news came from the meeting: (1) Wildflower Park is now open to the public from dawn to dusk. The park will remain open and bleachers will be available to watch the 41st Annual Holiday Boat parade on Saturday December 16th; (2) The Council approved the funding to begin work on the seawall at the Wildflower property; (3) The Council, likewise, approved the expenditure of funds to begin the engineering work for the Hillsboro El-Rio Park (which will include pickle ball courts); (4) The Council learned that Slidr (the point to point free transportation within the downtown) has ceased operations on the city. However, the good news is a new company, Round The Town has jumped into the void and is offering the same free rides within downtown in slow-speed electric vehicles. They are developing an “app” but for now, they can be hailed or called or texted at 561.303.9173.
– There will only be one set of City Council/CRA meetings in December. The meetings will take place on December 11th and 12th.
– The Boca Chamber’s Pulse Luncheon was held on Tuesday. A lively discussion about the way our political landscape has been impacted by social media was held between WPTV news anchor, Michael Williams, and FAU Professor Kevin Wagner. Their message, millennials are getting their news from sources other than newspapers and network news making them more susceptible to news that has not been fully vetted (a/k/a “fake news”).
– On Thursday, SafeSun, held its 6th Annual Martinis For Melanoma. There was an incredible silent auction, custom martinis and light bites, combined with an evening of fundraising for melanoma awareness, sun safety education, and treatment for those who cannot otherwise afford it.
– Also on Thursday, five high technology projects created in Israel were showcased in a free program open to the public titled “Imagination Israel” at the Olympic Heights Community High School. The Jewish Community Relations Council of the Jewish Federation of SPBC organized “Imagine Israel”. It was an exciting opportunity to get a close-up of the phenomenon that has branded Israel The Startup Nation.”
– Looking ahead, Lunch on the Lawn, which was such a success in the fall, will return on consecutive Fridays (December 1st, 8th and 15th). Bring you lunch enjoy the fare offered by the food trucks that will be in the Mizner Park Amphitheatre from 11AM – 4PM.
– The 47th Annual Holiday Parade returns on Wednesday December 6th. The parade, which kicks of at 7:30PM from SE 5th Street will run north along Federal Hwy, terminating at Mizner Park Amphitheatre. There are abundant places along the route to watch in addition to bleachers at Sanborn Square Park (opposite old Town Hall).
– On Sunday December 10th the 15th Annual Lynn University Gingerbread Holiday Concert will be held in the Great Hall at Boca Raton Resort & Club from 2-4PM. This is a ticketed event, which raises scholarship funds for the conservatory’s deserving and talented student musicians. For more information or to purchase tickets, go to: https://www.lynn.edu/events/gingerbread-holiday-concert-20171210-200pm
– Also on the Sunday is another family favorite, the FAU Tuba Christmas. The free show starts at 5PMat Mizner Park Amphitheatre. Feel free to bring your chairs or blankets for seating or, for your convenience, chairs can be rented for $5 cash. Food and beverages will be available to purchase inside the venue. No outside food or beverages are allowed. The show is rain or shine.
– On Friday December 15th the teams playing in the Boca Raton Bowl will arrive. The “home” team from Conference-USA will be staying at the Boca Raton Resort & Club. The team match-ups will be announced on Sunday December 3rd.
– On Saturday December 16th the 41st Annual Boat Parade will begin at 6:30PM at the C-15 Canal on the Intracoastal Waterway and proceed south, through Lake Boca. Watch for notices on the bridge openings along the parade route. Bleachers will be set up on the “Wildflower” park for viewing.
– On Monday December 18th community pep rally for the “home” team from Conference-USA will be held at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre with the marching band parading through Mizner Park.
– On Tuesday December 19th it’s the “big game!” The 4th playing of the Boca Raton Bowl at FAU Stadium begins at 7PM. There will be a “fan-zone” for family fund on the FAU grounds on Tuesday afternoon.
– This year the Bowl will feature teams from the American Athletic Conference and Conference USA. Last year C-USA champion Western Kentucky bested Memphis, 51-31. The three past Boca Raton Bowl champions, Marshall, Toledo and WKU combined to go 34-6 in years they won the game. Get your tickets at: https://www.thebocaratonbowl.com
– On Friday December 22nd another family favorite, the City of Boca Raton presents The Polar Express movie and activities at Mizner Park Amphitheatre (under the stars). Doors open at 4:30PM with family friendly activities and the free movie will begin at 5:30PM. Feel free to bring your chairs or blankets for seating or, for your convenience, chairs can be rented for $5 cash. Food and beverages will be available to purchase inside the venue. No outside food or beverages are allowed. The show is rain or shine.
– The Levis JCC offers a year-round eclectic assortment of foreign, independent, documentary and performance films. Following its highly successful inaugural year, the Boca Raton Jewish Film Festival once again will present an exciting and diverse collection of 30 Jewish-themed films from around the world. The Festival runs from Sunday, March 4th – Saturday, March 24, 2018. For more information on the coming events, go to: levisjcc.org/culture/books_films/
– Did you know Florida Atlantic University has an observatory? Would you like a glimpse at the heavens, above, through their telescope? On December 1st the FAU Observatory located on top of the College of Science Building is holding a free open house at 7PM. The FAU Astronomical Observatory is generally open for free public viewing on the first Friday and third Tuesday of the month, unless there is something astronomically significant to go after. December evenings this year offers deep sky objects like planetary nebulae, globular and open clusters, galaxies, and the emergence of the bright winter star constellations. There will also be a nearly full Moon and the two most distant planets to look upon, Uranus and Neptune. The rest are on the opposite side of the solar system from us. So come and enjoy the wonders of the night skies, after all it is your universe, too!
– Excitement is in the air as the Florence Fuller Child Development Center prepares for its largest annual fundraising event, the Wee Dream Ball, to be held Friday Dec 1, 2017 at Boca West Country Club. The Wee Dream Ball has become one of the most anticipated philanthropic events of the year.
– There are lots of things going on (this is just a sample). Follow me on Twitter at @bocacalendar and check out our new website www.BocaCal.com to stay informed.
