Barry’s Buzz – June 15, 2016
The Boca Raton Airport Authority is aiming for the morning of July 21 for a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Customs building.
City leaders will wait until after the November election to decide whether to lease city-owned land in downtown for a waterfront restaurant. The City Council was expected to vote on a lease agreement between the city and Hillstone Restaurant Group next month.
State Rep. Irv Slosberg filed for a State Senate seat against Kevin Rader and his daughter Emily filed for his House seat against Kelly Skidmore.
Results of the city’s $50,000 downtown traffic study affirmed what residents and city officials have been saying all along: The city should put left-turn lanes back in at the busy downtown intersection of Palmetto Park Road and Northeast/Southeast Fifth Avenue. The City Council directed city staff to move forward with installing left-turn lanes at the Fifth Avenue intersection as well as at the intersection of Palmetto Park Road and Mizner Boulevard. City Manager Leif Ahnell said both intersections will have turn lanes come November.
The Florida City and County Management Association (FCCMA) presented its 2016 awards at an annual conference in Orlando, Fl. The statewide organization, which is devoted to advancing excellence in professional management of local government, recognized a group of distinguished individuals for outstanding service to Florida’s communities, including Boca Raton’s own Deputy City Manager, George Brown. Brown, who received the award for Excellence in Leadership, has been with the City for 33 years. Mayor Susan Haynie was in attendance to present the award to Mr. Brown.
Cancer Treatment Centers of America, headquartered in Boca Raton, has named Dr. Rajesh Garg as its new president and CEO, effective June 20.
Boca Raton Garden Club installed two co-presidents at the annual Officers’ Installation Luncheon, ushering in new leadership for the group during National Garden Week with Grace Johnson passing the gavel to Emilie Palmieri after a two year term as president.
Whole Foods gives back: If you shop at a Palm Beach County Whole Foods on Wednesday, 5 percent of your purchase will be donated to a good cause. If you shop at the Boca store, beneficiaries of Whole Foods Market’s 5 Percent Day are NamaStacy Yoga of South Florida.
Beauty and the Beast is at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts June 15-19. Tickets at browardcenter.org
The downtown Boca Raton Public Library will present a lecture from 7 to 8 p.m Wednesday. The civic lecture for savvy citizens is “THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION” The lecture is funded by the Friends of the Boca Raton Public Library. Pamela Goodman, President of the League of Women Voters of Florida, will discuss how women’s votes will likely impact the general election. To register for “The Role of Women in the 2016 Presidential Election” or other free Civic Engagement programs at the Boca Raton Public Library, visit the calendar at bocalibrary.org.
West Boca Leaders is the best networking group in the area. One of a kind networking group. First and Third Thursdays. Next meeting is June 16, 2016, 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. Tulipe Café, Boca Grove Shopping Center on Powerline Road between Glades and Palmetto Park Roads. $60 per quarter. Fill out form on site if you qualify and bring $60 for fourth quarter. For more information or questions, call 561.702.0000.
New Art Gallery Exhibit at the Spanish River Library through June 25. Well-known local artist, Jim Campbell, will be showing his oil paintings and acrylic paintings in the Friends Art Gallery. This collection will include favorites from his travels abroad and some still-life compositions done in his studio. The Library is located at 1501 NW Spanish River Blvd.
Putting It Together will run to June 19 at Stage Door Theatre, 8036 Sample Road, Margate. Tickets for Putting It Together are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at stagedoortheatre.com.
Finding Dory and Central Intelligence opens at the Boca and Boynton Cinemarks. Wedding Doll and Weiner opens at the FAU Living Room Theatres. Genius, Wedding Doll, Ratchet and Clank opens at the Movies of Delray. Finding Dorie, Wedding Doll and Zombie opens at the Movies of Lake Worth. Genius opens at the Classic Gateway. Jungle Book, A Bigger Splash and Me Before You opens at the Last Picture show.
The Soul of Motor City will run to July 19 at Stage Door Theatre, 8036 Sample Road, Margate. Tickets are $38 – $42; $16 student tickets are also available. Tickets may be purchased at the Broward Stage Door Theatre box office at 954-344-7765 or on line at http://www.stagedoortheatre.com.
Summer in the City: Music and Movies Under the Stars will run through Aug. 19 at the Mizner Park Amphitheater in downtown Boca Raton. On nights with free concerts, the event will start at 7:30 p.m., with the exception of Father’s Day when the concert will start at 7 p.m. Movies are set to begin at 8 p.m. Here’s a list of the free performances and movie showings: June 10: The Symphonia Boca Raton; June 17: Billy Joel tribute by Turnstiles; June 19: FAU Old Time Concert in the Park; June 24: Led Zeppelin tribute by Zoso; July 8: “Minions” showing; July 22: David Bowie tribute by Stardust Memories; July 29: Bob Marley tribute by Ruffhouse; Aug. 5: “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” showing; Aug. 12: Eagles tribute by The Long Run; Aug. 19: The Symphonia.
Catch a concert at Mizner. Enjoy a free concert Friday night at Mizner Park featuring “Summer Enchanted Evening” with Kyle Prescott, Conductor and Mei Mei Luo, Violin. The Symphonia Strings will delight you with movements from Serenades by masters such as Tchaikovsky, Elgar, Dvorak and Mozart’s famous Eine Kleine Nacht Music. In addition, works by Aaron Copeland, Leroy Anderson and Strauss. Blankets and chairs permitted, for your convenience chairs will be available to rent for $5. Food and beverages available for purchase. Please leave at home outside food and beverages and pets. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m.
The city of Boca Raton is hosting a free concert Friday. Turnstiles a Billy Joel tribute band will perform at 7:30 p.m. at Mizner Park. Visit the Beer Garden to sample a variety of craft beers, learn how to make your own, play games, and meet experts from Hollywood Brewery starting at 6:30pm. Blankets and chairs permitted, for your convenience chairs will be available to rent for $5. Food and beverages available for purchase. Please leave at home outside food and beverages and pets.
FAU theatre performance: Florida Atlantic University’s Department of Theatre and Dance in the Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters has announced its summer lineup for Festival Repertory Theatre 2016. “Hay Fever” a comedy by Noel Coward, will run through Sunday, June 26. Tickets are $20 and all shows are in the University Theatre and Studio One Theatre. There will be an opening night reception on Friday at 5:30 p.m. in the Schmidt Gallery on the Boca Raton campus. Tickets for the reception are $100 and include preferred seating for that night’s performance and a $50 tax-deductible gift for theatre student scholarships.
Boca library launches summer reading program: The Boca Raton Public Library is launching its summer reading initiative “Exercise your Mind, Read!” with a kick-off party from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. June 11 at the Spanish River Library. There will be local athletes, snacks and a DJ. The initiative encourages families to read during summer break to keep their reading skills sharp.
The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (abridged) [revised] runs from June 17 – 26 at Sol Theatre, 3333 North Federal Highway, Boca Raton. Tickets are $15 and $10 for students. Group rates are also available. Call 561-447-8829 or on line at www.eveningstarproductions.org. Warning! This show is a high-speed roller-coaster type condensation of all of Shakespeare’s plays, and is not recommended for people with heart ailments, bladder problems, inner-ear disorders, outer-ear disorders, Shakespearean scholars, degrees in Elizabethan history and/or people inclined to motion sickness. Evening Star Productions cannot be held responsible for expectant mothers!
Celebrate dad at the sixth annual Mizner Park Downtown Drive Car Show on Father’s Day. The event takes place from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on June 19 at Mizner Park, 327 Plaza Real. Admission to the event is free. The event will feature more than 150 cars including antiques, classics, custom builds, race cars, imports and street rods. For more information, visit miznerpark.com or call 561-362-0606.
The Luxury Chamber network will be 6 to 8 pm June 20 at New York Prime 2350 NW Executive Drive. Tickets at http://luxurychamber.com/upcoming-events.php. Speakers include Muhammad Ali’s ex-wife and Boca City Council member Scott Singer, discussing Luxury projects in the city.
The Israel Scouts performing troupe will perform at Temple Beth Shalom in Century Village in Boca Raton on Tuesday morning, June 21. The performance will be at 10 a.m. at the temple — which is located at.19140 Lyons Road within Century Village in west Boca Raton. Coffee and cake will be served.
Fresh off great notices for her Bessie Smith at the Arts Garage, Avery Sommers will morph into Bloody Mary. Julliard schooled baritone Graham Fandrei becomes Emile de Becque, the French planter. Throw in soprano Rebekah Diaz-Fandrei as Nellie Forbush, members of the Gay Men’s Chorus of South Florida as the sailors and Marines and mix with Aaron Kula’s 40-musician orchestra. “South Pacific” the concert version comes to life at 3 p.m. June 26 in the Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus of Florida Atlantic University. Rodgers and Hammerstein would have loved it. “South Pacific” in concert, 3 p.m. June 26, Florida Atlantic University Carole and Barry Kaye Performing Arts Auditorium, 777 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Tickets $20 to $42; group prices available at fauevents.com or 800-564-9539. Free for current FAU students; $5 for ages 18 and younger only at FAU Box Office.
Office Depot will hold a shareholder’s meeting 9 a.m. July 13 at the Boca Marriott Hotel, the first after the breakup of the proposed merger with Staples.
The Business & Professional Division has a networking happy hour 6 pm July 26 at New York Prime, 2350 Executive Center Drive. $25 per person. Register at jewishboca.org/bphappyhour or call 852.3128 or visit sonnis@bocafed.org.
Christina Applegate will be the keynote speaker at the 13th annual Go Pink luncheon to benefit the Boca Raton Regional Hospital Foundation in the fight against breast cancer. Save the date: October 21, 2016.
The 2016/2017 Broadway series at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts include Cinderella, Cabaret, The Little Mermaid, Something Rotten!, Matilda and Finding Neverland. More info at browardcenter.org.
The Marmot Boca Raton Bowl date has been set. The bowl game will take place at 7 p.m. on Dec. 20 at the Florida Atlantic University Stadium. The game will be broadcast on ESPN. It will be the third annual bowl game for FAU.
Sun-Sentinel, South Florida Business Journal, Boca Life Magazine and Palm Beach Post contributed to this column.
Barry Epstein, APR, is a noted public relations, marketing and political consultant based in Boca Raton, president of the goldcoasttigerbayclub.com, the luxurychamber.com, the westbocaleaders.com and the founder and former president of the West Boca Chamber of Commerce; His motto is: Public Relations is the enemy of anonymity. Email: pr@publicrelations.nu, or fax column items to 561.451.0000. Read his blog on www.barry’s.buzz. His blog is also on bocatribune.com, facebook.com/BarryEpstein and on his website: publicrelations.nu.
