In the humdrum world of municipal politics, there was a little excitement as qualification ended this week with several new residents vying for places on the City Council. The municipal elections will be held on March 13th. While there will be no early voting, you can still avail yourself of the opportunity to Vote by Mail by going online to the PBC Supervisor of Elections website and completing Vote by Mail Request Form at www.pbcelections.org/items.aspx?id=28 Remember, all politics is local and there is nothing more local than municipal government!- Shakespeare Miami brought Hamlet to Mizner Park Amphitheater for its sophomore performance. Great for all ages and cultures the weekend of free performances told the story of Hamlet starting in the royal court of Denmark; a place of political maneuvering, spies, and deceit, and moved through a tale about ghosts, love, betrayal, revenge and death by the sword.
- The International Business Alliance held an evening of networking on Tuesday, January 9th, sponsored by First Citizens Bank and hosted by Lynn University. The University is hosting the International Business Alliance’s Outstanding 5th year of Success! Every month, they offer dynamic facilitators educating members of the Greater Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce on how to connect and grow their businesses in the new Global Economy.
- The Florida Legislature opened its 2018 session on Tuesday. The annual 60-day session, which is generally held in March and April came early this year to allow those elected representatives who must face the voters this year time to return to their districts (presumably with something to brag about from the current session) to campaign. With over 3,000 bills filed, residents should stay informed about the issues being debated as they may impact our lives in the future. Unlike the municipal government meetings, state business is handled in Tallahassee, which is not the most convenient place to travel. Attacks on the ability of the municipally elected leaders to handle local issues locally (based on the principle of Home Rule) could fundamentally change the way locally elected representatives handle local issues.
Do Not Miss:
- Join the Boca Raton Police Foundation on Friday, January 12th for “Call for Back Up.” Join your neighbors as Marc and Jennifer Bell open their beautiful home for an evening of delicious hors d’ouevres, cocktails, entertainment, demonstrations of police equipment, vehicles & K9’s as well as live and silent auctions to raise funds for training, equipment and technology to enhance the safety of our community and effectiveness of our police department. For sponsorship information and any other questions, please contact Debbie at 561.988.1711. Tickets will not be sold at the door. Don’t miss out.
- Also on January 12th, Imagine: The Life and Song of John Lennon will be presented at The Mizner Cultural Center at 7:30 PM. John Lennon, a troubled musical prodigy from working-class Liverpool, England, rode the dizzying ascension of The Beatles to international stardom and became one of the most celebrated singer-songwriters of the 20th-century. In this dynamic examination of the life of a rock star rebel-turned-revolutionary, Lennon’s personal and professional journey is recounted in narration with slides, and his songs performed live in rich harmony by Joan Friedenberg and Bill Bowen, who sing professionally as the PinkSlip Duo. The music is integrated into the narrative, with lyrics projected on a screen for an audience sing-along.
- Next Sunday, January 14th, Gift of Life will host its annual Steps for Life 5K Run & Walk at South County Regional Park (Sunset Cove) in West Boca. This is the only 5K in the South Florida area solely dedicated to raising awareness for bone marrow and blood stem cell transplants. Gift of Life uses funds raised at Steps for Life to add new donors to the worldwide bone marrow registry, as the cost of registering one volunteer donor is $60. The Gift of Life Marrow Registry is a public bone marrow and blood stem cell registry was founded in 1991 by marrow transplant recipient and leukemia survivor, Jay Feinberg. Gift of Life is dedicated to saving the lives of children and adults suffering from life-threatening diseases, such as leukemia and lymphoma, by finding matching donors for marrow and blood stem cell transplants. You can order a donor kit online at https://www.giftoflife.org/register
- Also, during the month of February, Evelyn & Arthur stores will donate 100% of proceeds from the sales of their special edition orange pashminas to Gift of Life Marrow Registry. http://cbs12.com/n…/local/giving-the-gift-of-life-01-07-2018
- The Sunshine Music Festival returns to Boca on Sunday at Mizner Park Amphitheater. The line up includes acts from the fan favorite Tedeschi Trucks Band, to Mike Gordon, Mediski Martin & Wood, Galactic, and more. Doors open at noon offering standing room only, seated, or VIP ticketing options. Enjoy more than just the music, engulf yourself in the blues and funk culture, shop from vendors, grab a tasty beverage and bite to eat while bouncing from stage to stage with old and new friends.
On Monday, January 15, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, the daylong celebration will include:
7:30 – 9:30 AM | Ebenezer Baptist Church 200 NE 12th St
Free Community Breakfast, courtesy of Developing Interracial Social Change
9:30 – 11AM | MLK Jr. Memorial 200 NE 12th St
Take part in a ceremony honoring the life and legacy of Dr. King, featuring City officials, inspirational speeches, and musical performances.
11 AM | March from the MLK Jr. Memorial to Sanborn Square, led by the Boca Raton HS Band and other local groups
11:30 – 3 PM | Sanborn Square 72 N Federal Hwy
Celebrate with music, family activities, face painting, rides, and vendors! All events are free with the exclusion of food and beverages.
- Also on January 15th, the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, along with the Deborah and Larry D. Silver Center for Jewish Engagement, invite the entire Boca Raton community to a day of giving back! Whether it’s preparing food for the hungry, wrapping gifts for children, or participating in an environmental project, Federation invites you to participate in CommUNITY in Action! Volunteer opportunities will take place throughout the day and vary by location, time and type of activity. Open to all ages. Volunteer opportunities from 8:30 AM – 8 PM. Registration is $18 per family (includes free T-shirt while supplies last). For more information, contact Marissa Vinograd at 561.852.3163 or marissav@bocafed.org
- Salul Blinkoff will be speaking at the JEC of South Florida (500 NE Spanish River Blvd) on January 15th at 8 pm. He began his career as an animator for the WALT DISNEY STUDIOS working on the hit films Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Mulan, & Tarzan. He made his directorial debut with the hip action-adventure series Spy Groove for MTV. Shortly thereafter, he re-joined DISNEY, directing the films Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo & Kronk’s New Groove- starring Eartha Kitt & David Spade. Saul also consulted in development on the DISNEY films: Tinkerbell, Fox and The Hound II, Brother Bear II, Cinderella III, and Dumbo II. Saul was a director on the hit Disney show Doc McStuffins and directed The Numberlys, a pre-school show for AMAZON with MOONBOT STUDIOS. Saul was a consulting producer on The Stinky & Dirty Show for AMAZON and directed Dreamtopia; a re-imagined Barbie movie for MATTEL premiering on NICKELODEON. For “My Disney Tale & Jewish Journey” on January 15, RSVP at https://www.jecsouthflorida.org/programs/special-events/ For the Animation Workshop on January 16, RSVP on the “Next Tab” after registration is completed for the January 15th session.
- This January, it’s Time To TAKE 5 For You™. Conceived and presented by Boca Raton’s Promise in collaboration with a diverse group of community organizations and professional personal coaches, the interactive program is designed to kick-start personal balance, growth and hope in the new year through a robust blend of art, music, comedy, literature, theater, mind/body / soul balance, and enlightenment, TAKE 5 For You™ will deliver 11 empowering opportunities to help energize you to hit your “personal reboot” button for more self-discovery, fulfillment and enjoyment in 2018. Whether you are seeking reflection, renewal, and reconnection or a bit of entertainment, laughter and fun with family and friends…you will find it when you TAKE 5 For You™. For the full program guide and registration information visit: BocaRatonsPromise.org/Take5ForYou
- Join Small Business Professionals on January 16th for the first Small Business Exchange Event of the year! The program is sponsored by FL-Accounting & Advisers From a three-part Marketing Series: Part 1 – Topic: Do You Have a Marketing Plan? Speaker: Tara Auclair, Senior Marketing Communications Manager Modernizing Medicine Limited space available. Register Now! https://bocaratonflcoc.wliinc17.com/events/Small-Business-Exchange-
- Boca Raton Championship helps to raise money for the Boca Raton Regional Hospital, as well as many other local charities. The Boca Raton Championship Volunteer Chair is Angelo Sands. To host this event we will need hundreds of volunteers and he is asking for your help in getting the word out to volunteer organizations. For additional innovation, questions or to volunteer, contact Angelo at 561.756.3347.
- Mark your calendar for the 31st Annual Town Center at Boca Raton Boca Fest, Saturday, January 13th and Sunday, January 14th 10 AM – 5 PM. This is a free outdoor art show.
- HotWorks.org will present the 9th Annual Boca Raton Fine Art Show™ on January 27 & 28, 2018 in downtown Boca Raton. (Saturday & Sunday) 10AM-5PM at Sanborn Square Park on East Boca Raton Road and NE 1st Ave. The affected street s will close at 3 pm Friday, January 26th and re-open on or before 10 PM Sunday, January 28thDowntown Boca Raton is the perfect venue for a beautiful art show, featuring an exclusive collection of high-quality, original, and refreshingly unique artwork created by a wide range of exceptional students.
Coming in February:
- On Saturday, February 3rd and Sunday, February 4th Boca Raton Museum of Art hosts the 32nd Annual Museum of Art Festival in Mizner Park. The streets of Mizner Park will, again, be filled with a tremendous selection of art from across the country. One of a kind art will be available for purchase with a portion of the proceeds dedicated to the support of the museum’s educational programming. The festival is open from 10 AM – 5 PM and is free and open to the public.
- The Boca Raton Seafood & Music Festival follows the next weekend (Saturday and Sunday, February 10th and 11th) from 10 AM – 6 PM. The ticketed event is a unique blending of food, music and visual entertainment offering a potpourri of delectable seafood creations and delicious drinks prepared by our city’s top restaurants combined with outstanding musical performances by local and regional musicians. General admission is only $5.00
- The Festival of the Arts returns to Mizner Park Amphitheater for its 11th season on Friday, February 23rd at 7:30 PM with Grammy Award-winning American soprano Kathleen Battle.
- Itzhak Perlman returns to the amphitheater stage on Saturday, February 24th at 8 PM. Perlman is the reigning virtuoso of the violin.
- On Sunday, February 23rd the Festival presents Grupo Company Segundo, an iconic band from Havana Cuba. The show begins at 7 PM.
- Don’t miss Bill Murray, Jan Vogler & friends present an evening of music, poetry, and prose on Friday, March 2rd at 7:30 PM.
- The Festival of the Arts concludes on Sunday, March 4th with a special presentation of ET the Extra-Terrestrial. As in years past, the film will be accompanied by The Symphonia Boca Raton & Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor. The movie presentation begins at 6 PM. Tickets to the Festival of the Arts Boca (designed to promote the cultural arts and to enrich the quality of life of the residents of Boca Raton) are available for these events (and others) at www.FestivalOfTheArtsBoca.org or through the box office at 866.571.2787
- Boca Raton has a new comedy club! Located at the Mizner Park Cultural Arts Center, Comic Cure is a social non-profit with the simple mission of using the power of laughter to uplift and engage communities around important causes. Shows are presented once a month. On February 10th, the theme of the show is Florida’s Funniest Parents. Love and laughter are in the air as moms and dads from across the state take the stage to deliver their best jokes to win over the audience judges. Secure your tickets at www.MiznerParkCulturalCenter.com
- Don’t forget the Wick Theatre where Singing in the Rain continues through February 18th. This “greatest movie musical of all time” is the perfect entertainment for fans of the golden age of movie musicals. For tickets or more information on upcoming shows, go to www.TheWick.org