Boca Beat 5/28
- Boca Raton residents are noticing and complaining about their water bills increasing in cost. According to an article by WPEC, residents living near Old Floresta and Boca Square are seeing their bills double or in some cases, triple. Using the social media app set up for neighborhoods, Nextdoor, hundreds of people complained about their water bills. However, the City of Boca Raton explains that it is not a mistake.
- The renovations for Pompey Park have finally been approved by the city of Delray Beach after years of deliberating. As reported by WPTV News, the Delray Beach City Council intends to move forward and upgrade the entire park. The park currently has broken fences, old pools and has outlived its use.
- The Florida League of Cities, the united voice for Florida’s municipal governments, recently recognized Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer, with a 2021 Home Rule Hero Award for their hard work and advocacy efforts during the 2021 Legislative Session. Singer worked tirelessly throughout session to promote local voices making local choices, protect the Home Rule powers of Florida’s municipalities and advance the League’s legislative agenda.
- The American Rescue Plan, a $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill, was signed by President Joe Biden on March 11. According to the Palm Beach Post, Palm Beach State College will be receiving $71 million from the stimulus package. The legislation requires that the school sends half of that money to its students. Each of their approximately 45,000 students will receive a $1,000 grant. Students are allowed to spend that money however they like, but the college’s president, Ava Parker, encourages students to use the money on any fees or outstanding debts.
- AVDA (Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse) honored a longtime Boca Raton philanthropist and a newly formed student group whose purpose is to halt abusive behavior during its 14th annual “Heart of a Woman” luncheon held Wednesday, both in-person and virtually, at Boca’s Royal Palm Yacht Club.
- The Boca Raton Museum of Art announced their new exhibit, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru that will open October 16, bringing the arts and culture of Peru to South Florida. This fall, the international exhibit will make its world premiere at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru will bring tourists from all over the world that admire ancient Peruvian history and Machu Picchu.
- Florida’s 2021 session of the state legislature is now in the history books. But state Rep. Michael “Mike” Caruso, the Republican who represents Boca Raton, Delray Beach and parts of Boynton Beach and Singer Island, said the term stands out as “a session like nothing else.”
- Florida has distributed roughly $100 million to Medicaid providers that ultimately did not demonstrate they used electronic health records (EHR) in a meaningful way after collecting first-year financial incentives, according to a study by researchers at Florida Atlantic University.
- Mental health is a topic that’s seldom talked about, although many professionals can agree that it is a serious one. It’s typically seen as attention-seeking, a nonexistent problem or not important enough to be addressed, however, this is not the case. It is very important to create conversations about mental health, especially during May’s mental health awareness month. Mental health is important for a person’s overall health and should be a priority, however many underestimate its significance.
- A record-breaking $1.4 million was granted to local children’s charities during the 2020-2021 fiscal year by Boca West Children’s Foundation, with $500,000 awarded last week in the latest round of grants.
- Coming off of a year unlike any other, Adopt-A-Family of the Palm Beaches, Inc. is thrilled to announce their 9th Annual Better Ball Invitational raised over $200,000. The event safely returned to the award-winning Jack Nicklaus designed Banyan Cay Resort & Golf Club in West Palm Beach on Friday, May 7, 2021, and raised funds to support the agency’s efforts in strengthening the safety and stability of vulnerable families in Palm Beach County.
- Superintendent Dr. Donald Fennoy announced that face masks will be optional for Palm Beach County students next school year. The decision was made in response to the downward trend in COVID positivity rates and the increased vaccination rates. The county also made the choice to make face masks optional after Gov. Ron DeSantis recommended to end mask mandates in schools.
- The senior rabbi of B’nai Torah Congregation, David Steinhart, says that the pandemic has greatly affected his congregation. As reported by WPTV News, senior rabbi Steinhart is working with Michele Scher to help those who are struggling.
- A popular former restaurant on the edge of Boca Raton’s warehouse district is back in the business of helping to feed people. At noon on Tuesday, May 18, Boca Helping Hands, the organization that provides food for the needy, among other services, unloaded the first delivery from a refrigerated truck into its newly renovated warehouse across from its main headquarters on First Court off Glades Road.
- The Tri-County Animal Rescue in Boca Raton revealed their “American Military Hero Dog Monument” on Saturday, according to WPTV. The statue was donated by Lois Pope and is meant to honor the “service and sacrifice made by these courageous canines”.
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