Monday, February 29, 2016

HERE'S YOUR CHANCE TO SEE RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK AGAIN!


THE FESTIVAL OF THE ARTS IN BOCA kicks off on March 4th by showing Spielberg's "Raiders of the Lost Ark with the ageless Harrison Ford.  The Henry Mancini Institute Orchestra from the U of Miami Frost School of Music will appear live, playing the score at the Mizner Park Amphitheater.  


  • The Festival runs to March 16th and includes 
  • Performances of Mozart's Magic Flute and Vivaldi's Four seasons
  • Herb Alpert in concert and Lani Hall
  • Performance of Cirque de la Symphonie 



For more information go to http://festivaloftheartsboca.org/ .

Thursday, February 25, 2016

CULTURAL EVENTS, TONS OF SHOPPING FROM EXPENSIVE TO CHEAP, ART & ANTIQUES, HISTORIC HOMES, ELITE RESTAURANTS TO DINERS, WATERFRONT (ICW) VIEWS, MUSEUMS, BIG BOATS GALORE, SYMPHONIES & SHOWS, BEST BROWSING MOST ANYWHERE… NEAR POLO PONY GAMES, NEAR WORTH AVENUE… Something for everyone!




March 5th… mark your calendar and save the date for the annual Antique Row chic street party with entertainment, food and shopping.  

  


Browse to find that one exquisite 17th, 18th, 19th or 20th C. antique, decorative art piece, vintage or moderne furnishing, lighting and accessory, deco, work of art and much more. 

  


From 6 to 9 pm, head over to Southern Blvd east (I-95 exit 68), left on South Dixie north) and you are there!  Browse and buy from over 40 interesting high quality antique stores, specialty shoppes, antique galleries and dine in award-winning restaurants.

 


Antique Row is heralded by Architectural Digest, The New York Times, Art and Antiques and House Beautiful as one of the east coast’s premier antique shopping districts.  Conde Nast Traveler chose Antique Row as 4th best shopping in the US.  You will be alongside decorators, avid collectors, antique dealers

 


Look thru the Directory, reserve for a fine dinner, breakfast or lunch.

 


Come and join one of West Palm Beach’s premier evening events.  See you there! 

Monday, February 22, 2016

CONTINUING OUR SERIES ON LOCAL GROWTH, NEW RESIDENTIAL UNITS IN BOCA RATON WILL GROW DOWNTOWN BOCA

Current construction crews are working on:

MARK AT CITYSCAPE, a 12-story building with 208 rental apartments at 11 Plaza Real South near intersection of Palmetto Park Road and Federal Highway – scheduled to be completed in March 2016



VIA MIZNER, also 12-stories with 366 rental apartments, at the corner of Camino Real and Federal Highway; about 1MM sq ft of building reaching 140’ is planned for the rest of the nearly 7 acres.  Designated for open space is about 40% of the area.



MANDARIN ORIENTAL HOTEL (pictured above to the right) next to Via Mizner will have 164 rooms and 100 condominiums and retail space will be built with connecting adjoining towers

PALMETTO PROMENADE, 9-stories with 378 units, from Northeast 3rd Street and Palmetto Park Road extending east for 900’, it’s façade gives the appearance of multiple buildings but it is just one structure



THE BOCA LOFTS, 7-stories with 229 rental apartments at 33 SE 8th Street



TOWER 155, 12-stories with 170 condominiums, in the 100 block of East Boca Raton Road




HYATT PLACE HOTEL, 12-stories with 200 rooms, at Palmetto Park Road and Federal Highway, expected to open in the summer of 2016, will include an 8000 sq ft restaurant, 4000 sq ft of meeting space, and retail space



When Town Center opened, it drew business from downtown Boca Raton, and downtown businesses suffered.  In 2008, the temporary guidelines adopted allowed 12-story buildings whereas previously they were limited to 9 or 10 stories.  Mention was made of a more varied, more graceful skyline.  The new heights encouraged developers to do more than build a cheaper, boxier version of a building, and the new guidelines call for buildings to be farther back from the street opening a light corridor without a canyon effect.

Better views command higher rents and condominium prices.  Downtown will become more vibrant after regular work hours with downtown residents heading to restaurants, spas, boutiques and businesses in the area.
561-513-6180 or email marilynfjacobs@gmail.com.

Saturday, February 20, 2016

STAY TUNED FOR INFORMATION ON NEW CONDO DEVELOPMENTS ON THIS BLOG



Everywhere we look in Palm Beach County, from Boca Raton to the county’s northern outer reach areas, there is new development going on bringing new jobs, new businesses, and sooner or later, new residents.  That says a lot about the improvement in our economy when billionaires and millionaires are “putting their monies where their mouth is.”

Minto Communities is planning a big family-oriented development with a 6 square mile footprint that they have named Westlake, which they say will have an economic impact of $1BB (Yes, BILLION) over the next 20 years.  The property is on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road in The Acreage.  To compare, they say it will be slightly larger than the city of Lake Worth.  Plans include 4546 single family and town homes (which may generate $34MM in property tax revenue), 2.1 MM sq ft of commercial development, a 3,000-student university and a 150-unit hotel.  This all will be built on 3800 acres north of Okeechobee Boulevard.

Impact revenue fee income will be generated by Westlake, amounting to $58.7MM, with about $42MM for roads and $7.5MM for schools.  Environmental considerations include natural areas and open spaces that will occupy over 55% of the property with over 240 acres of parks, 600 acres of lakes and 15 miles of walking and biking trails.  A Town Center will be the social hub.



Those in favor say it is orderly planned growth that will provide a needed economic boost to the area.  The nay-sayers describe it as a traffic-choking idea.  Good for you, Minto, to plan to widen about two miles of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road which will cost them $12MM over the next 18 months.  Some residents say that people moved to the area to enjoy a rural lifestyle, but sooner or later this and other projects will make the area busy and overcrowded.  Total build out time is estimated to be a decade.  With ground breaking estimated to start in 90 days, residential sales may begin in early 2017.

There is both concern and happiness about a forthcoming GL homes community, the Indian Trails Grove project, where 4,000 homes are planned be built on a 3,900-acre tract not far from Westlake.



With over 1000 people a day coming to visit Florida, many of whom will want to move to Palm Beach County, it is to respect and accept growth and progress.  Expansion and new homes and businesses must go west and north to find tracts of land to build on.

Thursday, February 18, 2016

''BUILD IT AND THEY WILL COME," especially to Paradise!

LAKE WORTH’S HISTORIC GULFSTREAM HOTEL PROJECT APPROVED



Hudson Holdings can now proceed with their $60MM restoration plan.

Built in the 1920’s, the revival is expected to bring more tourism to the area.  Located near the west end of the Lake Worth Bridge, with walkable shoppes, art galleries, restaurants and antique shops to browse, it may become a mecca for out of towners.  The intracoastal waterway “is right there,” with benches to relax on while watching the boats go by, and the municipal golf course is along the ICW.  Plans include an 87-room hotel with a downstairs restaurant, and  a 2-story parking garage with at least 145 spaces.  Also planned are a champagne room and a rooftop skybar.

The restoration will create 300 jobs and is projected to be finished in 15 months.




Note that in Delray Beach and West Palm Beach investors and developers have plans to update and upgrade those areas with new residential complexes, and new residential buildings have gone up in Boca Raton, and some are in mid-construction.  While these plans bring new jobs, they can also bring congestion to these areas, so these objections are being considered too.  About 1000 people a day move to Florida, and perhaps in a few years, with the new construction in Palm Beach county, more will come.


This historic property, with its new look, will be a mecca for those looking to buy in the area, a great stopping-off place.

Thursday, February 04, 2016

THIS MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT JUST TURNED 82. YOU WILL BE STUNNED BY WHAT HE DID IN VIETNAM

This article was originally published on Yellow Hammer News and is written by Cliff Sims .
Bennie Adkins turned 82 on Feb. 1. Exactly 50 years ago, Mr. Adkins was in the jungles of Vietnam. He returned to the United States a legend among Army Rangers, and almost a half-century later was awarded the Medal of Honor for personal acts of valor above and beyond the call of duty during the Vietnam War.i

So numerous and heroic were Adkins’ battlefield exploits that President Obama started his remarks at the White House Medal of Honor ceremony by saying that there was no way there would be enough time to describe them all. At another point he paused to simply say, “you can’t make this stuff up.”
Here’s a lightly edited transcript of the official citation, which details a portion of Adkins’ incredible story:
When Adkins’ camp was attacked by a large North Vietnamese and Viet Cong force in the early morning hours of March 9, 1966, Sergeant First Class Adkins rushed through intense enemy fire and manned a mortar position continually adjusting fire for the camp, despite incurring wounds as the mortar pit received several direct hits from enemy mortars.
Upon learning that several soldiers were wounded near the center of camp, he temporarily turned the mortar over to another soldier, ran through exploding mortar rounds and dragged several comrades to safety. As the hostile fire subsided, Adkins exposed himself to sporadic sniper fire while carrying his wounded comrades to the camp dispensary.
When Adkins and his group of defenders came under heavy small arms fire from members of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group that had defected to fight with the North Vietnamese, he maneuvered outside the camp to evacuate a seriously wounded American and draw fire all the while successfully covering the rescue.
When a resupply air drop landed outside of the camp perimeter, Adkins, again, moved outside of the camp walls to retrieve the much needed supplies.
During the early morning hours of March 10, 1966, enemy forces launched their main attack and within two hours, Adkins was the only man firing a mortar weapon. When all mortar rounds were expended, Adkins began placing effective recoilless rifle fire upon enemy positions. Despite receiving additional wounds from enemy rounds exploding on his position, Adkins fought off intense waves of attacking Viet Cong.
Adkins eliminated numerous insurgents with small arms fire after withdrawing to a communications bunker with several soldiers. Running extremely low on ammunition, he returned to the mortar pit, gathered vital ammunition and ran through intense fire back to the bunker. After being ordered to evacuate the camp, Adkins and a small group of soldiers destroyed all signal equipment and classified documents, dug their way out of the rear of the bunker, and fought their way out of the camp.
While carrying a wounded soldier to the extraction point he learned that the last helicopter had already departed. Adkins led the group while evading the enemy until they were rescued by helicopter on March 12, 1966.
During the thirty-eight hour battle and forty-eight hours of escape and evasion, fighting with mortars, machine guns, recoilless rifles, small arms, and hand grenades, it was estimated that Adkins killed between 135 and 175 of the enemy while sustaining eighteen different wounds to his body.
When that last line was read aloud, there was a collective, audible gasp throughout the assembled crowd of friends, family, press and members of the military in the East Room of the White House.
Every member of Adkins’ unit was either killed or wounded during the 48-hour ordeal detailed above. Two of the men he saved were able to attend the event. After the ceremony, Adkins’ thoughts quickly turned to the other heroes with whom he served.
“This Medal of Honor belongs to the other 16 Special Forces soldiers with me,” he said.

President Barack Obama awards the Medal of Honor to Army Command Sergeant Major Bennie G. Adkins in a ceremony at the White House Sept. 15, 2014 (Photo: Cliff Sims)
Medal of Honor recommendations usually must be made within two years of the act of heroism and must be presented within three years. Adkins received his some 48 years after the fact.
So why did it take so long for Adkins to be recognized?
“In 2009, Command Sergeant Major Adkins’ family contacted my office and told us that they were going to try to get this wrong righted,” U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, Adkins’ congressman, told Yellowhammer.
From that moment forward, Rogers made it his personal mission to make sure Adkins received the honor he was due.
Rogers immediately moved for there to be a review of Adkins’ records. Fortunately, all of the documentation the Army compiled after Adkins’ heroic efforts — including first-hand accounts from American soldiers who are still alive — had been preserved by the Pentagon.
According to the documentation, Adkins was nominated for the Medal of Honor shortly after the battle by his chain of command. In doing that, his commanding officer, who was in the battle with him, wrote a five-page narrative detailing what had happened. The Army then took statements from every soldier who was with him and documented all of the communications that took place during the battle.
But as the recommendation worked its way up the chain of command to the general officer level, they inexplicably decided Adkins’ actions merited the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest military honor, rather than the Medal of Honor.
When Congressman Rogers’ office started pushing for the Army to revisit Adkins’ story, there was a treasure trove of original battlefield information still intact.

Command Sgt. Maj. Bennie G. Adkins participating in a press conference just after receiving the Medal of Honor at the White House, Sept. 15, 2014. (Photo: Staff Sgt. Bernardo Fuller)
“You’ve got to get the documentation that supports the review,” Rogers said, explaining the process. “Then the Secretary of Defense has to review it and decide that he would like to see it recommended to the president. After that happened, we had to go back and get an exception to the law, which says that the Medal of Honor must be awarded within three years of the event. So we had to get Congress to pass a law to say this deserves an exception.”
Rogers lobbied his colleagues incessantly.
“There was a lot of resistance, surprisingly,” he said. “But one thing that really helped was that Secretary (of Defense) Hagel was asking for this. He had reviewed it and felt like it was an injustice that needed to be remedied. It finally got passed, but it took several months.”
In addition to lobbying Congress, Rogers also had to make his case to the White House, who would not normally be receptive to the requests of a Republican congressman from Alabama.
“We spent several months pestering the president’s office,” Rogers laughed. “Fortunately they did the right thing.”
“Sometimes even the most extraordinary stories can get lost in the fog of war or the passage of time,” President Obama said. “When new evidence comes to light, certain actions can be reconsidered for this honor, and it is entirely right and proper that we have done so.”
As for the reason why Adkins and other deserving soldiers were not properly honored initially upon their return, Rogers said he was not exactly sure, but believes it could have been a combination of the post-war political climate, as well as prejudice.
“There were clearly some prejudices involved when you look at who was and wasn’t recognized after Vietnam,” he said. “Some folks were of a different race, some folks were a certain religion, and some folks were from the South. So there was some of that involved. It may have been because Bennie was a southern boy. You never know.”
In late September of 2014, all of the efforts of Adkins’ family and Rogers’ office came to fruition. Four of the five living men whose lives were saved by Adkins between March 9 and March 12, 1966 joined him at the White House in a scene that had been a half-century in the making.
Adkins, who usually walks with a cane, rose unassisted and stood at attention as the President of the United States bestowed upon him his nation’s highest military honor. Adkins’ chin quivered ever so slightly as President Obama placed the medal around his neck. His wife of 60 years, Mary, beamed with pride on the front row, smiling as she wiped tears from her eyes.
Adkins snapped off a perfectly formed salute to the crowd before exiting the stage.
“This Medal of Honor belongs to the other 16 Special Forces soldiers with me,” he would later say with genuine humility.
And as the Army Chaplain led the audience in a closing prayer, Bennie G. Adkins of Opelika, Ala., stood once more to honor the One who had always been with him, from the jungles of Vietnam to the East Room of the White House and everywhere in between.

Wednesday, February 03, 2016

WONDERING WHAT TO DO ON A RAINY - OR SUNNY - DAY? STAY TUNED TO THIS SERIES!




Have you considered a new hobby?  Ever stood at an easel, brush and palette in hand, and thought about what to put on the canvas?  Taken photos everyone admires?  Been inspired by an artist’s lecture?



The ARMORY ART CENTER, located in West Palm Beach and Lake Worth, offers classes for all ages, exhibitions, art salons, lectures, special events. 



·       Learn more about painting, an endless subject to study from different periods to different methods.



·       Be inspired to make beautiful ceramics and pottery that you will love too much to gift to someone else. 


·       Bring your camera, learn about taking photos, and there are many sites that may be willing to sell your photos.  Have you tried jewelry making - you could sell your designs. 


·       Have you been to Murano and admired the glass fusing?  You can do it here as well as welding and using blow torches.





·       Sculpture – remember that Michaelangelo may have said to an admirer of a sculpture he was carving out of rock: “The man was in there all the time; I just let him out!”  You may be surprised at what YOU let out if you start carving, or use clay.



·       Learn more about an artistic method at lectures, you may want to try it!  And, bring the children and let them freely paint, sculpt, use a pottery wheel.



·       Bring  your art pieces that you created to an evening critique to get a new perspective from others.



·       Attend an art salon, fashion show or party get-together, make new friends with similar interests 



·       Attend the fascinating Visiting Master Artist Workshop Series - when you see what others have done and how they did it, you could be inspired to try.  See their catalog at http://www.armoryart.org.

A whole new world will open up to you, where you can express yourself creatively, and ONLY YOU should judge the results.  You may focus intently while working, to the exclusion of all other thoughts and ideas.  


YES?  NO?  MAYBE?