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  13. <title>Boca Raton &#8211; Sun Sentinel</title>
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  33. <title>Community spotlight: Inspired by sister, Delray woman helps build lifeline for special needs siblings</title>
  34. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/16/community-spotlight-inspired-by-sister-delray-woman-helps-build-lifeline-for-special-needs-siblings/</link>
  36. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Tzikas]]></dc:creator>
  37. <pubDate>Tue, 16 Sep 2025 12:48:51 +0000</pubDate>
  38. <category><![CDATA[Florida Jewish Journal]]></category>
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  41. <category><![CDATA[Palm Beach Jewish News]]></category>
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  44. <description><![CDATA[Jordyn Getcher helped create The Sibling Society, a JARC Florida program for people with siblings who have special needs. The goal is to to help them feel connected and find a safe space to share experiences.]]></description>
  45. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Jordyn Gechter grew up in South Florida as the youngest of three siblings. Her sister, Gaby, was born developmentally delayed. With just 18 months between them, the two grew up together — but it wasn&#8217;t until adulthood that Gechter truly grasped the impact her sister had on her life.</p>
  46. <p>After graduating from college and starting a corporate job, Gechter began volunteering at JARC Florida (Jewish Association for Residential Care), an agency devoted to helping those with developmental disabilities. Her sister has been involved with JARC for 13 years through their Adult Day Training Program and, more recently, their Community Works Program.</p>
  47. <p>Gechter, of Delray Beach, said she often felt alone growing up with a sister with special needs. Her work with JARC erased those feelings, allowing her to realize that so many others have a similar family dynamic.</p>
  48. <p>About three years ago, inspired to help other siblings feel connected and find a safe space to share experiences and ideas, she and JARC board member Nikki Joffe created The Sibling Society, based out of JARC Florida, which is headquartered in Boca Raton.</p>
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  82. </li></ul></aside>
  83. <p>As co-chair of The Sibling Society, Gechter encourages sibling engagement through annual events like Cocktails for JARC, which they recently hosted, and monthly Shabbats.</p>
  84. <p>Today, Gechter is also a senior customer success specialist with the job-search platform Indeed. We spoke with Gechter<strong> </strong>to learn more about her inspiration, her experience as a sister to someone with special needs, and how her Jewish upbringing has led her to a life of philanthropy. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.</p>
  85. <p><strong>Q: Why was it so important for you to get involved with JARC?</strong></p>
  86. <p><strong>A:</strong> My sister was in the public school system and she wasn&#8217;t getting accepted into programs and that&#8217;s how my mom found JARC. She started from the bottom, volunteering and doing everything she could to get Gaby into the program. She ended up becoming president for three terms.</p>
  87. <p>It wasn’t until high school when I met Nikki Joffe, a current board member of JARC who has a sister with Down syndrome, that I understood there were other families that looked like mine. I didn&#8217;t have any other friends growing up who had siblings with special needs. As a kid, I didn&#8217;t understand how to handle her differences.</p>
  88. <p>When I graduated college, Gaby had just started the JARC program. I didn&#8217;t know what I was doing with my life, so I started to volunteer with JARC. That’s when I broke out of my shell and that feeling of being alone left, because I surrounded myself with people who had siblings like I had. It was important for me and Joffe to create The Sibling Society because we didn&#8217;t want people to feel alone.</p>
  89. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Jordyn Gechter, right, with her sister, Gaby. (Jordyn Gechter/Courtesy)" width="1206" height="550" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12951904" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Jordyn Gechter, right, with her sister, Gaby Gechter. (Jordyn Gechter/Courtesy)</figcaption></figure>
  90. <p><strong>Q: Tell us about your sister, Gaby. What was it like growing up with a sibling with disabilities?</strong></p>
  91. <p><strong>A:</strong> I feel like my experience is different from others. Gaby is developmentally delayed, but she is 15 times more social than I am. She meets someone and she&#8217;s their best friend. Meanwhile, I don&#8217;t trust anyone when I first meet them. It wasn’t until I saw her around other people in camp that I even realized that she was different.</p>
  92. <p>I was a teenager in the same high school and I would think to myself, ‘What are other people going to think of me if they see me coming out of the special education room?’ And that&#8217;s where Joffe really came into play. She taught me how to not care what people think and how to thrive in this environment. I learned that you&#8217;ll get so much more back than you ever put into it.</p>
  93. <p><strong>Q: Why was The Sibling Society created? </strong></p>
  94. <p><strong>A:</strong> JARC clients are 18 to 85 years old, so the siblings are as young as 10 to as old as 100. It&#8217;s a unique experience to be a sibling of someone with a special need. We ultimately become the responsible party, and sometimes we know that in advance and other times it&#8217;s unexpected. We wanted to create a forum where we could talk about this and we could all be together and share and not feel alone. We wanted to talk about road blocks and successes, and we wanted to be able to spread the word about JARC to the community — to inform others about how they can help and all the great things they do for our siblings.</p>
  95. <p>Every sibling treats this situation differently. It can come off as a burden to many: There&#8217;s financial burdens and situational issues. I can say for myself, I know I have this financial situation looming around me, and I&#8217;m blessed enough to have another sister to lean on, but not everybody does and not everyone&#8217;s in a financial place to cover it.</p>
  96. <p>Some people think it’s too much of a burden and they want JARC to be 100% responsible. But for that to happen, we need donors and money to pay for their livelihood.</p>
  97. <p><strong>Q: What is your specific role in The Sibling Society?</strong></p>
  98. <p><strong>A:</strong> I am co-chair. Joffe and I created it and now we have Molly Friedman as a third co-chair. We recently did an event at the JARC client gala and did a water bottle decorating station. We realized we needed help, so we created a contact list of the siblings who want to volunteer.</p>
  99. <p>Right now, we are just trying to build awareness and get the word out in the community; not just that The Sibling Society exists but that JARC exists. And from there, we want to do more events with our siblings and raise money for them. Those are our two main goals.</p>
  100. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Member of The Sibling Society at a JARC Florida event. (Jordyn Gechter/Courtesy)" width="1206" height="279" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12951903" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-03.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Members of The Sibling Society at a JARC Florida event. (Jordyn Gechter/Courtesy)</figcaption></figure>
  101. <p><strong>Q: How has The Sibling Society expanded/changed since it started?</strong></p>
  102. <p><strong>A:</strong> It started with two people and now we have 50 or 60 people on our registered list. We had a happy hour to meet other siblings and we want to expand into more events like that. The first time we were out in front of the community was when we had a station at the client gala. We recently hosted the annual Cocktails for JARC event on Aug. 19, which was incredibly meaningful. It raised money for a program called Community Works, which places JARC clients at local businesses to work. Each week, 95 JARC clients work for 20 different businesses in the community. Since the program started in 2014, 41 clients have gotten hired. My sister worked for country clubs and The Cheesecake Factory through this program, and when Woodfield Country Club in Boca Raton had an opening, she went in for an interview and now she does work there four days a week. The state of Florida cut our budget, so we need to make up the difference. The money helps us maintain operations.</p>
  103. <p><strong>Q: The Sibling Society does monthly Shabbats, an annual gala, and more. What is your favorite event? </strong></p>
  104. <p><strong>A:</strong> I love the monthly Shabbat. We have rabbis come in and lead it. One is Rabbi Robert Silvers from B’nai Israel in Boca Raton, who was my rabbi growing up. It&#8217;s such a special experience; everyone comes out into the auditorium and we pass out wine and challah and do the prayers together and sing songs. The rabbi goes through the Torah portion and puts it into words where everyone can understand, and it is really such a beautiful experience. There are clients who know the prayers and others who just love the sense of community, which is what Judaism is all about.</p>
  105. <p><strong>Q: How has your Jewish upbringing impacted your philanthropic spirit and approach toward life?</strong></p>
  106. <p><strong>A:</strong> I always follow Tikkun Olam — anytime you help someone else, you end up helping yourself even more. All my years in Hebrew school and living in such a Jewish community, I saw everyone else around me giving back.</p>
  107. <p>When it comes time for gala season, I see people just raising their paddles at auctions and that is my goal in life. Anytime I get more money, I&#8217;m giving it away to Jewish organizations. &#8230; There&#8217;s so much that the world needs and if I can give, I&#8217;m going to.</p>
  108. <p><strong>Q: What is one thing you wish people knew about individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities?</strong></p>
  109. <p><strong>A:</strong> I think a lot of people are scared of people with special needs, and I know that because I was. You don’t know what you don&#8217;t understand and people are really mean. They call them names, they make fun of their stutters. They are really awful.</p>
  110. <p>The first time I went to volunteer at JARC, I had graduated from college, I didn&#8217;t have a job, I thought I was going to get my masters and I had just failed a test. I went to hang out with Gaby and her friends and they are all telling me how funny and kind I am. They don&#8217;t see race, they don&#8217;t see color, they just look into your soul and, if you&#8217;re a good person, they love you.</p>
  111. <p>JARC’s mission is to help extraordinary people lead ordinary lives. That&#8217;s all they want, they just want to be accepted and live their lives just like we do.</p>
  112. <p><em>For more information on JARC or volunteer opportunities, visit <a href="http://jarc.org/volunteer">jarc.org/volunteer</a>.</em></p>
  113. ]]></content:encoded>
  117. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12951899</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-sibling-society-jarc-02.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="95339" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Jordyn Gechter is the co-chair of The Sibling Society, a program within JARC Florida. (Jordyn Gechter/Courtesy) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  118. <dcterms:created>2025-09-16T08:48:51+00:00</dcterms:created>
  119. <dcterms:modified>2025-09-16T08:48:51+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  120. </item>
  121. <item>
  122. <title>The world&#8217;s best wakeboarders compete in Boca Raton &#124; PHOTOS</title>
  123. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/13/the-worlds-best-wakeboarders-compete-in-boca-raton-photos/</link>
  125. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Mike Stocker]]></dc:creator>
  126. <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 21:35:39 +0000</pubDate>
  127. <category><![CDATA[Sports]]></category>
  128. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12960525</guid>
  129.  
  130. <description><![CDATA[]]></description>
  131. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="article-slideshow" id="mng-gallery-f59ed85221d83145fbe1e9be7e515cbc"><button class="icon-close mng-gallery-fullscreen-close" aria-label="Close fullscreen slideshow"></button><ul class="mng-gallery-initialized mng-gallery-slider"><button id="mng-gallery-prev" class="mng-gallery-prev mng-gallery-arrow" aria-label="Previous" type="button"></button><div class="mng-gallery-list draggable"><div class="mng-gallery-track"><li data-index="1" class="mng-ge mng-gallery-active" id="mng-ge-0" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="650" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-04.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline" alt="Beaux Wildman competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and..." draggable="false" sizes="(max-width: 40em) 620px,(min-width: 40em) and (max-width: 50em) 780px,(min-width: 50em) and (max-width: 65em) 810px,(min-width: 65em) and (max-width: 80em) 1280px,(min-width: 80em) 1860px,1860px" srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-04.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-04.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-04.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-04.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-04.jpg?w=1860 1860w" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Beaux Wildman competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="2" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="634" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-010.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Wakeboarders compete in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-010.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-010.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-010.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-010.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-010.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-010.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Wakeboarders compete in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="3" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-2" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="596" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-03.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Hinata Yoshihara competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-03.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-03.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-03.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-03.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-03.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-03.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Hinata Yoshihara competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="4" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-3" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="613" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-08.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="A wakeboarder competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-08.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-08.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-08.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-08.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-08.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-08.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">A wakeboarder competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="5" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-4" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="645" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-011.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Jamie Lopina competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-011.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-011.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-011.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-011.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-011.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-011.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Jamie Lopina competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="6" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-5" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="499" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-012.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Wakeboarders compete in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-012.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-012.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-012.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-012.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-012.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-012.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Wakeboarders compete in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="7" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-6" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="663" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-09.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Thomas Herman competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-09.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-09.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-09.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-09.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-09.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-09.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Thomas Herman competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.  (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="8" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-7" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Stefano James Comollo from Italy, competes in the 2025 Nautique..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Stefano James Comollo from Italy, competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="9" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-8" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="625" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-06.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Federico Dal Lago competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-06.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-06.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-06.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-06.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-06.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-06.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Federico Dal Lago competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="10" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-9" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="634" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-07.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Tyler Highman competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-07.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-07.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-07.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-07.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-07.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-07.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Tyler Highman competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="11" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-10" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="688" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-013.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Wakeboarders compete in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-013.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-013.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-013.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-013.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-013.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-013.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Wakeboarders compete in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="12" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-11" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="569" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-02.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Anna Marie Kushkovskaia competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-02.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-02.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-02.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-02.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-02.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-02.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Anna Marie Kushkovskaia competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025.  (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li><li data-index="13" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-12" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="541" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-05.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Luca Kidd competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-05.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-05.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-05.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-05.jpg?w=1280 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-05.jpg?w=1860 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-05.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Luca Kidd competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div></div></li></div></div><button id="mng-gallery-next" class="mng-gallery-next mng-gallery-arrow" aria-label="Next" type="button"></button></ul><div class="caption mng-gallery-information-container"><button class="caption-expand mng-gallery-caption-expand" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Show caption">Show Caption</button><div class="slideshow-credit mng-gallery-image-credit"></div><div class="slide-count"><span class="current mng-gallery-current-image-number-display">1</span> of <span class="total">13</span></div><div class="slideshow-caption mng-gallery-image-caption">Beaux Wildman competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</div><a href="#" class="icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand" aria-label="Expand fullscreen slideshow"><span>Expand</span></a></div></div>
  132. ]]></content:encoded>
  136. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12960525</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/tfl-l-wakeboarding-wwa-boca-01_5b40d1.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="324089" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Stefano James Comollo from Italy, competes in the 2025 Nautique WWA Wakeboard and Wake Park World Championships at the Sunset Cove Amphitheater in Boca Raton on Saturday, Sept. 13, 2025. He will be competing in the finals tomorrow. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  137. <dcterms:created>2025-09-13T17:35:39+00:00</dcterms:created>
  138. <dcterms:modified>2025-09-13T17:48:54+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  139. </item>
  140. <item>
  141. <title>Voters will get a say on Boca Raton&#8217;s controversial redevelopment plan</title>
  142. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/13/voters-will-get-a-say-on-boca-ratons-controversial-redevelopment-plan/</link>
  144. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
  145. <pubDate>Sat, 13 Sep 2025 11:00:41 +0000</pubDate>
  146. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  147. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  148. <category><![CDATA[Social]]></category>
  149. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12957452</guid>
  150.  
  151. <description><![CDATA[Boca Raton voters will tackle the hot-button issue of redevelopment — casting their ballot on a proposal to overhaul 30 acres of land near the downtown by adding many new homes, shops, restaurants and offices.]]></description>
  152. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Boca Raton voters will tackle the hot-button issue of redevelopment — casting their ballot on a proposal to overhaul 30 acres of land near the downtown by adding many new homes, shops, restaurants and offices.</p>
  153. <p>The proposal, known as the government campus redevelopment plan, has roiled the city this year: Save Boca, a group of residents opposed to it, <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/26/save-boca-group-submits-petition-signatures-in-attempt-to-force-vote-on-redevelopment-plan/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">gathered thousands of signatures</a> aiming to defeat the changes, and have criticized city leaders at public meetings. In response to complaints, the plan has faced adjustments, the most recent changes unveiled just a few days ago.</p>
  154. <p>Now, the city is readying for the issue to be on the ballot in the March 10 election, when voters also decide who their next mayor and council members will be.</p>
  155. <p>&#8220;It&#8217;s just all about listening to everyone, and I am listening to everyone and getting all the information,&#8221; Deputy Mayor Fran Nachlas, one of the mayoral candidates, told the South Florida Sun Sentinel. &#8220;It&#8217;s important to remember that a decision has not been made yet. This plan we knew would evolve somewhat.&#8221;</p>
  156. <p>City Council member Andy Thomson, who also is running for mayor, said &#8220;any approval of this government campus plan whenever it happens, it won&#8217;t happen in October.&#8221; It would hinge &#8220;upon it being likewise approved by the voters.&#8221;</p>
  157. <p>A referendum question, especially about a high-interest issue, could indeed lead to increased voter turnout, possibly causing candidates to adjust their campaign strategy, said Aubrey Jewett, a University of Central Florida political scientist.</p>
  158. <p>Often, local elections don&#8217;t garner much attention, save for the &#8220;super voters&#8221; who often are older and vote in just about every election, Jewett said. But a larger number of voters could hit the polls this March, given how polarizing the government campus redevelopment project has been.</p>
  159. <figure id="attachment_12957953"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="482px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Renderings illustrate Terra and Frisbie's revised government campus master plan, which includes a reduction in residences, removal of the proposed hotel and increased green space. (City of Boca Raton)" width="1377" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12957953" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-01.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Renderings illustrate Terra and Frisbie&#039;s revised government campus master plan, which includes a reduction in residences, removal of the proposed hotel and increased green space. (City of Boca Raton)</figcaption></figure>
  160. <h4>The plan</h4>
  161. <p>The redevelopment plan could significantly alter the 30 acres near the intersection between West Palmetto Park Road and Dixie Highway, which currently hold City Hall, the Boca Raton community center, the police department and the city&#8217;s softball fields. The government facilities are set to be completely rebuilt while the recreational facilities would be built over and new ones would rise elsewhere in the city.</p>
  162. <p>The redevelopment project has the potential to become more of a destination than just a new-and-improved corridor, bringing in billions of dollars in revenue to the city, proponents say.</p>
  163. <p>The city has partnered with developers Terra and Frisbie in trying to strike a balance between creating an active, alluring hub and preserving what many residents say must be saved.</p>
  164. <p>Terra and Frisbie recently unveiled modifications to the plan, including a reduction in the number of planned residences, removing a planned hotel, keeping six of the original site&#8217;s banyan trees, designing a monument for Memorial Park, increasing green space and keeping tennis courts in the area.</p>
  165. <p>&#8220;What we&#8217;ve been doing throughout this whole process is working really hard, spending a lot of our time, our energy, our resources on trying to come up with plans that do incorporate that feedback, knowing full well that at the end of the day, this very easily could go to a referendum,&#8221; Frisbie Group principal Rob Frisbie Jr. said at Tuesday&#8217;s meeting. &#8220;We would support that, honor that, and therefore we need to get the community to be behind this project. That&#8217;s our full intent.&#8221;</p>
  166. <p>&#8220;We&#8217;re here to work with you, with all of your colleagues, with this entire city to try to get to that point where everyone says, &#8216;This is a really exciting plan.&#8217; And that (residents) get to vote on it,&#8221; he said.</p>
  167. <figure id="attachment_12957952"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="482px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Renderings illustrate Terra and Frisbie's revised government campus master plan, which includes a reduction in residences, removal of the proposed hotel and increased green space. (City of Boca Raton)" width="1468" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12957952" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Boca-campus-plan-02.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Renderings illustrate Terra and Frisbie&#039;s revised government campus master plan, which includes a reduction in residences, removal of the proposed hotel and increased green space. (City of Boca Raton)</figcaption></figure>
  168. <h4>The opposition</h4>
  169. <p>Save Boca group members have argued the plan goes too far in altering what already exists on the public land, including Memorial Park and open fields.</p>
  170. <p>Members of the group are trying to get ordinance and charter amendments passed into the city&#8217;s code that would require the City Council to hold elections for the selling or leasing of more than a half-acre of city-owned land, essentially giving voters significant clout over proposals such as the government campus redevelopment plan.</p>
  171. <p>A petition for the ordinance amendment was filed with the city&#8217;s clerk on Aug. 26 after Save Boca founder Jon Pearlman submitted what he said were more than 5,000 signatures. The required number is 3,676 signatures for an ordinance. The city clerk has since reviewed the signatures and sent them off to the county&#8217;s supervisor of elections, who also will verify them.</p>
  172. <p>During a city meeting Tuesday, the developers&#8217; changes led some people to even express appreciation for them.</p>
  173. <p>&#8220;We&#8217;ve all seen this most recent iteration. It looks good,&#8221; city resident Yvonne Zum Tobel said during the meeting. &#8220;They&#8217;re keeping the banyan trees, they got rid of the hotel. There&#8217;s more green space.&#8221;</p>
  174. <p>But Zum Tobel then discussed the conflict that is central to the Save Boca movement, and expands beyond just the government campus redevelopment plan: lack of voter control over land in the city.</p>
  175. <p>&#8220;I think the problem is once you lease any portion of public land, we&#8217;re not going to have any more control. It&#8217;s in the control of the developers. &#8230; We do have a choice,&#8221; Zum Tobel said.</p>
  176. <p>This is what motivated Pearlman to start Save Boca in the first place. In July, shortly after Save Boca began, Pearlman said the government campus redevelopment project highlighted how “the public in Boca Raton does not have any protection over their public land. &#8230; The public needs to have the power and control over its land, and it should be at a direct democracy where the voters vote on how to use public land because the public has no trust left in the City Council.”</p>
  177. <p>After public comment at Tuesday&#8217;s meeting, City Council members agreed to scrap the original decision to cast a final vote on Terra and Frisbie&#8217;s proposal on Oct. 28, saying more time is needed.</p>
  178. <p>&#8220;There&#8217;s no way this is going to be ready in October,&#8221; council member Marc Wigder said during the meeting. &#8220;This will be going to a vote. Let&#8217;s put it in writing.&#8221;</p>
  179. <figure id="attachment_12831108"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="482px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="A man walks across a tennis court at Memorial Park in Boca Raton on the city's government campus on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="1734" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12831108" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-1-073025.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A man walks across a tennis court at Memorial Park in Boca Raton on the city’s government campus on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  180. <h4>The response</h4>
  181. <p>At the recent meeting, the city took matter into its own hands to have voters weigh in, separate from what Save Boca has been aiming to do with its signature-gathering.</p>
  182. <p>On Tuesday, City Council members agreed that city staff should prepare a referendum question for the March election regarding resident approval of the government campus redevelopment project.</p>
  183. <p>&#8220;The proponents were saying that the people should vote, and they’ll have an opportunity to do so after fuller discussion. The process can’t stop because a group of residents speaks during a City Council meeting,&#8221; Mayor Scott Singer said in a statement. &#8220;That’s not the representative government that we have, or the petitioners themselves seek.&#8221;</p>
  184. <p>Singer is serving his final mayoral term this year as he will soon hit his term limit.</p>
  185. <p>Council member Thomson said the referendum language could be something along the lines of: Should the city partner with Terra and Frisbie to adopt the government campus redevelopment?</p>
  186. <p>Thomson said he thinks it makes sense for people to have a say on what the city does with land. The government campus redevelopment plan currently is the most obvious example, and people will have a chance to vote on it, he said.</p>
  187. <p>&#8220;At the same time, I can see a situation where there are some unintended consequences of a charter amendment or an ordinance like this,&#8221; he said. Adjustments to the language could potentially be made to avoid those, he said.</p>
  188. <p>&#8220;There was seemingly a lack of recognition that this was going to be a problem, from the residents&#8217; point of view, and a lack of recognition that there are other ways for us to achieve what we&#8217;re hoping to achieve here — apart from disposing of significant amounts of city-owned property,&#8221; Thomson said.</p>
  189. <p>Nachlas said increased communication will be crucial heading into the election. She noted how changes have been made as the process has unfolded.</p>
  190. <p>&#8220;I am still proud of the fact that we chose the partners that came with the less dense, less intense (plan), staying within height limits, bringing recreation to the downtown. I&#8217;m still happy that we chose that partner to go through this process with.&#8221;</p>
  191. <p>Regardless of the outcome of the election, Nachlas said the government campus &#8220;needs work.&#8221;</p>
  192. <p>&#8220;We definitely need to do something, and I think that&#8217;s one thing everybody can agree on,&#8221; she said. &#8220;There&#8217;s a big amount of alternatives that it could be, and we would have to move forward, maybe getting earlier input from more people in the community, making sure everyone knows.&#8221;</p>
  193. <p><em>Correction: A earlier version of this news article misspelled the name of the founder of Save Boca, a group opposed to Boca Raton&#8217;s government campus redevelopment plan. His name is Jon Pearlman. </em></p>
  194. ]]></content:encoded>
  198. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12957452</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/TFL-L-Boca-referendum-elections-4-073025.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="316807" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Boca Raton City Hall on the city’s government campus is shown on Wednesday, July 30, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  199. <dcterms:created>2025-09-13T07:00:41+00:00</dcterms:created>
  200. <dcterms:modified>2025-09-16T10:35:38+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  201. </item>
  202. <item>
  203. <title>Boca Raton redevelopment proposal sees more changes amid residents&#8217; opposition</title>
  204. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/08/boca-raton-redevelopment-proposal-sees-more-changes-amid-residents-opposition/</link>
  206. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
  207. <pubDate>Mon, 08 Sep 2025 20:56:54 +0000</pubDate>
  208. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  209. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  210. <category><![CDATA[Social]]></category>
  211. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12951867</guid>
  212.  
  213. <description><![CDATA[Developers representing the government campus redevelopment project in Boca Raton have further revised the plan in response to criticism from many residents.]]></description>
  214. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>As opposition mounts against a plan to overhaul Boca Raton&#8217;s downtown near the Brightline station with homes, restaurants, shops and new government facilities, the developer behind the project has made some revisions.</p>
  215. <p>The updated plan, discussed at a public city meeting Monday, includes:</p>
  216. <p>— Reducing the number of residences from 912 to 704 units.</p>
  217. <p>— Removing the hotel and reducing commercial space.</p>
  218. <p>— Keeping six of the site&#8217;s banyan trees in their original locations and putting a playground next to them.</p>
  219. <p>— Working with the city and veterans to design a monument commemorating the 17-acre Memorial Park located within the government campus.</p>
  220. <p>— Adding and improving recreational facilities in the downtown and throughout other parts of the city closer to where residents live.</p>
  221. <p>— Increasing green space.</p>
  222. <p>— Enhancing a minimum of eight tennis courts in the downtown.</p>
  223. <p>— Building a new community center and city hall with newer technology.</p>
  224. <p>— Potentially adding a post office in light of the <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/08/a-new-hotel-in-boca-raton-could-replace-citys-downtown-pink-plaza-and-post-office/">possible removal</a> of the post office directly south of Mizner Park.</p>
  225. <p>Terra and Frisbie developers unveiled the design at the meeting.</p>
  226. <p>&#8220;We&#8217;re inspired and excited to continue to refine our proposal with the community,&#8221; Terra CEO David Martin said during the meeting. &#8220;Before and after we were selected, we spent time with the community, walking the fields, playgrounds, in the downtown and observing the recreational areas to get a sense of what was happening. They were underutilized and outdated.&#8221;</p>
  227. <p>&#8220;The goal of this project is to revitalize and revamp the amenities for the future of this community, not to keep the status quo. &#8230; Our team has been working in earnest to update the plan and respond to the feedback we&#8217;ve received. This continues to be an iterative and evolving process,&#8221; he said.</p>
  228. <figure id="attachment_12952755"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="500px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Members of the Boca Raton City Council hear an update from developers on the city's government campus redevelopment plan during a meeting in Boca Raton on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5887" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12952755" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update2.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Members of the Boca Raton City Council hear an update from developers on the city’s government campus redevelopment plan during a meeting in Boca Raton on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  229. <p>For years, city officials have discussed the prospect of redeveloping the 30 acres at the intersection between West Palmetto Park Road and Dixie Highway. Government and recreational facilities — the tennis center, skate park and softball field — currently exist at the site, but the tentative plan would be to move some of the recreational facilities and build new government buildings along with homes, restaurants and shops.</p>
  230. <p>In <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/02/12/boca-raton-picks-developer-to-reshape-area-near-brightline-station-what-to-expect/">February</a>, the Boca Raton City Council entered an agreement with the Terra and Frisbie real estate firms to jointly redevelop the area. At the time, that would have included more than 1,100 garden and mid-rise apartments, 250,000 square feet of office space, a hotel and nearly 85,000 square feet of retail.</p>
  231. <figure id="attachment_12952754"  class="wp-caption alignnone size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="500px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Developer Rob Frisbie Jr., managing partner of Frisbie Group LLC, gives an update on the city's government campus redevelopment plan during a meeting in Boca Raton on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5322" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12952754" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update3.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Developer Rob Frisbie Jr., managing partner of Frisbie Group LLC, gives an update on the city’s government campus redevelopment plan during a meeting in Boca Raton on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  232. <p>But as more city residents spoke out against the project, saying it would increase traffic in the area, be too dense for the surrounding neighborhoods and harm quality of life, Terra and Frisbie developers <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/05/29/boca-ratons-major-development-plan-near-brightline-station-may-see-some-changes-including-fewer-homes/">rolled out modifications</a> for the project in May. These changes included reducing the residential units from 1,129 to 912, adding a crosswalk and protected bike path and increasing active recreational areas.</p>
  233. <aside class="related left"><h2 class="widget-title" data-curated-ids="12948351,12837169,12931862" data-relation-type="curated">Related Articles</h2><ul><li>
  234. <a class="article-title" href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/08/a-new-hotel-in-boca-raton-could-replace-citys-downtown-pink-plaza-and-post-office/" title="A new hotel in Boca Raton could replace city&#8217;s downtown pink plaza and post office">
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  267. <p>The changes did not stop a group of residents from forming <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/26/save-boca-group-submits-petition-signatures-in-attempt-to-force-vote-on-redevelopment-plan/">Save Boca,</a> a movement attempting to create ordinance and charter amendments, in essence requiring a vote that could affect the government campus project. The process of certifying signatures gathered from Save Boca petitions for the ordinance amendment currently is underway.</p>
  268. <p>To gather more input, Terra and Frisbie also plan to hold public workshops.</p>
  269. <p>The first will be held at the city&#8217;s downtown next to the Brightline station on from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Sept. 29. The second will be held at the city&#8217;s Spanish River Library from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Oct. 6.</p>
  270. <p>&#8220;There&#8217;s been a significant amount of community interest and passion expressed by residents,&#8221; Martin said. &#8220;We welcome this involvement. We are listening to the very voices. It continues to inspire us to make this idea better.&#8221;</p>
  271. <figure id="attachment_12952756"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="500px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Boca Raton resident Holly Schuttler, a member of the Save Boca group, listens during a City Council meeting as developers give updates on the city's government campus redevelopment plan in Boca Raton on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5852" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12952756" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update4.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Boca Raton resident Holly Schuttler, a member of the Save Boca group, listens during a City Council meeting as developers give updates on the city’s government campus redevelopment plan in Boca Raton on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  272. ]]></content:encoded>
  276. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12951867</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Save-Boca-update6.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="149219" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Developers Rob Frisbie Jr., managing partner of Frisbie Group LLC, left, and David Martin, CEO of Terra, give an update on the city’s government campus redevelopment plan during a Boca Raton City Council meeting on Monday, Sept. 8, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  277. <dcterms:created>2025-09-08T16:56:54+00:00</dcterms:created>
  278. <dcterms:modified>2025-09-08T17:20:00+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  279. </item>
  280. <item>
  281. <title>A new hotel in Boca Raton could replace city&#8217;s downtown pink plaza and post office</title>
  282. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/08/a-new-hotel-in-boca-raton-could-replace-citys-downtown-pink-plaza-and-post-office/</link>
  284. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
  285. <pubDate>Mon, 08 Sep 2025 10:40:02 +0000</pubDate>
  286. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  287. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  288. <category><![CDATA[Social]]></category>
  289. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12948351</guid>
  290.  
  291. <description><![CDATA[A hotel with restaurants and shops could replace Boca Raton's Mizner Plaza, which includes the post office. Some of the neighboring Tower 155 residents do not want to see that happen. ]]></description>
  292. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A 12-story, 242-room hotel is proposed to be built in downtown Boca Raton and, if approved, would replace the city&#8217;s &#8220;pink plaza&#8221; and post office.</p>
  293. <p>The possible Mizner Plaza Hotel could be located along Northeast Second Street directly south of Mizner Park. If approved, the hotel would replace the retail strip and post office at the current <a href="https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mizner+Plaza/@26.3519972,-80.0864895,295m/data=!3m2!1e3!5s0x88d9209260de34b7:0x59f6fc79d6619daf!4m10!1m2!2m1!1smizner+plaza!3m6!1s0x88d8e21c9d8d5fa3:0x2056dd6d5e8ad457!8m2!3d26.3519972!4d-80.0851498!15sCgxtaXpuZXIgcGxhemFaDiIMbWl6bmVyIHBsYXphkgEPc2hvcHBpbmdfY2VudGVyqgE0EAEyHhABIhpbphiB9q55uaqgirKFiEjxc4p_8IbXBu6yKzIQEAIiDG1pem5lciBwbGF6YeABAA!16s%2Fg%2F11hzyymh28?entry=ttu&amp;g_ep=EgoyMDI1MDkwMi4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D">Mizner Plaza</a> with new shops and restaurants. The hotel project also would have a &#8220;pocket park,&#8221; which is a small green space.</p>
  294. <p>&#8220;I demand pocket parks because what do all great cities have in common? And that is pocket parks,&#8221; said Ele Zachariades, a planning lawyer with Miskel Backman, during a recent planning and zoning board meeting. Zachariades is representing the project.</p>
  295. <p>Boca Raton already has nearly 20 hotels in the city, according to tourism nonprofit Discover the Palm Beaches. This includes <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/12/historic-boca-raton-resort-plans-to-add-8-story-residential-building-to-its-property/">The Boca Raton</a>, a historical resort.</p>
  296. <p>According to documents from Miskel Backman: &#8220;The entire development was created and envisioned for a true world-class experience and to provide the City of Boca Raton with an iconic, one-of-a-kind development. This project will become the new standard for development in our great City of Boca Raton, elevating the city.&#8221;</p>
  297. <div class="article-slideshow" id="mng-gallery-b4eb6079c9508102aa14e36c41134c7c"><button class="icon-close mng-gallery-fullscreen-close" aria-label="Close fullscreen slideshow"></button><ul class="mng-gallery-initialized mng-gallery-slider"><button id="mng-gallery-prev" class="mng-gallery-prev mng-gallery-arrow" aria-label="Previous" type="button"></button><div class="mng-gallery-list draggable"><div class="mng-gallery-track"><li data-index="1" class="mng-ge mng-gallery-active" id="mng-ge-0" aria-hidden="false" tabindex="0"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="880" height="448" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-06.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline" alt="Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park..." draggable="false" sizes="(max-width: 40em) 620px,(min-width: 40em) and (max-width: 50em) 780px,(min-width: 50em) and (max-width: 65em) 810px,(min-width: 65em) and (max-width: 80em) 1280px,(min-width: 80em) 1860px,1860px" srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-06.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-06.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-06.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-06.jpg?w=880 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-06.jpg?w=880 1860w" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park that would replace the current pink plaza and post office if approved. (City of Boca Raton)</div></div></li><li data-index="2" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-1" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="876" height="459" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-05.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-05.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-05.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-05.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-05.jpg?w=876 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-05.jpg?w=876 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-05.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park that would replace the current pink plaza and post office if approved. (City of Boca Raton)</div></div></li><li data-index="3" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-2" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="846" height="457" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-02.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-02.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-02.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-02.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-02.jpg?w=846 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-02.jpg?w=846 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-02.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park that would replace the current pink plaza and post office if approved. (City of Boca Raton)</div></div></li><li data-index="4" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-3" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="876" height="462" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-03.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-03.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-03.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-03.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-03.jpg?w=876 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-03.jpg?w=876 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-03.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park that would replace the current pink plaza and post office if approved. (City of Boca Raton)</div></div></li><li data-index="5" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-4" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="877" height="454" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-01.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-01.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-01.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-01.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-01.jpg?w=877 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-01.jpg?w=877 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-01.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park that would replace the current pink plaza and post office if approved. (City of Boca Raton)</div></div></li><li data-index="6" class="mng-ge" id="mng-ge-5" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><div class="image-wrapper"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="843" height="445" src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-04.jpg" class="attachment-article_inline size-article_inline lazyload" alt="Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park..." draggable="false" data-sizes="auto" data-srcset="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-04.jpg?w=620 620w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-04.jpg?w=780 780w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-04.jpg?w=810 810w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-04.jpg?w=843 1280w,https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-04.jpg?w=843 1860w" data-src="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-hotel-04.jpg" /><div class="slide-credit"></div><div class="slide-caption">Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park that would replace the current pink plaza and post office if approved. (City of Boca Raton)</div></div></li></div></div><button id="mng-gallery-next" class="mng-gallery-next mng-gallery-arrow" aria-label="Next" type="button"></button></ul><div class="caption mng-gallery-information-container"><button class="caption-expand mng-gallery-caption-expand" aria-expanded="false" aria-label="Show caption">Show Caption</button><div class="slideshow-credit mng-gallery-image-credit"></div><div class="slide-count"><span class="current mng-gallery-current-image-number-display">1</span> of <span class="total">6</span></div><div class="slideshow-caption mng-gallery-image-caption">Renderings illustrate a proposed hotel directly south of Mizner Park that would replace the current pink plaza and post office if approved. (City of Boca Raton)</div><a href="#" class="icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand" aria-label="Expand fullscreen slideshow"><span>Expand</span></a></div></div>
  298. <p>However, the proposed hotel&#8217;s proximity to Tower 155, a luxury condo building, is generating concerns from some of the people who live there, such as obstructing views and increasing traffic in the area. According to city documents, the hotel could bring about 1,400 new traffic trips to the area.</p>
  299. <p>&#8220;I think this big and beautiful hotel, it is all wrong for this parcel of land. It is too big,&#8221; Tower 155 resident Jeanette Oren said during the recent planning and zoning board meeting.</p>
  300. <p>The hotel &#8220;is too close to Tower 155,&#8221; Oren said, adding that she and her husband moved there for &#8220;the light,&#8221; &#8220;the air&#8221; and &#8220;the community.&#8221;</p>
  301. <p>If built as is, Oren said she believes the hotel &#8220;will create a canyon effect, and there will be increased noise and pollution.&#8221;</p>
  302. <figure id="attachment_12939414"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="741px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="A nearly two acre parcel of land from 132-190 NE 2nd Street in downtown Boca Raton that includes a post office is the proposed site of the 12-story, 242-room Mizner Plaza Hotel seen on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12939414" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-2-082925.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A nearly two acre parcel of land from 132-190 NE 2nd Street in downtown Boca Raton that includes a post office is the proposed site of the 12-story, 242-room Mizner Plaza Hotel seen on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  303. <p>Zachariades said the building was intentionally designed to maximize views for Tower 155 residents.</p>
  304. <p>&#8220;I do appreciate that there will be some views obstructed, but we are in a downtown,&#8221; she said during the meeting. &#8220;Views are not protected, full stop. They are not, but we have done everything, everything, to ensure that as many views that we can continue to have for Tower 155 we would have.&#8221;</p>
  305. <p>While it is far too early to say what tenants will occupy the retail and restaurant spaces of the potential hotel, Zachariades said she is confident new homes will be found for the current Mizner Plaza tenants.</p>
  306. <p>The planning and zoning board members unanimously recommended the project for approval.</p>
  307. <p>Board member Timothy Dornblaser said while he appreciated the concerns brought forth about the hotel, he pointed out how he has heard similar opposition to other proposed projects in the city.</p>
  308. <p>&#8220;I&#8217;m not discounting your comments, but it is the same complaints other residents made about (Tower 155),&#8221; he said during the meeting. &#8220;I do think it is a beautiful-looking building. Mizner needs something. Mizner, despite what everybody may think, has got a lot of problems. It needs some redevelopment. It needs some revitalization, and part of me looks and wonders if this is something that will help with that.&#8221;</p>
  309. <p>The hotel will next be presented before the City Council, but a date has not yet been determined.</p>
  310. <p>According to a statement from United States Postal Service, there are no plans to relocate the downtown Boca Raton post office &#8220;at this time.&#8221; Because the Mizner Plaza hotel is a proposed development, additional details are not yet available.</p>
  311. <figure id="attachment_12939417"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="741px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="A nearly two acre parcel of land from 132-190 NE 2nd Street in downtown Boca Raton that includes a city-owned parking lot, a post office and the Mizner Plaza shopping center, is the proposed site of the 12-story, 242-room Mizner Plaza Hotel seen on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12939417" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-3-082925.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A nearly two acre parcel of land from 132-190 NE 2nd Street in downtown Boca Raton that includes a city-owned parking lot, a post office and the Mizner Plaza shopping center, is the proposed site of the 12-story, 242-room Mizner Plaza Hotel seen on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  312. ]]></content:encoded>
  316. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12948351</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Mizner-Plaza-Hotel-1-082925.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="460290" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ A nearly two acre parcel of land from 132-190 NE 2nd Street in downtown Boca Raton that includes the Mizner Plaza shopping center is the proposed site of the 12-story, 242-room Mizner Plaza Hotel seen on Friday, Aug. 29, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  317. <dcterms:created>2025-09-08T06:40:02+00:00</dcterms:created>
  318. <dcterms:modified>2025-09-08T06:40:38+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  319. </item>
  320. <item>
  321. <title>End of the line? Tri-Rail&#8217;s options are limited if Florida&#8217;s subsidy cut stands</title>
  322. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/09/02/end-of-the-line-tri-rails-options-are-limited-if-floridas-subsidy-cut-stands/</link>
  324. <dc:creator><![CDATA[David Lyons]]></dc:creator>
  325. <pubDate>Tue, 02 Sep 2025 11:11:17 +0000</pubDate>
  326. <category><![CDATA[Business]]></category>
  327. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  328. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  329. <category><![CDATA[News]]></category>
  330. <category><![CDATA[Politics]]></category>
  331. <category><![CDATA[Transportation]]></category>
  332. <category><![CDATA[Social]]></category>
  333. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12938026</guid>
  334.  
  335. <description><![CDATA[Tri-Rail, another of South Florida’s money-losing transportation companies, has a date certain for its potential demise: June 2027.]]></description>
  336. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>And Brightline and Spirit Airlines think <em>they&#8217;re</em> in a financial squeeze.</p>
  337. <p>Tri-Rail, another of South Florida’s money-losing transportation companies, has a date certain for its potential demise: June 2027. The red flag goes up if the Florida Department of Transportation, which owns the rail corridor over which the three-county commuter line’s trains travel, refuses to restore a dramatic subsidy reduction it decided to impose earlier this year, and no replacement sources can be found.</p>
  338. <p>Instead of contributing up to $62 million annually as it has in the past, the state agency recently informed David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, which operates Tri-Rail, that the new figure will be $15 million starting with the 2025-26 fiscal year which started in July. The FDOT has yet to make a public announcement.</p>
  339. <p>The agency did not respond to an emailed request from the South Florida Sun Sentinel last week seeking the reason behind the cut. The email also asked whether the state is comfortable with the idea of<a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/03/28/tri-rail-could-shut-down-by-2028-if-it-cant-find-new-funding/"> allowing Tri-Rail to go out of business.</a></p>
  340. <p>Between now and mid 2027, Tri-Rail is dipping into dwindling reserves to cover its $150 million budget, the railroad says.</p>
  341. <p>The FDOT decision would place the onus on Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties to raise their respective individual contributions to $10 million from slightly more than $4 million.</p>
  342. <p>Dech, who arrived at Tri-Rail in 2022 after running CapMetro, a bus-train transit system in Austin, Texas, has spent part of his summer on the road, informing government officials of the consequences if the state money is not restored or alternate funding fails to materialize.</p>
  343. <h4>Non-starter</h4>
  344. <p>If the recent reactions from Palm Beach County commissioners are any indicator, the quest for funding increases from each of the counties appears to be a dead letter. One commissioner wondered where local governments would get their money if Gov. Ron Desantis succeeds with his idea to drastically <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/03/02/editorial-desantis-tax-swap-plan-could-create-a-giant-mess-boosting-costs-for-all-floridians/">cut or eliminate property taxes</a> in the state. Another complained of an &#8220;unfunded mandate&#8221; to further back a rail enterprise the county doesn&#8217;t even own.</p>
  345. <p>“I think the message was clear that they see Tri-Rail as a valuable service, but they feel the state should pay to maintain their asset,” Dech said in an interview last week with the South Florida Sun Sentinel after <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/30/tri-rail-chief-sees-a-path-forward-despite-30m-shortfall-that-could-end-services-in-2027/">laying out Tri-Rail’s plight</a> at a commission budget workshop in West Palm Beach. “They sent the message loud and clear.”</p>
  346. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="1008px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Passengers line up to board a Tri-Rail train at the Dania Beach station on Thursday. An estimated 15,000 people ride daily. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="6000" height="671" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12637010" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/TFL-L-tri-rail-money-problems2.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Passengers line up to board a Tri-Rail train at the Dania Beach station. An estimated 15,000 people ride daily. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel file)</figcaption></figure>
  347. <p>Broward County&#8217;s elected commissioners have yet to publicly discuss the issue and declare their preferences, said county spokesman Gregory Meyer. But he said staff members from all three counties have been meeting to discuss the sudden cash shortfall. Tri-Rail has attended some of those discussions, a railroad spokesman said.</p>
  348. <p>The funding reduction comes at anything but a fortuitous time for the rail line, which was founded in 1989 by the state as a traffic relief valve while Interstate 95 and Florida’s Turnpike were being widened. In the late 1980s, FDOT bought the line from the Jacksonville-based CSX freight railroad for $264 million, the equivalent of $720 million today, Dech said.</p>
  349. <p>The South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, the overseer of Tri-Rail, was created in 2003 by the Legislature, according to an FDOT history of the commuter line. It replaced the Tri-County Commuter Rail Authority &#8220;which managed Tri-Rail until that point.&#8221;</p>
  350. <p>CSX and Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, also use the line under lease agreements. So whether Tri-Rail stays or goes, money must still be spent to maintain the corridor, which runs mostly west of I-95 through the three counties.</p>
  351. <p>“If Tri-Rail didn’t exist, the state still owns this railroad and the line has to stay open,” Dech said. The cost ranges between $42 million and $49 million per year.</p>
  352. <p>The money appears to have been worth it. For its fiscal year from July 2024 to June 2025, Tri-Rail posted a record 4,578,680 rides, which surpassed the 4,465,750 rides in fiscal year 2019.</p>
  353. <p>Passengers (many with bicycles in tow) include students headed for school, workers headed for jobs and leisure travelers bound for one of South Florida’s three international airports or regional entertainment events.</p>
  354. <p>In January 2024, Tri-Rail opened a long-promised service to downtown Miami along an east-west spur that connects its main line with Brightline’s MiamiCentral station.</p>
  355. <p>All of it goes by the boards without a new funding source, rail officials say.</p>
  356. <p>Here are some options, some already under consideration with others raised in the Sun Sentinel interview with Dech:</p>
  357. <h4>Fare increases</h4>
  358. <p>“I think there is a fare increase in our future, but it’s not going to bridge this gap,” Dech said.</p>
  359. <p>The risk, Dech has said previously, is that fare hikes might chase away loyal customers who have made riding Tri-Rail a habit — traveling through 19 stations from just north of West Palm Beach to Miami International Airport, with side trips to downtown Miami.</p>
  360. <p>Under a zone system. one-way fares are as low as $2.50; a roundtrip for a ride up and down the entire system is $17.50.</p>
  361. <p>Tri-Rail hasn’t lifted ticket prices since January 2020, “and before that it was ten years,” Dech said.</p>
  362. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="1008px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Tri-Rail Executive Director David Dech at the Tri-Rail station in Pompano Beach Station on Thursday, March 28, 2024. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="2539" height="706" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="10751108" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/TFL-L-SOUTH-FLORIDA-TRAVEL-04-e1753896231188.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Three years into the job, David Dech, executive director of the South Florida Regional Transportation Authority, is leading an urgent quest to find new dollars for the Tri-Rail commuter line after a dramatic funding cut by the Florida Department of Transportation. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  363. <h4>Cut expenses</h4>
  364. <p>In the Sun Sentinel interview, Dech said he had been hoping to restructure contracts with companies that perform maintenance and operational functions.</p>
  365. <p>&#8220;We were going to bundle those to find efficiencies,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We were ready to move forward.&#8221;</p>
  366. <p>The strategy is now on hold due to the cut in state funding. It&#8217;s hard to work out long-term deals with contractors, he said, when a business&#8217; existence comes into question.</p>
  367. <p>Dech has said he and his staff have been looking hard to scrub internal costs, freezing positions and reducing the operations department, for example.</p>
  368. <p>But administrative expenses constitute only 10% of the company budget as many services are contracted out.</p>
  369. <p>Dech says he&#8217;s looked at cutting weekend trains, weekday service and reducing a recently introduced express train operation into Miami. But those moves are constrained by a funding agreement with the Federal Transit Administration to operate 48 trains daily.</p>
  370. <p>Moreover, a contract with the City of Miami requires Tri-Rail to operate 26 trains daily into downtown Miami. The company is judicious with its train deployment. Earlier in the year, <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/13/tri-rail-citing-a-lack-of-riders-will-halt-late-night-trains-to-and-from-miami/">it cut a late-night service</a> that drew nominal numbers of riders.</p>
  371. <p>Tri-Rail is also re-evaluating capital projects. They include a maintenance facility on the northern end of its 73.5-mile line near West Palm Beach, and the acquisition of new locomotives and passenger coaches that would replace 35% of the line&#8217;s &#8220;rolling stock.&#8221;</p>
  372. <figure id="attachment_12886755"  class="wp-caption alignnone size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="1008px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Ride-share passengers wait at the Fort Lauderdale Tri-Rail station on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. As Tri-Rail looks for ways to stay afloat amid funding cuts, one of the first programs that may be eliminated is the ride-share service it offers from stations. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12886755" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Tri-Rail-rideshare.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Ride-share passengers wait at the Fort Lauderdale Tri-Rail station. As Tri-Rail looks for ways to stay afloat amid funding cuts, one program that could be cut or eliminated is the ride-share service it offers to and from stations. (Joe Cavaretta/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  373. <p>At a recent monthly SFRTA board meeting, a debate broke out among members over whether the line should cut all or some of a subsidized ride service Tri-Rail provides to and from its stations. It is 50% funded by the railroad and 50% backed by an FDOT grant. Besides taxis, it funds a shuttle bus at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport and emergency buses that ferry passengers around Tri-Rail accident scenes.</p>
  374. <p>One board member, Raquel Regalado, a Miami-Dade County commissioner, suggested the service should be ended or reduced as a sign of good faith in any future negotiations with FDOT. The board intends to revisit the issue next month.</p>
  375. <h4>Exploit real estate deals</h4>
  376. <p>The term, “Transit Oriented Development” gained wide currency over the years as Brightline gained operational traction along the Florida East Coast corridor in multiple downtown areas and developers went on a building binge near the train line&#8217;s stations with high-rise apartments, condos and office buildings.</p>
  377. <p>Tri-Rail, too, has identified areas around its stations in Boca Raton, Boynton Beach, Fort Lauderdale (Cypress Creek) and the Hialeah Market station for development.</p>
  378. <p>But developments take time and the payoffs from leases would not be immediate.</p>
  379. <p>“There are really only two of them,” Dech said of near-term income generating possibilities near Tri-Rail stations.</p>
  380. <p>One is a recently announced <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/06/25/boca-ratons-new-shopping-housing-community-nears-construction-at-tri-rail-station/">plan in Boca Raton</a> from the developer 13th Floor Investments called Link at Boca — a mixed-use development with 340 apartments and a retail component covering 24,000 square feet.</p>
  381. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="1008px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Renderings illustrate Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The development will feature an eight-story 340-residence tower and 24,000 square feet of retail. (Courtesy/13th Floor Investments)" width="5000" height="776" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12788077" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/1-4.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">A rendering illustrates Link at Boca, a mixed-use project rising next to the Boca Raton Tri-Rail station. The development will feature an eight-story 340-residence tower and 24,000 square feet of retail. It&#039;s a &quot;Transit Oriented Development&quot; that would generate badly needed funds to help the commuter line to sustain itself. (13th Floor Investments/Courtesy)</figcaption></figure>
  382. <p>Dech said land around the Boynton Beach station would be next to be placed on the market.</p>
  383. <p>The Fort Lauderdale and Hialeah properties have severe limitations. The land around the Cypress Creek station lost its residential zoning component, and there is a three-story height restriction out of deference to planes flying in and out of the nearby Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport.</p>
  384. <p>The Hialeah scenario is “very awkward” with an array of small lots, Dech said.</p>
  385. <h4>Sue the FDOT</h4>
  386. <p>An ultimate fallback position could be to <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/25/tri-rail-prepares-to-fight-state-for-funding-to-save-commuter-service/">take the FDOT to court</a> for reneging on its financial commitment, which calls for a minimum $42 million annual subsidy.</p>
  387. <p>“It’s probably not a good idea,” Dech said. “Could we? We could. Nothing is off the table.”</p>
  388. <p>But the court route could take years.</p>
  389. <p>“We certainly want to work with partnerships,” Dech said. “I think we’re all much more interested in resolving this.”</p>
  390. <h4>Sell bonds, go public?</h4>
  391. <p>Miami-based Brightline, the higher speed rail line that operates between Miami and Orlando mostly along the Florida East Coast Railway corridor, and Spirit Airlines, have relied on the private funding for years as both wracked up sizable losses. Brightline, while it has built a strong following, is still suffering through startup pains caused by refinancing and infrastructure buildout costs. Spirit, a low-cost budget operator, has been buffeted by stiff industry competition.</p>
  392. <p>Brightline sold private activity bonds to finance its startup and raise operating capital. It is currently seeking equity funding.</p>
  393. <p>Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc., parent company of Spirit Airlines, received a new equity infusion from large creditors and a new issue of common stock started trading in late April after the airline emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in spring, although just last week entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings for the second time in a year.</p>
  394. <p>Tri-Rail, though, lacks the collateral to pull off a bond offering. It does not own the railroad and owns only four of its 19 stations, Dech pointed out.</p>
  395. <p>And no commercial lenders are poised to extend a multimillion-dollar credit line to Tri-Rail.</p>
  396. <h4>Set up taxing districts</h4>
  397. <p>The idea of creating taxing districts to raise funds was among the options suggested by a consulting firm retained by SFRTA to explore financing avenues.</p>
  398. <p>&#8220;It has come up,&#8221; Dech said. &#8220;I don&#8217;t know that it has gone into a serious discussion. It was one of the items as a possible way to raise funds.&#8221;</p>
  399. <p>Such districts are specific areas designed to  provide services such as capital improvement projects, security, maintenance, landscaping or neighborhood street lighting.</p>
  400. <p>But it would take action by a county or city to create and manage any district, which would have to encompass land around a station so the tax dollars raised would benefit the railroad.</p>
  401. <h4>Merge with Brightline?</h4>
  402. <p>Not in the cards.</p>
  403. <p>“They run inter-city railroads, not commuter railroads,” Dech said.” I don’t think there is a merger in the works.&#8221;</p>
  404. <h4>File for bankruptcy?</h4>
  405. <p>As a public entity, Tri-Rail’s governing authority could explore a Chapter 9 bankruptcy filing, a route normally reserved for debt-ridden municipalities.</p>
  406. <p>“I don’t know — I don’t think so,” Dech said. “I haven’t gone that far. The word bankruptcy hasn’t come up.”</p>
  407. <p>If replacement money doesn’t come through, he said, “we would just cease to exist and pay our existing debt.”</p>
  408. ]]></content:encoded>
  412. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12938026</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/tfl-l-tri-rail-budget-cut-0725-08.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="301434" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Commuters exit the southbound Tri-Rail train in Hollywood on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The state is cutting Tri-Rail&#039;s funding by $27 million, creating a fiscal emergency that could have the commuter line run out of cash by the end of next year. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  413. <dcterms:created>2025-09-02T07:11:17+00:00</dcterms:created>
  414. <dcterms:modified>2025-09-02T07:32:30+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  415. </item>
  416. <item>
  417. <title>Jewish agency building new home in Boca Raton for adults with disabilities</title>
  418. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/29/jewish-agency-building-new-home-in-boca-raton-for-adults-with-disabilities/</link>
  420. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Lois K. Solomon]]></dc:creator>
  421. <pubDate>Fri, 29 Aug 2025 15:34:27 +0000</pubDate>
  422. <category><![CDATA[Florida Jewish Journal]]></category>
  423. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  424. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  425. <category><![CDATA[Palm Beach Jewish News]]></category>
  426. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12936163</guid>
  427.  
  428. <description><![CDATA[JARC hopes its 11th adult group home helps make a big dent in its waiting list. ]]></description>
  429. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A Boca Raton-based Jewish agency will soon open its 11th group home for adults with disabilities, hoping to make a big dent in its waiting list.</p>
  430. <p>About 20 local families are seeking congregate housing for their loved ones through the agency, JARC Florida (Jewish Association for Residential Care), said Nancy Freiwald, senior director of programs. That&#8217;s a big improvement from 15 years ago, when 125 were awaiting housing.</p>
  431. <p>The new 6,000-square-foot house, to be called the Jerry Greenhut Group Home, will be in the Nuvo Boca neighborhood, off Military Trail near Southwest 18th Street in Boca Raton. Situated on three lots, it will have eight bedrooms, with all residents getting their own rooms and bathrooms. The groundbreaking took place on Wednesday, Aug. 27.</p>
  432. <p>&#8220;We are a model nationwide. Group homes are closing all over the state,&#8221; Jeffrey Zirulnick, JARC&#8217;s chief executive officer, said during the ceremony, adding that he often gets calls from nonprofit leaders asking how JARC continues expanding.</p>
  433. <p>A beneficiary agency of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, JARC has been steadily increasing its offerings since it was founded in the 1980s. The agency operates four group homes off Yamato Road in West Boca, four in east Boca Raton and two in Delray Beach. Each houses six to eight developmentally disabled residents, organized by age and ability, with one to three staff members on duty whenever the residents are home.</p>
  434. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="857px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Jon Greenhut speaks during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the newest group home to be operated by JARC, the Jewish Association for Residential Care in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. The Jerry Greenhut Group Home will provide a home for eight adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" height="293" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12936114" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-1-082725.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Donor Jonathan Greenhut speaks on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the newest group home to be operated by JARC, the Jewish Association for Residential Care in Boca Raton. The new Jerry Greenhut Group Home will provide a home for eight adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  435. <p>Most residents work in one of JARC’s day programs, where they learn job skills such as maintenance, packing and fulfillment and cooking.</p>
  436. <p>Fees at JARC&#8217;s homes, which are open to people of all races and religions, total about $64,000 a year per person. JARC offers $1.2 million each year in financial aid and subsidies; about 75% of residents receive this assistance and several receive public assistance, such as Medicaid and community-based waivers, said Fallon Gechter, director of philanthropy and community relations.</p>
  437. <p>JARC also operates apartments on the Jewish Federation campus and hosts social activities. Its four-story Caryn J. Clayman Life Skills Center, which will offer job training, activities for seniors and classes on how to live independently, is scheduled to open in December.</p>
  438. <p>The Jerry Greenhut Group Home is expected to open in 2026. It is named in memory of the father of donor Jonathan Greenhut and his sister, Marcy, who lives in another of JARC&#8217;s homes.</p>
  439. <p>When Jonathan Greenhut moved to Boca Raton in 2020, his sister remained in New York. He was thrilled to find a JARC home for her so the family could live closer to each other. As he learned about JARC, he became passionate about the agency and its mission, and said he is thrilled to be able to donate money to a cause that benefits not only his family but the greater community.</p>
  440. <p>&#8220;Here&#8217;s to a new home that&#8217;s going to be spectacular,&#8221; he said at the groundbreaking.</p>
  441. ]]></content:encoded>
  445. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12936163</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-new-jarc-home-2-082725.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="399746" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ From left, Cecilia and Jon Greenhut, JARC board president Carin Friedman, and JARC CEO Jeffrey Zirulnick turn the earth during a ceremonial groundbreaking for the newest group home to be operated by JARC, the Jewish Association for Residential Care in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. The Jerry Greenhut Group Home will provide a home for eight adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  446. <dcterms:created>2025-08-29T11:34:27+00:00</dcterms:created>
  447. <dcterms:modified>2025-08-29T11:34:27+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  448. </item>
  449. <item>
  450. <title>Grandparents Day is Sunday: Here&#8217;s how they want to be remembered</title>
  451. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/28/leaving-a-legacy-how-grandparents-want-to-be-remembered/</link>
  453. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Tzikas]]></dc:creator>
  454. <pubDate>Thu, 28 Aug 2025 14:38:18 +0000</pubDate>
  455. <category><![CDATA[Florida Jewish Journal]]></category>
  456. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  457. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  458. <category><![CDATA[Palm Beach Jewish News]]></category>
  459. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12853225</guid>
  460.  
  461. <description><![CDATA[In honor of Grandparents Day in September, we recently spoke with seniors at the Toby &#38; Leon Cooperman Sinai Residences in Boca Raton and some of their grandkids about the importance of family ties, memories and legacy.]]></description>
  462. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Make your deli reservations — National Grandparents Day is Sept. 7.</p>
  463. <p>While these &#8220;Hallmark holidays&#8221; may feel cheesy to some, this one holds a deeper meaning, if you let it.</p>
  464. <p>Getting to know your grandparents and great-grandparents doesn’t just honor their lives, it helps to better understand your own, from the traits you carry to the traditions you keep. In honor of this special day, we recently spoke with seniors at the Toby &amp; Leon Cooperman Sinai Residences in Boca Raton and some of their grandkids (and one great-grandkid!) about the importance of family ties, memories and legacy.</p>
  465. <h4>What the &#8216;grands&#8217; had to say</h4>
  466. <p>“I will always remember my grandmother for the Judaism that she brought into our lives,” said Talya Heller, who was in town for grandmother Bilha Ron&#8217;s 95th birthday. “She has stayed true to &#8216;L&#8217;dor v&#8217;dor&#8217; and kept Jewish tradition in our family.”</p>
  467. <p>Ron celebrated the occasion with a party at Sinai Residences last month in the company of, among others, her four grandchildren and one great-grandchild, all visiting from Chicago.</p>
  468. <p>Heller’s daughter, Brooklyn, 10, said her great-grandmother “always tells stories about her life and childhood and loves to be with her family &#8230;</p>
  469. <p>&#8220;We bake challah and do Passover together,” she added.</p>
  470. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Jane Epstein, and her husband, Rabbi Jerome Epstein, give an interview with their 15-year-old grandson, Gabriel Epstein, at Sinai Residences in Boca Raton on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" height="293" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12853291" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-4-081425_232592528.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Jane Epstein and her husband, Rabbi Jerome Epstein, give an interview along with their 15-year-old grandson, Gabriel Epstein, at Sinai Residences in Boca Raton on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  471. <p>Another couple at Sinai Residences, Rabbi Jerome Epstein and wife Jane, also had a grandchild visiting: Gabriel Epstein, 15, of New York City, who said he travels to South Florida a few times a year.</p>
  472. <p>&#8220;I always remember going to Chuck E. Cheese, Sugar Sand Park and the beach,” he said.</p>
  473. <p>The Epsteins have five other grandchildren who live in Boca Raton.</p>
  474. <p>“We want to transmit our values to them, which include a connection to Jewish living, a connection to Israel, kindness, and doing good for others,&#8221; Jerome Epstein said. &#8220;Hopefully, we can inspire them to have those values even as they have their own lives.&#8221;</p>
  475. <p>Other residents had the following to say:</p>
  476. <p><strong>On the importance of grandchildren</strong></p>
  477. <p>“I want [my grandchildren] to remember my hugs, kisses, pride and unconditional love. I want them to always feel safe, secure, confident, and know how much they mean to me. That I feel their love, respect and concern in return. May our times together and our memories always make [them] feel full of joy.&#8221; — Bonnie Hirsch, grandmother of seven and great-grandmother of two</p>
  478. <p>“One of the best things that ever happened is the advent of the grandchild. It used to be that the nice thing was to see them and then you could leave. Now you want to see them all the time and you don’t want them to leave.” —Norman Bitman, grandfather of four</p>
  479. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Ruth &amp; Arthur Maron, who have 20 grandchildren, are shown at Sinai Residences in Boca Raton on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="2000" height="1062" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12853292" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-5-081425_232592524.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Ruth and Arthur Maron, who have 20 grandchildren, hope to be remembered by the positive contributions they gave their families and the world. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  480. <p><strong>On their contributions </strong></p>
  481. <p>“I have tried to make a positive difference within my own family and the world as an educator, helping people to recognize the best in themselves and thus achieve their highest aspirations.” — Ruth Maron, grandmother of 20 and great-grandmother of 11 (soon-to-be 12)</p>
  482. <p>“I have strived in both my personal and professional life to make a positive difference both within my family and the world at large.” — Arthur Maron, husband of Ruth Maron, grandfather and great-grandfather</p>
  483. <h4>Preserving the past</h4>
  484. <p>One way to leave a legacy is to write your own story.</p>
  485. <p>One Sinai resident, Judith Levy, has created books for just this purpose: to put the past to paper and pass it down to the younger generations.</p>
  486. <p>She was inspired even before becoming a grandparent of five, back in 1982, when she joined a course at Florida Atlantic University on how to write your personal family history. When Levy, who was 48 at the time, walked in, she saw a room filled with grandparents.</p>
  487. <p>“They had come to put their memories on paper for their grandchildren,” she recalled. “I could see they were having difficulty, they were carers and sharers, but they weren’t writers.”</p>
  488. <p>This sparked the idea to make a “baby book backwards” from a grandmother to a grandchild, to help them start writing by providing prompts.</p>
  489. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Judith Levy author of &quot;Great Grandmother Remembers: an Heirloom Treasury of Memories&quot; is shown with a copy of her book at Sinai Residences in Boca Raton on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" height="303" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12853290" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-2-081425_232592526.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Judith Levy with “Great Grandmother Remembers: An Heirloom Treasury of Memories” at Sinai Residences in Boca Raton on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  490. <p>Eventually, that book, which she titled “Grandmother Remembers: A Written Heirloom for My Grandchild,” reached No. 2 on the New York Times bestseller list and sold over 3 million copies, with versions printed in Hebrew, Dutch, German and Portuguese.</p>
  491. <p>It would lead to subsequent versions, including “Grandfather Remembers: Memories for My Grandchild” and her newest release, &#8220;Great Grandmother Remembers: An Heirloom Treasury of Memories&#8221; (G Editions; $20), which came out on Mother’s Day 2025.</p>
  492. <p>&#8220;If you think of your story as a journey, it will be easy to write about your life,&#8221; said Levy. &#8220;Start with grandparents, parents, and then when you were born and go from there.&#8221;</p>
  493. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Judith Levy author of &quot;Great Grandmother Remembers: an Heirloom Treasury of Memories&quot; shows off pages in her book at Sinai Residences in Boca Raton on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="3000" height="472" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12853289" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-3-081425_232592508.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Judith Levy shows off her favorite page in her latest book, &quot;Great Grandmother Remembers: an Heirloom Treasury of Memories.&quot; (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  494. <p>While all of Levy’s books are secular, she feels it is especially important for Jews to keep their history alive.</p>
  495. <p>“We are wonderful people and we should teach our grandchildren to be proud Jews,” she said. “Go forward if you get a chance to help somebody. Jewish people are known for that — we are good people and we have offered so much to the world. Our grandchildren should know that and always be proud of it.”</p>
  496. <p>In the end, Levy believes that the strongest connections are built by doing things together.</p>
  497. <p>“My grandmother taught me how to make chicken soup,” she said. “Every time I make that soup, which I do for Passover, I feel my grandmother standing right next to me.”</p>
  498. <p><em>Judith Levy is doing a book signing for &#8220;Great Grandmother Remembers: An Heirloom Treasury of Memories&#8221; from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 7, at Barnes &amp; Noble, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton. Visit <a href="https://stores.barnesandnoble.com/event/9780062194940-0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">barnesandnoble.com</a>.</em></p>
  499. ]]></content:encoded>
  503. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12853225</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-grandparents-day-1-081425_232592506.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="234212" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Bilha Ron is greeted with a hug from her great-granddaughter, Brooklyn Heller, 10, during Ron’s 95th birthday celebration at Sinai Residences in Boca Raton on Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  504. <dcterms:created>2025-08-28T10:38:18+00:00</dcterms:created>
  505. <dcterms:modified>2025-09-03T09:04:00+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  506. </item>
  507. <item>
  508. <title>Save Boca group submits petition signatures in attempt to force vote on redevelopment plan</title>
  509. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/26/save-boca-group-submits-petition-signatures-in-attempt-to-force-vote-on-redevelopment-plan/</link>
  511. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Abigail Hasebroock]]></dc:creator>
  512. <pubDate>Wed, 27 Aug 2025 01:46:35 +0000</pubDate>
  513. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  514. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  515. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12931862</guid>
  516.  
  517. <description><![CDATA[Save Boca members said they submitted 5,200 signatures to the Boca Raton City Council for an ordinance amendment that would allow more voter control over city land.]]></description>
  518. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A group of Boca Raton residents submitted what they said were more than 5,000 signatures to the City Council on Tuesday night in an attempt to adopt an ordinance that could halt a controversial redevelopment plan.</p>
  519. <p>For months, a movement of residents called <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/07/21/boca-raton-residents-push-for-voter-control-over-public-land-spurred-by-government-campus-project/">Save Boca</a> has sought to allow voters more say in what happens to public, city-owned land by gathering signatures to pass identical ordinance and charter amendments into the city&#8217;s code. The amendments would require the city to hold a referendum election for any proposal involving the selling or leasing of more than a half-acre of city-owned property.</p>
  520. <p>Ordinance amendments require at least 3,676 signatures, while charter amendments require at least 6,112 signatures. While still in pursuit of collecting the required signatures for a charter amendment, Save Boca founder Jon Pearlman said he submitted 5,200 signatures to the city clerk on Tuesday night during an emotionally charged public meeting.</p>
  521. <p>&#8220;The voice of the people is stronger than ever, and they are saying loud and clear, stop this project. The people do not want it,&#8221; Pearlman said during the meeting. &#8220;And we must continue collecting signatures to achieve the charter. We will not stop until we restore protection over our public land, our parks and our oceanfront property all across our beautiful city.&#8221;</p>
  522. <p>Boca Raton City Clerk Mary Siddons accepted the thick stack of signatures from Pearlman but said they will have to be reviewed.</p>
  523. <p>After the signatures are reviewed and if the required number is certified, the City Council would then have to <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/11/how-boca-raton-residents-are-rallying-in-bid-to-stop-redevelopment-plan/">hold a vote</a> on whether to adopt the ordinance. If it were to not adopt the proposed ordinance, then residents would vote in an election whether to approve the ordinance.</p>
  524. <p>Unlike ordinance amendments, charter amendments go straight to an election and must be voted on by city residents to go into effect, according to the city’s code.</p>
  525. <p>Charter amendments can only be undone by another charter amendment, which also has to be voted on by residents. An ordinance, on the other hand, could be overturned by the council.</p>
  526. <p>Save Boca&#8217;s efforts were spurred by the city&#8217;s government campus redevelopment plan, which has been discussed for years.</p>
  527. <p>The 30 acres at the intersection of West Palmetto Park Road and Dixie Highway near the Brightline station are set to include nearly 1,000 apartments, a hotel, offices, shops, restaurants, and a new city hall and community center. Government and recreational facilities — the tennis center, skate park and softball field — also currently exist at the site and are planned to be relocated to other spots in the city.</p>
  528. <figure id="attachment_12931866"  class="wp-caption aligncenter size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="741px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Members of Save Boca, which is a group trying to stop the progression of the government campus redevelopment plan, crowd the Boca Raton City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5150" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12931866" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-03.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Members of Save Boca crowd the Boca Raton City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. The group is trying to stop the progression of the government campus redevelopment plan. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  529. <p>Rob Frisbie Jr., a principal of the Frisbie Group, one of the two developers for the government campus redevelopment plan, said that the project could generate a $3 billion impact over the duration of its 99-year lease with the city.</p>
  530. <p>&#8220;While the economic impacts are meaningful, we recognize that of equal and perhaps greater importance is creating a sense of place,&#8221; Frisbie said during the meeting. &#8220;And that&#8217;s why we think the new campus plan is so special, due to its ability to balance economic vitality with a pedestrian-scale campus that prioritizes the public realm.&#8221;</p>
  531. <p>City Mayor Scott Singer previously has expressed concern over the proposed ordinance and charter amendments, saying they could negatively impact current and future organizations that lease land with the city.</p>
  532. <p>The cost of elections — at  least $200,000 for one election, Singer has said — also is a concern. An election requirement might deter future city councils from renewing or creating new leases or land sales, he said.</p>
  533. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="741px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer talksduring the Boca Raton City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="6000" height="493" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12931867" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-04.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer speaks during the City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. Members of Save Boca, a group opposed to the government campus redevelopment plan, crowded the meeting. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  534. <p>Pearlman has said he doesn’t think this would be a problem because voters will approve projects deemed beneficial to the public.</p>
  535. <p>While members of the group celebrated the submitted signatures on Tuesday night, Pearlman said they will continue to gather signatures.</p>
  536. <p>&#8220;We&#8217;re going to get the charter amendment,&#8221; he said.</p>
  537. ]]></content:encoded>
  541. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12931862</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/TFL-L-Save-Boca-followup-01.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="292994" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Members of Save Boca crowd the Boca Raton City Council meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025. The group is trying to stop the progression of the government campus redevelopment plan. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  542. <dcterms:created>2025-08-26T21:46:35+00:00</dcterms:created>
  543. <dcterms:modified>2025-08-27T11:08:00+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  544. </item>
  545. <item>
  546. <title>A childhood lost: What the youngest Holocaust survivors can teach us today</title>
  547. <link>https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/08/21/a-childhood-lost-what-the-youngest-holocaust-survivors-can-teach-us-today/</link>
  549. <dc:creator><![CDATA[Jessica Tzikas]]></dc:creator>
  550. <pubDate>Thu, 21 Aug 2025 14:51:03 +0000</pubDate>
  551. <category><![CDATA[Florida Jewish Journal]]></category>
  552. <category><![CDATA[Latest Headlines]]></category>
  553. <category><![CDATA[Local News]]></category>
  554. <category><![CDATA[Palm Beach Jewish News]]></category>
  555. <category><![CDATA[Social]]></category>
  556. <guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.sun-sentinel.com/?p=12852536</guid>
  557.  
  558. <description><![CDATA[The youngest survivors of the Holocaust have often expressed feeling misunderstood or forgotten — as if their accounts were dismissed because of their age, their memories questioned, or their suffering minimized.]]></description>
  559. <content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Only <a href="https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/plight-of-jewish-children#:~:text=All%20Jews%20were%20targeted%20for,gas%20chambers%20immediately%20after%20arrival.">6% to 11%</a> of Jewish children survived the Holocaust.</p>
  560. <p>Zelda Fuksman was one of them.</p>
  561. <p>Germany invaded her home country of Poland when she was just 4 years old and her family had to flee to the Soviet Union. “War was our first view of reality,” she said. “Still, we were told we were too young to understand.”</p>
  562. <p>The youngest survivors of the Holocaust have often expressed feeling misunderstood or forgotten — as if their accounts were dismissed because of their age, their memories questioned, or their suffering minimized if they survived in hiding or as refugees rather than in camps.</p>
  563. <p>Which is why groups such as the nonprofit Child Survivors/Hidden Children of the Holocaust in Palm Beach County play such a vital role, giving its members a bigger voice for Holocaust education and remembrance.</p>
  564. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Herman Haller, who turned 101, survived over two years at Auschwitz during the 1940s, where he was tattooed with the number 72554 and endured brutal conditions. (Scott Luxor/Contributor)" width="3327" height="276" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12801474" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-7.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Herman Haller, a member of the group, survived over two years at Auschwitz, where he was tattooed with the number 72554 and endured brutal conditions. (Scott Luxor/Contributor)</figcaption></figure>
  565. <p>“I am among survivors all my life and they are some of the strongest, nicest, best people I have met,” said Fuksman<strong>, </strong>of Boca Raton. “But what I see is there is a constant state of mourning and loss. We don’t have our families — many don&#8217;t even have as much as a picture — and we had to establish [our own] rules.</p>
  566. <p>“Many don’t have a visual memory of their families — to live a blank life, can you imagine what that’s like?”</p>
  567. <p>Fuksman joined the group in 1996 and today is the executive vice president.</p>
  568. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="882px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Holocaust child survivor Zelda Fuksman talks to Martin Price during a luncheon at Prezzo restaurant in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5658" height="289" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12860194" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-9_7f0a69.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Holocaust child survivor Zelda Fuksman speaks with Martin Price during a luncheon at Prezzo restaurant in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  569. <h4>A little history</h4>
  570. <p>The group&#8217;s founder, Frieda Jaffe, was among those who survived the ghettos in Poland. She was liberated at 7 years old and went on to share her story, speaking and writing about her experience and creating the South Florida organization in 1991.</p>
  571. <p>The goal was to get child survivors to come together, recount their experiences and feel validated.</p>
  572. <p>Jaffe died in February, but her legacy has endured. The group continues to meet on the first Sunday of each month at the Richard &amp; Carole Siemens Jewish Campus in Boca Raton, its members promoting Holocaust education and speaking at schools.</p>
  573. <p>The number of survivors is dwindling greatly. Volunteer Hinda Rosenbaum said hundreds once attended the monthly meetings. But their most recent meeting, on Aug. 3, had about 20 in attendance. Fuksman said about 70 members are currently active, although not all participate.</p>
  574. <p>This makes the push for Holocaust teaching more important than ever. During the last meeting, Jack Rosenbaum, founder and CEO of the nonprofit HEAL: Holocaust Education Advocacy Leaders (and husband of Hinda Rosenbaum), encouraged the survivors in attendance to speak at local Palm Beach County schools.</p>
  575. <figure id="attachment_12860199"  class="wp-caption alignnone size-article_inline"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="441px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Holocaust survivors gather for a luncheon at Prezzo restaurant in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5944" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12860199" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-2.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Holocaust survivors gather for a luncheon at Prezzo restaurant in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  576. <p>After Rosenbaum took his seat, some members were compelled to share. Holding onto a chair for support, Larry Gochman began to tell his tale<strong>,</strong> which he also shares at schools and temples. Gochman was a child when the Nazis came for his home in Poland. His family hid in the woods, sleeping in tents made of pine needles and stealing vegetables from nearby farms. He lived that way for three years before being liberated.</p>
  577. <p>As Gochman spoke, the room was silent. No one could ignore his pain and his sorrow.</p>
  578. <p>“If we don’t teach our students the lessons of history, we are doomed to repeat it,” Rosenbaum said after Gochman finished. “All it takes is changing one student&#8217;s perspective.”</p>
  579. <p>Beyond speaking at schools, the survivors have worked hard to push education in other ways.</p>
  580. <p>In January 2000, in an effort to encourage participation and help members get to know each other, Fuksman created a newsletter. Each edition featured a member&#8217;s story.</p>
  581. <p>“I would invite them into my kitchen, make them lunch, and we would sit and talk,” she said. Her late husband, Herschel, photographed the survivors. “We did this for about 10 years and had close to 100 stories.”</p>
  582. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="441px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Holocaust child survivor Zelda Fuksman displays her books on children of the Holocaust during a luncheon at Prezzo restaurant in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)" width="5747" height="306" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12860191" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/JJN-l-child-survivors-holocaust-3_d7a5fb.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Holocaust child survivor Zelda Fuksman displays the group&#039;s books. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel)</figcaption></figure>
  583. <p>A former president of the group, Pierre Chanover, brought up the idea of putting the survivor stories into a book. A groupwide effort led to the Child Survivors getting incorporated, allowing them to raise enough funds to publish the book.</p>
  584. <p>Fuksman had one caveat: Any funds generated, which would all come from donations, would be used for Holocaust education and nothing else.</p>
  585. <p>Eventually, two books were published, “<a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2017/04/03/palm-beach-county-holocaust-survivors-honored-at-school/">We Remember the Children” and “Childhood Lost.</a>” With the help of Eileen Shapiro, former Holocaust program planner for Palm Beach County, 15,000 copies were donated to county schools for their Holocaust education programs.</p>
  586. <p>According to Fuksman, Insight through Education recently began reprinting the books and increased funding to get them into the hands of more local students.</p>
  587. <h4>Moments shared</h4>
  588. <p>But it&#8217;s not all work and no play for the survivors.</p>
  589. <p>When they aren’t working hard to keep Holocaust education alive in local schools, they are relishing in each other&#8217;s company. They celebrate milestone birthdays (two members recently turned 100 and 101); they say prayers together, acknowledging the current state of the world; they observe holidays together and host Hanukkah parties; and they speak openly about their pain, creating a bond that can only be formed by a shared trauma.</p>
  590. <figure  class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="lazyautosizes lazyload" src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" sizes="441px" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" alt="Holocaust survivors Herman Haller, who turned 101, and Helen Daniel, who turned 100, celebrated their birthdays. (Scott Luxor/Contributor)" width="2976" height="317" data-sizes="auto" data-src="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1" data-attachment-id="12801479" data-srcset="https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=620%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 620w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=780%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 780w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=810%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 810w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=1280%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1280w,https://i0.wp.com/www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/JJN-l-survivors-100th-birthday-8.jpg?fit=1860%2C9999px&amp;ssl=1 1860w" /><figcaption class="wp-caption-text">Herman Haller, 101, and Helen Daniel, 100, celebrated their birthdays during a Child Survivors/Hidden Children of the Holocaust meeting. (Scott Luxor/Contributor)</figcaption></figure>
  591. <p>While every member&#8217;s story is unique, they all have one thing in common: They survived — and they lived to tell it.</p>
  592. <p>“We have a responsibility, not only for Jewish history, but for the history of the world,” Fuksman said. “While we are still here, we need to take every opportunity we have to use our voices.”</p>
  593. <p><em>For more information about the Child Survivors/Hidden Children of the Holocaust group, contact Zelda Fuksman at zfoxy1@aol.com or 561-477-6992.</em></p>
  594. ]]></content:encoded>
  598. <post-id xmlns="com-wordpress:feed-additions:1">12852536</post-id><media:content url="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/tfl-l-jj-luncheon-composite-01.jpg?w=1400px&#038;strip=all" fileSize="284143" type="image/jpeg" height="150" width="150" isDefault="true"><media:description type="html"><![CDATA[ Holocaust child survivors Zelda Fuksman, Ruby Sosnowicz, Suzanne Guenoun, Joe Sabrin and Suzanne Price during a luncheon at Prezzo restaurant in Boca Raton on Wednesday, Aug. 20, 2025. (Carline Jean/South Florida Sun Sentinel) ]]></media:description></media:content>
  599. <dcterms:created>2025-08-21T10:51:03+00:00</dcterms:created>
  600. <dcterms:modified>2025-08-21T10:47:38+00:00</dcterms:modified>
  601. </item>
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