The Coastal Star September 2018 Boca

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Serving Highland Beach and Coastal Boca Raton

September 2018

Boca Raton

Singer sees commanding victory as pat on back from voters

Volume 11 Issue 9

Highland Beach

Town picks manager after second round of search Michigan man knows our issues, commission says By Rich Pollack

Scott Singer celebrates his victory for the mayor’s seat in Boca Raton with a crowd of supporters on election night. Singer received about 63 percent of the vote to about 34 percent for runner-up Al Zucaro. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star

Large turnout gives mayor mandate to serve until 2020 By Steve Plunkett and Mary Hladky Boca Raton voters handed Scott Singer a commanding mandate Aug. 28 to lead the city into the 2020s. “I’m glad that a lot of our city spoke tonight,” Singer said. “I love serving this city, and I’m so grateful to get the opportunity to continue serving.” Turnout was high, with 18,622 ballots cast in the three-way mayor’s race, compared with 11,783 two years ago. Unofficial results from the Supervisor of Elections Office had Singer with 63 percent of the vote, immigration lawyer Al Zucaro with 34 percent and real estate broker

Bernard Korn at 3 percent. “The strong support, the overwhelming support that the voters gave for our collaborative partnership with residents and a community message of positivity makes me feel proud to be a Boca Ratonian and makes me feel honored to be a public servant in Boca,” Singer said. The race for City Council Seat A was a near tie with only three votes separating lawyer Andy Thomson, at 7,879, and organizational psychologist Kathy Cottrell, at 7,876 early on Aug. 29. Both the mayor’s opening and the City Council race resulted from Mayor Susan Haynie’s suspension from office in April See MAYOR on page 12

Close race for City Council gets recount

Cottrell

Thomson See updates at www.thecoastalstar.com; Story on page 12

After a few hiccups, Highland Beach has a new town manager. Following a day and a half of intensive interviews, Highland Beach commissioners selected Marshall Labadie of South Lyon, Mich., as town manager. “Marshall is smart, energetic, Labadie well rounded, dedicated and experienced,” said Commissioner Elyse Riesa. “He has fresh eyes to look at our INSIDE Commission town.” Under a aims to tighten public proposed contract comment the Town rules. 17 Commission is expected to approve in early September, Labadie will receive a salary of $150,000 plus benefits, up from the $139,000 paid to the previous manager. He is scheduled to start Oct. 1 and will also receive $15,000 in relocation expenses. Currently the development services director for the suburban Detroit township of West Bloomfield, Labadie reports directly to the township board while managing a staff of 14 fullSee manager on page 8

Boca Raton

Former priest who moved to Boca named by Pennsylvania grand jury By Janis Fontaine

Benestad

A former Catholic priest living in a condo on A1A in Boca Raton and who helped at a local church for four years has been named in a grand jury report as one of hundreds of priests accused of sexually abusing children in dioceses across Pennsylvania.

Thomas J. Benestad was named in the report as one of the priests whose reprehensible behavior it specifically referenced in its introduction. Benestad, 73, was listed as president of the Atlantic Cloisters Homeowners Association on its most recent annual report, filed April 4. However, Benestad recently gave

up the position and resigned from the board at the request of board members, according to a letter sent to residents. Through his lawyer, he has denied the allegations made in the grand jury report, which covers 70 years of abuse. “Monsignor Benestad has never

done anything that would be deemed inappropriate with any individual,” attorney John Waldron wrote in a formal response to the grand jury dated June 8. “Monsignor Benestad has never done anything that would be deemed immoral by the church with any individual.” See PRIEST on page 21

Possible lawsuit

Publix opens in Manalapan

Supermarket anchors revived Plaza del Mar. Page AT1

Tuned to a downbeat

Blues Radio International broadcasts from Hillsboro Beach. Page AT19

Boca Raton may face legal action after denying proposed downtown ALF. Page 8

Fire protection

Highland Beach weighs dropping Delray. Page 16


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