April 2019
Serving Hypoluxo Island, South Palm Beach, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Gulf Stream and Coastal Delray Beach
Volume 12 Issue 4
Delray Beach
Along the Coast
Some want more promotions from within
It’s a struggle to get derelict boats off water
Why can’t Delray keep city managers? By Rich Pollack and Jane Smith
It’s back to square one for Delray Beach as a familiar pattern in the quest for stability in city leadership persists. Once again, the chair behind the city manager’s desk is vacant — for the third time in six years — following one forced resignation, one earlier-than-expected retirement and one termination. Once again, the city is spending money on a search firm hired to scour the country in hopes of finding qualified candidates. And once again, an interim city manager is back overseeing a workforce that has not had steady leadership of more than two years at a time since the January 2013 retirement of David Harden, who served as city manager for 22 years. “It is incomprehensible that this city has gone through three city managers since 2013,” says Joycelyn Patrick, a longtime follower of city government who served as chairwoman of the West Atlantic Redevelopment Coalition and is past president of the Northwest Neighborhood Alliance. “It is impossible to forge a relationship with the community at large when such instability exists.” Differing opinions exist from those who follow municipal government about why Delray Beach has a revolving door at the city manager’s office, what that means to the community and what can be done to ensure the city’s next top administrator has a long tenure. “I look at the reasons, not the numbers,” Mayor Shelly Petrolia said. Don Cooper resigned in 2016 because of family health problems, she added. Everyone agrees, however, that Delray Beach needs to find the right person to fill
By Willie Howard
Harden: Retired Jan. 2013
Chapman: Forced out July 2014
Cooper: Retired Dec. 2016
Lauzier: Fired See DELRAY on page 15 March 2019
Delray Beach is working with a firm from California to find candidates for city manager as interim manager Neal de Jesus reorganizes city staff, Page 14. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
Living in a waterfront home is a privilege. But living with a water view can lead to unwanted neighbors when boaters pull up and drop anchor. Some of the boats stay anchored in the same place for years. They fall into disrepair when owners leave town and forget about them, creating eyesores and hazards to navigation and the environment. Harry Patten, who lives in a waterfront home at the north end INSIDE ‘Art barge’ of Lake Boca, has peppered Boca draws complaints Raton city officials with emails about A16 sailboats anchored near his home. Last fall, Patten contacted Boca Raton police about a sailboat in front of his house he said was occupied by a family for more than a month. “I smell their sewage when the wind blows my way,” he wrote in a Nov. 26 email to Boca Raton Police Chief Daniel Alexander. Boats anchored near waterfront homes are in state waters and are not subject to the rules of municipalities. Anchoring a boat in state waters is legal as long as the boat has a current registration and proper lighting (anchor lights) and is kept in good condition. That changes when boats are neglected and become at risk or See BOATS on page 16
Lantana
Pilot recalls life inside a celebrated blimp
Lantana resident Don Ploskunak was one of the first airship pilots to cover sporting events.
By Stephen Moore Don Ploskunak’s flying infatuation began 70 years ago when he would stare and wonder as crop dusters sprayed the Ohio farm fields he was working. This boyhood desire to become a pilot grew into an obsession and landed him in the gondola of the Goodyear blimp. That began a 38-year career in which he was among the innovators in pioneering Goodyear’s sports coverage.
Tim Stepien/ The Coastal Star
Today, sporting events are big only if a blimp is overhead, providing majestic television footage for millions of viewers. In recognition of this contribution, the College Football Hall of Fame will make the Goodyear blimp an honorary member as part of its 2019 induction class. “Don is one of the most influential figures in the history of sports broadcast,” said Mike Wittman, a Sports Broadcasting Hall of Famer See BLIMP on page 18
Inside Sand scan
Ship surveys ocean floor for future beach renourishing. Page 30
Star-spangled success
Magic hands
Briny vocalist sings anthem at ballpark. Page 17
Century in business
Plastridge Insurance turns 100. Page 31
See jazz guitarist Stanley Jordan at the Arts Garage. Page AT11