November 2020
Serving Hypoluxo Island, South Palm Beach, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Gulf Stream and Coastal Delray Beach
Along the Coast
Volume 13 Issue 8
Delray Beach
Outside review unearths failures Reclaimed water project lacked ‘institutional control’ By Jane Smith
Beachgoers rinse their feet near the sea grapes that form a canopy along the shore in Delray Beach. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
The great sea grape debate
Consensus emerges that trims are better for dunes By Larry Barszewski When it comes to managing sea grapes at the beach, what’s an environmentalist to do? Should the growing trees and shrubs be left alone to provide a friendly habitat for birds and small animals and shield the beach from man-made light that can disorient sea turtle hatchlings?
Or should the sea grapes be trimmed to stop them from crowding out other plants and allow for a far more diverse beach ecosystem? In September, Delray Beach commissioners voted 3-2 to cut away, approving a plan to slash some remaining untouched sea grapes — five arbors up to 20 feet tall — to a height of 4 feet. These sea grapes were spared this summer during an extensive trimming at the beach, where they form canopies that create green tunnel pathways for beachgoers.
Nearby residents, whose views of the ocean have been blocked by the tall sea grapes, complained the tunnels are dangerous, house homeless people and should be cut back. Others see the beach’s sea grape archways as iconic, creating a more natural look that should be preserved. Leaving the conflicting aesthetics debate aside, many coastal experts say the city is moving in the right direction from an environmental viewpoint. See SEA GRAPES on page 22
Veterans Day
Meals on Wheels goes extra mile to serve WWII vet By Ron Hayes On June 6, 1944, a U.S. Army paratrooper named Ed Manley jumped into Nazioccupied France on a D-Day mission to blow up the cannons overlooking Omaha Beach. He was 22. On Sept. 11, 1944, he jumped
into Holland during Operation Market Garden, on a mission to capture roads and bridges in the vital communications city of Eindhoven. On Dec. 17, 1944, he was in Bastogne, Belgium, helping to hold off Hitler’s Fifth Panzer Army in the Battle of the Bulge. See MEALS on page 23
PRSRT STD US POSTAGE PAID WEST PALM BCH FL PERMIT NO 4595
Army veteran Ed Manley, 98, receives two ready-made meals, a loaf of bread and container of juice from John Sallee at his home in Briny Breezes. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star Delivery of this month’s edition is sponsored by our friends at
Small businesses struggle Some close after years. Page 10
PLUS: Lantana Village in litigation. Page 18
Delray Beach has not had “institutional control” over its reclaimed water program, according to a forensic review released on Oct. 23. The program has not had the appropriate resources, funding, oversight, policies and internal expertise in place to effectively manage its parts, Fred Bloetscher, president of Public Utility Management & Services Inc., wrote in a report the city hired him to do. One of the most serious findings was that without city personnel apparently present, water customers had “converted back” to potable water on their own by hiring a plumber to go into the meter box or connect to the city’s water main to re-establish potable water service for irrigation. “It’s all or nothing with reclaimed water in residential areas,” Bloetscher said. “You can’t have residents opting out on their own. It’s a criminal act if they tamper with the city’s public water system.” Bloetscher’s Hollywoodbased firm was hired by Delray Beach in late April to review its reclaimed water program. The city agreed to pay $20,000 for the study. His work experience includes utility department positions in two Broward County coastal cities: Dania Beach and Hollywood. Delray Beach has relied on consultants to design, See REVIEW on page 24
Season Preview Cultural groups plan for a season like no other. Page AT1