The Coastal Star November 2013

Page 1

November 2013

Volume 6 Issue 11

Serving Hypoluxo Island, South Palm Beach, Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Gulf Stream and Coastal Delray Beach

Lantana

A COASTAL STAR SPECIAL REPORT

Festivities cap long wait for new bridge By Mary Thurwachter

RISING

WATER

Dozens of concerned neighbors meet Oct. 19 along Marine Way in Delray Beach to see the effects of high tides along the Intracoastal Waterway. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

New signs of rising sea levels cause concern

INSIDE

Getting ready

Building codes, flood insurance to get stricter and more expensive. Page 14

Tough choices

Disaster scenarios will pit neighbors vs. neighbors vs. the government. Page 15

Changing times

Facing the truth will force everyone to adjust expectations. Page 16

He told us so

Author’s book predicted New York City postSuperstorm Sandy. Page 16

By Cheryl Blackerby It was a home tour no homeowner wants to be on. The lovely two-story, 1920s-era homes along Marine Way in Delray Beach could have been the highlights on a holiday tour, but on this sunny Saturday morning in October the houses served as cautionary tales. During an autumnal high tide, seawater lapped over the edge of the lane on the other side of the houses. Sand bags were stacked next to a house. C.J. Johnson stood barefoot on his thick green lawn — the grass and dirt as watersaturated as a sponge. “This is salt water. My grass will die,” he said matter-of-factly.

He and his wife, Margery, have lived in their home for 21 years. The house was built by Addison Mizner in 1922 at the Boca Raton Resort and Club for the construction manager and floated to its present site in 1928. The high tides have gotten higher in recent years, often flooding their dining room, which faces the Intracoastal. Last year, the air conditioning compressor was underwater and they had to raise it 2½ feet. When asked about the future of the house, Margery Johnson laughed uneasily. “We’re not too worried about selling it. We’re going to die here.” Meanwhile, their flood insurance has risen to $4,000 a year and is sure to See TIDES on page 13

Delray Beach residents wade through floodwaters after Hurricane Sandy. 2012 file photo/Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star

For both residents and merchants, it has been a long 18 months with the East Ocean Avenue Bridge closed. But since construction is nearly complete, and a date has been firmed up for the new $32 million bridge to open, it’s time to celebrate. Lantana’s shindig, with ribboncutting, food, music and fireworks, will be from 4 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 16, at Bicentennial Park. A “First ___ Over the Bridge Parade” is being planned, similar to the one the town held when the old bridge closed. The county-owned bridge will open to regular traffic following the party. The old span, open for 62 years, closed in March 2012. The new bridge is 11 feet higher than its predecessor and will reduce by about 40 percent the number of times the drawbridge opens for boats. A second celebration, with a live band, bounce house for kids and refreshments, is being planned by the merchants at Plaza del Mar in Manalapan from noon to 3 p.m. on Nov. 17. Having the bridge out of commission took a toll on many, who had to use bridges in Lake Worth or Boynton Beach for regular crossings, and on businesses on either side. Alan Ross of Shades of Time has been on Ocean Avenue (west of the bridge) for 20 years and said his business dipped at least 40 percent during the bridge closing. “It’s been a disaster for people See Bridge on page 17

Eyewitness to History

Scrappy youth won place in American Camelot By Ron Hayes John F. Kennedy and Carmelo “Mel” Cottone did not have much in common when they met. Jack Kennedy was the son of a multimillionaire businessman and former U.S. ambassador to the

Court of St. James’s. Mel Cottone’s father was a coal miner. Kennedy was raised on family estates in Hyannisport, Mass., and Palm Beach. Cottone was born in a two-room frame house without electricity or

indoor plumbing. Kennedy went to Harvard. Cottone was a 1958 graduate of Marshall University in Huntington, W.Va. Kennedy was a U.S. senator. See JFK on page 21

Inside

Mel Cottone was on JFK’s staff. Photo was signed by President Kennedy.

Revising design rules

Revamped regulations would limit scale of beach homes. Page 6

Diamond Anniversary Celebrate 75 years of The Gulf Stream School with our special section featuring photos and memories through the years.

Women of Grace Green markets

Local vendors sell fresh, locally produced fare. Here’s a guide. Page 1H

G ATIN S LEBR R

Saying ‘Ciao’ to 35th Delray cafe reopens to a milestone year. Page 26

Bethesda Hospital Foundation honors the area’s top volunteers. Page AT1


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