August 2019 Serving Highland Beach and Coastal Boca Raton Volume 12 Issue 8 Along the Coast Boca Raton Virgin Trains, Boca want to add station City Council agrees to explore idea for downtown stop By Mary Hladky Many South Florida cities want a Virgin Trains station, but now it looks like Boca Raton will walk away with the prize if an agreement can be reached between the city and the for-profit rail service. Virgin Trains, formerly known Doug Levine, manager of the South Central Regional Wastewater Treatment plant, checks on one of the trio of million- as Brightline, notified the city in a gallon secondary clarifier tanks where solids are removed from sewage. About 17 million gallons are treated each day at July 19 letter that it wants to locate the plant, which is undergoing a multiyear upgrade. More on the process, Page 9. Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star a station in the city — the first city stop to be added since it built the Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach stations. Cities rush to fix aging sewer systems Three days later, a company Woodman, an engineering firm that 220,000 people, we hardly ever learn official made a pitch to City Health, environmental works with several municipalities in about sewer line problems. Council members, who quickly and cost concerns loom Palm Beach County. “Our infrastructure For example, through mid-July this agreed to explore the idea. in Palm Beach County is getting to the year, 67 spills in Palm Beach County were “It is an extremely exciting By Rich Pollack point where we need to consider either reported to the Florida Department of opportunity for us,” said council replacing it or significantly improving the Environmental Protection, which keeps member Andy Thomson. “We have We live in a flush and forget world. systems.” records of such incidents. to make sure it is done correctly.” Most of us don’t fully understand There is a huge cost associated with They ranged from a spill of 100 gallons Two of the city’s largest what happens when we flush our toilets, replacing or improving traditional from a broken main in Boca Raton in employers — Florida Atlantic or send gallons of water down the drain sewage-collection systems — largely April to a spill of 2,500 gallons of raw University and the Boca Raton while taking a shower, doing laundry or coming out of the wallets of water and sewage just last month in Delray Beach. Resort & Club — leaped on board. washing dishes. sewer customers. That spill, due to a sewer line blockage “It is just so exciting. I am sure Yet at a time when our sewer lines are There is also a significant cost to the caused by grease buildup, led to sewage you can hear it in my voice,” said aging and our septic systems are being environment, to health and to other flowing into a parking lot near Veterans former Deputy Mayor Constance blamed for everything from algae blooms existing infrastructure that comes with Park and into a storm-drain system Scott, who now serves as FAU’s to illness, ignoring what is under our not acting now and recognizing that leading to the Intracoastal Waterway. director of local relations. roads and yards may no longer be an some types of buried pipes — though A barrier that had been previously “This is the best thing that option. not all — are close to the end of their life installed by a contractor at a nearby could happen to Boca Raton,” she “You can’t just put something in the expectancy. project contained 90 percent of the said, noting that 10,000 students ground and expect it to last indefinitely,” While we often hear about water discharge before it got into the waterway, commute from Broward County to says Jason Pugsley, vice president service failures, such as the one in Fort according to the city. the Boca Raton-based university of Florida operations for Baxter & Lauderdale last month that affected about See SEWER on page 8 See TRAINS on page 15 Along the Coast Lethal bronzing a growing threat to palms Lethal bronzing is an incurable By Cheryl Blackerby The trees have a new disease has become prevalent in Palm infection that that is terminal. Beach County just in the past causes palm It’s the worse-case scenario In 2006, a relatively new couple of years. fronds to turn for homeowners who have deadly bacterial disease called Lethal bronzing, similar but brown and die. invested in palm trees costing lethal bronzing hit the Tampa genetically distinct from lethal New growth also $5,000 to $10,000 each. The area and quickly spread east, yellowing, is now common dies as a result. trees’ fronds are turning a killing palm trees ranging on Florida’s east coast and is Photo provided bronze-brown and new fronds from stately Canary Island date causing “significant palm losses are curling up and dying. palms to the indomitable sabal in Palm Beach County,” The arborist’s news is bad: palmetto palm, the state tree. It See BRONZING on page 16 Inside Winding up Highland Beach on top Nesting faces tax boost Local athletes inspires Officials vow to Funk-fusion making optimism cut 13% increase. Page 10 Bassist Bryan national, It’s a good year Beller plays international for sea turtles, names for Beachfront Boca’s Funky researchers say. home rejected Biscuit. themselves. Page 12 Coastal control Page AT9 Page AT1 line wins in Boca. Page 12 22 Editor’s E ditor’s Note/Coastal Note Star The COASTAL STAR NovemberAugust 2019 2019 Coastal Star Executive Editor Advertising Executives ArtsPaper Editor Mary Kate Leming Mike Mastropietro Greg Stepanich Delray lawyer the face [email protected] Jay Nuszer [email protected] Publisher News Operations www.thecoastalstar.com Jerry Lower Tracy Allerton The Coastal Star is a monthly newspaper of sister cities program [email protected] Chad Armstrong with two editions serving Sara Babb Hypoluxo Island, South Palm Beach, By Rich Pollack Advertising Manager Kathleen Bell Manalapan, Ocean Ridge, Briny Breezes, Chris Bellard Brad Betker Gulf Stream and coastal Delray Beach; [email protected] Henry Fitzgerald Highland Beach and coastal Boca Raton. Victoria Preuss ©2008-2019 David Schmidt has worn Managing Editors Michelle Quigley Send letters, opinions many hats. Clare Shore Steve Plunkett and news tips to He served on the Delray [email protected] Scott Simmons [email protected] Mary Thurwachter Michele Smith Beach City Commission in the [email protected] Margot Street The Coastal Star Tom Warnke 5114 N Ocean Blvd. late 1990s and began a three- Founding Partners Amy Woods Ocean Ridge, FL 33435 year stint as mayor in 2000. Carolyn & Price Patton 561-337-1553 He has been on community boards, including the board of trustees at the Morikami Editor’s Note Museum and Japanese Gardens, the Achievement Centers for Children & Families Foundation Sewage disposal issues board and the board of the Greater Delray Beach Chamber leave no time to waste of Commerce. For the past couple of years, perfect day in paradise overview of the improvements the 63-year-old lawyer with can be spoiled by they are making, how much Simon and Schmidt has served a backed-up toilet. it all costs and what potential as chair of the Always Delray AAn out-of-order sign on a disasters keep them awake at steering committee, a group of bathroom door can turn night. residents who are working with a pleasant outing into an Next month, Pollack plans city leaders as they rewrite the anxious search for functioning to illustrate problems with comprehensive plan. facilities. And after a storm, I septic systems on small, For the most part, Schmidt is can’t imagine anything more urban lots and show how one of those active community discombobulating than being new technology is attempting members who is low-key and told not to flush. to address environmental modest, quietly taking on the It’s indisputable: We all concerns. task at hand. He usually flies depend on smooth-functioning The following month, he’ll under the radar — with one David Schmidt plays an especially important role in the rela- wastewater disposal to keep life put both wastewater treatment exception. tionship with Miyazu, Japan, the sister city connected with clean and simple. plants and septic systems For more than a decade, the Morikami in Delray Beach. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star Over the next few months, under the magnifying glass of Schmidt has been the face of our newspaper plans to explore future pressures from rising Delray Beach’s sister cities So far, 10 groups of students what happens after we flush the seas and climate change. program, serving until early this NOMINATE SOMEONE TO BE A from Delray Beach have gone toilet. Sewage may not be a topic year as the president of Sister COASTAL STAR to Japan as part of the exchange We plan to take a close look most of us like to discuss, but Cities of Delray Beach Inc., a Send a note to news@ program and several groups at how local municipalities it’s about to hit us all in the nonprofit organization that thecoastalstar.com or call of students from Miyazu have are working to stay ahead of wallet. Hard. Adapting our now is linked with four cities in 337-1553. come to Delray Beach. The population and development wastewater infrastructure four continents — Asia, Africa, students, he says, get to see that increases during a time when to meet growth and North America and Europe. He Sister Cities program and while there are many cultural that very growth is challenging environmental pressures is remains on the board.