Serving Highland Beach and Coastal Boca Raton
April 2014
Volume 7 Issue 4
Boca Raton
Tragedy, heroism at Boynton Inlet
Residential towers blossom on downtown skyline By Steve Plunkett
ABOVE: Rescuers pull ashore Capt. Jimmy Stevens from the wreckage of the Two Georges. RIGHT: The Boynton Beach Star printed an extra edition the afternoon of the sinking. Images courtesy of the Boynton Beach City Library
Survivor remembers ‘total confusion’ when the Two Georges capsized, killing five By Willie Howard Ship’s mate Don Lash knew it would be unwise to panic. The 60-foot drift fishing boat Two Georges had just capsized outside the rough waters of the Boynton Inlet and Lash was trapped under water, his legs ensnared in rope. “I reached for my fishing pliers,” Lash, then 19, recalled, “but they were gone. I realized that if I was unable to free my
feet from this tangle I would die. A calm came over me. I took my pocket knife out and bent over and cut myself free.” It was 50 years ago this March when the Two Georges went over, killing five passengers in one of the worst pleasure-boating disasters in South Florida. On March 25, 1964, the Two Georges was headed into Boynton Inlet after a morning trip with 17 passengers and
The 60-foot Two Georges, seen in a postcard image from happier times. Courtesy of Janet DeVries three crewmen aboard when the boat suddenly was lifted from the stern by a cresting wave and capsized. Several captains from the
Boynton Inlet fishing fleet rushed to their boats and headed out into rough water See INLET on page 18
Ocean Ridge
Patience, humor and a system add up to ‘200 years of love’
By Ron Hayes Fifty years ago, the Beatles invaded America, the first ZIP code appeared, the first lung was transplanted and Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton were married, for the first time. Also married in 1964 were many less-celebrated but far more stable
Inside Around Town
Sweets abound in downtown Delray Beach, from cupcakes to candies to frozen confections. Page AT1
couples. Bob and Jeri Bové, 72 and 70, were married in the Bronx, N.Y., that year. Jack and Bea Fearon, 83 and 73, were married in Ozone Park, N.Y. David and Marie Vladyka, both 71, were married in Passaic, N.J. See LOVE on page 25
Jack and Bea Fearon, left, Steve and Mary Lou Cousley, David and Marie Vladyka and Jeri and Bob Bové renew vows. Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star
Clothing with a conscience
More companies are making ecofriendly tropical wear and beach accessories. We rate the Top 10. Page H1
Construction on downtown rental projects made cranes the high points of Boca Raton’s skyline this tourist season. Work continues on the 261-unit Camden Boca Raton complex, at 131 S. Federal Highway, and on The Mark at CityScape, just behind 120 E. Palmetto Park Road, which will have 208 units. Billboards proclaim Camden will be ready to lease this summer, while the 12-story Mark anticipates opening early next year. But the construction cranes will remain a part of the downtown scene. The 350unit Via Mizner, at Federal Highway and Camino Real, should be ready for renters by the end of next year or early 2016, architect Derek Vander Ploeg said. And Tower One Fifty Five, a condominium project he designed for young adults, should open at the northwest corner of Mizner Boulevard and Boca Raton Road before the 2015 tourist season begins, he said. The building will have 192 mostly one- and two-bedroom units and be 100 feet high. Via Mizner, the first building to be approved under the city’s interim design guidelines, will rise 140 feet. Vander Ploeg said demand for apartments at the Heritage complex across from City Hall is proof that renters want to live in Boca Raton. The complex, which developed from a failed condominium project known as the Eden, now has a waiting list to get in. “It’s doing quite well,” Vander Ploeg said. See DOWNTOWN on page 28
Summer Camp Guide Special section highlights fun places for kids.
PLUS: New Tots & Teens column, calendar showcase activities. Page AT19