Israeli Army Volunteer Service

by George Loewenstein,

Century Village, West Palm Beach

George Loewenstein in uniform

One hundred thirty Sar El volunteers gathered one morning at Ben Gurion airport outside Tel Aviv waiting to be assigned to an army base with the Israel Defense Force. As each of our names was called out, we were told at which base we would be working. Along with 33 others, I was assigned to a base near Tel Aviv. We had two regular army personnel as our counselors. Upon arrival at the base we were introduced to our sleeping quarters, issued uniforms, and given our work assignment. Our sleeping quarters consisted of five person cottages, men on one side of the area, and women across. The cottages were air conditioned but our A/C broke during the last two days of my stay. However, we were supplied with fans. My work assignment, along with three other people, consisted of opening medical field knapsacks, removing the contents, checking for expiration dates, and then refilling them again. These backpacks had many pockets and it was most important to make sure the correct items went into each pocket because the doctors are trained to know in which pocket to look for whatever they need. The backpacks actually were almost a field hospital. They contained not only medicine but also instruments such as scalpels, sutures, syringes, stethoscopes, and scissors.

Our day started with breakfast at 7:15 a.m. and flag raising at 7:45. Cereal was available at breakfast along with hard boiled eggs. A short meeting followed, and then to work. The building in which I worked was air conditioned. A forelady instructed and supervised us in our work. At 11:30 we had a few minutes to wash up before lunch. We ate in the dining hall along with the soldiers. The food was catered with plenty of salads and one meat course at lunch. Back to work at 1:30 until 4:30 p.m. with supper at 5:45, so there was time for a shower. After supper, which was dairy, we relaxed and talked. Usually our counselors arranged lectures or games in the later part of the evening. This was our routine from Sunday through Thursday. We were off Friday and Satuday and were on our own. Most volunteers went to a hotel (Sar El provided a free youth hostel in Jaffa) and did sightseeing. I was fortunate in that I have family and stayed with them on days off.

The volunteers on my base represented eight different countries, namely, Norway, Denmark, New Zealand, Italy, Hungary, England, Canada, and of course the U.S. Interestingly, about one third of the volunteers were not Jewish, but were motivated for personal reasons to help the State of Israel. We were told that we saved the Israeli government over $100,000 - the value of our services. I hope that I will have the opportunity to do this again in the future, but maybe on a different base doing different work. It has given me a great sense of satisfaction knowing that the work I and the other volunteers in my unit did may some day save a soldier’s life.

Knights of Pythias of Florida Presents 600 Special Olympic Medals

Group of Special Olympic Athletes wearing their Knights of Pythias 

Athlete Recognition Medal. At front right is Knights of Pythias 

PGC Sir Irv Margulies.

Retired Minn. Vikings Wide Receiver  Arthur "AC" Carter with PGC Sir Irv Margulies

PGC Sir Irv Margulies with Rich Fleming, Palm Beach Coordinator of the Special Olympics holding the K of P Athlete Recognition Medal

Special Olympics Van

The Knights of Pythias of Florida presented to a Athletes a "Knights of Pythias-Special Olympics A Medal" on Saturday, April 10, 2010 at the John I Leonard High School in Greenacres, FL.

According to Past Grand Chancellor of Florida Sir Irving Margulies, Co-Chair for the Knights of Pythias, over 2000 athletes, parents, volunteers, coaches and Special Olympics’ staff were present for these very exciting 2010 Area 10 Summer Games. Athletes and supporters from five (5) counties were present; Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Indian and St. Lucie took part in the games. Throughout the day, Special Olympians participated in various events such as track, field, bocce, tennis, volleyball, soccer, cycling, etc. Lunch was provided for all by Buds Chicken & Seafood Caterers.

The opening ceremony was lead by Rich Fleming, the Palm Beach County Coordinator for the Special Olympics, who introduced the many participating groups, supporters and guests, including retired Minnesota Vikings Wide Receiver Anthony "AC" Carter (number 81). Carter is a resident of Palm Beach County and has been a supporter of the Special Olympics for many years. He assisted in presenting the Pythian Medals to all of the Athletes and took many pictures with them and others saying, "All Special Olympic Athletes are winners." The Knights of Pythias presented 600 medals to all of the Special Olympic Athletes. The medals were worn with much pride by all of the Athletes and such received continued responses such as {‘Thank you very much" and "These are beautiful medals."

A big Thank You goes to Pythian Brothers Jules Meyers and Tilden Levine, who also assisted in the medal presentations. Also, thanks to the Pythian Committee Co-Chairs PSC Sir Arthur Block of Mass., PDGC Eli Levine and PGC Bernard Gissen who assisted in the planning of this special day. The Knights of Pythias credo: Friendship, Charity and Benevolence were well practiced on this Special Olympics day and the Knights look forward to supporting many other Special Olympic events throughout Florida. For additional information about the Knights of Pythias go to www.pythias.org or via E-MaiI- IRVSMARG@COMCAST.NET.

Fountains Country Club Tournament & Dinner Benefits Hospice of P. B. County

Herb Krieger, Dave Fielding, Greg Leach, Sonny Bilkis

The 28th annual Fountains Golf Tournament was held recently at the Fountains Country Club in Lake Worth. Following the day of golf, golfers and guests were treated to an elegant dinner and show at The Ritz Carlton in Manalapan. Sonny Bilkis served as Chairman, with Herb Krieger as Co-Chairmen. This year’s event raised $75,000 bringing the total donated to Hospice of Palm Beach County’s patient care programs to $1,500,000 over the past 28 years.

This year’s golf tournament hosted 104 players in an 18 hole and a 9 hole Scramble Golf Tournament. More than 200 guests enjoyed a reception, dinner, and comedy show. Committee Members were: Herb Krieger, Sheldon Levine, Gerald Portnoy, Joyce Wallach, Joel Keslow, Marian Green, Jerry Luft, Marilyn Luft, Daisy Kantrowitz, Al Bass, Rhona Feldman, Susan David, Marilyn Arons, and Suzi Poll.

Event sponsors included: The Mall at Wellington Green, Isador Segal Trust, Regions Bank, Ameriprise Financial, Lowe’s Hotels, Coca Cola Bottling Company of South Florida, Capri Palm Beach, Hoffman’s Chocolate Company, Palm Beach Yacht Club, and Statewide Commercial Insurance Company.

"We are incredibly grateful to the participants and sponsors of The Fountains Country Club annual golf tournament and dinner," said Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation President, Greg Leach. "The incredible support they have given us over the years is a true testament to their belief in our mission."

For information about Hospice of Palm Beach County, please call 1- 800 - HOSPICE or visit www.hpbc.com.

1515 Condominium Tower Imploded February 14, 2010 

By Jeanine Heidtman

Photo by Jimmy Shirley for Condo News

Background by Betty Thomas: On Labor Day weekend in 2004, Palm Beach County was hit by Hurricane Frances, and 3 weeks later by Hurricane Jeanne. They made landfall very nearly at the same place in Hutchinson Island, some 35-40 miles north of West Palm Beach. H. Frances, a category 2 at landfall,  had an unusually large eye, 80 miles across, torrential rains and lingered nearly stationary, moving only 5 miles an hour, with hurricane force winds pummeling West Palm Beach for nearly 2 days.  H. Jeanne struck Florida as a category 3, with a 60 mile wide eye and moved out the same day.  The following year, Hurricane Wilma made her entrance on the west coast of Florida October 24, 2005, crossed the state in about 6 hours, with the eye passing over West Palm Beach. Winds were measured at 92 miles per hour with gusts 112-117 mph over Lake Okeechobee. The 1515 Tower on Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach (pictured above) sustained devastating damage during Frances and Jeanne, rendering the building uninhabitable, but not condemned by the City of West Palm Beach. Wilma added to the damage by blowing more debris through the structure endangering surrounding buildings. The status of 1515 remained in flux until February 14 , and residents in nearby condominiums were exasperated by seemingly endless wrangling between the developer, who bought the property for redevelopment, and the City Commission.  At 30 stories high, the 1515 was the tallest building in the state of Florida to be imploded, and the third tallest in the nation. Below are some photos of the demolition and Jeanine Heidtman's account. Still to come, the clean-up and eventual construction of The Modern on that site.

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Jeanine Heidtman reports on the implosion of the 1515 and aftermath to come. 

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With the live broadcast of the 1515 South Flagler Drive Implosion and in depth stories by our local newspaper, it would appear all ended well.

Because of the diligent requirements and safety measures in place under the direction of Doug Wise, Director of Construction Services, we witnessed the most modern methods of taking down such a tall structure. With the push of a button by Elyja Kelly, 6 year old daughter of AED’s Kelly family , the building fell, the wind sent the dust cloud over to Palm Beach and the hundreds of boats watching made a mad dash to get away.

With AED Demolition gone from Palm Beach County after their "picture perfect implosion," there is one Condo who did not fare very well.

I spoke to Seth Schulman, Manager of the Viking Arms, just south of the implosion who told me "after further assessment, our roof suffered significant damage. The bast threw out large chunks of concrete and steel rebar that penetrated our roof system in over 40 places. We have been told by City Officials to file with our Insurance Company, but no person from the BG Group has come over as requested several times. The roof is only several years old and cost over $200,000 and has to be professionally repaired so it will remain under warranty in the future. We are hoping temporary patches will hold till we can get it taken care of. We also have our screen balconies and windows covered with thick cement dust and bent aluminum rail damage to be addressed. Despite additional calls, there has been no one over to the Viking Arms to evaluate and discuss solutions even though BG Group is working right next door."

Shortly after I was allowed to return to the Rapallo, I gathered a large amount of golf ball and larger cement chunks which had fallen into our parking lot. The total removal of all our cars surely saved a lot of damage to deal with.

I was very pleased overall from the cooperative spirit between condo residents and the police who were organizing every aspect of safety. A definite feeling of respect was shown by spectators for the many necessary rules during the event. Watching from Olive Avenue and the Norton Museum where VIP and Press were set up, I spoke with one former resident of 1515, who asked to be nameless, about her home of almost 30 years permanently gone in 8 seconds. She recalled the glorious view each morning while having her coffee, never imagining it would someday end so abruptly from the Hurricanes.

The worst part before today, was the hopes for restoration of the 1515 being followed by disappointment afterwards. She felt being there in person to watch would finally give her some ending emotionally. I truly hope it has.

Mayor Frankel greeted the crowd assembled with Hershey’s Kisses for Valentine’s Day, and Bill Moss appeared to be the only City Commissioner in our viewing area.

Just before blast, I started speaking with the person next to me who turned out to be Susan Wise, whose husband was Director for the Implosion. I commented the enormous responsibility Doug was just completing and he should take a long needed rest. She and their four children were just looking forward to getting "Dad and Husband back again."

Still to come ... the Aftermath ...

Wrapping Up 1515

March 24, 2010

Probably the most often asked question after the long hoped for implosion, is how is the fast shrinking pile of debris being dealt with.

Doug Wise, City of West Palm Beach Construction Services, who has turned in his "Demolition Hard Hat" after a job well done, sent me the City Code 109.3.10 regarding the specific language concerning the impact of Construction.

This widely inclusive Code states, "All activity cannot adversely impact conditions of adjacent properties unless consent is granted by the property owners with exact terms and conditions. This includes but not limited to dust, noise, debris and construction materials."

In speaking with Denny Johnson, a resident of Norton Park Place Condominium, to thank him for some new amazing shots of the building falling, I received the following e-mail:

"I am feeling positive regarding the on-going rubble cleanup at 1515 South Flagler. There has been no unwelcome weekend activity, and things are well organized to separate the enormous amount of rebar from the cement.

"Every truck is covered with a retractable screen and they are hosing down the dust constantly throughout the day. At their current rate, the lot should be clean by April 1st. In summary, the Dental Office on Arkona Drive is not very happy with the aftermath of the implosion and if you venture near to see the rubble from a different vantage, you are asked to leave. Certainly he has every right."

Seth Schulman reports the roof repairs on the Viking Arms were to begin March 9th, but no agreement has been reached for the significant clean-up of resident balconies. With the additional ongoing cloud of dust created, it would be futile for much actual work to begin. Trinity Development has acknowledged this responsibility by City Code to comply, and that granting final approval to sign off on the Demolition permit can be with-held. We hope the BG Group will inform us of their plan for restoring our property without further delay.

Perhaps the most favorable news to share, is the changed route for trucks removing the debris. According to Brian Collins, City Traffic Official in a phone call this morning, "No longer are trucks permitted to exit and go south on Flagler Drive through the El Cid Historic District. Now required is a left out of the Demolition site north to Okeechobee Blvd. and then proceeding west on Okeechobee where commercial vehicles are standard fare.

Empty returning trucks come east on Okeechobee, travel a short distance south on Flagler Drive, but use Arkona Drive and Olive Avenue to come back in for reloading. This prevents any turn around on the narrow Historic Streets of Mango Promenade, particularily on Cranes Nest Way, just south of the Norton Museum. This has solved the many numerous complaints and also moved the traffic away from the Museum."

Many of us wish however, the traffic congestion from student pick-up from Palm Beach Day Academy would be finally dealt with as quickly.

The Foreman of the 1515 site has stated to the City Officials, "Any trucks not obeying the Flagler Drive and other restrictions should report the name on the side of the vehicle and the person will be dealt with immediately. With all our surrounding Condominium owners now enjoying their new view, there will be plenty of eyes from above watching the efforts.

A call to 822-2222 at City Hall has resulted in fast and successful resolution of problems for concerned citizens.

Perhaps April 1st, 2010, is a bit optimistic for a completely cleared site but no one is venturing a comment beyond grass and irrigation required by the end of May.

With the Modern units to start at over $3 million, many will be waiting for their income tax checks before they make the anticipated $800,000 deposit.

With property taxes to be around $70,000 per year, you’ll have to dig deeper in your pockets than the 25 foot excavation planned just 1 foot from all 1515 site property lines, necessary for the underground parking garage. The neighborhood hopes this anticipated step down the line, whenever and if it occurs will be "Picture perfect too."

Next issue, back to ideas and trends in 2010 Spring decorating. I’m turning in my "Hard Hat" as well.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

SENIORS vs CRIME: The Florida Attorney General’s Office announces the opening of its West Palm Beach office through its "SENIOR vs CRIME" program. These offices are staffed by volunteers who are part of the crime-fighting initiative which aims to identify unethical businesses and individuals who attempt to prey on seniors. For information call 561-445-9966.

MEETINGS

Miscellaneous

CLASSES

The Lake Worth Senior Citizens Center, 202 No. H St., offers the following classes: Languages (Spanish, French); Exercise, Senior Aerobics, Arts and Crafts, Computer, Tai Chi, Oil Painting, Ballroom Dance, Line Dance and others. Call for information: 586-6102.

VOLUNTEERS

SUPPORT GROUPS

Bereavement Support Groups.:

DONATIONS NEEDED

Hospice’s Resale Shops are looking for quality donations of furniture, household items and furniture from residents and businesses. The shops are open Monday thru Friday, 10am-4pm. Shops are located in West Palm Beach, Juno Beach and their newest one in Wellington. For information, Call Pat Bockford at (561) 236-4008.

Interior Decorating for Condominiums

Jeanine Heidtman

Rembaum's Roundup

Jeffrey Rembaum, Esq.

Baby Boomers Club News

Century Village

Patricia Speciner