Thursday, July 10, 2014

Barry's Buzz - July 9, 2014

Legalizing Medical Marijuana is the program at the www.goldcoasttigerbayclub.com lunch 11:30 a.m. August 12, featuring Ben Pollara, Campaign Manager at United for Care, the main organization advocating for the approval of Amendment 2 in November. RSVP on the site.
    The mystery of what is being built at the southeast corner of 441 and Glades Road has been partially solved. Rumor has it that a five bay building will contain three retail stores along with a Longhorn Steakhouse and a Pei Wei. Further details about the former Denny’s will be forthcoming.
    The head of a California-based organization has filed lawsuit against Trader Joe’s Co., which is building a store in Boca Raton, over the retailer’s alleged noncompliance with country-of-origin labeling (COOL) laws, particularly of meat products. Joel Joseph, chairman of the Made in the USA Foundation, filed the lawsuit in the Los Angeles County Supreme Court on allegations the company is selling meat and product to consumers under COOL labels that are misleading and consumers. “Many of these products were labeled ‘Product of USA and Mexico,’ some meat products are labeled ‘Product of Australia, USA, Nicaragua and New Zealand,’ and similar labels that are inaccurate, misleading and not in compliance with California and Federal law,” the complaint states.
    Boca Raton based online retailer Vitacost.com, has been sold for $280 million to supermarket giant Kroger, and will operate as a subsidiary, keeping offices in Boca. The deal should close in the third quarter. Kroger paid a premium of 51% to the closing share price on Feb. 19, paying $8 per outstanding share.
     Glades Road will be widened to 8 lanes between Butts Road and FAU in 2019, along with major improvements to the I-95 interchange and overpass.
    Basketball star LeBron James and other investors will be opening a Blaze Pizza Restaurant this fall at 2146 N. Federal Highway in Boca near Publix.
    Vendors at a pop-up green market on Glades and Boca Rio roads are hoping the visibility will make locals stop by for fresh produce, baked goods and other green market staples. It opened on June 21 and will be open from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through July 19 and hopes to reopen in November.
    After two years as president-elect, Mindy Haas, of Boca Raton, is set to become state PTA president for a two-year term beginning Sunday.
    Giant Wall Street private equity firm Blackstone continues to stockpile South Florida homes for the rental market despite cutting back in other areas across the U.S. Blackstone has bought 412 Palm Beach County homes since the first of the year, more than double last year, and in the past two years, Blackstone has shelled out $290 million buying 1200 Palm Beach county homes.
    In a related matter, while Blackstone is selling bonds backed by home rentals cash flow, other private equity firms buying South Florida homes for the rental market are unloading properties to competitors. Contrary to Blackstone who buys at market prices, several early institutional investors are pulling out of the South Florida market, citing lack of cheap foreclosures, rising prices and an inventory shortfall.
   UbreakitIfix, specializing in repairing smartphones, tablets and other hand held electronics opened at 9146 Glades Road, Boca Raton and Massage Heights has opened at Suite B22 #013 Yamato Road.
  Longtime Delray Beach businessman Bill Blakeman has joined the staff of Caffé Luna Rosa, Delray Beach’s favorite beachfront restaurant, where he will serve as evening host three nights a week.
   University of Florida is the top selling specialty license plate. 9,701 sold in 2013 and Florida State University sold 64,270.
   Arts Garage production of Ring of Fire, the Johnny Cash tribute musical, runs through July 13 at 180 NE 1st St. Delray Beach. Email info@artsgarage.org or call 561.450.6537.    
     On the Radio: Sounds of the 70s runs to July 27 at the Broward Stage Door theatre, 8036 W Sample Rd. Coral Springs. Call 954.344.7765 or visit www.stagedoortheatre.com for more information and to purchase tickets. 
     The Life is at the Delray Square Performing Arts Center, 4809 W. Atlantic Ave, Delray Beach through July 27. Call (561) 880-0319 or visit www.delraysquarearts.com for more information and to purchase tickets.
     Cafe Cinematheque Foreign Films with Shelly Isaacs is every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.at Movies of Delray 561-638-0020 and Friday at 1:00 p.m. at Movies of Lake Worth 561-968-4545. Visit www.moviesofdelray.com for more information.
     Watch Movie Talk with Morrie Zryl on www.wrpbitv.com Thursdays at 6 p.m. and Fridays at 6 a.m.
    Watch Barry Epstein live to win free tickets to the Cinemark Theatres. You can be on too to promote your business. Call 561.852.0000 for details. Here is last week’s show. Just click on the blue link: BARRY EPSTEIN LIVE, JULY 3, 2014.  http://vimeo.com/99955112 WITH; Waterstone Resort & Marina General Manager Greg Kaylor, Author and physician Dr. Barbara Hales and Dog Trainer extraordinaire Shay Maimoni
     Dawn of the Planet of the Apes opens Friday at the Cinemark Palace and Premiere theatres. For a Woman opens at the FAU Living Room Theatres. Begin Again opens at the Movies of Delray and the Classic Gateway theatre in Fort Lauderdale. Third Person opens at the Movies of Lake Worth. Maleficent and Belle opens at the Last Picture Show in Tamarac. 
     The free Friday Night Summer Tribute Series is 7:30 pm Fridays at the Mizner Park amphitheater including: Odyssey Road, Journey tribute band July 11, U2 by UV , U2 tribute band, July 25, Jimmy Stowe and the Stowaways, Jimmy Buffet tribute band Aug 1 and Turnstiles, Billy Joel tribute band Aug. 8. Visit www.mizneramphitheatre.com for more information.
    Larry Ferber has a movie club 10 a.m. every Sunday at the FAU Living Room theatres, followed by discussion. Call 757.617.1936 for more information.     
   Every Sunday at AMF bowling, 1190 Boynton Beach Blvd. and Congress Ave. Brain Bowlers sponsors a bowling league for families and children with disabilities to raise funds and awareness for agencies and children who are void of social interaction.  Cost is only $1.38 per game and families can bowl one or two games. There is also entertainment and prizes. For further information, call Robert Gottesman at 561-676-2075. 
       The Palm Beach Pops final two Summer Rocks Mini-Concerts for children will be July 11, 9 a.m. at Florence Fuller Child Development Center East, 200 N.E. 14th St. and 10:30 a.m. at Florence Fuller Child Development Center West, 10130 185th St. South Boca Raton, featuring a dozen professional musicians from the Palm Beach Pops. For more information, visit www.palmbeachpops.org or call 561.832.7677.
The Delray Beach Playhouse Children’s Theatre, 950 NW 9th Street, Delray Beach, presents Alice in Wonderland, Jr., a fast-paced stage adaptation of the timeless film, on Saturday, July 12 at 4:00pm and 7:00pm, Sunday, July 13 at 4:00pm and Saturday, July 19 at 4:00pm with a cast of nearly 30 talented young actors ranging in age from 6 – 16 from all over Palm Beach County.  To reserve tickets to the show, 561-272-1281 Ext. 4. Advance tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for children 18 and younger, Day-of-Show Tickets are $18 for Adults and $15 for Children.    
     Business & Professionals Networking Happy Hour (Sponsored by the Business & Professional Division of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County) is Tuesday, July 15, 2014   6:00 pm at New York Prime, 2350 Executive Center Drive, Boca Raton. Cost is $25 per person which includes cocktails & hors d’oeuvres, dietary laws observed. B&P is redefining business networking by making connections among a diverse, growing group of professionals and entrepreneurs that help build businesses as well as our community. To RSVP or for more information, visit www.jewishboca.org/bpnetworking, call 561-852-3128 or email sonnis@bocafed.org.
     Young Adults Wandering Happy Hour (Sponsored by the Young Adult Division of the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County) is July 24, at 5:45-8:00 p.m. at Saltwater Brewery, 1701 W Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach. Cost is $8 per person for pre-registration (includes a drink), $10 at the door (includes a drink). Spend an evening with young Jewish locals in their 20s to early 40s who enjoy the best in happy hour venues and company, and connecting with the community. RSVP at jewishboca.org/happyhourFor more information, call 561.852.3165 or email brians@bocafed.org..
     The Boca Black Film Festival will take place at the Boca Raton Marriott from July 17-19. It is a new festival for black content makers based in the U.S. For more info, visit www.bocablackfilm.org.
    Cirque Dreams Jungle Fantasy is at the Broward Center for the Performing Arts, 201 SW Fifth Avenue, Fort Lauderdale July 22-27. Call 954.462.0222 or visit www.browardcenter.org for tickets or more information.
     The fourth annual White Coats-4-Care awareness and fund raising reception to benefit Florida Atlantic University’s Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine is 5:30-7:30 p.m. July 31 at the all-new Waterstone Resort & Marina’s Penthouse Atlantic Ballroom, 999 E. Camino Real, Boca Raton. Admission starts at $100 and other sponsorship opportunities are available. Call 561.392.5166 or email www.smartstrategiesstart@kcompr.com for more information.
     The National Walk to End Alzheimer’s will be in Boca Raton for the first time on Oct. 11 at the Mizner Park Amphitheater. Registration for the walk is free at www.alz.org/walk. Volunteers are also needed. Contact Pamela Polani at polani@bellsouth.net or call 561-496-4222.
      JARC sponsors a bowling fundraiser 12:30 to 3 Oct. 26 at Strikes Boca to benefit Adult Day Training Program. Sponsorships are needed. Call 561.558.2572 or email fallong@jarcfl.org. Register at www.jarcfl.org.
     The Junior League of Boca Raton’s 27th annual Volunteer of the Year fashion show by Saks Fifth Avenue and luncheon is Nov. 7 at Boca West Country Club. Nominations are still being accepted by calling 561.620.2553.
     The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) walk for mental health is 8 am. Nov. 8, at Tradewinds Park, 3600 W. Sample Road, Coconut Creek. Register at namibroward@gmail.com. For more information, call 954.316.9907 or visit www.namibroward.org.
    The 2014-15 Broadway series season at the Kravis Center includes Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella Nov. 11-16; The Book of Mormon, Dec. 16-21; Flashdance – the Musical, Jan. 27-Feb. 1, 2015; Anything Goes, March 10-15, 2015; Memphis, April 7-12, 2015 and Pippin, April 28-May 3, 2015. Subscribers will get renewals in April. General public tickets will go on sale midsummer. To order go to www.kravis.org/broadway or call 561.832.7469.
     The Palm Beach Pops kicks off an abbreviated new season Dec. 14 with a one-night-only show at the Kravis Center featuring the Manhattan Transfer, Frank Sinatra Jr. will sing on Jan. 10 at the Boca Raton Community Church and Jan. 11 at the Kravis Center, and a tribute to Marvin Hamlisch on March 7 at the Boca Raton Community Church and March 8 at the Kravis Center. Tickets go on sale Sept. 2. Call 561.832.7677 or visit www.palmbeachpops.orgwww.www.bocacommunity.org, or www.kravis.org for more information.
     www.westbocaleaders.com  is the best networking group in the area and meets at Hurricane Grill & Wings in the Mission Bay Shopping Center, next to Office Max, 10125 Glades Road, 33498 on alternate Wednesdays from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Cost is $60 per quarter. Check out the website for openings in some categories. Call 561.852.0000 for further information.
     Thanks to Marci Shatzman, Tribune Company and David Weir’s South Florida Business Report for contributing to the column.
     Barry Epstein, APR, is a noted public relations, marketing and political consultant based in Boca Raton, president of the www.goldcoasttigerbayclub.com, the www.luxurychamber.com, the www.westbocaleaders.com and the founder and former president of the West Boca Chamber of Commerce; with a weekly internet television show on www.vimeo.comwww.youtube.com and www.publicrelations.nu. His motto is: Public Relations is the enemy of anonymity. email: pr@publicrelations.nu, or fax column items to 561.451.0000.  His blog is on www.bocatribune.comwww.facebook.com/BarryEpstein as well as on the Sun-Sentinel/Jewish Journal website at www.floridajewishjournal.com – www.http://barrys-journal.blogspot.com  and on his website: www.publicrelations.nu.

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