Rich Pollack

Contributor at The Coastal Star

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Articles

Departing commissioner reflects on six years on dais

3 weeks ago | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

Evalyn David, first elected to the Town Commission in 2019, has left the job because of term limits but has been appointed to the town's Planning Board. Rich Pollack/The Coastal StarBy Rich PollackEvalyn David hadn't planned on becoming a Highland Beach town commissioner.
Family matriarch in A1A crosswalk fatally struck by cars

1 month ago | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

By Rich PollackLauren and Claire McCormack, Jeanie Bulloch and Kai McCormack (l-r) wave to catch the attention of oncoming State Road A1A drivers. They are in the same Delray Beach crosswalk where a fatal accident occurred Feb. 5. Police say crosswalk signs were not present at the time of the crash. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal Star Roz Lowney loved the South Florida lifestyle.
Voters' OK sought for potential marine patrol dock, old firehouse spending

1 month ago | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

Highland Beach Officer James Thornton (at wheel) and Officer Stephen Salach patrol the Intracoastal Waterway. Residents say the number of speeding boats has diminished since the patrol launched in 2022. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal StarBy Rich PollackFor decades Highland Beach residents had been complaining about boats speeding as they navigated the town's 3.5 miles of the Intracoastal Waterway.
Milani Park concept impresses with innovation, devotion to nature

1 month ago | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

This rendering of Milani Park, to be constructed on a 5.6-acre parcel at the south end of Highland Beach, has calmed fears that the park would be an eyesore. Tim Stepien/The Coastal StarBy Rich PollackMaggie Chappelear was pleasantly surprised when she first saw the 3D model of what the controversial Milani Park could become in a couple of years. "I thought it was going to be a boring, traditional park with an asphalt parking lot that would be an eyesore.
Airport's new deck gives flight fanatics an up-close view

2 months ago | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

By Rich PollackAviation enthusiasts watch air traffic at the Boca Raton Airport from the new observation area. ABOVE (l-r): Jordan Cohen, his father, Cliff Cohen, and FAU student Victoria Czyszczon watch a Global 7500 take off to the north. With a 104-foot wingspan, it is the largest jet the airport can accommodate. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal StarThe crackling voices coming over two loudspeakers at Boca Raton Airport's new observation area hint at what is soon to come from out of the sky.
Calls for sharing road, knowing rules amplify with crashes weighing on A1A bicyclists' minds

2 months ago | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

By Rich PollackBicyclists head north on State Road A1A in Gulf Stream on Jan. 4 near the site of a crash with an SUV that injured six riders a year earlier. Florida Highway Patrol escorted the cyclists, who rode in remembrance of the crash.
Condos mostly meet year-end deadline for inspections

Dec 4, 2024 | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

By Rich PollackTime is running out for several dozen remaining area condo associations that are required to file state-mandated inspection reports by the end of the year. Under a state law passed in the aftermath of the 2021 collapse of Surfside's Champlain Towers South, condominium buildings that are over three stories in height and more than 30 years old must submit a Milestone Inspection Report prior to Dec. 31.
A day in the life of the fire department; after half year, 'I think we have exceeded expectations'

Dec 4, 2024 | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

By Rich PollackAfter Highland Beach Fire Rescue responded to an accident involving a car and bicyclist, more than eight fire and police officers came to the aid of the cyclist, who was taken to a hospital as a precaution. This was part of a 24-hour shift that began on a recent morning. Photos by Tim Stepien/The Coastal StarIt was the first call of the day and one that many fire departments might have handed off to a hired locksmith.
How town grew from wilderness to prime destination in 75 years

Dec 4, 2024 | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

By Rich PollackIn the beginning, concerns about water and a possible trailer park led to the creation of Highland Beach. Back in the late 1940s, what is now Highland Beach was just a sparsely populated unincorporated area of Palm Beach County relying on wells for drinking water. When salt water invaded those wells, the handful of residents sought alternatives, including reaching out to adjacent towns Delray Beach and Boca Raton.
Rare sighting sends birders flocking to Boca's Gumbo Limbo

Dec 2, 2024 | thecoastalstar.com | Rich Pollack

Merti Rittgers (above from left) of Delray Beach, Derik Bowen of Coconut Creek and Kari Longshore of Montana came to Boca Raton on Nov. 12 to catch a glimpse of a rare and beautiful bananaquit (Coereba flaveola), which was feasting on firespike nectar in the butterfly garden at Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.