Foundation Scholarships to Local Students

All photos by Carlos Aristizabal
The Eda and Cliff Viner Community Scholars Foundation awarded 18 four-year scholarships to local students this week. This first Annual Award Ceremony took place at Boca West Country Club on Sunday, June 14th.

Floor: Maia Groman, Congressman Deutch, Nusrat Noor, Amanda Hirschman. Sitting: Adina Hoffman, Lauren Brito, Wenda Fils-Aime, Eda Viner, Natalia Leal, Fernanda Rodriguez, and Teagan Murphy.  Standing: Lucas de Carvalho, Maribel Dupont-Bedolla, Raquel Dunn, Megan Rahnama, Shaaz Feldman, Cliff Viner, Isaac Azoalos, Travis Young, Javier Gomez, and Brett Wolff.
Floor: Maia Groman, Congressman Deutch, Nusrat Noor, Amanda Hirschman. Sitting: Adina Hoffman, Lauren Brito, Wenda Fils-Aime, Eda Viner, Natalia Leal, Fernanda Rodriguez, and Teagan Murphy. Standing: Lucas de Carvalho, Maribel Dupont-Bedolla, Raquel Dunn, Megan Rahnama, Shaaz Feldman, Cliff Viner, Isaac Azoalos, Travis Young, Javier Gomez, and Brett Wolff.

“We are offering not only financial assistance,” says Foundation Co-Founder Cliff Viner. “But we are also providing a comprehensive mentor program to keep students on-track, so they can graduate and then go on to fulfill the promise they’ve all shown.”
The students awarded these scholarships came from: Atlantic Community High School, Boca Raton Community High School, Donna Klein Jewish Academy, Olympic Heights Community High School, Spanish River Community High School, Weinbaum Yeshiva, and West Boca Community High School.
Eda Viner, Congressman Deutch, Wenda Fils-Aime (scholarship recipient), Ruthe N. Francis, Assistant Principal Atlantic Community High School, and Cliff Viner
Eda Viner, Congressman Deutch, Wenda Fils-Aime (scholarship recipient), Ruthe N. Francis, Assistant Principal Atlantic Community High School, and Cliff Viner

The Award Ceremony featured U.S. Congressman Ted Deutch (a West Boca resident) as the speaker. Foundation Co-Founders, Eda and Cliff Viner, presented the awards.
“The purpose of this program is to work with the most dedicated and talented students, some of whom don’t have the financial means to fulfill their potential.” says Eda Viner, Foundation Co-Founder. “This will not only assist students and their families, but also greatly benefit our own community.”
The program accepts applications from students who achieved at least a 3.50 unweighted GPA, performed substantial community service, and were from families that required significant financial assistance. This scholarship will be a “last dollar” scholarship to cover tuition not already covered by financial aid, and will provide assistance with room and board as well as daily living expenses.
Cliff Viner, Fernanda Rodriguez (scholarship recipient), and Eda Viner
Cliff Viner, Fernanda Rodriguez (scholarship recipient), and Eda Viner

Eda Viner is a realtor with Sotheby’s. Her husband Cliff is a businessman, investor and hedge fund manager. He was the general partner of the Florida Panthers ownership group until they sold the franchise in 2013. He is a member of the B’nai Torah congregation in West Boca. He has a substantial history of philanthropy as well as bipartisan campaign contributions.

Fatal Accident Driver Identified: Matt Hale

Update: There are several comments at bottom from a “Kip Reed”. We have determined that this is a “troll” or fake person. There are a few other comments from another troll, with names K.Gero, Troll Much, and “Your new best friend”. Those comments should be ignored
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The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office has identified the driver who was killed yesterday on Glades Road near the Boca West entrance. Matt Hale, age 21, was a resident of Boca Raton and was originally from Virginia. His mother Velma Hale-Brown (pictured with Matt below) lives in Boca Raton and works in Broward County. The best address we have for her is in San Marco at Broken Sound near Military Trail and Yamato.
The PBSO investigation reports:

[Hale] was traveling westbound on Glades Road, west of Jog Road, at a high rate of speed. The driver lost control of his vehicle; thus, the vehicle exited the westbound travel lanes and overturned upon entering the northern shoulder. As the vehicle overturned, on the shoulder, it impacted into a tree. The driver was pronounced deceased on-scene by Palm Beach County Fire Rescue personnel.

One of our readers witnessed the accident. As he put it:

He was driving too fast and moving in and out of his lane. … When he caught up to the car in front of him he swerved very fast around that car. … He lost control, bounced on the median a couple of times and literally flew back across 3 lanes through some 10 foot tall hedges and slammed roof first into a big tree. Fortunately he did not hit any other cars and he was alone in the SUV. He was killed instantly.
The big miracle was that he bounced right instead of left. He would have ended up in the oncoming traffic in the eastbound lanes and a head-on collision.

The report indicates Mr. Hale was in a Ford F-150, which is a pickup rather than an SUV. We heard both from witnesses. It’s possible it had a cap on the bed, which might explain that confusion.
The report is very brief so not all details are clear. There is a check box for Seatbelt and it is not checked, suggesting Mr. Hale was not wearing one. Also, contrary to what some suggested, the box for Alcohol/Drugs is also not checked so it appears he was not impaired. There is no mention in the report of texting or other distracted driving.

Home Sales in Boca West, Santa Barbara, Fox Landing & Woodfield Hunt Club

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The 33434 zip code includes homes between 441 and St. Andrews Blvd, North of Glades Road to Yamato Road. Neighborhoods in this area include Boca West Country Club, Hamptons at Boca Raton, Woodfield Hunt Club, Santa Barbara and Century Village.
Boca West

Boca West from Glades Road; Image Google
Boca West from Glades Road; Image Google

Boca West Country Club is a top rated country club with four championship golf courses and 31 tennis courts. The Aquatics Center has lots of activities and a sprawling free form pool. The Sports Center has a fitness center and aerobics studio. The community has six restaurants. All homeowners must pay an initial $70,000 membership fee. Close to Town Center Mall, the Club has entrances on Glades Road and Yamato Road.
6753 Woodbridge; Image and Map Data by Google
6753 Woodbridge; Image and Map Data by Google

This villa at 6753 Woodbridge Drive in the Boca West Country Club sold for $775,000. The villa has 2688 sq. feet of living space, 3 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. Built in 1984, it has views of the golf course and lake and a heated pool. The kitchen was recently updated to include granite counters, new cabinets and appliances. It was previously puchased in 1995 for $520,000.
7356 Mahogany Court; Image and Map Data from Google
7356 Mahogany Court; Image and Map Data from Google

Also located in Boca West, the home at 7356 Mahogany Court sold for $650,000. The home has 3 bedrooms and 4.1 bathrooms in 3582 sq. feet of living space. This custom home has marble floors, a newly renovated pool and updated bathrooms. Many of the appliances are also new. The last transaction before this was back in 1999 for $700K.
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Santa Barbara
Santa Barbara from St. Andrews; Image Google
Santa Barbara from St. Andrews; Image Google

Santa Barbara is a gated community with a clubhouse, a newly refurbished fitness room, tennis courts and resort style pool and spa. It is located close to the Town Center Mall between St. Andrews and Jog Road just north of Glades Road.
6173 (right) and 6269 (left) NW 23rd Road; Image and map data from Google
6173 (right) and 6269 (left) NW 23rd Road; Image and map data from Google

This beautiful courtyard home at 6269 NW 23rd Road sold for $650,000. Located in the Santa Barbara community, students attend Omni Middle School and Spanish River Community High School. The home has 3062 sq feet of living space, 4 bedrooms and 3.1 bathrooms. It was built in 1992, it was purchased in 2005 for $630,000. There are lake views and the kitchen was recently renovated.
Twelve houses away on the same street, 6173 NW 23rd sold for $550,000. The ranch has 3 bedrooms and 2 and a half bathrooms in 2521 square feet. It is on the same lake and has an in-ground pool. The kitchen has granite counters and stainless steel appliances. Built in 1994, it was sold in 2007 for $660,000. Before that it was purchased in 2001 for $484,000.
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Two other neighborhoods abut Boca West: Fox Landing on Yamato and the larger Woodfield Hunt Club, also on Yamato and also Jog Road.
19081 Fox Landing Drive; Image by Google
19081 Fox Landing Drive; Image and Map Data by Google

This special home in Fox Landing, located at 19081 Fox Landing Drive, sold for $700,000. Fox Landing is a small gated community off Yamato Road and just west of Jog Road. Students go to Omni Middle School and Spanish River Community High School. The 3363 sq. feet home has 4 bedrooms and 4 full bathrooms. The home has an open floor plan, an updated kitchen and beautiful backyard with expansive pool and patio. It was built in 1989 and last purchased in 1992 for $330,000.
3730 Kings Way; Image and map data from Google
3730 Kings Way; Image and map data from Google

Our last home at 3730 Kings Way and located in Woodfield Hunt Club, sold for $635,000. The home has 2886 sq. feet, 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms. This ranch was built in 1982 and has a 3 car garage. It was last purchased in 1997 for $315,500. The kitchen and bathrooms were recently updated. Students in this community go to Omni Middle School and Spanish River Community High School. Woodfield Hunt Club is a gated community located on Jog Road just south of Yamato Road. The community has two parks, 5 tennis courts and basketball courts as well as a clubhouse.

West Boca Author: Special Needs, Special Answers

Irwin
Irwin “Tiny” Katz

In the course of living in West Boca it’s hard to avoid meeting old Jews. We’ve known one of them for a while now and he’s a delight. Tiny Katz is very involved in the community, particularly in Boca West and with Temple Beth El. Realising that there are many self publishing companies out there who can help, Tiny published a book not long ago. It is available on Kindle, through Amazon, and in other formats and places as well. See TinyKatz.com for all the options.
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Tiny is a great story teller. He was even featured on the Old Jews Telling Jokes channel on YouTube:

The book is titled: Special Needs Special Answers: Memories and Milestones Toward Hope and Help for Special Needs Children and Parents. In it Tiny talks about his experiences raising a child with special needs. His storytelling ability brings these experiences to life for the reader.

Tiny takes you through his amazing life story in dealing with not only his own mentally challenged daughter, Tracy, but also numerous other children with special needs. Through the journey, Tiny reveals inspirational tips and tricks to help people with their own special needs family members and friends help their beloved ones live a happier and easier life.

It goes without saying that raising any child is difficult and there is a whole host of potential problems that parents can encounter. For many, the biggest problem they will face is the cost of raising a child, and this is especially prevalent for parents of children with special needs as they often require extra support or have extra medical needs which cost a lot. GoFundMe offers a platform that struggling parents can use to ask for donations to allow them to continue to give their children the best shot at life.

Obviously this book will be particularly helpful to anyone who has a child with special needs. That’s a big community we’ve written about in the past, served by such places as the We Rock the Spectrum kids gym in Boca Greens. But the book is also worth a read to anyone else. One way or another we all encounter people with special needs. Understanding what it’s like to walk in their shoes (or their parents’ shoes) helps us deal with that.

Home sales in Zip Code 33434

The 33434 zip code includes homes between 441 and St. Andrews Blvd, North of Glades Road to Yamato Road. Neighborhoods in this area include Boca West Country Club, Hamptons at Boca Raton, Woodfield Hunt Club, Santa Barbara and Century Village.
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Here are some homes that sold in the last couple months:

Map data and image: Google Maps
Map data and image: Google Maps

In the Colonnade community, 4600 NW 26th Way sold for $740,000 in mid-December. The house has 5 bedrooms and 4 full baths, and is on a corner with minimal street frontage.
4122 NW 28th Way; Image and map data: Google Maps
4122 NW 28th Way; Image and map data: Google Maps

In the southwest corner of the same neighborhood, 4122 NW 28th Way sold for $750K. The new owner has a mailing address in Moscow, Russia. The house has 4 beds and 2 1/2 baths with a large ground floor area and a small upper floor as well.


Warren Redlich is a West Boca real estate agent who lists homes for $500K and up. He is a licensed sales associate working with the Signature International Real Estate brokerage. Warren can be reached at 888-733-5299, or by e-mail: [email protected].
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3035 St. James Drive in Woodfield Hunt Club sold in December for $625K. The ranch house has 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths on just under a third of an acre. The sale price is a big boost from a 2009 transaction that went for under $475K, but still down from the $798K it sold for back in 2005 near the market’s peak.
Also in Woodfield Hunt Club, 4875 Regency Court with 4 beds and 3 baths sold for $567,000. It has a nice location just short of a cul de sac with a lake view.


In the gated Santa Barbara community nearby, 20693 NW 27th Ave sold for $667,500. It has 4 bedrooms and 3 1/2 baths, though there is a small 2nd floor area included. Some real estate websites have this marked as a townhouse, but it’s a single family house. The homes are very close together in this neighborhood. This particular house is on a corner lot.


2732 NW 27th Ave; Map data and image: Google
2732 NW 27th Ave; Map data and image: Google

In New Floresta, this fairly small 3 bedroom and 2 1/2 bath house at 2732 NW 27th sold for $520K in early December.
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Another smaller house in New Floresta, with 4 bedrooms and 2 1/2 baths, sold for $445K in early December as well. Both homes are a fairly short walk from University Woodlands Park.
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2669 NW 38th St.; Image and map data: Google
2669 NW 38th St.; Image and map data: Google

In Boca Lake this 4-bedroom, 3-bath house at 2669 NW 38th Street sold for $485K just before Christmas.


There’s a bit of a gap in home prices in 33434, with only a few homes selling between $350K and $500K. There’s a larger group of houses that sold for near $300K and below.
In the Brentwood of Boca community just west of the Turnpike and just south of Century Village, we see a few transactions:
8035 Copenhagen Way sold for $320K, with 3 beds, 2 baths and about 1600 square feet; and 19860 Milan Terrace sold for $319K with similar dimensions.
West of Southwinds Golf Course, 9525 Denver Court sold for $314K with 4 beds and 2 baths in a slightly larger structure but still under 2000 sq.ft. Closer to 441 off La Fontana, 19831 Court of the Myrtles sold for $340K with 4 beds and 2 baths in 2500 square feet.
In Boca West, a townhome at 7409 Bondsberry Court sold for $313K with 3 bed and 2 1/2 baths.
Near Boca Municipal Golf Course, 8717 Eagle Run sold for $325K with 3 beds and 2 baths in just under 2000 square feet.
In Sonoma Lake Estates (east side of Lyons just north of Somerset Shoppes), 8967 Sonoma Lake Blvd sold for $310K. It has 4 bedrooms and 2/12 baths in a 2300 square feet single-family home.