When Will the Lights Be Fixed? Roadwork Update

Image and map data by Google.
Image and map data by Google.

We’ve had a number of questions and complaints from readers about two particular intersections. On the left in the above image is the intersection of Glades Road and Diego, in the Mission Bay community. On the right is the intersection on US-441 (State Road 7) just south of Glades Road.
Glades and Diego before the repaving
Glades and Diego before the repaving; image by Google

At Diego the repaving turned off the light’s sensors causing it to revert to set timing. This has been a particular annoyance for through traffic on Glades Road. We spoke today with Dan Weisberg, director of the county traffic division. He did not have a particular date but said that such signals normally get fixed within about a month after the repaving is done. We did see some work going on at the intersection today but we think that was line painting rather than work on the signal.
441 south of Glades; image by Google.
441 south of Glades; image by Google.

Regarding the 441 traffic light, Weisberg said that is a project by the plaza on the southeast corner (Westwinds of Boca, the plaza with Home Depot and Publix). The county approved the plans and will inspect it before it is activated. The inspection has not taken place yet. Signs indicating the new traffic pattern should be put up a week before the lights go live.

Pei Wei To Open June 29th and …

pei-wei-june-15
We received an erroneous press release from Pei Wei this morning, which seemed to indicate the new restaurant at Glades and 441 is already open. We stopped by today. They were supposed to open but it got pushed back two weeks for unspecified reasons.
pei-wei-open-june-29
That’s not all that’s going on the plaza. We asked around and got details on all the shops that will be open, as discussed in this video:

Facing the new mini-plaza looking from the corner of Glades and 441, from left to right there will be a Vision Works, Verizon Wireless, Mattress Firm, European Wax, and then Pei Wei at the southern end.
westwinds-new-all
From Pei Wei’s press release:

The newest tenant in the Westwinds of Boca shopping plaza, Pei Wei will introduce 50 jobs to the area and is part of an expansion plan that will bring another Pei Wei to nearby Pompano Beach later this summer.
pei-wei-hiring
The restaurant is located at 9930 Glades Road and is open from 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday and Saturday for both dine-in and takeout customers. Takeout orders can be placed by calling 561-483-7067 or visiting www.PeiWei.com.
Pei Wei Asian Diner serves freshly prepared, wok’d-to-order dishes with Asian inspiration in a comfortable, modern diner environment. Pei Wei owns and operates 193 restaurants in 25 states and the District of Columbia and licenses the Pei Wei brand for use by partner restaurant operators in airport and international locations.
Menu highlights include:
NEW Ways to Kung Pao: The fan-favorite Classic Kung Pao Wok Entrée combines chili seared soy sauce with hand-cut scallions, garlic, snap peas, carrots and peanuts, served with choice of protein and white or brown rice. For a limited time, fans of this craveworthy dish can enjoy the Lighter Kung Pao Wok Entrée, swapping the rice for crisp lettuce cups, or grab their chopsticks and try the new Kung Pao Shrimp Sushi, a sushi roll topped with crispy shrimp, crumbled peanuts and kung pao sauce.
NEW Sushi Crunch Rolls: Topped with tempura flakes to pack the ultimate crunch, the hand-rolled Teriyaki Crunch Roll and Wasabi Crunch Roll are bold twists on classic sushi favorites.
Light and Fresh Salads: Pei Wei has a selection of lighter salads like the Asian Chopped Chicken Salad, tossed with sliced chicken, assorted lettuce, Napa cabbage, carrots, Thai basil, tomatoes, crispy wontons, toasted sesame seeds and sesame ginger vinaigrette.
Wok Fresh Entrées: Pei Wei is known for its made-to-order wok dishes, fired in 700-degree woks to seal in the bold flavors. Popular picks include the Honey Seared Wok Entrée. Recommended with crispy chicken or shrimp, this dish combines sweet honey garlic sauce, chili oil, rice sticks, scallions and red peppers. On the savory side, the Mongolian Wok Entrée, recommended with tender beef, mixes soy sauce, scallions, garlic and white mushrooms.
Perfect Additions: Complete any meal with a number of options including edamame, Vietnamese Chicken Salad Rolls and the signature hand-rolled Vegetable Spring Rolls.

pei-wei-inside

Chipotle Delivery?

Image from Google
Chipotle in Westwinds of Boca; Image from Google

The Chipotle chain of restaurants is testing delivery, as reported by the New York Times, USA Today and others.
So far this is going on only in major cities. Cost will range from $4.99 up to $7.99 depending on distance. They’re working with a company called Postmates, which currently has delivery in only three places in Florida, all in Miami-Dade.
Screen Shot 2015-04-24 at 2.47.23 PM
They will apparently make sure they are going to use the best eld devices to track their drivers hours like they do with their food suppliers to make sure they aren’t driving for too long.

We called our local Chipotle in Westwinds of Boca on 441 just south of Glades Road. Their manager was aware of the test. She said it’s not here yet and she did not have any more information.

Deals on Deva Curls Hair Care Products: West Boca Stores and Online

hairLast year, I took my daughter to Curls Rock Hair Studio in Boca Raton and discovered DevaCurl. DevaCurl makes hair products for girls and women with curly hair. This wonderful product really enhanced her curls and cut down on the frizz. Her hair has never looked better! Unfortunately, these hair products are not cheap.
Luckily I discovered that Amazon is selling the 32 oz size for under $30. Other DevaCurl products are also being sold at very good discounts.




In comparison, Sephora sells a 12 oz bottle of the no poo conditioning cleanser for $20 and the 32 oz bottle for $40.  Ulta, located at 9882 Glades Road (Westwinds of Boca, near DSW), sells the same product for $19.95 and $39.95. Harmon Face Values, located in Boca Greens Shopping Center, also sells DevaCurl products. The price is the same as Ulta but you can use a 20% Bed, Bath & Beyond coupon.
If you have curly hair, I highly recommend these products! The Amazon deal is particularly good if you have Amazon Prime’s free shipping.

Mathnasium Returns to West Boca

mathnasium-outside
A few years ago we encountered a wonderful place for helping school kids with math. Mathnasium had a location in Boca Lyons Plaza (southwest corner of Glades and Lyons), not far from Yokohama Sushi and Steve’s Wood Fired Pizza. We know one family who had a fifth grader struggling with math at grade level. After just a couple months that kid was doing much better and is now two grade levels ahead.
Unfortunately that location closed a couple years ago. In what might be a better spot, nestled in the elbow of the main structure at Westwinds of Boca, between Home Depot and Publix and near a number of restaurants, sits a new Mathnasium of West Boca. It’s fresh and clean and looks great inside.
mathnasium-inside
The previous franchise still has a location just east of Town Center Mall, in the same plaza with Five Guys, Corner Bakery & Cafe, and Hooters:
math-east
That “east” location is thriving with a steady flow of kids and great staff and management.
For the West Boca location, it’s early. They’ve only been open less than a week, and it’ll take time for them to scale up to a full roster of students. It’s such a great experience we’re confident they’ll make it. They have bright and energetic leadership in Amy and Harel:
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
The key to Mathnasium is a curriculum called “number sense.” We would translate that to mean: “Not confusing students with all the nonsense bureaucrats jam into school textbooks and tests.”
Here’s a cute video that explains it a little:

They have several other videos on the Mathnasium Learning Centers YouTube channel.
One we remember from a few years ago is this tear-jerker giving the history of how Mathnasium came about:

Also helpful is their model. They aim to have no more than three kids per teacher and kids get a lot of one-on-one time because of that setup.
Like the east location the walls are full of cute math graphics and quotes:
math-quote
math-wall
For more on the Mathnasium approach, a pdf of their Welcome Pack is below:
[gview file=”https://westbocanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/Welcome-Pack-email.pdf”]