Warren Redlich – Page 219

Hobby Lobby Grand Opening: Photos and Video

Hobby Lobby is finally open. The grand opening was this morning at 9 am. We missed the ceremonies but got there before 10 am. There seemed to be a lot of customers for a weekday morning and it looks like a good start.
Some key details: It’s definitely big and there are a lot of sections. They have a fabrics section which we’ve heard some demand for:

The store map is helpful:

There’s also a framing section that is likely to be popular:

Here’s our video of walking into the store:

There has been a lot of controversy surrounding Hobby Lobby for various reasons, related to their identity as a “Christian company.” When I walked in I was greeted by Jacqueline Chavez (below, far right), of the firm’s Management Ministries.

I think some of the critics don’t get how serious the company is about being Christian. Having Ms. Chavez there at the front door is a sign of it. The “Management Ministries” staff are part of that:

The focus is to exhibit a Godly culture by making a positive impact on the lives of the management teams. I believe this position is one of equipping men and women, right where they are and that is in the workplace. It is exciting to see biblical principles touching and changing lives across the country. Jesus said “And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me.” (John 12:32) The goal of Management Ministries is to let them see Jesus!

I met the two co-managers and they were happy with how things were going. The soft opening was Saturday and business was strong even though it was essentially unadvertised. This is not the first Hobby Lobby in South Florida – they told me there are stores in Davie and Kendall. From the store website there are plans to open another one in Coral Springs in a few weeks.
The store does seem to be running well, but from a business perspective I was surprised at how uncomfortable and unprepared they were for questions about the controversies. In light of an incident of alleged antisemitism in New Jersey where the Hobby Lobby President apologized, I asked about whether they would be carrying merchandise for the Jewish holidays. They had no idea whether or when Hanukkah merchandise would be coming to the store, though the store has plenty of Christmas merchandise on the shelves already.
The managers seemed unaware of the significant Jewish population around them. The West Boca Square plaza borders Boca Woods, which is mostly Jewish, and the Jewish Federation campus is not far away on the other side of 441.

I asked about the decision to locate a Christian store in an area that has such a large Jewish population and they simply said it was a decision made by the company’s real estate division and they didn’t know about it. To me it doesn’t come off as antisemitism but rather that they’re tone deaf. For a more critical perspective see this article in Coral Springs Talk.
Regardless of all of that, we’re pleased to see that the opening is going well. This is a great shopping option for a lot of people in West Boca and also a source of good jobs. We wish Hobby Lobby well.

West Boca Medical Lectures in October

The Breast Feeding Support Group meets October 6th and 20th at noon. Lactation consultant Amme-Marie Sawicki, MS, RN, IBCLC leads the group at the Education Center located in West Boca Medical Center, 21644 State Road 7, Boca Raton.
Ouch, My Aching Back! will be presented by Robert Norton, M.D. on October 6th at noon at the Education Center. Dr. Norton is an orthopedic spine surgeon affliated with West Boca Medical Center, Boca Regional Hospital and North Broward Medical Center.
Cutting Edge Technology for Total Hip Replacement Utilizing Robotic Technology is the Dinner with the Doctor lecture for October. Dr. David Padden, an orthopedic surgeon, will be the presenter. The dinner will be at Homewood Coconut Creek at 4175 W. Sample Road in Coconut Creek. To attend, please RSVP at 877-311-3281.
Dr. Sol Guerrero, an endocrinologist, will discuss Past, Present and Future of Diabetes on October 17th at noon at the Education Center. Dr. Guerrero has been practicing since 2005 and did her Residency and Fellowship at the Medical College of Georgia.
Dr. Marc Golden will lecture on New Advances in Minimally Invasive Knee Replacements on October 20th at noon at the Medical Building located at 9950 Central Park Blvd, Suite 240 in Boca Raton. Dr. Golden practices medicine with Golden Orthopaedic in Boca Raton.
Breast Cancer Screening: No Longer a One Size Fits All will be lead by Dr. Cheryl Moss-Mellman on October 29th at noon at the Education Center. Dr. Moss-Mellman is a doctor of internal medicine specializing in breast health.
To register for lectures, please call 866-904-9262. Light refreshments are served at all lectures. Complimentary valet is available.

West Boca Crime Map

Thanks to CrimeMapping.com, readers can get a sense of where crimes occur in West Boca. The map above gives a big picture and we’ve got close-ups below. These images cover August and September.
It’s important to note that arrests by Boca PD are not included in these maps. They only show arrests by the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), which covers most of West Boca. But the Woodfield and Broken Sound country clubs are inside the city limits so no arrests would show there if there were any.
The biggest concentration of arrests is in the southern half of West Boca:

The red oval in the image above shows a concentration of arrests in the Sandalfoot area, mostly west of 441 but also on the east side. There’s also another group, in the purple oval, east of the Turnpike on both sides of Glades Road
Then there’s the northern half, with the city areas grayed out:

We noticed two more focal areas in this map. The blue oval shows a number of crimes along 441, and the red oval shows a bunch along Glades Road between 441 and the Turnpike. A lot of these are in stores and shopping plazas, or traffic arrests on the main roads. The incidents are not as dense as the ones in the southern area, but they’re still noticeable.
Despite the reputation for high crime in Sandalfoot, it’s not as bad as it looks. Other places are much worse. Here’s an example in the northwestern corner of the county, with large crime numbers in Belle Glade and South Bay despite small populations:

We’ve reported in the past that crime rates in West Boca are actually lower than East Boca, and both are much lower than the county average. Those articles are:
How Bad is Crime in West Boca?
Boca Crime Rates – 9 Zip Codes
And the third part in that series – Crime rates in Palm Beach County by zip code.
The good news is that if you live outside of the ovals, the crime rate is very low. And they’re really not that bad even inside the ovals.

A Special House in Boca West

Recently we visited a very impressive house for sale. Located in a special section of Boca West called “The Island,” the home is loaded with space and features. The layout below gives some sense of what’s included (click the picture for a larger image):

Please note that the layout was done before the pool was actually put in and it’s different. Here are a couple shots of the pool and patio area. This is a wonderful area for outdoor entertaining.

I particularly liked the outdoor kitchen with a built-in grill, sink, refrigerator, and golf course view.

The golf area nearest the house is a tee box, so poorly hit shots will not hit the house or land in the yard.
The outdoor area is matched with a great space for entertaining guests indoors. The expansive kitchen is open to a large family room and breakfast area as well as the living room, adding up to over 1000 square feet.

The house also has an impressive garage with room for four cars plus two golf carts which have their own garage doors on the back side. You could squeeze six cars in if you wanted.
There are many other nice touches. I loved the feel of this long hallway that runs from the Master Suite area (background) across the house:

The Master Suite is especially nice, with its own sitting area and his-and-hers bathrooms and walk-in closets (hers are bigger, of course).
The house is listed as having four bedrooms and five and a half baths. The bedroom count does not include the large theater room, office, and flex room, all of which could be converted to bedrooms if necessary. The theater is big enough to make two bedrooms.
On the market for $2,999,000, the house at 7673 Wood Duck Drive is perfect for those who love the Boca West lifestyle but want something larger and a bit more exclusive. It’s listed by Matthew Maschler and Maureen Murtaugh of Regency Realty Services. Call Maureen at 561-289-1000 for questions or showings. You can also e-mail her at [email protected].
Update: They also sent us this gorgeous aerial video of the house:

La Ferme Opens October 4th with Chef Belleme

We previously reported that Bistro Gastronomie will reopen as La Ferme. They now have a firm opening date of Saturday, October 4th.
Chef William Walden has left and we wish him all the best. In his place the new owners have brought in Chef John Belleme, who was most recently at the former Stephane’s on the north side of Glades near Military Trail (the space is currently Madison’s restaurant).

The restaurant features modern Mediterranean cuisine in a fun, upbeat and exciting setting. The menu at La Ferme is beautifully executed by celebrated Executive Chef John Belleme, voted the Best Chef in Palm Beach County three years in a row by the readers of City Link and the New Times magazines. He was also featured in Esquire magazine by John Mariani as a chef to keep your eye on.

Here’s Chef Belleme a few years ago on Honey Garlic Prawns from when he was at Umi:

There will be significant changes to the menu:

The menu will adjust with seasons but items will include: Grilled Point Judith Calamari with Heirloom Tomato, Lemon Caper Crudo; Kale Caesar with Country Croutons, Parmesan and Boquerón; Steak Tartare with Quail Egg and Green Peppercorn Vinaigrette; Forever Braised Short Rib Bourguignon with Lardoons, Mushrooms and a Red Wine Reduction; Poulet de St Tropez Roasted Organic Chicken with Roasted Vegetables, Grapes, Olives, Crushed Potatoes in Lemon Thyme Pan Sauce; and Cedar Plank Organic Black Pearl Salmon with Horseradish Crust, Mustard Oil and Greens.

It’s also our impression that it will be much less expensive. Bistro Gastronomie was hard to get out of for less than $100 per person, though we thought it was well worth it.

We’re looking forward to trying the new approach. La Ferme is located in Yamato Village Center, on the north side of Yamato between 441 and Lyons. It’s the plaza with Doris Market.

La Ferme is open daily for dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and will feature happy hour specials, Monday – Friday from 4 to 6 p.m. (bar only). [Make] reservations by phone or through OpenTable. For more info call 561.430.3731.

The restaurant’s website – laferme.kitchen – does not appear to be ready yet but we expect it will be up and running soon.