Warren Redlich – Page 289

Slow Burn Theatre Does High Fidelity

Slow Burn Theatre Company will perform the musical High Fidelity starting June 13th.
Bobby Johnston takes on the lead role as Rob, a record shop owner who faces challenges in his love life and his world view.
Consistent with Slow Burn’s tendency to challenge audiences, the musical performance will likely stay closer to the book than the film. That means it will feature original music from the Broadway show in the style of classic rock, but not classic rock hits. The lyrics received a lot of positive reviews.
We’ve been to several Slow Burn shows. Their audience is growing and we recommend buying your tickets early. We have a hunch this will be their most popular show yet.
Slow Burn performances are at the West Boca High School auditorium, Fridays & Saturdays at 8PM, Sundays at 2PM. The show runs from June 13th to the 29th.

Answers on the West Boca Walmart

Walmart has now responded to our questions we asked about the store they’re reopening as a Walmart Supercenter on the southeast corner of Palmetto Park Road and 441. Maybe it was our anger at their delays that shook the tree, or maybe we overreacted and they were getting us these answers anyway.

Here are their answers, from William Wertz, Director of Communications for Walmart – East:
1. Can you describe how the new store will be different from:
a. The store in that location before it closed; and

The former store was a general merchandise store – which was Walmart’s original format. It did not include the full range of groceries our customers tell us they are looking for. We are adding this component to the remodeled store we are opening.

b. The newer store 2.5 miles south, at Hillsboro and 441.

The store in Coconut Creek was a Supercenter (meaning it had both groceries and general merchandise) from the beginning. The new West Boca store will also be a Supercenter, but not as large as Coconut Creek.

2. You indicate in your last message that the hiring center will open 4-6 months prior to the September opening. But 6 months prior would be in March, and 4 months prior is this month. Can you clarify that?

We still don’t have an exact date for the hiring center to open, but it should be soon. In the meantime, those interested working at the new store can fill out an on-line application.

Although they did not mention it in their answers,
we think this is where you can fill out an online application:
Walmart Online Hiring Center.
3. As I have the details, the West Boca location closed in 2008 and is now reopening roughly 6 years later. In that time Walmart spent roughly $700K in property tax on the location. Can you offer any insight into the business decision-making that went into spending that amount on a closed store? In the same vein, what led to the decision to reopen it? Were there demographic or economic changes in the community that influenced the decision?

The Boca Location is a good one, and we have always intended to re-open this store. A small Supercenter at this location will offer customers the convenience and affordable prices they are looking for.

4. The Coconut Creek location carries ammunition and hunting gear, but no actual firearms. Will the West Boca location also offer those items, and will it sell firearms?

The new West Boca store will NOT carry firearms. It will carry ammunition.

5. Do you think the new West Boca store will reduce business volume at the Coconut Creek store, and if so, by how much?

We expect both stores to do well and would not speculate on the volume of business at either location.

6. We’ve read about Walmart implementing new technologies in some stores to serve customers better. Are there any particular new technologies that will be offered in the new store that are not presently offered in Coconut Creek?

Except for size, the two stores will be similar in the features they offer to customers.

7. A lot of our readers (including myself) are happy about this store reopening because it’s a hassle to drive to the Coconut Creek store and we don’t like the parking lot setup. Had you heard that from West Boca customers and did that play a role in the decision to reopen?

Yes. It is clear that our customers are looking for shopping opportunities that are both affordable and convenient. The new West Boca store will offer easy access and significant savings to many in the area.

The image below shows the location where the West Boca Walmart will be reopening.

Cream, Coming to a Plaza near You!

Cream, a cafe, is opening soon in the Home Depot plaza. It will serve frozen yogurt, coffee and gelato. Cream also has locations at 1367 W. Palmetto Park and 1200 Yamato Road. The hours will be Monday through Sunday from 12 noon to 11 p.m.

Patrons can choose from 10 flavors of yogurt and add fruit, nuts and candy. They also serve a variety of coffees including caramel macchiato and Reese’s latte.

Cream is expected to open in the “elbow” of the plaza, between Home Depot and Publix, and near Limburger and Taso.

Softball in June?

Registration for the fall 2014 session of fast pitch softballs is now open. All girls ages 4 through 16 and all experience levels are welcome. Regular registration is open until August 11, 2014. Registration is $135 – $155. A $50 late fee will be charged after that date.
There will be two free clinics this summer on August 2nd and August 9th. The general skills clinic is 9-10:30 a.m. for tee ball, 8u and 10u; 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. for 12u and 16u. The pitching clinic is 10:30 -11:30 a.m. for 8u/10u and 12-1 p.m. for 12u/16u.
The evaluations for all age groups excluding tee ball are August 15th or 16th. Evaluations on August 15th begin at 5:30 p.m for 8u/10u and 6:45 p.m. for 12u/16u; on August 16th they begin at 8:45 a.m. for 8u/10u and 10:00 a.m. for 12u/16u. Practices begin on August 23rd and the first games start September 8th. The season runs through November 1st.

The Use of Alternative Groundcovers: Part 2

As a follow up to the previous article on alternative groundcovers, this entry will explore the costs associated with establishing and maintaining bahiagrass and perennial peanut lawns as alternatives to St. Augustinegrass.
Generally, the cost of establishing a lawn will increase if the vendor furnishes delivery and labor. To avoid these costs, the homeowner can pick up each pallet from the vendor and lay the sod at her or her home. This will require the use of a pickup truck as a pallet will typically contain 400-500 ft² of sod or approximately 150-180 pieces. For many homeowners, the only practical option is to have the sod delivered and laid by the vendor. In addition, any existing vegetation in the area where the sod is to be laid should be removed. This can be accomplished by spraying all vegetation with Roundup. It may not be possible to destroy all existing vegetation, but as much as possible should be removed to ensure that the muck-side of the sod is touching the soil. In addition, any irrigation lines should be in place prior to laying the sod.

The following table represents cost estimates for each groundcover:

	Total Costs (including delivery and laying sod) per square foot
St. Augustinegrass	45¢
Bahiagrass	30¢
Perennial Peanut	$1.25

Bahiagrass is the cheapest sod and requires no watering, even in the dry season, if planted on a level surface. Perennial peanut requires little to no watering (except in periods of severe drought). By contrast, St. Augustinegrass requires approximately 20,000 gallons per 1000 ft². This equates to approximately $15 per year for each 1000 ft²of St. Augustinegrass. Therefore, the cost savings of Bahiagrass is approximately $165 per 1000 ft²relative to St. Augustinegrass (planting and watering). Sodding perrenial peanut costs approximately $800 more per 1000 ft² compared to St. Augustinegrass. Mowing costs for bahiagrass and St. Augustinegrass are relatively similar. By contrast, perennial peanut requires virtually no mowing. Depending upon the size of the lawn and cost of the lawnmower and/or landscaping fees, the higher establishment costs of perennial peanut may be well worth it in the long run.
Unfortunately, we were unable to locate any nurseries in West Boca that sell perennial peanut or bahiagrass. There are a number of companies in the Delray area that can special order bahiagrass at a rate that is markedly lower than St. Augustinegrass. For those not in need of an “instant lawn,” bahiagrass seed can be purchased at Home Depot or Lowes. The price is $66.98 for 10 lbs. of seed, which will cover 1,000 ft² of new coverage or 2,000 ft² of over seeded coverage. As discussed in the previous article, this is the cheapest way to establish bahiagrass and may be the best option for homeowners that can wait for the new lawn to grow in. The use of bahiagrass seed is another advantage over St. Augustinegrass, which can only be established with sod.
For additional information on lawns and lawn care, contact the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension office at (561) 233-1700.