On our recent cruise on Harmony of the Seas, the biggest cruise ship in the world, we experienced The Fine Line, a water show that combines extreme sports, hi-wire artistry and high diving at sea. Below is a video from Royal Caribbean that gives you a look behind the scenes at everything that goes into producing the show. In a word, amazing. -- Gerry

Loggerhead Marinelife Center is offering ​Adopt a Sea Turtle. For as low as $35, "all adoptions include a personalized certificate and letter, a glossy photograph, educational materials, and advanced notice on your turtle's release. Your gift directly supports the center by providing funds for medication, tank maintenance, food, and on-going veterinary care. You can learn more about all of our sea turtle patients."

For more information, go to this page.

(Source: Press Release) _ ​MiamiCentral, the expansive downtown development featuring retail, office, residences and the Brightline train service, today announced a new addition to its’ food and beverage program. 800 Degrees Pizza, the Los Angeles-based and Italian-inspired restaurant, will launch multiple locations throughout Southern Florida, the first of which will open in Central Fare. 

Central Fare, a 50,000-square-foot marketplace anchored by signature restaurant Monger by the Voltaggio Brothers, along with several other Miami restaurateurs, will be a notable aspect of the 11-acre, mixed-use transportation hub that will house the new Brightline express train connecting Miami, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Orlando. The project is scheduled to open spring 2017. 
 
800 Degrees Pizza is an authentic Neapolitan-style pizzeria serving top-quality, chef-driven offerings with an Italian heart and American soul. Creator and founder Chef Anthony Carron, formerly of the Michael Mina Group, brings over 20 years of culinary leadership and experience to the project, and honors the heritage of Old World Italian tradition where the integrity of ingredients is paramount. As a result, Carron has traveled all over Italy in search of the best purveyors, producers and farmers to source his meats, vegetables and bread from.

(Press Release) _ ​Loggerhead Marinelife Center will host its annual SEA-sonal Celebration event this Saturday, Dec. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. complete with ocean-friendly activities, “wishes for the ocean,” free programming, holiday music and more.
 
At the event, guests can create environmentally-friendly holiday ornaments at the Responsible Decorator Station and will leave with one Responsible Decorator Kit (limit one per family while supplies last). The kit contains all materials needed to create one ornament with 100 percent post-consumer recycled material and a personalized instruction kit with tips on how to reduce waste during the holidays.
 
Guests can also join in our “Wish for the Ocean,” by writing a special holiday message for our wish garland for LMC’s sea turtle patients or by taking an ornament from LMC’s Giving Tree, which names wish-list items that help the center continue its mission of ocean and sea turtle conservation.
 
Kids will also enjoy an appearance from the lovable Festive Fletch, creating memories with a fun photo booth and have the opportunity to share their holiday wish for a cleaner and healthier ocean.
 
Additionally, LMC will offer select programs for free during the SEA-sonal Celebration, including free Turtle Yard Tours every hour, Dr. Logger shows, Junior Vet Labs and Birthday Party Open House activities. These programs are limited in space and fill on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Today we dropped by one of our favorite places -- Manatee Lagoon at 6000 N. Flager Dr. -- to check on the migrating manatees. There had been no sightings and then ... this one appeared, moving slowly along the waterfront. You can even check in online via the Manatee Cam on the Lagoon's website. The Cam page offers this to visitores: "In Florida, manatee season begins on Nov. 15 and runs through March 31. Manatees migrate as the winter months arrive and are known to congregate in the warm-water discharges of FPL’s energy center. The most ideal manatee viewing opportunities at Manatee Lagoon occur when cooler temperatures are sustained over a period of two to three days with minimal cloud cover." At their peak, several hundred of the gentle giants can be seen there.

Source: The Palm Beach North Chamber

​Did you know that it takes more than 1,000 volunteers to make ArtiGras a success?

We rely heavily on our volunteers to make the ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival run smoothly. There are various roles and shifts available throughout the 3-day event taking place February 18-20, 2017, including ArtiKids, Merchandise, Volunteer Headquarters, Youth Art Competition, and more!  Volunteer hours are available for those seeking school credit. In addition, volunteers are welcome to stay inside the festival before and/or after their shifts to enjoy ArtiGras!

Please keep in mind, all volunteers for the ArtiGras Fine Arts Festival must be at least 16 years of age.

Go here for more information or to volunteer.

(Press Release) _ NORTH PALM BEACH – Just in time for holiday shopping, Doris Italian Market & Bakery presents the retail wine & food event of the year benefiting Els for Autism on Friday, December 16 from 8:15 to 10:15 p.m. at Doris Italian Market & Bakery in the Shoppes at City Centre, 11239 U.S. Highway 1, North Palm Beach. 
 
Open to the public, the Gala offers guests the opportunity to sample more than 150 wines from around the world, a craft beer booth, enjoy a buffet of authentic Italian cuisine and visit additional artisan food displays. Tickets are $34.95. Els for Autism receives $10 from each ticket sold and each guest receives a $10 credit toward a wine purchase that evening. Special pricing on wines is offered throughout the evening.
            
ELS for Autism was established in 2009 by pro golfer, Ernie Els and his wife Liezl to focus on the issue of Autism, which their son Ben is impacted by. The Els are devoted to creating The Els Center of Excellence, which will be a center that offers children on the spectrum around the world access to the best practices in education and therapy. The Foundation has launched a capital campaign to raise $30 million to finance the facility. 
            
Tickets to the Wine & Food Gala can be purchased in advance at the North Palm Beach location or email [email protected] for an online order form. 

(Press Release)_"The Juno Beach Pier recently received new recycling bins thanks to a grant made possible by Dr Pepper Snapple Group in collaboration with Keep America Beautiful. The Dr Pepper Snapple Group/Keep America Beautiful Park Recycling Bin Grant Program provides funding for over 900 new recycling bins in public parks across the country in 2016, making recycling more accessible for Americans enjoying the outdoors.

The new bins are located at the Juno Beach Pier – managed by Loggerhead Marinelife Center – in a continued effort to promote pollution prevention and engage pier visitors in marine conservation measures.
 
Now in its fourth year, the public park recycling grant program has awarded more than 3,400 recycling bins to Keep America Beautiful affiliates, local governments and other community organizations across 28 states to expand the availability of recycling. This investment in recycling infrastructure has improved recycling accessibility and convenience in a variety of park settings, including neighborhood and larger regional parks, beaches and piers, athletic fields and walking trails.
 
“We are truly honored and grateful to the Dr Pepper Snapple Group/Keep America Beautiful Park Recycling Bin Grant Program,” said Tommy Cutt, LMC’s chief conservation officer. “Marine debris and plastic pollution continues to be a significant threat to sea turtles. The installation of these bins will help reduce the threat of ocean debris by providing anglers and pier-goers a practical recycling solution.”
 
“We’re taking aim at two challenges that communities face nationwide – cleaning up parks and other shared spaces and reducing the strain on landfills,” said Vicki Draughn, vice president of corporate affairs for Dr Pepper Snapple Group. “Our partnership with Keep America Beautiful puts more recycling bins in more cities within reach of more consumers who are on-the-go, helping tackle both of those challenges.”
 
The lack of away-from-home recycling opportunities is reflected in a recent national survey by Keep America Beautiful to understand where people normally recycle. While 92 percent said they recycled at home, only 19 percent indicated that they typically recycle in public parks. Additional research conducted by Keep America Beautiful indicated only 12 percent of surveyed public locations had recycling infrastructure in place to recover the containers. The Dr. Pepper Snapple Group/Keep America Beautiful Park Recycling Bin Grant Program is designed to address the obstacle of overcoming a lack of recycling convenience.
 
“With the help of Dr Pepper Snapple Group, we’re transforming public spaces into beautiful places by making sure more recyclables are being placed in proper receptacles in our parks and natural areas,” said Brenda Pulley, senior vice president/recycling, Keep America Beautiful. “Our partnership is helping to make recycling more accessible and convenient, which is one of primary factors in making recycling a daily habit.”
 
In addition to improving recycling opportunities, the grant program will make additional funds available to Keep America Beautiful community-based affiliates or other grant recipients who commit to conducting a Litter Index in conjunction with the grant to help study the effects of the recycling bins on reducing litter in the immediate areas of the bins.

For LMC, the grant will allow the center to continue educating locals and out-of-county visitors about the importance of conservation through simple actions and better track the amount of recycling that goes into the bins at the Juno Beach Pier.