Page 8 - Boca Club News - January '21

Page 8, Boca Club News
Government

Mayor’s Update:

Reasons for Gratitude this Month in Boca Raton

Scott Singer is the 35th Mayor in our annual budget, and your help for our local charities is of public interaction in a pandemic. Just the same, so many
of Boca Raton. A South Florida always needed. unseen employees work 365 days to make sure our water
native, attorney, mediator and small 4. Access to Great Minds: Earlier this year, I was selected is clean and safe, our roads and traffic signals work, and so
business owner, Scott and his wife, as one of 40 mayors nationwide to join the Bloomberg much more. I’m grateful to be one member of a group of
Bella, live in Broken Sound with their Harvard City Leadership Initiative, a year-long educational professionals who serve us all every day.
two young children. program. I was excited to be picked for the Initiative’s 7. Strong Economics: Boca Raton has shouldered the
As 2020 and the holiday season Recovery Leadership Program because it meant Boca Raton large costs from COVID-19 without any tax increase, and
draw to a close, and even after the would gain access to major academic support for an eight- with no cuts to essential services, even as other cities had
year we’ve had, we still have many month innovation project that we kicked off yesterday. The tax increases and major cutbacks. We’ve provided relief to
reasons to be thankful in Boca Raton. Here are a few points project will help speed our recovery and likely result in untold small businesses, and mortgage and rent relief. In my roles
of gratitude for our wonderful community. benefits for the way we provide services. I look forward to with the Florida League of Mayors and U.S. Conference
1. Caring Residents: Boca Raton residents have generally our continued work to bring best-in-class ideas and practices of Mayors, as well as a working group of local mayors, I
been considerate of our neighbors in practicing safe behaviors to our city. Glad to help bring home the brainpower bacon to continue to advocate for more funding from the state and
in response to COVID-19. Please keep it up, and continue Boca Raton. federal legislation. The continued attractiveness of Boca
to safely distance, wear your masks, wash your hands, and 5. Medical Technology Leadership: This month, the Gift Raton is keeping property values high, with steady and
follow CDC guidelines. We all want to get back to normal of Life Marrow Registry, a non-profit leader in fighting blood increasing sales of homes. People and companies across the
as quickly as possible, and responsible behavior will help us cancers, opened its Center for Cell and Gene Therapy, which nation want to be where we are already blessed to live!
get there sooner. will make stem cells readily available for transplants and These are just a few of the many reasons to be thankful.
2. Veterans and Servicemembers: This year’s Veterans’ medical technology by local companies. This follows their You can share any thoughts you have at ssinger@myboca.
Day felt a little closer to home, as City Council Member opening last year of the Southeast’s first stem cell collection com, and stay connected on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram
Jeremy Rodgers, a U.S. Navy Reservist, is deployed overseas center here in Boca Raton. at @scottsingerusa. As always, I’m grateful to serve the
in the Middle East. We are thankful for his service in this 6. City Employees: It’s easy to take for granted the hard people of Boca Raton.
role and pray for his safe return. For the interim, until the work of our nearly 2,000 city employees. Our first responders Wishing you and yours a safe, happy, and healthy new
coming March City Council election, Yvette Drucker has and sanitation teams have persevered through the challenges year!
been appointed as a City Council Member. Council Member
Drucker formerly chaired the city’s education task force and Council Corner: Best Reason
served on other city boards, and has been active in our city
as the former president of the Boca Raton Historical Society,
a former PTA president, and co-chair of the recent Junior in the World to Miss the Game!
League of Boca Raton Women Volunteer of the Year event.
3. Non-Profits and City Help: Speaking of the Women
Volunteer of the Year, this year’s virtual event recently raised By Boca Raton City Councilman between in-state UCF and highly-ranked BYU was one
more than $160,000 and provided funds for more than 40,000 Andy Thomson, who was first elected of the best in the game’s history. BYU started strong and
diapers for the Junior League’s diaper bank. Charities like during the special City Council prevailed 49-23. And the game was excellent for Boca
Boca Helping Hands, the Spirit of Giving, Florence Fuller election in 2018, and re-elected Raton, which was prominently featured in the primetime
CDC, and so many others have been meeting essential needs. without opposition to the Council. broadcast on ESPN to millions of viewers, including several
The City of Boca Raton maintained its funding for non-profits One privilege (of many) that commercials touting the benefits of relocating corporate
we enjoy in Boca Raton is being headquarters to Boca.
the host of a college football bowl I’m fortunate to have some experience with bowl games.
game. First played in 2014, the Boca In college, I played in two while at Georgia Tech. One was
Raton Bowl has become an annual December tradition that in Boise, Idaho (played on their unique blue turf) and the
puts our beautiful city in the college football postseason second was in Orlando. In both cases, we spent several days
spotlight. in each city, got to know the host communities, visited local
The 2020 version was different, of course. Due to landmarks, and were treated to wonderful hospitality. The
COVID-19, the crowd at FAU Stadium was limited to 20% bowl experience for participants creates lasting memories
capacity, meaning that only 6,000 fans could attend. Social that stick with players for decades; they sure did for me.
distancing, masks, and other precautions were required. I wasn’t able to attend the Boca Raton Bowl this year.
The teams---the University of Central Florida Knights and My wife gave birth to our son, Andrew Joseph Thomson,
Brigham Young University Cougars---spent only a couple last week, and with Baby Andy only days old, I needed to
of days in town. be home. But, thanks to ESPN, we were still able to watch
Nevertheless, the game was excellent. The matchup Boca Raton shine forth in the national spotlight once again.
County Clerk’s Holiday Concert

Goes Virtual To Raise Money for

Local Couple in Need as Part of

Office’s Holiday Activities

By County Clerk & Comptroller to provide hundreds of holiday gifts for local children
Sharon R. Bock in need. Through voluntary payroll deductions, Clerk
The Clerk & Comptroller’s & Comptroller employees donated more than $8,100 to
annual Circuit Sound holiday support the Back to Basics Angel Program. The Palm
concert went virtual this year to Beach County-based nonprofit provides toys and other
raise money for William and Sylvia basic necessities for children across our community.
Alexander, a Palm Beach County In addition to monetary donations, members of our
couple coping with Alzheimer’s ClerkPBC team volunteered their time to wrap gifts at the
disease. Sylvia, 86, was diagnosed Back to Basics warehouse in Royal Palm Beach.
with Alzheimer’s in 2018. William, 82, is her primary Clerk’s Office Recognized for “Outstanding Culture
caregiver. They were nominated for the 2020 “Season to of Well-Being; ” Employees participate in Garden of
Share” campaign by Alzheimer’s Community Care. Life 5K.
Clerk Bock Honored as “Woman Lawyer of the Year.” For the second consecutive year, the Clerk &
Clerk & Comptroller Sharon R. Bock, Esq. was Comptroller was honored by Cigna as a recipient of the
recognized as the “Woman Lawyer of the Year” for the insurer’s Outstanding Culture of Well-Being Award. The
South Palm Beach chapter of the Florida Association for office is one of only four employers in South Florida
Women Lawyers. Clerk Bock received the award during to earn the prestigious honor. The award recognizes
a socially distanced reception in Boca Raton last month. organizations that are committed to improving the health
Clerk Employees Donate $8,100 to Buy Holiday Gifts and well-being of employees through workplace programs.
for Children in Need.
Many of our employees wore jeans in December as
part of our Clerks for a Cause “dress down” fundraiser