EFTA00260091.pdf

ITEM WAS NOT SCANNED DESCRIPTION 1,7 Nutispap, EFTA00260091 WEATHER' MATTERS-a , Online: New blog, PalmBeachDailyNews.com Wine and dine with Breakers'• culinary twins, page MO Established 1897 m Beach Daily News (.91/# R D RD 16-18, 2009 THE SHINY SHEET Suit alleges daily sexual abuse Epstein To be released from jail Wednesday. Lawsuit says 15-yew-old girl was enticed to quit job and was sexually exploited by billionaire Epstein and friends for four years. By MICHELE DARGAN DazO News Staff Writer New allegations have emerged in a feder- al lawsuit filed against convicted sex offend- er Jeffrey Epstein, accusing him of — among other things — asking his 15-year-old victim to quit her Job at The Mar-a-Lago Club to be- come what amounted to his sex slave. The lawsuit alleges that the girl, then working as a changing room assistant for 59 an hour at the club, was recruited there by Epstein's then-companion Ghislaine Max- well in 1998. Maxwell told the girl, and her father who was an employee at the club, that she could learn massage therapy and earn a "great deal of money," the lawsuit says. The lawsuit alleges that the victim was not only required to satisfy Epstein's "every sexual whim," but t hat she also was exploited by Epstein's adult male peersihey included royalty, politicians, academicians, business- men and others in various locations around the world, the suit says. The lawsuit was filed by Miami attorney Robert losefsberg on behalf of lane Doe No. 102. losefsberg previously filed a case on be- half of another minor girl, lane Doe No. 101. The lawsuit, like the dozen more other lawsuits against the billionaire money man- ager, says his modus operandi in the initial visit was the same: the minor girl-was taken to Epstein's mansion on El Brillo Way and led Please see LAWSUIT. Page AS Lesters buy into Olympia art fair Founding owners of Art Palm Beach say pact will offer 'global platform' for ventures. By JAN SJOSTROM Daily News Arts Editor David and Lee Ann Les- ter have added the Olympia International Art & An- tiques Pair to their art-fair portfolio. The Bonita Springs- Other victim seeks to unseal document from sex offender case, Page AS DEP veto of Reach 8 permit was expected Town had sought to withdraw beach-fill application months ago after judge ruled against it. By WILLIAM KELLY Daly News Staff Writer The Florida Department of Environ- mental Protection has denied the town an environmental permit required for a beach fill project along Reach 8. EFTA00260092 Pa m Beach Daily News Established 1897 THE SHINY SHEET•; SUNDAY, SEPT. 20, 2009 16 Poyes 51.50 Town bristles at call for coral protection zone Designation could thwart beach nourishment projects. By WILLIAM KELLY Daily News Stall ikraeir An environmental group has asked the federal government to ex- tend a coral protection zone along the town's shoreline. The town opposes the extension, which would complicate future ef- forts to nourish its eroded beaches. In November, the National Ma- rine Fisheries Service designated as critical habitat for elkhorn and stag- horn coral a swath of ocean floor from the Florida Keys to Boynton Beach Inlet. The two reef-building species have suffered drastic declines in the last 25 years, and have been shield- ed since 2006 by the federal Endan- gered Species Act. But Palm Beach County Reef Rescue says it has discovered stag- horn coral north of the Boynton Inlet, and that the protection zone should be extended 15 miles north to the Palm Beach Inlet. 'the fisheries service is review- ing the group's petition and will an- nounce Its intention on Jan. 6, said Please see CORAL, Page A8 PIG on the MOVE? Left: Piggie Pie Freckles has been deemed a code violation and must leave Palm Beach by Month?. Below: The pig lives in a Brazilian Avenue apartment with Kimberly Kelley and Witty Witty the Kitty. Connie Gasque, a Palm Beach resident and a volunteer diver for Palm Beach %Bounty Rcief Rescue, looks at staghom coral offshore from the Bath & Tennis Club in December 2008. Photo by Michael Patrick O'Neill Attorney for Epstein victims: `I have never seen a stranger case' Unsealed plea deal shows Palm Beach sex offender could have faced a life sentence if charged by federal government. By MICHELE DARGAN Daily News Seal/ Write: Sex offender Jeffrey Epstein could have been charged with multiple counts of five federal offenses involving sex acts with minors and faced a life sentence, but, in- stead, the government agreed not to prosecute him or his procurers if EFTA00260093 Epstein Served less than B months. Days of whites and roses ,111515{P Madoff spurs prison bill Wines lend notes to seasonal dishes. A10. New York weighs charging rich inmates. AM Pa m Beach Daily News PalmBeachDailyNews.com Established 1897 THE SHINY SI111. I THURSDAY-SATURDAY, JULY 2 25,2009 50 cent; No monitoring device for Epstein 'Difficult part in his life is ending,' says attorney for sex offender released from jail. Victims say sentence too short. By MICHELE DARGAN Daily News Staff IA't Convicted sex offender Jeffrey Ep- stein, released from jail shortly after 6 a.m. Wednesday, will not be tracked by an electronic monitoring device during his one-year probation, ac- cording to a court order. Epstein, who served less than 13 months of his 18-month sentence at the Palm Beach County Stockade, will serve one year of probation at his El Brillo Way home. He already bas registered as a sex offender. In addition, Epstein, who has been out of jail on work release for 16 hours a day, six days a week since October, has been going to his Palm Beach home as well as his West Palm Beach office for the past two weeks. His attorney, Jack Goldberger, as well as Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office records confirm that Epstein has been to his home on several occa- sions. Goldberger said Epstein was giv- en PBSO permission to be at home for specific time periods in order to make the transition from jail to his home. the plea agreement stipulated that Epstein, a billionaire financier, would not be placed on electronic monitor- ing, Goldberger said. An earlier court order incorrectly had him listed as having to be monitored. "A very difficult part in his life is ending, and he is looking forward to moving on," Goldberger said. Epstein, 56, pleaded guilty to pro- curing a minor for prostitution and so- Please see EPSTEIN, Page A6 Petters mansion sale may aid victims Businessman's trial on investor and tax fraud is set for Oct. 26; home sale proceeds to be put into receivership account. By DAVID ROGERS Dada News Stall Writer A construction crew working for the county Department of Environmental Resources constructs a temporary access road into the Intracoastal Waterway near Ibis Isle. Sand will be moved over muck to make a stable shallow area to plant red mangrove seeds and promote an environment for oysters and other sea life. Owe, s Photo by !elf le‘ I taNlia. Lagoon work to aid habitat j EFTA00260094 The Palm Beach B3St B FRIDAY, JANUARY 25, 2008 PalmBeachPost.com LOCAL Nearly 25 county building division workers laid off, 38 Two weekend events to close downtown West Palm streets, 48 Head of veterans charity accused of scamming donors Some contributors say their checks were altered By SUSAN R. MILLER Palm Beath Post Staff Writer The president of a 10-year- old Boynton Beach nonprofit is under investigation here and in Massachusetts for allegedly mis- leading donors and misappropri- ating hundreds of thousands of dollars meant for veterans, court records show. The allegations against Frank J. Cariello, 70, and the Veterans Charitable Foundation were sparked by complaints from do- nors in Massachusetts who had been solicited by telemarketers working for Cariello's char ity, which operates in about a dozen states. They are laid out in hundreds of pages from search warrants filed this week and last week in Palm Beach County Cir- cuit Court. Between October 2006 and November 2007, law enforcement officers interviewed more than two dozen people who told them they received phone calls from telemarketers claiming that the Veterans Charitable Foundation was affiliated with the Massa- chusetts chapter of the Paralyzed Veterans of America. ' More than a dozen people told investigators that they became suspicious after sending in their checks, only to find the recipi- ents' name had been changed. Investigators determined that Cariello altered and deposited at least 90 checks meant for the Paralyzed Veterans of America, according to records. The group has 34 chapters across the country. "We get two or three of these things a year, we cooperate with the local district attorney and we will do what they need us to do to put an end to it," the Paralyzed Veterans of America's spokesman, David Uchic, said Thursday from Washington. He said he was unaware of this par- ticular investjgation. Investigatolt determined that Cariello was depositing the money into checking accounts in Florida and either using it to pay See VETERANS, 7B ► ELECTION 2008 Cadallo Investigators say only 2 percent raised goes to cause. Governor on road to pitch Yes on 1 Crist says the amendment may be the last chance for meaningfid tax reform, but opposition is mounting. By DEANA POOLE and DON JORDAN Palm Beath Post Staff Writm Adding urgency to his property tax pitch. Gov. Charlie Crist said Thursday that Florid- ians "may never get another chance" to vote on property tax reform if they reject the pro- posed constitutional amendment. "If we don't pass meaningful tax reform with this measure, we may never get another chance." he said Thursday in Lauderdale- by-the-Sea. "Florida's families have suffered long enough: The governor's warning came during the first day of a two-day, six-city campaign swing just days before Tuesday's primary where 60 percent of voters must approve the four-part measure for it to pass. is mniintina EFTA00260095 The Palm Beach Post B IUESDAY, JULY 25, 2006 PalmEteac hPost.com RESEARCH IN FLORIDA Scripps, By KIMBERLY MILLER Paha Beach Pose ste Writer The Scripps Research In- stitute has signed its fourth working agreement with a Florida university, outlining a formal collaboration with sci- entists at Florida State Uni- versity. LOCAL Boy, 4, on life support after Sunday's chain- reaction crashes, 2B w c Man says he did not touch 11-year-old but saw who did, 3B FSU sign pact as brain trust expands The Tallahassee school announced the joint coopera- tion agreement Monday, say- ing it will reduce the time and paperwork formerly used to establish partnerships be- tween the biomedical re- search institute and FSU. It also makes it easier to file patents and share revenues from discoveries those part- nerships make. "The agreement specifies how intellectual property will be handled," said W. Ross El- lington, FSU's associate vice president for research. "Me ownership issues have to be discussed upfront" Scripps, which will be on Florida Atlantic University's Jupiter campus, previously signed working agreements with FAU, the University of Central Florida and the Uni- versity of Florida. FSU and Scripps scien- tists were working together on at least two projects before • the agreement. The results from one joint project involving FSU's Na- tional High Magnetic Field Laboratory were published this year m the journal Ana- lytical Oternistiy. Researchers in that experiment were able to better analyze how drugs bind to proteins, opening the door to improved medical treatments. 'The ultimate beneficia- ries of this collaborative rela- See SCRIPPS, 118 ► Water lovers charity strip makes splash The idea came — gently at first and then in waves of certainty — after a day on the Sebastian River. Why not? they mused over their polenta-tomato-eggplant dinner. Illy not? And that's when these ladies on a yoga-kayaking getaway decided, ab- solutely, this was the right thing to do. They'd take off their clothes and pose stylishly alongside their beloved water and then turn it into a 2007 cal- endar. One woman for each month, just like in the movie Calendar Girls. "there was a lot of giggling and laughing, but it was really quite a seri- ous conversation," says Ronda Cox, a Vero Beach kayaking outfitter who organized the trip back in May 2005. Yes, South Florida has its own Calendar Girls. There are a new mom and a grandmother from Vero Beach. The ages range from the mid-20s to late 60s, and some are more fit than others. Just like in real life. LE& MOTS Star Phoweaphe High and feeling mighty fit Common concern for ecosystem EFTA00260096 4. The Palm Beach Post B • MONDAY. MY 24.2006 PahnlInehPost.eom LOCAL Children without shots won't be allowed in school, officials say, 28 Schools' demand for speech therapists expected to grow, 6B 1,700 rally at 2 sites in solidarity with Israel Pnoto by SHMAON Otte Laureen Rabbe, who is from Jerusalem and is visiting her parents, wipes tears as she listens Sunday to speakers at a rally in West Palm Beach. She is scheduled to return to Israel Tuesday. Slosberg alleges ex-flack's flap on `payroll reflects green, as in envy In consultant-speak, the phrase "you should have had me on the payroll" isn't about money, veteran political/PR hired gun Barry Epstein says. \Then Epstein used those words in a recent e-mail to Democratic state Rep. trying Sloan, he says he wasn't complaining about missing out on consulting fees from Slosberg's lavish state Senate campaign. All he was saying, Epstein told the Polities column, was that Slosberg should have listened to his advice. Relations between former allies Slosberg and Epstein frayed Thursday when Epstein organized a news conference for a businessman who accused Slosberg of exaggerating his hurricane relief role last year. Slosberg dismissed the claims. Slosberg said Epstein was just being a sorehead because he hadn't tasted any of the more than $650,000 Slosberg has spent on his Democratic Senate primary race George Bennett Politics Gatherings condemn terrorism and express grief for loss of life in Israel and Lebanon. By NIRVi SHAH Palm Ika, Post 514 Writer From half a world away, Sharon Levin told Palm Beach County Jews Sunday about the terrifying wall of air raid sirens that has become common- place in northern Israel. The sirens are followed by an eerie silence, then the deafening boom of rockets, she said. Levin joined Jews across Palm Beach County Sunday as they demonstrated their support for Israel and their loathing for Hezbollah. In separate gatherings — one charged with condemnations of ter- rorists, the other with concern for Israeli residents — they rallied for a nation battling with Hezbollah to the north and llamas to the south. About 1,200 people gathered in sub- urban Boca Raton and another 500 in West Palm Beach to hear speeches, wave Israeli flags, offer donations and express their grief about the loss of life in Israel — and Lebanon. "We gather here to send a powerful and unified message. We condemn Hezbollah's unprovoked attack on Isra- el And we unconditionally support Israel in its fight against them," U.S. Rep. E. Clay Shaw, R-Fort Lauderdale, said at the event near Boca Raton. Peter Eckstein. who attended the West Palm Beach rally, said. "Whether I agree with specific policies or not has nothing to do with my support for Israel." His wife, Carol Safran, said, "I don't think there's anyone in this audience who doesn't want peace." The local rallies were organized not only to boost morale but also to raise money for humanitarian aid. Similar events have taken place in the past week in Washington D.C.; Det!oit St. Louis: Sacramento. Calif.; and West Hartford, Conn. On Sunday, other rallies took place in Cincinnati, Seattle and Naples. The Boca-area gathering, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of South Patin Beach County, included a parade of pol- iticians besides Shaw: state Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton; U.S. Rep. Alcee See RALLY, 6B ► EFTA00260097 Laureen Rabbe, who is from Jerusalem and is visiting her parents, wipes tears as she listens Sunday to speakers at a rally in West Palm Beach. She is scheduled to return to Israel Tuesday. + The Palm Beach Post B MONDAY, JULY 24, 2006 PahrtReachPost.com LOCAL Children without shots won't be allowed in school, officials say, 28 Schools' demand for speech therapists expected to grow, 68 1,700 rally at 2 sites in solidarity with Israel Gatherings condemn terrorism and express grief for loss of life in Israel and Lebanon. By NIRVI SHAH Palm Beads Post Sle Writer From half a world away, Sharon Levin told Palm Beach County Jews Sunday about the terrifying wail of air raid sirens that has become common- place in northern Israel. The sirens are followed by an eerie silence, then the deafening boom of rockets, she said. Levin joined Jews across Palm Beach. County Sunday as they demonstrated their support for Israel and their loathing for Hezbollah. In separate gatherings one charged with condemnations of ter- rorists, the other with concern for Israeli residents — they rallied for a nation battling with Hezbollah to the north and Hamas to the south. About 1200 people gathered in sub- urban Boca Raton and another 500 in West Palm Beach to hear speeches, wave Israeli flags, offer donations and express their gnef about the loss of life in Israel — and Lebanon. "We gather here to send a powerful and unified message. We condemn Hezbollah's unprovoked attack on Isra- el. And we unconditionally support Israel in its fight against them," U.S. Rep. E. Clay Shaw. R-Fort Lauderdale, said at the event near Boca Raton. ,Peter Eckstein, who attended the West Palm Beach rally, said. "Whether I agree with specific policies or not has nothing to do with my support for Israel." His wife; Carol Safran, said, "I don't think there's anyone in this audience who doesn't want peace." The local rallies were organized not only to boost morale but,also to raise money for humanitarian aid. Similar events have taken place in the past week in Washington D.C.; Detroit; St. Louis; Sacramento, Calif.; and West Hartford, Conn. On Sunday, other rallies took place in Cincinnati, Seattle and Naples. The Boca-area gathering, sponsored by the Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County, included a parade of pol- iticians besides Shaw: state Sen. Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton; U.S. Rep. Alcee See RALLY, 6B w Slosberg alleges ex-flack's flap on `payroll' reflects green, as in envy In consultant-speak, the phrase "you should have had me on the payroll" isn't about money, veteran political/PR hired gun Barry Epstein say& When Epstein used those words in a recent ernail to Democratic state Rep. Irving Slosberg, he says he wasn't complaining about missing out on consulting fees from Slosberg's lavish state Senate campaign. All he was saying, Epstein told the Polities column, was that Slosberg should have listened to his advice. Relations between former allies Slosberg and Epstein frayed Thursday when Epstein organized a news conference for a businessman who accused Slosberg of exaggerating his hurricane relief role last year. Slosberg dismissed the claims. Slosberg said Epstein was just being a sorehead because he hadn't tasted any of rho mnrn th,n cage NIA C.Inchprrr 1‘ c George Bennett PORI= • EFTA00260098 The Palm Beach Post WEDNESDAY JULY 26, 2006 PalmBeachPost.com LOCAL Family mourns 4-year-old boy who died from crash injuries, 3B C Lake Worth seeks neighborhood center for laborers to gather, 3B Biggest schools budget a mixed bag. The class-size amendment , makes its presence felt. By CHRISTINA DeNARDO Palm Beath Pact Sae Wraer For $3.5 billion, you could pay the salary of every baseball player in Major League Baseball —with more than $1 billion to spare. You could buy Pixar, the animation studio that produced Shrek. You could even make an offer on the National Hockey League. Or you could send more than 172,000 children to school in Palm Beach County. The public gets its first glimpse of the district budget today, at a public hearing at school board headquarters. Although, the $3.5 billion budget is the biggest ever, it's a mixed bag for teachers, students and taxpayers. Highlights of the S1.4 billion operating budget include: ■ Class size: A $41 million in- crease, to $144 million, to hire teachers to meet the state's class- size amendment • Teacher pay: $10 million to pay 5 percent bonuses to teachers based on student performance. ■ Retirement: $17.5 million more to the Florida Retirement System for employee benefits. ■ Reading programs: $1.4 mil- lion increase, from $5.9 million to $7.3 million. ■ Building costs: A $12.5 million increase for operating district build- ings, because of skyrocketing in- surance and energy costs. ■ Reading coaches: A decrease of $2.3 million for reading coaches in kindergarten through second grade. ■ Needy schools: Scrapping $3.5 million that was going to be spent for additional teachers in poor- and low-performing middle and high schools. And 54 teachers will be moved from under-performing schools to other schools, to reduce class sizes. • Teacher raises: A 4 percent across-the-board raise (or teachers. See SCHOOLS. 6B ► Frank Cerabino Boca makes cut but can't beat `down to earth' Every year Money magazine picks the best places to live in America, and I was prematurely chuffed over my podunk. Yes, that's right. Boca Raton came in at No. 30 on Money's Top 100 list. Boo-yah! The soy milk lattes are on me! But then I kept reading, which turned out to be a mistake. Boca wasn't the most desirable Flori- da city on the list. That honor went to . . . Coral Springs. Coral Springs? That souped-up Tama- rac along the edges of the Sawgrass Ex- pressway? Who wants to live in Coral Springs be- sides entomologists and people from Plan- tation? But it was true. Coral Springs came in at No. 27. And to make matters worse, the other two Florida cities among the top 100 places to live in America were Pembroke Pines and Miramar. They wouldn't even make my top 100 places to live in Broward County, MAkInts the trade Untie Glenne SA of 'Yoga changes not only the hardware of the body, it changes the software.' rh nnrl Intr *Pm Cun Itin 17 of MARK ELSNER, Yoga instructor GARY CORONADO/Surf Probtaphee EFTA00260099 + The Palm Beach Post B TUESDAY. JULY 25, 2006 PalmBeachPost.com LOCAL. Boy, 4, on life support after Sunday's chain- reaction crashes, 2B w c Man says he did not touch 11-year-old but saw who did, 3B RESEARCH IN FLORIDA Scripps, FSU sign pact as brain trust expands By KIMBERLY MILLER Palm Beads Post Star Writer The Scripps Research In- stitute has signed its fourth working agreement with a Florida university, outlining a formal collaboration with sci- entists at Florida State Uni- versity. The Tallahassee school announced the joint coopera- tion agreement Monday, say- ing it will reduce the time and paperwork formerly used to establish partnerships be- tween the biomedical re- search institute and FSU. It also makes it easier to file patents and share revenues from discoveries those part- nerships make. "The agreement specifies how intellectual property will be handled," said W. Ross El- lington, FSU's associate vice president for research. 'The ownership issues have to be discussed upfront." Scripps, which will be on Florida Atlantic University's Jupiter campus, previously signed working agreements with FAU, the University of Central Florida and the Uni- versity of Florida. FSU and Scripps scien- tists were working together on at least two projects before the agreement. The results from one joint project involving FSU's Na- tional High Magnetic Field Laboratory were published this year m the journal Ana- lytical Chemistry. Researchers in that experiment were able to better analyze how drugs bind to proteins, opening the door to improved medical treatments. "Me ultimate beneficia- ries of this collaborative rela- See SCRIPPS, 11B ► Emily J. Minor Water lovers' charity strip makes splash The idea came — gently at first and then in waves of certainty — after a day on the Sebastian River. Why not? they mused over their polenta-tomato-eggplant dinner. why not? And that's when these ladies on a yoga-kayaking getaway decided, ab- solutely, this was the right thing to do. They'd take off their clothes and pose stylishly alongside their beloved water and then turn it into a 2007 cal- endar. One woman for each month, just like in the movie Calendar Girls. "There was a lot of giggling and laughing, at it was really quite a seri- ous conversation," says Ronda Cox, a Vero Beach kayaking outfitter who organized the trip back in May 2005. Yes, South Florida has its own Calendar Girls. There are a new mom and a grandmother from Vero Beach. The ages range from the mid-20s to late 60s, and some are more fit than others. Just like in real life. Common concern for ecosystem But there's a single thread that UBBv VOlGYES/SLOI Pnototrwhei High and feeling mighty fit WEST PALM BEACH — 'When I swing, Itti free: says Perretta resident estimateshe sv,ingsthree to four houraa EFTA00260100 Palm Beach Daily News a Bea a e o THE SHINY SHEET THURSDAY-SATURDM, JULY 27-29, 2006 20 Pages 25 cents Investor facing felony sex charge Jeffrey Epstein's lawyer calls grand jury accusations false. By WILLIAM KELLY Daily News Staff Writer A billionaire investor and part-time Palm Beach resident has been indicted on a felony charge of solicitation of pros- titution after police say he had sex with underage girls whom he paid for massage sessions at his El Brillo Way home. A Palm Beach County grand jury found that Jeffrey E. Epstein, 53, "did so• licit, induce, entice or procure" prostitu- tion with girls, who were between 14 and 16 years old, on at least three occasions between Aug. 1, 2004, and Oct. 31. 2005. Epstein surren- dered at the Palm Beach County Jail Sunday and was re- leased on a $3,000 bond. His attorney, Jack Goldberger, said Wednesday the third- degree felony indictment is based on false accusations and that Epstein wasn't aware Epstein Part-time Palm Beacher says he was unaware the girls were minors. Please see FELONY, Page All Lake Worth PROPERTY OWNER SEEKS REDEVELOPMENT Daily News Photos by Jeffrey Langlots The owners of the Testa property on Royal Poinciana Way have filed paperwork toward the rezoning and redevelopment of the land that contains shops, a restaurant and a gas station. Highlights of the mixed-use plan include a new, larger restaurant, townhome-style condominium units and retail space. Testa's proposes `village' Application filed with the town seeks special zoning district, comprehensive plan amendment. By STEPHANIE MURPHY EFTA00260101 The Palm Beach Post B WEDNESDAY JULY 26, 2006 'almBeachPost.com LOCAL Family mourns 4-year-old boy who died from crash injuries, 38 Lake Worth seeks neighborhood center for laborers to gather, 3B Biggest schools budget a mixed bag The class-size amendment makes its presence felt. By CHRISTINA DeNARDO Palm Beath foal Ste Miler For $3.5 billion, you could pay the salary of every baseball player in Major League Baseball — with more than $1 billion to spare. You could buy Pixar, the animation studio that produced Shirk. You could even make an offer on the National Hockey League. Or you could send more than 172,000 children to school in Palm Beach County. The public gets its first glimpse of the district budget today, at a public hearing at school board headquarters. Although the $3.5 billion budget is the biggest ever, it's Rank Cerabino Boca makes cut but can't beat `down to earth' Every year Money magazine picks the best places to live in America, and I was prematurely chuffed over my podunk. Yes, that's right. Boca Raton came in at No. 30 on Money's Top 100 list. Boo-yah! The soy milk lanes are on me! But then I kept reading, which turned out to be a mistake. Boca wasn't the most desirable Flori- da city on the list. That honor went to .. . Coral Springs. Coral Springs? That souped-up Tama- rac along the edges of the Sawgrass Ex- pressway? Who wants to live in Coral Springs be- sides entomologists and people from Plan- tation? But it was true. Coral Springs came in at No. 27. And to make matters worse, the other two Florida cities among the top 100 places to live in America were Pembroke Pines and Miramar. They wouldn't even make my top 100 places to live in Broward County. Making the grade This is terrible for Boca. It's like find- out you've made some best-dressed a mixed bag for teachers, students and taxpayers. Highlights of the $1.4 billion operating budget include: • Class size: A $41 million in- crease, to $144 million, to hire teachers to meet the state's class- size amendment. • • Teacher pay: $10 million to pay 5 percent bonuses to teachers based on student performance. • Retirement: 517.5 million more to the Florida Retirement System for employee benefits. II Reading programs: $1.4 mil- lion increase, from S5.9 million to $7.3 million. IN Building costs: A 512.5 million increase for operating district build- ings, because of skyrocketing in- surance and energy costs. • Reading coaches: A decrease of $2.3 million for reading coaches in kindergarten through second grade. II Needy schools: Scrapping $3.5 million that was going to be spent for additional teachers in poor- and low-performing middle and high schools. And 54 teachers will be moved from under-performing schools to other schools, to reduce class sizes. • Teacher raises: A 4 percent across-the-board raise for teachers. See SCHOOLS. 6B ► 'Yoga changes not only the hardware of the body, it changes the software.' MARK r.NFP. `IY GARY CORONADO/Sul CIAttraPh“ Mark Eisner, 56, of Defray Beach and Jessica Simkins 27, of Boynton Beach. mainstays of the lecal yoga community. are going to the other side of Earth to teach. EFTA00260102 or lir AMOM * The Palm Beach Post B SATURDAY. JULY 29.2006 - - - - - - - PaknBeachPost.com Entity 1. Minor LOCAL American dream comes with rude awakening In September of 2003. as the summer heat was beginning to send out subtle hints of fall. Anika Hotness collected her life savings. The 30-year-old single mother was finally going to buy a house. "My mom helped because my credit was shaky," said Holtx-ss, who said she also dipped into her 401(k) retirement savings. "It was all the money we had." All told, it was $14,990 — a 10 percent down payment on a two- story townhouse in a development in Palm Springs called Estancia Palm Springs. Finally, she and her 8-year-old daughter, Ashler, would have their own rooms. And a patio with a yard! Occasionally, the Jamaican-born Hotness would drive by the con- struction site and imagine what she calls their "American dream." "I envisioned, finally, a home for my daughter," she said Friday. That was almost three years ago. Short closing a surprise Tuesday evening, rather out of the blue, her mother got an over- night packet. They had to close by Aug. 1, this Tuesday, or lose all the down payment money. "I can't get a loan by Tuesday," Hotness said. "I've had numerous loans through the years that I've had to let expire. It just seems im- moral" Yes, Anika Hotness, a young Linabout real estate hack then — ambitious, college grad — but na- BUSINESS FPL Group's profits rise 17 percent, despite utility'S SWIM losses. Inside this section, 8B 1515 Tower sale falls through The buyer can't raise the $56 million to buy all 119 units in the storm-damaged condo. By JANE MUSGRAVE Palm Bradt Prat Staff Writer WEST PALM BEACH — A deal that would have let owners of the 1515 Tower sell their hurricane- ravaged condominium, and move on with their lives collapsed Friday, leaving battle-weary residents an- gry at the would-be buyer and scared about their fi- nancial futures. 'There's a lot of ex- tremely distressed people." said Hani Riad, president of the board of the waterfront high-rise on South Flagler Drive. "I've had people call me and say their parents are nearly suicidal. People put a lot of hope into this offer being a saving event. It's hurt them financially, emotionally and physical- ly." It is the third time in a month that Palm Beach businessman Thanos Pa- palexis failed to make good on his promise to come up with $56 million to buy all 119 units of the building that has been vacant since it was pounded by hurricanes two years ago. While some residents speculated he is trying to drive the 30-story condo into foreclosure so he could pick it up cheaply, he in- sisted that isn't the case. In an e-mail to unit owners, he said his hoped-for bank loan didn't come through and he couldn't put togetle See TOWER, 68 ► Bye-bye preschool 1515's pinch •A $1.9 million payment is due Monday II Another $4.7 million must be paid at the end of September. MI An attorney says he hopes to secure an $8 million loan to avoid $60.000 assessments to each condo owner. Police say lawyer tried to discredit teenage girls By LARRY KELLER Palm Beath Past Staff Writt. Famed Harvard law professor Alan Dershowitz met with the Palm Beach County State Attorney's Office and pro- vided damaging information about teen- age girls who say they gave his client, Palm Beach billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. sexually charged massages, according to police reports. The reports also state that another Epstein attorney agreed to a plea bargain that would have allowed Epstein to have no criminal record. His current attorney de- nies this happened. And the documents also reveal that the father of at least one girl complained that private investigators aggressively fol- lowed his car, photographed his home and chased off visitors. Police also talked to somebody who said she was offered money if she refused to cooperate with the Palm Beach Police Department probe of Eo. EFTA00260103