JFK Medical Center appeals Delray's no on a West Atlantic ER
Also: Johnnie-O on Atlantic Avenue, the golf club's reopening target and two nights of art and music
Some High Point homes sit within 300 feet of the West Atlantic Avenue lot where JFK Medical Center wants a 24-hour emergency room. Commissioners said no in May, and the hospital has appealed.
JFK Medical Center spent $7.1 million on a vacant 2-acre parcel at 3921 W. Atlantic Ave. Now it is appealing the city's refusal to let it build a proposed 10,860-square-foot emergency room there. Commissioners voted no unanimously in May, citing the effect on High Point, a 55-plus community of nearly 2,000 residences. Neighbors raised ambulance traffic, sirens and late-night activity at an ER that must stay open around the clock.
A mediation hearing is set for Nov. 12. If it fails, a special magistrate will decide whether the denial was proper. JFK's appeal cites a 6-0 Planning and Zoning Board recommendation in March, made after design changes. The Alliance of Delray Residential Associations and Delray Medical Center oppose the project.
Johnnie-O plans an Atlantic Avenue store
Johnnie-O got its start in 2005 with a single golf shirt: a four-button design with a pocket. Founder John O'Donnell is a former UCLA golfer from Chicago. The brand now offers lines for men, women and boys in a signature style it calls West Coast Prep, from polos and quarter-zips to outerwear, footwear and accessories.
Its next Florida store is planned for 321 E. Atlantic Ave. The brand's directory lists the downtown spot as coming soon, but no opening date has been announced. Current Florida stores include West Palm Beach, Naples, Watersound and Miramar Beach.
Delray Beach Golf Club plans to reopen in February 2027
Donald Ross drew up an 18-hole plan for the city's municipal course in 1925, two years after Delray bought 150 acres for it. Nine holes opened on Jan. 1, 1926, but Ross's second nine was never built. Former course manager Dick Wilson later laid out a back nine, which opened in February 1950.
The city sold the course in 1958, and in 1966 it hosted an LPGA event, the Louise Suggs Delray Beach Invitational, won by Marilyn Smith. Delray bought the 18 holes back in 1978.
Today the course is closed for renovations. The club says it is scheduled to reopen in February 2027 and has not named a specific day.
Casale vs. Carney: Delray's 2027 mayor's race takes shape
Commissioner Juli Casale is challenging Mayor Tom Carney in Delray's city election set for March 9, 2027. The town's two anonymous political newsletters, the Delray Gazette and the Delray Guzzette, each sketched the race on Oct. 25, hours apart and from opposite corners. Neither lists who writes or publishes it.
Their early fields match. In Seat 1, Commissioner Tom Markert faces Jim Chard. Casale's open Seat 3 has two filings so far: Nick Coppola and Gregory Snyder. Both newsletters say more candidates could join before qualifying ends in late November.
The Gazette went after the money. It said Ocean Properties owners and affiliates gave Carney more than $10,000, his most notable contributions, and claimed the company backed his opponent last time. Police and fire unions, it added, backed Coppola before he had qualified.
The Guzzette answered that Carney's donations were legal and on the public record. It wants the race fought over taxes instead. In its telling, Casale pushed for a higher millage to grow city reserves, while Carney voted no. The commission set the 2026-27 tax rate at 6.3790 mills on Sept. 22, but the city's announcement did not list how each member voted.
First Friday Art Walk keeps Arts Warehouse open late
- When
- Friday, Nov. 6, 2026 · 6 to 9 p.m.
- Where
- Arts Warehouse
- Address
- 313 NE 3rd Street, Delray Beach, FL 33444
- Price
- Free admission
Arts Warehouse stays open late on Friday, Nov. 6, from 6 to 9 p.m., for First Friday Art Walk. The front gallery shows Endings to Beginnings, a group exhibition by the resident artists. In the east gallery, Interstitial showcases FAU MFA candidates. Visitors can also wander two floors of artist studios.
Admission is free, and the night is family friendly. Beer and wine run $6 during a happy hour that lasts the full evening. No RSVP is needed.
The Ladies of Simone bring Nina Simone's songbook back to Arts Garage
- When
- Saturday, Nov. 7, 2026 · 8 p.m.
- Where
- Arts Garage
- Price
- $56.50 to $61.50
Returning by popular demand, The Ladies of Simone take the Arts Garage stage on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. The show celebrates Nina Simone, the American icon the venue calls the Empress of Soul. On the program are classics such as "I Loves You Porgy" and "The Look of Love." Tickets run $56.50 to $61.50.