Tri-County opens adoptions for 50 chihuahuas rescued from a hoarding case
Adoption applications are open for the Tennessee rescue dogs — plus Spanish River Beach is cleared for swimming again and free concerts are coming to Mizner Park.
Tri-County opens adoptions for 50 chihuahuas rescued from a hoarding case
The West Boca shelter is reviewing applications now, and the first adoptions could start within days — here's how to get in line.
The setup: Tri-County Animal Rescue on Boca Rio Road is now taking adoption applications for some of the 50 chihuahuas it pulled from a Tennessee hoarding case, according to TAPinto Boca Raton. The dogs arrived May 21 after shelter staff traveled to a property where roughly 140 dogs were kept by a woman who had developed dementia.
Zoom in: Some of the dogs are 10 or 11 years old and had never been outside the house — or held by a human — before rescuers showed up. Nearly every one has serious dental decay, with missing teeth or painful mouth infections, and they arrived covered in fleas. Staff and volunteers have been running oatmeal baths, warm meals, calming beds and around-the-clock attention to bring them back to health.
The read: This adoption window has a clock on it. Shelter officials said this week they expect the first adoptions to start as early as next week, applications are already under review, and individual meet-and-greets aren't being scheduled yet — so an early application is the move. The shelter is also asking for donations of cleaning supplies, dog beds and toys, plus volunteers willing to sit with the dogs. Apply at tricountyanimalrescue.org or call 561-482-8110; the shelter is at 21287 Boca Rio Road.
Spanish River Beach swim advisory lifted
The city cleared the beach for swimming June 4 after follow-up testing came back clean.
Update: Boca Raton lifted the Spanish River Beach swim advisory on June 4 after Florida Department of Health follow-up testing showed the water met safety standards. The advisory had been posted earlier in the week after elevated bacterial levels were found, but the city now says swimming is allowed again. The Florida Healthy Beaches site remains the place to check water-quality results before a beach day.
Record seaweed swamped Boca beaches in May — June looks worse
City crews are clearing sargassum every morning, but they only work to the high-tide line.
By the numbers: May set a record for sargassum washing up on area beaches, and researchers at the University of Florida College of Marine Science's Optical Oceanography Lab expect June to top it, per a monthly outlook released Sunday. The city laid out its response on a new webpage covered by TAPinto Boca Raton: parks crews clear trash and debris each morning — only after Gumbo Limbo Nature Center staff finish sunrise sea turtle nest counts — then a tractor rake buries the seaweed in passes along the sand. Crews stop at the last high-tide line, so expect buildup near the dunes all summer.
Café Aroma picks Boca for its first café — not Miami
The 60-year-old Cuban espresso brand opened its first brick-and-mortar shop at Two Town Center.
Café Aroma, the New Jersey-based Cuban espresso brand founded more than 60 years ago, opened its first brick-and-mortar café May 29 at Two Town Center, Suite 100, company officials announced in a release covered by TAPinto Boca Raton. Backstory: Founder Rogelio Montes De Oca, known as Roy, started by selling hand-roasted espresso door to door in New York City; his granddaughter, vice president Bernadette Gerrity, is leading the café push. The 440-square-foot space seats eight, channels Old Havana with vintage furnishings and black-and-white photography, includes a small mercadito stocked with Latin American packaged goods, and pours daily from 7:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Free concerts return to Mizner Park Amphitheater
Summer in the City opens with a Billy Joel tribute, with an Eagles tribute two weeks behind it.
The city's free Summer in the City concert series kicks off this month at Mizner Park Amphitheater, with Billy Joel tribute act Turnstiles playing June 12 from 7 to 11 p.m. and Eagles tribute The Long Run following June 26, according to the city calendar. The amphitheater is at 590 Plaza Real downtown.
Marlins set a Boca Raton Day at the ballpark
Discounted tickets are on sale now for a dedicated Boca section in August.
The city is selling discounted tickets for a special Boca Raton section when the Miami Marlins host the Washington Nationals on Sunday, Aug. 23, per a city alert. The promotion headlines the June City Connection alongside the city's summer events slate, so the cheap seats are live well before game day.
Hurricane season is open, and the city wants plans made now
The June City Connection leads with storm prep, and the city followed up with a direct reminder to residents.
The city published the June issue of its City Connection newsletter on myboca.us, leading with how to prepare for hurricane season. City officials followed this week with a direct reminder urging residents to make storm plans early rather than scrambling once a system forms. The same issue covers Miami Marlins Boca Raton Day, the city's second Blue Flag Beach Award and the Summer in the City events lineup.