AROUND TOWN
HOLIDAYS
Seven-hundred tons of sand will be delivered to the West Palm Beach waterfront starting Monday morning, as the city’s celebrated Sandi holiday tree takes shape, 10 to 12 truckloads at a time. Sandi’s story will unfold a little more this season, the city says. Since last year, Sandi has added to her family and “will introduce her new love to West Palm Beach” this year.
After the sand arrives, the sculpting begins, leading to a lighting ceremony during Clematis by Night on Nov. 30.
As for real trees ... The city advises that trees and other plant materials required by the landscape code that were severely damaged or killed during Hurricane Irma and had to be removed must be replaced within three months of removal. This applies to residential and nonresidential private property. If a tree had to be removed, another tree of the same or equivalent type must be replanted at a minimum size of 12 feet tall. If a palm was removed, another palm must be replanted, and if shrubs or hedges were damaged or removed, they must be replaced.
For tips on planting new trees, visit: http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/ care/planting/planting-and-establishing-trees.html.
For information on hurricane landscaping damage and replacement, contact Ray Caranci, Landscape Planner, Planning and Zoning Division at 561-822-1462, or rpcaranci@wpb.org.
The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center will host its annual Veterans Day Ceremony on Wednesday at 2 p.m. in Room 4B-292 on the fourth floor of the facility. The ceremony is part of a series of events being hosted in November as part of Veterans Month. The keynote speaker for this year’s event is U.S. Army combat veteran Dr. Norman Hooten. Hooten was a key member of Delta Squadron that was deployed to Somalia as part of Task Force Ranger in August 1993. His actions and those of his team from that day served as the basis of the movie “Black Hawk Down.”
The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center is at 7305 N. Military Trail.
BOATING
November is Manatee Awareness Month — a time to celebrate Florida’s iconic, marine mammal and create awareness of the challenges imperiled manatees face. Manatee watercraft-related injuries and deaths continue to rise. The boating public is urged to be on the alert for manatees. The boating community can download the free Manatee Alert App for iPhones and iPads at http://bit.ly/15EYen6, which notifies boaters when they are approaching manatee speed zones and helps facilitate the reporting of injured manatees and harassment. Check out the videos, tips, and resources for boaters at savethemanatee.org/boatertips.