Love this picture? We do too! It was taken at Boca Raton Racquet Center. #LoveBocaRaton

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New Brightline/Virgin Train Station May Be Coming to Boca Raton After Boca Raton expressed an interest in having a Brightline (soon to be Virgin Trains USA-VTUSA) station near downtown, VTUSA representatives confirmed that they would like to deliver train service to Boca Raton in the near future. In a July 19 letter to Mayor Scott Singer, VTUSA indicated that Boca Raton was one of the cities that it had carefully studied, and that the company would like to work with the City to finalize an agreement that would deliver train service to Boca Raton. As a first step, VTUSA laid out what it was willing to commit to the project and what it would like the City to provide. Read more details on our website.

Are You Ready for Back to School? Sales Tax Holiday, School Safety, fun events and more! The 2019-20 school year for Palm Beach County schools begins on Monday, August 12. Here's everything you need to know to prepare for the coming school year: Listen and learn about the safety measures Boca Raton Police Services takes to ensure school students' well-being, listen to last year's Back to School Safety episode of our Boca Behind the Scenes podcast. Take advantage of the Back to School Sales Tax Holiday August 2 - 6, 2019 when purchasing your school supplies. Visit the Florida Dept. of Revenue's website for details. O5-C School - The temporary school for Verde Elementary students while the new K-8 school is built is ready to go. Check out WPTV for a glimpse at what the school site is like. Enjoy Back to School events like Sugar Sand Park's 8th Annual Back to School Splash and Patch Reef Park's Pirates and Princesses Party. Learn more in our Top Things to Do and Know.

Boca Raton Recognized as one of the Best Cities for Veteran-Friendly Colleges The American Council on Education estimates 1.5 million U.S. veterans will be transitioning to the civilian workforce over the next three-to-five years. Providing the best college education that provides support and resources for veterans to transition from the military to civilian life is crucial in their success.  The City of Boca Raton is home to three colleges that are recognized as some of the best in the nation for veterans and military members seeking a high-quality and vet-friendly education. College Factual, a free website that helps students find their best college fit by analyzing and reporting on thousands of data points, named the City in their 2019 Best Colleges for Veterans rankings. Thank you to Palm Beach State College, Florida Atlantic University and Lynn University. Read more on Our Boca blog.

School Return Dates Palm Beach County Schools - August 12 Florida Atlantic University - August 17 Palm Beach State College- August 22 Lynn University - August 26

PARKS & RECREATION UPDATES

Gumbo Limbo Boardwalk Now Open Escape the hustle and bustle of the city and enjoy a shaded walk through the hammock and along the intracoastal waterway. The newly constructed phases now complete the elevated 1/2 mile loop. The boardwalk offers visitors a unique opportunity to explore the maritime coastal hammock forest. Open 7am until sunset every day. Learn more about the Boardwalk...

Aerial Progress Update for Hillsboro El Rio Park, Phase 2 Phase 2 of the park is coming along. View the new video with a bird's eye view! Located on 18th Street, just west of Dixie Highway, the new park will feature basketball, pickleball, volleyball and tennis courts. There will also be a soft launch for kayaks, canoes & paddleboards. Read more about the amenities on our website.

City Seeking Information on Golf Course Design A Request For Information has been developed by the City to receive submissions on proposed design and re-construction of an 18-hole golf course on the site of the former Ocean Breeze Golf Course in Boca Raton. Submission deadline is August 22. Visit our website for more information.

Help Recreate & Redesign Recreation in Boca Raton Because parks don't grow on trees The City of Boca Raton and the Greater Boca Raton Beach & Park District invite you to participate in the Recreation Needs Assessment campaign by sharing your ideas, suggestions and comments. Be a part of planning recreation in Boca Raton! Visit BocaReCreates.com and scroll down to the "Your Comments" section to provide feedback. (Online survey coming soon!)

Jump-start Your Career with a Paid City Internship Whether you're looking for an internship to start your career or looking to take your career up a level, we currently have 47 open positions that could be a perfect fit for you. View our opportunities and apply online.

Left to Right: Ella Moore Poitier, Linda Davidson, Sharon McGuire

City Wins Distinguished Budget Presentation Award... Again! Congratulations to the Office of Management and Budget for being awarded the 2018 Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association. This award is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting and represents a significant achievement by the City. Boca Raton is one of four agencies that have received the award since the program started 36 years ago.

City Looks Forward with Sustainability Action Plan At the July 22 City Council Workshop, the City's Sustainability Manager, Lindsey Nieratka, presented an overview of the Sustainability Action Plan (SAP). The SAP sets out preliminary goals to direct the Office of Sustainability and to guide sustainability efforts across City departments. The plan sets goals, targets and actions within seven main focus areas: 1) resources use (electricity and water), 2) waste, 3) natural environment, 4) built environment, 5) transportation, 6) climate resiliency and 7) government. View the Action Plan or watch Overview Presentation at the City Council Workshop.

Each month we bring you a curated list of the Top Things to Do & Know in Boca Raton. There's a lot going on this August -- some great family events like Back to School Splash and Pirates & Princesses provide fun and games, while adults can sign up for Police Services' SAFE Program, teaching self-defense and personal safety to teenage and adult women.  View our top picks...

This August... Aug 26 - CRA / City Council Workshop Aug 27 - City Council Regular Meeting NOTE: There will be one CRA and City Council Meeting for August. Regular schedules will resume in September.

Save the Date

Labor Day - Monday, September 2 Friendly reminder that in observance of the holiday, City offices will be closed and there will be NO Sanitation Service on Monday, September 2 for Areas 1-4. Residents living in Area 5 should contact Waste Management for schedule changes. Visit our website for more information.

Why the Face? Take your best City Hall Selfie City Hall Selfie Day (August 15) is all about local government pride. Help us celebrate and show pride in Boca Raton. Stop by City Hall or any City facility, snap a pic and post to social media using the hashtags #CityHallSelfie and #LoveBocaRaton so we can find them.

Hurricane Season Reminders Did you know that each City fire station is equipped with a weather system on the roof to record wind speeds? City officials monitor the wind speeds around the City during a storm and you can too with this dashboard. Pick up a FREE hurricane magnet featuring important phone numbers at City facilities beginning Tuesday, August 6.

Stay Connected with the City and Boca Police

Inside the Shell: Check out the 2019 Sea Turtle Nesting Totals Leatherback: 18 (2018: 18) Loggerhead: 880 (2018: 686) Green: 322 (2018: 19) Sea turtle nesting season in South Florida is March 1 - October 31 each year. Learn more at Gumbo Limbo.

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City of Boca Raton 201 West Palmetto Park Road Boca Raton, FL 33432 (561) 393-7700

www.MyBoca.us