Page 21 - Southern Exposure- April '24

Southern Exposure, Page 21

Section B

SCholArShip NEwS

Hanley Foundation Hosts Sold-Out Crowd

For 19th Palm Beach Dinner

More Than $500K Raised To Benefit Lifesaver Scholarship Program

Hanley Foundation held its 19th Annual Palm Beach Dinner
on Feb. 15 at the Sailfish Club in Palm Beach. Chip James and
Elizabeth Matthews served as event chairpersons, welcoming
a sold-out crowd of more than 300 guests in support of Hanley
Foundation’s 40-year anniversary of saving lives.
Notable attendees included Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who has
demonstrated his unwavering support of Hanley Foundation’s
mission to eliminate addiction, and State Attorney for Palm
Beach County Dave Aronberg, a longtime crusader of safe and
effective recovery initiatives.
The 19th Annual Palm Beach Dinner raised more than
$500,000 for Hanley Foundation’s Lifesaver Scholarship
Program, which provides financial scholarships to individuals
who otherwise would not be able to afford treatment.
A highlight of the evening, Hanley Foundation announced
a $1 million gift from the Stacy and Keith Palagye Foundation
for Hanley’s Mothers and Babies Program, which is an element Angela Sullivan, Jeanne Lyanne Azqueta and Lian
of their Campaign for Recovery, designed to help pregnant Andlinger Fanjul de Azqueta
women struggling with addiction.
“This event allowed us to commemorate the four Denise Hanley, Liza Calhoun, Inger Anderson Scholarship News on page 22

NorthErN NotES

Streets, Swales And Stormwater Management

By Katie Roundtree, Director of Finance and Administration, Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District

Streets and swales are Swales
essential components of Chances are, if you’ve lived in South Florida long enough,
the Northern Palm Beach you’ve heard at least one person use the word swale. Swales
County Improvement are engineered grassy areas of land that appear as a linear,
District’s stormwater shallow, open channel that stretches from the edge of the
managem ent system. sidewalk in front of homes (or the property line if there is
The different parts of the no sidewalk) to the edge of the street. Swales are typically
roadway system help convey vegetated with flood-tolerant, erosion-resistant plants. They
stormwater to its ultimate are one of the most commonly used stormwater practices
location. Storm sewers are to direct runoff from rural highways and residential streets.
located below the street and Today, swales help filter runoff and reduce pollutants.
convey water through pipes During heavy rain, when water flows from the streets A swale slows down the rapid flow of stormwater runoff
to lakes or preserves. Ditches or swales are located along into the lakes, the water level in the neighborhood lake by ponding water between its sloping sides, often called
the street and trap stormwater for water quality purposes. may appear to rise quickly, but it’s unlikely to last. If berms. Ponding slows the flow rate and allows pollutants
Finally, the roadway itself conveys stormwater to designated the system in your neighborhood works correctly, levels to settle out of the water. Ponding facilitates water quality
locations. Understanding the basics of how streets and will return to normal soon after the rain stops. A more improvements through infiltration, filtration and sedimentary
swales convey stormwater is crucial in identifying potential widespread and longer-lasting rain event will require more deposition. Collected stormwater must drain through the soil
problems. time for local, secondary and regional systems to absorb within several hours or days. When the swale becomes full,
Streets the excess water. the cleaner surface water will spill over the berm and slowly
Did you know that in very heavy rains, some water Blockages can sometimes occur, causing undesired run into a local water body. Eventually, the remaining ponded
standing in streets or swales is part of the flood control design flooding conditions and making roads impassable. Many water evaporates or infiltrates the soil.
plan and is expected? Streets are designed and built with curbs stormwater blockages in streets happen because of Here Are Some Ways To Maintain Proper Swales
and gutters along the street and storm sewers underneath the clogged storm sewer inlets. Residents are asked to keep • Let water pond. Runoff should temporarily pond in the
pavement. These curbs and gutters direct stormwater from the the inlet in the street adjacent to their home clear of all swale for 24 to 36 hours, sometimes even up to 72 hours.
pavement into the storm sewers. Storm sewers collect water obstructions, including leaves, grass and debris. Debris • Mow the swale but keep good grass growth. Tall grass
from the roadway and connect to other drainage systems, at storm sewer inlets also builds up after a storm event, slows water movement.
which collect water from yards and subdivisions, transporting making it an excellent time to check the inlet and ensure
the stormwater to lakes, canals, and other outlets. the system works well during the next storm. Northern Notes on page 23