PLAN AHEAD FOR 2008 at the KRAVIS CENTER

Joffrey Ballet (Dreyfoos Hall, Jan. 17 at 7 p.m., $25 to $75): Here's a program, billed as "Cool Vibrations," that will appeal to ballet buffs and pop fans alike. The famed American dance company, which fuses modern, classical and jazz idioms, performs works set to music by the Beach Boys, Prince and Motown greats.

Monterey Jazz Festival 50th Anniversary Tour (Dreyfoos Hall, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m., $15 to $100): This legendary jazz event is celebrated with a program featuring some of the top artists associated with it, including trumpeter Terence Blanchard (composer of numerous film scores), reed master James Moody (a veteran of Dizzy Gillespie's band) and vocalist Nnenna Freelon (a six-time Grammy nominee).

Israel Philharmonic Orchestra: Tribute to Leonard Bernstein (Dreyfoos Hall, Feb. 13 at 8 p.m., $25 to $130). The great American composer and conductor is remembered with a program featuring selections from his Broadway musicals "Candide," "On the Town" and "Wonderful Town." Jamie Bernstein (Leonard's daughter) weaves the evening together with personal commentary. Michael Barrett conducts.

k.d. lang (Dreyfoos Hall, March 1 at 8 p.m., $25 to 100). She's sung it all — country, pop, torch songs. Now, the Canadian crooner makes her Kravis debut.

Martin Short (Dreyfoos Hall, March 18 at 8 p.m., $15 to $100): You may know him as Ed Grimley, the ultimate geek. Or as Jiminy Glick, the clueless boob of a talk-show host. Or as songman Irving Cohen ("Give me a C?a bouncing C"). But whatever character comic Martin Short plays, he's sure to make you laugh.

THIS COULD BE A BREAK FOR HOMEOWNERS…

The Florida Board of Administration is meeting to discuss options to be sure that, in case of a hurricane, there will be funds to cover losses, and are considering a $5-BB loan for the Hurricane Catastrophe Fund, which currently has about $5-BB on hand from private insurers paid premiums and money borrowed last year still left over. Members of the Board include Governor Charlie Crist and the Attorney General and CFO. CFO Alex Sink liked the borrowing option and said that interest income might cover interest that would be paid. They are developing a proposal to allow their staff to negotiate to borrow funds.

The Catastrophe Fund pays claims above what private insurance companies must pay in the event a further need develops. To reduce the cost of private wind coverage for Florida homeowners, lawmakers expanded the “Cat Fund” this year so the state would pay the difference.

FAR “PUTS MONEY WHERE ITS MOUTH IS” RE PROPERTY TAX REFORM BALLOT

The Florida Association of Realtors, the largest trade group in the state, with 150,000 members, has pledged up to $1-MM to support passage of the Save Our Homes Amendment to allow homeowners to continue the 1992 Amendment for a 3% tax cap or to choose a new “super-homestead” exemption, taking up to $195,000 off their home’s taxable value. Passage of this amendment will provide meaningful tax relief for thousands of families including 1^st time homebuyers, and will equalize neighbor’s property taxes, says the FAR President Nancy Riley. She stated that then nurses, police officers, teachers and emergency first responders can afford to live in the communities they serve.

YAMATO TO BE WIDENED

One lane in each direction will be widened from west of Cain Boulevard to SR 7 (441), up to the eastern point where there is a median with work beginning in November and will take 5 months. Cost will be $1.1-MM.

BRCH has opened a satellite location of the Diagnostic Center of Boca Raton BRCH on the Clint Moore campus, Suite 114, at 1905 Clint Moore Road, offering state-of-the-art digital technology for breast screenings with hours from Monday-Friday, 8 am to 4 pm. Other locations are at the Women’s Center at BRCH, 690 Meadows Road and Women’s Center at Deerfield, 1979 W Hillsboro Boulevard, Suite3, Deerfield Beach.. Screening appointments are now available – call 561-955-5000.

From the BOCA NEWS, Friday-Saturday, July 13-14

Girls 12 and under national clay court tournament starts Sunday at Boca Polo Club. For 20 years, girls from all over the country have descended on the Polo Club at Boca Raton for the USTA Girls National 12 and under Clay Court Championships. This year’s tournament begins Sunday with singles matches at 8 a.m. Doubles follow at 2 p.m. Opening ceremonies are Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on Court 11.

“We’re very excited,” Polo Club Tennis Director Jean Mills said. “You’ll see the future Chris Everts and Lindsay Davenports at the event.” Madison Keys, Jennifer E. Brady and Julia O'Loughlin are he only competitors from Boca Raton.

The format is a compass draw, which assures each participant a minimum of four matches before the knockout stage begins Wednesday.The finals are scheduled to start at 8 a.m. on Saturday, July 21.

Mills said the reason the USTA has had such a long and continuous relationship with the Polo Club is easy to pinpoint. “We both have in common that we want to help our future stars and players of tomorrow,” she said.

BOCA MUSEUM PLANS EXHIBIT OF DEGAS SCULPTURES

While a Jacksonville art gallery owner claims the 74 sculptures are “fakes,” made after Degas’ death in 1917, the Museum’s Board of Trustees discounts the art gallery owner’s opinion, noting the goal might be “to get his name in the newspaper.” Museums currently displaying all or portions of the Degas bronzes include the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Getty Museum in Los Angeles and the Chicago Institute of Art in Chicago. The National Endowment for the Humanities has underwritten some of the insurance expenses for the upcoming show. The museum’s website says that the exhibit, DEGAS IN BRONZE, “offers an extremely rate opportunity to view 74 sculptures, posthumously cast in bronze from Degas’ original composite and wax models.”

IN MY HUMBLE OPINION…

With reports just in that New York City and Salt Lake City are avoiding “the [real estate] bust,” can Palm Beach County be far behind? Some investors tell me they are “sitting on the sidelines” waiting for prices to keep dropping… other investors want to “sell and get out now,” but in many cases sellers are “standing pat.” Expired listings number near or over 500 properties each day. Some sellers cancel listings after getting low low bids. Remember that June and July are usually “slow months” with so many residents and part-timers out of town. August has been an outstanding month for sales in past years as folks come down to purchase residences for this coming winter… perhaps that will happen in 2007 as well. As a Realtor, I can tell you that every day in this career is exciting… new faces… new properties… no two ever alike. Like the stock market, real estate is cyclical… and what goes down will go up… just a matter of time. Stay cool. Hang in there.

Marilyn Farber Jacobs, Realtor, ePRO

IF YOU "FLIP" HOMES, THIS MAY BE OF INTEREST

A nationwide search is being done for the new cast of characters who will be featured on the upcoming season of Flip This House! The producers are searching for confident, charismatic, motivated and opinionated people who "flip" residential properties for a living. They want real-estate adrenaline junkies who love the high risk, high reward nature of their jobs and who are devoted to doing a great job! If you would like your team featured on the upcoming season send me an email and I’ll have them contact you. marilynfjacobs@gmail.com

SPANISH RIVER LIBRARY DEBUT SCHEDULED FOR JANUARY 2008

After more than a year’s hiatus, construction has restarted. Once completed it will have a café, two terraces, computer lab, teen meeting room and story area for children. Computers have been purchased. The planned downtown library on the NW 2^nd Avenue site is in the pre-design state, and it’s future depends on how tax reform impacts the city. This library will be adjacent to a new development, Library Commons.