South Florida Sun Sentinel from Fort Lauderdale, Florida • 23

PALM BEACi PALM BEAC i i Business PAGE 18B oca Florida 16 BULLETIN BOARD 4 OBITUARIES 16-17 WEATHER 26 Sun-Sentinelcom Get The Latest Breaking News SOUTH FLORIDA SUN-SENTINEL SATURDAY NOVEMBER 1 5 2 0 0 3 SECTION Youth center funding goes for vote up 4 if interest created by McKoy's ties to the organization. McKoy, who was its vice president, abstained from voting on the money. His wife, Stephanie Mingo McKoy, is the agency president. At the time, commissioners Ron Weiland and Mike Ferguson called for an independent audit of the center, which offers academic assistance and job-skills training to city youths, because it had conflicting 2001 tax returns on file with the IRS and the city. The commission deadlocked 2-2 on authorizing the audit, so it was never done.

A city Finance Department re- BOYNTON CONTINUES ON 2B Way cleared for delayed $7,500 grant BYBETHP.KRANE STAFF WRITER BOYNTON BEACH One of the new City Commission's first jobs Tuesday night is approving a long-delayed $7,500 federal grant for the Juvenile Transition Center, a nonprofit group run by Commissioner Carl McKoy's wife. In January, the commission deadlocked 2-2 on awarding the center 1 1 ,500 in city and federal grant money amid concerns about possible financial discrepancies and the potential conflict of si i i. ill iMftin IN COURT: Jay Steven Levin, who lives west of Boca Raton, looks at his attorney Bo Hitchcock as Levin makes his first appearance in court Friday. Levin is charged with manslaughter in the shooting of Mark Drewes. Pool photoLannis Waters Handpicked for Boca en Beigiraoor raider house arrest West Boca man charged in shooting leaves jail single charge Levin faces manslaughter with a firearm in Mark Drewes' death, setting in motion the criminal case against the 40-year-old west Boca Raton man.

Levin's first court appearance on Friday morning came less than 12 hours after he turned himself in at DREWES CONTINUES ON 2B BY JON BURSTEIN STAFF WRITER The clean-cut tax accountant stood out in his short-sleeved collared shirt and slacks as he filed into the room with other criminal defendants all clad in the Palm Beach County Jail's standard-issue blue jumpsuits. Before he was able to set- ney and before the judge as the grief-stricken parents of the 1 6-year-old boy he fatally shot watched. Palm Beach County Court Judge Sheree Cunningham then read out the tie in his seat in the secured waiting room, Jay Steven Levin was called by a judge, and a sheriff's deputy guided him out the door into the adjoining courtroom. He went to stand by his attor i. "V' Keller faces suit in wife's lolling i his son to lose his mother and to have the knowledge that his father murdered his mother." Rose Keller's sister, Angelika Emory, on Friday was appointed the temporary guardian of the couple's 8-year-old son.

She spoke briefly to reporters outside the courtroom. She said the boy doesn't fully understand what has happened, that his mother is dead. She said he is a wonderful boy and easy to care for. He will receive psychological counsel- MILLIONAIRE CONTINUES ON 2B Millionaire asks court to halt divorce deal By Peter Franceschina STAFF WRITER Attorneys for a Palm Beach woman allegedly shot to death by her husband in the midst of a divorce filed a wrongful-death lawsuit on Friday, and the husband's attorneys asked an appeals court to block a judge from enforcing a split of the couple's tens of millions of dollars in assets. The wrongful-death lawsuit alleges Fred Keller, 69, a wealthy land investor who is charged with first-degree murder, killed Rose Marie Keller, 34, on Monday morning to prevent her from collecting under a Oct.

30 divorce judgment. "His actions were that of a depraved person and were done from ill will, hatred, spite, evil intent and for the purpose of financial gain," the suit says. "The defendant caused ON DISPLAY: Internationally acclaimed artist Romero Britto is showing five of his sculptures at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. This piece, titled The Big Apple, is in the museum's sculpture garden. STORY, 3B.

Staff photoNicholas R. on Staden Fred Keller's attorneys are trying to stop the divorce settlement made before his wife's death. AARONSON KNOWS HOW TO FLEX HIS POLITICAL MUSCLE i who is so far unopposed for his own re-election next year, has never gotten this involved in another political campaign. "The State Attorney's Office is suffering the consequences of not having the best possible person leading the agency," he said. "We see it in the quality of the cases coming into the office." Bieluch's spokeswoman, Diana Carhart, disputed that "We work with the State Attorney's Office and their attorneys all the time on cases," she said.

"I really don't know of any problems." And she jabbed back, wondering if Edmondson was speaking on behalf of the State Attorneys Office or the Bradshaw campaign. the county including current West Palm Beach Mayor Lois Frankel, a Democrat, and former Mayor Nancy Graham, a Republican. Bradshaw is going after votes in Eggleston's south county base. Already working as Bradshaw's south-county coordinator is Lesley Shriberg, the plugged-in former Klein aide. Bradshaw also enjoys the increasingly public support of State Attorney Barry Krischer.

Next year, Krischer's executive assistant, Michael Edmondson, is taking a leave of absence to manage Bradshaw's campaign. (Edmondson could start by jazzing up Bradshaw's campaign theme of "reassessment, realignment and restructuring," which sounds more like a Dilbert cartoon than a political rallying cry.) Edmondson said Krischer, By starting to roll out endorsements nine months before the August primary, Bradshaw wants to create a bandwagon effect and convince even more people to join his effort especially the kind of people who can write contribution checks. It seems like a good strategy, especially now. Given the fund-raising lead he and candidate Ken Eggleston enjoy, they could have been considered the frontrunners and the most likely to make it through the primary to a two-person runoff next November. That changed with incumbent Sheriff Ed Bieludi's decision to seek re-election after first announcing he'd quit after one term.

With Bieluch back in the race and Eggleston No. 1 in money, Bradshaw is trying something different. Bradshaw has major supporters in the central part of Marvin Manning of the Century Village West Democratic Club and Harold Ostrow of the Voters Coalition. Presidents were there too: Sandy Green berg of the Coalition of Boynton West Residential Associations, Sheri Scarborough of the West Boca Community Council and Bob Schulbaum of the Alliance of Delray Residential Associations. Missing from the event but endorsing Aaronson's reelection is his closest commission ally, Republican Commissioner Tony Masilotti.

Another notable at i Aaronson's kickoff was Andy Scott, the Boca Raton police chief. His city is represented by Republican Commissioner Mary McCarty. Aaronson and McCarty are bitter enemies, and Aaronson worked against her re-election last year. County Commissioner Burt Aaronson reminded the world just how big a heavyweight he is in south Palm Beach County. This week's campaign -f kickoff was designed to showcase his overwhelming support in the face of a Democratic primary challenge from former state Rep.

Suzanne Jacobs for the commission district west of Boca Raton, Delray Beach and Boynton Beach. Emceeing the event was Senate Minority Leader Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton. Introducing Aaronson was U.S. Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Boca Raton.

And the hall was filled with his district's most important political-club leaders and the current and past presidents of the major homeowners groups. There were dozens, including Murray Kalish of the United South County Democratic Club, ANTHONY MAN COMMENTARY Imagine what happens when Scott wants a favor from McCarty. "She'll understand my position," Scott said. He'd better hope so. You can bet she won't forget.

CHIEF SUPPORTERS It would be big news if the county's police chiefs didn't support one of their own running for sheriff Still, West Palm Beach Chief Ric Bradshaw played up this week's endorsements from a dozen colleagues. Anthony Man can be reached at amansun-sentinelcom or 561-832-2905. a.