ROYAL PALM THE MAGAZINE – November/December 2022

Plus Village Of RPB & Feeding South Florida

executive editor Joshua I. Manning publisher Dawn Rivera

senior graphic designer Stephanie Rodriguez graphic designers

Nancy Pobiak Yolanda Cernicky account managers

Betty Buglio

Evie Edwards Joetta Palumbo

bookkeeping Jill Kaskel Carol Lieberman photography Abner Pedraza contributors

Meredith Burow Erin Davisson Denise Fleischman Melanie Kopacz Mike May Callie Sharkey Deborah Welky

ROYAL PALM

12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 33 Wellington, FL 33414 Phone: (561) 793-7606 Fax: (561) 793-1470 www.royalpalmthemagazine.com published by Royal Palm The Magazine Inc. chairman/ceo Barry S. Manning

Royal Palm The Magazine is published six times a year in Royal Palm Beach, Florida. Copyright 2022, all rights reserved by Royal Palm The Magazine Inc. Contents may not be reproduced in any form without the written con sent of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising. The publisher accepts no responsibil ity for advertisement errors beyond the cost of the por tion of the advertisement occupied by the error within the advertisement itself. The publisher accepts no respon sibility for submitted materials. All submitted materials subject to editing.

Features

SAVING THE LIVES OF LOCAL PETS

Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue in Royal Palm Beach helps provide dogs and cats with foster care services and lots of love. Led by President Peter Torres, this local nonprofit has been providing foster care services for animals in need since 2012. BY MIKE MAY

SERVING THE COMMUNITY IN BUSINESS AND IN LIFE

from the publisher

This issue, we look back on the amazing effort it took to make the Village of Royal Palm Beach’s two-year food distribution effort at Commons Park such a success. Working with the regional nonprofit Feed ing South Florida, village staff members turned out with a trove of community volunteers every week for years, to make sure that local residents had the food they need during the depths of the pandemic.

Keith Jordano of the Jordano Insurance Group is there to help, particularly during open enrollment time. Jordano prides himself on customer service, which continues long after the sale. BY DEBORAH

Departments

WELKY

ROYAL PALM BUSINESS

At ESK Golf Carts, a family hobby evolved into a successful business for the Orozco family. BY MIKE MAY

ROYAL PALM HEALTH

The new Premier Women’s Health Center offers the latest technology in a spa-like setting. BY MIKE MAY

ROYAL PALM TABLE

Popular Bimini Twist restaurant on Okeechobee Blvd. has been a fine dining favorite for two decades. BY MELANIE KOPACZ

ROYAL PALM TODAY

The food distribution program in RPB comes to an end after more than two years. BY DEBORAH WELKY

Social Scene

ROYAL PALM SOCIAL SCENE

Also in this issue, we feature Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue, a Royal Palm Beach-based nonprofit that works to save the lives of local pets by providing foster homes for animals in need.We speak with Peter Torres, the president of this won derful local organization, about its ongo ing mission of love. We also profile Keith Jordano of the Jordano Insurance Group, who focuses on service to others, both in business and in life.

Royal Palm Business features ESK Golf Carts, where a family hobby became a successful business. Royal Palm Health visits the new Premier Women’s Health Center, which offers all the latest technol ogy at a convenient, spa-like location un der the leadership of Dr. Vincent Apicella. Royal Palm Table visits Bimini Twist, an Okeechobee Blvd. landmark that recently celebrated its 20th anniversary.

From all of us here at Royal Palm The Magazine, we wish you a happy Thanks giving and a wonderful holiday season!

Dawn Rivera

Dawn Rivera, Publisher

Fundraiser Benefits The Farmworker Coordinating Council

Halloween Fun At Pet Supplies Plus Store In Royal Palm Beach Royal Palm Beach’s Young At Heart Club Begins New Season Spooky Fun At Royal Palm Beach Commons Park Fall Festival

RPB Parks & Recreation employee Michael Brennan and other images from the food distribution program in partnership with Feeding South Florida.

FUNDRAISER BENEFITS THE FARMWORKER COORDINATING COUNCIL

The Farmworker Coordinating Council of Palm Beach County held its 2022 Fall Fest fundraiser on Friday, Sept. 23 at CJR Fine Arts & Frame in Royal Palm Beach.Tickets includ ed wine and hors d’oeuvres, as well as the opportunity to win a piece of art.Also, a per centage of all art sales and custom framing benefited programs of the Farmworker Co ordinating Council, which helps local farm workers access needed social services. Learn more at www.farmworkercouncil.com.

(Left to right) Faye Ford with “Frenchie” by Yuvi; Jason and Audra Treleaven admire floral artwork by Y. Korobov; Erika Valtivia and Maria Theros look at a seascape by Asher; and Jason Treleaven, Adam Kombel, Denise Negron, Gayle Zevala and Daniel Stanislawczyk.

Jess Hoffman, Denise Negron, Rosie Roque and Richard Mauseth.

(Left to right) Florencio Zavala, Brian Sergerie and Cal Miller; Denise Negron of the Farmworker Coordinating Council with Tenchy Salas, who won this painting; Krista Martinelli and Patricia Jorge; and Angel Melendez and Tenchy Salas.

(Left to right) Artist Julio Delgado with his artwork; Kelly Whittles and Ruth Menjaivar; artist Valter de Morais with his artwork; and Adam and Sandra Kombel.

(Left to right) Chris Harrison, Dalia Paratore, Denise Negron and Maria Brown; Luz Vanleek and Maria Brown; and Mabel Datena, Sergio Palacio and Luz Vanleek.

World-class fetal and pediatric cardiology care is coming to Wellington

For more than 70 years, Nicklaus Children’s Hospital has served as a pediatric care leader for children and families locally, regionally and internationally.

Same-day* and next-day appointments with fetal and pediatric cardiologists will be offered right here at our new Wellington location.

OPENING FALL 2022

10111 Forest Hill Boulevard, Suite 110, Wellington, FL 33414 561-877-5870 nicklauschildrens.org/Wellington

royal palm | social scene PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN

Pet Supplies Plus in Royal Palm Beach hosted a Halloween party on Saturday, Oct. 29 with pet costume contests, free gifts, toys and treats for pets and humans alike. The store is located at 11051 Southern Blvd., Unit 160, in Southern Palm Crossing.

(Left to right) Store Manager Amanda Czerwinski with Mr. Pickles, Vic Cucuzza, Vanessa Diaz with Budder Bear and Khaleem Curtis; Ali Cats Rescue volunteers Andrew, Angela, Keith and Josephine Gentilin stuff catnip toys; Bob McKay with Monet and Bonnie McKay with Hope; and Britt Downey with Sandy, Alina Downey, and Tim Downey with Mahi.

(Left to right) Phoebe Maltas with Charlie; Madison and Hunter Harden with Sparkey from Ali Cats Rescue; Chuck Higgins with Pete; Shepherd Help and Rescue Effort (SHARE) volunteer Jen with Yanko; and Ella and Hudson Choquette picked out Mr. Pickles so Santa can bring him for Christmas.

royal palm | social scene PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN

Royal Palm Beach’s Young at Heart Club resumed its first Friday luncheons on Friday, Oct. 7 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. This month’s theme was black and orange for Halloween. Village staff has recently worked on 22 programs for seniors to take part in.

(Left to right) YAH board members Francine Bryant, Mary Ann Robinson, Sandy Rubin, Mary Ellen Paulton, Rhonda Ninfo and Lee Messina; Royal Palm Beach Mayor Fred Pinto speaks as Shakeera Thomas and Sandy Rubin look on; Penny Hyde, Barbara Stafirn and Barbara Jackson; and Councilman Jeff and Carolyn Hmara celebrated Jeff’s birthday and their anniversary.

(Left to right) Councilman Richard Valuntas, Carolyn Hmara, and Steve and Mary Kaminski; Royal Palm Beach’s Shakeera Thomas with entertainers Iris Revson and Michael Finklestein; raffle winners Bella Wissing and Margie Zauder; Jenny Lopez, Patty McFarland and Carolyn Zakrie; and Angela and Jose Delatorre with Marie Sainfield and Iri Tatur.

Delayed a week due to Hurricane Ian, the Village of Royal Palm Beach held its annual Rock-N-Fall Festival on Saturday, Oct. 8 and Sunday, Oct. 9 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Bounce houses and train rides were throughout the park, and there were several new carnival-themed rides, such as Mind Twister and Shockwave. Costume contests were held for young children, as well as the ever-popular costume contest for dogs. Live music was performed throughout the weekend, featuring a Kiss tribute band on Saturday and an Eagles tribute band on Sunday.

royal palm | social scene PHOTOS BY ERIN DAVISSON

(Left to right) RPB Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Mike Mikolaichik with Event Organizer Sylvio Pierre-Louis; pumpkin carving was a popular activity in the Sporting Center; pumpkin carving masterpieces on display; and pups took to the stage for the dog costume contest.

(Left to right) Brody gets ready for the dog costume contest; many children enjoyed the pumpkin decorating table; the kids costume contest had many entrants; toddlers got a chance to walk the runway during their costume contest; and kids ride on the trackless train.

Keith W. Davis

Lee Friedman, M.D. Randy Katz, M.D. Barry Schechter, M.D., F.A.A.O. Jonathan Criss, M.D. Megan Rowlands, M.D., M.P.H. Steven Naids, M.D. James Walsh, O.D.

SAVING THE LIVES OF LOCAL PETS

Justin

Bartlett Animal Rescue Provides Dogs And

Cats With Foster Care Services And Lots Of Love

STORY BY MIKE MAY | PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN

Royal Palm Beach-based Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue has been providing foster care services for animals in need since 2012. Often these animals are strays, owner surrenders, living in county shelters or fur-covered critters born in foster care.

While Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue specializes in dogs and cats, the organi zation has worked with horses and rab bits, as well.

“If we have a foster, we’ll take them in,” said Peter Torres, president of Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue.

The main office of this local non profit is in the Village Shoppes on Southern Blvd., but it has an outlet in Greenacres as well.

Torres and his staff work with many families across South Florida — from Stuart to Miami — who provide foster care for animals that need love, care and attention.

The total time that families pro vide these foster care services for ani mals can range from a matter of days to a few months, Torres explained. The youngest animals, puppies and kittens, usually get adopted quickly. Smaller breeds of dogs are more popular than larger breeds.

“Many puppies and kittens are quickly adopted into a home,” Torres said.“And many times, younger, smaller dogs are adopted within a week.”

That means the time commitment that a foster family provides is not al ways very long.

Many people don’t realize that the expenses associated with providing a foster home for an animal are quite minimal.

“For its foster animals, Justin Bartlett

Animal Rescue provides food, bottles, warmers, medicine and blankets,” Tor res said. “Our foster families provide love, attention and a safe shelter.”

By agreeing to be a foster family for an animal, you also get to choose when you want to be a foster home.

“Some families only want to provide foster services in the summer because their children are home from school and they want a pet around the house,” Torres noted.

(Left) Peter Torres of Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue with Frenchie Wilbur. (Below, L-R) Dr. Judith Koerselman, vet tech Fai Cunningham with Leela, kennel tech Michelle Chapman, vet tech Sara Brown, CEO Peter Torres, kennel tech Victoria Park, adoption counselor Christine Wesley and kennel tech Yesley Fleites.

Torres, 60, is a man who practices what he preaches. In addition to lead ing Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue, he’s also a foster parent for dogs in his Roy al Palm Beach home. He also has three of his own dogs — Chloe, a Frenchie; Budicca, a terrier mix; and Bentley, a Chihuahua.

When asked how many dogs he has fostered, Torres said that it’s a big num ber.

“Because I foster lots of pregnant moms, I have probably fostered 5,000 or so dogs,” he said.

According to Torres, one of the ben efits for a family that adopts a fostered

animal is that the animal is already used to living with people in a home envi ronment.

“When you adopt one of our ani mals, it’s a totally different experience because of the prior human interac tion,”Torres said.

The vast majority of dogs that Jus tin Bartlett Animal Rescue handles are mixed breeds.

“Sometimes, we get a pure breed, such as a Chihuahua, a Labrador, a Do berman or a Great Dane, but not too often,”Torres said.

While Torres is not completely against dog breeders, he feels pro spective pet owners should “adopt and not shop” for their next pet, since there are so many animals that are not pure breeds but need a safe and loving home.

There are four ways through which Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue promotes itself: through word of mouth, social media, fundraisers and in-school

“Our foster parents are always seen with their cats or dogs in their neighborhood. In fact, many animals are adopted by families in the neighborhoods of our foster families,” Torres said. “We also share news of our animals on social me dia. We have many fundrais ing events every year, and we conduct in-school visits where we edu cate students and their teachers about the im portance of being a foster family for an an imal. Then, many stu dents go home and en courage their parents to consider fostering a pet.”

This local nonprof it is named in honor of a Wellington man who

died in 2008 at age 24 following a car accident. He found great joy in rescu ing homeless and lost animals.

To complement Justin Bartlett Ani mal Rescue, the Justin Bartlett Adop tion Center & Animal Hospital were added in 2015, so Torres and his team can oversee all aspects of a pet’s life — the foster experience, the adoption process, and providing medical care to the animals.

While Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue enjoys finding a foster home for any of its animals, Torres said that foster fami lies enjoy the experience, too. One of those foster families is the Korson fam ily.

“We do it because we love animals, and I have always grown up with a dog in the house,” Liz Korson said.“We have bottle-fed many kittens and puppies.”

In recent months, Korson, her hus band and their four children have pro vided foster care for two sets of kittens and two sets of puppies. For the last five weeks, the Korsons have been pro viding foster care to a puppy named Tank. He has been in their care since he was two days old, and he’ll stay there for at least eight weeks, at which time he will be neutered and vaccinat ed, at the expense of Justin Bartlett Ani mal Rescue.

The Korson family’s philosophy on fostering animals is to give them lots of love.

“We treat all foster animals like they are our own,” said Korson, whose fami ly unit also includes a cat named Sharky, a tortoise called Hazel, and three dogs named Koda, Pita and Sandy.

Sharky is classified as a “foster fail ure.”That happens when a family agrees to provide a foster home for an animal and then actually adopts that animal

“When we fostered Sharky, we couldn’t let him go,” Korson said. “I’ve been wanting to have a cat for a long time.”

“When you adopt one of our animals, it’s a totally different experience because of the prior human interaction.”

— Peter Torres

Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue President Peter Torres at work. in a small, two-bedroom condo,” Torres explained.

Before being approved as a foster family by Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue, a thorough background check is con ducted.

“The one thing we don’t want to do is send a big dog to a family that lives

The roots of Torres’ work in animal rescue can be traced back to his child hood in his native Cuba. “When I was seven, we moved from Cuba to Spain,

and we left behind my puppy tied to a tree at my aunt’s house,”Torres recalled. “I have never forgotten that moment.”

When Torres started Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue, he brought with him the experience he acquired while working with two other animal rescue centers in the greater West Palm Beach area: Animal Rescue Force of South Florida and A Second Chance Puppies and Kittens Rescue.

If you’re interested in adopting an animal or providing a foster home for an animal, contact Justin Bartlett Ani mal Rescue at (561) 795-9999 or visit www.justinbartlettanimalrescue.org. To follow the group’s recent activities, find them on Facebook at www.face book.com/justinbartlettanimalrescue.

Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue is lo cated in the Village Shoppes at 10405 Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 7959999.

Rafael Morera Owner/Cigar Connoisseur

SERVING THE COMMUNITY IN BUSINESS AND IN LIFE

Keith Jordano Of

The Jordano Insurance Group Is There To Help, Particularly During Open Enrollment Time

BY DEBORAH WELKY

Back in 1993, Keith Jordano was your traditional traveling insurance sales man, going around Florida to enroll large companies who needed group benefits for their employees. However, he began to want more.

“I would go from the panhandle down the west coast of Florida, across the state and then up the east coast,” Jordano recalled. “But I wanted more ownership of what I was doing.”

Before arriving in Florida, Jordano was born and raised in New Orleans. He graduated from Loyola University with a degree in business management.

He then worked for several federal gov ernment agencies and served in the U.S. Navy Reserve before beginning his insurance career with a large firm.

As Jordano began to explore the idea of going out on his own and start ing his own business, fate stepped in, steering him to Deerfield Beach and a woman named Lois. “We really hit it off,” Jordano said of his future wife.

With three children between them, the couple married in 1996. Jordano founded the Jordano Insurance Group, and the family moved to The Acreage in 1999 after Lois was transferred by her

company from Boca Raton to the west ern communities.

In those early days, Jordano con tinued in enrollment work but slowly branched out into life, home and auto insurance, as well as health insurance and Medicare.

“The Jordano Group is pretty much a multi-line insurance agency now,” he said.

And, in the midst of Medicare open enrollment time, it’s a busy insurance agency. “I feel like I’m in retail, doing most of my business in the last quarter of year,” he quipped.

Open enrollment basically gives those on Medicare a window of oppor tunity to add or switch providers, often based on changes in their health that may have taken place in the current calendar year.

“Anyone age 65 or over, who has worked at least 10 years, qualifies for Medicare, as do those who suffer from certain medical conditions or are dis abled. They’ve earned it,” Jordano said. “I’m so tired of the politicians in Wash ington saying Medicare and Social Se curity are entitlements. When you start working, you have payroll deductions. You paid for Part A, which covers you for hospitals and some other things. Part B, that covers you for doctor vis its, etc. Part D costs extra, and it cov ers you for prescriptions.A supplement will cover you for gaps in Part A and Part B, paying the 20 percent that Medi care does not pay.”

And what about Part C?

“Part C refers to the Medicare Ad vantage Plans. It’s like hiring an insur ance advisor. A commercial insurance company will take the responsibility away from Medicare and put it under the umbrella of separate insurers,” Jor dano explained. “If you’ve had group insurance all your life, it’s the same

principle — hospitalization, doctors, prescriptions — Medicare Advantage is going to do the same thing. A+B+D = C.”

Jordano outlined the monthly costs, which are fairly standardized.

“Part A you paid for. Part B is $170 and change. Part D costs $50, and sup plements run from $69 to $300 or so. In 2023, Part B is going to drop to $164 and change,” he said. “Or you can sign up for Part C, the Medicare Advantage Plan, for about the same cost.”

Thinking of making a change? Medi care’s open enrollment is from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7 for insurance that takes ef fect on Jan. 1, 2023. Enrollment in the Affordable Care Act policies runs from Nov. 1 through Dec. 15 with the same effective date.

“The worst way to buy insurance is from a mass mail-out or from someone who cold-calls your home,” Jordano said. “You’re getting called by people who want to hurry up and make a sale and go on to the next sale. You need someone who will go the extra mile to do the best for you; someone who will take the time to find out what you need and get you a quote; someone who will find out what doctors you want to go to and what medicines you need in or

der to make sure they will be covered by your plan. Plus, you need the agent to be there after the fact, when you have a problem.”

To best serve his own clients, Jorda no gives them his cell number.

“I answer my phone, because ser vice is what I sell,” Jordano said. “Peo ple need an agent who not only makes the sale, but also holds their hand af ter the fact. I got into this business by chance, and it has been 30 years now. I love serving my clients.”

With “service” as his self-proclaimed middle name, Jordano is also active in local Rotary International organi zations and has been for decades. Ro tary’s motto is “Service Above Self,” which he uses as a guiding principle in all that he does.

“I try to keep the Rotary motto in real life as well as in my business,” said Jordano, who also serves his communi ty as an elected member of the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Su pervisors.

To learn more about the Jordano Insurance Group, call Keith Jordano at (561) 307-2622. He can also be reached at keith@jordanogroup.com. Visit www.jordanogroup.com to find him on the web.

“I answer my phone, because service is what I sell. People need an agent who not only makes the sale, but also holds their hand after the fact.”

— Keith Jordano

EXPERT CUSTOMIZATION AND REPAIRS

At ESK Golf Carts, A Family Hobby Evolved Into A Successful Business

STORY BY MIKE MAY | PHOTOS BY ABNER PEDRAZA

Francisco and Francine Orozco, along with their three sons Erick, Steven and Kevin, have always spent much of their free time working on and repairing ma chinery, such as golf carts. Fixing ma chinery has always been a family hobby. They got so good at specifically fixing and refurbishing golf carts, that it has now evolved into a successful family business, ESK Golf Carts, named in hon or of the three sons.

“Before starting our business, we per fected our craft,” Francisco said.

While Francisco and his sons work on the golf carts, Francine is the one who puts the finishing touches on each job.“My wife is in charge of quality con trol and oversees the final details on each golf cart,” Francisco said.

The company repairs golf carts and provides fully customized golf carts to clients.

ESK Golf Carts does not sell its prod ucts to the most obvious clients, which are country clubs, golf clubs and golf courses. Instead, ESK Golf Carts focus es its sales on members of the general public, housing communities, schools, churches and municipalities.

ESK Golf Carts also buys its golf carts from the general public, which can be a somewhat unsteady supply chain. But the Orozco family makes it work.

“We buy used and second-hand golf carts from consumers,” Francisco ex plained. “We search online, and we get them from word-of-mouth. We work on both electric and gas-powered golf carts.”

While ESK Golf Carts does buy and sell carts produced by well-known man ufacturers, such as Club Car, E-Z-Go, Ya maha and Gem, it doesn’t buy the carts directly from those manufacturers.

“Ideally, we’d like to buy new golf carts from the main plants,” Francisco said, adding that right now, that’s not possible.

Once ESK Golf Carts takes owner ship of a cart, regardless of its condition, the fun begins.

“We strip each golf cart down, re place the brakes, install new bushings, insert a new battery, put a new frame on it, paint it, put in new seats and custom ize it according to the wishes of the cli ent,” Francisco said.

Customers usually want a golf cart that is unique and high performing. It all starts with the battery.

“Customers prefer a lithium battery since it has a longer battery life, is main tenance-free, has a longer-lasting charge and is quicker to charge,” Francisco said.

Many clients also want a faster golf cart.

“We can engineer a golf cart to go as fast as 35 to 40 miles per hour,” he add ed.

After you look at each finished prod uct, it’s clear that the Orozco family’s true talents are in the customization process.

“We can make limo golf carts that seat six people, and we produce all-ter rain golf carts with special tires,” Fran cisco said. “We also paint the golf cart according to the wishes of the client. Right now, silver-gray is very popular. But we also paint the carts green, pur ple and many different shades of blue. When we produce a golf cart for an equestrian client, the name of the farm is often placed on the outside. For pri vate country club members, their first names are placed on the side of the golf carts. People also want golf carts with fans and USB ports, so they can

charge their cell phones while out playing golf.”

Francisco noted that the golf cart business has picked up since 2020, when people started spending more time at home due to the pandemic.

Right now, most of the clients for ESK Golf Carts live in Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, the Acreage/Loxahatchee area, Delray Beach and Jupiter.

When ESK Golf Carts takes owner ship of a used golf cart, which usually

has a large amount of wear and tear, the company’s experts will turn it into a thing of beauty — and the process doesn’t take very long. In about two weeks, ESK Golf Carts can transform a golf cart that was considered “trash” into a treasure.

On any given day, the shop at ESK Golf Carts is filled with 12 to 15 golf carts that are being repaired, and the crew is also working on customizing roughly 20 to 30 golf carts for clients.

Francisco Orozco and his family specialize in customized golf carts at their business ESK Golf Carts.

“We strip each golf cart down, replace the brakes, install new bushings, insert a new battery, put a new frame on it, paint it, put in new seats and customize it according to the wishes of the client.”

— Francisco Orozco

One of driving philosophies at ESK Golf Carts is customer service.

If you own a golf cart that needs work, ESK Golf Carts will come to your aid.“We will pick up your golf cart, bring it to our shop, fix it and return it to you,” Francisco said.

In addition to restoring carts, ESK Golf Carts provides regular repairs, if necessary.

“We provide service to address any wear and tear on a golf cart,” Francisco said.

When it comes to the bottom line,

the prices of a golf cart range depend ing on the amount of customization and detailing involved.

According to Francisco, prices range from $3,500 to $15,000.The most com mon golf carts have room for two pas sengers or golfers.

The next larger version of golf carts has room for four people, who will use it to travel within their communities, neighborhoods and housing develop ments.

The limo golf carts are big enough for six people.

At ESK Golf Carts, the owners will work with your budget to provide you with the golf cart of your dreams, as the company’s goal is ultimate customer sat isfaction.

ESK Golf Carts is located at 4657 Southern Blvd., Suite A, in West Palm Beach. Visit www.eskgolfcarts.com or call (561) 684-8188 to learn more about this unique family business.

Francisco Orozco (center) and the team at ESK Golf Carts.

Enjoy the Spirit of The Season!

STATE-OF-THE-ART CARE FOR WOMEN

The New Premier Women’s Health Center Offers The Latest Technology In A Spa-Like Setting

STORY BY MIKE MAY | PHOTOS BY ABNER PEDRAZA

There is a new medical facility in the area that focuses on women’s health and wellness for patients of all ages.The new Premier Women’s Health center at Premier Family Health on State Road 7 places the highest of priorities on the in terests of its female patients.

In late September, Premier Family Health opened the new Premier Wom en’s Health center catering to female cli entele from all sections of Palm Beach County.

Premier Women’s Health is designed to improve the health and well-being of all women in Palm Beach County by of fering new, state-of-the-art technology

and services, while collaborating with other hospitals, physicians and special ists focused on the healthcare of wom en.

There are now four centers at Pre mier Family Health, which is a patientcentered medical home that includes primary care, urgent care, ancillary ser vices, and now, a center focused specifi cally on women’s health issues.

According to Dr.Vincent Apicella, the president and founder of Premier Fam ily Health, the new Premier Women’s Health facility is a medical resource for all women.

“We are a one-stop shop for all wom

en with any medical needs,” said Api cella, who earned his undergraduate degree from Florida Atlantic University and graduated from medical school at Nova Southeastern University. “We are also a safe space for women where they can come to share their medical issues and concerns with a trusted medical professional.”

Apicella stressed that it’s imperative that women here in the western com munities have access to medical facili ties that are female centric.

“We are specifically taking care of women who are some of the hardestworking people in our society as they

work full-time and provide leadership in our community, while managing their families,” Apicella added. “We have built a personable environment that is a safe haven for females.”

Some of the many healthcare servic es provided for women at the Premier Women’s Health office include compre hensive mammograms, wellness exams, pap smears, bone density tests, contra ceptive management and tests for infec tious diseases.

One of the most popular services provided by Premier Women’s Health is the new high-tech mammogram proce dure.

“When we planned the Premier Women’s Health center, we wanted to create a unique, calming and spa-like experience.”

— Dr. Vincent Apicella

(Right) Dr. Vincent Apicella with the stateof-the-art Siemens 3D Healthineers mammogram machine.

“With our 3D digital device from Sie mens, it’s remarkable that we can see what we can see.We are seeing younger women with breast cancer,”Apicella ex plained. “We have a pain-free mammo gram procedure. It’s life changing.”

It took about two years of planning by Apicella and his team for the Premier Women’s Health center to go from a concept to a reality.

“Obtaining preventive care servic es for women can often be extremely uncomfortable and hard,” Apicella said. “When we planned the Premier Wom en’s Health center, we wanted to create a unique, calming and spa-like experi ence.”

One of the delighted clients at Pre mier Women’s Health is longtime area resident Angela Baker. She just recently had a mammogram at Premier Women’s

2022 | royal palm the magazine

Health and found it to be a great expe rience.

“From the moment I walked in the door, I was so impressed by everything, such as the atmosphere, the helpful staff, the new furniture and the new wallpa per,” Baker said. “And then, the actual mammogram experience was outstand ing. The way it was done was extraordi nary. It was above and beyond what I had expected. In fact, it was like going to a spa. I would recommend Premier Fam ily Health and Premier Women’s Health to anybody.”

Baker’s next visit to Premier Wom en’s Health will be for her bone density test. She is actually looking forward to the experience.

“The staff there is very caring, and they do care a great deal about you,” Baker added.

It has not taken Premier Women’s Health very long to justify its need in the community.

“We are conducting anywhere from 12 to 16 mammograms a day,” Apicella said.“And, in two weeks, we have detect ed two cases of breast cancer.”

According to Candice Gorodess, a mammographer at Premier Women’s Health, one in eight women in the U.S. are affected by breast cancer, which un derscores the importance of having ac cess to this state-of-the-art technology.

One of the most impressive features at Premier Women’s Health is the new Siemens 3D Healthineers mammogram machine that is only featured in a few places in the U.S.

The X-ray arm of this new Siemens 3D machine sweeps in an arc over the woman’s breast area, where it captures images of the breast from multiple an gles. Then, a computer produces a 3D image of the breast tissue on one-milli

meter slices, which provide greater visi bility for the radiologist to see the breast detail in a way never before possible.

The radiologist can then scroll through images of an entire breast like pages of a book. The additional 3D im ages make it possible for a radiologist to better evaluate the patient’s breast tis sue, allowing radiologists to find breast cancers earlier and reduce the need for follow-up imaging.

With access to technology like the Siemens 3D Healthineers, Apicella said his team can better serve local patients.

“Our goal is to discover a problem before it becomes a bigger issue,”Apicel la explained.

As an added benefit, the mammogra phy device from Siemens reduces radia tion exposure to the client by 30 per cent.

While Premier Women’s Health prides itself on being a medical outlet where the services range from preven tion to treatment, there are times when the staff needs outside assistance from specialists.

“We have established partnerships with a number of medical professionals in the area, such as medical doctors, lo cal hospitals, diagnostic imaging centers and gynecologists,”Apicella said.“We are here to provide collaborative care.”

If you’re a woman who wants a medi cal facility that’s focused on making ev ery patient’s care a top priority over, consider the new Premier Women’s Health office, where the staff await your arrival.

Open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mon day through Friday, Premier Women’s Health is located 1035 S. State Road 7, Suite 120A, in Wellington. For more information, call (561) 798-3030, ext. 5050.

Dr. Vincent Apicella at the new Premier Women’s Health facility on State Road 7.

Master Ryan Maass, Grandmaster Pope Master Lindsay August, Master Barry Rivera

BIMINI TWIST’S 20TH ANNIVERSARY

The Popular Seafood Restaurant On Okeechobee Blvd. Has Been A Fine Dining Favorite For Two Decades

STORY AND PHOTOS BY MELANIE KOPACZ

Recently celebrating its 20th anniver sary, Bimini Twist restaurant is a popu lar destination for fresh seafood, hearty steaks and more. The award-winning eatery — an institution on Okeechobee Blvd. — is a fan favorite for both locals and visitors.

Bimini Twist shines all its own with twinkling lights that beam for all to ad mire from the road. Illuminated palm trees create an island appeal.

“You can’t help but notice the res taurant from the outside, because it’s so stunning to look at,” General Manager Cheryl Averta said. “And you don’t real ize how big it is until you walk through the door.”

When you arrive, you’re certain to be struck by the sound of everyone having a great time at a high-quality restaurant that features a vast menu of offerings from sea or land, as well as several new specials, like escargot. The Blue Point oysters are also widely popular.

“All of our shellfish comes from the cold water of the North Atlantic. Our oysters come from Long Island,” Averta said. “They’re crispy and clean. If you want to eat an oyster to define what it tastes like, this is the first one you’d want to try.”

The Chargrilled Octopus is also a must-try, deliciously meaty, yet light.

“It’s Mediterranean inspired.We mari

nate, grill and serve it over roasted pota toes with a lemon-inspired dressing and a few red pepper flakes,” Averta said. “I tell people that if they want better octo pus, they have to go to Santorini, Greece. While we’re predominantly a seafood restaurant, we have something for every body.”

That includes fresh delicacies like hog snapper when in season. It’s Bimi ni Twist’s overall top seller, coming fresh from the Yucatan Peninsula and served with a butter and white wine sauce, or piccata style, with capers over linguini.

“For people who’ve never heard of it, I describe it as God’s perfect fish. It’s the richness of grouper, the sweetness of

(Clockwise from top left) The Bourbon Berry Smash is made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon, muddled black berries, raspberries and mint; enjoy the 12-ounce New York strip steak paired with a 7-ounce lobster tail fresh from the cold waters of Maine; the Apple Crumble dessert, served warm with praline pecan sauce and three scoops of vanilla ice cream, is big enough to serve four; the Chargrilled Octopus is served atop roasted potatoes with a lemon butter dressing; the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna features a balsamic glaze and pickled ginger; the Basil Garlic Salmon with a side of Spinach Maria, creamed spinach with toasted breadcrumbs, and whipped, housemade mashed potatoes; a refreshing twist on a classic Strawberry Mojito; and the Seafood Pescatore includes half of a lobster tail, shrimp, scallops, mussels, clams and calamari, served over imported Italian linguine in a red seafood sauce. royal palm the magazine |

scallops and the flakiness of mahi,”Aver ta explained. “It’s caught with a spear. I tell people if they don’t like it, it’s on me. That’s how confident I am that they’re going to like it.”

Their yellowtail snapper is also a fan favorite. White, flakey and mild, it’s sau téed in lemon, white wine and butter. Lobster lovers can get their fill with the Twin Lobster Tails entrée. “Our lobster tails come from Maine,”Averta said.“You get a full pound of lobster on your plate.”

For a hearty taste of both worlds, mix it up with a 7-ounce lobster tail and a 12-ounce prime New York strip steak from the “Land & Sea” selections.

“There’s something for everybody — shrimp scampi, ribs, pork chops,Alaskan king crab, a full pound of it. We serve it open split, so all you need to do is take your cocktail fork and pull the meat right out of the shell,”Averta said.

The Seafood Pescatore is a bright and colorful dish full of flavor. It includes a

half a lobster tail, mussels, shrimp, scal lops and calamari atop red seafood sauce over imported Italian linguine.

Choose either an appetizer or en trée of the Sesame Seared Ahi Tuna. The beautiful color and texture make for an uplifting presentation.

There are also a few pasta dishes, like the Chicken Florentine served with lin guine over an alfredo sauce with spin ach. For the steak lovers, there are a number of choices, including a 16-ounce Delmonico ribeye or the 36-ounce Por terhouse served with bacon shallot but ter.

The sides are incredibly tasty too, like top-pick Spinach Maria encrusted with breadcrumbs.“If you like creamed spin ach, it’s like creamed spinach on ste roids. The best you’ll ever have,” Averta said.

For kids, the menu has a variety of of ferings, from fried fish to pasta.

When all is done, there’s dessert.

Claudia Diesti

Monica Diesti World Educated Stylists Board Certified Hair Colorist

Vibrant lights fill the outside of Bimini Twist restaurant and the surrounding palm trees, giving it an island feel.

Shareables are popular, including the apple crisp, which is served warm with praline pecan sauce and three scoops of vanilla ice cream, or the white choco late bread pudding, also served with ice cream and a raspberry drizzle.

A delicious culinary experience is what this longtime staff of 60 strives for with traditional and elevated creations from Executive Chef Charles Wright, whether for an event or a weekly din ner.

People line up daily before open to get their favorite table and a taste of their beloved meals. Special events are hosted almost daily with private table service available for parties.

Complimentary valet parking is of fered Fridays and Saturdays, and Thurs days in season. Catch the early bird menu Sunday through Thursday. Order before 6 p.m. and get 20 percent off sev eral popular items.

The bar, which is the cornerstone of the restaurant, serves up an extensive drink menu with new twists on old fa

vorites, like the Passion Fruit Martini, or the Bourbon Berry Smash, made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon. Beer on tap is ice cold and poured to perfection.

There’s seating near the open kitch en for those who enjoy watching the ac tion. For a quieter area, request a table “under the fish.”

The ambiance is relaxed with low lighting, greenery creating privacy, bam boo-style woodwork throughout, and a playlist of music that took years to cu rate to the customers’ liking. The fun at mosphere extends out to the patio.

“We have people who want to stay because they want to sit through a song,” Averta said.“That’s when you know you have a good playlist.”

Bimini Twist as a destination is ex panding with new experiential busi nesses that are part of what’s now called “Bimini Boulevard.”All are connected in the same plaza, allowing people to en joy a broader experience.

“We wanted to make this strip a destination where you can come out

for dinner and have other things to do while you’re here,”Averta said.

Enjoy an after-dinner cigar at Stogies Cigar Lounge. Indulge in a macaron and espresso at Merci Bimini French Café. Anchored on the end is a breakfast and lunch place, Portside. Then grab some flowers for your special occasion at Fla gler Floral.

They all recently celebrated Bimini Twist’s 20th anniversary on Saturday, Oct. 22 with a family fun day.The week end was topped off with a formal din ner gala on Sunday, Oct. 23 with a live tenor singing. A portion of all proceeds will benefit the MiniMe Foundation, which helps children battling cancer.

“We’re like a family,” Averta said. “A key ingredient when we hire is kind ness. It’s not every day a restaurant gets to be 20 years old.”

Bimini Twist is located at 8480 Okeechobee Blvd. Reservations are highly recommended. For more infor mation, call (561) 784-2660 or visit www.biminitwistwpb.com.

(Above) Low lighting creates a relaxed ambiance in the main dining room. (Inset) The bar area serves as the cornerstone of the restaurant with a vast specialty drink menu.

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED

Huge Food Distribution Program At RPB Park Comes To An End After More Than Two Years

BY DEBORAH WELKY

It was mission accomplished in Sep tember when the Village of Royal Palm Beach wrapped up two-and-a-half years of supporting local residents in need through a massive food distribution pro gram in partnership with the nonprofit Feeding South Florida.

It was a herculean effort that brought dozens of village staff members and community volunteers together at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park on Wednes day mornings beginning at the very start of the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring of 2020. For much of that time, the food distribution went on every week, switch ing to twice a month earlier this year.

Along the way, these village staff

members and volunteers made sure that local residents didn’t go hungry during a time of unprecedented upheaval.

Through the nonprofit organization Feeding America, those in need have been receiving food from local farmers for decades.When the pandemic hit, and many people were out of work, and still others were avoiding grocery stores, that program was expanded to include any one.

In Royal Palm Beach, the local branch of Feeding America — Feeding South Florida — began working with the Parks & Recreation Department under the di rection of Lou Recchio. It was a big job that required a lot of volunteer help.

“We were handing out food every Wednesday for two years at Commons Park, ever since COVID-19 hit,” Recchio said. “Then, in January, as more people started to go back to work, it was cut back to every other week. We got so many volunteers, both groups and indi viduals, with different people helping out each week.”

This huge effort came to a conclusion on Wednesday, Sept. 21 with the final food distribution, followed by an appre ciation party for the many supporters who made the entire effort possible.

Recchio estimates that those volun teers, together with manpower from his own department, were responsible for

giving out four million pounds of food over the course of the program, valued at more than $5 million.

“We fed about 600 families every time we did it,” he said. “Even when we were down to twice a month, that’s still 1,200 families a month. There are other sites as well — one is in Boynton Beach and one in Miami-Dade is almost a pub lic kitchen.”

When the trailer full of food would pull into Commons Park, the line of cars waiting for it had already extended sometimes as far as Southern Blvd.

“In the beginning, we opened the gates at 9:30 a.m. and would run until 11:30 a.m.,” Recchio recalled. “People

were at the gate at 4:30 in the morn ing. They would just sit there and wait. You didn’t have to qualify, you just had to show up. In fact, we had to re-do the grass parking there to be like a maze so we could fit all the cars in.We had to do something. People were really hurting at the beginning. We planned to continue doing it as long as the food was avail able.”

With demand so high, there was nev er much left over.

“If we did have anything left, we gave it to the nurses at the hospital to take home, or the fire departments,” Recchio said.“We made sure everything was giv en away.”

And the food was good.

“Initially, they started with proteins and vegetables,” Recchio said. “You had your meats; you had your carbohydrates. They would give watermelons, steaks, ribs, hamburger, pork — but as the fund ing was drying up, some of that stuff went away.”

As proud as he was of the program, Recchio is most proud of his staff and volunteers.

“People have had nothing but praise for my colleagues and my staff out there on Wednesday mornings,” he said.“When there were 600 cars at Commons Park, we were probably using half of my parks staff out there.”

Local volunteers were ready for action when the Feeding South Florida truck arrived.

Early on in the pandemic, they gave out more than food.

“When it started, we were actually giving out toilet paper,” he said. “If we had time, we would release the staff to get food. And the volunteers have been outstanding. In the midst of the pandem ic, people were calling the recreation de partment asking, ‘How do I volunteer?’ We told them,‘Just show up.’”

Recchio was somewhat surprised to see the outpouring of goodwill.

“They enjoyed it,” he marveled. “It made them feel good that they were do ing something like this. And the organi zations! CarMax came out once a month with their staff.The Renaissance Charter School helped out during the summer.”

There was also help from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Christ Fellowship Church, as well as longtime local volunteer organizations, such as CAFCI and the Royal Palm Beach Rotary.

“Then the individuals started calling,” Recchio recalled. “We were not hurting for volunteers.”

The appreciation party, centered around the village’s gratefulness for all the help, offered some basic food — hot dogs and hamburgers — but it didn’t arrive by tractor-trailer. It was provided through the Parks & Recreation Depart ment’s café at Commons Park.

“We wanted to show some kind of appreciation,” Recchio said. “Without

these volunteers, our staff would’ve had to postpone their daily jobs to do it. It re ally helped us out a lot.”

Feeding South Florida is a Feeding America partner. It has served 25 per cent of Florida’s food-insecure popula tion since 1981 and has served Palm Beach County since 1989 by providing immediate access to ready-to-eat food or

ingredients that can be used to prepare nourishing meals.They have returned to its regular mission of feeding the hungry. Visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org to learn how you can volunteer.

To learn more about volunteer ing with the Parks & Recreation De partment, call (561) 790-5124 or visit www.royalpalmbeach.com/parksrec.

(Left) Parks & Recreation Department Director Lou Recchio thanks volunteers for their assistance. (Right) Cars wind their way through the line at Commons Park.

G-scan Brio Reveals What Supine MRI Misses

To Your Diagnosis

A gift from the heart to the heart of your community.

In this season of giving, the most impactful gift you can give is one that benefits the well-being of South Florida – a gift to Baptist Health Foundation.

As a not-for-profit healthcare organization serving communities from Palm Beach to the Keys, Baptist Health relies on philanthropy to fulfill its mission of providing truly outstanding, compassionate, life-changing care. Your gift, large or small, helps fund: n Patient programs and services

Research and clinical trials

State-of-the-art technology and equipment n New and improved facilities n Education and resources to stem the critica l nursing shortage

And more

So this season, give a gift, and help save lives. Support Baptist Health Foundation.

Visit BaptistHealth.net/GenerosityHeals or scan this code