Town-Crier Newspaper April 13, 2012

DRAINAGE FEE COMING TO ROYAL PALM SEE STORY, PAGE 7

POLO’S ‘TRIPLE CROWN’ WILL STAY AT IPC SEE STORY, PAGE 13

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TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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INSIDE LGWCD Hopefuls Have Until April 20 To Qualify

Volume 33, Number 15 April 13 - April 19, 2012

BOB MARGOLIS TAKES THE OATH

The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors will get its first popularly elected member this year — but candidates have only until April 20 to qualify for the ballot.

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Companies Partner With Wellington On Earth Day Event

For this year’s Earth Day, observed Sunday, April 22, Wellington will be celebrating with a family-friendly, engaging and informative afternoon of demonstrations, green vendors, raffles and giveaways from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater.

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Women’s Group Meets

Women of Western Communities held its monthly meeting Thursday, April 5 at the Madison Green Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach. The guest speaker Robbyn Ackner spoke of her personal domestic violence story and how she changed her life with positive thinking. Page 9

BCx Bootcamp Growing At Ultima Fitness

BCx Bootcamp — where participants might have to flip a 150pound tire or drag a heavy plate around — offers an unconventional style of fitness; some might even call it a bit extreme.

Ultima Fitness in Wellington has been offering the popular workout program since 2010.

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OPINION Wellington Right To Abandon Inspector General Lawsuit

Wellington council members did the right thing in voting to remove the village from the inspector general lawsuit. While it is unfortunate that the 14 remaining municipalities are continuing with the suit, we’re thankful that no municipality in the western communities is now party to the matter. We just wish that more municipalities would follow Wellington’s lead.

Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 10 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 NEWS BRIEFS........................ 8 POLO/EQUESTRIAN ............ 13 SCHOOLS .....................14 - 15 PEOPLE ........................ 16 - 17 COLUMNS .................... 25 - 26 BUSINESS .................... 27 - 29 CAMPS .........................30 - 33 SPORTS ........................ 39 - 42 CALENDAR ...................44 - 45 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 46 - 50 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Nearly a month after voters went to the polls, residents gathered outside the Wellington municipal complex Tuesday to watch as Mayor Bob Margolis, Councilman Matt Willhite and Councilman John Greene took the oath of office. Shown here Margolis is sworn in by his son Josh while his wife Linda looks on. SEE STORY, PAGE 7 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Royal Palm Beach Agrees To Construct A Skate Park

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council decided last week to include construction of a skateboard and inline skate park in its fiveyear capital plan.

On Thursday, April 5, the council agreed to support the park and work with local skaters who made a request for such a park at a recent meeting.

Last month, young skateboard aficionado Derick Murray asked the council to support the project, and the council directed village staff to look into it.

Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio said he met with local skaters several times to get their input on how a park should be built. He said he also did research on skateboard parks and presented his ideas to the Recreation Advisory Board on March 26, which unanimously recommended support of a skate park.

Inline skating and freestyle bicycling are two of the fastest-growing recreational activities in the nation, Recchio said. “Over 6.8 percent of Americans skateboard, which is roughly 12 million peo-

ple. Royal Palm Beach, with a population of about 31,000, if you take that 6.8 percent, we have in essence over 2,000 skateboarders in the village. Skateboarding is more popular to youth ages 6 to 17 than baseball, believe it or not.”

Today, skateboarding represents a multi-million-dollar industry, he said. In the early 2000s, professional skateboarders earned between $1,000 and $10,000 a month, but there are fewer skateboarding facilities than for other sports. The amount of land set aside for organized sports such as football, baseball and soccer is about 12,000 times the size of land set aside for skateboarding despite its growing popularity, Recchio added.

“Skaters are forced to use streets, parking lots, shopping centers, etc., due to lack of facilities,” he said. “Law enforcement uses vital resources in response to trespassing and vandalism caused due to the lack of skate facilities.”

Recchio pointed out that recent state statutes encourage local governments to make land available to the public for skateboarding,

inline skating and freestyle bicycling.

“The statute also addresses concerns regarding liability,” he said, “whereby the state recognizes that risks and dangers are inherent to these activities, [and that] risks and dangers should be assumed by those participating in such activities.”

The fear of litigation is the primary reason why municipalities do not build skate parks, he said.

“Poorly designed, improperly constructed and unmaintained facilities increase the rate of injuries,” Recchio said. “However, most skateboarders see injuries as a badge of honor.”

Other facilities, such as football, baseball and soccer fields, have a higher rate of injury, he said, although he thought since much skateboarding is unsupervised, injuries could be underreported. “If you talk to the kids out here that are actually skateboarding, they will confirm the fact that they don’t have to tell anybody,” he said.

Most skateboard-related injuries occur on homemade ramps or skating in unsafe areas and too See SKATE, page 18

Pat Rooney’s New District Would Include Nearly All Of The Acreage

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report During a legislative update at the Indian Trail Improvement District meeting Wednesday, State Rep. Pat Rooney (R-District 83) announced that his newly drawn district will cover almost all of The Acreage.

“We were tasked with redistricting, which we do every 10 years,” Rooney said when recounting the recent legislative session in Tallahassee. “That, I would say, took up a majority of our time. We obviously passed the budget, but a lot of our tie-up there was spent on redistricting, trying to come up with these districts that are going to match with population shifts, as well as complying with recently passed amendments 5 and 6,

which said that the districts needed to be compact, contiguous, not favoring one party over another or one incumbent over another, all the while complying with the Federal Voting Rights Act. It’s a very complicated process.”

Rooney noted that the Redistricting Committee held meetings all over the state taking public input.

“I think they had 27 meetings taking in maps from groups or the public, and trying to incorporate all those maps into a collective map that both the House and the Senate presented to the Florida Supreme Court,” he said. “The good news is the House side, our map was passed by the Supreme Court unanimously, 7-0.”

In that map, Rooney’s current

District 83 was redrawn into the new District 85.

“The good news for all of you in The Acreage that like me, I will be representing pretty much all of The Acreage,” he said. “I ended up losing Palm Beach, Singer Island and almost all of Jupiter, which is unfortunate, but I think it does help, instead of representing about a third of The Acreage, I will now represent pretty much all of it. That’s the good news, and hopefully I will have the opportunity to represent you next year.”

The Senate map did not pass on the first go-around, and lawmakers had to go back to Tallahassee for a special session last month. “Their map has since been resubmitted to the Supreme See ROONEY, page 7

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Wellington Leaves Inspector General Funding Lawsuit

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington pulled out of the lawsuit challenging the funding of Palm Beach County’s Office of the Inspector General on Tuesday after a unanimous decision by the newly constituted Wellington Village Council.

Last year, Wellington joined 15 municipalities in a lawsuit protesting the financing mechanism for the inspector general. The decision prompted outcry from the community and was a divisive issue in the recent municipal election.

Vice Mayor Howard Coates, who had voted against joining the lawsuit when it first came before the council, reiterated his concerns that public perception regarding the lawsuit made taking part in it a bad choice.

“Even if there was absolutely no question that we were challenging the funding mechanism for this,” he said, “it would be perceived by our residents as we were trying to attack the inspector general directly and indirectly cut the knees out from under the inspector general by cutting her funding. Unfortunately, I was correct when I predicted what the perception would be.”

Dropping out of the lawsuit would “take a big step in undoing

the negative perception that occurred,” he said.

During public commentary, County Commissioner Jess Santamaria urged the council to follow the will of the voters — 72 percent of whom voted to create the Office of the Inspector General and bring the municipalities under its purview.

“You have a mandate from the people of Wellington,” he said.

“Many of those people who elected you are in the 72 percent.”

He decried the municipalities taking part in the lawsuit. “They don’t want to be watched,” Santamaria said. “We want you to open the doors, open the windows and let the sun shine in.”

He pointed out that he was investigated himself by the inspector general. “I welcomed the investigation,” Santamaria said. “That was the way for me to vindicate myself, and I was vindicated.”

Resident Ernie Zimmerman said that the prior council went against the will of Wellington residents.

“If they’re doing their job correctly, they have nothing to hide,” he said. “We are known as ‘Corruption County’ — let the inspector general do her job. Pull out of the lawsuit. We don’t belong in the lawsuit.”

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig See LAWSUIT, page 18

EASTER EGG HUNT

Wellington held its annual egg hunt Saturday, April 7 on the softball fields at Village Park. Hundreds of residents came out to hunt for more than 40,000 eggs. The egg hunt was divided into four age gr oups: age 2 and under, 3-4, 5-7 and 8-10.

Shown here, Kohl and Jack Ziegler check out what’s in their Easter eggs. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Seeks Equestrian Input

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report As Wellington begins to update its Equestrian Master Plan, residents — equestrians or not — are invited to provide input during two public forums this month.

On Monday, April 16 and Monday, April 23 at 6:30 p.m., residents can voice their opinions on the area’s equestrian future at meetings held at the Wellington municipal complex.

The update is a way to provide a road map for the future of the Wellington Equestrian Preserve as

it continues to grow, said Michael O’Dell, who is overseeing the Equestrian Master Plan.

Though staff members already have been surveying the equestrian community at local venues, O’Dell stressed the need for input from pleasure riders — those who use Wellington’s extensive equestrian amenities such as bridle trails but don’t necessarily compete.

“That segment of the community is what is missing right now from our survey information,” he said. “We are trying to target the See EQUESTRIAN, page 4

P.W. Hospital CEO Eric Goldman Settling Into The Job

Palms West Hospital CEO Eric Goldman

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Eric Goldman told the TownCrier this week that he is settling in comfortably as the new CEO at Palms West Hospital.

Goldman took over the post last month, replacing Bland Eng, who took a position at another HCA medical facility, Brandon Regional Hospital in the Tampa area.

Goldman is familiar with Palm Beach County, having worked at Columbia Hospital for eight years as chief operating officer and one year as interim CEO before transferring to Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, also an HCA facility.

He has served as chief operating officer there since 2006.

Goldman’s wife, Jennifer, and two children, Drew, 5, and Ali, 4, will remain in Jacksonville until the end of the school year.

“They’re going to wait until the school year is out, and we’re going to find a home in Wellington,” he said. “We just didn’t want to change schools and then potentially have to change schools one more time, based on wherever we purchase a house.”

Goldman said he is thrilled to be back in the area. “We really liked the area before,” he said. “We felt very comfortable living in this area.

My wife grew up in Hollywood, so she’s from South Florida. I’m originally from Ohio, but I’ve been in Florida for 17 years.”

Goldman received his bachelor’s degree at Ohio University in Athens and a master’s degree in health finance management at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. After Baltimore, he made his way to Florida.

“There was an opportunity in the Clearwater area, and within the first several months, HCA purchased the facilities, and so after working for them for a period of time finishing up my residency, they ended up hiring me to work as an assistant administrator at those facilities,” he said. “Then, when the opportunity at Columbia opened up, it just seemed like a great opportunity.”

Goldman said he is excited to be

moving to Palms West Hospital in the midst of a major expansion project, adding a fourth level to the east wing. A special ceremony is planned for next Tuesday morning to celebrate the topping out of the project.

“It certainly shows the commitment that HCA has here at Palms West and has to the western communities,” Goldman said. “Not very often do you get to walk into an opportunity where the hospital is on an upswing. Oftentimes people leave when a hospital is down, and so, fortunately, Bland has done an exceptional job here helping continue the progress that started basically with Mike See GOLDMAN, page 18

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NEWS

LGWCD: Investigate Complaint Sent From PBSO E-mail Address

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board decided Monday to call for third-party inquiries into a letter sent to Gov. Rick Scott from a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office e-mail address that alleged board mismanagement and corruption in the speed-bump portion of a paving project near completion.

District Administrator Clete Saunier said he’d received a memo from the governor’s office dated March 21, along with a copy of the letter. Saunier said several board members had directed him to put the letter on the agenda, adding that the writer’s name had been stricken in copies sent to members as well as in the agenda materials, at the request of PBSO Lt. David Combs, commander of the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation, who is investigating the situation.

Saunier said the letter made a number of allegations against the district and had been filed with the

governor’s office by a district property owner.

The letter questions the legitimacy of the water control district.

“We are a town with council members voted by majority votes of the residents (which is great),” the letter stated. “We also have the Loxahatchee [Groves] Water Control District still operating under antiquated statutes giving them the authority based on its members being elected by one vote per acre.”

The letter asserted that a monopoly bloc has been elected to the board by a few large landowners and is imposing regulations and creating special taxing districts for road improvements.

“This is where a major mismanagement of taxpayers’ money comes in because three people on the water district board placed there by one vote per acre, not the majority of residents, are doing what they want carte blanche regardless of what the taxpayers who are paying for the improvements want,” the writer continued.

The letter went on to complain about the placement of speed bumps on recently improved roadways and asserted that the decision puts residents at risk by delaying essential lifesaving services.

LGWCD Chairman Dave DeMarois asked attorney Mary Viator about the author’s name being stricken and whether it became public record if sent to the governor’s office. Viator said there are no provisions for exemptions other than for custodians of certain information, for which a written request for such an exemption must be made. “To our knowledge, no such written request was made,” Viator said.

Supervisor John Ryan said he thought such allegations should be formally reviewed by their attorney and a response made to appropriate public authorities that might be involved.

“I think that these include the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Palm Beach County Ethics Commission, the Palm Beach

IT’S WELLINGTON GARDEN WEEK

County Office of the Inspector General, the governor’s office, the local [legislative] delegation staff, and most importantly, the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council,” Ryan said. “I think that there were several issues with the e-mail coming from a PBSO address.”

Ryan noted that the use of PBSO e-mail might give the comments more credibility than if they’d come from another resident, “especially with respect to emergency response.”

Ryan suggested that the board make a list of the issues raised in the letter and explain why the decisions were made. “We have a liability for the work that we authorize on behalf of the district,” he said. “We have to have a reasonable basis for making our decisions.”

He noted that the discussion regarding speed bumps on paved roads dates back to at least 2006, noting that there are special circumstances where the district’s canals are immediately adjacent to the roads.

“We cannot afford the guardrails,” Ryan said. “We found that the nature and spacing of the speed humps do control the speed and have prevented accidents.”

Ryan added that there are several Florida Supreme Court judgments upholding the validity of the one-acre, one-vote method for certain rural areas.

Supervisor Don Widing said he respects people’s right to free speech and their right to address

their concerns with elected officials.

“However, in this case, there was a public charge of corruption by a formal complaint,” Widing said. “My livelihood depends on my reputation and my credibility…

Therefore, I request that some direction be given to our attorney to have this matter brought here before the state attorney or the [Florida Commission on Ethics] so we get some type of third-party review of this.”

Supervisor Frank Schiola agreed that the matter should be moved to an investigating agency. “This is all part of transparency,” he said.

DeMarois asked Viator about breaking down the allegations, but Widing said he preferred to send the complaint in its entirety. “The charge of ‘corruption’ is what needs to be looked at and needs to be defined,” Widing said.

Viator said the complaint could be referred to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office or the Florida Commission on Ethics for an advisory opinion, noting that it’s within the board’s discretion.

During public comment, several residents said they thought the board was overreacting and that referring the issue to other agencies was a form of retaliation, but Widing disagreed.

“I would like to think that a majority of our residents would respect this board for wanting to have a third-party review of this,” he said. “I think that’s important. I don’t think the residents of this

town deserve anything less.”

DeMarois said Viator had told him people have a right to say what they want to a certain extent, and that he thought if the governor’s office suspected the board was corrupt, there would already be an investigation.

“I just don’t see that happening, and far as the people there, they have to have a way of venting,” he said. “I would like to see them restrict themselves to coming up to the meetings and vent that way, rather than get other public agencies involved, but I’m not going to support going in for a formal investigation.”

Combs commented that the situation and how it came about is being taken very seriously by the PBSO. “That complaint came to my desk for investigation,” Combs said. “I have completed an investigation and turned over my findings to my commander. I just want you to know that it has been looked at, and there is no question of whether it has been swept under the rug. That does not happen.”

Combs said that when the findings have been finalized, he would pass the information on to Saunier.

A motion was made to direct staff to refer the complaint to the State Attorney’s Office and the Florida Commission on Ethics with a request to investigate, which carried 4-1 with DeMarois opposed.

Candidates Have Until April 20 To Qualify For LGWCD Ballot

The Wellington Garden Club received an official proclamation from the Village of Wellington proclaiming April 14-22 as Wellington Garden Week. Wellington Garden Club President Susan Hillson (left) and Wellington Garden Week Chair Barbara Hadsell (right) received the proclamation from Councilman Matt Willhite at the April garden club meeting. You can help celebrate by taking part in the club’s “Secret Gardens of Wellington: A Garden Tour” on Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets cost $25 the day of the tour, sold only at First Baptist Church of Wellington (12700 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). For more info., visit www.wellingtongardenclub.org.

Breathtaking events are par for the course.

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1550 Flagler Parkway, West Palm Beach, FL 33411 breakerswestclub.com

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors will get its first popularly elected member this year — but candidates have only until April 20 to qualify for the ballot.

The LGWCD board adopted the procedures for the election Monday after Gov. Rick Scott signed the enabling legislation April 6, according to District Administrator Clete Saunier.

Once the election takes place, the board seat currently held by Supervisor Robert Snowball will be converted into the qualified elec-

tor seat. Snowball announced this week that he will not seek re-election to the board.

Due to a change in the district’s charter mandated by a referendum last year, one seat on the board is now reserved for a popular vote by “qualified electors.” A “qualified elector” under Florida statutes is a property owner or spouse who is also a registered voter. Candidates and voters taking part in the election must all fit the “qualified elector” definition.

The election will be held June 25, but qualifying opens at noon Monday, April 16 and closes at noon on April 20.

Candidates must register with the Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections office during the qualification period and pay a $25 registration fee.

The language provided in the enabling legislation that addresses candidates who qualify with the Supervisor of Elections office was written in order to coincide with Judicial Candidate Qualifying, which also takes place next week, according to Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher.

More information about the qualified elector position is on the district’s web site at www.lgwcd. org.

Page 4 April 13 - April 19, 2012

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OUR OPINION

Wellington Council Right To Abandon Inspector General Lawsuit With the headache of the recent election recount behind them, the new members of the Wellington Village Council were sworn in this week, and they wasted no time in getting down to business, voting unanimously to remove the village from the lawsuit against Palm Beach County over funding for the Office of the Inspector General. We commend the council for showing that Wellington cares about good government and listening to the people.

The lawsuit, filed last November, included 15 municipalities who argued that they were being asked to “pay twice” for the inspector general and decided to throw a monkey wrench into what was starting to look like real progress in the effort to shed the “Corruption County” moniker.

When the Wellington council voted to join the lawsuit, we were disappointed, as were many residents, who thought the matter had been settled when they voted overwhelmingly to support the creation of the office. Vice Mayor Howard Coates, who did not support the original decision to join the suit and motioned to remove Wellington from the lawsuit at Tuesday’s council meeting, was correct when he said joining the lawsuit created a perception problem for the village.

Though proponents of the lawsuit are trying to convince voters that they are being taxed

twice, Mayor Bob Margolis noted that funding the office costs each resident no more than the equivalent of two or three postage stamps — a pretty good deal for honest government.

Palm Beach County has a long way to go to change its image problem and renew public trust in government. The creation of the Office of the Inspector General was a necessary first step, but the continued resistance on the part of the 14 municipalities not only is preventing Inspector General Sheryl Steckler from doing her job; it’s adding to the perception that the elected officials behind the lawsuits have something to hide. We just hope that when it is finally settled, the inspector general’s office has enough resources to properly do its job. Going back to the old way of doing business stopped being an option after November 2010, when Palm Beach County voters said no to corruption and supported the Office of the Inspector General with a 72 percent majority.

Wellington council members did the right thing in voting to remove the village from the lawsuit and open it up to scrutiny from Steckler’s office. While it is unfortunate that the 14 remaining municipalities are continuing with the lawsuit, we’re thankful that no municipality in the western communities remains a party to the matter. We just wish that more municipalities would follow Wellington’s lead and end the lawsuit.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Kudos To RPB Young At Heart Club Idol Lunch The Royal Palm Beach third annual Senior Idol luncheon, sponsored by the Young at Heart Club, was the most enjoyable afternoon that I have spent in a very long time.

The entertainment was just extraordinary and the members such a pleasure to share time with. Congratulations to all those who worked hard and were a part of this wonderful event.

Councilwoman Martha Webster Royal Palm Beach

Don’t Blame Cops For Not Being Everywhere Last night my wife and I watched the new Wellington Village Council in its first meeting. I had intended to be there, but eye surgery/ poor vision kept me at home.

I wish our new leaders well, for as they go, so too does our village (not city). I support and trust them to be our voices. I was, however, disappointed to hear a gentleman get up and denigrate the police and suggest a private security firm in its stead. He started out by complaining about traffic deaths, certainly important to all of us, but then he started to badmouth the police. My wife poked me in the side and said, “I bet that he got a ticket recently.” Not five seconds later, the gentleman said his wife got a ticket for an unregistered car.

Soon thereafter he complained that Palm Beach County probably had more unregistered cars than anywhere else in the state. Yes, and he had one of them! I don’t believe insurance would cover an unregistered car. As a former police officer, I have time and again heard rants from wonderful citizens who turn into ranting individuals after getting a summons. ’Tis the nature of things.

I told one person who started to insult me while I was writing him a violation, inferring that I was a dolt: “Life is like an onion, you peel it off one layer at a time, and sometimes you cry.” — George Bernard Shaw.

The police have had a hiring freeze, a wage freeze, and we ex-

pect them to do ever more with less. Capt. Jay Hart has not only been our police chief (in name), but he has been our friend and has devoted himself to his/our village.

He lives here, too.

The police cannot be responsible for people who get killed on a winding road, who at high speed hit a tree, having never applied their brakes, nor can they be responsible for a car cutting in front of a motorcycle. Rather, it is we the parents and family members who must teach and watch our children more closely, for drugs, drinking and reckless driving. We see them when they go out and sometimes when they return, not the police.

Two elected officials’ kids received tickets (announced from the podium), and that speaks highly of the officers, their leadership and the officials, because all did their jobs. The parents thanked the police, and the sheriff’s deputies did their job; most parents yell at the police. Kudos to the officials who thanked the police and admonished their kids, for this is not the norm.

As a society, we must take responsibility for our acts, our children’s acts, and not expect the police to be everywhere at all times, especially when times are tough, and our economy prevents more hiring. To Councilwoman Anne Gerwig, who wants a meeting with our police: I say, fine, but curving roads, speeding, drinking, etc., are personal responsibility, and sadly the police cannot be everywhere. But they surely are there to clean up the carnage after people do stupid things in vehicles.

Perhaps outlawing phones and texting while driving might help, too. Statistics show they cause more accidents now than DUIs. Perhaps the council might want to look into addressing this to our state elected officials, as other states have enacted laws. Does Florida have to be last yet again?

Some accidents are just that, but too often accidents were/are avoidable.

George Unger Wellington

West Wrong About EPA According to last week’s TownCrier report ofAllen West’s recent

presentation in Royal Palm Beach (“Congressman Allen West Meets With Voters In Royal Palm Beach”), he told his audience that new EPA regulations on water runoff will be costly to taxpayers, especially farmers. Organic wastes such as sewage and farm waste impose high oxygen demands on the receiving water, leading to oxygen depletion with potentially severe impacts on the whole eco-system.

Like other Republicans (Rep. Rooney and Sen. Rubio) who strongly oppose EPA regulations, West does not address the real costs to taxpayers; that of higher costs required to provide potable drinking water, water pure enough to be consumed or used with low risk of immediate or long-term harm.

The worse the pollutants in water runoff, the higher the cost to water plants, and ultimately to consumers, in producing quality drinking water.

It seems to me that the high costs of producing potable drinking water and, more ultimately, human health, should be the greater reason for requiring reduction in runoff pollutants. Instead, West tells farmers that it will be too costly to them to reduce pollutants. Republicans in the past have also used scare tactics, warning about the increased cost to consumers, passed on by water plants.

West and other Republicans also use similar arguments against EPA requirements for reduction of pollutants in air quality. Again, they stress the cost to the polluting corporations as too great to bear.

Cost-benefits of EPA regulations vary with reports. Science Daily says water pollution costs at least $4.3 billion a year. An EPA study regarding the benefits and cost of the 1990 Clean Air Act estimates its direct benefits will reach almost $2 trillion for the year 2020, dwarfing the direct cost of $65 billion for implementation. It estimates that 230,000 early deaths will be prevented. According to www.thinkprogress.org, the combined costs of the rules finalized by the Obama administration’s EPA would amount to less than 0.1 percent of the economy.

West never addresses the cost to human life and the healthcare system for illnesses related to water pollution from contaminants in water (and, yes, water other than that we drink as well) or those related to air pollution such as asth-

ma, heart and lung disease. Instead, West, again stands on the side of the polluters.

PatriciaAbbott Royal Palm Beach

Good Luck To New Officials We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate our newly elected Mayor Bob Margolis and councilmen Matt Willhite and John Greene, and wish them well as they begin their service to our community.

We would also like to publicly thank Judge Robin Rosenberg for providing an opportunity for a manual hand count to assure all Wellington residents that the correct candidates were sworn in this past Tuesday evening.

Wellington is a wonderful community, and it is time now to move forward working together to plan for the future success of the village we all care about.

Kathy Foster and Gaye Scarpa Wellington Editor’s note: Ms. Foster and Ms. Scarpa were the plaintiffs in one of the lawsuits filed regarding the disputed March 13 Wellington election.

Drug Testing Law Makes Perfect Sense In its role as parens patriae, the state assumes the responsibility to protect children, often from their guardians, but not children on welfare. Apparently to require that the child’s guardian is not snorting cocaine is unconstitutional — that is, if blood testing is required as a condition to qualifying for welfare benefits for the child or the child’s family.

A judge appointed by George W. Bush just temporarily put a hold on Gov. Rick Scott’s law. The fact is that laws that seek to protect children are nothing new.

Infant seats are mandatory in vehicles used on Florida’s public roads. In order to protect children from being sucked into a pool filter, one Florida bill would require every pool in the state to be fitted with a suction entrapment prevention system. To further protect children, Florida’s Pedestrian-Bicycle Program oversees the Florida School Crossing Guard Train-

ing Program, the Florida Traffic Safety Education Program and the Safe Routes to School Program.

Children must be vaccinated against the parents’ will if they attend a public school — unless, of course, the drug is not available.

Children under 16 cannot ride in the Ocala National Forest or Croom unless they pass a safety course given by the government.

The Florida Department of Health is so concerned about proper supervision of children that it passed the Residential Swimming Pool Safety Act. This law requires that pools be enclosed, requires an alarm on any door or window that allows pool access, requires selfclosing door latches at least 54 inches from the ground, and only certain types of pool covers are allowed for the protection of children. No invasion of privacy here, I guess. I could go on, but suffice it to say that the State of Florida is second to none when it comes to protecting children.

Curiously, I have read article after article criticizing Gov. Rick Scott for advocating that guardians of welfare children be tested for drugs before they are allowed to collect money from the state, money that actually belongs to the child. Critics claim Scott’s law is an invasion of privacy. In this case, the state has no right to know what is in your blood. Taken to the extreme, the state has no right to know what is in your brain, and so therefore school exams are an invasion of privacy. The scary part is that someone out there probably agrees. I am a libertarian but not a liberal. I expect that someone will start a riot because blood tests are required before obtaining a marriage license.

Let me be perfectly clear: Scott’s law does not require welfare recipients to be tested for drugs before they are entitled to receive benefits unless there are minor children who are entitled to the benefits. If I’m still not clear, let me say it an-

other way: The law requires only the guardian of a child to be tested. If the guardian fails the test, the child can still receive benefits.

In case I still failed to communicate, let me make an analogy. A trust is administered by a trustee and the beneficiary is the one who is entitled to the money in the hands of the trustee. Since the trustee holds the money, say $100 million, she might decide to buy a pound of heroin for her personal recreational use, and she might just be too high to provide for the rich child’s needs. Testing the trustee to make sure that the trustee is not a drug addict might make sense.

But not if the child is on welfare, according to critics of Scott’s law.

Instead of sitting on the couch eating potato chips and watching a talking head with biased opinions and offering half-truths, we should do our own due diligence.

We might all find, as I have, the actual text of Scott’s law, which does not provide for testing all welfare recipients, but only the guardian of the child’s welfare money and only families with minor children. I’ve done the work and here is the text: Section 414.0652 Drug screening for applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families.

(1)(a) An individual subject to the requirements of this section includes any parent or caretaker…

(2)(b) Require that for two-parent families, both parents must comply with the drug-testing requirement.

(2)(c) Require that any teen parent…

(3)(a) The dependent child’s eligibility for TANF benefits is not affected.

Not everyone will be tested, only those who are in charge of money due a minor child. Maybe this subtle distinction will be lost on some, but for me it makes perfect sense.

Frank Morelli Wellington

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NEWS Equestrian

Two Public Meetings

continued from page 1 folks who enjoy riding around Wellington. We want their input.”

The Equestrian Master Plan will help Wellington as the equestrian community continues to grow.

“The northern half of Wellington, from Pierson Road northward, was a planned community,” O’Dell told the Town-Crier Monday. “If you look back, the concept for the southern half was supposed to be ‘ranchettes.’ You’d have a house, a barn… but the rest would be left at grade. It would be mostly open pastures. It was for the backyard type of pasture areas and pleasure riding.”

At that time, O’Dell said, Wellington was not the competitive

equestrian destination it is today.

“We didn’t have equestrian venues,” he said. “No one, at the time, was thinking of the competitive riding aspect of the industry.

Thirty years later, here we are. The equestrian industry in Wellington is heavily driven by competition.”

Because there was no concrete plan in place for the growth of the Wellington Equestrian Preserve, some concerns still need to be addressed.

“We have these competition facilities,” O’Dell said, “and the need to get to and from these venues for both vehicle and equestrian traffic has created problems for us.”

The intersection of Pierson Road and South Shore Blvd. is a particularly problematic spot, he said. “We have to evaluate how we cross roads,” O’Dell said. “Is there a better solution?”

Other problems Wellington has encountered include removal of horse waste.

“The horse is a great ambassador for us here in Wellington,” he said. “But it also creates great problems for us in the form of horse waste. That’s what we’re looking at from a master plan view. We want to look at what is needed to continue to give value to the community, but also to identify those constraints we’ll have as we continue to grow.”

Already, Wellington staffers have been studying the equestrian community, which has the potential to double in size, O’Dell said.

Currently, Wellington has 8,500 permanent stalls, with another 3,000 to 4,000 temporary stalls added during season. Every year, between 12,000 and 14,000 horses come through Wellington during the competitive season, while

about 3,000 to 4,000 of them stay year-round.

“We’re basically saying, ‘Here’s where we are. Here are the venues, the traffic situation, and here’s the projection of where we could be going,’” O’Dell said.

There are still about 600 properties, which are either single-family homes with no equestrian use, or vacant land with no identifiable use that could be used for future growth.

“Those properties could, over time, be transmitted and converted into equestrian uses,” O’Dell said. “We have looked at the development of the 3,500 permanent stalls and 500-plus farms over the years to look for a trend. If the pattern for development remained, we could end up with between 4,000 and 6,000 more permanent stalls in Wellington. That’s getting close to double the current stalls —

about 75 to 80 percent more.”

The Equestrian Master Plan will give Wellington the chance to evaluate the guidelines already in place and how they affect the community, as well as consider new policies in the preserve.

“That’s part of the debate, and part of what we need to talk about,” he said. “In the [preserve], we have restricted ourselves purposely. None of the roads are more than two lanes. But we’re looking at the traffic volumes, and asking if it makes sense.”

O’Dell pointed to the Little Ranches community on Wellington’s northeastern border, where residents have extensive bridle paths within their community but are effectively cut off by Forest Hill Blvd.

“They can’t cross safely,” he said.

The meetings will be a chance

for residents to provide input, address concerns and contribute to the plan.

“The point right now is for people to give us ideas,” O’Dell said.

“It’s not only to tell us about concerns but also to tell us about ideas that need to be done. Some people say they need the roads paved.

Others say don’t pave their roads.

We’re going to be analyzing those comments so we can have additional meetings this fall.”

In addition to the meetings, planning students from Florida Atlantic University — who are helping to develop the plan — will be surveying residents at the Wellington Green Market over the next few Saturdays.

“We’re trying to get the community involved in the process,” O’Dell said.

For more information, call O’Dell at (561) 791-4000.

‘The point right now is for people to give us ideas,’ Project Director Mike O’Dell said. ‘It’s not only to tell us about concerns but also to tell us about ideas that need to be done. Some people say they need the roads paved. Others say don’t pave their roads. We’re going to be analyzing those comments so we can have additional meetings this fall.’

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April 13 - April 19, 2012 Page 5

NEWS

Companies Partner With Wellington On Earth Day Event April 22

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Since its iconic inception in 1970, Earth Day has been celebrated around the world, to remind people of our impact on the environment.

For this year’s Earth Day, observed Sunday, April 22, Wellington will be celebrating with a family-friendly, engaging and informative afternoon of demonstrations, green vendors, raffles and giveaways.

Wellington will be partnering up with Jet Hauling and Whole Foods Market to provide the free and public event from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater.

“The green movement is gaining so much energy now,” Whole Foods Market Marketing & Communications Specialist Lauren Belinsky said. “People really care

about what’s happening and the future of our planet.”

Wellington has been at the forefront of environmentally sustainable measures, with the creation of a 54,000-square-foot LEED gold-certified municipal complex.

Wellington Community Programs Manager Michelle Garvey is hoping that Earth Day will assist in informing all members of the community about the importance of living green.

“We need to teach the younger generation to incorporate being green into their lifestyle now,” she said. “As they get older, the idea will grow, and they will tell their children. It’s a snowball effect that will become a way of life one day.”

Earth Day is also a reminder that by just taking small steps, everyone can become more eco-friend-

ly, Garvey noted. “Even here at the aquatics complex, where my office is located, we are trying to be more energy efficient with the type of lights we use,” she said. “We have recycling bins every few feet to remind everyone, even the summer camp children, about recycling.”

The event will feature an array of eco-friendly vendors displaying products for greening your home, such as solar panels. “People can browse around and get information about anything pertaining to going green,” Garvey said. “Hopefully we can show people ways to save money by greening their homes.”

The Wellington Garden Club will be demonstrating container gardening, the Solid Waste Authority will be providing recycling information and giveaways, and

Whole Foods Market will be doing rain barrel demonstrations.

Belinsky is enthusiastic about the event because it signifies what Whole Foods Market represents.

“Caring about our communities and our environment are our core values at Whole Foods,” she said.

Earth Day is a way for companies in the community such as Whole Foods Market and Jet Hauling to showcase their eco-friendly mission to the public.

“We really wanted to come to together along with the Village of Wellington at the new amphitheater,” Belinsky said. “We are really excited to make this Earth Day as big as ever for Wellington.”

Wellington’s Earth Day celebration is a event for all members of the family. “We will have live See EARTH DAY, page 18

Whole Foods Market’s Lauren Belinsky with the water barrels that will be available for demonstration at Earth Day. PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

ROYAL PALM YOUNG AT HEART CLUB PRESENTS ITS SENIOR IDOL TALENT SHOW

Royal Palm Beach seniors showcased their talents at the Young at Heart Club Senior Idol competition Frida y, April 6 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Young at Heart Club members and local talent sang, danced and read poems, and were awarded prizes during the luncheon.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Clarence and Alice Stern perform a waltz.

Albert Magersuppe recites the poem “A Face Upon the Floor.”

Paul Magersuppe plays a song by Kenny G.

Michael Serratore sings “What a Wonderful World.”

Bella Wissing sings “Come Rain or Come Shine”

Jovanna Magersuppe performs “What I Did for Love”

Russell Gard sings “If.”

Page 6 April 13 - April 19, 2012

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CRIME NEWS

Several Acreage Homes Report Mailbox Vandalism

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report APRIL 7 — Several residents of 40th Street North called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Saturday morning to report acts of vandalism. According to four separate PBSO reports, the victims woke to discover that someone had caused damage to their mailboxes. According to the first PBSO report, sometime between 8 p.m. last Friday and 7:15 a.m. the following morning, someone removed the victim’s mailbox from the pole. The victim found the mailbox down the street, but it was smashed. The mailbox was valued at approximately $100.

There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

According to a second PBSO report, sometime between 2:45 and 11:30 a.m., someone vandalized the victim’s mailbox, causing approximately $100 in damage. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. In a third PBSO report, the victim said that sometime between 2 and 3 a.m., his wife heard a vehicle with a loud muffler come down the road. The victim later discovered that someone had damaged the door and numbers on top of the mailbox. The mailbox was valued at approximately $30.

There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

According to a fourth PBSO report, sometime between 5 p.m. last Friday and 8 a.m. the following morning, someone removed the victim’s mailbox from her property. The stolen mailbox was valued at approximately $100. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

••• APRIL 4 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to Palms West Hospital last Wednesday morning regarding a theft.

According to a PBSO report, the victim was admitted to the hospital, and sometime between 4 and 7 a.m., someone removed an iPad 2 from his room. The victim said he saw the tablet when he woke at 4 a.m. According to the report, at approximately 6:30 a.m. a hospital staff member came into the room with an unknown female. The stolen tablet was valued at approximately $729.

APRIL 6 — A resident of the Shoma Homes community called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Friday to report a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:40 and 11:30 a.m. last Thursday, someone stole $7,000 cash from the victim’s bedroom. The victim said that he shares his home with four roommates. According to the report, the victim left home at approximately 9:40 a.m. and left his bedroom door closed, but the front door unlocked. One roommate awoke around 11 a.m. and noticed the victim’s door ajar, which is unusual.

He said he looked in the room and didn’t see anyone. According to the report, the roommate left the house at approximately 11:30 a.m. and a second roommate arrived home at approximately 12:30 p.m.

The roommate said she observed PBSO deputies questioning the occupants of a silver pickup truck near the apartment. She said no one entered or left the apartment before the victim returned and dis-

covered his money missing. There was no further information at the time of the report.

APRIL 6 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to Burlington Coat Factory on Southern Blvd. last Friday afternoon regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, an unknown black male entered the store at approximately 1 p.m. and selected approximately $1,000 in clothing from the men’s department. The suspect then ran out the exit, passing all points of purchase, and got into a red 1993 Honda.

According to the report, a loss prevention officer was able to get the license plate number. However, there was no further information at the time of the report.

APRIL 7 — A resident of 94th Street North called the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Saturday afternoon to report an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 a.m. last Friday and 2 p.m. the following afternoon someone threw the victim’s picnic table into the canal behind her house and tied fishing twine around the trees in her front yard. The picnic table was valued at approximately $200.

There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 7 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to Lion Country Safari last Saturday afternoon regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim was at the water park inside Lion Country Safari between 2 and 3:08 p.m. when someone stole his Samsung cell phone. The stolen item was valued at approximately $400.

There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 8 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a home on 70th Street North last Sunday afternoon regarding a vehicle theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., someone stole the victim’s silver 2008 Polaris Razor allterrain vehicle from behind his house. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

APRIL 8 — A resident of Lake Point contacted the PBSO substation in Wellington last Sunday night to report an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:53 and 10:15 p.m., someone shattered the rear window of the victim’s van. According to the report, a neighbor was out walking her dog when she saw a black pickup truck drive up behind the van and then heard the shatter of glass. The witness said the van appeared dark in color and as if it was lifted. There was no further information at the time of the report.

APRIL 9 — The owner of a gas station in the Royal Palm Town Center called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach early Monday morning to report an attempted burglary. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 2:35 a.m., an unknown black male wearing a mask walked to the south front door of the gas station holding a brick. According to the report, the suspect hit the glass door with the brick twice, but because it was bullet proof it did not break. The suspect then walked away from the gas station. According to the See BLOTTER, page 18

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Crystal Kavanaugh is a white female, 5’5” tall and weighing 100 lbs., with brown hair and hazel eyes. Her date of birth is 09/01/81. Kavanaugh is wanted for failure to appear on a charge of possession of cocaine. Her occupation is unknown. Her last known address was Martin Avenue in Greenacres. Kavanaugh is wanted as of 04/12/12.

• Oscar Lopez, a.k.a. Jose Maldonado, Enrique Maldonado and Enrique Hernandez-Gonzales, is a white male, 5’6” tall and weighing 160 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. He has a tattoo on his back. His date of birth is 02/26/85. Lopez is wanted for failure to appear on charges of insurance fraud (staged accident) and unlawful solicitation. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 64th Place in The Acreage.

Lopez is wanted as of 04/12/12.

Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc. com.

Crystal Kavanaugh

Oscar Lopez

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERS IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.

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April 13 - April 19, 2012 Page 7

NEWS

Councilman Matt Willhite, Mayor Bob Margolis and Councilman John Greene after being sworn in.

Councilman Matt Willhite is sworn in as wife Alexis and sons Luke and Mark look on.

Councilman John Greene is sworn in.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Margolis, Willhite & Greene Take Oath To Formally Join Council

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Residents gathered outside the Wellington municipal complex Tuesday, April 10 to watch as a landmark municipal election came to an end.

Nearly a month after voters went to the polls, election winners Mayor Bob Margolis, Councilman Matt Willhite and Councilman John Greene took the oath of office.

“I’m really humbled by this turnout,” Margolis said. “It has been a

long month since the election, and I think all three of us feel like we’ve been through three elections. I think we will go down in history as having one of the longest municipal elections, certainly in the State of Florida.”

The Wellington election took a tumultuous turn last month when it was discovered that the results of the March 13 election had been incorrectly tallied on election night. After nearly a month of meetings, lawsuits and court hearings, an official hand recount was or-

dered to determine the true winners of the election.

Margolis received 2,947 votes (50.6 percent) to Mayor Darell Bowen’s 2,877 votes (49.4 percent). Meanwhile, Greene took 2,957 votes (51.85 percent) to Shauna Hostetler’s 2,745 votes (48.15 percent) in the Seat 1 race. Willhite easily won the Seat 4 race, taking 3,342 votes (58.07 percent) to former Councilman Al Paglia’s 2,412 votes (41.93 percent).

Margolis urged the community to come together to focus on Well-

ington’s future. “Tonight starts a new day,” he said, “a new day in moving the village forward. Rest assured that your vote did count… and that we only have good things to come.”

Greene wanted to assure all residents that he would be an advocate for the things that matter to them.

“My job is to support every resident in the Village of Wellington,” he said. “Regardless of where you stood on the issues, I give you my pledge that I will work hard for

you with every council member, staff member and resident to ensure that this remains the best place to live.”

Willhite said that he was grateful for the support from the community. “This is the most exciting $144 rollercoaster that I’ve ever had the pleasure of riding,” he said, referring to the filing fee to run for election in Wellington.

He said that he would continue to be committed to making Wellington a great place to live.

“This is a great hometown and

a great community,” he said. “We are going to continue to do great things for you. Anything we can do for you, know our doors are always open. We’re receptive to the needs of this community.”

He said that swearing in council members symbolized a new start.

“It’s time to put all the things that have happened in the last few months behind us,” he said, “and look forward to the future and the beneficial things we will do for this community.”

RPB Council OKs Ordinance To Assess Properties For Drainage

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved a stormwater utility ordinance Thursday, April 5 that would assess homes and businesses for the amount of rainwater that runs off their property.

Public Works Director Paul Webster said the intent is to establish stormwater management as a utility function and an assessment program for all developed property within the village that uses the stormwater system.

The ordinance was in response to a February workshop, when the council directed staff to develop an ordinance after hearing a presentation by consultant Scott McClelland of CDM Smith.

The assessment would be used largely for the dredging of canals

to prevent sedimentation from rendering them ineffective in controlling runoff.

Recapping the workshop presentation, McClelland explained that stormwater runoff comes from impervious areas that cannot absorb the rainfall, which requires the village to control erosion, flooding and pollution. The amount charged to the property would be relative to the amount of hard-surface area that covers it, McClelland said.

“Your village staff provides stormwater management through program management,” McClelland said, explaining that federal regulations require municipalities to comply with certain standards in order to discharge stormwater.

Royal Palm Beach’s program is fairly typical of Florida municipal-

ities. Over time, capital improvement programs are put in place, generally by public works and engineering departments. The money traditionally comes from the general fund to remedy deficiencies in the canals.

“With CDM’s help, your staff has concluded that a more equitable way to fund the program would be with a stormwater utility fee, which like all other utilities is proportional to the services being provided for the fee payer,” he said, explaining that the service is related in turn to impervious area, thereby making the fee more equitable than if it came from the general fund. “In short, the more impervious area you have, the more runoff you have, and the more service the village has to provide.”

There are about 160 stormwater

utilities in Florida, with eight in Palm Beach County, he said. “The average rate is $4.60 [per month] per billing unit, and the average rate in Palm Beach County is $5.44 per billing unit,” he said. “In most of these, the billing unit is defined as the median impervious area for single-family homes, which for the village is 2,723 square feet, based on all of your single-family homes.”

Under the formula, a single-family homeowner would pay one equivalent residential unit (ERU) per dwelling unit and nonresidential customers would pay based on the ratio of their actual impervious area to 2,723 square feet, he said.

Councilman Jeff Hmara said he favored the concept, since it was aimed more directly at the user rather than being taken out of general

revenues. “It sounds like a userfee-oriented approach to buy this service,” Hmara said.

Recalling discussion from the workshop, Vice Mayor Fred Pinto said the long-term impact of not implementing a plan would be a more expensive undertaking in the future.

McClelland said the canal system is a prime example of the purpose of a stormwater utility and addressing issues proactively.

“You are blessed right now with the fact that you have a canal system and it can accept a lot of runoff, but over time that runoff carries sediment… It builds up, and you can wait until it catastrophically fails, which is probably not a wise thing to do.”

McClelland suggested that the village slowly work to be proac-

tive with the maintenance in the canal as a budget item while doing other maintenance to reduce particulate in runoff.

Councilwoman Martha Webster asked whether a stormwater assessment would duplicate other fees. McClelland said it would not.

Village Manager Ray Liggins pointed out that in addition to the eight stormwater utilities in the county, there are also drainage districts, such as the Indian Trail Improvement District and the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District, that perform similar functions and charge assessments to property owners.

Councilman Richard Valuntas made a motion to approve the resolution, which carried unanimously. Final approval is set for Thursday, April 19.

Wellington Zoners Support Plan To Sell Equestrian Club Rec Site

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board unanimously recommended approval of a master plan amendment Wednesday that would allow a home on what is currently a polo field along Lake Worth Road.

The item was heard at a special meeting Wednesday night, postponed from the board’s April 4 meeting to allow the Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee to hear the issue.

Planning & Zoning Manager David Flinchum told the board

Rooney

ITID Visit

continued from page 1 Court,” he said, explaining that the justices will spend 30 days reviewing the map and either affirm the Senate map that was sent to them or redraw the districts themselves.

“We’ll have to wait and see what happens there.”

Rooney said their second big item, the budget, passed at about $70 billion, about the same as last year, but not with as big a deficit to eliminate.

“That was a good thing,” he

that the master plan amendment would change a 5.1-acre parcel in what’s considered the Equestrian Club development from a community equestrian workout area to a single-family dwelling unit with equestrian uses.

“The community was set up so the people on the east side, the smaller lots, had their own recreation facilities,” he said, “and the west side was by far the more equestrian uses.”

The property, owned by Grand Prix Farms, is located just west of the Equestrian Club community and is currently a polo field.

Flinchum said that it would also increase the number of units allowed by one — from 148 to 149 units in the Equestrian Club.

Flinchum said that the three internal homeowners’ associations are in support of the change. The Equestrian Preserve Committee also recommended approval.

PZA Board Member Tim Shields said he was worried that allowing the development, which is currently built out, to put in more homes on previous community space would set a bad precedent.

“My only hesitation here is that we have a development that was

plotted out and this was sold as green space,” he said. “Now that it’s built out, they are taking community space and selling it off. It concerns me that we may be setting a bad example that once a development is sold out, you can come back in and we’ll cash in your community recreational space for you to build more homes on.”

Flinchum said that normally, village staff would have the same concern; however, the HOAs have all agreed that they would like to see the parcel changed.

“When they came in before,” he said, “I told them that you have to

have the documentation to show that this is an internal matter that has been agreed upon.”

Flinchum said that there is a buyer for the property who plans to put a house on the land with equestrian uses. Yet Shields said he was “concerned about what this says to other developers who own large recreational tracts.”

Flinchum said that the space would have to be surplus, and would have to be internally supported. Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz told the board that the community was developed prior to the cluster concept in the Wellington Eques-

trian Preserve regulations.

“In terms of the future,” he said, “if something like this were proposed again, there would be greater control. This would not be a precedent for something else in the future.”

PZA Board Chair Carmine Priore III noted that the board must evaluate the plan in front of them.

“Things do change, and that’s why we have this process,” he said.

PZA Board Member Elizabeth Mariaca made a motion to approve the master plan amendment. The measure passed unanimously.

said. “Last year, we were dealing with a $4.6 billion hole. This year, it was about $1.8 billion. While that really is a lot less, last year we tackled it with a lot of low-hanging fruit that we were able to cut, because the mandate from the citizens of Florida was, ‘You deal with the budget and the deficit, and however you do it, we don’t want you raising our taxes.’ That meant getting into some of the programs and trying to find out ways we could cut out some of the waste. Last year, it was generally a little bit easier because, government generally being as big as it is, we were

able to find $4.6 billion. This year was tougher, to be quite honest with you. We had many groups come to us asking for relief, asking for help. You try to do the best you can, and in some cases you’re not able to get as much as you want.”

Among the areas he was happy to find funding for included $21 million for public libraries.

“W ith a federal match, that brings it up to about $30 million, so our libraries should be happy, at least for the next year,” Rooney said.

Another area they were able to

find money for was Everglades restoration. “Being a former member of the South Florida Water Management District Governing Board, we were always trying to find enough money to deal with some of the projects that we have to keep what we have left of the Everglades going, not just for tourism reasons or aesthetic reasons, but that’s going to be a major asset for us in terms of water supply as we go forward into the next 10, 20 or 30 years. We were able to get about $35 million for Everglades restoration.”

The legislature also addressed

some business issues he was happy about.

“That’s really the main reason I ran, trying to help businesses, specifically small businesses,” he said, noting that the governor signed a jobs package the day after the special session ended.

“One of the bills was the Workforce Alliance. The other bill dealt with unemployment, basically looking at unemployment as more of a re-employment, giving some incentives and job training to people who have been on unemployment for a significant period of time.”

Part of that package was a bill introduced by Rooney that reduced some of the regulations that businesses face when they try to get permits or licenses.

“The governor has targeted about 1,100 rules that he would like to see eliminated,” Rooney said. “We’ve dealt with about 270 in this specific bill that I was working on.”

The focus is on rules that are duplicative or obsolete.

“All in all, I think that package is really going to do some things that are going to help business,” he said.

Page 8 April 13 - April 19, 2012

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NEWS BRIEFS Charity Sale This Saturday In Wellington Cub Scout Pack 125 will hold a rummage sale Saturday, April 14 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 14843 Horseshoe Trace in Wellington (on the Paddock Park side). The sale will help raise funds for one of the Pack 125 members. For more info., call Cheryl Schrage at (561) 783-7932.

Tax Day Tea Party April 15 In Wellington The Palm Beach County Tea Party will hold its Tax Day Tea Party on Sunday, April 15 from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater. The event is family friendly and will feature prominent political guest speakers, live music, picnic foods and children’s activities, including face painting and build-a-bear stations.

The speakers include Dick Morris, U.S. Congressman Allen West (R-District 22), Anita MonCrief, Dan Mangru, Joyce Kaufman, Michael Solomon, Roberto Alonzo, State Rep. Pat Rooney (R-

District 83), State Rep. Mark Pafford (D-District 88), Slade O’Brian and Craig Henne. Live music will be provided by LeVel and special guest singers Lou Galterio and Brie Goldsobel.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for families to spend a beautiful day in a caring, fun environment and listen to influential leaders speak to the issues of the day,” said Pam Wohlschlegal, president of the Palm Beach County Tea Party. “There will be food, music and plenty of activities for children as we meet to spend time together and discuss fiscal responsibility, free markets and a constitutionally limited government.”

The amphitheater holds 5,000 people and there will be ample parking. Signing will be provided for the hearing impaired along with a specific seating area for their comfort.

The Palm Beach County Tea Party was founded by a group of Palm Beach County residents in order to inform voters of the devastating consequences of excessive government spending and taxation. The Tea Party’s three core values consist of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and the strength of the

free market system. The mission of the group includes affecting public policy in a consistent manner with its core values, working with like-minded groups and attracting, educating, organizing and activating people to become involved in civic affairs.

For more info., contact Pam Wohlschlegal at pam@palmbeach countyteaparty.org or visit www. palmbeachcountyteaparty.org.

MDA To Host ‘Wellington Executive LockUp’ April 26 The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) will be hosting the Wellington Executive Lock-Up beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, April 26 at the Stonewood Grill & Tavern. At the event, numerous local business and community leaders will be volunteering to go behind bars for the Muscular Dystrophy Association to benefit local children and adults living with neuromuscular diseases.

“The Lock-Up is one of my favorite events,” said Lauren Spalding, executive director for the

Greater Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast District MDA office.

“It’s a great opportunity for community leaders to show their support for all the children and adults that the MDA serves. The best part is that they get to take an hour of their day to come out and have fun with other local business leaders, all for a great cause.”

Approximately 200 “jailbirds” are expected to participate in the annual executive lock-up. Representatives from various industries will be present, including elected officials, Realtors, doctors, attorneys, bankers, and members of the auto and leisure business.

During the event, jailbirds will have the opportunity to continue to raise donations for “bail,” dine and have a good time set to the music of DJ Carlos Leon of World Class Entertainment, who will be there keeping everyone motivated and having fun.

Jailbirds are raising bail by receiving donations from friends, family and business associates.

Bail for the jailbirds is set at $4,000 — the cost to send five local children to MDA Summer Camp for a week. This year, with the support of Stonewood Grill & Tavern General Manager Craig Conerly, who

is hosting this event, the bar has been raised and the event goal has been set at $72,000. The money raised at the Wellington Executive Lock-Up will help fund research and provide services to local MDA families living in Palm Beach County.

MDA is a voluntary health agency working to defeat more than 43 neuromuscular diseases through worldwide research, comprehensive services and far-reaching professional and public health education. For more on the Wellington Executive Lock-Up or MDA, call Brandy Miller at (561) 742-3748 or visit www.mda.org.

Cultural Diversity Day May 12 In Royal Palm Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach will host Cultural Diversity Day on Saturday, May 12 from 3 p.m. to sundown at Veterans Park in Royal Palm Beach.

It will be a day of celebration of all cultures that promises to increase knowledge of others and to share in diverse heritages. With

growing communities, this will be a great time to network and have fun in the park, as the community fosters more positive images for its youth and adults from diverse backgrounds.

For more information, call the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center at (561) 790-5149. Interested vendors or participants can call Elet at (561) 791-9087.

Wellington Veterans Open House May 17 Wellington and the American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Post 390 cordially invite all veterans to attend a veterans open house Thursday, May 17 from 7 to 9:30 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center, upper level. The event will feature guest speakers to raise awareness about the American Legion and the services offered to veterans.

The Wellington Community Center is located at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more information about the event or the American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Post 390, contact Tom Clapp at wellingtonlegion390@gmail.com.

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NEWS

FAMILIES TURN OUT FOR WELLINGTON’S ANNUAL EGG HUNT AT VILLAGE PARK

Wellington held its annual egg hunt Saturday, April 7 on the softball fields at Village Park. Hundreds of residents came out to hunt for more than 40,000 eggs. The egg hunt was divided into four age groups: age 2 and under, 3-4, 5-7 and 8-10.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRĂ“/TOWN-CRIER

Matthew Tunks, Annamaria Rich, Joshua Tunks, Carah Tunks and Breanna Rich.

Melanie Quartarolli, Yago Rodriguez and Guiliana Quatarolli with their huge pile of eggs.

The Sierra f amily with the Easter Bunny.

Linda and Wellington Mayor Bob Margolis, Ryan and Councilman John Greene and Parks & Recreation Director Bruce DeLaney.

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig with Sophie Columbino.

Kimberly Thomas and Isabelle and Emily Rios collect eggs.

WOMEN OF WESTERN COMMUNITIES MEET AT THE MADISON GREEN GOLF CLUB Women of Western Communities held its monthly meeting Thursday, April 5 at the Madison Green Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach. The guest speaker Robbyn Ackner spoke of her personal domestic violence story and how she changed her life with positive thinking.

Auction items were gathered for the fundraiser “A Day at the Derby� to be held May 6 at the Wanderers Club in Wellington. For more information call (561) 389-1227.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Irmgard Lee, Karen Hardin and Carol O’Neil.

Bonnie Douglas, Sandy Koffman and Sherry McCandless.

Stacey Kaufman, Robbyn and Richard Ackner, and Allyson Samiljan.

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NEWS

BCx Bootcamp Program Growing At Wellington’s Ultima Fitness

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report BCx Bootcamp — where participants might have to flip a 150pound tire or drag a heavy plate around — offers an unconventional style of fitness; some might even call it a bit extreme. Ultima Fitness in Wellington has been offering the popular workout program since December 2010.

“The workouts are very challenging, but pretty much appropriate for all fitness levels and ages,” Ultima Fitness Program Director Lynette Laufenberg said.

Ultima has restructured its BCx Bootcamp program to make it eas-

ier for more people to join. The classes were originally offered as a four- or six-week session. “Then we would take a five- or six-week break between each new session,” Laufenberg said.

People interested in the program had to register before the camp began in order to join. With the new program structure, the camp runs straight through and people are able to join at any time. “Classes will be offered all the time, and there is no start or end,” Laufenberg said.

The restructuring of the boot camp program was done to make it easier for more people to try an

Program Director Lynette Laufenberg and trainer Anthony Webb demonstrate lifting a tire, one of the boot camp activities.

interesting style of fitness. “Clients don’t have to wait for the next boot camp to start up to join in,” Laufenberg said. “They could join in at any point, and the cost is a little more feasible for most people.”

The BCx Bootcamp’s new style of programming is based on feedback from participants.

“This fits with most people’s busy and active lifestyles,” Laufenberg said. “They are able to come in when it’s right for them.”

People now have the option to either pay per class or monthly, depending upon how much they believe they’re able to attend classes. The commitment level under the previous BCx Bootcamp structure was to attend at least four classes a week. “Some people could not do that because they were too busy,” Laufenberg said.

With the new program, people are allowed to come in as many times a week as possible. “They will only pay for the number of classes they are able to attend,” Laufenberg said, “as opposed to before, when they had to pay for at least the four classes for the week.”

The BCx Bootcamp program offers 13 one-hour classes per week, with an average of 15 to 20 people per class. “We have them in early morning, mid-morning and evening,” Laufenberg said.

In BCx Bootcamp, each class is set up differently every day. “We put together a daily mission each day,” she explained. “The focus of each mission may be slightly different. One day of the week, you might be in upper extremity focus; another day, lower extremity.”

A typical BCx Bootcamp class begins with a warm-up in the pit, which is a large indoor room with bootcamp-style exercise tools.

“Depending on the daily mission, the class may be held in the pit or outside or both,” Laufenberg said.

“We have all kinds of equipment in there.”

The five BCx Bootcamp-certified trainers at Ultima Fitness get people going with a variety of workouts, from partner drills to teambuilding exercises. “We also do a lot of competitive things,” Laufenberg said. “We even take them outdoors to flip tires or throw heavy ropes around.”

Each class varies from day to day, but people still get a full workout during each session due to the metabolic training style.

“With HIIT, or high-intensity interval training, they get a little bit of everything, and there are still all the elements of fitness,” Laufenberg said. “There is conditioning, strength, cool-downs and stretch flexibility training, and they are still burning calories throughout the day.”

BCx Bootcamp is recommend-

Trainer Anthony Webb with Program Director Lynette Laufenberg.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

ed for people of all physical fitness levels, as long as the person has the willingness to work out and a positive attitude. “We have had people from every range you can imagine,” Laufenberg said. “We have had students all the way up to people in their 60s.”

The program can be modified for any person’s physical fitness level. “We have it where it’s very intense, where military people can come and work out, and they feel great and love it,” Laufenberg said.

The program has also had peo-

ple who are not as active and are very out-of-shape. “I remember one girl, who her first time in the class could not make it past 10 minutes and had to sit down because she was feeling nauseous,” Laufenberg said. “But she was determined, and made tremendous strides in her fitness, so that by the end, she was doing everything we were throwing at her with ease.”

Ulitma Fitness is located at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Wellington Plaza. For more info., visit www.wellingtonbootcamp. com or call (561) 795-2823.

BEDNER’S FARM FRESH MARKET HOSTS A DAY OF EASTER-THEMED ACTIVITIES In celebration of Easter, Bedner’s Farm Fresh Market held its thir d annual Egg’stravaganza on Friday, April 6 at its location at the intersection of State Road 7 and Lee Road. Children ages 4 to 12 competed in an Easter egg hunt competition, a Easter bonnet and bow contest, and took pictures with the Easter Bunny. For more info., visit www.bedners.com.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Bryce Calhoun, Xander Thorn, Douglas and Dominick Avallone, Nick Patrick, Daniel Moran, Isabella Avallone, Molly and Riley Patrick.

Cathy and Ben Mossy, winner of the bow tie contest.

Katie and Gaby Bowles with Johnathan Bossler.

Xander Thorn, Nick Patrick, Dominick Avallone and Bryce Calhoun count the number of eggs they found.

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April 13 - April 19, 2012 Page 11

Page 12 April 13 - April 19, 2012

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ARTIFACTS, EPHEMERA AND FINE ART NEVER SEEN BY THE PUBLIC The only existing tintype of Billy The Kid Gold Rush nuggets and mining tools

Wagons and coaches from the 19th century Infamous outlaws and famous lawmen

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POLO & EQUESTRIAN

IPC Will Remain Home To Polo’s ‘Triple Crown’ Three More Years The International Polo Club Palm Beach announced this week that it has come to an agreement with the United States Polo Association that will insure that the country’s top three tournaments — the C.V. Whitney Cup, the USPA Gold Cup and the U.S. Open Championship — will continue to be hosted by IPC for the next three years.

“We’re thrilled to know that the tradition of top quality high-goal polo will continue here at IPC,” President of Club Operations John Wash said. “Our polo manager, Jimmy Newman, our facilities director, Ray Mooney, the grounds

crew and the entire staff at the International Polo Club work hard to service the many players and teams that compete here year after year, and ensure the integrity of these esteemed tournaments. It is reassuring to know that the United States Polo Association has the confidence in our ability to continue to serve as the steward to these competitions.”

The C.V. Whitney Cup was created in 1979 and was first played at the Retama Polo Center in San Antonio, Texas, where it served as the handicap counterpart to the U.S. Open Championship. It came to the Interna-

tional Polo Club in 2003, and has made Wellington its home for the past 10 years.

The United States Open Championship has been played since 1904. After its debut at Van Cortlandt Park in New York City, the U.S. Open was played at a number of clubs, making its longest stays at the famed Meadowbrook Club in New York and the Oak Brook Polo Club in suburban Chicago.

In 2004, the International Polo Club assumed stewardship of the prized tournament.

The USPA Gold Cup was established by the USPA and debuted at the Oak Brook Polo Club in sub-

urban Chicago. After bouncing around between Texas, Connecticut and South Carolina, the USPA Gold Cup finally came to the International Polo Club in 2007, bringing all three legs of America’s Triple Crown of polo under one roof for the first time in history.

“I believe it was Skeeter’s idea,” recalled IPC Polo Manager Jimmy Newman, referring to the late S.K. Johnston III. “As I recall, he pushed to get all three of the major tournaments staged at one location. All three tournaments of the Triple Crown of Polo have been here ever since. I think that the extension of the contract be-

tween IPC and the United States Polo Association is important in solidifying the future of the game in America at its highest level.”

“We’re honored to remain the home of these revered competitions,” Wash added. “We want to continue to nurture the warm relationship we have developed over the years with our tournament sponsors, as Nespresso, Piaget and Royal Salute assist us in supporting and promoting this exciting equestrian sport.”

Terms of the contract ensure the fact that all three 26-goal tournaments will continue to call the International Polo Club home.

With its first season played in 2004, IPC is host to major tournaments and world-class events throughout Wellington’s polo season, including the highest goal polo played in the U.S. and such prestigious competitions as the Joe Barry Memorial Cup, the Ylvisaker Cup, the C.V. Whitney Cup and the Piaget Gold Cup, culminating with the Nespresso 108th playing of the coveted U.S. Open Polo Championship.

To learn more about IPC and exclusive membership and sponsorship opportunities, visit the club’s web site at www.inter nationalpoloclub.com.

Zacara Overcomes Orchard Hill 15-12 In Nespresso U.S. Open Action It was a beautiful Easter Sunday, April 8 at International Polo Club Palm Beach as children raced about Piaget Field scavenging for eggs and high-fiving the Easter Bunny.

After the fun, the 108th Nespresso U.S. Open Polo Championship returned to the field. The featured 4 p.m. match was an intense battle between Zacara and Orchard Hill, a match that was tied several times during the course of the game but saw Zacara come away with a 15-12 victory.

The Palm Beach Post’s Leslie Streeter kicked off things with her rendition of the national anthem, followed by Super Bowl champion and New York Giants starting safety Antrel Rolle, who was the honorary coin toss participant.

Zacara’s Facundo Pieres and Mike Azzaro began with a bang, opening the match with three consecutive goals. With only twoand-a-half minutes left in the first

The Maguire family.

IMAGE COURTESY LILA PHOTO

chukker, Orchard Hill’s Pablo MacDonough put his team on the board, and just minutes later his teammate, Mariano Gonzalez, converted a penalty shot to tie it up 33 before the close of the first chukker.

Orchard Hill’s Lucas Criado scored the first goal of the second chukker, followed by a Zacara goal

by Magoo Laprida, and both teams continued to keep the momentum until halftime. With one point dividing them, the score was 8-7 Orchard Hill. It wasn’t until the fifth chukker that Zacara’s defense kept Orchard Hill scoreless, leading them to a 15-12 victory. Pieres was named MVP and was the highest scorer with nine goals.

The Nespresso 108th U.S. Open Polo Championship continues Sunday, April 15 at International Polo Club Palm Beach with the quarterfinals set for 4 p.m. Don’t forget to mark your calendars for the U.S. Open Final on Sunday, April 22.

With seven state-of-the-art polo fields, a stunning newly renovated pavilion and a variety of entertainment, IPC is the place to see and be seen every Sunday.

Whether it’s enjoying a glass of champagne, the spectacular fieldside brunch, or partaking in reserved lawn seating, Wellington Kids Zone or general admission seating, IPC has something to offer every level of spectator.

For season information and tickets, visit www.international poloclub.com. Find IPC on Facebook, follow on Twitter @SundayPolo or visit www.ipcscoreboard. com for up-to-date scores, schedules, rosters and all other polo info.

In a close game, Zaraca pulled ahead in the second half.

Kids in action during the Easter egg hunt.

Antrel Rolle, Graham Reid and Dr. Dror Paley.

IMAGES COURTESY LILA PHOTO

Retired football player Warren Sapp with Alex Webbe.

IMAGES COURTESY ALFABPHOTO

Page 14 April 13 - April 19, 2012

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SCHOOL NEWS

Walmart Donates FCAT Incentives To Seminole Ridge High School In its continuing support of Seminole Ridge High School, the Walmart Neighborhood Market at Okeechobee Blvd. and Jog Road has donated a new bicycle and a $50 gift card to be among the achievement incentives for FCAT testing at SRHS. “This is the same store that donated $1,000 to debate earlier this year, and the Ridge is thankful to have the Walmart Neighborhood Market as a partner in education,” SRHS Principal James Campbell said.

• Hawks Film for Road Safety — SRHS students in Ken Klammer’s driver education classes honed their acting skills on March 28 in a video series filmed for the National Road Safety Foundation (NRSF), in cooperation with the National Association of School Resource Officers (NASRO).

NASRO staff visit schools before prom, encouraging teens to make responsible decisions, especially when to comes to driving.

Studies show that three of the most dangerous times in a high school senior’s life are just before prom, the night of prom and the summer after graduation. The video series, titled “Stay in the Pic-

ture,” shows teens taking photos while getting ready for prom, at the prom and on the beach after graduation. In each case, someone disappears from the photo while audiences hear the sounds of a car crash.

In the video, Hawk students relax on the beach, playing Frisbee or volleyball; later, they load too many kids into a car, and there’s loud music and lots of distractions, demonstrating the behavior that leads to a traffic fatality.

Beginning next month, public schools will use the “Stay in the Picture” series to reinforce the NRSF/NASRO message.

• NHS Elects Officers for 201213 — The Seminole Ridge chapter of the National Honor Society has elected its officers for the coming school year. They are as follows: Cameron Schneider, president; Janae Moodie, vice president; Mitchell Vasquez, treasurer; Rosemary Murray and Megan O’Hara, editors; Kristen Castilla, historian; Jaqueline Campos, parliamentarian; and Julia Marin, Wayne Selogy and Jenna Skinner, social directors.

• Debaters Qualify Six for Nationals — The SRHS debate team

SRHS students judge Pierce Hammock science projects. competed in the Palm Beach Catholic Forensics League Grand Finals Tournament March 30-31, and six Hawk students qualified for national competition in May. The results are as follows: Dominic Anaya and Devon Redmond: first place, duo interpretation; Robert Botkin: second place, extemporaneous speaking; Wayne

Selogy: fourth place, student Congressional debate; and Melissa Garrity and Michelle Ward: sixth place, duo interpretation.

• Hawks Judge Pierce Hammock Science Fair — Seminole Ridge students served as judges April 4 for the Pierce Hammock Elementary School Science Fair.

Judging the competition: seniors

Tommy Cox, Benoit Cloutier, Ashley Rice and Semuel St. Aubin as “Stay in the Picture” actors.

Matthew Coulter, Patrick Eden, Julia Frate, Cash Galko, Brittany Godfrey, Savannah Kowalski, Candice Lynch, Caitlin Miller, Devon Redmond and Kaley Trsinar; juniors Kyle Maglietta, Joey Martinez, Alex Puig, Jared Skinner and Jenna Skinner; and sophomore Sam Smith.

SRHS students judged the

Pierce Hammock projects on the rigor of scientific or mathematical investigation, on the creative ability of investigation, on their thoroughness, neatness and clarity, and on their skill level versus other entries in the same division.

Award-winning projects advance to district competition at the South Florida Fairgrounds in May.

Dream School Students Celebrate Pi Day NEW HORIZONS AWARDED

Sixth-graders Christian Urreiztieta and Benji Eckbo Daniels show off their Pi Day shirts.

What could be better than pie?

How about Pi Day at the Dream Middle School?

Each year, math instructor David Van Popering creates an entire day devoted to the number pi in honor of his favorite irrational number (3.14159…), and this year was no different.

“This is a fun way for the students to learn not just a math concept but how it shows up in the world around them,” Van Popering said.

To celebrate the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter, students began their day by creating their own pi attire. Designs ranged from painting the pi symbol to creating clever pie-shaped images and slogans.

Students also held a competition to see how many numbers of pi they could memorize. Ten middle school students were able to recite it to 20 decimals, and the winner of the contest, Kali

Ashurst, was able to recall the number to 24 places. Ashurst was also the winner of last year’s pi memory contest.

And of course, everyone’s favorite math-named dessert was served after lunch. Students enjoyed key lime, cherry, apple and pecan pie from the local Publix bakery.

“In keeping with tradition, the day closed with the annual pi raffle,” Van Popering said. “Students voted for the pi T-shirts they liked the best.

The top ten winners’ names were put into a raffle and seventhgrader Chase Yarborough won the chance to pie the teacher of his choice.”

Phys ed coach Max Krieger received the honor of being pied this year.

For more information about Ideal Elementary School and Dream Middle School, visit www.dream ideal.com or call (561) 791-2881.

Send school news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

IN HORSE ART CONTEST

The New Horizons Elementary School Art Department participated in Equestrian Sports Productions’ inaugural horse statue competition at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Art teacher Katie Graham, along with many student volunteers, adorned the 6-foot horse with bright colorful mosaic tiles. At the event, the New Horizons horse was awarded “Most Creative.” Pictured here, Graham and students Amber Letherbarrow, Jadzia Milan, Aneesha Vadde and Katarina Alvarez decorate the horse.

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SCHOOL NEWS

WHS Students Attend Achievement Dinner For the past 34 years, members of the Palm Beach County business community have sponsored an elegant event in recognition of the county’s top scholars. This year, approximately 250 students from high schools across Palm Beach County were invited to the 34th annual Palm Beach County Scholastic Achievement Dinner at the Breakers, where they enjoyed a five-course meal while discussing their plans for college and beyond with friends old and new.

Each year, the Palm Beach County Scholastic Achievement Dinner honors members of the graduating classes of the public, parochial and private secondary schools in Palm Beach County. These se-

niors are recognized for both their outstanding scholarship and their scholarly projects outside the regular curriculum.

The top seven students from Wellington High School, in terms of grade point average, were among those invited to the event.

WHS Principal Mario Crocetti shared master of ceremonies duties with Theresa Fretterd, assistant principal for academics at Cardinal Newman High School.

Students from Wellington recognized by the business community for their academic achievements were Daniel Bachi, Nicholas Hynes, Evan Lee, Debra Marcus, Allison Parssi, Crystal Yan and Felicia Yan.

Cr ystal Yan, Allison Parssi, Felicia Yan and Debra Marcus.

Not pictured: Daniel Bachi, Nicholas Hynes and Evan Lee.

ITID Maintenance & Operations staff members explain their equipment and vehicles to Golden Grove students.

Three Big Victories For Oxbridge Academy The founding students at Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches wrote another few pages in the school’s history book recently by electing the first group of student government officials and taking top honors in a local chess tournament and history competition.

After a close runoff between two Oxbridge Academy ninthgrade students, Gray Newfield was named president of the Student Government Association.

Alex Leighton was voted vice president, Alison Bowlby was voted secretary, Andre Bigos was voted treasurer and Weir King was voted ninth-grade representative. The government team is expected to

make many important decisions at the student-centered school where students have already played an integral role in selecting Oxbridge’s colors, mascot, lunch menu and extracurricular programs.

“Students at Oxbridge are passionate and have great ideas to contribute, but there needs to be someone who can organize and prioritize those ideas and serve as the voice of the entire student body to the leadership team,” Newfield said.

Following the elections, Oxbridge students competed in the 2012 Palm Beach County National History Day/Florida History Fair. More than 100 students nationwide participated in the com-

petition, themed “Revolution, Reform Reaction in History.”

Oxbridge won three awards in two categories.

Tova Jones won first place in the Documentary category, Madi McDole won second place in the Documentary category, and Lee Pritz and Rachel Hyppolite won second place for Group Web Site. The students will represent Oxbridge Academy at the Florida History Fair state competition April 30 through May 1 in Tallahassee.

Also making news recently, the school’s chess team won the first-place team trophy in the annual Meyer Academy Scholastic Chess Tournament. The team

was led by Weir King, Andre Bigos and Dan Tran, who finished second, third and fourth in their individual competitions.

Oxbridge Academy is a new, independent college preparatory high school located on Military Trail in West Palm Beach, on the former site of the Jewish Community Center. School grounds include an expansive lake surrounded by a jogging track; six lighted tennis courts; a swimming pool; several basketball courts; and beautifully landscaped common areas.

For more information on Oxbridge Academy, call (561) 9729600 or visit the school’s web site at www.oapb.org.

ITID Participates In Career Day At Golden Grove The Indian Trail Improvement District participated in the Golden Grove Elementary School Career Fair on April 5.

ITID President Michelle Damone spoke to third- and fourthgrade students, answering their questions about what the district does, why drainage is important and how governments work together.

Following her presentation, each class then toured the equip-

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ment and vehicle display in the school parking area.

ITID Maintenance & Operations staff members Brett McGaw and Jeff Mauch demonstrated a full-size dump truck and front-end loader to the dozens of groups of students. Kids enjoyed seeing the loader bucket lift and “dance” as well as seeing the dump truck bed lift. Following climbing into the cabs, honking the air horns was a favorite option.

Schools & Instruction

Page 16 April 13 - April 19, 2012

PBCFR EVENT HONORS VETERAN JACK TASLITZ

An event was held Wednesday, March 28 at Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 20 in Wellington in honor of World War II Navy veteran Jack Taslitz, who passed away Dec. 30 at age 87. Neal Taslitz, Jack’s son, presented a flag to PBCFR personnel. The flag was framed and placed on a wall inside the station. Shown above are (L-R) Chief Nigel Baker, Capt. Chris Yurick , Chief Michael Arena, Neal Taslitz, driver J. Sousa, District Chief Richard Seamon, Lt. Kevin Hannah, firefighters/paramedics Jeff Morrison and Kevin Suda, and flight medic Steve Wilson.

PANTHER RUN STUDENT GETS CREATIVE AT PBIEC

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Tim Hadsell Honored As ‘Elk Of The Year’ Wellington Garden Club and Elks Lodge member Tim Hadsell has been recognized as Elk of the Year for his partnership projects with members of the two organizations.

Hadsell obtained grant money from the Elks, and over the last two years has established one “teaching” vegetable garden for the Wynnebrook Elementary School Junior Garden Club, which just finished its second year, a new one for the Greenacres Junior Garden Club, and a new $10,000 grant from the Elks National Foundation to set up two large vegetable gardens to feed the hungry and the homeless at St. George’s Center in Riviera Beach.

Hadsell and other Wellington Garden Club members have been leading weekly programs for the juniors that include planting, harvesting and eating produce from the garden with special emphasis on the nutritional value of herbs and vegetables being consumed.

The snacks that they prepare and eat have included veggie pizza, bruschetta, salsa, tomato cabrese and herb dips.

(Right) Tim Hadsell receives the Elk of the Year plaque from Exalted Ruler George Zocchi of Elks Lodge 1352 in West Palm Beach while Past Exalted Ruler Bill Hopkins looks on.

Cub Scout Earns Badge, Helps Homeless Being a Cub Scout isn’t just about learning to survive in the wilderness. For Logan Murphy, age 7 of Royal Palm Beach, it is about making sure that others have the means to survive.

On March 21, Murphy donated 548 items, mostly clothing and toiletries, to the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County.

The items were the fruits of a month-long clothing drive to help the homeless. It was Murphy’s own idea.

“Logan is always concerned with helping other people,” said

his mother, Amanda MurphyGruebel.

A second-grader at Golden Grove Elementary School, Murphy expects that this is only the first of future clothing drives for the homeless.

The Homeless Coalition, a nonprofit focused on ending homelessness in Palm Beach County, is now accepting donations of food, clothing and bicycles at their storage space on 45th Street. The items are then given to those who are homeless, many at a quarterly event called Project Homeless

Connect. Others are used by the Homeless Outreach Team that assesses the needs of homeless individuals.

The Homeless Coalition primarily relies on the efforts of volunteers to organize and maintain the space.

For more information about becoming a volunteer, Project Homeless Connect, or about making a donation, contact the Homeless Coalition at (561) 355-4764 or (561) 355-HOME (4663) or via e-mail to homelesscoalitionpbc@gmail. com.

Logan Murphy

Jacob O’Keefe Honored At UMass Lowell Jacob O’Keefe of Wellington was one of the 17 UMass Lowell student-athletes who were honored on National Student-Athlete Day Friday, April 6 at the school’s Alumni Library.

O’Keefe, who plays on the baseball team, and field hockey team member Andrea Byrne both earned

3.9 averages last fall to emerge among the top male and female freshmen. An economics major, Byrne saw action in three matches in another outstanding season, while O’Keefe, a business major, has played in 17 games (16 starts).

National Student-Athlete Day is recognized nationally on April 6

but is celebrated on and around that day at NCAA colleges and universities. The day recognizes the accomplishments of studentathletes nationwide who excel in the classroom and on the playing fields.

National Student-Athlete Day was created by the National Con-

sortium for Academics and Sports and the Northeastern University Center for the Study of Sport in Society in 1988, with partnership from the NCAA and the National Federation of State High School Associations.

For more information, visit www. uml.edu.

Benitez Completes Marine Basic Training Panther Run Elementary School student Ethan Leimgardt was among the local elementary school students taking part in the horse statue painting competition Saturday, March 31 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Panther Run’s entry won “Most Representative of South Florida.” Shown above is Leimgardt and Panther Run Principal Pamela Strachan with the school’s horse.

Marine Corps Pvt. Chantal Benitez, daughter of Damaris and Oscar Benitez of Royal Palm Beach, recently completed 12 weeks of basic training at Marine Corps Recruit Depot in Parris Island, S.C. designed to challenge new Marine recruits both physically and mentally.

Benitez and fellow recruits be-

gan their training at 5 a. m., by running three miles and performing calisthenics.

In addition to the physical conditioning program, Benitez spent numerous hours in classroom and field assignments, which included learning first aid, uniform regulations, combat water survival, marksmanship, hand-to-hand

combat and assorted weapons training.

They performed close-order drill and operated as a small infantry unit during field training.

Benitez and other recruits also received instruction on the Marine Corps’ core values — honor, courage and commitment, and what the core values mean in guid-

ing personal and professional conduct.

Benitez and fellow recruits ended the training phase with the Crucible, a 54-hour, team evolution culminating in an emotional ceremony in which recruits are presented the U.S. Marine Corps emblem, and addressed as Marines for the first time in their careers.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

EWPB Announces 2012 Women In Leadership Award Recipients Three women who have distinguished themselves as professionals, leaders and community servants have been chosen by Executive Women of the Palm Beaches to receive its 2012 Women In Leadership Awards. Rena Blades, Dorothy Bradshaw and Dr. Maureen Whelihan will be recognized at the

annual Women In Leadership Awards Luncheon on May 3 at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts.

Additionally, in honor of the organization’s 30th anniversary, EWPB will present an Inspirational Leadership Award to Cynthia Allen Gracey, a Delray Beach at-

EASTER EGG HUNT FUN IN MADISON GREEN

The community of Madison Green in Royal Palm Beach held its children’s “Spring Fling” event Saturday, March 31. The children had all kinds of fun finding scattered Easter eggs hidden around the community’s clubhouse (pictured above). The association had crafts and snacks available to all attendees after the completion of the Easter egg hunt and crazy hat contest. The children were amazed by a colorful clown who made animal designs out of balloons and performed magic tricks. The Madison Green community comprises 1,145 homes surrounded by the Madison Green Golf Club. Residents complimented the staff and volunteers on a wonderfully planned holiday event. They are looking forward to the Fourth of July gathering.

torney and longtime advocate for women’s rights.

Journalist, author and television personality Joan Lunden will be the keynote speaker.

The Women In Leadership Awards honor women in three community sectors — volunteer, public and private — whose talents and qualities have an impact in their business and charitable activities. They may be unsung heroes who give extraordinary effort to worthy causes, entrepreneurs who translate their enthusiasm and concepts into successful businesses, or public servants who understand the meaning of service and deliver it with pride and excellence.

The group’s mission is to promote the professional and personal advancement of women through networking and resource sharing and by helping them to develop and realize their potential as leaders. Proceeds from the luncheon benefit EWPB’s scholarship and grant programs that are administered through its charitable foundation, Executive Women Outreach.

Honored in the volunteer sector, Bradshaw is procurement bureau chief for the South Florida Water Management District. She has served as president of the Boys & Girls Clubs, on the board of Junior Achievement, on countless projects for the American Lung Association, as co-chair and chair of the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk, and more recently as chair of the 2010 Walk to

Defeat ALS and the 2011 Heart Walk. She also sits on the board of the West Palm Beach Library Foundation, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Speak Up for Children.

Honored in the public sector, Blades has been CEO of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council since 2004. She has overseen its unprecedented growth, securing new grants and funding for arts education and the strengthening of cultural organizations throughout the county, expanding services to artists and spearheading the council’s move to new headquarters in Lake Worth. She also has served as a board member and treasurer of the Florida Cultural Alliance, a member of the Palm Beach County Six Pillars Community Plan committee, a member of Palm Beach County’s Overall Economic Development Program Committee (2006-10), the West Palm Beach Downtown Master Plan Advisory Committee (2006-09) and the Capital Campaign Committee for the Center for Creative Education, a grant panelist for the Bank of America Neighborhoods for Excellence program (2007), chair of the Palm Beach County Economic Summit Quality of Place Committee (2005), co-chair of the Resource Development Committee of Palm Beach County School District’s Arts in Education Comprehensive Plan (2005-06) and a volunteer at St. Mark’s Episcopal School, 2005-2011.

A practicing gynecologist, Whelihan, nominated in the pri-

Women In Leadership Award recipients Dr. Maureen Whelihan, Rena Blades and Dorothy Bradshaw. vate sector category, is only the fourth woman to serve as president of the Palm Beach County Medical Society (2009). She cofounded the society’s Services Project Access, a program that coordinates voluntary physician and hospital care, diagnostic services and medication assistance for low-income residents. Since 2005, Project Access has donated more than $8 million in care to help more than 5,500 residents. She serves on the board of the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health, cochaired the Lupus Foundation’s Models of Success, and was named the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Woman of the Year

in 2003 for raising $50,000 in eight weeks.

In recognition of her lifelong example and service to the region, EWPB will present its founder and first president Cynthia Allen Gracey with its Inspirational Leadership Award. Despite dealing with CMT, a lifelong neuromuscular disorder, Gracey has raised two sons, served as a caregiver to her parents and other family members, practiced law and been a visionary community activist.

For information about sponsorship opportunities to support EWPB’s programs or to purchase tickets to the luncheon, call (561) 684-9117, e-mail info@ewpb.org or visit www.ewpb.org.

Page 18 April 13 - April 19, 2012

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NEWS

Roller Hockey Tourney April 21 Will Benefit Friends Of Abused Children On Saturday, April 21, 16-yearold Ryan Powers and his family will host a roller hockey tournament to benefit Friends of Abused Children Inc. The event will take place at Wellington Village Park’s roller hockey rink beginning at 8 a.m.

Teams of children between the ages of 7 and 16 are invited to play, and the public is invited to attend and watch. In addition to the tournament, the event will offer food, raffles and a silent auction.

Tournament organizer Ryan Powers with his mother Karen.

Webster Receives 2012 McLaughlin Scholarship Royal Palm Beach Councilwoman Martha Webster is the recipient of the 2012 McLaughlin Scholarship to attend the CNU20: The New World Conference. The 20th annual event from the Congress for the New Urbanism will be held May 9-12 in West Palm Beach.

Rich McLaughlin was an early pioneer in the NU movement in Minnesota but had roots in Florida. He worked for the Department of Planning and Zoning and the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council before passing away in December 2006.

This scholarship fund was set up to honor his memory and support his conviction that appointed and elected officials learn of the principles of new urbanism. It was his belief that in understanding new urbanist plans and projects, that all related tenets and lessons

Martha Webster might be better understood in the planning process. Webster is the third recipient of the award.

Great American Cleanup April 21 In The Acreage The Indian Trail Improvement District once again is teaming up with Keeping Palm Beach County Beautiful Inc. in an effort to keep the community clean. The district urges the community to join in and help usher in Earth Day 2012.

Participants will meet Saturday, April 21 from 8 a.m. to noon at the ITID administrative office at 13476 61st Street North (across from the Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue station on Avocado Blvd.).

Immediately following registration, ITID will host a ceremonial tree planting in honor of Arbor Day. This is an excellent opportunity for students to receive community service hours, as well as a good way to give back to your community.

For more information, call (561) 793-0874 or visit www.indiantrail.com.

Goldman

New CEO At PWH

continued from page 1 Pugh back in the 1980s. I feel that I’m coming in at a perfect time.”

Goldman has a record of public service and said he plans to jump back in with community organizations locally, like he was during his time at Columbia.

“I’ve already been asked to be on the board at the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, which I will be doing,” he said. “When I was down here before, I was involved with the March of Dimes. The March of Dimes has a great tie-in with the pediatrics that we do here, so I’ll try to reconnect with them.”

He was involved with the Young Leadership division of the Jewish Federation when he was here be-

Wellington Withdraws

continued from page 1 clarified that she has never been against the inspector general.

“My vote was based on the funding mechanism,” she said.

“Accusations can be made for what my intentions were, but my intention was never to not support an inspector general. I want this to be funded properly.”

Councilman Matt Willhite asked Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz what entering into the suit has cost Wellington. Kurtz said that there has been about $2,000 in attorneys’ fees, and Willhite said he was concerned about additional costs.

Willhite noted that when the issue first came up, council members were told if they didn’t join the lawsuit, they wouldn’t be reimbursed to their general fund.

“But then we were told differently,” he said. “I’m very supportive of us getting out of this.”

Willhite said that voters chose to finance the office with a .25 per-

after school athletic programs and music lessons.

“The Powers have been wonderful supporters of our fundraising efforts,” Friends of Abused Children President Laurie Briggs said. “We are so grateful to Ryan, his family and the community in helping us provide funding to children who are adjudicated to state care.”

Sponsors to date include Wellington Roller Hockey, the Florida Panthers, Vitamin Water, Inline Warehouse, New York Prime Steak

House, Zen Massage, Ruben Arteaga, Survival Straps, J&H Hockey Inc., the Nadoina Family, Subway, the Movies at Wellington, Super Target, Agliolio Fresh Pasta & Wine Bar, Romeo’s Pizza and Tijuana Flats.

To submit a team of players or to become a sponsor, call Ryan Powers at (561) 333-0533 or e-mail kpowers@bellsouth.net. For more information regarding Friends of Abused Children, visit www. friendspbc.org or call (561) 6595005.

Phelps Joins Equine Land Conservation Group The Equine Land Conservation Resource (ELCR) is proud to announce the addition of Phelps Media Group as a Premier Conservation Partner.

The Conservation Partners Program is a national membership program of organizations that play a critical role in ELCR’s mission to educate the public about the immediate need to conserve land for equine-related activity.

With a diverse group of leading equestrian organizations on its roster, the ELCR Conservation Partners Program has grown to become a national network which reaches over 1.1 million horsemen across the country, working with a collective commitment toward saving local land for equine use through information sharing and networking amongst horsemen.

Phelps Media Group, based in Wellington, is one of America’s leading equestrian public relations firms. PMG was launched in 2002

Skate

RPB Park Proposal

continued from page 1 close to traffic, Recchio said. “One-

with the signing of its first client, the National Horse Show. In the last decade, PMG has rapidly accumulated a roster of impressive clients in the equestrian world from coast-to-coast and internationally, including the USET Foundation and many top-tier equestrian events, organizations, companies, athletes and trainers. In 2006, PMG expanded services to establish PhelpsSports.com, a popular equestrian news web site.

Founder and President Mason Phelps Jr. is a lifelong horseman who has participated in many aspects of the equestrian world including as a U.S. Equestrian Team rider, trainer, event manager, governance leader, charity organizer and multi-media executive. Phelps is also the founder, first president and current board member of the Kensington Conservancy, a binational land trust in northern Ontario, Canada that works to protect area lands and waters.

With this past involvement in land preservation, it was only natural for Phelps’ interest to carry over to the conservation of equestrian land. “We’ve watched highways go through hunt country and developments take over farms, pushing the equestrian community out. I am very much concerned about the protecting of land for our horses into the future,” Phelps said. “Education and communication are a huge part of this effort.

There are still a lot of people who are unaware of the threat, so it’s important for companies, groups and organizations to become involved to support the conservation of equine land. If there’s anything Phelps Media Group can do to help promote this cause, I’m all for it.”

The Equine Land Conservation Resource is the only national notfor-profit organization advancing the conservation of land for horserelated activity.

“At ELCR, we are actively involved in helping preserve over 100,000 acres of land a year for direct horse activities, pastures, farms and trails, but this would not be possible without the participation of our Conservation Partners,” noted Deb Balliet, CEO of the Equine Land Conservation Resource. “We are delighted to have Phelps Media Group join us to help create awareness among the equestrian community about equine land conservation issues, and thereby help ensure a future for all horse sports.”

ELCR serves as an information resource and clearinghouse for horse owners on issues related to equine land conservation, land use planning, land stewardship/best management practices, trails, liability and equine economic development.

For additional information, visit www.elcr.org or call (859) 455-8383.

third of skateboard injuries are suffered by those who have less than one week of skateboarding experience,” he said.

Skate parks built in well-lit areas with high traffic have lower vagrancy and vandalism. “General-

ly, poorly planned facilities, site location and visibility result in higher crime rates,” he said.

“There are myths that prevent most municipalities from developing skate parks.”

Recchio proposed a 10,000square-foot site west of the basketball courts at the heavily used Camellia Park for a skate park.

“Down there, we have six tennis courts with two basketball courts, which are very heavily used, and what is proposed here is to construct the area right next to the basketball courts,” he said.

If the popularity of skateboarding should wane down the line, it could be easily converted to additional basketball courts, he said.

Murray, who was accompanied by about a dozen other young skaters, presented a petition with 81 signatures of other skaters indicating they would use the park and reiterated his request for the village to pursue construction of a skate park. “It would be better than us going out into the street and getting into trouble,” he said.

Former Councilman Dave Swift pointed out that Royal Palm Beach once had a skate park, but a poorly selected location and other problems led to its disuse.

“We all did this once, and what I got out of it was basically, I think we picked the wrong location,” he said. “It was not particularly popular to kids, being down at the Recreation Center.”

Swift noted that skaters often tire of staying at the same place to skate.

“What I got out of it was the kids kind of looked at these areas to skate on and they got old, and they were looking for new, more exciting places to skate,” he said.

“How would you keep it current?

What information do we have to show that if we spend the money to do this that it would actually be utilized for a period of five years or so in the location that we’re proposing?”

Recchio said he had met with the youth and skate park direc-

tors to get information on park design.

He also explained that the skate park the village had 10 years ago required helmets and kneepads and elbow pads, and actually bought them to supply the skaters. They also had a full-time supervisor. “It got very expensive, kids weren’t showing up, and we converted it to basketball courts,” he said.

Recchio said he had met recently with other recreation directors from Jupiter to Boca Raton who said skateboarding seems to be coming back, and they have had no issues.

“They know what the rules are,” he said. “It will be signed properly, and they will be required to wear helmets. That would be the one requirement. All of the other equipment will be highly recommended, but if they don’t [use it], they will be doing it at their own risk. Talking to the kids over the past month, they’re ready to police it themselves.”

Skater Morgan Manning, who is a supervisor at the YMCA skate park in Palm Springs, said movable ramps are the key to a sustaining a skate park.

“When it’s fixed, they will get bored and they’ll want to move on to something else,” Manning said.

“What I would propose, and most skateboarders would agree, is mobile ramps where they are fixed, but you hit a latch and it pops up on wheels and the park will always have a continuity to it. There will always be a creative flow where it will never get old.”

Village Manager Ray Liggins suggested discussing a skate park during budget preparation for this year’s five-year capital improvement plan, and council members agreed.

Skateboarder Derick Murray (center) and his friends at last Thursday’s Royal Palm Beach Village Council meeting.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

fore. Also, while in Jacksonville, he was chairman of the hospital administration program at the University of North Florida and was on the board of the local blood bank, the Florida Georgia Blood Alliance. “I have always felt that community service is really essential,” he said. “Next to government, healthcare is the next largest employer in any given town, and so it behooves us to be good citizens in the communities in which we serve.”

Goldman said he has been impressed with the dedication of the employees, physicians and the community toward the hospital in the three weeks he has been on board at Palms West.

“I think that what we’re doing on the pediatric side of healthcare is something that’s very admirable, because not every hospital is necessarily involved in pediatrics, and in being able to advance the causes, and also having the help of our partners with Miami Children’s [Hospital], really sets us head and shoulders above where healthcare is going,” he said. “To

be able to have a first-rate pediatrics department, a top-notch obstetric program is a good tie-in for this community. It’s something that I’m really proud to be a part of.”

Being partners with other HCA facilities, including JFK Medical Center and Columbia, enables Palms West to offer a wider variety of state-of-the-art medical services, he noted.

“Things are advancing very quickly, and I think that’s one of the benefits that we have, being a part of a company like HCA,” Goldman said. “We have the ability across all of our hospitals to know which new therapies work exceptionally well, and which ones have not worked as well, because right now the technology is coming out faster than any 20 people could digest. Having the base of a couple hundred hospitals to be able to find out what people’s experiences are, both positive and negative, allows us to be able to offer not just the latest, but the latest and greatest technology to the patients who come to our facilities.”

cent fee on contracts, but noted that Palm Beach County had tried to take funding from municipalities’ general budgets.

“The county is going back to the quarter-percent on Oct. 1,” he said.

Councilman John Greene pointed out that Wellington has not withheld funding from the inspector general.

“We are continuing to pay as we go,” he said.

Mayor Bob Margolis pointed out that financing for the inspector general costs each resident about the same as two postage stamps, or 90 cents.

“Some people say it’s three postage stamps,” he said. “But I don’t think the residents who voted for the office mind spending another 43 cents or so.”

Coates agreed, noting that it was important to open Wellington up to scrutiny to assure residents that their government is acting ethically.

“When it comes to ethics and it comes to scrutiny, we have to be beyond reproach,” he said. “We have to invite the scrutiny… I think

as a municipality, we owe it to our citizens to support anyone who is going to be a watchdog for our residents.”

Coates made a motion to remove Wellington from the lawsuit, which passed unanimously, prompting cheers from the audience.

In other business, council members voted to postpone a comprehensive plan amendment that would allow for a charter school to be built on 8.35 acres of land south of Stribling Way on the east side of State Road 7.

Planning & Zoning Manager David Flinchum told the council that the proposed Wellington Charter School would serve 1,200 students and also host a daycare facility, which would be a conditional use.

The school would have kindergarten through eighth-grade classes, he said.

Part of the condition of approval would include paying for onethird of the cost of a signal at Palomino Drive and SR 7, Traffic Consultant Andrea Troutman said.

There are three pending projects in the area, including the school,

that would have to put money toward the signal.

“The condition is worded so they have to enter into an agreement with Wellington to fund the signal,” she said. “The only way they would not have to pay for the signal is if we do not get funding from [the Florida Department of Transportation].”

If that funding does not come through, she said they would instead pay to improve the median and extend turn lanes.

Willhite said he would not support the project unless there was guaranteed signalization at Palomino. “I cannot see putting the traffic from 1,200 students and a daycare at peak hours onto SR 7,” he said.

Gerwig asked if there is a need for another K-8 school and daycare center. “Our schools are not full,” she said.

Margolis had similar concerns.

“A number of daycare owners in the community have done their own market analyses that say that most of the daycares, if not all of the daycares, are not at full capacity,” he said. “They are concerned

New Palms West Hospital CEO Eric Goldman in the main lobby.

Lawsuit

All proceeds will benefit Friends of Abused Children, a 27-year-old nonprofit serving the more than 1,600 children in Palm Beach County who are in dependent care.

Money raised helps the group support children who have been removed from their homes due to abuse or neglect.

Friends of Abused Children sends children to summer camp, provides new clothing and school uniforms, offers emergency medical or dental services, coordinates after school tutoring, and pays for

about having another daycare center.”

Agent Jon Schmidt said that his team had done a market study.

Council members asked to postpone the item so they could get more information, including the study.

“I’m really concerned that we haven’t seen the market study,” Margolis said. “I really want to see it to make me feel comfortable that there are needs for this facility in Wellington.”

The item will return at the council’s May 8 meeting.

Earth Day

April 22

continued from page 5 acoustic music on the stage,” Garvey said.

This includes local performers and school musical groups. “The Binks Forest Elementary School chorus will be singing,” Belinsky said.

Free giveaways include reusable bags and tree seedlings for planting. “Only 1 percent of plas-

Blotter continued from page 6 report, the same suspect had successfully broken into the gas station using the same method earlier this year. The suspect is described as a black male, approximately 5’8” wearing a black hoodie, blue shirt and black pants.

APRIL 9 — A Wellington juvenile was arrested Monday on charges of grand theft. According to the report, the juvenile broke in the door to the victim’s bedroom and stole a laptop computer, iPod and video camera, valued at approximately $760. According to the report, the juvenile admitted to taking the computer and selling it on the street. The juvenile was taken to the Juvenile Assessment Center, where he was charged with grand theft and dealing in stolen property. tic bags are actually recycled, so we are trying to encourage people to use reusable bags by giving away 250 bags at the event,” Belinsky said.

The bags are limited to the first 250 people. “But the seedlings are probably not going to run out,” Belinsky said.

The Wellington Amphitheater is located at 12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more information, call (561) 753-2484 or visit www. wellingtonfl.gov.

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Page 20 April 13 - April 19, 2012

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NEWS

BARRETT-JACKSON AUTO AUCTION CELEBRATES 10 YEARS IN PALM BEACH COUNTY

Barrett-Jackson Auction Company held its 10th annual Palm Beach classic car auction from April 5-7 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center. Auto enthusiasts from all over turned out to for a chance to see and buy classic cars. Whether it was for nostalgia or investment, cars were fetching at good prices.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Mike Kunzman with the 1948 Cadillac he offered for sale.

John Lovett with his 1969 1/2 Six-Pack Super Bee.

Lion Country Safari Wildlife Director Terry Wolf and Marketing Director Jennifer Berthiaume admire a Bugatti auto.

Louise Connolly of Wellington looks at a 2011 Ford Shelby GT 500 sold to benefit Wounded Warriors Family Support.

Bob Johnson and Erin Kestecher of The Acreage.

Rober t Bruner Sr. and Jr. look o ver a 1988 submarine.

Gay Polo Tournament This Saturday At Grand Champions Polo Club Nestled in the heart of the polo capital of the world is the Grand Champions Polo Club, host of the third annual International Gay Polo Tournament.

The 6-year-old club was built

by Marc and Melissa Ganzi, hosts and presenting sponsors for the Gay Polo League’s prestigious tournament, which will take place Saturday, April 14 from 1 to 5 p.m.

It’s been a labor of love for the Ganzi family to have a polo club in their back yard to not only enable their top-level polo teams, Audi and Piaget, to practice on, but to watch their children, Grant and Riley, grow up playing polo.

“We started Grand Champions to have off-season polo during the academic year for our children, who are 13 and 12, in order for them

to stay in school,” said Melissa Ganzi, one of the sport’s top women players and chair of the daylong GPL tournament.

“We wanted to stay home with our kids, and we also wanted to play polo year-round,” Ganzi said.

“The weather here in May is one of our favorite times of the year to play, so we play all of May here and October and November.”

The club features two regulation-size polo fields (each big enough to fit nine football fields), room in the middle for stick-andball practice, restrooms and plenty of room for tailgating, parking and horse trailers.

The club has a relaxed atmosphere and an easily accessible location near the intersection of Lake Worth Road and South Shore Blvd. Fans and locals come to

watch and play in weekend tournaments. Families with kids and dogs on leashes are always welcome.

“It’s like having a baseball or football field in your backyard, only better,” Ganzi said.

During the week of April 3-7, the Ganzi family hosted the seventh annual Women’s Championship Tournament that was a rousing success for everyone involved including adult and junior players, sponsors and WCT founder Sunny Hale of Wellington and Goose Creek, which defended its title for the sixth time in seven years.

Following the GPL tournament, Grand Champions Polo Club has a full schedule of spring tournaments. These include the Challenge Cup (April 27-29), USPA Spring Classic (May 4-6), USPA

Eastern Challenge (May 11-13), USPA Sun Cup (May 18-20) and the Memorial presented by Piaget (May 25-27).

“During the season, we only use our fields for practice so we can host tournaments like the WCT and GPL,” Ganzi said. “We can do things, and it’s important to us.

We can put them on the best field and focus on their schedule.”

For tickets to this weekend’s GPL event, call (561) 753-3389 or visit www.gaypolotournament. blog.com/tickets.

A victory after-party will be held at 6:30 p.m. at Graffito (3410 Equestrian Club Road, Wellington). Tickets cost $50 per person and include a three-hour open bar and buffet dinner. For tickets, call Maggie Zeller at (561) 715-9292 or (561) 753-3389.

The polo action starts at 1 p.m. Saturday at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington.

PHOTO BY MARK FINERTY

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3667 120th Avenue South | Wellington, Florida 33414

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Trotting Center’s Eric Cherry Loves His Standardbreds

South Florida Trotting Center owner Eric Cherry became interested in trotters at 16, when he began betting on them. Cherry says anyone is welcome to board at the center, either trainers for any discipline, horses needing rehabilitation, or private owners looking for a peaceful, quiet place to board and ride. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 25

April 13 - April 19, 2012 Page 23

Sem Ridge Softball Squad Tops Royal Palm Beach 2-1

The Seminole Ridge High School varsity softball team topped visiting Royal Palm Beach High School 2-1 on Friday, April 6 during the Lady Hawks’ Senior Night. Though the score was tied most of the game, the Lady Hawks picked up a home run in the final inning to honor their senior players with a win. Page 39

Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

Business New Noxicare Cream Fights Pain Using Only All-Natural Ingredients

For those with chronic pain due to inflammation, nerve damage or muscle aches, finding a treatment that works can be difficult. With countless prescription drugs used as pain relievers, the number of chemicals in them are abundant and can sometimes be harmful to a person’s overall health. After years of treating patients with various muscle pain problems, in 2010, Dr. Reza Ghorbani developed an all-natural pain reliever called Noxicare. Page 27

Sports P.B. Central Baseball Squad Edges Royal Palm Beach 14-13

Two of the county’s top teams went head-to-head Friday, April 6 as the No. 2 Palm Beach Central High School varsity baseball team hosted rival No. 7 Royal Palm Beach and came out on top in a 14-13 thriller. After the game, the fans did not go away disappointed, as both squads battled to the very end. Page 39

THIS WEEK’S INDEX COLUMNS & FEATURES ........................25-26 BUSINESS NEWS.................................. 27-29 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ...................... 34 SPORTS & RECREATION........................39-42 COMMUNITY CALENDAR ......................44-45 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................46-50

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April 13 - April 19, 2012 Page 25

FEATURES

Trotting Center’s Eric Cherry Loves His Standardbreds Eric Cherry fell into owning Standardbred harness racers by accident. Growing up in Brooklyn and Plainview, N.Y., he became interested in trotters at 16, when he began betting on them. Nine years later, he bought his first horse, a stallion named Super Game.

“That was back in 1978,” Cherry recalled. “I was newly married, and we didn’t even own any furniture. I asked my wife, Veronica, which should we do, buy furniture or the horse? She said go for the horse, so I bought 50 percent of him in a $15,000 claiming race. After that, every time I had any extra money, I bought another horse. Eventually I owned four or five, running at Roosevelt Raceway and Yonkers Raceway. They didn’t do that great. I never made a profit.”

Undeterred, Eric moved to Delray Beach in 1985, leaving the trotters back in New York to race up there. He started buying more horses down here, young ones that came to South Florida to train over the winter. Eventually he owned 40 to 50 horses, most up north racing, but about 20 down here.

He kept and trained his horses at the South Florida Trotting Center on State Road 7, just south of Hypoluxo Road. By 1997, he’d bought out the remaining partners who owned the 102-acre facility.

“It was pretty run-down,” Cherry said. “I Get updates all week long... follow Ellen Rosenberg on Twitter at twitter.com/ HorseTalkFL or stop by the Tales from the Trails page on Facebook and click “like.”

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg really cared about it and didn’t want to see it go the way of so many other stables and facilities, broken up and sold for housing developments and strip malls. I decided to own it all.”

The Trotting Center boasts 400 stalls and three tracks: a main track of 11/16th mile, a half-mile deep sand jog track and a straight strip 6/10th-mile long.

“During the season, which runs from October through the end of May, we have 370 or 380 horses here, almost all of them young horses in training,” Cherry said. “About 80 percent of them are 2- or 3-year-olds or yearlings, and the other 15 or 20 percent are older racehorses. They race down at Pompano.

During the summer, the numbers shrink to 40 or 50 horses.”

Cherry points out that anyone is welcome to board at the center, either trainers for any discipline, horses needing rehabilitation, or private owners looking for a peaceful, quiet place to board and ride. Stalls are also available in the event of a hurricane, and the barns have concrete stalls.

Eric Cherry of the South Florida Trotting Center.

PHOTO COURTESY LUCYUNSWORTH.COM

But his heart is clearly with the Standardbreds. “We have some of the top horses and trainers here,” Cherry said. “A lot of world champions. Standardbreds can race for many years, unlike most Thoroughbreds, who are done at 3 or 4, and retired by 5. Standardbreds aren’t as fragile or high-strung. They’re a hardy breed, and many race up to age 10.”

Some of those world champions belong to Cherry. He has come a long way from the days when he had to choose between furniture and horses. A few of his horses have earned more than $1 million, including Drop the Ball, who earned over a half-million last year. He prefers fillies, and doesn’t care whether they pace or See ROSENBERG, page 26

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FEATURES

Dear Dad: Have A Happy Birthday... And Stop Apologizing Today is my dad’s birthday. Because I was his firstborn child, I like to think we grew up together. It was his first time being a father and my first time being a kid. We both had a lot to learn.

Dad sometimes apologizes for the life we had back then. For instance, to save cab fare, he made Mom walk to the hospital after her water broke. His reasoning back then (at age 22) was that “it was only a couple of blocks.”

When the doctor yelled at him, he replied: “I would’ve put her in a wagon, but we don’t own a wagon. We don’t have any kids yet.”

The way I look at it, I could’ve fallen out on my head and, since it was February, stuck to the pavement in a scene more horrifying than Get your Sonic Boomer humor every day!

Follow Deborah Welky on Twitter at twitter.com/TheSonicBoomer. On Facebook, stop by “The Sonic Boomer” page and click the “Like” button.

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER any previously known tongue-on-the-flagpole incident. But, from a kid’s perspective, I didn’t so everything was fine.

My parents didn’t own a crib, either, so I was put to bed in a dresser drawer. When Dad first told me this, I wondered what kind of maniac would have his baby teetering 3 feet off the floor in a drawer that could be absentmindedly slammed shut at any time. He explained that, naturally, they had set the drawer on the floor first. So, from a kid’s perspective, everything was fine.

We didn’t even have a car until I was about 7. Not only was this not unusual back then, but it almost guaranteed that I was taken for numerous walks. I still know what the trees look like and what the air smells like in my old neighborhood. I even remember the clackclack-clack sound of my stroller wheels on the sidewalk. From a kid’s perspective, everything was fine.

Dad did spend a lot of time at work. Although I suppose I would’ve rather had him sitting alongside me watching cartoons, he was building the career that provided for me the whole time I lived at home. Plus, we didn’t own a TV until I was about 6. So from a kid’s perspective, everything was fine.

When my brothers and sister came along, Dad felt they had more advantages than I did, being the first. I beg to differ. When I was small, Dad wanted to go sledding as much as I did. He was young enough to drag me up the hill a million times and catch me if I bounced

off on our crazy ride down. He took Mom and me to the zoo on Saturdays because he wasn’t able to afford golf yet. And I didn’t know that a trip to the museum cost far less than a trip to Disneyland. From a kid’s perspective, everything was fine.

Yet just when I least expect it, Dad will start apologizing for a broad spectrum of parenting mistakes he feels he made due to youth and inexperience. Actually, having a father who’s trying really hard but is still young enough to have fun is the best kind of father to have.

Over the years, you learn that it’s necessary to work but OK to play. You learn that you may goof up but must have the fortitude to try again. You learn how to treat your spouse, how to raise your kids and how to enjoy every little thing you can. You set off on your own, secure in the knowledge that your father’s still got your back. He always will.

So, from an adult perspective, everything is fine. I hope he has a happy birthday.

After All These Years, TV Show ‘NCIS’ Still Has What It Takes Some shows disappear quickly; others last a few seasons and flame out. And some become standards. When I told my wife I was going to review NCIS, she stared at me and asked, “You’ve never done that?” Until fairly recently, I had never even watched it. After all, another cop show is all we really need.

And it has been a part of the CBS “all cops just about all the time” lineup.

But it is also one of the most-watched television series, and it is in its ninth year. The initials stand for Naval Criminal Investigative Service, a real branch of the U.S. Navy that investigates all serious crimes against and by members of its service plus the U.S. Marine Corps. Some shows do well at the start and gradually see the number of viewers diminish.

The opposite has happened with NCIS. I started to watch it when my being under the weather for a few days coincided with a marathon run of episodes on the USA network. I actually began to pay attention to the characters and soon was hooked.

This is a procedural show. Someone is damaged, usually killed, at the start of each episode, and the Major Case Response Team solves the crime by the end. But they do it with style and grace. And the stories are co-

Rosenberg

Eric Cherry

continued from page 25 trot. He has both, and said a good pacer is a lot faster and more thrilling to watch.

They were all interesting to watch as I sat on the bleachers beside the main track one Saturday morning. Dozens of horses moved around the wide oval, their drivers in their jog carts relaxed, ballcaps pulled low, paying attention but chatting with each other.

The horses were all bays and blacks. One odd gray, jogging, going slower, moved clockwise in the outer lanes; sometimes they were two or three abreast. The horses training, moving at racing speed, took the inside lanes, flying counterclockwise at speed.

The babies new to this world were easily picked out. They looked here and there, some-

herent. Seldom, as in other crime dramas, do you have wild and crazy things happen to win extra viewer points. Someone is usually found dead, and our heroes go out and eventually arrest the bad guy(s).

What makes the show special is the quality of both the writing and performances. Leroy Jethro Gibbs (Mark Harmon) has been the leader and star of the whole thing from the start.

Harmon plays a tough old Marine, carrying the wounds of life (his daughter and a wife have been murdered) but able to actually lead a group of very disparate characters, treating each individually.

Special Agent Tony DiNozzo (Michael Weatherly), a former Baltimore police officer, is a joker and a ladies’ man. He tends to often look the bumbling fool until time after time he

finds the right bad guy. The advantage of a long-running show is that actors, such as Weatherly, get to develop characterizations.

He has been shown to be a bit of a clown and has also demonstrated a fierce loyalty and integrity.

Special Agent Ziva David (Cote de Pablo) began the series as a liaison from the Israeli intelligence agency, Mossad, but over the years has gotten her American citizenship and become a full member of the team. Early on, she replaced Caitlin Todd (Sasha Alexander), who was murdered. She is a useful foil for DiNozzo, pretty enough to attract him and stubborn enough to resist.

There were quite a few shows in the middle years of the series as she develops her attachment to America that fascinated me. Seeing our country and its military from an outsider’s perspective was both fun and informative. After years together, this season she and DiNozzo have begun to actually show some attraction toward each other.

The head tech, Abby Sciuto (Pauley Perrette) is more than a bit weird, a bit of a Goth while being brilliant, who functions almost as a daughter substitute for Gibbs. She provides much of the humor. She is the breakaway char-

acter in the show, and Perrette has been rated as one of the most popular performers in the country, resulting in a whole lot of commercials. Somehow, alone in the office, she handles most of the work of the entire CSI staff… and she’s cuter. She has had an on again/off again romantic relationship with computer whiz and Special Agent Timothy McGee (Sean Murray), who generally plays the straight-arrow straight man to the others.

For an old-timer like me, seeing David McCallum, formerly known as Ilya Kuryakin from The Man from U.N.C.L.E., as avuncular Donald “Ducky” Mallard has been a strange experience, but he provides another taste of eccentricity while giving a mature balance to the team. He is the one Gibbs goes to when he has his doubts.

This is a remarkably well-done series. Originally a spin-off of the very successful JAG series, it has retained its popularity far longer.

Most of that is due to excellent scripts, but the excellence of the cast gives a boost. Unlike in some procedural series, the lives, loves and eccentricities of the cast have been developed over years, which adds to the pleasure of watching this long-running show. It still is at the top and deserves to be there.

what distracted as babies are, some breaking stride to canter briefly before being reminded to go back to trotting or pacing. But most of them knew their jobs and seemed to enjoy their work. Some were clearly seasoned pros, and moved with the calm assertion of a horse that had seen it all.

In fact, I was given the unusual opportunity to drive one of these calm, experienced horses. Jeff Webster, Cherry’s trainer, sat beside me as I drove Honky Tonk Woman, a 5-yearold mare who’d won quite a bit of money. She went off at odds of 70-1 in a big-stakes race and won, much to everyone’s amazement.

Sitting behind the tall bay mare was strange, very different from riding. For one thing, I couldn’t see what was ahead of us, and had to keep looking around the horse, from the left and right. I kept her way off to the left, away from the other horses on the track jog-

ging and training, and the good mare went right along with it, taking care of this novice driver. Webster was perched next to me on the jog cart, so I knew we wouldn‘t get into any trouble.

“Whatever you do, don’t let go of the reins,” he told me, and I didn’t. They had loops in them, and I held on and steered.

We chatted about horses and racing as we went around the track a few times. Back at the barn, I thanked everyone as I relinquished the horse and cart. Webster said he couldn’t quite get the hang of riding; he’d stick to driving.

And as for me, although driving had been interesting, I’d rather be on the horse than behind it.

Dr. Michael Carinda is the vet who’s always on call at the center and runs the Hydro Horse pool.

“Eric’s unique in that he’s an owner who

also owns his own training facility, and one that’s open to the public,” he said. “He’s the kind of guy who’d keep this place open no matter what, even if there were only two horses here. That’s just how he is.”

For more information, call Eric Cherry at (561) 272-5667.

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

Riders head around the track.

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BUSINESS NEWS

New Noxicare Cream Fights Pain Using AllNatural Ingredients

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report For those with chronic pain due to inflammation, nerve damage or muscle aches, the suffering can sometimes be unbearable. Still, finding a treatment that works is even more difficult. With countless prescription drugs used as pain relievers, the number of chemicals in them are abundant and can sometimes be harmful to a person’s overall health.

After years of treating patients with various muscle pain problems, in 2010, Dr. Reza Ghorbani developed an all-natural pain reliever called Noxicare. A Harvard Universitytrained, board-certified pain management specialist, Ghorbani did extensive research to formulate Noxicare.

Noxicare is a topical cream that combines seven all-natural ingredients. The ingredients are turmeric, willow bark, ginger, holy basil, rosemary extract, alpha lipoic acids and boswellia extract. It is also available in tablet form, which helps to alleviate pain all over such as headaches and pain from fibromyalgia.

Noxicare SEO Specialist Sam Edwards, who grew up in The Acreage, said it’s easy to apply. “It’s non-greasy and odorless,” he said.

“It does not cause that tingling feeling that you get when you use other pain-relieving creams.”

Noxicare has become a popular product among people from many walks of life from athletes to accident victims, according to Edwards. “If you’re playing tennis, and you have tension on your elbow, then you can just rub it in,” he said.

The Noxicare cream must be applied on the areas where the pain is experienced. It may take up to seven days for the pain to go away, but for some people it goes away immediately.

“It really depends on the person and the level of pain that they are experiencing,” Edwards said. “Generally it takes up to a week.”

Noxicare treats most skeletal pain from neuropathy, fibromyalgia, arthritis and tension headaches. It can be applied more than once or as a one-time use. “I use it on my knee when I go running or ride my bike, and I found that it’s very effective,” Edwards said.

The over-the-counter pain reliever is avail-

‘We have found a 99 percent success rate with the people who already use it,’ Noxicare SEO Specialist Sam Edwards said. ‘We have had hundreds and hundreds of people who have called and e-mailed us, who are really satisfied with the product and have thanked us because it has changed their lives.’

Dr. Reza Ghorbani able on the Noxicare web site, www.noxicare. com. “That’s what is great about it,” Edwards said. “It’s available to everyone and safe for all ages.”

Noxicare’s all-natural ingredients consist of leaves and herbs, which have been used as healing remedies for centuries. “Something as simple as ginger is not only delicious but used as an all-natural pain remedy,” Edwards said.

It can be used along with other medications, and will not be harmful to a person’s health, Edwards said. “There are no known side effects,” he said. “There have been extensive studies and tests done, and its overall a really good product.”

The web site provides results from clinical trials on product effectiveness. “We have found a 99 percent success rate with the people who already use it,” Edwards said. “We have had hundreds and hundreds of people who have called and e-mailed us, who are really satisfied with the product and have thanked us because it has changed their lives.”

For more information, visit www.noxicare. com or call (877) NOXICARE.

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RIBBON CUTTING FOR ST. RITA KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS COUNCIL

The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Knights of Columbus Council #8419. The nonprofit service organization is based at St. Rita Catholic Church (13645 Paddock Drive, Wellington). For more info., contact Manny Zapata at (561) 798-4209 or mannyzapata@comcast.ne t, or visit www. kofc8419.org. Shown above are Knights of Columbus council members with chamber ambassadors.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Stroller Strides, Plum Organics Partner For Plum Mom’s Club

Stroller Strides, the country’s largest pre- and post-natal fitness program for new moms, has announced a new partnership initiative with Plum Organics, a leading provider of organic nutrition for babies, toddlers and kids. Both companies have come together to support the launch of the Plum Mom’s Club Powered

by Stroller Strides, a nationwide initiative that brings women together for social activities and fundraising events for charitable causes.

To date, Plum Mom’s Clubs exist at more than 1,200 Stroller Strides locations nationwide, including Stroller Strides of West Palm Beach.

Participating members receive a full schedule of club activities, including weekly playgroups, monthly Moms Night Out events and quarterly Moms with a Mission initiatives focused on giving back to families in need and supporting environmental organizations. Open to the community, new moms will be able to join Plum Mom’s Clubs at no cost.

“Stroller Strides programs are designed to help moms stay strong and healthy while their babies are very young,” said Sarah Sproull, owner

of Stroller Strides of West Palm Beach. “Our Plum Mom’s Club activities add a social and emotional element to our programs, helping moms connect with other local women in a fun and supportive way while making a positive impact on their communities. While many of our Plum Mom’s Club members are also members of Stroller Strides, we welcome all Wellington-area women to join our monthly get-togethers and to participate in our quarterly Moms with a Mission activities.”

Throughout the year, Stroller Strides franchisees like Sproull will host events through their Plum Mom’s Club with quarterly initiatives focused on charitable causes including March of Dimes and leading nonprofit Healthy Child Healthy World. Currently, there are more than 7,200 events scheduled with more than 15,000 registered Mom’s Club members participating.

“We are excited to take our already successful partnership with Stroller Strides to the next level,” said Sangita Forth, vice president of brand and marketing for Plum Organics. “By sponsoring the Plum Mom’s Club, we will be able to fos-

ter a supportive and active mom community while also providing members with nutrition information to support a healthy and organic lifestyle for their families.”

Stroller Strides’ hour-long classes emphasize cardiovascular activities and muscle-strengthening exercises using resistance bands and strollers, allowing moms to interact with their babies throughout their workout.

For more information about Stroller Strides of West Palm Beach, contact Sproull at (800) 390-1028 or sarahsproull@strollerstrides.net, or visit www.strollerstrides.com.

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BUSINESS NEWS

A Diamond In The Rough Inc. Looking For Eager Young Talent Michele Spinelli Barry has launched a talent management and performing arts corporation called A Diamond in the Rough Inc. Having a lifetime of successful experiences in most aspects of the talent world, Barry is bringing her expertise to talent management performing arts.

Barry’s goal is to utilize her passion in identifying true talents for finding the right opportunities for each individual client. It’s not the number of clients Barry is interested in, but the quality of the talent she represents.

Barry noted that many of her clients have exceptional characteristics and a lot of potential, and she is excited to present them to unique opportunities as they embark on this new journey toward their career goals. Barry is now looking forward to seeing the “sparkle and shine of all the diamonds, as their rough edges are polished and their true brilliance is revealed.”

Barry prides her corporation on its professionalism. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., and trained at Star Time Kids in Manhattan for voice, drama and dance.

She then pursued a career in voice, while continuing with dance and drama. Barry recorded a record with Star Time Kids on Josie label. She then formed a musical group, singing as the lead for Mickie Michaels and the Jay Walkers. Her first salaried performance was in Manhattan at City College of New York.

After moving to Florida and having four children of her own, Barry engaged the three boys in print work, and TV commercials. She also involved her daughter in dance, beauty pageants and modeling. Barry never realized that one day she would be teaching in her own dance studio. After enrolling her daughter in a few other studios, Barry recognized that her own expertise in dance gave her much to offer the community.

Barry’s performing arts studio Personality Studio offered dance, music, voice and gymnastics. The guidance she provided her students has won them awards for their performances including the Broward County Youth Fair Awards for dance and gymnastics. Her studios have been viewed on TV and featured as the front page story in the newspa-

Michele Spinelli Barry per Hollywood Sun Tattler for her efforts in coaching a blind student who performed in her first on stage dance recital. In addition, Barry has also judged many beauty pageants, as well as covers for magazines such as Parents magazine and hosted many performances throughout her eclectic career.

A Diamond in the Rough is located at 2247 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd., Suite 106, West Palm Beach. For more info., visit www.adiamondinthe roughinc.org or call (561) 318-9730.

April 13 - April 19, 2012 Page 29

IRS Free File Still Available For Last-Minute Filers The tax deadline is fast approaching, and even though the April 17 deadline offers a couple of extra days this year, the IRS wants to remind taxpayers who haven’t filed yet that IRS Free File is still available.

For people who find taxes a little too taxing, IRS Free File offers free software to prepare and e-file your taxes for free. Here are four tips about IRS Free File: • Free File Does the Hard Work for You — Free File is a partnership between the IRS and leading tax software providers who make their brand-name products available for free. You don’t need to be a tax expert; the software will help find tax breaks for you, such as the Earned Income Tax Credit. The software asks the questions; you supply the answers. It will find the right tax forms and do the math.

• Access to Free File products — You must access the Free File products through www.irs.gov to avoid any charges for preparing or e-filing your federal tax return.

Once you choose a Free File software product, you’ll be directed away from the IRS web site to the partner’s site to prepare, print and e-file your federal return — all for free.

• Free options for all — There is a free option for everyone. People who make $57,000 or less, which includes most Americans, can use the Free File software.

People who make more can use Free File Fillable Forms, an electronic version of IRS paper forms.

• Free Extensions — Taxpayers who can’t make the April 17 deadline can request an extension.

Making the request is easy and free through IRS Free File. Just look for “free extensions” in the company offers. Remember, this is an extension of time to file your return, not to pay. If you think you owe, make a payment with your extension request.

To get all the information you need about IRS Free File, visit the official web page at www.irs.gov/ freefile.

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Academy for Child Enrichment — Summer Camp Children will enjoy field trips and activities such as swimming, bowling, skating, science museum, movies and picnics.

Tuition includes camera surveillance, creative curriculum, computers and all meals.

Registration is now being accepted for Summer Camp. Registration is free for new customers only. Se habla Español. Visit the Academy for Child Enrichment at 700 Camellia Dr., Royal Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 798-3458 or visit www.smallworld pbc.com.

Breakers West Summer Camp — Calling all campers for a summer of fun! Children ages 5 to 14 are invited to Breakers West for Summer Camp 2012. Enjoy wildlife demonstrations, science experiments, magic shows, arts & crafts, cooking classes, golf, tennis, basketball, daily swimming instruction and so much more! Camp runs June 11 through Aug .17 (excluding July 2-6), Monday through Friday from 8:45 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Sessions are $300 per camper, per week, plus a one-time registration fee of $50, which includes a camp essentials bag. Discounts are offered to families registering multiple children or for multiple sessions. After-care is available. To register for Breakers West Summer Camp, call (561) 653-6330.

Camp Cambridge — Camp Cambridge, serving age two through second grade, combines academic excellence, summertime fun and a safe environment to create an unforgettable summer experience. Theme-based curriculum and in-house field trips complement the concepts explored by all. Year-round, e xperienced staff continues to nurture. There are nine weeks of camp offered at Cambridge Schools, located at 1920 Royal Fern Drive in Wellington. Activities include: swimming, art, math, computers, sports, science and cooking. A certified swim instructor provides instruction to children ages 3 and up, Mommy & Me classes, private/group lessons and team swim programs.

Bilingual classes, kindergarten readiness and enrichment classes available as well. For more info., visit www.cambridgepreschools.com.

Camp Gan Israel Day Camp — Camp Gan Israel has a program geared for your child!

Understanding that all kids are unique and are drawn toward different activities, Camp Gan Israel offers something for everyone. There are professional sports instructors, baking experts, dance instruction, jewelry making, karate instruction, trips to exciting local venues, swimming, boating, scrapbooking, edible art and so much more. Camp Gan Israel runs from June 18 through July 20, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The camp will take place at Palm Beach Central High School and accepts children from 3 to 13 years. For more information, or t o register, visit www.wellingtonjewishcenter.org or call (561) 333-4663.

Camp Giddy-Up — Ravenwood Riding Academy has been located in Wellington for 22 years. Licensed and insured, with all safety equipment provided, they are located on a beautiful, safe and clean farm with plenty of shade. Ravenwood is now accepting 12 students per session, ages 6-14. Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Campers learn safety, horse care and grooming, with riding lessons daily, as well as scheduled visits with a blacksmith, horse vet and equine dentist. Sibling discounts or multi-session discounts are available. Camp Giddy-Up has a full staff and a hands-on director. Register today by calling (561) 793-4109 or visit www.ravenwood ridingacademy.com. Hurry, sessions fill up quickly!

Casperey Stables Horse Camp — Casperey Stables is a small, fun-filled day camp for children ages 7 to 14. With four riding opportunities each day, arts & crafts and outdoor games, campers find little time to be bored. The low counselor-child ratio ensures your child will receive individual attention. There are camp sessions for spring and winter school breaks, and during the summer, each two-week session has a theme, such as Indian Days, Circus Days and Medieval Days. Casperey Stables has a weekly swim party and ends each session with a horse show and family BBQ. Call soon: this small, quality program fills quickly! To learn more about the camp, located at 2330 D Road in Loxahatchee Groves, call (561) 792-4990 or visit www.caspereystables.com.

Dream Believer Stables Horse Camp — Dream Believer is devoted to education of horsemanship, encouraging a healthy relationship between horse and rider, to develop confidence whether you are a competitive rider or just wanting to enjoy the pleasure aspect of riding. The family atmosphere encourages strengthening knowledge through hands-on horse care. Learn every aspect of horse care from riding to bathing. At Dream Believer, your child will feel as if they have their own horse. The program accepts beginning level through advanced riders in the riding academy. Let them know what your goals are, and they will help you achieve them. The program is located at 16600 Hollow Tree Dr., Wellington. For more info., call (561) 289-8515 or visit www.dreambeliever stables.com.

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High Touch High Tech/The Lab — The Lab is happ y to announce that it is expanding into a larger facility conveniently located off State Road 7 and Lantana Road. Science is presented by High Touch High Tech, the leader in hands-on science education for the last 17 years. Each day will be a new adventure from interacting with “lab critters” to launching rockets and panning for gems. The program offers affordable pricing, experiments with lots of cool science take-homes, art, physical activities and more. The Lab taps into children’s natural curiosity and provides them with safe and fun activities that help them learn about the world around them. Expect awesome fun as kids make slime, erupt volcanoes, make ice cream, tie dye t-shirts and more! Call (561) 444-3978 The Learning Foundation of Florida’s Academic Summer Camp — TLFF’s elementary, middle and high school summer academic school/camp program has several different service options available to assist the diverse needs of students. TLFF’s K-8th grade summer program focuses on individualized academic remediation. TLFF uses weekly themes, a variety of teaching strategies, including a multi-sensory/hands-on approach and creative lessons. TLFF’s high school summer program focuses on grade forgiveness and/or acceleration. Students who have received D or F grades in classes may redo them for a higher grade. Students can also accelerate and take classes to get ahead. Both programs are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning June 18 and running through Aug. 3. For more information, call TLFF at (561) 7956886.

Noah’s Ark — Summer Camp. Children will enjoy field trips and activities such as swimming, bowling, skating, science museum, movies and picnics. Tuition includes camera surveillance, creative curriculum, computers and all meals. Registration is now being accepted for both Summer Camp. Registration is free for new customers only. Se habla Español. Noah’s Ark is located at 14563 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves. For more information, call (561) 753-6624 or visit www.smallworldpbc.com.

Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool — If your child is between 2 and 6 years old, “Summer of Fun” Enrichment Camp at Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool is the place to be! Your child will enjoy a variety of fun activities that will make them smile, while promoting learning and social development. Activities include: arts & crafts, gymnastics, computers, sports, nature, cooking, water play and a state-of-the-art playground. They’re sure to love the weekly entertainment, including High Touch High Tech, storytellers and animal shows. All of this in a loving and nurturing en vironment.

The program is full time or part time for eight weeks. Free summer VPK is available for those entering kindergarten who have not yet used their voucher. Now enrolling for preschool 2012-13. Call Sandy at (561) 793-2649 for more information, or e-mail psdirector@templebethtorah.net.

Tiny Tikes — Tiny Tikes camp is geared toward the elementary-age camper. Daily activities are sure to keep the campers happy, busy and engaged. Trips include bowling, skating and movies weekly, as well as special trips including the zoo, science museum and much more! They have three conveniently located centers which open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Activities occur throughout the day, both at the center and out on the bus. Meals are included. Call (561) 790-1780 now to reserve your space or visit Tiny Tikes at 16245 Okeechobee Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach.

Villari’s of Wellington — Villari’s is pleased to announce its 2012 Kids Summer Boot Camp. The four-week summer camp program offers very simple fitness, confidence and fun for your child. The camp is open to children 8 years and older. Camp staff is pleased to offer this fast-paced, upbeat approach to both kids fitness and fun. Camp consists of martial arts class, games and crafts. 2012 Kids Summer Boot Camp runs July 2-July 6, July 9-July 13, July 16-July 20 and July 23-July 27. It will be closed July 4.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m. Camp starts promptly at 9 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m. The cost is $189 for one week, $359 for two weeks or $699 for all four weeks. Call (561) 7921100 to save your space. Villari’s is located at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Suit e 7, in the original Wellington Mall.

Zolet Arts Academy — Zolet is in its 23rd year offering professional fine arts classes in the original Wellington Mall, Suite 4. The summer camp program runs Monday through Thursday from 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., starting June 11 for ages 6-8 and 9-14 featuring drawing, painting, scultpure and crafts. No two days are alike. Rotating subjects and media include: acrylics, watercolors, tempera, fingerpaints, chalk & oil pastels, charcoal, pen & inks, block & mono printing, 3D collage, wood, clay, tile, papier mache, textiles and observational drawing/shading for audition prep. Individualized instruction for all skill levels. Take home completed work daily. Total cost includes all free supplies: $190 per week. Call (561) 793-6489 for more information.

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Tickets On Sale For ‘Les Misérables’ At Kravis May 16-26 Tickets for Cameron Mackintosh’s new 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables are on sale now for the West Palm Beach engagement at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts. The all-new production of Les Misérables features new staging and re-imagined scenery inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo.

Peter Lockyer portrays the fugitive Jean Valjean. He is joined by Andrew Varela as Javert, Timothy Gulan as Thénardier, Shawna M. Hamic as Madame Thénardier, Betsy Morgan as Fantine, Jason Forbach as Enjolras, Chasten Harmon as Éponine, Max Quinlan as Marius and Lauren Wiley as Cosette. Erin Cearlock and Juliana Simone alternate in the role of Little Cosette/Young Éponine. Joshua Colley and Marcus D’Angelo alternate in the role of Gavroche.

The ensemble includes Richard Todd Adams, Richard Barth, Natalie Beck, John Brink, Casey Erin Clark, Ian Patrick Gibb, Ben Gunderson, Siri Howard, Beth Kirkpatrick, Cornelia Luna, Nadine Malouf, Jordan Nichols, Weston Wells Olson, Jason Ostrowski, John Rapson, Rachel Rincione, Heather Jane Rolff, Hannah Shankman, Alan Shaw, Mavis Simpson-Ernst, Joseph Spieldenner, Joe Tokarz, Eric Van Tielen, Natalie Weiss and James Zannelli.

The New York Times said Les Misérables is “an unquestionably spectacular production from start to finish.” The London Times hailed the new show “a five-star hit, astonishingly powerful and as good as the original.” The Star-Ledger called it “a dynamically re-imagined hit. This Les Misérables has improved with age” and NY1-TV proclaims “this new production actually exceeds

the original. The storytelling is clearer, the perspective grittier and the motivations more honest. Musical theater fans can rejoice: Les Miz is born again.”

“I’m delighted that 25 years after Les Miz originally opened in London, the audience for this marvelous show is bigger and younger than ever before,” producer Cameron Mackintosh said. “Over the years, I have seen many successful but visually different productions, so it has been exciting to draw inspiration from the brilliant drawings and paintings of Victor Hugo himself, integrated with spectacular projections. The new Les Miz is a magnificent mix of dazzling images and epic staging, driving one of the greatest musical stories ever told.”

Based on Victor Hugo’s classic novel, Les Misérables is an epic and uplifting story about the survival of the human spirit. The magnificent score of Les Misérables includes the classic songs “I Dreamed a Dream,” “On My Own,” “Stars,” “Bring Him Home,” “One Day More,” “Empty Chairs at Empty Tables,” “Master of the House,” “Do You Hear the People Sing?” and many more.

Mackintosh’s new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s Les Misérables has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg, lyrics by Herbert Kretzmer from the original French text by Alain Boublil and Jean-Marc Natel, additional material by James Fenton and original adaptation by Trevor Nunn and John Caird.

The original Les Misérables orchestrations are by John Cameron, with new orchestrations by Christopher Jahnke and additional orchestrations by Stephen Metcalfe and Stephen Brooker. The produc-

tion is directed by Laurence Connor and James Powell, designed by Matt Kinley inspired by the paintings of Victor Hugo with costumes

by Andreane Neofitou and additional costumes by Christine Rowlands, lighting by Paule Constable, sound

by Mick Potter, musical staging by Michael Ashcroft and projections

by Fifty-Nine Productions.

Les Misérables originally opened in London at the Barbican Theatre on Oct. 8, 1985, transferred to the Palace Theatre on Dec. 4, 1985, and on April 3, 2004, moved to its current home at the Queen’s Theatre, where it continues to play to packed houses. When Les Misérables celebrated its 21st London birthday on Oct. 8, 2006, it became the world’s longest-running musical, surpassing the record previously held by Cats in London’s West End. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, the legendary musical made theatrical history with an international first, three different productions in London at the same time — the original production (still playing to packed houses at the Queen’s Theatre), the acclaimed new 25th anniversary production at the Barbican (where the show originally premiered) and a celebratory concert at the O2 Arena. The O2 concert was presented in more than 500 cinemas throughout the United States on Nov. 17, 2010, and is now available on Blu-ray DVD through Universal Studios Home Entertainment.

The Broadway production of Les Misérables originally opened at the Broadway Theatre on March 12, 1987, and transferred to the Imperial Theatre on Oct. 17, 1990 running for 6,680 performances. The U.S. na-

A scene from the 25th anniversary production of Les Misérables. tional tour began in November 1987 and visited over 150 cities before closing in St. Louis, Mo., in 2006.

On Nov. 9, 2006, Broadway audiences welcomed Les Miz back to New York, where the show played the Broadhurst Theatre until its final performance on Jan. 6, 2008. To date, Les Misérables remains the thirdlongest-running Broadway production of all time.

Kravis On Broadway is sponsored by Gunster and Palm Beach Motor Cars. Week one show times are as follows: Wednesday, May 16 at 2 and 8 p.m.; Thursday, May 17 at 8 p.m.; Friday, May 18 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 19 at 2 and 8 p.m.; Sunday, May 20 at 2 and 7:30 p.m. Week two show times are as follows: Monday, May 21 at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, May 22 at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, May 23 at 2 and 8 p.m.; Thursday, May 24 at 8

p.m.; Friday, May 25 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, May 26 at 2 and 8 p.m.

Tickets start at $27 and may be purchased at the Kravis Center Box Office 701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach; online at www.kravis. org/lesmiserables; by phone at (561) 832-7469 or (800) 572-8471 or at any Ticketmaster outlet. Group orders of 20 or more may be placed by calling (561) 651-4438 or (561) 651-4304.

For more information on the production, visit www.lesmis.com. For a video sneak peek of the new 25th anniversary production, visit www. lesmis.com/watch.

There will be a free pre-performance discussion by Jackie and Jason Gillman at 6:45 p.m. and a free musical presentation by Palm City Elementary Chorus May 16 at 7:15 pm in the Dreyfoos Hall lobby.

Boca Raton Theatre Guild Presents ‘Lady Day’ April 27-29 The Boca Raton Theatre Guild will present Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill April 27-29 at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park. Carbonell-nominated actress and acclaimed jazz artist Paulette Dozier will star as Billie Holiday in playwright Lanie Robertson’s portrait of the legendary jazz singer in performance four months before her death. The play will run for four performances only.

In Lady Day, the iconic jazz singer reflects on her life, loves, tragedies and triumphs in a powerful monologue interspersed with music from her timeless songbook. Holiday’s saga will resonate strongly with modern day audiences. Recent events, including the heartbreakingly wasted careers of talents such as Whitney Houston and Amy Winehouse, echo Holiday’s sadly familiar story of troubles with narcotics, financial exploitation and in Holi-

day’s case, sexual abuse.

Dozier has immersed herself in the role, studying Billie Holiday the woman as well as Billie Holiday the musician, and has come away with a deep respect for the legendary singer. The play presents a multitude of challenges for the actress/ jazz singer, but she’s ready to face them head on.

“Much of the suffering Billie had to endure is unfathomable, yet she managed to forge ahead and live her life as best she could just because she wanted to sing,” Dozier said.

“For her, singing was living and she fought to live by way of her singing. So many times you hear stories about people who say they can’t get a break in life, as if the world is against them. And what do they do, either complain to no end or give up at the first sign of difficulty. Or worse, blame everybody else for their prob-

lem. Billie Holiday didn’t point the blame or give up and stop singing.

There’s a lesson that can be learned about the fortitude she had.”

Dozier said she likes especially likes the production because she has to “bring it” as an actress. “This isn’t the typical role of the diva with an attitude that I generally get,” she said. “In Billie’s shoes, my challenge is trying to communicate the pain of her heartbreaks, physical abuse, racism and, of course, the drug abuse, all in such a way that the play doesn’t become just a ‘tear jerker.’

The audience must know that she found joy amongst all her suffering.”

Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill will be directed by Genie Croft.

It will run Friday through Sunday, April 27-29. Performances are as follows: Friday, April 27 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 28 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, April 29 at 2 p.m. The Wil-

low Theatre in Sugar Sand Park is located at 300 S. Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets for Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill cost $15 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office by calling (561) 347-3948. Tickets available for the Saturday, April 28 are for the 2 p.m. performance only.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing professional productions and advancing the art of theater in the South Florida community.

For more information about Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill, the Boca Raton Theatre Guild or Paulette Dozier, visit www.brtg.org, www.paulettedozier.com, or contact Carol Kassie at ckassie@gmail.com or (561) 948-2601.

Paulette Dozier PHOTO BY DIEGO MENDOZA

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Summer OF fun

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Breakers West 2012 Summer Camp Calling all campers for a summer of a lifetime. Sports-minded, adventure-seeking, nature-loving kids, ages 5 – 14, will find something for everyone at Breakers West, where there is fun for all.

Daily Golf, Tennis, Basketball & Swimming Instruction Arts & Crafts | Magic Shows Cooking Classes | Wildlife Demonstrations Science Projects Friday’s Famous Family Cookout & Much More...

After Care Available WEEKLY SESSIONS: June 11 – August 17, 2012 {Excl. July 2 – 6} Monday – Friday | 8:45 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

For more information or to register, please call 561-653-6330.

Weekly sessions are Monday – Friday. No camp July 2 – 6, 2012. Discounts will be offered to families registering multiple children or for multiple sessions. Additional fees apply for After Care. Restrictions apply.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

P.B. Central Baseball Squad Edges Royal Palm Beach 14-13

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report Two of the county’s top teams went head-to-head Friday, April 6 as the No. 2 Palm Beach Central High School varsity baseball team hosted rival No. 7 Royal Palm Beach and came out on top in a 14-13 thriller.

The game got so intense, one fan was asked to leave the field. After the game, the fans did not go away disappointed, as both squads battled to the very end, providing plenty of exciting play throughout.

Royal Palm Beach went out on top early in the first inning 3-0 when Chris Barr launched a triple, knocking in two runners, and eventually scoring himself. The Broncos answered immediately when senior Brady Roberson blasted one out of

the park for a two-run homer, cutting the Wildcat lead.

The strong wind seemed to bring a bit of change to the second inning when Wildcat right-fielder Kevin Scranton attempted to steal second base and was tagged out. The bottom of the second would bring a tidal wave of pain to the Royal Palm Beach fans as Palm Beach Central scored 10 runs, taking what appeared to be a comfortable 12-3 lead.

The Wildcats would chip away at the Bronco lead and step up defensive play, adding two more runs in the third.

Royal Palm Beach continued to hold off the Broncos through the third and fourth innings. Wildcat left-fielder Justin Douglas stole home off a Palm Beach Central throw

Bronco Danny Hernandez runs toward the plate for a second-inning score.

to first base, and sparked his squad into a six-run frenzy to close the Bronco lead, making the score 12-11. Palm Beach Central lost the lead they possessed most of the game when the Wildcats knocked in two more runs in the top of the fifth, bringing the score to 13-12.

The Royal Palm Beach advantage was brief, as Palm Beach Central closed out the fifth inning sending in two runs to regain the lead 14-13.

The Broncos were able to hold off and survive the relentless Royal Palm Beach attack, taking the win 14-13. The contest offered staggering statistics with a total of 85 batters, 32 hits and 11 errors. A combined eight pitchers were used.

Royal Palm Beach’s Barr was one for three with two walks and two runs. Brandon Hernandez was three for five with three runs and one RBI. Kyle Houck was four for five with two runs scored. Dakota Mitchell was four for five with two doubles and two runs. Palm Beach Central’s Hunter Morey went three for four with three RBIs. Senior Brady Roberson was two for four with a double, four RBIs and three runs. Roberson also hit a home run on a 3-2 pitch from Wildcat starter Justin Lauginiger in the first inning.

Palm Beach Central hosted Palm Beach Gardens on Tuesday, coming away with a 3-2 win in extra innings. The Broncos host Jupiter on Friday at 4 p.m.

Royal Palm Beach hosted Santaluces Thursday, but the score was not available by press time. The Wildcats will host John I. Leonard on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m.

RPB’s Kevin Scranton slides into second base.

Palm Beach Central catcher Hunter Morey makes a play for the ball after a Wildcat hit.

PHOTOS BY GENE NARDI/TOWN-CRIER

Seminole Ridge Softball Squad Tops Royal Palm Beach 2-1

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Seminole Ridge High School varsity softball team topped visiting Royal Palm Beach High School

2-1 on Friday, April 6 during the Lady Hawks’ Senior Night.

Though the score was tied most of the game, the Lady Hawks picked up a home run in the final inning to

Hawk Heather Shapiro gets ready for a hit.

honor their senior players with a win.

The Lady Hawks jumped out to an early lead in the first inning when Audrey Forbes hit a double to land her on second base. Taylor Beckman hit the ball to drive her in, making the score 1-0 early on.

But the Lady Wildcats responded during their next at-bat. Jenna Bellach hit a single to put her on first base. Then, Brianna Alex hit a single to drive her to second. But it was two errors by Seminole Ridge that helped Bellach run home, tying the score at 1.

Both teams struggled to break the tie for the rest of the game, but it wasn’t until the last inning that the game had a clear winner.

Ashley Miranda hit a single and was driven to third with a hit by Shay Stevens. Another hit drove Miranda home, finishing the game 2-1.

Both teams gear up to head into the district playoffs next week, but the schedule was not available at press time.

Royal Palm Beach pitcher Bethany Alex winds up.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Wellington’s Keith Moore Takes Silver At International Event

Wycliffe Director of Tennis Kam Kuchta warms up.

Wycliffe’s Kuchta Wins Another National Title On March 25, Ballen Isles hosted the 2012 USPTA National Clay Court Championships, where Wycliffe Director of Tennis Kam Kuchta defeated Florida native Andy Lake for the Men’s 35 Singles title.

Lake, who is a 15-time National USTA Golden Ball Champion, was defeated by Kuchta 6-7, 7-6 and 6-4 in a grueling three-hour championship match. Kuchta also won the

Men’s 40 Doubles Championship at the tournament.

Kuchta has been the director of tennis at Wycliffe Golf & Country Club for the past six years and has won four national titles in that time.

The Wycliffe community could not be more proud of Kuchta’s accomplishments and feel very fortunate to have him as part of their team of professionals.

Sensei Keith Moore, chief instructor of Genbu-Kai Karate in Wellington, recently traveled to Santa Ana, Calif., to participate and compete in his instructors 41st Goodwill Karate Championships.

Students from 32 different countries attended this annual event hosted by karate legend Shihan (master) Fumio Demura. Students and instructors alike had the opportunity to participate in seminars conduct by the master from Japan, along with participate in the annual tournament.

The tournament offered competition in karate, kobudo (weapons) and batto (sword). Moore competed in all divisions, and brought home the silver (second place) in do-dan.

Do-dan is the ancient Japanese sword art of cutting through multiple bodies in one slice. In ancient times, the samurai practiced this type of cutting either on cadavers or the death-row convicts. The intent is to see how far one can cut with a single slice in order to test not only the sharpness of the sword, but the technique and focus of the practitioner. Today, one

Sensei Keith Moore with his winning cut. cuts rolled-up and water-soaked and Wellington Trace. beach mats to acquire the same For additional information about results. classes offered at Genbu-Kai KaGenbu-Kai Karate is located in rate, call (561) 804-1002 or visit the the Wellington Marketplace at the studio’s web site at www.florida corner of Greenview Shores Blvd. genbukai.com.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

WILDCAT TENNIS PLAYER WADE BALL ADVANCES TO STATE FINALS

Wellington Tennis PlayDay May 19

Gone are the days of boring drills and chasing balls all over regulationsized tennis courts. Parents and children of all playing levels are invited to the Wellington Tennis Center on Saturday, May 19 from 1 to 3 p.m. for a USTA 10 and Under Tennis Family PlayDay. Team registration costs $25 and includes a hat, snacks, prizes and more. Children ages 10 and under will enjoy the game of tennis tailored to their size and attention span with smaller courts and racquets, lower-

bouncing balls and simplified scoring. PlayDays are designed to introduce kids to competition in a fun, low-pressure setting where scores are not kept.

Register at the Wellington Tennis Center by Thursday, May 10. For more information, call (561) 791- 4775 or e-mail Debbie Ellsworth at ellsworth@florida.usta.com. The Wellington Tennis Center is located next to the Wellington Community Center at W. 12150 Forest Hill Blvd.

People of all skill levels are invit-

ed to PlayDay, whether you’re a tennis novice or training to be the next Novak Djokovic.

As the official governing body of tennis in Florida, USTA Florida is a not-for-profit volunteer organization with more than 50,000 members. To learn more about USTA Florida, visit www.ustaflorida.com.

The Wellington Tennis Center features 16 Har-Tru tennis courts and a tennis pro shop. For more information about the center, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.

Wellington Aquatics Complex To Host Swim Meet April 27-29 The Royal Palm Beach High School tennis team finished its season April 3 at the Region 4, District 9 tournament at Treasure Coast High School. Wildcat senior Wade Ball (shown above) completed his season with a record of 11-2 and earned the district singles title with a 61, 6-1 win over the No. 1 pla yer from William T. Dwyer High School. A three-time district champion, Ball now advances to the state tennis finals April 16-18 in Orlando. In other action, Ball and ninth-grader Griffin Schrauth advanced to the district No. 1 doubles finals, but lost to the No. 1 team from Vero Beach High School, 8-3. Both the boys and girls teams had successful seasons.

The Wellington Aquatics Complex will host the “Wellington Spring Into Summer Invitational Meet” Friday, April 27 through Sunday, April 29.

The complex will be open to the public Friday, April 27 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., closing one hour early to accommodate this long-course competition. In addition, the facility will be closed to the public on

Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29.

For those interested in checking out the action, the swim meet will take place from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, April 27, all day Saturday, April 28 beginning at 9 a.m., and Sunday, April 29 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Daily admission costs $2 per spectator.

The Wellington Aquatics Complex is located at 12150 W. Forest

Hill Blvd. and features an Olympicsized swimming pool, diving boards, water slides, an aquatic spray ground, baby pool, concession stand and locker rooms. For hours of operation and to learn about admission rates, visit www.wellington fl.gov.

For further information, call Aquatics Supervisor Eric Juckett at (561) 753-2497.

Send sports news items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday, April 14 • St. Peter’s United Methodist Church (12200 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host an Adult Amateur Co-Ed Dodgeball Tourney on Saturday, April 14. Team registration costs $180 and includes tournament play and a meal ticket for each player. For info., contact Kevin Drummond at (561) 512-5644 or spumcdodgeball@gmail.com.

• Visit the Wellington Green Market on Saturday, April 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater. Call (561) 7532484 for more info.

• The annual Royal Palm Beach Community Garage Sale will take place Saturday, April 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Veterans Park on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. A free shuttle will provide pick-up and drop-off at the Cultural Center and Village Hall. For more info., call (561) 790-5149.

• The Wellington Garden Club will host “Secret Gardens of Wellington: A Garden Tour” on Saturday, April 14 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Visit a variety of beautifully planted gardens.

Tickets cost $25 the day of the tour, sold only at First Baptist Church of Wellington (12700 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). For more info., call (561) 791-1561 or e-mail info@ wellingtongardenclub.org.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Lots of Dots Story Time on Saturday, April 14 at 10:15 a.m. for ages 2 to 3.

Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• Knights of Columbus Council No. 12376 will hold its 13th annual golf tournament Saturday, April 14 at the Village Golf Course in Royal Palm Beach. Team registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and tee-off is at 1 p.m.

The cost is $75 per person and includes golf, dinner, prizes, awards, raffles, contests and other activities. Call Ron Rizzolo at (561) 793-2670 or Kevin Moore (561) 793-2768 for more info.

• The third annual International Gay Polo Tournament will take place Saturday, April 14 from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington. For tickets, call (561) 753-3389 or visit www.ga ypolo tournament.blog.com/tickets.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Wii Gaming: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing on Saturday, April 14 at 3 p.m. for ages 10 to 15. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 Forest Hill Blvd.) will feature a Classic Car Show and Concert Saturday, April 14. The car show starts at 5 p.m., followed by the

free concert at 8 p.m. featuring George Orr and the Hot Rod Band’s tribute to Rod Stewart. Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

• The Wellington Rotary Club will sponsor the International Gay Polo Tournament After-Party on Saturday, April 14 at 6:30 p.m. at Graffito Restaurant (3401 Equestrian Club Road). Tickets are available for $50 each from Maggie Zeller by calling (561) 7159262 or (561) 753-3389.

Sunday, April 15 • Iron Lion Fitness Studio (10660 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 160, Wellington) will host a Palm Beach School for Autism Ryde-A-Thon Benefit on Sunday, April 15 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to donate a minimum of $10 per ride. A raffle will be held featuring high-end items from local businesses. For more info., contact Gen Lane at (561) 312-9573.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Health Starts Here Tax Day: Get Your Green On” on Sunday, April 15 at 2 p.m. Learn to make nutritious and delicious side dishes that give you the biggest bang for your nutritional buck. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

Monday, April 16 • The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon Monday, April 16 at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach). Contact Mary Lou Bedford at (561) 790-6200 or marylou@ palmswest.com for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Router’s Birthday Surprise” on Monday, April 16 at 2:30 p.m. for ages 4 to 7. Help Clicky prepare for his friend Router’s surprise party. Call (561) 681-4100 to preregister.

• Wellington will host Community Meetings to engage equestrians and gather opinions about the community’s future Mondays, April 16 and 23 at 6:30 p.m. at the municipal complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

For more info., contact Michael O’Dell at (561) 791-4000 or modell@wellingtonfl.gov.

• The Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center (100 Sweet Bay Lane) will offer a SixWeek Pre-Natal Yoga Session starting Monday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. with gentle stretches and yoga postures to work on flexibility, stress release, strength and endurance to aid in labor. No experience is necessary. The session is led by a certified pre-natal yoga instructor. Call (561) 790-5124 for more info.

See CALENDAR, page 45

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 44 • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host a Credit and Debt Management Class on Monday, April 16 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• Shulamit Hadassah will present “The Sex Talk You Never Had With Your Mama” on Monday, April 16 at 7 p.m. in Wellington. The cost is a donation of $5 for members and $10 for nonmembers. RSVP to Helene at (561) 798-1187 or e-mail coolmama@ hotmail.com.

Tuesday, April 17 • The Palm Beach County Commission will meet Tuesday, April 17 at 9:30 a.m. at the government center’s Jane M. Thompson Memorial Chambers (301 N. Olive Ave., sixth floor, West Palm Beach). For more info., visit www.pbcgov.com.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Fish Monger Face Off” on Tuesday, April 17 at 11 a.m. Cheer on Wellington Whole Foods seafood team member Logan Cid as he competes against neighboring stores in a competition to find the top fish-cutter in the region. Call (561) 904-4000 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Get through the Grid” on Tuesday, April 17 at 4:30 p.m. for ages 8 to 12. Create identity discs and test your Internet safety smarts. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Financial Fire Drill” on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. Find out if you’re prepared for uncertain financial times. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council will meet Tuesday, April 17 at 7 p.m. at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District office. Call (561) 793-2418 or visit www. loxahatcheegroves.org for more info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Better Digestion” on Tuesday, April 17 at 6:30 p.m. featuring Dr. Tim DeCanio. There is no charge. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

Wednesday, April 18 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Game On: Wii for Adults” on Wednesday, April 18 at 2:30 p.m.

Beginners are welcome. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “To Click or Not to Click?

That Is the Question: A Bingo Game” Wednesday, April 18 at 3:30 p.m. for ages 8 to 12. What should you trust and what should you avoid on the Internet? See if you know

by joining in this game of bingo. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Little Chefs Apron Painting” on Wednesday, April 18 at 4 p.m.

Leave with your very own apron and recipes to make healthy snacks at home. The cost is $5 per child. Call (561) 904-4000 to preregister.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a Read Together Palm Beach County book discussion Wednesday, April 18 at 6 p.m. for adults. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Thursday, April 19 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Internet Safety Hour” on Thursday, April 19 at 2:30 p.m. for all ages. Learn about Internet safety and enter a prize drawing. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Teen Money Smart” on Thursday, April 19 at 4:30 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Learn how to keep track of what you’re spending and the importance of saving. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Soups, Salad and Sangria!” on Thursday, April 19 at 6:30 p.m.

Learn a delicious new soup and salad recipe sure to please the whole family. Each guest will enjoy a dinner serving of the recipes and one glass of sangria. The cost is $5 per person. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council will meet Thursday, April 19 at 7 p.m. at Village Hall (1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.).

Call (561) 790-5100 or visit www.royalpalm beach.com for more info.

• American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Post 390 will meet Thursday, April 19 at 7 p.m. at Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Station 30 (9610 Stribling Way, Wellington). Eligible vets are welcome. For more info., e-mail wellingtonlegion390@gmail.com or call (561) 301-5148.

Friday, April 20 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host a Go Club event Friday, April 20 at 4:30 p.m. for ages 8 to 17. A local member of the American Go Foundation will teach how to play this ancient Asian strategy game. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will present a free screening of the movie A Walk in the Clouds Friday, April 20 at 8 p.m. Bring your own seating. Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

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HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER — in W ellington needs EXAM PREP COORDINAT OR Bachelors Degree- Demonstrate Solid Performance on SAT and ACT (either verbal or math sections) Available to work evenings and Saturdays. Also needed: EXAM PREP TUTORS Now Hiring SAT/ACT Preparation Tutors. Must have a 4 year degree preferably in Mathmetics or English.

Be available to tutor on Saturdays.

Please e-mail your resume to marlenegiraud@hlcwellington.com VOLUNTEERS NEEDED — 14 years and over for community service. Have fun with animals & kids 792-2666 DRIVERS! DRIVERS! DRIVERS! Drivers wanted for Wellington Cab. Retirees welcome. Cleaning Driving Record. Call 561-333-0181 ENTRY LEVEL RECEPTIONIST — Computer literate. Heavy phones & filing. Fax resume 561-333-2680 WINDOW INSTALLERS WANTED Subcontractors only. Top Pay. No Brokers. Call Matt 561-714-8490 FRONT DESK — Loxahatchee/ Boynton Beach. Busy Dermatology practice, full-time, experience preferred, must be available for flexible hours, evenings and weekends.

Fax resume to 561-790-7568 MEDICAL ASSISTANT NEEDED IN LOXAHATCHEE/BOYNTON BEACH — Busy Dermatology practice, full-time, experience preferred, must be available for flexible hours, evenings and weekends. Fax resume to 561-790-7568 VOLUNTEER CAMP COUNSELORS NEEDED FOR SUMMER HORSE CAMP. — Earn community Service Hours. Must have experience with horses and be over the age of 13. 561-793-4109

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC.—Service & new inst allation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225.

Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

COMPANION/ASSISTANT FOR ELDERLY — Experienced in all Area’s . Top references. I speak English only. Call 561-632-0464 or 561-790-0857

FRONT DESK CLERK — for operating the front desk of hotel, good verbal and written communication skills, spontaneous desire to assist others and provide excellent customer service, flexible schedule needed, mainly night shift, weekends and holidays. Experience preferred. Please send resume via email or fax. info@royalinnhotel.com Fax 561-795-1502 SEAMSTRESS WANTED — Minimum 4 years experience. Use of Industrial Machine. Call 561-3015338 WELLINGTON CHURCH NURSERY STAFF person to care for preschoolers.

Sunday mornings and occasional evenings. $11 per hour will consider adults, college students and present high school juniors 561-793-4999 or pastorweiss@bellsouth.net

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MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support & troubleshooting w w w.mobiletec.ne t.

561-248-2611 D.J. COMPUTER — Home & of fice, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3331923 Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach. We accept major credit cards.

DRIVEWAYS — Free estimates A & M ASPHALT SEAL COATING commercial and residential. Patching potholes, striping, repair existing asphalt & save money all work guaranteed. Lic.& Ins. 100045062 561-667-7716

F AMILY OWNED CLEANING BUSINESS IS EXPANDING — We are honest, reliable and dependable. Over 20 years experience in the Western Communities. Call today to get started. Norma 561-3555044

HURRICANE SHUTTERS P&M CONTRACT ORS — ACCORDION SHUTTERS Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, sof fits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777

BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE — Auto •Home • Life• Renters •Motorcycle •RV • Golfcart • Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/ rCavanagh

RJA PAINTING & DECORATING, INC. — Interior Exterior, Faux Finish, Residential,Commercial.Lic. #U17536 Rocky Armento, Jr. 561793-5455 561-662-7102 J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 or visit our website at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473

THE MASTER HANDYMAN — All Types of Home Repairs & Improvements. No job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 yrs of satisfied customers. See me on Angies List. Tom (561) 801-2010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties.

BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS INC. REMODEL & REPAIRS — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door inst allation, minor d r y w a l l , k i t c h e n s / c a b i n e ts / countertops, wood flooring. Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 7919900 or 628-9215 HANDYMAN AND CLEANING SERVICES — Caza Services for all your handyman and cleaning needs. 18 years experience. No job is too small. Call us today. Insured 561-802-8300 or 754-242-3459

ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back!

Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528

HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references.

Shopping available. 561-572-1782 HOUSECLEANING — affordable cleaning services, Royal Palm Maids. 561-666-7738 “For all your cleaning needs”

COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Int./ Ext. residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident \ JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured. CFC1426242. 561-6016458

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior p ainting.

Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS DON HARTMANN ROOFING — Roof painting, Carpentry. Lic. #U13677 967-5580 ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in rep airs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable.

Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-3090134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC023773 RC-0067207

JOHN C. BEALE BUILDING & ROOFING — Additions, remodeling, roof rep airs & replacements, screened porches. Licensed & Insured. Call for Free Estimates. 561798-6448 ccc1326383 ccc1250306

SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980.

Quality you expect, service you deserve. Lic. bonded & Ins. U21006 561-662-9258

SECURITY — American owned local security comp any in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600

STEAMPRO TILE & CARPET CLEANING — Residential & Commericial. 561-818-8635 (office) 561-255-9098 (cell) Licensed, Bonded and Insured.

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening.

Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed!

CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com

TREES TRIMMED AND REMOVED — 561-798-0412 D.M. YOUNG TREE SERVICE. Family Owned & Operated Lic. & Insured 1992-12121 Visit our website at dmyoungtreeservice.com

ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985.

U-17189 561-791-9777

MAR Y KAY SKIN CARE — Like FREE stuf f? You can host a Mary Kay p arty in your home... or now you can host an online p arty! Call me for det ails and get ready to earn your FREE product s! Also...learn how to earn 50% on your sales!

561-779-7796 visit our website at www .marykay.com/LSChroeder01

AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC — Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004Lic.#U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990

FURNISHED HOUSE FOR RENT/ SHORT OR LONG TERM — situated in a cul-de-sac and 5 minutes away from Spruce Meadows, this 2000 sf. 2 story newer house in Shawnessy has hardwood floor throughout and 2.5 bathrooms.

Leather furniture, 48” TV and a Piano in main floor. Master bedroom has Jacuzzi. 2 large size bedrooms and bonus room. Wireless Internet, double attached garage, fenced backyard with BBQ. Weekly housekeeping, linen service and lawn cutting plus all utilities included. For mor details call (403) 808-7254 OR (403) 700-2065

2001 20ft PROLINE W ALK AROUND — 150XL Mercury saltwater series outboard, Depth/fish finder, vhf, stereo/cd/ipod player.

Bimini top, fish rigged, porta poddy, cover. Boat in great shape. 2008 continental trailer. $14,500 561762-7000

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Corner of Pierson Rd. and South Shore Blvd., Wellington, Florida â&#x20AC;˘ 561-793-5867 â&#x20AC;˘ www.globaldressagefestival.com Free general admission. Free stadium seating. For reserved tables with fine dining in the Global Pavilion, call or text Annette Goyette at 561-779-1660 or email annette@equestriansport.com