RPB RESIDENTS OFFER ‘VISIONING’ INPUT SEE STORY, PAGE 3
VALIENTE VS. ZACARA IN U.S. OPEN FINAL SEE STORY, PAGE 17
THE
TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE Women’s Group Plans May 5 ‘Fun In The Sun’ Fundraising Luncheon
Volume 34, Number 16 April 19 - April 25, 2013
WLMS MARKS 25TH ANNIVERSARY
In order to continue helping other women in need, the Women of the Western Communities will host their annual fundraiser themed “Fun in the Sun: A Journey Through Florida” on Sunday, May 5 at 11 a.m. at the Wanderers Club. Page 3
Rotary Hosts Jeans & Jewels Kickoff Gala
The Wellington Rotary Club hosted its Jeans & Jewels kickoff party for the International Gay P olo Tournament on Friday, April 12 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Page 9
Wellington Landings Middle School marked its 25th anniversary with a celebration Saturday, April 13 in the school courtyard. The school invited the community to enjoy a pancake breakfast, a student musical showcase and the unveiling of the school’s new coat of arms and mosaic art wall. Shown above, the school’s new coat of arms was designed by Zaira Frandjian with her daughter Karina. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Hospital Welcomes Art Society For Dedication
The Wellington Art Society dedicated 30 paintings to the Palms West Hospital Pediatric Unit on Thursday, April 11. The artists spent months painting pieces, which will be displayed throughout the unit. Page 11
GPL Tournament Returns To Wellington
The fourth annual Gay Polo League International Tournament returned to Wellington’s Grand Champions Polo Club last Saturday. Page 13
OPINION Don’t Be Ruled By Fear After Boston Bombings
When bombs rocked the Boston Marathon, our nation once again felt the quake of fear and confusion — a feeling that so many of us wish we could forget. And while it’s easy to be gripped by fear after such a tragedy, we must not let that fear prevent us from coming together and moving forward. Page 4
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Presentations Show Pitfalls As ITID Seeks Drainage Upgrades By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Indian Trail Improvement District supervisors gathered with residents and ITID staff for a drainage workshop Monday where they heard from South Florida Water Management District representatives as well as former ITID engineer Jay Foy. ITID officials organized the meeting to listen to ideas on how to prevent flooding such as what occurred during the deluge from Tropical Storm Isaac last August. SFWMD officials presented plans and alternatives for a new berm to separate The Acreage from the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. The existing berm was said to have been in danger of breaching water into The Acreage during the flood, which drew the attention of Gov. Rick Scott, who put $8 million in his proposed 201314 budget to reconstruct the berm. John Mitnik with the SFWMD’s Engineering & Construction Bureau said his department is going through an evaluation of alternatives for its levee improvement
project to see which one has the most promise. “So far we have completed a topographic survey of the area, both along the existing berm as well as into the southern portion of the Corbett area,” Mitnik said. “In addition to that survey, we have also conducted some geotechnical borings along that route to be able to support the design of the new levee.” Considerations as specific conceptual designs are examined include safety, the impact to the wetland and other environmental considerations, complexity of construction, the cost, the amount of seepage that comes from Corbett into ITID and the impact of any of the alternatives on that amount of seepage. The idea that has received the most discussion is a new levee that would be constructed 150 to 220 feet north of the existing levee inside the wildlife management area. The proposal would include a 15foot maintenance “bench” between the existing berm and the new one. Another option would
be to eliminate the maintenance bench and move the new berm closer and incorporate it with the existing berm, which would encroach less into the management area. “We’re going through the different alternatives, comparing them against the criteria to see which alternative has the most promise,” Mitnik said. “We’ll be doing that over the next couple of months.” Mitnik added that another public meeting is scheduled for Friday, April 26 at the SFWMD headquarters. Martha Musgrove, representing the Florida Wildlife Federation, said that Corbett is public land that the federation helped assemble using taxpayers’ money. “We object to any use of Corbett and the destruction of wetlands within Corbett,” she said. “They are a vital part, an integral part, of the Corbett system.” Musgrove said the federation does not object to the berm project itself but that, after consulting othSee DRAINAGE, page 18
Opinions Differ On Handling Lox Groves Road Ownership By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council took steps Tuesday to begin resolving issues regarding road ownership and goals for road paving. Mayor Dave Browning was absent from Tuesday’s special meeting, and Councilman Tom Goltzené left early, leaving Vice Mayor Ron Jarriel and councilmen Ryan Liang and Jim Rockett to debate. Town Manager Mark Kutney said that Goltzené had brought up the issue of road ownership at the board’s last meeting. “Most of the town roads are easements cobbled together to
form a public road system, not in the town’s ownership,” Kutney said, explaining that Goltzené was trying to ascertain whether the town needs to acquire some type of claim to ownership that will enable it to make future improvements. Jarriel noted that the town is working with the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District to transfer ownership of the roads recently paved with open-graded emulsified mix (OGEM), but Goltzené said his concern is not so much with the district roads as non-district roads that the town does not have clear title to. “Can we get the same thing done
for the non-district town roads?” Goltzené asked, explaining that council members had discussed the issue in the past as it relates to Marcella Blvd. and Compton and Bryan roads. He asked whether the form that was used to gain title to Bryan Road would be appropriate for other roads, and said the town should come up with a process to get it done. “They asked people, ‘Do you want to be a road?’ I’d like to take the first step in that process if that’s what we’re going to do,” Goltzené said. Town Attorney Mike Cirullo said the form was prepared by the See LOX ROADS, page 18
Serving Palms West Since 1980
Focus Now On Laurie Cohen As Wellington Seeks New Attorney By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Former Wellington Councilwoman Laurie Cohen is now the top contender to become the village’s new attorney after Wellington Village Council members reached an impasse Monday with their original choice. “We’re in the first step of the negotiations,” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig told the Town-Crier Wednesday. “We just had our first meeting, and we’re trying to come to an agreement.” But Gerwig noted that the council is expected to have another special meeting Monday, April 22 after its agenda review meeting to further discuss the issue. “It may or may not be on the next council agenda,” she said. “It depends on if the first draft of the contract is acceptable. Then we have to present it to the council again.” Last week, council members voted to negotiate a contract with attorney Donald Dufresne, who has served as chairman of the village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee. But negotiations stalled when Dufresne requested a salary and
benefits package that council members considered too costly. At a special meeting Monday, April 15, council members decided to abandon talks with Dufresne and instead negotiate with Cohen, who was ranked second-highest. After days of negotiation with Dufresne, council members met to discuss a modified contract. “I’m not going to say I’m comfortable with it,” said Gerwig, who led the negotiations. “It was the best contract that I could come to an agreement on with this candidate.” All in all, Dufresne was requesting about $325,000 in compensation — including a $200,000 salary and $500 a month for a vehicle. “I honestly thought the salary was too high,” Gerwig said. “When we advertised this, we said $150,000 to $175,000, but that wasn’t anywhere in the range acceptable to him.” Gerwig noted that she had attempted to compromise and was asking council members to review a new contract that was close to what Dufresne wanted. Vice Mayor Howard Coates notSee LAWYER, page 4
ACREAGE/LOX RELAY
The Acreage/Loxahatchee Relay for Life was held Saturday and Sunday, April 13 and 14 at Acreage Community Park. Participants braved rain and thunderstorms to walk overnight and raise money for cancer research and program support. The event’s theme was “Carnival,” and teams had an array of festive booths with activities and fun décor. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
Positive Reviews For New RPB Commons By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report More than 50,000 people were on hand for last month’s grand opening weekend of the new Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio updated Recreation Advisory Board members about the park’s opening celebration at their meeting Monday, reporting that more than 26,000 cars were recorded over the weekend of March 22-24. “If you took 26,000 cars and there were only two people per car, there were over 50,000 people,” Recchio said. “We all know there were more than two people per car, so it was an excellent turnout. For those of you who weren’t there, you missed a great weekend. Recchio said that there have
been 131 rental requests for the park’s pavilion already, and a halfdozen requests for wedding reservations at the sporting center, which features a picturesque thirdfloor event space. “The thing that’s holding us back now is we’re still trying to get the final certificate of occupancy on maintenance there so we can move in,” he said, explaining that the main floor will be set up so people can sit and relax, use Wi-Fi on their computers and have coffee. “It’s not going to be a standard café. It’s going to be similar to a Starbucks with end tables and cushioned chairs.” The furniture on the patio outside will be next, Recchio said. “We’ve already picked it out, it has gone out for bid, and once we get See PARK OPENING, page 18
Wellington Children’s Theater Brings ‘Annie Jr.’ To Stage By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Karen Braunstein’s dream of working with children and theater has come true. She founded the Wellington Children’s Theatre last August to provide a theatrical forum for children in the western communities. The theater will be putting on its second main stage production with the performance of the musical Annie Jr. on April 21, 26, 27 and 28 at the Wellington High School theater. Tickets are $12 for children and $20 for adults. Braunstein has been working with children for more than 25 years at local synagogues and summer camps, directing shows and teaching voice and piano lessons. She first discovered her passion for directing children’s theater in 1987. “I was asked to direct Joseph and
the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and totally fell in love with musical theater,” she said. Before working with children in theater, Braunstein earned a bachelor’s degree in music at the New England Conservatory and has been a cantor for 25-plus years. “I’ve been doing stage performances, singing and acting, but it was a little different than musical theater,” she said. Braunstein searched several locations to open her theater, and decided that Wellington would be the best community. “It’s a great niche for Wellington,” she said. “There was a real need for a program to teach children the fundamentals of acting and musical performance.” But finding an appropriate venue for practices and performances was a difficult task. “Wellington
does not have a black box theater that’s a community performing arts center,” Braunstein said. “Finding a venue has been tough. The ones that are available don’t typically open their doors to outside performances.” After rigorously searching, Braunstein was fortunate enough to be offered use of Wellington High School’s venue. “I was seriously considering choosing a venue outside of Wellington,” she said. “I’m glad that I can keep it here because it’s for the Wellington community, and I would like to keep it in the community.” The arrival of the Wellington Children’s Theatre has created euphoria among Wellington’s young thespians. The theater is open to children ages 3 to 18, and offers session workshops, classSee THEATER, page 7
Palm Beach Atlantic University intern Michelle Santiago with Wellington Children’s Theatre founder Karen Braunstein at a rehearsal for Annie Jr. at the Wellington High School theater. PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER