Town-Crier Newspaper August 21, 2009

IT’S BACK TO SCHOOL, KIDS

Many

Visions Salon Holds Haircut-athon For Cancer Society

Visions Hair Salon in Wellington held its third annual haircut-athon last Sunday to benefit the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer. Page 3

Dr. Shullman Salutes Area Teachers At Gypsy’s Horse Event Shullman Orthodontics

hosted a teachers’ appreciation night on Thursday, Aug. 13 at the Gypsy’s Horse Irish Pub & Restaurant in the original Wellington Mall. Page 9

Spor ts

Wellington Football Looking For Stronger Showing This Year

The agenda of Wellington High School varsity football’s Head Coach Chris Romano’s week: work on fundamentals and basic skills. For a team that won one game last season and had gone 1-19 in the previous two seasons combined, its fundamentals better improve vastly this year. Page 15

RPB Wildcats Hope To Stay Competitive Under New Coach

Despite a last-minute changing of the guard, the Royal Palm Beach High School varsity football team looks forward to a repeat of last year’s winning season under new head coach Frank Knuf. Page 15

during summer break, students are back to the hustle and bustle of school life. Pictured here, students Ashleigh and Jack Altfest return to Panther Run Elementary School.

High Marks For Wellington Foreclosure Help Program

By Mark Lioi Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington’s foreclosure assistance program, tailored to be more user-friendly, continues to attract a steady stream of homeowners.

Several dozen homeowners visited the main room at the Wellington Community Center on Thursday evening to discuss their problems with experts in foreclosure issues. The monthly symposium is the fifth held in the village so far, village community outreach specialist Meridith Tuckwood said.

The series is a collaboration between the Village of Wellington and the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches. Wellington was a natural venue because the village leads the county in foreclosures, Tuckwood said, with 1,194 properties in foreclosure as of June according to one estimate, and another 1,200 in pre-foreclosure.

“The numbers are huge,” she said.

The symposium brings together various experts — attorneys, housing advocates, credit counselors and real estate agents — who sit at tables where residents can approach them to discuss their problems. This is a shift from

the way the series began, Tuckwood said, with the experts lined up in front of an audience who were expected to stand up and ask questions.

An indicator that people wanted to avoid the limelight came when staff at an early symposium warned the audience that a TV crew would be filming, and anyone who didn’t want to be on camera should move. The entire audience shifted to the other side of the room, Tuckwood recalled.

As the format shifted to include “breakout” sessions with the individual experts, Tuckwood said it became apparent that people were more comfortable discussing their issues in a one-on-one, confidential setting, and the audience/forum format was reduced to brief introductions at the start of each session.

Approximately 30 to 35 homeowners attend the symposium each month, Tuckwood said, noting that each month brings in a new set of faces.

Anonymity is a strong factor both in the format and in getting people to attend, Tuckwood said. The event’s name has even changed, from “Foreclosure 911” to “Home Preservation.”

“People don’t want anyone

to know,” she said. “They don’t want anyone to see them coming in here… It reminds me of an AA meeting. You don’t see them advertising outside of a church, ‘AA, come here.’ It’s usually held at a church, and it’s anonymous for a reason. It’s all about anonymity. You don’t walk up to your neighbor and say, ‘hey, my name is Joe, and I’m in foreclosure.’ It’s a very personal issue.”

People don’t necessarily need to be facing foreclosure to attend the symposiums, Tuckwood noted. “Any of the individuals here are able to provide assistance whether you’re in foreclosure or not,” she said. “It could just be that you need some help with your budget.”

The program’s purpose is to help people deal with the problems they are facing, said Tuckwood, who works out of the village’s Safe Neighborhoods Office on Wellington Trace. “Whatever is not here, we will get for you,” she said. “If we don’t have it here for you, and there’s something that you can’t get an answer to, we’ll do our best to find it and at least get someone on board who can help you.”

In essence, Tuckwood

See FORECLOSE, page 16

RPB Council Drops Madrid Traffic Study

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

A sharply divided Royal Palm Beach Village Council backed down Thursday from having a traffic study done to determine the impact of connecting Madrid Street to the new State Road 7 extension.

The item before the council had been on the consent agenda, but several residents opposing the connection had asked to speak.

Mayor David Lodwick said the study was only to get information so that they would have factual data about the traffic impact should the connection be opened, and that a public hearing would be held before an opening is considered. “We have told the residents of La Mancha there would be no change until we have heard from them,” Lodwick said.

Councilman David Swift, who lives on Ponce de Leon Street in La Mancha, said connecting the road would undo years of efforts to reduce traffic in the neighborhood, which he said benefited greatly from the opening of the Sate Road 7 extension.

“I have seen major improvements in drainage, streetscaping and paving on La Mancha, a lot of great benefits in my opinion,” Swift said. “The point I want to make is that I have lived on Ponce for 20 years, and this summer was the best traffic experience I have seen.”

Swift said opening the connection might cut a few minutes off some commuters’ travel time, but it would be

an encroachment on privacy and safety for residents living on La Mancha Avenue and Ponce De Leon and Madrid streets.

“The tradeoffs will be significant for these people,” he said. “The people on the back streets will have quicker travel, but people on those street will be affected.” Swift also wondered what the performance standards would be for the study to determine if a connection was acceptable. He added that a traffic study would not take into account other factors, such as the effect on property values. “I’ve said this before; I’m really not in favor of opening that connection,” he said.

Lodwick said he was not sure whether he would support a connection, but would like to get the information to make an informed decision, adding that he felt Swift had gathered people at the meeting to speak against the traffic study.

Councilwoman Martha Webster also wanted to look at the data and make a holistic decision. She added that the village had received support from other municipalities for other road issues in return for a commitment to look at opening the connection. “We’ve asked other municipalities to support us,” Webster said. “We have to look at this completely.” Lodwick agreed, noting that other municipalities are pressuring him to open the connection in return for their

See MADRID, page 16

Intersection Work Helps Beautify RPB

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Ongoing improvements to the intersection of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards are part of a continuing theme that village planners hope will upgrade the look of the community’s “downtown.”

The county commission Tuesday approved the continuation of paver bricks on the sidewalk in front of the CVS Pharmacy on the northwest corner of the intersection that will match the other corners, Mayor David Lodwick told the Town-Crier on Thursday.

The southwest corner, which holds a new medical office building, has a large clock at the corner, while the southeast corner is home to

the village complex and a new public art sculpture by artist Mark Fuller dedicated during the village’s recent 50th anniversary celebration. CVS has also contracted Fuller to do a $50,000 sculpture in front of its store that will complement the work across the street he did for the village. “It’s a continuing theme that we’re taking the assets of the city and trying to improve every one of the intersections,” Lodwick said. “That intersection is so heavily traveled, our residents go through it every day. We don’t have a downtown, but that is the main intersection. We certainly don’t want to waste people’s money there, but we

See CORNER, page 16

Larger RPB Library On Schedule, Under Budget

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Expansion work on the Royal Palm Beach branch library is just about finished and ready for library staff to move in, Palm Beach County Library System Director John Callahan said this week. The expansion project, which began last October, is well on the way to meeting its scheduled reopening in December. “Construction is actually about two months ahead of schedule,” Callahan told the Town-Crier Wednesday.

Callahan said library staff is still waiting for furniture to arrive. “It has all been ordered and should be arriving sometime in November,” he said. “Once that arrives, it takes about a month to get everything in place. We’re still looking at the first or second week in December [to reopen], but we don’t have a definite date yet.”

Callahan said the slow economy has actually been a blessing for the construction project. “The labor costs have

gotten better,” he said. “Generally speaking, this project is coming in under budget. The one upside of a down economy is it’s a good time to build.”

With the expansion, the Royal Palm Beach branch will more than double in size from 7,955 square feet to 20,485 square feet.

The expanded library will have more meeting space with three meeting rooms, a large room accommodating 72 people, a smaller conference room and a room for children’s programming.

It will increase its shelving to allow for more DVDs, CDs and audio books, more study space and quiet space including three study rooms. Dedicated space for young people will have ample room for materials and comfortable seating.

The overall environment will be more open, with lofty and spacious ceilings, an abundance of natural lighting and comfortable seating areas throughout the branch, Callahan said.

“It’s more of an open plan, so there are very few interior walls,” he said. “We’ve got some skylights built in, clerestory windows, which are like skylights except they’re on a vertical plane rather than a horizontal plane, like a window but high up on the wall.” Callahan said the layout of the library is similar to that of the recently expanded

Wellington branch, although two thirds the size.

functionality and layout are very similar,” Callahan said. “There’s a separate teen room and a separate children’s area. There’s a main adult space in the very center of the building. I was there myself yesterday, and I was very surprised by the bright airy feeling with the natural lighting coming in from the windows, very nice.”

The new school year began Tuesday at all public schools in Palm Beach County. After months of fun and relaxation

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

expanded Royal Palm Beach library is scheduled to reopen in December.

New Year, New Principal At Discovery Key

By Ron Bukley

Town-Crier Staff Report

The new year brings new leadership to Discovery Key Elementary School as Donald Messing takes over as principal of the suburban Lake Worth school.

After serving as principal of Whispering Pines Elementary School in Boca Raton for eight years, Messing has stepped in to replace Discovery Key’s founding principal Steve Sills, who has been transferred to Melaleuca Elementary School in West Palm Beach.

Jupiter residents, Messing and his wife Nancy moved to Florida in 2000 after retiring from the Grosse Pointe Public School System in Michigan. But after deciding it was too soon to retire, they both went back to work. Donald took a job as assistant principal at Carver Middle School, where he worked for a year before going to Whispering Pines.

“We had vacationed here in Florida over the last 25 years and decided we wanted to move down here,” Messing said. “The retirement lasted about six months. My wife, who was a registered respiratory therapist running a pul-

monary rehab program, decided she wanted to go back to work too.”

Messing, 70, spent 36 years as an educator in Michigan, 16 of them as a principal. Born and raised in Grosse Pointe, Messing got his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education from Michigan State University. He was hired by the Highland Park Public School System in 1964 to teach physical education before moving to the Grosse Pointe system where he was an elementary school teacher and varsity basketball coach after school for his

See MESSING, page 4

P.W. Chamber Joins Healthcare Debate

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce and the Palm Beach County Medical Society presented a panel discussion on healthcare reform Monday that was considerably milder than some of the town hall meetings that have taken place across the country in recent weeks.

The discussion, which took place at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center as the chamber’s monthly business luncheon, included panelists State Rep. Mark Pafford (DDistrict 88), JFK Medical Center chief of surgery Dr. Alan Pillersdorf, Palm Beach County Medical Society past president Dr. Brent Schillinger, Palms West Hospital CEO Bland Eng, insurance agent Julian Lago and Ink & Toner USA Vice President Bob Bloom representing small businesses.

Pafford stressed the need to keep an open mind during the ongoing debate about healthcare reform and decried the fact that the issue has turned into a Democrats-versus-Republicans confrontation. “We all come from various backgrounds,” he said, “but we need to be on the same page at the end of the day.”

Pillersdorf warned that truly socialized medicine would produce a “civil service” mentality in healthcare.

“You won’t attract certain people who are the brightest,” he said. “I think if you want to understand what the doctors are upset about is that it treats them as practitioners.

President Obama also admitted that he had not read the whole bill, which is kind of incredible if that’s a part of his platform.”

Schillinger said a singlepayer system would be the best solution, by expanding Medicare to everyone and making coverage available to all. He said the current system is a disaster because insurance premiums and copayments keep going up.

“Obama’s personal physician for many years said that a single-payer Medicare run program will work,” he said.

“That is the only definite way that we can get a grip on the situation, and the cost under control.”

Eng said emergency room visits have risen at Palms West Hospital in the past three years, as well as an increase in uncompensated care. There also is a decline in managed care, he said, and an increase in self-pay patients.

“We encourage and support healthcare reform,” Eng said, “but it is a matter of how we are going to get there.”

Lago said the tone of the conversation has changed from healthcare reform to health insurance reform, but warned against creating a new government bureaucra-

cy. “We all believe that healthcare reform is necessary,” he said. “We all believe that there is waste in the system, but we don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. We still have one of the finest systems in the world.”

Bloom said rising insurance costs have affected both him and his business.

“It’s becoming difficult for small businesses to offer health insurance,” he said.

“The costs have increased so quickly. Only two years ago, we had a small business plan for our company. Every year our premiums were so high that we kept looking for something else. We signed up with an employer leasing company, and we did not save any money. We were told that our employee premiums were going to rise 12 percent. Our benefits diminished.”

A question from the audience on a single-payer plan was directed at Schillinger, who noted that Medicare is for the most part a well-run program. “If Medicare is such a bad idea,” he asked, “why is there no bill in Congress to repeal it?” A question about services was directed at Pafford, who said that there is an exception to the free market, which is the public good, and that the public good includes services to the military, to police and to firefighters.

“Nobody seems to debate those services,” Pafford said. “In this debate, we need to determine what level of care will be the public good.” Pillersdorf said that a universal healthcare plan would lead to rationing.

“We are doctors, and we want to practice medicine. If you give everyone care, you have to ration care,” he said. “There is only so much money in the pot… You need a system that is fair. I don’t think we have figured that out yet.”

The luncheon was sponsored by the Cleveland Clinic, which has opened a facility in CityPlace Tower in West Palm Beach.

Dr. Laurence Beck, medical director of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Health & Wellness Center, said that the notion that the Cleveland Clinic is an exclusive facility is false.

“We are not in the least elitist,” he said. “We have open doors. We accept all insurance. We welcome anyone who comes from primary care. We welcome those who want a second opinion. We work with many of the specialists in Palm Beach County, and we work with them hand in hand and side by side. We welcome any of you to tour the facility.”

For more information about the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palms west.com.

Donald Messing

VISIONS HAIRCUT-ATHON FOR CANCER SOCIETY

WHS CLUB HELPS BREAST CANCER SUPPORT GROUP

The thinkPINKkids Club at Wellington High School presented $2,000 to the breast cancer support group Your Bosom Buddies II last Thursday. The club raised the money at the 5K Walk to Win the Battle Against Breast Cancer in May. Some of the money will provide welcome bags for women undergoing chemotherapy treatments for breast cancer.

PHOTOS BY DENISE

Your Bosom Buddies Vice President Lorna Johnson (center) presents new members Terry Beatty and Angela Hillebrand with welcome bags.

Amy Aqua, Lorna Johnson, Travis Michaud, Ben Aqua, Marie Phillips and Susie Donovan.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER Visions

Locks of Love, an organization that provides wigs

Salon is located at 12793 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Wellington Plaza.

Ghilsy Suarez, Amanda Covetskie, Jackie Wolfe, Visions owners Linda and Tom Monticello, Melissa Lovett and Clarissa Cornelius.

Linda Grove buys raffle tickets from Tara Weldon.

Susan Chasteen blow-dries Margie Werner’s hair.

Katrina Salcedo displays a piece of hair she will donate to Locks of Love while Annie Mizrahi looks on.

OUR OPINION

Healthcare Hysteria Is Not A Remedy For Needed Reform

It has been a few weeks since fears began spreading about President Barack Obama’s healthcare reform plan creating so-called “death panels” to decide whether an elderly person is worthy of healthcare or should be euthanized. And it has been almost as long since the rumors were proven false, stemming from a requirement in the House of Representatives bill that Medicare would pay for end-of-life counseling sessions. There’s a big difference between counseling and killing, but somehow the nuance has continually eluded a very vocal segment of the population. There was a time when the two parties discussed ideas for addressing healthcare reform without resorting to fear tactics and intimidation.

Many Americans are legitimately concerned about the cost of a healthcare overhaul and how it would affect employer-based coverage if a public option is approved. But the current hysteria surrounding the issue is diverting attention from the debate and turning the whole thing into a circus. Americans have a natural skepticism of the federal government. It’s one of the founding principles of the nation. Just because a party holds power doesn’t mean it will always act in the best interest of the people. History has shown what unquestioning patriotism can lead to. However, putting that same blind faith in a radio pundit or fringe politician is no better. The American political system is

Where’s The Ethics In Roebuck Road Opposition?

“I pledge to make good on my promises and to avoid making promises or commitments I cannot reasonably expect to fulfill. I pledge to work together with others, recognizing that unity of purpose and effort leads to greater accomplishments.”

— The Palm Beach County Ethics Pledge

Much has been made of the Palm Beach County grand jury investigation following the criminal activities of many elected officials and its report. Palm Beach County leadership rolled out the ethics pledge. It would be accurate to say that the public at large is outraged by the behavior of elected officials who have chosen to act in less than honorable ways and that their behavior is at a cost to the citizens. So I ask you: where in the process do ethics begin? I would say from the very beginning of a negotiation or contract.

Let us go back to 1993 when the land north of Okeechobee Road was sand and scrub, and there was a gleam in the eye of our eastern neighbors, the City of West Palm Beach, to annex and develop west. But traffic concurrency standards would not allow for the three proposed developments — Baywinds, Andros Isle and Riverwalk. Royal Palm Beach initiated an administrative proceeding that resulted, in 1994, in the interlocal agreement between Palm Beach County and the City of West Palm Beach. This agreement established the alignment of Roebuck Road and collection of mitigation fees from each unit for environmental permitting. A total of $906,600

was collected by the city. But when the time for the development of the negotiated road to provide traffic relief for citizens living in the western communities arrived, West Palm Beach reversed its position.

And so I ask, where are the ethics of Roebuck Road? You be the judge.

Martha Webster Councilwoman

Royal Palm Beach

Debunking

The ‘Killer Beds’ Myth

This is in response to the last few weeks of totally irresponsible and fact-lacking reporting by our national media, as well as the Palm Beach Post (Wednesday, July 29), suggesting that tanning beds are “as dangerous as arsenic,” or in the “same risk category as cigarettes and plutonium.”

I would like to set the record straight with a few solid facts that seem to be omitted recently. The UV rays one receives outside in the natural sunlight are the exact same UV rays you are exposed to in a tanning bed. The difference is that in a tanning bed, we filter out some of the bad stuff, or “harmful rays.”

My grandfather always said “everything in moderation” and with all of the misleading, contradictory and downright false warnings the average consumer has received over the past few years, I understand how one could be confused. My grandfather not only was a doctor, he was right. Humans, like the rest of our planet, need sun exposure (UV rays) to survive and thrive.

Since 1992, thousands of doctors have recommended moderate exposure to sunlight (UV rays) for a variety

a constant battle for power, and some will take whatever shortcuts they can to get there, whether it’s the use of half-truths or outright intimidation, neither of which are the ingredients of a healthy democracy.

President Obama is intent on getting healthcare reform passed soon. That much we know. What we don’t know is exactly what that reform will look like. Nothing is set in stone. The president this week said he isn’t totally committed to including a public option in the healthcare bill, noting that it is only one of several options. Not surprisingly, this caused a negative reaction from many on the left. Now both sides are worried about the outcome. And for that reason, cool heads must prevail throughout the remainder of the process.

With the legislation still pending, now should be the time for thoughtful, point-by-point deliberation. So far, an effort has been made to bring in Congressional Republicans. No one is under the illusion that finding a compromise satisfying to both sides will be an easy task. But if Republicans’ disdain for President Obama prevents the two parties from working together, the result may be a Democrat-only plan. Until healthcare reform can be debated without an us-against-them mentality, the polarization of the two parties will only intensify. And as far as democracy is concerned, that is not a good prognosis.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

of health benefits. Oprah’s guests, Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Andrew Weil, are two prominent examples. I have at least one dermatologist (that I am aware of) who tans at my salon for the known benefits of vitamin D.

In a tanning bed, you are only allowed so much exposure and are required to wear eyewear for your protection. This is not true at Peanut Island, at the beach or lying out by the pool. The news stories that say things like “tanning is as dangerous as arsenic” are flat-out wrong. The scientists have not made that kind of comparison at all, only reporters looking for a scary headline.

The most common misleading statistic, that tanning beds increase the risk of melanoma by 75 percent, comes from a study with questionable methods. The study’s authors admit that they did not adjust for factors like outside skin exposure and skin sensitivity. Even if the study was accurate, it does not mean that 75 percent of tanning bed users will get melanoma, it means that their risk is higher than living under a rock. Because the issue is relative risk, when the original risk is very small, a percentage increase that looks big actually translates into a very small added risk.

To use another example, your annual risk of a fatal car accident is about 0.013 percent. If that risk were increased by 75 percent it would be 0.023 percent or about one in 4,500. To put that number in perspective, the increase is ten times smaller than the Occupational Safety and Health Administration guideline for “acceptable risk.”

Finally, I was always told to “never kick someone when they’re down.” My industry goes through a natural and expected slow down in busi-

ness during our steamy South Florida summer months, add this to a dismal economy not experienced since the Great Depression and you have an indoor tanning industry that is in no mood to be kicked. Killer beds? My more than 10,000 happy clients (and counting) say not!

David Thorpe, Owner WellingTAN Wellington

Healthcare Reform Deserves

Scrutiny

No rational person would disagree with the stated goals of the Democrats’ health reform efforts. The president’s goals, in the words of his whitehouse.gov web site, are “to control rising healthcare costs, guarantee choice of doctor, and assure high-quality, affordable healthcare for all Americans.” But no rational person should simply accept as fact that the specific legislation now in Congress will result in meeting those goals.

As to costs, the most reliable source of information is the Congressional Budget Office. In a letter to Democratic Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the CBO wrote, “In CBO’s judgment, the probability is high that no savings would be realized [years 2010-19].” This estimate was concerned with giving the president additional control of Medicare. (“This letter focuses on proposals to give the president broad authority to make changes in the Medicare program, subject to Congressional disapproval.”) In fact, the CBO also estimated that additional federal expenditures of $1 trillion would be required over that same 2010-19 period. The CBO also warned that “if lawmakers expanded the eli-

OPINION

gibility of Medicaid or otherwise subsidized health insurance for people earning below 150 percent of the federal poverty level, or $22,000 for a family of four,” then costs would soar even higher.

The second stated goal, guaranteeing that an individual will have a choice of doctors, would require federal laws that would range far in excess of anything yet proposed. All doctors would have to be required to accept the insurance of any patient. And yet the reforms in the current legislation also require setting lower payments to doctors who treat Medicare and Medicaid patients. The inevitable conclusion is that the federal government would pay only what it wanted to pay and all doctors would have to accept that payment. The impact on the healthcare system would be catastrophic. Would you invest years of training and all of the startup costs necessary to become a practicing physician if you knew that you would be required, by law, to accept whatever payment amount was determined to be politically correct?

The third and fourth goals are simply pie-in-the-sky statements that could not be attained regardless of the details of legislation. A political system cannot assure high-quality and affordable healthcare for all. No rational person would believe that it could, any more than they would believe that a government could assure happiness or a belly full of fine food.

The point of this little essay is to demonstrate why

Acreage Real Estate Market

Doing Fine

We are writing in response to the recent article “Cancer Scare Puts A Damper On Acreage Real Estate Market.” We have been Acreage residents for 23 years, Carl has been a Realtor for 10 years, and Cheri for 20. We felt obligated to give some facts which were taken directly from the Regional Multiple Listing Service on Aug. 17. From July 15 to July 30, 28 properties in the Acreage/ Loxahatchee area went under contract. From Aug. 1 through Aug. 17, an additional 42 have gone under contract. From the period of July 15 through Aug. 17, 29 properties have closed/sold. It is so unfortunate that the one loan was denied, however, we would like to show the public that there is still a positive side to sales in The Acreage. In the interim, it is our hope that people wait for definitive results from the experts, versus opinions and conjecture from all sides of the issue. Carl and Cheri Knottnerus Re/Max Prestige Royal Palm Beach

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL

Time Congress Passed The Airline Passengers Bill Of Rights

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

There is what is aptly named an Airline Passengers Bill of Rights stalled in Congress for months and months. Airline industry representatives — those fabulous paragons of “successful” free enterprise — are steadfastly opposed to it. We can fairly regulate ourselves, say the airline bigwigs. Congress, evidently unwilling to jeopardize large political donations from the industry, has done nothing to push a vote on the legislation.

Messing New Principal

continued from page 2 alma mater, Grosse Pointe South High School.

Messing left coaching after four years and took coursework at Wayne State University, where he received education specialist certification in elementary administration and supervision in 1970. He continued to teach elementary school another six years before returning to Grosse Pointe South High School as assistant principal,

where he worked for five years. In 1981, he was appointed principal at an elementary school with a large number of mentally impaired children, where he remained for 16 years.

Messing said his top goal is to maintain the quality of education at Discovery Key.

“Number one for a school like this is to maintain the success that they’ve had,” he said.

“This is a highly successful school, and we want to maintain that.”

Messing said he is excited about initiatives being brought forth by the School District of Palm Beach Coun-

Just a couple of weeks ago, after a thunderstorm diversion in Rochester, Minn., Continental Express Flight 2816, forced 47 passengers to sit on the tarmac for some seven hours. The plane had a single restroom, very little food or drink, and two babies exercising their lungs with regularity. The passengers were not allowed to deplane until 6 a.m.

ty to improve education this year, particularly with the departmentalization of grades three through five.

“Instead of having a selfcontained classroom that has existed in the past, where one teacher teaches all the subjects, we have departmentalization,” he said. “In some cases it’s a two-person team and in other cases it’s a threeperson team.”

Under such a scenario, one person may teach nothing but language arts, while another teaches math and another science. Messing said the objective is to reduce the number of preparations teachers

The flight’s in-charge subcontractor claimed his edict against leaving was based on security concerns. Really? Hadn’t all of the passengers already been screened before allowed to get on the aircraft? Airport officials chimed in that they could have accommodated

make so they can focus more on specific subjects. Students will change classes similar to students in higher grades.

He said the school system would also make more effective use of data collected in the course of the year. “We collect data three times a year to assess whether the instruction the teacher is giving is meeting the needs of the student,” Messing said. “If they are not, the purpose of that data is the teacher restructures the program and instruction to better accommodate the needs of the child.”

Each grade will have a learning system facilitator

the passengers without great problem.

Was this mess an aberration? Hardly. In June 2009 alone, passengers aboard 248 flights were deflated and disgusted by tarmac delays of more than three hours. Self regulation by the airline industry… gimme a break!

Crafted by senators Barbara Boxer and Olympia

who will train the teachers how to interpret data, how to determine where a child has not attained something and use that data to build their future. “That wasn’t done in my experience ten years ago,” Messing said.

Messing noted that Discovery Key’s demographic is very similar to his elementary school at Grosse Pointe, which had a large number of children of families of high socioeconomic status as well as a large population of students with special needs. Discovery Key has seven classrooms with approximately 80 mentally handicapped chil-

Snowe, the Airline Passengers Bill of Rights would force airlines to offer passengers the option of getting off after three hours on the tarmac and to supply food, water and adequate restrooms during long delays. Thus, based on the miserable airline industry performance to date, I urge Congress to pass the law now — just do it! there is widespread skepticism of the currently proposed healthcare reform. Most of those who question the proposals do so on a completely rational basis. It is far more rational to be leery of the claims of the proposed legislation than it is to accept them. Phil Sexton Wellington

dren, Messing said. Messing said he has been impressed with Palm Beach County’s ability to educate children with less money than his school district had in Michigan. And if there’s one thing that impresses him about Discovery Key, it’s the parental support.

“There is tremendous parental support for the school, for the children, for the staff,” he said. “They are highly focused on involvement in the school. In this day and age, that’s valuable, because I truly believe that a partnership is the only way we can best educate a child.”

NEW SCHOOL YEAR GETS UNDERWAY IN THE WESTERN COMMUNITIES

Panther Run guidance counselor Joe LoVerso conducts traffic-crossing control.

Panther Run students Mason and Tedd Lester.

Panther Run student Roy Elmakiyas with PE teacher C.J. Cain.

Panther Run student Sydney Greenspan.

Karen and Carly Librizzi at Panther Run.

Panther Run students Danielle and Alexa Benuzzi with mom Patricia.

H.L. Johnson students cross the busy Royal Palm Beach Blvd. intersection (above) and walk with their parents to the school entrance (below).

Polo Park students await their first class.

H.L. Johnson Principal Sharon Hench looks on as students arrive at school.

Kevin Dezago hugs his son Joseph at H.L. Johnson.

Man Arrested For Battery At RPB Cultural Center

By Lauren Miro Town-Crier Staff Report

charges and taken to the county jail.

AUG. 14 — A Lake Worth man was arrested last Friday night in Royal Palm Beach on a charge of felony battery. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, 20-year-old Edward Brown was attending a church service at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center when he became disruptive and was asked to leave. He was escorted out by ushers, but upon reaching the exit doors Brown turned and returned to the service. The victim attempted to stop Brown from re-entering by blocking his path. According to witness accounts in the report, Brown punched the man in the face and caused him to fall backward, striking his head against the wall. Brown fled but was apprehended in the Village Royale shopping plaza across the street, where he was arrested. The victim was treated for his injuries at the scene by Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue. •

AUG. 15 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a shopping plaza on South Shore Blvd. last Saturday night regarding vehicle burglaries. According to two PBSO reports, the victims’ vehicles were parked outside the plaza from 8 to 8:30 p.m. when someone gained entrance to them, stealing a stereo valued at approximately $400 from one and a GPS valued at approximately $150 from the other.

AUG. 13 —A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to a call from the loss prevention office at the Wal-Mart Superstore on Belvedere Road last Thursday in regard to a petit retail theft. According to a PBSO report, between 7:30 and 8 p.m., 18year-old Ryan Lewis of The Acreage and a juvenile were caught stealing Xbox items worth about $104.92. Lewis was also found to have two active warrants and was turned over to the Palm Beach County Jail. The juvenile was turned over to the Palm Beach County Juvenile Assessment Center after parent notification.

AUG. 13 — Two men were arrested on drug charges in Royal Palm Beach last Thursday night. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation observed a black Honda run three stop signs before making a traffic stop in a parking lot on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. The deputy made contact with the driver, 21-year-old Giovanni Ventura of Royal Palm Beach, while a second officer arrived and made contact with the passenger, 20-year-old Lewis Huggins of The Acreage. According to the report, the deputy smelled marijuana inside the vehicle and asked Ventura if there were any drugs in the vehicle. Ventura initially said there were none. When the deputy asked Ventura to exit the vehicle, he admitted to having marijuana on him. Two small plastic bags filled with marijuana were recovered from his pants. An inventory search of the vehicle found 49.2 grams of marijuana and an oxycodone pill in the trunk. Ventura said that he sometimes sells marijuana and had sold some to Huggins. Both Ventura and Huggins were arrested on multiple drug-related

AUG. 16 — A Royal Palm Beach woman was arrested for theft and contributing to the delinquency of a minor last Sunday afternoon at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation met with a store security officer, who said that at approximately 1 p.m., he saw 35-year-old Kelly Murillo select three video games, an accessory pack, computer spyware and a towel, which she placed in a cart with her seven-year-old son. Her son opened the game packages and gave them to Murillo, who placed one in her purse and told him to place the other two in his pants pockets. She opened the accessory pack and also placed it in her purse. According to the report, Murillo proceeded to check out and pay for grocery items, but made no attempt to pay for the items in her purse. She was stopped by the loss prevention officer while exiting the store and was escorted to the loss prevention office with her two children. The officer recovered a video game, computer spyware, a beach towel and two accessory packs from Murillo’s purse. Two additional games were recovered from her son’s pockets. When questioned by the deputy, Murillo’s son said his mother told him to put the games into his pockets and that he knew it was wrong. The amount of merchandise recovered was $125.34. Murillo’s sons were turned over to their grandmother on site, while she was taken to the county jail.

AUG. 17 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was called to a home on Draft Horse Lane regarding a burglary to a construction site. According to a PBSO report, sometime between noon last Friday and 9 a.m. on Monday, someone used a prying tool to enter through the rear window of the house, which is under construction, and stole copper wire worth approximately $15,000. Fingerprints were taken from the window, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.

AUG. 17 — An Ulta Beauty employee called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday regarding a retail theft. According to a PBSO See BLOTTER, page 16

a dwelling. His occupation is laborer. His last known address was Walker Avenue in Greenacres. Medina is wanted as of 08/20/09. 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.

Deborah Fisher

Medina

MAKING STRIDES KICKOFF PARTY HELD AT NICOLE’S VILLAGE TAVERN

annual Texas

Saturday, Oct. 17 at Okeeheelee Park. For more info., contact Dorothy Bradshaw at (561) 346-5910 or Jeremy Morse at jeremy.morse@cancer.org.

Poker Tournament on Sunday, Aug.

and dinner for four at several country clubs. For more information

Library Opening In December

continued from page 1 one, you wouldn’t recognize it. It’s totally redone to the point that some of the old stucco finish was taken off the old building and replaced.” The parking area will have 112 spaces, more than double the previous number.

The library’s books and other materials have been in storage, and new materials have been ordered, Callahan said. “We will about double the capacity from the old collection,” he said. “We should hold about 120,000 items including books, CDs, audio books, music CDs and DVDs.” The new library will have

increased access to computers with 36 Internet and word-processing terminals in the adult, children and teen areas. In addition, library catalog computers will be available throughout the building. Free wireless access will also be available.

The check-in and checkout system will also feature wireless technology. “We are looking to go to an RFID technology, which is radio frequency identification,” Callahan said. “Associated with that is both automatic check-in and checkout as well as an automated sorting system. We’re still working on that. It’s a manufacturing issue. It may happen, but if it doesn’t happen when the building opens, it will happen shortly thereafter. The selfcheckout should be in place, but the check-in and sorting

may take a little longer.”

Callahan said the county library system is converting to wireless checkout and will be recruiting volunteers to help tag checkout materials for the RFID technology.

“We may use volunteers extensively to help tag our books,” Callahan said. “We have about 1.7 million items in the whole system that need to be tagged. We use volunteers for a number of other things as well, from shelving books to greeting people to any number of other things.”

A library bookmobile is now stationed on the west side of the Midwestern Communities Service Center next to the Royal Palm Beach branch. The bookmobile hours are Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw with Erika Foley (left) and Christy Driesbach (right), both

Little Smiles held its fifth

Hold ’Em

16 at Swampgrass Willy’s in Palm Beach Gardens. Two dozen players competed for a gold bracelet by Shamrock Jewelers valued at $2,000, which went to Rich Kissel. Other prizes included an iPod nano

about Little Smiles,

Attendees gather for a group photo.

Steven Rodman deals to Eddie O’Berry, Rich Kissel and Allan Symonette.

Mike Franklin, Bill Tavernise, Justin Rader, Kyle Patchecko and Jeff Reader.

The final three contestants: Nelson Gerardo, Rich Kissel and Allan Symonette.

Former Little Smiles president Scott Anderson, benificiary Kyle Patchecko and founder Paul Donahue. Bill Tavernise, Ben Sims and Justin Rader.

Catherine Engel of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce and Lisa Gardi of Palms West Hospital.

Linda Spielmann and Dorothy Bradshaw speak.

The Gauger family with Catherine Engel (right). The Bradshaw family gathers for a group photo.

American Cancer Society representatives.

Attendees gather for a photo.

Sen. Aronberg To Speak At Wellington Chamber Luncheon

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will hold a luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at the Binks Forest Golf Club. State Sen. Dave Aronberg will serve as the keynote speaker.

In his seven years in the Florida State Senate, Aronberg has passed major consumer protection legislation that safeguards privacy against identity theft and financial schemes. As part of a Medicaid task force, Aronberg successfully fought for reforms to combat fraud and abuse that will save taxpayers millions of dollars.

As a rare Democratic committee chair in a Republicanled body, Aronberg led the senate’s efforts to secure federal funding for Everglades restoration. In addition, he oversees a consumer protection project in his senate office that has returned more than $4 million to Floridians who have called with consumer complaints.

Sponsoring the luncheon is Palms West Hospital, featuring Dr. Larry Lovitz, an interventional cardiologist who has been working in the field of cardiology in West Palm Beach for the past 17 years. His practice, Palm Beach

Heart Associates, is located in Atlantis. Lovitz’s cardiac expertise is in the area of coronary angioplasty and coronary stent implantation.

Palms West Hospital recently received approval by the State of Florida to add the cardiology service of PCI (percutaneous coronary intervention). This means that Palms West Hospital can now receive and treat patients, 24 hours a day, with narrowed coronary arteries using angioplasty, stenting and other catheter-based procedures. PCI involves the insertion of a balloon-type device into a patient’s artery to open a blockage. Primary PCI is performed in emergency situations, such as when a patient arrives at a hospital suffering from a heart attack. To avoid the traditional learning curve associated with new programs, Palms West Hospital partnered with its sister facility JFK Medical Center, a recognized leader in cardiovascular services.

The luncheon begins promptly at noon. The cost is $20 for chamber members in advance, $25 for members at the door and $30 for nonmembers. Call the chamber at (561) 792-6525 to RSVP.

Neighborhood Makeover Project

The Village of Wellington is partnering with the Solid Waste Authority through Paint Your Heart Out and the United Way for an extreme makeover project in Wellington’s White Pine neighborhood. This makeover is a project of the Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. The effort will assist homeowners in the White Pine community in the beautification of their neighborhood. Volunteers will be on hand for a trash cleanup and landscape renovation on Aug. 22 from 9 a.m. to noon. Following the event, more than 75 volunteers will gather to offer assistance with home painting on Saturday, Aug. 29 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteers will meet at the Safe Neighborhoods Initiative Office (1100 Wellington Trace) at 9 a.m. prior to the events. For more information, call neighborhood advocate Meridith Tuckwood at (561) 753-2476. If you have an idea for a future project or want to become involved, call (561) 791-HRWN (4796).

Art Society Open House Set For Sept. 9

The Wellington Art Society will kick off its 2009-10

season with its annual open house/membership drive on Wednesday, Sept. 9 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way).

The open house provides an opportunity for interested artists and art lovers to meet and socialize with society members, many of whom will have their work on display. There will also be information on membership and the group’s upcoming events and demonstrations, as well as a raffle and refreshments. Admission is free. For more information, call Wellington Art Society President Adrianne Hetherington at (561) 784-7561.

In other news, local painter and author Marianne Davidson, also known as Marianne Pilgrim Calabrese, is the featured artist for September on the Wellington Art Society online gallery.

Davidson paints in acrylics with occasional accents of charcoal and special mediums, combining surrealistic and impressionistic techniques. She is known for her acrylic paintings depicting scenes from Sept. 11, 2001 using unique added features that enable the viewer to see beyond the original images. Her work also includes tranquil landscapes and beautiful ballerinas, among other themes.

The Wellington artist studied at Pratt Institute of Technology, Fashion Institute of

Technology, University of Rome, and Art and Design High School. She also earned her master’s degree from Adelphi University and her bachelor’s degree from Queens College in elementary education and psychology. Get to know Davidson and her work by visiting the Gallery Show section of the society’s web site at www. wellingtonartsociety.org now through Sept. 30.

CAFCI Friendship Ball Sept. 19

The Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will host its Annual Friendship Ball on Saturday, Sept. 19 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way).

Tickets cost $70 per person and include musical entertainment, open bar, door prizes, a silent auction and more. Dinner will be served at 8 p.m. Tickets are selling fast, and space is limited. Tickets are available in advance only; none will be sold at the door.

For more information, call Alvin Nembhard at (561) 333-8891, Millie Hampton at (561) 790-1751, Lawrence Logan at (561) 791-0162, Ernie Garvey at (561) 4223359, O.G. Smith at (561) 798-9444 or Lascelles Harris at (561) 798-3634.

Garden Club Presentation

Sept. 14

The Wellington Garden Club will present “Orchids: The Realm of Wonder” with Dr. Alec Pridgeon on Monday, Sept. 14 at the Wellington Community Center. The event will begin with lunch at 11:30 a.m. with the presentation to follow. In his presentation, Pridgeon promises “to transport the audience out of Wellington to the ‘Realm of Wonder.’” He will present orchids of all colors, shapes and sizes, most of them photographed during his world travels. Pridgeon will explain why they look and function the way they do.

Pridgeon is a Sainsbury Orchid Fellow at the Royal Botanical Gardens, Kew, in London, former editor of the American Orchid Society Bulletin (now titled Orchids) and founding editor of the scientific orchid journal Lindleyana

Pridgeon has written and co-written numerous articles, co-directed five videotapes, edited 14 books including The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Orchids and compiled the Orchid Action Plan for the Species Survival Commission in Geneva, Switzerland. For more information, call (561) 798-5109 or e-mail apridg1@bellsouth.net.

DR. SHULLMAN SALUTES AREA TEACHERS AT GYPSY’S HORSE EVENT

Shullman

Panther Run Elementary School teachers Olga Espinoza, Lisa Kenny and Mara Hoberman.

Madison, Francine, Andrew and Wil Savoie with Dr. Howard Shullman.

Greenacres Elementary School teachers Tracie Rose, Farrah Pelliccio, Alicia Hall and Jessica Vicozi.

Stacey Miller, Ann Marie Fluney, Suzie Seffer and Dr. Howard Shullman have fun with karaoke.

Madison and Andrew Savoie win a raffle prize from Dr. Shullman.

Royal Palm Beach High School teachers Robin O’Brien, Cary Bush and Brandi Pennington.

Stacey Teel gets her ring cleaned by Chara Avery of Touch of Purple.

Robert King of Captain Bob’s Booty, which makes solar powered lamps.

Cookie the Clown (Diane Foerce) with Madison Lipiro.

Rodin Younessi Buys Lamborghini Palm Beach

Lamborghini Palm Beach recently announced that Rodin Younessi of Wellington has purchased the dealership. Now locally owned and operated, it is the goal of Lamborghini Palm Beach to provide unsurpassed customer service in the culture that the Lamborghini brand exemplifies.

“I have owned sport and super cars for many years, and now it is my ultimate dream that has come true to be able to represent Lamborghini in Palm Beach,” Younessi said. “Lamborghini has been my favorite brand automobile since childhood, hence my vision is to position Lamborghini Palm Beach in the community as a true partner providing professional and reputable business acumen, outstanding customer service and philanthropic support to the area’s charitable causes.”

Rodin Younessi

USCIS Opens New Office In Royal Palm

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) held the official grand opening of its new field office and application support center in Royal Palm Beach last Thursday. The event included a ribbon-cutting ceremony, naturalization ceremony and tours of the facility. Alejandro Mayorkas, who was sworn in as USCIS director, participated in his first public ceremony as the agency’s director, administering the oath of allegiance to 25 citizenship candidates and delivering remarks. Congressman Ron Klein was on hand to speak as well.

situated to serve the area’s immigrant community. The new facility replaces temporary modules that were located on Banyan Blvd. The office is expected to process roughly 57,000 customers a year.

The new office is based on a national model for new USCIS office locations throughout the country, and the 38,000-square-foot facility features a hurricane-resistant exterior and energy efficient features.

The new office, located at 9300 Belvedere Road, provides a range of immigration services, including naturalization interviews, lawful permanent resident processing, finger printing and photographic services and is well-

Lamborghini Palm Beach is Younessi’s second dealership venture in Palm Beach County, but his first super sports car venture. Located at 2345 W. Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, the dealership offers a full lineup of Lamborghinis, including exclusive specialty cars such as the Murcielago 670-4 and the Gallardo 550 Valentino Balboni. For more information, visit www.lamborghinipalm beach.com or call (561) 3707953.

Younessi has resided in Palm Beach County for more than 12 years. After years in the software industry, he switched careers by owning and operating motorsports dealerships throughout the state, including one of the highest-volume HarleyDavidson dealerships in America, Seminole HarleyDavidson. Younessi has a juris doctorate and is a member of the Florida and federal bar associations. He is involved with many local charities and was knighted by the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in recognition of his many charitable contributions.

ABWA To Meet Sept. 10

The Northern Palm Beach Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association will host its monthly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 10 at the PGA Doubletree Hotel. The speaker will be certified public accountant Tony Marino Jr. Marino owns and operates A. Marino Jr. CPA in West Palm Beach. His topic for the program will be “Economic Stimulus: What It Means to Us.” Networking will take place from 6 to 6:30 p.m. The din-

ner/program will begin at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $35. Guests are welcome. To make reservations, or for more information, call Dee Weber at (561) 6262027. The Doubletree Hotel is located at 4431 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens. For directions to the hotel, call the Doubletree at (561) 6222260. For more information on the American Business Women’s Association, call Chapter President Carol O’Neil at (561) 389-1227.

The new building is dedicated to Henry Lewis Hulbert, born in Yorkshire, England in 1867. A highly decorated U.S. Marine, Hulbert was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for actions during the 1889 Philippine insurrection. Hulbert was killed in action in France during World War I and was posthumously awarded the

Navy Cross and promoted to the rank of captain. The 25 citizenship candidates originate from the following 12 countries: Brazil, Croatia, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Haiti, Italy, Jamaica, Peru, St. Kitts-Nevis and Trinidad & Tobago. USCIS naturalized more than one million new citizens in fiscal year 2008. For more information about immigration applications, forms and the processes involved, call (800) 375-5283.

FPL Tips For Staying Safe This Storm Season

At Florida Power & Light, safety is a cornerstone of its commitment to customers and employees. FPL urges Floridians to be prepared and be aware of potential electrical hazards at all times, especially before, during and after a severe weather event. Below are electricity-related tips to keep you and your family safe during hurricane season.

• Before a Storm Threatens — Before storm season begins, have your trees properly trimmed to minimize their potential impact on your home and neighborhood. Make sure debris is cleared prior to a hurricane warning announcement when trash pickup is suspended. Do not attempt to trim any vegetation growing on or near any overhead power lines. Only specially trained line-clearing professionals should work around power lines. Check your local listings to locate a contractor qualified to trim vegetation around power lines. If someone in your home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, review your family emergency plan

for backup power or make arrangements to relocate when a storm warning is issued.

• Preparing for an Approaching Storm — Before lowering a TV antenna or satellite dish, make sure to turn off and unplug the TV, and avoid power lines. Turn off all swimming pool pumps and filters, and wrap them in waterproof materials. Turn your refrigerator and freezer to their coldest settings ahead of time to keep food fresh longer in the event of a power outage. Turn off and unplug any unnecessary electrical equipment. When working on a ladder, look up and note the location of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so that you — and the ends of the tools you’re using — don’t come within ten feet of power lines.

• Portable Generator Tips — Never run generators inside your home or garage, as they produce potentially deadly carbon monoxide fumes. Keep generators away from all open windows, including neighbors’ windows, to prevent deadly exhaust

from entering a home or business. Buy a battery-operated carbon monoxide alarm, which will alert you if carbon monoxide levels become dangerous. Always thoroughly read the manufacturer’s instructions to avoid dangerous shortcuts and ensure the safe operation of your generator. Don’t directly connect your generator to your home’s wiring. Power from a generator connected to a home’s wiring will “back feed” into utility lines, potentially severely injuring or killing a neighbor or utility crew working to restore power. Turn off all connected appliances before starting your generator. Turn connected appliances on one at a time, never exceeding the generator’s rated wattage. Don’t touch a generator if you are wet or are standing in water or on damp ground. Never refuel a hot generator or one that is running; hot engine parts or exhaust can ignite gasoline. Ensure you have plenty of gas for operation stored safely in gas containers.

• After the Storm — There are a few simple guidelines

to help you and your family avoid injury after a storm passes. Stay away from standing water and debris, which could potentially conceal a live wire. Don’t venture out in the dark because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous. Watch for downed power lines. Call 911 or FPL at (800) 4OUTAGE to report fallen power lines that present a clear and imminent danger to you or others. Do not attempt to touch any electrical power lines, and keep your family away from them. Always assume that every power line is energized. If your roof or windows leak, water in your walls and ceiling may come into contact with electrical wiring. Immediately turn off your circuit breakers, disconnect all electrical appliances that are still plugged in, and turn off all wall switches. Remember, never stand in water while operating switches or unplugging any electrical device. For the latest information about storm and electric safety tips, visit www.fpl.com/ storm.

New Field Office — Dignitaries participate in a ribbon cutting at the new USCIS field office in Royal Palm Beach.

The Brass Evolution

October 17, 8:00pm WCHS Theatre, Wellington, FL

evening to

with former Brass Monkey band leader Jody Marlow’s new band as they pay tribute to the music of Steely Dan, Chicago ,and Blood, Sweat, & Tears

The Wailers

November 7, 8:00pm WCHS Theatre, Wellington, FL

One

NICOLE NIELSEN MEETS AL GORE

Mitchell Goldberg Graduates UF Law

Dr. Whelihan Named FOGS President

Wellington resident Dr. Maureen Whelihan was named president of the Florida Obstetric & Gynecologic Society at its annual meeting held Aug. 14-16 in Boca Raton.

Since 1997, Whelihan has been in medical practice in West Palm Beach. She received her nursing degree from the Nursing School of Wilmington, Delaware, her bachelor’s of science degree from Florida Atlantic University, and her medical degree from the University of South Florida. In 1997, Whelihan completed her residency at the University of Florida/

Shands Hospital in Jacksonville, during which period she served as resident chair on the executive committee as well as chief resident.

Whelihan is a diplomate of the American Board of Obstetrics & Gynecology and a fellow of the American College of Ob/Gyn. She is a member of the American Medical Association, Florida Medical Association, Florida Ob/Gyn Society, Palm Beach County Medical Society, Palm Beach County Ob/Gyn Society and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health. She has served on the board of

directors of the Florida Ob/ Gyn Society, the Palm Beach County Ob/Gyn Society, the Palm Beach County Medical Society and the International Society for the Study of Women’s Sexual Health.

Whelihan was a contributor to the sixth and seventh editions of The Guide to Getting It On by Paul Joannides and has been a health consultant to CNBC, the Health Network, MSNBC, the Palm Beach Post, and Shape, Vive and All You magazines. She was listed among the “Top Doctors in America” in 2002 and 2003, and selected for inclusion among America’s

Top Obstetricians & Gynecologists in 2002-03 and 2009-10. Whelihan was also recognized as “Woman of the Year” 2003-04 by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and Palm Beach Illustrated magazine. She is currently in private group practice at the Comprehensive Women’s Medical Center of West Palm Beach.

Whelihan’s extensive background and commitment to excellence in medicine were key measures in her election as FOGS president. It is anticipated she will help the society achieve its objectives in the coming year.

Whole Foods Kicks Off New School Year

To kick off the new school year, Whole Foods Market in Wellington held its “Back to School Bonanza” last Saturday. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office was on hand to take free digital fingerprints and pictures to make current ID cards for children. In addition, the PBSO oversaw a bike rodeo in the parking lot and provided bikes and helmets for those who needed them.

Helmet checks were performed to make sure children are riding safely all year long.

Other activities included a cookout for charity, instore sampling of back-toschool items and face painting.

All proceeds from the cookout will go to support the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. An NCMEC representative was also on hand to offer important child safety tips.

Whole Foods Market is located at 2635 State Road 7 in Wellington. For more information, call (561) 9044000 or visit at www.whole foodsmarket.com.

Mitchell Goldberg

Mitchell W. Goldberg, son of Michael and Lianne Goldberg of Royal Palm Beach, recently graduated cum laude from the University of Florida’s Levin College of Law. This fall, Goldberg will continue post-doctorate studies toward a master of laws degree in taxation at UF Law, which is ranked second in the nation for the specialization. Goldberg spent his first summer at UF Law in an externship with the City of Jacksonville’s legal department and the following summer as an associate with Florida Power & Light’s legal staff in Juno Beach. He held three teaching assistantships in appellate advocacy, legal research to writing and trial practice, and was a research assistant in business law. Goldberg graduated as valedictorian from Royal Palm Beach High School in 2002.

Mary Dickey gets her face painted.

Deputy Rodney Hudson takes Julia Chripczuk’s fingerprints.

Deputy Michael Leatherman, Cpl. Alex Nunes, Mary Janell Leatherman, Jamie Ruben, Lauren Belinsky, Cassie Capparelli, Deputy Louis Ledbetter and Clue.

Nicole Nielsen, youngest daughter of Royal Palm Beach residents Richard and Claire Nielsen, recently met former vice president and Nobel Prize winner Al Gore. Nielsen is group sales director at the Sheraton Hotel in Nashville, Tenn., where Gore recently gave a presentation on global warming. Gore was so pleased with the arrangements that he stopped by Nielsen’s office to thank her in person. Pictured above are Gore and Nielsen.

Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Campaign Honors Wellington Girl

The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society is now registering participants for the 2010 “Equestrian of the Year” campaign.

The Equestrian of the Year is a fundraising campaign that welcomes equestrians from all disciplines and levels to compete against each other to see who can raise the most money for the society. Participants vying for Equestrian of the Year are judged solely on a philanthropic basis. The equestrian who raises the most money will be

crowned the 2010 Equestrian of the Year. The winner will be recognized in more than 20 equestrian publications and have their photo on the annual poster to be displayed nationwide. In 2009, Melanie Pai was named “Equestrian of the Year.”

The fundraising campaign will last from October to February. This year’s participants will raise money in honor of 11-year-old Natalie Davila of Wellington, who is currently undergoing treatment for acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL). ALL is the leading

Nicholas Ashley Earns Doctoral

Degree From LSU

with a Ph.D. in chemical engineering.

Ashley’s dissertation research focused on the interactions between particles and chemicals in the air, soil and water, and the role that those interactions play in mobilizing and transforming pollutants in the natural environment. Consequently, much of his work was aimed at understanding the environmental impacts to returning residents in New Orleans, following Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.

To date, Ashley is the author of six peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and conference proceedings, and is currently the single most-published author on the subject of Hurricane Katrina’s environmental impacts.

Over the past three years, Ashley has given seven presentations at major national and international conferences. His work has been recognized by the Air and Waste Management Association and the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, and a recent article published earlier this year in the journal Environmental Engineering Sci-

ence is currently the secondmost-read article for that publication this year. While at LSU, Ashley taught junior-, senior- and graduate-level courses in environmental thermodynamics and kinetics as well as air pollution control and modeling. Ashley has accepted a position as a senior process development engineer with Albemarle Corporation, a global specialty chemicals company with corporate and research & development headquarters in Baton Rouge, La.

form of leukemia in children under the age of 19, primarily diagnosed in children between ages two and ten; however, it is found in people of all ages. A cocktail party and silent auction for the entire equestrian community will be held on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010 at Grant Farms in Wellington. At this event, participants and supporters of the “Equestrian of the Year” will enjoy cocktails, a light dinner and a silent auction while anxiously waiting to hear who will be

announced the winner.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s mission to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin’s disease and myeloma and improve the quality of life of patients and their families.

To register, or for more information, call Melissa Mulvihill at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society at (888) 478-8550, Event Chair Mary Ann Grant at (561) 3015817, or visit the Equestrian of the Year web site at www. lls.org/pbeq.

P.W. PRESBYTERIAN VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL

Coast Guard Seaman Jacqueline Howard, daughter of Barbara Howard of Royal Palm Beach, recently graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, N.J.

During the eight-week training program, Howard completed a vigorous training curriculum consisting of academics and practical instruction on water safety and survival, military customs and courtesies, seamanship skills, first aid, firefighting and marksmanship. A major emphasis is also placed on physical fitness, health and wellness.

Howard and other recruits also received instruction on

the Coast Guard’s core values — honor, respect and devotion to duty — and how to apply them in their military performance and personal conduct.

Men and women train together from the first day in the Coast Guard just as they do aboard ships and shore units throughout the world. To reinforce the team concept, recruits were trained in preventing sexual harassment, drug and alcohol awareness, civil rights training, and the basics of the work-life balance, as well as total quality management.

Howard is a 2008 graduate of Seminole Ridge High School.

Celebrating 50 Years — In honor of its 50th anniversary, the Palm Beach Habilitation Center will host the tea luncheon “50 and Fa-hab-ulous” on Thursday, Oct. 8 in the Leopard

Nicholas Ashley, a Wellington High School Class of 2000 alumnus, graduated on Aug. 7 from Louisiana State University

Dr. Nicholas Ashley

2010 campaign recipient Natalie Davila. COURTESY LUCIEN CAPEHART PHOTOGRAPHY

Palms West Presbyterian Church in Loxahatchee Groves held its Vacation Bible School “Bible Game Show Chal-

lenge”

Aug. 3-7. The church’s VBS mission project this year was to collect coins for the CROS Ministries’ food pantry. Pictured above, VBS students enjoy the game-show theme.

Saturday, Aug. 22

• An Estate Sale will be held Saturday, Aug. 22 from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at 166 Sparrow Drive, #4A in Royal Palm Beach. Items include Edna Hibel artwork, a complete Berkey & Gay 1930s bedroom set, Hummels, a Beaux Arts mirror, armchairs, end tables and much more. The net proceeds of the cash-only sale will be donated to the Vivian Ferrin Memorial Scholarship Fund and My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust. For more info., call Vivian Highberg at (561) 969-1405 or Deb Miles at (561) 7955916.

• The Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) will hold “Palms 101: Not Another Queen Palm Workshop” on Saturday, Aug 22 from 9 a.m. to noon. The workshop is tailored for the homeowner on a quest for more knowledge on palms. The cost is $30 for members and $40 for non-members. Call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org for more info.

• Registration for Wellington Little League Baseball will be held Saturday, Aug. 22 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sunday, Aug. 23 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wellington Little League is for ages four and up. Visit www. wellingtonlittleleague.com for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Meet the Author: Christine Kling” on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 2 p.m. for adults. Chat, ask questions and get the scoop on her novel Wrecker’s Key. A book signing will follow. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

ida plants. RSVP to (561) 233-1757.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold its “Poetry Discussion Series” on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Engage in a provocative discussion of several published poems written by various poets. Copies are available at the information desk. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Thursday, Aug. 27

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature a “Paper-Bag Puppets” class on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 3 p.m. for ages six and up. Design your own paper-bag puppet based on a fairytale character. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Teen Game Night” on Thursday, Aug. 27 at 6:30 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Join in for Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero, board games and snacks. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Sunday, Aug. 23

• Alice McCullagh will be the featured speaker in a program titled “All About EGOr” at 4 p.m. on Sunday Aug. 23 at St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church (100 N. Palmway Dr., Lake Worth). McCullagh reveals the battle she has had with her own ego and everyone else’s. By creating a face and a name for that ego, she interacts with it in song and banter. Call (561) 963-7675 for info.

• Temple Beth Tikvah (4550 Jog Road, Greenacres) invites the community to attend the “Broadway Bound” concert and smorgasbord on Sunday, Aug. 23 at 4 p.m. Cantor Irving Grossman and Harriet Grossman will perform along with 15-year-old Emily Madden. The cost is $15 per adult. Call (561) 9673600 for reservations.

Monday, Aug. 24

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Meet the Author: Liz Balmaseda” on Monday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. Chat, ask questions and get the scoop on Sweet Mary, the powerful debut novel by this Pulitzer Prizewinning journalist in which a woman’s hunger for justice becomes a journey of self-discovery. A book signing will follow. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “The Five Basic Principles of Pilates and Reformer” on Monday, Aug. 24 at 6:30 p.m. Instructors from FIT Studio will teach the basic principles of Pilates to improve everyday life and wellness. To pre-register, call (561) 904-4000.

Tuesday, Aug. 25

• The Wellington Village Council will meet on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 791-4000 for more info. Wednesday, Aug. 26

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Stories of Eric Carle” on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 11 a.m. for ages two to four. Create art based on books by Eric Carle. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will hold a Member Luncheon on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at noon at the Binks Forest Golf Club. RSVP to (561) 792-6525.

• Enjoy the beauty of the Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 6 p.m. The narrated tour will be led by Garden Director Allen Sistrunk and will include the history and future vision of the garden, stories of folklore and uses of South Flor-

• The next meeting of the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will take place Thursday, Aug. 27 at 7 p.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church, located at 13689 Okeechobee Blvd. The guest speaker will be a representative from the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge. For more info., call LGLA President Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875. • “Crüe Fest 2” will come to the Cruzan Amphitheatre (601-7 Sansbury’s Way) on Thursday, Aug. 27 featuring Mötley Crüe and some of rock’s top touring acts. Call (561) 795-8883 or visit www.livenation.com for info. Friday, Aug. 28 • The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host the Second Annual Wild West Poker Tournament on Friday, Aug. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at the Binks Forest Golf Club. A $50 buy-in includes a dinner buffet. For more info., call Catherine Engel at (561) 790-6200.

Saturday, Aug. 29 • The Wellington Travel Basketball Association will host its inaugural Fundraising Golf Classic at the Binks Forest Golf Club on Saturday, Aug. 29 beginning at 7:30 a.m. with a complimentary continental breakfast, followed by a putting contest and a 9 a.m. shotgun start. The tournament will be followed by an afternoon buffet lunch and prize ceremony. Entry fees cost $150 per person. For $15, non-golfers can attend the luncheon and bid on the silent auction items and enter to win raffle prizes. For additional info., visit www.wellington travelbasketball.org or call Chris Fratalia at (561) 2529530.

• The Village of Wellington’s Girls Fall Softball League will begin on Saturday, Aug. 29. The league includes beginners and experienced players ages five to 14. All recreational games will be played at Tiger Shark Cove Park (13800 Greenbriar Blvd.). Registration is $80 for Wellington residents and $100 for non-residents. The deadline to register is Friday, Aug. 28. Player evaluations will be held Saturday, Aug. 29. For more info., call Programs Coordinator Jill Denoff at (561) 791-4786.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Scrapbooking for the Family” on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 2:30 p.m. for ages five and up. Learn new techniques and create your own designs. Bring your own pictures and memorabilia. Basic materials will be supplied. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The USTA Summer Smash Regional Tennis Championships will be held at Delray Beach Tennis Center (201 W. Atlantic Ave., Delray Beach) Saturday, Aug. 29 through Tuesday, Sept. 1. Call (561) 3306000 for more info.

• A free Social Media Marketing Seminar will take place Saturday, Aug. 29 from 9 to 11 a.m. at the West Palm Beach library (411 Clematis Street). Peter Ferrigan will discuss strategies to help promote your business. RSVP to (561) 307-7898. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@gotowncrier.com.

Wellington Football Looking For Stronger Showing This Year

Losses of 62-6, 49-3 and 41-0; a 38-7 defeat to rival Palm Beach Central; months of practicing for just one victory — that’s what last year looked like for the Wellington High School varsity football team. But during last week’s practice, the team actually looked like a pack of Wolverines.

Practice began each day of the week with a series of stretching drills. Alex Dinardo, Chris “C.T.” Thomas, Max Maltby, Ben Chapman, Winter Cullen, Brian Pupo and Ken Konn led groups of nine players doing high knees, toe touches and frog jumps. The agenda of Head Coach Chris Romano’s week: work on fundamentals and basic skills.

For a team that won one game last season and had gone 1-19 in the previous two combined, its fundamentals better improve vastly. The school thought it would get that vast change two years ago when it hired Romano, but there has still been only one victory during his tenure. “Our ball security has to improve,” Romano said of the team’s primary reason for struggle.

A sense of camaraderie carried over from last year has given the team urgency for the upcoming season. The blue and white could have been mistaken for army camouflage with the unison they showed during stretches. The offense was even holding hands in the huddle. “Some may laugh at our holding hands, but it’s a quintessential symbol of togetherness, brotherhood and unity,” junior left guard Chris Thomas said.

But the question is: who will be the leader of that huddle?

The quarterback battle has been a mainstay for the Wolverines since Chad Endres graduated two years ago. Seniors Brett Alfredson and Winter Cullen both started games last year, and junior Tyler Bergman took an abundance of snaps under center. Bergman has since transferred to Palm Beach Gardens High School, and Cullen is now playing wide receiver.

That leaves Alfredson and sophomore Tyler Vanacore competing for the starting job. However, they play completely opposite styles. Alfredson is more of a stay-at-home type quarterback who passes with a traditional “overthe-top” throw, while Vanacore has running

Wolverine Watch

By Josh Hyber

abilities and has more of a side-arm motion. Each took snaps with the first-team offense last week.

But for the Wolverines, the quarterback position has just been a way to get the ball in the hands of the best athlete. I can’t count how many times I’ve walked out of the stadium saying, “Chad Endres on the carry...” This is football, throw the ball!

“We are a run-oriented team. I’d like to see a 60:40 run-to-pass [ratio],” Romano said.

At last Tuesday’s practice, Vanacore showed solid arm strength, hitting Cullen, junior Derik Madorma and senior Nick Young for deep passes down the right sideline. But once again, the next plays were quarterback draws. Vanacore did tell me that if he is named the starting quarterback, he’d like to get the receivers more involved. “I’ll work on my drop back and definitely throwing the ball,” Vanacore said.

The way I see it, Alfredson has the edge, with Vanacore creeping closely behind. The right-hander has more experience with the team and is playing his third year on the varsity level. Each player had shining moments during the practices, as well as times when I shook my head in dismay. “We’re both good quarterbacks,” Alfredson admitted.

“It’s a wide-open job until someone takes the reins,” Romano said. “I’ll announce the starter at six o’clock on the 28th.”

That would be the time of the Wolverines’ preseason opener at New Smyrna Beach. Vanacore did let me in on some team insight, though. “I played receiver last year, and I’ll probably play receiver [this year] with Brett at quarterback,” he told me.

While the quarterback position may be in question, who’s catching the ball for the Wolverines is less so. Madorma and Cullen will

be lined up to the left and right respectively of whoever is under center. “I catch passes from both of them [Alfredson and Vanacore] to get used to the way they throw,” Cullen said. “I want to be ready and trust both of them when we throw the ball.”

If he’s not playing quarterback, Vanacore will see plenty of time as wide receiver. The Wolverines played the sophomore there on Friday when he was not at quarterback. Although he made one brilliant catch, he dropped a few passes as well.

The Wolverines have a loaded backfield with a trio of seniors. Ken Konn, Ben Chapman and Mike Garafine all saw time with the starting unit during the practice week. Chapman will mostly be used in short yardage situations and as a lead blocker for Konn and Garafine. Brian Pupo and sophomore Grant Smallridge also worked out at running back.

Junior offensive linemen Chris Thomas, Brynjar Gudmundson and Austin Peavler will create many holes for them up front. On the defensive side of the ball, Romano said a few players stood out during practice week. Besides playing running back, Chapman is the Wolverines’ starting middle linebacker. He and Pupo, a cornerback and running back, are the defensive leaders.

Max Maltby, Chris Thomas and junior Derek May round out the team’s linebacking

corps. Dinardo, senior Sebastian Thelisma and junior Austin Delgado are the team’s main down linemen. Along with Pupo, the secondary senior has cornerbacks Eric Davis and junior Brandon Prince. So what makes this year different from the previous four? Besides an easier schedule, which sees the Wolverines play the likes of Lake Worth High School and Archbishop Academy, nothing. Another year, another quarterback, another Wolverine football season. Hopefully, it’s not another year of false expectations. “Only time will tell,” Romano said.

RPB Wildcats Hope To Stay Competitive Under New Coach

By Lauren Miro Town-Crier Staff Report

Despite a last-minute changing of the guard, the Royal Palm Beach High School varsity football team looks forward to a repeat of last year’s winning season under new head coach Frank Knuf. Knuf was chosen to replace Darren Studstill, who was fired this summer after one season in which he led the Wildcats to an 11-2 record and the Class 6A regional finals.

A vocational teacher and former golf coach, Knuf said he was very surprised by the phone call he received while at his summer home in Tennessee asking him to take over the football program.

“It’s going to be real hard to improve on the success that this program had from the last four years,” he told the TownCrier Tuesday. “They’re four-time district champions, so I don’t know if there can be any big improvements.”

Not surprisingly, Knuf has plenty of experience to lend to the team. He coached football at John I. Leonard High

School from 1987 to 1991 before transferring to Olympic Heights, where he was head coach until 1996. Knuf has taught at RPBHS since it opened in 1997 and spent three years as assistant football coach. He has since coached both boys golf and girls flag football. Knuf said the Wildcats can look forward to an equally successful season with him at the helm. Even though he has only spent a week with the players, Knuf believes their performance on the field is so strong that he won’t be making any big changes.

“Every head coach puts his own footprint on the program,” he said. “Throughout the course of the year, there will be some little changes, things that I was used to when I ran the other two programs that I thought were successful.”

However, Knuf noted that the changes will occur behind the scenes and won’t be visible on the field. The most obvious change to the team is its new coach, but Knuf is confident that the level of performance will remain the

same. “We have a really great squad, and the kids are working really hard right now,” he said. “I take that as positive reinforcement.”

The Wildcats have 53 players this season with 11 returning starters. The majority of the starters coming back are offensive players, leaving Knuf with a defensive team that is “a little young.”

Returning players include running back Javonti Greene, who made the University of South Florida’s watch list for 2010. Also returning for their senior year are wide receiver Jared Dangerfield, defensive tackle Michael Hoffman, center William Munker and linebacker Beau Jensen.

The most notable loss to the team is senior wide receiver Chris Dunkley, who transferred to Pahokee High School in April where he will play this fall. Dunkley helped the Wildcats to a winning season and an appearance in the regional finals.

New to the team is senior quarterback Malcolm Pendergrass, who Knuf said has been playing really well.

“I’m in a situation where I

don’t really know what we lost,” Knuf said. “This is what my team is, and we’re going to move forward. It’s not about what was or who we lost. These are my guys.”

With only three days playing in pads, Knuf said he didn’t want to “make stars of anyone” on the team, but is confident that he has some outstanding players this season.

The Wildcats’ first game of the season will take place Friday, Aug. 28 at 7 p.m. at home against Taravella.

Wellington Wave U-14 Blue Team Wins Early Season Opener

Last Saturday was the early-season opener for new Wellington Wave soccer coach Kevin Bovett and the U-14 blue team. The girls were supposed to open their season at home against the Port St. Lucie Makos, but the home fields were not ready for opening day. The Wave had to travel to Mako territory, where they would go head-to-head with the Makos at McChesney Park. The Lady Wave dominated early and scored just minutes into the contest when Kaitlyn Anders found the ball in mid-field and broke through a Mako defense that was attempting an off-side trap. Anders drove right through the defense to challenge the Mako keeper. Anders moved quickly to the net, firing it passed the keeper for the score, taking the early 1-0 lead.

The Makos began to rally, forcing the Wave defense to work harder, as keeper Antoinette Walton had no trouble staying busy. The Wave girls settled down and regained some composure, controlling much of the possession. Great mid-field control gave the team another scoring opportunity when the ball was passed through the middle and the initial shot deflected by the Mako keeper, which attracted a swarm of Wave opposition inside the six yard box. Forward Michelle Hyde and mid-fielder Amanda Nardi both moved in on the ball to push it passed the keeper, making the score 2-0 at the end of the half.

The Lady Wave started the second half strong and maintained constant pressure, forcing the Mako defense into frustration, as their keeper was forced to make sever-

al saves. Successful possession and passing was all the team needed to sustain the lead. The Wave struck again midway through the second period when Christina Barbera zipped through the Mako defense on a pass driven right through the center, again on a defense playing too far up for an offside trap attempt. Barbera had a oneon-one with the keeper, and drove in for the score, making it 3-0. It wasn’t until the last five minutes of the match that the Makos hit a high looping ball off a bounce, with a strong wind, that sent the ball over the head of the Wave keeper for the lone score, making the final 3-1.

Great defense by Alyssa Randell, Molly Cuthbertson, Caitlyn Konopka, Natalie Kelly and Walton proved to much for the Makos to han-

Midfielders

Quarterback Ryan Alfredson takes the snap from center Joe Billi.

Sophomore Tyler Vanacore hands the ball off to senior Ben Chapman.

PHOTOS BY JOSH HYBER/TOWN-CRIER

dle.

Nardi, Anders, Lindsey Guthrie, Makayla Barrantes and Brittany Alaniz provided the opportunities for the girls up front: Claudie Petrizzi, Tanairi Rivera, Hyde and Barbera.

Bovett was pleased with his team’s first performance despite having limited practices before the season opener. He told the girls they will only get better through each game. The Wave blue team will face the other Wave U14 white team this weekend in a “inter-club” match at Vil-

A Wave Win — Wellington Wave U-14 blue team members run off the field in celebration after their opening victory against the Port St. Lucie Makos.

Receivers Winter Cullen and Derik Madorma share a laugh during practice.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRO/TOWN-CRIER

Brandon Everett passes to Malik Lewis.

Coach Frank Knuf observes as his team practices.

New RPBHS Head Coach Frank Knuf.

Quarterback Malcolm Pendergrass passes.

Tremane McCullough, Malik Lewis and Brandon Everett.

The Wildcats’ offensive line gears up to block.

Arivaca Boys Ranch: Unique Program For Troubled Teens

There’s nothing quite as devastating as watching a son struggle with difficult life choices. The boy who was perfect as a baby and darling as a child suddenly becomes sullen and combative as a teenager. Expectations change, goals fall by the wayside, and frustration replaces forgiveness. Parents have many choices when it comes to helping their troubled teens. One such possibility is the Arivaca Boys Ranch. Located in Mesa, Ariz., Arivaca has been a working cattle ranch for more than 130 years. Now it has a different mission: using horses as therapy to show boys ages 13 to 18 that there are different ways to cope with problems.

Ron Searle bought the 23,000-acre ranch three years ago and opened the school a year ago. The ranch currently houses 12 boys, but after more bunkhouses have been finished, it will be able to accommodate up to 36. The boys come from all over the country, from California to Florida.

Searle has 26 years of experience in youth education. He also has 20 years working both with horses and with young men in churchrelated and Boy Scout activities. Other staff members include a clinical director, therapist, ranch directors, administrators and wranglers. The programs include an accredited academic program, individualized and group therapy, and recreational, social and cultural activities, such as outings to Oracle Canyon and Colorado horse packing trips.

The ranch’s goal is to help boys realize their

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

potential, understand the consequences of their choices, and become men of integrity: emotionally whole and morally complete. They call this the “Arivaca Way.” Boys move through five levels of therapy. Typically, boys advance and regress up and down the levels during the program as they learn to govern their emotions, but on the whole, they learn techniques they can use successfully in real world situations. The boys set goals for themselves, and when they reach them, they set new goals. The usual program lasts ten months.

“We have a really great program,” Searle said. “It covers the whole range of problems many parents face with their defiant, disruptive and disobedient sons.”

Searle said today’s weak economy makes the situation more challenging. The program is expensive, and even with limited scholarships, every day he turns away parents who can’t afford the program.

Searle describes Arivaca, with its 350 head of cattle and 60 horses, as a boot camp that uses horses as a primary means of therapy.

“Horses, by their very nature, are wary,” Searle said. “They’re thinking about surviving. They’re very aware of their environment. We like to use Arabians and Arab crosses, because they tend to be even more alert and paying attention. When a boy can learn how to calm down a horse, he can then apply the same lesson to himself and find ways to calm down.”

Searle said that many of the boys have been diagnosed with oppositional defiant disorder or ODD. He describes this personality trait as basically being defiant to everything and everyone.

“These boys will argue with everyone about everything,” he said. “There’s no way you can ever win an argument with them. So we don’t try to argue or reason. We use horses as a form of therapy in a way which helps the boys figure things out for themselves. In order to get a horse to do anything, it has to first trust you and believe in you as a leader. Horses look for leaders, and they won’t follow or obey someone who’s angry or unsure of himself. Horses seek safety, which means following a calm leader. If you’re angry or uncertain, a horse will run from you. When your emotions are under control and your intentions clear, a horse is your willing partner.”

Searle noted that his main goal is training boys, not horses. “Horses are a great tool, because they immediately sense frustration and fear and react quickly,” he said. “It’s a terrific way to learn anger management.”

Searle said most of the boys have never had

Boys at the Arivaca Boys Ranch.

any prior dealings with horses. The boys have to overcome their initial misgivings about the large, powerful creatures in order to develop confidence.

Searle judges success when the boys have become men of integrity, when they know who they are. He said his program gives troubled teens the tools they’ll need to hold up under pressure and to make better choices throughout their lives. They also know how to recognize and repair times when they have made bad choices. “This is deeper than just changing a boy’s behavior,” Searle said. “It allows you to see who you are inside, and know how to move forward with confidence.” For more information on the Arivaca Boys Ranch, visit its web site at www.arivaca boysranch.com, or call (602) 309-1133 or (877) 886-9766.

AREA OFFICIALS ATTEND LEAGUE OF CITIES CONFERENCE IN ORLANDO

The Florida League of Cities 83rd Annual Conference was held Aug. 13-15 at the Orlando World Center Marriott. Keynote speakers included former U.S. Senator Bill Bradley, National League of Cities President Kathleen Novak, Florida Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink, humor columnist Dave Barry and more. Outgoing Florida League president and Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore was recognized along with the incoming president, Tallahassee Mayor John Marks. For more info., visit www.flcities.com.

Madrid No Study

continued from page 1 support on first the State Road 7 extension and now Roebuck Road. “I’m the one who went out to The Acreage arguing for the reliever road,” Lodwick said. “I’m the one who had to be escorted by deputies just to get out of the building for arguing for the reliever road.”

Foreclose Experts Gathered

To Help

continued from page 1 said, the symposium offers members of the public — both Wellington residents and non-residents — a chance to sit down with professionals in a range of related fields and get expert advice on addressing their problems, at no charge.

“It is open to the public and it is free, and Wellington believes everyone deserves an education; everyone deserves the opportunity to stay in their home,” she said.

The flexibility and format changes of the meetings are reflective of the strange new world of massive foreclosures, Tuckwood noted. “This is a whole new environment,” she said. “No one has been through this before.”

The symposium itself was originally envisioned as a way to assist Wellington’s various homeowners’ associations with foreclosure problems in their communities, Tuckwood said.

La Mancha resident Jackie Larson, chair of RPB’s Planning & Zoning Commission, said it was her understanding from a previous public meeting that the road would not be opened. Larson said in her experience on the commission, she had seen many traffic studies that did not make sense.

“Traffic studies don’t tell the whole story about things such as crime and quality of

life,” she said. “Why spend $30,000 on a traffic study when we already know the opinion? Don’t bother with the traffic study. Spend the money somewhere else.”

La Mancha resident Jackson Loebick doubted that a $30,000 study would be thorough enough to render a reliable conclusion. He said there is already a great deal of through traffic in La Mancha, and opening the Madrid con-

nection would make it worse. Vice Mayor Matty Mattioli said he did not understand why a study is necessary. “The people here tonight don’t want the connection,” Mattioli said. “Why are we getting a report? Let’s forget it and not spend the money.” Mattioli made a motion not to do the study, which was seconded by Swift. The motion passed 3-2 with Webster and Lodwick dissenting.

In other business, the council approved a variance for Philip and Elizabeth Shaffer to build a pool screen enclosure on top of their wall, which is built at the edge of their courtyard home lot in Madison Green. The RPB Planning & Zoning Commission had voted 3-2 not to approve the variance at a meeting July 28. Village staff had also recommended denial.

Corner

Lodwick said he felt the Shaffers were in a unique circumstance due to their setback and could be granted a variance without setting a precedent. But Webster was still concerned about setting a precedent and giving the Shaffers a privilege their neighbors do not share. Mattioli made a motion to approve the variance, which carried 4-1 with Webster opposed.

Word about the symposium has spread around the county, Tuckwood said. “Last month we had people coming from Delray all the way to Port St. Lucie,” she said.

“People have contacted me asking if it’s OK if they come even if they’re not a resident of Wellington; absolutely. We’ve had people from all over the place.”

Other municipalities are interested in organizing similar foreclosure-assistance programs, Tuckwood said.

“Boca has been very interested, and my understanding from the Realtors Association is that West Palm Beach will be doing this shortly,” she said.

Attorney Ron Kaniuk, a bankruptcy specialist providing advice at the symposium, said he typically meets with people who didn’t fully understand the terms of their mortgage agreement and are already facing foreclosure proceedings.

“We deal with that, 90 percent of the time, by litigating, by raising appropriate affirmative defenses and counterclaims to the loan, to the loan

“Even though we contacted all the HOAs, many of them didn’t participate and those who did show up were residents saying, ‘what do we do?’” she said. “And so as a result, we switched gears... We decided we would bring in experts from different avenues, different areas to give an overview of what they specialize in so we can try to help residents. The round-table thing has been a huge success because it gives you an opportunity to bring your paperwork and say, ‘here it is — what do I do?’”

process, to the underwriting, to the collection and enforcement of the obligation, the way the payments were allocated; all those issues, and then force a bank to meet its statutory burdens, which most of the time they can’t do, which stops the proceeding and either buys my client time to figure out an exit strategy or file for bankruptcy, or allows them a process where they renegotiate the loan in foreclosure,” he said.

The symposiums have given some homeowners the help they needed to stay in their homes. Bonnie Conrad of the Community Partnership Group said a Wellington woman who previously attended the symposium just made the third payment on a trial modification of her mortgage, adjusted to 30 percent of her income. “The important thing about that is after the third payment, the modification becomes permanent,” she said.

The symposium gave the woman the lead to getting her mortgage payments reduced to an affordable level, Conrad said.

“Once you get that payment in line, you can afford to pay your homeowners’ association fees and some of the other things that are spinning us all out of control,” she said.

Next month’s symposium will also include a representative from the Florida Attor-

ney General’s Office to address mortgage fraud issues, Tuckwood said. And as the foreclosure problem is not expected to go away anytime soon, the symposiums will also continue. “This is a yearlong program, and we will continue to have it until no one comes,” she said. “We are here to do whatever we can to keep people in their houses.” The Home Preservation Educational Symposium takes place the third Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the Wellington Community Center. For more information, call Tuckwood at (561) 791-4769 or visit the village web site at www.ci.wellington.fl.us.

Blotter

continued from page 6 report, a woman entered the store at about noon last Sunday and stole 29 bottles of perfume worth approximately $2,272. The suspect is a repeat offender whom the store has been unable to catch. The report describes her as a heavyset black woman wearing a green shirt and blue pants. Surveillance footage was given to the PBSO as evidence. There were no other witnesses or suspects at the time of the report.

AUG. 17 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a home on Mid Pines Terrace on Monday regarding a stolen

RPB Blvd.

Roadwork

continued from page 1 want to update and improve the looks of that main intersection in our community.”

Village leaders were able to persuade the developer of the medical building to install the clock tower and attractive landscaping at their cost, Lodwick said. “The CVS pharmacy is going to have an element of art in front that will make it an improvement,” he said. “We’ve tried to improve the village hall campus there at the corner, so there has been a concerted effort over a period of time.” Lodwick said the intersec-

tion will be the centerpiece for improvements underway on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. “We are in the final end of the design phase now and will be out to bid by the first part of next year for work on the northern end,” he said. Median improvements have already been made along Royal Palm Beach Blvd. north of Okeechobee Blvd. and new pedestrian bridges have been built across the canal. Still to come are swale improvements, repaving of the road and the addition of bike lanes. Village Engineer Ray Liggins said the CVS corner should be finished soon now that the county has given its approval for the pavers to go into the right of way.

vehicle. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked his Jeep Cherokee in his driveway at 9:30 p.m. last Sunday. When he returned the following morning, it was missing. The victim has the keys, and no one else has permission to operate the vehicle. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. AUG. 17 — An employee of Picture People in the Mall at Wellington Green called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday morning regarding a grand theft. According to a PBSO report, two black males, one wearing a white shirt and the other wearing all black, entered the store at 9:50 a.m., before the store opened. The employee said that one man asked to use the restroom near the store’s storage area while the other questioned the employee about making an appointment. When the men left at approximately 10 a.m., the employee noticed a black Canon camera valued at approximately $2,000 missing from a drawer in the storage area. According to the report, the men and the employee were the only people in the store at the time, and the employee had placed the camera in the drawer earlier that morning. The men left only a first name and a disconnected phone number.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Palm Beach County League of Cities Executive Director Jamie Titcomb and Geoff Sluggett with an award Titcomb received.

The Priore family at the Past Presidents Luncheon where the new league president was sworn in.

Alex and Cathy Adler, Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen and his wife Sherry.

State Sen. Dave Aronberg and West Palm Beach Commissioner Bill Moss.

Dr. Carmine Priore shakes hands with CFO Alex Sink.

Wellington Council members Lizbeth Benacquisto, Matt Willhite, Darell Bowen and Dr. Carmine Priore with Palm Beach Central High School senior Ashley Sgaliardich.

Getting Organized Provides Me More Reasons To Goof Off

I woke up today and my desk was clean. Was I dead? Was I looking down on things from above, angel wings fluttering silently in the breeze?

I pinched myself. No, I was alive — alive and sitting at a clean desk.

They say a cluttered desk is the sign of a cluttered mind, and well, there you go.

In my own defense, I must say I am a very organized person. It’s just that I have a lot going on. To segment my life into manageable parts, I have a row of cubbyholes on top of my desk.

Atop the cubbies are things I may need to grab in a hurry — my Rolodex, for one. (Kids, a Rolodex is what people used to have to keep track of everyone’s phone numbers. This was back in the days before the cell phone and the Blackberry stored all this information for you. You had to use a pencil to write on little in-

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

dex cards, but other than that, the system was pretty efficient.) Also on my desk are my vitamins. I hope that by putting them smack dab in front of my face, I will remember to take them. And there are two pencil pots — one with pens and pencils, the other with markers for my dry-erase board, which is another antiquated device we dinosaurs used to keep track of appointments. By hanging that board on the wall behind my door, I never have to look at

my appointments. It’s a great system. I also keep a tape dispenser and a stapler up there, just in case I feel like randomly joining something.

The cubbies themselves hold an assortment of paperwork, arranged left to right in the order I should attack it. Bills are on the left but I try not to look there. In fact, over the years my right eye has gotten stronger while I think I’m going blind in my left eye. At least that’s what I’ll tell FPL and the phone company.

On the right are letters from friends and a lottery ticket that I think entitles me to three dollars. I’m saving that in case of an emergency. I also have my bagpipe starter kit over there. (It is still my dream to join the Palm Beach Pipes & Drums.)

On the left-hand side of the desktop — again, where they are least likely to irritate me — are unfinished projects like my novel, my invention and ideas for businesses I want

to start. There is also a pile of napkins, receipts and paper scraps of every size and description upon which I hastily scribbled the address of some web site or other I want to visit when I have time. I pile these up until they reach the ceiling, and then I devote a weekend or two to seeing exactly which contest I was going to enter or which book someone suggested I read or how many auctions are within a 30-mile radius of my house. When I find myself with oodles of computer time on my hands, I go back and watch previously aired episodes of TV shows I like but didn’t have time to watch. Watching them online without commercials is like having a theme park all to yourself.

In fact, since my desk is all cleared off and even the bill cubby is empty, I might just do that. I might watch drivel on my computer. After all, an uncluttered mind is a terrible thing to waste.

‘District 9’ Says A Lot About How People Treat Each Other

District 9 is a fascinating new science fiction film done in South Africa, dealing with the ways a group of stranded extraterrestrials are treated by humans. The aliens, not Spocklike but more like large crustaceans, arrived over Johannesburg in a broken-down spaceship and have been interned for years in a slummy restricted area while they try to repair their ship.

In this movie, it is the humans who are the bad guys. Everyday people, mistrustful of the visitors, disparagingly call them “prawns.” The aliens are dependent for supplies on a group of Nigerian criminals. The government uses them for medical experiments, mostly in hopes of finding ways to use their sophisticated weaponry.

The film focuses on government agent Wikus (Sharlto Copley), who is directing a forced relocation of the aliens. Wikus suffers

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

an accident that provides the key to using the aliens’ weapons. That makes him a wanted man. His journey was not pleasant to watch, but I found it difficult to take my eyes off the screen.

One of my favorite things about science fiction is that it is so easy to use it as a way of commenting on the human condition. Racism? Well, that’s a very obvious target when dealing with very different species. Oppres-

sion? Well, that of course depends on whom you think is being oppressed.

It is not surprising that South Africa has given us a movie that depicts a form of apartheid for aliens. Naturally it is far easier to examine racial issues when the story deals with something that isn’t real. Ironically, different reviewers find different oppressors. When one reviewer compares the aliens to Guantanamo detainees and another to Palestinians and a third to Israelis, we learn more about the reviewers than the film.

However, the film is a clear-cut statement on the universality of racism. Wikus at first seems a helpless victim and his former friends treat him with the same concern they would a worm. Even his father-in-law, a major arms merchant, is quite willing to sacrifice him.

Racism is very deep in many of us. It seems a part of the human condition, and District 9

looks humanity’s racism firmly in the face. This is not a movie for the faint-hearted or those with queasy stomachs. While the violence in most movies these days, such as the recent G.I. Joe, is almost cartoon-like in nature, District 9 is more like watching war footage involving a lot of death.

However, it is an important film in that it closely examines the beast in all of us. Almost every one of the human characters demonstrates a clear prejudice against the aliens, even Wikus, who eventually must go to them for help. The movie left me with an ambivalent feeling. It is an exceptional piece of filmmaking for first-time director Neill Blomkamp. It is an exposé of racism and violence, but it is also filled with graphic violence and a great deal of hate. I can only recommend it to those with strong wills and stomachs.

My Wife Might Want To Kill Me After Reading This Column

As all good things must come to an end, so has my summer vacation. This summer I had the best six weeks of vacation in a long time. No, I didn’t go anywhere exciting. In fact, some may think my vacation was boring. But it wasn’t; it was very quiet and relaxing. I spent most of my vacation in my house. I even worked for five of the six weeks.

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

So what, you ask, made my summer vacation so enjoyable? The fact that I shipped my wife Sharon away for six weeks. Sharon took three separate trips this summer. First she went to Europe for a little over two weeks with my friends Larry and Ellen and their daughter Jenny. After Sharon was back for a couple of days, it was off to Orlando for a week of R&R. When she returned, she left ASAP for the cool mountains of North Carolina and Georgia with my son Brian and his ever-growing family. While on this trip, she changed her location three times (I guess she didn’t want me to find her). Perhaps you are wondering why I didn’t join my better half on these trips. Well for starts, long ago when Uncle Sam decided he needed me, he kept me for one full year in the great state of North Carolina. It wasn’t the mountains; it was Ft. Bragg. So for some strange reason I do not have any desire to visit North Carolina. (I must admit that I did enjoy my stay at Ft. Bragg, home of the 82nd Airborne Division and the Special Forces.)

Also, thanks to Uncle Sam I saw the west coast and Alaska and Hawaii. I even saw some interesting (to say the least) countries in Southeast Asia, Vietnam among them.

In the early years of our marriage, Sharon and I traveled as much as we could with small kids. We went to Canada and many ports of call in South America and upstate New York. Nowadays I enjoy life in Palm Beach County. Thousands of folks arrive at our airport every week to spend their vacation here. I am already in paradise. Why, I ask, go elsewhere? I must admit I kept very busy during my vacation. My grandson Max was on a traveling baseball team, and I watched most of his games, no matter where. I ate out a lot because I ran out of food at home. I’d rather eat out than shop in supermarkets. (I don’t like to clean dishes either.) I was hoping to lose some weight while my wife was away, but I gained four pounds. I know that doesn’t say

much for my wife’s cooking. I also came close to running out of clean clothes. You are right if you’re thinking I don’t know how to use the beautiful washer and dryer in my house. Come to think of it, the appliances also had a very nice vacation. When my wife finally came home from her last vacation of the summer, she was shocked at the amount of dirty laundry that awaited her. As she started to lash into me, I reminded her that I left the refrigerator very clean. She didn’t even smile when I said that. My wife was away on her birthday. She was very surprised that I didn’t bother to get her a birthday card. Don’t worry, folks; she made up for it with a very expensive present she made me buy her when she dragged me to the mall. My wife has been home for about two weeks. I have already started counting the days until my next summer vacation.