Town-Crier Newspaper August 29, 2008

AN EVENING ON THE GREEN

The American Cancer Society held its fundraiser

Aug. 23 at the

co-chair Dr. Jennine Cabanellas and auction chair Jaime Castellanos. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 19

Investment In Forest Hill Blvd. High Among Council Priorities

through the hallways of Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach as families gathered to kick off the first day of religious school on Aug. 24. Page 20

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Forest Hill Blvd. corridor was the primary focus of a Wellington Village Council workshop on economic initiatives Wednesday.

The workshop was organized in an effort by the village to recover from recent economic downturns that have had widespread impact on residents and the village.

Administrative & Financial Services Director Francine Ramaglia served as the facilitator for the workshop in the Wellington Community Center, where tables were surrounded with graphs and charts about Wellington.

“Our discussion is intended to be the start of a long dialogue about our future,” Ramaglia told the council and members of the public who attended. “As I was talking to people coming in, someone said, ‘wow, this looks like a brainstorming session,’ and that’s exactly what this is intended to be.”

Among the concepts centering on sustainable economic development are capitalizing on strong economic elements existing in the village, including a

medical arts district along State Road 7, creating a flexible zoning district along Pierson Road to encourage light industrial uses, developing a municipal town center in the area where the Wellington Community Center now stands, and enhancing the southern equestrian area.

Other concepts include reinvestment in the housing areas near the Greenview Shores Blvd./Wellington Trace intersection, development of a “village center” destination development in the area of the original Wellington Mall, and development of a Forest Hill Blvd. corridor to tie several of those concepts together.

“We’ve been working all summer on the EDI, economic development initiative, and in addition to some of the conversations that we’ve had with you, we’ve started meeting with some of the stakeholders,” Ramaglia said. “We expect to be out in the community for the next three to six months just talking to people and meeting with people, collecting input and building it into what we’re doing.”

Ramaglia said the time is actually ideal for economic devel-

opment in the village, in light of its evolution from a planned unit development starting in 1972 through incorporation ten years ago.

“Today we are perfectly set for economic development not only because of where we are in the economy, but in our evolution,” Ramaglia said. “We are going from a well-planned residential community to a sustainable community.”

Ramaglia said there are about 2,600 businesses in Wellington, of which the top ten employ about 3,000 people. “Most of it is retail and most of it is located on Forest Hill Blvd.,” Ramaglia said.

The village’s biggest employer is the School District of Palm Beach County, followed by Wellington Regional Medical Center, then Publix, then the village itself, Ramaglia said.

Foreclosures have skyrocketed since 2005, while development has plummeted, Ramaglia said. About 700 Wellington homes are in foreclosure or preforeclosure.

Some of the challenges the village faces are deteriorating residential areas, aging commer-

See INITIATIVES, page 16

County OKs More Traffic At Busy SR 7 Intersection

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Over protests from County Commissioner Jess Santamaria and the Village of Royal Palm Beach, the Palm Beach County Commission approved a Constrained Roadway at Lower Levels of Service (CRALLS) designation for the State Road 7/Southern Blvd. intersection at a hearing on Aug. 21.

Through a CRALLS designation, the county can allow increases in traffic for a roadway without increasing the capacity of the road, in effect lowering its level of service.

Developer Ward Waldman LLC sought the CRALLS designation in order meet traffic concurrency requirements to allow 168,000 square feet of retail and office space on State Road 7 near the Mall at Wellington Green.

Royal Palm Beach Village Engineer Ray Liggins told the commissioners that RPB opposes the CRALLS designation, and urged the county to reduce the amount of development allowed on the property instead.

“In this particular case, we think a reduction in intensity is more in line, in lieu of doing a CRALLS,” Liggins said.

Acreage resident Pat Curry said she is opposed to any CRALLS in Palm Beach County. “CRALLS essentially means you’re sitting in traffic,” she said. “Southern Blvd. and State Road 7 were recently widened, then you allowed massive development on these roads, and now we have CRALLS again. Make the developers cut down or cut back on their development so they can comply with existing traffic standards.”

Environmental activist Rosa Durando said developers are finding too many ways to circumvent concurrency requirements.

“I would say that we have wandered 180 degrees from the justification to give up concurrency,” Durando said. “This is not infill; it is justification of going west of SR 7. Justification to use CRALLS was not the true intention when we passed the Growth Management Act. The CRALLS itself will not give you any economic nirvana. It’s not going to accomplish the lame excuses that I hear. All it does is continue the speculation and land use.”

Santamaria agreed. “I agree 99.99 percent with the previous

three speakers,” he said. “You really have to live in the area to appreciate the intensity of traffic in the community. Being a resident of the area for 34 years, I think I can speak for the community. I feel that there have been abuses of the use of CRALLS in the past, and this commission must not continue the abuse of CRALLS.”

Santamaria said that CRALLS should only be used as part of a larger plan, not a means to an end. “You have to use really carefully thought-out planning when it comes to the use of CRALLS, and this is not one of those cases,” he said. “I implore this commission to think very carefully and very seriously when they approve a CRALLS, and I strongly oppose CRALLS in this location because you are creating an intensity that’s already there today, and this is going to make it a lot worse.”

Cliff Hertz, representing Ward Waldman, said the official applicant for the CRALLS designation is the Village of Wellington, which favors the project.

“The Village of Wellington has asked for this CRALLS, and I believe they are familiar with their own community probably as well as Mr. Santamaria. They want the underlying project that this CRALLS will support,” Hertz said. “The CRALLS is minor. It’s 11 directional trips at this intersection.” Hertz noted that the commission had already approved the CRALLS application once before and sent it to the Department of Community Affairs in Tallahassee for comment.

“It was sent to the DCA,” he said. “It came back from the DCA, was ready to get adopted and was postponed because some of the commissioners and staff at that time felt that it would be more appropriate to do the CRALLS into the corridor master plan, which was getting close to creation. The corridor master plan was just about ready to go when Royal Palm Beach, one of the constituents, decided it would not go along with the corridor master plan.”

Hertz said his company contributed more than $270,000 to fund the study of potential land uses along the SR 7 corridor at the request of county and Wellington staff.

“We believed it was implicit that we could go forward if the

See CRALLS, page 16

With Anderson Out As Elections Czar, Bucher And Margolis Head To Runoff

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

State Rep. Susan Bucher (DDistrict 88) looks set to face Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis in a November showdown to decide who will be the next Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections. Bucher, who is term-limited out of the state legislature, easily placed first in the three-way primary vote Tuesday, taking 47,390 votes (48.07 percent). However, she failed to get more than 50 percent, setting up the general election runoff. Margolis garnered 25,982 votes (26.35 percent), edging out incumbent Dr. Arthur Anderson who drew 25,217 votes (25.58 percent), according to unofficial tallies.

As the results rolled in Tuesday evening, Bucher was surrounded by enthusiastic supporters at the Cypress Creek Country Club in Boynton Beach. She pledged to work for accuracy in the office, which has been plagued with mishaps, including a problem with the new optical scanners when 700 votes went missing in a recent West Palm Beach municipal election.

“If I’m fortunate enough to take this election in November, I will be an administrator who can actually run the job and

function,” Bucher said. “I think we need to restore confidence and accuracy, and I think we have had a resounding voice from the people tonight telling us exactly that. I think people are ready for that, someone who will restore competency and leadership.”

On Wednesday, Bucher told the Town-Crier she is undaunted by the prospect of a runoff.

“We were pretty pleased with our numbers,” she said. “It’s not unusual for a three-way race to go into a runoff, so we just have a little more work to do.”

Bucher also praised her supporters for working hard in the campaign. “Everyone there helped with something,” she said. “Whether it was phone calls, knocking on doors, I ran a pretty grass-roots campaign, and I was very pleased. We have a very good group of people, and I know we’ll do it again.”

Margolis maintains that fellow Democrat Bucher was too partisan a figure in the legislature to be suitable as the nonpartisan elections supervisor, but Bucher dismisses the charge.

“I believe that Mr. Margolis has his record wrong,” Bucher said. “If he would take a look, I have a pretty strong record of reaching across the aisle work-

ing on large public-policy issues in Tallahassee.” Bucher said much of her work in Tallahassee was done in conjunction with Republicans. “The speaker of the house gave me a

tremendous compliment when I was leaving,” she said, referring to a comment to House members by State Rep. Marco Rubio that he had worked behind the scenes with Bucher to get her

“Evening on the Green” on Saturday,

Equestrian Club by Tavern on the Green in Wellington. The event featured a cocktail party, reception, silent auction and dancing to the music of Memory Lane, all to benefit the American Cancer Society. Pictured above are public relations chair Lisa Gardi, logistics chair Cheryl Glass,

PHOTO BY SUSAN LERNER/TOWN-CRIER

ideas, such as swimming pool safety laws, included in Republican legislation.

On Wednesday, Margolis told the Town-Crier he can call on

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Bucher Celebrates — Susan Bucher with supporters at the Cypress Creek Country Club in Boynton Beach.

County Drops E Road/140th; Callery-Judge Moves Forward

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palm Beach County Commission voted last week to seek state approval for a change in county future thoroughfare plans that would finally remove E Road and 140th Avenue North and a connection between them from its master traffic plan.

The two north-south roads bisect The Acreage and Loxahatchee Groves, but do not connect due to an unbridged canal.

The county had been planning to ultimately connect and widen the roads, upgrading them to thoroughfare status — a plan that has long faced objections from officials in Loxahatchee Groves and the Indian Trail Improvement District.

The commission originally sent the change to the state’s Department of Community Affairs in April, but the DCA argued that the county did not include adequate data to show how it would maintain future levels of service on other area roads. In response, county staff members included data and analysis to show that the deletion will cause little or no impact on the roadway network.

As in April, the sole dissenting vote at the Aug. 21 meeting was from Commissioner Mary McCarty. “We should not be removing any right-of-ways in this county,” she said. “One of the biggest complaints people have is traffic. While I may not be in favor of using it, I think we should preserve the option for future generations.”

During public comment, Acreage resident Pat Curry said the county should forget about creating any thoroughfares along the entire length of roadway between Okeechobee and Northlake boulevards.

“None of these roads should be used as thoroughfares,” Curry said. “These are all privately owned roads. The county is planning future development based on creating these so-called thoroughfares. Some of these roads are actually dirt roads.”

Loxahatchee Groves Councilman Dr. Bill Louda said he has been trying to get E Road removed from county thoroughfare plans since 1998. “We’re trying to stay rural,” Louda said. “It’s not true rural, but we’re trying to keep it low-key, in character with our surroundings, and we’d certainly appreciate your listening to our wishes.”

ITID Administrator Chris King echoed Curry’s comments about private ownership. “All our roads are privately owned,” he said. “They are all private easements. They are owned by the property owners to get to and from their private properties to the public roads, so this being on the thoroughfare plan is basically a private road on the thoroughfare plan.”

Commissioner Burt Aaronson made a motion to follow staff’s recommendation to removed the roads, seconded by Commissioner Bob Kanjian. Commissioner Jess Santamaria re-emphasized his support.

“Removal of this road in its entirety is protecting the lifestyle of everyone in this community,” he said. “I fully support the removal of the entire road. We need to preserve the few areas in Palm Beach County that have a unique lifestyle.”

Also last week, the commissioners approved a second transmission of an updated plan for the development of the 3,745acre Callery-Judge Grove.

The commissioners initially approved the plan in April but the DCA raised objections.

The citrus grower is seeking to build almost 3,000 residential units and 235,000 square feet of commercial space pursuant to the Agricultural Enclave Act passed by the state several years ago, according to County Planner Lisa Amara who made the staff presentation.

Callery-Judge is bisected by Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and the planned future extension route of Persimmon Blvd., which would serve as primary routes of access for the project.

The land-use amendment would allow Callery-Judge about one residential unit per 1.25 acres, similar to density of The Acreage, up from its current land-use designation allowing one unit per 10 acres.

The amendments to the county’s future land use map and transportation element of its comprehensive plan would establish definitions relating to

agricultural enclaves and new urbanism, and designate agricultural enclaves as limited urban service areas. The amendments also designate Persimmon Blvd. from 140th Avenue North to Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and 140th Avenue North from Persimmon Blvd. to 60th Street North as rural parkways. The future 2020 Roadway System would be modified to expand Southern Blvd. from Big Blue Trace to Forest Hill/Crestwood boulevards from six lanes to eight.

After the DCA raised several objections to the first version of the amendments, Amara said, county staff met with DCA officials twice and provided additional data or highlighted data analysis in the original report, which appears to have satisfied the objections. Key changes to the amendment were in the urban area, from 10 percent of the units on five percent of the land to 20 percent of the units on 10 percent of the land. It is the same density but doubles the number of new-urbanism walkable units, Amara said.

The DCA proposed a condition that limits the number of units to 115 in the first five years in order to make the plan consistent with the county’s future traffic map. School concurrency must also be attained at the time of rezoning.

The staff report also states that although traffic infrastructure is not in place, the Seminole Improvement District that acts as the road authority in the CalleryJudge property will contribute its share when the time comes.

“They have the means to build the roadways and will be required to,” Traffic Planner Allen Ennis said.

Planning Director Lorenzo Aghemo clarified that the project is not exempt from county traffic roadway plans, although the enclave act supersedes county standards.

“It won’t be a precedent for the other two projects?” Commissioner Karen Marcus asked, referring to large developments in the area proposed by GL Homes and EB Developers. Amara said the other two projects wouldn’t qualify to benefit from the Agricultural Enclave Act.

ITID’s King said his board supports the amendment but was initially concerned that Persimmon Blvd. had been put back in as a four-lane roadway, but realized that county staff still supports a two-lane roadway and will be looking at 60th Street as the major roadway as the project moves forward.

Environmentalist Joanne Davis said she felt the changes had not gone far enough to cluster development, create an urban core and maximize open space.

“This is a suburban core,” Davis said. “You tighten up the density with where you’re going to build and you have functional open space, and that’s what we would be requesting.” Curry said the new urbanism walkable space concept does not work in South Florida. “People don’t walk to work,” she said. “They don’t walk to the grocery store. They don’t walk. It’s hot.” Santamaria asked Aghemo if staff would have required more conditions had Callery-Judge not taken advantage of the Agricultural Enclave Act, and Aghemo said the plan would have been entirely different. He said all plans can be improved, adding that the original CalleryJudge proposal for 10,000 residential units and five million square feet of commercial space, which Santamaria voted against, was “a very good plan.” Both plans are similar in spirit to the Sector Plan that that was put together by county staff and consultants, was challenged and later abandoned, Aghemo said. Santamaria said he felt that the commission was being handicapped by the agricultural enclave rule. “I will definitely not try to oppose the ag enclave legislation, Santamaria said. But he added that he has been working with Callery-Judge representatives to get improvements such as more usable open green space. “I feel enough has not been offered to make this an acceptable plan for both the community and the ultimate users when this development is finally in place,” Santamaria said. The motion passed 6-1 with Santamaria opposed.

Amendment 5: Needed Tax Reform Or Setup For A Disaster?

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

To some, Amendment 5 offers an unprecedented measure of tax reform for Floridians; to others it threatens to bring an unprecedented disaster for the funding of public education.

Wellington Chamber of Commerce members heard both sides of the story at their monthly business meeting Wednesday, from a member of the legislative commission that wrote the amendment and a representative of a tax watchdog organization that has studied the measure in depth.

The amendment, which may go to Florida voters in November, would eliminate the portion of property taxes that fund schools — about 25 percent of property tax bills. The state would be required to make up the resulting shortfall of $8 billion or more in education funding elsewhere, partially through a one-cent increase in sales taxes and an end to sales tax exemptions on certain items.

State Rep. Frank Attkisson (R-Kissimmee), a member of the Florida Taxation & Budget Reform Commission that proposed the amendment, told chamber members gathered at the Bonefish Grill restaurant that the current system is unfair be-

cause it forces people to pay taxes even if they are not earning any money. “How fair is it to require people to pay taxes when they have no income?” he asked. Property taxes are based on the not-always-equitable perceptions of public appraisers, Attkisson said. He said a key intent of Amendment 5 is to stimulate the real estate market and the state economy. “If taxes are lower, people can afford to buy homes,” he said. “And every house bought also brings in extra spending on things like furniture that also pours money into the economy.”

Attkisson added that in the local area, he expected property owners would enjoy a tax break of between 30 and 40 percent through the amendment, which he said would increase the net worth of Floridians by about $80 billion. “I can tell you if all the sudden you inherited $80 billion, you would be talking to a banker,” he said. Attkisson said the amendment would create many economic incentives. “We have a choice,” he said. “Should we take the billions from taxpayers or should we let them spend it in the economy the way they want to and let the economy grow? The growth of the economy will bring in more revenues.”

Following Attkisson, Florida TaxWatch Senior Vice President Harvey Bennett noted that the amendment is vague on how the state will make up the entire shortfall in the education budget, and charged that it would shift taxes around rather than cut them.

“The amount of spending does not go down,” Bennett said. “Someone has to pay the taxes, and this amendment does not set down precisely how the needed money will be raised.”

He also refuted Attkisson’s blame of property appraisers, saying local taxation rates and local government spending are just as much a part of the property tax equation.

“It’s the county commission, it’s the city council, it’s the school board, it’s the water management district,” he said. “It’s one of the 89 special taxing districts you have in this county. This county is a poster child for what’s wrong with local government in the State of Florida.”

Bennett noted that property taxes in the county doubled in seven years, and the homesteaded property owners didn’t complain because they were already protected, so the county spent money with abandon as property values soared, and ignored the complaints of those who suf-

‘Should we take the billions from taxpayers or should we let them spend it in the economy the way they want to and let the economy grow?’

— State Rep. Frank Attkisson

fered most, like snowbirds and small business owners.

“I don’t think that’s the attitude that we want, and I don’t think that’s the tax policy we want,” he said.

Bennett said Amendment 5 is well intentioned but called it a “Frankenstein proposal” that was stitched together to please those who want to see an end to sales tax exemptions and those who want to end property taxes. “Raising the sales tax, particularly in a time when money is tight, will only bring in about $3.3 billion,” he said. “It is very difficult to cut sales tax exemptions in a meaningful way. The exempted items that would bring in the most money are things we think of as necessities, like food and electricity, and these are the ones we are least likely to cut from our list.”

Bennett said the school funding shortfall caused by the amendment would amount to more than $11 billion. He also noted that the amendment guarantees that school districts would not suffer a drop in funding only for the first year after it takes effect, and afterward public schools from kindergarten to high school level would be forced to compete with other educational institutions for funding.

“The only way to really raise more money would be to tax services,” he said. “And there will be very strong opposition to that. The legislature tried it in 1987 and it lasted only six months before being repealed and replaced with an increased sales tax.”

Bennett cited the difficulty of crafting careful tax policy within the limits of a 60-day legislative session, and warned that legislators would make haphazard decisions in order to secure funding for programs.

“Our concern is they would be scrambling to find four, five, six billion dollars, and doing it the wrong way,” he said. “It would be counterproductive, and counter-competitive to our merchants, our businesses here in Florida, who have to compete not only with other states but other economies in the world.”

Bennett also expressed skepticism that the amendment would boost the state’s economy. “Predictability is an important factor in business,” he said. “Would you move your business to a state where you don’t know what the tax policy will be in a few years? What the politicians say is ‘trust us.’”

Audience members asked whether the amendment would be regressive by raising more

money by a sales tax. Both debaters agreed that because items like food, rent and electricity were exempted, it was not as regressive at it might be. In response to an audience question about the impact of the amendment on education, Attkisson said a component of the amendment would protect school funding. But Bennett said that measure would be in effect for only one year and would pose problems for higher education institutions. He also said that if one part of the budget, like education, is protected, other programs such as health services would be targeted for cuts. Responding to a question about economic uncertainty, Attkisson said that even if the state has current financial woes, now is the time for tax reform. “If we don’t get reform now,” he said, “we can probably forget about having it anytime in the next 20 years.”

Amendment 5 is currently in legal limbo. A judge in Leon County ruled earlier this month that it should be removed from the November ballot, saying the language summarizing it for voters is misleading. The Florida Supreme Court is expected to decide the fate of the amendment sometime over the next week.

‘The only way to really raise more money would be to tax services. And there will be very strong opposition to that.’

— Harvey Bennett of TaxWatch

OUR OPINION

Labor Day Means More Than Just A Late-Summer Holiday

As America prepares for another Labor Day weekend, the one thing on most people’s minds is rest. For as long as most of us can remember, Labor Day has been a time of relaxation. There’s no work, but not really much anything else either; it’s our time, and we earned it — sort of like summer’s last hurrah. And afterward, it’s back to the grind for workers and students alike.

However, when Labor Day was first celebrated more than a century ago, the political implications were more significant. Parades organized in support of trade and labor organizations were a popular theme in the early days. Of course, as the heated presidential campaign season nears its boiling point, you can bet there will be more appeals to working folks in the coming weeks.

Tradition isn’t the only way Labor Day has changed throughout the decades. Indeed, times were a lot different in the late 19th century, and so was labor itself. Although, the definition of laborer hasn’t changed much over the years, new industries have developed in the past century, and many of the workers in these industries have their own unions. With the boom in modern technology that has occurred in the past several decades, more

An Alternative To PBCC Plan

Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen has presented, in a recent letter to the Town-Crier, his scenario as to the best proposal for Wellington’s K-Park property (“Bowen: PBCC Good For Wellington,” Letters, Aug. 9). Let’s examine his options and some alternate ideas.

Wellington’s staff is currently working on a long range plan on how our village could look in the next 20 years. The area K-Park is now on is planned as part of a “medical arts district;” so why are we considering it for a college, unless it is a medical college?

Let’s look at the mayor’s options, with comments:

1) Leave the land way it is for future use. Not a bad idea, it will only grow in value as the real estate market sorts itself out.

2) Sell it to the highest bidder for commercial development. It does not have to be sold for commercial development; it could be sold to someone ready to make it part of our medical arts district. This would be a major employment center, with high-paying jobs, and a strong tax base.

3) Partner with someone like PBCC so the property can be used for public purposes. Maybe someone like a four-year col-

lege would be a better choice, but the village has to be proactive to get this done. I don’t think that most alternate colleges are even aware of the possibility of getting 63 acres for nothing.

Other comments that need to be addressed:

1) If sold, the property would only yield about $300,000 per year in property taxes. What is missing is the probable selling price of $30 million, the impact fees, and the interest on the $30 million. At five percent, that would be another $1.5 million a year. Over ten years, all of the above would return to Wellington over $50 million. Our Village Manager Paul Schofield, in a recent article, prophesied a grim five-year economic forecast that even predicted that fire and law enforcement services could fall under the budget ax.

2) PBCC will build three lighted multipurpose fields for use in the evenings and on weekends. This is not enough to meet our recreation field commitment, and they will disappear as PBCC erects other buildings.

3) PBCC will build a performing arts center that the community will be able to use 50 percent of the time. We will be losing the balance of the $1 million (approximately $750,000) that was awarded to us by Palm Beach County that could help us build our own art center, which

and more jobs take place inside air-conditioned buildings. And while many of these jobs are more attractive and pay better than the those of field workers or miners, poor working conditions can exist in any environment.

Try to remember all the movies and television shows you watched last year. Unless you happened to have made a list, you can’t recall all of them. It’s a part of our culture that is so bountiful (some would say excessive), that we take it for granted. But we also take for granted the numerous writers who work tirelessly to provide us with that entertainment. But when the writers’ strike went into effect last November — which shut down production on many of the nation’s top TV shows — suddenly, the writers became more important than the actors. Although not everyone sympathized with their plight (“just bring back the shows!”), it was a wakeup call from a terribly under-appreciated group of workers and a reminder that corporations don’t always rule the day.

This Labor Day, as we lay back and enjoy a day with our family and friends, we should take time to reflect on the progress that has been made over the years in the name of workers’ rights, as well as the many challenges that still lie ahead.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

we could use all the time.

There is a lot to think about, and as the Palms West Chamber of Commerce and others have proposed, it is premature to make a decision in view that Wellington hasn’t done an extensive evaluation of the alternate uses of the K-Park site.

K-Park is a major asset to Wellington. It is the last large piece of land that we own. As such its use should be decided by a public referendum of all our citizens, or at least a supermajority of the council.

Morley Alperstein Wellington

Support PBCC

In Wellington

I think it would be accurate to say that Wellington may well have the most extensive recreation facilities of any village in Florida.

Recently, we were advised that only 25 percent of our children use the facilities (translating to 75 of our youth not using them), and count in Wellington’s adults and probably less than 10 to 15 percent of our community enjoy the taxpayers’ largesse. This doesn’t even take into consideration that the travel teams, who use the fields the most, are composed of approximately 50 percent of non-Wellingtonians.

Councilman Matt Willhite has

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no problem with this, but talk about higher education at the KPark site he calls PBCC a “private industry,” and he has a problem spending ($4 million, his statistics), only one tenth of what we have spent on recreation, on education!

Further, he states “to date, I have not had any ill feeling toward PBCC representatives or proponents.” Carry that thought one step further — will he have ill feelings at a later date?

Common sense would dictate that college education is necessary much as elementary, middle and high school are. I have heard Mr. Willhite would sell off or bid out the K-Park site, and I ask, what for, another mall? A storage center? What exactly is his vision? Does he even have one?

I trust our council members [Mayor Darell] Bowen, [Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine] Priore and [Councilwoman Lizbeth] Benacquisto to carefully peruse PBCC plans so that Wellington may also benefit in extra ballfields, adult education courses, possibly an equestrian education feature, etc.

Education is what distinguishes the “haves” from the “havenots,” and I choose the haves for our children! Education is the difference, it is the decider — it’s also common sense.

George Unger Wellington

ITID’s Damone

Thanks Voters

I want to thank all of the Indian Trail Improvement District voters for having the faith and the confidence in me serving another term as your supervisor. I promise I will always listen and make all decisions based on what is best for our community. I take this position seriously and with the clear understanding that it is a privilege to serve. During this campaign process I have also decided to follow through and get rid of the source of malicious, vile, negative campaigning and hold accountable those who participated in nega-

OPINION

tive campaigning. Our community deserves more than mudslinging as a qualification for a candidacy.

My family and I did not appreciate the malicious, false and inaccurate information placed on typed fliers and handwritten posters.

Our community had faith in me as I had faith in them to read through this malicious attack. I ask that each of you ask more from all candidates who qualify and run to serve our community. Every candidate should run a campaign based on experience, vision and commitment. Each voter will decide who best fits their representation based on those qualifications.

Again, I am grateful for the privilege to serve you as your board supervisor.

Michelle Damone, Supervisor, Indian Trail Improvement District

District’s Future Needs A Study

I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks for your continued coverage of the birthing pains of the fledgling Town of Loxahatchee Groves. Additionally, I would like the opportunity to continue here as an open letter to the citizens of Loxahatchee Groves:

Recently I have been one of the town council members who want to investigate the pros and cons of potentially changing the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District from an independent to dependent district. People ask (yell at) me, “why are you doing this when you promised to leave it as is?” Fair question. Two years ago, I firmly and whole-heartedly believed, and with a tremendous amount of

naiveté I must add, that the town and the LGWCD could function amicably on parallel tracks for both the good and the future of the Groves. Being a scientist I am trained to: (1) make observations, (2) gather facts in line with an observation, (3) form a hypothesis/conclusions and (4) make decisions based on that logic. This I have done, and I have reached the conclusion that every other public official at several levels (city, county and state) that I talked with before, during and following the election for incorporation and council was absolutely correct in their advice. That being: “a municipality and a fully independent Chapter 298 district cannot function in concert.” Thus, I am now in a second round of fact finding. That is, the town voted to send out a RFP (request for proposals) to perform a study which will examine all of the pros and cons, facts and figures of doing one of the following: (1) nothing, no advantage to having a dependent district; (2) change the district to a dependent district; (3) abolish the district in its entirety; or (4) other. First, I would never agree with totally abolishing the district since it does have a taxper-acre system that perfectly fits its needs, that is, payment for a direct service (drainage). Secondly and more importantly, as a physical operation, the staff does a wonderful job. Given the above, your question then likely is, “then why pursue a change?” It is to enable the community to move forward in a unified manner. The issue of the “two-headed dog” came to point when the town wanted a moratorium (not a cessation as some would have you believe)

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Dr. Arthur Anderson’s Swan Song ‘On The Verge Of

Somewhere around 85 percent of the people out there probably wouldn’t give a hoot in hell about what I’m about to write. Maybe they never do, but this week there is little doubt. Yep, I’m talking about Tuesday’s election when only around 15 percent of the county’s voters showed up. All the others:

A) Had to choose between having a tooth pulled or voting for a bunch of candidates they didn’t even like, or

B) Decided that one stop on the way home was better spent picking up a six-pack than voting for a bunch of candidates they didn’t even like, or

C) Didn’t even know there was an election, or

D) Had already decided not to cast any more votes until the 2012 election after examining this year’s presidential tickets, or

E) A combination of all the above.

I’m not quite sure exactly what percentage of voters showed up in each of the communities because Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections Dr. Arthur Anderson still hadn’t figured out how to use his campaign calculator to do the math. That’s the calculator that came with the rulers with his name printed on it he sent out to his poll workers, no doubt hoping voters would notice his name before marking their ballots.

I’m thinking about getting hold of one of those rulers, baking it in a farewell cake and having it delivered to Dr. Anderson, whose doctorate degree almost certainly is not in mathematics or management.

All of this brings me to his election. Dr. Anderson almost certainly is the also-ran in the election supervisor’s race, being edged out of a runoff by Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis by the thinnest of margins (a bit over half of one percent)

Point of View...

By Don Brown

and trounced by State Rep. Susan Bucher, who won more than 48 percent of the vote. The remaining 52 percent were split between Dr. Anderson and Mr. Margolis. Almost certainly, because some ballots were still being counted as late as 5 p.m. Wednesday. In a school board race of local interest, Dr. Monroe Benaim of Jupiter won a third term in his District 1 seat over two opponents with 52 percent of the vote. Part of his district cuts a swath through The Acreage. Some of the voters there probably remember that he was a cheerleader for the construction of Seminole Ridge High School and was the deciding vote to fast-track an expansion of the school so it could accept more students who would otherwise attend schools outside The Acreage. Benaim’s last-place opponent Jonathan Williams has solid credentials, and I hope he finds an elective or appointed position where he can be of service.

In the Indian Trail Improvement District race, incumbent Michelle Damone prevailed with nearly 53 percent of the vote, a difficult task with two opponents. If that campaign hadn’t gotten so mean-spirited, it might be laughable. One of Ms. Damone’s opponents, Barbara Brecker, ran a campaign that could best be described as hateful. Late

TOWN-CRIER

last week, only days before the election, Ms. Brecker put malicious letters into plastic bags, weighted them with rocks and tossed them into yards and driveways of Acreage residents. During the next few days, she drove her vehicle throughout the community with signs accusing Ms. Damone of acts that I won’t repeat here.

In addition, Damone’s other opponent Patricia Curry ran a campaign in favor of “unpaving” roads and installing toll booths in The Acreage to keep outsiders away. That’s the laughable part. Both of Ms. Damone’s opponents split the 47 percent she

Greatness’

didn’t grab. However, taking more than 50 percent assured her another four-year term. All of that having been said, let’s get back to the supervisor of elections campaign. I was particularly drawn to one of the comments made by Dr. Anderson. He said on the heels of his fall from grace that his office was “on the verge of greatness” before his smackdown. I love that quote, and I plan to borrow it every chance I can. I’m telling everyone who is reading this column now that I am on the verge of greatness! (I just hope I don’t have to run for office to prove it.)

Don’t Lower The Drinking Age To 18!

And all this time you thought college presidents were involved in high-flown intellectual pursuits for their highly overinflated salaries. You were wrong... at least for one surprising segment of the clan. This newly formed group is assiduously working on a plan that is more vital — they publicly advocate lowering the drinking age from 21 to 18.

“Twenty-one is not working,” announces the news release of these educational leaders. “A culture of clandestine binge drinking has developed.”

Good lord, check out what these elite thinkers have discovered. You and I could never have discovered this fact, could we? After all, these brilliant minds

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

included the top “generals” at such prestigious schools as Dartmouth, Ohio State, Duke, Syracuse, Tufts, Colgate et al. Now let’s glance at statistics from here on earth rather than the stratosphere these presidents operate in. According to a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration study, raising the drinking age to 21 cut traffic fatalities involving drivers 18 to 20 by 13 percent! Also, a survey of the United States and oth-

er countries by the Centers for Disease Control revealed that raising the drinking age reduced drunken driver deaths. Perhaps our college masterminds should also be thinking about steering their efforts to combat the studies that say adolescent brains are often still developing after 18 and significant alcohol use can interfere with that process. Mothers Against Drunk Driving accuses the aforementioned presidents of misrepresenting research and seeking an easy way out of a thorny problem. “It is very clear that the 21-year-old drinking age will not be enforced at these campuses,” MADD President Laura DeanMooney said. This lady makes a lot of sense.

Royal Palm Beach Zoners OK

Cell Tower Near Village Hall

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission recommended approval Thursday of an application to construct a 130-foot telecommunications tower on the property that houses the village’s municipal complex.

The tower, requested by SBA Network Services on behalf of AT&T, would replace a 100-foot tower currently on the property at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards.

The application was for a special exception use, which is allowed under the complex’s Public Ownership zoning.

RPB Development Review Coordinator Kevin Erwin told the commissioners that the new taller tower would be a monopole instead of a lattice structure and thus have a smaller footprint.

The tower will continue to be surrounded by a landscape buffer. There would be no interruption of service since the new tower will be erected be-

fore the current one is torn down.

Erwin said the new tower would accommodate other carriers, which would reduce the need for more towers. As part of the agreement, AT&T will install equipment for village communications as well.

Robert Lauder of the Site Acquisition Division of SBA Network Services told the commissioners the taller tower would fill in some coverage gaps and provide a stronger signal.

Commissioner Darrell Lange voiced approval for the gray color of the tower, saying it would be less visible.

Lange made motion to recommend approval of the special exception use application, which passed unanimously.

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council is scheduled to review the application at its meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4. The commissioners also recommended architectural approval of a request by the Royal Inn to add five teal canvas awnings on its second-floor

walkways. They are consistent in color and type with the existing awnings on the hotel.

County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, owner of the hotel, told the commissioners the walkways were not originally intended to have awnings but he had discovered their necessity after it was built.

“The architect made a good design but unfortunately did not look into rain intrusion,” he said. “As a result, sometimes with strong winds we have water intrusion into the rooms.”

Santamaria added that the awnings would provide protection for housekeeping staff moving from room to room.

Commissioner Jackie Larson said she agreed with the need for the awnings.

“When I go to the Pizza Hut at the front of the hotel and it’s raining hard, it’s like I’m going through a waterfall,” she said.

Lange made a motion to recommend architectural approval, which passed unanimously.

Wellington Council Slices Legal Budget

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

In an effort to reduce expenses, the Wellington Village Council approved a contract for legal services Monday that is 25 percent lower than the previous year.

The one-year contract with Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz and his firm Glen Torcivia & Associates for $560,300 is reduced by $189,700 from the previous year’s rate of $750,000.

According to the staff report, Kurtz and village staff arrived at a base legal budget of $585,000 after Councilman Matt Willhite requested slimming the village’s legal expenses in May.

The village is figuring an inhouse cost of $175,000 for the attorney, $55,000 for a paralegal and $45,000 for an administrative assistant for a salary base of $275,000. Benefits are budgeted at $110,000, outside counsel expenses are set at $100,000, with miscellaneous expenses at $25,000 and a ten-percent contingency fund at $50,300 for a total of $560,300.

RPB THANKS EMPLOYEES, SANTAMARIA

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council thanked several longtime employees on Aug. 21. Shan Frogel was honored with his 15-year service award, while Anthony Genovese was given his 10-year service award. Also last Thursday, County Commissioner Jess Santamaria received a certificate of appreciation for his support of the village’s Fourth of July “Star Spangled Celebration.” (Left) Shan Frogel and Anthony Genovese with Mayor David Lodwick. (Right) Lodwick presents Santamaria with the certificate.

Willhite made a motion to enter into a one-year contract for in-house legal services with Kurtz and his firm. Councilman Bob Margolis seconded the motion.

“As long as he and his firm stay within our standards, our requirements and our cost analysis, if he comes in at budget, then we’ll continue with that contract for another year,” Willhite said. “He will have to report to us how he did for the year and keep his budget in line with what we need. To the scale of what’s happening in the economy and what’s happening in the village, obviously, this year we may not need as much legal services because it’s going to be a slimmer year.”

The motion passed 4-0 with Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore absent.

Also Monday, the council approved surface water management rates for the coming fiscal year, which remained the same from last year, as well as garbage collection rates and water/wastewater rates, which both went up from last year.

Finance Director Francine Ramaglia said all the rates have stayed essentially the same since the council set them last month for the county tax rolls. Between setting the TRIM rate and adopting the budget, governments can adjust rates down, but not up. The Acme Improvement District budget for surface water management totals about $4 million and the non-ad valorem assessment remains at the rate of $146 per unit that the council set last month, the same as last year, and includes an $11 assessment per unit for lakeshore erosion

PHOTOS BY LEONARD WECHSLER/ TOWN-CRIER

Burglars Attempt To Heist ATM Machine From RPB Walgreens

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

AUG. 26 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach responded early Tuesday morning to the Walgreens store on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, upon arrival the deputy observed extensive damage to the main entrance. He made contact with an employee, who said while working in the rear of the store she heard a loud noise coming from the front. Fearing for her safety, the employee and her coworker locked themselves in a storage room. Once they felt it was safe to exit the room, they went into the manager’s office and dialed 911. A security video captured footage of an unknown male dressed in black and wearing gloves who damaged the front door with a pry bar, gaining entry to the store. Once inside, he retrieved a yellow tow strap and wrapped it around the ATM machine while another suspect, driving what appeared to be a white Dodge pickup truck, pulled up to the front door, causing more damage to the front of the store. While trying to steal the machine, the tow strap broke and the suspects abandoned their efforts, fleeing the scene. An regional alert was issued for the area, and the footage was placed into evidence.

•

•

• AUG. 19 — Deputies from the PBSO substation in Wellington arrested a man and woman last Tuesday outside a home on Doubletree Circle. According to a PBSO report, 21-year-old Vanessa Acosta and 24-year-old Andrew Uhland, both of Wellington, were apprehended after attempting to steal a blue Honda Civic that was parked in front of the home. A search revealed numerous credit cards and two Florida driver’s licenses that did not belong to either suspect. According to the report, Acosta and Uhland admitted to the thefts and said they were trying to get money for drugs.

AUG. 21 — A Royal Palm Beach man was arrested early last Thursday at the intersection of Bilbao Street and La Mancha Avenue following a traffic stop. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to a DUI stop as backup. After the arrest, the deputy searched the vehicle and found a Budweiser box and an open beer bottle on the floor. A search of the driver, 20-year-old Cody Finch, revealed a pill bottle in his right front pocket. Inside the bottle were 11 pills that were later identified as Xanax. Finch was charged with possession of alcohol by a minor and possession of a controlled substance.

AUG. 22 — A juvenile was arrested on drug charges last Friday in a neighborhood near the Regal Cinema on State Road 7. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the substation in Royal Palm Beach was on patrol when he observed five ju-

veniles sitting behind a building. Upon noticing the deputy, the juveniles immediately looked away and behaved in a nervous manner. One of the juveniles began making furtive movements, reaching behind his back to conceal something from the deputy’s view, according to the report. The deputy made contact with the juvenile and asked what he was concealing. The juvenile replied by pointing at an empty Sprite can that had been converted into a marijuana pipe. The deputy asked him if he had been smoking marijuana and if he had any in his possession. The juvenile handed the deputy a plastic baggy that contained approximately .5 grams. He was arrested and placed into the custody of his mother.

AUG. 24 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington arrested a woman last Sunday on drug charges at the intersection of Lake Worth Road and South Shore Blvd. According to a PBSO report, 23-yearold Gillian Kurtz was pulled over for failure to stop at a stop sign. The deputy discovered Kurtz was in possession of a marijuana pipe with black resin inside. She was issued a notice to appear in court.

AUG. 25 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded Monday afternoon to a home on Sandpiper Avenue regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, at sometime between noon and 1 p.m. someone smashed a window in the rear cabana bathroom and entered the residence. Stolen from inside was an assortment of jewelry valued at more than $30,000. According to the report, the burglar had also broken the window of the rear garage door and entered the garage, but was unable to gain access to the house from that point. Several latent prints were recovered from the scene. There was no further information available at the time of the report.

AUG. 25 — A resident of Wellington Green Circle called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday to report the theft of her mail. According to a PBSO report, on Aug. 6 the victim placed her mortgage and car payments in her mailbox to be picked up. On approximately Aug. 15, she was contacted by a representative from her lender, who said they had not received the check for her car payment. Three days later, the victim determined that neither check had cleared through her bank. On Aug. 19, the victim was contacted by a PBSO corporal, who found her mail in a vehicle that had been pulled over. The victim’s mail was placed into evidence, along with that of other victims whose mail had been stolen in similar incidents.

AUG. 26 — A man was arrested Tuesday near the intersection of State Road 7 and Forest Hill Blvd. for drug possession and driving under the influence. According to a PBSO report, 61year-old Robert Dawson of See BLOTTER, page 16

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Matthew Reedy is a white male, 6’ tall and weighing 170 lbs., with blond hair and blue eyes. His date of birth is 12/11/84. Reedy is wanted on the felony charges of burglary of a structure or conveyance, grand theft, dealing in stolen property and false verification of ownership to a pawnbroker. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 42nd Road North in The Acreage. Reedy is wanted as of 08/28/08. • Eric Schneidau is a white male, 6’1” tall and weighing 190 lbs., with brown hair and green eyes. His date of birth is 06/27/85. He has tattoos on his left arm and leg, and a scar on his left elbow. Schneidau is wanted for failure to appear in court on the felony charge of burglary of a structure, the misdemeanor charge of retail theft and the traffic charge of unregistered motor vehicle. His occupation is waiter. His last known address was 90th Street North in The Acreage. Schneidau is wanted as of 08/28/08. 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.

Matthew Reedy

Eric Schneidau

RETIREMENT PARTY AT LOXAHATCHEE GROVES PARK SALUTES RON

Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue personnel joined the friends and family of Ron Jarriel on Saturday, Aug. 23 at Loxahatchee Groves Park to honor the retiring firefighter. Jarriel, who serves on the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors, had been with PBCFR for 31 years. In attendance were current and former firefighters and paramedics who worked with Jarriel, as well as his wife Sharon, son Ronnie and other extended family members.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Ron Jarriel, with wife Sharon and Matt Willhite, accepts an ax as a retirement gift.

Ron Jarriel with PBCFR Battalion Chief Nigel Baker.

Don Widing says a few words about Jarriel.

LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier with supervisors John Ryan and Don Widing.

Friends and family of Ron Jarriel look on as he accepts his retirement gifts.

PBCFR employee and Wellington Councilman Matt Willhite with Ron Jarriel.

ITID, County Inching Toward Accord On State Road 7, Park

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

The Indian Trail Improvement District is inching toward accords with Palm Beach County on two major concerns: the continuation of the State Road 7 extension to Northlake Blvd. and the return of Acreage Community Park to ITID ownership. At the board’s Aug. 20 meeting, ITID President Mike Erickson said he and District Administrator Chris King met with County Administrator Robert Weisman and County Commissioner Jess Santamaria two days earlier and discussed the two issues.

The county is extending SR 7 northward to Persimmon Blvd. and wants ITID to issue permits allowing connections there and at Orange Blvd. A key sticking point is ITID’s insistence that the county provide

assurances that it will continue the road to Northlake Blvd. within five years. Erickson said Weisman explained that if the county were to commit to building the final stage, it would doom any possibility of a state contribution to the project. “At that point, Jess looked at him and told him to find the funds,” Erickson said. The Northlake-or-bust position is one of several demands the district is making of the county in order to issue permits. King told the board he was working with County Engineer George Webb to resolve other outstanding issues, including requests for extensive improvements to Orange Grove and Persimmon boulevards.

Another issue is a request that the county establish a connection to Madrid Street in the Royal Palm Beach’s La Mancha

neighborhood, which RPB opposes. Webb recently informed the district that the county no longer considers the Madrid connection a priority because its absence would not have any effect on traffic volume in The Acreage, King said.

Supervisor Michelle Damone took issue with that assertion, saying that westbound commuters on Okeechobee Blvd. would take the extension at the first opportunity when traffic is really backed up.

King said he would continue working with Webb to reach an agreement that would be acceptable to both sides.

On Wednesday, Erickson told the Town-Crier he appreciates the county’s concerns about losing the prospect of any state funding for the SR 7 extension, noting that the road is one of the few in the area that the state

would consider funding and that the county has been actively urging it to do so. “We’re looking for alternative language where the possibility of funding from the state stays in place but we still have assurances that the road will be built,” he said. Meanwhile, county officials have been more enthusiastic about returning control of Acreage Community Park to the district in exchange for a sevenacre site near the Publix supermarket on Orange Blvd. for a library and an eight-acre conservation easement in the park itself.

But in last week’s meeting, Weisman explained that the county, which took the park in 2003 in exchange for a 25-year lease and promised park improvements, is still exploring the possible legal ramifications of such a trade.

Erickson told fellow board members that the county is concerned because it funded purchase of the park’s expansion area, as well as purchase of the adjoining Acreage Pines Natural Area, through grants from the Florida Land Trust, and there might be legal restraints against a simple return of the park. A key issue is the seven-yearold site plan for the expanded park, drawn up as part of the grant agreement. The county initially had plans to develop Acreage Community Park as a facility to meet regional needs, but after protracted disputes with previous ITID supervisors, it built those amenities at the new Samuel Friedland Park just outside ITID boundaries. With the old site plan providing features no longer meeting the needs of the area, a new one will likely be needed.

Erickson suggested working with the county on a new assessment of area needs.

“The county has a planning staff for parks,” he said. “Why not invite them to a charette where they can get input about what the people in the district want? If we get the park back, they want to make sure it is completed.”

Damone suggested a range of alternate features. “We could put in other facilities like a BMX track, tennis courts and even a recreation center as long as we phase things in,” she said. King cautioned that negotiations with the county would continue. “This was the first of a series of meetings,” he said of the Aug. 18 meeting. “We are hoping to work out the big-picture issues dealing with the park. We want to do something you will be proud of.”

Lox Town Council OKs Study On Future Of Groves District

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council voted last week to invite bids for an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of making the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District a dependent part of the new municipal government.

The LGWCD, established in 1917, is the original local government entity of Loxahatchee Groves but is responsible for maintaining only roads and canals. Critics of the district, including some town council members, argue that the district’s continued existence as an independent body is unnecessary and perhaps costly.

Councilman Dr. Bill Louda, one of the three council members voting in favor of moving forward with the study, said at the council’s Aug. 20 meeting that the study would be good policy.

“I see this as something nobody should be afraid of,” Louda said. “The outcome will hopefully give us something that nobody would be afraid of. The outcome will hopefully give us the most cost-effective way of going through it, whether independent, dependent or abolish. This is to find out what is going

to cost the least amount of money in the years ahead.”

Town Clerk Matt Lippman said the council would just be considering its options. “You can still turn it down,” he said.

“This just allows the process to go forward.”

But many oppose the possible demise of the district, which has recently been at odds with the town on control and funding of road projects.

Mayor David Browning, a former LGWCD supervisor, reminded fellow council members they had promised to allow the district to continue.

“Everyone stood up and campaigned we were not for doing away with the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District,” he said. “We have some communication issues. We are working through them. My thoughts have not changed. We need both. I think it’s important to hear both sides. I think the town and the district can co-exist.”

LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier read a letter into the record noting that the end of the independent district would be inconsistent with the town’s charter. “The district strongly urges the town to reconsider this matter,” he said. Saunier added that the stated

aim of some council members to curtail the existence of the LGWCD has hurt the morale of district employees.

“The approach you are taking has been well publicized in the papers,” he said. “There is not a week that goes by where I do not have to reassure them. They serve the community very well. There is a certain level of stress and worry that the town council is going to take away their jobs. You do outsource the work to outside consultants, but I hope that would be your commitment to let them continue to do their jobs.”

LGWCD Supervisor Ron Jarriel said three of the council’s five members have pursued a vendetta against the district since they were elected. “There are three of you who are trying to get rid of LGWCD,” he said. “You are wrong for getting rid of the district.”

Resident Ann Parker said the district should look at the big picture and consider what would be best in terms of saving money. “I believe we need to have outside input to let us know whether this will benefit us or not,” she said.

Resident Ken Johnson commended Saunier and his staff for the job they do, but supported

the study. “I think Clete has done an excellent job,” he said. “I think his men are doing an excellent job. We ain’t going to fire all those guys. We want to make this government a more efficient government for the taxpayers. It needs to be combined.”

Resident Bill Gurney supported recasting the district as a dependent agency. “We have the power to determine our own destiny,” he said. “We have the power to protect ourselves from developers and other agencies. The drainage district does not have this power, nor will it ever. It’s my opinion that the drainage district should become dependent on the town.”

The council approved issuing a request for proposals on the study by a 3-2 vote with Browning and Councilman Dennis Lipp opposed. The council is expected to review proposals at its September meeting, with the study to be completed in October.

The item was preceded by council discussion of possible dust-mitigation products on unpaved roads in Loxahatchee Groves.

Lippman said he had been in discussion with council members about ways to control dust as the town prepares a master

plan for its roads, and the possibility of paying for increased law enforcement to combat speeding drivers who create much of the dust.

The LGWCD has in the past spread calcium chloride on district roads to lessen the dust but the price of the material has risen in recent years. Lippman said he had done research on various dust-abatement products, noting that some products are costly but would provide a long service life.

Louda, a chemistry professor at Florida Atlantic University, said some of the materials would not be acceptable because they contain toxic substances, and also noted that calcium chloride might be the lesser of various evils. He said one product, a biodegradable polymer, might be worth trying. He suggested a joint town-district project involving test strips of various materials to see which one would work the best.

Vice Mayor Marge Herzog said she had been pleased with the results of calcium chloride applications. “I think the district has done an excellent job with the calcium chloride,” she said.

Lippman said the LGWCD Board of Supervisors did not feel that the cost of calcium chlo-

ride would justify expenditure of the town’s gas tax revenue.

Councilman Dave Autrey suggested holding off and doing more research, as the first installment of the revenue would not arrive until October. “We need to look a bit further,” he said. “We have the time.” Browning said calcium chloride had worked well in the past, but that the district had also chosen to use county funding to pave certain stretches of road with open graded emulsified mix or OGEM, a pervious asphalt-like substance.

“We had a choice from the county,” Browning said. “We could use dust abatement calcium chloride or we could use OGEM. A lot of residents suffered from the dust. It was a dry year. That’s why I brought it up for discussion. Whatever we do, it won’t happen overnight. The EPA or someone could come down here and say the dust is so bad, we will mandate you do something with the roads, and you guys have to pay for it. It is something to be considered.” Autrey said using the gas tax money for OGEM would not offer equitable benefits to town residents. “We have 50 miles, and we can afford to do a mile a See LGWCD, page 16

Incumbent Michelle Damone Wins Re-Election To Indian Trail Board

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Indian Trail Improvement

District Supervisor Michelle Damone was re-elected to another four-year term Tuesday, winning 53.38 percent of the vote in a three-way race.

Damone defended her Seat 4 against challengers Patricia Cur-

ry and Barbara Brecker. By taking more than 50 percent of votes cast, Damone won the seat outright without the need for a runoff.

According to unofficial results Wednesday, Damone garnered 1,128 of the 2,113 votes cast in the race. Curry finished second with 533 votes (25.22

percent) and Brecker finished third with 452 votes (21.39 percent).

Curry and Brecker both characterized Damone as being too friendly with developers and criticized her role in reaching a settlement with Palm Beach County in a longrunning lawsuit over utility

provider rights in the district.

At Kokomo’s Island Grill in The Acreage, Damone awaited election results Tuesday night with two dozen supporters, including the other four current ITID supervisors.

“We’re all here to support Michelle because of all she has done for the district,” Supervisor Carol Jacobs said. “She helped bring sanity and respectability back to the district after the former board almost destroyed us. She’s building up our parks and works tirelessly for our children.”

ITID President Mike Erickson asserted that Brecker was a proxy candidate for former ITID supervisor Chris Karch in a plan that backfired.

“By putting in his own third candidate, he made it possible for Michelle to win easily in a much simpler race,” Erickson said. “And because he had Brecker run a nasty campaign, one in which she called Michelle a lot of names but had no real suggestions for the future, more of Michelle’s friends came out to show their support for her.”

Supervisor Ralph Bair said Damone deserved her easy victory. “She has been instrumental in getting the board together

to resolve problems,” he said.

“Thanks to her efforts, we’ve been able to provide more services without raising taxes. When this board came into office, we had a financial disaster looming with very low reserves.

Now our reserves are more than 25 percent [of the district’s operating budget].”

Supporter and community activist Cathy Probst also welcomed a new term for Damone.

“Her experience and reputation speak for themselves,” she said.

“She has been a community leader who gets involved in many activities. She has a heart of gold for the community.”

Celeste Hathhorn, a member of the ITID Parks & Recreation Committee as well as president of the Acreage Horseman’s Association, lauded Damone’s support of the equestrian community. “She’s one of us,” Hathhorn said. “She’s been working hard on the proposed improvements to Hamlin Equestrian Park and to the building of our trail network.”

Damone said she was put off by Brecker’s style of campaigning. “It’s nice to beat such negative publicity,” she said. “People kept coming up to me and telling me how of-

fended they were by it.” Her husband Ralph Damone had similar feelings. “Truth always prevails,” he said as he hugged his wife to celebrate her victory.

Viewing preliminary poll results Tuesday evening, Brecker attributed Damone’s victory to greater name recognition. “Most people just don’t know me,” she told the Town-Crier. “Michelle Damone is in the paper every week.”

On Wednesday, Curry said her defeat came down to time and money. “I was outspent by Michelle Damone,” she said. “She got nearly $2,000 from the Callery-Judge family in the weeks just before the election. If I had more time, if the election had been held in November, I would have been able to raise more money and get my ideas out in the community.”

Acreage voters have yet to decide the fate of another IITD seat up this year. With Supervisor Sandra Love Semande stepping down after two years in office, two previously unsuccessful candidates are seeking to replace her in Seat 2. Carlos Enriquez and Dr. Ted Van Istendal will face off in the November general election.

‘We’re all here to support Michelle because of all she has done for the district. She helped bring sanity and respectability back to the district.’

— Supervisor Carol Jacobs

Damone’s Big Victory — Indian Trail Improvement District supervisors Carol Jacobs, Michelle Damone and Mike Erickson at Damone’s victory party.

PHOTO BY LEONARD WECHSLER/TOWN-CRIER

STATE SEN. ARONBERG TAKES HIS MOBILE BUS TOUR ON A TRIP OUT WEST

JOSEPH ABRUZZO CELEBRATES GRAND OPENING OF NEW CAMPAIGN OFFICE

Raffle Contest

At C Sharp Music Center

C Sharp Music Center in Wellington will host a raffle contest Saturday, Aug. 30 offering more than $1,200 in prizes and giveaways. These include an Ibanez guitar package, guitar lessons, T-shirts, gift cards, an Xbox 360 Aerosmith game, discount cards and more. C Sharp guitar teachers will be on hand to answer questions and show

the tricks of the trade. Entries must be received before the day of the event. C Sharp Music Center is located in the Courtyard Shops at 13860 Wellington Trace, Suite 20. For more info., call (561) 795-2585 or visit www.csharp music.com.

Groundbreaking

At OLQA Sept. 6

Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church in Royal Palm Beach will break ground

for the construction of its new church on Sept. 6 following the 4:30 p.m. mass. Bishop Gerald Barbarito and Father Andy Rudnicki will host the ceremony. The 17-acre campus is located on the east side of Crestwood Blvd. The new church is a $5.6 million project with more than $4 million raised in donations and pledges from parishioners and friends. The new structure will seat over 1,100 with integrated seating for the physically challenged. In other news, the church will

celebrate its second annual Blue Mass on Thursday, Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. to honor all police, fire and emergency care professionals in the community. Members of these professions are asked to arrive in uniform at 7:15 p.m. at the pavilion to process into the church. A coffee and cake reception will follow the mass. The Blue Mass is hosted to honor the work of public safety personnel. The term “Blue Mass” is a reference to the color of the uniforms worn by these professionals and dates back to

1934. The public is welcome to join in recognizing these dedicated people for all their selfless work.

Our Lady Queen of the Apostles is located at 100 Crestwood Blvd. Call the parish office at (561) 798-5661 for more information.

Toastmasters

Humorous Speech Contest

Toastmasters will hold a hu-

morous speech contest on Sunday, Sept. 14 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Speaking in public doesn’t have to be a fearful thing. Let Toastmasters help you overcome your fear. Develop better speaking skills, learn to think quickly on your feet and build strong leadership abilities. Developing your communication skills will open doors in your personal, professional and public life. For more info., call Myrna Brooks at (561) 283-4772.

Aronberg chats with

Erickson Farm and the Canal Point Community Development Inc. Aronberg with Canal Point Elementary School Principal LaVoise Taylor Smith in one of the classrooms.

Dave Aronberg with Pahokee City Manager Matthew Brock and Mayor Wayne Whitaker outside city hall.

The audience listens as State Sen. Dave Aronberg speaks.

Former Wellington mayor Tom Wenham and his wife Regis.

Joseph Abruzzo addresses his supporters at the event.

The Panther Run Elementary School PTA hosted a first time “Boo Hoo Breakfast” for kindergarten parents on Thursday, Aug. 21. Tissues were placed on every table, but none were needed, as it appeared that everyone had adjusted just fine. A delicious breakfast, along with coffee and tea, was enjoyed by all. Theresa Levi, the PTA president, spoke to the parents. Principal

D’Aoust also addressed the parents. Pictured above left and right, parents and kindergarteners listen to PTA President Theresa Levi.

Third Edition Of Teachers Guide To Art Published

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council has produced the third edition of the Teacher’s Guide to Art and Culture in Palm Beach County. This guide provides contacts, field trip information, grade levels and curriculum focus for more than 50 local arts and cultural organizations working with pre-K-12.

“Many Palm Beach County cultural organizations offer outstanding learning opportunities through their education programs,” Cultural Council Director of Arts & Cultural Education Alyx Kellington said. “The teacher’s guide gives teachers tools that they can use all year in helping their students get the most out of art educations programs around the county.” If you’d like a free copy, email Kellington at akellington@ palmbeachculture.com or visit www.palmbeachculture.com.

The teacher’s guide is available for download under the Education tab.

WHS Majorettes Twirling Clinic Set For Sept. 6

The national champion majorettes of the Wellington High School band will hold their annual twirling clinic on Saturday, Sept. 6 in the Wellington High School gymnasium.

The clinic starts at 9 a.m. and will conclude with a performance and awards ceremony at 3 p.m.

The cost is $35 per person. Participants can register the day of the clinic. Beginners are welcome and will be provided with batons if needed.

All participants will learn a variety of twirls and routines and will be invited to perform at the Wellington High School varsity football game on Friday, Sept. 19. For more information, call Coach Adrienne Brady at (561) 969-9031.

JAFCO Holds Annual School Supply Drive

The Wellington chapter of Jewish Adoptions and Foster Care Options (JAFCO) was extremely successful once again with its school supply drive. This year, JAFCO collected two carloads of school supplies, which were brought to the JAFCO Village.

JAFCO offers a special thank you to the Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches, Temple Beth Zion, the Leonie Arguetty Preschool at Temple Beth Torah and Strathmore Bagels for letting JAFCO use their facilities as drop-off locations for the school supply drive.

JAFCO also thanks donors for taking the time to purchase supplies and bring them to the drop-off locations. This was a real community effort to help these abused and neglected children from JAFCO. To learn more about JAFCO, visit the organization’s web site at www.jafco.org.

Third-grade teacher Kimberly Hewitt and guidance counselor Joe LoVerso hand out water bottles to the prize winners. Second grade teacher Susie Bryant is in the background.

Elkins of the Solid

speaks to the kids about recycling plants and the environment.

Panther Run Elementary ‘Going Green’

Students and teachers at Pan-

ther Run Elementary School in Wellington took their first steps toward “going green” on Tuesday, Aug. 26. In an effort to become more conscious of the environment, teacher Susie Bryant invited rep-

resentatives from the Solid Waste Authority to come speak about recycling to all grades at an assembly.

Brian Elkins of the SWA spoke to the kids about recycling plants and the environment. He explained what recycled paper,

glass and plastic are converted to. Elkins also explained to the students what can or cannot be recycled in the blue and yellow bins.

Panther Run will have recycling bins for water bottles and cans throughout the school. Mrs.

Bryant and teacher Julieta Buzek will be heading up the new green program at the school.

Students were given raffle tickets in which winners received a re-usable Panther Run water bottle.

Free Tutoring Available On PBC Library Web Site

Palm Beach County students from fourth to 12th grade and in introductory-level college can visit the Palm Beach County Library System’s web site, www.pbclibrary.org, to get free, on-demand help from qualified tutors.

Live Homework Help connects students to expert tutors in math, science, social studies and English. Spanish-speaking tutors are available in math and science.

More than 7,000 Palm Beach County students completed Live Homework Help sessions during the 2007-08 school year. Their post-session surveys revealed 96 percent are glad the library offers this service, 96 percent would recommend the service to their friends and more than 89 percent feel the program is helping them build confidence in their school work, complete homework assignments and improve their grades.

This free service allows students to connect to an expert tutor either from any Palm Beach County Library System location or their home computer with a library card, Sunday through Thursday from 3 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from 2 to 7 p.m.

Children and teens simply go to the library’s web site, click on the Live Homework Help link and then enter their grade level and the subject they need help in. All tutors are certified teachers, college professors, professional tutors, graduate or under graduate school students from across the country. The web site www.tutor.com has more than 1,800 tutors available to work with kids when they need help most. Every tutor is certified by www.tutor.com and has completed a third-party background check.

Waste Authority

P.J.

Alfonso Wins Talent Quest

On Sunday, Aug. 24, Acreage resident Cecilia Alfonso — known onstage as Cecilia Lauren — won the regional competition in Tampa for the Talent Quest contest in the Country/ Female category. She will now be going to the national competition in Laughlin, Nev. in September to compete for the grand prize. The Talent Quest competition draws people from all across the country as well as Great Britain and other countries.

Alfonso is managed by Tromsi Inc. and is currently working on original material and forming a band of top quality musicians to take her career to the next level. She has performed at the Acreage Music & Chili Fest, the Meyer Amphitheatre and will be at the HarleyDavidson State Chili Cook-off in November, as well as at the Acreage Fall Festival on Nov. 15.

Alfonso has previously placed second in 2006 at the Colgate Country Showdown and was a top-ten finalist in the 2007 Talent Quest competition in Nevada.

Pascalli Promoted To Apprentice

Navy Seaman Apprentice

Donald Pascalli, son of Jacquelyn and Donald Pascalli of Royal Palm Beach, was recently promoted to his current rank upon graduation from recruit training

at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. Pascalli received the early promotion for outstanding performance during all phases of the training cycle. His training included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness. The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations.” This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet. Battle Stations is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment.

Pascalli is a 2005 graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School.

Collins Finishes Navy Basic Training

Navy Seaman Kasey Collins, a 2006 graduate of Wellington High School, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Ill. During the eight-week program, Collins completed a variety of training, which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness.

WHO’S NEW!

Cy’Niyah Anita-Nicole Fulton — daughter of Nicole and Harold Fulton of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug. 8. Taylor Symone Shelton daughter of Ivey and Edward Shelton Sr. of Royal Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug. 8. Emily Betty Lind — daughter of Wendy Aprile and Matthew Lind of Royal Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug. 9. Kenzie Jean McCombs daughter of Deena and Robert McCombs of Lake Worth was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug.11.

Emilio Cruz Martinez son of Angelina and Ignacio Martinez of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug. 12. Trenten James Wilson son of Jessica Lynn Jordan and Aaron James Wilson of Wellington was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug. 13. Cali Ann Anderson daughter of Hannah and Ernest Anderson off Lake Worth was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug. 18. Alejandro Riano — son of Scarlette Flores and Louis Riano of Royal Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on Aug. 22.

Wellington Author Spotlights Historic Memorials

Wellington resident Roberta Sandler’s new book A Brief Guide to Florida’s Monuments and Memorials is now available in bookstores. The 280-page, 90-photograph book is published by University Press of Florida.

“People see the bronze memorial statue of ‘Cap’ Dimick whenever they drive on Royal Palm Way in Palm Beach, but they probably have no idea who he was,” Sandler said. “He came to Palm Beach in 1875 and was the town’s first mayor. It’s no secret that Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens is named for George Morikami, but few people know what John Prince accomplished or why a park is named in his memory.”

Sandler devoted two years of research, interviewing and driv-

ing around the state to write her book, which tells the true stories behind 82 people, places and events so significant in Florida’s past that they were immortalized in bronze, granite and marble or in parks, churches, gardens and murals.

Sandler’s book includes memorials to battlefields, hurricanes, inventors, astronauts, soldiers, teachers, conquistadors, land barons and other important people, places or events. Chapters include memorials to notables such as Henry Flagler, John Ringling, Jackie Robinson, Ernest Hemingway and Brian Piccolo, but also to a flight attendant killed aboard United Flight 93, a Seminole chief, U.S. Colored Troops and a businesswoman who lived in Pensacola in the 1700s.

“The 1838 Constitution Convention State Memorial in Port St. Joe is magnificent, but the laws about slavery that the delegates incorporated into that state constitution were abominable,” Sandler commented. “Nevertheless, it is these monuments and memorials that provide a fascinating peek into Florida’s past. When Floridians think about their state’s history, they think of St. Augustine, but the entire state is a goldmine of diverse history dating to centuries ago.”

Dr. Paul S. George, an historian for the Historical Association of Southern Florida, said Sandler’s book “will give readers and users a deeper appreciation for the rich history of the sunshine state.” Sandler is an award-winning

historic attractions and destinations. Sandler has written hundreds of articles for newspapers and magazines, and has received several print media awards.

Acreage Xtreme Cheerleaders Bag Groceries In RPB

The Acreage Xtreme cheer-

leaders spent Sunday, Aug. 24 bagging groceries at the WinnDixie supermarket at the Village Royale Shopping Center in Royal Palm Beach. The cheerleaders thank Assistant Store Manager Margaret LaPorta and her staff for allowing them to bag groceries for the customers.

On Saturday, Aug. 30, Acreage Xtreme cheerleaders will be hosting a car wash and bake sale outside the Winn-Dixie supermarket at 5060 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road in the Grove

Marketplace from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Neighbors are invited to come out and get their cars washed, have a snack and support a good cause.

On Saturdays, Sept. 6 and 13 Acreage Xtreme junior cheerleaders will host a car wash at the Chevron Gas Station at 9031 N. Military Trail in Palm Beach Gardens from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days.

To sponsor the team, or for more information, call Head Coach Melody Sayles at (954) 410-1709 or visit www.xtreme cheer.9f.com.

Mallory Johnson, Marissa Goff, Jessica Jarrell, Angela Turpin, Megan Cabot, Katie Gregory, Kasey Birch and Rebecca Birch.

(Front row, L-R) Haley Beckowitz and Rebecca Birch; (second row) Angela Turpin, Lisa Pesaturo, Belle Dunne, Savannah Dunne, Kasey Birch, Mallory Johnson and Megan Cabot; (back row) Jessica Jarrell and Amanda Beckowitz.

Roberta Sandler

writer and author. She is a member of the Society of American Travel Writers. She is a frequent guest speaker about Florida’s

Acreage Xtreme cheerleaders Lindsey Sutherland and Amanda DeCosta hard at work bagging groceries.

Fundraiser Planned For Wellington Boy Battling Leukemia

Sebastian Sarmiento of Wellington is your typical nine-yearold boy. He loves going to school, playing video games and soccer with his 13-year-old brother Francisco.

Until a year ago, Sebastian’s life was that of a normal child, but it changed when he was diagnosed with leukemia. Sebastian had normal flu symptoms that took him to the doctor leading to the leukemia diagnosis. Since then his family has been with him as he battles the disease.

Earlier this year the family received news that Sebastian’s leukemia was in remission, and they began to make plans to re-

turn to school for the 2008-09 year, but Sebastian’s plans were cut short when the leukemia relapsed and his life was turned upside down again. Sebastian has been hospitalized, receiving several chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Since June 2008 he has been at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. He has undergone more treatments to put him in a safe stage and proceed to a bone marrow transplant. Sebastian’s mother Adriana is with him every day and night and has cut back her working hours to the bare minimum. His father Fernando continues to work full time and take care of

MOMS CLUB, ITID CELEBRATE INSTALLATION OF NEW FENCE

On Wednesday, Aug. 20, members of the MOMS Club of the Acreage/Northwest and the Indian Trail Improvement District supervisors and staff celebrated the new fence that now secures the toddlers and young children safely in the playground area at the Acreage Community Park expansion. The members of the MOMS Club like to meet and host playdates at the park. (Above) ITID supervisors and staff with MOMS Club members and their kids. (Below) Children at play on the park’s playground.

Sebastian’s brother. Once the transplant takes place, Sebastian will need to be in the hospital for a few more months. It is not certain when he will return home and resume a normal life. Although Sebastian’s family has health insurance, the medical and other bills are mounting. Over the next few months, family and friends will be hosting events to help raise money for his family. The first will take place Saturday, Sept. 20 at Fuddruckers restaurant in Wellington (10880 W. Forest Hill Blvd., 561-204-2373).

Before ordering food at Fuddruckers, remember to request a flier for the fundraiser so Se-

bastian can receive 20 percent of the proceeds; they will be available at the register.

If you can’t make it to Fuddruckers but would like to make a contribution, a benevolent account has been opened at the Washington Mutual Bank on Greenview Shores Blvd. in Wellington. Make checks payable to the Sebastian Sarmiento Fund. Donations may be made at any Washington Mutual Bank or mailed to the location above. Donation amounts are kept anonymous.

To learn more about Sebastian, visit www.caringbridge. org and type “sebastiansarmiento.”

Kanarick Graduates From Kaplan University

Yvette Kanarick of Welling-

ton was awarded a master’s degree in business administration from Kaplan University during a recent commencement ceremony at the Chicago Symphony Theatre. The commencement celebrated the achievements of more than 2,200 graduates.

Veronica Dillon, the Washington Post Company’s senior vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary, served as the commencement speaker.

Kaplan University, based in Davenport, Iowa, is regionally accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The university currently serves

more than 41,000 online and onground students through eight campuses and online student support centers in Fort Lauderdale, Chicago and Phoenix. To learn more, visit www.kaplan universitynews.com.

Kaplan University is part of Kaplan Higher Education, which serves more than 80,000 students through 70 campusbased schools across the United States and in Europe. It also has online programs through Kaplan Virtual Education and the Concord Law School of Kaplan University. Kaplan Higher Education is part of Kaplan Inc., a subsidiary of the Washington Post Company. For more information, visit www.kaplan.com.

Air Force Airman 1st Class

Cierra Johnson has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

During the six weeks of training, Johnson studied the Air Force mission, organization and military customs and courtesies; performed drill and ceremony marches; and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises and special training in human relations.

In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force. Johnson is the daughter of

Marine Robert Antonoff Continues Mission In Iraq

Marine Corps Cpl. Robert Antonoff, son of Nina Antonoff of Royal Palm Beach and Miles Antonoff of North Las Vegas, Nev., along with fellow Marines and sailors of 3rd Battalion, 10th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, II Marine Expeditionary Force (Forward) at Camp Lejeune, N.C., recently reached the halfway point in their deployment to Iraq’s Al Anbar province in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom and the global war on terror. The Marines and sailors of 3/ 10 have a variety of missions, including convoy escort, correc-

tions and border security. The convoy security teams escort convoys throughout western Iraq, including the second phase of transporting giant electric generators from the Jordanian border to Baghdad. Convoys are limited to traveling eight to ten miles per hour; moving generators took approximately a week. Other escort duties include providing security for some Iraqi provincial leaders in the provincial capital of Ramadi.

During the first half of their deployment, the Marines managing the two regional detention facilities received highest marks

during an inspection by Multinational Corps-Iraq detention operations team and provost marshals. Additionally, Marines teach the Basic Iraqi Corrections Course, designed to train Iraqi leadership to manage a corrections program and train Iraqi corrections officers. The Marines are also preparing the old Ramadi Detention Center in an effort to relocate the Fallujah facility to Camp Ramadi.

On the Iraqi border at Waleed and Trebil, Marines and sailors have been improving their combat outposts, reducing vulnerabilities and receiving accolades

from visiting senior leadership. Many Marines in 3/10 were promoted during the deployment, and the newest corporals were formally indoctrinated through the Corporal’s Course, a leadership course designed to help them succeed in their new position of responsibility. Additionally, Marines continue to work on professional military education requirements as well as participate in the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program. Antonoff is a 2003 graduate of McFatter Technical High School in Davie. He joined the Marine Corps in January 2004.

Brenda and Clifford Johnson of Royal Palm Beach. She is a 2007 graduate of Palm Beach Lakes High School.

Cierra Johnson

Sebastian Sarmiento

WELLINGTON JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER HOSTS BIG TIME BOXING ACADEMY

The Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches welcomed professional heavyweight boxer Kaseem Howard of the Big Time Boxing Academy on Tuesday. Howard taught students confidence building through non-contact boxing exercises. “The discipline that goes with boxing builds confidence,” he explained. “It’s definitely a process. When you establish a workout regimen and commit to it, confidence comes naturally, but it is hard work.” The JCC plans to offer a series of confidence-building classes for kids ages 11 to 18. For more info., call the JCC at (561) 253-6030. PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER

Election Headed To Runoff

continued from page 1 his experience as a businessman with Procter & Gamble to run the Supervisor of Elections office in a businesslike fashion.

“I have the business skills to do this,” he said. “I have training in customer service, supervisory experience and people skills. That person will be the face of Palm Beach County and the rest of the world for that office. I believe I have those skills. I have 25 years with Proctor & Gamble and six years on the council.”

Margolis said he can also call on his business and council budget experience to run the supervisor’s office efficiently. “The supervisor’s office has to operate within budget, yet be flexible enough to adjust to unforeseen events,” he said. “Ms. Bucher doesn’t have the skills I have.”

Margolis also criticized Bucher’s personal voting record. “She claims she asked for an absentee ballot and didn’t receive it,” he said. “She is telling people she is going to count ev-

Initiatives

Investing In The Future

continued from page 1 cial centers and no real employment centers, Ramaglia said. There is also no traditional downtown or “main street” area in Wellington.

The national housing market, combined with foreclosures and potential foreclosures and the limited availability of vacant land, sets the village up for a paradigm shift, Ramaglia said.

Council South Shore Blvd.

continued from page 5 the next assessment cycle, Village Manager Paul Schofield said. In other business, the council approved an agreement with Kimley-Horn & Associates for the redesign of South Shore Blvd. between Pierson

Letters

continued from page 4 on any major road changes until we could do a study on all of the roads and paths in our community. Doing a study on impacts and traffic flow when roads are changing is a moving target at best. In that manner, we could best find ways to use the approximately $400,000 in gas tax money that the town collects for the betterment of all residents.

The “pay for your road section to be covered with OGEM” is but one option that will likely remain. In the future, perhaps cost-sharing programs can evolve to lessen the financial burden of such programs. This study is definitely not

ery vote, but not voting herself is hypocrisy.”

Bucher said Margolis has confronted her with the allegation. “He brought that up in a public forum, and I explained to him that I have tried to request absentee ballots and, unfortunately, they never came to me in Tallahassee,” she said. “I did get to vote in one election, and there was a runoff and I never received the runoff ballot. My responsibility was to be in Tallahassee, and the only thing I have is to request an absentee ballot. If I don’t get it, I can’t vote.”

Bucher, who enjoys strong name recognition from her eight-year tenure as a state representative, said she plans to maintain the established tenor of her campaign in the same manner that she did in the primary.

“We plan to do more of the same,” Bucher said. “It’s about voter contact and I do a very grassroots campaign because I believe that the voters want to get to know you.” In other races decided on Tuesday:

• Longtime Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits survived a strong challenge from term-limited State Rep. Richard Machek. Nikolits

A declining tax base combined with statewide tax reform proposals presents a challenge to provide traditional services.

“These are not the best of times for us but they are not the best of times anywhere,” Ramaglia said. “We have to look at sustainability as not only where we’re going, but where we’ve been.”

Ramaglia said there are some good aspects to the economic downturn, not the least of which is a slowdown in development that has resulted in lower construction prices.

Road and Lake Worth Road. The widened two-lane roadway will be separated by a center median.

Plans also call for a pedestrian walkway adjacent to the southbound lane and an equestrian pathway on the opposite side of the roadway. Margolis made the motion to approve the agreement, which was seconded by Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto and passed 4-0.

a “pave/don’t pave” issue and you should not be duped, and duped is the best fit here, into believing that it is. The town needs to be moving in one direction without mixed agendas or total resistance to change. It takes energy to overcome inertia. Without change there is no progress. If there is no real financial (e.g., two law firms?) or governmental (i.e., unified) advantage to changing, then so be it. If there is, then it must be considered for the good of all citizens in the Groves.

Please bear with us and stay involved. I thank you for your time and consideration. Dr. Bill Louda, Councilman Loxahatchee Groves

was re-elected with 60.07 percent of the vote to Machek’s 39.93 percent.

• Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw easily won reelection, garnering 89.14 percent of the vote, while challenger Cleamond Lee Walker received 10.86 percent.

• Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court incumbent Sharon Bock was handily reelected, winning 75.34 percent of the vote to challenger Bridget O’Connor’s 24.66 percent.

• Michael McAuliffe easily defeated Paula Russell in the Democratic primary for State Attorney of the 15th Judicial Circuit, winning 68.3 percent of the vote to Russell’s 31.7 percent. McAuliffe will face Republican Joseph Tringali in the November general election.

• In the Republican primary for U.S. Congress in District 16, businessman Tom Rooney came out on top with 36.7 of the vote, narrowly defeating term-limited State Rep. Gayle Harrell, who took 34.9 percent, and former Palm Beach Gardens councilman Hal Valeche, who drew 28.3 percent. Rooney will face incumbent Democrat Tim Mahoney in November.

• In the Democratic primary for U.S. Congress in District

“Overall our goal is to concentrate on some of the strengths Wellington already has,” Ramaglia said. “Our plan focuses on policy initiatives, not financial incentives. We are aiming for the low-hanging fruit; things we can be successful with rather quickly and without great expense.”

Deputy Operations Director Jim Barnes said the village must adjust with the times in order to retain its character. “We have to change a little in order to stay the same,” he said. “The change is required in order to adapt to the environment that we’re facing economically, socially and environmentally.”

In 1972, Wellington was characterized as a cutting-edge community and ahead of its time, Barnes said. “Now, as we’ve grown from a young communi-

LGWCD

Road Issues

continued from page 8 year,” he said. “We are talking about a 35-to-40-year road improvement plan.”

During public comment, Johnson said he supported spending the money on law enforcement to make drivers slow down. “If they are not speeding, they are not kicking up dust,” he said. “As far as the gas tax money is concerned, it should be put in escrow until the plan is done for the entire town.”

Resident Nina Corning said that while calcium chloride works well, it would not hurt to look at other products, and she also supported increasing law enforcement on the roads. “Calcium chloride has worked well with us when it was spread,” she said. “Some testing with other products does not hurt. Whatever we get into as far as planning, we must do it for the greater good of the community and not for some particular people.”

22, incumbent Congressman Ron Klein received 85.1 percent of the vote to easily defeat challenger Paul Renneisen, who received 14.9 percent. Klein will face Republican Allen West in November.

• In Democratic primary for State House in District 83, attorney Bryan Miller garnered 67

ty to a corporate community to now, maybe we’re in our teen years, we’ve got to remain on that cutting edge — and to do that we’ve got to create the place to keep people here.”

To do that, Wellington must invest in its future, Barnes said.

“To encourage investment in the village we have to put our money where our policy is,” Barnes said. “We need to stimulate growth, and nothing stimulates private investment like public investment.”

Barnes reviewed the elements of the plan, including the medical arts district, town center and village center, conceptually linked by Forest Hill Blvd. “That is the seam that ties everything together for the Village of Wellington,” he said.

Barnes said that while the Forest Hill Blvd. corridor east of Fairlane Farms Road has a uniform character, that is not the

Blotter

continued from page 6

Lake Worth was in possession of 17.5 Xanax pills in an unmarked bronze pill bottle. Dawson told deputies he had taken two pills prior to the stop. During a field-sobriety test, Dawson had slurred speech and used his vehicle to keep his balance.

AUG. 26 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington arrested a Lake Worth man on drug charges Tuesday night after a traffic stop. According to a PBSO report, 20-year-old Joshua Harrison was pulled over at the intersection of Whitehorse Drive and State Road 7 at approximately 11 p.m. After determining that Harrison was driving with a suspended license, the deputy conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered cocaine, oxycodone and drug paraphernalia. Harrison was transported to the Palm Beach County Jail.

percent to attorney Rick Ford’s 33 percent. Miller will face incumbent Republican Carl Domino in November.

• Palm Beach County School Board Seat 1 incumbent Dr. Monroe Benaim was re-elected with 52.06 percent of the vote in a three-way race, defeating challengers Kelly Sturmthal, who drew 30.70 percent, and Acreage resident Jonathan Williams, who got 17.24 percent.

case going into older Wellington. “We want to make it more of a main street, because that’s what it is,” he said.

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore agreed. “When you refer to this as the seam, it really is,” he said. “If this is going to get any kind of momentum, you’re going to have to address that first and foremost, because that seam is coming apart.”

Operations Director John Bonde said several distinct segments of Forest Hill Blvd. have been identified for improvement, including the section between Fairlane Farms Road and the Mall at Wellington Green and a section between Wellington Trace East and Wellington Trace West, which is already noted in the capital improvement plan.

• Longtime Port of Palm Beach Group 2 incumbent George Mastics was re-elected. He received 59.68 percent of the vote, defeating challenger Charles Bantel, who received 40.32 percent.

Ramaglia said village staff aims to continue discussion with council members at more meetings, focusing on specific areas of the plan while retaining a holistic view.

“Our goal is to be talking to you about this regularly at workshops, and we will start bringing forward pieces of this right of way,” Ramaglia said. “Forest Hill Blvd. is what we heard as the number-one priority, and we do have some capital projects going on there, so we’re going to bring that back, as well as the town center.”

“That’s on hold right now, pending your discussion as to what to do with that segment,” Bonde told the council. “That segment of roadway is some of the oldest in Wellington. There are trees that have been destroyed by hurricanes, need trimming and, quite frankly, the area needs improvement.” Other segments include the area in front of the community center including the South Shore Blvd. intersection, and between Wellington Trace to Southern Blvd. where roadwork is currently taking place, Bonde said.

CRALLS RPB Objects

continued from page 1 corridor master plan went forward or not,” he said. “We were the driving force for two years to get this done.”

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council raised a series of objections to a draft of the study it reviewed in June, particularly with the high levels of traffic called for on the already congested roadway. Hertz noted that his company would be required to contribute significantly to traffic mitigation including prepayment of impact fees and contributions for mass transportation.

Commissioner Jeff Koons expressed empathy for the developer, saying its representatives had spent a lot of time

meeting with the Florida Department of Transportation.

“They literally carried this on this on their back the last two years,” he said. “It’s a little bit disingenuous to have Royal Palm Beach show up objecting to it when they effectively pulled out of the planning strategy.” Santamaria responded that the CRALLS designation would affect Royal Palm Beach quite a bit more than Wellington. “I agree with them that this will have a greater impact on the residents of Royal Palm Beach and the immediate areas,” he said. Commissioner Robert Kanjian made a motion to approve the CRALLS designation, which was seconded by Commissioner Mary McCarty. It passed 5-2 with Commissioner Karen Marcus and Santamaria opposed.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Margolis Still In It — Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis speaks with poll watcher Russ Yeager at the elections return center in West Palm Beach while his son Josh and wife Linda look on.

12-year-old Stephanie Maravankin gets proper stance instruction from professional boxer Kaseem Howard.

Kaseem Howard practices correct jabbing techniques with Ian Lowenstein, 11, and his brother Jack, 14.

WHS senior Alex Brunner awaits instructions.

“The look” is part of the stance. Danielle Moskowitz, 17, tries to intimidate her friend Haleigh Zegel.

Haleigh Zegel, 17, learns to keep her head tucked.

Event co-chair Cheri Coates with her husband Howard and Frank and Lourdes Punal. 2006-07

Florida Pre-teen Lourdese Marzigliano with her dad Michael Marzigliano.

Elizabeth Mariaca of sponsor BB&T with her brother, master of ceremonies Sergio Mariaca, and her daughter Audrey Austin.

ACS volunteers Perla De La Cruz, Jossie Molejon, Hector Mena and Anais Abikarram of sponsor Rumbass International Night Club. ACS Associate Director Nicole Miller-Jablonski with scholarship winner Megan Hamerdinger.

Volunteer Phyllis Perlmutter explains the “Year of Beauty” chance drawing.

Orlando Tiburcio and Monique Wilson.

American Cancer Society media spokesperson Floyd Edelman reviews some of the auction items.

Anne Gerwig tries her hand at the wine toss.

Religious School Kicks Off At Temple Beth Zion In Royal Palm Beach

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

The piercing sounds of the shofar bellowed through the hallways of Temple Beth Zion in Royal Palm Beach as families gathered for a High Holiday Round Robin to kick off the first day of religious school on Aug. 24.

During the open house-styled event, groups rotated to classrooms where students learned or revisited the basics of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, Jewish holidays that are celebrated over a three-week period in early fall.

“We also welcome Jewish family members who are not Jewish themselves so that they’ll understand more about our holidays and traditions,” said Dianne Kieffer, wife of Rabbi Bert Kieffer.

In “Rosh Hashanah 101,” Samantha Simon and Alex Brunner taught students about the month-long preparation for the season. Corresponding to the Jewish month of Elul, it is a time of seeking and giving forgiveness. Students took turns blowing the shofar, a hollowed out ram’s horn — an act conducted as a wakeup call to rouse repentance.

The “Basics of Yom Kippur,” taught by volunteer principal Roy Bernstein, covered Kol Ni-

dre (the opening prayer), Yizkor (prayers of remembrance in honor of the dead) and answered the burning question, “what’s for lunch?” “Nothing,” came the answer, as Bernstein told students about fasting and self-denial in order to think about God alone.

The last of the three holidays, Sukkot, involved two separate sessions. In the class “Make My Lulav Shake,” taught by college student Elanna Garick, students related the Jewish festival of the harvest to the American Thanksgiving holiday. The lulav (an arrangement of palm, willow and myrtle branches) and etrog (a citrus fruit grown in the Mediterranean) are key elements in the celebration.

The sanctuary featured a sukkah, or temporary hut. Rabbi Kieffer hoped that families would see how easy it is to assemble a hut out of lattice, lumber and bamboo screen. The decorated hut stands for eight days and represents the temporary housing ancestors used in the desert.

“Where did the Israelites live before wandering in the desert?” Dianne quizzed the students.

“Brooklyn!” shouted her husband.

“She’s my partner. I couldn’t do this without her,” he laughed.

Explaining that students learn

through music, fun and interactive teaching, the rabbi voiced his desire to spread joy and to bring the surrounding community together.

“We love this community. We try to be part of the whole community,” Rabbi Kieffer said, mentioning projects done in cooperation with the Acts II Assembly of God Church and his own invitation to give the invocation at a Martin Luther King Day event.

Indeed, joy greeted families at the door as smiling Hebrew school director David “Mr. B” Bernstein and pre-school director Gerry Baron welcomed participants. Both volunteers, Baron said Bernstein has been serving the community in this way for more than 19 years.

“Many get paid to do what he does,” Baron said.

“That’s not true,” Bernstein whispered. “They add a zero to my salary every year.”

Nearly 50 students are enrolled in the religious school, up from just a handful two years ago, Rabbi Kieffer said. Classes run from 9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sundays, and new students are welcome.

Temple Beth Zion is located at 129 Sparrow Drive. For more information, call (561) 7988888 or visit www.temple bethzion.net.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Rabbi Bert Kieffer joins students inside a homemade sukkah.

Roy Bernstein explains fasting.

Hebrew school director David Bernstein with pre-school director Gerry Baron.

Rabbi Bert Kieffer and his wife Dianne.

Stephen Eisenwasser, Sam Spack and Alex Rodney blow the shofar

Shannon Cloth (above) and Matthew Deboer (below) shake their lulavs

Storm Day Off Might’ve Shocked Some First-Time Students

Last week’s tropical storm presented an unusual circumstance wherein children went to school the first day, had the second day off due to weather and returned on the third to finish out the week. This had to be confusing to the brand-new kindergartener.

I imagine his parents got him all psyched up for the first day — new clothes, new shoes, new backpack and kindermat — and then, the next day, it’s business as usual for him. He’s back at home, playing with Tonka trucks and snacking on Cheerios at whim. He’s thinking to himself, “going to school wasn’t so bad. I don’t understand all the hype. I got a bunch of brand-new stuff, toughed it out for a day, and now I’m done with school. I did it. I’ve graduated. Cool.” Then the shock of having to return. If he knew how many school days actually stretched before him, he’d pack up that kindermat and leave home.

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

That’s sort of what my brother did. Jimmy was two years behind me in school, so I was in second grade when charged with the grave task of getting him there safely on the first day. Oh, today parents would drive the kids there and escort them to the room and stand there, weeping, as they went inside. But this was decades ago when a) mothers didn’t have cars and b) mothers trusted the neighborhood enough to allow their chil-

dren to walk two blocks without them.

“I’ll see you when you get home, Jimmy!” my mother waved cheerfully from the door.

“But how will I know when to come home?”

Jimmy asked.

“When the bell rings you go inside the school, and when it rings again, you come home.”

Perhaps further clarification was needed, because Jimmy showed up at home at 10:30 that morning.

“What are you doing here?” my mother demanded, right in the middle of As The World

Turns

“The bell rang,” Jim answered simply. But it had been the recess bell. So mom had to rush him back to the school and, recess now being over, actually escort him to the room.

“Next time you come home, make sure your sister is with you,” she said. Oh.

Jimmy experienced lots of scary things in kindergarten. That very same day, the teacher had the children hold hands to form a circle, let go of hands and sit down “Indian style.” Having been raised on a cowboys-and-Indians diet, my little brother was sure he was about to be scalped. (I have never actually seen a Native American sit that way. I have seen people from India sit that way — maybe that’s what she meant.) Anyway, he looked over to see what the other children were doing, copied them and then sat there, terrified, waiting for the door to open and a band of wild Indians to rush in. I think what really happened was that they played duck-duckgoose, equally traumatic but in a different way. Did he ever get to be the goose? I don’t know. I do know that to this day, Jim refuses to sit cross-legged, and whenever a bell rings, he looks for me.

School Board Has Its Priorities Skewed Regarding Teacher Pay

Many people find it very exciting to see the kids going back to school. All summer I was pleasantly surprised that just about every kid I asked said he or she wanted to be back in school. That says a lot about the quality of schools in the western communities.

‘I’

On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

prosecution for the heinous crime of wanting them to have a good education is more important than making certain that the assigned principal has actually improved schools in the past and is not just being shuffled because of family connections.

were being taught badly, because I made certain they learned, but because I did not always have the energy to learn new techniques and keep up with new methodologies. In time, that will affect more teachers in this county.

Parents also breathe a sigh of relief to see their children return to their educational pursuits. The one group that is not happy is the teachers — not because they hate their work, but because the Palm Beach County School Board has supported Superintendent Dr. Art Johnson’s statement that there is no money for teacher raises this year. The leader of the county’s teacher union, Robert Dow, responded in a note to union members that the board has no respect for the teachers. Why should they? Johnson and the school board have far more important things to do than worry about whether or not their teachers are happy. Since the economy is not in good shape, fewer people with children are moving here, which has cut back on teacher shortages. Rising unemployment means more college-educated people will be willing to work for low salaries, and if they have never been trained in teaching, quickie courses can ease their burden.

When I became a school administrator in New York, I had to fill out a form which was a public record listing any relative, by blood or marriage, who worked in the system, in the government or with any company that sold to the school system. Such a requirement here in Palm Beach County might provide some interesting reading.

When times are tough, teachers stop looking for new materials or trying innovative teaching techniques, and even begin working second jobs.

Obviously, how happy teachers are does not rank very high on priority lists. How well schools measure on complex grading systems is far more important. Making certain that parents are prevented from getting their children into A-rated schools instead of D-rated ones and threatening

I remember selling vacuum cleaners at a shopping mall 25 years ago because we needed more money. Not only was I embarrassed when my students recognized me, but it kept me from doing extra planning to improve my lessons.

My students were cheated, not because they

Readers Have Suggested I Move Elsewhere...

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

A couple of weeks ago I wrote a column about gangs, crimes and violence in Palm Beach County. I was really surprised with the response I got from readers. I received more e-mails about that one than any other I have ever written. I was also stopped on the street many times by folks who wanted to discuss the column with me. Not all of the e-mails were in support of the ideas I discussed in my column. One suggested that I take I-95 back north to New York City. The reader went on to say how he (I think it was from a guy) can remember how nice Palm Beach County was 25 years ago before all of us northerners arrived on the scene. I also heard similar comments from some of the people who stopped me on the street. To make these folks happy there may be a trip north on I-95 in my future, but it won’t be a trip to New York on the interstate. North Carolina seems to be popping up in my crystal ball. A lot of folks who used to live in the western communities are now living in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Tennessee. I know this for a fact because my address book has a lot of these folks in it. And the one thing they all have in common is telling me to “come on down.” I now also have relatives who live in North Carolina. My wife’s brother is very happy in his new log cabin home. And he too is urging me to make the leap.

The school board is not wrong when it claims that money is very tight. There have been major cutbacks in funding despite claims made by taxcutters last year that schools would be safe. But at a time when Florida’s school leadership is fighting the demands of unions and reformers that at least 65 cents of every education dollar be spent in the classroom, a careful accounting of where tax dollars are actually spent would be instructive. And I mean a line-by-line accounting. In some places administrators are lumped in with teachers, which is one way to cover up a surplus of non-teaching personnel.

School taxes are high enough that we have the right to demand better of the schools. But as our taxes go up, the teachers should get their share.

And I Just Might

I lived in North Carolina for a year in 1966, thanks to Uncle Sam. At that time Ft. Bragg was my mailing address. And for at least seven years my wife has been taking vacations to North Carolina with one of my sons. She loves it there. So who knows? Maybe my reader’s wish will come true.

I never thought the gang column would turn out as popular as it did. While the topic interested me, I had no idea it would be of interest to so many of you. I usually try to keep my columns light, witty and informative. I also write things that most people can relate to. I guess people are seeing in the news the same thing I am seeing, and it is starting to bug them. Gangs have been around for generations. When I was a kid, the street gangs were sort of like the hoods in West Side Story. Yeah they had fights, but most of the fights were with fists, bats and chains (sometimes knives and zip guns were in-

volved). Rarely did anyone die — yes, kids got hurt, but deaths were rare. Most fights were over turf or girls. Very rarely were the fights over drugs. Each ethnic group and neighborhood had its own gangs. And the violence very rarely, if ever, found its way into the school system. In those days the worst thing that could happen would be if the cops brought you home to your parents. Back then most folks stayed married, and most kids had a mother and father waiting for them at home.

I remember one day when the cops came knocking at my door. When my father answered it, the cops handed my brother over to him. The cops went on to tell him what my brother had done. My brother, at the time, would have preferred to have just gone to jail instead. But guess what: after this incident, he turned out to be a model citizen and never got in trouble again. Yeah, those were the good ol’ days.

• BEEF O’BRADY’S in Royal Palm Beach’s Village Royale plaza is a great family place for food and fun. Sports teams are always welcome. We support community activities. Tuesday kids eat free with each adult meal purchased. For hours and more information, call (561) 795-8500.

• CELEBRITY DINER serves breakfast and lunch, take out and catering seven days a week, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Breakfast from $3 to $7 and lunch from $4.49 to $8. The diner is located at 10121 Southern Blvd. at the northwest corner of State Road 7 in the Kmart plaza. Call (561) 793-3422 for information.

• CHINA TOYKO has some of the best Chinese and Japanese cuisine in the western communities. China Toyko is open Monday thru Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Sunday 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Free delivery is offered within the Wellington area. China Toyko is located at 11924 W. Forest Hill Blvd, Suite 24 in the Town Square plaza. Call (561) 791-9907 for pick-up or to place your order.

• EDIBLE ARRANGEMENTS offers mouth-watering gifts that make them say wow! Are you tired of giving the same old gifts, flowers or cards to express your appreciation or acknowledge a special day? Do something new and delicious. Send a beautifully designed fresh fruit arrangement. You can even have the fruit dipped in creamy chocolate for an extra-special touch. To order your Edible Arrangement, visit the store at 13873 Wellington Trace, Suite B-5 in the Wellington Marketplace or call (561) 422-3232.

• GUN CLUB CAFÉ has two great locations in Royal Palm Beach and West Palm Beach serving breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week. The West Palm Beach location has been serving Palm Beach County for over 25 years.

Kids eat free Monday through Thursdays, with each adult entree purchased. See our ad on this page for specials or call the Royal Palm Beach location at (561) 792-8723.

• JAPAN EXPRESS offers delivery and takeout of authentic Japanese, teriyaki, vegan and sushi bar in town. Under new management, Japan Express promises to deliver the freshest food cooked to order for lunch and dinner seven days a week. Japan Express is located in the Wellington Marketplace at the corner of Wellington Trace and Greenview Shores Blvd. Call (561) 792-8889 to place your order or visit them online to view their full menu at www. japanexpress.us.

• NICOLE’S VILLAGE TAVERN, located in the heart of Wellington, offers everything, starting with their delicious breakfast for four, to their “Back To Basics” lunch specials served all day for just $6.50, or join them at the end of the

day for one of the many tantalizing dinner entrees such as Blackened Tilapia with a tropical mango relish, Chicken Cutlet Picatta with capers and lemon garlic wine sauce or Bistro Medallions of Beef with a merlot demi glaze. Want to make reservations or get more information? Call (561) 793-3456. Nicole’s Village Tavern is located at 12300 South Shore Blvd., Wellington.

• TROPICAL SMOOTHIE CAFÉ, voted “Best of Food, Sun Fest 2007,” is located in Wellington’s Courtyard Shops plaza near IHOP. It offers not only some of the most popular smoothies but also the new six super-charged smoothies with acai or goji and pomegranate. In addition, you can choose from their wide menu items including wraps for lunch or breakfast, soups, salads, sandwiches. Tropical Smoothie also offers catering. Call (561) 2965999 for information.

• BOOMER’S MUSIC — The recording studio at Boomer’s Music is nearly complete. Workshops are available for beginners to intermediate students. Co-owner Jeanie O’Neill has taken over as drum instructor and revised the lesson program. Boomer’s instructors give their all to students and are able to bring out the best in them. For more info., call (561) 656-1259.

• EDUCATIONAL OUTFITTERS — Educational Outfitters is the one to turn to for new school apparel. The nation’s premier store for apparel and uniforms located right in our own backyard. They offer on-site embroidery and screen-printing services in a retail location with fun school accessories made available by a national company with local ownership. For every dollar you spend, a percentage goes back to your school. The store is offering at 10 percent discount the month of August. ducational Outfitters of Palm Beach is located at 5029 Okeechobee Blvd., at the corner of Haverhill Road. For more info., call (561) 686-0500 or visit www.educationaloutfitters.com.

• GLADES DAY SCHOOL — Founded in 1965, Glades Day School offers a balance of academic, athletic and extracurricular programs. Serving students from kindergarten through grade 12, Glades Day provides the opportunity for students to develop to their fullest potential. Accelerated math and science programs are offered to advanced students, and all students are offered a full range of programs from computer technology and foreign language to the performing arts. Registration for the new school year is on-going and financial aid is available to those who qualify. Glades Day School is located at 400 Gator Blvd., Belle Glade. For more information, call (561) 996-6769 or visit www. gladesdayschool.com.

• PALM BEACH DAY ACADEMY — Palm Beach Day Academy creates confident learners. Serving Palm Beach County’s primary through ninth grade students, Palm Beach Day Academy has found the right balance of challenging academics and individual support, the right balance of personal achievement and social awareness, and the right balance of disciplined structure and boundless creativity. For more information, call (561) 832-8815 or visit www.palmbeachdayacademy.org.

CONTENTS PREPARED BY THE MARKETING DEPARTMENT

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

Bronco Football Coach Has His Sights Set On The Playoffs

By Paul Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report

Is this the year that the year that Palm Beach Central High School’s football team finally makes it to the post-season? Broncos football coach Rod Harris believes so.

“We’ve been knocking on the door a few times in the past,” Harris said.

“But that’s our goal: to have a better than .500 record, and to make the playoffs for the first time in school history.”

While it didn’t count toward the regular season’s record, the first test for Palm Beach Central was Thursday, Aug. 28, in the team’s pre-season contest against Spanish River.

One major reason for Harris’ optimism is his team’s special teams play, which features one of the most deadly weapons of any Florida school: senior kicker/punter Patrick O’Donnell.

“Patrick is one of the top kickers in South Florida, and he’s improved tremendously over last year,” Harris said.

“He’s good no matter what the weather is.”

In 2007 O’Donnell was nearly perfect, hitting 36 of 38 extra-point attempts and four of his five field goal attempts, including nailing a 50-yard-

er. He also averaged 42.5 yards per punt, with the longest of his 31 punts traveling 64 yards.

“We’re looking for big things from him this year,” Harris said. “He’s a weapon and is a big part of this team.”

Harris said because of his leg strength and accuracy, O’Donnell can help the Broncos earn points in situations where normally a team would have to take a fourth-down gamble. In addition, he can pin opposing offenses deep in their own part of the field, making life better for teammates on the defensive end.

“Field position is huge in football, and besides field goals, he changes the way the other team plays,” Harris said. “I have 100 percent faith in him as a kicker and a punter.”

Harris said major schools such as Louisiana State University and the University of West Virginia are among those who have been keeping an eye on O’Donnell. However, the college recruiting and scholarship picture is different for kickers than it is for other positions, Harris said.

“There’s a bunch of recruiters looking at him, but for kickers they usually look to see what they have [in their collegiate programs], and in late Octo-

ber or November will look more, after they judge what they have,” Harris said.

Another key retuning member of the Broncos program is quarterback Travis Simmons. The senior — and one of four Palm Beach Central captains — will be the first-ever Bronco to start under center for a second season.

“He’s got a great arm, and has matured tremendously since the end of last season,” Harris said. “We have high expectations of him this year. Not just as a quarterback, but as a leader.”

Joining Simmons as captains of the 2008 Broncos squad are linebacker/ running back Jon Bostic, center Alex Gonzalez and safety Paul Weiland. “I’m ecstatic about the upcoming year,” Harris said, noting that he believes the team will improve on last season’s 4-6 record. “We’ve got a good group of kids. They’re hard-nosed and tough, and they’re coming together as a football team. The sky is the limit for them.”

Other key returners are offensive linesman Shane McDermott; wide receivers John Beasley and Mike Gibbone; linebackers Andrew Johnson, Shaq White and John Larsh; and defensive back Peniel Jean.

The Broncos will open the regular season Sept. 5 at Cardinal Newman.

OUR KIDS WORLD EXPO RETURNS TO THE SOUTH FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS

The South Florida Fairgrounds hosted “Our Kids World Family Fun Fest” on Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 23 and 24. Designed for children 12 and under, the event allowed kids to see exotic animals, watch dance performances, enjoy science demonstrations and many other fun activities. For more information, visit www.adayforkids.com. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

New Florida Law Protects Against Dubious Horse Dealers

Horse dealers traditionally have a somewhat less-than-savory reputation. The adage “buyer beware” perhaps referred to them. An example that happened just a few years ago comes to mind. A woman I knew owned a young horse that had a lot of potential, but they didn’t really get along: the horse occasionally threw her. She decided to sell it and gave it to a friend who was a trainer/ dealer. The friend trained and sold the horse out of the county, then refused to tell the owner where it was and kept the money for training and commission fees. The original owner had the papers, the trainer had the money and someone else had the horse. It was a mess, and people got sued. A new rule in Florida’s administrative code took effect July 2 regulating the sale and purchase of horses, which offer some protection for situations like this and for horse sales in general. Anyone who owns, trains, buys or sells horses should be aware of it. Here are some of the provisions: • Sale of a horse requires a written bill of sale stating the sale date, the name, address and signature of the owner or his agent, the horse’s name, purchase price and the following, if they are

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

known: the horse’s age, parentage, breed and registry. There are also two legal statements on behalf of the owner and purchaser, which must appear verbatim.

• The bill of sale must also contain a statement by the seller or his agent saying he is the legal owner and has the right to sell the horse. Any prior or current medical conditions or treatments must also be listed, including any of the following, if done within seven days prior to

by the

and

or

showing the

of

and stating any conditions of the sale or warranties will suffice. There are additional rules, which apply to auction sales, especially regarding Thoroughbreds.

• The rule prohibits anyone from acting as a dual agent, representing both buyer and seller or their agents, without full disclosure and prior knowledge of the relationship. A dual agent also can’t make more than $500 commission on the sale unless the payment is disclosed in writing to both buyer and seller and both consent to the fee in writing. There are additional provisions regarding horse agents. A violation of any of this law’s provisions, resulting in actual damages, will be considered an unfair and deceptive trade practice.

Beyond this new ruling, other normal legal liabilities apply to a variety of situations. For example, owners can be sued for inaccurate statements about their horses. A horse that is fraudulently advertised as “sound” or “child safe” can result in a successful lawsuit. Also, the wording in advertisements about your horse

qualifies as a warranty. Another facet to be aware of: if a seller asks you about any problems your horse might have and you don’t mention the fact that, say, your horse frequently rears or kicks other horses, your silence will not protect you. You can be sued for fraudulent concealment.

Horse buyers can sue, and if sellers lose these cases, they may end up reimbursing the buyer’s attorney fees and court costs, in addition to refunding the purchase price. Some states also have consumer protective/deceptive practices laws and you could end up paying triple the buyer’s costs! Even a successful defense against a lawsuit can be very expensive, and in many cases may not be covered by a standard insurance policy. The best practice is to be scrupulously honest in all horse dealings and make sure everything gets written down accurately. For more information regarding this new rule, call the Florida Department of State at (850) 245-6500 or visit www.flrules.org and look up Rule 5H-26.

Emily Fagan builds an model version of Noah’s ark.

McKenzie Cooney goes for a ride.

Emily Ryan gets her face painted.

Representatives from event sponsor Rosenthal, Levy & Simon.

Young Gracie Marie Woodward makes some friends.

Gavin Reidy shows his chops playing Guitar Hero.

Smokey Bear makes an appearance at the event.

SpongeBob and Patrick entertain a young fan.

Members of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Observer Patrol hand out freebies to attendees.

Bronco senior kicker/punter Patrick O’Donnell on the field last spring.

Wellington Wave U-16 Girls Soccer Team Remains Undefeated

The Wellington Wave U-16 girls soccer team played two matches last weekend. On the morning of Saturday, Aug. 23 the team traveled to Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton, where they went head to head against Team Boca, playing to a 2-2 draw.

The Lady Wave struck first when Jillian Collins hit the ball from the left side with an out-

Jazzercise Classes In Wellington

Coming soon to the Wellington Community Center — jazzercise. Jazzercise is a great workout that incorporates cardio, strength and stretch moves in one class.

By combining yoga, pilates, kickboxing, hip-hop and resistance training into a one-hour total body workout, jazzercise is the perfect exercise for all ages and abilities.

Classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 2, and the program will be offered 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Saturdays. For more information, call certified instructor Jackie Orloff at (305) 904-1474 or visit www.jazzercise.com.

side touch pass to forward Lauren Matias. Matias hit the ball low and to the right, to the back of the net. The Wave shut out Boca in the first half keeping a 1-0 lead. The second period provided more scoring. Even though the game ended in a tie, the Wave edged Team Boca in possession and shots on goal. Crystal Martinez had the second goal for the Wave on a

Village Park Gym Closed

The gymnasium at Wellington Village Park on Pierson Road was set to close Thursday, Aug. 28 through Monday, Sept. 1 for maintenance and observance of Labor Day. During this time, scheduled maintenance will be performed on the gym floor surfaces. The gym will reopen on Tuesday, Sept. 2, for regular programming.

Good Earth Farm To Offer 4-H Club

The Good Earth Farm in Loxahatchee Groves is starting a 4H Horse and Llama Club for ages eight to 17. A meeting for interested parents will be held on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 6 p.m. Get to know what 4-H is and learn

mishandled ball by the keeper, and punched it in for the score.

On Sunday, Aug. 24, the Wave hosted the Makos from Port St. Lucie. The first half was played under a hot sun. The Wave struck early in the first two minutes with a shot from the right side by midfielder Jillian Collins that hit the left corner of the net. The Wave did not let up as they

if it is right for you and your child. The Good Earth Farm is located at 2141 B Road. Call Nancy at (561) 792-2666 or visit www.thegoodearthfarm.org for more information.

Area PAL Wins 2008 National Golf Challenge

Young golfers from Palm Beach County recently reveled in victory as they managed to capture the Tenth Annual Traditions of Golf Challenge.

From Aug. 8-10 teams from all across the United States convened in Peoria, Ill. to compete in Hook a Kid on Golf’s annual golf competition. The Traditions of Golf Challenge is a one-of-a-kind tournament that stresses the importance of golf’s rules, etiquette

shut out the Makos in the first half and put two more scores on the board by mid-fielder Katie Hanlon and another by Collins making it 3-0.

The second half was a wet one as the clouds rolled in and the rain fell. The Wave almost earned the shutout, but in the second period the official made a questionable call on Wave keeper Brianna Nardi for com-

and history, along with playing skills.

The Palm Beach County Police Athletic League (PAL) took top honors by recording an impressive score of 25 under par.

Last year’s winners from Prospect Heights, Ill. finished tied for second with the team from Bloomington, Ind. at 18 under par. Scores from the trivia portion of the competition were used as a tiebreaker, with Prospect Heights prevailing.

“I thought this year’s Traditions was great,” said Capt. Ron Mattino of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. “The host city did a great job running the tournament and giving the kids the opportunity to experience their wonderful water park.”

“Our program has been in a partnership between the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Police Athletic League and the

mitting a foul on the Mako forward in the penalty area. Nardi had to come off her line to kick the ball away. Nardi slid to the ground, striking the ball to the sideline as the Mako forward tripped over her, drawing the foul that set up the penalty kick.

Okeeheelee Junior Golf Foundation. Together we have built the program and increased attendance every year,” Mattino added. “The Traditions tournament is a great motivator every year for us. We tell the kids at the beginning of summer that if they play well and study hard, they can qualify for the Traditions.”

This year’s tournament was held at the Kellogg Golf Course in Peoria, Ill. The Traditions of Golf Challenge is an annual three-day event for those communities involved with Hook a Kid on Golf. The event consists of a team mixer, contests, skill and rules instruction, special guest presentations and the Traditions of Golf Challenge tournament. What makes the Traditions of Golf Challenge so unique is that each team is scored in three areas: their playing ability, knowledge of golf’s rules and history,

crossed the field, Wave defenders Samantha Brown, Brittany

Sarah

and Maria Collins were on the job. The Lady Wave remain undefeated. With a break next weekend due to Labor Day, the team will have two weeks to prepare to face Sunrise the following week.

The Wave sealed the victory with another late goal by Crystal Martinez, giving the Wave a 4-1 final. Great offensive play kept the ball in Mako territory. Anytime the

and their overall etiquette. Each team is supervised by on-course officials who determine their etiquette score on each hole. Making noise when another person is hitting a shot or failing to repair a ball mark are some of the costly etiquette miscues that detract from a team’s score. Besides the two-day tournament, the kids enjoyed a welcome ceremony and the words of guest speaker Carl Cannon, founder of CHOICES Youth Outreach program. The City of Peoria also threw a pool party for the participants and adults to relax and mingle. The youngsters all received medals, team pictures and a welcome pack that included tshirts, visors and golf tees. For more information regarding Hook a Kid on Golf or the Traditions of Golf Challenge, visit www.hookakidongolf.org or call (800) 688-KIDS.

Wellington’s Christina Sarubbi fires a shot at the net as the Mako keeper tries to defend.Wellington’s Andrea Cedeno-Toban makes a pass up field against Team Boca.

ball

Hobby,

Sturgis

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Aug. 30

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Colors” on Saturday, Aug. 30 at 11 a.m. for ages two and up. Participants will have a colorific time reading books and making craft. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will hold a tour of the Jupiter Lighthouse (500 Captain Armour’s Way) on Saturday, Aug. 30. Meet at the lighthouse for a 45-minute tour beginning at 4 p.m. Admission is $7. After the tour, the group will proceed to Cafe Sole for dinner. Call Gail at (561) 968-3887 for more info.

Sunday, Aug. 31

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present the ’80s Regeneration Tour with 10,000 Maniacs, ABC, Missing Persons, Naked Eyes and Tommy Tutone on Sunday, Aug. 31 at 7 p.m. For more info., call the box office at (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org.

Monday, Sept. 1

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will host “Florida Takes to the Trails” at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 1 at the Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). Call Sherry at (561) 963-9906 for more info.

Tuesday, Sept. 2

• Fall youth classes begin Tuesday, Sept. 2 at the Armory Art Center (1700 Parker Ave. in West Palm Beach). Classes include painting, ceramics, sculpture, printmaking, jewelry, glass, photography, drawing and metals. Classes are available for all age levels, kindergarten through high school. For info., call (561) 832-1776 or visit www.armoryart.org.

Thursday, Sept. 4

• The Puerto Rican Organization for Cultural Enhancement & Reaffirmation (PROCER) will hold Puerto Rican cuatro lessons at the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington (3401 South Shore Blvd.) Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. starting Sept. 4 for ages ten and up. Call (561) 790-0343 for more info.

• Clematis by Night will present Ego Tripp on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Centennial Square in downtown West Palm Beach. Ego Tripp performs modern rock, alternative and classic rock. For more info., call (561) 8221515 or visit www.clematis bynight.net.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a Teen Writing Workshop for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Sept. 4 at 6:30 p.m. Bring a sample of your writing to share with fellow writers. Eat snacks, share constructive comments and do a few writing exercises to hone your skills. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Girl Scouts of Palm Glades Council will hold a recruitment meeting on Thursday, Sept. 4 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Emerald Cove Middle School cafeteria. For more info., call (561) 427-6902 or e-mail sholmes@gspgc.org.

Friday, Sept. 5

• The Girl Scouts of Palm Glades Council will hold a recruitment meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Binks Forest Elementary School cafeteria. For more info., call (561) 4276902 or e-mail sholmes@ gspgc.org.

• The Zach Schwartz Quintet will perform at the Cuillo Centre for the Arts (201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach) Friday, Sept. 5 and Saturday, Sept. 6. Show times are at 8 and 10 p.m. The cost is $15 general admission and $10 for students. For more info., call the box office at (561) 8359226. Saturday, Sept. 6

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will hold a one-hour walk in John Prince Park on Saturday, Sept. 6. Enjoy breakfast afterward at TooJay’s restaurant in Lake Worth. Call Paul at (561) 963-9906 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Drop-In Story Times” for ages two and up on Saturday, Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27 at 11 a.m. Start the fall with our Saturday morning story times. No pre-registration is required. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

Sunday, Sept. 7

• On Sunday, Sept. 7, see what natural Florida has to offer at Jonathan Dickinson State Park (16450 SE Federal Highway, Hobe Sound) with the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association Meet at 8 a.m. at the entrance to the parking lot. Call Mary at (561) 391-7942 for more info. Monday, Sept. 8

• The Wellington library

(1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold Baby Story Time Mondays, Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 9:30 a.m. for ages eight months and younger and at 11:15 for ages nine to 12 months. Your baby will enjoy rhymes, finger plays, songs, books and toys. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon on Monday, Sept. 8 at 11:45 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center. Call (561) 790-6200 to RSVP.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold an English Exchange for adults Mondays, Sept. 8, 15, 22 and 29 at 1 p.m. Join Literacy AmeriCorps member Paula Alexander in this interactive program where you can practice speaking English while talking about everyday situations and current events. Basic English speaking skills are needed to participate. Seating is limited. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Wellington is located only 18 miles inland from fascinating coral reefs. Dive on the reef without getting wet as Palm Beach Community College’s Learning Unlimited offers “Your Backyard Marine Ecosystem.” Get a close-up look at live species. The class is being held at the Lake Worth campus on Mondays, Sept. 8 through Oct. 6 from 1 to 2:30 p.m. The cost is $49. For more information, call (561) 8683214.

Tuesday, Sept. 9

• The Puerto Rican Organization for Cultural Enhancement & Reaffirmation (PROCER) will present Folkloric Dance at the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington (3401 South Shore Blvd.) Tuesdays at 3 p.m., starting Sept. 9 for ages eight and up. Call (561) 7900343 for more info.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s Entrepreneurial Academy will begin Tuesday, Sept. 9 and meet consecutive Tuesdays through Oct. 28. Classes will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Wellington campus in the Wellington Reserve on State Road 7. The registration fee for the entire series is $125 per person. For more info., call Anitra Harmon at (561) 790-6200 or visit the chamber’s web site at www. palmswest.com to download an application.

• The Wellington Village Council will meet Tuesday, Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center. For more info., call (561) 7914000.

• The Girl Scouts of Palm Glades Council will hold a recruitment meeting Tuesday, Sept. 9 from 7 to 8 p.m. in the Panther Run Elementary School cafeteria. For more info., call (561) 427-6902 or e-mail sholmes@gspgc.org. Wednesday, Sept. 10

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Flic Lit: The Water Horse” for ages eight and up on Wednesday, Sept. 10 at 4 p.m. A boy finds an egg and what hatches will set in motion the story of a lifetime. Pick up a book and discuss what you’ve read. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Studio Theatre of Wellington (11320 Fortune Circle) will offer Improvisation Classes for children ages eight to 12 on Wednesdays from Sept. 10 through Oct. 29 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. For adults, classes will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Mondays, Sept. 15 through Nov. 7. Classes for teens will be held from 7 to 9 p.m. Thursdays, Sept. 25 through Nov. 13. The cost is $200. Enrollment is limited. Call Paula Sackett at (561) 204-4100 for more info.

• The Wellington Art Society will host its annual Open House/Membership Drive on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 6:45 to 9:30 p.m. in Room C of the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). For more info., visit www. wellingtonartsociety.com or call WAS President Adrianne Hetherington at (561) 7847561.

• Palm Beach County’s Art in Public Places will host an artist reception at Palm Beach International Airport on Wednesday, Sept. 10 from 5:30 to 7 p.m. in the airport’s concession mall, Level 2 Main Terminal, across from Travelers Lounge. The exhibition “Local Treasures” runs through Sept. 24 and features work by county artists. For a virtual tour of the exhibit, visit www.pbcgov. com/fdo/art/artworks.htm. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Jupiter

Owner Mark Scher said his company manufactures and installs a full line of hurricane protection products to cover windows and doors. “We have a 10,000-square-foot facility where we manufacture all types of hurricane protection products,” he said.

Jupiter Aluminum manufactures several types of hurricane shutters: roll-down, accordion, Bahama style and colonial style, as well as hurricane panels. The company also sells and installs impact-resistant and regular windows and doors from other manufacturers, and builds screen enclosures, steel carports and concrete patios.

Scher, 43, is originally from Long Island, N.Y. and opened Jupiter Aluminum 14 years ago after working several years for another aluminum business in South Florida. He has 18 of his own employees now, including assemblers, installers and helpers. In the aftermath of recent hurricanes he had as many as 45 people working for him. “I’d much rather have 18 and keep them working five or six days a week,” he said.

Four of Scher’s top installers have been with him since he opened his doors.

“Two I worked with at the other aluminum company, and when I opened this company, they came with me and they’ve been here ever since,” he said, “which is good because they know how I like it, how it’s supposed to be done and they do it the right way.”

Healthcare Forum At P.W. Chamber Lunch

Jupiter Aluminum Products is licensed, bonded and insured, Scher said. “I have my Palm Beach County license in windows, doors and specialties,” he said. “I’m also licensed in Martin and Port St. Lucie counties.”

Scher said his company guarantees it will deliver a product within the time specified. “You have to,” he said. “All you have to do is do what you say you’re going to do, and everything will be fine — and don’t lie to people.”

And as policy, Scher said he does all work “by the book” in regard to local laws. “Everything gets a building permit, whether it’s one shutter or 200, every single job gets a building permit,” he said. “I will not do a job without a permit. We take care of that. We take care of homeowners’ association approvals. We have a department that takes care of that aspect of it. A lot of jobs need homeowners’ association approvals down here.”

Although the price of aluminum keeps going up, Scher said he tries to keep his products reasonably priced. The shutters range from $9 to $40 per square foot, depending on the type of product. He can also fit clear plastic shutters.

Scher advises people to be prepared.

“Be prepared, not scared,” he said. “Have your house protected. Have your family protected. If you’re not prepared, you’re not going to make it. Have all your Ts crossed and your Is dotted, so that you know what you’re going to do if it happens, and if it doesn’t, you’ll know next year.”

Scher also advised homeowners to check the credential of the firms they work with.

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will dedicate its Monday, Sept. 8 membership luncheon meeting to discussing the major presidential candidates’ positions on healthcare. Surrogates from the presidential campaigns of senators John McCain and Barack Obama will be on hand to lead the discussion. There is nearly universal agreement that there are major problems concerning both healthcare accessibility and cost for Americans, and that major reforms are necessary. The personal and partisan differences between the candidates promise an informative and enlightening session. The event will be held at the

“If you’re not going to deal with me, deal with a licensed contractor who’s going to pull a permit,” he said. “If there’s no permit pulled and it’s not codeapproved and there’s damage to your house, the insurance company probably will not cover it if it’s not done properly.”

The spate of hurricanes in South Florida several years ago created a massive backlog of job requests, Scher said. “We were backed up 44 or 48 weeks,” he said.

The company is now all caught up, with a waiting time of as little as two weeks, depending on the time it takes to get a permit approved. Manufacturing times vary by product. Accordion shutters can be done in as little as a day, he said. Bahama shutters, which look like traditional wooden slatted shutters but are actually made of aluminum, are usually painted and take longer, Scher said.

“They are very decorative and make a home look very Key Westy,” Scher said.

Scher said his products can be adapted to larger window openings that are more vulnerable to hurricane pressure. He said he has done many homes in Wellington and is accustomed to treating the unique architecture of the area.

Jupiter Aluminum will provide free in-home estimates and work with contractors as well as do-it-yourselfers, Scher said.

Jupiter Aluminum Products is located at 219 Juno Street in Jupiter and is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and by appointment after hours and on weekends. For more information, call (561) 747-4166 or (800) 944-4166, or visit www.jupalum.com.

Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) at 11:45 a.m. and sponsored by Vitas Innovative Hospice Care. Chipotle Mexican Grill is the food sponsor. Members of the public are invited to attend by reservation only. The cost is $15 for chamber members and $25 for nonmembers. To RSVP for the luncheon, call (561) 790-6200 or visit www.palmswest.com.

P.W. Chamber’s Entrepreneurial Academy

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will hold its Entrepreneurial Academy on Tuesdays from Sept. 9 to Oct. 28 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Palm Beach Atlantic University’s Wellington campus (1047 State Road 7 in the Wellington Reserve). Learn the practical details of

maintaining a solid business or starting up a new business from professors at PBA’s MacArthur School of Leadership and School of Business. There will also be a panel discussion by local chamber business owners and entrepreneurs. Topics include: sustaining a business during tough economic times; developing a sound business plan; trends and research; marketing at the grassroots level; building employee loyalty and retention;

how to be fiscally responsible; banking, business location and leasing; selling your business; recruitment and training; business ethics; and information technology.

The cost is $125 for eight classes ($16 per class), including dinner; $50 of the enrollment fee can be placed toward your chamber membership dues upon graduation. For more info., call (561) 790-6200 or visit www. palmswest.com.

Hurricane Protection — (Above) Jupiter Aluminum Products owner Mark Scher inside his office. (Below) Workers in the Jupiter Aluminum shop assemble shutters. PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

A+ Virtual Assistant Offers Alternative To Conventional Staffing

Royal Palm Beach resident

Rose-Anne Raies, president of A+ Virtual Assistant Inc., formulated her company to assist small businesses, entrepreneurs, marketing executives and small law firms with their administrative, secretarial, marketing support and bookkeeping needs. A+ Virtual Assistant provides a costeffective alternative to conventional employees and/or temporary staffing agencies.

A+ Virtual Assistant services are provided through remote Internet access, fax, e-mail and telephone. Services are available when you need them, with no employee-related taxes, insurance or benefits packages to pay. This can save you up to two and a half times the cost of hiring a full-time staff member. As a corporation, A+ Virtual Assistant’s

services are fully tax deductible or can be passed on to your clients, depending on the nature of your business.

Raies’ professional background includes many years of experience as a legal assistant, paralegal, office manager and executive assistant. She worked for some of the largest and most prestigious firms in Palm Beach County, including Searcy, Denney, Scarola, Barnhart & Shipley.

Raies is also experienced in running office administration and legal assisting combined for small firms and sole practitioners. She managed the administration of employee benefits at the Breakers. Previously, Raies ran the administrative efforts of a nationwide unemployment compensation consulting firm

with six offices, and was ultimately responsible for 70 administrative employees.

“Every successful business is built on a strong administrative foundation,” Raies said. “The valuable time of a business owner or executive can be focused on developing and building relationships with customers or clients.”

A+ has a staff of seasoned professionals who also work in the virtual environment and can handle the overflow as the business continues to grow. Work can be done on a short-term or long-term, permanent or temporary basis. Their skills include a multitude of programs — Word, WordPerfect, Excel, Outlook and QuickBooks, to mention a few. Digital dictation is one of the many ways a business can

avail themselves of A+ services. “The fast-paced growth in the area of digital dictation, which can even be done from a Blackberry or

WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTS CANDIDATES’

As part of its “Work and Play” series, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce hosted a “Meet the Candidates” reception on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at the Equestrian Club by Tavern on the Green. In attendance were candidates for the U.S. Congress and the Florida Legislature. For more information about the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 792-6525.

Riverside Offers

Free Disaster Recovery Kits

Riverside Bank has compiled a comprehensive collection of information to educate and assist individuals, families and businesses in the event of a natural disaster like a hurricane or flood. Called a Disaster Recovery Kit, it’s free and available at any Riverside Bank office within the bank’s ten-county service area. To find a convenient office in Palm Beach County, call (561) 9662888. The Disaster Recover Kit includes

invaluable information such as 11 ways to save on your homeowners insurance, knowing your rights about water intrusion, cleaning up mold, what to expect from your homeowners policy if you need to move out of your house and more. Plus, it contains valuable local emergency contact information, assistance numbers, contractor information and small business help.

Riverside Bank is also prepared to host disaster-recovery seminars if and when a natural disaster strikes an area serviced by the bank. The seminar speakers will be consumer outreach and education coordinators from the State of Florida’s chief financial office, spe-

cifically trained to help people recover from such catastrophes. They will present invaluable information as well as offer one-on-one consultations with attendees.

Watkins Holds Contest For Free Products

Tracey Palmer, a Wellington-area independent associate with Watkins Inc., recently announced that homemakers have the chance to win one of three natural, plant-based Watkins cleaning products.

“We came up with this celebration because we know what a challenge it can be to have a clean, fresh-smelling home without using toxic chemicals,” Palmer said. “These cleaners will help the winners clean their homes easily and safely.” Anyone who meets the criteria is invited to visit Watkins’ site and enter its contests by subscribing to its newsletter, leaving a friendly comment on one of the articles or by telling a friend about the site before Oct. 15. There are no entry fees. The winners will be chosen by random drawing on Oct. 16. Three winners will receive one of the following: Watkins aloe and

green tea all-purpose cleaner, Watkins lavender window cleaner or Watkins lemon furniture polish.

As part of Watkins’ celebration, all subscribers will receive free downloadable homemaking guides and checklists to help them with their daily chores. For more information and contest rules, visit www.thehomemaker helpers.com. Questions can be directed to Palmer at (561) 512-9876 or via e-mail to tpalmer@watkinsonline.com.

The Homemaker Helpers are Watkins Gold Team Associates who share their homemaking tips and tricks, organized living ideas, and frugal and green homemaking ideas.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Myles Tashman, Nan Martin, Bob Harvey and Diane Tashman.

Democratic congressional candidate Paul Renneisen (right) talks to people at the reception.Susan Turturicci, Dawn Dallin and Bill Tavernise.

Bob Harvey and Allen West, a Republican candidate for Congress in District 22.

Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen with Linda Bird, Democratic candidate for Florida State Senate in District 25.

State House District 85 Democratic candidate Joe Abruzzo chats with Bob Harvey.

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS