COUNTY INKS WATER PACT WITH BROWARD SEE STORY, PAGE 3
EXPERT ADVICE: EASE UP ON FERTILIZERS SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
Volume 34, Number 35 August 30 - September 5, 2013
Wellington Drainage Assessment Will Remain Unchanged
INSIDE Film Commission Eyes Groves For Screen Time
Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission Director of Operations Michelle Hillery told members of the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association last week that her organization always is seeking new, unique locations and actors for productions — and that Loxahatchee Groves seems to be a ripe spot for both. Page 3
Chamber Speakers: It’s Never Too Late To Follow Your Dreams
It’s never too late to do what you love — that was the message imparted to Wellington Chamber of Commerce members at a luncheon Monday at the Wanderers Club. Page 7
Pizzazz Gives Back Day Benefits Cancer Alliance
Pizzazz Hair Design held its annual Pizzazz Gives Back Day on Sunday, Aug. 25. Proceeds from haircuts and spa services will be donated to the Cancer Alliance of Help & Hope. Page 10
Our Kids World: Family Fun At The Fairgrounds
Our Kids World Family Fun Fest was held last weekend at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Guests enjoyed food, bounce houses, games and more. There was also a meet and greet with the Backstreet Boys, who performed for the crowd. Page 17
OPINION More Communication Needed, Not A Shakeup
Last week, members of the Wellington Village Council sat down to have a candid conversation about the issues in the village. It is clear that there is a fundamental difference of opinion among council members of the village manager’s role. However, communication is key to fixing the issues, not a management shakeup. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 10 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 SCHOOLS ............................ 12 PEOPLE ............................... 13 NEWS BRIEFS..................... 14 COLUMNS .................... 21 - 22 BUSINESS .................... 23 - 25 ENTERTAINMENT ................ 26 CALENDAR ................... 30 - 31 SPORTS ........................ 33 - 35 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 32 - 37 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Serving Palms West Since 1980
Coming Soon — A Mobile gas station is under construction on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road at the Grove Market Shopping Center. PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER
Mixed Reviews For Gas Station Now Being Built On Sem Pratt By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Construction is underway on a Mobil gas station at the Grove Market Shopping Center on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, which some residents welcome but others view with skepticism. The primary concern with gas stations in The Acreage is water table contamination should there be a spill. “I’m not really thrilled about all these gas stations popping up out here,” Indian Trail Improvement District Vice President Carol Jacobs said. “Being out in The Acreage, we’re on wells.” Jacobs noted that she was also not pleased with the approval of a gas station at the nearby Publix shopping center, although she admitted that she now uses it because she rarely leaves The Acreage.
“I feel safe when I get gas there, but I was worried that it was going to open the door for many more gas stations, and it sure has,” Jacobs said, pointing out that the Acreage Landowners’ Association Neighborhood Plan called for no gas stations. The new Mobil station is technically not in The Acreage. It is in the Seminole Improvement District controlled by Callery-Judge Grove. “You’ve got people out here who want to turn it into a city, and you have the ones who want to keep it the way it is,” Jacobs said. “I feel that we live in a beautiful community, and I don’t mind going into town to do whatever I need to do. I like coming out to the peace and quiet here, and I hate to see it ruined.” While most Acreage residents work elsewhere and get gas elsewhere, Jacobs did note that the
Publix station is always crowded. “It’s bumper to bumper, and that gas truck’s there every day,” she said. Aside from water issues, Jacobs is also concerned about increased traffic on Seminole Pratt. Large trucks use the road as a thoroughfare, and there are also students from Seminole Ridge High School. “Trucks and children driving for the first time just don’t mix,” she said. The ITID board strongly opposed a recent application for a land-use change from rural residential to commercial at the southeast corner of Northlake and Coconut boulevards; among its reasons was that the plan called for a gas station. The developer ultimately withdrew the application to pursue different plans. ALA Governmental Liaison See GAS STATION, page 16
Wellington Council Members Air Grievances With Manager By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Wellington Village Council discussed issues with the management of the village during a workshop Thursday, Aug. 22. Council members met last week with Chris McLean, a consultant from the Center for Leadership Studies, who was hired to evaluate issues in the village that led some council members to call for the firing of Village Manager Paul Schofield. McLean suggested the workshop as a way for council members to hash out issues, both personal and professional, which have divided the council. Among the issues discussed were concerns with the village’s management. Some of them were mistakes that had financial ramifications, responses to public records requests, as well as concerns about council members being able to interact with staff. Councilman Matt Willhite said he thought council members were not being informed of key decisions until after they had been made. He pointed to a recent blunder that saw Wellington unnecessarily paying $183,000 in taxes on
the K-Park property, taking Schofield to task for how it was handled. “He brought it to us at an agenda review meeting on April 8, but on March 27 he executed a check [for the property taxes],” Willhite said. “It wasn’t a budgeted item, and according to our policy, he can only spend up to $25,000 without bringing it before the council.” Willhite said Schofield, who was not present at the meeting, was able to write the check because of a policy that the manager can meet obligations, such as taxes, without approval from the council. “Whose fault is it that we didn’t get an exemption on that property?” the councilman asked. “He should have had to bring it before the council. He didn’t bring it to us for two weeks after.” Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said she’d heard about the issue before the agenda review. “I agree it was Paul’s fault,” she said. “He messed up. Do I think he should be fired for a $183,000 mistake? No.” Gerwig said Schofield had saved Wellington far more than $183,000 through good management practices. But Councilman John Greene,
who also said he didn’t know about the issue, said it was about being able to trust Wellington’s manager. “It goes back to trust,” he said, adding that he was concerned there were no plans to change the process so the same type of mistake didn’t happen again. “I haven’t seen any change.” Mayor Bob Margolis said he had a concern about items requested by residents under public records laws that were found to be missing. “There was a gentleman who put in a request for all the papers and everything on the dais at council meetings,” he said. “One of those was Paul’s journal.” Margolis said that shortly after the request was made, someone broke into Schofield’s office and stole the journal. “The only thing that was taken was the journal,” Margolis said. “His laptop was sitting right on top of his journals.” In the wake of the theft, Margolis said he was concerned that staff didn’t review security tapes or records of employee swipe cards. “That really concerned me,” he said. “If there is someone breakSee MANAGER, page 16
By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington residents won’t see a $100 increase in their Acme Improvement District assessments this year after all. A mix-up with paperwork meant that Wellington was unable to set the new rate in time for this year’s budget. Instead, members of the Wellington Village Council gave final approval Tuesday to a measure to keep the Acme Improvement District’s drainage assessment the same as in previous years. “This notice sets the rate at $200, which is unchanged from last year,” Village Manager Paul Schofield said. Councilman Matt Willhite tried to clear up any confusion for residents, who already received notices that their bill would increase. “You may have received a letter in your water bill letting you know that there would be an increase in
our Acme Improvement District assessment from $200 to $300,” he said. “Due to some mistiming in filing proper paperwork on our part, that rate won’t be changed.” Last month, council members voted to increase the rate by $100 to finance needed drainage improvements. “That rate increase was to try to put a long-range plan together and mitigate some water issues we’ve been having recently with significant flooding in some areas of the village,” Willhite said. “The money wasn’t just to raise your rates and put money in the coffers.” But Wellington hasn’t abandoned its plans to improve drainage, Vice Mayor Howard Coates said. “Based on my understanding with the village manager, this delay in implementing the assessSee DRAINAGE, page 16
FOOD TRUCKS & MUSIC
Wellington hosted a Food Truck Invasion on Thursday, Aug. 22 at the Wellington Amphitheater featuring the LifeChurch.tv band. Guests enjoyed great food while listening to the band’s music. Shown here, Amanda and Chris Hinote enjoy ice cream bars. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 10 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
County OKs Code Changes To Control Manure Stockpilers By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Commission approved amendments to its unified land development code last week that included stricter control on livestock waste. The decision was made at a county commission zoning meeting Thursday, Aug. 22. Dr. Bill Louda of Loxahatchee Groves, senior scientist and professor of environmental chemistry at Florida Atlantic University, gave some recommendations for the commission’s consideration. “This has been an ongoing project of mine since 2004,” Louda said. “You have to start thinking about point sources.” As an example, he said he analyzed water from one local source that winds up in the South Florida Water Management District’s stormwater treatment areas that contained nutrients far higher than 10 parts per billion, the level being sought by the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. “I had a pipe coming out of a
nursery in Loxahatchee Groves that I analyzed three times because I could not believe it,” he said. “I had to dilute the solution five times to get it on my ‘high-range’ reading. It came in at 24,410 parts per billion phosphorus. That’s 2,410 times [higher than] the Everglades target.” He said all the canals are considerably above what should be sought after. “Fifty-five to 75 parts per billion going into the C-51 [Canal] from all communities might be a good target because the water conservation areas and the filtering marshes should then be able to bring it down to what the Everglades should be receiving at around 10,” he said. Louda asked whether the ordinance will be applicable to municipalities as well, and Zoning Director Jon MacGillis said it would only apply to unincorporated Palm Beach County. Several municipalities, such as Wellington and Loxahatchee See MANURE, page 4
RPB’s H.L. Johnson Elementary Expands Green Program
Plant Donations — H.L. Johnson Team Green Coordinator Darcy Murray and students Sullivan Harward, Aaron Murray, Carter Kaufmann and Aiden Murray show off the donated peace lily plants.
By Anne Checkosky Town-Crier Staff Report Students and teachers at H.L. Johnson Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach can breathe easier, literally, at the start of this school year, thanks to a green initiative organized by the school’s Team Green coordinator and its Parent-Teacher Organization president. Thanks to a donation from Miami’s Costa Farms, 80 peace lily (spathiphyllum) plants found their way to each of the 65 classrooms in the school, plus additional plants for the principal’s and assistant principal’s offices and the library, said Darcy Murray, the school’s Team Green coordinator. The peace lily is one of the most efficient houseplants for filtering
indoor pollutants from the air, noted Murray, a Loxahatchee Groves resident and mother of two. It topped NASA’s list for removing all three of the most common volatile organic compounds: formaldehyde, benzene and trichloroethylene. It can also combat toluene and xylene. “The PTO president and I researched the best type of plant,” Murray said. Another advantage was the plant’s low maintenance, explained PTO President Helen-Marie Harward. “It’s easy upkeep, once-aweek watering and it can survive in low light,” she said, adding that the plants can also survive in windowless classrooms. Next, Murray needed to figure out how to get the plants into
classrooms for little or no cost. When the chain stores couldn’t help, she went straight to the plant grower, Costa Farms. They were eager to help, Murray said, but someone would have to drive down to pick up the plants and someone would need to photograph the plants in the classrooms and send them to Costa Farms. “This was a win-win for both sides. It reinforces our message of the health benefits of plants for kids,” said Jonathan Palone, a marketing manager for Costa Farms. Costa Farms takes donation requests on a case-by-case basis, depending on the need, time of year and inventory supply, Palone See GREEN SCHOOL, page 16