Town-Crier Newspaper August 6, 2010

BARTLETT MEMORIAL GOLF TOURNEY

Tami Donnally Puts Focus On Jobs, Education, The Budget

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

State House District 85 hopeful Tami Donnally believes Republican voters will see her as the best candidate to unseat incumbent Democratic State Rep. Joseph Abruzzo.

Donnally faces Donald Jude “D.J.” DeRenzo in the Aug. 24 Republican primary. District 85 covers almost all of Wellington, parts of Loxahatchee and several eastern communities. It has sent a Democrat to Tallahassee each election since it was last redrawn in 2002.

Donnally, 50, moved to Palm Beach County from Pennsylvania when she was in second grade.

She attended Palm Springs Elementary School, Conniston Middle School and graduated from John I. Leonard High School. She lives in suburban Lake Worth.

Donnally received her doctorate in religious education from Evangelical Bible College & Seminary in Greenacres. She has worked with EBC Ministries for 30 years.

Donnally was a teacher at EBC’s Greenacres Christian Academy and served as principal there from 1998 to 2004. Currently, she is the organization’s business administrator.

Donnally lists her time as a teacher as one of her biggest accomplishments. “I go to bed

knowing that I impacted the lives of young people of different generations,” she said. In this race, Donnally said she is best qualified for the job because of her time spent in the community and her ability to understand the issues.

“One of the biggest beliefs I have is that the legislature should be composed of citizens who represent where they come from,” she said. “I think they should be working people, they should be business people, they should be homeowners who live and work and ideally spend quite a number of years in the district seeing how the district has grown… I have been

See DONNALLY, page 18

D.J. DeRenzo Brings Unique Life Experience, Unorthodox Ideas

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

District 85 State House candidate Donald Jude “D.J.” DeRenzo hopes that his innate desire to help those in need, coupled with his unique life experience and ideas, will drive voters to the polls for him in the Aug. 24 Republican primary. DeRenzo faces Tami Donnally in the primary. The winner will get the chance to unseat incumbent Democratic State Rep. Joseph Abruzzo. District 85, which covers almost all of Wellington, parts of Loxahatchee and several eastern communities, has sent a Democrat to Tallahassee each election since it was last redrawn in 2002. DeRenzo, 43, was born in Illinois but moved to Delray Beach

as a young child. He graduated from St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton and attended the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Va., for two years. In 1998, DeRenzo graduated from St. John Vianney College Seminary in Miami with a degree in philosophy. He began studying to become a Catholic priest at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary in Boynton Beach until he met and married his wife, Jennifer. DeRenzo lives with Jennifer and their son Dietrich, 5, in suburban Lake Worth. He works at the Everglades Polo Club in Wellington.

DeRenzo said his greatest accomplishments have been raising his son and his dedication to public service while in the seminary.

He said he is best qualified to represent the district in Tallahassee because of his life experience and ability to build bridges with other parties.

“I look at my life in its totality, and everything I’ve done as far as my military experience and being an honest and trustworthy person, and my service to the community in the seminary,” he said. “Because in the seminary, you’re not only studying... you’re going out in the community and learning about all of the hardships that oftentimes Republicans are accused of not being sensitive to, such as the homeless, those suffering with AIDS, those dying in hospice.”

He said that although he may not be the most well-read on all

See DERENZO, page 18

Winn-Dixie Closings Hit Local Area Hard

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Last week, Winn-Dixie Stores Inc. released the list of locations it intends to close over the next two months, and the closures will hit shoppers in the western communities hard with two local stores on the chopping block.

Winn-Dixie announced July 27 that it will be closing 30 “non-remodeled, underperforming stores,” including nine in Palm Beach County. Two of those are stores in the western communities in shopping centers built within the past 10 years.

The Winn-Dixie stores in the Grove Marketplace (5042 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road) and in the Marketplace at Wycliffe (4105 State Road 7) will close next month.

The Jacksonville-based company said the store closures and job eliminations will take place by the

end of its first fiscal quarter of 2011, which is Sept. 22 of this year. However, it did not announce how many layoffs would take place.

Several Acreage residents were disappointed at the news of the store closing. The Grove Marketplace location was the first supermarket in The Acreage, built less than 10 years ago.

“I don’t know what happened,” Carlos Tamayo said. “I’ve been shopping here for eight years. A lot of people [shop here]. I don’t know why they’re closing.” Tamayo said that he would shop at Publix instead, but noted that Winn-Dixie had been his choice for years because of its lower prices.

Oivat J. Hernandez, a 13-year Acreage resident, said he preferred Winn-Dixie to Publix.

“I don’t agree with it closing,”

Four County Lawyers Seeking Available Circuit Court Seat

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Four lawyers are hoping to take the Palm Beach County Circuit Court seat being vacated by retiring Judge Kenneth Stern this year. Jaimie Goodman, Kenneth Lemoine, Andrew Daire and Lisa Small are running for the Group 33 seat in the Aug. 24 primary election. The election is nonpartisan and open to all Palm Beach County voters. If no candidate wins a majority, the top two votegetters will advance to the general election Nov. 2. The winner will sit for a six-year term and receive a $142,178 salary.

Circuit court judges preside over civil disputes involving more than $15,000, cases relating to juveniles, criminal prosecutions for felonies, tax disputes and requests for injunctions, among other issues. Goodman, 52, of Jupiter, was born in Queens, N.Y., and comes from “middle-class roots.” He received his bachelor’s and law degrees from Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y. Goodman’s experience spans more than two decades. For 24 years he has tried jury trials, and also has 27 years of litigation experience in state and federal courts.

After graduation, Goodman

worked for five years as in-house counsel at General Motors in Detroit, where he worked in employment litigation. In 1993, he opened a private practice catering to civil rights victims in employment discrimination cases. He moved his practice to West Palm Beach in 1999.

“At this stage in my career, I want to try to help a wider group of people,” Goodman said of his decision to run for judge. “I want to utilize my experience to give all people who come before me in court a fair shake and equal justice.”

Goodman said that his 24 years of jury trial experience make him the best candidate in the race. “A major part of what a judge does is preside over jury trials,” he said. “I tried a number of jury trials on my own, going up against two to four trial lawyers.” Goodman said that he can be fair and impartial. Because he is concerned about perception in the courtroom, he is not accepting donations in an effort to remain independent.

“If someone comes into the court room and sees that the other side’s attorney contributed $500 to the judge’s campaign, that perception matters to me,” he said. “I

Town-Crier Launches New Internet Television Station

After months of planning, TCIN.TV — a new Wellingtonbased Internet television station — formally launches this Sunday with two hours of live programming. The Town-Crier Information Network, dubbed TCIN.TV, can be found at www.tcin.tv, a web site featuring a streaming feed of video programming.

“Here at the Town-Crier, we have put a lot of thought into exactly what types of new media we should focus on,” Publisher Barry Manning said. “Recently, we have made significant upgrades to our longstanding web site at www.gotowncrier.com. We are also using Facebook, Twitter and You Tube to bring the Town-Crier’s mission into the 21st Century. However, the idea of an Internet television station was something that just captured our imagination.”

While other new media initiatives are designed to expand the reach of the Town-Crier newspaper, TCIN.TV is something completely unique. The goal of the station is to put forward programming of interest both locally and globally.

“We are harnessing local talent to entertain viewers around the world, with a special focus on niche interests,” Town-Crier Executive Editor and TCIN.TV Director Joshua Manning explained. Initially, TCIN.TV will broadcast two nights a week, Sundays and Thursdays, offering two hours of programming each evening. While the station has done several test broadcasts and “soft launches,” the premiere evening will be Sunday, Aug. 8. Night Shul, a Jewish-themed entertainment/information show coming to TCIN.TV from anoth-

er Internet TV station, launches its third season at 9 p.m. Sunday.

Hosted by Wellington resident Matt Auerbach, Night Shul aims to reach out, attract, engage and connect the world with the modern Jewish experience. It features a mix of Jewish humor and news with special guests from the worlds of show business, politics, religion and social action.

“Having been a reporter at the Town-Crier, I know how committed everyone there is to putting out a product that’s entertaining and informative,” Auerbach said. “I’m looking forward to taking Night Shul to the next level at TCIN.TV.”

Longtime Town-Crier humor columnist Deb Welky follows Auerbach with her 10 p.m. show Elsie Bell’s Secrets. When not finding humor in the world around her, Welky is a noted antiques and

See TCIN, page 18

PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Internet TV — Matt Auerbach, host of Night Shul, one of the initial shows premiering this week on TCIN.TV, with his alter-ego Gunther the Monkey.

Grove Marketplace — This Winn-Dixie store on Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, one of very few supermarkets serving the Acreage/Loxahatchee area, will close later this year.

PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Circuit Court

Four Seek Judgeship

continued from page 1

care about how people feel coming into the courtroom. In addition to getting a fair shake, they need to believe they got a fair shake. The independence of the judiciary is so important.”

For more information, visit www.jamiegoodmanforjudge.com.

Lemoine, 48, of Palm Beach Gardens, was born in Alaska but moved to West Palm Beach when he was 11 years old. He spent two years in the U.S. Army and served as a police officer for the City of West Palm Beach for eight years.

Lemoine has a bachelor’s degree from Palm Beach Atlantic University and a law degree from St. Thomas University. He said his work as a police officer got him interested in law.

“I was in and out of court all the time because I was very active as a police officer,” Lemoine recalled. “During a murder trial, I felt like I knew more about the case than the state attorney.”

After graduation, Lemoine worked as the in-house counsel for two Miami firms and in 2002 opened his own firm, practicing family, civil, criminal and personal injury law.

“I’m the only attorney in this race who has tried cases in family, civil and criminal court,” he noted.

Lemoine pointed to the 684 cases he has handled in Palm Beach County courts — more than any

other candidate — to show that he has the necessary experience.

“I’m used to handling a large number of cases,” he said. “That has really helped prepare me for when I go on the bench.”

Lemoine notes that the time he spent as an expulsion-hearing officer for the Palm Beach County School Board shows that he can be fair and impartial. “I sit as the trier of fact,” he said. “I recommend whether students should be expelled. I have to listen to fact, apply the facts to the law and make a decision.”

He said voters should vote for him due to his breadth of experience not only in the court room, but in life.

“My experience really sets me apart,” Lemoine said. “I served my country, I served my community. I understand people. As a police officer, I’ve seen it all from the poorest of poor to the richest of rich, and all types of issues in between. It’s a very worldly perspective.”

For more information, visit www.lemoine4judge.com.

Small, 42, was born in Detroit but moved to Palm Beach County when she was three years old. She received her bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and her law degree from the University of Florida.

After graduation, she joined her family’s law firm, Small & Small, P.A., where she works with families, small businesses and individuals. Small said she wanted to run for judge to continue her dedication to public service.

“I’ve been on a path of public service since 1984 when I attended Georgetown,” she said. “I always wanted to give back 100 percent of my time to public service. I’ve been working toward this for a long time.”

From 2003 to 2004, Small served as president of the Palm Beach County Bar Association and has served on the Board of Governors for the Florida Bar since 2005, something she said has given her a needed background in ethics. Additionally, she has served as a traffic-hearing officer for the past year.

Small said that she is best qualified for the position due to her experience. She noted that in one year as a traffic-hearing officer she has presided over 9,000 cases and 150 trials.

“It’s high-volume with heavy dockets,” she said. “You have to

make sure everyone gets their fair day. A person’s one experience with the justice system may be when they come to court with a traffic ticket.”

Small added that her time as a traffic-hearing officer has honed her management skills, which makes her better suited for the position of judge.

She also pointed to the diverse legal experience she has that spans complex business legislation, intellectual property law, construction defect litigation and probate litigation.

“I am the only candidate in this race who can bring all of the following: diverse legal experience, a background in ethics, a demonstrated record in leadership and experience managing a heavy courtroom.”

For more information, visit www.smallforjudge.com.

Daire, 31, of Boca Raton, was born and raised in South Florida. He received a bachelor’s degree in history from Florida Atlantic University and attended law school at Nova Southeastern University.

After graduation, Daire spent three years in private practice and has worked as in-house counsel for Carl’s Furniture and Carl’s Patio since 2006.

Daire is a four-time pro bono pin recipient from the Florida Supreme Court for providing free legal counsel to the poor or less fortunate. Daire said he is running for judge to continue his public service. “I do a lot of pro bono work,” he said. “I would take that same level of service to the bench.”

Daire noted that he has been involved in more than 300 court cases and administrative hearings,

including 22 trials for which he served as lead council. His experience spans from contract litigation, construction litigation, commercial law and probate. “I look at my past decision-making capacity as an indication of the future,” he said.

Daire said that in addition to his experience, he also has the demeanor to be a judge.

“People who know me say that I smile too much,” he said. “I will maintain control in the courtroom, but it can be done in a pleasing manner.”

Though he noted that most of his experience is in civil law, he said he is a quick study and can read the statutes and apply the law to any case. “I learn very quickly how to pick things up,” Daire said. “I learn easy, and I study hard.” For more information, visit www.daireforjudge.com.

Lisa Small Andrew DaireKenneth Lemoine

Jaimie Goodman

Lox Groves Delays

Two Southern Blvd. Projects Again

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council approved another postponement for two land-use amendment change applications Tuesday because the absence of Mayor Dave Browning made the required four-vote supermajority for passage impossible with Vice Mayor Dennis Lipp on the record as being opposed to the projects.

The applicants for the Southern Blvd. projects, Atlantic Land Investments LLC, developers of the Simon property, and a partnership by Solar Sportsystems and Loxahatchee Equestrian Partners, wrote letters asking for a continuance to the Tuesday, Aug. 17 meeting, Town Administrator Frank Spence said.

The council had postponed consideration at its previous meeting at the request of attorney Marty Perry after the council, sitting as the land-use planning agency, approved the applications 3-1 when final approval by the council itself would require a four-vote majority.

At the July meeting, the applicants were given two weeks to bring their projects in line with what council members and residents want.

A third applicant, the Day property on nine acres at the southwest corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and Folsom Road, which had been rejected 4-0 by the land-use planning agency, withdrew its application.

The Simon property covers 97 acres on the northwest corner of B Road and Southern Blvd. The developer is asking for an amendment from low-density residential to low-intensity commercial, institutional and public facilities for a total of up to about 256,000 square feet, including a recreational vehicle park.

The Equestrian Partners/Solar Sportsystems property, which covers 90 acres of currently vacant pasture land on the northeast corner of B Road and Southern Blvd., also asked for an amendment from low-density residential to commercial, institutional and public uses with about 140,000 square feet of retail and office space, 15,000 square feet of 120 age-restricted dwelling units, and a 15,000-square-foot daycare center.

At the previous meeting, several people spoke in opposition to the Southern Blvd. projects.

Councilman Jim Rockett asked the agents whether they had made any progress coming closer to an agreement with residents.

Joe Lelonek of Land Design South, agent for the Simon property, said they had listened to comments by the public and the council on ways to make the application better. Changes included reducing the square footage for the commercial property and also reducing the number of recreational vehicle lots, which was originally set at 232.

“We have contacted many of the residents who spoke and contacted town staff,” Lelonek said.

“We would welcome input that would help steer the process.”

Councilman Ryan Liang said residents are concerned about den-

sity. “It needs more open space, and if the need arises, you could always add more buildings,” Liang said.

Rockett suggested timing the construction in stages so it is not all done at once.

Lelonek said they would take that into consideration, while Town Attorney Mike Cirullo said the timing can be included in the construction approvals.

Councilman Ron Jarriel asked that the road paving be done early for the benefit of residents. “I hope that would not be the last thing that goes in on that project,” he said. Liang made a motion to approve another continuance, which carried 4-0.

Mike O’Dell, representing the Equestrian Partners/Solar Sportsystems project, said his group had addressed several of the issues, including providing a crossing at Collecting Canal Road. They will also take paving requests for C Road to Collecting Canal Road into consideration and explore increasing buffer space.

O’Dell pointed out that the application is a land-use amendment and that more definite plans would be taken up during site plan approval. “This is step one,” he said. “Then it comes back for the second hearing. Then we get zoning, then site plan approval.”

Rockett asked about the nature of the senior facilities and O’Dell said he envisioned the 120 agerestricted living units for people who can still enjoy life, with dinner in a common area, offering basic services. A proposed 180bed rehabilitation center would be more temporary residency. “It might have some of what you describe recovering from injury, but it might also have some sort of dementia,” O’Dell said. “That is what we based our plan on.” Liang made a motion to continue, which also carried 4-0. In other business, the council ignored a request by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce to participate in a program urging all western communities to jointly apply for a Sustainable Communities Initiative Grant. The chamber had sent a resolution approved by the Village of Wellington to use as a possible model for the town to draft its own ordinance.

Jarriel said he was concerned that the application was for a Housing & Urban Development grant.

“I’m not too hot on HUD grants,” Jarriel said. “Sometimes they bring something we don’t want into the community. I know it got bad up north where people rent them out as low-income housing. I’d like more details on how it’s going to affect Loxahatchee Groves.”

Spence confirmed that it is money coming down through the channels from HUD, to which Jarriel replied, “I think that takes the decision out of the hands of our residents when you get grants that are going to tell you to put certain types of housing in your community. Personally, I don’t like that too much.”

Lipp said he has been aware of the sustainable communities program for some time. He said the

Health Dept. To Host Well Water System Maintenance Expo

The Palm Beach County Health Department Acreage Information Center will host a Well Water Information and System Maintenance Expo on Saturday, Aug. 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Acreage Community Park (6701 140th Avenue North). Representatives of the Palm Beach County Health Department water programs will be on hand to answer questions regarding regulatory compliance and provide guidance based on current regulations by the Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Environmental Protection and the Health Department.

Local vendors will be available to answer questions and demonstrate products and services. Featured presentations will be on well water system maintenance and upkeep, how certain systems are best utilized and the different types of systems available.

Vendors will also answer questions about well drilling, well maintenance, well depth, filtration methods and other related topics of interest. Vendors are not affiliated nor endorsed by the Palm Beach County Health Department. Visit www.pbchd.com or call (561) 798-7082 for more info.

Temple Beth Zion Begins Monday Bingo Nights

Pick Donnally In District 85 GOP Primary; Re-Elect Graham To The School Board And Ciklin To Port Commission; Make Cohen A Judge

It’s election time once again, and polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 24 for the primary election. We’ve analyzed the races on the ballot, and over the next several weeks, the Town-Crier will offer our opinions on some of the items voters will find on the ballot:

STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 85, REPUBLICAN PRIMARY — Donald Jude “D.J.”

DeRenzo and Tami Donnally are the two Republicans facing off in the Aug. 24 primary for the right to challenge incumbent Democrat Joseph Abruzzo in State House District 85. Some members of our editorial board were concerned that many of Donnally’s positions were more conservative than the average voter in this district. However, that is a matter for November, and of the two choices, Donnally is best poised to take the Republican message to the voters on Election Day. She is better spoken, has a distinct point of view and can clearly demonstrate it to voters. DeRenzo certainly has his heart in the right place but not enough background with the issues at stake to represent the people in District 85. The Town-Crier endorses Tami Donnally in the State House District 85 Republican primary.

PALM BEACH COUNTY SCHOOL BOARD, SEAT 3 — With incumbents Dr. Sandra Richmond and Carrie Hill not running for re-election, and Paulette Burdick resigning to run for a seat on the Palm Beach County Commission, there will be at least three new faces on the seven-member Palm Beach County School Board. And although some would argue for replacing as many incumbent board members as possible, we believe that’s not a particularly well-thought-out idea, and that the opposite is true — that with nearly half of the board not returning (and perhaps more), it’s extremely important to have someone like longtime incumbent Bill Graham around to provide an experienced voice. While challengers Tom Whatley, John Adams, Steven Ledewitz and especially Karen Brill all have good ideas and would likely make for fine school board members, we believe that keeping the institutional memory that is Bill Graham is useful and important to keeping the district

Cohen Offers

A Clarification

First, I want to thank your for your coverage of the upcoming race for county court judge, Group 7. I believe it is important for the public to learn about the qualifications of all of the candidates and to make an informed decision. As I read the article, I noticed the following quote that was attributed to me:

“There’s no sort of civil or criminal litigation case that I haven’t been involved in,” she said.

I want to clarify for your readers that my statement was directed only to my experience in civil litigation. In my early career, I served as an assistant state attorney in North Florida, prosecuting criminal cases on behalf of the state. When I returned to South Florida, I opened my own practice and handled a variety of cases, including representing the accused in misdemeanor and felony cases. However, for the past 13 years, my practice has primarily consisted of litigating complex commercial cases, including contract disputes, business disputes, property disputes, employment law, landlord-tenant matters, construction law, construction defect claims, community association law, and more recently, federal copyright

and patent infringement claims. I believe this experience, combined with my earlier experience in criminal law and my service as a Wellington councilwoman from 2003-2008, has well-equipped me to handle the variety of matters that may come before the county court.

I appreciate the opportunity to clarify this matter for your readers and I urge all residents to cast their vote on Aug. 24. Laurie Cohen County Court Candidate Wellington

A Positive Experience For RPBHS Parents

We are parent members of the School Advisory Council (SAC) for Royal Palm Beach High School (RPBHS). As such we were invited by our new principal, Jesús Armas, to attend a series of meetings that were held at the high school during the summer for the purpose of creating a new common vision and mission for our school. Along with us, all of the high school’s teaching staff, two students and community leaders were invited to attend these planning meetings that were facilitated by Crystal Amado, who is in the ESOL and science depart-

on track. The Town-Crier endorses the re-election of Bill Graham in Palm Beach County School Board District 3.

PORT OF PALM BEACH COMMISSION, GROUP 4, DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY — Two years ago, Charles Bantel unsuccessfully challenged incumbent Commissioner George Mastics for the Group 2 seat. This time around, Bantel is challenging another incumbent, Commissioner Blair Ciklin. In tough times, Ciklin has been a leader on bold ideas for the port, such as creating an inland port. Ciklin has served on the Port of Palm Beach Commission for a long time, and has helped the port hold its own despite economic problems. There needs to be a good reason to support change at this time, and with Bantel, we just don’t see any need to do so. With only a write-in candidate challenging on the November ballot, the winner of this primary effectively takes the seat. The Town-Crier endorses the re-election of Blair Ciklin for the Group 4 seat on the Port of Palm Beach Commission.

PALM BEACH COUNTY COURT, GROUP 7 — In the County Court Group 7 race, Laurie Cohen, Marni Bryson, Jane Sullivan and Lloyd Comiter are vying to replace retiring Judge Paul Moyle. In speaking with each of these judicial candidates, the first thing that came to mind was that any of these candidates would make able county court judges, and that Palm Beach County voters should consider themselves lucky to have this choice. That being said, out of the four candidates, we are most familiar with Cohen, a former Wellington Village Council member. We have watched her over the years and have been very impressed with her demeanor and rational attitude when deciding local matters. County court deals with things close to the civic level, such as civil disputes and issues involving small amounts of money — issues similar to matters Cohen decided on the village council. This coupled with her varied legal experience we believe gives her the background, the experience and the temperament to be an able county court judge. The Town-Crier endorses Laurie Cohen for Palm Beach County Court, Group 7.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

ments at RPBHS.

It was extremely refreshing to see the number of teachers who attended these meetings on their own free time, and how passionate they are about teaching our children and in the future direction of our high school. Principal Armas spoke to us in these meetings about his dedication to bringing the climate of this school to a higher level through the creation of focused small learning communities, and is seeking to bring unity between students, faculty, parents and the community. It was apparent that Amado is passionate about her job, and her commitment to change was inspiring. We are very much looking forward to a fresh school year with a focused, positive atmosphere that we are confident will be accomplished by the wonderful team of teachers who were in these planning meetings.

We have children who attended H.L. Johnson Elementary School, Royal Palm Beach Elementary School, Crestwood Middle School and now Royal Palm Beach High School. We hope in the future our community and its leaders will support our high school and that our community knows that to have positive change requires positive commitment on everyone’s part. The students, teachers and faculty deserve

all of our support by giving them our Wildcat best!

Writer Misses

The Mark On ‘Progressives’

First of all, I’d like to thank “our” Town-Crier for its fairness in affording each citizen the ability to add their two cents to our discussions, in the Letters to the Editor section. Certainly, I have availed myself of this wonderful opportunity to speak and listen to the western communities for close to 20 years. When I’m wrong or disrespectful, people challenge me through our paper. It is America at its best. It is Benjamin Franklin in Philadelphia, putting out a paper heralding freedom from England, etc.

Last week, Mr. Archie Paul wrote a letter, but in it he misquoted me, made numerous faux pas when it came to truth, and by his tone, attempted to incite people with his characterizations. Of course, this is his right. Having said that, Mr. Paul paraphrased my words and it ended up being quite different than my intent. He stated, “Mr. [George] Unger didn’t like the words “socialist” or “com-

NEWS

munist” or even “progressive” in describing the Democratic Party.”

What I had stated about labels used to paint Democrats was that “liberal” is no longer the bad catchword of a few years ago, “communist” doesn’t stick because Americans know better, “socialist” is one current term, and “regressive” doesn’t work, and I cited the Funk & Wagnalls definition.

About the term “progressive” I have no problems. Theodore Roosevelt’s party was the Progressive Party — certainly not Communist. My dictionary defines progressive as “favors and promotes reforms,” and that would certainly be me, and women’s suffrage, civil rights legislation and all of our constitutional amendments that upgraded our most revered document sound forwardlooking!

Mr. Paul moves forward then, and attempts to incite ill will by discussing our new heathcare law by citing Muslims will get it free, knowing full well that this would be a deal breaker and foment hatred. Not only is this untrue, but it

is the type of hyperbole that divides Americans, his obvious intent. Many years ago, when FDR initiated Social Security and then Medicare, people took to the streets and proclaimed that this was communism/socialism, that it would bankrupt us as a nation and the entire “the sky is falling routine.” Today many Americans barely survive, and wouldn’t without this benefit. We look forward to this assistance as we age (I’m 63), and the majority of the developed world has some form of national healthcare, and dare I say, we are in worse shape than many of them. Right now, not unlike education, we pay more for healthcare and get less than much of the world. George Unger Wellington

Santamaria, Big Government Spender

Palm Beach County’s one-term Commissioner Jess Santamaria

See LETTERS, page 5

Indian Trail Seat 1 Candidates Discuss Road Paving In The Acreage

Each week leading up to the Aug. 24 primary election for the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors, the TownCrier will be asking questions of the four Seat 1 candidates. This week’s question: “The Indian Trail Improvement District is currently exploring a plan to bring more paved roads into the community. What is your opinion of the R3 paving plan? What criteria would you look at in deciding which roads should be paved? How should such projects be funded?”

JENNIFER HAGER

If you bought a home in The Acreage on a dirt road, you knew that’s what you wanted. Dirt roads make our area unique. We live out here for a reason. Now take a look at your tax bill. Do you see how much of your money ITID claims already? It’s ridiculous. To go through with the R3 plan, ITID will need to borrow money. Borrowing money means charging YOU and me more taxes. ITID will look to hire outside contractors instead of local contractors. This will also cost more money (taxes) — ridiculous. We are in a recession. Houses on every street are empty! Folks do not have money. They are being laid off. They have foreclosed or abandoned their homes. Families are moving away where it is cheaper to LIVE. There are plenty of paved roads in The Acreage. ITID needs to focus on MAINTAINING the dirt

roads that are already here; spend the money on PROPERLY GRADING the roads we currently drive on (which have been seriously neglected since other paving projects have begun). The R3 plan will cause there to be less focus on our current roads, more speeding vehicles, and raising our taxes even higher to pay for it. Again, it’s about the dollar.

MIKE NICHOLS

The paving of roads is an issue that involves a number of factors including safety, pollution, traffic congestion, lifestyle and costs to taxpayers. All of those factors need to be considered and balanced. Many of these factors such as safety are multifaceted. Improving or paving a road that is currently a dirt road may seem to be obviously safer due to increased traction, but without costly trafficcalming devices added, the pavement allows much greater speeds and may in fact end up generating a greater number of accidents. There is an intersection dubbed “confusion corner” that has five streets, a roundabout and a set of railroad tracks thrown in for good measure in a community north of us. When you travel through this intersection, your first thought is how dangerous it must be. But because it is so confusing, people slow down, and the result is the accident rate is much lower than you would expect. So it is with the improvement or paving of dirt roads; it is usually not so cut and dried and involves a tradeoff.

For those who think dirt roads are “dirty,” well, they are. But paved roads have their own pollution consequences. Since they don’t percolate, stormwater washes off the oils and greases and other pollutants trapped on the surface during rain events, which require treatment areas that use up valuable land generating its own set of issues.

Any road improvement or paving plan needs to be carefully designed and balanced with the most pressing needs thoroughly vetted to ensure that the character and purpose of the overall district is not lost in the process, which I will ensure happens. In addition, this kind of well-thought-out plan will also make it cost-effective, not jeopardizing the economic vitality of the district over the long haul. I would urge every taxpayer to

voice his or her concern over the values they hold dear so that the ITID board understands your perspective as they plan for road improvement projects that can have a significant impact upon the character and feel as well as the economic health of the district for years to come.

BILL RILEY

I think it’s a good idea to pave more roads as there are some that need paving. Some have traffic that people speed on and just leave ruts and a cloud of dust behind them. This cannot be overlooked. However, is now the time to spend the money to pave them? I don’t think so.

We have so many residents who can’t even keep up their mortgage payments. I don’t have a mortgage. I’m one of the lucky ones,

but what about all the other homes? Where will the money come from? Us the taxpayers. No matter how you look at it, we the taxpayers will end up paying for it. And how? Most likely with bonds. Don’t we have enough debt?

As I understand it, the R3 paving plan calls for a major debt to ITID. This is not the time for more debt, this is time for ITID to get some of the projects accomplished, with the crews that get paid to work for us. The whole country has financial problems, and we are a small part of our country. Isn’t it time to cut spending until we see some recovery? I think so. We could also cut back on the use of the ITID trucks being taken home and driven for personal use. And limit the mileage of our supervisors’ cars... Ev-

ery dollar ITID saves is one less dollar in taxes. It’s time for ITID to tighten the belt. Yes roads do need paving, but I think it’s time to get priorities in order. Let’s hope that ITID supervisors see the needs of the people who elect them to office. It’s time to give the majority of the people what they need, not what just some want. In time maybe, the R3 paving plan might work for all the residents. I don’t think this is the time for it.

RICHARD WAITE Indian Trail Improvement District’s R3 paving plan is ill-timed and unnecessary. As responsible elected officials, we need to be accountable to our constituents for tax money spent. Our taxpaying neighbors are over-burdened already.

Barbara Anderson Julie Kaboudan Royal Palm Beach

Bill Riley

Mike Nichols

Jennifer Hager

Richard Waite

Five-Way Race Pits Incumbent Graham Against Diverse Challengers

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Palm

Beach County School

Board District 3 incumbent Bill Graham faces four challengers in his bid to keep the seat he has held since 1986.

In an election marked by antiincumbent anger over a botched curriculum change, Graham faces John Adams, Karen Brill, Steven Ledewitz and Tom Whatley for a seat that includes much of central Palm Beach County, including eastern portions of Wellington. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote in the five-way race, the top two votegetters will advance to the general election ballot.

Adams, 48, who lives in western Lake Worth, is a state-licensed building contractor. He believes the school board lacks someone with expertise in his profession.

As a small business owner and contractor, Adams said a good portion of the school budget is construction and maintenance.

“There is a construction oversight committee that school board members sit on,” he said. “In my opinion, how can you have an attorney, a school teacher and a medical doctor sit on a construction oversight committee and understand what they’re talking about? I’m in the construction industry. I’ve restructured my business to accommodate this economy.” Adams noted that it has been several years since teachers have

Letters continued from page 4 created what is bound to be a new multimillion dollar agency to keep tabs on himself and the other commissioners. Spending more money is not a solution. How will his new police be any more effective than existing law enforcement? Is the commissioner suggesting that our police bend in the political wind? Personally, I trust existing law enforcement to find and prosecute corruption. We do not need another expensive layer of government to do their job. The commissioners who are now in jail were put there by existing law enforcement authorities. According to Santamaria, a former real estate developer, his creation of a new Inspector General’s Office will only cost homeowners

had a raise. Yet the tax rate has gone up to balance the budget, which is tentatively set to be adopted in September.

“Teachers still don’t have a contract, so they are in limbo,” Adams said. “Teachers are obviously unhappy with the system the way it is. I would attempt to change that. I would try to appeal to the rest of the board members how to make that happen.”

He said the budget approved recently saved an enormous amount of money but didn’t go far enough. “I believe there is more to be saved, we just need to find it,” Adams said. “If you save money, you’re able to accommodate teachers. Teachers are our eyes and ears in the classroom.”

Adams, whose late sister was a teacher for 30 years in Palm Beach County, believes that he can work with parents, students and teachers to “bring the morale back with a new school board.” Adams also wants to free teachers up for teaching, rather than teaching to the FCAT. “I don’t think we can change it because it’s from Florida,” he said. “We can attempt to make a difference there and encourage the new elected officials who are going in there to make a difference. I think we can push it. I’m not sure if they’ll vote to change that.”

Adams has been married 24 years and has three children, ages 22, 18 and 13. All are products of the Palm Beach County school system. He was born in Boynton

one percent on top of the already outrageous costs for building permits. Woodrow Wilson passed the progressive income tax. He promised that it would never exceed seven percent. The way to cure the “illness” of corruption is to elect honest men and women. Even then, as in the case of Tony Masilotti, honest men can be snookered by the law. In his case, the law had more twists and turns than a mobius curve. It is sometimes difficult to know what to do.

Santamaria is not watching out for seniors or the poor. He approved spending $262,000 of their money for a grant to the elite Cultural Council in Palm Beach. He represents the western [Glades] communities that have 40 percent unemployment. They cannot af-

Beach, grew up in Delray Beach and has been living in Palm Beach Ranchettes in western Lake Worth for 14 years. For more info., visit www.johnadamspbc.com.

Ledewitz said he would use his 16 years’ experience on a school board in Connecticut and two years’ experience as president of the Connecticut Association of School Boards to help address issues facing the Palm Beach County School Board.

Ledewitz, who lives in Boynton Beach, moved to Palm Beach County in August 2004. He runs a meeting and convention planning company. Ledewitz, 65, has been married 43 years and has two grown children.

“Seeing what was going on down here in terms of the software flap two years ago and the lowest-paid employees did not get paid for a number of weeks and no one was held accountable, and last fall with the fiasco with the imbedded testing and the way it was implemented, made me feel that some new leadership is needed on the board,” Ledewitz said. “I offer new ideas from an experienced person.”

Ledewitz said his first goal would be to improve high school education. “That can be done simply without any additional cost by starting school an hour later,” he said. “That’s been proven 12 years ago in studies in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and again more recently in Rhode Island. That’s a no-cost situation.”

ford their own police and fire protection, and so the residents of Wellington and Royal Palm Beach are picking up the tab. Facing 40 percent unemployment, Santamaria approved a moratorium on mining jobs.

He reportedly paid a disgruntled constituent $4,000. When the constituent didn’t quiet down, Santamaria ordered him removed from a public hearing. He also sponsored a construction project at taxpayers’ expense without knowing how much it would cost, and admitted that it might overrun by $100,000. He should have kept his original commitment to serve for one term. Next election, voters will have a choice to make him keep his promises. Frank Morelli Wellington

He said he would also promote critical thinking in the classroom as opposed to memorization.

“Critical thinking is what made our educational system great,” he said. “I think we need to get more parental involvement in the schools.”

One way to do that might be in place of teacher workdays, have them come back in the evening for those parents who cannot get to the schools during the day, Ledewitz said.

“Also, we need better communication between the teachers, parents and administrators,” he said. “Any new programs should be discussed with all three of those groups in agreement so that it’s more of a collegial atmosphere instead of a combative atmosphere.”

Ledewitz noted that less than 27 percent of voters nationwide have students in school. “Palm Beach County is probably much lower than that,” he said. “If we don’t improve our school systems quickly, at some point the taxpayers are going to revolt against throwing money at the school system.”

For more info., visit www. ledewitz.org.

Karen Brill, 53, moved to the area 20 years ago and became involved with schools 17 years ago when she had to fight to get her autistic son into pre-kindergarten. After much fighting to keep her son mainstreamed in school, he graduated from high school a few years ago with a standard degree.

To help her son, Brill immersed herself in curriculum and specialneeds law. She later became president of the Exceptional Student Education Coalition in Palm Beach County. At the same time, she joined the State Advisory Committee for Special Needs, where she served six years. Since then, Brill has served with numerous other advocacy organizations

for children with special needs.

In recent years, Brill said she has focused more on regular education, most notably in fighting against the FCAT.

Brill noted that she has received endorsements from the Service Employees International Union, which represents workers such as cafeteria workers, bus drivers and maintenance people working for the school district; the Classroom Teachers’ Association; the AFL/ CIO; and The Palm Beach Post The Democratic Executive Committee of the Palm Beaches named Brill as the only highly qualified candidate in the District 3 race, she said.

“That was major for me, at least to give me a little bit of a boost,” she said. “Things are heating up, and I’m very excited. I think things are going very well.”

With the campaign now in full swing, Brill said she has enjoyed the increasing number of candidate forums.

“The best part of it is we get to get our message out, which is nice,” she said. “Most of us have done many, many speaking engagements. I sometimes say we’re the American Idol road show.”

For more info., visit www.brill4 schoolboard.com.

Whatley, 50, a retired police officer, has been an activist in the school system and campaigned recently against the ill-fated new curriculum put in place by former Chief Academic Officer Jeffrey Hernandez.

Whatley said his No. 1 goal is to close a gap between the community, the school board and the superintendent. He said under current conditions, the board works for the superintendent and it should be the other way around. He also supports term limits for school board members.

Whatley worked with the Delray Beach Police Department for more than 20 years. He has a

daughter in law school, a son starting college and another starting at Park Vista High School. For more info., visit www.votetomwhatley. com

Incumbent Graham, 60, lives in Lake Clarke Shores. He teaches business courses at Palm Beach State College.

Although he is one of the longest-serving members of the school board, Graham said he didn’t know if being an incumbent would serve him well or not.

“Some people think experience is good and some people think it’s not, so that’s just in the eye of the beholder,” he said.

Graham said he is glad the school district has been able to avoid layoffs under the board’s current budget plan. This stands in stark contrast to Broward County, which is laying off 1,300 employees this year, he noted. He also wants to focus on school safety and retaining arts in the curriculum.

Among his top accomplishments, Graham includes the school district repaying $250 million it borrowed for capital improvements using the half-cent sales tax that sunsets this year. Graham noted that he has received endorsements recently from the Voters Coalition; the Associated Builders and Contractors; BIZPAC, the business political action committee of Palm Beach County; and the Palm Beach County School Administrators’ Association. He was co-endorsed by the Human Rights Council of Palm Beach County. For more info., visit www.grahamforschool board.com.

Graham, and several other candidates, said they look forward to participating in a candidates’ forum hosted by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce at 7 p.m. Aug. 12 at the Wellington Community Center at 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.

Tom Whatley Karen Brill

Steven Ledewitz John AdamsBill Graham

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

AUG. 1 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to the parking lot of Regal Cinemas Royal Palm Beach 18 on State Road 7 last Sunday evening following a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7:25 and 9:40 p.m., someone smashed the victim’s front passenger window and stole a cell phone and travel bag containing several personal items such as hearing aids, glasses and insulin with needles. The stolen items were valued at approximately $1,650. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

• • •

JULY 28 — A Lake Worth man was arrested on drug charges following a traffic stop last Wednesday at the intersection of South Shore and Greenview Shores boulevards in Wellington. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation pulled over 27-year-old Matthew Dobbins for an equipment violation. The deputy asked Dobbins if he had anything that shouldn’t be on him. Dobbins said he did not and that the deputy could check him and his car. A search of the vehicle found a plastic baggy on the floor board with 1.7 grams of marijuana. Dobbins was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail where he was charged with possession of marijuana under 20 grams.

JULY 30 — A resident of the Willows II neighborhood called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Friday to report an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, the complainant and his neighbor said they heard a loud noise, which sounded like a truck starting, outside their homes on Sandpiper Ave. When

they went outside, they noticed that someone had run over both mailboxes. According to the report, the area was checked for other damaged mailboxes, but none were found. The total damage is approximately $190. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JULY 30 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home in the Olympia neighborhood last Friday evening regarding a home burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim locked and left the home at approximately 5:40 p.m. and returned at 7:15 p.m. to find that the front window was open and the front door was unlocked. The victim said that the bottom portion of the window had been removed from the frame and placed under the window sill unbroken. Once inside, the suspect(s) took several jewelry items including a wedding ring. According to the report, it had begun to rain at 6:30 p.m., and the deputy believed the suspect(s) were in the house before then because there was no mud present. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JULY 31 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation responded to the parking lot of the Super Target on Okeechobee Blvd. last Saturday in response to a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:45 and 10 p.m., someone punched the lock mechanism on the victim’s driver’s-side door. The door was found secure and nothing was missing from the vehicle. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JULY 31 — A Wellington res-

is wanted for aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon, fleeing or attempting to elude police, and driving while license suspended, canceled or revoked. His occupation is tattoo artist. His last known address was South 37th Court in Greenacres. Matthews is wanted

Enrique Curiel

Anthony Matthews

Andrews Brings Experience From 35-Year Career In PBC Schools

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

A retired educator, Marcia Andrews believes her 35-year career with the Palm Beach County School District, coupled with her educational activism since her retirement, makes her the most qualified candidate for the District 6 seat on the Palm Beach County School Board.

Andrews, a Royal Palm Beach resident, faces Boca Raton businessman Dean Grossman and barber Ron Young of Loxahatchee Groves in the Aug. 24 primary election to replace the Dr. Sandra Richmond, who is not running for re-election after 22 years on the board. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election ballot.

With a degree in elementary education from Florida Atlantic University in 1973, Andrews started her career as a teacher at Jefferson Davis Middle School in West Palm Beach that year.

Andrews later received her master’s degree in supervision and administration from Nova Southeastern University in 1981 and was promoted to assistant principal that year and worked in that position until 1986, when she took a job in the district’s personnel office until 1993 when she spent a year as principal at Bear Lakes Middle School. “That was a school that needed turning around,” she recalled.

While there, Andrews worked closely with students and got parents more actively involved. Many of the children were from poor neighborhoods, and An-

drews said she often rode the school buses to familiarize herself with the students’ economic and family conditions.

In 1994, she was named administrative director of recruitment and program planning. “I was promoted because of my outstanding work,” Andrews said. “I decided to pursue something different and went to administration to recruit teachers.”

From 1994 to 2006, Andrews held senior-level positions at the district office, all in the area of personnel recruitment.

In 2006, she was named principal at Polo Park Middle School in Wellington.

“That was a top-five, A-rated school with a lot of great things going, but I went there with my eyes open to see how to make it even better,” she said.

While there, Andrews said she saw a need to revise the special education program.

“They did not have inclusion where the special ed kids had the opportunity to participate in a regular program,” she said. “I worked with the district office to get the people over there to implement an inclusion program.”

She also helped raise the performance of the lower-ranked students.

“When I came in there, it was an A school, but when I left, the school it was a higher A because we brought the lowest 25 percent up,” Andrews said.

Since her retirement, Andrews has volunteered her time for educational causes, most notably the Tri-City Education Committee in the Glades, where she has

worked to bring in high quality principals and teachers.

Andrews lists her top accomplishment as recruiting high-quality teachers for the school district when she was director of recruitment. “I selected the best and brightest teachers to come to Palm Beach County,” she said.

Andrews said she feels she is the best candidate in the race because she is the most knowledgeable about the school district and the issues facing the school board.

“I’ve been involved the past two years keeping myself abreast of all the issues as it relates to the budget,” she said. “We have a big budget issue right now where we’re going to be losing the stimulus funds. It’s likely we’re going to have to deal with revising how to keep people as we look at what we have to do to restructure our budget. I’ve been there before. We’ve had some good times and bad times. I’ve seen us pull back and look at our resources and redevelop them and change programs that can best meet the needs of the district based on our economics.”

Andrews is deeply critical about how last year’s curriculum reforms were implemented. If she had been on the board at the time, Andrews said she would have opposed the hiring of Jeffrey Hernandez as chief academic officer. “I was at that school board meeting, and I told the school board that we need to have advertised that position, and we needed to have checked on what happened in Miami-

Dade,” she recalled. “They lost $100 million in Miami-Dade County with that program, not that Jeffrey Hernandez did not do some wonderful things in MiamiDade, but there were some problems. We needed a board that would look at the issues a little bit different.”

Andrews suggested that a smaller pilot program would have been a more effective way to introduce the curriculum changes.

Andrews said she gives Richmond good marks as a school board member.

“I worked her campaigns, so I have to tell you I really loved her because she is a teacher even though she’s not a K-12 teacher,” Andrews said. “She’s a college teacher. She knows about teachers and how you should care for your students and how you should have empathy and compassion for children. I think she is one of the most sensitive and compassionate people we have on the board.”

However, Andrews announced her candidacy before Richmond decided to step down. “I saw her being compassionate and wonderful, but I also saw the rest of the board not listening to her,” she said. “I saw that as a weakness, and I saw sometimes when she tried, she didn’t get done what she needed.”

Perhaps after two decades, Richmond had become a bit complacent, she suggested. “I knew just from coming to the school board meetings for two years that something had to happen that was different,” Andrews said.

Although Andrews has been openly

critical of Superintendent Dr. Art Johnson’s job performance, she said she would not favor making an immediate change.

“We need to keep him because I was there under five superintendents, and I know how much it costs to have to bring somebody in,” she said. “I think he is very smart. I’ve seen him at different levels, but I think we have a weak board, that’s the problem, not Art Johnson.” Andrews is not in favor of the FCAT and said it should be abolished. She pointed out that the state is moving away from

Grossman Offers Business Experience, ‘Passion’ For Education

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Boca Raton businessman Dean Grossman is running for the District 6 seat on the Palm Beach County School Board because he is “passionate about education.” As a father of three young children, he said he has a vested interest in Palm Beach County schools.

Grossman is one of three candidates seeking the District 6 seat being vacated by Dr. Sandra Richmond after 22 years. He faces retired school administrator Marcia Andrews and barber Ron Young in the Aug. 24 primary. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters advance to the general election ballot.

Grossman, 37, moved to Boca Raton with his parents from New Jersey when he was 13 and first attended the Boca Raton Academy. But he quickly realized that he would rather attend public school and began attending Spanish River High School in his sophomore year.

After graduating in 1990, he attended the University of Central Florida for three years, until returning home to complete his bachelor’s degree in communications at Florida Atlantic University. He briefly worked at a substitute teacher, then teacher at Spanish River.

“I loved it,” Grossman recalled. “I had more kids come to me saying, ‘thank you for changing my life.’ They respected me because I respected them.”

While a teacher he said he tried to make education fun, teaching classes outdoors and looking for innovative ways to inspire students.

However, Grossman’s career path quickly gravitated toward business. He worked for the National Cheerleaders’ Association in Dallas, and then worked in television and radio. He returned to Boca Raton seven years ago and started a family. He has been working for ESPN

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Ron Young is seeking a seat on the Palm Beach County School Board as a “normal guy” who would bring “common sense” to a board he described as out of touch with reality and too deferential to its superintendent.

Young is one of three candidates seeking the District 6 seat being vacated by Dr. Sandra Richmond after 22 years. He faces retired school administrator Marcia Andrews and businessman Dean Grossman in the Aug. 24 primary. If no candidate gets more than 50 percent of the vote, the top two vote-getters head to the general election ballot. A barber by trade, Young has lived in Palm Beach County since 1972. “I’ve opened three different shops and sold all three of them,” said the 33-year Loxahatchee Groves resident.

While Young does not have a traditional college degree, he does have a degree from the Indiana Barber College and is well respected within his career. He has worked with the Florida Department of Business & Professional Regulation for decades as a consultant with examinations for the barber board.

Young has four children, all of whom went through the Palm Beach County public school system. One of his children is currently a math teacher at Forest Hill High School in West Palm Beach. His wife of 41 years, Cheri, has worked with the school district for 26 years, currently as executive secretary in the office of Chief Learning Officer Ann Killets.

“She didn’t inspire me to run,” Young said of his wife. “She told me when I first started to run, ‘Look, if you can promise me you will not change and you will be the same person you are now when you run and get through, I’ll support you.’” Young said he decided to run because

sports radio and also has his own business, 3G Entertainment, representing athletes and coaches who work in broadcasting. “I understand business, and I understand education,” he said. “There are two components to the school board. You have an education component, which obviously is the most important, and you have a business component, which has a huge, multi-billion-dollar budget. You need somebody who can work with both; somebody who can work with the numbers and do what’s best for our children.”

Grossman takes pride in his strong communication skills.

“I’m a people person, and that is very important to me in this job or any job,” he said. “Right now, I’m in sales at ESPN, and I base my success on how well I deal with people. It’s the same thing with the school board. I’m not just going in there to become a school board member. I’m going in there to represent all the constituents in Palm Beach County and the district to make sure we are doing what’s in the best interest for our kids.”

A leading sales executive at ESPN, Grossman is also proud of his success as an agent. “I have had multiyear deals with athletes and coaches in broadcasting, and that’s all me,” he said. “I created this business. I built it from scratch.”

Grossman believes the quality of education has slipped since he was a student in the Palm Beach County school system.

“We need to make some changes to see that our children receive that same education,” he said. “I understand the whole district, and I understand the needs and what needs to happen in the Glades, and I know what needs to happen in Boca Raton, and I know it’s very different.”

Although Grossman has not followed school board meetings as closely as his opponents in this race, he feels that’s a good thing. “I’m an outsider with fresh perspectives,” he said.

he was not happy with candidate Marcia Andrews, a retired teacher, principal and district administrator, who was initially unopposed for the post once Richmond bowed out. “I knew enough about the school system itself from watching what had been going on with my daughter and my wife through the years that I believe I had a good possibility of getting in there and making a difference for the school system,” he said.

Young’s chief complaint with the current school board is that it has been far too agreeable in recent years toward anything Superintendent Dr. Art Johnson has proposed. “Saying yes to everything that had been given you, that didn’t take much common sense,” Young said. “You just voted yes and that was it.”

While he partially blames Richmond as part of that “rubber stamp” culture, Young credited her for doing a good job over her two decades on the board. “I’m a fan of hers,” he said. “I like her. This is about the whole system. This is the way things were and everybody went along with it. I wasn’t real happy with that part of it.”

Among his top goals if elected would be to get the FCAT out of the system and let teachers teach from books. “It used to be you had textbooks and teachers taught out of those books, and at the end of a chapter you had a test, and at the end of the semester you had a test,” Young said. “That’s what I would like to see come back.”

Another goal would be to help solve the district’s budget woes. “I know that they cut $200 million out of the system this year, and I was very pleased to see them do that because they did a lot of things I told my wife for a lot of years that they should have done, but there’s still some more,” he said.

While the district will be millions short next year as well, Young said officials can

Grossman stressed that it is important that the school board makes sure the superintendent carries out its policies, not the other way around.

“What’s happened with our board is that some things have been rubberstamped,” Grossman said. “And there have been some things the superintendent felt, ‘Hey, I’m going to do,’ and if the board says ‘yes’ or the board says ‘no,’ it’s still going to happen.”

He cites last year’s controversial teaching curriculum instituted by former Chief Academic Officer Jeffrey Hernandez as a prime example. “That was a mistake,” Grossman said. “Not the ideals, but the way it was implemented.”

Grossman credits Richmond for her service as District 6 representative, but said that it was clearly her time to go.

“I think she is somebody who has seen that it’s time to step down and let some fresh blood in there and start to make some changes,” he said. “When you have someone on there for such a long time it does becomes stagnant after a while.”

His goals if elected include making sure teachers are better compensated.

“Being a teacher should be the hardest job to get and one of the highest-paid positions,” Grossman said. “It might not happen tomorrow with the budget issues, but I want to make sure we attract the best possible teachers to the county.”

He also wants to do a better job teaching life skills. Balancing a checkbook, learning finances and budget skills are things necessary to be successful, he said.

“When I was in school, we had shop, we had home [economics],” Grossman said. “We had things that taught us how to be successful in life, not just school.”

Grossman reviewed the recently approved school board budget for next year and was pleased that teachers were spared layoffs.

“It was a balanced budget, and it was

make up for it without cutting electives and extracurricular activities such as band, choir and fine arts. “There’s other places that money can be pared down,” he said. “I think we can find close to $100 million.”

His third goal would be to offer more vocational courses for students who don’t want to go to college. “We have a lot of career academies, but the last several years I’ve heard Art Johnson say he wanted everybody to be ready for college,” Young said. “Not everybody is ready for college. Not everybody wants to go to college.”

Young would like to add vocational career academies. “They don’t have anything for plumbing, and they don’t have anything for electricians,” he said. “They have air conditioning, and they’re starting on automotive.”

Like the other candidates in the race, Young agrees that the attempted implementation of a new school curriculum last year designed by former Chief Academic Officer Jeffrey Hernandez was not managed well. He wants to “get Art Johnson back doing what he’s supposed to do rather than being the head of everything.”

Young does not give Johnson a good rating. “Art has not been one of my favorite people for a lot of years,” he said. “They need to get someone in there who knows what they’re doing.”

While the school district alone cannot do away with the FCAT, he wants local officials to lobby for reforms in Tallahassee. “Broward County is interested in fighting it also,” Young said. “If Broward is interested in fighting it, I’d almost gamble you that Miami is also. Everybody is against this now. I don’t know anybody who is not against this.”

Young said teacher pay also needs to be addressed, pointing out that his daughter, who has been teaching for four years,

cut from $3.2 billion to $2.6 billion,” he said. “The good news is that we did not lay off teachers like other counties, Broward and Dade, where they laid off thousands of teachers.”

To fill the predicted gaps in the following year’s budget, he said he would not change the classrooms, but possibly give more furloughs at the upper echelons and revise contracts.

Rating Johnson’s job performance, Grossman gave the superintendent credit for being passionate about education.

“He has made some mistakes with the hiring of Jeffrey Hernandez, but I would prefer someone who takes risks than someone who sits back and says, ‘That’s the way it is,’” Grossman said. “The schools have been A rated the past five or six years. Who is to say someone else will do better?”

Asked his opinion on the FCAT, Grossman said it is important to make sure students are on the level they should be, but there is too much emphasis placed on tests.

To correct problems at Royal Palm Beach High School, Grossman said he would work with parents and staff to see that the school gets the resources it needs.

“I want parents to know I’m working for them,” he said. “I want to make sure they know I’m on their side.”

As for boundary issues at RPBHS, Grossman said they should be looked at. “We cannot have kids constantly bused to other schools,” he said. “I’m in favor of making sure we get the right resources to that school.”

Some critics have said Grossman lacks the educational background to be a school board member, but he disagrees. “We need people on the board who are diverse,” he said. “We need businessmen, and there are currently none.”

“Andrews, I believe, has said what the people want to hear,” Grossman said. “I respect her because of her career as an educator and principal; however, she has been a very strong voice against the superintendent. She has gone to school board meetings the past two years and stood up and said he has to go. She is now saying she supports Dr. Johnson. I don’t say things just to get elected. I am not misleading the people. I am telling people the truth.”

Grossman summarized his qualifications by repeating how he understands both business and education. As a father of three, he has a passion for education and is in now in a position that he can give back.

For more info., visit www.dean grossman.com.

As to how he differs from the other candidates, Grossman said he has no issues with Young, who Grossman described as “an honest man.” However, he believes Andrews has a score to settle with the superintendent.

would have to live at home if she wasn’t married because she wouldn’t be able to afford her own place.

Young said he opposed the vetoed Senate Bill 6, which would have made it easier to fire teachers and link their pay to student test scores instead of seniority. However, he expects the state legislature to try to push it through again. “Next year, everybody is gearing up to fight it again,” he said.

Regarding Royal Palm Beach High School, which has suffered from poor test scores, behavior problems and safety issues, Young said he wants to give new Principal Jesus Armas a chance to sort things out.

“I want to see what that new principal does,” he said. “I was talking to the kids at the end of last year. The kids said he has already been there and had talked to them and asked them what they would like to see done first at their school.”

Young said he wants to see boundaries changed, not just at RPBHS, but at other schools as well, so students are not bused so far. “We’re hurting for money and we’re busing kids to a lot of different places, and it costs money to do that,” Young said. “Somewhere along the line we have to pull in the reins and bring the kids closer to home.”

In rating the other candidates, Young said he likes Grossman and his ideas, but thinks he is a bit young for the job. “He’s almost the same age as my son,” Young said. “My competition is Marcia [Andrews]. That said, her credentials are impeccable on paper; that’s the problem. I want to do the morally right thing. Some people are doing the right political thing, but do not have the moral or ethical credentials.”

Other strengths he lists include a workingman’s knowledge of subjects as diverse as construction and auto mechanics. As a weakness, he said he has been told he is too naïve. “I want to see the best in things,” he said.

Young said people should vote for him because he’s a “normal guy” and wants to do what’s right. He said he was inspired to run by County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, who he said stands up for what’s right, sometimes being the lone opposition vote on commission issues. Underfunded, Young said he has been asked to bow out and make it a two-person race, but insists that he is running on principle. “I can’t ask people for money that they don’t have,” he said. “Am I rich? No, I’m not. I don’t have money. I’m trying to do it the old-fashioned way.” For more info., visit www.ronyoung district6.com.

He lists his strengths as talking to people and listening. “That’s a good part of my business,” Young said. “I listen to people telling me their problems. I talk to more people in a day than others do in a week.”

Marcia Andrews

Dean Grossman

Ron Young

CRESTWOOD STUDENTS

Crestwood Middle School students Alex Ng and Devin Wallace held a fundraiser on Wednesday, July 28 at Duffy’s Sports Bar & Grill in Royal Palm Beach. For

‘Night Shul’ Kicks Off Third Season

On New Network

Night Shul is back in session.

The Jewish-themed entertainment/information Internet TV show is returning for its third season on a new night and a new Internet TV station.

The live, weekly talkfest debuts Sunday, Aug. 8 at 9 p.m. on the Town Crier Information Network (TCIN.TV).

While the night and station have changed, the mission of Night Shul remains the same — to reach out, attract, engage and connect the world with the modern Jewish experience.

Host Matt Auerbach is happy about the move to the new TCIN.TV.

“The station is the brainchild of the folks at the Wellingtonbased Town Crier newspaper,” he said. “Having been a reporter there, I know how committed they are to putting out a product that’s entertaining and informative. I’m looking forward to taking ‘Night Shul’ to the next level at TCIN.TV.”

So watch, listen and chat with Auerbach and his guests from the worlds of show business, politics, religion and social action as Night Shul returns bigger and better than before. As a band from Liverpool, England once sang, “a splendid time is guaranteed for all.”

To watch, visit www.tcin.tv at 9 p.m. Sundays. If you miss it live, all shows will be available on demand two hours after broadcast, also at www.tcin.tv.

Pizzazz Gives Back Day Returns

Pizzazz Hair Design will hold its annual Pizzazz Gives Back Day on Sunday, Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Abacoa Plaza, Kobosko’s Crossing, Mirasol Walk and Village Commons locations, donating 100 percent of the proceeds from all haircuts, color and spa services to Little Smiles.

Pizzazz Hair Design owner Dennis Marquez is proud to give back to the community he loves and to a cause that has special meaning for him and many of his team members. Pizzazz has previously participated with Little Smiles, helping numerous young girls with hair and nail treatments to brighten their day.

To participate in Pizzazz Gives Back Day, call one of the following locations for an appointment: Pizzazz in Kobosko’s Crossing (9112 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington) at (561) 793-7373; Pizzazz in the Abacoa Plaza (5500 Military Trail, Jupiter) at (561) 627-7799; Pizzazz in Mirasol Walk (6231 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens) at (561) 625-8100; or Pizzazz in Village Commons (771 Village Blvd., West Palm Beach) at (561) 698-1177.

BJ’s To Host Taste Of The Town Aug. 7

BJ’s Wholesale Club in Royal Palm Beach will showcase local restaurants at its “Taste of the

Town” on Saturday, Aug. 7 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Shoppers will sample signature dishes as well as participate in family-fun activities such as face painting, raffles and music by Complete Music & Video.

The following local restaurants will each feature a signature dish for shoppers to sample: Anthony’s Coal Fired Pizza, Chappy’s Food Cart, Kobosko’s Kreamery, Centanni Italian Restaurant, Friendly’s Restaurant, Domino’s Pizza, Tree’s Wings & Ribs, KFC, TGI Friday’s, Philly Connection, Chipolte Mexican Grill, Mario Bros. Gourmet Pasta, I’m Greek Today, Jimmy John’s, McDonald’s, Original Pancake House and Schwan’s Home Service.

BJ’s Wholesale Club is located at 500 N. State Road 7. For more information, call Lesa Cardin at (321) 890-4678 or e-mail lcardin @bjs.com.

Local Dancers Ranked Seventh Internationally

Dancers from the Wildcat Dancers Dance Team and Tapazz Dance Troupe competed at the ADA International Dance Competition held July 11-17 in Orlando. They ranked seventh internationally.

The dancers, under the artistic direction of Michele Blecher, include Royal Palm Beach High School graduate Alexa Blecher (Stetson University), Melissa Felix (RPBHS senior), Martha Heras (RPBHS senior), Zory Laboy

(Palm Beach State College), Kristen Rivas (RPBHS junior), Nicole Rivas (RPBHS sophomore) and Summer Rosencrantz (RPBHS junior). The competition included dance troupes from the United States, France, Italy, China, Japan, Jamaica, Slovakia, South Africa and Germany. Michele Blecher’s dancers held their own and were ranked in the top five internationally in Lyrical for their dance routine “You Belong to Me.” Soloist Alexa Blecher was ranked second internationally for her Musical Theater routine “Whatever Lola Wants, Lola Gets.” The other six

Supply Drive

four hours, 10 percent of food sales were donated to Crestwood. Ng and Wallace offered prizes and gift cards. Those with the voucher sponsoring the fundraiser received free raffle tickets and could get an extra raffle ticket by donating a backpack to Ng’s back-to-school drive for Pleasant City Elementary

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Countywide ‘Look Before You Lock’ Campaign Aims To Prevent Tragedy

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report

Palm Beach County officials are urging parents to “Look Before You Lock” as part of a campaign to prevent the death of children and pets in hot cars.

Along with the Children Services Council and the Children’s Hospital at Palms West, Safe Kids of Palm Beach launched the “Look Before You Lock” child safety campaign Friday, July 30 at Palms West Hospital.

“Turn around and look in the back seat before you lock those doors,” Safe Kids Palm Beach coordinator Kelly Powell said. “Make sure you have not left your child behind.” The message will appear on 130 Palm Tran buses in Palm Beach

County for the next two months, Powell said. Additionally, the campaign will hand out information to families including window clings and interior hangers that serve as reminders for parents.

“We just want to make sure that parents slow down, take a moment and be parents first,” Powell said. “That’s really what it comes down to. We’re all so busy, we’re always moving, and we just don’t take the time to think.”

According to Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Capt. Don Delucia, 24 children have died nationwide this year of heat stroke after being left in a hot car, including one in Florida in March. Additionally, PBCFR has responded to nearly 250 calls of children in Palm Beach County being left in cars, Delucia said.

Palms West Hospital Chief of Staff and pediatrician Dr. Lawrence Bergman explained how children’s body temperatures rise faster than those of adults.

“Their thermo regulatory mechanisms are not as developed as [those in] adults,” he said. “Their temperature can rise three to five times faster than an adult’s body temperature.”

Bergman noted that when children are sick, they often have elevated body temperatures that are relieved by sweating, shivering and radiating heat to the cooler air around them. But in a hot car, the body can’t release heat because

the surrounding air is also warm, he said. Even cracking a window is not sufficient.

“Everyone figures, ‘Oh, they’ll be OK,’” he said. “There is no difference in the interior temperature of that vehicle whether you crack the window out in the heat or not.”

A child left in a hot car can suffer from heat stroke or die of hyperthermia, he said. When a body reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit, it suffers from heat stroke, causing dizziness, disorientation, confusion, sluggishness, rapid heartbeat and other symptoms. Once a person’s core body temperature reaches 107 degrees Farenheit, it’s

considered lethal and can cause damage to cell tissue and organs, Bergman explained. And it doesn’t have to be the summer heat that causes death, Bergman stressed. The first death of a child due to hypothermia this year — which occurred in Florida in March — happened in 70degree weather.

“Everyone thinks it’s when it’s 100 degrees,” Bergman said. “It was 73 degrees outside.”

The campaign also stresses the importance of parents locking their vehicles while at home to ensure that children don’t climb into a hot car and become trapped.

“It takes only a minute for a child to be at risk for serious and permanent damage in a hot car,” Bergman said. “Drivers must keep car doors locked and keys out of reach from young children at all times.”

Karen Buchanan of Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control explained that this advice also applies to pet owners. “Animals and hot cars can be deadly,” she said.

“Their normal body temperature is from 101 [degrees] to 103 [degrees] and they have no way of cooling off other than breathing in cool air. In a hot car, they can’t do that.”

INAUGURAL TOP COP GOLF GALA AT THE LINKS AT MADISON GREEN IN ROYAL PALM

The inaugural Top Cop Golf Gala was held Friday, July 30 at the Links at Madison Green. The tournament included

South Florida law enforcement agencies. Afterward, there was a barbecue dinner.

Hollywood Police Officer Peter John Plummer II, Peter John Plummer Sr., Hollywood Police Major Denzell Brooks and Lawrence Hibbert.

Madison Green General Manager Rich LeConche, longest drive winner Raquel Riley and Eric Kaplan.

Event organizer Eric Kaplan makes the putt.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Karen Buchanan of Animal Care and Control explains

Safe Kids Palm Beach coordinator Kelly Powell.

Palms West Hospital Chief of Staff Dr. Lawrence Bergman explains the dangers of hyperthermia.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

(Above and below) Jess Santamaria gathers with his supporters.

Palm Beach County Convention & Visitors Bureau CEO Jorge Pesquera and his wife Marina, Rosa Durando and Santamaria.

Sierra Club members Charlie and Pat Walter with Sheila Calderon.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Rick and Karen Bartlett with a memory box presented to them by Dana Silva.

A Second Chance volunteers Tammy and Kayla Long with Daphne and Ukon.Jacob, Joshua and Rick Bartlett and Dirk Garris on the 18th hole.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Jess Santamaria (center) with Randy and Leslie Pfeiffer, and Regis and Tom Wenham.

Jess Santamaria greets supporter Estelle Friedman.

AN ABUNDANCE OF ITEMS ON SALE AT FLEA MARKET IN ROYAL PALM BEACH

County Court candidate and former Wellington Village Council member Laurie Cohen.

Women’s Chamber Past President Theresa LePore.

Circuit Court candidates Andrew Daire, Jaimie Goodman, Ken Lemoine and Lisa Small.

Katie Kohlhorst found a new friend.

Jeanne Barnett, Joanne Greenblatt and Pat Burge with dog accessories (harness, bandana, treats, etc.).

Patty McLarty sold Marietta Bowie an enamel frog trinket box.

Kathleen Lannaman looks over a cute skirt. Amy Arbit checks out a bike for sale.

Cheryl Lower, Vinette Tracey, Dolly Hughes, Attis Solomon, Ruth Biscaino and Lorna Pearson at the RPB Seniors Activity Club table.

Berean Christian School Scholar-Athlete Brings Aid To School In Zambia

Hillary Blackburn is like many American teenagers who often complain about school, home and much of life in general. But all that changed for her after a recent visit to Zambia. Blackburn, a 2010 graduate of Berean Christian School, visited Africa this summer on a two-week trip to reach out to the students in the Zambian schools.

Blackburn presented a letter to the principal of the Kazemba Basic School in Chongwe, Zambia. The letter pledges more than $800 to help the school buy basic supplies for the more than 300 students in the rural school; approximately half of the students are AIDS orphans. The funds were donated by the secondary students of Berean Christian who have “adopted” the Zambian school.

“I realized that every day I, as many busy American people do, wake up and immediately start thinking about the things I have to do and end up get so wrapped up in my own life,” Blackburn said. “In Zambia, I saw people who were just excited to be alive and able to spend another day in the country they are so proud of. These people had such an amazing joy inside of them, one that I could only dream to have. They

‘Red Carpet Premiere’ At Pierce Hammock

Pierce Hammock Elementary School will hold its “Red Carpet Premiere” on Monday, Aug. 16 from 8 to 10 a.m. Students are invited to come meet their teachers, bring their supplies, see their new classrooms, purchase uniforms and buy student planners. For more information, call the school at (561) 651-0400.

School District

Hosting Supply Drive In August

The Palm Beach County School District Office of Community Involvement, in conjunction with Clear Channel Radio, Office Depot and Palm Beach County FireRescue, will host a school supply drive to help families supplement the necessary tools needed to achieve academic success. Clear Channel Radio stations

aren’t living in mansions and don’t have the newest or nicest cars... and they don’t care. They consider everything they have to be the greatest blessing, and that stuck with me.”

The experience made Blackburn more appreciative of what she has.

“I have become more grateful for the things I often complained about at home and school,” she said. “Going to school is a privilege for the kids there, and I often complained about getting up to go to school. We complained about uniforms, but the kids there are grateful for the dirty, beat-up uniforms they have; most of the kids have no shoes. We take all the things in school for granted. The kids there were excited to just get one box of chalk.”

Blackburn now wants to plan another trip to Zambia to visit with her new friends.

“I went there thinking about how much I was going to bless those people with the things I was bringing them,” she said. “However, it was the other way around. I learned from them how to love others and to be grateful for the things you have and to not complain about what you don’t have. That was a blessing for me. They

WILD 95.5 and KOOL 105.5 are promoting the supply drive, and donation boxes have been placed at all Office Depot locations in Palm Beach County for anyone who wishes to donate school supplies through the end of August.

WILD 95.5 and KOOL 105.5 will be on hand to give away prizes for those who donate school supplies from noon to 1 p.m. at the following locations and dates:

• Saturday, Aug. 7 at the Palm Beach Gardens Office Depot, located at 2420 PGA Blvd.

• Friday, Aug. 13 at the West Boca Office Depot, located at 8095 Glades Road, Suite A-1

• Saturday, Aug. 14 at the Royal Palm Beach Office Depot, located at 101A S. State Road 7 (at the southwest corner of SR 7 and Southern Blvd.)

In addition, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue personnel will be on site to demonstrate various equipment for youngsters and the young at heart. Each person who makes a donation will also receive a slice of Dean Anthony’s pizza (at partici-

taught me about sharing; they freely share the little they have. I just wish I could give the kids the stuff they need.”

Berean Secondary Principal Glenn Waters explained how the students’ contributions have benefited the African community.

“Last year, our students gave almost $1,600 to the Kazemba school, buying not only basic school supplies, but also paying for a new well that serves the entire community as its primary water source,” he said. “Before the

pating locations) and a free Pepsi. For additional information, contact Office of Community Involvement Central Area Volunteer Coordinator Sheri Siegal at (561) 889-4772 or ssiegal@palmbeach. k12.fl.us.

Important Dates For Seminole Ridge Students

Seminole Ridge High School has several events on its calendar for August

On Wednesday, Aug. 11 from 4 to 7 p.m. in the school cafeteria, seniors can apply for school-year parking tags. On Thursday, Aug 12 from 8 a.m. to noon in the cafeteria, juniors and seniors can apply for school-year parking tags. And on Friday, Aug. 13 from 8 a.m. to noon in the cafeteria, sophomores, juniors and seniors can apply for school-year parking tags. At least 20 “documented in the computer” volunteer service hours are required to receive a tag. Orientation for incoming fresh-

well, women had to walk up to 10 miles round trip to obtain water. Our students would have liked to have given more to the Kazemba school, but this year our students raised and contributed several thousands of dollars that were sent to help orphans who were victims of the earthquake in Haiti.”

Such charitable endeavors are an important part of the educational experience at Berean.

“We try to instill in our students the sense that they have a part in God’s purpose and plan to reach

men and new upperclassmen will take place on Thursday, Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. in the gymnasium. Parents are welcome to attend. Tuesday, Aug. 17 is the first day of the new school year. Students will receive their schedules on the morning of the first day of classes. There are seven classes on the first day; the alternating block schedule starts the second day of school.

There will be a mandatory athletics orientation on Thursday, Aug. 19 from 6 to 8 p.m. All students interested in trying out for any sport during the school year must attend, accompanied by a parent or guardian.

New Resource Guide For Middle School Parents

As a mother of three Florida public school students, American Life Publishers managing editor Patricia Mavo feels parents need to be more involved in their children’s education. For the past year,

out to help people not only in the neediest parts of the world, but in our own community,” Waters said.

“That is why we reserve an entire week each spring during which most of our high school students perform community service projects in cities in the USA and here in Palm Beach County. The needs are great in many places. The principal at Kazemba has asked for funds this year to help drill another well and to construct housing for four teachers.” Blackburn was accepted into the University of South Florida in Tampa where she intends to play for the tennis team. A member of the National Honor Society and drummer for the school’s praise band, she graduated with a 3.8 GPA. Berean Christian School is a ministry of Grace Fellowship located at 8350 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach. Anyone who would like to help the students in Zambia or orphans in Haiti can call Waters at (561) 798-9300.

Christa McAuliffe Middle School has helped Mavo create Parent’s Guide to Middle School Academics in Florida

Thanks to the unwavering support of Principal Faith-Ann Cheek, Florida parents now have an opportunity to be more involved with their children’s education. Parent’s Guide is a comprehensive, yet user-friendly guide to middle school academics in Florida that will support parents, educate them, encourage them, and provide the resources they require to support their children’s education. With 13 chapters, parents will learn the following:

• What can be expected during the middle school years

• How adolescent brains develop

• Florida’s grading system and Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)

• Next Generation Sunshine State Standards

• The purpose of the FCAT

• Student health and reproductive health education

• Exceptional student education

• School choice and high school options. Educating children is not easy, but as Principal Faith-Ann Cheek notes, “At times it may seem like a daunting task, but together we can accomplish anything.” The book is being made available to parents through their local middle schools or through the publisher’s web site for $12. Regardless of where parents buy the book, American Life Publishers will donate $4 per book to individual schools at a time when school budgets are being drastically reduced. Mavo founded American Life Publishers in 2006 to document the diverse and often overlooked narratives of ordinary Americans from all walks of life. Through oral histories and printed works, American Life Publishers seeks to ensure that the voices and experiences of one generation of Americans are available for the next. For more information about American Life Publishers, visit www.americanlifepublishers.com.

Hillary Blackburn presents a letter to the principal of the Kazemba Basic School in Chongwe, Zambia, pledging more than $800 to help the school buy basic supplies. Berean students’ contributions paid for a new well that serves as the primary water source for the entire community.

St. Michael Church Youths

Join Belle

Glade Mission Trip

St. Michael Lutheran Church in Wellington recently held a mission trip to Belle Glade.

Titled “Collaborate,” it was the church’s second six-day mission trip and involved six church youths, who accompanied a group coordinated by St. Peter’s United Methodist Church.

The six youths from St. Michael — Jarod Brock, Justin Strassman, Jonathan Haines, Kevin Murphy, Jake Roaf and Kyle Roaf — worked on service projects throughout Belle Glade.

After hours there were speakers, worship, music and time for some fun.

“This was my first mission trip, and some of the people I met and

some of the places I’ve seen really make me grateful toward what I have,” said Haines, who was put on a paint crew that painted houses for an elderly woman and a blind man.

Murphy was similarly enthusiastic about the group’s experience. “I felt like I was making a difference,” he said.

All six youths are eager to take part in the next opportunity to serve the community again.

St. Michael Lutheran Church is located at 1925 Birkdale Drive (on the corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Birkdale Drive). For more information, call the church at (561) 793-4999 or visit its web site at www.stmichaelelc.com.

Isaiah Bishop Graduates Basic Combat Training

Army National Guard Spec. Isaiah C. Bishop has graduated from basic combat training at Fort Sill in Lawton, Okla.

During the nine weeks of training, Bishop studied the Army mission and received instruction and training exercises in drill and ceremonies, Army history, core values and traditions, military courtesy, military

justice, physical fitness, first aid, rifle marksmanship, weapons use, map reading and land navigation, foot marches, armed and unarmed combat, and field maneuvers and tactics. Bishop is the son of Nancy Bishop of The Acreage. He received a bachelor’s degree in 2007 from Elmhurst College in Illinois.

Brown Selected For Leadership Conference

As a result of outstanding academic achievements and demonstrated leadership potential, Capryce Brown was selected to represent New Horizons Elementary School and the State of Florida at the Junior National Young Leaders Conference to be held this fall in Washington, D.C. Brown was nominated by her teacher Margaret Schwartz. Among the numerous benefits of attending JRNYLC is the experience of discovering how to enhance the essential leadership skills students already possess and, more importantly, learning how to apply those skills immediately upon their return home.

Brown will join more than 250 other students from throughout the United States to take part in the conference, themed “Voices of Leadership: Reflecting on the Past to Create the Future.”

“The aim of the Junior National Young Leaders Conference is to inspire students to recognize their own leadership skills, measure their skills against those of current and former leaders, and return home with new confidence in their ability to exercise positive

influence within their communities,” said Marguerite Regan, dean of academic affairs for the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, the organization that sponsors the conference. “Young people are not only welcome in Washington, D.C., they actually keep this city and our country running.”

During the six-day program, scholars take part in educational activities and presentations, and visit relevant sites, such as Harpers Ferry, W.V., and Washington, D.C.’s monuments and memorials. In addition to examining notable U.S. leaders and historic figures, students study the impact of leadership throughout critical periods of American history, including the Civil War and Reconstruction, World War II, the Great Depression and the Civil Rights Movement. Upon completion of the conference, students gain a greater sense of understanding of the role of individuals in American democracy as well as the responsibilities of being a leader.

The CYLC is a nonpartisan educational organization. Since 1985, the council has inspired

LAW FIRM DONATES TO CHILDREN’S MEMORIAL

The law firm of Searcy, Denney, Scarola,

cently donated $2,500 to the Angel

Memorial Garden to be built in Our Lady Queen of Peace Cemetery on Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. For more info., visit www. ourqueen.org. Pictured above, Ken

and Marianne

of

from John Shipley (center) and Chris Searcy (right).

more than 200,000 young people to achieve their full leadership potential. Members of the U.S. Congress join the council’s commitment by serving on the CYLC Honorary Congressional Board of Advisors. In addition, more than

40 embassies participate in the council’s Honorary Board of Embassies. For additional information on the Congressional Youth Leadership Council, visit its web site at www.cylc.org.

James Benz Completes Army Infantry Training

Army Pvt. James G. Benz has graduated from the Infantryman One Station Unit Training at Fort Benning in Columbus, Ga. The training consists of basic infantry training and advanced individual training.

During the nine weeks of basic combat training, Benz received training in drill and ceremonies, weapons employment, map reading, tactics, military courtesy, military justice, physical fitness, first aid skills, and Army history, core values and traditions. Additional training included development of basic combat skills and battlefield operations and tactics, and experienced use of various weapons and weapons defenses available to the infantry crewman.

The advanced individual training course is designed to train infantry soldiers to perform reconnaissance operations; employ, fire and recover anti-personnel and anti-tank mines; locate and neutralize land mines and operate target and sight equipment; operate and maintain communications equipment and radio networks; construct field firing aids for infantry weapons; and perform infantry combat exercises and dismounted battle drills, which includes survival procedures in a nuclear, biological or chemical contaminated area.

Benz is the son of James Benz of Wellington and a 2005 graduate of Wellington High School.

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

Members of the mission group gather for a photo.

Barnhart & Shipley re-

of Hope Children’s

Torres, Darlene Fernandez

Stapleton

Angel of Hope receive a check

PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Capryce Brown

Area Women Of Note Chorus Attends Retreat

Fifteen area chorus members recently represented the Women of Note Chorus at a Sweet Adelines International regional event designed to provide singers with vocal education and tools for selfevaluation.

The hostesses of the event were the Bling! Quartet — of which two members are also members of Women of Note. They invited Sweet Adelines International educators Darlene Rogers and Lynnell Diamond to present a weekend of seminar topics such as “Finding Your Voice,” “Self Coaching” and “Effective Performance Plans.”

The Sweet Adelines faculty also conducted open coaching sessions for quartets. The weekend culminated with an overflow crowd observing

Rogers coaching the Bling! Quartet, the region’s 2010 first-place quartet.

Participants of the weekend event shared many valuable vocal insights such as, “there’s a place where the head needs to be to let the air get to the resonators, and everybody has ‘that’ place,” and “using kinesthetics when practicing and rehearsing, and memorizing the feeling, will change the sound and make it better.”

The Women of Note chorus will gladly share this and more information free of charge with any local singer. For additional information, call (877) 966-7464, visit the group’s web site at www.womenofnote. com or leave a comment on their Facebook page.

Nicholas Taylor Graduates Air Force Basic Training

Air Force Airman Nicholas L. Taylor recently graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Taylor completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills. Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Taylor is the son of Virginia Camaratta of Lake Worth, and grandson of Eileen Roszko of Carthage, N.Y. Taylor is a 2006 graduate of South Technical High School in Boynton Beach.

Brandon Marlow Awarded Chick-Fil-A National Leadership Scholarship

Chick-fil-A team member Brandon Marlow is the newest recipient of the chain’s 37-year-old national Leadership Scholarship program. Marlow received the $1,000 scholarship from Chick-fil-A franchise operator Rob Rabenecker at the Chick-fil-A restaurant in the Mall at Wellington Green. Marlow is the ninth team member from that location to receive the honor. He is studying ministries at Palm Beach State College.

This year’s scholarship allocation of $1.9 million marks the chain’s highest single year in-

crease, up 35 percent from last year’s $1.4 million in support of Chick-fil-A restaurant team members seeking higher education.

Encouraging team members to seek higher learning has been a hallmark of the Chick-fil-A story ever since founder Truett Cathy wrote a personal check more than 54 years ago to support the college dream of an employee at his original Dwarf House diner in Atlanta. Chick-fil-A’s Leadership Scholarship program was formalized in 1973, just seven years after Cathy opened his first Chickfil-A chain restaurant, and last year

celebrated its 25,000th recipient milestone.

“Brandon extends Truett Cathy’s decades-long legacy as a business owner who values his team members and encourages the pursuit of educational goals,” Rabenecker said. “Brandon represents the 50,000 dedicated and hard-working Chick-fil-A team members across the country who every day focus on providing the best in freshly prepared food and personalized customer service. We are very proud of him.”

Chick-fil-A’s scholarship support of its team members is even

more crucial in the country’s current economic climate, and the chain remains committed to continuing that support. This year the chain plans to award more than $1.9 million in the $1,000 scholarships. In addition, Chick-fil-A annually selects 25 of those 1,900 winners to receive the S. Truett Cathy Scholar Award, a second $1,000 scholarship named after the founder.

Chick-fil-A continues its education commitment through other initiatives, such as the WinShape Foundation that provides thousands of dollars in scholarships to qualifying students enrolled in Berry College in Rome, Ga. WinShape’s partnership with Berry College offers joint four-year scholarship funding to students, up to $32,000. To date, the foundation has awarded approximately 951 scholarships to students from across the nation to attend Berry, one of the top regional liberal arts schools in the country. Another scholarship initiative is through the Chick-fil-A Bowl, which leads all college bowl games in charitable and

The Women of Note chorus meets every Tuesday at 7 p.m. at Boynton Beach High School for

singing, socializing and learning advanced techniques for a cappella ensemble performance.

Women of Note Chorus members.

Nicholas Taylor

Winn-Dixie

Two Area Stores Closing

continued from page 1 he said. “I shop here all the time. I like it better than Publix; they have better meats.” Wellington resident Camie Diamond said the Winn-Dixie at the Marketplace at Wycliffe, which opened in 2002, was often busy and kept up with the competition from Publix across the street. She said she was surprised it was closing since it had opened so recent-

DeRenzo Unorthodox Ideas

continued from page 1 of the issues affecting the state, he is willing to learn as much as he can.

“I just felt like the Republican Party needed someone a little bit different,” he said. “When you read about me, you’re reading things that don’t necessarily sound Republican. But that’s because I have a hunger to appeal to everyone.”

If elected, DeRenzo said he would work to help improve the state and District 85, but noted that his goal is to use his elected position as a platform to help those in need, including the homeless, immigrants and the youth.

“I’ve taken on a different trajectory — a more social agenda of trying to help those in need,” he said. “I see homeless people on every street corner. Most of them

Donnally A Focus On Budget, Jobs

continued from page 1

a part of the community for the majority of my life.”

Upon arriving in Tallahassee, Donnally said that her top three goals would be jobs, education and the budget. “We have got to get jobs back in Florida,” she said.

“We have to do what we can to bring new jobs, new business, new corporations, new manufacturers to Florida.”

She said the state needs to offer incentives, including tax incentives, to attract new businesses.

“We have to do what we can to cut taxes,” Donnally said. “To make it easier for small businesses to start a business here or for manufacturers to bring business here.”

Donnally criticized mandates that have been placed on small businesses, citing a business owner she spoke to who couldn’t move light bulbs from one side of his

TCIN Internet TV Station

continued from page 1 collectibles expert, which is the focus of her new show.

“No one is going to believe this, but 12 years ago, a cruise ship psychic told me I would have a televised talk show,” Welky recalled.

“She said it would be a long time coming, but here I am today on TCIN.TV.”

Welky has already done two test broadcasts, one on antique toys and one on metallic sculptures featuring longtime Wellington collector Jim Corbin.

“When I was first approached to do an Internet TV show on TCIN.TV, I knew ‘antiques and collectibles’ would be a good topic for me, since I do love them,” Welky said. “But I’m also open to other ideas. Perhaps I could moderate a game show. I think I’d be good at that. Anything except a cooking show; I can’t cook worth a darn.”

Thursday evening programming will launch Aug. 12 with Eye On Your Money at 8 p.m., a financial roundtable discussion featuring Wellington financial experts Ben Boynton, Randy Pfeiffer and Donna Talbott.

“I’ve been instrumental in organizing this show,” Barry Man-

Blotter

continued from page 6 ident called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Saturday to report a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim was picking up her child at Wellington Village Park last Friday afternoon when her vehicle was burglarized. The victim said she walked away from her car for approximately five to 10 minutes. According to the report, as she returned to the car, she heard her alarm going off and unlocked the vehicle to turn it off. She then saw a maroon Ford Taurus pull out of the space next to hers, but couldn’t see inside because the windows

ly. “I went inside and asked them if there was a petition I could sign to keep it open,” she said. “I shop here almost every day. I like the sales at Winn-Dixie. The store is always pretty busy. It’s not very old.”

Diamond also said she worried that the closing of Winn-Dixie nearby and farther east on Lake Worth Road would leave Publix with no competition except by small, independent supermarkets.

“Publix shouldn’t be the only conglomerate food store in the area,” she said.

Winn-Dixie cited economic hardship as its reason for closing its stores.

are battling depression, or other physical or mental ailments. I wish that there was something that District 85 could do, along with private partners.”

DeRenzo noted that he differs from most of his party on immigration and although it doesn’t necessarily fall within the state legislature’s jurisdiction, he’d like to see a registration program set up.

“I care about the immigrant of good will who is here working,” he said. “I wish that there was a way for us to establish a program whereby immigrants of good will could get a temporary Social Security card or driver’s permit, because they’re here helping a lot of our businesses, but they’re here scared.”

DeRenzo also said that he would tackle youth issues and the influences surrounding them. DeRenzo said he is a “champion for abstinence” for kids and would use educational programs, campaigns and community leaders to

property to the other because of regulations.

Donnally compared the state’s job situation to a traffic jam, where a stall in new businesses has led to a jam in progress.

“Business has got to put its foot on the gas,” she said, adding that once businesses are established, they can hire people who will in turn put more money into the economy. “It’s simple, but the first car in the line has got to be jobs.”

Donnally also said she wants Florida to climb to the top of the ranks in education at all levels. “I am for vouchers, I am for charter schools, I am for choice,” she said. “Because I believe that choice breeds competition. And the more choices out there, the better schools will be.”

Additionally, Donnally would like to institute programs for students who may not plan to go to college so that they can have a career. She suggested a program that would allow students to apprentice at local businesses in high school. “If we had a lot more specialty schools, charter schools and

ning said. “I’ve seen the format, and I believe listeners will be able to pick up some useful tips that they can use in their own financial affairs.”

Health Unplugged, an alternative health show moving to TCIN.TV from another Internet TV station, will premiere Aug. 26 at 9 p.m. Several other shows are in the planning stages and will launch this fall.

“We’ve spoken to many business leaders, both locally and regionally, and have gotten great feedback regarding the concept,”

Town-Crier General Manager Dawn Rivera said. “I believe that once we get TCIN.TV up and running, we will have great success generating the necessary sponsorship support to make it a successful venture.”

The TCIN.TV web site runs around the clock, offering a streaming feed of repeat programs, except when new live programs are being broadcast. However, all programs will be available on demand two hours after broadcast.

“Having an on-demand feature is crucial, and adds a huge degree of flexibility to this project,” Joshua Manning said. “Sure, we’d love everyone to watch live. It’s more fun that way, and that’s also the only way to take advantage of the chat feature. However, if you miss a show, or tune in late, you

were tinted. According to the report, when she got home she noticed her purse was missing from the front passenger seat. She called her credit card companies to cancel the cards and discovered that one card had been used at a gas station on Forest Hill Blvd. According to the report, the deputy found no signs of forced entry to the vehicle. The stolen items were valued at approximately $150. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. AUG. 1 — A resident of Wellington Shores called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Sunday morning to report a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO

“We continue to operate in a particularly difficult economic and retail environment in the Southeast,” Peter Lynch, WinnDixie’s chairman, president and CEO said in a statement released last week. “To respond to these business and economic conditions, we have ... decided to exit certain retail locations and reduce our corporate and field support staffs.”

The company also plans to eliminate 120 corporate and field support positions. The measure is expected to save between $12 million and $17 million a year after the initial restructuring and transitions occur.

promote abstinence and prevent teenage pregnancy.

DeRenzo said that to help District 85 from Tallahassee he would look to create jobs, noting that he would petition to bring the Palm Beach Kennel Club’s off-site location to the area and employ residents. “They do employ about 600 people,” he said. “And they’ve been given an opportunity to open an off-site location.”

Being a laborer, DeRenzo said he could relate to those voters who may be barely getting by.

“I understand what it’s like to work every day,” he said. “I understand that it can be frustrating at times when you’re working every day and it doesn’t seem like you’re getting ahead when you’re barely getting by.”

DeRenzo said that in addition to jobs, he would look to promote greater economic growth. To do this, he would encourage incentives to bring business to the area.

“Five months out of the year, the wealthiest people in our coun-

magnet schools, I think we would be able to reach the children and get them better prepared for life after graduation,” she said.

Also on the topic of education, Donnally said she supported money for a Palm Beach State College campus in the western communities. When it comes to the state budget, Donnally believes her experience as a business administrator has helped prepare her to review large budgets. “I understand the hardships of a budget,” she said. “And I understand that next year, terribly hard choices will have to be made.”

To make up for budget shortfalls, Donnally suggested an audit recovery process, similar to a program implemented in Texas to find budget errors in payment, double payment and fraud if it exists. “Generally speaking, $9 million a year can be found in a state’s budget,” she said. “It’s a start.”

Additionally, she said she would look to privatize services and look for fraud in government

“The actions we are taking today will enable us to lower our cost structure, improve efficiency, and build the right foundation for our business now and in the future,” Lynch said. “With nearly half of our store base already remodeled, and with plans in place for additional remodels and new store openings, we are confident we will continue making significant progress with our ‘Fresh & Local’ strategy and business initiatives.”

Winn-Dixie representatives did not return calls for comment on why the two area stores were closing despite being recently built.

try come to South Florida,” he said. “We need to attract businesses here, for sure. Is there a way to make it appealing to them via tax breaks or tax credits?”

Regarding the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, DeRenzo said that Gov. Charlie Crist and the legislature handled it well and also said he would support future offshore drilling endeavors.

“He [Crist] was rather handson,” he said. “It seemed like he was in BP’s face saying, ‘We need advertising dollars to get people coming here.’ It seems like he was proactive in what he was trying to do.”

He called offshore drilling a “risk-reward” issue, but noted that the legislature should ask for a security deposit from oil companies upfront in case another spill happens.

“It affects so many lives so immensely that we need to know for sure if offshore drilling is actually going to benefit the state of Florida and benefit the people,” he said.

welfare programs where there may be abuse.

Donnally said one of the issues in the campaign where she differs greatly from her opponent DeRenzo is in illegal immigration.

“You’re not just talking about the people who are crossing the border from Mexico to make a few dollars to take back to their families,” she said. “You’re talking about anybody who comes into this country undocumented. And that includes people who are coming here to harm our country.”

Donnally said she supports the state’s lawsuit against the new federal healthcare bill, noting that her small business is able to provide healthcare for its employees.

“I don’t think people should be forced to buy something,” she said. “Healthcare is out there. It’s available. Kids are covered by Florida Kid Care. You have Cover Florida for low-income residents, and you have Medicare and Medicaid. So I don’t know who isn’t covered. Everyone should fall somewhere in those healthcare options.”

“Because if it doesn’t, then the risks don’t outweigh the rewards.”

To make up for budget shortfalls, DeRenzo said he would combine cuts with expanding taxes, noting that several entities, including Internet sales, don’t pay taxes to the state.

“There’s been talk about whether Florida should partner with other states in trying to extract money for Internet sales,” he said.

As far as where to make cuts, he said he would have to prioritize the most important areas and either cut the less important or cut a bit from each area “to spread out the suffering.” DeRenzo said that voters should vote for him because he is an honest and humble candidate who is open-minded and will listen to voters and legislators on both sides of an issue. Additionally, he said his care for his constituents and unique perspective makes him the best candidate.

“I care about people,” he said.

“I knew that I wasn’t going to have

Instead, she suggested healthcare reform that would allow residents to buy across state lines for better deals.

Donnally said that she thought the state had handled the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico well and did not favor an offshore drilling ban.

“From what I see, except for the Panhandle, it doesn’t look like there will be much more of an effect on the rest of the state,” she said. “I think that we had a good response team.”

She said the legislature should continue to be prepared for the future. “I am still for drilling oil offshore,” she said. “As long as people are still driving cars, we need oil.”

Donnally said she would support a cost-effective green energy solution, but did not feel that the technology existed to make green energy affordable.

Donnally cited her strengths as her business experience, her presence in the community and life experience, but noted that as a first-time candidate running for

Andrews A Career Educator

continued from page 7 the FCAT in high schools in favor of end-of-year testing.

“It’s just too much high-stakes testing,” she said, adding that she feels the board should be more vocal on state issues, including the recent Senate Bill 6, which would have attached teachers’ salaries to their students’ academic performance.

a lot of money, but I knew that I had a different perspective. I went out and got petitions signed by myself. I went door to door for a year because I felt that I had something different to offer.” For more information, visit www.djdjdj.org.

of them,” she said. “I’m their voice.” For more information, visit www.tamidonnally.com.

all the other superintendents, I think he really knows the district because he’s been there a long time,” she said. “I think because the board has not been able to step up to the plate and be the employer to set the tone for him, things have happened.” Andrews said she is different from the other candidates because she has more experience and has regularly attended school board meetings.

can always go back and watch it later.”

For a sneak peek, two episodes of Elsie Bell’s Secrets and one episode of Night Shul are currently available on demand.

Elsie Bell’s Secrets — Host Deb Welky chats with Wellington collector Jim Corbin in a recent test episode of Elsie Bell’s Secrets The episode is available on demand at www.tcin.tv. A new episode is slated for Sunday, Aug. 8 at 10 p.m. proves, the line between Internet TV and standard TV will begin to blur. I expect that a few years down the road, you may very well be able to tune in TCIN.TV in your living room.”

Right now, TCIN.TV is designed for computer viewing only. However, there are plans to add mobile phone functionality at a later date. “Who knows what the future will bring?” Joshua Manning wondered. “This concept was not even plausible for a local company just a few years ago. I believe that as technology im-

report, sometime between 5:30 p.m. last Saturday and 9 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle through the passenger-side front door and stole a purse from under the seat. The purse contained $35 cash, a credit card and driver’s license. According to the report, the credit card was used last Sunday at a gas station near the intersection of Lake Worth Road and State Road 7 for $109 and then again at a second gas station for $69. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report. AUG 3 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm

To watch, simply visit www. tcin.tv. A fairly current version of Adobe Flash is required, and a broadband Internet connection is recommended. Twitter users can get automatic program updates by following TCINTV. For sponsorship information or show suggestions, e-mail director @tcin.tv.

Beach responded to a home in the Seminole Estates community Tuesday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9 p.m. Monday and 8 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the vehicle and stole the victim’s Pioneer XM radio off the dashboard along with her Sony Walkman radio. The victim said that the suspect(s) had also gone through her gym bag. According to the report, the victim said that she and her husband always lock their vehicles, but there were no signs of forced entry. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

On the ongoing issues at Royal Palm Beach High School, Andrews said that she has already met with Royal Palm Beach village officials to hear their concerns. “I really wanted to know what kind of dialogue they had had during the year,” she said.

When it became apparent a new principal would be selected, Andrews said she offered some advice to the village on the selection process so they could offer input before the new principal, Jesus Armas, was appointed.

“I think they are very pleased with the new principal, but now I’m going to go talk to the principal and find out what his needs are,” she said.

While some have suggested that Andrews is running to settle a score with Johnson stemming from her time at the district office, she disagrees.

“I do believe, when you look at

Lox Groves HUD Grant?

continued from page 3 fine print includes details about communities in the program paying if they exceed their allotted carbon footprint. “I am very much opposed to this town sitting itself in the middle of a U.N. debacle that was never approved by the United States, but they are trying to circumvent it by promising a whole lot of money,” he said.

Resident Frank Schiola said he had read the document and agreed with Lipp. “This is Wellington try-

“I can hit the ground running, and that’s very important at this point in time,” she said. “We don’t have time to teach anybody what the process is and how to do it. We have major budget issues. That’s why I’ve been following the money for two years. I’ve been following the curriculum. I’ve been following the hiring.”

Furthermore, Andrews said her experience with the district means that she can quickly diagnose problems, without summoning experts to explain them to her.

“I am a teacher. I can walk into Royal Palm Beach High School and say, ‘This is a mess here.’ I won’t have to walk with a principal trying to figure it out,” she said. “I’ll be able to see that because I’ve been in schools as a teacher, as an administrator, as an assistant principal, as a principal and as a person that hires teachers.”

For info., visit www.marcia andrewsforschoolboard.com.

ing to get money for something they want to put in Loxahatchee Groves, because if you look at Wellington and Royal Palm Beach, they don’t have any place to put this type of sustainable community,” he said. Schiola pointed out that Loxahatchee Groves has a lot of open land still and he feared that the effort might be a way for Wellington to receive money and deposit the problem in Loxahatchee Groves. “If Wellington wants to do this, let them do it somewhere in Wellington,” Schiola said.

Donald Jude “D.J.” DeRenzo

political office, she had a lot to learn. In summary, Donnally said that voters should vote for her because she is not a career politician. “I’m one

Tami Donnally

This Winn-Dixie store in the Marketplace at Wycliffe is among the supermarkets slated to close.

PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Van Dell Jewelers: Equestrian Jewelry Experts

In terms of creating or re-fashioning equestrian-themed jewelry, Jack Van Dell has seen and done it all. He moved to Wellington and opened Van Dell Jewelers 28 years ago. If you’re looking for something unique to wear, Van Dell’s collection is enormous. Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 23

High School Football Teams Get Ready For Season

Area high school 7-on-7 football tournaments are in full swing in the heat of the summer. Inlet Grove High School played host to Berean Christian and Forest Hill High School July 29 at the old Suncoast High School stadium. The 7-on-7 football games are played with no pads, no blocking and no tackling. Page 37

A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

Business

Banyan Insurance Group Employs A Customer-Centric Approach To Insurance

Banyan Insurance Group in Wellington brings a fresh approach to how it serves the community. Manager/Agent Rob Posillico has been in the insurance sector for more than 20 years. He said that many companies today are more focused on the bottom line rather than the basic values such as integrity and customer service. Banyan Insurance was founded on the premise of serving South Florida with good, old-fashioned personalized service. Page 31

Spor ts

Final Week Of SRHS Girls Basketball Camp

The Seminole Ridge High School girls varsity basketball team held its final season of summer basketball camp Aug. 2-5 in the Seminole Ridge High School gymnasium. Members of the Lady Hawks varsity and junior varsity teams were on hand to teach the campers.

Page 35

Van Dell Jewelers: World Experts In Equestrian Jewelry

In terms of creating or re-fashioning equestrian-themed jewelry, Jack Van Dell has seen and done it all.

Van Dell, a Boston native, grew up around horses, riding, showing and playing polo. His father had a jewelry business, so Van Dell joined the firm about 40 years ago. He moved to Wellington and opened Van Dell Jewelers, originally on Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington, 28 years ago. Seven years later, he moved the store to 13873 Wellington Trace when the Wellington Marketplace shopping center was built.

“Growing up with horses and then living in Wellington, it was a no-brainer for me to design and sell equestrian-themed jewelry,” he said. “My dad started the firm 81 years ago. We’ve been designing jewelry forever. I knew horse jewelry would sell well in this community.”

And Van Dell is one of the horse community’s greatest boosters.

“It’s the horses and the equestrians that make Wellington the very special community that it is today,” he said. “During the winter season, we get the best horses, riders, polo players and trainers in the world. This is what sets it apart.”

Originally, Jack made his pieces for other jewelers and for vendors to sell at horse shows. Today, his designs are shipped all over the world.

“I currently offer the largest collection of equestrian jewelry in the country,” he said. “My collection has over 2,000 pieces. I add about 100 to 200 new designs each year, all based on horses and their equipment, neither

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

of which has changed appreciably in a very long time.”

He noted that basic mechanical tack, such as bits and stirrups, is very well made and aesthetically pleasing to the eye. They are well-designed and nicely symmetrical. He points out that Gucci uses a snaffle bit on loafers for the same reason — bits and stirrups easily lend themselves to earrings and bracelets.

Looking through one of Van Dell’s catalogs, there are bits, stirrups and horseshoes in all manner of configurations. There are boots, fox heads, crops, jumps and gates, saddles, polo mallets, dogs, horse heads, and, of course, horses. There are simple bracelets, intricate bracelets, bangle bracelets, charm bracelets, necklaces and pendants, earrings, rings, pins, cufflinks, charms, money clasps, key rings, belt buckles, clocks and engraved glassware. There are pieces set with diamonds and rubies, a stone cameo collection, and designs sculpted by noted artist Beverly Zimmer.

Van Dell is nonchalant about his ability to design new pieces. He said he gets ideas all the time and adds new things each week. “I’m

a jewelry designer. That’s what I do. It’s not a big deal. I just use the ability, which God gave me to create all this nonsense,” he said. Van Dell estimates that he works on three to eight custom jobs each day. “Many times, people inherit an old piece, which is no longer fashionable but which has great sentimental value,” he said. “I can take that gold and those gem stones and make them into something much more useful and relevant.”

Van Dell works with his customers, first to decide what they would prefer: earrings, a pendant, a bracelet or a ring, and then a look or a style: antique, contemporary, art deco or art nouveau. He’ll then draw a sketch and show some existing samples until his customer is satisfied.

“A fine piece of jewelry will present its design or gemstones to show off their best

See VAN DELL, page 24

Jack Van Dell with his son Alex, who also works at Van Dell Jewelers.

Visit To Italian Festival Leads To A Somber Experience

I went home last week for a good ol’ summer vacation and got there just in time for Milwaukee’s Festa Italiana. I had never gone before, but Dad raves about it every year, so off we went — my parents, my Uncle Jack and I. We got there early because I wanted to see every inch of this Italian festival.

The first thing we saw was a 75-year-old accordion player who has been entertaining professionally for 57 years. Although he had trouble hoisting his accordion, once he got going, he was really great. It was folk entertainment in the best tradition of Milwaukee’s multicultural community.

Next up was an Elvis impersonator who was so bad he would never make it on even the smallest of cruise ships. He didn’t look or act like Elvis... nor could he sing. I wanted to leave, but Mom said that would be rude, so I had to pretend to get an emergency phone call on my cell. I motioned frantically to the others to get up and follow me, and they did. I explained to Mom that we had to leave — we owed it to the real Elvis.

And it’s a good thing we did, because I almost missed the Doo-Wop Daddies over on another stage. The Doo-Wop Daddies are a

Deborah

Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

Milwaukee singing group trying like heck to keep the she-bop in music. I’m a little too young for she-bop doo-wop to have been “my” music (after all, the Beatles had arrived!) but I do love the sound, and these guys did it right. I mean, “why do fools fall in love?” It’s a question for the ages.

After lots of walking, a few beers and some Italian sausage, Uncle Jack was falling asleep, so Mom and Dad took him home, but I stayed on to see Gallagher, a watermelon-bashing comedian whose time has come — and gone. It’s time to hang up the sledgehammer, mister.

But that’s not what I’m here to tell you. I want to tell you about what I saw in the hour I had to myself while waiting for Gallagher.

While milling around the grounds, past the stages and beer stands and food booths and midway rides, I came upon a small tent tucked away in the back. It looked odd over there and, upon entering, the experience was surreal.

Proudly displayed in the center of the tent, on a display about three feet off the ground, was a collection of religious statues. They were beautifully rendered, some from wood and some from plaster, but the ones with the glass eyes were kind of creepy.

To make matters worse, they were illuminated from the base with ill-placed spotlights. Against the blackness of the tent, you felt like you had entered some weird side show. I made the statue circuit and then noticed, for the first time, that the walls of this dark tent were covered top to bottom with enlarged black and white photographs of Italians. I was now making my way from back to front as I looked at each vintage photo.

There were military photos, wedding photos, first communion photos, school photos and baby photos. There were pictures of happy Italians in front of their corner grocery stores and pictures of macho Italians in the

boxing ring. There was even a picture of about 100 students posed on the steps of a music school, each holding an accordion. (The 75year-old whose playing I had just enjoyed was probably one of them.)

Then came two very sad photographs. Having retraced my steps and arrived back at the entrance to the tent, there was a picture of a wrecking ball crashing through the front roof of a church and a picture of a completed freeway with a little ink drawing of a church sadly superimposed upon it.

Now I knew what I was looking at. For years, these statues had resided in a church that Milwaukee Italians obviously considered a cornerstone of their neighborhood. The baptisms, weddings and funerals that took place there charted their families’ lives and were dutifully noted in the church records. It was a place to begin, to gather and finally, to end.

Then, in 1967, came “progress” in the form of a freeway. The parishioners had saved what they could — the statues and the memories — but a very meaningful piece of their lives was gone. It was sad, and I was sad for them. Ironically, the name of the church was Our Lady of Pompeii. Ashes to ashes.

Today’s Flying Woes Almost Make Me Want To Stay Home

It is not surprising that the tourism business is suffering. Have any of you tried flying recently? Forget about flying for pleasure. The best we can hope to do is survive the trip. Remember the good old days of “Fly the Friendly Skies” and “Up, Up and Away?” Now a trip more resembles “The Long and Winding Road” or “Get Back to Where You Once Belong.”

We recently flew to the Dominican Republic for a vacation. Officially, the time scheduled is 2 hours and 30 minutes, although only 1 hour and 50 minutes are in the air. The rest of the time is set aside for delays. This is now a standard practice in the airline business.

Even worse, you have to get to the airport two hours before flight time. Driving to Fort Lauderdale and leaving time for traffic delays meant leaving about four hours before flight time. That left hours of sitting in the airport in chairs designed for discomfort.

We flew Spirit Air, which now charges us to carry our luggage. There is a small discount if you pay in advance. It would be simpler to simply charge more per ticket, but it sounds better if you leave off the fact that two adults with two bags will spend an extra $100, which

Van Dell

Equestrian

Jewelery

continued from page 23 attributes,” he said. “My goal is to create a timeless, one-of-a-kind piece, which can be handed down from father to son.”

When working with a client, Van Dell also can have a piece sculpted to resemble a particular horse or dog. The wax molding is cut, and the metal cast and finished, right on the premises. The entire process takes less than a week. He works in 14K and 18K gold and platinum, and can find

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

can be left off the official ticket price for a round trip. And what happens when luggage is lost? In the past, the luggage was officially shipped free. Now you may pay and still have your bags delivered to your hotel three days into your week’s vacation.

Once on board, the airplane passengers have the dubious fun of first storing their carry-on luggage in undersized overhead bins.

The airline seemed shocked that people would really have good-sized carry-ons. Wouldn’t everyone prefer a larger bag and pay $50 for its round trip? Oops. I just heard that Spirit Air will start charging for carry-ons. Sorry guys. Then we had to fit into seats that were obviously designed for anorexic 12-year-old backsides with no leg room. Maybe they can

the right gemstone. He can restore antique or vintage jewelry. Strings of pearls and colored beads can be unknotted or restrung. Watches can be fixed.

“There is virtually nothing we cannot repair. From a simple ring sizing to a complicated reconstruction of a period piece, to resetting stones and enameling, we do it all!” he said. “Our service is very quick — while you wait, if you want — and the quality of our work is wonderful. All pieces left for repair are insured and in very safe hands.”

Another unusual line is his jockey silks. Each farm or business creates its own silks, the jerseys worn by the jockeys. He recreates

squeeze a couple more people into the overhead bins. What fun it is on a bargain airline! We were on a “snack flight,” which now means the cabin crew walked through the plane handing out half-ounce bags of tiny pretzels. Sodas now cost what hard drinks used to, easy to charge since security stops us from bringing liquids on board. I suggested to a member of the cabin crew that the airline might start “luxury chocolate flights” next year. They could open a bag of M&M’s at the front of the cabin, distribute one M to each passenger. They might charge extra for the seats in the front where people could select the color of the one piece of candy they got. Now to add to the fun, security at Palm Beach International Airport is going to use the “peeping” security scanners. You know, the ones that show you more or less naked through your clothes. A friend whispered to me before she went through security that she wished they had the machines 30 years ago while she still had her figure. But now they seem to be more interested in adding insult to injury. It was bad enough having to empty your pockets and take off your shoes. Now we have the equivalent of a strip search.

those silks, in gold or silver, on cufflinks, tie bars or earrings. He also makes many of the perpetual trophies handed out at the larger, more prestigious polo matches, and hunter, jumper and dressage shows.

Van Dell also has stores at 6231 PGA Blvd. in Mirasol Walk in Palm Beach Gardens and 11051 Southern Blvd. in Southern Palm Crossing in Royal Palm Beach. He is excited about a new venture: a gift shop that will be opening in September in the Publix shopping center across from his Wellington store on Wellington Trace. It will offer equestrianthemed fine gifts, not jewelry.

Van Dell’s son Alex helps out in the stores. Carrying on his father’s tradition, Alex de-

Ryanair in Ireland recently suggested charging people for the use of the in-flight bathrooms. After several people were quoted as saying that they might use the plane’s aisles and cabin crew for their needs, it was decided that this form of surcharge would not exist. However, I would not want to bet against it being reconsidered in the future. I have become increasingly less interested in going on vacations that require plane travel. When you leave at 7 in the morning to take an 11 o’clock flight that lands a bit before 1 p.m., and then have to wait 30 minutes to get your bags, another half hour to go through immigration and customs in some other country, and then start the trek to a resort, you have already lost a day. And, of course, it’s even more fun going through the routine on the way back. I hate this kind of travel, even though most of the people I deal with en route are actually nice. Even U.S. Customs has been polite and helpful. However, air travel has been transformed from a “we’ll do anything we can to make your flight a pleasure” into “you want to go, we gotcha!” Florida is nice all year long. Why go to the trouble and indignity of flying?

signs new pieces using a computer program. Jack characterizes him as a “pretty creative artist.”

“I don’t just design jewelry,” Jack said. “I can design almost anything. I’ve designed furniture, houses, interiors. It’s like a good artist can paint just about anything — portraits, still lifes, nudes. The thing is, everyone has some sort of God-given talent. You just have to find out what it is, and then use it to the best of your ability.”

When asked about his favorite sort of piece to design, Van Dell replied that each new piece is his favorite — until the next new piece. For more information, call Van Dell Jewelers at (561) 793-2661.

Final Weekend For Three Exhibits At WPB’s Daniels Center

Three new exhibits recently opened at the Daniels Center for the Arts in CityPlace in downtown West Palm Beach. On display now through Aug. 8 are exhibits featuring the work of William DeBilzan, Ana Baxter and Vianey.

The California abstract expressionism of American artist William

DeBilzan is currently featured at the Daniels Center.

Born in Amarillo, Texas, DeBilzan remembers his high school days sketching and daydreaming a host of design-oriented art, clothing lines and architectural scenarios. DeBilzan’s gallery representation and notoriety continued to increase remarkably throughout the mid to late ’90s and well into the 21st century. Television shows such as Frasier, Spin City, L.A. Doctors, Just Shoot Me and CSI Miami featured DeBilzan’s paintings, contributing favorably to his visibility in the United States and in the European countries hosting these programs. More recently, episodes of CSI Miami and a variety of feature films are currently being shot in DeBilzan’s massive studio.

All of DeBilzan’s pieces will be for sale during the exhibit. The Daniels Center will also have handbags and merchandise bearing DeBilzan’s artwork. Each item is a cre-

ation by famous Latin American fashion designer Mario Hernandez.

Baxter, of Uruguay, is regarded as a top artist in her country. Some of her most acclaimed pieces will be featured at the Daniels Center. Impressionism, expressionism and even exasperating graffiti are all elements of Baxter’s style.

“My works always seem to be unfinished,” Baxter wrote in an artist’s statement, “because I trust other people’s sensitive contemplation to establish a good dialogue, rather than speak just to myself.”

Born in Villavicencio, Colombia, and a South Florida resident since 1997, Vianey is one of the most popular up-and-coming Latin artists today. Vianey has searched ways to express himself through art, worked in radio, television and theater. He has played many characters with theater companies in Colombia and in the United States. His theatrical influences are reflected in his work; the vivacity of the color, the move-

ment of his brush strokes and emotion are reflected on his art, considered a new chapter of modern art.

Vianey’s exhibitions have been brought to the attention of international critics and press. His artwork is now featured around the world and owned by many private collectors. Karim Guesoous, Bill Jordan, Michael Perkins, Mario Rueda, John Hair, Gustavo Choza and Britney Horbatuk are some of his collectors. Vianey’s artwork has been exhibited at the Satai hotel in Miami’s South Beach, the Design district of America in Dania Beach, the Miami-Dade County Film & Entertainment Office (the Palace Studios) and the Colombian Consulate’s Diplomatic Gallery.

Vianey’s hope is that his art reveals his love for life while capturing people’s attention. The choice of subject, vibrant colors, light and energetic brush strokes are a reflection of what he feels.

Admission is free for all three ex-

hibits. The Daniels Center for the Arts is located at 700 S. Rosemary Ave., Suite 102.

For more information about the exhibits, call (561) 904-6549 or visit www.danielscenterforthearts.com.

‘Comfort Of Darkness’ Opens Aug. 11 At Caldwell Theatre

The Caldwell Theatre in Boca Raton continues its current season with a production of The Comfort of Darkness, a play by Joel Gross, which opens Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 8 p.m. It will continue through Sunday, Sept. 5.

The Comfort of Darkness is the slightly fictionalized version of the real life story of Dr. Anton Mesmer, known for the term mesmerized

In actuality, Dr. Mesmer was the pioneer of hypnotism in addition to utilizing techniques that are now as-

sociated with psychotherapy. The play centers on the real life treatment of the young pianist Maria Theresa von Paradis and Mesmer’s attempt to rid her of blindness. It is at its core a romantic love story that explores the choices we make for a life of comfort over what we know to be true and ultimately more rewarding.

Bringing to life the role of Dr. Mesmer is Broadway star Robert Cuccioli, most widely known for his Tony Award-nominated performance of Jekyll and Hyde in the

same-titled musical, but who is equally known in theater circles for his portrayals of Claudius in Hamlet and most recently the Italian lover in A Moon to Dance By, opposite Jane Alexander.

“Landing an actor of Cuccioli’s stature was a must for this project, as the role is bigger than life and demands an actor who can both fill out the extremes as well as ground the intimacy of the love story,” said Caldwell’s Clive Cholerton, who will direct this world premiere production. “Bob gives us all that and

more. Caldwell audiences will immediately know they are in the capable hands of a major theater titan.”

The design team for both shows is familiar to Caldwell audiences. Tim Bennett with handle scenic design for both shows. Lighting design will be provided by Chris Hill. Alberto Arroyo will provide his usual fashion perfectionism, and properties will be in the capable entrust of Deborah Veres.

Evening performances of The Comfort of Darkness are presented

Wednesday through Saturday at 8 p.m., and matinees take place Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. Tickets cost $38 and $45 general admission, and $10 for students.

The theater is located at 7901 N. Federal Highway in Boca Raton. To purchase tickets, or for additional information, call the box office at (561) 241-7432 or (877) 247-7432, or visit the theater’s web site at www.caldwelltheatre.com. Group rates are available by calling (561) 995-2333.

The Phantoms Review Jimmy’s Bistro In Delray Beach

Perhaps the most abused term in the restaurant industry is “homemade.” But that’s not so at Jimmy’s Bistro in downtown Delray Beach. Everything, and we do mean everything, is individually prepared by owner/ chef Jimmy Mills and his talented culinary staff. Mills had been head chef for a decade at Le Chantilly and Auerole in New York City, and most recently at Tavern 1785 in Lewisburg, W.V.

Jimmy’s Bistro has a most inviting atmosphere: small intimate layout being a 32-seat cozy room with only eight tables, a bar seating area and an open kitchen with a large passthrough window where you can watch every delicious meal being prepared with TLC. The bright blue walls are adorned with unique colorful paintings that add to the overall look. Throughout the evening, conversations between the staff and fellow diners is the norm. It’s a friendly Cheers-type eatery, but the food is more on the gourmet side, and will more than satisfy everyone’s appetite.

The menu is written on a giant blackboard on the wall behind the bar, and can change daily with mostly Italian, Spanish and American cuisine.

The standard appetizer favorites include a fabulous guacamole ($9) with a side of incredible warm house-made tortilla corn chips — a great starter for the table. You must try Jimmy’s tomato bisque soup ($7) topped with a crispy parmesan pastry, and the freshly made lobster ravioli ($12), divinely prepared in a buerre blanc sauce. We also tried the arugula, pear and candied walnut salad, which was excellent.

For main courses, Jimmy suggested we try the homemade fettuccini ($21) served with braised beef and a rich tomato sauce. Ever been to Rome and eaten at Alfredo’s, which is, of course, world famous for its fettuccini Alfredo? Well, guess who’s in second place? Jimmy’s fettuccini noodles are the best we have ever had since Alfredo’s. On our next visit, Jimmy promised to prepare us an Alfredo sauce, and that alone

will be worth a second visit.

A special for the evening was Spanish paella ($28), a huge flavorful combo big enough to share. This yellow rice treat is loaded with mussels, clams, calamari and sausage. The whole fresh blackened yellow tail snapper ($28) was cooked to perfection. The grilled mahi mahi, sautéed breast of chicken, shrimp etouffee and fish tacos rounded out this evening’s main dish offerings.

There are only two desserts from which to choose, and that is all that is necessary! The homemade strawberry tart with a clam shell filo pastry filled with pan-warmed fresh strawberries drizzled with a balsamic vinegar and sugar reduction melts in your mouth, and the caramelized banana tart with Belgium chocolate sauce along with Haagen-Dazs vanilla ice cream tastes just as good.

Jimmy’s key to success is simply to use only the best and freshest ingredients, prepared by regional chefs and the love of cooking, where the customer always comes first. Reminder: this boutique eatery seats only 32, so reser-

vations are highly recommended. Jimmy’s Bistro is located at 9 South Swinton Ave. in Delray Beach and is open Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner. Call (561) 8655774 for more information... and please tell Jimmy that Joe and Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommended you call!

Homemade Cooking At Its Best!

Jimmy’s Bistro owner Jimmy Mills inside his Delray Beach namesake.

William DeBilzan

A painting by Vianey.

Banyan Insurance Group Takes A Customer-Centric Approach To Insurance

Banyan Insurance Group in Wellington brings a fresh approach to how it serves the community. Manager/Agent Rob Posillico has been in the insurance sector for more than 20 years. He said that many companies today are more focused on the bottom line rather than the basic values such as integrity and customer service. Banyan Insurance was founded on the premise of serving South Florida with good, old-fashioned personalized service.

Banyan Insurance specializes in insurance for homes, condominiums, renters, jewelry, automobiles, motorcycles, boats, RVs, flood and wind, as well as umbrella, commercial automotive, general liability and workers compensation policies.

“Although today you can purchase practically anything online, I feel as though consumers don’t necessarily want to exchange convenience for personal service,” Posillico said. “Banyan is bridging the two together, all while bringing a fantastic service to our local community.”

As an independent insurance agency, Banyan Insurance has access to many different companies offering a wide range of products, services and pricing. Not captive to any one insurance company, the firm is able to provide their customers with the proper due diligence while leveraging their relationships with many insurers to provide the best coverage for the customers’ needs and within their budgets.

“When making large purchases, we insist on doing research on the product and the return on our investment,” Posillico said. “Why would we not take that same consideration when shopping for protection on these assets?”

Posillico said there is never a fee for Banyan’s service, and the company still provides the same convenient services of an online

company, such as comparative shopping, policy changes, payments and reporting a claim online. “Some consumers are under the false perception they will get a better deal through an online company,” he said. “We are your trusted advisor who looks out for your best interests, including the price.”

Posillico and his staff at Banyan Insurance work tirelessly to ensure they meet and exceed their customers’ expectations.

Banyan Insurance Group is located at 8401 Lake Worth Road, Suite 103. For more information on how Banyan can help you, call the office directly at (561) 740-8771 or visit the company’s web site at www.banyanins.com.

‘Some consumers are under the false perception they will get a better deal through an online company. We are your trusted advisor who looks out for your best interests, including the price.’

— Banyan’s Rob Posillico

Banyan Insurance Group Manager/Agent Rob Posillico

Corinne Rathnam Joins Medical Center Of The Palm Beaches

The Medical Center of the Palm Beaches has announced that Corinne Rathnam has joined the organization. She will provide care at the Okeechobee Blvd. location.

“Corinne is an extremely compassionate practitioner,” founding physician Dr. Russ M. Seger said. “Her easy manner with patients and excellent medical knowledge benefits every patient of the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches.”

Rathnam graduated with a bachelor’s degree in nursing from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She obtained her critical care registered nurse certification in 2002 and spent the next six years working in medical, coronary care and transplant ICU at hospitals in New York City, Texas and Florida.

Upon relocating to South Florida, Rathnam obtained a master’s of medical science degree from Nova Southeast-

ern University. She is a certified physician assistant with extensive experience in cardiology, family medicine and urgent care. Rathnam is an active member of the American Academy of Physician Assistants and serves as the South Florida regional director for the Florida Academy of Physician Assistants.

With locations at 4623 Forest Hill Blvd. and 8140 Okeechobee Blvd., both in West Palm Beach, the Medical

Center of the Palm Beaches is open seven days each week and accepts most major insurance plans.

Seger developed the center to provide patients immediate access to a variety of medical care services, including urgent care, family medicine, physical therapy, laboratory testing, pain management, orthopedic, chiropractic, nutrition and high field MRI imaging, all under one roof.

Additionally, the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches has an onsite pharmacy for its patients’ convenience. The Medical Center of the Palm Beaches’ mission is to provide quality, expedited medical care in one centrally located state-of-the-art facility.

For more information on the Medical Center of the Palm Beaches, visit www. medicalcenterofthepalm beaches.com or call (561) 967-8888.

Hammel Named Ballet Director At Dance Arts Conservatory

Encouraging the development of the ballet arts in the western communities, Dance Arts Conservatory has added Ballet Master Jesse Hammel to its faculty as director of ballet.

Hammel’s 20-year professional career began in South Florida in 1990 under the intensive tutelage of Marie Hale and Claudia Cravey of Ballet Florida. After performing and touring with Ballet Florida for

four seasons, he went on to perform as a soloist with the Tampa Bay Ballet Theatre and also joined with Demetrius Klein Dance to explore the expressive freedom of modern dance.

In the following years, Hammel traveled nationally and internationally to perform as a principal dancer and choreographer with companies such as the Minneapolis-based Contemporary Ballet Company of

James Sewell, the Denverbased David Taylor Dance Theatre, Molly Lynch’s Ballet Pacifica and Victor Trevino’s Les Ballet Grandivas.

In 2005, Hammel retired from full-time company performance and returned to South Florida to continue teaching ballet classes with the school of ballet at Ballet Florida until its recent closing.

Today, Hammel contin-

ues dancing as a guest-artist for the San Antonio Metropolitan Ballet and Ballet Pacifica, teaches classes for the Bak and Dreyfoos schools of the arts, and also serves as the ballet director for Downtown Dance in Lake Worth.

Dance Arts Conservatory is pleased to invite Hammel onto their faculty as their director of ballet.

“His teaching is topnotch,” co-owner and Artis-

tic Director Rocky Duvall said. “The students have loved his classes and really appreciate his strong sense of discipline and professionalism.”

Co-owner Dorie Duvall is equally as impressed with Hammel.

“He just walks into the room and the students feel inspired,” she said. “It’s totally awesome to see the kids getting so excited about ballet, and that the parents all love

him too is the icing on the cake! We are just thrilled to have such a teaching talent heading up our ballet program.”

Dance Arts Conservatory is located at 11260 Fortune Circle, Suite J1, Wellington. The studio is currently accepting registration for the fall dance season, which begins Aug. 23.

For information, call (561) 296-1880 or visit www.dance artsconservatory.com.

Corinne Rathnam

New Board For Executive Women Of The Palm Beaches

Executive Women of the Palm Beaches (EWPB) recently announced its board of directors for 2010-11.

The officers are as follows: President Regina Bedoya, RB Financial Advisors Inc.; President-Elect Monica Manolas, CEMEX USA; Secretary Marigil “Gil” Walsh, Gil Walsh Interiors Inc.; Treasurer Gracelyn Hodge of Wellington, Ernst & Young LLP; Treasurer-Elect Nanette

Norton Winzell, Lamn, Krielow, Dytrych & Co. CPAs; and Immediate Past President Virginia Spencer, Illustrated Properties.

The new EWPB Board of Directors includes: Nancy Banner, Nancy Banner P.A.; JoAnne Berkow, RosettaStone Fine Art Gallery, the Pet Art Company; Ellen Block, the Block Law Firm P.A.; Minx Boren, Authentic Woman Enterprises LLC; Linda Bozzuto, TD

Bank; Jo Ann Gooding, JJ Taylor Companies Inc.; Trish Lowry, Florida’s Blood Centers Inc.; Christine Pitts, Toshiba Business Solutions Florida; and Jean Treloar, Illustrated Properties.

“We have chosen ‘Sharing Our Wisdom’ as our theme for the year,” EWPB President Regina Bedoya said. “Our members’ life experiences, years of challenges and successes and exposure to the multiple as-

pects of business have created a tapestry of wisdom that is there to be revealed, in a sharing environment, based on trust and concern for each other. We have a unique opportunity under this theme to provide our fellow members with invaluable lessons we have learned.”

The Executive Women of the Palm Beaches’ mission is to provide a dynamic presence dedicated to the

professional and personal advancement of women through networking, sharing resources and encouraging leadership. Through Executive Women Outreach, the organization provides financial support to scholarships and community projects.

For more information regarding Executive Women of the Palm Beaches, call (561) 684-9117 or visit www.ewpb.org.

Overhauled SBA Web Site Scheduled To Go Live This Fall

The U.S. Small Business Administration recently announced that a complete redesign of its web site, sba.gov, will launch this fall.

The new sba.gov will make it easier for small businesses, lending institutions, small business counselors and other members of the small business community to more quickly find the information they need

Send business news

through a simplified navigation structure. In addition, new features will allow users to tailor their experience to provide information that is specific to their needs and location.

The new web site also will offer a dedicated lender area that helps banks and other financial institutions that partner with the SBA.

“Our goal as an agency is to get information, tools and

The Town-Crier,

services into the hands of small business owners more quickly so they can spend more time doing what they do best — creating the jobs that will drive our economic recovery,” SBA Administrator Karen Mills said.

“Through a new, personalized and dynamic sba.gov, we will be better able to support job growth across the country.”

The web site redesign is

part of the SBA’s goal to create a dynamic online presence that delivers information to customers wherever they are online. To achieve this goal, the agency recently began using social media to reach constituents through a variety of online channels such as Facebook and Twitter.

The agency also recently launched an improved search function on the cur-

rent sba.gov web site that vastly improves the speed at which users can find the information they are looking for in advance of the launch of the new site this fall.

The web site redesign is also the flagship initiative of the SBA’s Open Government Plan and addresses all three of the agency’s Open Government goals — transparency, participation and collaboration — by provid-

ing direct access to agency programs and operations, allowing users to customize their online experience, and, beginning next year, incorporating community features such as discussion forums and public feedback tools.

For additional information about the U.S. Small Business Administration’s online expansion, visit www.sba.gov/next.

Regina Bedoya

SRHS HOSTS FINAL WEEK OF GIRLS SUMMER BASKETBALL CAMP

The Seminole Ridge High School girls varsity basketball team held its final season of summer basketball camp Aug. 2-5 in the Seminole Ridge High School gymnasium. Several members of the Lady Hawks varsity and junior varsity teams were on hand to teach campers techniques for shooting, dribbling, passing and other game skills.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Nicole Gamble catches a pass.

Jana Senderling catches a pass.

Kelli Lees shows Shalynn Kelly the proper way to hold the ball when shooting.Camp counselors line up to demonstrate a dribbling drill.

Head coach Scott O’Hara explains a passing drill while campers look on.

Olivia Pace keeps her eye on the basket while camp counselor Bianca Lagos watches.

Lady Hawks point guard Sasha Mayne demonstrates proper dribbling technique.

Kylie Shivers takes a shot at the basket while Cristina Richards watches.

Bianca Lagos (right) takes the ball down the court.

Campers practice passing with the camp counselors.

High School Football Teams Prepare For The Coming Season

By Bryan Gayoso Town-Crier Staff Report

Area high school 7-on-7 football tournaments are in full swing in the heat of the summer. Inlet Grove High School played host to Berean Christian and Forest Hill High School on Thursday, July 29 at the old Suncoast High School stadium.

The 7-on-7 football games are played with no pads, no blocking and no tackling. Offensive and de-

fensive linemen do not participate. The drills are designed to develop the skills of quarterbacks, backs, ends and receivers.

Play starts on the 40 or 45 yard line with two first downs to try to score a touchdown. There is no kicking or extra-point attempts. A player is down when he is touched by a player from the opposing team with two hands. Running plays are almost nonexistent due to the ab-

sence of linemen. Some teams will sneak a run on occasion.

The 7-on-7 games may involve teams from high school divisions 1A through 6A. Participation is optional but encouraged and is primarily designed as additional conditioning for the players and also allows coaches the opportunity to evaluate players and get a feel for how competitive their team will be in the fall.

PHOTOS BY BRYAN GAYOSO/TOWN-CRIER

Inlet Grove’s Torey Lewis warms up during drills.

Inlet Grove’s Tarius Stanford celebrates a touchdown. Berean’s coaches take the opportunity for a teaching moment.

Berean Christian’s Doug Terrana lines up against Inlet Grove’s Da’Fonzo Greer.

Inlet Grove’s Shawun Lurry attempts a catch.

Berean’s Alex Moise avoids the tag.

Predators 10-U Team Tops Panthers

After a few nail-biting innings against the Boca Panthers at St. Lucie Mets’ Digital Domain Park in Port St. Lucie, the Royal Palm Beach Predators 10-U travel baseball team came out with the win.

In the bottom of the third inning, the Predators (the home team) were down by three runs with a score of 5-2. When the Predators’ bats woke up, they were able to tie the game 5-5 at the bottom of the third. Tyler Barrella and the defense were able to hold them for the fourth. Royal Palm Beach really turned it on, scoring 10 runs for a 15-5 score at the bottom of the fourth.

James Genovese was the Predators’ starting pitcher, and Danny Kramer also took a turn on the mound. Tyler Barrella led the pitching team with five strikeouts in two innings. Jonathon Sasson was in the bullpen when the game was called.

The Predators were able to hold the Panthers thanks to put-outs by Austin Houk, James Genovese, Stevie Holloway and Danny Kramer. Julian Reitor, Ryan Lange, Dylan Lloyd, Christopher Valle, Jonathon Sasson and Tyler Retzler played a great game to help stop the Panthers. No balls got by the Predators to the far fence to allow for extra bases.

The entire team was productive at bat. Christopher Valle and Stevie Holloway came away with triples. Every player hit in the game with very few strikeouts. The Predators

thank Retzler, their guest player, for substituting in this game. He was a great addition to both offense and defense, and the team looks forward to playing ball with him again.

FYSA Names Hasan Coach Of The Year

The Florida Youth Soccer Association has selected Coach Mal Hasan of the Royal Palm Beach Strikers Soccer Club as the 2010 Coach of the Year. Hasan was recently presented with the award at a ceremony held in Orlando at the Walt Disney Coronado Resort.

The award is given annually to recognize the individual who has demonstrated exemplary efforts in the coaching of youth soccer players, the ability to promote good sportsmanship and fair play, a favorable basic attitude toward the game and players, offering quality instruction, and having made a positive contribution to coaching in FYSA. The recipient’s experience and success as both a player and a coach, along with his or her excellence in the development of players, are also criteria for this prestigious award.

Hasan is originally from Buffalo, N.Y. He has extensive experience as both a player and a coach. As a player, he earned multiple state honors and a silver medal at the Empire State Games where he was selected as the MVP of the games. He later played at the collegiate level

on a scholarship. His coaching experience includes head coaching positions at the collegiate, high school and youth levels. He is a member of the National Soccer Coaches of America Association and has earned a USSF National D license. He is currently involved with both the recreational and competitive programs for the Royal Palm Beach Strikers and serves on the board of directors of the club as its vice president.

Hasan resides in Royal Palm Beach with his wife Carolyn and their six children, who range in age from 3 to 19 years old.

Mal Hasan

The Royal Palm Beach Predators 10-U travel baseball team.

• ACADEMY FOR CHILD ENRICHMENT — In the heart of Royal Palm Beach, the Academy for Child Enrichment offers free VPK. Infants through after school day and night care, 6:30 a.m.midnight, Monday through Friday. Meals included. Se habla Español. Special rates for fall registration. Visit www.smallworldpbc.com for more info. The academy is located at 700 Camellia Dr., RPB. Phone: (561) 798-3458. Fax: (561) 793-6995.

• ALL-STAR KIDS — Every parent wants a safe, clean and caring childcare center for their child. At All-Star Kids, they address all of your child’s needs in a fun and loving environment. Small classes with caring, certified teachers, giving your child the attention they need to be successful. The children are exposed to a wide range of experiences to foster an excellent learning environment. All-Star Kids offers programs for children six weeks old to pre-K as well as after school. Visit All-Star Kids to see this wonderful school in action — they would love to meet you and your child! All-Star Kids is located at 14390 Orange Blvd., Loxahatchee. For more info., call (561) 792-5440.

• LOXAHATCHEE COUNTRY PRESCHOOL — Loxahatchee Country Preschool at 16245 Okeechobee Blvd. has been serving the area for over 20 years. It is Apple and Gold Seal accredited. Owners Anita and Frank Rizzo purchased the school in 1998. They introduced educational diversity into the curriculum. The school tuition includes Spanish lessons, gymnastics, computer and swimming lessons. Their method of self-paced discovery recognizes that all children do not mature and develop at the same rate. They strive to achieve a feeling of selfesteem through personal discovery and accomplishment. The non-sectarian philosophy promotes social development through understanding diversity and appreciation of cultural differences. Snacks are included in the tuition price. For more info., call (561) 790-1780.

• MOVEMENT ARTS DANCE ACADEMY — Movement Arts will be holding two auditions for their new dance company. The auditions will be on Saturday, July 17 with an additional audition on Saturday, Aug. 21. The company will be for students ages 6 and up who are interested in competing and performing at local events. The studio is also currently accepting registration for the 2010-11 school year. Movement Arts offers classes in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hiphop, baton twirling, boys-only classes, and more for students age 2 through adult. For more information on auditions or classes, call the studio at (561) 792-9757. More information about the studio can be found at www.movementartsdanceacademy.com.

• NOAH’S ARK — Noah’s Ark is located on Okeechobee Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves. They offer free VPK. Low rates and special registration for fall. They offer care for infants and preschool children as well as after-school care. Se habla Español. Noah’s Ark is conveniently located at 14563 Okeechobee Blvd. between Royal Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves elementary schools. Call (561) 753-6624 for more info.

• SACRED HEART SCHOOL — Sacred Heart is committed to cultivating the intellectual, creative, social, moral and spiritual needs of each student. They provide students with an environment that will challenge and encourage them to reach their potential, preparing them for the competitive nature of the world. Sacred Heart’s basketball, soccer and softball teams consistently rank in the top three in the league; the marching, concert and jazz bands have taken top honors locally and in statewide competitions; their Odyssey of the Mind teams have placed in the top five at the state level. Sacred Heart School will prepare your child for life… with love! For more info., call (561) 582-2242 or visit www.sacredheartschoollakeworth.com.

• ST. DAVID’S EPISCOPAL SCHOOL — St. David’s is a small Christian school located at the northwest corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace. Their mission is to minister to each child and family by providing an environment of love, security, belonging and learning. They are committed to low student-teacher ratios (kindergarten and first grade never have more than 12 students per teacher). A combination of the A Beka and Creative curriculum is used for all students ages 2½ through first grade. The combined curriculum allows for teaming through student play and exploration, along with the use of workbooks and teacher-guided activities. Visit www.stdavidsepiscopal.com or call (561) 793-1272 for more info.

• TEMPLE BETH TORAH PRESCHOOL — A quality educational foundation is the basis for future academic success. If your child is between 15 months and kindergarten, Temple Beth Torah’s Leonie Arguetty Preschool is Wellington’s oldest and most respected preschool. Your child will enjoy a variety of activities that will make them smile, while promoting learning and social development. Activities include reading and writing skills, computation skills, gymnastics, computers, foreign language, and art and music appreciation. The school also features a state-of-the-art playground. All of this is available in a secure, loving and nurturing environment. Gold Seal, NAEYC-accredited program with full-time and part-time programs. Now enrolling for preschool 2010-11. VPK is available. For more info., contact Sandy at (561) 7932649 or psdirector@templebethtorah.net.

• TEMPLE BETH ZION PRESCHOOL AND RELIGIOUS SCHOOL — At Temple Beth Zion’s preschool, children of all faiths learn and play together in a loving, nurturing learning environment. The school is Apple accredited school using the Creative Curriculum program. The school is accepting applications for ages 2 through 5. They offer free VPK classes that have no hidden fees or required extra hours. Ask about the “Mommy & Me” program. “My First Jewish Experience” and “More Jewish Experience” (ages 5-6 & 6-7) is a fun Montessori-style experience including art, music, holidays, prayers and customs. For more information, call (561) 798-3737 (preschool) or (561) 798-8888. Visit www.templebethzion.net for details.

• THE KING’S ACADEMY — The King’s Academy is a private, non-profit, college-preparatory, interdenominational Christian school. Located on a beautiful 60-acre campus, the school community consists of grades K-4 through 12. The academic program is designed to challenge motivated students of good moral character who are in the middle to upper range of academic ability. Honors and Advanced Placement classes are available for all students in preparing for college-level work. Students may participate in a multitude of clubs, athletic and fine arts programs. For more information, visit www.TKA.net or call (561) 686-4244, ext. 335.

• THE SOUTH FLORIDA SCIENCE MUSEUM — The South Florida Science Museum reaches more than 55,000 students each year through educational programs at the museum and outreach to local schools. Programs explore all fields of science and are aligned with the Sunshine State Standards. These programs are adapted to reach students in many different learning environments, including public and private schools, out-of-school time, scout troops and other community organizations. For more info., call (561) 832-1988 or visit www.sfsm.org.

• WELLINGTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL — Established in 1981, Wellington Christian School is celebrating 30 years of educational excellence. WCS offers preschool through high school (PK3-12th grade). Wellington Christian School’s award-winning curriculum has set the path for students to be successful with 98 percent of graduates attending colleges and universities all over the country. The mission of Wellington Christian School is to impact the world by educating students in a Christ-centered, loving atmosphere that pursues spiritual and academic excellence. WCS is accredited by SACS and CSF and provides a low faculty-to-student ratio, a college preparatory academic program, interscholastic and intramural athletics, and fine arts programs. Call (561) 793-1017 or visit www.wellingtonchristian.org for more info.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, Aug. 7

• The West Palm Beach Antiques Festival returns Saturday and Sunday, Aug. 7 and 8 to the South Florida Fairgrounds. Early buyers admission is $10, which will be good for admission on both days of the festival. Adult daily admission is $7 ($6 for seniors) with a $1 discount coupon available at www.wpbaf.com. Anyone under 16 is admitted free. For more info., call (941) 697-7475 or e-mail info@wpbaf.com.

• The second annual Soldier Festival to benefit Forgotten Soldiers Outreach will be held Saturday, Aug. 7 at Bru’s Room Sports Grill (1333 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach). Car wash hours will be 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. All other activities will start at 5 p.m. There will be kids’ activities, guest bartenders, music, a silent auction and raffles. Tickets will be available for $25 pre-sale or $30 at the door, which includes one drink, balloon tree prize and a surf ’n’ turf dinner. For info., visit www.forgottensoldiers.org.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will hold a meeting of the Teen Advisory Posse for ages 12 to 17 on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 2:30 p.m. Find out what’s coming and share your ideas for future teen programs. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Wii Gaming for Teens” on Saturday, Aug. 7 at 3 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Play games on the Wii and enjoy snacks. Call (561) 790-6030 to preregister.

• The fundraiser “Skate with Stars” will take place Saturday, Aug. 7 from 4:10 to 5:10 p.m. at the Palm Beach Skate Zone (on Lake Worth Road just west of Florida’s Turnpike). A benefit for Pennies in Action breast cancer vaccine research, the event will precede the Skate Zone’s Summer Sizzler Skating Show that starts at 6 p.m. Admission to Skate with Stars costs $5 for adults and children and includes a skate rental. Admission for the skating show costs $10 to $20. Tickets will be sold on a firstcome, first-served basis by calling the Palm Beach Skate Zone at (561) 963-5900.

• CityPlace will host “Party on the Plaza” on Saturday, Aug. 7 from 7 to 11 p.m., featuring the Datura Street Band performing alternative rock. For more info., call (561) 366-1000.

Sunday, Aug. 8

• Run & Roll at CityPlace presents weekly yoga classes for all ages and fitness lev-

els every Sunday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. No yoga experience is necessary. The fee is $15, and parking is free. For more info., call (561) 650-1200.

Monday, Aug. 9

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will hold its monthly luncheon on Monday, Aug. 9 at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). The luncheon will feature Palm Beach County Commission candidates. Call Anitra Harmon at (561) 790-6200 or e-mail anitra@palmswest.com for more information.

• Free Cholesterol and Diabetes Screenings will be offered Monday, Aug. 9 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Winn-Dixie pharmacy (5042 Seminole Pratt Whitney Road). No appointments are necessary. For more info., call Cholestcheck at (800) 713-3301.

• Seminole Ridge High School Girls Volleyball Tryouts will begin Monday, Aug. 9 at 3 p.m. in the school gymnasium. Students must have physical exams and eligibility forms completed prior to trying out. For more info., call the SRHS athletic office at (561) 422-2611.

• Temple Beth Zion (129 Sparrow Drive, Royal Palm Beach) will feature Bingo every Monday starting Aug. 9. The games will be run by a professional bingo operator. Doors will open at 6 p.m. with an early bird game at 6:30 p.m. and official games at 7 p.m. Call (561) 798-8888 for more info.

• The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County will hold its next general meeting on Monday, Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the main library (3650 Summit Blvd., West Palm Beach). The topic will be “The Benefits of Our Local Drop-In Centers for Persons with Brain Illness.” For more info., call (561) 588-3477, visit www.namipbc.org or e-mail info@namipbc.org.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors will meet Monday, Aug. 9 at 7:30 p.m. at the LGWCD office (101 West D Road). Call (561) 7930884 or visit www.lgwcd.org for more info. Tuesday, Aug. 10

• The Safety Council of Palm Beach County will hold a class titled “Coaching the Mature Driver” on Tuesday, Aug. 10 from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Temple Beth Tikvah (4550 Jog Road, Greenacres). By Florida law, drivers age 55 and older get an auto insurance discount for three years when they complete the class. The cost is $10 per person. For See CALENDAR, page 43

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

CALENDAR, continued from page 42 more info., visit www.safetycouncilpbc.org or call (561) 845-8233.

• The Wellington Village Council will meet Tuesday, Aug. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). For more info., call (561) 7914000 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.

Wednesday, Aug. 11

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach) will feature “Bookbinding” on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 3:30 p.m. for ages 10 to 14. Learn how to make a simple book to keep or give as a gift. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Once Upon a Time: Snow White” for children of all ages on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 3:30 p.m. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Northern Palm Beach Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association will host its monthly meeting Wednesday, Aug. 11 at the PGA Doubletree Hotel (4431 PGA Blvd., Palm Beach Gardens). Networking will take place from 6 to 6:30 p.m. with the dinner and program beginning at 6:30 p.m. The cost is $35, and guests are welcome. The program will feature a discussion on chapter structure and teamwork. RSVP to Sharon Maupin at (561) 6243816.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Writers’ Critique Workshop” for adults on Wednesday, Aug. 11 at 6:30 p.m. Share, offer and accept constructive criticism and comments to improve your fiction, nonfiction and poetry in a supportive atmosphere led by Florida Writers Association member Mark Adduci. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Thursday, Aug. 12

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Back to School” for age 5 and up on Thursday, Aug. 12 at 11:15 a.m. Get back in the groove for school with funny stories and crafts. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Back to School” on Thursday, Aug. 12 at 2:30 p.m. for ages 5 to 9. Read stories, make a craft and watch a short movie about going back to school. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Norton Museum of Art (1451 South Olive Ave., West Palm Beach) will host “Art After Dark” from 5 to 9 p.m. the second Thursday of every month. Museum visitors

can enjoy the museum after hours with live music, food and drink, gallery tours, film screenings and more. Call (561) 832-5196 or visit www.norton.org for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will offer “Pizza, Pages & Parody” for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Aug. 12 at 6:30 p.m. Compare Meyer’s Twilight to Harvard Lampoon’s hilarious Nightlight available at the children’s desk. Food will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a Candidates Forum with the candidates for the Palm Beach County School Board in districts 2, 3 and 6 on Thursday, Aug. 12 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call Tracey Benson at (561) 7906200 or e-mail tracey@palmswest.com for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a meeting of the Teen Advisory Group for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Aug. 12 at 7:30 p.m. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register. Friday, Aug. 13

• The Lake Worth Playhouse (713 Lake Ave., Lake Worth) will present The Magical Land of Oz on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 13 and 14. Call (561) 586-6410 or visit www.lakeworthplayhouse.org for more info. Saturday, Aug. 14

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host its second annual Back to School Bonanza on Saturday, Aug. 14 from 9 a.m. to noon. The storewide event includes a breakfast barbecue for a $5 donation to the Police Athletic League, magic show, in-store samplings of all-natural lunchbox favorites and a free ID card, compliments of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue will have emergency vehicles on display for all to explore. For more info., call (561) 9044000.

• The Morikami Museum & Japanese Gardens (4000 Morikami Park Road, Delray Beach) will host its annual Bon Festival on Saturday, Aug. 14 from 4 to 9 p.m. Bon is inspired by Obon, Japan’s traditional three-day holiday honoring ancestors. Call (561) 495-0233 or visit www.morikami.org for more info.

Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.

CHRISTY’S NY CHEESECAKE NEEDS MORE HELP! — FT Counter position. Experienced only. 5:45 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Drug Testing. 561-795-3244

VOLUNTEER AT AN ANIMAL SANCTUARY HORSE FARM - 14 + up, community Service. 792-2666

TEACHERS/TUTORS P/T

Flexible Hrs. Great Pay. MATH • STUDY SKILLS SAT/ACT Certification/Experience Required Fax: 828-8128

Email:tutorking@wpb3331980.com

DENTAL ASSISTANT - Wellington upscale dental office, 2 Saturdays per month a requirement, must have experience and expanded duties certificate, excellent pay and benefits. Please call 561 204 4494 and fax resume to 561 204 2840.

DENTAL OFFICE ASSISTANT

MANAGER — Minimum two years dental experience, two Saturdays per month required, must have knowledge of PPO dental insurance, breakdowns and verification. Excellent pay and benefits. Please call 561 204 4494 and fax resume to 561 204 2840.

LANDSCAPER – NEEDED PART TIME – Experience preferred Call Landscaping & Lawn maintenance. Call 644-5547

CUTE, CUDDLY ALPACAS — 2 young males - $1,800 for pair. 561792-2666. Easy to care for and fun to have

PERSIAN KITTENS CFA REGISTERED — have had all shots and FL Health Certificate black female and blue M&F. 8 weeks old will be ready second week of August. Reserve your choice now. 561-6844589 (1111641)

TOWNHOME FOR RENT — 2/2 2 car garage. Lakefront seasonal or annual lease.No Pets 561-6442019

2 STUDIO APARTMENTS ON FARM — Spanish tile A/C furnished $450 month & $545 month. 561222-9432

BEAUTIFUL APT FOR RENT — in Delray Beach 1 bedroom 2 bath, condo near beach, shopping. all appliances,w/d. asking 800 monthly. Call 516-935-3541 over 55 cmty.

HOUSECLEANING —Reliable with long term clients. Over 12 yesr experience. Ref. available. Karen 561632-2271

RESIDENTIAL HOUSE CLEANING — call for a free estimate, responsible, reliable, 20 yrs experience. No job too big or too small. 561-351-0904

MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support &troubleshooting www.mobiletec.net. 561-248-2611

D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3339433 or Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach We accept major credit cards.

ROOMMATE WANTED — Female seeking female roommate to share furnished single family waterfront home in nice Wellington neighborhood. All utilities included plus, directTV & Internet. $750 per month. References & stable employment required. For more information call 561-385-5199

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. —Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

KRAMER REFRIGERATION & AIR CONDITIONING — FAST • FAIR • FRIENDLY SERVICE Commercial/ Residential. New installation and repair. CAC 1816299 561-902-7497

A/C SALES & SERVICE — New, used, scratch & dent. If you used anyone but Glover’s A/C, you probably paid too much! U10163. 7937388

EAST COAST AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC. — Service • Sales • Repairs • Installation ALL MAKES & MODELS. Call us before you replace you’re A/C Unit! FREE 2nd Opinion. 561-4782662. Credit Cards Accepted.

J.C. TEETS & CO. — Concierge Accounting. discreet, confidential, individualized service to manage all of your personalized financial needs.Visit us at www.jcteets.com or call 561-632-0635

FAMILY CHILDCARE — available in my Acreage home. Affordable rates.References available. Licensed. Call 561-795-0740

HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561-572-1782

ADDITIONS, ROOFING, PATIOS & REMODELING — Cell 561-2027036 561-798-6448 Lic. & Ins. CBC 1250306 CCC1326386

DRIVEWAYS — Free estimates. A & M ASPHALT SEAL COATING commercial and residential. Patching potholes, striping, repair existing asphalt & save money all work guaranteed. Lic.& Ins. 100045062 561-667-7716

IMPRESS CONSTRUCTION CORPORATON — All phases of General Construction Robert Betancourt 561-722-7681 CGC1512363

THE MASTER HANDYMAN — no job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 yrs of satisfied customers Tom (954) 444-3178 BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS, INC. — REMODEL & REPAIRS Interior Trim, crown molding, rotttenwood repair, door installation, minor drywall,kitchens/cabinets/ countertops,wood flooring. Bonded Ins.U#19699 791-9900 628-9215

ANMAR CO .—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528

HOME INSPECTIONS — Mold inpections, air quality testing, US Building Inspectors mention this ad $20.00 Off. 561-784-8811

BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE

Home

Life

Motorcycle

Golfcart

Renters

RV

Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/rCavanagh TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS CALL 793-3576 TODAY TO PLACE YOUR AD HERE.

HOME TURF — Lawn maintenance, landscape, irrigation, tree removal, hurricane prep,stump grinding, HOA/POA specialists. www.hometurfservice.com 561333-5989 No Obligation FREE QUOTE.

MOLD & MILDEW INSPECTIONS

Air Quality Testing, leak detection. US building inspectors, mention this ad for discount. 561-784-8811

RJA PAINTING & DECORATING, INC. — Interior, Exterior, Faux Finish, Residential,Commercial.Lic. #U17536 Rocky Armento, Jr. 561793-5455 561-662-7102

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473

COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/Exterior, residential painting, over 20 years exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident

LICENSED PLUMBER - Beat any legitimate estimate. A/C service lowest price. Complete service, new construction, replacement. CFC1426242 CAC058610 Bonded & Insured. 561-601-6458

POOL PLAS TERING AND RESURFACING — Lic. U19996. 561722-7690. TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS CALL 793-3576 TODAY TO PLACE YOUR AD HERE!

ELITE POOL SERVICE — You dealt with the rest now deal with the best.” All maintenance & repairs, salt chlorinators, heaters, leak detection. 561-791-5073

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING

Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Call Butch 309-6975

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS — Roof painting.Carpentry.Lic. #U13677.967-5580.

HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, res/comm.reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted. 561-842-6120 or 561-784-8072 Lic.#CCC1328598

ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-3090134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC023773 RC-0067207

SECURITY — American owned local security company in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 798-3132.

ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding,