Town-Crier Newspaper December 19, 2008

25TH ANNIVERSARY HOLIDAY PARADE

Opinion

entered your unlocked car and took the iPod that was in plain view on your front seat. In fact, a good number of local crimes wouldn’t happen in the first place if they weren’t so convenient. Page 4

Spor ts

Tough Losses For Emerald Cove Girls

After suffering a narrow defeat in their first game against the Woodlands Middle School Mustangs last Friday, the Emerald Cove Middle School Pirates girls volleyball team felt a stronger blow in the second game. The Mustangs followed up their 25-23 first-game victory by widening the gap to win 25-17 in the second game, securing the overall match. Page 27

Business

Visions Salon Marks 20 Years

In Wellington Visions Salon celebrated 20 years in the Wellington Plaza last month. “We’ve devoted it totally to doing hair,” owner Tom Monticello said. “That makes us stronger. We just really want to focus on hair, and color is our forte.” Page 32

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce celebrated 25 years of memories last Sunday with its holiday parade “Silver Bells in the City.” The parade along Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington showcased beautiful floats, marching bands, strutting horses, clowns and costumed characters. (Above) Chamber President John Spillane and CEO Jaene Miranda get into the holiday spirit. (Right) The float from Sacred Heart Catholic School was honored as “Best in Show.” MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 21 PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Royal Palm Beach To Mark 50th Anniversary In 2009

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Royal Palm Beach’s upcom-

ing 50th anniversary celebration will signify a graceful transition from adolescence to maturity, Village Manager David Farber said this week.

Founded in 1959, the village will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2009. The village’s actual anniversary falls on June 30 and current plans have the milestone being celebrated as part of next year’s Fourth of July festivities, Farber said.

One of the high points will be the unveiling of public art features at the northwest and southeast corners of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards, Farber said. Artist Mark Fuller will create the art for both corners.

“He’s done numerous things in Palm Beach Gardens,” Farber said. “I’ve enjoyed the stuff that I’ve seen.”

“It should be a nice addition,” Mayor David Lodwick added.

“Hopefully we will have both corners unveiled at the same time… Maybe this will help it look a little more attractive for our residents.”

Due to budget constraints, Farber said a 50th anniversary fireworks display will likely be rolled in with the traditional Fourth of July display.

“We recognize it’s a milestone celebration for the village, but it’s very difficult in this budget environment to be quite as committed as we were, but fortunately we’re not in desperate straits,”

Farber said. “We’re comfortable that we’ll be able to make a fullfledged commitment to both the celebration and the event, but we will attempt to economize by joining other events we would have that time of year and try to bring it into our 50th anniversary celebration as well.”

Farber said the village received corporate sponsorships for its 40th anniversary festivities as well as past Fourth of July celebrations, although the subject has not been specifically discussed for the coming year.

“I imagine we will have a similar type of program,” Farber said. “In fact, Commissioner Jess Santamaria, then citizen Santamaria, sponsored the construction of the fountain in Lakeside Challenger Park to commemorate our 40th… that was very generous of him.”

Lodwick said he hopes to be able to hold a celebration befitting the village’s golden anniversary.

“It’s a milestone for our community,” Lodwick said. “It seems like only a few years ago we celebrated our 40th. That was about the time I became mayor. We had a wonderful celebration.”

Lodwick said he hopes the upcoming anniversary focuses not on material aspects, but on the people who make Royal Palm Beach unique.

“We certainly want to take a moment to reflect and appreciate all the good people who have served our community, whether as an elected official or a vol-

unteer,” he said. “It’s a good time to reflect on where we are today and be thankful for all the hard work that got us here, and gather ourselves for what we want to look like in the next decade. Where do we want to go from here?”

Grocery magnate Sam Friedland and developer Arthur Desser drew up plans for a remote retirement community in the late 1950s. A groundbreaking was held for the Village of Royal Palm Beach on June 20, 1959, complete with a visit from Seminole Chief Billy Bowlegs.

In its early years, growth was slow, but picked up speed in the 1980s when the U.S. Census Bureau named Royal Palm Beach the fastest-growing municipality nationwide.

Farber — who has worked for the village through more than 25 percent of its existence — is proud to have made a substantial contribution to many of the village’s significant infrastructure improvements.

“I came aboard as the community matured out of its adolescence into full growth,” Farber said. “We still have some potential for growth, but we’re near full build-out. I think that, to a large degree, the village as a whole has benefited from being sort of an isolated community from the communities on the east coast, in the sense that it had an opportunity to create its own sense of place and sense of community.”

Farber said residents who

See 50 YEARS, page 18

To WPB: Stop Blocking Roebuck Road

By Don Brown Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council sent a strong message Thursday night to the City of West Palm Beach to change the city’s opposition to the proposed Roebuck Road extension or face the prospect of a lawsuit.

Mayor David Lodwick, while not threatening a lawsuit outright, at least held out the possibility while pointing out that West Palm Beach is creating delays, raising costs and triggering unnecessary legal fees by opposing the project, which has already been approved by the Palm Beach County Commission. “They ought to pay for that,” Lodwick said. The mayor’s comments came after a report by Village Attorney Trela White about the road project.

The Roebuck Road extension from Jog Road to the State Road 7 extension would relieve heavy rush-hour traffic from both Royal Palm Beach and The Acreage. White reminded the council that West Palm Beach signed an agreement in 1994 supporting the future widening and extension of Roebuck in return for development approval of three large residential communities along the north side of Okeechobee Blvd. However, the city reneged on the deal after residents in those communities voiced opposition to the project.

The Roebuck Road project,

estimated to cost as much as $60 million for the three-mile extension, is being opposed by West Palm Beach and nearby residents on environmental grounds, despite the fact that some of those homes were themselves built on wetlands. White noted that West Palm Beach has incorporated opposition to the Roebuck extension into its comprehensive plan and forwarded it to the Florida Department of Community Affairs, which will issue its own report on the project.

In reconfirming the village’s position on the road fight, council members instructed White to continue her legal strategy, echoing Lodwick’s interest in possibly taking legal action against West Palm Beach to recover legal costs. In other business, the council was also unpleasantly surprised to learn that the Palm Beach County Solid Waste Authority is apparently poised to choose a new site for a proposed western landfill. Council members said they were blindsided by information they received earlier Thursday that a list of three prospective sites ranked by a landfill committee did not include the originally selected site west of 20-Mile Bend near Southern Blvd., which the SWA already owns.

The original site, 1,600 acres on the west side of the Arthur See LANDFILL, page 18

Doctors Larry Bergman,

New Congressman Meets With Wellington Council

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Members of the Wellington Village Council met with Congressman-elect Tom Rooney on Wednesday to hear his plans as a new congressman representing Florida’s 16th Congressional District in Washington, D.C. Rooney, an attorney and grandson of Pittsburgh Steelers founder Art Rooney, defeated incumbent Congressman Tim Mahoney in November after a late-breaking scandal destroyed Mahoney’s re-election bid. District 16 includes most of Wellington. This week, Rooney has been meeting with members of local governments in his district. He told members of the Wellington Village Council that he would like to have a member of his staff

in the western communities at least a couple of days a week to facilitate more dialogue with local residents in an effort to concentrate on providing services.

“As I have been saying, as a Republican in the minority, there is probably not going to be the Tom Rooney Bill signed into law by President Obama,” Rooney said. “We are going to focus heavily on constituent services, on grants for projects that you might need and things like that. I think we can be very useful. We are going to be a retail political office at the local level, making sure that people have their VA benefits. There are a lot of veterans in this district, so that’s going to be obviously a priority as well.” Rooney, who will be sworn in

on Jan. 6, just spent three weeks in freshman orientation in Washington, D.C., and the theme was the gloomy economic outlook, with troubles in the banking and automotive sectors “just the tip of the iceberg.”

“We’re in for some very challenging times,” Rooney said. “It’s going to hurt everyone, down to the local level, and we’re going to have to make a lot of sacrifices. We’re going to need a lot of leadership from our new president, and hopefully from the Congress… I am an eternal optimist. I believe our future is great. I believe we are going to emerge a better country, but it’s going to be challenging in the short term.” Rooney said he has requested three committee assignments in the House of Representatives,

one of them the House Armed Services Committee due to his Army background. He thinks that his strong background and service in the military can help when having a dialogue with generals and the experts in serving the country.

“I think I can have a meaningful dialogue there,” Rooney said, “especially when we continue insurgency warfare, even though we are leaving Iraq, but bolstering our troop levels in Afghanistan and beyond that.” Rooney said he would also like a seat on the House Committee on Agriculture, as many of his constituents make a living in agriculture. “I am not a farmer, but I will be relying heavily on them and anyone in this room who is in that business to help me,” he said. “I

think I am going to get that committee. That one looks pretty good.”

Rooney said he is also angling for a place on the House Judiciary Committee owing to his experience as a prosecutor at both the state and federal levels. “I think I can be useful there as well,” he said. “It looks like I am going to get Ag and Judiciary.” Rooney said the staff he is assembling includes members of the staffs of his two most recent predecessors, Mahoney and Mark Foley. “That’s for our constituent services to have a seamless transition,” he explained. “There are communities that have been working with them, and they have a relationship. Those peo-

ITID, County Iron Out Conditions For The SR 7 Extension

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors approved a settlement of an outstanding condition with Palm Beach County Dec. 10, the last barrier to the construction of the State Road 7 extension into The Acreage.

Indian Trail and the county have been horse-trading since July as the county sought a permit to allow it to extend SR 7 from Okeechobee Blvd. to Persimmon Blvd. and then to 60th Street North. The district actually issued the permit in September contingent upon the settlement of a few outstanding issues, the last of which was a set of structural, cosmetic and safety improvements to Persimmon and Orange Grove boulevards as they connect to the extension.

District Administrator Chris King told the board that according to estimates obtained by the district, building the improvements to meet county standards would have required about $1.6 million. “At the same time, we asked engineers to give us an estimate for what it would cost to build the roads to ITID standards, and that estimate came out to approximately $860,000,” King said.

While ITID had initially stipulated that the county pay for reconstruction of existing swales, driveways and culverts, King said the county argued that such work was beyond what the project would require.

“The reasoning behind this was that drainage out there is not a concern at this time and that they need to keep the scope of work to additional asphalt that was necessary, and they agreed to the installation of the sidewalk,” King said.

The county agreed to pay for asphalt for two 10-foot lanes, shoulders two feet wide, sidewalks on both roads, as well as entrance signs on both roads, landscaping at the traffic-calming areas and irrigation pumps for the landscaping.

“They came back with a number of $525,000,” King said.

County Engineer George Webb told ITID board members that despite a tough year for the county budget, funding for construction of the SR 7 extension had been retained. Webb said he shares the district’s concern for the amount of traffic that will be put on Orange Grove and Persimmon boulevards, and that the county is pushing hard, as part of the agreement for the permit, for state funding to get the road extended to Northlake Blvd.

Webb added that the original figure proposed by the county for Persimmon and Orange Grove boulevard improvements was about $240,000. “Our arm was twisted a bit,” he said. The first segment of the SR 7 extension should be ready to open the first part of next year, Webb said. “Contractually, it’s in February or March,” he said. “The contractor told us that State Road 7 is moving along faster than that, and I have hopes that we’ll be looking at January or early February to open this up.” Webb said County Administrator Robert Weisman had advised him that an interlocal agreement might be necessary to transfer county funds to the district for the improvements. “This is not the typical permitting process,” he said. “This includes a substantial amount of dollars.”

Supervisor Ralph Bair asked Webb about the existing road that runs along the east side of Ibis, which is the anticipated Northlake Blvd. hookup. Webb said the county required an additional 120 feet of right of way be dedicated in addition to a 200-foot right of way dedicated originally for the construction of State Road 7 when permits were issued for the development of the Ibis Golf & Country Club.

“When Ibis came in, Engineering determined that it might be difficult to build a road adjacent to the catchment area, so we required the dedication of that additional 120 feet to the west side adjacent to that 200 feet,” Webb said. “A road was constructed from that, initially serving Ibis, so instead of building it all the way down, it was built to their southern entrance, so, it is a dedicated road to Palm Beach County. We own the right of way for all of that. The existing road was built to county standards.”

Supervisor Mike Erickson asked whether the settlement would cover the district’s legal and engineering costs involved with the permitting, and King said the settlement only covers construction costs.

“Reimbursement for engineering and legal is a totally separate issue,” he said, adding that the wording of the permit stipulates that the county will pay the district’s legal and engineering fees, which King said have amounted to between $60,000 and $70,000.

Erickson made a motion to approve the settlement of the condition, which passed unanimously.

Wellington To Begin Meter Switch

Beginning Jan. 14, Wellington’s Water Utility Department will begin the process of replacing every water meter within the village’s utility customer base. The village is moving to the Badger Meter Orion automated meter reading (AMR) system for improving water conservation and providing better service to water customers. The centralized AMR will allow water meters to be monitored in real

detection and reducing water loss. The system will also be able to provide daily reading history for customers. Customers will begin receiving notices in their utility bills later this month and throughout January. Notices will be placed on every door two days prior to installation of the new meters. The entire change-out process should be complete by June 2009. For more information, call (561) 791-4010.

have always wanted from a representative was someone who would stay connected with us,” she said. “Having your office here will make it easier for us. When you talk about challenging times, it’s the most vulnerable of residents that will get hit the hardest. These would be the veterans and the seniors, and there will be families who have never had to ask for services before. They don’t know where to go. They may not fall under the umbrella the federal government provides. As long as your door is open, we will be very appreciative. We would like to be more proactive than reactive.”

Congressman-Elect Tom Rooney chats with Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen and Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore.

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Hospital Honors Memory Of Keely Spinelli At Sign Unveiling

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

Palms West Hospital unveiled a new sign Tuesday to mark its pediatric facilities as the Children’s Hospital at Palms West and also honored a local educator with the announcement that the hospital would establish a children’s library named in honor of the late Keely Spinelli.

Spinelli, a teacher and former Binks Forest Elementary School principal, passed away Monday after a six-year battle with ovarian cancer.

Palms West Hospital CEO Bland Eng said that the hospital has worked hard in the last few years to develop a facility delivering first-rate pediatric services. “The only thing missing was a name and separate distinction of being a children’s hospital,” he said.

Pediatrics Department Chair Dr. Larry Bergman was quick to praise Eng and the hospital for building a facility that responds to the needs of children in the community.

“We have a first-rate pediatric emergency room, an exceptional pediatric ICU and a slew of pediatric sub-services, including a growing hematology and oncology program,” he said. Bergman said he and his fellow American Academy of Pediatrics colleagues are grateful for the hospital’s working environment. “We are a family of physicians thankful for a home and state-of-the-art facility,” he said. “We are strong advocates

of delivering a model of primary health care that is accessible, continuous, comprehensive, family-centered, coordinated, compassionate and culturally effective.”

The excitement of the longawaited unveiling was made bittersweet as Board of Trustees Chairman Bobby Ewing asked Spinelli’s family to join him at the podium and extended his condolences before announcing plans for the children’s library, to be named Keely’s Place.

Spinelli joined the hospital board in 2005 at the invitation of then-chairman Dr. Carmine Priore.

“Keely had an absolute and irrefutable knowledge of children and their problems,” Priore said. “I’m thrilled that the hospital will be able to provide this library.”

Binks Forest Media Specialist Sharon Wedgworth spearheaded a book drive and pre-

sented the first basket of donated books, including Spinelli’s favorite, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. “Keely Spinelli loved children,” Wedgworth said. “Keely loved books. Keely spent her career teaching children to love reading.”

Teaching was Spinelli’s destiny. Her father Dr. Tom Salopek, an industrial arts teacher and assistant superintendent in her hometown of Erie, Penn., said he built a play classroom in the basement of their home for her and her big sister Cindy. “They’d have all their friends in and do reading exercises and use the blackboard,” he said.

Spinelli’s son Drew, a 17year-old student at Wellington High School, recalled animated reading sessions with his mother. “I knew the ins and outs of reading by the time I was in preschool,” he said.

Before touring the room soon to house a media center named

in his wife’s honor, Peter Spinelli imagined how she would have reacted. “She would say that kids reading with their parents and enjoying good literature is the best medicine,” he said. “It makes the heart happy.”

Monetary and book donations for Keely’s Place at the Children’s Hospital at Palms West may be made at Binks Forest Elementary School, 15101 Bent Creek Road, Wellington. Wedgworth puts donor nameplates inside each book before placing them in the hospital library. Call (561) 792-5250 for more info.

In October, Elbridge Gale Elementary School also honored Spinelli on her 46th birthday by renaming their library the Keely Spinelli Media Center. Peter Spinelli teaches second grade at the school, where his wife worked as director of the Palm Beach County School District’s first reading training center for teachers.

Palms West Hospital Chair Bobby Ewing, Drew and Peter Spinelli, and Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore.

(Above) Keely Spinelli’s family helps Binks Forest Elementary School Media Specialist Sharon Wedgworth with the first basket of donated books for Keely’s Place. (L-R) Al Salopek, Keely Salopek, Drew Spinelli, Dr. Tom Salopek, Peter Spinelli, Mary Salopek and Cindy Guinn. (Left) Palms West Hospital representatives at the event included (L-R) Silvia Stradi, Blair Heath, Lori Kimmel, Joe Debiase, Mike Patterson, Dr. Ira Stein, CEO Bland Eng, Bobby Ewing, Dr. Alberto Marante, Dr. Larry Bergman, Nori Skalka, Dr. Carmine Priore, Jamie Taylor, Renee Burke and Mary Jo Walsh Watson. PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

OUR OPINION

Want To Cut Down On Crime? Give Criminals Fewer Opportunities

As we head into the final days of the holiday season, western communities residents will be doing their final rounds of shopping. With that last-minute gift-buying rush comes haste and the desire to just get it over with. Unfortunately, that means more room for human error and the increased likelihood that doors will be left unlocked and expensive merchandise will be left in plain view, tempting any thief who happens to be in the right place at the right time. It’s the right time of year for criminals looking for an easy steal, but it’s not necessarily the right year — not in Wellington at least. At a Wellington Village Council meeting last week, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 8 Capt. Greg Richter offered an update on crime statistics in the village, and the news was good. From traffic safety to property crime, the number of incidents over the past year was lower across the board. Richter pointed to four percent fewer crashes per 100 residents compared to the previous 12 months (along with an increase of 170 more traffic citations per month). In its fight against gangs and “street crime,” District 8 deputies identified 11 gang members, made 126 felony arrests and filed 355 drug-related charges. Still, the PBSO’s biggest challenge in Wellington has been reducing the amount of crime associated with the growing area surrounding the Mall at Wellington Green, which is responsible for much of the village’s retail crime, vehicle thefts and juvenile crime. According to Richter, the PBSO was successful in its goal of keeping

College’s Perspective

On K-Park

Editor’s note: The following letter by Palm Beach Community College Vice President of Administration Richard Becker was sent to Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, who was asked by Councilman Matt Willhite at a recent meeting about the origin of PBCC’s plan to build a campus in Wellington. A copy was sent to the Town-Crier for publication.

In response to your call earlier today, here is the history of the K-Park property from Palm Beach Community College’s prospective:

In 2004, [PBCC President] Dr. Dennis Gallon asked the College District Board of Trustees (DBOT) to allow us to do a study of the need and possible location of a new campus. With DBOT’s approval, Dr. Gallon asked me to chair a committee to do such a search, and in the fall of 2004 we starting a series of meetings to evaluate the need and location of an additional campus.

In 2005, we hired Zabik & Associates to do a formal demographic study and recommendation, and in March 2006 they issued a report with the recommendation to add a campus to meet the needs of our underserved students, which they identified as Wellington and the surrounding area. Basically, the report identified a large target area for the actual location of this new campus to be south of Northlake Blvd., north of Lake Worth Road, west of Florida’s Turnpike and east of 20-Mile Bend.

In a subsequent report, Zabik identified for us all the parcels of vacant land within this target area with a brief “pros and cons” on each area. This was the first time I was made aware of the K-Park property, but the report indicated that it was to be used for a park and that it wasn’t

available for the college. No discussion between college staff and village staff took place at this time, since the land, though vacant, was not available. Then in January 2008, I was asked by our Lake Worth campus provost to meet with her and Mike Nelson (whom I had never met before) over breakfast at Nicole’s Village Tavern to discuss an idea to bring PBCC to Wellington. Being a 10-year resident of Wellington, I was reluctant to go because I was unaware of any land that would be suitable for the college in Wellington, and we get calls from time to time about little land parcels that don’t meet our needs. However, I went and was re-introduced to the K-Park land. Mike told me that the land was to be a park but the village was not in a financial condition to build and maintain the park, and that in his opinion, what Wellington needed to become a first-class city was a higher education institution. After discussing this meeting with Dr. Gallon, he gave me the direction to move forward and figure out the best way to ask the Village of Wellington for the use of this land. It was determined that making a presentation to the entire Wellington Village Council at a regularly scheduled meeting was the best and most forthright way of making this request, and that is what we did. We did not speak to any village staff or council members, including yourself, prior to our formal request to make a presentation at a council meeting. Richard Becker, Vice President, Palm Beach Community College

We’ll Miss Bob Margolis

It’s with sadness that we bid farewell to Wellington Councilman Bob Margolis after too few years of service to our community. Being a great proponent of fiscal responsibility, I’m sure many Wellingtonians would happily endorse your running

problems under wraps; juvenile trouble calls from the mall were down to seven percent of total crimes and stolen vehicle reports were at nine percent. Also, Richter said, the number of vehicle burglary incidents at the mall had been reduced from 46 to 23.

When it came time for council comment at last Tuesday’s meeting, council members proposed increasing the number of deputies in the village. Councilman Matt Willhite pointed out that in light of the struggling economy, it’s possible there will be an increase in crime, and Wellington needs to be ready to deal with that situation should it become a reality. Adding more PBSO deputies in tough times is a smart idea and is one way to address the problem. However, their presence alone won’t stop all crimes from being committed, and it’s unfair to expect such a thing. There’s a difference between enforcement and prevention. The former is the responsibility of the PBSO; the latter is something anyone can practice. Don’t blame a lack of sheriff’s deputies if someone entered your unlocked car and took the iPod that was in plain view on your front seat. In fact, a good number of crimes wouldn’t happen in the first place if they weren’t so convenient. By making things easier for criminals, you’re making it harder for the deputies, who have to spend time investigating a burglary that wouldn’t have happened had people been a little more careful. So if you want to help law enforcement on the street, just remember that a little precaution can go a long way.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

for mayor, an election which many of us feel cannot come too soon!

Mary E. Di Iulio

Wellington

Obama Will Clean Up Mess

Mr. Tom Euell’s letter in last week’s Town-Crier does not warrant a response since it was so preposterous/inane. However, his vitriolic comments regarding President-elect Barack Obama are proof-positive Mr. Euell is a virulent opponent of him, a right-wing ideologue contingent who is obsessed by the fact Mr. Obama won by a vast majority. Mr. Euell is not even prepared or willing to give Mr. Obama an opportunity to clean up the horrendous mess foisted upon our great nation by Mr. Bush and his cohorts. I’m confident Mr. Obama will restore America to its original status the as a “shining beacon on the hill,” admired and respected by the world once again and, more importantly, get our huge economy functioning soon.

Colette Miller Wellington

Insanity Invades

Wellington

The same insanity that has engulfed Wall Street, the financial world and our nation’s capital seems to have found its way to Wellington. Despite the worst financial crisis in 40 years, possibly since the Great Depression, our mayor and council seem determined to give away Wellington’s last great asset, the 68 acres of land on State Road 7 known as K-Park — valued at over $30 million.

When told that the state’s CFO had given a prediction that Florida would be over $1.5 billion in debt and would cut back on assistance to the municipalities and counties, Mayor Darell Bowen said, “don’t worry about money, we will get a bailout like everybody else.” Insanity at its

best. Despite warnings about cutbacks in village services, more layoffs and unfilled positions, the mayor and council seem determined to give away $30 million that could be used to help the village’s budget problems over the next four years.

If this is such a great deal, why did the state referendum on assisting the community colleges fail by a large margin? If this is such a great deal, why have no other communities stepped forward to donate their land, or at least assist us in funding the endeavor? Apparently, the only people who think this is a “great” deal are our council members, who also refuse to put it to a popular vote in the village, knowing that it would fail in large numbers.

The mayor continues to throw out large numbers in benefits and jobs, but there is no supporting evidence or study to substantiate his claims. Palm Beach Community College, in its own Wellington Strategic Plan, April 2008, said that it will create a total of five “high-paying” jobs coming online in five years.

The village funded a survey that asked residents, “do you want a community college in your community?” Well, yeah, if it doesn’t cost me anything. When asked in a citizens’ initiative survey if residents would want a community college at the expense of village services, it was a hands-down no!

Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore stated at an early meeting on the subject, “that if the church deal does not go through, I cannot support this project.” Well, Dr. Priore, the church deal did not go through, so why are you still supporting the PBCC land giveaway?

Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto stated at an early meeting that if the proposal to give away our land to PBCC does not contain provisions to build a complex like St. Petersburg College, she could not support it. Well, Ms. Benacquisto, the lease does not contain provisions that

ensure your requests are mandated, so why are you still supporting it?

As a matter of fact, the few lease provisions that actually protected Wellington residents from being ripped off were removed by the mayor, who said they were ridiculous and wanted them out. Insanity at its best.

Residents of Wellington, email and call your council members, let them know insanity does not have to happen here. Don’t let your financial future be thrown out the window by three council members who appear willing to sacrifice their constituents during these trying economic times. Keep the $30 million here in the village — use it to help our residents. Be proactive and participate; let your councilperson know your feelings.

Steve Haughn Wellington

Santamaria A Dedicated Public Servant

I was taken aback by a recent Palm Beach Post article, “Santamaria Antes Up After Photocopying Complaint,” which somehow portrays the commissioner as not using his better judgment, going on a printing binge.

His actions were within bounds on three counts: (1) He has donated his commissioner salaries to the tune of over $100,000 to charity and an $87.21 one-time copying expense pales in comparison; (2) Santamaria didn’t “brazenly spend taxpayers’ money” but was guided by his steadfast resolve to see that his electorates’ concerns are thoroughly ad-

dressed during his term; and (3) a bit touchy in laying out their criticisms, commissioners [Burt] Aaronson and [Jeff] Koons should know that this pittance of an expense isn’t enough to derail the values of bonding and cohesion needed in working together to push critical county projects through.

Copying fiasco or not, I still hold Commissioner Santamaria in high esteem as a selfless, quintessential philanthropist and highly dedicated public servant whose prime goals are to safeguard his constituents’ interests and to work not for money or fame but for a cause far greater than himself.

Mario Casuga Royal Palm Beach

Get The Land And Finish Restoration!

As a scientist working on microalgae in both the Everglades and Florida Bay, I am keenly interested in seeing the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) bring to fruition the concept of “Everglades Forever.” At both the Greater Everglades Ecosystem Restoration conference in July and last week’s Florida Bay and Adja-

See LETTERS, page 18

For The Record

The name of optician Juan Espinoza was spelled incorrectly in the article “Patient Care, Comfort Key At Espinoza Opticians In Royal Palm” published last week. The Town-Crier regrets any confusion this might have caused.

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to 793-6090; or you can e-mail to letters@ goTownCrier.com.

Explosive Situation In My Kitchen Has Me Steamed At Maytag

I always knew the recipe for my late mother’s French toast was dynamite, but I never realized just how explosive it could be. It played a part in blowing up our kitchen last Saturday morning.

My friend Sheryl was treating me to mom’s French toast. I taught her to prepare it exactly as I remembered it growing up. Sheryl had two skillets going on the Maytag smooth-top electric range. That’s when the stove literally exploded, throwing tiny pieces of glass and chunks of partially cooked French toast all over the kitchen. It was a mess. The explosion was so powerful that it put large dents in the two skillets, which landed on the floor. Upon hearing the noise, I rushed into the kitchen from the adjoining patio just in time to see Sheryl cowering in a corner to protect herself from the flying glass. I didn’t need to ask what happened because the evidence was obvious. Sheryl said she wasn’t hurt, so I rushed to the breaker box in the garage and turned off the switch to the range. Retuning to the kitchen, I could see that Sheryl was still shaking from the experience. I was bewildered. “What happened?” I asked. “I don’t know. It just blew up,” she responded. Sheryl had managed to cook enough French toast for a single serving, which she placed inside the oven. “I’ll split it with you,” she offered. I declined, instead grabbing my camera to memorialize the explosive event.

The top of the range was unrecognizable. Pieces of French toast were everywhere, stuck even to the ceiling. I saw the cinnamon and grains of sugar, smelled the vanilla and… Excuse me, but I digress. I was thinking about mom’s recipe. It took Sheryl nearly all day to clean up the mess while I got on the telephone to get a serviceman to the house. Since it was Saturday, it would be several days before he could get there. Then I turned to the Internet to investigate other

By Don Brown

incidents of exploding stoves. I found scores of messages left on blogs. It turns out Maytag has a history of exploding appliances. In fact, a dishwasher produced by the Maytag/Whirlpool company (they merged three years back) was the subject of the largest dishwasher recall in American history. There were several references to explosive Maytag ovens and stovetops.

The following Monday I got on the phone to Maytag. My service call was arranged by Bob, manager of the Home Depot appliance department, because the Maytag offices were closed for the weekend. My first conversation was with customer service department agent Nichole, who was quick to remind me that the range’s warranty had expired less than a month earlier. “This is not a warranty issue. It is a safety issue,” I told her. “By the way, how many of these ranges have blown up?” I asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “You’ll have to ask the tech department, which I’m going to connect you with.”

After a few of the same questions asked by the customer service department, the technician pointed out that my warranty had recently expired. “This is a safety issue, not a warranty issue,” I again insisted. “Does this range have a history of blowing up?”

Sidestepping the question, the tech asked for the model and serial numbers, which I dutifully

TOWN-CRIER

provided. “Can you tell me about the history of these stoves exploding?” I asked again.

“We don’t keep records on that,” the tech responded. “You’ll have to call our corporate office.”

I exchanged several e-mails with Maytag’s corporate office after placing a phone call to the public relations department, the only number I could find on the company’s web site. I never actually talked to a human being, despite repeated requests. My numerous calls were picked up by voice mail, and I received replies via e-mail. “Based on what we’ve learned, while understandably very upsetting to you and others who have experienced this type of incident [It’s an explosion, not an incident, dammit], this is a rare event,” their latest email states.

Rare event? What about those “others” you mentioned? “There are a number of potential reasons why a glass-top range might shatter, including installation with uneven pressure on the glass, a chip in the surface or some other type of defect,” the e-mail continued. I immediately focused on the “some other type of defect” comment.

“Feel free to attribute [the email statement] to me,” concluded Jill M. Saletta, their director of external communications, whom I still can’t reach on the telephone for a real conversation. I’m still trying to find out how many other Maytag range owners might be in danger. I promise not to give up.

If, like me, you’ve purchased an item and gone back to the

store with a complaint only to be told that you’ll have to call the manufacturer, you’ll sense some irony in the fact that the hero of this Maytag range story is the least likely candidate: Bob at Home Depot, who was able to contact a manufacturer service representative when I couldn’t. He also reminded me about the expired warranty, but was quick to inform me that my problem was actually a safety issue. He even called me to follow up before leaving for vacation. I’m not sure I’d buy another Maytag appliance (I’ve had four service calls on a Maytag refrigerator I purchased at the same time last November), but I would certainly trust Bob.

In the meantime, we have the offending exploding range taped off like a crime scene while we await a serviceman, now scheduled for Saturday. I’ll keep you posted on the outcome.

The “crime scene” at Don Brown’s house after “the incident.”

BRONCO

The Palm Beach Central High School Bronco Players performed the Disney Channel’s smash hit High School Musical Dec. 11-16, including shows for student field trips and a children’s Saturday matinee. Directed by Gail

the onstage musical featured a cast of 65 thespians.

PALM BEACH CENTRAL MUSICIANS PRESENT ‘PRISM’ HOLIDAY CONCERT

On Thursday, Dec. 11, Palm Beach Central High School choral, band and drama students entertained guests with their theater-in-the-round-style Prism holiday concert. Following opening remarks by choral director Scott Houchins, the show flowed flawlessly and uninterrupted. Performances included numbers by the girls’ choruses, advanced mixed chorus, Traditions choral performers, and “The Christmas Song” solo by Jessika Roy, as well as various jazz band and instrumental ensembles under the direction of James Yaques and Luke Basso. Drama students read poetry, reminding revelers of armed forces members spending the holidays away from home and loved ones. The evening ended with a marching Bronco Band performance. The next concert is slated for spring 2009.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Jessika Roy sings “The Christmas Song.”

Marshall,

Shenise Nunez signs an autograph for Jillian Byrd.

Anthony Riccobono, Garrett Gellerman, Jaclyn Molfetto, Rebecca Rosenfeld and Shawn Nichols in the tech booth.

Choral members Orlando Gonzalez, Carmie Pierre, Nicole LaBruna and Ivan Villalta show their holiday spirit.

Brainiacs Taylor McKessie (Dominique Jean-Jacques) and Kartnoff (Taylor Rivera) tempt Gabriella Montez (Alexys Martinez) to choose the science team or the musical.

Alexys Martinez and Vince Capo in the lead roles of high school sweethearts Gabriella Montez and Troy Bolton.

Cheerleaders Cecilia Garcia and Taylor Peyton with Charles Tribble and Dominique Jean-Jacques.

The Wildcat team, led by Chad Danforth (Charles Tribble), tries to convince Troy (Vince Capo) to choose basketball.

Christian Jaramillo and Shenise Nunez perform a number.

Would-Be Home Burglars Arrested In Wellington

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

DEC. 12 — A resident of Buckland Street called the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Wellington last Friday regarding a home burglary. According to a PBSO report, the responding deputy arrived at the home at approximately 12:30 p.m. and met with the victim, who said she was in her bedroom when she heard someone knocking on the front door, followed by a loud scraping sound coming from the rear sliding door. According to the report, the victim then exited her bedroom and witnessed a male juvenile jabbing the sliding door with a screwdriver. The victim got the juvenile’s attention and motioned for him to leave. He fled the scene on foot a few seconds later. According to the report, a PBSO detective who was in the area when dispatch made the call witnessed the juvenile running toward the front of the development. The juvenile was found with the screwdriver in his possession and was identified by the victim. He was arrested and read his rights. While speaking with the juvenile, the deputy observed an orange Chevy Cavalier drive back and forth through the area. According to the report, a nearby deputy made a traffic stop on the vehicle, driven by 19-year-old Letavis Scott of Wellington, whom the juvenile said had dropped him off in the area to commit the crime. The juvenile told investigators that he contacted Scott to pick him up after the failed burglary attempt. Scott was charged with attempted burglary to an occupied dwelling.

•

•

•

DEC. 16 — A Royal Palm Beach woman was arrested Tuesday for shoplifting at the Bealls department store on Southern Blvd. According to a PBSO report, a store employee observed 18-year-old Patricia Hodges conceal two purses in the stroller she was pushing through the store. Hodges then passed all points of sale without paying for the items. She was apprehended without incident outside the store and the merchandise was recovered. The value of the two purses totaled $138.99. Hodges was charged with retail theft.

DEC. 16 — A resident of Cocoplum Lane called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach on Tuesday morning regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8 p.m. Monday and 7 a.m. the following morning, someone smashed the rear window of the victim’s SUV and removed several Christmas gifts and $1,200 cash. The gifts were stolen from the cargo area and included a silver bracelet with a yellow crystal charm and diamond, and three long-sleeve men’s shirts; the cash had been stored in the center console. Because of the surface texture of the console and dew on the vehicle’s doors, the deputy was unable to obtain latent prints. There were no suspects at the time of the report.

DEC. 11 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched last Thursday night to the parking lot of a business on Forest Hill Blvd. regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked his vehicle at approximately 10 a.m. and entered his place of employment. When he returned at approximately 9 p.m., the victim discovered that someone had broken the front passenger window. Nothing was missing from inside.

DEC. 13 — A resident of Paradise Cove Lane called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Saturday regarding a criminal mischief complaint. According to a PBSO report, sometime between last Wednesday and last Saturday, someone cut two tires on the victim’s 2003 Jaguar. The victim also discovered someone had cut his wire fence, though it is unknown if that occurred during the same time. The total cost of damage was $400.

DEC. 16 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested on multiple charges Tuesday night in the parking lot of the WalMart Supercenter in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was patrolling the parking lot at approximately 10:40 p.m. when he observed 27-year-old Callington Jarrett make a right turn at a red light without first coming to a full stop. The deputy made contact with Jarrett and asked if he had anything illegal inside the vehicle. According to the report, Jarrett replied that he had thrown a half-smoked marijuana “blunt” behind the passenger seat while being pulled over. The blunt was recovered along with additional marijuana stored inside a paper cigar bag and a plastic bag. After running Jarrett’s license through dispatch, the deputy discovered it was suspended and there was an active warrant for Jarrett’s arrest for failure to appear in court on a charge of unlawful operation of radios/sound devices in a vehicle. He was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail.

DEC. 14 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded last Sunday to a home on Old Country Road regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 5 p.m. last Saturday and 12:30 p.m. last Sunday, someone pried open the victim’s backyard shed and stole a red and black Redline BMX bicycle. Also taken were three large plastic bags containing recycled cans to be recycled.

DEC. 16 — A Hialeah woman and a juvenile were arrested for shoplifting Tuesday at the Wal-Mart Supercenter in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a store employee observed 18-year-old Maria Ponce and the juvenile select several cosmetic items, place them in their handbags and exit the store without attempting to pay for the merchandise. They were apprehended outside the store and taken to the loss prevention office, where the stolen items (valued at $67.99 in total) were recovered. Ponce and the

See BLOTTER, page 18

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives:

• Matthew Lind is a white male, 6’2” tall and weighing 200 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 03/22/84. He has tattoos on his left arm and right shoulder. Lind is wanted for uttering a forgery. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 121st Trail North in Royal Palm Beach. Lind is wanted as of 12/18/08. • Hunter Schaeffer is a white male, 5’8” tall and weighing 160 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 12/27/87. Schaeffer is wanted on two counts of violation of probation on convictions for burglary of a conveyance and grand theft. His occupation is unknown. His last known addresses were 120th Avenue North in Royal Palm Beach and 43rd Road North in Loxahatchee. He is currently at large. Schaeffer is wanted as of 12/18/08. Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc. com.

Matthew Lind

Hunter Schaeffer

WELLINGTON

The

and

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Seniors Club held its annual holiday luncheon

installation of officers on Wednesday, Dec. 10 at the Equestrian Club by Tavern on the Green. The swearing-in ceremony took place in the Grand Pavilion Room. Music was provided by Chuck Vacarro, who entertained club members throughout the afternoon.

(Above and below) Seniors enjoy the luncheon.

The 2008-09 Wellington Seniors Club officers are: Corresponding Secretary Mae Loglisci, Director Ethel Mossman, President Howard Trager, Treasurer Estelle Rubin, Vice President and Social Chair Joan Kahler, Recording Secretary Mary Rowe and Director Sam Nebb.

Howard Trager speaks while Estelle Rubin looks on.Musician Chuck Vacarro keeps the crowd entertained.

Marge and Terry O’Grady.

Community Of Hope Church Brings Visitors ‘Back To Bethlehem’

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

In the dark, quiet woods of Loxahatchee Groves, seemingly a world away from bustling, noisy malls, Community of Hope Church worshippers conveyed their simple message of Christmas: Christ the Savior is born. Volunteers recreated an interactive town of Bethlehem, herding spectators through as if they were reporting for the census and paying their taxes to Rome. Gruff guards ordered the “rabble” to keep moving. Beggars boldly confronted unsuspecting guests. Lepers weakly held out their palms. But in the silence of the stable’s edge, seated guests were asked to escape commercialism and remember the Christian holiday’s true meaning as angels stood guard over Joseph, Mary and the baby Jesus.

The Dec. 12-14 weekend marked Community of Hope’s third year sponsoring the event as a gift to the community. Exhaustive research using biblical and scientific resources affected the characters’ dress and behavior as well as the marketplace setting where carpenters, potters, candle-makers and farmers sold their wares.

The church rallied volunteers in September and began construction in October, which included 20,000 square feet of plywood, 150 pounds of screws, 40 gallons of paint and 600 yards of fabric. More than 30 animals from rabbits to turkeys to sheep added authenticity.

Community of Hope Church holds contemporary worship services Sundays at 10 a.m. in the Royal Palm Beach High School auditorium with special programs for children from newborns through fifth grade. Additionally, youth meet weekly for games, food, fun and relevant Bible teaching at the church property on the corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and E Road. Middle school students meet on Tuesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., and high school teens meet on Wednesdays from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. For more information, call (561) 753-8883 or visit www. gocoh.com.

LGLA Hosts Annual Dinner At P.W. Presbyterian, Good Earth Farm

The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association held its annual progressive dinner on Saturday, Dec. 13. The evening started with attendees sharing appetizers at the Palms West Presbyterian Church fellowship patio. Judging by the scrumptious assortment of finger food available, it certainly wasn’t a night for counting calories. After stuffing themselves with appetizers, the LGLA members made their way to the church fellowship hall, where a room full of holiday decorations and the smell of scented spices greeted them. They continued

eating throughout the evening, enjoying a delicious catered main meal followed by a holiday grab-bag gift exchange. One never knows what will turn up in a wrapped gift, so you can’t assume that what you see is what you will get. It is safest to open and totally check out the gift. If it is too interesting or unique, someone in the room could arrange to steal it from you if the situation is right. Good spirits were evident as the gifts were opened and there was very little stealing. Everyone left for the dessert house in a happy mood.

The progressive dinner continued at Good Earth Farm, where LGLA members visited with some of the animals. The horses won the hearts of many. Members didn’t seem interested in leaving the horses, but the lure of Alan Tobin’s crackling fire glowing in the darkness finally pried them away. The evening concluded with dessert and historical stories told by Bill Hammond. For more information about LGLA programs, contact Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875 or marge@herzog.ms.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE

Loxahatchee Groves Mayor Dave Browning with his wife Sharyn.

Eileen Davidson with a horse from the Good Earth Farm.

Nick Verna as Joseph and Kathryn Hudson as Mary watch over a sleeping baby Jesus played by Leo Luna.

Merchants Brianna Sobik and Judy Yettito.

Antonia Agbeh and Scott Lakitt of Royal Palm Beach offer complimentary popcorn and candy canes.

Victor Copan as “Simon the Patient” with Parker and Nikolas Bussey and Aidan Alexis (stroller) of Wellington

Bobby Austin and Chad Feyas play a game similar to checkers as Caitlyn Berze watches.

Indian Trail Board Approves List Of Traffic-Calming Devices

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors approved the use of an expanded array of traffic-calming devices last week, part of an ongoing effort to improve safety and reduce the number of accidents on Acreage roads.

At its Dec. 10 meeting, the ITID board added traffic circles, the use of heavily marking intersections and painted speed tables to the district’s trafficcalming arsenal, a selection of devices chosen by district staff after researching available methods of slowing drivers. The district’s traffic-calming policy had previously allowed only speed humps.

The expanded range of traffic-calming measures is a component of the district’s overall traffic plan, which is still under development. District Administrator Chris King said the district’s next step would be to decide where the devices should go.

“Now more work needs to be done specifically as to where they are needed,” he said. The array of calming devices will allow the district to install the most appropriate or desirable device possible in a particular location.

Speed humps and traffic circles are recommended for midblock calming, while the painted intersection and painted speed table would be suitable for intersections, where most crashes occur in The Acreage.

“As we move forward with revised standards, we will recommend where to install the devices,” King said. “It would give the board discretion at various points throughout the block where to implement these types of traffic-calming devices.”

The cost of a speed hump is estimated at $7,774, while giving an intersection higher-visibility markings was estimated at $10,000. Speed tables would cost $37,355 and traffic circles $31,713 each. Staff will review the overall road network in the

district to identify target locations for traffic-calming measures.

“We will have staff recommend to you where we would like to install these devices,” King said. “We will have something to work with and you will have something to work with so that we can practice some consistency throughout our neighborhoods.”

King said the district would aim to set up calming devices in a consistent manner in order to minimize the chances for surprise and confusion among drivers.

“We need to try and get a set pattern so that residents are comfortable knowing when they are coming up to one of these devices that they are not coming up to a speed hump at one place and a speed bump at another,” he said.

Supervisor Carlos Enriquez asked about the district’s legal liability regarding traffic-calming devices in case of an accident.

King said the devices under consideration comply with the Institute of Transportation Engineers’ “Green Book” standards. “There’s nothing unique to these types of devices,” King said. “The Green Book standards are a typical standard throughout the nation. Of course, we are liable for anything that happens within our easements.”

Supervisor Mike Erickson agreed with the policy. “We’ve been discussing this for years in planning and committees, discussing every other option there is,” he said. “I support these, and I think it makes sense for the district. I want what we do to be professional. I support this 100 percent, and I’m going to vote for it.”

Erickson said he would like staff to determine the financial impact of implementing a plan as quickly as possible. “I would like to give direction to engineering on our priorities,” he said. “Some of it is already accomplished here.”

King said district staff would review what could be done with existing money in the budget. “We’ll see if we can work around that scope to get us through the rest of this fiscal year,” he said. “We will bring it back as quickly as we possibly can.”

After a unanimous vote to

accept the additional trafficcalming devices, Erickson made a motion directing district staff to bring back to the board’s next meeting an overall look at the district’s road network, with a study of the cost of implementing the devices. Supervisor Ralph Bair seconded the motion, which passed unanimously.

Louda Will Be Town Rep When Joint Committee Meets Jan. 2

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

With the first meeting of an intergovernmental cooperation committee in Loxahatchee Groves set for Jan. 2, the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council voted Tuesday to replace Vice Mayor Marge Herzog as its representative in favor of Councilman Dr. Bill Louda.

The committee was suggested by a consultant who performed a study for the town earlier this year on the feasibility of making the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District a dependent entity of the town or abolishing it altogether. The town and the district, the local authority for maintenance of many of Loxahatchee Groves’ roads, have been at odds this year on several issues, particularly the fate of the town’s share of gas tax revenues, which must be used as transportation funding. The new committee, intended as an avenue to resolve issues of contention between the two governments, will be composed of four members: a LGWCD

staff member and a supervisor, and a staff member and council member from the town. Council members would serve on the committee on a four-month rotating basis.

Herzog is one of several council members who have supported the demise of the independent LGWCD, despite a statement in the town’s charter that it would be allowed to continue to exist and operate. At the council’s Dec. 2 meeting, Herzog expressed doubts that the town and district would be able to resolve their differences, and supported a failed motion to ask the State Legislature to make the district a dependent entity. A subsequent motion to remove Herzog from the committee to be replaced by Mayor David Browning died for lack of a second.

Louda, who made the original motion in November to put Herzog on the committee, told the council Tuesday that he wanted to be the first council member to represent the town and made a motion to replace Herzog.

“I am extremely willing to work out something agreeable with the two bodies,” he said. “I think the vice mayor is spread way too thin. I have not done enough, and would like to offer myself.”

Councilman Dave Autrey, who had called for the appeal to the legislature in the council’s previous meeting, said Herzog should comment. “I would like to hear from the vice mayor to see if she feels she’s drastically overworked,” he said.

Herzog said that coming from a teaching background, she did not feel she was overworked.

But Browning seconded Louda’s motion, saying that the town should be careful about its representative in the committee’s initial session.

“I have concerns,” he said.

“There is a perception of major conflict. This is something we have to get worked out. We have to get people on this team who are willing to work out the differences. As much as I respect Marge, during that first time, that has to come about. Maybe this motion is a better choice.”

The motion passed 3-2 with Autrey and Herzog opposed.

The Jan. 2 intergovernmental committee meeting is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at LGWCD headquarters 101 D Road West. Supervisor John Ryan and District Administrator Clete Saunier will represent the LGWCD and Louda and Town Manager Irv Rosenbaum will represent the town.

Items to be discussed at the committee’s first meeting include road maintenance responsibilities and jurisdictions; coordination relating to the town’s comprehensive plan; coordination with the town for road improvements; and the district’s 2009 permit variance from the South Florida Water Management District on required canal levels. The public is allowed to attend.

In other business, the council approved the first reading of an ordinance that would allow exemptions to the town’s moratorium on new development applications. The moratorium was enacted a year ago to halt development while the town for-

mulates its comprehensive plan.

Town Attorney David Tolces said the ordinance would allow property owners to submit applications for development orders, permits and land use amendments, and to permit property owners to submit land development applications that might be necessary to provide for the elimination of non-conforming uses.

“They can submit the applications so the process can begin,” Tolces said. “The town is not under any obligation to transmit them until the town adopts the comprehensive plan.”

Tolces also said the ordinance would also be of use to property owners facing code compliance action because of their business activities. “Those individuals who have nonconforming uses on their property could bring the property into compliance with the land development code,” he said. “This is one avenue they could pursue to bring their property into compliance.”

Lipp said he hoped that there could be something done for

property owners who have been making a living in Loxahatchee Groves for years and now find themselves in an unexpected code compliance mess.

“They are doing their projects and not bothering anyone,” Lipp said. “They find themselves working with special magistrates and incurring fines. I was wondering if there is something we can do as far as a motion or consensus to address the situation in the near future. When we develop our own land development code, we might find a way to make this illegally nonconforming use fit within our rural, eclectic community.”

Tolces said property owners could seek more time from the special magistrate adjudicating the code compliance process.

“If we need more time, we can tell the special magistrate we need more time,” he said. “If you develop your own land development regulations and zoning codes, you can address those conditions in there.” Louda made a motion for approval, seconded by Autrey. It passed unanimously.

Oath Of Office — Michelle Damone and Carlos Enriquez take the oath of office on Wednesday, Dec. 10, formally beginning their new four-year terms on the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors. Damone was re-elected in August, while Enriquez won his seat in November. He replaces the retiring Sandra Love Semande.

Town Council Seeks To Resolve Comp Plan Objections

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council discussed ways to resolve state objections to a draft of its comprehensive plan Tuesday.

The town filed its comprehensive plan, a blueprint for future development, with the Florida Department of Community Affairs in September. In November, the DCA sent back a report listing 26 objections including issues such as housing stock, roads and rights of way.

Town Clerk Matt Lippman said that he and planners with Calvin, Giordano & Associates, the firm that drafted the plan, spoke with the DCA’s planning staff and got a better feel for the issues they had raised in their report. Also, Lippman said he had spoken with Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Administrator Clete Saunier, and they would together discuss the issues raised by the LGWCD.

“We agreed with the need for a response to the issues raised by the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District,” he said. “This item is one of the items on the agenda.”

Calvin, Giordano’s Shelley Eicher said she had spoken to a DCA representative about overcoming the objections, and that some of his recommendations would cost the town a lot of money.

“In particular, we discussed a lot of items the DCA is asking for, and why they want us to do that. It could cost the town a lot of money to do. We were unsure that it was really necessary. We summarized every objection on the memo one by one.”

Eichner said that as the mixed-use land use category in the comprehensive plan had raised some objections, she recommended it be removed for the time being, as well as language for levels of service for local roads, since the DCA wanted to see studies and more information about types of road materials, right of ways and other data.

“That will be very difficult, and it would be lengthy and costly,” Eichner said.

Mayor David Browning had

some questions about a comment raised in the report about alternative means of transportation. Eichner said the DCA is enforcing the requirements of some new state laws regarding greenhouse gases and emissions.

“The DCA has not come up with guidelines,” she said. “All the DCA has done is send us to web sites for Massachusetts and Arizona. We are still grappling with what they are looking for in this new legislation.”

Council members had questions about compatible and incompatible land uses. Town Attorney David Tolces said the council would develop zoning categories that would each contain certain specific allowed uses, with feedback from planning staff.

“You will draw the zoning districts,” Tolces said. “The incompatible uses are within certain boundaries within the map. When you have an incompatible district bounding against another district, you will have to provide for a buffer. You don’t have to eliminate the use.”

During public comments, E Road resident Bill Gurney cautioned the council to be careful in dealing with DCA representatives. He was concerned that the DCA was mistakenly using the rural-to-urban development process in dealing with Loxahatchee Groves and misinterpreted the town’s desire to increase density from one unit per ten acres to one per five.

“That is not our intention,” Gurney said. “I am also not sure if they are clear about one in five. It’s not to increase our density, but it’s to protect our community. One in ten is too expensive for residential property. The land is only available to large commercial nurseries, and those nurseries have the ability to come in and do a lot of clearcutting and place a huge toll on our roads. They have an ag use, so their taxes are reduced. It’s not right.”

Planner Mike O’Dell, representing a company planning to build on 90 undeveloped acres on Southern Blvd. between B and C roads, volunteered his

See COMP PLAN, page 18

TOYS FOR TOTS COMES TO PIERCE HAMMOCK

Cpls.

The Friends of Wellington Regional Medical Center Auxiliary recently announced it will again offer college scholarships to high school seniors this year.

The Camilla Combs Memorial Scholarship Fund grants awards to graduating high school seniors pursuing careers in human healthcare and medically-related fields who reside in the following zip codes: 33406, 33411, 33413, 33414, 33415, 33417, 33449, 33460, 33461, 33463, 33467 and 33470. Applicants will be considered for

Jonathan Orejuela and Matthew Howard of the U.S. Marine Corps were on hand to pick up the donations from

(Above) Orejuela and Howard collect donations from the

(Below) The Marines join the students for a group photo.

Local Motorists Show Their Stuff At The Classic Cruiser Car Show

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

Despite a sudden temperature drop last Friday evening, classic cruisers filled the parking lot at Applebee’s restaurant on State Road 7 and Southern Blvd. Car owners and restaurant patrons admired gleaming metal under popped hoods, detailed restorative work and custom ingenuity. The group’s top officers, A.J. and Betsy Palermo, organize the gathering at Applebee’s every Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. and at Beef O’Brady’s in Royal Palm Beach on Sundays from 3 to 7 p.m. Classics may include vehicles from the 1920s to today. Best of Show trophies for Best Bike and Best Car are awarded at each

gathering as well as door prizes. A.J. looks for something that stands out. “I look for originality, something different like a pro stock hot rod, custom paint job or something flashy,” he explained.

Several cars caught Palermo’s attention. One of the oldest cars on display was a 1932 Studebaker with a tuned-port 350 engine. Owner Tony Albasina of Loxahatchee pointed out the car’s unique front end and “suicide” doors.

Palermo spouted off each car’s attributes with awe. The ’65 Chevy Super Sport with dual quads and two four-barrel carburetors that make it “purr like a kitten.” The candy apple red 1934 Ford pickup with gold

dust on the hood. The totally restored, tri-powered, Hurst four-speed ’66 GTO convertible repainted in its original Cortez Silver coat. The 2005 retro Roush Mustang modeled after muscle cars from the late ’60s.

Most cars had a story. Mike Larrabee proudly showed his 1970 metallic maroon Chevy Nova Super Sport, an intended father-son project until Larrabee’s father died unexpectedly. “The car sat a long time until I could afford to do it myself,” he said. In the end, he spent more than $35,000 and countless man hours over a five-year period.

The Nova’s trunk boasts a fuel cell, two 10-pound nitrous bottles and a stereo amplifier. “She

can go from 0 to 138 miles per hour in 10.8 seconds,” Larrabee said of the street-legal hot rod.

Sherry Stevens of The Acreage inherited her dad’s 1987 Buick Grand National. “My mom said I earned the car,” said Stevens, whose father called her to help with tune-ups even when she was seven months pregnant. “I had to do everything exactly the way he told me. I’m a freak about it now, too.”

Now Stevens is teaching her own son and daughter meticulous car care.

In addition to their regular gatherings, organizers of the Classic Cruiser Car Show books special events and fundraisers. For more information, contact the Palermos at (561) 389-2178.

LOXAHATCHEE GROVES EVENT SALUTES NEW VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Sherry Stevens with son Michael, daughter Becky and a 1987 Buick Grand National.

Geoff Lippman and A.J. Palermo next to Lippman’s 1964 Plymouth Road Runner.

Tony Albasina of Loxahatchee and A.J. Palermo with Albasina’s 1932 Studebaker.

Mike Larrabee shows the nitrous oxide system in the trunk of his 1970 Chevy Nova.

Mike Carroll (left) joins other veterans to pay their respects.

Vietnam veteran Mike Carroll invited new veterans and their families on Saturday, Dec. 6 to his G&M Ranch in Loxahatchee Groves, where they relaxed with friends and enjoyed music, good food and an afternoon of good clean fun.

Marge Herzog speaks while emcee Dennis Koehler listens. Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue’s Pipe & Drum Corps.

Classrooms Care — (Front row L-R) Christian MartinezVonwacht, Jessica McHale, Odra Dorante and Monte Jason; (back row) Kaitlyn Swierzko, Justin Vernon, Matt Palevoda, Spencer Trayer, Kevin Thies and Alejandra Duenas.

Crestwood Students Break 100-Book Mark

Several reading and language arts teachers’ students at Crestwood Middle School participated in Scholastic Classrooms Care program. Classrooms Care is a philanthropic literacy program that empowers students to make a difference in their communities while nurturing their love of reading.

The involved teachers registered with Scholastic Book Clubs, received a heart chart and started their students reading.

On the chart, the readers marked their progress toward the 100book goal. When the class had read 100 books, the teacher notified Scholastic and chose a charity for the book donations.

The following teachers had their students read for a worthy cause: Laraine Castaldi, Debbie Basso, Debbie Still, Cathy Martino, Kathy Stackhouse, Dee Gierlicz, Lesa McKeen, Fawn Tenenbaum, Marque Drummond and Damarise Reyes.

Wolverine Debate Team Continues Winning Ways

In its first-ever venture to the George Mason University “Patriot Games” classic debate tournament in Fairfax, Va., Dec. 56, the Wellington High School debate team gave solid performances and earned recognition. In Public Forum Debate, the team of Alexa Boulanger and Charlie Burke finished preliminary rounds with a flawless 4-0 record and entered break rounds as the number-three seed. The team advanced to the tournament’s semifinal round, where it was defeated on a 4-1 ballot by tournament runner-up Ridge (N.J.) High School. Also in Public Forum, the unique hybrid team of Devon Arnold (Seminole Ridge) and Bo Lint (Suncoast) represented Wellington and went 3-1 in prelims. The number-13 seed was defeated on a 2-1 ballot in octofinals by the same Ridge team that defeated Boulanger and Burke two rounds later. While unable to

verify, it is possible this is the first-ever hybrid debate team representing a third school at a tournament in high school debate history. In Student Congress, Amanda DeStefano advanced to Super Congress, where she placed eighth overall. The team’s success continued at the Dec. 13 PBCFL at Spanish River High School. In Impromptu Speaking, Blithe Parsons took home a third-place trophy, while Brittany Smith placed third in her Student Congress chamber. Fifth-place honors went to William Fetzko in Radio Announcing and the Duo Extemporaneous team of Alex Brunner and Elliott Joffe. Joffe, Andrew Wunderlich and Alex Hauser each earned their National Forensic League certificates and the Degree of Merit, bypassing the 25-point mark. WHS’s next tournament is Jan. 10 at Boca Raton High School.

Poinciana Students Study Science In The Lab

Poinciana Day School students in grades five through eight were gloved and goggled as they practiced their observational skills dissecting earthworms. The earthworms were about 12 inches in length, so that students could easily observe all the anatomical components.

Using magnifying lenses, students first conducted a thorough examination of the external structures of the earthworm. The most interesting feature was the presence of hair-like structures that function as feet to help the earthworm move.

Students then used scalpels or scissors to dissect the earthworm so that they could conduct a complete examination of the internal structures.

Under the direction of science teacher Ms. Judi Hildebrandt of Wellington, students learned how to precisely and accurately make incisions so as not to damage the organs, and how to properly pin the specimen open so that the internal organs would be visible. Alden Thompson of Singer Island was most surprised to find that unlike most animals, earthworms have five hearts!

After completely dissecting and labeling the organs from head to tail, students were taught

how to take a paper-thin crosssection and prepare it on a well slide to examine underneath a microscope.

Ms. Hildebrandt was very impressed with the care and precision that the students showed throughout the entire dissection process.

“At Poinciana Day School, we present opportunities for students to be actively involved in their education,” Head of School Nixie Swift said. “We engage the student’s natural curiosity and love of learning. These experiences help to prepare our students to be productive members of our twenty-first century global neighborhood.”

Located at 1340 Kenwood Road in West Palm Beach, Poinciana Day School is a small, independent private school for students in kindergarten through eighth grade where “every student is an honored student.” All students pursue a strong academic curriculum as well as a well-rounded specialty program consisting of visual arts, performing arts, technology, sports and Spanish.

For more information about Poinciana Day School, call (561) 655-7323 or visit the school’s web site at www. poincianadayschool.org.

Palm Beach Central High School recently held its third annual science fair. The following students placed first in their respective categories: Shane McDermott, Zoology; Alex Berline, Computers; Saphira Lazarre, Medicine and Health; Patricia Louis, Jared Schwartz and Jennifer Tran, Team; Brittany Roberts, Biochemistry; John Yu, Chemistry; Alena Morris, Earth Science; Phuong Nguy, Engineering; Jeremy Gordon, Microbiology; Melissa Miller, Environmental Science; Ryan Naum, Botany; Michelle Palladino, Social Science; Jasmine Toye, Mathematics. In addition, trophies were awarded to three overall winners: McDermott (first place), Berline (second place) and Lazarre (third place). Pictured above are (L-R) Lazarre, Berliner and McDermott.

Tova Jeske of Wellington and Paola Cortez of Royal Palm Beach examine the components of their earthworm.

Sarah Templin and Tiana Simmons scrutinize the earthworm with help from science teacher Ms. Judi Hildebrandt.

Panther Run Student Council, PTA and students collected new, unwrapped toys for Mo and Sally’s Holiday Toy Drive for Children’s Medical Services. The presents were given to the children at their Dec. 18 holiday party. Volunteers at the hospital wrapped the toys. Mo and Sally, along with Jay Zeager and Adriel Cueto, came to the school last Wednesday to get the toys collected by the Student Council. The toys were for infants up to age 18. Pictured above, students load toys onto the truck.

BRONCO SCIENCE FAIRPANTHER RUN TOY DRIVE

Ideal, Dream Students Take Part In Food Drive

Ideal Elementary School and Dream Middle School are teaming up with Fire Station 28 in Royal Palm Beach for the “I Can” Food Drive. Every Friday afternoon, students, teachers and parents gather at 3:30 p.m. in the Dream School’s auditorium and run/walk as a group to Fire Station 28. Each participant brings two cans of food that will be donated to a local charity.

The first “I Can” event was held on Friday, Dec. 5. More than 100 students, teachers and parents participated in the 3.6mile walk and more than 200 cans of food were collected.

“The ‘I Can’ run was great fun. I loved running with my mom, my four-year-old sister and my friends,” sixth-grade

student Nadege Mossup said. “And the best part was helping to feed those less fortunate.”

Ideal and Dream are inviting schools and businesses in the community to join them in the I Can Food Drives held each Friday. If interested in participating, or for more information, call Ideal Elementary at (561) 7912881.

Ideal Elementary and Dream Middle School are privately owned non-profit schools located in Royal Palm Beach offering preschool through eighth grade. The curriculum for both schools is based on Dr. Howard Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligence. For more information, visit www.idealelementary.com.

New Horizons Elementary School in Wellington is proud to announce the accomplishments of the following students who achieved straight As and made it onto the Principal’s Honor Roll:

Second-grade students — Melissa Gonzalez, Christian Linton, Elijah Albright, Christopher Berrios, Veronica Garcia, Claudia Lucena, Joshua Rodriguez, Juan Salinas, Katie Tolman, Javier Guerra and Alison MacCloud.

Third-grade students — Ian Bartlett, Bryce Cole, Amaris Fairchild, Angelo Giudicy, Joshua Green, Hailey Mesake, Christian Pope-Guerriero, Bernard Scott, Aaron Taylor, David Wang, Kristina Wantman, Derik DeLeon Barbieri, Anik Johnson and Ethan Robbins.

Fourth-grade students — Samantha Taliercio, Megan Ihle,

Nicholas Bolanos, Capryce Browne, Andrew Hansen, Eligio Garcia, Brenda Joffre, Daniel Diez and Logan Dragone.

Fifth-grade students — Luisana Castillo, Andria Constantinos, Nicholas Namacher, Jonathon Neff, Adam Neto, Savannah Race, Erik Ridd, Brennan Cain, Nicholas Fenwick, Angela Liu, Brandon Spall, Parker Witkowski, Evelyn Kassel, Michala Arbocco, Jainline Cano, Isabela Torrerosa, Cybil Bernadotte, Nikolas Brown, Celeste Ferrus, Jacob Sebrell, Careen Biniamin, Amanda Capote, Dheeraj Nuthakki and Catherine Zeng. These students were honored at the principal’s honor roll breakfast. They enjoyed breakfast provided by the PTA. Each student received a bronze medal.

SRHS Artwork On Display Downtown

The Eg2 Gallery in West Palm Beach will feature the work of Seminole Ridge High School teacher Ms. Gwenn Seuling’s 2D art students as part of “The Circus” exhibit, running through Friday, Jan. 30. On display are these Hawk artist works and their media: EyGad by Nathalie Carrasquilla (colored inks); Mr. Sword by Dustin Johnson (Art Stix); Tempting and Titillating by Natanya Robinson (watercolor); Prestidigitation

The gallery, located on South Rosemary Avenue near Macy’s, is open Wednesday through Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and weekends from noon to 9 p.m.

New Horizons Elementary School Assistant Principal Mickey Simmel with students honored at a recent breakfast.

Olivia Burns and Meehan Shirey with their cans to donate.

Middle School student Alex Naum donates canned foods.

Parents, students and teachers race to the fire station.

Students, teachers and parents join fire-rescue personnel at Fire Station 28.

Art Reception At Whole Foods Benefits Education Programs

An artists reception on Friday, Dec. 12 at Whole Foods Market in Wellington brought in $750 to help support art education programs in Palm Beach County.

The money, raised from donations and a silent auction, will go directly to ArtStart, a nonprofit arts organization founded in 2004 by Wellington artist Jeannette Pomeroy Parssi, whose work is currently on display at Whole Foods and for whom the reception was held.

“I want to thank everyone who attended as well as Whole Foods Market and all of the wine vendors who were on hand,” Parssi said, “and I want to offer a special thanks to harpist Anne Akerson for providing beautiful music for the event.”

Parssi’s artwork was selected by Whole Foods Market for display in its café, the first in a rotating art display planned by the market. “We all loved Jeannette’s work and agreed that it fit our style,” Whole Foods Community Relations Specialist Lauren Belinsky said.

Belinsky created the artists program at the Wellington store and plans to rotate the artists every three months. Parssi’s work is available for purchase at the market, and she will donate a portion of the proceeds from any sale to ArtStart. “The fact that we could bring in beautiful artwork by a wonderful artist and help support arts education programs at the same time is just great,” Belinsky said. ArtStart works with at-risk students in summer and afterschool programs in Palm Beach County, partnering with organizations such as the Mental Health Association, Boys & Girls Clubs, Girl Scouts and the Latin American Immigrant Resource Organization. ArtStart also provides scholarships annually to students who wish to pursue an arts education. The scholarship provides art supplies and portfolio development classes to middle school students to help them prepare for their interviews at area arts magnet schools. For more information, visit www.art startinc.org.

DRESSAGE EVENT FOR IDEAL STUDENTS

Wellington Classic Dressage hosted the first Ideal School Leadline Series on Saturday Dec. 13 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on Forest Hill Blvd. The young competitors so impressed judge Deputy Brandi Tenlen of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Mounted Unit that she awarded every rider a first-place ribbon. Prizes also included donated items from the Ideal School and Wellington’s new toy store Learning Express. The children’s costumes and horsemanship drew a supportive crowd. The horse show also collected a large number of toys for the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots drive. Shown above, Tori Rosenthal competes as Cleopatra.

Wellington Rotary Honors McKeon, Frascoia

The Wellington Rotary Club presented its Student of the Quarter awards for the first school quarter ending in October. The winners were Palm Beach Central High School senior Bradford McKeon and Wellington High School student Daniel Frascoia. Presentations were made at the quarterly dinner meeting of the club on Thursday, Nov. 20.

Attending the awards presentation and dinner were members of McKeon’s immediate family, who were extremely proud of their son’s accomplishments both inside and outside the school environment. Frascoia was unable to attend due to other commitments. McKeon’s acceptance speech to the club demonstrated his ability and desire to help others while thanking the Rotary Club, school faculty and his family for their nominations and support. Each exemplary student was selected from numerous candidates at his respective school by faculty as the student who “proved himself to be beneficial to the school, religious organi-

zation or the community as a whole” by performing some type of service or act demonstrating the Rotary International motto “service above self.”

“Both of these students presented the spirit necessary to motivate their fellow students as well as support the community in anyway possible,” PBCHS faculty liaison Carl Rosenberg said.

McKeon and Frascoia are involved in community, charity, religious, school and neighborhood endeavors. Both display solid values and extraordinary character. McKeon has been involved for the last three years with Future Business Leaders of America, the National Honor Society and the Rotary Interact Club. He has taken part in projects and activities outside of school such as the American Cancer Society’s Relay for Life, the Diabetes Walk, the American Heart Association’s Heart Walk, Light the Night for Leukemia, the Buddy Walk for Down Syndrome, the National Honor Society tutoring program as well as working part-time at

various local businesses during his high school years. He has made the honor roll every semester since 2005 and was named Student of the Month in January 2006. Frascoia’s intent is to heal the world, one community at a time. He has volunteered for as many projects and outside activities as his parents would allow, including Carnival, serving as a student services aide and runner, volunteering at an animal shelter, doing street cleanup and be-

ing a member of the Rotary Interact Club. He is always punctual and a class leader, according to one of his teachers. The Wellington Rotary Student of the Quarter Award and dinner is sponsored by Comerica Bank. The awards are presented to “deserving students who are not necessarily the school valedictorians, nor are grade point averages a deciding factor in the selection process,” Rotary Student of the Quarter Chair Jay Broder said.

Adriana Dubois and Thea Reid.

Mike Romesburg and George Unger.

Gail Williams, Karen Seach and Marilyn Seach.

Whole Foods team leader Lauren Belinsky, artist Jeannette Pomeroy Parssi and harpist Anne Akerson.

Rotary Student Of The Quarter — Wellington Rotary’s Jay Broder presents Bradford McKeon the Student of the Quarter Award.

The Race Is On For Easter Seals’ Derby Day Party

The Easter Seals Derby Day Party plans are on track for the viewing of the 135th “Run for the Roses.” Committee members recently gathered for a luncheon at the Beach Club to discuss plans for the Southern-style derby celebration. Scheduled for Saturday, May 2 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, this exciting event will benefit children with special needs at Easter Seals IgoeAmar Child Development Center in West Palm Beach.

Chairs Brenda and Robert Castellano, Barbara and R.C. Gilbert, Suzi and Richard Goldsmith, Lorrain and Malcolm Hall, and Barbara and James Kravitz have been jockeying some exciting plans for the event. Guests will enjoy a live televised viewing of the race, old-fashioned fun wagering, mint juleps and a Dixieland band, followed by a silent auction, dinner and dancing.

“We are thrilled to bring back the derby party and celebrate the end of season in Palm Beach,” said Rhonda Clinton, executive director for Easter Seals of Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties. “This event is great fun, and we are so pleased to honor past chairmen of the event

for their continued dedication to our children with special needs.”

Honorary chairs are Dr. Elizabeth Bowden, Norma and Simon C. Fireman, Arlette and Robert Gordon and Herme de Wyman Miro. Junior chairs are Sue Gibson, Laura and Marc Sherman, and Suzy and Scott Rehl. Judith Morrell and Cynthia Maronet will serve as auction chairs.

Tickets to the derby party cost $325 per person. Proceeds will benefit programs and services for children with special needs and disabilities at Easter Seals.

Easter Seals Igoe-Amar Child Development Center is the area’s only full-time center for children of all abilities.

Easter Seals’ helps children with disabling conditions due to birth, disease, accident or injury through pediatric speech, physical, occupational and behavioral therapies made available in a preschool setting. These services help prepare children for success in school while affording parents an opportunity to continue their careers or education.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call Easter Seals at (561) 640-9521 or visit www.fl.easterseals.com.

Imperiale Graduates Basic Air Force Traning

Air Force Airman Nicholas A. Imperiale has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

During the six weeks of training, Imperiale studied the Air Force mission, organization, core values, and military customs and courtesies, performed drill and ceremony marches, and received physical training, rifle marksmanship, field training exercises, and special training in human relations. In addition, airmen who complete basic training earn credits toward an associate’s in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.

Imperiale is the son of C. Rick and Joanne Imperiale of West Palm Beach. He graduated from Royal Palm Beach High School in 2008.

Shepard Arrives For U.S. Air Force Duty

Air Force Airman 1st Class

Andrew R. Shepard has arrived for duty at Nellis Air Force Base in Las Vegas, Nev.

Shepard, a structural apprentice, is assigned to the “Red Horse” 820th Squadron. He is the son of Duane Lawrence of The Acreage.

Shephard graduated from Seminole Ridge High School in 2002.

Fernandez Completes Navy

Basic Training

Navy Seaman Apprentice

Christian Fernandez, a 2007 graduate of Royal Palm Beach High School, recently completed U.S. Navy basic training and was meritoriously promoted to his current rank at Recruit Train-

ing Command in Great Lakes, Ill.

During the eight-week program, Fernandez completed a variety of training, which included classroom study and practical instruction on naval customs, first aid, firefighting, water safety and survival, and shipboard and aircraft safety. An emphasis was also placed on physical fitness.

The capstone event of boot camp is “Battle Stations.” This exercise gives recruits the skills and confidence they need to succeed in the fleet.

Battle Stations is designed to galvanize the basic warrior attributes of sacrifice, dedication, teamwork and endurance in each recruit through the practical application of basic Navy skills and the core values of honor, courage and commitment. Its distinctly Navy flavor was designed to take into account what it means to be a sailor in today’s U.S. Navy.

Six-year-old Amanda Ng has been growing her hair all her life. But after she saw pictures of children who lost their hair due to illness, and learned how wigs were made, Amanda knew she wanted to help. She and her mother Sandy browsed the Locks of Love web site (www. locksoflove.org). Sandy explained to Amanda how people cut their own hair and sent it to Locks of Love as a donation.

Amanda soon found herself at Snip-Its in Wellington, where she had her hair cut and donated to Locks of Love. Although she made her donation, Amanda’s not done yet. She is currently trying to spread the word so others might donate as well.

WHO’S NEW

Grace Noelle Cerejo daughter of Jane and Rui Cerejo of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Nov. 25.

Carolina Rosales — daughter of Elda Rosa Pael and Diosmedi Rosales of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Nov. 29.

Loran Linda Soberal daughter of Lori and Ivan Soberal of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Nov. 30.

Trinity Christina Valentin — daughter of Athena Portalatin and Ismael Valentin of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Dec. 9. Jordan Deshaun Lanier son of Tatrice and Elvin Lanier of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Dec. 10. Liliana Raquel Beasley daughter of Lauren Soto and Joshua Beasley of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on Dec. 11.

Party Planners — (Above) Chairwomen Suzi Goldsmith, Barbara Kravitz, Barbara Gilbert, Brenda Castellano and Lorrain Hall. (Below) Norma and Simon C. Fireman and Easter Seals Executive Director Rhonda Clinton.

Nicholas Imperiale

Hair Care — Amanda Ng with her Locks of Love donation.

Amanda’s goal is to get 100 locks donated. Snip-Its

PBSO’S ANNUAL SHOP WITH A COP BRINGS GOOD TIMES TO YOUNGSTERS

Shop With a Cop, the annual holiday event sponsored by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to brighten many families’ holidays this season, took place on Friday, Dec. 12 starting at PBSO headquarters on Gun Club Road. The annual event included a pizza and soda dinner, a thank-you to sponsors and an expedition to Wal-Mart on Belvedere Road and Military Trail. Before the contingent left for Wal-Mart, Santa arrived with a host of elves and helpers to talk with youngsters about what they wanted for Christmas. Following his arrival, law enforcement personnel joined the kids and families for shopping at Wal-Mart. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Kevin DiLallo To Be Honored By Scouts

Wellington Regional Medical Center CEO Kevin DiLallo has been chosen as the 2009 “Distinguished Citizen of the Year” by the Gulf Stream Council of the Boy Scouts of America. An honorary dinner will be held for him on Friday, Jan. 30 at Binks Forest Golf Club with cocktails at 6:30 p.m. and dinner at 7:30 p.m.

Universal Health Services

President and CEO Alan Miller and Miami Children’s Hospital Chief of Pediatric Surgery Dr. Steven Stylianos (a longtime friend of DiLallo) will be the guest speakers. Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Gulf Stream Council.

“Save the date” cards designed to look like printed prescriptions will be arriving in mailboxes soon with formal invitations to follow at the end of December. To be added to the mailing list, call the Gulf Stream Council at (561) 694-8585.

This year’s Distinguished Citizen event is being organized by Honorary Chairman Rocky Goins, who has been working on the project for months, merging medicine and scouting with an intensity not seen since he earned his own Boy Scout merit badge in First Aid. He is being assisted by an event committee that includes Dennis Witkowski, Regis Wenham, David Teets, Eric Gordon, Kevin DiLallo, Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, Michael Horwitz, Jaene Miranda, Deborah Welky Miles, Donna Shankman, Steven Figiel and Tamara Gerber with assistance from

50 Years

RPB’s Big Anniversary

continued from page 1 have been in Royal Palm Beach for more than two decades remember the days when the village had only one grocery store.

“They had to travel east to do almost everything, and to a large degree, we’re almost self-sufficient at this point,” he said, “but because of those years of having to rely on one another, to create sports and other programs, there’s a clear sense of community that’s evident in Royal Palm Beach that’s not as evident in many of the other communities in the east where borders ran into each other and you never really knew when you left one community and entered another.”

The village is about to embark on the creation of Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, which

Letters

continued from page 4 cent Marine Systems Science Conference, the potential purchase of the U.S. Sugar lands and plans for a long-awaited flow way were the topic of many talks and usually dominated the informal networking sessions. All citizens of Florida and the nation should pressure those with the purse strings and the power to achieve a compromise, buy U.S. Sugar, and work out the needed swaps to obtain the flow way path. As I teach the students in my environmental chemistry classes, water, not energy, is the most pressing issue of the 21st century. We must rejuvenate the Everglades; it makes good economic sense (water, ecotourism, CO2 sequestration, etc.). The subsidies that sugar in general has received over the years are staggering. All of that money just to give sugar growers in America a huge leg up against foreign competition. The latest issue of the Nassau Guardian (Bahamas) has an article that goes right to that point: if the American people are going to compete in a world market, then it is time to normalize relations. Buy sugar more inexpensively and have cheaper food or ethanol — hmm? Caribbean, and especially Cuban, sugar competing on a 1:1 basis with sugar in America would settle the current problem with

Farber said will be the cornerstone recreation facility of the village and more clearly define the village’s “sense of place.”

“This council and councils before have done very positive things to make the level of service in this community very high,” Farber said. And notwithstanding the prevailing gloomy economic situation, Royal Palm Beach is about to embark on one of its most aggressive capital development periods, Farber said.

“We have a number of major projects ready to go out to bid, so we will continue to transform the community,” Farber said. “There’s always going to be challenges, but given the current state of the economic environment, I think the village is in a better posture than some to be able to weather the storm.”

Lodwick said he is thankful for a consistent management team that has put Royal Palm

the Everglades needing these lands and not needing the nitrogen, phosphorous and sulfate that pollutes its waters. Get the land, create the flow way and let’s get on with the restoration!

Dr. J. William Louda Loxahatchee Groves Editor’s note: Dr. Louda is a professor of biochemistry at Florida Atlantic University. He also sits on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council.

Maybe Feds Will Help Pave Town

The residents of North D Road are in the process of deciding whether to pave or not. Since the initial idea and survey, some rather substantial changes have occurred. We are in a financial crisis unprecedented in my lifetime and many mainstream financial experts believe that this may just be the beginning of the difficulty. The president-elect plans to respond to this crisis “by making the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s.” He speaks of signing this bill on his inauguration day of Jan. 20, 2009. This is, coincidentally, the same day that the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District is moving to hold a referendum on paving North D Road.

Devon Mayo of the Boy Scouts of America.

The event is expected to be a sellout. Individual tickets cost $100 with a limited number of sponsorship tables for eight available for $1,000. Platinum, gold and silver sponsorships as well as ads in the program are also being offered. To be included, call the BSA office at (561) 694-8585, ext. 221.

Beach in a solid financial position.

“We’re basically debt-free,” Lodwick said. “We do have money in the bank that will keep the community viable basically forever if it’s managed correctly. Hopefully, that’s what people elected us to do, but hopefully all of us sitting up there have tried to have the long-range vision of making our community better each and every day.

We’ve tried to invest in our community through parks and roads, and I think we’ll stay toe to toe with any other community. I’m very proud of what we’ve achieved. Hopefully, the residents agree.”

The goal, Lodwick said, is to show the face of a community that is proud of itself.

“We’re going to continue to achieve higher goals. We’re not trying to be anybody else,” he said. “We’re just trying to be the best Royal Palm that we can be each and every day.”

Because of the radically morphing conditions, I think we should delay any referendum, which will obligate the residents of North D Road to a large financial burden in the midst of a recession/depression.

We should then begin an immediate investigation into participating in this huge, new national infrastructure initiative. If the residents wanted it, perhaps the whole town could be paved, all at once, and soon, without any financial burden to the townspeople. Additionally, we could also request funds to repair and replace any bridge culverts that require it (the canals protect everyone in the town, but only residents on the canal side are required to maintain the bridge culverts required to span the canals).

The only thing — this will require fast action. Mr. Obama said, “we’ll set a simple rule: use it or lose it. If a state doesn’t act quickly to invest in roads and bridges in their communities, they’ll lose the money.” So this will require immediate action, creativity, flexibility and cooperation between the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council and the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District. The potential outcome? Perhaps the most profound improvement to the town’s infrastructure in its history.

Larry Lefkowitz Loxahatchee Groves

PROCER HOSTS FUNDRAISER IN RPB

The Puerto Rican Organization for Cultural Enhancement and Reaffirmation (PROCER) held its third annual fundraising event Sunday, Dec. 14 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. The theme for the dinner and dance Christmas fiesta was “Trullas de Puerto Rico,” a benefit for artistic and cultural programs such as the cuatro and folkloric dance classes offered at the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington.

Landfill Villages Want More Discussion

continued from page 1

R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, came under fire by environmental groups claiming that the landfill would be too close to the preserve.

However, after being asked to participate in the site selection process, Royal Palm Beach council members were miffed that they weren’t made aware that the original site was left off the final list. The three privately owned alternate sites are several miles northwest and southwest of the originally designated landfill site.

Royal Palm Beach is not the only local government upset about the landfill issue. Wellington sent out a press advisory Thursday registering a similar complaint that leaders of the western communities were left out of the selection process.

Comp Plan Changes Could Be

Expensive

continued from page 11

company to participate in amending problematic areas of the comprehensive plan that would affect his project.

“We want to move the project forward. We would love to be involved in activity with your staff,” he said. “These kinds of things need to be fleshed out. Please give us an opportunity to work with the text amendments to move it forward.”

Joe Lelonek of Land Design South, another development planning firm, also asked if the town would welcome his com-

Noting that the landfill site will be discussed at an SWA meeting scheduled for Jan. 14, Wellington officials urged all residents of the western communities to demand more of a voice in the decision-making process. Lodwick said he did not want to oppose any landfill site, but to just “stop the process” until the council is briefed about all the locations. The council unanimously approved a resolution requesting the SWA delay a site decision until all the western communities are allowed to weigh in on the location. The SWA governing board, where the decision ultimately rests, is composed of the members of the Palm Beach County Commission.

Also Thursday, Dr. Ron Peterson, chairman of the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club Disaster Response Committee, thank the council for its support for a Hurricane Ike fundraiser held Nov. 23 at Veterans Park. The RPB Rotary was raising money to send to storm victims in Texas and Haiti. He singled out Councilman Matty Mattioli, Commu-

pany’s feedback into the comprehensive planning process.

“You are going through the comprehensive planning and doing some planning with Southern Blvd.,” Lelonek said.

“I will offer some charettes. I would request some direction from you and some indulgence as to what types of property might be appropriate and how to get it started.”

Councilman Dennis Lipp asked if Land Design South could speak with local landowners, but Town Clerk Matt Lippman recommended that developers interested in dialogue about the comprehensive plan process talk with council and staff members only.

Tolces said that if Land Design South wants to have a charette with landowners, they

continued from page 6 juvenile were both charged with petit theft.

DEC. 17 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded Wednesday morning to a home on Jay Court in reference to a burglary.

According to a PBSO report, the victim last saw his Taurus model 66 .357 caliber revolver on approximately Nov. 23, when he cleaned the gun prior to obtaining his yearly qualifications for a concealed weapons permit. The victim said after cleaning the weapon, he placed it in a nylon holster and stored it inside a black cloth bag on the floor of his bedroom closet. When he went to retrieve the gun Wednesday morning, the victim discovered it was missing, along with a small gray metal lockbox.

should ask Calvin, Giordano to set it up, but that direction would have to come from the council.

Councilman Dave Autrey said he did not think that was a good idea.

“I think we should absolutely not do that,” he said. “It’s the wolves and the chickens. I am sure they would love to have an opportunity to influence the comprehensive plan. I do disagree with the idea. I think the town council has the responsibility to the citizens and working with them to come up with a comprehensive plan with their desires and goals. Then we can discuss potential development. To do that up front is really bad policy.”

Eichner said her firm hopes to present the plan to the council in February for adoption.

Blotter

nity Development Director Rob Hill and Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio, who accepted plaques recognizing their efforts. The club collected $3,000 for hurricane victims at the event.

Diane Smith of the PBSO District 9 substation and Catherine Engel with Diane’s son Michael Carhart.

A group of kids from Wellington wait for Santa.

Deputy Karl Martin with his daughter Emily.

Event Committee members include (L-R) Devon Mayo, Rocky Goins, Kevin DiLallo, Regis Wenham and Steven Figiel.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Event Committee members Grissell Olmeda, Clara Colon, Lillian Flores and Nick Crespo.

Israel Pabon and Boys & Girls Club Vice President and CEO Victor Rivera.

Darlene Carrillo plays the maracas.

Darlene Carrillo leads the Trullas de Puerto Rico

PALMS WEST CHAMBER CELEBRATES 25 YEARS OF HOLIDAY PARADES

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce celebrated 25 years of memories and traditions last Sunday with its holiday parade “Silver Bells in the City.” The parade along Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington showcased beautiful floats, marching bands, strutting horses, clowns and costumed characters. WPTV NewsChannel 5 anchor Roxanne Stein served as grand marshal. Right

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

before the parade, the annual Holiday Mile kicked off, with scores of runners making their way down Forest Hill Blvd. to the finish line.

Wellington Regional was honored for best adult float.

Wellington Village Manager Paul Schofield headed up the Harley Hundred, bikers who led the parade.

Angelica and Gabriella Schmidt with mom Araceli.

Sgt. Larry Lawler hands out flags.Wellington Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore waves to the crowd.

Parade judges Kathy Foster and Karen Cavanagh.

The Holiday Mile kicks off down Forest Hill Blvd.

The float representing the Boys & Girls Club of Wellington.

Jack Lowenstein and Enzo Lerer race.Members of the Hill family enjoy the event.

Brett Schlichting, James Meyer and Andrew Meyer.

Royal Palm Beach Councilman David Swift tosses popcorn.

WPTV NewsChannel 5 anchor Roxanne Stein serves as the parade’s grand marshal.

Holiday Home Tour Returns

To Old Northwood Dec. 27

The Old Northwood Neighborhood Association is offering champagne, hors d’oeuvres and lots of holiday cheer mixed with some “old Florida” history at its 21st Annual Holiday Candlelight Home Tour on Saturday, Dec. 27.

Northwood was developed in the early 1920s during the Florida boom era. Prominent architects such as John Volk and William King designed homes that made Northwood one of the most exclusive communities this side of Palm Beach. By the 1970s, however, the boom-time glamour was long gone. The renaissance of Northwood began in the mid-1980s when residents formed an association to revitalize and restore this important part of West Palm Beach history. Northwood became the first nation-

ally registered historic district in West Palm Beach and is home to several of the city’s bed-and-breakfast inns.

The Holiday Candlelight Home Tour will take place rain or shine. Experience the hospitality and holiday spirit that Northwood has shared for 21 years. Tickets are limited and may be purchased for $30 in advance by credit card at www.historichometours.com or $35 at the tour.

To get there, from Palm Beach Lakes Blvd. take Flagler Drive north to 30th Street and turn left. Find parking on a side street and walk to the reception tent at 30th Street and Spruce Avenue, two blocks west of Flagler Drive. All homes are within walking distance of each other, but a shuttle is available. For more information, call (561) 659-4931.

Santa To Visit With Kids Battling Cancer

Santa Claus will be coming to the Wellington Community Center by fire truck on Saturday, Dec. 20 to bring gifts to more than 50 local children battling cancer and their families. The Kids Cancer Foundation of South Florida and Little Smiles will be hosting this morning of holiday fun from 9 a.m. to noon. Thanks to generous sponsors and the support of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and the Fraternal Order of Leatherheads Society (FOOLS), the wish lists of all of these children will be filled.

Patients and families will be treated to breakfast sponsored by Too Jays and Strathmore Bagels, and everyone will have the opportunity to take photos with Santa, decorate Christmas ornaments and enjoy a morning far removed from the doctor’s office and hospital. In addition, each family will receive gift cards along with a bag of age-appropriate toys for their children. To learn more about this event and the programs being done by these charitable organizations, visit www.little smiles.org and www.kidscancersf.org.

SF FAIRGROUNDS CHRISTMAS IN THE VILLAGE

“Christmas in the Village” took place last Friday through Sunday at the South Florida Fairgrounds’ Yesteryear Village. The festival of Christmas lights, music, food and entertainment included more than 20 historic buildings decorated with everything from giant wreaths to gingerbread men.

Interested In ‘The Day The Earth Stood Still’?

Rent The Original

The Day the Earth Stood Still is a second-rate remake of a classic science fiction film. The great director Robert Wise crafted a small-scale blackand-white movie in the early 1950s as a warning against the use of nuclear weapons and the rise of the Cold War. With Michael Rennie as the alien Klaatu, the movie crafted an intelligent argument for alternatives to war. Rennie was an intelligent, gentle being. As protection, he merely stopped all the weaponry of those working against him.

The current film has a lot of special effects. They are spectacular at times. Those who like trucks and dams and sports stadiums coming apart will at least enjoy the end of the picture. Along the way, the audience is forced to watch and listen as Keanu Reaves decides that the best way to save the earth is by killing all its people. It takes a particularly bratty kid (Jaden Smith) to change his mind, although after watching the kid use his stepmother (Jennifer Connelly) as a verbal punching bag and then betray the alien, I might have considered strangling him. Ah well, the needs of plot.

The original film was like one of the early Star Trek plots. The special effects were cheesy; the robot was a man in a robot suit. The alien was not dissimilar to Spock. But the plot had some meat

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

on it. Some commentators noted the similarities of Klaatu to Jesus Christ. He was an outsider, was ignored by the hostile great powers, befriended by the poor, and taught a lesson of peace. Eventually, the authorities kill him, but the robot brings him to life long enough to preach a message for all mankind. This modernized version has chosen human damage to the planet as its theme. In this movie, the Klaatu talks of how much better off the earth would be if we were not around. All the animals would live and dance together, etc. You all, I am certain, get the drift. The fact that most of the species that are now extinct died off before the rise of man would only get in the way of the plot and, even more important, the special effects. The

message seems to be that only by a major threat of destruction can man move away from the precipice of destruction.

Those who bother with facts know that the water in the United States is far purer now than it was 40 or 50 years ago. The Cuyahoga River, which feeds Lake Erie, was so polluted that actually caught fire near Cleveland in 1959. We fixed the problem of polluted water. Our air is far purer than it used to be. Air pollution still exists, of course, but at a far lower level than it did years ago.

Ironically, the one source of power that does not spill chemicals into the air, nuclear power, was essentially blocked in this country by environmentalists. We can and do learn without threats.

Of course, the obvious politicking creates a plot hole that a (very polluting) truck could drive through. But we often are willing to suspend disbelief if the story is strong enough. After all, the fact that Batman is a fictional character did not keep us away from a movie about him last summer.

But this film is just a mess. There is no character to hold on to. The little boy is cute but a pain. His stepmother is pretty and concerned but, so

what? The alien so badly explains what is actually going on that the message gets muddled. The movie comes alive a couple of times in brief scenes: the boy and stepmother at his father’s grave, the scene at the Nobel Prize winner John Cleese’s house, almost directly cribbed from the original movie. But most of the time it is merely an excuse for eating too much popcorn.

Environmentalists used to have a slogan, “smaller is better.” That certainly held true for The Day the Earth Stood Still. The original was a marvelous paradigm that eschewed special effects in favor of pushing people to actually think about real issues. The mother and son were both cute and interesting. That may be why it is still being shown. I actually watched it on television the night before seeing the new version. The new film is big. It has a lot of special effects. Not much plot, no really interesting characters. I can only hope that other movies coming out now will be better. If the movie sounds interesting, go rent the older version or catch it on TV. You won’t get the movie popcorn with it, but microwaving a packet and watching a better version will do your soul good.

Joey Richmond writes a letter to Santa at the old post office.

Three generations of Rhodes family members dress in the tradition of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol

Angela Bonaccorsi takes a pony ride on Flash.

Kids from St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Wellington sing in the Red Level Baptist Church Choir, led by Director Patty Thomas

’Twas The Night Before Christmas... The Sonic Boomer Version

’Twas the week before Christmas and all through the house, Not a gift had been mailed out, not even Jen’s blouse, The stockings weren’t hung but plopped on a chair, And the tree had some lights but was otherwise bare.

The children were grownups who lived far away, They weren’t flying in until post-New Year’s Day. That made Mama sad as she dragged through the house, With no cookies baked, she felt like a louse.

Out on the lawn there was nothing but clutter,

A big plywood sleigh rested half in the gutter. The windows weren’t lighted and Santa was AWOL, Mom just couldn’t go out and finish it all.

She stood at the window, a wreath in one hand, And let loose a sigh that swept ’cross the land. When, what to her wondering eyes should appear, But a husband — home early — with a look of good cheer.

And in the backseat of his big Ford Explorer, Were their son, son-in-law, the dog and her daughter! Mom’s mouth fell wide open, her eyes grew real big, And she let that wreath drop (breaking off a large twig).

“It’s Jenny! And Charlie! And Greg and Sir Crockett!” (Mom then pulled damp tissues from inside her pocket.) “Hi, Mom!” they all chortled. “We just couldn’t wait! But what’s with the yard? Santa’s still in the crate!”

Mom looked at the ground, dug a hole with her toe, And admitted her spirit had started to go.

“That’s nonsense!” they shouted and got straight to work.

(Santa was freed from his box with one jerk.)

And then, in a twinkling, they climbed on the roof, And plugged in the lights — they lit up with a “poof!”

Mark went inside with their luggage in tow, The dog followed him in (he was wearing a bow).

Mom’s eyes, how they twinkled! Her dimple, how merry! Her sadness, forgotten. (The near-miss quite scary.)

The kids trundled in and went straight to the tree, “How could you ignore this? It just has to be!”

And soon it was finished, and stood in its glory,

While Jenny and Charlie began their own story.

Seems Mark had been calling the two kids quite often, Explaining how Mom’s mood had started to soften.

Mark bit the bullet and purchased the fares,

That brought family together and extinguished Mom’s cares.

“I didn’t suspect you were working so hard, “Just to give me a Christmas that wouldn’t be marred!”

Then Mom cried some more but the kids made her stop, Saying tears weren’t the reaction they’d hoped she’d adopt.

Then the party was on — in high gear day and night,

The presents were opened (the blouse was too tight).

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

The cookies got baked; the eggnog got finished; (The dog sneaked some dip that was enhanced with spinach.)

The kids were themselves — loud and rowdy and bright, And Mom’s heart felt so big and so full and so light.

Because what is this season if not for the love?

The love that was shown to us by Him, above.

The love that transcends crowded airports and roads, The love that ’tween families fairly explodes.

So Mom nestled snug in her bed Christmas night,

Reached for her hubby and hugged him real tight.

Said, “I know we’ll be paying for flights ’til next May, But I’m still glad you did it — what a great Christmas Day!”

I Hope Mr. Obama Grants My Smart Young Friend An Interview

Last week I had the honor of being an invited guest at a Miami Heat basketball game. No, I wasn’t invited to the game because of who I am, but to escort Damon Weaver to the game. And in case you have been living on the moon for the last couple of months, Damon is the ten-year-old kid reporter at Canal Point Elementary School. In the last two months, Damon has interviewed Vice President-elect Joe Biden, Caroline Kennedy and the entire Miami Heat basketball team, among others. As of last week, his interview with Biden had received almost 400,000 hits on YouTube. Last week he appeared on Fox, CNN, NPR, local channels 12 and 29 and WIRK radio, and has been in the local daily at least twice.

A few weeks ago the Miami Heat invited Damon to a Heat practice at the American Airlines Arena in Miami. At the end of the practice, Damon got to interview almost everyone on the team. These interviews turned out to be very funny. Really, check them out on YouTube!

The best interview of all was given to him by Dwyane Wade. Damon got Mr. Wade to throw out a challenge to President-elect Barack Obama. Mr. Wade is willing and able to play the president-elect in a game of one on one if Mr. Obama lets Damon interview him. The interview is Damon’s dream.

The Heat organization was very impressed with Damon’s work, so they invited him back to a game last week. They also invited him to attend the coach’s pre- and post-game press conferences, and to meet the Heat players in the locker room before and after the game.

They also invited Damon’s camera and sound-

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

man Jertavious Roberson, his school advisor Brian Zimmerman (yes, that would be my son) and me. I went along to make sure everything went according to plan, and also to be the muscle and bodyguard for ten-year-old Damon.

The ride to Miami went off without a hitch; well almost without a hitch. After all, we had two ten-year-olds in the back seat doing what only ten-year-olds can do.

The first surprise we got when we arrived in Miami was the $30 parking fee. The Heat forgot to make parking arrangements for us. After parking we headed to the press gate, where we were treated just like the rest of the press. We were given media passes and were on our way to the coach’s press conference. Jertavious set up his camera alongside all the other cameras. The coach treated our crew great.

When the press conference was over we went to the locker room. Every player there knew Damon. To a man, they all told him they saw his interviews on YouTube and thought he did a great job. Next we ate dinner with the rest of the reporters. I can say reporters eat well. After dinner we went to the game. The Heat gave us great seats

for the game against Oklahoma City — I didn’t even know Oklahoma City had a pro basketball team. I am happy to report the Heat won the game 105-99.

It was now back to the coach’s post-game press conference, and after that to the lockers to interview the players. At this point Damon was almost crowded out by the (much larger) regular beat reporters. Damon waited until the reporters were all done with their interviews and then approached Dwyane Wade, who greeted him like an old friend.

He once again threw out the challenge to play Mr. Obama on April 4 when the Heat will be in Washington, D.C. The ball (pun intended) is now in the president-elect’s court. All he has to do is grant Damon an interview and he can play basketball with the great Dwyane Wade. Mr. President-elect, Damon is waiting by the phone for the call. Please don’t let him down! You can view these and all of Damon’s other interviews by going to www.youtube.com/ canalpointkectv.

Ernie Zimmerman with student reporter Damon Weaver (left) and sound man Jertavious Roberson at the Miami Heat game.

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

Emerald Cove Volleyball Girls Suffer Losses To Woodlands

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

After suffering a narrow defeat in their first game against the Woodlands Middle School Mustangs last Friday, the Emerald Cove Middle School Pirates girls volleyball team felt a stronger blow in the second game. The Mustangs followed up their 25-23 firstgame victory by widening the gap to win 25-17 in the second game, securing the overall match. The teams then played a third friendship game with Emerald Cove, claiming victory 15-11.

In their second season as a team, the Lady Pirates showed a noticeable increase in bump, set and spike skills since their inaugural year, making for an exciting game of volleys between the two teams. Coach Bridget Hoffman reflected on the match’s highlights, which included four solid spikes by Raylynn Malec.

“Raylynn played her heart out,” Hoffman said. “Michelle Lacouture

also had a few great saves that she went outside the court to get. All of the girls did a great job serving and backing the other players.”

Volunteer mom Kelly Barlow helps to train the team and, along with their team spirit, she was happy to see successful strategic team plays and consistent setting by eighth grader Sarah Hartung. “They started to pass to the front and play like a team. But when they saw the moves we practiced actually working, they got all fired up,” said Barlow, mother of Tracy, an eighth grader on the team. So far, the Pirates’ season stands at three wins and four losses, with three games remaining before playoffs begin in mid-January. The Emerald Cove Middle School team is part of the county’s South Central Region.

“Now that the girls know their positions and the game, we are going to work on perfecting what they know and have fun doing it,” Hoffman said.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Hawk Basketball Boys Look To Improve Upon Last Season

By Paul Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report

Second-year Seminole Ridge High School boys basketball coach Jason Pitman hopes the combination of returning players and more depth will result in an improvement over last season’s 9-18 record.

“We are excited with the product we are putting on the floor, and hope people will come out to see the hard work the guys have put into this season,” Pitman said. “I hope to move the program forward another year. We have to begin to have an opportunity to win every game we play this season.” Leading the way is a returning core of starters from the 2007-08 season,

including point guards Joe DeCamillo and Brandon Rainford, power forward Woodley Cadet and center Jeacky Charles.

Rainford, the six-foot wingman, is the only senior among the returning quartet of starters. He is also the first four-year varsity member in Seminole Ridge’s history. Rainford is one of two seniors on the hardwood at the opening tipoff. The other is Bibi Alvarez, who is Seminole Ridge’s leading scorer early in the current campaign, averaging around 18 points a game.

“Bibi has college ability,” Pitman said of the 6’3” shooting forward. “He’s one of our captains, and he’s a leader on the floor. He’s the guy who helps

direct everything. Most of what we do on the floor goes through him.”

Another 6’3” presence on the floor is Cadet, a third-year varsity member who was the Hawks’ leading scorer last season. The post player started every game as a sophomore and gives Seminole Ridge a strong presence on the glass. He and Charles were solid contributors on the Hawks’ football team as well.

Cadet was a second-team all-county safety, while Charles was a first-team all-county wide receiver. DeCamillo advanced to the starting rotation from the varsity bench, which he contributed from last season.

“We have some pretty good athletes,”

Pitman said. “We seem to be a much deeper team than last year. We weren’t very deep last year.”

The 2008-09 Hawks appear to be much more resilient than previous years, too. Pitman pointed to Seminole Ridge cutting a double-digit deficit to Glades Day in its opener to lose by only one point, 61-60, and defeating West Boca by one in overtime despite trailing in the extra period at one point by five. The Hawks also defeated Park Vista 72-63, despite trailing by 10 in the second half.

“We’re a pretty tough team,” Pitman said.

But toughness can only get a team so far. Pitman said his program’s de-

fense needs shoring up, the better to prevent the need for such late-game comebacks.

“That’s an area of concern,” Pitman said. “Our defense has been very average, and it was one of our biggest strengths last year. We’re still working on that — on playing half court defense and defending people.”

Pitman also noted that several transfers to the Seminole Ridge program are still getting acclimated to the system, and once they are better accustomed to how the Hawks’ operation runs, the depth will be even greater. The bench includes Steven Wilson, a transfer from Dwyer, Mickel Pringle and Chris Fernandez.

South Florida Mustang Club Works To Promote Unique Breed

Darlene Stevenson was a “horse-crazy teenager” in 1980 when she read an article about adopting Mustangs in the Sun-Sentinel. After she showed it to her father, they drove all the way to Cross Plains, Tenn. and came home with a fouryear-old bay mare Stevenson named Nevada Shi (pronounced “shy.”) Within three weeks, Stevenson was riding her new horse.

“She tamed down real quick,” Stevenson recalled. “She was a great horse, but she had some funny quirks. She wouldn’t cross over anything laying on the ground, like pieces of wood or even the lines painted on a paved road. She was easy to keep in a pen. All you had to do was move some wood around on the ground, and she’d stay within it.”

Now Stevenson is the president of the South Florida Mustang Club and lives on five acres in Loxahatchee with five mustangs, two formerly feral burros and another rescued horse.

“When I moved here, I heard about the club and got involved,” she said. “A couple of years later, somehow I was the president. I love that the club is very versatile. There are a lot of different

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

things to get involved with.”

The club has about 35 families as members. You don’t have to own a Mustang, or even a horse, to join or get involved. It’s a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting American Mustangs. They strive to educate the general public about these feral horses, which are part of our American heritage, and help ensure their continued protection and preservation. Mustangs, the feral descendants of domesticated Spanish horses, are seen by many in the west as a nuisance. With no natural predators to check their population growth, their numbers increase beyond what the sparse land can offer for forage,

and ranchers see them as competitors with their cattle for grazing land. They were formerly rounded up and sent for slaughter. Now the Bureau of Land Management thins the population by offering the rounded-up animals for adoption.

The South Florida Mustang Club offers a wide variety of activities. There are trail rides, picnics, beach rides, barbecues, a drill team, campouts, a yearly overnight trip to the Ocala National Forest and Citizen on Patrol rides. As Stevenson said, “we do everything.”

“One of our main missions is to educate the public about Mustangs and promote their image,” Stevenson said. “We do a lot of exhibitions so we can show off the breed. These horses aren’t all wild and crazy, which is what a lot of people think when they hear mustang. We love to show off our horses.”

One of the more unusual offerings is their “bomb-proofing” clinics, which are open to all riders. The horses are taught to ignore and relax around such spooky items as tarps, balloons, umbrellas, bubbles and oversized balls. There’s also a “fun noodle channel” made of foam swim-

ming noodles that horses are taught to walk through.

“I really love Mustangs,” Stevenson said. “They bond with you in a special way. They’re very different from domestic horses, who have always known and been around people. You have to win a Mustang’s trust, but then he’ll trust you about everything forever. They’re very loyal. You can dismount from a Mustang in the middle of chaos, and he’ll stay right with you. Mustangs think more than domestic horses, I guess because they had to rely on themselves for survival.

“I think Americans in general want everything fast or now,” she continued. “They think of horses, and they want to be able to get on and ride immediately. Mustangs demand time and patience. When you work with a Mustang, put the time and care into the training, you have something really special, a different kind of relationship. All I can say is, if you ever get the chance to own one and work with him, you’ll see the difference. You’ll really understand.” For more information about the South Florida Mustang Club visit www.sfmustangs.com.

Kiki Pavlovics and Michelle Lacouture celebrate an ace serve.

Raylynn Malec bumps the ball over the net.

Sarah Hartung sets the ball for Kirsten Nowak’s spike.Kiki Pavlovics bumps to the front line.

Lady Pirates in ready position for the serve return.

Emily Rose bumps the ball.

Setter Sarah Hartung

Raylynn Malec prepares to return the ball.

Wolverine Grapplers Go All Out In Tournament

The Wellington High School wrestling team travelled to Starke, Fla. last Friday and Saturday to compete in a eight-team tournament at the F-5 Tornado Duals at Bradford High School. The Wolverines improved their record to 13-2 by finishing in a three-way tie with a 6-1 record, but took home the first-place trophy based on criteria by having the most pins at the tournament. The Wolverines were led by Mikolaj Wilga (112), Jake Ferrara (135) and Zach Pincus (160), who all went 7-0 at the tournament.

Wellington got off to a great start last Friday by defeating Fort White 64-18 in its first match of the tournament, winning 11 out of 14 weight classes. The second round saw the Wolverines in a tight match leading only 27-24 after the first nine matches before first-year wrestler Zach Katz (125) started a run of four straight wins by pin to seal the victory. The final round last Friday night ended up to be the best performance of the day for the Wolverines; they defeated Jackson High School 69-10 by winning 12 out of 14 weight classes. The second day of the tournament started off with the Wolverines facing Bradford. The Wolverines were leading by a team score of 18-12 before another first-year wrestler Ryan Nilsson (112) started the scoring with a first-period pin, clearing the way for a 57-24 Wolverines victory. The second round of the second day started with

the Wolverines down 15-0 after the first three matches to Eastside High School. Eastside forfeited several weight classes, and then the senior captains Brian Nelson (130) and Zach Pincus (171) recorded falls for the Wolverines to take the lead for good and continued to a 5427 victory. The last two matches of the tournament had the Wolverines facing their toughest competition yet with three of their top wrestlers out. First up was undefeated Sanford Seminole High School, and the Wolverines responded by jumping out to a quick 30-0 lead after the first five matches, led by big pins by freshman Tim Skaryd (103) and sophomore Mikolaj Wilga (119). The Wolverines won 13 of the 16 match-ups against Sanford Seminole for a final score of 54-18. The finals match lined up Wellington against Columbia High School. The Wolverines trailed by eight points going into the final weight class. The only way for Wellington to win the tournament was for first-year senior Eric Howard (215) to pin his opponent, which would give the Wolverines the tournament championship based on the criteria of most pins. Howard stepped on the mat thinking he had nothing to lose, went after his opponent aggressively and threw him to his back and pinned him in the first period.

The Wolverines (13-2) travel to Boca High School this Friday and Saturday to compete in a 16team tournament.

Wellington Warriors Treasure Coast Champs

THANKSGIVING ROUND

ROBIN AT WELLINGTON TENNIS CENTER

The Wellington Tennis Center, under the direction of Tommy Cheatham, has many activities going on year-round, including women’s team tennis, junior after-school programs and summer camp, senior men’s leagues, USTA junior and adult tournaments, evening leagues and holiday events. The tennis center’s most recent event was a Thanksgiving round robin featuring more than 40 players. The center will host a holiday round robin on Friday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. For more information about activities at the Wellington Tennis Center, call Tennis League Coordinator Joanne Smith at (561) 798-0474 or e-mail msbaseline@bellsouth.net.

The Wellington Warriors 12U travel baseball team ended the fall season by winning the Treasure Coast Division League Championship of the USSSA Florida Premier League. In the three games played in an elimination format — in which league points accumulated during the fall season placed the top teams in an eight-team draw — the Warriors started as the fifth seed and scored 42 runs while allowing only five on their way to the title. Brandon Hernandez pitched for the 19-3 quarterfinal win over Frozen Ropes and hit a home run in the final. Bruce Steel hit a home run in the quarterfinal victory. Nicholas Horvath pitched a solid four-hit effort in an 11-1 semifinal win over what was a home game for

Team Worth at

The

of

mieux and Bruce

also pitched a four-hit gem as they dominated the mound in a 12-1 final win over the Royal Palm Beach Riptide. Phil Sieli hit two home runs in the championship game while Mack Lemieux added a solo home run to help his pitching effort.

For the tournament, Tyler Levin scored seven runs and Nick Russo was flawless on the base path with five stolen bases on five attempts. Auston Smith hit two doubles and a triple on the day for six RBI. Casey Goldenberg, Anthony Maniotis and Brando Centrone added errorless fielding and timely hits to help the team with a combined .625 batting average between the three.

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

The Pro Ball Cobras 11-U baseball team won the the 2008 USSSA Jupiter Thanksgiving Tournament. The Cobras went undefeated throughout the tournament and won the championship game in a dominant performance to win the tournament. The team includes: (front row, L-R) Austin Dempsey from Lake Worth, Dylan Santalo from Lake Worth and Bruce Martin from Lake Worth; (middle row) Matthew Careccia from Wellington, Jorge Hernando from West Palm Beach and Jordan Dobson from West Palm Beach; (back row) Manager Oscar Santalo, Jagger McCoy from Delray Beach, Manny Bejerano from West Palm Beach, James Vaughan from West Palm Beach, Brian Hernandez from Boynton Beach, Joey Polak from Boynton Beach, Christian Shinn from Wellington, and coaches Yosvani Hernandez and Rich Polak. Not pictured: Jeff Church.

Wellington Warriors — (Front row, L-R) Anthony Maniotis, Tyler Levin, Nick Russo, Bruce Steel and Nicholas Horvath; (middle row) Phil Sieli, Brando Centrone, Mack Lemieux, Auston Smith and Brandon Hernandez; (back row) Coach Dino Maniotis, Coach Santos Hernandez and Manager Dave Smith.

Sailfish Park in Stuart.

duo

Mack Le-

Steel

Count Of Three — Wellington High School’s Mikoaj Wilga pins Robert Bias of Fort White in the first period.

WHS JV WRESTLERS WIN

Wellington High School would like to congratulate its junior varsity wrestlers for their recent success against eight other area teams at Seminole Ridge High School. Capturing first place for the Wolverines were Bodhi Ryder, Will Fetzko, Kevin Pascal and Zach Katz. Katz and Fetzko each remain undefeated this season with a 6-0 record. Second-place finishers included Cristian Narvaja, Collin Bachi, Eric Howard, Sebastian Dubocq and Eric Melamed. Shown above is Fetzko after defeating Jose Carasco from Boca High School.

WCS Volleyball Wraps Up A Great Season

Wellington Christian School’s middle school girls volleyball team has brought home a trophy for their second-place finish in the final championship game.

Head Coach Clary Groenewald was supported by Assistant Coach Liz Best, who played a crucial part in helping this team get to the championship. The team included Gabby Biernat, Veronica Burgos, Courtney Callahan, Alexis Carryl, Megan Cote, Christina Firestone, Victoria Hart, Brooke Holzbach, Kristy Jabouin, Audrey LeBlanc, Nikki Leeder, Ashlen Machin, Kimberly Paez, Jessica Quigley, Sydney Shinn, Kelli Smith and Sarah Stimely. The varsity team included Vanessa Castillo, Ali Cochrane, Alex Lavelanet, Lexie Machiela, Alyssa Murakami, Lindsey Ortiz, Savannah Potter, Kayla Ricardy and Stephanie Zilo.

Wellington Polo Season To Open Jan. 11

Polo is alive and well in Palm Beach County. Nine polo teams — some new, some returning — will be competing in the 2009 season opening tournaments January and February at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.

“We are very excited that so many teams are competing in the first three tournaments,” International Polo Club Palm Beach President John Wash said. “When the season opens Jan. 11, this will be one of the most competitive fields we have seen.”

EFG Bank, captained by Jim Whisenand; BTA, captained by Kelly Beal; and Lucchese, captained by John Muse, will be new to IPC in 2009. They will be joined in competition by Melissa Ganzi’s Audi team, Bo Goodman’s Mt. Brilliant/Faraway Farm, Gonzalo Avendano’s Patagones, John Good-

man’s Isla Carroll, Tommy Lee Jones’ San Saba and Victor Vargas’ Lechuza Caracas. Whisenand has been playing polo for six years and ridden competitively since he was eight. 2009 marks his high-goal debut at the International Polo Club. Whisenand has put together a team comprised of Julio Arellano, who was last year’s North American scoring leader; Luis Escobar, who like Arellano grew up playing polo in Wellington; and Whistle Uys, a fivegoal rated player from South Africa.

“With the sponsorship of EFG Bank, I feel we have put together a very competitive team that always plays to win,” Whisenand said, adding that he hopes to attract more global sponsors to the sport that would add stability and enhance its professionalism. EFG Bank is also a major

sponsor of the 40-goal challenge to be played later in the season. Whisenand hopes to be playing in the Cartier Challenge in Dubai under the EFG name in March.

After taking the 2008 polo season off, Kelly Beal is returning this year with his team BTA to the International Polo Club. Beal has put together a balanced team with Americans Jeff Blake and Hector Galindo, and a lineup rounded out by Pablo Spinacci from Argentina.

With John Muse, Mike Azzaro, Andres Weisz and Shane Rice, Lucchese could very well emerge as the early favorite. Azzaro is a former 10-goaler whose presence on the field forces everyone to be very competitive. Weisz and Rice could be that perfect complement along with Muse to make

this team a leader. The other six teams returning to the International Polo Club’s early season have all had very strong play in and out of the United States since last season, aiming to make this one of the most evenly matched competitions in the club’s history. The action will begin Jan. 11 when seven of the nine compete in the Barry Memorial Cup. Lechuza Caracas and Audi will join the competition for the Ylvisaker and Iglehart cups to be played in February. The International Polo Club Palm Beach is located in Wellington and hosts high-goal professional polo every Sunday at 3 p.m. beginning in January and continuing into April. More information can be found at www.international poloclub.com or by calling (561) 204-5687.

Wildcats Basketball To Host Car Wash Dec. 20

The first half of the season has been quite a roller coaster of emotion for the Royal Palm Beach High School boys basketball team. After getting swept in the first week and rebounding to sweep three games in the second week. The third week saw the Wildcats lose two games. In a non-district match-up last Tuesday night against Wellington High School, a slow start for the Wildcats became a pitfall.

With 5:30 left in the third quarter, the Wildcats found themselves behind 33-15. The last five minutes of the third quarter and first four of the fourth quarter saw the score tied at 40. Wellington went on to outscore the Wildcats 11-4 down the stretch to take a 51-44 victory. Wildcat senior Brad Zambito led the way with 16 points and 14 rebounds. Last Friday night’s game at Palm Beach Lakes was a tale of

two halves. In the first half, the tempo of the game favored RPBHS, who despite shooting 214 from three, found themselves down 36-30 at the break. With only seven turnovers against the Lakes pressure in the first half, the Wildcats were right where they needed to be. The second half was a much different story, as Lakes pressure defense forced RPBHS into turnovers and bad shots, the Wildcats were fortunate

score was not worse. The final score was a 72-51 victory for Palm Beach Lakes, which dropped the Wildcats’ record to 3-4 overall and 1-1 in the

trict. The Wildcats will host a car wash this Saturday at the Hess gas station on the corner of Okeechobee Blvd. and Jog Road. Tickets cost $3 and can be purchased from any player.

Saturday, Dec. 20

• The 18th Annual Children’s Holiday Fishing Classic will be held on Saturday, Dec. 20 at the Wellington Community Center dock (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The tournament starts with registration at 8 a.m. with the tournament to follow from 9 to 11 a.m. on the dock and the surrounding shore. Awards and fish tales will follow at 11 a.m. For more info., call (561) 753-2482, (561) 790-5124 or (561) 7932675.

• Wellington High School will hold its Holiday Basketball Camp on Saturday, Dec. 20 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the gymnasium. The camp is for boys and girls ages six through 14. The cost is $30. The camp will be hosted by the boys basketball team. Highlights include lessons in ball handling, passing, shooting and defense, as well as competitions and a free camp T-shirt. Make checks or money orders payable to Wellington Men’s Basketball and mail to Matt Colin, Wellington High School, 2101 Greenview Shores Blvd., Wellington, FL 33414. For more info., call Colin at (803) 4395348.

• A Gun Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 20 and 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.) featuring a wide collection of guns, ammo, knives, hunting supplies and accessories. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8. Call (561) 793-0333 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Drop-In Story Times” on Saturday, Dec. 20 for ages two and up. Times are 10:15 and 11:15 a.m. For info., call (561) 790-6070.

• The Cuillo Centre for the Arts (201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach) and Actor’s Workshop & Repertory Company will present The Velveteen Rabbit on Saturday, Dec. 20 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and Monday, Dec. 22 at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. For more info., call (561) 835-9226 or e-mail rduffy@cuillocentre.com.

Sunday, Dec. 21

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present My Son the Waiter, A Jewish Tragedy starring Brad Zimmerman Sunday through Wednesday, Dec. 2124 in the Rinker Playhouse. Call (561) 832-SHOW or visit www.kravis.org for more info.

• The Wellington Jewish Center will hold a Chanukah Menorah-Lighting Ceremony on Sunday, Dec. 21 at 4 p.m. at the Wellington’s Edge clubhouse (10851 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The cost will be $5 for children and $10 for adults. The center will have latkes, doughnuts, magic for adults and children, dreidles, a movie with the story of Chanukah and lots more. For more info., Call Rabbi Mendy Muskal at (561) 333-4663 or e-mail rabbim@bellsouth.net.

Monday, Dec. 22

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Baby Story Time on Monday, Dec. 22. Your baby will love the rhymes, finger plays, songs, books and toys. Times are 9:30 a.m. for babies under nine months and 11:15 a.m. for 10 to 18 months. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Tuesday, Dec. 23

• Ballet Florida will present Marie Hale’s The Nutcracker at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) Tuesday through Sunday, Dec. 2328 in the Dreyfoos concert hall. Call (561) 832-SHOW or visit www.kravis.org for more info.

• Na’amat, Sharon Club, of Royal Palm Beach, will host a Chanukah Party on Tuesday, Dec. 23 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, 151 Civic Center Way, at 11:30 a.m. A Chanukah lunch will be served, followed by a short business meeting. The group will present the Yiddish Cultural Chorus of Century Village led by Director/Conductor Shelley Tenzer. Guests are welcome; there will be a small fee for lunch. For more info., call Annette Haber at (561) 7931484.

Wednesday, Dec. 24

• Palms West Alliance Church (16401 Southern Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves) will hold a Christmas Eve service on Wednesday, Dec. 24 from 7 to 8 p.m. featuring music, candlelight and special performances. For more info., call Karen Cox at (561) 791-0524 or e-mail office@palmswest. org. Thursday, Dec. 25

• The Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus will be at the South Florida Fair-

grounds (9067 Southern Blvd.) Thursday, Dec. 25 through Tuesday, Dec. 30. Circus-goers will enjoy an up-close and personal experience as they sit just feet away from white tigers, Asian elephants and thrilling acrobats. Tickets are on sale at www.ringling.com, www. ticketmaster.com or by calling Ticketmaster at (561) 9663309.

Friday, Dec. 26

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present Forbidden Broadway Friday through Wednesday, Dec. 26-31 in the Rinker Playhouse. Call (561) 832SHOW or visit www.kravis.org for more info.

• Temple Beth Torah in Wellington (900 Big Blue Trace) will host the family Chanukah Shabbat “Dress Down” celebration on the evening of Friday, Dec. 26. Come light the candles, join in the festivity of the holiday and hear the story of Chanukah. Bring your menorah. The special guest will be State Sen. Dave Aronberg, who will sing Adam Sandler’s “Chanukah Song.” For more information, call (561) 793-2700 or visit www.templebethtorah. net.

Sunday, Dec. 28

• The Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches (13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A-15) will hold a Family Hanukkah Party from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 28. Come to the JCC for a fun-filled, festive family celebration featuring a bounce house, kids’ yoga, face painting, puppet show, dreidels, jelly doughnuts, music, crafts and more. The cost will be $18 per family. Register by Dec. 24 and receive a free gift. For more information, or to register, call (561) 253-6030.

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will explore the trail system behind the Solid Waste Authority’s administration building (Jog Road north of 45th Street) on Sunday, Dec. 28. Meet at the parking area at 7:30 a.m. For more information, call Alan at (561) 5860486.

Monday, Dec. 29 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a Poetry Recital on Monday, Dec. 29 at 6:30 p.m. for families and children ages four and up. Young performers will recite animal poems, funny poems, nature poems and more. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches (13889 Wellington Trace) will hold “Winter Break Music and Movement and Arts and Crafts” on Monday, Dec. 29 through Wednesday, Dec 31. Drop children off for two hours of fun. Hours will be 10 a.m. to noon for ages three through five and 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. for ages six through eight. Class will begin with high energy movement and music and finish with hands-on art activities taught by an experienced preK teacher. The fee will be $60 for three days. For more information, or to register for the event, call Elizabeth at (561) 253-6030.

Thursday, Jan. 1

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will start the new year right with a walk in Hickory Hammock on Thursday, Jan. 1. Meet at 9 a.m. at the entrance of Highway 98, eight miles past the Kissimmee River. For more info., call Bea at (561) 9684864.

Saturday, Jan. 3

• Enjoy the company of walkers with the Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association in John Prince Park on Saturday, Jan. 3. Walkers will meet at 7:30 a.m. and walk for about one hour before going to breakfast together. For more info., call Paul at (561) 963-9906.

Friday, Jan. 9 • The Wellington Garden Club will meet on Friday, Jan. 9 at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The meeting will begin at 11:30 a.m. with a light buffet lunch provided by the members. The business meeting will start at 12:15 p.m., followed at 1 p.m. by speaker Botanical Visions President William H. Reeve IV. Reeve’s topic will be “Using Native Plants in Your Landscape.” Guests are welcome and there is no admission fee. RSVP to Mary Anne at (561) 968-1062. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.

895 1,183 1,471 1,760 2,048 2,337 2,625 2,913 3,202 3,490 3,778 4,067 4,355 4,643 4,932 5,220 5,508

Visions Salon Celebrates 20 Years Of Service To Wellington Area

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Visions Salon celebrated 20 years in the Wellington Plaza last month.

The salon first started in the back of the plaza on Forest Hill Blvd., but 10 years ago, Visions moved to its present location at the front of the plaza, across from Ultima Fitness and Blockbuster Video. More recently, the thriving business expanded to take over adjacent space, resulting in the present facility of 2,500 feet.

“We’ve devoted it totally to doing hair,” owner Tom Monticello said. “The only other services we do are waxing and makeup, so we can create a total look on a client from the neck. That makes us stronger. We just really want to focus on hair, and color is our forte. A number of us are certified color educators for hair color companies.”

Monticello works closely with his supplier, the Italian haircare products manufacturer BES Beauty & Science.

“I do platform work and education for them,” Monticello said. “I appeared last year in Milan, Italy at their show, and I just returned from their show in Naples, Italy in November. We do many hair shows, and this helps promote the salon and helps us come up with new color techniques.”

Staying up to date is one reason Visions has been around for two decades, Monticello said. “We try to stay current on all the new corrective color techniques and trends and style in general for hair styling,” he said. BES coloring products are vegetable-based and contain no harsh chemicals such as formaldehyde, Monticello said.

“They are very strong in Europe,” Monticello said. “They’re 83 percent natural ingredients and 100 percent vegan. They work with a lot of ingredients that leave the hair in excellent condition. The durability of the product is unsurpassed. Here in South Florida, with the elements, the sun and chemicals, the pools and the chlorine and whatnot, it’s very difficult to get people’s hair color to last. We’ve searched out many product lines, and this product is best.”

Monticello has been involved with the company for 15 years.

“It’s a professional company, so you wouldn’t have heard of it unless you were a professional hair colorist,” he said. “It’s only available in select salons. We as professionals want to work with the best tools available. The more professional quality, the more ability we have to do different things.”

The store does carry an array of retail products from several major lines for sale.

Visions caters to men, women and children of all ages. “It doesn’t have to be fashion-oriented work,” Monticello said. “It can be just good quality hair care. We treat people from all walks of life, whether they want a very conservative look or something more fashionable. The underlying key is quality, because it doesn’t matter whether you wear a Brooks Brothers suit or something from a boutique, if the quality’s not there, it’s not going to be the same. So the underlying vision for us is to always give the client what they are trying to project for themselves.”

Monticello said Visions features stylists experienced at doing hair for formal affairs such as wedding parties.

“We have some four or five people who specialize in formal, ‘up’ hair,” Monticello said. “This time of year, from the equestrian circuit to the charity fundraisers, there’s something going on just about every week. We have people who are more geared to accomplishing that type of work, but we do everything, from the six-year-old getting ready to go back to school to somebody who is 106 years old and just wants to look current and well groomed.”

The Visions web site at www.vhsalon.com has a gallery of original photographs showing the range of styles available. Many of the pictures online are also displayed prominently on the walls of the salon.

“All the pictures that hang in our store are pictures that our staff has done — the hair, the makeup — we hire professional photographers to shoot them,” Monticello said.

The photographs are intended to demonstrate to the client

what the salon is capable of and also to sharpen the skills of staff so that they know what level of expertise they need to maintain.

“It makes us all better, and the clients benefit from that,” Monticello said. “It’s a lot of work and energy that goes into this, and they do it on their own time, but the reward is seeing it in a magazine or newspaper. When the stylist sees their own work in the magazine or newspaper, there’s a sense of satisfaction or accomplishment.”

Monticello has lived in Wellington with his wife and business partner Linda for 21 years. Originally from Elizabeth, N.J., he studied hair design in Manhattan. After a stint in the U.S. Army, he went to work for a hair product distributorship.

“I had my hairdressing license, but I didn’t have a lot of experience, so I took a job for a distributorship that developed the Sassoon product line,” Monticello said. “I got to work with [Sassoon’s] company, and as a result of that I ended up training and learning how to cut hair properly. That made me want to get back in the world behind the chair, so I started working in salons until we opened a salon in Union, N.J. in 1977. We had that salon for ten years.”

After moving to Florida, Monticello worked for another salon for a year before he and Linda decided to open one of their own. “When my wife and I wanted to open up our own salon again,” Monticello recalled, “we decided, ‘we live in Wellington, let’s work in Wellington,’ and we’ve grown with the community.”

Monticello said enthusiasm for their craft has kept them going.

“We have a passion for what we do,” he said. “When you have that, it makes it more of a labor of love, as opposed to just another job. I think that’s true in any field. We have an interest in keeping updated and modern, rather than just resting on our laurels. It’s like a third child, after my two real children. We have an interest in keeping it vibrant and keeping it healthy.”

Since Linda survived a bout of breast cancer, the couple has become active fundraisers for the American Cancer Society.

“We’ve always been involved with different sorts of sponsorships, but that sort of shifted our priorities,” Monticello said. “We used to sponsor things for Hospice and Ultima Fitness, and we still do, but now our focus is raising money for cancer research.”

Visions held a cut-athons in August and sponsored a team in the American Cancer Society’s Making Strides Against Breast Cancer walk in Wellington in October, Monticello said.

Visions Salon is located at 12793 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in the Wellington Plaza. For more information, call (561) 7901696 or visit www.vhsalon. com.

PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Visions Salon — (Above, L-R): Assistant Manager Jackie Wolfe, owners Tom and Linda Monticello and Manager Clarissa Cornelius. (Right) Tom Monticello at the front of Visions Salon.

ANNUAL

OF GRASS GALA HONORS ‘CHAMPIONS OF

The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and the Florida Environmental Institute’s Fourth Annual River of Grass Gala was held Saturday, Dec. 6 at the Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach. The evening included a cocktail reception and auction, the photo exhibit “The Everglades Through the Eyes of Children,” a presentation of the Champions of the Everglades Awards and live entertainment. The Champions of the Everglades Awards were awarded to Gov. Charlie Crist, the South Florida Water Management District and Mary Barley of the Everglades Foundation. KOOL 105.5’s Tim Byrd served as master of ceremonies.

Consulting Firm Aims To Empower Clients

Oslo, Norway natives Jan Peter Aursnes and his wife Ingunn recently moved to South Florida and established Quantum Leaps Consulting in Wellington. Partnering with Bob Proctor of the acclaimed movie The Secret , Quantum Leaps Consulting provides tools and experience to benefit their clients. Moving across the ocean and establishing a business is not an easy task. The E2 Visa process alone took Jan Peter and Ingunn

more than a year to complete, and involved having the application sent back twice, putting together support documentation of more than 500 pages, selling their house in Norway and moving on a leap of faith before their work visa was finalized. With a degree in management sciences from the University of Manchester in England, Jan Peter has 27 years of experience in the corporate world. He also worked for the International Red Cross as a delegate in the Re-

public of Georgia. Ingunn has a master’s degree in business and marketing and more than 12 years of experience in large multinational companies like the Eastman Kodak Company and Kraft Foods. Together, they focus on assisting people and companies to set high goals — and reach them.

“Our thoughts and attitude are often underestimated when trying to understand results, but it is truly the main factor,” Jan Peter said. “At Quantum Leaps

Consulting, we are passionate about helping our clients fully utilize the potential of their people by learning how to unleash the power of their minds. This new way of thinking will not only increase company sales, productivity and creativity — but also build a thriving company culture prepared to meet demands from a rapidly changing marketplace.”

For more information, call (561) 868-1815 or visit www. quantumleapsconsulting.com.

Nature’s Table Café Opens In Wellington

The Nature’s Table Franchise Company recently announced the opening of its new café in the Wellington Marketplace at 13889 Wellington Trace.

Nature’s Table Café offers flavorful soups, freshly made sandwiches, wraps and salads, smoothies and yogurt shakes in a warm and friendly atmosphere.

Franchise owner Bedonna Flesher, a graduate of Wellington High School and Florida

State University, has created a state-of-the-art café that combines the time-tested menu favorites of the 31-year-old brand with today’s latest technology and food trends, including berrie tarté a tart yogurt complemented with fresh fruit and toppings. In addition, there are digital menus, free wi-fi access, upscale décor and gift cards. For more information, call (561) 383-8343 or visit www. ntcwellington.com.

Chris Santamaria, Jasmine Velez, Michelle Santamaria, and Victoria and County Commissioner Jess Santamaria.

Mercedes Kelly, Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto, and Marty and Jean Gutter.

Eric Lieberman, Diane Buhler, Norm Gitzen and Lana Elian.

KOOL 105.5 FM’s Tim Byrd with Nancy and John Marshall.

Students from the Benjamin School perform a dance.

Representatives from the SFWMD are recognized.

WOMEN’S CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOSTS HOLIDAY LUNCHEON AT KRAVIS

The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County and the Women’s Chamber Foundation held a holiday luncheon last Thursday at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts in West Palm Beach. Special entertainment for the event was provided by the West Palm Beach Child Development Singers, who performed several holiday songs. The event also included a silent auction. For more information about the Women’s Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 684-4523 or visit www.womenschamber.biz.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

CHAMBER WELCOMES SUNSHINE FLEA MARKET

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for the Sunshine Flea Market (1941 South Military Trail, West Palm Beach). The Sunshine Flea Market features more than 200 vendors offering merchandise from all over the world, including South America, Europe, the Far East, Asia and the U.S. The 100,000-square-foot flea market is clean and has 24-hour security. There are seven ethnic restaurants preparing home-cooked food to dine on while children enjoy the rides, free balloons and bounce house. The merchandise sells at wholesale cost or below all the time. Market hours are 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Special holiday hours (until Jan. 2) are from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The market will be open Monday and Tuesday, Dec. 22 and 23, as well as New Year’s Day. Pictured here are representatives from the flea market with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Young Professionals To Meet Jan. 27 At Nicole’s

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce invites anyone between the ages of 21 and 39 to attend the first social gathering of its Young Professionals on Tuesday, Jan. 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Nicole’s Village Tavern in Wellington (12300 South Shore Blvd., Suite 103).

The cost for chamber members is $10 in advance or $15 at the door; the cost is $20 for nonmembers. By joining this elite group of

young business people you can gain access to fantastic events and boost your visibility and face time with the best in the bunch. Become a founding member for $50 a year, or $25 a year if your company is a member of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce. For membership information, call Jessica Clasby at (561) 7916200 or e-mail jessica@palms west.com. RSVP by Friday, Jan. 23.

Women’s Chamber of Commerce President Theresa LePore.

Sandra Kaplan, Christine Pitts, Theresa LePore, Julie Kelly and Patricia Taras.

Barbara Benson Wymer and Julie Kelly.

Mark Alexander and Dr. Maria Vallejo of Palm Beach Community College.

Children from the West Palm Beach Child Development Singers perform.

Marti Deckert of Designs by Marti D with some of her wares.

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS

INC. –– Painting, Interior, Exterior. Pressure cleaning. Custom painting, faux art. Lic. No. U14736. 798-8978. BD JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. ––– Interior/Exterior, artistic faux finishing, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair, & roof painting/cleaning. Free est. Call 798-4964. Lic.#U18473 LET US AD A LITTLE COLOR TO YOUR LIFE — Residential/Commercial. Licensed • Bonded • Insured. Owner/Operator. Ask for Paul 561-3098290. COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Interior/ Exterior, residential painting, over 20 years exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free estimates - Insured. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident. PAINTING — HOME PAINTING Interior - Exterior. $1290 +tax up to 2500 sq. ft. (walls area) 561-674HOME(4663) Masterpiece Painting Contractors Inc. CC U#21111 Lic./Ins. CREATIVE PAINTING SYSTEMS, INC. — Interior • Exterior • Residential Specialists. WE DELIVER WHAT WE PROMISE. All work guaranteed. FREE ESTIMATES. Family owned & Operated. Over 23 years experience. License #U-18337 • Bonded • Insured Owner/Operator George Born. 561686-6701 DECORATIVE PAINTING — "We Paint to Sell or Enjoy Nicer Living" Fair price, quick, neat and honest. 561-633-9418. Free Estimates #09-00014015

Waterheaters, garbage disposals, faucet repair & replacement service. New construction. Licensed. Bonded. Insured. Wellington Resident 25 years. 561-601-6458. Jeremy James Plumbing, Inc.

ELITE POOL CLEANING —"You dealt with the rest now deal with the best" All maintenance & repairs, salt chlorinator, heaters, leak detection. 561-7915073. Inquire about 1 months free service.

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-309-6975 BD CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS CALL 793-3576 TO PLACE YOUR AD HERE

058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. BD ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC-0067207 WWW.GARABAR.COM — Now is the time for the Best Prices. Re-roof & Repairs. No Deposit Until Permit Credit cards accepted. Free Estimate. 561-337-6798. Lic.#CCC1327252 & CGC1510976 IDEAL ROOFING SYSTEMS — Residential • Commercial • Licensed Bonded • Insured. New Construction Reroofs • Repairs • Roof Tile • Shingles Metal Roofs • Flat Decks • MaintenanceContracts info@idealroofingsystems.com. Palm Beach/Broward Office: 561753-7663 Fax: 561-753-7696. St. Lucie/Indian River. Office: 772-2886440. Fax: 772-287-9008. 11101 S. Crown Way #6, Wellington, FL 33414. Lic. #CCC1326453 HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, No Deposits. Pay upon completion, residential, commercial, reroofing, re-