IT’S HARVEST TIME AT ELBRIDGE GALE SEE STORY, PAGE 3
CONCERNS RAISED ABOUT RPB SCHOOLS SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Wellington Approves Amendments, Updated Master Plan Near PBIEC
Volume 35, Number 51 December 19 - December 25, 2014
Serving Palms West Since 1980
THOUSANDS ENJOY HOLIDAY PARADE
The Wellington Village Council approved land use amendments and an updated master plan last week for the residential components of the Wellington Country Place planned unit development. The Country Place PUD covers large swaths of Wellington’s equestrian areas, but last week’s changes focused on roadways near the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Page 3
PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
10th Annual ‘Back To Bethlehem’ Transports Visitors Back In Time
Community of Hope Church hosted its 10th annual Back to Bethlehem celebration Friday, Dec. 12 through Sunday, Dec. 14. The event took visitors back in time to the City of Bethlehem where they learned about life at the time of Jesus’ birth. Page 5
Caridad Center Families Celebrate The Season At Annual PBIEC Party
On Saturday, Dec. 13, hundreds of Caridad Center client families gathered at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center to enjoy face painting, balloons, music, entertainment, lunch, raffles, toys and more. Caridad volunteers and donors worked to make sure that all the families had a bright Christmas. Page 7
OPINION Policy Likely To Loosen Iron Castro Regime Grip
Hailed as a “Christmas miracle” by some and disparaged as “appeasement” by others, this week’s rapprochement between the U.S. and Cuba is neither. It is simply a recognition that the world has changed since our Cold War-era policy has been in place. What we truly need now is a policy that supports the re-introduction of capitalism in Cuba and uses both a carrot and a stick to change the policies of the regime while strengthening the forces of change. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS................................. 3 - 9 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 8 PEOPLE................................. 13 SCHOOLS.......................14 - 15 COLUMNS...................... 16, 25 BUSINESS......................26 - 27 SPORTS..........................31 - 33 CALENDAR............................ 34 CLASSIFIEDS................ 35 - 39 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
The 31st annual Wellington Holiday Parade rolled down Forest Hill Blvd. on Sunday, Dec. 14. Thousands of spectators lined the road to watch more than 100 parade entries go by. The parade’s grand marshal was Chris Leavitt, star of Bravo’s Million Dollar Listing-Miami. He was joined by political leaders, school marching bands, dance troupes, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue and dozens of community floats. Shown here, Santa ends the parade on the Wellington Rotary Club float. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Town Rejects Minto’s Help In Designing Okeechobee Blvd. By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council on Tuesday declined an invitation by Minto to collaborate on plans for Okeechobee Blvd. Councilmen Tom Goltzené and Ryan Liang recused themselves from voting because of financial and property interests at the former Callery-Judge Grove land, now being developed as Minto West. Town Manager Bill Underwood said Minto had reached out to communities surrounding the Minto West project and was offering to assist with issues, including the design of Okeechobee Blvd. as a rural parkway. “They do want to be good neighbors, at least that’s my understanding,” Underwood said. He said the developers had agreed to pay for a traffic light
planned by the town at Okeechobee and B Road. “We asked them specifically if they would meet with county staff to work through an interlocal agreement so that we can prefund the light and get reimbursed,” Underwood said. He also pointed out to Minto that the town is moving forward with a building moratorium on Okeechobee Blvd., and that Minto had subsequently sent a letter to Mayor Dave Browning indicating that they would like to collaborate on the roadway master plan. “To my knowledge, they have no intent of running over the town on Okeechobee Blvd.,” Underwood said. “It’s in their best interest, from what I understood, that the town have a good Okeechobee Blvd., as an attractive gateway that not only is good for the town, but
good for them in the future.” Browning said he and Underwood had sat down with Minto representatives because of concerns about the thoroughfare. “You all know where I stood on the Minto project,” he said. “I spoke at every meeting I attended against the project. At the same time, I wear two hats. The other one is representing the residents of Loxahatchee Groves. I have to protect the one part that impacts our community more than anything, and that’s Okeechobee Blvd.” The town had also received a letter from the Indian Trail Improvement District asking for help with a regional plan to resolve Minto West issues. “I love my neighbors in The Acreage, but they have a different See OKEECHOBEE, page 18
Several Acreage Projects In County Five-Year Plan By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Commission approved its five-year capital and road improvement comprehensive plan update on Tuesday, and included were a number of projects in The Acreage. The capital plan approved this week includes a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation for The Acreage, plus improvements to 60th Street and Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in fiscal year 2015-16, and improvements for Seminole Pratt Whitney Road in 2016-17. Acreage resident Alex Larson asked why the latter work was budgeted, except for the portion in front of Seminole Ridge High School. “We’re doing four lanes to the south,” Larson said. “You’ve turned [Seminole Pratt Whitney Road] into a runway between
Sycamore and Okeechobee, and then north of Orange [Blvd.], we’re doing four lanes, but we’re neglecting a little spot in front of Callery-Judge. We’re going to two lanes where a bunch of people have died. Somewhere, those two lanes need to be fixed before we start four-laning the north side.” Larson added that the existing two lanes are poorly marked. “You can’t see anything in the rain,” she said. “I drive it every day, and it’s very dangerous. Yet we’re going ahead with the fourlaning above Orange, where I don’t really see it as necessary.” County Engineer George Webb said the area Larson was talking about is in front of the high school up to 60th Street. “You heard that when we had extensive discussion when you considered and ultimately approved the Minto West project,” Webb said, addressing the comSee PROJECTS, page 18
PARTY TIME FOR WELLINGTON SENIORS
The Wellington Seniors Club held its annual Holiday Dinner Dance & Installation of Officers on Saturday, Dec. 13 at the Wanderers Club. The Whitestone Band played oldies and kept the dance floor filled. Shown here, Carlene Smith, Valerie Parks, Donna Fernandez and Dora Bogholtz sway to the music. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5
Saddle Trail Paving Returns To Equestrian Panel For Input Lox Groves Council Drops Referendum On Bond Debt Rules PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee members again reviewed design plans for paving projects in Saddle Trail Park last week, which led to more discussion about the approval process, although their instructions were to stick to the design plan. In November, the committee voted unanimously to oppose paving of roads in the Saddle Trail community, even though the Wellington Village Council had approved the project unanimously in April based on a request from residents. Last winter, residents in the southern part of Saddle Trail, south of Greenbriar Blvd., asked the council to help the community by using a special assessment process to pay for the improvements. The project includes building a bridle trail, paving roads, reworking drainage swales and installing new potable water pipelines and fire
hydrants throughout the southern part of Saddle Trail. At the Dec. 10 meeting, Village Engineer Bill Riebe again presented the plans to the equestrian committee. “The only real change from what we presented to you in November was that at the last resident meeting, they recommended that we provide openings in the threerail fence for the properties on the opposite side of the bridle trails,” Riebe said, explaining that those residents on the opposite side of the road from the trail will have access through the fence. The road will be 20 feet wide with 11-foot swales on both sides, and a 14-foot bridle trail. At the previous meeting, several members objected to plans to remove trees and other vegetation growing in the rights of way. Committee Chair Linda Elie asked Riebe whether he had asked property owners or if they had contacted him about their views
on removing landscaping as necessary to improve the road. Riebe said that village staff had sent letters to individual property owners along with aerial diagrams of the plans, noting areas where vegetation would be removed or relocated, as well as mailboxes and water meters. Several owners had contacted village staff with questions about water meters and removing or relocating vegetation. Riebe said several property owners had asked about the number of water meters they would need if they had more than one lot. The village is very flexible about that, he said, including providing more than one meter for one lot. Elie said she noticed that there is still a traffic calming island coming in off of Greenbriar Blvd., and Riebe said that it is to mark that drivers are entering an equestrian community. He added that signs will be installed and the circle will be built so that there is no conflict See SADDLE TRAIL, page 7
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report In a 3-2 vote Tuesday, the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council dropped a referendum to ask voters whether they want to let the council decide on issuing bonds requiring repayment of more than three years, which would have eliminated the charter-required public referendum on long-term debt. The council did, however, approve several questions to appear on the March 10 ballot. In a 4-1 vote, the council approved a nonbinding referendum asking voters whether they want roads improved. It also approved the preliminary reading of a referendum to ask residents, if they want roads paved, whether they’d
be willing to pay for them. The rejected referendum placing long-term borrowing in the hands of the council would have changed a charter provision requiring that voters approve any bonds for longer than a 36-month term. Councilman Tom Goltzené initially made a motion to approve the question, which carried 3-2 with Councilman Ryan Liang and Mayor Dave Browning opposed, but then Councilman Jim Rockett made a motion to reconsider the question. Goltzené said he had spoken to many people who would like to see certain capital improvements but do not favor the purchase of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce building See REFERENDUMS, page 4
Wellington Council: Make Foundation Independent By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council last week decided to divest itself from the Wellington Community Foundation and put it in the hands of private citizens appointed by council members. Following their agenda review meeting on Monday, Dec. 8, council members continued the annual meeting of the foundation from Nov. 11 to discuss the nonprofit’s future. The foundation was created in 2009 as a private nonprofit to raise money through donations for capital projects, but subsequent inspector general opinions have hamstrung its operations, because council members, who sit as the foundation’s directors, can no longer use their elected position
to benefit private organizations. Assistant Village Attorney Megan Rogers offered the council several recommendations to fix the problems: outsource the foundation to a council-appointed executive director, dissolve it and shift its $50,000 balance back into the general fund and continue to solicit funds as council members under a Code of Ethics exemption, or appoint an advisory board similar to other existing advisory boards, although they also would be prohibited from using their position to solicit donors. Vice Mayor John Greene said there had been concerns about an independent advisory board because the council would have to relinquish all authority to a private group. “At that point, they can adopt
new bylaws and revise things however they want,” Greene said, “but to serve as private citizens using the brand of Wellington for philanthropy throughout the community. There’s no conflict with them because they’re not necessarily sitting as a committee member where they’re part of our government entity.” Rogers said there would be financial and technical requirements to resolve in order to separate the foundation as it currently stands as a support organization for the village, in order to rectify the ethics concerns. Councilwoman Anne Gerwig had concerns about private citizens’ ability to solicit money because they would be appointed by council members. Rogers said there would be no
conflict because it would be a onetime appointment and would not be an ongoing body established by the council. Greene said they would be able to solicit because they would not be considered advisory board members. “We can’t have any say in what they do, what dollars should be allocated, what their terms would be, whether we like them, we don’t like them,” Greene said, adding that the length of their terms would also be up to them. “They appoint their chairpersons, and it’s completely on them.” Councilman Howard Coates said with most nonprofits, the reappointments are handled by the boards themselves because there are no shareholders to elect them. Greene turned to the unresolved
discussion about allocation of existing funds, which were generally not earmarked, except for about $5,000 for the Patriot Memorial and $5,000 for Scott’s Place playground. “There’s so many great charitable things that go on in this community, to have the right people in place that could create the right exposure and tap into their influence to be able to raise money and then to be able to earmark certain projects, and you can restrict some funds and contributions,” he said. “That’s probably some latitude that we wouldn’t have if we just kept it going the way that it is.” Coates said he favored keeping the foundation intact but divesting from the council because members’ hands are tied in terms of See FOUNDATION, page 18