Town-Crier Newspaper December 28, 2007

The 17th Annual Children’s Holiday Fishing Classic was held at the Wellington Community Center dock on Saturday, Dec. 22. A total of 110 young anglers came out for the event, catching and releasing 61 fish with a total weight of 78 pounds. The biggest fish was a huge, 31-pound grass carp caught by 15-year-old Erick McGartland of Wellington. Shown here, Mike Gershberg and McGartland show off the big fish. STORY & PHOTOS, PAGE 15A

By Jason Budjinski, Ron Bukley and Mark Lioi Town-Crier Staff Report

As 2007 comes to a close, we at the Town-Crier pause to consider the top stories we’ve covered this year. While some of the events that affected the western communities were purely local affairs, others were matters of regional concern. This week we offer a review of the ten stories that mattered most to the western communities.

WATER WOES TO CONTINUE

2007 will go down in South Florida history as a year of historic water shortages. Water restrictions imposed by the South Florida Water Management District last spring were extended through the summer

wet season after the water level in Lake Okeechobee remained at historically low levels. The situation led the SFWMD to hold conferences to discuss the increasing demand for water in South Florida. At a conservation summit on Dec. 7, SFWMD officials called for changing the behavior of society and public attitudes toward water consumption in a fundamental and permanent way.

At its meeting Dec. 13, the SFWMD Governing Board mandated once-a-week watering restrictions through the dry season. For the first time in history, the district declared an “extreme water shortage” districtwide. The restrictions, which go into effect Jan. 15, cover most of South Florida.

SFWMD officials reported the water level of Lake Okee-

chobee was at its lowest elevation ever recorded for the month of December, at 10.16 feet above sea level, and expect it to drop over the coming months below its all-time low of 8.82 feet, recorded on July 2, 2007. Florida is not alone. At the Dec. 7 conference, SFWMD officials noted that 36 states will face water shortages in the near future.

EQUESTRIAN

CIVIL WAR ENDS

After a year of bitter fighting, Mark Bellissimo’s Wellington Equestrian Partners and horse show promoter Stadium Jumping reached an agreement in late November that both parties said would keep the National Horse Show and Winter Equestrian Festival in their current home for years to come. Stadium Jumping cancelled

2008 A T Transitional ransitional Y Year For earFor W Wellington ellington

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

After a decade in which development-related dollars poured in, Wellington will continue to grapple with the novel challenge of declining revenues in 2008 due to mandated budget cuts and approaching buildout, Community Services Director Paul Schofield told the Town-Crier Thursday. Schofield, who will temporarily serve as acting village manager once Village Manager Charlie Lynn retires next month, anticipates a difficult budget year ahead, especially if voters approve new tax-reform measures in a statewide referendum next month. That alone could cost the village $1 million to $1.5 million in revenue, he said.

“You combine that in with other revenue losses, one of the things we’re dealing with at the moment is the state is behind in its revenue collection, so there is not as much revenue to share,” Schofield said. “We have budget adjustments we did last year. Between what are probably going to be decreased revenues from the state and interest rates on investments dropping, [village revenues] will probably be a bit lower.”

Another challenge for the village is replacing Lynn and former village engineer Gary Clough. This will be the village’s first year in more than a decade without either, Schofield said. While Craig Unger is under contract as interim engineer, the council will not hire a new enSee SCHOFIELD, page 10A

Lodwick: RPB Has Lodwick:RPBHas Much T To Celebrate oCelebrate

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

If there is a phrase to sum up 2007 for the Village of Royal of Royal Palm Beach, it might be “business as usual.” That’s what Mayor David Lodwick consistently preached as the village moved to reduce taxes for the 13th consecutive year without cutting services. One could argue the tax cut alone made it a good year for Royal Palm Beach, but Lodwick said the village’s business was good across the board in 2007. Lodwick told the Town-Crier

plans to build a new facility in southern Wellington on land called the Wellington Preserve. The new facility had been fasttracked by the Wellington Village Council in September.

In November, Bellissimo said his new partnership was ready to move ahead to improve the shows’ longtime venue at the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club, purchased by Bellissimo last summer along with the dilapidated Palm Beach Polo Stadium. The developer announced plans in August to upgrade and eventually combine the two facilities as part of a massive equestrian development, which he had renamed the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. As part of the agreement, Stadium Jumping transferred its Wellington licenses for horse show dates issued by the U.S.

last week that 2007 has been fairly stable, with the assimilation of the village’s police force into the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office “a real big deal.” “We started in October ’06 and hit the ground running in ’07,” Lodwick said. “Finalizing the plans for Commons Park and getting ready to go out to bid is a very big deal. Not to sound trivial, but just working every day and being responsive.”

Lodwick was a leader in the fight against the Callery-Judge Grove “new town” develop-

See LODWICK, page 31A

Equestrian Federation to a new WEP subsidiary called Equestrian Show Holdings. STATE MANDATES PROMPT BUDGET CUTS Responding to millage rate cuts mandated by the state legislature last spring, Wellington and Palm Beach County spent the long, hot summer slicing their budgets nine percent. Wellington achieved the tax rate rollback by eliminating projects, dropping unfilled positions and hiking user fees.

While Royal Palm Beach’s low tax rate spared it from the 2007 cuts, village officials are very worried as a Jan. 29 vote on a more permanent tax-reform plan draws near. Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick told the Town-Crier he intended to go from door to door

See TOP STORIES, page 38A

Area Officials Offer Hopes, Expectations & Resolutions For 2008

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

With 2007 about to slide into history, all eyes look forward to what 2008 will bring. Here in the western communities, hopes, plans and concerns for the coming year range across a variety of topics. This week, some of the area’s notables shared their personal prospects, some serious and others whimsical.

WELLINGTON MAYOR

TOM WENHAM

“My first hope would be a short timeline in our search for village manager. Two, stability in the equestrian community. Three, be elected as mayor for another two years. And four, the really good one, to continue to be successful on my diet.”

WELLINGTON VILLAGE

MANAGER CHARLIE LYNN

“I am hoping for a new year that is healthy for all, where the crime rate drops off the charts, our students continue to make Wellington schools the best, where the economy turns around and starts to boom again, and a year where no hurricanes appear.”

WELLINGTON COUNCILMAN

DR. CARMINE PRIORE

“I like to look at things from the big picture. We hope the war will come to an end and the American soldiers will come home. I hope that we are able to move forward with all the exciting things planned for our community. We want to do those and continue to provide the services we always provide. That’s an important part of what we are all about. I will be president of the Florida League of Cities… I consider that to be very important. For Wellington, and to represent Wellington, this is a huge honor. We’re only 12 years

old. We are a new city in terms of that. It’s something we’re all excited about. A lot of things are constantly in the works and happening here. Wellington is growing and reaching its full growth. We need to be concerned about how we can continue to make sure we do everything right.”

STATE REP. SUSAN BUCHER

“I hope we get to roll up our sleeves and find some real tax reform instead of minor tax relief. I’m hoping we can somehow address our tremendous budget shortfalls in a meaningful manner without cutting services to the poor and indigent by maybe closing some tax loopholes and reviewing some of our exemptions. We need to get a handle on Medicaid and try to fix the roadblocks the state provided for in our Kid Care programs. They made it harder to apply for Kid Care two years ago.”

STATE REP. SHELLEY VANA

“My hope for 2008 is that we will solve some of the problems that are impacting everyone who lives in Florida. This includes the tax situation, and the budget will get a bit better. I hope the economy picks up so we can fund the class size amendment. I hope we can get relief from property insurance and taxes. Those are the big issues. Another one is I hope they count our votes. I would also hope my new baby granddaughter has a wonderful world to live in.”

STATE SEN. DAVE ARONBERG

“I have the same resolution for 2008 as I had for 2007 and 2006, and seemingly every year since I was elected to the Florida Senate — get a reasonable amount of sleep. No more e-mails to constituents at 2:30 a.m.!”

STATE SEN. JEFF ATWATER

“My resolution is to continue lowering taxes for the people of Florida.”

PALMS WEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE EXECUTIVE

DIRECTOR

JAENE MIRANDA

“We hope that we will do our groundbreaking for the [new chamber] building soon. That’s our hope, and the new direction for WestFest, which is a green theme. It will be sponsored by Florida Public Utilities. We hope that goes off well, not for the western communities but for the county. Personally, I hope for some rest. I would like to rest at some point and find a moment to relax. Things have been moving so quickly. It has all been so exciting, but it would be nice to get a moment of rest.”

INDIAN TRAIL PRESIDENT MIKE ERICKSON

“We have some real transportation issues out west. We need to find a way to fund the growth out west, and work on ways to be able to permit the growth. One of the things that I would like to see us do is memorialize the duties done by our veterans. I would like to see a veterans memorial in the community itself. I am definitely going to be pushing that. We need to do a long-range transportation plan for ITID and have a long-term funding mechanism for maintaining the roads we have paved. We need to find a long-term maintenance plan for our dead end dirt roads.”

INDIAN TRAIL SUPERVISOR MICHELLE DAMONE

“The [Acreage] reliever road… We need to ask for it to be constructed and funded and connected to Northlake Blvd. I think the property appraiser needs to come out and reassess the taxpayers in The Acreage based on the depreciating values of their homes to give them some relief. The old-timers don’t have to worry. They are on the three-percent homestead tax exemp-

tion. The others can be reassessed on their depreciation values. They will be able to find some relief there. I will be pushing very hard for ITID to apply for grants for beautification, pathways and equestrian trails.”

LOXAHATCHEE GROVES

COUNCILMAN DAVE AUTREY

“Now that we have selected a firm to handle our visioning and strategic planning and soon will have our comprehensive planning process, 2008 should be a year of forward thinking and community involvement. How do we protect Loxahatchee Groves from the constant external pressure of “more of everything” while we try to hold on to and protect what we enjoy and cherish, and at the same time looking forward to our future challenges and responsibilities such as the expansion of SR 80 and the drought? Hopefully we can get the state, our neighbors and the county to see that a well thought out and planned Loxahatchee Groves is in everyone’s best interest.”

LOXAHATCHEE GROVES

WATER CONTROL DISTRICT

VICE CHAIR DON WIDING

“I think I am looking forward to working with the South Florida Water Management District and town council to continue to address our concerns about water retention and flood control. We’ve got some new challenges ahead of us with this unprecedented drought condition. Our core mission is to provide for adequate drainage and conservation of water throughout the district to support agriculture and our residential properties. We need to always be prepared for our hurricane season. We have challenges from both ends. We are looking forward to working with these agencies for the best of our community.”

Our Opinion

The Town-Crier Presents New Year’s Wishes, 2008 Edition

2007 was a year filled with water worries, tax reform disputes and an equestrian civil war. Certainly the new year will not bring solutions for all the thorny issues that plague the western communities, but we can take some time out for a bit of levity. As is the TownCrier’s year-end tradition, we humbly offer our not-so-serious New Year’s wishes, poking a bit of fun at our community leaders:

Retiring Wellington Village Manager Charlie Lynn: A new, fledgling community he can put his indelible stamp on over the next decade.

The Wellington Village Council: Charlie Lynn’s identical twin, from whom he was separated at birth.

Acting Wellington Village Manager Paul Schofield: An advanced degree in cat-herding.

Wellington Mayor Tom Wenham: Lessons from Yenta the Matchmaker.

Wellington Vice Mayor Bob Margolis: A night on the town with Francine Ramaglia.

Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto: A classy guy who isn’t a developer with his eye on Wellington.

Wellington Councilman Dr. Carmine Priore: An amendment to the Florida League of Cities charter that mandates all meetings while he is president must be at a cruise ship port of call.

Wellington Councilwoman Laurie Cohen: A majority of one.

Former Wellington Village Engineer Gary Clough: A fur-lined parka for his new job in Casper, Wyoming.

Wellington Mayoral Hopeful Darell Bowen: Should he win, a council that actually would want to follow his vision and lead.

Wellington Code Enforcement:

Thanks To Those Who Helped

Fishing Tourney

Do monsters lurk in Lake Wellington? Just ask any of the 110 participants or their parents at last Saturday’s 17th Annual Children’s Holiday Fishing Classic, and their answer will be a resounding yes (see story and photos, page 15A). They witnessed young 15-year-old Erick McGartland of Wellington reel in a tournament record 31-pound fish. His feat was not without a few anxious mo-

Fewer lawn-watering violators… and more rain.

Stadium Jumping’s Gene Mische: An exquisite Wellington sunset to ride off into.

Horse Show Promoter Mark Bellissimo: That he keep his partners close… and his new partners closer.

Sunrise Senior Living’s Rocky Goins: A 2008 groundbreaking.

Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick: That residents don’t think he’s selling magazine subscriptions when he appears at their door to chat about tax reform.

Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor David Swift: A local election campaign that does not feature his wife.

Royal Palm Beach Councilman Matty Mattioli: A long vacation after his most difficult re-election campaign.

Royal Palm Beach Councilman Fred Pinto: A place to hide from all the endorsement requests.

Royal Palm Beach Village Council Incumbents: Someone elected to the vacant seat who won’t upset the apple cart.

Royal Palm Beach Village Council Seat 2: That whoever wins has no plans to leave the area.

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office RPB Capt. Tony Araujo: Fewer new big-box retail stores to patrol in Royal Palm Beach.

County Commissioner Jess Santamaria: A “Bob Kanjian for Commissioner” button.

County Commissioner Bob Kanjian: A sudden political shift in the makeup of his district.

Disgraced Former County Commissioner Tony Masilotti: A chisel, a spoon and a girlie poster.

Palm Beach County Administra-

tor Bob Weisman: Pennies from heaven…. because they won’t be coming from Tallahassee.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw: 365 people who pay $10,000 to be “sheriff for a day.” That way he doesn’t have to go to work and makes a fortune to boot.

Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits: A new county commission.

Loxahatchee Groves Mayor Dave Browning: Fellow council members who still want to follow the “love it and leave it alone” philosophy.

Loxahatchee Groves Vice Mayor Marge Herzog: A new mission for her landowners’ association in the brave new world of incorporation.

Loxahatchee Groves Councilman Dr. Bill Louda: Pocket-sized biochemistry-to-English dictionaries he can hand out to people before he begins talking about his favorite topics.

Loxahatchee Groves Councilman Dennis Lipp: A non-election.

Loxahatchee Groves Councilman Dave Autrey: Something to smile about.

The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District: More rental revenue from that upstart government that seems to have taken over the office… and plenty of gas-tax money flowing downhill.

Loxahatchee Groves Town Clerk Matt Lippman: A magic wand that automatically determines the difference between a code violation and “rural lifestyle.”

Indian Trail Improvement District President Mike Erickson: A private citizen to step forward and take up the cause of Acreage incorporation.

Indian Trail Improvement District Supervisor Michelle Damone: An A+

Letters To The Editor

ments as he deftly maneuvered the monster fish around the many pipings at the Wellington Community Center dock to land the fish, with the capable assistance of Oliver Williams (Ms. Murie’s son). It was a fond farewell for Lieutenant John Reed of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, who is retiring after 35 years with the commission, for 17 of which he assisted with this tournament. We watched his children Matt and Becky grow up and go off to college, and hope he

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will be back next year as a civilian supporter.

Many thanks go out to Diane Brockway and the Lake Wellington Professional Centre for their $300 donation, which allowed us to give out quality fishing tackle to all the children who attended. The staff of the Wellington Community Center had the facilities in mint condition for the tournament, which is no small task with the number of birds that consider the dock area their domain. Thanks again to Payne McIntosh of Visual Images, who donated the trophies; Jeff Klosterman of Publix, for donating the bread we used to chum the fish and for bait; and last but not least, to Jimmy and Dennis at Loxahatchee Bait & Tackle, who donated the live worms the children used for bait. Without these loyal supporters we would not be able to put this tournament on for free to all the participants. Also, thanks to Prudential Insurance and Investments for providing popcorn and water. Please get out with the family and fish over the holidays.

on her report card for “works and plays well with others.”

Indian Trail Improvement District Administrator Chris King: That his leadership ends the years-long ITID revolving door.

Indian Trail Improvement District Parks: More absorbent soil for when it rains.

Callery-Judge’s Nat Roberts: A sudden uptick in the market for new single-family ranchette homes.

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist: The power to put insurance company executives in chain gangs.

State Sen. Jeff Atwater: Enough money in the Riverside till to offset the state’s shortfall.

State Sen. Dave Aronberg: A highprofile piece of legislation that raises his name recognition in advance of a 2010 statewide run.

State Rep. Shelley Vana: One last chance to reverse former governor Jeb Bush’s education policies.

State Rep. Carl Domino: Credit, should portability become law.

The Florida Legislature: A wholesale supply of Band-Aids for the next round in the property-tax reform battle.

Congressman Tim Mahoney: An opponent who will drop out of the 2008 race at the last minute.

Congressman Ron Klein: A few hundred other congressmen who suddenly think property insurance reform is a front-burner issue.

National Healthcare Reform: Life after the November presidential election. Palms West Hospital CEO Bland Eng: A longer tenure than his predecessor.

Local Golf Lovers: A few days to play golf at all the refurbished golf courses in the western communities.

given statutory recognition to corporations that operate homeowners’ associations in residential communities and has legislated statutes which provide procedures for operating such associations.

These statutes also provide procedures to protect the rights of the association members and for association members’ participatory decision making in regard to the covenants, conditions and restrictions that affect their mode of living, the use of their property and the financial liabilities that are incurred in the operation of their association. These statutory procedures must be complied with by each association and each association member, and when adhered to do not unduly impair the ability of the such to perform its functions.

law and had accepted the board’s judgments in good faith.

A review of the existing official released association governing documents show that there is no mention of the primary Chapter 720 to which the association and its members must conform. In addition, the board of directors have taken the position that only matters that they wish to be discussed at the annual association members’ meeting is permissible business. This circumstance has been brought to the board of directors many times by affected association members but with no result.

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Sawyer Wellington

HOA Ignores

Florida Law

The Florida Legislature has

Unfortunately, the Cypress Forest Homeowners’ Association Inc., which is located in the Preserve at Binks Forest in Wellington, has a board of directors who have a fiduciary responsibility to their association members but feel that they are above the law and operate the association contrary to legislated law and the association articles of incorporation. Unfortunately, the association members have assumed that the board of directors members were adhering to the legislated

The association attorney has stated that the board of directors has the responsibility of ensuring that the association governing documents are revised as necessary to maintain compatibility to HOA state law, and when it is appropriate. The association attorney has also stated that he has instructed the association board of directors and the association property manager not to respond to any opinions concerning the association’s legal obligations, as being beyond their scope or expertise.

This is being brought to the attention of the association’s members to inform them that

See LETTERS, page 5A

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymously sent 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 them to letters@goTownCrier.com.

Election Seasons In RPB, Wellington Should Prove Exciting

When the cooler late December air begins to blow, my thoughts turn to the election season in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach. And this season couldn’t begin quick enough for me. Nothing spells relief from boredom more than the prospect of political upheaval.

The only certain change is in Royal Palm Beach, where three candidates are vying for the empty seat left vacant several months ago by the resignation of Barbara Isenberg. Three council incumbents — David Swift, Matty Mattioli and Mayor David Lodwick — have publicly endorsed political newcomer Tinu Pena over her fellow candidates David Dangerfield and Martha Webster.

Ms. Pena’s triple-slam endorsement is unusual in local politics. So why did they do it this time? The reason is Ms. Webster and leftover animosity from two years ago when she ran against Mr. Swift in a bitter campaign many in the village would just as soon forget. During that campaign, some Royal Palm Beach cops backed Ms. Webster and campaigned hard against Mr. Swift and Mr. Mattioli, hoping that she and other challengers would provide them a council majority and support them in the stalemated union contract negotiations. The effort failed when Ms. Webster and fellow challengers failed to get elected, and the result was the village shutting down its police department and contracting with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for law enforcement.

While Ms. Pena may have incumbent support, Ms. Webster is not without her own fan base. She was a big supporter

of County Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s election last year, and I would expect Mr. Santamaria to support Ms. Webster this time around.

The RPB governing troika talked to Ms. Pena, a civil engineer with an impressive resume, as well as Mr. Dangerfield, a retired New York City firefighter and newcomer to Royal Palm Beach. They were most impressed with Ms. Pena’s knowledge of municipalities and the planning and zoning process. Both Mr. Swift and Mr. Mattioli told me last week that they would actively campaign for Ms. Pena and encourage their supporters to vote for her. Note to voters: look for a divisive campaign. However, the good news is that it will be a very short campaign because the council changed the traditional March election to the new Jan. 29 statewide primary to save money on holding the March election.

Wellington’s March election should be interesting for voters. Already, Wellington Chamber of Commerce President Darell Bowen has announced his candidacy against the village’s longtime Mayor Tom Wenham. Mr. Wenham has announced his re-election bid, as have the other two incumbents up for re-election, Laurie Cohen and Dr. Carmine Priore.

Some sources have told me to look for opposition against Ms. Cohen. There are still hard feelings over her less-thanenthusiastic support for Stadium Jumping’s CEO Gene Mische when he wanted to move his operation to a new show grounds. Even though Mr. Mische has

Various Thoughts On Sports

since joined forces with his former foe Mark Bellissimo to keep the Winter Equestrian Festival and National Horse Show at its present locale, many in the equestrian community were not happy about Ms. Cohen’s role in the matter. Even Mr. Bowen’s candidacy can be linked to that same equestrian community civil war. As president of the Wellington Chamber, he was allied with Mr. Bellissimo against the Stadium Jumping move, which was supported by Mayor Wenham. Some of my sources have told me that elements of the chamber want to gain more control over the council and that Mr. Bowen represents that effort. Add to this mix Mr. Bellissimo’s business partner Palm Beach Polo’s Glenn Straub, who has many reasons to seek a more user-friendly village council.

Letters

continued from page 4A the State of Florida has also extinguished the covenants and restrictions which affect the association members and also their required adherence to the Master Association Fourth Wellington requirements is no longer necessary. The conditions and restrictions delineated on the property “deed” which is of higher governmental authority are a requirement to be followed.

John William Westerholt Wellington

Support Weight Restrictions In AAL

Point of View...

By Don Brown

Dr. Priore, who with Mr. Wenham has served on the council for more than a decade, has no rumored opposition — so far. As a traditional large vote-getter, candidates usually think twice before challenging him. And he has a big reason for winning re-election: if he wins, he is in line to become president of the Florida League of Cities, an influential statewide office.

Let the games begin!

an AAL meeting. In fact, I have a certified letter addressed to you that you refused to sign for and accept.

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

Virtually unnoticed by most media was the recent triumph of the United States Davis Cup team, which trampled Russia 4-1 in the finals in Portland, Oregon and returned the cup to the United States for the first time since 1995. Andy Roddick and James Blake were the singles victors while the Bryan twins, Bob and Mike, captured the doubles against the Russians. On the lengthy road to the cup championships, Patrick McEnroe’s squad defeated the Czech Republic, Spain and Sweden.

Is your favorite college looking for a top running back? How about Bo Bolen of Grandview High School in Aurora, Colorado. This senior sensation rang up 32 touchdowns and 2,377 yards rushing this past season. Or there is always Louis Bland of Modesto, California, who scored a record 100 career touchdowns (28 this season) and is also a two-time state wrestling champion with a 150-7 record. And rest assured the pros will be after Mike Czerwien of Waynesburg, a defensive end who set a NCAA (all divi-

sions) record with 52 and a half sacks. This season he had 34 and a half tackles for losses with 22 sacks.

Now onto hockey, where aficionados can go to New York’s Deitch gallery and see legend Bobby Orr (walking) and considerably less legendary Derek Sanderson (at his locker) painted in the nude! Artist Kurt Kauper has fashioned a display titled “Everybody Knew That Canadians Were the Best Hockey Players.” Kauper happens to be a very fine artist. Also, please note the sports world’s latest jump to outsourcing. The Sherwood-Droler Company, major manufacturers of wood hockey sticks, is now getting them manufactured in China and Estonia.

Finally, Peyton Manning has joined Dan Marino as one of the only NFL quarterbacks to have recorded at least 20 touchdown passes in their first 10 seasons. And say goodbye to Hall of Fame jockey Bill Hartack. The guy won five Kentucky Derbies, three Preakness races and the 1960 Belmont Stakes.

I am writing this letter in response to Mr. John Meredith’s letter “Webb Wrong About AAL” in last week’s Town-Crier I was pleasantly surprised that Mr. Meredith responded to my editorial and am grateful for the chance to have an open dialogue about this issue. My comments:

1) The team FSU Prep Division played was West Virginia on Saturday, Sept. 22. I can assure you that there was a player on the West Virginia team that weighed over 150 lbs.

2) You stated that the heaviest player on the Prep Division super bowl-winning team was 109 lbs. That is the heaviest weight from one team. What are the weights of kids on teams other than the super bowl-winning team? You also stated that “weight plays no part in winning or losing games.” What about injuries? What role do mismatched weights play in injuries?

3) Fire-Rescue responded to three games, according to you. Isn’t once too many?

4) Regarding my “outbursts.” Many parents and coaches are supportive of weight regulations in The Acreage. In fact, some parents have stated they will play elsewhere because there are no weight regulations. Mr. Meredith, not at any time was I invited to participate in

Parents and coaches have approached me stating this issue has been brought to your attention before with no resolution or compromise. A prior AAL board member stated a desire to initiate weight regulations with no response. You stated the benefits of no weight regulations to be playing with peers, allowing heavier children to play with their age group and no pressure to make weight prior to games. Pop Warner has weight regulations you can see on their web site (www.popwarner.com/football), which offer alternatives for parents based on age and weight including unlimited weight divisions. Their site states, “there are nine divisions of play, all determined by a strict age/weight scale to ensure safe and balanced competition.” As you stated, the second-largest South Florida youth football league, the AYFL, has articles on their web site with studies done that show no association with weight and injury. While they do let each individual community determine ages/weights, they do provide information for weights if your division wishes to compete in the championship. Additionally, under the Risk Management section on their web site (www.americanyouthfootball.com) they state: “numerous court cases have arisen out of the failure of a sports organization to appropriately match the size, age and skill of sports participants. Obviously, when players of greater size, age and skill are matched with those of lesser size, age and skill, it is much more likely that injuries and lawsuits will result.” So if these two large organizations with many years of experience with youth sports recommend age/weight restrictions, why don’t we have them? What do they know that we as parents in The Acreage don’t know?

Finally, congratulations on your win against the Boca Jets. If parents go to the Boca Jets web site (www.creek See LETTERS, page 7A

Realtor Discovers Residential Burglary In Royal Palm Beach

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

DEC. 14 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach arrested a Jupiter man on drug charges on Southern Blvd. on Dec. 14. According to a PBSO report, the deputy was at the Mobil gas station at approximately 7:03 p.m. when he observed a vehicle driven by 20-year-old Matthew Scott enter the gas station parking lot. Scott’s vehicle had dark,

CRIME NEWS CRIME NEWS

tinted windows that appeared to be in violation of state statute, according to the report. Upon contact with Scott, the deputy noticed a strong smell of marijuana coming from inside Scott’s vehicle. The deputy also observed marijuana stems, seeds and other pieces in the front and back seats of Scott’s vehicle. A computer check revealed that Scott’s driver’s license was suspended. A search of his vehicle

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

• Justin McCommon is a white male, 6’1” tall and weighing 200 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes. His date of birth is 05/01/82. He has a tattoo on his right arm and scars on his left elbow and right knee. McCommon is wanted for violation of probation on convictions for burglary of a structure, dealing in stolen property and false verification of ownership to a pawnbroker. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 50th Street North in The Acreage. McCommon is wanted as of 12/27/07.

• David Sangeorge is a white male, 6’ tall and weighing 150 lbs., with brown hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 08/18/86. He has a scar on his chest. Sangeorge is wanted for failure to appear in court on the charge of possession of heroin. His occupation is unknown. His most recent address is unknown. Sangeorge is wanted as of 12/ 27/07.

Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crime stopperspbc.com.

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY, WHICH IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ITS CONTENT.

revealed a bag that contained four grams of marijuana. Scott was arrested on a charge of possession of marijuana as well as driving with a suspended license. He was given a notice to appear in court and released.

DEC. 14 — A woman called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach on Dec. 14 regarding a residential burglary on Cayo Costa Court. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 5:30 p.m. the deputy made contact with the complainant, who said her friend’s house had

been burglarized. The complainant told the deputy that a real estate agent was showing the house and noticed the back door was open and several items were missing. In addition, the complainant arrived to find that the alarm did not work and the telephone lines had been cut, according to the report. The deputy observed several pry marks on the rear sliding-glass door and door frame. The deputy made phone contact with the homeowner, who provided a list of missing items. The scene was processed for latent prints but none were obtained.

DEC. 14 — A man and woman were arrested for drug possession during a traffic stop at the intersection of Wellington Trace and The 12th Fairway on

Dec. 14. According to a PBSO report, 21-year-old James Holland and 19-year-old Brittany Hathaway, both of Royal Palm Beach, were pulled over for failing to obey a stop sign at approximately 11 p.m. A search revealed three oxycodone pills, and two and a half Xanax pills, as well as drug paraphernalia.

DEC. 17 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach arrested two men on drug charges on Southern Blvd. early on Dec. 17. According to a PBSO report, the deputy observed a car in the parking lot of the Costco store at approximately 12:01 a.m. Upon approaching the vehicle, the deputy noticed a strong odor of marijuana and observed smoke

Teen Arrested For Theft Of Baby Jesus Statue

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

DEC. 27 — An 18-year-old woman was arrested Thursday and charged with grand theft in connection with the theft of a baby Jesus statue in Wellington. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, Village of Wellington representatives contacted a PBSO deputy Thursday morning after learning the location of the statue, which was stolen from the village’s Nativity scene displayed in front of the Wellington Community Center on Forest Hill Blvd. The statue was equipped

with a global positioning system device and traced to a home on Suellen Circle.

According to the report, the deputy, along with a PBSO detective, interviewed one of the residents, a friend of the arrestee, Danielle Santino. In a written statement, the friend fingered Santino as the one who stole the statue, noting that she “came back with the stolen property, set it down, I asked what it was and she replied, ‘I stole Jesus.’” Santino later turned herself in and confessed to the crime. She was charged with grand theft.

David Sangeorge

Justin McCommon

PBSO IDs Body Found At Royal Palm Church

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

Investigators from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Violent Crimes Division on Wednesday identified the woman whose burned body was found Sunday near the parking lot of Our Lady Queen of the Apostles Catholic Church in Royal Palm Beach.

According to PBSO spokeswoman Teri Barbera, investigators used an alternate fingerprinting technique to identify

the adult woman because her hands were badly burned.

Barbera said investigators believe the victim to be from South Florida but that the PBSO was withholding the victim’s name until next of kin can be located. According to investigators, the victim is five feet, two inches tall with strawberry-blonde hair and a flowery tattoo on her lower back.

PBSO spokesman Pete Palenzuela told the Town-Crier Wednesday that investigators are treating the incident

as a homicide, although the cause of the woman’s death had not yet been officially determined.

Investigators were also still working to determine if the victim died where a PBSO deputy found her at 3:15 a.m. on Sunday or if she might have been transported from another location.

The deputy found the victim under a palmetto palm near a wooden bridge in an unlighted area of the church property.

Realtors Endorse Webster For Royal Palm Council

The Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches recently announced its endorsement of Martha Webster for Seat 2 on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council.

The professional trade association is made up of more than

Blotter

continued from page 6A coming from the driver’s side, occupied by 30-year-old Elvis Pottes of Royal Palm Beach. The passenger in the vehicle was 20-year-old Steven Johnson of Loxahatchee. The deputy found half of a burned marijuana cigarette in the passenger’s side of the vehicle, according to the report. A fur-

Letters

continued from page 5A football.com/tackle/cities/ boca.shtml) you will find that they have weight regulations with an unlimited division as well.

Mr. Meredith, I have a tremendous amount of respect for you and the AAL. You have made youth sports accessible to our community. I am simply trying to bring awareness to our community. I believe that there should be choices within our own community so that everyone can play. Other leagues have found ways to make it work.

Parents and coaches, I am calling on you. If you believe in weight regulations, then you must be heard. One voice cannot effect a change. Many voices can. Write the Town-Crier Write the board. Call the board. Go to my web site (www. acreagefootball.com, available beginning Jan. 15) to sign a petition, and let’s show the board that we want to find a compromise.

Gregg Webb The Acreage

Restrictions Unfair

To Large Players

I have just completed reading a letter from an Acreage Athletic League parent (Gregg Webb) in the Dec. 14 Town-Crier. For someone who knows so much about what is going on, I am surprised that he did not know what team his sons were playing on. The AAL did not have a team called Virginia Tech this or last season. My sons have played in the AAL for three years now. They are big boys, nine and 11 years old, weighing 140 lbs. and 200 lbs. If it was not for the AAL, they would not be able to learn the great sport of football until they got into high

10,000 Realtors and affiliates who represent a strong and unified voice for the real estate industry.

Also vying for Seat 2 are David Dangerfield and Tinuade “Tinu” Pena. The three candidates will face off in the Jan. 29

ther search of the vehicle produced four grams of marijuana inside a backpack that belonged to Pottes. Pottes and Johnson were both charged with possession of marijuana under 20 grams, given notices to appear in court and released.

DEC. 18 — A traffic stop for a missing rear tail light led to the arrest of a Wellington man on drug charges last

school. By the time most of the larger boys get to high school and try out for the football team, they are not equipped mentally or physically for the challenges that face them — smaller, faster boys who have been playing organized football for four to seven years. In some cases, they do not have the stamina to complete a practice or a onemile run. They lack the discipline needed to support a team in the way they are needed. If the AAL was to adopt weight restrictions, then many of these boys and girls would never have participated in this sport. Where then would these children learn manners, responsibility and fun?

The writer said that his concern is that the larger kids can cause injuries. Injuries are an unfortunate reality in sports.

The warning labels on the protective gear the athletes wear speak of paralysis and death as possibilities just from participating in this sport. In most cases, when athletes are injured, it is due to poor coaching or poor execution of basic skills such as hitting, blocking and tackling.

The writer speaks of one child out of 800 who has exceptional ability, strength and size for his age. In a Pop Warner league, this eight- to ten-year-old child would have to play football with children who are 14 to 15 years old. While his body may weigh enough, his maturity in body and mind are not ready to compete at this level. The muscle structure of a teenager is severely different than that of an eightto ten-year-old boy. The ability to react to different situations and the level of aggression are also magnified to a level that the eight- to ten-year-old child could not respond to. Should this child and all the other children gifted with size and talent be relegated to the sidelines?

I have spoken with parents of

Property Appraiser Extends Hours For Homestead Filings

Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits recently announced that the Property Appraiser’s Office service centers will be open one hour earlier and remain open one hour later between Wednesday, Jan. 2 and Monday, March 3.

The location on the first floor of the Palm Beach County Governmental Center (301 N. Olive Avenue, West Palm Beach) will be open weekdays, 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. The same extended hours will be in effect for the service center at 200 Civic Center Way in Royal Palm Beach.

“We are extending our customer service hours at our busiest locations,” Nikolits said. “Because the annual March 1 deadline falls on a weekend, the filing deadline for 2008 taxsaving exemptions is Monday, March 3. It’s better to file as early as possible to avoid the lines at our offices that build up late in February as people try to meet the March 3 deadline.”

election. The seat has been vacant since the July resignation of Barbara Isenberg. The winner will serve the remainder of Isenberg’s term, which expires in March 2009. There are no other village council seats up for election.

Tuesday on Forest Hill Blvd. According to a PBSO report, after 28-year-old Casim Bucary was stopped for the taillight violation at approximately 11:51 p.m., a deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington found a bag that contained less than 20 grams of marijuana. Bucary was given a notice to appear in court and released.

bigger kids who have played in AYFL and Pop Warner leagues. It’s not all manners, responsibility and fun. The bigger kids are subjected to torturous amounts of laps in sweat suits, not eating or drinking just to make weight so that they can play for their team. Where’s the fun in that? What lesson do the kids learn about themselves and self-image? In the real world, kids come in all sizes, as do teenagers and adults. In order to survive in life one must be able to adapt and persevere no matter what the obstacle. But should a ten-year-old’s weight be an obstacle to him having fun?

In most cases the children who take advantage of the AAL’s lack of weight restrictions are on the offensive or defensive line. They rarely get a running start or build up enough speed to do more than tackle a runner by grabbing them and holding them until the rest of the team knocks them down. As for players dragging others across the goal line, they should have tackled him low. He can’t drag anyone if he can’t move his legs. That speaks more to the coaching and execution of the defensive players than it does to the size of the runner. When these kids get to high school, the teams they play for will be grateful for the years of experience they will bring with them. And if you were to ask a high-school quarterback or running back which he preferred, a line composed of players with one to two years of experience or five to seven years of experience, which do you think he would take?

Since the writer has made all these connections with the coaches and administrators of the leagues with weight restrictions, I suggest he have his children play there.

Mark Jason Royal Palm Beach

You can avoid the lines and file online on the Property Appraiser’s Office web site at www.pbcgov.com/papa. Go to the “Exemption E-File” link on the home page and follow the prompts.

Nikolits has elected to automatically renew existing homestead exemptions. “If you currently have a homestead exemption, you will receive an automatic renewal notice in the mail the first week in January,” Nikolits said.

For more information, call the Property Appraiser’s Office at (561) 355-2866.

Wellington Offers Creative Photography Starting Jan. 3

Annie Leibovitz once said that “the camera makes you forget you’re there. It’s not like you are hiding but you forget, you are just looking so much.”

The Village of Wellington’s creative photography course is suitable for both beginners and advanced amateurs age 18 and older. Focus will include digital and film cameras, metering, films, lenses, flash, filters, multiple exposures (film cameras only), slide montage, slide copying and color management. Instructor Robert Rode will address both basic and creative skills in all areas.

Two sessions will be offered this winter and spring on Thursday nights from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. — Session I runs from Jan. 3 to March 6 and Session II runs from March 13 to May 15. Each session costs $55 for residents and $68.75 for non-residents.

A 35mm camera with interchangeable lenses is advised. Point-and-shoot cameras are also permitted for use during class sessions. A valid Park Player Pass is required for registration.

For more information, call the Wellington Community Center at (561) 753-2484, ext. 0. If you are registering for the first time, register in person at two convenient locations: the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) or the Village Park gymnasium (11700 Pierson Road).

You can also register online at www.rec.ci.wellington.fl.us with your household ID number.

New Administrator: Great Things Ahead For ITID In 2008

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Indian Trail Improvement District Administrator Chris King is pleased with his first months in the post and thinks even better times are ahead for the district.

King told the Town-Crier last week that “2007 was a good year; 2008 will be a great year.”

King said he is particularly pleased about the state of district finances. “In 2006, the former board cut assessments by 13 percent and some people thought the new board would not be able to deal with that kind of cut without slashing services or cutting deeply into our reserves,” he said. “Not only were services not cut, but the district built a new skate park and increased our reserves by around $900,000.”

The credit goes to “the incredible people who work for the district,” King said. He gave specific credit to Operations Director Terry Narrow and Parks Director Tim Wojnar for the good shape of ITID when he was hired as administrator two months ago. “There were so many good things going on,” he said. “Terry Narrow and Tim Wojnar had their departments in great shape. The people in the office here have been wonderful. Everyone wants only the best and works hard to get it.”

Finance Director Margie Perez also deserves credit, he added. “She has a difficult job and does it so well,” King said. “Everyone told me that she

brought order to the books. Now, just as every municipality in the county is facing major problems with planning for next year’s budget, all we’re really going to have to see to is adjusting our balances for each development unit. Some have very large reserves and others do not.”

King plans even tighter controls on spending in the future.

“Our residents want a dollar’s worth of benefits for every dollar assessed,” he said. “I want two dollars’ worth.”

King said the tighter controls are the reason the district requested quotes for both legal and engineering services despite the longtime, oft-praised service of the current providers. “We want to make sure we are getting the best possible services for the right price,” he said. “I want to be able to defend our costs when our citizens ask.”

The district is also re-examining the costs from its major vendors. “We are going out for bid not because we think we’re being cheated, but because we want to make certain that we are not wasting even a penny of our revenues,” he said.

Given recent corruption scandals in local politics, King said he and members of the ITID Board of Supervisors are working hard to assure residents of clean district government. “We don’t need or want even the slightest hint of corruption here,” he said. “We are spending a lot of our time on tightening controls on procurement and making sure we have inter-

nal controls to make certain that we are a good example.”

King, who has a background in planning, said he is working on an overall plan for the district’s future. “Right now we are working with the legislative delegation on some of our needs,” he said. “Our most immediate concern is the expansion of our legislative boundaries to include a couple of properties along Northlake Blvd. for whom we will be providing drainage services.”

Other key issues, King said, include coordinating the district’s planning functions and dealing with the county and other entities that have an impact on residents. “Right now Callery-Judge Grove and GL

Homes are planning to build a lot of homes right to our west,” he said. “We want to be sure that the new homes will not disrupt our residents because of traffic or problems with the aquifer.”

King said the northward extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. is another high priority. “We need a way for people to go from either side of us without going through the streets where we ride our horses and our children play,” he said.

January will be a busy month at ITID, King said. “We are going to hold a visioning session so that people can tell us what they want for the district,” he said. “We were going to hold it at the beginning of the month,

King said public input will be critical in mapping the future. “We want to make the ITID a better place,” he said. “But we need everyone to tell us exactly how we can do that.”

SANTA AT DANCE ARTS CONSERVATORY

Dance Arts Conservatory in Wellington had a visit from Santa Claus (a.k.a. owner Rocky Duvall) and his elves Dec. 21-23. The studio offers a range of ballet, yoga, belly dancing, jazz and other classes, as well as a summer camp, parents’ night out and other activities. Dance Arts Conservatory is located at 13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A23, in the Wellington Marketplace. For more info., call (561) 296-1880 or visit www. danceartsconservatory.com.

Pictured here is five-year-old Jasmine Gelfand of Wellington with Santa and his elves Brittany Bagan and Anna Morra. at our regular workshop on Jan. 9, but decided to push it back later in the month. We want more input about our parks, our horse trails and our roads. Some things are very clear. We need to put some money aside to replace worn-out equipment in some parks to keep them safe. We need to have people from our Parks Committee and Trails Committee work together on Hamlin Park. We will be building our first roundabout during the next month, the one on 140th Avenue and Temple Blvd.”

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

RPB Election Question 2: What Are The Most Important Issues?

From now until the Jan. 29 election, the Town-Crier will ask questions for publication each week to the three candidates seeking the vacant seat on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council. This week’s question: “What are the three most important issues facing the Village of Royal Palm Beach; what would you do about each?”

MARTHA WEBSTER

As councilwoman, my top three priorities will be:

Community, Safety and Security

• Work closely with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and Palm Beach County FireRescue to ensure the village remains a priority and response times are kept short.

• Ensure the council continues to be an active participant in progressive strategies to reduce and inhibit gang and drugrelated activities.

• Work with the council and village staff to identify strategies to provide safe transit — vehicular, public and private, bike and walkways — throughout the village as well as a comprehensive mass evacuation plan.

Low Taxes

• Fight to keep taxes low.

• Work with the council and village manager for responsible fiscal practices.

• Ensure that current and future community projects are sustainable in both development and maintenance phases.

Development

• Work closely with our neigh-

boring communities to limit the impacts of traffic and over-development on the village and surrounding areas.

• Work collaboratively with our neighboring communities to develop future land use plans that will enhance the quality of life in the western communities and the village in particular.

• Work diligently with the county and neighboring communities to improve and maintain roads and services.

DAVID DANGERFIELD

Elected officials’ responsibility is to their constituents. The goal is to provide a voice for the people, and that voice must be heard. The three most important concerns from the voices of the community are taxes, traffic and maintaining quality of life while providing economic growth.

1. Taxes are a fee we must pay for general local services to sustain continuity of infrastructure. The millage tax in Royal Palm Beach is comparatively low compared with other municipalities. The current administration has been very proactive in maintaining this property tax rate. We now have to look at the county/state for further tax relief. And if elected, I will evaluate other feasible options for further property tax reductions without disrupting essential services.

2. As the village grows in popularity and traffic congestion at times become chaotic, much of the traffic congestion can be alleviated and rectified when State

Road 7 and Roebuck Road extensions are completed. I also see an ongoing monitoring of traffic flow and signal-light sequences. Most importantly, observing traffic laws and adhering to road etiquette.

3. By maintaining a sound and comprehensive economic “smart growth” plan, we will continue to flourish as a familyoriented community while sustaining:

• Healthy communities which provide families with a clean environment. Smart growth balances development and environmental protection. Accommodating growth while preserving open space and critical habitat, reusing land, and protecting water supplies and air quality.

• Economic development and jobs that will create more business opportunities, local tax base improvements, provide neighborhood services and amenities, and create economically com-

petitive communities.

• Strong neighborhoods that provide a range of housing options, giving people the opportunity to choose housing that best suits them. Smart growth provides the choice to walk, ride a bike, kayak, take transit or drive. It maintains and enhances the value of existing neighborhoods and creates a sense of community.

TINUADE “TINU” PENA

The Village of Royal Palm Beach has been faced with different issues over the past years that would have affected our quality of life. Although some of these issues have been addressed by the present council, there are three issues that I forecast will be taking precedence on the council’s agenda. These issues are the impact due to tax reduction, traffic congestion and community programs.

The tax cut proposed by leg-

islators in Tallahassee will have an effect on municipalities’ revenue; therefore, municipalities will be faced with the problem of where to trim fat. Even though this might be the case for some municipalities, Royal Palm Beach has been one of the municipalities that have cut taxes for the past 13 years and have continued to provide for the community. Therefore, working with the present council, alternatives will be proposed to address such impacts should it arise to make sure that the safety and quality of life of the residents are not affected. In essence, this item is aligned with my platform on advocating sustainable community development. This priority in its entirety seeks solutions that promote the wellbeing and quality of life of our residents.

The present traffic congestion situation lends itself to the See QUESTION, page 10A

David Dangerfield Tinuade “Tinu” Pena Martha Webster

Schofield Transitional Year Ahead

continued from page 1A

gineer until a new village manager is in place, he said. The changes in village leadership could also possibly involve the council itself, where three members are up for re-election in March.

“We probably have as much uncertainty as we have had during the time I have been with Wellington,” Schofield said.

“Has the housing crash bottomed out? When are we going to see property values coming

back up? Have the sub-prime loans shaken themselves out?

Those are all things that are going to impact us, and those are things we really have no control over. Beyond that, Wellington residents are a very stable, capable group. I think Wellington is going to be less hard hit than many communities. It tends to be a professional community where people have some reserves, but it’s not like 2003 or 2004 when you were looking at a continuation of a boom.”

Since developer Mark Bellissimo has acquired the old polo stadium, the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club show grounds and the rights to produce both

the National Horse Show and the Winter Equestrian festival, Schofield said village staff will be busy reviewing his development plans in the coming year.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I don’t expect Mr. Bellissimo to wait forever to tell us what his plans are for all that land he has acquired,” Schofield said. “So we’ll probably be looking at that over the summer in preparation for next equestrian season.”

Schofield said he would not recommend developing the village’s 67-acre K-Park site for several years because of the costs of maintaining it. “We have the money to build it or do some things out there, but what we don’t have is the money to operate and maintain it,” he said.

“There’s $12 million in the capital fund to do it, but those funds come from impact fees, and those types of things and they can only be spent on new facilities. They can’t be used to operate and maintain. For every million dollars of construction, we will pick up $90,000 of annual operating and maintenance cost.”

Meanwhile, the village’s own workforce is shrinking, Schofield said. “At this time, we’re past the point that we have to lay somebody off,” he said, “but as positions open up due to attrition, I suspect we’re going to continue to not fill them unless they are critical.”

Other expenses such as rising fuel costs and workers’ compensation will increase the strain on the flat revenue stream, he said. “Even if we collect the same amount of money this year

that we did last year, some costs will go up, and we’re going to have to adjust somewhere. As community services director, I don’t see myself recommending to council in this year, and probably in the next year, that we do any expenditures, because I really do believe that we have to prepare for the [property-tax reform amendment] to pass, and if that happens, that hit will be over a million dollars — and how do you add more expenses when we are dealing with less money?”

With drought conditions expected to continue, the village is addressing the issue partly through reused water.

“We are already using reused water at Village Park. We expect to put it into Olympia Park so that we will be able to keep those facilities green without putting a demand on the water supply. This is wastewater that has been well-treated that otherwise would be dumped into a polishing pond to evaporate,” he explained.

While the Palm Beach County Commission recently approved a corridor study for State Road 7, and Wellington will participate in that in the coming year, Schofield said the village is soon to complete its own study on the potential for redeveloping some of its older neighborhoods. “We are taking a look at some of our transitional neighborhoods. The study should be done in late spring or early summer, so that we’ll have some idea — a fresh look at how to deal with some of those neighborhoods.”

Schofield said Wellington res-

idents will enjoy some of the positive developments of the past year. “Binks [Forest Golf Course] is open and playable,” he said. “I’ve looked at it and it is in better condition than I ever remember seeing it. You have a substantial investment in the Wellington Country Club, which is now the Wanderers Club. If there was one thing I would wish for the coming year it’s that people take a really good look at the good things that have happened in the past year in this community and the things that we have to be proud of — and there are a lot of them.”

Question Top Issues?

continued from page 9A development of neighboring communities as well as that of Royal Palm Beach. Although progress has been made with the extension of State Road to Northlake Blvd., to provide further relief to our residents, I will advocate alongside the council to see that Palm Beach County provide assurance that Roebuck Road will be extended giving our residents the traffic relief they seek.

Like the council, I am a strong proponent for planning for and providing places and programs for our residents to enjoy with their families. Therefore, as your councilwoman, I will be part of that progressive team to ensure that programs and facilities projected for development in our community are not affected by tax cuts and this will be done with no impact to the taxpayer.

Looking Ahead — Community Services Director Paul Schofield will serve as acting village manager once Charlie Lynn retires next month.

PHOTO BY LISA KEENEY/TOWN-CRIER

The SFWMD Lists Its Top Achievements Over The Past Year

Although faced with one of the most severe droughts in the region’s history, South Florida Water Management District officials said the agency achieved a number of significant accomplishments in 2007, adding up to a remarkable year.

“We faced extraordinary challenges and goals in 2007, and I’m proud of the extraordinary efforts of the SFWMD’s phenomenal staff,” Governing Board Chairman Eric Buermann said.

Charged with the multi-mission challenge of restoring natural environments including the Everglades, protecting communities from extremes like drought and flood, ensuring water supply for future generations, and safeguarding water quality for wildlife and people, the SFWMD did not let a drought dampen its success in 2007, Executive Director Carol Ann Wehle said.

“Weather extremes demanded a coordinated regional response to protect our water resources — a task the district is uniquely qualified to manage,” Wehle said.

With a budget of $1.4 billion, 1,770 employees and a 16-county jurisdiction stretching from Orlando to the Florida Keys, the SFWMD has reported a long list of accomplishments for a banner year.

Among the highlights of its drought/ water shortage management work, the SFWMD:

• Established an emergency-response Incident Command with more than 20 drought management teams and implemented progressive actions as the water shortage intensified, tightening agricultural and urban water use restrictions while promoting conservation.

• Conducted extensive utility and drainage district coordination.

• Encouraged strong cooperation with local government in enforcing residential water restrictions. More than 11,000 warnings and 12,000 citations were issued.

• Increased SFWMD enforcement of permitted water users with more than 700 violation notices issued, resulting in more than $400,000 in civil penalties.

• Through a dedicated water shortage hotline, fielded more than 23,000 telephone calls. Also responded to more than 2,000 water shortage e-mail inquiries.

In Everglades restoration work, the SFWMD:

• Received The Bond Buyer’s “Deal of the Year” award as the nation’s most innovative municipal bond issuer for the district’s $546.1-million issue of certificates of participation (COPs) to fund accelerated Everglades restoration projects. The district’s COPs were the first ever to be issued for a natural resources project in the United States.

• Completed the Basin B Discharge Project C-1 Canal improvements and pump station in Wellington’s Acme Improvement District. Part of the Acceler8 Everglades restoration project, the Basin B Discharge Project improves Everglades water quality by diverting urban stormwater runoff into the C-51 Canal and then back into a stormwater treatment area before release into the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge.

• Completed to-date the restoration of 13,000 acres as part of the Picayune Strand Restoration project. This Acceler8 project involves the restoration of natural water flow across 85 square miles in western Collier County, drained in the early 1960s.

• Continued construction on the Everglades Agricultural Area reservoir, a

massive above-ground storage facility south of Lake Okeechobee designed to capture and store regulatory releases from Lake Okeechobee and local runoff. The additional storage will help reduce the number and volume of harmful lake discharges to the coastal estuaries. When complete, it will have a storage capacity of 190,000 acre-feet, or 62 billion gallons.

• Completed designs for the C-43 (Caloosahatchee) Reservoir and C-44 (St. Lucie) Reservoir/Stormwater Treatment Area.

• Acquired 7,331 acres of land at an investment of $84.7 million. Acquired 775 additional acres through no-cost land exchanges.

To improve Everglades water quality, the SFWMD:

• Completed 6,000 acres of stormwater treatment area expansions.

A total 52,000 acres of land south of Lake Okeechobee have now been converted to stormwater treatment areas, yielding 45,000 acres of effective treatment marsh. In the constructed wetlands, aquatic plants take up excess phosphorus found in the stormwater runoff, cleansing the water naturally before it flows into the Everglades.

• Rehabilitated Stormwater Treatment Area 1 West in western Palm Beach County, which had been damaged by hurricane winds. Removed sediment buildup and planted rice to help stabilize soil for healthy vegetation re-growth and better phosphorus uptake performance.

• Measured a continuing drop in total phosphorus concentrations entering the Everglades in 2007. Stormwater treatment areas reduced the amount of phosphorus flowing out of the treatment areas by 71 percent.

• Prevented more than 2,600 metric tons of phosphorus from entering the

Everglades to date through the continuing use of urban and farming best management practices and stormwater treatment areas. This equates to 143 20-ton truckloads or 572,000 tenpound bags of fertilizer.

In restoring the health of Lake Okeechobee, the district:

• Scraped and removed two million cubic yards of muck from 3,000 acres of Lake Okeechobee’s drought-exposed lake bed. This action removed 140 metric tons of phosphorus.

• Burned 70,000 acres and treated 10,000 acres of torpedo grass to improve lake ecology; planted more than 2,000 native pond apple trees to reestablish the lake’s habitat.

• Documented substantial improvements in water quality and water clarity in Lake Okeechobee over the past two years, aided by two relatively inactive hurricane seasons and, subsequently, low phosphorus inflows to the 730-square-mile lake. Just one year ago, less than 3,000 acres of submerged aquatic vegetation dotted the lake bottom; SFWMD scientists recently documented the recovery of submerged aquatic vegetation across more than 30,000 acres.

The South Florida Water Management District is a regional, governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state — 16 counties from Orlando to the Keys. It is the oldest and largest of the state’s five water management districts.

The agency’s mission is to manage and protect regional water resources by balancing and improving water quality, flood control, natural systems and water supply. A key initiative is cleanup and restoration of the Everglades. For more information, visit www.sfwmd.gov.

Keep America Beautiful Recognizes Palm Beach County

Palm Beach County was one of 11 communities honored nationally this year for local efforts to reduce cigarette litter. The award was presented to Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful Inc. during a ceremony this month at the 2007 Keep America Beautiful National Conference in Washington, D.C.

The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program National Awards were launched at the conference to recognize communities for their efforts to engage publicprivate partnerships and use proven strategies to achieve substantial reductions in cigarette litter. The Cigarette Litter Prevention Program (CLPP) is Keep America Beautiful’s broad-based effort to achieve significant reductions in cigarette butt litter, which is the largest source

of litter in the U.S. The CLPP National Awards and the CLPP are supported through a grant by Philip Morris USA.

Keep America Beautiful President G. Raymond Empson lauded the efforts of affiliates to reduce the number of cigarette butts littering the environment.

“These award-winning Keep America Beautiful affiliates have risen to the difficult challenge of trying to reduce the actual number of cigarette butts littered, and therefore reduce the significant impact this form of litter has on our environment,” he said.

First-place award winner Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, the local affiliate, began a pilot program to test anticigarette litter strategies in four south county beaches, one under the jurisdic-

tion of the City of Boynton Beach and the other three under county jurisdiction.

Keep America Beautiful recognized winning affiliates in two main categories: First-Time Implementation (for communities that had their first CLPP program during 2007) and Expanded Implementation (for communities that expanded a previously existing program). Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful won first place in the First-Time Implementation category.

Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful, established in 1988, aims to improve the quality of life in Palm Beach County through litter prevention and education, beautification efforts, and environmental stewardship. For more information, visit www.keeppbcbeautiful.org.

H.L. Johnson Hosts Annual Skeeter Bowl Flag Football Games

H.L. Johnson Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach held its 11th Annual Skeeter Bowl flag football games Dec. 11-20.

The results of the Girls Championship were Barnoske 20, Picano 14. In the Boys Championship, Picano beat Davidson 14-12.

H.L. Johnson is the only elementary school in Palm Beach County that holds these games. Coach Terry Shoultes initiated the fifth-grade flag football tournament at H.L. Johnson Elementary School 11 years ago, having brought the idea from his previous school in Jupiter. The name Skeeter Bowl was chosen because of an unusual infestation of mosquitoes in the western communities during the event’s first year.

The annual event is not a part of the county’s physical education curriculum and is not a requirement for a PE

credit, but many important life lessons are taught, including sportsmanship, good behavior, commitment and teamwork, Shoultes said.

The fifth-grade teachers participated as sideline coaches and cheerleaders for their teams. Art teacher Kim Farnam’s students designed the game uniform/T-shirt. School band director Frank Peynado’s Standing Band provided musical encouragement and a halftime performance at the championship game. Members of Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue volunteered as referees, assisting physical education teachers Stephanie Spray and Karen Bastanzouri.

This year the championship game coin toss was conducted by Classroom Teachers Association President Theo Harris.

Skeeter Bowl XII is scheduled for the third week in December 2008.

Recognition — Keep Palm Beach County Beautiful Executive Director Lourdes Ferris is awarded by Keep America Beautiful President G. Raymond Empson.

Skeeter Bowl XI — Assistant Principal Donna Eldredge, Classroom Teachers Association Executive Director Helene Samango, physical education teacher Terry Shoultes, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Captain George Springthorpe, Principal Sharon Hench and Classroom Teachers Association of Palm Beach County President Theo Harris with some of the girls during the coin toss.

Swing 8’nt All Debuts Dec. 31 At The Lake Worth Playhouse

Swing 8’nt All, an eight-piece swing band accompanied by vocalist Roberta Rehner, will celebrate its debut by ringing in the New Year at two Dec. 31 concerts at the Lake Worth Playhouse. Both performances — scheduled for 6 and 10 p.m. — will include champagne, light hors d’oeuvres and other special surprises.

Founded by, and under the direction of trumpeter Albert J. Perera, Swing 8’nt All will perform classic swing era standards such as “Moonlight Serenade,” “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” “In the Mood” and “Mack the Knife,” along with more recent compositions in the style of the era.

Perera is a native of West Palm Beach who began playing trumpet professionally at age 15. Perera, along with Debbie Goldberg, is the coordinator of the new Lake Worth Playhouse concert series. Perera is in demand in the Palm Beach County area as a freelance trumpeter, arranger and part-time Latin percussionist. He has performed frequently at the Lake Worth Playhouse as an orchestral musician.

Perera has accompanied more than 13 shows to date, most recently Wonderful Town and The World Goes Round. Perera has also performed at Florida Atlantic University and Palm Beach Atlantic University. Perera also performs with Hot Brass Monkey and as principal trumpet with the Wind Symphony of Florida. He is the leader of three of the area’s newest and most innovative musical groups: the Latin Jazz Project, the Palm Beach Brass Quintet and Swing 8’nt All.

Vocalist Roberta Rehner is well known to South Florida audiences. As a solo concert artist she has sung clas-

sical, big band and Broadway music and appeared in productions at the Lake Worth Playhouse, the Township of the Performing Arts Coconut Creek and the Coral Springs Center for the Arts. She studies with Dr. Richard Adler, Broadway composer/lyricist of The Pajama Game

Tickets for both the 6 and 10 p.m. concerts are $35 each and are now on sale. Tickets can be purchased at the Lake Worth Playhouse box office, by calling (561) 586-6410, or online at www.lakeworthplayhouse.org. Group rates are also available.

BLOOD BUS VISITS WELLINGTON

Barron and Kogan CPAs in Wellington Professional One invited the Florida’s Blood Centers bus to their office on Dec. 12 where all donors received a $10 Publix gift card. For more information about Florida’s Blood Centers, call (888)9-DONATE or visit www.fbcdonor.org. (Above) Hope Barron of Barron & Kogan CPAs with a donor. (Below) A donor prepares to give blood.

Roberta Rehner

110 Young Anglers Turn Out For Holiday Fishing Tourney

The 17th Annual Children’s Holiday Fishing Classic was held at the Wellington Community Center dock on Saturday, Dec. 22. A total of 110 young anglers came out for the event, catching and releasing 61 fish with a total weight of 78 pounds.

The biggest fish was a huge, 31-pound grass carp caught by 15-year-old Erick McGartland of Wellington. The big fish set a new tournament record. The first fish caught was a six-ounce bluegill caught by McGartland at 9 a.m.

There was a three-way tie for the most fish caught and released between Ciro Alberts, Chandler Vermillion and Robby Chamizo,

all of Wellington, who caught five fish each.

Minnow Division (age 6 and under) — First place: Lindsay Warner of Wellington, age six, one fish weighing 1 lb., 11 oz.; second place: Kyla Baal of Wellington, age six, one fish weighing 1 lb., 7 oz.; and third place: Natalie Rodriguez of Wellington, age six, three fish weighing 1 lb., 4 oz. Shiner Division (ages 7-9) — First place: Drew Jacobson of Wellington, age eight, two fish weighing 3 lbs.; second place: Zachary Warner of Wellington, age eight, one fish weighing 1 lb., 14 oz.; and third place: Anthony Limauro of Wellington, age eight, two fish weighing 1

lb., 13 oz.

Bluegill Division (ages 1012) — First place: Chandler Vermillion of Wellington, age 10, five fish weighing 7 lbs., 2 oz.; second place: Ciro Alberts of Wellington, age 10, five fish weighing six lbs., 13 oz.; and third place: Nicole Linn of Wellington, age 11, four fish weighing six lbs., 8 oz.

Lunker Division (ages 13-15) — First place: Erick McGartland of Wellington, age 15, three fish weighing 33 lbs.; second place: Nick Capobianco of Wellington, age 13, four fish weighing 6 lbs., 5 oz.; and third place: Robby Chamizo of Wellington, age 15, five fish weighing 5 lbs., 8 oz.

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER

Ethan Govier and his dad Brian on the dock.

Eleven-year-old Andrew Mei of Wellington with his catch. Organizer Tom Sawyer, Lee Leblanc of Florida Fish & Wildlife and Oliver Williams with Erick McCartland’s 31-pound fish.

Kayden Muller and Kyla Baal get some help holding the fish they caught from Oliver Williams.

Eleven-year-old Nicole Linn of Wellington and dad Pat. Minnow Division winners Lindsay Warner (first place), Natalie Rodriguez (third place) and Kyla Baal (second place).

Shiner Division winners Drew Jacobson (first place), Zachary Warner (second place) and Anthony Limauro (third place).

Fourteen-year-old Justin Wilder of Wellington. Lunker Division third-place winner Robby Chamizo.

Eight-year-old Drew Jacobson gets help from his dad Steve.

Sean Hart, Connor Hart and Shane Agnello spent the morning fishing off the dock.

Lunker Division second-place winner Nick Capobianco.

Raffle-prize winners Lucas and Max Roldan with Tom Sawyer and John Reed.

Minnow Division third-place winner Natalie Rodriguez.

Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission Lieutenant John Reed with a baby alligator.

For The New Year I Resolve To Keep Illness Out Of My House

I don’t think I’ll go out this New Year’s Eve. Of course I’m afraid of having my life snuffed out in an instant by a drunken street-racing punk but, more importantly, I might catch a cold.

Germs are everywhere this holiday season, and I am giving them free rein out there while I stay safely cocooned in my house, with rubbing alcohol at the ready. Yes, just in case FedEx shows up with a late Christmas present, I am fully prepared to answer the bell, turn the doorknob, open the door, take the pen, sign my name, accept the package, wave goodbye and then retrace my steps swabbing everything with alcohol. I say I do this to protect the next person who touches my doorbell, but mostly it’s all about me. I don’t want to get sick because I have a birthday coming up two months from now.

After that, I won’t want to get sick because of Easter, then spring break (which I still celebrate), then Indepen-

dence Day, then Labor Day, then Halloween and, then (big breath) The Holidays.

The truth is, I just don’t like being sick.

When that grade-school teacher concocted an immunity booster in her kitchen sink, I was her first customer. When her fizzing glop came out in chewable form, I stocked up. During flu season, I pop those pills as if it’s the ’60s all over again.

When I first read that most illnesses are transferred through physical contact like handshakes, I considered wearing gloves like Queen Elizabeth — you’re shaking Her Royal Hand, but not really. The minute she’s done greeting you warmly, she escapes into that pumpkin coach or whatever she has, strips off her mittens with a sniff, reaches for the hand sanitizer and has Jeeves tear out of there. Warm and personable, that’s The Queen. Warm, personable and healthy. No black plague for Her Royal Highness. In my line of work (closeted freelance

writer), I don’t get out much. My big excursions consist primarily of running to the post office for stamps and the occasional lunch with an agent who is going to reject me.

I spend most of my days in sweatpants and a Mickey Mouse shirt. Still, I worry. I worry for others. I worry for you. How many people used that plastic stick of a fake pen to sign that plastic screen of a fake Visa receipt before you touched it? How many grabbed those door handles? How many turned on that faucet?

That TV commercial showing how many people use a shopping cart before you get it freaks me out. But even the grocery store isn’t so bad. Here’s the worst place — the pharmacy. It’s worse than the waiting room at the doctor’s office because 1) everyone standing around over there has already been diagnosed with something and 2) the “something” is so bad they can’t buy an overthe-counter drug to fix it. They are seri-

ously ill. Now you go over there to pay for your vitamins. Are you crazy?!?

I have this recurring nightmare in which I’ve been hit by a truck and my husband is called down to identify my body, but he won’t go. In reality, he wouldn’t have to. All he’d have to do is ask, “is the victim wearing sweatpants, a Mickey Mouse shirt and evening gloves? She is? It’s her. Just go ahead and plant her, but do me a favor. Put her way back in the cemetery, really far from anyone else. She’d like that.” He is so considerate.

Current Candidates Look More Like TV Characters To Me

Now that the TV writers strike has been on more than a month, we have to accept a lot of new reality shows. Battle of the Choirs just began. Soon we may have “Battle of the Body Odors” as people try to determine whose hygiene is lousiest (pun intended).

My own preference would be “Survivor: White House.” After all, that is the ultimate survivor game (this year in particular), and it is perfectly made for TV viewing.

First of course is the simple fact that it will have no real competition. With all our favorite shows on indefinite suspension and most reality shows (Well, American Idol may set some new records) disappointing, why not have a real reality show as all of us vote candidates off “the island?”

Even better, most of the candidates this year look more like TV performers than leaders. There is a good reason for that, of course, since one candidate is best known as a TV actor.

But how hard is it to picture all of the candidates in that way? Mike Huckabee looks an awful lot like Gomer Pyle to me. Occasionally he even makes comments that remind me very much of that not particularly bright character. Can you imagine what those people who think George W. Bush is an idiot despite having graduated from Yale and Harvard will think about him?

Dennis Kucinich would fit very well in Roswell. More people might have been impressed with his call to impeach President Bush if at the same news conference he had not spent a lot of time on his

belief in UFOs and little green men.

Hillary would have been perfect as a younger version of Tony Soprano’s mother, all sweetness and light as she put the knife in just right. No matter what she does, how much she protests about how nice she really is as her acolytes swear to her sweetness, the whip marks on the backs of those who oppose her keep coming out.

Rudy could be a municipal version of House. He stresses competence as a counterweight to his being almost totally charm-challenged. I worked for him as an educator back in New York City. Yes, he ran a good city, but he was a mean, nasty guy. Of course, some might say that a mean, nasty competent S.O.B. might be what we need as president. But, frankly, it might be better for all con-

On My Mind...

By Leonard Wechsler

cerned if he tried getting along with everyone else. Perhaps even anyone else.

I see Mitt Romney as the Greg character in Dharma and Greg. Unfortunately for him, Greg generally played second fiddle. People do like some fun in their lives, but Mitt seems to have ignored that notion.

Barack Obama is a perfect fit as

See WECHSLER,

UNITY FOR KIDS CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAY SEASON WITH SANTA

The Unity for Kids Early Intervention Center in Haverhill held a holiday party on Friday, Dec. 21. The children celebrated the day with music, cookies and a visit from Santa himself, who gave out presents. Unity for Kids is located at 1063 Haverhill Road. For more information, call (561) 478-7477 or visit www.unityforkids.org. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Tim Snyder entertains the children by performing popular holiday songs on his violin.

The youngsters gather to sing some holiday tunes.

Unity for Kids Executive Director Sharon Green. Sharon Green helps Santa hand out the presents.

Andre Del Homme opens his present from Santa. Children wait patiently for Santa Claus to arrive.

Komen Announces This Year’s T-Shirt Design Contest Winners

The Komen South Florida Race for the Cure has announced the winners of this year’s T-shirt design contests for its Kids for the Cure and Tots for the Cure events.

Kirsten Millon Sainte-Claire of Independence Middle School in Jupiter, 11, is the winner of this year’s Kids for the Cure T-shirt design contest, sponsored by Jupiter Medical Center. Kirsten’s colorful pink-ribbon-themed illustration will become the official T-shirt for the Kids for the Cure event, and will be worn by more than 600 children on the Jan. 19 race day.

Sofia Cimballa, 3, a pre-school student at the Rosenblatt Early Childhood Learning Center in West Palm Beach, won the Tots for the Cure design contest sponsored by Wellington Regional Medical Center. Her artwork will be worn by more than 500 children during the Tots event. Each girl received $100 from National City and a framed t-shirt featuring her design.

More than 100 children from Palm Beach, Martin and St. Lucie counties submitted designs for the contest. A panel

of judges including Marsha Israel of Wellington Regional Medical Center and Lisa-Paula da Silva of Jupiter Medical Center selected the winning illustrations that best captured the spirit, joy and excitement of the race.

The Komen South Florida Kids for the Cure is part of the 17th Annual Komen South Florida Race for the Cure, scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 19 along the Intracoastal Waterway on Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach. The Kids for the Cure race for children ages six to 12 begins at 9 a.m. Registration of $10 per child includes a T-shirt. The Tots for the Cure will begin at 9:15 a.m. and registration is $5 and includes the official T-shirt.

Following the races, families are encouraged to visit the Kids Expo on the corner of Fern Street and Flagler Drive. The interactive area will feature pink-ribbon-themed arts and crafts, face painting, pink cotton candy and music provided by the AMP Band.

For more information, visit www. komensouthflorida.org or call (561) 8410041.

Fine Art & Antique Fair Feb. 1-10

The 12th annual Palm Beach/ America’s International Fine Art & Antique Fair is slated for Feb. 1-10 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center in West Palm Beach.

At this premier shopping destination for paintings, sculpture and antiques spanning multiple centuries and cultures, more than 80 dealers hailing from 12 countries — Great Britain, Spain, France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Monaco, the United States and the United Arab Emirates — showcase their best telling of the global reach of this strictly vetted fair.

With such an abundance of top-tier art and antiques, many collectors, curators, art advisors and their clients get a head start on shopping by attending the fair’s Vernissage held Jan. 31. That gala event benefits the Mosaic Fund, which supports both arts and arts education non-profit programs throughout Palm Beach and Martin counties. The fund is managed by the Community Foundation for Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Last year’s Vernissage event raised more than $360,000 for the fund.

For more information about this year’s fair, visit www.ifae.com.

Winning Artists — (Above) National City Southeastern Region Market President Jay Shearouse, Wellington Regional Medical Center’s Marsha Israel, 2008 Komen Race Chair Deborah Jaffe and T-shirt contest winner Sofia Cimballa. (Below) Shearouse, T-shirt contest winner Kirsten Millon SainteClaire, the Foshay Cancer Center’s Lisa-Paula da Silva and Jaffe.

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ROYAL PALM BEACH HOSTS ‘BRASSFEST’ AT

VETERANS PARK

The Village of Royal Palm Beach’s annual musical holiday festival “Brassfest” took place Thursday, Dec. 20 at the Veterans Park amphitheater (1036 Royal Palm Beach Blvd). The RPB Community Band was joined by musicians from Wellington Landings Middle School, Royal Palm Beach and Wellington high schools, and other schools.

Fred Dart, conductor of the RPB community band.

Flo Nelson and Sarita Parvey.

Ruth Hamlyn and Loxahatchee Groves Vice Mayor Marge Herzog enjoy the sounds of Brassfest.

Steve Petrone plays a red-lighted tuba.

Kathy Coleman and daughter Lauren.

PHOTOS

Visiting participants join Royal Palm Beach Community Band members onstage at the Vets Park amphitheater.

Wellington Offers Italian Classes

Learn intermediate Italian grammar and conversation for your next trip to Italy! Impari la grammatica e il conversazione italiani intermedi per il vostro viaggio seguente in Italia! This fun and educational class is instructed by Giulio Panzano at the Wellington Community Center each Thursday evening for eight weeks from 7 to 9 p.m. for ages 16 and older.

A total of three sessions will be offered this winter and spring: Session I runs from Jan. 3 to Feb. 21, Session II runs Feb. 28 to April 17 and Session III runs April 24 to June 12. Each session costs $80 for residents and $100 for nonresidents. A valid Park Player Pass is required for registration.

For more information, call the Wellington Community Center at (561) 7532484. If you are registering for the first time, register in person at the community center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) or the Village Park gymnasium (11700 Pierson Road).

You can also register online at www.rec.ci.wellington.fl.us with your household ID number.

Course Explores Jewish Faith In Modern World

This February, the Wellington Jewish Center is set to unveil Beyond Belief, an intriguing new course from the Jewish Learning Institute. Beyond Belief provides an innovative look at the process whereby lives are enriched and deepened by thinking about faith. Fresh, provocative and insightful, the course is designed to help students take a closer look at how their beliefs can bring meaning to their lives and guide their choices in the real world.

“Many people grapple with fundamental questions of belief and its place in their lives,” Rabbi Mendy Muskal explained.

“Beyond Belief reclaims faith as a uniquely Jewish value, while recognizing that it is not a static formulation to be unthinkingly accepted. Jewish faith is a dynamic, powerful force within us that must be continuously fed by thinking, feeling and doing.”

Beyond Belief draws on 13 key principles of faith identified by pre-eminent Jewish thinker Maimonides. Students will examine the logic and role each principle plays in shaping their worldview. Students will also have the opportunity to grapple with ideas that sometimes seem remote and to gain insight into the process by which these and other beliefs are shaped and expanded. Taken together, these principles are a set of building blocks that allow students to construct a deep and nuanced understanding of what it means to live as a Jew.

Beyond Belief provides multiple pathways into the exploration of faith building. Both thoughtful and practical, Beyond Belief is an innovative look at faith that should not be missed. Like all JLI courses, Beyond Belief presents the fundamentals of Judaism in a way that is challenging yet accessible. Students will have the opportunity to encounter classic primary texts and engage in thoughtful, open discussion.

The course will be offered at the Wellington Jewish Center for six Wednesdays beginning Feb. 6. The course costs $89 for individuals or $169 for couples, and a beautiful student textbook is included. For more information, contact Rabbi Mendy Muskal at (561) 333-4663 or rabbim@bellsouth.net.

Big New Year’s Eve Celebration At CityPlace

The countdown has begun in anticipation of a high-energy, fun-filled New Year’s Eve at CityPlace. A fundraiser at the Harriet Himmel Theater, free live entertainment on the plaza, a special com-

edy show at the Improv, or a festive celebratory dinner at one of the nearly 20 restaurants — the property will offer something for everyone.

On the fountain stage, CityPlace will present a free concert by Raquel Williams and her five-piece band from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. On the Muvico Plaza, the Palm Beach Improv will celebrate New Year’s Eve with special performances by Josh Blue, as seen on Comedy Central’s Mind of Mencia and best-known for winning the fourth season of NBC’s Last Comic Standing. VIP seating for group parties is available and a New Year’s Eve package priced at $64.50 is offered for each of the two shows.

Across from the Improv, Blue Martini will hold a “Blue Year” party complete with a live band and a champagne toast and balloon drop at midnight. Guests can purchase different ticket options for the evening, with individual tickets at $40 in advance ($50 at the door) and tables ranging from $300 to $500.

The Harriet Himmel Theater will host a New Year’s Eve bash to benefit the Compass Gay and Lesbian Community Center of the Palm Beaches and the Comprehensive AIDS Program of Palm Beach County. Tickets are $35 and guests ages 21 and older can expect to dance the night away to music and entertainment by Miami Beach DJ/producer Oren Nizri while also enjoying a champagne toast and “midnight snack.” The event is sponsored by the Harriet Himmel Theater, Continental Catering, the Palm Beach Post and Greico & Scalera, P.A. CityPlace restaurants are also offering New Year’s specials. Mark’s CityPlace will offer its regular menu with a complimentary champagne toast, and a threepiece live band. Bellagio has planned a sumptuous dinner with choices of lobster fra diavlo, snapper Francaise, osso bucco and more, offered at six seating times. The Cheesecake Factory will also join in the fun serving its regular menu,

a complimentary champagne toast and party favors. City Cellar will hand out party favors and serve its usual menu until midnight, while the bar at Brewzzi will be open until 2 a.m. to help guests wrap up the evening.

For more information about CityPlace or its New Year’s festivities, visit www.cityplace.com or call (561) 3661000.

Mounts Workshop Eases

Grief Through Gardening

Loss is a universal experience, and gardening is a universal language that can help in the healing process. A free, daylong program exploring this connection will be presented Sunday, Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Mounts Botanical Garden in West Palm Beach in collaboration with the Alpert Jewish Family & Children’s Service and VITAS Innovative Hospice Care of Palm Beach County.

This hands-on workshop is designed for all ages to help those who have lost a loved one deal with grief through creative expression, including art, music and horticultural therapy. Just as an entire family grieves, an entire family can heal.

Counselors from the Alpert Jewish Family & Children’s Service will serve as facilitators and be available to assess the needs of participants and recommend additional programs and services if indicated. The event is free to attend, but pre-registration is required due to limited space available.

For more information, or to register, call the Alpert Jewish Family & Children’s Service at (561) 238-0420 or visit www.jfcsonline.com.

Send news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

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RPBHS Basketball Girls Defeat Palm Beach Central 51-43

By Lisa Keeney Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach High School girls varsity basketball team held off visiting Palm Beach Central last Thursday night.

The Wildcats never gave up the lead and ended the game victorious 51-43.

BASKETBALL BASKETBALL

Patrice Collie led Royal Palm Beach with 22 points. Mariel Medina contributed 13 points to the Wildcats’ victory. Sharnele Brown was the leading scorer for Palm Beach Central with eight points. Diamond Jones and Ashley Fields each contributed seven points. Palm Beach Central hosts Forest Hill Monday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. Royal Palm Beach travels to Seminole Ridge Monday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m.

P.B. Central’s Boys Soccer Squad Shuts Out Forest Hill 7-0

By Lisa Keeney Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palm Beach Central High School varsity soccer team improved its record to 14-2 last Friday night with a 7-0 shut out of visiting Forest Hill.

Mariano Gelso and Cristian Henao each scored a pair of goals. Daniel Aristizabal and Juan Correa each scored one goal.

Mario Gabrilla scored the

SOCCER SOCCER

seventh goal when the Forest Hill goalkeeper accidentally let the ball slowly bounce between his legs and roll into the goal. It was Gabrilla’s first varsity game and first varsity goal after being called up from the junior varsity squad when their season ended Dec. 18.

The Broncos will host Boca Raton Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 6 p.m.

Bronco Katlyn Luscavich sails in for two points.

Bronco Ashley Fields tries to score as Wildcats Amber Ford and Jessica Shepherd defend.

Jessica Shepherd drives to the basket between Courtney Mitchell and D.D. King.

RPB’s Ikeria Corbett is triple-teamed as she dribbles the ball.

Players vie for a rebound under the P.B. Central basket.

Mario Gabrilla celebrates his first varsity goal.

Juan Correa scored P.B. Central’s sixth goal.

Miguel Gomez stops the ball before it goes out of bounds.

Daniel Aristizabal scored P.B. Central’s first goal in the opening minutes of the game.

Bronco Denis Mendoza runs down the ball.Mariano Gelso scores the first of two goals for the Broncos.

Wellington Changes Defense Strategy To Defeat Forest Hill 54-41

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington High School boys basketball coach Dan Sineway likes playing a zone defense about as much as he likes a root canal without anesthesia, “but I like winning more,” Sineway said. That’s why he scrapped the Wolverines’ trademark man-to-man defense in favor of a 2-3 zone in the second half of Wellington’s home game against Forest Hill on Dec. 21.

The result? The Wolverines held the Falcons to 16 points in the second half — five in the fourth quarter — en route to a 54-41 victory that snapped a threegame losing streak. The victory gave Wellington (7-6) some momentum as it begins defense of its University Tournament title against Miami Country Day on

Upcoming Recreation Programs In Royal Palm

The Village of Royal Palm Beach is accepting registration for various programs at the RPB Recreation Center (100 Sweet Bay Lane). Registration takes place 8 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Monday through Friday for the following programs:

• Holiday Sports Camp — Building Up Sports Academy’s All-Sports Camp will take place Jan. 2-4 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the recreation center and the Katz fields for ages six to 12. Sports include soccer, baseball, flag football, basketball and more. Register now.

• Youth Flag Football — Three coed divisions are offered for grades kindergarten through eight. Registration for RPB residents will take place Jan. 8 through Feb. 8; non-residents can register between Jan. 15 and Feb. 8. There will be a coaches’ meeting Feb. 5 at 6

BASKETBALL BASKETBALL

Jan. 3 in Fort Lauderdale and set the defensive tone for the Wolverines in the second half of the season.

“We need to be more varied in our defenses and not let teams lock into one way to play us,” Sineway said.

The seeds of Sineway’s defensive plans actually were planted in the Wolverines’ 52-45 loss to loss to Seminole Ridge on Dec. 18. Wellington fell behind 34-15 in the first half and used a 1-3-1 zone defense to force nine turnovers in the second half to get back into the game late in the fourth quarter.

“We expended a lot of energy trying to come back and couldn’t get over the hump,” Sineway said.

Nevertheless, the Wolverines found

p.m. and mandatory player evaluations on Feb. 9. Games begin March 15 at the Katz fields.

• Adult Flag Football — This program is for age 18 and up. Team registration will take place Jan. 4-25 with a maximum of 12 teams. A mandatory captains meeting will take place Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. Games begin Feb. 6 at the Katz fields.

• Adult Basketball Club — This program is for age 18 and up, and will take place on Sundays from 1 to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 13 to April 27. A valid photo ID is required. Register now.

• Beginner Golf League — This fourweek instructional clinic will take place at the Village Golf Club 2 to 4 p.m. on Sundays from Jan. 20 to Feb. 10. The league is for ages seven to 17, as well as 18 and up. Clubs are not required. Registration is open now through Jan. 17.

• Miami Heat Bus Trips — Trips will be offered for the Feb. 10 game against

a defensive plan against the Hawks that saved them against the Falcons. After Forest Hill tied the game at 36 with three minutes and 30 seconds to play in the third quarter, Wellington went into the 2-3 zone off a 2-2-1 zone press. The Wolverines forced four turnovers and reeled off eight consecutive points to pull ahead 44-36 with 6:20 remaining in the fourth quarter. Wellington stretched the lead to 50-38 with three minutes to play and never looked back.

“In the past we’d zone press in the forecourt and drop back to man-to-man. But we were doing a horrible job of matching up,” Sineway said. “That’s what happened against Seminole Ridge. Going from one zone to another zone is more structured than going from a zone to a man. The second half of that game

the Los Angeles Lakers and the March 16 game against the Dallas Mavericks. Both games start at 3:30 p.m. Registration is open now; tickets are limited.

• 2008 Health and Fitness Club — Single, family and daily memberships are now available.

• Girls Basketball — Four divisions are offered for grades kindergarten through 12. Registration is open now until filled. A coaches’ meeting will be held Feb. 5 at 6 p.m.; mandatory player evaluations will be held Feb. 11. Games begin March 15. Space is limited.

• Adult Soccer — Registration takes place now through Jan. 23. Four divisions are offered: Men’s 20 and up, Men’s 40 and up, Ladies’ 18 and up, and Ladies 35 and up. Player evaluations will be held Jan. 27. Games begin Feb. 17 and will take place Sundays at Katz fields.

• Tennis Lessons — Lessons will be held Tuesdays from 5:30 to 6:25 p.m. at Camellia Park for ages six to 14, and

regained my confidence that we have different ways to win a game.”

Senior Taylor Welte led Wellington with a season-high 19 points, including a trio of three-point baskets, and junior Ricky Odige added 14 points.

In other boys games, Palm Beach Gardens defeated visiting Seminole Ridge 76-32 on Dec. 21. The Hawks (4-8), who never reached double digits in scoring in any quarter, were led by Tyrel Platt’s nine points.

In the Mid-South Classic in Jackson, Tenn. on Dec. 20, Palm Beach Central lost to McMinn, Tenn. 70-53. The Broncos, who won their opening round game in overtime against Jackson County (Tenn.), were outscored 42-31 in the second half. Senior guard Jordan Ebbs led the Broncos (3-7) with 21 points.

from 6:30 to 7:25 p.m. for ages 15 and up. Session I will take place from Jan. 8 to Feb. 19; Session II will run from March 4 to April 8.

For more information, call (561) 7905124.

Jan. 5 Program At Grassy Waters Preserve

On Saturday, Jan. 5, Grassy Waters Preserve invites the public to join a naturalist for a boardwalk tour to discover what’s happening in the marsh. Learn about Grassy Waters while getting up close and personal with the plants and animals. The activity will take place from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. at the Charles W. Bingham Wilderness Pavilion. The cost is $5 for adults and $1 for children. Register 24 hours in advance by calling (561) 804-4985. Grassy Waters Preserve is located at 8264 Northlake Blvd. just east of Ibis.

Joe Barry Memorial Cup Opens International Polo Season

Eight teams are practiced, well mounted and ready to kick off the 2008 professional polo season with the Joe Barry Memorial Cup on Sunday, Jan. 13 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.

Returning this year is Catamount, which won the Barry Cup in 2006 and 2004. The captain is Scott Devon from Grand Rapids, Mich., who has acquired two Canadians (Brandon Phillips and Todd Offen), along with Nick Roldan of Wellington, to see if they can capture a third Barry Cup.

Captain Bob Daniels of last year’s runner-up Pony Express has also put together a very strong team with Gonzalo and Federico Von Wernich, as well as Tomas Goti. It was Pony Express that

Sports Hall Of Fame Accepting Nominations

The Palm Beach County Sports Institute is now accepting nominations for Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame inductees.

The Sports Hall of Fame is open to athletes, coaches, media, administrators, contributors and others who have achieved excellence in the world of sports while residing in Palm Beach County. Nominations are also being accepted for the following annual awards: Coach of the Year, Professional Athlete of the Year, High School Coach of the Year, High School Athlete of the Year and Outstanding Sports Contribution. Winners will be honored at the Sports Hall of Fame Induction Banquet on Sunday, March 9 at the Palm Beach County Convention Center. For more info., call the Palm Beach County Sports Commission at (561) 2333180. To download a nomination form, visit www.palmbeachsports.com and click on the “Sports Institute” bar.

fell in the finals last year to New Bridge La Dolfina, 15-9. La Dolfina was led by polo superstar Adolfo Cambiaso, who is not competing in this year’s Barry Memorial, but will be returning later in the season.

Two new teams, Mt. Brilliant and Patagones, will be trying to add to the excitement and capture their first major polo title.

Mt. Brilliant is led by Hutton Goodman of Lexington and is backed up by Kris Kampsen, Jeff Hall and Jeff Blake. Patagones is led by Gonzalo and Carlos Avendano from Argentina with players Mariano Gonzalez and Carlucho Arellano of Wellington.

Actor Tommy Lee Jones’ San Saba will feature Paco de Narvaez, Toto Col-

WCFL All-Stars To Play Jan. 1

The 140-pound Western Communities All-Stars will play the Palm Beach AllStars on Tuesday, Jan. 1 at 4 p.m. Sponsored by the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance, the game will be aired by SunSports (www.sunsports.com).

The game is one of ten youth football games SunSports will air between Jan. 1 and Jan. 4.

The Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance (OBYFA) wrapped up its ninth season with the 2007 OBYFA Championships, held at Orange Bowl Stadium Dec. 8 and 9.

Keep up with the OBYFA at www. orangebowl.org, the official web site of the Orange Bowl Committee.

The Western Communities Football League football and cheerleading programs have grown to more than 1,000 children participating in six divisions with 36 teams. The WCFL is a charter member of the Orange Bowl Youth Football Alliance (OBYFA).

ladin and Luis Echezareta. San Saba is looking for its first championship in the early season at IPC, but will need to unseat two very strong teams, Skeeterville and Isla Carroll.

Skeeterville will be led by Will Johnston and backed up by professionals Julio Arellano of Wellington, Owen Rinehart and Chris Nevins. Isla Carroll is captained by IPC founder John Goodman and includes Sugar Erskine from South Africa, Silvestre Donovan and newcomer Shane Rice. Both of these teams are the founding members of the North American Polo League.

The field is completed by ERG, a Texas-based team featuring Scott Wood, Roberto Gonzalez, Hector Galindo and Julio Gracida.

JC Penney A Komen Race Registration Site

The JC Penney store in the Mall at Wellington Green will be a registration site for the 17th Annual Komen South Florida Race for the Cure on Wednesday, Jan. 16 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

JC Penney is one of several shopping mall locations where individuals may register across Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast from Jan. 2 through 18.

Presented locally by Florida Power & Light, the 2008 Komen South Florida Race for the Cure will be held on Saturday, Jan. 19 at 7:30 a.m. along the Intracoastal Waterway on Flagler Drive in West Palm Beach.

For more information about the race, visit www.komensouthflorida.org or call (561) 841-0041.

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

The Joe Barry Memorial Cup is named after American polo legend Joe Barry. Born and raised in Texas, Barry achieved a nine-goal rating and dominated polo in the 1960s and 1970s.

Barry won six U.S. Open Championships, three Gold Cups, three Silver Cups as well as the Coronation Cup in England and the Camacho Cup played between the United States and Mexico. One of the greatest defensemen in polo history, Barry was inducted into the Polo Hall of Fame in 1999.

The professional polo played at the International Polo Club Palm Beach is open to the public. For tickets, call (561) 204-5687 or visit www.international poloclub.com. The club is located at 3667 120th Ave. South in Wellington.

Royal Palm Beach Rec

Local Filmmakers Honored With CINE Golden Eagle Award

The Wellington-based Silver Beach Productions recently announced that Palm Beach County filmmakers Aaron Wells and Suzanne Niedland have won a CINE Golden Eagle Award for their film Opportunity Knocks

CINE Golden Eagle winners include such internationally recognized artists and producers/ directors as Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard, Robert Altman, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Ken Burns and Mel Brooks.

“It’s a tremendous honor to be recognized,” Wells said.

“The CINE is a prestigious award. and we’re thrilled to be in the company of some of the heavyweights of the film and television industries.”

Opportunity Knocks is a dark comedy about a distraught woman whose suicide attempt via poisoned tea is interrupted when Death’s bumbling bureaucratic assistant arrives early, causing “mortis interruptis.”

The film stars Tristan Rogers as Death, Niedland as the suicidal Luci and Tim Powell as Death’s assistant Mr. More-

head. Wells directed as well as edited the film, which was shot in high definition on a Panasonic HVX200 entirely in Palm Beach County.

“Sitting down to a cup of tea with Death? It’s very surreal,” chuckled Rogers, a veteran of over 40 films and television programs, best known for his role as Robert Scorpio in the ABC soap opera General Hospital

According to Niedland, “being recognized by our peers is a true honor and makes receiving a CINE Golden Eagle an important award for any filmmaker.”

This is Niedland’s second CINE Golden Eagle, the first being in 2005 for her short documentary Miss Lil’s Camp

Since its founding in 1957, CINE has been dedicated to discovering, rewarding, educating and supporting established and emerging talent in film and video. The CINE Golden Eagle is recognized internationally as a symbol of the highest production standards in filmmaking.

“This award recognizes the excellence of your production,”

Cory Palmer Completes Recruit Training

Coast Guard Seaman Apprentice Cory Palmer, son of Mary Jane Palmer of Wellington, recently graduated from the United States Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey. During the eight-week training program, Palmer completed a vigorous training curriculum consisting of academics and practical instruction on water safety and survival, mil-

itary customs and courtesies, seamanship skills, first aid, fire-fighting and marksmanship. A major emphasis is also placed on physical fitness, health and wellness.

Men and women train together from the first day in the Coast Guard just as they do aboard ships and shore units throughout the world. Palmer is a 2005 graduate of Wellington High School.

wrote CINE Competition Committee Chair Mary Frost. “It is a pleasure to acknowledge the excellent filmmaking craftsmanship evident in Opportunity Knocks.”

As a CINE Golden Eagle winner, Opportunity Knocks is eligible for the CINE Special Jury Awards, based on a “best of category” determination by panels of distinguished jurors.

Special Jury Awards winners in turn automatically compete for CINE’s top film and video honors — the CINE Masters Series Awards, which recognize the highest-ranking winners in five professional divisions and the CINE Award of Excellence for the most deserving student/ non-professional work.

The CINE Masters Series Awards are sponsored by Henninger Media Services, which provides a total of $25,000 in film and video services to the winners.

The CINE Award of Excellence is sponsored by Eastman Kodak, which has traditionally provided product grants to winners and runners up, and an invitation to the producer of the best student film to join the Kodak delegation at a prestigious film festival or other valuable networking event. Wells and Niedland are currently in development on a feature-length television pilot and series based on Opportunity Knocks. In addition, the short film continues to be well received on the festival circuit. Opportunity Knocks held its world premiere at the 12th Annual Palm Beach International

Film Festival in April 2007, where it opened for the feature film A Lobster Tale Many Opportunity Knocks cast and crew members were in attendance, including Rogers, who also hosted the festival’s Black Tie Gala. Nearly 200 filmgoers turned out for the premiere, including several of Rogers’ fans, who traveled over 1,000 miles to be part of the festivities. Visit www.myspace.com/ opportunityknocksmovie for additional information on Opportunity Knocks. For more information about CINE, the awards competition or the awards, visit www.cine.org.

Award Winners — Aaron Wells and Suzanne Niedland won a CINE Golden Eagle Award for their film Opportunity Knocks

Bellissimos To Host Little Smiles Gala

The Little Smiles Stars Ball 2008 is set for Feb. 9 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The organization’s major fundraiser will be hosted by Mark and Katherine Bellissimo.

In addition to having an evening of great fun and entertainment, attendees of the Little Smiles Stars Ball will witness through the eyes of children the gratification of giving.

Little Smiles, a charitable organization that strives to fulfill the dreams of children in local hospitals, hospices and shelters, held the Stars Ball 2007 last year to rave reviews. Eight of its little stars arrived by limousine to the Equestrian Club by Tavern on the Green for “Oscar Night.” The stars were escorted down the “Red Carpet” where fans and photographers greeted them and sought their autographs. The stars were then ushered to their own private party. An evening of dining and dancing for patrons and guests followed.

Where once Little Smiles provided only toys and games to children residing in local hospitals, hospices and shelters, it is now able to present family themed excursions to many destinations including Disney parks, private “whale-watching excursions,” computers, electronics, celebrity meet and greets and just about anything the mind of a child can imagine. The organization tries to say yes to children who are undergoing painful and sometimes very long treatment.

Thanks to corporate and individual sponsors, Little Smiles has been able to make a difference in their lives. On any given day, one can find Little Smiles officers and volunteers going down the corridors at local hospitals doing one the their famous “Junk Food Runs” — bringing junk food, toys and games to ailing and terminally ill children. In addition, Little Smiles sent more

than 88 children with cancer to summer camp this year and implemented a computer lab learning center in a hospital pediatric unit.

While Little Smiles has been privileged to grant special wishes to a select few children in the past, it needs support so that no child will be denied. Contributions will enable the organization to increase its presence in Florida and eventually be the catalyst of sister branches throughout the country.

Little Smiles will hold a private gift-gathering event on Jan. 10 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Equestrian Club by Tavern on the Green, 3401 Equestrian Drive in Wellington.

Little Smiles is a nonprofit organization with offices at 13860-38 Wellington Trace, Suite 124, Wellington. For more information, call (561) 383-7274 or visit www.little smiles.org.

Phillip Chavez Completes Coast Guard Recruit Training

Coast Guard Seaman Phillip Chavez, son of Dedora and Mario Chavez of Lake Worth, recently graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Recruit Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey. During the eight-week training program, Chavez completed a vigorous training curriculum consisting of academics and practical instruction on water safety and survival, military customs and courtesies, seamanship skills, first aid, fire

fighting and marksmanship. A major emphasis is also placed on physical fitness, health and wellness.

Chavez and other recruits also received instruction on the Coast Guard’s core values — honor, respect and devotion to duty — and how to apply them in their military performance and personal conduct.

Chavez will join 36,000 other men and women who comprise the Coast Guard’s force. Men and women train together

from the first day in the Coast Guard just as they do aboard ships and shore units throughout the world. To reinforce the team concept, Chavez and other recruits were trained in preventing sexual harassment, drug and alcohol awareness, civil rights training and the basics of the work-life balance, as well as total quality management.

Chavez is a 2007 graduate of Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington.

Nutcracker Art — The Nutcracker is a holiday favorite, especially for children attending the annual holiday party at the Art Van Go Studio in West Palm Beach. Each year, children age four and up use their imagination, paint and use anything that sparkles to bring their own Nutcracker princes to life. The nutcrackers are as unique as each child’s imagination. While some don the pink and green of Palm Beach, others seem to have come from outer space. Many of the students at the Dec. 8 party take regular classes in drawing, painting and art history at the studio. For more information about art programs, call Art Van Go Studio at (561) 624-1312. The studio is located at 2405 Mercer Avenue in West Palm Beach. For more information, visit www.artvangostudio.com. (Above) Sophie Rabiei of Wellington, age five, displays the Nutcracker artwork she made at the party.

Saturday, Dec. 29

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will continue Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit, a skewering of favorite Broadway shows, in the Rinker Playhouse through Monday, Dec. 31. Tickets are available by calling (561) 832-7469 at www.kravis.org.

• The Tri County Comic Con will continue Saturday, Dec. 29 and Sunday, Dec. 30 at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.). Tickets are $15 each day. One dollar from each ticket will go to cure spina bifida. For more info., call (561) 629-2206.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present Blue Suede Shoes, the ultimate Elvis bash, in Dreyfoos Hall on Saturday, Dec. 29 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available by calling (561) 832-7469 or online at www.kravis.org.

Monday, Dec. 31

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Baby Story Time on Monday, Dec. 31 at 10:15 a.m. Babies will love the rhymes, finger plays, songs, books and toys. The program is for newborns to pre-walking, first-come, firstserved. For more info., call (561) 790-6070.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present Blast! in Dreyfoos Hall on Monday, Dec. 31 at 8 p.m. Tickets are available by calling (561) 832-7469 or online at www.kravis.org.

• Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will present its New Year’s Eve Dinner Dance on Monday, Dec. 31 from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Entertainment will be provided by Sir Winston and Company. The cost is a $45 donation. For more info., or to purchase tickets, call Lawrence Logan at (561) 7910162, Audrey Gordon at (561) 333-9606 or O.G. Smith at (561) 798-9444.

Tuesday, Jan. 1

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will hold a walk on Tuesday, Jan. 1 at 9 a.m. on the Hickory Hammock hiking trail. The hiking trail begins on Highway 98, about 25 miles north of the City of Okeechobee. For more info., call Bea at (561) 968-4864.

• VITAS Innovative Hospice Care hosts “A Journey Through Grief,” an ongoing monthly support group for anyone who has lost a loved one, the first Tuesday of each month from 10 to 11:30 a.m. at Wellington Regional Medical Center (10101 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Registration is requested but not necessary. For more info., call Chaplain Karen Modell at (561) 733-6326.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present “Salute to Vienna” Tuesday, Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall. For tickets, call the box office at (561) 832-7469 or visit www. kravis.org.

Wednesday, Jan. 2

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present the book-discussion series Sense of Place on Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 6:30 p.m. Sara Harris will lead a discussion for adults of Circle of Friends by Maeve Binchy. Sign up and

check out a copy of the book. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present Marc Salem’s “Mind Games Extra” in the Rinker Playhouse Wednesday, Jan. 2 through Sunday, Jan. 6. All shows are at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $35. For more info., call the box office at (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org.

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Wednesday, Jan. 2 at 8 p.m. and Thursday, Jan. 3 at 2 p.m. in Dreyfoos Hall. For ticket info., call the box office at (561) 832-7469 or visit www.kravis.org.

Thursday, Jan. 3

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold Winter Story Time registration for children Thursday, Jan. 3 from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Phone registrations will be accepted at (561) 790-6070 starting Jan. 4 at 10 a.m.

Friday, Jan. 4

• The Wellington Garden Club will meet on Friday, Jan. 4 at the Wellington Community Center, 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. The meeting begins at 11:45 a.m. with a light lunch. The featured speakers are National Garden Club Habitat for Humanity Chair Jo Williams, former Habitat for Humanity executive director Carolyn Vickey and West Palm Beach Habitat for Humanity Executive Director Bernie Godek. The topic is the partnership between Habitat for Humanity and national garden clubs. For info., call Deborah Russell at (561) 793-7360.

• Bob Lapin and the Palm Beach Pops will present “The Genius of Cole Porter” at the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) in the Dreyfoos Concert Hall on Friday, Jan. 4 at 8 p.m. For tickets, call the box office at (561) 8327469 or visit www.kravis.org.

Saturday, Jan. 5

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold Drop-in Story Time Saturday, Jan. 5 at 11 a.m. As part of National Soup Month, families are invited to come sip, slurp and sit down to hear stories all about soups. The program is for ages two and up. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

Sunday, Jan. 6

• The Morikami Museum and Japanese Gardens in Delray Beach will present “Oshogatsu” on Sunday, Jan. 6 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The traditional Japanese New Year celebratory festival includes games and entertainment throughout the museum and its gardens. The cost is $5 for non-members; free for museum members and children six and under. For more info., call (561) 495-0233 or visit www.morikami.org.

• Al Matos and his pops group will perform Sunday, Jan. 6 at 2 p.m. at Temple Beth Zion (129 Sparrow Drive, Royal Palm Beach). Matos and his band have been dubbed the “Kings of Swing.” Tickets are $25 per person. Light refreshments will be served at no additional cost. For tickets, call (561) 798-8888.

Monday, Jan. 7

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will present Winter Story Time for ages nine months to five years beginning Monday, Jan. 7. Call (561) 790-6030 for

dates and times, or to pre-register.

• Celebrate the new moon of the month of Aquarius with the Kabbalah Center (8411 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton) on Monday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m. The event costs $26 (free for Aquarians). For more info., call (561) 488-8826.

Tuesday, Jan. 8

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature the adult series Siblings Without Rivalry on Tuesdays, Jan. 8 through Jan. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Youth Services Librarian Julienne Marks will lead the workshop for parents. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

• The Western Communities Football League will hold its annual meeting and boardmember elections on Tuesday, Jan. 8. The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Wellington Village Park gym on Pierson Road. Any member wishing to be nominated for an open board seat should contact Mike Pignato at (561) 313-4219. For more info., visit the WCFL web site at www.wcflfootballcheer. com.

Wednesday, Jan. 9

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Celebrate Yourself and Others Wednesdays, Jan. 9 through March 19 at 3:30 p.m. The weekly program for ages six and up focuses on different themes using books, stories, music and artwork for participants to discover themselves and the world. Parents may stay and participate. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

• The ten-week course “Gift of the Bible” begins Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 6:30 p.m. (course fee: $220) and the eight-week course “Power of Kabbalah” begins Wednesday, Jan. 9 at 8 p.m. (course fee: $270) both at the Kabbalah Center (8411 W. Palmetto Park Road, Boca Raton). For more info., call (561) 488-8826.

Thursday, Jan. 10

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Teen Advisory Group (TAG) meetings on the second Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. to discuss ideas for teen programs. Enjoy snacks, conversation and good ideas. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Pizza & Pages: Everlost for teens Thursday, Jan. 10 at 7:30 p.m. Participants are invited to eat pizza while they discuss Everlost by Neal Shusterman. Pick up a copy of the book at the children’s desk. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

Friday, Jan. 11

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Magic Tricks on Friday, Jan. 11 at 2:45 p.m. for ages five to nine. Learn how to do tricks to astound friends and family. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

• The Palm Beach County Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present the PalmBeach3 Contemporary Art Fair Jan. 11-14. The fair features 100 international dealers in contemporary art, photography and design. A one-day pass is $15; $25 with a catalogue. For info., call (561) 2091308.

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

Lodwick

2007 A Banner Year In RPB

continued from page 1A ment that proposed building 10,000 homes, as well as commercial areas and other projects, essentially in Royal Palm Beach’s back yard. Lodwick and other opponents claimed the development of the 4,000-acre citrus grove would have created massive infrastructure turmoil, particularly on the already overcrowded main roads leading in and out of the western communities. The Palm Beach County Commission rejected the proposal in May.

“We had such a good team effort with the other municipalities on Callery and with [Village Attorney] Trela White and all of our hired staff,” Lodwick said. “In my mind we stopped something that would have truly hurt the western communities.”

While Lodwick and other village leaders were a highly vocal and visible part of the multi-city opposition to the project, Lodwick shrugs off any consideration that he has achieved any status as a powerbroker in Palm Beach County affairs.

“I try to be true to what I believe,” Lodwick said. “When he got to Washington, Ronald Reagan said, ‘it’s amazing what you can achieve when we stop worrying about who gets the credit.’ Did we take the lead? Clearly we did. But we wouldn’t have got where we did without Ms. White putting together other communities with us and putting together a great team. And by the way, on the team, they stopped worrying about who got the credit. All they were worried about was achieving the goal. It was really a well-oiled machine working together.”

Lodwick said the spirit of cooperation among municipalities was gratifying.

‘Each and every day we’re getting better. We’ve upgraded our parks, we’ve upgraded our roads. It’s not because I’m doing something, it’s because we’re all pulling together. It sounds simplistic, but it has to be that way.’

— Mayor David Lodwick

“When I can sit down with the mayor of Palm Beach Gardens or West Palm Beach, and despite all the differences we might have on other issues, march forward and all agree ‘this is bad,’ that’s a good thing,” he said. “At a certain point I felt I was out there alone on it and didn’t feel like there were a lot of people coming. The good news is a whole lot of people kept coming.”

Lodwick refused to speculate on whether many people look at Royal Palm Beach and its mayor in a different light. “I don’t know,” he said. “As Popeye said, ‘I am what I am.’ I am here to try and make our town better. And with the support of our residents, I think we’re doing that. Each and every day we’re getting better. We’ve upgraded our parks, we’ve upgraded our roads. It’s not because I’m doing something, it’s because we’re all pulling together. It sounds simplistic, but it has to be that way.”

Lodwick credited a cohesive effort on the part of the council and residents for the village’s success. “We’ve had leadership in the past that has failed because they felt that for them to get higher, they had to push others down,” he said. “That system doesn’t work. We’re going to continue to pull together. If some people’s opinion of Royal Palm Beach has changed, that’s good, because we look forward to working with people. It isn’t all about us, it’s about our residents.”

New Horizons Elementary Students Learn The Spirit Of Giving

New Horizons Elementary School students learned how great it feels to give this holiday season.

For their December community service project, the New Horizons Student Council conducted a “Toys for Needy Families” drive at the school. Each representative collected new, unwrapped toys in the classroom Dec. 10-14. Stu-

dent Council Sponsor Pat Klammer coordinated the distribution of the toys to its sister school Belle Glade Elementary School and to local families in the community.

The students were very proud of their efforts, knowing that they were helping less fortunate children enjoy the holiday season.

(Above) New Horizons Student Council officers display the toys collected for the Toys for Needy Families toy drive: (L-R) President Corey Beckman, Student Council Sponsor Pat Klammer, Secretary Taylor Fallen, Vice President Alyssa Corneille and Historian John Campagnuolo. (Left) Parents of Student Council members got involved by counting and sorting toys: Sandy Campagnuolo, Mrs. Trotter, Student Council Sponsor Pat Klammer, Mrs. Fallen and Joan Linn.

Teaching Bicycle Safety — Corporal Richard Sciarrino and Deputy Michael Leatherman of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office joined New Horizons Elementary School youngsters for a bike ride recently as a part of educating youngsters how to operate bikes and wear helmets. Pictured here are Sciarrino and Leatherman with the students.

WES Donates Toys — Families and students at Wellington Elementary School donated holiday gifts to children at South Grade Elementary School. Donating the most gifts were the classes of Barbara O’Toole, Gloria Campbell and Gladys Navarro. Pictured here are (L-R, standing) Hayden Owens, William Sanchez and Matthew Eby; (sitting) Hannah Hausmann and Justin Davis.

PHOTO BY CAROL

Students Sing To Seniors — Teachers Kimberly Goodman, Kristina Quiles and Susan McConville’s fourth-grade students from Frontier Elementary School went to Royal Manor Nursing Home in Royal Palm Beach Dec. 18 to sing Christmas carols and visit the residents. The staff and students at Frontier donated more than 70 pairs of slippers. After singing, they passed out the gifts to the excited residents. Shown here are students and teachers bearing gifts.

Binks Students Give To Belle Glade Student — Third-grade students at Binks Forest Elementary School decided to share instead of having the usual holiday gift exchange. They spent the month reading about children featured in the Palm Beach Post’s “Season to Share” segment. The students chose to help four-year-old Gisselle Gonzales of Belle Glade, who is suffering from a brain tumor. They brought in clothes and toys that were part of her wish list.

CRESTWOOD DONATES TOYS

For this year’s holiday season, the National Junior Honor Society at Crestwood Middle School put together boxes filled with toys to assist some local underprivileged families through their “Kids Helping Kids Project.” NJHS sponsors are Allison Hill and Denise Rudy. (Above) Tatiana Lestido and Lindsey Hanrahan. (Below) Samantha Driggers, Cassidy Heitman, teacher Denise Rudy, Caroline Valencia and Ashley Estimable.

Seminole Ridge Construction Academy Finishes First ‘Story’

Seminole Ridge High School Construction Academy teacher Rick Terkovich said, “believe it or not, we’re right on schedule!” as his students laid the final block in the ground level of the new athletics building — a two-story, 1,200-square-foot concrete block structure. This hands-on project, made possible entirely through donations from the academy’s many industry partners, has taken shape through the efforts of construction students.

Hawk senior Chris King is one of the project workers. “We began in March of ’07,” he said, “and now we’re almost finished with the first story. It’s been hard work and, if I’ve learned one thing, it’s that I don’t want to be a block mason!”

Academy student Trista

Stingo also enjoyed the experience. “The ticket booth is the best thing I’ve ever worked on,” she said. “It’s a lot of fun, and we’re learning a lot. It’s amazing to think that, 30 years from now, a building I worked on will still be here.”

Classmate Thomas McGoldrick added: “it’s been great — we’ve worked hard and it’s great to see everything come together. I’ve been there since the groundbreaking. I’ve learned a lot about construction that I wouldn’t have learned if we hadn’t done this project.”

Now the structure’s walls are nearly nine feet high. “After working hard for the last two months, the kids have finished the block work on the first story,” Terkovich said. “We’ll start the second story when we

get back in January.”

Hawk Athletes Make All-Conference Teams — SRHS athletes have been selected as members of the District 6A All-Conference teams.

In football:

• First team offense: Jeacky Charles, wide receiver; Adam Waszak, guard;

• First team defense: Alain Lamontagne, outside linebacker; Daryl Thomas, defensive line;

• Second team offense: Will Jones, running back; Devyn Pierson, wide receiver; and Derek Roth, tackle;

• Second team defense: J.B. Coulter and Michael Fioramanti, linebackers; Peter Kondracki and Shane Shortridge, defensive ends; Allen Lopez, defensive back; Jalani Lord, defensive line.

In girls golf:

• Second team: Galates Sera and Mariah Travis.

In boys swimming:

• Patrick Costan, 100-meter butterfly; Devin Collum, diving; John Menor, 200 freestyle; Rory Padgett, 100 backstroke;

• 200 medley relay: Tommy Counihan and Derek Smith;

• 200 free relay: Michael Tigeleiro;

• 400 free relay: Ptah Quammie.

In girls swimming:

• Nicole Infinger, 100-meter butterfly;

• 200 medley relay: Jaymie Davis and April Goodman;

• 200 free relay: Ashley Jones;

• 400 free relay: Natalia Pieschacon and Stephanie Rodgerson.

For the second consecutive year, swim and dive coach Marie Pelfrey was voted the West Division Coach of the Year in boys swimming.

SECME Receives $500 Consortium Grant — The Florida Space Grant Consortium has awarded a $500 Aerospace Education Program grant to the Seminole Ridge SECME (Science, Engineering, Communication and Mathematics Enhancement) Club in support of its “Rocket POWER” (Positive Outcomes While Enjoying Reading) program, in which students read about and discuss the talent and training necessary to become a rocket scientist. Students are then challenged to master rocket science by designing, constructing, flying and recovering their own handmade, high-powered model rocket with two “egg-stronauts” on-

board. The consortium’s Aerospace Education Program provides students with aerospace education experiences, motivating them in the study of science, mathematics, engineering and/ or technology.

The first flight of the SECME Club’s “Hawkette” rocket took place Saturday, Dec. 15 with the Florida Spacemodeling Association. The rocket provided “proof of concept” toward meeting the competition challenge of reaching an ultimate altitude of 332 feet with a oneegg payload and being safely recovered.

Gingerbread House Spreads Hawk Cheer — For the second year, life skills students have helped SRHS celebrate the holidays by constructing a gingerbread house to be displayed in the front office before the holiday break.

Construction Academy students at work. Science club members prepare to launch a rocket.

Life skills students Matthew Cherry, Christina Dickson, Skye Everett, Danielle Hutton, Emily and Jay Hutton, Deidre Lopez, Michael Milet, Glen Miller, Salmeshia Moodie, Kendy Nasice, Andrew Overstrom, Kyle Petrocine, Robin Talbert and William Watson, teacher Jeannine Whitley and aide Helen Hymes.

Students Shine In H.L. Johnson’s Winter Holiday Music Program

Students at H.L. Johnson Elementary School in Royal Palm Beach sang from their hearts to approving audiences of parents and grandparents the week of Dec. 10-14. Each morning was dedicated to grade-level concerts conducted by Music Director Frank Peynado. Selections included Thanksgiving tunes such as “Autumn Leaves” and “Whacky Gobblers,” and winter songs celebrating Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanzaa Kindergarten, first- and second-grade students, as well as students from exceptional education classes, participated in the performance, which showcased the county’s music education curriculum. The theme for the year was “Reach for the Rainbow,” embracing ethnic and cultural celebrations while teaching music theory and symbols, math through time signatures, following lyrics, music history and physical exercise through dance and movement. For more information, call Peynado at (561) 795-4955.

Music Director Frank Peynado.

First graders perform “First Grade Calling.”

H.L. Johnson students take part in the Parade of Sunglasses.

Students display banners and placards for their respective classes.

The Phantoms Visit

RUTH’S CHRIS STEAK HOUSE

651 Okeechobee Blvd., at CityPlace in West Palm Beach (561) 514-3544

Ruth’s Chris Steak House at Okeechobee Blvd. and Sapodilla Ave. across from the Kravis Center has finally opened. This long-awaited event in dining pleasure adds yet another major reason to visit CityPlace... especially for dinner and a show.

Ruth’s Chris officially opened to the public Dec. 19, but as is tradition with this upscale restaurant chain, the opening was preceded by a two-night VIP training event in which guests were invited to dine for charity. Hundreds were invited to dine and purchase a bottle of special wine for $100 per table, with all the proceeds donated to the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County.

We were proud to participate in this opening and support this worthy charity, which helps so many children and their families, and would like to congratulate Ruth’s Chris for giving back to our community even before they started to receive — talk about holiday spirit!

Ruth’s Chris corner location is right next to the Kravis Center. In our opinion, it is one of the most beautiful restaurants around. There is a staircase leading to different dining levels, and everything is perfection.

We were also impressed with the service and the training staff from nine of the 100 Ruth’s Chris restaurants worldwide, all under the direction of General Manager Jeffrey Keil and Manager Michael Johnson. In addition, there was a party atmosphere provided by a Dixieland band, as New Orleans is the home of the original Ruth’s Chris restaurant. Needless to say we will be back again

Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County President Mary O’Connor with her husband Tim. The charity was the beneficiary of the Ruth’s Chris VIP opening last week.

and again to enjoy some of the best food prepared by Chef Craig Conerly. We hope to see you there at Ruth’s Chris Steak House, 651 Okeechobee Blvd. at CityPlace in West Palm Beach. For reservations, call (561) 514-3544, and please tell them Joe and Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommend you enjoy the best steaks anywhere! Ruth’s Chris is open for dinner daily Monday through Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 5 to 10:30 p.m. and Sundays from 5 to 9 p.m. For more info., visit www.ruthschris.com.

Top Stories 2007 In Review

continued from page 1A explaining the consequences of approving the amendment, which would have a dramatic effect on RPB. Lodwick estimated that the property-tax reform proposal would cost Royal Palm Beach about $800,000 next year.

The proposed amendment would allow an additional $25,000 exemption to homestead property above $50,000, allow homestead property owners to transfer their Save Our Homes benefit to a new homestead, provide a $25,000 exemption for tangible property tax assessed to businesses and give non-homestead property owners a ten-percent annual increase cap on non-school taxes. If the amendment passes, the county will face about $53 million in budget cuts next year, according to County Administrator Bob Weisman.

COUNTY DENIES CALLERY-JUDGE

The Palm Beach County Commission denied Callery-Judge Grove’s proposal to build a massive “new town” just west of The Acreage in a 4-2 vote May 15. The vote came suddenly, about five hours into a meeting that continued an all-day May 7 marathon session.

The controversial plan would have paved the way for as many as 10,000 homes and more than five million square feet of nonresidential use on the languishing 4,000-acre citrus tract, including a town center with employment, schools and shopping, as well as environmentally friendly green space.

Royal Palm Beach Village Attorney Trela White coordinated presentations against the development proposal on behalf of Royal Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Palm Beach Gardens.

“We three cities represent more than 200,000 of your constituents,” White said, explaining that the cities objected to the plan because of the traffic problems they believed it would impose on surrounding communities.

“We have heard a lot about ‘flow ways’ and ‘edges’... What we haven’t heard is the external impact, and it will be severe.”

After the vote, Callery-Judge Grove Managing Partner Nat Roberts told the Town-Crier the grove’s next plan for development would take advantage of the Agricultural Enclave Act and wouldn’t include employment, schools or shopping areas, just homes.

NEW TOWN GETS UP AND RUNNING

Voters elected candidates who had supported the grassroots incorporation effort in the inaugural Loxahatchee Groves Town Council election March 13: Dave Autrey, Dr. Bill Louda, Marge Herzog, David Browning and Dennis Lipp. About 840 voters cast ballots, slightly more than the 808 who voted in the October 2006 incorporation referendum, and the council had its swearing-in ceremony and first meeting on March 29. With no revenue, no bank account, no meeting place of its own and no staff except a $185an-hour attorney doubling as clerk, the council opened its second-ever meeting on April 3 in the borrowed Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District chambers. But after less than

three weeks in office, in midApril the council had made strides toward establishing the basic components of a functioning town government, with the town’s first telephone number connecting to a cell phone in the pocket of Browning, whom the council had chosen as the town’s first mayor.

Besides establishing lines of communication through the telephone number and an official address, the council made moves that month toward acquiring other municipal necessities such as insurance and banking services, office space and clerical help, and explored the creation of advisory committees and a local planning agency. By year’s end, the town had an office of its own, a budget for its first full year and a visioning firm hired to help craft a comprehensive plan in 2008.

CHARLIE LYNN TO RETIRE

After 11 years as Wellington’s top administrative official, Village Manager Charlie Lynn announced his coming retirement Oct. 26 in a letter sent to Wellington Village Council members.

Noting that 2008 would mark his 30th year of service in local government, Lynn wrote that he had decided to retire effective Jan. 25, 2008 and that he was giving the 90 days’ notice required in his contract.

Lynn was hired as Wellington’s first permanent manager in September 1996.

“I am grateful for the opportunities and latitude the council has given me over the years as we have worked together to build a new municipality and resolve the many issues facing the community,” Lynn wrote.

“My tenure here in Wellington has been a once-in-a-lifetime undertaking to help create something unique and special.”

A month later, after interviewing consulting firms to help locate a replacement manager, council members discussed the possibility of convincing Lynn to stay on a while longer, but on Dec. 11 he told the council his decision was final. However, he also said he would remain available to them until his accrued vacation time runs out in April.

BINKS FOREST GOLF CLUB REOPENS

After opening its back nine holes in October, the revamped Binks Forest Golf Club followed up with its front nine in November, ending a five-year Wellington saga. The par-72 course spans more than 7,000 yards and is one of the few high-end, daily-fee facilities in South Florida. Aquila Property Co. acquired the course from Peninsula Bank last April for a price believed to be between $8 million and $9 million and worked with original course architect Gene Bates and KemperSports Management to get the course ready for play. The course had become overgrown since a previous owner shut its doors in spring 2002. Mortgage holder Peninsula later took over the property. Although the bank did some upkeep on the golf course in attempts to appease village code enforcement officers, Binks Forest continued to decline. Aquila has until next fall to reopen a completely renovated clubhouse. Then the firm can begin to build 90 town houses on the course’s former driving range. UPS AND DOWNS FOR WELLINGTON’S K-PARK

Early in 2007, the Wellington Village Council had big plans for

The Year In Photos — (Above) Gene Mische and Mark Bellissimo discuss their new partnership announced in November. (Above right) Aquila’s Tom Weber, Terry Strongin and Jordan Paul with Binks Forest Golf Club General Manager Paul Makris when the refurbished course opened in October. (Right) The inaugural Loxahatchee Groves Town Council takes the oath of office March 29.

K-Park, a “signature” 67-acre park the village intends to develop on the west side of State Road 7 south of Pierson Road. It was an ambitious proposal, including ball fields, playgrounds, pavilions, walking paths, an amphitheater, a community center, a senior center, a classroom building, tennis courts and lakes — and a hefty price tag.

While originally slated as a capital project, it was pulled from this year’s village budget to help offset lost revenue. But a $5 million proposal in November by Sunrise Senior Living to build a 160-unit residence for seniors on a five-acre slice of the K-Park property breathed new life into the project. The council approved selling part of the K-Park land to Sunrise on Nov. 27 only months after turning down a previous Sunrise proposal to build a 96-bed assisted-living facility on land now occupied by the Palm Beach Polo Stadium.

Some of that $5 million is expected to be used to get the KPark project started, although far more cash is needed to make the full park a reality. Village officials are now pondering a bond referendum to raise the money.

RPB’S

‘CENTRAL PARK’ BEGINS TO TAKE SHAPE

The Royal Palm Beach Commons Park moved a step closer to reality Sept. 6 when the village council unanimously approved a site plan for the 163acre park on the grounds of the old Tradition Golf Club.

Urban designer Russell Moore of the IBI Group presented an overview of the park’s features, including a three-story sporting center, clubhouse for a nine-hole golf course, picnic pavilions, two playgrounds, restrooms, a footbridge and a bandstand for acoustic music. “It’s keeping with the theme of what we’ve seen,” Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick said. “The golf course is clearly wrapping farther around, as I anticipated as its design took shape. That’s not a problem because it’s giving even more people the same backyard that they had before we started.”

Lodwick said the village hopes to issue requests for bids on the park’s construction by April or May of 2008. “It will take about 12 months from there, so you’re looking at about two years before the park will be open,” he said.

INDIAN TRAIL GETS ITS HOUSE IN ORDER

The year 2007 was also the year the Indian Trail Improvement District came back from the edge of the abyss. After years of poor management and little competent oversight, a new ITID Board of Supervisors took over in late 2006, vowing improvements but promising not to raise assessments.

Over the past year, the district has showed steady progress ending the revolving door of employees, straightening out its books and getting projects moving. One shining example of the progress has been the Trailways Committee, which has moved swiftly to

Wechsler

Survivor Politics

continued from page 16A McSteamy from Grey’s Anatomy. He looks great and sounds great. Watching the news, we hear his followers talk about how great he is. There is, unfortunately, a lot more style than any kind of substance. His comment that working as an Illinois legislator helped prepare him for the presidency really struck home… with someone, perhaps, who likes the way he looks.

The John and Elizabeth Edwards combo reminds me very much of the Stephens couple from Bewitched. John generally looks like that half-wit Darrin, especially when people remind him that he criticized the financial hedge funds that made money from Hurricane Katrina. He earned half a million dollars with one of them, and has millions invested with a fund that made money by tossing victims out of their homes because they couldn’t pay their mortgages. In the meantime, Elizabeth is sort of like Samantha, who had an

clean up and extend the district’s horse trail system, battered by years of hurricanes and neglect.

Meanwhile, Finance Director Margie Perez reports that ITID’s operating reserves is now an estimated $3 million — a far cry from the paltry $765,000 cash on hand two years ago.

“This board has been so careful that even with the milliondollar cut in assessments the old board made after the majority had been defeated in the 2006 primaries and elections, it still was able to increase our reserves, to provide more protection against catastrophe and to protect taxpayers from large increases in assessments,” Perez said.

New District Administrator Chris King, meanwhile, has big plans ahead for 2008, starting with a January visioning session in which Acreage residents will be asked to offer input into future ITID goals.

evil twin. We see the good Elizabeth talking about being a cancer victim and wondering why people say nasty things about her husband and the bad one hiring an anti-Christian campaign blogger and then refusing to fire her when people react badly to the woman’s statements. Just like on TV, people have trouble telling the good one from the bad one.

John McCain reminds me of Santa in Miracle on 34th Street. I know that’s a movie, but he is really sort of like Santa. Wonderful if you believe in him, and deluded if you do not.

Well, I hope I described the characters for our reality show. If I offended you, remember I probably offended just about every one except those who really have no interest in who will be in the White House... and they are the ones who offend me. If there was one set of candidates I would really love to see running it would be Guiliani against Clinton so we could actually see and hear Bill and his followers criticize Giuliani’s love life. That would be better than a lot of the punch lines on television (once the writers are back to write them).

PALMS WEST

A TOWN-CRIER Publication

Full Liquor Lounge Now Open FullLiquorLoungeNowOpen At T AtT AtTree’ree’s s W Wings

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Tree’s Wings & Ribs owners

Andy and Linda Maynard are proud their restaurant has offered consistently good food and prompt and reliable service over the last 13 years.

Their restaurant, at its original location in the Royal Plaza at Royal Palm Beach and Southern boulevards, seats nearly 100, but the Maynards, Wellington residents for 19 years, recently added something for the over21 crowd, an intimate 35-seat full liquor lounge with wood-finished walls, a couch and tables.

Classic movies playing on large, high-resolution screens and swinging saloon doors partition the lounge from the larger family restaurant on the other side.

The remodeling was finished three weeks ago,” Andy Maynard said. “Many years ago, we were bordering on being a sports bar, and as the years went on we became more and more of a family restaurant, which is great,” he said. “That was the main focus of our business. Recently we’ve been getting comments from people that they would like a place that is more mature, with a quiet atmosphere. We were thinking about

going back to a sports bar, but there are already some very good sports bars out there. We decided to come up with an alternative to a sports bar, something that was quiet. People could sit down and relax where they could be adults.”

The lounge occupies what was the original Tree’s restaurant 13 years ago. In 2001, they opened a new main restaurant area.

The menu has remained essentially the same, and their specialties, of course, are still chicken wings in a variety of flavors and succulent baby back ribs. “We have added two or three items over time to keep the menu interesting,” Maynard said, pointing to the barbecue sausage, catfish, Buffalo shrimp and nachos on the menu.

Their kitchen is outfitted to serve large orders, all prepared with the same care as an individual’s six-piece snack box.

“We do catering for any size event,” Maynard said. “For the South Florida Fair we’re doing a number of those events over there. We prefer that people call ahead, but it’s not necessary. We’ve been known to prepare large orders on short notice, a half hour. Our kitchen is geared to cook. We have lots of fryer

space for the wings.”

Maynard’s entry into the restaurant business is “a long story,” but it begins in San Diego when he was plant manager for what was at the time the world’s largest resource-recovery, recycling and power-generation company. “I was commuting back and forth from here. I’d come home every two weeks,” he said. “I did that for a few years. I was being transferred to New Jersey, and we didn’t want to move, so we wanted to start our own business. My kids were getting older. They were becoming teen-agers, and I wanted to find something local so I could spend more time with my family, so I bought what I thought was going to be a small pub, and it turned out to be more of a restaurant. So I kept pushing the food end more and more and grew the restaurant from a small operation into what it is today.”

Maynard said he believes Tree’s has the widest delivery area of any local restaurant. His seven delivery vehicles serve an area from Lake Worth Road to the south, Orange Blvd. to the north, Lion Country Safari to the west and Florida’s Turnpike to the east.

While accommodating sit-

down guests, take-out orders and other deliveries, Maynard said, Tree’s can simultaneously prepare a 5,000-piece wing order in about two hours. “We’ve done a number of them,” he said.

Maynard said Tree’s owes its success to consistency and fast service. In addition, the restaurant is a major contributor to various sports groups, service organizations and special causes in the community.

“Events, non-profit organizations, through the years we have donated to so many groups, the chamber of commerce, sports teams, religious organizations, also fundraisers for people in need,” Maynard said.

Tree’s Wings & Ribs is located in the Royal Plaza at 603 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. For more information, or to place an order, call (561) 791-1535 or visit www.treeswingsand ribs.com.

BY RON

New Liquor Lounge — Tree’s Wings & Ribs owners Andy and Linda Maynard relax in their new liquor lounge.

PHOTO

Broker Patrice Delancy: Now Is The Time To Consider Renting

By Steve Pike Town-Crier Staff Report

If for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction, for every slump in the South Florida real estate sales market there seems to be a boost in the rental market. Just ask Patrice Delancy, a broker at Rent Now Realty and Estates International Realty in Wellington.

“It’s a rental market right now,” Delancy said. “We’re specializing in rentals from all different levels. We have people who rent seasonally and people who rent yearly. We also go across all different price categories.”

Delancy said she is increasingly working with people who have lost their homes to bankruptcy and foreclosure. They’re the forgotten unfortunates in this time of slow sales and subprime lender busts. That is, they still need a place to live, even if they’ve lost their homes.

“Possibly we can help them find something they can afford,” Delancy said. “We go over what they’re looking for in terms of number of bedrooms and baths and garages and what price category. We also do a credit check on the customer. You have landlords who only take good credit, and you have landlords who are willing to take on someone with not-so-good credit.”

The slower pace of property sales also means there are more landlords willing to take on riskier tenants in order to keep money coming in.

“The landlords are in a posi-

tion where they need tenants,”

Delancy said. “Many landlords are investors in multiple homes, and if they can find a tenant who can help them pay that mortgage, the tenant is more than welcome. The landlords are flexible these days. I just rented a home that the landlord originally wanted $3,500 per month, and the tenant ended up with $2,500 per month. They paid six months in advance, so that was appealing to the landlord.”

A person looking to rent after foreclosure can often get a rental rate that’s much less expensive than the mortgage he or she couldn’t afford on a similar home, Delancy said.

“Their mortgage might have been $4,000 per month, but they can rent the same magnitude of home for $2,000 per month,”

Delancy said. “I just took a 55year-old-plus community for $600 per month for a single bedroom. So it can go as low as that, or we have seasonals for as much as $5,000 per month.”

Delancy and Rent Now Realty have properties from Boca Raton to Vero Beach. “There’s a rental in Boca I just put on the market for $7,500 per month, so you can see, the prices do vary,” she said.

Delancy said Palm Beach County is her strongest rental market, but prices are good in Port St. Lucie. “There are quite a few homes up there for rent,” she said. “You get more home for your price.”

Palm Beach County, however, remains especially popular with seasonal renters, Delancy

said. “A lot of people want to come here,” she said. “Why not? You don’t get any better than Palm Beach County.”

Many homeowners in Palm Beach County and the western communities rent out their homes to seasonal visitors. “It’s a great investment for homeowners,” Delancy said. “I rented my personal home last year.”

A native of Freeport in the

Bahamas, Delancy is now starting to offer luxury homes for rent and sales in Freeport, Nassau, Abaco and Exuma. She even has a private island in Exuma among her sales listings. Conversely, Rent Now is beginning to market South Florida homes in the Bahamas, as well as Canada and Europe.

“I have a lot of ties in the Bahamas, obviously,” Delancy

said. “Families from there come here frequently to shop. It’s cheaper to rent here than it is to get a hotel.”

Rent Now Realty and Estates International Realty is located at in the Wellington Marketplace at 13889 Wellington Trace, Suite A2. For more information, call (561) 889-7526 or visit www.rentnowrealty. com.

BY STEVE

Rent Now Realty/Estates International Realty — (L-R) Doug Lamkin, Patrice Delancy, Bernard Dubinsky, Elizabeth Kremer, Virginia Davis, Debra Groves and Robert Carballoso.

PHOTO

Air Depot: Plenty Of Experience In Air-Conditioning Repairs

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Nothing frustrates Floridians as much as having their air conditioning go out. Tony Widrig, the owner of Air Depot Inc., said that while Florida’s warm weather is the main draw for so much of the population, “they also assume they have air conditioning. And if that goes out, they suffer until it gets fixed.”

Widrig, an Acreage resident, is an expert when it comes to South Florida air conditioners, having learned his trade working for large-scale Florida developer DiVosta Homes.

“I worked for DiVosta for 23 years and eventually was a top air-conditioning supervisor,” he said. “I was the ‘first mechanic,’ the guy who was the first one to turn on an air conditioner to make sure it worked, in thousands of homes. If you live in River Walk in West Palm Beach or Village Walk in Wellington, I’m the guy who turned on your air conditioner and made sure it worked before you moved in.”

Widrig offers a simple guarantee for his work. “I won’t leave until it works right,” he said. “I learned that from working for a top company famous for its customer service.”

Widrig said he is proud of the way he rose through the ranks at DiVosta. “I began there doing deliveries for air conditioning crews,” he said, “and then became a helper to a duct installer, the man who installs all the

ductwork, which meant I sometimes had to fabricate the ductwork. When I began my family, I wanted to do more complex work and became an installer, then I supervised a small crew and eventually became the top mechanic. Eventually, as a supervisor, I was the one who did the final quality check on the air conditioners.”

Widrig credits DiVosta Homes founder Otto “Buz” DiVosta for teaching him the importance of good quality.

“Now that I have my own business,” he said, “I like to follow his policy of ‘Customers for Life.’ People who bought houses in his developments liked the work so much he kept winning J.D. Power awards for being the best in customer satisfaction. One reason for that is that we at the company stood by our work. We had a one-year warranty, but if people were unhappy because of the quality of our work even after several years, we came back to make things right. That’s why people who bought one DiVosta home usually looked around for another.”

And that experience with DiVosta pays dividends in many ways, Widrig said. “I can do all kinds of air conditioning work,” he said. “I can install air conditioners for both residential and commercial properties, and can fix them, too. I have a crew of people available, all of whom worked for DiVosta. When the market

for new housing dried up, a lot of us stopped having jobs. That hurt us, but it helps any prospective customers because they get the best possible people for their work; ones they could probably never get before.”

Widrig cautions customers to check the type of coolant used in a new air conditioner they are contemplating buying. “The federal government will not allow the sale of air condi-

tioners that use R22 refrigerant, the one people often call freon, after 2010,” he said. “Although manufacturers promise they will still make some refrigerant and all of the parts, over the years, conditioners based on that technology will become legacies. It will be harder to get parts fast and some of the newly trained air conditioning specialists will not know how to fix them. It would be better to get the new-

er types of air conditioner, the one using the new 410 refrigerant. Not only will it be better for the environment, it is the newer technology.”

Widrig said he is ready to respond to emergencies at any time and will be glad to talk to anyone about air conditioning needs.

For more information on Air Depot, call (561) 662-4354 or e-mail Widrig at airdepot. tony@gmail.com.

Air Depot — Acreage resident Tony Widrig, owner of Air Depot Inc., with his wife Karen.

Asprinio, Skelton Join Komen’s 2008 ‘Pink Tie Guy’ Program

The Komen South Florida Race for the Cure has assembled a group of nine local business leaders to serve as its “Pink Tie Guys.” The program, now in its third year, is designed to expand community awareness that breast cancer not only affects women, but can strike men as well.

These businessmen each have a personal motivation to support the fight against the disease, and the Pink Tie Guy program is an excellent vehicle to create more awareness among groups of people who might not know enough about breast cancer.

This year’s Pink Tie Guys are Wellington resident Stephen Asprinio, star of Bravo’s “Top Chef” and owner of Forte di Asprinio, a new restaurant opening in downtown West Palm Beach; Mark Skelton of Royal Palm Beach, Race Committee member; Don DeWoody, principal of Compass Realty and one of the most successful individual fundraisers at last year’s event; Todd Herbst, co-owner of Big Time Restaurant Group; Glenn Smith, husband of breast cancer survivor and cochair Jennifer Smith; Phil Stelly, Komen president-elect and senior communications advisor of Florida Power & Light; Fred Teets, Race Committee member; and Al Young, chairman of the South Florida Ford Dealers and Dealer Operator of Wayne Akers Ford in Lake Worth.

Dave Ragsdale, associate publisher of Competitor Southeast magazine and last year’s race consulting chair, will serve as an honorary Komen Pink Tie Guy.

In addition to honoring the nine Pink Tie Guys, the Komen South Florida Race for the Cure launched the new “Men in Pink” program, designed to recognize all of the men in the community who share the common goal to eradicate breast cancer. For just

$100, all Men in Pink registrants get a pink silk tie and a pink ribbon lapel pin in the mail, plus a special race bib and recognition on race day.

“The effects of breast cancer are far-reaching and have impacted so many families throughout our community,” 2008 Race Chair Deborah Jaffe said. “On Jan. 19, we share a common goal to honor those who have lost their fight, support those who are fighting the disease and celebrate those who have won the battle.”

The 17th Annual Komen South Florida Race for the Cure, presented locally by Florida Power & Light, is the oldest and largest Komen 5K run/walk in the southeastern United States. It takes place on Jan. 19 along the Intracoastal Waterway on Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach, and features a women’s and men’s 5k race, a 5k co-ed walk, a one-mile fun walk, Kids for the Cure and Tots for the Cure.

Those wishing to participate who would rather not walk or run can still take part in Sleep in for the Cure. All proceeds benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure, established in 1982 by Nancy G. Brinker in honor of her sister, Susan G. Komen, who died of breast cancer at the age of 36.

Last year’s Komen South Florida Race for the Cure attracted more than 23,000 participants and raised a record $1.7 million for Susan G. Komen for the Cure. Of the money raised annually at the event, up to 75 percent stays in the area to fund valuable education, screening and treatment. The remaining 25 percent funds cutting-edge breast cancer research.

For more information on the Men in Pink program and the Komen South Florida Race for the Cure, call (561) 841-0041 or visit the Komen web site at www.komensouthflorida.org.

Naylah Mediterranean Grill — The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Naylah Mediterranean Grill in Royal Palm Beach. Located at 11051 Southern Blvd., Suite 210 in the Southern Palm Crossing shopping plaza, Naylah offers a variety of Mediterranean cuisines from beef and lamb kefka to the restaurant’s signature dish, shish tawook. For more info., call (561) 798-4343 or visit www.naylah.com. Shown here are restaurant employees with chamber ambasssadors.

The Komen South Florida Race for the Cure’s “Pink Tie Guys.”

Mark Momper Named Mortgage Loan Originator At Riverside Bank

Michael Alfele, assistant vice president and regional sales director at Riverside Bank, recently announced the appointment of Mark Momper as mortgage loan originator.

In this position, Momper is responsible for consulting individuals and families about their mortgage needs for residential properties.

Momper has four years of sales experience, most recently as a licensed mortgage broker with a mortgage company in Palm Beach County. A Cincinnati native, he graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a marketing degree.

A Florida resident for seven years, Momper lives in Lake Worth with his wife Caroline, son Eric and daughter Marisa. Together the family volunteers for Saint Juliana Catholic School.

“We are excited about having

Mark Momper

Mark join our team of residential loan experts,” Alfele said. “His enthusiasm and get-upand-go translate to exceptional service and a one-of-a-kind ex-

perience for his customers.”

Since 1982, Riverside Bank has been helping people across Florida manage their money and achieve financial goals through a hometown style of banking. The bank is known in the home towns it serves for friendly service, helpful solutions and local decision-making, as well as local community involvement. Its hometown style of banking has made Riverside one of Florida’s fastest-growing, independent and locally owned community banks serving customers in 44 home towns throughout Florida, including seven in Palm Beach County.

Momper’s office is located in the Riverside Bank at 6651 Lake Worth Road. He can be reached on his cell phone at (561) 3988649.

For more information, visit the bank’s corporate web site at www.riversidenb.com.

HEART Equine Ambulance

Allotted

Humane Equine Aid and Rapid Transport (HEART) recently announced that the organization has received a $10,000 grant from the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA).

HEART is a nonprofit organization that provides equine ambulatory services at numerous horse-show locations throughout the year, including the Winter Equestrian Festival, Lake Placid, the Hampton Classic and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.

The grant is earmarked for educational use, which will enable HEART to create various educational, health and safety materials concerning the ambulance and ways to transport sick or injured equines. The organization, led by president Robin Sweely, will work with the ASPCA to develop these materials and promote awareness of both organizations.

“We are thrilled to have received a grant from the ASPCA,” Sweely explained. “This funding will allow us to promote the organization and work to develop a show manager awareness campaign to get the word out about the ambulance, as well as safe methods of traveling

$10,000

ASPCA Grant

On-site Care — The HEART equine ambulance provides services at numerous horse-show locations throughout the year. with and transporting horses.”

Much of the funding necessary to HEART’s operation comes from an annual fundraiser, which will be held on Friday, Feb. 15 at Acorn Hill

Farm in Wellington. This year’s theme is a ’50s sock hop. The evening will include cocktails, dinner, raffles and more. For more information, visit www. equineambulance.com.

PALMS WEST CHAMBER OF COMMERCE RIBBON CUTTINGS

Galeria Home — The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Galeria Home in Royal Palm Beach. This home-accessories store offers art, frames, furniture and decorative accessories. Galeria Home is located at 11041 Southern Blvd. in the Southern Palm Crossing shopping center. For more information, call (561) 784-9100. Pictured here are Manager Janet Lettera and sales associate Mariah Lee Reirden with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors. Not pictured: Leslie Linkous.

Shoe Authority — Bob and Roz Miller recently opened Shoe Authority, a very special shoe store, located at 13857 Wellington Trace in the Wellington Market Place. All prescriptions for shoes or orthotics will be accurately filled. Customers are invited to come in for a free digital scan by I-STEP (which normally costs $75), as well as a free printed color image of their feet. For more information, call (561) 333-0334. Pictured here are the Millers and store employees with chamber ambassadors.

Antique & Collectibles Show Jan. 4-6

The West Palm Beach Antique & Collectibles Show will take place Friday, Jan. 4 to Sunday, Jan. 6 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Americraft Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.).

One of Florida’s biggest antique shows, it offers hundreds of exhibitors featuring decorative accessories and collectibles including furniture, lighting, garden accents, architectural ceramics, pottery, glass, silver, rugs, linens, books,

fine art and more. Hours are noon to 5 p.m. Jan. 4, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Jan. 5 and 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Jan. 6. Admission is $6.50 for adults, $5.50 for seniors, free for children under 12 and $11 for a multi-day pass, available Friday and Saturday.

For more information about the West Palm Beach Antique & Collectibles Show, call (561) 640-3433 or visit www.wpb antiques.com.

Advice For Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

The recent agreement by federal regulators and mortgage lenders to freeze interest rates for five years on certain subprime, adjustable-rate mortgage loans is intended to help many homeowners avoid foreclosure.

However, for homeowners who have missed mortgage payments and may not qualify for the program, working with a credit counseling agency will allow them to explore alternatives to foreclosure, more commonly known as “workout solutions.”

“The agreement announced in early December is an effort to help people with adjustable-rate loans stay in their homes,” said Jessica Cecere, president of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast. “However, most of the people who are turning to us for help are currently delinquent on their loans, having missed payments for a variety of reasons, ranging from reduced income to large medical expenses. We are working every day to find ways to help these families stay in their homes, too.”

Under the agreement announced Dec. 16, borrowers with interest rates scheduled to adjust between January 2008 and July 2010, who are no more than 60 days late and would be unable to afford their new mortgage payments, can have their rates frozen for five years.

At Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Palm Beach County and the Treasure Coast (CCCS), certified housing counselors work with homeowners to analyze their current financial situation, communicate with their mortgage lender and outline a variety of options that may allow them to keep their home. If the homeowner has the desire to stay in their home, there are four common plans that CCCS counselors typically explore with their lenders.

Repayment Plan — This is the most

common workout plan for any household that is one to three months delinquent on their mortgage payment. Under this scenario, a homeowner sends in their normal payment plus an additional amount each month that is agreed upon by the mortgage lender. Repayment terms typically span from three to 24 months, and the terms of the loan are not changed.

Loan Modification — A loan modification is a written agreement between the servicer and homeowner that changes one or more of the original loan terms, such as the interest rate, term of the loan or type of mortgage. Under a loan modification, the monthly payment often is not reduced, though the interest rate usually will not “reset” to a higher rate or will be rolled back to the initial rate. This can be a solution for a family with an adjustable-rate loan where the rate has recently increased, or is about to increase.

Forbearance — A forbearance is similar to a repayment plan, but this agreement usually applies to people who have experienced a major financial setback such as one-time medical expenses or a temporary loss of income. The borrower must be able to prove that they have a new job or a new source of income to resume making their regular monthly payments in the future. A forbearance allows the homeowner to send in no payment or a reduced payment for a specific period, usually the amount of time needed to resolve their temporary problem. When the forbearance ends, the homeowner must pay back all of the money that was not collected during the plan by either doing a reinstatement, a repayment plan or a loan modification.

Partial Claim (FHA) — In effect, this is a second loan for anyone with a loan guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA). The mortgage loan is brought up to date by securing up to 12 months of past due principle, interest, taxes and insurance in a separate, interest-free note that is payable

when the original mortgage is paid off. To qualify, a homeowner must be at least four months delinquent on their mortgage loan, but no more than 12 months. The new loan enables them to pay off the amount they are “in arrears” and immediately brings their mortgage loan up to date. There are no extra payments or extra interest. A lien is placed on the home and the amount needed to make the loan current is deducted when the home is sold.

For more information, contact the CCCS housing department at housing@ cccsinc.org or call the HOPE hotline at (888) 995-HOPE.

County Human Resources Offers Online Services

Applicants seeking employment with Palm Beach County can now apply online by visiting www.pbcgov.jobs. Online applications are accepted 24 hours a day, seven days a week through the web site until the closing date.

All online applicants (OLAs) will initially create a profile that serves as a user account in the system. They will be able to copy their profile of previously submitted applications to apply for other open positions and update their profiles any time, even if they do not wish to submit an application at the time. OLAs can also access their unique “My Profile” page that displays their entire application history, including submitted applications and pending/incomplete applications.

The numerous “smart” prompts alert OLAs to documentation required, provide links to needed information and specify deadlines/dates to take note of. OLAs will receive instant web confirmations and appreciation for activities they perform while in the system, as well as personalized, job-specific e-mails.

For those wishing to apply with a paper application, a new version of the document has been developed. It allows

demographic data to be collected via a scannable form. The system combines paper and online applications into a single pool for online viewing and screening. It recognizes current, permanentstatus employees applying for “promotional opportunities,” as well as previous county employees and their re-hire status.

The Human Resources web page has also been updated with a revamped recruitment/career opportunities page. It is designed to appeal to those interested in public service and to make candidates aware of what the county has to offer as an employer, as well as what the county looks for in potential employees.

Clerk’s Office Supports Local Charities

Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock presented donations totaling more than $39,000 to 26 different charities on Wednesday, Dec. 19 in a ceremony at the Palm Beach County Courthouse.

The money is raised annually through the Clerk & Comptroller’s “Dress Down Friday Charity Program,” which gives employees the option of contributing $2 a week from their paychecks to dress casually on Fridays. Charities are selected by the roughly 400 employees that participate in the program, and 100 percent of the money raised is split equally among the nonprofit organizations. The clerk’s office has donated almost a half million dollars to charities since the Dress Down program began in 1994. Charities range from the Alzheimer’s Community Care Association of Palm Beach County and the American Heart Association to Children’s Place at Home Safe and the Susan G. Komen Foundation.

For more information, contact Linda Culbertson at lculbert@mypalmbeach clerk.com, (561) 355-2468 or (561) 3861409.

LION COUNTRY SAFARI CELEBRATES CHRISTMAS WITH THE CHIMPS

Santa Claus visited Lion Country Safari on Thursday, Dec. 20 for the 23rd Annual Christmas with the Chimps. His boat/sleigh was loaded with treats of all kinds, including stuffed animals, clothes, snacks, etc. Presents were provided and wrapped by ChimpanZoo volunteers at Lion Country Safari. ChimpanZoo is a program developed by renowned chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall. For more info., call (561) 793-1084 or visit www.lioncountrysafari.com.

One of the chimps goes through his pile of gifts.

Lion Country Safari Wildlife Director Terry Wolf and Santa Claus on their way to deliver presents to the chimps.

A gibbon opens its present. Santa tosses the Christmas presents to the happy chimps.

PHOTOS

ChimpanZoo volunteers gather for a group photo.

With Shows So Bad, It’s Hard To Tell There’s A Writers’ Strike

The TV and motion picture writers have been on strike for a couple of months. My question is, has anyone noticed or cared about the strike? Most of the shows on TV are so bad I never realized they had paid writers.

The only TV show I have missed during this socalled strike is The Daily Show (it will be back next month) on Comedy Central. The Daily Show and Two and a Half Men are the only shows I watch on TV, other than news and sports shows. In my opinion, The Daily Show is the best news show on the boob tube.

Why are these so-called writers on strike anyway? Oh, they want more money, just like everyone else. Don’t they get paid enough for writing the current dribble? Every year the viewership of the four big networks goes down. The reason for this is cable, and because of the lousy shows that are now being shown on the mainstream boob tube. The same can be said about the current movies. In the last couple of years I can count on one hand how many good movies have

Wondering And Wandering

With Ernie Zimmerman

made it into our local movie houses (other than animation). Yes, the movies are that bad.

One of the few bright things about recent movies is some (not all) of the animated pictures that have come our way. I must admit, some of these kid movies are very funny. I am positive many of the jokes in them are for parents and grandparents, not for the kids. Because of my seven grandkids, I have seen almost every animated movie that has come along in the last five years. Now I find myself wanting to see them more then my grandkids do.

Getting back to the writers, Jay Leno and Conan O’Brien (both are members of the Writers Guild of America) have decided (along with Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert) to put their shows on the air next month with or without their writers. They will be crossing the picket line, and I am sure they will be called scabs more than once. The funny thing is, Leno will be crossing the picket line he was walking just a few short weeks ago. It will be very interesting to see how these shows work out without writers. Of course, the writers of these shows may also cross the picket line to keep their jobs. This may turn out to be a deathblow for the Writers Guild. Or maybe it will help settle this useless strike.

If I didn’t see news stories every now and then about the strike, I wouldn’t even have a clue that the writers are on strike. I am sure there are millions of Americans who feel the same way. Maybe when the football and basketball seasons are over, folks will start caring about what’s on TV. Until then, who (other than the writers) really cares about the writers’ strike?

Thanks, Goodbye And Good Gardening To All

As we bring this year to a close, I am also ending a chapter in my own personal life. On Dec. 31, I will be retiring from more than 35 years with the Palm Beach County Extension Service.

During those years I have assisted tens of thousands of people with their plant problems and written many thousands of articles for newspapers, magazines and the newsletters of various plant societies and garden clubs.

I know many people wonder who’s going to take my place. For now, no one, because my position is frozen and will not be filled until late next spring or even next fall, if then. Meantime you can always call the Palm Beach County Extension Service if you have a plant question or problem.

Many of you may wonder what I will do to keep busy. I have for years owned and operated a private botanical garden in West Palm Beach called Unbelievable

Acres Botanic Gardens, and much of my time will be spent in my own garden tending to my many thousands of plants and tropical fruit trees. The garden has been featured in many national TV shows and magazines, so it has a well-deserved reputation. You’re more than welcome to visit, but the gardens are open by appointment only. If you’d like more information, or to take a tour, call (561) 242-1686.

I will also be lecturing to groups and organizations, and also providing consulting services to both private individuals and condominiums/commercial properties on an hourly fee basis. If you’d like me to come to your home landscape or commercial property and evaluate your plantings, I am now able to do this as my own consulting firm.

I wish all of you continued success in your gardening endeavors. Remember that every year new plants are being in-

troduced by local nursery tradesman, so even if you think you have one of everything, there are always new plants or old varieties in new colors. I know as I go around and visit nurseries in other parts of the state, I always come home with a car full of cuttings, plants or seeds.

Let us hope that this year will be a great one for gardening, weather-wise, and that we escape damaging winter weather the next several weeks and damaging hurricanes next summer.

I think that gardening is one of the most pleasant endeavors one can pursue because no matter how stressed you are, gardening is very relaxing — it’s America’s number-one leisure activity. There’s nothing nicer than strolling through your garden looking at beautiful flowers or picking ripening fruit and watching the butterflies and other creatures that might inhabit the landscape. Most gardens are havens for wildlife, and

My Readers

Gardening With Gene By Gene Joyner

attract all types of birds, squirrels and other animals that are losing natural habitat to development.

Continue gardening your entire life, too, because this is something that doesn’t have to end by a certain age. As long as you have the physical ability, you can continue to garden. I personally know gardeners in their 90s who are still actively outside enjoying their plants. Good luck and good gardening, and remember — always plant the green side up!

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ROOM FOR RENT IN 1ST FLOOR

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TNT LANDSCAPING & LAWN CARE

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AT YOUR SERVICE PET CONCIERGE

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WINDOW

561-718-3536 Martin/St. Lucie 772-6074359 Melbourne 321-544-3163