Town-Crier Newspaper February 10,2012

MARCH 21 HEARING ON STATE ROAD 7 SEE STORY, PAGE 3

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INSIDE Lox Council Agrees To Begin Work On Okee Traffic Light

Volume 33, Number 6 February 10 - February 16, 2012

ROYAL PALM’S KIDS GARAGE SALE

The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council agreed Tuesday to proceed with plans to put in a traffic light at Okeechobee Blvd. and D Road. The goal is to allow gaps in traffic so drivers can enter Okeechobee with a higher degree of safety. Page 3

Graffito South Opens Near Wellington’s Horse Show Grounds

Graffito South Scratch Italian Cooking in Wellington held a preview night event Wednesday, Feb. 1. Guests were given an opportunity to view the new restaurant, located adjacent to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Page 5

County Agrees To Fund OIG’s Budget Shortfall

The Palm Beach County Commission agreed Tuesday to provide $400,000 to the Office of the Inspector General to cover a budget shortfall as a result of 15 municipalities refusing to pay their share of the office’s expenses. Page 7

‘Wild Things’ Art Show Benefits Foundation

The Rare Species Conservatory Foundation’s sixth annual wildlife art show “Wild Things!” took place Feb. 5-7 at Pferdekamper Studio in Loxahatchee Groves.

An opening reception was held Sunday, Feb. 5. Page 11

OPINION In February We Mark American Heart Month

Though Valentine’s Day is the heart-themed holiday for which February is most known, it is also American Heart Month.

Unlike many diseases, those affecting the heart are largely preventable. Amid the boxes of chocolates and sweet candies, be sure to check up on your heart health this month.

Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 11 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS ......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS........................ 8 POLO/EQUESTRIAN ............ 15 SCHOOLS ..................... 16 - 17 PEOPLE ........................ 18 - 19 COLUMNS .................... 27 - 29 BUSINESS .................... 31 - 33 ENTERTAINMENT ................ 34 SPORTS ........................ 39 - 41 CALENDAR ...................42 - 43 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 44 - 48 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Royal Palm Beach presented its fifth annual Kids Garage Sale on Saturday, Feb. 4 at Veterans Park. Items for sale ranged from clothes and toys to baby furniture, bikes and more. Shown above, Jordan and Tanner Naszkiewicz look over hair bows at the Awesome Bows by Vicki booth.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 22 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

The Great Charity Challenge Returns To PBIEC On Feb. 17

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Get ready to cheer on your favorite charities next week as they vie for their share of more than $1 million during the 2012 FTI Great Charity Challenge, presented by Fidelity Investments, on Friday, Feb. 17 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

The biggest single charity event of the year, the Great Charity Challenge is pairing 32 Palm Beach County charities with a team of world-class and amateur riders who will compete for a slice of the prize.

“We’re excited about passing the million-dollar mark again this year,” Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo told the Town-Crier. “It’s going to be a fun event and an important fundraiser for these charities.”

The Great Charity Challenge began two years ago as a way for

the equestrian community to give back to Palm Beach County, which many top riders call home for more than half the year.

In its two years, the event has given away more than $1.5 million, and it has a goal of giving away another $1.5 million this year alone.

More than 160 charities applied to take part, and 29 have since been drawn, giving them a place in the competition.

The charities chosen thus far include: the American Humane Association, the American Red Cross, Be A Star Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Palm Beach and Martin Counties, Big Dog Ranch Rescue, the Caridad Center, the Center for Family Services, Child and Family Connections, the Children’s Home Society of Florida, Greyhound Pets of America, the Gulfstream Goodwill Transition to Life Academy, the Hanley Center Foundation, Hos-

pice of Palm Beach County, Jewish Adoption and Foster Care Options (JAFCO), Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast, the Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County, the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the Literacy Coalition of Palm Beach County, Loggerhead Marinelife Center, the Lupus Foundation of America-Southeast Florida Chapter, the Palm Healthcare Foundation, Place of Hope, the South Florida Science Museum, Susan G. Komen for the Cure South Florida, the Unicorn Children’s Foundation, the Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center, the Wellington Community Foundation, the Wellington PTA/PTO Group and Wheels for Kids.

The charities are paired with a team of world-class and amateur riders who compete over a course of fences in a relay race. The fastSee CHARITY, page 20

Attorney Byrnes Guillaume Seeking Groves Council Seat

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Attorney Byrnes Guillaume has filed to run for Seat 3 on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council. He will face incumbent Ryan Liang in the March 13 election.

Seat 1 incumbent Ron Jarriel was unchallenged as the filing deadline closed Tuesday. He was automatically deemed re-elected, according to the town clerk’s office.

Guillaume, 37, bought a home in Loxahatchee Groves in March 2006. He lives in town with his wife and child. A former prosecutor in Broward County, he now owns his own law firm.

“I believe I can make a difference,” he said. “All my life I have made a difference. I was a prosecutor at the State Attorney’s Office in Broward County, and that was my first exposure as a civil servant. In that capacity, I helped victims of crime get justice.”

Guillaume said he is running because he would like to bring to-

gether the diverse factions in the town.

“I see some of the divisions we have,” he said. “We have people who want developers to come in, and we have people who don’t want development.”

Guillaume said he is a problemsolver. “I am a solo practitioner,” he said. “That’s what I do. I try to solve people’s problems. I want to help. I think Loxahatchee is great the way it is, but I also understand that you can’t stop change, so I’m here to bridge the gap, have a consensus as to what our town will be, and get everybody together.”

Guillaume said he has attended some council meetings, which he found frustrating.

“Frankly, I would go in there, and it was just a lot of people not really listening to one other,” he said. “We have really great people here; it’s a great town. I moved here because I think Loxahatchee Groves is a treasure. People tend to be really good people, and we

just need to be able to have someone come in and help each group solve problems. That’s what I was able to do as a prosecutor and what I’ve done as a solo practitioner and as a business person.”

In addition to a law degree from Western New England College School of Law, Guillaume holds an MBA from Howard University.

Before he was a prosecutor, he was a financial analyst for United Technology Corp.

Raised in Miami, he spent seven years in Connecticut and lived in Washington, D.C., when he attended Howard University.

“We have some difficult choices to make,” he said. “If I’m elected, I would be the person to have both sides come together and understand that each side has to give and take and come up with an answer that will fit both sides.”

Though he didn’t participate in it, Guillaume said he is familiar with See LOX ELECTION, page 20

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Unexpected Costs Could Delay ITID’s Community Center

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors decided Wednesday to postpone hiring an architect and land planner to work on the proposed community center envisioned as part of the expansion of Acreage Community Park.

Supervisors were concerned that cost overruns might stop them from completing the project.

ITID President Michelle Damone said she had grown concerned about the cost of the building, since estimates have come in too close to the district’s available financing.

“We went through the procurement exercise and would utilize a majority of the funds without a cushion, and I’m not comfortable,” Damone said, recommending that the board consider other options, such as a “design-build” plan where the building would be constructed within the financing the district has available and the builder takes the responsibility for cost overruns.

Also, Damone noted that she recently visited a facility in Palm Springs made of metal that has space and all the necessary amenities, but was built for much less than a traditional cement-and-

block building. “It is our responsibility to be innovative and put our heads together and be creative to build our community center under budget, and one we can be comfortable with,” Damone said.

She said the metal building in Palm Springs was built for about $300,000 as opposed to more than $3 million estimated for ITID’s planned building.

“I’m not opposed to a metal building,” Damone said. “We can put some landscaping in front of it.”

Further, Damone said she would like to pursue a design-build option. “We can state what our budget is and what we are looking for,” she said. “We need to defer the items on this agenda tonight. I’m personally not comfortable moving forward. I don’t believe it is fiscally responsible.”

Supervisor Carlos Enriquez said he had an interesting conversation with an architect who explained the design-build process.

Supervisor Ralph Bair said he did not object to the delay, but wanted to hear what the architects attending the meeting had to say.

“I was for a metal building a long way back, but I still want to hear from the architects,” he said.

Supervisor Carol Jacobs said See ITID, page 20

DADS & DAUGHTERS

Wellington held its annual Father Daughter Dance on Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Village Park gymnasium. Fathers brought their daughters for an evening of dinner, games, pictures, dancing and gifts. Shown above are Scott and Cameron Sherry.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

School’s Traffic Flow Worries RPB Zoners

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Concerned about traffic problems, the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission postponed approval Tuesday of a site plan application for a charter school set to take over the vacant Albertsons building on Southern Blvd.

The new Renaissance Charter School at Palms West is slated to open next school year on the 9.9acre site near the intersection of Southern and Crestwood boulevards.

The request was for a site plan modification and special exception use approval that would allow for a “public and private academic institution” on the site.

The school will offer classes from kindergarten through eighth grade and is open to any student in Palm Beach County. There is no tuition to attend, but students must be selected, often by lottery process, Charter Schools USA Senior Manager of Development Sandy Castro told commissioners.

The school will have approximately 1,145 students with about 60 staff members. There would be no bus system, meaning parents would have to drop off their students and pick them up.

Commissioners supported the school but worried that the proposed traffic pattern could cause accidents.

Development Review CoordinaSee CHARTER, page 4

Equestrian Village Project Heads For State Review

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Plans for the controversial Equestrian Village project at the corner of South Shore Blvd. and Pierson Road took several steps forward last week after the Wellington Village Council capped three days of discussion with three votes for approval.

The council granted approval Wednesday, Feb. 1 to a master plan for the 96-acre site, followed Thursday morning by approval for designating the site as home to a commercial equestrian arena. Both changes were granted 4-1 with Vice Mayor Matt Willhite dissenting.

Taken together, the first two approvals grant property owner Wellington Equestrian Partners the ability to use the site of the old Palm Beach Polo stadium as a highlevel dressage show grounds.

However, the most controversial portion of the project — plans for a hotel and shopping on the site — will require state review, further approvals and a rezoning.

Thursday evening, the council voted 3-2 to transmit a comprehensive plan amendment that would allow a 58-foot hotel on the site.

Willhite and Councilman Howard Coates were in opposition.

During the discussion over the

equestrian arena designation, Wellington Planning & Zoning Manager David Flinchum told council members that the change is in line with the surrounding area.

“This corner has changed dramatically over the years,” he said.

“It’s no longer rural. This corner changed to more commercial type activity. It has been used for commercial recreation the last 30 years and even before that.”

Attorney John Shubin, representing the Jacobs family, a vocal opponent of the project, said that the designation would cause congestion in the area.

Alan Tinter, a traffic engineer with IBI Group, added that a traf-

fic study should have been done at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

“The property owner has a similar facility where it would have been possible to look at an actual equestrian event,” Tinter said. “It was the perfect opportunity to determine trip generation, and it wasn’t taken advantage of.”

Residents were divided on the issue. Many supported the plan, but worried about the effects of the facility on nearby residences.

Kimberly Jacobs, who lives in the adjacent Polo Island community, said her home would have a direct view of the proposed barns.

“When I bought my house I did

not [expect] to look over a parking lot of 600-some cars or manure bins,” she said.

Lin Howard Andrews said she moved from her condo in Polo Island because of the project. “The use is too dense,” she said. “I don’t think we need a 600-car paved parking lot. If it weren’t for the hotel, they would have plenty of land.”

One of the concerns was the four barns, two of which are currently under construction, that are set on the easternmost portion of the 59-acre non-arena portion of the property.

Council members asked if they See EQUESTRIAN, page 20

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NEWS

Lox Council Agrees To Begin Work On Traffic Light At Okee & D

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council agreed Tuesday to proceed with plans to put in a traffic light at Okeechobee Blvd. and D Road. The goal is to allow gaps in traffic so drivers can enter Okeechobee with a higher degree of safety.

The council also approved $131,000 to pave segments of North Road that were not included in the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District’s paving project currently underway.

Regarding the traffic light, Councilman Ron Jarriel said he had received letters from Palm Beach County Engineer George Webb indicating that the light is warranted and could be piggybacked off the county’s standing contract, but the town would be responsible for design, construction and inspections.

“Once it is done, the county will take over maintenance,” Jarriel said. “If it blows down, the county will replace it. Maintenance alone year after year is very costly.”

Jarriel asked that the council do whatever it takes to move forward.

“Even if the town has to pay, we can ask the county to refund us,” he said.

Councilman Tom Goltzené congratulated Jarriel on the progress he had made, but objected to the town paying for the light, even if there was the possibility of being refunded.

“It’s absurd that we should try to do this when we pay for it,” Goltzené said, adding that he was concerned that property owners at the intersection would see it as an opportunity for commercial development.

Jarriel pointed out that unlike Okeechobee’s intersection with Folsom Road, where commercial development is planned, D Road is not considered a collecting road.

“We need some type of break on Okeechobee so people can get on the road without being killed,” he said, asking that the council at least pursue hiring a consulting engineer to get the permitting process started.

Councilman Jim Rockett said he favored the project. “I don’t want

to hold up what we’re doing,” he said. “I’m going to move forward, and if we have to appropriate money to do it, I will… We agreed before that a traffic light on Okeechobee was a top priority.”

Councilman Ryan Liang also favored moving forward. “It is important enough for the town that we should move forward,” he said.

“The county knows it will have to put one in eventually.”

While Mayor Dave Browning said that a traffic light would eventually be necessary, he did not believe there was an immediate need.

“It will be important in the future to get the light to trip the traffic,” Browning said, adding that he was surprised that county engineers approved the light. “For a long time, the county said it was not warranted.”

Rockett made a motion to move ahead with planning and design, which was seconded by Liang.

Goltzené asked that they limit spending, and Rockett proposed authorizing up to $100,000.

Town Attorney Michael Cirullo said the overall cost would proba-

bly be about $300,000, but the design would only be about $30,000.

The motion carried 3-2, with Goltzené and Browning opposed.

In other business, council members reviewed a draft ordinance to control dumping of used animal bedding in town.

Town Manager Mark Kutney said several changes had been made to the existing ordinance, including changing the annual permit fee from $500 to $1,000 for the hauler. If they have been cited for illegal dumping, the fee would be $2,000.

Council members also discussed whether requiring a 100foot setback for dumping loads might be too onerous, as well as whether to require that dumping be allowed only on property that is designated as bona fide agricultural.

Goltzené asked that a section requiring that a property owner demonstrate that he has bona fide agricultural use be changed to use the county’s description of agricultural land. “Rather than set a new standard, I would prefer to use that standard,” he said.

FDOT Schedules March 21 Hearing On SR 7

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Florida Department of Transportation has set a public hearing on the proposed extension of State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. for Wednesday, March 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd.).

The public hearing will begin as an open house at 5:30 p.m., with a formal presentation at 6:30 p.m., followed by a public comment period, according to FDOT officials.

The project, estimated to cost $80 million, will widen SR 7 from two to four lanes from Okeechobee Blvd. to 60th Street North and build a new four-lane divided highway from 60th Street to Northlake Blvd. The proposed improvements include bicycle and pedestrian features, as well as intersection upgrades.

The hearing will give people an opportunity to express their views concerning the location and design, as well as social, economic and environmental effects of the project.

Indian Trail Improvement District President Michelle Damone

said it is important for residents of the western communities to make a strong showing at the hearing.

“I’ve already reached out to [Royal Palm Beach] Councilwoman Martha Webster, our Western Communities Council and the Indian Trail Improvement District,” Damone said. “We’re all going to get organized. We have a huge task of making sure that our residents are represented at the meeting.”

Damone said she is well aware that many residents of The Acreage work extended hours without the leisure time that many opponents to the project have.

“Sometimes they work two jobs, and I need to make sure that the residents have ample time to schedule employment so that they

can attend this meeting,” she said.

Damone added that she was humbled by the number of survey responses the district received.

Last month, ITID officials delivered 2,466 postcards to Tallahassee to present to Gov. Rick Scott asking for the completion of the road. Shortly afterward, the project cleared a major hurdle when the Federal Highway Administration signed the environmental assessment to complete the connection of the road from 60th Street to Northlake Blvd.

“Obviously, the surveys played very well with the governor’s office, so I want the residents to understand how important it is to attend this final hearing,” Damone said.

The project has been opposed by some residents of the Ibis community, including West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, who raised environmental objections on grounds that it runs alongside the West Palm Beach Water Catchment Area, although the route, which is east of Ibis, is part of the original SR 7 right-of-way. Part of the extension already exists.

Opponents allege that the route would threaten wildlife and pose contamination risks for the water catchment area.

Draft project documents will be available for public review from Feb. 29 to April 2 on the project web site, www.sr7extension.com, and at several locations including the Palm Beach County Library System’s Royal Palm Beach branch at 500 Civic Center Way and the Florida Department of Transportation’s Palm Beach Operations Center at 7900 Forest Hill Blvd.

Draft documents will also be on display at the public hearing.

Those wishing to submit statements or other exhibits, in place of or in addition to oral statements, may do so at the hearing or send them to Project Manager Beatriz Caicedo-Maddison at 3400 W. Commercial Blvd., Fort Lauderdale, FL 33309, or by telephone at (954) 777-4336 or toll free at (866) 3368435, ext. 4336.

All exhibits or statements postmarked on or before April 2 will become part of the public hearing record.

Rockett asked whether a resident who did not have a bona fide agricultural designation for his property would be in violation if he wanted to have a truckload of manure dumped on his property for landscaping or cultivation.

Rockett also asked about a requirement that manure be dumped 100 feet away from the property line. “That does not address where it will be put after it is dumped,” he said.

Browning said the goal is to restrict the dumping, not the spreading. He suggested that the dumping setback be changed from 100 feet to 50 feet.

Goltzené said the 100-foot setback was also an issue for him, adding that he was concerned about over-regulating. He suggested an agricultural exemption for one or two truckloads for property owners who want it for landscaping or cover.

During public comment, resident Virginia Standish complimented the town and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office for what they had done to resolve the excessive dumping and stockpiling of used horse bedding, but she pointed out that the onus now is primarily on the hauler. Standish expressed concern that some prop-

erty owners would still use their property as a collection or composting site for bedding.

Resident Nina Corning said her concern was not so much about restricting agricultural use as overly restricting property owners with 10 or 20 acres with no agricultural exemption who need the bedding for gardening and cover.

Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Supervisor John Ryan said he thought haulers should have permits from both Wellington and Loxahatchee Groves in order to dump. He said he felt that the town manager should be empowered to determine whether a property owner is using the bedding for legitimate purposes.

Council members also discussed whether a $1,000 permit fee was excessive, and Councilman Ron Jarriel said he felt that $1,000 was not a great amount for a hauler who stood to profit from hauling the bedding.

“It doesn’t take that many loads to make $1,000 hauling manure here instead of the composting center at 20-Mile Bend,” he said.

Cirullo said he would make the changes discussed and bring a revised ordinance back to the next meeting.

Wellington Election Forums Let Voters Meet Candidates

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report As the races for three seats on the Wellington Village Council heat up, members of the public will have the opportunity to learn more about the candidates and their views during two debates next week.

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, the Wellington Seniors Club will host a candidates forum beginning at noon at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

Then, on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m., the candidates will answer questions as part of a forum hosted by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce at Wellington’s municipal complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

Two council seats and the mayor’s seat are up for grabs in the March 13 election. Candidates have until Tuesday, Feb. 14 at noon to make the ballot.

Seat 1, currently held by termlimited Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine Priore, has drawn two candidates, John Greene and Shauna Hostetler.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Matt Willhite is seeking re-election to Seat 4. He has been challenged by former Councilman Al Paglia. Mayor Darell Bowen faces a challenge from former Councilman Bob Margolis.

WPTV NewsChannel 5’s Jim Sackett will ask questions of the candidates on Wednesday from a batch of questions submitted by Wellington Seniors Club members.

Then, on Thursday, candidates will share their views in an interactive question-and-answer format.

Another chance to meet the candidates will be during the Wednesday, Feb. 22 Wellington Chamber luncheon, starting at 11:30 a.m. at the Wanderers Club (1900 Aero Club Drive). The event costs $20 for members and $30 for non-members. To RSVP, call (561) 792-6525.

Page 4 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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OUR OPINION

Mark American Heart Month By Taking Better Care Of Your Heart Though Valentine’s Day is the heart-themed holiday for which February is most known, it is also American Heart Month. Amid the boxes of chocolates and candies, Americans are encouraged to check up on their heart health and consider just how much their diets may be having a negative impact.

Beyond the common desire to be thin and in shape, there’s a very serious health issue that is a matter of life or death for many people. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with one in every three deaths caused by heart disease or stroke. This equals 2,200 deaths per day. At the national level, there are several campaigns aimed at reversing this unfortunate trend.

The CDC and other federal government agencies have launched an initiative called Million Hearts with the purpose of preventing heart-related deaths and empowering people to make heart-healthy choices. The goal is to prevent one million heart attacks and strokes over five years. According to its web site, http://millionhearts.hhs.gov, Million Hearts “brings together communities, health systems, nonprofit organizations, federal agencies and private-sector partners from across the country to fight heart disease and stroke.” It encourages individuals to understand the risks; exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week; follow a diet high in fruits and vegetables and low in sodium, saturated and trans fats, and cholesterol; and listen to your doctor.

Whereas the Million Hearts initiative might be more appropriate for adults, First Lady Michelle

Obama’s Let’s Move program was developed to “solve the epidemic of childhood obesity within a generation.” According to the official Let’s Move web site (www.letsmove.gov), childhood obesity rates in America have tripled over the past three decades, and now nearly one in three children in the U.S. are overweight or obese. Left unchecked, this will lead to an increase in diabetes, with one third of all children born in 2000 or later suffering from diabetes at some point in their lives. Other obesity-related health problems include heart disease, high blood pressure, cancer and asthma.

You don’t need to belong to a gym to get sufficient cardiovascular exercise. Fortunately, South Florida is conducive to year-round outdoor activity, and our area has several heart trails for people looking for a good cardio workout. Still, regular exercise can only do so much to make up for a poor diet. As Americans continue to explore alternatives to a diet high in red meat and fried foods, more options become available. If you have never shopped at Whole Foods Market, give it a try. Not only is there a wide variety of healthful foods, but the store offers educational literature and regularly hosts cooking events and nutrition lectures.

Unlike diseases that are hereditary or autoimmune in nature, those affecting the heart are largely preventable. If you plan on sharing your heart this Valentine’s Day, take some time to think about the thing you’re sharing. Your loved ones will want you around for many more Valentine’s Day celebrations, so do what is necessary to keep your ticker ticking for years to come.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Willhite Supports Inspector General I have been watching the debate over the funding of Palm Beach County’s new Office of the Inspector General and wondering what the people outside of South Florida must think of us.

After earning the nickname “Corruption County,” 72 percent of the voters in Palm Beach County voted to make sure we put in place the safeguards to discourage and prosecute the “bad actors” from abusing the public trust.

While I understand local governments have finite dollars and elected officials must face tough budget cutting decisions, this is one area that should not be open for discussion.

Forbes magazine recently answered my question as to what everyone thinks of us. They ranked West Palm Beach as the country’s fourth most miserable place to live and cited Boynton Beach’s corruption scandal as one of their contributing factors. Miami was ranked number one, also based in large part on its corruption scandals.

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been fighting over who will pay; it’s even harder to believe we haven’t stopped fighting yet. It is encouraging to see that the municipalities recently had a meeting and agree that the inspector general should be funded through the one quarter percent on contracts, additionally; the county will start this practice on Oct. 1. Of course you remember this, because it was the original intent of the vote by the people.

We need the inspector general,

and we need to fund the Office of the Inspector General.

Matt Willhite Vice Mayor, Wellington

Many Thanks To Dr. Ira Grossman We lost the fight for my little male chin today. We just wanted to thank Dr. Ira Grossman of Palms West Veterinary Hospital for all his loving care and compassion shown for our little guy.

Although it hurts so much to lose little Meeko, I know that Dr. Grossman and all his wonderful staff did everything possible to save our little guy. We cannot say enough about Dr. Grossman and his staff. They all showed compassion and sorrow for our loss. Dr. Grossman is open seven days a week, and we were able to visit Meeko whenever we wanted to.

Although we know little Meeko is in a better place, he will always be in our hearts.

Joan andAugie Lieber The Acreage

‘Civility’ In Loxahatchee Groves?

It was a joke to hear Councilman Jim Rockett ask for civility at [this week’s] Loxahatchee Groves Town Council meeting.

Councilman Rockett, who was notorious for publicly going ballistic on [former Town Manager] Frank Spence more than once, was asking for civility?! He had just finished strongly expressing his opinion about me being out of order for asking the new town manager to post the audios for the last three months of meetings.

Posting audios to the town web site is part of the manager’s agreed-

upon contract, and all other town managers have done so in the past.

I recommended consulting with the previous town staff or the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District for clarification on posting audios, as it appears new town staff has not mastered the computer audio program. Posting meeting audios would show the residents that there is government transparency.

It was good to see that Mayor Dave Browning can see what is going on and made a comment about how he allows residents flexibility during public comments. He also reminded everyone about the frequent open public attacks against past town staff members.

Residents better have a thick skin if they plan on standing up and speaking their opinions in this town.

Marge Herzog Loxahatchee Groves

Reader Calls Out Rep. Allen West Dear Congressman Allen West: You’ve finally shown your true self with your recent tirade: “This is a battlefield that we must stand upon and we need to let President Obama, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and my dear friend, the chairman of the Democrat National Committee, we need to let them know that Florida ain’t on the table. Take your message of equality of achievement, take your message of economic dependency, and take your message of enslaving the entrepreneurial will and spirit of the American people somewhere else.

You can take it to Europe, you can take it to the bottom of the sea, you can take it to the North Pole, but get the hell out of the United States of America. Yeah, I said hell.”

I’m glad that you have put your real thoughts and feelings on record for all of the nation to see and hear. You have exercised your right to free speech. Now all America can see you for what you truly are.

Your version of America would not allow free speech to others; those who would disagree, you believe, should be banished. Your “my way or the highway” is totally un-American. It is you and people with your way of thinking that is so destructive to our country.

PatriciaAbbott Royal Palm Beach

A Funding Plan For The OIG I do not believe the Office of the Inspector General can possibly be funded by the one quarter of 1 percent of building permits.

The OIG used 69 percent, which amounted to $1,272,558 (roughly $1.3 million). The county commission allocated $1,844,662 (roughly $1.8 million) to the OIG. According to the OIG, to continue functioning, it will need $3,299,643 (roughly $3.3 million). This represents a 260 percent increased burden on taxpayers in one year.

If the OIG is to be funded by one quarter of 1 percent of all government contracts, this means in order to fund the OIG, the government would have to spend $1,319,857,200 [roughly $1.3 billion] in government contracts.

The total county budget for all departments for one year is $3,925,196,649 [roughly $3.9 billion]. This would mean that funding the OIG would consume about one-third of the entire county budget. The fact is that there will not be enough government contracts to fund the OIG and taxpayers will be funding the OIG.

I submit that the OIG should be funded to the extent that the revenue from the one quarter of 1 percent is adequate and that no new burdens are imposed on taxpayers.

The authority of the OIG to revisit contracts should be prospective and not retroactive for 10 years. The cost to administer these retroactive audits is expensive and the financial rewards are not likely to be worth the effort. The statute of limitations on many of the crimes that might be discovered is four years. Going beyond the statute of limitations is for strictly financial gain, and even then the entities that contracted with the government may no longer be in existence or solvent, especially in this economic environment.

The OIG should not be permitted to attend negotiations by municipal officials. I believe this is asking for a legal challenge that can be avoided by simply requiring the contracts be audited by the OIG. The inspector general will offer guidance and suggestions, and will prevent waste before the funds are committed to the project.

If the IG discovers fraud, the matter would be referred to the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The end result is the same, but by removing the IG from the delibera-

tion process, I believe a claim that the county has violated the home rule provisions of Florida law would be avoided.

The funding mechanism could be amended by agreement with all the municipalities and the county so that they participate in determining the amount of funding to be allocated by the county and municipalities to support the OIG. The OIG should disclose exactly how much money has been recovered and deposited in the county treasury due to the efforts of the OIG in uncovering fraud, waste, mismanagement etc. Those funds should be returned to the governmental entity that paid out the funds.

Frank Morelli Wellington

Matt’s Campaign I see by your good paper that Wellington Vice Mayor Matt Willhite opened his campaign at the Players Club. He has good taste.

We now have an expensive monument that Matt played a big part in promoting, and when Matt meets Mitt, we will all watch with interest the liberal-conservative fall contest.

Stan Peterson Wellington

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090; or you can email letters@goTownCrier.com.

OPINION

Trying To Understand Bill Parcells’ Pro Football Hall Of Fame Snub Yes, it is crying over spilled milk at this point, but the irrational snub by the selection committee of the Pro Football Hall of Fame of Bill Parcells recently was a big, fat mistake. Obviously, many of the 44 voting “experts” took Parcells’ sometime habit of brash behavior to the media as more important

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

than his wholly impressive coaching record.

Laid out simply, “Tuna” racked up two Super Bowl victories, three National Football League conference championships and guided four different franchises to the playoffs. And, Parcells’ coaching acumen has also produced eight

head-coaching Super Bowl rings for his formerly chosen coaching assistants. They include Tom Coughlin of the Giants and Bill Belichick of New England.

Will Parcells eventually make it into football’s Hall of Fame?

Chances are, especially with the nationwide backlash over the re-

cent vote, that Tuna will get elected in a future year. The 2012 class of electees included Jack Butler, Dermonti Dawson, Chris Doleman, Cortez Kennedy, Will Roaf and Curtis Martin. That overall list of worthies will blow no one’s mind. Parcells instead of (pick one) would have given far greater legit-

imacy to the vote.

One final argument for Parcells: Hall of Fame coaching selections from the yeoman years of the Tuna include Joe Gibbs, Bill Walsh and Marv Levy. Parcells’ record against the trio in playoff games was four wins and a single loss. Does that kind of tell a story?

they may or may not go, and creating three major intersections, there’s no way I would vote for this traffic plan. You cannot have this many choices.”

Lange was also concerned that parents would be driving through the Wendy’s and Walgreens parking lots. “You’re dictating to where you’re affecting other businesses,” he said.

Lange pointed to H.L. Johnson Elementary School, which uses a loop drop-off system to keep parents off the major roads. “You could loop them one way and be in and out,” he said. “The only reason schools like H.L. Johnson work… is because you don’t give [parents] three options to get in and out of a site.”

Lambiase made a motion to pass the site plan modification as presented, but it failed unanimously.

Lange said he would want to see the traffic pattern come be-

fore them with modifications.

“I think we’d be doing a disservice as a commission not to,” he said. “We’re going to have reallife situations. We have too many situations where it’s unfair for you as an engineer to guess what’s in the mind of the people visiting the site. We want the school there. Is there a way to exclude the traffic and have them address the issues and bring it back?”

O’Brien said the commission could re-evaluate the traffic patterns at its Tuesday, Feb. 28 meeting. “That would enable the applicants to go before the [Royal Palm Beach Village Council] on March 1,” he said.

The commissioners unanimously voted to postpone the issue until then.

“It’s not that we don’t support the project,” Lange said. “But [my experience] is telling me this won’t work. I think it’s solvable.”

NEWS Charter

Traffic Concerns

continued from page 1 tor Kevin Erwin told commissioners that there are several entrances and exits to the property, which the school would share with several other businesses, such as a Walgreens pharmacy and a Wendy’s restaurant.

“They will be opening a crossaccess to the west with the Palms West [Hospital] property,” Erwin said. “There are several points of access to the property.”

Erwin said that there would be a modified traffic pattern during the drop-off and pick-up hours of the school.

The proposed traffic plan would have cars entering off Southern and traveling up to the school, with a bypass lane for those who

are not entering the school. A second option would be for parents to enter in the middle entrance off Crestwood, but would require traffic direction.

“There would have to be a traffic control person there,” Erwin said.

But Commissioner Genevieve Lambiase said she was concerned about present traffic problems caused by drivers trying to turn left out of the plaza to head northbound on Crestwood.

“I’m concerned that there’s going to be an accident,” she said.

“There are bushes and things there that already make it a blind spot.

But with the amount of students, that could be a problem. I think it will be confusing, and especially where Wendy’s and Walgreens are.”

Dan Taylor, an attorney representing the school, said his clients have worked closely with village

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staff on the traffic patterns. “That’s very important to us,” he said.

“We’re invested in the safety of the children and the parents.

We’ve worked very closely with staff.”

Arturo Perez, the traffic engineer for the project, told commissioners that compared with traffic when Albertsons was there, traffic would be elevated in the morning but slower in the afternoon.

“Everyone will be in the school before 8 a.m.,” he said, noting that pick-up and drop-off times could be staggered to ease traffic.

Planning & Zoning Administrator Bradford O’Brien said RPB staff had discussed having law enforcement there in the morning to direct traffic.

But Dan Shalloway, representing Charter Schools USA, said that if constant police presence is deemed necessary, the school would put in a traffic light on Crest-

wood Blvd. “If we need a policeman there all the time, we’ll just go with a traffic light,” he said. “It would make more sense to put a light there.”

O’Brien said that the light would help those turning north on Crestwood. But Perez said the light would be placed only if the county agreed it was warranted.

Lambiase said it would be warranted. “I can tell you right now,” she said, “with the amount of traffic you’re talking about, you’re going to need a light or someone to direct traffic.”

Commissioner Darrell Lange said he was worried about the internal traffic pattern and felt it should be a loop.

“You would need to paint arrows on the ground for anyone not going to the school to know where they are going,” he said. “This doesn’t make sense to me. Giving people so many options of where

BARRY S. MANNING Publisher

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 5

NEWS

WELLINGTON HOSTS ANNUAL FATHER DAUGHTER DANCE AT VILLAGE PARK GYM

Wellington held its annual Father Daughter Dance on Saturday, Feb. 4 in the Village Park gymnasium. Father s brought their daughters for an evening of dinner, games, pictures, dancing and gifts. SEE VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Lonnie and Katie Brevik with Jose and Arianna Sanchez.

Ric Bachour, Grace Bechalany, Celine Bachour, and Emilia and Dan Bechalany.

Evan and Leah Silverman.

Jaden and Bernie Bartick.

Philip Bramble dances with his daughters Victoria and Julianna.

Caitlyn and Mark Klimek.

Isabela and George Monteiro.

Cameron and Wellington Councilman Howard Coates.

Jim and Devyn Barnes with Bruce and Isabella Wagner.

GRAFFITO SOUTH RESTAURANT OPENS NEAR SHOW GROUNDS IN WELLINGTON Graffito South Scratch Italian Cooking in Wellington held a preview night event Wednesday, Feb. 1. Guests were given an opportunity to view the new restaurant, located adjacent to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, and enjo y complimentar y food and drinks. For more info., visit Graffito’s web site at www.graffitosouthflorida.com or call (561) 333-1150. PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Graffito co-owners Omar Shaikh and Mike Polaski with General Manager John Kalnai.

Mike Polaski with Palms West Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda.

Ellen Sanita and Faye Ford.

Bobbe Blacher and Carol Molack are served complimentary food by Risa McBriar.

Page 6 February 10 - February 16, 2012

The Town-Crier

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CRIME NEWS

Man Arrested For DUI After Stealing Neighbor’s Car

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report FEB. 4 — A Royal Palm Beach man was arrested last Saturday morning on charges of driving under the influence following a crash in La Mancha. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was called to the scene of a crash on Granada Street. The deputy made contact with the driver, 22-year-old Michael Morenzi. After a series of roadside tasks, the deputy determined Morenzi was impaired on prescription drugs. During investigations, the deputy discovered that Morenzi had stolen the car from a neighbor. He was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail, where he was charged with driving under the influence and driving with a suspended license.

••• FEB. 1 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a home in Madison Green last Wednesday afternoon regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6:45 a.m. and 4 p.m., someone entered the victim’s home and ransacked it, taking several items, including a Dell laptop computer, a black Metro PCS cell phone and an Xbox game console. The victim said the perpetrator(s) had also removed a bank card that had been used at a Burger King the same day. The stolen items were valued at approximately $1,700, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 2 — A resident of the Willows II neighborhood called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Thursday morning to report a stolen vehicle. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10 p.m. last Wednesday and 9:50 a.m. the following morning, someone stole the complainant’s son’s white 1996 Honda Civic from outside his home, where it was parked overnight. According to the report, the victim said he did not loan the car to anyone or owe any money, and he still has the keys to the car. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 2 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a home on Stonegate Drive last Thursday afternoon regarding a residential burglary.

According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:10 a.m. and noon, someone pried open the rear patio glass sliding doors and entered the home. The perpetrator(s) stole several rings, watches and necklaces, as well as a digital camera. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.

FEB. 2 — A resident of Madison Green contacted the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Thursday afternoon to report a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, sometime between Jan. 1 and last Wednesday, someone fraudulently used her Social Security number. The victim said she became aware of this after she received a call that her tax return had been denied because someone had already filed a return using her Social Security number. According to the report, the victim had not been able to contact the IRS yet but wanted to file a police report.

There were no suspects at the time of the report.

FEB. 3 — A deputy from the

PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a home in Nautica Lakes last Friday in response to a residential burglary.

According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7:30 a.m. and 4 p.m. last Thursday, someone stole the victim’s iPad and television.

There were no known witnesses or suspects at the time of the report, and the case is inactive pending further investigative leads.

FEB. 3 — Aresident of Fox Trail called the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Friday evening to report a theft. According to the report, the victim noticed two 10-foot metal gates missing from her property. The victim said she last saw them on Friday, Jan. 27, but has no idea who might have taken them. The stolen gates were valued at approximately $240.

There were no suspects at the time of the report.

FEB. 4 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a vacant home on 73rd Court North last Saturday regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the complainant noticed the home was missing its air-conditioning unit last Saturday morning. The victim said that all the wires were cut and the pieces removed from the property. However, the shell that covers the unit was left behind. The stolen unit was valued at approximately $2,000. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 4 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a home on 62nd Road North last Saturday afternoon regarding two stolen vehicles. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9 a.m. last Monday and 1:15 p.m. last Saturday, someone entered the victim’s gated property and removed two vehicles. The first was a black 1998 Cadillac DeVille and the second a green 1993 Plymouth Laser. According to the report, the victim said the vehicles belonged to her deceased father and that she believed they were removed by a tow truck because there were tire marks that appeared to be dragged.

There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 5 — A resident of 123rd Trail North called the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Sunday to report an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9 p.m. last Saturday and noon last Sunday, someone used an unknown object to push the lock out of the door handle of his Ford F-150, damaging the keyless entry pad. The victim said the perpetrator(s) did not gain entry to the vehicle but caused $800 in damage to the vehicle. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects at the time of the report.

FEB. 6 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a home in the Willows on Monday regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m., someone attempted to pry open the garage door and then used a cement brick to break the door jam.

Once inside, the perpetrator(s) stole two portable Honda generators. The stolen items were valued at approximately $3,666, and the cost of damage was estimated at approximately $2,000. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Jan Michalek is a white male, 5’9” tall and weighing 180 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes. His date of birth is 03/30/74. Michalek is wanted for violation of probation on a charge of grand theft. His occupation is unknown. His last known addresses were Sparrow Drive in Royal Palm Beach and Yarmouth Court in Wellington. Michalek is wanted as of 02/09/12.

• Antonio Vega is a white male, 5’8” tall and weighing 200 lbs., with gray hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 06/ 13/31. Vega is wanted for failure to appear on a charge of trafficking in marijuana. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was 76th Road North in The Acreage. Vega is wanted as of 02/ 09/12.

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

Jan Michalek

Antonio Vega

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERS IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 7

NEWS

County Agrees To Fund Shortfall In Inspector General’s Budget

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Before a meeting room full of residents, the Palm Beach County Commission agreed Tuesday to provide $400,000 to the Office of the Inspector General to cover a budget shortfall as a result of 15 municipalities refusing to pay their share of the office’s expenses.

The municipalities have filed a lawsuit protesting the mandate to pay for part of the funding after voters approved a charter amendment that extended the inspector general’s jurisdiction to municipalities.

Payments from municipalities — both those involved and those not involved in the lawsuit — are being withheld by the office of Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock, pending the outcome of the suit.

Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman said the office faces a potential budget deficit as a result of the lawsuit.

Inspector General Sheryl Steckler agreed. “I’m asking you to provide the funding for us to do our job, and also the job that the county and the people of this county ex-

pect us to do, and provide us the resources that we have already been approved to do, but we cannot spend,” she said.

Steckler noted that for its first 15 months of operation, the Office of the Inspector General was allocated $1.8 million and spent $1.3 million, coming in $500,000 under budget. From what was spent on the first 15 months, the office has a return on the investment of $2.3 million.

Steckler explained that the current financing for the office is based on a percentage of vendors’ contracts with government entities subject to its jurisdiction. That base is set at 0.25 percent of the contracts’ sum, which would have generated $4.2 million, but Steckler requested only 0.18 percent, which equaled $3 million.

“Due to the lawsuit, we have been reduced 21 percent,” she said, explaining that with that reduction, she could not continue hiring additional staff to take on the increasing responsibilities of her office.

The office currently has 15 staff members, while 32 were planned

for the current workload.

Between July 1 and Dec. 31, 2011, Steckler’s office received 185 written complaints and 964 telephone calls. She pointed out that the previous year, there were more complaints related to the county, but that has changed. “The municipalities are now the majority of the complaints coming in,” she said.

Steckler said the workload for her office has grown enormously.

“We are bursting at the seams,” she said. “I can no longer just stay quiet and live without, because we cannot continue to keep up the workload.”

David Baker, representing the Palm Beach County Ethics Initiative, asked commissioners to support financing for the Office of the Inspector General.

“I’m here to ask you to adequately fund the office, which is currently inadequately funded, and restore its stability,” he said.

“It is currently unstable because of the job it has to do, and the funds it has to do that job.”

Baker pointed out that the funding mandate comes from the coun-

ty’s charter and the ordinance that the commission adopted. “The suit filed by some of the cities has impacted the inspector general’s ability to do her charter-mandated job to audit, investigate and assist the county and all municipalities,” he said. “We’re asking you to restore that stability.”

Royal Palm Beach resident Jeff Hmara, an RPB council candidate, said opposition to an effective Office of the Inspector General has taken many forms.

“It’s difficult to know exactly what the motives of the individuals who are creating these barriers are, but it is likely that some are motivated by discomfort with vigorous oversight,” he said.

Hmara said he spoke from the perspective of a person who was subject to the scrutiny of many inspectors general in his experience as a government official in a range of positions over a 41-year career — 26 years with the U.S. Army and 15 years as a civilian with the Federal Aviation Administration.

“During the majority of my career, I was responsible for award-

ing contracts and monitoring the execution of major national-level programs,” he said. “In the acquisition field, it is not unusual to experience oversight of an agency inspector general. This firsthand experience was not something that I eagerly sought, but something I came to value.”

Hmara said he came to believe that the oversight was important in many ways, including as a deterrent and as a tool to improve efficiency and effectiveness. He added that although the county has implemented the recommendations of the grand jury report to create an office based on the Miami-Dade model, it still has not implemented adequate financing of the operation.

“If we do not fully fund the office, we will slide backward and lose this rare opportunity for positive change in the way our local governments operate,” he said.

Wellington resident Morley Alperstein was very critical of his home community’s participation in the lawsuit against the Office of the Inspector General.

“Wellington has had dramatic

growth in the last 10 years,” he said. “It recently made major improvements, a new city hall, an amphitheater, a playground for handicapped kids, a new swimming pool, a 9/11 memorial, major improvements for roads and landscaping, plans for a new senior center and a Boys & Girls Club,” Alperstein said. “Wellington seems to have money for everything, except not one dollar to fight corruption.”

Tony Fransetta, president of the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans, said he supports the office.

“We need the inspector general, and I ask each and every one of you: If you’re going to fulfill your civic responsibility, you will vote to give that money to have a confidence level by the people,” he said.

Commissioner Burt Aaronson made a motion to allocate $400,000 for the Office of the Inspector General. The motion carried 6-1, with Commissioner Karen Marcus objecting. She said the county lacks the funding and that she would prefer to wait until March to see if the lawsuit could be resolved.

Activists, Businesses Offer Tips To Help Horse Industry Go Green

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the equestrian community have decided to bring environmental awareness to this year’s Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.

Last week, from Feb. 1-5, was “Green Week” at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Various events and activities were conducted to raise awareness about how the horse industry can be green friendly.

Eco-activist and equestrian industry consultant Mary Ann Simonds spearheads the Ride for a Green World campaign, which is a series of initiatives created to get the equestrian community following eco-friendly standards.

Simonds brought together ecoconscious companies and organizations Arenus, JustWorld International and Whole Foods Market to take part in the initiative locally.

Simonds formed these partnerships as a means to create a more sustainable environment through simple but life-changing steps.

Creating a more sustainable environment in the equestrian community has been her mission for years.

“I’ve been working for a number of years in Wellington trying to give eco-friendly barn tips, from tips on alternatives to chemical fertilizer to how to compost your manure,” she explained.

Simonds has worked with other equestrian communities all over the country to provide best practices for sustainability. She is slowly beginning to work with Wellington to try to create sustainable measures within the equestrian community, from recycling to barn solar panels.

Right now Simonds is working with Clark County, Wash., to adopt sustainable practices in its

equestrian community.

“I have been going back and forth from Clark County to Wellington, saying, ‘Well, look what Wellington is doing and look what Clark County is doing, and it works,’” she said. “I try to look for good examples and share them.”

Trying to get people to start thinking about how the things they are doing with their horse are interconnected with the environment is long overdue, Simonds said. “Putting those together and having a healthy environment for horses and a healthy environment for people is a whole systems approach that has to be done,” she said. “People need to know that whatever their horse eats must be free from chemicals, because when it comes out, the manure can be harmful, not only to the horse, but to humans.”

Simonds has been building collaborations among organizations and businesses to attract other public, private and governmental entities to join in the eco-friendly efforts.

“They are looking at best management practices,” she said.

“Their big concern is to let people know that what goes into your horse comes out, and where does it go? They don’t want it to contaminate the waters.”

Simonds has built support and partnerships with businesses and organizations, which coincide with the mission of eco-sustainability. “It’s a collaborative effort, and we can’t do this alone,” she said. “We want people and businesses who want to help create a healthier, more environmentally sustainable community.”

Arenus, an animal health and nutritional products company, joined the Ride for a Green World campaign because it aligns with its mission, said Business Man-

Arenus representative Stacey Small with Mary Ann Simonds. ager Dr. Jay Altman. “Our parent company, Novus International, has had a mission to feed the world for the last 20 years, and sustainability has been a part of that mission,” he said. “Creating a green world is part of what we do as a company, so being a part of this was a very natural fit.”

Arenus has been leading the way in sustainability in the State of Missouri.

“We are one of four platinum LEED-certified buildings, and we have the largest solar panel in the state,” Arenus representative Stephanie Morris said.

Altman believes that creating awareness for eco-friendly standards is especially important in the equestrian community. “I don’t think we have even touched the surface in the area of manure removal and disposal,” he said.

“There are some new technologies out there that we should be using that could really help us and the environment.”

Simonds is hoping that not only communities get involved in environmentally sustainable stan-

dards, but large companies and small business as well. By having companies adopt eco-friendly practices as Arenus did, it will aid in creation of a sustainable community, she said.

Whole Foods Market has joined the initiative because some of its core values, community support and the environment, are demonstrated in the initiative.

Whole Foods Market Community Relations Specialist Lauren Belinsky has been passing out organic carrots for feeding horses, as part of the campaign. “This is a perfect connection, where we are supporting our local equestrian community and at the same time working with them to make it as green as possible,” Belinsky said.

Through the Ride for a Green World campaign, Simonds and partners have been putting up fliers with eco-friendly barn tips, giving people literature and informing them about its web site, www. arenus.com/communities/ridefora greenworld.

“It’s all about education more

Amber Warren of JustWorld International receives organic carrots from Lauren Belinsky of Whole Foods Market.

Arenus representatives Stephanie Morris, Dr. Jay Altman, Brady Karren and Stacey Small.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

than anything, and that’s why we are here doing this,” she said.

Simonds wants to begin changing things on a micro level, with the placement of recycle bins at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

“We are at the front end with our own little recycle bin, so that

at least here, people are seeing it’s obvious to recycle,” she said. “We want there to be more of a presence here at the show grounds with recycle bins. We don’t have control of that, but they are aware of what we are doing, so they might be coming up with another system.”

Royal Palm Beach Finalizes Speed Limit Changes On Okeechobee

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council gave final approval last week to change the speed limit on Okeechobee Blvd. from 50 mph to 45 from Wildcat Way east and from 35 mph to 40 west of Wildcat Way. New signs should be put up sometime over the next couple of weeks, according to Assistant County Engineer Tanya McConnell.

At a meeting Thursday, Feb. 2, RPB Senior Planner Bradford O’Brien said that construction along Okeechobee Blvd. has changed its character and development patterns, which led staff to consider the speed limit changes. After consultation with county staff, they came to believe that the speed limit changes are appropriate.

O’Brien pointed out that although that portion of Okeecho-

bee Blvd. is a state road, the village is empowered to set speed limits within its boundaries after an investigation determines that the changes are reasonable.

“We have done that, and staff is recommending these speed limit changes,” O’Brien said.

The council gave preliminary approval Jan. 19.

Mayor Matty Mattioli said he had received several favorable comments about the change,

which would remove the abrupt speed limit reduction westbound at Wildcat Way from 50 mph to 35, which Mattioli said had drawn many accusations from motorists that it was a speed trap.

Councilman Fred Pinto said he had also received positive feedback about the speed limit modifications. “It seems like the logical thing to do,” Pinto said. “It makes sense.”

Councilwoman Martha Webster

made a motion to approve the ordinance, which carried 4-0.

In other business, the council postponed the final plat approval of the Enclave, a planned multifamily residential development on 29.9 acres located on the west side of State Road 7 near the Victoria Grove community.

The postponement until the next meeting was in order for Wellington to sign off on water and sewer service that it will provide

to the area. “They promised us they would have it by Feb. 14, which is two days before our next meeting,” Village Manager Ray Liggins said.

The council also postponed final approval for the sale of villageowned property on the north side of Okeechobee Blvd. behind the First Baptist Church of Royal Palm Beach. Details are still being worked out for the church to purchase the property.

Page 8 February 10 - February 16, 2012

L.W. Street Painting Festival Feb. 25-26 More than 600 artists will use the asphalt as their canvas to transform the streets of downtown Lake Worth into a temporary outdoor museum Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 25 and 26 during the 18th annual Street Painting Festival.

The paintings — made of chalk — range in style from Renaissance classicism to cubism and pop art, and include both original artwork and masterpiece reproductions.

These pieces of art remain only until the next rain washes them away.

The Lake Worth Street Painting Festival claims bragging rights as the world’s largest, covering more area than any other festival of its kind.

This “outdoor gallery” will be located on Lake and Lucerne avenues, spanning between Dixie and Federal highways. It all starts at 10 a.m. and admission is free. Parking is available throughout the downtown area, and valet service will also be available. Free festival transportation will make timely loops from the Lake Worth Tri-Rail

NEWS BRIEFS station to City Hall during festival hours.

The event is produced by Street Painting Festival Inc., a nonprofit organization, and the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce, in cooperation with the City of Lake Worth. Proceeds benefit the Street Painting Festival scholarships offered to graduating Palm Beach County high school students, as well as other community projects associated with the arts.

Traced back to 16th-century Italy when itinerant artists would use their chalks to transform pavement into a makeshift canvas, street painting has retained its appeal through the centuries. As in ages past, crowds still gather to watch as fine works of art emerge.

The “paintings” last only until the next rain, but the lively spirit and accessibility of the exhibition captivates new audiences each year and inspires lasting memories.

The public is invited to join in the fun downtown on Friday, Feb. 24 for a pre-festival taste of Lake Worth as the merchants and restaurants kick off the weekend festivities all day and into the night with activities, music, food and drink, including a “Taste of Lake Worth” block party at 6 p.m. En-

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joy downtown and many of the Lake Worth restaurants, shops and galleries.

For more information, contact Nadine Burns of the Greater Lake Worth Chamber of Commerce at (561) 582-4401 or nadine@ lwchamber.com, or visit www. streetpaintingfestivalinc.org.

All-Breed Dog Shows Return March 10-11 Champions and puppies alike will return to the South Florida Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, March 10-11 for a special kind of dog show weekend to benefit local animal-rescue organizations.

Hosted by the Palm Beach County Dog Fanciers Association, the events will include two AKCsanctioned dog shows; multiple specialty breed shows; meet the breeds booths; agility and carting demonstrations; obedience, rally and carting trials; and a variety of family-friendly events.

The 82nd and 83rd annual club shows will be held at the South Florida Fairgrounds on Saturday and Sunday, March 10 and 11 from

8 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day. Special events include the following: • Meet the breeds booths will highlight the top dog breeds, allowing interested spectators the opportunity to see the breeds and talk to their owners • Guide dog demonstrations Saturday and Sunday • Agility demonstrations Saturday and Sunday • Canine good citizen tests on Saturday and Sunday, open to all dogs in the community whether purebred or not • Junior showmanship on Saturday and Sunday • Dog show tours on Saturday and Sunday, morning and afternoon More than 1,000 dogs will be attending, and there will be plenty of vendors of pet products.

A portion of the proceeds will benefit canine-related charities.

The South Florida Fairgrounds is at 9067 Southern Blvd. The exhibitor halls are air conditioned and occupy 84,000 square feet. For more information, visit www.south floridafair.com.

For additional information about the Palm Beach County Dog Fancier’s Association, visit www. pbcdfa.org.

Women’s Chamber Giraffe Awards March 28 The Women’s Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County will host its 17th annual Giraffe Awards on Wednesday, March 28 at the Kravis Center’s Cohen Pavilion in West Palm Beach. There will be an auction and expo from 5:30 to 7 p.m., with a dinner and ceremony to begin at 7 p.m.

The Women’s Chamber selected the giraffe over 16 years ago as a symbol of accomplishment for women who have “stuck their necks out” in business and in the community. Moreover, like a giraffe, the honorees stand tall in their community, have a natural beauty that radiates and a unique pattern that sets them apart from the pack.

Giraffe Award honorees serve as role models for other women, mentor women, and promote professional development for women in the workplace and the community.

The Women’s Chamber has announced that the keynote speaker will be Dominique McClain Barteet, founder and CEO of Onesole.

Barteet is a pharmacist who invented Onesole, “the original interchangeable shoe,” with no business or design experience. She has sold more than one million pairs, and Onesole is now available in more than 80 countries. Barteet recently was the season finale winner on ABC’s Shark Tank, and Onesole was chosen as Best Product Made in America on World News with Diane Sawyer. Barteet has declined the offer made to her on Shark Tank and has decided to keep Onesole made in the USA. In addition to Onesole, Barteet is a motivational speaker and mentor to other entrepreneurs. Onesole supports many philanthropic causes. A television reality show is currently being filmed on the phenomenon of her success and challenges along the way.

The public is invited to nominate deserving women for the prestigious Giraffe Award. Nomination forms are available online at www. womenschamber.biz, or by calling the chamber office at (561) 6844523. All nominations must be submitted no later than Feb. 15.

The sponsorship package and exhibitor registration forms can be found at www.womenschamber. biz.

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 9

NEWS

Boosterthon Fun Run Feb. 16 At Binks Forest Elementary School Twelve-year-old Binks Forest Elementary School is in need of a technology upgrade, and that is exactly how the school plans to spend the money they raise by hosting the Boosterthon Fun Run on Thursday, Feb. 16.

The nine-day fitness, leadership and character program is designed to help schools raise money while inspiring students to live character-filled lives.

All the hard work during those nine days leads up to the Boosterthon Fun Run, in which students run laps outside on the field while listening to upbeat music, interacting with energetic Boosterthon team members and raising money for their school.

Binks Forest Principal Michella Levy began her time as the

school’s principal in August and realized the need for a dedicated effort to increase and update the technology in the school.

The school’s goal is to raise $40,000 to purchase iPads for classrooms. As an incentive for the students, the administration has made a promise: If the school reaches its $40,000 goal, Levy and her assistant principal will wear Velcro suits and attach themselves to a Velcro wall as a reward. The students who run the most laps at the Boosterthon Fun Run also will get to participate in the Velcro fun.

Boosterthon is not a typical product-based fundraiser in which students sell cookie dough or wrapping paper door-to-door. The program engages the entire administration, teachers, students and

the community by inspiring good character, leadership traits and the importance of fitness, all while raising 75 percent more than traditional fundraisers.

Boosterthon’s new character theme, EPIC Adventure, will show 430,000 students this school year how to work together in teams through the adventure actions.

EPIC stands for Encourage, Play, Invite and Celebrate.

“Every day, our team members see students across the country get excited about character and leadership,” said Chris Carneal, Boosterthon founder and president. “Schools exceed their financial goals, and we challenge students to live out the daily character action in school and at home.”

Boosterthon has a proven track

record of helping schools boost funding by more than 75 percent over other traditional methods and executes all aspects of the program from start to finish, taking the workload off parent organizations.

Founded in 2001 at a time when the fundraising landscape relied primarily on product and catalog sales, Boosterthon set out to completely redefine the industry. Today, students benefit from a fun, interactive program that impacts schools and develops leaders.

Boosterthon Fun Run serves hundreds of elementary schools around the U.S. each year through the promotion of fitness, leadership and character.

For more information, visit the Boosterthon Fun Run web site at www.boosterthon.com.

Students at the Boosterthon Fun Run event enjoy music, dancing and fun while raising money for their school.

Volunteers Needed For MorseLife’s Homebound Mitzvah Program For 14 years, volunteers of all ages and from all walks of life have made a difference to homebound Jewish seniors in the community over the High Holidays and Passover.

The Homebound Mitzvah Program of MorseLife, as the program is called, will bring volunteers and Jewish seniors together again for Passover this April.

MorseLife’s Homebound Mitzvah Program is seeking caring volunteers — individuals, families and groups — to deliver (Left) Joyce Lichter and her 100year-old mother Anna Cohen with Seder plates.

Passover packages on Wednesday, April 4 to Jewish seniors throughout Palm Beach County and the vicinity.

The packages include traditional kosher meals for the Seder, as well as matzoh, wine, a large print Haggadah and a DVD of a Seder conducted by Rabbi Alan Sherman, director of chaplain services at MorseLife. The holiday of Passover officially begins the evening of April 6 and runs through April 14.

Just as important, volunteers are asked to provide some “quality time” to Homebound Mitzvah Program recipients — sitting and talking with them for a while to bring

some additional warmth to the delivery.

Pickup locations for volunteers are the MorseLife campus on 4847 Fred Gladstone Drive (off Haverhill Road) in West Palm Beach, or on the Jewish Community Center campus in Boynton Beach at 8500 Jog Road.

Since 1997, the Homebound Mitzvah Program has been reaching out to the area’s homebound elders in hopes of diminishing the loneliness and isolation frequently felt over Jewish holidays. It was founded by Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz, who had nurtured a similar program called Dorot in New York to help isolated seniors, and

is made possible through the generosity of community philanthropists and through a grant from the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County.

To volunteer for the Homebound Mitzvah Program and bring joy and traditions to seniors in Palm Beach County, or to order Passover packages for yourself or a loved one, call (561) 282-5388.

The cutoff date for orders is March 22.

Founded in 1983, MorseLife has built a reputation and tradition of caring for seniors with excellence, dignity and compassion. For more information, visit www.morselife. org.

PBC Cultural Council Celebrates New Home In Montgomery Building Rena Blades, CEO of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, joined with Chairman Michael J. Bracci to welcome more than 130 key supporters, donors and local officials to a special preview reception at the council’s new home in downtown Lake Worth. The reception was held the evening before the pristine facility’s official grand opening and ribbon cutting on Jan. 19.

The cultural council’s new home is the historic Robert M. Montgomery Jr. Building, located at 601 Lake Ave. It first opened in 1940 as the Lake Worth Theater and later housed three different art museums, but has been closed to the public since 2005. When the

Montgomery family donated the classic building to the cultural council in January 2010, it was the largest single donation in the council’s 33-year history.

Named after the late Robert M. Montgomery Jr., a prominent attorney and philanthropist, the building was renovated with assistance from the Lake Worth Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA), which committed $700,000 for the project.

The CRA’s grant is part of its larger Cultural Renaissance Program that focuses on redevelopment through the establishment of artists, cultural centers and institutes within Lake Worth, expanding the economic base and im-

proving the investment image of the area.

The VIP guests toured the building’s 12,500 square feet of galleries for community exhibitions, the Artist Resource Center, tourism services, education and training facilities, and meeting space. They also viewed the council’s opening exhibition, “Foundations.”

“Foundations is a fitting title for our first exhibit as it places emphasis on the council’s relocation to a permanent facility, the laying of groundwork for future planning, projects and goals, as well as establishing a tradition of serving artists in the community,” Blades said. “With a variety of media rep-

resented, the breadth and talent of the artists of this region is extraordinary. From the surreal to the literal, the aesthetic to the sublime, painters, photographers, sculptors and even animators demonstrate their resolve to create, inspire and dream.”

The new home of the Palm Beach County Cultural Council is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council is the county’s official arts agency and serves nonprofit cultural organizations and professional artists throughout the county. For more info., visit www.palm beachculture.com.

Virginia Mossberg, Dina Baker and Missy McArdle enjoy the reception.

PHOTO BY CORBY KAYE’S STUDIO PALM BEACH

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 11

NEWS

‘WILD THINGS’ ART SHOW IN LOX GROVES BENEFITS RARE SPECIES FOUNDATION The Rare Species Conservatory Foundation’s sixth annual wildlife art show “Wild Things!” took place Feb. 5-7 at Pferdekamper Studio in Loxahatchee Groves. An opening reception was held Sunday, Feb. 5. The event supported the foundation by donating 25 percent of sales of oil paintings, jewelry, ceramics, photography, sculpture and more. In addition to the art, animals from the Busch Wildlife Sanctuary were brought in to interact with guests. Visit www.rarespecies.org for more info.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Maria Hayden sells her raku ceramics.

Patricia Powers with mini oils on canvas created for this show.

Anthony Burks with his mixed-media artwork Tiger.

Randy Pfeiffer, Gisela Pferdekamper and Leslie Pfeiffer.

Rare Species Conservatory Foundation Curator Karen McGovern, President Dr. Paul Reillo and author Tami Hoag.

Willie, a skunk, is held by Busch Wildlife Sanctuary educator Cheryl Wise.

UF EXTENSION DIRECTOR SPEAKS TO WELLINGTON GARDEN CLUB MEMBERS

The Wellington Garden Club held its monthly meeting Monday, Feb. 6 at the Wellington Community Center. Members participated in a business meeting and lunch followed by a presentation by Dr. Joe Schaefer, district extension director of the University of Florida/FAS PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER Florida Extension Services. For more info., visit www.wellingtongardenclub.org.

Garden Club members Roxanne Henry and Barbara Hadsell with President Susan Hillson and guest speaker Dr. Joe Schaefer.

Uma Bhatti receives cabbage from Kay Brown, which Brown grew in her garden.

Wellington Garden Club members Paulette Weiss and Beverley Ginn.

Jenny Dixon, Kathy Spain and Denise Friedlander with fresh flowers and plants.

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©Sportfot

©Anne Gittins

Don’t miss the $125,000 FEI World CupTM Grand Prix presented by Spy Coast Farm Saturday, February 11th.

the Gallery (a south beach themed pavilion), the Tiki Hut (polynesian beach bar), Tito's Taco's (Mexican food/margaritas).

Many public hospitality pavilions,

Free General Admission. Parking $20 per carload.

For reserved or premiere seating, fine dining options, or group sales (10-500 people), call or text Annette Goyette at 561.779.1660 or email annette@equestriansport.com WWW.EQUESTRIANSPORT.COM

561.793.5867

Palm Beach International Equestrian Center • Wellington, Florida

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 15

POLO & EQUESTRIAN

MetalTek Outscores Pony Express 16-8 In Ylvisaker Cup Action The Super Bowl wasn’t the only sports event that had people talking this past Sunday, as MetalTek celebrated a 16-8 win over Pony Express in an Ylvisaker Cup polo match.

The action was fierce on Piaget Field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach as MetalTek and Pony Express went head to

Sarah Scheffer enjoys Sunday polo.

head. Famed local artist Sean Rush officiated the coin toss, along with 15-year-old Wellington-based recording artist Meghan Rittmiller, who helped kick off the festivities by singing the national anthem.

MetalTek and Pony Express batted it out during the 3 p.m. Ylvisaker Cup match.

Both teams were tied after the first chukker, but Pony Express fell behind in the third chukker as MetalTek took the lead by scoring four goals, taking them ahead 9-5. Juan Garcia Grossi led the Pony Express offense with three goals, but it was MetalTek’s Carlucho Arellano’s eight goals that led his team to a 16-8 victory.

This marked the second week of play for the 2012 Ylvisaker Cup, and the International Polo Club is gearing up for Wellington Day this Sunday. ERG and Audi will face off at noon, while Equuleus and Piaget will be the 3 p.m. featured match.

With the stunning new pavilion, seven state-of-the-art polo fields and a variety of entertainment, IPC is the place to see and be seen every Sunday. Guests can enjoy champagne brunch and watch the match field-side, or partake in reserved lawn seating, Wellington Kids Zone or general admission seating. Various ticket

Sean Rush, Matthew Tarantino and Christopher Horn. levels range from cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to a spectacular Veuve Clicquot brunch.

For season information and tickets, visit www.internationalpoloclub.com. Find IPC on Facebook at facebook.com/ipcpb and visit the new www.ipcscoreboard.com for up-to-date scores, schedules, rosters and all other polo info.

MetalTek’s Will Johnston takes the ball across the field.

IMAGES COURTESY LILA PHOTO

Skelton Reigns Supreme In $80,000 Adequan CSI 2* Grand Prix Great Britain’s Nick Skelton and Big Star triumphed Saturday, Feb. 4 at the $80,000 Adequan CSI 2* Grand Prix during the fourth week of competition at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.

Nineteen countries were represented in the world-class event with a record 81 starters, the largest recorded weekend Grand Prix field. Riders from Canada, Venezuela, Great Britain, the United States, Ireland, Germany and Sweden made it to the jump-off, with Skelton leading the way.

This year’s Olympic Games course designer, Bob Ellis of Great Britain, set the track for last Saturday’s 81 entries, and skillfully narrowed the field down to ten for the jump-off. Skelton and Big S tar, owned by Beverley Widdowson, were the clear winners with their faultless round over the short course in 45.93 seconds. Charlie Jayne and Alex Jayne’s Urbanus were the only other pair to clear the jump-off course without fault, stopping the clock in 51.70 seconds for the second-place prize.

Class winner Big Star is a 9-yearold KWPN stallion. Skelton praised Bob Ellis on his course for the evening. “I’ll be a bit biased really because he’s from my coun-

try, but Bob’s a great course builder,” he said. “With 81 starters and he got 10 clear rounds, I think that was an amazing job. Fair play to him; he did a very good job. I thought there would have been 20.

It was a good course.”

Venezuela’s Andres Rodriguez and Caballito, owned by Arao Enterprises LLC, finished with one rail in 46.06 seconds to place third behind the two double clears.

Rodriguez detailed his jump-off round, explaining, “I knew I needed to take a chance. With the riders I had behind, I needed to risk a little bit. I was a little bit too tight for the double and I had the back rail. Otherwise I would have gone clear. I’m happy I took the chance and ended up third than not taking a chance.”

Rodriguez is still getting to know his mount Caballito, but was pleased with the horse’s efforts last Saturday. Rodriguez had the fastest of several four-fault rounds in the top 10. Finishing close behind, Daniel Zetterman put Sweden in the top of the class riding Glory Days, owned by Springfield Jumpers, to four faults in 46.22 seconds to earn the fourth-place prize. Beezie Madden and Abigail Wexner’s Cortes ‘C’ also earned four faults and finished fifth with

Nick Skelton and Big Star.

Katherine Johnson and Millthyme Lambrini.

PHOTOS BY SPORTFOT

their time of 46.34 seconds. Ireland took sixth and seventh place with Cian O’Connor and Blue Loyd 12, owned by O’Connor and Ashkirk Ltd., and Richie Moloney and his own and Equinimity LLC’sAhorn Van De Zuuthoeve each incurring four faults.

As the sponsor of the class, Adequan’s Allyn Mann was thrilled with the result. “It was exciting to learn that this was the largest Grand Prix ever on a weekend. For it to be Adequan’s week and to host something like this was very

exciting,” Mann said. “Just to see the level of competition was great.

As far as being a sponsor at the Winter Equestrian Festival, it’s a great venue.”

Katherine Johnson of Holliston, Mass., surpassed a field of 27 competitors to claim victory in this week’s Taylor Harris Insurance Services Children’s Medal 14 & Under atop her mount Millthyme Lambrini. Johnson reserved the lead spot after testing against the top four riders and finishing with a score of 86. Competition in the

equitation ring was fierce with a spread of just half a point between the first-place and third-place winners. Hannah Pattin and her mount Agostino were just shy of the win with a second-place score of 85.75, while Maria Moore and Kashmir finished third with an 85.5.

The Winter Equestrian Festival concluded its fourth week of competition with the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic in the International Arena. The hunters wrapped up their competition for the weekend with the pre-

sentation of championship honors in the Voltaire Design Adult Amateur 18-35 division.

The Winter Equestrian Festival features 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1. More than $6 million in prize money will be awarded through the circuit. For full results, visit www.show groundslive.com. The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is located at 14440 Pierson Road, Wellington. For more information, visit www.equestriansport.com or call (561) 793-5867.

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WHOLE FOODS HOSTS FUNDRAISER FOR WHS PROJECT GRADUATION

Whole Foods Market hosted a pre-game block party fundraiser Tuesday, Jan. 31 for Wellington High School’s Project Graduation.

With the help of the WHS Project Graduation Volunteer Committee and the various food stations at Whole Foods Market, more than $2,000 was raised. All donations from the event will go toward an all-night graduation party for this year’s WHS seniors. Shown above are Volunteer Committee members Susanne Bennett, Missy Cheatham, Donna Baxter, Cindy Lutz, Milagros Rivera and Patti Thomas.

Send school news items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suit e 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 793-6090.

E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

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SCHOOL NEWS

WPMS Honors Its Students Of The Month Western Pines Middle School Principal Robert Hatcher has announced the students of the month for January.

These students were selected by their science teachers as models of character and scholastic excellence at the middle school.

Sixth-grader Alexa Koenig is considered an exceptional student who works hard and earns excellent grades. School is very important to her, and she arrives daily to see her friends, teachers and to learn something new.

Koenig’s teachers noted that she doesn’t mind homework that much. While out of school, Koenig enjoys hanging out with her friends, playing video games and playing sports. She also loves traveling with her family.

Seventh-grader Taylor Allen is also a hardworking student

whose teachers believe always goes above and beyond in everything she does. Her great work ethic was demonstrated when she won first place in the schoolwide science fair. Allen is an active member of the Medical Academy at Western Pines and is well liked by her teachers and peers.

Finally, eighth-grader Hannah Persson is another excellent student who balances her school and social life. She has a willingness to assist others, including her teachers, while at the same time keeping up with her own duties. Persson is never afraid to ask for help or clarification on assignments, which her teachers feel shows the depth of her persistence and her drive for excellence. Persson’s patience and determination, even with difficult tasks, is admirable.

Students Of The Month — Alexa Koenig, Taylor Allen and Hannah Per sson with Principal Rober t Hatcher.

WHS Dancers Heading To State Competition The Wellington High School Lady Wolverines dance team will compete at the Florida Dance Team Directors Association (FDTDA) 2012 Florida State Dance Competition to be held Feb. 18-19 in Stuart.

In its 11th year, the mission of the FDTDA has been to achieve the highest standards of performance from dance teams by promoting cultural, intellectual, material, social and sportsmanlike

interests of the dance profession.

The Wolverine dancers would like to thank their sponsors for their generosity, which helped to make this possible: A&G Management, A Dancer’s Closet, A.L. Sapphire Group, pediatrician Dr. Amy Aqua, Buyowner.com, Centanni Italian Restaurant, Charley’s Grilled Subs, the Cremers family, Cybermax Computer Services, Dance Unlimited, Dermatology Center of the

Palm Beaches, First United Bank, Florida Eye Microsurgical Institute, Ann Glassberg, Gumucio Dental, Renee Hasak Westwind Realty, Michael Horwitz (Realty Elite), J-Cole Construction Company, Kids Cuts on Wheels, MedExpress, MotorCity Carwash, Renee Novack, OrangeTheory Fitness in Royal Palm Beach, Paris Nails & Spa, Royal Palm Auto Spa, Howard B. Schullman, Shults Orthodontics, the Small family, the Smith

family, Mark and Judy Smith, Source One Distributors, Strathmore Bagels, the Thomas family, Tijuana Flats, Vista Title Insurance & Guaranty, Wellington Auto Collision and Wheels of Wellington.

The Lady Wolverines dance team is under the direction of coach Brenda Lavorano. The team promotes school spirit, participates in community events and attends regional, state and national competitions.

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SCHOOL NEWS

Panther Run Honors Science Fair Winners Panther Run Elementary School held its annual science fair Thursday, Jan. 26. Ribbons were awarded for first place, second place, third place and honorable mention.

Grades three through five submitted individual projects. Grades one and two did science fair projects as a class and presented them as a group. For second-grade

Fifth-graders Katie Schrank, Carson Boothney, Alec Peluso and Catie DeCosmo with their projects.

projects, only first place goes to the school district. Third- through fifth-grade students do their own individual projects; only first- and second-place winners go to the school district.

In the fifth grade, Catie DeCosmo placed first for “Sunburn,” Alec Peluso placed second for “I’m Stuck On You,” Carson Boothney placed third for “Plop, Plop, Fizz, Fizz: The Effect of Temperature on Reaction Time,” and Katie Schrank earned honorable mention for “Whorls, Loops and Arches.”

In the fourth grade, Stephen Passeggiata placed first with “Battle of the Bats,” Jake Levy placed second with “Rainbow Grow Plants,” Domenica Hall placed third with “The Effect of Activity on Respiratory Rate,” and Matthew Sachrank earned honorable

mention for “Burn the Board.”

In the third grade, Cassidy Strubbe won first place for “Get Your Heart Pumping,” Braden Romano placed second with “Ice Ice Baby,” Shannon Cooney placed third with “Crayon Melting Mania,” and Nolan Anschuetz earned honorable mention with “That’s How We Roll.”

Karen Rodriguez’s secondgrade class won first place for the class project “How Do Soils Differ?”

There is no state competition at the elementary school level.

The Palm Beach School District Science Fair competition will take place May 7-10 at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

The Panther Run Science Fair was coordinated by science fine arts teacher Jodi Thomas.

Sem Ridge Course Registration For 2012-13 From Feb. 13-21 the Seminole Ridge High School guidance department will complete student course registrations for the upcoming school year.

To prepare for the process, students viewed a registration video during their first period classes on Feb. 3, received a college and career planner newspaper, and have been given their credit summary reports from the school district, indicating not only course completion but also any unfulfilled state graduation requirements. In addition, a 201213 curriculum guide is accessible on our Edline web site in the guidance department section.

Freshmen, sophomores and juniors must choose their nextyear courses and obtain teacher and parent signatures for their

course registration sheets by the dates listed below, when they meet individually with their guidance counselors: 11th-grade registration dates are Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 13 and 14; 10thgrade registration dates are Wednesday and Thursday, Feb. 15 and 16; and ninth-grade registration dates are Friday, Feb. 17 and Tuesday, Feb. 21.

Parents with questions about the course selection process may contact the guidance office at (561) 422-2610.

• Hawk Battalion Earns Three Firsts — The Seminole Ridge JROTC cadets competed in a countywide drill meet recently at Jupiter High School, going head-to-head against four area schools and one from Vidalia, Ga. Out of the six events the Hawks

competed in, they placed in four.

In Armed Drill Squad, the cadets took first, led by Cadet Second Lt. John Christian, with team members James Aspenwall, James Bukowski, Geoffrey Christian, Nathan Core, Hunter Grabbe, Michael Meyer and Vincent Luciano Sileo. The Color Guard placed first place, led by Cadet Capt. Timothy Ruback, with team members Ryan Hernandez, Jonathan Pacheco and Joshua Pacheco. In the Knock Out Competition, Cadet Sgt. First Class Geoffrey Christian took first place. Cadet Sgt. Major Gary Poe placed second in Individual Armed Exhibition.

• New Members for Art Society — The SRHS National Art Honor Society inducted its new members in an evening ceremo-

ny and reception Jan. 31. Inducted were Nori Benjamin, Page Burow, Alison Cambra, Jessie Christian, Connor Davis, Brethany Excellent, Maria Garcia, Laura Louberti, Cydney Rallo, Ismerai Ramirez, Avita Ramlakhan, Annesa Ramlakhan, Hannah Silas and Domenica Skoskineau.

“As part of their induction into the National Art Honor Society, these students were not allowed to speak from first bell to last the day before,” sponsor and teacher Gwenn Seuling said. “Instead, they had ‘silent sketchbooks’ with them to draw their responses to questions or to have conversations. At our reception we displayed their notebooks, trying to guess what they were ‘talking’ about during the day.”

Band Director James Yaques with his concert jazz ensemble after receiving Superior ratings form the panel of judges.

PBCHS Jazz Ensemble Earns Superior Rating The Palm Beach Central High School concert jazz ensemble performed Thursday, Feb. 2 at the District Jazz Music Performance Assessment held at Wellington High School.

The PBCHS band received a Superior rating from the panel of judges. It has now qualified to move on to the State Assessment later this spring.

This performance also qualified the band for the second round of the Swing & Jazz Preservation

Society Battle of the Jazz Bands.

The band performed a variety of jazz music. Included in their set were the tunes “Sweet Georgia Brown,” “I Remember Clifford” and the Latin number “Lagrimas Negras.”

The Palm Beach Central concert jazz ensemble will perform Saturday, Feb. 11 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach during Saddle Up for Jazzfest and again in May as part of the annual jazz concert held at PBCHS.

NEW HORIZONS TEACHES RESPECTFUL LEARNING

Ideal Students Talk With Students In Canada Cree Indian students from Saskatchewan, Canada, recently paid a visit to the Ideal School’s fifth-grade class.

While teaching her students about the American Revolution, colonists and Native American, Ideal fifth-grade teacher Michelle Hogan came up with the idea of giving students the opportunity to hear about Indian life first hand.

Via Skype, Cree students shared stories of their culture, answered questions and even performed a traditional tribal dance for Hogan’s

class. The Ideal students had many questions, asking how cold it was in Canada, how long their school day was, and what it was like to live on a reservation. Sarah Thompson, a representative of the Cree tribe in Saskatchewan, was happy to give them all the answers and explain what daily life is like.

“The students were surprised to discover how similar their home and school lives are to the students up north,” Hogan said. “It was quite an eye-opening experience for them to see that although

there were cultural differences, in many ways their day-to-day activities are really the same.”

Hogan has used Skype before to reach out to authors, technology experts and others where she sees a chance to enhance classroom lessons. “The students are able to relate even more to concepts and stories when they’re able to put a face with the lesson at hand,” she said. “They love finding out more about why an author wrote a particular story or how an architect comes up with ideas for

designing a building. It really gets them thinking even more deeply, which leads to great questions for the guest we’re Skyping.”

The Ideal School and Dream Middle School are pioneers in the use of multiple intelligence theory in the classroom. Their expertise in innovative education draws students from preschool through eighth grade throughout Palm Beach County.

To find out more about the school, visit www.dreamideal.com or call (561) 791-2881.

New Horizons Elementary School stresses that students be “safe respectful learners.” Each day students are encouraged through video clips from “Bud the Dog” to be “buddies not bullies.” Students enjoyed a visit with Bud and his trainer Keith Cour tney. Bud demonstrated through dog tricks how to stay “bully free” by showing five character traits: integrity, respect, caring, responsibility and success. Pictured here are Bud and Courtney with Johnetta Scott and her third-grade class.

Page 18 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Blackford Graduates Chris Hanley Takes Medical Relief Trip To Haiti Basic Air Force Training Air Force Airman 1st Class Paul J. Blackford has graduated from basic military training at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.

Blackford completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force.

Blackford is the son of Lynn Semprun of Royal Palm Beach. He is a 2005 graduate of Royal Palm High School and earned a bachelor’s degree in 2009 from the University of Central Florida.

OBITUARY

Shaun Grafton Dies At 17 Shaun Reed Grafton of Loxahatchee passed away Monday, Jan. 30. He was 17 years old.

Grafton attended the Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches and excelled in his favorite class, speech and debate. He will forever be remembered for his unique style and self-assurance.

Always with a ready smile for everyone, he was quick to offer help to his family, classmates and total strangers. Grafton was a sincere listener and exhibited compassion and kindness. It is impossible to put into words the positive, far-reaching impact his young life had on all those with whom he came into contact.

Grafton is survived by his loving family: parents Rusty and Susan Grafton; brothers Curtis, Sam and Roy Grafton; sisters Susanna, America and Karina Grafton; grandparents Roy and Harriett

Royal Palm Beach resident Chris Hanley, a pre-med student at the University of Central Florida, recently returned from a medical relief trip to Haiti. Hanley went with 11 other students from UCF’s chapter of International Medical Outreach (IMO) in addition to another student of Engineers Without Borders.

The group’s primary focus was to obtain further research in the medical needs of a village, Mare Brignol (population 13,000), located on the south side of the island.

IMO has established a permanent project and biannual trips to build on previous long-term efforts in areas such as health education, self-sustainability, and the providing of basic medical care under the direction of several local physicians.

While meeting with the village’s

community leaders, Hanley and his group learned of a significant number of fatalities due to lack of emergency medical education and prompt care. Hanley, also a licensed emergency medical technician, will be heading and organizing a workshop to be presented to the community on IMO’s trips later this year. The goal of this effort is to teach the community basic first aid and how to stabilize injured Haitians until they can be transported the half-day mountainous hike to receive further medical care.

Hanley will be applying to medical school in the near future and hopes to pursue a career in emergency medicine in addition to opening a nonprofit organization that will provide free medical care to local and international underserved areas.

Chris Hanley listens to the lungs of a child during his medical relief trip to Haiti.

Huertas To Run Ultra-Marathon In Louisiana

Shaun Grafton Leddy; seven aunts and uncles, nine cousins and a large extended family.

A service was held Saturday, Feb. 4 at St. Mary the Virgin Anglican Church in Delray Beach.

Patrice Huertas of The Acreage is turning 40 and decided to support her sister-in-law Melissa Nicholas, a breast cancer survivor, by participating in the family’s team adventure to run a 126.3-mile ultra marathon Feb. 11-12 in Louisiana.

Huertas has never competed in any race, much less an ultra marathon. And at the start of her training, Huertas weighed over 240 pounds. Huertas is a wife, she home schools her four children (ages 13, 7, 5 and 3) and for the last 40 days has been dedicated

to her training for the ultra marathon. Although she will be walking her legs of the race, for Huertas this is an amazing accomplishment.

“I want to inspire others to get off their couches and take better care of themselves,” Huertas explained.

According to Nicholas, of Lake Worth, “It was Patrice being willing to do this race that put us over the top to commit to such an event.

This race is really about our family coming together to help everyone remove the threat of serious illness

... better heart health and a world without cancer.”

Nicholas continues to fight for her continued good health, for more research, and to make more treatments available through Dr. Czerniecki’s Pennies in Action organization. Nicholas, along with five other family members, has now committed to run an Ultra Marathon for 126.2 miles from Baton Rouge to New Orleans called RougeOrleans Running Round the Clock to raise more money for PIA research and medical trails.

Nicholas and her family are re-

questing donations by visiting the PIA web site at www.penniesin action.org. Team Cajuns in Action asks that when making a donation to sponsor their run to put “CIA for PIA” on your check or in the “My Gift is in Memory/Honor of” drop-down menu on the donation confirmation page when donating online.

All donations will be credited in the sponsorship total for CIA’s efforts to raise money for Czerneicki’s breast cancer vaccine research recently featured on the CBS National News.

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 19

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Kattel Foundation Hosts Run For Education At Okeeheelee Park The Abi Kattel Memorial Foundation, a Wellington-based charitable foundation, held its annual 5K “Run/Walk for Education” on Saturday, Jan. 14. Held at Okeeheelee Park, the run helps raise money to both further educational pursuits and for scholarships.

The foundation provides a scholarship to a college student for tuition, as well as providing money for children to attend a summer camp through the foundation’s partnership with the YMCA. Bijaya and Archana Kattel, the parents of the late Abi Kattel, believe that education is the one thing that is constant, and money should not be a hurdle that makes education inaccessible.

“We know that every little bit helps, and there should be no rea-

son that a child or young adult cannot pursue his or her education if they really want to,” Bijaya said.

He and Archana were joined by other members of the foundation, as well as eager volunteers from the YMCA, in welcoming the runners on the morning of the race.

The runners and the walkers alike braved an uncharacteristically chilly morning, with many wearing jackets and sweatpants until just before the race. However, once the race started, everyone was smiling and enjoying the cool air.

Runners came from both far and near to run, as runners from New York, Virginia, Baton Rouge, Atlanta and Seattle joining those more local in supporting the foundation’s efforts — and getting in a

good bit of exercise.

This was the fourth year the foundation has held the run, and it doesn’t plan on ending soon.

“When you see the smiles on the faces of those both running and walking the course, and the parents who are able to walk the course with their children, or cheer from the side, or even try and race their kids to the finish line, you see that it’s just as much a family event as it is a race,” Archana said of the race’s impact. “We are part of the community here, so we enjoy and appreciate the community’s support.”

After the run, awards were handed out to the runners who placed first, second or third as a whole race and in their respective age groups. Everyone seemed in

good spirits after fighting off the cool wind and finishing. Results have been posted to www.mcm timing.com and the foundation’s web site.

Later, the foundation also held its annual blood drive in partnership with Florida Blood Centers, with 10 people donating.

In the afternoon, the Kattel family also organized an Abi Kattel memorial picnic at the same park.

More than 130 community members enjoyed the afternoon with delicious good, by playing volleyball, children playing in the playground, or simply socializing and catching up with each other.

To see the results of the 5K run, or for more on the Abi Kattel Memorial Foundation, visit www. abikattelfoundation.org.

RPB Rotary Vice President Selena Smith and Larry DeYoung.

Eagle Scout William Shock, FSO’s John Oldham, First Class Scout Allen Leonard and Scoutmaster Tim Leonard.

Pharmacist Speaks To RPB Rotary Club

Boy Scout Troop 122 Benefits FSO

Walgreens Pharmacy Manager Larry DeYoung addressed the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club during a meeting last month.

DeYoung is a graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo. He partnered in an independent pharmacy in Buffalo, and managed pharmacies for a number of major companies.

DeYoung was the regional supervisor of Ray’s Drugs in Syracuse, N.Y., and the district manager of Pharmor.

Currently, DeYoung is the pharmacy manager for Walgreens in Royal Palm Beach, where he and his family have been residents for 18 years.

DeYoung spoke to the club about the pharmacy industry and answered questions about changes within the industry and with insurance carriers.

For more information about the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club, visit the club’s web site at www.rpbrotary.org.

Boy Scout Troop 122 from Loxahatchee recently presented a check for $175.69 to Forgotten Soldiers Outreach community relations representative John Oldham.

A previous visit to Forgotten Soldiers Outreach so inspired troop members that a yard sale was held in December to raise funds for the organization. Troop representatives were excited to learn that their good deed was twofold.

In addition to supporting Forgot-

ten Soldiers Outreach, their donation will be used to assist Cub Scout Pack 243 in participating in a packing event in February.

FSO prepared and ships care packages to military personnel stationed overseas. These care packages are funded through donations like those given by Troop 122. For more information, visit www.forgottensoldiers.org.

For information on Boy Scout Troop 122, contact Tim Leonard at (561) 248-1479.

Participants and volunteers gather for the Abi Kattel Memorial Foundation’s 5K run/walk at Okeeheelee Park.

William Perez with art teacher Jerianne Johnston.

Perez Wins Lions Club Poster Contest Each year, Lions Clubs around the world sponsor the Lions International Peace Poster Contest in local schools and youth groups.

This art contest for kids encourages young people worldwide to express their visions of peace. For 25 years, more than four million children from nearly

100 countries have participated in the contest.

William Perez, a Crestwood Middle School sixth-grader, won first place at the school level, and his poster was sent to the International Lions Chapter. Perez won second place in the district and a $500 savings bond.

Send Palms West People items to: The Town-Crier Newspaper, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414.

Fax: (561) 793-6090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

Page 20 February 10 - February 16, 2012

The Town-Crier

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NEWS Joey’s Outback Adventures Grand Opening A 14,000-square-foot facility has come to life for the education and entertainment of children in Palm Beach County. Joey’s Outback Adventures, located at 10670 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington, opened its doors on Feb. 3 and is holding a grand opening party on Saturday, Feb. 11. The party and open house, hosted by South Florida Parenting magazine, begins at 10 a.m.

There is free admission for all from 10 a.m. to noon, and the party features live animal shows, a game wheel and prizes, hair art and temporary tattoos, kids craft activities, entertainment, refreshments and more.

Activities and entertainment run until noon, but parents and kids are welcome to come all day to play until 7:30 p.m. Joey’s Outback Adventures includes bounce houses, educational toys, party

and activity rooms. The facility is available for any special event or celebration and offers affordable party packages with every aspect of the party being handled for you.

“We will be having special events, fundraisers, classes and activities of all kinds — always designed not only for fun and entertainment, but to learn and enhance knowledge as well,” said Francesca Friedman, who owns and operates Joey’s Outback with her husband Michael Friedman.

The public is invited to visit Joey’s Outback and view the many offerings for the education and recreation of children ages 2-12, as well as the “Parents Lounge” with free Wi-Fi and a café.

For more information, visit www. joeysoutback.com or call (561) 2044554.

Groves Garden Club To Meet The Loxahatchee Groves Garden Club will meet Saturday, Feb. 18 from 2 to 4 p.m. at Palms West

Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves).

The speaker will be master gardener Bill Skinner, who has been asked to explain what is involved with training to become a master gardener, as well as the jobs and duties once a person has been trained. He will discuss the trend toward native plants and plants that need low water to help reduce the demands on the water supply, and will answer questions about gardening. Skinner will also offer information about how to contact the Florida extension program to seek out answers for gardening questions.

For more information about the meeting or the club, call Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

Jam on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Acreage Community Park (6701 140th Avenue North).

The Acreage Community Park Jam is a free monthly event featuring musicians, comedians and any other artists of all ages, styles and skill levels. For classic car lovers, there will be a Classic Cruisers Car Show. You are welcome to bring and display your classic vehicle or motorcycle. For those of you feeling lucky, there will be a 50/50 raffle.

This event is fun for all ages.

Acreage Community Park also has a playground and skateboard park adjacent to the jam area. Join your friends and neighbors while enjoying an evening of diverse entertainment. Bring your beverage

and picnic items of choice as well as chairs or something to sit on.

For more information, click on the Acreage Community Park Jam link at www.acreagelandowners. org under “Events.” Adult supervision is required for playground use. A skate park consent waiver is required for minors wishing to use the park and available by visiting the “Parks” section on www. indiantrail.com.

To sign up as entertainment or make any general inquiries, contact Bob Renna at (561) 602-0676 or bobrenna@bellsouth.net. You can also sign up to perform on the day of the jam.

The stage has a sound system and karaoke equipment for all to use. As always, volunteers to set

up and break down are needed and very much appreciated.

Tea Party Meets Feb. 13 At Binks A Tea Party meeting will be held Monday, Feb. 13 at the Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington.

Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock will be the guest speaker. She will discuss how she serves her constituents as a constitutional officer.

Doors open at 5:30 p.m., followed by a buffet dinner from 6 to 7 p.m. and the meeting from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $15 all inclusive. For more information, contact Gina Rascati at (561) 921-5298 or gina.teaparty@gmail.com.

Acreage Park Jam Feb. 18 The Acreage Landowners’ Association and the Indian Trail Improvement District will host their monthly Acreage Community Park

SOLOMON HONORED FOR CROCHET

Wheels for Kids took the $150,000 top prize at last year’s Great Charity Challenge.

TOWN-CRIER FILE PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ

Charity

Vote Now For Your Favorite

Royal Palm Beach resident Attis Solomon was awarded two first-place and two third-place ribbons for her crocheted items at the 2012 South Florida Fair. The two purses were made from plastic grocer y bags. The hats were crocheted. Solomon, 89, loves to sew and has done such crafts since age 16.

She is a member of the Royal Palm Beach seniors activities group at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Shown above is Solomon with her winning items.

PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

ITID

Money For Park Plans

continued from page 1 that if she had the option of doing the building or the fields first, she would prefer the fields. “We have a [county] library that will open in a few months,” she said. “I’m not a big fan of steel buildings, although you can make it look like it is not a steel building.”

Supervisor Jennifer Hager preferred to go through with their original plan, pointing out that the community center is a vision of the board. “If we’re going to go backward, then everybody has to go backward,” Hager said. “I don’t want my name on a steel building.”

Hager said if they cannot afford a cement building, they should wait until they can.

ITID Attorney Frank Palin said a design-build option would re-

Equestrian

More Approvals Needed

continued from page 1 could be moved farther from homes.

Mark Bellissimo, managing partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners, said that the barns were designed strategically to mitigate odor and traffic.

“We learned from our experience with [PBIEC],” he said. “The biggest complaint is the backup alarm when trucks come in to take the manure. Here we have the manure bins located strategically between the two barns. It acts as a sound buffer and all traffic becomes localized.”

Bellissimo said he worked closely with three of the four homeowners closest to the barns to provide landscape buffers. “The way it’s planned,” he said, “they won’t even be able to see the barns.”

But council members asked if four barns were even necessary.

Bellissimo said it would help to bring people to Wellington yearround rather than seasonally.

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine Priore suggested building three barns and then returning for review before the council would ap-

continued from page 1 est time determines the winner.

“It’s a family-oriented equestrian relay race led by Olympic-caliber athletes,” Bellissimo explained.

Each charity was randomly assigned a sponsor — a generous family or individual who donated money to make the event a reality.

The sponsors have the chance to select the amateur riders who will compete for their charity, while the professional riders are selected at random.

Even if a charity wasn’t drawn, there’s another chance to make it in. Two more charities will be selected over the next week, with the final charity selected the night of the event in a wild-card draw, Bellissimo explained.

“We’re going to pick one of the charities that attends but wasn’t drawn, and they will be assigned

a wild-card team,” he said. “It will be done in a random drawing and give them a chance to win.”

Even though the main event is set for Friday, charities are already battling for prize money online.

This year, fans can compete for their favorite charity by voting for them online in the $50,000 FTI Challenge. The top three fan favorite charities will win a portion of $50,000.

“It’s a chance for people’s top three favorite charities to get a $50,000 bonus the night of the event,” Bellissimo explained.

“You go online and vote for your favorite, and the top three winners will take home $25,000, $15,000 or $10,000 for getting the top votes.”

You can cast a vote for your favorite charity once a day by visiting www.ftigreatcharitychallenge. com.

In addition to the competition,

there will be plenty of family-fun activities. “There will be live entertainment with a carnival and activities for children and families,” Bellissimo said.

He encouraged everyone to come out, cheer on their favorite charity and support charities in Palm Beach County.

“It’s all about the spirit of giving,” Bellissimo said. “It’s not about one particular charity or cause; instead, it’s a celebration of all the great heroes in our community. It’s a chance to celebrate them and help them to continue to help those who need it most.”

The event is open to the public and is sure to be a night of fun, excitement and great competition.

Gates open at 6 p.m. with the first horse on course at 7 p.m.

General admission tickets cost $20, and all proceeds will be divided among the charities. Tickets can be purchased by calling Anne Goyette at (561) 793-5867.

Lox Election

Challenging Ryan Liang

quire more research. “Up to this point, we have advertised for a different approach,” Palin said, explaining that they would have to have design criteria, then send out a proposal.

Damone asked whether design criteria could be done in a workshop, and Palin said he believed it could, but reiterated that the architects there that evening to make presentations were not solicited on that basis.

Applicant René Tercilla of Tercilla Courtemanche Architects said that working under a designbuild method could result in a building that is falling apart after 10 years. He pointed out that there are different grades of materials that can be used, and that designbuild could result in lower quality.

As an example, he said there are seven different levels of gym flooring available, each of which has a certain life expectancy.

Applicant Mike Guinaugh of

Mike Guinaugh Engineering said utilizing the design-build option typically comes when there is limited building time. He said there is no doubt in his mind that he could meet the budget, but added that the community center and the outdoor fields cannot be built realistically for the money allocated.

“I live here; I believe it’s needed,” Guinaugh said. “Do you want the building or the fields? You can’t have both.”

Jacobs said that from her experience in the construction industry, she accepted both the architects’ comments. “They’re telling you the truth,” she said. “When there is not oversight, they will cut corners.”

Damone said she felt that they could build onto the park gradually when more money becomes available, but did not want to wind up with an unfinished community center. “I’m looking for people to be visionaries and tell us what we

can do, not what we can’t do,” she said. “What has been presented to us we cannot do.”

Enriquez asked how close they are to a workable plan, and ITID Administrator Tanya Quickel said an architect would have to tell them.

Tercilla said he would be able to tell them within weeks of being on board. “At any point you can just say, ‘We’re not going to do this,’” he said. “At this point you haven’t really taken on any responsibility or any debt. You can pull the plug.”

Tercilla offered to do the initial cost estimating for free in order to give the board a good view of what they were in for.

Bair made a motion to defer selection of the architect, which carried 4-1 with Hager opposed.

Bair also made a motion to hold a workshop Wednesday, Feb. 22 to discuss the issue further. That motion carried unanimously.

continued from page 1 the incorporation effort that led to the town’s creation in 2006.

“My understanding was that residents wanted to be able to have control over their town, and I think it’s a good thing,” he said.

Regarding Palm Beach State College’s decision to locate its fifth campus in Loxahatchee Groves, Guillaume said he wants to get input from residents.

“At this point, it appears that there is support, but my campaign is to make sure that the residents have a say-so as to what’s going on in their community,” he said.

“It seems that it is a positive thing, and if the residents are supportive of that, I’ll definitely be in support of it. Again, it’s all about making sure their voices are heard.”

Guillaume hesitated to state his personal feelings on local issues, saying they’re not as important as getting resident input. “I’m more

Byrnes Guillaume about consensus-building and problem-solving,” he said.

Guillaume said he did not enter the race to scrutinize the performance of his opponent.

“My campaign is not about being critical of the next guy,” he said.

“If he wishes to be critical of me he can. My campaign is about problem solving and being positive.”

prove the fourth. He motioned to approve the measure with that condition.

Coates agreed. “I would want a minimum of a year’s experience of the site operating as a commercial arena,” he said.

Coates said he was in favor of the measure to keep high-level equestrian competition in Wellington.

“If we don’t continue to evolve with the changing times, we will lose [the equestrian industry],” he said. “We almost lost polo. We did lose dressage. When I went to watch dressage at Jim Brandon [the county’s equestrian center at Okeeheelee Park], my first thought was, ‘How did we let this slip away?’”

But Willhite said he was concerned with traffic.

“Of course we have to worry about equestrians,” he said. “But we also have to worry about the 50,000 other residents in the village. I’m not saying I’m against growth or development; we always have to look to the future.

But we have to maintain a balance, and that balance is making sure we protect what we have as well as be open to what comes in the future.”

The council voted 4-1 to approve the measure with Willhite opposed.

Discussion on the third item —

a comprehensive plan change that would allow a five-story, 66-foot hotel on the property — followed, drawing more concern from the council and the community.

As originally proposed, the hotel would be a maximum of 66 feet; however, current rules do not allow a building that tall.

The tallest building now allowed in the Wellington Equestrian Preserve is 35 feet, Flinchum said. By comparison, the Hampton Inn on Forest Hill Blvd. is 57 feet, while the new Wellington High School auditorium is 58 feet.

Willhite asked Flinchum for his professional opinion about the height, and Flinchum said that he had concerns.

“The scale and the height have always been an issue for me,” he said.

Flinchum wasn’t the only one with concerns. In a staff report, Director of Growth Management Bob Basehart said he was also concerned about the project’s proposed height and intensity.

“Staff supports the idea of a hotel (or condo units) on the site,” Basehart wrote, “but does not believe the height or intensity proposed is acceptable in the equestrian preserve area.”

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig suggested restricting the height to 58 feet to match the high school auditorium.

“I would support this project at a 58-foot height limit,” she said. “I do consider this project to be an important equestrian use.”

Another concern for council members was whether the hotel would change the nature of the equestrian preserve.

Coates said that it could open up the preserve for more development.

“If you look at the map,” he said, “the argument can be made that most of the land remaining for development in Wellington is in the [Equestrian Overlay Zoning District]. As a council, we could make the decision down the road if we want to develop the southern end commercially. You’re opening the door for that.”

But Flinchum noted that the language in the amendment would allow for development only on that site.

“We have given you language to make sure that this intensity is very focused,” he said. “If it does occur, this is the best place for it.”

Coates said it is a careful balancing act between protecting the preserve and growing the industry, noting that one was dependent on the other.

“The [preserve] is something around which we’ve been able to build a very vibrant equestrian industry, as well as maintain significant home values in that

area,” he said. “If we destroy the nature and quality of life within the [preserve], we really do risk jeopardizing the industry that everyone wants to preserve and protect.”

But Flinchum pointed out that the way to balance was to put the major equestrian venues on the outskirts of the preserve. He pointed to the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

“It’s right on the perimeter, and that’s where it should be,” he said.

“All the traffic coming from Lake Worth Road stops at 120th [Avenue South] because of IPC. You do want to have these sort of recreational venues on the outskirts.

You wouldn’t want them internally.”

Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz pointed out that the nature of the preserve has changed from what it was originally set up to be.

“Originally, it was supposed to be people like you and I on a couple of acres,” he said, “and we might have a horse for the kids. It changed because of an unexpected event, and now the horse shows and polo have become a large part of it.”

Coates said he could see how a hotel would meet the needs of the equestrian community but felt it is too intense as proposed.

“I’m not so hung up on the fact that a hotel would be on that site,”

Coates explained. “My concern has always been the breadth and scope of the project. I have a problem with the height and sheer magnitude.”

He asked Bellissimo to consider scaling down the project.

Bellissimo said he’d like to see the project go before the state for its input, and that he would come back before the council with plans for the layout of the hotel and commercial space before final approval.

“Will we take it down to 58 feet?

Absolutely,” he said. “If changing it from 66 to 58 feet gets us the opportunity to create jobs for this community and return this site to what it was when it was a polo stadium, we’ll do it.”

Priore made a motion to approve transmittal of the item with the condition that the hotel be limited to 58 feet. The motion passed 3-2, with Willhite and Coates dissenting.

Village Manager Paul Schofield said that the amendments will be sent to the state’s land planning agency for review and will return to the council for public hearings and adoption later this spring, along with the necessary zoning changes.

“It will be reviewed for compatibility with our comprehensive plan,” he said. “Then upon review, you can choose to adopt it.”

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 21

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NEWS

The Town-Crier

PLENTY OF GREAT FINDS AT ANNUAL KIDS GARAGE SALE IN ROYAL PALM BEACH The Village of Royal Palm Beach presented its fifth annual Kids Garage Sale on Saturday, Feb. 4 at Veterans Park. Items for sale ranged from clothes and toys to baby furniture, bikes and more.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Liam Dunaway tries out a bed.

Michelle Norris finds a few bargains for Kaden.

Mia Chang finds unicorn friends.

Christa Hyslope, Lorena and Alexandria Machado, Ricky Gacel and Leaann McGuire look over kids clothes.

Laura Cooper picks out clothes for baby Alexia.

Bill Jackowski feeds Billy III while mom shops.

DANCING & DINING AT ROYAL PALM BEACH YOUNG AT HEART CLUB LUNCHEON A Young at Heart Club luncheon was held Friday, Feb. 3 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Lunch was catered by Tuxedo Gourmet Catering, and the Fabulons performed oldies music for listening and dancing.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

(Seated) Fran and Bob Davidson; (standing) David Fantegrossi, Jan Rive and Al Magersuppe.

Margarita Gutierrez, Gagy Toro, Nicky Tassone and Peggy Rogers.

Iris Levin, Gloria Ferrara and Margie Bonner.

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 23

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For more information or to apply for membership, please call 561-282-9447.

Owned and operated by The Breakers Palm Beach *Offer valid through March 31, 2012 for NEW Breakers West Rees Jones Annual Members who pay their dues and initiation fee upon being accepted to membership. A refundable deposit of $1,000 is required to activate The Breakers Ocean Club Summer Membership.

Summer Membership must be used during the 2012 summer membership term and is non-transferable and not redeemable for cash.

Page 24 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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PALM BEACH POLO SEASON AT INTERNATIONAL POLO CLUB

JANUARY 8TH-APRIL 22ND

Discover Sunday Polo Sunday, February 12th Ylvisaker Cup • 3:00 Featured Match • Field Side Champagne Brunch • General Admission Seating & Food Trucks in Wellington Zone • Kids Zone • Half Time Divot Stomp • Polo Player Autographs Following Match View Schedule | Purchase Tickets | General Information Internationalpoloclub.com | Box Office: 561.282.5334 Club Line: 561.204.5687

3667 120TH AVENUE SOUTH | WELLINGTON, FLORIDA 33414

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British Hay Company A New Option For Area Horses

The British Hay Company in Loxahatchee Groves is the brainchild of Tim Hart-Woods. Not only is the hay good in quality and affordable, but much of it is also organic, which is a unique selling point.

The firm offers a variety of hay in different-sized bales.

Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 27

February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 25

Wildcat Boys Basketball Tops Sem Ridge 57-29

The Royal Palm Beach High School boys varsity basketball team defeated host Seminole Ridge High School 57-29 on Friday, Feb. 3. Though the Hawks fought to cut into the Wildcats’ lead, Royal Palm Beach commanded the court, nearly doubling the number of points of their opponents. Page 39

Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

Business Troy Mediterranean Cuisine Serves Up Tastes Of The Middle East & More

Combining all the best foods the Mediterranean has to of fer, Troy Mediterranean Cuisine is an international restaurant offering fresh and tasty food. Troy opened last November inside the Mall at Wellington Green. The menu items are a mix of all Mediterranean favorites, from Turkish to Greek dishes. Everything is freshly made, using traditional family recipes.

Some of Troy’s most popular dishes are kebabs, lamb and gyros. Page 31

Sports WHS Boys Basketball Team Defeats Cardinal Newman High 56-30

The Wellington High School boys varsity basketball team hosted its final regular-season game Thur sday, Feb. 2 against Cardinal Newman, besting the Crusaders 56-30. After initially trailing, the Wolverines began to mount an assault, going into halftime with a 27-8 advantage.

Page 39

THIS WEEK’S INDEX COLUMNS & FEATURES ........................ 27-29 BUSINESS NEWS.................................. 31-33 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ...................... 34 SPORTS & RECREATION........................ 39-41 COMMUNITY CALENDAR ......................42-43 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................44-48

Page 26 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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©Sportfot ©ManciniPhotos

©Randi Muster

©ManciniPhotos

©Sportfot

Don’t miss the $125,000 FEI World CupTM Grand Prix presented by Spy Coast Farm Saturday, February 11th.

the Gallery (a south beach themed spectator pavilion), the Tiki Hut (polynesian beach bar), Tito'sTaco's (Mexican food/margaritas),

Many public hospitality pavilions,

Free General Admission. Parking $20 per carload.

For reserved or premiere seating, fine dining options, or group sales (10-500 people), call or text Annette Goyette at 561.779.1660 or email annette@equestriansport.com WWW.EQUESTRIANSPORT.COM

561.793.5867

Palm Beach International Equestrian Center • Wellington, Florida

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 27

FEATURES

British Hay Company Is A New Option For Your Horses So I was driving along Okeechobee Blvd. in Loxahatchee Groves one day, and couldn’t help but notice the signs placed out between A and B Roads: The British Hay Company had hay for sale at reasonable prices. Naturally, I had to stop in.

The business is the brainchild of Tim HartWoods, who has lived in South Florida for two years. Originally from Yorkshire, he previously lived in Costa Rica for a year, and Spain for eight. His background is in sales and marketing, and he only became involved with horses and began riding five years ago when he met his wife, Loring, who owns horses and runs a barn.

“This whole thing got started when I met Kent Brown, who used to sell hay off the back of his truck,” Tim explained. “Loring bought from him, and we got to talking. He brings the hay down from New York. We liked his hay. It was good, cheap and organic, and that’s a unique selling point, organic.”

Tim checked out other feed stores in the area, and there was very little information available about organic hay.

“To be certified organic, one needs a National Organic Program Certification certificate, and Kent had that,” he said. “I told Kent I’d buy all his hay, and we went into business. He supplies the product, and I Get updates all week long... follow Ellen Rosenberg on Twitter at twitter.com/ HorseTalkFL or stop by the Tales from the Trails page on Facebook and click “like.”

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg have the magic, unlocking-door accent.”

Such was the start of a business.

“Loring was thrilled. She uses 70 bales a month, and now we had an endless supply of hay,” Tim said. “So Kent came back with a load of hay two weeks later, and parked it on D Road. He told me he’d been talking to someone. I wondered who else was involved, but then he told me he’d been talking to God. Kent’s very religious. Kent said God gave him a good feeling about the whole venture, that we should set up a company and open a hay store.”

Of course, Tim wasn’t sure exactly how far he wanted this venture to go.

“I was retired. I wasn’t sure I wanted to go there. I wondered, do I have one last adventure in me? I’d have the overhead of an actual premises, and I’d have to be there at all hours,” he said. “Did I really want to do this? Obviously, I did, for now we have the British Hay Company.”

Kent’s job is to locate and buy good-quality hay and ensure a steady supply. Tim does the marketing and deals with the customers.

Tim Hart-Woods of the British Hay Company with bales of hay.

They opened Nov. 1, renting the property.

Business has been brisk from the start — 2,100 cars drive past their location each day, many of them people who own horses. The signs

were eye-catching. Their first month was surprisingly successful.

“Our first month, we doubled what Kent See ROSENBERG, page 29

Page 28 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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A WITH

&

Taste of the Mediterranean

AAA TRAVEL

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE

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oin AAA Travel at a special wine tasting event and meet Holland America Line representative Barbara Farenwald.

Learn all about exclusive AAA Vacations Cruises in the Mediterranean with Holland America Line while tasting some of the fine wines of Europe.

Monday, February 13, 2012 6:30pm Total Wine & More Shoppes at Isla Verde, 960 South SR-7 Village of Wellington, FL 33414

SPACE IS LIMITED. PLEASE REGISTER TO ATTEND: www.AAA.com/Wellington (click on event date in the “Events” calendar)

AAA Travel Wellington 561-357-3475

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 29

FEATURES

Trip To Key West Revives Mark’s Dream Of A Boating Life!

The economy is picking up, and here’s how I know — Mark and I took a trip to Key West last weekend. Of course, it helped that we avoided in-season hotel rates by staying with his son, Brad, whom Mark wanted to see “in action” at his job.

For most of us, parents who come to watch us “in action” at our jobs see us sorting mail or typing a letter or maybe driving some specialized machinery. The big excitement comes when we take them to the cafeteria for lunch.

But Brad has the awesome job of flying F-5 fighter jets around at breakneck speeds as he trains our country’s military pilots in the various air tactics used by our adversaries. It’s like a game of dodgeball, except the ball is a lot more expensive and you could easily get killed Get your Sonic Boomer humor every day!

Follow Deborah Welky on Twitter at twitter.com/TheSonicBoomer. On Facebook, stop by “The Sonic Boomer” page and click the “Like” button.

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER if you forgot to dodge. Not your average “specialized machinery.”

We watched Brad take off (earplugs required, no photography allowed), and he immediately and loudly disappeared into space.

Lunch was out because, when he landed two hours later, he had to debrief the pilots and tell them how they could improve. Frankly, I was happy to get the call, happy to hear that this particular “adversary” had effectively outwitted the United States yet another day. Whew!

So we took his wife to lunch at one of Key West’s 10 million sea shacks, a shack from

which pleasant smells had been emanating all morning long. Then the kids came home from school and crawled all over us until bedtime.

Mark was one happy grandpa.

I loved it, too, but this meant my entire plan had backfired. I was trying to get this oceanisland-adventure thing out of his system.

Let me explain: All I’ve heard since I married Mark is how he plans to retire onto a liveaboard boat and cruise the coastline and the Caribbean. This is every man’s dream. Of course, these men expect their women to go with them, whether the women get seasick or not.

I don’t get seasick, but I do know how I live day-to-day. On Monday, I type and putter around the house, and by Tuesday, I need to get into my car and drive for miles because I am bored out of my skull. On Wednesday, I type. On Thursday, I drive. Etcetera, etcetera.

Ironically, Mark thinks that this lifestyle is perfectly suited for a boat.

“You could type and then we’d stop at ev-

ery tempting little town along the coast!” he enthuses.

“But they’re all the same!” I whine. “Seashells and T-shirts and catchy phrases painted onto planks of wood. The food is fish — which we’ll probably be sick of, the drinks are expensive and my hair will be all messed up due to being on a boat!”

“I’ll take you inland to buy a comb!”

“We won’t be able to get that far because, at best, we’re on scooters!”

“You love scooters! You had a scooter when I met you!”

“Exactly. So I know how difficult it is to carry things on a scooter. What if I want to buy something bigger than a breadbox?”

“There’s no room for that on the boat.”

“You see?! You’re taking everything I consider normal and turning it upside down.”

Mark: “That’s precisely right. You know what they call that?”

Me (petulantly): “What?”

“Retirement.”

See, Americans Can Come Together... For The Super Bowl We have just finished one of the great sharing episodes of this great democracy. The primaries? No. The Super Bowl, of course. More people watch the “big game” than vote for either party’s candidate in the big November election. And compared to the primaries? Well, you know that answer, too. Of course, the results of this one are very satisfying to an old New Yorker.

The Super Bowl tradition has become ingrained by now. I am old enough to remember it before it was even called that. It was the AFL-NFLWorld Championship Game before Joe Namath of the New York Jets beat the Baltimore Colts in the third one. Now, it is a day where everything else comes to rest while a huge portion of the male population (and a growing part of the female) stops everything and pigs out during games.

“Pigs out” is a good phrase. I heard reports that about 1.2 billion chicken wings were consumed during the game, as well as millions of pizzas. The fancy candy companies may live for Valentine’s Day, but all the junk food companies, rib and wing places, and pizza delivery places focus on Super Bowl Sunday. On the other hand, the restaurant we ate in short-

Rosenberg

British Hay

continued from page 27 used to make selling off the back of his truck. The second month went thermonuclear,” Tim said. “I told Kent that at our current rate of sale, we’ll sell all the hay by the end of January. We needed more suppliers.

I asked him to find additional growers, even if it’s not organic, as long as it’s high quality.”

The British Hay Company offers a variety of hay in different-sized bales. The orchard grass/timothy mix goes $11 for a 45-pound bale and $12 for a 50-pound bale. Straight orchard grass is $13 for a 50-pound bale, and timothy and alfalfa 60-

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler ly before the game to celebrate a family birthday was essentially cleared out as we left at 6 p.m. to make it home in time for the game.

Everything comes to a stop that day. Coverage began at noon, with nonstop examinations of every possible twist and turn before the 6:30 game. What’s going on with Tom Brady and Giselle? Has Victor Cruz ever sprained anything when he does his celebration salsas? Should players be boastful and predict victory even though every sportscaster in America has done so and a large portion of us join in pools guessing the final score of the game?

Super Bowl day has become such an ingrained institution that it even inspired controversy years ago at the height of the femi-

pound wire bales are $14. Larger bales go for more: 65-pound bales of orchard grass/timothy/alfalfa are $15, and 50-pound bales of straight orchard grass/alfalfa are $16. Not all the hay is organic.

“We have hay scales right here, and anyone’s welcome to weigh any bales,” Tim said. “We also have 40-pound orchard grass/timothy bales for $10. This stuff comes in and goes right out. It helps horse owners who are scraping by, having a tough time finding the funds to feed their horses.”

Tim offers free delivery within 10 miles of the store, or if you buy in bulk and live farther away. They’re open 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and 10:30

nist movement. The leadership all claimed that Super Bowl Sunday was the day when more women suffered domestic violence than on any other day. It did take a couple of years to do the research, and it was discovered that the opposite was true. There was actually less domestic violence that day.

Any ardent fan could have told them that.

Most American men are too busy watching the screen, scarfing down enough cholesterol to kill off the blue whale population, drinking beer and heading for the bathroom, all while talking to their buddies, to even notice that women are around.

A few years later, some stores began to have Super Bowl sales with late hours, figuring women could slip out and buy what they liked without their men even noticing it. That disappeared as more women are now watching the game as well.

It is a time to come together. Expensive advertisements are concocted for the top-selling products in the country to be shown during the game — ads that are often so good they are actually shown off in advance. The reason for the great commercials is that the game is perhaps the only time during the year

a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. They accept all major credit cards and have a “no quibble” guarantee: You can bring back 80 percent of any bale you don’t like and get a new one, no argument.

“We try to make it easy for people,” Tim said. “It’s all about service.

If you look after your clients, the business will come.”

Nicole Neil of Loxahatchee is a regular customer. She owns two Thoroughbreds.

“I’ve gotten hay from them multiple times,” Nicole said. “The hay is good quality, the horses love it, and I like the customer service. We saw the sign a couple of months ago and stopped in. Now, we never go anywhere else. People

that advertisers can reach really large numbers of the public. But they pay handsomely for that: Even very short ads can run millions.

Now that we have so many channels and non-television sources of entertainment, the top-rated shows are generally thrilled to have a rating of 20 (whatever that actually means, since the rating system is deliberately complex). The last episode of M*A*S*H 30 years ago had one of over 60. The Super Bowl is so big that the regular channels just put on repeats. Why bother wasting something original?

So we all gathered around our sets, larger than the ones of past years (and let us note that the weeks just before the Super Bowl are also among the best for sales of very largescreen TVs) and shared an experience. For some, it’s a time of celebration, for others a time to mourn. There will be more mourners since those who lost bets, which include those who tried to guess the exact scores, will be down some cash.

So, happy about the ending or not, we can celebrate our coming together, even if it actually is for at least some of us the second most important public event of the year.

should definitely stop by and check it out.”

For more information, call the Brit-

ish Hay Company at (561) 633-6003 or visit www.thebritishhaycompany. com.

Tim Hart-Woods invites you to stop by the new store.

Page 30 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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BUSINESS NEWS

Troy Mediterranean Cuisine Serves Up Tastes Of The Middle East & More

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Combining all the best foods the Mediterranean has to offer, Troy Mediterranean Cuisine is an international restaurant offering fresh and tasty food.

“We take the best items from Greece, Turkey, Egypt and Israel, and we put it together to make one unique menu,” owner Deniz Suuctugu said.

Troy opened last November inside the Mall at Wellington Green. Suuctugu is an experienced restaurateur and has been in the business for 13 years. “I grew up in the restaurant business, and my whole family has had restaurants,” he said. “My mom and dad had a restaurant, and so did my grandparents. I went to college for hospitality management, and then I went to culinary school, so I know this business so well.”

A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Suuctugu opened his first restaurant in 1999. He later operated a restaurant for several years in Naples, Fla. He closed that business recently to focus here in the Palm Beaches.

“I’m now working on opening another location in Palm Beach County,” Suuctugu said.

“Since this is a family business, it was getting harder having two locations so far from each other.”

The menu items at Troy are a mix of all Mediterranean favorites, from Turkish to Greek dishes. Everything is freshly made, using traditional family recipes.

“We try to stick with the traditional foods, but we customize it a little for Americans,” Suuctugu said. “In Turkey, everything we eat is spicy, but here we have to make it less spicy because Americans don’t like everything to be spicy.”

Suuctugu emphasizes the importance of healthful eating by having menu items and cooking with ingredients that are good for you. “Most restaurants cook in corn oil, but here at Troy, we use extra virgin olive oil in our cooking, which is better for people,” he said.

Some of Troy’s most popular dishes are

Owner Deniz Suuctugu kebabs, lamb and gyros. Troy sells an estimated 1,000 gyros a week. “These are not your typical gyros,” Suuctugu said.

A Troy gyro consists of a pita filled with various sauces and slow-cooked meat. Customers have a choice of chicken, beef or lamb, and the meat is slowly turned as it cooks, in order to create a tender fall-off-the-bone consistency. “When people order it, we shave the meat off the cone, and then we grill it one last time to give it a fiery grilled taste,” Suuctugu said. “We get rid of all the extra oil, and it’s very low calorie, less fattening, healthier, and it tastes good.”

Troy can accommodate up to 78 people and will soon be adding more booths to accommodate 100. “We will be getting a big family table,” Suuctugu said. “We will also be upgrading the menu to include more items.”

Troy has begun serving Sunday brunch at which customers can get an American- and Mediterranean-infused breakfast from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. “We will soon be starting a buffet on weekends, where kids can eat free if they come with their parents,” Suuctugu added.

Troy is located in the Mall at Wellington Green, on the upper level next to TooJay’s and near Macy’s. For more information, visit www.troymci.com or call (561) 798-2521.

Troy’s popular chicken gyro with a side of Greek salad.

SEE VIDEO FROM TROY AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 31

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BUSINESS NEWS

Troy Cheatham Earns Talina Bidwell Named A Rising Specialty Credential Star By ‘Florida Super Lawyers’ Troy Cheatham of Wellington recently became one of the first physician assistants in the U.S. to earn a new specialty credential from the National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants (NCCPA). Cheatham received a certificate of added qualifications (CAQ) in orthopedic surgery. He is currently employed at the Center for Bone and Joint Surgery in Wellington.

The CAQ is a distinction earned by meeting licensure, education and experience requirements, and then passing an exam in the specialty.

Only 234 certified PAs earned a CAQ in the program’s first year. CAQs were offered to certified PAs in cardiovascular and thoracic surgery, orthopedic surgery, emergency medicine, nephrology and psychiatry.

“We are pleased to recognize this inaugural group of CAQ recipients,” NCCPA President and CEO Janet Lathrop said. “With the shortage of physicians growing each day in the U.S., it is promising to see certified PAs step up and voluntarily submit themselves to new standards for the benefit of the patients they serve each and every day.”

Certified PAs are licensed and certified healthcare professionals who practice medicine with physician supervision and bring a breadth of knowledge and skills to patient care. Though their role in any particular workplace is determined in consultation with the supervising physician, certified PAs can take histories, conduct physical exams, diagnose and treat illnesses, order and interpret tests, counsel on preventative healthcare, assist in surgery, perform a variety of procedures and write prescriptions.

For more information about certified PAs or the CAQ program, visit www.nccpa.net.

The National Commission on Certification of Physician Assistants is the certifying organization for physician assistants in the United States.

Since its inception as a not-for-profit organization in 1975, more than 97,000 physician assistants have been certified by NCCPA, and approximately 85,000 are certified today. In addition to its CAQ program, NCCPA also administers initial and recertifying exams, and has an established program for certification maintenance.

The statewide law firm Broad and Cassel has announced that Talina Bidwell, senior counsel, business litigation, was named as a “Rising Star” by Florida Super Lawyers magazine. Bidwell is a Wellington resident.

West Palm Beach Managing Partner Patricia Lebow was named among the elite listing of 2011 “Top 100 Florida Super Lawyers” by Florida Super Lawyers. She was also named among the “Top 50 Women Florida Super Lawyers.”

In total, 28 of the firm’s attorneys have been named as 2011 “Florida Super Lawyers” and 14 have been named as a “Rising Star” by Florida Super Lawyers magazine. Three Broad and Cassel attorneys have been named among the elite listing of “Top 100 Florida Super Lawyers,” including Lebow, Orlando Partner Robert Alfert Jr. and Orlando Partner Michael K. Wilson. Fort Lauderdale Partner Lester Perling was named among the “Top 100 Miami Florida Super Lawyers.”

Super Lawyers selects attorneys using a rigorous, multiphase rating process. Peer nominations and evaluations are combined with

third party research. Each candidate is evaluated on 12 indicators of peer recognition and professional achievement. Selections are made on an annual, state-by-state basis.

Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers from more than 70 practice areas who have attained a high-degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multiphased and includes independent research, peer nominations and peer evaluations. Super Lawyers magazine is published in all 50 states and reaches more than 13 million readers.

The Broad and Cassel West Palm Beach office was founded in 1983

by Lebow. The office’s 20 attorneys focus their practices primarily in the following areas of law: commercial litigation, real estate, land use, environmental, estate planning and trusts, trademark and patent, banking and institutional lending, bankruptcy, special assets, personal injury, construction law and litigation, labor and employment, appellate, business, corporate and securities transactions.

Talina Bidwell Broad and Cassel is a full-service law firm founded in 1946. It has more than 170 attorneys in eight offices across Florida.

For more information, visit the firm’s web site at www.broadand cassel.com.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Leadership Palm Beach County 2012 Excellence Awards April 19 Continuing a tradition that has recognized the contributions of esteemed community leaders, Leadership Palm Beach County (LPBC) is planning its eighth annual Leadership Excellence Award event for Thursday, April 19 at the Marriott West Palm Beach.

“We are proud to have so many distinguished Leadership Palm Beach County alumni,” said LPBC President Tom Jensen of ARCADIS. “The Leadership Excellence Award helps us to highlight the positive impact they have on our community every day.”

Bill Bone and Dari Bowman are serving as honorary co-chairs for the event. Bone is a native of Palm Beach County. He is a graduate and trustee of the University of Florida College of Law and founding partner of the law firm of Larmoyeux & Bone PL. A recipient of numerous legal honors and awards, Bone is active in many civic, cultural and charitable organizations, and served as chair or president for several, including the Palm Beach Centennial Commission, the Forum Club of the Palm Beaches, the Rotary Club and Healthy Mothers/Healthy Babies.

He is a member of LPBC’s Class of 1995.

Bowman is a council member and past chair of the Children’s Services Council of Palm Beach County. A long-time community volunteer and advocate for children, Bowman cofounded the Law Enforcement Assistance Foundation in 1987 to assist families of law enforcement officers seriously injured in the line of duty. She has earned several awards and has served as chair for several nonprofit organizations, including the ARC, the South Florida Science Museum, the Palm Beach Marine Institute and Win for the Kids. Bowman is a graduate of LPBC’s Class of 1988.

Past award recipients are Don Chester, Gale Howden, David Baker, Sharon Bock, Wendy Sartory Link, Rev. Pam Cahoon and David Goodlett.

Planning Committee chairs are Gregory Demetriades and Kenyetta Haywood. Committee members include Sarah Alsofrom, Regina Bedoya, Bob Bertisch, Bob Bytnar, Sandra Chamblee, Don Chester, Sally Chester, Dione Christy, Linda Culbertson, Silvia Garcia, Terry Gearing,

February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 33

RIBBON CUTTING FOR TCBY IN WELLINGTON

Honorary co-chairs Dari Bowman and Bill Bone.

Cheryl Godbout, Mary Rose O’Connell and Gayle Pallesen.

For sponsorship packages or to register, visit www.leadershippbc. org. Sponsorship information is also available by calling the LPBC office at (561) 833-4321.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for the TCBY location in the Courtyard Shops. TCBY offers 14 core flavors of frozen yogurt, which can be mixed into a swirl, adding an additional seven more flavors. TCBY also offers an assortment of pies and cakes to take home. The shop is open to parties, groups or meetings. For more info., visit www.facebook.com/TCBYWellington or call (561) 366-7725. Shown above are TCBY co-owners Marni and Greg Altfest with Wellington Chamber ambassadors.

Page 34 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Three Exhibitions Open Feb. 16 At Lighthouse ArtCenter Art lovers will be delighted to discover the variety of exhibitions — from paintings to underwater photography to sculptural ceramics — opening at the Lighthouse ArtCenter Museum on Feb. 16. The opening night reception will take place from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and feature “Realism: A Stringing Together of Abstractions,” “Sea Creatures Above and Below” and “It’s All in the Details.”

Immense hyper-realistic paintings

of sunsets and florals by J.B. Berkow are paired with colorfield abstract paintings by Rita Shapiro, while in another gallery, wildlife and underwater photographer Ruth Petzold features photographs taken around the globe from pole to pole. Nationally renowned ceramic artist and sculptor Nick Ramey’s work will be on display, and the artist also will present a workshop on Feb. 24 and 25.

People who are familiar with

Linear Seduction by J.B. Berkow and Rita Shapiro.

Berkow’s work are struck by her stunning hyper-realism. In fact, her work appears so real that art critics have dubbed it “art you can live in.” Oddly enough, Berkow does not consider herself a realist painter. Instead, she thinks of herself as “an artist stringing together abstractions.”

Aware that people were not seeing her work the way she did, she decided to produce a 20-minute documentary on the topic titled Realism: A Stringing Together of Abstractions. To emphasize the points raised in the documentary, she went a step further by orchestrating a series of collaborative paintings that she created with her friend and wellestablished color-field artist, Shapiro.

“Sea Creatures, Above and Below” features photographs (some as large as 5 feet wide) from Petzold’s explorations that include polar bears, rare leafy sea dragons, whales, as well as a pygmy seahorse the size of one’s pinky fingernail. Although Petzold suffered a leg amputation years ago, it has not stopped her indomitable spirit from continuing to do underwater photography and travel the world in search of great photographs. As a wildlife conservationist, she is a member of the Explorers Club.

Educational components to the exhibition include wall panels with descriptions of the sea creatures, characteristics and geography, and on Thursday, March 15 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Petzold will be in the museum to address questions and will

A ceramic piece by Nick Ramey. deliver a lecture on her photography and experiences beginning at 6:15 p.m.

Among other accomplishments in the ceramics field, Ramey has just been awarded a five-year residency at Baltimore Clayworks and was part of the study abroad program in China. Ramey has a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University and a master’s degree from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. During graduate school, he developed an interest in using representational imagery that eventually led to a switch in focus from functional pottery to figurative sculpture.

In his two-day workshop on Feb. 24 and 25, he will demonstrate wheelthrown and figurative sculpture processes, covering a variety of tech-

niques, including altered forms, slipcast assemblage, underglaze/glaze and decal application. Presentations feature non-traditional building and application techniques to invoke a spark of nostalgia, as well as influences from abroad. To register for the workshop and artists party, call the Lighthouse ArtCenter School of Art at (561) 748-8737.

The Lighthouse ArtCenter is located in Gallery Square North (373 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta). Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, with free admission for members, and $5 for nonmembers age 12 and up. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. with free admission. For more information, call (561) 746-3101 or visit www.lighthouse arts.org.

The Phantom Recommends American Fine Wine Competition Honoring America’s wine-making prowess, the American Fine Wine Competition, presented by Patriot National Insurance Group, is one of the nation’s most prominent and prestigious wine events. Celebrating its fifth anniversary, the 2012 American Fine Wine Competition will take place Thursday, April 19 and feature a star-studded gala dinner with acclaimed chef Emeril Lagasse and announcer Alan Kalter (of The Late Show With David Letterman) live, onstage.

The AFWC is more than one big night with big, bold wines. It consists of several events, including a VIP kickoff reception, the actual wine competition, a VIP party and an open-to-the-public consumer challenge and fundraiser. Proceeds from the events will benefit the Diabetes Research Institute, the Golden Bell Education Foundation and the Youth Automotive Training Center.

Kicking off this unique array of events was the invitation-only VIP reception held Thursday, Jan. 12 at

the Boca Raton Resort & Club and hosted by JM Lexus for corporate sponsors and VIPs, participating charities, wine competition judges and invited media only. The wine competition took place Jan. 15-16 at the Boca Country Club, where 24 wine experts and industry moguls, hand-picked by the AFWC, tasted more than 600 wines invited into the competition and awarded prestigious medals.

After the competition, the AFWC will host an open-to-the-public kickoff Thursday, March 8. The event will take place at Allied Kitchen & Bath’s beautiful showroom, the perfect destination to mix and mingle with fellow wine enthusiasts. Guests will have the opportunity to taste some of the wines from last year’s competition, meet this year ’s judges, enjoy a beautifully catered meal and visit the AFWC’s sponsor booths. The party will be held in Allied Kitchen & Bath’s showroom (616 W. Oakland Park Blvd., Fort Lauderdale).

One month prior to the gala din-

ner, the American Fine Wine Competition will host a consumer challenge and fundraiser on Thursday, March 22 from 7 to 9 p.m. Taking place at Bogart’s restaurant, owned and operated by well-known restaurateur, Burt Rapoport and emceed

by Jeff “Defo” Deforrest, the consumer challenge takes an exciting twist on the everyday wine tasting event. Guests will enjoy nine stations of specially chosen wines, an array of delicious dishes, prepared by the Bogart’s culinary team, as well as play games and win prizes at AFWC Sponsors’ booths. At the event, which is open to the public, 12 attendees will have the opportunity to participate in a blind tasting challenge of 10 American wines. The taster who properly identifies the most wines correctly will be awarded two complimentary tickets to the gala dinner. Tickets for this event cost $35 per person and a percentage will benefit the Youth Automotive Training Center. Bogart’s is located inside the Cinemark Palace 20 (3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton).

The highly anticipated gala dinner will take place Thursday, April 19 starting at 6 p.m. The evening begins with the sparkling reception, featuring a vast selection of fine sparkling and white wines along with delicious hors d’oeuvres and exciting entertainment. A silent auction will feature 150 wine baskets, with each bottle personally signed by the winemaker. With a guest list of 550 attendees, the gala dinner will feature all the wines entered into the competition poured by your personal “wine angel,” served along with a four-course dinner, prepared by the culinary team at Boca Raton Resort & Club.

Lagasse will prepare the evening’s main course onstage during his live demonstration. Prior to dinner, a lottery will be held in which eight lucky guests will be selected to sit on stage at “Emeril’s Table” to enjoy the demonstration close-up. Attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in a live auction, presided over

by Kalter in which 100 percent of the proceeds benefit the Diabetes

Emeril Lagasse PHOTO BY STEVEN FREEMAN

Research Institute and the Golden Bell Education Foundation. Tickets for the gala dinner cost $300 per person. The gala dinner will be held at the Boca Raton Resort & Club at Mizner Center (501 E. Camino Real).

For ticket information, call (561) 504-VINE (8463) or visit www. americanfinewinecompetition.com.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

WHS Basketball Boys Defeat Cardinal Newman 56-30

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington High School boys varsity basketball team hosted its final regular-season game Thursday, Feb. 2 against Cardinal Newman, besting the Crusaders 5630.

Wellington’s Courtney Bigby aims for the basket.

Wellington’s Mike Margiotta takes a shot from the outside.

The Crusaders jumped out at the start of the contest with a short lead, but Wellington found their rhythm and soon after began to mount their assault, going into halftime with a convincing 27-8 advantage.

Aggressive play by the Wolverines in the first half certainly helped them in the second half, as the Crusaders made every effort to mount a comeback, scoring 22 points, but were unable to close the gap. The Wolverine offense managed their lead in the second half by scoring 29.

The difference in the game was made by Wellington senior Stephane Beneche and junior Michael Morosco, combining for 17 rebounds. Although the second half appeared much closer, Wellington held on for the 56-30 victory.

Top performers for Wellington were Dondre Duffus, with 14 points and five assists; Mike Margiotta, with 8 points and two 3-point goals; Morosco, with nine rebounds; and Beneche, with eight rebounds.

Wellington hosted Palm Beach Central on Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. in the district playoffs, but the score was unavailable at press time.

PHOTOS BY GENE NARDI/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington’s Stephane Beneche goes against Andrew Owers.

Wolverine Kemar Downer jumps up for a 2-pointer.

Wellington’s Michael Morosco earns one of his nine rebounds against Cardinal Newman’s Matthew Burke.

Wildcat Boys Basketball Squad Tops Seminole Ridge 57-29

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach High School boys varsity basketball team defeated host Seminole Ridge High School 57-29 on Friday, Feb. 3.

Though the Hawks fought to cut into the Wildcats’ lead, Royal Palm Beach commanded the court, nearly doubling the number of points of their opponents.

Royal Palm Beach got control of the game early on in the first quarter

and never looked back. Baskets by Ivenor Rosier and C.J. Hammond put them in the lead early on.

Meanwhile, baskets by the Hawks’ Myers McCray and Omar Pierre-Louis added to the score, making it 14-3 going into the second quarter.

But Royal Palm Beach dominated the first half, scoring several more baskets early in the second quarter.

With 4:30 left in the half, the Hawks were down 26-6 when Eli Turene put

Hawk Myers McCray looks to pass while C.J. Hammond guards him.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

in a 3-point basket. But Royal Palm Beach responded with a basket and two foul shots to extend their lead.

Pierre-Louis went to the foul line for the Hawks next and sank one, but Hammond put in another basket just before halftime, making the score 29-10 going into the second half.

The Hawks came into the second half with more determination but were unable to hold back the Wildcats, who put the most points of the game on the board in the third quarter. Though Seminole Ridge was able to put in 9 points, it was no match for the Wildcats’18 points.

Baskets by Pierre-Louis and Luke Miller added to the Hawks’ score, while Christian Cromartie and Joe Joe Williams scored for the Wildcats. The score was 47-19 at the end of the third quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the Hawks came back to cut into Royal Palm Beach’s lead and managed to hold them to only 10 points. But it wasn’t enough to stop the Wildcats, who finished the game 57-29.

The Hawks took on Park Vista in the first round of the district tournament on Tuesday, Feb. 7, losing by a score of 61-46. Meanwhile, Royal Palm Beach defeated Santaluces High School 64-37.

Hawk Omar Pierre-Louis races toward the basket.

P.J. Moreland guards Omar Pierre-Louis as he heads for the basket.

Page 40 February 10 - February 16, 2012

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SPORTS & RECREATION

WILDCAT CHRIS BARR SIGNS TO PLAY BASEBALL FOR PALM BEACH STATE

Royal Palm Beach High School senior Christopher Barr recently signed a letter of intent to play baseball for Palm Beach State College. The four-year varsity player started on the varsity team as a sophomore and rotated between three positions: pitcher, outfield and first base.

Barr ended the year as lead-off hitter. Because of his speed, he was used more in the outfield when not pitching. Barr plans on majoring in business. Shown above is Barr with PBSC baseball coach Kyle Forbes.

WHS Wrestlers Compete In Jupiter

The Wellington High School wrestling team competed at the John Raich Memorial Tournament over the Jan. 28-29 weekend at Jupiter High School.

In a field of 32 teams, the Wolverines placed three different wrestlers in the top six of their weight classes.

Senior Collin Bachi finished in fifth place at 152 pounds and improved his team leading record to 40-8. Junior Austin Schnaderbeck (145 pounds) earned a sixth-place medal after defeating the Palm Beach County champion at his weight class before having to injury default his last two matches.

Sophomore Nik Bonadies had a similar route to his sixth-place medal after defeating a wrestler who placed third in the Class 1A state tournament last year; he also had to injury default his way to sixth place.

“This was a great performance for our guys this late in the season right before our district tournament,”

Austin Schnaderbeck, Collin Bachi and Nik Bonadies. coach Travis Gray said. “All three of these wrestlers have shown that they are ready for the post season.

Collin Bachi has placed at every tournament so far this season, and

Austin and Nik are working back from injuries just in time for the district tournament. We are really looking forward to see how their hard work will pay off this post-season.”

Seminole Ridge Wrestlers Capture The Bronze The Seminole Ridge High School wrestling team had it a little rough Jan. 28, taking the third-place bronze in the Gold Division of the Iron Cobra Dual Meet Wrestling Tourna-

ment at Park Vista High School.

The Ridge defeated Fort Pierce Central (31-29), Fort Pierce Westwood (72-6) and John I. Leonard (6612) but lost to Coral Springs (56-22)

and Park Vista (51-24). Hawks Nick Keller, Trace Thome and Scott Watson went 5-0 in their matches, with Thome named the tournament’s outstanding wrestler.

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February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 41

SPORTS & RECREATION

TKA Athletes Sign Letters Of Intent To Play College Sports The King’s Academy has announced the signing of three of its student athletes to play sports at the collegiate level. Feb. 1 marked the first day of 2012 that high school athletes are able to sign a binding letter of intent to attend a college or university.

Danielle Hurme, a TKA girls soccer player, signed a national letter of intent to play at Stetson University in Deland, Fla. Hurme helped lead the girls soccer team to its sixth straight district title and to the regional finals in the 201112 season. She follows in the footsteps of many other TKA girls soccer players who have played at Stetson.

TKA football player Brian Grove signed a national letter of intent to play at Dartmouth College, a member of the prestigious Ivy League, in Hanover, N.H. Grove finished the 2011 football season as the third leading rusher in Palm Beach County.

TKA softball player Aubree Murphy signed a national letter of intent to attend Daytona State University in Daytona Beach. Murphy has been one of the top pitchers in

WRHA Hockey Stick Exchange March 3

The Wellington Roller Hockey Association (WRHA) is exchanging its hockey sticks for golf clubs on Saturday, March 3 at the Binks Forest Golf Club.

The four-player per team scramble-format golf tournament will begin at 12:30 p.m. and conclude with an awards dinner. A raffle and silent auction of sports memorabilia will also add to this inaugural event.

The tournament is open to any golfer who would like to support the program. A portion of the entry fee is tax deductible. For those who don’t golf but are interested in supporting the WHRA, a limited num-

Robert Kukleski, Aubree Murphy and Karen Murphy.

Palm Beach County for three years running, garnering numerous awards and all-area nominations.

Murphy will attempt to lead TKA’s girls softball team to a district title this year as they begin their season this month.

The coaches, who spoke about

each student, were in agreement that Hurme, Grove and Murphy all exemplify what it means to be a TKA student athlete because they are not only exceptional athletes, but also driven students, strong citizens, faithful Christians, and wonderful role models.

ber of tickets are available for the awards dinner and auction.

“The WRHA provides boys and girls in the community a chance to participate in a competitive environment on roller skates as opposed to ice skates,” WHRA Commissioner Gari Sanfilippo said. “More than 100 kids now play in the program that had but four teams a couple of years ago.”

Player entry forms can be obtained at the Binks Forest Golf Club golf shop or by calling Sanfilippo at (561) 603-1513. He can also answer questions for companies interested in sponsoring a golf hole or more.

Smith Wins Golf Tour Tourney At Binks Forest Brandon Smith of West Palm Beach won his second straight Golfslinger.com Tour event, and 11th overall, with a three under par 69 on Monday, Jan. 30 at the Binks Forest Golf Club in Wellington.

Smith made six birdies and three bogeys, beating 43 starters and earning $1,000 from the $5,463 purse. He

received $2,000 for winning a 36-hole tournament the previous week at the Champions Club in Stuart. He is the first double winner in the Golfslinger’s nine events this month.

Formerly the Fuzion Minor League Golf Tour, more information on the Golfslinger.com Tour is available at www.minorleaguegolf.com.

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR Saturday, Feb. 11 • Saddle Up for Jazzfest Wellington will continue Saturday, Feb. 11 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120 Ave. South, Wellington). For more info., visit www.wellingtonjazzfest.com.

• The Acreage Arsenal U-10 boys soccer team will host a Yard Sale on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 14239 Orange Blvd. in The Acreage. The sale will feature household items, clothes, toys and sports equipment, and will help raise money for the team. For more info., call Kelli Shipe at (561) 670-9976.

• Wellington will host a Green Market and Songwriters’ Showcase on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

• The Jim Sackett Invitational Celebrity Softball Tournament will take place Saturday, Feb. 11 at 8 a.m. at Wellington Village Park. All proceeds will benefit Friends of Abused Children Inc. Admission costs $5 for adults and is free for children under 3. For more info., call (561) 659-5005 or (561) 632-1170, or visit www.friendspbc.org.

• The Boynton Beach Woman’s Club (1010 S. Federal Highway, Boynton Beach) will host a “Retro Indie Market” on Saturday, Feb. 11 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. with more than 70 vendors specializing in vintage items. Admission is $5 for adults, free for children 12 and under with an adult. For more info., call Amanda Linton at (561) 6358086 or visit www.sugarcircus.com or www.familyvintage.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Celebrate Black History Month: Book Discussion Series” for adults Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. Librarian Ronald Glass will lead a discussion of Disintegration: The Splintering of Black America by Eugene Robinson. Sign up and check out the book. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a “Valentine’s Love Bites” cooking class Saturday, Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• St. Rita Catholic Church (13645 Paddock Drive) will host a Bunko Party on Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7 p.m. in the Parish Center.

Tickets cost $10 per person. Call Caroline at (561) 798-2853 for more info.

• The Wellington Idol finals will be held Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for info.

• On Saturday, Feb. 11 at 7:30 p.m., the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation will celebrate some of Wellington’s finest citizens at “A Breath of Fresh Air Affair” at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 683-9965.

• Little Smiles will present “Stars Ball 2012: A Night at the Oscars” on Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Harriet Himmel Theater in CityPlace in West Palm Beach. Contact Ashley at agordon@littlesmiles.org for more info.

Sunday, Feb. 12 • The International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington) will feature the Ylvisaker Cup Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 12. Visit www.internationalpolo club.com for more info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host the cookie-decorating competition “All Things Sweet” on Sunday, Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. Six customers will compete. Sign up at the customer service desk or call (561) 904-4000 for info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will feature “Wine Your Valentine” on Sunday, Feb. 12 from 2 to 4 p.m.

The wine tasting will help you choose the best wine for your Valentine. Call (561) 9044000 for more info.

Monday, Feb. 13 • Royal Palm Beach HealthSource Chiropractic and Progressive Rehab (125 S. State Road 7, Suite 103) will host a South Florida Blood Bank Drive on Monday, Feb. 13.

HealthSource doctors will offer free community service health screenings for new patients and free 15-minute massages for existing patients in exchange for a $10 donation to the American Red Cross. For more info., visit www.healthsourcechiro.com.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Animal Origami” for ages 6 to 9 on Monday, Feb. 13 at 3:30 p.m. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Panther Ridge Conservation Center (14755 Palm Beach Point Blvd., Wellington) will host “A Walk On the Wild Side” Monday, Feb. 13 from 4 to 7 p.m. featuring cocktails, light fare and auctions. The cost is $50 per person. For more info., call (561) 795-8914 or visit www.pantherridgecc.org.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Valentine Roses” for ages 9 to 14 on Monday, Feb. 13 at 4:15 p.m. Create roses with colored duct tape. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Western Communities Football See CALENDAR, page 43

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 42 League will hold its annual election Monday, Feb. 13 at 6:30 p.m. at Wellington Village Park gym (11700 Pierson Road). Active members are invited to attend. For more info., contact Tracey Seberg at tracey@wcfl cheerleading.com or (561) 753-2877.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors will meet Monday, Feb. 13 at 7:30 p.m. at the district office (101 West D Road). Call (561) 7930884 for more info.0 Tuesday, Feb. 14 • Na’amat USA, Sharon Chapter, Royal Palm Beach, will present a Valentine’s Day murder mystery Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 11:30 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). For more info., call Cecile Millman at (561) 795-5811.

• The Wellington Village Council will meet Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at the municipal complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 791-4000 or visit www.wellington fl.gov for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach Community Band will begin its free 2012 series with a “Sweetheart Concert” on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. For more info., call (561) 790-5149.

Wednesday, Feb. 15 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Novel Destinations: Book Discussion Series for adults Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 6:30 p.m. Sara Harris will lead a discussion of Turtle Moon by Alice Hoffman. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• Shulamit Hadassah will host “Paint Your Own Pottery” on Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at Picasso’s Paint Your Own Pottery (6169 Jog Road, Lake Worth). Prices range from $6 to $50. RSVP to Sandi at slg759@ comcast.net or call (561) 791-8505.

• The Sons of Italy will meet Wednesday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Civic Center (151 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach). The guest speaker will be Wayne Picone, who will speak on different scams aimed at seniors. The public is invited. RSVP to Pat DeVivo at (561) 249-1298.

Thursday, Feb. 16 • Sunsport Gardens (14125 North Road, Loxahatchee Groves) will host its Mid-Winter Naturist Festival Feb. 16-21. For more info., call (561) 793-0423 or visit www. sunsportgardens.com.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Credit & Debt Management” for adults Thursday, Feb. 16 at 2

p.m. with Maisie Ross of the Palm Beach County Extension Service. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a mixer Thursday, Feb. 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. RSVP to (561) 7906200 or e-mail jessica@palmswest.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature Jaclyn Dolamore, author of Magic Under Glass, for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 6:30 p.m. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council will meet Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at village hall (1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.) Call (561) 790-5100 for more info.

• Women of all ages are invited to join the next Ladies’ Life Design event “Desserts & Hearts’ Delights,” to be held by New Harvest Baptist Church of Loxahatchee on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. Savor decadent desserts as you craft creative cards. The donation is $5 per person. Call Stephanie at (561) 337-0227 for more info.

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host a Candidates Forum on Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. in the municipal complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 7926525 for more info.

• American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Post 390 will meet Thursday, Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. at Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Station 30 (9610 Stribling Way, Wellington). For more info., e-mail wellingtonlegion390@gmail. com or call (561) 301-2961.

Friday, Feb. 17 • The 2012 FTI Great Charity Challenge will take place Friday, Feb. 17 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, awarding $1.5 million to 32 local charities.

Gates open at 6 p.m. with the first horse on course at 7 p.m. For more info., visit www.ftigreatcharitychallenge.com.

• The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will show The Big Year at its Free Movie Night on Friday, Feb. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Bring your own seating. Call (561) 7532484 for more info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Mom’s Morning Escape & Goddard School Arts & Crafts Corner” on Friday, Feb. 17 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Call (561) 904-4000 for more info.

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

February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 43

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STOP SMOKING HYPNOSIS Sherri Austin, Certified Hypnotist 561-247-1116 HypnosisWithSherrie.com

WE BUY YOUR OLD & BROKEN GOLD — diamond, & silver jewelry, coins, silverware, flat-ware, etc. Wellington Green Mall. CR Jewelers (outside Aeropost ale) 561-753-1313

HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER — in Wellington needs EXAM PREP COORDINATOR Bachelors Degree- Demonstrate Solid Performance on SAT and ACT (either verbal or math sections) Available to work evenings and Saturdays. Also needed: EXAM PREP TUTORS Now Hiring SAT/ACT Preparation T utors.

Must have a 4 year degree preferably in Mathmetics or English.

Be available to tutor on Saturdays.

Please e-mail your resume to marlenegiraud@hlcwellington.com VOLUNTEERS NEEDED — 14 years and over for community service. Have fun with animals & kids 792-2666

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IMMEDIATE OPENING — Busy Wellington CPA office. Need FullTime Administrative Assistant. Light Bookkeeping experience required.

Quickbooks experience helpful.

Fax Resume & Salary Requirements to 561-790-6830

RENTAL TO SHARE — Traveling adult male willing to share 2/2 apt.

5 minutes to horse and polo grounds. Washer/Dryer and Amenities included $1,200 mo. Nonsmoker please. 808-489-3989 ROOM FOR RENT ACREAGE — $500 per month. Private Room & Bath in 3 bedroom Home. Kitchen & Laundry facilities. 2 acre yard.

561-352-1213

CLASSIFIEDS 561-793-7606

CLASSIFIEDS 561-793-7606 DRIVERS! DRIVERS! DRIVERS! Drivers wanted for Wellington Cab. Retirees welcome. Cleaning Driving Record. Call 561-333-0181

WELLINGTON’S EDGE HUGE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE Saturday, February 11th 8 a.m. - Noon 10851 W. Forest HIll Blvd.

Across from Buca di Beppo Something for Everyone!

ENTRY LEVEL RECEPTIONIST — Computer literate. Heavy phones & filing. Fax resume 561-333-2680 WINDOW INSTALLERS WANTED Subcontractors only. Top Pay. No Brokers. Call Matt 561-714-8490 PIZZANO’S PIZZA — Looking for mature person for delivery. Please apply in person. Must own vehicle and have auto insurance. 561-7902345 Apply at: 601 Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411 NAIL TECHS — Experienced clients waiting - full-time & part-time. Apply at Permanent Elegance7070 Seminole Pratt,Loxahatchee 561-7905777

WELLINGTON ESTATE SALE FEBRUARY 11 7:00 a.m. - Noon at 13286 Moonstone Terrace. Selling house furniture, bookshelves, quilting, & knitting supplies, sewing fabrics, massage table & body pillow, books, cd’ s & other misc. household goods.

HOUSE FOR SALE — 3 bedroom/ 2 bath home, 10.5 plus acres, also approved to be sub-divided into 4 parcels. Horse Lover ’s Dream.

Wellington Little Ranches. 12033 Acme Road Just Reduced Please call Julie Poof, 561-222-0601or rent $3500/monthly

EMPLOYMENT WANTED — Semi retired accountant/bookkeper seeking part-time (2 to 3 days per week) Experienced in Quickboook, Pro and more. 561-429-8970

OPEN HOUSE SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 12TH, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. — Original Price $1,494,000. Just reduced to $599,000. 3/2 Home. 10.5 plus acres also approved to be subdivided into 4 p arcels. Horse Lover’s Dream. 12033 Acme Road, Wellington, Little Ranches

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

Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

I AM A PROFESSIONAL CNA — FL License w/ ‘level 2’ security; hosp i tal & private experience.

Wellington Resident 561-531-4179

CALL THE TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS TODAY AT 561-793-7606 MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support & troubleshooting w w w.mobiletec.ne t.

561-248-2611 D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3331923 Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach. We accept major credit cards.

DRIVEWAYS — Free estimates.

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

HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561572-1782

THE MASTER HANDYMAN — All Types of Home Repairs & Improvements. No job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 yrs of satisfied customers. See me on Angies List. Tom (561) 801-2010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties.

BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS INC. REMODEL & REPAIRS — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door inst allation, minor drywall,kitchens/cabinets / countertops, wood flooring. Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 7919900 or 628-9215

HURRICANE SHUTTERS P&M CONTRACTORS — ACCORDION SHUTTERS Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffit s, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777

BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE — Auto •Home • Life• Renters •Motorcycle •R V • Golfcart • Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/ rCavanagh

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 or visit our website at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473 COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Int./ Ext. residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est.

Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident CLASSIFIEDS 561-793-7606 \

TNT LAWN CARE — Hedges & yard clean-up, Quality & Dependable Service. 561-644-8683

ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back!

Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528

MOLD & MILDEW INSPECTIONS Air Quality Testing, leak detection.

US building inspectors, mention this ad for discount. 561-784-8811.

State of Fl. Lic. & Ins. #MRSA1796

HOME INSPECTIONS — Windstorm Mitigation Inspections, Mold Inspections, Air Quality Testing.

State of Florida Lic. & Ins. #HI2147 US Building Inspectors 561-7848811

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

JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured.

CFC1426242. 561-601-6458

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior painting.

Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

February 10 - February 16, 2012 Page 45

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS DON HARTMANN ROOFING — Roof painting, Carpentry. Lic. #U13677 967-5580 ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable.

Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-3090134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC023773 RC-0067207 CALL THE TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS T ODAY AT 561-793-7606 ROBERT CHERRY ROOFING INC Reroofing - Repair - Waterproofing 561-791-2612 or 954-741-4580 State Lic.& Ins. #CCC-1326048 JOHN C. BEALE BUILDING & ROOFING — Additions, remodeling, roof repairs & replacements, screened porches. Licensed & Insured. Call for Free Estimates. 561798-6448 ccc1326383 ccc1250306

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

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening.

Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed!

CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com

ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985.

U-17189 561-791-9777

AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC — Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004Lic.#U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990

SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980.

Quality you expect, service you deserve. Lic. bonded & Ins. U21006 561-662-9258

PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Installation,Removal.

Repair of Paper. Neat, Clean & Reliable. Quality work with a woman's touch. 30 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263

PLACE YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AD HERE! CALL THE TOWNCRIER CLASSIFIEDS TODAY AT 561-793-7606

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This Week at The Four Arts On Display Through Sunday, April 15 Recapturing the Real West:The Collections of William I. Koch $5 • (561) 655-7226 On Display All Season Florida’s Wetlands • No charge • (561) 655-2776 Ongoing Mondays,Wednesdays and Fridays at 9 a.m.

Campus on the Lake Class: Yogalates with Rassika Sabine Bourgi $15 per session • (561) 805-8562 Sunday, February 12 at 3 p.m.

Concert: Keyboard Conversations® with Jeffrey Siegel • The Romantic Music of Franz Liszt: From Heart to Art • $15 • (561) 655-7226 Monday, February 13 at 10:30 a.m. (Preschool); 2:30 p.m. (Family) Story Time: Valentine’s Day • No charge • (561) 655-2776 Wednesday, February 15 at 10 a.m.

Workshop: Don’t Worry, Be Happy – But How?! with Dr. Sharyn Sepinwall $85; lunch and materials included • Reservations required • (561) 805-8562 Wednesday, February 15 at 2:30 p.m.

Workshop: Dance the Flamenco with Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana $25 • Reservations required • (561) 805-8562 Wednesday, February 15 at 8 p.m.

Concert: Flamenco Vivo Carlota Santana • $40/$45 • (561) 655-7226

Thursday, February 16 and 17 at 10 a.m.

Workshop: Art of the Orchid A Two-Day Watercolor Workshop with Elizabeth Horowitz • $120 • Reservations required • (561) 805-8562 Thursday, February 16 at 10:30 a.m. (Preschool); 2:30 p.m. (Family) Story Time: Mardi Gras • No Charge • (561) 655-2776 Thursday, February 16 at 2:30 p.m.

Lecture:The Golden Age of Venice with Theodore K. Rabb Part of the Splendors of Italy series • $20 • (561) 805-8562 Friday, February 17 at 2:30, 5:15 and 8 p.m.

Film:The Concert • Rated PG-13 • $5 • (561) 655-7226 Saturday, February 18 at 10:30 a.m.

Workshop: Living with Flowers with John Klingel AAF, AIFD, PFCI Romantic Bouquets • $60 • Reservations required • (561) 805-8562 Saturday, February 18 at 11 a.m.

Lecture: A Morning Muse with Two American Poets: Jim Tilley and Emma Trelles Moderated by Francisco Aragón No charge • Reservations required • (561) 805-8562 Sunday, February 19 at 3 p.m.

Concert: Fauré Piano Quartett • $15 • (561) 655-7226

FOUR ARTS. FOR EVERYONE.

2 F o u r A r t s P l a z a • P a l m B e a c h , F L 3 3 4 8 0 • ( 5 6 1 ) 6 5 5 - 7 2 2 7 • www.fo u ra r t s .o rg

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