Town-Crier Newspaper February 17, 2012

THREE ON BALLOT IN RACE FOR RPB SEAT SEE STORY, PAGE 3

A VISIT TO THE NEW TRAPEZE ACADEMY SEE STORY, PAGE 19

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TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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Volume 33, Number 7 February 17 - February 23, 2012

JAZZ STARS VISIT WELLINGTON

Cara Young Wins Wellington Idol

The first Wellington Idol finals were held Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Wellington Amphitheater.

The winner and first-ever Wellington Idol is 14-year-old Cara Young. Runners-up were Lexi Graves, Lexi Luca and Andrew Spinelli. Page 5

CFF’s Breath Of Fresh Air Affair

The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation celebrated Wellington’s Finest “A Breath of Fresh Air Affair” gala Saturday, Feb. 11 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The charity event recognized outstanding citizens who exemplify leadership qualities.

Page 11

Panther Ridge Hosts ‘Walk On The Wild Side’

The Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Wellington held the fundraiser “A Walk On the Wild Side” Monday, Feb. 13. There were silent and live auctions, and guests strolled the paths that surround the cat enclosures while volunteers gave information on the big cats. Page 22

OPINION Let Your Voice Be Heard In State Road 7 Fight

Though it has been a long and painfully slow uphill battle, victory in the fight to extend State Road 7 to Northlake Blvd. is within reach. A public hearing is set for Wednesday, March 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. This project has been in the works for a very long time, and it is critical at this late stage that everyone in favor of it let their voices be heard. 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

The inaugural Saddle Up for Jazzfest Wellington presented its successful two-day festival Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. A number of top performers were featured. Shown here, jazz star Mindi Abair takes a moment to autograph a Palm Beach Central High School band member’s saxophone. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 SEE VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Valuntas Claims Second Term Without Opposition

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Royal Palm Beach Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas was automatically re-elected to a second two-year term Tuesday when no one came forward to challenge him in the race for Seat 3 on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council.

The March 13 election will see three candidates seeking an open seat and one challenger attempting to unseat incumbent Mayor Matty Mattioli.

Over the next two years, Valuntas said his main goal is to maintain a balanced budget.

“Unfortunately, we’ve had some pretty significant drops in revenue the past several years, and trying to balance the budget has been more difficult each year,” Valuntas said. “Now we’ve got Village Commons [Park] coming online, which

is definitely going to increase costs. We’ve got to find a way to not spend more than we take in, and not compromise on our services, because I think that’s what really sets us apart and makes us a great community to live in.”

Valuntas also wants Royal Palm Beach to keep up the pressure on the completion of State Road 7 all the way to Northlake Blvd.

“That has been a long time coming, and I like seeing the progress that it has been making,” he said, adding that he looks forward to the final hearing set for Wednesday, March 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center. “We need to keep supporting it, get behind it, full speed ahead with our neighbors in Wellington and the Indian Trail [Improvement District] and the Palms West Chamber of Commerce.”

Valuntas said he believes that the current council over the past two years has gone a long way toward one of his 2010 campaign goals to restore trust in government.

“I think we have, mostly, although I don’t think we did as a board when the swim school issue came up and Matty [Mattioli] wouldn’t let people talk,” Valuntas said, referring to a woman who gave infant swimming lessons in her home pool and drew a code violation.

The woman, Sharon Powers, came before the council to appeal, but was turned down, which resulted in her supporting Mattioli’s challenger, Felicia Matula.

Valuntas supported changing the code to allow the swim lessons.

“I’ve been extremely responsive See VALUNTAS, page 20

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Wellington Hopefuls Address Seniors Club At Luncheon

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Senior issues and the proposed Equestrian Village project were hot topics Wednesday afternoon when the Wellington Seniors Club hosted the first official candidates forum of Wellington’s election season.

Qualifying ended Tuesday, and two candidates made the ballot for each of three seats up for election March 13. Council Seat 1, currently held by term-limited Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine Priore, has drawn candidates John Greene and Shauna Hostetler. Vice Mayor Matt Willhite is running for re-election to Seat 4 and has been challenged by former Councilman Al Paglia.

Mayor Darell Bowen is also seeking re-election and faces former Councilman Bob Margolis.

WPTV NewsChannel 5’s Jim Sackett moderated Wednesday’s forum at the Wellington Community Center. He posed questions submitted by club members to the six candidates.

The issue of Equestrian Village, which prompted a three-day council meeting earlier this month, divided candidates. Some felt the project was too big, while others thought it would benefit Wellington.

“I thought long and hard about this,” Hostetler said. “I believe the Equestrian Village plan is generally a good plan for the community.

I believe it will address the dressage needs and… will come full circle as a world-class equestrian community, which is what our founders envisioned.”

She added, however, that she has concerns about the proposed hotel. “I do not believe [it] is appropriate for that site,” Hostetler said. “It needs some modification.”

Greene said that he was concerned about what might come next.

“My concern is that if we allow this to happen, it sets a dangerous precedent,” he said. “The dressage component of that spot has my support… but the commercial development and the five-story hotel does not fit.”

Meanwhile, Bowen — who voted in favor of the project — said he did so because it would clinch Wellington as the top equestrian destination.

“The question comes down to what we get out of this project,” he said. “I think that there is some merit to having a hotel there, versus 260,000 square feet of commercial, which is what the owner is entitled to right now. I think our job is to try to get the best project we can. We need to support the equestrian industry, because it could easily go somewhere else.”

Margolis, however, voted against the item when it came before Wellington’s Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board.

“I don’t believe it’s a good plan,” he said. “I don’t believe a million and a half more trips a year on the corner of South Shore [Blvd.] is a good thing… I think the dressage is a good plan, but it just adds more commercial, it adds a hotel, and that’s not the Wellington that I moved here for.”

Willhite also voted against the project, but said he was in favor of dressage, just not the issues that come with increased commercial development.

“I was concerned that we were sacrificing our quality of life,” he said. “That’s more traffic, horses crossing the road and more danger for our residents and our equestrians. I wanted us to go back See SENIORS, page 20

HANLEY CENTER FAMILY LUNCHEON

RPB’s Mattioli Faces Challenger Felicia Matula In Re-Election Bid

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Incumbent Royal Palm Beach Mayor Matty Mattioli faces a challenge from Felicia Matula in the March 13 municipal election.

Filing closed Tuesday, finalizing the two-person mayoral race.

Meanwhile, three candidates are seeking a vacant Royal Palm Beach Village Council seat, while incumbent Richard Valuntas was re-elected without opposition.

MATTYMATTIOLI Mattioli served 16 years as a councilman before being elected mayor in 2010. He is seeking his second two-year term with the gavel.

He told the Town-Crier that he wants to stick around to see sev-

eral goals and projects come to fruition. “There are things in the fire that I’d like to see completed that I’ve worked pretty hard on for the past two years,” Mattioli said.

He said his primary goal is to make sure that there is no tax rate increase for next year.

“We were able to keep the rate at the same level without cutting services or laying off people,” Mattioli said. “And I’m going to try my damnedest to get it done next year.”

However, he said he intends to dip into the village’s reserves only if there is no other alternative.

Mattioli said he is proud to have worked with regional business organizations for two years in the successful effort to get the Aldi

grocery store chain to locate its regional distribution center in Royal Palm Beach.

“Now that they’re here, I think that was a great accomplishment,” Mattioli said. “At build-out, they’ll have 500 people. Of course, that’s a long way off. If they started it tomorrow, it would take 15 months before they’d really get into full operation, so I don’t want to lose track of that.”

He also wants to see completion of the Enclave, a multifamily development about to commence that took two years to reach accord with neighbors in the adjoining single-family community of Victoria Grove.

Mattioli said the development See RPB MAYOR, page 20

The 17th annual Hanley Center Family Luncheon was held Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington. The event celebrated hope through recovery and honored National Children of Alcoholics Week.

The featured speaker was Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner, who spoke about her own battles with addiction. Shown here is Conner with Drew and Amy Rothermel.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 22 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Tour Shows Off New Wellington Environmental Preserve

By Chris Felker Town-Crier Staff Report Last Saturday, Wellington officials proudly showed off their successful transformation of agricultural land on the village’s western boundary into the new Wellington Environmental Preserve.

The tour, organized by the Palm Beach County Planning Congress, featured an in-depth look at what was once known as Section 24 but is now called the Wellington Environmental Preserve at the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Everglades Habitat.

About 30 members of the group showed up at the site on Flying Cow Ranch Road despite temperatures in the low 40s to hear a presentation given by Wellington officials. Speakers included David Flinchum, Wellington’s planning and zoning manager, who adopt(Left) A view of the wetlands.

PHOTO BY CHRIS FELKER/TOWN-CRIER

ed the project as a personal quest; Deputy Village Manager John Bonde, who was responsible for coordinating construction with outside parties; and Director of Operations Jim Barnes, who led staff efforts.

Two members of the tour were seeking ideas to take back to the tiny Town of Cloud Lake, which has some land that officials want to turn into their own little preserve. Dorothy Gravelin, town clerk since 1964, and Councilman Ernesto Fonseca, at 26 one of the youngest elected officials in the county, joined an assortment of other municipal officials and planning professionals for the threehour tour.

The 365-acre preserve doubles as a working water treatment facility that is an important cog in the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP).

When the state enacted the See PRESERVE, page 7

Page 2 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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February 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 3

NEWS

Three Candidates Make The Ballot For Vacant RPB Council Seat

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Three candidates have qualified for the ballot in the race for Seat 1 on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council.

The seat has been vacant since August, when longtime Councilman David Swift resigned. That vacancy will be filled Tuesday, March 13 by Ken DeLaTorre, Jeff Hmara or Selena Smith.

KEN DELATORRE DeLaTorre, owner of Design and Entitlement Consultants, said he is confident he would be an asset to the council due to his professional experience.

“My over 13 years in land use, zoning and growth management would provide balance, and also an asset to the council,” he said.

DeLaTorre, a Madison Green resident, said he is a strong supporter of economic development.

“I support local businesses and anything for a sustainable community,” he said. “We want economic development engines to come into Royal Palm Beach, so that way we don’t have people driving out of town for work. You can build a balanced, sustainable community by bringing in some of these job engines to Royal Palm Beach.”

DeLaTorre supports the State Road 7 extension and other regional road improvements, and wants to see that Royal Palm Beach schools maintain high standards and high grades.

“Whatever we need to do to continue to work with the Palm Beach County School District to maintain those high-quality schools, is something that’s very important to me,” he said. “My wife is a second-grade school teacher, and eventually when my kids get older, they will be going to Royal Palm Beach schools.”

DeLaTorre said family orientation, high levels of service, great parks and high standards for safety were what attracted him to Royal Palm Beach. “I would like to continue that if I am put on the council,” he said.

DeLaTorre noted that he supports keeping the 150-acre former wastewater treatment site at the village’s north end in public ownership.

He also wants to maintain a balanced budget and supports fiscal responsibility in government. He stresses that all government employees are public servants and seeks to maintain transparency in all facets of government and pro-

mote strong ethical standards.

JEFF HMARA Hmara, a retired U.S. Army colonel, has worked as a business executive and now teaches at Palm Beach Atlantic University. He has long been active in the master homeowners’ association at Madison Green.

He told the Town-Crier that he feels there is a growing momentum in his campaign, as well as growing curiosity about his qualifications.

“People are coming up to me asking about what I want to do when I get elected,” Hmara said.

“People are interested in talking about either my military experience or perhaps the homeowners’ association experience, and they like my experience teaching.”

Hmara said he met recently with Royal Palm Beach High School Principal Jesus Armas and that they talked about the educational needs of children. “We shared concern about kids not being prepared mentally for moving on to college-level academics, or even into the work world effectively without adequate tools.”

Hmara said he has been encouraged by an endorsement from Palm Beach County School Board

Ken DeLaTorre

Jeff Hmara

Selena Smith

Member Marcia Andrews, also a resident of Madison Green.

Hmara said that being a teacher allows him to realize the importance of education. “For most of my life, I sat on the other side of the podium, and the view is very different from that side than the teacher’s side,” he said. “What I see is a desperate need for more effective education.”

Hmara is also concerned about open, honest and transparent government and the ability of the county’s Office of the Inspector General to do its job.

“My military experience is something that allows me to make that connection almost instinctively, because being in the military, we learned quickly we had to be able to trust one another to a point beyond which most other people have to trust another person, oftentimes with your life,” he said.

Hmara said he has the time to spend being a councilman. “I am retired, semi-retired and teaching only when I need to teach or have the opportunity,” he said.

He noted that he has been in responsible positions for most of

his career and feels comfortable with the decision-making role of a council member. “I understand what it takes to be a well-informed decision maker,” Hmara said. “I understand what it takes to be a good listener, and I can see myself now as an elected official.”

SELENA SMITH Smith stresses her community involvement and said her main concerns are business-related.

“The main issues that have come across from speaking with people, with not only village resiSee RPB SEAT 1, page 7

Wellington Council Changes Rules For Granting Special Permits

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Rules for special use and seasonal equestrian permits in Wellington are getting a change after the Wellington Village Council voted unanimously Tuesday to alter the development review process.

The change will mean that seasonal equestrian permits for shows or events exceeding eight days will now be treated like conditional use permits and must go before the Equestrian Preserve Committee, the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board and the council.

Additionally, notice for special use permits will now be posted on Wellington’s web site rather than be mailed to adjacent property owners.

“This is an attempt to streamline some of the procedures,” Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz told council members. “There is a notice sent out to property owners in the vicinity of the special use permit.

That notice does not give those

people the right to be heard with respect to the special use permit, it does not enable them to come to a public hearing. Often, it tells them after the event has already occurred.”

At a meeting Jan. 10, council members were concerned with providing notice to residents, and also about what was considered a short-term use.

They directed staff to bring the ordinance back with definitions of short-term special uses and longterm special uses.

In a memo to the council, Kurtz explained that right now, special use permits are allowed for events of two weeks or less and can be renewed for another two-week period for a total of four weeks per property per year.

A special use permit is granted for events ranging from grand openings and concerts to pumpkin and tree sales, as well as circuses or carnivals.

Currently, Wellington staff grants the short-term permits without the issue going before any

Thomas Flannery, M.D.

Stephen Miller, M.D.

Apurv Varia, M.D.

WELLINGTON 10111 Forst Hill Blvd., Suite 255

561.245.4550 561.422.3700 OTHER LOCATIONS: Atlantis - 5053 South Congress Ave., Ste 202 Delray Beach - 4675 Linton Blvd., Ste 203 Boynton Beach - 10301 Hagen Ranch Rd., Ste B 550

committees unless officials find it necessary.

Meanwhile, seasonal equestrian use permits are issued for ancillary equestrian uses such as temporary stabling, practice rings, warm-up areas and schooling areas, as well as equestrian show uses such as show rings, competition arenas and spectator facilities.

Seasonal equestrian use permits now are available only in the Wellington Equestrian Preserve and may be issued for up to 180 days.

The process is handled by staff, the same as a special use permit.

“The review process is intended to be quick,” Kurtz wrote.

“Once the permit is issued, notice is currently sent out to adjacent properties. But given the timing of the application, permit and event, it is not unusual that the notice reaches the neighboring property owners at or after the time the event is occurring.”

The proposed ordinance, Kurtz said, would eliminate notice for special use permits except for sea-

Augusto LopezTorres, M.D.

Sherry Ellis, M.D.

sonal equestrian permits exceeding four days.

Seasonal equestrian events of more than four days would follow the village’s conditional use permit guidelines. “That means it would go through [committee] hearings, and ultimately to you, who would consider the matter,” he said.

Mayor Pro Tem Dr. Carmine Priore was concerned that the change could be confusing for applicants and prevent them from putting on events. “If they determine that they might need more than four days,” he said, “the process goes from a very simple one to one that could be long and tedious.”

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig suggested making seasonal equestrian events of more than seven days be subject to the conditional use process. Kurtz noted that already, events such as carnivals are issued a special use permit of seven days with the possibility for administrative approval of another seven days — a total of 14 days in one year.

“Where we have seen that in the village it is typically various churches having carnivals,” he explained.

Gerwig thought that is a good way to handle events, and could work for seasonal equestrian events.

“I would suggest we make it somewhat similar,” she said.

“These equestrian events could be four consecutive calendar days with an administrative extension of four more and a maximum of eight total.”

Vice Mayor Matt Willhite was concerned that a property owner could hold multiple one-, two- or three-day events with weeks in between without having to go before the council.

But Kurtz said that was not the case. “It’s meant to be that you could have four one-day events in a year, or one four-day event,” he said.

Council members agreed to limit the seasonal equestrian events to no more than eight days total in one year per property without go-

ing before committees and the council.

“If it’s proposed for more than eight days, then they would be subject to come before the council,” Kurtz explained. “The council would then only be limited by the seasonal use provision, which limits events to 180 days.”

Council members were also concerned about providing notice to residents about events on adjacent properties.

Gerwig asked if it would be possible to use Wellington’s web site to provide notice. “That’s pretty immediate,” she said, “and most of us have access.”

But Kurtz said that residents would specifically have to go looking for notices for it to be successful.

Willhite thought it would be beneficial to notify residents.

“Why are you so averse to making any notification?” he asked Kurtz. “Every suggestion we’ve come up with, you’ve said no. A web site notification is nothing See PERMITS, page 20

Page 4 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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OUR OPINION

Let Your Voice Be Heard In The Fight To Bring SR 7 To Northlake Though it has been a long and painfully slow uphill battle, the fight to get the State Road 7 extension finished to Northlake Blvd. will take another step forward next month at the Florida Department of Transportation’s public hearing on the matter. Scheduled for Wednesday, March 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center, the hearing is an opportunity for local residents to show their support for the plan in an official capacity. With West Palm Beach officials — notably Mayor Jeri Muoio and other Ibis residents — still intent on stopping the road from being built to Northlake, it is imperative that those in favor of the project voice their opinion on the subject.

Indian Trail Improvement District President Michelle Damone told the Town-Crier that surveys of local residents played a role in helping keep the project moving forward. She and other ITID officials recently delivered 2,466 postcards to Tallahassee to present to Gov. Rick Scott asking for the completion of the SR 7 extension to Northlake. This type of action is crucial for keeping the momentum moving forward. It comes in addition to the victory scored last July when the board of Palm Beach Metropolitan Planning Organization voted overwhelmingly to keep the roadway a priority on the MPO’s five-year road plan. Integral to this decision was the widespread support from local officials and members of the business community, who orga-

nized a united front at the joint meeting held by the Palm Beach County Commission (which West Palm Beach officials sat out). Still, despite the progress that is finally being made, the fight is far from over.

As we’ve stated before, getting the extension built to Northlake is not just a matter of convenience but public safety. Royal Palm Beach and Acreage residents need a better storm evacuation route. Royal Palm Beach Blvd. is woefully inadequate should a major hurricane hit the area. This project has been in the works for a very long time, and it is critical at this late stage that all residents of the western communities come together and let our collective voices be heard.

Residents can show their support for the plan either by attending the hearing or submitting their comments to be entered into the record. 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. To submit a statement, send it 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) 336-8435, ext. 4336.

For more information about the plan, visit www.sr7extension.com.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Bowen: I Support IG, But Not Unfair Payment Plan I, too, support the inspector general. Having another set of eyes looking at our policies and procedures can only be good for all of us. I believe any recommendations that they can make to minimize mistakes or to catch anyone doing anything wrong will only make us a better and more responsive government.

We are the most transparent municipality in the state. We post on our web site the bills we paid today so anyone can see them tomorrow. With this level of transparency there is even more scrutiny by the public, so we are under even more pressure to not only ensure everything is done properly, but that it is properly documented so everyone can see that it was done properly. I believe that we have systems in place that ensure this, but oversight by the inspector general can only make us better, and I welcome that.

I do, however, support our position to participate in the lawsuit regarding how the inspector general is funded because it is not fair to Wellington’s taxpayers, and it is not in accordance with the way it was approved by the voters.

Although we are participating in the suit, we have made our payments as assessed because we do not want to do anything to stop the work of the inspector general.

Although there has been speculation by some about who supports the inspector general, I be-

lieve that we all support the inspector general and their mission, including our staff and all council members.

Darell Bowen Mayor, Wellington

Unger Supports Matt Willhite Matt Willhite, Wellington’s current vice mayor, is running for his council seat in our upcoming March elections.

In his time on the council, he has been involved in stopping the K-Park site sale, saving the village $7 million and keeping a vital piece of village property. Under his leadership, the village has lowered its budget from $115 million to $72 million, kept the tax rate the same for three years, and he oversaw the paving of our roadways, upgrading our water system and the building of a 360-acre environmental preserve, which is not only a beautiful place to visit (hint, hint) but also cleans our water and maintains natural beauty.

Also accomplished is the renovation of our community center pool for all (especially our children) and soon the building, so that seniors will have a place to call home.

Matt also tried to have scaled down the huge equestrian complex on South Shore, whose footprint will be second in commercial development only to our mall. Who will pay for the widening of South Shore (taking out all the new landscaping) and Lake Worth Road after the traffic necessitates, and since the developer won’t be

around, who will pay the millions it could cost?

Matt lost that battle because no one would compromise to scale it down, most especially the huge hotel. Finally, and on a personal note, Matt is a county firefighter (a captain) and was before that a Navy/Marine corpsman. These are the guys who go out on patrol with Marines, and when the shooting starts, corpsmen are the guys who run out under fire to save wounded Marines. One did so for me back in my war in the 1960s.

Marines have no better friend than a corpsman.

For all of these reasons, I support Matt. I believe he better understands and represents our families in Wellington. Thanks for serving us at the county and our village. You have my wholehearted support.

George Unger Wellington

Alperstein: Wellington Needs Willhite Wellington Vice Mayor Matt Willhite is a fighter. It is amazing to me how much he has accomplished in such a short time. We know him best for his four years on the Wellington Village Council, but what many may not know is that he served eight years as a Navy corpsman and is currently a fire-rescue captain.

Some may say he is a maverick because at times he is in the minority on council votes. But that is because he is voting for you and

not for the special interests. He is a dedicated public servant and not a politician. He is always prepared and continues to ask questions and make comments that separate him from the go-along gang that I call “the Three Housemen” because they are tied to the reins of Mayor Darell Bowen.

The most important issue facing Wellington is the funding of the inspector general. Wellington, because of the Three Housemen, has joined 12 other cities to not fund the inspector general. Matt Willhite and Howard Coates voted against this action, as did 23 other cities.

Forbes magazine recently made a list of the most miserable cities and placed West Palm Beach in the fourth spot of cities all over the U.S., partly because of political corruption. This goes along with the fact that we are also known nationally as “Corruption County.” With these facts facing the Wellington Village Council, it is unconscionable for the Three Housemen to vote not to fund the inspector general.

You can help Matt (Seat 4) overturn this rogue council that went against 72 percent of the residents’ wishes by voting for him. A vote for Matt is a vote for Wellington and a vote you will never regret.

Morley Alperstein Wellington

Wellington Dog Park Is Not For All Dogs

beautiful dog park right here in Wellington. Many residents do not have back yards where their dogs can run and play, and the park is a great place where they get to run, sniff, socialize and just be dogs.

My dogs love the park, but we will not be going back anymore because of the increase in the number of aggressive dogs.

What owners need to understand is that just because a dog doesn’t make contact with another dog or in a severe case, draw blood, that their “posturing” behavior is still aggressive. When dogs are attacked, it leaves many of them fearful of other dogs and can also lead to that dog becoming aggressive. In many cases, one attack is all it takes. Just because your dog didn’t draw blood doesn’t mean it didn’t do any damage to the other dog.

Dog owners need to understand that just because it is a public park, it doesn’t mean it is a place for all dogs. If your dog is aggressive, it

should not be there. If your dog attacks another dog at the park, don’t bring it back. Even if your dog is only aggressive toward some dogs, for example, other intact males, he should not be there.

The dog park is not the place to try to socialize your aggressive dog.

Be responsible. Be proactive.

All owners need to pay attention to their dogs at all times. Don’t ignore what your dog is doing while it is in the park. If you can’t talk on the phone or text while watching, then please stay off the phone. If your dog does react with another dog, don’t just watch it happen.

Step in, break it apart and take a good look at what caused the problem and give some thought to whether or not your dog should be there.

The dog park is a wonderful place, but unfortunately there are people who are spoiling it for the dogs that the park was meant for.

Karen Powers 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.

We are very fortunate to have a

OPINION

The Federal Government Forces Airlines To Shape Up… A Little The timing is just about perfect.

Many of America’s major airlines finally made some money last year.

Now, new federal rules will force them to even practice a bit of positive customer relations so that patrons get more information and flexibility when making reservations.

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

Believe this — it is now true.

When you cancel a reservation within 24 hours of making it, you will receive a full refund, without penalty. One note: The rule applies only to reservations made a week before departure. And now, airline advertising must clearly indicate the full price, including taxes and

mandatory fees. Also, the ads must clearly tell the public baggage handling fees for online bookings.

Of course, some airlines are battling the new rules. For example, the Spirit Airlines web site has a message that reads, “Warning.

New government regulations require us to hide taxes in your fees.”

Spirit, of course, is the carrier that is famous for advertising $9 fares then charging “extra fees,” including charges for checked and carry-on bags.

California Sen. Barbara Boxer told Spirit outright they were trying to deceive the public. “I urge you to immediately send a clarify-

ing e-mail to your customers and remove the misleading information from your web site,” was her message to the chief executive of Spirit.

P.S. One other new rule: Airlines must promptly notify travelers of flight delays of more than 30 minutes.

NEWS

Lox District Gives Town OK To Pave ‘Missing Link’ Road Segments

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors agreed Monday to allow the Town of Loxahatchee Groves to pave “missing link” road segments not included in a current district paving plan.

Town officials proposed to finance the missing segments at a cost of $131,000, which will be piggybacked on top of the district’s paving project now underway.

LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier reported that the open graded emulsified mix (OGEM) construction project on A, C and D roads is on schedule and should be finished by March 22.

Saunier noted that due to the divisions of the assessment area related to the projects for North A Road, North C Road and North D Road, portions of North Road near the intersections of B Road and E Road will remain unimproved under the current district plan. The total length of North Road is 2 miles, and the unimproved portions will add up to three quarters of a mile.

At its Feb. 7 meeting, the Loxa-

hatchee Groves Town Council agreed to finance OGEM improvements for the unpaved portions of North Road and directed town staff to coordinate a piggyback contract with the district’s OGEM road construction contractor.

Saunier said contracting in that manner would require an amendment to the district’s contract with North Florida Emulsions.

Town Manager Mark Kutney was at the LGWCD meeting to explain what the town had agreed to. Kutney confirmed that the council voted to use OGEM on the segments not covered in the district plan via a piggyback contract.

He said attorneys for both sides have been working on the necessary paperwork changes.

“We look forward to working with you,” Kutney said. “We would hope that you would work with the town and get this going.”

Supervisor Don Widing wanted to be assured that there is adequate money.

“I read somewhere that the gap of funding was $10,000 to $15,000,” Widing said. “Did I miss anything?”

Kutney said the council had

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approved $131,000, while the North Florida Emulsions quote was $141,400.

“I think the reason the council voted $131,000 is there was a $10,000 contingency,” he explained. “If it does run over, I’ll be taking it back to the council to adopt additional funds.”

Supervisor Frank Schiola asked LGWCD Attorney Mary Viator if the amendment would affect district paving policies or the local bill that had to be approved to get the paving project done.

“I am all for getting the OGEM down, but how does that affect our policies that we have in place?” Schiola asked. “I understand that the homeowners are not paying for it, so there is no vote required, but does this jeopardize our legislation?”

Viator said the amendment does not jeopardize the legislation but simply allows the town, not the district, to execute a piggyback contract.

“Our legislation was very specific as to which roads it was on,” Viator said. “That had to do with the easement issues. This agreement allows the Town of Loxa-

hatchee Groves to contract with the contractor to perform that work directly.”

Supervisor John Ryan said he felt the work by the town clearly has a public purpose and that it’s within the town’s prescriptive easement rights.

“As long as the town looks at it as a public purpose, I understand it is something that can happen without a problem,” Ryan said.

Viator confirmed that the work meets public purpose rules. “I

think that it is without a question within prescriptive rights for that particular area,” she said.

Resident Todd McLendon asked who will be in charge of maintenance.

“I’m on D Road, and my understanding is that 10 years from now, if that road fails, the homeowners have to pay to fix that section of the road because it is a private development now,” McLendon said. “What’s going to happen to these sections where you have little sections throughout the town

that the town is paying for? Who’s going to pay to maintain them?”

Supervisor Don Widing said those questions would have to be resolved as they come up.

“This is a big evolution,” Widing said. “We have people who can run graders. Trust me, we have people who can put down OGEM. I’m not worried about that.

That’s what I envision happening over time. Our roles will change like a public works department changes with the configurations of the community.”

P.W. Hospital Campus Goes Tobacco-Free Palms West Hospital has announced it will become tobaccofree March 5. The hospital administration has been implementing a new policy in which it will not permit the use of cigarettes, cigars, chewing tobacco or pipe smoking on its campus.

As a healthcare organization, Palms West Hospital is committed to the health and safety of its patients, employees, physicians and the community. Administrators believe the hospital has a respon-

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sibility to take a leadership role on this major health issue, and establishing the campus as tobacco-free firmly supports that belief.

The Office of the U.S. Surgeon General has confirmed that exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke is a serious health hazard and that there is no risk-free level of exposure. Tobacco use in and around hospitals poses health and safety risks.

Palms West Hospital’s decision to go tobacco-free is not an at-

tempt to force anyone to quit using tobacco products. The hospital administration asks for community support and understanding as it launches this initiative.

Palms West Hospital is a 175bed comprehensive, acute care community hospital offering a wide range of adult and pediatric services. The Children’s Hospital at Palms West offers a full complement of healthcare services and is also a hub of specialized pediatric services.

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NEWS

WELLINGTON’S TOP YOUNG TALENTS COMPETE AT THE WELLINGTON IDOL FINALS The first Wellington Idol finals were held Saturday, Feb. 11 at the Wellington Amphitheater. The winner and first-ever Wellington Idol is 14-year-old Cara Young. Twelve finalists competed in three age divisions for the grand prize of $750 and an opportunity to perform in Orlando for top talent scouts. Runners-up were Lexi Graves, Lexi Luca and Andrew Spinelli.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER SEE VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Runners-up and division winners Andrew Spinelli (Division 3), Lexi Graves (Division 1) and Lexi Luca (Division 2).

Winner Cara Young receiv es her grand prize of $750.

Lexi Luca sings “If I Ain’t Got You” by Alicia Keys.

Andrew Spinelli sings Michael Bublé’s “Hollywood.”

Emma Pfeil and Danielle Barber cheer on their Elbridge Gale Elementary School aftercare counselor Andrew Spinelli.

Ashley Goodman sings “Defying Gravity” from the Broadway musical Wicked.

Morgan Parker sings “Dream a Little Dream of Me.”

Finalists Bobby Johnson and D’Anthony Davis perform their dance routine.

ST. PETER’S CHILD ENRICHMENT CENTER HOSTS ANNUAL VALENTINE’S DANCE The St. Peter’s United Methodist Church Child Enrichment Center held its annual Valentine’s Dance on Friday, Feb. 10 with plenty of fun for the whole family. Children and parents enjoyed dancing, games, food and drinks, as well as ice cream and photos. For more info., visit the church’s web site at www.stpeters-umc.org.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Jason, Jeanne, Jenna and Jillian Dranchak.

Katherine and Timothy Shields enjoy the evening.

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Emilia and Dan Bechalany share a dance.

Bob Evans dances with his daughters Kylie and Molly.

Page 6 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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CRIME NEWS

Two Vehicles Stolen From Royal Palm’s Crestwood Square

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report FEB. 12 — A deputy from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to the Crestwood Square shopping plaza on Southern Blvd. last Sunday morning after two vehicles were reported as missing. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked his 1996 Acura Integra in the parking lot at approximately 2:30 a.m. last Sunday. When he returned for the vehicle at approximately 11 a.m., it was gone. According to the report, there was no sign of force, and the victim said his vehicle was paid for and he hadn’t given anyone permission to take it. According to the report, a second vehicle, belonging to the victim’s father, was stolen at the same time.

The victim’s father said he parked his 1993 Honda Civic in the same area at the same time and discovered it was also missing. According to the report, there were no signs of forced entry and no one had permission to take the vehicle. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

••• FEB. 8 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a home in Greenway Village last Wednesday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8:30 p.m. last Tuesday and 8 a.m. the following morning, someone entered the victim’s vehicle and stole a Tom Tom GPS device, a cell phone charger, several CDs and a baby crib. The stolen items were valued at approximately $135. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 8 — An employee of a shoe store on State Road 7 called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Wednesday to report a theft.

According to a PBSO report, at approximately 4:40 p.m., an unknown man entered the store not carrying anything. According to the report, the man then brought a pair of shoes to the register to make a return without a receipt. An employee accepted the shoes without a receipt and gave the suspect $144.80 cash. According to the report, the man left the store with the money. There was no further information at the time of the report.

FEB. 8 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to a home on Sparrow Drive last Wednesday evening regarding an act of vandalism. According to a PBSO report, the victim left his home at approximately 1 p.m. and returned home about four hours later to discover that someone had thrown a rock through his bathroom window. According to the report, the

deputy said the perpetrator(s) may have entered through the side gate, removed the screen over the bathroom window and then threw a golf-ball-sized rock through the window. However, the deputy said there was no indication that the home had been entered. According to the report, the victim said that his neighbor’s dogs may have frightened away the perpetrator(s).

DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 9 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a pump station on 59th Lane North last Thursday regarding a theft.

According to a PBSO report, sometime between 6:30 a.m. last Wednesday and 6:45 a.m. the following morning, someone broke into the pump station and removed 400 gallons of diesel fuel from a storage tank. According to the report, the perpetrator(s) used a blunt instrument to break the pad lock that secured the station. Once inside, they had access to the unlocked fuel tank. The gasoline was worth approximately $1,400. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 10 — A resident of 67th Street North called the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation last Friday afternoon to report a case of theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim bought a motorcycle using craigslist.com last Friday and stored it in a neighbor’s garage. Sometime between 5 p.m. last Thursday and 3 p.m. the following afternoon, someone entered the garage and removed the motorcycle. The neighbor said he had closed and locked the garage door along with the rear exit door, and both were locked and closed when he checked the garage Friday afternoon. The motorcycle was described as an emerald green 1989 Harley-Davidson with $1 million bills painted on it. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 12 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to a home in Greenway Village last Sunday regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 1 p.m. last Friday and 12 p.m. the following afternoon, someone entered the victim’s unlocked vehicle, opened the glove box and stole a Garmin GPS device, two chargers, and a hat and gloves. The stolen items were valued at approximately $220. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

FEB. 13 — A Royal Palm Beach man was arrested early Monday morning on charges of drunken driving and possession of a weapSee BLOTTER, page 20

Wellington Man Dies After Traffic Accident FEB. 10 — A Wellington man died last Friday as a result of injuries sustained in a car crash last month near the intersection of Southern Blvd. and Jog Road.

According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, on Monday, Jan. 16 at approximately 6:30 a.m., 77-year-old Nobel Cianciarulo was traveling eastbound on the Southern Blvd. off ramp

onto Jog Road. A vehicle traveling northbound on Jog Road struck the passenger side of Cianciarulo’s car, and both vehicles were forced onto the east shoulder.

Cianciarulo was taken to St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, where he died last Friday from injuries sustained in the accident.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Shawn Mayo is a white male, 6’0” tall and weighing 180 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes. His date of birth is 08/28/83. Mayo is wanted for unemployment compensation fraud. His occupation is unknown. His last known addresses were West Court in Royal Palm Beach and East Riverside Drive in Jupiter. Mayo is wanted as of 02/16/12.

• Britny Watson is a white female, 5’6” tall and weighing 120 lbs., with brown hair and green eyes. Her date of birth is 02/20/92. Watson is wanted for failure to appear on charges of possession of a schedule II substance and possession of a schedule IV substance. Her occupation is dancer. Her last known addresses were Old Lighthouse Circle in Wellington and Plum Cay Drive in West Palm Beach.

Watson is wanted as of 02/16/12.

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.

Shawn Mayo

Britny Watson

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 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 7

NEWS

TWO DAYS OF SMOOTH JAZZ AT FIRST ‘SADDLE UP FOR JAZZFEST WELLINGTON’ The inaugural Saddle Up for Jazzf est Wellington presented its successful two-day festival Friday and Saturday, Feb. 10 and 11 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Featured performers included Cindy Bradley, Nicole Henry, Mindi Abair, Richard Elliot, Nick Colionne, Sammy Figueroa and more. There was also a terrific Saturday morning performance by the Palm Beach Central High School jazz band, while Saturday evening’s show “Mindi Abair & Friends” included special appearances by David Pack of Ambrosia and Jeff Golub. For more info., visit www.wellingtonjazz.com. SEE VIDEO FROM THIS EVENT AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Jazz star Mindi Abair with 100 of her newest “friends,” the Palm Beach Central High School Marching Band.

Mindi Abair blows the horn.

Mindi Abair with PBCHS Band Director James Yaques (right) and Assistant Band Director Luke Basso (left).

Preserve

Touring Wetlands

continued from page 1 Everglades Forever Act in 1994, one of the overriding goals was to reduce the amount of phosphorus draining into the Everglades.

At the time, Wellington’s “Basin B” — the 9,230-acre, equestriandominated southern half of the village — drained directly into the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, the northeastern extent of the Everglades, by means of two huge pumping stations.

“We agreed to a settlement that closed those two pump stations down, and put in about $20 million worth of capital improvements,” Bonde explained.

The goal was to close off the link to the wildlife refuge and pump the water north into the C-51 Canal, the regional canal system. “We put in a lot of pump stations, upgraded a lot of pipes, and we turned the water from going southwest to going to the north. It was accomplished in two phases; Phase One was the piping and the pumping, and this is Phase Two,” Bonde said, looking out over the sprawling preserve.

Section 24 was set aside as part of land purchased by the South Florida Water Management District as a buffer before Wellington was born, and it was then donated to the Acme Improvement District, Wellington’s drainage utility.

The blueprint that produced this wetland/marsh preserve, the Wellington Basin B Plan, was long in

the making. “It was actually 2010 when the deed transfer took place,” Bonde said. “We completed the project about the same time.”

Bonde said the contract to build it cost about $12 million.

The work included removal of 500,000 cubic yards of fill (about 37,000 truckloads); widening miles of canals; renovation and/or construction of six stormwater pump stations and a control structure capable of handling 90,000 gallons per minute; installation or modification of nine canal control structures; and the creation of the park with a perimeter berm, several islands with native-plant landscaping, littoral shelves and sediment traps within the canals, automatic trash racks/rakes at the pump stations, and hardscape with educational and viewing areas, a 160-foot observation tower and separate equestrian and pedestrian trails with boardwalks.

Along with all the replumbing, which was finished with the completion of the surface water impoundment area in 2010, officials had to educate the public on proper use of fertilizer and the equestrian community about management of horse waste, and establish a water quality monitoring program.

Bonde said storing water is just part of the purpose. “It’s not just retention, it’s treatment, too, because it’s littoral zones, flat areas of grass and specific types of materials that are put in there to clean the water, so when you bring it in here, it works like a kidney — it cleanses the water and stores the water, and then it’s discharged

Jeff Golub performs as a guest with Mindi Abair & Friends.

Bolton Sullivan of the Wellington Jazz Festival with Michael Fagien, publisher of JAZZIZ magazine back into the very canal it came from,” he explained. “It ends up back where it was before, but this time it’s a lot cleaner.”

Bonde said the project has other beneficial aspects: “This has educational components; you see the signs. We encourage people to come out here. There’s birders; all kinds of people come out here, whether it’s biking, kayaking or trail walkers, or people who are interested in photography or wildlife.”

Horseback riding is allowed on the perimeter only.

Bonde said it has turned out to be a great place to come and get away from the world, “to hear the wind in the trees and just relax.”

And in the current drought cycle, Wellington is lucky to have the extra water storage, he noted.

“It does hydrate the area during droughts,” Bonde said. “We’re storing water in it now, anticipating that we’re in the middle of a long drought period.”

While Wellington regularly touts the benefits of the project to its own residents, Bonde noted that there is a lot of benefit for everyone in Palm Beach County.

“It’s open to the public seven days a week, only during daylight hours,” he said. “People can walk the trail; there are kiosks, with information as you walk through about what you’re seeing, the types of birds and animals and plants; and they tell you a little about the project, why it’s here and how it was constructed.”

And for a view of it all, an observation tower climbs into the sky.

“I think the tower is very signif-

Wellington’s Dave Flinchum leads the tour.

David Pack, of Ambrosia, has the audience on their feet during the jazz festival.

A special performance by the Palm Beach Central Bronco Jazz Band, accompanied by Assistant Band Director Luke Basso on the trumpet.

icant, because from there you can see the Everglades, you can see the Stormwater Treatment Area, you can see this, and then you turn around and you can see Wellington, which is the encroachment of urban development on the natural environment. You’re right at the interface, between development to the east and the Everglades to the west,” Bonde said.

Bonde said all the people involved in the project — and there are many — are very proud of the outcome.

“We all love it, everybody from the administration on down, and I think our residents love it,” he said. “Those who come out here talk about how great it is… They can come here and be reminded what Florida looked like back before all the people came.”

He added that the preserve also will be used “to teach kids about the original Florida. We designed the parking lots so school buses could be brought in here, and we hope to work with elementary school kids on tours of the site so we can show them what we’ve tried to accomplish here.”

For more information about the Wellington Environmental Preserve, visit www.wellingtonfl.gov.

To learn more about CERP, visit www.evergladesplan.org, while more information on the Planning Congress can be found at www. pbcplanningcongress.org.

RPB Seat 1

Three Candidates

continued from page 3 dents but people who have their business in the village, the budget is one thing that everyone is concerned about,” said Smith, who lives in La Mancha.

She also supports a senior living facility being discussed for an area near Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, which has received general support from older residents. “They are planning on staying here forever, so I think that’s really neat,” Smith said.

Smith is also concerned about maintaining a high standard for education. Through the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club, she does

One of the signs at the beginning of the walking trail.

The “learning station” where school groups will gather.

PHOTOS BY CHRIS FELKER/TOWN-CRIER

volunteer work at Royal Palm Beach High School twice a month.

“Some of the issues I think people have expressed are school board issues that we can work with the school board on,” she said.

Smith also sits on the education pillar of Six Pillars of Florida’s Future for the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the Economic Council of Palm Beach County.

“We work with the council with that and with the school board to try and see what we can do overall to help that out,” Smith said.

Smith, who works in the marketing department at Costco and recently opened her own public relations business, also serves on the Economic Development Task Force of the Palms West Chamber of Commerce and has spoken with many business owners who are

concerned about their future.

“There are plenty of small business owners in the village who need help or have concerns about certain things, so it’s working with them to make sure that their business continues to grow, that we do have that economic flow coming through the area,” she said.

“It’s great that we have [grocery retailer] Aldi coming here and some of the bigger businesses, and I’d like to see more of the storefronts filled.”

A Royal Palm Beach resident for the last two and a half years, Smith is also a member of the Executive Women of the Palm Beaches and Leadership Palm Beach County.

She chairs the Northern Palm Beach Chamber Ambassadors and is on the steering council for Women in Business.

Page 8 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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NEWS BRIEFS Scholarship Applications Available Women of the Western Communities, previously the Wellington Women’s Club, has announced that applications are now available for the 2012 WWC College Scholarship Awards. The value of each scholarship is at least $500.

Applicants must live in the western communities, must be graduating from high school by June and must be accepted into an accredited college degree program.

Along with high school transcripts and a record of community-service hours, an essay titled “What My Education Means To Me, and How I Will Use It To Benefit Society” must be submitted with the application

by April 20.

Applications are available in all western communities high school guidance offices. You may also request an application by writing to Women of the Western Communities, c/o Marge HartigSpecht, 11850 Donlin Drive, Wellington, FL 33414.

Direct any questions to Marge

Hartig-Specht at (561) 309-7202 or Carole Anderson at (561) 753-7439.

Stop Smoking With Help From Classes At WRMC Wellington Regional Medical Center is hosting the first of a sixpart series of free Quit Smoking Now classes this month.

This is a community program provided by the Everglades Area Health Education Center. The Everglades Center is one of 10 regional area health education centers, funded by the Florida Area Health Education Centers (AHEC), which facilitates community-based health education programs that promote wellness and prevent disease.

Tobacco is the single greatest cause of disease and premature death in America today. The Quit Smoking Now program is an ongoing six-session course offering effective treatment for tobacco dependence through group support and nicotine replacement therapy for those eligible. The classes will be offered on Saturdays from 10 to 11 a.m. and will include tobacco education, relapse preven-

tion and support and stress management techniques with postclass follow-ups.

Space is limited. To register for this or another series of classes, call Everglades AHEC at (877) 8192357.

Family Dentist To Speak At B&G Club Feb. 21 Family Dentist of Palm Beach will kick off National Children’s Dental Health Month with a presentation Tuesday, Feb. 21 6:30 p.m. at the Wellington Boys & Girls Club (3401 South Shore Blvd.).

The presentation will help children and their parents understand and appreciate that developing good dental habits at an early age and scheduling regular dental visits helps children get a good start on a lifetime of healthy teeth and gums.

The presentation will include entertaining and interactive games and free posters. Attending children and parents will receive a “good start to healthy teeth kit” that includes toothpaste, toothbrushes, floss and instructional information. Family Dentist is also

donating five free dental exams available to children who attend via a drawing to be held at the presentation.

Each February, the American Dental Association sponsors National Children’s Dental Health Month to raise awareness about the importance of oral health. The 2012 campaign brings together thousands of dedicated dental professionals, healthcare providers and others to promote the benefits of good oral health to children and adults, caregivers, teachers and many others.

“It’s an honor to partner with the Boys & Girls Club on an often-neglected part of overall health,” said Dr. Manoj Patel, one of the two dentists at Family Dentist of Palm Beach. “All of our children, especially those in underserved populations, deserve healthy teeth and an education on how to care for them.”

Dr. Sunitha Sirivolu concurred.

“As a mother of two boys, I recognize the importance of maintaining good dental health,” she said.

“Unfortunately, as a dentist I see how dental care is often considered an extra expense in these hard economic times. It’s a pleasure not only to present fun facts about

dental health to the children, but also, and most touching, is being able to reach out to families and get them started on healthy dental habits.”

Office administrator Narendra Sirivolu said starting a dental fund campaign is part of the practice’s corporate social responsibility goals for 2012.

“It is our hope, that with the collaboration of our corporate partners and the help of private donors, to award free dental services to children served by community partners such as the Boys & Girls Club and other nonprofits,” he said.

Family Dentist of Palm Beach specializes in providing a full range of general dentistry care for the entire family and is committed to being a trusted advocate of good dental health in the community.

With two locations in Palm Beach County, a staff of friendly dental assistants and hygienists and the latest technological equipment for dental care, Family Dentist of Palm Beach delivers quality dental care for children, teenagers, parents and grandparents.

In the western communities, Family Dentist is located at 11903 Southern Blvd., Suite 116, in Roy-

al Palm Beach. For more information, call (561) 795-7668.

For more on the initiative or to have the doctors present to your organization, contact Perry C. Rohan at (702) 332-9118 or pr@family dentistpalmbeach.com.

ThinkPINKkids Dodgeball Tourney Feb. 24 Wellington High School’s thinkPINKkids will hold its annual dodgeball tournament Friday, Feb. 24 in the WHS gym.

The middle school tournament will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. The high school tournament will take place from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Each team will have six to eight players.

The cost is $65 per team. Cash or checks can be made out to Wellington High School. Boys, girls and co-ed teams are allowed. All local middle and high schools are encouraged to participate.

Admission costs $2 for spectators. Food and drinks will be sold.

All proceeds help thinkPINKkids raise money for breast cancer research. For more information, contact Melissas Kaliser at melissa. kaliser@palmbeachschools.org.

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February 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 9

NEWS

ANNUAL VINCEREMOS DINNER DANCE MARKS THE GROUP’S 30TH ANNIVERSARY The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center celebrated its 30th anniversary at its 25th annual dinner and auction held Frida y, Feb. 10 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. The theme was “Our Superheroes” and featured jewels-and-jeans attire.

Twenty-three horses found people to “adopt” them for a year at $5,000 each. For more inf o., visit www.vinceremos.com.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Tuney Page, Tami Hoag and Devon Kane.

Riders of the Year with parents and riding instructors.

Roy Wilton aboard the mechanical bull.

Alan and Wellington Councilwoman Anne Gerwig with Lily and Alexander Zilo.

Margaret Duprey, Frank Madden, Jane Clark, Lisa Lourie and Hunter Harrison judged the mechanical bull final buck-off.

Sophie’s Swingers, winners of the buck-off.

Tami Hoag adopted Trouble for one year.

Elizabeth King of Custom Event Design.

Ted Biribin and Krystal Shingler enjoy the “super heroes” theme.

Page 10 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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February 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 11

NEWS

CYSTIC FIBROSIS FOUNDATION RECOGNIZES ‘WELLINGTON’S FINEST’ AT IPC GALA The Cystic Fibrosis Foundation celebrated Wellington’s Finest “A Breath of Fresh Air Affair” gala Saturday, Feb. 11 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. The charity event recognized outstanding citizens who exemplify leadership qualities, are active volunteers, and/or excel in the business community. The tropical-themed evening included silent and live auctions, dinner and dancing. Wellington Councilwoman Anne Gerwig and her husband Alan served as event chairs, while Wellington Regional Medical Center CEO Jerel Humphrey and his wife Linda served as honorary chairs.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Organizers Alan Gerwig, Karen Gray, Anne Gerwig and Jeff Greer.

Cystic Fibrosis Foundation Acting Executive Director Karen Gray with Radames Jr., Radames, Jaeden and Esmeralda Perez.

Jaeden served as CF patient ambassador for the evening.

Wellington’s Finest honorees who raised the most money: third place, Dr. Jeffrey and Charlene Bishop; second place, Marc and Sharon Melnick; and first place, Dr. Nicholas and Tracee Sama.

Larry and Susanne Bennett with Debbie and Mark Plaxen.

Dr. Juan and Annette Ortega, Dr. Harvey Montijo, Maryann and Troy Cheatham.

Maria Mikolajczak, Regis Wenham, Maria Becker, Charlene Bishop and Hope Barron.

Anne Gerwig thanks Honorary Chairs Linda and Jerel Humprey of Wellington Regional Medical Center for their support.

Dr. Mike and Maria Mikolajczak with Regis Wenham.

Molly and Lance Ivey with Charlene and Dr. Jeffrey Bishop.

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©Sportfot

©Anne Gittins

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the Gallery (a south beach themed pavilion), the Tiki Hut (polynesian beach bar), Tito's Tacos (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 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 15

POLO & EQUESTRIAN

Piaget Posts 12-9 Win Over Equuleus During Wellington Day At IPC Last Sunday’s chilly weather did not keep the crowds away from Piaget Field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on Wellington Day, which saw Piaget defeat Equuleus 12-9 in Ylvisaker Cup action.

With the sun shining, every-

Lauren Gnazzo and Deco Drive anchor Louis Aguirre.

thing from the grand stands to the tailgate tents were packed as spectators enjoyed a pre-Valentine’s Day polo match and even a little brunch in the pavilion.

Wellington Day started off on a high note with Wellington Idol winner Cara Young singing the national anthem. Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, Vice Mayor Matt Willhite and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig all officiated the coin toss to kick off the day’s featured 3 p.m. match, Piaget versus Equuleus.

Piaget dominated the field early on, running up a 3-1 score after the first chukker and maintaining a steady lead throughout the match. After halftime, an energized Equuleus scored consecutive goals from Paco de Narvaez and Brandon Phillips to cut the lead to two goals, 8-6. But it was a scoreless fifth chukker for Equuleus that gave Piaget a leg up, giving them a 12-9 victory. Miguel Astrada led Piaget with eight goals and was named MVP for his efforts.

The International Polo Club will

Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen, IPC’s John Wash and Wellington Idol winner Cara Young. continue play for the Ylvisaker Cup next Sunday with the featured match beginning at 3 p.m. 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

It was a close game as Piaget and Equuleus battled on the field.

IMAGES COURTESY LILA PHOTO

seating. Various ticket levels range from cocktails and hors d’oeuvres to a spectacular Veuve Clicquot brunch.

For season information and tickets, visit www.international

poloclub.com. Find IPC on Facebook, follow along on Twitter @SundayPolo or visit the new www.ipcscoreboard.com for upto-date scores, schedules, rosters and all other polo info.

Margie Engle Wins $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix Margie Engle and Indigo emerged victorious in the $125,000 FEI World Cup Qualifier Grand Prix presented by Spy Coast Farm under the lights in front of a crowd of 5,200 spectators at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center last Saturday night.

Engle and Indigo, owned by Gladewinds, Griese, Garber and Hidden Creek, were the fastest of two clear rounds in an 11-horse jump-off. Darragh Kerins and Lisona, owned by Kevin Babington, took section. Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11, owned by Gustavo Mirabal, were third.

Last Saturday night’s course in the International Arena was designed by Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. Jorge got 11 clear rounds out of the original 45 starters over his first round course and concluded the night with an exciting jump-off track that left Engle and Kerins in first and second. Engle and Indigo, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, finished the course clear in 45.61 seconds. Kerins and Lisona went clean in 48.42 seconds.

Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 finished third with the fastest fourfault round. The pair had a rail early on in the course, but had the time in hand in 38.31 seconds. Kent

Farrington and RCG Farm’s Uceko finished fourth with an unfortunate rail at the last fence on course and a time of 38.91 seconds.

Richard Spooner and Cristallo, owned by Show Jumping Syndications International, also had four faults in 39.20 seconds and finished fifth.

Engle is currently leading the North American East Coast League World Cup Qualifying Rankings. She and Indigo have won many classes this season, including the $50,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix during Equestrian Sport Production’s Holiday and Horses competition in December.

Indigo has had some time off since then, and this was his first big class back.

Engle explained that she did a 1.40m class last Wednesday and the gelding felt nice and fresh. In last Saturday night’s class, she noted, “He jumped super the first round, almost a little too fresh. He was kind of kicking out over the top of the jumps, but he was really trying hard. I kind of lucked into it.

As the jump-off went there were a lot of rails in different places. It was a pretty careful jump-off. I just kind of went medium. Where I went in the order was kind of lucky, and I just tried to go clean.”

Second-place finisher Kerins was pleased with his horse’s efforts. Lisona is an 11-year-old Irish Sporthorse mare. Kerins started riding her two years ago in Wellington, but explained that she has been off for the last year and a half and started back just three weeks ago. Kerins owns the mare along with Kevin Babington and Maarten Huygens.

Third-place finisher Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 went early in the order and took a chance going fast.

“I had to go fast. I was fourth in the order, and I always have the fast Margie behind me,” Barrios laughed. “This is the first time I’ve seen her go slow. I really tried to go fast. She’s very fast on her own.

Unfortunately we had a rail down, but we had the time.”

Last Saturday night’s class was sponsored by Spy Coast Farm, whose owners Robert and Lisa Lourie were present at the competition and were the title sponsors of the Spy Coast “Breeding” week.

“Obviously we’re very proud to be able to support a World Cup and to have such an elite group of riders in it,” Lisa Lourie said. “It’s great fun to sponsor here at WEF. It’s terrific to be able to meet all of

the riders and see all of these fantastic horses go. As far as I’m concerned, it’s great to be able to promote breeding in America and have the young horse show.”

Winners in the International Arena last Saturday night were as follows: $1,500 Reist Industries Medium Junior Jumpers – Psychee D’Amour and Lucas Porter for Sleepy P Ranch LLC; $1,500 Surpass Medium Amateur-Owner Jumpers – Shen Yen and Michelle Navarro-Grau; $15,000 SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic – Sandro and Katherine Dinan; and $10,000 Griffis Group High Junior Jumper Classic – Cordino and Elizabeth Patz.

Elizabeth Faraci of Annapolis, Md., swept last week’s FarmVet Amateur-Owner 18-35 3’3” Hunter division earning both the champion and reserve tricolor on her mounts Paramour and Antilles.

Despite rain and wind, Faraci and Paramour scored two firsts and a second over fences and finished first in the under saddle to top the division with 36 points. A close reserve went to Faraci’s second mount, Antilles, who was first, second and fourth over fences and finished second under saddle, earning 24 points.

Additional hunter champions for

Margie Engle aboard Indigo.

PHOTO COURTESY SPORTFOT

the fifth week of WEF include Kristen Lutz and her mount Huntington, who topped the Small Junior Hunter 16-17 division, and Holly Caristo and Saint Patrick who received the championship tricolor in the Low Adult Hunter 2’6” division; Caristo and Saint Patrick are currently circuit leaders in the Low Adult 2’6” Hunters with 225 points.

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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SCHOOL NEWS

WELLINGTON LANDINGS Binks Second-Graders Discover Their Ancestors Second-grade students at Binks ficers, received a stamp on their SPELLING BEE WINNERS Forest Elementary School recent- “passports” and were examined ly spent time learning about immigration and their family ancestors.

During this unit, each student created a “passport” that included information about their nationality and the country from where their ancestors came. At the end of the unit, the students did two fun and educational culminating activities.

First, each class experienced what it was like for the immigrants when they came to America.

They dressed in their native wear, came across the ocean on a “ship” and finally, the “immigrants” were interrogated by of-

by a medical team.

The parents played an important part in this endeavor by volunteering to be the officers and the medical team. This event allowed the students to take part in a first-hand learning experience of how their ancestors came to the U.S. Finally, dressed in their beautiful costumes, the second-grade students performed a musical production of patriotic American songs for their families. The unit was filled with hands on activities that these second-graders will not soon forget.

Binks Forest students perform patriotic songs for their families.

100th Day Celebration At Cambridge Schools Wellington Landings Middle School held a school-wide spelling bee Feb. 8. More than 50 students participated. Approximately 200 different words were spelled. The spelling bee was sponsored by Scripps and the Kiwanis Club. Feb. 25, first-place winner Jose Cruz and runner-up Stacy Kappel (shown above) will travel to the St. Andrews School in Boca Raton for the Regional Southeastern Florida Scripps Spelling Bee.

NEW HORIZONS ‘VISITS’ ELLIS ISLAND

Donned with 100 beaded necklaces, making 100 piece trail mix snack bags, pre-kindergarteners at the Cambridge Schools in Wellington were ready for the task at hand: a morning filled with counting to 100. The celebration was held Tuesday, Jan. 31 for preschool children. Family members, teachers and children participated in the celebration of the 100th day of school.

The multipurpose room, where the celebration was held, was brightly decorated with evidence of the “hands-on, brains-on” curriculum and child-created art such as replicas of Romero Brito and Jackson Pollack masterpieces. The 100th day of school celebration consisted of six stations emphasizing the concept of counting to 100. Parent volunteers and teachers helped the pre-k children build with 100 cups and create a quilt of 100 squares. The children also had

fun making self-portraits to add to the display of 100 faces. As a group, students collaged a 100inch worm.

Snack was part of the celebration as well. Children added 10 pieces of trail mix from 10 food options to make 100 food items in their snack bags. The children had physical activities as well. They jumped and hopped and did jumping jacks for a grand total of 100 times.

This celebration at Cambridge is a culmination of what the school prides itself on — intentional preschool learning experiences. Cambridge specializes in the preschool years and create meaningful learning experiences while developing happy, well-rounded children.

The school will hold an open house Wednesday, Feb. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Parents will have an opportunity to meet teachers, view the curriculum and explore

Students work together while collaging on the 100-inch worm. their child’s next step in the Cambridge Schools’ style of learning.

For more information, call Director

Laura Delgado at (561) 791-0013 or visit www.cambridgepre schools.com.

WCS Hosts Chili Cookoff And Open Mic Night New Horizons Elementary School students recently took an imaginary trip to Ellis Island. Second-graders experienced a fanciful trip back in time to Ellis Island as part of their immigration unit. Students researched the country of their ancestors, created passports, read books about each country represented, and developed family trees. Media specialist Elaine Lee turned the media center into an Ellis Island processing area. Students dressed in costumes from their ancestors’ country and parent volunteers served as immigration officials, making the experience seem real. Pictured here are Laurie Dunham’s second-graders arriving on the ship to Ellis Island.

The Wellington Christian School Parent Teacher Fellowship’s annual chili cookoff included something for everyone this year. Children enjoyed hot dogs, face painting, crafts and movies while the adults enjoyed chili, fellowship and the open mic contestants.

The open mic event was a new addition to this PTF event, providing an opportunity for “fun” talent that was open to all students, parents and WCS staff.

Student participants sang, danced, told jokes and played

musical instruments.

Chili cookoff entrants were judged by teachers and administrators from secondary campus including Mark Witwer, Bill Mitchell, Richard Gray, John Raines and Josh Fallon. Their discerning taste buds selected the following winners: Lainie Guthrie, first place; Bethany Stanley, second place; and Jonathan Jones, third place.

This year ’s chili cookoff winners each received a gift card from local business donors including Bonefish Grill, Macy’s and Starbucks.

Chili Cookoff Winners — (Front row, L-R) Jonathan and Jonathan Jones, Bethany Stanley, Lanie Guthrie, Bill Mitchell and John Raines; (back row) Mark Witwer, “Mack” Gray and Josh Fallon.

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February 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 17

SCHOOL NEWS

Berean Students Show Their Talents At S.F. Fair Berean Christian School had a strong showing at this year’s South Florida Fair. Students of all ages shared their talents with the community through the opportunities offered by the fair.

Senior Amber Johnson won one of the three scholarships offered this year and eighth-grader Steven Hansen took first place in an art competition for his photograph Watchman.

Then, as the engines of the bike night parade faded away Thursday, Jan. 26, the Berean Christian School junior and senior high school choirs and praise band took to the community stage to enter-

tain fairgoers. Berean’s music groups sang a variety of songs — some in English and some in Spanish, some old songs and some new.

This is only one of the many performances Berean’s choirs give every year. Some of their other venues include Rodger Dean Stadium, nursing homes, and English and Spanish-speaking churches, just to name a few.

“We are excited about the opportunity to be a positive presence in our community,” choir director Michael Little said.

For more information, visit www. bereanwpb.org.

Berean music students perform at the 2012 South Florida Fair.

SAMMY THE SPIDER PAYS A VISIT TO TBZ PRESCHOOL Sammy the Spider from the Commission for Jewish Education spent the month of January at Temple Beth Zion Preschool in Royal Palm Beach. Sammy participated in Shabbat with the children, traveled to outer space, and went on a shape scavenger hunt. January’s school theme was winter. Sammy and the children collected kids’ winter clothes, which has been donated to a charity for underprivileged children in New York. On Sammy’s last day, the children had a picnic with Sammy and enjoyed ice cream sandwiches.

Kyle Newsome, Jamie Jerchower and Saareen Junaid with Panther Run Assistant Principal Edilia De La Vega.

Panther Run Hosts Annual Spelling Bee

Students and teachers gather with Sammy the Spider.

Preschool students enjoy a good read.

Panther Run Elementary School recently held its annual spelling bee. The competition was fierce among the 24 fourth- and fifthgraders.

The top three winners were as follows: first place, Saareen Junaid, fifth grade; second place, Kyle Newsome, fifth grade; and third place, Jamie Jerchower, fifth grade. The first-place winning word was “interpret,” and the

second-place winning word was “perturb.”

First- and second-place winners will compete in the district competition at the Final Regional Southeastern Florida Scripps Spelling Bee for Glades, Hendry, Okeechobee and Palm Beach counties. It will be held Feb. 25 at 9 a.m. at the Saint Andrew’s School Roberts Theater (3900 Jog Road, Boca Raton).

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

SIDEKICKS WOW THE Colas Takes Second In Brain Bee Challenge More than 50 Palm Beach Coun- event, which was organized by the CROWD AT STARZ OF ty students in grades 9-12 regis- Max Planck Florida Institute to experience a “different (MPFI) and co-funded by the THE FUTURE SHOWCASE tered kind of brainstorm” Saturday, Feb. Mary and Robert Pew Public Edu4 at the inaugural Max Planck Flor- cation Fund and the Quantum ida Institute Brain Bee Challenge.

The first-place finisher was Ilya Katz, an 11th-grader at Suncoast High School. Anastasia Colas, a 10th-grader at Royal Palm Beach High School made a strong showing in second place, while Anugya Sood, a 10th-grader at Suncoast, was the third-place winner. They were awarded cash prizes ranging from $200 to $400.

Similar to a spelling bee in format, the oral competition was designed to test students’ knowledge of neuroscience through a series of questions on topics such as memory, intelligence, stress, emotions and brain disorders. The The Sidekicks, a three-piece band from Royal Palm Beach, performed on the Sun-Sentinel Stage at the Starz of the Future showcase Jan. 21 at the South Florida Fair. The band includes guitarist/ vocalist Ryan Medina, 12; his sister, bassist Melanie Medina, 16; and drummer Cory Ricardy, 16. The band’s performance attracted an audience that grew as the set progressed, ending with the crowd clamoring for an encore. The band delivered with a cover of Blink182’s “Anthem Part Two.” For more information, including videos of the band’s performance, visit www.sidekickband.com. Shown above, the band members take a break on stage.

CUB SCOUT PACK 125 HOSTS PINEWOOD DERBY

Foundation, was held at the FAU Lifelong Learning Center’s Maltz Auditorium in Jupiter.

“The students really enjoyed the inaugural Brain Bee Challenge.

In fact, many of them told us they were going to start studying in order to mount a triumphant comeback next year,” said Dr. Ana Fiallos, MPFI’s head of education outreach. “Events like this one really foster interest in the sciences, and we are planning on introducing other similar programs and initiatives in the future.”

For more information, visit www.maxplanckflorida.or g/ brainbee.html.

The 2012 Brain Bee winners with MPFI representatives.

Youngster Writes Book On U.S. Presidents How much do you know about American presidents? If you’re 6year-old Rohith Karthik, the answer is “a lot.”

In fact, this Wellington firstgrader knows so much about American presidents that he’s written and illustrated a just-released children’s book about it titled Hey Kids, America Needs Us! Who was the country’s fattest president? Which president was the only one who never married?

Who put the first bathtub in the White House? Rohith knows those answers — and much more.

“From the time I was very little I wanted to learn everything I could about America,” said Rohith, the U.S.-born son of Indian immi-

grants Karthik Panchatcharam and Hema Malini Panchaksharam.

Rohith learned to read when he was 3 years old. By age 4, he had developed a voracious interest in American history, particularly in American presidents, and an astonishing ability to learn and recall everything he read.

Encouraged by his parents to pursue his young passion, Rohith set about to inspire fellow kindergarten classmates by writing a book for them. The book was intended to both inspire children to read and to teach them about their country. Not long afterward, his book came to the attention of Brenda Star, founder and president of Star Books, a publisher based in

West Palm Beach.

“This child is simply astounding,” Star said about her youngest author in the company’s history. “Not only does he have more knowledge about American presidents than most adults, but he also is extremely patriotic and very grateful to be living in America.”

When Rohith’s manuscript was submitted to Star, complete with his own hand-drawn illustrations, she decided to publish it as it was, using Rohith’s own artwork. “Rohith’s work, passion and knowledge speak for itself,” Star said.

“We couldn’t think of a single way to improve upon what he had done.”

When not learning about Amer-

ican history and presidents, Rohith likes to swim in the family pool and play the keyboard.

To obtain a copy of Rohith’s book, visit www.stargroupbooks. com or call (561) 547-0667.

Megan O’Boyle Wins Half Marathon When Wellington Cub Scout Pack 125 held its annual Pinewood Derby Feb. 4 at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church, the pack invited a special guest to participate. For the third consecutive year, Wellington Mayor Darell Bowen stepped up to the challenge of competing against the pack’s leaders. Though Bowen placed fourth in several of the derby heats, his spirit never waned. “The Cub Scout Pinewood Derby represents what Wellington is all about,” Bowen said. “The fun atmosphere and all families participating together are why I really love being here each year.” Shown above is Bowen (back row, center) with Pack 125.

Megan O’Boyle with her marathon award.

Megan O’Boyle of Wellington won the Critz Tybee half marathon held Saturday, Feb. 4 in Tybee Island, Ga. This is a second-year win for O’Boyle, who scored a personal best time of 1:25:59.

O’Boyle is a graduate of Wellington High School, where she ran varsity cross country and track.

Megan currently is a sophomore at Savannah College of Art & Design, where she is majoring in fashion design and is a member of the SCAD cross country and track team.

She is the 2011 SCAD Runner of the Year and a member of the 2011 Sun Conference all-conference first-team.

“I was pretty much running out there alone, but I had a lot of my teammates who were helping pace me,” O’Boyle said. “In a long race, it’s real important to have the team out there, so you know you’re not alone.”

For additional information on the Critz Tybee Run Fest, visit its web site at www.critztybeerun. com.

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Februar y 17 - February 23, 20 12 Page 19

NEWS

Aerial Trapeze Academy Opens New Headquarters In The Acreage

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Swinging from rope to rope, the key to flying a trapeze is letting go and trusting yourself, explained Matthew Altbuch, owner of Aerial Trapeze Academy.

The academy recently opened its headquarters on 40th Street North in The Acreage, providing what is truly a one-of-a-kind service.

Altbuch has always had an interest in the circus, and he received extensive training from Florida State University’s Flying High Circus program. “I started in the circus as a juggler, and they trained me to do other acts like the flying trapeze, and I found I had a knack for it,” he said.

After years working for resorts and in the circus, Altbuch started his academy in 2004. “I bought my first piece of equipment, and since then I’ve been expanding,” he

said. “At one time I had three pieces of trapeze equipment, one of which is down in Costa Rica, at a resort.”

Altbuch began training people to use the flying trapeze while working at a Club Med resort. “I found it very rewarding to see progression,” he said. “Just to see people start from being scared for the first time to going through the process of learning their beginnerfriendly trick, the knee hang, and then going through the catch and succeeding.”

Learning to use the flying trapeze is a way to discover your inner self, Altbuch noted. “We use it as a tool to find the amazing you,” he said.

By learning how to let go and trust your body, using the flying trapeze becomes a fun and easy release. “It builds confidence, selfesteem and it gives you that cando attitude,” Altbuch said.

Instructor Jason English and owner Matthew Altbuch demonstrate advanced-level tricks.

Most people just need that lit- is usually the catcher during the tle push, he said. “They get on that mid-air transfer exercises.

The flying trapeze equipment is platform and say, ‘I can’t do it,’ but by the end they’re doing it,” safe and well secured, Altbuch Altbuch said. “So they learn a lot stressed. “We have a device that is attached to our students at all about themselves.”

Classes are available every day times,” he said. “As soon as they of the week, and students range leave the ground, it will not allow from beginner to advanced level. them to free fall back onto the “Only one student can go at a time, ground.”

There are also safety precauso every level is adjusted for each tions while on the platform. “There student,” Altbuch said.

A typical class begins with stu- are safety lines attached to their dents starting out on a low bar that belt, and an instructor will be holdis close to the ground. “This way ing the safety ascender so we can we can control the body and show control their environment above,” them exactly the body position that Altbuch said. “So if the person we would like them in,” Altbuch were to be in a compromising position going down to the net, we said.

Students learn this over and just pull.”

Instructors Thomas Cave and Jason English with For Altbuch, this is one of the over again until they fully underowner Matthew Altbuch and instructor Jennifer Ladue. stand what they are doing. “We most rewarding things he could be teach by repetition so that stu- doing. “It’s amazing to see people dents have more than one chance go though this process,” he said. using the fly rig,” he said. “They “It never gets old, and it’s rewardhave to go over it, over and over ing all the way around.”

The Aerial Trapeze Academy to perfect it.”

Toward the end of the class, stu- also has a location in Virginia. “It’s dents are able to go across. “We an outdoor activity, so it’s weathsend a professional up there with er permitting,” Altbuch said. “We them to help them go across and only open our location during the do the mid-air transfer,” Altbuch summer months, except for the Florida location, which is open said.

Altbuch and the other three from October to May.” The academy offers four classAerial Trapeze Academy instructors work as a team to assist stu- es on weekends, from 10 a.m. to dents. There are always two in- noon, 1 to 3 p.m., 4 to 6 p.m. and 7 structors assisting the students to 9 p.m., and three during the week, while they’re on the platform to from 10 a.m. to noon, 4 to 6 p.m. ensure a safe takeoff. Instructor and 7 to 9 p.m.

For more information, visit www.

Jennifer Ladue is down on the ground controlling the students aerialtrapezeacademy.com or call Jennifer Ladue controls students while they are in the air.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER while they’re flying, and Altbuch (828) 989-0229.

SEE A TOWN-CRIER VIDEO ON THE AERIAL TRAPEZE ACADEMY AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Page 20 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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NEWS LGLA Meeting Set For Feb. 23 The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will meet Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. at Palms West Presbyterian Church (13689 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves).

The evening will feature a candidates forum for Loxahatchee Groves Town Council candidates.

The moderator will formulate questions that relate to issues of concern to the residents of Loxahatchee Groves.

The candidates will have an opportunity to introduce themselves at the beginning. After they answer the moderator ’s questions, they will have a chance to give a summary explaining why voters should choose them. There also will be time for socializing and get-

Seniors

Wellington Candidates

continued from page 1 and study this, get more input and ask more residents about it.”

Paglia likened it to the issue of the Mall at Wellington Green, which came before the council when he served from 1998 to 2002.

“Ten years later we’re at another crossroads in our village’s growth,” he said. “Mr. [Mark] Bellissimo and his consultants have done their homework. When I go to the Marlins game, there’s a little traffic. I just bear with it. You have to realize what an impact it will bring for families, for jobs, and for small businesses that are suffer-

ting to know your neighbors.

For more information, call LGLA President Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

Middle School, William T. Dwyer High School, Palm Beach Central High School and the Dreyfoos School of the Arts. At each stage of the competition, schools receive prize donations from SJPS to their respective school music programs, so that when it is all over, the total amount donated will be $21,100.

“We are committed to upholding the tradition of American jazz and swing,” SJPS President Rene Zerah said. “Proceeds from our member-supported concerts enable us to donate new instruments and funds to Palm Beach County public schools to help them purchase sheet music, repair instruments, etc.”

Only two middle schools and two high schools will go on to the finals March 30 at the Spanish River High School auditorium to com-

pete for the championship. All competition concerts are free and open to the public on a first-come, firstseated basis.

“As district chair, I am thrilled not only to see our jazz band participation numbers increase district-wide, but also such great support from our communities,” said Evan Rogovin, the newly elected District 14 Band Masters Association chair. “We very much appreciate the generosity of the Swing and Jazz Preservation Society.”

The Swing and Jazz Preservation Society is a not-for-profit corporation producing six concerts a year from November through April at the Spanish River Performing Arts Center in Boca Raton.

The mission of the Florida Bandmasters Association is to promote and support band programs in Florida by providing opportunities

ways been in favor of turning the community center into a senior center with better access. “I was the first person who wanted to develop the community center into a senior center and have it onestory next to the tennis courts,” he said.

He noted that county money would be available if Wellington wanted to build something separate for seniors. “We could go to the county and get grant money,” Margolis said. “We have plenty of property where we could build a one-story senior center that meets their needs.”

Margolis said his concern with the development of the new building is that seniors were not asked for input, just approval.

Willhite noted that Wellington Senior Advocate Howard Trager had been integral in speaking to senior needs in the new building.

“We want to make it the best for everyone as a community center and a senior center,” he said. “This is kind of our core. We’re trying to meet all the needs at this current location and make everyone happy so that all walks of life can use this facility, and this becomes the central hub of Wellington.”

Greene said a dedicated senior center could be possible, but would have to be budgeted.

“I think it’s important to go back to the people and understand what those needs are,” he said. “From there, we’d need to do a budgetary analysis, find out what the costs would be, where it would be

located and how it would be used.

But it seems like we should be able to find space dedicated specifically to the needs of seniors.”

Hostetler said that she supported a separate senior center but would not like to see seniors isolated.

“I’d like to see them have their own space,” she said. “But I don’t want to see them isolated. Seniors are some of the very best untapped resources for volunteers and influence on students, teachers and the community as a whole.”

Bowen said that he didn’t think a senior center would be fiscally responsible.

“I don’t think it’s economically feasible to build a building for a single purpose,” he said, “whether it’s for seniors or anyone else. I think we’ve learned you have to try to get more use out of a building to make it economically feasible. If we were to build a singlepurpose building, we could never do the size and capacity we will be able to do here.”

Transportation was also a hot issue for seniors. One question asked was what candidates would do to help residents get around.

Paglia, who pushed for a trolley system when he was on the council, said that there were federal and state grants that could help finance public transportation.

He said that Wellington’s current travel voucher program is not enough. “There are a lot of grants,” Paglia said. “If I’m elected, we’ll

South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center. “That will be 2015 or sooner, and I don’t want to lose track of that.”

Mattioli also wants to see the completion of Roebuck Road.

“What bothers me more than anything else is Roebuck Road,” he said, noting that Roebuck Road’s extension to SR 7 was part of an agreement that allowed West Palm Beach to build the River Walk, Andros Isle and Baywinds developments. “We were promised that 10 years ago, and it’s still not in appropriations.”

While the county has put that project on the back-burner, Mattioli wants to make sure it does not get forgotten. “Our deal was that the county would buy the rightsof-way where Roebuck Road is to go, and when the time came to build the road, there wouldn’t be any obstacles, so I don’t want to lose track of that,” he said.

Mattioli added that being re-

tired, he has plenty of time to devote to the mayor ’s position.

FELICIAMATULA Matula, who holds a master’s degree in accounting and sits on the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Advisory Board, said she went door-to-door collecting 250 signatures on a petition drive to qualify for the ballot, which gave her a lot of insight into the concerns of residents.

“People were interested in signing to get me on the ballot,” Matula said. “I did it because when I started on this track, I really didn’t want to ask people for money. I thought that was the worst possible thing for me to do, given the state of the economy.”

By getting 250 signatures, qualifying cost her only $10, she said.

Matula said her main concern is effective communication. “Information travels so quickly, and you can get information so quickly that we should use those methods that

are out there, especially because they are free, things like Twitter and Skype and e-mail,” she said.

Her other concerns include life, safety and security. “That issue is very predominant lately, given some of the circumstances that have gone on in and around our village,” she said. “I just think continuing to support partners like the PBSO and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue is extremely important, and making sure that we’re getting the most for the money.”

Matula added that she would also support some sort of campaign reform. “I was told that unless you raise $10,000 to $15,000, you can’t win, and I don’t know yet,” she said. “I’ll tell you on March 14, but I think it puts people at a disadvantage if they don’t raise that.”

She believes spending that type of money on a local election is wrong. “If the residents knew when you combine the totals of

said. “Parking is a nightmare, and they’re wonderfully attended events, but logistically it’s kind of tough to have people parking at the Village Hall or the Cultural Center and busing them over.

That’s not going to be a problem at Commons Park,” he said.

Valuntas said he would like to see Veterans Day and Memorial Day remain at Veterans Park, but bring other holiday events to the new park.

Valuntas hopes to see an end to the foreclosure crisis and is glad Royal Palm Beach has taken steps to correct problems with abandoned homes.

“We really need to get control of the properties that fall into disrepair,” he said. “I had one that was next door to me, and I don’t know if it was the registration process or not or whether they were just looking forward to selling it, but not too long after we got that started, someone was out there

and the lawn got mowed… Now, luckily, I’ve got a neighbor again.”

Valuntas said he is very excited to have the grocery chain Aldi locating its regional distribution center in the village, which will create hundreds of jobs. “I think that’s a perfect fit for the area,” he said.

“We’re bringing some jobs in.

They’re going to be a good neighbor, and I hope they bring in some of their stores.”

He is also glad to see Charter Schools USA planning to locate a school in the old Albertsons building at Southern and Crestwood boulevards, as long as traffic issues are worked out. “Almost anything educational, I support,” Valuntas said. “That’s a tough intersection at Crestwood and Southern, and I couldn’t get behind it unless the traffic study comes back where it’s not going to totally mess up the traffic situation there.”

Valuntas hopes that being un-

challenged for re-election means that he is doing a good job. “I hope so, or I didn’t make someone mad enough to have them run against me,” he said.

are just giving notice after the fact,” he said.

But Gerwig said that if there is a place on the web site for notices, concerned residents could find out what was going on immediately. “If it has been issued, it’s on there,” she said. “Then you know where it is.”

Kurtz cautioned that giving residents notice doesn’t mean they will have a chance to speak about it in a public meeting, which some might expect.

Willhite replied that even if residents will not have a say in whether the permit is issued, they would be informed of what’s going on in

their neighborhood. “They’ll know to go out of town if their back yard is where a concert is,” he said.

Another concern was the short time limit in issuing permits. Village Manager Paul Schofield said that special use permits are most often issued to schools, churches or individual residents.

“Typically we’re getting those on a Wednesday or Thursday for the following weekend,” he said.

“They take just a few minutes to review, and they’re usually issued within a day.”

He said that if the council wanted residents to be able to object to the permits, there would need to

be at least a 15-day review period, which could affect last-minute events.

Priore agreed, noting that sometimes organizations don’t know they need a permit at all, leading to last-minute permits.

Mayor Darell Bowen said he thought all events should be given web notice. “Put them all on there,” he said.

Priore made a motion to approve the ordinance with two four-day seasonal equestrian events permitted on properties in the preserve, as well as a web notice provision. The motion passed unanimously.

PBCHS In Battle Of The Bands The semifinalists in the Swing and Jazz Preservation Society’s Battle of the Bands Palm Beach County have been determined. A total of nine public schools received the coveted Superior rating, allowing them to play Friday, Feb. 24 at 6:30 p.m. at Olympic Heights High School (5773 Jog Road, Boca Raton).

The semifinalists are Don Estridge High Tech Middle School, Omni Middle School, Boca Raton High School, Park Vista High School, Olympic Heights High School, Christa McAuliffe ing. I would have voted with the majority.”

Seniors were also curious about plans for a brand-new Wellington Community Center with a senior center focus, and wondered why it was taking so long.

Paglia explained that the development of a new building takes time and must go through a process. “They want to get it right,” he said. “They are going through the design build process … and this summer it will come back for final approval, and I’m sure you will all have the opportunity to have a look at it.”

Despite the plans for the community center, seniors wanted to know why Wellington couldn’t have a facility of its own for senior residents.

Margolis said that he has al-

Seat 1 candidates John Greene and Shauna Hostetler.

RPB Mayor

Mattioli vs. Matula

continued from page 1 will clean up a last remaining remnant of agricultural land that has become surrounded by development. “It was a mess down there,” he said. “It was an empty field more or less, and if you went farther west, some of those old homes had been there about 50 years and those people were ready to get out of there. That is going to be developed into a modern community now.”

Completion of the State Road 7 extension is another issue that has been on Mattioli’s mind for the past 15 years. “That’s finally getting approved,” he said, pointing out that the Florida Department of Transportation’s final public hearing on the project is coming up Wednesday, March 21 at the

Valuntas

No Election

continued from page 1 to the residents, and if they have any questions or any issues, I do my best to get in touch with them and get back to them,” he said. “If it’s something we do, get it done, and if it’s not something we do, try to help them find out how to resolve the situation.”

Valuntas said he is thrilled that Royal Palm Beach Commons Park will be ready for this year’s Fourth of July celebration.

“It’s going to be a wonderful asset, not only for Royal Palm Beach, but for the whole area, because there is no park like that out here, and the amenities are going to be phenomenal,” he said.

The size will allow RPB to more easily stage large events. Many village events, particularly Halloween and Christmas celebrations at Veterans Park, are challenging, he

Permits

New Rules In Wellington continued from page 3 more than staff going on there and just putting up a blurb … that says, ‘There’s an Akon concert happening in your back yard.’ People want to know about it.”

Kurtz said he didn’t have an issue with providing notice, but felt that it didn’t make sense when residents were getting mail about events that had already happened.

“Staff’s experience is that you

for in-service growth, program evaluation and student performance. As its guiding principle, the association further believes that music holds a unique place in human existence and touches our lives in ways that no other experience can. For more information, visit www.flmusiced.org/fba.

Free Disaster Preparedness Training Feb. 25 Nearly every day we hear about natural disasters, terrorism and other crises on the news. But do you know what to do if a major disaster happens locally? Learn from experts at the National Sheriffs Association during a free disaster preparedness workshop Saturday, Feb. 25 at the Welling-

Wellington Village Council candidates field questions.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

do more than just a voucher. We will do a lot more transportation.”

Greene said that transportation could come from residents volunteering to transport seniors. “It’s not always about relying on government to take care of [us],” he said. “Certainly we have a responsibility to care for our residents… but it’s also about people helping people.”

Hostetler said she supports the voucher program but recognized that some people need more transportation than is currently allowed. “Some people do need more trips,” she said. “I would want to analyze ways to increase that.”

She also suggested a volunteer task force, which could drive seniors. “We could have a pool of people who are willing to transport seniors,” Hostetler said. “I definitely am in support of making sure we have transportation for our seniors.”

Bowen said he supported the

voucher program but was also in support of shared rides. “One of the problems is that the way Wellington is laid out, it’s not conducive to mass transit,” he said.

Margolis said he supports more public transportation and was concerned that Wellington received a $6 million grant for transportation and used it to for Forest Hill Blvd. “I would have wanted to take that money and develop some senior transportation,” he said.

Willhite said he supports Wellington’s voucher program and noted it was one of the best options because mass transit would require seniors to get to the trolley locations, whereas the taxis go to their door.

“We can’t do door-to-door service in that sort of system,” he said.

“If you have to get from your home to the bus stop in a wheelchair or in the rain, it’s going to be hard. The voucher allows us to do door-to-door programming.”

Matty Mattioli

Felicia Matula

all the candidates who are running, and what’s spent on the election, I think that they would be shocked,” Matula said. “In my mind, it just doesn’t make sense that you would actually raise more money than what your annual salary is to campaign for 60 days.”

Matula said her main issue is communication, citing as an example the location of the Aldi site between Royal Palm Beach High School to the north and the Regal Cinemas. “Some people are saying they feel that they were blindsided by the land use of Aldi, which in all honesty has always been zoned for that use, but people just didn’t know that it was there,” she said.

That shows poor communication, she said. “I think people felt not duped, but not informed,” Matula explained. “I knew that the land was back there. I knew that it was for commercial use and that

they didn’t have to go through a zoning or land use change, and I understand that there was the confidentiality agreement with Aldi, because, obviously you don’t want another town encroaching on your potential business.”

Matula said she was also aware of the proposed land use change for the former wastewater treatment plant site, but many residents were not and that the information should have been more readily available.

Matula said she will be extremely approachable and fair. “I deal with all facets, and I’ll listen,” she said. “I don’t think we should necessarily limit people who address the council. I think that if people take time out from their schedule to be there because they feel passionate about an issue and want to talk, we should let them talk. If you don’t let them talk, it just discourages the whole process.”

Blotter Richard Valuntas

ton Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

This full-day class will take place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The doors will open at 8:30 a.m. for check-in and a complimentary continental breakfast.

This seminar will cover the following topics: Natural Disaster and Hurricane Preparedness; How to Create a Family Disaster Plan; What to Include in a Family Disaster Kit; Developing a Community Resource Database; Crisis Response; Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive Information; Terrorism Awareness; and A Desktop Exercise.

To attend this seminar, participants must pre-register by contacting Community Projects Manager Kim Henghold at (561) 7914137 or khenghold@wellington fl.gov. Space is limited.

continued from page 6 on following an incident near the intersection of Royal Palm Beach Blvd. and Sparrow Drive. According to a PBSO report, at approximately 5:15 a.m., a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was called to the scene of a disabled vehicle on Sparrow Drive. When the deputy arrived, he observed 36-year-old William John Riley Jr. unconscious behind the steering wheel with the keys in the ignition, the vehicle running and in drive. According to the report, the deputy observed a 32 oz. bottle of beer in the driver-side door panel.

Upon making contact with Riley, the deputy said Riley could not tell where he was or follow simple instructions. Riley was placed under arrest, and a search found several receipts for alcoholic beverages from earlier that morning. The deputy also discovered a 10-inch knife in Riley’s waistband, concealed under two shirts and his

jacket. Riley was taken to the Palm Beach County Jail, where he refused a breath test. He was charged with driving under the influence and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.

FEB. 14 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested Tuesday on drug charges following a report of suspicious activity at a gas station on Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

According to a PBSO report, at approximately 1 a.m., a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation observed 19-year-old Thomas Gosnell drive up to the gas station, get out and throw trash on the ground. According to the report, as the deputy approached Gosnell to ask him to pick it up, he could smell marijuana on him. A search of Gosnell’s vehicle revealed a cigarette wrapping set and several small plastic baggies containing cocaine. Gosnell was arrested and taken to the county jail, where he was charged with possession of cocaine.

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February 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 21

Page 22 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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NEWS

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PANTHER RIDGE CONSERVATION CENTER HOSTS ‘A WALK ON THE WILD SIDE’ The Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Wellington held the fundraiser “A Walk On the Wild Side” Monday, Feb. 13. There were silent and live auctions, and guests strolled the paths that surround the cat enclosures while volunteers gave information on the cats. For more info., visit www.pantherridgecc.org.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Big cat adopters received photos of the cats they adopted.

Volunteer Liz Hatton tells guests about Macho Man, an ocelot.

Auctioneer Neil Saffer and Panther Ridge Conservation Center founder Judy Berens accept bids for big cat adoptions.

Stephanie Ward and B.J. Fordham.

Tom and Carol Calicchio.

Lisa Elefante and Marianne Noya.

ANNUAL HANLEY CENTER FAMILY LUNCH HELD AT WELLINGTON’S HORSE SHOW The 17th annual Hanley Center Family Luncheon was held Sunday, Feb. 12 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington. The event celebrated hope through recovery and honored National Children of Alcoholics Week. The featured speaker was Miss USA 2006 Tara Conner. For more info., visit www.hanleycenter.org.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Hanley Center’s Dr. Rachel Docekal with her family.

Nancy and Heather Hooker.

Merrill, Robert, Oakley and Olivia Debbs.

Event chairs Danielle and Kelly Moore with their children Lesly and Ali check out the jumping.

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Februar y 17 - February 23, 20 12 Page 23

PALM BEACH POLO SEASON AT INTERNATIONAL POLO CLUB

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Photos Š and courtesy of Jack Mancini and Anne Gittins

Page 24 February 17 - February 23, 2012

E PUBLIC! H T O T OPEN L ADMISS

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Sunshine Paso Fino Horse Association Welcomes All

The Sunshine Paso Fino Horse Association welcomes all horse enthusiasts. You don’t have to o wn a Paso Fino to join. The club hosts a variety of activities, including trail rides and dressing up horses for parades and other special events.

Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 27

Februar y 17 - February 23, 20 12 Page 25

Bronco Basketball Girls Beat Park Vista In Playoffs

The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity basketball team advanced in the playoffs Thursday, Feb. 9 when they defeated visiting Park Vista High School 62-30, which put the Lady Broncos in the regional semifinals. Though both teams got off to a strong start, the Palm Beach Central girls came out on top. Page 39

Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

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Business Unique Holistic Approach To Personal Training At RPB’s Ncognito Fitness

Getting people to be in their best physical health is a top priority at Ncognito Fitness in Royal Palm Beach.

Owners Marcus and Nicole Nisbett founded the fitness studio with the vision of transforming the way people think of fitness. The studio offers one-on-one personal training and small-group training, with no more than four people at a time. Group training is modified for the individual clients depending on their needs and level of physical capability. Page 31

Sports WHS Basketball Boys Defeat P.B. Central, Fall To Dwyer High

The fourth seed Wellington High School boys varsity basketball team hosted fifth seed Palm Beach Central in a District 9-8A playoff match-up Wednesday, Feb. 8, defeating the Broncos 53-39. The post-season contest was the third meeting between the cross-town rivals.

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

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Š Jack Mancini

Page 26 February 17 - February 23, 2012

T OPEN TO

IC! HE PUBL

AL ADMISSION. FREE PARKING. FREE GENER ed seating. $20 reser v

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February 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 27

FEATURES

Sunshine Paso Fino Horse Association Welcomes All The Sunshine Paso Fino Horse Association was founded in 1972 by owners of the breed from Palm Beach County, and became the first in the state to join the Paso Fino Owners and Breeders Association, now the Paso Fino Horse Association (PFHA).

And exactly what, you might ask, is a Paso Fino? This breed, known for its ultra-smooth gaits, boasts a proud Spanish heritage. According to the PFHA, Spanish conquistadores brought horses to the Americas that had been bred for beauty, stamina and smooth gaits: “Los Caballos de Paso Fino,” the horses with the fine walk. The modern Mustang may have traces of this breed.

Through selective breeding, people who colonized Latin America and the Caribbean, especially Puerto Rico, Colombia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Aruba and Venezuela, developed the modern Paso Fino.

Generally small, standing 13 to 15.2 hands, Paso Finos are light, gentle and willing partners, very responsive and sensitive. They’re naturally gaited, and so smooth and comfortable that the rider appears to be sitting motionless in the saddle. Along with walk, canter and gallop, Paso Finos perform three unique gaits.

The Classic Fino is a super-collected gait of very rapid footfalls. In the Paso Corto, the 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 horse is somewhat collected and goes at a moderate speed. The Paso Largo is a very fast, smooth speed with minimal collection and natural cadence. This one covers ground!

The Sunshine Paso Fino Horse Association welcomes all horse enthusiasts.

“You don’t have to have a Paso to join,” Treasurer Janice Cawood said. “I own a Kentucky Mountain Saddle Horse, and our members have all kinds of different breeds. We’re a club for people who enjoy getting together with other riders and doing fun activities.”

Those activities include dressing up their horses and participating in parades, such as the Acreage Thanksgiving Parade, the Lake Worth Christmas Parade and the Palms West Chamber Holiday Parade. They meet regularly for trail rides at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, Flying Horse Ranch and Acreage Trails, and they even camp out occasionally at DuPuis. Each year they do a beach ride on Hutchinson Island.

The club has participated in the South Florida Fair for many years, competing in the drill team competition and the Parade of Breeds,

Rudi and Robin Ladicani with Sugar at the South Florida Fair. as well as putting on many demo rides. I caught up with them on Jan. 28 during one of their demo rides at the fair.

President Rudi Ladicani was helping su-

pervise his wife, Robin, the club secretary.

She was riding Sugar, their gray Paso Fino mare. “This is Sugar’s first time here,” Rudi See ROSENBERG, page 29

Page 28 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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Februar y 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 29

FEATURES

Sometimes My Travels Surprise My Mind’s Filing System I was lying in bed last night thinking about how lucky I am. I have a family who loves me, a job that fits my lifestyle and a car that runs. My clothes are comfortable, my house is organized, and my hair is long enough to make into a ponytail. That’s all I really need.

Could I do better? Maybe financially, but I’m not concerned about it. Money alone won’t make anyone happy. There are plenty of unhappy millionaires out there. Still, when I win the lottery, I’m taking the cash because I’d like to travel more.

Whenever I go someplace new, I am simply 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 shocked to discover that it actually exists.

Europe was a biggie. I guess I had relegated Europe to the “Locations” section of my brain, where it was rattling around with Lilliput, Hogwarts and the moon.

When I saw the Eiffel Tower for the first time, I was amazed. No black-and-white photograph or stainless steel desktop model had prepared me for the largeness of its “feet.” I walked through them and around them and

stared up at the structure through its base. I think my mouth was actually hanging open.

Wow. The Eiffel Tower is huge.

And when I went to Buckingham Palace, there just happened to be a temporary exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci’s sketchbooks in the gallery. What?! I think I spent about an hour in there, just convincing myself that what I was looking at was real. Too much Disney World will do that to a person. Pretty soon you believe that everything is an illusion, a copy or a precise rendering fashioned out of resin. Yet filed away in my brain under “Artists” was good ol’ Leonardo, and now, here was evidence that he, too, had actually been real. Man, oh, man.

I went to Turkey once, too. That’s a trip I’ll never forget. I rode a ferry across the Black Sea. As it was misfiled under “Colors” instead of “Bodies of Water,” I was disappointed to

discover that the Black Sea wasn’t black. It was only a dirty blue. That’s why travel is important. It’s educational.

I’ve also been to Venice, Rome, Jamaica and Fort Worth, Texas. So you can see where I am very well-rounded as far as travel goes. But when I win the lottery, I think I’d like to go to Bavaria to see where Julie Andrews became a nun and to Germany’s Black Forest. My experiences have taught me not to expect black leaves on the trees, but I’m pretty sure the cake actually does exist.

With the rest of the money, I’d take cruises to Alaska and Hawaii, then buy myself a little Airstream trailer and tool around the continental United States until I’m convinced that all 50 states are out there. I’ll feel a lot better about paying my taxes after that.

And it will give new validity to my claim of being a “happy camper.”

‘The Vow’ A Good Chick Flick, Not A Great Romantic Movie The problem with the new romantic flick The Vow is that it goes out of its way to be simplistic. It features two very attractive stars and has a good supporting cast, but the story eventually descends to the level of a good romantic greeting card. It is not a bad movie; actually, it is reasonably enjoyable if all you want is a nice romantic couple of hours with your significant other. But it might have been a lot more.

At the start of the movie, young marrieds Leo (Channing Tatum) and Paige (Rachel McAdams) are tail-ended by a truck on a snowy day. She had just taken off her seat belt for some kissing and goes through the windshield. She wakes in the hospital with no memory of the previous five years, meaning she does not remember Leo at all. He remembers everything about their life, but she has regressed from a dedicated artist to a law school student. As far as she is concerned, he is a stranger, but the parents from whom she has become estranged are vital components in her life. She still has feelings for the fiancé Jeremy (Scott Speedman) whom she dumped.

The film meanders a bit as Paige is welcomed back to her parents (Sam Neill and Jessica Lange) and pushed to return to law school.

Leo tries everything to shake her memory, but

Rosenberg

Paso Finos

continued from page 27 said as the horse settled and moved confidently around the noisy ring. “She’s looking good, relaxing. She’s a real high-stepper.”

The Ladicanis own two Paso Finos, a Quarter Horse and a Thoroughbred.

“I love Pasos,” Rudi said. “They have such a smooth gait, they’re incredibly comfortable to ride, easy on the joints, yet they’re also very strong and have great endurance. A 14hand Paso can easily carry a 250-pound man.”

“Not that any of us weigh 250 pounds,” Cawood added.

Indeed, Pasos are quite versatile. In addition to pleasure and trail riding, you may see them in Western Trail and Versatility classes,

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler her family does everything possible to encourage a breakup and eventually succeeds.

But there is a secret hidden away, and when Paige learns it, things begin to happen. And, if you can’t figure out the ending, you have never been to the movies.

The holes in the plot are massive. The horrible secret is not really all that bad, and her estrangement, never discussed in the film, seems as much her fault as anyone else’s.

Paige seems not to be working hard to understand why things happened or to really discover why she fell in love with Leo. The parents seem so determined to get their little girl back that they leave far too little room for compromise with her husband. There also seem to be an enormous number of people who know the important secret that broke the family up but somehow never mention it in any

costume classes, Pleasure Driving, endurance rides and competitive trail rides, team penning — pretty much anything.

“We used to hold really big, well-attended shows,” Rudi said. “I’d love to see us get back to that. Unfortunately, the economy killed this area, in terms of horse ownership. Now, the only big shows are down in Miami. They have a huge club. Our club currently has about 30 members.”

“We’re a friendly, family-oriented club,” Cawood added. “We get together about every other month. And membership is very affordable: $20 for a single, and $25 for the whole family. It’s fun getting together with other horse people, and we always welcome new riders.

We’re a good bunch of people having a lot of fun.”

For more information, contact Robin Ladicani at (561) 315-9822.

way to Paige. She is shown hanging out with old girlfriends and spending a lot of time with hundreds of people at her sister’s wedding, but no one brings up the issue.

Leo’s narration is so puffed up with oversentimental shmaltz that it makes it difficult to understand how he could have won a prize like Paige. And she seems not to be all that wild about his very pumped-up body. Tatum is far better than he has been before, but that is not saying a whole lot. He seems very much in love, but his one expression when he is frustrated, something that happens quite often, is to close his eyes within a stone face.

McAdams is one of the more adorable actresses of our day, and she manages quite well in a part that unfortunately does not demand any nuanced acting. She does all the standard expressions very well, but most of the trickiest plot twists are never shown.

Lange does very well in a lovely bit explaining

her actions; however, that might be the only real bit of acting required. Sam Neill is totally wasted; his character is wooden.

I like the idea presented in the movie: that we are more than simply the sum of our experiences. The notion of being able to fall in love all over again with someone we loved before is enticing. And in a world where “for better or for worse” seems to cover only the better part, with people splitting as soon as problems arise, the idea of a man loving his wife through thick and thin, even when she is unable to respond in kind, is very attractive.

The real problem of this movie is that the most dramatic moments are never quite shown, which removes most of the drama.

This is not a bad film. It is a supreme chick flick, however. There’s a bit of male nudity, a real lot of a sense of female bonding until it really breaks down. But it has far too little drama to be a really good romantic movie.

Project Hope Concert Feb. 24 In Wellington To Support Grafton Family

Tickets are also available at the Witsend Bookstore at Grace Fellowship (8350 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach).

For more information, call (561) 358-6742.

In response to and remembrance of the recent death of local teenager Shaun Grafton, and with the support of the Grafton family, a Project Hope concert will shine light on suicide awareness. It will take place Friday, Feb. 24 from 6 to 10 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater.

The goal of the concert is to bring the community together for a night of great music, food and hope. The concert will feature various local music groups such as Crossfire and B.I.C. and genres from rock to rap and country with guest speakers, including one-time Newsboys band member John James. Food will be available for purchase, as well as yellow glow-lights to help “light the night” for awareness.

Buy a ticket, wear yellow, come and help light up the night for those in darkness. Tickets cost $10. The concert will help the Graftons and their six children. Tickets may be purchased online at http://projecthope.tix.com (or visit tix.com and search for “Project Hope Concert”).

Grand Opening Celebration At SOS Children’s Village SOS Children’s Village, a foster care community in Coconut Creek, will benefit from the grand opening weekend celebration of Rooms for a Prince and Princess on Saturday, March 31 and Sunday, April 1.

Rooms for a Prince and Princess — a children’s furniture, clothing and toy store — is located at 5050 Town Center Circle in Boca Raton. Weekend highlights feature a performance by the Boca Youth Academy of Music, a children’s fashion show, basketball and precision contests for all generations, seminars by professionals highlighting what to expect from bellies to babies, home and vehicle safety tips and SOS Children’s Village.

Rooms for a Prince and Princess will donate a portion of all weekend proceeds to support SOS Children’s Village. For more information, call (561) 206-6173.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Co-owner Marcus Nisbett in front of the flexibility massage table.

PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Unique Holistic Approach To Personal Training At RPB’s Ncognito Fitness

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Getting people to be in their best physical health is a top priority at Ncognito Fitness in Royal Palm Beach. Owners Marcus and Nicole Nisbett founded the fitness studio in 2007, with the vision of transforming the way people think of fitness.

After a car accident 15 years ago left Marcus with a herniated disc, he realized the importance of the rehabilitation process in physical health. “The rehab process was very fascinating to me, so I sought out more advanced credentials in the kind of work that would help people heal themselves,” he said.

Nisbett had been involved in personal training for many years before the accident and decided to incorporate flexibility into his occupational training. With a new vision in mind, Nisbett decided to attended massage school at the Swedish Institute in New York City. “It’s the oldest massage school in North America,” he noted.

While working toward his associate’s degree in occupational sciences, Nisbett worked at the New York Health & Racquet Club. “I worked there for about seven years, and then worked privately for one year,” he said. “Ultimately, I realized this would be too expensive to do in Manhattan, so I decided to move to Florida and start from scratch.”

Originally located in the Wellington Reserve, Ncognito Fitness moved to its current location in 2009 and can be found at 420 S. State Road 7, Suite 174, in Royal Palm Beach.

At Ncognito Fitness, trainers practice a holistic approach to fitness. Nisbett developed this concept after examining the needs of many of his clients.

“I was seeing issues in my clients that needed to be addressed by a massage therapist,” he said. “And by going to massage school, I saw areas where massage therapy patients

needed exercise to work out certain imbalances.”

Ncognito Fitness is a facility where all those physical needs can be addressed.

Ncognito Fitness offers one-on-one personal training and small-group training, with no more than four people at a time.

“Our small-group training is different from many of the others because they usually have 10 to 15 people in a group,” Nisbett said. “Here it’s no more than four clients in a group, so we are able to focus more.”

Group training is modified for the individual clients depending on their needs and level of physical capability.

“Group training has become a lot more popular now because of the economy,” Nisbett said. “People get the benefits of physical training, and it’s more cost effective.”

After every 55-minute workout, clients get stretched out by a licensed massage therapist. “Unlike a typical workout with a trainer, where when you’re done they say, ‘Goodbye.

I’ll see you Tuesday,’here, clients are floating out the door,” Nesbitt said.

According to Nisbett, the benefits of getting a flexibility massage after a workout are extensive.

“By taking advantage of your muscles while they’re warm, it’s creating better flexibility,” he said. “Clients have reported that they recuperate faster from their workout, and they’re not as sore the day after or two days after.”

Ncognito Fitness packages are determined based on the client’s goals. Marcus sits with the client and assists them in determining what type of workout schedule they would need in order to reach their goals, whether it be losing weight or preparing for an athletic competition.

For more information, visit www.ncognito. co or call (561) 389-5635.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Grand Prix Management Makes Property Ownership Easier Grand Prix Management Services takes the stress out of property management and helps its clients juggle their busy daily schedules.

Based in Wellington, the company handles everything from weekly walk-throughs to supervising construction projects to concierge services.

Need someone to check your home while you are away? Install tile or hardwood floors? Freshen up your property with a new coat of paint? Drive a friend to the airport?

Take your lucky show jacket to the cleaners? Grand Prix Management Services is there.

Founded five years ago by Lee Hughes and Adam Blauweiss, all

services are tailored to meet individual requests. “It’s a personalized service; we cater to your needs,” said Blauweiss, who is also a licensed real estate agent. “We are not your ordinary run-of-the-mill management company. Every client is different, from those who want us to oversee major renovations to those who simply want a weekly walk-through of their home when they are away. Whatever the client wants us to accomplish, we can accomplish.”

Grand Prix Management Services offers property management services for homes and stables located in the Wellington area, varying from weekly check-ins to over-

Small Business Roundtable Is Searching For Speakers Are you willing to share your experience, knowledge and expertise from your area of business with other people who need guidance and help? The Wellington Chamber of Commerce and the Small Business Roundtable is offering six modules (classes) once a month focusing on specific topics relevant to today’s market.

Speakers will present pertinent

information and tools that attendees can utilize the very next day at work to help them successfully attain their business and financial goals.

If you are qualified to be a speaker, presenter or panelist, contact Donna Broder at info@card solutions.us or Laura Jaffe at laura@ jafferealtygroup.com for more information.

seeing major renovations.

“We have a team of qualified professionals that we work with to ensure that our clients’ property needs are met,” Blauweiss said. “Our large team includes everyone from electricians and plumbers to landscapers, pool maintenance and pest control, allowing us to work hand and hand with our clients to handle every aspect of their home and property requirements. Given the relationship that develops, many Grand Prix Management Services clients ask me to list and sell their home because I know it inside and out.”

In addition to the expansive property management services, it is the unique concierge service that truly sets Grand Prix Management apart.

“For our clients that are in Wellington to compete, finding time to run errands while balancing their busy and unpredictable show schedules can be difficult,” said Hughes, a Canadian now based in Wellington full time. “Whether it is picking up a prescription at the pharmacy, bringing lunch over to the barn, or waiting to sign for a FedEx delivery, we are happy to help with whatever our clients need.”

Some of the standard property services offered by Grand Prix Management include all handyman and

Lee Hughes and Adam Blauweiss of Grand Prix Management Services.

PHOTO COURTESY THOMPSON PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP

maintenance services, hurricane shutter installation and removal, cleaning services, and overseeing landscaping, pool and pest control services. Responding to 24-hour emergencies, meeting delivery companies, and checking and forwarding mail are all tasks that are easily handled and set a property owner’s mind at ease. Concierge services such as airport transportation, ve-

hicle pick-up and drop-off, and car detailing are little touches that go a long way.

For more about Grand Prix Management Services, visit www.grand prixestatemanagement.com, or contact Blauweiss at adam@grand prixestatemanagement.com or (516) 435-8459 and Hughes at lee@grand prixestatemanagement.com or (786) 427-4997.

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BUSINESS NEWS

New Stores Open At The Mall At Wellington Green For tea lovers, techies, surfers and more, something new for everyone is in store at the Mall at Wellington Green.

With this month’s opening of Teavana, shoppers can enjoy the flavors and benefits of loose-leaf tea. Teavana, “a heaven of tea,” caters to the immense popularity of tea and provides a unique retail experience, blending a retail shop with a tea bar, and offering fine loose-leaf tea and related merchandise such as tea pots, gifts and accessories for expert and novice tea lovers alike.

With more than 100 varieties available, Teavana is on a mission to promote the many benefits of tea in an interactive and educational environment. The store is located on the lower level near the Grand Court.

Coming this spring is R&R Camera, where customers will find everything from highquality home theater systems to cutting-edge multimedia and electronics products.

Top-name digital, video and professional cameras and accessories will be featured, along with portable DVD players, TVs, Blu-ray players and accessories, home and business computers, cell phones, binoculars, projectors, GPS devices, iPod speakers, karaoke machines and more.

R&R Camera opens in April.

Opening in May at the Mall at Wellington Green is B.C. Surf & Sport. From its origins in Fort Lauderdale more than 32 years ago to its 13 locations in six states today, B.C. Surf & Sport is still owned and run by the same surfers, skaters and snowboarders who built the business.

B.C. is dedicated to offering the best selection of surfing, skateboarding, snowboarding and paddleboarding products and accessories as well as footwear, with great service and competitive prices. B.C. associates know and use the products they sell, and they work with customers to en-

sure an optimal shopping experience.

Recently opened in a new, larger location is Helzberg Diamonds. A trusted fine jewelry retailer since 1915, Helzberg is committed to providing unparalleled customer service, exclusive designs and industry expertise. Guests can shop the large selection of top customer-rated engagement rings and bridal sets, exclusive collections such as Helzberg Radiant Star or famous designer jewelry and watches. Helzberg Diamonds takes great pride in its heritage of offering superior-quality jewelry at an exceptional value. The new store is on the lower level near the Grand Court.

The Mall at Wellington Green features more than 170 retailers and restaurants, including Dillard’s, JCPenney, Macy’s, Nordstrom, City Furniture and Ashley Furniture Home Store.

For more info., visit www. shopwellingtongreen.com.

Bean Named To Wellington Chamber President’s Circle

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce has announced the appointment of Thomas Bean to its exclusive President’s Circle membership.

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce President’s Circle is a unique opportunity extended to established leaders of the community, local businesses and entrepreneurs.

Bean is external affairs area manager at Florida Power & Light Company, the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States.

FPL serves approximately 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with more than 10,000 employees.

The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are below the national average.

A clean energy leader, FPL

has one of the lowest emissions profiles and one of the leading energy efficiency programs among utilities nationwide.

Prior to joining FPL in August 2009, Bean served as chief of staff to U.S. Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart (R-District 21) and worked in the U.S. House of Representatives in Washington, D.C., for seven years.

Bean holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Florida and a master’s degree in religion from Trinity International University. He lives in Palm Beach Gardens with his wife, Ramona, and two sons, Tommy and Demetrios.

“It is an honor and privilege to announce Thomas Bean as a President’s Circle member of the chamber,” Wellington Chamber Executive Director Michela Perillo-Green said. “His experi-

Thomas Bean ence and his leadership in his field will no doubt allow us to celebrate many successes and exceed all expectations.”

For additional information on the President’s Circle or the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 792-6525 or visit www.wellington chamber.com.

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

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Sweet Charity’ March 2-18 At Willow Theatre In Boca Charity Hope Valentine, dance hall hostess, unlucky romantic and eternal optimist, continuously searches for true love in Sweet Charity, the Tony Award–winning musical that will be presented by the Boca Raton Theatre Guild at the Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park March 2-18.

Neil Simon’s sparklingly clever script, loosely adapted from Fellini’s Nights in Cabiria, follows Charity (and some of her very unusual friends) through a series of misadventures, documenting her constant and unfortunate tendency to offer her heart to the wrong man.

Simon updated the story from Rome in the 1950s to New York City in the 1960s while the hippie culture was just emerging and taxi dancers were quickly becoming relics.

“This is Neil Simon doing what he did best — a bittersweet comedy

with plenty of memorable zingers and clever situations,” said Keith Garsson, the musical’s director.

Garsson, who helmed last year’s BRTG hit production of Cabaret, commented that Sweet Charity is one of the best musicals ever written.

“All the elements clicked back in 1966: Gwen Verdon, one of theater’s greatest dancers, Bob Fosse, choreographer and director, and most importantly a very jazzy score by the legendary Cy Coleman,” he said.

The score, with its witty lyrics by Dorothy Fields, features classics such as “Big Spender,” “If They Could See Me Now” and “Rhythm of Life.”

“It is surprising to me that Sweet Charity doesn’t receive more recognition, after all it’s a dream role for a lot of women,” Garsson said. “In

this case it’s a dream cast with one of South Florida’s finest musical comediennes, Margot Moreland, as Charity. Margot has always wanted to play this role. What can I say?

The timing was perfect and early rehearsals proved she owned this part immediately.”

Moreland is the recipient of three Carbonell Awards and four Curtain Up Awards. Her distinguished career includes performances on stage, as well as in film and television. She has toured nationally and regionally, and is a member of AEA, SAG and AFTRA. Jeffrey Bruce (Oscar Lindquist) has participated in nine national tours, including How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (Finch), Camelot (Mordred), Boys in the Band (Harold) and Flower Drum Song. He served as the permanent guest host on Detroit local

television talk show Kelly & Company for 21 years. He played the Witch in Hansel & Gretel at the Michigan Opera Theatre. Bruce is a member of the Zoetic Stage Theatre Company in Miami.

Sweet Charity will run March 218. Performances take place at 8 p.m.

Wednesday through Saturday and at 2 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

The Willow Theatre in Sugar Sand Park is located at 300 S. Military Trail in Boca Raton, just south of Palmetto Park Road. Tickets for Sweet Charity cost $20 and are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased at the Willow Theatre Box office at (561) 347-3948.

The Boca Raton Theatre Guild is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to producing professional productions and advancing the art of theater in South Florida.

For more information about

Margot Moreland Sweet Charity or the Boca Raton Theatre Guild, visit www.brtg.org, or contact Carol Kassie at ckassie @gmail.com or (561) 948-2601.

Guy Harvey Exhibit Opens March 10 At MacArthur Park

Guy Harvey at work on a painting.

Artist, researcher and biologist Guy Harvey will show off his iconic artwork beginning March 10, following the grand opening of the freshly renovated interpretive center at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in North Palm Beach.

The exhibit will include both originals and prints, and a percentage of any art purchases will benefit the Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park’s Natural Science Education Fund.

“We are once again thrilled to have the very recognized and sought-after artist, Dr. Guy Harvey, exhibiting his paintings and prints in the nature center’s newly designed exhibit hall and theater,” Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park Board Member Janet Heaton

said. “The community is always eager to enjoy and purchase his new images.”

Park visitors can view the colorful, tropical works of art through May 1.

Harvey, the newest member of the International Game Fish Association Fishing Hall of Fame, is celebrating a storied, 25-year career as a worldrenowned artist, photographer, diver and scientist whose focus always has been beneath the waves. From his studio in the Cayman Islands, Harvey paints ocean scenes that capture the beauty of life under the sea on canvas.

A vocal proponent of catch-andrelease fishing, Harvey donates artwork, time and funds for an array of institutions and conservation

groups, including the Guy Harvey Research Institute established at Nova Southeastern University in 1999. In 2008, he created the Guy Harvey Ocean Foundation, which supports marine-conservation, research and education efforts.

In 2010, Harvey was presented the highest award of honor of a nonPanamanian, for his work to preserve and publicize Panama’s marine resources. The same year, he received the Award of Excellence from the Jamaica Committee for the Protection of Marine Environment and Philanthropy.

Exhibit hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, free with park admission. For additional information, call (561) 7767449 or visit www.macarthurbeach. org.

Elmar Oliviera To Perform Rare Violin Concerto At Lynn World-famous violinist Elmar Oliviera, distinguished artist-in-residence at the Lynn University Conservatory of Music, will perform the recently discovered and rarely heard Schumann Violin Concerto on Monday, March 5 at 7:30 p.m. at Lynn’s Wold Performing Arts Center in Boca Raton.

This performance will be recorded live and released on the Artek record label. Led by Grammy-nominated conductor Stewart Robertson, the concert also marks the first performance in Palm Beach County by the highly acclaimed Atlantic Classical Orchestra.

Unsurpassed in his combination of elegance and impeccable artistry, Oliveira is one of the world’s most distinguished musicians, and he remains the only American violinist to

win the gold medal at Moscow’s prestigious Tchaikovsky International Competition. He was also the first prize winner at the Naumburg International Competition and the first violinist to receive the coveted Avery Fisher Prize. Oliviera’s rigorous concert schedule includes appearances with many of the world’s great orchestras, including the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, London Philharmonic, Los Angeles Philharmonic, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, and the Seattle Symphony, to name a few.

A prodigious recording artist, Oliveira’s discography on Artek, Angel, Sony Masterworks, Vox, Delos, IMP, Naxos, Ondine and Melodiya covers a wide range of works from

the Baroque period to the present.

His best-selling recording of the Rautavaara Violin Concerto with the Helsinki Philharmonic won a Cannes Classical Award and has appeared “Best Recordings” lists around the world. He was also a Grammy nominee for his CD of the Barber Concerto with Leonard Slatkin and the Saint Louis Symphony.

The Violin Concerto of Robert Schumann, written in 1853 but not premiered until 1937, represents something of a conundrum. It was put away for more than 80 years because Schumann’s great friend and violin virtuoso Joseph Joachim felt that the piece was not representative of his friend’s musical greatness.

The concerto was the last major work to be completed by the com-

poser before the onset of mental illness. It is a three-movement work that is slowly gaining a footing into standard classical repertoire as a powerful and dramatic piece containing some of the most beautiful, lyrical melodies in the classical music genre. In addition to the Schumann Violin Concerto, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra will perform Schumann’s “Overture to Hermann und Dorothea.” Now in its 22nd season, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra is one of the top chamber ensembles in the United States.

Tickets for Oliveira’s performance with the Atlantic Classical Orchestra on March 5 at Lynn University cost $40 for orchestra seating and $35 for mezzanine. To purchase tickets, call (866) 310-7521 or visit www.acomusic.org.

Elmar Oliviera PHOTO BY TUCKER DENSLEY

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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 19 at 3 p.m.

Concert: Fauré Piano Quartett $15 • (561) 655-7226

Wednesday, February 22 at 2:30 p.m.

Lecture and Book Signing: WALLS: The Best of Decorative Treatments

by Florence de Dampierre $20 • (561) 805-8562 Thursday, February 23 at 10:30 a.m. (Preschool); 2:30 p.m. (Family) Story Time: Community Helper Day No Charge • (561) 655-2776 Friday, February 24 Western Film Festival: High Noon (Not Rated) at 2:30 and 8 p.m.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (PG) at 5:15 p.m. $5 • (561) 655-7226

Monday, February 20 President’s Day: Offices and Libraries Closed Gardens Closed Through February 24 • Gallery Open

Saturday, February 25 at 11 a.m.

Lecture and Book Signing:The Private Life of George Bernard Shaw by Elizabeth Sharland No charge • Reservations required • (561) 805-8562

Tuesday, February 21 at 5:30 p.m. & Wednesday, February 22 at 11 a.m.

Book Discussion: A Room with a View by E.M. Forster No charge • (561) 655-2766

Sunday, February 26 at 3 p.m.

Concert: David Finckel, cello, Wu Han, piano, and Philip Setzer, violin $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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SPORTS & RECREATION

WHS Basketball Boys Defeat P.B. Central, Fall To Dwyer

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report The fourth seed Wellington High School boys varsity basketball team hosted fifth seed Palm Beach Central in a District 9-8A playoff matchup Wednesday, Feb. 8, defeating the Broncos 53-39.

The post-season contest was the third meeting between the crosstown rivals. Earlier in the season, each team earned a victory at their respective homes. And last Wednesday, it appeared Wellington would not be denied the victory before their home crowd. The Wolverines jumped out to a 13-8 lead after the

first quarter. Wellington’s solid defensive play and quick counters locked in a 27-17 halftime advantage.

During the second half of play, the Broncos mustered a brief comeback to cut the Wellington lead by 2 points, but the Wolverine offense would find the seams in the Palm Beach Central defense to extend their lead.

Several rebounds and blocks by the Wolverines contributed to their success against the Broncos, and Wellington closed out the match, winning 53-39. Top performers for the Wolverines were Kemar Downer with 18 points, and Stephane

Beneche with 12 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocks. Palm Beach Central’s Sam Auguste added 13 points.

Wellington’s victory ended Palm Beach Central’s post-season play.

The win for the Wolverines put them up against top seed Dwyer for a game Friday, Feb. 10. However, Dwyer defeated Wellington 74-66, ending the Wolverines’ post-season play.

Wellington’sAlex Peavler had 16 points with four 3-pointers, Dondre Duffus put up 22 points and had three 3-pointers, Kemar Downer had one 3-pointer.

A.J. Lowe blocks Wellington’s Stephane Beneche.

Wellington’s Kemar Downer leaps over a Bronco defender attempting to score.

Bronco A.J. Lowe has his focus on the goal against Wellington.

Palm Beach Central’s Sam Auguste shoots for a basket.

PHOTOS BY GENE NARDI/TOWN-CRIER

Lady Broncos Defeat Park Vista 62-30 In Basketball Playoffs

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity basketball team advanced in the playoffs Thursday, Feb. 9 when they defeated visiting Park Vista High School 62-30, which put the Lady Broncos in the regional semifinals.

Though both teams got off to a strong start, the Palm Beach Central girls — cheered on by a hometown crowd — put their skills to the test to defeat the Lady Cobras.

Mariah-Cauhryn Smelser kicked off things early in the game when she put in a basket, followed up by another basket by Kensha’dra

Bronco Ashante Doby fights for control of the ball.

Smith, making the score 4-0 early on.

Park Vista scored midway through the first quarter, but Smith kept a 4point lead with another basket.

Though the Lady Cobras fought to make up the baskets, mistakes cost them in the form of foul shots.

The Lady Broncos were on fire, nailing foul shots that helped to extend their lead. Spurred on by baskets by Smelser, Smith, Lexus Love and Crystal Primm, the Lady Broncos were leading 33-21 at halftime.

If Park Vista had a chance to catch up, it was taken away from them in the third quarter when Palm Beach Central held them to just one foul shot, while putting in 27 points themselves. But the Lady Cobras weren’t letting go so easily and allowed only 2 points by Palm Beach Central in the final quarter.

But it wasn’t enough to make up the Lady Broncos’ lead, and Palm Beach Central took the win 62-30.

The Lady Broncos hosted Dwyer High School on Tuesday, Feb. 14 for the regional semifinals and came away with a 54-53 victory to earn a spot in the regional finals this weekend.

Palm Beach Central’s Crystal Primm rushes for the basket.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

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SPORTS & RECREATION

WHS Wrestler Nik Bonadies Heading To State Tournament Wellington High School sophomore Nik Bonadies placed fourth at the Class 3A-3 district wrestling tournament, which qualified him for this weekend’s state tournament in Lakeland.

Bonadies (120 pounds) got off to a great start when he avenged an earlier season loss to Sam Hargesheimer from Seminole Ridge High School by earning an 11-3 victory.

In the quarterfinals, Bonadies defeated district champion Chaz Sapp from Deerfield Beach 11-6. Next, Bonadies faced off against former state champion Shiquan Hall in the semifinals and was defeated 15-5.

Bonadies’ next match was in the consolation semifinals, where he had to defeat Kyle Eggnatz, a returning state qualifier from Coral Springs High School, to qualify for the state tournament, and he came away with an impressive 4-2 victory. In the third place match, Bonadies wrestled Palm Beach County runner-up Steve Textor from Park Vista and lost a closely fought battle 1-0. Bonadies improved his record to 39-17 and will make his first trip to the state tournament this weekend.

“We are ecstatic for Nik and the

job that he did this weekend at the regional tournament,” coach Travis Gray said. “He won our off-season wrestling award this year because of his hard work and dedication to the sport, and now it has paid off.

Nik is only in his second year of wrestling, and if he continues on this path, the sky is the limit for him. We are really happy he qualified as a sophomore because this will allow him to focus the next two years on becoming a state champion.”

The WHS wrestling team qualified for the regional tournament after placing nine wrestlers in the top four of their weight classes at the district tournament held over the Feb. 4-5 weekend.

The Wolverines had two district champions, junior Austin Schnaderbeck (145 pounds) and sophomore Josiah Cleghorn (220). Second-place finishers were Eric Melamed (132), Brandon Paz (138) and Collin Bachi (152). Third-place finishers were Andrew Mitchell (106), Bonadies (120), Juan Ferro (126) and Chris Burk (160).

“It was upsetting to lose a couple of our wrestlers for the season at this tournament, but the rest of our

Nik Bonadies

Austin Schnaderbeck

Josiah Cleghorn

guys looked really impressive, especially our two champions,” Gray said. “Both of those wrestlers were unable to compete at the Palm Beach County Tournament a couple of weeks ago due to injuries, so they

were excited when they both saw that they had the Palm Beach County champions in their brackets. Josiah Cleghorn got to wrestle the county champion Mike Morakis from Park Vista in the last match of the

night and defeated him by a major decision 13-5. All nine wrestlers have the opportunity to compete this weekend for a spot in the state tournament coming up in two weeks.”

Send sports news 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.

A WITH

&

Taste of the Mediterranean

AAA TRAVEL

HOLLAND AMERICA LINE

J

YOU’RE INVITED

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 17 - February 23, 2012 Page 41

SPORTS & RECREATION

The Palm Beach Grand Prix Returns To PBIR Feb. 17-19 The Palm Beach Grand Prix will return for its second year with three full days of racing at Palm Beach International Raceway the weekend of Feb. 17-19. At the facility-wide motorsports event, spectators can enjoy up-close action at various events from racing to car shows throughout the weekend.

The Palm Beach Grand Prix is an event where the roar of vintage and modern race cars collide, featuring the racing action of the Historic Sportscar Racing (HSR) Series, the Historic Moto Gran Prix Motorcycles, the Louis Chevrolet Endurance Series and the Nordic Camaro U.S.

Race. Of these several classes racing during the weekend, fans can see everything from historic sports racing cars to fifth-generation Camaros in the Camaro-only racing series.

When fans aren’t watching the raceway, they will have plenty to explore including the Palm Beach International British Car Show on Saturday, Feb. 18 and the SuperCar Weekend.com ShootOut on display Sunday, Feb. 19.

“At Palm Beach International Raceway, it’s all about the fans,” PBIR President Jason Rittenberry said. “After the success of the inau-

Kevin Perkins Golf Academy Junior After-School Program Starting Tuesday, March 13, the Kevin Perkins Golf Academy will be again conducting its popular junior after-school spring golf program at Palm Beach Polo & Hunt Club in Wellington.

The junior after-school program is open to boys and girls ages 7-17 and will take place on Tuesday afternoons from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m.

The Palm Beach Polo & Hunt Club is located off South Shore Blvd., at

the site of the former Greenview Cove Golf Course.

The Kevin Perkins Golf Academy provides world class instructional programs to students of all ages and abilities. For more information about the junior after-school spring program and other programs provided by the Kevin Perkins Golf Academy, visit the academy’s web site at www.kevinperkinsgolfacademy.com or call (561) 301-3783.

gural Palm Beach Grand Prix in 2011, we’ve once again worked this year to offer nothing less than a thrilling and entertaining experience for motorsports enthusiasts in 2012. We can assure our fans that the Grand Prix will be a weekend of nonstop action, and that there will never be a dull moment of on-track activity.”

The Palm Beach Grand Prix will feature the perpetual HSR LeMans Trophy donated by five-time LeMans Champion, Derek Bell, to raise money for the Boys & Girls Club of Delray Beach. The trophy, which Bell hoisted in the winners circle at the Sarthe circuit, will be awarded to the team that accumulates the most points during the weekend for ontrack performance, participation in kart races and participation in charity track rides.

Spectators will have the opportunity to take rides around the Palm Beach International Raceway’s 2mile, 11-turn road course in a sports car where all proceeds will be donated to the charity.

“Once again, it is great to start the 2012 HSR seasons at the Palm Beach International Raceway,” said Ken Fengler, vice president of race operations for HSR. Advanced discount tickets can be purchased online at www.racepbir.

The Palm Beach Grand Prix is an event where the roar of vintage and modern race cars collide. com. A special three-day advanced adult ticket can be purchased online for only $45. Adult single day tickets cost $15 for Friday and $25 for Saturday or Sunday, and children 12 years and under are free all weekend.

Gates for spectators will open at 8 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sun-

day. For more information about HSR, visit www.hsrrace.com.

For information about Palm Beach International Raceway, visit www. racepbir.com or www.facebook.com/ PalmBeachIntlRaceway. For updates on the event, follow Palm Beach International Raceway on Twitter @racepbir.

Page 42 February 17 - February 23, 2012

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday, Feb. 18 • The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will stroll Okeeheelee Park on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast afterward. Call Daisy Palmer at (561) 439-5780 for more info.

• The Wellington Green Market will hold its first Chocolate Festival on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) to benefit the Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation. For more info., call (561) 2835856 or visit www.wellingtongreenmarket. com.

• The Palm Beach County Thrift Store (2455 Vista Parkway, West Palm Beach) will hold its monthly auction Saturday, Feb. 18.

Store hours are 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. with bidding from 8 to 11 a.m. Bid awards will be immediately af ter the close of bidding. Call (561) 233-2256 or visit www.pbcgov.com for info.

• Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) will host “Designing, Creating & Maintaining a Home Landscape” on Saturdays, Feb. 18 and 25, and March 3 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. This workshop will take participants through all the steps needed to improve a home landscape.

For more info., call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org.

• The South Florida Science Museum (4801 Dreher Trail North, West Palm Beach) will present “Science of Chocolate” on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 18 and 19. Satisfy your sweet tooth and explore the sweeter side of science. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday from noon to 4 p.m.

For more info., call (561) 832-1988 or visit www.sfsm.org.

• Nature’s Center (5301 State Road 7, Lake Worth) will feature “Birds, Bees and Butterflies” Saturday, Feb. 18 from 2 to 3 p.m. Join nursery manager Julia Gehring to learn the methods and benefits of planting for wildlife. The cost is free. Walk-ins are welcome. For info., call (419) 304-3209.

• 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. For more info., call Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Teen Advisory Posse for ages 12 to 17 on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m. Share ideas for future teen programs. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a Chess Club Meeting for age 8 and up Saturday, Feb. 18 at 2:30 p.m.

Basic game knowledge is required. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington) will feature the Outback 40 Goal Challenge benefiting the Polo Players Support Group on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. For more info., visit www.internationalpoloclub.com.

• The Acreage Landowners’ Association and the Indian Trail Improvement District will host their monthly Acreage Community Park Jam on Saturday, Feb. 18 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Acreage Community Park (6701 140th Ave. North). For more info., visit www. acreagelandowners.org or contact Bob Renna at (561) 602-0676 or bobrenna@bell south.net.

• Wellington will present a free concert featuring Beatlemaniax’s Tribute to the Beatles on Saturday, Feb. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

Sunday, Feb. 19 • The Audubon Society of the Everglades will host a backyard bird count on Sunday.

Feb. 19 at 8 a.m. at Wellington Environmental Preserve (3499 Flying Cow Road, Wellington). Park at the second entrance. Call Linda Humphries at (561) 742-7791 or email hlindaase@aol.com for more info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a “Health Starts Here” tour and demonstration Sunday, Feb. 19 at noon. Learn about healthy eating principles and how to identify the most nutrientrich foods. There is no charge. Call (561) 9044000 to pre-register and for more info.

• The International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington) will feature the Ylvisaker Cup Tournament on Sunday, Feb. 19. Visit www.internationalpolo club.com for more info.

Monday, Feb. 20 • The Audubon Society of the Everglades will host a backyard bird count Monday, Feb. 20 at 3:30 p.m. at Peaceful Waters Park (11700 Pierson Road, Wellington). Meet at the beginning of the boardwalk. Call Linda Humphries at (561) 742-7791 or e-mail hlindaase@aol.com for more info.

Tuesday, Feb. 21 • The Arthritis Foundation (400 Hibiscus St., West Palm Beach) will offer a Tai Chi for See CALENDAR, page 43

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

CALENDAR, continued from page 42 Arthritis Class starting Tuesday, Feb. 21. The class will meet on Tuesday and Thursdays.

The five-week session costs $66. Call Susie at (561) 833-1133, ext. 210 for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Novel Destinations: Book Discussion Series” for adults Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 2 p.m. Barbara Harnick will lead a discussion of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. Sign up and check out the book. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Sweets for the Sweet” for ages 12 to 17 on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 4:30 p.m. Decorate cookies while taking part in “name that candy bar” contest, crafts and more. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council will meet Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District office (101 West D Road). For more info., call (561) 793-2418 or visit www . loxahatcheegroves.org.

Wednesday, Feb. 22 • Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host a Meet the Candidates Luncheon for members to get to know Wellington Village Council candidates Wednesday, Feb. 22 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wanderers Club (1900 Aero Club Drive). The cost is $20 for members and $30 for nonmembers.

RSVPs to (561) 792-6525.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will feature “Kente Cloth” for ages 8 to 12 on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Learn the symbolism behind this African cloth pattern and paint your own design.

Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• Dr. Ian Shtulman of Shtulman Family Chiropractic (8855 Hypoluxo Road, Suite C11, Lake Worth) will host a complimentary wor kshop titled “A Matter of the Hear t: Health Workshop” on Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 6:30 p.m. Shtulman will share the secrets of how to to naturally improve your heart health so you can enjoy life to the fullest. To RSVP, or for more info., call (561) 275-2525 or visit www.welladjustedfamily.com.

Thursday, Feb. 23 • The Palm Beach County Commission will hold a zoning meeting Thursday, Feb. 23 at 9:30 a.m. at the government center’s Jane M. Thompson Memorial Chambers (301 N. Olive Ave., Sixth Floor, West Palm Beach).

For more info., visit www.pbcgov.com.

• Na’amat USA, Sharon Chapter of Royal Palm Beach will host a gala luncheon and

card party Thursday, Feb. 23 at the Village Golf Club (122 Country Club Drive) to help purchase equipment for Na’amat daycare centers in Israel. Festivities will begin at 11 a.m. with card games including mahjong, bridge, canasta, gin rummy, poker and board games. The cost is $16 per person. RSVP to Joan Berkowitz at (561) 790-1443. Na’amat provides daycare for more than 25,000 children in Israel as well as other services.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Classic Tales Story Time” for ages 4 to 6 on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 3:30 p.m. Enjoy classic picture books, sing songs and make a simple craft. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Fantastic Nails” for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 4:30 p.m.

Using books that demonstrate cool nail art designs, give yourself a manicure/pedicure with decals, stencils and polish. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Norton Museum of Art (1451 S. Olive Ave., WPB) will host the poly-rhythmic Afro-Latin dance rhythms of the Moska Project as part of its “Art After Dark” series Thursday, Feb. 23 from 5 to 9 p.m. For info., call (561) 832-5196 or visit www.norton.org.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a “Gluten-Free Recipe Makeover” on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m. There is no charge. Bring your favorite non-gluten-free recipe to the customer service desk by Saturday, Feb. 20 to enter your recipe into the running to be made-over to be gluten free. The class size is limited. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register and for info.

• A Women’s Health & Wellness Seminar will take place Thursday, Feb. 23 from 7 to 9 p.m. at Hurricane Grill & Wings (4075 State Road 7, Lake Worth). The informational seminar will cover wellness, beauty and financial independence. For more info., call Debbie Davis at (561) 329-1644.

Saturday, Feb. 25 • Seminole Ridge High School will host the seventh annual Hawks Benefit Car Show & Crafts Bazaar on Saturday, Feb. 25 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the school grounds. More than 300 vehicles are expected, as well as arts and crafts vendors, live entertainment, food and beverages, bounce houses and more. For info., visit www.hawkcarshow.org.

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.

Februar y 17 - February 23, 20 12 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

HIDDEN CREEK AT BINKS FOREST COMMUNITY YARD SALE FEBRUARY 25th - 8 a.m.- Noon Southern Blvd. West left into HiddenCreek at Binks Forest 1st right.

EMPLOYMENT WANTED — Semi retired accountant/bookkeeper seeking part-time (2 to 3 days per week) Experienced in Quickboook, Pro and more. 561-429-8970

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 DRIVERS! DRIVERS! DRIVERS! Drivers wanted for Wellington Cab. Retirees welcome. Cleaning Driving Record. Call 561-333-0181 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 NAIL TECHS — Experienced clients waiting - full-time & part-time. Apply at Permanent Elegance7070 Seminole Pratt,Loxahatchee 561-7905777

PLACE YOUR EMPLOYMENT AD HERE! CALL 561-793-7606

WWW. GOTOWNCRIER. COM

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

CLASSIFIEDS 561-793-7606

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

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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 HOMESTAY COMPANIONS — Part-time/Full-Time/LIVE-IN/CNA/ HHA/Companions Experienced/ CPR/Transport ation/Background check. Call Ed 772-781-9499

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

ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back!

Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528

HOME INSPECTIONS — Windstorm Mitigation Inspections, Mold Inspections, Air Quality Testing.

State of Florida Lic. & Ins. #HI2147 US Building Inspectors 561-7848811

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

TNT LAWN CARE — Hedges & yard clean-up, Quality & Dependable Service. 561-644-8683

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

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

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 \ 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 17 - February 23, 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 PLACE YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AD HERE CALL 561793-7606 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

CALL THE TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS TODAY AT 561-793-7606

SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980.

Quality you expect, service you deserve. Lic. bonded & Ins. U21006 561-662-9258

TREES TRIMMED AND REMOVED — 561-798-0412 D.M. YOUNG TREE SERVICE. Family Owned & Operated Licensed & Insured 1992-12121 Visit our website at dmyoungtreeservice.com

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

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