Town-Crier Newspaper February 1, 2013

PBSO: TOO MANY WELLINGTON CRASHES SEE STORY, PAGE 3

WELLINGTON COLLEGE PREP WORKSHOP SEE STORY, PAGE 7

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

Your Community Newspaper

Volume 34, Number 5 February 1 - February 7, 2013

Planning Underway For March Opening Of New RPB Park

INSIDE Weisman: Budget, Roads & Beaches Big Issues For The Future

Beaches, the budget and road improvements will be the greatest issues facing Palm Beach County in coming years, County Administrator Robert Weisman told local business leaders this week. He was the featured speaker at the Central Palm Beach Chamber luncheon Monday, Jan. 28 at the Wellington Community Center. Page 3

After Delay, School To Open At RPB Albertsons

The second attempt looks like a “go” for the Renaissance Charter School at Palms West. Last year, Renaissance ran into problems in an attempt to convert the old Albertsons building at the corner of Southern and Crestwood boulevards into a charter school. However, school officials told the Town-Crier this week that the issues have been resolved and the project is a go for this year. Page 7

Wellington Christian Homecoming Parade

Wellington Christian School held its 11th annual homecoming float parade Thursday, Jan. 24.

Ninth-grade through 12th-grade students used their creativity to create the floats, which they paraded in front of the school.

This year’s theme was TV game shows. Page 9

Seniors Club Members Enjoy A Day At WEF

The Wellington Seniors Club attended a luncheon Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Page 13

OPINION Fight Heart Disease And Stroke During American Heart Month

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, heart disease tops the list as the leading cause of death among women. To help raise awareness of this fact, this Friday is National Wear Red Day, kicking off February as American Heart Month. It’s time to learn more about this deadly killer. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 13 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 NEWS BRIEFS........................ 8 SCHOOLS ............................ 14 PEOPLE ............................... 16 COLUMNS .................... 25 - 26 BUSINESS .................... 27 - 29 ENTERTAINMENT .................31 SPORTS ........................ 35 - 37 CALENDAR ...................38 - 39 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 40 - 44 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Serving Palms West Since 1980

The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation took first place and claimed the top prize of $150,000.

PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Large Crowd On Hand As JDRF Wins Great Charity Challenge

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report It was a packed house at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center as more than 5,000 spectators watched the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation take home the big money at the fourth annual FTI Consulting Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments on Saturday, Jan. 26.

“We are just completely overwhelmed,” said Lora Hazelwood, executive director of the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation of Greater of Palm Beach County.

“We’re so grateful.”

But no one walked away empty-handed, with the 34 Palm Beach County charities taking home more than $1.5 million between them.

“This year was fantastic,” Equestrian Sport Productions CEO Mark Bellissimo told the TownCrier. “It’s four years and more than $4.2 million later, and the event

just keeps growing. It was the biggest crowd I think we’ve ever had.”

This year, a major emphasis was put on including Wellington charities — nine of them, or roughly one-third of all the included charities.

Bellissimo said that the Wellington charities netted more than $225,000, all of which will be put directly into the community.

“What’s really exciting for me is that this money will be put to work immediately in the community,” Bellissimo said. “Wellington is the home of this festival, and we wanted to make sure to give back to the community that has been so supportive of the show and of us.”

FTI Consulting Executive Chairman Dennis Shaughnessy said that the spirit of giving has kept his company coming back to sponsor the event each year.

“I’m delighted,” he said. “To be able to give $1.5 million directly to all of these charities is just incredible. It’s a great thing to do for the

community and a lot of fun to see the faces on the winners and everyone who comes out.”

It was the first appearance in the Great Charity Challenge for the JDRF, and riders Darragh Kenny, Catherine Pasmore and Meg O’Mara had the fastest time to secure the $150,000 prize. The team was sponsored by Jessie Pasmore and Martha Jolicoeur and corporate sponsor Stone Hill Farm.

“We were just thrilled to be selected,” Hazelwood said. “We were so grateful to be getting even $10,000. We had no inkling that we would win $150,000. This is our fourth year of trying, and we’d never even been selected. Not only were we selected this year, but we won.”

JDRF finances research and local support programs for children, teens and adults with Type 1 diabetes. “We have a lot of local outreach programs,” Hazelwood said.

“We have amazing research cenSee CHARITY, page 18

Wellington Chabad To Celebrate ‘Bar Mitzvah’ At Binks On Feb. 10

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report “Lighting the Way to a Brighter Future” is the theme of Chabad Jewish Center in Wellington’s Bar Mitzvah Celebration & Gala Dinner set for Sunday, Feb. 10 at the Binks Forest Golf Club.

Chabad is celebrating 13 years of reaching out to the community, offering a hands-on approach to Judaism, no matter what faith a person is.

“We are a much more traditional-minded congregation,” Rabbi Mendy Muskal said. “Although I myself am Orthodox, most of the congregation is not, but they benefit from the knowledge that I have as an Orthodox rabbi.”

Participants do not necessarily have to be members. “Our beauty is we really feel that if the community likes what we’re doing, they will reach out and support and want to see us succeed,” Muskal said.

“Thank God we have a large community and a large part of the community has joined in making this a wonderful, resounding success over 13 years.”

Chabad’s success is reflected in numerous well-attended, festive events. “We know how to party,” Muskal said. “The Chassidic attitude is to have a zest for life and do everything with joy.”

It is not uncommon for special holiday celebrations such as Hanukkah or Purim to draw 300 or 350 people. “The community has stepped forward,” he said. “That translates to people helping us, wanting to see our success.”

Chabad is not limited by traditional Jewish denomination. “Our organization reaches out, and we do programs all across the community,” Muskal said. “Some of the more popular programs include the matzo bakery. I have been to practically every single temple in the area, the Jewish Community Center, Hadassah, preschools, senior centers, and run programs for them in their location where we take a mobile factory from place to place and allow the community to experience the beauty of Judaism and learn about their heritage.”

The mobile matzo factory starts

literally from scratch, offering participants sheaves of wheat that they thresh and grind into flour before making matzos. “Students get a chance to winnow it and thresh it with their hands,” he said.

“Last year, we had almost 2,000 participants in our model matzo bakery all across the area.”

Muskal takes great joy in offering a hands-on approach to faith.

“You can’t imagine the difference of learning if you’re sitting in one spot and someone is talking at you, as opposed to when you are active, when you are cutting up some fruit in order to learn about the holiday Tu B’Shevat, which we did recently,” he said. “That’s like the Jewish Arbor Day. Rather than just sit and talk about it, the children, or for that matter adults or seniors, have a knife with fruit and they’re making a fruit platter.”

Muskal said that the Jewish and non-Jewish communities have embraced what the Chabad has been doing the past 13 years in Wellington, not trying to dissuade anyone from their own personal See CHABAD, page 18

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report An opening date of Saturday, March 2 has been set for Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, according to Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio, who gave an update Monday to the Recreation Advisory Board.

“The phone never stops ringing with people asking when is it going to open, but I will say this: I have not received one negative comment,” Recchio said “You read in the media about delays and everything, but I have not received one negative comment from a resident. They know that we want to do it right. We’re not going to open it until it’s ready to be open, and we’re going to make sure that it’s 100 percent ready for the residents to come into the facility.”

Recchio described the plan for March 2 as a “soft opening” with a ribbon cutting. “There is no grand scheme of events,” Recchio said.

“Once we have the ribbon cutting, you’ve all heard of the ‘Food Truck Invasion’ that has taken the state by storm. We will have them over at the park when we open up.

We will have different inflatabletype rides or games for the kids.”

There will also be varieties of

entertainment throughout the park, he said, explaining that there are numerous pavilions set up to accommodate small bands, a DJ or a single person playing.

“We’re looking at a saxophone player in the sporting center or a guitar player in the banquet garden,” he said. “The activities going on there will be nothing extravagant. It’s just to let the residents come in and see what we have to offer and let them know that it’s open.”

A grand opening is set for Friday through Sunday, March 2224. “We’ll have our kayaks and canoes on board,” he said. “Hopefully, we’ll have our café open. We will have entertainment.”

On Friday, there will be a movie, The Amazing Spider Man. There will also be stage entertainment from local schools. Saturday will begin with a 5K run/walk for adults and children, which will take place entirely inside the park, he said.

The food trucks will invade again in one of the parking lots. All weekend there will be a full carnival, with mechanical and inflatable rides.

“We will have entertainment every day — different tribute bands from the ’60s, ’70s and See NEW PARK, page 18

WELLINGTON DAY AT IPC

Last Sunday was Wellington Day at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Shown here, Wellington employee Horace Reeves was honored, along with former Major League Baseball player and Miami Marlins color analyst Tommy Hutton. On the field, Crab Orchard defeated Audi 11-9 to win the Joe Barry Memorial Cup. SEE STORY & MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17 PHOTOGRAPHY BY LILA PHOTO

Engineer Steven Yohe New LGWCD Top Pick

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors has now turned to engineer Steven Yohe as its likely new district administrator after first choice Steve McKown turned down the board’s offer.

“We offered [Yohe] the same contract as we offered [McKown], $84,000 and benefits on top of that, the same that employees get,” LGWCD Chairman Dave DeMarois told the Town-Crier.

The package also includes a $400 a month car allowance.

Negotiations were done by Supervisor Don Widing, who had been directed at the last meeting to focus on the board’s second choice if McKown turned them down. The final contract negotia-

tions are being handled by human resources attorney Lara Donlon.

“The number-one guy looked at it and he finally came back with a negative, then we offered it to the number-two guy, and he came back with a positive,” DeMarois said.

“We did a background check on the number-two man and that came out OK.” Final approval by the board is expected at its next meeting, set for Feb. 11, and DeMarois said Yohe would then start work Feb. 12.

DeMarois said McKown turned down the board’s offer over a difference in the health insurance policy. “He wanted us to pay for his health insurance for the family,” DeMarois said, noting that several board members had misSee YOHE, page 7

RPB’s Nicole Vega Enjoying Reign As 2013 Fair Queen

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report With the South Florida Fair wrapping up this weekend, Miss South Florida Fair 2013 Nicole Vega has been making her rounds at the fair and spreading the word about her platform issue, CROWN (Confident Radiant Outstanding Women Now), to young girls.

Vega, a Royal Palm Beach resident, is a junior at Florida Atlantic University who attended Berean Christian High School. She began competing in pageants at age 18 as a way to obtain scholarship money. “My guidance counselor suggested that I compete for Miss South Florida Fair,” she recalled.

“Before that, I had never competed in pageants.”

Vega competed in the 2011 Miss

South Florida fair pageant, part of the Miss America Organization, and placed as second runner-up, winning $750 in scholarship money. She also went on to compete in various other pageants and won Miss Miami 2011. “People say you end up loving or hating pageants, and I ended up loving it,” Vega said. “I enjoy the entertaining aspect of it and challenging myself.”

Competing has become a rewarding part of Vega’s life. “It teaches you how to be confident, communicate and get out of your comfort zone,” she said.

This year she decided to compete again for Miss South Florida Fair and received $3,000 in scholarship money to go along with the crown.

In preparation for the pageant,

Vega used all the experience that she had learned from previous years to help her win. “Most importantly, I built my confidence level,” she said. “If I did not believe that I could win the title of Miss South Florida Fair, then I would not accomplish all my goals to win the pageant.”

In order to win, Vega had to show off one of her talents and communication abilities to the judges. She sang “The Prayer” by Josh Groban. “I had a vocal coach who helped me prepare,” she said.

“Interview-wise, I had 10 minutes with the judges, and I really had to be up-to-date on all aspects of pop culture, whether it be political or about the fair itself.”

Each contestant must create and See FAIR QUEEN, page 18

Miss South Florida Fair 2013 Nicole Vega

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February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 3

NEWS

PBSO Capt. Hart: Too Many Traffic Accidents In Wellington Area

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Traffic accidents were more of a problem in Wellington last year, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Jay Hart told village leaders last week, while property and violent crimes, vandalism and juvenile arrests all declined.

During his presentation to the Wellington Village Council on Jan. 22, Hart said that despite what has been reported, crime is not increasing in Wellington.

Hart, who commands the PBSO’s District 8 substation in Wellington, pointed to a recent daily newspaper article and noted that

it looked at statistics from only half of the year.

“From January to July, we have a dramatic increase in population,” he said. “The statistics don’t show the whole picture. You have to look at the whole story.”

Hart said that in general, crime is down. Traffic mishaps, though, are a concern. “When it comes to traffic issues, we failed,” he said.

“We wanted to keep the crash rate at 2.2 crashes per 100 residents, but we’re at 2.4.”

Hart said Wellington saw 1,380 crashes in 2012, averaging 115 per month. But it wasn’t due to lack of traffic enforcement, he said.

“We had 8,200 vehicle stops in 2012,” Hart said. “We wrote 6,500 traffic citations. That’s a lot of tickets.”

He noted that several issues could be causing accidents — such as drivers using their smartphones. “Texting while driving is not against the law in Florida,” he said. “Until that changes, we will continue to have distracted drivers behind the wheel.”

The PBSO and Wellington are joining together to educate drivers about how dangerous it is to write text messages while driving.

“We’re working with your technology department and high school

students to create a public service announcement,” Hart said.

Robberies are also a recurring problem in Wellington, Hart said.

Deputies have been able to curb the number, however, by stepping up patrols.

“We had 17 robberies in the first half of the year,” he said. “Since then, we’ve had only eight. We recognized where the problems were and cut it by 50 percent. We really feel we’ve made an impact.”

The PBSO surpassed its goals in many areas, he said, seeing a measurable decrease in crime last year. “Property crime declined for the third consecutive year,” Hart

said. “Our goal was to hold property crimes below 1,000 [incidents], and we have done that.”

Property crimes decreased from 771 to 745 cases, and 13 percent of those resulted in an arrest. Vehicle burglaries also declined by 2 percent, and residents could help cut that number even more, Hart said.

“In 99 percent of cases, the vehicles are left unlocked,” he said.

“As my predecessor said, ‘Wellington is low-crime, not no-crime.’

A lot of us live behind gates and leave our vehicles unlocked, but there are people walking around and breaking into cars.”

Recently, though, there has

been an uptick in residential burglaries.

“We have arrested several people. We have several leads. A lot of these cases are foreclosed homes where people go in and steal a fridge or oven, or even the marble from the countertops,” Hart said. “Those are tough to solve because we don’t have a victim. The banks won’t take responsibility, and the owners are gone.”

Other issues of concern, such as vandalism and domestic/violent crimes, occurred less often in 2012 than the year before. “DoSee PBSO, page 18

Weisman: Budget, Roads & Beaches Big Issues For The Future

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Beaches, the budget and road improvements will be the greatest issues facing Palm Beach County in coming years, County Administrator Robert Weisman told local business leaders this week.

Weisman was the featured speaker at the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce luncheon Monday, Jan. 28 at the Wellington Community Center.

Weisman predicted that beaches could become the most controversial topic of the next decade.

“We have rising sea levels, whatever you believe the cause is,” he said. “The sea levels are going up, the storms are getting worse, our beaches are getting more eroded, and there is less money to fix those beaches.”

Millions of dollars from the federal, state and county govern-

ments are put into beach renourishment every year, he said.

“We just approved $1.5 million to fix county parks along our beaches that were damaged by the storms this fall,” Weisman said.

“That’s a lot of money that we don’t have. We’re trying to get more state money and more federal money, and the federal money is lagging, so it remains to be seen how that’s going to go.”

He noted that some beach condominiums in areas such as Singer Island have water washing at their foundations. “It’s something we’re going to be hearing a lot about and dealing with, and that’s a good part of our tax base, waterfront property, so it’s very important,” Weisman said.

Over the past seven years, the county has significantly reduced spending.

“In the early decade of 2000 we

had a lot of tax money, property tax money coming in and that was good, and the Board of County Commissioners spent a lot of money,” he said. “A big change came later in the decade with the decrease in property values, and we’ve literally cut our budget by reducing staff, reducing compensation to employees and really only slightly reducing services to the public.”

In county offices, refuse is not picked up as often. “We’re not mowing the lawns in front of the buildings. We’re not mowing the medians the way we did, but the biggest reduction area is in staff,” Weisman said. “We cut about 700 employees in total,” he said.

“We’ve since added some things back, but 700 employees is really big dollars. They’ve had no pay raises in four years, and it’s that type of thing that helps you bal-

(Above) Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda, Chamber Chairman Dr. Jeffrey Bishop, Assistant County Administrator Shannon LaRocque, Bob Parsons of the Oxbridge Academy, County Administrator Robert Weisman and the chamber’s Mary Lou Bedford. (Left) Weisman speaks to chamber members.

PHOTOS BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

ance the budget in tight times.”

The biggest area of the budget is the sheriff, whose office spends about $400 million each year. “We have a lot of built-in cost there,” Weisman said. “The county commission has discussed issues like the sheriff’s budget and employee compensation.”

He said there is a lot of public support for good compensation for public safety employees but little willingness to pay higher taxes.

“If you give out 3 percent raises, let’s say, every year on the sheriff’s budget, that comes to $12 [million] to $15 million a year,” Weisman said. “The public has got to decide if they want to pay more in taxes or you’ve got to address issues like compensation.”

The Florida Retirement System is a big part of compensation. “The Florida Legislature talks about retirement issues, but in general they have avoided the big-ticket issues that help reduce cost,” Weisman said.

The Florida Supreme Court recently upheld a ruling that requires county employees to contribute to the cost of their pension. “The employee groups sued about that, and the court ruled in favor of the legislature, so that did reduce county costs for retirement,” Weisman said.

In recent years, the county commission has redirected much of its road development money to pay for mass transit. The spending goes for Palm Tran and transit service for handicapped people, which is becoming the most expensive portion.

“Those vans you see driving around, it’s privatized — we hired the low-bid contractor, and that contractor has been having many problems since they took the contract in August,” he said. “It’s one of the downsides of privatization.

Sometimes it works well; sometimes, it doesn’t. We are contractstressed with this person, and we are trying to get through.”

Weisman said it is difficult to throw out a contractor who has bought 100 vehicles and provided a daily service for 300 to 3,000 people a day, picking them up at their door and carrying them to doctors’ appointments, school or restaurants — whatever they need.

“Each rider pays about $3 per ride, but the cost is about $30 per

ride, so it’s a huge part being largely subsidized by local taxpayers through gas taxes,” he said. “It also comes from state and federal dollars.”

Roads in the central western communities have largely been built, but Seminole Pratt Whitney Road is still underway and will take another year or two to complete.

“The biggest problem is State Road 7,” Weisman said. “We’re going through the state to get that built north to Northlake Blvd. The City of West Palm Beach is standing in the way of that.”

Ibis, where West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio lives, is the biggest opponent, he said. “That road passes by them and we have a right-of-way for it, and they will See WEISMAN, page 18

Lox Groves Election Filing Closes Feb. 5

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Qualifying for two available seats on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council opened Tuesday, Jan. 29. Potential candidates have until noon Tuesday, Feb. 5 for qualify for the ballot.

Mayor Dave Browning and Councilman Jim Rockett plan to seek re-election.

As of Wednesday, two residents, Todd McLendon and L.W. Lucas, had picked up candidate paperwork, but no challengers had qualified to run.

If challengers come forward, the

election will held Tuesday, March 12 with polls open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Seat 4 incumbent Browning has served as the town’s appointed mayor since incorporation in 2006.

Seat 2 incumbent Rockett is completing his first three-year term on the council.

Any resident who wishes to become a candidate must qualify with the town clerk no later than noon on Tuesday, Feb. 5. For more information, contact Town Clerk Susan Eichhorn at (561) 793-2418 or seichhorn@loxahatcheegroves fl.gov.

Page 4 February 1 - February 7, 2013

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OUR OPINION

Fight Heart Disease And Stroke During American Heart Month Last week’s Komen Race for the Cure saw thousands of people gather in West Palm Beach to support the fight against breast cancer. It was certainly a worthy cause. Given the popularity of the event — and the visibility of breast cancer organizations overall — one might think the disease is the leading cause of death among women. But according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, heart disease tops that list. And to help raise awareness of this fact, this Friday is National Wear Red Day, kicking off February as American Heart Month.

Spearheaded in 2003 by the American Heart Association, the goal of National Wear Red Day is to raise awareness, as well as raise funds for research. Since then, awareness among women has increased 23 percent, according to www.goredforwomen.org. Even better news is that the number of women who died from heart disease in the past 10 years decreased by 21 percent. There’s no doubt that this is a significant move in the right direction, but there is still a long way to go in the national battle against heart disease. Despite this progress, the fact remains that one in every three deaths (or 2,200 deaths per day) is caused by heart disease and stroke, according to the CDC. Of course, heart disease isn’t just something women should be concerned with; it’s the leading cause of death of both men and women in the United States. But many of these

deaths could have been prevented. Because so many instances of heart disease are the result of a poor diet, it’s up to individuals to know if their lifestyle is conducive to a healthy heart, or if it’s contributing to an early demise. Education is important because the more you know early on, the more likely you’ll take it seriously before it becomes a problem. Unfortunately, many people learn about heart disease the hard way — not getting serious about it until their doctor tells them to. Still others don’t learn about this killer until after a heart attack or stroke — if they survive.

Education starts early, and it’s important that children develop a proper heart-conscious lifestyle so that when they reach 50, they’re not scrambling to undo decades of bad habits.

There are plenty of online resources to start on your path to a healthy heart, beginning with the AHA’s and CDC’s web sites at www.americanheart.org and www.cdc.gov. Although a proper diet is essential to having a healthy heart, other lifestyle components include proper stress management, routine check-ups with your doctor and sufficient exercise on a regular basis. As Floridians, we’re fortunate to be able to enjoy the outdoors in February. Here in the western communities, we have an excellent parks system, and now’s a good time to use one of the many heart trails available. Run, jog or walk — anything is better than sitting on your couch. Your heart will thank you.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR College Campus Good For Groves Editor’s note: The following letter is in response to letters written by Tim Hart-Woods and Todd McLendon published Jan. 18.

I usually don’t reply to articles I read in the paper, but I had to reply to letters about the petition in Loxahatchee Groves. The letters contain some important misleading errors. The campus is not in the “heart” of Loxahatchee. It’s on Southern Blvd., which will become a noisy six- to eight-lane highway with future growth out west — not a desirable location for anything but a commercial-type occupancy. It is totally false to say the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council slipped this past us.

Unless you live under a rock and or have not read this paper or any others, or watch the local TV news, this campus has been out in the open for a long time. The council did not secretly slide anything by those who have been paying attention. Why are they starting this now and not when we were considered a leader for the location and then chosen as the location?

The zoning change request signs were up for a long time. That would have been the proper time to say, “Hold on; we would like to have the residents vote on this,” not after the fact, not after the college bought the property when the zoning change was approved.

I spoke with a nice lady who stopped and asked if I supported the college, and I told her absolutely; we need the tax base. As long as there are berms/wooded buffers, rules for hours of operation and nighttime low lighting, let them have Southern. Put more commercial on Southern — we need the tax base! I don’t want to be like Southwest Ranches in Broward County, which pays two to three times what we do in taxes for similar homes because they don’t have a good commercial tax base.

You can make up traffic excuses, etc. But the truth is if we have OGEM with humps, the only people cutting through will be our own kids getting a higher education.

Almost everyone else will use Southern. I believe you can also purchase low-income housing credits in another area to cover our requirement.

If this petition thing chases away the college prior to the vote, I believe we (the town) should be allowed to hold those who started this after-the-fact petition accountable, and let them pay for our lost tax base and whatever debt they incur as a direct result of this wellmeaning but too-late-after-the-incident petition.

Unfortunately I don’t go to the actual meetings — three kids and two jobs make it a little difficult — so I can’t write about what happens. But I can see why the council would be annoyed by this “late” petition and all the extra

problems it can and may generate on top of all the problems they already deal with.

Robert Austin Loxahatchee Groves

The Spirit Of Wellington Wellington continually shows what a great village we have grown into, since our family first arrived here in 1977. To those in our community who were unable to attend the spectacular FTI Great Charity Challenge held last Saturday evening, you missed a unique event!

At this fantastic evening, over 34 Palm Beach County charities benefited from $1.5 million donated by sponsors of the equestrian community. Professional and amateur show jumpers participated gratis in team relays that determined the amount of money each charity received, with the top prize of $150,000 going to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.

Every charity went home at least $10,000 richer.

The event itself offered free admission and numerous fun-filled activities for the over 5,000 people who attended.

This would be a great time for the entire Wellington community and the Wellington Village Council to unite as one voice and publicly thank Katherine and Mark Bellissimo and their daughter, Paige (who dreamed up this concept), and all their participating sponsors for creating and implementing this outstanding charitable opportunity, which benefits thousands of people of all ages throughout Palm Beach County.

Let’s for a moment put aside the Hatfield and McCoy mentality dividing our great community and thank those who strive to make it a better one. Congratulations on a job well done!

Jay Manning Wellington

Hart-Woods: When I Am Mayor After enduring over four hours of totally unproductive pseudopolitical miasma at the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council meeting last week, I concluded I must do one of two things: leave town or become mayor.

A few local xenophobes would be delighted the opinionated English guy was no longer around, but judging by the endless groans of dissatisfaction from the public (yet again denied voice by the timewasting, rambling, repetitious rants of “I’m innocent, I tell you!”

Councilman Ron Jarriel) at the hopeless goings-on in the meeting, I’m betting more educated folk would like, well, dare I say change?

The town Luddites can breathe easily. I can’t take my citizenship test yet. But soon...

Once elected, I’ll have the following priorities: 1) Do away with Underwood Management and their endless self-serving, pointless paperworkcreating activities. Don’t know what or who that is? It’s an independent company we, the taxpayers of Loxahatchee Groves, pay around a quarter of a million dollars a year to “manage the town.”

For which read, send out code violation notices, victimize residents, obstruct business and extort extra money from the council and residents by whatever means possible. The owners live in Stuart. Town Manager Mark Kutney lives in Wellington, and the code enforcement officer (whom we pay extra at $50 an hour) lives in Fort Lauderdale. None of them live in, understand or care about our town.

Its interests come second to their fat paychecks. They will easily be replaced by a strong competent town clerk (who lives in the Groves) reporting to me. No one will even know they’ve gone.

2) Do away with the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District obscenity of one acre, one vote and replace it with one person, one vote. England did away with feudalism in 1648 when Oliver Cromwell chopped off the king’s head.

3) Do away with the LGWCD as a self-governing body. One competent man with a two-man team reporting indirectly to me through a nominated councilman will get the job done. Another significant savings.

4) Make the mayor (me again) and genuinely elected councilmen with no personal agendas (I’ll see to that), pro-active in governing the town and totally accessible to the public. Each councilman will have specific responsibilities, and the mayor will ensure they’re met.

There’ll be weekly “surgeries” where the public can have one-onone meetings with their elected officials, who will then do what they can for the people.

5) Hunt down and fine all local business people who disdain this fine country by employing illegal immigrant labor. YoungAmericans will get their jobs back in our town.

6) Burn the hopelessly corrupt and over-invasive ULDC and replace it with a simplified town charter.

7) Clean up the town. I’ll have litter collectors out daily. I’ll also fine anyone littering.

8) Negotiate with banks to get progress on foreclosed and abandoned homes.

9) Set about the process of arranging a referendum to determine if the townsfolk want to continue being an incorporated town or whether they would like to be governed by the county once more.

(It couldn’t be worse than it is now!)

10) And if we stay as a town, I’ll make it the best darned town in Palm Beach County to live in. For-

get selling out the townsfolk to the college; that’s a real and constructive way to increase property values.

Of course, the old guard council will cling, like a dying man to life, to its 15 minutes of fame and its notion of power — not to mention the $6,000 a year they outrageously voted for themselves and their privileged position from which they can line their own pockets. They will continue to fail as statesmen until removed as they have signally failed in all matters since the council was first formed.

Underwood Management will similarly wriggle and squeal to keep their greedy hands on the town purse, but as more and more about how they are fleecing the town and its residents becomes known, they’ll be only too pleased to get back to Wellington, Stuart and Fort Lauderdale.

Until I am elected, I pledge to observe and make public all that which they try so desperately to keep secret. And I encourage all free thinking residents of Loxahatchee Groves to pay more attention to what’s going on in our town.

Tim Hart-Woods Loxahatchee Groves

Amazed By The Charity Challenge Having lived in Wellington for 20 years and knowing there is a huge equestrian presence here, but never taking the opportunity to go, I finally went to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center last Saturday night to see the Great Charity Challenge. As I drove onto the grounds off Pierson Road, I thought I had entered Shangri-La. I had no idea that this incredible, world-class facility was right here in my own back yard.

The evening continued to get better. Admission is free to everyone. There were lots of activities for young kids, including a gorgeous carousel. The charity event was impressive to say the least.

Thirty-four local charities were teamed up with both professional and amateur jumpers, supported by local sponsor families to the tune of giving away $1.5 million!

These sponsors, who are part of the .001 percent of wealth in this country, saw fit to donate their energy and money to make this event spectacular. I realized these people of incredible wealth that I could not even imagine have been spending their money right here in Wellington. They not only funded this huge event; they pay property tax, shop and eat in our village. These (equestrian) people keep our taxes low.

It got me thinking: Florida does not have a state income tax because we have tourism, well Wellington has a fair tax base because we have the equestrians. Why is it then, that three out of our five Wellington Village Council mem-

bers are trying their hardest to do away with the equestrian club?

How could anyone possibly be against this fabulous facility that has something for everyone?

Marion Frank Wellington

Unger: Don’t Give In To ‘Greedy Developer’ I have been living in Wellington for over 20 years and have witnessed the development of a very successful equestrian element during that time. Enter Mark Bellissimo, and all I have seen is lawsuits (by him), almost a dozen I recently heard, violations on his properties, alleged construction without permits, missed deadlines and a surfeit of complaints by Mr. Bellissimo, his firm Wellington Equestrian Partners, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and others, denigrating our council and our village as “anti-business.”

First of all, we are discussing something like one percent of the village, so the exaggeration is wholly untrue. We’ve had numerous stores being built (half a dozen restaurants, too) only recently, the medical complex at Wellington Regional Medical Center is growing, approximately seven large rental/condo buildings at the mall, new residential communities are being built, and we seem to be doing better than much of Palm Beach County and even the state. Does that sound anti-business? The Wellington Chamber needs to get the facts before crying wolf.

One development in an area reserved for equestrians is not antibusiness. In fact, I would suggest, as one of the founders prior to incorporation, that we never wanted or planned for commercial development, large hotels, etc. in the Equestrian Preserve. In fact, the Wellington visioning conference expressly stated that keeping the communities as they were as a prime concern, for we foresaw greedy developers in our future!

To illustrate Mr. Bellissimo’s tack, his way of doing business and his wrong headedness, one only need visit his recent quotes outlined in another newspaper: After someone removed a “redtag” (not unlike a red light), tagged by the village for safety concerns, or as I heard but couldn’t verify, the red tag was covered by a VIP sign, from one of his sites, it was then used for a few days despite

the village “denial of usage.”

Mr. Bellissimo at first “initially denied that any work occurred without permits,” then he ameliorated that with “misunderstandings...” Then there was “Were mistakes made? Probably,” and we are now to believe him? He then declined to name the contractor, yet as the property owner, the contractor becomes “his agent,” building as Bellissimo plans. Contractors know what a “red flag” means, but does Bellissimo?

Bellissimo then states, “We’re going to put a process in next year, to make sure this doesn’t happen.”

How many years has he been here? That horse left the barn long ago, and now he wants to close that door.

This is typical. First denial, then “it’s possible,” then “yeah, we did it (but it wasn’t me).” Is this some schoolyard playground, where one kid can’t play nicely and blames everybody else because indeed he cannot play nicely and conform to minimum rules?

Wellington equestrians thrived long before WEP came along and will do so long after they are gone.

It is the interim that hurts our village. Endless attacks on our council and public statements to the press that Wellington is not business-friendly, as well as numerous lawsuits, doesn’t help the Wellington Chamber as a whole, its reputation or our village. Curious that it emanates from one source and the friends of the developer who stand to profit from trying to cover the preserve clean, open areas with commercialism and an obtrusive (too high) hotel. Hardly about equestrians — more likely about developer greed!

On the one hand, this developer whines that he is being treated unfairly, while simultaneously he apparently ignores village codes and operates under his own whims, ignoring red flags that anyone and everyone, most especially a contractor, knows could be criminal in nature and possibly a safety concern.

To our elected officials, I say, continue to protect us, do not allow over-commercialization of the equestrian area, but allow that which helps it grow in a reasonable fashion, for one could say, they are the jewel of our village.

Mr. Bellissimo may have some good ideas, but they must fit into our idea of what befits it, not hodgepodge commercialization.

George Unger Wellington

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OPINION

Keep Your Eye On Young Tennis Sensation Sloane Stephens It would be tough to visualize Richard Williams, the somewhat dictatorial teaching genius behind the magnificent tennis careers of his daughters Serena and Venus Williams, giving advice or encouragement to a non-family-member, aspiring tennis gal.

Not so with Serena, who has shown both friendliness and perhaps some court expertise to 19-

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin year-old Sloane Stephens. The youngster exhibited how she has profited from this relation-

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ship in the quarter finals of the Australian Tennis Championships by defeating her “mentor” in three sets.

Actually, the 31-year old Serena — winner of 20 straight matches at the time as well as reigning champ of Wimbledon, the Olympics and the United States Open singles titles in 2012 — pulled her back severely in the third set of

their match. Despite rigorous treatment by the tournament trainers, Serena simply was longer able to serve well or move very well for the rest of the match.

While her younger opponent may have felt sympathy toward Serena, she showed no lack of a “killer instinct” in propelling her trim body back, forth and in between in hounding down virtually

BARRY S. MANNING Publisher

JOSHUA I. MANNING Executive Editor

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everything Serena could still muster in her valiant attempt to stay in the match. While Serena shattered her racket in frustration, Stephens remained cool, comfortable and in control.

The bubble was burst two days later in Sloane’s semifinal struggle with defending champion Victoria Azarenko. A peculiar twist came when the defending

champion suffered both rib and knee injuries while competing.

After a nine-minute delay, Azarenko returned to overwhelm this youthful foe.

However, keep in mind the locker room talk at the tourney.

“Stephens is a winner,” they say.

“She will very soon be battling the very top players for number one.”

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February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 5

NEWS

RPB RELAY FOR LIFE ORGANIZERS HOST TEAM PARTY AT THE MARBAR GRILLE A team party for the American Cancer Society’s Royal Palm Beach Relay for Life was held Thursday, Jan. 24 at Madison Green’s MarBar Grille. This year’s theme is “Superheroes,” and the relay will take place April 6-7 at Royal Palm Beach High School. The next meeting will be held Thursday, Feb. 28 at the MarBar Grille. For more info., visit www.relayforlife.org/royalpalmbeachfl or call Jenna Gillespie at (561) 650-0128.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Royal Palm Beach Relay for Life committee members with Event Chair Rob Hill (right).

The Revengers team members Jack DiCampli, Krista McNevin, Erin Fernandez, Steve Whalen and Bruce Fernandez.

RPBHS Students Working Against Tobacco team members Brandy and Maya Williams with National Honor Society team member Roxsian Sharpe.

Event Chair Rob Hill with committee members Patrice Fletcher and Carmen Campbell.

Royal Palm Beach Councilman Richard Valuntas and Ken Ida.

Committee members Todd and Chris Wax.

NEW YORK’S GATHERING TIME RETURNS TO THE WELLINGTON AMPHITHEATER The Wellington Am phitheater hosted a free concert with Gathering Time’s Tribute to Folk-Rock Music on Saturday, Jan. 26. The New York–based folk group performed their own songs as well as some notable cover tunes to a large crowd. For more info., visit www.gathering PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER timetrio.com.

Gathering Time trio members Glen Roethel, Hillary Foxsong and Stuart Markus perform.

Eric and Liza Simonson with Irene and Gary Tee ter.

Maria Anatra with her 99-year-old mother Caterina Italia.

Page 6 February 1 - February 7, 2013

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CRIME NEWS

Man With Backpack Causes Ruckus At Royal Palm Theater

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report JAN. 25 — A West Palm Beach man was arrested last Friday afternoon on charges of disorderly conduct after an incident at the Regal Cinemas in Royal Palm Beach. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, 33year-old David Parilla purchased a ticket to a movie and entered the building at approximately 2 p.m. carrying a black backpack. According to the report, Parilla was asked by an employee to open the backpack for safety purposes. He ignored the employee and entered the theater, sat down and began to watch the movie. The employee contacted the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach, and a deputy arrived and attempted to make contact with Parilla. According to the report, when the deputy approached Parilla, Parilla began acting belligerently, clenching his fists, screaming and swinging his backpack. When the deputy attempted to take the backpack from him, Parilla tried to pull it away.

According to the report, the deputy was able to detain Parilla and remove him from the theater. Parilla was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail, where he was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

••• JAN. 23 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to a gym in the Village Shoppes shopping center last Wednesday evening regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked her vehicle near the gym at approximately 4:45 p.m. When she returned around 6:15 p.m., she discovered that her driver’s-side window had been smashed out and someone had ransacked her car. The victim discovered that her purse containing her driver’s license and bank cards had been taken from the trunk. According to the report, the perpetrator(s) smashed the window with a blunt object then reached inside and pulled the release switch for the trunk. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JAN. 25 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched to the Royal Palm Beach Pines Natural Area last Friday evening regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim was in the area at approximately 8:25 p.m. with a local camera club, which had a permit to be in the area after dark. The victim said he left his blue camera bag containing his camera equip-

ment in the pavilion while he was attending the photo class. According to the report, an unidentified group of teenagers was seen in the area of the pavilion. The victim said that someone told the group they were not allowed in the area after dark, and they left. According to the report, the victim later returned to the pavilion and noticed that his bag was missing.

The bag contained approximately $1,200 in camera gear. There was no further information available at the time of the report.

JAN. 28 — A Belle Glade man was arrested early Monday morning on drug charges following a traffic stop on Southern Blvd. near Crestwood Blvd. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Royal Palm Beach substation was on patrol in an unmarked vehicle at 2:11 a.m. when he observed a blue Dodge Charger with a burnedout tag light and a tint violation.

According to the report, the deputy initiated a traffic stop, and the driver slowed down but refused to pull over. According to the report, a second deputy in a marked vehicle arrived in an attempt to pull over the vehicle, which finally came to a stop. According to the report, the deputy made contact with the driver, 31-year-old Warren Wells, who was found to be driving with a suspended license.

According to the report, when Wells exited the vehicle, the deputy observed a white powdery residue on his upper lip and right nostril. The deputy asked if he was under the influence of any substances, and according to the report, Wells said he was not. According to the report, a search of the vehicle found two pieces of crack cocaine under the front passenger seat and a prescription medication bottle with cocaine residue inside the bottle. Wells was arrested and taken to the county jail, where he was charged with driving with a suspended license, failure to obey a police order, cocaine possession with intent to sell and transporting drug paraphernalia.

JAN. 28 — A resident of the Waterway Cove community called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday to report a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim said she received a $341 bill from Sprint for a phone. The victim said she did not open an account with Sprint. According to the report, the victim called one of the cell phones, and a man answered but then hung up. The victim said she reported the incident with Sprint, and the account was flagged as fraud. There was no See BLOTTER, page 18

Man Succumbs To Injuries From RPB Traffic Collision JAN. 24 — A Royal Palm Beach man died last Thursday from complications caused by a traffic accident that occurred Thursday, Jan. 10 on Royal Palm Beach Blvd.

According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, 47year-old Maria Herrera was traveling north on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. at approximately 3 p.m.

Meanwhile, 91-year-old Irving

Matis was making a left turn from Stratmore Gate Drive. According to the report, Matis failed to yield and turned into the path of Herrera’s vehicle, then drove onto the curb and sidewalk, through some bushes and struck a tree.

Matis was taken to Palms West Hospital, where he died two weeks later, on Thursday, Jan. 24, from complications sustained in the crash.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Kimberly Lafeir is a white female, 5’1” tall and weighing 130 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. Her date of birth is 10/03/71. Lafeir is wanted for failure to appear on charges of trespassing and disorderly conduct. Her occupation is a dancer. Her last known address was Fountainview Blvd. in Wellington. Lafeir is wanted as of 01/24/13.

• Luis Miguel is a white male, 4’11” tall and weighing 104 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 10/04/88. Miguel is wanted for failure to appear on a charge of presenting false information of identity and violation of supervised own recognizance on a charge of presenting false information of identity. His occupation is unknown.

His last known address was 28th Lane North in Loxahatchee. Miguel is wanted as of 01/24/13.

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.

Kimberly Lafeir

Luis Miguel

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 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 7

NEWS

After A Year’s Delay, Charter School To Open At RPB Albertsons

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The second attempt looks like a “go” for the Renaissance Charter School at Palms West.

Last year, Renaissance ran first into zoning issues, then into lease issues, in an attempt to convert the shuttered Albertsons building at the corner of Southern and Crestwood boulevards into a charter school serving students in kindergarten through grade 8.

While the zoning issues were resolved, the lease issues stopped the school from being able to get started in time to open last August.

However, school officials told the Town-Crier this week that the lease issues have been resolved and the project is a go for this year.

In January, parents who had applied last year to enroll their children received a letter from the school indicating that organizers

intend to open in August 2013. The initial enrollment deadline is March 15, although names will be accepted after that.

“The significant difference is last year we were unable to finalize lease and purchase terms between the property owner and Albertsons, who still has the property leased, even though they’re not operating there,” said Scott Woodrey of Red Apple Development, which provides school development and facilities management services for charter schools.

That glitch has now been resolved, Woodrey said.

“We have a lease in place, a sublease from Albertsons, and we also have an underlying purchase and sale agreement with a purchase option that we will exercise at some point in the future,” he said. “We’re in for the long term. We haven’t purchased the property yet, but

we’ve tied it up.”

Work has not actually begun on the conversion, although Woodrey does not expect that to be a problem. “We’re still in for a permit and a couple of updating of approvals because the time frame has elapsed since we were approved last year,” he said. “There are some things that they wanted to relook at, but we don’t expect any problems… We should be building sometime in the next 45 days.”

Woodrey pointed out that last year’s build-out of the Renaissance Charter School at West Palm Beach was completed in 60 days.

“This one’s a little larger, but in general it won’t take substantially longer,” he said. “We can do it as fast as we need to do it. It’s just a matter of people putting forth effort and putting in the hours.”

Traffic concerns raised last year have all been worked through with Royal Palm Beach, Woodrey said, adding that all the other tenants in the shopping center look forward to the school being there.

“Wendy’s, Walgreens, Subway — they all can’t wait for us to get there,” he said.

The actual construction work is done by a development partner.

The 61,566-square-foot facility will be state-of-the-art, wired with the latest technology and equipped with modern security systems, according to Renaissance Charter School representative Colleen Reynolds.

The school will be K-6 initially with 661 students and add grades 7 and 8 in subsequent years, maxing out at 1,145 students.

Hiring is slated to begin soon.

“Pretty soon, we will be recruiting interested candidates and taking

applications,” Reynolds said.

“We’re still in the very early process for that.”

Students who are enrolled by March 15 have an even chance with others for a seat. “Whoever is in by that date will have equal opportunity to sit in those seats,” Reynolds said.

If there are more applications for a certain grade than there are available seats, students will be accepted by lottery.

“Kids can still apply after that date, but they go at the end of the list,” she said.

Charter Schools USA, which will manage the facility, is unique because it has a teaching plan geared to the individual needs of each student, Reynolds said.

“Each child has a personal learning plan that identifies each student’s strengths and weaknesses, so if it is a strength we can build

on, we will do that, and we will also build up on a weakness,” she said.

“We challenge the students to their ability. We try and make them push a little bit harder than they normally would.”

However, the school accepts students at all grade and achievement levels. “Some students come into our schools below grade level, and our goal is to get them up to grade level,” she said. “Other kids come into our schools who are extremely gifted, and we do what we can do to push them further. It’s a well-rounded curriculum in that way.”

The curriculum for Charter Schools USA is approved by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

For more information about Renaissance Charter School at Palms West, visit www.palmswest charter.org or call (866) KIDS-USA.

Feb. 5 Free Wellington Workshop Aimed At Preparing For College

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington students and parents looking to get a leg up on college preparations are invited to attend a free workshop Tuesday, Feb. 5. They can learn about college planning and financial aid issues from 6:30 to 8 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center.

Presented by the Central Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Village of Wellington, the workshop will answer college questions for both students who are a few years from graduation and those preparing to attend college in the near future.

“More than ever, parents and

students are looking for information about how to get a leg up on getting into college,” said College Planning Masters founder David Eisenson, whose company will be leading the workshop.

College Planning Masters provides counseling for parents and students on subjects ranging from standing out among other applicants to paying for college. The company has joined with the chamber and other local organizations to offer these free workshops.

“When you search the Internet for college planning, you get more than 203 million search results,” Eisenson said. “There’s a lot of

information out there, and when people come to us, they usually have a deer-in-the-headlights look.”

But Eisenson and other representatives can answer even the most basic questions. They will also have plenty of tips for students and parents next week.

“Getting into college and getting financial aid is an intense competition,” he explained. “For financial aid, it really comes down to how well-thought-out your plans are, how proactive you are and how you represent yourselves on paper.”

He noted that many families with larger incomes often don’t believe

they can qualify for financial aid.

“Families think they don’t qualify, but they do,” he said. “Just because you may have a six-figure income doesn’t mean you don’t qualify. Some families qualify for more than they’d ever imagine.”

But navigating paperwork and other issues can be confusing.

“People are usually ill-equipped to handle the forms and don’t know the strategies they can use to grab a share of the $200 billion in financial aid given away each year,” Eisenson said. “It’s about knowing where to look and how to go after it.”

Also included in the workshop

will be instruction about how to shine in the application process.

“People come in with this notion that if they have good grades and good SAT scores, there’s no telling where their kid will go,” Eisenson said. “But admissions officers are looking for a lot more.

We give tips and strategies that will have admissions taking a longer look at students.”

Though the workshop is geared toward high school students, Eisenson said, it’s open to anyone looking for information about higher education possibilities.

“I’ve had young couples come in with babies in carriages,” he said. “The information is there for

people who want to get ahead of the competition.”

He noted that the workshops typically draw more than 100 people. “I encourage everyone to come on out and have their question ready,” he said. “If they have personal questions related to their specific circumstances, we’re always happy to do a follow-up at my office.”

To RSVP, e-mail rona@college planningmasters.com or call (800) 776-6445, ext. 208.

If you miss the Wellington session on Feb. 4, a similar program is planned at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center on Monday, Feb. 11 at 6:30 p.m.

Solid Waste Authority Rep Offers LGLA An Overview Of Services

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Solid Waste Authority representative Lana Blackman gave an overview of the SWA’s role at the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association meeting Thursday, Jan. 24.

The SWA, a division of Palm Beach County’s government, hires private haulers for garbage removal from homes and businesses in unincorporated areas. “Private haulers pick up the garbage and bring it to one of our transfer stations,” she explained.

The transfer station most used by local haulers is the West Central Transfer Station at 9743 Process Way in Royal Palm Beach.

Yohe

Likely To Start Feb. 12

continued from page 1 givings about hiring McKown for other reasons as well.

McKown, who most recently served three years as Clewiston city manager, was terminated late last year after allegations including possible misuse of a credit card and a prior incident where he was accused of impersonating a police officer.

“The number-two guy, everybody was satisfied with,” DeMarois said.

Yohe, a resident of Palm Beach Gardens, is a civil engineer with experience in the public and private sectors, according to his resume.

He is currently the director of engineering for the Community Learning Outreach Center, a 53,000-square-foot charter school, where he has managed the architect, contractor and civil engineer

The trash is then transferred to SWA tractor-trailers, which hold about five dump-truck loads of garbage.

“That helps out with wear and tear on the roads, less greenhouse emissions and gets the garbage moved quicker than one garbage truck going back and forth,” Blackman said. “All the garbage heads to 45th Street and Jog Road in West Palm Beach. That’s the only place the garbage is disposed of in Palm Beach County.”

Each person generates an average of 6 pounds of refuse per day.

“We have about 1.3 million people living in Palm Beach County, so the Solid Waste Authority gets about 7.8 million pounds of garfor design, permitting and construction since June 2010. He also wrote the charter school application and several grant applications.

Yohe was senior project manager and engineer for O’Dell Land Development Consultants from December 2008 to May 2009 where he designed and permitted water, sewer, paving and drainage projects.

He also was director of planning and engineering for the Housing Trust Group of Florida from 2002 to 2007, interim director of public works for the Village of North Palm Beach in 2002, and executive director of project and facilities management for the Public Building Authority of Knoxville, Tenn. from 2001 to 2002.

Upon graduating from the University of Florida in 1976, Yohe was employed as an intern by Robert E. Owens & Associates, one of the favored consultants for northern Palm Beach County billionaire John D. MacArthur.

MacArthur’s most valuable

bage every single day,” Blackman said. “That’s a lot of garbage, so we burn the garbage and we bury it.”

The trash goes through several steps before it’s burned or buried, beginning with the removal of propane tanks. “One of the first things we look for is propane tanks,” she said. “Propane tanks are considered hazardous waste and should never be thrown away with regular garbage. That’s one thing the spotter is going to be looking for.”

The garbage is then chopped up and placed on a conveyor belt where a huge magnet pulls all iron and steel materials out, such as cans. It then goes through an elecFlorida property was 40,000 acres in northern Palm Beach County, which included private water, wastewater, gas utility companies, golf course communities and hotels.

Robert E. Owens & Associates designed and permitted many of the utilities projects, which Yohe worked on during his internship.

Yohe was later asked to join what would become the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, with initial assignments to Seacoast Utilities, then the largest privately owned utility in Florida.

When the foundation sold Seacoast, Yohe became director of engineering for the foundation and was eventually promoted to deputy director of Florida operations. During that time, he worked closely on projects with the Northern Palm Beach County Improvement District and the Loxahatchee River Environmental Control District. He was also a board member of the Pal Mar Water Control District.

tric current separator that pulls out aluminum.

Vegetative matter is ground up, mulched and composted, and is available to residents at the main SWA facility. “We give that away free to Palm Beach County residents,” Blackman said. “You can take as much or as little as you like; you just have to get it yourself.”

Right now, only about 50 percent of the garbage received is incinerated because that is all the center can process. “Our facility is bursting at the seams,” Blackman said. “It cannot burn all the garbage we currently receive. That is why it is important to reduce your waste and recycle your waste.

Unfortunately, we do have to landfill about 50 percent. After the burning facility is full, the garbage is directed across the street to the landfill.”

The SWA runs a Class 1 landfill where household garbage is dumped and a Class 3 landfill for construction and demolition debris. Both are lined to prevent seepage into groundwater, Blackman said, pointing out that the SWA works closely with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office to apprehend illegal dumpers.

“Some companies want to avoid the disposal cost and will use wooded, desolate areas,” she said. “It’s not right, it’s illegal and they will be fined.”

Garbage dumped at the landfill will be there a long time to allow it to break down, she said. Hills around the waste disposal site that are topped with grass means they have been capped and will not be used again for waste disposal. The tops of the capped-off areas are about 165 feet above sea level. “It’s not going to flatten overnight; it’s not going to flatten in 20 years,” she said. “We don’t want these

landfills popping up all over our beautiful county.”

The good news is that recycling does work, Blackman said. “I’ve been at the Solid Waste Authority for over 15 years,” she said. “Every few years they kept projecting that the landfill would have to close and we’d have to find another place for it.”

Recycling has forestalled the expense and eyesore of another landfill site so far. “I encourage you to reduce your waste, reuse your waste and recycle as much as possible,” she stressed.

Businesses that recycle can save money, and the SWA has consultants who can help. “They actually go through the dumpster and see what’s in there,” she said.

Things that should not be put into the recycling bin include plastic utensils, Styrofoam, paper plates and plastic bags of any kind.

“Plastic bags are a really big nono for the recycling program,” she said. “Plastic bags get caught in our machines. You can take plastic bags back to the grocery stores or reuse them, but they need to go into the garbage.”

Items that can be recycled include envelopes with clear mailing windows, cereal boxes and most types of dry-food boxes.

“Any type of junk mail, magazines, catalogs, all that stuff, can go right into the yellow bin,” Blackman said.

Caps can be replaced on plastic and glass bottles for recycling after a quick rinse, she said.

Hazardous wastes, such as used oil, filters, antifreeze, pesticides, gas cylinders, fuel and gas, flares, mercury and fluorescent lights, electronics, paint, used cooking oil, and household and auto batteries can be dropped off at any of a halfdozen transfer stations, including the West Central Transfer Station.

SWA Representative Lana Blackman Old paint is sent to a facility in Tampa where it is recycled, bought back by the SWA and given away for various beautification projects.

Alkaline batteries can be disposed of in the garbage, Blackman said.

The SWA also partners with the PSBO for Operation Pill Drop.

“Never flush any type of old medication down the toilet or drain,” she said. “It does contaminate our water. We have drop-off sites at all our sheriff locations.”

The SWA has a system of nature trails in a 300-acre conservation area set aside at its main collection facility at Jog Road in West Palm Beach. “It’s a beautiful trail, and I encourage you to take advantage of that,” Blackman said.

The SWA recently started construction of a new mass burn facility that should be operational in 2015.

“We’re really excited because at that point we should be able to burn almost 100 percent of the garbage, turning it into electricity,” Blackman said. “Currently, we make enough electricity to power about 37,000 homes. This will add an additional 56,000.”

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NEWS BRIEFS Dream Sponsors Fundraiser Feb. 7 At Players Club The community is invited to enjoy an evening of vibrant Afro fusion music and dance performances at the “Get Into Africa” fundraising event Thursday, Feb. 7 at the Players Club in Wellington. It will take place from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Players Club Bistro’s outdoor patio bar.

Proceeds will benefit Dream Sponsors Inc., a Wellingtonbased, grassroots nonprofit that provides basic needs and school fees to Kenyan orphans while encouraging cultural exchange with local youth.

The event, co-sponsored by Noble Realty & Investments Inc. and the Tom Neumann Allstate Insurance Agency, will feature a small vendor fair including African tribal jewelry and collectibles by 4 Africa Now, a local small business that supports two remote African tribes through the sale of their unique hand-crafted items.

John Waiguru, a Kenyan batik artist, will showcase his artwork among other area businesses and vendors who will also feature their

products and services.

The Lake Worth–based band Positively Africa, known for its African groove music, will perform songs from their latest album, as well as other well known jazz, blues and contemporary numbers. Entertainment will also include African fire dancer from Senegal. A selection of raffle prizes will be offered, including gift certificates for local restaurants, tickets to Lion Country Safari and the grand prize of a one-week stay for 10 at a North Carolina mountain cabin.

The fundraiser will also include select silent auction items, such as a dinner and wine pairing for 10 at Carrabba’s Italian Grill in Royal Palm Beach. At the event, Dream Sponsors will also accept a check presented by Tom Neumann, winner of Allstate’s “Hand in Hand Contest” for the Florida region.

The contest was held in honor of the Allstate Foundation’s 60th anniversary to provide Allstate agents and exclusive financial specialists a unique opportunity to give back to their communities in a greater way.

Dream Sponsors Inc. was founded by Carla Neumann, a local marriage and family therapist, after a volunteer visit to Kenya in

2006. It was there that she met five former street boys whose life stories parallel those of an estimated 2.3 million orphans in Kenya; they had lost their parents to diseases that are death sentences for people in countries but treatable here in the United States. On her return, Neumann met Fiston Kahindo, who was then studying at Lynn University and who became the inspiration behind the organization’s mission.

Kahindo was orphaned at age 8 in the Democratic Republic of Congo and spent weeks walking to a refugee camp and eventually ended up in Kenya. Through a strong will to survive, determination to work hard and some help from his sponsors, Kahindo got an opportunity to study in America.

Kahindo now serves as vice president of the board of directors of Dream Sponsors while working in New York for the International Rescue Committee. Kahindo will attend the event to accept the Allstate check on behalf of the organization.

A $10 donation will be collected as an entry fee and a few vendor display spaces are still available for a $50 contribution to Dream Sponsors. Interested participants,

sponsors and attendees may visit Dream Sponsors’ Facebook fan page to “join” the “Get Into Africa” event and RSVP or receive up to date information about the fundraiser.

For more information on child sponsorship, youth cultural exchange initiatives or volunteer involvement, visit www.dream sponsorsinc.org or call (561) 7952223.

Gabe Brendel To Perform Feb. 2 In West Palm Wellington instrumental artist Gabe Brendel will perform Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9 p.m. at Harold’s Coffee (509 Northwood Road, West Palm Beach).

Brendel will perform songs from his album How Long Is Forever?

His music is a blend of styles ranging from Pink Floyd to ZZ Top and Joe Satriani.

For more information about the Feb. 2 performance, call Harold’s Coffee at (561) 833-6366 or visit www.haroldscoffee.com. To learn more about Brendel, or to listen to samples of his music, visit www. bandmix.com/gabe-brendel.

DMHO Feb. 9 At Wellington Amphitheater Denver & the Mile High Orchestra will perform Saturday, Feb. 9 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater.

This modern-day horn band from Nashville, Tenn., was a finalist on the Fox TV show Next Great American Band, has performed at two Olympics, and was the host band for the Gospel Music Awards.

Blending a red-hot horn section, along with jazz and big band roots, Denver & the Mile High Orchestra have created a sound that is unlike any other. With Denver Bierman writing and arranging the band’s music, the diverse sounds of legends such as Stevie Wonder, Chicago, and Earth Wind & Fire combine for a fresh look at contemporary pop.

DMHO will be in Wellington to debut their newest album, Mile High Hymns. The concert will feature a mix of popular music the band performs on its regular concert tours as well as most of the hymns from the new album. If you are unfamiliar with how DMHO

does hymns, then visit YouTube and search for “DMHO Solid Rock.”

Tickets for the event cost $40 for VIP seating and $25 for general admission lawn seating. To purchase tickets, call First Baptist Church of Wellington at (561) 7935670 or visit church’s web site at www.fbcwellington.com.

Panther Ridge Receives SUV Panther Ridge Conservation Center has received a new Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV through Toyota’s program 100 Cars for Good, a philanthropic program that awards 100 cars to 100 nonprofits across the country.

This much-needed vehicle was arranged for by Carol Cone, a member of the Toyota program’s advisory board. Panther Ridge thanks Cone for her ongoing support and philanthropic spirit. The vehicle will be used for essential services for the conservation center.

Panther Ridge Conservation Center is located at 14755 Palm Beach Point Blvd. in Wellington.

For more information, call (561) 795-8914 or visit www.panther ridgesanctuary.org.

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NEWS

WELLINGTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL HOSTS ANNUAL HOMECOMING FLOAT PARADE Wellington Christian School held its 11th annual homecoming float parade Thursday, Jan. 24. Ninth-grade through 12th-grade students used their creativity to create the floats, which they paraded in front of the school. This year’s theme was TV game shows, and each grade’s float was judged for a chance to win best float.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

The senior float, based on Survivor, won first place.

The ninth-grade float, based on Amazing Race, placed second.

The 11th-grade float won third place with its America’s Got Talent theme.

The 10th-grade float won fourth place with its Wipe Out theme.

Jasmine Ebersold, McKennie Peters and Sarah Best on the Amazing Race float.

Float parade judges Aida Rodriguez, Mary Brewer and Dustine Traver.

WELLINGTON PRESERVATION COALITION VOLUNTEERS CLEAN ADOPTED ROADWAY

Wellington Preservation Coalition members met for an “Adopt a Street” cleanup Saturday, Jan. 26 along Wellington Trace. Coalition members cleaned up a portion of the road, from the original Wellington Mall to Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue Station 25, which the group has adopted. For more info., visit www.preservewellington.org.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Preservation Coalition Executiv e Director Tom Wenham and Assistant Director Gladys Ferrer with volunteers Al Ziker, David Gilpin Hudson, Alice Mueller and John Isola.

Volunteers Alice Mueller (left) and John Isola (right).

Tom Wenham and Gladys Ferrer clean the newly adopted street.

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©Elena Lusenti

©Sportfot

Page 12 February 1 - February 7, 2013

THIS WEEK

Every Saturday Night, world-class show jumping & entertainment for the whole family.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2013 $100,000 Fidelity Investments® Grand Prix CSI 2* Gates open at 6:00 pm.

Free General Admission.

Parking $20 per carload.

For reserved seating call Annette Goyette at 561.784.1120.

WWW.EQUESTRIANSPORT.COM

561.793.JUMP (5867)

Palm Beach International Equestrian Center • 3400 Equestrian Club Road • Wellington, Florida

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NEWS

February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 13

SENIORS CLUB MEMBERS ENJOY A DAY AT THE WINTER EQUESTRIAN FESTIVAL The Wellington Seniors Club attended a luncheon Wednesday, Jan. 23 at the 2013 Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The seniors were invited to watch the Spy Coast Farm 1.40m Jumper competitions.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Wellington Seniors Club President Tony Alfalla and his wife Mary with PBIEC Tour Coordinator Barbara Lang.

Event Committee members Eileen Dix, Mary Alfalla and Eileen Kuhnel.

Joan Lofaso, Irving Sohn, Rosalie Gill, Virginia Pelletier, and Don and Sylvia Harder.

Marie and John Genuard with Anna and Frank DePasquale.

Ingrid and Bill Biegler, Elfriede Beyer, and Sunny and John Meyer.

Dora Bogholtz, Vincent Maisto, Sally Stegall, and Valerie and Bill Parks.

ANOTHER WEEKEND OF FUN & RIDES AS 2013 SOUTH FLORIDA FAIR CONTINUES The 2013 South Florida Fair continued last weekend, with plenty of fun under the theme of “Washington, D.C.” In addition to Washington-themed attractions, fair-goers enjoyed the usual fair shows, animals, rides and food. The fair concludes Feb. 3. For more info., visit PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER www.southfloridafair.com.

Cora, an Asian elephant, blows a trumpet held

by Hanna Love while trainer Bill Morris looks on.

Boy Scout Troop 120 from Royal Palm Beach marched in the parade.

The Royal Palm Beach Panthers softball team enjoys the fair.

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NEW HORIZONS WINS AT SOUTH FLORIDA FAIR DIORAMA CONTEST

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SCHOOL NEWS

TKA Elementary Choir Performs For Seniors King’s Kids elementary choir from the King’s Academy recently visited the senior residents of the Classic in West Palm Beach, and entertained them with a musical performance.

The senior audience was appreciative of the performance, and many commented that it is their favorite yearly event. Following the group’s stage performance, the vocalists went into the crowd and sang Christmas carols with the audience members.

The Classic residents enjoyed being able to participate as every-

one in the room had fun singing songs together. The King’s Kids members had a difficult time saying goodbye after such an enjoyable experience.

“This is always such a sweet performance for our kids,” King’s Kids Director Robin Phillips said.

“While the students are blessing this wonderful audience with their God-given talents, they are blessed in return by the audience’s heartfelt appreciation and kindness. We are thankful to be able to share Christmas with them every year.”

The King’s Kids elementary choir performs at the Classic.

Students in grades three through five at New Horizons Elementary School recently participated in the South Florida Fair’s agriculture diorama contest. Students created dioramas depicting the theme “Florida Agriculture: How Do You See it.” Ten New Horizons students were among the contest winners. Pictured here are (L-R) Assistant Principal Mickey Simmel with contest winners Isabella Patino, Sydney Ebersold, Samantha Bussell, Angelina Duke, Valentina Excurro, Catherine Stepp, Louis Dominguez, Victor Perez and Isabella Martinez.

PANTHER RUN DONATES TO VICTIMS OF SANDY Jeff Willcox, Mark Witzen, Emily Kintz and Lacy McBride sing with Classic residents.

Gabriella Gonzalez with a happy resident.

CAFCI Offering Financial Help To Students

Panther Run Elementary School safety patrols, the families, school staff and Community Programs Chair Barbara Pinto came together to donate much-needed supplies to people whose lives were devastated by Hurricane Sandy. On Nov. 22, more than 50 boxes of donations were packed up and brought to Wellington High School, which provided the truck for shipping. Pictured here are safety patrollers Jaden Bartick, Joey Pinto and Alyssa Foglia with safety patrol sponsor Janice Harris.

Send school 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.

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) is offering deserving high school graduates the opportunity to apply for a monetary student assistance award.

Students interested in applying must have at least a 3.0 GPA and must demonstrate continuous academic success through their high school tenure. Applicants must show that they have participated in school and community activities and must also show an interest in the Caribbean community.

The monetary assistance is awarded to students who are going on to a college, university or an accredited institution of higher learning. If selected, the student must provide proof of acceptance from the prospective school before receiving the award.

Eligibility requirements are as follows. Applicants must: • Be a resident of Palm Beach County; • Currently attend high school in Palm Beach County and expect to graduate within one year;

• Demonstrate an interest in Caribbean-American affairs; • Provide a completed application postmarked no later than March 15; • Provide an acceptance letter from a college/university (which must accompany the application); • Be available for an interview on April 6; and • Be able to attend a presentation of awards ceremony on May 11 at 7 p.m. if selected.

School principals’ and guidance counselors’ signatures are re-

quired on the application. Applications and accompanying documents must be postmarked or dropped off no later than March 15 at 1030 Royal Palm Beach Blvd., Box 11, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411.

Visit the CAFCI web site at www. cafcipbc.org to obtain the application and all necessary documentation.

For more information, contact Committee Chair Elaine Ealy at (561) 351-0068 or via e-mail at cafci@bellsouth.net.

SRHS To Host Ridge Classic March 2 In RPB Seminole Ridge High School will hold the 2013 Ridge Classic Golf Tournament on Saturday, March 2 at the Madison Green Golf Club in Royal Palm Beach.

In addition to a day of golf, the

event will include a delicious lunch buffet, giveaways, silent auction, on-course beverages and more.

Registration will start at 11 a.m., followed by a 12:30 p.m. shotgun start. The cost is $125 per golfer or

$400 per foursome. Sponsorship opportunities are available. Hole sponsorships cost $100, and cart sponsorships cost $50. Proceeds will benefit all students at Seminole Ridge High School.

The Madison Green Golf Club is located at 2001 Crestwood Blvd.

North in Royal Palm Beach. For registration information, call the Seminole Ridge Athletic Department at (561) 422-2611.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Wellington Students Top Finishers In P.B. Poetry Festival Contest Miles Coon, director of the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, and Blaise Allen, the festival’s director of community outreach, have announced the winners of the annual High School Poetry Contest. This year’s prize poets are two seniors from Wellington High School, two sophomores from the Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches and a freshman at the Dreyfoos School of the Arts in West Palm Beach.

The first-place prize (two passes to the festival and $100) was awarded to Kaylee Oh, a senior at Wellington High School, for her poem “Advice.”

The next four winners, who will each receive two festival passes and $25, are in order of their placement: Oxbridge Academy of the Palm Beaches sophomore Char-

lotte Kirk, for her poem “Changing Seasons”; WHS senior Sierra Pelizza, for the poem “One Request”; Oxbridge Academy sophomore Samuel Dash, for his poem “The Attic”; and Dreyfoos School of the Arts freshman Rachel Labes, for her poem “One Man’s Beginning, Another’s End.” The contest is open to Palm Beach County public and private high school students, and Dr. Jeff Morgan judged nearly 300 entries.

In addition to the festival passes and cash prizes, the winning students will have their poems published on the festival’s web site at www.palmbeachpoetryfestival.org.

In addition, the Palm Beach Poetry Festival’s annual High School Performance Poetry Project included special appearances on Jan. 25

by award-winning poets Marty McConnell and Rives, at Spanish River High School and Wellington High School.

Eight of America’s most gifted poets, including the winner of this year’s Pulitzer Prize in Poetry, taught workshops for qualified writers of poetry and shared public readings and panel discussions, including former U.S. Poet Laureate Billy Collins and Tracy K. Smith, the most recent Pulitzer Prize winner for poetry.

The Palm Beach Poetry Festival is sponsored by Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney, the Windler Group of Morgan Stanley, Smith Barney’s Atlanta Office; the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County, the Palm Beach County Tourism Development Council and the Board of

Commissioners of Palm Beach County; the Palm Beach Post; WPBI-FM Classical South Florida; and Murder on the Beach, Delray Beach’s independent bookseller. All events take place in the Crest Theatre and Vintage Gymnasium of Old School Square in Delray Beach.

Last year, the Palm Beach Poetry Festival received the prestigious Muse Award for Outstanding Arts & Cultural Organization (budget under $500,000) from the Cultural Council of Palm Beach County. In 2010, the festival received an Arts Challenge Grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

For additional information about the Palm Beach Poetry Festival, visit www.palmbeachpoetry festival.org.

Wellington’s Scanlan Authors Crime Novel Sunbury Press recently published Of Guilt and Innocence by Wellington author John Scanlan.

The story follows the abduction of 5-year-old Ashley Wooten from her own front yard, which rattles everyone in the quiet, upscale community of Boca Raton to their core, but no one more so than the little girl’s father, Tom Wooten. As the grieving father and successful businessman becomes desperately entrenched in the stalled investigation into his daughter’s disappearance, he will be forced to reveal secrets from his past, at the cost of his once comfortable life, in an effort to jumpstart the search to bring her home.

Meanwhile, in a seedy neigh-

borhood in the town of Davie, an elderly murder victim is discovered and linked to the long-dormant “South Florida Strangler.” As clues breathe new life into the dwindling taskforce responsible for hunting the serial killer, a suspect finally comes into focus. As the taskforce zeroes in, the detectives searching for Ashley unearth clues of their own, bringing the same suspect into their purview.

With both investigative teams certain the same man could not be responsible for all these crimes, yet neither willing to budge, it becomes a frantic race to discover which theory, if any, is correct before Ashley or another victim runs out of time.

Scanlan is a police officer on the island of Palm Beach. After moving south from the small, western New York village of Le Roy in 2005, he subsequently fell in love with South Florida’s tropical beauty and laidback lifestyle, which is the backdrop for his first novel, Of Guilt and Innocence. A graduate of Brockport College, Scanlan’s previous endeavors include training with the United States Border Patrol in Charleston, S.C., and working as a legal aid for the former Immigration & Naturalization Service in Buffalo, N.Y. He currently resides in Wellington with his wife and two young daughters.

For more information, visit www. sunburypressstore.com.

Ganzi To Be Honored At March 21 Luncheon The second annual Portrait of a Woman spring luncheon will take place Thursday, March 21 at 11:30 a.m. at the Sailfish Club in Palm Beach. The event is a benefit for Quantum House.

Among the luncheon’s honorees is Melissa Potamkin Ganzi.

Representing the Wellington area, Ganzi is one of the few female dynamos in the male-dominated world of international polo. Her long line of competitive titles and accolades include being the first woman player to capture the prestigious Monty Waterbury Cup, three-time winner of the Aspen Snow Polo Championship, the 2008 Miami Beach Polo World Cup,

the 2009 North American Cup and more. In addition, she frequently sponsors youth polo events and charitable functions such as Best Buddies, and recently hosted the International Cup polo tournament between the United States and Great Britain.

“The goal of this annual charitable event is to raise much needed funds for Quantum House while honoring some incredible local ladies during Women’s History Month,” said benefit founder Renee D. Plevy, who is also a celebrated portrait artist.

For more information about the luncheon, visit www.quantum house.org.

Poetry contest winners Sierra Pelizza, Kaylee Oh, Rachael Labes, Charlotte Kirk and Samuel Dash.

PHOTO BY MICHIKO KURISU

Four Locals On Dean’s List At Northwood U. Northwood University has announced its dean’s list for the 2012 fall term. Among the students named to the list are Wellington residents Luciano Gomez, Emily May, Camila Rodriguez-Ramos and Christopher Simonson.

In order to achieve dean’s list status, students must have earned a minimum grade point average of 3.25 for the term.

Northwood University is committed to the most personal attention to prepare students for success in their careers and in their communities; it promotes critical thinking skills and personal effectiveness, and the importance of ethics, individual freedom and responsibility.

Private, nonprofit and accredited, Northwood University specializes in managerial and entrepreneurial education at three full-service, residential campuses locat-

ed in West Palm Beach, mid-Michigan and northern Texas.

Adult degree programs are available in eight states with many course delivery options including online. The DeVos Graduate School offers full-time, evening and industry specific master’s degree programs for entrepreneurs and executives in Michigan, Texas and Switzerland. The Alden B. Dow Creativity Center on the Midland, Mich., campus specializes in creative thinking and innovation development. International education is offered through terms abroad and in Program Centers in Switzerland, China, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bahrain. Northwood University also operates the Margaret Chase Smith Library in Maine.

For more information about Northwood University, visit www. northwood.edu.

Derek Niesman Makes Dean’s List At ETSU Ruth Young, Sydelle Meyer, Rosemary Krieger and Melissa Potamkin Ganzi.

PHOTO BY CORBY KAYE’S STUDIO PALM BEACH

East Tennessee State University has announced the names of students who attained a grade point average qualifying them for inclusion in the dean’s list for the fall 2012 session. Wellington resident Derek Niesman was among the students to make the list.

To receive this honor, students

must successfully complete a minimum of 12 hours of undergraduate coursework with a grade point average of at least 3.7 on a 4.0 scale.

East Tennessee State University is located in Johnson City, Tenn.

For more information, visit www. etsu.edu.

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POLO & EQUESTRIAN

Crab Orchard Edges Audi 11-9 To Take Joe Barry Memorial Cup Audi’s Nic Roldan scored a game high seven goals, but it was the one-two punch of Crab Orchard’s Mariano Aguerre and Matias Magrini that carried the day in the 119 Crab Orchard win in the Joe Barry Memorial Cup final Sunday, Jan. 27 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

Roldan scored three first-chukker goals and all six in the first half of the game for Audi, but the two teams were in a 6-6 deadlock after the first three periods of play.

Aguerre and Magrini each scored single goals for Crab Orchard in each of the first three chukkers for their six-goal total.

The fourth chukker proved to be Audi’s undoing as Crab Orchard scored three unanswered goals. “I don’t know what happened to us in the fourth chukker,� Roldan said after the game.

Roldan scored on two penalty shots while keeping Crab Orchard off the scoreboard in the fifth period. The Crab Orchard lead was cut to a single goal, 9-8, with one chukker left to play.

Crab Orchard cashed in on penalty goals from Felipe Viana and Aguerre in the final seven minutes of play while giving up a single goal from the field to Audi’s Nico Pieres in the 11-9 win. Magrini was named MVP and Aguerre’s brown mare Machito’s Jackie was honored as Best Playing Pony.

In earlier action last Sunday, Adolfo Cambiaso scored seven times to lift Valiente to a 12-9 victory at the expense of a veteran

and talented La Herradura foursome in the 20-goal Bobby Barry Cup at IPC. Marianito Obregon and Carlos Gracida scored the opening goals of the game, with Valiente getting a single goal from Santi Torres in the final seconds of the first chukker. La Herradura rode off the field with the 2-1 opening advantage.

Torres tied it up at 2-2 with a penalty conversion in the first minute of the second period, and three minutes later Cambiaso scored on a 60-yard penalty shot.

The La Herradura attack was kept silent as Valiente took a 3-2 lead.

Both teams came out firing in the third chukker, with La Herradura picking up four goals (two from Obregon and single goals from Carlos and Memo Gracida) while holding Valiente to a pair of goals from Cambiaso (one by penalty). La Herradura led by a single goal, 6-5 at the end of the first half.

Cambiaso supplied the only goal of the fourth chukker, tying it up at 6-6 with two periods left in regulation time.

Valiente got busy in the fifth as Cambiaso added three more goals and Torres managed a single goal in the final ten seconds of the chukker. La Herradura managed a pair of penalty goals from Obregon, but fell behind 10-8 with one chukker left to be played. Julio Gracida scored twice in the sixth and final chukker, giving Valiente a comfortable 12-8 lead with four minutes left to play. A disciplined defense held La Herradura to a single goal

The fourth chukker proved to be Audi’s undoing as Crab Orchard scored three unanswered goals. from Nico Pieres as Valiente rode off with the 12-9 win.

Action continued Thursday, Jan. 31 with the start of the 20-goal Ylvisaker Cup tournament, which is featured this Sunday.

The high-goal polo action takes place every Sunday through April 21 at IPC. Ticket prices for Sunday polo range from $10 general admission to $120 box seating. Tickets for Sunday brunch at the Pavilion and its reception start at $55, upward to $330 for the Veuve Clicquot brunch package for two. Tickets can be purchased online at www.internationalpoloclub.com, or by calling (561) 204-5687. Find IPC on Facebook, follow on Twitter at @SundayPolo or visit www.

Adriana de Moura of The ipcscoreboard.com for scores, Real Housewives of Miami. schedules, rosters and more.

Miami Marlins color analyst Tommy Hutton, Wellington village employee Horace Reeves and IPC’s John Wash.

Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Tommy Hutton and Angels pitcher Sean Burnett.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY LILA PHOTO

Brianne Goutal Wins $50,000 CSI 2* Grand Prix At The Stadium Week three of the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival concluded with an exciting $50,000 CSI 2* Grand Prix held Sunday, Jan. 27 on the grass derby field at the Stadium at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

The class saw a win for U.S. rider Brianne Goutal and Remarkable Farms LP’s Onira in a four-horse jump-off. Todd Minikus and Macoemba finished second, Laura Kraut and A. Lebon’s Jubilee d’Ouilly came in third, and Luis Larrazabal aboard Anabel Simon’s G&C Sacramento placed fourth.

Uliano Vezzani of Italy was the course designer for week three’s international show jumping competition in Wellington. In last Sunday’s $50,000 CSI 2* Grand Prix, Vezzani set the track on the beau-

tiful grass field for 46 competitors and only four were able to clear the course without fault. The bogey fence, a tall wavy-plank vertical off of a tight left-hand turn came down for the majority of competitors, but there were many other rails around the course as well.

Jumping off, Laura Kraut and Jubilee d’Ouilly were the first pair to attempt the short course for the tie breaker and had that bogey fence down (although the top rail had been replaced with a straight pole) for four faults in 36.01 seconds and earned the third place honors. Luis Larrazabal and G&C Sacramento were up next and made it to the last fence on course before dropping a rail for four faults in 38.90 seconds, which placed the duo in fourth. Todd Minikus and

Macoemba followed and went for the clear round in a slower pace of 40.60 seconds, which eventually finished second. Last to go, the pressure was on for Brianne Goutal and Onira to go clear and fast.

They jumped without fault and galloped through the timers in 38.96 seconds for the win.

Seventeen-year-old Onira, a KWPN gelding, is a longtime experienced partner for Goutal. The pair has earned many wins together around the world over the past 11 years, and the rider knew that she could count on her horse to give it his all this afternoon.

Goutal has had a great year with many top placings for her horses and is now off to a great start for the winter circuit. “It has been a really good year,�

she said. “My horses are all going really well. I have a great team of people with me and a great group of horses as well. It seems that everything has kind of aligned for me just not to mess it up so much.

For the moment, everything is going better than planned.�

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.

Brianne Goutal aboard Onira.

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SPORTFOT PHOTO

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NEWS

A Night Of Enchantment At JustWorld International Gala In Wellington The 10th annual JustWorld International Gala was held Friday, Jan. 18 at the Belle Herbe Farm in Wellington’s Grand Prix Village.

The night was alive with mystery as the national and international equestrian communities came together for a brilliant masquerade.

The ambiance of the evening was that of a European Renaissance painting. With more than $420,000 raised for the nonprofit organization, it was JustWorld’s most successful gala to date. The celebratory evening included heartwarming presentations, an

Frank Zeiss, Caryl Philips, Robynnn Parski, and Jane and German Fernandez.

Charity

Money For Many Local Groups

continued from page 1 ters right here in this state that are teamed up with our universities.”

Hazelwood expressed her gratitude for everyone involved. “I want to thank FTI Consulting and all the sponsors,” she said. “Our team was just amazing — they were young and enthusiastic. We also want to thank Jessie Pasmore. We found that she had a personal connection to Type 1 diabetes. It was just a randomly assigned partnership, but we think it was pretty meaningful.”

In second place was College for Kids/Take Stock in Children, sponsored by the Mirabal family and G&C Farm as well as corporate sponsor Palm Beach Illustrated.

The team of Maria Emilia Chapellin Mirabal, Carolina Chapellin Mirabal and professional Luis Fernando Larrazabal secured $125,000 for the charity, which helps local students achieve a college education.

Third place went to the Junior League of Palm Beaches — a wildcard charity drawn at the start of the event.

“We had no idea we’d be getting any money at all,” President

Chabad

‘Bar Mitzvah’ On Feb. 10 continued from page 1 beliefs but to offer people a viewpoint of Judaism they would not necessarily get anywhere else.

When the Chabad movement came to the United States about 50 years ago, proponents realized that Judaism had taken a deep blow from World War II. “People were concerned about connecting with Judaism after the war,” Muskal said. “A lot of people ran away from it, considering what had happened, starting out fresh over here.”

Chabad leaders felt it necessary to send out emissaries throughout the world to bolster and encourage Jews to return and stay steadfast with their faith, learn

New Park

A March Opening

continued from page 1 ’80s,” he said. “Then we’ll have some local acts, county acts, smaller entertainment in other areas.”

A beer garden and several tournaments are also planned before an evening fireworks display caps the Saturday festivities. On Sunday, the park will be open from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m., with more entertainment.

“We’re excited, and we’re going to try to invite some major corporate personalities to come out so they can see the venue, because I think we have a great opportunity to partner with some of these large corporations,” he said.

“We’ve had sponsors in the neighborhood of $10,000 in the past, but

PBSO

Vandalism Is Down

continued from page 3 mestic violence incidents fell 23 percent in 2012,” he said. “And violent crimes declined by 25 incidents — from 77 to 52. That’s a real milestone. We’d like to see it decline again next year. Vandalism also decreased 20 percent last year.”

Hart said that some crimes, such as domestic violence, violent assaults and vandalism, may arise because of external factors unrelated to enforcement.

“We can’t tell if we’re having any effect,” he said. “It might be that someone finally broke up with

Shelly Albright said. “We’ve applied several years in a row, and it’s just amazing. It’s hard to describe how amazing.”

Riders Perla Boord, Lillie Keenan and David Blake secured $100,000 for the nonprofit. The team was sponsored by Pine Hollow Farm and corporate sponsor Gut Einhaus.

Albright noted that her organization focuses on children’s wellness and welfare and that all the money will stay in Palm Beach County.

“We are helping girls in the foster-care system, girls who have aged out of the system and girls in the juvenile detention center,” she said. “We also do eye and ear screenings for preschool children.”

Three charities also walked away with a little bit extra for winning the “Fan Favorite” contest through online voting.

Danny & Ron’s Rescue secured the most votes and took home $25,000 extra. Meanwhile, the Wellington PTA/PTO Group and Children, Hope & Horses each received an extra $12,500.

Bellissimo said he hopes to see an even bigger and better event next year. “I’m confident we’ll get to give away $2 million next year, which will be great,” he said. “I think this will truly be a legacy event for this community.”

For more information, visit www. ftigreatcharitychallenge.com.

elegant dinner with gourmet food stations, and silent and live auctions.

Belle Herbe Farm was transformed into the Venetian destination of dreams. With the help of Regency Party Rentals & Production, a massive tent was erected in the grass field, and a red carpet welcomed guests.

The night would not have been possible without presenting sponsor FTI Consulting Inc., as well as Caryl Philips and Frank Zeiss.

Whole Foods Market of Wellington sponsored the food for the evening, donating hors d’oeuvres, main entrées and dessert for the party of more than 650 guests. Liquor and wine was provided by the Grille Fashion Cuisine, Oli’s Fashion Cuisine and the Seahorse Fashion Cuisine group of restaurants.

Following the opening remarks,

Rocco Mangel, owner of Rocco’s Tacos, stepped up to serve as master of ceremonies for the event.

He introduced the event with MBPtv’s beautifully documented video describing JustWorld and the work they do across the globe.

He then introduced the JustWorld ambassador-driven initiative Team Challenge, donating $1,000 himself to the teams.

Guests in turn raised their hands to donate to their favorite team, benefiting impoverished children in Honduras, Cambodia and Guatemala.

Christie’s professional auctioneer George McNeely stepped up to the podium next. With his assistance and charisma, the live auction was a huge success.

For more information on JustWorld International, visit the organization’s web site at www. justworldinternational.org.

Whole Foods Market’s Lauren Belinsky with JustWorld International founder Jessica Newman.

Second-place winners College for Kids/Take Stock in Children.

Third-place winners the Junior League of the Palm Beaches.

Mark Bellissimo and FTI Consulting’s Dennis Shaughnessy with Horses Healing Hearts founder Lizabeth Olszewski and Miss Florida USA 2012 Karina Brez.

Fan favorite Danny & Ron’s Rescue took home $25,000 for getting the most online votes.

about their heritage and realize how to appreciate it.

“That’s how I ended up here in Wellington,” he said. “I went out and joined those rabbinic groups that would go out and help in different communities.”

Once here, he found a quickly growing community without an outpost of traditional Judaism.

“There actually were a handful of people, maybe three or four families, who wanted it,” he said.

“They contacted Chabad in New York. I was at that point teaching, and I was looking for such a post.

I was living in Boca and teaching in Miami.”

Muskal knew few people in the area. He advertised a High Holiday event and had a tremendous response. “Within six weeks of arrival, we already had a group of people for a High Holiday get-together,” he recalled.

The majority of people Chabad of Wellington attracts are unaffiliated or disaffiliated, he said. “One of the things about Chabad is we truly don’t recognize distinctions,” he said. “We don’t do labels.”

Muskal often visits non-Jewish groups including non-denominational and Christian groups. He also does chaplaincy, visiting all who invite him in local hospitals and senior centers.

One of the congregation’s ideas for the 13-year celebration was to invite the community to participate, by reaching out to people who hadn’t experienced a bar mitzvah or bat mitzvah of their own and offering them the opportunity to observe that milestone, regardless of their age.

“We have had a group of eight to 10 women who participated, went through a series of classes,

we’re looking to go beyond that.”

For example, Recchio said he is looking for a major sponsor for such events as the Festival of Lights during the holidays and for a major concert series.

“It’s nothing that can’t be done, he said. “When you see the venue, this is not a community park.

This is a regional park, and we want people to see it. Over the course of time, I think it will have a major influence on the village and local businesses, without a doubt.”

Recchio said many volunteers will be needed to help with the opening. “We’re going to be going to the schools and the different civic organizations.”

Recreation Advisory Board Chair Felicia Matula pointed out that high school students are required to put in a certain number of community service hours.

In other business, Recchio said

the village has received its agreement with the county for the village to use and maintain athletic fields at Seminole Palms Park. “We have officially taken over that portion of the park,” he said. “We’ve been out there to see what needs to be done. We’ve got schedules with the various user groups.

We’ve given them our rate schedules, and they understand. The county never charged for some of the groups. They are adapting to our fee structure, and it’s going to give us an opportunity to have some major athletic events with those four additional fields.”

The additional fields will allow the village to move its adult and youth flag football programs to Seminole Palms Park. Soccer will also now be at Seminole Palms.

“That’s going to be a huge advantage,” Recchio said. “I think it will be very successful.”

their boyfriend after slashing his tires for the third time. That would be a vandalism. But we have tried to be proactive. We have a great program for domestic incidents where, when we come to your house, we try to give you as much information as we can to help. We try to work hard to keep from having to go back to that home.”

One of the areas where Hart said sheriff’s officials have seen success is juvenile enforcement, specifically the rate at which children on probation get arrested again.

“We took a hard stand on juveniles in 2011,” he said. “As a result, juvenile arrests are down 13 percent. A lot of kids are in the system.”

He credited PBSO Deputy Dan Delia for his dedication to the pro-

gram. “He took a personal interest in our juvenile arrest monitoring program,” Hart said. “Kids on probation realized that if their curfew is 6 p.m. and they come home at 6:15 p.m., they’re going to jail. They realized we are watching them.”

This is important, Hart said, because many reported burglaries are committed by juveniles in Wellington.

“About 43 percent of the burglary arrests in 2012 were juveniles,” he said. “So if you’re wondering why we took such a hard stance, it’s because almost 50 percent of our cases were juvenile offenders.”

Hart said that lowering property crime and vehicle collisions will continue to be a goal for PBSO in the coming year.

we actually just celebrated a couple of weeks ago on a Saturday night,” he said. “Every single one of them felt as if it was a real turning point for them, that it was something that was going to stay with them.”

Several special activities are planned for Chabad’s birthday.

“Like a traditional bar mitzvah boy or girl would, we have decided to light 13 candles,” he said. “We will have music, we will have great food. This will be like a wedding.”

There will also be opportunities to bid and get prizes for a nominal fee. “Someone has pledged a diamond, cut and polished but not set,” he said.

Champagne glasses will be available for purchase, and each glass will have either a fake or a

Fair Queen

Reaching Out To Kids

continued from page 1 develop an issue, which the winner will use as part of her campaign and mission during and after competing.

Vega created her platform after realizing something about her personality. “I was dealing with selfesteem issues, as were many people around me,” she said. “I noticed a lot of it had to do with the messages that the media constantly gives women about what beauty is.”

Vega believes that media portrayals of beauty have negative effects on females, and her platform is a way to combat those problems. “It can really get to your confidence, and you can really

Weisman

Road Woes

continued from page 3 get in the way of construction of that road,” Weisman said.

He said Ibis has also joined fellow West Palm Beach developments Baywinds, Andros Isle and River Walk in opposing Roebuck Road from being built from Jog Road to State Road 7.

“That was supposed to be to the benefit of the residents of the western communities, who allowed those West Palm Beach projects to be built on Okeechobee,” Weisman said. “When the people moved into those projects, they objected to the bypass road being built. It is that simple. West Palm Beach has reneged on this issue.”

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

real diamond. A gemologist will be there to announce the winner.

“We’re trying to find loads of fun ways to bring our message to the community,” Muskal said.

Cocktail hour will have a dozen different hors d’oeuvre choices, with three or four different food stations, including sushi and stir-fry, for both meat lovers and vegetarians — all kosher, of course.

“If you leave hungry, it’s because you want to leave hungry.

There will be something for everyone,” he said.

The Feb. 10 event starts at 6 p.m.

Tickets cost $150 per person.

Anyone who would like to make a reservation should visit www. wellingtonjewishcenter.org or call (561) 333-4663.

Rabbi Mendy Muskal

start to feel bad about yourself because you don’t look like the celebrities and models on TV and in magazines,” she said. “I’ve created this platform to fight all those false messages that the media give us.”

Vega has turned CROWN into a campaign targeted to young girls as well as her peers.

“I want them to love who they are, and that even if there are some areas that they would like to change, to never stop believing in themselves. Whenever they have a negative thought about themselves, replace it with a positive thought,” she said.

CROWN is an idea close to Vega’s heart because of her struggles with body image. “I’ve had times when I could not flip through magazines without comparing

myself to the women in there, and I started to feel so insecure about myself,” she said. “I started to replace those thoughts with positive ones.”

As Miss South Florida Fair, Vega has been participating in various fair-related activities, from kissing a baby pig to making appearances at the petting zoo. Vega will be at the fair parades until its last day on Sunday, taking photos and talking to young girls.

“I enjoy giving hugs and letting the girls I meet touch my crown and sash while letting them know that I’m just like them,” Vega said. “That puts a smile on their faces because they think I’m a princess.”

To catch Vega at the South Florida Fair, see her at the last parade at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 3.

Blotter continued from page 6 further information available at the time of the report.

JAN. 28 — A resident of Olympia contacted the PBSO substation in Wellington Monday evening regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between Tuesday, Jan. 1 and 6 p.m. last Saturday, someone removed two handguns from his vehicle. The victim said he believed the guns were in his safe, but when he went to find them, they were gone. According to the report, the last place he remembered seeing them was in his vehicle. The victim noted that his vehicle is cleaned and detailed every month. According to the report, the victim believes the guns were taken earlier in the year because he did not notice any recent signs of the vehicle being burglarized.

The stolen guns were valued at approximately $1,400. There was no further information available at the time of the report.

JAN. 30 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home on Shoreline Drive early Wednesday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim was at home at approximately 12:25 a.m. when she heard her car alarm go off. The victim went outside and found her passenger-side door open and some of her belongings missing. According to the report, the victim said she had locked the doors and had both copies of the keys. The perpetrator(s) stole an iPhone, an iPad and a radar detector. The stolen items were valued at approximately $1,110. There was no further information available at the time of the report.

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February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 19

Page 20 February 1 - February 7, 2013

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NEWS

WELLINGTON EQUESTRIAN GALLERY & MALL CELEBRATES ITS GRAND OPENING The Wellington Equestrian Gallery & Mall held its grand opening reception Tuesday, Jan. 22 at its location in the Courtyard Shops. The event included refreshments, raffles and live music by pianist Copeland Davis. The gallery features work by artists from around the world with an emphasis on equestrian themes. For more info., visit www.wellingtonequestrianmall.com or call (561) 333-3100.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Phelps Media Group CEO Mason Phelps and General Manager Julie Tannehill with Jack Van Dell, owner of Van Dell Jewelers and founder of the Wellington Equestrian Gallery & Mall.

Ballantine Art Studio owners Ivy Brown, Linda and Tiffany Ballantine, and Misty Brown model their wearable art.

Artists Melinda Moore and Laura Willems hold Moore’s painting.

Faye Ford, Julie and Judy Tannehill, and Mason Phelps.

Eques Solutions’ Bobbi Rottman (center) with Susan Guinan and Ruth Menor of Vinceremos

Sally White and artist Jan Lukens relax in front of Lukens’ paintings.

OPEN HOUSE EVENT INTRODUCES GUESTS TO OFFERINGS AT ULTIMA FITNESS

Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do in Wellington held its “Ultima-te Makeover Open House” Saturday, Jan. 26, offering guests a chance to learn about revitalizing their body from head to toe. The event featured informational programs, free group fitness classes and more. For more info., call (561) 795-2823 or visit www.ultimafitness.com.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Matthew Mahoney completes a drill while Ethan and Noah Levine and instructor Joe Zuniga watch.

Sales and Marketing Manager Tania Artiles and Kids Club Supervisor Claudine Adkins with the raffle wheel.

Group Fitness Director Lynette Laufenberg and BCX Boot Camp trainer Natalynn Cintron display the boot camp program.

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February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 21

Page 22 February 1 - February 7, 2013

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LILA PHOTO

LILA PHOTO

ALEX PACHECO

The Perfect Match – Polo and Brunch

Enjoy fabulous cuisine, entertainment, fashion and, of course, world-class polo every Sunday, January 6 through April 21.

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For tickets, please visit InternationalPoloClub.com or call 561.204.5687. Polo HOTLINE 561.282.5290 3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington, Florida 33414 *Tax inclusive. Parking additional, unless otherwise noted.

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Horse Tent Serves Important Function At The Fair

For 101 years, the South Florida Fair has been welcoming, entertaining, feeding and educating guests. Located at the livestock agriplex, at the far eastern edge of the grounds, the horse tent welcomes all those who mosey into its shavings-covered environs.

Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 25

February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 23

Bronco Girls Basketball Team Defeats Wildcats

The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity basketball team steamrolled Royal Palm Beach 65-15 on Thursday, Jan. 24 in Wellington. Though Royal Palm fought a hard battle, Palm Beach Central’s strong defense blocked them from scoring and enabled the Lady Broncos to dominate most of the game. Page 35

Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

Business Find All Your Home Décor Needs At Wellington Interior Design Center

Located in Kobosko’s Crossing plaza, Wellington Interior Design Center is a one-stop-shop for all things home décor. The collective design center offers everything from custom flooring to framing. It is divided into different sections where clients are able to view samples. The flooring section is set up like an art gallery, with a variety of floor samples for clients to look through. It showcases many of the custom designs available. Page 27

Sports WHS Boys Soccer Falls To Gardens 3-1 In District Finals

The Wellington High School boys varsity soccer team fell to Palm Beach Gardens 3-1 in the District 9-5A finals Friday, Jan. 25 at Palm Beach Central High School. By earning the district runner-up spot, the Wolverines advance into the regional tournament against top-ranked Boca Raton. Page 35

THIS WEEK’S INDEX COLUMNS & FEATURES ........................25-26 BUSINESS NEWS.................................. 27-29 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ...................... 31 SPORTS & RECREATION........................ 35-37 COMMUNITY CALENDAR ......................38-39 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................40-44

Page 24 February 1 - February 7, 2013

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February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 25

FEATURES

Horse Tent Serves An Important Function At The S.F. Fair For 101 years, the South Florida Fair has been welcoming, entertaining, feeding and educating guests. This year’s theme is a salute to the presidency. The main expo building is filled with related exhibits, such as a sand sculpture of Lincoln and mock-ups of the front of the White House, the Washington Monument and presidential press conference podiums. You can walk through a replica of the Oval Office and a section of Air Force One. But the horse tent, always my favorite, seems far removed from these themes, both physically and in content.

Located at the livestock agriplex, at the far eastern edge of the grounds, the horse tent welcomes all those who mosey into its shavings-covered environs. On any given day, visitors might number anywhere from a handful to 50 or more, especially during the special events, which have been varied and held throughout the entire two weeks of the fair.

There were open times, when anyone with a horse was welcome to trailer in and ride around. This had a couple of benefits. It’s a great way to accustom a horse to being inside a potentially spooky tent and get used to seeing new things, and it’s a nice way for everyday visitors to meet neighbors and observe them sharing their passion for horses.

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 More structured offerings included Girls Night Out; trail demonstrations, where riders put their horses through a series of challenging obstacles; Parade of Breeds; and Mutton Bustin’, where young visitors, under a certain weight, are invited to try riding sheep. There were also demonstration rides by a variety of local horse groups: the Gold Coast Arabians, the Outsiders Drill Team, the Sunshine Paso Finos and the J.C. Western Cowgirls Drill Team.

On one of my visits to the horse tent, Cindy Maxson and Kathy Lamerson were taking advantage of the open time to ride Maxson’s two horses, Studly and Biggin.

Like me, Maxson looked around the horse tent and, while glad it’s still a part of the fair, recalled a different time.

“There used to be so many local horse clubs doing booths and riding and showing here,” she said. “But there aren’t that many horse clubs left. I think the economy did a lot of them in, and many people couldn’t afford to keep their horses anymore. It’s very sad. But some of us are still here and still riding. Now

In The Horse Tent — Nina Parku on Sunny and Melinda Mattino on Spirit. They are members of the J.C. Western Cowgirls Drill Team. the horse tent is more geared to individual events, rather than group events.”

“We try to keep someone riding in the horse tent at all times,” Lamerson said. “Our goal is to educate people about horses, how smart, kind and athletic they are. I love seeing kids’ eyes light up when they’re around horses. I

know just how they feel. I got my first horse when I was 52. You should never give up on your dream.”

“We were also part of the opening ceremonies and did a demo carrying the American flag,” Maxson said. “I like to bring the horses See ROSENBERG, page 26

Page 26 February 1 - February 7, 2013

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FEATURES

Nowadays, My World Is Ruled By Unpredictable Weather Welcome, February! With all its promises of good things to come, February is one of my favorite months. First there’s my birthday, then Valentine’s Day, then my brother’s birthday, then Presidents’ Day, then — whoosh — February is over and we’re catapulted feet first into spring with the sudden arrival of March.

Winter is over and new flowers are sprouting up everywhere.

I grew up in Wisconsin where February was a damp, bleak and frozen month with people starting to get cabin fever and feeling miserable about facing at least two more months of winter. The only thing that got me through was the plethora of holidays, especially those that centered around me, Debbie.

Get your Sonic Boomer humor every day!

Follow Deborah Welky on Twitter at twitter.com/TheSonicBoomer or stop by “The Sonic Boomer” page on Facebook.

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER But right now I am in Kansas City and it is so different from the winters of my youth. As I write this, it’s 68 degrees outside. By Sunday night, it is supposed to drop to 10.

That is some whacked-out weather.

Of course I caught a cold. I was ill-prepared wherever I went. I’d step into a movie theater wearing a light sweater and emerge from the building two hours later into a biting wind and snow flurries.

I am starting to see a pattern, however. It

seems that gray skies and colder weather take place Monday through Friday and then the weekends are nice. My husband Mark was grilling bratwurst poolside last Saturday!

So I am trying to plan my birthday celebration, but first I have to consult a calendar. If my birthday falls on a weekday, it’s probably going to be chilly. The family could gather around the fireplace and toast marshmallows and play Scrabble. However, if my birthday falls on a weekend, it’s going to be too warm for that.

Then I would want to invite a lot of people over to congregate on the patio, sip frozen drinks and play “Minute to Win It.” (You can see that these poor guests are going to be subjected to Games Debbie Thinks Are Fun no matter what.)

But the weather makes it impossible to count on anything. I credit global warming. If this a harbinger of weather to come, the equator is

going to continue to warm up, the sub-tropical states will become more tropical and people will start to move into the “temperate zone” of Middle America. They won’t go as far as Wisconsin, of course (that would just be crazy) but they’ll migrate a little bit north.

I see Kentucky and Tennessee becoming more popular, vacation condos springing up in the corn fields of Iowa, and Kansas being talked about so often that schoolchildren will actually be able to correctly point the state out on a map.

A thousand years from now, maybe even icy Wisconsin will enjoy a more temperate climate, yet another reason for drunken celebrations in the stands by deliriously happy fans of the Green Bay Packers (not that they need one).

No matter what happens, this year my birthday is going to be different.

And I like different.

‘Elementary’ An Interesting Take On Sherlock Holmes There are so few really good new TV shows this year that most of the time I stick with the old favorites. But CBS, the home of all-night police drama, does have a particularly interesting new/old detective on its Thursday night schedule. Sherlock Holmes, the most famous detective in literature, appears as a major character on Elementary.

This is a new Sherlock (Jonny Lee Miller).

The old one, according to the new series, never existed, but the new one is a man of our times. The show’s creators decided that the (formerly) drug-addled Sherlock will arrive in New York City and continue his work as a consulting detective. They made one other “small” change. Back a hundred years ago, a respectable person’s drug problem was generally ignored unless major social problems occurred. So Dr. John Watson, although critical of his colleague because of his problem, never treated him. Today, however, we take these things more seriously. Sherlock has gone through drug rehab and is assigned a sober companion, Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), who has been damaged by some of her own previous choices as a surgeon.

Chances are, many Holmes fanatics thought about drugs themselves when they heard that.

Rosenberg

Horse Tent At The Fair

continued from page 25 out here as often as I can, nearly every day.

Some days, especially on the weekends and on Martin Luther King Day, it’s really busy.

Other times, like this, it’s pretty quiet.”

The horse tent was, indeed, fairly quiet. A dozen horses of different sizes and breeds were stabled along one edge. About a dozen visitors wandered through, stopping to look at a pen holding a few shaggy miniature horses or the stalls housing horses of a more traditional size. Signs warned them not to try to pet them (Horses Bite!) especially one mustang (This Horse Really Bites!).

Pedro, from Boynton Beach, brought along

Although a handful of Sherlock’s literary critics have tried to find a homosexual subtext in the relationship, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had nothing at all about that kind of relationship in the actual stories. A female Watson… well, you figure it out.

So far, however, Holmes and Watson seem not to have the slightest sexual interest in each other. CBS executives call their relationship a “bromance,” the kind of friendship two men might have, although one of the characters is female. Happily, so far the relationship between the two leads has worked well. Holmes was initially antagonistic while Watson wanted to move on to another client as soon as possible. But, over the past dozen shows, they have shown respect for each other, something vital as a part of the major plot of the

show. And, with luck (not to mention taste) they will keep it that way.

Holmes, who befriended Captain Tommy Gregson (Aidan Quinn) when the man visited London, uses that connection to assist the New York City Police Department. And, happily, he uses the same kind of logical tools that fans of the fictional detective are accustomed to seeing, often frustrating Gregson’s assistant Detective Marcus Bell (Jon Michael Hill). Of course, we have become fairly used to our lead detectives doing interesting things and often frustrating the regular cops because of their brilliance. The Mentalist’s Patrick Jane (Simon Baker) uses his “understanding of human emotions” to find the bad guys. Holmes uses more deductive skills as well as his careful cataloging of a wide variety of items.

The show cleverly mixes his knowledge with the use of computer databases to assist in finding solutions.

The plots, so far, have been strong. There are always more than a few tricks within each show to obscure the real killer. Also, as in the best of the police shows, moral issues are often raised. In one of the earliest shows, a boy who was a victim of a serial kidnapper turns out to be even more depraved than his men-

tor, raising interesting questions about the justice system when it deals with the young.

Other cases have dealt with terrorism, whitecollar vs. blue-collar crime and the appropriateness of revenge as part of complicated crime cases.

Even better, it looks like Sherlock’s old enemy, Moriarty, might have followed him over to New York. Moriarty is the evil genius who killed Sherlock’s great love Irene Adler. Some of these things were alluded to in the original books. This show is more specific about them.

It looks like there may be a confrontation in the near future. Moriarty used a minion to tempt Holmes into action, but the man involved was far more complex than is normally the case.

I look forward to more episodes. Miller is a good choice for Sherlock, both brilliant and tormented. Liu has made Watson more than a simple sidekick; she has gradually been contributing more to the whole process of crimesolving with her own specialized knowledge and insights. It is not yet one of the best shows on television, but it does have a lot of potential. And, of course, most of the best shows of this type are essentially based on the work of the original Holmes. Try it.

his two young daughters, Tatiana, 5, and Isabella, 3. They were watching Maxson and Lamerson ride in the sandy ring.

“It’s nice,” Pedro said. “This is our first time being this close to a horse.”

While Tatiana shyly hung back, Isabella boldly reached up to pet one of the horses when they rode over to talk with them. “I liked touching the horse,” she said. “It’s soft.”

Perhaps this is a big part of the horse tent, inviting non-horse people a little ways into the world of equines. Eleven-year-old Sarah, down from Pittsburgh to visit her grandparents in West Palm Beach, was already hooked.

“I’m just starting riding. I take a lesson once a week,” she said as she watched the demonstration. “I love horses. They’re sweet.”

People wandered in and out, mostly fami-

lies with interested youngsters.

“I think the horse tent is an important part of the fair,” said Lamerson, a member of the Horse Committee. “We start planning the schedule around the end of August. I think people enjoy spending time around horses.

It’s fun and relaxing. We want people to get a glimpse of what we do with our horses. We love to share and talk about our horses.”

Haven’t visited the horse tent yet or brought your horse to the fair? There’s still time. On this last weekend of the fair, a desensitizing clinic with Jenell Baker will be held Saturday at 6 p.m. Horse owners are welcome to trailer in for free, but be aware that only one person may enter the fairgrounds for free with the horse; all others must pay admission. There’s also a barrel racing show on Sunday, starting at 1 p.m.

See you at the fair!

Charlie James, head of the Horse Committee, riding Sunny.

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

The Town-Crier

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BUSINESS NEWS

Wellington Interior Design Center co-owners Michael Gordon and Karen Paull, design consultant Linda Anne Boyle, and co-owner Joseph Leech.

PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Find All Your Home Décor Needs At Wellington Interior Design Center

By Jessica Gregoire Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington Interior Design Center is a onestop-shop for all things home décor. The center opened its doors in Wellington on Jan. 5 in the Kobosko’s Crossing plaza.

Founded by co-owners Michael Gordon, husband and wife Jerry and Karen Paull, and Joseph Leech, the center combines the talents and professionalism of these longtime business owners. Each has brought his or her individual expertise in interior design to make a collective design center that offers everything from custom flooring to framing.

Gordon owns Frames America (a custom frame shop), the Paulls own K&J Interior Design, and Leech owns Wellington Wood Floors.

“The diversity of the store is what I would say makes it different because there are very few places like it,” Jerry Paull said.

Gordon came up with the idea for the center, after the space next to his frame shop became available. He spoke to his friend Karen Paull about it, and she agreed with the idea of partnering with him. They ended up combining Gordon’s frame shop with the vacant storefront next door.

“The concept just evolved from there,” Karen Paull said. “Then Joseph joined us, and we decided to include the hard wood flooring section.”

The center is divided into different sections where clients are able to view samples. The flooring section is set up like an art gallery, with a variety of floor samples for clients to look through. It showcases many of the custom designs available.

“We are able to get raw wood and make it to

any exact specification that the client wants,” Leech said. “Any color, stain and grain made from any wood from around the world — sky’s the limit on what we could do with flooring.”

There is also a window treatment section, which has samples of curtains, drapery and shades, and custom framing for paintings and family portraits. The design center also serves as a resource for other interior designers.

As soon as clients walk in, there is a design staff member ready to assist them. Staff will sit with each client individually to find out his or her wants and needs. “We can even go to their home if they prefer,” Karen Paull said.

“We will do whichever the client is more comfortable with.”

With all that it offers, Wellington Interior Design Center is able to take what a client imagines and turn it into a reality.

“The idea here is, how does the average person put something together when they are really not trained to do so?” Jerry Paull said.

“We are able to do that here by taking that imagination of what they feel, and create from that a beautiful edifice to what they will really enjoy.”

In order to make their clients’ décor dreams a reality, the design center offers an additional array of design services such as custom furniture making, wall coverings, cornices, plantation shutters, custom bedding, custom cabinetry and home automation. “Everything includes measuring, installation and consultation,” Jerry Paull said.

Wellington Interior Design Center is located at 9312 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington. For more information, call (561) 223-3709 or e-mail wellingtondesigncenter@comcast.net.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Wellington Chamber Ribbon Cutting For Three J’s C Cigars The Wellington Chamber of Commerce and its ambassadors recently welcomed Three J’s C Cigars as a new member. The store is located at 4115 S. State Road 7, Suite 4-2 in the Marketplace at Wycliffe.

If you are looking for hard-to-find, premium cigars and a place to comfortably “hang out” and enjoy your smoke, Three J’s C Cigars is a place you ought to visit.

Three J’s C Cigars is owned and operated by Jeremy Fedoruk. Born in Hollywood, Fla., Fedoruk grew up with a mother who was a nutritionist and a father who worked in the tobacco industry. His father, John, worked for a large company that had exclusive licenses with popular cigar brands such as Montecristo, Romeo Y Julieta and Trinidad.

Through the years, Fedoruk’s father became friendly with key cigar distributors.

“We saw there was a niche for people trying to find rare, hard-toget items, and we had the upper hand because my dad already knew everyone,” he said.

So father and son started to fill that niche. They sold La Gloria Cubana cigars, which was a difficult brand to get at the time. In order to store these cigars, Fedoruk’s father converted half of a bedroom walk-in

closet into a humidor. “Then all the clothes came out, and it became a larger humidor,” Fedoruk recalled.

“Then from there, the business kept growing.”

As the cigar business was establishing itself and growing, Fedoruk graduated from high school in Boca Raton and then attended Florida Atlantic University to study biomechanics and physiology. He earned a degree in physiology.

“By trade, I’m a strength-andconditioning specialist, so I work with athletes, professional boxers, football players, polo players, jumpers, you name it,” Fedoruk said of his company Athletic Enhancement Group, noting that it includes three other strength coaches who work under him, taking care of clients. For more information, visit www.aeg power.com.

In early 1996, Fedoruk was working with the Miami Dolphins. He told his father about a retail space in Davie that was close to where the Dolphins trained and would be a good location to open a cigar store.

Fedoruk said he would invite the Dolphins players he had worked with to visit the store, hang out and draw new customers.

The senior Fedoruk opened his first store and named it Three J’s

Cigar Emporium, with each “J” representing a generation of the Fedoruk family: John, Jeremy and Jeremy’s son Joseph. “C” was later added to represent Jeremy’s sister, Christen, who also worked for the family business. Three J’s C Cigars opened its Wellington location in 2006. Another location recently opened in Boca Raton.

Three J’s C Cigars is active doing charitable work in the community, having held two annual golf events — one for the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital in memory and honor of Fedoruk’s niece, Mia, and the other for the Brigance Brigade Foundation, a charitable organization created by O.J. Brigance, a personal friend of Fedoruk and director of player development for the Baltimore Ravens. Brigance was an exceptional athlete who was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) in 2007. The Brigance Brigade Foundation helps people in all stages of ALS with needed equipment, resource guidance, support services and funding to various research initiatives.

Fedoruk said that Three J’s C Cigars prides itself on good service, exceptional cigars and a friendly atmosphere, adding that the store has a highly educated and experi-

Ribbon Cutting — (Front row, L-R) Carmine Marino, Barbara Nola and Denise Carpenter; (back row) Bob Salerno, owner Jeremy Fedoruk, Robert Helsper, Mark “Boz” Bozicevic and Joanne Dee. enced staff. In addition, it carries the rarest premium cigars priced well.

Fedoruk added that his store is not just for cigar smokers. Wives, friends and family are encouraged to come and relax, watch the widescreen TVs, and socialize.

For more information about Three J’s C Cigars in Wellington, contact Jeremy Fedoruk at (561) 868-5600 or 3jcigars@gmail.com, or visit www.

3jcigars.com.

For information about other businesses in the area, visit www. wellingtonchamber.com.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Grayhills: Florida Failing On Dental Health Delivery According to a report by the Pew Children’s Dental Campaign, the State of Florida received failing grades in policies to protect children’s dental health. The report claims that Florida is doing relatively little to make dental sealants available to low-income, school-aged children.

“With state and federal budget cuts affecting nearly every sector of public spending, it’s impossible to attain funding to pay for the increasing needs of an expanding, low-income population,” said Wellington’s Dr. Laurence Grayhills, spokesman of the Florida Academy of General Dentistry. “To place the burden and responsibility upon any one group, especially the dental healthcare providers of the State of Florida is not realistic. This is an issue of societal priorities which ultimately relates to public spending and/or the focus of charity organizations.”

In a letter to Dr. Donald

Thomas, past president of the Florida Academy of General Dentistry, Sen. Marco Rubio wrote, “I am committed to fully repealing ObamaCare.

Americans are in need of healthcare reform that will promote a vibrant private market where they are free to buy health insurance to fit their individual needs at affordable prices.”

Grayhills said that “promoting a vibrant private healthcare market will not help the underserved population in question in the Pew report and that funding, such as that outlined by the federal government, is designed to assist those who cannot afford to purchase medical or dental care.”

“Sealant placement on kids is tough even under the best circumstances and is not without costs, especially for highrisk children,” Thomas said.

“The (Pew) study is not a good indicator of quality of care for states and should not be considered. Demograph-

ics play a larger role on state compliance. Socio-economic and census indicators must be included. Look at the states with the highest grade and those with the lowest. The more populated and diverse states receive the lower grades.”

Grayhills went on to note, “In addition to an increase in public funding and volunteerism to solve this dental public health shortfall, the federal government could consider a forgiveness of loans to dental students who choose to practice in an underserved, rural or impoverished area of the state. Any solution to Florida’s deficit in access-tocare will require funding from some source other than the patient.”

KnowYourTeeth.com is the Academy of General Dentistry’s source of consumer information on dental care and oral health. For more about the AGD, visit www.agd.org.

For more on Grayhills, visit www.grayhillsdental.com.

Flip Flop Shops Opens In Mall At Wellington Green

Flip Flop Shops is exposing its toes in Wellington. A global lifestyle retail franchise capturing the essence of the flip flop connoisseur way of life, Flip Flop Shops opened its newest Florida location Thursday, Jan. 24 in the Mall at Wellington Green.

Entrepreneurial brothers Casey and Seth White are excited about growing the brand throughout the southeast Florida market. The Wellington location is the first of two shops the brothers plan to open in Florida within the next year.

In addition to the Whites’ location, Flip Flop Shops currently has more than 10 shops operating throughout Florida with nearly 10 additional shops in the development pipeline.

“Growing with a brand like Flip Flop Shops in Florida was an easy decision. We know first-hand that flip flops are an essential part of the everyday scene in Wellington, and consumers are just as pas-

Flip Flop Shops carries the hottest brands of flip flops and sandals. sionate about ‘freeing their toes’ as we are,” Casey said.

“I look forward to offering local consumers with a ‘barista-style’ experience of product knowledge, where they can indulge in all the hottest brands and latest styles at their leisure.”

Flip Flop Shops carries the hottest brands of flip flops and sandals such as SANÜK, OluKai, Quiksilver,

ROXY, Reef, Cobian and Cushe, among others.

“Flip flops are a total extension of who we are and our lifestyle,” Seth said. “We are amped to offer Wellington a one-stop shop where consumers can navigate through thousands of flip flops to find the ultimate pair any time of year.”

For more information, visit www.flipflopshops.com.

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DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

Tickets On Sale For Jekyll & Hyde At Kravis March 26-31 The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts will present the darkly passionate premiere of Jekyll & Hyde, offering a limited engagement March 26-31. Tickets are on sale now.

Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis stars in the title dual role of Dr. Henry Jekyll and Edward Hyde, alongside Grammy Award nominee and R&B superstar Deborah Cox as Lucy.

Conceived for the stage by Tony Award and Grammy Award nominee Frank Wildhorn and Steve Cuden, the four-time Tony Award nominated musical Jekyll & Hyde features a book and lyrics by two-time Oscar winner, Emmy winner and four-time Tony Award nominee Leslie Bricusse, music by Frank Wildhorn, and is directed and choreographed by Tony Award nominee Jeff Calhoun.

Also starring in the production are Teal Wicks (Wicked) as Emma Carew, Laird Mackintosh (Mary Poppins) as John Utterson, Richard White (Most Happy Fella) as Sir Danvers Carew and David Benoit (Avenue Q, Les Miserables) as Bishop/Spider.

Rounding out the cast are Stephen Mitchell Brown, Jerry Christakos, Dana Costello, Wendy Fox, Brian Gallagher, Sean Jenness, Mel Johnson Jr., James Judy, Ashley Loren, Courtney Markowitz, Aaron Ramey, Emmy Raver-Lampman, Rob Richardson, Blair Ross,

Doug Storm, Haley Swindal and Jason Wooten.

Jekyll & Hyde features scenic and costume design by Tobin Ost (Newsies), lighting design by Jeff Croiter (Newsies and Peter and the Starcatcher, for which he won a Tony Award), sound design by Ken Travis (Newsies) and projection design by Daniel Brodie (Godspell). Orchestrations are by Kim Scharnberg. Musical supervision and arrangements are by Jason Howland.

Jekyll & Hyde is produced by Nederlander Presentations Inc., Independent Presenters Network, Chunsoo Shin, Luigi Caiola and Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley.

After four thrilling, chilling years on Broadway and multiple world-wide tours, this dark and dangerous love story from Oscar and Grammy winner Leslie Bricusse and Tony and Grammy Award nominee Frank Wildhorn returns in a stunning new production that includes all the classic songs (“This is the Moment,” “A New Life,” “Someone Like You” and more) that first grabbed audiences by the throat and transformed Jekyll & Hyde into a theatrical phenomenon.

The musical is based on the acclaimed novella The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, about a London doctor who accidentally unleashes his evil alternate personality in his quest to cure his father’s mental illness.

Jekyll & Hyde was first introduced as a concept album in 1990 featuring Colm Wilkinson and Linda Eder, and shortly thereafter had its world premiere at the Alley Theatre in Houston, starring Chuck Wagner as Jekyll/Hyde and Linda Eder as Lucy. Following a 30-city national tour, the Broadway production opened at the Plymouth Theatre on April 28, 1997 and earned four Tony Award nominations. Directed by Robin Phillips and choreographed by Joey Pizzi, the production starred

Tony Award nominee Constantine Maroulis (left) plays Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and Grammy Award nominee and R&B superstar Deborah Cox (right) plays Lucy.

Robert Cuccioli, who earned a Tony nomination as well as Joseph Jefferson, Outer Critics Circle and Drama Desk Awards for his portrayal of Jekyll/Hyde, Linda Eder (who won the Theatre World Award for her Broadway debut) as Lucy and Christianne Noll as Emma Carew. After 1,543 performances, and featuring replacements such as Sebastian Bach and David Hasselhoff in the title role, the production played its final performance on Jan. 7, 2001. The show’s popularity catapulted well beyond the Great White Way and, within the subsequent decade of its world premiere, Jekyll & Hyde became an international sensation, with multiple tours in the U.K. and North America, and over a dozen recordings from Germany, Spain, Austria, Hungary, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Japan and South Korea, among others.

Jekyll & Hyde takes the stage Tuesday, March 26 at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, March 27 at 2

and 8 p.m.; Thursday, March 28 at 8 p.m.; Friday, March 29 at 8 p.m.; Saturday, March 30 at 2 and 8 p.m.; and Sunday, March 31 at 2 p.m.

Tickets start at $25 and may be purchased online at the Kravis Center web site www.kravis.org, by calling the box office at (561) 832-7469 or (800) 572-8471, in person at the Kravis Center box office located at 701 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach, and at all Ticketmaster outlets. Group orders of 10 or more receive a discount and may be placed by calling (561) 651-4438 or (561) 651-4304.

The Kravis Center will host a free pre-performance “Beyond the Stage” discussion by Jason Gillman and Jaqcueline Bayne at 6:45 p.m., and a free musical presentation by Third Row Center in the Dreyfoos Hall lobby March 26 at 7:15 p.m.

For additional information on the tour, visit www.jekyllandhydemusical.com or www.face book.com/jekyllmusical.

The Phantom Highly Recommends Fuku Restaurant In WPB The dictionary says: fu.ku (foo’koo), n. good fortune; luck; wealth.

The Phantom says: Fuku (foo’koo), n. good food; good service; good atmosphere; a great place to go.

Fuku is a welcome addition to the new Clematis Street family-friendly image and the Palm Beach dining scene. It is the ultimate in Pacific Rim dining, combining Asian favorites of Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia, Japan, Thailand and China all under one beautiful roof. This is a new place to see or be seen, and one of those special places to take out-of-town guests or that someone special. It is that impressive.

Fuku’s décor, like its innovative food and attentive service, is topnotch. I felt like I was on one of those luxurious, upscale floating restaurants in Hong Kong. You actually need time to take it all in. From an 8foot-tall gold Buddha and waterfall wall to the 500-gallon jellyfish tank,

along with the unique seating, blend of wood tones and colorful lighting, creates a friendly and inviting feeling.

Fuku is a sure bet for lunch or dinner, and has one of the best happy hours in town (5 to 7 p.m.), with $5 drinks and appetizers at the bar. Dining follows the traditions of the Asian culture of family style, where sharing the large portions adds to an enjoyable experience. I love passing the food around; it is the fun part of eating out.

Our evening started with some of the best-tasting, most unique cocktails. We were four people, and each had two different drinks, and they were all outstanding. Our favorites were Lychee Martini and Fuku San, a ginger-based delight.

Although it is Asian, there is something for everybody from every place, like their Fuku specialty rolls, e.g., Philly’s ribeye steak, Havana’s coconut tempura shrimp, New York City’s smoked

salmon, Los Angeles’ king crab, and my favorite, Rio De Janeiro’s tempura shrimp.

Among the starters (small plates) is red curry and coconut mussels ($13). This is a must-try item. I will go back for this delicious combination — yum! Fuku lettuce cups with crispy calamari is another must. Chinatown entrees include Orange Peel Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Szechuan Lamb and Fuku Crispy Duck ($20).

We fought over this one — it was so good!

Executive Chef Shawn Kaplan’s Fuku signature plates are a complement to his culinary talents. Try the Spiced Angry Lobster ($30) and you will have a new appreciation and perspective for lobster. Then again, everything you try at Fuku will enhance your taste buds, like Steamed Sea Bass, Japanese Seafood Risotto and Indian-Style Pan Seared Scallops. Noodle lovers are in for some of the best, like Crazy Dan Dan Noodles and Chow Fun Noodles with

A view of the main dining area inside Fuku in West Palm Beach.

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER FAY

your choice of beef, pork, chicken or vegetables for only $9.

Finally, leave room for dessert. We had to order the Wrecked Apple Pie Roll ($11), delicious as uniquely served — a perfect ending to a night out with friends who were as impressed as I was. I would be remiss if I did not mention our super-friendly and well-informed waiter, Sebron. He

was very entertaining and just added to the overall enjoyment.

Fuku is open for lunch and dinner daily, located at 215 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach. For reservations or further information, call General Manager Christian Wiebel at (561) 659-FUKU, and tell him that the Phantom Diner highly recommended you call!

Joe Nasuti, the Phantom, is a featured writer for the Town-Crier, Forever Young and www.yournews.com. Comments & recommendations are welcome at thephantomdiners@aol.com.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Bronco Girls Basketball Team Defeats Wildcats 65-15

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach Central High School girls varsity basketball team steamrolled Royal Palm Beach High School 65-15 on Thursday, Jan. 24 in Wellington.

Though the Lady Wildcats fought a hard battle, Palm Beach Central’s strong defense blocked them from scoring and enabled the Lady Bron-

cos to dominate most of the game.

Palm Beach Central took possession right from the start of the game, controlling the ball for most of the time. Early on, Devin Gray and Jasmyne Martin nailed baskets to put the Lady Broncos on the board.

Though Royal Palm Beach managed to squeak in a few points, Palm Beach Central easily outscored them to finish the quarter 28-6. Chelsey

Nicole Erickson lines up a shot under the basket.

Smith, Jasmine Carlisle and Shamiah Manely scored the Lady Wildcats’ only baskets, while Gray, Martin, Kensha’dra Smith and Caroline Winston added baskets for Palm Beach Central.

Gray kicked off the second quarter with a 3-point basket for the Lady Broncos, and the team continued to dominate from there. A minute later, See BASKETBALL, page 35

Devin Gray looks to pass while Crystal Ventura guards.

Bronco Devin Gray looks to shoot while Chelsey Smith blocks.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

WHS Boys Soccer Falls To Gardens 3-1 In District Finals

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington High School boys varsity soccer team fell to Palm Beach Gardens 3-1 in the District 95A finals Friday, Jan. 25 at Palm Beach Central High School.

The third seed Wolverines edged a tough Palm Beach Central team 21 in the semifinals match to earn their spot in the championship showdown. The Gators stunned top seed Jupiter in their semifinal match. Wellington defeated the Gators earlier in the season 4-1, but went into the final match without its two starting center midfielders, Jesus Castellon and Allen Martinez. Both starters

suffered injuries in the Palm Beach Central semifinal game.

By earning the district runner-up spot, the Wolverines advance into the regional tournament but will have to travel to Boca Raton and play the top-ranked Bobcats. Palm Beach Gardens will host John I. Leonard.

In the 40th minute, the Gators pressured the Wellington defense and drew a foul from about 40 yards from the Wellington net. Palm Beach Gardens launched a free kick from the left side that sailed just over the stretched-out hands of Wellington keeper Nicolas Gomez and under the cross bar to make it 1-0. Just one

Wellington forward Caleb Zesiv scores the equalizing goal against Palm Beach Gardnes.

minute prior, Gomez saved a penalty kick shot from a handball in the box.

Wellington would play the remainder of the match a man down due to the foul.

In the second half, Wellington pressured Palm Beach Gardens. In the 60th minute, Dominic Rodrigues broke through the right side and sent a ball across the front of the net for the equalizer. Palm Beach Gardens would regain the lead with two more late goals, both from set plays off free kicks, to close out their avenging victory 3-1 over the Wolverines.

Regional competitions began this week, but the schedule was not available by press time.

Wellington defender and team captain Daniel Rubio leaps to block a Gardens shot on goal.

The Wellington boys varsity soccer team with their trophy.

Wellington midfielder Bo Wood tries to get by Geronimo Bejarano.

PHOTOS BY GENE NARDI/TOWN-CRIER

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SPORTS & RECREATION

RPB STRIKERS 10-U BOYS BLACK TEAM WIN IN CORAL SPRINGS

The Royal Palm Beach Strikers 10-U boys black travel soccer team recently competed in the Coral Springs Champion Cup. The Strikers won their first three games to clinch their division. They faced the MSVJ Blue Dragons from Miami Springs in the final. The Strikers defeated the Dragons 3-1. They are looking forward to participating at the Weston Cup in February. Shown above are (front row, L-R) Rafael Moreira, Adam Morales, Matthew Palma, Kevin Laverde and Caleb Walker; (middle row) O’Neil Dawe, Franco Arancibia, Vicente De Brito and Zack Forde; (back row) coach Mal Hasan.

Golfslinger.com Tour Returns To Madison Green

The Golfslinger.com Tour arrived in Royal Palm Beach on Thursday, Jan. 24, with a stop at the Links at Madison Green.

Ben Vertz of Coral Springs fired an eight under par 64 to score his first victory as a professional golfer.

It was his fifth start on the Golfslinger.com Tour since Nov. 19.

He earned $1,000 from the $4,597 purse. There were 35 starters.

Other local winners included Justin Bryant of Royal Palm Beach, who took home $300; Brandon Smith of West Palm Beach, $207.50; Gabe Costa of Tequesta, $175; Josh Hart of Jupiter, $175; Stevenson Clarke of West Palm Beach, $72.33; and Nathan Sutherland of Jupiter.

The mission of the Golfslinger. com Tour is to provide an affordable, top-level professional golf training ground for players who aspire to play on the PGA, Web.com, Champions and LPGA tours. At least 30 players who have competed on the tour qualified for the second stage of PGA Tour Qualifying School in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010.

Fifty-eight players competed at second stage in 2011.

For more information on the tour, visit www.minorleaguegolf.com.

ROYAL PALM BEACH WEIGHTLIFTERS ADVANCE TO STATE COMPETITION

Royal Palm Beach High School Lady Wildcat weightlifters Brianne Cook, Amber JeanLouis and Mercy Szehner will be heading to the state weightlif ting compe tition in February. RPBHS qualified eight lifters this year for the sectional tournament, with three placing and heading to the state tournament, which will be held in February in Kissimmee.

Cook, a junior, and JeanLouis, a senior, both won their divisions and will be making their second trip to the state tournament. Szehner, a senior, finished in second place and will be making her first trip to states. As a team, the Wildcats finished in third place for total points.

Shown above are (L-R) JeanLouis, Szehner and Cook.

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SPORTS & RECREATION Basketball

Broncos Dominate

continued from page 35 Martin sank a second 3-pointer to make the score 34-6.

Palm Beach Central kept up a strong defense, often stealing the ball away from Royal Palm Beach to maintain control of the ball.

Though the Lady Wildcats went

to the foul line several times, they missed opportunities for free points.

Palm Beach Central held Royal Palm Beach to a scoreless second quarter, meanwhile, putting in 20 points of their own to finish the half 48-6.

The Lady Wildcats picked up the pace in the second half and were able to outscore Palm Beach Central. While Royal Palm Beach added 7 points, they held the Lady

Broncos to only 5 points to finish the quarter 53-13.

But it wouldn’t be enough to overtake Palm Beach Central, who added another 12 points while allowing Royal Palm Beach only 2 more points to win, with a final score of 65-15.

Palm Beach Central also defeated Monsignor Edward Pace High School 69-51 on Saturday, Jan. 26 in Miami. They now head into the playoffs.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

South Florida Hitmen players and coaches celebrate their victory.

S.F. Hitmen Win At Tourney In Clearwater

Daihja Brown races down the court after stealing a loose ball.

Palm Beach Central’s Demetria Sherrod runs around RPB’s Chelsey Smith as she heads for the basket.

The South Florida Hitmen travel baseball team from Wellington dominated their way to the title at the Triple Crown Winter Nationals held Jan. 18-21 in Clearwater. The team managed two pool play wins by a combined score of 15-3 and then three straight wins in bracket play in the 10-U Major division.

The Hitmen’s final two games were against the Meteors of Bradenton, and those games were anything

but a walk. In the first game, the Hitmen won 5-3. The Meteors came back the following day and defeated the St. Pete Thunder to set up the rematch with the Hitmen.Again, it was another close game, but the Hitmen won again 7-5 to claim the title.

For more information on this elite 10-U club, visit www.southflorida hitmen.com or “like” the team on Facebook.

Page 38 February 1 - February 7, 2013

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday, Feb. 2 • The Wellington Green Market will take place Saturday, Feb. 2 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex. Call (561) 283-5856 for more info.

• Clean out your child’s room or get great bargains at the sixth annual Kids Garage Sale on Saturday, Feb. 2 at Royal Palm Beach Veterans Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Infant goods, clothing, toys and kids athletic gear will be available at great prices. For more info., call (561) 790-5149.

• Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach) will host “Nature Journaling for Children” for ages 5 to 13 on Saturday, Feb. 2 from 9 to 11 a.m.

Mounts will provide the materials and creative tips on how to get a child started on keeping a journal. Accompanied by their parents/guardians, the children will then go out in the garden to release the young artist, writer or poet within. For more info., call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts.org.

• The South Florida Undy 5000 Cancer 5K Run/Walk will be held Saturday, Feb. 2 at 9 a.m. at the Meyer Amphitheatre (201 Evernia Street, West Palm Beach). The Undy 5000 is a family-friendly 5K run/walk open to all ages created by the Colon Cancer Alliance. There is also a 1-mile fun run/walk. All registered participants receive a commemorative pair of Undy 5000 boxers. Registration costs $30 for adults and $25 for youths in advance, and $40 for adults and $35 for youths on race day. Visit www.undy5000.org for more info.

• The Wellington Father Daughter Dance will take place Saturda y, Feb. 2 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. at Village Park (11700 Pierson Road).

Call (561) 791-4005 or visit www.wellington fl.gov for more info.

Sunday, Feb. 3 • The International Polo Club Palm Beach (3667 120th Avenue South, Wellington) will continue its 10th anniversary season on Sunday, Feb. 3 with the Ylvisaker Cup. For tickets, visit www.internationalpoloclub.com or call (561) 204-5687.

Monday, Feb. 4 • The Wellington Garden Club will meet Monday, Feb. 4 at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.), with a business meeting at 10:30 a.m. followed by lunch at 11:30 a.m. and a 12:30 p.m. program. Titled “Interiorscapes: How to Create an Indoor Garden,” Steven Chase will discuss maintaining indoor plants. Guests are welcome, but seating is limited. RSVP to

Jayne at (561) 791-0273. For more info., visit www.wellingtongardenclub.org.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Backward Day” for ages 3 to 5 on Monday, Feb. 4 at 3:30 p.m. Come in walking backward and upside down for silly backward songs and stories. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Drop-In Winter Story Times” beginning Monday, Feb. 4 at 3:30 p.m. The library offers “Baby Story Time” for under 23 months, “Explore and Learn Activity Time” for ages 2 to 4, and “Classic Story Time” for ages 4 to 6. Call (561) 790-6030 for dates and times.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Art Club for age 8 and up on Monday, Feb. 4 at 4 p.m. This month’s activity will be scratchboard art. Call (561) 7906070 for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Crochet Club” for age 9 to adult Mondays, Feb. 4, 11 and 25 at 5 p.m. Learn basic stitches and socialize while you work on projects. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Writers Live! Presents Tim Dorsey” for adults on Monday, Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. This best-selling novelist will talk about his new book The Riptide Ultra-Glide. A book signing will follow. Visit www.pbclibrary.org/ writerslive for info.

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will offer a program by Rufino Orsorio titled “Florida Wildflowers and the Three Bs (Birds, Butterflies and Bees)” on Monday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. at the Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). For more info., call (561) 233-1400.

Tuesday, Feb. 5 • The Palm Beach County Commission will meet Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 9:30 a.m. in 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.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Games for Tweens” for ages 8 to 12 on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 4 p.m. Bring your sense of fun and a friend for Wii and board games. Call (561) 790-6070 for info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will hold Crochet Club on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 5 p.m. for adults and age 9 and up. Learn introductory stitches or bring current projects.

See CALENDAR, page 39

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 38 Yarn will be available for new participants.

Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Art Smarts: Card Making” for ages 6 to 10 on Tuesday, Feb. 5 at 7 p.m. Get creative and make silly, strange or super Valentines that reflect your personality. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

Wednesday, Feb. 6 • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “American Girl: Felicity” for ages 6 to 12 on Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 4 p.m. Celebrate Felicity with games and crafts related to Colonial times. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Florida Trails” for adults Wednesday, Feb. 6 at 6:30 p.m. Discover the Florida Trail Association and hiking opportunities in the Palm Beach County area. Call (561) 6814100 to pre-register.

Thursday, Feb. 7 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “AARP Tax Help” for adults Thursdays at 10 a.m. AARP volunteers will provide individualized help with special attention to age 60 and older. Bring current previous year’s tax documents. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• Wellington’s Food Truck Invasion will take place Thursday, Feb. 7 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Call (561) 753-2484 or visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info.

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host a Cafe FIFTY2 Grand Opening Event Gathering on Thursday, Feb. 7 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the new restaurant, located at 12785 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more info., call (561) 792-6525.

• Dream Sponsors will host “Get Into Africa” on Thursday, Feb. 7 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Players Club. The night of vibrant music, dance, vendors and more will benefit the nonprofit organization’s mission to make a difference in the lives of orphaned Kenyan children. For more info., visit www.dream sponsorsinc.org or call (561) 795-2223.

• The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will host a networking mixer Thursday, Feb. 7 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at Pandora of Wellington Green (10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Unit 276-A). For more info., contact Jessica Clasby at (561) 5784811 or jessica@cpbchamber.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Pajama Tales” for ages 2 to

6 on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6 p.m. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Anime Origins” for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Enjoy a Japanese snack, check out the latest anime, and learn about the culture that inspired it.

Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host a “Writers’ Critique Workshop” for adults on Thursday, Feb. 7 at 6:30 p.m. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council will meet Thursday, Feb. 7 at 7 p.m. at Village Hall (1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.).

Call (561) 790-5100 or visit www.royalpalm beach.com for more info.

Friday, Feb. 8 • The Palm Beach County Planning Commission will meet Friday, Feb. 8 at 9 a.m. in the 1W-47 conference room at the Vista Center (2300 N. Jog Road, West Palm Beach). For info., visit www.pbcgov.com.

• Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Militar y Trail, West Palm Beach) will host “Stories in the Garden: Flowers” on Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m. Co-hosted by the Palm Beach County Library System and the Friends of Mounts Botanical Garden, this free program is targeted for children ages 2 to 6, and includes interactive stories and songs followed by an activity in the garden. For more info., call (561) 233-1757 or visit www.mounts. org.

• The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will hold a Women in Business Luncheon on Friday, Feb. 8 at noon at the Wanderers Club (1900 Aero Club Drive, Wellington). Call (561) 578-4807 or e-mail Mary Lou Bedford at marylou@cpbchamber. com for more info.

• Mounts Botanical Garden (531 N. Militar y Trail, West Palm Beach) will host “Photograph the Sunset at Mounts” on Friday, Feb. 8 from 3:30 to 7 p.m. Join nature photographer John J. Lopinot to capture the sunset at Mounts. The cost is $30 per person.

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

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Buggy Valentines” for ages 4 to 7 on Friday, Feb. 8 at 3:30 p.m.

Make a lollipop bug card and play Valentine Bingo. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

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

February 1 - February 7, 2013 Page 39

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HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER — in W ellington 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 TUT ORS Now Hiring SAT/ACT Preparation Tutors. Must have a 4 year degree preferably in Mathmetics or English. Be available to tutor on Saturdays. Please e-mail resume tomarlenegiraud@hlcwellington.com PART-TIME LEGAL SECRETARY — for legal/accounting office. Fax resume 333-2680.

NEED RETIRED TEACHER TO TUTOR — subject Earth Science.

3 - 4 hours a week (morning).

Schedule own preference. (561) 972-0219

FURNISHED HOUSE FOR RENT/ SHORT OR LONG TERM — situated in a cul-de-sac and 5 minutes away from S pruce Meadows, this 2000 sf. 2 story newer house in Shawnessy has hardwood floor throughout and 2.5 bathrooms.

Leather furniture, 48” TV and a Piano in main floor. Master bedroom has Jacuzzi. 2 large size bedrooms and bonus room. Wireless Internet, double att ached garage, fenced backyard with BBQ. W eekly housekeeping, linen service and lawn cutting plus all utilities included. For more details call (403) 808-7254 OR (403) 700-2065

EFFICIENCY FULLY FURNISHED — Sep arate kitchen, private entrance, washer/dryer, TV WI-FI, No smoking or pets. $800 per month, first and last includes all.

LOST SOLOMON ISLAND ECLECTUS "PARROT" Green with orange beak Lost Jan 2nd next to Wellington High School In Sugar Pond.

Call 561-236-1011 This Saturday, Feb. 2nd 7a.m. 3 p.m. and Sunday Feb. 3rd, 7 a.m. - Noon. — Furniture, household items & more. (Of f of Okeechobee in the Willows) 190 Martin Circle.

16 STALLS FOR RENT Full or partial board available.

Located Jupiter Farms 701-230-0555 Ask for Tracy.

WELLINGTON’S EDGE COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE Next Saturday, Feb. 9th 8 a.m. - Noon. Rain Date Feb. 16th. Located Across from Buca Di Beppo.

Something for everyone!

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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

WE CLEAN OFFICES & PRIVATE HOMES — Licensed & Insured.

Call for an estimate and to schedule your apartment. Discount for Central Palm Beach County Chamber members and to all new clients for first cleaning. 561-385-8243 Lic. #2012-252779

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 561333-1923 Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach. We accept major credit cards.

IN-HOME COMPUTER TRAINING & SERVICE — Patient teacher. experienced technician. Reasonable rates. Satisfaction guaranteed. For info call Randy 561-800-9552.

Randy@Trahanconsulting.com

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

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 d r y w a l l , k i t c h e n s / c a b i n e ts / countertops, wood flooring. Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 7919900 or 628-9215 HANDYMAN AND CLEANING SERVICES — Caza Services for all your handyman and cleaning needs. 18 years experience. No job is too small. Call us today. Insured 561-802-8300 or 754-242-3459

ROSE'S HOUSE CLEANING SERVICE — 30 years experience $12$15 per hour. 561-827-0140

HURRICANE SHUTTERS P&M CONTRACTORS — ACCORDION SHUTTERS Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffit s, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561791-9777

BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE — Auto •Home • Life• Renters •Motorcycle •RV • Golfcart • Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/ rCavanagh

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

PLACE YOUR PROFESSIONAL SERVICES AD HERE. CALL 793-7606 RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL PEST CONTROL AND HANDYMAN — 20 years experience, family owned and operated.

Licensed and Insured. Free estimates. Call Tom at 954-254-7233 JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured.

CFC1426242. 561-601-6458

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

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior p ainting.

Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561572-1782 HOUSECLEANING — af fordable cleaning services, Royal Palm Maids. 561-666-7738 “For all your cleaning needs”

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 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC0067207 TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS CALL 793-3576

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

EXPERIENCED TAX PREPARER — With expertise with individuals and small businesses - Hack Tax and Accounting Services 561-2146171

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 Lic. & Insured 1992-12121 Visit our website at dmyoungtreeservice.com

PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Inst allation,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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