Town-Crier Newspaper February 24, 2023

TOWN-CRIER

KIDS LIP SYNC BENEFIT AT WEF

Wellington Council

Gives Lighthouse

Group 90 Days

The Wellington Village Council agreed this week to give a citizen’s group 90 days to see what developers and benefactors it can line up for an idea to combine a performing arts theater, offices and a rooftop restaurant on 10 acres that the village owns near the Mall at Wellington Green. Page 3

Focus On Student

Mental Health At

Crestwood Middle Crestwood Middle School Principal Stephanie Nance highlighted her school at the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 13, joined by staff members and students to showcase the programs at her school. Page 4

Barky Pines Animal

Rescue Hosts ‘Puppy

Love 5K’ In The Acreage

Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary hosted its fourth annual Puppy Love 5K on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Acreage Community Park. Many padded paws and wagging tails crossed the finish line, along with more than 200 two-legged companions registered for the race. Participants in the event received medals for their achievements, along with chances to win raffle prizes. Page 16

On Sunday, Feb. 19, the annual Kids Lip Sync fundraiser to benefit Danny & Ron’s Rescue returned to Wellington International. Seven acts performed and entertained the crowd. Singing legend Gloria Gaynor was in attendance and surprised the crowd by singing her hit “I Will Survive.” The night included a carnival theme, buffet dinner, fundraising giveaways and even dogs needing homes. Upper Echelon Academy (shown above) took home the award for the most money raised with a total of $31,082. The evening raised a total of $230,000, much of that from the kids themselves. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 18

PHOTOS BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER

School Board Closing In On Final High School Boundaries

By Charles Elmore Town-Crier Staff Report

In a matter of hours, more than 260 Wellington students were zoned into a new high school south of the village — then they were plucked back out.

It all happened at one school board meeting, in a whipsaw episode showing just how contentious the process of drawing boundaries can be for Palm Beach County’s first new high school in nearly two decades.

The matter of where to draw the attendance map for Dr. Joaquín Garcia High School steams toward possible resolution in March in the nation’s 10th largest school district, though the last meeting proved anything but predictable.

The Palm Beach County School Board initially voted 4-3 on Feb. 15 to move students in southeastern Wellington to the new school opening next fall, only to reverse course on a 5-2 vote later in the same meeting.

Seminole Ridge Girls Soccer Reaches FirstEver Regional Final

Of the many high school varsity soccer teams in the western communities, the Seminole Ridge High School girls varsity soccer team had the most successful regular season and deepest run in the postseason. The Hawks were undefeated in the regular season, won their first district title and played in a regional final for the first time in school history. Page 21

ITID Supervisors Learn Millions Finally Allocated For Corbett Levee

By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report

After 12 years of wondering what the next downpour might bring, Acreage residents may finally have some peace of mind in sight.

Representatives of the lobbying firm Geoffrey B. Sluggett & Associates formally noted at the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 15 that $7.7 million has been authorized by the state to complete the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area levee.

“I’m really glad it came through,” ITID President Michael Johnson said this week. “It’s a safety issue… [and] it’s something our residents deserve.”

The Corbett area is located adjacent to the northwest corner of ITID. In 2012, when Tropical Storm Isaac dumped 19 inches of rain over The Acreage, water held in Corbett broke through the exist-

ing levee and added to flooding problems in The Acreage.

In 2013, the legislature and then-Gov. Rick Scott allocated $4 million for the first half of an improved Corbett levee. The money was used to protect valuable farmland to the west, but the promised $4 million to protect Acreage homes did not materialize despite repeated requests.

Finally, in 2021, ITID hired Sluggett to work with the district, Palm Beach County, the South Florida Water Management District and the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission, which manages Corbett, to get the necessary funding. The strategy was for several entities to apply for the money through the Resilient Florida Fund. The process was completed when Gov. Ron DeSantis signed off on the project.

In the end, the county got the official nod, although the SFWMD

WEST FEST IN RPB

a bad rap in this process,” said School Board Member Marcia Andrews, who represents most of the western communities, including Wellington and the site of the new school itself.

She spoke at a moment when it appeared village students would be leaving Wellington and going to the new school.

“You won’t be on the line when I hear from the parents,” Andrews said. “They’re going to be devastated.”

At first, a slim board majority voted to switch a parcel of Wellington known as 179a to Garcia at the urging of speakers, including Mabel Melton, a member of the school district’s Advisory Boundary Committee and a representative of the Hispanic Education Coalition.

20 hours of public meetings by the boundary committee, thousands of pages of e-mails, and public comments from parents, students and elected leaders.

The part of the Palm Beach Central territory in question, narrowly connected to the rest, is sometimes described as a “bow tie.” Much of it is physically closer to Garcia than to Palm Beach Central, prompting questions throughout the process.

It was as if Wellington had a “magic pen,” Melton said, to draw lines where it wanted.

At the heart of the debate sat Wellington, alternately portrayed as an affluent community throwing around unseemly weight, and a place where families simply ask for continuity at top-rated schools.

“I think Wellington has received

She spoke as a dissenting voice against the boundary committee’s recommendation to the school board to keep the contested part of Wellington, slotted for Garcia in the earliest proposals, in the zone for Palm Beach Central High School.

“Wellington got everything it wanted,” Melton said. “That is not fair. That is not equitable.”

That result came after more than

Wellington uses village dollars to support its public schools, and the community connections extend well beyond that, Andrews said. For example, Polo Park Middle School has an engineering program that feeds into a complementary specialty at Palm Beach Central, she said.

“We really did Wellington in tonight, and I don’t think we thought about it,” Andrews said. “All of these children that have been in these programs, they’re not going to be able to take it to the next level.”

School Board Member Alexandria Ayala, who proposed the 179a

See BOUNDARIES, page 4

Christ Fellowship To Open First Church Building In Westlake

By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report

Christ Fellowship, a large South Florida church with more than a dozen locations, will open its doors Sunday, March 5 in the City of Westlake with services at 9 and 11 a.m. — and in doing so, make history. It will be the 14th Christ Fellowship location, but the first church building in the young city that came into being in 2016 and is now one of the fastest-growing municipalities in the state.

“When the initial plans for the City of Westlake were being finalized, we knew that we needed and

wanted to be a part of this new community,” Senior Pastor Todd Mullins said in a video posted on the church’s web site.

“I am thrilled beyond measure that Christ Fellowship is opening here,” Westlake Mayor JohnPaul O’Connor said. “It’s a dream come true for our community. It will change the whole landscape out here.”

Christ Fellowship is well known for its modern, up-tempo music ministry; broad and interactive children’s programs; emphasis on creating neighborhood Bible study groups among members; faithbased counseling services; and the

use of big-screen video to deliver sermons from its primary location on Northlake Blvd. in Palm Beach Gardens to its multiple campuses in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties. The church also has active prison and online ministries.

“We’re located in Westlake, but we don’t see ourselves as just Westlake’s church,” said Jonathan Ferguson who, along with wife Natalie, are the Westlake campus pastors. “We want to be a church for people in Loxahatchee and The Acreage — for this whole area.”

To emphasize that point, Fergu-

See CHURCH, page 7

Great music, colorful rides, creative vendors and taste-tempting food trucks were at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park from Friday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 19 during the return of West Fest, a country-themed, family friendly event hosted by the Village of Royal Palm Beach. Shown above are barn buddies Addison Conlin, Haylee Cantrell, and Calli and Kinzi Tenan.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY MEREDITH BUROW/TOWN-CRIER

RPB Council Gets Look At SR 7 Study

By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report

After years of planning, discussions and design, the Village of Royal Palm Beach received an update from the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council (TCRPC) on the State Road 7 Corridor Study on Thursday, Feb. 16.

The presentation was given by TCRPC Urban Design Director Dana Little. The study was a multiagency effort that included the Palm Beach Transportation Planning Agency (TPA), the TCRPC and Royal Palm Beach.

“It feels like I’ve known all of you for a long time. We started this pre-pandemic,” Little said. “The objective of this effort when we started was to develop a community-based vision for what ‘redevelopment’ might look like on State Road 7, your primary commercial corridor, and to identify better or future connections. You’ve got a wonderful network of sidewalks and bike lanes and streets and wa-

ter courses, and you’ve been working on connectivity for years, with the help of the TPA on occasion.”

There was a focus on finding locations to improve the connectivity with specific attention to the first and last mile — often the most significant challenge when trying to use public transportation. The inability to get that first mile to transit and the last mile to a destination often deters people from using public transit at all.

The study itself is a large, encompassing document that provides great details on specific projects, while simultaneously providing a framework of recommendations for land use and zoning amendments. This detailed assessment is designed to help the village decide how to package future development plans so the best possible projects can be explored.

One project is a sidewalk to the bridge connection on Goldfinch Lane. Little pointed out while See SR 7 STUDY, page 4

Wellington Eyes Action To Make School Zones Safer

By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report

The Wellington Village Council heard an update Tuesday, Feb. 21 on several school zone traffic items that village staff has been studying solutions for over the last few months.

Village Engineer Jonathan Reinsvold noted that there has been an increase in school zone traffic more than in years past, particularly at Binks Forest Elementary School, Wellington Landings Middle School, Wellington Elementary School and Wellington High School.

Several issues that the village has been working through are focused on illegal parking on swales.

“At Binks Forest, one of the biggest issues we’re seeing is between Whispering Willow Drive and Oak Chase Court,” Reinsvold said. “Parking along the swale area there is creating a dangerous situation not only for the pedestrians, but also for the golf carts out there by blocking the multi-use pathway.”

Options for remedies include adding a fence to the back side of the swale. This would not stop the parking, which is illegal, but would stop the cars from going into the multi-use pathway.

To stop the parking entirely, the village could eliminate the swale and put in a curb, gutter and fence. This is more costly, and it would

stop the school from using it as overflow parking at special events.

A third option would be to put bollards and trees in the swale, while the fourth option, which is the one recommended by staff, is to extend the existing flexible barriers that are near the school’s entrance all the way up the road, blocking access to the swale and forcing drivers into the school drop-off line. This is the least expensive option at about $3,000.

The council unanimously agreed to try the recommended option at Binks Forest.

Wellington Elementary also has a swale parking issue, although more limited. Reinsvold suggested the use of sandwich boards on the

swale and stronger enforcement from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

Reinsvold noted that the recent changes at Wellington High School, including additional lane delineators and more No U-Turn signs, have made the situation at that school somewhat better along the Greenview Shores corridor.

“There is no one-size-fits-all solution to these problems,” Councilman Michael Napoleone said.

“That is why each needs to be looked at on a case-by-case basis.”

Napoleone favors some action quickly at Binks Forest, which he sees every morning when he brings his son to school and worries it will one day will be the site

of a tragedy. “Getting the cars out of the swale is important,” he said.

Mayor Anne Gerwig asked for some suggestions for the area around Wellington Landings Middle School, particularly in the afternoon.

“We need the school district to sit down with us and figure this out,” she said. “The parents have to be on board. I just hate to think that we have to wait until a kid gets killed.”

Reinsvold said that a longerterm solution for Wellington Landings could be tied into a planned village project. “We do have a grant project for adding bike lines along Greenview Shores Blvd.,”

Wellington Council Gives Project Lighthouse Group 90 Days

By Charles Elmore Town-Crier Staff Report

The Wellington Village Council agreed this week to give a citizen’s group 90 days to see what developers and benefactors it can line up for an idea to combine a performing arts theater, offices and a rooftop restaurant on 10 acres that the village owns near the Mall at Wellington Green.

“It could be a coup for Wellington,” Vice Mayor Michael Drahos said at the Tuesday, Feb. 21 council meeting. “It could also be Al Capone’s vault.”

Drahos was referring to a famous 1986 TV show that attracted 30 million viewers by hyping up the mystery of the legendary mobster’s vault, only to unveil desultory debris.

Project Lighthouse, the name of the self-described “grassroots” organization of residents, hopes to stick the landing of a dazzling coup, rather than Capone-vault territory. To date, it is getting Wellington’s cooperation to shoot its shot.

At the group’s request, the council agreed to put off sending out formal letters requesting proposals from companies to develop the site, which is located just behind the Hampton Inn off Forest Hill Blvd.

The organization asked for additional time because it claims to already be hearing from developers and arts figures who don’t necessarily want to commit publicly before learning more, said Steven Traynor, a software executive who has lived in Wellington since

2003 and is representing Project Lighthouse.

“I don’t know if anybody has seen the article in Town-Crier but there have been a couple of developers that have reached out to us a result of that article,” Traynor said at a Thursday, Feb. 16 council workshop. He declined to name them, but Project Lighthouse representatives did later meet with individual council members who sought to get a better sense of the potential involvement.

Drahos said he is intrigued to see if the group can pull it off, but he advised against interpreting that as the village’s seal of approval. He said 90 days is a firm deadline to show if there is something tangible coming together.

Councilwoman Tanya Siskind said she was not sure why letters seeking potential developer interest should be put off or scrapped.

“This is very much in its infancy,” she said. “I think it can’t hurt to entertain any or all ideas for the property.”

In the end, the council agreed to the 90-day hold to give Project Lighthouse the time and space it requested.

The village owns the 10 acres at 2175 Wellington Green Drive. Designated as a civic site, the property is sometimes called Wellington Green Park. Mayor Anne Gerwig has discussed offering long-term leases to developers, though a land sale has also come up in conversations about what to do with the property.

What the village hopes to avoid is inheriting an arts theater, built with the best of intentions, that ultimately loses money and needs to be subsidized with public money, several council members said. Neither does the village want to be in the business of managing and booking events for such a facility.

Project Lighthouse supporters hope to ease such concerns with a mixed-use development that draws income from business, arts and possibly high-end residential tenants, as well as retail operations, including a restaurant. It has been talking with people who specialize in managing performing arts centers, such as Rhode Island-based Professional Facilities Management.

The project would aim to address several village needs in one place. More than 50 business tenants face losing offices at the Lake Wellington Professional Centre, a business complex that the village owns, but is taking steps to close rather than pay for extensive renovations.

Ultimately, a lead donor or other “benefactors” could play an important role in the arts center, supporters believe. For Drahos, it comes down to one question over the next three months for Project Lighthouse. “How real are you guys?” he asked.

To learn more about Project Lighthouse, find the group on Facebook by searching “Project Lighthouse – Community Vision.”

Donations Help In Jacob’s Shoes Provide For Those In Need

By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report

When you’re working at a party company and a recently reunited college friend asks you to help with an event, the answer is, “sure.”

When you later learn that the event, and other events like it, are for a charity that friend’s family made in memory of her late son, there’s no way you’re not going to get more involved.

And that’s how Maddy Chusid became the executive director of In Jacob’s Shoes, though she wore a few different hats before taking that role.

“It’s amazing,” Chusid said. “I can’t think of anything I’d rather be doing. It helps the family. It’s very heartwarming. It’s great to be with the family and help them with this great project — turning tragedy into something in Jacob’s honor.”

Chusid has been involved with the Jacob S. Zweig Foundation Inc. almost since its beginning in 2009.

At age 17, Zweig was tragically killed on Nov. 15, 2008. In Jacob’s Shoes started when his friends and family wanted to keep his memory alive by encouraging others and improving their lives.

And in recent years, the organization has grown by leaps and bounds.

Since 2009, In Jacob’s Shoes has distributed more than 197,528 pairs of new and refurbished

shoes, 37,940 pairs of socks and 10,762 backpacks with school supplies. They provide these items to children in need in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties. “I think that Jacob would be very proud,” Chusid said. “I think it’s a great way to honor him.”

The nonprofit works with all of the schools in the county, with nearly 30 shoe closets in Palm Beach County Title 1 schools. If a Title 1 school doesn’t have a shoe closet yet, they’re working on it.

Nearly one in five children in South Florida are in need — and that number has increased in the last few years.

“COVID-19 took a toll on families,” Chusid said. “We’ve seen more requests.”

In Jacob’s Shoes receives requests for supplies for children, typically through agencies or social workers.

“We work with agencies; we do not work directly with the families or children for several reasons, one being we’d have to vet everybody again,” she said. “How many times do you really want to make families go through this? If the request comes from social workers, agencies, schools, they don’t have to go through the process, they’ve already been vetted.”

Groups that would like to become involved need to register, provide proper paperwork, then can request supplies, as often as they need.

For those in need, there are many organizations that can help listed at www.injacobsshoes.org.

For those looking to help, volunteers are always needed.

“It’s a team effort. We have a couple of people who work here in the warehouse, and the volunteers,” Chusid said. “We couldn’t do it without our volunteers and the support of the community. It’s unimaginable how wonderful everybody is and how everybody helps.”

In Jacob’s Shoes has a wish list on its web site for Amazon and Walmart, and accepts monetary donations as well as donations of new or gently used shoes. Donations, Chusid said, are extremely important.

“For the older kids, they don’t want to be seen as different, they want to blend in… It’s like with women, you look at the shoes and the purse,” she said. “Kids look at the shoes, and if they don’t have a decent pair of sneakers on, they’ll get bullied or picked on.”

In Royal Palm Beach, In Jacob’s Shoes works with Grandma’s Place, and Grandma’s Place is one of the locations where donations can be dropped off. Appointments should be made prior to dropping off any donations.

In Jacob’s Shoes also works closely with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, providing sneakers for children in summer camps. They also donate for back-to-school events. “We’re not

a back-to-school place; we’re yearround. We’re 365. We’re always open,” Chusid said.

Recently, the Wycliffe Charities Foundation awarded a grant to In Jacob’s Shoes.

“In Jacob’s Shoes was selected because they applied to us, and the committee liked the idea of In Jacob’s Shoes because it helps so many people. We’re interested in helping as many people as we can, and In Jacob’s Shoes does that,” Wycliffe Charities Foundation President Norman Primost said.

The foundation was founded in 1995 by civic-minded Wycliffe residents who wanted to make an impact in the greater community through charitable donations. The community funds the foundation through activities such as fundraiser events, financial donations, tributes and donor programs.

“We thought they were providing a wonderful service to the community,” Primost said.

And the contributions of the foundation have been able to help In Jacob’s Shoes continue to make a difference.

“They’re a great organization, and they’ve been funding us for years,” Chusid said.

Coming up in Wellington, on March 4-5, is the Wellington Wolves March Madness basketball tournament. The Council of Dads, along with the Wellington Wolves, will be collecting new or slightly used sneakers at Village Park in Wellington during the tournament.

Those shoes will go to In Jacob’s Shoes.

“For the last several years, they have been doing a tremendous shoe drive for us at their tournament,” Chusid said.

The teens who participate bring shoes to donate, and they donated thousands of pairs of shoes to In Jacob’s Shoes each year. Wycliffe residents are also collecting shoes for this fundraiser.

There are many events coming up to benefit In Jacob’s Shoes.

On Saturday, March 4, Spirit of Giving is hosting its fourth annual Community Spirit Race at

the Florida Atlantic University Football Stadium, and will benefit more than 25 local nonprofits, including In Jacob’s Shoes. The first annual In Jacob’s Shoes Shopping Boutique fundraiser will take place on Thursday, April 27 at Congregation Kol Tikvah in Parkland with vendors and lite bites.

“I feel like definitely Jacob is looking out for us, steering things our way,” Chusid said. “It has been a very good year, and our events have been going well. The more we do, the more we can help.” For more information, visit www.injacobsshoes.org.

Council of Dads founder John Sitomer showcases some of the 2,760 pairs of shoes donated to In Jacob’s Shoes during last year’s March Madness tournament at Wellington’s Village Park.

Focus On Student Mental Health At Crestwood Middle School

By Callie Sharkey Town-Crier Staff Report

Crestwood Middle School Principal Stephanie Nance highlighted her school at the Royal Palm Beach Education Advisory Board meeting on Monday, Feb. 13, joined by staff members and students to showcase the programs at her school.

“We lovingly call Crestwood the Eagle’s Nest. I am the thankful and humble principal. This is my 17th year as principal of Crestwood Middle School, and I have had the distinct pleasure of serving Royal Palm Beach for 27 years. I like to say that we are vested and invested,” Nance said. “Thanks to your tax dollars, we have new furniture, and I’m not as old as the furniture anymore!”

The 742 students at Crestwood are a true melting pot of backgrounds and cultures. The average tenure of the current teaching staff is seven years, and the school is proud to have maintained its B rating despite pandemic setbacks. The goal for the next year is to increase student proficiency on district and state assessments in all tested areas; increase student learning gains in both ELA (English language arts) and math; offer collaborative and authentic professional learning communities for teachers; and cultivate and foster positive relationships.

School Zones Swale Parking Woes

continued from page 1 he said. “That would bring a curb, gutter and possible fence to the area.”

PBSO Lt. Eli Shaivitz suggested that there may be options within the school, such as a staggered dismissal, getting the buses out first and offering incentives to ride the bus.

“As a village and the PBSO, we can do everything we can outside the gates, but we’re going to need some help behind the gates,” he said. In other business:

• The council spent nearly an hour discussing a possible lien reduction of money owed by Palm

Levee Money Approved

continued from page 1 is expected to manage the project.

Sluggett’s Mary McNicholas credited Johnson’s efforts on the Palm Beach County Water Resources Task Force, ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson and his staff, ITID Vice President Betty Argue and State Rep. Rick Roth (R-District 94) for making the funding happen.

“Everything just fell into place,” Johnson said.

The group had to ask for almost $8 million due to increases in construction costs since 2014.

Another $397,000 was allocated directly to ITID for work on the M-0 Outfall Canal, McNicholas noted. Added to $135,000 in previous grant money, and the district has some $532,000 for the project, which will move water out of the ITID system and into the L-8 Canal when necessary, Hanson said.

Adding a control structure would raise the price tag to be-

Boundaries Garcia High School

continued from page 1 shift to Garcia, rejected the idea she was insufficiently acquainted with views in Wellington.

“I am educated about Wellington,” Ayala said. “I have heard the commentary from Wellington parents. I’m not dismissing that.

I’m simply standing up for my constituents and looking at this from a 30,000-foot view.”

Ayala questioned whether concerns about disruptions in Wellington were being allowed to outweigh hardships experienced by parents and kids in other communities. The City of Greenacres, for instance, could wind up sending children to five different high schools.

“We have a student-first philosophy,” Nance said. “Our goal is to provide every opportunity to be able to connect. Research shows that if a student is connected to their school, their achievement levels will likely increase as compared to a student that is not connected to school. We want every student to connect to a program. Each student has their own journey.”

These connections come through a diversity of offerings that range from high school credit level classes to a wide variety of clubs. Crestwood has academic and robotics clubs, sports and more than 30 business partnerships to enhance these options. One thing that sets the school apart from others is the involvement in the Cambridge Pre-AICE program, which carries over to Royal Palm Beach High School and sets students up for success.

“Education has to be a partnership,” Nance said. “Because of the interest in mental health, we understood the importance of reconnecting and helping our students learn to plug back in. We knew that was not going to be a one-year initiative, so we continued to develop a multi-year approach in Skills for Learning and Life (SLL).”

Formerly called SEL (social-emotional learning), the SLL

Beach Polo due to code compliance issues dating back to 2014.

Attorney Alec Domb, representing Palm Beach Polo Inc. and its owner Glenn Straub, asked the council to consider a reduction of the lien associated with code compliance action at the Big Blue Preserve from approximately $6.3 million to $1.3 million, as well as a lien reduction associated with code compliance action for the Dog Park Subdivision from $446,608.67 to $89,808.67. The reductions would be in line with those approved by the village’s special magistrate in 2020. However, the disagreement over the liens moved into the court system, where the original liens were reimposed.

Domb first asked that the item be continued to a later date so that the village and Palm Beach Polo can sit down and mediate the issues related to the Big Blue

tween $800,000 and $1 million. McNicholas said that the Sluggett team will be lobbying the legislature for money for the project during the upcoming legislative session beginning April 10.

In other business, GL Homes Vice President Larry Portnoy told the board that while development of the company’s 4,871-acre Indian Trails Grove property is not imminent “within the next year or two,” if a land swap can’t be worked out with the county, the construction of 3,897 housing units, 300,000 square feet of commercial space and 50,000 square feet of office space for the site could begin soon thereafter.

The comment came as part of a land swap presentation by GL representatives very similar to one shared last summer with supervisors, who strongly supported it.

The land swap, which requires approval by county commissioners, would move about one-third of the development out of Indian Trails Grove and onto what is known as the Hyder West property that GL Homes owns off State Road 7 west of Delray Beach in

The map for the one new high school has cascading effects across nearly half of the countywide district, as planners try to balance enrollment at various schools that have too many or two few students compared to their designed capacity. But each proposed change risks forcing some people to change schools, take a longer bus ride, separate from friends, or go to a school whose academic credentials may be unproven or not as attractive as families hoped.

To tidy up the map on the “bow tie” issue, Palm Beach County School Superintendent Michael Burke proposed moving another Wellington parcel south of Forest Hill Blvd. to Palm Beach Central’s territory from that of Wellington High School. Amid objections from parents that they were not given any notice about changing schools, he acknowledged that as

program takes a broader approach. The intent is to lead students toward achieving success over the long term with academics, building confidence, supporting mental health and resiliency.

Crestwood is helping students battle anxiety with Wellness Wednesdays, where students learn life skills such as communicating assertively, but not aggressively. Afterward, students are able to give direct feedback to monitor both progress and understanding.

Other programs include Best Buddies, Mindfulness Club, Safe School Ambassadors and the Easing Transitions program, where incoming fifth graders spend the day learning how to navigate middle school. Meanwhile, the school also celebrates both honor roll and SWAG (students with amazing growth). Students in art programs are showcased through artist of the week.

Parents and guardians can get involved through programs like All-Pro Dad, designed for all male figures in students’ lives. Chat and Chew with the Counseling Crew allows parents to meet the team of counselors supporting their children. The school also hosts quarterly Parent Connection sessions to help adults navigate some of the tools available. Nance and involved students also discussed the Peer Mediators program.

Preserve, a stand of native cypress trees on land owned by Palm Beach Polo that the village and Palm Beach Polo have disagreed about how to best maintain going back decades.

Domb said that the point of code enforcement is to gain compliance, not punishment.

“These fines have completely and utterly spiraled out of control,” he said. “What is code compliance all about? It is about bringing violators into compliance. When our appeals were exhausted, that’s what we did. We complied.”

Several council members, however, pointed out that the fines only went back up because Palm Beach Polo continued to fight the reduced amount in court.

“When staff came to you with an offer, you rejected it,” Vice Mayor Michael Drahos said. “Even when the magistrate reduced the fine amount, you rejected it. We are

the county’s Agricultural Reserve.

Land dedicated for agricultural and water resources would be increased by 980 acres, and publicly dedicated land would increase from 640 acres to more than 1,600 acres. ITID also would get limited control over a 740-acre water storage area, including three pump stations that GL Homes would build.

Last August, the plan was scheduled to go before the county commissioners, but GL asked for a postponement. The plan is expected to go back before commissioners this spring. Argue said that at times opponents of development get caught up in their passion for preserving a rural or semi-rural Florida lifestyle and simply say, “I don’t like this. I don’t want that. Unfortunately, this development has been approved [by the county]. I like the [swap] proposal.”

If nothing else, the reduction in traffic on ITID’s already stressed roads would be “huge,” she said. “Hopefully [the swap] goes through,” Hanson said. “It certainly would lessen the impact on the community.”

a “mistake,” and the board backed away from the idea.

In the end, a board majority relented on 179a after hearing about potential disruptions to elementary, middle and high school feeder patterns in Wellington. Any temporary crowding at Wellington schools will theoretically be relieved by a new western high school planned northwest of the village in five or six years, supporters argued.

Indeed, Wellington students could be moved and then face further reshuffling for the newer western high school, Wellington Councilman Michael Napoleone said.

“Moving 179a to Garcia doesn’t solve a problem, it just kicks the can down the road,” he said.

The next scheduled school board vote comes March 29. For the moment, Wellington students

While group counseling, Eagles in Action and the Character Now initiative are also in place, special events like Pink Shirt Day on Feb. 22 continue. The Crestwood Mental Health Summit is one full day of mental health learning that satisfies a state mandate and follows a specific curriculum provided by the school district.

“I think this is amazing. You’ve got a great team, and thank you for being thorough in sharing what you are doing for student mental health,” Board Chair Jennifer Sullivan said. “We probably also need to focus on teachers’ mental health, so I’m sure the district will be addressing that soon.”

Nance agreed that teacher mental health is also a priority.

“Our district is putting all of its resources into making sure our students are OK and our employees are OK,” she said. “Because we all know that if our hearts and minds are not OK, then we can’t learn, and we can’t teach. Thank you for letting us show you how we are working to strengthen the mental health and social emotional well-being of our children.”

While many staff members were in attendance to introduce themselves, visual arts teacher Patricia Duebber and the Director of Bands Jeneve Jarvis had presentations to share.

a lot of the great things we do in the arts wouldn’t be possible. You saw the display boards out front. I could not be prouder of the work. They are amazing young people,” Duebber said. “As an educator you can lead them to the water, but you can’t make them drink, but our students at Crestwood are lapping it up. They cannot get enough. They stay late, they come early, they work through their lunches, and still want to work on their art.

To generate that kind of love of learning, to inspire and educate and affirm them, that’s what we are all about.”

She noted that two of the last three years, students have won first place in the Art in the Capitol competition, where their work hung in the halls of Washington, D.C. Her students also took first place in the superintendent’s greeting card contest, and both first and second in the I Voted contest, where their designs were placed on stickers and handed out on election day. Jarvis directed band students as they performed for the board, and shared their accomplishments, echoing the success of the visual arts program. All students who recently competed on the county level received all superior and excellent ratings.

my mom was a teacher,” said Jarvis, who teaches 120 students in the band program, including beginning band, symphonic band and concert band. “Before you is our jazz band. They are a volunteer group who come in to practice on their own because they love it.”

School Board Member Marcia Andrews, who attended the meeting, was very impressed by the students and teachers.

“Crestwood eagles soar very high,” she said. “When we think about the arts and academics, putting the two together, it’s just so outstanding for our children. I had a wonderful time at Crestwood when I was there for Career Day. You do so many great things.”

In other business:

• Regional Superintendent Valerie Zuloaga-Haines provided an update on the process of Melaleuca Elementary School sharing the Crestwood campus. Due to a lack of cement, the Melaleuca project has been delayed, and students are expected to remain on the shared campus for another six months. This also pushes back the timeline for Wynnebrook Elementary School to move to the campus in the middle of the 2023-024 school year.

“If it wasn’t for your support,

In the end, the council voted 4-1 to deny the lien reduction requests with Gerwig dissenting.

While those specific code cases have been resolved, the village still has issues with Palm Beach Polo’s management of the Big Blue Preserve. Court cases, including a foreclosure action, are pending.

• The council unanimously approved the second and final reading of the voluntary annexation of Panther Run Elementary School into the village. The 20acre school site is on the north side of Lake Worth Road just east of the village’s border. The village worked with the school district to make the voluntary annexation possible. Once the annexation was finalized, the parcel was assigned the village zoning designation of community facilities.

SR 7 Study Prepared By TCRPC

continued from page 1 there is a sidewalk on the bridge itself, there is not one leading to the bridge.

“That’s the level of finesse that your staff wanted us to look at to complete the whole plan,” said Little, who then expanded on the concept for a pedestrian bridge over Okeechobee Blvd. to the Brass Ring Pub. “We don’t always advocate for a pedestrian bridge. It is not like the old days when they were utilitarian and ugly. In fact, they’ve become real design elements and gateway places.”

The study recommended movement of the bike lane planned on Erica Blvd. and Lux Road, at the Tuttle Royale project site, to allow for trees to be planted between the bicycle and vehicular traffic. There is also a design for a Blueway Trail Network that would allow residents to kayak from one park to another.

The plan for Pathway Park has

seem set to stay in the village, if the latest plan standing wins final board approval, though if any further substantial boundary changes are proposed, the process could extend beyond that meeting.

The issue has stirred controversy for months. Social media posts from Wellington residents alerted parents in The Isles, Grand Isles, Wellington Shores and Versailles neighborhoods that their students could be moved from Palm Beach Central.

Garcia is set to open in August on Lyons Road, north of Lantana Road, in suburban Lake Worth. The school is expected to hold about 2,500 students by the 2027-28 school year. It is named after the late Dr. Joaquín García, a Cuban-born local businessman and founding member of the Hispanic Education Coalition of Palm Beach County. He died in 2021.

“It’s a wonderful time to be in the arts. I grew up in the county,

• The council welcomed two new people to the dais, Erin Franklin as a new board member and Paula Wilson as a board alternate. here tonight because you rejected it, decided to appeal, and that was a bad decision.”

SWAG Student Awards — The Wellington Village Council honored the achievements of SWAG students (L-R) Gaby Toledo, Alonza Lloyd and Victoria Loredan on Tuesday, Feb. 21. PHOTO COURTESY THE VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON

• The council unanimously approved a zoning text amendment and a comprehensive plan amendment that would allow a self-storage facility to be built on the Iorizzo property behind the

limitations due to the power lines and their required maintenance, but the TCRPC has concepts for shade structures and other creative ways to keep the path more aesthetic and realistic for use throughout the year, even in the summer heat.

Four sites were identified and used to test designs, including the 52-acre Weldon parcel, the 23-acre Regal Cinema plaza, the 25-acre Coral Sky Plaza and the Village Shoppes at the northeast corner of Southern and SR 7. All include residential space within mixed-use social centers. There is a consistent theme of adding vegetation and green space wherever possible. Buildings have stoops instead of deep sidewalks and linear parks in place of dunes. Drive-through buildings and gas stations were also taken into consideration in the designs.

“All we hope for is that this work benefits you. We are your regional planning council. We don’t ever go away, so just ask us,” Little said.

The council was impressed with the attention to detail and intent to keep the corridor feeling like the rest of the village. Mayor Fred Pinto invited Little to return to future planning sessions as commercial projects move forward and village capital projects are considered.

In other business:

• When reviewing the consent agenda, Vice Mayor Selena Samios requested clarification on an item regarding engineering services for the La Mancha North Neighborhood Underdrains.

“They are installing underdrains, which will be a trench that will be dug at the back of the road, the edge of the road,” Village Manager Ray Liggins said. “It will be a couple feet deep, filled with sand and a pipe to bring the water table down. That area on the north end, many months out of the year, the water literally comes out of the ground, which damages the sidewalk, the driveways and the roadway. They will be cutting the driveways back at the edge of the

existing Cheddar’s restaurant on the west side of SR 7. The building would operate as “The Lock Up Self Storage,” a high-end storage concept that the owners believe will fit well in the market.

road and digging trenches along the road.”

Liggins noted that there is not yet a timeline, and the plan is currently in the design phase. Once the design is complete, they will move on to the bidding phase. It is planned to come out of this fiscal year’s budget. “It’s best to do [the work] in winter, when it is a little bit drier — not during the rainy season,” Liggins said.

• The council was treated to a pleasant surprise by a visit from local residents of the Royal Palm Beach Writer’s Group. They came bearing both thanks and copies of the newest edition of Spectrum, an annual publication showcasing the written work of its members.

“As this group evolved, members honed their writing craft well enough to be published. In addition, we became a cohesive family, not just a group. In the past, Royal Palm Beach assisted in the publications of our book. You would pay, we would reimburse you,” RPB Writer’s Group representative Virginia Guido said. “Because of your alliance, our group is still a strong writing group. We have even been recognized and awarded a grant by the Florida Writers Association — all because you helped kickstart us. Fortunately, these past few years, we’re not asking for money anymore. Tonight, to show our gratitude, allow me to present to you with copies of our Spectrum 2022, and also, we’d like to provide you with a copy of a book written by one of our members, Hartley Barnes.”

Councilman Jeff Hmara said he knows Barnes and has a copy of one of his books.

“We thank you for taking the time to come here tonight and acknowledge us. We really appreciate that more than you know,” Pinto said.

The RPB Writers Group meets on the first and third Thursday of each month at the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center at 10 a.m. For more information, visit www.royalpalmbeachwriters.com.

FUN WEST FEST EVENT RETURNS TO ROYAL PALM BEACH’S COMMONS PARK

Great

RPB’s Shakeera Thomas with Royal Palm Beach High School

Mr. and Miss West Fest judges Tamara Casanova, Grace Moderwell and Nicole Eppenbaugh.

The Fast Forward Band performs on stage.

Mayor Fred Pinto addresses the West Fest crowd, joined by Councilwoman Jan Rodusky, Vice Mayor Selena Samios and Councilman Richard Valuntas.

Daniel Casanas and Romell Covarrabias decorate a Mariana and Silvana Espinal

Oden Williamson and

Danny Jaworski gets some face paint from

Mother and daughter Ilena and Charlee Lee.

Isabella Perez on the mechanical bull. Noa Nierman leads Brycen Gilles on pony Coco.

Elayna Ricks hits the rock-climbing wall.

Supreme Miss West Fest winner Raelynn Lee Mortimer with her mom Katrina.

Sweetheart Miss West Fest Calli Tenan and Princess Miss West Fest Eden Wood.

Mr. West Fest winner Heath Devin Corum.

Mini Miss West Fest winner Laney Branch.

Rachel and Melanie McGee with Bailey.

Mr. and Miss West Fest sponsor Chelsea Chilcutt of High Voltage Equestrians with the 2023 contestants.

Photo

Clean, Conveniently Located Accommodations At Pioneer Inn

By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report

There’s an old expression that all roads lead to Rome. Well, in Royal Palm Beach, there’s a new hotel that’s right in the middle of all the action.

Manager Ashok Paul built the Pioneer Inn at 9121 Southern Blvd., opening its doors on Dec. 1, 2020.

“It’s close to Wellington, and it’s also close to the South Florida Fairgrounds,” Paul said.

In fact, the hotel is within walking distance to the fairgrounds, is close to Shark Wake Park and Lion Country Safari, offers convenient access to Florida’s Turnpike and

Church Opening March 5

continued from page 1 son attended the Feb. 15 meeting of the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors.

“We want to do everything we can to serve you guys,” he said during the time for public comment. “We’d love to know your needs and how we can partner with you as the governing board of this area to love on your community and to help out where we can.”

O’Connor agreed that “Christ Fellowship really, really wants to be partners with the community.”

According to the church’s web

I-95, is a short drive to Palm Beach International Airport, is near Wellington’s equestrian amenities, and is just a short drive to the many restaurants and shops at and near the Mall at Wellington Green.

The central location of the Pioneer Inn did not happen by chance. Paul has been in the hotel and motel business since 1995. He also owns and operates Southern Pines Motel on Southern Blvd. in West Palm Beach.

“I like to meet different people,” he said. “And if you manage it right, it’s a very good business.”

The hotel might not be fancy, Paul said, but their focus is on cleanliness.

site, the grand opening will include “live worship music, a practical teaching and tons of fun for everyone.” Additionally, there’ll be a bounce house for kids and family games, Ferguson said.

“As always, we’ll be focused on faith, family and fun,” he said. Located on 12.7 acres off Ilex Way at 16561 Waters Edge Drive, the 38,000-square-foot worship center features an 800-seat sanctuary.

The site plan, approved in December 2019, also anticipated a 25,000-square-foot “ancillary facility,” but those plans have been postponed, Ferguson said. The campus was originally scheduled for completion in December 2020, but was delayed due to the pan-

“Our ultimate goal is to keep it very clean, that’s the special thing about it,” he said. “The customers like that because of the cleanliness.”

The hotel features a modern, clean design, as well as a 12-seat conference room.

Local companies utilize the room for interviews and meetings, providing a convenient place for small groups to collaborate.

Paul is proud of the thousands of positive reviews on top booking sites, such as Tripadvisor, Kayak and Booking.com. “Our little hotel is one of the top-rated hotels in Palm Beach County,” he said.

However, to get the best rate,

demic. No problem, said Ferguson, “It’s all in God’s timing.” Ferguson, who grew up in Fort Lauderdale, has a bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in social work from Southeastern University in Lakeland. Natalie Ferguson, a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, has a degree in organizational management. Both have worked for Christ Fellowship for five years.

After working in counseling for a time, Ferguson said he “realized I wanted to be able to tell people about Jesus” and answered a call to ministry.

Westlake was barely incorporated three years when Christ Fellowship made plans to add the community to its roster of

Paul recommends booking directly by calling the hotel at (561) 855-6055.

“When people make a reservation with us, and they have a lastminute cancellation, we can do it right away,” he said.

With booking web sites, he added, many charge if there isn’t at least 48 hours’ notice.

“When they book it with us, it’s easy to modify the reservation or cancel if there’s a last-minute emergency,” Paul said.

The Pioneer Inn is smoke-free, and not pet friendly, which is important for those with allergies.

For more information, visit www.pioneerinn.us.

locations, and in December 2019 purchased the land from Minto Communities USA, the area’s largest landowner and developer. Ferguson called the decision by Founding Pastor Tom Mullins, Senior Pastors Todd and Julie Mullins, and the church’s Board of Elders “spiritual intuition” regarding the success Minto would have in developing Westlake.

Before the Westlake project, the nearest Christ Fellowship location has been the one in Royal Palm Beach at the corner of Southern Blvd. and State Road 7.

Coupled with the growth in the Acreage/Loxahatchee area, and the Arden development off Southern Blvd., the Westlake campus has a population base of

some 60,000 to draw from — and growing.

“Having a place to worship is an essential aspect of our lives,” O’Connor said. “Christ Fellowship [Westlake] will be a beacon of hope and inspiration.”

Now, with the grand opening just days away, Ferguson said, “We’re feeling excited and very blessed.”

For more information, visit www.christfellowship.church/ locations/westlake.

Truckers’ Group Will Meet Feb. 27 At Library

The next meeting of the “Save Our Truckers” group led by Natalia Melian will be on Monday, Feb. 27 at the Acreage library, located at 15801 Orange Blvd. The session will be from 6 to 8 p.m. The meeting will include a presentation by State Rep. Rick

Roth (R-District 94) and updates on recent related events. “This is an important meeting to ensure that we continue to move our agenda forward,” said Melian, an Acreage resident who, with her husband, owns a trucking business.

Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue To Host 5K Run/Walk March 19

Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue

will host its “Run Walk Four Paws Doggy Dash” event on Sunday, March 19 at Okeeheelee Park, starting at 8 a.m.

The event welcomes partici-

pants and their furry friends to enjoy a scenic 5K course around the lake and provides an excellent opportunity for pet owners to bond with their four-legged friends while raising funds for

rescued dogs and cats.

“Our mission is to reduce the number of homeless dogs and cats from becoming victims to shelter euthanasia while educating the public on the importance of adop-

tion and spay and neuter,” said Peter Torres, president of Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue. “Our staff is dedicated to saving pregnant and nursing animals, as well as orphaned puppies/kittens, and any

Wellington Art Society Will Present Mixed Media Artist

The Wellington Art Society will feature mixed media artist Lynn Doyal on Wednesday, March 8.

The meeting and presentation will take place at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The meeting will open with a meet and greet at 5:30 p.m., followed by the member spotlight and a brief meeting. The event will conclude with a presentation by Doyal titled “An Artist’s Journey Discovering Public Art.” For more information, contact Laura Jaffe at presidentofwas@ gmail.com.

Doyal blends contemporary design with a reverence for the techniques of the past. She in-

Lynn Doyal On March 8

corporates paint, hand stitching and beading, collage and digital technology in her works to create vibrant, textural pieces. Digital photographs of her artwork can then be transferred onto a variety of surfaces, such as glass, metal, canvas, tile or vinyl, allowing for expansive reproductions as public art pieces.

Doyal said that her artwork “provides that ‘breath’ in the course of a person’s day [which] means a great deal to me.” Her life-sized originals let the viewer marvel at the intricate detail of the mixed media pieces, while her large-scale public art pieces are a captivating, surreal experience.

In 1979, Doyal received her degree in fine art from the University of South Florida. After working in the corporate realm, she started her own company, Signature Chocolates, providing premiums and incentives for corporations, hotels and cruise lines. Since 2011, she has been exhibiting her art in festivals, shows and galleries.

Over the past six years, Doyal’s interest in public art has motivated her to serve as an apprentice to a nationally recognized public artist, as well as volunteer in Palm Beach County Art in Public Places, to gain the perspectives of the many individuals and agencies that need

to work in concert together to create, fabricate and install public artworks.

Doyal’s current projects include “Word Patterns,” which explores the patterns in word search puzzles, and a portrait ministry, in which she creates portraits to encourage and uplift others.

To learn more about Doyal, visit www.mixedmediabylynn. com, or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

The Wellington Art Society is a nonprofit charitable organization in its 41st year. It is open to artists of all mediums and patrons of the arts. For more information, visit www.wellingtonartsociety.org.

Garden Club Meeting To Feature Talk March 6 On Protecting Florida’s Wildlife Corridor

The Wellington Garden Club will meet Monday, March 6 at the Wellington Community Center, located at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.

The meeting will feature a presentation at 10 a.m. by Jason Lauritsen, chief conservation officer of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation.

In this capacity, Lauritsen implements the vision and mission of the organization to connect, protect and restore essential conservation habitat statewide.

Lauritsen’s expertise includes

School Voucher Information Session Feb. 27

Learn what parents need to know about school vouchers in 2023 at a free dine and learn information session on Monday, Feb. 27 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center, located at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.

This will be a non-partisan event focused on quality education and the pros and cons of the proposed HB1 on Universal Vouchers.

Forum speakers and sponsors include Dr. Deanna Albert, CEO/ CAO of Educational Solutions & Resources LLC; State Rep. Katherine Waldron (D-District 93); Scott Hottenstein, president of the Democratic Public Education Caucus of Florida; Palm Beach County School Board Member Alexandria Ayala; and Dr. Kathi Gundlach, president of the League of Women Voters of Palm Beach County. Sandwiches/wraps and light refreshments will be served. Preregistration is required. For more information, and to pre-register, contact Deanna Albert at (201) 965-1533 (call/text) or e-mail deanna223albert@gmail.com. Those who register will receive a confirmation. Attendees are invited to advise

environmental conservation and restoration, land management science, wetland protection and wood stork recovery in the western Everglades.

He is an experienced speaker, educator and writer who has authored numerous papers, publications and presentations throughout his more than 20-year career in conservation and natural resources management.

The community is invited to join the club for coffee and a plant raffle beginning at 9:30 a.m. Visitors

are asked to check in at the guest table. To reserve a spot, contact Maria Wolfe at tcacad_registrar@ yahoo.com.

Wellington Garden Club, founded in 1981, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating its members and the public in the fields of gardening, horticulture, floral design and landscape design, and to promoting conservation of natural resources, civic beautification and youth education.

For more information, visit www.wellingtongardenclub.org.

NEWS BRIEFS

other parents/grandparents to join in the event. If you wish to be considered as a sponsor or host for this informational event, contact Albert at deanna223albert@gmail.com.

Palms West Hospital Hosting Orthopedics

Lecture Series

HCA Florida Palms West Hospital is hosting an Orthopedic Luncheon Series from February to April to provide valuable information to the community on an array of treatments for bone and joint issues. The series includes free lunch and is hosted by board-certified, fellowship-trained orthopedic surgeons. Each luncheon is held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital at 13001 Southern Blvd. Space is limited, so registration is encouraged through the hospital’s web site at www.palmswesthospital.com. Click on “Classes and Events” to register for the lecture or lectures that you’d like to attend.

The series began Monday, Feb. 20. Upcoming lectures include:

• Monday, March 6 — “Current Concepts in the Surgical Treatment of the Foot and Ankle” with Dr. Brian Coleman of HCA

Florida Atlantis Orthopedics.

• Thursday, March 16 — “What Causes Hip and Knee Pain?” with Dr. Mamun Al Rashid of HCA Florida Atlantis Orthopedics.

• Wednesday, March 22 — “Doc, What can be done for my painful shoulders?” with Dr. Peyton Toole of HCA Florida Atlantis Orthopedics

• Thursday, April 20 — “Medical and Surgical Approach to Managing Low Back Pain” with Dr. Milad Alam of the Florida Spine Associates Located on a spacious 94-acre campus, HCA Florida Palms West Hospital is a 204-bed, acute care facility that has been providing high-quality healthcare in Palm Beach County for more than 30 years.

Fundraiser For Grandmother Victim March 18

The Dubois Institute of Arts and Social Justice has launched a GoFundMe account at https://gofund.me/7252e613 and scheduled a fundraising event at the Movies at Wellington on Saturday, March 18 at 1 p.m. to help a local grandmother in need.

On Friday, Feb. 3, this 64-yearold grandmother, while on her way home from a doctor’s appointment, was caught in the crossfire

Jason Lauritsen

during a shootout on 45th Street in West Palm Beach.

The driver of a second vehicle trying to escape gunfire plowed into her, totaling her car and nearly killing her. She had to be cut out of her car by fire-rescue workers and rushed to St Mary’s Medical Center, where she is being treated for multiple injuries. The third vehicle got away, and the incident is still under investigation.

To learn more about this fundraiser, contact Gary Davis at (561) 516-4362.

Master Gardener Program Starts On March 15

For those wanting to become a master gardener volunteer, applications are now being accepted for the spring 2023 UF/IFAS master gardener volunteer training program. The course runs weekly on Wednesdays from March 15 through June 7. Sessions will be held at the Palm Beach County Cooperative Extension Office located at 559 N. Military Trail in West Palm Beach. Visit https://discover.pbcgov. org/coextension/mastergardener for information about the program. E-mail csmith5@pbcgov.org for more information and for an application.

unwanted animal, whether sick or healthy. We’re thrilled to host the ‘Run Walk Four Paws Doggy Dash’ event, which not only raises awareness for pet adoption and rescue, but also encourages health and wellness in the community.”

Top dogs, male and female participants will be awarded trophies. All participants will receive a special, one-of-a-kind medal. Free food, water and snacks will be provided along the way to ensure participants and their pets stay energized throughout the race.

Participants will be able to see the dogs they are helping. Many of the rescue dogs will be at the race, which starts and finishes at the Micanopy Pavilion. Registration

is now open and can be accessed at https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/ WestPalmBeach/DoggyDashRunWalk5k. This event is perfect for runners and walkers of all abilities, as well as dog lovers of all ages.

Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue is a nonprofit organization based in Royal Palm Beach that is committed to rescuing abandoned, abused and unwanted pets. The organization provides safe and loving environments for animals in need and works tirelessly to find them permanent homes. Justin Bartlett Animal Rescue is dedicated to promoting pet adoption, responsible pet ownership and community outreach. Learn more at www. justinbartlettanimalrescue.org.

Historical Society’s Photo Scavenger Hunt

The Wellington Historical Society’s community scavenger hunt returns this year, packaging local history lessons into a familyfriendly community event. Participants will collect photos of Wellington landmarks by solving the clues leading to each one. Within each clue is information about the people, places and events of Wellington’s past. Complete the hunt and earn tickets for prize drawings at the event finale. It takes place at the Wellington Promenade on Lake Wellington at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25. Join other participants for refreshments and a chance at prizes donated by area businesses.

“Our scavenger hunt is a great way to learn about and share some highlights of Wellington’s history,” said Sue Bierer, president of the Wellington Historical Society. “It was held for the first time in 2021 in celebration of Wellington’s 25th anniversary as a municipality, and everyone had a great time, whether they were longtime residents, newcomers or kids.”

The scavenger hunt is selfpaced. Registration opened on Jan. 16. The clues and rules will be e-mailed to participants upon receiving their registration. Register

early and begin solving the clues and taking selfies at the locations indicated by the clues. Participants who share their photos on social media and tag the Wellington Historical Society will earn additional tickets to use in the prize drawings. This year, students in middle and high school history and civics classes will have an opportunity to participate without charge and earn extra credit from their teachers. For all others, the cost is $25. Play as an individual or build a team of up to five. Everyone must be registered by 5 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24. Sponsorship opportunities also are available. Learn more and register at www.wellingtonhistoricalsociety.org.

To be eligible for the prize drawings, turn in your completed scavenger hunt answer sheet between 2 and 5 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 25, at the Wellington Promenade, located on Lake Wellington behind the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). You’ll receive tickets to place into the receptacles for the prize drawings of your choice, and light refreshments will be served. Drawings will begin at 4 p.m. For more information, contact Sue Bierer at (561) 758-8739.

‘Sounds Of Soul’ At Dolly Hand March 16

Get ready to relive the hits of Motown and beyond, as the Sounds of Soul visits the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center in Belle Glade on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m.

This exciting, high-energy group unleashes superior vocals and slick dance moves powered by pure soul. The Sounds of Soul is composed of six seasoned performers who have excelled as outstanding singers, dancers and songwriters. Get ready to soak in the hits of the Temptations, the Four Tops, Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, the Supremes,

Lionel Richie, Tina Turner, Barry White and more.

The Sounds of Soul call the Tampa Bay area home and engage in an exhausting performance schedule that has them averaging more than 450 shows per year.

Tickets for the Sounds of Soul are $30 for adults and $15 for students. They can be purchased online at www.dollyhand.org, by calling (561) 993-1160 or by visiting the Dolly Hand Cultural Arts Center Box Office located on the Palm Beach State College Glades Campus at 1977 SW College Drive in Belle Glade.

The Pioneer Inn is located on Southern Blvd. near the fairgrounds.

WELLINGTON’S CLASSIC BREW FEST BRINGS BEER FANS TO TOWN CENTER

Beer fans from around the region came to Wellington Town Center on Saturday, Feb. 11 for the fourth annual Wellington Classic Brew Fest. This year, the festival played host to 46 breweries and 12 merchandise vendors. Local breweries were joined by breweries from across the nation. Roughly 1,000 beer lovers strolled the Wellington Promenade to sample brews, cider and spirits while talking to the different brewers. PHOTOS BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER

ROTARY CLUB’S WELLINGTON FAMILY AUTOFEST RETURNS TO VILLAGE PARK

The Wellington Rotary Club held its monthly Wellington Family AutoFest on Sunday, Feb. 12 at Wellington’s Village Park. The car show includes many extra activities for families. Future events are planned monthly on Sunday mornings, including Sunday, March 12. Learn more at www.familyautofest.com. PHOTOS BY DENISE

(Right) Michael Napoleone, Adam Wellikoff and Ron Herman enjoy brews served up by (left) Kelli Ekert and David Simmonds of Wicked Weed brewery.

Walter Imperatore and advisor Hernan Avila with Wellington High School Interact Club members.

FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Event organizer Walter Imperatore with Mike Carroll.

Jesse and Stephanie Pandal of the Crumb

baked goods.

Petersen and Ken Jones enjoy their time sampling brews.

Nate Holzmacher, Armando Gonzalez and Amanda Aldir sample the local Royal Palm Brewing Company, run by brothers Geof and George Shetka.

Jennifer George, Brittany Best, Lindsay Lowry and Rachel Domarew.

Kevin Cowen, Warren Kruse and Anthony Alexander enjoy the brews poured by Julian Beumediza of Wynwood Brewery.

Karen Brooks and Beth Crain sample Kona Brewing Company poured by Stephanie Trucco.

Brianna Ploskuna and Michael Raikis enjoy samples at Hop Life Brewery.

Alejandro Carro of WhistlePig Distillery serves up a selection of rye whiskey.

Hotvedt and Scott Westveer sample the Armed Forces Brewery.

CARDIOLOGY

An innovative approach to minimally invasive heart surgery

Joe Santoro had been dealing with mitral valve disease for almost a decade when his cardiologist told him his new symptoms were caused by an additional heart condition — atrial fibrillation.

After his doctor advised him to undergo a procedure to treat the valve disease, Joe, a first-grade teacher and musician, decided to get a second opinion. He chose Cleveland Clinic Florida, where he met with Jose L. Navia, MD, Director of the Cleveland Clinic Florida Heart, Vascular and Thoracic Institute and Minimally Invasive Valve Program.

“I left my appointment with Dr. Navia knowing I had more options,” Joe says. He chose a robotically assisted approach to his mitral valve repair surgery because it was less invasive than traditional open-heart surgery and he would heal faster.

“A robotically assisted approach for valve repair surgery is the ultimate new use for technology,” Dr. Navia says. “This approach provides the patient with a better option to have a durable repair or replacement of the valve.”

TALK WITH AN EXPERT.

Three weeks

To schedule an appointment with a Cleveland Clinic Florida heart specialist, call 877.463.2010 or visit ClevelandClinicFlorida.org/Heart to learn more.

after Joe’s robotically assisted valve repair surgery, he was back to normal activities. His band played a gig — and he played right along with them.

I was jumping around, playing guitar and singing three weeks post heart surgery. It was amazing how fast I recovered.

— JOE SANTORO

BALANCE FITNESS STUDIO IN WELLINGTON HOSTS FIRST OPEN HOUSE EVENT

Balance Fitness Studio held its first ever open house event on Monday, Feb. 6. Owner Lynette Laufenberg invited the community to meet the team and enjoy free sample classes, complimentary chair massages, giveaways, raffle drawings, light refreshments and more. Balance Fitness is located at 3220 Fairlane Farms Road, Suite 5. For more info., visit www.gobalancefitness.com or call (561) 812-2647.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

ROYAL PALM BEACH SENIORS GROUP ENJOYS A PARTY ON VALENTINE’S DAY

The Royal Palm Beach Senior Activities Group enjoyed a sweet celebration on Valentine’s Day, Tuesday, Feb. 14, at the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center. Learn more about senior activities in Royal Palm Beach at www.royalpalmbeach.com/parksrec/page/ programs-and-activities.

VILLAGE OF ROYAL PALM BEACH PUBLIC NOTICE

The Village of Royal Palm Beach will have several volunteer board/commission terms expiring in March. If you are a resident of the Village and would like to be considered by the Village Council to serve on either board/commission, please stop by the Village Clerk’s office to pick up an application or download it from our web site www.royalpalmbeachfl.gov. Under Departments go to the Village Clerk section and then click on Boards and Commissions to online Volunteer Board Application. Please complete application no later than March 28, 2023 for Council consideration at its April 6th meeting. It is important to note the particular day of the week the board/commission meets to ensure that your schedule will be such that you are available on that particular day.

Seats available are:

(3) on Education Advisory Board meets on the 2nd Monday of the month

(1) on Planning and Zoning Commission meets on the 4th Tuesday of the month

(6) on Recreation Advisory Board meets on the 4th Monday of the month

If further information is desired, please call the Village Clerk at 790-5102.

Christina and Landon Rafferty. Lynette Laufenberg leads a yoga class.

Marge Sullivan gets help from owner Lynette Laufenberg.

Seniors gather for a Valentine’s Day group photo.

Personal trainer Bonnie Kretchik, owner Lynette Laufenberg and personal trainer Melissa Varvarigos.

Francine Bryant and Maria Gonzalez.

Doug Hundt, Mary Dellamore and Bunny Smith.

Samantha Langenstein gives Denzil Soleyn a mini massage.

Liz Wilson gets guidance from Melissa Varvarigos.

Michele Hundt of Show Chic looks at the

in the

fashion boutique area.

Bonnie Kretchik leads a stretching session before going to the parallel bars.

Rosa Grant, Pat Graham, Vivian Konrad and Jim Dawson. Rebecca Gamer and Elena Acevedo.

SENIOR VALENTINE’S DAY PARTY AT THE WELLINGTON COMMUNITY CENTER

Seniors from Wellington enjoyed a Valentine’s Day party on Tuesday, Feb. 14 at the Wellington Community Center. The seniors dined on a boxed lunch and received flowers for the holiday. There was also a DJ and dancing. PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Iconica Nabs Key Super-Series Spot With Ylvisaker Cup Victory

On Sunday, Feb. 12, the Ylvisaker Cup final rounded out the second leg of the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series with an encounter between Joe Barry Memorial champions Iconica (Maureen Brennan, Mariano “Peke” Gonzalez, Lucas “Luckitas” Criado Jr. and Santos Merlos) and undefeated Dundas (Sarah Siegel-Magness, Geronimo Obregon, Paco “Paquito” de Narvaez Jr. and Tomas Panelo).

Iconica’s familiarity and faith in one another helped create an early advantage, which they maintained throughout the entire game. Dundas battled back into contention by halftime, but Iconica owned the second half to ride away with the 13-7 victory. Marking their second win in the Florida Circuit 16-Goal Super-Series, Iconica’s

combined wins in the Joe Barry Memorial and the Ylvisaker Cup earned them a guaranteed place in the inaugural Super-Series Championship Final, which will take place in early April. As the two teams entered the final, the Iconica foursome was fresh off of a win in the Joe Barry Memorial and held strong to an impressive 3-1 record. Dundas remained undefeated with a 4-0 record and delivered Iconica their only loss of the tournament with a 13-10 victory early in bracket play.

Of the 16 talented teams that competed throughout the tournament, team owners Brennan and Siegel-Magness were two of the three women competing, emerging from the same bracket. Despite struggling in their first match-up with Dundas, Iconica remained

confident in their strategy going into the final.

“When we didn’t make mistakes, we controlled the game. We didn’t make a lot of them, but when we did, I feel like that’s how [Dundas] scored,” Brennan said.

In the opening chukker, Iconica created early momentum with three unanswered goals, giving the team a 3-0 advantage over Dundas. Criado and Gonzalez added two more goals in the second, but were matched by a two-goal response from Panelo and another score from Obregon to close the gap.

“We had me pushing forward to have the guys creating space behind, and then sending the long ball to me,” Gonzalez said.

Iconica leading 5-3, the third chukker offered a similar backand-forth. The two teams traded

goals, with all three of Dundas’ scores off the mallet of Panelo. A field goal from Criado and a Penalty 1 in favor of Iconica kept the Joe Barry Memorial champions in the lead 7-6 at the break.

With the second half starting and the Iconica strategy stronger than ever, Criado quickly found the goal twice in the fourth to extend Iconica’s lead. A single score from de Narvaez for Dundas ended the chukker 9-7 in favor of Iconica.

A strong defensive presence from Iconica in the fifth and sixth chukkers resulted in a complete Dundas shutout, with Gonzalez scoring his fourth of the day while Criado ended the final chukker with two field goals and a successful penalty conversion to give Iconica a decisive 13-7 advantage as the final horn sounded.

Criado was thrilled to have secured another victory in the Super-Series.

“We feel very good because it’s our second win and it puts us in the final of the Super-Series,” he said. “It means a lot because it took a little bit of the pressure off, but, of course, we want to keep winning and doing our best.”

For his seven-goal performance, Criado was named Most Valuable Player, while 10-year-old Argentine bay mare Incari Citadina (Guadalupe), played by Peke Gonzalez and owned by Iconica Polo, was awarded Best Playing Pony honors.

As the Ylvisaker Cup ends, Iconica’s Criado and Gonzalez begin the Gauntlet of Polo, both playing for Valiente alongside Adolfo Cambiaso.

Ylvisaker Cup Champions — Iconica’s Maureen Brennan, Mariano “Peke” Gonzalez, Lucas “Luckitas” Criado Jr. and Santos Merlos.

BY DAVID LOMINSKA

103-year-old veteran Martin Denenberg, Bob Nappi and grandson Ellis Denenberg.

Jan Seagrave, Pat Tormey and Lynn Foster.

Laurel Miller, Debbie Vingiano and Carol Testa.

(Seated) Annette Cangelosi and Janice Downs with (standing) Alice Sherry, Shelly Pemes and Esther Lichaa.

Councilman John McGovern with Teresa Cummings and Jan Seagrave.

Linda Nutman with PBSO Deputy Casey Lussier.

Phyllis Goffe, Helen Pollock and Marilyn Trimble. Betty Brodie, Faye Ford and Wanda Hill.

Lucy Gardner and Valerie Kitchen. Cecelia and Sal Torrisi. (Seated) Dorie Johansson and Mary Lalla, and (standing) Pat Gye and Eleanor Rogers.

PHOTO

BARKY PINES ANIMAL RESCUE HOSTS ‘PUPPY LOVE 5K’ AT ACREAGE PARK

Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary hosted its fourth annual Puppy Love 5K on Saturday, Feb. 11 at Acreage Community Park. Many padded paws and wagging tails crossed the finish line, along with more than 200 two-legged companions registered for the race. Participants in the event received medals for their achievements, along with chances to win raffle prizes donated by Barky Pines sponsors. To learn more about the nonprofit animal rescue center, visit www.barkypinesanimalrescue.com.

PHOTOS BY MEREDITH BUROW/TOWN-CRIER

Margot Greenberg with Daisy.

Loretta Pisciotta with Daisy.

Natasha Backovich and her dog Nick. Taylor Barry with Diesel.

Melissa, Lorna and Megan Johnson with Dominick Cornelius.

First male and female 5K finishers Isaac Nye and Anne Nowlan with Barky Pines founder Elizabeth Accomando.

Katy Lystad and Jill Marcus with golden retriever Lido.

Liz Zervas with Hazel.

Cathy Bonilla with Hannah.

Holly and Chris Pollitzer with Paul Sullivan and dog Moose. Ozzie Perez with Fiona.

John Tirado won a Tijuana Flats-themed basket in the raffle.

Robin Csire with Pine, her Barky Pines rescue.

Noel Chessman with Riley.

Jeff, Marian and Claudia Rodberg.

Deb, Rob and Domenick Veglia with Dexter.

Liam Tison and Fabienne Dupre.

Barky Pines Animal Rescue & Sanctuary founders Elizabeth and Steve Accomando.

RPB ROTARY CLUB BRINGS VALENTINE’S DAY TO CAPSTONE AT ROYAL PALM

Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club members visited Capstone at Royal Palm Senior Living on Saturday, Feb. 11 to “Spread the Love” for Valentine’s Day. Daisy scouts made cards and passed them out to each senior. Each senior got a rose and a stuffed animal, along with sweet treats. Royal Palm Beach Councilman Jeff Hmara encouraged seniors to become involved in local happenings and gave them a Connections magazine with helpful information.

Feb. 26 Buck Off Challenge To Benefit Southeast Florida Honor Flight

Local Vietnam veterans Ramon Silvacoll, Fred Quan, Ernie Zimmerman and Bob Nappi profoundly appreciated their recent emotional trip to Washington, D.C., as part of the Southeast Florida Honor Flight.

The quartet agreed that the positive reception they received in D.C. and returning home to Palm Beach International Airport was the polar opposite of when they returned to the U.S. after their service ended.

“The Honor Flight made me feel like a brand-new person,” said the 77-year-old Silvacoll, who served in the U.S. Marines. “It was such a beautiful thing. It’s a great organization.”

Nappi, who joined the Navy before he turned 17 years old, was surprised at the reception the veterans received both at the Washington, D.C., airport and Palm Beach.

“Honor Flight gave me back the

feelings that I had lost for years,” said the 71-year-old Nappi. “When you get treated the way we were treated when we came home, you didn’t want to think about it.

I buried it. Not too many of my family knew about anything, so it was easy until I blew up and exploded. The Honor Flight gave me everything that I lost. It takes veterans from a place in a hole and puts them on a cloud.”

Southeast Florida Honor Flight is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization that flies World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War veterans from Palm Beach to Washington, D.C., four times a year free of charge to visit the memorials built to honor their service and sacrifices.

Each flight costs about $140,000 and are completely funded through donations, Chair Janet Hoose said. The next flights are scheduled for April 15 and May 27.

They hold several fundraisers

Pets Are Family, Too!

By Randall S. Dugal, D.V.M.

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A commitment to preventive action remains the best way of avoiding the many health hazards that can plague the pets we love, from potentially toxic household items, plants, and food to infections, diseases, and pests. Keep your pet in the peak of health and happiness with preventive, medical, dental, and surgical care from COMMUNITY

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throughout the year, and the largest is the Buck Off Challenge, a family-friendly mechanical bull-riding competition on Sunday, Feb. 26 at 6 p.m. on the boardwalk behind the Wellington Community Center.

A limited number of individual VIP reserved seats are available for $75 and includes close-to-the-action seating, dinner and a cash bar. There is free general admission, and guests are encouraged to bring their own chairs. To register a team or purchase tickets, visit https:// seflhf.tofinoauctions.com/buckoff.

Zimmerman served in the Army and had taken his daughters to Palm Beach International to welcome home veterans from previous Southeast Florida Honor Flight trips.

“Honor Flight was one of the best things in my life, other than when my children were born,” he said. “The volunteers are the greatest people I ever met in my life. They’re fantastic. When we

got to Washington, the people treated us great. The people who weren’t involved in the organization, when they saw what we were wearing, they treated us like war heroes. When we came home from Vietnam, it was nothing like that.”

Four-person teams compete in the Buck Off Challenge, where individual rides are scored by a panel of celebrity judges and totaled to determine the winning team. Riders are scored on their ability to stay on the bull while always keeping one hand in the air and the style of the ride. Higher scores may be achieved for character, team spirit and costumes. Prizes are awarded to the top three teams. There will also be prizes for Most Entertaining Team, Highest Scoring Individual, Highest Scoring Youth Rider (12 and under) and Highest Scoring Rookie Rider. The entry fee is $100 per team. The Buck Off Challenge is being co-sponsored by the Village of

Wellington and Signature Sponsor philanthropist Dr. Shamser Singh of Port St. Lucie. Other major sponsors include philanthropists Sanjiv Sharma and Nadine Allen of Highland Beach, Madison Sport Horses, IDA Development, Carolex Stables, Travis Laas, Triple Crown Group, IDA Farm, and Pro Plumbing and Gas. Additional supporters include Vitas Healthcare, All Pro Pools, Red Mile and Heaven Aire Air Conditioning. Food sponsors are Bolay, Bonefish Grill and PDQ.

Quan was a platoon leader in the U.S. Army and believes that veterans should take advantage of the Southeast Florida Honor Flight services.

“I would totally recommend that [veterans] should go because it is a really inspiring thing that your efforts during the war were appreciated,” said the 76-year-old Quan.

For more information about the

Vietnam War veteran Frank Malec, who has lived in Wellington since 1976, rides the mechanical bull during the 2022 Buck Off Challenge.

Buck Off Challenge and Southeast Florida Honor Flight, visit www. honorflightsefl.org.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Des Romm, Tom Keith, Johanna Kenny and Joan Scherer.

Romeo Siquijor, Jeff Hmara, Steve Epstein, Diane Smith and Carlos Pino with gifts for the seniors.

RPB Councilman Jeff and Carolyn Hmara.

Norma Baker Davis with Activities Director Kellie Dague.

Diane Smith of PBSO community outreach and 20411 troop leader Ms. Ocean with Daisy scouts Ava, Piper and Aurora. Steve Epstein and Piper give Patty McNamee a stuffed animal.

Mother-in-law Harriet Tursi, Steve Epstein and mother Harriet Epstein. Diane Smith gets a high five from Virginia Michalchuk. Jeff Hmara with Daisy scouts Ava, Piper and Aurora.

PHOTO BY ALEX STARK/EQUES SOLUTIONS

ANNUAL KIDS LIP SYNC AT SHOWGROUNDS BENEFITS DANNY & RON’S RESCUE

On Sunday, Feb. 19, the annual Kids Lip Sync fundraiser to benefit Danny & Ron’s Rescue returned to Wellington International. Seven acts performed and entertained the crowd of about 200. Singing legend Gloria Gaynor was in attendance and surprised the crowd by singing her hit “I Will Survive.” The night included a carnival theme, buffet dinner, fundraising giveaways and even dogs needing homes. Upper Echelon Academy took home the award for the most money raised with a total of $31,082. The evening raised a total of $230,000, much of that from the kids themselves. Learn more about Danny & Ron’s Rescue at www.dannyronsrescue.org.

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PHOTOS BY FRANK KOESTER/TOWN-CRIER

Ki-Juan Minors sings “Happy Birthday” to an audience member.

Danny Robertshaw, Brian Lookabill and Ron Danta.

Annie Cooper and Lucca Rossano with team Cumberland Palms in front of the carnival-themed sign.

Ron Danta and Danny Robertshaw (center) with Tim Irwin and Abby Arevalo.

Cumberland Palms took the award for Best Choreography.

The Moorcroft team won for Best Production.

The Sweet Oak team won the Battle of the Barns.

Gloria Gaynor surprises the crowd and takes to the stage to perform a few songs, including her hit “I Will Survive.”

Carriage Hill was honored as “Most Creative.”

Members of Palm Beach International Academy won for Most Inspirational.

The Sweet Oak team takes to the stage.

Carriage Hall performs.

Jasmine Booth and Gracie White show off some of the dogs available for adoption.

Ingrid Avera and Linda Amiguet are ready to enjoy the show.

The Moorcroft team performs during the Kids Lip Sync.

Upper Echelon Academy performs during the Kids Lip Sync.

PTA Brings Home Many Wins From Vero Beach Classic 2023

Grandmaster Gustavo Pope and his team — including Master Lindsay August, Master Barry Rivera and Christian Pope — from the Pope Taekwondo Academy traveled to the Vero Beach Classic competition on Saturday, Feb. 4 to participate in a day-long event that featured judo, weapons, forms, self-defense, flag sparring and point fighting divisions at the Vero Beach High School’s John B. Witt Gymnasium.

Sweeping in many categories,

PTA students performed with confidence, focus and a sense of pride representing their school and returning home with arms full of trophies and medals.

“To say we are proud of our students would be an understatement,” Grandmaster Pope said. “We are really shining, as almost all of our students have returned to in-school practice, and we are very fortunate to have many new students now joining us at our newest location at 1149 Royal Palm Beach

Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach.”

Master Barry Rivera agreed. “It is a true testament to how resilient, both young and old, can be when faced with a challenge,” he said. “This was our first in-person competition, and we look forward to many more.”

For more information about the academy, or to sign up for a complimentary class, visit www. popetaekwondoacademy.com and view the curriculum and class schedules.

Students share their collective wins. (Front) Samuel Clarke, Maisie Davis, Alexander Maira and Talen Endres; (middle) Aiden Morejon, Maia Loselli, Anthony Clarke, Monica Maira and Alejandro Martinez; and (back) Master Barry Rivera, Christian Pope, Grandmaster Gustavo Pope and Master Lindsay August.

Samuel Clarke and Maisie Davis secure first and second place, respectively.

PTA students sweep in sparring. Obtaining all three wins were Anthony Clarke, Monica Maira and Alejandro Martinez.

Master Barry Rivera, Nicholas Moraes, Grandmaster Gustavo Pope and Master Lindsay August celebrate a first-place win.

Grandmaster Gustavo Pope congratulates Maia Loselli, Maisie Davis, and Alexander and Monica Maira,

Christian Pope, Master Barry Rivera, Grandmaster Gustavo Pope and Master Lindsay August with Talen Endres after his win.

First-place winner Alexander Maira, joined by Samuel Clarke, who took the third-place spot on the podium.

Maia Loselli took home first place in sparring competition.

Alexander Maira takes the win in a sparring division.

Lisa Bowman Triples Tennis Tournament Raises Record Funds

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report

On the evening of Friday, Feb. 10, many local tennis enthusiasts with a passion for helping animals gathered to play in support of a good cause. The event, held at the Wellington Tennis Center, was the fourth annual Lisa Bowman Triples Tennis Tournament. It was a benefit for X-Port Paws (XPP), a local and national canine rescue group. The event is named in honor of the late Lisa Bowman, who was a beloved teammate, friend, sister, daughter, aunt and dog rescue advocate.

“It was all about the community coming together with the common purpose of raising awareness to save dogs,” event organizer Liz Stockton said. “More than one million companion animals are killed every year in this country. X-Port Paws was created as a nonprofit entity to find a way to put an end to this needless and unnecessary killing. The mission for XPP is to get dogs out of shelters who are on the ‘X’ list, which is dogs who are slated to be killed through no fault of their own.”

The goal of XPP is to take these abandoned dogs and transport them to safety so they can be given a second chance at life. X-Port Paws hires, transports, boards, vets and fosters to ensure the safety of these dogs. “X-Port Paws is an all-volunteer organization, which came together

to save dogs because there are too many wonderful dogs being destroyed when those dogs either were, or could be, someone’s beloved companion,” Stockton said.

“X-Port Paws wants to educate the public that we can do better. We collaborate with many entities in order to make this goal a success.

Through education, legislation, sterilization and the ‘11 Step NoKill Formula’ by Nathan Winograd, we are optimistic that we can achieve the goal of no more unwanted animals and overcrowded shelters. With the $10,000 raised by this event, we took one step closer to achieving our attainable dream. With every forehand winner, backhand crosscourt and ace, we are ‘acing’ our goals!”

the students who are members of the X-Port Paws Club at Wellington High School. One of those students was Aya Goldman, a sophomore, who started this club, which now has 25 members.

“High school kids are going to help change the narrative about how we treat our companion animals,” Goldman said.

The event was also supported by more than 25 tennis pros, which included Wellington Tennis Center Director Chuck Gill and four well-known professional players from international tennis — Dick Stockton, Harold Solomon, John Lloyd and Lisa Bonder.

Stockton, once ranked No. 8 in the world and a former Davis Cup player for the U.S, won eight singles titles and was a semifinalist at Wimbledon in 1974 and the French Open in 1978.

This year’s Triples Tennis Tournament had 28 teams, each with three participants. Many of the teams had matching uniforms. The winner of the best team name was “2 Bs and a Hoe.” The team with the best team uniform was “Team Where’s the PAWty At?” There were four division winners during the tournament: Team Gordon, Team Where’s the PAWty At?, Team Unleashed and Team Racquettes.

The Wellington Tennis Center provided support staff and volunteers, and two of the rescue dogs were on site. They were Daphne, a shepherd mix, and Eduardo, a Doberman/shepherd/ridgeback mix.

The contingent of volunteers supporting the event came from

Solomon, once ranked No. 4 in the world and a former Davis Cup player for the U.S., won 22 singles titles and reached the finals of the French Open in 1976.

Lloyd, a former top-ranked tennis player in Great Britain and an ex-Davis Cup player and captain for Great Britain, was a finalist in the 1977 (December) Australian Open and a three-time Grand Slam mixed doubles winner.

Bonder, once ranked No. 9 in the world, won four singles titles on the WTA circuit.

Sponsors of the fourth annual Lisa Bowman Triples Tennis Tournament were: the Village of

Seminole Ridge Girls Soccer Reaches First-Ever Regional Final

By Mike May

Town-Crier Staff Report

Of the many high school varsity soccer teams in the western communities, the Seminole Ridge High School girls varsity soccer team had the most successful regular season and deepest run in the postseason.

The Hawks were undefeated

in the regular season, won their first district title and played in a regional final for the first time in school history.

After defeating Martin County High School, 2-0, and William T. Dwyer High School, 2-0, in the Class 6A, Region 2 quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, they earned a trip to the regional final,

making them one win away from reaching the Class 6A state final four.

On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the Hawks traveled north to play the Lions of Oviedo High School. On that Valentine’s Day clash, Oviedo broke the hearts of Seminole Ridge and prevailed 2-0. It was the first loss of the season for Seminole Ridge,

which concluded its finest season in program history with a record of 18-1-2.

Looking forward to next year, 10 out of Seminole Ridge’s 11 starters will return, which bodes well for the future.

“This season was the culmination of hard work and having great team chemistry,” Seminole Ridge head coach Felipe Tribin said. “Were we expecting to go undefeated up until the regional final?

Not exactly, but we did meet two of our team goals, which were to win the district championship and to make a run at regionals. Our three seniors — Olivia Smith, Lucy Single and Brianna Ferrara — did an excellent job leading this team. They have been here since my first year, so they have seen how the program has changed. They knew exactly what I expected from them this year, and I am very happy that they are graduating with a district championship and a historic season.”

The other local girls high school soccer teams that played regional games in February included Wellington High School (Class 7A), the King’s Academy (Class 3A),

Glades Day School (Class 2A) and Berean Christian School (Class 2A).

Wellington reached the Class 7A, Region 3 semifinals, where the Wolverines lost 2-1 to Treasure Coast High School on Friday, Feb. 10. Wellington finished with a record of 10-4-2.

Also on Friday, Feb. 10, TKA traveled to Palm Beach Gardens to play the Benjamin School in the Class 3A, Region 3 semifinal. The host Buccaneers soundly defeated TKA, 5-0. The King’s Academy finished the season with a record of 10-6-1. Glades Day School, led by Wellington resident Hana Lohmann, had another memorable season, as they won their second-straight district title and advanced to the Class 2A, Region 4 semifinals, eventually losing to True North Classical Academy, 6-1. The Gators’ (17-6-1) one goal in the season-ending loss was scored by Lohmann, who registered her 65th goal of the season and the 209th and final goal of her storied high school soccer-playing career for Glades Day School, where she started playing as a sixth grader.

On Tuesday, Feb. 7, Berean traveled to Weston to play the South Florida Heat (16-6-2), the top seed in Class 2A, Region 4. In that regional quarterfinal, the Heat blanked the Bulldogs, 8-0, which ended Berean’s season with a record of 11-8.

In the FHSAA’s boys bracket for Class 7A, three schools in the western communities landed spots in the same Region 3 bracket: Royal Palm Beach High School, Palm Beach Central High School and Wellington High School.

In the Region 3 quarterfinals on Wednesday, Feb. 8, Royal Palm Beach High School (14-5-4) lost to Boca Raton High School, 2-0, and Palm Beach Central High School (10-4-3) fell to Spanish River High School, 2-0. But Wellington High School survived its regional quarterfinal by outscoring Olympic Heights High School, 3-1. That win propelled the Wolverines into a Region 3 semifinal clash against the top-seeded team, Boca Raton High School.

That game was played on the evening of Saturday, Feb. 11 in Boca Raton. After 80 minutes See SOCCER, page 23

Three Seminole Ridge Softball Players Sign To Play College Ball

By Mike May

Town-Crier Staff Report

Three seniors on the Seminole Ridge High School girls varsity softball team — Autumn Calcagno, Lindsay Ogden and Elena Rado — will be playing college softball next year.

While they remain clearly focused on their upcoming season as they attempt to win their school’s third-straight Class 6A, District 12 championship, these four-year players are also making plans for their academic and softball-playing futures. On Thursday, Feb. 23, each signed letters of intent with different colleges during a brief ceremony on the SRHS campus.

Calcagno plans to attend Warner University, located in Lake Wales, Florida. Warner is an NAIA program, which competes in the Sun Conference. She plans to study sport communication and will be a middle infielder for the Warner University Royals. Currently, she plays as an outfielder for Seminole Ridge, mainly in centerfield.

“While she plays in the middle infield for her travel team, we need Autumn in the outfield, where she has great speed and an incredible read on the ball,” Seminole Ridge head softball coach Candace Navarro said.

Calcagno is ready to juggle the academic and athletic demands of

being a college athlete.

“Since I currently have many responsibilities in high school, one of which is doing the school yearbook, and I play travel softball, I’m looking forward to playing softball while going to college,” Calcagno said.

Ogden, who is the top pitcher for the Hawks, will be attending John Jay College of Criminal Justice, located in New York City. She plans to study forensic psychology. Ogden plans to pitch for John Jay Bloodhounds, which is an NCAA Division III program.

Ogden is thrilled about the prospect of attending college in the Big Apple.

“I am excited about going to school in New York City and having access to a number of intern opportunities in the city,” Ogden said.

Rado is headed to Chesapeake College in Wye Mills, Maryland, where she will study kinesiology. For the women’s softball team, she will be a utility infielder for the Chesapeake College Skipjacks.

Rado is both looking forward to attending college, but a little unsure about being so far from home.

“I’m really excited about attending college, but a little nervous about being so far from family and friends,” Rado said. “I’ll be all by myself.”

the Katragadda Family, Junko Fujii Homes, Mamma Mia’s Trattoria, BG Squared, U Mortgage, Jake’s Pet Supply, (Above) Tournament participants gather on the court. (Below, L-R) Players Kristen Ray, Gwen Drapp, and event organizer Liz Stockton. PHOTOS BY ALEXANDRA HEMPFLING Two Exhibitions Now Open thru March 21st - OPEN DAILY FEATURING 22 ARTISTS | 104 ORIGINAL ARTWORKS www.WellingtonArtSociety.org

Seminole Ridge High School soccer player (above)

Anaya Thomas and (right) Lola Agosto in action. PHOTOS BY RICHARD AREYZAGA JR.

Seminole Ridge softball players Lindsay Ogden, Autumn Calcagno and Elena Rado.

Bluefish Sport, Sloan’s, Lindburgers and Mobile Tack. In addition to Liz Stockton and chief operating officer Michelle INSPIRED” November 15 - February 21 Wellington City Hall 12300 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington FL 33414 561.791.4000

Katzman, the tournament committee included chair Ria Katragadda and co-chairs Juliet Keane, Junko Goldman and Trixie Blouin. IMAGES” November 29 - March 21 Wellington Community Center 12150 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington FL 33414 561.753.2484 Since 1981

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Big Post Season Wins For TKA Girls And Boys Basketball Teams

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report

When this year’s Florida High School Athletic Association girls and boys state basketball tournaments started in early February, six high school teams from the western communities were in their respective fields: the girls and boys from the King’s Academy (Class 3A), the boys from Wellington High School (Class 7A), the girls from Palm Beach Central High School (Class 7A), the girls from Berean Christian School (Class 2A) and the girls at Seminole Ridge High School (Class 6A).

Of those six squads, both TKA teams had the deepest postseason runs.

The TKA girls soccer team, the No. 2 seed in Class 3A, Region 2, began regional play with the goal of a return trip to the state finals at the RP Funding Center in Lakeland, scheduled for Feb. 22-25.

In this year’s regional quarterfinal on Thursday, Feb. 9, TKA dominated Edgewood High School of Merritt Island, 58-14.

On Tuesday, Feb. 14, TKA hosted third-seeded Holy Trinity Episcopal Academy of Melbourne in the

Soccer Teams At Regionals

continued from page 21 of regulation play, the game was tied, 1-1. After 20 minutes of extra time, the game remained tied, 1-1. That sent the game to penalty kicks. After five penalty kicks by both teams, Boca Raton made four, while Wellington only made three. With that loss on penalty kicks, Wellington’s final record was 10-6-2.

WHS head coach Chris Carrera was proud of his team’s effort and determination in that heartbreaking loss in Boca Raton. “We tied the game, 1-1, with a goal by junior Antonio Rubino, just before the second half water break,” Carrera said. “For the rest of the game, we had a couple of chances to score a goal, but the shots either went wide of the net, or their goalkeeper made a great save. In extra time, we were on the verge of scoring, and we had their backs against the wall, but we couldn’t get the ball into the net. It’s tough losing on penalty kicks. I asked my players for 100 percent, and they gave me

regional semifinal and notched another win, 50-37.

That victory put TKA into the Class 3A regional final on Friday, Feb. 17 against the top-seeded Seffner Christian Academy. At stake was a spot in the Class 3A state finals in Lakeland. The game was close in the first half, but a decisive third quarter allowed the Lions to build a big lead and eventually defeat Seffner, 60-50.

TKA came out strong and built a 10-point halftime lead, 35-25.

After an exceptionally strong third quarter, the Lions led by 17 points, 48-31. The Crusaders didn’t give up and were able to outscore TKA in the fourth quarter by seven points, but it was too little, too late, and TKA advanced to the Class 3A final four for the secondstraight year.

“The game at Seffner Christian was a huge statement win for our program,” TKA head coach Chris Race said. “Seffner has been ranked just ahead of us all season. They are a very talented and very well-coached team. It helps our girls’ confidence to travel across the state and go into an opposing gym to win that type of game.

110 percent. That’s all I can ask.”

In Class 2A, Region 3, Berean’s boys soccer team, which won the District 13 championship for the second-straight year and the fifth time in program history, upset Riviera Prep, 3-2, in the quarterfinal on Wednesday, Feb. 8. Then, on Saturday, Feb. 11, the Bulldogs traveled south to Miami-Dade County and lost their regional semifinal to Miami’s Archbishop Carroll, 3-0. With that loss, the Bulldogs completed their season with an 11-6-2 record.

Berean head soccer coach Luke Schartner, who finished his 17th year leading the boys soccer program, enjoyed guiding and teaching his players this past season.

“I count it as a major blessing to be able to coach such a great group of young men,” he said. “Their success this season was a result of their work ethic, character, coachability and unity. This will definitely go down as one of my favorite teams to coach, and I will definitely miss them.”

According to Schartner, his 2023-24 team should have six returning starters from this year, as well as lots of young talent from this year’s junior varsity team.

Hopefully, we can do the same thing two more times this season.”

On Wednesday, Feb. 22 at noon, TKA (23-4) played Sarasota’s Cardinal Mooney (20-5) in the Class 3A state semifinal. It was a rematch of last year’s state semifinal, when Cardinal Mooney defeated TKA, 50-42.

“We are playing Cardinal Mooney in a rematch of last year,” Race said. “Honestly, this is who our girls really have been wanting to play since last year. The girls have been laser-focused on getting back to this game. I think they are ready.”

Being able to play at your best on the RP Funding Center basketball court requires adjusting to the new surroundings.

“Part of what is really difficult about playing in the RP Funding Center is that you don’t get to practice in there,” Race said. “You literally get a 15-minute warm up.

I think the teams that have been in there before have an advantage over a team that hasn’t.”

While in Lakeland, TKA will be practicing at Southeastern University. They entered the game against Cardinal Mooney riding a 13-game winning streak, while Cardinal Mooney had won its last seven games.

Unfortunately, the TKA girls varsity basketball team lost that game, 52-39, to Cardinal Mooney, to end their season with a 23-5 record.

The TKA boys basketball team is also having a memorable season. After defeating Cardinal Newman, 76-70, in its Class 3A, District 8 final on Friday, Feb. 10, the Lions earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 3A, Region 2 playoffs. TKA won its Region 2 quarterfinal on Thursday, Feb. 16, 81-70, against Santa Fe Catholic. That win propelled the Lions into the Region 2 semifinals on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at second-seeded Bell Creek Academy from Riverview. TKA (27-1) won that game, 66-64. With that victory, TKA advanced to the regional finals on Friday, Feb. 24 at Windermere Prep. That game starts at 7 p.m. The FHSAA’s Class 3A state finals for boys basketball will also be in Lakeland at the RP Funding Center, running from March 1 to March 4.

As for the other high school basketball teams in the western communities, after defeating Wellington in the Class 7A, District 8 tournament final, the Palm Beach

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Central High School girls varsity basketball team advanced into the field of the Class 7A state tournament as the No. 7 seed in Region 2. Their opening game on Thursday, Feb. 9 was against Orlando’s Oak Ridge High School (18-8), the No. 2 seed. It was a short-lived postseason, as the Broncos lost, 75-41, to finish with a 17-9 record.

After winning their thirdstraight district tournament title, the Berean Christian School girls varsity basketball team earned the No. 3 seed in the Class 2A, Region 3 tournament. Berean’s quarterfinal opponent on Thursday, Feb. 9 was the same team that Berean defeated in the district tournament final, Boca Raton Christian School. It was the fourth time the two teams had played one another this season.

After defeating Boca Raton Christian 55-29 in the district final, the Region 3 quarterfinal game was expected to be closer, and it was. Still, Berean defeated the Blazers, 54-43. That win vaulted the Bulldogs into a Region 3 semifinal at second-seeded Miami Christian. The two teams met in last year’s Class 2A, Region 4 final when Miami Christian overwhelmed Berean, 67-29. Miami Christian once again outscored the Bulldogs, 55-30. Berean finished its season with a record of 18-7.

While the Seminole Ridge High School girls varsity basketball team lost to Blanche Ely High School of Pompano Beach in the Class 6A, District 13 tournament

finale, 69-44, the Hawks were still awarded an at-large bid as the No. 4 seed in the Class 6A, Region 4 bracket, based on their strong FHSAA Power Ranking.

In its regional quarterfinal on Thursday, Feb. 9, Seminole Ridge justified its seeding by defeating South Broward High School, the No. 5 seed, 42-26. With that victory, the Hawks earned a rematch against top-seeded Blanche Ely on Tuesday, Feb. 14 in the regional semifinal. Unfortunately, Seminole Ridge’s season came to an end against Blanche Ely, which prevailed 74-38. Seminole Ridge concluded its season with a 15-6 record.

The only other high school

boys basketball team from the western communities to advance into the regionals was Wellington High School in Class 7A. After a crushing 73-71 loss to Lake Worth High School in the district tournament final on Friday, Feb. 10, Wellington earned the No. 6 seed in the Class 7A, Region 2 playoffs, based on its FHSAA Power Ranking. Wellington’s regional quarterfinal opponent was Oak Ridge High School from Orlando, the No. 3 seed. On Thursday, Feb. 16, Wellington traveled to Orlando to face the Oak Ridge Pioneers. Unfortunately, Oak Ridge prevailed, 5854. Wellington finished its season with a record of 20-6.

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The King’s Academy girls varsity basketball team celebrates after defeating Seffner Christian in the regional final.

TKA boys players (left) James Shoenfelt and (right) Reggie Workman. PHOTOS BY CHRISTIAN PROSCIA

French Dazzles In The $100,000 Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular

World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Week, sponsored by Kask, at the 2023 Winter Equestrian Festival came to a peak on Saturday, Feb. 18. The country’s best hunter combinations went head-to-head in the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular. For John French, it was a night of firsts, as he finally captured the win at an event that has been eluding him throughout his career.

Patrick Rodes, hailing from Texas, designed the flowing track that offered riders several areas to show off their mounts. The panel one judges were Chris Wynne and T. Whitehead, panel two judges were Mark Jungherr and Tom Brennan, and panel three judges were Mary Lisa Leffler and Mary Eufemia. Entries for the night class qualified by winning the champion

title in their respective divisions at the 3’6” height or above. From a 42-horse field, 12 returned for a handy round. French guided Milagro, a 2015 Hanoverian gelding owned by Kent Farrington LLC, to the high score of 94 in the opening round to return for the handy with a few points in his pocket. They impressed again and scored a 93.5, finishing on a score of 187.5 and the victory.

“I think riding in this kind of atmosphere brings out the best in all horses,” French said. “They were all jumping so well tonight, and I think the lights, the crowds and the jumps really showcased the hunters. There aren’t a lot of these classes left, so we get excited for nights like this and so do our horses.”

A former West Coast phenom in the hunter ring, French never had

the opportunity to point a horse in his regular string at the WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.

“I was usually flying in and borrowing a horse,” he said. “Coming in on a horse I know so well was a nice feeling. I’m just grateful to have a horse like this; he’s the most easy going in the barn and so scopey in the ring. We knew the 4’ height was going to be his calling. When Kent found the horse, we could have sold him, but I didn’t want him to leave the barn, so we have him still for special classes like this.”

August Iwasaki, 18, left no room for error as she improved a first-round score of 90.83 with a 93.66 in the handy, the highest of the evening from that round. She and Small Love, owned by Iwasaki & Reilly, took second place.

“I think it’s really nice there’s classes for great division horses,” she said. “There are a lot of derbies that you can take your derby horses in, but there are not a lot of classes like this that really showcase your division horses.”

Iwasaki is enjoying her first year as an amateur after a storied junior career. She is currently a freshman at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where she competes on the equestrian team. She flew to Florida for WCHR Week. “It’s a lot of flying, but I had a really great week in my third time showing as an amateur,” she said.

Another rider racking up the frequent flyer miles who rode his way onto Saturday night’s podium was California’s Nick Haness. He and Queen Celeste, owned by Glade Run Farm, LLC, combined scores of 90.33 and 90.08 for third place.

Wellington Roller Hockey Association Highlights From Week #16 Games

The Wellington Roller Hockey Association continued its season at Village Park on Sunday, Feb. 19. Below are capsule summaries of Week 16 games.

Prep Skills Competition — The WRHA held its annual Prep Skills Competition on Feb. 15. Trophies were awarded to the champions of each individual event. Com-

WESTERN PINES VOLLEYBALL GIRLS REGIONAL CHAMPS

The Western Pines Middle School girls volleyball team was the western co-division champion and the regional champion this year. The team’s amazing season finished after making it all the way to the Palm Beach County Championship semifinals. It was quite the showing after not having made the playoffs in the last nine years. The team had an outstanding record of 11-2. They were led by eighth-grade captains Brianna Nahmod and Abigail Chin-Lee. The team was coached by Jack Mitchell. Team members were: Brianna Nahmod, Abigail Chin-Lee, Ivanna Serria, Kamryn Olson, Bella Riabucha, Jasmine Soto, Aliyah Gianetto, Brayden Stebbins, Gracie LaCroix, Mykel Milson, Isabella Luna, MacKenzie Chenoweth, Abby Armenis and Michaela Martinez.

petition winners were: Amanda Warszycki (Shootout Champion B-Line), Ryan Youngelson (Shootout Champion A-Line), Blake Stephan (Top Shootout Goalie), Christopher Akner (Sharpshooter B-Line), Jameson Quintus (Fastest Skater B-Line), Dylan Spina (Sharpshooter A-Line) and Johnny Peglow (Fastest Skater A-Line).

Prep Stars 3, Prep Panthers 3

— The completion of Nolan Cohen’s hat trick with 2:22 to play tied the Panthers and Stars 3-3. Stars goalie Jace Stephan made a pointblank stop on a Ryan Youngelson breakaway with three seconds to keep the teams knotted at 3-3. The Stars were led by Gavin Taccone’s

two goals, Ava Taylor’s goal and Shayla Candela’s assist. Goalie Jace Stephan made 15 saves for the Stars, while the Panthers’ Blake Stephan turned away 22 shots, including a doorstop save with 15 seconds remaining.

Prep Rangers 5, Prep Panthers 2 — The Rangers, trailing 2-1 late in the second period, scored to knot the game at 2-2 going into the third. In the third period, Jameson Quintus of the Rangers had three of his four goals to put the Rangers on top for a 5-2 final score. Mathew Taylor had one goal and three assists for the Rangers. The Panthers’ Arianna Mueller and Ryan Youngelson each had goals, while

Bradly Hersman and Jace Stephan each chipped in with assists. Rangers goalie Justin Spina turned away 21 shots in victory, while Blake Stephan of the Panthers stood tall while making 18 saves. Junior Bruins 12, Junior Panthers 6 — In the Sunday late game, the Panthers and Bruins were tied at two after the first period. The Bruins began pulling away in the second period, leading 6-4 after two. A six-goal Bruins outburst in the third put the game away for good, 12-6. Luc Hanchuk of the

Bruins led all scorers with seven goals and two assists. Additional scoring came from Matthew Taylor (four goals) and Sean Giannotti (one goal). For the Panthers, Timothy Holmes had four goals and two assists. Alec Hirsch added a pair of goals, and Michael Hoge and Ryan Warszycki each chipped in with assists. Ava Taylor made some huge stops in victory for the Bruins, while Blake Stephan had 19 saves in defeat for the Panthers. Learn more about the league at www.wellingtonrollerhockey.com.

Prep Skills Competition winners (front row) Jameson Quintus (Fastest Skater B-Line), Dylan Spina (Sharpshooter A-Line) and Johnny Peglow (Fastest Skater A-Line); and (back row) Amanda Warszycki (Shootout Champion B-Line), Ryan Youngelson (Shootout Champion A-Line), Blake Stephan (Top Shootout Goalie) and Christopher Akner (Sharpshooter B-Line).

John French and Milagro, winners of the $100,000 WCHR Peter Weatherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular.

PHOTO BY SPORTFOT

The Prep Stars, Panthers and Rangers competed in the annual Prep Skills Competition on Feb. 15.

Anne Gerwig Part Of League Of Cities Delegation To Visit Washington, D.C.

Municipal officials representing all regions of the state participated in the Florida League of Cities (FLC) federal advocacy trip known as the Federal Action Strike Team (FAST) Fly-In. More than 50 Florida municipal officials came together in the nation’s capital to meet with members of Florida’s congressional delegation and advocate for key federal issues that affect municipalities.

“The League’s FAST Fly-In trip allows us to have in-person conversations with members of Florida’s congressional delegation and build relationships that will strengthen Florida,” said FLC President Jolien Caraballo, vice mayor of the City of Port St. Lucie. “When local, state and federal officials work together, our residents benefit, and our communities thrive. We really appreciate the members of Congress meeting with us to discuss important issues impacting our local communities.”

During their time in Washington, D.C., local leaders advocated for reauthorizing the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and simplifying the federal infrastructure grants process. The group also focused its advocacy efforts on discussing key priority issues, including cybersecurity funding, community development block grants, tax exemption for munici

pal bonds and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) loan interest relief. “Our Federal Action Strike Team had a successful trip to Washington, with the largest group of attendees to date,” said FAST Chair Anne Gerwig, mayor of the Village of Wellington. “Each participant brought a unique perspective to our meetings, which helped our congressional delegation better understand how the issues we discussed impact Florida’s cities. The direct communications with federal agencies, including the Department of Housing & Urban Development, the Office of the National Cyber Director and FEMA will help our local communities access federal resources and their processes.”

Before heading to Capitol Hill, representatives from the FLC and National League of Cities (NLC) federal advocacy team provided a federal briefing. The group met with most members of Florida’s congressional delegation, including Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott.

FAST members also met with the White House Office of Intergovernmental Affairs, where they heard directly from federal agency representatives on housing resources, infrastructure funding opportunities, cybersecurity and FEMA disaster recovery.

WELLINGTON ROTARIANS BRING VALENTINE’S DAY TREATS TO SENIORS AT PALOMINO GARDENS

On Valentine’s Day, Wellington Rotarians celebrated with the residents at the Palomino Gardens Retirement Community. The Rotarians visited with chocolate candy and treats at a candy bar, where residents made themselves goody bags. Susan O’Dell, a longtime Wellington Rotarian, is a resident at Palomino Gardens and served as the delegation’s tour guide.

WELLINGTON’S POST 390 PRESENTS INAUGURAL COLOR GUARD TEAM

American Legion Post 390 - Wellington recently presented its inaugural color guard team. Months in the making, the color guard was formally presented by Edward Manak, District 11 and Florida Department sergeant-at-arms at a recent meeting. The Color Guard was formed in time to present funeral home and South Florida National Cemetery services for Tom Wenham, Post 390 past commander and former mayor of Wellington. (L-R) Edward Manak, Post 390 Color Guard members James Sparrow, Roberto Carballoso, David Roman and Lazaro “Laz” Sed, and Post 390 Commander Robert Nappi. Not shown: color guard alternates John Shwiner, Jim Napuli and Bill Bartels.

Author David Towner Announces New Novel

Author and Wellington resident David Towner recently announced that his most recent literary work

The Rise: Dystopia is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other major book retailers worldwide. Dystopia is the first title in the fictional dystopian series “The Rise,” which follows multiple

storylines as an unexplained and unrelenting rise in water forces the population to fight for higher ground. Towner will also continue to work on his No. 1 bestselling series Aztec Warrior God. Chapter four, “Return to Anahuac,” is scheduled for release in August.

Zachary Pike Pens Trending Book

Zachary Pike, 26, is on the spectrum, but he never let that stop him.

His first book, Regular, chronicles Pike’s journey from a special diploma status, which prevented him from taking most college courses, to getting a standard diploma.

This inspirational book is meant for anyone facing academic or developmental challenges. Pike’s unique storytelling and perspective is bound to put a smile on your face.

The former Wellington resident’s book is currently trending on Amazon as the No. 1 book about communication disorders.

(L-R) FAST Chair Anne Gerwig, FLC President Jolien Caraballo and FLC First Vice President Greg Ross.

Marit Hasmats-Lacey, Tiffany Rodriguez, Maggie Zeller and Susan O’Dell.

Western Pines Third In Social Studies Academic Games

Do you know which U. S. president ran for the Know Nothing Party, whose slogan was “Americans must rule America?” How about who became a spy for the USSR during the Cold War to fund his nasty divorce?

Students across Palm Beach County answered questions like these in the categories of U.S. Presidents, the Cold War and Current Events at the Social Studies Academic Games throughout the month of January. Middle and high school students spent a considerable amount of time researching these categories with their school clubs and at home. It was a close race, but due to hours of hard work and studying, Western Pines Middle School earned third place in the county.

‘Little Women’ On Stage At Wellington High School

The Wolverine Theatre Company at Wellington High School is proud to present the musical Little Women on Thursday, Feb. 23 and Friday, Feb 24 at 7 p.m., and Saturday, Feb. 25 at 3 and 7 p.m. in the school’s auditorium at 2101 Greenview Shores Blvd.

Based on the Civil War era novel by Louisa May Alcott, Little Women is an important tale of feminism, sisterhood and “letting go” amid Jason Howland’s plush score, and Mindi Dickstein and Allan Knee’s smart lyrics and book. The original Broadway production featured Sutton Foster as rebel sister Jo March, an aspiring writer, whose characters burst to life in unison with her sisters Meg, Beth and Amy.

In the WHS production, the roles of the March sisters are

Giselle Rodriguez gave her all to each match. Four Western Pines students will go on to compete at the state level: Lithika Wijegunawardana, Lucas Mierzwa, Adrian Onescar and Edison Frey.

Playing the Social Studies Academic Games teaches young people how to be aware of what is happening in their community, their country and their world. The knowledge gained from these competitions leads to more informed and responsible future citizens.

“We are so proud to have such high academic achievers in our school who are motivated to learn about history. These are our future leaders of our community and country,” Principal Philip Preddy said.

double cast. One group of actors performs Thursday and Saturday nights; another group performs at the Friday evening and Saturday matinee shows.

“I loathe double casting, but I had no choice,” Theatre Director Mark Andrew Fetterly said. “The amount of talent was just too great. For a lot of these actors, it’s senior year. Many of them lost a spring musical or two to the pandemic. They deserve this chance, and they also deserve material that challenges them.”

Fetterly noted that 2022’s musical Mamma Mia! was “great fun,” but he wanted his students to explore characters with deeper journeys and richer music. “The irony is that both musicals have brilliant songs called ‘Take a Chance on Me,’” he noted.

for adults. You can take a chance on Little Women by purchasing tickets at the door or online at https://wtcwhs.booktix. com.

Bronco Parents Seek Support For Project Graduation

This year is Palm Beach Central High School’s 19th anniversary of hosting Project Graduation with the goal of entertaining and feeding more than 400 graduates throughout the night.

This tradition brings students, faculty, parents and community partners together to provide seniors a safe environment to celebrate their graduation. The event will be held Wednesday, May 17 from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. at Wellington’s Village Park. Project Graduation would not be possible without the support of Bronco families, friends and community businesses.

Project Graduation is an event that promotes a safe, alcoholand-drug-free, all-night “lock-in” celebration exclusively for Palm Beach Central’s Class of 2023. The graduates are entertained with games, inflatable activities, prizes, music, food, a hypnotist show and more. Parents are fundraising to give seniors a super celebration but need the community’s help. Businesses and community members are asked to consider donating to this memorable event. Sponsorship opportunities from $100 to $3,500 are available, with many benefits depending on sponsor

level. Request sponsorship forms at pbchsprojectgrad@gmail.com.

“Parents are working to raise $25,000 for this event, along with seeking donations of food and prizes. This event would not be possible without the support of our business community and the Village of Wellington,” Project Graduation Chair Danielle Williams said. “We are very grateful for the continued support of our local businesses financially and with donations that ensure Project Graduation’s success each year.

Project Graduation is a true labor of love on behalf of the parents

whose simple mission is to keep our graduates safe. The Project Graduation Committee is very grateful to Bronco staff, parents and the business community for their help in planning a safe and fun environment for our graduates to celebrate.”

Donations can be mailed or dropped off at Palm Beach Central High School, PG 2023, 8499 Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington, FL 33411. Donation pickups can be arranged by e-mailing pbchsprojectgrad@gmail.com or call PBCHS Activities Coordinator Gail Marshall at (561) 433-7929.

American Heritage School Celebrates Early College Acceptances

American Heritage Schools recently announced that many of the students in its 2023 graduating class have received early acceptances to the nation’s top colleges and universities.

At American Heritage, preparing for college begins as early as elementary school, and often by the time a student is a senior, he or she has selected a dream school. Many students choose to apply to their first-choice college through the early decision process and, again this year, many of these students received early acceptances to their first-choice schools.

Many chose to apply to elite colleges and universities, including Harvard University, Stanford, Cornell, MIT, Emory, Vanderbilt,

Princeton and the University of Chicago, to name a few. American Heritage students enjoyed some of the highest acceptance rates to elite universities in the entire nation.

Additionally, the class boasts 86 National Merit Scholar Semifinalists and 23 Presidential Scholars — more than any other public or private school in Florida. Learn more at www.ahschool.com/early-college-acceptances-2023.

Senior Dylan McClish will be attending Princeton University with plans to major in computer science, robotics and intelligence systems. “American Heritage Schools has allowed me to take a vast array of college-level courses that other high schools don’t offer, such as multivariate calculus/dif-

ferential equations, learning math that many don’t see until they are a few years into college,” he said.

Senior Rosa Wu plans to attend Harvard University. “The rigor and variety of courses I have taken at American Heritage have made me feel very prepared for college,” she said. “Outside of class, some extracurriculars I was heavily involved in include competitive math and debate, both of which provided me with crucial life skills. At Harvard, I will be majoring in applied mathematics.”

Senior Nyela Calnek will be attending Vanderbilt University. “Attending American Heritage has vastly improved my time management in regard to organization of my extracurricular activities and

my academic work,” she said. “With the amazing college advisors we have on campus, weekly check-ins and true investing of their time greatly contributed to my college preparation.”

American Heritage Schools is an independent, non-sectarian, co-educational, college preparatory school. “We are proud to see our seniors receive early acceptances to the schools that they have dreamed of attending and have worked so hard for,” said Dr. Doug Laurie, president of American Heritage Schools. “Each student is dedicated, high achieving and passionate about creating a better world and putting their academic, artistic and philanthropic endeavors to good use.”

Little Women will be on stage this month at Wellington High School.

(L-R) Principal Philip Preddy, Lithika Wijegunawardana, teacher sponsor Sherry Sall, Edison Frey, Lucas Mierzwa, Adrian Onescar and Giselle Rodriguez.

Wellington International Revolutionizing Sustainability In Horse Sport

Wellington International recently announced a partnership with Megan Fellows of Carbon Hoofprint to oversee a newly created focus on sustainability at the Winter Equestrian Festival. Together, they will develop a shared vision to make the world-class facility and organization an industry leader in environmental initiatives. This collaboration and renewed focus on sustainability will support Wellington International’s goal to set a higher standard by elevating the athlete and spectator experience to new heights as one of the most sustainable and purpose-driven equestrian sport venues in the world. Wellington International’s partnership with Fellows, who is a sustainability expert and lifelong equestrian, will allow her to work

hand-in-hand with WEF’s teams and leadership to study the organization’s current operations and co-develop a sustainability strategy for the show to lead the equestrian world in environmental impact.

“We are excited to be the first show taking major steps in the industry to truly make sustainability a main business priority moving forward,” said Michael Stone, president of Wellington International. “As a team and a community, we care about our impact and know we have a duty as a leader in the sport to encourage these types of changes in order for us to be resilient and match with the highest standards and levels of integrity of our sport and community.”

Fellows’ previous roles working for the globally recognized

New Chief Medical Officer At Palms West Hospital

Dr. Alex Gumiroff has been appointed the new chief medical officer at HCA Florida Palms West Hospital, effective May 15.

After finishing his residency training at New York Presbyterian/ Cornell University Lower Manhattan Hospital, Gumiroff relocated to Florida and has been a practicing obstetrician and gynecologist for a federally qualified health center in Fort Myers, caring for the underserved population. During that time, he also supervised the training of medical, physician assistant and nurse practitioner students in both outpatient and inpatient settings.

In 2017, he joined Gulf Coast Medical Center as an associate medical director, where he worked closely with the executive team.

After a consolidation of obstetrical services, Gumiroff was appointed ob-gyn chair at HealthPark Medical Center. At the same time, he transitioned from an outpatient practice into an inpatient career, where he had also assumed a position of a clinical site director for

the OB Hospitalist Group. Shortly after, Gumiroff was promoted to system medical director of obstetrical services at Lee Health, where he oversaw services and operations across the five hospitals.

Gumiroff is excited for his upcoming move to southeast Florida with his wife Olga and three children, Roni, Ariella and Jonathan.

Three New Store Openings At The Mall At Wellington Green

Three new retail and culinary destinations are joining the more than 160 stores at the Mall at Wellington Green. Natubri Coffee & Art, Scoops & Beyond and So Selfless Selfie Studio add to the robust offerings in apparel, health and beauty, and more at this lifestyle destination in Wellington.

Natubri Coffee & Art — Natubri Coffee & Art opened in late 2022. Owner Ricardo Bocanegra sources the rich coffee beans brewed at his 846-square-foot café from San Francisco, Colombia, where he also owns a hillside glamping retreat. In addition to excellent java, gourmet empanadas, pastries and desserts like alfajor are served as well. The colorful wares on display are designed by South American artisans and available for purchase. For more information, call (561) 489-0248.

Scoops & Beyond — Satisfy your sweet tooth at Scoops & Beyond, an 882-square-foot, specialty ice cream emporium with frozen

environmental brands of National Geographic and Greentown Labs, the world’s largest climate technology startup incubator, have built a strong foundation and passion for sustainability that she is enthusiastic to bring to Wellington International and the larger equestrian community.

“Sustainability for a unique facility like Wellington International is no easy task, and I am beyond excited for the opportunity to combine my experience working in sustainability with my passion for horses in a place that means so much to me, and where I believe has so much potential to do good,” Fellows said. “For me, it goes beyond what we can do at Wellington International and extends into who we can inspire to go out

and do more for the world. It’s an opportunity to enact real change.”

In addition to priorities around energy, water and waste, one of the most innovative projects underway is looking into manure utilization that would turn hundreds of thousands of tons of horse waste into natural gas or hydrogen, a project that would be the first of its kind in North America.

“I have been extremely pleased in working with Wellington International so far, whose team has already been so eager and collaborative in working toward solutions, and I admire their commitment to making major change,” Fellows said. “Not just the fluffy stuff, but real change. If we can do it at Wellington International, the most well-known and prestigious eques-

trian venue in the world, we should be able to pave the way to set new standards to do it everywhere.”

As part of the initiative, Fellows

will use the 2023 season to perform a comprehensive review and look to the community for further support and input.

Graci Chevez Joins 4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions In Wellington

4Ever Young Anti-Aging Solutions, Wellington’s foremost aesthetic and preventative health center, has announced that Graci Chevez has joined the organization as master aesthetic injector. Chevez is a board-certified, licensed physician assistant with almost 20 years of experience and extensive proficiency in cosmetic dermatology and plastic surgery. Her passion for aesthetics has led her to attain expertise in both facial rejuvenation and body contouring procedures utilizing dermal fillers. She has an extensive background in innovative, non-surgical procedures such as Kybella to remove undesirable pockets of fat, and PDO threads to rejuvenate and lift sagging skin.

Chevez, who is equally adept in injecting both men and women,

has a devoted following and develops a compassionate relationship with her patients. She is looking forward to welcoming her current patients to Wellington and ready to share her talents with new patients. As a clinical trainer and consultant for facial aesthetic pharmaceutical companies, Chevez spent several years teaching the art, science and techniques best suited for facial rejuvenation procedures. She believes it is important to develop a caring, considerate relationship with her patients, which helps her provide them with the best treatment, whether it’s restoring and maintaining the vitality of their skin or slowing down the aging process.

“I have diverse expertise in both facial rejuvenation and body contouring with dermal filler and

biostimulators,” said Chevez, whose specialties are aesthetics and anti-aging while taking an artistic approach as an injector. “I pride myself on providing highly detailed and thorough consultations to create the best custom treatment plans to address my patient’s needs and always try to exceed their expectations.”

Stan Tolstunov, owner of 4Ever Young Wellington, is proud to welcome Chevez.

“We are extremely happy to have Graci join our team,” he said. “She combines expertise in functional medicine and medical aesthetics to help create natural, youthful and beautiful results for her patients.”

4Ever Young Wellington is located at 10620 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 50, in Wellington.

fare ranging from delicious gelatos and sherbets to eye-wowing sundaes and banana splits. For more information, call (201) 914-2530. So Selfless Selfie Studio — Ramp up your selfie game at So Selfless Selfie Studio. The first of its kind in Wellington, owner Taneisha Hall-Dunkley opened her 1,499-square-foot selfie museum in January 2023. It features 16 interactive booths designed with ring lights, art installations and backdrops like a Parisian café and London phone booth. One-hour sessions are available for adults and kids, as well as private events lasting two hours or longer. For more information, call (561) 4295989 or visit www.soselfless.com.

Mall hours are Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The Mall at Wellington Green is located at 10300 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more info., call (561) 227-6900 or visit www.shopwellingtongreen. com.

Graci Chevez

To schedule an appointment, call (561) 220-3771 or e-mail info@4everyoungwellington.com.

Patch Boys Franchise Now Offering Seamless Patches And Superior Services In Local Area

The Patch Boys, the leading drywall and ceiling repair service brand, is expanding its rapidly growing operations to Wellington and Lake Worth. No matter the size of dent, ding or hole, local entrepreneurs James and Emily Basey have the solution for all area residents.

Over the last decade, the Patch Boys has become the go-to residential drywall and ceiling repair company for homeowners. The brand’s forte is patching and repairing unsightly or damaged drywall, sheetrock and plaster. With this specialty, the brand is addressing the everyday wear and tear that larger construction companies do not tackle.

In fact, the company’s technicians can repair, sand, dry and prime drywall holes, ceiling stress cracks, crumbling plaster and more in as little as a few hours. Plus, homeowners can benefit from free, no-obligation estimates either onsite or virtually.

Owned and operated by husband-and-wife entrepreneurial duo James and Emily Basey, the Patch Boys of Lake Worth and

Wellington will provide home and business owners with unmatched customer care, honesty and respect — from the initial consultation through the finished job.

With years of experience with management and sales in the automotive industry, they bring the values and skills to run a successful business.

“I have always been passionate about repairs and home improvement, so bringing the Patch Boys to my local community is a dream come true,” James Basey said. “However big or small the repair is, we’ve got you covered. It’s an exciting time to start our journey with the Patch Boys, and our team’s goals and attributes align perfectly with the brand.”

In 2023, they plan to expand their local network and grow as business professionals in the Palm Beach area. When they are not operating their business, James and Emily dedicate their time to their two toddlers, participate in local community events and spend time outdoors.

“We’re proud to welcome another eager couple like James

and Emily to the Patch Boys team,” said Ted Speers, president of the Patch Boys. “Together, they are fantastic business owners, and we’re confident their dedication to supporting the community will resonate with homeowners.

I look forward to seeing the Patch Boys flourish in southeast Florida and supporting their business growth.”

The Patch Boys is well connected to a nationwide network of home service concepts as a brand under the Belfor Franchise Group, the world’s largest residential and commercial services franchise group. The cross-organizational relationships within the group benefit the Patch Boys and its customers with referrals, operational expertise and expansive partnerships from businesses across multiple industries.

For additional information about the Patch Boys of Lake Worth and Wellington, visit www.thepatchboys.com/wellington-lake-worth or call (561) 440-4445.

Phase 1 Of Lotis Wellington Has Secured 100 Percent Of Retail Leasing

Katz & Associates, representing the Square at Lotis Wellington, a new mixed-use project, has secured 100 percent of the retail leasing in Phase I. Katz’s Roxanne Register and Nicole Fontaine signed leases with 12 tenants totaling 44,031 square feet. Fontaine is now leasing a three-tenant building in Lotis II (8,000 square feet).

Secured Phase I retail leasing at Lotis Wellington includes two great restaurants that flank the cen-

ter’s entrance — Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants (10,628 square feet) and Lazy Dog (9,000 square feet). The restaurants are each set in an outparcel at the front of the center. Katz’s David Emihovich represented the tenant in the Cooper’s Hawk deal.

Secured inline retail at Lotis I includes eateries Turning Point, Naked Taco, Frank Pepe Pizzeria, Mooya Burger, Mazza Mediterranean, Foxtail Coffee and Raw

Juice. Additional retail includes Restore Wellness, Stretch Lab and Crown Nail Spa. Lotis Wellington II features three available spaces with frontage on State Road 7 just north of Forest Hill Blvd. The spaces have spacious patios and are ideal for fast casual restaurants, hair salons, spas, dental and specialty retail. Contact Nicole Fontaine at nicolefontaine@katzretail.com for more information.

“There has been a great influx of residential units in Wellington with very little variety in existing restaurants,” Register said. “It has been our pleasure to create this great enclave of restaurants and retail. We have user-friendly walkways throughout the project and a great deal of parking in our three-story garage and more than 540 surface parking spaces.”

“We are very pleased about how quickly we were able to lease up

Lotis Wellington I due to its great location, our knowledge of new development and quality tenants in the market, and we are looking forward to securing retailers for Lotis II,” Fontaine added.

Lotis Wellington is a 64-acre project located just north of Wellington Regional Medical Center. This mixed-use project is comprised of 55,233 square feet of retail, 12,892 square feet of office space, 40,000 square feet of medi-

cal offices, 191 luxury multifamily units, 150 senior independent living units, and a 110-bed assisted living and memory care facility. Set on a large lake, the project features a public park and lakeside greenway with a walking trail and dog park.

Katz & Associates currently maintains offices in New York City, Charlotte, Boca Raton, Nashville, New Jersey, Orlando and Chicago.

Megan Fellows of Carbon Hoofprint.

Dr. Alex Gumiroff

James Basey

So, My Husband Finally Got His Boat... And I Have Concerns!

We are now boat owners.

I should say, my husband Mark is now a boat owner.

I want nothing to do with boats. Why?

Because when Mark hears the word “boat,” he thinks of sun, fishing and adventure on the high seas.

When I hear the word “boat,” I think of skin cancer, fish guts and pirates on the high seas.

And money. I think a lot about money.

There is nothing cheap about a boat, which is probably why men want them. They must be some kind of status symbol, like handbags, but with rudders.

But now we have a 40-foot ship looming on the horizon of our future. Despite

The Sonic BOOMER

making a significant down payment last Thursday ($), it isn’t technically ours until it is pulled from the water ($$) for a hull inspection ($$$) and a sea trial by a certified sea trial person ($$$$).

If it passes, a deliriously happy Mark will take possession of this floating

invoice — and its accompanying dock fees of (get this!) $880 per month! Why couldn’t he just have taken a lover? Put some young girl through college?

I’ve been fighting this fight for two years, but ultimately, I lost to his sister, whose dying wish was that Mark have his boat. He’d been sitting by her bedside for months, evidently entertaining her with tales of the golden isles and, when she went on to that big Margaritaville in the sky, we discovered that she’d left him a little money to help make his dream come true.

Nonetheless, while this loving and kind-hearted woman was doing that, I was countering with photographs

of boats tossed into the middle of the street by the recent hurricane. (“Look at that, Mark! That could be our boat!”

No response.)

Oh, there are things about the boat that I like. I like the style of it, the color of it, the fact that it has two staterooms and two bathrooms (two “heads” are better than one, haha).

But mostly I like that I did the price negotiations myself, saving us 10 percent of purchase price and getting a free paint job for the deck thrown in. I even came up with a name for the boat — “Marrilee,” his sister’s name. (My first choice of “Money Pit” was, understandably, taken.)

Mark calls this boat a “live-aboard.” I call this boat a “see-ya-when-you-getback.”

He argues that having a boat can be healthy. There’s a lot of crawling around to be done, lots of ladders, swimming, etc.

I argue that there’s also a lot of pulling things off the deck when the squall hits, running from pirates and jumping overboard when smoke starts pouring from the engine.

It’s safe to say that my husband and I see the boat experience differently. But everyone deserves to at least try to live their dream, and to that I say, “Bon voyage, hearty sailor!”

‘Antman Quantumania’ Is A Fun Marvel Film, But Not A Great One

As with all Marvel films, I waited for Antman and the Wasp: Quantumania with great hopes. The best of the Marvel Cinematic Universe films are awesome, and almost all of the rest are at least pretty good. The new movie fits into that second category. It is fun at times, makes not much sense at times and is mostly used as a transition to bring a new super villain into the universe, namely Kang the Conqueror. It is reported that he will be the, shall we say Thanos, of the next generation of the Avengers.

Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) is a happy-golucky guy living in San Francisco with Hope Van Dyne (Evangeline Lilly), a thriving entrepreneur. His daughter Cassie (Kathryn Newton), last seen as a kid, is now more or less grown and an activist. After bailing her out, Scott tries to reason with her at a family dinner with Hope’s parents, Hank Pym (Michael Douglas)

‘I’ On

CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

and Janet Van Dyne (Michelle Pfeiffer). It turns out Cassie, who likes science, has built a connection to the Quantum Realm. She turns it on, and all of them, as well as some ants, go through a portal into said realm.

The Langs are found by natives who are in rebellion against Kang, while Hank, Janet and Hope wind up meeting with her former ally Lord Krylar (Bill Murray), who after revealing that Janet had quite a past for the 30 years she was

in the realm, informs them that now he works for Kang. Further, Janet is responsible for the rise of Kang, having helped rebuild a multiversal power core that allows him to visit different universes before she destroyed it. Scott and Cassie are captured by Kang, who demands that Lang help him get his power core back or Cassie will die. He does it but reneges, and the battle, featuring many strange creatures, goes on. A lot of the fighting seems done to take time up, but there is also more than a bit of fun and more than a few interesting creatures, some reasonably human.

The cast is, as expected, good. Rudd really has his character down pat. He handles the humor well while coming across as a caring father. Evangeline Lilly has far too little to do. Douglas is fine as Pym, often having some of the best lines. Pfeiffer, however, becomes the main protagonist.

She does have a past, and she makes certain that she, and her family, will have a future. While remaining glamorous, she is tough and always ready to battle. Newton is really good as well. She seems to really grow up as the movie goes on and grows into a superhero role

Jonathan Majors is an excellent Kang.

At some points, before we find out his real self, he seems a decent, strong person. Then the covering slips away. He is tough, nasty and has no problem breaking his sworn oaths. He looks like a very tough adversary for future movies.

Murray manages to make Krylar both amusing and sleazy, a trick he has used quite well in the past. I also liked William Jackson Harper as a telepath with a sense of humor.

Like the other Antman movies, this one focuses on family, but does it easily as much from the female as the male

side — and it works well. The women all are strong, know what they want and are equals to the men. And, although Scott Lang and Hope Van Dyne have superpowers, they use their minds far more. Watching Cassie Lang trying to master new skills presented some amusing bits, often in the middle of the action.

As noted above, this is minor Marvel material. It is well-written, the sets are spectacular, particularly since most of the film is in a weird, non-reality place, peopled in part by beings other than humans. But the pace moves well, and there is no time to get bored. And the love of family element is very nice, considering the other films coming out now.

If you enjoy the Marvel Cinematic Universe, you will like this. And it’s probably easier for kids to enjoy than some of the stronger films. But it is not first-rate Marvel, or first-rate anything else.

Deborah Welky