ELECTION 2016: RPB SEAT 3 CANDIDATES SELENA SMITH AND RICHARD VALUNTAS SEE ELECTION PROFILES, PAGE 7 THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
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Royal Palm Council Wants Western Traffic Routed North Of Village
Volume 37, Number 9 February 26 - March 3, 2016
Serving Palms West Since 1980
VINCEREMOS DINNER AND AUCTION
Royal Palm Beach Village Council members last week expressed continuing concerns over western development and its impact on the village, primarily on Okeechobee Blvd., deciding that the best strategy would be to support routing traffic to the north, rather than east through the village. Page 3
Popbar Hosts Grand Opening Party At Wellington Green
Popbar held its grand opening Saturday, Feb. 20 at the Mall at Wellington Green. The first 50 people received a free popbar, handcrafted gelato on a stick. Popbar also carries sorbet and yogurt on sticks, and other treats. Page 5
Women’s Group Enjoys ‘Sunday Funday’ At International Polo Club
The Women of the Western Communities hosted its second annual Sunday Funday at Polo on Sunday, Feb. 21 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. The lavish luncheon supported the YWCA Harmony House and the Women of the Western Communities Scholarship Fund. Page 24
OPINION Despite Improvements, School Testing Remains A Deeply Flawed Process
Next week area juniors will get their first crack at the newly revised SAT standardized highstakes test, courtesy of the School District of Palm Beach County, which has offered the test to all 11th graders for the past few years as a means of helping boost their opportunities for higher education acceptance. It’s the beginning of a battery of tests students will take. We believe there is a time, a place and a purpose for properly structured testing. However, Florida’s system remains deeply problematic. Page 4
DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 11 OPINION.................................. 4 NEWS BRIEFS....................... 10 PEOPLE................................. 15 SCHOOLS.............................. 17 COLUMNS...................... 18, 29 BUSINESS......................30 - 31 SPORTS..........................37 - 39 CALENDAR............................ 42 CLASSIFIEDS................ 43 - 46 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center held its 29th annual dinner and auction Friday, Feb. 19 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Included during the event was the 2016 Buck Off Finals, won by Team Palm Beach Forge. Shown here is Rider of the Year Riley Shidaker with the Team Floridian Community Bank Night Riders Shahmir Quraeshi, Will Piper, Thomas Schweizer, Josh List and Marcus Funk in costume. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 11
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
Outside Legal Fees Concern Wellington Council Members
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council on Tuesday approved the continued use of outside professional services with the law firm of Lehtinen Schultz Riedi Catalano de la Fuente, which has defended the village in numerous environmental cases, for up to $125,000 for the current fiscal year. Village Attorney Laurie Cohen said that the item was to approve the firm’s expenses as part of the council’s legal budget for outside counseling. “When they exceed the $25,000 approval threshold, it has to come back to the council,” Cohen said. Councilman John McGovern asked how much has been paid to the firm during the current fiscal year, and Director of Administra-
tive & Financial Services Tanya Quickel said that the village has paid about $7,700, and about $68,000 is due, for a total of $76,000. Cohen said that puts the firm on track for what had been projected in the budget. McGovern asked how many outside law firms the village has, and Cohen said that Wellington uses several that specialize in particular fields. “We have this firm. We have one that does contracting for human resources. We have firms that have expertise in certain areas, such as Ken Edwards’ firm for the bond issue that we are doing with Saddle Trail,” Cohen said. “When an issue comes up that requires some special expertise, we will contract out for that.” She said her staff has begun to
handle some of the code enforcement appeals in house. “We have a number of matters that are being worked on internally, but if it gets to a point where it really involves a lot of discovery and depositions and hearings, that’s something we typically send to outside counsel,” Cohen said. McGovern asked how many matters attorney Claudio Riedi’s firm is working on, and Cohen said a total of 12. “Three of those do not involve any entity related to Palm Beach Polo or Polo West,” she said. “Nine of them involve issues or cases involving one of the polo entities. Some of those are code enforcement appeals, which are generally shorter in nature and less complex.” A number of them, she said, See LEGAL FEES, page 4
RPB Candidates Talk Issues At Town-Crier Forum
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Six candidates for three seats on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council squared off in a forum Monday, hosted by the TownCrier and moderated by retired WPTV News Channel 5 anchor Jim Sackett. Councilman Fred Pinto and former Councilwoman Martha Webster are seeking the mayoral seat, while Lenore White is challenging incumbent Jeff Hmara for Seat 1 and Selena Smith is challenging incumbent Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas for Seat 3. During introductions, Hmara, a four-year councilman, noted that he graduated from the Citadel, led artillery commands in Vietnam, Korea and Germany, and rose to full colonel before his retirement, whereupon he managed programs for the National Atmospheric & Oceanographic Administration and the Federal Aviation Administration. He holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and a master’s degree in management. He and his wife, Carolyn, have lived in Madison Green for 13 years. White, who lives in Greenway Village, said she thinks there’s a disconnect between residents and those who manage the village. “My motive to run was to be sure that this is the community we want instead of a future decline in the quality of life,” she said. “We need help to restore transparency, honesty, trust and listen to the
residents, not just a select few.” Pinto said that he has had the pleasure of serving the community for nearly 13 years during a period of extraordinary success for the village. “Our village was chosen one of the 10 best places to raise a family because, as council members, we made decisions based on what was best for the village and the citizens, and we listen to our citizens,” he said. “This comment that we are disconnected is absolutely false, and I don’t understand where it is coming from. This village is where it is today through hard work, and working closely and listening closely to what our citizens want and what their needs are. Now that Mayor Matty Mattioli is moving on, it is my intent to make sure that this village stays on the right track.” Webster, who has lived in the village for 20 years, previously served on the council for five years. “I am very pleased to say that I have been endorsed by [Councilman] David Swift,” she said. “I am honored because many of you know that David and I have not always shared the same point of view, but we both share the same passion for this village and the desire for this village to move forward as a family community.” Webster pointed out that she was on the council while Commons Park was being created and taxes were being reduced. “I was part of all of that, too,” See RPB FORUM, page 23
EAF LUMINARY AWARD
ELECTION 2016: LOX GROVES, SEAT 4
Browning Puts His Focus On Years Of Community Service By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Dave Browning, who has served as mayor of Loxahatchee Groves since the town’s incorporation, is being challenged for Seat 4 on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council by community activist Thais Gonzalez. The election will be held Tuesday, March 15. Browning recently sat down with the Town-Crier to discuss his record on the council and his goals for the future. Browning served 11 years on the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors before the town incorporated. In 2007, he ran for a seat on the inaugural town council and has been re-elected ever since. Loxahatchee Groves does not have a directly elected mayor. The ceremonial title is chosen annually from among council members.
Browning has held the title for the past nine years. Browning believes that he is the best candidate for Seat 4 because of the time he has lived in the community and his long years of experience. He and his wife, Sharyn, built their home in Loxahatchee Groves in 1979. Aside from his time on the LGWCD board and on the council, he also spent several years as president of the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association. “Besides experience, I’ve built a lot of relationships over the years, whether it’s with county staff or county commissioners, and things like that benefit our town,” he said. Browning lists his top accomplishment as slowing down growth in the town and keeping it as rural as possible. “Hopefully, I’ve slowed down the urbanization that happens
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
Enjoy A Weekend Of Fun At West Fest Dave Browning typically in the rural areas of South Florida,” he said. He thinks the top issues this election are horse trails, roads and pulling the community back together after a divisive year. “We’ve been pretty well split See BROWNING, page 6
Thais Gonzalez Wants A More Proactive Groves Town Council
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Loxahatchee Groves resident Thais Gonzalez is challenging Mayor Dave Browning for Seat 4 on the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council. The election will be held Tuesday, March 15. Gonzalez, a community activist who has been critical of town policy in a number of areas, recently sat down with the Town-Crier to explain why voters should choose her for the council seat. Gonzalez has a diverse cultural background. She was born in Chile to a family with German, Italian and Spanish roots. She has been in the United States for 23 years, arriving at age 21. Gonzalez lived in California for 11 years, then Illinois, where she managed a polo club. She followed the polo season to South Carolina, where she met her future husband, Carlos.
After a return trip to Chile following the death of her father, Gonzalez returned to Illinois, and then back to South Carolina. “Then, my husband and I got together, so I never left South Carolina,” she said. “We decided to form a family.” Her husband is a horse trainer who has been training and selling high-end polo horses for more than 30 years. They traveled frequently because of equestrian season, but eventually chose Loxahatchee Groves as the place to raise their family in 2010. Their two boys are 8 and 9 years old. “We loved it,” she said. “I think it is an awesome place to raise children. My children run around, they play.” Gonzalez previously avoided politics, considering it a waste of time. However, her experiences with the town changed that. “I
The Equestrian Aid Foundation hosted an outdoor film screening of the new documentary Harry & Snowman on Sunday, Feb. 21 at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival facility. The film features famed rider Harry de Leyer and his amazing journey with a horse he rescued. At the event, the EAF honored de Leyer with its 2016 Luminary Award. Shown here are Harriet and Harry de Leyer with Shannon Eckel, Taylor Griffiths and Elizabeth Cohen. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 20
Thais Gonzalez moved to Loxahatchee Groves thinking we were going to have our barn, our horses, our happy life,” she said. “A year and a half, two years later, I have two properties, and all of a sudden I have code enforcement knocking on my door. See GONZALEZ, page 9
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Get your boots, spurs, chaps and cowboy hats ready for this weekend’s Royal Palm Beach West Fest, taking place Friday, Feb. 26 through Sunday, Feb. 28 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. “It’s going to be a great weekend,” Community & Cultural Events Superintendent Carlos Morales said. “We have some really fun and interesting things going on. It’s definitely the thing to do for the weekend.” The Paul Bunyan International Lumberjack Show will be coming down to Royal Palm Beach from Orlando, and it is a show that shouldn’t be missed, Morales said. “They are going to be a perfect fit for this event,” he said. They’re going to be doing different 20-minute and 30-minute shows throughout the weekend — log rolling, chainsaw cutting, ax throwing — and all kinds of fun lumberjack things you see on TV. We think it’s going to be a great addition to the event.” Community involvement is imperative, and the Police Athletic League (PAL) will be conducting a “Boxing Under the Stars” showcase Saturday at dusk. The boxing exhibition will take place in front of the sporting center building in the interactive sound area, Morales said. There will be kids of all different classes and weights from all over Florida competing in the sanctioned tournament.
Also, a petting zoo will be running all weekend long, and there will be nighttime campfires, along with a western village with gold mining, gunslingers, an encampment, horse and carriage rides, hayrides behind the stage area and more — for free. In front of the stage, attendees are invited to dance the night away as Mike Soper Music takes to the stage Friday at 5 p.m., followed by the J Collins Band at 6 p.m. and Fast Forward at 7:30 p.m. The stage will come alive Saturday starting at 1:05 p.m. with the Sweeney Family Band, also performing at 3:05 and 5:05 p.m.; the Samantha Russell Band at 1:30 p.m.; Saturday Night Special at 3:30 p.m.; Levi Lowrey at 5:30 p.m.; and the Long Run Band at 7:30 p.m. Mike Soper Music will return Sunday at 11 a.m., followed by Promenade Action at 12:30 and 3:30 p.m., Raquel Renner and the Ramblers at 1:30 p.m. and Simply Shania at 4:30 p.m. Samplings of the performers are available at www.rpbwestfest.com. The Miss and Mr. West Fest Pageant begins at 11 a.m. Saturday, where babies, toddlers, children of all ages and adults 19 and older will compete in western wear. Keeping with the fun, there will also be a cornhole tournament at 4 p.m. Saturday. “There’s something for everySee WEST FEST, page 23