Town-Crier Newspaper January 12, 2024

GROVES PONDERS SOD FARM DONATION SEE STORY, PAGE 3

WELLINGTON SURTAX CASH ENDS SOON SEE STORY, PAGE 4

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INSIDE

Westlake Council Unhappy With Change To Publix Plaza Plan

Volume 45, Number 1 January 12 - January 25, 2024

Serving Palms West Since 1980

CAFCI NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA

Members of the Westlake City Council were disappointed to hear at their Monday, Jan. 8 meeting that plans for a sitdown, dine-in restaurant in the Publix at Westlake Plaza have been scrapped, at least for now.

Instead, the lot at the prime southwest corner of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and Town Center Parkway will go to a tire store after the council approved a site plan amendment, requested by the shopping center’s owner. Page 3

Wide Array Of New And Returning Attractions At 2024 South Florida Fair

With the theme “Dive into the Fun,” the 112th South Florida Fair opens on Friday, Jan. 12 and runs until Sunday, Jan. 28.

Theme-related features include a 40-foot-by-40-foot immersive underwater 3D projection experience in partnership with the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission and the Palm Beaches TV, along with a sea lion splash show and a dueling pirates high dive comedy show. Page 7

Boys Win ‘Battle Of The Sexes’ As WEF Opens 2024 Season

The first Saturday Night Lights event of the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival started off with a repeat win for the men’s team in the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes, presented by Wellington Regional Medical Center.

Page 17

2024 Flags For The Cure Flag Raises $36K For Cancer Research

Under overcast, breezy and sometimes stormy conditions, which included a tornado warning, the 17th annual Flags for the Cure flag football tournament was held from Jan. 3 to Jan. 7 in Wellington. The tournament had strong participation and generated a big donation to the American Cancer Society.

In all, 64 teams played in this year’s event. Page 21 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 SPORTS..........................21 - 24 PEOPLE................................. 25 SCHOOLS.............................. 26 BUSINESS............................. 27 COLUMNS............................. 28 CLASSIFIEDS................ 29 - 30 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

CAFCI hosted its annual New Year’s Eve Gala on Sunday, Dec. 31 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. DJ Mansta provided dance music all night long, while attendees enjoyed dinner, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. At midnight, the revelry paused for a champagne toast to welcome 2024. Shown above are Event Committee members Cindi Beckles, Alvin Nembhard, Dennis Wright, Charmaine Henry, Rhonda Ferrin Davis, Geneive White and Audrey Gordon.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Baxter Planning Town Hall Focused On Acreage Truckers

By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report As the new year begins, local truckers are only two steps away from gaining the legal right to park their big rigs on their property in The Acreage community.

The first reading of a change to Palm Beach County zoning regulations comes before the Palm Beach County Commission later this month. If it passes, a second and final vote will be held a month later.

Ahead of that, County Commissioner Sara Baxter plans another town hall meeting to focus on the issue, set for Thursday, Jan. 18 at 6:30 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center.

“I want to give residents another chance to express their feelings on this issue,” said Baxter, whose district includes The Acreage/Indian Trail Improvement District area. “I also want an opportunity to correct some wrong information that has been put out.”

Meanwhile, a petition being promoted on Change.org opposing the plan to allow Acreage residents to park up to two large commercial vehicles on their property is gaining steam. Posted Sunday

by Heritage Farms resident Risa McCarraher, it had 153 digital signatures at midweek.

McCarraher was one of the leaders of the group that in 2022 forced commercial landscaping businesses out of her neighborhood south of Wellington.

If the county commission approves the change in The Acreage, McCarraher said that she believes it will open the door for the same in other areas of the county that are zoned agricultural-residential and create a residential gold rush for truckers.

“This is not allowed in MiamiDade or Broward [counties],” said McCarraher, an equestrian and fourth-generation Floridian. “[Truckers] will come in droves.”

According to the petition, the changes would allow as many as 40,142 commercial vehicles to pack into the ITID area and wallop its taxpayers with an $8,000 per year annual tax increase to pay for the maintenance and upgrade of roads to accommodate the tractortrailer rigs that often weigh 80,000 pounds or more.

ITID gets no county, state or federal funds for road construction or maintenance.

Pia Skoran, who started a petition against semi-truck parking in the area last summer, said this week, “I respect the truckers.

They’re an important part of the economy. But they should not be allowed in an ag-residential area.”

Skoran, a former equestrian who has been an ITID resident for 34 years, said there always have been a few truckers parking their rigs in the area but “now it has become abusive. Our roads are not capable of handling them.”

Canal and ground water contamination from the trucks or spilled cargo also is a serious concern, she said.

County staff has estimated the number of residences with tractortrailer rigs parked on them to be 179. Others have put the number of actual rigs parking in the area at closer to 500.

Adding more to that number, “will have a devasting impact on the roads,” ITID Executive Director Burgess Hanson said.

ITID is responsible for 96 miles of paved roads, 283 miles of dirt roads and 57 miles of milled roads. Hanson has said that the code change could add as much See TRUCKERS, page 4

Expanded Park Helps Secure Approval For More Apartments At Lotis

By Charles Elmore Town-Crier Staff Report After three years of delays and shifting plans, the 120-acre Lotis Wellington multi-use development along Wellington’s main commercial corridor crossed a major approval threshold with a revamped proposal that includes 165 one-bedroom apartments instead of what was once pitched as senior housing.

Tweaks including an expanded public park and more medical office space set the stage for a 4-1 Wellington Village Council vote in support of the project on Wednesday, Jan. 3. That opens the door to 372 housing units, down slightly from 378 earlier, on the site west of State Road 7 and half a mile north of Forest Hill Blvd.

All of it is slated to be built around touted amenities open to the general public, including a lake with a trail, a 36-hole Popstroke miniature golf course, restaurants including Lazy Dog and Cooper’s Hawk, offices, shops and a daycare facility.

Vice Mayor Michael Napoleone said he was once a no vote, but now thinks the village can use housing that caters to single workers or couples not immediately seeking a large home. Wellington also needs additional office space, he said.

Single-bedroom apartments are not likely to add to school crowding, because few of those residents tend to have children living with them, he said.

“My thinking on this has evolved,” he said. “Having a park and a dog park right next to a restaurant that hosts dogs [Lazy Dog] is a good, smart use of that project.”

Councilman Michael Drahos, who cast the lone dissenting vote, said he does not see a one-acre park as sufficient reason to allow so many one-bedroom apartments, especially given that the Tuttle Royale development nearby at SR

7 and Southern Blvd. will provide comparable housing. He said he plans to live in Wellington for the rest of his life, and wonders what the project will look like in 15 years.

“I don’t want to drive past it and say, ‘I’m responsible for that, because the developer came to me and said it’s more convenient,’” Drahos said.

Councilwoman Tanya Siskind acknowledged that she and others were initially concerned at the shift in plans away from senior housing.

“But I think this has become something that will benefit Wellington,” she said. “We wish the delays had not happened, but I don’t want to see this space sitting there in turmoil and not being constructed for much longer.”

Councilman John McGovern said the density is still more than he would like to see, but he thinks residents do want the restaurants and entertainment options. He offered “a begrudging yes.”

Sticking points involved the southern half of the project known as Lotis 1, where close to half the housing will be one-bedroom apartments. That represented a distinct change from the project approved three years earlier, which featured a heavy emphasis on assisted and independent living for senior citizens.

The original vision stalled amid the pandemic and changing market conditions, developers said.

Proposals shifted to include apartments as small as 680 square feet, couched as helping meet a market need for workers near Wellington Regional Medical Center. These will be priced at what the market will bear and will not be tied to income or other factors in what are sometimes called “workforce housing” programs. Council members postponed final approval in December to talk more about it.

Since last month, a proposed public park space near the middle See LOTIS, page 4

YOUNG AT HEART CLUB LUNCHEON

MLK Day Observances Are Planned In RPB, Wellington

By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report The life and legacy of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. will be honored at events in Wellington and Royal Palm Beach on Monday, Jan. 15, which is the national holiday honoring the slain civil rights leader.

CAFCI and the Village of Royal Palm Beach will host the 22nd annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Observance on Monday, Jan. 15 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, located at 151 Civic Center Way. The free event is open to the entire community and will begin with a continental breakfast from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. The day’s program will begin at 10 a.m. and feature the theme “Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve,” which is a famous quote

by Dr. King.

“Dr. King was a worker,” Event Organizer Hildreth StoddardBrown said. “He did everything in his power to make sure that everyone had civil rights. He believed in service, and that everybody can serve, and everybody can be great.”

The keynote speaker at this year’s event in Royal Palm Beach will be Judge Cymonie S. Rowe, a circuit court judge from the 15th judicial circuit in Palm Beach County.

“We always select people who can relate to what the topic is, and we believe that she will bring impact to this event,” said StoddardBrown, who added that Rowe will speak on the theme and help the community celebrate Dr. King.

The event will also feature musical and cultural performances, such as a steel band player, praise dance groups and performances

by several Royal Palm Beach students. Local singer Samara Lewis will also perform at the gathering.

This free event is sponsored by Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach with support from the Palm Beach County Cultural Council, Palm Beach County and CAFCI members.

For more information, visit www.cafcipbc.org.

While the event in Royal Palm Beach is a longstanding observance, the Village of Wellington will hold its first-ever Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Remembrance Event this year.

Wellington’s event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center, located at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd. on Monday, Jan. 15. While free to attend, regSee MLK DAY, page 3

Royal Palm Beach’s Young at Heart Club celebrated the New Year on Friday, Jan. 5 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center.

Ashley Cooper, also known as “Ashley the Entertainer,” sang and danced to a very appreciative audience. Shown here is Young at Heart Club President Sandy Rubin with Ashley Cooper.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 16 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Town-Crier To Host RPB Candidate Forum On Jan. 29

The Town-Crier newspaper will host a televised Royal Palm Beach candidate forum on Monday, Jan. 29 at 7 p.m. in the new Royal Palm Beach Village Council chambers.

The two candidates seeking the Mayor’s Seat on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council in this year’s election have been invited to participate in the forum.

In that race, resident and political activist Steve Avila is challenging incumbent Mayor Fred Pinto. The election will be held on Tuesday, March 19.

The Jan. 29 forum will last approximately two hours and will be moderated by retired WPTV news anchor Jim Sackett with questions posed by a panel assembled by the Town-Crier, as well as those submitted by the community.

All residents are invited to attend the forum. For those who cannot make it in person, the forum will be broadcast on the village’s Channel 18 and streamed live on the village’s web site and YouTube channel.

The forum will be broken up

into two 50-minute sessions with a 10-minute break in between. Each candidate will provide an opening statement before being asked a series of questions on local topics.

Residents will be invited to submit questions during the first half of the forum. Moderator-chosen questions from those submitted will be asked during the second half of the forum. Each candidate will also be given time to make a closing statement.

“We look forward to a very informative candidate forum,”

Town-Crier Publisher Barry Manning said. “We’re pleased to once again stage this event for the Royal Palm Beach community. Our mission at the Town-Crier is to keep residents informed on important local issues, and crucial to that is helping voters to be informed on election issues.”

The council chambers are inside the new Royal Palm Beach Village Hall, located at the southeast corner of Okeechobee and Royal Palm Beach boulevards.

Residents not attending the fo-

rum in person are invited to submit a question in advance. Questions can be submitted in a sealed envelope marked “Confidential/ Candidate Forum” and dropped off at the Village Clerk’s Office prior to 5 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 29.

The candidate forum is sponsored by the Town-Crier newspaper with support from the Village of Royal Palm Beach, the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce and the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of Palm Beach County.

Page 2

January 12 - January 25, 2024

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Page 3

NEWS

Westlake Council Unhappy With Change To Publix Plaza Plan

By Louis Hillary Park Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Westlake City Council were disappointed to hear at their Monday, Jan. 8 meeting that plans for a sit-down, dine-in restaurant in the Publix at Westlake Plaza have been scrapped, at least for now.

Instead, the lot at the prime southwest corner of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and Town Center Parkway will go to a tire store after the council approved a site plan amendment, requested by the shopping center’s owner. Council members had hoped for a Panera Bread or something similar in that location.

“I’m disappointed to see that the high-turnover, sit-down restaurant has disappeared,” Mayor JohnPaul O’Connor told Donaldson Hearing of Cotleur & Hearing Landscape Architecture, representing

the Publix real estate group.

Hearing also represents Minto Communities USA, the community’s primary landowner and developer.

Councilman Gary Werner also echoed O’Connor’s comment.

“I don’t want to see an overabundance of fast-food drivethroughs,” he said.

Hearing said that these decisions are usually market-driven.

“One of the outparcels could be suitable for a sit-down restaurant,” Hearing said. “It’s just a matter of time and market forces.”

Several storefronts connected to the Publix supermarket and liquor store could house smaller “momand-pop” restaurants, including the space at the north end of that structure that will have an awning to encourage outdoor seating or dining, Hearing noted.

City Manager Kenneth Cassel

told council members that he and O’Connor have reached out to various restaurants in hopes of luring a well-known sit-down chain to the community, but it’s not as simple as it sounds.

“Every business has a matrix it follows,” Cassel explained. “It may be how many rooftops there are. Or how many daytime workers there are. Or they won’t come until business X, Y, Z locates here.”

For now, there’s not enough of something, but Cassel said that by creating an easy and predictable development process, Westlake has positioned itself well to take advantage the next time a chain is weighing the community against a city with “fuzzy, unpredictable” development rules.

In related news, council members were happier to hear that part of the approved site plan modification allows for the construction of

25,000-square-foot Planet Fitness gym north of the supermarket and its attached storefronts.

Hearing said he expects the building to “go up very, very fast” with construction beginning in the first quarter of this year and finishing in the fourth.

Cassel also noted that there was a drop off in certificates of occupancy in the latter part of December, which was related to the holidays and builders not wanting to try to squeeze in COs at the very end of the year.

Westlake continues to see 7 to 10 COs per week and averages about 40 per month, he said.

In other business: • The council approved the second readings of ordinances to strictly regulate “arcade amusement centers and electronic gaming establishments” and “massage establishments.”

“The purpose is to keep out the sort of seedy establishments we’d rather not have in the city,” O’Connor said.

And while Westlake can’t ban such businesses outright, he said, “We can regulate the heck out of them.”

The massage ordinance leaves room for therapeutic massage in, for instance, chiropractic and other medical offices, but requires that all non-medical establishments offering massage have at least one Florida-licensed massage therapist on the premises during all hours of operation, which are limited to 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

• The council approved the second reading of ordinances reconstituting Westlake’s Education and Youth Advisory Board and the Art in Public Places Committee.

• Cassel noted that the city and the Seminole Improvement

District, which provides roads and drainage infrastructure for Westlake, will share a grant writer.

Among other grant-possible projects, both entities are seeking funds for the 50-acre regional park they are developing together west of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road and south of Seminole Ridge High School.

• The council also approved Cassel bringing on board an additional staffer from Inframark, which contracts with the city to manage its government. The new staff member will handle communications, document management and event management.

Westlake hosts four public community events each year, one per quarter, with its FourthFest Independence Day celebration in July being the largest.

Cassel is also an Inframark employee.

Donation By Sod Farm Could Lead To More Paving In Lox Groves

By Joshua Manning Town-Crier Staff Report A possible $250,000 donation from a business had the Loxahatchee Groves Town Council both excited and a bit concerned at a meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 9.

At issue was whether to accept a donation from South Florida Sod Farm LLC, a company owned by the Miami Dolphins. The donation is still in the negotiation process between the town and the company’s management, and it is tied up with a number of issues, including a possible paving project in front of the sod farm, located at the north end of the town, north of North Road between B Road and C Road.

While a companion item wasn’t specifically a quid pro quo, it did call for the town to approve a paving contract with J.W. Cheatham LLC for the paving of B Road and a portion of North Road at the cost of $230,364.80.

The Miami Dolphins organization has owned the sod farm in Loxahatchee Groves since 2018.

It uses the sod to keep fresh grass on the field. According to Town Manager Francine Ramaglia, the sod farm has been a good neighbor, donating the sod necessary to put on town canal banks and offering an extra place to store town supplies and equipment.

The town is in negotiation with the sod farm on a number of issues, and the donation/road work concept is among the items under discussion.

While the donation would not be specifically earmarked for a paving project, the goal would be to accept the money and add a segment on to a nearby road paving project.

“These two items are not items in tandem. You may vote to accept the $250,000,” Ramaglia said.

“The second item is to decide if we would ask Cheatham to continue to stay mobilized and do additional paving in that area.”

Ramaglia added that the Dolphins organization may be coming forward in the future to provide conservation easements to the town as part of the need for tree mitigation.

Resident Cassie Suchy didn’t like the entire concept.

“A gift is a gift, and there should not be strings attached,” she said.

“I don’t think a quarter million dollars should buy you to the front of the line.”

Ramaglia noted that the town approached the Dolphins about partnering with the town, not the other way around, adding that the town is also discussing an additional buffer on the sod farm property, which sits on the border

between Loxahatchee Groves and Westlake.

Councilwoman Marianne Miles called the donation “a godsend” and that road work on North Road is a long time in coming and necessary. “$250,000. How many residents would we have to tax to get that?” she said.

Miles noted that the sod farm has been a good neighbor, adding that they set up a helicopter pad there so that residents can be airlifted out if necessary.

Vice Mayor Robert Shorr asked that the storage area at the site become a formalized easement, and town staff said that is one of the items under discussion.

Ramaglia concurred with Shorr that the informal agreements with the sod farm need to be put into writing.

Mayor Laura Danowski did not like the idea of agreeing to accept the donation before all the contingencies were worked out.

“I don’t want to accept one dime without getting everything in writing,” she said.

A motion to accept the possible donation was approved 4-1 with Danowski dissenting.

When it came to the road work, the council did not want the B Road and North Road work to be approved as part of a stand-alone contract, instead incorporating it

into all the roadwork being done in 2024.

Shorr liked the fact that town staff agreed to use the existing contract with the existing paver to do additional paving.

“I don’t have a problem adding more to the paving, as long as we are contracting all of the paving due in 2023 and 2024,” he said.

Shorr suggested adding all the

MLK Day

Event In Wellington

continued from page 1 istration is required, and spaces are limited. Register in advance through Eventbrite.com at https:// bit.ly/MLKRemembrance2024.

The morning will begin with a light breakfast, followed by a welcome message and comments from the Wellington Village Council, student presentations and a special guest speaker, U.S. Navy Capt. Winston E. Scott, an aviator and astronaut.

Scott entered Naval Aviation Officers Candidate School in 1973.

He completed flight training and was designated a naval aviator in 1974. In 1980, Scott earned his master’s degree in aeronautical engineering with avionics.

previously approved work through fiscal year 2024 to the order with Cheatham. Once that is done, he would be fine adding the B Road and North Road work.

Resident Virginia Standish said that the item should be a line item in the general fund. She also felt that the canal and culvert work in that area needs to be done before a paving project.

During his Navy career, Scott served as a helicopter pilot and a fighter pilot. Additionally, Scott served as a research development test and evaluation (RDTE) pilot and deputy director of the Tactical Aircraft Systems Department at the Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division. As an RDTE pilot, Scott flew the F-14 Tomcat, the F/A-18 Hornet and the A-7 Corsair aircraft.

Scott was selected to become an astronaut by NASA in 1992.

Serving as a mission specialist, he flew two space shuttle missions, during which he logged more than 24 days in space, including three spacewalks totaling more than 19 hours.

He has advised elected officials on matters related to space and aeronautics.

Recently retired, Scott is a professor emeritus at the Florida Insti-

Ramaglia noted that the sod farm has agreed to fix the culvert issues before any paving.

After getting council direction, Ramaglia said that the next step would be to amend the paving plan with the additional roads, then approve a contract with Cheatham for the entire scope of work.

A motion to do so was approved unanimously.

Capt. Winston E. Scott tute of Technology in Melbourne.

His book, Reflections from Earth Orbit, was published in 2005.

For questions, or additional information on the Wellington event, contact Ian Williams at iwilliams@wellingtonfl.gov or (561) 868-8624.

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Page 4

January 12 - January 25, 2024

NEWS

Wellington’s Share Of Sales Surtax Money Could Reach Its Limit In 2025

By Charles Elmore Town-Crier Staff Report A new aquatic center remains a major focus for Wellington’s share of the countywide sales surtax, a revenue stream that is on pace to reach its limit ahead of schedule, Deputy Village Manager Tanya Quickel told the village’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Board on Monday, Jan. 8.

Wellington’s cut of the Palm Beach County sales surtax ends Dec. 31, 2026, or upon receiving about $38.9 million in collections, whichever comes first, Quickel said.

The village’s share has already reached $34.2 million on the surtax started in 2017, so Quickel said she expects the cap to be reached early in 2025. The surtax was projected to last 10 years.

“You indicated we’re likely

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to reach the [maximum] sooner than expected?” Board Member Stephen A. Levin asked.

Yes, Quickel said. That’s because business activity has recovered after the uncertainty of the pandemic and other factors. “With visitors and tourism, it has been great,” Quickel said.

There has been discussion of letting county voters decide if they wish to continue the surtax, which comes on top of a 6 percent state sales tax, she said. That’s up to the Palm Beach County Commission to provide that option on the ballot if it so chooses, she said. Revenues are split among the county, municipalities, and the School District of Palm Beach County.

Board members asked when that likely would go on the ballot, if it happens.

Quickel said she expected it

would be the fall of 2025, closer to when the current surtax expires.

A memorandum prepared by Quickel’s office offered details on where the surtax money has gone and what is projected in 2024.

At the top of the list: the new aquatic center.

Last year, the Wellington Village Council approved the relocation and expansion of the aquatic center to a site at the back of Wellington’s Village Park.

The village awarded a contract to Ohlson Lavoie Corp. for architectural and engineering expenses in the amount of $1.9 million, of which $1.3 million has been spent so far.

The remaining budget from the surtax for the aquatic center is about $8.9 million, leading all remaining projects.

Another recipient has been

South Shore Community Park. In 2023, the council approved site preparation and demolition of a storage building to construct a new athletic facility there. The current budget is $1.9 million.

Other projects have already seen a lot of work done. Phase II at Town Center, near the village offices, involved reconstruction and expansion of the amphitheater and Scott’s Place and was completed in May 2023.

Another $300,000 has been set aside for public safety, with attention to needs assessment and substation improvements.

Most of the money already spent, about $27.3 million, has gone to construction on local projects.

In other action, the board voted to retain Samuel Falzone as chair with Levin as vice chair.

WELLINGTON HOSTS LE DINER EN BLANC

The Village of Wellington served as host venue for Le Diner en Blanc, held at the Wellington Amphitheater on Saturday, Jan. 6.

This unique event transports guests into another world featuring a sea of people adorned in white. The theme this year was “From Paris, With Love.” (Above) Wellington officials take part in this unique dinner experience. (Below) A sea of people in white enjoy dinner and entertainment.

PHOTOS COURTESY THE VILLAGE OF WELLINGTON

Lotis

Smaller Apartment Approved

continued from page 1 of Lotis 1 nearly doubled to 1.15 acres after developers reconfigured their plans. The area would include an event space, a dog park and a cypress stand, all connected to commercial areas and a trail around the lake.

“I feel like that’s an improvement,” Mayor Anne Gerwig said.

“I was looking for that green space that attracts the community into the center of it.”

It supports the restaurants and commercial areas and makes it different from a strip center,” she said.

Medical office space expanded to 60,000 square feet, up from an original 40,000, by putting a full third story on two designated buildings. In addition, Lotis 1 is set to feature 48,000 square feet of combined restaurant and retail, and 16,700 square feet of professional office space.

Over the last three years, developers said their original plans ran into hurdles as the pandemic hit, financing grew tighter and several senior-care facilities that opened in the region suppressed occupancy rates in that sector.

A big market need that has only grown, they say, is housing for younger or single workers often feeling priced out of traditional homes in the area.

“Trends are to build units that are a little smaller in size because people are becoming a little more cost sensitive as inflation has hit, as costs have gone up for everybody,” said Jim Gielda, representing the Lotis Group.

‘Play It Forward’ Gala Benefits Students And Adults With Autism

An artistic rendering of the Lotis project’s main entrance off State Road 7.

The average household age in Wellington is 41 and trending lower, younger than many other parts of Palm Beach County, according to market research he cited.

About 56 percent of the village population is working age (20 to 65 years old), he said. Almost 25 percent are single-person households, which Gielda said he found surprising.

In December, the council approved the northern half of the project, Lotis 2. Housing there includes 100 single-family homes and 72 townhomes that occupants would buy. It also has 8,000 square feet of restaurant and retail space, and about 1,000 square feet

of general office space.

In Lotis 1, the focus is on rentals. Of these, 165 units would be one-bedroom apartments, 112 would be two-bedroom units, and the latest plans now call for 95 three-bedroom structures, an increase from earlier submittals.

Conditions for approval negotiated with the village represent attempts to make sure that residential construction does not plow ahead as commercial sites languish.

Among those stipulations are that building permits for at least 40,000 square feet of commercial and office space must be obtained before residential permits are

issued. Also, work must begin on slabs and utility hook-ups for certain commercial buildings by March 31, 2024, or other permits will be put on hold.

Lotis officials said they have every indication that commercial tenants remain anxious to get started, from anticipated restaurants to the Popstroke mini-golf course, which has marketing ties to famed golfer Tiger Woods.

Still, it’s up to those businesses to follow through on actually building and operating there, and Wellington staff has advised that the village cannot tie Lotis approval to the involvement of particular brand-name firms.

OPINION

WLP Proposal Would Help Keep Wellington As The ‘Equestrian Capital Of The World’

I’ve seen a lot of changes in my 47 years in Wellington.

Most importantly, I’ve watched Wellington grow into the “equestrian capital of the world,” especially over the last 15 years with more international competitions and competitors than any other location in the U.S. I think we can all agree that this designation sets Wellington apart from other communities and is our economic engine.

Today, many of us are engaged in a battle to influence whether or not our village council approves an application from Wellington Lifestyle Partners (WLP). I believe everyone on both sides of the issue wants the same thing — to keep Wellington’s horse sport industry strong and growing. We all depend on it one way or another.

I originally opposed this application. There were too many

houses, not enough protections to community aesthetics and no safeguards that the positive aspects of the application would ever be completed. When I was president of the USEF, I fought many battles with Mark Bellissimo, an investor in WLP, over horse show conditions. There were many broken promises. But, as this application progressed, I saw real change thanks to pressure from our community, a disciplined village council process and a developer led by Doug McMahon that listened — so much so that I am now in support.

Let me tell you why.

Our major concerns have been addressed and guaranteed. The horse show today is overcrowded and inconveniently spread across two locations without room for growth. It’s owned by a private equity group, not WLP, that’s proving to be a short-term investor

having already put the horse show up for sale. We need this horse show in the hands of someone who is committed to its long-term success — I believe this application makes that more likely.

WLP’s application adheres to its combined properties’ allocated building rights, has important restrictions and consolidates the horse shows into one larger footprint with a new, world-class derby field and facilities for dressage.

WLP is paying for the new show grounds at a cost of more than $30 million.

Conditions 7 and 8 that were shrewdly added to the application guarantee that no house can be built until this new facility is operational and that horse shows must continue where they are now in the interim. All of this will be more attractive to a long-term potential owner.

If we consider the alternative,

the outcome is unacceptable. WLP privately owns the land. They can build many homes on them today, but in a way that would be disastrous for the community. The horse show would be landlocked, and the dressage facility and derby field would vanish. All WLP is asking for is to flip their allocated rights from one parcel to another. That lets them build their community in a more desirable location for them and lets the horse show get a new, improved facility and consolidate.

It’s a win-win.

I urge the council members to vote yes, approve this project and turn our focus to the critical next step of ensuring that the horse show lands into the hands of a long-term investor.

Together, we must keep Wellington the “equestrian capital of the world.”

Murray Kessler Wellington

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The Connections Education Center of the Palm Beaches will hold the sixth annual Hearts & Hands Gala on Saturday, Feb. 17 to raise crucial funds for specialized education and services for local students and adults with autism. The event — themed “Play It Forward” — will be held at the National Croquet Center in West Palm Beach.

This year’s gala promises to be an unforgettable evening filled with excitement, celebration and entertainment. Guests will enjoy an evening of philanthropy, fun and purpose, all while making a significant impact on the lives of local students and adults with autism.

The Hearts & Hands Gala serves as a vital fundraising event for Connections, enabling the organization to sustain its commitment to providing high-quality education, therapeutic services, vocational training and related services to individuals with autism. Connections serves a population where 85 percent of students live below the poverty line, 94 percent come from minority families, and almost 50 percent reside in single-parent families or with grandparents.

By attending and supporting this event, guests help empower some of the most underserved members of the community.

Truckers

Coming Up For County Approval

continued from page 1 as $232,000 a year to district road maintenance costs.

Natalia Melian, who has been leading the “Save Our Truckers” movement, said, “I’m still feeling good. But it’s still a challenge. It could go either way.”

Melian, an Acreage resident, owns a trucking business with her husband.

Despite several well-attended press conferences and multiple appearances before the county commission and the ITID Board of Supervisors, Melian said the biggest challenge is helping the public to understand the issue and getting elected officials to pay attention.

Melian and Baxter appeared before the ITID supervisors at their Dec. 6 meeting and requested that the district withdraw a letter to the county opposing the code change.

The supervisors did not act on the request. The board meets again Jan. 17.

“I feel like we’re being ignored,” Melian said.

ITID President Elizabeth Accomando said whether the May 2023

Highlights of the evening include a delicious dinner, engaging casino-style games, live music and the opportunity to socialize with fellow impact makers who share a passion for giving all individuals the chance to develop their full potential.

Attendees will also hear updates on the remarkable progress being made by Connections’ students and adult clients, showcasing the transformative impact of the school’s programs.

WPTV anchor Michael Williams will serve as master of ceremonies. Special honorees will be recognized for their significant contribution to the school’s mission, including Addy van Leeuwen of Palm Beach Gardens, Melissa Carman of Riviera Beach and Sandy James Fine Food & Productions.

“We’re excited to invite the community to come ‘Play It Forward’ at the Hearts & Hands Gala, where we’ll combine entertainment with a powerful mission,” Connections Executive Director and Principal Debra Johnson said.

“Together, we can make a lasting impact and create a brighter future for children in need.”

To learn more, reserve tickets or see sponsorship opportunities, visit www.connectedpb.com/ heartsandhands.

letter is withdrawn will be up to the other four board members.

Supervisor Betty Argue said she would be “absolutely opposed” to rescinding the letter.

If the county commission does give final approval to the change, it could face a legal administrative challenge from ITID or from one or more Acreage residents, Argue said. “I know there are people who are very concerned,” she said.

Hanson and Skoran, among others, have suggested that the county should create large truck parking lots easily accessible from state or county roads designed to handle the big trucks rather than allowing them in residential neighborhoods.

“Our roadways are not built for heavy commercial use,” Hanson told commissioners in November.

“Even our paved roads aren’t designed to handle this.”

Truck lots “would be a winwin,” Skoran said.

Baxter, however, said she does not support the truck lots idea because the issue goes beyond feasibility and government convenience to what she considers a core value — the ability to use one’s property as one sees fit, within reason.

“I want to stand up for the residents and find a balance,” said Baxter, who lives in The Acreage.

“But in the end, this is about private property rights.”

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The Town-Crier

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Page 5

NEWS

CAFCI HOSTS ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA AT THE RPB CULTURAL CENTER

CAFCI hosted its annual New Year’s Eve Gala on Sunday, Dec. 31 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. DJ Mansta provided dance music all night long, while attendees enjoyed dinner, door prizes and a 50/50 raffle. At midnight, the revelry paused for a champagne toast to welcome 2024.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Attendees raise a toast to the New Year.

CAFCI President Dennis and Yvonne Wright.

Steve Ricketts and Inez McCallum.

Lawrence Logan and Kitty Lanamann.

Annette Morris and Laune McGhie.

Robert Miller of Piquant Cuisine.

Shauna and Lauriston Simms on the dance floor.

Yvonne and Lincoln Elliott.

Alaina, Davia, Jerome and Da’Jai Pendergrass.

Jason Davis with his grandfather Dr. Winston Davis.

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Alvin Nembhard and Lauriston Simms ready the champagne.

Avis Springer and Joe Shenal.

Cindi Beckles and Rhonda Ferrin Davis greet guests at the check-in desk.

Yvonne Wright and Louie Watson dance.

Audrey Gordon and Annette Morris on the dance floor.

Page 6

January 12 - January 25, 2024

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Welcome to Neighborly Urgent Care Express.

Your health matters, and so does your time.

Our friendly medical team is here for anything from the flu to allergies to neck and back pain, or whatever ails you. Walk in or save your spot online, and we’ll have you back to normal in no time.

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Page 7

NEWS

Wide Array Of New And Returning Attractions At The 2024 Fair

With the theme “Dive into the Fun,” the 112th South Florida Fair opens on Friday, Jan. 12 and runs until Sunday, Jan. 28.

Theme-related features include a 40-foot-by-40-foot immersive underwater 3D projection experience in partnership with the Palm Beach County Film & Television Commission and the Palm Beaches TV that will make guests feel like they’re walking on a sea floor. There is also a sea lion splash show, dueling pirates high dive comedy show, an exhibit titled “Our Changing Climate: Sea Level Rise” from the Florida Museum with research from the University of Florida, a live shark encounter attraction and an “Ice in Paradise” skating show.

Attendees will not want to miss these exciting new features for 2024: Dueling Pirates High Dive Show — Located near the small animal exhibit, the Dueling Pirates is one of the largest portable high dive shows in the world. Fairgoers will hear a salty tale of pirates on the search for Treasure Island, where a fortune in gold and jewels are said to be buried in the sand.

The show includes small pyrotechnic explosions and features comedy, clown diving, a “Plank Diving” contest and a high dive from the top of the 80-foot masts.

Sea Lion Splash — The natural and impressive behaviors of sea lions will be on full display — shooting hoops, balancing balls, dancing and performing handstands. Educational and

amusing presentations will be held throughout the day on the South Patio.

Live Shark Encounter — This attraction is self-contained with its own attractive canopy, where guests can sit in comfort and enjoy the sharks swimming in their specially designed aquarium. The show and exhibit, located in Expo East, combines education and entertainment, all presented in a fun format.

Stingrays Touch Tank & Feeding — The world’s only traveling, self-contained stingray exhibit will be in Expo East. Fairgoers will be able to safely view and touch these creatures while receiving a handson educational experience. A video and audio presentation will run continuously during fair hours, and knowledgeable staff members will be on duty at all times answering questions that guests may have about sea life.

Texas Trick Riders — Don and Jo-Ann Anderson founded the Texas White Horse Ranch in the quiet town of Troup, Texas, in 1968. Dozens of their white horses have been featured in circuses, rodeos, wild west shows and Hollywood films, including the couple’s

The pig-racing shows are always popular at the fair.

wild west show, “The Texas White Horse Troupe,” which toured from the 1960s to 1990s. Today, their son, Austin Anderson, carries on the tradition with his own show, “The Texas Trick Riders.”

Dive into Palm Beach County Agriculture Display — Designed

by Craig McInnis, a multi-discipline and highly creative local artist, the Dive into Palm Beach County Agriculture exhibit is a striking display of vegetable art.

The exhibit represents the pinnacle of Palm Beach County’s agriculture and horticultural excellence with a showstopping design.

Guests are invited to feast their eyes on what the fair believes are the best fruits and vegetables in the state in Building 3.

The fair also features four new rides by Wade Shows: Venetian Carousel — Making its first appearance at the South Florida Fair, the Venetian Carousel brings this midway classic to a whole new level. With not one, but two decks of animals, the ride stands 35 feet tall and is a true drawing card for the midway.

Drag Strip Mega Slide — Back for the first time since the pandemic, this ride was developed exclusively for Wade Shows and is the largest portable slide on the road today. The Drag Strip Mega Slide has eight lanes, stretches 210 feet long, and stands 45 feet tall at the launch pad. Traveling on two and a half trailers, this ride is the only one of its kind and is a popular attraction for the whole family.

Tesla — A new take on a classic midway favorite, the Tesla is known to excite thrill seekers on the midway. One of the fastest rides around, the arms spin and twirl at high speeds, giving riders an unrivaled experience. With new updates and additions, the Tesla will be bringing back riders again and again.

Cyclops — If thrills are what fairgoers seek, the Cyclops delivers. Making a return to the South Florida Fair after a brief absence, the Cyclops’ pendulum swings high, and the claw rotates as it swings high above the midway.

The Cyclops is for those who love excitement and want a one-of-akind midway experience.

Of course, the fair will also

include a wide array of popular returning attractions: “Ice In Paradise” Ice Skating Show — Fairgoers can count on Rosstyn Ice Shows to present daily ice skating shows in the Ford Theater in Expo West. It’s an opportunity to see professional performances by adagio pairs with their breathtaking moves, including male and female star soloists performing lavish production numbers. Elaborate costumes, state-of-the-art lighting, sound, special effects and scenery, along with talented skaters, make each production unique.

Extreme Illusions & Escapes with Josh Knotts — An edition of this show debuted at the South Florida Fair last year and is returning this year with a new themerelated spectacle that includes a mix of stage illusions, skillful escapes, audience participation and music to go along with it. Located in the Publix Performance Center in Expo East, the Extreme Illusions & Escapes collection is one of the largest touring in the U.S. today. With repeat engagements, they are constantly pushing the envelope on developing new and unique experiences for audiences.

More than 300 shows have been annually presented across the U.S., entertaining audiences of all sizes since 2009.

More Than 200 Rides, Games & Attractions — This includes the Midway Sky Eye, known as the “giant wheel.” As North America’s largest traveling Ferris wheel, the ride reaches a peak height of 155 feet and is comprised of more than 500 pieces. More than 524,000 individual LED red, green, blue, yellow, orange and purple lights, make it the brightest spectacle at the fair. Guests also can see for miles from the top of this ride.

Comedy Hypnotist Brad Matchett — Matchett returns to the Publix Performance Center in Expo East with his family-friendly, Vegas-style hypnosis show. Willing volunteers who are selected to be in the show provide plenty of laughs for the audience.

Miss South Florida Fair & Miss Palm Beach County — Nineteen participants will compete for more than $13,000 in scholarships. The live portion of

The Live Shark Encounter (above) and the Dueling Pirates High Dive Show (below) are among the new, theme-related entertainment at the 2024 South Florida Fair, Jan. 12-28.

the contest will be held Saturday, Jan. 13, starting at 4 p.m. inside the Publix Performance Center in Expo East. Both title winners are automatically entered into the Miss Florida 2024 Competition.

Other Competitions — Additional contests feature a culinary competition, including a senior bake off; Creation Station (crafts and specialty arts) competitions; a rock tribute band competition; a drumline competition; and the third annual Old Time Fiddle Contest in Yesteryear Village. For details, visit www.southfloridafair. com/p/thefair/competitions.

Agriculture & Livestock Programs — This includes more than 2,000 exhibits from nearly 500 exhibitors across Florida. The popular Mooternity exhibit gives

guests a chance to see calves being born. At the 2023 fair, 21 calves were born.

Fair hours are Monday through Friday, noon to 10 p.m. Hours on Martin Luther King Jr. Day (Jan. 15) and every Saturday and Sunday are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., except for Sunday, Jan. 28, which closes at 8 p.m.

The South Florida Fair is produced by the South Florida Fair & Palm Beach County Expositions Inc., a nonprofit organization with a longstanding tradition of raising funds for educational and charitable purposes.

The South Florida Fairgrounds is located at 9067 Southern Blvd.

For additional information, call (561) 793-0333 or visit www. southfloridafair.com.

Retired Football Star Leonard Marshall To Speak PBSC MLK Celebration Jan. 18

Leonard Marshall, the former NFL defensive lineman and New York Giants “Ring of Honor” legend, will be the keynote speaker at Palm Beach State College’s 25th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration being held at 11 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 18, at the Duncan Theatre on PBSC’s Lake Worth campus (4200 Congress Ave.).

Tania Rogers, anchor and reporter for WPTV NewsChannel 5, will moderate the conversationalstyle presentation. The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are asked to RSVP at www.palmbeachstate.edu/MLK. Themed “Strengthening Our Community Through Service,” the silver anniversary celebration will also recognize the contributions of five community members with MLK Leadership Awards.

“MLK Day at PBSC honors Dr. King’s legacy of humanity, justice and service by recognizing

the people and organizations dedicated to serving our communities in extraordinary ways,” PBSC President Ava L. Parker said. “As the only federal holiday designated

by Congress as a National Day of Service, MLK Day helps educate and inspire future generations about Dr. King’s work and how we can each make a difference toward a more just society.”

Marshall played 10 of his 12 seasons in the NFL with the New York Giants and was a starter on the Giants teams that won Super Bowl XXI and Super Bowl XXV. He was selected three times to the Pro Bowl and twice named NFL Defensive Lineman of the Year. Born and raised in LSU Tiger Country, Marshall played college football at Louisiana State University before heading to the NFL draft in 1983. In 2022, he was inducted into the New York Giants Ring of Honor.

After football, Marshall re-

ceived his MBA in finance from Seton Hall University, where he became a professor of finance and sports management, in addition to working as a registered investment adviser. Serving others has been especially important to Marshall, and he has received several awards for his charitable work. Causes vital to Marshall include autism, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), brain trauma, player safety, financial literacy, mental health awareness, cancer research and athlete development. He is recognized for his work in raising awareness of CTE in professional football players.

“With his background of growing up in the civil rights era, his experiences in the NFL and as an educator, and his commitment to giving back, I know our students and the community will enjoy hearing Leonard Marshall’s story and be inspired to give back as well,” said Juanita Benjamin, hu-

man resources director and equity officer at PBSC and head of the MLK Coordinating Committee since 2010.

As part of the celebration, PBSC will spotlight its 2024 Martin Luther King Jr. Leadership Award winners. The five honorees are being recognized in five categories for their service and work to improve the lives of others, particularly the underserved.

Loverly Sheridan (alumni), a 2002 PBSC graduate, is the founder of Buddy Ambassadors, an organization that promotes empathy, kindness, compassion and inclusivity in children through empowerment programs and the use of Buddy Benches. A proven community leader, Sheridan received the Community Service Award from the Delta Kappa Gamma International Society for Key Women Educators, of which she’s a member, and the International Athena Young Pro-

Feeding South Florida ‘Mission & Music Mixer’ Set For Jan. 17 At Village Music In Wellington

Feeding South Florida, the leading hunger-relief organization in South Florida, will host a “Mission & Music Mixer” at Village Music Wellington on Wednesday, Jan. 17, from 5 to 8 p.m. The happy hour event will support Feeding South Florida’s mission to end hunger in the South Florida community.

Each ticket will include appetizers and one drink. Guests will also enjoy live entertainment and karaoke.

Currently, in South Florida,

there are more than 1.2 million food insecure individuals, and one in nine individuals in South Florida remain uncertain about where they will get their next meal due to inflation, the strained supply chain, rising fuel prices and increased housing costs, among other factors.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service Household Food Security in the United States in 2022 Report, the number of people

living in food insecure households in the United States in 2022 increased to 44 million, including 13 million children. This is an increase of more than 30 percent from the previous year, the highest rate and number since 2014 and the largest one-year increase since 2008.

Village Music Wellington is located at 10410 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington.

Tickets are available for $20.

For more information, and to

purchase tickets, visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org/mixer.

Feeding South Florida is a member of the Feeding America network and is the leading hungerrelief organization serving Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe counties. Providing support for 25 percent of the state’s food insecure population, its mission is to end hunger in South Florida. Visit www.feedingsouthflorida.org or call (954) 518-1818 to learn more.

NEWS BRIEFS Garden Club Document Shredding Fundraiser

The Wellington Garden Club will host a document shredding fundraiser on Saturday, Jan. 13 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. at Wellington Village Hall (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington).

The shredding of documents will be performed for a per-box donation of $5 for a box equaling the size of 15 inches by 12 inches by 10 inches, or $10 for a box equaling the size of 24 inches by 15 inches by 10 inches. Donations should be in the form of cash or checks. There will be volunteers on hand to assist with unloading boxes. Confidential materials will

be shredded right in front of you.

All proceeds will support the club’s charitable contributions for high school, college and camp scholarships for environmental studies, Habitat for Humanity, community beautification projects, and Junior Garden Club programs.

The Wellington Garden Club is a nonprofit organization.

For more info., call Carol Ralph at (740) 243-8843.

Palms West Hospital To Host Hiring Event

HCA Florida Palms West Hospital will host a nursing hiring event on Thursday, Jan. 18 from noon to 2 p.m. Applicants will have the opportunity to meet with hiring managers, and same-day

offers will be extended to qualified candidates. The hiring event will be held at the hospital, located at 13001 Southern Blvd. To learn more and register, visit www. palmswesthospital.com.

American Legion Blood Drive Jan. 13

Residents are invited to donate blood at American Legion Post 390 Wellington’s blood drive on Saturday, Jan. 13 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center, located at 12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd. Donors will receive two free admission tickets to the South Florida Fair, a OneBlood long-sleeve T-shirt, and a wellness checkup that includes blood pressure, pulse, temperature, iron

count and cholesterol screening.

Appointments are encouraged. To learn more, visit www.oneblood. org/donate-now.

Kaitlin’s Angel Run Jan. 14

The Palm Beach County Police Benevolent Association will host the eighth annual Kaitlin’s Angel Run 5K Run & Walk on Sunday, Jan. 14 at Abacoa Town Center in Jupiter. Race day registration is $35. Check-in starts at 6:30 a.m., with the race starting at 7:30 a.m.

Top male and female runners will win a trip to Atlantis Resort in the Bahamas. There will also be finisher medals and awards. All proceeds benefit the Kaitlin A. Kazanjian Memorial Scholarship Fund. For more information and registration, visit www.pbcpba.org.

fessional Leadership Award from the Chamber of Commerce of the Palm Beaches.

Sherry Fletcher (faculty/staff), a student development advisor at PBSC for more than 20 years, has a long history of distinguished service with the National Council on Black American Affairs PBSC Chapter. Among her accomplishments, she revived the NCBAA’s southern regional conference, organized Black history programs and Juneteenth celebrations, and was the driver of initiatives such as the Sister-to-Sister Project to provide mentors to young women at PBSC. Barbara Cheives (individual), president and CEO of Converge & Associates Consulting, has a robust record of community service that includes the Palm Beach County Criminal Justice Commission, where she is a past chair and the current co-chair of the Community Engagement Task Force. Cheives is on the board of the Lord’s Place in Palm Beach County and the governing board of St. Mary’s Medical Center. She is the past president of the National Coalition of 100 Black Women Inc., West Palm Beach Chapter, and the chair of the Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry.

An alumna of Leadership Palm Beach County, she was awarded the 2021 Dorothy Height Racial

Justice Award by the YWCA of Palm Beach County and the Executive Women of the Palm Beaches 2023 Women in Leadership Private Sector Award.

Charles McConnell (student) is the president of the Student Government Association at PBSC’s Lake Worth campus. As a pastor in a movement helping people with addictions, he visits hospitals and institutions to guide and support individuals in the early stages of recovery. Pursuing a political science and communications degree, McConnell has a cumulative 4.0 GPA and is a Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society member of the Alpha Delta Iota chapter.

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County (organization), founded in 1971, has grown to become the county’s largest, most comprehensive provider of youth services and the fifth-largest Boys & Girls Club out of 5,100 nationwide. Through programming that focuses on academic achievement, STEM, resiliency and life skills, the arts, sports and fitness, career and workforce readiness, and leadership and service, the organization nurtures generation after generation of children and teens in our county to reach their full potential as productive, caring and responsible citizens.

For more information about the event, speaker and honorees, visit, www.palmbeachstate.edu/MLK.

Free Public Art Exhibit On Highwaymen Returns To Wellington Jan. 27-28

Wellington has announced the return of a free public art exhibit “The Art of Florida’s Highwaymen” at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The exhibit will be on display for public viewing on Saturday, Jan. 27 and Sunday, Jan. 28, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Presentations with art historian Roger Lightle will take place each day at 2 p.m. R.A. McLendon, a key member of the Highwaymen who began his painting career in 1955, will be painting live on site.

In the late 1950s, during the Jim Crow era, a small group of Black artists from the Fort Pierce and Vero Beach area started a business venture during a time when employment opportunities available were most likely low-paying, minimum wage jobs.

Eventually, the group numbered 26 self-taught artists. Unable to display and sell their work through traditional channels such as galleries and art agents, they traveled

the roads selling their paintings to business owners, real estate brokers, lawyer’s offices, banks and others along the way. This unconventional sales method earned them the name of “The Highwaymen” sometime in the mid-1990s.

For more than 60 years, the group captured Florida’s natural beauty in an estimated 200,000 paintings, depicting striking views of backwoods scenes, breaking waves, palm-lined beaches, rivers and more.

The Highwaymen have been featured in The New York Times and on National Public Radio, and were inducted into the Florida Artists Hall of Fame in 2004. Their work is on display in the White House and the Florida governor’s mansion, in addition to countless homes and offices across the country.

For more information, call the Wellington Community Center at (561) 753-2484, or visit www. wellingtonfl.gov/events.

Page 8

January 12 - January 25, 2024

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NEWS

WOMEN OF THE WESTERN COMMUNITIES SUPPORTS DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Women of the Western Communities gathered Thursday, Jan. 4 at the Wellington National Golf Club for their first meeting of the new year. The group collected donations for Dress for Success, and the guest speaker was Dress for Success Director of Programs and Outreach Services Jodi Cutler.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Jodi Cutler of Dress for Success addresses the group.

Harlene Kennedy and Maureen Gross.

Lynda Chicano, Donna Kuebler, Cheryl Dunn Bychek, Michele Bacuros and Paula Castro.

Mair Armand, Donna Kuebler, Lynda Chicano, Teresa Harrington, Jodi Cutler and Cheryl Dunn Bychek with donations for Dress for Success.

Mair Armand, Linda Rosbrough, Cheryl Dunn Bychek, Kerrilynn Collins and Christine Vocaturo.

Herta Suess and Paula Castro.

Wellington Garden Club Will Join Arbor Day Celebration Of Florida Garden Clubs

The Wellington Garden Club will celebrate Florida Arbor Day with a tree-planting ceremony at 11 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 19, at Wellington Rotary Peace Park, located at 1825 Royal Fern Drive.

This event will kick off a yearlong celebration of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs’ 100th anniversary. All garden clubs in Florida will take part by planting a tree on this same date and time.

The Wellington Garden Club will join the statewide celebration by planting a slash pine (Pinus elliottii) tree. A tour of the ever-expanding plantings in the park, including native orchids, will be given by Will Gurney, landscape superintendent for the Village of Wellington.

“Trees provide welcome shade in hot weather and reduce electric bills. They also provide food and shelter for wildlife and beautify our country,” said Carol Ralph, president of the Wellington Garden Club.

Katherine Wagner-Reiss, Arbor Day coordinator for the Wellington Garden Club, agreed.

“Arbor Day is the perfect occasion to introduce people to the concept of ‘keystone species’ — native trees that do the lion’s share of the work of supporting caterpillars and pollinators,” Wagner-Reiss said. “[This tree] supports 200 species of caterpillars, and thus the slash pine is a keystone species in Palm Beach County.”

Grants from the Duke Energy Foundation and the National Wildlife Federation are supporting this year’s Arbor Day festivities in honor of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs’ birthday.

Since 1982, the Wellington Garden Club has been an active part of the local community and the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs.

Wellington Garden Club membership is open to all, and meetings are held monthly, September through April, at the Wellington Community Center. The club’s motto is “Gardening Makes a World of Difference.”

To learn more about the Wellington Garden Club, visit www. wellingtongardenclub.org.

Sherri McCandless, Marcella Montesinos, Maggie Zeller, Maria Cruz, Mair Armand, Allyson Samiljan and Mary Rowe (seated).

Mair Armand with Wellington National owner Doug Marty.

Dress for Success’s Jodi Cutler with Erica Marino.

Horses & Hounds Fundraising Event To Return Sunday, Feb. 18

The Wellington Garden Club will celebrate Arbor Day on Jan. 19, at Wellington Rotary Peace Park.

Get ready to “saddle up” for the 15th annual Horses and Hounds, an enchanting, family-friendly gathering set against the backdrop of 20 sprawling acres in the Homeland community at 11399 Piping Plover Road on Sunday, Feb. 18 from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

The event is a labor of love by Jeri Caprio and Jane Bistline, who have hosted this event now into its 15th year. While the event is free and open to the public, donations to benefit Tri-County Animal Rescue are welcomed.

Bring your kids and furry friends for this unique gathering with snacks, drinks and a light lunch served under a covered arena. Marvel at the enchanted forest, adorned with more than 1,000 orchids and charming statues,

creating a magical atmosphere that adds to the allure of this wonderful property. Rain or shine, this event promises a delightful experience.

Highlights include a Westminster-style dog show, a silent auction supporting Tri-County Animal Rescue, a Blessing of the Animals

by Rabbi Ellen Zuskin and visits with the miniature horses.

Tri-County Animal Rescue is a no-kill, nonprofit animal shelter working to prevent the killing of more than 270,000 unwanted pets in Broward, Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties each year.

With community support and no government funding, the organization has rescued hundreds of pets. For more information, call (561) 482-8110 or visit www. tricountyanimalrescue.com.

Caribbean American For Community Involvement in Florida, Inc. & The Village of Royal Palm Beach

22 Celebration nd Annual

“Everybody can be great, because anybody can serve.”

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Continental Breakfast 8:30 am - 9:30 am Program begins at 10:00 am

Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center 151 Civic Center Way, Royal Palm Beach, Florida Contact Hildreth Stoddart-Brown for info

561-889-1143

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

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Page 9

Page 10 January 12 - January 25, 2024

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The

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Conveniently Located at the Corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace.

PRIVATE SCHOOL

NEWSPAPER & MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS

United States Post Office

#1 Education Place 561-753-6563

Town-Crier Newspaper Wellington The Magazine / Royal Palm The Magazine

561-793-7606

Wellington Collegiate Academy 561-784-1776

MEN & LADIES ALTERATIONS

RESTAURANT

PEDIATRICIAN

GENERAL DENTISTRY

Nutinfits 561-795-3278

Raja Indian Cuisine 561-855-2765

Dr. Rosa Fernandez, M.D. 561-793-3232

Dr. Steven Miller, DDS 561-798-8023

CHILDREN’S PRE-SCHOOL

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

BICYCLE SALES & REPAIR

Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce 561-790-6200

Cycle Fit Studio 561-795-3038

U.S. POST OFFICE

(GRADES 1 -12)

PRIVATE SCHOOL

Wellington Mall Center Court Leasing Information Call Chris Santamaria 561-793-4500

Children’s House of Wellington 561-790-3748

Dr. Michael Harris 561-204-3242

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING COMPANY

GENERAL INSURANCE

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

SYNAGOGUE

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

ENGINEERING SERVICES

VETERINARIAN

CHIROPRACTOR

Advanced Imaging Specialists 800-354-6868

Chris Barker Insurance 561-242-3603

Children’s Pediatric Dentistry 561-793-7515

Temple B’nai Jacob 561-793-4347 www.templebnaijacob.com

Spillane & Zahul, CPAs 561-790-1488

Alan Gerwig & Associates, Inc. 561-792-9000

Animal Medical Clinic 561-798-2900

Taylor Chiropractic Center 561-793-5050

ENGINEERING SERVICES

MORTGAGE BROKER

BARBERSHOP

BOOT & SHOE REPAIR

MARTIAL ARTS

TITLE INSURANCE

NAIL SALON

AEROSPACE COMPONENT SALES

RJ Behar & Company 561-333-7201

Sunvest Mortgage Group 561-337-4848

Arturo Fashion Cuts 561-328-7176

Woody’s of Wellington 561-798-1440

Villari’s Studios of Self Defense 561-792-1100

South Shore Title, Inc. 561-798-9092

Glamorous Nail Spa 561-422-8882

AeroGear Telemetry 561-223-2590

COMPUTER SERVICE & REPAIR

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

SURVEYOR

EQUINE INSURANCE

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

REAL ESTATE

CUSTOM BOOTS & SHOES

PC Pros of Wellington 561-420-0554

Barron & Kogan, CPAs 561-795-4448

JDC Development 561-790-4471

Marshall & Sterling Insurance 561-318-5604

Andrea Rusher, LCSW www.therapyofwellington.com 561-444-7230

Dunamis Capital Consulting 561-313-0535

WELLINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

LITIGATORS

CAREGIVER SERVICES

MED SPA, REJUVENATION & SEXUAL WELLNESS CENTER

TUTORING AND TEST PREP

Florida Litigators 561-463-8444

True Angel Care Services Inc. 954-326-8551

Calla Genics 561-252-5398

Sapneil Tutoring 305-968-6364

561-333-9843

WWW.WELLINGTONCOMMUNITYFOUNDATION.ORG

The Fabbri Group Concierge Properties

561-468-7653

La Mundial 561-459-1629

HAIR SALON

GENERAL INSURANCE

MAKE & TAKE ART STUDIO

Star Salon 561-784-9994

BRIGHTWAY INSURANCE 561-331-6652

WOOD • PAPER •GLASS 561-557-9583

Page 10 January 12 - January 25, 2024

The Town-Crier

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The

The Town-Crier

www.gotowncrier.com

January 12 - January 25, 2024 Page 11

Conveniently Located at the Corner of Forest Hill Blvd. and Wellington Trace.

PRIVATE SCHOOL

NEWSPAPER & MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS

United States Post Office

#1 Education Place 561-753-6563

Town-Crier Newspaper Wellington The Magazine / Royal Palm The Magazine

561-793-7606

Wellington Collegiate Academy 561-784-1776

MEN & LADIES ALTERATIONS

RESTAURANT

PEDIATRICIAN

GENERAL DENTISTRY

Nutinfits 561-795-3278

Raja Indian Cuisine 561-855-2765

Dr. Rosa Fernandez, M.D. 561-793-3232

Dr. Steven Miller, DDS 561-798-8023

CHILDREN’S PRE-SCHOOL

ORAL & MAXILLOFACIAL SURGERY

CHAMBER OF COMMERCE

BICYCLE SALES & REPAIR

Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce 561-790-6200

Cycle Fit Studio 561-795-3038

U.S. POST OFFICE

(GRADES 1 -12)

PRIVATE SCHOOL

Wellington Mall Center Court Leasing Information Call Chris Santamaria 561-793-4500

Children’s House of Wellington 561-790-3748

Dr. Michael Harris 561-204-3242

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING COMPANY

GENERAL INSURANCE

PEDIATRIC DENTISTRY

SYNAGOGUE

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

ENGINEERING SERVICES

VETERINARIAN

CHIROPRACTOR

Advanced Imaging Specialists 800-354-6868

Chris Barker Insurance 561-242-3603

Children’s Pediatric Dentistry 561-793-7515

Temple B’nai Jacob 561-793-4347 www.templebnaijacob.com

Spillane & Zahul, CPAs 561-790-1488

Alan Gerwig & Associates, Inc. 561-792-9000

Animal Medical Clinic 561-798-2900

Taylor Chiropractic Center 561-793-5050

ENGINEERING SERVICES

MORTGAGE BROKER

BARBERSHOP

BOOT & SHOE REPAIR

MARTIAL ARTS

TITLE INSURANCE

NAIL SALON

AEROSPACE COMPONENT SALES

RJ Behar & Company 561-333-7201

Sunvest Mortgage Group 561-337-4848

Arturo Fashion Cuts 561-328-7176

Woody’s of Wellington 561-798-1440

Villari’s Studios of Self Defense 561-792-1100

South Shore Title, Inc. 561-798-9092

Glamorous Nail Spa 561-422-8882

AeroGear Telemetry 561-223-2590

COMPUTER SERVICE & REPAIR

CERTIFIED PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS

SURVEYOR

EQUINE INSURANCE

PSYCHOTHERAPIST

FINANCIAL CONSULTANT

REAL ESTATE

CUSTOM BOOTS & SHOES

PC Pros of Wellington 561-420-0554

Barron & Kogan, CPAs 561-795-4448

JDC Development 561-790-4471

Marshall & Sterling Insurance 561-318-5604

Andrea Rusher, LCSW www.therapyofwellington.com 561-444-7230

Dunamis Capital Consulting 561-313-0535

WELLINGTON COMMUNITY FOUNDATION

LITIGATORS

CAREGIVER SERVICES

MED SPA, REJUVENATION & SEXUAL WELLNESS CENTER

TUTORING AND TEST PREP

Florida Litigators 561-463-8444

True Angel Care Services Inc. 954-326-8551

Calla Genics 561-252-5398

Sapneil Tutoring 305-968-6364

561-333-9843

WWW.WELLINGTONCOMMUNITYFOUNDATION.ORG

The Fabbri Group Concierge Properties

561-468-7653

La Mundial 561-459-1629

HAIR SALON

GENERAL INSURANCE

MAKE & TAKE ART STUDIO

Star Salon 561-784-9994

BRIGHTWAY INSURANCE 561-331-6652

WOOD • PAPER •GLASS 561-557-9583

Page 12

January 12 - January 25, 2024

The Town-Crier

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Page 13

NEWS

AMBER’S ANIMAL OUTREACH PRESENTS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS ‘PAWTY’ EVENT

Amber’s Animal Outreach hosted its fifth annual Christmas “Pawty” fundraiser on Saturday, Dec. 23 at Community Animal Hospital in Royal Palm Beach. The event was held a week late due to inclement weather. The event included dogs up for adoption, an ugly sweater pet contest, vendors, music, raffles, and Santa photos with family and pets. To learn more about Amber’s Animal Outreach, visit www.aaodog.org.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Gidget tells Santa that she wants to be adopted for Christmas.

Chris Burk and Thor with Santa.

Mia Jassenoff, Amber Nelson with Gidget, Emma Jassenoff, Jody Harrell with Rocket, and Anne and her son Dillon with Wilson.

Henry Coronado, Frances Washington and Marian Cordovi of Verizon Wireless with Santa.

Alexis Price and Kate Podwirny with Winston visit with Santa.

Salty Racoon owner Victoria Lancaster with her merchandise.

Abby Tiger with Scoot and Chief.

Santa with Colt and Remington, owned by Lori and Paul Rupp.

YMCA Of The Palm Beaches Breaks Ground On New Community Center

The YMCA of the Palm Beaches, along with officials from Palm Beach County, broke ground recently on its new flagship branch at Lake Lytal Park.

More than 75 YMCA supporters, board members, government officials, Palm Beach County staff and the project’s development team attended the ceremony that officially launched construction of the 55,000-square-foot facility, scheduled to open in mid-2025.

The groundbreaking event commemorated the beginning of Phase 1 of the project, which will include a full-service community center and an Olympic-style skate park.

Palm Beach County will be constructing a new aquatic center adjacent to the YMCA’s community center, with a plan for the YMCA of the Palm Beaches to participate

with programmatic management of the facility.

“This is a great example of how a public/private partnership can flourish and succeed,” said Tim Coffield, president and CEO of YMCA of the Palm Beaches. “We are deeply grateful to Palm Beach County for their enthusiastic support of this extensive project and are truly excited about the programs, services and recreational amenities we’ll soon be offering to the residents of Palm Beach County.”

Construction of the facility will be managed by Hedrick Brothers Construction and designed by Harvard Jolly Architecture. The skate park was designed and will be built by Team Pain, a leader in the skate park industry.

“I am truly proud to welcome

this incredible facility to West Palm Beach, and specifically, to District 3,” Commissioner Michael Barnett said during the ceremony. “Our community will greatly benefit from the numerous services and programs the YMCA expertly offers.”

Once completed, the new flagship branch will include: • State-of-the-art health and fitness facilities.

• An expansive community gathering place for wellness-focused classes and fitness programs.

• A teen center, STEM lab with a robotics arena, recording studio, visual arts center, mentoring and job training, teaching kitchen and childcare programs.

• An Olympic-style skate park and facility.

• A new aquatics center, being

developed by Palm Beach County, will have a competition pool, a dive well and other water-based recreational amenities.

“Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation is looking forward to our partnership with the Y in Lake Lytal Park, providing necessary park infrastructure and making our community even happier and healthier for generations to come,” added Jennifer Cirillo, executive director of the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department.

The YMCA’s portion of the project is $35 million, with approximately 60 percent of construction funding already committed. A naming opportunity is still available for the community center. To learn more, e-mail philanthropy@ymcapalmbeaches. org or call (561) 508-4030.

New Community Center — YMCA of the Palm Beaches, Hedrick Brothers Construction and Palm Beach County officials at the PHOTO BY EDUARDO SCHNEIDER December groundbreaking ceremony.

The YMCA of the Palm Beaches has served the Palm Beach County community for more than 100 years, providing essential programs, activities and services for thousands of children, seniors

and families annually. Learn more at www.ymcapalmbeaches.org.

Lake Lytal Park is operated by the Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Department and is located at 3645 Gun Club Road.

From Shrimp Po Boy To Seafood Boil Carefully Made With Only The Freshest Ingredients

VILLAGE OF ROYAL PALM BEACH

FULL MENU Eat In or Take Out (561) 766-1038 Open Sun - Thur 11:30 am - 9:30 pm Fri - Sat 11:30 am - 10:30 pm

www.cajunexpress1.com 9940 BELVEDERE RD. #F | ROYAL PALM BEACH, FL 33411

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office

PRESS RELEASE

The public is invited to attend the Royal Palm Beach Municipal Election Candidates Forum moderated by the Town-Crier at 7:00 p.m. on Monday, January 29, 2024 in the Village Council Chambers. Candidates participating have qualified for the March 19, 2024 election. Question(s) may be submitted that evening or in a sealed envelope marked “Confidential/Candidate Forum” and dropped off at the Village Clerk’s office prior to 5:00 p.m. on January 29, 2024.

Welcome to Starr Family Dentistry in Wellington

Honors the memory of

Deputy Sheriff Frederick A. Baker Who died in the line of duty on January 9, 1924

(100 year Anniversary)

while proudly serving the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office and the citizens of Palm Beach County

He will always be remembered TO SERVE AND PROTECT WAS THEIR OATH TO HONOR THEM IS OUR DUTY

A dental office designed specifically for serving the needs of the family.

Established in 1983 Wellington’s first full-time, full service dental practice.

Contact us to arrange an appointment to discreetly discuss your dental needs.

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Page 14

January 12 - January 25, 2024

The Town-Crier

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NEWS

PALMS WEST HOSPITAL FOOD DRIVE

HCA Florida Palms West Hospital and its employees recently donated 2,444 pounds of nonperishable food during its annual holiday food drive to benefit the Palm Beach County Food Bank. The hospital’s donation was enough to supply 2,037 meals for people in the community experiencing food insecurity.

County Building Division Staff Honored

By Florida Building Officials Association

The Palm Beach County Planning, Zoning & Building Department recently announced that two Building Division employees have been recognized by the Palm Beach County chapter of the Building Officials Association of Florida.

The awards recipients were Plans Specialist III Jacqueline Demarzo as Permit Technician of the Year and Assistant Deputy of Inspections MacArthur “Mac” Megie as Inspector of the Year. The ceremony was recently held at the Hilton Palm Beach Airport Hotel in West Palm Beach.

Demarzo has been with the county since 2004, and in 2009, she joined the Building Division as a clerical specialist. In addition to her high level of professionalism and dedication, she played a vital role in the implementation of the electronic plan review application, which has been extremely successful.

Megie joined the Building Division in 2018 as a building con-

struction inspector II and became deputy of inspections in November 2023. In addition to his expertise and commitment to the division, he was instrumental in coordinating the tall building inspection process and the reopening of the Building Division’s South County office in Delray Beach.

“It’s impressive when a professional organization recognizes our employees for their knowledge and skill. Congratulations to Jackie and Mac for these well-deserved recognitions. Their hard work and dedication is admirable and does not go unrecognized,” Planning, Zoning & Building Department Executive Director Whitney Carroll said.

“This recognition from industry professionals is a testament to the challenges each person in the building safety industry faces daily to ensure that the structures and improvements to properties in Palm Beach County meet the Florida Building Code,” Building Official Doug Wise added. “We

are very proud of these individuals and their contributions to the Building Division.”

A total of four awards were presented at the ceremony and included Robert Hill of the Village of Royal Palm Beach as Building Official of the Year and Al Blanchard of the Village of Wellington as Plans Examiner of the Year.

The Building Officials Association of Florida has 21 chapters and more than 3,000 members and is comprised of building officials, inspectors, plans examiners, architects, engineers, contractors, industry members and others mutually interested in the promotion and enhancement of public safety through diligent and consistent enforcement of applicable construction codes and regulations.

BOAPBC has been the local chapter of the association since 1974 and the local chapter of the International Code Council since 2001 with more than 200 members.

Almond Palm Beach Crew Headed Back Out To The Farm

Heading back out to the farms to prepare meals where the ingredients are grown ensures that Almond Palm Beach’s award-winning chefs stay true to themselves.

Chef Jason Weiner and Chef Brendan Long focus on localism to elevate Almond Palm Beach dishes and ensure they make use of only the freshest ingredients.

These trips include Long’s cooking demonstration at Kai Kai Farm in Indiantown on Monday, Jan. 22, from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Meanwhile, Weiner will return to Outstanding in the Field at Holman’s Harvest in Loxahatchee Groves on Saturday, Jan. 27, beginning at 2 p.m.

“Our guests know we love supporting the environment and the local economy in creative and delicious ways. These January events mirror Almond’s commitment to spreading the message of sustainability,” said Eric Lemonides, who co-owns the restaurant with Chef Jason Weiner and Lee Felty.

The event on Jan. 22 will be Long’s second appearance at Kai Kai Farm. The event celebrates one of Almond’s Friends and Growers, enabling the restaurant to source local food and curate delicious meals with the highest quality ingredients. The intimate and instructive demonstration dinner for a maximum of 50 guests will take place in a gorgeous, openscreened dining hall. Long will teach cooking techniques with a creative meal prepared in front of his guests including a Q&A, plus recipes. Wine service is not included, but guests may bring their own. Tickets are nonrefundable and available for $95 plus fees at www.eventeny.com. Search for “Almond Palm Beach.”

Weiner will return to Outstanding in the Field at Holman’s Harvest in Loxahatchee Groves for his 17th appearance at the annual event on Jan. 27. The event welcomes some of the world’s most renowned chefs and culinary artisans to cook in their field kitchens, which are dismantled after each dinner, leaving no trace on the land.

Outstanding in the Field started 25 years ago to connect diners to the origins of their food while celebrating the hardworking hands that feed. Holman’s Harvest, a small family farm in Loxahatchee

Almond Palm Beach will be on the road this month at local farms.

Groves, is run by farmers Marty reached all 50 U.S. states and 22 and Eliza Holman, who use per- countries around the globe with maculture practices to keep their tables set in vineyards, beaches, soil healthy, their crops nutritious meadows, fishing docks and city and their ecosystem thriving with- streets in addition to a long list out synthetic herbicides, pesticides of organic and sustainable farms. and fertilizers.

Almond Palm Beach serves This will be the fourth time the hearty, seasonal dishes that reflect Holmans have hosted the Palm farm-to-table roots and highlight Beach County event. Guests will local ingredients. The restaurant, also be treated to a farm tour. To named after Chef Jason Weiner’s purchase tickets ($375 each), visit wife, features a simple menu with www.outstandinginthefield.com ingredients sourced from local and click on “2024 Winter Tour” farmers, along with the friendly, under “Ticketed Events.” laid-back atmosphere and philosOutstanding in the Field was ophy that the less a chef does to an founded by Jim Denevan in 1999 ingredient, the better. as a radical alternative to the Visit Almond Palm Beach at conventional dining experience. 207 Royal Poinciana Way six Beginning with a humble dinner days a week. To learn more, or on his brother’s farm, the rov- make reservations, visit www. ing restaurant without walls has almondrestaurant.com.

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VILLAGE OF ROYAL PALM BEACH PUBLIC NOTICE

Promoting and encouraging local community participation in an organization to provide, promote and encourage goodwill within the western communities of Palm Beach County and established for educational, charitable and social purposes.

TO ATTEND A MEETING AS A GUEST, JOIN AS A MEMBER, OR FOR ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE CONTACT

Mair Armand 561-635-0011

Visit Us Today at www.womenofthewesterncommunities.org

Voter Registration Book Closing for the March 19, 2024, municipal election is 5:00 p.m., February 20, 2024. Voter registration forms are available in the Village Clerk’s office or online at www.votepalmbeach.gov.

If you think you may have been removed from the active voters list for any reason whatsoever, contact the Supervisor of Elections office at 561-656-6200 for confirmation of your voting status in Palm Beach County.

Noticed by Diane DiSanto, MMC, Village Clerk

AVISO PUBLICO El cierre del Libro de Registración de Votantes para la Elección Municipal del 19 de Marzo, 2024 será el 20 de Febrero, 2024, a las 5:00 p.m. Los formularios para registro de votantes están disponibles en la Oficina de la Secretaria Municipal o en el sitio web” www.votepalmbeach.gov.

Si usted piensa que usted pudo haber sido removido de la lista de votantes activos por alguna razón, contactar a la oficina de Supervisor de Elecciones al 561-6566200 para confirmar su estatus de votante en el Condado de Palm Beach Aviso dado por Diane DiSanto, MMC, Village Clerk

The Town-Crier

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Page 15

5th Annual Feeding the Hungry FUNdraiser Join The Pope Taekwondo Academy Family Today!

561-685-3648 NEW YEAR Improve your child’s self esteem and confidence at the best martial arts school in Royal Palm Beach & Wellington. Our Top Notch martial arts curriculum will help improve every aspect of your child’s life.

January 25, 2024 6:30 PM — 10:30 PM

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1149 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. | Royal Palm Beach, FL 33411

CALLING ALL WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL SENIORS The Wellington Community Foundation is now accepting applications for

One-Time Educational Scholarships in the amount of $2,500

Criteria:

• Applicant is currently a senior in high school • Applicant lives in Wellington, Florida OR the applicant attends school in Wellington, Florida

Requirements: 1. Two letters of recommendations, preferably from recent core-subject teachers.

2. High School transcript (with verification of community services hours, if applicable).

3. Verification of community service hours, if applicable and not otherwise included with transcript.

4. Signed Application, completed in its entirety.

5. Responses to short essay questions.

Scholarships Now Available.

Apply Today!

DEADLINE FOR POSTMARK: APRIL 19, 2024

Ranking Criteria: (Total Possible Points 100) • 25% Academic Achievement • 25% Public/Community Service • 20% Leadership • 10% Extra Curricular/Work Involvement • 10% Overcoming Adversity • 10% Overall Application PLEASE NOTE: SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENT MUST ATTEND AWARD PRESENTATION IN MAY 2024, IN WELLINGTON, FL

Wellington Community Foundation, Inc. 12794 Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 19F Wellington, Florida 33414

Log onto website for more information or to download your application today!

www.wellingtoncommunityfoundation.org

Page 16

January 12 - January 25, 2024

The Town-Crier

www.gotowncrier.com

NEWS

ROYAL PALM’S YOUNG AT HEART CLUB HOSTS FIRST LUNCHEON OF NEW YEAR Royal Palm Beach’s Young at Heart Club celebrated the New Year on Friday, Jan. 5 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Ashley Cooper, also known as “Ashley the Entertainer,” sang and danced to a very appreciative audience.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Decorating Committee members Rhonda Ninfo, Chair Dolly Hughes, Pamela Williams, Senior Programs Supervisor Shakeera Thomas, and Mary and Steve Kaminski.

Ashley Cooper entertains the crowd.

Barbara Searls and Pat Lavalley do the Twist.

Young at Heart Club President Sandy Rubin with Ashley Cooper.

Donna Dale, Monique Lananna, Teresa Harrington, Marcia Elliott and Primrose Graham.

Sandra and David Samore do the Twist.

Ashley Cooper dances on stage.

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Page 17

POLO & EQUESTRIAN

Boys Win ‘Battle Of The Sexes’ As WEF Opens 2024 Season

The first Saturday Night Lights event of the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival started off with a repeat win for the men’s team in the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes, presented by Wellington Regional Medical Center.

The crowd-favorite event highlighted Premiere Week of the 2024 WEF, which runs through March 31 at Wellington International.

The men have now buoyed their win tally in the Battle of the Sexes to four in the event’s 14-year history with two wins in a row.

The winning team on Saturday, Jan. 6 was led by captain Charlie Jayne and also included James Billington, Christian Coyle, Jordan Coyle, Luis Larrazabal, Simon McCarthy, Sohnke Theymann and Michael Tokaruk.

The women’s team for Battle of the Sexes consisted of team captain Nicole Jayne, Carly Anthony, Taylor Land, Kelly Soleau-Millar, Samantha Alexis Mackenzie, Abigail McArdle, Audrey Schulze and Elin Uppling.

The Battle of the Sexes is made

up of three phases, with the first being a Table C faults-converted speed course where the riders go head-to-head over the same course.

The one with the fastest time gains a point for their team. Following the first phase, the men’s team had a commanding lead at six to two.

In the second phase, each team had three relay groups, where a trio of riders each did a section of the course with five points up for grabs. The men swept the round by winning both phases of the relay.

After round two, the team total stood at 16 for the men and still only two for the women.

The final phase was a match race where riders competed at the same time over a course that mirrored itself in the ring. Three points for each race won were up for grabs, and the fate of the evening was decided in the third round when McCarthy beat out Mackenzie. The final score was 28 to 11 in the men’s favor.

“My original plan was to go smooth and fast, but that went all out the window when I almost

missed the first jump and was sitting in a chair seat over the fence,” said McCarthy of the start to his winning match-race on Mr. Earl, owned by McCarthy’s student Bobby Malmrose. “When that happened, speed came to mind, and I tried to go as fast as I could.

When I heard Samatha had one fence down, I knew that I could take the win as long as I finished the course.”

McCarthy has competed before in the Battle of the Sexes.

“It’s a brilliant class,” he said.

“This is my third year doing it, and we’ve won the last two, so it has been a great experience so far.

It’s good for the crowd; the format of boys versus girls is easy for everyone to understand and allows them to root for their team. I think it’s also great for us as riders to compete as a team with people we normally compete against.”

Despite the women’s loss, team captain Jayne was positive in defeat. “We all get so serious when season comes around, so it’s nice to start off with a class that we

Michael Tokaruk rides Steel The Love, helping secure the victory. PHOTO BY SPORTFOT

The winning men’s team in the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes is honored by representatives of sponsor Wellington Regional Medical Center, including Dr. Adam Bromberg, Angel Bromberg, CEO Pam Tahan, Jeremy Ring, Tracee Sama and Dr. Nicholas Sama.

take seriously, but can still have fun with,” she said. “Everyone brought their A-game; we were so close throughout the rounds, but we didn’t have luck on our side this year. As hard as it is to admit, the boys brought great horses and their

best, and I have to respect that.”

Pam Tahan, chief executive officer of Wellington Regional Medical Center, participated in the prize giving for the $75,000 Battle of the Sexes.

“As always, it was an exciting

PHOTO BY SPORTFOT

and fun night here in Wellington,” Tahan said. “We love to see the community come out and support the equestrians. We are thrilled to be part of everything that happens [at WEF], and we look forward to the great year ahead.”

Forbes Plunkett Wins Continental Cup In First NPC Final Of 2024 The first final of the 2024 season at the National Polo Center in Wellington concluded Sunday, Jan. 7 when Forbes Plunkett defeated Patagones 10-9 to secure the Continental Cup trophy.

Forbes Plunkett (Brandon Plunkett, Nicolas “Nico” Escobar, Felipe “Pipe” Vercellino and Lucas Escobar) led for the majority of the match until Patagones (Jack Whitman, Marcos Alberdi, Santiago Wulff and Edward Banner-Eve) picked up speed in the second half

Forbes Plunkett’s Brandon Plunkett on a breakaway.

PHOTO © DAVID LOMINSKA

to tie it up at the end of the fifth.

In a riveting final chukker, game MVP Lucas Escobar scored backto-back goals in the final minutes to secure the win for Forbes Plunkett.

The first tournament in the Wellington Polo Tour welcomed a field of four teams on New Year’s Eve. In the semifinals, Patagones bested Catamount 11-7, and Forbes Plunkett defeated defending champions La Fe/Dazos 13-8.

Stepping onto U.S. Polo Assn.

Field One for the first time in 2024, Forbes Plunkett already assumed the advantage, as team owner Plunkett has been playing with the Escobar brothers for nearly a decade.

“I started with Luis [Escobar] eight years ago, and I’ve played with the boys [Nico and Lucas] since they were little,” Plunkett recalled. “They’ve always been my core players, as we’ve gone from 6 to 8 to 12 to the 16 goal.”

In November, the trio competed in Argentina in tournaments such as the President’s Cup and Polo Made Cup. In 2022, the Escobars played in the FIP World Polo Championship, hosted at NPC. “We played in Argentina together, but it’s the

first time we’ve played on this field since FIP,” Lucas said. “It feels good to be back with him and to be back home.”

With Vercellino on board, the Forbes Plunkett squad began practicing together three weeks ago. “We’ve had five or six team practices,” Plunkett said. “I feel like today, and in the first game we played, we were really prepared, and the horses were really prepared.”

First chukker foul trouble from Patagones led to two penalty conversions off the mallet of Vercellino, providing an early lead for Forbes Plunkett. Banner-Eve responded with a field goal to put Patagones on the board, but they would not see another goal until the third. By the end of the first half, Vercellino had made two more conversions, followed by a goal from Lucas, to make the score 5-2 in favor of Forbes Plunkett.

After halftime, Patagones clawed their way back from the penalty line. Two conversions from Banner-Eve and a goal from Wulff matched three combined goals from Forbes Plunkett to maintain the gap, 8-5. In the fifth, three unanswered goals, including two more penalty conversions

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from Banner-Eve and a goal off the mallet of Whitman, equalized the score 8-8. Banner-Eve scored his seventh of the game in the sixth, placing Patagones in the lead for the first time.

With two minutes left, Vercellino won the throw-in to take possession and make a critical pass to Lucas Escobar, who made a massive cutshot toward goal to tie the score. Spectators were on the edge of their seats as he sealed the deal with one more goal for Forbes Plunkett to defeat Patagones, 10-9.

Lucas Escobar was named Most Valuable Player for his critical goals in the game’s final moments.

“I wasn’t trying to think too much of the score,” he said. “I was just trying to play our system and go to the end.”

Best Playing Pony was awarded to Vercellino’s 7-year-old mare, La Tia Bancada. “She’s a mare I bought from Fernando Monteverde in Argentina,” Vercellino said. “I brought her here to the U.S. last year and that was her first year. I think she’s playing really well now.”

Forbes Plunkett hoisted the Continental Cup above their heads just as the sun peaked from behind the clouds. “When I started riding

Continental Cup Champs — Lucas Escobar, Felipe “Pipe” Vercellino, Nicolas “Nico” Escobar and Brandon Plunkett of Forbes Plunkett.

PHOTO © DAVID LOMINSKA with Luis, I was holding onto the The winners are headed for the saddle and a little scared,” Plunkett Joe Barry Memorial next, which joked. “So, eight years later, to be begins Saturday, Jan. 13. Learn on Field One and to win a tour- more about the 2024 season at the nament… especially a 16-goal, it National Polo Center in Wellingfeels like it has been a long time ton at www.nationalpolocenter. coming.” com.

Page 18

January 12 - January 25, 2024

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The Town-Crier

Building a for Wellington 12 Fast Facts about Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ 1.

WLP/NEXUS’ goal is for Wellington to remain “The Horse Sport Capital of the World” for decades to come.

2.

WLP/NEXUS are committed to building new showgrounds on their land, creating a pathway for future expansion and investment into our vital showgrounds.

3.

WLP/NEXUS will design, build, and complete the new showgrounds on Parcel F (Pod F) before any homes are built on Equestrian Village and White Birch.

4.

Our interests could not be more aligned. The stronger the showgrounds, the stronger Wellington becomes.

WLP/NEXUS’ application guarantees new showgrounds are built.

5.

Beyond the showgrounds, WLP/NEXUS are making significant investments toward roadway and traffic improvements, funding to public schools, new bridle trails, and a new approximately 50+-acre park for everyone in Wellington to enjoy.

6.

Today, development rights exist on all of these privatelyowned lands. WLP/NEXUS are not asking for a single additional residential unit beyond what is already allocated across their privately-owned lands. WLP is not proposing any condo buildings, hotels, or buildings above 35 feet in their applications. They are pursuing a low-density community in keeping with Wellington’s past and equestrian lifestyle.

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Stronger Future - Together (WLP) Application Before the Village of Wellington 7.

WLP/NEXUS are respecting the conservation easements and preserve areas on their parcels.

8.

WLP/NEXUS have deep real estate development experience and expertise operating high-quality residential club communities for the long term, and will do so in Wellington.

9.

WLP/NEXUS plan to further invest in Wellington by restoring the existing Cypress Golf Course originally designed by Pete Dye and creating a new “main street” along South Shore Blvd. and Greenview Shores, featuring a luxury boutique hotel, restaurants, shops, offices, and lushly-landscaped common spaces.

10. Development on these privately-owned lands is inevitable. WLP/NEXUS have worked with residents and listened to community feedback to modify their plans to a place where we all win. Wellington gets new showgrounds, significant roadway improvements, and a new public park.

11. WLP/NEXUS and their shareholders have the resources and experience to complete each aspect of their applications to the highest quality that Wellington needs and deserves.

12. We all want a stronger Wellington with thriving, vital showgrounds, a desirable equestrian lifestyle, and further investment into the community to keep Wellington a “Great Hometown.”

Scan to learn more about our application

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SPORTS & REC, PAGES 21-24 • PEOPLE, PAGE 25 • SCHOOLS, PAGE 26 • BUSINESS, PAGE 27 • COLUMNS, PAGE 28 • CLASSIFIEDS, PAGES 29-30

SPORTS & RECREATION

2024 Flags For The Cure Flag Raises $36K For Cancer Research

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report Under overcast, breezy and sometimes stormy conditions, which included a tornado warning, the 17th annual Flags for the Cure flag football tournament was held from Jan. 3 to Jan. 7 in Wellington.

The tournament had strong participation and generated a big donation to the American Cancer Society. In all, 64 teams played in this year’s event, which for the second year in a row was held on five fields at Wellington’s Village Park on Pierson Road.

In addition to crowning champions in eight different competitive brackets, the event had a bigger purpose. This tournament is held each year in order to raise money for the American Cancer Society.

“The tournament was a huge success, despite the weather,” said Dr. Hart Collier, the tournament’s

director. “I want to thank the many volunteers who attended planning meetings in the months leading up to the event. Next year, our goal is to get more younger teams in the tournament, specifically in the 10U, 13U and 15U age brackets.

It takes a lot to coordinate and plan a five-day tournament like this. Many thanks to the Village of Wellington for allowing us to stage the event at Village Park.”

In the first 16 years of this event, it raised a total of $400,000 for the American Cancer Society. This year’s $36,000 donation was announced in a special ceremony at the Village Park football fields on Saturday, Jan. 6.

In addition to the presentation of the $36,000 check to the American Cancer Society, the event was staged in order to recognize and honor those who are currently battling cancer, those who have

Flags for the Cure Women’s Open bracket winners Carnage holding the big check to the American Cancer Society.

The Acreage Elite 10U team with coach Alex Tirado.

The Resurrection team huddles coach Scott O’Hara (in red). lost their lives to cancer, and to the caregivers who are so instrumental during all stages of the struggle against cancer.

The tournament’s eight different competitive brackets ranged from 10 & Under Coeds to the Women’s Over-30 division. The bracket with the largest number of teams was the Men’s Open division, which had 22 teams.

Nearly 30 referees from the Officials of Florida worked the tournament. According to Officials of Florida President Bruce Hawthorne, many referees supported the tournament’s mission to raise money by donating their game checks to the American Cancer Society.

Creative team names are a popular part of this event. Some of the more creative team names this year were: Cancer Outlaws, Fight Like a Girl, Calcium Cannons, Bangin Bongos, Kyngs & Qu33ns, TDs for Ta Tas and the Tittsburg Feelers.

Listed below are the final scores of the championship finals in each bracket:

PHOTOS BY TRICIA JONES

In the Felice Trial Attorneys Men’s Open division final, Florida Motion defeated Steel City, 31-16.

In the Western Communities Chiropractic Women’s Open division final, Carnage stymied Make Your Move United, 19-7.

In the Hubbs Tire & Service Coed division championship final, the Minions won over Carnage due to a forfeit.

In the PDQ Wellington 30 & Over Women’s championship final, Fight Like a Girl blanked Backyard Baddies, 6-0.

In the Texas Roadhouse 18 & Under championship final, Standing on Business outscored Tru Skills Academy, 18-13.

In the Rockwood Instillation Inc. 15 & Under championship final, Venom outlasted the Ravens, 19-13 in overtime.

In the Breakthru Athletic League 13 & Under championship final, the BA Bulldogs defeated the Acreage Elite Black, 27-12.

In the Village of Wellington 10 & Under championship final, the See TOURNAMENT, page 24

Flags for the Cure 2024 raised $36,000 for the American Cancer Society.

Wellington High School Basketball Boys Are Talented And Driven

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report The Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 5A for boys basketball may be the most competitive and talent-filled high school class in any Florida sport.

And the Wellington High School boys varsity basketball team is one of those top-tier programs in the FHSAA’s Class 5A, year after year.

After all, how many high school basketball programs have generated at least 20 wins a season for the last 10 years? Well, the Wellington Wolverines, under the leadership of head coach Matthew Colin, have done just that.

During that run, the Wolverines have been to four state final fours and captured one state title, which was during the 2014-15 season.

This year’s WHS team has won 12 of its first 14 games and is off to another strong and solid start.

One of the big reasons for Wellington’s success is a strong starting five players. According to Colin, his starting five lineup is athletic, experienced, strong, talented, smart and quick.

Like all basketball teams, it’s important to have a point guard who can make a pinpoint pass to an open teammate at the right time.

“Our point guard is Manny Hernandez,” Colin said. “He’s a tough kid, who leads the team in assists and is one of our top rebounders as well. Manny came back from a torn ACL last year in the Lake Worth game in late January.”

The other members of the starting five — Reggie Reinhardt, Dakota Izard, Toney Collins and

Members of the Wellington High School boys varsity basketball team gather with coach Matt Colin to review a play in practice.

PHOTO BY MIKE MAY/TOWN-CRIER

Elyjah Freeman — can run, pass, shoot, rebound and play solid defense.

“Reggie Reinhardt has been a starter since his sophomore year,” Colin said. “He’s a physically gifted player who can shoot and get to the rim. Reggie is one of our best defenders.”

Next year, Reinhardt will be playing college basketball for Barry University in Miami Shores, which is an NCAA Division II program.

“Dakota Izard is a gifted athlete who can really shoot,” Colin said.

“He is also a high-flying dunker.

Dakota works hard every day to get better.”

Freeman, meanwhile, is 6-foot6 and is able to use his height.

“He’s one of our long and athletic players who uses his length and great footwork to get to the rim and finish many different ways,” Colin said. “Elyjah is a shot blocker who is really good at the midrange jump shot.”

Next year, Freeman will be playing college basketball for Lincoln Memorial University in Tennessee, which is an NCAA Division II program.

“Toney Collins is a tough physical player who can post up and score around the rim,” Colin said.

“He can also step out and shoot the three.”

When it comes to depth on the bench, the Wolverines have that as well. In fact, Colin has two options for his “sixth man.”

“We have a 6A and a 6B,” Colin said. “They are Tor-El Robinson

WHS Boys Varsity Basketball Team — (Front Row) Albert Santos, Reggie Reinhardt, Elyjah Freeman, Toney Collins and Gavin Gruber; and (back row) team manager Nate Kurz, assistant coach Carl Bryant, Jeremy Tovar, Lucas Moore, Bryan Demyan, Tor-El Robinson, Dakota Izard, Manny Hernandez, Johnathan Glenn and head coach Matthew Colin.

PHOTO COURTESY WELLINGTON HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS and Jeremy Tovar. Tor-El is similar at times during the season, but According to Colin, his biggest to Elyjah with his length and ath- not well at all times. According to concern with his current team is leticism. He has the ability to block Colin, his squad has yet to sustain being able to make the right decishots, is very strong getting to the excellence during four quarters in sions on the court, especially when rim and can also shoot very well. any given game. his team has the ball.

Jeremy is a hard-working, physical “I have seen this team play very “I think, like most teams, it’s defender who can really shoot it. well in parts, but I have yet to see sharing the basketball and playHe can get ‘hot’ and hit three or us play well and clicking on all cyl- ing unselfishly,” Colin said. “It’s four three-pointers in a row. He inders,” added Colin, who teaches knowing the difference between a is also a very strong driver to the physical education at WHS. “I bad shot, a good shot and a great basket with the ball.” know it’s there, and we’ve seen shot.”

This year’s Wellington team, flashes of it. Once we figure it out Like all high school teams, like so many talented high school — and we are close — this team there’s always a player or two basketball teams, has played well has a shot to be great.”

See BASKETBALL, page 24

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The Town-Crier

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Page 23

SPORTS & RECREATION

Budding Golf Superstar Staci Pla Making Waves In The Sport

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report One of the possible future superstars in women’s golf is connected with a school in the western communities. It’s Staci Pla, who

is affiliated with Berean Christian School.

Staci, who just turned 17, is homeschooled, but she plays on Berean’s girls golf team. Her mother, Sherri Pla, is the head

Local golfer Staci Pla lines up her shot.

coach of the boys and girls golf programs at Berean.

Staci’s journey in golf started when she was very young. She first touched a club at age three.

Her first tournament golf experience took place when she was five.

“I shot a 39 for nine holes, but it was a shortened course,” Staci recalled.

Since then, she has not stopped playing.

Staci, who just turned 17, just achieved another big win in her life, as she successfully defended her title at the IMG Palm Beach Classic at PGA National (formerly, the Junior Honda Classic) held Jan. 6-7 on the Fazio Course at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens.

In the 36-hole event, Staci shot 70-74 (144). Not many young golfers get a chance to play in an event like the IMG Palm Beach Classic at PGA National, and even fewer actually win an event like that. Well, Staci has now won the tournament twice in a row — and she plans to go for the three-peat next year. The only other female golfer to win this event twice in a row is Alexa Pano of Lake Worth Beach, who won the tournament three times in row and now plays on the LPGA Tour.

Prior to her recent victory at the IMG Palm Beach Classic, Staci had a strong 13th-place showing

in her first trip to the Florida High School Athletic Association’s Class 1A state golf championship, which was held Nov. 7-8 at the Mission Inn Resort & Club in Howey-in-the-Hills, Florida.

The Las Colinas course was used to stage the two-day, 36-hole event for the girls. In that 36-hole tournament, Staci shot a pair of one-over-par 73s for a total of 146.

She finished in a two-way tie, 10 shots behind the winning score of 136. To qualify for last fall’s FHSAA Class 1A tournament, she won the Class 1A, District 13 tournament with a round of 66 at the Meadowood Golf and Tennis Club in Fort Pierce on Oct. 24.

That was followed by a 72, good enough for a two-way tie for fifth in the regional tournament on Oct. 30, which was held at the Sandhill Crane Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens.

The next golf tournament for Staci is the American Junior Golf Association Annika Invitational, which will be held at the Eagle Trace Golf Club in Orlando Jan. 14-16. As the name of the tournament suggests, it has the backing, support and involvement of LPGA Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, who is one of Staci’s idols.

“Annika is the best,” Staci said.

“But I also like other LPGA players, like Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda.”

Berean Christian School’s Staci Pla at the FHSAA state golf finals.

In early February, Staci will be playing in the pro-am of the PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open, which is being played at the Torrey Pines Golf Club in La Jolla, California, just outside San Diego.

She was invited to that event based on her overall solid play.

After graduating from high school, Staci plans to play college golf, preferably at the NCAA Division I level.

“My two top picks are Wake

Forest University and the University of Miami, but I also like the University of Florida and Auburn University,” Staci said.

After college golf, she would like to pursue a professional playing career on the LPGA Tour.

For somebody who relishes the challenges that golf presents, don’t bet against her.

“I think I can get better every time I play golf,” Staci said. “I like the challenges that golf presents.”

Berean, Seminole Ridge Soccer Girls Having Strong Seasons

By Mike May Town-Crier Staff Report Winning is becoming a habit for the varsity girls soccer teams at Berean Christian School and Seminole Ridge High School.

Under the leadership of head coach Jon Iverson, the Berean varsity girls soccer team is 11-3, but is currently riding a streak of nine victories in the last 10 games.

The team’s current success can be attributed to the adversity the team suffered early in the season, when it started with two wins and two losses.

According to Iverson, his team learned a great deal from those two losses.

“We do not give up, and we must play our game,” Iverson said. “After every goal, you have to just have a 0-0 mentality and try to score.”

The key to the success of the

current team is its ability to control the midfield. The key midfielders for the Bulldogs are Sarah Wells, Kira Schartner and Katharina Jochem.

While controlling the flow of any given soccer match is important, it’s vital to score goals to win, and the Bulldogs are doing just that.

“I have had more girls score this year than in most years,” Iverson said. “We have had a lot of girls with three to four goals. Kat Jochem and Macy Ford are shooting machines who wear the opposing defenses down and eventually score, or the opposing defenses focus on them so much that others get opportunities.”

Another key dynamic that this year’s team has is experience in big competitive games outside of the traditional high school soccer season.

“Several of the girls started playing club soccer, and some of them are on the same team,” Iverson said. “This has given them training year-round, as well as knowing each other’s abilities and confidence in one another. In years past, we might have had one or two outstanding players, and the rest of the team always tried to give them the ball and expected them to make the big plays. This year, they all expect more and trust each other more.”

Another varsity girls soccer program in the western communities that is having a strong season is the Seminole Ridge High School team. The school’s girls varsity soccer team has yet to lose a match this season. The team has eight wins and three ties.

This year’s team is following in the footsteps of last year’s team, which was undefeated before fall-

ing in a regional final last February.

One of the keys to the success of this year’s Hawks is the leadership displayed by team captain Anaya Thomas.

“She brings hard work ethic, experience and knowing when to speak to teammates,” head coach Felipe Tribin said.

Tribin is playing college soccer at Grambling State University next year.

Four other players who are vital contributors to the Hawks’ soccer success are Lola Agosto, Aaliyah Lobo, Briana Jones and Alexa Hernandez.

Agosta is one of the team’s leading scorers, Lobo has made a number of game-changing saves as the team’s goalkeeper, and Jones and Hernandez are often shadowing the opposition’s best players.

According to Tribin, the main goal of this year’s team is to ad-

Berean midfielder Elena Schartner controls the midfield.

PHOTO BY JENNY SCHARTNER

vance at least one more game than last year’s team, which graduated only three seniors.

“Essentially, it’s the same team, plus a handful of talented freshmen, who made the team along

with other sophomores and juniors,” Tribin said. “We have done well in Palm Beach County. The goal this year is to be the regional champion and advance to the FHSAA’s Class 6A Final Four.”

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Page 24

January 12 - January 25, 2024

The Town-Crier

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Tournament

Basketball

Flags For The Cure Raises $36K

WHS Varsity Squad

continued from page 21 Acreage Elite were victorious over the BA Makos, 30-6.

The tournament opened at 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 3, and the final matches kicked off at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Jan. 7. Major sponsors included Felice Trial Attorneys (presenting sponsor), Hubbs Tire & Service Inc. (event sponsor) and the Village of Wellington (field sponsor).

Learn more about the event at www.flagsforthecure.com.

Team Venom was the 15 & Under division champion at Flags for the Cure 2024.

Flag Football Elite Take Part In Local Tournament

Two of the many participants in this year’s Flags for the Cure tournament were Kennedy Foster and Ashlea Klam, who attend Keiser University in West Palm Beach.

Foster and Klam are members of Keiser University’s women’s flag football team. In addition to being part of Keiser’s flag football program, both Foster, 22, and Klam, 19, were also members of the U.S. Women’s National Flag Football team last year.

Both played in seven games for the U.S. team in 2023 and are planning to earn a spot on the 2024 U.S. team during tryouts in Charlotte, North Carolina, in late February/early March.

Their hope is to make the U.S. team, thereby securing a spot on the squad that will be playing in the 2024 International Federation of American Football (IFAF) Flag Football World Championships in Lahti, Finland, from Aug. 25-30.

During the seven games that both women played for the U.S. squad in 2023, Foster played as a wide receiver, and Klam was a center. While playing for Keiser, Foster is a wide receiver, and Klam plays both wide receiver on offense and safety on defense.

At Keiser, both Foster and Klam are sports management majors. In the Flags for the Cure tournament, both played for Carnage, which defeated Make Your Move United in the Women’s Open division final, 19-7.

continued from page 21 who gets the attention of the head coach, based on their hustle in practice and games. Colin has spotted a few of those players on this year’s squad.

“Tor-El Robinson, who played junior varsity last year, has really helped us with rebounding and attacking the rim,” Colin said. “Bryan Demyan, a big physical guy who works extremely hard, has become a better finisher around the rim. Also, he rebounds the ball well. Lucas Moore is a really good shooter and is like a coach on the floor, as he knows where everyone needs to go.”

If the Wolverines can consistently put together four quarters of play, they will have a good chance of transforming this season from another memorable one for Wellington High School to an un-

The Wellington High School boys varsity basketball team during a recent practice session. PHOTO BY MIKE MAY/TOWN-CRIER forgettable one for the Wolverines.

Wellington’s next home game will be Friday, Jan. 12, when lo-

cal rival Royal Palm Beach High School will visit WHS. The tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.

WHS GIRLS WRESTLING TEAM WINS AT JENSEN BEACH EVENT

Kennedy Foster and Ashlea Klam at the 2024 Flags for the Cure tournament. PHOTO BY TRICIA JONES

The Wellington High School girls wrestling team brought home the team championship last weekend from the 27-team Jensen Beach Cradle Cancer tournament. Individual place winners were Aurora Guadiana (first place, 115 pounds), Vivianna Caullett (first place, 125 pounds), Isabella Di Palermo (second place, 140 pounds), Azaria Williams (second place, 190 pounds), Lana Loucks (second place, 120 pounds) and Alyssa Garcia (third place, 100 pounds). Shown above (L-R) are Azaria Williams, Lucabella Imbimbo, Alyssa Garcia, Catalina Rothermel, Vivianna Caullett, Emma Kosza, Isabella Di Palermo, Yani Hernandez, Lana Loucks and Aurora Guadiana.

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The Town-Crier

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Page 25

PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Writer Donates Book Royalties To Charity PALMS WEST HOSPITAL

The cover of Stephen Medici’s book, Wellington Redemption.

As most people approach retirement, they dream about how the luxury of extra time will set them free to do the things postponed for so many years. For some, it’s endless walks on the beach or travel to exotic places. For others, limitless rounds of golf or weekend sails. And, for many, some form of charitable work is also a part of the plan.

Many assume that when they retire, the nearby food pantry, library or pet sanctuary will welcome them with open arms and revere their many talents. After all, who would turn down an able and willing volunteer?

But when Stephen Medici, a retired executive from New York, left the workforce, he encountered an obstacle he hadn’t expected. His local church, VA hospital and library were all skeptical of his offer to help with part-time, unpaid work. It seemed, the nonprofits he approached were more interested in using his commercial skills, like fundraising, than they were in someone who was offering to teach Sunday school, wheel around patients or return books to the proper shelves. But after many years of being his company’s chief rainmaker, asking others for money was the last thing Medici wanted to do in retirement.

Fortunately, his local firehouse was looking for daytime EMTs and firefighters. So, after six months of training at the Suffolk

County Fire Academy, he became a volunteer firefighter and EMT. A few years later, he was a lieutenant.

Still, there were worthwhile charities he wanted to support financially, but not necessarily by dipping into his retirement nest egg. That’s when his wife suggested he finish writing the book he’d begun so many years ago and donate the royalties to charity. That idea alone was enough catalyst to jumpstart his storytelling passion, and he published his first novel in 2007, donating all the proceeds to the Harry Chapin Food Bank.

Seventeen years later, Medici has retired from the fire department and moved to Wellington. He has written five more books in support of St. Jude Children’s Hospital, the Fresh Air Fund and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. The royalties from one of his recent novels, Wellington Redemption, all go to the Suffolk County Volunteer Firefighters Burn Center at Stony Brook Hospital. It’s the only Level 1 burn center for a hundred miles.

“I still hate asking people for money,” Medici said. “Even when it goes to a charity. It’s a lot easier asking people to buy a book. They get an interesting novel, and the charity gets the cash. Winners all around.”

Medici’s books can be ordered through Amazon.com.

WELCOMES FIRST BABY OF THE NEW YEAR

HCA Florida Palms West Hospital welcomed its first baby of 2024 on Monday, Jan. 1 at 12:17 a.m. The baby boy was born to mother Davila Flores Doris Oneida and father Alton Benjamin Bustillo Soto.

The new baby joins the family’s six other boys.

Cub Scout Pack 125 Makes Generous Holiday Contributions To Community

In a heartwarming display of community spirit, Cub Scout Pack 125, chartered by the Rotary Club of Wellington, upheld its tradition of giving back by organizing two charitable initiatives in November.

Through the Scouting for Food initiative and participation in Toys for Tots, pack members demonstrated their commitment to helping those in need.

The Scouting for Food initiative,

an annual event held in November, had the scouts distributing door hangers throughout the Wellington community. The door hangers served as a reminder that the following week, the scouts would be collecting non-perishable goods for a local food bank. This year, Pack 125 set an ambitious goal of placing 1,000 door hangers, and thanks to the overwhelming generosity of the community and

Scouts distribute door hangers as part of the Scouting for Food initiative.

the dedicated efforts of the scouts, leaders and parents, a commendable total of 546 pounds of food was donated to a local food pantry.

While traditionally engaging in one charitable event per month, Pack 125’s scouts were inspired to go above and beyond their usual efforts. It was during a chance encounter while fundraising and selling popcorn that the scouts crossed paths with Palm Beach County

Sheriff’s Office Deputy Kenneth Torrence, affectionately known as “Coach T” by the kids. He supported the scouts during their popcorn sales and extended an invitation for the scouts to attend the “Pizza with a Deputy” event held on Nov. 18 at their pack meeting. Grateful for this opportunity, the scouts seized the chance to give back, and a collection was organized to support the PBSO’s Toys for Tots initiative.

Scouts with some of the toys collected for Toys for Tots.

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Cubmaster and Scout Leader Stephanie King has been instrumental in instilling a sense of community spirit within the pack. The Year of Giving initiative, created

by King, has witnessed remarkable success over the past four months, thanks to the extraordinary efforts of the scouts, their parents and the dedicated leaders who selflessly volunteer their time.

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Through their contributions to the local food pantry and Toys for Tots, these young scouts are not only making a tangible impact on the lives of those in need, but also learning the importance of empathy and the power of collective action.

Deputy Kenneth Torrence with scouts at the popcorn sale.

Page 26

January 12 - January 25, 2024

The Town-Crier

www.gotowncrier.com

WES WELCOMES HUGE GINGERBREAD MAN

First-grade teacher Debbie Alfonso knows how to spice it up during the holidays at Wellington Elementary School. Her class had the opportunity to create a larger-than-life-size gingerbread man. It took three days for the children to mix, cut to size (nine parts), bake and decorate the gingerbread man. They worked so hard on it and enjoyed reading “The Gingerbread Man” story. This is a tradition that Alfonso has been doing for 14 years. Her students will never forget this experience, and of course, the best part was eating it. Shown above is teacher Debbie Alfonso and her class with the life-size gingerbread man.

SCHOOL NEWS

EMERALD COVE STUDENTS TAKE COLLEGE TOUR

It is never too early to think about tomorrow! The Emerald Cove Middle School pre-IT and AVID students recently explored the University of Florida, the University of Central Florida, the University of South Florida and Florida Gulf Coast University in a two-day college tour.

The trip’s goal was to help increase college attainment and to raise awareness of the many resources available to help students get to college. Shown here are Emerald Cove students at the different colleges on their tour.

Students at the University of Central Florida.

Students at the Florida Gulf Coast University.

Students at the University of South Florida.

Students at the University of Florida.

HCA FLORIDA DONATES $20K TO AREA SCHOOLS

American Heritage To Host Job Search, Free Continuing Education Event Jan. 30

Through its partnership with the School District of Palm Beach County and the Palm Beach County Education Foundation, HCA Florida Healthcare, HCA Florida Palms West, JFK and JFK North hospitals recently donated $20,000 to 11 middle schools and high schools in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach, The Acreage, Belle Glade and Pahokee. The funds were donated to a discretionary fund, which allows principals to dedicate the contribution where it is most effective on their campuses. Shown above are Kathryn Walton of JFK Hospital, Palms West Hospital CEO Jason L. Kimbrell, Angela Ledford of the school district, JFK North Hospital CEO Ashley Vertuno, JFK Hospital CEO Ken West, Narupa Baldeosingh of JFK North Hospital and Julie Trieste of Palms West Hospital.

American Heritage Schools, the top-ranked PK3 through grade 12 college preparatory school in Florida, invites educators to its virtual Job Fair and Free Continuing Education webinar on Tuesday, Jan. 30 at 7 p.m.

From the convenience of their homes, attendees will learn about job opportunities and the benefits of teaching at American Heritage Schools’ Palm Beach Campus and Broward Campus.

Participants will hear directly from the American Heritage Schools President Dr. Douglas Laurie about how the schools’ mentoring program supports educators in their professional growth.

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They will also earn 1.5 hours of continuing education credit offered by the Association of Independent Schools of Florida (AISF) by attending this insightful webinar featuring guest speaker Todd Nesloney, a nationally recognized educator, award-winning author and two-time TEDx speaker. He is currently the Director of Culture and Strategic Leadership for the Texas Elementary Principals and Supervisors Association (TEPSA) and hosts the podcast series, “Honestly, #LetsTalk.”

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things for their students. He will explain how he uses technology in the classroom and throughout his own school, giving fellow educators ideas on how to continually utilize the tools at their disposal to create the best possible learning environment for children.

The event will be held virtually via Zoom. American Heritage Schools’ virtual Job Fair and Continuing Education event is free to attend. For information about the event and registration, visit www. ahschool.com/job-fair-1-2024.

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January 12 - January 25, 2024

Page 27

BUSINESS NEWS

HCA PALMS WEST HOSPITAL KICKS OFF OR EXPANSION

‘Round Up For Kids’ At Rocky’s Ace Hardware Raises More Than $41K

Rocky’s Ace Hardware, one of the country’s largest family-owned Ace Hardware dealers with 48 locations in nine states, kicked off the season of giving with its semi-annual “Round Up for Kids” fundraiser, raising a grand total of $41,376.96.

Throughout the campaign, which took place during the month of November, customers rounded up their purchase totals to the next dollar.

The difference was donated to the Children’s Miracle Network (CMN) hospital nearest to each store.

“More than decking our stores in garland and lights, it’s this round up event that marks the beginning of the holiday season for us,” Rocky’s Ace Hardware President Rocco J. Falcone II said. “We are proud to support CMN in helping more than 10 million kids each year.”

Local participating Rocky’s locations include the stores in Wellington, Stuart, Port St. Lucie and Tequesta, with all local funds benefiting UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital in Gainesville.

This is the second “Round Up for Kids” fundraiser held this year,

with 100 percent of the money raised going to benefit CMN hospitals.

“It is our honor to support CMN and the important work they do for children in our community,” Falcone said. “We are grateful for our customers. Without their generosity, this campaign wouldn’t be possible.”

Since 1983, CMN hospitals have helped fill funding gaps by raising more than $7 billion.

Fundraising partners and programs support the nonprofit’s mission to save and improve the lives of as many children as possible.

Prestigious Honor For Marital And Family Law Firm Stephens & Stevens

HCA Florida Palms West Hospital recently held a “board breaking ceremony” to celebrate the beginning of its $22-million expansion of the surgical services department. This transformation will add two new operating rooms (ORs), including a vascular hybrid room, right-size two current ORs, build out the ambulatory services unit and lay the foundation for future OR growth. Palms West Hospital offers a wide array of surgical services, including vascular, spine, gynecology, general surgery, oncology, bariatric and orthopedics, and is the first hospital in the county to be named a Center of Excellence in Robotic Surgery. Shown here, members of the hospital’s leadership, surgeons and surgical staff gather for the ceremony.

Register Now For Clerk’s Free Valentine’s Day Group Wedding

Palm Beach County Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller Joseph Abruzzo invites couples to register now for a free group Valentine’s Day wedding in the beautifully restored 1916 Palm Beach County Courthouse in downtown West Palm Beach.

Twenty-five couples will say “I do!” during one ceremony officiated by Abruzzo on Wednesday, Feb. 14 at 11 a.m. The two-story courtroom, where the Valentine’s Day wedding will take place, has been fully restored, with the judge’s bench, jury box and other elements recreated to how it looked more than a century ago.

“What a privilege to be part of such a joyous occasion,” Abruzzo said. “Our annual Valentine’s Day ceremony provides couples with a unique opportunity to get married in a beautiful, historic space, on the most romantic day of the year.”

Happy couples can register for the ceremony by visiting www. mypalmbeachclerk.com/valentine.

Registration will continue until all

A group photo from last year’s free Valentine’s Day group wedding.

25 spaces are filled. Due to limited space in the historic courtroom, each couple will be permitted two guests for the wedding.

Although the ceremony itself is free, couples must still pay for a marriage license.

Additional information about license requirements and fees is available on the Marriage Licenses & Ceremonies section at www. mypalmbeachclerk.com.

Couples will receive a complimentary professional digital photo by All For One Creations Photography, as well as a complimentary rose and boutonniere for each couple from Heaven & Earth Floral. Heaven & Earth will also donate floral arrangements for the event.

For more information, visit www.mypalmbeachclerk.com/ valentine.

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Scher Meltzer Law Firm Represents clients in all areas of Palm Beach County including: Jupiter, Palm Beach Gardens, West Palm Beach, Riviera Beach, Lake Park, Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Lantana, Delray Beach, Boynton Beach and throughout Florida.

OUR SERVICES

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• Automobile Accidents • Serious Injuries • Wrongful Death • Construction Site Accidents • Medical Malpractice

Our experienced attorneys give all potential clients a free case review to discuss the details for your case. The review is completely free with no obligation.

Our attorneys are available to meet with our clients, in person, to discuss their case and answer questions.

Brian T. Scher, Esq. PARTNER

Debra L. Meltzer, R.N., Esq. PARTNER

Contact Us Today for a Free Consultation at (561) 804-6800 If you or a loved one has been injured in an accident, please call us for a free consultation. Don’t fight the insurance companies alone, the attorneys and staff at Scher Meltzer Law Firm are here to fight for you!

Stephens & Stevens PLLC, founded by Eddie Stephens and Caryn A. Stevens, earned the 2024 Best Law Firms achievement from Best Lawyers, the most credible rankings of exceptional law firms, rooted in a rigorous, peer-to-peer, industry-driven evaluation.

Stephens & Stevens, a marital and family law firm, focuses on high-conflict, high-asset divorce cases, helping clients with domestic legal issues such as property division, business valuation, child support and spousal support, child custody and visitation, post-judgment modifications, child relocation, and both prenuptial and postnuptial agreements.

Evaluated through Best Lawyers’ proven awards process, earning a Best Law Firms ranking is based on a unique combination of quality law practice and breadth of legal expertise. The firm received the prestigious recognition based on a rigorous collection of client and lawyer evaluations, peer review from leading attorneys in their field, and review of additional information provided by law firms.

“We are honored to be recognized by our peers and clients for our dedication to marital and family law,” Eddie Stephens said.

“Earning the Best Law Firms distinction validates our relentless dedication to providing exceptional legal services to our clients during challenging life transitions.”

Eddie Stephens, a sixth-generation Floridian, is a seasoned attorney with more than 25 years

Attorneys Eddie Stephens and Caryn Stevens.

PHOTO COURTESY COASTAL CLICK PHOTOGRAPHY

of litigation experience. He is board-certified by the Florida Bar in marital and family law. He has earned the AV Preeminent Peer Review Rating by Martindale-Hubbell, the professional rating indicating the highest ethical standards and professional ability.

Partner Caryn A. Stevens, a longtime Wellington resident, spent more than years in the mental health and counseling field before practicing law. As a mental health counselor, school guidance counselor and counselor for the Department of Children & Families, she brings a unique and

compassionate perspective to the clients she represents.

Stevens has assisted thousands of children, families and couples through difficult life circumstances. As a family law attorney, she uses her mental health training and therapeutic skills to create positive change for each client. Stevens was recently included in the 2023 edition of the “Best Lawyers: Ones to Watch in America.”

The boutique firm of Stephens & Stevens celebrates this honor with the firm’s team of attorneys, paralegals and support staff. Learn more at www.ss-familylaw.com.

Page 28

January 12 - January 25, 2024

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FEATURES

No Resolutions For Me, I Don’t Want To Correct My (Many) Flaws New Year’s resolutions! An apropos topic for my first column of 2024, and a topic in which I have absolutely no interest whatsoever.

Oh, I used to. I used to sit down with my trusty Bic pen and a legal pad and sketch out a plan for myself — a plan that would effectively take the lump of clay that I am and form it into a more perfect human being all within just 365 days (366, in a leap year).

I would reflect solemnly on all the ways I had disappointed friends, family and mankind in general, and resolve to become a better human being. I’d make promises.

I’d strive to keep them. But here’s what happened — I got old. Not too old, just

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER old enough for all my filters to break down and cause me to start saying what I really thought about any given situation.

In talking with my friends (some of whom have remained, despite my getting even lumpier through the years), I have found this to be a common experience.

It starts on the day you receive your first Social Security payment. Having instantly been deemed worthless by society, your mindset shifts to “whatever,” and it’s a short leap from “whatever” to “I don’t give a let’s-say-darn.”

I’m not blaming Social Security. It was an excellent idea. Back in the day, our well-meaning and trusted government recognized that people were not going to choose saving over spending and chose to impose a forced savings program that would ensure that we had money to live on in our old age. The government did this so that the intersections of our great country would never be commandeered by homeless old people, begging for money. It

worked beautifully. I haven’t seen one person out there who isn’t younger than I am.

But, after about one generation of effectiveness, our government decided it, too, would rather spend money than save it. Quickly squandering its own resources, it then turned a baleful eye toward the pile of money we had unwillingly entrusted to it. No longer well-meaning nor trusted, the government raised the age at which we could receive our own money, sluggishly allowed a pandemic to take out a swath of the more susceptible oldsters, and unabashedly re-branded the savings as some sort of “gift” when they legally (and grudgingly) were forced to pay it out as Baby Boomers aged into the program.

(Who knew that would happen?! Totally unexpected!)

(Deep breath here, to calm myself.)

I digress, but not really.

When I was a productive member of society, I would watch my mouth. Saying what I felt might cause repercussions, might cost me my job! But now that I’m irrelevant and ineffective anyway, I just spout off to whomever will listen. And do I really want to correct this personality flaw?

I do not.

In fact, in 2024, I resolve to be more outspoken and annoying than ever — just like all the other old people.

Why? Just because I can.

‘Wonka’ Is An Amusing, Magical Movie For Both Kids And Adults

I had not expected to see the new movie Wonka. December is usually the month for interesting films and, frankly, I had not been wildly blown away by the first of the films, the one with Gene Wilder. But this is 2023, and good films for grownups are rather thin on the ground, and my two grandsons were pretty insistent. So they dragged me there. And I had a really good time.

This is not a remake of the old film. It is actually an origins movie. How did Willy Wonka become so rich and famous? In the original, he was already there, the top chocolate maker in the world. And, how charming, the richest guy is not some tech weirdo but the maker of a product that most of us can enjoy. And it is a musical!

That I had not known until I watched characters break into what were pretty good songs.

The film begins with Willy (Timothée Chalamet) on a ship coming to a new

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler land, singing about his goal to realize his dreams. He has already begun to wear part of his famous costume, although the purple coat and famous magical hat come a bit later. But he is crazy about chocolate.

With only a small bit of money, he goes after his “hatful of dreams.”

Of course, he is in trouble right away after moving into the boarding house of Mrs. Scrubitt (Olivia Colman) as soon as he signs a crazy, very long contract.

Then he winds up coming up against the Chocolate Cartel. The leaders are

the top chocolatiers: Arthur Slugworth (Paterson Joseph), Felix Fickelgruber (Matthew Baynton) and Gerald Prodnose (Matt Lucas). The police arrest Willy for “disrupting the trade of other businesses.”

He soon finds out that Mrs. Scrubitt’s contract forces him into hard labor for about 27 years, since she follows the ideas of the “keeper of the house” in Les Misérables and charges him for using the soap and the stairs. A young girl also stuck there called Noodle (Calah Lane) finds out that Willy can’t read.

Wonka is sent down the dirty laundry chute to work with other unhappy unfortunates, stuck there because the chief of police (Keegan-Michael Key) is a chocolate addict. He also meets Lofty (Hugh Grant), an Oompa-Loompa, given the name because he’s taller than most of his peers, who also has a grievance since Willy stole cocoa that Lofty was supposed to guard.

Wonka gets Noodle and then the other laundry workers to sell his chocolate on the street, but the police and the head priest Father Julius (Rowan Atkinson) are with the bad guys. And they have nasty plans.

But since this is a movie for kids, those plans never work out.

The film belongs more to director Paul King than original writer Roald Dahl.

King, who directed Paddington Bear, keeps everything light. The dark places are there, but in some ways it’s more like watching the Roadrunner cartoons. Wile E. Coyote works hard but always loses.

And we love it. The same here. Children will love it, and adults will enjoy being with them.

Chalamet is a charming, slightly daffy, even somewhat magical Wonka. I have seen him be brilliant in different types of films (he is the lead actor in Dune 2 coming in a few months) and always seems charming. Grant is more than a bit

weird as Lofty, but perhaps that is what he wanted. All of the performances are strong, probably because King got top performers to take smaller, very interesting roles. Even nicer, the cast is diverse but does not make a fuss about it… the way things should be.

The performances are strong, and the songs are good. Not great, but they work within the framework of the production. I enjoyed the kind of steampunk design of the settings by Nathan Crowley; lots of strange tech way ahead of its time. Lindy Hemming did fantastic (and fantastical) costumes.

All in all, the film is a treat. Chances are it could become a children’s classic, and quite likely a holiday one. It deserves it. It convinced me to go back and look at the original film. So, if you have kids, this is a great film to see on a trip to the movies.

And even without children, it is one you can enjoy.

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January 12 - January 25, 2024 Page 29

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