Town-Crier Newspaper January 22, 2016

Page 1

ITID’S TALLAHASSEE TRIP A SUCCESS SEE STORY, PAGE 4

NEW GENERAL MANAGER AT ULTIMA SEE STORY, PAGE 7

THE

TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

Your Community Newspaper

INSIDE

Masterful Living Volunteers Spruce Up Grandma’s Place In RPB

Volume 37, Number 4 January 22 - January 28, 2016

Serving Palms West Since 1980

JUSTWORLD GALA IN WELLINGTON

Last weekend, 21 people from Gratitude Training’s Masterful Living class ML32 chose Grandma’s Place in Royal Palm Beach for their legacy project. The group gave the local children’s shelter a nice facelift. Page 3

‘American Equestrians Got Talent’ Underway

This year’s run of American Equestrians Got Talent held its first night of auditions Wednesday, Jan. 13 at White Horse Fashion Cuisine. The talent contest is a fundraiser to benefit USEF High Performance Programs. Auditions continue weekly through March. Page 5

‘Polo For A Purpose’ At IPC Benefits Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Polo For a Purpose, a luncheon and a celebrity polo match to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, was held at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on Monday, Jan. 18 with co-chairs P.J. Rizvi, Visse Wedell and Penny Bradley, along with honorary chair Brandon Phillips, a polo player and lymphoma survivor. Page 9

OPINION

Make Sure You Are An Informed Voter This Election Season

As the presidential primaries head from times of rhetoric and polling to a time of actual voting, the 2016 election is entering a new phase. Soon the election bandwagon will make its stop in Florida. On March 15, the same time Florida’s Democrats and Republicans have their say, voters in the western communities will be taking part in municipal elections. That means that the low turnout that usually marks local elections will almost certainly get a big boost. This makes it all the more necessary for voters to get informed. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 13 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 8 PEOPLE................................. 14 SCHOOLS.............................. 15 COLUMNS...................... 16, 25 BUSINESS......................26 - 27 SPORTS..........................31 - 33 CALENDAR............................ 34 CLASSIFIEDS................ 35 - 38 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

JustWorld International held its 13th annual gala, Carnaval do Rio, at Belle Herbe Farm in Wellington on Friday, Jan. 15. The Brazilian-themed event raised money to benefit JustWorld projects in Cambodia, Columbia, Guatemala and Honduras. Shown here are Kati Dagge, Fernanda Casalino, Jennifer Santana and Gabriela Payot. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 21 PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Bellissimo-Led Partnership Takes Over Wanderers Club

By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington Equestrian Partners, led by managing partner Mark Bellissimo, completed the purchase of the Wanderers Club golf course this week. Bellissimo, whose partnership also owns the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and operates the Winter Equestrian Festival, announced the acquisition on Wednesday, Jan. 20. “We’re very excited,” Bellissimo said. “This is really an amazing footprint, and we’re very excited about operating this club and to continue in making it a really great place for families both in Wellington and the equestrian world. This is going to be a great place to converge those collective interests.” Until the change of ownership, the private golf, tennis, fitness and dining club located at 1900 Aero Club Drive in western Wellington was controlled by a private trust affiliated with polo mogul John Goodman. The Village of Wellington briefly entertained purchasing an unused section of the golf course in 2014. The club’s ownership change was somewhat sudden. “It was a very quick turnaround time from when the opportunity presented itself, and we thought

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council culminated a series of heavily attended public meetings last week by approving construction of a RaceTrac gas station at the northwest corner of Royal Palm Beach and Southern boulevards. The vote at the Thursday, Jan. 14 meeting was 4-1 with Councilman David Swift dissenting. RaceTrac representatives conceded to 16 instead of 20 pumps for the facility, and agreed to have three staff members on duty during late-night hours. However, gas station representatives were given the ability to come back in the future and present their case for 20 pumps and only two night staff members, explaining that 20 pumps are necessary to give customers quick inand-out service, and that security measures, including numerous cameras, should more than allay concerns raised by residents about security. About 100 people, many wearing white “No” T-shirts or green

“Yes” T-shirts, attended the almost three-hour meeting at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. The proposed station had been recommended for approval by village staff, as well as the Planning & Zoning Commission, but a final decision on the proposed gas station had been postponed several times, first at a regular council meeting on Oct. 15, where a large number of residents overflowed from the Village Hall meeting room, leading an attorney for residents opposed to the project to call for a postponement because all those who attended could not hear the proceedings. The discussion was postponed to Oct. 29 at the Cultural Center, where council members further delayed a decision after more than an hour of public comment in order to get answers to questions raised during the proceedings. The requested information included a market analysis by the applicant, a traffic letter from Palm Beach County regarding the number of gas pumps and a traffic See RACETRAC, page 19

CAFCI HONORS MLK

Mark Bellissimo (left) with Justin Thompson, general manager at the Wanderers Club.

PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

that it was an amazing complement to our vision within Wellington and that we would be great stewards of a great club in this community,” Bellissimo explained. The deal was put together and executed within weeks. “We were very eager to become a part of it, so we were willing to both get to a contract and get to a closing very, very quickly,” Bellissimo said. “I think it’s the perfect fit and allows us to continue our investment in Wellington.”

Rolling with the momentum, he and his team are working to make the transition easy for club members and employees. Justin Thompson, general manager and golf director at the Wanderers Club, is excited about the new management and the possibilities it presents. “The news is terrific. It’s contagious with all of the members and all of the employees,” Thompson said. “Everyone is really anxious and excited for a new chapter in See WANDERERS, page 19

ITID Reports Good Results So Far On Dust Reduction Test

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District is halfway through a six-month test of a dust-reducing solution for roads. The same solution is also being considered by the Town of Loxahatchee Groves and the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District, and was recently presented to the Village of Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Committee. ITID is considering a six-month contract with GelTech Solutions for treatment of 3 miles of roadway at a cost of $13,000, according to ITID Manager Jim Shallman. In June, ITID staff recommended a test of one of the more

Gas Station Gets RPB Council OK With Fewer Pumps, More Night Staff

cost-effective dust control products under consideration. Materials were supplied at no cost for the trial period. The Soil2O dust control product proposed by GelTech Solutions of Jupiter was for a six-month trial application along a half-mile length of 130th Avenue North between Persimmon Blvd. and 60th Street North, which has shown a high level of traffic-generated dust. The chemical is composed of sodium polyacrylate cross-linked polymers that biodegrade with exposure to ultraviolet light from the sun, according to the ITID staff report. The product is considered environmentally friendly and can

easily be applied topically with the use of the district’s water truck without the need for expensive equipment, labor-intensive soil preparation or soil stabilization. GelTech has made presentations to Loxahatchee Groves town officials, who are also considering the application, and is planning a presentation to the LGWCD. Shallman said that he plans to meet with LGWCD Administrator Steve Yohe sometime soon to discuss the most effective use of water trucks that are used in the application. “So far, the test isn’t finished,” Shallman said. “We’re three months into it, and the results are See DUST, page 19

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) and the Village of Royal Palm Beach presented the 14th annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration on Monday, Jan. 18 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Talented local performers paid tribute to Dr. King at the celebration, themed “Dignity, Justice, Equality and Love.” Shown here the Sons of Mystro play virtuoso selections. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Groves Council Approves LGWCD Road Transfer

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Loxahatchee Groves Town Council members voted to finalize the transfer of district roads from the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District on Tuesday, with discussion centering on Collecting Canal Road. The council approved two resolutions, one only addressing Collecting Canal Road. Mayor Dave Browning said that he was concerned about accepting roads that have not been paved under the assessment process that the district used, thereby leaving it up to the town. “Right now, there’s also no way of receiving any of the taxes that the landowners pay, those who don’t pay the ad valorem and everything else, to maintain

and do this road, so that will still remain with the water control district,” Browning said. “As far as I know, we do not have a mechanism to gain that. We will gain the road tax money, but that will be it.” Councilman Tom Goltzené disagreed, explaining that the town is able to collect ad valorem taxes and that if the road is paved, the district would no longer have the ability to collect assessments for roads it no longer maintains. “In that the road is not paved currently, and that no arrangement has been made to do that, then certainly similar arrangements could be made if we decide that the people should pay something for their roads,” Goltzené said. “I don’t think we should get tied up See LOX ROADS, page 19

Art Fest On The Green At Amphitheater Jan. 30-31

By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Art Society will host Art Fest on the Green, its 10th annual juried fine art and fine craft show, on Saturday, Jan. 30 and Sunday, Jan. 31 at the Wellington Amphitheater. Aside from amazing artwork, the free event will feature food, live music, a youth art area and more. “It’s so exciting. I can’t believe so much time has passed since the first one. It seems like yesterday,” said Sandy Axelrod, president of the Wellington Art Society and co-chair of the festival. Show hours will be from 9 a.m.

to 5 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event grew out of humble beginnings. It all began 11 years ago. The group used to hold its meetings at the First Baptist Church of Wellington, which then had pine trees covering its open field. “It was really nice, and I always thought it would be a great spot for an art show. That’s how it got started,” co-chair Adrianne Hetherington said. “That was our first location for the show, and it was called Fall Fling: Art Under the Pines. We had to skip one year, but this is 10 years that we’ve held our event.”

Originally the show was only for members of the Wellington Art Society to provide show experience and an opportunity to display member artwork. What started in two tents has since grown exponentially, and outside artists are now included. The show is now put on at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). During the first few years, a hundred or so people would attend, co-chair Leslie Pfeiffer said. Now, they have about 1,000 attendees daily. “It has turned into a really nice event,” Pfeiffer said. “We have artists coming from all over the country — from Georgia, even

Wisconsin and Maine. It has turned into a really big event here in Wellington.” The show was originally Hetherington’s idea, and she is amazed at how the exhibition has grown and evolved. This year, the Wellington Art Society is able to accommodate 50 artists, covering a variety of specialties, including drawing, mixed media, fiber, jewelry, glass, wood, photography, leather, sculpture, ceramic, copper, pottery, acrylic and watercolor. “It’s all original artwork,” Pfeiffer said. “Artists are chosen for their creativity, mastery of techniques and level of excellence.”

Artists coming from all over the nation join local ones for the show. Seven awards will be given out Saturday around noon, Pfeiffer said, with a total prize amount of $2,000. Best in show, first, second and third place, and three honorable mention winners will receive ribbons. Ted Matz, a Lake Worth artist, will be judging Art Fest on the Green. Matz, a contemporary realist and plein air painter, is chairman of painting and drawing at the Lighthouse Art Center Museum & School of Art in Tequesta. While guests peruse the booths, the Green Market at Wellington is See ART FEST, page 4


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