EDUCATIONAL SERIES AT LOCAL TEMPLE SEE STORY, PAGE 7
ORCHARD HILL CLAIMS JOE BARRY CUP SEE STORY, PAGE 17
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Royal Palm Beach Has Extensive Plans For Park Improvements
Volume 36, Number 5 January 30 - February 5, 2015
Serving Palms West Since 1980
VINCEREMOS BUCK OFF CONTEST
Eighteen concrete-slab disc golf tee boxes, four 75-foot-tall Great Lawn light poles, and a 2.5-acre dog park, all at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, are among the park upgrades scheduled to be completed this year, Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio told Recreation Advisory Board members Monday. Page 3
Hollywood Salon & Spa Celebrates Its Grand Opening
Hollywood Salon & Spa, located near the Mall at Wellington Green at 10520 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 300, held its grand opening celebration Friday, Jan. 23 to the delight of those anxiously awaiting the opening of the salon’s new location. Page 18
Las Vegas-Themed South Florida Fair Will Conclude This Weekend
The 103rd annual South Florida Fair continued last week at the South Florida Fairgrounds, packing in the crowds. The annual event will conclude Sunday, Feb. 1. The fair’s theme is “Las Vegas Exposition: A Jackpot of Memories.” Page 20
OPINION Don’t Fall Victim To Cardiovascular Disease
February is American Heart Month, which aims to call attention to the misunderstood risks of cardiovascular disease — the top killer of men and women in the United States. Sadly, many of the deaths from cardiovascular disease could have been prevented. Unfortunately, many people learn about heart disease the hard way — not getting serious about it until their doctor tells them to. Still others don’t learn about this killer until after a heart attack or stroke — if they survive. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS................................. 3 - 9 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 8 PEOPLE................................. 13 SCHOOLS.......................14 - 15 COLUMNS...................... 16, 25 BUSINESS..................... 26 - 29 SPORTS..........................33 - 37 CALENDAR............................ 38 CLASSIFIEDS................ 39 - 42 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
The Vinceremos Therapeutic Riding Center began the qualifying rounds of its annual Buck Off and Poker Shoot Out on Thursday, Jan. 22 at the White Horse Tavern. Qualifying continued on Thursday, Jan. 29 and will conclude on Thursday, Feb. 5 from 6 to 10 p.m. The finals of the Buck Off and Poker Shoot Out will be held at Vinceremos’ annual auction and dinner, set for Friday, Feb. 13 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Shown here are the Florida Community Bank Cowboys team of Shan Quraeshi, Will Piper, Thomas Schweiser, Josh List and Wyatt Harlow. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
John McGovern Will Replace Coates On Wellington Council
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council unanimously selected attorney John McGovern on Tuesday from among more than 20 candidates seeking to replace former Councilman Howard Coates. McGovern thanked council members for his appointment. “I think this was a very interesting process for all of us who applied, and I think there were many, many outstanding candidates,” he said in accepting the appointment. “I’m proud to have been chosen from among them. I think it says this community is loved and this community has many people who are willing to serve, as you all serve, and I think that is a wonderful thing.” McGovern, who grew up in Wellington, said he was proud to be joining the council. He will take his seat next month. “All I can say is that I hope to
make you proud, and I will work hard to earn the people’s approval and to continue to make Wellington the great place that it is,” he said. McGovern moved to Wellington in 1986 and was a member of the first graduating class to attend a full four years at Wellington High School. “I applied for the council opening because I felt it was a unique opportunity to serve the community where I grew up and where my children are growing up — the community that I love,” he told the Town-Crier on Wednesday. His goals are to bring a unique perspective to the council. “I think I’ll be the first person to serve on the council who grew up in Wellington, having a chance to shape its future,” McGovern said. “That’s what I’m really looking forward to. To say that I have an agenda or an idea of one particular thing with a term of only one year
John McGovern I don’t think is really the best practice, but I know why I’m doing this and I know who I’m doing it for.” He will be up for re-election next year for the remaining two See McGOVERN, page 19
Expert: New Pipes Under WPB Canal Could Cost ITID Millions
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Engineers gave updates on drainage projects in response to Tropical Storm Isaac flooding to the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors last week. The projects involve rebuilding large pump stations and drainage pipes. At the Jan. 21 meeting, Joseph Capra of Captec Engineering explained that the inverted siphon at the M-1 Canal allows water to go north to south underneath the West Palm Beach M Canal, and that the existing drainage head is located in the easement of the M Canal, which the City of West Palm Beach plans to widen in a few years. That will require ITID
to move the drainage heads by extending them into the district right of way. “They obviously want to widen this whole area of the canal,” Capra said. “As you can guess, that is going to cost you a little more money, and that’s the unfortunate part of the whole thing.” The good news is that the new construction will increase the flow of the inverted siphon, improving the overall efficiency of the M-1 Canal, and allow the upper basin areas to drain more quickly, he said. The problem is increased by the proximity of a Florida Power & Light pole that would require additional sheet piling to assure structural integrity. “Unfortu-
nately, that all comes with a price,” Capra said. Capra looked at the project in two different ways, two 6-footby-12-foot double box culverts at $2.6 million, and an 8-footby-12-foot single box culvert at $1.6 million, which he said would work but would also limit the district’s options in operating the system. “This is obviously a major canal system for the district,” he said, explaining that the double box would give the district a backup system. “If we had to do any repairs or work in the box culvert, we could take one out of service and keep the other one in service. Do I think that’s worth $900,000? See ITID, page 19
Council Votes To Keep K-Park As A Park… For Now
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington’s controversial KPark parcel on State Road 7 will remain designated for a park, or at least open space, until the village conducts workshops to hear residents’ ideas on what they want to see at the site. A record number of residents attending Tuesday’s meeting overflowed from the Wellington Municipal Complex council chambers on Tuesday as six presenters made their best pitch to develop the vacant 65-acre site and three council members debated its future. The residents’ apparent favorite, Wellington Garden Partners, received several ovations during its presentation, although it did not receive a high ranking from council members, which ranked the Bainbridge-Brefrank proposal first, followed by Divosta, Stiles and Wellington Gardens, with Reinvent America and Lennar tied for fifth. Many residents, especially those in nearby developments, pleaded for the site to remain a park, saying that they did not want the additional traffic and five-story buildings near their homes. As in an earlier meeting where the rankings were made, only three council members were on the dais. Councilwoman Anne Gerwig had recused herself under a Commission on Ethics finding of a possible conflict of interest. Meanwhile, former Councilman Howard Coates resigned two weeks ago in preparation to accept an appointment as a judge on the 15th Judicial Circuit Court, and although his replacement, attorney John McGovern, had been selected earlier in Tuesday’s meeting, he will not be sworn in until next month. About 40 residents spoke during public comment. Rick Greene of Olympia, who is director of development services for the City of West Palm Beach, was the village’s capital projects director when the Wellington
Municipal Complex was built and served as vice president for two of the proposers, said he shared some of the residents’ concerns about the Bainbridge proposal for 780 residential units. “That’s a great amount of development, and my concern also is that the project seems like it is turned inward toward the lake, and you have surface parking on both State Road 7 and Stribling Way,” Greene said. “I think the site plan, if you choose to go that route, could be enhanced by trying to eliminate the eyesore by eliminating all that surface parking along the perimeter.” He added that the Divosta plan has merit, but on a less dense scale than what they had proposed. “As a resident walking to this site, my first thought would be what would be of greatest interest to me and my family,” he said. “When I look at that, I look at the Wellington Gardens proposal.” Greene said he was concerned about a proposed gas station on the corner. “I think at that prominent intersection of Stribling and State Road 7, an entry feature of some significance should be built there,” he said. “All in all, I think with the botanical gardens, the mix of uses, this is a project I would like to come visit.” Former Mayor Tom Wenham asked for a referendum to see what the citizens want. “Many years ago, we bought this 70-acre parcel,” Wenham said. “Mayor Margolis was on the council when we bought it. It was bought for parks and recreational use. Every presentation we have seen this evening, there’s a lot of single-family, there’s apartments, and that means children — and one thing that we have prided this community on is the amount of parks and recreation and open space that we provide for our children.” Wenham pointed out that during negotiations regarding the Binks Forest Golf Club, the council put a restrictive covenant on the site to See K-PARK, page 4
FOURTH GRADERS VISIT THE POLO CLUB
Hundreds of fourth-grade students from elementary schools in Wellington flooded the fields and stands at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on Tuesday, Jan. 20 for the 13th annual Fourth Grade Polo Day, where students watched an exciting polo game while enjoying snacks and meeting mascot Chukker. Shown here, Towana Cohen has a ball signed by polo star Luis Escobar. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
Art Society’s ‘Artfest On The Green’ This Weekend
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Art Society will present its ninth annual Artfest on the Green at the Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington) on Saturday, Jan. 31 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, Feb. 1 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The juried fine art and fine craft show will feature artists from around the country showing off unique designs across multiple mediums, including painting, sculpture, pottery, jewelry, textiles, photography and more. “Our goal is to bring art and community together,” said Leslie Pfeiffer of the Wellington Art Society. “Artfest gives the community an opportunity to interact with artists, learn more about the creative processes, different mediums and techniques, and learn about the artists’ lives.”
This year’s judge, she said, will be Anita Lovitt, who is an educator, illustrator, graphic design artist and highly regarded art judge. Several artists will be working on site, Pfeiffer said, and the 51 fine artists participating in the festival were selected for their creativity, mastery of the techniques and level of excellence. Pfeiffer, past president of the organization, is one of the three co-chairs for Artfest, along with Adrianne Hetherington and Wellington Art Society President Donna Donelan. The trio will be on hand to assist visitors as they navigate through a children’s art activity area where art can be created, shared and taken home, as well as through the fine art selection by professional and emerging artists from across the region displaying their original artwork. With a wide variety of works of
art for sale, Pfeiffer is sure there will be something for everyone at the show. “It’s a celebration of art, of life, enjoying a wonderful day at the beautiful amphitheater,” Pfeiffer said. Original art — nothing manufactured or reproduced — will be available for purchase. The 100 members of the Wellington Art Society, founded in 1981, cover a vast variety of mediums. The group is open to all artists and provides a place for regional and local artists to share their work and their craft. The proceeds from Artfest help finance the Wellington Art Society’s longstanding scholarship program. “We’re very proud that every year we’re able to award scholarships to local high school students going on to careers related to art. We’re going on our tenth year of
awarding scholarships,” Pfeiffer said, noting that high school teachers receive a notice to encourage students to apply. While the art is enjoyed, there will be food trucks to satisfy stomachs, musicians to satisfy ears, and all the art that can be imagined. It will be a community event, and everyone is encouraged to attend, Pfeiffer said. “Art can unite a community. It also informs, inspires and enriches our lives tremendously. We’re committed to having art very much a part of our life experience here in Wellington,” she said. “We encourage people to take in art in all forms wherever they may travel, because it does definitely reflect the human experience.” Artfest is free to the public, thanks in part to national and local sponsors, including Whole Foods Market, the Town-Crier, Jerry’s Artarama, the Village of
Wellington, the Wellington Preservation Coalition and the Jacobs family, Wellington The Magazine, the Children’s Hospital at Palms West, Graphic-Signs and Republic Services of Palm Beach. The Wellington Art Society meets the second Wednesday of the month, September through May, starting at 6:30 p.m. with refreshments and following with a demonstration, speaker or activity at 7:30 p.m. Meetings are currently being held at Village Park (11700 Pierson Road) and are open to the public. The next meeting will be Wednesday, Feb. 11, featuring a pastel and watercolor demonstration by Deborah LaFogg Docherty. To learn more about the Wellington Art Society, visit www. wellingtonartsociety.org or www. wellingtonartsociety.blogspot. com.