WELLINGTON POLO SEASON OPENS JAN. 5 PATTY CEPEDA-RUSSELL PUBLISHES BOOK SEE STORY, PAGE 3 SEE STORY, PAGE 7 THE
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INSIDE ITID Board Hears Minto’s Plans For Callery-Judge Land
Volume 35, Number 1 January 3 - January 9, 2014
CAFCI CELEBRATES THE NEW YEAR
Representatives of Minto West gave a presentation to the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors on Monday about their request for a 6,700-home development and more than 1.4 million square feet of non-residential use on the 3,800-acre former CalleryJudge Grove site. Page 3
Aerial Trapeze Academy Hosts Circus Arts Camp
The Aerial Trapeze Academy hosted its Circus Arts and Sports Camp on Monday, Dec. 30 through Friday, Jan. 3 at Village Park in Wellington. Page 5
SFWMD Shows Off Its Latest Tool To Keep The Everglades Clean
South Florida Water Management District officials led a tour recently of the nearly 1,000acre L-8 Reservoir/Flow Equalization Basin that will store excess stormwater in a series of 50-foot-deep pits. Page 7
Sweets Foundation Party Provides Fun And Toys For Kids
The Sweets Foundation’s fourth annual Holiday Toy Drive Party was held Sunday, Dec. 22 at the Bulk Candy Store in West Palm Beach. Children were treated to free hotdogs, chips, drinks and more. Page 17
OPINION Equestrian Season Is Getting Underway: Be Sure To Check It Out
Wellington’s 2014 equestrian season gets off to an exciting start this weekend, kicking off more than three months of fierce competition that has put the community on the map in the equestrian world. From high-goal polo to show jumping and dressage, the schedule is packed this season with toplevel equestrian sports. If you haven’t discovered this side of Wellington, make it a resolution this year to get out to one of the equestrian venues. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 11 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 PEOPLE ............................... 11 SCHOOLS .....................12 - 13 COLUMNS .....................14, 21 NEWS BRIEFS..................... 15 BUSINESS .................... 22 - 23 CALENDAR .......................... 26 SPORTS ........................ 27 - 29 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 29 - 33 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) held its 24th annual CAFCI New Year’s Eve Gala on Tuesday, Dec. 31 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. There was a buffet, entertainment from Top Ranking Sound and a 50/50 raffle. Guests rang in 2014 with a midnight champagne toast. Shown here are event committee members Jerome Wright, Millie Hampton, Lawrence Logan and CAFCI President Dennis Wright. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
Key Wellington Projects Set To Move Forward This Year By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report In 2014, the Village of Wellington will continue to carve out its identity as it sees progress on key projects and completion on others. Wellington also will continue to make drainage and landscaping improvements. Looking toward the new year, Village Manager Paul Schofield expects to see the vision for Wellington’s future take shape, especially in its town center. “We have some really interesting things coming up,” he said. “One of the things we have tried to do is create a better sense of identity in the village.” This month, Schofield said he expects the Wellington Village Council to award the contract for the rebuilding of the Wellington Community Center, as well as the Wellington Tennis Center, which council members voted to move
to 15 acres off Lyons Road. “The Wellington Amphitheater is immensely popular, and many nights it’s hard to find a parking space,” Schofield said. “We have drawn residents into the center of town, but there isn’t a lot of space to accommodate everyone.” He said the decision to move the tennis center will free up room for more community activities. “We’ve owned those 15 acres for many years,” he said. “The land has been sitting vacant for at least the last decade. It’s a good use of the space. It will open up room to get people into the village center.” The village also closed on its latest addition to the town center, acquiring the Lake Wellington Professional Centre as of Dec. 31. The village paid $5 million for the business center, which houses many local companies. “We’re going to be doing things
with that site as a business incubator,” Schofield said. “We paid $5 million for the property, and then one of the things [former owner] Ken Adams said he would do was donate $1 million back to the village for public purposes. We have received that donation.” The village would have to run the site at its current revenue stream for eight to 10 years to recoup the cost of the property, but could choose to use the site to expand its municipal complex. Wellington will also see its few remaining empty sites on State Road 7 begin to take shape. Plans for the SR 7 corridor include a new traffic light at Palomino Drive, the development of Wellington Parc, the construction of the Wellington Charter School and possibly a decision on the village’s K-Park property. Last year, Wellington finalized See WELLINGTON, page 16
Lawsuits, Road Issues On The 2014 Agenda For Lox Groves By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The year ahead for Loxahatchee Groves will go a lot more smoothly if a number of lawsuits against the town go away, Town Manager Mark Kutney told the Town-Crier this week. Lawsuits include three by resident and unsuccessful town council candidate Todd McLendon over a code disagreement, the petition for a referendum to stop Palm Beach State College’s development of a new campus and a new suit regarding alleged retaliation over both his code case and the referendum petition. Other lawsuits are by the owners of the Day property at Folsom Road and Okeechobee Blvd., who were denied a commercial development application, and a code dispute by Wellington’s Edge Farm on B Road. “I would like to see a lot of the lawsuits that we currently have
pending resolved,” Kutney said. “They take a lot of our time.” He also wants to see the development applications move forward on the Loxahatchee Groves Commons and Loxahatchee Groves Center projects at B Road and Southern Blvd. Another priority is to improve the procurement process and get a consensus from council members on whether it’s OK to make some purchases on piggyback bids or be required to put out more time-consuming invitations to bid. Kutney anticipates the passage of two local bills in the state legislature recently approved by the Palm Beach County Legislative Delegation that would transfer ownership of roads and canal easements from the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District to the town, which has authority to control the roads, and money to build long-awaited equestrian trails on the canal easements. How the transfer process takes
place, if the local bills go through, is another question. “There have been some different opinions,” Kutney said. “The act pretty much indicates, and some people have the position, that the town will get the roads after the OGEM treatment has occurred, and then there are some folks who have the opinion, ‘Why the wait? Why not go immediately to the town?’ It’s a matter of that issue evolving over time.” Meanwhile, Palm Beach State College is in the planning process to start construction of its new campus at Southern Blvd. and B Road. “I look forward to the college coming in,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a good use. I know there are a number of people who have a difference of opinion, but I think it’s going to help the town immeasurably.” Development of the college will also be a matter of three parties collaborating on development of See GROVES IN 2014, page 16
Serving Palms West Since 1980
Focus For ITID In 2014 Is Drainage, Completing Projects By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Indian Trail Improvement District President Carol Jacobs’ primary objectives for 2014 are to get amenities at the expansion of Acreage Community Park finished and start work on necessary drainage projects. In August, the ITID board scrapped plans for a $3.7 million community center at the park in favor of less expensive outdoor amenities, many of which could be done in-house, and to focus more on drainage projects. “I’m hoping for a June completion, and that includes two fields, lights and the Garden of Hope,” said Jacobs, who took over as ITID president last month. “We are going to try to fit in as much as we can with the amount of money that we have, but the community park, now handling all the girls soccer and flag football, is exploding.” Jacobs said the programs need more space, and field lights will
make them more useful. “Right now there’s a temporary field where they practice during the day, but they really need some bathrooms,” she added. Meanwhile, Jacobs said that she had hoped the Hamlin House reconstruction project adjacent to Nicole Hornstein Equestrian Park would be done by the end of 2013, but it ran into permitting problems, so completing that project is another top goal for 2014. Using the house as a community meeting space will allow for some of the programs that would have been housed at the postponed community center. “We would like to have a grand opening with all the different groups, such as the Acreage Horseman’s Association, the Acreage Landowners’ Association, the Acreage Athletic League,” Jacobs said. Hoefl Park is also planned for renovation, and has playground See ITID IN 2014, page 16
HOMETOWN TOY DRIVE
Wellington distributed toys to families in need Friday, Dec. 20 at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church as part of the Hometown Holiday Toy Drive. The village collected toys from the community and other charitable organizations, then allowed parents to choose toys for the holidays. Shown here, volunteers Emily Crawford and Betty James wrapped many presents to put under the tree. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17 PHOTO BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER
RPB Plans Park Upgrades, Other Projects In 2014 By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Residents of Royal Palm Beach can look forward to a year of new uses at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park while expansions for the park come together. Meanwhile, the village will continue its improvement projects in parts of the village and also celebrate the completion of the Aldi distribution center. Village Manager Ray Liggins said that residents can expect a lot of activity at Commons Park in 2014, including the return of the popular West Fest event. “We’re bringing West Fest back to Royal Palm Beach,” Liggins told the Town-Crier Tuesday. The former Palms West Chamber of Commerce used to host West Fest at the Village Hall property years ago. “It was very popular,” Liggins said. “We’re going to
bring that back this spring at Commons Park.” West Fest will be a new addition to the park’s already bustling schedule of activities that includes holiday festivities, food truck nights and the Royal Palm Beach Green Market & Bazaar on Sunday mornings. Residents also will see construction of several expansions for the park, most notably the planned dog park and disc golf course. Last year, the Royal Palm Beach Village Council approved a $93,000 budget for a 4.5-acre dog park to give residents and their pooches more room to play. Liggins said plans are expected to be finalized for the park in 2014. About $15,000 has been allocated for an 18-hole flying disc course in an undeveloped portion of the See RPB IN 2014, page 7
Martha Webster Declares Candidacy For RPB Mayor By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Former Royal Palm Beach Councilwoman Martha Webster declared her candidacy last week for mayor, setting up what now is a three-way race for the post. Candidates have until mid-February to qualify for the March 11 ballot. Incumbent Mayor Matty Mattioli and community activist Felicia Matula, an alternate on the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission, have also declared plans to run. “I think that the time has come for the Village of Royal Palm Beach to have some civil and strong leadership that has been lacking the last two years,” Webster said. “I
supported Matty in his first run, and even went ahead with his second, based on all of the dedicated service he has given to the village, but I think that the village deserves better than what it has gotten from Matty.” Webster briefly considered a run for Palm Beach County Commission before dropping out and endorsing Kathy Foster’s bid to replace term-limited Commissioner Jess Santamaria. She served on the council for 5 years before being unseated last March by Councilman David Swift. During Webster ’s final two years in office, she clashed several times with Mattioli over how he conducts meetings.
Matula, who has not held public office, ran unsuccessfully against Mattioli in 2012. “I believe that in 2012, he had a race against someone who had no experience, and voters said, ‘No, that was not acceptable.’ I think that my coming into the race gives the voters the option of someone with experience and demonstrated commitment to the community,” Webster said. While in office, Webster served as vice mayor in 2010 and was active with the Palm Beach County League of Cities, the Treasure Coast Regional Planning Council and the Metropolitan Planning Organization. On the council, Webster said
she was a strong advocate for fiscal restraint, active in updating code ordinances, championing improved roads and supporting small businesses. She also headed a special task force comprised of residents to find an appropriate use for the old wastewater treatment plant after residents rejected an employment center there. During the 2013 campaign, Swift characterized Webster as a divisive force on the council, based largely on an attempt she made to reconfigure the Planning & Zoning Commission that drew opposition from other council members. He also focused on Webster’s alleged support of commercial uses See WEBSTER, page 7
Martha Webster