Town-Crier Newspaper January 6, 2017

Page 1

HOBBY LOBBY OPENS IN ROYAL PALM SEE STORY, PAGE 5

FLOOR SPECIALISTS NEW SHOWROOM SEE STORY, PAGE 7

THE

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

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INSIDE

Wellington Utilities Director Puts Focus On Reclaimed Water

Volume 38, Number 1 January 6 - January 12, 2017

Serving Palms West Since 1980

NEW POLO SEASON OPENS AT IPC

Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve Committee heard a presentation Wednesday from Utilities Director Shannon LaRocque about improvements and renovations to the village’s utilities system, enabling better use of its water reclamation program by applying it in large areas such as polo fields. Part of the utilities system, besides providing potable water and wastewater treatment, is to provide reclaimed water. Page 3

Guardrail On Birkdale Drive Will Protect Homes, Drivers And Pedestrians In The Area

The Village of Wellington is planning construction of a new metal guardrail along the curve on Birkdale Drive near Pine Valley Drive. The guardrail will be installed to address safety concerns at the sharp bend in the road, Senior Engineer Patrick Barthelemy said. Page 3

Art Fest On The Green Jan. 28-29 In Wellington

The Wellington Art Society will present its 11th annual Art Fest on the Green at the Wellington Amphitheater on Saturday, Jan. 28 and Sunday, Jan. 29. The juried fine art and craft show will feature artists from around the country showing original artwork across multiple mediums. Page 5

Royal Palm Beach Thanks Volunteers

The Village of Royal Palm Beach held a Holiday Party for volunteers on Saturday, Dec. 10 at the Madison Green Country Club. At the event, village officials thanked volunteers for their service all year long. Page 9

OPINION Get Involved In All That The Equestrian Season Has To Offer

It has been said that the only constant thing in life is change. Yet here in the western communities, the arrival of January marks the return of the equestrian season. It is comfortable and familiar, even with changes that have been taking place in the industry. Despite Wellington being the winter equestrian capital of the world, many people who live in the western communities know nothing about the three primary equestrian activities which will permeate the next few months. So, we are offering a primer. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS................................. 3 - 9 OPINION.................................. 4 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 6 PEOPLE................................. 13 SCHOOLS.............................. 15 COLUMNS...................... 16, 23 BUSINESS......................24 - 25 SPORTS..........................29 - 31 CALENDAR............................ 32 CLASSIFIEDS................ 33 - 36 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

The International Polo Club Palm Beach opened its 2017 season with a thrilling game Sunday, Jan. 1. On the field, Villa del Lago defeated Postage Stamp Farm 12-9 to claim the Herbie Pennell Cup. Attendees enjoyed the game, the sights, the food and more. Shown above are Alexander Lourie, Matthew Bellissimo, Lisa Lourie, and Katherine and Mark Bellissimo. Mark Bellissimo and his partners purchased IPC at the end of the 2016 season. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 19 PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Cultural Center And Amphitheater Work Highlight RPB 2017

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Royal Palm Beach saw the beginning of several major projects in 2016 that should be finished in 2017, including the long-awaited amphitheater at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. “There’s so much going on right now, and the goal is to just keep everything going,” Village Manager Ray Liggins told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “We’re going to have another election. We’re going to have another cycle of strategic planning. We’ve got many capital projects out there right now. The main thing is building that stage for Commons Park. It’s under construction, along with the two additional bathrooms. I think that’s going to make that a much more usable park for events.” The planned completion date is this summer, although not in time for the Fourth of July celebration,

but in time for the Fall Festival. A new pedestrian bridge across the M-1 Canal at Sparrow Drive is under construction to improve access for students at Cypress Trails Elementary School and Crestwood Middle School. There is also work continuing on the easements along Crestwood Blvd. at Saratoga. “That has been out there for quite a while and will be done by mid-year,” Liggins said. Construction of homes on the former wastewater treatment plant site at the village’s north end should also begin in 2017. “Obviously, seeing the old sewer plant come out of the ground with homes from Lennar, I think that’s something to look forward to this next year,” Liggins said. Possibly the biggest change for 2017 is a project south of Southern Blvd. and west of Lowe’s Home See RPB 2017, page 4

Road Projects, Park Expansion NEW YEAR’S EVE GALA Top Indian Trail Plans For 2017

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Indian Trail Improvement District will see continued road improvements, the start of the GL Homes project and the beginning of the Acreage Community Park expansion in 2017. The ITID Board of Supervisors began the year with a new member, Supervisor Betty Argue, who replaced longtime Supervisor Michelle Damone after the November election. “I know the board is excited about the new year and getting a whole bunch of stuff done,” District Manager Jim Shallman told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “We’ve got the new community park underway. The contracts are done. We’re just finishing up the changes voted on at the last meeting.” The changes include the addi-

tion of an amphitheater to phase one, as well as resurfacing the parking lot instead of completely repaving it, adding lighting and reconfiguring bathrooms, and the possible addition of a splash park. “All the permitting is done, so we’re just waiting to break ground hopefully within two weeks or less,” Shallman said. He added that district staff will do a large portion of the park expansion project, including moving dirt and stabilizing the site. With the new 1-cent sales tax that started this week, ITID may see progress on the construction of a community center at Acreage Community Park. ”We’re hoping that [the surtax] might help out with the new community center,” Shallman said. “We’ll see how that goes. They’re still talking about that.” A lot of discussion is underway

about the GL Homes project northwest of The Acreage, which will bring nearly 3,900 new homes to the area. Also working its way through the approval process is the Delray Linton Groves/Iota Carol project, which adds about 1,000 more new homes. “We’re trying to work out landowner agreements with both of them,” Shallman said. GL Homes has already committed to becoming an activated ITID unit, as well as donating 640 acres to the district for use as a stormwater reservoir. “[The 640 acres] is actually a term of the agreement that is written down, so that is a fact,” he said. “Everything else we’re working on right now.” Shallman noted that he has agreed to take newly elected State Rep. Rick Roth (R-District 85) on See ITID 2017, page 17

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) held its 27th annual New Year’s Eve Gala at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center on Saturday, Dec. 31 with a dinner dance featuring a buffet from Chef G, door prizes, dancing, a 50/50 raffle and a midnight champagne toast ringing in 2017. Shown above are Dennis and Yvonne Wright, Earl and Latchmin Jaramillo, and Joe Shenal and Avis Springer. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 8 PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Paving Projects A Main Focus Wellington Officials For Town Of Lox Groves In 2017 Expect A Busy Year

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report In the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, 2017 will include the opportunity for residents to vote on whether they want to use gas tax money to pave roads. “That will come up in March,” Town Manager Bill Underwood told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “I would tend to think that will be a positive view by citizens, since it is using existing intergovernmental revenue from the State of Florida from gas taxes to construct paved roads over some of the dirt roads. It won’t do all of the roads, but it will do a nice portion of them.” Underwood pointed out that the paving will be asphalt similar to the B Road project recently completed from Okeechobee Blvd. to Southern Blvd., rather than the open-graded emulsified mix (OGEM) that was used by the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District on other roads. “Eventually, what we should

see is the district transferring the balance of the roads that they are maintaining to the town, so that they can be incorporated into whatever the future plans are for taking care of the roads,” Underwood said. “That should be happening in the not-too-distant future.” Underwood noted that the town has requests in to the House Appropriations Committee in Tallahassee for matching funds for additional road work, including the possible installation of guardrails between canals and roads. The town is also financing paving projects on several roads in 2017 and has identified several that will not need much base-rock preparation. “We will clean up and maybe do some swale work and put paving on them,” Underwood said. “Those roads were identified, and it appears that we’ve got San Diego Drive, Los Angeles Drive, 22nd Road North off of C Road,

Flamingo Road and Paradise Trail, along with Raymond Drive, that met the density or compaction criteria. They are strong enough to do some asphalt on them, maybe a little rock, but not 8 inches of rock like we did on B Road.” However, it will require some help from the residents along the roadways. “The proviso is that the people who live on those roads have to provide the town with an adequate easement, probably 10 feet or a little more for swales along the roadway, because if we’re going to build a road, we don’t want it falling apart because there’s inadequate drainage,” Underwood said. There has also been discussion of improving the existing OGEM roads that have deteriorated over the years. “A study that the town did, indicated that they should put an inch and a half or two inches of asphalt on the OGEM roads for about See LOX GROVES, page 17

Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report There is plenty to look forward to in Wellington in 2017, from infrastructure improvements to cultural events and more. “We have a lot of things that we’re looking forward to. We’re going to benefit from the sales tax [increase] that just passed,” Village Manager Paul Schofield said. “That’s going to provide for a significant number of improvements — things that will make Wellington a little bit nicer place to live every day.” The 1-cent infrastructure surtax went into effect Jan. 1, after it was approved by voters on Nov. 8. “As we go into the next year, we want to build on the things we’ve done over the last several years,” Schofield said. “The new Wellington Community Center is completed. Take a look at how we enhanced that area. Now that that space is open, we will see how it is being used and make it just a

better all-around experience for our residents.” Drainage improvements to ensure that roads are passable during storms, utility system improvements and providing a broader mix of services to senior citizens are focuses for 2017 in Wellington, Schofield said. “You’re going to see us doing the kinds of things you’d normally expect your government to do,” he said. One change that will affect residents is that effective Jan. 3, Wellington’s government is no longer on a four-day workweek. New office hours at the Wellington Municipal Complex are Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays will have extended hours, from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. There will also be a stronger emphasis on customer service, Schofield said. The Wellington Amphitheater is one of the community’s bigger draws. Cultural Programs & FaSee WELLINGTON, page 4

Powell, Willhite Look Forward To Legislative Session

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report State Sen. Bobby Powell (DDistrict 30) and State Rep. Matt Willhite (D-District 86) led a town hall meeting at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center on Tuesday attended by about 50 residents, elected officials and staff. Powell is a former state representative who was elected to the newly drawn District 30 in November. Willhite, a former Wellington councilman, replaced former State Rep. Mark Pafford, who was term-limited. “What we want to do tonight is talk about what we do in the legislative session,” Powell said. “I’m brand new to the Senate, and I’m learning a lot about the Senate. It’s a little bit different from the House. There’s 40 members of the Senate,

as opposed to 120 members of the House.” The numerous committees Powell sits on include the Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development, where he is the vice chair. “That committee controls about $14 billion,” he said. “There are six different agencies under that. I am a Democrat, and we have a Republican legislature, so to be vice chair… is pretty significant going into my first year in the Senate.” He also chairs the Joint Select Committee on Collective Bargaining, which alternates chairs each year from the Senate to the House. He is on the Agriculture, Appropriations, Health Policy and Judiciary committees, the Appropriations Subcommittee on Health

& Human Services and the Joint Legislative Budget Commission. Powell said the Health Policy Committee has already started addressing the medical marijuana referendum that passed in November and went into effect on Tuesday. “The Appropriations Subcommittee on Health & Human Services is the biggest part of our budget,” he said. “It’s about 42 percent of our entire budget.” Willhite sits on the Government Accountability Committee, and the Children, Families & Seniors, PreK-12 Quality and Transportation & Infrastructure subcommittees. “Typically, House members sit on four to six committees at the most, so I’m happy to sit on these four committees,” he said. “These See TOWN HALL, page 7

State Sen. Bobby Powell and State Rep. Matt Willhite.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER


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