Town-Crier Newspaper July 10, 2015

BOCK SEEKS COUNTY COMMISSION HELP SEE STORY, PAGE 3

RPB PLANS SENIOR EXPO ON JULY 24 SEE STORY, PAGE 7

THE

TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE Volume 36, Number 28 July 10 - July 16, 2015

Your Community Newspaper

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Ryan Liang Keeps Lox Council Seat

INSIDE

Wellington Council To Discuss Community Center Design July 14

The Wellington Village Council plans to discuss the design of the new Wellington Community Center during its meeting Tuesday, July 14. Councilman Matt Willhite questioned the final design at the council’s last meeting, saying it did not look like what they had originally approved. Page 3

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council voted 3-1 on Tuesday to keep Councilman Ryan Liang in his seat despite a challenge that his record of pleading no contest to a felony charge of molesting spiny lobster traps in the Florida Keys in 2001 should require his forfeiture of office.

Liang was required to recuse himself from the discussion and did not vote.

Attorneys Rick Jarolem, representing resident Keith Harris, who narrowly lost a council election to Liang in March, and John Whittles, representing Liang, both made presentations on the interpretation of the town charter’s provision for the forfeiture of office if a council member has been convicted of a felony.

Town Attorney Michael Cirullo pointed out that the charter requires the council to consider the question, although no specific procedure is required. However, both attorneys agreed to make 15-minute presentations, followed

PATRIOTIC FUN

Fourth Of July Grillin’ & Chillin’ BBQ Bash At ITID’s Hamlin House

The second annual Fourth of July Grillin’ & Chillin’ BBQ Bash was held at the Hamlin House Community Center in The Acreage on Saturday, July 4. The free neighborhood event featured food, music and games.

More than 100 people were on hand, and South of Southern entertained the crowd while everyone enjoyed the festivities. Page 5

St. Peter’s Welcomes Rev. Mark Caldwell

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Wellington welcomed new Senior Pastor Rev. Mark Caldwell on Sunday, July 5.

After the day’s service, there was a picnic lunch in the gym.

It was a chance for parishioners to talk to Rev. Caldwell and get to know his family. Page 15

OPINION Gov. Jeb Bush And The Confederate Battle Flag

As states across the south grapple with a renewed look at the controversial Confederate battle flag, it is useful to look back to Feb. 2, 2001. That was the day Gov. Jeb Bush quietly retired the flag from the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee — as well as flags of the French, Spanish and British governments, which once controlled the state — and placed it in the Museum of Florida History. Angry protesters declared his political career over. A year later, he would win re-election. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 10 OPINION.................................. 4 CRIME NEWS.......................... 6 NEWS BRIEFS....................... 11 PEOPLE................................. 12 SCHOOLS.............................. 13 COLUMNS.......................14, 21 BUSINESS..................... 22 - 23 SPORTS..........................27 - 29 CALENDAR............................ 30 CLASSIFIEDS.................31 - 34 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

Wellington and Royal Palm Beach celebrated Independence Day last Saturday. Wellington’s events were held at Village Park on Pierson Road, while Royal Palm Beach welcomed residents to Commons Park. (Above) Abby Gilpen-Hudson, Kyler and Katerie Kates-Paulus, and Mikey Gilpen-Hudson dressed patriotic in Wellington.

(Right inset) Joe and Brigette Boyle with Alejandra Pivetz, Madison Matula and Bella Farrell at the Royal Palm Beach celebration.

ROYAL PALM PHOTOS, Page 10 WELLINGTON PHOTOS, Page 17

by comments from the public, then council discussion.

Jarolem began by saying that he thought Councilman Jim Rockett should also recuse himself due to an appearance of impropriety, since Rockett allegedly participated in the collection of absentee ballots obtained illegally, collecting them with Liang’s mother and subsequently delivering them to the Supervisor of Elections Office.

Rockett, however, chose to remain on the dais.

Jarolem said that there is no dispute that Liang had pleaded no contest to a felony charge of molesting the traps in 2001, but the issue was the interpretation of the town charter.

“The charter is, in my view, very clear that there is no time frame set for it in the charter when it comes to forfeiture of the office for a councilperson for entering a plea of no contest or guilty to a felony, regardless of adjudication,” he said. “Essentially, Mr. Whittles and I disagree as to this interpretation. Mr. Whittles’ interpretation is See LIANG, page 16

FISHING ON THE FOURTH

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISHMAN AND JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Lennar Decision Could Bring Late Changes To RPB Budget

By Paul L. Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report Royal Palm Beach’s proposed sale of its former wastewater treatment plant property to home builder Lennar could be in jeopardy, but questions about the sale will not prevent the village from going forward with planned road resurfacing in 2016.

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council rejected a request to extend the sale’s finalization deadline at its Monday, July 6 budget workshop by a 3-2 vote.

The request was made by Lennar Vice President Bruce Grundt in

relation to its ongoing cleanup of bullets and shell casings from an old shooting range on the property.

He said that as a publicly traded company, Lennar needs to have stricter standards than what state environmental standards require, because of potential liability issues down the road.

The $35 million sale of the 154-acre property was approved by the council in February, but finalization was held up last month by a delay in Lennar receiving a traffic study approval. In June, the council approved an extension through July 13, but were less than

enamored with a second extension request.

According to the village’s proposed annual budget, $5.5 million of the capital improvement fund — of which nearly half was dedicated to major road resurfacing projects in 2016 — was to come from the property’s sale. Village Manager Ray Liggins said that if the sale falls through, the village would need to amend the budget during the 2015-16 fiscal year to balance things out.

“We are going to sell that piece of property,” Liggins said. “Even See LENNAR, page 16

The Royal Palm Bassmasters presented the 25th annual Red, White & Blue Fourth of July Family Fishing Tournament on Saturday, July 4 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Dozens of kids had a great time catching fish during the tournament.

Shown here are Rachel and Noah Bibey with a tilapia.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Groves Council Starts Process Mary Lou Bedford Tapped To Lead To Replace Management Firm Central Chamber

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council approved a timeline Tuesday to submit a request for proposals (RFP) for a new town management firm, amid pleas by residents to keep Underwood Management Services Group for another year under its current contract.

Town Attorney Michael Cirullo said he had prepared a draft RFP for the council to consider, based on the previous RFP used in 2011, with minor changes and a proposed schedule.

In a 3-2 decision last month, the council decided to put out an RFP,

although the current company, Underwood Management, is eligible for a one-year extension. CEO Bill Underwood has stated that his company would not participate in the RFP process.

Cirullo pointed out that there would be a tight time frame in order to get a new management firm in place by Oct. 1. Underwood’s contract expires Sept. 30.

Cirullo said an advertisement of the RFP would be published on July 10, with a deadline for questions by July 27, with a response from his office by July 31. RFP responses would need to be submitted by Thursday, Aug. 6.

Cirullo then recommended holding special meetings in August, and not wait until September.

“What I have proposed is a special meeting on a Wednesday, and the reason for that is to give you all time to review the RFPs,” he said.

“They come in on Thursday, Aug. 6, and you would have a short list

by Aug. 12, which is a Wednesday, assuming all of you are available.”

The council would hear presentations and make a decision on Aug. 18, and award the contract on Sept. 1.

The biggest change in the 2011 RFP was a requirement made by See RFP PROCESS, page 16

‘World’s Ugliest Dog’ Glad To Be Back Home On The Ranch

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Quasi Modo, a local dog with shortened vertebra, recently won the dubious distinction of World’s Ugliest Dog. She returned home to G&M Ranch in Loxahatchee Groves last weekend after flying to California twice in a week and appearing on several national talk shows.

The World’s Ugliest Dog contest takes place annually in Petaluma, Calif., as part of the Sonoma-Marin Fair. After finishing as runner-up last year, Quasi took the top spot this year.

In her cross-country jaunts, Quasi got to fly in the planes alongside her people, Mike Carroll and Dr. Virginia Sayre, a veterinarian who rescued and adopted Quasi 10 years ago.

“We ended up doing four trips, San Francisco, then to New York and then back to L.A., and finally back to West Palm Beach,” Carroll said. “Those are six-hour trips.”

Quasi weathered the flights well despite cramped seating accommodations. “We have a special little blanket that’s our secret,” he

said. “When we throw that blanket down, that’s her safety.”

They also made use of the blanket during the course of several TV interviews, including one where Quasi received a doggie “makeover” that included pink nail polish.

“She got a little scared there at the end while they were doing that,

but she handled the trip very well,” Sayre said. “She’s been across the country four times in the last week.

She travels quite well.”

“She stayed right there on that blanket and never moved,” Carroll added.

Sayre, who is a shelter veterinarian for Animal Care & Control, See QUASI, page 4

Quasi Modo relaxes at home in Loxahatchee Groves.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

By Paul L. Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report A familiar face is taking over as the new CEO of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce.

Mary Lou Bedford, who has served as executive vice president of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber since October 2013, was appointed its new chief executive officer on June 30.

Bedford, a resident of Wellington for the past 22 years, said she is excited to take the leadership position and is looking forward to building the chamber’s membership and involvement in area communities.

“Our role, in the big picture, is to make decisions that will positively impact the business community,” Bedford said. “The role of the chamber is to be advocates for businesses. We want to be informed on the initiatives and issues in the central county that can affect businesses and make sure we are

Mary Lou Bedford getting behind these issues, and driving economic development initiatives that will help sustain businesses.”

Bedford replaces former CEO Wayne Burns, whose 18-month tenure was marked by many changes at the chamber, including less of an emphasis on producing See BEDFORD, page 16

NEXT TOWN-CRIER ISSUE OUT JULY 31

After nearly 10 years at our current location, the Town-Crier will be moving offices later this month. However, we will not be moving far. Still operating out of the original Wellington Mall at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington, we will be moving from Suite 31 to Suite 33. Our phone numbers and e-mail addresses will remain unchanged.

To facilitate this move, the Town-Crier will take a brief midsummer break from our normal operations. After this issue, we will skip two weeks, returning to our regular weekly publication schedule on Friday, July 31, working out of our new offices.

While there will not be issues published on Friday, July 17 and Friday, July 24, that does not mean that Town-Crier will disappear during that time period. While helping facilitate the move, Town-Crier writers and photographers will also continue to cover important community meetings and events. News items will be published online at www.gotowncrier.com during the second half of July, and shared with print readers in the July 31 issue.

Our apologies in advance for any disruption to your normal, weekly routine. We will return you to your normally scheduled newspaper reading in short order.

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July 10 - July 16, 2015

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RE-PRINT FROM THE PALM BEACH POST - July 4, 2015

OUR VIEWS COUNTY CORRUPTION

Cities must drop lawsuit, pay fair share of IG costs There are many good reasons why Palm Beach County needs a strong and vigorous Office of Inspector General.

A few of these reasons are named Tony Masilotti, Warren Newell, Mary McCarty and Jeff Koons — the commissioners who faced a parade of charges from 2007-10, resigned their posts in shame and were sentenced to prison or, in Koons’ case, probation.

We mention them as a reminder to the leaders of many of Palm Beach County’s cities and towns, who apparently have forgotten that, just a few years ago, this county had to endure the mocking nickname, “Corruption County.”

To combat that sorry image, and to protect against future abuses of the public trust, county commissioners in 2009 — those not behind bars, that is — voted unanimously to create an ethics commission, adopt a code of ethics and, above all, establish an independent Office of Inspector General.

Such was the fervor to drive out corruption and usher in a new culture of ethical government that voters in all 38 of Palm Beach County’s cities and towns overwhelmingly approved a charter amendment in 2010 that extended the reach of the county’s inspector general and ethics commission to the municipalities.

A whopping 72 percent of voters countywide said “yes” to the reforms. There were majorities in every single municipality.

So where are those cities and towns now that the bills are due? They’re ducking out on their responsibilities, that’s where. Fourteen of them are paying not a dime to support the IG’s office that is the cornerstone of the shiny new ethical culture that so many elected officials professed to want so badly.

As The Post reported last week ( June 28), the 14 cities went to court in 2011, arguing that the county was trying to grab cities’ money to pay for a county program. Palm Beach County Circuit Judge Catherine Brunson rejected the claims this year, as well as a request to rehear the case. The cities went to the 4th District Court of Appeal, which hasn’t ruled.

While the lawyers file more papers, the county’s biggest cities have become deadbeats. West Palm

Beach (which owes $809,860 for its share of IG operations since 2011), Boca Raton ($576,394), Delray Beach ($498,668) and Riviera Beach ($244,937) have paid exactly nothing.

Boynton Beach (which owes $264,797 since 2011) has paid $50,971. Lake Worth ($221,501) has paid $34,159.

All in all, the 38 cities and towns have coughed up only about a tenth of the money they owe.

Being stiffed by the municipalities means that the IG’s office is operating with roughly half the $2.8 million annual budget that the ordinance envisioned.

Instead of the 40 people it ought to have to oversee local governments, with their combined 13,000 employees and $7.5 billion in budgets, the IG is operating with 22 people (though currently funded for 23).

Almost all the money it does have is from the county government, which is paying its share and a bit extra, Inspector General John Carey told The Post Editorial Board.

Even at half-strength, the office is saving millions of taxpayer dollars. Since June 2010, inspectors have identified $24 million in local government spending that was avoidable or might indicate fraud, waste or abuse, according to the IG website. Delray Beach, for example stands to save $9 million over six years by heeding the IG’s advice to bid a previously awarded no-bid solid-waste contract, Carey said.

Carey, who took the job last year after being a deputy inspector general overseeing 15 federal spy agencies, said that in the federal government, every dollar spent on IG oversight brings a savings of $17.

The same efficiency can happen here, he said. But it will take several years to gear up — and a full budget.

The price tag to fully fund the IG’s office is hardly outrageous. It translates to $1.80 per county resident per year.

That’s a pittance compared with the millions potentially saved by detecting fraud, waste and abuse.

The cities should drop this petulant lawsuit, put their resistance aside and carry out the will of the voters.

From one end of this large county to the other, residents made it plain they want cleaner government.

It’s time to pay the cleaning crew.

THE DECEPTION CONTINUES — By Jess R. Santamaria

In May 2009, after a thorough investigation by the Grand Jury assembled by the state attorney, concluded in

its 54 page report that Palm Beach County still had government abuse and waste problems, and strongly recommended the establishment of the office of Inspector General funded by ¼% vendor fees, similar to Miami Dade and not by the tax payers money.

After several months of public hearings and very strong public demand, all seven county commissioners unanimously voted to follow the recommendation of the Grand Jury to establish the office of Inspector General, funded by the ¼% vendor fees, (no tax payer money).

After the November 2010 referendum where all 38 cities were included under the Inspector General’s oversight, numerous public discussions followed. The understanding was always that the funding of the OIG would come from ¼% vendor fees, subject to adjusting the percentage as needed. It was much later that some cities, headed by West Palm Beach, shifted the OIG funding to the taxpayer hoping to get public sympathy against the OIG oversight! This deception has not worked – Judge Catherine Brunson rejected all of the arguments of West Palm Beach and the other 13 cities, further clarifying that no tax payer money needed to be used to fund the OIG, stating “each municipality can determine what source of money it wants to use, such as charging ¼% of all government contracts.”

Is the real reason some government official object to funding the Inspector General is that they Don’t want anyone checking on them?

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NEWS

Wellington Council To Discuss Community Center Design July 14

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council plans to discuss the design of the new Wellington Community Center during its meeting Tuesday, July 14.

Councilman Matt Willhite questioned the final design at the council’s last meeting, saying it did not look like what they had originally approved.

Willhite said the final design looks “institutional,” with a planned back patio overlooking Lake Wellington mostly removed, square footage reduced and amenities including a stage no longer in the plans, apparently due to costcutting attempts.

The discussion is not expected to delay construction of the new building, which is targeted for completion in the spring or summer of 2016.

Demolition of the old building began last month. Current plans for the new two-story, 26,000-squarefoot facility call for an Internet lounge, three multi-purpose rooms for weddings and events, a fitness room, a conference room, a room for arts and crafts, a baby/tots classroom and a warming kitchen.

Also next Tuesday, the council is scheduled to approve a preliminary Truth in Millage (TRIM) ad valorem property tax rate of 2.45

mills for the next fiscal year. The rate is the same as last year, but above the rollback rate of 2.24 mills.

The council will also consider approving the same Acme Improvement District drainage assessment rate as last year of $230 per unit, and an assessment of $140 for curbside solid waste disposal and $105 for containerized service, which is $20 less than the current rate of $160 and $125, respectively.

Consideration of the final recommendations from the Charter Review Task Force is also on the agenda. The task force forwarded six questions to the council for consideration to be put on the March 15, 2016 ballot.

The first question is whether to allow a simple majority vote to approve council compensation. The original charter requires at least a 4-1 supermajority vote.

The second question asks whether council vacancies should be filled in the same manner as mayoral vacancies. The current charter treats the filling of mayoral and council vacancies differently.

The proposed amendment would fill all vacancies by providing that they not be filled if less than 180 days remain in the term, and require a special election if 180 days or more remain. The question also

provides that the vice mayor will serve as mayor until a new mayor is elected.

The third question asks whether the requirement for calling special meetings should be changed. The charter currently allows the mayor, or in his absence, the vice-mayor, or a majority of council members to call a special meeting upon 72 hours’ notice. The proposed amendment would require notice of special meetings in accordance with Florida law, which only calls for “reasonable notice.”

The fourth question asks if a provision in the charter should be removed that allows for a referendum if the adopted millage rate exceeds 5 mills. The task force determined that as written, that charter provision is unenforceable.

While originally intended to keep the tax rate low, such a referendum would be without effect and could result in a waste of taxpayer money, the task force concluded, and Florida Statutes and the charter already provide other means to challenge the tax rate.

The fifth question asks whether the schedule for transition from an independent special district to a municipality should be removed, since the process has now been completed.

The sixth question would provide for inclusion of the Equestrian

With demolition work on the old Wellington Community Center nearly complete, work is underway to prepare the site for a new building to be completed next year.

PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Preserve Area in the charter. The original charter makes no reference to the Equestrian Preserve Area, since it did not exist at the time. The proposed amendment

would permit landowners to apply to be voluntarily included in the preserve upon a majority vote by the council, but would prohibit removal of properties from the

preserve area without a supermajority vote.

The council can also add referendum questions of its own choosing.

Clerk Asks County Commission For Help Covering State Cuts

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Commission agreed Tuesday to explore ways to help Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock cover a $2.6 million shortfall as a result of funding cuts by the state to all county clerk offices, rather than lay off employees and shorten courthouse hours.

Bock announced on July 1 that her office has been forced to absorb the $2.6 million budget cut due to a funding cut from the state.

The state cut is about 6 percent, but because it comes in the last quarter of the 2014-15 fiscal year, the impact is over 30 percent, Bock said.

“Because the clerk’s office is the gateway to the court system, the timing of today’s report is critical, as the courts and the citizens of Palm Beach County will be directly impacted by these budget cuts, and it will have an immediate impact of increasing waiting times and delays in our court system,” she said.

Shannon Ramsey-Chessman, Bock’s chief financial officer, said the issue is not caused by spending in the clerk’s office. In fact, Bock’s office collects more than its fair share of revenue. “We have a distribution issue with the way the statute is set up,” RamseyChessman said.

She explained that county clerk offices statewide follow a revenue funding model where they keep about 15 percent of the court and service fees they collect, and 73 percent of the revenue goes to the state’s general revenue fund.

“Last year, that total was $280 million, and our office was only allowed to retain approximately 15 percent,” Ramsey-Chessman said.

Clerks have had a continuation budget since 2010, meaning that their income has remained the same until this year, when it decreased. They have also been asked to absorb additional costs,

including Florida Retirement System funding and health insurance costs for employees.

“The budgets that you see today are now lower than what clerks had over a decade ago, despite any of the cost increases,” RamseyChessman said, adding that the population has also increased.

“In 2010, clerks were told to absorb the costs of jurors, meals, lodging and witness payments,” she said. “All of those costs come out of our budget.”

In 2012, the clerks were mandated to implement the redaction of sensitive information for court records, and in 2013, the offices were told to allow civil filings on the web, and criminal filings in 2014, and most recently, requiring that court records be posted online.

“All of that requires intervention from staff in our office,” Ramsey-Chessman said. “We’ve implemented all of these seamlessly with no additional funding, until the most recent set of cuts.”

Because the clerk’s office spends more than 90 percent of its funding on personnel, it will have to reduce its staff.

Bock said that all processing of applications for employment to her office have been rescinded, as well as openings by attrition.

“This impacts trials, it impacts docketing, and it also impacts the implementation of any of our court programs,” she said, adding that all other processes of her offices will be delayed, including court cases.

“There are going to be impacts here.”

Commissioner Steve Abrams suggested that the county get its state lobbying team involved in the issue.

“You’ve posed this problem that is going to have some severe implications, particularly with our justice administration,” he said.

Abrams added that the Florida Bar Association should be up in arms about the issue.

Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller Sharon Bock “They have a powerful voice, and I wonder if they are not joining with you to fight cuts,” he said.

Ramsey-Chessman said the cut this year to clerks will be $23 million, but the cut next year is projected at $40 million. She added that the offices are not allowed to maintain a reserve fund to absorb such shortfalls.

Bock added that the state is only constitutionally required to fund the county seat, which does not include the north and south county courthouses, and that Glades residents must travel 50 miles for court hearings.

Commissioner Mary Lou Berger, having worked in the clerk’s office, said she understood and admired Bock’s response to challenges from the state.

Commissioner Melissa McKinlay said it might be appropriate to direct staff to work with the clerk’s office to include some of the issues in its legislative agenda, pointing out that committee week in Tallahassee starts in about two months.

“It’s a timely conversation,” she said. “At least from a county standpoint, we don’t want it to turn into an unfunded mandate upon the county commission to try to take up these costs.”

A Great Hometown...

Let Us Show You!

K-PARK ©

TOWN HALL MEETING JULY 21 7:00 PM

ST

Polo Park Middle School 11901 Lake Worth Road, Wellington, FL www.wellingtonfl.gov

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July 10 - July 16, 2015

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OUR OPINION

A History Lesson: Gov. Bush And The Confederate Battle Flag

As states across the south grapple with a renewed look at the controversial Confederate battle flag, it is useful to look back to Feb. 2, 2001. That was the day that Gov. Jeb Bush quietly retired the flag from the Florida Capitol in Tallahassee and placed it in the Museum of Florida History. Angry protesters declared his political career over. A year later, he would win re-election. A year from now, he might even have his party’s nomination for president.

In June, in the wake of a terrible act of violence — the killing of nine people in a shooting at a black church in Charleston, S.C., allegedly by an individual with strong racist viewpoints, the author of a manifesto targeting blacks, Jews and Hispanics — a national push to remove the Confederate battle flag from public government sites in southern states not only gained momentum, but resulted in action.

State leaders across the south took up the debate over the prominence of the rebel flag in their states following a sudden swell of support for removing it from the State House grounds in South Carolina. South Carolina Republican State Sen. Paul Thurmond — son of longtime U.S. Senator and one-time segregationist Strom Thurmond — looked past his own ancestry and said the “time is right” to remove the symbolic flag after both Gov. Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham called for its removal. Both houses of the state legislature agreed this week — a stunning turnout in the cradle of the Confederacy.

In Mississippi, GOP House Speaker Philip Gunn agreed it was time for his state to change its flag, which includes the Confederate insignia, and in Alabama, Gov. Robert Bentley ordered four Confederate banners taken down from a large monument to Confederate soldiers outside that state’s capitol building.

There are definitely pockets of resistance in Florida. Just a few days ago, Marion County commissioners voted unanimously to return the Confederate battle flag to the county’s government complex. And this Saturday morning, an “American & Southern Flag Rally” will include a parade down parts of Seminole Pratt Whitney Road, Okeechobee Blvd., State Road 7 and Southern Blvd. It is being promoted as a “peaceful and respectful” event.

But in general, in Florida, no such public debate has existed, probably because the verbal sparring took place 14 years ago. With far less fanfare, Gov. Bush removed the flag. “The governor believes that most Floridians would agree that the symbols of Florida’s past should not be displayed in a manner that may divide Floridians today,” a Bush spokeswoman said at the time. At the same time, Bush also retired the flags of the French, Spanish and British governments, all of which once controlled the state and had a place at its seat of government.

When Bush made his move, he was called “spineless” and “racist to Southern people,” and was accused of “pandering to African-Americans.” He was also repeatedly warned he would be defeated in the next election. But he stood by his decision. “I can lead by example for the rest of the state,” he said. “I have done so by embracing diversity and having no tolerance for racial hatred. My record has lost me support, but it is the right thing to do.”

In hindsight, Bush’s support did not suffer — and the move was, indeed, the right thing to do. We hope those supporters of “southern pride” take note of this today. The Confederate banner is fine for those who wish to wave it as a showing of personal pride, but as a symbol of a divisive past, it does not belong in an official government capacity.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Crestwood Deal Floundering

Royal Palm Beach Councilman David Swift is correct in saying that Lennar, like the Crestwood Task Force, which had an environmental study of the area, was aware of all the conditions on the old wastewater plant site. Councilman Jeff Hmara, a member of the task force, had the opportunity to have all the facts on the property, including a personal tour by staff at that time, and as a member of that task force voted unanimously for all the recommendations on the future Crestwood land use.

Mr. Hmara was also the co-author of the final report to the council with Joe Boyle of Saratoga Pines. For that reason, it baffles me that he and the mayor would recommend continuing a negotiation that the residents believed was final.

The Crestwood property is a highly desirable site. During the time that I served on the Royal Palm Beach Village Council, there were many inquiries, as well as interest from businesses through the Business Development Board looking to purchase the land. The taxpayers of Royal Palm Beach can be confident that they do not have to settle on a poor deal for their community. The council needs to take the $97,935 and

move on. Royal Palm Beach may have to be patient to negotiate the right offer, but it will come.

Martha Webster Royal Palm Beach

Why Get Rid Of The Manager?

Why would three councilmen want to get rid of Loxahatchee Groves’ management firm? Does it seem strange to anyone else?

Underwood Management is known for upholding government transparency. The management company is not being investigated for election tampering. The management company is not being investigated for vague invoices and mismanaged funds, which they have found and questioned.

The councilmen’s reason for attack is that the town manager and his staff welcome all residents into their offices and hear all neighborhood concerns. These councilmen want to take away our local rights — the freedom of speech, the right of privacy and the right to vote as we wish. They do not want us to know what goes on in our town unless they have censored it.

Please note, the re-elected councilmen, along with another councilman (all currently waiting for the finalized FDLE investigation for election tampering), arrogant-

ly removed recently appointed committee members, which they appointed prior to the election scandal, replacing them with their personal friends and neighbors.

Hello, are you out there? Object to this arrogant behavior.

These people are not only making decisions, but trying to change the rules. They currently don’t want a resident picked by another councilman for a committee, so now they want to make a change, allowing them final approval of any committee member. What?

That has never been requested before. Why now? These are the three who want a new management company. Rumor has it they want a Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District supervisor to be the next town manager.

We do have an HOA in this town. It is called the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District. If you have spoken up against the LGWCD or disagreed with them, go to town hall and see if you are on the code enforcement log. I did, and I was.

So, who do you want to get rid of? The town management that works for the residents or the self-serving councilmen with their private agendas who need control so badly they cheat, steal your identity and your right to vote?

Were you thinking recall? Although our justice system works

slowly, it usually gets its person.

In the meantime, we need to speak up. The three councilmen have shown their allegiance to each other by voting together on several important issues, including getting rid of the current town management. That action speaks for itself. They side with the infamous LGWCD and ignore the voices of the residents (thus our forever-stagnant trail system).

How bad do you need that seat, sharing your victory with cheaters, disrespecting everything any serviceman or woman has fought for, the American rights no other country enjoys?

Please go to town meetings and LGWCD meetings when you can.

I know you’re out there; we won the last election.

Phillis Maniglia Loxahatchee Groves

Wellington Is Not Rural, Like Tryon

I’m ecstatic that Mark Bellissimo decided to take his dreams to North Carolina, because they were too grandiose for our village, which is and was already about 95 percent built out.

Certainly, he helped our equestrian community, but we just didn’t have the space for a large hotel and a large commercial venue and numerous more large commercial

barns. Our equestrian preserve is just that — a preserve. That’s something that Mr. Bellissimo has never recognized.

We already have our infrastructure, and adding more horse waste and commercial building in the preserve would overtax the existing infrastructure, necessitating wider roads and more horse waste management, not to mention a worse quality of life, less greenery, fewer pastures and more cement.

Wider roads means more traffic, dividing the equestrian community and making it very dangerous for our local riders to cross the thoroughfares and ride to the equestrian events.

I’m glad that Mr. Bellissimo can now go into the woods up there in “undeveloped” areas, cut down a forest, and put a planned community in, rather than try to squeeze it in here, where there is insufficient room.

To the doomsayers, know that our November through March venue is safe, because it’s too cold in North Carolina during our

season, so there is no competition.

Also, it was quoted that this past season was “the most successful one to date,” so indeed, it has been getting better without undo overdevelopment!

Lastly, I would like to point out that even during our country’s financial crisis, businesses and restaurants were still coming to Wellington. There’s a reason why Wellington was picked as one of the best places to live in this country.

I sat on the architectural review board, and now the planning board, and most of the complaints about village permitting came from the Bellissimo corner, and being on those committees, all I witnessed was the village trying to accommodate everyone, within our guidelines. We don’t want to be a big city with signs plastered all over and every bit of grass paved over. We want our hometown, village feel, and Mr. Bellissimo never got that. But then again, developers rarely do.

George Unger Wellington

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NEWS

Lobbyists: County Had Ups And Downs In Legislative Session

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Palm Beach County’s lobbying staff gave a final update on the recent legislative sessions Tuesday, described as one of the most unpredictable sessions in decades.

“We did see some disappointments in some of the governor’s vetoes,” said Legislative Affairs Director Todd Bonlarron, adding that they also achieved some things to be proud of.

“In the 21 sessions I’ve been working in Tallahassee, this past year’s was probably one of the more interesting and unpredictable that I’ve ever been around. It was a very difficult one to try to gauge where things were going to be,” Bonlarron said. “You had a House of Representatives that was very committed to issues such as water, environmental issues and pushing that through, but not so committed to healthcare issues like the expansion of Medicaid. Because of that, you set up a battle between the House of Representatives and Florida State Senate. The governor became involved, and politics got ugly.”

The House of Representatives adjourned three days early, causing many bills to die, which he said was good in some ways. “Some-

Quasi

‘World’s Ugliest Dog’

continued from page 1 does a lot of spays and neuters and sees many animals come and go. However, some are easier to adopt out than others. Animals that are young and healthy go quickly.

Quasi, who has a genetic de-

times, a lot of bad things happen in the last three days of the session,” Bonlarron said. “Overall, we were able to regroup, come back and do some good things in the budget.”

Lobbyist Candice Ericks said they accomplished some important healthcare legislation, including a $3 million increase for PACE, which enables seniors to live independently at home for as long as possible through a full complement of senior care services. The additional funding will enable another 156 slots, she said.

Also, $10 million was allocated for the Childnet foster care program. “Palm Beach has already received $5 million for the last fiscal year and will continue to receive money going into this year,” she said.

Another $16.1 million was allocated for child welfare case management workers, and $575,000 was allocated for the Jerome Golden Center for Behavioral Health Services in Belle Glade.

“Last year, we secured $200,000, so it was a significant increase,” Ericks said.

Commissioner Hal Valeche asked about healthcare expansion issues that arose during the session and how it relates to Obamacare.

“I think the two are very tightly

linked, and I think that was why the House of Representatives and the governor dug their heels in,” Valeche said. “I’ve just read news accounts of it, and I would like to understand more fully.”

Bonlarron said it remains a very complicated issue.

“Obamacare, obviously, covers a lot of lower-income individuals who were not receiving healthcare. What exists in Florida today is a gap of what people have described as… about 800,000 people who don’t meet those minimum requirements in terms of their income, and so some of them were left uncovered,” he said. “The expansion of Medicaid would allow, potentially, for some of those individuals to be covered.

The problem is that the legislature didn’t want to do an expansion now and run the risk of federal dollars not being there in the out years, and then the state having to potentially fund that program to continue covering some of those individuals and families going forward.”

Commissioner Paulette Burdick noted that the governor vetoed more than $9 million that would have been used to leverage additional funding for private healthcare organizations in the county,

including the Palm Beach County Medical Society’s Project Access, where local doctors provide free medical services, the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach, the Community Health Center in West Palm Beach and the Mission Clinic in Palm Springs.

“In my opinion, the governor has some misplaced priorities,” Burdick said. “We talk a lot about private/public partnerships. The governor and members of Tallahassee didn’t like affordable healthcare. Here was an opportunity to leverage public and private dollars to really serve the needs of people who really cannot afford healthcare.”

The county also received more than $235 million for road projects in the FDOT work plan.

Bonlarron said this was supposedly the “year of water” in Tallahassee with the passage of Amendment 1, but it didn’t exactly work out that way.

Edgar Fernandez explained that the legislature decided to analyze that language and eliminated trust funds and moved projects that they deemed fundable through Amendment 1.

“What happened was the session ended and the debate ended quickly, and they were trying to

tie some of the policy language with the funding. During the special session, you’ll see some small special projects were vetoed throughout the state,” Fernandez said. “They were hoping to have policy in place to fund their bigger projects. They were very adamant about not buying land at this time.

The analysis said they needed to do a better job at management. They budgeted more than $50 million for land management. They did increase the money for land purchase more than they did at the beginning of the regular session.

The debate is not going to end.

The environmental groups have decided to file a lawsuit on the interpretation of the law.”

Chris Petit with Palm Beach County Water Utilities said the county received a little more than $73 million out of the general fund for water projects, including a Seminole Improvement District drainage project for an alternative water supply, a water quality project, and several utility and beach restoration and monitoring projects. Everglades restoration received more than $82 million.

A total of 32 county organizations received about $1.2 million in cultural and museum grants, and another $2.7 million was dis-

tributed to eight cultural facilities grants. “We continue to build on our successes last year in that area,” Bonlarron said.

On the down side, a little more than $12 million specifically for Palm Beach County was vetoed by the governor.

“There are always issues we would like to have seen funded, particularly some of our parties in the Glades, with our water pipes and some of the road projects,” he said.

Sober homes legislation finally passed, according to Shawn Pittman of the Pittman Law Group.

“This is an issue we have been dealing with here for a long time,” Pittman said. “We’ve been able to do something that even the feds haven’t been able to do, and that is pass reasonable legislation to deal with this issue.”

Commissioner Melissa McKinlay, formerly with the county’s Legislative Affairs Department, said it was hard for her to not be part of the county’s legislative team for the first year.

“You guys have been like family to me for many years,” McKinlay said. “I want to thank you all for letting me tag along as much as I was able to in Tallahassee this year.”

formity, did not fit into the easily adoptable category.

“She probably would not have gone out to the general public,” Sayre said. “Some rescue groups might have come for her, but she was just so different that I had to have her, so she’s had a good life here ever since.”

The 10-acre G&M Ranch is also home to several other dogs and horses, although Quasi spends much of her time lately on the

living room couch in the air conditioning, out of the heat and humidity.

The trip to San Francisco was actually a first-anniversary celebration of their marriage last year.

Sayre and Carroll entered Quasi in the contest the previous year, where she placed second.

“She was the crowd favorite last year, so the crowd really got behind her this year, and I think that’s how she won,” Sayre said.

“The judges sort of feared if they didn’t pick her.”

Carroll added that one of the judges was Nick Watt, an ABC newscaster who later did a feature story about Quasi, compared her appearance to that of a Tasmanian devil, then said, “She’s quite cute, actually.”

Other claims to fame for Quasi include playing the part of an alien dog in a low-budget science fiction movie shot at G&M Ranch. She is

also popular in visits to retirement homes and was a pet celebrity at a recent Pet Haven fundraiser.

“She’s a celebrity everywhere she goes these days,” Sayre said, explaining that they were put up at Le Parker Meridien Hotel near Central Park during their stay in New York.

They have been interviewed by numerous national and local television stations, including a Spanish TV station in Miami, and

are scheduled to be interviewed by the Sun British tabloid newspaper soon, Carroll said.

But Quasi is mostly happy to be back on the ranch.

“She was very happy to get home,” Carroll said.

Carroll also leads Project 425, a group of Vietnam War veterans who travel to different locations with a 1968 Bell UH-1 Iroquois (Huey) helicopter restored by Carroll himself.

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NEWS

FOURTH OF JULY GRILLIN’ & CHILLIN’ BBQ BASH RETURNS TO HAMLIN HOUSE

The second annual Fourth of July Grillin’ & Chillin’ BBQ Bash was held at the Hamlin House Community Center in The Acreage on Saturday, July 4. The free neighborhood event featured food, music and games. More than 100 people were on hand, and South of Southern entertained the crowd while everyone enjoyed the festivities.

PHOTOS BY MIKE COLAROSSI/TOWN-CRIER

James Mika enjoys the barbeque.

Madison Harris waits for the music to begin.

Lori Fuentes, John Fuentes and Karen Keogh have fun in the photo booth.

Antonio Vicuna works the grill.

Lillian Hall and Don Gralin welcome attendees.

Hannah Persson and Christina Sylvester.

Mandy Manopla, Elke Manopla, Cindy Carlson, Tandy Wright and Hunter Wright.

Todd Eckley, Mike Murray, David Hartley and Darrin Fuller of South of Southern entertain the crowd.

ROYAL PALM BEACH HOSTS HOLIDAY GOLF TOURNEY AT VILLAGE GOLF CLUB

The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted it annual Fourth of July Firecracker Golf Tournament at Village Golf Club on Saturday, July 4.

The day included great raffles and a barbecue luncheon, where golf awards were given out after the tournament.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Royal Palm Beach Councilman Jeff Hmara with closest to the pin winners Jason Lambert, Scott Stubblefield and John Alcutt.

RPB Councilman Jeff Hmara (center) with longest drive winners Matthew Orio and Susan Haniak.

Raffle winner Bill Durkin with RPB Program Supervisor Jeannine Del Gardio.

Village Golf Club Director of Golf Carl Pesant and RPB Councilman Jeff Hmara with first place winners Gordon Cloutier, John Alcutt, Harm Schutte and Frank Ferrante.

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CRIME NEWS

Eyeglass Frames Stolen From Optical Store In Wellington

By Grandmaster Gustavo Pope, 7th Degree Black Belt, Director Martial Arts Ultima Fitness Xtreme Tae Kwon Do

Martial Arts Benefits for ADD/ADHD I have been teaching Tae Kwon Do for over 35 years. In so many years I have had the privilege of teaching both children and adults with ADD/ADHD. There are a number of treatments that can be used. Two well-known solutions are to use medication to “mellow out” to be better able to focus or to make strict dietary changes. While these may be well and good, I have noticed a remarkable improvement occur in my students with ADD/ADHD with the incorporation of Martial Arts.

Studies show that complex physical activity, like Martial Arts, strengthens neural networks in the brain and enables kids to practice self-control. This is very important for children

By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report JUNE 30 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Wellington substation was called to an optical store on Wellington Trace last Tuesday morning regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 10:45 and 11:30 a.m., an unknown white female entered the store and, when employees were occupied, stole a pair of Chrome Hearts eyeglass frames, valued at $1,000, and ran out to a waiting vehicle. According to the report, the female was in her late teens, between 5-foot-4 and 5-foot-5, with a slim build. She was wearing a white hat, a striped shirt and khaki shorts.

JUNE 30 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Wellington substation was called to a restaurant on Greenview Shores Blvd. last Tuesday afternoon regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. on June 30, the victim left an Apple iPhone 6, with a black charger case, valued at $689, at the restaurant. Realizing that it had been forgotten, the victim returned to the restaurant, but it was no longer there.

JUNE 30 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Royal Palm Beach substation was called to the Walmart store on Belvedere Road last Tuesday evening regarding an instance of shoplifting. According to a PBSO report, at 8:35 p.m., Jose De Alvare attempted to steal $340 of wine from the store. He was arrested.

JUNE 30 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Royal Palm Beach substation was called to a home on Shoma Drive last Tuesday evening regarding a residential burglary.

According to a PBSO report, sometime between 7 and 9 p.m., someone entered the victim’s residence and removed a number of items, including a Toshiba laptop and $177 in cash.

JULY 3 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Royal Palm Beach substation was contacted by a PortoSol resident last Friday regarding a case of fraud. According to a

with ADD/ADHD. The rapid pace of class, movement and techniques practiced keeps students alert and focused. It also enables them to develop coordination while building strength.

The practice of any Martial Art can have long lasting positive results without the risks involved with medications. In some cases the activity itself can be all the therapy a student needs. I have seen the improvement first hand and I have had many parents say that Tae Kwon Do has been the BEST thing for their child.

For more information on Martial Arts at Ultima please call 561-795-2823, e-mail us at tkd@ ultimafitness.com or stop by Ultima Fitness, 12799 W. Forest Hill Boulevard., Wellington, FL 33414

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PBSO report, in the beginning of June, the victim’s Credit One bank card was used fraudulently at Coca-Cola World in Georgia.

According to the report, the victim was advised by her bank that a police report had to be filed.

JULY 3 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Royal Palm Beach substation was called to Seminole Palms Park last Friday afternoon regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, the victim’s backpack, which contained three baseball gloves valued at $500, was stolen at approximately 3 p.m. by a black teenaged male, approximately 5-foot-10, with a thin build and short hair. The teen grabbed the backpack while riding a bicycle and rode away toward Costco.

JULY 3 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Wellington substation was called to a home on Gingerwood Lane last Friday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, someone entered the victim’s unlocked 2012 Dodge Ram 1500 sometime between midnight and 11 a.m. and stole a Nixon watch, valued at $300.

JULY 3 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Royal Palm Beach substation was called to the Target store on Okeechobee Blvd. last Friday regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, between June 17 and July 3, a store employee was observed, on multiple occasions, removing cash from the register, totaling $1,290. The PBSO is investigating the incident.

JULY 6 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Royal Palm Beach substation met with a Royal Palm Beach resident Monday afternoon regarding a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim was not receiving mail and discovered that someone had put her mail on hold from June 11 to July 11. Additionally, the victim discovered fraudulent activity on her TD Bank account. According to the report, someone tried to withdraw $800 from one account, which was then closed, and then an account was opened online without the victim’s knowledge, and a wire transfer for $900 was made from the account.

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PBSO Seeks Suspects In Royal Palm Robbery The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s help in locating four suspects involved in a robbery on Wednesday, June 24.

At approximately 7:30 p.m. the victim was sitting on a bench in front of the Publix store at the corner of Royal Palm Beach and Okeechobee boulevards when

he was approached by a group of young black males. One of the males asked the victim for cash. When the victim refused, the suspect snatched cash from the victim’s hands and fled. The incident was captured on video.

Anyone with information about the suspects is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding this wanted fugitive: • Andrew Brushway is a white male, 6’0” tall and weighing 160 lbs., with brown hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on his left arm. His date of birth is 06/13/83. Brushway is wanted for violating probation on felony charges for burglary and grand theft. His last known address was 83rd Lane North in The Acreage. He is wanted as of 07/02/15.

Remain anonymous and you may be eligible for up to a $1,000 reward. Call Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS (8477) or visit www.crimestopperspbc.com.

Andrew Brushway

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIME STOPPERS IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.

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Page 7

NEWS

Royal Palm Beach To Host An Expo For Senior Citizens July 24

By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report In an effort to further reach out to its senior residents, the Village of Royal Palm Beach is hosting a free senior expo Friday, July 24 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center, located at 151 Civic Center Way. Dolly Hughes, senior programs coordinator for the village, is thrilled about the upcoming event.

“This is the first senior expo that we are doing here in the Village of Royal Palm Beach,” she said, adding that the goal is to make seniors aware of the many programs that are available for them. “A lot of them don’t really know what is out there.”

Whenever she receives information, Hughes said, she shares it with the seniors who attend the village’s programs. This expo,

she explained, will provide a great deal more information in a concentrated location. “Being a senior myself, I’m looking forward to seeing some things I might not know about,” she said.

Hughes noted that she has attended many senior expos in the past, adding that people come from near and far for such events.

“When there is an expo like this that offers all this information, geared toward seniors, they go,” she said. “There’s a lot of really important information that seniors really need to know.”

Today’s senior citizens are living longer and are more informed, and they want more information, she said. Hughes should know — she’s part of the senior-friendly team that puts together social events and the Young at Heart Club for Royal Palm Beach residents.

Cultural Center Program Supervisor Carlos Morales is looking forward to the senior expo and is expecting a large crowd.

“We’re trying to provide essential services to the community through our senior expo,” he said.

“We want to bring a lot of things to the forefront. For example, wellness options and trying to improve healthcare; even trying to give them options for caregivers.

It brings everything to our community.”

There are many senior expos held at various locations across the county, Morales said, and bringing one to Royal Palm Beach will be beneficial for local residents.

There are approximately 600 seniors who utilize the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center’s programs, and Morales expects even more seniors to come from the surround-

ing areas, such as Wellington and The Acreage.

“I look at a high-quality value for a program like this for something that we’re already kind of doing,” he said. “With Dolly, our senior coordinator, and Jeannine Delgardio, our senior programs supervisor, we really want to amp up the services that are essential to seniors in this community.”

MedExpress Urgent Care is sponsoring the event along with the Village of Royal Palm Beach, so there is sure to be high-quality medical advice available, in addition to screenings, vendors, lectures and information booths.

There will be numerous vendors offering screenings, such as blood pressure checks and chiropractic screenings. There will also be entertainment, raffles, giveaways, wellness options, healthcare op-

tions, caregiver options, educational programs, travel information and more, Hughes said.

Senior issues, concerns and activities will be well-represented at the event. “If seniors are looking for some essential services — health care, nursing homes, elder care — this will be the place to come learn about good options,” Morales said.

There will be lectures on current topics, such as fraud prevention.

Hughes encounters many seniors who use smartphones and other forms of technology, and lectures will be set up to help ensure their digital safety.

For seniors of all ranges of mobility, the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center is handicapped accessible, so getting around will be easier. There is also plenty of parking.

Some of the vendors attending include the Area Agency on Aging, Alzheimer’s Community Care, the Advanced Spine & Joint Institute, MedExpress, the United Way, Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, WellCare, the American Cancer Society, Chick-fil-A, Vacation of a Lifetime, the North County Senior Center, AARP and more, including options for nursing care, assisted living and insurance, as well as the local Parkinson’s disease support group. Banks will provide information on fraud prevention.

Hughes and Morales encourage seniors from across the western communities to come, learn and have a great time at the free event.

For more information about the Royal Palm Beach Senior Expo, or to learn how to become a vendor, call (561) 790-5149.

RPBHS Reaches Key Milestone In Becoming An International Baccalaureate School Royal Palm Beach High School recently reached an important milestone toward implementing the county’s newest International Baccalaureate diploma program when its application for candidacy was accepted by the IB organization.

RPBHS will officially become an IB Candidate School on Sept.

1, beginning the process to become an official IB World School.

RPBHS received approval in April

from the school district to pursue the IB initiative.

“Achieving candidate status validates our core belief that Royal Palm Beach High School has the infrastructure in place to become an IB World School,” Principal Jesús Armas said.

Activities required of the school during the consideration phase included an investigation of the IB philosophy, identifying resources for implementation, developing an

action plan and attending the first level of professional development required by the IB organization.

The school’s administrative team attended a professional development program offered by the Florida League of International Baccalaureate Schools (FLIBS) from June 16 to June 19 in St. Petersburg to fulfill the requirement and learn from other IB World Schools in the state.

“The IB conference was exten-

sive,” Assistant Principal Crystal Amado said. “From discussion regarding master board design to IB course curriculum, learning about IB student and teacher characteristics and details of IB examinations, the training offered a wealth of information.”

During the candidacy stage, the school will begin the process of authorization, which includes staff training and a school visit from a team of IB representatives. Once

authorized, RPBHS will become an official IB World School — one of six schools in the school district to offer the IB program.

Since receiving approval from the district to establish an IB program, RPBHS has been accepting applications from interested incoming ninth graders. To date, the school has received 40 applications and will continue to accept applications throughout the summer.

“This unbelievable number of applicants in our first year speaks to the need for an IB school in the western communities,” Armas said, thanking Amado and IB Coordinator Laurie Cotton for their work.

To learn more about the International Baccalaureate curriculum, visit www.ibo.org. Information regarding the Florida League of International Baccalaureate Schools can be found at www.flibs.org.

FOURTH OF JULY FISHING TOURNAMENT BRINGS YOUNG ANGLERS TO PARK

The Royal Palm Bassmasters presented the 25th annual Red, White & Blue Fourth of July Family Fishing Tournament on Saturday, July 4 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Dozens of kids had a great time catching fish during the tournament. Sponsors included State Farm agent Barnie Walker, Advanced Muffler & Brake, Bass Pro Shops, Visual Images, FishFreakOnLine.com, Boonies, Costco, PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER Tire Kingdom, Hendrick Services, 4 Points Market and Yellowfin Builders.

FISHING TOURNAMENT RESULTS 6 & Under Bass: Riley Weaver took first place and Ashlyn Nutter took second place; 6 & Under Other Fish: Cody Arnold took first place, Gavyn Stavropoulos took second place and Luca Gray took third place; 7, 8 & 9 Bass: Ellie Scharther took first place; 7, 8 & 9 Other Fish: Brody Williams took first place, Dylan Ghettie took second place and Jane Raeth took third place; 10, 11 & 12 Bass: Ryan Cohen took first place, while Kayla Perez and Zach Shively tied for second place; 10, 11 & 12 Other Fish: Jimmy Reynolds took first place, Nathan Jaffee took second place and Aliana Agosto took third place; 13, 14 & 15 Bass: Zach Cohen took first place, Nathaniel Agosto took second place and Josh Dover took third place; 13, 14 & 15 Other Fish: Shyanne Arnold took first place; Adult/Child Bass: Aaron Tyler took first place, Savannah Bibey took second place and Kira Schartner took third place; Adult/Child Other Fish: Layla Lovern took first place, Allan Manuel took second place and Noah Bibey took third place.

Zach Cohen won for the largest bass, while Layla Lovern won for the largest other fish.

Nathaniel Agosto shows off his fish.

Kayla Perez with her bass.

Tournament winners with their awards.

Jaxon Stavropoulos.

Ryan Cohen with his bass.

The event brought out many young anglers.

Ajyden and Luca Gray hope for a nibble.

Kira and Ellie Schartner, Riley Weaver and Jax Schartner.

Josh Dovey weighs-in his 11-ounce bass.

Dylan Ghettie with his just-caught fish.

Layla and Michael Lovern with a 2-pound, 13-ounce tilapia.

Page 8

July 10 - July 16, 2015

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RE-PRINT FROM THE PALM BEACH POST - July 6, 2015

OUR VIEWS GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

Builders’ plans for ‘mini-cities’ a traffic horror To get to the latest battleground in Palm

Beach County’s development wars, you can take Northlake Boulevard in Palm Beach Gardens and drive west — and keep going past the highway’s end, into an area of yawning rural roads and houses set wide apart from their neighbors.

Way out here is where builders hope to put up the equivalent of new cities: a trio of big developments that together would bring more than 13,000 new residences and lots of retail, office, college and medical facilities.

Each of these developments, separately, looks beautiful on paper, even if much denser than the land use long thought appropriate for the area. Their maps and drawings show town centers, walkways, recreation areas, appealing architecture, mixes of commercial and residential uses — even Venice-like canals.

But none of these places will exist in a vacuum. Everybody who would live, work, shop or study out there will have to come or go. Tens of thousands more cars will pour onto roadways.

That’s why the county commissioners should pay much keener attention to the warnings of their county engineer, who says the road network is unlikely to meet the expected load.

And taxpayers are likely to pay for a great deal of this folly.

The commissioners in October shrugged off staff warnings about likely traffic nightmares when they green-lighted Minto West: 4,500 homes and 2.1 million square feet of nonresidential development on the former Callery-Judge citrus grove. We agreed with allowing Minto West to go forward, but have also said not every proposed “mini-city” should be built.

And now County Engineer George Webb is issuing similar alarms in reaction to a traffic study from GL Homes, which indicates it wants to build nearly 4,000 homes and 235,000 square feet of nonresidential space on a nearby 4,900-acre property known as Indian Trail Groves. Not far away, a 4,800acre stretch in western Palm Beach Gardens is being eyed for Avenir, a project that would see 4,760 homes, as well as stores, offices and schools.

Put these all together, along with a few smaller projects, and this area will see an enormous increase in traffic. On roads that don’t now exist and may be impossible to ever build.

A c c o r d i n g t o t h e c o u n t y Tr a f -

fic Division’s analysis, these developments would generate almost 227,000 more trips a day onto the area’s roads by 2035 if they’re allowed the same density as Minto West.

Currently, the county’s five-year road program calls for $30.1 million in improvements for the central-western communities. But the hyperdevelopment now being proposed would require much more than this. The area would need about five new six-lane roads at a cost of many more millions, Webb has said — only, there isn’t much room, as much of the land is government-owned and designated as environmentally sensitive preserves or conservation areas.

We, the taxpayers, would have to pay for a lot of whatever does get built. As Commissioner Paulette Burdick, the only sitting commissioner to vote against Minto West, told The Post: “People in Boca (Raton), people in Jupiter, they’re all going to have to fund the necessary roadwork.”

It wasn’t always so. Until recently, the county would have demanded that the developers pay to expand roads that grow busier because of their developments.

For years in Palm Beach County, we had a system called concurrency. Under that system, the county wouldn’t issue building permits until an enlarged road was in place to accommodate the expected increase in traffic — a road for which that developer paid.

We enjoyed orderly, sensible development.

But four years ago, the Florida Legislature, deciding that concurrency was too tight a rein on developers, made counties go to a different system. Now developers are required to pay only for their “proportionate share” of new roadways. Thus, if it costs $5 million to widen a two-lane road to four lanes, the developer might pay, say, $2.5 million of that.

And, rather than wait until the roadway goes in, under the new rules the developer can go ahead and build his project regardless of whether the road improvements are there.

So now the developer can pay his share and start to build. The county has just half the money it needs to widen the road. And while officials ponder how they’ll get the rest, the new homes and businesses go up, and the traffic starts coming on the unimproved road. And coming.

“The reality is, there’s going to be congestion,” Webb told The Post Editorial Board.

Webb is taking the broader view. The commissioners, in their decisions on approvals going forward, would be foolish to ignore it.

BROWARDIZATION OF PALM BEACH COUNTIES CONTINUES

BY JESS SANTAMARIA - Paid Advertisement -

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July 10 - July 16, 2015

Page 9

RE-PRINT FROM THE PALM BEACH POST — July 1, 2015

POINT OF VIEW DEVELOPMENT

Paradise is lost to build-and-tax officials When I first moved to the Lantana area in 1977, nature’s beauty abounded in every direction. My new home was surrounded by tropical forests, orange groves and grazing cattle by the hundreds. Congress Avenue was a quiet road surrounded by these cattle, bringing a sense of peaceful nature to all who passed on the two-lane roadway.

Lawrence Road west of Congress Avenue had orange groves on both sides of the narrow road, under a green tunnel of Australian pines. It was quiet, serene and soul-enriching to be here.

Now it’s all gone. The forests have been cut, and the cow pastures turned into strip malls and drugstores. And every parcel of green space has been paved, built on and taxed for local governments to justify their existence.

The animals that had lived on these lands

for thousands of years had fewer and fewer natural areas to survive and have systematically been killed off because they cannot survive where man has destroyed their habitat.

Alligators swim in pools; coyotes eat pets; bears rummage through garbage cans; raccoons invade bird feeders.

Palm Beach County has never been able to say “no” to developers as they have pushed — to the very edge of the Everglades — to build expensive gated communities where nature once reigned. Now the state will allow black bears to be hunted in October in order to “cull” the population that was just beginning to cope with loss of habitat.

What was once “Paradise” is clearly “Paradise Lost” as build-and-tax rules the day. I am ashamed of our elected officials who have let this happen.

— WAYNE GROVER, LANTANA

Protect the Ag Reserve Now Only July 30, the Palm Beach County Commission should vote no on a pro-

posal to increase development and weaken agricultural and environmental protections in the Ag Reserve.

Developers support eliminating a requirement that parcels of land preserved for agriculture in the Reserve total at least 150 acres in size. If the Palm Beach County Commission approves this proposal, it would allow new and existing preservation lands to be broken up into smaller parcels – resulting in increased development and undermining protections for agriculture, wildlife and waters in the Ag Reserve.

The County Commission must say NO to developers who want to change the rules mid-game to jam even more homes into this important economic and environmental area.

The Ag Reserve was intended to be a haven for farmers, not developers, and paving the way for more development in this area contradicts the very reason that Palm Beach County voters created the Ag Reserve more than 15 years ago – to keep a large portion of this area, some of the best land on the eastern coast for growing vegetables, in permanent agriculture.

In a rate unanimous vote, on June 12, the Palm Beach County Planning Commission sided with the citizens of Palm Beach County, rejecting the proposal to break up preservation lands and increase development.

WE urge our County Commissioners to do the right thing – follow the unanimous recommendation of your Planning Commission and vote down this proposed change. Show the public you have heard them, and demonstrate to all citizens that you truly represent public interests, not those of developers and other special interest.

— 1000 Friends of Florida — - Paid Advertisement -

Page 10

July 10 - July 16, 2015

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NEWS

ROYAL PALM HOSTS ITS STAR SPANGLED SPECTACULAR AT COMMONS PARK

The Village of Royal Palm Beach presented its annual Star Spangled Spectacular on Saturday, July 4 at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Thousands of attendees enjoyed live music and food trucks, along with a volleyball tournament, a spike ball tournament, a cornhole tournament and more. There was a kids fun zone with bounce houses, rides, games and more. The fun day ended with a spectacular Zambelli fireworks display.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

A fireworks display capped the fun day.

Jackson Medved goes for a swing.

Amy and Daryl Sholar with Abigail, Isabella and Dylan.

Councilman Jeff Hmara, Vice Mayor Richard Valuntas, Mayor Matty Mattioli, Councilman Fred Pinto and Councilman David Swift.

Rebecca Jones and Steve Webster.

Eric Rucker and Cara Abaldo enjoy the music and food.

The Foreigner tribute band 4NR2 performs on stage.

Dan Doherty, Joey Johnson, Carolyn and Councilman Jeff Hmara, and Lorna Johnson.

HOLIDAY FUN AT WELLINGTON AQUATICS COMPLEX’S PATRIOTIC POOL PARTY

Wellington hosted a patriotic pool party on Saturday, July 4 at the Wellington Aquatics Complex. The holiday event featured music, PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER fun and games.

Lenay and Aniya Lamour toss a ball back and forth with kickboards.

Cross Fischer goes under the limbo stick.

Rachel Rosenthal dives in.

Lifeguards Michael Goldman, Skylar Schoemig, Cross Fischer, Kristine Kaelin, Justin Sprunger, Kristina Kolshak and Andrew Portuondo.

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The Jacobs Family Foundation had a booth at the 2015 Village of Wellington’s 4th of July celebration that was staffed by Tom and Regis Wenham.

We had the opportunity to meet and discuss the foundation’s purpose and the Grant Application Form. We were pleasantly surprised at the number of people that stopped by our booth. Some people wanted to discuss village issues some wanted to take Jacobs Family pens, but most wanted to discuss the Grant Application Form and how it might pertain to their particular organization.

We handed out the forms that could be taken to their respective organizations to be prepared for submittal. The interest shown by the recipients was extremely gratifying.

Once the forms are filled out, which can also include supporting material, and turned in to our office, they will be submitted to our Board of Directors for review. The person listed on the Grant Application Form will be notified of the board’s decision.

Wellington residents who may be interested in applying for a grant are encouraged to contact our office or call us at 561-333-9843.

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If you have any questions, please visit www.jffwellington.org, email us at grants@jffwellington.org, or call us at 561-333-9843.

The Town-Crier

Vets Program At Chamber Lunch

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon Wednesday, July 22 at the Wanderers Club, with registration starting at 11:30 a.m. The luncheon will feature the Veterans Trust, with keynote speaker Jake Milkovich, joined by Kelsey Desantis and Fred Roger. For more info., visit www.wellingtonchamber.com.

ITID Safety Fair Set For July 25

The Indian Trail Improvement District will host a Public Safety Fair Day on Saturday, July 25 at the Hamlin House Community Center (14893 89th Place North).

There will be safety tips for children and adults, kids activities, a water slide, a bounce house, a physical fitness course and more.

Community agencies such as Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Drowning Prevention Coalition, the PBSO’s Volunteer Child ID Unit, the Florida Division of Forestry, CERT teams

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July 10 - July 16, 2015

Page 11

NEWS BRIEFS from Loxahatchee and The Acreage, and more. There will also be food vendors, including the Loxahatchee Ice Cream Company.

The event will also include mock demonstrations and a special visit from Smokey the Bear. For more info., call the Hamlin House Community Center at (561) 469-7868.

LGLA Monthly Meeting July 23

The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will meet Thursday, July 23 at 7 p.m. The meeting will be held at the Palms West Presbyterian Church at 13689 Okeechobee Blvd.

The speaker this month will be from the Palm Beach County Extension Service on the topic of “Invasive Plant Controls.” Residents will learn effective ways to get invasive plants under control or eliminated. There will be time for questions.

This is an open meeting where residents will get a chance to discuss issues of concern related to things that are going on in the town. The meeting is open to the public, but only LGLA members

with 2015 paid dues can make motions and/or vote. For more info., contact Marge Herzog at (561) 818-9114 or marge@herzog.ms.

‘Time To Ride’ At Karen’s Equine

Karen’s Equine Intervention, located at 16280 E. Calder Drive, will host a Time to Ride event for families to get acquainted with horses on Saturday, July 25. There will be various riding exhibitions, time to interact with the horses, pony rides and other activities at this free event. For more info., visit www.equineintervention.org.

‘Music For The Mind’ July 21

July’s “Music for the Mind” concert at the Harriet Himmel Theater at Cityplace will take place Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m.

It will feature the Irwin Solomon Jazz Trio.

This talented trio consists of Irwin Solomon on piano, Dave Tomasello on bass and Frank Derrick on the drums. They will captivate you with a unique presentation of

jazz classics and will be joined by singer/actress Avery Sommers.

Tickets, $10 for adults and $5 for students, can be purchased at the door or by calling CTS at (866) 449-2489. All money raised will benefit the Kretzer Piano Music Foundation. For more info., visit www.kretzerpiano.com/kpmf.

public information work being done in counties across the nation.

Excellence is recognized in nine categories: Annual Reports, Brochures/Multiple-Page Booklets, Publications, Writing, Graphic Design, Photography, Audiovisual Productions, Special Projects and Electronic Communications.

County Public Affairs Wins Three Awards

CAFCI Talent Show Aug. 30

Palm Beach County’s Public Affairs Department won awards for three out of four entries submitted to the 2015 National Association of County Information Officers’ (NACIO) annual Awards of Excellence competition.

The department was recognized for the PBCTV Channel 20 program “Adopt a Friend” in the category of Audiovisual Productions; the “Know Your Zone Campaign” in the category of Public Education Campaign; and the “State of the County Address” in the writing category.

The NACIO 2015 Awards of Excellence competition recognizes outstanding public relations and

Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement (CAFCI) will hold its youth talent show on Sunday, Aug. 30 at 5 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center.

The talent show, now in its 17th year, is a must-attend event for anyone interested in the arts and in encouraging the stars of tomorrow.

The performers range in age from 5 to 21. They showcase their voice in styles from classical to R&B, as well as instrumental skills playing piano, drums and violin. Some will also dance ballet, classic and jazz, and perform theatrical renditions.

Several previous performers have gone on to successful careers in the performing arts. The mistresses of ceremony will be Lady C of

WAVS radio and Delisser Stephenson, actress and print model.

The auditions will be held Friday, Aug. 21 at 6 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center.

Anyone interested in performing or attending the show is invited to contact Nadine at (561) 351-6895 or e-mail nvwboyd@aol.com, Clover at (561) 596-1748, Junette at (561) 346-2353 or Shirley at (561) 719-6508.

Caps Of Love Needs Help

Volunteers and supporters are needed on Thursday, July 23 to help support the local charity Caps of Love in loading a FedEx truck with 14 pallets of boxes filled with plastic caps. Proceeds will help handicapped children. Transportation to Kentucky is being provided free of charge by FedEx. Forklift services will be donated

by Millwork Sales of Royal Palm Beach. Work will start at 8 a.m. at Security Self Storage, located at 10719 Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. For more info., visit www.capsoflove.com or search for “Caps of Love” on Facebook.

Page 12

July 10 - July 16, 2015

PALM BEACH COUNTY QUILTERS GUILD NAMES NEW SLATE OF OFFICERS

The Palm Beach County Quilters Guild recently elected its new executive board. The new president for 2015-16 is Candice Phelan, while Lynn Suhr is the new president-elect. Other officers include Donna Jesse as treasurer, Lorie Stinson as assistant treasurer and Marcia Drake as historian. The guild meets on the fourth Saturday of the month at the Bink Glisson Museum at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Shown above are Nancy Lalacci, outgoing president; Candice Phelan, 2015-16 president; Lynn Suhr, vice president/ president-elect; Donna Jesse, treasurer; Lorie Stinson, assistant treasurer; and Marcia Drake, historian.

Wellington Residents Named To Dean’s List At Boston University Two Wellington residents were recently named to the Dean’s List at Boston University for the spring semester. Students recognized for this honor include Juliana N. Diatezua and Maria Jose Rivero.

Each school and college at Boston University has its own criterion for the Dean’s List, but students generally must attain a

3.5 grade point average on a 4.0 scale, or be in the top 30 percent of their class, as well as have a full course load as a full-time student.

Founded in 1839, Boston University is an internationally recognized institution of higher education and research. With more than 33,000 students, BU is the fourth-largest private university in the country.

Devin Cunio Graduates From U.S. Air Force Basic Training

Air Force Airman Devin J. Cunio recently graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas.

The airman completed an intensive, eight-week program that included training in military discipline and studies, Air Force core values, physical fitness, and basic warfare principles and skills.

Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate’s degree in applied science through the Community College of the Air Force.

Cunio is the son of Michelle Durkee and Steve Cunio, and stepson of Michael Davis, of West Palm Beach. He graduated in 2013 from Palm Beach Central High School.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Dr. Sarda Bhandary Honored As RPB Rotary Club’s Rotarian Of The Year The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club named Dr. Sarda Bhandary its 2014-15 Rotarian of the Year on June 25 for his outstanding work as a Rotarian and a humanitarian.

Bhandary recently returned to Florida from a trip to Nepal, where he assisted in the aid to those affected by the recent earthquake there.

Bhandary was born in Nepal.

He obtained his medical degree from the University of London in England. He came to the United States after completing his post-graduate training in England in 1977.

Bhandary retired after having practiced emergency medicine for 29 years. He was the medical director of the emergency department of a hospital in Virginia.

He also served as the operational medical director for the emergency services for the City of Franklin and Southampton County.

Bhandary is a fellow of the

American College of Emergency Physicians. He moved to Royal Palm Beach from Virginia in 2007. He splits his time between Florida and Nepal, where he volunteers his service in hospitals and clinics. In Nepal, he has visited several Rotary International projects, accompanying his brother, who is a Rotarian there.

Bhandary lives with his wife, Lalita, in Royal Palm Beach.

They have two sons. Their the older son is a radiologist in Fresno, Calif., and their younger son, a banker, lives in Wellington.

The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club has provided support to the community for more than 25 years through annual food drives, toys to needy families during the holidays, feeding the homeless, awarding scholarships to local high school seniors and literacy projects in the community and internationally.

For more information visit www.rpbrotary.org.

Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club President Diane Smith with Rotarian of the Year award recipient Dr. Sharada Bhandary.

Executive Women Of The Palm Beaches Elects Its New Officers For 2015-16

Executive Women of the Palm Beaches (EWPB) recently installed its new slate of officers, who will serve the organization and its foundation for the 201516 term.

EWPB elected Sandra Close Turnquest as president, Lori Fischer as president-elect, Denise Mariani as secretary, Deanna Fisher as treasurer and Jennifer Rodriguez as treasurer-elect. Immediate Past President Charlotte Pelton will serve on both the EWPB and foundation boards.

“I am honored to hold this position with an organization that I hold close to my heart,” Turnquest said. “This is a tremendous group of women who are not only professional role models for me, but dear friends who inspire me every single day. I am looking forward to an amazing year.”

The following members will serve as returning directors of the EWPB the year: Jessica Cecere, Beth Crews, Anita Holmes, Selena Smith, Julie Swindler, Denise Valz and Trixy Walker. New directors, whose terms continue until June

2017, include Natalie Alvarez, Jackie Halderman, Donna Hamilton and Cosy Joseph. Chanda Fuller and Jean Wihbey will serve as alternate directors.

Regina Bedoya was named chair of the EWPB Foundation, with Monica Manolas as vice chair, Michele Gurto as secretary and Nanette Norton Winzell as treasurer.

Directors of the EWPB Foundation include Natalie Alvarez, Joan Bever, Tish Carlo, Rosanne Duane, Donna Hamilton, Trish Lowry, Pam Payne, Charlotte Pelton, Suzy Petersen, Gina Sabean and Misty Travani.

EWPB is a nonprofit professional organization that inspires integrity, equality and leadership in the workplace and community.

The foundation’s purpose is to raise funds and then devote those resources to educational and charitable activities that make a positive difference in the Palm Beach County community. It exists to promote awareness of women’s issues by providing financial aid and scholarships to women from Palm

Sandra Close Turnquest

Lori Fischer

Beach County while maintaining the vision to enhance and influence the educational advancement of women.

Since its inception, the foundation has awarded more than $408,000 for scholarships and community projects. In addition to college scholarships awarded annually to outstanding women

pursuing their advanced education, it has provided financial support to many local programs.

Last year, thanks to the support of sponsors, partners and donors, the foundation was responsible for 24 scholarships totaling approximately $40,000.

To learn more, visit www.ewpb. org or call (561) 868-7070.

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Page 13

SCHOOL NEWS

Robotics Team Excels At FPL Showcase WES PATROLS VISIT D.C.

The Ninja Cheetahs, a community-based robotics team from Wellington, were one of seven teams that brought their robots to Florida Power & Light’s Jupiter West facility Wednesday, June 24 for FPL’s third annual Robotics Showcase.

The students demonstrated their robot to more than 150 FPL employees. The robot, which the elementary school students built and programmed, moved around a prescribed course and performed a series of tasks.

FPL sponsors 50 robotics teams across the state, as well as the

FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) regional competition, held annually in Fort Lauderdale.

“Supporting these teams is just one way that FPL is working with the communities we serve to make Florida an even better place to live and work,” said Maureen Wilt, FPL’s education program manager.

“STEM education programs like robotics help prepare the technically savvy workforce that we need. These students are learning engineering, programming, teamwork, communication and other vital work skills.”

Ninja Cheetahs robotics team members Michael Pitts, Elizabeth Boxold, Victoria Boxold, Aiden Murray, Andy Boxold and Alex Jones.

District’s IT Department Receives Award

The Information Technology Division of the School District of Palm Beach County was pre-

sented a Silver Stevie Award for IT Department of the Year at the 13th annual American Business

Dawn Pumphrey, Deepak Agarwal, Chris Persaud and Larry Padgett with the Silver Stevie Award.

Awards in Chicago on June 22.

The Stevie competition started in 2002 to honor top-performing businesses worldwide. This year, more than 3,300 nominations were entered for all categories of the awards. The ABA’s are considered the nation’s preeminent business awards program.

More than 400 nominees and guests attended the gala ceremony, which was also broadcast to a radio audience. Stevie is a nickname borrowed from the Greek word for “crowned.”

The IT Division, led by Chief Information Officer Deepak Agarwal, earned distinction in 2014-15 by bringing new and improved services and efficiency to its customers. The school district is the 11th largest in the nation, serving more than 180,000 students. The IT Division’s professionals design,

develop, deploy and maintain state-of-the-art enterprise systems to support 21st century digital learners. It provides innovative technology environments and information access that empower teachers, students, administrators and the community to share knowledge, collaborate, make informed decisions and drive business processes to peak efficiency.

“This national recognition is accepted on behalf of Palm Beach County’s vibrant community of 21st century learners,” Agarwal said. “I extend thanks for the support of my strong team in the IT Division, our leadership and the Palm Beach County School Board.

The IT Team remains focused on providing superior technology support to our teachers and students to further their achievements and mission success.”

Wellington Elementary School’s fifth grade safety patrol members had the time of their lives traveling to Washington, D.C., May 1315. The itinerary was filled every minute of the day, visiting historic sites that the students learned about in school. The safety patrol enjoyed visiting the FDR, MLK and Jefferson memorials, the White House, the Holocaust Museum, the Natural History Museum and the American History Museum, taking a night tour of the Lincoln, Vietnam War, World War II and Korean War Memorials, eating lunch at the U.S. Capitol. Principal Dr. Maria Vaughan accompanied them on their trip. The school thanks teachers Jessica Myerscough and Melissa Perry for organizing the trip, as well as chaperones Kristine Frey, Karlie Smith and Lui Echerri, who made the trip possible. Shown above are safety patrol students and their chaperones in front of the White House.

St. Clare Catholic School Holds Open House Aug. 6 On Thursday, Aug. 6, St. Clare Catholic School will host an open house from 4 to 6 p.m. All parents with children entering grades pre-K through 8 are welcome. St. Clare Catholic School is located

at 821 Prosperity Farms Road.

To RSVP for the open house, call (561) 622-7171. For more information, visit www.stclareschool. com or www.facebook.com/St. ClareCatholicSchool.

The Rosarian Academy Graduates 51 Students In Class Of 2015

The Rosarian Academy graduated 51 young men and women from its eighth grade class on May 28.

2001 Rosarian graduate Jonathan Modica addressed the group as the commencement speaker.

Modica encouraged the eighthgrade graduates to not only do things that they find valuable, but to also take chances. “Take chances, because you don’t know what you may love,” he said.

After graduating from Rosarian, Modica proceeded to Martin County High School, then to Connecticut College, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in human development. He also received a master’s degree in urban education policy from Brown University.

Currently, Modica is the founder and CEO of Nutmeg Education Inc., which develops software for K-12 schools to help both teachers and students pursue better educational practices in preparing for state standards and state testing.

Following the commencement address, parent Liz Yavinsky was recognized with the Rose and Torch Award for her service to the school. On behalf of the Class of 2015, Student Council President Preslie Brown presented the class gift of $1,200 to be used to establish a fund to be used for the service and support of those in need in the school community. “As we have learned how to be servants of Christ through the good works

that we have been able to do while students at Rosarian, we want to continue to give our support to those who may need some help in order to participate in events such as the annual eighth grade class trip to Washington, D.C.,” he said.

Special awards given to students included the President’s Award for Educational Excellence, presented to Caroline Fulton for earning the highest academic achievement in the eighth grade class; the President’s Award for Educational Achievement, given to Rose Ashley Osborne for making an outstanding effort to learn and improve in academic subjects; the St. Dominic Award, presented to Madeleine Landers for demon-

strating a strong belief in God, the pursuit of truth in all forms, and the Christian values of kindness, respect and integrity; and the Rowdy Award, honoring Hailey Hersey and Gina Landrum for three years of outstanding dedication and participation in school athletics.

Outstanding achievement in subject area awards went to: religion, Erin Yavinsky; English, Will Keen; literature, Madeleine Landers; science and history, Toby Vega-Dadurian; geometry, MacCrea Murphy; algebra I honors, Sarah Elhilow; pre-algebra, Maya StHilaire; Spanish, Hailey Hersey; art, Tommy Keogh; drama, Jake Kaywell; and physical education, Emma Quattlebaum.

Rosarian Academy graduates Madeleine Landers, Taylor Whigham, Caroline Fulton and Will Keen.

Page 14

July 10 - July 16, 2015

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FEATURES

For Me, Laughing At The World All Around Us Is Great Therapy

“Just Ice for Buddy” — that’s what was written on the roadside cross. Even though it was all in capital letters, it took me a moment to figure it out. They meant “justice.”

I don’t know the history of the sign, so I don’t know if Buddy was killed by a drunk driver or shot on the site or what have you. I prefer to think he was a recovering alcoholic attending a family picnic and, when asked if he would like a refill of his drink, he finally drew the line and requested, “Just Ice.” But I doubt it. Mr. Google suggests that Buddy was a dog that met an untimely end. Sigh. Writing about humans is easier

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER than poking fun at animals, at least to me.

So much can happen to us after we’re gone. Even the biggest control freak among us will no longer have any control.

I don’t want to be puzzled over by strangers because of a “Just Ice” sign. I want

to die with dignity and then quietly fade from memory. I don’t want my relatives to suffer even the tiniest twinge of guilt, thinking they ought to visit my grave in the cemetery or get a nicer urn for my ashes.

If I leave a legacy at all, I’d like it to be decent offspring and maybe a couple of humor columns that are still considered funny when they turn up decades later.

People always ask me, “Where do you get the ideas for your columns?”

Oh, man. Just look around. If I couldn’t laugh at the world, I’d probably crawl under a rock and stay there. Last week, the air conditioner went out at my store, and it was 85 degrees in there. We’d just

replaced the other unit to the tune of $2,500. Funny, huh? It better be.

And the ways of the human animal are mystifying. The occupants of a nearby store decided to host their Independence Day party under my store’s back overhang. They moved in an entire picnic table and a barbecue grill, then got out the lighter fluid. The overhang is wood, but no matter. They lit up that charcoal anyway.

And, yes, these are the same people who set the trash bin on fire on Memorial Day because they “were pretty sure” the briquets were out when they threw them in there. Funny? I try to look at it that way.

Sometimes even relatives force me to

count to 10 before I reply. I went to see my ailing Uncle Jack last week. He has cirrhosis of the liver even though he has never had a drink in his life. Funny? Not to him. At any rate, he was telling me a story about the good ol’ days when he owned Broward Motorsport in Fort Lauderdale.

He loved his time in that shop, yet he was complaining about an “old man” he had hired who couldn’t do anything but complain. (I’m sure you see the humor in that.) I asked, “Well, how old was he, Uncle Jack? Was he my age?”

“Oh, not that old,” Jack replied.

It’s funny if you can bite your tongue fast enough.

New ‘Terminator Genisys’ A Poor Copy Of The Original Movie

The horrible thing about Terminator Genisys is that it proclaims it’s the first of a trilogy. No, please NO! The first movie, done about 30 years ago, is a classic. The terrifying robot of Arnold Schwarzenegger was great, as were the reactions of the people in the film. The second was actually even better. But that was a long time ago. Since then, the movies have been barely OK, constant rewinds.

The story is always essentially the same. The machines have revolted against humanity and a robot assassin is sent back to kill Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke), mother of the leader of the human opposition John Connor (Jason Clarke). The two Clarkes are unrelated: she is a Brit and he an Aussie. Connor sends his best operative, Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney), to save her, and Reese becomes Connor’s father. Ah, the wonders of time travel! In the second movie, the Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) is

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler sent back to protect Sarah Connor. Time after time the machines send a robot, and it fails. I guess they don’t have learning programs.

Anyway, this time there’s a bit more confusion, and Sarah and Kyle wind up doing some time traveling themselves.

The reason seems to be so that they can change the timeline just before the infamous Skynet, which set off all the problems in the original, goes haywire, making everything fine. The real problem is that time travel creates many anomalies. In the

original movie, Kyle tells the police that only one person can go through because that pretty much changes everything. Then it was decided for the second movie that there could be two changes. Amazing how Hollywood can change all the laws of causality!

By the time they got to this movie, changes seem to be running around like crazy. Somehow, they are on a different timeline: Linda Hamilton (or her photo, anyway) starts out as Sarah, but when Kyle goes back, he gets Clarke. And the cast keeps moving, probably rushing to make certain that no one tells them what is really going on. I am a science fiction fan, and I had trouble working out the continuity.

For those interested in the “science” of the whole thing, once the first guy went back, it created a new timeline… pretty much a new dimension. Therefore, we do have different timelines, etc., but it

also means that the machines win some of the time and there might even be new ways for humans to win without Sarah or John Connor. Unfortunately, it seems the producers understand things like this and are sending more of these films.

As a result of all these problems, the whole plot becomes muddled and becomes totally dependent on special effects — seldom a good sign.

The cast was OK. Emilia Clarke is a decent Sarah, although I prefer her riding dragons (she plays Daenerys, the “mother of dragons” in the far better Game of Thrones). She is appropriately strong and tough, and is even able to come across as somewhat of a cynic, particularly after she is told she is to mate with Kyle. Courtney does his lines well but, unfortunately, does not really match Clarke in terms of charisma. Jason Clarke was good as John Connor, and I really liked J.K. Simmons as a cynical detective.

Schwarzenegger seemed to be having a good time. He is really far too old for the part, although at least the writers allowed him to be called Pops. He is the only one we can really identify with, and that is probably because of his status in the earlier movies. He has never been a great actor, but has always managed to do a good job as a robot. But, frankly, he is really far too old. And, as a warning, there is a shot of his 67-year-old naked backside along the way.

Right now I am hoping that some shift in the timeline will set the sequel, now set for 2017, back in time to maybe 2014, which means I have seen it and will not have to sit through it again.

It is sad that so many movies now are sequels. The best of our films are originals, the creation in many cases of new worlds.

Unfortunately, Hollywood is now so lacking in ideas and originality, it is simply a recycling bin. And those get cleaned regularly. Skip this one.

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Gold Star Mortgage Financial Group ................................................ Rob Khurana Harriet Offerman - Darell Bowen Realty........................................ Harriet Offerman Hilary’s Restaurant ....................................................................... Mary Rakoff Hilda M. Porro, P.A............................................................................ Hilda Porro Hill Audio Visual................................................................................ Tom Hill Hi-Tech Plumbing & Air ..................................................................... Jathynia Garcia Horizon Pool & Patio, Inc. ................................................................. Chuck Grove Hugs and kisses, Inc. ..................................................................... Jean Morris Hulett Environmental Services ......................................................... Gary Scher Hurricane Grill & Wings - Wellington ............................................... Rob Green India Grill + Bar ................................................................................. Mahendra Patel International Polo Club Palm Beach ................................................. John Wash J Campbell Decorative Concrete Resurfacing, Inc. ........................... Michael Shinkevich JJJ Automotive Inc. ........................................................................... John Lawsom John Carroll - Advocare Independent Distributor ............................ John Carroll Jordano Insurance Group Inc. ....................................................... Keith Jordano K&E Travel ......................................................................................... Mark Elie Keane Telecom Solutions, Inc. .......................................................... Lynne Keane KPA Promotions Inc .......................................................................... William Brasman Law Offices Of John P. Marinelli, LLC ................................................ John Marinelli Lorrie Browne Interiors .................................................................... Tim Chance Lebrun Insurance Agency, Inc ........................................................... Philippe Lebrun Lion Country Safari ........................................................................... Jennifer Berthiaume Mario The Baker ............................................................................... Kevin Puebla Miguelito’s Cancun Grille .............................................................. Miiguel Lopez National Planning Corporation ......................................................... Stas Politis NRI Institute of Health Sciences ....................................................... M. Daniel Splain Oak Bistro and Wine Bar .................................................................. Brian Jacobsen Ocean’s Electric of South Florida, LLC............................................... Fred Farnes Office Depot 2115 ............................................................................. Jonathon Rice Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. ................................................................... Eric Willer Palm Beach Aquatics Inc ................................................................... John Natale PBC School District Choice and Career Options ............................... Tara Kobel Palm Beach Habilitation Center........................................................ Gary Strother Palm Beach SCORE ............................................................................ Bob Bloom Palms West Monthly......................................................................... Robert Harris

Palms West Hospital ......................................................................... Madeline Nava Paul and Jann Seal - Exit Premier Realty .......................................... Jann Seal Phelps Media Group International ................................................... Julie Tannehill PHR Solutions.................................................................................... Laurel Bennet PNC Bank, NA - Wealth Management .............................................. Lidy Mata Primerica ........................................................................................... Mark Bozicevic Print It Plus........................................................................................ David Leland Professional Family Eyecare ............................................................. Jolene Reiter Quad S Solutions ............................................................................... Selena Smith Richard W. Schwartz, C.P.A. .............................................................. Richard Schwartz Richard’s Lawn Service ..................................................................... Richard Velten Royal Inn Hotel.................................................................................. Chris Santamaria Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club.......................................................... Bruce Elkind, D.D.S. Royal Palm Covenant Church............................................................ Rev. Michael Rose Royal Palm Dental Associates,P.A. ................................................ David Goldberg D.D.S. Royal Palm Mazda............................................................................. Larry Tynes Royal Palm Pharmacy ....................................................................... Rayhan Ahmed RPB Technologies, LLC....................................................................... Ron Tomchin Sea Breeze Air System, Inc. ............................................................... Nancy Cook Sharp Shopper Magazine.................................................................. Barbara Chaiken Silvia Garcia Insurance Advisors, Inc. ............................................... Silvia Garcia SunTrust Bank .............................................................................. Claudia Camacho SunTrust Bank ................................................................................... Mario Camacho The Legend Group............................................................................. Lynn Balch The Town-Crier Newspaper .............................................................. Barry Manning The White Elephant .......................................................................... Don Patel The World Entertainment and Information Network ..................... Peter Wein Tindall Company, PA ..................................................................... Greg Tindall Total Shredding ................................................................................. Monica Lewis Tree’s Wings & Ribs........................................................................... Erin Townsend US Building Inspectors, Inc. .............................................................. Patti Neri VMB Solutions .................................................................................. Vicky Major-Bell Well Life Group ................................................................................. Bob Still Wild West Diner ................................................................................ Steven Good Your Computer Guy, Inc. ................................................................... Dave Okeefe

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Page 15

NEWS

ROYAL PALM BEACH SENIORS GROUP CELEBRATES FUN INDEPENDENCE DAY

The Royal Palm Beach Seniors Activities Group celebrated Independence Day with a potluck luncheon on Wednesday, July 1 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Seniors wore red, white and blue and sang patriotic songs. Rick Nelson also sang and played popular oldies.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Cheryl Lower, Elaine Mathis, Lorna Pearson, Attis Solomon, Joe Schelorke, Beth Kaplan, Dolly Hughes and Vinette Tracy.

Catherine Kowachik, Doe Harth, Hariett Fortune and Karen Becker.

Rick Nelson sang popular oldies.

Lisa Orwig and Jim Ridley.

Norma Vivanco, Virginia Stefan, Virginia Caldwell, Margaret Sandifer and Ilyn Greene.

Sydelle Banks, Linda Isaacs, Dolores Valentine, Elsa Villacis and Peggy Brown.

Joy Martin, Ruth Biscaino, Doris Mendez-Weeks, Catherine Amico, Ruby Johnson, Joan LaGuerre and Elsy Herbert.

ST. PETER’S CHURCH WELCOMES REV. MARK CALDWELL AS SENIOR PASTOR

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Wellington welcomed new Senior Pastor Rev. Mark Caldwell on Sunday, July 5. After the day’s service, there was a picnic lunch in the gym. It was a chance for parishioners to talk to Rev. Caldwell and get to know his family.

Parishioners took part in a “pounding,” donating pound-sized packages of nonperishable foods to stock the Caldwell family’s pantry while they adjust to their move to Wellington.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Rev. Mark Caldwell and his wife Tiffany with sons Cooper and Parker.

Attendees donated a pound of nonperishable foods to fill Rev. Caldwell’s pantry as a welcome present.

Ed and Cheri Escue with Rev. Mark Caldwell.

Page 16

July 10 - July 16, 2015

Liang

Challenge Voted Down

continued from page 1 that the charter is at least ambiguous, or it’s implied that the offense must occur during the term of office.”

Jarolem said the town charter leaves no room for interpretation in that it does not mention a time frame.

“The legislature presumes to know what it is doing when it enacts these laws, and unless there is evidence to the contrary, you

RFP Process

Choosing A New Manager

continued from page 1 the council that background checks be done on the applicants, he said. Cirullo’s other question was whether Planning & Zoning should be an independent contractor. It is currently under town management.

Mayor Dave Browning said he would like the RFP to be as close to the current contract as possible in order to get a good comparison, and changes could be negotiated later.

Finance Advisory & Audit Committee Chair Lung Chiu said his committee’s main concern was to clarify whether storm cleanup management would still be under the manager or through a separate contractor. “Other than that, I think the original RFP is pretty good,” Chiu said.

Councilman Jim Rockett asked that a separate storm management

Bedford

Chamber’s New CEO

continued from page 1 community events and more emphasis on business-to-business programs. Under Burns, the chamber also sold its building on Southern Blvd. to the Town of Loxahatchee Groves and moved into new offices in the original Wellington Mall.

“Mary Lou has a heart for small businesses and a passion for the community and businesses we serve,” Chamber Chairman Thomas Bean said. “The board selected Mary Lou because she has the ability to successfully lead this organization and advance our strategic economic development initiatives and member services.”

Bedford will meet with the 29-member board monthly, and will work with her team of five staff members and two interns to build membership and help member businesses be successful.

“What is important right now is to reach out to the municipalities in our footprint and find the issues and initiatives they are focusing on,” Bedford said. “I’ve already had talks with [Business Development Board President] Kelly Smallridge about reinforcing our role in helping them to achieve their goals. I think the most im-

NEWS have to take it at the face value,” he said.

Whittles said case law in Florida and other states is interpreted as saying that elected or appointed officials cannot be removed for infractions that occurred before their term of office. He added that the charter is ambiguous in that it does not state a time frame for the infraction.

“The idea of an elected official of Loxahatchee Groves being subject to forfeiture for catching an undersized lobster five years before this charter even existed, years before he was elected and re-elected and re-elected, when

you think about the qualification issues, it doesn’t make sense,” he said.

Whittles added that other issues surrounding the election were not relevant to the issue at hand.

“This is not an election contest,” he said. “There is a court that is going to determine what’s going to happen there. The justice of it is not tonight. Tonight is about if the charter allows the council to deal with what’s being requested.”

Loxahatchee Groves Planning & Zoning Board Chair Dennis Lipp said other municipalities, including Wellington and Boca Raton, have similar forfeiture

clauses, and pointed out that anyone with a felony record cannot join the armed forces, and that many municipalities do not allow anyone with a felony record to become a firefighter or a police officer.

“This is a case of anyone in public service, no matter when they did it,” Lipp said. “What if we had a sex offender here who never registered?”

Resident Phillis Maniglia agreed that Rockett should recuse himself, and added that catching spiny lobsters is not a small issue to fishermen.

“We need to follow the law,”

cleanup RFP be issued so that the manager is not saddled with that responsibility. Typically, there is no cost for that contract unless it is used.

Although no action was taken that evening, Councilman Tom Goltzené said he would favor more separate contracts so that if the council is dissatisfied with the performance of one vendor, it could address that specific issue, rather than change the entire management firm.

“Part of the problem is throwing baby out with the bathwater when we have issue with one or two people or an issue with a management company,” Goltzené said. “I think we would be far better served if we had employees or broke it into more contracts.”

Goltzené, who had voted against the RFP along with Browning, added that changing management firms was going to result in chaos, as it had the other times the town changed firms. “We need a different system, because this one doesn’t work,” he said.

The council decided that all questions would be routed

through Cirullo’s office, although Cirullo said he would like to at least have the sealed bids delivered to town hall rather than his office, pointing out that they are public records.

During public comment, resident Virginia Standish, who unsuccessfully challenged Vice Mayor Ron Jarriel in last March’s election, said she did not understand why the council was set on replacing the management firm.

“What’s the rush, gentlemen?”

Standish asked. “All you have to do is extend the contract for one year, and here you are causing chaos and disruption. I wonder why? You had a good management team in place that dealt with all of the public. They did not censor who they talked to. They are professional. They have staff available at all times.”

Standish, former chair of the Finance Advisory & Audit Committee, worried about the town’s finances.

“You’re rushing Underwood Management out,” she said. “You have no respect for the town financials, for the chain of custody.

You are a municipality. You’re not a bunch of guys who have a bunch of papers in the back of your shed.

You need to act like a municipality.

You are responsible to the state for this documentation. This is not a joke.”

Resident Pat Johnson said she was extremely concerned as a citizen at the churning of management companies since the town had incorporated.

“When we changed companies, I don’t recall seeing a list of reasons for changing,” Johnson said.

“I would like to know as a resident what egregious, substantive things have happened that you would decide to get rid of them. There’s got to be some good reasons.”

Councilman Ron Jarriel said that Underwood is still eligible to participate in the RFP. “That means he can still bid on this just like the rest of them,” Jarriel said.

But Underwood said he had already indicated he did not intend to participate.

“That will not happen,” he said.

“The sky will turn red and hell will freeze over.”

portant thing is that there needs to be collaboration and open communication.”

Bedford said one of her first goals will be to sit down with local leaders and form collaborative groups. The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce covers roughly one-third of the county, from the Glades area east to Lake Worth and West Palm Beach, including here in the western communities. “It’s a huge area, but I think it’s important, because every area has its unique needs and character,” Bedford said. “We certainly can be aware of the issues in each of these areas and help put forward initiatives and groups that can work together for sustaining businesses.”

While the chamber avoids political endorsements, it is active in working with elected officials to determine how their policies impact local businesses and business owners. Bedford said she looks forward to setting up an economic forum where local businesses can meet with elected representatives from the area for an overview of how initiatives in Tallahassee will affect them.

“It’s important, no matter who is in office as your governor, that you have good communication with the governor’s office. But it’s important as a chamber that we remain neutral,” Bedford said.

“Anything that is pro-business or

has an economic development impact, we will get behind, but we do not get involved in backing candidates. We’re Switzerland when it comes to that.”

One big issue has been the Affordable Care Act and its impact on businesses in a variety of ways. Bedford said that she has been working with area hospitals and medical leaders to get a better handle on how the ACA affects businesses large and small.

“The hospitals, the doctors, the insurance companies, are all working collaboratively… on where healthcare is going,” she said. “What they’re finding is, obviously, better healthcare, preventative healthcare, working with your doctor, sharing records for patients, so you’re making sure you’re aware of what’s exactly going on with that patient.”

While the chamber has moved away from hosting festivals and events in favor of business-to-business workshops and economic development, Bedford said that the chamber has been putting together several community programs, including one that will be tied in to area high schools, because the youth of today are the business owners of tomorrow.

“We have a program through our Central Palm Beach Community Foundation called the YEA program — the Young Entrepreneurs Academy — and this is a

nationwide chamber-based program,” Bedford said. “We will be doing a launch of the program in October. It’s a 10-month program for 24 students throughout central Palm Beach County and is an opportunity for these students to create their own businesses.”

Bedford said that at the end of the 10-month period, the students would be licensed and go before a panel to discuss and present their businesses or services. The chamber would also help these young entrepreneurs go back to their home schools and “pay it forward” by working with students in marketing groups such as DECA. “I’m very excited for what we can do as a collective, as a chamber, to make an impact,” Bedford said.

Bedford holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, with concentrations in public relations and media, from California State University, Sacramento. Prior to taking over as executive vice president in 2013, she served as the marketing and public relations director for the chamber, where she led the rebranding initiative for the chamber’s creation through the merger of the Palms West and Lake Worth chambers of commerce in 2012.

For more information about the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, visit www.cpbchamber.com.

PBSC Working To Provide More Job Training In The Glades

Palm Beach State College in Belle Glade has partnered with the School District of Palm Beach County and business and industry leaders in the Glades to develop a more streamlined and economical approach to job training for the area’s workforce.

The goal of the new initiative is to encourage business and industry leaders to collectively identify their workforce training needs,

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with programs to be provided by the college. “If we can identify the skills needed across the businesses and encourage the businesses to cooperate with each other, then we can provide the training at a more economical cost,’’ said Dr. Holly Bennett, provost of the Belle Glade campus.

A steering committee, which includes representatives from the School District of Palm Beach

County, Florida Crystals, the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida, Tripp Electric Motors and others, met June 11. The group is scheduled to meet again at 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, July 15 at West Tech. In the meantime, steering committee members are working to get more businesses leaders in the Glades to sign on.

Bryan Cross, assistant manager of human resources at the Sugar

Cane Growers Cooperative, said that with an aging workforce, his company will need a good applicant pool to fill future jobs.

Cross said he knows that some companies will require specific training, but others have common training needs. “We’re hoping this next meeting will be more representative of the businesses and industries out here to identify the common needs,” he said.

Maniglia said. “We are all very emotional about this, but this is your opportunity to start mopping up what is becoming an embarrassment to the town.”

Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Supervisor Frank Schiola asked if the question could be deferred to a judge or someone with no personal interest in the decision.

“I don’t think there’s anybody in this room who can be impartial,” Schiola said. “I feel for all four of you sitting up here. This needs to be deferred to someone outside who has no interest in the town.”

Cirullo said that the charter requires that the decision be made by the council.

Councilman Ron Jarriel said that he would follow the law of the charter.

“We have one lawyer who says one thing and the other the opposite,” Jarriel said. “Somebody said that when you’re a convicted felon, you lose all your rights. I happen to know that in the last three elections, Ryan has been a

Lennar

Deal Could Fall Through

continued from page 1 if we have to put it back on the market, we will sell it. We wouldn’t be able to close on it by the end of the year, but we would have it in place for the next fiscal year.”

Mayor Matty Mattioli and Councilman Jeff Hmara proposed a compromise to grant a four-day extension request so Lennar could attend the council’s July 16 meeting with a more detailed study on the property cleanup, with the stipulation that if an additional 30-day extension was approved at that meeting, and Lennar later reneged on the sale, Lennar would forfeit all of its $97,935 refundable deposit.

Without the four-day extension, Grundt told the council he “would try to convince our investment committee before July 13 that this is a risk worth taking,” but could not promise what decision would result.

The property sale was the only real issue that came up during the council’s 90-minute initial public review of Royal Palm Beach’s proposed 2015-16 budget. According to Finance Director Stan Hochman, the 197-page, $41.16 million proposed budget was prepared with the intent of not increasing the current tax rate of $1.92 per $1,000 of taxable property, while maintaining the level of service Royal Palm Beach residents have come to enjoy.

Hochman said village property values are up 11.4 percent from last year, which is higher than the initial 10.6 percent increase estimate. He noted that there are no current plans to take any money from the village’s rate stabilization fund to balance the budget.

However, money is available in that fund if the property sale is delayed.

Village Engineer Chris Marsh said $2.35 million is slated for road resurfacing programs, including Saratoga Blvd., Kings Way, La Mancha Avenue, Ponce De Leon Street and Queens Lane. Some of these are carryovers from the current year. It is also possible other projects could get bumped up, based on available money or emergencies that occur.

Marsh said that there are plans to post resurfacing project information on the village’s web site to keep residents apprised of upcoming road work.

Other capital improvement projects on the horizon include bringing areas of the village — including its kayak launch — up

registered voter. He has not lost any of his civil rights.”

Rockett said that he takes his responsibility very seriously.

“The participation and decision that I render is going to be based on what I think is right… and ultimately what the charter says, which is very clear to me,” he said.

Mayor Dave Browning said he did not want the decision at hand to be clouded with other issues regarding the election.

“This is a very emotional issue, and there are two separate things going on,” Browning said. “Number one, there are challenges going on about the election itself. Tonight has nothing to do with that.”

He said that the charter appears to be very clear that forfeiture of office should be for a felony committed while in office.

“Maybe we need to change our charter, but right now I’ve got to follow our charter,” Browning said.

The council then voted 3-1 to keep Liang on the council, with Councilman Tom Goltzené dissenting. to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards, replacing the play space at Pippin Park, and proceeding with bidding on, and construction of, an amphitheater at Royal Palm Beach Commons Park.

Councilman Dave Swift expressed concern over the location of the kayak launch in general, noting that “we need to make it easier to get kayaks to the launch from the parking lot in the first place.” Marsh said the village will evaluate the area to see what, if any, options exist to address Swift’s concerns.

Royal Palm Beach has been awarded a $25,000 grant toward the kayak launch work, as well as two grants totaling $381,500 toward the amphitheater. Marsh said the amphitheater will “be fully funded in the next fiscal year.”

The village is looking at a 4.04 percent ($875,792) increase in departmental operation costs.

The largest increase is in Parks & Recreation, which will see a 10.63 percent boost ($457,868).

Most of the increase is connected to cost of living and merit pay increases, which totaled $476,808, or a 5.68 percent increase over the previous year. COLA accounted for 1.2 percent of this total. Increased costs of health insurance have also been factored into the estimate for Royal Palm Beach’s 151-employee staff.

There is only one notable change in personnel numbers: a part-time Parks & Recreation program supervisor position is being upgraded to full-time. Parks & Recreation Director Lou Recchio told the council that the upgrade is based on the increased involvement of senior citizens in village-sponsored programs.

“It requires us providing a fulltime position, because [seniors] want the attention — and they deserve it,” Recchio said. “They want more bus trips, and they want them year-round, including the summer. That’s the reason for the increase.”

Recchio said the village also hopes to increase its fitness and aerobics contract services because demand for them has increased.

“These are programs that are driven by participants,” Recchio said. “As we get revenues, they offset the expenses.”

July 6 was the first public review on the proposed budget. There will be two public hearings for input from residents in September, and while the dates are not currently set, Hochman said they traditionally take place at council meetings that month. Those meetings are scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 3 and Thursday, Sept. 17.

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Page 17

NEWS

HOLIDAY CELEBRATION BRINGS CROWDS TO WELLINGTON’S VILLAGE PARK

Wellington held its annual Family Fourth Celebration on Saturday, July 4 at Village Park on Pierson Road with free bingo by Humana, games sponsored by Walmart Neighborhood Market, face painting, a petting zoo, food trucks, music by Studio 54 and more, with fireworks by Zambelli closing out the night. The event was sponsored by the Village of Wellington, the Goddard School, Dick’s Sporting Goods, the Donner Foundation, Walmart Neighborhood Market, the Jacobs Family Foundation and the Wellington Preservation Coalition.

PHOTOS BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER

Mike Pancia at the American Legion booth.

Roger and Joanna Strout with Evie and Ron Davis.

Shelby Hutchinson with a goat from the petting zoo.

Lillian and Violet Summerville in their matching outfits.

The Studio 54 band keeps the crowds entertained.

Ivanna Lopez with Justy, a greyhound from Forever Greyhounds.

Delaney and Bryce Gelfand enjoyed the face painting.

Regis and Tom Wenham with the Jacobs Family Foundation.

The Zoo Comes A l i v e AT N i g h T !

Celina and Emily Cabral get patriotic.

Grandparents Mel and Toni Jason took Lauren and Rachel Weiner out for the night.

Carolina Barrios-Perez with Yorkshire terrier Stella.

Hailey and Brooklyn Richards.

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July 10 - July 16, 2015

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Oxbridge Academy Now Has An Equestrian Team

The Oxbridge Academy has made the dream of riding and showing possible for its students. “We surveyed our students in June 2014 to find out what athletic offerings interested them,” Athletics Director Craig Sponsky said. “There was a large interest in equestrian sports.” Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 21

Business

Horse Gym USA Founders Henrik & Mikala Gundersen Mark 10 Years In Wellington

Horse Gym USA founders Henrik and Mikala Gundersen knew they’d come “home” on their first visit to the horse-centered community of Wellington. Successful dressage rider Mikala and show jumper Henrik, with their line of advanced equine fitness treadmills, seemed to fit perfectly into Wellington. Ten years later, the couple has become well-known in the community.

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Sports Two Local Players Picked In MLB Draft

Two local baseball stars have been chosen in the Major League Baseball draft — Bobby Poyner of the University of Florida (who attended Palm Beach Central High School) in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox, and Andrew Istler of Duke University (who attended Wellington High School) in the 23rd round by the L.A. Dodgers. Page 27

THIS WEEK’S INDEX TAILS FROM THE TRAILS............................. 21 BUSINESS NEWS................................... 22-23 SPORTS & RECREATION.........................27-29 COMMUNITY CALENDAR............................. 30 CLASSIFIEDS..........................................31-34

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Local Rugby Club Hosts Team From England

On July 2, the Wellington Wizards Rugby Club’s U15 team hosted Horton Tech College from England at Acreage Community Park. The focus of the friendly match was to embrace the opportunity to experience rugby at an international level and promote the sport in the United States. Page 27

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FEATURES

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Oxbridge Academy Now Offering An Equestrian Team

Riding and showing horses is expensive.

Some are lucky enough to find ways to afford it, and some only watch and wish. The Oxbridge Academy, a private high school on Military Trail in West Palm Beach, has made the dream of riding and showing possible for its students.

“We surveyed our students in June 2014 to find out what athletic offerings interested them,” Athletics Director Craig Sponsky said.

“There was a large interest in equestrian sports, so we decided to look into it. It took a little while to organize.”

Along the way, they found Heidi Lengyel of Wall Street Farm, who was already involved with the Interscholastic Equestrian Association, which seemed like it would be a great entry into the sport.

“Heidi and her husband, Steve, are great people; very easy to get along with. Their barn is centrally located and easy for our students to get to,” Sponsky said. “We also liked the variety of disciplines: hunters, jumpers, dressage, and even polo at a nearby barn. They start with the basics and move right up through more advanced skills. It gave our students a lot of opportunities to learn and grow.”

Sponsky offered riding as an after-school club sport, and about two dozen enthusiastic students signed up. The riding began in January. Students are bused to the farm in suburban Get updates all week long... follow Ellen Rosenberg on Twitter at twitter.com/Horse TalkFL.

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg Boynton Beach every Wednesday afternoon after school and ride in group lessons. They can either ride the bus back to school or carpool rides home. They also have the opportunity to ride Saturday mornings, but have to organize their own transportation.

Oxbridge provides the helmets and pays a significant percentage of the fees, making it very affordable. Once participants start showing with the IEA next year, the school will also provide show clothes.

“This whole experience has been very positive,” Sponsky said. “The students are extremely happy. We’ve had no complaints or concerns, which is quite unique. Riding opens up a whole new field they can pursue in college and throughout their lives. How many children get to say they learned to ride a horse through their school? It’s an absolute win-win situation.”

Jhadha King, 16, started riding with the Oxbridge team in January. Her friends signed up, and she went right along.

“It sounded like an amazing opportunity,” she said. “I like the unity of it all, meeting new

Taylor Medeiros rides Jazzy.

Jhadha King with Tristan.

people and learning from them and from the horses. I’ve just started cantering a little, and I’m still working on changing my diagonals when posting. It’s so much fun! I’ve also started trotting over poles on the ground in a half-seat.”

King has also found her favorite horses.

“Tristan is really tall, which fits my long legs, and he’s sweet and mellow. Webster has a really smooth canter,” she said. “Heidi is a great teacher. She always reminds me not to look down, or I’ll end up on the ground. I’m going to try to keep riding over the summer See ROSENBERG, page 28

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BUSINESS NEWS

Horse Gym USA Founders Mark 10 Years In Wellington Horse Gym USA founders Henrik and Mikala Gundersen knew they’d come “home” on their first visit to the horse-centered community of Wellington. Successful dressage rider Mikala and show jumper Henrik, with their line of advanced equine fitness treadmills, seemed to fit perfectly into Wellington.

Ten years later, the couple has become well-known for their riding talent in Wellington’s international venues of the Global Dressage Festival and Winter Equestrian Festival, their love for and dedication to equestrian sports, and their effective Horse Gym USA equine treadmills and equipment.

Even after a decade of success, the Gundersens still clearly remember how it all began. “We were on vacation and went through Wellington to visit a friend, and immediately fell in love with the town,” Mikala recalled. “Because of the flat country and small paddocks, we figured there would be a need for our treadmills here.”

Henrik noted that it was slow in the beginning. “Many riders thought their horses couldn’t learn to go on a treadmill,” he recalled. “Or they thought it looked dangerous. Horse treadmills had been common in Europe for many years, so our first

clients were mostly jumper riders who competed in Europe and recognized the treadmills from there.”

Just like they do when building relationships with their Grand Prix mounts, Henrik and Mikala were patient in building a relationship with the horse community. They let their own horses’ high levels of performance do the talking for them.

“We were — and are — both international competitors and trainers. We use all the Horse Gym USA products in our daily programs,” Henrik explained. “I think it gave the treadmills credibility when we could show how we utilized them in training our own horses. People saw how well we did and how fit our horses looked.”

Recently showing off the effects of Horse Gym USA treadmills was Mikala Gundersen as she finished the 2015 Adequan Global Dressage Festival show series as the top money-earning rider of the entire season.

Actively demonstrating the benefits of Horse Gym USA in the show ring certainly seemed to work. Since the Gundersens’ company took off in Wellington 10 years ago, they have gained a large customer base that includes riders of all levels and disciplines, as well as veterinary and rehabilitative facilities.

“We started out with a walk treadmill for horses, and now we have the spa, the water and the relax as well. Initially, we worked primarily with riders and a few veterinarians, but now we are working with more veterinary clinics and equine rehabilitation centers because we can offer a line of beneficial rehabilitation equipment. It’s a win-win. Horsecare professionals, like a rehab center, benefit from having all their products come from one reliable manufacturer, while we have proven ourselves as the leading supplier in the industry,” Henrik said.

“Ten years ago, a treadmill was a unique addition,” Mikala added.

“Now, it is an accepted standard in therapeutic and rehabilitative care.”

The Horse Gym USA Relax is a warm up, cool out and zero impact conditioning tool with a floor that moves in a three-dimensional motion to keep a horse standing square while facilitating the effects of the vibrating element. The dry treadmill model, Horse Gym USA Walk, has recently upgraded its design to included controls at the horse’s head, more cushion in the floor, higher sides and a longer belt. The all-in-one Horse Gym USA Water treadmill, like those used by respected Florida equine veterinarians Dr.

Henrik Gundersen (left) and Mikala Gundersen (right), founders of Horse Gym USA, are celebrating 10 years in Wellington.

Fernando Cardenas and Dr. Brendan Furlong, can fill from a few inches of water up to a horse’s shoulder, and can also be used dry with an incline. The new Horse Gym USA Spa is a stainless steel therapeutic cold saltwater spa for soaking, icing and bandaging legs.

“We have used the Horse Gym

USA for so many years that we don’t need to prove anything,” Henrik said. “Just take a look at our results and our horses, and try a Horse Gym USA for yourself.”

For more on Horse Gym USA and founders Henrik and Mikala Gundersen, visit www.horsegym.com or www.facebook.com/horsegym.

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BUSINESS NEWS

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Meals On Wheels, TrustBridge Team Up For Workshop

Volunteers for Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches never know what they’ll encounter when they visit the homebound seniors who depend on the service for freshly prepared, nutritious meals five days of the week.

Usually they are greeted with a smile, but sometimes they find one of the clients upset or just seeking someone with whom to share their deepest thoughts. Volunteers might even be confronted with a client who mentions that he or she is tired of struggling.

To help volunteers better prepare for the unexpected, Meals on Wheels recently collaborated with TrustBridge Health, which provides

hospice care through Hospice of Palm Beach County and Hospice by the Sea, as well as home health and palliative care. TrustBridge Health staff hosted a “Communication Skills with the Homebound” workshop for the volunteers.

“We’re extremely grateful for the valuable information our volunteers received and for the support from TrustBridge Health,” said Charlie Ring, executive director of Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches. “Our volunteers came away with very helpful techniques they can put into use during their visits.”

Led by Lori Carpenter, a TrustBridge Health field educator and a licensed clinical social worker, the

workshop addressed a number of issues, including the importance of maintaining eye contact, the need to be aware of body language and the significance of listening to what the client is saying — or not saying.

“Our volunteers are the lifeblood of our organization,” said Debbie Emerick, director of volunteer services. “Thanks to our collaboration with TrustBridge Health, our volunteers are now better prepared to communicate effectively with our clients.”

Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches is in continuous need of volunteers to help prepare and deliver meals. To find out more, visit www.mowpb.org.

TrustBridge Health’s Lori Carpenter (seated at center) led the “Communications Skills with the Homebound” workshop attended by Meals on Wheels of the Palm Beaches volunteers.

Melissa Nash And Blanca Greenstein Join Junior Achievement Board

Junior Achievement of the Palm Beaches & Treasure Coast, which empowers young people to own their economic success and reaches almost 20,000 students in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie and Hendry counties, has named two new board members: Melissa Nash and Blanca Greenstein.

Nash is president, CEO and founder of Accounts Receivables Inc., based in West Palm Beach. She developed ARI to provide all of the

accounting services necessary on the revenue side as an outsourced function. Since 2007, ARI has provided full-service collection services for small businesses and medium-sized businesses, professional services, governmental agencies, as well as homeowners’ associations and condominium owners’ associations.

Nash began her career as a credit manager and senior accountant, including 12 years as a business manager with an architectural firm. She

also was a business development director responsible for sales and marketing of new home communities for builders and developers.

Nash and ARI were featured in Inc. magazine’s 11 Top Businesses You Can Start in Your Pajamas for 2009, and she was recognized as a 2011 Woman Extraordinaire by Business Leader magazine.

Greenstein is the founder of the law firm Greenstein & Associates.

She has been practicing law for 20

years, and her firm has offices in West Palm Beach, Lake Worth and Wellington.

Greenstein’s area of practice is business law and financial services litigation, and she represents several publicly traded corporations. The firm is a full-service law firm, also offering legal services in the areas of family law, personal injury, wills and immigration.

One of the core values of the firm is training, and the West Palm Beach

office has a training room that seats 25. The goals of Junior Achievement therefore relate very much to the firm’s core value of education and training, which is what drew Greenstein to become involved with Junior Achievement. Learn more at www. greenstein-law.com.

JA programs are taught by volunteers at more than 120 schools and organizations throughout the four counties. For more info., visit www. juniorachievement.com.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

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Two Wellington Players Picked In Major League Draft

By Josh Hyber Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington Landings Middle School hadn’t scored a run, and trailed Christa McAuliffe Middle School late in the 2006-07 Palm Beach County middle school baseball championship game. After a 15-minute rain delay, the WLMS Gators’ undefeated season looked about to end.

But with two outs and no runners on base late in the game, the heart of the Gators’ order came to bat: eighth-graders Andrew Istler and Bobby Poyner.

While most from the Gators roster can’t recall specific play-by-play from that inning, Istler either singled or doubled. Poyner then hit a deep shot to left field for a double or a triple, scoring Istler and starting an inning that left fielder Alex Tannone said “broke the floodgates open” in the eventual 4-1 victory.

For Wellington Landings, the win completed a perfect 13-0 sea-

son, leaving a lasting memory of Wellington baseball. Eleven players from that team went on to play varsity ball in high school, and a few played in college, including Poyner for the University of Florida and Istler at Duke University.

“With all the talent Bobby and Andrew had and everything they brought to the field every day, you knew there was something special about them,” Tannone said. “They raised all of our levels to match theirs. That’s why we had such a good team.”

On June 11, both former Wellington stars were chosen in the Major League Baseball draft — Poyner (who attended Palm Beach Central High School) in the 13th round by the Boston Red Sox, and Istler (who attended Wellington High School) in the 23rd round by the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“Since I spent the last two summers playing in the Cape Cod League, I’ve become a pretty big

Red Sox fan,” Poyner said. “I’ve gone to a couple of games at Fenway Park, so I was really excited when I was talking to them throughout the draft. I really wanted them to pick me.”

Istler has been assigned to the Dodgers’ short-season A-affiliate in Ogden, Utah.

“Getting drafted was an unreal experience; a dream come true,” Istler said. “I am getting my shot to play in the big leagues, and that is all I could ever ask for.”

So far, he is enjoying his time in Utah. “One of my favorite things about playing baseball is getting to meet people from all over. The bonds you form with teammates is like a brotherhood, and nobody can take that away,” Istler said. “The scenery is also beautiful. Looking over the center-field wall, you can see mountains. It has just been and will continue to be an amazing experience, and I am so grateful I have this opportunity.”

Andrew Istler on the mound for Duke University earlier this year.

Their former teammates in Wellington fondly remember playing with Istler and Poyner.

“In middle school, we only played two games a week, so every week

PHOTO COURTESY DUKE PHOTOGRAPHY

it would be Andrew and Bobby, Andrew and Bobby,” recalled Jacob O’Keefe, who played catcher for Wellington Landings. “I think they See DRAFT, page 29

Wellington Rugby Club Hosts England’s Horton Tech

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report On Thursday, July 2, the Wellington Wizards Rugby Club’s U15 team hosted Horton Tech College from England at Acreage Community Park.

The focus of the friendly match was to embrace the opportunity to experience rugby at an international level and promote the sport here in the United States, but neither team could ignore the urge to be competitive.

The older, more experienced English team wore down a stubborn Wellington squad, but it was competitive to the final whistle. This was the second international match hosted by the Wizards. In May, they hosted a club team from Wales.

The game was coordinated by the Florida Youth Rugby Union

and Alan Lawson, the Wizards’ club president.

“It’s all about getting the kids out here to enjoy this great sport and help promote the sport of rugby,” he said. “We combined two clubs to put a team together for this, because a lot of the kids are on vacation with their families.”

Rugby is rapidly growing in U.S., and South Florida is jumping in on the ride. The big attraction to youth rugby is that all the players potentially can grasp at glory by passing or carrying the ball to score a touchdown.

A relatively new club on the circuit, the Wellington Wizards formed in January. In that short time, the U15 team managed to capture the state title in a recent match at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.

The Horton Tech College team is

a high school team from Northern England, so they had a slight age advantage on the Wizards. In their travels, they heard about the Wizards Rugby Club while visiting Orlando, and decided to make the trip down and take part in the match.

“These boys have been playing together for about five years now,” Horton coach Paul Burn said. “Most of our boys are 15 years of age and older, and not only play for the school but for clubs as well.”

After the match, both teams gathered in the center of the field for the customary handshake and gave each other the traditional three-cheers chant. The Horton team will continue their U.S. tour, and the Wizards will break for the summer.

For more information about the Wellington Wizards Rugby Club, visit www.wellingtonrugby.net.

The Wellington Wizards Rugby Club U15 team with the Horton Tech College team.

Johnny Carmichael of the Wellington Wizards powers forward.

PHOTOS BY GENE NARDI/TOWN-CRIER

Wizards ball carrier Jadien Durant avoids a tackle and moves the ball up field.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Wellington Wrestlers Place Well At AAU National Duals In Orlando The Wellington Wrestling Club recently competed at the AAU National Duals in Orlando and finished in 23rd place overall, which beat their previous best finish of 29th place from last year.

Seventy teams from around the country competed in the community division this year. Wellington had five individuals who earned All-American honors and took home medals: Joey Grant, gold (10-0); Javier Escoto, bronze (8-2); Jared Abramson, copper (7-3); Christian Goss, copper (7-3); and A.J. Lopez, copper (7-3).

Rosenberg

Oxbridge Equestrians

continued from page 21 with a small group of my friends.

Next year, I hope I’ll be good enough to compete in the IEA shows. Riding teaches you a lot of things, like having patience with yourself as you learn and with the horse. You have to roll with the punches. I’ve really developed a true love for this sport.

It’s an amazing opportunity.”

Taylor Medeiros, 17, will be a senior. She started riding at age 5, on and off. She rides with the Oxbridge team and also takes private lessons

The team competes at the event every year to seek out the best team competition.

They fell just short of advancing to the top 15 bracket with a 37-33 loss to Oswego, Ill. (Right) Front row: Robert Saldarriaga, Cameryn Townsend, A.J. Lopez, Javier Escoto, Christian Goss, Joey Grant, Jared Abramson and Donovan Ortiz; back row: Roland Kupoluyi, Elroy Taylor, Brandon Petit, Eric Saber, Jacob Treanor, Steele Holman, Parker Steinberg, Eric Reid, Colton Macfarlane and Andrew Mitchell.

on the side. She is currently cantering cross rails.

“This has been my best riding experience,” she said. “It has taught me not just about riding, but also the responsibility of caring for a horse. I love all the horses equally, but Jazzy is the most fun. She’s easy and a good jumper.”

Medeiros also hopes to ride at the IEA show next year. “I’m planning to show with the IHSA in college.

I’d like to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, and I’m working on getting my own horse,” she said.

“Boarding costs so much that my family might move to an area where we can have some land and keep her in the back yard. The Oxbridge

Equestrian Team is an incredible opportunity. Everything with horses is so expensive; this is a great way to level the playing field so anyone can learn to ride and show. This program helps people find a passion they never had before.”

Lilli Markel, 15, will be a sophomore next year. She had done some riding at a summer camp in North Carolina and was excited when the club started at Oxbridge. “The program is awesome,” she said. “It’s amazing. I love being around the horses. I’m learning so much. I’m working on cantering all the way around the ring; it’s sometimes hard for me to keep my balance. I tend to lean out around the turns.

Markel is currently looking forward to starting to jump over cross rails, even though it’s a little scary.

“I fell off when I was little, so I’m building up my confidence,” she said. “I’m not sure about showing.

I’m not a very competitive person. I prefer riding as a hobby. I like being with the horses. I’m thinking about maybe being an equine chiropractor.

It’s really cool working with such big animals. I’m grateful that my school gives us the opportunity to do this.”

For more information about the Oxbridge Academy, visit www. oapb.org. Learn more about the IEA at www.rideiea.org and Wall Street Farm at www.wallstreetfarms.com.

Julia Doherty rides Frankie.

PHOTO BY MARIA DOHERTY

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Draft

Istler And Poyner

continued from page 27 pitched every game for us, and I believe we had two or three no-hitters in our 13-game season. Andrew must have had his adrenaline at an all-time high for that championship game, because my hand was black and blue for about a month afterward.”

THE CRAFTY GATOR Poyner played recreational and travel ball through leagues at Okeeheelee Park until right before high school. While his pitches never possessed overpowering speed (75 to 78 mph in middle school), they had pinpoint accuracy and exceptional movement.

“I know for a fact that if I set up in a spot, he would hit it,” said Tannone, who caught for Poyner on the South Florida Giants travel team. “He had a lot of movement.

He had a lot of junk pitches he could get you out on. But if he wanted to, he could come back and throw his fastball right by you.”

In middle school, O’Keefe said Poyner’s repertoire included an impressive changeup and curveball.

“Bobby relied on hitting his spots more so than most other pitchers at

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SPORTS & RECREATION that age,” O’Keefe said. “He’s one of the few lefty pitchers I have ever caught that was able to consistently hit the inside corner on right-handed hitters.”

At Palm Beach Central — where he also played first base — Poyner developed a changeup that Tannone said he couldn’t hit to save his life, even if he knew it was coming. In one game, Poyner threw an inside pitch that broke O’Keefe’s aluminum bat.

In college, Poyner combined for a 14-9 record, including a senior-year record of 5-2 with a 2.56 ERA. He threw two shutout innings (four strikeouts) in UF’s NCAA tournament regional-clinching victory. In the College World Series, Poyner pitched three innings and didn’t allow an earned run, but the Gators fell one win shy of the championship.

During his college career, Poyner played with several current major leaguers, including Mariners catcher Mike Zunino and Dodgers pitcher Steve Rodriguez. He also played with Red Sox prospects Ryan Harris, Austin Maddox, Brian Johnson and Karsten Whitson.

“All the Red Sox told me so far is that they’re not 100 percent sure where they’re sending me,” Poyner said in mid-June. “All they’ve said is, ‘Go win a national championship.’”

THE BLUE DEVIL Istler began playing baseball in Wellington, and then moved to the Okeeheelee league when he was 13 or 14. He briefly played with Poyner on the South Florida Giants, according to Tannone. “I remember hating to catch Andrew because I had a glove that had seen its better days, and every single time I caught him, my catching hand would be twice the size as it was from the start of the game,” O’Keefe said.

In high school, Istler pitched, but also played center field. As a junior, he went 7-1 with a 1.41 ERA and hit .500 with 18 RBI. His fastball topped out at 95 mph. On March 22 of his senior year, Istler out-dueled West Boca High School’s Michael Kelly, who months later became a San Diego Padres first-round draft pick.

“He could do it all,” former Wellington shortstop and current San Diego Padres prospect Mitch Morales said. “He could hit, pitch, run and played hard every game.”

At Duke, Istler went 5-5 with a 3.23 ERA as a senior, allowing 31 earned runs on 86 hits over 86.1 innings. He struck out 82 batters and walked just 20. He led the Blue Devils in innings pitched and strikeouts.

WELLINGTON’S ACES Though they were two of the area’s best pitchers, Istler and Poyner

faced each other only a handful of times in high school. In the spring of 2010, Palm Beach Central defeated Wellington with Poyner and Istler opposing each other. But that summer, Istler defeated Poyner in a travel league matchup.

“He is a great player, and we love the rivalry we share,” Istler said back in 2010. “If people compare us, I’ll take it as a compliment.”

Back then, Poyner agreed.

“As far as comparisons, it just depends on the day. He’s a great pitcher. Not to mention baseball is a team game,” he said. “Whoever’s

Page 29

team shows up to play that day usually wins.”

Currently, Palm Beach Central has two players in the major leagues: Toronto Blue Jays starting second baseman Devon Travis and Houston Astros pitcher Brad Peacock.

Wellington has one in St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Kevin Siegrist.

Last month, Istler and Poyner took their next steps in reaching that level.

“I knew they were always going to get drafted,” Tannone said. “It was just a matter of when and where they were actually going to get taken.”

Bobby Poyner pitches for the University of Florida.

PHOTO BY TIM CASEY/UNIVERSITY ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION

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July 10 - July 16, 2015

Saturday, July 11 • The Ski Club of the Palm Beaches will host the Florida State Championships on Saturday, July 11 and Sunday, July 12 at Okeeheelee Park.

Visit www.okeeski.com for more info.

• Red Barn Feed & Supply (12948 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves) will host its 2015 Purina Check-R-Board Days customer appreciation event on Saturday, July 11 during regular business hours. Visit www.redbarn1.com or call (561) 790-0004 for more info.

• The seventh annual HolisticGlobe Healing Arts Conference will be held at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center on Saturday, July 11 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. General admission is $10.

For more info., visit www.holisticglobemag.com.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Bookercise: Move, Dance, Wiggle & Shake for ages 2 to 6 on Saturday, July 11 at 10:30 a.m. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Acoustic Java Jam on Saturday, July 11 at 2 p.m. Experience a caffeinated collection of local talent or bring your acoustic instruments and jam out. Coffee will be provided. Call (561) 681-4100 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Lip Sync Battles for ages 12 to 17 on Saturday, July 11 at 2:30 p.m. Show off your showmanship and pretend to sing along to your favorite song. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a free concert featuring the Rock Show band on Saturday, July 11 at 8:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

Monday, July 13 • Palm Beach Opera is partnering with the Maltz Jupiter Theatre to present Opera Discovery: Concert for Kids on Monday, July 13 at 10:30 a.m. at the Maltz Jupiter Theatre. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased by visiting www. jupitertheatre.org or by calling the Maltz box office at (561) 575-2223.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Chapter Crafters for ages 6 to 11 on Monday, July 13 at 2:30 p.m. Listen to the first chapter of a book series while creating a lanyard out of duct tape. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Super Shrinky Art for ages 8 and up on Monday, July 13 at 3 p.m. All you need is a tiny amount of creativity to trace, color and create shrinkable plastic art. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Writer’s Therapy for adults on Monday, July 13 at 10 a.m. and Tuesday, July 28 at 5:30 p.m. The informal roundtable helps participants improve their craft by reading and discussing works in progress. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host its Chess Club for adults on Monday, July 13 at 6:30 p.m. Chess fans practice strategy skills with other players. Basic game knowledge is required. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

Tuesday, July 14 • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Captain Underpants vs. the Party Poopers” for ages 8 to 12 on Tuesday, July 14 at 3 p.m. Celebrate everyone’s favorite series with zany games and activities. Bring a white T-shirt to dye. Dress to get messy. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• Wellington will hold a Walk & Talk in the 12th Fairway Community on Tuesday, July 14 from 5 to 7 p.m. Neighborhood advocates, code compliance officers and PBSO deputies are visiting residents in communities around the village to hear concerns and discuss neighborhood issues.

Call (561) 791-4796 for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “TTC to the Rescue” for ages 13 and up on Tuesdays, July 14 and 28 at 6 p.m. The Teen Tech Crew volunteers will guide you through the basics of social media. Library

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

computers will be available, or feel free to bring a laptop or mobile device. An active e-mail account is required to participate. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Superhero Trivia for all ages on Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. Test your knowledge of superheroes by playing a stimulating game of trivia. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Zumba Gold for adults Tuesday, July 14 at 6:30 p.m. Join the Latin-inspired dance fitness class suitable for active, older adults and beginners. Bring a towel and water. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Wellington Village Council will meet Tuesday, July 14 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Municipal Complex (12300 W. Forest Hill Blvd.).

Visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info.

Wednesday, July 15 • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Everyday Heroes: Meet a K-9 Officer” for all ages on Wednesday, July 15 at 11 a.m.

Listen to a story about a dog/policeman team, learn what it takes to work in law enforcement, and then have your picture taken with these two everyday heroes. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Every Hero Has a Story: Geddy the Gecko and Super Geddy” for all ages on Wednesday, July 15 at 2 p.m. Geddy the Gecko discovers that he can be an everyday hero by learning how to read and helping others, even if he doesn’t have superpowers. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Craftapalooza for ages 2 to 8 on Wednesday, July 15 at 2:30 p.m. Create multiple crafts from the library’s selections. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Every Hero Has a Story: Geddy the Gecko and Super Geddy” for all ages on Wednesday, July 15 at 4:30 p.m. Geddy the Gecko discovers that he can be an everyday hero by learning how to read and helping others even if he doesn’t have superpowers. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• Wellington will sponsor a Neighborhood Watch Meeting in the Lakeside Shores Community on Wednesday, July 15 at 5 p.m. Neighborhood advocates and PBSO deputies will discuss community crime trends and offer crime prevention tips. Call (561) 791-4796 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Pizza & Pages for ages 12 to 17 on Wednesday, July 15 at 6 p.m. Bring a book, comic, short story, magazine, fanfic or manga.

Chat with the group about it while enjoying pizza and drinks. Refreshments will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Star Wars Spectacular: Feel the Force” for ages 6 and up on Wednesday, July 15 at 6:30 p.m. Immerse yourself in the Star Wars universe and take home a craft inspired by the epic saga.

Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

Thursday, July 16 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Carrier Owl Postcards for ages 16 and up on Thursday, July 16 at 10 a.m.

Color and create carrier owl postcards. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “How to Be a Hometown Hero” for ages 6 to 10 on Thursday, July 16 at 2 p.m. Join members of 4-H Club of Palm Beach County and learn how you can be a hero, using powers you may not know you have, to save the animals, plants, people and places in your neighborhood and around the world. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host Teen T-Shirt Creations for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, July 16 at 2:30 p.m. Cut, rip, braid, knot and fringe your way to a unique-looking fashion addition to your summer wardrobe. Bring is your own T-shirt; all other

materials will be provided. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Secret Agents for ages 6 to 10 on Thursday, July 16 at 3 p.m. Dig into some exciting detective and spy stories and create a secret message decoder. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Western Business Alliance will hold its July social on Thursday, July 16 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Miguelito’s Cancun Grille (11121 Southern Blvd., Royal Palm Beach). Visit www. thewesternbusinessalliance.com for info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “A Night at Hogwarts” for ages 8 to 18 on Thursday, July 16 at 6 p.m. For one night only, Hogwarts is having a magical crash course for all wizards and witches. Get sorted, make a wand, study potions and more. Snacks will be provided.

Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “DIY Mason Jar Glittered Votive Lamps” for adults on Thursday, July 16 at 6:30 p.m. The glitter votive lamps are as pretty unlit as they are lit. They are perfect for an al fresco dinner place setting or to add a little sparkle to a mantle display. Supplies will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Friday, July 17 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will host “Big Hero 6 Training Academy” for ages 7 to 12 on Friday, July 17 at 3 p.m.

Create your own armor to wear, test your skills in an obstacle course and practice your aim. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info.

• The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host a free screening of Sleeping Beauty on Friday, July 17 at 8:30 p.m.

Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

Saturday, July 18 • A Tropical Fruit Tree & Edible Plant Sale hosted by the Palm Beach Chapter of the Rare Fruit Council will take place Saturday, July 18 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Contact Susan Lerner at (561) 478-7444 or susan@pbrarefruitcouncil.org for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Apple Mania for ages 2 to 6 on Saturday, July 18 at 11 a.m. Celebrate Johnny Appleseed Day with apple stories, songs and a craft. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host Board Game Day for all ages Saturday, July 18 at 2 p.m. Enjoy a relaxing afternoon playing a variety of classic and contemporary board games. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register Sunday, July 19 • The Acreage Green Market will take place Sunday, July 19 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Acreage Community Park (6701 140th Ave. North). For more info., visit www.acreagegreenmarket.com or call (561) 723-3898.

Tuesday, July 21 • Wellington will hold a Walk & Talk in the Hyacinth Community on Tuesday, July 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. Neighborhood advocates, code compliance officers and PBSO deputies are visiting residents in communities around the village to hear concerns and discuss neighborhood issues.

Call (561) 791-4796 for more info.

• Wellington’s Community Services Department will offer a Family Game Night on Tuesday, July 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Goldenrod Park. For more info., call (561) 791-4764.

• Wellington will hold a K-Park Town Hall Meeting on Tuesday, July 21 at 7 p.m. at Polo Park Middle School (11901 Lake Worth Road). Visit www.wellingtonfl.gov for more info.

Wednesday, July 22 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host My Dog Hero for ages 6 to 10 on Wednesday, July 22 at 2:30 p.m. Hear stories about dog heroes and find some new dog books to read. Make a scratch art picture frame craft.

Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• Wellington will sponsor a Neighborhood Watch Meeting in Wiltshire Village on Wednesday, July 22 at 6 p.m. Neighborhood advocates

The Town-Crier and PBSO deputies will discuss community crime trends and offer crime prevention tips. Call (561) 791-4796 for more info.

• The second stop of the Feast of the Sea Chef Challenge will be Wednesday, July 22 from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington to benefit several South Florida nonprofit organizations. Visit www. feastofthesea.com for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Getting the Most Out of College Financial Aid” on Wednesday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. with Robin Blank of the Florida Department of Education. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Thursday, July 23 • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will host food trucks with music

by Runaway Mile on Thursday, July 23 from 5 to 9:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Anime All-Stars for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, July 23 at 6 p.m. Show off your anime knowledge. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

Saturday, July 25 • The Palm Beach Summer Beer Fest will return to the South Florida Expo Center on Saturday, July 25 from 1 to 5 p.m. For more info., visit www.palmbeachsummerbeerfest.com.

• The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will feature a free Jimmy Buffett tribute band concert on Saturday, July 25 at 8:30 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

Tuesday, July 28 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Financing a Small Business” on Tuesday, July 28 at 2 p.m. Small Business Development Center consultant Ted Kramer will cover financing from the traditional to the exotic.

Come with an open mind and leave with great ideas. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Wellington will hold a Walk & Talk in the White Pine Community on Tuesday, July 28 from 5 to 7 p.m. Neighborhood advocates, code compliance officers and PBSO deputies are visiting residents in communities around the village to hear concerns and discuss neighborhood issues.

Call (561) 791-4796 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Teen Takeover for ages 12 to 17 on Tuesday, July 28 at 6 p.m. Enjoy Wii games, board games and more. Bring a friend or make new ones. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• Awake Group of the Western Communities, a health awareness group with sleep apnea, will meet Tuesday, July 28 at 7 p.m. at the center court of the original Wellington mall (12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The featured speaker will be pulmonologist Dr. Carlos W. Sanchez. Call Kena at (561) 798-5553 for more info.

Wednesday, July 29 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Not Your Grandma’s Bingo for ages 5 to 12 on Wednesday, July 29 at 3:30 p.m. Create a card and see if luck is on your side. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• Wellington will sponsor Neighborhood Watch Meetings in the Pine Valley, Summerwood Circle and Greenbriar Circle areas on Wednesday, July 29 at 6:30 p.m. Neighborhood advocates and PBSO deputies will discuss crime prevention tips.

Call (561) 791-4796 for more info.

Thursday, July 30 • The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host Writing Fan Fiction for ages 12 to 17 on Thursday, July 30 at 6 p.m. Write and read fan fiction about your favorite fandom. Snacks will be provided. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Great Courses History of the Bible: The Making of the New Testament Canon” for adults Thursday, July 30 at 7 p.m. The DVD series will review the when, how and why the New Testament canon was written and who actually authored the books. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 33, Wellington, FL 33414 or e-mail news@gotowncrier.com.

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PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

WELLINGTON

FOR RENT - GREENACRES

HOME IMPROVEMENTS

PAINTING

SCREENING

MEADOWLAND COVE HOA COMMUNITY YARD SALE SATURDAY, JULY 11TH, GATES OPEN 7 A.M. TILL 12 P.M. — take South Shore to Big Blue Trace HOA on East Side.

ROOMMATE TO SHARE — 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment - Purdy & Jog Road. $550 per month.

Looking for under 35 years old. 954-296-3748

COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Int./Ext. Residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio re-screening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com

LOXAHATCHEE

OFFICE SPACE

ANMAR CO.— James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftsman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back! Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC1327426 561-248-8528

YA R D S A L E — S AT U R D AY, J U LY 11 T H , 8:30 A . M . - 3:30 P. M . 15555 76T H R D. N — Clothes, Dining Set, Inn Tables, Toys, Sofa Beds and Chairs.

SEEKING EMPLOYMENT RETIRED MALE SEEKING FULL-TIME/ PART-TIME EMPLOYMENT — days, evenings, weekends okay. 561-307-3529.

EMPLOYMENT

WELLINGTON EXECUTIVE AND VIRTUAL OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE — Wellington, Florida Furnished or unfurnished office space available.

Unlimited use of conference rooms, reception, kitchen with no extra fees. Utilities included. The best LAKE VIEW in Wellington! Please contact Steve at 561-227-1500 or at info@LakeWellington.com

PROFESSIONAL SERVICES A/C AND REFRIGERATION

BOOKKEEPER NEEDED — part-time, experienced in QuickBooks, flexible hours.

Please fax resume to 561-791-0952 EXPERIENCED VET TECH F/T — Minimum 3 years veterinary experience. Applicant needs to be a team player with strong technical and customer service skills and eager to learn.

Email resume to Courtyardah@comcast.net

JOB OPENING FOR HOTEL HOUSEKEEPER — Responsible for cleaning guest rooms in a timely and thorough manner. Experience and fluency in English is preferred. Must be able to work weekends and/or holidays.

Apply in person, or for more information call Mary or Rhonda at 793-3000.

Drivers: New Pay!

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC.—Service & new installation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. “We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks” 561-798-3225. Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

CLEANING - HOME/OFFICE

DRIVEWAY REPAIR

1-855-517-2488

TREE SERVICE TREES TRIMMED AND REMOVED — 561-798-0412 D.M. YOUNG TREE SERVICE. Family Owned & Operated Lic. & Insured 1992-12121 Visit our website at dmyoungtreeservice.com

YOUR AD HERE CALL 793-7606 PAUL HANZLIK LAWN CARE — Licensed and Insured 30 years experience. Owner operated. 561-753-9719

LOCKSMITH C.K.s L O C K & S E C U R I T Y 561-7329418 Full Service Security Since 1960 — Service and installation of locks, safes, camera’s alarms, monitoring, duplication of keys, car remotes and so much more.

NEW FLOORING

PAINTING

D R I V E W AY S — F r e e e s t i m a t e s A & M ASPHALT SEAL COATING commercial and residential. Patching potholes, striping, repair existing asphalt & save money all work guaranteed.

Lic.& Ins. 100045062 561-667-7716

Werner Enterprises:

LAWN SERVICE

COMPUTER REPAIR

Freight, Great MIles on

PALMS WESTTHIS WEEK’S

SPRINKLER SYSTEMS AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC — Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004Lic.#U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990

YELLOWHAMMER LAWN SERVICE — Serving Loxahatchee, Acreage and Loxahatchee Groves ONLY High quality, affordable yard maintenance. NO CONTRACTS! Locally owned and operated. 561-320-1118

BUY IT HERE FLOORING — Kitchen and Bath. Now available. Complete one stop shopping. Stop on By! Pike Road - Between Southern and Belvedere. West Palm Beach - Open 7 Days!!! 561-333-2300

D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-333-1923 Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach. We accept major credit cards.

OFFICE WORK

ALL COUNTY INSURANCE — Let us help you with your insurance needs Homeowners., auto, commercial, www.allcountyinsurance.com. 561-688-8090

WE CLEAN OFFICES & PRIVATE HOMES — Licensed & Insured. Call for an estimate and to schedule your apartment. Discount for Central Palm Beach County Chamber members and to all new clients for first cleaning. 561-385-8243 Lic. #2012-252779

$2,500 Sign-On Bonus! Consistent

This Regional Account,

INSURANCE

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential. Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 or visit our website at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473

PLUMBING JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured. CFC1426242. 561-601-6458

PRESSURE CLEANING J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior painting.

Certified pressure cleaning & painti n g c o n t r a c t o r. L i c . # U 2 1 5 5 2 C a l l Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

WALLPAPERING PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Installation,Removal. Repair of Paper.

Neat, Clean & Reliable. Quality work with a woman’s touch. 30 years experience.

No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263

WATER SUPPLY & TREATMENT WELL WATER AND CITY WATER — Supply, Service and water treatment. 561-7845210. Loxahatchee Irrigation Supply Inc.

ROOFING ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS RE-ROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC-0067207

SECURITY SECURITY — American owned local security company in business 30 plus years.

Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600

YOUR AD HERE CALL 793-7606

WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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HERE’S MY CARD CGC023814

Niagara Contracting Service Home Repairs Remodelng to Rebuild Minor Repairs Tile • Drywall • Painting • Window • Door • Installation

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SEPTIC & DRAINFIELD SPECIALISTS

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Place Your Ad Here Call The Town-Crier Today for More Info 561-793-7606

PalmBeachParenting_Layout 1 5/4/15 10:58 AM Page 1

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July 10 - July 16, 2015

Why Choose Charter Schools USA? • Tuition-free public charter schools • Personal Learning Plans • Before and after care • Character education and leadership • Meaningful parental involvement • Certified, dedicated teachers

Now SIX great schools serving Palm Beach! APPLY ONLINE TODAY! Renaissance Charter School at Wellington Renaissance Charter School at Cypress Renaissance Charter School at Central Palm Renaissance Charter School at West Palm Renaissance Charter School at Palms West Renaissance Charter School at Summit

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