Town-Crier Newspaper July 18, 2008

SUMMERTIME FUN AT THE LIBRARY

used pieces

Shown above, Hayleigh Hanson (left) makes a colorful ocean scene of paper, feathers and cotton while Isabelle Longo (right) creates a feather sun. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9

Royal Palm Council Grants Charter School OK To

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council granted a specialexception use permit Thursday to allow a private charter school to expand in a commercially zoned area.

resident Michael Ferraro has reached an agreement with Lowe’s Home Improvement to maintain www.learn2grow.com, an educational and interactive web site for gardeners. Ferraro describes the web site as a “MySpace for gardeners.” Page 31

The Western Academy Charter School, currently located in Royal Commerce Park, was seeking permission to expand into a 12,679-square-foot bay in the neighboring Royal Plaza shopping center at the intersection of Southern and Royal Palm Beach boulevards. Royal Plaza carries the village’s General Commercial zoning classification, which does not allow educational uses.

The school was originally approved for 360 students in 2003 in Royal Commerce Park, and the student body is still limited to the same number between the existing school site and the new Royal Plaza location. The Royal Plaza site was formerly occupied by a gym.

RPB Senior Planner Bradford O’Brien told council members the use would be compatible with the stores in the shopping center.

Addressing concerns that the expanded school facilities might pose traffic problems, Western Academy Principal Linda Terranova said parents would deliver and pick up their children at the rear of the Royal Plaza site and would not interfere with

traffic in the shopping center itself.

Terranova told the council that her school, now completing its fifth year, had just earned an A grade from the state for the second year in a row. “We are upgrading the school,” she said. “We were bursting at the seams. Now we can have larger classrooms and have classes in foreign languages and music because we will be adding 13,000 square feet to our school. Our older students, grades three through eight, will be in the new building.”

Councilwoman Martha Webster praised the school. “Your school allows for different kinds of educational facilities in our community,” she said.

Councilman Matty Mattioli made a motion to approve the application, which was seconded by Vice Mayor Fred Pinto. It was approved unanimously.

Also Thursday, the council gave architectural approval for a change in the exterior finish on the multipurpose building of the United Pentecostal Church, now under construction on State Road 7. The church had changed the exterior finish from split face block and painted block to a smooth stucco finish.

The RPB Planning & Zoning Commission approved the application last month, but also offered the church a sharp re-

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buke for not undergoing the village’s required approval process prior to such changes.

Kevin McGinley of Land Research Management, representing the church, explained that the church had had budget problems and decided to change from the previously approved finish because of its cost. Although they had informed the village of the change, they had not carried through the whole approval process. However, McGinley noted that the colors on the building were the same and people driving by would not be able to tell the difference.

Lodwick asked when the building would be finished, and McGinley said the church had stopped construction when it became clear they had not been in full compliance because of the change in the building’s plans.

“After tonight it’s full speed ahead,” McGinley said. “We’re going to complete Phase I and then immediately begin Phase II.”

Mattioli made a motion to approve the request, which was seconded by Pinto. It passed unanimously.

In other business:

• Mayor David Lodwick and Royal Palm Beach council members congratulated the residents of the village for its having been named one of the ten best places to raise a family by

See RPB COUNCIL, page 18

Wellington Ready To Begin Push For Redevelopment

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Wellington Village Council advised the members of its Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board last week that they should expect to review the beginnings of a major redevelopment plan for parts of the village later this summer.

In recent years, various council members have called for a plan to redevelop or revitalize some of the village’s older areas. All five current council members were at the PZA Board’s July 10 meeting to discuss the status of the plan.

Mayor Darell Bowen and Vice Mayor Dr. Carmine Priore told the board that village staff has been working with a consultant on a redevelopment plan over the last few months.

Several members of the Wellington Equestrian Committee also attended the PZA Board meeting, and Priore said members of both groups should begin considering the project as soon as possible.

“We are going to sit down next week and the week after,” Priore said. “We will have public meetings in August. We are going to have an initiative that will cover a number of subjects. Your committee and this board should be exposed to this right away. Some of it is outside-ofthe-box philosophy, and that not only applies to the equestrian area, but redevelopment in the core of Wellington, especially in some of the more depressed and blighted areas.”

Priore said the council wants its advisory boards to take a participatory role in shaping the plan. “We are looking at where we want to be,” he said. “We are almost at build-out. We need to be able to do something to alter those communities that have become blighted, and have some ideas about how we can do it.”

Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto said both the PZA Board and the Equestrian Committee should expect to participate in workshops once village staff produces materials for review.

“Once you guys have received the packet on redevelopment, it would be appropriate for us to have a follow-up workshop so we can consider the way things need to change over time,” she said.

PZA Board members noted their concerns about development pressures in and around the village’s Equestrian Preserve Area and the village’s vision for the future of equestrian activities.

Priore said emphasis should be placed on development that contributes to the growth of equestrian activity.

“I have often asked, ‘will the real equestrians please stand up?’ You have developers, and you have long-term residents, and you have small farmers,” Priore said. “If the industry is to grow, we will have to allow for certain things to take place… We won’t do that at the expense of destroying it. Ocala lost a lot of its equine character. Beautiful places were sold off and became gated communities. You can ride off of I-75 and see this. This is not part of the economic development.”

Councilman Matt Willhite said he is concerned with the pattern of duplication among retail stores in the village and the frequency with which businesses close down. While the redevelopment plan will not solve all of Wellington’s problems, it still offers much long-range potential, he said.

“I don’t think it’s a save-all for the future,” Willhite said. “There is 10 to 20 years for it to be in place. I do think we are

See PZA BOARD, page 18

County Budget

Woes Will Likely Grow Next Year

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The question of lower taxes versus higher levels of service was one of the issues raised at County Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s monthly forum held Wednesday in the original Wellington Mall. The forum was held to discuss the county budget. Commissioners voted last month to hold the tax rate at its current level of 3.78 mills for fiscal year 2009, despite the amount of taxes collected dropping from $642 million to $605 million.

Santamaria, along with Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman and Director of Financial Management & Budget

Shoemaker Returns To Wellington As

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Many students at Palm Beach Central High School will recognize a familiar face in their new principal Dr. Matt Shoemaker when they return to school next month. Shoemaker, a Jupiter resident, has held teaching and administrative positions at several schools in the western communities, including stints as principal of New Horizons and Royal Palm Beach elementary schools, and most recently as principal at Western Pines Middle School in The Acreage. At PBCHS, Shoemaker replaces Butch Mondy, who is moving on to become the director of professional development for the School District of Palm Beach County.

Born to a father who was a high school principal and a mother who worked as a high school English teacher, Shoe-

maker has education in his blood, and it was always his intended profession. “I come from a big family of educators,” he said. “It was a natural profession for me. I went right into education in high school. I was teaching golf clinics when I was in high school, and I did some tutoring. I enjoy it. I went on to study education in college.”

Originally from Muncie, Ind., Shoemaker earned his degree in elementary education close to home at Ball State University. He later earned a master’s degree and doctorate in educational leadership at Nova Southeastern University. Shoemaker started his career in Palm Beach County, teaching fourth grade at H.L. Johnson Elementary School. He first served as an assistant principal at Egret Lake Elementary School in West Palm Beach, and an assistant principalship at New Horizons led to his promotion to principal there in 1999.

Shoemaker moved with his family back to Muncie in 2004 to take a job as principal of an elementary school, but said they returned to Palm Beach County after a year because they missed Florida. He took over as principal of Royal Palm Beach Elementary in 2005, but headed to Western Pines in early 2006 after the untimely death of principal Peggy Campbell in a car accident.

The move to PBCHS marks Shoemaker’s advancement to high school administration, but he said he is undaunted at the prospect of working with an older set of students.

“I like to get to know the older kids,” he said. “You develop a rapport and relationships with them. They like that kind of involvement. It’s kind of mentoring. I enjoy that. I enjoy the mentoring process… There are also so many activities at the high school level that I am look-

Liz Bloeser, were there to explain the budgetary process. Santamaria said it is important people understand what the millage rate really means in terms of county spending. “One thing that has bothered me is how people interpret the word millage,” he said. “Holding down the millage does not mean you are keeping it the same… A ‘percentage’ and ‘millage’ are pretty much one and the same. As you know, when a department store announces almost every week that they have a 50percent discount, it’s 50 percent of what? Fifty percent may not be such a good deal.”

Santamaria explained that the

See SANTAMARIA, page 12

The Wellington library held a mosaic crafts club for ages nine to 12 on Tuesday. Participants

of colored paper, colored cotton balls, yarn and other media to create mosaic masterpieces.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Head Bronco — Dr. Matt Shoemaker has taken over as principal at Palm Beach Central

District 27 Race Shaping Up As East-West Fight

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Lee County Republican Matt Caldwell is challenging Democratic incumbent State Sen. Dave Aronberg of Greenacres in an attempt to get more representation for the west side of the saddlebag-shaped District 27.

Also appearing on the ballot will be Green Party candidate Aniana Robas, who lives way outside the district in the Tampa area. Boynton Beach Republican Ed Heeney, who was to face Caldwell in the August primary election, told the Town-Crier Thursday he had dropped out of the race and ceased campaigning. It remains unclear if Heeney’s name will be on the Aug. 26 primary ballot. A Florida Division of Elections representative said Thursday they had not received a letter from Heeney reflecting his intention not to run.

District 27 runs across the state from West Palm Beach to Fort Myers, taking in much of the western communities. Caldwell, a member of the Lee County Republican Executive Committee, noted that if elected, he would be the only Lee County resident in the state senate.

“We have three State Senate seats that come into Lee County, but none of those state senators actually reside in Lee County,” Caldwell told the Town-Crier. “That’s something I would like to fix with the next [redistricting] opportunity in 2011. I’m sure the citizens of Palm Beach County would like to have their own representative who is not split between two different regions.” Issues Caldwell said he wants to address are “things that hit people in the wallet,” including property taxes and insurance.

“Certainly, we’re paying through the nose right now for energy; that’s something I want to address,” Caldwell said. “I want to make sure that District 27 has some representation that reflects my values. When I look at our current senator, he’s a nice guy, but we disagree on what role government should play in people’s lives. I would like to offer people a different choice.”

During Monday’s “meet the candidates” forum presented by the Palms West Chamber of Commerce, one of the differences that came out between Caldwell and Aronberg concerned the so-called guns-to-work law that passed during the last legislative session. It allows individuals to have guns in their vehicles while they are at work.

“We have a fundamental disagreement on the issue,” Aronberg told the Town-Crier on Thursday.

Aronberg voted in the minority against the guns-to-work law, saying it posed serious safety issues. Caldwell said he favored the law as part of a constitutional right to bear arms.

Aronberg takes issue with Caldwell’s assertion that Lee County would be better served by a local representative. “I don’t want geography to divide the people of this district,” Aronberg said. “Lee County deserves a strong representative, which is why I’m running. I don’t think it’s productive to make it a divisive battle of Lee County vs. Palm Beach County.”

Caldwell, 27, said he knows winning in District 27 this year will be an uphill battle against an incumbent, but not an unrealistic one. Although a relatively young newcomer in the political arena, he points out that Aronberg was just 31 when he was first elected.

Shoemaker Now At PBCHS

continued from page 1 ing forward to that you don’t have in the lower grades.”

Shoemaker said he has already met some of his future students at PBCHS, and noted that he was immediately recognized by several of his former students, although their own appearance has changed. “They say to me, ‘I know you, but I’m much older-looking,’” Shoemaker said. “I also have kids from Western Pines who will be attending the school. I didn’t lose them. I just brought them over with me.”

Shoemaker credits the staff and teachers at PBCHS for helping him settle in. He congratulated the existing staff for their hard work in earning the school its first A grade from the state after a series of B grades.

“I wouldn’t call four years that big a difference,” Caldwell said. “On a bigger scale, I wouldn’t run if it was a joke of a race. There’s a significant chance the way the district is drawn. It’s a 50-50 district. If you just take the turnout for each party and assume that they vote for you, the difference is just a couple of hundred votes. You’ve got to work both sides of the district, whether you are a Republican or a Democrat, to convince a significant percentage of the other party to support you.”

Caldwell said a change in voter mentality the last two elections could be in his favor. “There is a heavy anti-incumbent move,” he said. “Regardless of what party they’re from, people are really keen on giving a shot to the new guy. That’s been very prevalent here in Lee County, with a lot of turnover of long-standing incumbents.” Caldwell added that although he disagrees with the way the district is drawn, he will show no favoritism if elected. “If elected, I will represent all of District 27,” Caldwell said. “I’m displeased that in the last goaround with redistricting, eastern Lee County and western Palm Beach County were tied together at the hip. We all are Floridians and share some common interesting goals, but clearly, these are two different regions economically and socially… But it’s something that I’ve accepted, and I’m happy to serve the whole district, particularly during that first term.” Caldwell said he would be the more effective legislator when redistricting comes up. “Dave, for one thing, is probably going to run for attorney general in 2010,” Caldwell said. “In either event, he’s term-limited, and he’s also in the minority party, so when it comes time for redistricting, I would be surprised if he has much say in what happens at all.”

If elected this year, Caldwell said he would be a strong incumbent, actively engaged in the 2011 redistricting process. However, Aronberg said being a lame duck at redistricting time would actually be an advantage. “You don’t want people drawing districts who have a vested interest in protecting their own political careers,” he said. “I think it’s better to have politicians who are not gong to manipulate the redistricting process to their own advantage. I don’t think reapportionment should be handled by the legislature at all.” Aronberg also denied that he is currently thinking ahead to an attorney general run in 2010.

“As far as my political career, I am solely focused on my reelection to the state senate,” Aronberg said. “I appreciate Matt’s belief that I could go higher, but I’m not so presumptuous.”

“I’m thrilled to be here,” Shoemaker said. “I’m coming into a great facility with a hardworking faculty that just achieved their first A. I just know there is a lot of excitement in the air because of the A status and A ranking. I was told how great the staff is, and what a wonderful group of kids this school has. It’s reflected in the kids.”

Shoemaker said he feels he’s not replacing former PBCHS principals Mondy or Dr. Ian Saltzman, but continuing their tradition of excellence.

“I really appreciate the work that has already gone into this to bring us up to the next level,” he said. “I am not replacing them. We’ll just pick up where they left off and continue the good things they started. That’s the challenge. To keep things on a positive level. We’ve got some superior people in key positions, and that’s what it takes to have a great school.”

Republican Matt Caldwell

Sheriff: ‘LoJack For People’ Now Available In Palm Beach County

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Sheriff Ric Bradshaw said a new locator system debuting in Palm Beach County this week will bring peace of mind to those who have loved ones who may become lost.

“It’s a terrible thing for you when your loved ones wander off,” he said. “My dad had Alzheimer’s. I can tell you it’s a really empty feeling. They go out for a brief walk unescorted, and they are gone.”

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with private agencies to use an electronic tracking system called Project Lifesaver to locate residents who suffer from autism, Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome and other disorders that put them at risk of wandering off and becoming lost.

The locator technology features wristwatch-style bands for the patients that can be tracked using locator equipment, similar to systems used to track down stolen cars. Bradshaw likened the system to “LoJack for people.”

The Autism Project of Palm Beach County is the lead agency for the program and has provided funding for a pilot project that will provide free wristbands to several dozen at-risk individuals, said Michelle Damone, program manager for the Autism Project. The bands are worth $300 each and require monthly maintenance, she said. The PBSO, the program’s local law enforcement partner, is equipped with the tracking devices.

PBSO and program representatives held a press conference Wednesday in West Palm Beach to conduct a demonstration of the equipment. Managing agencies for the program,

which includes evaluation of potential program participants, include the Mae Volen Senior Center in Boca Raton, Autism Speaks, the Alzheimer’s Community Care Association and the Renaissance Learning Center, Damone said. Funding support was provided by the Wachovia Foundation.

On Wednesday, Damone said the pilot program would go into effect the following day. “We have 37 participants in Project Lifesaver during the pilot program, which will last about 90 to 100 days,” she said.

Damone, who is also an elected Indian Trail Improvement District supervisor, said the program is a welcome addition here in South Florida, home to a high population of seniors with Alzheimer’s and increasing numbers of people diagnosed with autism. When such people become lost, she said, several hours are required to find them using traditional search methods, during which time they are in great danger. The Project Lifesaver technology has lowered search time to 30 minutes or less, Damone said.

Bradshaw said he is looking forward to the program’s implementation and possible expansion. The program is more effective and less expensive than using search teams, dogs and sometimes helicopters to find someone. He said he is very enthusiastic about partnering with the program.

“It was a no-brainer,” Bradshaw said.

“It was the best thing that we could have to find people in a judicious manner. It’s another good example of partnering with the private sector to provide better services.”

For more information about Project Lifesaver, visit www.projectlifesaver. org.

(Left) Sheriff Ric Bradshaw explains the importance of Project Lifesaver as Lt. Dave Dameron and Corporal Ray Griffith look on. (Below left) Michelle Damone demonstrates the tracking equipment. (Below) Officer Luis Ledbetter uses the equipment to “find” Eric Davis, who was hidden while wearing a wristband.

PHOTOS

Magazine Honors RPB As A Great Place To Raise A Family

Residents of Royal Palm Beach have long touted their village as a family community. That much is obvious to anyone who lives, works or occasionally visits the village. And now, with Family Circle magazine’s announcement this week that Royal Palm Beach has made its annual list of the top ten national places to live and raise children, the village is once again on the national radar. The list is featured in the magazine’s August issue just published.

According to Family Circle Editor-in-Chief Linda Fears, the top ten communities were chosen for “top-rated schools, affordable housing and good jobs — along with a slower, easier pace of life and a lot less stress.” Another deciding factor (one that’s new this year) is how “green” a community is. With one public high school, one middle school and three elementary schools serving a village of approximately 30,000 residents, Royal Palm Beach students don’t have far to travel for an education. And once school is out for the day, those same students have plenty of recreational options, from the village’s recreation center to its many parks and sports programs. Recreation has long been a staple of the community’s character. Ditto for green space.

The Family Circle article specifically lauds Royal Palm Beach for refusing to pave over part of the old Tradition Golf Course for a townhouse development two years ago; that land has since been purchased by the village and is now the site of the future Royal Palm Beach Commons Park. Howev-

Time To Rethink PBCC Proposal

As an educator for over 35 years, I am very cognizant of the importance of education and its availability. In Wellington, I’ve served on the Education Committee. Education is the sum and substance of guaranteeing the fabric of our society. Without a doubt, it would be an asset to Wellington having Palm Beach Community College join Palm Beach Atlantic as local centers of higher education... but I do have some concerns.

My first is the “donation” of the land from the village to the school. It would be more to the village’s advantage to lease the land to the school and maintain ownership.

Secondly, the premise that the school’s administration thinks that the small (acreage) footprint would necessitate erecting a sixstory building. This would change the character of the village and open the door for other high-rise structures. What about the homes adjacent to the property? For me, totally unacceptable. This is the Village of Wellington... not the “skyscraper” City of Wellington. As part of their proposed plan for the school, it was presented by PBCC to the village that there would be set acreage available for recreational areas available for village residents. Before

plans are even set, there are proposals afoot to “downsize” the available land in the future.

While I applaud the addition of the school to the Wellington landscape, it should be added in a way that enhances the character of the village and not have the village altered to meet the needs of the school.

The prospect of Wellington Regional Medical Center establishing a medical school plus medical office space is an interesting proposal and decidedly worth exploring. I would expect the facility to generate similar revenues for the village as PBCC, plus have the additional benefit of generating property taxes.

Before the plans are “set in stone,” I think that a village referendum would be appropriate for residents to decide what they want for the future of their village. This is a decision from which there is no return.

Alan Weinstein Wellington

PBCC Not A ‘Giveaway’

As the Town-Crier has reported at the July 8 Wellington Village Council meeting, opponents of the proposal to use the K-Park land for a western campus for Palm Beach Community College came out swinging. They defined the issue as the

er, this is only one recent example of the village’s commitment to preserving green space. During the 1980s, then-mayor Sam Lamstein implemented policies that saw the development and preservation of parks and placed limits on residential construction. Individually, no single action by a municipality warrants Family Circle magazine’s green label. It’s only through continued dedication to conservation, and it has to happen year after year — similar to the way in which the village addresses its millage rate.

As we noted in last week’s Town-Crier editorial, the Royal Palm Beach Village Council plans to lower its tax rate again this year — the 14th time in as many years. The change from 2.01 to 1.97 mills may not seem like a huge decrease in itself, but when one examines the overall decline in the past 14 years (not to mention the fact that the village faces lost property-tax revenue this year), it is quite significant.

Not that a low tax rate says “quality of life.” Still, where the village chooses to spend its money is just as important as how much it spends. The continued focus on law enforcement and public safety is crucial to maintaining a high standard of living. And that standard is shared by all residents: children, teens, working adults and retirees. Because of this, the Town-Crier congratulates the Village of Royal Palm Beach for its recent accolades. Then again, those of us who live here knew it all along.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

giveaway of valuable land. They made “not in my backyard” arguments against PBCC. And they called for a special voter referendum or supermajority vote on this issue. They are wrong on all counts.

Taxpayers should listen carefully to this debate. It is not at its core about what we are giving away. It is actually about what we are getting. The most strident and numerous opponents want us to use the K-Park land, which was purchased with taxpayer money, to get more ball fields, even though we already have plenty of ball fields and even though the village does not have the funds to construct or maintain more. Other opponents want us to get money for this land. In other words, they want it to be sold to developers, despite the fact that Wellington voters made it very clear during our last local election that they oppose more commercial development. Proponents, on the other hand, want to get a campus for PBCC in Wellington. I think the choice is a nobrainer. We can get ball fields we don’t need, development we don’t want or an educational institution that will benefit a very broad cross-section of residents by providing learning, retraining and cultural opportunities that are not now available in Wellington.

Still, opponents go on with

JOIN IN A TOWN-CRIER ONLINE POLL!

Do you support Wellington’s decision to merge its travel and recreational baseball programs?

A. Yes, it will enable more efficient use of village staff and facilities.

B. Yes, the competition will help recreational league players improve.

C. No, it will result in talented athletes choosing to play elsewhere.

D. No, travel players shouldn’t be required to participate in recreational league play.

“not in my backyard” arguments against PBCC, because it is not Harvard. This is shocking. I can see such arguments used to prevent the construction of a landfill, a nuclear power plant or a prison. But where is this country headed in the tough global economy in which we live, if arguments like these are made against an educational institution that would help many of our young set their sights higher than a minimum wage job?

Don’t be tricked by the effort to put this issue to a referendum. That’s just a tactic by a vocal minority to defeat PBCC. Why? Because everyone knows that voter turnout in local elections is very low. A mobilized minority could easily stop PBCC with a referendum. The call for a supermajority vote is another tactic to defeat PBCC. Opponents know that there are two members of the council who will choose more ball fields over education. Wisely, the village charter does not require a referendum or supermajority vote on this issue. Our village council needs to do its job, vote in the public interest and decide what we will get for the KPark land.

Ruth Kurtz Wellington

Unhappy With Article

I don’t know why your paper printed an article about a couple who have a big neighborhood celebration every Fourth of July, setting off $1,000 worth of fireworks (“Fourth Of July Tradition Hits Tenth Year In Wellington Neighborhood,” July 11). For $1,000 they must have used very big, loud fireworks, which are against the law!

This article was not about a professional display, this article was about private citizens breaking the law. Such an article only encourages others to copy. I’ve already had trouble with this same setup. People invite you over and even ask for donations for fireworks. This way, they think you won’t get mad when they shoot fireworks for hours, often ending at midnight or lat-

er. The professional fireworks are over around 10:30 p.m. I’m very disappointed in your paper.

Joanne Baker Wellington

Change Saunier’s Contract

These days, as the cost of most of the items we use every day continues to rise, I felt it was important to look at exactly where my tax dollars are going. This led me to look at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District spending. I had assumed in the past they were spending my taxes wisely but have discovered this may not be the case. My exploration led me to look at the cost associated with the district employees. As I reviewed the employment contract for the LGWCD administrator, I was amazed at the skill Mr. [Clete] Saunier demonstrated when negotiating this contract. In my many years in human resources administration, I have never seen a contract so one-sidedly in favor of the employee. Our water control district board was irresponsibly generous with my tax dollars.

First, Mr. Saunier is promised an automatic annual increase of three percent each year, plus a cost-of-living adjustment, regardless of what level of performance he has demonstrated. We provide him a new vehicle every three years and pay all expenses relating to it, including gas, even when used for personal use. We pay for his family’s health insurance, without Mr. Saunier contributing to the cost of the plan. He receives 25 vacation days and 17 sick days per year.

However, the section that has me totally appalled is “Section 8 Termination/Severance Pay.” This provision states that if Mr. Saunier is terminated for cause, he will still receive three years compensation and benefits, in a lump sum Termination for cause

is a term that means an employee is fired for any number of the acceptable reasons that would prevent them from collecting unemployment benefits because they were totally at fault. These fall under the category of continuing to break company rules, even after sufficient warning of the potential consequences of breaking them.

I can’t imagine what the LGWCD board was thinking or who they were representing when they put this clause into his contract. This means that Mr. Saunier, on a personal whim, could decide to continually come in late, leave early... or decide not to show up at all and we the taxpayers would be obligated to reward him with a lump sum payment. Should this happen today, we would owe him about $325,000. I doubt that has been put in the budget. I see a lot of publicity on the spending of the Town of Loxahatchee Groves. At least these decisions are made with reasoned public discussion. I think all residents should consider reviewing how the LGWCD Board of Supervisors is spending our money.

In the past, spending such as this has been done behind the scenes with self-renewing contracts that do not allow for public input. Given the generosity of this contract, I would be interested in knowing what benefits the LGWCD board have granted themselves other than the per-meeting/hourly rate they are currently paid. This grossly one-sided contract is up for renewal, and the LCWCD board needs to act responsibly and amend the new contract to reflect more sensible terms, conditions and timeframes. I would also hope that in this period of tough financial times, the LGWCD board would review these fixed expenses and look at reducing costs before they look at raising the assessment.

Nancy Handwerg

It’s Time To Bring Back The Incorporation Effort In The Acreage

In his first foray into elected politics two years ago, Indian Trail Improvement District President Mike Erickson scored a stunning victory that helped pave the way for a new, better direction for the ITID Board of Supervisors.

The new board (among many other things) was able to reverse the financial hole dug by the old board over an unnecessary water war with Palm Beach County that cost Acreage residents more than $1 million in needless legal expenses. Instead, under the leadership of Mr. Erickson, Supervisor Michelle Damone and the other three board members, ITID extracted some $9 million from the county to settle the water dispute and has earned considerable attention and respect from county officials in attempting to resolve numerous Acreage issues.

At the end of last week’s ITID board meeting, after most people had already left, Mr. Erickson dropped a bombshell. Not only would he not put himself up for consideration as board president next year, he will not run for re-election in two years when his term expires. Why, when his popularity is as strong today as it was on Election Day in 2006? Has he given up begging the county for virtually every tax dollar grudgingly sent to The Acreage? None of the above, he told me.

“I’ve learned firsthand that the only way we can stop being a stepchild community and get our fair share of county tax dollars is to incorporate The Acreage and sit at the same table as other municipalities,” Mr. Erickson told me. “We can-

By Don Brown

not determine our destiny unless we have home rule.”

Mr. Erickson, who has already achieved a reputation in the county for doing his homework, has been studiously tracking the sharing of county tax revenues. His conclusion: more Acreage tax dollars are going into the county’s black hole than returning home to area residents.

Talk of incorporation in The Acreage is nothing new. Six years ago, a slate of anti-incorporation candidates ousted the incumbents (who were willing to discuss it) and took over the board, only to squander millions of taxpayer dollars. Among those ousted that year were Ms. Damone and Supervisor Ralph Bair, who were subsequently vindicated and returned to the board. They were joined by the like-minded Mr. Erickson, Carol Jacobs and Sandra Love Semande (who decided not to seek re-election this year), who were all determined to undo the damage caused by the previous board.

Is Mr. Erickson squandering his significant

political capital by uttering the I-word? “No!” he abruptly responded. “I have more faith in our residents than that. I believe that once people understand the economic benefits, they will demand it. And what better way is there to protect our quality of life and our pocketbooks?”

He points to the example of Loxahatchee Groves, which successfully incorporated last year for the express purpose of protecting its community by controlling its destiny through home rule.

If nothing else, Mr. Erickson shows great courage gambling his political future on incorporation. “It’s worth it,” he told me. “The residents are worth it. We are a community of 50,000 residents and we can’t even get a sidewalk built at the high school. We have as many people as Wellington and over twice the area, yet we can’t get the things we need to improve our quality of life. I haven’t done the research yet, but I doubt if there is any community the geographic and population size as The Acreage anywhere in Florida that hasn’t incorporated. I want people to know where I stand, even if I never hold political office again.”

Mr. Erickson is correct in his message to fellow Acreage residents. It is high time to realize that the Palm Beach County Commission is not protecting their best interests. In fact, The Acreage has always been regarded more as a nuisance than a community partner.

It is difficult for most of today’s residents to comprehend that their community has suffered

decades of neglect and second-class status by their county overlords. Even relief from the traffic congestion created by the county itself through its own benign neglect has been impossible to achieve, as evidenced by a decade of procrastination on building a State Road 7 extension all the way from Okeechobee Blvd. to the Beeline Highway.

Because of The Acreage’s nonentity status, even neighboring municipality Royal Palm Beach has not been a willing partner in helping the community — even though both communities share the same roots.

If anyone can make the case for incorporation of The Acreage, it is Mr. Erickson. As a successful businessman, he understands the economics and he has spent several years as a stellar community leader demonstrating his protective interest in The Acreage. This year is a dangerous time to start a dialogue about incorporation. It is an election year and two of the five seats are being contested. Mr. Erickson has shown that he is willing to put everything at risk to spread the incorporation message.

Now is the time for residents to join him, organize an incorporation committee and do the work necessary to get the job done. Your children and grandchildren will regard you as heroes for the legacy you left them — a community with its own manifest destiny that will find its way, not merely as a member of the sisterhood of county municipalities, but as a leader.

Loxahatchee Groves

Candidates Have The Floor At Palms West Chamber Luncheon

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Candidates hoping to represent the western communities at the state and federal levels were featured guests at the Palms West Chamber of Commerce’s “Meet the Candidates Forum” luncheon on Monday.

Candidates included Democrat Paul Renneisen and Republican Col. Allen West, both vying for Congressional Seat 22, currently held by Congressman Ron Klein; Republicans Gayle Harrell, Tom Rooney and Hal Valeche, vying for Congressional Seat 16, held by Congressman Tim Mahoney; District 27 State Sen. Dave Aronberg and his Republican opponent Matt Caldwell; District 83 incumbent State Rep. Carl Domino and his Democrat opponents Rick Ford and Bryan Miller; and District 85 hopefuls Democrat Joe Abruzzo and Republican Howard Coates hoping to replace the retiring State Rep. Shelley Vana. Mahoney and Klein were in Washington, D.C. and could not attend the forum.

Harrell, who currently represents Martin County’s District 81 as state representative, said while door-to-door campaigning recently in Wellington, residents told her they are very upset with Congress. Harrell asserted that District 16 incumbent Mahoney is voting for increased taxes and more regulation.

“That is not the way we will spur the economy and move things forward,” she said. “I have a long record in the Florida House of Representatives of promoting tax decreases. I promoted $28 billion of tax decreases. I’ve been active in property tax relief, which helps you as businessmen and businesswomen, and also as homeowners.”

Harrell said her preferred energy strategy includes offshore drilling as well as alternative energy sources.

Rooney said his experience in the U.S. Army and as a prosecutor would be useful in Congress. “I’m the only non-politician in this race,” Rooney said. “We need to bring real leadership to Washington. Washington is broken. It needs real out-ofthe-box thinking on how to fix it. I want to go to Washington to not only bring new ideas and concepts to what we have been

going over for the last 20 to 30 years, but also to bring common-sense viewpoints on things like immigration. If you are an illegal immigrant and you commit a crime, you should serve your time and be deported.”

Rooney said he supports offshore drilling because it would offer options other than the country’s continued reliance on foreign oil. He concurred with Harrell that a vote for Mahoney is a vote for raising taxes.

Valeche, a former Palm Beach Gardens councilman, urged widespread domestic oil drilling in the name of energy independence. “We also need to stop that $700 billion tax increase for an economy that is faltering on the brink of a recession,” he said. “It is foolish economic policy to do that.”

District 22 congressional candidates spoke next. Renneisen, an Air Force veteran and antiwar candidate, took Klein to task for supporting the Foreign Intelligence Service Act (FISA) allowing wiretapping during emergencies. “What does that mean to you as a businessman?”

Renneisen said. “It’s not a corporate cell phone. It could be a personal phone.”

Renneisen said he favors a flat tax, which had been supported by Republican presidential hopeful Ron Paul. He said he does not support offshore drilling.

West brought up his service record, most recently in Iraq and Afghanistan. He expressed the need for people to understand the U.S. Constitution as the importance of protecting basic liberties through military service. “We need to get people to understand service in this country,” West said. “You cannot do it unless you get people to understand service and sacrifice.”

West said the U.S. needs to be energy independent and he would turn to private business to provide that. “We must produce and we must consume,” West said. “We must export our own energy sources. Then, we can truly have energy independence. We should not talk about raising taxes. We should talk about putting money back in your pocket.”

State Senate District 27 incumbent Aronberg and challenger Caldwell were next to

speak. Aronberg noted that after six years he has seniority but is still the youngest legislator in the State Senate, where he is slated to be the Democratic Leader Pro Tempore.

Aronberg said he has a passion to serve in the State Legislature and hopes to continue. Meeting people in his sprawling cross-state district is just a small part of what he does, he said.

“I have been able to work across party lines in a hyper-partisan environment,” he said. “I think I have developed a reputation as a bridge builder and being able to bring home the dollars to this district. It doesn’t matter what party the person I am working for is. I work to get things done.”

Aronberg said he voted against a bill allowing citizens to leave guns in their automobiles outside their place of employment — something that did not make him popular with some of the other legislators. The National Rifle Association had enough clout to push the bill through, but he still does not think it was a good bill because of private property and safety issues.

“I was proud to stand up against the NRA even though I knew I was going to take a hit politically,” Aronberg said. “A business owner should be able to determine what goes on in his or her property. Government should not be involved in that decision.”

Caldwell, a Fort Myers resident, said he is also committed to working with representatives of both sides but believes in a conservative philosophy. As a native Floridian who recently welcomed a daughter, Caldwell said he wants to work for her and for the generations after her. “She will be the eighth generation to live and play and work in this great state,” Caldwell said.

Caldwell said he would have voted for the guns-to-work bill because he believes it is the right of citizens to bear arms. “I believe in a conservative philosophy,” Caldwell said. “I understand there are contentious issues out there. I would have voted for the bill. If a person can’t bear arms, I don’t care if it’s a gun or a salad fork. It’s your

See CHAMBER, page 18

PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

District 85 hopefuls Democrat Joe Abruzzo and Republican Howard Coates

Democratic Congressional candidate Paul Renneisen

Republican State House incumbent Carl Domino

Republican Congressional candidate Tom Rooney Republican Congressional candidate Col. Alan West

The candidates gather with representatives from the Palms West Chamber of Commerce.

Man Stabbed Near Olympia Entrance

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

JULY 17 — A Wellington man was hospitalized after being stabbed early Thursday morning in front of the Olympia neighborhood on Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, the victim told deputies he saw a vehicle he believed was broken down parked approximately 300 feet west of the Olympia security gate. The victim said he pulled behind the vehicle, believing the occupants were in need of assistance. According to the victim, two males exited the vehicle and entered his, where they stabbed him multiple times. The victim was transported to Delray Medical Center. The extent of his injuries was unknown at the time of the report. The case is under investigation.

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JULY 11 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to Seminole Palms Park last Friday regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim secured her vehicle at approximately 2:15 p.m. When she returned at approximately 3:30 p.m., she discovered a chunk of concrete had been thrown through her driver’s-side window, smashing the glass and damaging the door’s exterior. According to the report, the victim’s purse was stolen, along with a black duffel bag containing clothes, and a wallet containing the victim’s driver’s license and ATM cards. The total amount of damage is estimated at $500; the total amount of stolen property is approximately $850. There was no further information at the time of the report.

na coming from inside the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed approximately one gram of marijuana in a plastic bag, five roaches and one Xanax pill. Lederer was arrested and taken to the Palm Beach County Jail. JULY 12 — A man and woman were arrested last Saturday for dealing in stolen property. According to a PBSO report, 18year-old Nicole Barreto and 19year-old Christopher Carey of West Palm Beach found a cell phone inside the Mall at Wellington Green and contacted its owner, offering $500 to return the phone. The victim agreed to meet the pair at the Wal-Mart store on Forest Hill Blvd. in Greenacres. The suspects were arrested and taken to the county jail. Carey was also charged for violating probation for grand theft auto and narcotics.

JULY 13 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched Sunday afternoon to Calypso Bay Water Park regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, two women were at the water park with their children when the vehicle they arrived in was burglarized. They arrived at the park at approximately 1 p.m. and returned to the vehicle at approximately 2:50 p.m. to discover two side windows had been smashed. Stolen from the vehicle were two purses, a wedding ring, diamond-studded earrings and two watches. There were no witnesses or suspects at the time of the report.

JULY 14 — An employee of the JC Penney store in the Mall at Wellington Green called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Monday night regarding a shoplifter. According to a PBSO report, a loss prevention officer witnessed 18-year-old Chevanne Reid of Wellington remove earrings from their packaging and place them in his ears. Reid then attempted to exit the store without paying for the merchandise. He was arrested and taken to the county jail.

JULY 11 — A man was arrested on drug charges last Friday at the Marathon gas station on Royal Palm Beach Blvd. According to a PBSO report, a deputy observed 20-year-old Jonathan Humpage of Tennessee engaged in what appeared to be an illegal drug transaction. The deputy contacted Humpage and asked if he had any illegal drugs on him or inside his car. Humpage replied that the vehicle belongs to his girlfriend. She gave the deputy consent to search the vehicle. According to the report, two baggies containing marijuana were found inside a backpack, and Humpage was arrested.

JULY 11 — An employee of the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Belvedere Road called the PBSO substation last Friday in Royal Palm Beach regarding a shoplifter. According to a PBSO report, a loss prevention officer detained 52-year-old Edward Cangley of Lantana after observing him steal the power cord from an LCD TV as well as a digital camera. According to the report, Cangley cut the security device on the camera in order to remove it from the display counter. He was charged with grand theft and criminal mischief.

JULY 11 — A traffic stop early last Friday on Southern Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach resulted in the drug arrest of a Wellington woman. According to a PBSO report, 28-year-old Sheila Lederer was stopped at approximately 2 a.m. for failing to maintain a single lane. While speaking to Lederer, the deputy noticed a strong smell of marijua-

JULY 15 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a construction site on Forest Hill Blvd. early Tuesday morning regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, the complainant said he parked his company’s workhorse cart inside its fenced area late Monday afternoon. When he returned Tuesday morning, he discovered the cart was outside the fenced area and the security fence was open, as well as a storage container; the locks on the fence and container had been broken off. Stolen from the storage container was approximately 200 feet of copper piping. There were no witnesses at the time of the report. JULY 15 — A resident of Carlton Street called the PBSO substation in Wellington Wednesday night regarding a home burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim and her family left their home at approximately 6 p.m. and returned two hours later to discover all the lights inside the house had been turned on. Further investigation revealed that the air-conditioning unit on the east side of the house had been removed and several items were knocked over. Miscellaneous PlayStation games and Xbox games, and three packs of cigarettes were missing. Two latent prints were taken from the scene and turned into evidence for processing.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives:

• Evinson Leocal is a black male, 5’8” tall and weighing 147 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 04/22/91. Leocal is wanted for burglary while armed with a firearm, grand theft of a firearm and petit theft. His occupation is unknown. His last known address was Shoma Drive in Royal Palm Beach. Leocal is wanted as of 07/17/08.

• Arnika Swain is a black female, 5’2” tall and weighing 125 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. Her date of birth is 04/21/78. Swain is wanted on the charges of organized scheme to defraud over $20,000 and grand theft over $20,000. Her occupation is unknown. Her last known address was Madison Chase in Royal Palm Beach. Swain is wanted as of 07/17/08. 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.

Evinson Leocal Arnika Swain

Two Port Of PB Commission Incumbents Facing Challengers

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Two of three incumbent Port of Palm Beach commissioners face challengers this year in partisan races for their seats.

Eight-year Group 1 incumbent Wayne Richards, a Democrat, will face Republican Thomas McCracken in November.

Longtime Group 2 incumbent George Mastics, a Democrat, is being challenged by fellow Democrat Charles Bantel in the Aug. 26 primary election. Since no other candidates have filed, the primary will decide the winner and will be open to all voters, not just Democrats.

Group 3 incumbent Jean Enright, a Democrat, is unopposed. The port district includes The Acreage, Loxahatchee Groves and Royal Palm Beach. Voters in those areas get to vote for port commissioners. Although set up as a special taxing authority, the port has not levied a property tax since 1975.

Group 1 incumbent Richards, an attorney, lives in Bayhill Estates near The Acreage. First elected in 2000, he recalled being a “minority of one” on the commission the first few years, with fresh ideas that hit a brick wall. “I was viewed as an outsider and an upstart,” he said.

One of the major tenets of the port is to reinvest five percent of its revenue into port improvements to encourage cargo and passenger activity. Richards found that much of that money

was in questionable areas such as marketing salaries. “The money was not in areas calculated to increase revenue,” he said.

Another challenge for the port is that Peanut Island and the Palm Beach Inlet limit the size of ships it can accommodate.

Despite those limitations, Richards said he and port staff are about to reach an agreement with a yet-to-be-named cruise operator that would conduct cruises from the port to the Bahamas. He said he expects an announcement to be made in the next three to four weeks.

“We have met with harbor pilots who agree the ship would have adequate navigability. It would be a tremendous plus for the county,” Richards said.

Over the last five years, Richards said he has spearheaded beneficial visits with officials at the port’s major trading partners to stimulate commerce. The first was to Freeport and Nassau in the Bahamas, which get 50 to 60 percent of their food from the Port of Palm Beach via Tropical Shipping. The following year port officials went to the Dominican Republic, the port’s second biggest trader, and then to Trinidad and Tobago.

“These trade missions are about meeting with counterparts, utilizing local chambers of commerce there and meshing them with us,” Richards said. “They have been very successful.”

Under his chairmanship last year, Richards said the commission retained a labor firm to design criteria to analyze the effectiveness of the port director as well as the port.

A new director, Manuel Almira, started on Monday. Almira was previously marketing director for Port Everglades. “He was my number-one choice,” Richards said. “He understands the industry. He knows cargo carriers and cruise operators. He’s a sharp guy with a proven track record.”

He said former director Lori Baer took some heat during her tenure when she raised the possibility of taxation to make up for revenue shortfalls. “I want to increase revenue,” Richards said. “But I don’t want to have to assess taxes. We need to go out there and get business and not tax residents.”

The increased security measures required since 2001 have taken a tremendous bite out of port revenue, Richards said. The commission is currently working on a budget of $12.5 million to $13 million with $5 million on security, he said.

“It has taken time and effort for the board to come around and realize we need to make more revenue,” he said. “The board is fairly uniform against taxes. I’m a Democrat, but I am very fiscally conservative. I understand the value of hard work. My record reflects that. The fu-

ture looks very good for the port.”

Richards said that while depreciation has made the port’s books show a loss, it is actually operating in the black.

But challenger McCracken, 60, a North Palm Beach resident who works as a financial manager for the South Florida Water Management District, said the port is in a bad situation. It has been showing a loss the past five years and expects to lose up to $3 million in the coming year.

“Something has to change drastically,” he said McCracken said the port would benefit from his background in financial management. Holding a master’s degree in business administration, he was budget director for Rinker Materials for several years until he went on to hold various financial management jobs 21 years ago with the SFWMD.

Originally from Indiana, he has lived in the area since 1962 and attended Lake Worth High School, Palm Beach Junior College and Florida Atlantic University. He said his interest in the port stems from an interest in overall business management perspectives.

Besides his employment with Rinker and the SFWMD, McCracken volunteered as treasurer with Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County for 12 years, starting at a time when the organization had not filed a tax return in two years and was pil-

ing up IRS penalties. He worked three years at improving its financial standing, and after five years the organization finally received a clean financial bill of health.

McCracken is a retired Army sergeant major who spent 34 years in the service counting both active duty and reserves, including active duty in the Pentagon between March 2005 and August 2006 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He also served temporary duty in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

McCracken said the port is not reaching its fullest business potential by getting the tenants it should. He alleges the sitting commissioners are entrenched and the commission needs a turnover. “There’s three lawyers [on the board] and one on staff, and they are not in legal trou-

ble,” he said. “They need some businesspeople.”

Although the incumbents point proudly to the fact that it does not levy taxes, McCracken asks, “What do they do when they’re bankrupt?” clarifying that government organizations do not actually declare bankruptcy, but will declare a financial crisis and the need to levy a tax.

Group 2 incumbent Mastics paints a glowing record of commercial growth over the 12 years he has served on the commission as well as a gleaming future, but challenger Charles Bantel doesn’t agree with that assessment.

Mastics has served as commission chairman three times. In his three terms he said he has seen the port triple in revenue. “The port has not taxed proper-

See PORT, page 18

Wayne RichardsThomas McCracken

ALA Members Support New Shopping Center On Northlake

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Acreage Landowners’ Association members gave their support Tuesday to a proposed landuse change that would allow the construction of a commercial plaza on Northlake Blvd.

Owners of the 30-acre property at the southwest corner of Northlake and Coconut boulevards are seeking a land-use change from Rural Residential to Commercial Low.

The Palm Beach County Commission is scheduled to review the amendment July 23, but Joe Lelonek of Land Design South, representing the property owners, told ALA members that state review of the proposal

and other factors mean construction is at least two to three years away.

Lelonek, who represents the owners of almost all the land between 120th Street and Grapeview Blvd. on the south side of Northlake Blvd., characterized the project as “a small neighborhood shopping area.”

“This will be a small center,”

Lelonek said. “We are limited to 134,000 square feet, and we will not have any structure larger than 65,000 square feet. There will be no big-box stores. The largest store will probably be a supermarket and will probably be smaller than 65,000 square feet, more likely 40 to 50 thousand.”

Lelonek said that the area needs more commercial property. “With gas prices as high as they are, it can cost a lot to drive extra miles for basics,” he said. “We foresee a pharmacy, maybe a restaurant, a supermarket as well as local retail shops. We probably will have some second-floor space for some doctor’s offices.”

As part of the agreement, the owners would agree to deed-restrict 70 acres between Avocado Blvd. and 140th Avenue North for civic and institutional purposes. Lelonek said there is little chance for development along Northlake Blvd. west of Grapeview Blvd. because almost all the property contains

homes. “It would be difficult to put together enough land to build anything more than a convenience store,” he said.

Lelonek said a 50-foot buffer on the property along Northlake Blvd. would also feature a pedestrian walkway, while a 25foot buffer on the north side of Hamlin Blvd. would contain an equestrian path. The property would also be heavily buffered by trees and bushes. “All incoming traffic for the commercial development would be from Northlake Blvd with two entrances or Coconut Blvd. with one,” he said. All

ITID Committee Reviews Plans For Hamlin Equestrian Park

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Members of the Indian Trail Improvement District’s Parks & Recreation Advisory Committee got their first look Monday at the initial draft of a site plan for an expanded Hamlin Equestrian Park.

The district is in the process of expanding the seven-acre park with the addition of two adjoining acres to the east. The district is currently working to enclose a drainage canal that separates the two parcels by laying pipe that will then be covered with earth.

Features of the park’s expanded site plan include a large

equestrian ring, along with bleachers, a shade structure, lighting, concession area, covered wash area and increased parking.

ITID Parks Director Tim Wojnar told committee members that the first draft of the plan is merely a stepping-off point and that he expects many suggestions and changes before it is reviewed by the ITID Board of Supervisors.

“I want you to take these home and look them over carefully,” he said. “Show them to friends. Bring back detailed notes so we can improve these plans before the engineers do the detailed drawings.”

Committee Member Helmut Schmitt made an immediate recommendation that shellrock not be used as a base in an extended parking area planned for land now crossed by the canal.

“Jim Brandon [Equestrian Center] uses grass for our parking area, and it holds up well,” he said.

The committee continued its long-running discussion of how to improve the footing in the main ring of the park. Committee Member Deborah Knapp said she likes the footing at the Brandon center. “It’s like fine sand,” she said.

Wojnar noted that the county-run Brandon center has three

or four regular employees whose main function is the care of the main ring. “During events they drag and wet down the field after every three or four riders,” he said.

While that level of service is not likely at Hamlin, Wojnar noted that something will likely be done to improve the footing simply because of all the complaints about it.

Schmitt said the kind of desired footing would vary based on whether the rider is involved in dressage, barrel racing, drill teams or jumpers. “Some people will not be happy no matter what you choose,” he said.

Committee Member Brenda

Riol said problems in the ring are partly due to the district’s method of dragging the sand. “The sides are higher than the middle,” she said. “That prevents water from running off. We need a better way to drag the field so we do it right.”

Wojnar replied that his crews drag the main ring on Mondays and Fridays only, and rains in between are responsible for much of the problems.

Wojnar told the committee he had brought in an expert and also looked to the Internet for solutions.

“The problem is that if you have 500 experts, there are 500 different answers,” he said. “Re-

ality means that our level of service for the park dictates what we can do.”

Schmitt suggested that since the main problem with the ring is keeping the water off, the best solution might be to scrape the base down in a way that will promote drainage.

Wojnar said riders in the park have been dealing with the same footing for ten years. “It is time for a facelift,” he said. “But we want to do it right.”

The committee’s next meeting is scheduled for Monday, Aug. 11 at 7 p.m. Residents who want to comment on the design of the park expansion are welcome.

ALA Meeting — Joe Lelonek of Land Design South holding up plans for the new shopping development at Tuesday’s meeting. PHOTO BY LEONARD WECHSLER/TOWN-CRIER

KIDS GET CREATIVE AT THE WELLINGTON LIBRARY’S MOSAIC CRAFTS CLUB

Despite Lower Revenues, Town Holds Property Tax Rate Steady

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves

Town Council approved a preliminary property tax rate of 1.5 mills for fiscal year 2008-09 at its meeting Tuesday.

Although the millage rate is the same as the current year, the town’s property tax will only bring in about $442,700 in 2008-09, compared to about $520,000 in 2007-08, a decrease of 14.9 percent. The town’s estimated total taxable value decreased by 9 percent due mostly to the additional $25,000 homestead exemption passed by voter in January, according to the staff report.

Overall, the town is projected to spend about $1.9 million next year. Among the big-ticket items is $264,000 for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, up nine percent from the current year, according to Town Clerk Matthew Lippman.

Lippman added that the town will be more aggressive in pursuing other revenue sources, such as additional communication service tax revenue, because he and Town Attorney David Tolces do not think the town is getting its fair share.

In a series of motions the council approved the preliminary budget items, including setting the date for the first budget meeting to be on Tuesday,

Sept. 4 at 6:45 p.m. The second and final budget meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 6:45 p.m.

The motions were approved 3-0 with councilmen Dr. Bill Louda and Dennis Lipp absent. Also Tuesday, council members approved a three-hour emergency planning workshop at a cost of $1,040 to be conducted by the town’s emergency management consultant Calvin, Giordano & Associates (CGA). As a part of the contractual scope of services, the firm created a strategic plan identifying objectives for emergency management for the town. Their team will coordinate information and facilitate the work session.

C. Everette Vaughan, manager of the Palm Beach County Division of Emergency Management, and Helene Wetherington, CGA’s director of emergency management services, reviewed emergency management strategy planning objectives and options for the town. Vaughan said that Palm Beach County is in the process of revising its own disaster plan and plans of other municipalities are linked to it. The town’s plan does not have to be as comprehensive or detailed as the county’s, but he said it is important to have one in place that fits in with the county’s.

“We want to make sure they go hand in hand,” Vaughan said. “We need to make sure that you have the same plans to manage that emergency. We are all in the same county, even though we are different governments.”

Wetherington said the town is behind in National Incident Management System training, but that could easily be remedied by signing up for classes. She noted that a place has to be established where people can meet to coordinate emergency management. Wetherington said the town’s emergency management center could be as simple as someone’s living room.

A checklist needs to be created to include the identification of emergency management organizations, procedures for the town’s emergency operations center, identifying procedures for the town’s emergency hotline and emergency information, storage of vital public records, coordinating with county services, identifying town emergency preparedness activities, and setting up a debris management plan.

Considerations in the plan should include how to handle special care for people who are homebound, and designation of another overseeing body or person in lieu of council members who might be occupied with other tasks.

“We need to make sure we have all of the pieces there,” Wetherington said. “As far as continuity of government, we have to assume the council is out, and there has to be someone next in line to help. There also needs to be alternate facilities. I know the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District runs their own EOC out of their building. I don’t know if there is a desire to co-locate.”

Wetherington said the debris management process needs to be outlined carefully so as to assure that the town would be eligible for reimbursement.

Wetherington and Vaughan said they were not recommending anything complex, but having a plan in place is a key part of the federal requirements. Not having one would hamper reimbursement from the Federal Emergency Management Agency should a natural disaster like a hurricane strike.

Councilman Dave Autrey asked who determines the length and times of an emergency curfew. Vaughan said the process of a curfew is a decision implemented by law enforcement, usually on a countywide level that supersedes anything in place at the community level.

Autrey, an avid equestrian, said he brought it up because many residents have horses, and he was concerned about proper

care of the horses in the event of a disaster. With the imposition of a curfew, care for horses could suffer. “People with horses don’t have the ability to put them in safe shelters here,” Autrey said. “Trying to get over there to take care of them and coordinate it with a curfew could create problems.”

Wetherington said town representatives could discuss that issue with PBSO representatives during the briefing process and work out that issue.

Vice Mayor Marge Herzog recommended approval of the workshop. “I have attended a lot of the EOC meetings. The other communities are ahead of us when an emergency hits,” she said. “Everyone needs to be on the same playing field.”

Lippman said the $1,040 price tag for the eight-hour session is less than other communities paid. “I do understand that this town is self-sufficient,” Lippman said. “This is not one-tenth of what Royal Palm Beach and Wellington do, and one-twentieth of the price.”

Autrey made a motion for approval, which was seconded by Herzog. It passed 3-0.

In other business, the council approved a final site plan for the First Seventh-Day Adventist Church of Loxahatchee Groves. The church is to be built at the

corner of

Blvd. and E Road. Lippman noted said that on Jan. 22 the council granted the applicant an exemption from the town’s building moratorium and the applicant is now seeking site plan approval. Palm Beach County has completed its review, and the applicant has met all concurrency requirements, Lippman said.

Chris Barry, agent for the project, said the 15,900-squarefoot church will be built in two phases and will include a buffer of trees and shrubs to separate it from its neighbors.

Autrey expressed concerns about the back portion of the property because a great deal of activity would take place there. He wanted to make sure plenty of buffering in the back would to effectively screen it.

Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Administrator Clete Saunier said he wanted to make sure the district would have appropriate canal maintenance access onto the property.

Resident Ken Johnson wanted to make sure a daycare center or a school is not being planned for the site. Barry said such a use is not included in the application.

Herzog made a motion for approval, which passed 2-1 with Autrey opposed and Louda and Lipp absent.

southeast

Okeechobee

Joshua Maldonado, Patricio Pinedo and Andrew Hanson with library associate Myrtle Leone.

Britney Nau and Abigail Maldonado create mosaic suns and other celestial formations.

Sarah Brock works on a cotton-ball sheep.

Michala Anbocco creates a pink cotton-ball pig.

Bob Hatcher Takes The Helm At Western Pines

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Acreage resident Bob Hatcher is looking forward to his new assignment as principal of Western Pines Middle School. Even though school is in recess, Hatcher has already gotten to know a few of his future students.

“A few have met me already,” he said. “I was able to spend a few days with them right before school closed. I have been coming to the school and meeting with the teachers and staff. I just can’t wait for the new year to start.”

Hatcher is taking over from Dr. Matt Shoemaker, who will take the helm at Palm Beach Central High School in Wellington. A Florida native, Hatcher started his own education at Wynnebrook Elementary School in West Palm Beach. He graduated high school with eyes on a career in professional sports.

“I was born and raised in Palm Beach County,” Hatcher said. “I graduated from Twin Lakes [High School] in 1985 and then went to Palm Beach Junior College and graduated from there. I went to the University of Alabama on a baseball scholarship. I was drafted by the Philadelphia Phillies, and I thought I was going to be a Major League Baseball player. An arm injury pretty well ended that.”

Instead, Hatcher pursued a career in education, and after graduating from the University of Alabama with a bachelor’s degree in education, he earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from Barry University. He said his decision was influenced by his parents.

“My father was an educator,” Hatcher said. “He worked in Palm Beach County for 36 years. He retired about ten years ago. He’s really good at providing input. He knows a lot of stuff. When I have a difficult decision to make, I will run it by him, and between the two of us there is very little we can’t figure out. Mom was the media specialist at FAU for 20-plus years.”

Hatcher started his teaching career with a year at Jupiter High School, and then went to Omni Middle School for six years. Following that he was assistant principal at Lake Worth Middle School for three years before taking the helm as principal there. It was a post he retained for six years before moving to Gateway High School in Boynton Beach, an alternative school for students with problems.

“I was there two years,” Hatcher said. “It was especially rewarding. All the kids were dropout prevention students. For whatever reasons, they had not earned enough credits to graduate from their regular school. They came to Gateway and were offered an alternative diploma to a regular diploma. And in two years, we graduated 300 kids. I am very proud of that.”

Hatcher was especially gratified to be able to hand diplomas to four of his former students from Lake Worth Middle School. “It’s every parent’s dream to see their child walk across the stage at graduation,” he said. “Graduation is a big thing for all of them… For those kids, it was a special thing. It was one of the highlights of my career.”

Hatcher said he was devastated by the 2006 death of longtime Western Pines Middle School principal Peggy Campbell in a tragic car accident. He counts Campbell as one of his mentors and said he feels great pride in taking over at the school she once led.

“I don’t want this community to ever forget what Peggy Campbell did for this school and for this community,” he said. “She was a fantastic person. Dr. Shoemaker also did a great job. He continued what Ms. Campbell did. I’m looking forward to doing the same thing and giving this great group of teachers the opportunity to continue to do what they need to do and support them the best we can.” The school’s just-released A grade for this year is testament to the leadership of both Campbell and Shoemaker, Hatcher said.

“In looking at the grades, it looks like we’ve had the best year we’ve had in a long time,” Hatcher said. “We had a 28point jump. We’re still an A school. We are very proud of that. I want to come on board and continue to make it better.” Hatcher noted that there are not many areas at WPMS in need of major improvements. “There’s not a lot of things wrong here,” he said. “My big push will be to get the community involved in this school. I want this to be a community school.”

Hatcher said he jumped at the opportunity to teach at a school close to his home. “I’m very proud of the fact that I’m working at the school in the community I live in,” he said. “I will be running into parents, students and community members at places like Winn-Dixie. I am really looking forward to that.” He is busy planning events to introduce himself and his school to the greater Acreage community.

“One thing we will do is we will have a meet-the-principal night in August where anyone and everyone can come into the gym for an informal questionand-answer period,” Hatcher said. “People can get an idea of who I am, where I am coming from and what they can expect.” In his free time Hatcher enjoys duck hunting and fishing. “I am going to have ducks on the wall in my office,” he said. “They are not back from the taxidermist yet. But I love to hunt and fish, and growing up in South Florida and in Palm Beach County, that is something we always did growing up. I lived maybe five minutes from the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area. When I was a kid growing up, we were out there every weekend during hunting season.”

LGWCD Budget Holds The Line On Assessments

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors approved a budget for fiscal year 2009 on Monday that holds the line on assessments and sustains levels of general road and canal maintenance, while cutting expenditures by about 25 percent from the current fiscal year.

LGWCD Administrator Clete Saunier told supervisors the latest revision to the budget funds baseline expenses for general maintenance service on all district roads and canals, while postponing rotational road and canal improvement maintenance projects to fiscal year 2010. The assessment rate for fiscal year 2009 remains unchanged at $137.95 per acre,

with total budgeted expenditures at $1.12 million. The budget also includes a fivepercent merit increase and cost-of-living increase of 3.6 percent for district employees. While the budget includes no gas tax revenues that are due to the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, Saunier said he expected the district would seek funding for particular projects from the town in much the same way as it had from Palm Beach County before the municipality incorporated. “Prior to incorporation, the district received several millions of dollars in project-specific funding through its relationship with Palm Beach County,” Saunier said. “There is no reason why the same relationship cannot continue with the Town of See LGWCD, page 18

New Western Pines

Principal Bob Hatcher

Wellington Chamber To Host Debate On Offshore Drilling

On Wednesday, July 23, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host an informative debate about drilling for oil off Florida’s coast. The debate will be held at the Binks Forest Golf Club (400 Binks Forest Drive, Wellington) as part of the chamber’s monthly business luncheon.

Speaking in favor of offshore drilling will be Florida Americans for Prosperity State Director Adam Guillette. Americans for Prosperity is a nationwide organization of citizen leaders committed to advancing every individual’s right to economic freedom and opportunity. AFP believes reducing the size and scope of government is the best safeguard to ensuring individual productivity and prosperity for all Americans.

Originally from central New Jersey, Guillette moved to Gainesville in 1999 to attend the University of Florida. While at UF, Guillette served as the chairman of the College Republicans and the Freedom Foundation. In his first year at UF, he helped found a political action committee known as the Liberty Project. In less than a year, the Liberty Project ran two pro-business candidates for city commission, fought a city commission pay raise and registered 4,000 voters in four weeks, a record for Alachua County. At the age of 19, Guillette ran for mayor of Gainesville, finishing third in a field of six candidates.

Speaking against offshore drilling will be Surfrider Foundation Florida Regional Manager Ericka D’Avanzo. The Sur-

frider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world’s oceans, waves and beaches through conservation, activism, research and education. The foundation has more than 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide.

In addition to her role as Surfrider Foundation Florida regional manager, D’Avanzo is a steering committee member of the Florida Coastal and Ocean Coalition. She received her master’s degree in environmental planning and policy in 2001 and has worked for the Department of Environmental Protection, the Federal Emergency Management Agency and as a consultant for international consulting firms. In addition to her Surfrider role, she continues to serve on FEMA’s Hurricane Liaison Team.

“It is imperative that we as Wellington business professionals and community leaders understand the pros and cons of this issue,” Wellington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michela Perillo-Green said.

“We are honored that each organization has accepted the responsibility to debate this topic and encourage anyone who would like firsthand knowledge of Florida offshore drilling to attend and gain a better understanding of what is being presented.”

The luncheon cost is $15 for members in advance, $20 for members at the door and $25 for non-members. Seating is limited. Call (561) 792-6525 for reservations.

LGLA Meeting July 24

The Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association will hold its monthly meeting on Thursday, July 24 at 7 p.m. inside Classroom 1 at Palms West Hospital.

Speakers for the meeting will include Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon and Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Gary Nikolits. They have each been asked to discuss the ways their offices have improved and changed to make things more economical and up to date with technology available today. Additionally, they will explain any changes that have taken place through the legislature that will have an impact on the taxpayers. For more information about the LGLA or the July 24 meeting, contact Marge Herzog at (561) 791-9875 or marge@ herzog.ms.

NEWS BRIEFS

PBSO Offering Free Software

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office is offering local parents a free copy of ComputerCOP software. Once installed on their computer, parents will be able to view what their children have encountered while online.

The Internet is a powerful tool with more than one billion users worldwide. Unfortunately, it is not always used for the good of others. With ComputerCOP, parents will be able to monitor the sites, photos and conversations their children have had online. This will help them to stay in tune with their Internet encounters and make sure they are not being preyed upon by Internet predators. CDs are available upon request at the front desk of the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach. For more information about cyber safety, call the PBSO at (561) 688-3000 or visit www.pbso.org.

Vacation Bible

School At Palms

West Alliance

Palms West Alliance Church in Loxahatchee Groves will hold Vacation Bible School from Monday, July 28 to Friday, Aug. 1 from 9 a.m. to noon each day. The theme is “Power Lab,” and children are offered a week of fun in five different lab stations: Wacky Works Crafts, Cinema Science, Test Tube Treats, Hyperspeed Games and Bible Blast. Palms West Alliance Church is located at 16401 Southern Blvd. Register online at www. palmswest.org. For info., call Karen Cox at (561) 791-0524.

Help Donate

School Supplies

The 2008-09 school year is fast approaching, and for many parents, that means struggling to equip their children with school supplies. All types of school supplies can be dropped off at Adopt-A-Family (1712 N. Second Avenue, Lake Worth). Call (561) 253-1361 for more info. Also, the Caridad Clinic (8645 Boynton Beach Blvd.,

Boynton Beach) has 1,119 children to help. They are especially looking for Target or WalMart gift certificates for uniforms and school supplies to fill 1,000 donated backpacks. Call (561) 737-6336 for more info.

The Wellington Cares Clearinghouse is collecting school supplies for distribution to children in Pahokee and Lake Worth. To donate, call Ellie Caldwell at (561) 790-5499.

Cheerleaders To Bag Groceries

The Acreage Xtreme Cheerleaders will spend the day bagging groceries on Saturday, July 19 at the Winn-Dixie supermarket from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Village Royale shopping center in Royal Palm Beach. Donations are greatly appreciated. For more information, call Head Coach Melody Sayles at (954) 419-1709.

RPB Community Band Concert Set For July 29

The Royal Palm Beach Community Band will continue its concert series with a performance on Tuesday, July 29. The concert will be held at 7 p.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way). Refreshments will be served during the intermission. For more info., call (561) 790-5149.

Wildlife And A Movie At Folke Peterson

On Saturday, Aug. 9, the Folke Peterson Wildlife Center in Wellington invites families to attend an event dedicated to learning more about co-existing with native wildlife. A special showing of the PG-rated movie Over the Hedge will be followed by real wildlife encounters with Stinky the Skunk, Buddy the Opossum and other Folke Peterson residents. Popcorn and juice boxes provided. The event will take place from 10 a.m. to noon. A donation of $5 per person is requested. The Folke Peterson Wildlife Center is located at 10948 Acme Road. To RSVP, call (561) 793-BIRD.

Anime Fans Design Costumes At Wellington Library Workshop

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

Anime fans and newcomers learned how to make neko (cat) ears at the Wellington library on Tuesday, July 15. The room was alive with laughter and critter-eared teens who shared ideas and favorite characters. Some will return in full costume for Anime Fest on Aug. 1. “I’m excited about Anime Fest because the kids re-

ally seem to be having a lot of fun already tonight,” library trainee Amanda Bosky said.

Manga fan Jessie Wang, a 13year-old dance student at the Bak Middle School of the Arts, said she normally spends a lot of time in the library anyway and has read more than ten books so far this summer. Inspired by her own cartoon character creation, budding author and illustrator Alexis DrzePHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Santamaria County Budget

continued from page 1 reason less tax money is being collected has to do with the appraisal process on homes.

“From 2001 to 2005, the value of real estate was spiraling up at 15, 20 and 30 percent per year. As your $200,000 home went up to $300,000, the county was collecting the same millage on a bigger dollar amount,” he said. “Sometime in 2001, the median price of a home was $170,000. By December 2005, four years later, the median price went was $421,000. The dollar amount was much higher even if the millage was the same. This created the predicament we are in now.”

Following the announcement that the millage might go up, Santamaria said he and other county commissioners received many unhappy phone calls and e-mails.

“A lot of people said not to increase the millage,” Santamaria said. “Some people thought I favored the higher millage. But

I did not want to blindly have a target of 3.78. I wanted to get a list of items that were not necessary and those we can do without completely or cut back, and let the chips fall where they may.”

Santamaria noted that at one point in the process, the commissioners had the rate lower than 3.78. However, he said there were some items that needed to be put back in the budget, such as summer camps for children of low-income families and youth-empowerment centers to combat crime and gangs. “You pay now or pay later,” Santamaria said. “We need to keep looking after our children because they are our future.” Merriman noted that with taxes plummeting, the county has less revenue this year than in past years.

“Our total county operating budget has been reduced by $52 million,” Merriman said. “We will take $47 million from reserves. We instructed all our departments to take a five-percent reduction lower than the existing budget. They had to absorb pay increases and other increases and still make the re-

wucki made blue monkey ears. “I like to write and illustrate fantasy stories,” said the 14-yearold incoming freshman at Wellington High School.

An abbreviation of “animation,” “anime” refers to Japanese animation and originated with the popular “manga,” the Japanese word for comics. For more information about Anime Fest, call the library at (561) 790-6070.

duction… It was a very complicated and time-consuming process that involved more people than we’ve had in the budget process before.”

For the fiscal year 2010, Merriman’s forecast is even more dire. The county will likely have to reduce the budget by $60 million to $100 million if the millage rate stays the same. He said he could not even begin to consider what a $100-million budget cut would be like — there would be huge hits to services and many county, and existing reserves will not be in place to help bridge the gap.

After the presentation, Santamaria and Merriman took questions from the audience. Several questions concerned the impact of the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office on the county budget. Speakers said they were worried about the fact that Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has asked for more money in difficult economic times. Santamaria said he understood their concerns, but sided with Bradshaw.

“We have to be safe at home and in the streets,” Santamaria said. “I feel they deserve every penny they get. We depend on

the PBSO and Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue to protect lives and homes. As long as they do their jobs, they deserve every penny they get.”

Indian Trail Improvement District President Mike Erickson and Supervisor Carol Jacobs expressed concerns about scaled-back county road projects in The Acreage, particularly in the light of the funds being funneled away for mass transit. Erickson said he feels his community bears too much of the cost. “I agree it should be funded, but let’s take it out on every road, and not just one road,” he said.

Merriman said mass transit needs a dedicated funding source. “Tri-Rail runs between Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties,” Merriman said. “Each of the counties gives it $7 million a year. The state matches it. If we can get the legislature to approve the dedicated funding source as a rental-car charge, that would work.”

Santamaria said that he would speak further with Erickson about the issues that he raised, but also told him to come to the next county commission meet-

ing and put the questions to County Engineer George Webb.

As he had in the past, Santamaria suggested again that The Acreage incorporate as its neighbor Loxahatchee Groves had.

“My advice is for you to take the bull by the horns and incor-

porate,” Santamaria said. “Wellington incorporated on the second try. Loxahatchee did too. The first year they were not able to get there. The second year they did. I would encourage you to do likewise. I hope in the next 24 months you will incorporate and run your own government.”

PHOTO BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Budget Talk — County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, Director of Financial Management & Budget Liz Bloeser and Assistant County Administrator Brad Merriman at Wednesday’s forum.

Ariana Hartwell, Gina Bartoletti and Jessi Bartoletti craft ears for the anime costumes as Ellen Parmar works on a mask.

Librarian trainee Amanda Bosky helps Lance Parmar find fabric for Snoopy ears.

Qiuning Huang adjusts a hair clip on Jessie Wang.

2008 Fair Housing Contest Winners Now On Display

The winning posters and essays of the 2008 Fair Housing Student Poster, Essay and DVD Contest are on display at public venues throughout Palm Beach County. For specific locations and dates of the displays, and to view the winning videos, visit www. pbcgov.com/equalopportunity. The exhibit will continue through Friday, Oct. 31.

The following winners were chosen out of more than 300 entries in all categories:

• Elementary School Poster — First place, Luis Flores of Diamond View Elementary School; second place, Seanna Harris of South Olive Elementary School; and third place, Amanda McConnell of Acreage Pines Elementary School.

• Middle School Poster First place, Delisa Johnson of Lantana Middle School; second place, Margaret Schuettler of Lantana Middle School; and third place, Emily McCord of Boca Raton Middle School.

• Middle School Essay First place, Thomas Coates of Wellington Landings Middle School; second place, Murphy Aucamp of Boca Raton Middle School; and third place, Sydney Polacek of Boca Raton Middle School.

• High School DVD/Video — First place, Melanie Kabinoff and Sebastian Jones of Park Vista High School; sec-

ond place: Brittany Johns and Justin Stephens of Park Vista High School; and third place, Audio & Video Students of the Northwood Youth Empowerment Center.

The Office of Economic Opportunity provides coordination of the four civil and human rights programs of Palm Beach County government. These programs include the Equal Employment Opportunity Program, Fair Housing Program, Handicap Accessibility Program and the Human Relations Camp, which provides programs to encourage interracial and intercultural understanding among high school students.

In April 2008, the Palm Beach County OEO in conjunction with the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches held their annual contest in celebration of April being Fair Housing Month. This year’s theme recognized the 40th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act of 1968 and was titled “40 years… Keeping the Dream of Fair Housing.”

The goal of the annual contest is to raise public awareness federal Fair Housing Law, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, familial status, disability, national origin and gender, and encourage fair housing opportunities for all citizens.

Veltri Graduates From Loyola

Gregory Veltri of Loxahatchee received a bachelor’s of science degree from the College of Humanities & Natural Science at Loyola University in New Orleans at its 97th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 10 in the Louisiana Superdome.

The university awarded 913 degrees. University President Kevin William Wildes Sr. presided over the ceremonies. Cathie Black, dubbed “First Lady of American Magazines,” addressed Loyola’s graduating class and received

an honorary doctorate in humane letters.

Other honorary degree recipients this year were community activist and champion of the New Orleans arts community Adelaide Wisdom Benjamin, principal guest conductor of the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra Klauspeter Seibel and the non-partisan, non-sectarian grassroots group Citizens For 1 Greater New Orleans, which is a driving force for positive change and renewal in New Orleans’ post-Katrina environment.

WELLINGTON JCC HOLDS FAMILY DAY POOL PARTY

www.jcconline.com.

Adrian Edward Jensen son of Claudia Michelle and Ross Jensen of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on June 17.

Colton Daniel Hannigan son of Cecilia and Greg Hannigan of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on June 23.

Lily Mariana McDow daughter of Laurie Lenz and Christopher McDow of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on June 26.

Aiden James Acosta — son of Holly Wilging and Jimmy Acosta of Royal Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on June 26.

Giancarlo Gianni Campo — son of Hilda Mercedes Campo of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on June 27.

Jacoby Anthony Pomarico

WHO’S NEW!

— son of Noemi Rodriguez and John Pomarico of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on June 27.

Madison Nichole Panczak — daughter of Jalynn Davis and Stephen Panczak Jr. of West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on June 30.

Alejandro Enrique Rionda — son of Jessica Edwards and Enrique Rionda of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on June 30.

Frederick John Merkle III — son of Margo and Frederick Merkle Jr. of Royal Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on June 30.

Sara Akif — daughter of Hanane and Adam Akif of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 1.

Grace Lee Bostwick and Holden William Bostwick

daughter and son of Kristina and Jarrett Bostwick of Wellington were born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 1. Olivia Wasielewski daughter of Angela Ayers and Jason Wasielewski of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 1.

Adrianna Gonzalez daughter of Erica Cano and Angel Gonzalez of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 2.

Cash Benjamin Paul Lisiecki — son of Amy and Michael Lisiecki of Loxahatchee was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 3.

Kaylyn Annabelle Ross daughter of Pamela and Robert Ross of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional

Aiden

West Palm Beach was born at Palms West Hospital on July 8.

Ethan Jack Turnipseed son of Catherine and Brian Turnipseed of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 8.

Maximillian Beckett Deiser — son of Ingrid and Peter Deiser of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 8. Logan Christopher Harsh — son of Alia and Christopher Harsh of Royal Palm Beach was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 9. Alexandra Leslie Kravecz — daughter of Erica and Michael Kravecz of Wellington was born at Wellington Regional Medical Center on July 9.

Medical Center on July 7.

Joseph Cheston son of Kristen Will and Anthony Cheston of

Cari Sukienik and Elizabeth Thal.

Laurie Chaplin and Sharon Lowenstein.

Jamie Shapiro and Bill Gralnick.

The Jacobson Family.

Not-So-Big Gerwig Engineering Firm Makes A Big Difference

Alan Gerwig & Associates is an 18-person civil and structural engineering firm in Wellington. Although the firm has experienced significant growth in its brief history, that isn’t unusual in the construction driven economy of South Florida. The unusual part of the story is the impact this small firm is having on the world.

Employee Wesley Dupere recently returned from an overseas mission trip. He just finished a 10-day trip to Cochabamba, Bolivia with First Baptist Church of Royal Palm Beach through Children’s International Network. However, this is not Dupere’s first mission experience. He previously lived and worked in China and led mission tours there for college students.

Firm founder Alan Gerwig has taken an interest in global aid through Engineering Ministries International (EMI). He went to Croix de Bouquet, Haiti to gather information on a design for a surgical center at Double Harvest Haiti. Gerwig and the design team provided the master plan and complete construction design documents for Double Harvest. Gerwig also

Weiss Named To Dean’s List

Brittany Weiss, a 2007 graduate of Wellington High School, was named to the dean’s list at Stetson University, located in DeLand, Fla., for the fall semester 2007 and the spring semester 2008.

Weiss is a sophomore majoring in communications studies. She is a member of Zeta Tau Alpha sorority and has also been inducted as a member of the Phi Alpha Delta pre-law society. She is the daughter of Alan and Cindy Weiss of Wellington.

Thompson On Law School

Dean’s

List

Aaron Joseph Thompson of Wellington was named to the dean’s list for the spring semester at Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law.

To qualify for the honor, a law student must have earned a min-

went to Monjas, Guatemala to provide similar services for an orphanage that serves young girls. He attends Lifechurch.tv in Wellington.

Engineer intern Curt Campbell has been with Alan Gerwig & Associates for more than three years — long enough to catch the missions bug. In 2007, Campbell went to Orosi, Costa Rica with an EMI team to master plan a church and retreat camp for Global Outreach Ministries. Although Campbell’s primary responsibility was for the civil design, the children of Orosi loved him because he played guitar and was high scorer in the soccer game. Robert Priolo is the missions champion of the firm and an EMI representative. He has gone on EMI trips to Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Ghana, Indonesia and Costa Rica. As Priolo likes to say, his passion is to mobilize design professionals to utilize their expertise on a mission with God in developing nations. Priolo attends First Baptist Church of Tequesta. Typically employees who return from trips show the photographs and a narration of the experience over lunch in the

imum 3.0 grade point average out of a possible 4.0 while attempting at least ten credit hours of coursework.

Malefatto On Dean’s List

Anna Malefatto of Wellington has been named to second honors on the Clark University dean’s list. This selection marks outstanding academic achievement during the spring 2008 semester. Malefatto, a member of Clark University’s Class of 2009, is studying communication and culture. She attended Wellington High School. To be eligible for second honors, students must have a grade point average of 3.5 or higher, of a maximum of 4.3.

Clark University is a private, co-educational liberal arts research university with 2,200 undergraduate and 800 graduate students. Since its founding in 1887 as the first all-graduate school in the United States, Clark has challenged conven-

conference room. This has led to more interest in this type of volunteer work and the excitement it generates. Alan Gerwig & Associates has a reputation for working with industrial, municipal, high-

tion with innovative programs such as the International Studies Stream and the accelerated BA/MA programs with the fifthyear tuition free for eligible students. The university, located in Worcester, Mass., is featured in Loren Pope’s book Colleges That Change Lives

Author To Visit Waldenbooks

Golf isn’t just for old people. That’s something 14-year-old Sam Parma, the protagonist in Tony Rosa’s golf story The Schoolboy eventually discovers. Rosa’s golfing experiences as a young boy served as the inspiration for the novel that Kirkus Discoveries said “imparts life lessons to a callow adolescent in this winsome coming-of-age fable... a fresh, subtle take on timeless verities for young readers.”

“Books about golf are popular in South Florida and books that hold the interest of boys are hard to find,” said Janis Torzil-

er education and commercial clients. The firm is celebrating its tenth anniversary in 2008. For more info., call (561) 792-9000 or visit www.aga-engineering. com. Information about EMI is available at www.emiusa.org.

lo, sales manager at Waldenbooks in the Mall at Wellington Green.

The wholesome tale follows young Sam, who faces a series of daunting challenges after being urged by his mother to play in a junior golf tournament. Sam is dropped off at the municipal golf course with a hodgepodge set of clubs, limited skills and the added responsibility of looking after his younger brother.

Once called to the first tee, he meets three playing partners: a well-equipped rich kid, a profanity-spraying cheater and an oversized neighborhood bully. Getting to the first tee is the easy part for Sam. Making it past unexpected obstacles, facing up to conflicts and conquering fears are part of the challenges he meets in a lifetime of experiences in The Schoolboy

“You don’t have to be a golfer to enjoy The Schoolboy,” Torzillo said. “The unique writing style will encourage reluctant readers to turn the pages and nostalgic adults will

recall fond memories.”

Rosa will appear at the Waldenbooks in the Mall at Wellington Green on Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m. to discuss the novel and sign copies. The store is located at Suite 248, on the second floor of the mall.

The Schoolboy was published in March 2008 and has a retail price of $9.95. Autographed copies are available now at Waldenbooks or can be purchased during the book-signing event with a personalized signature.

OBITUARY

Former Wellington Resident Rose W. Tode Dies At Age 92

Rose W. Tode, 92, of Green Cove Springs, Fla. passed away Sunday, July 13. Mrs. Tode was born on Feb. 23, 1916 in Chicago, Ill. She was a homemaker and had lived in Green Cove Springs for the past nine months, having moved there from Wellington. She was of the Methodist faith and enjoyed golfing. Mrs. Tode was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin W. Tode Sr., and is survived by children Melvin W. Tode Jr., Janyce Bixler and

Larry Tode; one grandchild and two great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, it is requested that donations be made in her name to the Donna Hicken Foundation, 1015 Atlantic Blvd., Suite 144, Atlantic Beach, FL 32233. Guests may sign the family’s online register book at www.broadusraines.com. Cremation arrangements are under the care of Broadus-Raines Funeral Home, 501 Spring Street, Green Cove Springs, (904) 2844000.

Guitar-playing intern Curt Campbell went on a missionary trip to Orosi, Costa Rica to design the master plan for a church.

Robert Priolo has gone on EMI trips to Guatemala, Haiti, Honduras, Ghana, Indonesia and Costa Rica.

Area Students Join ‘Club Sandwich’ To Feed Those In Need

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

This is no ordinary club sandwich. Teens at Wellington Presbyterian Church literally belong to Club Sandwich.

Every Tuesday since summer vacation began, up to 32 kids choose to wake up early, arriving at the church by 8 a.m. Once there, they form an assembly line, packing approximately 90 lunch bags, each filled with a sandwich, freshly-cut vegetables, a bag of chips, a bag of cookies and a banana.

With full bins, the group travels to Calvary United Methodist Church in downtown Lake Worth to distribute the lunches and ice-cold Gatorade. Recipients may be homeless, day laborers or the working poor who just need a little help. But lunch isn’t all they get. The group hands out new and used clothing, and visits with those who want some company while they eat.

“We’ve developed a lot of

meaningful relationships,” said summer youth intern Amanda Aust, a nursing student at Indiana’s Valparaiso University. “We met a woman named Heidi at one of the local parks and asked her what would be a helpful way to serve people like her. Every week she comes faithfully, gives me a hug, thanks us for what we’re doing, and we talk about her struggles.”

Eleven-year-old Rachel Hammaker, a sixth grader at Wellington Christian School, said it makes her feel good to help people.

“I get to meet new people, and when they ask what I believe in, I can tell them what Jesus did for me,” Hammaker said. “It makes me feel like I’m doing something for God.”

One regular customer is about 14 years old by Amy LittleJohn’s estimate. Only 11 herself and a seventh grader at WCS, LittleJohn said the boy dropped out of school, flew here and has no money, no family and no job.

“So he’s just hanging around,” LittleJohn said. “He’s not really open to questions, so I just listen to what he has to say.”

Adult volunteer Debbie LittleJohn, Amy’s mom, recalled that after lunches ran out especially fast this week, a late-comer said to her, “and they say there’s no homeless problem in Palm Beach County.”

LittleJohn took the comment seriously. “It’s definitely something living in Wellington that I never see,” said LittleJohn, a teacher at Binks Forest Elementary School. “I was aware of the problem, but not that it was to this extent in Palm Beach County, that there were this many homeless people or people at the poverty line.”

Still, the young missionaries of Club Sandwich return home light-hearted and determined to pray for those they’ve met. Aust said the analogy that helps keep her spirits up and hopeful is that of a boy by the ocean surrounded by thousands of beached star-

fish. He throws them back into the ocean one by one. A man asks why he bothers at all when he’ll never be able to help all of them. The boy answered, tossing back another starfish, “I helped that one.”

“It costs us less than $1 to feed each person every week,” Aust said. “It’s hard to see that they can’t always get out of their situation, but you have to realize that one thing can make a difference.”

Club Sandwich welcomes used or new clothing, and especially needs shirts and socks for adults. The club also gives away non-perishable food items to the needy. Donated items may be dropped off at the church office at 1000 Wellington Trace.

To donate money toward Club Sandwich’s efforts, make checks payable to Wellington Presbyterian Church with “Club Sandwich” written on the memo line. For more information, call the church office at (561) 7931007.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Student and adult volunteers gather for a group photo.

David Baldeo, Ellen Parmar and Rachael Satalino assemble sandwiches.

Kathryn gentry and Sarah Baldeo assemble sandwiches.

Lance Darmar and William Klarich package cookies.

Amy LittleJohn and Rachel Hammaker package chips.

COMMUNIT Y CALENDAR

Saturday, July 19

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will lead a leisurely walk on Saturday, July 19 at 7:30 a.m. at the Okeeheelee Nature Center (7715 Forest Hill Blvd.). Come see what kind of wildlife will be on hand. Admission is free. For more info, call Daisy at (561) 439-5780.

• The Women Against Abuse Foundation will hold a community yard sale Saturday and Sunday, July 19 and 20 at 61 Sparrow Drive, across from Crestwood Middle School in Royal Palm Beach from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. both days. WAAF was founded in August 2007 to protect and empower women to become successful by fostering better futures for families. For more info., call Leila St. Jean at (561) 584-3842.

• A Fruit Tree Sale sponsored by the Rare Fruit Council will be held at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.) in the AgriPlex on Saturday, July 19 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Call (561) 793-0333 for more info.

• Wild Orchids Cafe at Royal Palm Beach’s Veterans Park will host Fun Day on Saturday, July 19. From 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., guests will enjoy a variety of activities. A portion of the proceeds will go to Take Stock in Children. For more info., call (561) 252-8633.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will present “The Healing Touch of Gardening” for adults on Saturday, July 19 at 1 p.m. Kim Daughtry from Hospice of Palm Beach County will discuss therapeutic gardening. A plant will be provided. To preregister, call (561) 790-6030. Sunday, July 20

• The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will lead a bird walk on Saturday, July 20 in the Green Cay Wetlands on Hagen Ranch Road. Hikers will meet at the entrance to the nature center at 7 a.m. Admission is free. For more info., call Sherry at (561) 963-9906.

• Congregation B’nai Avraham in Wellington invites the community to attend Family Softball in the Groves. Join the co-ed softball team Avi’s Avengers on Sunday, July 20 at 10 a.m. for a family softball outing at Loxahatchee Groves Park on Southern Blvd. For more info., call the synagogue office at (561) 793-4347 or email info@congregationbnai avraham.com.

• On Sunday, July 20, Wild Orchids Cafe in Royal Palm Beach’s Veterans Park will host Gospel Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The event will feature live performances, a DJ and an open mike. All performers must register beforehand. For info., call (561) 252-8633. Monday, July 21

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will continue Summer Story Times for ages nine months to five years Mondays through Aug. 1. Call (561) 790-6030 for more info.

• Jason Pitman, head basketball coach at Seminole Ridge High School, will host a Summer Basketball Camp July 21-24. For complete information, visit the SRHS Edline page to register, print and mail the online registration, or call Pitman at (561) 422-2603.

• The Royal Playhouse will present its summer children’s production of Artie Monday, July 21 through Thursday, July 24 at the Royal Palm Beach High School auditorium. The show will take place at 11 a.m. each day. Tickets can be purchased at the door any morning of the show for $5. For more info., call the Royal Playhouse at (561) 301-5404.

• The Wellington branch of the Jewish Community Center of the Greater Palm Beaches is hosting a series of music and movement/arts and crafts sessions for children ages three to five. The sessions will take place July 21 and Aug. 1, 4, 8 and 11 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $100 for the five sessions. Classes will begin with high-energy movement and music, and finish with hands-on experiences. For more info., call (561) 2536030.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will present “Around the World in Eight Weeks” for ages six and up on Mondays at 2 p.m. Library staffers use stories, music and crafts to travel to a different area of the world each week. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6030.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Creative Writing: Poetry” for ages eight and up on Mondays at 3 p.m. Classes focus on turning great ideas in your head into poems. To pre-

register for the event, call (561) 790-6070. Tuesday, July 22

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Craft Club: Puppets” for ages nine through 12 on Tuesday, July 22 at 3 p.m. Explore the world of puppets: finger puppets, stick puppets and glove puppets, and make some to take home. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Life Is a Box of Crayons” for adults on Tuesday, July 22 at 6:30 p.m. Kim Daughtry of Hospice asks, “what color are you?” The idea is that when we understand that we are all shades of each others’ crayons, we can better live together in harmony. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

• The Wellington Village Council will meet on Tuesday, July 22 at 7 p.m. at the Wellington Community Center. For info., call (561) 791-4000.

Wednesday, July 23

• The Wellington Chamber of Commerce will host a Debate on Offshore Drilling at its member luncheon on Wednesday, July 23 at noon at Binks Forest Golf Club (400 Binks Forest Dr., Wellington). Speaking in favor of Florida offshore drilling will be Adam Guillette, state director of Florida Americans for Prosperity. Speaking against offshore drilling will be Ericka D’Avanzo, Florida regional manager of the Surfrider Foundation. The cost is $15 for members with reservations, $20 for members at the door and $25 for non-members. RSVP to (561) 7926525.

Thursday, July 24

• Learn more about the Beautiful Wellington Grant Program at a mandatory preapplication informational meeting on Thursday, July 24 at 6 p.m. at the Village Meeting Hall, 14000 Greenbriar Blvd. For more info., call Sara Hauser or Susan McCown at (561) 791-4003.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present Teen Game Night for ages 12 through 17 on Thursday, July 24 at 6:30 p.m. Join library staff for Dance Dance Revolution, Guitar Hero and snacks. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

Friday, July 25

• The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host “Breakfast with the Executive Director” on Friday, July 25 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Palms West Chamber building (13901 Southern Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves). For more info., call (561) 790-6200 or visit the chamber’s web site at www. palmswest.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Friday’s Family Fun Faves: The Three Caballeros” on Friday, July 25 at 2 p.m. Donald Duck will receive a package full of birthday presents from his Latin-American friends. Call (561) 790-6070 for more info. Saturday, July 26

• Local anglers are gearing up for the Ninth Annual Horizons Fishing Tournament on Saturday, July 26. The tournament benefits Hospice of Palm Beach County’s John J. Brogan Horizons Bereavement Center’s children’s programs. To register, call (561) 494-6884 or visit www.spectrumhealth carefoundation.org.

• The 18th Annual Gigantic Garage Sale will be held at the South Florida Fairgrounds (9067 Southern Blvd.) on Saturday, July 26 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Expo East and West. Booth space is still available. Admission is $2. Call (561) 793-0333 for more info.

• The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will present Geddy the Gecko for grades pre-kindergarten and up on Saturday, July 26 at 10:30 a.m. Geddy teaches multicultural dances from around the world. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6030. Geddy will appear at the Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) at 2 p.m. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

• The Wellington Aquatic Complex (12165 West Forest Hill Blvd.) will show the movie Cast Away at Dive-In Movie Night on Saturday, July 26. The entrance fee to the pool is $5 per person or $15 for a family of four. The movie begins at 8 p.m. Spectators are urged to bring floats or noodles to relax on while viewing the movie. For more info., call the Aquatic Complex at (561) 753-2484, ext. 2836. Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@gotown crier.com.

PZA Board Time To Redevelop?

continued from page 1 close to build-out. I do think we need some changes along the Forest Hill corridor. It does need to be spruced up and have a different appearance to it.”

PZA Board Member Eugene Difonte said the time is right for a redevelopment proposal, given the slow economy. “This is very good timing,” Difonte said. “You are thinking long-term. We should be thinking long-term. I laud you for looking long-term and having the vision to do this. We are there to support you.”

But Difonte also suggested the village address the state of its thoroughfares and arterial roads as well as revitalizing core areas of Wellington. “They look horrible,” he said. “I walk a lot and ride a lot. I live on Big Blue Trace. I can show you that every property has a different

LGWCD Interlocal Agreements

continued from page 10 Loxahatchee Groves for many years to come.”

This proposed arrangement with the town would appear to resolve an increasingly acrimonious dispute between the town and the district regarding the use of the town’s share of gas tax revenues collected by the county. As a municipality the town is entitled to the revenue, but the district, as the local road maintenance authority, has unsuccessfully sought assurances via an interlocal agreement that the money would be put at its disposal.

Saunier said he and other officials from the district and the town met to discuss the issue last weekend. “I arranged with town staff for a joint meeting with our mayor and our chairman, and the town manager and the town clerk and myself to discuss this proposal.”

Saunier said the discussion was very cordial and productive, with the possibility of regular coordinating sessions in the offing. “We walked away from the meeting with a positive outlook and a commitment to communicate with each other on a regular basis,” he said, “not just the chairman and the mayor, but with staff monthly, or perhaps even weekly, which is very hopeful and encouraging, certainly in light of all the misunderstandings and miscommunication that has taken place over the last several months. It’s a

Chamber Forum For Candidates

continued from page 5 right as a citizen. If they can’t have that, you basically have disarmed them from sunup to sundown, to and from work.”

Moving to State House District 83, a northern Palm Beach County district including much of The Acreage, incumbent Domino said he is a businessman, and like the chamber members gathered in the audience, he has many pleasant dealings as a business owner, along with the down side of having to fire people and cut payrolls in difficult times. “That’s why we need to have business people in the legislature,” Domino said.

Domino said he was very supportive of the Scripps Research Institute initiative and he looks forward to that agency opening its new building in the near future. Domino said that when he ran for office the first time, Florida had an economy that tended toward things that were cyclical, like agriculture and tourism. “We need the fourth leg of the stool,” Domino said, “and that means high-paying jobs.”

Domino added that he fought hard for the recently passed property tax reform including homestead portability so people are not locked in their homes. Ford, who nearly unseated Domino in 2006, said he believes the residents of Palm Beach County and Florida would have been better served if the legislature did not spend as much time talking about what he considers inconsequential issues, such appendages dangling from the rear of trucks and saggy pants. While Domino had praised improvements in education in Palm Beach County, Ford said Florida’s education system overall is still in need of fixing. “The graduation rate is 50th in the nation,” Ford said. “We are last in the nation in per-capita spending for our children. The legis-

hedge material. Some have several fences.”

Bowen said the village might face some battles in getting everyone on the same page regarding road appearances. “If you talk about Big Blue and Wellington Trace, their appearance is deplorable,” he said. “Forest Hill Blvd. is deplorable. We have never really done anything in that area. I have talked to [Village Manager Paul Schofield] about it. We may need to go to battle with some of the folks living along the roads and clean them up.”

But Bowen also said he wants to explore ways of making Wellington a more self-sustaining community that offers more employment opportunities for residents.

“We are not a bedroom community,” he said. “We will never be again. The horse is out of the barn. The only way it’s going to be sustainable is to bring more jobs. It’s one of the few opportunities to create addition-

very positive step forward.”

Coordination between the district and the town might allow the district to carry out work via project-specific agreements, Saunier said.

“If there is sufficient funding, and the council would agree with it, and you as a board would agree with it, we would not have to postpone the road and canal projects,” he said. “If sufficient funds for the general maintenance obligations could be freed up, then maybe some of the funds would be spent on not delaying the canal maintenance projects. That remains to be seen.”

LGWCD Vice Chair Don Widing complimented Saunier on the hard work he and district staff had undertaken on the budget. “I certainly want to compliment you on the work you have done on this,” Widing said. “You have presented several different budget packages to us, and you have been responsive to the board in the current economic crisis. I think that the residents will recognize the hard work you and the staff have done.”

Saunier said that he had challenged his staff to come up with cost-saving methods. “They are working day to day in their routine,” he said. “They have come back with ways to save money.”

Supervisor John Ryan also thanked Saunier for his work on the budget, and along with town and district representatives for getting beyond the gas tax impasse. “You have fine-tuned almost everything,” Ryan said. “That is a very positive thing. It

lature balanced the budget by taking money away from education. My goal is to be a legislator who listens to his constituents and who comes and meets with them. We run a grassroots campaign. We don’t flood you with mailers that you throw in the trash. We ask you to come and meet with us and find out what your concerns are.” Miller, the other Democrat vying for Seat 83, commended Aronberg for voting against the guns-to-work bill. “This is one of the most anti-business laws,” Miller said. “I want to commend the Florida Chamber of Commerce and the retail federation for opposing this. It is not only a threat to public safety, it is an outrageous infringement on private property rights.” Next up were Abruzzo and Coates, both seeking to represent the Wellington-based State House District 85. Abruzzo spoke about his service to the community working as a port security specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard. “I’m a representative who understands security,” Abruzzo said. “I plan to work as hard as I can to make sure that Florida is safe. I am running for office because I live in this state, and it has given me so many opportunities to make a difference. I understand that you want a representative who will look to the future and bring change to Tallahassee.”

al revenue. We have to create some things that will bring tax dollars. If you make it more sustaining, you won’t have people driving out of the community to go to work.”

Board Member Craig Bachove said it is important to keep the community involved, whatever happens. “Everyone needs to have the proper input into this,” he said. “It’s going to be a difficult process.”

Priore said that if further tax reforms are introduced in Florida, municipalities that are overwhelmingly residential might collapse. “The more industry you have, the less demands on our schools,” he said. “We have no other choice. We are evolving. We have to find a way to self-sustain ourselves.”

Councilman Bob Margolis said he moved to Wellington because of its bedroom-community ambiance, and many people don’t want to let that go. “That is what makes Wellington Wellington,” he said. “I know

reflects a lot of thought on your part, and the contributions of your staff are wonderful. We can live with this budget and without an assessment increase.”

Widing made a motion to approve the resolution adopting the budget and the non ad valorem assessment roll, which was seconded by Ryan. It passed unanimously.

In other business, the supervisors approved a resolution in support of an effort to require young equestrians to wear helmets while riding in public places.

State legislators tried but failed this year to win passage of the “Nicole Hornstein Act,” which would require riders under the age of 16 to wear a helmet when using public trails and roads, but supporters of the bill vow to try again.

The bill is named after a 12year-old Acreage girl who died two years ago as the result of a horse-riding accident. The Indian Trail Improvement District has approved a similar demonstration of support, while Wellington passed an ordinance making helmets mandatory for young riders in the village.

Widing made a motion to adopt the resolution, which was seconded by Ryan. It passed unanimously.

Also Monday, the board named its officers for the year, with David DeMarois serving a third year as chair, Widing a third year as vice chair, Ryan resuming his position as secretary/treasurer for a second year and Supervisor Robert Snowball a third year as deputy secretary/treasurer.

Coates said he decided to run because people asked him to. “I spoke with a lot of people in Palm Beach County and especially in Wellington and they kept telling me to run because they felt I could make a difference,” said Coates, who recently lost a bid for Wellington Village Council. “We are in a perfect storm for our business community. We are in a real estate collapse. There is the mortgage meltdown. The gas prices are threatening to push us not only into a recession but into a longterm depression. You will have to have people get past the partisanship and roll up their sleeves and do the right thing.”

Coates said he opposes offshore oil drilling because the federal government has not investigated other options. “We have to push for renewable energy resources,” Coates said. “We cannot rely on the federal government to do that. We have to take measures to incentivize solar and wind, and even do research on using the Gulf Stream.”

Next month’s Palms West Chamber of Commerce luncheon is scheduled to feature candidates for property appraiser, supervisor of elections, sheriff and judgeships. It is set for Monday, Aug. 11 at 11:45 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center. For more information, call (561) 790-6200.

we are facing tough economic times. I am very excited about the opportunity to redefine Wellington. My biggest concern is redesigning it in a way we don’t want.”

In other business, the PZA Board decided to delay a recommendation on an application to amend a master plan for an equestrian-oriented housing development in southern Wellington, pending a recommendation from the Equestrian Committee. The Equestrian Committee was scheduled to review the request the previous evening but was not able to assemble a quorum.

Developer Mark Bellissimo’s

RPB Council Magazine Honors RPB

continued from page 1 Family Circle magazine (see related story, page 4).

“This is an award for our community, not for any individual,” Lodwick said. “It has taken years of good village councils, excellent management and citizens who volunteer their time and energy to make this a better place to live.”

Pinto said he was pleased by the recognition. “Every citizen can be proud,” he said. “This shows what a great place Royal Palm Beach is to raise a family.”

• Mattioli reported that he had spoken with County Commissioner Jess Santamaria and had been told that six out of the seven members of the Palm Beach County Commission support fully funding and building the Roebuck Road extension.

Mattioli also reported that the Palm Beach County School District had still not put a new elementary school for the village in its fiscal year 2009 budget.

“They told me that because of

ALA Acreage Incorp?

continued from page 8 Board of Supervisors attended the meeting. ITID President Mike Erickson asked how the owners plan to guarantee that none of the other land they own along Northlake Blvd. is developed. Lelonek said his clients are willing to deed-restrict those properties.

In other business, Erickson and ITID Supervisor Michelle Damone urged the ALA to consider leading the charge for municipal incorporation, saying The Acreage has long gotten a raw deal from the county for the amount of taxes paid.

“The county commissioners have taken the widening of Seminole Pratt Whitney between 60th Street and the high school out of the five-year budget,” he said. “They’re also cutting off funds for almost all the road projects out here. But they have no trouble in making sure we pay taxes, none of

company Far Niente Stables is seeking permission to reduce the number of dwelling units on the southern 83 acres of its 600-acre Grand Prix Acres subdivision from 64 units to 36, and to schedule development in two phases, the first on a 21-acre parcel and the second on a 62acre parcel. The property, located on the north side of 40th Street South about 1.5 miles west of South Shore Blvd., has been the site of the Littlewood Farms equestrian show grounds since 1998.

all the budget cuts, they moved a lot of 2008 budget items to 2009, saying they were at the top of the list,” he said. “A school for the village was not on the list at all.”

• Susan Chapman of the Solid Waste Authority presented the village with an award in recognition of the excellence the village has shown in recycling.

Former committee chairwoman Cynthia Gardner told the board that plans for the first phase would ultimately result in a development out of place for the area.

“With regard to the 21-acre piece, by the time you take out roads and drainage you will have a very small land area,” she said. “You will end up with condos and town homes on lots on a very small home site that is not compatible with the equestrian neighborhood.”

The Equestrian Committee is scheduled to review the application at its Aug. 13 meeting.

Current and former members of the Equestrian Committee raised questions about the development’s impact on area roads and whether previously approved zoning was still in effect.

• The council approved a preliminary tax rate of 1.97 mills for fiscal year 2009, a drop of .04 mills from the rate of fiscal year 2008. The council will approve the final millage rate and budget at public hearings to be held in the Village Meeting Hall on Sept. 4 and 18. • Lodwick noted that the council would not meet during the first week of August, as has been the village’s custom. The next regular meeting will be Thursday, Aug. 21.

which ever seem to come back to us.”

Erickson said the levels of service provided by the county for The Acreage are shameful.

“Take a look at how many deputies patrol Wellington and Royal Palm Beach and then look at how few are here,” he said.

“Take a look at how many fire houses are in the other two communities compared to only one actually in The Acreage. We still don’t have a library.”

Erickson said that while the Palm Beach County Commission makes decisions for The Acreage, residents only get to vote for one out of seven county commissioners.

“Because we are not incorporated, they get to take all the sales tax we pay, give us no money from gas taxes or municipal incorporation fees,” he said.

“We officially get money back from impact fees, but they really just go to the whole area here. Our money has paid for a lot of improvements in Wellington, Royal Palm Beach and way out west. We get nothing.”

‘The county commissioners have taken the widening of Seminole Pratt Whitney between 60th Street and the high school out of the five-year budget. They’re also cutting off funds for almost all road projects out here. But they have no trouble in making sure we pay taxes.’

— ITID President Mike Erickson

Port Contested Races

continued from page 7 ty owners in 33 years,” he said. “We’re self-supporting. We don’t tax, and we’re proud of that.”

He also points with pride to the $34 million, half-mile Skypass Bridge over the port area, which took less than a year to build, he said. “The genius of it is that prior to 9/11 people on U.S. 1 had to drive through the port,’ he said. “We put in a new office and terminal and enlarged Slip No. 1. Now we have three slips.”

Mastics said the port is now working on the southernmost Slip 3 to make it bigger and deeper to accommodate larger vessels. There is also a plan in place for an access road so trucks can come in off State Road 710 more easily. Meanwhile, a new $10 million warehouse is almost finished, he said.

Mastics noted that a conference Tuesday discussed plans for an inland inter-modal port complex of about 5,000 acres that will involve residents of Pahokee, South Bay and the Glades — a plant that Mastics

said is perfect in light of the South Florida Water Management District making an effort to acquire thousands of acres of land currently used for growing sugar cane. The project would include 55 miles of railroad track and possibly incorporate land connections to Port Manatee in Tampa as well as other ports, he said.

Mastics said it is an exciting time to be at the port, despite the increased economic challenges posed by federal security requirements, which he characterized as an unfunded mandate.

Mastics’ challenger Bantel is an electrician by trade and became interested in port operations because of his knowledge of and work with maritime navigation systems.

Bantel, who unsuccessfully ran for the West Palm Beach City Commission last year, said he is concerned about local people getting jobs at the port and feels some of the laborers are not fully documented, possibly creating a dangerous situation on the work site because they are afraid to refuse to perform tasks that might be considered dangerous.

Bantel said he is troubled that the port commissioners all have full-time jobs and do not put in

Damone said the ALA would be the appropriate organization to lead an incorporation effort, not officials already elected to another governing body. “We need some way to get control over our lives,” she said, noting that County Commissioner Jess Santamaria had told her he would support an incorporation effort.

ALA President Winston Crosbie promised to discuss the possibility of creating a pro-incorporation committee at the next ALA meeting. Also Tuesday, Damone announced that half of the ITID’s workers are being trained in the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office FLEET program. All of the district’s workers will be trained to look for possible criminal acts or other problems while they are out working. “They give us more trained eyes on the street,” she said. Damone is promoting a Neighborhood Watch Program as well as recruiting more volunteers for the PBSO’s Citizen Observer Patrol program, both on horseback and in cars. The next ALA meeting on Tuesday, Aug. 19 at 7 p.m. will be a candidate’s forum. All political candidates seeking to represent people in The Acreage on a local, state or federal level interested in speaking should call Crosbie at (561) 628-7803 to arrange speaking time. Nominations for the ALA board’s September election will also be accepted at that meeting.

the time that should be devoted to board work. Because of their jobs, commissioners sometimes have trouble agreeing on a meeting date, he said.

“The Port of Palm Beach is unable to report a correct meeting date. You have to call and find out,” he said. “They try for the third Thursday, but they haven’t met that mark in months.”

The state transportation and inland port system that has been proposed is nothing more than talk, Bantel said.

“They’ve talked about that since 1982, and they are still talking,” he said. “They don’t have a location for the inland port. That’s still up in the air.” He said another troublesome development is that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has indicated it may no longer dredge the port because of budget cuts, which would further limit the number of vessels that could use the port. Maintaining the inlet and waterways is a part of the port’s duty, Bantel said. None of the sitting commissioners own a yacht, which he feels limits their understanding of the industry. “It seems like they are oblivious to the waterfront needs they control,” Bantel said.

District 27 Race — State Sen. Dave Aronberg (left) and his challenger Matt Caldwell (right).

Service Awards — At Thursday’s meeting, Royal Palm Beach Mayor David Lodwick presented a 20-year service award to Frank Reed and a 15-year service award to Lonnie Gannett. Both work in the village’s Public Works Department.

PHOTO BY LEONARD

Wellington Wednesdays Series At Mall A Popular Summer Diversion

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

The smooth and sultry sounds of jazz music filled the Mall at Wellington Green’s Grand Court on Wednesday, July 9 for Jazz Night, part of the mall’s Wellington Wednesdays series. Thunderous applause rose from a full house of spectators watching from the first and second floors as they cheered dancers from the Palms Ballroom in Royal Palm Beach.

Fifteen-year-old Maria Paula Rey, a student at Wellington Christian School, danced the tango with her instructor Sixto Valentin. “Dancing has been my passion,” Rey said. “I always watch dancing shows on television, and it’s all so elegant. I love it.”

Ballroom student Marcia Scollosy, who began lessons last month, watched intently from the sidelines with her husband George. “I’m not a student because I have two left feet,” George said, “but I love watching it. I’m envious.”

The band Ron Fatteruso and the Fab

Four played before and after the dance exhibition. Some folks swayed on the sidelines while others took to the dance floor, providing added entertainment.

West Palm Beach couple Clarence and Alice Stern said they have come to the mall every Wednesday in July for the special events. “We love to dance,” Alice beamed.

Wellington Christian School sophomore Heidi Stimely agreed. “The concert brought me here. My dad’s a big jazz fan, so I grew up with it,” she said, not missing a beat while dancing with her boyfriend Martin Sigala.

Ron Fatteruso and the Fab Four hail from Broward and Palm Beach counties and feature John Bauer on guitars and vocals, Marty Roker on keyboard, Brian Horta on drums and Zoltan Bron on trumpet. Heard on WLVE 93.9 FM Love 94, the band has a CD slated to be released soon. “Some of us have been playing in a band together since we were nine,” said Fatteruso, who plays

a variety of saxophones.

Presented by Devonshire at Wellington Green, Wellington Wednesdays includes wine-tasting by PRP Wine International and food-sampling provided by mall restaurants and coffee shops. Shoppers can also register for a $1,000 shopping spree; the winner’s name will be drawn on July 23.

“During the summer season, people are staying closer to home, so we wanted to provide some entertainment for them and any visitors looking for something to do on a weeknight,” Mall at Wellington Green Marketing Director Rachelle Crain said. “We’re really trying to focus on the community and draw in our partners in the community.”

Salsa Night, the final event for Wellington Wednesdays, will take place July 23 from 6 to 8 p.m. and will feature a three-piece Latin dance band as well as salsa dancers from the Palms Ballroom. For more information, visit www.shopwellingtongreen.com.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Heidi Stimely and Martin Sigala.

Clarence and Alice Stern.

Marty Roker on keyboards.

Ron Fatteruso on saxophone.

Zoltan Bron plays the trumpet.

Palms Ballroom instructor Sixto Valentin and student Maria Paula Rey.

Jonah Callahan tangos with Bianca Munoz.

Royal Palm Rotary Installs 2008-2009 Officers

The Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club held its annual installation dinner for 2008-09 on Saturday, June 30 in the clubhouse at the Links at Madison Green.

The meeting began with the Pledge of Allegiance, followed by the Rotary Blessing and the Rotary Four-Way Test. Immediate Past President Tony Endler welcomed the Rotarians, along with local scholarship winners and their families to the event.

Rotary Club member Samuel Seymore was awarded a Perfect Attendance certificate for his amazing 24 years of perfect attendance to Rotary meetings.

Roland Amateis was also awarded a Perfect Attendance certificate for his remarkable 16 years of perfect attendance. Both exemplify the meaning of Rotary’s motto “Service Above Self.”

Scholarships were awarded to Shawana Carter, Vitaliy Kits and Zaki Moustafa for their success in their high school endeavors. These hard-working students have bright futures ahead of them as they proceed to their college careers. Their proud families beamed as the students accepted their scholarships and certificates of achievement.

Former Wellington mayor Tom Wenham performed the installation of the officers. RPB

Rotary officers for 2008-09 include: President Scott Armand, President-Elect Keith Jordano, Vice President Eric Gordon, Secretary Roland Amateis, Treasurer Terri Wescott and Sergeant at Arms Eric Coleman. Armand gave a brief speech regarding the Rotary theme for this year, “Make Dreams Real,” as well as his goal to bring to-

gether Rotary clubs from Royal Palm Beach, Wellington, Belle Glade, Pahokee and The Acreage for numerous community events. Some of the events discussed are a glow ball golf tournament, a pancake breakfast, community barbecue and a poker tournament to bring awareness to child mortality in the community and throughout the world.

In his speech, Armand spoke of his dream to bring the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club to the forefront of the western communities, and his hope that all Rotarians in the club remain enthusiastic and highly involved in Rotary’s activities. He wished his fellow officers and members well, and thanked them for their participation. Armand’s remarks were followed by music for the remain-

der of the evening, provided by Rotarian Tony Armour.

Rotary International is one of the world’s largest and oldest service club organizations, with 1.2 million members worldwide. For 104 years, Rotarians have dedicated themselves to the Rotary motto “Service Above Self.” They volunteer their time and talents by providing humanitarian service and relief, encouraging the highest ethical standards in business professions, and building peace and goodwill throughout the world.

Anyone interested in joining the Royal Palm Beach Rotary Club should call Scott Armand at (561) 793-3700. Meetings are held Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m. at Hilary’s restaurant at 630 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. in Royal Plaza.

Wednesday night’s wine dinners are very special! Summertime dining in the Palm Beaches has always been our favorite time of the year.

Consumers are looking for bargains and restaurants are looking for patrons… what a perfect time to venture out!

Café Boulud, located in the Brazilian Court Hotel at 301 Australian Ave., Palm Beach, has always been our favorite place to enjoy the most extraordinary wine parings of top shelf wines and gourmet food from around the world. Combine this with one of the best restaurants, in one of the most beautiful dining rooms, located in one of the best hotels in Palm Beach, all this for only $75... we love summer dining!

Summertime at Café Boulud officially started June 18 with a fantastic four-course tasting menu paired with four regional wines from Chile. We started with Pescatore Crudo, featuring hamachi, fluke and diver scallops paired with a Terrunyo, Sauvignon Blanc, Casablanca Valley 2006, Santiago, Chile. Taste: Fresh flavors like honeysuckle ($28/ bottle). Second Course: Handmade Beef Ravioli, divine, melt in your mouth, served with a delightful red wine sauce with pearl onions, button mushrooms and pancetta from Salumeria Biellese. It proved to be our favorite dish of the evening, superbly paired with our favorite wine of the night, Carmin De Peumo, Cachapoal Valley, Chile 2003. Taste: well-structured, full bodied, fruity bas, hints of bitter chocolate with violet hues ($150/bottle). Our entrée was a slowroasted leg of Colorado lamb served with spiced rutabaga risotto and escarole braised with black currants. It was a wonderful combination paired with the organic wine of the evening: Emiliana GE, Colchagua Valley, Chile, 2003. Taste: rich fruit and velvety tannins, elegant structure, lush

with a long persistent finish ($100/bottle). For dessert was honeyroasted peach, almond sable, crème fraiche mousse and white peach sorbet… perfectly paired with Concha Y Toro, a late harvest Sauvignon Blanc, Maule Valley, Chile 2004. Taste: wonderful, soft and sweet, fruity, with rich honey ($20/half bottle). We would also like to acknowledge the culinary talents of Chef de Cuisine Zach Bell, Chef Patissier Matthew Peterson and their staff for the delicious food and artful presentations… it was marvelous! Café Boulud Sommelier Jenny Benzie has a laid-back approach to enjoying wine with a new casual summer menu. On BYOB Mondays, bring your favorite wine on any Monday night now through September and pay no corkage fee/ Friday nights are Rose Fridays; enjoy a refreshing glass or two of rose wine for just $5 while you enjoy the music of Bobby Pruitt 9 p.m. to midnight. And don’t forget, every Saturday night DJ Jean Marc spins your favorites from 10 p.m. to midnight. We urge all wine connoisseurs and everyone who absolutely enjoys great food and great wines to mark your calendars for Café Boulud’s Amazing $75 Wines of the World Tour this summer — July 23: Sizzling Spanish Sensations; Aug. 20: The Prestige of French Bordeaux; Sept. 24: our favorite… a taste of Tuscany and Chianti; and Oct. 15: Schug Carneros Estate of Sonoma. This is an event not to be missed! For further information, call Café Boulud at (561) 655-6060 and please tell Jenny Benzie that Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommended you call to be part of the best wine pairings! Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier newspaper. Comments are welcome at thephantomdiners@aol.com.

Rotary scholarship winners Vitaliy Kits, Zaki Moustafa and Shawana Carter with club officers.

Immediate Past President Tony Endler presents a Perfect Attendance certificate to Samuel Seymore.

Former Wellington mayor Tom Wenham swears in Scott Armand as the new RPB Rotary Club president.

Tom Wenham swears in Vice President Eric Gordon, Treasurer Terri Wescott, Secretary Roland Amateis, Sergeant at Arms Eric Coleman and President-Elect Keith Jordano.

My Mom Says I Have No Agent Because I Live In The Real World

Had a brief but fascinating telephone conversation with my nephew Brooks last week. Of course, I was actually trying to reach my sister Pam.

“Hi, Brooks. Is your mom in?”

She wasn’t.

“And how are you doing today? Are you enjoying your summer vacation?”

He was.

“And how is your brother?”

“I’m fine, he’s fine, but collectively, we’re not so fine.”

“You’re brothers. That’s to be expected. Having a fight?”

“Yeah.”

“What were you doing before the fight?”

“I’d just come in from band practice.”

“Let’s talk about that instead.”

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

“Band practice” for this 17-year-old is not marching band or jazz band — those pursuits are relegated to the school year. What Brooks was talking about was his rock band. It’s not all Guitar Hero for that kid. He plays a mean keyboard, too.

“I got your mother’s invitation saying that your group has been invited to perform at a real club.

Is that a one-time thing or do you go back every week?”

“I’m not sure. It’s whatever our agent tells us.”

I see. I concluded my conversation with Brooks and called my mother. “Do you know that Brooks has an agent?”

“Yes, why?”

“Why can’t I get an agent? I do stuff.”

My mother just laughed. “I guess that’s the difference between Hollywood and the real world,” she said.

Yes. If you live anywhere near Hollywood, there are agents around — agents that will help you go from lanky high school kid to rock star while making sure your homework gets done in the meantime. Agents who know of clubs where 17-year-olds can play. Agents who can put you at the very beginning of something

called the “fast track.”

After years of sitting around waiting to be discovered, the only fast track I’m on is the one toward oblivion.

My mother broke the silence. “You do know who’s in this band with Brooks, don’t you?”

“The president of Capitol Records?”

“Now you’re being silly. Gary Sinise’s son.”

“Gary Sinise of CSI: New York? Gary Sinise of The Green Mile? Of Mice and Men? Forrest Gump? Lieutenant Dan — how does Brooks know him?

“Brooks and his son go to the same school — they’re in marching band together.”

I need to make a note in case I’m ever reincarnated: “Change view of high school. It’s not a prison, it’s a networking opportunity.”

Evidently Brooks has already figured that out.

‘Hellboy II’ Gives Plenty Of Humor Along With Superhero Action

Hellboy II: The Golden Army is not the kind of film I normally would go to see. But a good friend wanted me to come along enough that he even paid for my ticket. I expected a sort of slasher/ horror flick but instead found I was watching the strangest possible superhero movie ever.

Now everyone agrees Superman is a superhero. They probably coined the phrase based on his career. And most of his ilk are rather similar. All essentially goody-goodies who are dedicated to fighting evil, etc. That was why Hancock was somewhat different. The idea of an alcoholic superhero seemed amusing, even if he eventually sobered up and was about as boring a character as all the others. Is it any wonder that the real attraction for movie stars is playing the villain in these pictures?

Hellboy is different. The idea of the heroic demon fighting the evil elves is a new one. OK, he’s really a goblin, but he is red and has horns and a

‘I’ On

CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

tail. I ask you to judge. Now, of course, no one ever should really trust an elf. Watching them in the Lord of the Rings films they seemed more than a little weird. In Hellboy II, the evil elf Prince Nuada (Luke Goss) went all-out evil. You know, the typical “wipe out all mankind” kind of mission. Eventually, it all leads to a major special effects confrontation.

The good guys are more or less led by Jeffrey Tambor, playing the usual schnook he does so

well. But it is Hellboy (Ron Perlman) who seems to handle all the tough problems. Maybe I’m weird, but I like the kind of hero who can knock back a Tecate, help a friend out of depression by joining in singing a Barry Manilow song (a very funny scene), who enjoys a good cigar and likes nothing more than kicking bad-guy butt.

There are a few great scenes in the picture. At one point, Hellboy and his friends are in the Troll Marketplace, a tip to the cantina scene in Star Wars. In Star Wars, Luke stands out because he is normal. But Guillermo del Toro, who wrote and directed this film, turned everything around when he has his hero suddenly say, “hey, nobody’s staring at me here.” In this movie, the hero fits in with the strange folk. Please don’t misunderstand. This movie will not be mentioned at Academy Awards time, but it was fun. I want more humor in superhero pictures. There were only about two laughs in The

Incredible Hulk. And good versus evil is such a standard formula that something else has to set a film apart. Tony Stark in Iron Man was smart and witty. Hellboy is very funny and really wants to go his own way. Watching a superhero being bawled out for being a slob

My Wife Is On Her One-Woman Mission To Revive The Economy

A couple of days ago, I tried to have a very serious conversation with my wife Sharon about the national economy and how it affects the economics of our household. Of course it turned out to be a useless meeting of the so-called minds. I thought I was really hammering away with some very good facts and figures to back up what I was trying to tell my wife. That is ’til she started to counter everything I was saying to her. I think my wife was trying to be serious, but it came across as a very bad joke.

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

I tried to tell my wife we would have to cut back on our spending and tighten our belts. She reminded me that unlike myself, she doesn’t wear a belt. In her opinion she had nothing to tighten. I informed her we would have to cut down on eating out. She tried to explain to me that since we are empty-nesters, most of the time it is cheaper for us to go out to eat. Especially during the summer when our mailbox and the Town-Crier are loaded with very valuable coupons. It almost made sense to me. At this point she showed me some of the receipts from the local supermarkets. I haven’t done the family shopping since the kids flew the coop. I was shocked at some of the supermarket prices. My wife went on to say it cost more now to buy things in the supermarket than when the kids were living at home. OK, she proved her point on this part of our conversation. My way to deal with the economy is to save money for the unknown future. My wife doesn’t agree at all. Her way to jumpstart the economy is to spend our money now and not to worry about tomorrow. And believe me, that is exactly what

she is doing. Just about everyone in the western communities is getting a piece of my paycheck. I had a very bad dream the other night. There was a very large banner at the mall: “Welcome To Our Number-One Shopper Sharon Z.” In weeks past I told you about my wife’s new master bathroom. She now has decided to paint our bedroom to match. She also decided all on her own that along with the new paint job, we now need a new rug in the bedroom. I never knew rugs cost so much money. She also went out and bought new lamps for the bedroom. She is also putting in two new AC units, saying something about the ones we have now are over 22 years old and just don’t keep our house cool enough. She also went out and bought a new car. I also heard her getting an estimate on a remodeling job for our guest (my new) bathroom. She also decided all on her own we needed a new solar panel for our hot water. Once again this piece of equipment wasn’t broke, just old.

She tried to win me over on this one by telling me I would never have to turn on the hot water heater again. She went on to say I would save tons of money on my FPL bill. She is also in the process of re-alarming our house. Mind you, there is nothing wrong with our present alarm system. My wife never worries about paying for all of these things. I guess she thinks we have a money tree growing in our back yard. She knows that somehow I will figure out a way to pay for everything. The number-one thing on my list is to cut up her credit cards. I would love to see the look on my wife’s face when she dives into her pocketbook to pay for something and realizes she doesn’t have her plastic! Of course, when she comes home looking for me, I will have to disappear for a couple of days.

So as you can clearly see, my economic talk with my wife was a complete failure. In my wife’s mind, “spend, spend, spend” is the only way to help the economy recover.

to their fullest potential. Accelerated math and science programs are offered to advanced students, and all students are offered a full range of programs from computer technology and foreign language to the performing arts. Registration for the new school year is ongoing and financial aid is available to those who qualify. Glades Day School is

through 12. Private tutoring available K-12 all subjects including, math, science, history, English, language, arts and Spanish. The school specializes in exceptional student education and advocacy assistance is also available. For more information, call director Debra Thornby at (561) 795-6886. SACRED HEART SCHOOL — NCEA-FL Catholic Conference-accredited, Sacred Heart School has an established history of excellence in education. We offer a low student-to-teacher ratio, pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, before and aftercare, and bus transportation. Preparing your child for life... with love! Call (561) 582-2242, ext. 150 for a personal tour, or visit www.sacredheartschoollakeworthfl.com.

• TEMPLE BETH TORAH LEONIE ARGUETTY PRE-SCHOOL — Temple Beth Torah’s pre-school is committed to providing a nurturing and positive educational experience for children ages two to five, while developing an appreciation and respect for Judaism. Our curriculum is designed to foster children’s natural curiosity while encouraging their social-emotional, cognitive and physical development. Call (561) 793-2649 for more information.

• TEMPLE BETH ZION RELIGIOUS SCHOOL AND PRE-SCHOOL — At Temple Beth Zion’s pre-school, children of all faiths learn and play

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

Wellington Legion Baseball Team Still Has Hopes For State Title

By Paul Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report

Its mission: to boldly attain what no American Legion Class B baseball team in Palm Beach County has done before — a state championship.

The American Legion’s Wellington Post 258 team is one step closer to that dream, following its second-place finish at their district championship tournament, where the top two teams automatically advance to the next round.

Both Wellington and Jupiter Post 271 are playing this weekend against Broward County teams from Davie and Pompano Beach in the area doubleelimination tournament, slated to begin Friday, July 18 at Wellington’s Village Park.

The winner among those four teams advances to the American Legion Class B state championship at Leto High School in Tampa the weekend of July 25. The state championship round is also double elimination.

Even if Wellington does not advance to the Tampa tournament, head coach Brice Miller said the team will be in attendance with a contingency plan — a double-header with a Tampa-based American Legion baseball team and a trip to Busch Gardens. “I want the kids to have some fun,” he said.

American Legion Class B teams are composed of players 17 and under. The state championship is the highest competitive level the teams are able to achieve.

“I think we are finally starting to play our best baseball of the season right now,” Miller said. “Even though we have had success in the win/loss column, we really never have peaked as a team to our potential. We have a lot of talent on our team but it just took some time to gel.

With three complete games and one six-inning game pitched in the past four games, Miller said the team’s greatest strength in tournament play has been its pitching. “Our team defense has been pretty solid as well,” he said. “But we have made some poor base-running decisions at times, and our bats have been inconsistent. During the last couple games of the season and into the playoffs, we’ve started putting all parts of our game together. I hope it continues and allows us to advance further into the playoffs.”

Wellington finished the regular season with a 19-6 record, and entered the tournament as the top seed, based on its first-place 14-5 American Legion district record. But Post 258 dug itself a huge hole by losing 1-0 to third-seeded Boynton Beach Post 164 last Friday. The pitching duel between Wellington’s Evan White and Boynton’s Spencer Kasmere was decided in the third inning. With one out, Boynton second baseman Shane Bussey singled, advanced to second on a fielder’s choice, and scored on Ryan Church’s hard shot up the middle. Wellington had several opportunities late in the game to tie or even take the lead, including a bases-loaded situation, but was unable to capitalize, leaving White — the team’s most valuable player — saddled with a hard-luck loss. The loss meant Wellington had to go undefeated through the losers’ bracket in order to qualify for regional action in the double-elimination tournament. Post 258 rebounded from the opening game setback with a vengeance. On Saturday the team defeated fifth-seed-

ed Lake Worth Post 47 by a 10-6 tally, then defeated sixth-seeded Seminole Ridge Post 367 11-4 that afternoon.

In the victory over Lake Worth, pitcher Justin Haig threw a seven-inning complete game and was backed by a score of timely hits — something the team had been unable to achieve against Boynton. Firepower came from the bats of Andrew Istler, Zack Turturici, Bradley Miller, Brett Alfredson and Mike Garifine.

The Wellington bats remained active against Seminole Ridge, with T.J. Malone, Alex Tannone, Paul Conti, Joe Barbera and Joey Stark doing the bulk of the damage. Pitchers Ryan Cwick and Ryan Lockwood teamed up for the victory, with Lockwood setting down Seminole Ridge in order to close the contest.

The back-to-back triumphs set up a rematch with Boynton Beach on Sunday, and this time Wellington was victorious, posting a 6-2 win. Istler pitched a complete game, striking out 11 Boynton batters. Centerfielder Mike Garifine, one of Wellington’s most consistent hitters all season and throughout the playoffs, had another great day at the plate, including a long triple. Stark, Barbera, Malone and Conti also came through with solid offensive production.

Heavy rain moved the district championship confrontation between Wellington and Jupiter from Monday to Tuesday and finally Wednesday, when Jupiter handed them a 3-2 loss to clinch the championship.

Both teams advance to the area

championships this weekend to face Broward’s two top teams from Pompano and Davie at Village Park. Wellington is set to begin play against Pompano at 6 p.m. Friday.

Miller’s wife Lorie, the team’s manager, said American Legion baseball is about more than simply playing a game.

“Not only are we encouraging them to play baseball, but we are encouraging them to do community service and have good grades and good attitudes,” she said. “It’s a complete package when they make the team.”

Lorrie Miller said a rigorous verification process ensures teams are made up of legally eligible players, including original birth certificates and proof of residency. The makeup of Post 258 is primarily Wellington and Palm Beach Central high school students.

White will represent Wellington Post 258 for consideration as District MVP, as each of the six district teams submits its own candidate. American Legion officials select the winner based upon his statistics, grade point average and community service volunteer work representing the American Legion.

The award will be presented at the district all-star game to be played at 7 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 1 at Wellington High School. Joining White, a pitcher, as Wellington all-stars are catcher Tannone, shortstop Istler, second baseman Stark and first baseman Malone.

For more information on American Legion Baseball, visit www.florida legionbaseball.com.

Horse Owners (And Horses) Hit Hard By The Sluggish Economy

Not too long ago, a nice horse for trail riding and competition in small local shows would set you back between $1,500 and $5,000. Well-bred, imported, high-end horses started at perhaps $15,000. Once in a while, someone would offer a “companion horse” for free or at a very nominal price. A companion horse, typically, was an older horse or a horse with injuries no longer able to be ridden, but good for keeping a lonely horse company. But no matter how much you paid for the horse, the monthly upkeep was the part you had to budget for. Hay and grain don’t grow in South Florida; everything has to be shipped in from the Midwest or Canada. Average monthly costs are about $200 to $300 per horse, if you keep it at home. Boarding a horse at a barn can run $400 to $800. Then the economy stumbled, the housing market crashed, and when gas went through the roof, so did the cost of transporting feed. When you’re in danger of losing your job or your house, finding the extra money to feed a horse gets tough. Today, many great horses are being offered at low prices or even free “to a good home,” and owners are facing some wrenching choices. Sometimes the horses are the ones that suffer the most.

Nancy Sciaretta of Royal Palm Beach observed one such sad situation. An Acreage horse owner fell on hard times and went through a divorce. He asked Sciaretta to help him sell the horse. When she saw it, she was horrified. Sciaretta could see every bone in its body, and it was lame. If she hadn’t known the owner, she would have reported the situation to Palm Beach County Animal Care & Control.

“This was a nice, kind man,” Sciaretta said. “He just didn’t understand anything about caring for a horse. This was a real eye-opener for me.” Sciaretta went out twice a week and doctored the horse’s bad foot, which had an abscess. The owner couldn’t afford a vet or a blacksmith. He was feeding the horse too small an amount of grain once a day and very little hay. Horses normally require a fair amount of feed twice a day, and as much hay as they can eat. Sciaretta talked him into increasing the amount of grain and buying a hay roll, which allows a horse to graze at will. The owner wasn’t willing to give the horse

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

away, and Sciaretta knew the horse would never get sold. Amazingly, she looked back through the horse’s records and learned it was a registered Thoroughbred bred at Delaware’s CandyLand Farm by Herb Moelis, co-founder of Thoroughbred Charities of America. Sciaretta, who had worked with Moelis in Hialeah, was elated.

The original adoption papers for this horse, Sciaretta learned, stipulated that it be returned to the farm if the owners could no longer keep it.

Sciaretta explained the situation to the owner, who didn’t want to get sued or have the horse seized, and the horse was shipped back to Moelis.

“This horse will now have a wonderful life,” Sciaretta said. “He’ll have food and care, and he’ll be up to his butt in grass, so I’m really glad I got involved. But this man was not a bad man. He just was in way over his head, and the horse was the one who suffered.”

Capt. David Walesky of Animal Care & Control has also noticed a rise in the number of reports of skinny horses, especially in The Acreage, Loxahatchee and Jupiter Farms. He understands that people in financial hardship have to prioritize their spending, and a horse is a very expensive luxury. He recently responded to a report of a horse being kept in a dangerous situation, an abandoned zero-lot-line property with an empty swimming pool. The horse fell into the pool and sustained superficial scuffs, but managed to climb back out. The owner was located and convinced to move the horse to a more suitable location.

In another situation, a concerned neighbor spotted a horse on a foreclosed property. The owner, who didn’t live there, didn’t even know someone had parked the horse at his house with no sign of food or water. Animal Care & Control rescued

the horse. “We always try to do our best for any animal,” Walesky said. “But even for us, horses are highly expensive. They often need vet care, and if they’re thin, they need more feed than usual. Some horses also have behavioral issues, which can make them dangerous.”

Walesky said his agency works with local horse rescue groups to try to place horses quickly. Some horses have to be held for court reasons, as evidence, in neglect cases. Some are sent to the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranches, and some are put up for adoption. Fees range from almost free to about $1,000. Very rarely, horses are humanely euthanized.

Signs of neglect include little or no access to food or water, lack of grazing grass (horse

standing on sand), no power or an abandoned house, no people around on a regular basis to check on or care for the horse, and an obviously too thin horse. Report suspected cases, giving an exact address or good directions to the property to Animal Care & Control at (561) 233-1200.

“We are a place of last resort,” Walesky said. “We’re going through budget cuts right now too, and horses are expensive. People need to know that before they buy a horse and make that commitment. They need to make sure they’ll be able to adequately care for the animal, and take it home for all the right reasons, not just on a whim or because it looked pretty. We all want to see happy endings.”

Boynton’s Shane Bussey tries to lead off first while Wellington first baseman T.J. Malone tries to keep him near the bag.

Wellington’s Alex Hummer lays down a bunt in front of Boynton catcher Kevin Stypulkowski.

Wellington pitcher Evan White faces off against a Boynton Beach batter.

Wellington’s Andrew Istler dives back to first base on a pickoff attempt while Boynton’s Ryan Church catches the high throw.

Wellington’s Joe Barbera takes a crack at the ball.

Boynton’s Shane Bussey approaches home plate with the only run of the game, while Wellington catcher Alex Tannone goes for the ball.

PHOTOS BY PAUL GABA/TOWN-CRIER

The Wellington Fury All Stars won the Pony District Championship on June 15. The Fury defeated Lake Worth in the championship game 16-5 and went undefeated throughout the tournament. Clyde Palmer is the manager. Coaches include Chad Mills, George Cedeno, Jay Broderick and Craig Kolnick. Pictured here are: (front row, L-R) Kyle Palmer, Alex Baron, Shawn Steuerer, Timothy Walcott, Jarrett Murray and Aaron Butters; (back row) Anthony Broderick, Nicholas Dowler, Jake Mills, Christopher Cedeno, Jordan Kolnick and Vincent Monaco.

The Wellington Wild 10-U Red softball team won their second championship in two weeks when they defeated the West Boynton Lady Bandits 1-0 in the final game of the Swamp Classic held in Palm Beach Gardens June 27-29. The Wild began the final day as the number-three seed. They gave up an early lead against the Jupiter Seahawks but never stopped fighting. They came back to defeat the Seahawks 4-3. The Wild then advanced to the championship game, where they battled the Lady Bandits for the title, winning 1-0. It was an overall team effort that contributed to the Wild’s victory. The team includes players Katie Wolpert, Emilee Quesada, Jessica Onega, Althea Smith, Britney Schmidt, Kelsey Lay, Toni Pancione, Megan Granitto, Leah Heysler, Lianna Mullins, Kenzie McMullan, Jordan Ray, manager Jenny Schmidt, and coaches Tina Heysler, Chris Pancione and Tracey Lay.

Hawks Girls Basketball Camp Set

The Hawks Girls Basketball Camp at Seminole Ridge High School will be held July 28-31 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. for ages seven through 13.

The camp will be coached by girls varsity coach Scott O’Hara and varsity players. It will cover the fundamentals and include drills and team play. T-shirts and snacks will be provided.

The cost will be $50. Space is limited. Call O’Hara at (561) 791-9878 or (561) 818-5733 for more information.

Summer Soccer Shootout In Wellington

The Wellington Wave Soccer Club, along with Zoete Soccer International, will host a threeon-three Summer Soccer Shootout Tournament Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington.

Age groups for tournament

teams are U-6 through U-19 and adults. Visit www.wellington soccer.com for tournament registration application form and tournament rules. For more information about the tournament, call (561) 2521467.

Wellington Seeks Baseball Providers

The Village of Wellington is currently seeking not-for-profit organizations or those organizations who have applied for notfor-profit status to operate the Wellington baseball program.

All organizations interested in running the Wellington baseball program should submit a proposal in writing no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, July 28 to Ivy Rosenberg, 11700 Pierson Road, Wellington, FL 33414.

Proposals should include the following items: proof of 501(c)3 status or application; organization name; list of potential board members; program mission, goals, objectives and scope; season time line for a full year; fee structure; sanctioning

body recommendation; and potential by-laws. For questions or additional information, call Rosenberg at (561) 753-2582.

Swimming For Children With Cancer

The Lake Lytal Masters Swim Team will hold its Sixth Annual 12-Hour Swim on Saturday, Aug. 16 to benefit the Pediatric Oncology Support Team (POST) of the Child Life Institute in West Palm Beach. POST helps children and their families deal with the impact of diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

The event will take place at the Lake Lytal Park swimming pool in West Palm Beach. For 12 continuous hours, 35 members of the Lake Lytal Masters Swim Team will swim laps in relay style starting at 7 a.m. Of notable mention is the team’s oldest member, 82-year-old Dr. James Lea, who will be the first swimmer of the relay event. Lea, a Navy captain and physician, served in the Philippines during World War II and in the Vietnam

Okeeheelee All-Star Rookie A Team Heads To Tennessee

The Okeeheelee All-Star

Rookie A team is having an exciting post-season. The 8-U baseball team, which includes players from Wellington and the surrounding areas, came in first place at the Cal Ripken District Qualifier in Lake City last month. Last weekend, the team placed second at the Cal Ripken State Tournament.

Short stop Dylan Tosto led the team with several outstanding plays, as did Taylor Clapp and Zane Argott. Solid hits by Clapp, Pierson Reynolds and Zac Lampton coupled with Marcus Gonzalez’s speed helped tie the semifinal game. Braiden Wilder’s base hit, followed by Cory Croteau’s game winning bunt in extra innings, secured the team’s advancement to the Cal Ripken Southeast Regional Tournament in Tennessee.

The team will be heading to Tennessee on July 23 to compete for the Cal Ripken Southeast Regional Title.

War. Throughout his professional career he has been keenly aware of the needs of those with cancer. Jim’s trainer, Ken “Coach” Nemet, a 72-year-old car enthusiast, has been Lake Lytal’s Masters Swim Team coach for over 18 years. Nemet heard about POST through an article his wife had read about children with cancer and decided he could use his love of swimming along with his passion for coaching to raise money aid the cause. After his first attempt raising funds for POST proved so successful, he decided to make the swim an annual event.

“I am hopeful we will do better than we did last year when we raised over $16,000, and I encourage new swimmers to join us so they too can contribute to our 12-hour swim event,” Nemet said.

When asked about the requirements, Nemet urged swimmers “just show up and be a part of this great event as 100 percent of the proceeds from the swim raises support for children and families assisted by POST all of whom live in southeast Florida.” During its ten years, POST has served over 450 children with cancer and their families. It is the only comprehensive pediatric oncology psychosocial support program in southeast Florida. For more information about POST and the work of the Child Life Institute, call (561) 340-4068. For more information about the Masters Swim Team and how you can support the 2008 Lake Lytal Swim Masters, call Nemet at (561) 629-2023 or email lytalmasters@aol.com. To make an online donation, visit www.active.com/donate/ 2008post.

RPB Football Bus Trips

The Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Department is now accepting registrations for bus trips to see Miami Dolphins games. Dates are Sept. 7 (New York Jets), Oct. 26 (Buffalo) and Nov. 23 (New England). The cost is $90 per person and includes a ticket, transportation, giveaways, food and beverage. For more information, call (561) 790-5124.

All-Star Rookies — (Front row, L-R) Pierson Reynolds, Cory Croteau, Braiden Wilder, Marcus Gonzalez and Damian Allione; (second row) A.J. Evans and Taylor Clapp; (third row) Chase Kyzar, Zane Argott, Alex Garces, Dylan Tosto, Zac Lampton; (back row) coaches Ryan Clapp, Brian Wilder and Kevin Argott.

Professional Instruction At New Fred Astaire Dance Studio

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

It seems everyone wants to learn to dance. The new Fred Astaire Dance Studio now open in West Palm Beach has students ranging from middle school age to senior citizens, and everywhere in between.

Instructor Andy Luetzner said his students come for a variety of reasons. “Some people come because they want to exercise,” he said. “And one of the first big advantages is that we work on posture, so people walk better. And a lot of other people want to improve their social life.”

Studio Manager Steve Wilkie said ballroom dancing is rising in popularity, thanks in part to Dancing With the Stars. “We have people wanting to learn the traditional dances, but also salsa, swing, country, all the Latin dances,” he said. “We teach any partnership dance.”

Wilkie also thinks interest in dancing has risen as a response to today’s technology-oriented pastimes. “It is far more social to move in time to music with a partner than to listen to your iPod while running on a treadmill,” he said. “A lot of people are becoming too isolated. They get to know other people on the Internet. But dancing is a great way to get to really know someone.” Wilkie speaks from personal experience when he says the ability to dance well is also a valuable social skill. “When I got out of college I was a vocalist in a rock band,” he said. “Then I was a Marine. But as a good dancer, I get more dates with pretty women.”

All the instructors at Wilkie’s studio are competitive profes-

sionals. Luetzner and his dance partner Doreen Scheinpflug, also an instructor, were finalists last year in the Fred Astaire Ballroom National Competition. “They’re working hard, still taking lessons, to get ready for the next competition this October,”

Wilkie said. “They really want to win.”

Having professional competitive dancers as instructors is an excellent way to maintain the highest level of instruction, Wilkie said. “Our instructors take lessons themselves,” he said. “They know what it’s like to get constructive criticism and they learn how to do it in a way that really helps their students.”

Student Julio Camacho said he takes lessons to build his self-confidence and burn some energy. “I work as a pharmacist for 12 hour days and I needed an outlet,” he said. “I had the courage to learn, and now thanks to Doreen I’m getting to be pretty good. I like coming here.”

Wilkie said the studio, now open about three months, has been gaining an average of a half dozen new students a week.

“Dancing is a wonderful way to meet people,” he said. “Every single guy who doesn’t learn how to dance is crazy. Women love to dance. You will quadruple the number of women you meet. And women come here because they not only want to learn the steps, but because the exercise helps them get trimmer.”

Women come in for many different reasons, Wilkie observed. “A lot of them want to look better on the dance floor, but the exercise is wonderful,” he said. “Many of our regular clients

wind up losing more than a bit of weight. Also, women seem more interested in the social end of dancing.”

Denie Slater, a student taking only her second lesson, confirmed that. “My mother is taking lessons,” she said, “and I’m learning as a way of being closer to her.”

Wilkie, watching Slater dance with Luetzner, said she was an excellent dancer for someone only partway through a second lesson.

“Look at the way she moves,” he said. “She knows how to move in such a graceful way.

She could be an exceptional dancer.”

Originally from Tennessee, Wilkie has his own special reason for thinking dancing is important.

“I was in an accident where I hurt both my back and neck badly,” he recalled. “Some doctors thought I might never walk again. But my muscles were strong enough from all the dancing I had done to allow me to not only walk but to dance.”

Wilkie has worked for the

Fred Astaire studios for years.

“At one point I owned the two most successful franchises in the

country,” he said. “Now I want to build the one here in West Palm Beach.”

Recently Wilkie had two of the professional dancers from Dancing With the Stars, Tony Dovolani and Elena Grinenko, at the studio for a fundraiser to fight lymphoma and leukemia.

“Everyone had a marvelous time,” Wilkie said. “Dancing With the Stars has taught the public that anyone can dance.”

The studio’s basic introductory package of $75 includes two private lessons with an expert instructor and one group lesson.

“Some people stay and work on

their dancing for a very long time,” he said, “and others work on learning some of the basics, on weight loss, stress reduction, or simply socializing. For some couples, dancing is therapy. And dancing is great for all of those things. Come over and join us.” The Fred Astaire Dance Studio is located in the Emporium Shoppes at 4603 Okeechobee Blvd. in West Palm Beach and is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays by appointment. For more information, call (561) 478-1400 or visit www. fredastairewpb.com.

PHOTOS BY LEONARD WECHSLER/TOWN-CRIER

New Studio — (Left) Fred Astaire Dance Studio Manager Steve Wilkie inside the studio at the Emporium Shoppes on Okeechobee Blvd. (Right) Instructor Doreen Scheinpflug dances with student Julio Camacho.

Royal Palm Beach Staples Supports Educational Organization

Supporting Education — Staples General Manager Keith Lee presents a check to Education Foundation of Palm Beach County Director Mary Kay Murray.

Staples Inc., the world’s largest office products company, recently celebrated the opening of its first store in Royal Palm Beach with a $1,000 donation from Staples Foundation for Learning to the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County.

This donation will support the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County’s efforts to enable all Palm Beach County public school students to achieve educational excellence and success.

“Staples is committed to building a better community in Royal Palm Beach by supporting organizations that help local youth succeed,” Staples General Manager Keith Lee said. “Through this contribution from Staples Foundation for Learn-

ing, we are helping the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County in its mission to promote effective educational practices through public-private partnerships, community collaborations and private sector resources.”

“Staples is serving Royal Palm Beach not only as a valuable economic resource, but also as a community partner that supports local charities,” Education Foundation of Palm Beach County Director Mary Kay Murray said. “We greatly appreciate this donation that will help local youth enhance their academic, social and learning skills.”

Staples is located at 10465 Southern Blvd. Hours are 7 a.m.

Max & Erma’s Breaks Ground In Royal

Max & Erma’s Restaurants, a Midwest casual dining tradition for more than 35 years, is heading to South Florida. Construction on Florida’s first Max & Erma’s recently began in Royal Palm Beach. The restaurant will be located at 11111 Southern Blvd. in the Southern Palm Crossing shopping center. It is expected to open in early November.

Max & Erma’s President Rob Lindeman said the Royal Palm Beach location will be the first of as many as ten restaurants to

be built in South Florida by franchisee Intechfinity of Southern Florida.

“Max & Erma’s has a reputation for fresh, quality food and outstanding service, and we’re happy to introduce those attributes to the residents of South Florida,” Lindeman said. “We believe this is an excellent location for Max & Erma’s to establish a presence in Florida, and Intechfinity is the ideal franchisee.” The exterior of the Royal Palm Beach location will be

cream with black accents, cultured stone, brick, awnings and a patio. The interior will feature slate floors and colorful, hand-blown glass light fixtures.

The original Max & Erma’s was a shot-and-a-beer, railroader bar in the German Village section of Columbus when it was purchased by Todd Barnum and Barry Zacks in 1972. The original agreement to purchase the bar from Max and Erma Visocnik was sketched out on a cocktail nap-

Palm

kin and contained the proviso that Max be allowed to drink free draft beer for the rest of his life.

Barnum and Zacks purchased the bar with the goal of creating the first gourmet hamburger restaurant in the Midwest. They liked the name of the original establishment and kept it for their new company.

Headquartered in Columbus, Max & Erma’s celebrated 35 years in business in December. For more information, visit www.maxandermas.com.

Local Pet-Care Businesses Work Together

For best friends Tracy Bem and Liz Petruzzi, pets aren’t just their love — they’re serious business.

“It’s a joy” Petruzzi said.

“It’s a responsibility,” Bem added.

“It’s fun!” they say together.

“I’m out on a sunny day with a great dog and I think, I can’t believe I get paid to do this,” said Petruzzi with wonder.

Bem and Petruzzi own and operate their own in-home pet care businesses. “We’re the ones who love your pets while you’re away,” Bem said with a smile.

Bem and Petruzzi are experienced pet owners themselves. Bem opened her pet care business seven years ago, TLC Pet

Care, which is filled up right now. Petruzzi served as her backup and walked dogs for a competitor. For years Bem encouraged Petruzzi to go into business for herself, yet she was reluctant.

“I liked the freedom of working for someone else and making my own hours,” Petruzzi explained.

“She finally listened to me,” Bem said as Petruzzi proudly displayed her own business cards that launched her pet care company, Paws 2 Claws.

“For animal lovers like us, It’s the perfect business,” Petruzzi said. “Summer is our busiest season, so it’s great to have backup,” Bem added.

These friends aren’t in competition with each other. They work together, giving each other referrals and serving as backup — a critical component in pet care.

“If someone gets sick, the pets entrusted to us still need care,” Petruzzi said. “Our mutual businesses make us stronger. Our clients have the added benefit of knowing no matter what, their pets are taken care of.”

Quality service is something both women are passionate about. “We both belong to Pet Sitters International and adhere to their best practices,” Bem said. “We go the extra mile because we care about our clients,

both animal and human. If you’re looking for a pet sitter, Bem and Petruzzi have some advice: make sure your pet sitter is bonded and insured. Ask about experience and references. Ask your neighbors who they use and if they’re happy with them. Does the pet sitter have pets of their own?

As for the friendship? “We’ve been through it all,” Petruzzi said. “People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime. We’ll be friends when we’re little old ladies sitting on the front porch, swapping pet stories.”

For more information about Paws 2 Claws, call Petruzzi at (561) 767-0795.

to 9 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. The store employs approximately 30 full- and part-time associates. The new 20,390-squarefoot store is designed to make shopping easy for small business and home office customers to shop for office products and services. The store features more than 7,000 products, including ink and toner, business machines and innovative Staples brand products such as the new MailMate M3 shredder and the 12sheet shredder.

The new store also provides other Staples signature services, including the copy and print center (full-service copying and printing services with a quality

guarantee), Easy Tech (technology support, including computer set up and repair, software installation and upgrades), Easy Rebates (paperless, online rebate submission process) and the Staples Rewards program, which currently offers ten percent back in rewards on ink and toner, case and ream paper, and copy and print center purchases. For more information about the Royal Palm Beach Staples store, call (561) 422-1615 or visit the company’s web site at www.staples.com. For more information about the Education Foundation of Palm Beach County, visit the foundation’s web site at www. educationfoundationpbc.org.

Dr. Scott Snyder Now Offers Digital X-Rays

Never one to be complacent when it comes to his profession, Royal Palm Beach chiropractor

Dr. Scott Snyder has added digital X-rays to his already remodernized office.

“Radiographs have always been the number-one tool used by chiropractors to determine spinal alignment and rule out other, more detrimental problems,” Snyder said. “Digital Xray improves our experience with this tool.”

The major difference between digital and analog X-ray is the absence of radiographic film and developing chemistry. The system takes a radiograph of the

subject, typically in a shorter time period (with less radiation) and then transfers an image directly to a computer where the physician can change the exposure or zoom in on a structure. And since the image is stored digitally, it doesn’t require the storage space normal film Xrays require. Other professionals such as dentists have offered digital Xrays for several years, but the practice is still new to the chiropractic profession. Snyder’s office is located at 11328 Okeechobee Blvd. For more information, call (561) 798-8899.

Dr. Scott Snyder

Learn2Grow Interactive Gardening Web Site Partners With Lowe’s

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

A Wellington resident has reached an agreement with Lowe’s Home Improvement to maintain an educational and interactive web site for gardeners.

The web site, www.learn 2grow.com, is described as a “MySpace for gardeners” by Michael Ferraro, who comes from a long line of growers and landscapers. His interests run more toward business management and digital processors. However, he has enlisted the help of his horticulturist father Frank Ferraro and brother Frank Jr., who are officers in the company.

“I’m a third generation in the horticulture industry, garden center, landscaping company, nursery,” Ferraro said. “I was really the kind of black sheep of the family. I wasn’t as good as my brother and my father as far as growing things. I took a different professional path.”

While his father and brother focused on horticulture, Michael went into the investment field where he worked for 14 years until he realized one day that the Internet was going to change the way software could help companies. Initially he came up with a business for connecting landscapers and growers, different municipalities and golf courses with their suppliers. They chugged along with that business model for a few years until the dot-com crash of 2000, which he said made it difficult for companies such as his to find venture financing.

“Nobody really wanted to talk to you,” Ferraro recalled. “They said, ‘well, call us when you have profitability and when your cash flow is positive.’ At that point, I think to myself, ‘why would I call you then? I wouldn’t need your money then.’” Ferraro struggled until he got the idea for a new business model. “One day we read an article in the Wall Street Journal about Home Depot going out to certify their gardening employees,” he said. “We decided, ‘Hey, they’re not going to be able to that. They’re not going to take a $14, $18 or $20 an hour employ-

ee and tell them ‘You need to become certified.’” Ferraro proposed an online course for gardening employees at Lowe’s Home Improvement. His company had a core of gardening and the e-learning staff on board. The company also enlisted the help of Michigan State University, one of the top horticulture schools in the nation. After they developed their online teaching plan, they arranged a presentation to Lowe’s that began with six people in a crowded room. That meeting led to other meetings, and after about six months of meetings they made a presentation to 30 different vice presidents around the country to build a learning platform for all of their garden center employees.

Lowe’s awarded the company a contract to launch the online teaching platform for more than 17,000 garden center employees, but while they were building on that, Ferraro expanded the idea further.

“It dawned on me one day: Why would a big company like this want their employees trained when it really comes down to the customer? Why don’t we go out there and train the consumer, the customers, to be better gardeners? We could build a learning system and a content system that not only shared inspirational photos and articles and projects, but also brought together some online learning that was not test-taking, but was experience-learning.”

The company designed a learning system that was more of an online coach with illustrations, voiceovers and games that people interact with. The proposed site would be not only expert-driven but interactive as well, so people could share their experiences: a social network like MySpace, but for gardeners.

“Not only are you going to find other peoples’ stuff,” Ferraro said, “you’re going to be able to get things verified by experts, content by experts, training by experts, and then the other part is, what is your neighbor doing? It’s a kind of overthe-fence look at gardening.”

So, Ferraro went back to Lowe’s with the new plan for Learn2Grow, which met with a

strong reception. That kicked off another series of meetings, working its way up to an executive vice president who stopped Ferraro during his presentation and said it was the best information and the best concept for the consumer gardener that he’d ever seen. Lowe’s was on board on the site’s major sponsor.

“Basically, our company was restarted 36 months ago in a different direction than we had set out to follow,” Ferraro said. “Now we have a company that is generating revenue. We launched Learn2grow about a year and four months ago. Three months was just getting it online and testing it. Then we started pre-selling advertising and sponsorships to it besides Lowe’s.”

The site generated about $750,000 in advertising and sponsorships the first year in addition to the full Lowe’s sponsorship. Anytime people buy a plant at Lowe’s they can go to Lowes.com, which will route them to www.learn2grow.com to find information about any plant sold at Lowe’s.

“They can look up the care instructions, planting instructions pruning instructions, etc. and it’ll take them right to Learn2grow,” Ferraro said. “Lowe’s has included us in all its advertising regarding anything to do with plants.”

Lowe’s has put out thousands of signs with the www. learn2grow.com logo on them in all its stores. “They’re the biggest advertising arm we have, and they’ve devoted a lot of their advertising for any of their greenery to Learn2grow,” Ferraro said.

Anyone inquiring about gardening through Lowe’s, including its own brand, Garden Club Select, will be routed to www. learn2grow.com.

“That was a big move for a company like that. A $50 billion company doesn’t generally take and send their customers off to some third-party web site for information, and they don’t own us. They don’t own a share in the company; they’re an advertising partner,” Ferraro said.

The company is now in the process of developing a social networking portion of the site,

Ferraro said. “There will be more than forums; there will be blogging and picture sharing and videos inside the social network in probably the next 90 days,” he said. “When that happens, we will launch with as

many as 50,000 people inside it. The way that most of these social networks go, that will probably take us from 50,000 to 500,000 people in about 30 days.” Learn2grow is a division of

Pro Bono Foreclosure Prevention Project

The Florida Bar Foundation and Florida Legal Services are seeking members of the Real Property Probate and Trust Law Section (RPPTL) of the Florida Bar to assist homeowners before they face foreclosure with a pro bono foreclosure prevention project known as FLASH — Florida Attorneys Saving Homes.

The FLASH project is designed to provide legal assistance to homeowners involved in the foreclosure process to achieve a positive result. Each client is a homeowner residing in their primary residence. A group of lenders has agreed to work with owners in restructuring their loans. Here’s how it works:

• The Florida Bar created a central statewide hotline, which will be widely publicized through statewide media outlets as the number to call if a homeowner is afraid of the possibility of foreclosure. Bar staff will answer calls and complete a short questionnaire that will provide the basic homeowner information and the current status of the loan.

• That information will go to Dionne Meyers (dionne@ floridalegal.org) at Florida Legal Services, who will screen the information and forward the basics (county and lender) to the designated RPPTL circuit captain.

• The volunteer attorney will contact the potential client directly to obtain a more extensive interview and any necessary paperwork.

For more info., visit www. floridaprobono.org or e-mail Andrew O’Malley at aomalley @cowmpa.com or Adele Stone at astone@atkinson-diner. com with your contact information and the judicial circuit in which you are located.

• The captain will forward the county and lender information only to the volunteer attorneys in his/her circuit and request a pro bono attorney to assist the homeowner in obtaining a “workout.” This program is not intended to provide representation to those already in foreclosure; those cases will be referred to legal aid offices.

PHOTO BY RON BUKLEY/TOWN-CRIER

Web Gardening — Learn2grow’s Frank and Michael Ferraro with a poster promoting their online business.

TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS

WELLINGTON • ROYAL

AFFORDABLE HURRICANE PROTECTION — 2 - 4 wks. Installed Guaranteed! 10% deposit . Will get you started. All products, Dade County approved. We manufacture our own product. 561-568-6099, 772-342-8705 Lic. & Ins. CGC 1511213 SALES, SERVICE AND INSTALLATION FOR ALL TYPES — Windows, doors, accordion & panel shutters. Impact glass. USA IMPACT WINDOWS & DOORS. 561-502-1518 PANELS PLUS, LLC. - Aluminum, Steel, Accordian, Lexan. All Dade County Approved. Do-it-Yourself or installation available. 561-722-8343. Lic. & Ins.

AQUATIC SPRINKLER, LLC - Complete repair of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-9646004 Lic. #U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the Western Communities Since 1990

TRIMMING * LOW WATER-LOW MAINTENANCE GARDENS * HOUSE CARE SERVICES

ROXANA MATHIEU - Professional Pianist. Affordable Private Lessons. 561791-9261

ARMENTO PAINTING & SONS, INC. –– Painting, Interior, Exterior. Pressure cleaning. Custom painting, faux art. Lic. No. U14736. 798-8978. BD JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. ––– Interior/Exterior, artistic faux finishing, pressure cleaning,

Ins. Wellington Resident. PAINTING — HOME PAINTING Interior – Exterior. $1290 +tax up to 2500 sq. ft. (walls area) 561-674HOME(4663) J&C’s Faux Painting Ser-

License #U-18337 • Bonded • Insured Owner/Operator George Born. 561686-6701

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING — Established in 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.Call Butch 561-309-6975 BD LARRY'S PRESSURE CLEANINGRoofs-Homes, Driveways, fences, patios, pavers cleaned & sealed. Residential/Commercial. Exempt from water Restriction. 561-797-4737

PALM BEACH PET SERVICES PET SITTING - Dog Walking, Cageless Boarding. 866-648-1150 ext. 703. Licensed, Bonded & Insured. www.PalmBeachPetServinces.com

FUND YOUR OWN REVERSE MORTGAGE. SAVE YOUR HOME - & get paid to help others do the same. We can now assist people under 62 years of age. Madelyn 561-422-2910

MINOR ROOF REPAIRS – Roof painting. Carpentry. License #U13677. 9675580. BD SHAKE ROOF SPECIALISTS –– New roofs, repairs, preservation. License #CC025465. Shake Masters, Shake Chem. Members of Shake Bureau. 439-6668 BD ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763. BD ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING 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 GARABAR, INC. ROOFING & GENERAL CONSTRUCTION — 561-3376798 www.garabar.com Lic. #CGC 1510976 CCC1327252. “Deal” Direct withowner. Please see our display ad* Major credit cards accepted. Fast Free Estimates. Insurance claim specialists. IDEAL ROOFING SYSTEMS Residential • Commercial • Licensed Bonded • Insured. New Construction Reroofs • Repairs • Roof Tile • Shingles Metal Roofs • Flat Decks • MaintenanceContracts info@idealroofingsystems.com. Palm Beach/Broward Office: 561753-7663 Fax: 561-753-7696. St. Lucie/Indian River. Office: 772-2886440. Fax: 772-287-9008. 11101 S. Crown Way #6, Wellington, FL 33414. Lic. #CCC1326453 HORIZON ROOFING QUALITY WORK & SERVICE — Free estimates, reliable & on time. No Deposits. Pay upon completion, residential, commercial, reroofing, repairs, credit cards accepted. 561-842-6120. Lic.#CCC1328598 JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening. Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed! Lic.#9001390. 798-3132. ROLL DOWN SHUTTERS

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