Town-Crier Newspaper July 25, 2008

CHEERING FOR KIDS FITNESS

A record turnout of more than 7,000 youngsters enjoyed the Kids Fitness Festival last Thursday and Friday at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The event featured sports such as football, basketball, tennis, cheerleading and more. Shown above, Elbridge Gale Elementary School students Samantha Mish, Nicholas Coscantino and Erika Gomez work on their cheerleading skills. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 21

Roberts: State Objections Will Not Stop Callery-Judge

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

Objections by the Florida Department of Community Affairs to Callery-Judge Grove’s plan for 2,999 homes on its 3,746 acres of citrus groves near The Acreage will be no problem to correct, Callery General Manager Nat Roberts said Tuesday. Callery-Judge is seeking a land-use change from Rural Residential to the Agricultural Enclave designation, which would allow development at a density consistent with the surrounding area. The citrus grower’s plans also include 235,000 square feet of commercial use.

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Roberts characterized objections raised in the DCA’s Objections, Recommendations and Comments (ORC) Report dated July 11 as easily correctable simply by sending the DCA information he said was probably omitted, or by changing the way the information is presented.

“The simplest way to describe it is that the county sends up what it wants to,” Roberts said.

One of the DCA objections was that the plan calls for the development of only 115 units over a five-year period, which the report indicated appears to be too low.

“Under the recommendations, it says if only 115 units are anticipated to be built over the next five years, then the amendment should be revised to limit the development,” Roberts told the Town-Crier. “OK, we agree. We’ll do it, and that takes away the whole objection.”

And while the DCA recommended that the development’s density should be based on surrounding land within a one-mile radius instead of five miles, Roberts said that will not change the overall plan. “No problem,” he said. “We’ll send it out. The change in data analysis will not affect the density. It doesn’t

Help Fight Crime With PBSO Night Out In RPB Aug. 5

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office wants you to take part in its National Night Out Against Crime in Royal Palm Beach on Aug. 5. This year marks the 25th anniversary of the National Night Out Against Crime, where local law enforcement agencies partner with communities in simultaneous events across the country to promote efforts to combat crime and drugs. The PBSO’s National Night Out for the western communities will take place in the parking lot of the Super Target on Okeechobee Blvd. just west of State Road 7 beginning at 5 p.m.

“We want to bring residents, business leaders, community leaders, business associates and deputies together,” PBSO Spe-

cial Events Coordinator Carol Verdigi told the Town-Crier Wednesday. “This is a united effort to show criminals we will not tolerate crime. It is a show of support for law enforcement.”

Verdigi said the evening has four main purposes: to provide a chance for local people to get to know their law enforcement officers, to offer business and community leaders a way to provide information and help in increasing their personal security, invite residents to volunteer for training so they can assist law enforcement, and provide a fun evening for families.

“We are trying to get more people to be part of our Neighborhood Watch programs,” Verdigi said. “Not only official ones that we help to set up, but in

See NIGHT OUT, page 18

To Drill Or Not To Drill, The Question At Chamber Debate

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Speakers both for and against offshore oil drilling in Florida waters shared their views with members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce on Wednesday.

At the chamber’s monthly business luncheon at the Binks Forest Golf Club, a private-enterprise advocate and an environmentalist exchanged viewpoints on the merits and dangers of offshore drilling based on questions suggested by chamber members and asked by the chamber’s President Mike Nelson and Executive Director Michela Perillo-Green.

President George W. Bush fueled the current debate this month by lifting a presidential ban on offshore drilling, saying congressional action to do the same would counter the rising price of oil and the nation’s dependency on foreign supplies.

But John Koch, chair of the Loxahatchee branch of the Sierra Club, told chamber members Wednesday that lifting the ban would not have any impact on the oil market for decades, and charged that oil companies aren’t taking advantage of their existing right to drill in some areas of the Gulf of Mexico.

“It will take 20 years before it will have an impact,” Koch said. “The oil companies don’t go out there with a multi-million-dollar rig and check out to see what’s down there. They want to do geological studies where they put those things. A major area in the gulf was opened recently for offshore drilling. None of the oil companies have chosen to lease any of it.”

change the numbers at all.”

Although the DCA noted that Callery-Judge’s proposal had not adequately discussed water and traffic requirements, Roberts said that information is readily available. “You remember the whole water war discussion?” he asked. “We had the settlement, but maybe the county did not forward the contract to them.”

The DCA also cited a lack of “new urbanism” or clustering of development required by the Agricultural Enclave Act, which Roberts said is actually written into the amendment request.

“We assumed 90 percent of the units on 40 percent of the land,” he said. “In reviewing it, they seemed to have missed the point. Apparently the person that reviewed it didn’t sense it.”

Availability of adequate schools was another concern voiced by the DCA. “We have

See CALLERY, page 18

Adam Guillette, state director of the pro-business Americans for Prosperity, countered that economics outweigh environmental and other considerations regarding offshore drilling. He said lifting the ban would be an appropriate response to the spiking oil and gas prices and would give American people access to an oil source not controlled by hostile and terrorist-supporting countries.

“America will be able to take

one more step toward energy independence,” Guillette said. “At a time when our economy is what it is, it’s a fantastic boon for our economy.”

Nelson asked the two speakers whether drilling technology has improved to the point where risk of spills is negligible. Koch said that when oil drilling takes place, some of it always ends up on nearby beaches, posing a risk to the tourist industry that is so valuable to Florida. “I’ve had personal experience with beaches,” he said. “There is always spillage… I am sure the tourists would love this.”

But Guillette said he doubted that tourists and beachgoers would be cleaning tar off their feet. The drilling would take place hundreds of miles off the coast, he said, and not affect the beaches that tourists frequent. Nelson next asked if offshore drilling would lessen the incentive for investment in alternative energy sources. Koch said it would, but Guillette felt otherwise, adding that private business performs best when government gets out of its way.

“You have to allow the technology to evolve,” Guillette said. “Many times, it works best when the American government gets out of the way and lets private business do what it is supposed to do.”

Guillette accused speculators of driving oil prices up, and said that would stop when the ban is lifted.

“If we end the congressional ban, prices would drop instantly,” he said. “Speculators help drive the prices up. If you lift the ban, speculators will back away, and the prices will drop. When the president lifted the ban, that same day the price of oil dropped by $9.50 a barrel.” Perillo-Green asked both Guillette and Koch to comment on oilman T. Boone Pickens’ energy plan, which urges more reliance on natural gas and a diversity of energy sources. There was some agreement on this question from both speakers. Koch said he supports many

See DRILLING, page 18

Broward Activist Tapped To Run Against Sen. Atwater

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

The unexpected withdrawal of well-known Democratic candidate Walter “Skip” Campbell from the District 25 State Senate race earlier this month has led to a political newcomer mounting an uphill battle in the Democratic Party’s efforts to unseat one of the state’s most powerful Republicans.

A banker by trade, incumbent Jeff Atwater is in line to become the next president of the Florida State Senate. District 25 includes coastal areas of Broward and Palm Beach counties, but reaches inland to include most of Wellington and parts of Palm Beach Gardens and Royal Palm Beach.

The race was supposed to be one of the most high-profile in the state this year, pitting Campbell, a former state senator who was his party’s nominee for attorney general in 2006, against

Atwater and his huge war chest.

But when Campbell exited the race due to health reasons, the Democratic Party tapped 56year-old Linda Bird, a Broward County Realtor, to run in his place.

Bird was tapped for the job last Sunday by state party leaders as well as the Democratic executive committees of both Broward and Palm Beach counties. She characterizes herself as more of a non-politician and an advocate of residents and homeowners. “A lot of politicians are career politicians, and I’ve never been a politician before,” Bird said.

Bird, recently inducted into the Broward County Women’s Hall of Fame for civic work, campaigned for Hillary Clinton in her unsuccessful bid for the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination. However, Bird said that had nothing to do with her entry into the District 25 race.

“I have been an activist for 30 years in Broward County,” she said. “We have had a number of issues that have come up in our neighborhood, and I have been not a party activist but a community activist.” One such issue was a 2005 DC-3 plane crash in a Fort Lauderdale neighborhood. She coordinated 12 homeowners’ associations to organize a meeting with the Federal Aviation Agency to voice safety concerns. “The plane almost hit two houses and landed on a street that had several buses leaving schools in the neighborhood,” she said. “It had nothing to do with the Democratic Party. It had to do with doing what’s right in the neighborhoods, because I’m a homeowners’ president and I feel it’s important to watch out for the safety of the community.” Bird is active in various nonSee BIRD, page 18

PHOTO BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

John Koch of the Sierra Club Adam Guillette of Americans for Prosperity PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

County Supports Northlake Blvd., Sluggett Projects

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report

With the support of the Indian Trail Improvement District and the Town of Loxahatchee Groves, the Palm Beach County Commission on Wednesday approved sending a proposal for a commercial development on Northlake Blvd. to Tallahassee for state review.

Owners of a 30-acre parcel on the southwest corner of Northlake and Coconut boulevards are seeking a land-use change from Agricultural-Residential to Commercial Low in order to build a mixed-use development with as much as 133,000 square feet of commercial space.

Because the request would require changes to the county’s comprehensive plan, it must undergo review by the Florida Department of Community Affairs.

Indian Trail Improvement District President Mike Erickson, previously a staunch and vocal foe of development on Northlake Blvd., told county commissioners Wednesday he changed his attitude after developers made significant concessions, including several deed restrictions to preserve green space on three 15-acre parcels along the corridor and restriction to residential and institutional use for another 30-acre parcel.

Erickson also said he appreciates a clustering of green spaces between areas of development in the corridor, adding that the intersection of Coconut and Northlake is a logical place for commercial development.

The county staff recommendation was to deny the request, asserting that the majority of public input on the proposal was against it and that the plan would be inconsistent with several county development policies.

Last month, the Palm Beach County Planning Commission followed the staff recommendation in a 7-2 vote, with commission members Dennis Lipp and Neal Merin dissenting. Lipp, a Loxahatchee Groves town councilman, had previously made a motion earlier to approve the amendment, which failed 5-4.

On Wednesday, developer’s agent Bob Bentz of Land Design South told county commissioners the developer, Coconut Northlake LLC, had also gained the support of both the Indian Trail Improvement District and the Acreage Landowners’ Association.

“We’ve been talking to them for a long time,” Bentz said. “The reason is, it is a wellplanned corridor.”

Bentz said a need for commercial uses in the area justified his clients’ request. “There is a large population with limited services,” he said, noting that the site is nearly eight miles removed from the nearest drugstore, while county residents enjoy an average proximity of 1.5 miles to a drugstore. “This is also the most appropriate location for commercial,” he said. The parcel is part of a 2.5-mile strip along the south side of Northlake Blvd., much of which is owned by a few property owners who have been working on their own plans for development guidelines for the corridor. A 15-acre parcel owned by the U.S. Postal Service occupies the southeast corner of the intersection. Parcels between there and Pierce Hammock Elementary School, further west at 140th Avenue North, include a 30-acre property deed-restricted to residential and/or civic use, and three 15-acre parcels that are deed-restricted as wetland mitigation parcels for a total of 75 acres in deed-restricted property, Bentz said.

“This gives a level of assurance to the community,” Bentz said. “This is the front door to the Acreage community.” Erickson told commissioners that he and his fellow ITID supervisors support the comprehensive approach of the plan. “We are starting to take responsibility for our citizens,” he said, adding that he liked the developer’s concept of a “rural parkway” and plans to allow an eastwest connector for an equestrian trail.

Commissioner Jess Santamaria made a motion to approve the amendment. “Based on my discussions with residents in the area, there is a need for this type of development,” he said. The motion passed 6-1 with Commissioner Karen Marcus opposed.

Also Wednesday, the commissioners approved transmittal of a request for a land-use change for the 64.5-acre Sluggett Property on the northwest corner of Seminole Pratt-Whitney Road and Southern Blvd., which the property owners are seeking to develop as a commercial node for the surrounding area.

With a desired land-use change from Rural Residential to Commercial Low, plans for the property include 161,500 square feet of retail space, 15 residential units and the possibility of other amenities for public or civic use. County staff recommended

Big Steeplechase Event Set For Nov. 29 In Wellington

Wellington will host the Palm Beach Steeplechase on Saturday, Nov. 29 as a Thanksgiving weekend feature of an expanded equestrian circuit at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

ductions. “The event adds another dimension of horse sport in our continuing effort to make Wellington the premier equestrian lifestyle destination in the world.”

The day will see five races over about 12 fences with total prize money of $200,000. It will be the finale for the 2008 competition year sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association, the governing body of the sport. The association will hold its annual awards dinner and other social events in conjunction with the Palm Beach Steeplechase.

It will be the first steeplechase to be held in the Palm Beach area in 23 years. Terrier races, live music, wine tasting, antique car displays and a fancy hat contest will all be part of what is traditionally a day-long tailgate party and social event. A celebrity race on the flat with no jumps will feature polo players and amateurs as part of the entertainment.

Lou Raffetto, CEO of the National Steeplechase Association, said he is excited about the event. “The goal is to create an event, and I have no doubt we can do that,” he said. “The weekend will have something for everyone, and we are expecting a great deal of participation.” The races will be held on the polo fields near the corner of South Shore Blvd. and Pierson Road. The association expects about 50 horses to participate. The Palm Beach Polo Club last hosted steeplechases in the spring of 1984 and 1985.

According to Equestrian Sport Productions, the management company for dressage and hunter-jumper shows at the PBIEC, the steeplechase will comprise five races over a 2.25mile course being constructed at the former Palm Beach Polo Stadium.

Equestrian promoter Mark Bellissimo said he hopes to create an annual event to attract both equestrians and non-equestrians. “This steeplechase will be a fun, family-oriented event that we hope will engage the entire community,” said Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Pro-

Raffetto said the association usually holds its last steeplechase of the year in mid-November in South Carolina, but it welcomed lengthening the season. “We hope this is a huge success and grows into a yearly event,” Raffetto said. “We couldn’t think of a better way to end the season.”

The Palm Beach Steeplechase will be held a week before Holiday & Horses, an equestrian extravaganza of world-class competition of jumping, hunters, dressage and exciting family entertainment at PBIEC. Holiday & Horses kicks off the fiveweek Holiday Circuit as a prelude to the 2009 Winter Equestrian Festival running from Jan. 7 through March 29, 2009.

Area Artist Opening Gallery On Dixie Highway In West Palm

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

Wellington Art Society member Ursula Fernandez is opening an art gallery in West Palm Beach next door to her son’s jewelry store on South Dixie Highway.

Fine Art at West Best will host an opening celebration on Friday, Aug. 1 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Fernandez is encouraging artists and friends to take part in the opening, which will include refreshments and a raffle of an original painting.

Fernandez, an enthusiastic amateur painter, worked for more than 15 years at the West Best Jewelry store but retired eight years ago. Now the studio and gallery will give her a place to work and exhibit her own works and those of other local artists, she said.

“I am going to be inviting other artists to participate here and show their art here,” she said. “It will be something informal.

I will be painting here. I will have a studio and a gallery as well. It’s exciting for me.” Fernandez was born in Cuba and emigrated to Miami with her husband Orlando and three children in 1960 after Fidel Castro came to power. In the 1980s they moved to Palm Beach County.

While a girl growing up in Cuba, Fernandez was inspired to create art partly by an aunt on her father’s side who worked in oils and favored floral subjects. But her neighbor Felix De Cossio, who painted portraits and figures, was a stronger influence and taught her many techniques as she practiced into her teens.

Despite her love of painting, Fernandez made her career in office work such as bookkeeping. “I did mainly office jobs and managed the export departments at a Chevrolet dealership for many years,” she said, “but always was sketching and painting for my own relaxation. I attended workshops of local artists.”

When her son John opened the jewelry store in West Palm Beach with his brother Orlando Jr., he brought her into the store to handle the bookkeeping and other financial aspects of the business, but she also helped him with some designs for jewelry. In the meantime, she continued to paint in oils on wood or canvas, with tropical vegetation and female figures as favored subjects. And quite unexpectedly, in 1984 she had a reunion with her first art teacher De Cossio, who had come to America and found success in New York. Fernandez said she heard his name for the first time in years while visiting her daughter. “I

“This has been a wonderful place for us,” she said of the United States. “Our fourth child was born here. I would like to visit Cuba sometime in my life, but in reality, we made this our home. We became citizens five years after we arrived, and our children were raised as CubanAmericans.”

used to go on weekends to visit her in Miami,” Fernandez said. “She said there was an art school very close to her house, and she heard one of the portrait painters was Felix De Cossio. I said, ‘that is my neighbor from when I was a child.’ I wasn’t even thinking about him when we caught up with one another. I couldn’t believe it. I had grandchildren by the time I met him again.”

De Cossio had cataracts and was in failing health when the two met again. Although she took another course with him, he passed away shortly afterward.

Since she retired in 2000, Fernandez has been able to concentrate on working as an artist. “I have been blessed with the encouragement of my four children. Now John, one of the strongest admirers of my work, has set me up next to his store, extending West Best Jewelry with Fine Art at West Best. I am looking forward to new avenues in this field. Portraiture is something I get excited to create, as it is a challenge to reach realism and likeness.”

While Fernandez enjoys realistic depictions of subjects such as portraits, figures and still-life flowers and tropical fruit, she said she is trying to broaden her style to reflect current tastes.

“I am trying to do some modern work,” Fernandez said. “I have to go with the flow. The designers are looking for more of the modern paintings. I am

going to do a little of that, too. I will have a little abstract combined with realistic and have them combined together.”

Fine Art at West Best is located at 2602 S. Dixie Highway, Suite 2 in West Palm Beach. For more information, call Fernandez at (561) 964-4118 or (561) 301-6848, or e-mail her at ursulaart@bellsouth.net.

(Above) Artist Ursula Fernandez with her husband Orlando surrounded by her artwork. (Right) Fernandez with her son John. PHOTOS BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Skimping On Law Enforcement Is Not A Recipe For Success

As the Town-Crier has reported over the past several weeks, local governments have been forced to cut services in next year’s budget in order to keep from raising taxes. Because elected officials know that voting for a tax increase is the least popular thing they can do, the result is a cut in services. Of course, not all services are equal; recreation programs are more likely to end up on the chopping block than law enforcement and fire-rescue services. Cutting public safety spending is almost as unpopular as raising taxes… almost. While no one disputes the importance of maintaining high levels of police service, it is important to know where that money is going — especially in a year when the money seems to be going out quicker than coming in.

Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw has come under fire for requesting a $34.2-million increase in his budget for next year. Though he originally asked for $35.6 million, critics argue that the reduction is not enough in a hardship year. Unfortunately, much of the rise in PBSO spending is due to a cost of living increase — something mandated by union contracts. But it’s not just the county budget that suffers; municipalities feel the same sting. Both Royal Palm Beach and Wellington have seen PBSO contract increases of about eight percent.

However, the sluggish economy presents local government with a quandary. Because desperate times often lead to an increase in crime, that makes it all the

Brown Right For Wrong Reason

Editor’s note: the following letter is a response to Don Brown’s column that appeared in last week’s Town-Crier

It is quite obvious to me that you are a supporter of the incorporation of The Acreage, and to me, your article in the TownCrier dated the week of July 18 supports this issue.

I have as yet to get myself involved with the local politics for the last five years that I’ve been here, but it seems to be the same old crap as I had experienced while living on Long Island in New York. I came to enjoy retirement in this wonderful state and not hear or read of the injustices and self-serving interests of the NIMBY (not in my back yard) people. To those who will say I should move back, I should have a few choice picked words.

While I do not have a major problem with incorporation, I do have a problem as to the causes and reasoning behind its occurrence.

I’ve been reading this newspaper for quite a while, and most of what I glean from it is the selfishness of the communities it represents. I will stick only to the one concern mentioned in your expose, and that is the traffic situations as I understand them. The State Road 7 and Roebuck Road extensions are, in my humble opinion, very much needed to ease the overwhelming, ever-burdening crush of vehicles in Royal Palm Beach. Living on one of the main cut-

through roads in RPB, I can attest to this quite readily. Here’s my NIMBY response: when these extensions are complete it will be my children who will be safer from speeders and stop-sign runners! I won’t have to pick up half the garbage that is cast from passing vehicles, and I will not have to hear truck noises and car exhausts that come at all hours day and night!

This portrayal of the benefits of incorporation is to me another attempt to placate those few individuals who have a “burr under their saddle” and who gather to support their own selfinterests to keep their towns pristine and rural. You certainly don’t mind using other towns’ resources and taxes to your benefit.

These communities are growing every day, and this is an issue that needs to be addressed for the benefit of all and not just for a few. Too bad a new road is added if it alleviates pressures on the surrounding towns. Under the guise of actually reporting both sides of the real story, I challenge you, Mr. Brown, to openly state and print the facts as to how much time and money has been already dispersed/wasted in the various court actions and impact studies to save a frog or bird or some person’s discomfort of dealing with traffic noise! I therefore submit that this action you seemingly support to incorporate is just another attempt to stave off the inevitable — the right thoughts for the wrong reasons.

Bruce Drummond Royal Palm Beach

more important to have proper law enforcement in place. The very lack of money that makes spending on sheriff’s services problematic is also the reason that spending needs to increase. But either way you look at it, the devil is in the details. How and where will the money be spent? What are the results? Sheriff Bradshaw needs a certain amount of money to run his department properly. That is fine, but in return, taxpayers demand accountability. If County Administrator Bob Weisman’s dire projections for the 2009-10 budget hold true, such increases could break the bank. The PBSO must not use the importance of law enforcement services as an excuse to request more money than is necessary.

Still, no one should be surprised that Sheriff Bradshaw anticipates a need for more of his services in the coming year. As the western communities continue to grow, local municipalities will have to keep up the pace of law enforcement. Not only will there be more new neighborhoods to patrol, but the addition of new retail centers — where much of the crime occurs — will require an increased PBSO presence. We certainly don’t want to get caught in the midst of a rising crime rate without the proper means for dealing with it.

Maintaining a high level of PBSO services without breaking the bank is a tough balancing act. But when it comes down to it, government should always err on the side of public safety. The greatest cost isn’t always monetary.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Questions About OGEM

One of the hottest topics in Loxahatchee Groves right now is the application of OGEM [open graded emulsified mix] as a so-called road “stabilizer.” There are many unanswered questions about the process, cost, which roads are going to be done and what order they are going to be done in.

How is the cost of the OGEM going to be assessed? What happens when the residents refuse to or can’t afford to maintain the road? What if one’s property doesn’t front a road that is going to be OGEM’d? Do these people get to benefit at the frontage owners’ expense? What of the commercial property owners’ cost? If some of the larger nurseries continue to run their heavy trucks on the smaller roads, the wear and tear on the new road surface is going to need repairs sooner, do the commercial property owners pay more?

No one from the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors or the district office can tell me how much it cost for OGEM per mile. No one can tell me what the total cost of maintenance will be once applied, how often maintenance will be required or the cost of this maintenance. The district’s budget shows 4.5 miles of roadways cost $640,000 to apply OGEM. This does not include the cost of signage and the work done by the district employees. If you do the math, this equals $142,222 per mile.

In a recent conversation with

a resident of Bryan Road, where OGEM has been down for approximately five years, I was told that the residents of that street have already pitched in $400 each for repairs, and that was just a drop in the bucket toward what needs to be done. I was also told that not all of the residents on the road pitched in, so the other residents had to make up the difference.

I find it curious that all of the roads that have had OGEM applied with LGWCD grant money, with the exception of Bryan Road, have a water control district board member as a resident. I find it interesting that for months now the board has made it very clear they can operate only on district roads, and yet these roads do not fall into that category.

I find it very disconcerting that Mr. John Ryan, a LGWCD supervisor and resident of A Road, is telling his neighbors that A Road is next to be done with OGEM. How were these roads picked? Who came up with the criteria? Why was district grant money used for nondistrict roads? The board members used grant money to do their roads, are the rest of us going to be so lucky? So many questions, so few answers.

Ilene Rindom Loxahatchee Groves

Get The Facts About Acreage Incorporation

As the hot-air balloon with its banner of “incorporate The Acreage” is being inflated

again, I have three questions: First, exactly what land is considered “The Acreage?” As it stands right now, it appears that in this unincorporated western area, if the news is good, I live in The Acreage. For example, “Acreage Area Student Receives Award.” If the news is bad, I live in Loxahatchee because the headline reads “Loxahatchee Area Teen Arrested.”

Second, in an incorporated “The Acreage,” how would the proposed municipality be governed? What would be the role of the Acreage Landowners’ Association, small but very vocal; Indian Trail Improvement District, already referred to in the Palm Beach Post as the “governing body of The Acreage;” and the Palm Beach County Commission? I can foresee huge power struggles and ugly politics. Is it possible that we could be taxed and assessed by ITID, PBC and the municipality of The Acreage? Since it involves OPM (other people’s money), the boards already existing seem to have no trouble

finding an amazing array of proposals on ways to spend taxpayers’ dollars. As just one example, the issue of water, while quieted for the time being at a cost in the millions, remains in the very near future as an enormously expensive elephant sitting in our living rooms waiting to rise again. And third, who will “show me the money?” Residents of the Town of Loxahatchee Groves write letters nearly every week to the Town-Crier bemoaning unanticipated financial consequences of their incorporation. It appears to me that it is risky business, especially in today’s economy, to establish a municipality which would have a tax base composed almost entirely of residential property without knowing exactly who would be paying for what. This is no place for assumptions and visions without hardcore facts to support them. The time to ask these questions and get solid answers is now, before the incorporation balloon leaves the launch pad. Christine Carter Loxahatchee

SEND IN YOUR LETTERS

The Town-Crier welcomes letters to the editor. Please keep letters brief (300 words). Submit letters, with contact name, address, and telephone number (anonymous letters will not be published), to The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414; fax them to (561) 793-6090 ; or you can e-mail them to letters@goTownCrier.com

With So Much Land, Folks Are Expecting Callery-Judge To Share

This land is your land... Callery-Judge Grove received a response from the Florida Department of Community Affairs on its development plans a few days ago. Called the ORC report, for Objections, Recommendations and Comments, the document lists any objections and recommendations resulting from an earlier hearing on the citrus grove’s scaled-down plan to build nearly 3,000 homes and 235,000 square feet of commercial space on its 4,000 acres near The Acreage.

The development plan was essentially approved last April by the Palm Beach County Commission and transmitted to the DCA, the route required for such projects. After adjustments are made during meetings between Callery-Judge and county staff officials, it will go back to the commission for final approval and forwarded again to the DCA to be blessed by the state.

The ORC contained a number of technical recommendations that Callery-Judge General Manager Nat Roberts told me were anticipated and have already been resolved. However, some of them made me wonder whether those folks in Tallahassee even read the plans or looked at maps. I’d bet a dollar against a donut that none of the reviewers have ever been to Callery-Judge or The Acreage.

Here are some examples:

• The DCA noted that additional information was needed on a water supply plan in the area. How could anyone have missed those massive green water pipes lined up along Seminole Pratt Whitney Rd. and elsewhere in The Acreage for months? I suggest to Mr. Roberts that he cut a photo out of the Town-Crier newspaper and send it to the DCA.

• State planners also noted that Callery-Judge’s plans were based on a five-mile radius of the groves rather than one mile they claim is required under the legislative Agricultural Enclave Act updated and passed earlier this year. Had they taken the time to look at accompanying maps of the area, they would have discovered that the num-

By Don Brown

bers are essentially the same whether the radius is five miles or one mile.

• Noting that only 115 homes are expected to be built during the project’s first five years, that schedule apparently caught the ORC writers by surprise. They wanted it in writing as part of a policy. OK, that’s fewer than 25 homes per year, far fewer than the thousands of homes that have sprung up in The Acreage, Royal Palm Beach and Wellington over the past decade.

• Here’s one of my favorite objections, which proves you can’t win for losing: the DCA said the Callery-Judge plan lacks “new urbanism concepts.” They must have forgotten about the grove’s cutting-edge “new town” development project that was shot down last year by county commissioners who apparently had never heard about the concept. DCA also gigged C-J’s plans for clustering homes, mixed-use development, rural villages and city centers and transfer of development rights. If you think that sounds way technical, just try to decipher their report into plain English. They could have saved themselves a lot of time by simply noting that 90 percent of the dwelling units are being built on only 40 percent of the property.

• Another objection had to do with a category called “urban design/open space.” As nearly as I can figure, DCA is quibbling over definitions of open spaces, buffers and passive recreation uses. C-J has actually set aside nearly 1,500 open acres, comparatively double the open space required for the Briger property’s Scripps Research Institute near Palm Beach Gardens that also includes 2,700 homes. Oh, and the Palm Beach County Com-

TOWN-CRIER

mission helped plan that project.

• Here’s another of my favorite DCA recommendations: “Include provisions to ensure that environmentally sensitive lands are included in the open space and that only compatible uses are allowed in open space areas.” Duh! There are no environmentally sensitive lands inside an existing orange grove!

• Another ORC objection claimed there were inadequate school facilities. However, Palm Beach County School District chief of facilities management Joseph Sanches quickly quashed that erroneous DCA finding by firing off a letter to C-J attorneys objecting to the objection and thanking C-J for their commitment to education.

It turns out that many of the DCA’s objections and recommendations were from a letter to the agency on behalf of 1,000 Friends of Florida,

written by one of their legal hacks, Lisa Interlandi. In her letter she pointed out correctly that Callery-Judge Grove is complying with a state requirement to provide 40 percent of land as open space. However, that is not enough for her. She claims that her 1,000 Friends (I wonder who those friends are) want more of the private property. I wonder how much longer it will be before those thousand people show up at our own homes with pitchforks and torches demanding we share too. Her demands give a whole new meaning to that famous Woody Guthrie song.

I wonder if Ms. Interlandi can force CalleryJudge to give me a piece of their land for the tiki hut that Royal Palm Beach and Wellington have both steadfastly refused to give me. This land is my land...

Excessive Searches And Seizures

In its endless quest for greater power and control, one government agency, the Department of Homeland Security, is routinely searching and sometimes seizing laptops and more from American citizens re-entering the United States from abroad.

The battle line in this struggle between oligarchy and personal, civil liberty should definitely be clarified and codified by Congress.

For example, a recent survey conducted by the Association of Corporate Travel Executives revealed that seven of 100 respondents indicated they had a laptop or other electronic device “seized” at the airport.

The DHS refuses to reveal figures on the number of

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin

iPhones, Blackberries as well as laptops that had been searched or had information wantonly copied from them. Obviously in the information being “snooped out” by the government are financial and medical records, plus e-mails and other private material.

The business community now worries about trade secrets being exposed during these random peek-a-boos. Journalists and lawyers are se-

riously concerned about sources losing confidentiality. After all, they say, the Fourth Amendment does feature a ban on unreasonable searches and seizures. This is a complex and worrisome situation Congress should sort out and then pass worthwhile legislation. The need for DHS to gain information to help protect our nation is paramount. Thus searches marked “reasonable suspicion” surely make sense. But there certainly ought to be rules about how, and how many, invasions of privacy go down. And it also makes sense that these laws demand “probable cause” before a laptop is seized and information copied.

Mahoney Pushes Healthcare Reform At Meeting With Doctors

By Carol Porter Town-Crier Staff Report

With the successful passage last week of a bill in Congress to strengthen Medicare, Congressman Tim Mahoney (DDistrict 16) called Monday for more effort to reform the nation’s healthcare system. Congress overrode a presidential veto last week to make the Medicare Improvement for Patients and Providers Act a law.

Gathered at the Palm Beach County Medical Society offices in West Palm Beach with some of the society’s officers and other leading local physicians, Mahoney said the legislation would allow many seniors and disabled people to continue receiving healthcare.

“Had this legislation failed, it would have meant a 10.6 percent cut in Medicare payments,” Mahoney said. “You, the physicians in Florida, would have lost about $1.3 billion of income for care to the elderly and the disabled over an 18-month period. These kind of cuts would have been disastrous. It would have put you, the doctors, in a position of having to make some tough decisions about Medicare and whether or not you are going to accept it, whether or not you are going to continue to provide those services… That’s a decision I don’t think anyone in this room wanted to make.”

Mahoney, who will face one of three Republican challengers this year in his bid for a second congressional term, said he was motivated to seek office by the state of the healthcare system.

“As a businessman for 30 years, I watched my health insurance premiums just skyrocket, and the benefit that I used to provide my employees as an incentive to work for me has turned out to be something I could not afford in my business anymore.”

Healthcare costs have American businesses struggling to stay competitive, Mahoney said. “As a result, healthcare is not just a moral issue in terms of being able to provide it, it has also become an economic issue,” he said. “If our nation doesn’t have the courage to stand up and address this issue, we are going to have trouble competing in this global economy.”

Calling the legislation a “finger in the dike” measure, Mahoney called for further bipartisan efforts at fundamental changes to the healthcare system.

“We can provide healthcare, and we can do it in a way that makes sense from both the patient’s perspective; the caregiver’s perspective; and the doctors’, nurses’, and other medical professionals’ perspectives,”

BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

Mahoney said. “We need to also make sure that every working family and everyone who pays taxes in this country should be able to have access to affordable healthcare.”

Mahoney charged that insurance companies exert far too much influence over how medical care is administered in this country. “Nobody ever envisioned that healthcare in this nation would be dictated by insurance companies or actuaries,” he said. “The problem with

insurance companies is they know how to make money two ways, increasing premiums and reducing services. They are dictating what you get paid, and they are dictating the level of service. We need to sit down and re-look at that. Nobody’s getting well when you fill out a form.”

Some physicians at the meeting suggested that medical schools are seeing a decline in the quality of medical students, and Mahoney agreed.

“One of the things that doc-

tors are concerned about is that young men and women coming into medical school are already figuring out how to play the game, as opposed to being good doctors,” Mahoney said. “This is something of concern to doctors across the country. Unfortunately, this administration is out of touch with the plight of the American people. You are not the only ones being affected. I talk to the people who run our hospitals in rural communities. They are having a hard time

finding nurses and other medical personnel.” Mahoney added that he is evaluating a congressional bill that would establish national, comprehensive health insurance, especially in light of corporate support for the plan.

“Americans realize that something has to change,” he said. “They are not going to be afraid when someone starts throwing out words like ‘socialized medicine.’ Back in the 1990s, the

See MAHONEY, page 18

RPB Zoners OK Changes To Industrial Park Off Southern Blvd.

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

The Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission approved modifications Tuesday to a site plan for an industrial park located behind Al Packer Ford West on the north side of Southern Blvd.

The owners of the Palms West Industrial Park are seeking permission to add two new uses for the 82,400-square-foot site, to allow a fitness center and a school. The latter use would be limited to business, trade, studio or vocational school only.

Architect Jon Schmidt, representing property owner 3-ARMZ LLC, told the commissioners that the changes would benefit three bays in the park. “We already have a tentative agreement

for a gymnastics/tumbling school in bays 17 and 18,” he said.

Schmidt said plans include two more parking spots than the 252 the village requires for the uses. He told commissioners he would ensure handicapped-accessible exits for the projects in those bays.

The commissioners also agreed with Schmidt’s request to increase the allowed office area from a maximum of 10 percent of each bay to a maximum of 30 percent. Schmidt said the 10 percent requirement limits the number of possible businesses on the site.

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council is scheduled to review the application at its Aug. 21 meeting.

Also Tuesday, the commissioners approved changes to the site plan of a self-storage facility planned as part of the Fox Property Development of Regional Impact just south of Okeechobee Blvd. near State Road 7.

SS Development LLC is planning a self-storage facility for a 6.2-acre site on Fox Trail Road South that will occupy a total of 125,182 square feet, including a truck rental service and 4,400 square feet of retail.

The company is seeking to reduce the planned 25,724square-foot second floor of one building in the development to just a 1,500-squarefoot security quarters. The company is also requesting a change in its construction

schedule to call for two instead of three phases and landscaping modifications to include slightly smaller trees.

Responding to concerns by commission members about the “unbalanced look” the reduced second floor would give to the building in question, developer’s representative Russell Scott of Urban Design Studio agreed to add a second structure on the upper level to mirror the planned second-story quarters on the building as a condition of approval.

Commissioners voted to recommend approval of the changed phasing, the reduced square footage, the master signage plan and the architecture plan for the modified two-story building.

In other business, the commissioners gave grudging approval to a request by the Solid Waste Authority for a site plan modification and landscape waiver for its recycling facility on the north side of Fairgrounds Road, due to errors in the original plans for the site.

The SWA is requesting permission to place a 460-foot perimeter landscape buffer along a driveway within the property because the north property line where the buffer was originally intended to be located actually runs along the center of a canal.

The canal bank itself is unstable, according to the staff report, and will be fortified by a concrete reinforcement if the application is approved. The village

approved the original site plan in 2006.

Commission Chair Richard Durr complained about the quality of work done by the SWA. “I’m worried about setting a precedent,” he said. “When people mess up, they shouldn’t just come to us to get it fixed.”

Commissioner Darrell Lange also expressed concern about setting a precedent. “We are putting a Band-Aid on their mess,” he said. “They have a problem with their surveyor and then they gave us documents that were incorrect.”

However, the commission voted 4-1 to recommend approval of the application, with Durr dissenting. “What else can we do?” Lange asked. “We have to clean up the mess.”

(Above) Wellington Regional Medical Center’s Dr. Gordon Johnson asks a question.

(Right) Congressman Tim Mahoney with Dr. Jose Arrascue of the Palm Beach County Medical Society.

PHOTOS

ATV Thief Arrested In Royal Palm Beach

By Jason Budjinski Town-Crier Staff Report

JULY 19 — A man was arrested on multiple charges last Saturday afternoon in Royal Palm Beach after stealing an allterrain vehicle (ATV). According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, 31-yearold Robert Carter took the vehicle from a shopping plaza in Loxahatchee Groves after discovering the keys were in the ignition. Carter drove the vehicle eastbound on Southern Blvd. and was pursued by the owner, who was told by witnesses that the ATV had been stolen. The owner followed Carter to D Road, backing off after Carter pointed a gun at him, according to the report. A witness spotted Carter traveling on Parkwood Drive in Royal Palm Beach and contacted the PBSO. A deputy pursued Carter through the LaMancha neighborhood, where he abandoned the ATV and continued fleeing on foot before being apprehended. Carter was arrested and transported to the Palm Beach County Jail.

• • •

JULY 14 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach was dispatched last Monday to the BP gas station on State Road 7 regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, at sometime between 7:15 and 10:30 a.m., someone broke the vehicle’s driver’s-side window and stole a purse that was on the seat. The purse contained an ATM card and the victim’s driver’s license. There were no witnesses at the time of the report.

JULY 17 — A West Palm Beach woman was arrested last Thursday during a traffic stop in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the RPB substation was running a radar at the intersection of Southern Blvd. and 103rd Avenue and observed a vehicle driven by 30-year-old Wilma Bass traveling 29 miles per hour beyond the posted speed limit. Upon making contact with Bass, the deputy discovered her license was suspended. She was arrested and taken to the county jail.

JULY 18 — A juvenile was arrested for vehicle burglary last Friday in Royal Palm Beach. According to a PBSO report, the juvenile entered vehicles at two neighboring residences on Cordoba Circle before he was

scared away by one of the residents. K-9 units, a helicopter and patrol units tracked the juvenile. He was apprehended after a brief struggle.

JULY 18 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a business on Corporate Center Way last Friday regarding a criminal mischief complaint. According to a PBSO report, the victim entered his office at approximately 7:45 a.m. to find one of the windows broken and a stone laying in the hallway. The victim further discovered that the office was covered in a white, dusty substance, which was later determined to be from a fire extinguisher. There were no witnesses at the time of the report.

JULY 18 — A Village Walk resident called the PBSO substation in Wellington last Friday regarding a burglary. According to a PBSO report, someone entered the victim’s home sometime between 2 and 4:15 p.m., gaining entrance through an unlocked rear sliding door. Stolen from inside the house were a Dell computer modem and a firearm. There was no suspect information available at the time of the report.

JULY 19 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to Calypso Bay Water Park last Saturday afternoon regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, the vehicle was parked in the west end of the parking lot when someone smashed the driver’s-side window and stole a purse containing a wallet, an iPod and eight money orders worth $1,000 each. The deputy noted that three other vehicles in the area were burglarized during the same timeframe. There were no suspects at the time of the report.

JULY 21 — A Lake Worth man was arrested Monday night in Wellington after being caught driving a stolen vehicle. According to a PBSO report, a deputy from the Wellington substation was traveling westbound on Forest Hill Blvd. when he noticed that the driver of the green Honda in the next lane — 21year-old Harold Smith — was not wearing a seat belt. The deputy ran a check on the Honda’s license plate and discovered that the vehicle had been reported stolen. Several more deputies joined in the pursuit, including

See BLOTTER, page 18

PBSO Seeking Suspect In Wellington Shooting

JULY 22 — A Wellington man was hospitalized after being shot Tuesday night.

According to a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office report, deputies responded at approximately 10 p.m. to Shaker Circle, where 22-year-old Christopher Delvalle had been shot in the upper torso. A nearby homeowner called the PBSO and Palm Beach County FireRescue after being approached by Delvalle. He was transported to Delray Medical Center and is expected to recover. Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Chris Karpinski at (561) 688-4000, or Crime Stoppers at (800) 458-TIPS or tips@cspbc.net.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Deborah Fisher, a.k.a. Deborah Short, is a white female, 5’5” tall and weighing 129 lbs., with brown hair and blue eyes. Her date of birth is 08/20/ 68. She has a scar on her left ankle. Fisher is wanted for failure to appear in court on the charge of sale of a schedule II substance (oxycodone). Her occupation is unknown. Her last known address was North 5th Street in Lantana. Fisher is wanted as of 07/24/08. • Gregory Sterner is a white male, 6’ tall and weighing 200 lbs., with blond hair and green eyes. His date of birth is 11/05/62. He has scars on his right arm, left hand and both legs. Sterner is wanted for failure to appear in court on the felony charges of domestic battery, domestic assault, domestic false imprisonment and criminal mischief; and failure to appear in court on the traffic charges of driving under the influence causing injury to person or property, refusal to submit to a chemical or physical test, willful refusal to accept and sign citation, and leaving the scene of a crash involving damage. His occupation is window installer. His last known addresses were Coconut Road in Lake Worth and D Road in Loxahatchee. Sterner is wanted as of 07/24/08. 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.

Deborah Fisher

Gregory Sterner

ROYAL PALM COVENANT CHURCH YOUTH EXPLOSION EVENT A SUCCESS

Royal Palm Covenant Church sponsored its Youth Explosion July 9-11. The event was an opportunity for youth to share their talents while participating in seminars and workshops. The event kicked off July 9 with the discussion “Building Family Relationships.” On July 10, workshops were held addressing teens as they relate to each other. The event concluded Friday, July 11 with plenty of family fun and activities, culminating with an open-air concert featuring several performers. Royal Palm Covenant Church is located at 660 Royal Palm Beach Blvd. For more info., call (561) 793-1077.

Teknikal Diffikulteez and the Definitions perform on the final day of the event.

The group Power of Praise performs.

Hands of Praise worshippers from the Tabernacle of Pentecost Church.

Pastor Steve Bethune donates blood.Youngsters take part in a workshop on cyber-bullying.

Faizon Rassoules (center) enjoys the concert.

Indian Trail Committee Recommends Speed Hump Test Sites

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

The Indian Trail Improvement District Planning Committee voted Monday to recommend using Tangerine and Orange boulevards as test locations for removable speed humps and center dividers.

Speeding drivers in The Acreage, tempted by long, straight roads with few traffic signals or stop signs, are one of several sources of road-related frustration for ITID officials and residents.

The ITID Board of Supervisors voted last month to fund a comprehensive traffic plan intended to address this and other problems. Evaluating the effectiveness of traffic-calming devices is expected to be included in the preparation of the plan.

Tangerine Blvd. residents Joanne and James Butler and Mark Kessler, who led petition drives for speed humps on their street in 2006, told the committee the district must do something to combat speeding drivers. Kessler said he had seen cars traveling at 80 or 90 mph on Tangerine Blvd. between 180th Avenue and Mandarin Blvd.

Joanne Butler noted that the previous ITID board had voted in 2006 to put traffic humps on their road, but that the current board had not carried through.

ITID President Mike Erickson replied that the current board decided that a comprehensive program focusing on how to di-

rect traffic in the district overall would offer a better outcome than specific measures in particular areas.

Committee Member Bertram Shapero agreed. “A comprehensive plan takes longer than a Band-aid plan,” he said. “It would be faster to put in speed humps where people yell the loudest, but what we need is to put them where they are most needed.”

General Manager R. Trent Ebersole of McMahon Transportation Engineers & Planners, which is performing traffic studies for the plan, told the committee that speed humps tend to aggravate the residents who live on roads where they’re placed.

“You often get a petition that has 60 percent of residents in favor of putting in speed humps and you do it,” he said. “A year later you get a petition signed by 60 percent of residents asking for them to be removed.”

Blaming outsiders for excessive speed is often wrongheaded, Ebersole added. “Generally speaking, when traffic rules are strictly enforced, 85 percent of the tickets are for local residents,” he said. “Most speeding is by locals.”

Ebersole offered to bring back traffic data as his company makes it available rather than wait for the entire plan to be completed.

“Traffic issues are not always as simple as they seem at first,” he warned. “Four-way stop

signs can cause even more accidents, and far more serious ones, if people ignore them. If you have a four-way stop at an intersection where one road is generally fairly crowded and the cross street is not, drivers on the busier street sometimes don’t stop where they should.”

Ebersole told the committee that most fire departments assume a five-second delay in response time for each speed hump on the route. “That does not seem like much, but it can add up,” he said.

Ebersole also suggested the district evaluate moveable, adjustable speed humps. “Some districts now use specialized ‘temporary’ speed humps,” he said. “They’re made of composite and they can be set up to allow tracks at the exact width of fire trucks’ tires. The fire trucks can get through without delay but most drivers have to slow down.”

Ebersole added that it also might be effective to narrow roads by putting in median dividers of a similar material. “When a road is narrowed,” he said, “it is natural for drivers to slow down. There are also artificial curbs that can be used to have lanes move a small amount, forcing a zigzag, which also naturally creates slower speed.”

Nevertheless, Ebersole said, strict enforcement is the best traffic control tool. “Nothing works better than enforcement,

even if it is temporary,” he said. “Even after the deputies are gone, people are more careful. They remember getting tickets.”

Erickson told Ebersole that the district has a meager law enforcement presence. “We have four deputies for the whole district,” he said. “And the county says that is an acceptable level of service. That is one reason why many of us are beginning to talk about incorporation.”

Ebersole promised to provide more information on speed

humps by the committee’s next meeting. “These are not all that temporary,” he said. “They have to be bolted down, and it takes skilled work to put them down and take them off. The same company also has median dividers in the same material.”

ITID Supervisor Ralph Bair, sitting in the audience, suggested reflectors on the medians. “If we use solar ones,” he said, “they will reflect during the day and flash at night, giving warning to drivers.”

Shapero said Tangerine Blvd. would be the ideal test area for one of the traffic-calming devices and made a motion to recommend a comparison test of the devices on Tangerine and Orange boulevards. Committee

Member Amy Hackney asking to amend the motion to request a focus on the roads’ approach to Acreage Pines Elementary School and Acreage Community Park. Shapero accepted the change and the committee unanimously approved it.

Curbing Acreage Traffic — Indian Trail Improvement District Supervisor Ralph Bair, Presi-

dent Mike Erickson, Operations & Maintenance Director Terry Narrow and Traffic Engineer Trent Ebersole examine Acreage traffic maps. PHOTO BY LEONARD WECHSLER/TOWN-CRIER

POLS VISIT WITH WELLINGTON CHAMBER MEMBERS AT TAVERN ON THE

The Wellington Chamber of Commerce hosted a reception featuring candidates for state and county offices on Thursday, July 17 at the Equestrian Club by the Tavern on the Green (3401 Equestrian Club Drive). Chamber members and guests met and talked with incumbents and political hopefuls. For more information about the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 792-6525.

Kathy Foster, Mike Nelson, Glenn Straub and Paula Russell.

State House District 85 candidates Democrat Joe Abruzzo and Republican Howard Coates.

Dean Turney, Wellington Councilwoman Lizbeth Benacquisto and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 8 Capt. Greg Richter.

State Attorney hopeful Mike McAuliffe

Port of Palm Beach Commissioner George Mastics and his wife Carole.

Joe Abruzzo, Linda Margolis and Rick Ford.

Judge Richard Wennet

State House District 83 candidate Rick Ford, Palm Beach County Property Appraiser hopeful and incumbent District 78 State Rep. Richard Machek, and Jeanne Ray.

Circuit Court judicial candidate Lisa Small, Melissa Varvarigos and State Rep. Susan Bucher, a candidate for Palm Beach County Supervisor of Elections.

Linda Margolis, Howard Coates and Supervisor of Elections Dr. Arthur Anderson.

Poker Run To Benefit Horse Rescue Group

The Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association will host a poker run trail ride on Sunday, Aug. 3 following the association’s Aug. 1-2 show at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on Forest Hill Blvd.

After paying the $20 entrance fee, participants will go on a trail ride that includes five stations along the route. At each station, participants will pick up envelopes with playing cards inside. Upon completion of the trail

ride, participants will open their cards at the finish table to reveal their poker hands. The winning hand gets 50 percent of the pot and the other 50 percent goes to Pure Thoughts Horse and Foal Rescue. The poker ride will take place from 8 am to noon. For more information, call PBCHA President Ann Root at (561) 866-9899 or visit the association’s web site at www. pbcha.org.

Aquatic Complex Ends Summer With A Splash

Are you interested in a camp that offers new, exciting activities in and around the water?

The Wellington Aquatic Complex will host two separate weeks of the End of Summer Camp Aug. 4-8 and Aug. 1115. The camp hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Campers will have the opportunity to snorkel in the ocean, kayak in the lake, and enjoy an airboat ride through the Everglades. Each child will receive a T-shirt at the end of the camp.

ister prior to Aug. 1. Swimming lessons are $55 for eight 30minute lessons for all levels from parent and child to adult lessons.

Camp is limited to the first 13 participants registering. Campers should be able to swim one length of the pool. The cost is $200 for each week.

The Wellington Aquatic Complex offers swimming lessons every two weeks with the next session beginning Aug. 4. Interested participants must reg-

The Aquatics Complex also offers swim and dive along with diving lessons. These programs begin the first Wednesday of each month and run through the last Friday of the month. The cost is $100 per session. For more information, call the Wellington Aquatic Complex at (561) 753-2484, ext. 2836. If you are registering for the first time, register in person at three convenient locations: the Aquatic Complex, Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) or the Village Park gymnasium (11700 Pierson Road). You can also register online at www.rec.ci. wellington.fl.us with your household ID number.

CAFCI Plans Ball Sept. 13

CAFCI, the Caribbean-Americans for Community Involvement, will host its Annual Friendship Ball on Saturday, Sept. 13 from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way).

Admission to the fundraising event is a donation of $75 per person. This includes musical entertainment, open bar and door prizes. A silent auction will be held. Dinner will be served at 8 p.m.

Tickets for this popular com-

munity event are selling fast. Space is limited, so be sure to purchase your tickets early for an elegant evening of dining, meeting old and new friends, and dancing. For ticket information, call Alvin Nembhard at (561) 3338891, Millie Hampton at (561) 790-1751, Lawrence Logan at (561) 791-0162, Norma Morris at (561) 632-7731, Edward Clarke at (561) 642-4226 or Daniel Nelson (561) 7938887.

VVA To Host Congressional Candidates Forum July 28

Congressman Tim Mahoney (D-District 16) and Republican challenger former Palm Beach Gardens Councilman Hal Valeche will speak to members of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Palm Beach County Chapter 25, at their offices in West Palm Beach on Monday, July 28. The other two Republican candidates for the seat, local businessman Tom Rooney and State Rep. Gayle Harrell, have also been invited. Valeche will address VVA members, as well as other local veterans service organizations at noon; Mahoney will speak at 12:30 p.m.

The VVA, in partnership with eight other national veterans’ service organizations such as the American Legion, the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the Jewish War Veterans, have made the adoption of Congressional legislation known as the “Assured Funding for Veterans Health Care Programs Act” a top priority.

With nearly 1.8 million veterans, Florida is second only to California’s 2.3 million. More

than 311,000 veterans live in Palm Beach, Broward, Martin and St. Lucie counties alone.

“We need to support our veterans on the issue of assured funding to ensure a quality level of healthcare, both now and in the future,” said Dennis P. Koehler, legal advisor to the VVA’s Palm Beach County chapter and the Florida State Council of VVA. Koehler is a veteran of the Vietnam War.

The candidates will not debate at this event, but have been invited to speak about their qualifications, campaign platforms and positions on veterans’ issues, as well as answer questions from the veterans. Koehler will moderate the event and expects questions from the audience will include topics such as the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the economy and achieving energy independence, as well as veterans’ concerns. The VVA Chapter 25 office is located at 2511 Westgate Avenue, Suite 7, in West Palm Beach. For more information, call Koehler at (561) 684-2844.

FSO Offers ‘Christmas In July’ For Troops Overseas

Forgotten Soldiers Outreach decided to do something a little different for its monthly care packages the organization sends to U.S. troops serving overseas — “Christmas in July.”

FSO Palm Beach County Manager Sue Beard organized this particular packing event and had the warehouse headquarters set up with a Christmas tree, stockings and holiday decorations, complete with candy canes and other holiday-related goodies ready to go into the 350plus care packages.

“Our troops certainly deserve an extra holiday, so in lieu of our normal monthly packing events, we decided to up the ante and send them Christmas-style ‘we care’ packages,” Beard said. For more information about Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, call (561) 369-2933 or visit info@forgottensoldiers.org.

Two Area Jewish Congreations Begin Merger

Negotiations

The boards of directors of Congregation B’nai Avraham in Wellington and Temple B’nai Jacob in West Palm Beach have agreed to open merger negotiations that will hopefully join the fledgling conservative Wellington temple with the established West Palm Beach congregation.

As B’nai Avraham celebrates its one-year anniversary, the merger discussion with the 33year-old B’nai Jacob opens the door for a welcome addition of members and history to the thriving young congregation. Over the next several months, the negotiation committees from both congregations will meet to iron out the terms of the merger agreement, which will ultimately need approval by both boards.

B’nai Avraham, whose membership includes 45 families ranging from singles and young families with small children to retirees, will incorporate the majority of B’nai Jacob’s 140 individual members and continue to build a strong conservative Jewish presence in Wellington.

“We are looking forward to the joining of our two families,” B’nai Jacob President Ken Scherzer said. “We want to keep our temple going.”

B’nai Jacob has been facing a dwindling membership due to its location and aging membership. Members of the two congregations recognized that in order for the legacy of B’nai Jacob to continue and for B’nai Avraham to grow, the two should join forces to build for the future.

The United Synagogue of

Conservative Judaism focused on Wellington about two years ago after determining that the Jewish populations in Royal Palm Beach and Wellington had grown significantly. A demographic study revealed that the number of people living in Jewish households in those communities had grown 39 percent from 1999 to 2005 — representing approximately 14,200 people.

The association invested money and time in the community to help develop B’nai Avraham, which moved into its current Wellington location last July. The congregants have pulled together to build a spiritual home for conservative Jews, complete with a religious school, sisterhood, weekly Shabbat services, children’s services and even a co-ed softball team.

“We ultimately hope to purchase land and build a freestanding building in Wellington,” B’nai Avraham President Dr. Mel Kohan said. “We are thrilled to be joining with B’nai Jacob and creating our future together.”

Joint High Holiday services will be officiated by B’nai Avraham’s Rabbi Dr. David Abrams and will take place in the B’nai Jacob facility on Congress Avenue.

B’nai Avraham is located at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 6, in the original Wellington Mall on the southeast corner of Wellington Trace and Forest Hill Blvd. For more information, call the synagogue office at (561) 793-4347 or email info@congregationbnai avraham.com.

Four Arrested For String Of Acreage Burglaries

Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested four suspects on Thursday, July 17 in connection with a series of more than 30 residential burglaries in The Acreage area. According to a PBSO report, the arrestees are 30-year-old Antonio Caldwell of Riviera Beach, 38-year-old Danny White of West Palm Beach, 30year-old Cordy Walton of West Palm Beach and 22-year-old Amanda Maroe of Palm Springs.

Detectives from the District 3 substation began investigating a series of residential burglaries in The Acreage in which the suspects entered single-family homes by kicking in or prying out the front doors. Detectives learned from reviewing PBSO reports that the suspects were targeting suburban homes that had no fences or dogs in the yards. The investigation further revealed that the suspects were stealing flat-screen televisions, laptop computers, digital cameras, jewelry and firearms. The four were arrested after PBSO detectives set up surveillance in the area.

Palms West Chamber To Host Candidates Forum

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce will host a candidates forum and luncheon on Monday, Aug. 11 at 11:45 a.m. at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The event is sponsored by Florida Public Utilities and will be moderated by Geoffrey Sluggett, vice chair of the chamber’s Government Affairs Committee. Lunch will be catered and sponsored by California Pizza Kitchen in the Mall at Wellington Green. During the event, chamber

members will meet incumbents and qualifying candidates for Palm Beach County offices, including County Commission District 3, property appraiser, sheriff and supervisor of elections. The public is encouraged to attend this important event to learn more about the candidates as they present their platforms. The cost is $15 for members and $25 for non-members. For more information, or to RSVP, visit www.palmswest.com or call (561) 790-6200.

Church @ The Grove News

Church @ the Grove in Loxahatchee will host its Heavenly Hoedown on Sunday, Aug. 3 from 3 to 7 p.m. at the home of Pat Quinn (3142 C Road, Loxahatchee Groves). Individuals and families are invited. There will be plenty of activities for children, and a great time for adults too. Hamburgers and hotdogs will be served.

The church will hold a preview worship service on Sunday, Aug. 24 at 10 a.m. at Golden Grove Elementary School

(5959 140th Avenue North). Open to the community, the service gives everyone the chance to come and see what Church @ the Grove has to offer. The service will last one hour. Casual attire is acceptable, and there will be refreshments available. The church also offers a children’s program. For more information about Church @ the Grove, contact Pastor Holly Ostlund at (561) 333-2020 or churchatthegrove @bellsouth.net.

Long Story Short Returns

To Studio Theatre Aug. 16

The Studio Theatre of Wellington will present a performance of the improv group Long Story Short on Saturday, Aug. 16 at 8 p.m. Formerly known as the Parking Lot All Stars, Long Story Short is Wellington’s own improv comedy troupe. The troupe will perform a night of improv comedy games based on audience suggestions and input. If you enjoy the show Whose Line Is It Anyway?, you’ll love this interactive comedy experience. Long Story Short has enter-

tained countless sell-out crowds, making up all their jokes on the spot. Audience members are often invited on stage to help out, so be prepared to join in the fun. Troupe members are Adam Lescht, Patrick Price, Nicholas Varajon and Amy Wanberg. Tickets to the performance cost $10. Seating is limited. RSVP by calling (561) 2044100. The Studio Theatre of Wellington is located in Wellington Commerce Park at 11320 Fortune Circle, G-7.

‘FUN DAY’ AT WILD ORCHIDS CAFE IN ROYAL PALM

Wild Orchids Cafe at Royal Palm Beach Veterans Park hosted Fun Day on Saturday, July 19. Guests enjoyed a variety of activities such as a bubble-blowing contest, watermelon-eating contest, balloon toss, fountains, surprise characters, prizes, games, a DJ, and plenty of food and drinks. A portion of the proceeds will go to Take Stock in Children. For more information about Wild Orchids Cafe, call (561) 252-8633.

BY CAROL PORTER/TOWN-CRIER

The hit off-Broadway comedy Greater Tuna will conclude Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27 at the Cuillo Centre for the Arts in West Palm Beach. Show times are 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday.

Actors Andrew Farmer and Jacob Warren portray a day in the life in Tuna, the third-smallest town in Texas, where the Lions Club is too liberal and Patsy Cline never dies.

As testament to its charm, Greater Tuna has been the mostproduced show in the United States and has even had command performances at the White House. Now you can see how two performers, 20 characters and more than 142 costume and accessory changes all add up to lots of laugh-out-loud laughter. The eclectic band of citizens that make up this town make this

satire on life in rural America even more delightful as they depict all of the inhabitants of Tuna, Texas — men, women, children and animals. Greater Tuna was written by Jaston Williams, Joe Sears and Ed Howard, and produced and directed by InterACT Studio Artistic Director Richard Valentine. “We presented the show at the end of last summer to full houses and the show was so much fun and so successful that we wanted to bring it back this summer,” Valentine said. Tickets cost $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and $10 for students. The Cuillo Centre for the Arts is located at 201 Clematis Street, West Palm Beach. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call the Cuillo Centre box office at (561) 835-9226.

Lake Ave., Lake Worth • (561) 586-6410

Return to the ’60s… join the hippie movement… enjoy!

The Lake Worth Playhouse’s local production of the musical Hair was an excellent rendition of the 1960s Broadway hit, and by far the best of the best we have seen at this wonderful venue! The talented cast (all volunteers) gave a highly professional performance, drew rousing applause after every song, and ended with a five-minute standing ovation from the audience of a nearly sold-out theater.

What a difference a new marquee makes… it’s like old times lighting up the 700 block of Lake Avenue and guiding you to this historic theater. We are proud to be among the thousands who have contributed to the restoration and operating fund. Producing a summer show is always a risk, as the season subscribers are gone, so the Lake Worth Playhouse relies upon the support of “year-rounders” to spread the word.

Hair has it all: the hippie counterculture movement, the free love sexual-revolution of the ’60s, the anti-Vietnam War peace movement, the “Age of Aquarius” with 30 non-stop songs including “Hair,” “Aquarius,” “Manchester England,” “I Believe in Love” and “Good Morning, Starshine,” all sung beautifully.

The cast has a long list of theater experience from high school, college and local theater productions from Lake Worth to Tallahassee to Chicago. Several from this cast also appeared here in The Best

Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, are featured writers for the Town-Crier newspaper. Comments are welcome at thephantomdiners@aol.com. The Phantoms Review

Little Whorehouse in Texas, another fine production! We’ve seen Hair on Broadway and in London, and we enjoyed this production a bit more, as the coziness of this 300-seat theatre brings you much closer to the stage… and where else can you get a soda at intermission for $1 or water for 50 cents? We would like to congratulate everyone at the Lake Worth Playhouse, from the board of directors, the managing staff and the volunteers for bringing Hair to their stage to celebrate Hair’s 40th anniversary… yes 40 years. This production handled every aspect of this controversial American tribal love-rock musical in tasteful manner… including the partial nudity at the end of the first act. We would recommend Hair as show for everyone to experience and enjoy. So get out your afro wig, put on your ripped jeans, put on your bandanas and head to the Lake Worth Playhouse! Tickets are only $23 and $28 for this two-and-a-halfhour production. Show times are 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday. For further information, call (561) 586-6410 and tell them that Joe & Kathryn, the Phantoms, highly recommended you call. Tickets are also available online at www.lakeworth playhouse.org.

Neil Zirconia At Silver Screen

The Silver Screen Cinema and Comedy Club in Wellington will present Neil Zirconia on Saturday, July 26 from 8:30 to 10 p.m. Zirconia has more than four decades and more than 400 songs to his credit. All that is Neil Diamond comes alive in this incredible tribute performance. Zirconia’s onstage presence truly captures all of the emotion and excitement that is Neil Diamond. The Silver Screen Cinema Café is located at 12795 W. Forest Hill Blvd. For more information, call (561) 795-3001 or visit www.silverscreencinemaand comedyclub.com. For more about Zirconia, visit www.neilzirconia.com.

Andrew Farmer and Jacob Warren

PHOTOS

Kids compete in the bubble-blowing contest.

Wild Orchids employees enjoy some down time.

Kids play in an inflatable slide from Miss D’s World.Martin Mouse and some of his young friends.

ACREAGE XTREME CHEERLEADERS BAG GROCERIES AT FUNDRAISER

Aust Joins

Valparaiso

Mortar Board

Valparaiso University student

Amanda Aust of Wellington was recently inducted into Mortar Board, which honors the top 35 percent of all juniors. To be inducted, one must demonstrate outstanding scholarship, leadership and service. Aust was also inducted recently into Sigma Theta Tau, the international honor society of nursing. She is a junior nursing major and the daughter of William and Wiletta Aust of Wellington.

Valparaiso University is a comprehensive university with a Lutheran heritage that enrolls nearly 4,000 students on its campus 55 miles southeast of Chicago. It has been identified as one of the top master’s-level institutions in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report magazine for the past 19 years, and most recently was ranked among the top three in academic quality for

the eighth consecutive year.

More than 80 academic programs, as well as 14 international study options, are offered through the colleges of Arts and Sciences, Business Administration, Engineering and Nursing. Valparaiso also has a distinguished honors college, graduate program and school of law.

Alijewicz Makes Dean’s List

Katie Alijewicz of Wellington was named to the Tufts University spring 2008 semester dean’s list for the School of Engineering and the School of Arts and Sciences.

Tufts University, located on three Massachusetts campuses in Boston, Medford/Somerville and Grafton, and in Talloires, France, is recognized among the premier research universities in the United States. Tufts enjoys a global reputation for academic excellence and for the preparation of students as leaders in a wide range of professions. A growing number of innovative

teaching and research initiatives span all Tufts campuses, and collaboration among the faculty and students in the undergraduate, graduate and professional programs across the university’s schools is widely encouraged.

Wellington Students On Delaware Dean’s List

Lisa Michelle Holzman and Janeen Ashley McCormick, both of Wellington, were named to the dean’s list at the University of Delaware for the spring semester. Holzman is an undeclared major in the College of Business and Economics. McCormick is a freshman majoring in exercise science at the College of Health Sciences. To make the dean’s list, students must be full-time with grade point averages of 3.33 or above on a 4.0 scale for the semester, with no temporary grades as of June 20.

Shaw Earns Bachelor’s Degree

Shanique Sherita Shaw of Loxahatchee received her bachelor’s of science degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill during commencement on May 11. Chancellor James Moeser conferred the degrees of the undergraduates. In addition, more than 6,000 students were recognized for outstanding academic achievement through their selection to the dean’s list for spring 2008.

PBCC Names New Dean Of Baccalaureate Studies

Dr. Magdala Ray, dean of academic affairs at Palm Beach Community College’s Lake Worth campus, has been named the new dean of baccalaureate studies.

The bachelor of applied science (BAS) degree in supervision and management will be the first BAS degree offered by a Palm Beach County institution when classes begin in August 2009.

“With our inaugural BAS program, we are able to continue PBCC’s mission in a new and exciting way — increased access to higher degrees in education, affordable tuition, and above all, excellent teaching by highly qualified faculty,” Ray said. “I am delighted to be a part of the team opening the door to students moving onward and upward.” Ray has been employed at PBCC since 1987. She has served as the dean of academic affairs for the PBCC Lake Worth campus since 2001. She

holds an associate’s degree from PBCC, a bachelor’s degree in human resource management and a master’s degree in human resource development from Palm Beach Atlantic University, and an executive doctorate in higher education from Florida Atlantic University. Dr. Magdala Ray

Send Palms West People items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. Fax: (561) 7936090. E-mail: news@goTownCrier.com.

Christy Bowen, Brandy Milano and mom Christine Milano.

Jenna Monroe and Samantha Morales wait for the next customer.

Lisa Pesaturo and Brittany Freeman.

Nicole Hopkins and Kristina Costanza.Samantha Morales and Jenna Monroe.

Congregation B’nai Avraham Holds Family Softball Day

Members of Congregation B’nai Avraham held a family softball day on Sunday, July 20 at Loxahatchee Groves Park on Southern Blvd. Participants had some batting practice with the younger children, and then the adults took turns at bat.

Congregation B’nai Avraham will celebrate its first birthday on Sunday, July 27 from 10 a.m.

MID-COUNTY DEMS MEET JUDICIAL CANDIDATES

Acreage Youngster Excels At Golf

Young, who will be entering the sixth grade at Western Pines Middle School in the fall, recently received an invitation to be a member of the girls 11-andunder team for the 2008 tricounty championship representing West Palm Beach through the Junior Golf Foundation of America. The tournament will be held at Weston Hills Country Club in Broward County on Monday, Aug. 4. She has also been active in the U.S. Kids local tour in West Palm Beach and is presently

Ten-year-old Sumner Young of The Acreage has been playing golf for approximately a year and a half. She turned to golf after playing one season of AYSO soccer. That is when her parents found out Young had weak ankles, and a friend suggested she try golf. Young started taking lessons at the Palm Beach Gardens Golf Course with head pro Kevin Kerns. She then moved on to the junior golf classes offered at the Okeeheelee Golf Course directed by former LPGA pro Donna White, who is also the founder of the Junior Golf Foundation of America. Young practices five days a week or whenever the weather permits. On days that they can’t make it to the golf course, she hits balls in her back yard across a pond with her father Jerome as coach. He doesn’t play golf, but reads and studies up on it so he can help her any way he can.

Future Author — Incoming Wellington High School freshman Blithe Parsons works on her prose.

Blithe Parsons Attends Young Authors Workshop

Pens were flying and ears were perked as approximately 60 students from Palm Beach County middle and high schools received writing tips from wellknown local authors such as Jonathon King, Margaret Ahnert and James O. Born.

One future author, Blithe Parsons, who will be a freshman at Wellington High School this fall, enjoyed the workshop because it gave her the chance to write freely and uninterrupted for more than an hour each class.

“Personally, I loved the workshop,” she said. “One of my dreams is to become a published author, so I plan to apply what the authors discussed, like writing every day and being persistent.”

The free eight-day writing workshop held at Boca Raton High School was offered for the third year as part of the Ocè Future Authors Writing Project, a

collaborative effort by Ocè North America and the School District of Palm Beach County. During the summer workshop students become published authors, learn how to improve their writing skills, gain hands-on understanding of how authors are published, and learn about today’s digital print and publishing opportunities.

Palm Beach County School Board Member Mark Hansen, who has supported the Ocè Future Authors Writing Project since its beginning, said efforts like this exemplify the importance of public-private partnerships that bring unique educational opportunities to students.

“Companies like Ocè that contribute their resources and expertise to further the education process are a vital component of our school system,” Hansen said.

Golden Grove Registration

Golden Grove Elementary School in The Acreage is accepting new student registration for the 2008-09 school year. Residents must provide two current proofs of address, such as utility bills, lease or contract. Parents of students from out of state must bring the student’s original birth certificate, the original Florida DH 680 blue immunization shot records, a Florida yellow physical (3040) form and two proofs of address. Golden Grove will be open Monday through Thursday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more info., call (561) 792-5200.

VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL AT ST. PETER’S CHURCH

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church in Wellington held Vacation Bible School July 7-18. Children learned about ancient Jerusalem, taking part in a variety of activities such as visiting an ancient market (complete with animals and goods for sale), making crafts, learning Bible stories and singing songs. Youngsters even carried banners representing the Tribes of Israel and took part in services in the sanctuary, which had been converted into an ancient temple. Rev. Rachel Lever and parent/volunteer Tammy Manuel led the services, and Rev. Lever even gave the blessing that was historically administered by the high priests in ancient times.

Youngsters sing along inside one of the classrooms.

Vacation Bible School students play a board game.Students gather for a group photo.

Children visit the animals in the “market.”

Rev. Rachel Lever and parent/volunteer Tammy Manuel.

Oliviah Buckland draws a bucket of water.

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 Wellington Wave Soccer Club, along with Zoete Soccer International, will host a three-on-three Summer Soccer Shootout Tournament Saturday and Sunday, July 26 and 27 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington. Visit www.wellingtonsoccer. com for a tournament registration form and tournament rules. For more info., call (561) 252-1467.

• 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.

• Tony Rosa, author of The Schoolboy , will appear at Waldenbooks in the Mall at Wellington Green on Saturday, July 26 at 2 p.m. to discuss the novel and sign copies. Autographed copies are available now at Waldenbooks or can be purchased during the booksigning event. The store is located on the second floor of the mall. Call (561) 227-6900 for more info.

• 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.

Sunday, July 27

• Wellington’s Congregation B’nai Avraham will host an open house to celebrate its first year on Sunday, July 27 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The event will include plenty of food and fun. Membership signup will be available, along with Hebrew school registration and High Holiday tickets. There will be bagels, coffee, birthday cake and entertainment for the kids. The synagogue is located at 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 6, in the original Wellington Mall. For more info., call (561) 793-4347 or e-mail info@congregationbnai avraham.com.

Monday, July 28

• 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. Call O’Hara at (561) 791-9878 or (561) 818-5733 for more info.

• Palms West Alliance Church (16401 Southern Blvd., 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. Register online at www.palms west.org. For more info., call Karen Cox at (561) 791-0524.

• The Child Enrichment Center at St. Peter’s United Methodist Church (12200 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Wellington) is accepting applications for its remaining summer camp session, July 28 to Aug. 8. Camp offers on-site activities for children age three through first grade. Activities include arts and crafts, indoor and outdoor games, videos, creative play and water play. For more info., call Pat Banks at (561) 7983286 or download a registration form online at www. stpeterscec.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a Language Exchange for adults on Monday, July 28 at 6:30 p.m. Practice speaking

Spanish and English with native speakers. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070. Tuesday, July 29

• The Kravis Center for the Performing Arts (701 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) will present Rob Becker’s Defending the Caveman July 29 through Aug. 3 in the Rinker Playhouse. Tickets are $40. For more info., call (561) 8327469 or visit www.kravis.org.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will present “Craft Club: Pipe Cleaner Pals” for ages nine through 12 on Tuesday, July 29 at 3 p.m. Turn ordinary colored pipe cleaners into new friends and pets. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

• A Free Seminar for parents of high school students will be held Tuesday, July 29 at the Wellington Community Center (12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). The seminar, which takes place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., will cover the merits of the ACT and SAT exams. The seminar will be presented by Barry Mallis, executive director of Score at the Top Learning Center in Wellington. Seating is limited. For more info., call (561) 3338882 or visit www.scoreat thetop.com.

• The Royal Palm Beach Community Band will continue its concert series with a performance on Tuesday, July 29 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.

Wednesday, July 30

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold a Poetry Discussion Group for adults on Wednesday, July 30 at 6:30 p.m. Engage in a provocative discussion of published poems written by various poets. Pick up poems at the information desk. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

Friday, Aug. 1

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Anime Fest” on Friday, Aug. 1 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for ages 12 to 17. Celebrate your love of anime at the library’s all-day festival. Watch anime, participate in a cosplay contest, sing karaoke and eat Japanese snacks. Lunch will be provided. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

Saturday, Aug. 2

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will resume “Saturday Morning Story Time” for ages two and up beginning Saturday, Aug. 2 at 11 a.m. No pre-registration is required. Call (561) 7906070 for more info.

Monday, Aug. 4

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold “Baby Story Time” on Mondays, Aug. 4, 11, 18 and 25. The event features rhymes, finger plays, songs, books and toys. Times are 9:30 a.m. for ages up to eight months and 11:15 a.m. for ages nine to 12 months. To pre-register, call (561) 790-6070.

Tuesday, Aug. 5

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Say Hola to Spanish” on Tuesday, Aug. 5 at 3:30 p.m. for ages four and up. To preregister, call (561) 790-6070.

Wednesday, Aug. 6

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will hold its Book Discussion Series with Sara Harris on Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 6:30 p.m. for adults. This month’s featured novel is Kaaterskill Falls by Allegra Goodman. Call (561) 790-6070 for more information.

• The Internet radio show Night Schuul will premiere Wednesday, Aug. 6 at 9 p.m. on www.wrpbradio.com. The show is a live, interactive 60minute show hosted by Wellington resident and New York transplant Matthew Auerbach. Friday, Aug. 8

• The Community Associations Institute (CAI) Gold Coast Chapter will hold a free-to-thepublic trade show and educational event at the Palm Beach County Convention Center (650 Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach) on Friday, Aug. 8. The hours will be 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the trade show. Class will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Learn what’s new in community improvement and management, community maintenance, landscaping, remodeling, home decor and more. For more info., call Kathy Sheibel at (561) 350-5890, email caigoldcoast@aol.com or visit www.caigoldcoast.org.

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.

Woman Drives Vehicle Into Royal Palm Beach Convenience Store

JULY 21 — A woman accidentally drove her car Monday afternoon into the Chevron Extra Mile convenience store on Okeechobee Blvd. in Royal Palm Beach. According to a Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue report, at approximately 3 p.m. the woman drove onto the sidewalk and through the front glass doors, stopping just as the vehicle hit a coffee-andbeverage island inside the store. No one in the store was injured.

PBCFR Engine 28 and Rescue 29 in Royal Palm Beach secured the store and assessed the driver. She was then taken to a nearby hospital for evaluation. According to the PBCFR report, damage to the store was minor with no structural damage, allowing it to be reopened and repaired by late the next day.

Quantum Group Donates Software System To Caridad Center

The Quantum Group Inc., a Wellington-based healthcare firm, recently announced that it is donating the proprietary PWeR software system to the Caridad Center in Boynton Beach.

PWeR is a web-based records system that utilizes the current technological hardware already in use at Caridad and has eliminated a potential financial expense for the center.

Caridad is the largest free clinic in Palm Beach County with over 140 volunteer doctors and dentists that provide free medical and dental services to the working poor. The center serves approximately 5,000 patients, which translates to 22,000 patient visits each year.

The deployment of the PWeR system to the Caridad Center marks the first major deployment of the system. Pete Martinez, senior vice president and chief technology & innovations officer for the Quantum Group, spearheaded the development of the PWeR system and its deployment at Caridad.

“The Caridad initiative is a unique opportunity for Quantum and provides the ideal platform to initiate our launch and begin our efforts to deploy this system to the many other healthcare organizations located throughout Florida that can benefit by employing our cuttingedge technology,” Martinez

Blotter continued from page 6 one deputy who laid down a “stop stick” which deflated one of the Honda’s front tires. After the deputies activated their lights, Smith pulled over and was apprehended without incident.

JULY 22 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded Tuesday morning to a business on Corporate Center Way regarding a vandalism complaint. According to a PBSO report, three white male juveniles were witnessed spraypainting garbage cans on the east side of the property, causing approximately $850 worth of damage by defacing the concrete garbage stalls. The deputy conducted a canvas search of the area but was unable to locate any of the suspects. The case is inactive pending further investigative leads.

Sluggett Off To State

continued from page 2 approval of the land-use change on the condition that the developer agree to include the concept of a traditional marketplace.

Residents of the Fox Trail subdivision to the west of the site spoke against the plan, citing visual, light and traffic noise encroachment on their property, although Bentz said the site would be bermed and have a strip of buffering on the west with a width of roughly 250 feet.

Commissioner Jeff Koons made a motion to approve the amendment, which was seconded by Santamaria, who said he considered the objections of Fox Trail residents and decided the heavy buffering would serve to sufficiently separate the development.

“I will be looking for the buffering to have a limited effect on the Fox Trail residents,” Santamaria said. “Do as much as you can. The other thing is the noise and lighting. I am really going to be watching you carefully to see that you live up to what you said you’re going to do for the residents of Fox Trail.” The motion passed 7-0.

said. “Over 140 locally based healthcare providers will begin utilizing our system by early August as a new way to access, update and utilize records, allowing a way to enhance the operational efficiency and reduce costs. That will quickly place a tremendous volume of data and usage in our system and will provide immediate results to Caridad, which will improve its quality of care to the 5,000 patients seen each year. We are confident that the PWeR system will provide a higher level of efficiency and effectiveness for the center, and in turn, the interaction with the center will evolve PWeR into an even more powerful tool for our community and the healthcare industry at large.”

The Quantum Group has pledged to provide PWeR to the Caridad Center for the next five years, representing a total donation of $1.2 million.

“The Quantum Group drives three major objectives: to transform healthcare, help improve our community and increase access to quality education,” Quantum Group President and CEO Noel J. Guillama said. “Our work with the Caridad Center allows us to act on all three of these objectives and

Night Out In RPB

Aug. 5

continued from page 1 unofficial ways. People should learn what to look for. Call 911 to report derelict cars or vacant homes that invaders are demolishing. Every little bit contributes to a safer county.”

Verdigi said law enforcement officials have learned that if more eyes actively watch for problems, they can be identified and solved sooner.

The PBSO will have some of its special units present for the event.

“We’re going to have the K-9 unit and we’ll have the helicopter,” Verdigi said, “and we’ll even bring the Hulk.”

The Hulk is a large custom truck that carries the PBSO Swat Team.

Verdigi said Target will be distributing materials describing their own efforts to increase

Drilling Chamber Debate

continued from page 1 of Pickens’ recommendations because it would mean lowering dependence on oil, which would yield enormous positive environmental impacts.

“He felt we could generate all of our electricity by wind power,” Koch said. “We could convert part of our fuel to natural

Callery Objections From DCA

continued from page 1 been able to demonstrate that there are enough,” Roberts said. Roberts added that the DCA’s qualms about the provisions for open space in the development would be easy enough to mollify. “They wanted to be sure that open space was not all a buffer, but used throughout the property,” he said. “That’s no problem.”

But Loxahatchee Groves officials, whose small, recently incorporated town lies to the south of the site, are urging a challenge to some of the criteria used to gain agricultural enclave status.

marks the beginning of a shift in healthcare.”

Caridad officials are excited about the opportunity. “Our greatest asset is truly the selfless healthcare providers and volunteers, or as we refer to them, our angels, that donate their time and talents to the center,” Caridad Center Executive Director Barbara Vilaseca said. “Once we previewed the PWeR system and met the team behind the service, we knew it would be a great resource for us. We believe the PWeR system will provide our volunteers and staff with a more dynamic and comprehensive view of each patient’s medical records.”

The Quantum Group and Quantum Foundation are unrelated organizations that have found a common goal in enhancing the healthcare community of Palm Beach County.

Martinez elaborated on the leadership provided by the Quantum Foundation as playing a key role in the deployment of PWeR. “We have long admired the vision and leadership that the Quantum Foundation has put forth in Palm Beach County — particularly for our local healthcare community,” he said. “We had the great fortune of being present for a meeting where

safety as well as offering suggestions to residents, and that other businesses involved might be doing so as well.

The PBSO will be actively recruiting volunteers to establish Neighborhood Watch programs and to join the Citizen Observer Patrol, a team of civilian volunteers that aids policing efforts by patrolling in areas where more law enforcement presence is needed.

“We’re also providing free hot dogs, hamburgers and lemonade,” Verdigi said. “We’ll have a bounce house and obstacle courses for the kids. We want everyone to come and learn as well as meeting our deputies, but we also want them to have fun.”

Verdigi said all western communities residents are welcome to show support for law enforcement by coming to Super Target on Aug. 5.

“We’re all together in believing that a safe county is a good county,” she said.

gas. If we put electric cars in there, that would help.”

Guillette said he also supports Pickens’ call for a diversity of energy sources.

“I think America’s energy solutions should include all future technologies,” he said. “Offshore drilling will drive the speculators down to get there. Offshore drilling is a good idea, but I also support alternate technologies.”

The next question centered on the wisdom of conserving oil as

About 75 percent of the Callery-Judge property is surrounded by residential or commercial land, and Loxahatchee Groves Councilman Dennis Lipp said that only the developed land is being included to calculate Callery-Judge’s potential density.

“Leaving out 25 percent doesn’t make a lot of sense,” he said.

Lipp said he and fellow councilman Dr. Bill Louda have been trying to convince state legislators to sponsor an amendment requiring that vacant land be included in the density count.

Callery-Judge previously submitted a request for 10,000 residential units and 3.8 million square feet of non-residential uses on the property, an amount of development that falls under

Quantum Foundation President Paul Gionfriddo shared his vision for the interconnectivity of healthcare needed for Palm Beach County. His sentiments were heavily weighed during the development of PWeR and, as a result, we have built a system that is community-centered and enables healthcare providers to improve upon the efficiency, effectiveness and quality of patient care.” Such programs are necessary for the future of healthcare. “We need community health databases, and increasingly in the future,

Bird District 25 Candidate

continued from page 1 profit organizations including the Junior League, Girl Scouts and the Mothers Club. She also was active in the creation of a sexual assault treatment center for abused children.

“These projects were done by giving back to the community, and I’ve never received a dime for doing my volunteer work,” she said. “I feel it’s important to take care of the least among us, the children and the elderly, so I got involved.”

As a Realtor, Bird said she is very concerned about the stumbling housing market and the soaring cost of homeowner’s insurance.

Bird criticized Atwater’s campaign war chest of roughly $1.7 million as having an abundance of contributions from insurance interests.

“We have to look at the sources of where he received that money,” she said. “One of the biggest issues in this campaign is about the increase in the insurance rates across the board in South Florida. Jeff Atwater has had six years to tackle this problem, and he actually has received between $200,000 and $250,000 dollars in campaign war chest donations from the insurance industry and lobbyists. Therein lies the problem.”

Bird said Atwater and his fellow senators have had many opportunities to close the loopholes used by insurance companies to raise rates, but failed to do so.

opposed to more drilling to maintain high consumption.

“The issue here is the national reserve that the government has put away for national emergencies,” Koch said. “The amount that is there would not have a substantial effect on the price. When it’s gone, it’s gone.”

Guillette said tapping into the oil sources being proposed would not have a lot of impact on the nation’s reserves. “It’s a small amount,” Guillette said.

“It’s a drop in the bucket. We

the state’s Development of Regional Impact classification and requires stringent review. The county ultimately rejected that request in 2007, after which Roberts vowed to come back with a plan that would pass just below the threshold of DRI requirements.

“They are avoiding the DRI process, which is 3,000 homes, where it falls in another criteria,” Lipp said. “Picking 2,999 out of the air is exactly what they had to do to avoid the DRI.”

Lipp said he also questions the whole concept of state interference in local zoning issues through the Agricultural Enclave Act. “When the legislature gets involved in planning, it’s like going after a fly with a howitzer,” he said.

clinical providers will need to share complex health information through electronic means,” Gionfriddo said. “Without the exchange of health information in electronic form, we will never be able to assure access to quality care for all residents. What the Quantum Group and Caridad Center are doing together is fundamental to the future of medical care in Palm Beach County, and, if successful, will have positive ramifications far beyond the boundaries of a single entity and a single project.”

Bird said Florida voters want change. “I think they want to see our insurance rates come down,” she said. “I think they are very concerned about the people who are going into foreclosure, and the taxes and insurance figure into that very prominently. As senator, I would be proposing that we do so much more to look at the tax and insurance situation, and to start with, I would not be taking $250,000 from the insurance companies and their lobbyists.”

As a Realtor for 22 years and owner of her own company, Bird said she has observed firsthand the suffering brought about by the faltering economy and the end of the Florida housing boom.

“The State Legislature has had the opportunity to help, and they have listened to the party insiders as opposed to listening to the people, and it has affected all of us,” Bird said. “When you have a foreclosure on your street, it makes everyone’s property values go down... Voters are eager to see change, and I think this is going to be the year for change.”

Bird said she is familiar with some of the problems faced by Wellington residents, especially traffic problems.

“We have some of the same issues down here in Broward County,” she said. “There’s congestion impact and there’s a lot of new industry coming into the area. We can’t forget that Wellington is a hometown community. The reason the polo people come back to Wellington is because they love the charming and quaint feeling. It’s important to the economy of Wellington,

need real solutions to real problems, and one would be to lift the ban on offshore drilling.”

Responding to a question about the safety record for offshore drilling, Koch said Florida cannot run the economic risk of oily beaches.

“I used to go the beaches in Texas,” he said, “and got my feet covered in oil. They still have spills in Alabama that eventually wash up on the beaches. I think for Florida, this is a very big consideration.”

Mahoney Healthcare Problems

continued from page 5 Clinton administration tried to do something about it. I don’t think we sat down and took time to listen. By the time the spin masters got done with it, people basically wrote it off.” Mahoney said Americans should study the national healthcare systems of other countries but design their own.

“I hear people say down here that we don’t want the Canadian system,” he said. “The Canadians don’t hate it. It’s got its pros and cons. But they don’t hate it, and they certainly don’t want our system. I don’t think

The Quantum Group provides business process solutions, service chain management, strategic consulting and leading-edge technology innovations to the healthcare industry. Through its dynamic patientcentered architecture, the Quantum Group empowers the communication that is critical for the coordination of care and take aim at the $600 billion inefficiency gap in the United States healthcare industry. For more about the Quantum Group, call (561) 798-9800 or visit www.quantummd.com.

and we’ve got to make sure that we continue to provide traffic and infrastructure.”

Meanwhile, Atwater campaign spokesman Rick Wilson said that while the senator is considered a well-entrenched incumbent, he intends to run an energetic, hands-on campaign.

“He’s actually one of these guys that likes the grassroots campaign,” Wilson said. “I’ve worked a lot of campaigns, and a lot of people don’t like it, but Jeff likes being out in the community. He is tremendously effective out there at the grassroots [level], and we got 9,000 signatures this year to qualify. A campaign like Jeff’s could write a check to qualify. He needs 2,300 to 2,800 signatures. Jeff went out and got 9,000 because that is what he likes to do. He is an active and extremely diligent campaigner.”

Wilson said Atwater wants his constituents to have a clear view of his legislative accomplishments and his record on issues such as insurance reform, and isn’t complacent about the change of Democratic challengers. “We were prepared to run against Skip Campbell as we were against any candidate in the field, and that speaks not to their qualifications or lack of qualifications, but speaks to Jeff Atwater’s connection to the community,” he said. Wilson said Atwater is prepared to put forth a maximum effort in his campaign. “He is a popular guy, according to all the public surveys,” he said. “But the thing we’ve got to do is keep working hard. He is going to put out 100 percent no matter what the opponent’s last name is.”

But Guillette said large spills are not a likelihood with today’s improved drilling technology.

“The technology has improved since the 1940s and 1950s when they first started drilling off the coast of Santa Barbara,” he said. “The technology has evolved. It could not happen today.” For more information about the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, call (561) 7926525.

we want their system. That doesn’t mean we can’t learn from each other and figure out how to solve this problem.” Mahoney stressed that the United States lags far behind other developed countries in terms of healthcare affordability and warned that the nation would suffer severe economic consequences as a result.

“You are paying $200 to $300 a month and you are get half the benefit,” Mahoney said. “At the end of the day, cost is going up, and the quality of healthcare is going down. The facts are we in the United States spent 50 more percent on healthcare than our competitors and we are not getting 50 percent better results. If we don’t do something now, we will have a train wreck.”

PHOTOS COURTESY PALM BEACH COUNTY FIRE-RESCUE

RPB Accident — (Clockwise from above) The vehicle stopped just short of the coffee station; the vehicle as seen from the outside; and fire-rescue personnel respond to the scene.

PLENTY OF FUN AND ATHLETICS AT THE ANNUAL KIDS FITNESS FESTIVAL

A record turnout of more than 7,000 youngsters enjoyed the Kids Fitness Festival last Thursday and Friday at the Americraft Expo Center at the South Florida Fairgrounds. Produced by the Palm Beach County Sports Institute and presented by Ronald McDonald House Charities of South Florida, the event featured sports such as football, basketball, tennis, cheerleading, baseball, karate, polo, lacrosse, golf, badminton, soccer, squash, archery, judo, taekwondo, netball and hanet, as well as instruction in fitness and nutrition. For more info., visit www.palmbeachsports.com.

CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

BY

PHOTOS

Palm Beach Central High School lacrosse player Julian Owens guides George Makhlouf in his first attempt at the game.

Straight as an Arrow Instruction President Larry Sites helps Jesus Diaz set his sights on an archery target.

John Sweet of Camp Boca scores in lacrosse.

Palm Beach County Parks & Recreation Secret Agents of Summer counselors play a game of hanet ball against the campers.

Competitive gymnast Matthew Wagner helps Hannah Schmitz complete a flip.

Volunteers Ana Nieto and Gabby Harris, both of Wellington, take a break to try their hand at tennis.

Campers from Elbridge Gale Elementary School’s Gator Camp learn a cheering routine from Revolution Allstars coaches.

Julie Pickens of the International Polo Club Palm Beach plays with Gator camper Justin Carlton.

In a round of outdoor jousting, Parkland Kids Camp counselor Juan Pablo blocks a shot by Beatriz Baez.

Florida Trail Association Members Gather To Celebrate The Outdoors

By Candace Marchsteiner Town-Crier Staff Report

As three sandhill cranes scavenged for food at a feeder outside the Okeeheelee Nature Center on July 19, members of the Florida Trail Association gathered nearby for their bimonthly walk on one of the park’s trails. Typically, others from the community join them. But on this sweltering day, only die-hard trekkers showed.

On a walk somewhere between leisurely and aerobic, members scouted for wildlife, stopping occasionally for everyone to catch up. The pulsating hum of cicadas provided background music while moorhens glided through lily pads on a sun-kissed lake.

“This is 100 acres of original land,” Florida Trail Association member Warren Resen said. “The trees have never been cut and the ground never mined; they only burn the groundcover when it gets too heavy.”

Indeed, there is evidence of controlled burns, but the crisp green of new vegetation surrounding charred palms made the scenery hauntingly magical. Just ahead, a row of purple martin birdhouses form their own

ridgeline as zebra swallowtails and dragonflies dance amid wildflowers below.

“It’s such a beautiful sight when you walk the trail and all you see is beauty berries in bloom,” said trail leader Daisy Palmer, stepping over a cutter ant trail to point out bushes with spiraling clusters of plum-colored berries.

The group paused at a deer blind overlooking six acres of fenced land that a herd of whitetailed deer call home. Usually a deer “pops out of nowhere,” Palmer said, but today, only another lone sandhill crane showed mutual curiosity.

“This is really a social group who likes the outdoors,” Palmer explained.

With that, the group dispersed to their cars and headed for breakfast at their usual spot, Pete’s Place restaurant in the River Bridge shopping plaza.

“We’re a walking club with an eating disorder,” Palmer joked.

The Florida Trail Association began in 1964 with Jim Kern’s 500-mile distance trail dream.

More than 1,400 miles now make up Florida’s National Scenic Trail. The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail As-

sociation meets at the Okeeheelee Nature Center at 7 p.m. on the first Monday of each month for business and to discuss plans. On the first and third Saturdays, they meet there at 7:30 a.m. for a nature walk, with other special walks planned elsewhere each month.

In November, Florida Trail Association members will “do the Big O,” a 109-mile journey around Lake Okeechobee over a period of nine days.

For more information on the Florida Trail Association, visit www.floridatrail.org. The Loxahatchee chapter’s web site is www.lox.floridatrail.org. To speak with one of the members, call Paul Cummings at (561) 963-9906, Gail Irwin at (561) 968-3887 or Margaret Brabham at (561) 588-3077.

PHOTOS BY CANDACE MARCHSTEINER/TOWN-CRIER

Alan Collins and Gail Irwin pause to spot wildlife in a pond.

A sandhill crane at the feeder.

Warren Resen points out beauty berries.

(L-R) Ted Winsberg, Margaret Brabham, Jean O’Connor, Warren Resen, Daisy Palmer, Paul Cummings, Gail Irwin and Alan Collins.

A Dog’s Life: Enjoy A Rafting Trip Before Going In For Surgery

My granddog Crockett went on a camping trip with his “parents” over the weekend. Jen and Greg drive four hours through the Missouri woodlands to go on this lazy river-raft trip every year, and part of the reason they do it is because dogs are allowed.

Crockett himself is very excited as they get ready. Usually packed suitcases in the hallway send him into a depression, but if he sees his camping gear out there, it’s different. His camping gear? Yes, that’s right. It seems that after the first trip, Jen and Greg started to ask themselves why they were carrying all this stuff while their “pack animal” trotted jauntily on ahead, unencumbered and impatient for them to catch up. So they got him a little backpack so he would at least carry his own gear — water dish, organic dog food, water wings — I don’t know, whatever it is domesticated dogs would need to be comfortable in the wild.

Deborah Welky is The Sonic BOOMER

Turns out Crockett is most comfortable snuggled in the tent between the two of them, drinking from the stream and foraging for the real organic food free-ranging through the woods.

“He’ll never go back to dog food again,” Jenny complained. “He ate all kinds of things he isn’t supposed to eat. The people in the next raft had deer sausage. And Crockett may not be the most coordinated dog in the world, but he hopped right

out of our raft and into theirs. Three of his legs made it and he dragged in the one that didn’t.

Whenever he saw their raft, he was over there.”

“I guess you’ll be planning even more camping trips for him,” I said.

“Oh, no. He’s good for about an hour and then — if there’s no sausage — he’s bored. He just wants to lie down in the raft and have us paddle him downstream. He gets overheated and I virtually have to throw him into the water to cool him down. Then, when I do, people rafting by say, ‘he looks miserable. Why don’t you bring him in?’ and I have to explain that he needs to cool down. And you know the worst part?”

“What?”

“I worried about taking him on this fabulous trip because it seemed so misleading — he has to go in for surgery on Tuesday. He’s got a spot. To

think I actually worried about hurting his feelings.”

“I’d worry more about the hurt from surgery. Will he have to wear a cone?”

“Yes, he’ll be a conehead. And he has to wear a T-shirt, too — to keep him from pulling out the stitches.”

“Will he need a special get-well bone?”

“He might.”

“I’ll send one up. How’s he doing today?”

“Oh, he’s exhausted. I left him right in the middle of the bed. He could barely open an eye to say goodbye.”

“And you?”

“Oh, I’m exhausted, too, but I have to go to work. Tell me this — that phrase ‘it’s a dog’s life’ — is that supposed to imply a bad thing?”

“A tough life, yes.”

“Well, I wish I was living a dog’s life.”

‘The Dark Knight’ Is My Bet For The Best Movie Of The Summer

The Dark Knight is almost certain to be the hit of the summer. Almost, because there is a small possibility that a better film may emerge, although I expect the odds would be against that. The movie is dark, is brilliant, has great performances, and even portrays moral issues in a way I find interesting.

‘I’

On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler

Director Christopher Nolan’s second turn at the Batman tale blows away any of the other Batman films I have seen. Because of the presence of the Joker, it bears the greatest resemblance to Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman, my previous favorite. And the reason I liked that one was the astounding performance of Jack Nicholson at the Joker. Frankly, Michael Keaton was not much more than a brooding presence. The story simply posed rather-boring good against wild, crazy, rather-fun evil. But it was a fun ride, and Nicholson carried the film. This new movie, a sequel to Nolan’s 2005 Batman Begins, is different. Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale), our Batman, is not perfect. He is more of a rule-breaker than ever before. He is willing to “go by the book” until things get tough. Then, suddenly, we see him beating on a prisoner. Granted, that prisoner was the Joker and he had kidnapped Batman’s girlfriend (Maggie Gyllenhaal) and straight-arrow District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) and surrounded them explosives set on a timer. But Batman does push the envelope. And later he creates a device that can listen in on every cell phone in Gotham City in an effort to detect the Joker’s voice, as a way of stopping another mass killing. Shades of Guantanamo and the Patriot Act. But Heath Ledger’s Joker becomes the proac-

tive character in the story. His performance is less polished than that of Nicholson and he comes across both as more feral, more philosophical and eventually more powerful. He does not kill for money, the film makes that clear. His is the rage of the nihilist who will accept nothing without formal proof, except of course his own form of radical belief, and for whom life means little.

The Joker tells the authorities that all people are essentially weak and willing to give in to evil; he’s just ahead of the curve. His pawns tend to be paranoid schizophrenics, willing to die to prove his point. He tells Batman they are both outcasts and that the public will turn on him too, and he is right. They both made their choices and both are villains because they do not conform. Batman breaks the law as readily as the Joker, even if for different reasons.

The Joker tests the theory on Dent, who is horribly scarred when the bomb goes off. Those who were turned off by the scarred face of Tommy Lee Jones in Batman Forever should be warned. The makeup people went all out on half of Eck-

hart’s face. Dent changes from crusading district attorney to vicious criminal who blames the people who failed to rescue him. Would I see the movie again? Actually, I probably will. Be warned. It is about two and a half hours long with enough action that you will hate the idea of leaving for the bathroom. But it provides a great ride. And by presenting the world as it really is, where the public turns on Batman after the Joker announces that he was doing his killing because of the caped

I Spent A Relaxing Week In The Country, Bonding With A Pig

Last week turned out to be a very interesting week in the life of Ernie Zimmerman. My son Ronnie and his family went away on a vacation. He asked me if I would mind keeping an eye on his pet potbellied pig. He went on to say that all I had to do was feed her and make sure she had plenty of water to drink. That sounded easy enough, so of course I accepted the assignment with a smile on my face. Rather then drive every day from my house to his, I decided it would be easier if I stayed at my son’s house for the week. My son lives in what this city boy would consider the country. I was starting to consider this my summer vacation — last year Alaska, this year the country. What could be better? When I arrived at my son’s house I looked all over for the pig. I thought the pig’s name

Wondering & Wandering

By Ernie Zimmerman

was Annabelle. I must have called “Annabelle” at least a hundred times, but there still was no pig in sight. So I decided to fill the pig’s dish with some very interesting food. It worked. The pig came running out of the woods at the sound of food hitting the bowl. That is, ’til the pig noticed that it wasn’t a familiar face feeding her. She stopped in her tracks about 20 feet

away from her dinner. I used a calming voice, but no matter what I did, she wouldn’t come any closer. I finally realized Annabelle was the dog’s name. The pig’s name is Piglet. As soon as I called her by her actual name, she came a-runnin’ to get her dinner. She also had a friend with her, one very large black cat. The cat also belongs to my son, but he forgot to say she was still at home. I called him to see if there were any other secrets he wanted to share with me. “Oh yeah, the hedgehog is in the family room,” he said.

As soon as Piglet the pig finished her dinner, I gave her a peach for dessert. She loved it. I was starting to wonder what she would do with the pit. I didn’t have to wonder too long. She spit the pit out at my feet.

She then proceeded to lie down and roll on her side at my feet. This very large pig wanted me to scratch her. And scratch I did. She and I loved every minute of it. It’s a good thing I have two hands, because the cat wanted the same treatment. After bonding with the pig for a couple of hours, I decided it was time to go to sleep.

After about five minutes of trying to go to sleep, I heard tapping at the back door. I didn’t know if I should call the police or check out the situation myself. After a bit of thought, I checked out the noise myself. It was the pig. She wanted me to come outside and keep her company, so I did. I ended up falling asleep on a very large, comfortable chair with my newfound friend. OK, I admit it. I slept with a pig for a week. I don’t think I will ever be able to bring myself to eat a ham sandwich again.

• ABSOLUTE DANCE OF WELLINGTON —When prices everywhere are rising daily, isn’t it refreshing to know that a business is committed to keeping their prices down? Absolute Dance is freezing their monthly tuition for yet another year so young children can keep dancing. It is our goal to ensure that every child has a positive experience, whether it is a two-year-old taking their first Mommy & Me class or an 18-year-old dancer wishing to perform with the Miami City Ballet. Experienced teachers, observation cameras in both studios, yearly themed recital (this year is Peter Pan), and all at a price you can afford! For more info., call (561) 798-1388 or visit www. absolutedanceofwellington.com.

• BOOMER’S MUSIC — The recording studio at Boomer’s Music is nearly complete. Summer workshops are available for beginners to intermediate students. Co-owner Jeanie O’Neill has taken over as drum instructor and revised the lesson program. Boomer’s instructors give their all to students and are able to bring out the best in them. For more information, call (561) 656-1259.

• GLADES DAY SCHOOL — Founded in 1965, Glades Day School offers a balance of academic, athletic and extracurricular programs. Serving students from kindergarten through grade 12, Glades Day provides the opportunity for students to develop 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 located at 400 Gator Blvd., Belle Glade. For more information, call (561) 996-6769 or visit www.gladesdayschool.com.

• LEARNING FOUNDATION OF FLORIDA PRIVATE SCHOOL — The Learning Foundation is a private school, including elementary, middle and high school. We pride ourselves on the personal commitment and attention of-

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 together. “My First Jewish Experience” is a fun Montessori-style experience for children ages 5 & 6, including vocabulary games, art, musical activities, Jewish holidays, prayers and customs. “More Jewish Experiences” (ages 6 & 7) is a continuation of the program, learning to read and write in Hebrew. For more information, call (561) 798-8888 or visit www.templebethzion.net. The temple is located at 129 Sparrow Drive in Royal Palm Beach.

• WELLINGTON BRANCH OF THE JCC OF THE GREATER PALM BEACHES — Just a few openings remain at the JCC Wellington Branch Camp Rising Stars for fledgling performers ages 7-12. Campers will experience singing, dancing, acting and a grand finale performance. Activities for fall include Mommy & Me programs and after-school enrichment for students in pre-school through fifth grade. Call (561)-253-6030 for more info.

• WELLINGTON CHRISTIAN SCHOOL — Wellington Christian School has been serving the western communities since 1981, offering a Christ-centered education for pre-K through 12th grades. Accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools) and CSF (Christian Schools of Florida), WCS offers a competitive athletic schedule, diverse fine arts program, and extra-curricular activities. For more info., call (561) 793-1017 or visit www.wellingtonchristian.org.

TOWN-CRIER SPORTS & RECREATION

A Variety Of Programs Available At The Wellington Tennis Center

By Paul Gaba Town-Crier Staff Report

Combining the teaching of athletic fundamentals with the philosophy of athletic fun can be a daunting challenge. But with 30 years’ experience as a tennis pro, Tommy Cheatham has melded the two quite nicely. The end result: a slew of happy campers at the 2008 Village of Wellington Tennis Summer Camp.

“At the end of the day,” Cheatham said, “we want them to be able to go home and tell their parents, ‘I learned this and this, and I had fun.’ That’s basically what it is. This is really designed for the beginner player, and we’re introducing a lot of new kids to the game.”

Cheatham has been responsible for running programs and giving lessons at the tennis facility at the Wellington Community Center since 1999. Accompanied by three United States Professional Tennis Association aides who help coach the young campers, he said “fun” is the mantra they live by daily. The camp actually combines tennis and a “free swim” every weekday during the summer, with nine weeklong camps on the schedule. Each camp is limited to 36 students ages six to 13, and the final week is Aug. 11 through 15.

“It’s not an all-day camp,” Cheatham said. “Tennis is from 9 to 11 a.m., followed by lunch and a free swim until 1:30 p.m., which lets them cool off and be kids.” Cheatham said some campers attend all nine sessions and about a third attended the tennis camp in previous summers. “There’s a wide variety of

tennis understanding coming in. A lot of parents want to get their kids introduced to tennis, and this is a good way to start,” he said, adding that some parents appreciate the program because it keeps their children active and involved during the summer months.

So what should those dreaming of being the next Venus Williams or Roger Federer — or those simply wanting to have a good time among youthful peers — expect from the weeklong session? Drills and games, all designed to offer a fundamental knowledge of the sport.

“We teach them the basics, the grips and the swing,” Cheatham said. “But we’ve got to keep it fun — most of them are younger kids — so that they’ll come back and continue to play later on down the road, and their parents might get involved. It snowballs from there.”

Cheatham said running drills help teach players balance and coordination in their footwork, so they can better understand how to shuffle or recover from opponents’ shots. Campers also learn forehand and backhand grips, and the fundamentals of serving and volleying.

More emphasis on coordination comes with a series of fun exercises such as the “goalie game,” where one camper plays “goalie” on one side of the net, and others each take turns trying to hit a ball tossed to them by an instructor past the goalie but between the lines. If one is successful, that camper becomes the new goalie; if not, then it’s back to the end of the line. Campers are given points for their success in hitting the ball past the goalie (or, in

the goalie’s case, for successfully defending the shot).

Another daily game is a tennis version of dodge ball, where an instructor will toss multiple tennis balls toward multiple youths, who have to avoid being hit. The last one standing unscathed wins the round.

“Some of the older kids will actually play against each other by the end of the week,” Cheatham said. “Hopefully they’ll like it and want to keep on playing. Our goal is to get them playing at the high school level eventually; we have an after-school program as well during the school year. But we’re more of a grassroots program here. If they get to the point where they’re good and state ranked, they’ll go someplace else. We really don’t have that here.”

In his 30 years as a tennis professional, Cheatham has had players advance to the high school ranks, and several have even played at colleges such as the University of Colorado and Texas Christian University. He was working in Texas before he moved to Wellington in 1990 at the suggestion of a friend in the tennis community.

“I coached nationally ranked kids in Texas, and we had a national tourney in West Palm Beach,” Cheatham said. “I had a friend who worked here, and he came out to watched the kids play. We started talking, one thing led to another, and three months later I was moving out here. I was married, but we had no kids at the time, and I said what the heck.”

Cheatham is still married, but has two kids now — both will be students at Wellington High School this fall.

“They’re not tennis players, though,” he said. The camps cost $150 a week for residents and $170 for non-residents. The after-school programs begin Sept. 2 and offer 20 percent off the first month cost for summer camp participants:

• Future Stars for ages four to six, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4 to 4:30 p.m. This class will focus primarily on tennis basics, such as grips and strokes, games and motor skills, and costs $65 per month for residents and $80 for non-residents.

• Academic Futures for ages seven and up, Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:30 to 6 p.m. This is a stroke-inten-

sive program focusing on every stroke in tennis, with a new stroke being focused on every week. This costs $150 monthly for residents and $175 for nonresidents.

• The Academy on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays (match day) from 4:30 to 6 p.m. For tournament players who want to pursue tennis as a long-term commitment. The cost is $150 monthly for residents for Mondays and Wednesdays, and $175 for non-residents, and $40 a month for the Friday match day. The Wellington Tennis Center is located at 12165 W. Forest Hill Blvd. Call (561) 791-4775 for more information.

Hawk Basketball Camp Offers Hands-On Learning For Young Players

By Candace Marchsteiner

Town-Crier Staff Report

The second round of summer basketball camp at Seminole Ridge High School started Monday, July 21. Boys ages six to ten practice in a morning clinic, while boys ages ten to 14 come for the afternoon session.

A fundraiser for the high school team’s summer camp trip to EmbryRiddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, the four-day camp helps kids from the community to develop basic skills. “We focus on dribbling, ball handling, shooting, defensive skills, rebounding and passing drills,” junior varsity coach Kai Lee said. Players cap off the week with threeon-three and five-on-five games.

“Some of these kids were at our first

camp in June,” Lee said. “I can see improvement in their motor skills and basic basketball knowledge.”

As varsity coach, Jason Pitman said he finds working with younger kids a nice diversion. “I like coaching at the higher level, but I also like teaching younger kids the fundamentals,” Pitman said. “We don’t have a rec gym in our community, so this is a good way for the kids to experience basketball. And obviously, it’s a benefit to us down the road.”

Fourteen-year-old incoming SRHS freshman Dana Churchill is using the camp to get acquainted with the coaches’ styles. “I’d like to try out for the basketball team and hopefully make it,” he said.

For 11-year-old Matthew Fitzgerald,

Hunter, Jumper...

Let’s say you visit a horse show. One by one, horses canter around and sail over fences. Is it a hunter class? Jumpers? Equitation? They may all look the same to you, but each division is different. Nan Martin of Wellington started riding when she was five and was showing her pony by the age of eight, and as a junior rider competed in equitation and hunter circuits. She moved to Wellington in 2006 and now operates a training and boarding facility called NEM Hunters & Jumpers. The best way for a rider to progress through the divisions, Martin said, is to start with equitation or hunter classes and then move up to jumpers. In equitation classes, judges focus on the rider’s form as a reflection of riding ability. Jumping problems usually stem from a rider’s mistake or improper communication with the horse, and judges can subjectively decide which rider is doing the best job in the class that day.

Courses can be as easy as hunter hack, a flat class with two low jumps at the end, which riders negotiate one at a time, either at a trot or canter. More advanced classes require direction and lead changes, and involve combination fences such as in-and-outs, two fences set within a stride or two of each other.

In an equitation class, Martin said, riders should try to paint a pretty and consistent picture of cooperation with the horse. Judges like to see horses that are flexible, responsive and listening to the rider. During a class, judges may ask riders to halt or back up, and may even ask questions about basic horsemanship.

“Equitation is the basis for all riding,” Martin said. “It gives you tools which allow you to move up through the divisions. This is where you learn to ride effectively. When you ride correctly, you

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg

an incoming sixth grader at Osceola Creek Middle School, the camp gives purpose to his summer. “It helps me have fun instead of just sitting home and watching TV,” Fitzgerald said. “It keeps me active. I’m hoping to improve my jump shots and my free throws.”

Camp counselor Woodley Cadet, a 17-year-old junior at SRHS, agreed that being active is best, but for him it means something more. “I feel good about helping the kids feel better about themselves,” he said.

The girls basketball team has a summer camp for ages seven to 13 scheduled for July 28-31. Held each day from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., the camp costs $50 and is coached by girls varsity coach Scott O’Hara. Call (561) 791-9878 or (561) 818-5733 for more information.

look good, and that’s the basis of equitation. Form and function are intertwined. To be a successful rider, you need position, balance and horsemanship. You also need a horse who is a true partner and who really works with you. As a friend once said, a great equitation horse will jump quietly through rings of fire.”

Hunter classes are also judged subjectively. Judges look for horses that move gracefully and consistently, are well mannered, have an even pace, and show good form when jumping. Riders need to be competent and smooth. Each judge may look for something subtly different. There is no objective standard. The courses aren’t too challenging, with long straight lines and easy combinations. Fences are typically natural looking, with lots of unfinished wood and flowers, replicating jumps found on a hunt. The jumps are relatively low and inviting to horses. Riders should be neatly turned out in traditional breeches, boots, a “ratcatcher” shirt, jacket and helmet. Martin said you don’t have to spend a fortune and have a top-of-the-line outfit or the most expensive equipment. As long as you and your horse are well turned out and conservative, you show proper respect to the judge and the class. “Everything should look neat, clean, quiet and safe,” Martin said. “You can make a small mistake and still place well, but hunter judges don’t

want to see riders with rough hands, or misbehaving horses who buck in the corner. In hunters, you and your horse should present a pleasing picture of cooperation.”

Jumper classes, on the other hand, are judged objectively, based on jumping clean and fast. A horse is penalized if it refuses, knocks down a rail or goes too slowly. The winner is the horse with the fewest rails down (lowest score) and the fastest time.

Courses are technical, physically challenging for the horse and mentally challenging for the rider. A normal horse stride is 12 feet. Jumper classes often have odd distances between fences. There may be sharp turns, very wide fences, or tough triple combinations of three fences with only a stride or two between them. The jumps are high, wide, varied, scary and brightly colored. How you ride these lines depends on the rider and the horse. Some breeds, such as Warmbloods, have big strides and need room to turn. Finer horses such as Thoroughbreds are faster and make tighter turns. Riders can have poor form and make mistakes, horses can misbehave and buck between fences, but if the horse jumps clean and fast, he can still win. “It’s important to know what your horse can and can’t do,” Martin said. “When riders walk a course on foot, before a class starts, they check distances and try to see the fences as their horses will. How’s the footing at take-off and landing points? What are the stride distances? Do you ride a short six strides or a long seven? A good rider really knows his horse and can put a plan together on how to ride each course.”

Martin said good riders watch others ride and adjust their plan accordingly, especially if there’s a part where everyone’s having problems.

“It’s not all about speed, which is what a lot of people think,” she said. “It’s about getting around

carefully in a way which allows your horse to best use his talent.”

The most important consideration when deciding which class to enter, Martin stressed, is safety for both horse and rider.

“Although jumper classes are typically the flashiest and most exciting, that’s not the best place for anyone to start their showing career,” she said. “Inexperienced horses and novice riders need to do their homework and learn the basics first. Never over-challenge yourself or your horse, and only move up when you feel confident that you’ll be able to ride a course safely and skillfully. That kind of plan always leads to a winning combination. And keep in mind that, even at the top levels, no one always finishes first. What’s most important is how well you and your horse completed the course. If you did the best you could that day, and six other riders and horses were better than you, you should feel proud of your accomplishment. It’s not all about the ribbons; it’s about improving the communication between you and your horse.”

For more information about Nan Martin and NEM Hunters & Jumpers, visit www.nemhj.com.

Luis Quesada teaches Erin Levine the backhand technique.

Chloe Levkulich

Colton McKillican of Western Pines Middle School and Matthew Fitzgerald of Osceola Creek Middle School practice defensive drills.

Sydney Dominique fakes a block as Woodley Cadet waits for the whistle on a speed lay-up race.

Camp counselors Brandyn Drew and Shane O’Hara line up for a knockout game demo.

Nan Martin on Harlem at the 2007 National Horse Show.

Camp coaches Kai Lee and Jason Pitman.

RPB Bassmasters Fish Lake Osborne

Dues are $25 a year; tournament entry fees are $25 per person. For more info., call Irene at (561) 793-7081.

Grnja Competes In World Soccer Tourney

Wellington resident Alana Grnja went to Sweden to play in the Gothia Cup World Youth soccer tournament with her team the Magic Jack Hot Shots. This is the world’s largest and most prestigious youth soccer tournament, with more than 1,500 teams participating from around the world in the U-12 to U-18 age groups.

The Magic Jack Hot Shots went undefeated in seven games throughout the week, allowing only three goals to be scored against them. They defeated AIK of Stockholm, Sweden, 20 to win the championship game.

The Hot Shots championship team includes Katelynne Bollella, Kylie Borislow, Sabrina Chung, Dominique Henry Cole, Donish Henry Cole, Hannah Coy, Nadira Davis, Ryanne Dietrick, Alana Grnja, Caitlin Kader, Shari Silver, Jordyn Smith, Alexandria Taylor and Khara

PANTHERS PLACE SECOND IN STATE TOURNAMENT

Vassell. The team is

and

and

Three Wellington girls competed at the Florida State Water Ski Championships held July 11-12 in Mulberry, Fla. Elevenyear-old Samantha Dumala placed third in tricks and sixth in slalom in the Girls II Division, while her nine-year-old sister Danielle placed third in slalom in the Girls I Division. Ten-yearold Ashley Stevens placed fourth in slalom in the Girls I Division. All three girls have qualified for and will compete in the Ski

Danielle Dumala at the state championship awards banquet.

Wellington Skiers Excel At State Competition

Southern Regions on July 24 in Groveland, Fla. and at the U.S. National Water Ski Championships to be held at Okeeheelee Park in West Palm Beach Aug. 12-16. Ashley’s mom Judy Stevens competed and is the Florida State Champion in the Women’s IV slalom. Michael Dumala, Samantha’s and Danielle’s father, competed in the Men’s III Division as well. Wellington resident Laurie Lindsey won the Women’s III slalom.

The Royal Palm Beach 12-U Panthers softball team had a fantastic weekend July 4-6 during the U.S. Specialty Sports Association state tournament. The girls won both bracket games to seed them in the top half. In the elimination rounds, the Panthers won the first two games but lost to the Jupiter Seahawks 3-1. The Panthers defeated teams from Coral Springs, Jupiter, Pembroke Lakes and Wellington before making it into the championship game against the Lakeland Thunder. The Panthers will represent Florida in the USSSA World Series in Orlando starting July 26. Shown above are (L-R): Arianna Hernandez, Sammy Burdo, Kasandra Castle, Shea McKenna, Jessica Mohl and Courtney Carhart; (second row) Chelsea Malcolm, Rebecca Andrews, Dani DiCarlos, Peiper Tillman, Gabriel Marionakis and Bethany Alex; (back) coaches Michele Mohl, Carlos Hernandez, Scott Malcolm and Brian Alex. Not pictured: Samantha Chung and Kristen Mattson.

The Acreage Athletic League is proud of the many accomplishments of its 2008 baseball season. Its T-ball team took second place in the Father’s Day tournament held in Palm Beach Gardens. The 7-8 A team won the Okeeheelee Fourth of July tournament and placed second in the Lake Worth Memorial Day tournament. The 7-8 B team took second place at the rookie qualifier in Ocala. The 9-10 A team won the District 11 Championship and the Phipps Park Memorial Day tournament. The 9-10 B team and the 11-U team won the District 12 championship. Winning the districts qualified the teams to play in the state championships. Pictured above is the 9-10 B team.

Mike Madden and Shannon GhettieTom Brown and Jeff Helms Darrell Waite and Jeff Todd

sponsored

coached by team founder Dan Borislow, whose daughter is a member of the team.

Coaches Jayson Chung

Roberto Bollella led the girls

during their run. The Hot Shots plan to attend the upcoming Atlanta Cup soccer tournament and hope to continue their championship

Champs — Samantha Dumala, Ashley Stevens and

Undefeated — Magic Jack Hot Shots Coach Jayson Chung and Alana Grnja with the Gothia Cup trophy.

Beauty Mark Of Wellington Offers Services In-Store And Online

By Leonard Wechsler Town-Crier Staff Report

Many women prefer to check out cosmetics, even have a makeover, before actually buying them, according to Maxine Nealon of Beauty Mark of Wellington.

“Women want to discover their own style,” she said. “They want to find a concept of how they appear, one that makes them feel good, particularly good about themselves.”

Beauty Mark of Wellington is a new kind of cosmetic shopping experience, offering the convenience of online shopping with an actual brick-and-mortar location where customers can try before they buy.

Nealon, who created and owns the business with her husband Robert Hammel, is an experienced online retailer. “I’ve done well selling a lot of things on eBay,” she said, “and cosmetics have always been a big seller. But most women I know want a chance to try a new item, have a makeover. That’s what we do here.”

The web site www.beauty markofwellington.com sells several lines of skincare products and cosmetics for both men and women.

“We carry middle-of-the-line products because they provide excellent quality along with affordable prices,” Nealon said. “In these economic times, many women don’t want to pay $90

for a foundation or blush.”

Even in tight economic times, good cosmetics are a wise investment, Nealon said. “I worked as a mortgage broker for years, and then the housing market went bad,” she said. “But it costs money to look good when you go out on interviews. That was a major reason I created my own business.”

Meanwhile, Beauty Mark’s showroom in the Wellington Commerce Center is a place where customers can look products over and try them out.

“Why not look great?” Nealon asked. “Come in here, and we’ll give you a free makeover on your first visit. You can try out the different products, and I have experienced professional makeup people who can make suggestions.”

While the zoning for the center precludes use of the store as a retail location, customers can pick up their purchases there or have them shipped or delivered.

“The best thing about this business is that we’re here and ready for you,” Nealon said. “You can order online at your home at midnight and pick it up at our store the next morning. No shipping costs either. If it’s reasonable, I’ll even deliver it to you myself.”

Nealon’s business cards carry the slogan “emergency deliveries available.” She laughed and explained that only a woman could understand how impor-

tant it is at certain times to have the right makeup available right away.

Nealon said she expects makeovers to be a major draw for her showroom. “We ask you to make an appointment so we are ready for you,” she said. “You shouldn’t have to wait around for this kind of experience. And we even have makeover parties so you and your friends can have fun together.”

Good skincare is the real foundation of good makeup, Nealon said. “We have some excellent products,” she said. “I like SeaOra Products, which are mineral-based, and we carry them here. They work better than many oil-based products. They wash off better. They are part of our holistic care product line.”

Beauty Mark also carries the Thymes product line, which Nealon said is very popular.

Nealon said she hopes the free makeover offer will convince customers to become regulars. “We want people to find us,” she said. “Once they do, they’ll want to work through us regularly.”

Nealon said she does her research carefully. “I learned through dealing with eBay that good research often means the difference between getting it right and making major errors,” she said. “That’s why I keep up to date on the latest colors and newest products. I spent a lot of time looking around for prod-

ucts that would be good for the skin. I have good anti-acne products, for example.”

Nealon lives in Wellington less than a mile away from the showroom, along with her husband and four dogs.

“If you’re close by and want to talk to me in person, I can be

While the Wellington showroom is open for browsing customers on weekdays during normal business hours, appointments can be made for other times. “We’ll come in on weekends for those people who have appointments,” she said. “And of course, we’ll do makeup for weddings. I know some hairdressers who can be here and work with our makeup artists to create a great look.”

Looking Good — Beauty Mark of Wellington’s Maxine Nealon inside her studio in the Wellington Commerce Center.

PHOTO

WELLINGTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HOLDS RIBBON-CUTTING CEREMONIES

Metro PCS — Located at 10410 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington, Metro PCS offers wireless broadband personal communication services (PCS) on a no-long-term contract, flat rate and unlimited usage basis in selected major metropolitan areas in the United States. Since 2002, Metro PCS has been among the fastest-growing wireless broadband PCS providers in the United States as measured by growth in subscribers and revenues during that period. For more information on phones, coverage, plans and features call Erik Douai at (561) 422-0175 or visit www.metropcs.com. Pictured above are Metro PCS staff with Wellington Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Five Guys Burger And Fries — Located at 10200 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 150, in the Pointe at Wellington Green, Five Guys Burger and Fries is the second location to open in the Palm Beaches. Five Guys offers a diverse and fun yet affordable menu. The Five Guys goal is to sell the best quality burgers possible. Five Guys has been voted “Best Burgers” for the past five years in Washingtonian magazine, was rated the number-one “Bang for the Buck” in Zagat Survey, and the Washington Post calls the company “the Willy Wonkas of burgercraft.” For more info., call Ryan or Matt Tracy at (561) 790-7500 or visit the corporate web site at www.fiveguys.com. Pictured here are Five Guys Burgers and Fries staff members with Wellington Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Riverside Bank recently appointed Kevin Logsdon as assistant vice president and mortgage loan originator in Palm Beach County. In his new position, Logsdon is responsible for generating mortgage loans, managing the portfolio and introducing consumers and businesses to the bank’s “hometown” style of banking.

“Given Kevin’s knowledge of Palm Beach County, his breadth of residential lending and banking experience, plus his skills in general, I’m confident he will be successful in his Riverside career,” Assistant Vice President and Regional Sales Leader Michael Alfele said.

Prior to joining Riverside Bank, Logsdon, a Florida native, was most recently a senior vice president and branch lending manager with National City Mortgage Corporation (formerly Fidelity Federal Bank & Trust) in West Palm Beach. He was also a vice president and residential loan officer and subsequently a regional manager with Fidelity Federal.

Logsdon is a board member

Kevin Logsdon

RIBBON CUTTING FOR BLACK CANYON GRILL

Chick-fil-A — Committed to good health, good food, freshness and nutritious choices, Chick-fil-A in the Mall at Wellington Green believes in using fresh ingredients to make nutritious food that also tastes great. The company has been famous for its signature Chick-fil-A sandwich since 1964. For more info., call Angela Bloom at (561) 333-4242 or visit www.chick-fil-a.com. Shown above are Chick-fil-A employees with Wellington Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Black Canyon Grill in Royal Palm Beach. The restaurant serves American food with a Southwestern flare and has a full liquor bar featuring top-shelf specialty margaritas including prickly pear, pomegranate and agave nectar as some of the flavors and a house margarita served in a 42-oz. glass. Black Canyon Grill is located at 12041 Southern Blvd. near Albertson’s supermarket. Call (561) 296-1147 for more info. Pictured here are Black Canyon Grill owner Andy Fox and staff with Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors.

Earl of Sandwich — At the Earl of Sandwich restaurant inside the Mall at Wellington Green, they don’t serve mere sandwiches, they serve the sandwich. The Earl of Sandwich uses a distinctly unique method that results in an amazingly fresh, tasty sandwich. For more info., call Christoph Bydlick at (561) 296-1762 or visit www.earlofsandwichusa.com. Shown here are Earl of Sandwich employees with Wellington Chamber of Commerce ambassadors. of Gulfstream Goodwill Industries in West Palm Beach, the Rotary Club of West Palm Beach and KidSanctuary, a foster home for abused and neglected special-needs children. He has also been a committee member for the American Heart Association’s annual Heartwalk and has volunteered at Sunfest for 25 years. Logsdon can be reached in his office at 6651 Lake Worth Road. For more information, call (561) 301-9716.

Connor, Turney Appointed To Wellington Chamber Board Of Directors

Victor Connor and Dean Turney were recently appointed to the 2008-09 Wellington Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

Turney is a 37-year resident of Palm Beach County. He has an educational and professional background in urban economics and planning. After graduating from Florida Atlantic University, Turney became the staff economist with the Palm Beach County Area Planning Board. Since 1980, he has been in the private sector providing consulting services to public and private sector clients.

Since 1996, Turney has been extensively involved in Wellington’s equestrian industry and has served as the executive director of the Wellington Equestrian Alliance since 1997. Also, until recently, Turney was a partner

in a cattle raising operation that managed more than 3,000 acres in Palm Beach County.

In addition to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, Turney has served on numerous governmental committees and nonprofit boards. His current involvements include: the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council, the South Florida Fair, the Palm Beach County Economic Development Committee and the Law Enforcement Assistance Foundation.

Connor is a branch manager with Raymond James Financial Services and president of the Connor Financial Group. Over the years, he has been specifically trained to deal with the special needs and concerns of those preparing for and in the retirement phases of life. Connor is a frequent speaker on economic

Strategic GMAC Real Estate Opens In RPB

The Palms West Chamber of Commerce helped kick off the success of the new location of Strategic GMAC Real Estate recently. The office, located at 11358 Royal Palm Beach, Suite 2, Royal Palm Beach, is centrally located in the western communities and will enable Strategic GMAC to better serve the needs of its customers.

“We have successfully served West Palm Beach, Royal Palm Beach, Loxahatchee, Wellington, Lake Worth, Greenacres and the other municipalities for over ten years,” said company president and broker Suzanne Horwitz, an

Acreage resident. “This will help us do it better.”

The move is part of the company’s strategic plan of placing offices more centrally located at the markets it serves. Strategic GMAC Real Estate presently operates two office. The other office is located in Jupiter at the corner of Military Trail and University Blvd. in the Bermudiana Plaza.

Whether buying, selling or leasing, Strategic’s 35 sales partners have the expertise to meet all of your real estate needs. For more information, contact Michael Horwitz at (561) 2022400.

issues, professional asset management, estate planning and financial strategies for successful retirement.

In 2003, Connor left the national wire-house investment firms to open his own Raymond James Financial Services office. He is also a member of the nationally acclaimed Ed Slott’s “Elite IRA Advisor Group,” a group dedicated to advanced retirement plan management.

Connor has served as president of the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association, the Palm Beach County Horse Industry Council and the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association. He currently serves on the board of both the Palm Beach County Horseman’s Association and South Florida Hunter Jumper Association. Politically active

in the horse community, Connor is currently the equestrian representative on the Palm Beach County Office of Economic Development’s “Overall Economic Development Program.” Additionally, he served as the equestrian representative on the Palm Beach County Conservation Land Acquisition Selection Committee, as well as member of the Palms West Republican Club.

Connor’s wife Marla works as manager of the Gulfstream Polo Club. Their daughter Catherine attends Palm Beach Community College and trains horses. “I am honored to have the privilege to work with two dynamic community leaders,” Wellington Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Michela Perillo-Green said. “The addition of Dean Turney and Vic-

Basile Named Sales Manager At Wellington View

Toll Brothers has promoted Jacqueline Basile to sales manager at Wellington View, a gated, residential community located just east of Wellington.

Basile, an Ohio native who lived in Alabama before relocating to Florida 15 years ago, joined Toll Brothers in early 2004. “Wellington View is my fourth Toll Brothers community,” she said.

Basile started out at Mizner Country Club just north of Boca Raton as a greeter, then moved up to administrative assistant. While working, she went to school and earned her real estate sales license. As that community approached a sell-out, Basile assumed the position of construction receptionist.

“I gladly accepted the job in order to continue working for Toll Brothers,” she noted, adding that in after only one week, she was offered a sales associate position at Frenchman’s Reserve in eastern Palm Beach Gardens. “I was ecstatic because I could use the license I had worked so hard to get. Plus, Frenchman’s Reserve was — and is — a beautiful country club community.”

After a year at Frenchman’s Reserve, Basile was asked to move over to Toll Brothers’ newest Palm Beach County community, Jupiter Country

Club, as a sales associate. “I learned a lot about starting a community from the ground up while working there,” she said. “It was very exciting.”

Then, following a two-year stint, she was promoted to sales manager at Wellington View.

Having accrued all her experience in new home sales and the building industry with Toll Brothers, Basile is an example of how the company promotes from within its pool of qualified personnel.

Basile said she is delighted to now be in sales management at Wellington View. “It’s rewarding for me to teach a sales associate how to do all the things I’ve been taught to do by others over the years,” she said. “Furthermore, this community offers unbelievable views, great floor plans, exceptional value and a location near the [Mall at Wellington Green], restaurants and more.”

Currently a regional MLS member and a member of the Jupiter/Tequesta/Hobe Sound Board of Realtors, Basile enjoys being involved with building communities one home at a time. “There’s nothing better than watching the homes people dream about come to fruition,” she said.

New single-family luxury homes at Wellington View range

in size from 2,829 to just over 4,700 square feet of air-conditioned living space. Homes are set amid 80 acres of lakes and nature preserves. Also complementing the lifestyle is a community clubhouse with a meeting room, fitness center, tot lot, tennis court and basketball net. The Wellington View sales center and models are located at 755 Edgebrook Lane and are open daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, call (561) 304-3131 or visit www. wellingtonview.com.

American Business Women’s Association To Meet Aug. 13

The Northern Palm Beach Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association will host its monthly meeting on Wednesday, Aug. 13 at the PGA DoubleTree Hotel in Palm Beach Gardens. Networking will take place at 6 p.m. with dinner and the program starting at 6:30 p.m. The speaker for the Aug. 13 meeting is Seacoast National Bank Vice President and Branch Manager Marianne Kollmer. She will discuss Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) coverage, offer-

ing an explanation on what it is and what it covers. Kollmer is the incoming NPB ABWA chapter president. The cost is $30 for members and non-members, and guests are welcome. The DoubleTree Hotel is located at 4431 PGA Blvd. For directions, call the hotel at (561) 622-2260. To make reservations or for more information, call Dee Weber at (561) 626-2027. For more information on the American Business Women’s Association, call Kollmer at (561) 741-4912.

Victor ConnorDean Turney

Jacqueline Basile

New Location — Representatives from Strategic GMAC Real Estate join Palms West Chamber of Commerce ambassadors for the ribbon cutting.

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