WHS DANCE TEAM PLANS AUG. 1 SHOW SEE STORY, PAGE 3
SEN. ABRUZZO VISITS WITH RPB COUNCIL SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Volume 34, Number 30 July 26 - August 1, 2013
CIRCUS VISITS THE FAIRGROUNDS
Car Tycoon Shares Secrets Of Success
Members of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce learned some secrets to business success Monday from Earl D. Stewar t Jr., owner of Earl Stewart Toyota. Chamber members learned how Stewart’s unorthodox approach to the automobile dealership industry led him to success. Page 3
PBC Emergency Manager Warns Of Active Storm Season
Rising temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean are likely to increase the frequency and intensity of hurricanes this season, according to Palm Beach County Emergency Management Director Bill Johnson, the featured speaker at County Commissioner Jess Santamaria’s public forum held July 17. Page 7
Piccadilly Circus performed Sunday, July 21 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center. The show featured daring stunts, trained animals and more. There were also elephant rides, camel rides and a petting zoo. At intermission, kids had a chance to pose with some of the circus performers and have their pictures taken. Shown here, Lelani and Dynali Sanchez and Gia Guido show off their painted faces. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 15 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Area Leaders Agree To Prepare Objections To New FEMA Maps Health Fair Held At Royal Palm Covenant
Royal Palm Covenant Church in Royal Palm Beach hosted a health fair Saturday, July 20. Vendors from healthcare businesses were on hand to give out information and offer demonstrations. Page 10
Wellington Preservation Coalition Hosts Pool Day
The Wellington Preservation Coalition sponsored a free pool day at the Wellington Aquatics Complex on July 19 open to all Wellington residents. Page 17
OPINION Stop Horse Slaughter’s Return To The U.S.
After a six-year ban and numerous attempts by activists to stop it, horse slaughter returns to the U.S. next month. As a community that knows the wonders of equestrianism, now is the time to take action and stop this process. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 10 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 SCHOOLS ............................ 12 PEOPLE ............................... 13 NEWS BRIEFS..................... 14 COLUMNS .................... 21 - 22 BUSINESS .................... 23 - 25 ENTERTAINMENT .................27 SPORTS ........................ 31 - 33 CALENDAR ...................34 - 35 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 36 - 39 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Western Communities Council agreed last week to draft a resolution to the Federal Emergency Management Agency objecting to recently released flood maps that local officials believe are full of inaccuracies and could raise the flood insurance rates of most residents of the western communities. The July 18 decision was in response to a presentation at their previous meeting by Palm Beach County Water Resources Manager Ken Todd, who said that the new FEMA maps, if not contested, would affect most county property owners. Wellington Village Manager Paul Schofield said many of the map measurements were in NGVD (National Geodetic Vertical Datum), which is no longer the standard. It has been replaced with
North American Vertical Datum, or NAVD. “They don’t sound like they’re much different, but it’s sort of like the mean sea level, the thing that we used prior to 1930, was a different level. Mean sea level is not the same as the number in the National Geodetic Vertical Datum, and it’s not the same number as the NAVD, and it looks like when they converted from NGVD to NAVD, they didn’t do it correctly,” Schofield said at the meeting. “If you’re off in a county as flat as Palm Beach County by as little as a tenth, it can significantly impact flooding projections.” Schofield noted that the modeling technique used is no longer even the approved standard. “They used a modeling technique that FEMA doesn’t even approve anymore,” he said. “Treat us the same as you treat everybody else is really all that we’re asking.”
Greenacres City Manager Wadie Atallah said a number of studies that were done were not taken into account as part of the modeling used to create the maps. “For example, the South Florida Water Management District has been doing quite a bit of work going back to the point of support that has been done to make drainage improvements and stormwater management improvements that were not taken into account as part of this modeling,” Atallah said. “It shows that many more areas are going to be inundated in a 100-year flood when, in fact, they are not.” Wellington Deputy Village Manager John Bonde, who is also secretary of the Western Communities Council, said he met with SFWMD officials who said the C-51 Canal rule was created in the 1980s to counteract flooding, which was See FEMA, page 4
Flying Disc Golf Fans Push For Course In Royal Palm Beach By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Flying disc golf supporters attended the Royal Palm Beach Village Council meeting Thursday, July 18 to push for their project, after learning that financing for the planned flying disc golf course might be used instead for a larger dog park. At a budget workshop July 2, council members responded to residents’ requests to increase the size of a planned dog park at the new Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, and shifted priority in its capital budget to an expanded dog park over a flying disc course recommended by staff. During public comment July 18, Alexandra Munley of Bobwhite Road said she had read about the shift in priorities. “I’m very confused what the issue is as to having one over the other,” Munley said, noting that the cost estimate is $30,000 for the flying disc course and as much as $100,000 for a larger dog park.
Mayor Matty Mattioli said the budget is not finalized and another workshop is set for Thursday, Aug. 15. “It was suggested [the dog park] was going to be done, but all of this is going to be discussed, I would presume at the next budget meeting,” Mattioli said. “Whether they both can be done, I have no idea.” Munley said she is a physical education teacher and felt it would be great to be able to bring her students to a flying disc course. Councilman Richard Valuntas explained to Munley that the plan for the park currently was not only a disc golf course, but also a dog park. “The dog park people came in and said, basically, that’s not enough. We need a bigger dog park and we should allot more money toward that,” he said. Valuntas said the choice was never either/or because they are both in the budget. It’s just a question of prioritization.
“I had never heard from anyone until tonight, that [a flying disc course] was something anyone wanted in our community,” he said. “People in our community had never expressed an interest to me about it.” Councilman David Swift agreed that he had not heard from residents favoring a flying disc course. “I will tell you one thing, I have been approached by people who want a larger dog park for almost two years, and with great intensity in the last election period,” Swift said. “No one has ever approached me about disc golf.” Swift asked Valuntas and Vice Mayor Jeff Hmara, the present and immediate past liaisons to the Recreation Advisory Board, whether a flying disc course had been brought up by residents, and they said it had not. Hmara said he had read a letter supporting a flying disc course from Tim Finan, athletic director at See DISC GOLF, page 7
Serving Palms West Since 1980
Northlake/Coconut Project Dies As County Refuses To Postpone Decision By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Commission denied postponement Wednesday of a request for transmittal of a land-use change from rural residential to low-intensity commercial for property at the southeast corner of Northlake and Coconut boulevards. In refusing to delay, the commissioners doomed the proposal and heeded the contention of Acreage leaders that the postponement was only a stall tactic. Palm Beach County Planning Director Lorenzo Aghemo said the developer had asked for a postponement of the heavily opposed development, pushing it to the January 2014 transmittal hearing. This turned discussion to whether to postpone or not, rather than the merits of the proposed land-use change on the 11.25-acre site. Once slated for a post office, the current owner proposed a mul-
tiple-use planned development with commercial uses up to 49,005 square feet, including a gas station. The development received many letters of opposition from Acreage residents, unanimous disapprovals from the Indian Trail Improvement District and the Acreage Landowners’ Association, and recommendations of denial from county staff and the Palm Beach County Planning Commission. Former ITID Supervisor and ALA Liaison Mike Erickson said the matter was vetted in numerous meetings, where it was roundly rejected. “The reason they are asking for postponement is they haven’t gotten the answer they want, which is a positive affirmation of developing this corner,” Erickson said. “I believe that the proposal as it’s written is in the wrong place. See NORTHLAKE, page 16
MAKEOVER CONTEST
One lucky woman is getting the chance to change her life with the help of the local business community. Cecile Delmastro (shown above, second from the left, with her family) is the winner of the Change a Life Wellington contest, and will get all the help she needs for a complete makeover. STORY & MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 5
Local Landscaping Firm Spruces Up Wellington School By Anne Checkosky Town-Crier Staff Report In an effort to “pay it forward,” a local landscaping and maintenance company recently donated its services to refurbishing the grounds of Equestrian Trails Elementary School in Wellington. When Seacrest Services learned that parents from Equestrian Trails were trying to raise money to spruce up the school’s outdoor areas, company officials readily agreed to take on the project, Business Development Manager Paul Licata said. Licata believes that parents shouldn’t have to raise money for something like the landscaping improvements. “It was the neighborly thing to do,” he said. Seacrest maintains the Olympia neighborhood, which is adjacent to the school. It was an Equestrian Trails parent and Olympia resident, Silke Kiesewetter, who first approached Olympia’s homeowners’ association about allocating funds to enhance the school property.
The HOA didn’t feel it was appropriate to use funds outside the community, explained community official Alex Theodossis. But the idea of approaching Seacrest ended up being the right solution for everyone. It took an eight-man crew about three days to complete the project, including fixing the irrigation system, which was the biggest challenge, then removing some dead plants and replacing them with new ones, Licata said. It took a day to fix the irrigation system to operate at 100 percent, which is key to keep gardens growing, he said. The team also spruced up the school’s butterfly garden. “We basically gave it a facelift,” Licata said. “It looks new and vibrant. We gave it a ‘pop.’” Equestrian Trails Principal Michele Johnson couldn’t be happier about the outcome of the project. “This positive change to our landscaping has turned our courtSee SEACREST, page 16
Jaene Miranda Leaving Chamber For Boys & Girls Clubs By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce CEO Jaene Miranda has announced plans to leave the regional business organization to replace Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County President & CEO Mary O’Connor, who is moving to a nationwide position within the organization. Miranda, who worked with O’Connor for four and a half years as vice president of development at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County before arriving at the chamber seven years ago, said
it will take some time to re-engage. “It has been seven years since I’ve been there, and Mary has done a tremendous job of building that organization,” Miranda told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. “It’s a lot different from when I was there, from the standpoint of new facilities, new clubs that have been built and the budgets have been increased, with a lot more programming at the clubs and a lot more educational components that are being funded. Any time you go into a new organization, you need some time to assimilate.” While she continued to support
the Boys & Girls Clubs while CEO at the chamber, Miranda said it will still be a learning process because her responsibilities will be greater than when she was there before. She pointed out that the chamber budget is $1.5 million, while the budget of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County is $10 million, and the number of jobs managed at the chamber is 10 as opposed to 220 employees in her new position. “It’s a significant change from a standpoint of not only day-to-day responsibilities, but also the management of a much bigger nonprofit
organization in the county,” Miranda said. Miranda listed construction of the new chamber facility in Loxahatchee Groves and the merger of the Palms West and Greater Lake Worth chambers of commerce as her top accomplishments during her seven years with the chamber. “Along with the merger, there was keeping the asset of the second chamber building in Lake Worth,” she said. “Working through that process, we were able to maintain that building.” The chamber also increased its See MIRANDA, page 4
Jaene Miranda