Town-Crier Newspaper June 14, 2013

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LGWCD TO SOUTHERN STATES: NO DEAL SEE STORY, PAGE 3

RPB MAN UPSET OVER WEEDS AT PARK SEE STORY, PAGE 7

THE

TOWN - CR IER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

Your Community Newspaper

INSIDE Skateboarders Design Their New RPB Park

Volume 34, Number 24 June 14 - June 20, 2013

BUDJINSKI BENEFIT A SUCCESS

The Royal Palm Beach Village Council last week approved the purchase and installation of equipment for a skate park designed with the help of skateboarders who requested the park. The $96,000 project will be built at the site of an underutilized hockey rink. Page 3

Season’s Final Young At Heart Club Lunch

The Royal Palm Beach Young at Heart Club held its last luncheon before summer break Friday, June 7 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Page 5

Lack Of Data Has Officials Leery Of RedLight Camera Decision

There just isn’t enough data for Palm Beach County leaders to decide if red-light cameras are a good or bad idea at this time. “The jury is still out,” Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw told the Town-Crier on Tuesday. Page 7

Educational Fun At Ag-ucation Camp

Summer Ag-ucation Camp took place at the Agriplex at the South Florida Fairgrounds June 10-14. Children ages 8 to 12 spent the week finding out about gardens, farm animals, fruits, vegetables and more. Each day had a different activity. Page 14

OPINION Resolve Issues Before Taking Aim At Manager

This week, the Wellington Village Council opened discussion on whether to fire Village Manager Paul Schofield, tabling the matter pending a review by a management consultant. We believe this decision must be approached slowly and objectively, and w e were relieved that council members opted to have further discussion before making a decision. Page 4

DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 10 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS ......................... 6 SCHOOLS ............................ 12 PEOPLE ............................... 13 NEWS BRIEFS..................... 15 COLUMNS .................... 21 - 22 BUSINESS .................... 23 - 25 ENTERTAINMENT ................. 31 SPORTS ........................ 35 - 37 CALENDAR ................... 40 - 41 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 44 - 47 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

A fundraiser for local musician and Town-Crier staff member Jason Budjinski was held Saturday, June 8 at the Madison Green Golf Club. Budjinski is in need of a liver transplant, among other surgeries. At the event, friends and family raised more than $25,000 for his medical and living expenses. Shown here are Gary, Jason and Maureen Budjinski with Regis and Tom Wenham. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 17 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Schofield Under Fire As Council Debates His Future As Manager By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Wellington Village Council tabled a discussion Tuesday on whether to fire Village Manager Paul Schofield. Discussion of the issue was a last-minute addition to the agenda Monday by Councilman Matt Willhite. Though he had support from Councilman John Greene, Mayor Bob Margolis suggested that the item be tabled and a management consultant be brought in to evaluate the issue. Vice Mayor Howard Coates and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig opposed the firing but agreed to table the issue. Willhite said he thought the current management of Wellington was not working. “I talked to [Schofield] a week

ago and told him I felt we were coming to a point where we couldn’t work together for the benefit and betterment of this village,” Willhite said. “I don’t see a fix in the future, so I asked that this be put on the agenda.” Schofield’s contract was extended in 2010 for six years through Feb. 14, 2017. If he is fired without cause — without violating the contract — he is entitled to a year’s pay plus benefits as severance, which would total about $375,000. Gerwig said she understood that Willhite was not comfortable working with Schofield but pressed him for specific reasons. “That’s a pretty vague description,” she said. “I need specifics of what actually happened that makes you think he is not able to function in this job anymore.”

But Willhite wouldn’t give a specific reason. “If you want specifics, it’s on you,” he said. “I’m not going to sit here, put more blood in the water… and make things worse. It’s not fair to him.” Gerwig said she thought now was the time to have that conversation. “You’re dismissing someone who has worked for the village for years,” she said. “I think we deserve to know why.” But Coates said he thought it was a personal vendetta. “You’re not going to get a reason,” he said. “When I asked for specifics regarding Mr. Willhite’s decision to get rid of [former Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz], I got no explanation. The only reason he See SCHOFIELD, page 16

Wellington Agrees To Letter Of Intent For Horse Park On SR 7 By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Members of the Wellington Village Council were divided Tuesday over whether to give exclusive consideration to a horse park on the village-owned K-Park site at the corner of State Road 7 and Stribling Way. Council members voted 3-2 to approve a letter of intent from proposers Palm Beach Horse Park LLC, with Vice Mayor Howard Coates and Councilwoman Anne Gerwig opposed. Though council members were largely in favor of the idea of a horse park on the site, concerns about following the proper procedure caused the dissent. “I like this proposal,” Coates said. “I just want to make sure everyone gets a fair shake in presenting to the council.” Coates noted that a second organization had approached Wellington about putting baseball fields on the site but hadn’t yet had a chance to present a proposal to the council. But by accepting the terms in the letter of intent, the council majority agreed to give Palm

Beach Horse Park and the stillunnamed buyer behind the company 120 days to draft a feasibility study, financial plan and other documents to persuade council members to sell the property. During those four months, Wellington would agree not to discuss selling the site to any other entity. The council still will have the final say on whether to sell the property. Palm Beach Horse Park spokesman Jack Van Dell said that the development as proposed would include a hotel, veterinarian training facility and a stadium that could double as a civic facility. The horse park would provide a space for western riding, most notably American Quarter Horse Association shows. “The concept is to make it a 12-month, full-service, completely equipped horse park like no other in the world,” Van Dell said. On site would be eight hurricane-resistant barns and a stadium built to hurricane standards, both of which could be used by the county’s emergency operations. “[The stadium] will be able to house dogs and cats and peo-

ple during emergencies,” Van Dell said. There would also be a veterinary school, surgical suite and research/development facilities, as well as an international riding school for world-class training in any discipline and a barn where Wellington residents could learn to ride. “We are the most complete horse place in the world, yet if you come here, you can’t get on a horse and go for a ride,” Van Dell said. “We want to have one barn dedicated to Wellington, filled with qualified horses and good trainers. It will get kids out to the facility and for a minimum amount of money, they can learn to ride.” Van Dell said the site would be a mix of civic uses and private, commercial uses. He estimated that it would create 400 to 500 jobs and have a $50 million to $75 million impact on Wellington. Attorney Barbara Richardson of Shutts & Bowen, representing Palm Beach Horse Park, said that the company offered $10 million for the site subject to appraisal by Wellington. K-Park was purSee HORSE PARK, page 16

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Quickel Resigns As ITID Administrator By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Indian Trail Improvement District Administrator Tanya Quickel submitted a letter of resignation Monday after months of strife with members of the ITID Board of Supervisors. The tersely worded letter simply stated, “This letter serves as a notice of termination of the district administrator’s contract pursuant to Section XIII C. The 60day notice of termination will end on Aug. 9, 2013 unless the district elects an earlier date.” Recently elected Supervisor Gary Dunkley, who has called for a forensic audit of the district’s books, said Tuesday that he had just learned of Quickel’s resignation. “I would have to do more research before I make a comment,” Dunkley said. “There’s no rhyme or reason for this. It was unexpected. She was a good administrator. The only thing I question is the timing because we’re about to have a forensic audit.” Supervisor Michelle Damone, who urged Quickel’s hiring in 2010 after a succession of short-lived administrators who were deemed unsatisfactory, pointed out that the district has had flawless audits in the past two years since Quickel look over.

“It is a disservice to the taxpayers of the Indian Trail Improvement District,” Damone said. “Tanya is highly talented, highly qualified, and has done some wonderful things for the district and its residents.” Damone said Quickel’s departure follows a long line of changes to administrative staff since the new board majority — made up of President Jennifer Hager, Vice President Carol Jacobs and Dunkley — took over. Those departures include former Operations & Maintenance Director Tony Las Casas and former Finance Director Emily Poundstone. The board majority recently replaced its engineering contractor, Engenuity Group, and has indicated it is considering replacing its legal firm, Caldwell & Pacetti. “Her resignation letter is short, but since last year’s election, the meetings have been on sensitive topics, and honestly, they’ve been insulting to the administration staff, specifically when the board voted to pursue a forensic audit when the regular audit doesn’t show any significant discrepancies,” Damone said. She also pointed out that at the beginning of the year, the board majority, led by Jacobs, tried to renegotiate Quickel’s contract to See QUICKEL, page 7

LEARNING TO COOK

Taste 2013 featuring the Chocolate Lovers Festival w as held Thursday, June 6 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center. Restaurants and specialty shops served up samples of their food, beverages and desserts. Shown here, Ryan and Joey Lechter get a cooking lesson from Omar Dotto and David Tressler of the Gourmet Deli House. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 10 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Local Officials Concerned About FEMA Flood Maps By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Government leaders in the western communities are taking issue with new flood maps created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that show most of The Acreage, Loxahatchee Groves, Royal Palm Beach and Wellington would be underwater after a 100-year rainstorm. Royal Palm Beach Councilman David Swift said he attended the Western Communities Council meeting May 30, where Palm Beach County Water Resources Manager Ken Todd gave a presentation on the C-51 Reservoir Project and the new FEMA maps. “Basically, the new maps show that during a 100-year storm event, almost all of The Acreage, Wellington, a large portion of Royal

Palm Beach and Loxahatchee Groves would be flooded,” Swift said. “I’ve lived here 35 years, and I think I’ve experienced something very close to a 100-year event three times. My understanding of where it floods in Royal Palm Beach is not shown on those maps.” Swift said there are some issues concerning the data that FEMA used, especially about its modeling and its assumptions. “We agreed at the meeting to share our data of elevations here in the village and try to come up with a comprehensive map for The Acreage and for Loxahatchee Groves, for Wellington and all the western communities that’s verified,” he added. Swift said the new maps are important to the average citizen beSee FEMA MAPS, page 4

RPB To Host Star-Spangled Spectacular At Commons Park By Alexandra Antonopoulos Town-Crier Staff Report The Village of Royal Palm Beach’s annual Star-Spangled Spectacular will take place at the new Royal Palm Beach Commons Park on Thursday, July 4. The event boasts a range of scheduled activities to entertain and engage every visitor, starting early in the morning. A full day of patriotic entertainment for all ages will be capped off by an exciting fireworks show staged by Zambelli International Fireworks at 9 p.m. Royal Palm Beach Commons Park, located at 11600 Poinciana Blvd. at the intersection of Poin-

ciana and Royal Palm Beach boulevards, is a brand-new, 163acre facility that opened in March. Vice Mayor Jeff Hmara noted that one of the biggest perks of the new location is parking. “There will be plenty of parking spaces. We experienced through the grand opening a number of events that allowed us to see just how well the parking situation works,” Hmara said. A shuttle will run from the lots to the park, and visitors are advised to arrive early. “The great thing about this venue is the space to roam around and enjoy a true park experience,” said

Carlos Morales, community events manager and facilities supervisor for the village. “We have a 10-acre lawn with a stage. There will be craft centers, interactive rides and games. It’s really going to be a fun atmosphere.” Part of this fun atmosphere is the Kids Fun Zone, which promises to be the main attraction for most event patrons and their families. Opening at 1 p.m. with activities running until 8 p.m., this carnivallike stretch of Commons Park will offer rides, games, slides and endless amounts of fun to the younger crowd, while a DJ spins hit music at the park’s splash pad area. At 7 p.m., Odyssey Road — a Jour-

ney tribute band — will take the Royal Palm Auto Mall Stage as the headline musical act. Adults and children age 13 or older can participate in a 5K walk/ run, which starts promptly at 7:30 a.m. Awards will be given to the first-, second- and third-place overall winners and within specific divisions: adult men, adult women, teen boys, teen girls and wheelchair users. After their 3.1-mile journey, race participants can stick around for live entertainment and snacks. Concurrent with the 5K, the village’s annual Firecracker Golf Tournament at the Village Golf Club will take place in a scramble format,

complete with a shotgun start. Players will compete in contests for the longest drive and for being closest to the pin, and a barbecue lunch will be provided. The cost is See RPB HOLIDAY, page 16


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