Town-Crier Newspaper June 14, 2019

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CASPEREY RIDERS HEAD TO NATIONALS SEE STORY, PAGE 3

LOX COUNCIL WANTS WEB SITE FIXED SEE STORY, PAGE 4

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TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE

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INSIDE Wellington Hero Martin Miller Donates A Kidney To A Stranger

Volume 40, Number 24 June 14 - June 20, 2019

Serving Palms West Since 1980

ART SOCIETY’S ANNUAL DINNER

Martin Miller of Wellington is a bona fide hero. How else to describe the kind of person who sees a plea for help from a dying neighbor he doesn’t know, drops everything to spend an uncomfortable day in Miami getting tested, and then freely undergoes major surgery to give one of his two working kidneys to a complete stranger. Page 3

Area Realtors Take Part In Fashion Show To Raise Money For Hospice

Realtors Take the Runway 2019 was held Wednesday, June 5 at the Breakers West Country Club to raise money for the Trustbridge Hospice Foundation. Now in its fourth year, area Realtors walked the runway fashioned by Dillard’s as a packed house enjoyed the luncheon and fashion show. Page 5

Keiser University Holds Annual 7-On-7 Football Tournament

The Keiser University Seahawk football program, which completed its first official season last fall, hosted its annual 7-on7 tournament on Saturday, June 8. The event is open to all high school football programs and has caught the eye of many teams from Vero Beach to Miami, including Wellington High School. Page 17

The Wellington Art Society held its annual dinner and installation ceremony on Friday, June 7 at Hurricane Grill. The outgoing board and several members were recognized for their assistance at club events throughout the year. Shown above are Leslie Pfeiffer, Sandy Axelrod, Susan Mosely, Carolina King, Faye Ford, Robin Kasten and Laura Jaffe. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 7 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

RPB To Commemorate 60th Birthday At June 30 Event

By M. Dennis Taylor Town-Crier Staff Report The Village of Royal Palm Beach turns 60 years old on Sunday, June 30 and is celebrating with an event from 4 to 7 p.m. that day at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. “The reception at the Cultural Center will be really nice,” Assistant Parks & Recreation Director Mike Mikolaichik said. “For the 60th anniversary, we created an event that pays homage to some of the people who paved the way for the village.” The event is open to the public, and Village Manager Ray Liggins invited all residents to attend. “From 4 to 5 p.m. there will be live music in the background with photos of the village and people displayed on the screen,” Liggins said of the event. With light fare, hors d’oeuvres

and beverages, Mikolaichik expects it to be a very enjoyable affair. “It is a good time to socialize, and the guitarist, Ron Oliveire, is very good,” he said. Following that will be a presentation slated to last about an hour. “From 5 to 6 p.m., we will recognize our honorees,” Liggins said, adding that Mayor Fred Pinto will serve as master of ceremonies. “It will be a short reception with a thank you and recognition.” Each member of the Royal Palm Beach Village Council, along with Liggins, nominated someone who has made a significant contribution to the village to be one of the 60th anniversary honorees. The selected honorees are Jackie Larson, Dan Splain, Phyllis Katz, Jess Santamaria, Rob Hill and Diane DiSanto. The honorees are profiled in the Royal Palm Beach 60th Anni-

versary Souvenir Magazine being produced by the Town-Crier in cooperation with the village. Liggins is hoping for a good turnout at the anniversary celebration. “There is no way to know how many people will show up,” he said. “I mean, we invited all 40,000 residents. However, we planned hors d’oeuvres for the first few hundred.” The event will also include the public premiere of the new Village of Royal Palm Beach promotional video that has been in the works for months and has been previewed at council meetings. Besides the June 30 reception, Royal Palm Beach will also celebrate its 60th anniversary with a commemoration during the annual Star-Spangled Spectacular Fourth of July celebration and fireworks display at Commons Park.

Royal Palm Beach Plans Upgrades To Village Offices

By Gina M. Capone Town-Crier Staff Report As the Village of Royal Palm Beach marks its 60th anniversary, there are plans in the works to upgrade its municipal campus, constructing a new Village Hall building to replace the current facility. The current building dates back to 1977 and last underwent a major renovation approximately 15 years ago. According to Royal Palm Beach Mayor Fred Pinto, the idea of replacing the aging structure has been under discussion for some time. “It has been something we have been looking at to accommodate the village into the future,” Pinto told the Town-Crier this week. “The long-term vision is to provide facilities that can accommodate the village staff and operations. We want to put something in place that 30 years from now will still exist.” The initial plan was to renovate and expand the current facility,

but experts have questioned if that is the most cost-effective way forward. “When we had the architects and engineers look at the renovations, it was expensive,” Pinto said. “One of the reasons it is expensive is when they start to dismantle an old structure like this and to expand it in certain places, you don’t know what you are going to find. There could be things like asbestos, or other problems, that can be uncovered in the process. These things can drive the cost up even more.” The Royal Palm Beach Village Council is expected to discuss plans for a new building as part of its upcoming budget process for next year. However, the new building is likely still several years away. “The other part of the renovation cost is that we have to leave the facilities and take up temporary quarters at some place to continue See VILLAGE HALL, page 4

OLIVER’S HARVEST GRAND OPENING

On Thursday, June 6, Oliver’s Harvest hosted a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new factory outlet store in Wellington selling the company’s hemp-based CBD oil products. Guests were treated to food, drinks, music, samples and special discounts. Shown above are Marketing Coordinator Tiffany Rodriguez with Oliver’s Harvest owners Frank and Herta Suess. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 11 PHOTO BY CALLIE SHARKEY/TOWN-CRIER

Major Renovations Underway Commissioners At Wellington Middle School Express Support For Shooting Range

‘BBQ, Blues & Big Cats’ Supports Panther Ridge Conservation Center

The “BBQ, Blues & Big Cats” fundraiser was held Saturday, June 8 at the Panther Ridge Conservation Center in Loxahatchee Groves. Guests enjoyed a live blues band, barbecue and libations. Page 18 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS...............................3 - 18 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 7 PEOPLE................................... 8 SCHOOLS................................ 9 COLUMNS............................. 14 BUSINESS............................. 15 CALENDAR............................ 16 SPORTS................................. 17 CLASSIFIEDS................ 19 - 20 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

By Gina M. Capone Town-Crier Staff Report Wellington Landings Middle School is under renovation this summer, getting many needed updates both to the interior and exterior of the building. The much-needed overhaul is important to the 30-year-old school to keep its infrastructure contemporary. It is part of a several-year process funded by the one-cent sales surtax approved by voters. According to Principal Blake Bennett, the school is spending a second summer under renovation. Last summer, the school began its renovation process, and this summer, a number of major projects are being finished up. “We have been having renovations since last year,” Bennett told the Town-Crier this week. “Back into 2016, there was a referendum vote, and the voters passed the one-cent sales surtax. The school district is getting half of each penny earned in order to do capi-

tal improvements on buildings.” The referendum is in place for 10 years, and the money can be allocated for capital improvements to schools like technology, transportation, intercom/sound systems, bleachers, fencing, interior and exterior repairs, and much more. “Last summer, they started doing all sorts of different renovations, like new flooring, all the inside walls were painted, the bathrooms were renovated, our cafeteria, our bleachers, our gym were included,” Bennett said. “This summer, they are completing the HVAC, including the air conditioning and the air unit handlers. All the rest of the rooms that weren’t renovated are getting completed. We are getting new furniture for students and teachers.” There is also much work being done on the school’s exterior. “Our entire front parking lot is being redone,” Bennett said. “If you drive by the school right now, you will see that the entire front of

the school is ripped up. There will be new lighting in our instructional spaces. There will be new lockers for the students. There will be a track put in our west loop. There will be new electrical wiring. This will help us be able to offer more IT [information technology] opportunities to the students.” Each room is getting fitted with a flat-panel touch screen, she added. This giant computer screen is interactive, and information can be projected onto the monitor. The extensive work will not delay the return of students in two months. Most renovations will be completed before they return in August. Some renovations will continue but will not interfere with classroom time. “By the end of the summer, the things that will be needed to be able to start school will be completed,” Bennett said. “They will continue on renovations, but they will not impact us opening school.” There were assessments done See WLMS, page 16

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Shooting Sports Park, soon to be open on the old Mecca Farms property north of The Acreage, was a point of discussion Monday, June 10 during the Palm Beach County Commission’s first workshop on the budget for fiscal year 2019-20. District 3 Commissioner Dave Kerner commented on his support of the shooting range, which is in Commissioner Hal Valeche’s District 1, although it is accessed through Commissioner Melissa McKinlay’s District 6. The county’s Tourist Development Council recently rejected the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission’s request for $3 million to be funded through bed tax money for a clubhouse at the facility. “I do not mean to step on the toes of Commissioner McKinlay,

but it speaks to the Florida Wildlife Commission’s joint effort to build a firearms range and safety range in the western part of our county, and I’ve had some preliminary conversations with our county administrator,” Kerner said. “I will concede here that I will give total deference to my colleague, Commissioner McKinlay, on what is important to her and what she would like to see in her district or not, but for those who have followed my public safety and public service, whether as a police officer or as a lawmaker or here today as a county commissioner, I’ve never had objections to the concept of the Second Amendment. My objections have been to a total lack of firearms training and safety processes.” Kerner said a facility like the shooting sports park, in partnership with the FWC, the county and See SPORTS PARK, page 4

New Ford’s Garage Restaurant Opens At The Mall

By Gina M. Capone Town-Crier Staff Report It was a special evening on Monday, June 10, when Ford’s Garage held a ribbon cutting to show off the new automotivethemed restaurant located near the food court entrance to the Mall at Wellington Green. Vintage cars of the Ford Motor Company are displayed throughout the burger and beer establishment, and car-related items are used in the food service, such as onion rings served around an oldtime oil can. Ford’s Garage and 23 Restaurant Services President Marc Brown was on hand to greet the guests with a fine-tuned manage-

ment staff that made sure things ran smoothly. Joining Ford’s Garage officials for the ribbon-cutting ceremony were village dignitaries such as Mayor Anne Gerwig and ambassadors from the Wellington Chamber of Commerce. After the VIP opening on Monday, the public opening took place on Tuesday, June 11. Councilman John McGovern and Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office Capt. Rolando Silva could be seen eating the restaurant’s signature burgers. Silva has a burger named in honor of him. It is the Mushroom Swiss, and it can be seen on the Burgers of Fame mantel poster, where burgers

are named after people from the community. Local equestrian Margie Goldstein-Engle hails the Model T Burger, while Gerwig’s name graces the Ford’s Signature Burger. The food was served promptly, and throughout the two bar areas, there were tables filled with patrons. Each half hour, the horn would blow from a Model T car hung above the main bar. Then, right away, smokeless fumes would come out of the exhaust pipe. People could be seen walking around, looking at the unique memorabilia of pistons and engines. The VIP gathering filled the resSee RESTAURANT, page 16

The Ford’s Garage and 23 Restaurant Services leadership team includes Scott Estes, Teresa McNamara, Jeff Gabriel, President Marc Brown, Billy Diamond and Ken Franklin.

PHOTO BY GINA M. CAPONE/TOWN-CRIER


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