Town-Crier Newspaper June 15, 2012

RPB GIVES LIGGINS GLOWING REVIEWS SEE STORY, PAGE 3

MIRACLE LEAGUE FIELD IN WELLINGTON? SEE STORY, PAGE 18

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INSIDE Mortgage Fraud Activist Seeks P.B. County Clerk Post

Volume 33, Number 24 June 15 - June 21, 2012

TEMPTING CHOCOLATE TREATS

Mortgage fraud activist Lisa Epstein qualified for the ballot last week in her bid to unseat incumbent Palm Beach County Clerk Sharon Bock in the August primary election. Epstein, a 46year-old nurse, became deeply involved in mortgage issues several years ago when her home went into foreclosure.

Page 3

Wellington Chamber Presents Health & Wellness Festival

The 2012 Wellington Health & Wellness Festival took place Saturday, June 9 in the parking lot in front of Whole Foods Market in Wellington. Presented by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the event showcased a variety of specialties.

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LGWCD Prepares For June 25 Election

The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors reviewed plans Monday for the district’s first direct election of a supervisor utilizing the new qualified elector process.

The vote is set for Monday, June 25. Supervisor Robert Snowball faces a challenge from resident Roy Parks. Page 7

Copeland Davis & Friends Concert

My Brother’s/Sister’s Keeper Charitable Trust held its fifth annual “Copeland Davis & Friends Concert” on Sunday, June 10 at the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center. Page 10

OPINION Close The Write-In Candidate Loophole

Last Friday was the final qualifying deadline for candidates running for office in this year’s election cycle, and once again, the election process has been marred by the inclusion of nameless write-in candidates.

It’s a loophole constantly abused by both parties to deny a majority of voters a say in the election process. Page 4 DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS ............................. 3 - 14 OPINION .................................4 CRIME NEWS .........................6 NEWS BRIEFS........................ 8 SCHOOLS ............................ 15 PEOPLE ........................ 16 - 17 COLUMNS .................... 23 - 24 BUSINESS .................... 25 - 27 ENTERTAINMENT ................ 29 CAMPS .........................32 - 33 SPORTS ........................ 35 - 37 CALENDAR ...................38 - 39 CLASSIFIEDS ................ 41 - 45 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM

The 15th annual Taste in the West & Chocolat e Lovers Festival took place Thursday, June 7 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center East. The event was hosted by the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce. Shown here is the group from Johnson’s Custom Cakes and More, People’s Choice winner for Most Original Chocolate Dessert: (L-R) Maria Firma, Kyle Pickford (back), owner Jennifer Johnson and Elizabeth Hall. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Indian Trail Vows More Public Input On Community Center

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Indian Trail Improvement District supervisors agreed Wednesday to get more public input on the development of the community center planned for Acreage Community Park to make sure the district is building what residents want.

ITID Administrator Tanya Quickel said the district hired a grant writer to conduct interviews with the public in order to apply for a $500,000 cultural facilities grant, explaining that the state did not accept applications last year but has announced that it will be accepting applications after it received more than $7 million in the state budget this year.

The program has previously financed outdoor amphitheaters, community centers and related

parking, lighting and site work, Quickel said. The program offers a two-for-one match, and the district has an additional $4 million budgeted for the community center project.

Quickel said the grant writer interviewed individuals and groups in preparing the information for an application, which is due Friday, June 15. “That information will also be used for future work and public input,” Quickel said.

ITID also plans to prepare a citizen survey to be posted online and at other outlets. “It has also been suggested that a postcard or newsletter be mailed directly to residents,” Quickel said. “Those are all options for the board’s consideration for additional public input into the uses and activities of the community center.”

The information would be gath-

ered, analyzed and used by the architect and the design team in the process of designing the community center, Quickel said. “In late July or August, a public charette would be held to review input from residents,” she added.

ITID President Michelle Damone said she looked forward to receiving more input from residents and that she was not content with only the information gathered by the grant writer.

During public comment, resident Patricia Curry, who has stated that she would rather have park amenities built before the community center, and was especially opposed to the planned basketball courts, said she had attended a meeting where the grant writer, Susan Foley, had spoken.

“Through various portions of See ITID, page 18

Wellington OKs Proposal For Additional Senior Housing

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council approved a measure Tuesday to expand senior housing facilities in the village.

Wellington Elder Care, which operates an assisted-living home on Lily Court, requested that the council change its zoning text to allow for a residential congregate living facility with up to 21 residents.

The change will create a new category of congregate living facilities in Wellington’s code, especially for senior housing. The item was postponed in May because of council concerns about interior space, parking and getting senior input.

According to a village staff report, Wellington Senior Advocate Howard Trager reviewed and approved the changes. According to the report, “he was supportive of this type of facility to provide local and affordable senior housing.

He was also familiar with the multifamily transitional areas, and this type of facility would be a positive alternative for many of the neighborhoods.”

Kim Glas-Castro, agent for the applicant, said that Wellington Elder Care had addressed council members’ concerns.

She explained that many of the standards under Wellington’s code exceed those of the Agency for Health Care Administration.

While AHCA requires 80 square feet for a single-occupancy room, Wellington would require 90. A double room for AHCA standards is 120 square feet, but Wellington’s code would require 130.

Additionally, Wellington would require one bathroom for three residents, while AHCA requires one for eight residents. Wellington also requires 50 square feet of common area space per resident — almost double AHCA’s standard.

Glas-Castro said that the nature

of the facility fits Wellington’s Neighborhood Renaissance zoning district and will benefit surrounding properties. “You have a commitment by the owners of these facilities to improve their property and maintain it,” she said.

Additionally, she said that it provides affordable alternatives for seniors who want to remain in the area.

“It’s not as expensive as full nursing or continuing care communities, or having in-house nurses come to their personal residences,” Glas-Castro said. “It provides a service for our aging residents and their relatives. It enables residents to age in place and make the village a more sustainable community.”

More than just expert care, she said that seniors in congregate living facilities benefit from social interaction with each other.

“The residents become a family unit,” Glas-Castro said. “They See ELDER CARE, page 18

Serving Palms West Since 1980

Nursing School Seeks To Open In Royal Palm Beach

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council granted preliminary approval last week to a company seeking to open a nursing school at the former CVS Pharmacy location in the Royal Plaza shopping center.

Shaker Health Holdings is requesting a special exception approval to open a 7,500-square-foot vocational school at the north end of the shopping center’s eastern building. The plaza is located at the northeast corner of Royal Palm Beach and Southern boulevards.

The school would offer vocational training for nurses, home health aides and nursing assistants, operating Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., and on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

No more than 50 students will be present at any given time, and there will be a maximum of 20 employees at full enrollment.

At the June 7 council meeting, Mayor Matty Mattioli said he supports the application wholeheartedly. “I think it’s a great idea and a great location,” Mattioli said, recalling a recent documentary he’d

seen predicting a shortage of nurses over the next 10 years. “I think this is a wonderful opportunity for the health industry, right here in our back yard.”

Vice Mayor Fred Pinto was glad the company had decided to locate in the village. “This is a facility that could have gone to other locations in Palm Beach County,” Pinto said. “Royal Palm Beach came out on top in terms of being able to meet the needs of the people who are developing the school, and there certainly is a need for trained nurses.”

Councilwoman Martha Webster said the school is a logical progression in the development of the area, which already has educational facilities nearby.

“We’re delighted to see it,” Webster said. “What’s even more important, we have continuity of the educational complex that seems to be growing there.”

Webster asked whether there is adequate parking, and Planning & Zoning Director Bradford O’Brien said the application meets the needs for a shopping center, which is the most demanding in the village of one parking space See NURSING, page 18

PHILIPPINE FESTIVAL

The Philippine American Society held its Philippine Summer Festival on Saturday, June 9 at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

The event included local vendors, authentic Philippine food, arts and crafts, live music and performances. Shown here are members of the Chinese Performing Arts group.

MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 13 PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Council Decisions On Equestrian Items Postponed Until July

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Decisions on two controversial items that could affect the future of Wellington’s equestrian community were postponed at Tuesday’s meeting of the Wellington Village Council.

Council members were set to hear arguments concerning the commercial equestrian arena designation at the controversial Equestrian Village development.

However, that was before an attorney for property owner Wellington Equestrian Partners pointed out that the village did not provide proper notice for the meeting.

The second item postponed was a discussion by the council on when to place a referendum on the ballot that could change Wellington’s charter to require a unanimous council vote for changes to land development regulations on properties in or around the Wellington Equestrian Preserve.

Representatives for the petitioners, Preserve Wellington Inc., requested a delay on the discussion until the organization can decide whether or not to withdraw the petition.

Council members initially postponed a decision on whether to rescind approval for Equestrian See POSTPONED, page 7

County Budget Proposal Keeps Services Unchanged

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report On Tuesday, the Palm Beach County Commission reviewed a proposed budget for next year that keeps the same amount of property tax income, made possible by a small increase in the tax rate.

However, members of the public urged the commissioners to make more cuts and keep the tax rate the same.

The proposed tax rate of 4.7984 mills maintains current county service levels but is slightly higher than the current year’s tax rate of 4.7815 mills.

At that proposed rate, countywide property taxes for 2013 would net $599.3 million, 0.6 percent above the current year, with the

increase due solely to new construction, according to County Administrator Bob Weisman.

Additional cuts of $2.1 million would have to be implemented to reduce the tax rate to the current year’s rate. However, Weisman noted that it is likely that final taxable property values due in July 1 will be somewhat higher, which would generate additional tax revenues.

The proposed budget represents a $900,000 decrease in departmental budgets, but includes a $4.7 million increase in the budget for the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

The county has a gross increase due to the construction of the $3.5 million Homeless Re-

source Center, Weisman said. The budget includes the elimination of 35 employee positions, of which about half are filed, but will not have a significant impact on services due to efficiencies and privatization.

Balancing the budget also required the use of about $10 million in one-time resources, including some risk management reserves, a reduction in Department of Juvenile Justice costs and a sweep of fleet surplus management reserves, because it was determined fewer vehicles were needed due to reduced county activity.

Weisman pointed out that the use of one-time resources will have to be made up for in the following year’s budget process. He also

pointed out that general employees have not received pay raises since 2008 and that no increase is proposed for the proposed budget. He added that the employees are now required to make a 3 percent contribution to their state retirement fund and that two years ago the county increased their contribution to health insurance.

Despite budget cutbacks, the county has continued support to potential job-creating and economic improvement organizations such as the Business Development Board and Tourism Development Council, Weisman said. It has also continued to support agricultural interests and environmental and water quality protection, as well as public safety.

However, there have been significant cuts to the road repair budget. “Certainly, it’s a possibility that if any new revenues come in, the board can try to put some additional money into that in the coming months as we proceed,” Weisman said.

The county has also taken on extra costs, such as agreeing to finance the shortfall in Office of the Inspector General in the face of a lawsuit brought by 14 municipalities that did not want to pay into the fund supporting the office.

Tuesday was just the first budget workshop, and Weisman stressed that the budget would change once the actual property See COUNTY, page 18

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 3

NEWS

Mortgage Fraud Activist Lisa Epstein Seeks County Clerk Post

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Mortgage fraud activist Lisa Epstein qualified for the ballot last week in her bid to unseat incumbent Palm Beach County Clerk Sharon Bock in the August primary election.

Epstein, 46, who lives in Palm Beach and is a nurse, became deeply involved in mortgage issues when she separated from her ex-husband several years ago and her home went into foreclosure.

“I gained recognition as a citizen sleuth and financial fraud investigator for both the fraud in mortgage-backed securities as well as the foreclosure fraud on real estate documents,” Epstein said. “It’s not just foreclosure, there’s satisfaction of mortgages and other documents in our public records that have anything to do with foreclosures, based on the fact that Wall Street used homes as the basis for a big gamble, and the fallout from that is this massive fraud that we’re seeing on the back end in this real-estate market.”

Epstein said the situation has affected municipal employee pension funds and county investments because they were heavily invested in those funds. This is why she decided to run for county clerk.

“There has been a lot of activity and a lot of congressional hearings, and investigations and political movement and law

enforcement movement both positive and negative, but to this day there has been no real, meaningful solution at least for the families in this community and my state,” she said. “For families in states where the property values haven’t plummeted as much as our state, there is some relief with the $25 billion settlement, but I don’t think it’s going to help the families in my state because of the plummet down to 50 percent, 60 percent of the value of their property.”

Epstein said she attended the county budget meeting Tuesday where officials were happy that property values appeared to be slightly higher. She believes that is because foreclosures slowed while banks tried to fix mortgage documents after the story gained public attention.

However, the foreclosure rate is on the rise again. “Palm Beach County has 60 percent higher foreclosure filings in April 2012 than in April 2011, and 62 percent higher in May 2012 compared to May 2011, so I presume property values will drop again as these numbers continue to skyrocket,” she said.

All county and local governments depend on property values — the revenue stream that pays for public services and schools, Epstein said.

“We have road projects on hold because we can’t fund them. There’s bridge

construction projects on hold because we can’t fund them. Those are jobs; this affects anything and everything,” she said.

“The abandoned and vacant properties, the bank-owned properties that they’re not maintaining to code, the increase in crime, that puts more weight on our public safety needs, which we can’t fund because our property values are down.”

Epstein said that Bock, the two-term incumbent, has noted that handling foreclosures is just a small percentage of what the clerk’s office does. “That’s actually a grave misrepresentation,” she said.

“That’s why I’m running, because there has been no meaningful response. There’s been no elected official in my county, in my state except for [former Congressman] Alan Grayson, who has come out and said publicly, ‘This is wrong; this is fraud.’

There are victims here, and all of us are victims.”

Epstein added that the county’s depository, Wells Fargo, has many properties in foreclosure, a number of which are in disrepair with code violations.

“We should be able to say to our own depository institution, ‘You are making money off of banking fees by being our depository institution. Here is a listing of properties in our county that really need some work. Do it.’ We took a hit last year on code enforcement staff, and we’re try-

ing to beef that up because of these problems with these bank-owned properties,” she said.

Epstein continued that other banks have agreements with county agencies that she feels should be used to leverage them to maintain their foreclosed homes.

“Vacant properties pose a danger if the pools aren’t secured, if they turn into crack houses,” she said. “We have leverage we’re not using, and we’re cost-shifting that to our dwindling resources of code enforcement.”

She said the clerk’s office can address the issue because it sees the foreclosures and which banks are doing them. “We have that data,” Epstein said. “We can work with the other constitutional officers. We can work with the Palm Beach County Commission, we can educate our citizenry, and I can educate the media. I have a much better position as opposed to just a citizen in the community. I have a position to actually implement policies and do things, and these are just a few of my ideas.”

Another issue in the campaign, she said, includes the clerk’s office holding funds that were to go to the Office of the Inspector General from municipalities until a lawsuit brought by 14 municipalities is resolved. Epstein pointed out that the clerk is withholding all the revenue until

Lisa Epstein the lawsuit is resolved. “She believes it is her duty to withhold the funds of all 38 municipalities, not just the 14 that are currently named in the lawsuit,” she said.

For more information on Lisa Epstein and her campaign, visit www.lisaforclerk. com.

RPB Council Gives Manager Ray Liggins A Glowing Evaluation

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Royal Palm Beach Village Council gave a generally positive evaluation of Village Manager Ray Liggins at his annual performance review Thursday, June 7.

Vice Mayor Fred Pinto said he thought Liggins is carrying out all the duties expected of him as the chief executive offic-

Village Manager Ray Liggins

er, running village operations on a dayto-day basis.

“We are operating on a sound fiscal platform with a game plan for the future, not just going year by year, but we actually are looking five years down the road, in terms of what we do from a fiscal management standpoint,” Pinto said.

Pinto said that Liggins is meeting the strategic goals of the village and is effective in ensuring that the policies and the guidance of the council are being implemented. “I think he’s doing a tremendous job,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have him here in this position.”

Pinto pointed out that Liggins will be receiving recognition as a credentialed manager from the International City/County Management Association (ICMA) in July.

“This is not an easy certification to achieve,” Pinto said. “To even be considered for this recognition, you need to demonstrate to a peer group that you have operated in an exemplary capacity for over nine years. That speaks to the amount of experience and leadership and background that our manager brings to this position.”

Pinto said Liggins is among 24 other managers from across the country who will be receiving the certification this year.

“They are from 18 different states as far

away as Oregon,” he said. “By being a member and participating in an ICMA program, it requires you as a professional to keep your credentials up to date and be part of a continuing education program.”

Councilman Jeff Hmara said that before he took his position on the dais three months ago, he had believed that village residents were fortunate to be living in an exceptional, family-oriented community that has a solid foundation of well-delivered public services.

“Over the past three months, this basic impression has been significantly reinforced by my experience with Mr. Liggins,” Hmara said. “I believe that we’re so much better off than other communities.

One reason is the village staff is solid, well-motivated and effective, and to a large extent I believe we owe this to the effective management and leadership of Mr. Liggins as our village manager.”

Hmara said he trusts Liggins to do his best for the village, although he felt there is room for improvement in some areas, such as community relations.

“Mr. Liggins has done very well under some very difficult circumstances, but I believe that we all would be well-served by more extensive public engagement, especially where significant issues such as developmental reviews and the growth of

our village are concerned,” Hmara said.

“I’d like to see us leverage best practices in areas of outreach and more effective public engagement.”

Councilman Richard Valuntas rated Liggins high in all areas. “I’m really impressed with Ray’s work, and I’m happy he’s working for us here in the village,” Valuntas said. “The only thought would be something that’s only partially under his control — some of the contracts. We go lowbid contracts and we get stuck with lowbid contractors sometimes, the main one being the Royal Palm Beach Blvd. north of Okeechobee… However, I appreciate the work you’re doing.”

Councilwoman Martha Webster credited Liggins with leading in some significant accomplishments the past year. “The job has been good, and as always I’m looking forward to the future because I believe in our community and working together, we will continue to make a good difference,” Webster said.

Mayor Matty Mattioli said he spends a lot of time at the village offices and has seen that Liggins is a hard worker. “He never stops working to improve our village, and that takes a lot of dedication,” Mattioli said. “He’s knowledgeable; he can tell you every statute in the state by now. The only objection I have, and I’ve

told him, and I’ll say it again, that you’re not an engineer anymore; you’re a manager. Get out of the box. Don’t say no to everything. Maybe there’s a way around it.”

Mattioli said he sees the daily operations of the village going efficiently. He added that he is especially impressed with the work on the budget, which is coming up for review in a few weeks.

“It was not an easy task, and you told me it was not as major as you thought it was going to be, which is good to hear,” Mattioli said. “Basically, Ray, I think you work sometimes harder than you should, but I’ve been very happy with you and have the privilege to see you every day.”

Mattioli added that Liggins had told him he was not looking for a pay raise, but that if the other employees get a pay raise, he should get the same thing.

Liggins thanked the council members for kind comments and said village management is a team effort.

“The work that has been done this year was by the whole team,” Liggins said. “I am very happy and proud to work for Royal Palm Beach and with all these people. The system does work very well, and it does serve the residents very well. I just appreciate the opportunity to be on that team and to be working with you.”

Page 4 June 15 - June 21, 2012

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OUR OPINION

Time To Close Florida’s Write-In Candidate Election Loophole Last Friday was the final qualifying deadline for candidates running for office in this year’s election cycle, and once again, the election process has been marred by the inclusion of nameless write-in candidates. It’s a loophole constantly abused by both parties to deny a majority of voters a say in the election process.

Back in 1998, Florida voters passed a constitutional amendment making a number of changes to the structure of elections in the state. One of the key changes was the institution of an open primary in races where there will be no opponent in the general election — a common occurrence in districts that sharply favor one party or another. Should only Democrats or only Republicans file to run for a seat, all voters would get the opportunity to be part of the process. No sooner did the change become law, the parties figured out a loophole. Add a write-in candidate to the mix — someone whose name will not even appear on the general election ballot — and suddenly it’s no longer “uncontested” in November. The primary remains closed and the majority of voters remain disenfranchised. Both parties take advantage of this glitch in election law, and while it may benefit their individual candidates, too many voters are left on the sidelines unable to exercise their basic constitutional right.

Following the recent redistricting process, State Senate District 27 was redrawn as a Palm Beach County seat. Previously, the district spanned nearly from one coast to the other, making the choice every bit as much about the candidates’ location as their party. However, now that its geographical boundaries make sense, voters living in the district have another problem: The only candidates to appear on the ballot are Democrats Mack Bernard and Jeff Clemens, both state representatives seeking a promotion. If it were just Bernard and Clemens, anyone regis-

tered to vote in District 27 would be able to take part in the August primary. However, a writein candidate named Travis Genard Harris also filed paperwork. His name will not even appear on the November ballot, but since he filed a piece of paper, Republicans and independents in District 27 have been disenfranchised. Don’t look for campaign materials from Mr. Harris.

He’s not there to actually run. He’s just hanging out keeping voters from the ballot box.

This is just one case, of course. In the newly drawn State House District 82, five Republicans and zero Democrats are seeking the North County seat. Thanks to someone named Beverly Joy Hires, who joined the race as a write-in candidate, anyone in District 82 who’s not registered as a Republican will sit this one out and have no say on who their state representative is.

Voters are growing increasingly disillusioned with the two-party system, and one of the reasons is the feeling among many that elections are rigged from start to finish. This write-in loophole is just one of the most obscene examples.

What needs to happen is for lawmakers to put an end to this game. It’s an idea that former State Sen. Dave Aronberg championed for a while, but the party bosses in the state legislature never wanted to fix the “fix.”

If the politicians lack the fortitude to do the right thing, then Florida voters should start a grassroots campaign for a constitutional amendment that will fix this problem. Voters fought for and (mostly) won the fight for more logically drawn districts. But as long as both parties continue to take advantage of the write-in candidate loophole, fair districts won’t mean much to the scores of voters who will be left out of the electoral process. That’s not what representative democracy is about.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Jarriel Supports Snowball For LGWCD Board On June 25, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District office (101 West D Road, Loxahatchee Groves), for the first time a supervisor’s seat will be awarded based on a direct vote of qualified electors rather than via a one-acre, one-vote system. I am endorsing and will be voting for Robert Snowball to be re-elected to his supervisory seat on the LGWCD board.

Mr. Snowball has served on the board for 12 years. He has done an outstanding job listening to, taking action and serving the residents of Loxahatchee Groves.

Here are some of the accomplishments that have taken place in the Groves while Mr. Snowball has served on this board: The costs totaling approximately $4 million came from federal, state and local government agencies, including Palm Beach County, at no costs to the residents: 1) shell-rock placed on 38 miles of district and non-district roads, 2) OGEM-stabilizing 4.5 miles of road surface, 3) dust abatement on 29 miles of unpaved road surface, 4) new road maintenance equipment, 5) present and future equestrian trails along 4 miles of district rightof-ways, 6) hurricane mitigation and improvement projects, and 7) North Road canal and road improvements, which included replacement of nine failing bridges, 30 landowner drainage culverts, roadway improvements and fire hydrants every 500 feet apart. Fire hydrants reduce insurance costs to residents from $1,000 to $1,600 per year. Recently, 10 more miles of roads were OGEMed, making it healthier, safer and quieter for the residents that live off these roads.

In closing, I would like to say that the lines of communication between the town and the LGWCD are open and we have been working well together. I believe that 2012 will be one of the most positive years that we have seen in a long time. Let’s stay on track and re-elect Robert Snowball to the LGWCD Board of Supervisors. Mr. Snowball has my vote on June 25.

Ron Jarriel Councilman Loxahatchee Groves

Calling Out Red Barn Was Not Fair In last week’s Town-Crier, an article appeared titled “Moratorium Stops Lox Code From Shutting Home Hay Biz.” In this article, Loxahatchee Groves Town Councilman Ron Jarriel is quoted. “From the road, you wouldn’t know that they had a hay sale there,” Jarriel said. “They’ve got a beautiful piece of land, and most of the hay

sales [are to] their neighbors.

When I can buy hay a lot cheaper from my neighbor than I can at the Red Barn or Tractor Supply, I appreciate that break.”

I am a resident of B Road and involved in a “home-based” agricultural business. My husband is also part owner of Red Barn Feed & Supply. This statement by Councilman Jarriel is unfortunately a reflection of the current national trend of bashing businesses. I appreciate the fact that Councilman Jarriel also mentions Tractor Supply (of which there is not one in our community) to defray his focus on Red Barn. I am not certain if Councilman Jarriel has ever purchased hay in the community and is even aware of what hay is available from hay retailers.

It might also behoove Councilman Jarriel to do some additional research on the Eicks’ hay business.

This particular home-based business brings traffic in from surrounding communities as well as the delivery of hay via tractor trailers. These trailers have caused damage to the fencing of the neighbor directly across from the Eicks’ driveway as well as blocked traffic on B Road when they become wedged due to crossing the inadequate bridge to their property. He might also like to check with the Eicks (their customers may as well) to see if the Eicks maintain the proper liability insurance for their products. They are liable if a horse becomes sick or dies from eating their hay.

I don’t believe hay sales involving the delivery of an “agricultural product” to your property for you to retail is necessarily an appropriate definition of a legitimate ag business, but that is not for me to decide. It is by nature a broad definition and should be.

As for Red Barn Feed & Supply and Councilman Jarriel’s singling out this business, Red Barn is one of the premier legitimate commercial ventures in our boundaries. As such, they pay all the appropriate commercial use taxes and maintain the property to commercial codes.

In addition to providing hay of comparable quality and price (as the Eicks) to the community, Red Barn provides additional products and expertise that far outstrip what one could expect to find at a business such as the Eicks. Red Barn has also served as a base for community information exchange and in the event of catastrophic events has helped the community in numerous ways including providing water and ice during hurricane relief.

I ask Councilman Jarriel if in the future he would consider his comments before he speaks. Loxahatchee Groves is crawling with illegitimate as well as legitimate businesses, and for him to single out the one business which for a fact is legal and whose contribu-

tions far exceeds that of many businesses to the community of Loxahatchee Groves, is inconsiderate at best and liable at worst.

Lisa Hyslop Oak Hammock Farm Loxahatchee Groves

Chamber Thanks Health Expo Supporters The Wellington Chamber of Commerce is thrilled to announce another successful Summer Health & Wellness Expo. This event was held June 9 at the Whole Foods Market plaza and was sponsored

by Dr. Randall Laurich and the Wellness Experience of Wellington, as well as the Village of Wellington.

Hundreds of attendees were able to experience the many dimensions of wellness through experiential booth exhibits. The expo showcased the finest in chiropractic care; state-of-the-art pharmacy services; live yoga, fitness and karate demonstrations; weightloss programs and services; health screenings; cutting-edge fitness trends; integrative and holistic medicine; pet therapy and pet adoptions; dentistry; massages; laser tag, heart-healthful food samples; and much more.

A very special thank you to Dr. Laurich and the Wellness Experience, the Village of Wellington, host venue Schmier & Feurring Properties Inc. and Whole Foods Market. Thank you to our silver sponsors Dr. G’s Weight Loss & Wellness and My Community Pharmacy, and media sponsors Sunny 107.9 and W4CY Radio and the Intertainment Network.

Our spectacular vendors who make this event possible were A Second Chance Puppy & Kitten Rescue, A Winning Smile Dental Excellence, AdvoCare, the BloodMobile of South Florida, Care Dental, CBS Radio (media sponsor), the Village of Wellington, Costco, Diabetic Life Insurance, Dr. G’s Weight Loss, Dr. Sears Center for Health & Wellness, Genbu-Kai Karate, Get Hired and Beyond, Greenacres Christian Academy, Healthy Wealth, Hospice by the Sea, Hospice of Palm Beach County, LA Fitness, Moksha Yoga Studio, MorseLife, My Community Pharmacy, Ncognito Fitness, the Osteoarthritis Centers of America, Palm Beach Kangoo Club by Cheeky Fitness, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Roger Dean Stadium, Sanda Gané European Day Spa, Superfit, Tami Donnally, the Center for Bone & Joint Surgery, the Swim Academy, the Wellness Experience of Wellington and Dr. Randy Laurich, Tropicalaser, Uniform Advantage, W4CY Radio, Wellington Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Wellington Regional Medical Center, the Well-

ington Runners Club, Whole Foods Market and Whoo-pass Laser Tag. The chamber would especially like to thank Peter Diaz, Mark Belcourt, Bruce Manning and Meridith Tuckwood from the Village of Wellington, as well as Nick from Schmier & Feurring Properties Inc. Their extremely hard work and exceptional logistical expertise make this event the huge success that it is! We could not do this event without them!

For more information on the Wellington Chamber of Commerce and our community events, call (561) 792-6525 or visit us at www. wellingtonchamber.com.

Michela Perillo-Green, Executive Director Wellington Chamber of Commerce

Horses And Drivers Must Share The Road Initially, in my mind, I set out to “attack” rude drivers and tell of all the dangers of horseman versus driver. I have changed my mindset completely, partially due to the fact that most rude drivers wouldn’t read this to begin with.

So, this is my approach.

I, too, am a driver; I’m also a rider. I’m writing to thank those drivers who slow down considerably when approaching a horse and rider on the road. A driver might ask: Why would someone be out on a road with a horse in the first place?

My answer: We are forced to be.

A rider might ask: Why don’t people slow down when approaching horses on the road? My answer: Maybe they have no idea of the dangers of not slowing down.

I would like to approach this realistically from both sides — the rider and the driver.

Dear rider: You should be well aware of the dangers of riding your horse on any road before you leave the safety of an enclosed area. You cannot assume that all drivers are horsemen or know how horses may react to different situations.

If you plan to take your horse out onto the road, surely you must know that there are “horse-eating monsters” at every turn (trash cans, dogs and dump trucks come to mind). Everyone puts out trash, there are dogs everywhere, and dump trucks must use the roads.

Guess what else, riders? Teenagers rev their engines, spin their tires on pavement and speed. People ride four-wheelers, golf carts, dirt bikes, motorcycles; we all have to share the roads. People walk dogs, stroll their babies and fish in the canals. Be ready for anything — even other horses. Be ready for any possible disaster when you hit the road. Train your horse. Be in control of it. Pay attention to your horse, your sur-

roundings and yourself. Stay off of your phone! Plan to have some sort of “company” on the road.

Ninety-nine percent of the time you are riding, you will encounter at least one of the above. If your horse can’t handle what might or could happen on the road, stay off of the road. You are equally responsible for a mishap or a disaster.

Dear driver: Most of the above applies to you as well. Florida law says that horses (like pedestrians) indeed have the right of way. So yield, slow down, be courteous, and be cautious. Guess what, drivers? The scariest scenario I can think of is this: You’re driving home from work one evening, the weather is superb, you’re talking to your “someone” on the phone or maybe you’re just in a daze thinking about your weekend to come.

You’re cruising along, not much over the speed limit and then out of nowhere, bam — a horse appears as your new hood ornament, and a person is now occupying what used to be your windshield.

Not funny. Worst yet, could it be your fault, the silly, spooked horse that shied into your lane or rider who wasn’t paying attention? It’s no matter. You are the driver.

The essential message to riders and drivers: Be aware of each other. Be prepared for the worst. The roads are for everyone. Share. Be considerate. Riders, only go out on trusted horses and pay attention while riding. Drivers, never assume a horse/rider sees or hears you. Please don’t do anything that could potentially harm horse or rider. Drive safely.

Jennifer Hager The Acreage Editor’s note: Hager is a member of the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors.

Recent Shootings A Terrible Trend Like the majority of my fellow Americans, I am 100 percent supportive of law enforcement officers and admire them for the difficult job they do keeping us all safe.

However, the spate of recent killings of unarmed civilians is cause for great concern. Proper, meticulous training and respect for human life would eliminate most if not

all of these senseless killings.

On the other hand, it is unfortunate that too many civilians have no respect for the laws whatsoever. My humble suggestion to them is quite simple: Comply first, then complain afterward. Even the most trigger-happy cop would not shoot you if you comply with their orders/instructions. Cops often have to make split-second decisions and a few would not hesitate to shoot if they think that they might be in danger if there is a threat, real or imagined. There are three types of threats: no threat, likely threat or obvious threat. We are fortunate to live in a democratic civilized society, not the wild west. Cops and civilians are interdependent. We need them, they need us, and with that in mind, I urge cops to be mindful of public perception.

Cops who kill armed or unarmed civilians are very seldom charged, and if charged are later exonerated. One exception was the Miami police officer William Lozano, who alleged that a motorcyclist was riding his cycle toward him, he feared for his life, so he shot and killed him (as opposed to moving out of the path of the motorcycle, which would have been the natural reaction). He was found guilty in a Miami court, but his attorney, Roy Black, appealed and had the case moved to Orlando, where he won the appeal.

During my military service in Europe, I observed that cops in England did not carry guns. To this day they still don’t, except for long tactical units, and in a survey not so long ago, 75 percent of them said that they would resign if they were forced to carry guns. In England, they strongly believe that “the pen is mightier than the sword.” Our trigger-happy cops could learn a lot from British cops.

I grieve when a cop is killed, especially in the line of duty. Likewise, whenever an unarmed civilian is shot and killed by a cop, the devastation caused to the families of the deceased is insurmountable, and the poor cop has to live with the fact that he took the life of his fellow human being. There is much that can and should be done on both sides to end these killings.

Now is a good time to start.

Karl Witter The Acreage

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 letters@goTownCrier.com.

OPINION

Financial Planners Are People, Too... Good, Bad And Indifferent Virtually anyone can call themselves a financial planner. The key question is: Do they have meaningful credentials or hardto-obtain certifications like CFA (chartered financial analyst)? If the resume is light, you might want to rethink a possible affiliation.

Footloose and...

By Jules W. Rabin Did your planner, at your very

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first meeting, pressure you to buy immediately? Hmmm... Have you checked online to see if any complaints are listed against him or her, or whether the planner is registered with your state’s security department?

Also, if the planner sells insurance, have you checked out your

state’s division of insurance?

Do you totally understand the planner ’s advice? Have you bounced the ideas off a friend or close relative, and do they totally understand them? Will the planner put the recommendations, and total costs, in writing?

Are you convinced the plan-

BARRY S. MANNING Publisher

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EDITORIAL STAFF/ Chris Felker • Denise Fleischman Jessica Gregoire • Lauren Miró

ner’s choice of CDs or money market accounts are backed by the government, and have you gone to Depositaccounts.com or Bankrate.com to make sure?

Surely, learn for certain whether there are penalties for getting your money back, what they are and how long the penalty period lasts.

Penalties are a darn good indication the planner is receiving a big commission on your money. And as one expert intelligently points out, don’t put trust in references you don’t know. Even poor planners usually can find three people who will vouch for them. Good luck!

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 5

NEWS

WELLINGTON CHAMBER PRESENTS ITS ANNUAL HEALTH & WELLNESS FESTIVAL The 2012 Wellington Health & Wellness Festival took place Saturday, June 9 in the parking lot in front of Whole Foods Market in Wellington. Presented by the Wellington Chamber of Commerce, the event showcased a variety of specialties, including chiropractic spinal screenings, medical screenings, cutting-edge fitness trends, integrative and holistic medicine, aromatherapy, pet therapy, massages and food samples.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Jupiter Hammerheads mascot Hamilton Head with Wellington Chamber President Alec Domb.

Susan Odell with Eduardo Pantoja of the Center for Bone & Joint Surgery.

Moksha Yoga Studio offers a demonstration.

Wellington Regional Medical Center’s Shari Gill, JoAnn Franklin, Marsha Israel and Diane Brown.

Gyorgy Marton of Palm Beach Kangoo jumps high.

Elmo with Tali Crane.

WELLINGTON AMPHITHEATER HOSTS EAGLES TRIBUTE SHOW WITH LONG RUN Wellington hosted a tribute concert to the Eagles, featuring the band Long Run, Saturday, June 9 at the Wellington Amphitheater.

Despite the rain, the Long Run rocked the amphitheater with classic Eagles jams. For more information about the band, visit www.the longrun.info.

PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRÓ/TOWN-CRIER

Del Mize rocks out a solo while Reggie Fecteau and John Tillman back him up.

John Tillman takes the lead with Jonathan Washam on keyboard.

Gary Wayne, Jim Korton and Reggie Fecteau play for the crowd.

Page 6 June 15 - June 21, 2012

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CRIME NEWS

Firearm, Guitars, TV Stolen From Royal Palm Home

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By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report JUNE 11 — A resident of Counterpoint Estates contacted the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office substation in Royal Palm Beach Monday afternoon to report a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, the victim left his home at approximately 11 a.m. When he returned at approximately 3 p.m., he discovered that his home had been ransacked, and several items, including a firearm, were taken. According to the report, the perpetrator(s) stole the victim’s 52-inch television, two Yamaha guitars and a military SK5 rifle. According to the deputy, the point of entry was the front window, and the exit was the front door.

According to the report, a neighbor said he had seen a small gold vehicle parked at the residence earlier that morning. The stolen items were valued at approximately $1,650. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

••• JUNE 6 — A resident of Shoma Drive called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Wednesday regarding a residential burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 9:30 a.m. and 8:20 p.m., someone entered the victim’s unlocked front door and stole several items. The perpetrator(s) removed a gray tablet, three PlayStation 3 game consoles with controllers, video games, two laptop computers and two designer watches. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JUNE 7 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation was dispatched to a bar on Southern Blvd. early last Thursday morning regarding a theft.

According to a PBSO report, at approximately 1 a.m., the victim set her purse down on a table outside the bar and walked away from the purse momentarily. When she retrieved her purse, she noticed that her wallet was no longer inside.

According to the report, the victim searched the bar but was unable to locate the wallet. There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JUNE 7 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington was dispatched to a home on Shakerwood Lane last Wednesday morning regarding a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 12:30 and 11 a.m., someone entered the victim’s unlocked truck and stole a GPS unit as well as loose change. The items were valued at approximately $100.

There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JUNE 7 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Wellington responded to a home on Halter Road last Thursday regarding a case of fraud. According to a PBSO report, the victim was notified by her Macy’s American Express credit card company that someone had used her card for several fraudulent purchases in April, racking up $2,461 in charges. The victim said the charges were made at Macy’s stores both in Wellington

and in CityPlace. According to the report, the victim said she has not used her card in several years but has it in her possession. The victim said the address on her card was changed to one in Boca Raton, and a second person was added to the account, which she did not authorize. According to the report, the victim said that she received a call from JCPenney in April alerting her that someone had tried to use her account. The victim said she checked her credit report and observed that there are three Macy’s accounts open under her Social Security number.

There were no suspects at the time of the report.

JUNE 8 — A resident of Crestwood Circle called the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach last Friday morning to report a vehicle burglary. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 1 and 4 a.m., someone entered the victim’s unlocked truck and stole several tools, speakers, a power inverter, two power drills and a purse containing a bottle of perfume. The stolen items were valued at approximately $1,600. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JUNE 10 — A deputy from the PBSO’s Acreage/Loxahatchee substation responded to a home on C Road last Sunday morning regarding a theft. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 8 p.m. last Wednesday and 10 a.m. last Sunday, someone entered the victim’s property and stole nine 100-foot extension cords and a string of Christmas lights from the front lawn. The stolen items were valued at approximately $585.

There were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JUNE 11 — A deputy from the PBSO substation in Royal Palm Beach responded to the Shoma Homes community early Monday morning regarding a vehicle burglary attempt. According to a PBSO report, the victim parked his vehicle near the entrance to the community last Saturday afternoon. When he returned to the car Monday at 5:30 a.m., he discovered that someone had attempted to pry open the driver’s-side door.

According to the report, the deputy discovered metal shavings on the floorboard and that part of the vehicle ignition cylinder had been removed. DNA evidence was taken at the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

JUNE 12 — A resident of Old Country Road called the PBSO substation in Wellington on Tuesday morning to report a vehicle incident. According to a PBSO report, sometime between 1 and 6 a.m., someone pried open the victim’s passenger-side door and entered the vehicle. The victim said he observed that someone had moved his truck from where he had parked it. According to the report, the perpetrator(s) removed the victim’s Pioneer stereo system from the vehicle, valued at approximately $100, and punched in the steering column. DNA evidence was taken from the scene, but there were no suspects or witnesses at the time of the report.

Crime Stoppers of Palm Beach County is asking for the public’s help in finding these wanted fugitives: • Carly Howell is a white female, 5’4” tall and weighing 115 lbs., with red hair and brown eyes. Her date of birth is 03/ 02/89. Howell is wanted for failure to appear on charges of possession of a Schedule IV substance and possession of marijuana. Her occupation is bartender. Her last known addresses were Olive Tree Blvd. in Greenacres and Periwinkle Place in Wellington. Howell is wanted as of 06/14/12.

• Anquavis Weston is a black male, 6’0” tall and weighing 185 lbs., with black hair and brown eyes. His date of birth is 04/12/90. Weston is wanted for felony charges of smash and grab burglary, grand theft from a dwelling (three counts), burglary of a dwelling (three counts), criminal mischief (two counts) and grand theft, and for the misdemeanor charges of failure to appear for trespassing (two counts) and battery.

His occupation is unknown. His last known addresses were Sparrow Drive in Royal Palm Beach and the 12th Fairway in Wellington. Weston is wanted as of 06/14/12.

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.

Carly Howell

Anquavis Weston

THE INFORMATION FOR THIS BOX IS PROVIDED BY CRIME STOPPERS OF PALM BEACH COUNTY. CRIMESTOPPERS IS WHOLLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT SHOWN HERE.

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 7

NEWS

LGWCD Prepares For June 25 Election Using New Voting Method

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors reviewed plans Monday for the district’s first direct election of a supervisor utilizing the new qualified elector process.

The vote is scheduled for Monday, June 25. Incumbent Supervisor Robert Snowball faces a challenge from resident Roy Parks. The winner will be determined by a voting majority of the district’s “qualified electors” — registered Loxahatchee Groves voters who are also LGWCD property owners, or spouses of property owners.

LGWCD Attorney Mary Viator said the election will be different from those in the past, which were based on one-acre, one-vote. “The procedures were adopted in accordance with recently enacted legislation,” she said.

The candidates were asked to qualify through Palm Beach County’s Supervisor of Elections Office, although the voting will be managed by the district.

Viator said she and District Administrator Clete Saunier had met with the accounting firm to go through some of the issues related to the qualified elector process.

Notices have been published twice informing the public of the election, she said.

On Election Day, the district office will be open for voting at 7 a.m. and remain open until the LGWCD annual meeting that evening. The ballots will be tabulated at the annual meeting, which begins at 7:30 p.m.

“Under no circumstances will the ballots be removed from the premises during this time,” Viator said. “The district will determine who is a qualified elector based on a qualified electorate database.

If there is a discrepancy between the records, or insufficient information is available to determine one’s status as a qualified elector, the individual will be asked to sign an affidavit of ownership, which is authorized under statute.”

She emphasized that new property owners might not be on the list and that they should bring their voter registration card and a copy of their deed or other proof of land ownership. Qualified electors will fill out their ballots and deposit them in the ballot box, and the accountants will be asked to count the ballots twice to ensure that there are no disputes.

“Disputed ballots that cannot

be resolved at the time of the election shall be marked as such and counted,” Viator said. “If the election is close and the ballots could affect the outcome, they will be reviewed and verified.”

The winner will be determined by a majority of votes cast, and the chairman will announce the winner at the meeting. The day after the election, the attorney will inform the supervisor of elections who the winner is, and that person will take office within 10 days.

Some of the issues related to the election include numbered ballots and whether they are traceable to the person who cast the ballot.

Marge Herzog, who led the petition drive to enact the election change, complained that during the referendum to determine whether there should be a qualified elector process, a similar balloting method was used with numbered ballots. Herzog said some people had been harassed after the referendum by people who she said had used the ballot number to track them.

Viator said the ballots will be coordinated by number and name only in instances where the voter’s status as a qualified elector could not be verified immediately.

Otherwise, the numbers are just to avoid the possibility of anyone stuffing the ballot box. “The intent is... to have the ballots numbered so there can be verification of the actual number of ballots that were issued,” Viator said. “The ballot numbers will not be recorded for those individuals who meet the criteria as a qualified elector.”

The only coordination of a name with a ballot number will be for those who are voting with an affidavit of ownership because if there is an issue, they would need to have some type of verification.

“It’s just going to be a very limited number of votes that we’ll be dealing with that issue,” Viator said.

Supervisor John Ryan said the election procedure had been set up by the board and was not necessarily in accordance with Florida code due to statutory conflicts.

“We all know that for this qualified elector process, we’re the guinea pig because it hasn’t really been used by other districts,” Ryan said. “The numbering of the ballots to me is a way for the supervisors and the accountant that we employ to verify that the individuals that have a numbered ballot have satisfied all the identification requirements to be a qualified elec-

LGWCD candidates Robert Snowball (left) and Roy Parks (right). tor. I really don’t understand that that violates one’s privacy as much as it provides an assurance that all of the ballot forms that are used to record a vote are verified as to that individual being a qualified elector.”

Ryan said he did not anticipate any meaningful amount of voter fraud, but he felt that the way the election is set up, using an accountant to count and verify the ballots is a responsible way to verify the requirements they

had set up for the election.

Ryan pointed out that the ballot forms are simple and would be easy to copy, which is why they use the numbered ballots.

“I think that the level of comfort that the supervisors have, at least speaking for myself, is that we have a well-defined process that has a degree of control that doesn’t violate the privacy of an individual… It gives the tabulator a record that I think is a valuable quality assurance process.”

Wellington Village Council OKs New Rules For Manure Waste

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council voted unanimously Tuesday to implement new practices regarding the management of manure and other livestock waste.

The changes will help Wellington meet federal Environmental Protection Agency water quality standards.

The changes will govern how farm owners manage manure, require watertight storage areas, prohibit spreading untreated manure and tighten requirements for waste

haulers as well as disposal sites.

Equestrian Master Plan Project Director Mike O’Dell explained that Wellington has continually updated its practices for managing waste over the years. “We’re trying to be good neighbors,” he said.

Council members were concerned about new regulations for haulers. The changes would require haulers to maintain records that identify the source of the waste, document the quantity taken and dumped from each farm, and include signed tickets from

both the source and disposal site owners.

Councilman John Greene asked how it would be enforced. “Do we license the haulers through the village?” he asked.

O’Dell said that they did.

“We’re hoping to get the hauler’s license and their approved locations to haul to put on our web site, so residents can go to our web site and see who is approved,” he said.

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig asked whether it would be possible to regulate unlicensed haulers.

O’Dell said that approved haulers would be listed on Wellington’s web site, garnering them more business from local farms.

“The incentive would be to have their name and organization listed as an approved hauler,” he said.

Gerwig questioned how Wellington residents are supposed to know what the new requirements are.

O’Dell said that it would take a process of educating both haulers and residents.

“Assuming this is passed, we will issue a notice to all haulers

that have been in our system so they know what the new rules and regulations are,” he said. “The second component is education.”

O’Dell noted that Wellington will need to alert residents to pasture management and the benefits of composting in order to manage waste. Composted waste does not count as livestock waste, he said.

Gerwig asked if residents who want to compost manure to use as fertilizer would be subject to the same requirements, such as watertight containers. O’Dell said they would, noting that the goal is

to have no phosphorus fertilizers.

Village Manager Paul Schofield explained that the changes were in response to a federal court order to reduce phosphorus. “We’re dealing with what is a solid waste issue,” he said.

Councilman Matt Willhite encouraged Wellington staff to continue working on the Equestrian Master Plan to address items such as this. “I want to get that master plan implemented,” he said.

Willhite made a motion to approve the measure, which carried unanimously.

PBC Solid Waste Authority Assessment Will Remain Unchanged

By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Palm Beach County Commission, sitting as the board of the Solid Waste Authority, approved a preliminary budget Wednesday that retains the current single-family assessment at $175 and excluded proposed pay raises for employees.

The commissioners also rejected a proposal to reduce tipping fees to induce haulers not to go out of the county to take advantage of reduced tip fees elsewhere.

The rate structure will be suffi-

Postponed

Items To Return July 10

continued from page 1 Village’s commercial equestrian arena in May. Director of Growth Management Bob Basehart explained that because the master plan on the site was rescinded at the last meeting, and because property owners failed to plat the site by March 31, the commercial equestrian designation should be rescinded.

“That plat cannot be approved now at all because the master plan amendment was revoked,” he said. “Staff believes that the appropriate action for this would be to revoke the approval… for the commercial equestrian arena.”

Vice Mayor Howard Coates asked whether there was any other property in Wellington with a

cient to pay for the debt service, capital and operating cost for all the facilities, including the new mass burn plant when it is completed, according to SWA Executive Director Mark Hammond, who predicted that the system will not need any major expansion for more than 25 years.

Several commissioners said they would not support the budget recommendation that the commercial tip fee be reduced from $42 to $38 per ton due to recent changes in competing rates as low as $21 per ton in Broward and Martin

counties, which would reduce financial incentives to export solid waste.

However, SWA staff noted that revenue leaving the system could ultimately require an increase in commercial assessments.

Commissioner Burt Aaronson said he would not support a reduced tip fee because it would not be a sufficient incentive for commercial haulers to use the SWA facilities.

“If you’re going from $42 to $38, it’s still an incentive for them to take it out,” Aaronson said.

During public comment, resident Patricia Curry said she thought reducing the tip fee was rewarding contractual haulers for cheating. “If you want incentive to see that the trash doesn’t leave the county, fine them, then they won’t take the stuff out of the county,” Curry said.

SWA staff said the reduced tip fee could be an incentive due to the cost of fuel and increased distance and time.

SWA staff also reported that it is creating a new tip fee of $30 a ton for livestock waste and bed-

ding material to provide a reasonable alternative for the equestrian community. It is also creating a new tip fee for dewatered sludge of $100 a ton, which will cover the operating expense of handling the material.

The proposed budget had set aside money for a 5 percent increase for all personnel. “It has been three years since the rankand-file personnel have received any form of pay increase and four years for the management staff,” Hammond said.

Commissioner Karen Marcus

said she could not support the pay raises. “While I appreciate the support you have for the staff, I can’t support the raises that are proposed within the budget,” Marcus said. “All of our employees at the county level are working hard, too, but we are not including raises for them.”

Marcus made a motion to approve the proposed budget without pay raises, which carried unanimously. A motion by Marcus to approve the assessments and tip fee rates also carried unanimously.

compatibility determination without a master plan.

Basehart said that the only other property with a commercial equestrian arena is the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. “That is subject to the Country Place PUD master plan,” he said.

Coates asked whether there is a requirement in Wellington’s code that a compatibility determination have a master plan plat.

Basehart said that it is required, which prompted Coates to ask why council members were hearing the item if there is only one possible option.

“If what you’re saying is correct, that you have to have a master plan in place to have a compatibility determination, then how can this council move any way but that the compatibility determination should be revoked?” he asked.

Basehart noted that the property still has a master plan. “What was revoked was the amendment

to the master plan,” he said. “That puts the master plan back to the state before that application.”

Coates asked if the previous master plan could sustain a commercial equestrian arena.

Basehart said it could not. “My position would be no,” he said.

“The reason that the master plan amendment application was made was because what the applicant wanted to do wasn’t consistent with the established master plan.

It designated the property a polo and tennis facility. Additionally, there were a couple of access points that needed to be added so the property could function as intended.”

Discussion of the item was cut short when Dan Rosenbaum, attorney for Wellington Equestrian Partners, notified the council that the meeting had not been properly noticed. “You haven’t complied with the notice requirement,” he said.

Rosenbaum said that village

code requires that the property owner in question be notified of staff’s recommendation to the council; however, that recommendation changed in light of the master plan revocation.

“Staff’s recommendation, which was noticed on May 2 and received on May 7, was to approve this item — to extend the condition,” Rosenbaum said. “That recommendation has now changed to rescinding or revoking the condition. But we never received notice of that.”

Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said that in light of that information, the council should continue the item to its July 10 meeting to provide time for notice.

Council members voted unanimously to postpone the item until then.

The council also voted to table discussion on the referendum until July while petitioners decide whether to move forward with the measure.

The question that petitioners requested be put before voters was, “Shall the charter of the Village of Wellington be amended to require that amendments to the village’s land development regulations which increase height, density, intensity, floor area ratio or lot coverage on property located within, abutting or contiguous to the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District require approval by five affirmative votes of the [Wellington] Village Council?”

Petitioners gathered 4,741 signatures, 3,978 of which were found to be qualified electors in Wellington. Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher and Village ClerkAwilda Rodriguez reviewed the signatures and certified that the petitioners had met the criteria necessary to hold the referendum.

Council members were supposed to decide whether to put the question to voters on the primary or general election ballot, or whether to hold a special election.

But attorney John Shubin with Preserve Wellington Inc. requested the item be tabled.

“The proponents of this charter amendment have been having internal discussion as to whether or not we still wish to move forward,” he said.

Coates asked when the organization would be ready to discuss the item. Shubin requested it be moved to July 10.

Rodriguez noted that the matter is time-sensitive.

“The supervisor of elections has requested we let her know if we want this on the November ballot as soon as possible,” she said.

But Kurtz said July 10 would meet the necessary timing.

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig asked whether the petitioners were allowed to withdraw the petition once it has been turned in. Kurtz said they could.

Council members voted unanimously to table the item.

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NEWS BRIEFS Next Acreage Community Park Jam June 16 The Acreage Landowners’ Association and the Indian Trail Improvement District will host their monthly Acreage Community Park Jam on Saturday, June 16 from 4 to 10 p.m. at Acreage Community Park (6701 140th Ave. North).

The Acreage Community Park Jam is a free monthly event featuring musicians, comedians and any other artists of all ages, styles and skill levels. For classic car lovers, there will be a Classic Cruisers Car Show. You are welcome to bring and display your classic vehicle or motorcycle. For those of you feeling lucky, there will be a 50/50 raffle.

This event is fun for all ages.

Acreage Community Park also has a playground and skateboard park adjacent to the jam area. Join your friends and neighbors while enjoying an evening of diverse entertainment. The Holy Cow food truck will be there to tantalize your taste buds. Bring your beverage and picnic items of choice as well as chairs or something to sit on.

No glass containers are allowed.

For more information, click on the Acreage Community Park Jam link at www.acreagelandowners. org under “Events.” Adult supervision is required for playground use. A skate park consent waiver is required for minors wishing to use the park and available by visiting the “Parks” section at www.indiantrail.com.

To sign up as entertainment or make general inquiries, contact Bob Renna at (561) 602-0676 or bobrenna@bellsouth.net. You can also sign up to perform on the day of the jam. The stage has a sound system and karaoke equipment for all to use.

Volunteers to set up and break down are needed and very much appreciated.

Wellington Plans Fourth Of July Celebration If you’re looking for familyfriendly Fourth of July entertainment, join the Village of Wellington for a patriotic pool party Wednesday, July 4 from noon to 5 p.m. at the Wellington Aquatics Complex (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.). Admission is free for chil-

dren age 2 and under, $3 for juniors ages 3 to 17, $5 for adults ages 18 to 54, and $2 for seniors 55 and older.

Then, get your red, white and blue ready for Wellington’s annual “A Family Fourth Celebration” from 6 to 9:30 p.m. at Village Park (11700 Pierson Road). This event includes free bingo sponsored by Humana Inc., traditional games, inflatable rides, face painting and live music. Free shuttle service will be available from the Palm Tran bus stop at the Mall at Wellington Green beginning at 5:30 p.m. Stick around for Wellington’s Fireworks Extravaganza, presented by Zambelli Fireworks International, which begins at 9:15 p.m. at Village Park.

For more information about the event, call (561) 791-4005.

Star-Spangled Spectacular In RPB July 4 Celebrate the Fourth of July with the Village of Royal Palm Beach’s annual Star Spangled Spectacular at Lakeside Challenger Park.

The Zambelli Fireworks International show begins at 9 p.m. and is

a fireworks show not to miss.

Avoid the traffic and come early; bring lawn chairs and a blanket for a day of fun for all ages.

As part of the celebration, the day will feature multiple activities including a kids funzone area from A Perfect Party packed with carnival-style rides, slides, games, crafts and a mobile arcade bus from Games on the Go. The kids funzone will run from 1 to 8 p.m. and will require a $5 advance wristband purchase.

There will also be live music by bands A2Z and On Target, DJ Tony Tiger spinning all the great hits, a cornhole tournament, the annual Mayor’s Cup Kayak Race, fun family games and more. Hot dogs will be given from 1 p.m. as long as supplies last. The event is free and open to all guests.

For more information, visit www. royalpalmbeach.com or call (561) 790-5149.

Register Now For RPB Firecracker Tournament The Village of Royal Palm Beach will host its annual Firecracker Golf Tournament on

Wednesday, July 4 at the Madison Green Golf Club.

The scramble format tournament will begin with a shotgun start at 8 a.m. The Firecracker golf tournament will include cart and green fees, 50/50 raffle, prizes, longest-drive contest, closest to the pin contest, and a barbecue lunch will be provided.

Golfers are asked to pre-register at either of the following locations: the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center (151 Civic Center Way), the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center (100 Sweet Bay Lane) and the Madison Green Golf Club (2001 Crestwood Blvd.

North).

Register today for an opportunity to reserve your foursome and/ or tee sponsorship in advance and provide your business or organization great exposure at this annual Royal Palm Beach event. Only a limited number of foursomes and tee sponsorships are available.

The cost to enter the golf tournament is $65 for single players, $260 for foursomes and $100 for hole sponsors For more information, or to reserve a tee sponsorship opportunity, call the Royal Palm Beach Cultural Center at (561) 790-5149.

RPB To Host Annual Fishing Tourney July 4 Royal Palm Beach will host the annual Red, White & Blue Fourth of July Family Fishing Tournament on Wednesday, July 4 at Lakeside Challenger Park, presented by the Royal Palm Bassmasters and the Royal Palm Beach Parks & Recreation Department.

The schedule is as follows: registration (on-site only), 6:30 to 9:30 a.m.; deadline for bass weigh-ins (bass must be alive) 11 a.m. sharp; deadline for fish weigh-ins, noon sharp; entertainment and awards presentation, 12:15 to 1 p.m.

Age groups are Small Fry (6 and under), Child (7-9), Junior (10-12), Teen (13-19) and Parent/Child (child must be 12 or under). There will be a free prize for each participant. Categories are Bass and Other (catfish, panfish, gar, etc. but no grass carp). Participants can enter in one category only. Bass must be alive, so take proper precautions. Participants may fish safely and legally anywhere. Boat ramp permits valid on July 4 only are available at the recreation center.

For more info., call (561) 790-5124.

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NEWS

TASTE IN THE WEST & CHOCOLATE LOVERS FESTIVAL RETURNS TO FAIRGROUNDS The 15th annual Taste in the West & Chocolate Lovers Festival took place Thursday, June 7 at the South Florida Fairgrounds Expo Center East. Area restaurants and specialty shops gave out samples of their food, exhibitors gave out freebies, Hoffman’s Chocolates hosted a cupcake-eating contest, and there were raffles and music. The event was hosted by the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

On the Border Mexican Grill’s Ashley Olevitch, Chainlin Barroso and Vanessa Gallardo.

Central Palm Beach County Chamber CEO Jaene Miranda with Royal Palm Mazda General Manager Larry Tabloff.

Ginger Haug, Anna Hutchinson and Lana Rounsavall.

Whole Foods Market’s Amanda Fernandez helps Kailey LaCroix and her mom Julie at the trail mix station.

Kim Nichols and Grey Vanaman dip strawberries in the Hoffman’s Chocolates fountain.

Graffito South Manager Cashley Acosta with Tyler Favreau.

Breakers West chef Scott Dorsey adds sauce to roast beef.

Event sponsors are all smiles in the VIP area.

Rachel Leveilee and Dan Burack of Orangetheory Fitness.

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Page 12 June 15 - June 21, 2012

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NEWS

RPB STUDENT JACK POWELL HONORED FOR SAVING CLASSMATE FROM CHOKING Royal Palm Beach Elementary School student Jack Powell received a special certificate of heroism from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office District 9 substation during the school’s award ceremony Wednesday, June 6. Powell was honored for saving a fellow classmate from choking. He performed the Heimlich maneuver on the student, which Powell learned after watching an episode of the Disney Channel show The Suite Life of Zack & Cody. Powell also received a special package from Disney and the Royal Palm Beach SuperTarget store.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Young hero Jack Powell with his parents Nicole and John.

Jack Powell with Chad Davidson and Stephanie Jean of Target, McGruff the Crime Dog and PBSO Lt. Marcos Martinez.

Diane Smith of the PBSO presents a check to Jack Powell.

Jack Powell with his teacher Susan Armstrong.

RPBES Principal Suzanne Watson, PTO Treasurer Naaz Bax and Assistant Principal Tracy Gaugler.

Jack Powell with Kaitlyn Hartigan, the classmate he saved from choking.

GIANT TRUCKS COMPETE IN TUG-OF-WAR AT THE SOUTH FLORIDA FAIRGROUNDS Outlaw Truck Pullers held its Tug-O-War event Saturday, June 9 at the South Florida Fairgrounds. ATVs, trucks and other vehicles tried to pull each other more than 10 feet to win. The event will return in August. For more info., visit the Outlaw Truck Pullers page on Facebook.

PHOTOS BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER

Jimmy Fauchet (right) and friends try to stay dry under his big Chevy truck.

Four-wheelers compete, with the team on the right winning.

A pre-competition tailgate party.

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 13

NEWS

ANNUAL FESTIVAL AT THE S.F. FAIRGROUNDS CELEBRATES PHILIPPINE CULTURE The Philippine American Society held its Philippine Summer Festival on Saturday, June 9 at the South Florida Fairgr ounds. The event included local vendors, authentic Philippine food, arts and crafts, live music and performances. For more info., visit www.thephilippine americansociety.org.

PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Chinese Performing Arts members entertain the audience.

Members of the Philippine American Society.

Members of Answering the Cry for the Poor gather support for their annual Global Walk event.

Stephanie Mazza sells lumpia, a Philippine version of egg rolls.

Saxophonist Philip Mahoney performs.

Arnauld Angelo with Allianah, Ma’niche, Annelyn and Arnauld Sylvain.

Kisha Montinola, RobyGrace Salamat and Paolo Reyes.

Andrea, Jesse, Graham, Andre and Jaison Fairbanks.

Dernie Codella holds her grand niece.

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NEWS

WELLINGTON SBARRO UNVEILS NEW MENU, SUPPORTS FEEDING SOUTH FLORIDA The Sbarro restaurant in the Mall at Wellington Green unveiled its ne w menu at a celebration held Friday, June 8. The event included live Italian music and a chance to win a Vespa scooter. Proceeds from the day’s sales went to Feeding South Florida. For more info., visit www.sbarro.com or call (561) 204-5166. SEE VIDEO FROM SBARRO AT WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Mall at Wellington Green General Manager Dorian Bordenave gets a slice of veggie pizza.

Sbarro CEO James Greco presents a check to Feeding South Florida representative Paco Vélez.

Sbarro Vice President Harry Erardi, server Amanda Goldberg and CFO Carolyn Spatafora.

Sbarro Marketing Manager Jason Amar samples made-to-order fresh pasta from server Amanda Goldberg.

Sandy Shapiro with Valerie Greco and her husband, Sbarro CEO James Greco.

Sbarro Training Director John Epperson with server Jordan Paquette.

SKATE, BMX DEMONSTRATION AT HURRICANE GRILL & WINGS IN WELLINGTON Hurricane Grill & Wings in Wellington held a live demonstration by Hurricane Action Sports on Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10.

Skateboarders and BMXers from the group performed while the crowd cheered on. Music was provided by 98.7 FM, and plenty of wings PHOTOS BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER were served. For more info., visit action.hurricanewings.com or www.hurricanewings.com.

BMX rider Dave Mahoney rides the quarter-pipe.

BMX rider Rob Nolli does an aerial trick on the half-pipe.

Skater Isaac Hayes gets ready to drop in.

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 15

SCHOOL NEWS

Jess Santamaria Visits SRHS Habitat House Construction Project County Commissioner Jess Santamaria recently visited the Seminole Ridge Construction Academy. Santamaria was joined by Ron Barsanti, a past member of the Habitat for Humanity Palm Beach County Board of Directors and regular volunteer on the Habitat worksites; Martin Bixler, director of construction services for Habi-

tat for Humanity; and Bob Frein, the immediate past president of the Habitat for Humanity Board of Directors.

The goal of the visit was to observe the working environment and facilities at the academy in an effort to promote similar programs in area schools, as well as on the campus of Palm Beach State Col-

lege, where a graduate academy could be initiated to allow students to further develop their skills on the college level after graduation.

“As an advocate of affordable housing efforts in our community for many years, I strongly support partnerships like this one between Humanity for Humanity of Palm

Seminole Ridge Fall 2012 Dual Enrollment Information Interested in dual enrollment classes for the fall? A guidance counselor will be available at the Seminole Ridge High School campus Tuesday, July 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. to answer questions and complete dual enrollment permission and registration forms.

“Registration and permission forms will not be available after July 24,” SRHS counselor Girselda Wallace said. “Make sure all your paperwork is completed on or before that date. And remember: All first-time dual enrollment students must register online and attend a

mandatory Palm Beach State College information/advisement session.”

Dual enrollment allows high school students to simultaneously earn both high school and college credit by taking college courses locally. To qualify, students must have taken the ACT, SAT, PERT or CPT assessments, have a cumulative 3.0 grade point/honors point average, and meet any additional admission criteria set by Palm Beach State College or Florida Atlantic University.

“To receive dual credit, you

must earn a grade of C or higher in your dual enrollment course,” Wallace said. “You’re eligible to earn up to eight college credits each semester, and grades earned in dual enrollment classes have AP [Advanced Placement] weighting — 1.5 compared to 1 for a regularlevel course and 1.25 for an honors-level course. And there’s no cost for the class, textbook or lab.”

For additional information, call the guidance department at (561) 422-2610. Fall registration at PBSC runs Tuesday, July 31 through Wednesday, Aug. 29.

Beach County and the Seminole Ridge High School Construction Academy,” Santamaria said. “The long-term benefits of exposing youth to both hands-on training and the work of an organization such as Habitat for Humanity are truly commendable.”

Barsanti called the school district’s commitment to such technical programs praiseworthy. “As a major supporter of Habitat for Humanity of Palm Beach County and a former employer of technical school graduates, I am very proud and pleased that Habitat for Humanity has chosen to fully engage and partner with the school and these students on this major effort,” he said.

Seminole Ridge and Habitat for Humanity joined forces in 2011 to construct a three-bedroom, twobath home at the construction academy over an 18-month period. The home, well underway with construction four months ahead of schedule, will be built in four modular quadrants then transported to the Habitat for Humanity lot in West Palm Beach and set on a foundation. Additional homes will be built by the academy in the com-

Rober t Frein, Frederick Terkovitch, County Commissioner Jess Santamaria, David Porter, Martin Bixler and Ronald Barsanti. ing school years, each with a 12month turnaround time.

During the construction process, the students will be trained in the art of carpentry, plumbing, electrical, cabinetry and other typical construction trades. Habitat for Humanity will complete the construction of the home once it is transported, along with community volunteers.

Local architect David Porter has been working with the students on the house design and will be com-

pleting all necessary drawings to obtain building permits and for the students’ construction work. Local modular concrete building contractor Royal Concrete Concepts has donated its expertise, cranes, trailers, rigging and trucking services to transport the modular units from the school to the building foundation. Inspections of the modular units, as they are being built at the school, will be provided by the Palm Beach County Building Department.

NEW HORIZONS FCAT ‘SURVIVORS’ REWARDED

PIERCE HAMMOCK HOSTS CAREER DAY

BINKS FOREST HONORS AVID YOUNG READER

New Horizons Elementary School fourth-graders celebrated surviving the FCAT. Students recently were treated to a special luncheon provided by Breakers West Country Club. General Manager Brent Valdov and chef Robert Bravera served students chicken, pasta and a delicious “FCAT survivor” cake prepared by pastry chef Lisette. Pictured here are fourth-grade teachers Jude Valdov, Cheryl Lay and Deb Hansen with Valdov, Bravera and fourth-grade students.

Pierce Hammock Elementary School held its annual career day Friday, May 18, and it was a huge success. Parents and community members representing a variety of careers shared their knowledge with students. Speakers included representatives from Palm Beach County Fire-Rescue, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Publix, the Indian Trail Improvement District and many more. Pierce Hammock wants to thank all guest speakers for coming out and making this a fun yet educational experience for its students. Shown above are Career Day coordinators Anne Deeds and Risa Suarez with Indian Trail Improvement District President Michelle Damone.

For the past three years, Binks Forest Elementary School fifthgrade student Katie Gulkis has been a diligent reader with the yearly Florida Sunshine State Young Readers for three to five books. Each year, this list consists of 15 books for the students to enjoy. For the past three years, Gulkis has also met the challenge for each of the 15 books by completing a rigorous assignment from the school’s library media specialist Sharon Wedgworth.

Wedgworth and the entire Binks Forest Elementary family are very proud of Gulkis’ accomplishment. Shown above are Principal Michella Levy with Gulkis.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Inaugural ‘Girls Night Out’ Event Benefits Horses Healing Hearts Things were jumping on a recent Thursday night at the Players Club in Wellington, as the first “Girls Night Out” event was held in the western communities.

Girls Night Out, which will be held on a monthly basis, is designed to be a night of girl chat, fabulous drink and food specials, music by DJ GFY and lots of shopping. The first Girls Night Out featured more than 20 vendors with

merchandise ranging from jewelry, purses, spa treatments, insurance, makeup, fashionable clothing, spray-tans and Kangoo Jumps. But while everyone was enjoying the whole ambiance of the evening, there was a benefit to the community, too.

As part of the event, each vendor was asked to donate a prize to be used in a raffle, and the money raised from the sale of raffle tick-

Phelps Media Group staff members and friends enjoy the event.

ets was donated to the charity Horses Healing Hearts. Each month, there will be a different local charity chosen to benefit from the raffle proceeds.

“We were overwhelmed by the response from the community who turned out for a night of fun and charity,” said Dolores Schlick, director of catering at the Players Club. “The whole upper level of the Players Club was packed with ladies enjoying an evening out and simultaneously supporting, a worthy, local charity. We are pleased to provide the venue for this dualpurposed event.”

My Sister’s Closet, which has participated in similar events, invited other established vendors to participate, ensuring the high quality of the event’s merchandise.

Maureen Gross, director of development and community outreach for Phelps Media Group, also helped in procuring qualified ven-

dors and publicizing the event.

“We envision that this event will grow to be a great monthly social event in the community, and it will increasingly impact many local charitable efforts. It is a win-win,” Gross said.

Lizabeth Olszewski, founder of Horses Healing Hearts, was on hand for the evening with some volunteers to sell the raffle tickets. “We are so pleased and honored to be a part of this first Girls Night Out,” Olszewski said. “We were able to not only increase our charity’s exposure in the community, but through the raffle sales, we were able to raise a significant amount of money.”

Horses Healing Hearts helps children, who have been hurt by a family member who has an addiction problem, to heal emotionally, build self-esteem and learn lifecoping skills by working with horses.

Dawn Cotler and Libby Millar of Horses Healing Hearts, Dolores Schlick of the Players Club, Horses Healing Hearts founder Lizabeth Olszewski, and Maureen Gross of Phelps Media Group.

Next month’s Girls Night Out event, sure to be a sold-out event, will take place Thursday, July 12 from 6 to 9 p.m. at the Players Club.

For information about attending,

contact Schlick at pcrcatering@ aol.com or (561) 795-0080. For vendor information, contact Gross at mbg@phelpsmediagroup.com or (561) 753-3389.

Christine Brooks Earns PBAU’s Award For Outstanding Teaching Caregiving is something Christine Brooks has always done, from her days tending to patients as a critical care staff nurse to her current role nurturing young minds as assistant professor of nursing at Palm Beach Atlantic University.

“If students feel empowered, they’re going to excel,” said Brooks, who joined Palm Beach Atlantic’s faculty in 2006. “By recognizing the strengths and gifts

they each have, we can help them learn how to come together as a team.”

This spring, the Royal Palm Beach resident was named the 2012 recipient of the university’s Charles and Hazel Corts Award for Outstanding Teaching.

In nominating her for the award, nursing students described Brooks as someone who inspires them through her passion for the

A HAPPY GRADUATION

Royal Palm Beach resident Jean Seltzer recently traveled to Madison, Wisc., to attend the graduation ceremony of her granddaughter, Samantha Neymark, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Seltzer is a native of Madison and moved to Royal Palm Beach with her husband, Bernie, in 1992. Shown above is Neymark (second from right) with some of her friends celebrating their graduation.

profession, and who encourages them to do their best by creating an open environment of communication.

Students also noted that Brooks’ reputation alone helps them gain a foot in the door with influential community organizations, and they said she constantly seeks off-campus learning opportunities for her students.

“We are doing much more than teaching nursing,” Brooks said.

“We are preparing our students for professional careers.”

To help guide students along, Brooks developed Prescription for Success, a student retention program involving intensive study assistance to help students achieve their academic goals, pass courses and excel on competency exams.

Brooks is a co-sponsor of the university’s chapter of the National Student Nursing Association, and she herself is a member of Sigma Theta Tau international nursing honor society. She also is member of the school assessment and curriculum committee and serves as the nursing school’s representative to the Senate Ethics Committee.

Off campus, Brooks is active at the Royal Palm Beach campus of Christ Fellowship Church, where she volunteers in student ministries. She holds a bachelor’s de-

gree from Georgia Southern University and a master’s degree from Kennesaw State University, and she is pursuing a doctorate at Nova Southeastern University.

She is conducting research on admissions criteria that predict success on national licensure exams.

She has been married to her husband, Travis, for 15 years, and they have three children: Peyton, 13; Dawson, 11; and Megan, 10.

Brooks said she was completely caught off guard the day the award was announced. However, the award validates both the School of Nursing and the leadership of its dean, Dr. Joanne Masella, she said. “She’s the one leading by example. She provides an atmosphere where we can have professional growth,” Brooks said. “She’s empowering us, and in turn, as leaders we can empower our students.”

The Award for Outstanding Teaching is provided by an endowment fund established in 1995 by former Palm Beach Atlantic President Dr. Paul Corts and his wife, Diane, in honor of his parents, Charles and Hazel Corts, and in recognition of their commitment to higher education and scholarship.

Palm Beach Atlantic previously presented a “Professor of the Year” award annually. As this

Christine Brooks with Professor of Graduate Counseling Psychology Dr. Henry Virkler, the 2011 award recipient. year’s recipient, Brooks will serve as the faculty grand marshal for the coming academic year. She will carry the university’s mace in procession at all ceremonial functions, such as degree-granting ceremonies or other formal convocations.

Palm Beach Atlantic University is a private, independent universi-

ty offering undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees, with campuses in West Palm Beach, Orlando and Wellington. The university is dedicated to the integration of Christian principles to prepare students for learning, leadership and service. For more info., visit www.pba.edu.

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PALMS WEST PEOPLE

Leadership PBC Adult Program Graduates Leadership Palm Beach County honored graduates of its Adult Leadership Program on Thursday, June 7 at the Breakers West Country Club.

The Adult Leadership Program exemplifies LPBC’s mission to identify and unite diverse leaders in order to increase understanding of countywide issues and improve participants’ ability to lead effectively. The Class of 2012 is the 28th class of local leaders to complete the program.

Its 47 graduates join a network of over 1,000 alumni.

Leadership alumnus Monte Lambert is the vice president of Solutions at Forte Interactive Inc. and co-directs the Adult Leadership Program. He described the organization’s alumni network as representing “the true investors and stewards” of the county. “Nothing I have ever done has given me the sense of ownership, the quality of friends, or the value to my business than being involved in Leadership Palm Beach County,” Lambert said.

Each year, LPBC selects up to 50 leaders to participate in a unique 10-month experience that grants class members uncommon access to influential people and significant sites throughout the county as well as hands-on experience with major local industries and community issues.

Christina D’Elosua, LPBC executive director and Class of 2012 graduate, described the graduates’ experience. “This

year’s class members were not only exposed to our county’s top leaders through the impressive class schedules, but they were immersed with their fellow leaders throughout the year,” she said. “The fact that top-level professionals take time out of busy schedules to learn more about the county and collaborate with other leaders to impact our community is truly inspiring.”

The class meets once per month to examine social, economic, and political issues within the county. Each curriculum day encourages in-depth exploration of specific topics, including civics and government, business and media, and agriculture.

Even participants who have lived in Palm Beach County for generations make new connections throughout the year.

“Leadership Palm Beach County truly exceeded my expectations and was very different than other programs I have been involved with,” said Ben Boynton, a Wellington financial planner. “As a fourth-generation resident of Palm Beach County, I couldn’t believe how much I was able to learn about the inner workings of the county.”

Despite their very different professional backgrounds, LPBC alumni share a common commitment to service. Community engagement of this kind is a guiding principle of LPBC and one that the organization empowers participants to take on through the program’s civic engagement projects.

June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 17

PARKER, GREENER TO HAVE AUGUST WEDDING

LPBC Local Graduates — Dr. Juan Ortega of Land Design South, Terri Wescott of Accudial Pharmaceutical, Keith Wedgeworth of Wedgeworth Farms Inc., Sheila Prieschl of Marine Exhaust Systems Inc., Benjamin Boynton of the Boynton Financial Group Inc., and Matthew Hoffman of the Sugar Cane Growers Cooperative of Florida.

As part of the LPBC leadership program, class members select civic engagement projects that utilize each class’ capacity to address the needs and goals of nonprofit organizations in Palm Beach County. In 2012, leadership class members worked closely with representatives from the Economic Council of Palm Beach County, Family Promise, the Palm Beach County Cultural Center and the Spirit of Giving Network to help these organizations reach strategic goals. Class of 2012 members helped partner organizations create brand messages and marketing strategy, develop an informational toolkit for volunteers, conduct a comprehensive artist’s needs assessment throughout the county and

provided key recommendations on target markets.

Robin Henderson, a senior vice president at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, summed up her experience. “Leadership Palm Beach County has been without a doubt the best and most rewarding and fulfilling endeavor that I have ever experienced in my 27 years of living in Palm Beach County,” she said. “I will definitely be committed to this organization for years to come by being involved with various committees, and other Leadership Palm Beach County initiatives. I simply cannot say enough good things about my personal experience with LPBC.” For more information, visit www.leadershippbc.org.

Tom and Joyce Parker of Royal Palm Beach have announced the wedding of their daughter Ryan Payne Parker to Robert Francis Greener of Jupiter. Greener is the son of Calvin and Patti Greener, also of Jupiter. Parker is a graduate of Palm Beach State College and is currently enrolled in the RN nursing program at PBSC, having completed her first year. Greener is planning a career in respiratory therapy. The couple met during paramedic school where Greener proposed to Parker at the end of their graduating ceremonies on stage. They will be married Aug. 4 at Community of Hope Church in Loxahatchee Groves.

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NEWS

Wellington Favors Idea To Build ‘Miracle League’ Baseball Field

By Lauren Miró Town-Crier Staff Report Children with disabilities could one day have a baseball field to suit their needs in Wellington as part of the Miracle League.

The Wellington Village Council directed staff Tuesday to explore fundraising options and locations for a handicapped-accessible field that would enable children of all abilities to play in a baseball league.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Angel Hernandez, a Major League Baseball umpire and chairman of the

Miracle League, showed council members a video extolling the benefits of his organization.

“Whether the children have autism, physical disabilities or any other disability, we embrace them all,” he said. “It’s amazing to see the children come together and play a game of baseball.”

The Miracle League began in 1997 as a nonprofit organization to enable children with disabilities to enjoy the game of baseball. The game is tailored for players of all abilities, and each player gets a chance to bat, gets to run the

bases and emerges a winner from each game.

To be safe for those in wheelchairs or walkers, however, a special playing surface is required.

“The cost of this field is about $300,000,” Hernandez said. “It’s a special field that is accessible to all these children.”

Hernandez said he got involved with the Miracle League in Pembroke Pines but wants to bring the concept to the western communities. Currently, Delray Beach is the only place in Palm Beach County where there’s such a field.

PALM BEACH COUNTY RECOGNIZES GIRL SCOUTS ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY

On June 5, in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Girl Scouts, the Palm Beach County Commission issued a proclamation recognizing June as Girl Scouts of the USA Month in Palm Beach County.

Shown here accepting the proclamation from commissioners Karen Marcus, Paulette Burdick and Shelley Vana are Demi Clemmons, director of programming for the Girl Scouts of Southeast Florida, and Mildred Montalvo, program manager.

Dreams Come True Dancers To Perform June 16 At PBCHS The Dreams Come True Dancers will perform Saturday, June 16 at 6 p.m. in the Palm Beach Central High School auditorium.

For the past five months, these students with disabilities have been working hard on their routine titled Somewhere Over the Rainbow . The group performs each year in the Very Special Arts annual holiday showcase at Palm Beach State College’s Duncan Theatre. They will participate in the recital, along with many other dancers with various disabilities from

ITID

More Input From Public

continued from page 1 the evening, she kept calling it a gymnasium,” Curry said, adding that Foley told them the building would be about 18,000 square feet, with 12,000 for a gymnasium and the remainder for other activities.

“I found myself after that meeting ended being more opposed to the community center than I think I was previously. My vision of a community center would be more consistent with something you might see in a movie, where they have a stage and a dance, and you have activities going on, but not necessarily a huge basketball court.”

Curry pointed out that TheAcreage has numerous outdoor basketball courts. “We don’t need an indoor basketball court,” Curry said. “Make the building smaller and use the extra money to start working on some of the Phase 2 amenities.”

Damone said that basketball courts are adaptable for a variety of activities. “I used to use the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Cen-

Donna Tucci’s School of Dance in Royal Palm Beach.

Tucci, a licensed physical therapist assistant and former professional dancer, runs the class with several volunteer students from her school. Tucci is committed to the children’s needs, both physically and as a recreational tool for them socially.

Tucci’s contributions were recognized in 1995 when the Village of Royal Palm Beach presented her the annual Child Enrichment Award. Miss America 1995 Heath-

er Whitestone and former Florida Secretary of State Sandra Mortham also sent letters of recognition in honor of Tucci’s efforts. Tucci was also featured in the February 1999 issue of Dance Teacher magazine and on WPTV NewChannel 5’s segment “Kelly’s Heroes.”

The June 16 performance of Glee will be a tribute to Tucci’s student Susan Neyman.

For more information, call (561) 795-0053 or e-mail dtutu1@ bellsouth.net.

ter,” Damone said. “They used to do parades for the kids under 5 and community gatherings.”

Damone added that they might have enough money left over to do an amenity such as a splash park, which seemed to be referred to most often.

“If it means doing additional surveys for input, if it means doing additional charettes, whatever you want, I don’t care as long as the community is engaged,” Damone said.

Supervisor Ralph Bair said the idea of having more workshops was very altruistic but not realistic. “We have workshops and we get the same 10 people every time,” he said. “I don’t know how much more we can do.”

Bair made a motion to have board members take a trip to the Royal Palm Beach Recreation Center, and to spend money on a mailer to be sent to residents. The motion carried 5-0.

In other business, the board approved assessment rates 2.5 percent lower than 2012, which is the fifth year of overall decreased assessments.

The average assessment of $419 is about 20 percent lower than the 2007 average assessment of $526.

The overall 2013 budget would be up $302,872 from last year, coming in at $11.9 million, which was achieved by taking about $1 million from reserves.

Quickel stressed that enough money has been left in reserves to meet the 25 percent of the annual budget mandated by the board.

Former Supervisor Mike Erickson said he wished the budget document was more specific about the expenditures and more forward-thinking.

“I have said it for the past five years, if I write a budget that doesn’t list specifics, that is not a budget,” he said. “You control policy and you do a good job, but the second thing you control is the purse, and you let staff do that.”

Damone suggested that in the future, staff post expenditures on poster board during presentations so they are more visible.

Supervisor Carlos Enriquez said he agreed with Erickson that they should project the budget out five years.

“We can do that with the type of operation we have,” he said.

“Looking down the road, if we do have a process, we can come up with a policy for future budgets.”

‘If it means doing additional surveys for input, if it means doing additional charettes, whatever you want, I don’t care as long as the community is engaged,’ ITID President Michelle Damone said.

Nursing

Planned For Royal Plaza

continued from page 1 per 200 square feet. “This shopping center has abundant parking,” O’Brien said, explaining that the plaza has 120 parking spaces more than the code requires. “I don’t anticipate there being a parking problem.”

The application complies with the village parking standards and county traffic performance standards, is compatible with neighboring land uses, consistent with the village’s comprehensive plan and conforms to the village’s development standards, O’Brien said. Staff recommended approv-

al of the application, and the Royal Palm Beach Planning & Zoning Commission voted 5-0 for approval May 22.

Applicant M. Daniel Splain said he and his wife are both healthcare administrators. “Most of my adult years have been in healthcare of one kind or another,” Splain said.

He said his wife has nursing and law degrees, is dean of a nursing school in Ohio and also has an immigration law practice engaged largely in bringing healthcare professionals to the United States.

“Because of repeated nursing shortages, I recruit healthcare professionals internationally,” he said, explaining that the lack of nurse and physical therapy educators has been brought on in part by

the aging of the population and increasing life expectancy in the U.S. “Today, over 80 percent of the people who die in this country die of chronic illness rather than acute illness as they did 100 years ago,” Splain said. “There has also been the development of new venues where care is rendered. It’s not just the hospital and the doctor’s office anymore.”

Many types of care that were once reserved for the hospital are now being done in a home healthcare setting.

“There has just been a sea change in how healthcare is delivered, and the need for healthcare professionals,” Splain said, noting a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation study projecting a

Councilman John Greene asked how the fields are typically financed. Hernandez said that each location is different, but noted that Pembroke Pines took out bonds to pay for its field. “The bonds paid for the entire field,” he said. “Just one field. That’s all they need.”

He noted that the league draws support from other baseball players. “A lot of money comes forward to help these kids, whether it’s help with equipment, with wheelchairs or equipment for their parents’ cars or their homes to help them get in and out,” Hernandez

said. “There’s more to it than just baseball.”

Children get a benefit not only from the game itself but from being able to interact with other kids.

“This is something they look forward to,” he said. “They look forward to meeting each other and playing a game of baseball.”

Mayor Bob Margolis noted that Wellington is currently looking to revamp some of its fields. He suggested using the Wellington Community Foundation.

Councilman Matt Willhite agreed. “I think what we need to

do if we want to take this on is find a location,” he said. “I think this is a great project to have here. It’s a destination project also. It shows our commitment and willingness to reach out and support people of all abilities.”

Councilwoman Anne Gerwig said that it would take a community effort to help raise money for the project. “We have made a commitment to people with different abilities,” she said. “But we need to get the community behind it and get the money coming in and hopefully get this funded.”

Radio Field Days June 23-24 South Florida “hams” will join with thousands of amateur radio operators who will be showing off their emergency capabilities June 23-24.

Over the past few years, the news has been full of reports of ham radio operators providing critical communications during unexpected emergencies in towns across America, including California wildfires, winter storms, tornadoes and other events. During Hurricane Katrina in 2005, amateur radio — often called “ham radio” — was often the only way people could communicate, and hundreds of volunteer hams traveled there to save lives and property.

When trouble is brewing, amateur radio people are often the first to provide rescuers with critical information and communications.

The Palms West Amateur Radio Club will be demonstrating amateur radio Saturday and Sunday, June 23 and 24 at Okeeheelee Park’s Micanopy Pavilion. The club invites the public to visit any time between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. on

June 23, and 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on June 24.

On the weekend of June 23-24, the public will have a chance to meet and talk with Palm Beach County ham radio operators and see for themselves what the amateur radio service is about. Showing the newest digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and even historical Morse code, hams from across the United States will be holding public demonstrations of emergency communications abilities.

This annual event, called “Field Day,” is the climax of the weeklong Amateur Radio Week, sponsored by the Amateur Radio Relay League, the national association for amateur radio. Using only emergency power supplies, ham operators will construct emergency stations in parks, shopping malls, schools and back yards around the country. Their slogan, “when all else fails, ham radio works,” is more than just words to the hams as they prove they can send messages in many forms

without the use of phone systems, the Internet or any other infrastructure that can be compromised in a crisis. More than 35,000 amateur radio operators across the country participated in last year’s event.

“We hope that people will come and see for themselves this is not your grandfather’s radio anymore,” said Allen Pitts of the ARRL. “The communications that ham radio people can quickly create have saved many lives when other systems failed or were overloaded.

And besides that, it’s fun!”

There are more than 700,000 amateur radio licensees in the United States and more than 2.5 million around the world. Through the ARRL’s Amateur Radio Emergency Services program, ham volunteers provide both emergency communications for thousands of state and local emergency response agencies and non-emergency community services too, all for free. To learn more about amateur radio, visit www.emergencyradio. org. The public is invited to come, meet and talk with the hams.

county continue to look for ways to reduce the budget. She encouraged commissioners to resist requests by organizations to make or increase its contributions to them.

Scheibl added that she had limited sympathy for county employees who have not received raises.

“At least they have jobs, and more job security than anyone in the private sector can ever imagine,” he said. “While county employees may have seen a slight increase in cost of benefits, those in the private sector would jump at the chance to have those benefits, or to pay so little for them.”

Commissioner Priscilla Taylor asked about the PBSO’s wellness clinic implemented recently for employees that she said enabled him to return $10 million to the county, and whether a similar program might be implemented for general employees.

Weisman was not sure of the source of the $10 million, but that a wellness clinic for general employees might be problematic due to their locations all over the county. “We’re still looking at it, but we perhaps could have an opportunity to join with one of the other governmental entities,” he said.

He also pointed out that the county has instituted a wellness program for general employees, although it does not include a clinic they can go to.

Commissioner Paulette Burdick also encouraged more attention to wellness programs.

Commissioner Burt Aaronson was pleased with the initial budget proposal but would be looking for an unchanged tax rate at the next budget meeting. “I think the people have spoken loud and clear, and I think it’s doable,” he said.

Commissioner Jess Santamaria said he thought the county has done a relatively good job cutting the budget over the past six years but that it could do more. “Taxes have gone down by more than $100 million the past six years,” he noted.

Nevertheless, Santamaria said he and his staff intend to scrutinize the budget for more cuts. He added that a lot of people in the county are suffering, even though this is one of the richest counties in the nation.

“I represent the Glades, so I know that there are a lot of people who are having a very difficult time surviving,” Santamaria said.

continued from page 1 share dining; they share social activities. For them to be appropriate in residential areas, they need to retain their residential quality so they don’t become institutional in nature.”

Because residents generally do not own vehicles, the neighborhood is not affected by parking problems, she said. “It’s a fairly minimal impact on the neighborhood,” she said. “You don’t see a difference from the exterior.”

There are 14 properties in Wellington that could fit the requirements for a similar facility, but Glas-Castro noted that approval of senior housing facilities will be site-specific and must go before the council. “You will be able to review each case as it comes before you,” she said.

Vice Mayor Howard Coates said one of his concerns was that Well-

ington would require a 1,200-foot separation between these facilities.

He suggested that could be considered an attempt to keep similar facilities from opening.

“That is 200 feet more than the minimum state requirement,” he said. “Why do we want to be more restrictive in a way that ultimately results in there being less opportunities for these facilities?”

Planning & Zoning Manager David Flinchum said that Wellington’s code has required a 1,200foot separation between congregate living facilities for many years.

“It’s been there since I started,” he said.

But Coates remained concerned that similar properties within 1,200 feet would be denied the same opportunity. “I can’t support that,” he said. “One of the concerns I’ve had from the beginning is that this ordinance was promoted for one property owner. I feel that it’s anti-competitive to other properties in this community.”

He asked that it be changed to a 1,000-foot separation to match Flor-

ida rules. Village Attorney Jeff Kurtz said that if the council agrees on the change, it could be enacted.

But Councilman Matt Willhite said he wanted the separation to remain at 1,200 feet. “We have a great model here,” he said. “This is a great facility. But I’m worried about the other ones. I have no problems having higher standards. Having these separations are in our best interest.”

He also was unsure about raising the number of residents to 21.

“I still think 14 is a good number for the facility,” he said. “It’s a good use of the space.

Councilman John Greene said that he wanted there to be availability for a round-the-clock nurse, such as a hospice nurse, if a resident were to become very ill.

Coates agreed and made a motion to approve the amendment, changing the separation requirements to 1,000 feet and requiring a room for hospice purposes.

The measure passed 4-1, with Willhite dissenting.

dramatic nursing shortage by the year 2020 in the United States. “It’s no secret to anyone in this room that one of the most significant aging populations is right here in the State of Florida. There are about 18 million people living in this state now. Many of them will live to be 85 to 90 years of age.

They will require a great deal of care in the last six to eight months of their lives, and we don’t want to just bring healthcare professionals from around the world. There are so many people in this country who want to be educated as nurses, but there have not been slots to educate those nurses.”

Splain said he looks forward to becoming a part of the community. “There were a lot of places we thought about to put our nursing

school, and sometimes serendipity drives you where you wind up,” he said, explaining that he was watching a Palm Beach County Commission meeting a year ago and was impressed by some of the commissioners.

That led him to the office of Commissioner Jess Santamaria, for a meeting with Pinto, who works for Santamaria. “And that is how we wound up getting to know Royal Palm Beach,” Splain said, adding that he is looking to buy a house in the village. “We hope to become an integral part of this community.”

Splain explained that the school will start with a licensed practical nursing program. “There is still a great need for them in home health and in skilled nursing facilities,”

he said. “We are then moving to an associate’s degree in nursing program.”

Eventually, their goal is to also offer a bachelor’s degree program for registered nurses (BSN), he said, explaining that most of the hospitals in the country have adopted nursing magnet programs where they must be at 80 percent BSN by 2014.

“There is room in nursing today for all of those levels because there are different levels of complexity in nursing and different levels that require different degrees of critical thinking, and ability to assess and implement in certain practice areas,” Splain said.

Pinto made a motion to approve the application, which carried unanimously.

County

Speakers Want Lower Tax Rate

continued from page 1 values come in July 1. Budget hearings will continue until September.

“There are really no decisions you need to make today,” he said.

“I would encourage you to defer those decisions until after we get the property values in July.”

On July 10, the commissioners will set the maximum tax rate, and additional public commentary will be accepted until September.

“I’m very pleased with this budget,” Weisman said. “I think it accomplishes a lot for the board. I think this budget is invisible to the public in terms of changes to service delivery.”

Jack Borland, representing the Palm Beach Civic Association, encouraged the commissioners to cut costs further and achieve a flat millage rate while maintaining services. “This is the kind of work every business and every family is doing in the current environment,” Borland said.

Iris Scheibl also asked that the

Elder Care

Increased To 21 Beds

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Melissa Hornung Enjoys Her Time On The Polo Field

Melissa Hornung loves to play polo, and she plays well. After getting her start in Skaneateles, N.Y., Hornung moved to Wellington in 2008.

Since then, she has sharpened her skills to the point where she and her team won the World Cup of Polo competition in April 2011.

Ellen Rosenberg’s Column, Page 23

June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 21

Florida United Lacrosse Tourney In Wellington

The Florida United Lacrosse Club hosted its annual Palm Beach Blast Cup on Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10 at Wellington Village Park. The tournament is part of an annual series the elite club hosts each year. Sixty-eight teams compe ted over the weekend in age groups from U-11 through U-19 boys. Page 35

Shopping Spree A TOWN-CRIER PUBLICATION

INSIDE

Business Palms West Veterinary Hospital Now Offering Services Around The Clock

Due to the increasing demand for a 24-hour veterinary hospital in the western communities, Palms West Veterinary Hospital has stepped up to answer that call, now offering around-the-clock veterinary care.

The facility has hired two experienced emergency physicians and will become the area’s only 24-hour emergency veterinary hospital on Friday, June 15. The hospital will treat all animal emergencies, with a critical-care staff on hand. Page 25

HAVE AN IDEA?

Convert your sentimental old jewelry into sentimental new jewelry.

Bring in all your pieces and parts (or use ours) and we’ll do everything else.

Sports Royal Palm Beach Offers Co-Ed Volleyball Camp For Youths

The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted the first week of its co-ed volleyball camp Monda y, June 1 1 through Thur sday, June 14 at Royal Palm Beach High School.

Campers learned tips for passing, setting, blocking and hitting, as well as strategies for playing the game. Page 35

THIS WEEK’S INDEX COLUMNS & FEATURES ........................ 23-24 BUSINESS NEWS.................................. 25-27 DINING & ENTERTAINMENT ...................... 29 SPORTS & RECREATION........................ 35-37 COMMUNITY CALENDAR ......................38-39 CLASSIFIEDS ........................................ 41-45

Our creative designers will come up with ideas you will love.

Not only are we very good, we’re also very quick.

ALL work done on premises!

Your Complete Custom Jeweler Wellington Publix Courtyard 753-7937

Royal Palm Beach Costco Shopping Center 784-5220

www.vandell.com

“Always buying gold and silver for the highest prices”

Page 22 June 15 - June 21, 2012

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Palm Beach Riding Academy Come join us and discover the world of equestrian sports this summer!

We are very fortunate to be located at one of the world's best horse show facilities and have our own covered arena (a bonus during the hot summer months).

Our programs are tailored to meet ALL LEVELS of riding experience; whether you are an avid rider, or have no prior experience, we can guarantee that you will learn new things!

SUMMER CAMPS AND LESSONS AVAILABLE Our summer camps run Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 2 PM (with extended hours available), from June 11 through August 17, 2012.

Our lesson program can be tailored to fit your schedule.

We look forward to meeting you!

For more information, please contact Anne-Caroline at 561-784-1133 or annecaroline@equestriansport.com

WWW.PBRIDINGACADEMY.COM

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FEATURES

Player Melissa Hornung Enjoys Her Time On The Polo Field Melissa Hornung loves to play polo, and she plays well.

Originally from New Jersey, her family moved to upstate New York when she was 10, a year after she started riding. Her mother used to bring her out to watch the polo matches.

Hornung became very interested, and she noticed one thing: There weren’t enough women playing on the teams.

Living in Skaneateles, N.Y., up in the Finger Lakes region, Hornung decided to take the bull by the horns — or the polo pony by the tail. She was in her early 20s, enjoyed fox hunting, but wanted to learn how to play polo. She marched into the local polo barn.

“Where do I sign up?” she asked.

“What are you doing tomorrow?” responded barn owner Marty Cregg.

The next day, Hornung took her first lesson, and she came back every day, riding all of the horses, playing stick and ball with the pro, Caesar Jimmez, learning the game.

“Marty was very generous,” Hornung said.

“He let me ride and exercise his finest polo ponies. I did that for six months, then started competing in tournaments.”

Hornung moved to Wellington in 2008 to pursue her passion.

“I wanted to throw myself into polo,” she said. “And Wellington is the best place in the Get updates all week long... follow Ellen Rosenberg on Twitter at twitter.com/ HorseTalkFL or stop by the Tales from the Trails page on Facebook and click “like.”

Tales From The Trails

By Ellen Rosenberg world to learn and play the sport. Ricky Bostwick invited me to scrimmage or practice with his team, which was wonderful, as I don’t have any horses and playing would have been unaffordable otherwise.”

That is how she met Mauricio Devrient, who helped her refine her skills. “After 10 years of playing, I took my first formal lesson with him.

He’s an excellent teacher, very articulate and knowledgeable,” Hornung said. “Step by step, he helped me improve, starting with something as basic as how to grip the mallet.

These last four years, I’ve finally become a competitive player.”

Indeed, Hornung’s so successful that she and her team won the World Cup of Polo competition in April 2011.

“It was a pretty amazing experience,” she said. “It’s a tough competition, with top international players from all over the world. We’re hoping to win again this year.”

Alas, her team, although heavily favored, came in second.

“It was a great match, very exciting, and even though we did not conquer all, I feel OK

Melissa Hornung practices on the polo field. losing to a team as good as that,” she said.

“We lost on a penalty shot. And we get to try them again, in a rematch in Chicago this September.”

Although her team, which changes according to the sponsor, has no formal captain, she likes to pick her members based on the two See ROSENBERG, page 24

Page 24 June 15 - June 21, 2012

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FEATURES

Get Florida Summer Travel Ideas From The Sonic Boomer Just in time for your summer vacation, I am going to share my Top 5 Florida Travel Tips.

1. If traveling the length of the state, your choice of roadway could be important. The interstate is free, but Florida’s Turnpike has better concrete barriers. This isn’t important until someone in the oncoming lane falls asleep at the wheel. On the other hand, the turnpike has occasional plazas where you can buy food and gas, but you have nearly unlimited options if you take the interstate. Your decision is actually one of safety vs. convenience.

2. There are many natural points of interest throughout the state — the Keys are famous Get your Sonic Boomer humor every day!

Follow Deborah Welky on Twitter at twitter.com/TheSonicBoomer. On Facebook, stop by “The Sonic Boomer” page and click the “Like” button.

Deborah Welky is

The Sonic BOOMER for deepwater fishing; the west coast has an abundance of shells, and the east coast is perfect for swimming. But it doesn’t really matter which you choose because you will still be able to enjoy the other two as well — plus surfing, plus sailing, plus boating. Plus, plus, plus. The choice here is “Where to begin?”

3. Orlando. Orlando is where to begin if “controlled nature” is more your bag. If you prefer your fish hookless, Sea World is a good destination. If you want your shells pre-cleaned,

Sea Shell City is a good choice. If you want to swim without battling the waves, any hotel pool will do. In Orlando, even surfing, sailing and boating are available — in a fantasy sort of way. The big factor to consider if choosing Orlando rests with your bank account. How much of a balance do you want left after your vacation is over?

4. Do you have little kids? If so, you may want to veer away from Orlando and more toward Winter Haven because Legoland opened there last October, too late for summer vacation 2011 but perfect for this year.

The theme park has more than 60 rides and shows, including a double-decker carousel, an indoor/outdoor roller coaster, Miniland USA (home of Lego versions of the Kennedy Space Center, the Daytona Speedway, the White House and Las Vegas) and an accompanying water theme park (for a separate admission price). Choose this option to discover “It’s a Small (Brick) World After All.”

5. Food. Theme parks and beachside food huts offer a tempting array of greasy fried food, the scents of which tend to waft temptingly over the sand (or over the whirling teacups) just as everyone realizes they’re hungry. There is something to be said for prepping healthful meals in advance, but this hardly sounds like a vacation for the one doing the prepping.

Either buy prepackaged healthful snacks that won’t wilt in the sun or do what I do — let the whole family eat random junk food until someone throws up. The hosing out of a teacup is my cue that it’s time to seek out organic alternatives or at least some kind of vegetable.

The latter choice offers an added bonus — by the time they’ve exited the teacups, the family is usually too weak to argue.

So there you have it — five important vacation decisions that can be made early on, before the nagging, whining, pleading, begging and puking begin. Have a wonderful time!

New Film ‘Prometheus’ Is Fascinating, But Lacks Answers My expectations for Prometheus were very high. After all, it is the brainchild of filmmaker Ridley Scott, who has made several of the best science fiction movies ever, particularly Blade Runner (one of the truly brilliant films of our time) and Alien. The new movie is a form of prequel to the latter film. Were expectations met? Is this a great film? A really good one? A bomb?

Well, it fits into the really good category.

Scott has said the film takes places in the Alien universe; that it has its DNA strands in it. But it, unfortunately, is not nearly as good. Very ambitious, it raises questions about the origins of man and the basis of religious beliefs.

In the end, the questions go unanswered — a major weakness. Great science fiction proposes questions and sometimes even answers them.

Anthropologists Elizabeth Shaw (Noomi

Rosenberg

Melissa Hornung

continued from page 23 most important skills: scoring and defending the goal. She chooses people who are good team players and don’t yell and scream a lot.

Hornung said that women make very good polo players and are just as competitive as men.

“One of the things I love most about playing polo is growing personally and as a teammate. When you play on a polo team, you’re like separate fingers of the same hand, all working together and coordinating for a common

‘I’ On CULTURE

By Leonard Wechsler Rapace) and Charlie Holloway (Logan Marshall-Green) discover cave drawings that match others in different primitive societies, all of which show people worshiping giants pointing to the same star system. Shaw is convinced that the Engineers, the name she gives those giants, are the race that created mankind, and she wants to visit them, wants to know why we were created and seeks answers to other vital questions. Trillionaire Peter

Weyland (Guy Pearce) provides the money for a voyage to the world for his own purposes. And, as expected, the explorers discover a real lot more than they bargained for.

The crew itself is as varied as any good casting office could create. They are all under the control of Meredith Vickers (Charlize Theron), an icy corporate type who lives in a comfortable, modernistic pod attached to the ship as a way of avoiding risk. She seems so unemotional that the captain asks her if she is a robot. Captain Janek (Idris Elba) is a rough, tough sea captain type, ready to protect his people at all costs. His character is the easiest to relate to. Shaw, of course, is a bit of a religious fanatic, constantly searching for answers even though she is completely wrong and endangering everyone. Her partner and lover Holloway is a skeptic. Watching over them while they are in hibernation for the

goal. I feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment, making a personal contribution to the team effort. It’s very rewarding. It really feels amazing, hitting the ball just right, having it all come together.”

Hornung also believes in giving back. She has become involved with the Big Dog Ranch Rescue in Wellington and donates financially as well as volunteering her time a couple of days a week. She supports their mission to find homes for dogs.

“Polo is a sport anyone can try playing,” Hornung said. “I know people tend to be intimidated by galloping around on horses, but they should consider giving it a try. It’s a very social sport in which you can enjoy a lot of personal achievement.”

‘One of the things I love most about playing polo is growing personally and as a teammate,’ Melissa Hornung said. ‘When you play on a polo team, you’re like separate fingers of the same hand, all working together and coordinating for a common goal. I feel an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.’

Melissa Hornung

course of the trip is the robot David (Michael Fassbender). Of course, several characters note that while they are looking for their creators, David knows that humans created him.

He is far abler in most ways than any of them but has his own issues.

As expected in a movie like this one, there are all sorts of portentous discoveries, and a couple of seemingly minor errors (mostly done, interestingly, by David) lead to many problems. Whether they are done on purpose is never answered.

Alien was the high-water mark of space horror films with Ellen Ripley (Sigourney Weaver) representing humans, while becoming the archetype of the strong female hero.

Shaw is a very different type. Although Scott puts her through a couple of scenes that are, to put it mildly, very tough, she is more a survivor than a fighter. But, eventually, things go pretty much as badly for her and the crew as happened in the earlier film.

This film is very gritty. The space ship, with the exception of Vickers’ pod, is dirty, although it does have a full set of science and other graphic toys to keep us fascinated. The acting is all very good. Theron is icy, Rapace is tough even while semi-hysterical (with good reason), and Fassbender manages to make David interesting despite the handicap of playing him as a robot.

The real problem of the film is that most of what we see is pretty much what we expected to see. The scientists are searching for major answers, and, of course, everything goes wrong. Portentous questions are raised with no conclusions. The very human-like Engineer communicates very little, and, of course, we know that there will be other explorers coming. We’ve already seen that movie.

But, for all of its weaknesses, it is a good movie. It uses fewer computer effects than most similar films, but when it uses them, they are excellent. And it will keep you on the edge of your seat. There are a couple of scenes that are definitely not for the squeamish, but if you like good space horror, you will like this film — but you won’t fall in love like many of us did for Alien.

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BUSINESS NEWS

Palms West Veterinary Hospital owner Dr. Ira Grossman reviews a patient’s X-ray.

PHOTO BY JESSICA GREGOIRE/TOWN-CRIER

Palms West Veterinary Hospital Is Now Offering Around-The-Clock Service

By Jessica Gregoire The veterinary hospital will offer all comTown-Crier Staff Report prehensive emergency care from X-rays to Due to the increasing demand for a 24-hour surgical procedures. “We are going to be able veterinary hospital in the western communi- to stabilize and take care of critical-care paties, Palms West Veterinary Hospital has tients overnight, then refer them back to their stepped up to answer that call, now offering primary veterinarians,” Grossman said. around-the-clock veterinary care.

Grossman wants to gain a working relation“Our clients have been asking for years,” ship with local veterinarians. “We want them owner Dr. Ira Grossman said. “Now we have to refer patients to us and be confident sendanswered their needs.” ing patients here, knowing that we are not The veterinary hospital is the first in the going to be stealing their patients, and that western communities to be offering emergen- we are just going to be doing what we have to cy veterinary care seven days a week, 24 hours do in an emergency, then refer them back to a day. The facility has been offering on-call, their original doctors when they are open,” he 24-hour care for more than a year. Because said. this has been a great success, Palms West Grossman and his staff are hoping to save Veterinary Hospital had been working to offer the lives of many animals in the community. the same service at the facility. “We have been “Many patients die on the way to the vet bethinking about it for a year already,” Business cause it’s too far,” he said. “Now that we are Manager Steven Good said. “There has been 24 hours, we can stabilize then and get everya tremendous call for it in the community and body taken care of.” among our 3,000 steady clients.”

During its regular hours, Palms West VeterThe facility has hired two experienced emer- inary Hospital will be open to its regularly gency physicians and will begin serving the scheduled patients, offering the same servicwestern communities as the only 24-hour emer- es, procedures and medicine for small animals. gency veterinary hospital on Friday, June 15. The hospital will also continue offering low“The closest emergency room is 25 min- cost physical exams and keep bills low by utes away right now,” Good said. “So we are avoiding unnecessary treatments. looking to bring a hospital to the western comSome of its services include tumor removmunities where they are only five to 10 min- als, spays, neuters, dental care, flea and tick utes away.” treatments, vaccinations, X-rays, blood tests, The hospital will treat all animal emergen- physical exams, heartworm treatment and precies, with a critical-care staff on hand. “Once vention, declawing and nail trimming. Grosspeople come in, they will have a critical-care man has been a veterinarian for more than 31 staff right here for them instantly, ready to years, having received a degree in veterinary save lives,” Good said. medicine from the Tuskegee Institute in AlaPalms West Veterinary Hospital is hoping bama, followed by an internship at the Animal to work with other veterinarians and clinics in Medical Center of New York in Manhattan. the area that are not open 24-hours, to send Palms West Veterinary Hospital is located their emergencies to them. “This will be bene- at 556 Folsom Road, near the intersection with ficial to their clients who have to drive 25 to 30 Crestwood Blvd., in Loxahatchee Groves. For minutes out on Northlake or east on Forest more information, call (561) 798-2780 or visit Hill Blvd. to the nearest hospital,” Good said. www.palmswestveterinary.com.

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 25

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BUSINESS NEWS

Donald Dufresne Joins PBC Tourist Development Council Recognized business and community leader Donald Dufresne, a shareholder in Greenspoon Marder’s West Palm Beach office, has been appointed by County Commissioner Jess Santamaria to the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council. Dufresne’s term will run through 2016.

Serving as an advisory body to the Palm Beach County Commission, the Palm Beach County Tourist Development Council’s purpose is to provide leadership in the marketing and development of the county’s tourism industry. The council provides oversight involving the expenditure of bed tax dollars, the

Clerk’s Office To Close RPB Branch Because of a $2.5 million budget cut handed down by the Florida Legislature during the 2012 session, the Palm Beach County Clerk & Comptroller’s office will be open to the public from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, instead of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and will close its mid-county branch in Royal Palm Beach.

Changes go into effect Monday, July 2.

When the 2013 fiscal year starts July 1, the office will be operating on a budget that is 25 percent less than it was three years ago.

Also starting July 1, the office will restrict overtime to only those situations where the judiciary has a critical service need. In addition, some

technology projects designed to improve efficiency at the courthouse may be delayed.

The mid-county branch in Royal Palm Beach, which was open twice a week to accept traffic ticket payments, will close at 5 p.m. on Friday, June 29. Those tickets can still be paid online at www.mypalmbeach clerk.com or at any other courthouse in Palm Beach County.

Clerk Sharon Bock is encouraging Palm Beach County residents to use the office’s online services, including online payment of traffic tickets, if they cannot visit the courthouses between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m.

For more information, call (561) 355-2996.

planning and development of amenities and recreational activities, and the success of each tourism program.

As a Palm Beach County resident for 33 years, Dufresne will bring to this position his extensive experience and knowledge of the county and the tourism industry, especially that of the equestrian industry. Dufresne is active in many civic, charitable and political organizations. He previously served on the board of directors and as president of the Palm Beach County Sports Commission, for which he initiated a re-branding and marketing program. He is also a former member of the Palm Beach County Planning & Zoning Commission and is the former chairman of the Wellington Equestrian Preserve Committee. Currently, he serves on the South Florida Fair Board of Directors, is a member of the Forum Club, and is a graduate of Leadership Palm Beach County. “It’s an honor to be asked to serve on the Tourist Development Council,� Dufresne said. “I look forward to working with the other members of the board to continue to promote and position Palm Beach County as the premier tourism destination it is.�

An AV-preeminent rated attorney

by Martindale-Hubbell, Dufresne

currently heads up the real estate, commercial lending and equine law practices in Greenspoon Marder’s West Palm Beach office. His primary areas of practice include: real property; lending and business transactions, including asset and equities transfers; condominium law; title insurance; financing; acquisition; development; leasing; and 1031 exchanges. Additionally, he has a particular knowledge in equine law and matters involving the equestrian industry. He also assists clients in general corporate and partnership matters including domestic and international transactions. Furthermore, Dufresne has experience in the drafting and negotiation of agreements involving asset purchases, employment, shareholders, software development, licensing and internet hosting. He is also a certified circuit court mediator.

Established in 1981, Greenspoon Marder is a full-service law firm with offices in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Tallahassee, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Naples and Aventura. The firm’s practice is concentrated in the areas of commercial and residential real estate acquisitions and development; timeshare and fractional ownership development; resorts;

Donald Dufresne community association law; zoning and land use; banking and real estate finance; public finance; commercial litigation; corporate securities; corporate tax and transactions; healthcare law; foreclosure and bankruptcy; labor and employment; immigration; international law; tax, estate, probate and elder law; international tax; life settlement; disability insurance and insurance policy issues; family law; sports and entertainment; personal injury; equine law; regulatory compliance and defense. For more information, visit www.gmlaw.com.

Wellington High School Project Graduation 2012 would like to thank our sponsors for their continued support!

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BUSINESS NEWS

Wellington Business Owners Competing For National Grant Wellington residents Stacey and Bruce Ollis of Brucesghostpepperz. com are being considered along with thousands of applicants nationwide for the opportunity to be awarded a small business grant offered by Chase and Living Social to help local, small businesses like theirs get off the ground.

Brucesghostpepperz.com is a unique family business that sells homegrown ghost pepper plants and seeds as well as other hot chili pepper cottage foods (including Bruce’s Make-it-Yourself Hot Sauce, Bloody Mary mix, spicy salad dressing and bread dip mixes, southern rub, pepper curry powder, guacamole and dip mixes, and freshly ground hot pepper spices) at the Wellington Green Market and other local venues. It also offers custom gift packages and baskets for holidays and other special events.

Bhut jolokia (a.k.a. the ghost pepper) has been around for many centuries and is believed to have originated in India. The word bhut means “ghost” and was likely given the name because of how the heat sneaks up on you. In 2007, the ghost pepper was certified as the World’s

June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 27

CENTRAL CHAMBER HOSTS RIBBON CUTTING FOR BLUE MARTINI

Bruce Ollis at the Wellington Green Market.

Hottest Chili Pepper in the Guinness Book of World Records. Hot peppers belong to the genus capsicum and are native to the tropical Americas.

While people often shy away from these brightly colored, pungent fruits, eating hot peppers is actually quite beneficial and offers a long list of natural health benefits such as pain relief, anti-inflammatory, migraine prevention and heart-health properties.

Voting for the competition is underway throughout June, with each applicant needing at least 250 votes to qualify for the next round of review by an expert business panel.

To vote, visit www.missionsmall business.com, select the Facebook log-in and then enter “brucesghost pepperz.com” (Wellington) to cast your vote in support of this local small business. More information is also available at www.brucesghost pepperz.com.

The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce recently held a ribbon cutting for Blue Martini in CityPlace. Located at 550 S. Rosemary Ave., in downtown West Palm Beach, Blue Martini invites you to try one of its 42 martinis. Listen or dance to the best in live entertainment while enjoying the tapas food menu. Blue Martini is open seven days a week and is always ready to tailor a special event to fulfill corporate or individual requirements. Go casual on the outdoor patio bar, be at the heart of the party in the stage room, or keep an eye on everything while maintaining an aura of seclusion in the VIP area. For more info., call (561) 835-8601 or visit www.bluemartinilounge.com.

Shown here are Blue Martini staff with chamber ambassadors.

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HEALTH & FITNESS SPOTLIGHT

Follow These Tips And You Can Stay Fit While On Vacation

By Sarah Cole Special to the Town-Crier Vacations are a time to relax, have fun with your family, and take a break from the real world, but we all know it can wreak havoc on our fitness goals.

You would think that a week or two off from the gym wouldn’t hurt you, but within a few weeks, cardiovascular and aerobic power can decline 5 to 10 percent. Don’t let that hard work you spent in the gym go to waste. There are ways you can stay fit, even on vacation!

What are you going to do without a gym around? The key to exercise is to keep moving. Essentially, any area can be turned into a workout space. Bodyweight exercises

such as squats, lunges, wall sits, push-ups and burpees are a great way to maintain aerobic strength.

Use household items such as a chair or bench to do triceps dips and stepups to complete your workout. You can also bring equipment from home such as a jump rope and resistance band. These items won’t take up a lot of room in your suitcase and are great to take along to get a full body workout. Finally, get the family involved in activities such as bike riding, hiking, walking and sightseeing to have fun while burning off calories.

Another factor in staying fit during vacation is nutrition. Over-indulging in food during vacation is a huge struggle for many of us. We

tend to let loose a little too much and forget about weight gain. There is no reason to pack on pounds during vacation. Try to bring along healthful snacks when the family is in the car or out and about so you don’t have to rely on greasy fast food.

When you are out at a restaurant, choose meals that are protein packed so you stay feeling full for longer. Last but not least, it’s OK to treat yourself as long as you remember to keep it in portion size.

Keep in mind that staying fit on vacation is not impossible. If you follow these steps, you will stay looking good and feeling great during and after your break, allowing you to continue to pursue your fit-

ness goals without costly and frustrating setbacks.

Need some motivation to jumpstart your summer goals? Let Ultima Fitness get your body vacationready in no time with help from our specialized team of trainers. Come into Ultima Fitness and get a free training session with one of our trainers. Our staff is highly educated and will know exactly what you need to get the results you want.

Contact us to schedule your free session today.

Sarah Cole is a personal trainer at Ultima Fitness/Xtreme Tae Kwon Do. Ultima is located at 12799 W. Forest Hill Blvd. in Wellington. For more info., call (561) 795-2823 or visit www.ultimafitness.com.

Sarah Cole

Health & Fitness Spotlight Sponsored By Ultima Fitness Of Wellington

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 29

DINING & ENTERTAINMENT

‘Oddity Of The Artist’ Exhibit June 15-30 At CGMS Gallery The Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery in downtown Lake Worth is hosting an invitational art exhibit organized by the Dixie Art Loft. Titled “Oddity of the Artist,” the show opens Friday, June 15 at 6 p.m. and will continue through Saturday, June 30.

Longtime art exhibition partners Betty Wilson and Linda Manganaro have accepted the works of more than 35 local artists for this show.

All works reflect the theme of “Oddity of the Artist.” All works are for sale.

Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooper-

A painting by Terry V. Molina (a.k.a. Vandy).

ative Gallery has been inundated for a long time with requests from local artists to exhibit their works. Because it is a 3-D gallery, many visual artists have been turned away for not fitting the criteria. It became apparent that more venues were needed for artists to show their works. The gallery will open its doors once each month to provide that opportunity.

Each exhibition will last 10 days and feature the wide wealth of talent Palm Beach County has to offer.

“Oddity of the Artist” is left to the interpretation of the artist. Although some consider all artists a bit odd, artists themselves are often taken with the complexities of life and their surroundings, giving nuanced interpretations to all they create.

What is one artist’s oddity is another’s reason for being. Expect outrageous interpretations of the theme.

July’s call to artists will be titled “The Naked Truth.” To apply for this show, contact Betty Wilson at the Dixie Art Loft at potteryme@aol. com.

Clay-Glass-Metal-Stone Cooperative Gallery is sponsored by the Flamingo Clay Studio, a nonprofit arts organization whose mission is to provide affordable studio and gallery space for three-dimensional artists. The gallery is located at 605 Lake Avenue in downtown Lake Worth. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Sunday through Tuesday and 9 a.m.

A photograph by Durga Garcia. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday. Gallery openings are held the first and third Friday of each month from 6 to 9 p.m. with many special

events in-between. For more information, call Joyce Brown at (215) 2059441 or jclay6@aol.com. The gallery phone number is (561) 588-8344.

Two Solo Exhibitions On Display At PBC Cultural Council The Palm Beach County Cultural Council, the official arts agency that serves nonprofit cultural organizations and professional artists throughout the county, is presenting two solo exhibitions, a collection of original works

by Palm Beach County artists Nathan W. Dean and Alyssa di Edwardo. The exhibits run now through July 7 and are on display in the cultural council’s exhibition space at its new headquarters, 601 Lake Ave. in Lake Worth.

A mixed-media piece

by Alyssa di Edwardo.

Dean’s series “The Art of the Image” is a sample of the artist’s original photographic works. “My images aim to show the essence of what I see, reduced to its simplest elements, uncluttered by distraction,” said Dean, a resident of Delray Beach.

His photographic works have been featured in several exhibitions throughout Palm Beach County. “They reveal my passion to capture the magic of light and the mystery of shadow, and to use them to arrest the eye and intrigue the mind,” he said.

Dean started his career in science as a professor of physics at Iowa State University and went on to hold posts as vice president for research at the University of Georgia and vice president for graduate studies and research at the State University of New York. From 1993 to 2006, he served in various executive posts at Florida Atlantic University including dean of science, vice provost and vice president.

Di Edwardo, a resident of West Palm Beach, has exhibited her work in various spaces, and her paintings are in some prestigious collections. Her collection of paintings of gestural brush strokes and highly textural palette give the viewer a feeling of intense movement.

Most recently, di Edwardo was selected by juror Valerie Leeds, adjunct curator of arts at the Flint Institute of Arts in Michigan and former curator at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, for the 60th annual All Florida Juried Competition Exhibition at the Boca Raton Museum of Art. Among her

accolades, di Edwardo was recognized by her election into the registry of the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington, D.C. Rena Blades, the cultural council’s president and CEO, said solo exhibitions are one of the ways the council focuses on its mission to help promote the careers of local artists.

“Solo exhibitions, offered to members of the council, offer unique opportunities for professional artists in Palm Beach County giving them the chance to exhibit their work and build their resumes,” Blades said.

Artists interested in learning more about the Palm Beach County Cultural Council’s solo exhibitions are asked to contact Nichole M. Hickey, the cultural council’s artists’ services coordinator, at (561) 472-3336 or nhickey@ palmbeachculture.com.

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council is now located in the historic Robert M. Montgomery Jr. building at 601 Lake Ave. in downtown Lake Worth). The 12,500-square-foot building contains galleries for exhibitions, the Uniquely Palm Beach Store, tourism services, and education and training facilities. It is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The Palm Beach County Cultural Council’s responsibilities include marketing the county’s cultural experiences to visitors and residents, administering grants to organizations and artists, expanding arts and cultural education opportunities, advocating for funding

A digital photograph by Nathan Dean. and arts-friendly policies, and serving cultural organizations and artists through capacity building training and exposure to funders and audiences. For more information, visit www. palmbeachculture.com.

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Academy for Child Enrichment — Summer Camp Children will enjoy field trips and activities such as swimming, bowling, skating, science museum, movies and picnics.

Tuition includes camera surveillance, creative curriculum, computers and all meals.

Registration is now being accepted for Summer Camp. Registration is free for new customers only. Se habla Español. Visit the Academy for Child Enrichment at 700 Camellia Dr., Royal Palm Beach. For more info., call (561) 798-3458 or visit www.small worldpbc.com.

Camp Gan Israel Day Camp — Camp Gan Israel has a program geared for your child!

Understanding that all kids are unique and are drawn toward different activities, Camp Gan Israel offers something for everyone. There are professional sports instructors, baking experts, dance instruction, jewelry making, karate instruction, trips to exciting local venues, swimming, boating, scrapbooking, edible art and so much more. Camp Gan Israel runs from June 18 through July 20, Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The camp will take place at Palm Beach Central High School and accepts children from 3 to 13 years. To register, visit www.wellingt onjewishcenter.org or call (561) 333-4663.

High Touch High Tech/The Lab — The Lab is happ y to announce that it is expanding into a larger facility located near State Road 7 and Lantana Road. Science is presented by High Touch High Tech, the leader in hands-on science education for the last 17 years.

Each day will be a new adventure from interacting with “lab critters” to launching rockets and panning for gems. The program offers affordable pricing, experiments with lots of cool science take-homes, art, physical activities and more. The Lab taps into children’s natural curiosity and provides them with safe and fun activities that help them learn about the world around them. Expect awesome fun as kids make slime, erupt volcanoes, make ice cream, tie dye t-shirts and more! Call (561) 444-3978 for info.

The Learning Foundation of Florida’s Academic Summer Camp — TLFF’s elementary, middle and high school summer academic school/camp program has several different service options available to assist the diverse needs of students. TLFF’s K-8th grade summer program focuses on individualized academic remediation. TLFF uses weekly

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themes, a variety of teaching strategies, including a multi-sensory/hands-on approach and creative lessons. TLFF’s high school summer program focuses on grade forgiveness and/or acceleration. Students who have received D or F grades in classes may redo them for a higher grade. Students can also accelerate and take classes to get ahead. Both programs are open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. beginning June 18 and running through Aug. 3. For more info., call TLFF at (561) 795-6886.

Noah’s Ark Summer Camp — Children will enjoy field trips and activities such as swimming, bowling, skating, science museum, movies and picnics. Tuition includes camera surveillance, creative curriculum, computers and all meals. Registration is now being accepted for both Summer Camp. Registration is free for new customers only. Se habla Español. Noah’s Ark is located at 14563 Okeechobee Blvd., Loxahatchee Groves. For more information, call (561) 753-6624 or visit www.smallworldpbc.com.

Pierce Hammock Elementary Summer Camp Program — Summer is just around the corner, so make plans now to sign up with Pierce Hammock Elementary School. Pierce Hammock has been serving the west area since 2004 and would love for you to join in the summer fun. Monday is on-campus activity day: participate in arts & crafts, sports, cooking, computers and more. Tuesday through Frida y will be off-campus days. Field trips include museums, wildlife excursions, water parks, arcades and other exciting places. Hurry, sessions fill quickly. For more information, or to register, call (561) 6334530 or visit www.edline.net/pages/Pierce_Hammock_Elementary/Afterschool and click on “2012 Summer Camp Info.”

Tiny Tikes — Tiny Tikes camp is geared toward the elementary-age camper. Daily activities are sure to keep the campers happy, busy and engaged. Trips include bowling, skating and movies weekly, as well as special trips including the zoo, science museum and much more! They have three conveniently located centers which open at 6:30 a.m. and close at 6 p.m. Activities occur throughout the day, both at the center and out on the bus. Meals are included. Call (561) 790-1780 now to reserve your space or visit Tiny Tikes at 16245 Okeechobee Blvd. in Loxahatchee.

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Florida United Lacrosse Hosts Tournament In Wellington

By Gene Nardi Town-Crier Staff Report The Florida United Lacrosse Club hosted its annual Palm Beach Blast Cup on Saturday and Sunday, June 9 and 10 at Wellington Village Park. The tournament is part of an annual series the elite club hosts each year.

In the past, the Blast tournament was held in Boca Raton, but the venue changed this year, and was hosted in Wellington for the first time at Village Park. Sixty-eight teams competed over the weekend in age groups from U-11 through

U-19 boys. Club teams from Fort Lauderdale to Jacksonville attended the two-day event.

Local lacrosse clubs Wellington Wolfpack U-11 and the U-13 Palm Beach Loggerheads also competed. The event drew thousands of people to Wellington over the weekend.

Each team competed in a total of a five-game series, round-robin. Lacrosse is one of the fastestgrowing sports in South Florida, and many local teams will be competing in several tournaments throughout the summer.

Wolfpack attacker Teddy Miloch passes the ball against the Storm from Palm Beach Gardens.

PHOTOS BY GENE NARDI/TOWN-CRIER

Wolfpack U-11 midfielder Geo Morris battles for possession against the Monsters.

Wellington Wolfpack U-11 midfielder Josh Miloch faces off against a player from the Monsters from Sarasota.

Wolfpack attacker Garrett Woolwine passes as he sprints up field against the Storm.

Wellington Wolfpack U-11 attacker Garrett Woolwine moves the ball up field against the Monsters.

ROYAL PALM BEACH OFFERING CO-ED VOLLEYBALL CAMP FOR YOUTHS The Village of Royal Palm Beach hosted the first week of its co-ed volleyball camp Monday, June 11 through Thursday, June 14 at Royal Palm Beach High School. Campers learned tips for passing, setting, blocking and hitting, as well as strategies for playing the game. The camp will be held again Monday, June 18 through Thursday, June 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Those interested can sign up online at www.royalpalmbeach.com or on the first day of camp at RPBHS. PHOTOS BY LAUREN MIRĂ“/TOWN-CRIER

Ryan McGlynn returns the ball while Gabrielle McGlynn looks on.

Coach Maureen Witkowski (right) helps Summer Ryder work on her serve.

Students from local high school volleyball programs volunteer their time to help campers.

Page 36 June 15 - June 21, 2012

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SPORTS & RECREATION

Herman Castro Earns Student-Athlete Of The Year Scholarship The Sam Budnyk Scholarship Committee and the Orange Bowl Committee recently announced that Herman Castro of Seminole Ridge High School is the 2012 winner of the Sam Budnyk Scholar-Athlete of the Year scholarship. He will be honored at a recognition dinner later this month.

Castro competed against 37 other nominees solicited from every public and private high school in Palm Beach County.

“Herman represents a highly qualified and very competitive group of nominees and finalists that excel in the combination of classroom excellence, in untiring and meaningful community service and in high-level athletic achievement,” said Dave McIntosh, who chaired the panel of judges. “Palm Beach County takes great pride in our public and private schools, in their faculties and administrative leaders and, especially, in students like Herman Castro.”

In the academic realm, Castro ranks among the top of his peers. He received his high academic marks while undertaking a series of AP and honors courses. His 3.56 GPA and 4.30 HPA place him in the top 5 percent of his class of more than 600 students.

While most students find it time consuming to be involved in one National Honor Society, Castro has been active in five, serving as president in two of them vice president in another. Appropriately, he earned the title of National Honor Society Member of the Year (2011-12).

Castro’s resume is replete with accomplish-

ments and involvement. He has been pivotal in his school’s Future Business Leaders of America chapter, serving as president and as treasurer. In addition, Castro was elected as treasurer of the Psychology Club for four years, class representative in student government (2010-11) and executive board parliamentarian (2011-12) and more. He also served on the varsity debate team.

Due to this extensive list of undertakings, Castro has been the recipient of several honors and awards. Some of these include receiving the Yale Book Award and being a nominee for one of the county’s Pathfinder Scholarships.

Castro has established himself as a major contributor in the community. He has worked closely with Epona’s Path, a nonprofit association dedicated to the prevention of inhumane treatment of horses. Castro has also coordinated several events, which include the following: the Holiday Toy Drive, the Acreage Fall Festival, the Acreage Music & Chili Festival, Food for Mustangs, the Army care package drive, Leukemia Society fundraisers and more.

Castro has also established himself in the athletic sphere. He was a member of Seminole Ridge High School’s varsity crosscountry team, as well as the track and field team. Castro was named captain to both and currently holds the school record for the boys 4x800 relay. Additionally, he earned fourth place at a district track meet for the 4x800 relay.

In order to reach his goals of healing the sick and helping the poor, Castro will continue his academic career at the University of Florida. He will enroll in a pre-med curriculum with his sights set on graduate school. At that level he hopes to study biomedical engineering, neurosurgery or oncology. Castro stated that his life’s work will be dedicated to helping those who cannot afford the medical attention they need, and he will not give up until that goal is reached.

The Sam Budnyk Student-Athlete of the Year scholarship, established and first awarded in 2005, is presented annually to a graduating high school senior in a Palm Beach County public or private school, who has demonstrated outstanding achievement in academics, community service and athletics. An award of $5,000 the first year, a subsequent $5,000 is available for three consecutive years, for a total of $20,000 upon maintaining certain grade levels, other criteria and subject to fund availability.

The scholarship is administered and judged by a panel of diverse, competent and independent citizens, and is named in recognition and celebration of the commitment, values and success of Sam Budnyk, athletic director at Cardinal Newman High School for nearly 50 years, and head football coach for 43 of those years.

Funds for the award are generously donated by the presenting sponsor of the award, the Orange Bowl Foundation, and by individual and business donors. The scholarship is

Herman Castro administered by the Palm Beach County Sports Institute.

The Palm Beach County Sports Institute is a not-for-profit organization that provides local youth the opportunity to learn sportsmanship, teamwork and citizenship through sports. The Sports Institute also promotes character development through sporting activities, lifelong physical fitness, a drugfree lifestyle and safe and fun access to healthy activities.

Now Open

OPEN: FRI.& SAT TILL 10PM

OPEN: BREAKFAST LUNCH DINNER 7am–9pm

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(Corner of Southern & Forest Hill behind Walgreens)

Royal Palm Beach, FL

(561) ( 561) 795-6695 795 6695

MONDAY NIGHT SPECIAL

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June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 37

SPORTS & RECREATION

LARSON SIGNS TO PLAY COLLEGE LACROSSE

Luke Ready

Luke Ready Wins National Wrestling Tourney In Ohio Luke Ready, 14, of Emerald Cove Middle School, traveled to Columbus, Ohio, on April 21 to compete in the Ohio Tournament of Champions national wrestling event open to state and national placers.

A total of 2,788 competitors from across the country entered the event.

Ready went 4-0 to take first place in the 14 and under 160-pound schoolboy division.

Ready went undefeated this year to clench the schoolboy and junior varsity state title.

The Gators celebrate a perfect season.

Perfect Season For WLMS Boys Basketball The Wellington Landings Middle School boys volleyball team recently finished their season 13-0 to win the Palm Beach County Championship for the second consecutive year. The Gators played previously undefeated Palm Springs, and the score was 25-18, 25-18.

Outstanding blocking and hitting by eighth-graders Richie Ellis and Richie Green were crucial in the win.

The defense was led by Ethan

Shinn, Anthony Grnja and Giani Forgione.

Outside hitters Logan Peluso and Adam Aqua added hitting and serving power. The game MVP was setter Christian Shinn, whose leadership and athletic dominance were instrumental in the win.

In the past eight years, coach Maureen Witkowski has led the Gators to five Palm Beach County championships.

Seminole Ridge High School Class of 2012 graduate Haley Larson has signed a scholarship letter of intent to play lacrosse this fall for Emmanuel College in northeastern Georgia. Larson, who was chosen for the Palm Beach Post All-County lacrosse second team, has played all four years on the SRHS varsity girls team in the attack position. In her senior year at Seminole Ridge, she was captain of the offensive squad and the team’s leading scorer. Shown above are (front row, LR) Ken and Peggy Larson with their daughter, Haley; (back row) SRHS Athletic Director Scott Parks and Principal James Campbell.

Page 38 June 15 - June 21, 2012

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR

Saturday, June 16 • The Loxahatchee Chapter of the Florida Trail Association will stroll Okeeheelee Park on Saturday, June 16 at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast afterward. Call Daisy Palmer at (561) 439-5780 for more info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will hold a meeting of the Coffee & Tea Club on Saturday, June 16 from 10 a.m. to noon. There is no charge. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will host “Hip! Hip! Hooray! It’s Father’s Day!” on Saturday, June 16 at 10:15 a.m. for age 2 and up. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Little Chefs” cookie decorating for Father’s Day on Saturday, June 16 from noon to 2 p.m. Little chefs will learn how to pipe icing and decorate a big heart-shaped chocolate chip cookie. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• Nature’s Center (5301 State Road 7, Lake Worth) will host a free class on orchids Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m. Call (561) 4345777 or e-mail info@thenaturescenter.com to register. Walk-ins are welcome. Visit www.thenaturescenter.com for more info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “A Great Day for Dads” for ages 4 to 7 on Saturday, June 16 at 2 p.m. Celebrate Father’s Day with stories and crafts.

Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Summer Reading Program at the Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will kick off Saturday, June 16 at 3 p.m.

The program features comedian and magician James Changefield. Call (561) 7906030 to pre-register.

• The Acreage Landowners’ Association and the Indian Trail Improvement District will host the Acreage Community Park Jam on Saturday, June 16 from 4 to 10 p.m. at Acreage Community Park (6701 140th Ave. N.).

For info., visit www.acreagelandowners.org or call Bob Renna at (561) 602-0676.

• The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will feature a Family Film Festival on Saturday, June 16 at 8 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

Sunday, June 17 • The Palm Beach Multicultural Organization will present its West Palm Beach Carnival on Sunday, June 17 starting at 11 a.m. at the South Florida Fairgrounds. The event is a celebration of Caribbean culture. Visit www.westpalmbeachcarnival.com for info.

• Palm Beach Skate Zone (8125 Lake Worth Road, West Palm Beach) will offer a Father’s Day Special with free skating for dads Sunday, June 17. Sunday public ice skating sessions take place from 12:30 to 3 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. Public roller skating takes place from 3 to 6 p.m. For info., visit www. pbskatezone.com or call (561) 963-5900.

Monday, June 18 • The Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce will host a luncheon Monday, June 18 at the Wellington Community Center (12150 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) starting at 11:30 a.m. For more info., call Mary Lou Bedford at (561) 790-6200 or e-mail marylou@cpbchamber.com.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Dream Big: Ice Age Rampage!” for age 5 and up Monday, June 18 at 2:30 p.m. See real Florida fossils, including mammoth, sloth and saber cat skulls, and touch a real dinosaur egg. Call (561) 7906070 to pre-register.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will feature “Spy Science” for ages 8 to 12 on Monday, June 18 at 4 p.m. Create disappearing ink to send secret messages, learn ciphers and codes and other spy tips and tricks. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Reducing Your Carbon Footprints” for adults Monday, June 18 at 6:30 p.m. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Mid-County Democratic Club will meet Monday, June 18 at 7 p.m. at Tree’s Wings & Ribs (603 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.).

The speakers will be Palm Beach County School Board members Marcia Andrews, Chuck Shaw and Frank Barbieri; District 1 candidate Christine Jax; and Classroom Teachers Association President Debra Wilhelm. For more info., call President Allen Mergaman at (561) 255-0724 or Vice President Dave Schumacher at (561) 685-7781.

Tuesday, June 19 • Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host 5 Percent Day to benefit the Children’s Healing Institute on Tuesday, June 19 from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Five percent of the day’s net sales will be donated to the Children’s Healing Institute.

Call (561) 904-4000 for more info.

• The Palm Beach County Commission will meet Tuesday, June 19 at 9:30 a.m. at the county governmental center (301 N. Olive Ave., Sixth Floor, West Palm Beach). For more info., visit www.pbcgov.com.

See CALENDAR, page 39

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COMMUNITY CALENDAR CALENDAR, continued from page 38 • Youth ages 10 to 17 are invited to make Friendship Bracelets on Tuesday, June 19 at 3 p.m. at the Wellington library. Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• The Society of the Four Arts (2 Four Arts Plaza, Palm Beach) will kick off a “Summer of Shaw” series with a George Bernard Shaw Over view with Dr. John Peruggia on June 19 at 5:30 p.m. There is no charge and no RSVP is required. Call (561) 659-8513 for info.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Fancy Nancy’s Etiquette Extraordinaire” for ages 6 to 8 on Tuesday, June 19 at 7 p.m. Call (561) 681-4100 for info.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host a Seminar on Allergy Prevention & Relief on Tuesday, June 19 at 6:30 p.m. with Dr. Tim DeCanio. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• The Loxahatchee Groves Town Council will meet Tuesday, June 19 at 7 p.m. at the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District office. Call (561) 793-2418 or visit www. loxahatcheegroves.org for more info.

Wednesday, June 20 • The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host “Hooray for Summer!” Wednesday, June 20 at 11:15 a.m. for ages 3 to 5.

Enjoy fun under the sun with stories, songs and a craft. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• Meteorologist Kait Parker from WPTV NewsChannel 5 will be the guest speaker at the Wellington Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on Wednesday, June 20 at the Wanderers Club. The cost is $20 for chamber members with an RSVP, $25 for members without an RSVP and $30 for the general public. Registration takes place at 11:30 a.m., and the luncheon begins at noon. For more info., call (561) 792-6525 or visit www. wellingtonchamber.com.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will host a Speaker from the Flagler Museum on Wednesday, June 20 at 2 p.m. Call (561) 681-4100 to pre-register.

• The Wellington library (1951 Royal Fern Drive) will feature “Craft Extravaganza” for age 2 and up Wednesday, June 20 at 2 p.m.

Call (561) 790-6070 to pre-register.

• Wellington Regional Medical Center hosts a new monthly support group for patients with cardiovascular diseases such as stroke, heart attack and congestive heart failure Wednesday, June 20 at 3 p.m. in Conference Room A featuring Dr. David Soria, who will speak on “Recognizing Symptoms

of Heart Attack and Stroke.” For more info., call (561) 753-2641.

• The Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.) will feature “Acquire Your Summer Reads & Travel Needs” on Wednesday, June 20 at 4 p.m. for adults. Discover the library’s electronic resources to help you learn a new language, find a good book and find eBooks available for download. Call (561) 6814100 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Gluten-Free Cooking” on Wednesday, June 20 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Learn to prepare an easy gluten-free meal that tastes great. There is no charge.

Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• The Central Palm Beach County Economic Development Task Force will meet Wednesday, June 20 at 7 p.m. at the Acreage library (15801 Orange Blvd.). For more info., call Scott Brown at (561) 790-6200.

Thursday, June 21 • The Royal Palm Beach library (500 Civic Center Way) will hold its adult summer reading kickoff “Dream Big, Read!” on Thursday, June 21 at 2:30 p.m. Discover online resources to help find your next read, create a fancy bookmark, play trivia, sign up for the adult summer reading program, and get door prizes. Call (561) 790-6030 to pre-register.

• Whole Foods Market (2635 State Road 7, Wellington) will host “Eat Vegan for $4 a Day” with a lecture and book signing Thursday, June 21 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. A cooking demonstration will be followed by a book signing by Ellen Jaffe Jones. There is no charge. Call (561) 904-4000 to pre-register.

• The Royal Palm Beach Village Council will meet Thursday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at Village Hall (1050 Royal Palm Beach Blvd.).

Call (561) 790-5100 or visit www.royal palmbeach.com for more info.

• American Legion Chris Reyka Memorial Post 390 will meet Thursday, June 21 at 7 p.m. at Palm Beach Fire-Rescue Station 30 (9610 Stribling Way, Wellington). For more info., e-mail wellingtonlegion390@ gmail.com or call (561) 301-5148.

Friday, June 22 • The Wellington Amphitheater (12100 W. Forest Hill Blvd.) will present a free screening of the movie Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked Friday, June 22 at 8 p.m. Call (561) 753-2484 for more info.

Send calendar items to: The Town-Crier, 12794 W. Forest Hill Blvd., Suite 31, Wellington, FL 33414. FAX: (561) 793-6090. Email: news@gotowncrier.com.

June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 39

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HUNTINGTON LEARNING CENTER — in W ellington needs EXAM PREP COORDINAT OR Bachelors Degree- Demonstrate Solid Performance on SAT and ACT (either verbal or math sections) Available to work evenings and Saturdays. Also needed: EXAM PREP TUTORS Now Hiring SAT/ACT Preparation Tutors. Must have a 4 year degree preferably in Mathmetics or English.

Be available to tutor on Saturdays.

Please e-mail your resume to marlenegiraud@hlcwellington.com VOLUNTEERS NEEDED — 14 years and over for community service. Have fun with animals & kids 792-2666 ENTRY LEVEL RECEPTIONIST — Computer literate. Heavy phones & filing. Fax resume 561-333-2680 WINDOW INSTALLERS WANTED Subcontractors only. Top Pay. No Brokers. Call Matt 561-714-8490

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FRONT DESK — Loxahatchee/ Boynton Beach. Busy Dermatology practices, full-time, experience preferred, must be available for flexible hours, evenings and weekends.

Fax resume to 561-790-7568 MEDICAL ASSISTANT NEEDED IN LOXAHA TCHEE/BOYNTON BEACH — Busy Dermatology practice, full-time, experience preferred, must be available for flexible hours, evenings and weekends. Fax resume to 561-790-7568 FRONT DESK – small Doctors office, Loxahatchee, part-time must be available for flexible hours, weekdays, Healthcare/Medical office experience, Bilingual/S panish preferable, Fax resume to 561-7981121.

HELP W ANTED DRIVERS — Dedicated account! Top Pay, benefit s, miles weekly hometime and more. W erner Enterprises.

1-888-567-4854

JOHN C. HUNTON AIR CONDITIONING & REFRIGERATION, INC.—Service & new inst allation FPL independent participating contractor. Lic. CAC 057272 Ins. "We are proud supporters of the Seminole Ridge Hawks" 561-798-3225.

Family Owned & Operated since 1996. Credit Cards Accepted

WE CLEAN OFFICES & PRIVATE HOMES — Licensed & Insured.

Call for an estimate and to schedule your apartment. Discount for Central Palm Beach County Chamber members and to all new clients for first cleaning. 561-385-8243 Lic. #2012-252779

MOBILE-TEC ON-SITE COMPUTER SERVICE — The computer experts that come to you! Hardware/ Software setup, support & troubleshooting w w w.mobiletec.ne t.

561-248-2611 D.J. COMPUTER — Home & office, Spyware removal, websites, networks, repairs, upgrades, virus removal, tutoring. Call Jeff 561-3331923 Cell 561-252-1186 Lic’d Well. & Palm Beach. We accept major credit cards.

DRIVEWAYS — Free estimates A & M ASPHALT SEAL COATING commercial and residential. Patching potholes, striping, repair existing asphalt & save money all work guaranteed. Lic.& Ins. 100045062 561-667-7716

FREELANCE GRAND PRIX SHOW JUMPING RIDER/ TRAINER — available for lessons, clinics, training, and horse sales.

Will even come to you. Qualified students for Equestrian finals. (917) 912-4709 www.eng-land-farm.com

HOUSECLEANING — 20 yrs experience. Excellent local references. Shopping available. 561572-1782 HOUSECLEANING — af fordable cleaning services, Royal Palm Maids. 561-666-7738 “For all your cleaning needs” F AMILY OWNED CLEANING BUSINESS IS EXPANDING — We are honest, reliable and dependable. Over 20 years experience in the Western Communities. Call today to get started. Norma 561-3555044

HURRICANE SHUTTERS P&M CONTRACT ORS — ACCORDION SHUTTERS Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, sof fits, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985. U-17189 561-791-9777

BOB CAVANAGH ALLSTATE INSURANCE — Auto •Home • Life• Renters •Motorcycle •RV • Golfcart • Boat Serving the Western Communities for 24 years Call for a quote 798-3056, or visit our website. www.allstateagencies.com/ rCavanagh

RJA PAINTING & DECORATING, INC. — Interior Exterior, Faux Finish, Residential,Commercial.Lic. #U17536 Rocky Armento, Jr. 561793-5455 561-662-7102 J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior painting. Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch 309-6975 or visit our website at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

ROOM FOR RENT — includes Queen Size bed, dresser, and night stand. Access to kitchen, living room, washer-dryer and huge yard.

Available now for $600 month. 561291-4077

FURNISHED HOUSE FOR RENT/ SHORT OR LONG TERM — situated in a cul-de-sac and 5 minutes away from Spruce Meadows, this 2000 sf. 2 story newer house in Shawnessy has hardwood floor throughout and 2.5 bathrooms.

Leather furniture, 48” TV and a Piano in main floor. Master bedroom has Jacuzzi. 2 large size bedrooms and bonus room. Wireless Internet, double attached garage, fenced backyard with BBQ. Weekly housekeeping, linen service and lawn cutting plus all utilities included. For more details call (403) 808-7254 OR (403) 700-2065 TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS CALL 793-7606 T ODAY

BENGAL CAT — Free to first good family, purebred, adult male, declawed and neutered,raised indoors, very affectionate owner relocating. 561-358-5006

MOVING SALE — Must sell Living room, Bedroom, 3 piece Entert ainment Center, $200.00 Each Dining Room Table with 4 chairs $50.00.

Call 561-236-2154

THE MASTER HANDYMAN — All Types of Home Repairs & Improvements. No job too big or small done right the first time every time 40 yrs of satisfied customers. See me on Angies List. Tom (561) 801-2010 or (954) 444-3178 Serving Palm Beach and Broward Counties.

BILLY’S HOME REPAIRS INC. REMODEL & REPAIRS — Interior Trim, crown molding, rottenwood repair, door installation, minor d r y w a l l , k i t c h e n s / c a b i n e ts / countertops, wood flooring. Bonded and Insured U#19699. Call 7919900 or 628-9215 HANDYMAN AND CLEANING SERVICES — Caza Services for all your handyman and cleaning needs. 18 years experience. No job is too small. Call us today. Insured 561-802-8300 or 754-242-3459

ANMAR CO.—James’ All Around Handyman Service. Excellent craftman Old time values. Once you’ve had me! You’ll have me back!

Lic. Ins. Certified Residential Contractor CRC 1327426 561-248-8528 TOWN-CRIER CLASSIFIEDS GET RESULTS CALL 793-7606

JOHN PERGOLIZZI PAINTING INC. — Interior/Exterior - Repaint specialist, pressure cleaning, popcorn ceiling, drywall repair & roof painting. Family owned/owner operator. Free Est. 798-4964 Lic. #U18473 COLORS BY CORO, INC. — Int./ Ext. residential painting, over 20 yrs exp. Small Jobs welcome. Free est. Ins. 561-383-8666. Owner/Operated. Lic.# U20627 Ins. Wellington Resident \ JEREMY JAMES PLUMBING — Licensed plumber, legitimate estimate. Water heaters, new construction. CFC1426242. Bonded Insured. CFC1426242. 561-6016458

J&B PRESSURE CLEANING & PAINTING, INC. — Established 1984. All types of pressure cleaning, roofs, houses, driveways, patios etc. Commercial & Residential.

Interior & Exterior p ainting.

Certified pressure cleaning & painting contractor. Lic. #U21552 Call Butch at 309-6975 or visit us at www.jbpressurecleaningandpainting.com

June 15 - June 21, 2012 Page 41

MINOR ROOF REP AIRS DON HARTMANN ROOFING — Roof painting, Carpentry. Lic. #U13677 967-5580 ROBERT G. HARTMANN ROOFING — Specializing in repairs. Free estimates, Bonded,insured. Lic. #CCC 058317 Ph: 561-790-0763.

ROOFING REPAIRS REROOFING ALL TYPES — Pinewood Construction, Inc. Honest and reliable. Serving Palm Beach County for over 20 years. Call Mike 561-309-0134 Lic. Ins. Bonded. CGC-023773 RC0067207 JOHN C. BEALE BUILDING & ROOFING — Additions, remodeling, roof rep airs & replacements, screened porches. Licensed & Insured. Call for Free Estimates. 561798-6448 ccc1326383 ccc1250306

SECURITY — American owned local security comp any in business 30 plus years. Protection by officers drug tested. 40 hour course. Licensed & Insured. 561-848-2600

JOHN’S SCREEN REPAIR SERVICE — Pool & patio rescreening.

Stay tight,wrinkle-free,guaranteed!

CRC1329708 call us 798-3132. www.poolscreenrepair.com

ACCORDION SHUTTERS — Gutters, screen enclosures, siding, soffit s, aluminum roofs, Serving the Western Communities. Since 1985.

U-17189 561-791-9777

AQUA TIC SPRINKLER, LLC — Complete rep air of all types of systems. Owner Operated. Michael 561-964-6004Lic.#U17871 Bonded & Ins. Serving the W estern Communities Since 1990

SPECIALIZING IN BATHROOM REMODELING — Free estimates serving South Florida since 1980.

Quality you expect, service you deserve. Lic. bonded & Ins. U21006 561-662-9258

STEAMPRO TILE & CARPET CLEANING — Residential & Commericial. 561-818-8635 (office) 561-255-9098 (cell) Licensed, Bonded and Insured.

TREES TRIMMED AND REMOVED — 561-798-0412 D.M. YOUNG TREE SERVICE. Family Owned & Operated Lic. & Insured 1992-12121 V isit our website at dmyoungtreeservice.com

PAPERHANGING BY DEBI — Professional Inst allation,Removal.

Repair of Paper. Neat, Clean & Reliable. Quality work with a woman's touch. 30 years experience. No Job too big or too small. Lic. & Ins. References available. 561-795-5263

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