ITID APPROVES SLIMMED-DOWN BUDGET SEE STORY, PAGE 3
FATHER WALTER DOCKERILL DIES AT 86 SEE STORY, PAGE 7
THE
TOWN-CRIER WELLINGTON • ROYAL PALM BEACH • LOXAHATCHEE • THE ACREAGE
Your Community Newspaper
INSIDE
Dangerous Nile Monitor Lizards Now In Wellington
Volume 37, Number 25 June 17 - June 23, 2016
Serving Palms West Since 1980
REALTORS TAKE THE RUNWAY EVENT
University of Florida Professor Frank Mazzotti gave a presentation to the Wellington Village Council on Tuesday regarding the encroachment of Nile monitor lizards into Florida, including a growing presence in Wellington. Page 3
Bicycle Safety And Helmet Fitting Event At Wheels Of Wellington
Wellington’s Community Services Department, in partnership with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Safe Kids Palm Beach County and Wheels of Wellington, hosted a bicycle helmet fitting on Saturday, June 11 at the Wheels of Wellington store. Page 5
Rabbi David Sislen Joins Temple B’nai Jacob As Its New Spiritual Leader
Temple B’nai Jacob of Wellington is welcoming a new spiritual leader. Rabbi David Sislen will become the temple’s full-time rabbi, cantor and education director starting next month. Page 7
Camp Invention Makes Learning Fun At Binks Forest Elementary
Binks Forest Elementary School in Wellington hosted Camp Invention the week of June 6-10. Campers, counselors and educators took things apart, built projects, and enjoyed fun activities at the camp. Page 14
OPINION Spend Sunday With That Special Father Figure In Your Life
As with most annual events, Father’s Day is engulfed in a wave of commercialization that threatens to obscure its true significance. Research shows that engaged fathers have a positive influence on their children. Educational success, better social development and higher self-esteem are some of the documented effects on children who have fathers involved in their everyday life. Page 4
DEPARTMENT INDEX NEWS................................. 3 - 9 OPINION.................................. 4 NEWS BRIEFS......................... 6 PEOPLE................................. 10 SCHOOLS.............................. 11 COLUMNS...................... 12, 19 BUSINESS..................... 20 - 21 SPORTS..........................27 - 29 CALENDAR............................ 32 CLASSIFIEDS.................34 - 37 Visit Us On The Web At WWW.GOTOWNCRIER.COM
Keller Williams Realty of Wellington presented its “Realtors Take The Runway” luncheon and fashion show on Wednesday, June 8 at the Wellington National Golf Club. The event raised money for the Hospice of Palm Beach County Foundation. Shown above are event chairs Maureen Gross and Nancy Jennings with WPTV news anchor Kelley Dunn (center). MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 9 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
Horse Estates Proposed On Old Wanderers Executive Course
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Late last year, W&W Equestrian Club LLC, a company affiliated with Wellington-based Ward Real Estate, purchased the defunct Wanderers Club executive golf course. At the time, there was speculation about what the company planned to do with unused golf course land that winds its way around the Lakefield South residential community. The intent is no longer a mystery. Winding Trails is the new name for the 65.45-acre project along Aero Club Drive in Wellington. W&W Equestrian Club LLC is requesting approval to convert the golf course into nine luxury equestrian estates ranging from 2.27 to 3.96 acres each, with a home, a groom’s quarters, a stable with eight stalls, paddocks and a practice ring. The overall density will be 0.14 dwelling units per acre.
The land is not currently part of the Equestrian Overlay Zoning District, but the applicant is asking to extend the EOZD designation to the property. There will be barns downstairs with living quarters upstairs, with attractive structures, said Sharon Merchant, spokesperson for Ward Real Estate. “It’s not going to look like a barn, it’s going to look like a beautiful home,” Merchant said. “There will be a lot more water features added to that community, in general, so we expect property values to be positively impacted.” The plan received by Wellington’s Planning & Zoning Department on June 6 shows that the application includes a comprehensive plan amendment, master plan amendment, rezoning, site plan amendment/subdivision and zoning text amendment. The proposed use for the property is equestrian residential, and the agent for the project is listed
at the architectural firm Cotleur & Hearing. Cory Lyn Cramer, development review coordinator for the village, said Winding Trails has scheduled and attended community meetings with Lakefield homeowners to discuss the proposal. “They are taking steps to reach out to the community,” Cramer said. “They have been cooperating with us. They have been addressing as many preliminary comments as possible. They actually completed a resubmittal based on some pretty standard comments, things that happen as far as the process is concerned, before it goes to the first Development Review Committee meeting, which is scheduled for June 22.” From the developer’s standpoint, feedback from Lakefield South is important and is being taken seriously, Merchant said. “We want the homeowners’ See ESTATE HOMES, page 4
Races Heating Up For Seats On Indian Trail Board
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report At least one of two races for seats on the Indian Trail Improvement District Board of Supervisors will likely be thrown into the Aug. 30 primary election, with three candidates expected to be on the ballot for Seat 4, currently held by longtime Supervisor Michelle Damone. Damone is being challenged by Betty Argue, an unsuccessful candidate in 2014 against ITID President Carol Jacobs, and Keith Jordano, an insurance professional who ran unsuccessfully for the board in 2004. Candidates for Seat 2 so far are incumbent Supervisor Gary Dunkley and challenger Ryan William Bernal. Argue, a founding member of ALERTS (Acreage Loxahatchee Engaged Residents Taking a Stand) of PBC said she is running because she believes the board needs people who care about protecting and preserving The Acreage lifestyle.
“I have noticed that that doesn’t seem to be taking place. The people managing our money are not necessarily doing it with the right priorities and responsibly,” she said. “Roads and drainage are ultimate priorities. I think that parks are important, but we spend an awful lot of money on parks, and we seem to have priorities kicked down the road with respect to drainage. I don’t think that we are where we need to be with respect to drainage.” Argue believes that ITID is wasting money with traffic calming, which she feels is ineffective. “I think that it’s being done a little bit prematurely,” she said. “Development is coming, but I think that there needs to be discussion with the developers in making them pay for whatever traffic calming that we think we need on the roads as a result of their traffic, not the residents having to bear the financial burden of the development that’s coming.” Argue said she has been inSee ITID RACES, page 4
ART SOCIETY GALA
The Wellington Art Society held its annual installation dinner on Friday, June 10 at the Mayacoo Lakes Country Club. Members were recognized for their artistic achievements and successes over the past year, while sponsors were recognized for their generous support in helping the group bring art to the community. Shown above are Donna Donelan, Marie Lentine and Sandy Axelrod. MORE PHOTOS, PAGE 15 PHOTO BY DENISE FLEISCHMAN/TOWN-CRIER
LGWCD Candidates Answer Questions Wellington Sends Referendum At LGLA’s Forum On Council Vacancies To Ballot
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report The Wellington Village Council approved the final reading Tuesday of an ordinance that places a referendum on the Aug. 30 primary election ballot that, if approved, would amend the charter’s existing method of filling council vacancies. The ballot question asks: “Shall council vacancies exceeding 180 days be filled by special election rather than by appointment?” The current charter requires that council vacancies be filled by appointment. The proposed amendment would eliminate appointments and would fill council vacancies in the same manner as mayoral vacancies by requiring a
special election if more than 180 days remain in the unexpired term. A seat with fewer than 180 days remaining would not be filled until the subsequent election. The question had been approved by the previous council to appear on the March ballot with other referendum questions, but was pulled because of confusion over the wording. Controversy arose over the question when Mayor Anne Gerwig had to resign her seat as council member to run for mayor in the last election. Village Attorney Laurie Cohen said the charter amendment would ask voters if they want to eliminate the current method of council members appointing someone to fill a vacancy.
The question was changed slightly between the first and second readings, but not substantively, adding “exceeding 180 days” to clarify the language that less than 180 days would not require a special election. “Those few words were added in,” Cohen said. “I think it does lend clarification.” Gerwig was ready to move forward. “We’ve vetted this one over and over,” she said. Councilman Michael Drahos made a motion to approve the ordinance, which carried 5-0. Councilman Michael Napoleone, who was a member of the Charter Review Task Force before becoming a councilman, said he See REFERENDUM, page 14
By Ron Bukley Town-Crier Staff Report Three candidates for two open seats on the Loxahatchee Groves Water Control District Board of Supervisors met in a forum hosted by the Loxahatchee Groves Landowners’ Association on Thursday, June 9. The candidates are incumbent Supervisor Dave DeMarois and first-time candidates Simon Fernandez and Anita Kane. LGLA Treasurer Ken Johnson moderated the event, asking questions submitted by members after candidates introduced themselves. Fernandez, a seven-year resident and owner of about 30 acres of land where he operates several businesses including a nursery, said that as a taxpayer and landowner, he wanted to be sure that
he is getting his money’s worth. “At the suggestion of one of the council members, he said that I should get involved, and this was my first opportunity to get involved with the community,” he said. “So I hope if I am elected to be of help and be of assistance.” DeMarois moved to Loxahatchee Groves in 1979 and built a house several years later. He has been on the board since 1997 and has chaired the board since 2005. “It has been a pleasure working with the people of Loxahatchee Groves,” he said. “When I first got on the board, the only people representing Loxahatchee Groves was the landowners’ association. You guys did that until 2006 when the town evolved.” DeMarois said that the district See LGLA FORUM, page 14
Expert Lays Out Pros, Cons Of Acreage Incorporation
Lynn Tipton of the Florida League of Cities at Tuesday’s meeting hosted by the Acreage Landowners’ Association.
PHOTO BY JULIE UNGER/TOWN-CRIER
By Julie Unger Town-Crier Staff Report Lynn Tipton, director of the Florida League of Cities’ FLC University program, visited the Acreage Landowners’ Association meeting Tuesday, June 14 to discuss the pros and cons of incorporation. “The Florida League of Cities is the statewide association of municipal governments,” she explained. “A city, a town or a village in Florida is legally a municipality.” The league, she said, doesn’t take a position on whether an area should incorporate or not, but serves as a guide through the process. The terms “city,” “town” and “village” all mean the same thing legally in Florida, Tipton explained. For an area to become a municipality, it means that the
community has gone through the process of incorporating. A municipality is the only optional form of government. Each county in Florida has a school district, and can be part of special districts. Florida has 67 counties, 67 school districts, approximately 1,600 special districts and 411 municipalities. The process to incorporate, Tipton explained, outlined in Florida Statues Chapter 165, starts by presenting a feasibility study to the county’s legislative delegation. The local State House member would sponsor the special act, and the feasibility study will be examined by committees. The State Senate then follows. “What they’re really looking for is the viability of the area. They want to know that it meets certain criteria. More than anything, they
want to know that you’re serious,” Tipton said. The first thing looked at is the tax base, and whether the municipality could support itself by either taxes or fees. The second item is intergovernmental issues. The school district, county government and all special districts must be consulted for the impacts of what would happen if the community became a municipality. If the county’s legislative delegation OKs the study, the item is placed on the special act calendar for the legislature. If both chambers approve, it would go to the governor, who would sign off and agree not that the community can become a municipality but that the feasibility study is approved and the idea is viable. From there, the special act See TIPTON, page 4